Chapter 665

"What am I supposed to do about my butt?!!"

"Hanging it on a tree won't hurt." Star said comfortingly, smiling gently beside him.

"Geredi: 'Clock Old Man, stop pretending to be dead. If this scene can't be filmed, I won't pay you a cent.'"

"Tick-tock, when did you get the illusion I'm pretending to be dead? My clock trick has already been activated."

——

Death God

Ichigo Kurosaki's pupils suddenly contracted.

The Clock Old Man's words almost instantly overlapped with the memory of that figure standing high above, wearing glasses, gentle and refined, bringing countless despair—Sosuke Aizen, eerily overlapping.

The composure behind those words instantly awakened Ichigo's memory. Aizen, using Kyoka Suigetsu to bring an absolute oppressive feeling capable of overturning cognition, even after a long time, recalling it now still sent a chill down Ichigo's spine, and his hand gripping the teacup unconsciously tightened.

However, fortunately, after his battle with Yhwach, Aizen has been imprisoned again.

"How are you, Ichigo?" a gentle, concerned voice called from beside him; Orihime Inoue had come over at some point, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him, "Your face suddenly became very serious."

"Ah... nothing." He waved his hand, his gaze turning back to the sky, "I just feel this Assassin's ability is truly amazing; these actors don't know where they found him, yet he can replicate the Clock Kid's emotion-manipulating ability."

Orihime Inoue placed her hands together in front of her chest and thought seriously: "But this emotion-manipulating ability probably wouldn't work on someone with strong will; Star and Budoi have experienced the Taiyi Dream, so this emotion-manipulating trick is too simple in comparison."

"No, you can't underestimate any enemy's tricks." Ichigo's expression also turned serious again: "Sometimes, the simpler and more direct an ability seems, the more effective it can be. Just like... the most basic swing of a Zanpakuto, when it reaches its utmost, its power can split mountains and rocks; the key lies in the timing and manner of its use."

"However, looking at the Clock Old Man's move, it doesn't seem to be aimed at dealing with Star and Budoi; could it be to secretly transfer Miss Zhigengniao's fragments?"

——

"Mmm..."

As the Clock Old Man's words faded, Star only then realized her field of vision was becoming blurry.

She shook her head.

Something's off.

Until now, she had always used the clock trick to adjust others' emotions; this time, however, she herself became the target of emotional adjustment for the first time.

"You know? For demons, playing with people's emotions is like plucking a strings instrument; a light touch is all it takes—"

Budoi laughed heartily, looking happy but not knowing why: "Hahaha, truly damn refreshing. At times like this, one should crack open a bottle of Herdolin's smoked malt juice."

His heart couldn't help but swell with joy, feeling light-headed and elated; yet all of this was merely an ordinary psychic attack.

"Clock Maker, do you see this? Your proudest trick is now nothing more than my prize!" Seeing Budoi already hit, the Clock Old Man grew excited.

Budoi's emotions at this moment were like a wire bent at the grip, swiftly plummeting from extreme ecstasy; he clutched his forehead, and a surge of anger welled up.

"Damn it, I don't know why, but I actually feel like dancing with this bastard."

The Clock Old Man was very pleased with this, he flicked a hand on his dial: "Tick-tock, this is the demon king who once ruled Pinokangni, the clock trick invented by the Clock Maker. No matter how strong a spirit, before it, it's merely a blank sheet of paper to be casually scribbled on."

"Your skill range is that big?"

Star also felt puzzled—this isn't quite like what the Clock Kid taught her!!

——

Honkai 3

"Oh dear~ If I hadn't personally seen Mikhail before, I would have mistaken the famous 【Clock Maker】 for some big villain hiding behind the scenes~♪"

"If you disregard the facts, you'll surely be disliked~♪"

In Past Paradise, Ailixiya sat on a swing woven from coalescing data light points, her brows slightly furrowed; although the Clock Old Man spoke in a fairy-tale style, she didn't like Mikhail, the person who silently devoted himself to protecting Pinokangni, who after death was branded with the infamous title of 'Demon King'.

Kevin crossed his arms, standing by the railing nearby, also somewhat curious: "This Clock Old Man seems to have a deep grudge against the Clock Maker; could it be that he isn't merely a fictional character conjured from the Assassin's Noble Phantasm?"

"Hmph, no matter what, slandering Mikhail as a demon king while happily using the power he created—such behavior is already enough to make one feel disgusted." Senjitsu coldly snorted.

"But this guy's ability, compared to Star's, seems considerably stronger. Star has never tried using a trick on multiple people at once, right?"

Eden looked at Star's still fairly calm expression; it's obvious the clock trick's effect on her is relatively small—could it be because of the 【Pioneer】?

——

"How dare you toy with my good bro Budoi."

Star intended to show him what a genuine clock trick was, then after opening his emotional space, she found he couldn't be tuned at all.

"Look who this is—a poor little wretch. Wanting to lift your friend's curse, yet you can't even protect yourself." The Clock Old Man burst out laughing, "Your clock trick's power comes from the Clock Kid, while I am the Clock Old Man; when the kid sees the old man, it naturally fails."

"Now it's time for the old man to teach the kid a lesson."

A wave of indescribable emotion seized Star's spirit; it was not one of the four emotions of the clock trick, but something more gloomy and oppressive, like a silent mire.

The departure of a beloved one, the betrayal of a trusted one, the approaching death, the fabricated emotion that shouldn't exist exploding in the heart, leaving only a black hole, staring at you like a dead person's eyes——

But just then, a red figure stepped out, blocking the two of them.

"Had enough fun? I don't have time to stay here playing house with you."

The Clock Old Man was instantly startled, looking at the Archer who seemed perfectly fine: "How is that possible? I clearly used the clock trick to turn everyone's emotions into despair."

Archer wore a speechless expression, arms crossed, relaxed: "Boring to the extreme, even the lines are the same old villain cliché; this little bit of provocation is less impressive than the cry of a vulture on a corpse."