Chapter 457

"So many materialized exotic beings!" Wu Dao Guangshi looked at the monsters completely enclosing this open space and involuntarily gripped his Grape Dragon Spear.

"Just handle long-range support; I'll take care of the rest." Jiang Xia looked at the slightly nervous Wu Dao Guangshi and said.

"With so many, are you sure you can win?" Wu Dao Guangshi looked toward Jiang Xia; even facing this situation, he remained as calm as ever, as if he were not facing a horde of exotic beings but merely an ordinary game.

"Numbers mean nothing to me; when the strength gap reaches a certain point, you only face opponents of your own level. Aren't you trying to protect the Armored Warrior Team, protect Gao Siwu? Now the opportunity has come—you must rally your spirit and press forward."

Jiang Xia drew the black long sword at his waist and gripped it in his hand; this simple action alone gave Wu Dao Guangshi immense pressure.

"How do you know?" Wu Dao Guangshi felt a bit flustered; he had clearly told no one, and this was said by Jiang Xia himself, making him fear the other would directly draw his sword and cut him down.

He is not yet the Wu Dao Guangshi who has blackened to near insanity; now he is merely an ordinary high school student who has never experienced society's beatings.

"Does knowing how matter? Every move you make tells me you like her." Jiang Xia said.

"Then why are you helping me? You clearly know I like Dance Sister; why not wait until I fail before you appear?" Wu Dao Guangshi said in the softest voice of his life, while secretly glancing toward the Armored Warrior Team as he spoke.

The way to deal with competitors is to wait for their failure or to sneak in and gain favor; that's exactly what he did.

"Well, because Ah Wu told me last night that she sees you as a brother, so she asked me to go through some trouble." Jiang Xia glanced at Wu Dao Guangshi.

"Eh? Did Dance Sister say that herself? Wait, tonight!"

Wu Dao Guangshi suddenly felt frantic; this obviously wasn't just about being seen as a brother—why would Gao Siwu say this to Jiang Xia? No, being seen as a brother is also important, no, tonight is more important.

What the hell did you two do tonight?

"Of course, you can go ask yourself."

"Who would go ask such a question!" Wu Dao Guangshi couldn't help himself.

Why is it that he clearly understands each word Jiang Xia says, but when put together they directly scramble his brain into a paste?

Being treated as a brother, having Jiang Xia go through trouble, and tonight—all these together are, to him, literally a nightmare he'll never wake from.

"So have you figured it out? The enemy has already rushed up." Jiang Xia reminded.

Qu Wen Jie Dou's icy, murderous gaze could no longer be held back; although he had gathered so much power, his opponent stood still on the stage, and was apparently saying something to the Grape Kid that he didn't understand.

He wanted to see Jiang Xia shocked or amazed, but there was nothing—just a simple compliment on the summoned exotic beast, and then it was gone? Gone? Obviously, obviously I was the first to arrive!

"Slashing Moon!" Qu Wen Jie Dou roared, and all the exotic beasts around let out a howl and charged en masse onto the stage.

"Let's talk after we finish." Jiang Xia held a shield in his left hand, gripped a sword in his right, and charged straight at the exotic beasts.

Upon hearing the howl, Wu Dao Guangshi also snapped awake, quickly shaking his head to clear his fantasies; now is not the time to think about these things, his top priority is to ensure the Armored Warrior Team's victory.

He wielded the Grape Dragon Spear, firing at the exotic beasts attacking from all directions to prevent them from gaining a numerical encirclement advantage; of course, this time he had learned his lesson, rapidly moving his position while continuously firing, and he turned up the bullet power to maximum.

Every bullet fired from the barrel looked like a plump, juicy purple grape; one only needed to aim at an exotic beast's head and fire three shots in succession—ordinary exotic beasts would explode outright, and even evolved exotic beasts would be forced back, after which a follow-up attack could annihilate them.

Most of these were C Rank Lockseed-summoned exotic beasts; although numerous, their strength was rather mediocre.

If this side relies on long-range advantage to whittle down the numbers of exotic beasts, then the other side is simply a one-sided slaughter.

A white shadow descended from the heavens, and a deep azure blade light flashed continuously amidst the howls.

Jiang Xia gripped the black long sword and leapt directly from the stage into the midst of the three armored knights, landing squarely among them, while exotic beasts capable of covering his entire body surrounded him.

Although he was just one person, his aura could match ten thousand troops; the exotic beings originally summoned via Lockseed should have been able to move according to their will, but the moment Jiang Xia appeared, a flicker of fear crossed their fierce eyes, and they dared not launch an attack.

Although the exotic beings dared not attack on their own, Qu Wen Jie Dou could not wait any longer; he wielded a banana spear, and together with the hammer-wielding knight formed by Cheng Nei Xiu Bao's transformation and the lance-wielding Kamen Rider Black Shadow, they charged at Jiang Xia.

Jiang Xia held the dark-colored long sword horizontally before his chest, while the attacks of the other three armored knights came one after another; the long sword clashed with their weapons, and the sparks from the collisions illuminated their faces covered in different armor.

But in just an instant, several cries of pain erupted directly from those splendid sparks; a massive azure blade light carved a beautiful arc, drawing an almost perfect circle at the battlefield's center, as if an azure lotus blossomed from the middle, and the sharp blade light exploded outward from the center, countless sword phantoms seemingly present at every corner.

Qu Wen Jie Dou had not yet reacted when his armor took hit after hit; his banana spear could only be held upright before him, relying on instinct to barely block a few strikes, but as the assault grew faster he could no longer keep up, ultimately tumbling beneath that massive blade light and disintegrating.

Cheng Nei Xiu Bao swung the pine-cone hammer attached to his hand wildly at his surroundings, unable to locate the enemy and thus throwing out random attacks; his fate was no better.

Amidst the countless blade lights, a half-person-tall shield bearing unparalleled force smashed directly into him; his hammer faced the honeydew melon shield and could offer no effective resistance, as the shield drove his hammer together into his forehead, emitting a crisp sound.

One could tell just by hearing it that it was a solid blow; Cheng Nei Xiu Bao passed out instantly under that heavy strike and could not get up again.

The Kamen Rider Black Shadow formed by Hatsu Sei Ryoji's transformation was also sliced apart and disintegrated the moment Jiang Xia first swung his blade.

Aside from these three armored knights, the exotic beings that had surrounded the area and dared not attack were, in the same instant, cut in half and exploded with a boom.

Moreover, some higher-ranking exotic beings that tried to attack were severed in two before they could even unleash their strike.

Numbers meant nothing to Jiang Xia; Qu Wen Jie Dou's strategy this time might have been correct—three Sengoku Drivers plus a vast number of exotic beings one.

If he hadn't guessed wrong, Qu Wen Jie Dou must have put great effort into mastering how to control materialized exotic beings, and his spirit is remarkably tenacious; otherwise, summoning so many at once would have long since spiraled out of control.

Originally, the people watching the street dance nearby had been hiding far away; when the battle began, they had all already run off—seeking profit and avoiding harm is human nature—and if virtual exotic beings could still be explained as game creatures, then materialized exotic beings were already monsters to them.

Even if a single hideous, terrifying exotic being appeared, ordinary people would flee in fear, let alone having them all appear at once.

But likewise, when they realized the exotic beings were no longer dangerous, even incapable of harming anyone, they came running back once more, gazing at the blooming azure lotus in the center with near-reverent eyes.

No one could see clearly what exactly happened in the middle, but the exotic beings' sky‑splitting fiery explosions and the incessant blade‑light bursts captured all of their attention.

There were no sparks from being struck; only the explosions produced when the exotic beings died. They could not withstand that casual swing of the blade, and in the high‑speed motion, every summoned exotic beast perished.

The killing and stimulation encoded in human genes were fully ignited by this blade light, like a spark; just as some people enjoy stimulation, especially since this slaughter was filled with elegance and art, boys were drawn to those fierce movements and cheered, while girls were attracted to the handsome appearance of the white knight.

When an exceptionally handsome white knight, with clean, efficient combat and dazzling effects, wiped out those hideous monsters, neither men nor women could tear their gaze away.

"Jiang Xia… just what kind of person is he?" Wu Dao Guangshi, on the stage, gazed at the white knight standing amidst the firelight, swaying in the breeze, faintly visible, and his legs went weak, nearly causing him to kneel right there.

He couldn't believe that the Jiang Xia who had just been discussing love problems with him as a high school student had, by himself, slaughtered all the summoned exotic beings.

This was a slaughter with no resistance whatsoever; the numbers issue was merely superficial. What if the exotic beings were replaced by humans? Wu Dao Guangshi thought idly, exotic beings are humanoid—if Jiang Xia had just struck down people, would it not also be as clean and swift? Otherwise, how to explain it? His blade cutting exotic beings was as smooth as slicing pork.

This guy is a death god! Wu Dao Guangshi felt as if he were seeing a hallucination—the deep azure armor already drenched in blood, the white knight walking across the land, ceaselessly reaping lives around him with his black long blade.

Ruthless, cold, efficient, with no superfluous motion—on either side of the road he walked lay piles of corpses and seas of blood.

In the dark‑red world, only the white on his body remained.

Wu Dao Guangshi gave a hard shiver, struggled to rise, but his body went limp, and endless thoughts raced through his mind.

After all, he's just a kid; even if he harbors much darkness inside, once he witnesses the purest killing intent and the darkest past, he will only feel, what does all that happening to him even amount to? All grievances and dark thoughts vanish—safety is what matters most.

In short, he lacks society's beatings and experience.

Wu Dao Guangshi's blackening, betrayal, and various dark thoughts are ultimately just a teenager's fantasy; the world itself is indeed on the brink of destruction, yet the World Tree he inhabits seeks to save the world.

If it weren't for the Helheim Forest, Wu Dao Guangshi would merely be a chuunibyou teenager who secretly loves the girl he likes but dares not actively pursue her.

If it weren't for the Helheim Forest, Wu Dao Guangshi would merely be a chuunibyou teenager who secretly loves the girl he likes but dares not actively pursue her.

Make sure to keep meaning.

People like this are a dime a dozen in high school or middle school, always fantasizing that they can save the world as heroes and win the affection of the girl they like.

Translate: "People like this are a dime a dozen in high school or middle school, always fantasizing that they can be heroes who save the world and win the love of the girl they like."

However, saving the world and winning the girl's affection aren't directly related; you might truly be able to save the world, but the girl you like could still fall for someone else—there's no causal connection, and no guaranteed factor.

Translate: "But saving the world and gaining the girl's love have no direct connection; you might truly be able to save the world, yet the girl you like could also fall for someone else—there's no causal relationship, no determining factor."

So, only when guidance was most needed did things go terribly wrong; if he has already made a serious mistake, he should accept punishment, but it's not too late yet.

Translate: "So, merely in the situation where guidance is most needed, the worst case has caught up; if he has made a grave mistake, then he needs to accept punishment, but for now everything is still salvageable."

Check: "If he has already made a grave mistake"

"Elegance, truly too elegant—if it weren't for the employer's high pay, I really wouldn't have the heart to act."

Translate: "\"Elegant, truly too elegant—if it weren't for the employer's pay being so high, I really would hesitate to act. \""

Among the spectators, a hulking figure with muscles so massive they could crush a mosquito stepped forward—despite his brawny build, his attire looked odd.

Translate: "Among the crowd watching nearby, a muscular, hulking man whose muscles could even crush a mosquito walked out, though although he was a burly man, his outfit made people feel strange."

He wore a light purple outfit with black patterns, his muscular arms bare, paired with silver bracelets and huge earrings, plus a headscarf—no normal person would combine these items.

Translate: "He wore a light purple garment with black patterns, his muscular arms exposed, paired with silver bracelets and huge earrings, plus a headscarf wrapped around his head—no matter how you think about it, this is not a normal person's attire."

He even wore makeup—black eyeliner and moisturizing lipstick—leaving everyone speechless.

Translate: "He even wore makeup, black eyeliner plus moisturizing lipstick, simply leaving people speechless."

When he appeared, the three who had already fallen to the ground were dumbfounded, wondering who this guy was.

Translate: "And when he appeared, the three-person group that had originally been lying on the ground were dazed, 'Who is this guy?'"

He isn't part of any street dance crew, and no one has ever seen anyone like him before.

Translate: "He doesn't belong to any street dance crew, and I've never seen this figure before."

"Lord Alfonso!" Gao Siwu, who had been watching the Otherworlders battle from the other side of the stage, suddenly shouted in delight.

Translate: "\"Lord Alfonso! \" Gao Siwu, who had been watching the Otherworlders' battle from the other side of the stage, suddenly exclaimed in delight."

"Gao Siwu's delighted cry, like seeing an idol, also caught the gaze of the recently terrified Wu Dao Guangshi."

Translate: "Gao Siwu's exclamation of delight, like seeing an idol, also drew the gaze of the just‑frightened Wu Dao Guangshi over."

"Put simply, a single word from the girl he likes can give the boy who secretly loves her the strength to overcome any difficulty."

Translate: "How to put it? A single word from the girl he likes can make this boy who secretly loves her overcome any difficulty."

"No way—Jiang Xia is already terrifying enough, and now another hulk shows up; I get why the dance sister likes Jiang Xia, but what's the deal with this sudden hulk? Wu Dao Guangshi feels completely awful."

Translate: "No way—Jiang Xia is already scary enough, and now another hulking man shows up; I can understand Dance Sister liking Jiang Xia, but what's the deal with this suddenly appearing hulk? Wu Dao Guangshi feels completely off."

"So it's him." Jiang Xia gave a slight nod.

Translate: "\"So it's him. \" Jiang Xia gave a slight nod."

"The hulk called Alfonso by Gao Siwu is actually Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso—though that's not his real name. He once served in the military as a retired special forces soldier, then studied pastry in France for ten years, now manages a Western-style cake shop and works as a combat-savvy mercenary; in Gaim he's jokingly called 'Durian Sister,' a nickname that fits Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso perfectly."

Translate: "The hulk called Alfonso by Gao Siwu, whose full name is Huang Lian·Pierre·Alfonso—of course that isn't his real name—once served in the military as a retired special forces soldier, later studied pastry in France for ten years, now manages a Western-style cake shop and is also a combat‑skilled mercenary; in the Kamen Rider Gaim circle he's jokingly called 'Durian Sister,' a nickname that fits Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso perfectly."

"As for why Gao Siwu reacts to him like seeing an idol, it's simply because his pastries are incredibly delicious—she loves them most, but they're pricey, so she can only indulge occasionally."

Translate: "As for why Gao Siwu reacts to him like seeing an idol, it's simply because his pastries are incredibly delicious; Gao Siwu loves eating his pastries the most, but they're pricey, so she can only indulge occasionally."

"Now that she's seeing him in person, of course she's cheering—girls can't resist tasty treats."

Translate: "Now seeing him in person, of course she cheers—girls have no resistance to tasty food."

"Are you here to challenge me?" Jiang Xia watched Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso approach, not preparing to fight but instead sheathing his black long blade at his waist.

Translate: "\"Are you here to challenge me? \" Jiang Xia watched Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso approach, having no intention to fight, and instead slipped his black long sword back to his waist."

"Well, a big shot offered a high price to have me defeat you, and your fighting style is so flashy I can't wait to battle you."

Translate: "\"Well, a big shot offered a high price to have me defeat you, and your fighting style is so flamboyant I can't wait to battle you. \""

"Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso lifted his chin, pinched out a Gaim Driver with two fingers from his pocket, and did it with an orchid finger gesture."

Translate: "Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso lifted his chin, pinched out a Sengoku Driver from his pocket with two fingers, and did it with an orchid finger."

"I understand, but since you don't belong to any street dance team, I can also choose to refuse fighting you." Jiang Xia then deactivated his transformation and leisurely walked to face the Gaim Team.

Translate: "\"I understand, but since you don't belong to any street dance crew, I can also choose to refuse fighting you. \" Jiang Xia simply deactivated his transformation and leisurely walked over to the Armored Warrior Team."

"You're not even on a dance team, and yet you're challenging the top-ranked Gaim Team right off the bat—that's hardly fair to the other crews." As he spoke, he glanced at the three of Quwen Jiedou who had just gotten up from the ground.

Translate: "\"You're not a dance crew member, and yet you jump straight into fighting the top‑ranked Armored Warrior Team—isn't that a bit unfair to the other crews? \" As he spoke, he glanced at the Quwen Jiedou trio who had just gotten up from the ground."

"..." Quwen Jiedou turned his head away, ignoring Jiang Xia.

Translate: "\"... \" The Quwen Jiedou trio turned their heads away, ignoring Jiang Xia."

The winner takes all; the loser must obey.

Translate: "Winner takes all, loser must obey."

What's going on? Usually Jiang Xia accepts challengers head-on and defeats them swiftly, regardless of rank or numbers, but today he chose to avoid fighting.

Translate: "What's going on? Usually Jiang Xia accepts challengers outright and swiftly defeats them, regardless of rank or numbers, but today he chose to avoid battle."

Everyone who's seen Jiang Xia's videos of him rapidly climbing points and rankings—from ninth place up to third, now even first—can't help but frown; someone who never gets winded or injured choosing to avoid battle for some vague reason is just a joke.

Translate: "Everyone who's seen Jiang Xia's videos of quickly racking up points and rankings—rising from ninth to third, now even first, never out of breath, unscathed—would pick such a nonsensical reason to avoid fighting; what a joke."

"I've got plenty of A-rank Lock Seeds here—I remember anyone can join the Otherworlders game—aren't you brave enough?" said Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso.

Translate: "\"I have plenty of A‑Rank Lock Seeds, and I recall anyone can join the Otherworlders' game—you're not afraid, are you? \" Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso said."

"But I don't need Lock Seeds anymore—the ground you see is already all mine, and your Lock Seeds are worthless to me." Jiang Xia spread his hands, adding, "If you want to play the Otherworlders game, I can summon plenty of Otherworlders to keep you company, and I won't lose."

Translate: "\"But I don't need Lock Seeds anymore; the ground you see is already all mine, and your Lock Seeds are worthless to me. \" Jiang Xia spread his hands, \"If you want to play the Otherworlders' game, I can summon plenty of Otherworlders to keep you company, and I won't lose. \""

That's the rule—the Quwen Jiedou trio lost everything in one go.

Translate: "That's the rule—the Quwen Jiedou trio lost everything in one go."

Now Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso understood—it wasn't avoidance, but the stake wasn't enough.

Translate: "Now Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso understood—it wasn't avoidance, but the stake wasn't enough."

"Alright, we won't bet Lock Seeds—as long as you're willing to fight me, what do you want to wager? Money or something else?" said Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso.

Translate: "\"Fine, we won't bet Lock Seeds; as long as you're willing to fight me, what do you want to wager—money or something else? \" Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso said."

"Sorry, I'm not short on cash—my girl just gave me a big sum." Jiang Xia laughed.

Translate: "\"Sorry, I'm not short on cash; my girl just gave me a big sum. \" Jiang Xia chuckled."

When Jiang Xia said that, Gao Siwu shyly stepped back, then quickly stepped forward again—it's nothing, nothing, nothing.

Translate: "When Jiang Xia said that, Gao Siwu shyly stepped back, then quickly stepped forward again—it's nothing, nothing, nothing."

"What do you want to bet then?" Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso wondered, refusing outright without even naming a price—doesn't that move him? "I just want your cake, that's all," Jiang Xia said, pointing at his hand.

Translate: "\"What do you want to bet, then? \" Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso wondered, even refusing outright without stating a specific price—doesn't that move you at all? \"I just want your cake, that's all, \" Jiang Xia said, pointing at his hand."

"You want to bet my Western cake shop?" Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso shook his head repeatedly, "No way—I won't gamble my most precious thing."

Translate: "\"You want to bet my Western‑style cake shop? \" Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso shook his head repeatedly, \"No way—I won't gamble my most precious thing. \""

"I mean your cakes, not the shop—though it's not just for a day, but a year's worth; no matter when you go, even if your shop closes, if you want cake you have to make it." Jiang Xia said.

Translate: "\"I mean your cake, not the shop—not just for a day, but for a whole year; no matter when you go, even if your storefront closes, if you want to eat, you have to make it. \" Jiang Xia said."

"So you're after my cake‑making skill—great, I promise that if you win, for a whole year I'll make any cake you want from my shop for free; seeing how much you like my cakes, I'll also give you a discount if you lose, just a friendly price." Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso realized this and flashed a mischievous smile.

Translate: "\"Ah, you're after my cake‑making skill—great, I agree: if you win, within a year, whenever you come to my shop for any cake, I'll make it free for you, the whole year; seeing how much you like my cake, I'll also give you a discount if you lose—friend‑price. \" Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso realized, flashing a rather playful smile."

If a girl were doing it, it'd be pleasing to the eye, but with a hulk doing it, it's kinda hard on the eyes.

Translate: "If a girl were doing this, it'd be pleasing to the eye, but with a hulking man doing it, it's a bit hard on the eyes."

"It's not for me—it's for my girl; she likes to eat it, and I'm fine with

Translate: "\"It's not for me, it's for my girl—she likes to eat it; as for me, I'm fine as long as it's edible. \""

Jiang Xia turned around, walked into the Armored Warrior team, and pulled the bewildered Koushi Mai out.

Translate: "Jiang Xia turned around, walked into the Armored Warrior Team, and pulled the dazed Gao Siwu out."

It's her who really loves the cake you baked, not me. Jiang Xia pointed at Koushi Mai.

Translate: "\"She's the one who really loves eating your cake, not me. \" Jiang Xia pointed at Gao Siwu."

Sure, as long as this lady visits my shop, I'll give her free meals for a year. Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso watched Koushi Mai agree, while giving Jiang Xia a gloomy look, and said with a hint of regret, "White guy, I thought you were the one who liked to eat it."

Translate: "\"Fine, as long as this lady comes to my shop, I'll waive the bill for a year. \" Huang Lian Pierre Alfonso looked at Gao Siwu agreeing, then gave Jiang Xia a wistful glance, saying, \"White‑clad guy, I thought you were the one who liked to eat. \""

For me? Koushi Mai pointed at herself, looking completely bewildered, as if her brain had short-circuited.

Translate: "\"For me? \" Gao Siwu pointed at herself, looking bewildered, as if her brain had glitched."

Meanwhile, Wu Dao Guangshi felt like he was about to fall apart—how are we supposed to win?! Who told me how we could win?!

Translate: "Meanwhile, Wu Dao Guangshi beside her felt like he was about to shatter—'How do I win this?! Who told me how to win?!'"

He should have realized this earlier—just secretly buy the restaurant Koushi Mai likes with his own money, and that would solve it.

Translate: "He should have realized earlier—just use his own money to secretly buy the restaurant Gao Siwu likes, right?"

He has Wu Guihu as his brother, who manages the World Tree, and he has enough money to buy the Senkyoku Driver, yet he never thought to spend money on buying the restaurant Mai-sister likes, and he hasn't even given her cake a few times, despite his family's wealth.

Translate: "He has Wu Dao Guihu, his brother who oversees the World Tree, and he has money to buy a Sengoku Driver, yet he never thought to spend money on buying the cafe Dance Sister likes, nor has he ever given her a few cakes, even though his family is loaded."

Oh, it's because he himself concealed his identity and pretended to be poor, so it's fine—it's entirely his own fault.

Translate: "Oh, it's because he hid his identity, pretending to be poor—so it's fine, just his own doing."

Why does he clearly know that Mai-sister loves their family's cake, yet he shows no sign of it at all? It's hopeless.

Translate: "Why does he know Dance Sister likes their cake yet show no sign of it? It's over, it's over."

He feels his affection is worthless—just empty words; he's done nothing for Mai-sister, not even small things, and he never prepares the foods she likes.

Translate: "He feels his affection is worthless, just lip service—he's never actually done anything for Dance Sister, not even a small thing done right, never even prepared the food she likes to eat."

He can risk his life, but he can't give gifts; he can protect her forever, yet he gives her nothing concrete.

Translate: "He can risk his life, but can't give gifts; he can forever protect her from harm, yet he's given her nothing concrete."

What exactly did you protect! (End of chapter)