Chapter 500: Dead

"Jiaojiao Jiaojiao Jiaojiao Jiaojiao Jiaojiao Jiaojiao—!!!"

San Yue Qi rolled and crawled outward!

Behind her, the Monkey Horde chased wildly!

She had just burst out of the Basement doorway—

Golden light poured down from all directions!

"Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom—!!!"

The Noble Phantasms rained down like raindrops, turning the whole block into ruins!

San Yue Qi barely managed to shield her head with both arms before the shockwave flung her away!

She rolled through the air, smashing through one wall, then another, and finally crashed with a "Bang" into the wreckage of a truck!

Everything went black.

(It's over…)

That was her final thought.

"Loser Eats Dust."

A flash of light.

San Yue Qi snapped her eyes open and found herself standing at the broken doorway.

Behind her were tense gazes, and beside her curled in the corner was Tengcun Lixiang.

In the distance, the two Sabers were still fighting, and the Corrupted Archer stood there with his back to her.

Nothing had changed.

San Yue Qi lowered her head to glance at her hands, then touched her face.

She's still alive.

Uninjured.

She just… died?

That feeling was too real.

The instant the Noble Phantasm struck, the tearing pain, the consciousness plunging into dark void— it was definitely not an illusion.

"Tick…"

Clockboy's weak voice echoed in her mind, "I told you… rewinding consumes mana… you almost drained me dry, Tick…"

San Yue Qi took a deep breath.

Alright.

Again.

She pushed the door open again.

"Zawa Rudo!"

Time Stop.

This time she changed tactics. She no longer attacked the Archer directly, but rushed toward the distant battlefield—the two Sabers still fighting!

She wanted to see if she could draw away that Black Saber, or at least create some chaos to distract the Archer.

In four seconds, she darted through the ruins and reached the two Sabers.

The Black Saber still held a sword‑swinging pose, golden light interwoven with black light, frozen in the stopped time.

San Yue Qi raised her hand and shot an Ice Arrow at the Black Saber's visor!

Time Resume!

"Clang!"

The Ice Arrow was instinctively deflected by the Black Saber, but the move did interrupt its attack rhythm.

Artoria seized the moment and slashed down with a sword!

The Black Saber stepped back, a shallow sword scar appearing on its jet‑black armor.

But she showed no rage, nor pursued.

She merely tilted her head slightly, looking toward San Yue Qi's direction.

The eyes hidden in the visor's shadow seemed to pierce through the afterglow of Time Stop, locking onto San Yue Qi's position.

San Yue Qi felt a sudden thump in her heart.

The next second—

The Black Saber raised its sword.

Dark magic gathered on the blade, growing denser and brighter, finally coalescing into a towering black Light Pillar!

San Yue Qi's pupils dilated instantly!

It was—

Excalibur!

The black Light Pillar swept across!

Everything in its path was devoured! Buildings crumbled, the ground fissured, even the air burned!

San Yue Qi turned and ran!

"MadeinHeaven—!!!"

Time Acceleration!

Her speed peaked, and she fled wildly through the ruins!

Behind her, the black Light Pillar pursued relentlessly!

San Yue Qi sprinted across a street and barreled into an UndergroundParkingLot—

A black Light Pillar descended from the sky!

"Boom—!!!"

The entire parking lot was blown to ruins!

San Yue Qi didn't even have time to scream in horror before being swallowed by darkness.

"Loser Eats Dust."

A flash of light.

San Yue Qi opened her eyes again, standing at the broken doorway.

Lin looked at her, a bit puzzled: "San Yue Jie? Why are you standing at the doorway not moving?"

San Yue Qi opened her mouth, not knowing what to say.

Dead again.

Back again.

She lowered her head to look at her hand, then touched her face.

That void feeling of being devoured by magic still lingered deep in her consciousness, making her shiver involuntarily.

"Tick…" Clockboy's voice grew weaker, "Fen Mao… take it easy… if we do this again, I'm really going to fall apart Tick…"

San Yue Qi took a deep breath.

Alright.

Again.

This time she learned to be clever.

She no longer rashly attacked Archer, nor approached the two Sabers. She merely hid in the shadows, observing Archer's every move.

Corrupted Archer stood there, motionless.

What is he looking at?

San Yue Qi followed his gaze— in the distance, the two Sabers were still fighting.

But upon closer inspection…

The Black Saber's movements seemed to be controlled by something.

San Yue Qi frowned.

At that moment, she noticed something writhing on the ground behind Archer.

A black, viscous, liquid‑like substance.

That substance seeped out from the cracks in the ruins, slowly, bit by bit, converging toward Archer.

San Yue Qi's pupils contracted slightly.

(What is that?)

She hadn't had time to think further—

Archer suddenly moved.

He turned, and the two dark‑red beams landed precisely on where San Yue Qi was hiding.

San Yue Qi's breath halted.

Discovered?

No, her Assassin concealment ability had been active, Archer shouldn't have been able to—

Archer raised his hand.

Behind him, hundreds of golden ripples unfolded simultaneously.

San Yue Qi said nothing and turned to run!

"Zawa Rudo!"

She fled wildly within the paused time!

Time Resume!

Behind her, the Noble Phantasm's torrential rain poured down again!

"Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom—!!!"

San Yue Qi rolled and leapt amid the explosions, using Time Acceleration to dodge the lethal attacks!

But this time, Archer had learned to be clever.

He no longer just stood bombing in place. He began to move, to chase, and to block San Yue Qi's retreat with those Noble Phantasms!

San Yue Qi was pressed tighter and tighter, her escape space shrinking ever more!

Finally—

She was forced into a corner.

Behind her lay collapsed buildings, ahead a dense forest of Noble Phantasms.

Archer hovered in midair, looking down at her.

Those two dark‑red beams seemed to mock her futility.

San Yue Qi gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on the Ice Bow.

All or nothing!

She raised the bow, preparing for a final strike—

At that moment, a terrifying force surged from the side!

San Yue Qi barely managed to turn her head and saw a black sword flash sweep across!

It was the Black Saber's Noble Phantasm afterglow!

She didn't even have time to shout "Zawa Rudo," and was engulfed by that black light.

Loser Eats Dust.

A flash of light.

San Yue Qi opened her eyes for the third time and stood at the broken doorway.

She leaned on the doorframe, panting heavily.

Lin's worried voice came from behind: "San Yue Jie? Your face looks terrible… are you okay?"

San Yue Qi waved a hand, unable to speak.

Three times.

Died three times.

Each time she was killed in a different way.

The pain before each death, the void of consciousness fading away, are all etched in her memory, terrifyingly clear.

"Tick…" Clockboy's voice was already as weak as a mosquito's hum, "Fen Mao… I'm really done… one more time… I'm about to enter permanent slumber, Tick…"