The third day since the hunters infiltrated the academy, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Rin and Ye Xue were like taut bowstrings, anticipating the opponents' deadly strike while also waiting for the opportunity to counterattack. The three A-rank hunters intensified their surveillance, even beginning to seek opportunities to approach Ye Xue alone.
Rin knew that the hunters' objective was not just to test; they also wanted to exploit the flaws in Ye Xue's "re-molding" to create chaos and achieve their goals of "retrieval" or "elimination." Especially with his mysterious "Risk Taker X" identity, their focus on Rin had reached its peak.
On a rainy night, while Rin was researching in the library, he sensed a deliberately suppressed killing intent slowly approaching Ye Xue, who was returning to her dorm alone. He didn't immediately reveal himself; he knew this was a trap set by the hunters, and an opportunity for him to assess their methods, or even to lure them out.
As Ye Xue reached the deeper part of the dorm corridor, a figure silently emerged from the shadows, blocking her path. It was the female hunter among the three, codenamed "Shadow Serpent," skilled in psychological manipulation and assassination.
"Cold Moon," Shadow Serpent's voice was subtly seductive, lowered to a whisper, "You feel it, don't you? Someone in this academy is deceiving you."
A flicker of vigilance appeared in Ye Xue's cold eyes. Though she couldn't pinpoint the source of danger, instinct made her wary of the woman before her.
"The power within you doesn't belong here," Shadow Serpent continued to entice, her voice like a whisper penetrating Ye Xue's ears. "It's suppressed, sealed. But it's awakening; it craves freedom. Do you… crave power?"
Ye Xue's body trembled violently. The mark on her shoulder blade began to subtly warm, and blurred images flashed in her mind—a sea of fire, blood, and a tearing pain. Her eyes began to glaze over, coldness mixed with a hint of struggle.
"Don't you want to know the hidden truths? Don't you want to reclaim the altered memories?" Shadow Serpent's voice grew more urgent; she seemed to see through Ye Xue's deepest desires. "Everything you know is a facade! You were 'programmed' by them; you're just an abandoned 'weapon'!"
"No…!" Ye Xue let out a pained growl, clutching her head as her body trembled uncontrollably. Shadow Serpent's words, like sharp blades, tore open the thin facade in her heart. Her "re-molding" program, stimulated by the external provocation, began to rapidly collapse.
"Go, kill the one who deceived you," Shadow Serpent's voice became cold and tempting. "Only by killing him can you reclaim your true self. He is your former obstacle!"
"Kill… him?" Ye Xue's eyes became hollow and crimson. The forcibly suppressed killing instinct within her began to run wild under Shadow Serpent's manipulation! She sharply raised her head, her gaze locked in one direction—Rin's dorm!
A triumphant smile played on Shadow Serpent's lips.
Ye Xue's figure darted out like a ghost, moving at extreme speed. The short dagger in her hand glinted coldly in the rainy night, heading straight for Rin's dorm.
Inside the dorm, Rin felt the overwhelming killing intent from Ye Xue, and his expression instantly changed. He knew Shadow Serpent had successfully manipulated Ye Xue, detonating the contradictions within her. But he didn't hesitate. What he wanted was not to subdue Ye Xue, but to make her completely awaken from extreme confusion!
When Ye Xue burst into the dorm like a ghost, bringing with her an overwhelming killing intent, Rin did not dodge, nor did he assume any defensive posture. He simply stood still, watching her with complex eyes.
"Kill him! He deceived you!" Shadow Serpent's voice seemed to echo in Ye Xue's ears.
Ye Xue's body trembled with uncontrolled rage, her crimson eyes filled only with pure desire to kill. The dagger in her hand, with power enough to tear through anything, plunged directly towards Rin's heart!
Rin's gaze did not flinch. He merely spoke softly, his voice calm and gentle, yet carrying an extreme sense of sorrow and resolve:
"If you truly wish to kill me, then start with my heart."
These words, like a spell, instantly pierced through all of Ye Xue's berserk killing intent, reaching deep into her soul.
Ye Xue's body stiffened abruptly.
Her hand stopped mere inches from Rin's heart. The gleaming dagger could not advance another millimeter.
In her crimson eyes, a hint of struggle and confusion slowly emerged. She saw Rin's calm gaze, tinged with a hint of pity. He did not resist, did not dodge; he simply stood there, exposing his heart completely to her blade.
At that moment, countless fragmented images flashed through Ye Xue's mind: a sea of fire, a pool of blood, a familiar back, silent tears, and an unforgettable, searing pain.
She abruptly pulled back her dagger, letting out a suppressed growl, and weakly collapsed to her knees.
"Ah…!"
Endless pain and confusion, like a tidal wave, completely engulfed her. She tightly covered her face, her body trembling violently, and tears poured from between her fingers like a breached dam, silently cascading down.
She didn't know why she was crying.
She didn't know where these painful images came from.
She only knew that when Rin spoke those words, when he exposed himself to her with complete trust, the forcibly suppressed bond and pain she felt for him deep within could no longer be hidden.
Rin slowly walked to Ye Xue's side. He offered no comfort, no questions, just silently watched her trembling back. He knew this was her final struggle before her memories and emotions fully awakened.
And in the shadows, Shadow Serpent let out a frustrated growl. She hadn't expected Rin to use such a method, gambling with his life to completely break her psychological manipulation of Ye Xue! She had to temporarily retreat.
Outside the dorm, the rain continued to fall, washing over everything. Rin stood quietly beside Ye Xue. In his eyes, there was no longer confusion, but determination. He knew that Ye Xue's awakening was irreversible. And the tears she shed at this moment were the first step towards finding herself again.
This game of hunt and counter-hunt was growing increasingly complex. And Rin and Ye Xue, these former "weapons," were step by step moving towards true freedom and truth.