The abandoned training ground's edge was permeated with the scent of blood and despair. Rin's chest was sliced open by Ye Xue's dagger, blood staining his clothes. Yet, he showed no retreat, but instead, at the cost of his wound, momentarily brought back Ye Xue's sanity, crushing the mental interference of [False Flame Master · Roz].
Roz's face was contorted with disbelief and fury. He hadn't expected Rin to be able to break through his mental control in such a critical moment. He scoffed, and the red mist around him expanded again, preparing for a more furious attack. But Rin knew he had bought Ye Xue precious, fleeting moments of clarity.
At this moment, Ye Xue's eyes were no longer crimson, but filled with extreme pain and bewilderment. She tremblingly retracted her dagger, looking at Rin's blood staining her hand, and countless fragments of blocked memories flooded her mind like a broken dam.
In the illusions Roz created, she not only saw her own pain but also witnessed the most terrifying scene—she, as an "Organization Terminator," personally killed Rin!
This was a memory from her past life, the core sin deliberately erased by the organization! She saw herself pulling the trigger dispassionately, saw Rin falling into a pool of blood, saw the disappointment and relief in his eyes…
The intense psychological impact made her let out a pained roar, her body curling into a ball, trembling violently as if struck by lightning. The slaughter she had personally caused replayed in her conscious mind, every frame like a knife tearing at her soul.
"No… no…!" Ye Xue cried out in pain, clutching her head, tears streaming down her face like broken pearls, instantly blurring her vision. Her lips trembled, emitting incoherent moans.
Rin, clutching his bleeding chest, slowly and with difficulty walked to Ye Xue's side. He knew she was undergoing the cruelest memory regression. This pain was more lethal than any physical attack.
"I… I'm not who you remember…" Ye Xue suddenly lifted her head, her clear eyes filled with despair and self-reproach. She looked at the wound on Rin's chest, at her trembling hands, her voice hoarse and broken, "I… I might really be… the killer…"
Her voice was filled with endless remorse and fear. She felt the cold killing instinct deep within her, and the "sin" she had once committed against Rin. She felt impure, unworthy of Rin's protection and trust. She suspected that the Rin she was seeing now was merely a false facade, and that her true self was that cold-blooded killer.
Rin's gaze was deep and calm; he showed no blame, no hesitation. He extended his injured hand and gently caressed Ye Xue's cold and trembling cheek. His movements were soft yet firm, as if conveying a silent strength.
"I don't care who you are," Rin said softly, his voice weary but filled with determination and power. Every word was branded deep into Ye Xue's soul. "And I don't care what you've done in the past."
He slowly pulled Ye Xue into his embrace, letting her tears soak his chest.
"I only want to know…" Rin's gaze drifted over Ye Xue's head to Roz, a cold killing intent flashing in his eyes. "Who do you want to protect now."
These words, like a ray of light in the darkness, instantly pierced through all of Ye Xue's confusion and despair.
She stiffened suddenly, then her body slowly relaxed. Her tears still flowed, but the extreme pain and self-reproach were, impossibly, alleviated by Rin's words.
She lifted her head. In her blurry vision, only Rin's face remained—stained with blood, yet filled with tenderness and resolve.
Who did she want to protect?
The answer was so clear, so strong.
She wanted to protect Rin.
She wanted to protect this man in front of her, who, even when harmed by her own hands, still chose to trust her, to forgive her, to desperately pull her out of the abyss.
Ye Xue's body no longer trembled. She tightly hugged Rin back, burying her face in his neck. The long-suppressed pain and attachment erupted at this moment, transforming into an unprecedented strength.
Roz watched this scene, his triumphant smile completely frozen, replaced by shock and a hint of jealousy. He had never seen "Blade of Demise" display such deep affection for anyone. He had underestimated this bond.
"You…!" Roz let out an enraged growl. He felt the inexplicable connection between Rin and Ye Xue, a trust and emotion that transcended mental control.
Rin's eyes were cold. He felt Ye Xue's new strength in his embrace.
"You want to know who I am?" Rin's voice grew hoarse and deep, carrying a world-ending killing intent directed at Roz. "Then I'll let you see with your own eyes who I truly am!"
He gently pushed Ye Xue away, then abruptly raised his head. His dark eyes glowed with an eerie light, like the depths of hell.
"Blade of Demise," at this moment, was no longer just a codename, but a true "Re-emergence."
And Ye Xue, wiping away her tears, looked at Roz with cold eyes. In her hand, she tightly clutched the snow owl wooden carving, now stained with Rin's blood. Her choice was clear. She wasn't a killer; she was merely a protector, willing to do anything to guard the one she loved.
A truly decisive battle was about to unfold in this abandoned training ground.