The young girl operating the character marvelled in her heart as she watched her opponent's prediction.
Without time to dwell on it, she continued to control her character in an attempt to close the distance.
Yet every time she tried to dash forward, he would use nimble reflexes to create distance and then unleash a skill.
Knowing that if this kept up, time would run out and she would lose, the girl decided to hold nothing back and use her ultimate skill.
Behind Oda Nobunaga, numerous soldiers armed with matchlock rifles appeared, extremely swiftly reloading, igniting, and firing their weapons.
Seeing Oda Nobunaga release her ultimate, Liu Xiu rapidly retreated until he reached the edge of the arena.
At that moment, the bullets struck, and Liu Xiu also unleashed his ultimate skill.
The twenty-eight constellations surrounding him instantly vanished, Liu Xiu was bathed in a brilliant golden light, and the sky slowly grew dim, making the glowing figure seem like the only sun in the world.
Right then, a huge shadow appeared in the sky.
A meteorite broke through the clouds and dust, trailing a long tail of fire as it smashed toward Oda Nobunaga in the center of the arena.
Looking at the screen that instantly transitioned to the match settlement screen, the girl was somewhat bewildered.
That's not right?
This ultimate skill... what was that for?
Although she had only recently started playing, she had also played Liu Xiu, so why had she never seen an ultimate skill like this?
Gongcheng Yuandu considered himself extremely lucky, which was why he had chosen Liu Xiu, and when selecting skills for Liu Xiu, he had picked "Son of the Plane" (crossed out) "Justice from Above"—a skill that could only be triggered purely by luck.
...
Shaking his hands, Gongcheng Yuandu sat up straight, picked up the cup of water beside him, and took a sip.
He exited the team-up screen and saw a red dot glowing on his friends tab.
Tapping into it, he entered a friends list that was pitifully sparse.
In the bottom left corner, a friend request was glowing with a red dot, sent by the stranger who had just challenged him.
He casually clicked accept, then returned to the home page once more to claim all available rewards.
Entering the official game tournaments, he ignored everything else and began watching the professional players' matches with great relish.
...
Before he knew it, an hour had passed. The boy raised his head and rolled his neck.
He stood up to stretch his limbs, then checked the time—it was already ten past nine.
He entered the bathroom to wash up, placed a white towel into a basin of hot water, and gazed half-eyed at the wisps of steam rising from the water.
He began to ponder Juggler's motive for establishing a club in his name.
Yet no matter how he thought about it, it seemed he could not come up with a satisfactory answer.
Simply abandoning the thought after a hasty wash, he changed into his pajamas, turned off the lights, and lay down in bed.
Before long, the sound of even breathing filled the room.
The boy had fallen into a deep sleep, but down in the villa's living room, Gongcheng Yunling and Gongcheng Mu were still leisurely watching television, both of them still looking full of energy without a shred of sleepiness.
Leaving the residence after coming out of the Yukinoshita Family, Gongcheng Yue walked alone through the streets of Tokyo, which were still bustling in the night.
People's nightlife had only just begun.
He entered a high-rise building and took the elevator to the top.
In the blink of an eye, he arrived at a bar. The young man paid no attention to the bar's name; at this moment, he only wanted to quietly listen to music while savoring fine wine.
This was one of the few things he truly enjoyed doing.
Following the dim blue light, he sat down at a rather secluded bar counter and asked the silver-haired, high-ponetailed young woman who was currently wiping a glass for his favorite drink: "Give me a Margarita."
Nodding, the young woman put down the glass and cloth she was wiping, prepared the necessary ingredients, and began mixing the drink.
The young man turned around and quietly listened to the tune being played by the pianist on stage.
The brisk melody seemed to guide him into an incomparable musical world, and his spirit received immense solace at that moment.
His soul seemed to be sublimated.
Lost in this ocean of music, he was completely intoxicated.
Suddenly, the voice of the female bartender from behind the counter broke through his leisurely enjoyment: "Sir, your drink."
Offering no reproach, he merely gazed at the slightly orange-yellow liquid under the faint light.
The distinct fragrance of lemon drifted to his nose; differently, this fragrance was intertwined with the aroma of tequila.
Without a doubt, he was hopelessly intoxicated by it.
He picked up the glass, brought it close to his nose, took a deep sniff, and then took a small sip.
How blissful this was.
The rich texture unique to the Margarita and the sweet-and-sour taste of the fruit spread across the tip of his tongue, and he continuously savored what was to him the most wonderful flavor.
The piano music by his ear had not stopped; it seemed to have entered a more climactic section.
The rhythm grew faster and faster, though the brisk melody remained unchanged, save for a subtle addition of passion.
Gongcheng Yue looked at the overhead lights with hazy eyes. How he wished time would halt its unchanging steps here, come and share a drink with him, and let them talk about the trivialities and emotions in their hearts like old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time.
But time never stops for anyone.
And so, he felt a sense of regret.
He just sat there, his handsome face bearing a look of endless intoxication, continually attracting other people who had come here for a quiet drink.
Unable to help marveling, those people would then go on to order their own favorite fine wines.
Drinking the very last drop of nectar, his expression already carried a hint of drunkenness, though it wasn't obvious.
"Give me a Margarita."
At that moment, a young man with a bewitching aura, dressed in a black suit, sat down beside Gongcheng Yue.
Upon seeing the youth, the female bartender's eyes flashed with surprise.
Soon, however, she nodded and began mixing the drink.
Gongcheng Yue turned his head back and, looking at the youth who had ordered the exact same drink as him, nodded in appreciative approval.
Perhaps this was an acknowledgment of someone with the same taste as himself.
Yet he was also puzzled: how could someone the same age as his fourth younger brother come to a bar?
Perhaps he was the young master of some local family...
Thinking this, he shook his head and was about to pay and leave when the youth calmly uttered a sentence that made his heart tighten.
"Leo... No, should I say, Mr. Gongcheng."
Wearing a bewitching smile, Juggler watched the stiff-faced young man beside him, feeling a deep sense of delight inside.
"So, it seems you have a connection with... those inexplicable powers?"
Puzzling words spilled from the young man's mouth.
He no longer had the heart to enjoy himself; he wanted to know what kind of person the one before him really was...
Whether he was connected to the inexplicable power in his own heart...
"No, no need to worry. I am simply... just like you..."
As he spoke, Juggler reached out and pointed at his own heart.
"Oh..."
The young man replied dully. He believed that, being a fellow special person, the other party would not expose him, because it wouldn't benefit him.
"What are your thoughts on that battle?"
Juggler seemed eager to keep the initiative of the conversation firmly in his hands. Gongcheng Yue shrugged and uninterestingly voiced his view: "That dark giant might be humanity's ally; of course, he could also be humanity's enemy. The actions he took to protect humans do not rule out the possibility of a performance."
"But I prefer to believe that he probably harbors no malice."
After placing the Margarita Juggler had ordered in front of him, the female bartender stood behind the counter wiping glasses, listening to their inexplicable conversation.
She did know a little about the so-called giant—the 【Dark Giant】 who had defeated two monsters and protected the people.
Juggler did not answer, instead closing his eyes and taking a small sip of his drink. With the faint piano music playing by his ear, he seemed equally intoxicated by it.
After a long while, he opened his eyes and looked at the young man beside him: "Jugglus Juggler."
Curling his lip, the young man looked at the female pianist on stage who was playing with rapturous devotion, and said flatly: "Gongcheng Yue."
With a smile, Juggler paid the bill, stood up, and looked at Gongcheng Yue with a playful glint in his eyes that the young man failed to catch.
"Then, until next time, sir."
Patting his clothes, Juggler left the place without looking back.
The heart-stirring melody echoed in the room, and the irritating talk by his ear was no longer heard. Ordering another 【Margarita】, he quietly closed his eyes to once again enjoy this relaxing moment, forgetting about that incomprehensible fellow.
...
In a night dotted with starlight, a deep blue light cleaved through the clouds and sky, heading toward the outskirts of Tokyo.
Making no sound at all, the people remained immersed in their own nightlife.