As Fang Li's voice resonated with chilling clarity, a sense of impending doom gripped Amatori Biba's heart, which was already on the verge of being lost forever. The weight of the moment rendered any reaction futile, leaving him paralyzed in the face of his imminent fate.
In a sudden motion, Fang Li raised his head, his piercing ice-blue Mystic Eyes emanating an intimidating radiance. With a flicker, his remaining hand produced a weapon concealed within his sleeve—
A black Kunai with a blade honed to a lethal edge.
Astonishingly, it was the very kunai Fang Li had been unable to return to Mumei until now.
"Chī—!"
Amidst a faint tearing sound that reverberated through space, the sharp kunai cleaved through the air, ruthlessly aimed at the core of Amatori Biba's heart. His expression dramatically transformed, mirroring the gravity of the situation as he faced this dire threat.
"Pū chī—!"
In the blink of an eye, the heart pulsating with a radiant blue glow was impaled. Blood once again sprayed forth, painting a grim tableau of violence and despair.
…
"——AaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAah——"
Within the desolate wilderness, the colossal Fused Colony, now reduced to a mere half of its former self, unleashed a soul-rending roar— a primal howl expressing its excruciating torment.
"Zhēng—!"
Luminous radiance burst forth from the depths of the Fused Colony's body, seeping through the gaps between the Kabane that constituted its monstrous form. The surroundings were bathed in an intense and blinding glow.
And then, the colossal Fused Colony began to expand rapidly, swelling like an overinflated balloon.
"Pēng—!"
In a thunderous explosion, the monolithic creature known as the Fused Colony erupted, with fragments of Kabane raining down like an unleashed deluge. It was a downpour unlike any witnessed before—a torrential storm comprised of Kabane, each drop signifying a grotesque abomination.
The horde of Kabane descended in great numbers, crashing relentlessly onto the ground. In a brief struggle, they succumbed to stillness, their lives extinguished completely.
Amongst this multitude of Kabane, two figures also descended from the sky and heavily crashed onto the ground, raising a dense cloud of dust.
"Pa— pā pā pā—!"
The sound of pebbles striking the ground echoed through the surroundings.
"Hū—!"
A violent gust of wind suddenly swept through, dispersing the swirling dust cloud.
"Cough, cough…" Fang Li coughed several times, unable to suppress the expulsion of blood from his mouth. His body, drenched in crimson blood, trembled incessantly.
Yet, even in this battered state, Fang Li refused to release his one remaining functional hand. Clutching the sharp kunai tightly, he drove it deep into the heart that emitted a fading blue glow.
However, this heart was no longer the core of the Fused Colony; it now belonged to Amatori Biba.
Beneath Fang Li's weight, Amatori Biba expelled blood from his mouth, his gaze gradually losing its luster. It wasn't the loss of his sanity; rather, it was the gaze of a life nearing its final moments.
Once that light faded, it could never be reignited.
Amatori Biba was acutely aware of this grim truth.
At this moment, the cacophony of battle had subsided, leaving only the sound of Fang Li's somewhat labored breaths, gradually regaining composure.
Amatori Biba fixed his gaze upon Fang Li, and after a while, his voice rasped out.
"You've won…"
Hearing these words, Fang Li struggled to lift his gaze, meeting Amatori Biba's eyes. Shaking his head, he spoke with conviction.
"I didn't triumph over you; it was the hand of destiny."
Indeed.
Amatori Biba had not been defeated by Fang Li; he had been vanquished by the inexorable hand of fate.
Had it not been for the fortuitous circumstance of the iron stake piercing Fang Li's entire being, sparing him one hand, he would not have had the opportunity for a final strike.
If it hadn't been like this, the kunai that Mumei left behind during her conflict with Fang Li wouldn't have fallen into Fang Li's hands before this battle and wouldn't have stayed with Fang Li instead of returning to Mumei's body, becoming the final reliance for Fang Li's victory.
Thus, it became evident that Amatori Biba's defeat was not at the hands of Fang Li, but rather the result of an inescapable fate.
Fang Li lowered his head, his gaze fixed upon Amatori Biba's heart radiating a brilliant blue light, and couldn't help but speak sarcastically.
"In the end, it wasn't you who injected the black serum; it was unmistakably your doing."
The one who had ambushed Fang Li and Mumei on the rooftop was none other than Amatori Biba himself.
And it was Amatori Biba who had injected the black serum before Fang Li's very eyes.
Fang Li couldn't fathom that a woman impersonating Amatori Biba could engage him in the conversation for so long without revealing any flaws. Thus, it became evident that Amatori Biba had disguised one of his subordinates, having her inject the black serum and become the core of the Fused Colony. Then, he had appeared before Fang Li, injecting himself with the black serum and directly merging with the core.
Perhaps one of the iron stakes erupting from Amatori Biba's body was connected to the core.
In other words, Amatori Biba had meticulously orchestrated every single detail of this fight.
Fang Li firmly believed this.
He believed that he would eventually reach the position of the core.
Consequently, Amatori Biba had set up this entire scenario, meticulously calculating Fang Li's every move.
Unfortunately for Amatori Biba, despite his elaborate planning, he still met his downfall.
"This is the end for you," Fang Li declared, his grip on the kunai tightening with resolve.
"This is your fate."
Amatori Biba's eyes, gradually dimming, sparked with a glimmer of emotion.
After an uncertain span of time, Amatori Biba smiled.
Bathed in blood, that smile assumed a tragic quality.
"Fate, huh?" Amatori Biba forced out a voice and uttered, "I never expected that even someone as unyielding in the face of death as you would also place faith in destiny and Fate."
"…Indeed, I believe in fate," Fang Li replied, his eyes closing briefly. "For if it were not so, it would not account for the inherent flaw within my heart."
As Fang Li spoke these words, his voice grew resolute and commanding.
"But while I may believe in fate, I refuse to accept it!"
Fang Li's eyes snapped open, the ice-blue Mystic Eyes regaining their brilliance.
"If there truly exists an immutable destiny, then I shall be the one to slay it!"
"I believe that these eyes were bestowed upon me for this very purpose!"
Silence enveloped the scene.
Amidst the profound gaze of Fang Li's ice-blue Mystic Eyes, the smile on Amatori Biba's face underwent a gradual transformation.
From tragedy, it shifted into a sense of relief.
"Perhaps what you have slain is my own fate, after all," Amatori Biba whispered, leaving those words behind.
And with that, the light in Amatori Biba's eyes faded completely.
"Bang—!"
The heart emitting its blue radiance shattered abruptly, dissolving into a fine powder that dispersed into the air.
Amatori Biba, is dead.
At that very moment, the system's notification chimed in, timely and resolute.
"Serial Number 11273's retention time has expired. Returning automatically to the Main God's Dimension."
...