Hoo...
In the undeveloped area at night, though there weren't many vehicles passing by, a gust of wind brushed past Alister's side.
"This road..." The driver, on his way home, got out of the car to check the terrible road condition. "...Has it been demolished?"
Ordinary people could only perceive the aftermath of player battles, and in their perception, this road had mysteriously and quietly shattered into pieces.
Alister, standing on the sidewalk, looked into the distance at the dark blue riverbank, where the city-sea of A City sparkled with golden lights and dazzling neon advertisements.
Then, his gaze gradually retracted from the distance—the river, the bridges, the nocturnal wanderers, the markings on the road...
"Shadow" turned his face to look up at Qingxian, standing tall on the streetlight. His hood and hair swayed gently, and his deep black eyes remained calm.
The two stood at opposite ends of the world, with ordinary people in the middle, their vision obstructed. Everything seemed to be predetermined by fate.
"Just passing by, hunting down the wicked," Alister explained.
Qingxian remained unaffected, standing beneath the night sky, with the moon and the converged golden threads of the horizon, the Z Country of this world.
"You are challenging Division 17," she coldly reminded him.
While Division 17 turned a blind eye to neutral players, it didn't mean they could freely kill other players.
"Why do you say that?" Alister disregarded the pedestrians brushing past him. "If Division 17 fails to uphold justice, what harm is there if I step in?"
Qingxian's expression didn't change as she solemnly declared, "Regardless of whether the other party is guilty, by killing them, you have already committed the act of 'killing another.'"
"So you want to judge me?" Shadows crawled at Alister's feet, ready to spread and grow at any moment.
Once the words were spoken, a long silence followed.
It continued until the neon phosphorescence shimmered on the river's surface, until the traffic lights changed again. Qingxian then suppressed her presence and stared at the unknown black-clad player.
"The regulations of Division 17 do not represent my personal will," she changed the subject. "Personally, I don't think you're wrong."
"That's good." Alister retracted his gaze and once again admired the night view of A City's riverbank. "You're not a rigid person."
However, in the next breath, Qingxian appeared beside Alister, raising her spiritual sword and pointing it directly at his neck.
"But that still doesn't make people overlook the fact that you have a relationship with Perpetual Night's Lament," she added.
"Evidence?" Alister glanced at her indifferently, unmoved.
Although Alister couldn't currently compete with A-Rank players, under the influence of "Heightened Five Senses," he was confident he could evade any single-target attacks.
As for widespread attacks, they were something he couldn't unleash in A City, and Qingxian must be well aware of that.
In response to Alister's counterquestion, Qingxian showed a confident look and condensed her sword energy on her spiritual sword.
"Just your interaction with the 11th seat of Perpetual Night's Lament is enough."
"I've already said it—I don't like being misunderstood," Alister remained focused on admiring the bustling city night.
Qingxian seemed poised to strike at any moment. "That still doesn't explain why she has a special fondness for you."
"What does it matter?" Alister's tone remained indifferent.
Another silence followed, but before Qingxian could answer, Alister broke the silence himself.
"You don't dare to lay a hand on me."
His profound words were as if they were an indisputable decree of fate and reason.
The sparkling river water reflected the ever-changing neon lights, and a yacht slowly sailed by, creating multiple ripples and waves.
"As someone responsible for the safety of A City, you don't dare, and you can't, harm me," Alister finally turned his head to look at her. "Isn't that right, Qingxian?"
The best outcome would naturally be Alister, the "A-Rank player," being killed. However, the most probable outcome would be massive destruction in A City, with the opponent escaping without being killed.
After a silent second, Qingxian withdrew her sword and began to appreciate the vibrant night view of A City.
"You are difficult to read," she said.
"Thanks for the compliment." Alister still had his hands in his pockets. "Only one person has seen through my act, although that person no longer exists."
"Did you kill him?" Qingxian no longer felt the urge to take action.
"Yes, I killed him and made him experience pain without mercy," Alister recalled the madness of the weak and sickly man. "He was a despicable person who found pleasure in torturing others."
"I see..." Qingxian coldly gazed as the yacht sailed out of sight, the lights reflecting on her side profile. "Now you have another reason to be wanted by Division 17."
"It doesn't matter." Alister gazed into the distance. "I have no regrets."
"If the charges against you are ever proven, I will kill you mercilessly."
Qingxian seemed serious, and her words lacked any hesitation.
"The real culprit is not as cute as my girlfriend."
Time continued to flow, and their conversation was coming to an end. Alister melded into the shadows, leaving the riverside road, leaving behind this assessment.
With a gentle evening breeze, the Division 17 personnel finally arrived. They placed "Road Construction" signs in front of the broken road and began to wrap up the pursuit.
"I've only found one person to be cute."
Qingxian stared at the empty void, giving a cold response, but no one heard her retort.
Soon after, an official and icy voice sounded.
"Operation concluded. Perpetual Night's Lament, 11th seat, has been confirmed for expulsion."
"Understood."
After pressing the communicator and reporting the situation to Division 17's Operation Division, Qingxian's figure disappeared from the riverside road.
...
...
"What were you doing?"
When Alister returned home and turned on his previously powered-off phone, a chat message from Yumikou popped up on the screen.
They both understood without explicitly mentioning it that they were both players and were hiding their identities, waiting for the right moment to reveal themselves.
Yumikou's plan was to marry Alister once she reached the forefront of the A-Rank Sequence, achieving success in her career and power.
"Committing evil deeds," Alister sat on the living room sofa, took a sip of green tea, and skillfully typed with one hand to reply.
"Doing bad things is not allowed! (Magical Girl Warning)," Yumikou replied instantly, accompanied by a popular anime emoji.
"For some people, it's bad, but for others, it's good. Good and bad constantly interchange," Alister typed a long paragraph that appeared beneath his profile picture. Yumikou blushed at the sight of it.
"So, is it a good thing or a bad thing?" she asked.
Alister replied with a smile, "Guess?"
"I won't guess," Yumikou huffed.
"You're really cute, unlike a certain cold and boring woman," Alister suddenly launched an attack.
"Who?" Yumikou became alert.
"Guess?" Alister used the same tactic.
"I won't guess (The Magical Girl doesn't want to deal with you)," Yumikou sent that reply before throwing her phone aside, gazing at the neon-lit night scenery outside, as if she was genuinely ignoring Alister.
"Alright then, goodnight."
But when Yumikou heard the ringtone of Alister replying to her message, she couldn't help but glance at her phone.
"Yeah, goodnight to you too."
She smiled faintly, sincerely replying to Alister.