With a cold grip on his sword, Xiao Mu Yu gazed icily at the toy bear suspended in the void before him and asked frostily, "Why... has it not yet vanished?"
(Um... that's a good question; truthfully, I don't know either, heh heh... In the past, during our battles with the divine race, we occasionally managed to slay a few unfortunate deities, but those hapless beings were merely insignificant fish compared to a major figure like the Childlike Goddess.)
(Who would have thought that such a formidable entity as the Childlike Goddess would meet her end? I have never encountered a situation like this before, so... heh heh... human boy, I truly have no idea what's going on, so don't expect me to enlighten you, ha ha ha...)
(Furthermore, you just threatened to kill me, so why should I answer your questions?)
"…" Xiao Mu Yu silently extended a finger, gently caressing the golden runes on the blade. The last remnants of the Childlike Goddess's power lingered within this rune; if he could absorb this residual strength, it would undoubtedly grant him combat prowess on par with that of the Sacred Realm. Alas...
Sensing the profound despair and sorrow entwined within the streamlined rune, Xiao Mu Yu was certain that if the negative spiritual energy mixed within were not released, anyone who rashly attempted to absorb the rune's power would meet a most gruesome fate.
His cold gaze shifted to the toy bear bound by the ropes of order in the void. Xiao Mu Yu closed his eyes, allowing his consciousness to slowly sink into the realm of thought.
The atmosphere... has changed.
The murderous intent was gone, as was the faintly emanating malevolent power. Indeed... with the divine power of the goddess stripped away, has the very essence of the **Fragmented Childlike Face** also transformed?
With an expression of indifference, he reached out, grasping the toy bear's arm. To his surprise, the bear, which bore the weight of annihilating all living beings, displayed an expression of fear.
Sensing the chilling aura emanating from Xiao Mu Yu, the toy bear seemed to panic. It struggled desperately to free itself from his grasp, yet its efforts proved futile against the man's unyielding hold.
Xiao Mu Yu lowered his head, locking eyes coldly with the toy bear. In the depths of his pitch-black pupils lay a chilling despair that extinguished all hope. Merely meeting his gaze sent the toy bear trembling in terror.
(Oh? Has it become timid? Heh heh... human boy, this toy bear seems to be acting rather strangely. What do you think of its peculiar behavior? Do you suppose it is merely pretending to be frightened in a desperate attempt to escape?)
"…" The demon's inquiry received no response, as Xiao Mu Yu remained silent. He slowly lifted his head, directing his gaze towards the Time Staff floating in the void.
At that moment, the Time Staff seemed to have fulfilled its purpose; the continuous flow of power drawn from it gradually dissipated, leaving only a faint blue glow that still enveloped its shaft. The ethereal blue ropes that had bound the toy bear also fell away, ultimately vanishing into thin air.
Thus, the only force restraining the toy bear now was Xiao Mu Yu's hand.
(Oh? The Time Staff has ceased its function? Heh heh... Does it believe its task is complete? Human boy, do you think it feels that the **Fragmented Childlike Face** it needed to restrain has disappeared, prompting it to withdraw? Or has it simply grown weary of your despicable loli obsession, deciding to go on strike? Heh heh... I'm genuinely curious.)
(Unfortunately, I cannot discern the Time Staff's thoughts, so I can only speculate here. However... heh heh... I suspect the latter possibility is more likely! After all, not everyone possesses the patience and compassion like me, capable of enduring your shameless loli fixation, ha ha ha ha...)
"…" Xiao Mu Yu slowly retracted the sword he had been holding, ignoring the demon's mockery. Casually, he tossed the toy bear behind him, accurately landing it in Annie's arms. "Annie, catch."
"Uh... wha... ah!!!" Instinctively catching the toy bear, Annie was startled upon realizing what she held, and she reflexively threw it away.
Thud—
The toy bear landed heavily on the platform, bouncing like a ball and stirring up a cloud of dust before finally coming to a halt.
Then, under the bewildered gazes of the onlookers, the toy bear, appearing as if it had imbibed too much, staggered to its feet. Seemingly dazed from the fall, it shook its head, its obsidian button eyes scanning the faces around before drifting toward Annie.
"What... what is this? Big brother, what's happening?" As the toy bear approached her, Annie instinctively stepped back several paces.
After all, though the **Fragmented Childlike Face** had only recently appeared before them, its eerie, chilling aura, coupled with its bizarre killing methods capable of easily dispatching even demigods like Rek'Sai, rendered it impossible for anyone to dismiss it lightly.
"It's alright, the current **Fragmented Childlike Face** poses no danger," Xiao Mu Yu stated calmly, standing on the platform as the winds from the dark void tousled his gray-and-white hair. "Having lost the divine power of the Childlike Goddess, the **Fragmented Childlike Face** no longer retains its previous aggression."
"Now, it can be likened to a beast that has just been reborn... The only difference being that while this beast possesses great strength, its intellect is akin to that of an infant," Xiao Mu Yu continued coldly. "So, you can take this opportunity to cultivate some fondness with it, turning it into your pet, thereby gaining an additional means of protection for the future."
His indifferent gaze followed the toy bear as it nestled into a comfortable position in the little girl's embrace. Xiao Mu Yu added coldly, "Moreover, it seems to quite like you."
"Um... big brother, that..." Hearing Xiao Mu Yu's words, the little girl instinctively hugged the toy bear tighter, timidly asking, "Is this... a gift for Annie from you?"
"…" Xiao Mu Yu remained silent for a few seconds before responding coldly, "Indeed."
At this, the little girl beamed, holding the toy bear even closer. "Thank you, big brother! Annie is very happy!"
"Ah, as long as you're happy," he replied with a nod, his expression still distant. His gaze then shifted to the nearly forgotten Garen, lying on the ground, and he coldly inquired, "Prince Garen, are you... alright?"
Observing Teemo, who was struggling to support Shyvana due to his small stature, and Riven, who could barely stand and was leaning against the wall, Garen mustered a strained smile. "I'm fine, heh... at least we're all still alive."
"Yes, we've all survived," Riven remarked with a hint of nostalgia. Although the silver-haired woman appeared unscathed, she had sustained internal injuries from Rek'Sai's grip, causing her to speak with labored breath. "I never imagined such great secrets were hidden within this pyramid."
"Half-gods and deities... sigh... had I known it was this perilous, I wouldn't have come," Riven sighed, leaning against the wall. "But speaking of you, Prince Garen, it seems we've been led astray by you. Is it true that those with the most trustworthy appearances are often the ones who deceive others the most?"
"Um... Commander Riven, what do you mean by that? Aren't we comrades fighting side by side?" Garen replied awkwardly, turning away, unable to meet the silver-haired woman's teasing gaze.
"Ha ha ha ha... indeed, we are good comrades, so I suppose you must find it quite enjoyable to lead us astray," Riven chuckled, her crimson eyes fixed on Garen, who lay on the ground. "When we formed our alliance, you said that after discovering the treasure vault, your Demacia would only take the Time Staff, while all other treasures would belong to us... but, alas, the sealed area is not an ancient royal tomb; there were no burial goods, and thus no treasures to be found."
"And in the end, we left empty-handed, while your Demacia returned laden with spoils. Truly, what a remarkable performance, as everyone was deceived by your seemingly honest demeanor," Riven said with a smile.
"Um... well... this..." Although Garen understood that Riven was merely jesting, he felt somewhat embarrassed. His gaze swept across the platform before finally resting on Xiao Mu Yu, who stood beside Annie, watching the scene unfold. "Um... Mr. Mu Yu, are you and Commander Riven truly married? When did you tie the knot?"
"Hey, hey, hey! You, don't change the subject!" Riven exclaimed, somewhat annoyed as she smacked her great sword beside her. "You'd better apologize to us, you know..."
As she spoke, Riven suddenly froze.
Seeing her astonished expression, the onlookers couldn't help but follow her gaze.
Light—
A hue of ethereal blue—
In the void, a soft blue light began to emanate from the tip of the Time Staff, which hovered in the air. The trembling staff seemed on the verge of unleashing something from within.
Xiao Mu Yu, with an expression of indifference, rubbed his forehead.
His pitch-black eyes slowly closed...
And then opened.
A thunderous explosion of blue light erupted, sweeping across the dark platform. The ethereal blue radiance filled the spectators' vision, obscuring everything in its wake.
In that blindingly bright world of blue light, it felt as though time had either passed an instant or perhaps... eons had slipped away.
Then, the light dissipated...