AZI Volume 2 Chapter 23

"…"

As soon as Jing Yao—who is the closest to Long Hua and Tian Cheng, places her feet onto the final staircase's steps, Nian Tao Tao narrows her eyes, and—

"Open."

At her command, four pillars of light erupts from within the linear bushes, and expands to merge together into a cubic prison.

(A magic array? How?)

Finding himself suddenly imprisoned within a magic array that surrounds the entirety of the second landing, Long Hua widens his eyes, as he turns his head around to look towards Nian Tao Tao—who gazes back at him with a gleam of extreme hostility in her eyes.

"You…?"

Before Long Hua can even ask about the magic array—

*Bang!!!* the sound of a sniper rifle goes off, and with it, Qing Yue's invisibility cloak disengages, revealing her figure crouched on top of a semi-truck.

"Tch!"

By the time Long Hua had turned his attention towards the incoming bullet, the projectile had less than ten meters of traveling distance to go before it could hit him in the chest.

"…"

As the bullet closes in on him, the flow of time slows for Long Hua.

In that instance—

(Only 18 years of age? Do you have any interest in finding a life companion?)

The random question that Nian Tao Tao had asked him previously appears in his mind.

(That wasn't a random question at all. It was completely calculated, a stupid question to dissipate the tension—causing me to drop my guard…)

Realizing that he had been schemed against, Long Hua feels a rising heat of anger welling up in his chest, but momentarily that heat dissipates with a sigh.

With how little distance there was between him and the incoming bullet, he couldn't possibly hope to evade it at this point.

(Didn't expect this to be how I'd die.)

Tranquil like the surface of a lake, that is Long Hua's current state of mind—despite death's approach, much to his own astonishment.

*Klang…* towards his left, Long Hua detects the sound of an object being dropped onto the ground, following it—

(The longer you live for, the worse your temper becomes. Eventually, you live for so long that you just cease to care about everything.)

The voice of his shizun appears in his mind.

(I don't recall what happened in the far past, but… Have I simply just lived for far too long? Long enough to the point, where I've just stopped to ca-?)

Just as Long Hua thought to shut his eyes—

"…"

"…!"

Pain is abruptly felt on his left shoulder, and the force behind whatever it is that had hit him—pushes him to the side.

Following this, numerous strands of snow-white hair filled Long Hua's field of vision.

"Tia-"

And just as the name of this object that had pushed him comes to mind—

*…!!!!!* a discomforting sound, akin to the noise made when two fast-moving cars crash into one another—enters his ears.

"…Ah."

Liquid of scalding temperature splashes forth, and soaks itself into the fabrics of his clothes.

...…

*Klang…* amidst the bullet's approach, Tian Cheng—who already has her eyes wide open, drops her sword.

(Anti-Immortal round, a bullet created by-)

Putting a halt to her analysis of the incoming bullet's structural makeup, the temperature of Tian Cheng's body rises sharply, and with this—

*Wrrrrrrr!* a sound that is akin to a beast's low howl emanates from within her, as her components are forced to run at a speed that is far higher than what their factory settings would recommend.

"…"

"…!"

Pushing Long Hua aside by his left shoulder, Tian Cheng's snow-white hair fills the former's field of vision.

"Tia-"

Before Long Hua can call out her name—

*…!!!!!* a sound that is reminiscent of a devastating car crash goes off.

(Warning, warning, warning, critical damage sustained, to avoid loss of data initiating emergency shutdown in ten seconds-)

In the instance following this disturbing sound, Tian Cheng abruptly loses feel from much of her body.

"…Ah."

*Thud!* with a heavy thud, a piece of distorted metal that was originally Tian Cheng's left arm falls onto the ground, along with numerous other fragments of her body.

However, this isn't what caused her to utter out a sound of surprise.

(Finally connected… Then…)

Processing her situation with unusual speed, "Tian Cheng" manipulates her body to raise the corner of her lips in front of Long Hua, and—

...…

"…"

With his clothes drenched in a scalding mix of coolant and oil, Long Hua looks at Tian Cheng with wide eyes.

"…Apologies for spil-"

Before Tian Cheng can even finish her sentence, her magenta-colored eyes dim, as her battered body begins to fall backwards.

Having been hit in the chest by an AI round, a vast majority of Tian Cheng's upper body had been blown apart, leaving only a damaged upper body frame that could collapse with the slightest press.

Witnessing Tian Cheng's body fall in slow motion, a scene from ages past flashes in Long Hua's head.

(Shizun, my results?)

(Your results… Beware of women, especially those with good looks and talent. One misstep in how you interact with them could lead to your death. In other words, do not ever trust them, and know to maintain a proper amount of distance from them.)

…

(…Apologies shizun… This disciple had failed to keep… Your words in mind…)

As an image of a bloodied body flashes in his mind, Long Hua puts on a smile of self-ridicule.

"...…Heh. Surnamed Long, you've already died once because of a woman, isn't it about time you learned?"

Reaching his left hand out, Long Hua grasps Tian Cheng by her remaining arm—preventing her from hitting the ground.

(A machine is a machine. Life for me may end at the press of a switch. But…)

"Right, a machine…"

Recalling those words, Long Hua frowns, as he tightens his grip over Bai Zhe.

Unlike a person of flesh and blood, machines can be repaired or replaced, and—

"…At least a machine won't betray me as easily."