Chapter 28: The Retroact Rain

A lone hooded figure marched through a barren land as the sun dipped over the horizon, casting its final rays before the night took over. The landscape was desolate, the remnants of a once-vibrant world now reduced to ash and shadows.

However, she wasn't alone. From the shrubs, behind the dead trees, and from the shadowy recesses, multiple red figures—Fractsidus operatives—appeared, surrounding the hooded figure.

"Looks like the City Hall has caught on to us," the Fractsidus Executioner—a hooded masked man with four arms—mused, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

Two of his arms wielded gleaming blades, while the other two crossed defiantly over his chest. He jeered at the hooded individual, "But to send a mere bureaucrat to the capital…"

The man sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "It seems that the little Magistrate's luck has run out."

As the Fractsidus members encircled her, the commander's tone turned menacing. "It's only a matter of time before the Thermodian descends," he warned, his confidence unwavering. "Any struggle is futile."

Yet, faced with their taunts, the hooded figure remained aloof. A smile curled on her lips, a hint of defiance dancing in her eyes. "Is that so?" she replied, her voice steady, carrying an air of calm authority.

Suddenly, a ring of fire erupted around them, flames licking the ground and racing up towards the sky.

The hood burned away, revealing a woman who exuded grace and pride—the Chancellor of Jinzhou, Chang Li. She took to the sky, flames intertwining around her like the wings of a fiery phoenix.

"Since you all wish to destroy my student's city," she declared, her voice resonating with power, "I shall show no mercy."

"Perish in flames!" she shouted, unleashing a torrent of fire that erupted from her hands, transforming into a magnificent fire phoenix.

The creature soared above the Fractsidus members, a blazing symbol of wrath and resolve, ready to defend against the encroaching darkness.

Chang Li and her flames danced through the chaos, her movements fluid and fierce as she unleashed wave after wave of fire upon the Fractsidus members.

The air shimmered with heat as she called forth the fire phoenix, its wings casting shadows over the battlefield.

One by one, the Fractsidus operatives fell to her might, consumed by the flames they had sought to unleash.

The ground was scorched, and the stench of burning fabric lingered. After a long time, she took the opportunity seriously while delivering justice.

Finally, she stood before the last remaining foe—the commander—whose bravado had faded.

His mask was cracked, revealing a face twisted in fear and desperation. Chang Li raised her hand, flames swirling around her, preparing to deliver the final blow.

But just as she was about to strike, a mechanical voice pierced the din of battle. "Greetings, oh fair lady. Apologies, but we need that guy alive."

Chang Li froze, her flames flickering as she turned to see a figure stepping out from the shadows. Dark navy hair framed his sharp features, and his moonlit eyes glinted with an unsettling calmness.

A mechanical orb hovered beside him, its surface reflecting the chaotic scene around them.

"Ara~," Chang Li exclaimed, her voice sharp yet laced with sly amusement as she sized up the intruder. "And who might you be?"

"Just some friendly passersby," DEVA responded smoothly, her mechanical voice echoing with an unsettling serenity.

Chang Li gave a faint smile, an almost playful glint in her eyes. "FuFu~," she laughed softly. "Well, 'friendly passerby' you say? Are you sure..."

Chang Li's eyes narrowed, her amusement replaced with scrutiny as she questioned, "... You are not this guy's accomplice?" She inquired.

With a graceful flick of her wrist, a burning feather materialized and shot toward the Fractsidus Executioner, aiming to end him once and for all—but—*Pzzt!*

The feather lost its flare, flickering out just as quickly as it had ignited. Chang Li murmured, "Interesting," her gaze focused and intense as she abruptly thrust her sword toward Kyorin.

He sidestepped smoothly, his movements fluid, before his hand shifted, reaching toward her butt.

Her breath hitched, startled as his hand reached out, but instead of what she expected, his fingers moved with practised precision, tapping on her terminal.

An umbrella materialized, and without warning, he took her hand, pulling her close just as *drizzle*—a heavy rain fell over them, dousing the lingering heat of her flames.

Caught off guard, Chang Li found herself inches from Kyorin, their breaths mingling in the cool, misty air beneath the umbrella. His hand still rested near her stern, warm even through the damp chill.

Rain poured around them, cloaking Chang Li and Kyorin in a private world of warmth and steady breaths. Her gaze dropped to the faint line of his chest, slightly revealed beneath his collar, and her pulse quickened in response.

But then, DEVA's voice broke the spell. "Hmm, quite a heavy rain," the orb remarked, snapping Chang Li out of her thoughts as she glanced up with a sigh.

"Do you dislike the rain?" DEVA asked, her voice curious.

"Yeah," Chang Li muttered, her tone a mix of reluctance and irritation.

DEVA hummed in disbelief. "How can anyone hate the rain?"

As if to answer her, a wailing sound echoed through the downpour. The Fractsidus executioner's voice pierced the murk with a desperate whine. "ON GOD, THEY'RE TRYNA DROWN ME IN THIS HOLE! I CAN NOT SEE!"

Chang Li stifled a chuckle, her mood lightened despite herself. Kyorin made a swift grabbing gesture, and with an invisible force, the Fractsidus Executioner was lifted off the ground and brought face-to-face with him.

DEVA hovered close, her tone cool but curious. "So, fancy red dress," she began, "care to tell us where the Maestra is?"

The executioner sneered defiantly. "Never," he spat, eyes blazing with resistance.

Kyorin's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing in a quiet, lethal warning, and without a word, he ended the executioner on the spot.

The rain washed away the blood swiftly, leaving only the soft patter of drops in its wake. Silently, Kyorin handed the umbrella to Chang Li and stepped out into the rain.

"Wait, don't go, you..." she began, but her eyes widened as soon as his foot touched the ground, the storm clouds parted in a ripple like a stone tossed into still water. The sky cleared, giving way to serene blue as she softly finished, "…will get wet."

Not far off, someone noticed the sudden break in the storm and muttered, "What?"

Kyorin caught the distant voice, his ears finely attuned. "This new technique is… quite useful," he thought, testing the full extent of his newly developed skill: Echomenesis.

Within an expansive 10,000-meter radius, Kyorin could manipulate the molecular vibrations of water to capture even the faintest sound waves.

By tuning into these aquatic frequencies and adjusting for the variations in wave types, he replayed the sounds, hearing the echoes as though they were right next to him.

Concentrating deeply, he heard the faint voice of a woman near his ear: "What?" With pinpoint accuracy, he discerned its origin within a 10,000-meter radius, guiding him. "Northeast," he mused, his eyes alight with intrigue.

"Let's move," he mentally instructed DEVA as DEVA hovered close, "Right away Boss."

Before leaving, Kyorin turned back, his voice or rather his message aimed at Chang Li. "Keep using your flames to cleanse the wicked amongst and forge a path to your next awakening."

Chang Li, taken aback, extended her hand toward him. "Wait—" she called out, but her words were lost as a powerful gust swirled around them.

She instinctively covered her eyes as the gusts tore away her umbrella, and in that swirling chaos, Kyorin and DEVA vanished, leaving her alone amidst the storm.

"Burn away the wicked amongst…" she repeated softly, her eyes sparking with a determined flicker. Without delay, she pulled up her terminal, fingers tapping swiftly as a voice answered, "Teacher."

Chang Li's voice turned serious, almost edged. "Jinshi, during my absence… did… something happen...?"

.

.

.

.

.

In the dim, desolate land, a woman cloaked in red stood poised on a small hill, her slender fingers tracing intricate patterns in the air, like a maestro directing a dark symphony.

In her grasp was a single red spider lily, vibrant yet eerie against the bleak backdrop. Below her lay a murky lake, it's surface eerily still—until a ripple stirred, and from its depths rose countless Tacet Discords, their silent forms shifting ominously as they gathered.

"Hmm, with this many TDs, this should buy us enough time," she mused, though her thoughts briefly drifted to an earlier incident. The rain she had summoned… gone in an instant, erased by something or someone unknown.

"Fortunately, we can conjure another Rectoract rain," she murmured with a sigh, a flicker of irritation crossing her face. "But who could be capable of—"

Her contemplation was cut short as a mechanical voice rang out, startling her from her reverie. "Phew~ Quite an army we've got here."

The woman turned, her eyes catching the floating orb as it scanned the area—but it was the man beside it who held her gaze.

Her heartbeat quickened as she took in his presence, each steady breath he took stirring something deep within her. The lake, and the Tacet Discords, all seemed to blur into the background, leaving only him in her sight.

She saw him approaching, her heart tightening with each step he took. Her breaths came softer, slower, as he stopped before her, the edge of the murky hill their quiet stage.

She didn't dare move, the moment delicate, unsure of what he might do. From his perspective, Kyorin hesitated, feeling oddly out of his element. He glanced at DEVA, the floating orb beside him, hoping for guidance.

"Boss, simply reach out and tap her shoulder," DEVA suggested mentally with a hint of mischief. "Flash a smile and greet her with a 'hey'."

He was sceptical but decided to give it a shot. Reaching forward, he touched her shoulder gently, managing a half-smile as he said, "Hey."

The effect was instant. She gave a tiny gasp, cheeks flushing before her eyes fluttered, and—*poof*—she collapsed into a faint, her face adorned with a rosy blush as Kyroin extended his arms and gently laid her down.

"It worked!" DEVA chimed, her tone triumphant as if she'd orchestrated a masterpiece.

Kyorin raised an eyebrow, the fainted woman in his arms. "No, it didn't," he retorted, glancing down at her with a mix of exasperation and surprise.

"Oh, it definitely worked," DEVA insisted, her mechanical voice unwavering.

Kyorin ignored DEVA's commentary as his gaze fixed on the rising army of Tacet Discords. Eyes narrowing, he mused aloud, "I wonder if Jinzhou has prepared the umbrella…"

His glance shifted skyward, where dissonant reverberations gathered like storm clouds. "Let's see how you handle this," he murmured, his voice carrying a calm challenge. "O child of Fate."

As his words faded, a unified roar erupted from the Tacet Discords, drowning out everything in its path. The chaotic sounds cascaded through the land, reaching even the fortified city of Jinzhou.

Within the city, Yangyang felt a foreboding hum in the air. She glanced up anxiously, her hand tightening on her spear. Chixia, noticing her unease, asked, "What's wrong, Yangyang?"

Yangyang's sharp hearing sensed the heavy discord, and she whispered, "Something terrible is coming…"

Her words were soon followed by a loud warning echoing through Jinzhou's walls: "Attention, citizens of Jinzhou. A Tacet Discord outbreak is upon us."

As panic surged through Jinzhou, citizens scrambled to their homes while soldiers and patrols braced themselves along the walls.

Amidst the preparations, Yangyang urgently contacted Rover, who stood with two companions: a silver-haired man wearing goggles and a tactical outfit partially draped in a white robe adorned with a swirling fog pattern.

Along with a petite girl with pink hair in a similar black and white drape. Each of them wore a striking black flower—the Black Bloom—pinned like an insignia.

They were the two Consultants of the Black Shore: Aalto and Encore. Encore darted around anxiously, muttering, "Encore heard lightning! When there's lightning, it's gonna rain, and when it's gonna rain…"

Halting in her steps, she exclaimed, "Encore should take an umbrella!" while looking upward, her anxiety growing as she noticed something. 

Fidgeting, she clutched her head as though to protect herself. "Oh no, no, no... Aalto always says when it rains like this, we should hide!"

Rover glanced at her, slightly exasperated. "It's just ordinary rain, isn't it?"

Aalto's expression darkened, his gaze drifting to the ominous clouds above as he took off his goggles and his blazing eyes shimmered with worry. "No... this isn't ordinary rain." His tone was grave. "This is… the real Retroact Rain."

Suddenly, Yangyang's call connected, and as Rover accepted it, her voice crackled from his terminal, tinged with urgency. "Rover, Jinzhou... Jinzhou is under attack! There's a TD outbreak!"

As the Retroact Rain fell, dark clouds loomed ominously over Huanglong, casting an eerie gloom. Rover, standing outside the abandoned laboratory of the Court of Savante, found herself mulling over the cryptic words Kyorin had once voiced.

"Create an upside-down umbrella."

She turned the phrase over in her mind, wondering at its meaning, sensing there was more to it than a mere metaphor.

Yet Rover was not the only one reflecting on this enigma. In the northwest region of Huanglong, on the Desorock Highlands, General Jiyan stood at the edge of his army's encampment.

He silently stood with his arms crossed, watching as the drops of Retroact Rain—rather than descending—began to defy gravity, rising toward the sky. Narrowing his gaze, he muttered, "This rain... It's finally happening."

A soldier known as the Midnight Ranger approached from behind. "General."

"Yes. How's it going?" Jiyan asked, turning slightly.

The Midnight Ranger snapped to attention. "We have five hundred soldiers prepped and medically cleared for combat, sir."

"After receiving the antidote for Retroact Rain, they report minimal hallucinations and no significant side effects," the soldier swiftly reported before adding, "However, some veterans are still experiencing sporadic sightings of... Phantoms."

Jiyan's face tightened as he nodded. "I see. Stay alert. Continue as planned, and report any signs of TD Outbreaks immediately." His eyes returned to the clouds, and then he added, "We march to the Norfall Barrens as soon as the rain stops."

"Aye, sir!" The Midnight Ranger saluted and left swiftly.

As the soldier disappeared into the camp, Jiyan glanced toward a group of ghostly apparitions scattered among the tents.

Reflecting on his earlier briefings, he muttered, "Stronger emotional connection to the affected area leads to more intense hallucinations... That's what they said."

With a sigh, he steeled himself. "I should go for another round of inspection. Ensure everything is proceeding smoothly."

To be continued...