Chapter Fifty-Two: The Cross of Rebirth – Qi in Confusion

At the critical moment, Luanhua unleashed a psychic assault on Qi. Though she was thrown back by the backlash, her attack made him pause for an instant. Seizing the opportunity, the two retreated again as ten thousand bolts of thunder roared down, covering the sky above Qi’s head.

“Heaven’s Return.” The technique Qi called out left all six of them momentarily stunned. While they hesitated, the thunder did not: purple lightning pooled on the ground, forming a lake with a silver sphere standing motionless at its center. The sphere remained unshaken amidst the thunderstorm, which raged for over ten seconds before finally dying away with a reluctant growl. When the silver sphere vanished, Qi was left behind, face slightly pale and breathing heavily. If he hadn’t held some reserves, this move would have nearly drained his spiritual power.

The formation on the ground faded; Natsume collapsed, gasping for breath. As Qi turned his gaze once more to Masao Gota, hundreds of missiles screamed across the sky, all aimed at Qi, who could only curse in surprise.

“Is this a fight or a farce?” Qi scowled, all desire for close combat sapped away. “Missiles don’t have lightning’s speed.”

Amid the onlookers’ anticipation, Qi bypassed the two fighters still standing and rushed straight for the collapsed Natsume. Only after he seized her did Masao Gota’s furious roar erupt behind him. Without pausing, Qi carried Natsume toward the other four, covering a hundred yards in a flash.

Among the three waiting, only the lone woman, Luanhua, reacted in time. Surprisingly, she did not try to block Qi’s approach or attack. Instead, channeling her psychic manipulation, she flung an embroidered silk pouch in a graceful arc, landing it right in the arms of the charging Masao Gota.

She managed a contented smile before fainting. Only then did Suzuki react, gathering what little fighting spirit he had just regained, but he too was quickly knocked unconscious, followed by the powerless Yamada. With this done, the missiles finally arrived, howling through the air. Qi grinned slyly, releasing the legendary bane of technological weapons: the Codex of Qi.

The Codex danced through the air, effortlessly absorbing missiles many times larger than itself, not a single one detonating. But when Qi retrieved the Codex, the energy gained was a paltry thousand units. He said nothing; he knew the madman was just as irritated as he was. As for the reasons behind their mutual annoyance—who could say?

“What happened? Where did all the missiles go?” Orochi Maru exclaimed, unable to contain himself at the sudden disappearance of so many rockets. Even Masao Gota was momentarily bewildered before his rage returned, and he charged at Qi.

Of course, this was all because the Codex had erased their memories of the event. Qi froze the four into a single block of ice and, as usual, stowed them in his storage bag, laughing heartily as he faced off against Masao Gota. “Now there’s no one left to interrupt our fight. That’s right, get angrier, hit harder, move faster!”

Orochi Maru hesitated, then gritted his teeth and threw himself into the fray. Laughter, battle cries, angry roars from Masao Gota, and Orochi Maru’s muffled grunts echoed as the clash reached its final crescendo.

Within two short minutes, Orochi Maru could hold out no longer. Qi landed a heavy blow, sending him flying, unconscious from his injuries. Masao Gota tried to help him but Qi was faster, catching Orochi Maru first, freezing and putting him away. Masao Gota’s fury blazed anew, but it was already decided—his battered body couldn’t last. One more strike sent him flying, and he didn’t seem able to get up again.

“Tell me—why don’t you just kill us? Why freeze us instead?” Masao Gota lay in the rain, staring into the black night. His katana had slipped from his grasp and lay discarded.

“Let’s just say I stand to gain more this way. But our battle has left me in good spirits—I can grant you a swift end.” Qi stood over Masao Gota, his tone calmer than before.

“Thank you,” Masao Gota said. “Just… don’t disgrace my companions. Give them a swift end, too. I’ll wait for them below. Even in hell, we’ll remain together.”

“I won’t disgrace them. Like you, I’ll give them a swift end.” In the darkness, Qi gave a gentle wave, and Masao Gota’s resolute head rolled from his shoulders.

“It’s over. This mission is over. This world is over. My love… is over.” Qi murmured to himself. Suddenly, Masao Gota’s corpse burst into blinding white light—or rather, the light came from the embroidered pouch in his arms, enveloping both his body and severed head.

To Qi’s astonishment, Masao Gota was restored to full health and vigor. Clearly, this wasn’t his own doing, as his face showed nothing but shock. He drew from the pouch a “Cross of Rebirth,” muttering its name with a complex look in his eyes.

Qi remembered that the pouch had been tossed to Masao Gota by the psychic woman before she was frozen. Why hadn’t she used it herself? Friendship? Love? Or something else?

“You’re really foolish. How could I abandon my comrades and run alone?” Masao Gota remained lost in sorrow.

“The mood is a bit awkward, but it seems we must fight once more,” Qi broke in, interrupting his reverie.

“I know. Even at my best, I can’t defeat you. But this life is no longer mine to keep, so I will fight you with all I have.” Masao Gota tucked the pouch and the now-dim Cross of Rebirth into his clothes, his gaze deep and mournful. “Why did you seek strength?”

“Uh… I never really thought about it. I just got stronger, naturally.”

“Did you? I envy you. I wanted to prove myself to the one I loved. But… she can no longer see me. I know how Luanhua felt about me, but in my heart, I…” He trailed off, sensing perhaps his own fate, and continued in a low voice. “Do you have a goal that you must achieve, that keeps you going, striving, no matter what?”

Qi had never pondered this before. Once, he joined the army to wipe out mountain bandits. After leaving, he sought the truth of his parentage, only to receive a laughable answer. “And now… my goal? What is it? To defeat the madman? That’s too far away—so far I can’t even glimpse hope. To save my mother? What does our bond truly mean? Immortality? I’ve already achieved that. So what is my goal?” The question left Qi lost in thought.

(...Sorry, everyone. Had to work overtime today—life of a corporate drone is tough. Two chapters coming up. I’ll catch up by noon tomorrow. My apologies—please vote for the chapters.)