1. The humans can't be trusted after all.Copy !req
2. What seems to be the trouble?Copy !req
3. A disgustingly toxic insect has
wormed its way into my den,Copy !req
4. stinging my partners, and driving them mad.Copy !req
5. They can no longer be counted on.Copy !req
6. I believe it is in our
best interest to pursueCopy !req
7. this matter by ourselves, Elder Sister.Copy !req
8. You had mentioned some kind of plan before.Copy !req
9. The Void Junction has always
existed to some extent,Copy !req
10. as a special space on the
fringes of time and space.Copy !req
11. That makes it uniquely suited to enabling
sorcery of unprecedented scale.Copy !req
12. And the purest expression of magic,
at the highest level...Copy !req
13. would allow one to manipulate
time and space at will.Copy !req
14. Xíng Hài, could it be... that you're
talking about defying causality itself?Copy !req
15. I am. Being able to travel in time,Copy !req
16. and intervening in the past.
The apex of heretic sorcery!Copy !req
17. If the Void Junction expands further,Copy !req
18. and is able to give rise to
more potent scrying mirrors...Copy !req
19. In time...Copy !req
20. You certainly are aiming high.Copy !req
21. This all assumes a suitable source
of magic power, however.Copy !req
22. I believe it's possible
to use the scrying mirrorsCopy !req
23. in order to channel power from
different places in space and time.Copy !req
24. What I lack is a means to
control the flowering of powerCopy !req
25. from other worlds while remaining here.Copy !req
26. Oh, I see your game.Copy !req
27. You expect assistance from the demon realm.Copy !req
28. Yes.Copy !req
29. The infinite power that courses through
the demon realm would be a tidy solution.Copy !req
30. That said, with my humble standing,Copy !req
31. I could never hope to negotiate with
the demonic aristocracy who overseeCopy !req
32. the Spiritual Veins.Copy !req
33. And you hope that my standing
in the Demonic CourtCopy !req
34. would provide you a position
from which to start.Copy !req
35. Your wit is only matched
by your cheek, dear sister.Copy !req
36. Your name is the cornerstone upon which our
clan's glory is recognized, Elder Sister.Copy !req
37. Well, among the counts of hell, there
are a few I may be able to turn to.Copy !req
38. Let's see.Copy !req
39. If we're toying with space
and time using magic,Copy !req
40. then Azibělpher would
be the one to speak to.Copy !req
41. Count Azibělpher!Copy !req
42. The count of the eighth seat!
I couldn't ask for more!Copy !req
43. You'll find he's quite
the eccentric, however.Copy !req
44. He's rarely motivated by
anything as simple as theCopy !req
45. logic of what benefits him the most.Copy !req
46. The question is, how do we approach him?Copy !req
47. I'll arrange to contact the demon realm
whenever you are ready, Elder Sister.Copy !req
48. You certainly do show initiative.Copy !req
49. Enough that you must have been
preparing this for a long time.Copy !req
50. If I may say, the timing of our
reunion feels like the hand of fate.Copy !req
51. And with the ability to
open a door to the past,Copy !req
52. we would even be able to
restore your original form.Copy !req
53. It would be the resurrection of the
invincible sorceress, Zhào Jūn Lín!Copy !req
54. That would render Shāng Bú Huàn
of little concern.Copy !req
55. And agonized shrieks of pandemoniumCopy !req
56. would once again ring out
through the human realm!Copy !req
57. Well, we're back, and yet
I can't say I'm happy about it.Copy !req
58. This place just feels nasty.Copy !req
59. What did Xíng Hài call this place again?Copy !req
60. Oh, yeah! I think it was the Void Junction?Copy !req
61. If she's really the one responsible for
this place, I've got some questions for her.Copy !req
62. I could always prod around
for answers, if you'd like.Copy !req
63. How did you get here before us?Copy !req
64. Pretty sure you didn't have a
piece of the scrying mirrors.Copy !req
65. Oh, I simply had General Wàn escort me back.Copy !req
66. Did you switch sides again?Copy !req
67. He was never on anyone's
side on the first place.Copy !req
68. The only thing he's thinking about is
who will be the most fun to toy with.Copy !req
69. Talk about a real self-centered bastard!Copy !req
70. And yet, there are facts that reveal
themselves to just such an individual.Copy !req
71. For example: Are you familiar
with the name Zhào Jūn Lín?Copy !req
72. She was some kind ofCopy !req
73. demon witch who got up to all kinds of
nasty work in the court of old Xī Yōu.Copy !req
74. Rumors even say the demonic powerCopy !req
75. inhabiting Seven Blasphemous Deaths
is her ghost.Copy !req
76. It seems the rumors have proven to be
true this time. She said as much herself.Copy !req
77. What?Copy !req
78. Then Seven Blasphemous Deaths is here?Copy !req
79. Oh, it's in Xíng Hài's
possession at the moment.Copy !req
80. She's been colluding with the demon swordCopy !req
81. in order to revive the demon
witch Zhào Jūn Lín.Copy !req
82. So she's gonna go from being a demonic
sword to being a regular old demon again?Copy !req
83. How the hell's that supposed to work?Copy !req
84. The details aren't clear just yet, but it
seems that by expanding the Void Junction,Copy !req
85. it will gain the ability to cross through time,
and travel to the world of the past.Copy !req
86. Travel... through time?Copy !req
87. And, as I expected, I see one of you
isn't as surprised, for some reason.Copy !req
88. It struck me as a bit unusual...Copy !req
89. The fact that you seemed to know how the
scrying mirrors worked, Sir Shāng.Copy !req
90. You mentioned you had encountered
something similar before.Copy !req
91. Hey, that's right!Copy !req
92. But according to Xíng Hài's
self-aggrandizing explanation,Copy !req
93. the Void Junction was only established
recently, and through her efforts.Copy !req
94. Which begs the question: How does Shāng
Bú Huàn have knowledge of heretic sorceryCopy !req
95. that has only recently been cast?Copy !req
96. You knew beforehand, didn't you?Copy !req
97. About how scrying mirrors
produced by the Void JunctionCopy !req
98. defy any notion of past and future.Copy !req
99. That this place exists
beyond the bounds of time.Copy !req
100. Yeah, I did.Copy !req
101. It's the only thing that explains how
I ever ended up in this place in the past.Copy !req
102. And when I did, it was
deserted and in ruins, too.Copy !req
103. Why didn't you say anything?Copy !req
104. Wū Yáo?Copy !req
105. If a means to change the past exists...
we can change what happened to Tiān Mìng.Copy !req
106. We can't do that!Copy !req
107. Why?Copy !req
108. Neither of us were able to protect her.Copy !req
109. If it could undo what happened,
I'd gladly give up my life.Copy !req
110. I thought you felt the same way!Copy !req
111. We just can't...Copy !req
112. Undoing something that's already happened
is something that just should not be done.Copy !req
113. Explain why. Because if you don't...Copy !req
114. The fact that Sir Shāng traveled from
the past into the future once before...Copy !req
115. Means that Xíng Hài's scheme
will bear fruit in time.Copy !req
116. Can I assume Xī Yōu's historyCopy !req
117. notes that this demon witch,
Zhào Jūn Lín, was quite the threat?Copy !req
118. What do you think you'd get
if Seven Blasphemous DeathsCopy !req
119. could move around on its own,
and use demon sorcery?Copy !req
120. That does not paint a very
pleasant picture of the future.Copy !req
121. Sir Guǐ Niǎo! Where are you?Copy !req
122. Yì Piāomiǎo!Copy !req
123. Well, this is bad.Copy !req
124. I need you all to clear out, and quickly.Copy !req
125. Clear out to where, exactly?Copy !req
126. Anywhere would be fine, at the moment.Copy !req
127. Here we go.Copy !req
128. Wh-What are you—Copy !req
129. Hey! I can't believe you, man!Copy !req
130. Quiet. Now hide yourself, and stay still.Copy !req
131. I was looking for you.
What exactly are you doing here?Copy !req
132. Oh, come now.Copy !req
133. You interrupt my efforts, and then
pretend not to have overheard anything?Copy !req
134. Well, well. Perhaps my timing
could have been better?Copy !req
135. If I had more time to chat
with Shāng Bú Huàn,Copy !req
136. I might have found the means
to lure him into a trap.Copy !req
137. Or you could have had the opportunity
to share our secrets with him.Copy !req
138. Would I, now? Have you ever actually
shared any information with meCopy !req
139. that could potentially put the Order
of the Divine Swarm at a disadvantage?Copy !req
140. I'm fully aware of how hard it
is to win someone's trust.Copy !req
141. Meaning I have no option but to be patient,
and continue acting in earnest.Copy !req
142. And that being the case,Copy !req
143. I only ask that you judge my actions on
the rational grounds of who benefits.Copy !req
144. Who benefits, eh?Copy !req
145. My betrayal has the potential to
cost Shāng Bú Huàn everything.Copy !req
146. Whereas if I were to betray you,
it would be less than a nuisance.Copy !req
147. If you do have some scheme in mind,
then let me know in advance.Copy !req
148. If your explanation is sound enough,
I'm willing to allow you to act on it.Copy !req
149. Hey! Are you really gonna betray Shāng?Copy !req
150. If it sounded like I am,
then things are going smoothly.Copy !req
151. Sir Yì Piāomiǎo will likely have
taken my words at face value, too.Copy !req
152. Aw, man!Copy !req
153. Being around you makes it hard to tell
where the truth ends and lies begin!Copy !req
154. Your first mistake is assuming that those
two things are always wildly divergent.Copy !req
155. That said... things have taken a
rather precarious turn for you.Copy !req
156. I had hoped you would've been with
Sir Shāng when he left, and yet...Copy !req
157. Don't blame me! And what the
heck was that about, anyway?Copy !req
158. There's no telling where they ended up!Copy !req
159. Whatever world they may
have found themselves in,Copy !req
160. being in that man's company is one
of the safest places I can imagine.Copy !req
161. Rather, it's you who finds himself
in truly perilous territory.Copy !req
162. All by yourself, left behind
in the enemy's den.Copy !req
163. B-But, y'know...Copy !req
164. It'd be unwise to consider me an ally.Copy !req
165. I must act as one of their co-conspiratorsCopy !req
166. in the pursuit of the Sorcerous Sword Index.Copy !req
167. Then... Then what am I supposed to do?Copy !req
168. We don't have many options.Copy !req
169. Until Sir Shāng makes his way
back to the Void Junction,Copy !req
170. you'll have to lurk in Xíng Hài's lair.Copy !req
171. Thankfully, I was able to pinpoint
a few choice spots in which to hide.Copy !req
172. Is... Is that gonna work?Copy !req
173. Hiding directly under one's nose
puts you safely out of their sight.Copy !req
174. Most people would never assume an enemy
is lurking in such close proximity.Copy !req
175. Think of it as a chance to
practice the talent of stealth.Copy !req
176. Hiding has never really been my thing.Copy !req
177. I tire of this.Copy !req
178. The answer will not change,
no matter how many times you ask.Copy !req
179. Why such timidity?Copy !req
180. Isn't the conquest of the human world
what our Demon Lord has long dreamed of?Copy !req
181. Helping lay the groundwork for such glory
would only raise your standing at court.Copy !req
182. It was the Demon Lord who declared the
human realm to be off limits, too.Copy !req
183. I suppose you have no way of knowing that,Copy !req
184. given that you never returned
to the demon realm.Copy !req
185. It doesn't make any sense.Copy !req
186. What in the world has happened in the
demon realm during my 200-year absence?Copy !req
187. The Demon Lord has definitely lost all
nerve since the War of Fading Dusk.Copy !req
188. Hell itself has become so dull,
I can't contain my yawns.Copy !req
189. That said...Copy !req
190. The human realm is every bit
as dull, for that matter.Copy !req
191. There's little fresh amusement to be gained
from torturing those pitiful creatures.Copy !req
192. I had no idea the Demon Lord had forbidden
interfering with human affairs.Copy !req
193. Azibělpher isn't a particularly
law-abiding demon.Copy !req
194. He's shown himself in Xī Yōu more than
a few times since the War of Fading Dusk.Copy !req
195. He has?Copy !req
196. Sorcery involving the manipulation of
time and space is his specialty.Copy !req
197. And he knows just how sweet the
nectar of human suffering can be.Copy !req
198. In terms of brutality,
he's comparable to myself.Copy !req
199. But in terms of malice?
He may be even more wicked.Copy !req
200. I never imagined there could be a
demon who freely traveled betweenCopy !req
201. the human and demon realms!Copy !req
202. This plan would essentially be
a success, if only he'd aid us!Copy !req
203. Now, then...Copy !req
204. We're left with the question of how exactlyCopy !req
205. to stoke his interest in
the human realm anew.Copy !req
206. But he's never been easy to see through.Copy !req
207. What could possibly prove
to be the best bait?Copy !req
208. Damn it, man! What the hell was that about?Copy !req
209. Y-You little... you're gonna
shut up now, of all times?Copy !req
210. You want me to smash this thing?Copy !req
211. Where... are we?Copy !req
212. I can tell you one thing:
It's bad news, wherever it is.Copy !req
213. You think so? Maybe it's
comfier than it looks!Copy !req
214. I do not want to run into
whoever lives in this place.Copy !req
215. Let's find a place to hole up until the
scrying mirror shows us a way out of here.Copy !req
216. No. It's too late.Copy !req
217. Aw, crap!Copy !req
218. What do we have here?Copy !req
219. Quite a strange pair of mangy
dogs we've come across.Copy !req
220. Brother, what is wrong with them?Copy !req
221. They've got no fangs, no horns...Copy !req
222. How could anyone be so... deformed?Copy !req
223. Well, you see... those are humans.Copy !req
224. First I've seen in two centuries, in fact.Copy !req
225. You mean to tell me these puny freaks
are crawling all over the world?Copy !req
226. I wouldn't underestimate them.Copy !req
227. They used cowardly tricks to kill our
father during the War of Fading Dusk.Copy !req
228. Who would've thought we'd stumble on a
chance to get revenge after all this time?Copy !req
229. I think a friendly solution
is off the table here, boys!Copy !req
230. Don't kill them, now.
We need to find out exactly howCopy !req
231. they managed to make their
way into the demon realm.Copy !req
232. What?Copy !req
233. You mean to tell me we're literally in hell?Copy !req
234. Damn it, they're tough!Copy !req
235. They're being empowered by the
demon realm's Spiritual Veins!Copy !req
236. Watch yourselves! This isn't gonna be
anything like fighting demons on the surface!Copy !req
237. This is just pathetic!Copy !req
238. Looks like they're totally helpless
without any Shén Huì Mó Xiè!Copy !req
239. Look at who's got a big head from
having the home field advantage!Copy !req
240. Làng, try and break their focus!Copy !req
241. Understood.Copy !req
242. The land is cloaked in deepest blue!Copy !req
243. Wh-What is this song?
It's messing with my meridians!Copy !req
244. The shadows of eagles across the moon!Copy !req
245. Let all the pain and scars
now fade away into the past!Copy !req
246. This voice... This melody...Copy !req
247. Formless Rogue Sword: Stunning Lightning!Copy !req
248. Brother!Copy !req
249. This is our chance! Come on!Copy !req
250. Remarkable.Copy !req
251. Truly, truly remarkable!Copy !req
252. Ah, the many twists of destiny.Copy !req
253. And the great ironies that
fate can hold in store!Copy !req
254. To think that I would be afforded
this kind of an opportunity!Copy !req
255. Enemies or allies? Foes or friends?Copy !req
256. Perhaps both, and yet neither.Copy !req
257. Like crows in the night sky
or egrets in snow...Copy !req
258. Sometimes it is impossible to see
what is right in front of you.Copy !req