The battle's embers hadn't cooled yet, the air thick with the acrid stench of burnt flesh and gunpowder. The corpse of the blue-black mutant lay sprawled on the ground, like an ominous footnote, revealing the cruel laws of this world.
Gu Xun leaned against the mottled wall, coughing violently. Each convulsion sent waves of excruciating pain through his depleted mental energy, causing his vision to darken in flashes. He forced himself to stay upright, his gaze sweeping across the ravaged battlefield before settling on Jiang Jin's mangled right fist. His brow furrowed imperceptibly.
Lu Zhao struggled to his feet, his legs still weak. Approaching Gu Xun, he whispered, "How are you?"
Gu Xun shook his head, his voice raspy. "I can still hold on." His gaze shifted to Jiang Jin. "Your hand..."
"Not dead yet!" Jiang Jin cut him off abruptly, his tone hard. He tore off a relatively clean piece of cloth and roughly wrapped it around his injured fist, his movements brutal, as if he felt no pain. He stood up, walked over to the corpse of the mutant, kicked it hard, and spat out a mouthful of blood-tinged saliva. "Damn it, this damn thing was pretty tough!"
His tone carried the bravado of someone who'd narrowly escaped death, yet a trace of terror lingered deep in his eyes. In that split second, had it not been for Gu Xun's light shield and his own desperate strike, the consequences would have been unimaginable. This realization didn't make him retreat in fear; instead, it felt like a thorn lodged in his proud heart, only fueling his irritation.
"That was too dangerous," Gu Xun's voice rang out calmly, devoid of emotion, yet it felt like a block of ice thrown into Jiang Jin's burning heart. "If it hadn't chosen to attack us first, if Lu Zhao hadn't landed that final blow, we might have all died here."
Jiang Jin's bandaging hand froze. He snapped his head up, the flames in his eyes reigniting. "What do you mean? Gu Xun! If it weren't for me smashing its bones with that final blow, would you even have had a chance? Now you're blaming me?!"
"I'm not blaming you," Gu Xun met his furious gaze, his own eyes still weary yet crystal clear. "I'm merely stating a fact. Your power is formidable, Jiang Jin, but recklessness will kill us all—including yourself."
"Me impulsive?!" Jiang Jin lunged forward as if his tail had been stepped on, nearly pressing against Gu Xun's face. His bandaged fist clenched so hard it cracked, hot breath spitting onto Gu Xun's pale cheek. "In that situation, if we didn't fight back, were we supposed to just wait to die?! Huh?! You tell me what else I could do but act on impulse?! Hide in the back like you, casting some harmless light?!"
"Jiang Jin!" Lu Zhao couldn't hold back, stepping forward to separate them. Jiang Jin was unstable now, like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.
"Shut your mouth!" Jiang Jin barked without even glancing at Lu Zhao, his gaze fixed relentlessly on Gu Xun. "Gu Xun, get this straight! It was me! I saved you all! Without my fire, you'd have been torn to shreds long ago! And now you dare talk to me about recklessness?!"
Gu Xun watched him silently, neither retreating as he closed in nor flinching at his roar. This almost indifferent calm only infuriated Jiang Jin further.
"Yes, your fire is powerful," Gu Xun finally spoke again, his voice low but clear enough for Jiang Jin to hear. "But we are a team. Survival requires coordination and composure, not individual heroics. If you cannot control your emotions, we will die because of you sooner or later."
These words felt like a final verdict, shattering the facade Jiang Jin had been desperately maintaining.
Team? Cooperation? Calm? To his ears, it was all bullshit! Nothing but excuses Gu Xun used to dismiss and suppress him, all to protect Lu Zhao, who hid behind others, shooting cold arrows from the sidelines!
A torrent of frustration, rage, frustration at being misunderstood, and intense possessiveness surged like molten lava within his chest. Staring at Gu Xun's face mere inches away—that face, pale yet still breathtakingly beautiful—a twisted thought began to take root:
Why won't you just look at me? Why won't you admit I'm the one who can protect you best? Why do you always side with that useless fool?!
He lunged forward, not with a fist but clawing at Gu Xun's arm with such ferocity it nearly crushed bone. Words squeezed through clenched teeth, a dangerous, obsessive hoarseness in his voice: "Gu Xun, listen to me. I..."
"Let go of him!" Lu Zhao could no longer bear to watch. His wind-element ability surged instinctively, unleashing a powerful gust that slammed into Jiang Jin!
Jiang Jin staggered backward, his grip on Gu Xun's arm instinctively releasing. He whipped his head around, his gaze toward Lu Zhao no longer one of exclusion and contempt, but bone-chilling, unmasked murderous intent!
"You... are... asking... for... death!"
Blazing flames ignited once more in his left fist. This time, the target was clear—Lu Zhao!
"Enough!"
Gu Xun roared, abruptly stepping in front of Lu Zhao to face Jiang Jin's flaming fist. His chest heaved, his gaze colder and more resolute than ever before: "Jiang Jin, if you want to fight, kill me first."
Jiang Jin's fist froze mid-air, flames dancing around it, reflecting the twisted, agonized expression on his face. He stared into Gu Xun's unwavering gaze, saw the way he shielded Lu Zhao behind him, and a wave of overwhelming despair and fury nearly consumed him.
Kill him? How could he possibly bring himself to do it!
But... but!
"Fine... very fine! Gu Xun, you're truly fine!" Jiang Jin ground the words out between clenched teeth, the flames on his fist slowly fading. He no longer looked at Lu Zhao, his gaze fixed solely on Gu Xun. The look in his eyes was so complex it sent shivers down one's spine—filled with love, resentment, the madness of unattainable desire, and the pain of betrayal.
He spun abruptly, refusing to glance back at them once more. His strides carried him swiftly toward the far end of the alley, leaving behind only a figure whose back bore the weight of boundless rage and profound loneliness.
The conflict had temporarily subsided, but the rift had grown deep enough to see bone.
Lu Zhao watched Jiang Jin vanish at the alley entrance, then shifted his gaze to Gu Xun's slightly trembling shoulders. His heart felt as heavy as if a boulder had been placed upon it.
Gu Xun closed her eyes, drew a deep breath, and when she opened them again, her usual composure had returned. Yet beneath that calm lay an exhaustion impossible to conceal.
"Let's go too. We can't stay here long," he murmured softly, leading the way forward.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps between high-rises, stretching their shadows long behind them. For the first time, an irreparable distance had emerged within the trio's ranks.