Chapter 53: Heart Flutter
Under the pitch-black night sky.
Bursts of fire lit up across the city, burning with fierce intensity!
These flames quickly spread, dragging the entire city into a blazing inferno in just a few seconds.
If any Night Watcher looked down from above, they would definitely be shocked by the sight of the whole city on fire.
Just because the whole city was burning.
The raging fire continued to climb higher, creeping onto buildings and covering one object after another.
People, buildings, animals, objects—all were set ablaze.
But upon closer inspection, these flames didn’t cause any damage to anything.
Except for the Star Holders, almost no one could see these flames.
To an ordinary person, the city remained as it was, albeit much hotter.
Atop the Sharp Star Tower.
Wang Chao and Yan Que, bound and restrained, also saw the shocking inferno, and the fire had crawled over to them.
Next, the flames crawled all over their bodies, not causing any harm but targeting only their countless fine threads.
With the roaring blaze, these threads one by one turned to ashes, including the puppet strings in the sky, now reduced to nothingness.
“d*mn!”
Wang Chao stared at the flames on his body, dumbfounded.
“What the hell is this?”
Yan Que calmly moved his joints and replied coolly, “This is Chi Hao’s Star [Burning Star], which can deal immense damage to Star Eclipses Power with special flames. Even those contaminated by star eclipses can recover through being burned. That guy has been setting everything up throughout the city; he’s been waiting for something like this.”
“Not bad…”
Wang Chao clicked his tongue in amazement, gazing out at the fiery sky, and couldn’t help but reflect that there were always someone bigger and better out there.
With allies like these, how could they possibly lose?
Meanwhile, at the Puppet Master’s side:
When she saw the fiery sky, she froze.
“My stage…”
Countless puppets escaped her control, and the scorching flames burned her puppet strings, rendering them useless.
What she had painstakingly constructed was reduced to ashes by some annoying troublemaker.
She was fuming.
Really fuming!
The Puppet Master suppressed her anger and glared at the distant Wang Chao and Yan Que, her aura undiminished amidst the radiant flames, looking like a risen witch from the inferno.
She stretched out her hands, ten red threads entwining around her fingers, exuding terrifying Star Eclipse energy.
“Hero.”
No sooner had she spoken than the puppet hero, whose strings were severed by Wang Chao, reappeared under her feet, the red threads linking back to him, bestowing immense power once more.
This time, controlled by the Puppet Master herself, he would carry all her rage and scatter calamity across the land.
The armored puppet came back to life with unparalleled wrath, transforming into an avenger.
“I…am the hero—!”
His body slowly grew larger, seeming to strive towards becoming a giant.
Wang Chao gaped, staring at his once-defeated subordinate turned intimidating.
“d*mn, why does he seem even stronger now?”
Yan Que sighed slightly, unsure how to handle the situation.
“Things are getting complicated.”
Wang Chao grinned, twirling his light sabre.
“We can beat him again. There should be plenty of Night Watchers nearby. Thanks to this Star Eclipse instigator gathering everyone, plus Chi Hao restoring them all; I think the [All Stars Holding the Moon] will bring me to new heights if I can take this hero down. This hero isn’t so impressive, in my opinion.”
As he spoke, Wang Chao squinted.
“I say, the simplest solution is to k*ll the Star Eclipse instigator. Want me to take care of it?”
Yan Que nodded.
“No objection.”
Eliminating the Star Eclipse instigator might not be the best strategy, but it sure is the easiest.
A Night Watcher’s duty is to end Star Eclipses as quickly as possible, or who knows what might happen over time.
Thus, Wang Chao’s choice was correct.
Yan Que’s move just then was merely an attempt to get them to drop their guard to avoid unexpected complications.
Now, they had no choice but to act fast.
Just then, as Wang Chao prepared to summon stars again, a gentle voice echoed from the tower’s entrance.
“Lianhua!”
Upon hearing this, the Puppet Master shifted her gaze, seeing the silver-haired girl in her reflection.
“It’s you.”
Night Star, panting heavily and clutching the wall with her chest heaving, looked like she had run as fast as possible to get there.
Seeing Lianhua, Night Star steadied her breathing and approached her.
“Uh oh…?”
Upon seeing this, Wang Chao panicked, shouting, “Hey! Don’t move closer! Get away!”
Night Star ignored him and continued forward.
Wang Chao, seeing her ignore his warning, got frustrated.
This wasn’t the time for games!
That girl was the trigger for a Supernova Star Eclipse, capable of mind-bending anyone. Nobody, even Sunlight Night Watchers, dared approach her carelessly.
What was this silver-haired loli planning?
“Tch, I’ll take her away.”
Saying so, Wang Chao prepared to rush over and forcibly carry Night Star away.
He couldn’t stand idly by watching the little loli head toward certain doom.
But Night Star turned her head, glaring at him and whispering, “Don’t come over! It’s my business. Don’t stop me!”
“You idiot! Do you know what you’re saying? Who is she to you?”
“I know, she is my friend.”
With that said, Night Star continued unhesitatingly toward where Lianhua stood.
“This?” Wang Chao was stunned.
The Puppet Master, emotionless at first, now wore a faint smile. She stretched out her right hand.
“You’re ready? To be my puppet, I’m happy.”
Night Star approached the Puppet Master, not holding her hand but embracing her instead.
In her ear, she murmured, “Why can’t she be the audience?”
“Wha—” The Puppet Master froze.
Audience?
The word instantly erased all thoughts from her mind.
Night Star tightened her embrace, finally allowing her suppressed emotions to leak out.
“If everyone else becomes puppets, who would watch Lianhua perform?…”
“Huh?”
The Puppet Master parted her lips slightly, wanting to say she didn’t need an audience, just wanted to perform puppet shows, but…
For some reason, she couldn’t speak it out.
Her instinct was preventing her.
Why?
The Puppet Master felt puzzled.
Was it because she valued audiences more than puppet shows?
Then, she felt the silver-haired girl’s grip tighten more, not causing pain but an indescribable sense of relief and joy.
“Since you don’t remember me, let’s make friends again from the start, becoming your very first audience, how about it?”
“Ah…” The Puppet Master’s pupils widened, her body reacting intensely to the words.
Why…
why did it feel more joyful than making her a puppet?
Her body trembled, the happiness welling up from the depths of her soul.
She was lost in thought.
Could it be… she didn’t want Night Star to become a puppet, but rather she wanted her to be the audience?
