"Oh, so there's still enough time to find out the reason after hurting so many people? How merciful." the sarcastic undertone was something Kiyu wanted to spare herself, but this Siwang took her as far away from all the lessons Cheryu had shown her as she could get.

How could she show kindness to such an evil woman, or even acceptance of what she had done? After all, she found it hard enough to accept this monster had poisoned so many people people in the marketplace just like that, as if on a whim.

"I'm afraid there's no deeper point in telling you." she replied, almost disgusted, and got into a fighting stance again.

"Oh, that's too bad." retorted Siwang, shrugging her shoulders. "Here I was yet going to be kind enough to give you your big moment, to explain your maybe so noble deeds..... Before you bite the dust!" the last words she roared with aggression and stretched out her hand.

It seemed like poisonous steam was coming from her hand and shooting towards Kiyu in a jet, but when she looked with more focus, she could see that Siwang was creating the poison in her palm.

"Out of nowhere!" she remarked in shock as she dodged the attack. A moment later and that attack would have hit her, of that she was sure. She would need to use all her concentration for this fight.

< Spiritformers unleash unimagined powers. Many can create things out of nothing, control objects or plants like Toras, or override physical laws known to humans > Cheryu explained to her while still dodging.

< Maybe she is immune to her own poison. So if she wanted to get serious, she could just envelop the whole place in her poisonous gas. >

Kiyu already got what Cheryu told her. Her opponent was not serious and was just playing with her. Because she didn't take Kiyu as an opponent in the first place, or because she wanted to find out the motive.

Either way, it meant Kiyu was in trouble. How could she compete against such an opponent? Could she even stand up to them in her current situation?

"Shit!" she brought out, coughing. While she was making the mistake of getting too absorbed in her thoughts, Siwang had delivered another attack, but not just with one hand like before, but with the second hand as well. The second attack sat right where she expected Kiyu to be after her dodge... and hit Kiyu.

'Ryu!' she shouted in her mind. She herself couldn't concentrate on removing the poison, so they had shared their concentration.

By now, Siwang had pushed Kiyu to the edge of the marketplace, and it didn't look like she could do much against this woman.

Another sudden attack occurred and Kiyu just knocked over the table of a stall to take cover behind it. The poisonous mist bounced off the table and spread in front of it.

< We have to get out of here. Our power has run out! > Cheryu warned her and with a serious undertone he had not used once before.

Kiyu was panting. The poison had made breathing more strenuous and she couldn't breathe well. Her entire body shook with fear and she felt the despair. How was she going to escape from this predicament alone?

'Think Kiyu. Think!' she urged herself. But the only thing that came to her mind was to run away. But what would happen if she just ran away now? Would Zhèngyi and Laki be safe? Or would she be signing her death warrant?

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< Kiyu! > Cheryu shouted, admonishing her not to fall back into an endless whirlpool of doubt.

There was only the choice between survival or death. No matter how bad the situation could get for the other two, it would do them no good if Kiyu would die.

"I'm sorry," she whispered with teary eyes and ran into one of the larger streets leading away from the marketplace. 'Not just for Laki and Zhèngyi, but for all the residents who get dragged into this now.'

"What do you think where you go? You want to leave already? And without saying goodbye? How rude!" shouted Siwang after her, playing the offended one. "Let's say goodbye to each other!" she shouted.

Kiyu turned around and froze. Siwang had created a vast mass of poisonous mist and was ready to shoot it in her direction.

But no matter how hard Kiyu tried, she could not move. Like an invisible force, her legs didn't move an inch.

It was like when Laki ran towards the burning house and pushed Kiyu away. Again she was helpless, and again the images repeated in her mind.

But just as Siwang had dispatched her mist, a dense wall of plants blocked the entire street, so there was no getting through.

"Toras?" Kiyu checked the surrounding environment, but couldn't spot Toras anywhere. Was he on the other side with Siwang, for instance?

"Those plants won't save you either!" shouted Siwang in rage, seeming to attack the wall of plants and thinking that it was Kiyu's work.

Kiyu saw the plants die, but they had also bought her time. It would take Siwang several seconds to get past the wall of plants, and she used her newfound hope to get herself into one of the many side alleys. She only hoped to outrun this fearsome opponent in the alleys.

"Oh, little one? Where are you? Come out and let's play!" Siwang shouted, having overcome the plants. "We haven't had enough fun yet, have we?"

Kiyu kept turning around as she ran, but could only hear Siwang and not see her. The seconds passed, turning into minutes, and as time passed, Siwang's voice grew quieter and quieter.

'Done!' Kiyu had outrun Siwang! It was almost as if she had never felt so much joy in her life.

But even as she limped through the alleys, gasping for breath, she also realized what else that had meant.

Dozens of men and women left behind in the ranks of the city guards, poisoned by that vile monster in human form. Her sister and Zhèngyi exposed to a higher risk than planned and doomed to meet Siwang as well.

But she still had other worries. There was still a dangerous amount of poison in her body that Ryu and she could not remove because of insufficient spiritual energy.

If she didn't do something about it, she would end up like the city guards in the marketplace. Just the thought of the sight almost made her stomach contents rise.

"We have to find Toras!" she said, feeling a warm liquid run over her lips. As she braced herself against the walls of the connected houses with one hand, she brought her free hand to her face and wiped away the liquid with her index finger, just to let it drop onto the ground.

"Blood!" she gasped, 'No foam? Is the poison she used against me something else?'

'There was only one chance left!' she thought to herself. She would never find Toras in the city, it was just too big for that. Besides, the risk was too great that she would run into Siwang again, which would mean her end.

Her only option was the park, hoping that she would meet Laki, Toras and Zhèngyi there. Only then she could still survive.

'I just hope Laki is okay.' After the last thoughts about her sister, she tried to save as much energy as she could and switched to the off mode. Like an controlled doll, she staggered towards the park based on what was in her memories.

The sense of time and the distance she covered became blurred, and she didn't even realize where she was anymore.

Again and again she stopped in between and coughed up blood, which ran over her hand, which she took to suppress the sound, and dripped to the floor. Without knowing when it started, her entire body felt heavier and her legs trembled.

Each step felt like an infinity, and Kiyu couldn't tell how much distance she had already covered. Nor could she tell if she was even in the park yet, as little by little her vision blurred and was further complicated by tears.

'Laki...' The only thought that kept her going. The only thing that gave her hope and what she wanted to see at least once more if it was already her end. 'La...ki.'

She just felt her body collapse, but the pain did not occur. Instead, the familiar darkness enveloped her. It was that darkness that enveloped her once before, six years ago, when she lost consciousness around the river.

But this time Cheryu could not help her. Maybe there was no reawakening from this darkness this time, since she depleted all her energy in this fight.

Just then, as if from far too far away, she heard her name.

"Kiyu!"