Chapter 223: The Human Body Is Half Water

“It’s fine.”

Cuiyue repeated with a hint of impatience, “It’s just a coincidence.”

“A coincidence?”

Shadow Girl didn’t press the matter, but the smile in her eyes deepened. “Under such similar skins, there must be some kind of wonderful fate.”

She spoke in a refined, scholarly manner, but it wasn’t annoying.

Kaori Onishi looked back and forth between the two. Although she couldn’t understand a word they were saying, she felt the atmosphere turn subtle.

It was the heavy tension that preceded a clash between masters.

“Since we have met, it is also fate.”

Shadow Girl calmly raised her hand in a “please” gesture.

“I wonder… could we spar for a bit?”

‘A spar?’ Cuiyue was momentarily stunned.

‘What is this? A test? Or is she just a battle maniac?’

However…

Cuiyue looked into Shadow Girl’s pale gold eyes. There was no malice there, only pure curiosity and a desire for battle.

Coincidentally, she hadn’t finished venting the restless heat within her tonight.

Besides, being able to trade blows with a top expert from Tokyo University was a rare opportunity.

“Fine.” A curve formed at the corner of Cuiyue’s mouth, and the blood-red light in her eyes intensified. She cracked her knuckles. “Then… please guide me.”

“Eh? Are you going to fight? Right here?”

Kaori Onishi’s eyes widened, and she excitedly retreated to the edge of the field. “I want to watch! I want to watch!”

‘Is this the legendary Late Night Powerhouse Match? Ugh, it’s a shame I can’t understand what they’re saying. It seems learning a foreign language is actually quite important.’

On the field, the two stood opposite each other.

The night wind blew past, swirling a few fallen leaves on the ground.

Cuiyue gave a low shout, and ash-gray flames instantly erupted from her body, enveloping her completely.

The air distorted from the surge of energy. Across from her, Shadow Girl’s eyes flickered with a bright light before dimming, and she nodded in satisfaction.

‘That’s strange…’

Kaori Onishi noticed the look but said nothing.

“Hah!”

Cuiyue stomped her foot, her body charging forward like an arrow released from a bow.

She didn’t use any fancy long-range attacks, choosing instead the most direct form of close-quarters combat.

During these few months at the Special Response Training Base, she had worked extremely hard to train her physical techniques.

A straight punch wrapped in ash-gray flames aimed directly at Shadow Girl’s face.

Facing this ferocious strike, Shadow Girl stood her ground without moving an inch.

It wasn’t until the wind from the punch ruffled her silver hair that she acted.

Clang—

A sound like flowing water hitting metal rang out.

Countless silver-white liquid droplets manifested out of thin air in front of Shadow Girl.

They instantly coalesced into a shimmering silver buckler, blocking Cuiyue’s fist.

Thump!

A dull impact echoed across the empty playground.

Cuiyue felt as if her fist had struck a mass of extremely resilient mercury; most of her strength was instantly dissipated.

Immediately following that, the circular shield seemed to come alive. Numerous spikes rapidly extended from its edges, coiling back toward her arm.

‘Living metal?’ Cuiyue reacted instantly. Her toes tapped the ground as she bolted backward.

At the same time, she flicked her wrist, causing the ash-gray flames to flare up in an attempt to incinerate the approaching liquid metal.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle—

A flash of surprise crossed Shadow Girl’s eyes.

‘Flames that target the soul? They can actually affect my… Soul Gold…’

She let out a soft chuckle, her hands dancing gracefully as if conducting a symphony.

“This just became more interesting.”

Following her movements, the mass of silver liquid floating in the air suddenly exploded, transforming into thousands of sharp little swords that poured down toward Cuiyue like rain.

Kaori Onishi watched from the sidelines, dumbstruck. “That’s so cool…”

By comparison, her little water splashes were completely insignificant!

However, she still muttered to herself, ‘As long as my finishing move is perfected, it might not be that cool, but it will definitely be strong…’

Faced with this downpour of swords, Cuiyue chose to advance rather than retreat.

She knew well that a long defense would eventually fail.

Furthermore, her flames weren’t just for burning people; they were an excellent defensive barrier.

She thrust both hands upward.

The ash-gray flames transformed into a massive wall of fire that surged into the sky.

The small silver swords plunged into the fire wall and instantly became sluggish, as if stuck in a swamp.

The spiritual imprints on them were scorched by the flames, causing them to lose control and fall as ordinary molten metal.

Taking advantage of this opening, Cuiyue launched another charge.

She drifted through the firelight, her movements ghostly.

Get close!

Only by getting close to that seemingly frail silver-haired girl would she have a chance!

Shadow Girl seemed to see through her intentions, but she didn’t panic.

The shadow beneath her feet suddenly writhed, and the fallen liquid metal rapidly gathered under her, transforming into a massive Silver Giant Python that lifted her into the air.

‘So fast…’

Cuiyue’s strike missed. She looked up at Shadow Girl, who was perched high above.

“I’m done.”

Cuiyue suddenly dispersed the flames in her hands and waved her hand dismissively, her interest waning.

“Eh?” Shadow Girl was slightly taken abandoned, and the Silver Giant Python also halted its aggressive posture.

“It was just a spar. If we keep going, we’ll end up demolishing the place.”

Cuiyue pointed to the surrounding ground and trees, which were already a mess. “Besides, I’m tired.”

In reality, she could sense that the other woman wasn’t using her full strength at all.

That ease of movement made Cuiyue feel like she was just a training partner.

Rather than losing embarrassingly in the end, it was better to quit while she was ahead.

Shadow Girl gave a gentle smile and leaped down from the Silver Giant Python.

The liquid metal rapidly flowed back, eventually merging into her skin and vanishing.

She walked up to Cuiyue, her pale gold eyes staring deep into Cuiyue’s, as if trying to see through her soul.

“Your Ability… is very special,” Shadow Girl said softly. “It’s not just flames.”

Cuiyue’s heart tightened. ‘Did she see through it?’

Besides Wanhua, she had a bunch of other abilities for reasons she didn’t understand.

Cuiyue had looked up records before; at most, a Dual-core Cicada Molt Body would have two abilities.

Of course, she didn’t count broad derivative abilities in that—for example, Elementalized Skin. The fire element was one ability, and the water element could be considered another.

In her situation, she didn’t dare tell anyone else, fearing she would be hauled off to be sliced into pieces as some rare research material.

Shadow Girl regained her elegant and composed posture, extending a hand. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Cuiyue. I look forward to facing you in the official competition.”

Cuiyue hesitated for a moment before reaching out to shake her hand.

Shadow Girl’s hand was very cold, like… a dead person’s.

“Likewise.”

“Also…” Shadow Girl released her hand and turned her gaze toward Kaori Onishi, who was watching with great interest.

“Lovely lady, watching the show requires an admission fee.”

“Eh!?” Kaori Onishi was startled, her face turning bright red. “I… I don’t have any money.”

“Haha, I’m just joking.” Shadow Girl covered her mouth and chuckled, turning to walk into the darkness. Her silver hair cut a beautiful arc in the night wind.

“Get some rest. Tomorrow… will be a big day.”

Her figure gradually vanished into the night, leaving behind one faint sentence: “GSAC… is very interesting.”

Cuiyue watched her departing back, her brow furrowing slightly.

She felt like that look just now had seen through something incredible.

“Wow! That sister was so cool!”

Kaori Onishi scurried over, her eyes full of stars. “That liquid metal! It was just like the Terminator! And Miss Cuiyue, your flames! So cool!”

Cuiyue looked at this overly familiar, “simple and sweet” girl and sighed helplessly.

“You should head back early too. Stop wandering around out here.”

With that, she ignored whatever else Kaori Onishi wanted to say and quickly left the area.

“Hmph… everyone’s leaving.” Kaori Onishi felt a bit dejected and looked around.

Then, she spotted her target—a crow perched on the perimeter wall.

For some reason, there were many crows in Japan, an absurd amount.

“Sorry, little crow. I’m not an animal rights activist…” Kaori Onishi murmured. She raised both hands to loosely cover the crow, and her emerald eyes suddenly flared with light.

She concentrated, sensing the moisture flowing within the crow’s body—the blood, cellular fluid, and even the dampness between its feathers.

This was far more difficult than controlling a puddle of water or wet clothes.

After all, a living creature’s moisture was wrapped in layers of tissue, like a stream trapped in a labyrinth.

She gave a soft cry, her fingertips trembling slightly as she focused her will.

“Dry up… dry it all up!” she whispered, her voice carrying a hint of excitement, sounding almost like a psychopath.

The crow initially just shifted its wings uneasily, but soon, its body began to twitch violently.

Its feathers lost their luster at a visible rate, turning from glossy black to a withered, dull gray.

The moisture beneath its skin was forcibly stripped away, causing its once-full body to rapidly shrivel.

Its eyes sank in like two shriveled grape seeds, embedded tightly in its skull.

Its beak opened slightly, but no sound came out—only a silent struggle remained.

The bones of its wings protruded under the parched skin like a sun-dried skeletal model.

Within seconds, the living bird had turned into a shriveled corpse.

The feathers were no longer fluffy; they clung tightly to the skin and bone, looking as if they would crumble into powder at the lightest touch.

Kaori Onishi panted heavily and lowered her hands as her emerald eyes returned to normal.

She leaned in to look. The crow’s corpse lay on the wall, as light as a fallen leaf.

“Wow… it actually worked.”

She gasped in a low voice, a blush creeping onto her face. She felt both a sense of achievement and a bit of guilt.

“Even though it looks a bit scary, my finishing move is definitely improving!”

This was Kaori Onishi’s Finishing Move.

There were no flashy special effects; it was a pure technique designed solely for the erasure of life.

At least half of the human body is water. If that moisture were stripped away…

However, Kaori Onishi started to worry whether such a killing move would even be allowed.

After all, no matter how one looked at it, this was just a competition, not a true life-and-death struggle.

Kaori Onishi, who hadn’t properly read the competition introduction, dug a hole to bury the crow’s corpse and then bowed sincerely. “Amitabha… Jesus bless you… Allah bless you…”

If she had read the introduction carefully, she wouldn’t have had this doubt.

The DRG had a way to ensure the competition wasn’t limited to a mere “match,” making it more like actual combat without costing lives.

Yet, this method had caused some controversy online.