“Alright, this should make your friend happy.”
Retracting the pen, Yan Qi examined her handwriting—not exactly elegant, but legible—and handed the paper to her sister.
Taking the autograph, Yan Yu didn’t comment on the penmanship. Instead, she hurriedly said,
“It’s perfect! Thank you for doing this for my friend.”
“Go give it to her now.”
“Got it.”
With that, Yan Yu carried the signed paper—bearing the name “Empress Daoyan”—over to Xu Ziqi and handed it to her.
“Make sure to keep it safe, okay?”
“Don’t worry! I’ll treasure this forever,” Xu Ziqi replied, her face lighting up with joy.
Seeing her friend’s excitement, Yan Yu couldn’t help but smile too. But remembering the urgency of her mission, she quickly composed herself.
“Listen, I need to step out for a while—might not be back until evening. So don’t bother bringing me lunch today.”
“Step out? Is it… dangerous?” Xu Ziqi asked, lowering the autograph with a frown.
Yan Yu chuckled. “With the legendary Empress Daoyan by my side? What could possibly go wrong? Don’t worry about me.”
“Then promise you’ll come back soon.”
Nodding, Yan Yu turned and rejoined Yan Qi at the classroom door.
After leaving the school and securing permission from their homeroom teacher, Yan Yu activated her Six-Star Servant Transformation Card, morphing into the Bloodthirsty Empress.
Together, the sisters took to the skies, scanning Ninghang City for signs of disturbance.
…..
Meanwhile, hidden among the city’s populace, a cultist—disguised as an ordinary civilian—kept watch near the Black Barrier, an invisible spatial rift created by the Flowers of Flesh and Blood.
He immediately noticed the authorities’ unusual activity: officials were evacuating civilians under the guise of “emergency drills,” all centered around the barrier’s vicinity.
“Why the sudden drills? Are they onto the Black Barrier?”
The thought barely formed before he dismissed it.
“Impossible. The Black Barrier is a pocket dimension forged by the Flowers, bridging the Abyss and our world. Only those baptized in the Abyss’s magic can perceive it. If the government had known, they wouldn’t have waited until now—right before the Flowers bloom—to act. Maybe a notorious superhuman criminal’s in town?”
As he pondered, his phone rang.
Glancing at the caller ID—a coded number—his face paled. He answered with trembling deference.
“Elder… what instructions do you have for this humble servant?”
“By the Bishop’s command: Accelerate the maturation of the Flowers of Flesh and Blood.“
“W-What? Now? Isn’t it too early?”
The cultist’s question was met with icy displeasure.
“Since when do you question the Bishop’s will?”
Realizing his blunder, the cultist stammered an apology.
“F-Forgive my insolence, Elder! I spoke out of turn.”
“See that it doesn’t happen again. Or next time, mercy won’t be an option.”
“Thank you for your leniency, Elder!”
“Enough groveling. Fulfill the Bishop’s orders swiftly. Our Plague Lord must descend upon this world without delay.”
“I swear upon my life—our god’s arrival shall not be hindered!”
Satisfied, the Elder hung up without another word.
Lowering the phone, the cultist wiped his brow. Though bewildered by the rushed timeline, he dared not disobey—not when the Elder’s punishments were legendary.
Grabbing his weapons and several peculiar vials, he left his apartment, heading straight for the Black Barrier to force the Flowers to bloom.
…..
Back in the sky, Yan Yu—now the Bloodthirsty Empress—gazed down at Ninghang City in awe.
“I’ve never seen the city from this angle before… It’s breathtaking.”
Snapping out of her reverie, she turned to Yan Qi.
“Daoyan, where exactly are those Black Barriers you mentioned?”
“Here, here… and over there.”
Yan Qi pointed out twenty-four locations across the city.
Following her gestures, Yan Yu squinted.
“Everything looks so… normal. It’s hard to believe these spots will soon become the epicenter of disaster.”