"Seriously? You're starting off with that move?"
John Chou muttered, his gaze sharpening. He raised Belle across his chest, relaxed his body, and lowered his stance as his knees bent slightly.
"I'll try to help you stabilize the Shadow Realm, Ethan. I just hope your instincts can handle it."
Sure enough, Mr. Brown had noticed John Chou's subtle moves when he borrowed Belle from me. Now, Mr. Brown's ghost aura was connected to my body.
"Instinct... coexistence..."
In an instant, I felt a surge of ghostly energy, hot and unfamiliar, pouring into my body. It was different from the ghost aura Mr. Brown had given me in Yuna Ji's Nether Shadow Realm.
Mouth agape, I felt an intense heat in my body, a burning discomfort in my chest like flames raging inside me. Mr. Brown squinted and sighed with a faint smile.
"It's alright, Ethan. Hold on."
Gritting my teeth, I sat cross-legged. John Chou floated slightly, stopping about a meter above the ground. In a flash, he turned into a streak of red light and shot toward Isabelle Frost.
A clanging echoed. My eyes widened as, in the instant John Chou neared Isabelle Frost, he split into ten figures. Each wielded Belle, thrusting from different angles, but every strike was blocked by the Red Spider Lily petals swirling around Isabelle.
Instantly, my ghost aura began to drain rapidly. The ten John Chous didn't let up, launching attack after attack from every angle at Isabelle Frost, relentless.
Gradually, I adapted to Mr. Brown's ghost aura. With its supply, I felt a bit better. John Chou's furious assault continued, while Isabelle Frost stood motionless, her arms constantly moving.
Under her precise control, the Red Spider Lily petals blocked John Chou's attacks again and again. What puzzled me was that the split John Chous weren't just distractions—each one was solid and deadly.
"That's enough, John Chou. Did you really think you could break through the Red Spider Lily with such a clumsy move?"
Suddenly, Isabelle Frost muttered coldly. With a whoosh, the ten John Chous merged, and Belle swung down at Isabelle's head.
A clang rang out as clusters of Red Spider Lily petals gathered to block the strike. With a boom, intense red ghost aura burst out, flooding in all directions like water. My Shadow Realm began to tremble.
The power in my body was instantly depleted. Though it was quickly replenished, I couldn't help but fall backward, gasping for breath. My Ghost Soul was struggling to keep up with what Mr. Brown and John Chou were putting it through.
"Maybe so. But you still underestimate me, little sister."
Suddenly, I jolted upright, eyes wide. The John Chou poised to strike seemed to dissolve into mist, and then behind Isabelle Frost, another John Chou appeared, half-crouched, swinging Belle.
With a slash, the Red Spider Lily petals were cut in two. Isabelle Frost frowned, quickly floating up to dodge. Her red dress tore apart, falling to the ground in shreds and revealing a pale thigh.
With part of her dress ruined, she stared quietly for a moment, then suddenly reached down and tore away the fabric at her thigh. With a careless motion, she removed her hairpin, letting her waist-length hair cascade like a waterfall, strands drifting with the flow of ghost aura.
"Looks like it's time to get serious."
John Chou sneered, casually thrusting Belle into the ground.
"Hold on, little sister. You remember this, don't you?"
Isabelle Frost nodded slightly, her gaze settling on Belle stuck in the ground.
"The reason we exist is because Victor Fan brought back the sword sealed with Lady Cecilia's soul. We split from one person into two. For over two thousand years, we've always been two—I'm the brother, you're the sister."
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Now Isabelle's long hair billowed wildly, her ghost aura growing stronger.
"What I mean is, if I hadn't found you back then, if I hadn't brought you—nearly dead—back to the Chou family, maybe things wouldn't have turned out like this."
"Maybe. But history can't be rewritten. Everything that's happened has already sealed this fate."
Isabelle Frost replied to John Chou with sharp words.
"I think it's best to have someone impartial oversee this."
John Chou glanced our way, smiling as he spoke.
"Brother, I'll leave it to you. No matter who dies in this sibling duel, you must witness it closely and keep a record, so there won't be any misunderstanding later."
I nodded. As I looked over, Isabelle Frost was already flying toward John Chou. Instantly, the swirling Red Spider Lilies stretched out like threads, multiplying into a vast sea of flowers.
"Seems your battle with the Emperor God in the Shadow Realm wasn't for nothing. You've improved a lot."
All of John Chou's escape routes were instantly sealed. Unhurried, he gripped Belle and leaned back in midair. With two slashes, blood-red blades cut through the Red Spider Lily sea. Twisting in the air, he landed atop the flowers. In a burst, he shot toward Isabelle Frost like a red meteor.
A loud hum made me cover my ears. John Chou's sword missed, and he spun in the air, retreating, floating quietly.
Then, something faintly appeared in front of Isabelle Frost, as if something was fluttering there.
"Good thing the young master is quick—jumping in now would've been trouble."
Mr. Brown spoke, and I looked over in confusion. Suddenly, small holes appeared in John Chou's hands, blood seeping out without any sign of healing. He raised one hand, his face grave as he stared at Isabelle Frost.
Abruptly, John Chou half-crouched on the ground, his left hand limp and motionless. With a spurt, blood gushed from his left shoulder, and then something green—like a plant root—began to grow there, sprouting into a green stem from his shoulder.
"It's the root of the Red Spider Lily."
I swallowed hard as Mr. Brown's expression grew even more serious.
"Miss, there's no need for such a move."
Mr. Brown sounded anxious, while John Chou smiled faintly.
"Things aren't looking good."
At that moment, Isabelle Frost coldly raised a finger, pointing at John Chou.
"When the Red Spider Lily blooms, you will die."
My heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, Isabelle Frost floated toward John Chou again. With a swishing sound, the Red Spider Lilies blooming on the ground all began to dance, as if responding to her, rising in waves.