The world's strangest interrogation ended exactly nine minutes later.
Not because Yè Yī lost patience.
Yè Yī had plenty of patience.
Violet did not.
Nán Xuě was halfway through asking another question.
"...If someone were hypothetically carrying an ancient plaque connected to an unknown—"
A potato sack descended from above.
FWOMP.
Nán Xuě disappeared.
Silence followed afterwards.
"..."
"..."
Inside the sack:
"Did I lose?"
"Yes."
"Oh."
Yè Yī wasn't even surprised anymore.
That worried him.
Several tiny ice rabbits waddled out from behind a nearby tree.
Nán Xuě's voice echoed from inside the sack.
"Please don't step on those."
Violet picked up the sack.
The ice rabbits followed.
And together— they headed toward Qiū Huà Bǐ's battlefield.
Fifteen Minutes Later
The fight was still raging.
Fire.
Ice.
Earth.
Water.
Wind.
Gold.
Half the parking district looked like somebody had attempted to redesign reality through violence.
Qiū Huà Bǐ sat comfortably atop a concrete barrier watching.
Eating popcorn.
The moment he spotted Yè Yī and Violet— he pointed dramatically.
"YOU LEFT ME HERE."
"We were busy."
"Doing what?"
Violet dropped the potato sack beside him.
"...Research."
"..."
"..."
The sack groaned.
Qiū Huà Bǐ decided not to ask.
Violet sat beside him then produced two additional packets of popcorn from Qiū Huà Bǐ's bag.
Qiū Huà Bǐ froze.
"...You're the one who put those there?"
Violet nodded.
"The last one's for Mù Xiāo Xiāo."
She glanced at him.
"So don't think about it."
Qiū Huà Bǐ immediately swallowed.
"No way."
Across the battlefield— Mù Xiāo Xiāo somehow heard them.
"Save mine for me."
Violet raised a hand.
"Okay."
Bái Hán Shuāng blinked.
"...Are they eating popcorn?"
Mù Xiāo Xiāo nodded.
"Mine is reserved."
"..."
"..."
The Ice Arm wielder suddenly questioned her career choices.
Mù Xiāo Xiāo vs Bái Hán Shuāng
The ground erupted.
Stone pillars shattered upward.
Frost surged across the battlefield.
For the first time— Mù Xiāo Xiāo smiled slightly. A rare sight.
Earth exploded beneath Bái Hán Shuāng's feet.
She barely avoided it.
Then another.
Then another.
The battlefield itself had turned against her.
Bái Hán Shuāng finally realized something.
Mù Xiāo Xiāo wasn't controlling the terrain.
She understood it.
Every crack. Every weakness. Every buried structure.
The battlefield belonged to her.
A stone wall erupted behind Bái Hán Shuāng.
Another rose before her.
'Trap.'
Too late. A seismic pulse exploded beneath her.
BOOM.
The Ice wielder crashed into the pavement.
Defeated.
As Mù Xiāo Xiāo approached— Bái Hán Shuāng frowned.
"...You."
Mù Xiāo Xiāo tilted her head.
"What?"
"...You feel familiar."
Silence.
It was a strange feeling.
Like something buried deep in old ET memories.
Something she couldn't quite grasp.
Mù Xiāo Xiāo blinked.
"...Thank you?"
That wasn't the correct response.
Ān Shēn vs Shí Kǎi
Unlike everyone else— This battle had almost no flashy attacks.
Just strategy, positioning and observation.
Shí Kǎi punched.
Ān Shēn moved.
Again. And again. And again.
Until suddenly—
Shí Kǎi stumbled.
Only slightly but it was enough.
His foot landed exactly where Ān Shēn wanted.
A weakened section of pavement.
CRACK.
The balance was broken.
Water surged upward.
A pressure strike slammed directly into his ribs.
Shí Kǎi staggered backward.
Too late.
The match was over.
Qiū Huà Bǐ listened to their thoughts.
ShíKǎi: I walked into that.
ĀnShēn: Yes.
Qiū Huà Bǐ nearly laughed himself off the barrier.
Ān Tiān Qǐ vs Huáng Nián Qīng
Wind screamed.
Gold light flashed.
The two women moved faster than most people could follow.
Huáng Nián Qīng smiled.
"You fight well."
"So do you."
Neither meant it as a compliment.
Then— Huáng Nián Qīng saw an opening.
A mistake– or so she thought.
She attacked instantly.
Victory— within reach.
Then— A fist struck her from behind.
Her eyes widened.
Impossible.
She spun around. Another Ān Tiān Qǐ stood there.
Gold light shimmering.
A duplicate. Then another. And another.
The battlefield suddenly contained three Ān Tiān Qǐs.
Huáng Nián Qīng froze.
"...What?"
The original smiled.
"I don't usually use that Art."
The fist landed.
BOOM.
Huáng Nián Qīng crashed into a destroyed vehicle.
Defeated.
Ān Bái vs Guō Yán Huǒ
Fire exploded.
Water surged.
Steam engulfed everything.
Guō Yán Huǒ laughed.
"This is fun!"
Ān Bái looked exhausted already.
"You're the loudest person I've ever met."
"THANK YOU."
"That wasn't a compliment."
The problem wasn't power.
Guō Yán Huǒ had plenty of power.
The problem was discipline.
Every attack became bigger, stronger and even wilder.
Until eventually— they became predictable.
Ān Bái saw the opening.
Water compressed.
One strike. Two. Three.
Guō Yán Huǒ crashed into the pavement.
The battle ended.
Silence slowly returned.
The Sì Faces Of Doom had lost.
Not because they were weak but because they underestimated their opponents.
Every single one.
Guō Yán Huǒ immediately stood back up.
"I'M NOT DONE."
Fire surged, then stopped completely.
He blinked.
"...What?"
Gravity pressed down. Space twisted.
His body refused to move.
Violet stood nearby.
Hands in her pockets.
"Enough."
Guō Yán Huǒ struggled.
Nothing happened.
Violet's gaze remained calm.
"Go home."
The battlefield fell silent.
"Tell ET something for me."
Nobody interrupted.
"The fight was far from over."
Even Huáng Nián Qīng listened.
Then Violet released them.
Reluctantly— The Sì Faces Of Doom withdrew.
One by one, disappearing into the night.
Nán Xuě
Violet nudged the potato sack with her foot.
A muffled voice emerged.
"...Is the interview over?"
"Yes."
"Oh."
She turned toward Factor IV.
"Restrict her until I return."
Ān Bái blinked.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Ān Shēn shrugged.
Mù Xiāo Xiāo finally received her popcorn.
Everyone seemed satisfied.
Nán Xuě was carried away, still inside the sack.
"...Can someone at least untie the top?"
Nobody answered.
The battlefield had finally become still.
Qiū Huà Bǐ leaned backward.
"So that's it..."
Before he could continue— Violet turned toward him.
"What else?"
"..."
"Do you want to pay for all this damage?"
Qiū Huà Bǐ immediately sat upright.
"No."
"Then be quiet."
"...Understood."
The wind moved softly across the ruined district.
For several moments— Nobody spoke.
Then Violet's gaze shifted, toward a nearby rooftop.
Dark and empty.
Or so everyone thought.
"Come out."
Silence.
Qiū Huà Bǐ frowned.
Yè Yī looked up.
Even Ān Shēn turned.
Nothing happened.
Then— a voice echoed through the night.
It was loud. Far too loud.
"FINALLY!"
Everyone blinked.
A figure vaulted off the rooftop.
Not gracefully, nor was it mysterious.
He missed his landing.
Completely.
CRASH.
A pile of construction materials exploded.
Dust filled the air.
Then silence.
A hand emerged from the debris.
"...I meant to do that."
Qiū Huà Bǐ stared.
"...Who is that?"
The stranger climbed out.
He was tall, disheveled and grinning.
Completely unbothered.
"You know..."
He dusted off his coat.
"I had a much cooler entrance planned."
Violet closed her eyes.
"...Of course you did."
The newcomer pointed dramatically at her.
"YOU."
Then pointed at Yè Yī.
"YOU."
Then Qiū Huà Bǐ.
"AND DEFINITELY YOU."
Qiū Huà Bǐ looked offended.
"I don't even know you."
"Exactly."
The stranger grinned.
"Which means introductions are overdue."
The night breeze swept across the battlefield.
And for the first time— the fourth member of the future quartet stood before them.
Chūn Lěng Fēng had arrived.