With a thunderous roar, Ying knelt on the ground, her face etched with strain. The powerful wind pressure made it difficult for her to even stand.
Seeing this, a Doctor slowly approached, looking at Ying and saying with a smile.
"You are right, a slice is always just a slice. Even with its own consciousness, it can never compare to the original.
Therefore, we will not, like you, show sorrow for the death of a slice. It is precisely because we are not bound by emotions that we can trap you here, isn't it?"
Ying looked up and returned a mocking smile.
"To live only in your own world, how truly pathetic you are."
The Doctor laughed heartily.
"Heh... It doesn't matter. No matter how pathetic, it's still far better than someone who cannot even fulfill their promises and can only watch their sister leave for them as they die, isn't it?"
As he spoke, the Doctor slowly clenched his palm in front of Lumine.
"Buzz—!!"
The wind pressure suddenly intensified. Ying, already on the verge of collapse, trembled uncontrollably, on the brink of succumbing to the hurricane and being crushed to pieces.
Seeing that Ying could no longer even retort, the Doctor chuckled softly, estimating Ying's limit.
"Five... four... three... two..."
"One."
"Crack..."
A strange cracking sound reached the Doctor's ears, and they froze in place.
The next moment, Ying's body dissolved into specks of starlight, vanishing as if she had never existed, leaving only the Doctor's corpse lying silently beside her.
The Doctors exchanged glances, reading shock in each other's eyes.
Lumine, who was clearly there a moment ago, had suddenly disappeared before their very eyes, leaving them utterly bewildered.
"Pfft—!"
The approaching Doctor looked around in a panic, suddenly feeling a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down and found a silver sword deeply embedded in his heart.
A trickle of blood flowed from the Doctor's lips. With all his might, he painfully turned his neck and saw Ying, who had appeared behind him at some unknown time. His mouth parted, as if to say something, but he could not speak.
Finally, the Doctor's eyes widened, and he slowly fell to the ground, filled with unyielding resentment and fury.
Ying retracted the silver sword and looked at the astonished Doctors in the distance, asking,
"What? Are you curious how I got out?"
Upon hearing this, the remaining Doctors exchanged glances, their eyes flickering with apprehension, but they maintained their composure.
Seeing their silence, Ying paid them no mind and proceeded to explain herself.
"It's simple. Gather elemental power into a human form, and then materialize it to obtain a perfect clone."
Ying then sighed.
"Alas, it's a shame the Dendro Archon statue was moved by you beforehand. Otherwise, I could have made it even more perfect."
One Doctor immediately sneered.
"Heh... Telling such important technology to the enemy. Should I call you kind-hearted, or absolutely confident in yourself?"
Ying, upon hearing this, shook her finger, saying indifferently.
"Neither. Firstly, I won't give you any opportunity to research this skill.
Secondly, I said I would make you experience despair. After careful consideration, I personally believe that the most despairing thing for you would be to be toyed with in various ways by your prey, and ultimately die a humiliating death..."
As her words fell, Ying instantly appeared before that Doctor and kicked upwards from below with her small foot.
"Ah—!"
A piercing scream suddenly echoed, sending a chill down the spines of the surrounding Doctors, and their gazes towards Ying involuntarily filled with a hint of fear.
They hadn't expected this woman's methods to be so ruthless.
"Crack—!"
Under their horrified gaze, Ying directly snapped the Doctor's leg. She then pulled out her long sword and threw it forcefully into the distance.
"Pfft..."
The sword flew rapidly, drawing an elegant arc in the air before accurately piercing another Doctor's chest, sending him flying backward and pinning him against a stone pillar.
"Ah—!!"
Another heart-wrenching scream rent the sky. The remaining Doctors quickly reacted, the situation having spiraled beyond their plans, causing their minds to become somewhat chaotic.
Ying gave them no time to calm down. She crushed the neck of the Doctor beneath her foot and vanished from her current position, reappearing beside the nearest Doctor.
Seeing Ying target him, the Doctor's pupils constricted. He quickly raised his hand to blow Ying away, but Ying's movements were even faster. She placed her hand in front of him and said in a calm tone,
"Good morning, good evening."
"Boom—!!"
As her words fell, a massive vortex of wind and sword energy instantly materialized, engulfing the Doctor without any reservation of power.
Then, amidst struggles and roars, he was torn to shreds, his existence reduced to nothingness and dissipated into the heavens and earth.
Having eliminated another person, Ying's gaze swept across the surroundings as she counted them seriously.
"One... two... three... Tsk, I didn't realize the numbers have become so few so quickly. It truly is regrettable."
"Damn it..."
One Doctor gritted his teeth and cursed, clasping his hands together and muttering incantations.
Seeing this, Ying gave him no chance. She clenched her small hand, and a bolt of lightning instantly formed, then struck the Doctor.
"Bang—!!"
An explosion resounded, and intense flames shot into the sky, incinerating his entire body.
Immediately after, Ying charged towards another Doctor. Before he could react, she raised her hand again, and a Chidori materialized, piercing his heart.
After Ying withdrew her hand, the Doctor collapsed onto the ground, all signs of life long gone.
Having accomplished all this, Ying couldn't help but smile as she cast her gaze upon the last Doctor, the first one she had seen upon entering, and asked with a smile,
"How does it feel to be the last one standing?"
Hearing Ying's words, the young Doctor couldn't help but shudder, unsure how to respond, only able to curse inwardly in helplessness.
Damn bastard, didn't you say everything was under your control?!
A moment later, a faint voice echoed in his mind.
Hehehe... Although there were minor deviations in the details, overall, it is indeed progressing along the trajectory I predicted~