System Acting Zhongli in Arknights World?

Roughly twenty minutes earlier

Abandoned Building, Sector 4

"Texas… are we really going in through the front door?" Croissant asked nervously as she stood in front of the abandoned building with Texas and Exusiai.

"Yes…" Texas replied.

Behind Croissant, her backpack was stuffed full of weapons—mostly high-quality steel swords that Texas had ordered her to bring. Though she held a shield and hammer in her hands, they brought her no comfort at all.

"It's not like I disagree with the plan or anything," Croissant said. "But from what I heard, the enemies we're about to face are seriously dangerous, right? So why aren't we waiting for reinforcements from Sir Ch'en?"

"L.G.D. works too slowly… By the time they get approval from the Rat King, who knows what those guys will have done to Sora? Our top priority is to rescue Sora. We can leave the rest to the L.G.D. officers."

"Then why didn't we bring Ren along? He's a really powerful mage," Exusiai asked, confused. Croissant seemed to agree, and both of them looked at Texas, waiting for an answer.

"Like I said, leaving him with the L.G.D. is safer. And there's another reason—I think the 'Crimson Troupe' came here because they're after him, not Sora."

"What?!" Croissant gasped, while Exusiai looked as if she was starting to piece things together.

"I overheard them saying they came here to retrieve a missing 'item'... Judging by the timeline—when the Shanice were in Leithanien just days ago, and that pirate group raided the area unusually early this morning—it's possible they were hired by someone to recover that item. It could be a cargo truck or a warehouse belonging to Leithanien that got destroyed in the recent natural disaster."

"Texas… are you saying that Ren is the item they're looking for?" Exusiai asked. Though she was normally optimistic and never asked much about other people's pasts, that was mostly because, as a Sankta, she could instinctively sense the emotions of other Sankta. She never had to dig deeper.

At first, being among people whose emotions she couldn't read had made Exusiai feel suffocated. But over time, she began to feel a new kind of freedom. That made her more curious about others and more open-minded.

Even so, she was still extremely observant—just a small expression or a word could tell her a lot about someone's personality or intentions.

In Exusiai's view, Ren was likely someone with a traumatic past. His constant anxiety and the unnecessary distance he kept from others made him seem like a timid, adorable little brother in her eyes.

But no—she didn't pity or feel sorry for him. In this land, who hasn't faced hardship?

What Exusiai believed in was that everyone needs something to hold onto to keep moving forward—live fully, laugh loudly, and look forward to a brighter future rather than dwell in an unchangeable past.

"It could be him, or something he's hiding. Either way, it's better to keep him out of this," Texas replied.

"Hehe… Texas always looks out for her coworkers~" Exusiai giggled.

"Wish you'd worry about me more too, you know~" Croissant looked like she might cry.

"You'll be fine. If things look bad, I'll order a retreat immediately…"

Texas walked into the building first, followed by Exusiai, and then a very reluctant Croissant.

"Still, I don't get why we have to go through the front. Can't we sneak in like usual?" Croissant asked.

"It's useless. There's no hiding from shadows."

"Doing this will actually work in our favor… because he will recognize it's me—and he'll come here himself."

And just as Texas had predicted, the moment they stepped into the unfinished hall—where old stone floors and half-painted walls were still visible—they found a table and chairs with a lantern at the center. A man sat there, his back to them.

"As expected from the pride of the Texas family. For the last one to bear the name Texas… you've earned it."

The man stood and turned to face them.

His face was pale, his hair wild like a bird's nest, and his clothes were tattered—especially over his left chest, which exposed part of his torso. The only thing that seemed intact was the black scarf around his neck, which, though burned and stained with blood, looked well-maintained.

His lifeless eyes stared at the three, sending shivers down Croissant's spine. Exusiai gripped her gun tightly, glancing at Texas as if waiting for a signal.

Texas looked at the man, their expressions both emotionless. There was no anger or sorrow between them—just the gaze of strangers meeting for the first time.

After a moment of silence, the man sighed and finally greeted her.

"It's been a long time, Cellinia."

"Paolo…" Texas muttered, tightening her grip on her sword so hard the rubber handle creaked.

Whoosh!

In the next instant, Texas dashed forward and slashed at him without hesitation.

The man—Shadow—leapt backward, narrowly avoiding the blow that split his chair in two. As the lantern's shadow where he had stood shifted, black spears rose and shot toward Texas.

Bang! Bang!

Two sudden gunshots shattered the black spears into dust before they could strike—Exusiai had fired in support.

She then quickly turned her gun toward Shadow and fired again.

Bang! Bang!

The bullets struck his shoulder and right hip—but passed right through him as if he weren't even there.

Only when Texas's sword closed in did Shadow finally raise his weapon—a scythe—to defend.

"Ugh… these bullet-proof types are the worst," Exusiai muttered, then shot at the table leg, toppling the lantern to stop him from using its shadow again.

"Why didn't you abandon the Texas name, Cellinia?" Shadow asked, focused solely on his niece—even though she was trying to kill him.

"That's none of your business," Texas snapped, swinging a punch at his face. He dodged and counter-kicked her, forcing her to retreat.

"Maybe not anymore. But I'm curious… why cling to the Texas name so tightly? Didn't you always hate it? A mother who scorned you for being a girl, a jealous father who wanted you dead, relatives who backstabbed each other for inheritance—that's what Texas always was."

"Or is it because of Salvador? The old man was the only one who cared for you. Is that why you want to preserve the Texas name? But don't you realize… that using that name is spitting on the laws of Siracusa? Cecilia—the woman he admired—won't let you go, even if you're his granddaughter."

"Texas is already gone. I'm just using the name for convenience…"

Shadow's eyes narrowed, as if something clicked in his mind.

"Ah… I see."

And for the first time, she saw an emotion flicker on his face.

"You made a deal, didn't you?"

His voice trembled with regret and contempt at once, and she wasn't sure what he truly felt.

But Cellinia had no intention of talking anymore. She struck with such force and speed that his scythe flew from his hands. She cut his hand off and kneed him to the ground.

"You've lost," Texas said, pressing her blade to the neck of the man who had once been her family—and her mentor.

"You've grown so strong, Cellinia. Stronger than me… stronger than your grandfather. No wonder everyone envied your talent."

"A shame… that you ended up like this. Just like me."

"What do you mean?" Texas narrowed her eyes, not understanding.

"You know it well… whether it's the wolf's game, or the troupe's cage… small creatures like us are just pawns and playthings to them."

"Paolo… don't tell me you—"

Texas's eyes widened, as if realizing the truth behind his words.

Shadow smiled emotionlessly.

"Yes, Cellinia... I'm just another pawn on this board, just like you."

Blink! At that moment, Shadow's body vanished into the dark shadow on the floor. At the same time, the torches on the ceiling flared to life, lighting up the room in a mysterious glow.

And then—Croissant's panicked voice rang out.

"Texas! There's something all over the floor!"

Texas snapped to attention, eyes widening as she saw shadows manifesting from the flickering torchlight. They emerged as hairy beasts and gaunt humanoid figures dressed in ragged clothes, armed with crossbows and swords. They crawled out of the darkness, lifeless and silent, eyes fixed on them like zombies from an apocalyptic film.

There were so many of them, enough to cover nearly half the room. Texas glanced toward the exit, only to find it sealed by a dome of blood-red light that must have appeared while they were distracted.

Even worse, beneath their feet, shadows began slithering like snakes—steadily inching toward Exusiai and Croissant.

Texas sprinted toward them, shouting at the top of her lungs.

"Croissant, throw the bag now!"

Snapped from her panic, Croissant didn't hesitate. She hurled the large bag upward.

Texas raised her hand, activating her power. Instantly, the bag exploded, unleashing a storm of blades—thousands of swords rained down from above, impaling the shadow creatures below. Though some remained standing, Texas charged into the fray and swiftly dispatched them, picking up fallen blades and hurling them into the shadows behind Croissant. The snake-like creatures emerged momentarily before disintegrating.

Exusiai, noticing the slithering shadows, aimed her gun and fired. Meanwhile, Croissant stood protectively close, shielding her from incoming shadowy arrows.

The battle raged on for a while until Texas managed to take down a hulking shadow beast. She then slashed her sword upward, destroying the torches on the ceiling.

With that, the remaining shadow beings slowly began to dissipate.

"Huff... Did... did we win?" Croissant asked between breaths, exhausted.

"You do know that line's basically cursed in every comic book, right?" Exusiai chuckled playfully, hand over her mouth.

"Ah crap! I totally forgot!"

Texas, however, wasn't laughing. She scanned the room cautiously, trying to locate Shadow, who might still be hiding in the darkness. She knew his ability allowed him to travel between shadows—but only those created by lights he controlled.

That's why she had destroyed the torches, and kept Croissant within Exusiai's line of sight. If anyone could spot a shadow moving suspiciously, it was Exusiai—and Croissant would be able to grab Shadow right away.

Despite Shadow's seemingly formidable power, his physical body was fragile—a trade-off for his powerful Originium arts.

But Texas had made a miscalculation.

After all, the one who taught her everything about combat... was Paolo. Every trick and tactic she'd ever learned came from his training.

Would a schemer like him really not anticipate what she'd plan?

Texas slowly stepped backward, reaching for a sword embedded in the ground to steady herself. But suddenly—

Crack! A noise from beneath sent a chill down her spine.

Thud! The ground under her feet gave way, causing her to lose balance and plummet below.

"Texas!!"

Exusiai reacted instantly, catching her arm just in time. But her strength wasn't enough to pull Texas up.

"You two okay?! Ugh! These damn shadows again!" Croissant rushed to help, but had to raise her shield instead, blocking the shadows that emerged from Exusiai's light. She couldn't reach them in time.

Texas saw the floor crumbling further, no foothold in sight. If this continued, Exusiai would fall with her.

"Let go, Exusiai! Protect Croissant!" Texas commanded.

Exusiai hesitated—but when she saw Croissant nearly overwhelmed by shadow attacks, she had no choice.

"I'll come for you, I promise!"

With that, she let go. Texas fell into the darkness.

Thump!

The fall wasn't too deep—seven or eight meters at most. It might have left Exusiai sore or bruised. But for a Lupo like Texas, it wasn't enough to cause injury.

As she stood up, she saw someone already waiting.

Shadow stood below, now wearing a skull mask and wielding a massive scythe slung over his back. Around him, dozens of torches flickered in a circle—casting numerous shadows that slowly formed into multiple copies of himself.

"Your time is up, Cellinia."

"You had the chance to run, but you didn't take it..."

"All I can offer now is a painless end... like your mother's."

Shadow drew his scythe—and all his clones followed suit.

"Did you kill her?" Texas asked. She showed no fear, even now.

"What do you think?" Shadow replied.

"I think a coward like you wouldn't have done it yourself... You were probably ordered to. By that man."

She meant Giuseppe—her father.

Shadow laughed.

"As I thought... You really are the true Siracusa, Cellinia."

"Your mother saw you as a tool. Your disgusting father envied your talent. The old fools clung to their homeland. None of them ever saw your true potential."

"The emotionless little girl from back then... grew into a proud wolf, a true Siracusa. Even with only half the blood. As your teacher, I can only say... I'm proud to have trained you."

"You are everything we wanted you to be—"

"I never wanted any of it."

Texas cut him off.

"Not once... Not for even a second."

Shadow fell silent, then lowered his head—and laughed.

"Hah... So now you're saying you've found what you do want?" he asked mockingly, as if knowing she was just like him.

But her answer silenced him again.

"Yes. I've found it," she replied with a small, determined smile.

"It's here. My home."

"...Home..."

That word struck Shadow like a spear to the heart—filling him with rage and envy all at once.

"...No."

"We're the same, Cellinia. We can't escape fate. We can't escape the past. We can't live in the present! We're just tiny, crawling pieces on someone else's board!"

"And it'll always be that way."

Dozens of Shadow's clones stepped toward Texas. She tightened her grip on her sword, fully prepared to fight—even knowing she couldn't win.

But just then—an explosion rang out above.

Boom!!

Someone crashed down behind her, kicking up dust and smoke.

"Cough Cough—You said it wasn't that deep, Exusiai! If I hadn't had my shield, I'd have broken my leg!"

As the dust settled, Texas saw a figure she never expected.

"Ren?"

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