(Heartfelt thanks to 'Kaede no Chōrei' and 'Lei Xiang' for their rewards!)
"----!"
In that instant, every girl felt a crisis erupt from the depths of her heart. Even Origami, who had been charging straight at Xie Ming, slowed considerably. Her usually unshakable expression shifted slightly.
Just as Origami hesitated over whether she should abandon her charge, a petite figure riding a giant stuffed rabbit suddenly appeared in front of her.
It was Yoshino and Yoshinon, who had transformed into the Angel—Ice Puppet (Zadkiel)!
"Leave... the defense... to me..." Yoshino inserted her hand into Yoshinon's back, now transformed into Ice Puppet (Zadkiel), as though plugging it into an electrical socket. Rare determination appeared on her delicate, adorable face.
"Leave... the attack... to Miss Origami!"
Origami stared fixedly at Yoshino's little face, which usually wore a timid expression but was now filled with resolve. She said nothing. The engines of the thrusters on her back suddenly roared to maximum power, turning her into a fleeting streak of light as she shot toward Xie Ming.
Watching Origami charge at him, Xie Ming sneered disdainfully. Meanwhile, the warped space around him fluctuated more and more violently.
As Xie Ming spread his palm and pointed his five fingers toward Origami, an abnormally thick black mist surged from the distorted space. It swirled slightly before condensing into a bizarre black ghost claw. With a sharp hiss, it tore through the air and flashed before Origami in an instant.
Faced with such a sudden and fierce attack, Origami's expression changed again. Yet she did not retreat. Her gaze sharpened, and the thrust from her back-mounted engines surged as she charged forward instead.
As the two drew closer, the bizarre ghost claw rapidly reached Origami. She could even smell the rank, rotten stench it gave off.
The