(Thank you very much to 'Kaede no Chōrei' for the reward!)
The hand that suddenly appeared on his shoulder abruptly halted Xie Ming's retreating figure. His pupils contracted as he forcefully turned his head to look behind him.
The first thing that entered Xie Ming's eyes was a flash of crimson.
It was the color of fiercely burning flames, and also the color of the fire-controlling Spirit's pupils.
Like a celestial maiden descended into the mortal world, with a feathered robe draped over her slender shoulders, dressed in a white kimono with her sleeves slowly burning and flames beneath her feet, Kotori had unknowingly appeared behind Xie Ming, exposing her delicate face, adorned with a malicious smile, to his gaze.
No, to be precise, Kotori had not unknowingly appeared behind Xie Ming. The Misaka Sisters, who had been on standby aboard the Fraxinus, had long used their exceptional computational power along with the precise instruments in the command room to calculate Xie Ming's retreat path and wait here for him to walk into their trap!
Kurumi, Tohka, Origami, Miku, and Yoshino's previous all-out barrage had merely been meant to draw Xie Ming's attention, making him overlook Kotori while luring him onto the route where she was waiting!
Right in front of Xie Ming, Kotori placed one hand on his shoulder and held a Return Scroll resembling a transparent crystal scroll in the other. Before Xie Ming could react, the hand gripping the Return Scroll clenched tightly.
"Bang—!"
The crystal-like scroll shattered at once. A powerful radiance bloomed, enveloping Kotori and Xie Ming, turning them into tiny particles of light that vanished from where they stood...
Xie Ming only felt his vision suddenly blur. The scene before him distorted as well, and when it finally returned to normal, everything before