The Return to Simplicity: A Battle of Instinct

The world-ending lightning blazed on for several breaths!

Its terrifying power made it seem as if a sun of lightning had risen in the plaza.

Even Minina and Liltotto, who knew Gadis quite well, wore utterly astonished expressions.

Such terrifying power was already enough to wipe out most members of the Sternritter.

"When Gadis gets serious, she's terrifying."

"So Gadis was this strong? I guess I shouldn't mess with her hair so casually from now on."

Gadis paid no attention whatsoever to Minina and Liltotto's whispers, focusing all her attention ahead of her.

Only when the world-ending pillar of lightning visibly left behind a bottomless abyss in the ground did Gadis, who had poured out nearly all her strength, stop and gasp for breath...

Then Gadis grinned, unable to stop herself from laughing wildly.

"Ha ha ha!!! That bastard Soul Reaper is finally dead, right?!"

Her exhilarated laughter echoed continuously through the plaza. With a bottomless crater now in the ground, it even produced countless echoes.

Until...

"My apologies. Though ruining someone else's happy mood is rather impolite, I'm not dead yet."

Chiba Makoto's gentle, calm voice slowly rang out, bringing Gadis's laughter to an abrupt halt.

As the last wisps of smoke drifting from the abyss below dispersed, what appeared before Gadis was a charred wooden egg as tall as three people.

Then, as though it were shedding its shell, the wooden egg bloomed like a lotus from its charred outer layer, revealing Chiba Makoto within, completely unscathed.

Moreover, in the entire bottomless crater, only the patch of ground beneath Chiba Makoto's feet remained intact.

Seeing this, Gadis looked as though she had been struck by lightning, muttering, "H-How are you okay? How is that possible?!!"

"Miss Gadis seems rather surprised?"

After a brief pause, Chiba Makoto spoke in