I Really Am Alone After All

"Buzz—!"

Amidst the tremors in the air, a ripple-like wave, invisible to the naked eye, swept across the entire sky above Misaki City, much like a drop of water falling on the surface of the Misaki City, causing the ripple-like waves to spread in all directions.

Only Fang Li and Shana could sense this fluctuation.

Of course, Alastor could also sense it.

"Search-type Inherent Skill?" Alastor said. "With such a wide range of Inherent Skill, the opponent must be a free magic master who is very skilled in Inherent Skill. We need to be careful."

This wasn't just said to Shana, but also to the Fang Li.

After all, for melee fighters like Fang Li and Shana, opponents with diverse abilities are undoubtedly the most troublesome.

"They're using the Inherent Skill so blatantly," Shana said calmly. "The other party should be able to sense my presence."

What does this prove?

This proves that the other party at least did not have any fear of Shana.

Then Shana said, "Could it be an apostle of the ' Bal Masqué '?"

"I can't be sure, but I can't rule it out either," Alastor replied truthfully. "If there's only one aura, it shouldn't be from ' Bal Masqué,' but we can't rule out the possibility that it's an assassin or vanguard sent by the other side."

There is a downside to sensing the atmosphere by the sense of disharmony that the other person creates in the world.

That is, sometimes it is impossible to specifically detect who the opponent is.

"No matter what, let's go take a look first."

Shana made this decision and then stood up.

However, Fang Li seemed somewhat uninterested.

Upon seeing Fang Li, Shana paused slightly, frowned, and asked a question.

Aren't you going?

Upon hearing this, Fang Li gave a direct answer.

"I'm not going."

The overly direct answer almost caught Shana off guard, leaving her speechless.

"Why?"

Hearing Shana's question, Fang Li replied matter-of-factly, "Because there's no need. If the other party is from the ' Bal Masqué,' then going there now would be like walking into a trap. If the other party isn't from the ' Bal Masqué,' then what would I do there?"

These seemingly self-evident words, however, ignited a Mumei within Shana.

Without hesitation, Shana raised her voice and said, "What if the other party is an Apostle? What if the other party is currently devouring the Power of Existence?"

"What does that have to do with me?" Fang Li met Shana's gaze and said this directly.

"I'm not Flame Haze Warrior."

"————!"

At that moment, Shana seemed to have been caught off guard, and her delicate body swayed slightly.

His heart felt as if a huge hole had been torn open, leaving it extremely empty.

By the time Shana realized what was happening, she had sensed it.

An overwhelming surge of anger welled up within him.

yes.

Fang Li is not Flame Haze Warrior.

Therefore, Fang Li had absolutely no reason to fight.

Previously, Shana had this understanding, which is why she was confused by the blood-soaked figure in the Fang Li, yet also attracted by that figure.

For Shana, who takes pride in her mission as a Flame Haze Warrior, that heroic fighting spirit, refusing to compromise with the Angels, is precisely the ideal she has always envisioned.

Therefore, in Shana's eyes, that Fang Li was sparkling.

However, Shana is now forced to confront reality.

This person is not Flame Haze Warrior.

His fight was not for a mission, but for himself.

This made Shana feel betrayed.

(They clearly said those things...)

Fang Li once said that.

(I've said before that this mission isn't just mine alone...)

But now...

(Now, you're planning to leave me to fight alone?)

The stark contrast between her previous and current state fueled an uncontrollable rage within Shana.

Shana knew that Fang Li was right.

As a human being, Fang Li really had no reason to fight under these circumstances.

Similarly, although Fang Li said that the mission of the Flame Haze Warrior was not Shana's alone, it was also not Fang Li's.

Therefore, Fang Li is completely correct.

She was clearly right, but Shana just couldn't control her anger.

At that moment, Shana lowered her head, turned around, faced away from Fang Li, and walked towards the balcony.

"Bang—!"

With a sound like the air being crushed underfoot, Shana burst into a cloud of fire, revealing her fiery hair and burning eyes. She transformed into a streak of fiery red light and shot off toward her destination.

Watching Shana leave silently, her anger heavy, Fang Li sat on the bed, gazing at the gradually shrinking fiery red figure, and murmured with a sigh.

"What a difficult little girl to please..."

If you really want me to come along, why don't you just say so?

Even if it's only to this extent, that's enough to justify Fang Li's actions.

After all, Fang Li is just a free spirit.

Meanwhile, Shana, leaping back and forth between the tops of buildings like a nimble shooting star, headed straight for her destination.

The flames left a crimson trail of fire in the air.

The dazzling light reflected beautifully in the space.

That is the being known as the "Crimson-Eyed Flame-Haired Killer".

However, beneath this stern exterior, Shana's inner void was growing ever larger, and the emptiness that gripped her body was becoming increasingly intense.

Under these circumstances, Shana couldn't help but speak in a low voice.

"I'm still alone after all..."

The effect of this statement is simply to make one's heart feel even emptier.

"..."

Alastor remained silent, as if he didn't know what to say.

Immediately, the Flame Haze Warrior, with its dual souls, leaped high into the air and soared towards Misaki Grand Bridge.

"Margery Daw!"

At the top of the Misaki Grand Bridge, Machias's shout suddenly rang out from inside the large hardcover book.

"I know!"

Margery Daw shouted back, then with a swift movement, the totem that had expanded from her fingertips instantly shrank back with a vibration invisible to the naked eye, finally disappearing above Margery Daw's head.

During this process, Margery Daw also absorbed the Power of Existence of several torches to replenish the energy she consumed when using the Inherent Skill.

That skillful technique, just as Machias mentioned, could only be accomplished by a highly skilled master.

Immediately, Margery Daw raised her head and looked in one of the directions.

There, a fiery red meteor fell from the sky, hurtling down and landing heavily on top of a bridge ahead.

The fiery powder of the red lotus danced around that petite figure, creating a dazzling spectacle.