"You said you were interested in me?"
"That's right."
As her gaze met Morgana's, Ashe—who had been wearing a serious expression—relaxed and smiled.
Looking at Morgana, who had been so calm the whole time, she casually teased her.
"But I'm not interested in a 'stalker girl.'"
"Stalker? Girl?"
Morgana had never expected to be described that way. For the first time, the confident woman looked stunned.
"That's right."
Ashe didn't give Morgana a chance to respond. She knew full well how important it was to take the initiative when dealing with a forceful, confident woman.
"And you said you were interested in me? You could've waited outside for me to come out. But instead, you sneaked in."
"And you didn't reveal yourself willingly, either. You only showed yourself after I noticed you. That proves you didn't have good intentions to begin with."
"As for your claim that you used to be an instructor at Super Seminary..."
"Taken together, your actions make me wonder if you left Super Seminary because you were always stalking people and got fired for it."
"And lastly, you said we couldn't beat you."
"I'll admit that. You followed them here without making a sound, and with a flick of your fingers, you tied this gloomy, black-clad guy up like a dumpling."
"Even if I hadn't blocked that bullet for you just now, you could probably have dealt with it with a flick of your finger. That thing couldn't have hurt you."
"But..."
Her gaze involuntarily drifted to the two enormous, wicked mounds on Morgana's upper body.
Well, those were definitely bulletproof.
After all, she'd been shot directly for ages in the anime and nothing had happened.
"You probably don't want to make too much of a scene, do you?"
Ashe's gaze sharpened as she stared straight at Morgana.
She continued, "There must be someone nearby—or somewhere on Earth right now—who you're wary of. Or maybe you need to keep your identity hidden to get something done.
"And I was just someone you happened to discover after arriving here. That's why you came in invisible, wanting to observe me."
"Otherwise, with your strength, you could've just barged in openly. Who here could've stopped you?"
"So I advise you to leave. We might not be able to beat you, but we can still make a huge commotion."
"Maybe they can't, but I definitely can."
Morgana watched as faint streaks of lightning began to dance across the Naginata in Ashe's hand.
The woman opposite her had just said a lot, but hadn't mentioned anything about what Morgana wanted to know. Now she looked ready to fight at any moment.
"Pfft..." Morgana tried hard to suppress her laughter.
The corners of her mouth curled up, and her entire presence suddenly became impossibly alluring.
She lightly bit her ruby-red, jellylike lips. At that moment, her eyes looked like those of a hunter who had pursued her prey for a long time.
"You really are impressive."
Her voice was low, yet carried an irresistible allure.
Ashe had been staring intently at Morgana, but suddenly found herself dazed.
Then, in an instant, Morgana—who had been at least ten paces away—appeared right in front of her.
Ashe's pupils contracted in shock. She could even see her own reflection in Morgana's phoenix-shaped eyes.
The next moment, Morgana smiled alluringly and reached out to draw Ashe gently into her arms.
Ashe felt her whole body go weak, and collapsed against Morgana's chest.
As for Qilin and the others, it was as if time had stopped. They stood motionless in place, unable to do a thing.
Morgana held Ashe close, her lips against Ashe's ear.
"Unfortunately, you're too weak, and you know too little about the gods of the universe."
"You have to understand, no amount of analysis is useful in the face of absolute power."
"But you did get one thing exactly right. I really don't want to make too much of a scene."
"That's enough for today, little warrior. We'll meet again."
With that, Morgana seemed about to let go of Ashe.
Feeling herself slide down, Ashe hurriedly reached out to her system, trying to figure out what Morgana had done to her.
But Morgana, who had been letting Ashe slip from her arms, caught her around the waist with one hand.
With the other, she touched Ashe's chin and gently lifted it, making Ashe meet her gaze.
Seeing Ashe's confusion, Morgana smiled sweetly.
"By the way, even though I can't see your Dark Energy information, I can still read everyone else's."
"Gender Identity Disorder, huh? So that's why you were just looking at my chest."
"In that case..."
The hand that had been resting on Ashe's chin had somehow moved to the back of her head.
Ashe had no idea what Morgana was planning. She only knew that her previously bright vision—
The next second, it went dark.
"Mm!"
A feeling of suffocation hit her at once.
Ashe caught a captivating fragrance in her nose. It felt as though Morgana had pressed her against something soft and springy, like a sponge.
She didn't even have time to greet the system she'd just connected with.
For a brief moment, Ashe actually wanted to lose herself in that suffocating sensation.
A moment later, Morgana lifted Ashe's head. Her lips curled into a smile.
Ashe stared at her as Morgana gave her a teasing grin.
She bent down and whispered in Ashe's ear.
"Wonderful, wasn't it? Hehe. Since you gave Queen me a surprise, Queen will give you a fitting reward in return."
"Next time we meet, make sure you surprise me just as much, Ashe. You'll be mine sooner or later."
"Goodbye."
Morgana breathed a fragrant sigh against Ashe's ear. Ashe heard her snap her fingers.
In an instant, Ashe's body regained its strength, and the system's notification sounded.
"Successfully blocked one instance of thought suppression just now. The Thunder God Development System provides comprehensive protection for your thoughts!"
???
"You can block Morgana's Dark Energy intrusion?"
"Of course. Please don't underestimate this system."
"Then what was that weakness just now? Why didn't you block it?"
"According to the system's assessment, if the system had stopped the intrusion just now, there would have been a ninety percent chance your acting would have given you away, and the system might have been exposed as well."
"Also, the system detected no hostility from Morgana, so it made the most reasonable decision and did not intervene. Please rest assured: even if Morgana had suddenly attacked, the system's emergency protection would have saved you."
"...And now?"
"According to the system's assessment, Morgana has left."
"Why do I feel like you just chickened out and didn't block it?"
"Please don't insult the dignity of this system. And don't get a good deal and still complain. According to the system's assessment, your dopamine and adrenaline levels were significantly elevated just now, and you were in a state of excitement. You could say that you..."
"Shut up!"
Ashe forcefully ordered the system to shut up and looked around.
She realized that Morgana had left.
Before you continue