Seele · Swallowtail Phantasm.
It did not look particularly impressive, but it was more than enough to slice the Sun-Eating Shadow apart.
A massive scythe fell from the sky, along with a figure that leaped out of the void. Lumen could see that it was a slender, frail little girl. Her age was unknown, but she was definitely still growing.
"Who is that?"
Hoshino, the summoner sitting in the passenger seat, let out a sigh of relief.
"Is that a summon too?"
"I lied to you. She's a friend of mine, also from the Abyss. She has already merged into the vast sea of stars."
"Merged into the vast sea of stars?"
"That's right. She's a girl who travels back and forth through the Abyss, blessed by the indescribable. Don't let her youthful appearance fool you. She stopped growing the moment she merged with the Deep."
That explanation was rather forced, yet Hoshino corrected her with utmost seriousness.
"That's what long-lived species are like. We aren't omnipotent, but we can always get to know key people who can solve problems."
"..."
Lumen did not know what to say.
She watched the girl supposedly favored by the Quantum Sea.
How should she put that fighting style...? It was utterly insane, as though she did not care about battle damage at all. Her pupils glowed with terrifying blood-red light, and her scythe carved crescent arcs through the air, long and lethal. The girl charged forward and collided with the enormous Tonatiuh.
Lumen closed her eyes.
"Open your eyes."
There was an unmistakable command in Hoshino's voice. Lumen did not know why, but she opened her eyes anyway.
She saw a beastly struggle.
Scythe and claws crossed again and again. Soft, delicate laughter drifted over from time to time, carrying a spine-chilling aura.