Bird of Prey in the Night

[Legendary Quest: Burning Sky]

[Final Stage: Eliminate the Star Realm Behemoth Garuda]

Garuda's location had been confirmed, and a battle plan against the Star Realm Behemoth was in place.

A series of experiments had ruled out every other possibility. The final conclusion stood before them all:

Garuda had broken through the true Firmament. Inari suspected that the rift Scarlet Snow had torn open during the Astral Jellyfish's Descent had never fully healed, giving Garuda its chance.

Fortunately, the Mindscapes Heartmoon Fox had kept setting up and never bothered to dismantle had formed a sturdy shield "above" Rongcheng, trapping Garuda in the gap between the Firmament and the Mortal World.

A blessing in disguise, if ever there was one. Heartmoon Fox's antics and her subsequent laziness had inadvertently given Rongcheng a barrier against an incorporeal Star Realm Behemoth. They had also provided crucial evidence that helped the Magical Girls pinpoint Garuda's location.

Once the news broke, the Hero Association held emergency meetings through the night, then launched an evacuation like the one carried out in Harbor City. Every hero was mobilized to ensure no one fell behind or went missing.

"We'll use all of Rongcheng as bait. We're going to repeat the battle in Harbor City and do everything we can to stop Garuda from invading the Mortal World."

That was what Red Rose told them in her speech before the battle.

Countless Magical Girls answered the veteran's call, arriving from around Rongcheng and even farther away to help with the evacuation. Many squads also applied to join the operation against Garuda, but after screening them one by one, Red Rose declined their requests.

"This isn't some glorious battle to get your blood pumping. We're fighting to protect what we hold dear. We can't commit every fighter at once."