Chapter 180
Efnir let out a soft breath, which dissipated into a wisp of white mist. She stared at the menacing Erosion Entity, raised her hand to wipe her nose, and her palm was immediately soaked with glaring blood.
"..."
She clenched her fists, and blood, diluted by the rain, seeped from between her fingers, only to be replaced by flames the next second.
"There are more Erosion Entity than expected..."
Efnir knew all too well that she couldn't go on like this forever.
She raised her head again, took a few steps back, and gently clenched her hands, surrounding the cleared area with a high wall.
This scene was witnessed by Yukina.
"Naoko..."
Efnir was uninjured, but Yukina could clearly sense that Efnir's movements were slower than before.
Naoko abandoned the tactic of using large-scale energy bombardment and instead used energy to form physical forms for close combat because Efnir felt that she had less and less energy to draw upon, so she changed her tactics.
Behind them was an entire Relay Station.
Even for Efnir, it would be far too difficult to bring such a large area under her protection.
Relay Station interior--
Despite the combined offensive of Efnir, Yukina, and the soldiers, the Erosion Entity and Dregs failed to breach Efnir's defensive barrier.
But none of the people present relaxed.
They all understood that Efnir could not maintain her Apostle Form state for long. The longer and more frequently the Apostle's power was used, the more unbearable the pressure would be on her body. Now that Efnir was taking on the entire battlefield by herself, it was clear that she could not continue like this indefinitely.
Efnir has given them limited time; the battle is far from over.
The soldiers glanced silently at Efnir, who was unleashing firepower on the Erosion Entity and Dregs in the distant sky, before each taking a short break.
The engineering team worked in perfect harmony, continuing their tasks. Soldiers in good condition quickly rushed out of the building, racing against time to repair and reset the damaged roadblocks and traps. The rest carried the last of the ammunition and explosives, arranging them neatly, while others were responsible for checking the firearms and artillery...
Soon, a signal flare rose into the air.
Temporary base--
Kusei Maki gazed at the smoke from the signal flares in the distant sky and lowered her binoculars.
Her gaze remained as calm as ever.
"The plan is moving into its second phase."
Xijing City United Airport
As Elincia stepped through the rear hatch of the transport plane, she discovered that someone was already waiting there.
The person was still wearing the black hooded robe she wore during the mission. Her profile was obscured by a mask, so Elincia couldn't see her clearly, but she still felt an indelible sense of familiarity from her.
Shinomiyami Nami arrived a step later and smiled.
"Let me introduce you. This is Shadow. You two are partners in this operation."
The hooded girl in the black robe spoke in an unnaturally low and hoarse voice, making it difficult for Elincia to understand, yet she felt a sense of familiarity once again. "Hello, I'm Shadow, nice to meet you."
"Hello."
The hooded girl raised her hand, gently shook hands with Elincia, and then let go.
But Elincia still noticed the silver ring on her ring finger.
He looks somewhat familiar.
It seems... Furan also has the same one on her ring finger.
Elincia remained expressionless, staring intently at the hooded girl before her, her gaze seemingly piercing through the girl's mask.
At the same time, in a tall building not far from the Relay Station --
This was originally a residential building, but after the fall of Maesakagawa, it was completely turned into a den of Dregs.
However, at this moment, in a room on the top floor, there was a group of more than a dozen girls. They were dressed in different clothes, but all of them wore a silver ring on their fingers.
50. Promote
Inside the room, a dozen or so girls were gathered. On the other side of where they were, there was another room where a dozen or so girls were also waiting silently.
They were all combat troops dispatched here, under the command of the Apostle Organization.
Like Sakurai Sachi, they were all Apostle.
However, there are some differences. Calling them Apostle is a bit of an exaggeration. They possess "adaptability," but not to the same degree as Sakurai Sachi and the agents, in terms of evoking the Resonance of the Beacon. They are more special than ordinary people, but the "specialness" they are endowed with innately is not enough for them to ascend the final Stairway.
In short, they are the eliminated ones with low "adaptability," they are "ordinary people."
They cannot awaken the Beacon, and naturally they cannot awaken the Sacred Relic either. The "Sacred Relic" in their hands is not Apostle Beacon with sufficient power, but merely a low-grade imitation. If the "Sacred Relic" used by Sakurai Sachi is likened to chocolate, then the Sacred Relic in the hands of these Apostle girls is at most just cocoa butter substitute.
Due to deficiencies in both their physical constitution and the Sacred Relic they possess, they cannot mobilize excessively powerful energy. The duration they can maintain in Apostle form during each battle is far shorter than that of a qualified Eligible. The damage to their bodies and Beacon accumulates rapidly with each battle, and in severe cases, it can even take their lives.
Their existence is like that of a consumable.
Even so, their fighting strength should not be underestimated; they have their own unique fighting style.
Unlike Sakurai Sachi, they had an absolute advantage in numbers, and numbers themselves are a form of violence. One person isn't scary, but what about ten or a hundred?
Quantitative changes accumulate into qualitative changes. They act like an army. Because of their numbers and the technological advantages brought by the Apostle Organization, they can choose more tactics and jointly undertake more combat missions.
Back when the Angel Qinglan and Flying Swallow clashed with Efnir, they had already participated in the direct battle against the Beyond the Boundary Forces—the Apostle Squad hidden in the white mist was them. It is undeniable that although they lost many men due to Efnir's surprise attack during the final cover of the Angel' retreat, they also inflicted a huge blow on the Beyond the Boundary Forces in that battle.
Now, they lie hidden here, waiting for the opportunity to fight again.
At this moment, a girl with highlighted chestnut hair approached the window with binoculars. She took off her hoodie, squatted down in front of the broken window, gently lifted a small corner, raised the binoculars, and cast her gaze toward the Relay Station.
--Fujisaki Ryoka, she is the captain of this Apostle Squad.
The distant sky echoed with the roar of artillery fire, a light rain continued to fall, and shards of glass on the ground vibrated slightly with the vibrations in the air.
Fujisaki Ryoka observed Efnir and Yukina, who were locked in fierce combat, through her binoculars.
"Liang Xiang..."
Just then, a voice called from behind. Fujisaki Ryoka turned around and met the gaze of the girl behind her.
Liang Xiang said coldly, "It's you... What is it now? If it's about the previous topic, I suggest you don't bring it up again. I don't want to hear it."
The girl's name is Hatsukawa Fuka. She is Fujisaki Ryoka's best friend and childhood friend. She is also a survivor of "that" incident. They depend on each other for survival and eventually find their own way in the Apostle Organization.
Unlike Liang Xiang, Fuuka has a lot of fighting potential.
However, Fuuka always tries to persuade Liang Xiang to avoid fighting, and for this reason, Liang Xiang has always been dissatisfied with her childhood friend.
"I'm wondering... do we really have to fight?"
Feng Hua lowered her voice carefully and hesitated before speaking.
"Whether it's them or us, we've already lost so many people... I'm afraid that one day, you too..."
"Seeking change inevitably involves sacrifice, and I am not afraid to die."
"But..."
Feng Hua paused for a moment.
"Do we really have to go? That 'Efnir'... she's not someone we can handle... Even Sakurai-san was defeated by her, so what about us..."
"If you're afraid of dying, just wait here."
Fujisaki Ryoka gave her former friend a cold glance and turned away, refusing to speak to her again.
That's exactly what she dislikes about Fuuka.
When they were little, Fuuka wasn't like this. She was always the one being protected, but at some point, their positions were reversed.
"That's not how it works."
Hatsukawa Fuka lowered her eyes, and her voice also softened.
"I... I always felt... we didn't need war to rewrite our destiny..."
Liang Xiang chuckled dismissively.
"So what do you want to do? Go and make peace?"
"There will definitely be someone who understands us, and maybe then..."
"Maybe?"
Liang Xiang turned around, staring into Fenghua's eyes, her emotions written all over her face.
"Don't joke around... Have you forgotten how those people treated us? Have you forgotten why our parents died? You think you can get what we couldn't get through war at the negotiating table?"
Feng Hua remained silent.
"Now that things have come to this, what are you waiting for? If you don't fight, who will save us? You? Or those people?!"
She reached out and gripped Feng Hua's collar tightly, the force so great that Feng Hua could hardly breathe.
The others in the room simply watched this scene in silence, and no one spoke up for any of them.
For the people here, what Fuuka said might have been their past wish, but now, everyone is willing to believe in and follow Fujisaki Ryoka.
That's fine.
Fujisaki Ryoka took a deep breath, released Fuuka who was coughing softly, and took out a syringe containing a pale purple solvent, throwing it in front of Fuuka.
This is the "Enhancement Agent"—their suitability is insufficient to awaken the Beacon, and they cannot Resonance with the Order Force or the Corruption Energy, but the "Enhancement Agent" can help them improve their "adaptability" within their bodies for a period of Enhancement Agent, allowing them to briefly gain the power of the Apostle.
This is their fighting style.
"'Efnir' is growing weaker and weaker; this is our chance."
Liang Xiang stood up and looked down at Fenghua. She raised her hand and, without hesitation, plunged a syringe into her own neck, under Fenghua's hesitant gaze.
The stinging pain coursing through her blood made her frown, and when she opened her eyes again, a hint of crimson slowly appeared in them.
Others followed suit and received the "Enhancement Agent" injections.
"If you're not going, don't waste everyone's time."
After saying that, Liang Xiang turned and left.
Feng Hua just stared blankly at her, gritted her teeth, slowly tightened her grip on the syringe, and finally, she slowly pulled off the sheath and pointed the sharp needle at her neck.
My muscles twitched as if electrocuted, and feelings of sadness, confusion, and helplessness quickly faded away as the excruciating pain spread.
In the end, all that remained in my heart was anger and hatred.
Feng Hua clenched her teeth, carefully feeling her emotions being stripped away little by little. When she opened her eyes again, only a faint crimson light remained, devoid of any further emotion.
Her eyes were far more chilling than Liang Xiang's, with bright red blood even seeping from the corners of her eyes.
The more intense and unnatural the red, the closer it is to death.
She slowly got up, staggered a couple of steps, and, supporting herself on the doorframe, walked out to catch up with her teammates.
51. Regarding
"The essence of Erosion Entity is the Corruption Energy."
Corruption Energy is difficult to interfere with by purely physical means.
Swords and ammunition are ineffective against the Erosion Entity; they may even pass right through it.
On the other hand, the Erosion Entity can unilaterally use attacks that cause physical phenomena—essentially, these are also phenomena caused by energy. The difference is that the Corruption Energy, under the control of the Erosion Entity, chooses to "ignore" the bullets and explosions it faces, while these entities will "awaken" their energy when launching an attack, thereby causing damage.