Chapter 188

64. Conductor

When she and Efnir were trapped inside the shopping mall, Yukina faced a dilemma.

Face the danger alone, or take a gamble.

Yukina chose the former.

She dared not take any risks; at the very least, she had to ensure Efnir's survival.

This is not only because of Efnir's irreplaceable importance in Yukina's heart, but also because Yukina believes that Efnir's life is more valuable than her own.

Furthermore, given the circumstances at the time, it would have been more likely for him and Efnir to separate and escape separately.

The plan went smoothly. The "Efnir doll" in Yukina's arms wasn't particularly exquisite; it was just a life-size doll that had been brought from a shopping mall and dressed in Efnir's coat. But even so, it fooled the five pursuers perfectly.

Because from beginning to end, Yukina carefully and cleverly concealed the Apostle's vision with her body or her long robe and hood, the pursuing Apostle did not realize that the target they were chasing was just an imposter.

Even Saori, who arrived midway to support Yukina, didn't recognize her at first.

Until Fujisaki Ryoka appeared.

Fujisaki Ryoka guessed that Yukina would definitely seek military support, so she led Apostle other Apostle to find a shortcut and Whale. Sure enough, they successfully intercepted Yukina there.

But she was also outmaneuvered by Yukina — the Apostle Squad's target had been switched.

Kill her!

When Fujisaki Ryoka saw the doll in Yukina's arms, she was so angry she almost vomited blood, but she quickly calmed down.

In the current situation, with agents and soldiers from the temporary base behind us, although it's only a small force, the threat posed by their guns and cannons should not be underestimated. Considering this, the best option is obviously to temporarily withdraw and wait for the next opportunity to strike.

But deep down, another voice seemed to be telling her that if she missed this opportunity, it would be much more difficult to catch or kill Efnir next time.

If Efnir hadn't prioritized protecting "Fifina" in the rear when attacked, their raid would never have succeeded so easily. The Summoning Crystal the Erosion Entity they brought were originally intended as tools to cover the rear and hold the enemy in case the operation failed. In short, Fujisaki Ryoka didn't actually have enough confidence after formulating the encirclement and kill plan.

However, thinking about this, Fujisaki Ryoka immediately realized that the key to this operation was the "Fifina" in front of her, who was one of the targets ordered to be observed in Xijing City, and also Efnir's sister.

Fujisaki Ryoka immediately had a second idea besides retreating.

"No, wait! Don't kill her, capture her... capture her alive!"

She shouted.

"We can't go back empty-handed! She's a relative of our target. If we capture her, our target will definitely appear! We still have one last chance!"

She saw the arriving Airborne Unit reinforcements, and the fate of the wounded who remained at the Relay Station to continue their mission was predictable.

Although those people were just strangers who were assigned to follow her by the organization, to Fujisaki Ryoka, they were people who had the same experience as her and were just like her. They placed their hopes for the future on her, and she had no way out.

Meanwhile, on the train heading to provide support, Ayse and the others immediately assessed the danger that Yukina was facing.

"Fire cautiously! Support Fifina!! Everyone else, follow me! We must save Yukina!"

The buildings on both sides of the street collapsed into the middle of the road after being attacked by the Apostle, blocking the train's path. Ayse and the injured Canary decisively jumped off the train and rushed towards Yukina.

Furan followed closely behind, but her gaze remained fixed on Saori, who was fighting with the other Apostle at the end of the street.

Even though Saori in a black robe and wearing a mask, this level of disguise could not possibly escape Shiina Rin's eyes—Rin could find Saori immediately even if Saori were thrown into a crowd; that was the unspoken understanding between the two of them.

"Saori ...?"

Seeing Saori here, whose memories should have been erased, whose identity removed, whose agent's power stripped away, and Saori was exiled, it would be a lie to say that Rin wasn't surprised.

This was accompanied by doubts and concerns.

Some have said that even if someone is stripped of their identity and their memories erased, a capable agent can still be reinstated after being "exiled."

Was Saori's appearance here not a coincidence? Is the Saori we see now the same Saori?

Meanwhile, Saori also saw Shiina Rin.

She didn't linger her gaze, but the force in her hand became even more ruthless.

According to her agreement with Masaki Hina, she cannot reveal her identity yet, even though she really wants to talk to Shiina Rin, but now is clearly not the time.

As Ayse and the others left the train, it stopped in the middle of the street blocked by collapsed buildings. In that instant, an invisible barrier suddenly opened up, covering an area of several hundred meters centered on the train, thus completely separating the battlefield. The large number of Erosion Entity attracted by the commotion of the battle immediately lost their way of the train and the agents and did not approach again.

Soldiers poured out of the train, and bullets and artillery fire immediately rained down in the direction of the Apostle.

"Fire support!! Hold the enemy back and keep them here!"

Fujisaki Ryoka naturally wouldn't stand idly by and watch Ayse and the others easily enter the battlefield.

"Stop those people! Don't let them get close!"

She raised her hand high, then swung it down.

"The others surround the target!"

Aisha, Shiro, and Furan, along with the soldiers on the train, Yukina, Saori, the Apostles, and their respective three-front battles all erupted.

Eleven Apostle struggled to withstand the fierce attacks of Ayse and the others. However, because the rear of the battle line was the battlefield between the Apostle and Yukina, as well as between the Apostle and Saori, the soldiers' firepower support was hampered to some extent, preventing them from exerting their full advantage. In addition, Canary and Furan had been injured in previous battles, greatly reducing their combat effectiveness. Therefore, even with the soldiers' support, the three of them could not easily break through the Apostle's blockade, and their support could not reach Yukina.

Yukina was immediately approached by several of the strongest Apostle, led by Fujisaki Ryoka, who surrounded her from different directions, blocking all her escape routes and forcing her to fight.

Saori was also caught in the crossfire by the Apostle and was unable to provide support for the time being.

Facing the Apostle's encirclement, Yukina threw away the dummy in her hand and stared intently at the leader, Fujisaki Ryoka, and Hatsukawa Fuka beside her.

She knew that this battle was inevitable.

These two people in front of us are the ones we need to pay the most attention to.

65. Strategy

The gunfire grew increasingly intense, and flames billowed up thick smoke.

Yukina stared intently at Hatsukawa Fuka's leaping figure, her gaze cautious and sharp. In an instant, the flow of time seemed to stop again, the wind and the rain of bullets fell silent, and the rain transformed into fine silver droplets floating in the air.

The violent heartbeat and rapid breathing disappeared in an instant, Yukina's tense nerves relaxed, and she became calm as a result.

Since officially joining the agents, Yukina has learned a great deal from the rigorous and arduous training, one of which is the importance of "battlefield intelligence." The enemy, of course, won't deliver intelligence to them, whether it's the unpredictable Erosion Disaster or the current enemy Apostle Organization. At this stage, they know very little about the enemy's details, which is why every bit of intelligence is crucial.

As agents and as warriors, they need to use their own eyes to identify and collect all available information during battles and on the battlefield. Then, they need to edit and organize this information, and use it as a basis to formulate battle plans and strategies based on their own judgment.

Yukina is the holder of the rare and useful ability "Visual Amplification," Efnir has given Yukina specialized training in this area.

That's why, the moment Yukina saw Fujisaki Ryoka and Hatsukawa Fuka, she immediately recognized their roles in the Apostle Combat Team and their respective levels of threat.

Yukina made a rough judgment.

If we consider Yukina's peak performance as a 1, then Hatsukawa Fuka's would be around 0.5 to 0.7, while Fujisaki Ryoka's would be slightly lower, and the other Apostle would be even lower.

However, Yukina is now seriously injured. The fatigue and injuries accumulated during the long battle and escape have caused her condition to decline significantly. The strength she can muster has decreased drastically, and the Order Force within her body has long been nearly exhausted. Once she engages in high-intensity combat, she will soon be unable to maintain her Exile Form and will be completely put on the defensive.

In its current state, it still has a fairly high chance of winning against other Apostle, but it just so happens to be facing the strongest one, so its chance of winning is less than 20%.

--Should I use the Sacred Relic Naoko gave me?

Yukina clenched her fist, the ring on her middle finger pressing against her skin.

The Apostle Power is a special power generated by the combination of the Order Force and the Corruption Energy. If the Corruption Energy can be introduced to assist, the consumption of the Order Force will naturally be greatly reduced. Moreover, using the Apostle Power to construct a barrier of light and flame can also effectively buy time. As long as senior Saori and senior Ayse break through the encirclement of the Apostle, they can rescue me, and I can ask them for help to rescue Naoko again.

But...

Is this really my only option? After going through that kind of training, will I ultimately have to rely on the strength of others?

If it were Naoko, what would she do?

Yukina couldn't imagine it, but it was obvious that if it were Naoko, if it were that "Efnir," she would never sit idly by and wait passively, placing all her hopes in someone else's hands and waiting for someone to lend her a helping hand.

Efnir was always the one who reached out to others and helped them.

Yukina admires and adores Naoko like that.

Naoko were here, she would definitely try to change the status quo.

Suppressing the turmoil in her heart, Yukina quickly analyzed the situation with the calmest mind.

Ayse- senpai and the others in front, and Saori- senpai behind, were both entangled by the Apostle, while he was the prey being targeted. Therefore, the Apostle Squad dispersed in all directions, with him as the center, to block all possible escape routes for him.

She's confined here.

In other words, she is at the center of this battle.

So what I should do now is to do everything I can to disrupt the enemy's entire deployment and create an opportunity for myself and Senior Ayse!

Time resumed its normal flow, but in Fujisaki Ryoka's eyes, the expression of the target "Fifina," which had been intertwined with tension and a little panic just a second ago, suddenly changed, as if all emotions had been erased, like a sand painting being smoothed out. In an instant, her eyes and aura changed, as if she had become a different person.

Calm, cautious, and sharp – these are the eyes of a seasoned warrior.

Fujisaki Ryoka narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Feng Hua, watch out for her arrows! Capture her as fast as you can!"

Like an arrow released from a bow, Hatsukawa Fuka shot straight into the vicinity of Yukina within ten meters. She raised her arm, and inch by inch, light condensed and solidified. Armor of light emerged from her waist and extended, covering half of her body and protecting her vital parts. More solid structures appeared on her arms, legs, and joints, like armor.

Covering her body in armor of light and flame greatly enhances her defensive capabilities, but it also inevitably increases the consumption of Apostle Power. Therefore, Hatsukawa Fuka's main fighting style is to use materialized weapons for attack or support.

"The way the wind and flowers control themselves is truly incredible, no matter how many times I see it..."

Fujisaki Ryoka watched this scene with a complicated expression.

This is Hatsukawa Fuka's fighting style. The characteristic of the Apostle Power is the manipulation of energy materialization. Although it is far less robust than the Order Weapon used by the Agents, it requires very precise control to execute.

Most Apostle were unable to do this with ease.

This is similar to Efnir's fighting style, the difference being that Fuuka and Efnir have different focuses. Hatsukawa Fuka emphasizes a well-rounded style that combines offense and defense, while Efnir focuses more on enhancing her own agility and attack capabilities.

"But... even so, we are only incomplete. Even she cannot defeat the agent in its prime. She can only burn her own life to exchange for power like this."

Feng Hua's control over the Apostle Power is incredibly strong and astonishing, but her potential is limited by her talent, preventing her from fully utilizing this power.

That's like the difference in physical strength between a girl with congenital muscle development delay and an ordinary person.

At this moment, Hatsukawa Fuka and Yukina clashed for the first time, and the battle began.

Yukina kept a close eye on Hatsukawa Fuka and the other Apostle were closing in. At the last second, she dodged a fatal hammer blow by side-lying forward, almost skimming the ground as she avoided Fuka's attack. At the same time, a pistol appeared in her hand, and she pulled the trigger toward Fuka's head.

The gunshot rang out like muffled thunder, and the scorching, violent impact exploded in Hatsukawa Fuka's palm as she used the armor on her hand to block Yukina's attack.

But Yukina had no intention of continuing the fight. Instead, she took a step back, leaped up, and rushed towards Saori's direction while avoiding the pursuit of the other Apostle.

66. One arrow

Yukina flew rapidly toward Saori's location.

Saori was also keeping a close eye on Yukina's movements on the battlefield. The moment Yukina charged toward her, she immediately changed her battle strategy. She suddenly abandoned the agility advantage of the chains, moved away from between the buildings, and leaped up to approach the nearest Apostle, launching her fiercest attack. At the same time, she took advantage of the shift in the battlefield to leap closer to Yukina.

Yukina is Efnir's younger sister, and Saori has always felt indebted to Efnir. This feeling is transferred to Yukina, and she is equally concerned about Yukina's safety.

But the Apostle clearly wouldn't let them break through the Defense Line so easily.

The moment Yukina and Saori took action, the pursuit from Hatsukawa Fuka immediately ripped through the sky. The Apostle who had been restraining Saori just a second ago also disregarded their own injuries and immediately gathered their power. Balls of light suddenly exploded in the path that Saori and Yukina had to take, forcing the two to change direction.

At the same time, the other Apostle, led by Fujisaki Ryoka, immediately shifted the battlefield and followed Yukina to surround her again.

But this was exactly what Yukina had anticipated.

Those Apostle aren't fools; how could they just stand by and watch Yukina join up with the other agents, making the capture even more difficult?

So this time it was just a strategy of feigning an escape.

Her goal was to gradually carve a hole in the Apostle's vast network, and the only person who could provide this opportunity was the other agents and the movements of the Apostle. All Yukina could do was go with the flow.

At this moment, the Saori also felt resistance.

"Hateful..."

Saori was caught in the aftershocks of the explosion during her charge, forced back into the Apostle's entanglement net. Her hair was whipped by the heat wave hitting her face, and her ears were still ringing. She snorted coldly, her gaze suddenly landing on the Apostle closest to her. The next moment, chains swirled rapidly around her body like a storm. She was like the eye of the storm, the chains carrying her body through the air, silver light flashing beneath her feet. She shot out like a cannonball, creating a hurricane.