Chapter 189
"Get out of my way!"
The chains, like long whips, compressed and evacuated the air, producing a crackling sound.
Because of the unique nature of the Order Weapon Saori uses, she is not suitable as an agent to serve as a "vanguard" or to be responsible for offensive operations. However, in contrast, her weapons are far more threatening than those of other agents to a certain extent—her power is layered and accumulated in the swinging chains, ready to be unleashed. If Efnir can amplify the power stored in her weapons simply by using the longer and more powerful length of her weapons, then Saori can amplify this effect even further.
The chains lashed out, and the Apostle dared not meet them head-on, dodging the blows. But if the chains missed their target, the power stored within them would multiply with the distance they traveled.
As the fierce winds began to blow, terrifyingly strong, the Apostle gritted their teeth and worked together to build several layers of defenses in the direction the chains were about to fall, trying to stop the Saori from gathering its strength.
At that moment, Saori clenched her fist tightly, and with a sudden flick of her wrist, the chain flew out of her hand amidst a flash of silver light and was thrown towards the Apostle, slamming violently against the defensive wall.
This defensive barrier became the fulcrum for the swinging chain. The sharp dagger drew an arc and suddenly extended behind the barrier. An Apostle was unable to dodge in time and was struck in the calf by the spinning chain. In an instant, the chain smashed through the leg, and blood splattered, turning into a dazzling red mist that dissolved in the rain.
The Apostle who was hit turned pale instantly and was almost thrown directly from the air, while her calf, where she was hit, was already a bloody mess.
Directly in front of them, Saori had already leaped over the barrier. The wind whipped her hair and skirt, and a silver glint shot from her hand again, arcing as it struck the Apostle girl. In an instant, it circled around her body and bound her tightly. The short sword with its spinning end pierced the Apostle girl's shoulder from behind, while the other end was held in Saori's hand.
Saori raised her pistol, and the chain suddenly tightened. Using the force of the Apostle's resistance, she pulled herself towards the Apostle's location. At the same time, the other end of the chain danced in her hand, gathering strength, awaiting the impending fierce attack.
Even if they were to attack the chains now, it would only put more pressure on their immobilized comrades. The Apostle had no choice but to abandon their means of directly attacking the chains and instead direct their attacks directly at Saori. They restrained Saori and prevented Saori from continuing to pursue her immobilized comrades, while simultaneously setting up a defense.
Meanwhile, behind the Apostle, within the Defense Line formed by the other Apostle, Yukina struggled to dodge Hatsukawa Fuka's attack, and another shocking line of blood appeared on her arm.
But she remained calm and composed, evading the pursuit of Hatsukawa Fuka and the other Apostle.
The next moment, Hatsukawa Fuka's figure suddenly crashed into the spot where Yukina had been standing. Her armored heel slammed into the ground, shattering it. The intense heat engulfed Yukina, sending debris flying and leaving bloodstains on Yukina face.
Yukina was thrown away by the shockwave. At the same time, she caught sight of Saori and the Apostle launching a one-sided attack. Her eyes flashed, she held her breath, and quickly bent down and spun around in mid-air. She stepped onto the silver Stairway, suddenly half-crouched up, and leaped over the pursuing explosion. Instead of fleeing, she charged towards Hatsukawa Fuka, who was chasing her again, and fired a shot at Hatsukawa Fuka's head.
The heavy thud of the bullet struck the arm armor that Hatsukawa Fuka had raised, but as she withdrew her arm, Yukina lunged forward along the ground, using one hand to brace herself and suddenly launched a kick upwards.
The heel magnified in Fuka's eyes. Hatsukawa Fuka snorted coldly, feeling that the kick was utterly intimidating and far from sharp enough.
Her body suddenly sank down, her hands snapping together in an instant to defend against the heavy kick, and she leaned forward to attempt a counterattack.
But then she suddenly sensed danger—a faint, watery light appeared, and a longbow suddenly lit up before her eyes, which had been empty just moments before.
The longbow was firmly held at Yukina's feet, aimed directly at her in a drawing-string-and-aiming posture. The bowstring passed over Yukina's leg and rested on Yukina fingertips near her waist. In the blink of an eye, the arrow on the string materialized from tiny stardust fragments— Yukina's kick wasn't meant to injure Fuuka at all, but to draw the bow. She stared intently at Fuuka's astonished gaze from below, and then released the bowstring.
"Wind and Flower!!!"
Fujisaki Ryoka suddenly cried out in alarm. The next moment, the air vibrated violently, and the arrow streaked across the sky with a blinding blue light.
At the critical moment, Hatsukawa Fuka turned her head away, avoiding direct hits from the arrow. However, even though she was only affected by the residual shockwave, half of her face was still split open, as if it had been scraped and twisted by countless blades. Blood mist was lifted up by the subsequent wind pressure and shockwave, scattering into the air.
At the same time, Saori's chains crashed down, but were blocked by the combined efforts of the Apostle. Just as she took a step back and tried to launch another attack, a blinding beam of light suddenly rose from the battlefield to the side, instantly meeting the Apostle in front of Saori.
No one, including Saori, had time to react to the sudden attack. The arrow tore a large hole in the Apostle's chest in an instant, and the next moment, a fierce gust of wind blasted down again, tearing the Apostle's body in two.
67. Pursuit
How to infuse, compress, and condense more Order Force into Order Weapon is the decisive factor in the upper limit of the power that agents can exert in battle. Just like bullets used in firearms, excluding other factors, the more of the same propellant loaded, the higher its theoretical level of lethality.
For agents, the Order Weapon serve as such a medium.
This strength is the result of years of rigorous training.
But Yukina is different. She seems to be born without such troubles. Every strike she makes can compress the energy of the Order Force far more than others. Even though Yukina's combat experience as an agent is far inferior to that of Fengling Shiyin, her actual combat power is no less than that of the former.
Yukina is particularly outstanding in terms of individual lethality, even comparable to Anilas. Anilas's Order Weapon was specially customized, Second-Generation Order Weapon created specifically for "one-hit kill". At the same time, Anilas is also an outstanding individual who has emerged after specialized training. It can be said that Yukina's specialness is even somewhat incredible.
The light beams, aquamarine in color, gradually stretched into thin lines and disappeared into the sky. Only then did the rain curtain, which had been cut off, fall again, and Saori snapped out of her daze.
That attack just now was clearly Yukina's doing, aimed at weakening the power of the Apostle surrounding Saori, so that Saori could also get involved in the battle. That way, the pressure Yukina was facing would be greatly reduced.
Just as Saori, Ayse, and the others were trying to break through the Apostle's Defense Line, Yukina was also doing her best to reach out to them.
"Watch out for her arrows!!"
The Apostle dispersed, maintaining a certain distance from each other.
"Tsk... what a troublesome bunch..."
Fujisaki Ryoka gritted her teeth; the death of her companion before her eyes was deeply distressing.
"Plug the breach, don't let her escape!"
This mission must succeed!
At the same time, Saori pressed her advantage, her chains lashing out like a raging python. The Apostle was entangled with her was already struggling and at a disadvantage, and this time, with one less teammate, its decline became even more pronounced.
Saori had been active as an agent even earlier than Fengling Shiyin, and her combat experience and strength were beyond doubt. Yukina's arrow broke the already precarious balance between her and several Apostle, and she immediately seized the opportunity to suppress these Apostle from all sides. She quickly tore a gap in the Apostle's defenses, and with another fierce strike, she combined it with the pistol in her hand to severely injure one of the Apostle.
Without pausing, she stepped onto the Stairway and swiftly flew towards Yukina's location, throwing the chains at Yukina at the same time.
"Shiomi! Come to me!"
Agents often fight side by side, and in terms of "support," in addition to Fifina, who already possesses powerful support capabilities, special Order Weapon users like Elincia and Lily also shine.
Leaving aside Elincia, the chains Saori uses are not only for killing enemies.
Stop her!
Fujisaki Ryoka immediately abandoned her attempt to block Yukina and led the two of them to meet Saori.
Saori did not confront her head-on; her chains, like nimble snakes, pierced the Apostle's Defense Line at a tricky angle.
Yukina also moved towards Saori's direction.
But things didn't go as planned. Opportunities on the battlefield are always fleeting. Yukina was already exhausted, and she was too late. The Apostle seemed to feel a strong sense of urgency because of Yukina and Saori's actions, and launched a fierce attack that was as if they were risking their lives. Saori was once again forced to retreat.
Meanwhile, on Yukina's side, Hatsukawa Fuka caught up with Yukina at almost teleportation speed, followed by a fierce attack.
With punches, kicks, whip kicks, and elbow strikes, Yukina fought and retreated, struggling to cope with Hatsukawa Fuka's relentless attacks. For Yukina, who had gradually become familiar with the peculiar fighting technique of "Time Deceleration," Hatsukawa Fuka's close-range attacks, which were as sticky as taffy, were much harder for her to handle than the Apostle who bombarded her with energy.
She has ample time to assess and evade the energy clusters' attacks, but her body cannot keep up with Hatsukawa Fuka's rapid combos.
Hatsukawa Fuka gave Yukina a completely different feeling from the other Apostle. Her eyes never had any sparkle, like a frighteningly calm hunter. Her fighting style was exceptionally difficult to deal with. Although it couldn't compare to the sharpness and oppressive feeling brought by Efnir, which she had experienced in training, Hatsukawa Fuka was good at both offense and defense. Even when faced with Yukina's unexpected counterattacks, she could evade them with ease, as if a dense net was covering Yukina.
Unlike the combat techniques that Efnir specifically developed to kill enemies, Hatsukawa Fuka's attacks are more like a "martial arts style" where all the methods and skills are based on established principles. Each move seems to have both connections and separations, giving people a subtle sense of harmonious beauty.
However, Yukina no longer had the mind to appreciate Hatsukawa Fuka's boxing techniques— Hatsukawa Fuka's split kick ripped through the rain, the air was compressed and exploded in an instant, and Yukina had no way to avoid the attack that was coming after her. Before the bow and arrow in her hand could be formed, a heavy force burst out in Yukina's abdomen.
With a loud crash, Yukina's body flew backward uncontrollably, smashing through several abandoned low walls. Dust obscured her figure, and Hatsukawa Fuka rushed over again.
It hurt so much—it felt like swallowing a bomb. A tremendous force, originating from her abdomen, spread throughout Yukina's body.
A sharp, spasmodic pain shot through her abdomen, and large amounts of blood spilled from her mouth. Yukina was barely able to maintain her consciousness as wave after wave of dizziness, along with the pain, gnawed away at all her strength.
Yukina couldn't stand up at all.
But Hatsukawa Fuka's pursuit had already pierced through the dust, and her cold gaze appeared before Yukina as she raised her arm.
Something feels off...
Yukina stared intently at Hatsukawa Fuka's movements, using all her strength to mobilize her body's power.
There's something just off about Hatsukawa Fuka's attacks!
Something's not right!
Yukina thought quickly...
"Apostle Form is very powerful... but even the most powerful forces have their weaknesses."
Naoko had said something like that to her during training.
"Apostle are inherently unsuited for close combat because their Beacon System is different from ours. This is both their advantage and their disadvantage. Agents may not be able to hold their own against them once they maintain distance, but once they can get within the Agents' attack range, the Apostle are likely to be defeated."
68. She is here.
Given the immense Apostle Power, could Naoko be using Apostle Power frequently for this reason?
Your body won't be able to handle that...
Yukina had such concerns.
Naoko can be quite stubborn in some ways, and Yukina worries that Naoko might force herself to be rigid.
"Don't worry... Apostle aren't suited for close-quarters combat. Even from a strategic standpoint, I won't always rely on that power in battle, so Yukina doesn't need to worry."
Naoko was never good at comforting people; she used such lame excuses to reassure Yukina.
In fact, it was not achieved.
However, Yukina did manage to remember one thing— Apostle are not suited for close-quarters combat.
For this reason, she hesitated to use the "Sacred Relic" given to her by Efnir when faced with Hatsukawa Fuka's strong attacks and pursuit.
--Yukina had never used the Apostle Beacon before. On one hand, she was worried that she would not be able to adapt to that power quickly enough and that the already precarious situation would slide into an even more dangerous situation. On the other hand, she was also pressured by the oppressive force exerted by Hatsukawa Fuka, which made her temporarily give up the idea of borrowing the Apostle Power.
Apostle are weak in close combat, at least relative to their agents.
What determines this is the agent's unique combat ability: "Stairway". The Stairway is not a substance, but a vector interference force that acts directly on the legs and feet. Based on this, the agent can use the manipulation of the Stairway to carry out brief but rapid and swift combat tactics.
In contrast, the Apostle's levitation relies on the manipulation of energy flow, but this method also limits their ability to move rapidly in an instant—it's like the difference between gunpowder sealed in a box and gunpowder exposed to air. The former is rapid and fierce, while the latter can only release light and burn out little by little. Even if the total amount of energy released is the same, the phenomena they cause are decisively different.
The problem lies here—even though Apostle are not suited for close combat, why did Hatsukawa Fuka choose this method, attacking in close combat from beginning to end? She didn't even leave the ground a few times, let alone use energy bombardment like other Apostle.
It was as if she did it on purpose.
Yes, that's the feeling...
Because he was an agent, he subconsciously overlooked this difference, just as it's easy to miss the scenery nearby when standing on a high mountain. But in fact, this subtle difference does exist—the agent maintains an absolute advantage in close combat due to the existence of the "Stairway," but what about the Apostle? Even though Hatsukawa Fuka is clearly at a disadvantage, and she doesn't have the "Stairway," how is she able to catch up with his counterattack?
Of course, the difference in skills is one aspect, but Yukina's experience as an agent is still too shallow. She has not been able to adapt Efnir's fighting techniques to her own use, and it is inevitable that she will be at a disadvantage when compared with Hatsukawa Fuka.
But another factor lies in the third element between Yukina and Hatsukawa Fuka: Yukina has been intentionally or unintentionally leading the battle into an area more advantageous to her agent: the ground.
Agents cannot levitate, while Apostle can. To gain an advantage in a battle against Apostle, it is best to neutralize this Apostle.
Therefore, choosing the ground as the battleground is a very rational and correct choice.
However, this "correct strategy" does not apply to Hatsukawa Fuka. While Yukina can use the "Stairway" to create a more favorable situation for herself, it also limits her actions to some extent, as she can only fight in the space above ground.
Hatsukawa Fuka would further narrow this gap—her attacks must be amplified by the transmission of power throughout her body, from her legs and waist to her shoulders and arms, and all of this must be based on the ground supporting her body.
Her fighting style relies on the power derived from her lower body.
Therefore, "ground" is the decisive factor. The best way to break the current disadvantage is to shift the battlefield, or in other words, to use the Stairway to create an opportunity for a counterattack.
The number of "Stairway" that can be generated in a short period of time is limited, so they must be used wisely.
Hatsukawa Fuka pierced through the dust, sweeping her foot across the ground, leaving an arc-shaped scar on the ground with her radiant armor.
Yukina gathered all her strength to stand up and dodge, and at the critical moment, she suddenly straightened her body and sprang forward, chasing after Hatsukawa Fuka's waist with an unparalleled knee strike.
Hatsukawa Fuka parried with a sideways elbow strike, while simultaneously sliding forward to try and draw Yukina back into her attack rhythm. Yukina herself lacked close-combat weapons; the inability to use a bow and arrow already limited most of her strength, putting her at a significant disadvantage in her fight against Hatsukawa Fuka.
Until just now, Yukina had been trying to escape from Hatsukawa Fuka's blockade and move closer to Saori.
This time, however, Yukina had no intention of continuing to fight Fuuka. She simply retreated and ran away, abandoning the advantage she had gained with great difficulty. Instead of joining up with Saori, she turned around and crashed into the attack range of the other Apostle.
Meanwhile, the battle between Yukina and Hatsukawa Fuka also came to the attention of Fujisaki Ryoka and Ayse's agents.
Ayse gave a low shout and, together with Canary, charged forcefully toward the Apostle.
Yukina is their comrade-in-arms, and also a trustworthy and reliable junior to them. In the month they have spent together, they have seen Yukina 'Yukina hard work and have come to appreciate and like her.
Furthermore, Yukina is also Efnir's sister.
To them, Efnir was like an older sister. Everyone present had started as a clueless newcomer and had received a lot of help from Efnir, or rather, had been saved by her.
If Yukina were to suffer an accident before their eyes, they would be unable to face Efnir.
Now that Yukina is in danger, they are naturally anxious.
Meanwhile, Fujisaki Ryoka witnessed another kind of competition between Yukina and Hatsukawa Fuka.
"Tsk... So you've already discovered it? Fuuka's weakness. As expected of that guy's sister, even her troublesomeness is exactly the same."
After restraining and stabilizing Saori, she switched positions with a teammate and joined in the encirclement of Yukina.
Five minutes have passed since the start of the battle, and the Apostle's interception network against Yukina has shrunk from a kilometer in diameter to less than two hundred meters. The density of their firepower has increased rapidly, putting Yukina under great pressure while avoiding attacking Hatsukawa Fuka.
If things continue like this, Yukina will soon be suppressed and captured. Although this mission wasn't very successful, we can still complete it successfully.