Bang bang bang bang!
Amid the rapid-fire collisions, Suzune darted through the fray, leaving a trail of afterimages. The Short Sword in her hand brushed the back of a Steam Golem's knee. Steam hissed out, and the giant golem faltered.
Standing on the factory roof, Ivanka gave a snort. Two enormous Spatial Magic Circles appeared beside her, and with two thunderous crashes, two more giant Steam Golems leaped out and joined the assault on Suzune.
The pressure on Suzune doubled. For a moment, danger closed in from every side, nearly trapping her. She broke through the four Steam Golems' encirclement by a hair's breadth, each dodge carrying her within an inch of a blow that could kill her.
The battle seemed to have fallen under Ivanka's control, but she was only [lv8]. Even with four giant Steam Golems surrounding Suzune, she could not truly threaten a [lv9] fighter. Ivanka was merely holding on. Controlling four golems was already her limit. Sweat beaded on her forehead, her hands trembled faintly, and she bit down hard on her lower lip. The organs in her body, altered by Alchemical Modification, creaked and twisted under the immense strain.
Ivanka's mind was in no better shape. Tear tracks still marked the corners of her eyes, yet her gaze held nothing but hatred as she glared at Suzune—as though the woman before her were not her sister, but the enemy she despised most.
"My dear sister, why did you make me remember you again? Why did you abandon me..."
Ivanka sounded like a cuckoo crying blood, but Alchemical Modification kept her tone flat, as though she were discussing something that had nothing to do with her.
Suzune's eyes dimmed. She knew her sister had reached the limits of Human Alchemical Modification. If this continued, Ivanka would