Qian Huanyue Suffers a Setback

[Phantom Beast: Bandersnatch] Had Been Beaten into a Heap of Scrap Metal

With Qian Huanyue's nearly inexhaustible Spiritual Power and the five Kurumi clones' masterful tactical coordination, the massive army of [Phantom Beast: Bandersnatch] (DD-007 Bandersnatch) that had swarmed in was reduced to scrap metal sparking with electricity, piled throughout the corridors and hall, proclaiming the complete defeat of DEM's first line of defense.

The clamor of battle gradually died down, leaving only the tireless Hibiki of the alarms and the occasional crackle from the metal wreckage.

Qian Huanyue's forceful methods had turned the alloy door into a folding screen, but there was no second Spirit imprisoned inside.

"Can you tell me where the second Spirit is?" Qian Huanyue smiled as she pressed her Angel against the man's head, her purple eyes looking utterly harmless.

"P-Please! Please spare me!" The man trembled as he crawled on the ground. "I'm sorry, terribly sorry, I really don't know! I don't have that kind of authority!"

"Hmm..." Qian Huanyue frowned slightly, her purple eyes sweeping over the computer monitor.

"My, if only I could use [Tenth Bullet]." First-Meeting Kurumi spread her hands regretfully.

With [Tenth Bullet], they could easily access the other party's past memories and find a breakthrough there.

"My, it seems there isn't any here." Goth Kurumi covered her mouth lightly, her tone carrying a trace of regret.

"Yes, there isn't any here." Bandage Kurumi lazily leaned against the doorframe and agreed.

"None here." Sweet Loli Kurumi shook her head as well.

"We can rule out this island." Eyepatch Kurumi summarized calmly.

"There are still several islands left."

Qian Huanyue took the map First-Meeting Kurumi pulled from her shadow, and [Seraph of Thousand Blades] tore open space once more.

"Let's go, Kurumis."

On the bridge of Ratatoskr's airborne vessel [Fraxinus], tens of thousands of meters above the ground, the atmosphere was exceptionally grave.

"Commander! A powerful spatial fluctuation and high-energy response have been confirmed! The coordinates are in the P-7 sea region, at a DEM island facility!"

The processed Spirit Wave spectrum showed intense peaks, all indicating that a high-intensity battle was taking place there.

At the center of the bridge, Kotori Itsuka, with a Chupa Chups lollipop in her mouth, frowned deeply.

"Can we observe the specific battle conditions?" Kotori's voice was somewhat low.

Though her sister had appeared perfectly normal lately, as a younger sister who had spent so long with her, how could she fail to sense the depression and loss in her sister's heart?

"No, Commander. DEM has deployed a powerful interference barrier in that area, and our observation methods are limited. We can only confirm that the battle is extremely intense, and... it seems to be moving rapidly?"

"Spatial transfer..." Kotori murmured. Qian Huanyue's ability to freely summon a giant sword and tear through space surfaced in her mind. What exactly was she doing? Taking on an entire DEM base by herself?

"[Nightmare] Spiritual Power detected."

"What!" Kotori's pupils contracted slightly.

If [Magic Swordsman] Qian Huanyue was a relatively friendly type of Pseudo-Spirit, one who could be approached through conversation and whose behavior was comparatively controllable, then a Spirit like [Nightmare], one deeply hostile toward humans, was on an entirely different level—a Spirit who would actively kill humans.

How had these two Spirits suddenly gotten involved with each other?

Meanwhile, DEM Industries was far from calm as well.

"All Bandersnatch signals in the P-7 region have disappeared!" The operator's voice trembled with disbelief.

Westcott gently swirled his teacup, an amused curve forming at the corner of his lips. "What a delightful performance." He stared at the silver-haired Spirit opening a spatial rift on the screen. "It seems our Miss [Magic Swordsman] is more interesting than expected."

He turned toward the silver-haired woman beside him. "Prepare to deploy, Ellen. It's time to add some excitement to this hunt."

Ellen activated the CR-UNIT Pendragon on her body. Its back-mounted particle propulsion system was powerful enough to reach the speed of sound.

"Should I leave them alive?" she asked calmly, her fingertips brushing the super-vibration particle blade at her waist, the "King of Knights."

She was the world's strongest magician. No one had ever emerged unscathed from beneath her sword.

Qian Huanyue, who had just arrived at another location, sneezed.

The [Seraph of Thousand Blades] in her hand began gathering power as she calculated how much Spiritual Power it would take to shatter the buildings on the surface.

This time, no [Phantom Beast: Bandersnatch] appeared in the sky.

Had it reached the second phase?

Would magicians appear now?

Sweeping her gaze across the sky, Qian Huanyue locked onto a tiny speck. It carried a powerful magical aura, and her expression turned serious.

The clouds were torn apart by a sonic boom as the world's strongest silver-haired magician hovered in midair, Pendragon's thrusters kicking up waves of air.

"Nice to meet you," Ellen looked down at them from above. "Or perhaps I should say... we've finally met, Spirits."

There was not only Ellen, but also a large number of DEM magicians.

"Kurumis, I'll handle the magicians. I'll leave finding the second Spirit to you."

The moment she finished speaking, she had already transformed into a silver streak and shot into the sky. The sword aura from her giant blade swept across the heavens like a crescent moon, and the first few magicians in its path hurriedly deployed their Territory defenses.

"Don't underestimate her!" Ellen warned sharply. At the same time, she activated Pendragon's full thrust. Her laser sword collided violently with [Seraph of Thousand Blades], erupting in a deafening roar.

So fast!

Qian Huanyue found herself struggling somewhat against such speed.

"Tch..." Qian Huanyue retreated at high speed, fine sweat beading on her forehead. Her purple eyes narrowed as she suddenly pointed her giant sword into the void. "Cannon."

[Seraph of Thousand Blades] suddenly burst with dazzling golden light. The giant sword's form broke apart and reassembled within the radiance, while thousands of golden cannon barrels emerged from the void, the energy gathering at their muzzles making even the surrounding air tremble.

Ellen's pupils contracted slightly. Pendragon's thrusters immediately changed course, but the fired beams followed her relentlessly like tails.

"This level of control...!" Ellen narrowly brushed past a beam, but a small scorch mark was still carved into her CR-UNIT suit.

Qian Huanyue floated amid the cannon formation, her silver hair whipping wildly in the energy storm. She raised a fingertip, and more beams emerged from the void like unfurled golden wings.

Her Angel had no physical form and could materialize according to her thoughts.

"Tch." Ellen's gaze sharpened. She suddenly changed direction, Pendragon's thrusters erupting with blinding blue light as she charged straight toward Qian Huanyue at the center of the cannon formation.

[Seraph of Thousand Blades] traced a dazzling arc in Qian Huanyue's hand, its sword aura sweeping across the sky like a crescent moon. Ellen barely blocked the strike, Pendragon's thrusters flaring with piercing blue light.

"Indeed... you live up to the name Magic Swordsman." Ellen wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth as her laser sword lit up once more.

Qian Huanyue landed lightly atop the ruins, her silver hair dancing in the gale.

"Are you still going to continue?" She looked down at the panting magicians below. "I don't want to take your lives—"

At that moment, Artemisia suddenly emerged from the shadows. "Now!"

Ellen, who had pretended to lie defeated on the ground, suddenly sprang up. Her laser sword pierced precisely into Qian Huanyue's back, and blood dyed the ground before her red.

Huh?

Qian Huanyue's mind went blank, the searing pain from the wound making her vision darken.

"Truly... naive." Ellen withdrew her blade and watched the staggering Spirit fall to her knees.

"Showing mercy to an enemy is cruelty to yourself." Ellen pulled out her laser sword and let Qian Huanyue collapse helplessly to the ground. "Consider this lesson a gift for our first meeting."

First-Meeting Kurumi's gunfire echoed through the ruins. The golden light of the Seventh Bullet grazed Ellen's cheek, freezing a time-stop region across a broken wall in the distance.

Ellen casually smoothed her silver hair, which had been ruffled by the bullet's airflow.

If [Zafkiel] did not hit its target, it had no effect.

Qian Huanyue knelt amid the rubble, blood dripping continuously from her Astral Dress. Seeing First-Meeting Kurumi's face pale from Spiritual Power consumption, she shook her head with difficulty. "Don't... waste your Spiritual Power..."

She was just... in pain... The pain had left her mind somewhat blank.

Would Shiori be like this in the future too?

She had to... quickly overcome this pain! She still had plenty of Spiritual Power.

Otherwise, the Kurumis... would be in danger!

Gradually,

Killing intent stained Qian Huanyue's eyes, and a violent frenzy surged into her heart.

Her Spiritual Power coursed through her body in an unprecedented manner, and the blood at her wound actually flowed back into her body.

"I said..." She slowly pushed herself up, incomparably violent ferocity appearing in her eyes. Covering her face lightly, she said with a headache, "...I clearly gave you a chance to live."

The air abruptly froze.