Qian Huanyue: Huh? I'm Mio Takamiya? How Come I Didn't Know?

"Oh my... this really is..." Sweet Loli Kurumi covered her mouth as she spoke. With all the Wizards defeated, the gun in her hand had fallen idle.

"One-sided, isn't it?"

"Oh my, it certainly is for now."

"Huanyue-chan is amazing!"

"Oh my, the situation is looking great."

The battle had become utterly one-sided. [Seraph of Thousand Blades] had blasted the Wizards so hard it was practically beyond censorship.

The Realizers let out overloaded wails before such terrifying spiritual pressure.

"[Sister], where is the Second Spirit?"

Qian Huanyue grabbed the defeated Ellen by the hair, pulling her closer and forcing her to meet her eyes.

Ellen let out a muffled groan of pain and glared fiercely at her. "You think... I'll reveal any information?"

"Then I'll kill..." Qian Huanyue paused and carefully studied her expression. There was barely any change on her face, as though the death of a teammate mattered less than information about the Second Spirit, Nia Honjo.

"Oh my—"

"Westcott."

Ellen's pupils suddenly contracted. "Who exactly are you? How do you know that name?"

"Isaac Ray Pelham Westcott." Qian Huanyue repeated the name word by word, feeling oddly as though she were playing the villain. The "world's strongest Wizard" before her looked like a little lamb being ruthlessly oppressed by evil forces.

"If you don't tell me what I want," she deliberately softened her voice, "I'll kill him."

Ellen's utterly impassive face finally wavered.

Who exactly was she?

That overwhelming power capable of defeating her.

And that beautiful silver hair.

A bolt of lightning struck her mind, and Ellen Mira Mathers recalled a day thirty years ago.

The ruins thirty years ago, the most violent Spacequake in history, that pure white figure floating in the air...

The sight of silver hair streaming in the spiritual wind gradually overlapped with the girl before her. (Not.)

The First Spirit summoned by the remaining Wizards of several worlds—

That was right. If she was the First Spirit, changing her appearance would not be difficult, would it?

If she was the First Spirit, then defeating her was nothing surprising.

Qian Huanyue watched the changes in Ellen's expression with interest. Shock flashed through those ever-calm eyes, followed by confusion, before finally freezing into a fearful realization.

What the hell was this woman thinking?

"I see..." Ellen murmured softly, comprehension in her voice. "If it's you, then everything makes sense."

She raised her head and looked at Qian Huanyue with a complicated gaze.

"Origin Spirit..."

"??"

Qian Huanyue nearly thought she had misheard.

Huh?

I'm Mio Takamiya?! How come I didn't know?

Is your memory that bad?! Did you forget what Mio Takamiya looked like over thirty years?! Just because we both have white hair, you mistook me for her, you idiot woman! You're only thirty-two, aren't you?!

She could even clearly feel the Kurumis behind her, who had originally been on alert and ready to follow up or provide support at any moment, collectively staring at Ellen with speechless expressions.

No one in the world hated the First Spirit, Mio Takamiya, more than Kurumi. Knowing Mio Takamiya's true nature, they would never believe that the two Spirits were the same person.

Qian Huanyue took a deep breath. The urge to send this overthinking woman straight to the afterlife was overwhelming.

"Listen... Ellen Mira Mathers, the so-called world's strongest Wizard, has your brain atrophied from being compressed by Realizers all year round?"

Qian Huanyue gripped Ellen's neck, her expression merciless.

"Urgh..."

"Now, put away that useless imagination of yours. I'll ask you again—the Second Spirit, Nia Honjo, where is she?"

"Don't let me hear the words 'First Spirit' again. And don't even think about stalling for time with such stupid nonsense. If you still won't talk..."

She was about to run out of things to say.

"Oh my, oh my—treating a lady like that is hardly gentlemanly."

Qian Huanyue paused, but did not loosen her grip. She glanced sideways.

Isaac Ray Pelham Westcott slowly emerged from behind the ruined walls. His signature white suit was spotless, and his face bore that fervent smile that no one could ever see through.

Several surviving DEM Wizards followed behind him. Clearly, they had only appeared belatedly after the battle had already been decided.

"Why did you come here?! Eccentric!" Ellen shouted hoarsely.

Westcott acted as though he had not heard her. His gaze fell directly upon Qian Huanyue as he examined her with great interest, a hint of amazement flashing through his eyes. "Truly astonishing power... even stronger than I anticipated. It seems Ellen's failure to stop you was no accident."

Qian Huanyue raised a brow. Her hand remained around Ellen's throat as she said coldly, "You arrived just in time. What, did you come specifically to deliver information?"

"Deliver information? Perhaps." Westcott chuckled and slowly raised a hand, his fingertips brushing over the corner of his lips. "After all, I still need Ellen to do certain things for me. As for the Second Spirit..."

"She's being held in an underground facility on Nirill Island." As Westcott spoke, he tossed a keycard toward Qian Huanyue.

"Seraph of Thousand Blades." Qian Huanyue caught the keycard and summoned her Angel. True to her word, she released Ellen, who staggered half a step back with clear red marks still left on her neck.

"Kurumi girls, it's time to go." Rubbing her temples, she felt a wave of mental exhaustion.

"Okay." ×5

The five Kurumis answered in unison as [City of Devouring Time] rapidly contracted toward the center.

Before long, no Spirits remained in the area.

Back where they stood, Ellen finally caught her breath. She pushed herself up from the ground and glared fixedly at Westcott's back, her voice filled with despair and fury. "What are you doing?! Eccentric!"

Westcott glanced back at her, his smile unchanged. "Ellen, you are too naive. My plan cannot afford to lose such an important piece as you."