The weather was exceptionally clear today.
It was because of this beautiful weather that Fang Li and Tohno Shiki had decided to train outdoors.
Moreover, today was a holiday, and with such a clear sky, the streets of Misaki Town were almost twice as crowded as usual. The hustle and bustle of people moving back and forth filled the air with a vibrant energy.
However, despite the crowds, no one noticed the spectacle in the sky above.
No one saw the figure that streaked across the bright sky like a meteor, appearing for a moment before disappearing.
The wind howled past Fang Li's ears.
The noise of the city washed over him like waves.
But Fang Li ignored it all, flying through the air at top speed, his eyes scanning the surroundings as if searching for something.
"Not here, huh?"
That made sense.
With so many people around, the True Ancestor Princess Arcueid would definitely not come to a place like this in her current state.
"Who knows how long she can hold out?"
With this thought, Fang Li changed direction and headed towards less populated areas.
Dark alleys.
Deserted industrial areas.
Abandoned buildings.
Remote open spaces.
Fang Li flew back and forth across Misaki Town with astonishing speed, like a meteor streaking across the sky, but no one noticed.
Still, Fang Li couldn't find Arcueid.
"I can't even sense her aura. Could that idiot woman hide her aura at a time like this?"
As he flew over Misaki Town, Fang Li's breathing gradually became heavier.
With the flying ability granted by his Hermes Boots, Fang Li could fly through the air. However, the flying effect of this equipment wasn't something he could use indefinitely.
While flying, Fang Li's energy would be consumed as if he were doing physical exertion, and the more difficult the flight, the greater the energy consumption.
Otherwise, Fang Li would never have to stay on the ground, flying through battles endlessly, which would be equivalent to having infinite stamina and outlasting any opponent.
For this reason, Fang Li would avoid using the flying ability of the Hermes Boots unless necessary.
If he were to suddenly encounter a battle with his stamina severely depleted, it might prove fatal.
But now wasn't the time to worry about that.
"If I don't find that foolish woman soon, things will definitely get out of hand."
Still, Fang Li searched everywhere but couldn't find Arcueid.
"That leaves the outskirts of the city."
With that in mind, Fang Li changed direction again and headed toward the grassy fields on the outskirts.
On both sides of his vision, the landscape blurred by.
"Hm?"
At a certain moment, Fang Li lifted his head.
He had sensed an aura.
"Finally found it?"
But...
"That aura..."
Was it just Fang Li's imagination?
Arcueid's aura seemed extremely weak, like a candle flame about to be snuffed out by the wind.
"What's going on?"
Just as Fang Li was thinking about it, he suddenly noticed something.
There was a faint force at work at the location of Arcueid's aura.
"A barrier?"
Yes, it was a barrier.
It wasn't a particularly powerful barrier, just something simple with a suggestive effect, probably designed to keep ordinary people away and make them avoid the area.
This kind of barrier was often used for one purpose.
To create a battlefield.
In other words.
"This idiot has encountered an enemy, hasn't he?"
Moreover, it was an enemy that Fang Li recognized.
"What a nuisance..."
"On both sides..."
The ice-blue Mystic Eyes gradually appeared in Fang Li's eyes.
Several crack-like lines began to appear in the air.
Fang Li rushed forward.
"Pū chī-!"
With a ripping sound, the invisible barrier was sliced by a cold blade of light.
...
"Ugh..."
A pained groan echoed in that space.
Crimson blood, like flowing water, stained the surrounding lawn red.
At that moment, Arcueid's head was hanging low and she was coughing up blood.
Her body, as if nailed to a cross, was mercilessly pierced by several nail-like swords, pinning her firmly to the trunk of a tree.
"Cough, Cough...!"
Blood spurted from Arcueid's mouth once again.
Seeing Arcueid in this state, a girl dressed as a priest of the Church, wearing black robes and holding several Black Keys between her fingers like claws, spoke without any emotion.
"It seems I can finally eliminate you today."
Hearing this, Arcueid raised her gaze, her eyes filled with murderous intent, and spoke weakly, still coughing blood.
"If you can... go ahead and try..."
She said this, but Arcueid's voice was extremely weak.
It was clear that she no longer had the strength to resist.
The Executor named Ciel knew this only too well.
"Although I don't know the reason, it seems that you have become very weak. Your strength is almost gone, and now you're using the last of it to suppress yourself. What can you do in this state?"
Ciel spoke to Arcueid in a tone that was purely factual.
"You might as well stop suppressing yourself."
Ciel's words were only met with an even more terrifying glare from Arcueid.
"...Even at this point, you're still not willing to give up your self?" Ciel stared intently at Arcueid and coldly said, "Whatever, as long as I can destroy you, that's enough.
As soon as she finished speaking, Ciel's hand suddenly moved.
In the next instant, the nail-like swords sliced through the air and turned into arrows that shot violently toward Arcueid.
Seeing the Black Keys shooting at her, Arcueid gritted her teeth and tried to force her limbs free from the Black Keys holding her down.
However, before she could do so, something unexpected happened.
"Pā jī-!"
With a sound like something shattering, the surrounding air suddenly changed.
"The barrier was...?"
Ciel quickly turned her head to look at the source of the sound.
"Chī-!"
Almost simultaneously, a meteor-like figure streaked across the sky, accompanied by the sharp sound of space being torn apart, and rushed into the grassy area.
"Whoosh—!"
A sharper sound of space breaking soon followed.
However, this time, it was the sound of a dagger descending from the sky, spinning like a windmill, and violently shooting toward them.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang—!"
With a series of crisp collisions, the Black Keys that were aimed at Arcueid were all deflected by the windmill-like spinning dagger.
Immediately afterward, the meteor-like figure descended.
Facing Ciel's direction.
...
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