Nyx, having taken control of ten tentacles, simultaneously locked onto the witchโs core through the crystals at the tips of the tentacles and unleashed a more precise and concentrated magical energy beamโฆ
Sizzleโcrack! x10
Perhaps the output of a single tentacle couldnโt compare to Claraโs โDark Ink Bundle Burst,โ but the combined energy of ten tentacles converging at a single point could unleash far greater destructive power.
Her vision went black; the witch was caught completely off guard and suffered a heavy blow.
This was an attack only AI-level precision could achieveโany slight deviation would render it ineffective. It required accuracy comparable to that of a photolithography machineโฆ
This wasnโt a metaphor. If Nyx were given a silicon wafer, she might actually be able to etch out a chipโprovided all other production conditions were met, of course.
But just as Nyxโs beam struck the witch, a massive number of black needles erupted from the witchโs center, sprouting from the shadows of surrounding objects. These needles destroyed the very things casting those shadows, ultimately forming a large, deadly domain.
โPhew, that was closeโฆโ
Clara, retreating from the area, patted her chest in relief, inwardly shaken. She feared that if she had been a second slower, she would have been skewered and turned into a grilled squid skewer by those black needlesโhiss!
Just as Clara finally exhaled, a sharp sting tore through her leg, and she realized she hadnโt completely evaded the witchโs counterattack. One of the black needles had pierced her slender thigh.
Though it hadnโt gone all the way through, it left a fingertip-sized hole bleeding.
The wound wasnโt serious, and the pain was bearable.
Though she looked like a soft little girl on the outside, internally she was a squid monster with plenty of experience taking hits. Thanks to her excellent regenerative ability, a minor injury like this was nothingโsome spit and rest in bed for a couple of days would heal it, no hospital needed.
But in battle, a leg wound could be deadly. If she didnโt finish off the witch soon, the upcoming evasion phase would be a nightmare.
ใI destroyed one of her cores.ใ
Nyx brought good news, but also bad.
ใHowever, that core will regenerate quickly.ใ
Tsk, no chance to destroy another one?
Nyxโs precise laser sneak attack was undoubtedly effective, but clearly, it couldnโt be done twice.
ใThis large-scale black needle formation serves as both offense and defense. There is no angle left to cut off a second core.ใ
Moreover, the black needles born from the shadows would generate new shadows themselves.
Therefore, even if the witch couldnโt see, she could continuously launch attacks outward, forcing Clara to retreat further and giving herself time to restore her core.
โWhat a troublesome foe!โ
Clara leaned on her rifle, clutching her thigh and cursing under her breath.
She feared it wouldnโt be long before the witch wiped off the ink blinding her eyes and emerged completely unscathed. If that happened, her injured leg wouldโฆ
Swishโ
Just when Clara felt helpless, accompanied by a sharp whoosh of air, a heavy bullet pierced through the dense black needle forestโฆ
โโฆHuh?โ
Clara was momentarily speechless. In a brief silence, the massive forest of black needles shattered and scattered in the wind.
Someone from afar had launched a top-down sniper shot; the witchโs second core was pierced. The first core hadnโt even recovered yet and consequently fell.
Like the previous shadow soldiers, once the core was destroyed, the witch vanished on the spot, leaving nothing behindโฆ
Am I saved?
โWh-who did that?โ
The surviving Clara couldnโt help but wonder.
A super long-distance, concealed sniper shot with a powerful bullet hitting the intact core inside the witchโsuch eyesight and skill were beyond belief.
โClara, itโs that guy!โ
Through her glasses, Fran nearly screamed:
โThe live broadcast is reporting it! Look upโthe reinforcements from the Hero Association have arrived!โ
Clara looked up but saw nothing, until Nyx reminded her:
ใOn the rooftop of the building.ใ
Even then, Clara still couldnโt make out what was happening on the roof.
โNo way, I canโt seeโฆ Is that a S-class hero?โ
Her vision wasnโt good enough to clearly see the roof several hundred meters away.
Besides, she was more concerned about Luciaโs injury and the safety of Pure White Storm right nowโฆ
But Fran excitedly shouted:
โItโs that guyโthe Mechanical Angel Alice!โ
โAh?โ
The rooftop of the building opposite the Expo Center.
โReport: Dark Domain individual eliminated.โ
A silver-haired girl wearing a headset folded back her arms, which had been expanded into a gigantic electromagnetic sniper rifle, returning them to a sleek mechanical-free curve.
The process of retracting the weapon defied logicโthere was no conceivable way such a huge weapon could fit into such slender arms.
โAlice, preparing to return to headquarters.โ
As if to emphasize her non-human nature, her skin bore etched circuit-like lines. She appeared to wear a tight suit, but it seemed more like surface paint than actual clothing, making it difficult to tellโฆ
For a machine girl, whether she wore clothes might not even matter.
But as an S-class hero, her every appearance drew intense attention, with annoying media drones swarming around her like flies.
She paid them no mind.
Spray nozzles opened at multiple pointsโon her back, ankles, elbows, and forearmsโฆ
โPlease wait!!โ
A voice called from behind, stopping Alice from taking off.
She turned and saw a magical girl riding a strange broomstick, wearing a half-mask gas mask, flying close to the buildingโs outer wallโso close that she even passed overhead, revealing soft white panties beneath her skirt.
โWaaaaah!โ
This was Claraโs first time flying this high and fast on a squid broom, but it was all to keep up with Alice. She was practically risking her life.
At least she caught up.
โYouโre the magical girl from earlier. The Association doesnโt have any data on you yet.โ
Aliceโs personality fit Claraโs mental image of robot AI. By contrast, Nyxโs tone was always cold, but clearly she was a strong AI with self-awareness.
Clara scratched her head and answered shyly:
โHehe, because I havenโt officially debuted yetโฆโ
Alice was very likely the one who killed Franโs father. Getting in contact with her before officially joining the Association was definitely an opportunity not to miss.
Of course, she already knew that both Lucia and Pure White Storm were alive and unharmedโฆ
Alice landed in front of Clara, noticeably taller, and rubbed the younger girlโs head.
โDestroying a Dark Domain core before even debutingโฆ Todayโs battle is your best debut. Keep up the good work.โ
Words of encouragement for the young hero?
Alice spoke as if representing the official voice of the Association.
โAlice-san, Iโm your fan~โ
โThatโs quite surprisingโฆโ
At that moment, Aliceโs gaze fell on Claraโs glasses.
โโฆIโll be waiting for you at the Association. Until we meet again.โ
โAh?โ
Without another word, she opened all her spray nozzles and swiftly flew away.
โSo suddenโฆโ
Could it be she spotted Fran?
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