One step… Two steps…
Moving forward, neither too fast nor too slow, then gradually picking up speed until finally breaking into a full sprint.
Effortlessly evading the invisible strikes pouring in from all directions, I reached the state where my previous speed had been fully restored.
With sunken eyes, I stared straight ahead.
Of course, there was nothing visible in my field of vision.
Even so, I was able to predict the direction of the incoming attacks in advance and respond in the most efficient way possible for one simple reason: I had shifted my focus outward rather than relying on myself alone.
Though I couldn’t perceive any form or presence, the air currents filling this entire space were an exception.
The shifts in airflow caused by the enemy’s ability as it traveled toward me—by tracing those changes backward, I reconstructed the shape of each hidden attack in my mind, visualizing them as if they were right before my eyes.
Naturally, the fact that this place was deep underground, where the air was nearly stagnant, played a significant role.
But more than anything, my absurdly high physical capabilities allowed me to achieve this near-impossible feat.
And as time passed, I adapted even more to this heightened sense, and before I knew it, my speed had returned to its peak in an instant.
The man’s face twisted with disbelief, as if he hadn’t expected my skills to reach this level.
Meanwhile, I—completely undisturbed—easily dodged the unseen attacks and deflected them with my scythe, continuing my dash across the tangled branches.
At the same time, the creature known as an angel desperately unleashed a full-force assault to stop my advance.
But by now, I had completely adapted to its abilities, and it was no longer capable of hindering me.
With my hood fluttering in the wind, my movements were like an intricate dance—so dazzling and precise that an ordinary person wouldn’t even be able to track them with their eyes.
A true work of art.
Finally, after deciphering its ability entirely and seizing the upper hand, I closed the remaining distance in a blink.
As I leapt high into the air, preparing for the finishing blow—
That was when the unexpected happened.
***
KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII—!!!
“!… ??!”
Just as my scythe was about to strike the core of my enemy, my body came to an unnatural halt, suspended mid-air.
Like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web, I was completely trapped.
My eyes widened at the incomprehensible situation.
For a brief moment, I suspected that an unseen force—perhaps the very ability I had been facing—had caught me.
But it didn’t take long for my instincts to tell me the truth.
The strange power binding my body wasn’t the same as before.
This was something else.
Something the enemy had been hiding all along.
And it had everything to do with the enormous golden eye now gleaming before me, more radiant than ever.
***
“…Impressive. I didn’t expect you to analyze the angel’s ability and get this close. But this is as far as you go. Your time is up. Once you are caught in the grasp of the great Binding Authority, escaping on your own is close to impossible.”
“!!… Karin!!!”
“It’s useless. That one is nothing more than a helpless insect caught in an intricate web.
She won’t be answering your call anymore.”
Even while keeping an eye on the situation in the sewers, Riel had been closely watching my battle.
Hearing her desperate voice calling out to me from afar, I frowned, struggling with all my might to regain control of my body.
But my efforts were in vain.
My body remained frozen, locked in place, not even trembling.
It wasn’t just a matter of being physically restrained—this was an entirely different power, something beyond the realm of conventional physics.
Just as that man had said, I was nothing more than prey, ensnared in a web, powerless against whatever fate awaited me.
“…Originally, the plan was to execute this operation during the grand banquet celebrating the birth of the Demon King—that monstrous creature. But since things have taken this turn, there’s no other choice. I’ll deal with you first, then take care of that bothersome little cat next.”
His voice was indifferent as he muttered to himself, displeased about having to alter his plan.
And as if responding to his will, the monstrous entity before me acted without hesitation.
A tremendous force suddenly pressed down on me, and my suspended body began plummeting at terrifying speed.
The pressure was overwhelming, as if an entire building was collapsing onto me.
‘Had I been an ordinary machine doll, I would have been crushed into a pile of scrap metal in an instant.’
Even with my reinforced durability, I could feel my body taking damage as the impact battered me from all sides.
I crashed through several twisting branches before plunging into the filthy depths of the sewer below.
***
SPLAAAAAASH!!!
A deafening crash.
Sharp, piercing waves echoed in my ears.
Countless bubbles swirled before my blurred vision as the unfamiliar sensation of submersion overwhelmed me.
Even underwater, the monstrous force binding me hadn’t disappeared.
Sinking at an alarming rate, I plunged further and further into the abyss, swallowed by the pitch-black depths below.
It was impossible to tell how far down the bottom lay.
All I could do was continue my descent, falling endlessly into the dark unknown.
Then, my instincts screamed.
A primal warning, ringing like an alarm in my head.
Of course, since I didn’t actually need to breathe, there was no risk of drowning.
But that wasn’t the real problem.
Until now, the force of pressure had been somewhat dispersed as I continued to fall downward.
However, the moment I reached the bottom of this pool, what would happen next was obvious.
I might be able to endure for a brief moment, but against the relentless, unyielding pressure, it wouldn’t take long before my body was completely destroyed.
…I couldn’t meet my end in a place like this.
After all, I had a mission more important than anything else.
I pictured her, likely fast asleep in the serene stillness of the Celestial Palace.
Clinging to my gradually fading consciousness, I struggled once more to resist, but reality was merciless.
As if to carve the truth into me—
As if to make it clear that this was my limit—
One by one, my body’s functions began to shut down.
An eerie sensation, as though my body no longer belonged to me.
The faint light shimmering from the surface above grew distant, and at last, my vision was consumed by complete darkness.
***
Along with my rapidly fading consciousness, an endless abyss of sprawling darkness unfolded in every direction.
A void filled with silence and shadow, stretching into eternity.
But then—just at that moment, an unexpected change occurred.
Kuuuuuu—
Through the darkness that engulfed my vision, a pure white mist began to seep in.
The dense fog, so thick I could barely see ahead, soon transformed into a massive snowstorm, swallowing my entire field of view.
A blizzard of unimaginable scale, making even a single step forward impossible.
A sight I had never encountered before in my entire life—
Yet, somehow, I knew this place.
And when I cautiously turned around, beyond the swirling storm, I saw them.
A long procession of countless people, barely visible through the blinding snow.
Even in the bone-chilling cold, they pushed forward with all their might.
No—more precisely, they were following me.
They fixed their gazes solely on my back, taking it as their only guide along this path of hardship with no end in sight.
To save them—
To carve out a future as their sole beacon of hope—
At some point, a massive greatsword, nearly the height of a grown man, had appeared in my grasp.
A weapon crude in form yet honed to a deadly sharpness.
Adjusting my stance, I fixed my eyes on the raging sky, brimming with vengeful snow.
Then, I leaped.
Flames, brilliant as the sun, surged from the greatsword.
A dazzling and seamless dance of the blade, as if painting an exquisite masterpiece.
And as a result—
The storm that had engulfed the heavens and earth vanished in an instant.
The blinding tempest cleared, revealing the radiant sun shining in the sky above.
Before the awe-inspiring sight, despair was nowhere to be found—only pure, overwhelming joy spread across the faces of the people.
Power.
The memory of that moment burned into my heart.
Scorching yet warm, ferocious yet reliable.
Like a primordial flame, ancient and mighty—
I felt it coursing through me, flowing through every fiber of my being.
And with that, I returned to the present—
My eyes snapped open.
The first step was reclaiming control over my lost body.