Mio saw another clone standing below, its head-mounted processor fully deployed. It was the source of the music, a high-energy battle anthem that seemed to pulse with the rhythm of the fight. It had activated Gavelet's "March," and the effect was immediate.
The other clones' attacks became fiercer, faster. The one wielding Camael joined the fray, adding its fiery axe to the melee. The pressure intensified.
Far in the distance, the clone with El Nahash continued to fire arrow after arrow, forcing Mio to constantly divide her attention between the close-range assault and the long-range bombardment.
She tried to find an opening, a way to escape the relentless pincer, but the three melee clones were always there, anticipating her every move.
Whenever she tried to teleport, another clone would activate Vector Lock, sealing the space around her. Their coordination was flawless, their attacks a perfectly synchronized dance of death. Their shields were always up, rendering her counter-attacks useless.
Worse, they were learning. Adapting. Her dodges became more difficult, their strikes more precise.
Then, a new threat joined the battle. Metatron.
A swarm of golden, feather-like cannons appeared, hounding her, firing relentlessly. Mio faltered for a second. She had no memory of this Angel. Which meant... the Spirit Hunter had used Kurumi's power to travel to the future and acquire it.
These clones... they weren't mass-produced robots. They were a product of Kurumi's stolen ability.
" Endo Armament: Activate "
" Pseudo-Endo: El Re'em "
A golden-edged chain snaked out from an unseen direction, wrapping itself around Mio's right arm. The constant, high-intensity battle had worn down her concentration. A single moment of carelessness was all it took.
The chain pulled her off balance. El Kanaph's lance pierced her side. Sandalphon's blade slashed across her back.
Seeing her chance, Mio began to gather her spiritual energy for a massive, defensive blast. But before she could unleash it, the fiery, gold-trimmed battle-axe of Camael filled her vision.
BOOM!
The axe smashed her from above, driving her from the sky and into the hard, monochrome ground. The impact shattered the earth, creating a web of cracks that spread for miles.
From the distance, the clone with El Nahash took aim again. A gale-force arrow screamed through the void and slammed into the crater where Mio had landed, shaking the very foundations of the Adjoining World.
Seconds later, she rose from the dust. Her body was covered in wounds, her pure white dress and hair stained with her own crimson blood. She didn't understand. How had this happened?
She was given no time to think. This time, five gale-force arrows shot towards her, converging on her position to create a vortex of shearing wind.
In the distance, five identical clones now held five identical bows.
"Cough... cough..."
Mio clutched her mouth, coughing raggedly as she struggled to her feet.
" Endo Armament: Activate "
" Pseudo-Endo: Camael Megiddo "
This time, she was greeted by a face full of crimson-gold energy. The blast struck her head-on, charring her skin, searing her clothes. She had no chance to counter. The moment she moved, another attack would come.
My initial analysis of Mio had given me a baseline. The subsequent battle had allowed me to continuously update and refine that data, adapting to her rhythm until I controlled the flow of the fight completely.
Our dueling Ain Soph Aur abilities had effectively canceled each other out, but in doing so, I had seized half of the administrative rights to this pocket dimension. This nullified her second Angel and allowed my attacks, imbued with a sample of her own spiritual power, to land with full effect.
In the end, it was a battle of attrition, won by exploiting the mechanics of her own power against her.
This relentless, one-sided bombardment continued for another ten minutes.
….
My clones landed around the edge of the crater.
At the bottom, the Spirit of Origin was a shadow of her former glory. Her white dress was stained with blood and dirt, her radiant hair matted with dust. The lance from El Kanaph was still embedded in her waist, pinning her to the ground.
All of this had happened in the Adjoining World, unseen by any other living soul.
"Notice: Target neutralized. Pacification mission complete," one of the clones reported to me.
"Acknowledged."
The clones dissolved into golden light, one by one, until only a single unit remained. It walked to the edge of the crater and looked down at the defeated goddess.
"Announcement: This unit has no intention of interfering with your ultimate plans," it stated, its voice flat and devoid of emotion. "My objective was only the power of the Spirits. With that objective complete, this unit will depart."
Mio's eyes widened slightly as she listened.
"Display your Angel, 'Ain'. It is the final target."
The clone's eyes began to glow. It was not a request. It was a final notification.
"So in the end..." Mio whispered, a faint, bitter smile on her lips. "I brought all of this upon myself."
She had judged me an unstable element and had decided on elimination. Then she saw me replicate Ain Soph Aur and realized her mistake. To prevent me from copying her other, more powerful Angels, she resolved to never use them.
And in the end, she was defeated.
The truth was, she wasn't seriously injured. She had the strength to continue fighting. But she had also realized something important: there was no point.
Mio had studied Earth, had absorbed its knowledge. She knew this planet's capabilities intimately. And she knew, with absolute certainty, that the "Spirit Hunter" was not something that could have been created here.
An alien? She didn't know, and I would never tell her.
But my clone had spoken the truth. I had not harmed Shido. I had not killed any of the Spirits. I had not truly interfered with her grand design.
So be it. She was tired. Continuing this meaningless struggle was a waste of her limited energy.
With a long, weary sigh, the goddess vanished, replaced once more by the perpetually exhausted "Reine Murasame." Her tired eyes drooped as she slowly raised an arm.
And summoned her first Angel, the Angel of Death Ain.
….
Nia was on her sofa, idly browsing the web of knowledge with Rasiel. It was one of her favorite pastimes. The television was on, playing some mindless daytime program, not for her, but for me. I had been sitting silently on her sofa for days, and she had turned it on out of a sense of hostess duty, fearing I might get bored.
I just sat there, my face an expressionless mask, my golden eyes glowing faintly as I processed data, seemingly watching the show. Nia had gotten used to my quiet, unnerving presence.
But today was different.
"It's done," I said.
"Hm? What's done?" Nia asked, looking up from her ethereal book.
I didn't answer. I simply stood up and walked to the front door.
"Leaving already?"
She watched me go. When I had first arrived, I had only asked to stay for a few days. His sudden departure was not a surprise. With Rasiel, she had already seen this coming.
Just before I closed the door behind me, I turned back.
My golden, inorganic eyes met hers one last time.
"Farewell."
….
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