Chapter 112: Angel

On the other side…

Masaki Hinaki, Yonomori Nami, and several special forces soldiers were on a helicopter heading to the “Boundary Monument Garrison Area.”

The garrison area was a node of the “defensive line,” the location where the Boundary Monument was established, and also the starting and ending point of the city’s Boundary Monument network.

Each garrison area had a total of nearly a thousand soldiers and maintenance personnel, making it arguably one of the most important joints of a city.

But based on the intelligence Masaki Hinaki had forced out of the man, the Apostles’ ultimate goal this time was the “Boundary Monument,” and Lily was the key executor.

Before setting off, Masaki Hinaki had already contacted the garrison area, demanding that everyone entering and exiting be strictly monitored.

But even so, Masaki Hinaki still felt uneasy.

She frowned tightly, maintaining contact with the ground mobile team and Ayse through her earpiece.

“What did Ephnel say?”

This question was directed at Ayse, who was now the only Agent accompanying Masaki Hinaki.

Ephnel, Ayse, Canary, and Erincia were the few Agents who could be deployed at the moment.

Each of them was a crucial combatant.

In the previous battle, Canary had already been injured.

Although the temporary medical treatment was timely and her life was not in danger, her injuries were not light, and she could not participate in the next phase of the mission.

Therefore, Masaki Hinaki had sent people to take Canary back to Fushihara Ayaka’s temporary base.

Ayse, on the other hand, was separated from Canary and was temporarily under Masaki Hinaki’s command, accompanying her to the “garrison area” to carry out a search mission.

“Ephnel has already departed from the assembly point, together with Fifina.”

Ayse replied.

“Fifina, huh…”

Masaki Hinaki pursed her lips but said nothing.

“Commander, do you think… why are those Apostles doing this?”

Yonomori Nami paused and asked the question that was on her mind.

“What do you mean?”

“No… just a… just a thought…”

Yonomori Nami had rarely seen such an expression on Masaki Hinaki’s face, and her speech became hesitant.

Perhaps because of her size and height, Masaki Hinaki always gave off the impression of a cute girl next door.

She only became terrifying and serious during missions.

But even so, she had never exuded such a powerful sense of pressure as she did now.

“I’m just curious… we humans have been pushed to the brink by the White Hole Erosion, yet even now, there are still factional struggles within the Federation, and the Apostles are causing trouble outside… They have such amazing technology, why don’t they contribute it to the fight against the Erosion? We’re all human, after all…”

Masaki Hinaki sighed.

“As long as interests exist, there will be people who fight for them. This has never changed from the old era until now… I don’t think the explanations some people give are correct. There are some things we indeed cannot control, but it is definitely not because we have done something wrong…”

After a pause, Masaki Hinaki seemed to want to say more but held back.

“In this regard, you should look more to Ephnel. In my position, I am not qualified to say such nice things.”

Yonomori Nami raised her gaze and saw the obscure look in Masaki Hinaki’s eyes.

“Um… Commander, should I not have said these things…”

“No, it doesn’t matter in front of me. If we don’t chat like this occasionally, we’ll develop a biased view of life. Of course, don’t say these things in front of the people in the central province.”

“Commander, the personnel you have dispatched are on standby.”

Just then, someone came to report.

Masaki Hinaki nodded and looked at Yonomori Nami.

“We’ll talk more later when we have the chance. For now, you contact Fushihara Ayaka and request her to dispatch personnel to support Ephnel, to be in charge of the search for Lily and Shiina Rin. Note, if you find the two of them, prioritize intercepting Lily.”

Masaki Hinaki gave the order.

The incident they were facing this time was far from being as simple as fighting Erosion Organisms.

It was related to the very survival of Seikyo City.

If the Boundary Monument was destroyed, then Seikyo City would immediately lose the “barrier” of nearly ten percent of its urban area.

In other words, this area would be completely exposed to the influence of the White Hole Erosion.

Countless Erosion Organisms would rampage here, which would undoubtedly be hell.

Therefore, Masaki Hinaki had to prevent this from happening no matter what.

Although the man did not know the complete operational plan, based on the intelligence Masaki Hinaki had obtained, she could determine the approximate location where Lily was on standby.

It was in the middle of a cluster of abandoned old district buildings.

It would be difficult for Ephnel alone to find Lily there, so Fushihara Ayaka’s help was needed.

“Send this location to them and have them focus their search in the vicinity. We must stop Lily before she begins her move.”

“Yes!”

Yonomori Nami immediately dialed Fushihara Ayaka’s communication line.

“Also, have headquarters dispatch soldiers over here. Order the people here to temporarily evacuate to the surrounding urban areas.”

Masaki Hinaki quickly issued the orders.

“In addition, Ayse, you will act with me. We must find those three guys inside the garrison, even if…”

“Commander!”

Yonomori Nami suddenly interrupted Masaki Hinaki in a panic.

“A communication came from the garrison area. Their defense system suddenly went down, and an unknown enemy has appeared outside the defensive line and is attacking them!”

As her words fell, the several people on the helicopter were all stunned.

Masaki Hinaki took a deep breath, a chill rising from the soles of her feet.

They were a step too late, but as a commander, it was not the time to give up.

“How many enemies are there?”

“According to the report, it seems… there is only one person… but the destruction she alone has caused is comparable to an armored division, and conventional weapons cannot penetrate her defense at all…”

Yonomori Nami unconsciously swallowed.

“Could it be… an Apostle?”

“That might not be an Apostle…”

Masaki Hinaki said coldly.

She and Yonomori Nami exchanged a glance, and both saw the gravity in each other’s eyes.

“Commander, are you saying that she is an ‘Angel’?”

“We can’t rule out that possibility… Anyway, tell them to hold on. Also, dispatch our people for support! Tell the people at the garrison not to be afraid of that thing. Concentrate your fire. If the intelligence is correct, she shouldn’t be able to break through the ‘barrier’ from the outside, so they must prioritize protecting the Boundary Monument. We will be there shortly.”

Masaki Hinaki said quickly.

“Also, continue to search for those guys who have infiltrated, and root them all out!”

…

At Ephnel’s home—

The Yanase couple frowned tightly, watching the broadcasted announcement on the TV with worry.

Within these two hours, the defense forces of Seikyo City had undergone a large-scale mobilization.

Although what had happened on the western line had not yet been broadcast, the residents had instinctively sensed a trace of unease.

“Will Naoto and Yukina be alright?”

Yanase Kaoru clutched her phone anxiously.

Yanase Takuma rubbed the bridge of his nose and said nothing.

…

At this time, in the garrison area—

The sound of gunfire and the pungent smell of thick smoke filled the air.

Flames illuminated half the night sky.

The moment the girl suspected to be an “Angel” appeared, nearly one-third of the garrison area was instantly engulfed in a scorching heatwave.

Hundreds of lives and defense facilities evaporated in an instant.

“Fire at her!!”

The commander shouted, and countless bullets and artillery shells swept towards her, but the girl was unharmed.

If it had been a head-on confrontation, the garrison here would have already lost at this moment.

But fortunately, the girl had only destroyed one-third of the garrison area; the rest was unharmed.

She just quietly gazed at the Boundary Monument—her power seemed to completely dissipate once it touched the “defensive line,” not even leaving a wisp of smoke.

But at the same time, the artillery bombardment seemed unable to harm her.

She appeared there, just staring at the Boundary Monument, as if waiting for this huge mountain to collapse so that she could pour all her power into this city.

…

Meanwhile, Uzuki Saori quietly listened to the footsteps coming from above.

She had been waiting in this deserted, abandoned old district for nearly two hours.

She held Shiina Rin tightly in her arms, waiting silently in the empty, filthy basement.

…