Chapter 29: Suppression

That dazzling sphere of light pressed down like a miniature sun, carrying an extraordinary blast of pressure.

“Ephnel! Be careful! That’s the target’s energy attack. Please evade with caution. Before the target—”

Zzzzzzt—

The earpiece connection went dead, just like when Ayse was attacked.

Immediately after, the white light bore down.

Ephnel leaped backward at the same moment, narrowly avoiding it.

The next sphere of light followed immediately.

Ephnel’s eyes narrowed slightly.

She held her spear horizontally, then suddenly thrust it forward in a sweeping stab.

A blinding, scorching light exploded before her eyes.

…

The venue’s structure trembled slightly amidst the violent explosions, glass shattering into dust.

Yukina followed behind Canary, nervously staring at the white glare hundreds of meters away.

Her palms were drenched in sweat, her fingers clenched tightly.

The center of the venue was the battlefield.

In an instant, the white light engulfed Ephnel’s position, and a deafening blast howled through the air.

The dazzling light was so bright it was nearly impossible to open one’s eyes.

The indiscriminate area bombardment had been going on for nearly half a minute.

From start to finish, Ephnel was on the defensive, her every move, whether advancing or retreating, completely blocked.

Though it was a battlefield of only two people, it felt as if a thousand cannons were firing.

The field was smashed to pieces by the immense energy, and the scorching shockwaves were suffocating.

That was the power of the “Apostle.”

That was Ephnel’s battle.

Such a scene, like the roaring of hell, was terrifying, almost robbing one of the courage to even look.

“Miss Ephnel… please be okay…”

Yukina clasped her hands together and closed her eyes, praying for Ephnel.

Canary also stopped, looking at the battle in the center of the field, listening to the chaotic static in her earpiece, her expression unreadable.

…

In the center of the field.

After the explosion of white light came a pungent cloud of dust and smoke.

The “Apostle” girl maintained a posture with one hand pressed down.

The bombarded area, as if seared by scorching flames, emitted a white mist.

The girl indifferently withdrew her hand, staring into the white smoke.

To her, this kind of work was monotonous, offering no real challenge.

But if there was anything special about today, it was probably “anticipation.”

(—If you’re forced to face Ephnel, be extremely cautious.)

Because she had been told this, she had used her strongest attacks right from the start, with no intention of giving Ephnel any room to breathe.

If she could defeat Ephnel, it would also prove her own worth.

And, in that case, the thing she needed would likely be within reach.

She had waited so long for this day.

But…

It was strange.

The girl frowned slightly.

She had repeated this attack several times, but from beginning to end, she never felt the solid impact of a successful hit.

Although Ephnel was constantly being suppressed by her, she knew clearly that Ephnel was not injured, but was instead waiting for an opportunity to counterattack.

Her attacks were completely ineffective.

The strange sense of unease made her click her tongue in frustration.

Her “Power” was supposed to be overwhelming against Agents, yet it wasn’t producing the expected results.

It was like punching cotton; all her attacks were wasted effort.

The girl impatiently waved her hand again.

A white light floated down and then exploded.

Even she had to admit that Ephnel was indeed a bit stronger than other Agents.

But that was all.

“Is this really the level of the so-called strongest Agent? Trying to wear down my energy to win?… What a joke. Using such petty tricks, are you looking down on me?”

She simply withdrew her hand, stopped attacking, and raised her voice to taunt her opponent loudly.

“Just a half-a**ed amateur, and you call yourself a ‘hero’? How shameless!”

The girl turned to face the outside of the field.

That was the direction in which her target for this time, Shiomi Yukina, had left.

The girl grinned.

If her attacks were ineffective, then waiting for the prey to fall into a trap was also a highly efficient method.

“Well then, want to give it a try?”

Just as she took a step, an ethereal voice suddenly rang out, seeming to come from all directions.

It was right next to her ear, yet also seemed to be on a distant shore.

“Hmm?”

The girl frowned, a warning bell ringing in her mind.

She looked to her side warily, but saw no one.

She turned her head back.

Twenty meters in front of her, Ephnel’s figure emerged from the white mist.

At the same time, a faint glimmer of light appeared in the corner of her vision.

The overwhelming sense of crisis made the girl shift her gaze to that strange light.

“Just now, that was…”

The pause in the air lasted less than a second.

The sound of something tearing through the air erupted, and a sonic boom, like a tornado, shredded the dust and smoke.

The silver glint of a spear flashed past, and in an instant, it was right in front of the girl.

The girl reacted quickly.

With a wave of her hand, a white light surged around her, like falling blossoms and leaves, clinging to her body.

In the blink of an eye, it formed into indigo-colored skirt armor.

This was her complete form.

At almost the same time, she raised her hand and pushed out a large white sphere of light.

The white light and the silver meteor collided violently.

The terrifying shockwave completely tore up the green turf of the field, forcefully gouging out a hole the size of a car.

The point of explosion was too close.

The girl was thrown back by the recoil.

She flipped in mid-air and barely managed to stabilize herself.

At the same time, grass clippings flew everywhere.

Ephnel’s figure suddenly pierced through the debris, coming from a direction completely opposite to that of the spear.

“A so-called ‘hero’… resorting to such cheap tricks!”

“You’d be wise to cut the crap. You, who can only gain an advantage through suppressive fire, had already lost the moment you stopped.”

“You b*stard, is arrogance all you’ve got! Tsk…”

The girl clicked her tongue and shut her mouth.

The instantaneous reversal of offense and defense left her no time to spare.

She frowned tightly and quickly pushed out two spheres of light from her hands, blocking Ephnel’s path of advance.

Ephnel didn’t dodge or evade.

A silver light flared under her feet, and using a “Stairway” as a foothold, Ephnel executed a decisive turn, avoiding the spheres of light with ease.

It looked like a close call, but in reality, she was well within her comfort zone.

“!?”

In the blink of an eye, Ephnel had closed the distance.

The girl had no way to immediately gather power for another attack.

The girl’s expression finally changed.

“You b*stard! Don’t get too cocky!”

A scimitar appeared in her right hand, and she managed only a hasty slash.

Ephnel sidestepped and leaned forward, effortlessly dodging the blade’s attack.

At the same time, she sank her stance and drew back her fist, holding it at her waist.

It all happened in an instant.

‘—So fast! On a completely different level from before!’

The girl’s eyes widened, astonishment spreading through her.

The moment her gaze met those crimson pupils, she was crushed by an overwhelming pressure.

She couldn’t make any more evasive moves.

Now, the tables had turned.

Bang—

A heavy explosion erupted underfoot.

Stardust was scattered like a hurricane.

The ground beneath Ephnel’s feet suddenly caved in, cracks spreading out like a spiderweb.

A punch that emptied the air of oxygen slammed violently into the girl’s abdomen.

A shockwave swept through the venue like a tsunami, sending countless bits of debris flying.

The girl’s body was thrown back like a wooden oar snapped by a giant wave, crashing straight into the spectator stands.

The platform collapsed with a roar, kicking up a massive cloud of dust and smoke.

…