Let’s get it done.
Wan Mie immediately joined the team searching for Shinonina.
The shrine wasn’t large, but trying to find a doll no bigger than a palm was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Inside the shrine, two figures—one tall, one short—searched from noon until dusk, yet still no sign of Shinonina.
Normally, Shinonina wouldn’t even let go of the doll while sleeping, so losing it was probably related to AST.
As the sky darkened, the two still found no trace of Shinonina.
“Hermit, are you looking for this?”
Suddenly, a petite figure approached from outside the shrine. Wan Mie felt the voice sounded familiar and quickly looked up, while Shinonina’s brows furrowed as she stared at the doll in the girl’s hand.
“Give it back to me now!”
In an instant, a chilling aura radiated outward from Shinonina, pushing everything away.
Trees touched by the cold instantly became coated with a thin layer of frost.
By the faint moonlight, Wan Mie barely made out the girl’s appearance.
Short white hair, a delicate yet coldly beautiful face devoid of expression, but her jewel-like eyes flickered with a piercing, icy light.
“Origami Tobiichi…”
Wan Mie’s heart tightened with unease. Running into Origami here was never a good sign.
Origami was equipped with AST’s CR-UNIT armor, clearly signaling hostile intent.
Origami coldly stared at Shinonina, brandished her weapon, and said, “If you want it, come and get it.”
The moment her words fell, Origami threw the doll toward Shinonina.
Seeing this, Shinonina’s figure blurred, charging toward the doll at a speed almost impossible to track with the naked eye.
Origami’s gaze sharpened as she raised her long blade, unleashing a roaring blade intent and thrusting at Shinonina with incredible speed.
Watching the blade closing in, Shinonina’s pupils contracted.
She flickered aside just in time.
But Origami struck again, an upward slash like a mountain crashing down toward Shinonina’s forehead.
This strike carried tremendous force, even more rapid than the previous one.
The sharp white blade screamed through the air, reflecting Origami’s icy, expressionless face.
If it hit, even steel plates would be cut through—let alone flesh and blood.
Though Shinonina narrowly dodged the blow, the speed of this strike had reached the physical limit of a human skill combined with CR-UNIT armor. She couldn’t react fast enough.
With the blade about to land on Shinonina the next second, Wan Mie couldn’t stand by any longer.
“Myriad Might!”
“Appear, Oblivion!”
“Extinction Gun!”
Wan Mie aimed Oblivion’s muzzle at Origami in midair and gritted her teeth, pulling the trigger.
Bang!
A bullet shot out from the barrel, flying straight toward Origami Tobiichi.
Origami sensed the danger, glimpsed Wan Mie aiming from the side, and hissed sharply before dodging the shot.
Wan Mie didn’t cease fire, rapidly pulling the trigger several more times, sending bullets raining down on Origami.
“Territory Field!”
Origami shouted, the bullets hitting a layer of green light like stones thrown into a lake, sending ripples across the surface.
Her attention had been fixed on the Hermit all this time, completely unaware Wan Mie was still lurking in the corner.
If it were a one-on-one fight against the Hermit, and without the Angel summoned, Origami was confident she could kill her.
But with Abysm’s presence—an ability still largely unknown—she felt hesitation.
Should she retreat or keep fighting?
Origami glanced between Wan Mie and the doll, now back in Shinonina’s hand, biting her lip.
After discovering the Hermit’s trail, she had slipped out secretly without telling Ryoji.
This was a rare chance, and she had to eliminate the Hermit.
Her eyes flickered, and the coldest blade intent surged from her long sword, a supreme killing intent pushing everything aside.
Whoosh!
In an instant, the trembling blade shot toward Shinonina.
Across a distance of over ten meters, it traveled in a flash.
Blade light surrounded the sword’s edge.
The speed had already surpassed the limits of what the naked eye could see.
Wan Mie only caught a white streak flash past before it arrived at Shinonina’s side.
The blade, dripping with overwhelming killing intent, did not slow for a moment, leaving no time for Shinonina to react.
But the instant the blade touched Shinonina—
Boom!
Accompanied by bone-chilling cold and a deafening roar, it shattered through the sky.
In midair, Origami flew backward like a kite with its string cut.
Where Shinonina stood, a giant rabbit doll several meters tall, like a small mountain, rose to her defense.
Infused with spiritual energy, rainwater, and cold air, a massive Barrier instantly enveloped Shinonina.
“That’s Shinonina’s Angel, Ice Puppet!”
Wan Mie immediately withdrew several dozen meters, stepping out of the Barrier.
Although this giant form was immune to all weapon damage, Wan Mie wasn’t afraid of the ice arrows formed from rainwater inside the Barrier—but she could feel the temperature.
She was certain the temperature inside was enough to freeze an adult into an ice sculpture instantly.
“Damn it!”
Origami stabilized herself midair, activating Territory Field to block the encroaching cold.
She had planned to kill Shinonina before the Angel was summoned, but Wan Mie had appeared from nowhere to shoot her, causing her to lose control.
With her alone, it was impossible to break Shinonina’s Barrier.
Origami abandoned futile attempts and shifted her gaze to Wan Mie.
Feeling the murderous intent in Origami’s eyes, Wan Mie’s heart raced and she took a sharp breath.
“Damn! Why is she targeting me?!”
Saying that, Wan Mie took off running.
But with her stamina, running just fifty meters left her gasping and exhausted—impossible to outrun Origami in CR-UNIT armor.
After only a few meters, a white figure blocked Wan Mie’s path.
Origami sheathed her long blade, clenched her fists tightly, ready for close combat.
Wan Mie felt bitter—was this where it ended?
Though Void Movement could teleport Wan Mie away before fatal damage was done, she still had to endure the pain until then.
“Fine, I’ll fight!”
Wan Mie raised the Extinction Gun, aiming at Origami, about to pull the trigger.
But the moment she did, Origami suddenly vanished from sight.
“What…”
Before Wan Mie could react, a hand as white and smooth as jade grabbed her wrist holding the gun.
With a gentle twist—
Crack!
Wan Mie’s right wrist bent unnaturally.
Yet she didn’t scream.
Because… it didn’t hurt?
Staring at her twisted wrist in disbelief, Wan Mie froze.
She’d experienced dislocations before—the searing pain was unforgettable.
But Origami’s attack was far worse this time.
Could it be… this was due to this body’s constitution?