-2347- Never fails to keep things interesting

"Clang!"

A blinding flash of pure white suddenly lit up the dim space, dyeing everything in it with white.

"Ahhhh!"

Just before being struck by Fangzahn, Himeragi Yukina let out a continuous scream as her spiritual energy surged wildly.

This surging spiritual energy gradually transformed within the light into overwhelming divine aura.

And that divine aura gathered behind Yukina, forming a pair of wings that slowly spread open.

"What?"

For the first time, Itogami Meiga, who had maintained his composure until now, showed visible shock—his once relaxed expression turned into one of astonishment.

"This sight… Angelfication…!?"

Shizuka Koyomi, lying on the ground, also saw this scene, her expression changing drastically.

In this life-or-death moment, Yukina's spiritual energy went berserk, once again unleashing the power of angelfication on the surface.

"Himeragi Yukina!"

Within the blinding radiance erupting from Yukina's body, Itogami Meiga cried out. His entire body began to smoke and burn.

"Crack!"

His glasses shattered, exposing his eyes to the open air.

A closer look revealed those eyes to be as lifeless and pitch-black as a corpse's—devoid of any signs of life.

This Prison Barrier escapee was not human, but a Demon.

In that moment, Itogami Meiga's true nature was laid bare. His once calm face twisted with hatred, and his gaze turned venomous.

That look was exactly the same as the one he had shown outside the sanctuary of the Prison Barrier upon seeing Yukina appear with the Mechanical Demon-Purging Assault Spear Mark Seven.

Gazing at the crying Yukina amidst the divine aura, Itogami Meiga gritted his teeth in hatred.

"So that's it—you've stepped into Touka's domain as well?"

With those words, he raised the weapon in his hand.

"In that case, I can't let you live!"

As he finished speaking, a wave resembling dark polar light pulsed from the weapon.

"Devour her — Meigaro!"

At last, Itogami Meiga called out the true name of the weapon in his hand.

"Stop! Itogami Meiga!"

Shizuka Koyomi, lying on the ground, tried to rise, but her body was weaker than she expected—she couldn't move, and could only shout loudly toward Meiga.

But Meiga no longer saw Koyomi.

In that instant, his eyes held only Yukina.

"Boom!"

The next moment, he stomped heavily on the ground and launched forward, charging straight at Yukina, who was shining with light and spreading her wings.

Yet under the power of Fangzahn, the divine aura on Yukina was beginning to be nullified.

Meiga charged directly at Yukina, intent on cutting her down.

Unfortunately for him, he had delayed for too long.

"Not a chance!"

Just as he was about to reach Yukina, a figure suddenly flickered into view, like a mirage forming from a cloud of spirit mist.

"Swish, swish, swish…!"

With the sound of slicing wind, the newly appeared girl threw dagger-like projectiles at Meiga, firing them forward like bullets.

"Clang! Clang! Clang…!"

Startled, Meiga hastily halted his advance, spinning Meigaro to deflect each flying dagger.

"Who's there!?"

He shouted with a grim face.

But the intruder had no intention of chatting.

"Whoosh!"

Like a gust of wind, the girl charged straight at Meiga with astonishing speed, gripping her daggers as makeshift short blades, launching a storm of rapid, ferocious strikes.

"Clang! Clang! Clang…!"

Meiga desperately blocked with Meigaro, parrying her attacks, sparks flying and forceful wind blasting in all directions.

But her relentless, storm-like onslaught was simply too much for him.

"Slash!" "Slash!" "Slash!"

During the exchange, her daggers slipped through his defenses multiple times, leaving gashes across his body.

"Damn it!"

Enraged and humiliated, Meiga ground his teeth.

But in return, the girl spun like a whirlwind and delivered a crushing kick.

"Boom!"

Caught off guard, Meiga took the full force of the blow and was sent flying, crashing into the alley wall, shattering it and embedding into it, chunks of debris exploding outward.

Seeing this, Yukina—tense and overwhelmed—finally seemed to relax. The divine aura dissipated, her wings vanished, and she collapsed as if her strength had left her.

"Himeragi-sama!"

The girl dashed to her side and caught her just before she hit the ground.

"You... you are..."

Yukina looked weakly at the girl, panting for breath.

The girl, of course, was Serenity, who had been secretly following Yukina under Rozen's instructions.

"I'm sorry, Himeragi-sama. Because of that weapon, it took me a while to materialize from spirit form. I nearly let you get hurt."

Serenity lowered her gaze, sounding both apologetic and regretful.

Had it not been for that, she would've intervened far earlier.

"Please don't worry. Rozen-sama… I mean, Minamiya Nichiyo-sama, is on his way. You're safe now."

Serenity tried to comfort Yukina.

"Senpai..."

Yukina's eyes brightened slightly.

And as if summoned by her thoughts—

"I leave for a short while and come back to find this mess. You really are a handful."

With a sigh, a figure stepped out of a ripple in space.

Who else could it be but Rozen?

Staring at Rozen's arrival, Yukina's expression turned complicated.

"Your Highness..."

From where she lay, Shizuka Koyomi also relaxed and glanced toward where Itogami Meiga had been.

But Meiga was no longer there.

"Don't bother looking. Once he sensed I was coming, he activated a talisman with a space transfer technique and escaped."

Rozen said blandly.

"More importantly, shouldn't you be explaining to me what exactly is going on here?"

After all, Rozen had just returned from the Lion King Agency's branch office. Before he could even begin looking for Yukina, Serenity contacted him via telepathy, reporting an enemy encounter.

But Rozen hadn't even seen the enemy's face.

Still, judging by Koyomi's battered state, Rozen knew this opponent had to be formidable.

Otherwise, Japan's most powerful Attack Mage, someone even Primogenitors would be wary of, wouldn't have been pushed this far.

"Forget it. First, let's get you two healed."

Rozen sighed again.

"Honestly, this island never fails to keep things interesting."