Following the light that descended from the sky, there was a brief pause before it was then followed by a catastrophic explosion.
BOOOOM-!
The explosion spread kilometres wide, and Empty, who unfortunately was close by, was about to be blown away, letting out a "fugyaa" scream in the process.
However, before she could fully be sent flying, she was suddenly lifted off the ground, feeling a sense of weightlessness.
Opening her eyes, she would come to see the first Quasi-Spirit she'd met other than Ikari.
"Eeeh! Yume-san."
"Ahhh. You're as loud as ever."
"W-what are you doing here?"
"What else, you ask? Isn't it obvious?"
They were perched on the rooftop of a high-rise building, and heck, it wasn't Inui Yume alone.
Yes. Other than her, there were also Ayame, Isami, Tonami, Sheri, and even Sagakure Yui, who had been thought to be dead.
"Eh."
Empty looked at this lineup and felt a little strange. Rather, strange, she felt confident.
However, she was ignored most of the time by the rest.
"Must be rough for Tsuan-san."
Tonami spoke first, adjusting a loose hair to the sides as she stared at the aftermath of the explosion.
Currently now, there was nothing more than black that filled the radius of impact.
"So, he was this strong, huh? And to think, even that infamous Biscuit Smasher would be that strong too."
"Hiiiii! Y-you don't even know anything! T-that gouge on the other side! It was done by him!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know… I was watching."
The girls discussed amongst themselves nonchalantly, and even though in the background, something out of place was happening, they paid it no mind.
After all, the match was already over.
They already know who had won and who had lost.
"By the way, Ayame-san! I heard you and Isami-san fought False. How was it?"
"Hahahahaha! Of course, that thing didn't stand a chance against me and Ayame working together!"
"Please keep quiet, Isami."
Really, to say common sense doesn't apply to these few, then one would be correct. However, it was a good thing.
The fact they could chat this nonchalantly without one of them plotting to kill the other made things weird, yet none of them were opposed to this interaction.
Same was for Tsuan.
Though for her, it was different.
In the end, she got hit by the immense shockwave of that attack, and now, she lay in the ruins of buildings which had collapsed and imploded against themselves.
Now, she was beneath rubble.
Despite this, she could break out at any time. But currently, she was lost in thought for her to even begin to take any action.
Rather, it is to say that Tsuan's memories of the past woke up.
Even if there's a guy, there's no one who can handle your strength anyway.
Move your rusted head. Even if heart collapses because of the fear of death, use at least 30% of your brain to start thinking.
You're an idiot, but there are no laws that idiots can't think. Well, if you're dead anyway, everything will be over.
Just like that, Tsuan realised.
This was the end of childhood. She was no longer a beast that considered nothing else during combat.
Rather, she was now a quasi-spirit that could accurately reflect on the act of killing.
She loosened the strength in her hand pushing all the rubbles that collapsed on her away.
Pushing a few objects like rubble wasn't a problem for her. No, it wouldn't be a problem for any Quasi-Spirits.
However, her left side, the left side of her stomach, was already bleeding. And Ikari was already approaching.
Yet, she didn't falter, if anything…
"... Thank you."
She thanked him. This was the first time she had exerted this amount of power.
She won't sugar coat it. This level of power was something she would never be able to draw out before now.
Tsuan was actually the type that the longer she fought, the stronger she grew.
Even when facing strong opponents in the past, the level of speed and strength wasn't close to what she showed today.
"Thank you very much. Thanks to you, I can grow stronger."
Ikari's lips trembled as he stood in front of her. Even though it seemed like she was in no situation to continue the fight anymore, she still stood before him.
In this world, there were opponents that must not be fought.
Not just because they are strong, but because they are simply too frightening and brutal.
A battle junkie that enjoyed it for fun.
An opponent fighting with this mentality was both strong and scary but, above all, a landmine to be avoided.
Because of this, it was inevitable that their way of thinking led them to seek opponents in order to ascend to greater heights.
"...So, more, and more, and more. I want to fight with you."
"You're fun, interesting, and exciting. I want you to damage me more and more. Then, I'll get even stronger from each hit."
Ikari didn't feel weird hearing such words from her. If anything, his lips curled into a smile.
Interesting.
Even if her heart was beaten and broken, even if a fatal wound had been given, she would stand up again and again, surviving until finally winning.
...In general, there was a name given to such an idiosyncrasy.
Hero – a girl with the power to defeat all irrationality while trembling from the excitement of battle.
Said hero currently stood before the demon king, her lips curling into a grin, getting into a stance.
"I see; that's your wish, huh? Then, it would be rude of me not to grant it. Come on then. Let me grant that wish."
…
Doll Master.
The classroom was now a stage as her dolls crowded the entire room. The dolls reported the bad news about the current game to Doll Master, who even seethed in rage more than before.
There were also all sorts of other dolls that were whispering to each other.
"Unexpected." "Unexpected."
"Tokisaki Ikari is stronger than we anticipated." "Stronger!"
"I have to secure it before it is no more!" "Tokisaki Ikari."
"He's not like our existence." "A genuine inverse." "Really?" "Nonsense." "But it is true that there is a portion of that power."
"If that is the case." "If not to kill." "If not to end." "This world." "This region." "If it does not become mine." "Please, I ask." "You."
"But False has been killed." "Unexpected." "Unexpected."
"No." "If we are not capable." "Even stronger ones." "The reconnaissance team can't do it."
"The battle has intensified." "Even more powerful." "Need."
From the throat, from the heart, from the abdomen, and from the calf, the voice leaked out. As the dolls listened to that complaint, they glanced at each other's faces while
rustling noisily.
"Who is going?" "Who is coming?" "Who is going to do it?"
"Me." "Me." "Me."
One of them was a doll with a long Japanese sword. One of them was a doll holding a bow. One of them was a doll possessing a huge magnifying glass.
The puppets squatted, jumping around.
"Now, let's get ready." "Break them apart, with the others." "Go kill them."
The dolls then paused, their demeanour changing. If anyone looked at the dolls around the room, then they would notice similarities the dolls had.
It was hard work, really, and they were hardly complete.
But even though they were fake, Doll Master had put more resources into strengthening these dolls.
"Ignorance is terrible." "Very terrible." "A sacrificial ceremony."
"Misunderstanding." "Very regrettable."
"Yet he destroyed it!" "Destroyed it!" "Spoilt it!" "The sacrificial ceremony!"
"Hateful!" "Oh how hateful!"
A wide variety of miscellaneous inorganic sounds intertwined.
Doll Master was cautious, crafty, prudent, unscrupulous, relentless, cruel, and cowardly.
Even now, there had never been a Quasi-Spirit that defeated her. Although she remained unbeaten, there were several people who could achieve a reversal.
But as long as she left everything to the doll, never revealed her own appearance, and never let anyone know of her position, then she would definitely be invincible.
The dolls then flew out the window.
Amongst them, there were other dolls in charge of monitoring the rest, as well as Ikari and Tsuan.
"According to the surveillance report (right eye)." "Those two are still fighting. (Left eye)." "Is it better to wait a little longer?"
"That's wise." "Let's do it!"
"Since those two are very strong." "Competing against each other." "Wearing each other down." "But that girl." "Surely, all sorts of matters."
"But the others." "They escaped death."
"Then kill them." "Don't leave it behind." "No one will bother." "Empty!"
The sound of cheers swirled; the dolls brandished their favourite weapons.
Gun, sword, lance, bow, Japanese sword, magnifying glass, chakram──The monsters in that colony (False Proxy) laughed all over.
…
The battle had continued.
Both had continued clash after clash again. However, there was a difference this time. Both weren't continuing their high-speed battle.
Yet, that didn't mean their fight wasn't as intense as before.
CLANG!
They clashed, withdrawing for a brief moment, and then continued at each other.
Realising that she was losing her edge in the high-speed continuous clash, she pulled back. Think, think. She was using her brain.
Even if all she knew was how to fight. Idiots themselves also have a way of fighting.
Realising this, she gripped her halberd axe; on her face was an irritated yet determined look.
Then, pressing her leg against the ground, tensing it, and then releasing it, she springs towards him in a trail of blue.
'Wait, that is–!?'
Ikari tilted his body to the back, and what passed was a highly destructive attack that shattered the ground till a few metres away.
BOOM!
While Tsuan flew past him, she broke her speed, readjusting her position in midair to face him, and then she kicked the air and once again flew towards Ikari, who hastily dodged by jumping backwards.
'Oi. Oi. Don't tell me….'
Much to his thought. It was exactly as he thought.
BOOM-! BOOM-! BOOM-! BOOM-!
She was moving at high speeds with insane manoeuvres to corner him while releasing attacks that could pulverise him.
With her current situation. It was an extreme move for her to do, even at the cost of her own life.
BOOM-! BOOM-! BOOM-! BOOM-!
'But she's getting even faster.'
Ikari, at this point, was completely suppressed, pushed to dodging alone. Her fighting style, which was very much similar to that of an animal, told him the moment he tried anything reckless, the tides would shift in her favour.
At the same time, he could continue dodging like this to wait for her to wear herself down. With that, he would win.
But that wouldn't satisfy him in the slightest, would it?
No.
Hence, twirling to dodge a trail of blue, along with the pulverising attack, Ikari pointed his flaming sword upwards to increase the temperature of his flames.
Along with that were the trailing flames that formed a circle behind him.
Seeing this, Tsuan, who paused mid-air, metres away from him, instinctively knew. This next clash would be everything.
"As expected. As expected. As expected. As expected. As expected. You are the only one who can give me this level of enjoyment! More! More! More! More! Ikari! Give me more!"
"Yes. I would give it my all for this next attack too. Please, don't die."
Having said their hearts out, both of them stood motionless. Then suddenly, the concentration of reiryoku increased, weighing down on that particular area.
It was like someone had turned the gravity up a notch. Any normal human standing around would most definitely be crushed into bits, standing here.
Even from afar, the Quasi-Spirits who were watching couldn't help but feel their skin crawl.
"As expected, monster!!!!"
Sheri cried, much to the others' intense focus on the game. While they knew who would win, instinctually, they couldn't help but root for the other.
"Tsuan! You can do it!"
Empty shouted that.
Then, as though to respond to that, the blue particles of light surrounding the girl, Tsuan, increased, along with—CRACK–!
Her astral dress cracked.
It couldn't hold the amount of reiryoku that was pouring out of her. If one thinks about it in a way, then, as Quasi-Spirits, they are the closest to Spirits, no?
Then in that case, Tsuan herself, was currently closer to the Spirits than any other Quasi-Spirit at this moment.
The reiryoku she was pouring out was beginning to enter the range of what could be standardised for a Spirit.
"Now–!"
"Come–!"
Two opposing trails of light passed. It happened in under a second. A blink of an eye. In the first place, both were in close proximity, and then, with their speed, it wouldn't be strange.
With the trail of light that passed in a second was the world for the nth time; in response, it went silent.
Unlike the resounding impact of [Pre-eminent Acceleration], this was different. From their point of intersection, all that sparked from the attack was a white light.
The white light created a point which began to expand. Gravity weighed down on the surroundings as the ground sank, and slowly, it spread.
Damaged houses were further flattened into literal blocks. Sound inverted. There wasn't any sound or effects to describe the tearing of the land that happened with this attack.
All that followed was another resounding BOOM! that echoed not only in the Tenth Region, Malkuth, but extended even to the Ninth Region, Yesod.
[The Land shall tear]
[The Heavens shall scream]
[All that remain]
[Is this white point of Origin]
""[Heaven and Earth Desecration]!!!!!!!""
The fight was finally over.