"That's true. Hua, it's been a long time since you've gone on a mission with me, so you're not aware of this. What a pity—Conductor always keeps herself in safe places, unlike me. I enjoy a more... thrilling atmosphere."
"Oh, so that's how it is... wait, Vill-V, what are you doing?! You're not planning to inhale poison, are you?!" Seeing Vill-V casually pick up the Toxic Substance Detection Straw and move to inhale the surrounding gas, Hua's expression changed instantly.
She had just said it was poisonous, and now she was about to use it herself.
Vill-V had just taken a sip when Hua's words made her choke. "Pff—pff—who would inhale poison? I'm a perfectly upright person, okay?"
Hua was just too serious. She paid attention to even something this trivial...
Hua... she's worried about me. She likes me!
Alright, joking aside.
"Don't worry. I just want to analyze the composition of the fog and then help Zeo detoxify."
No, that's not what I meant. Why use an inhalation method for detection? Aren't you afraid of getting poisoned?
But seeing Magician's eyes flicker, clearly waiting for her to take the bait, Hua knew there wouldn't be any problem.
Recalling all the times she had been toyed with by Magician, Hua decided to stop while she was ahead.
She was a genius magician—the creator of the impossible. It wasn't worth arguing with her over something like this.
Trying to discuss common sense with a magician could easily shatter one's worldview.
The detection straw produced colorful soap bubbles—this was its analysis data.
The spreading toxic fog obscured the view both inside and outside the shop.
The noise of the street was once again drowned out by advertisement broadcasts.
Vill-V and Hua both thought everything had settled down.
Bang!Bang!
Two gunshots rang out from within the smoke.
Pop!
A crisp shattering sound came from the barrier deployed by the core device. The bullets actually pierced through the electromagnetic shield and shot inside.
Those were no ordinary bullets—they were lead rounds!
"Danger!"
Hua reacted instantly. Although the electromagnetic shield failed to fully stop the lead rounds, it delayed them briefly.
That brief delay—0.2 seconds—was more than enough for Hua.
Danger Perception Instinct was a practical skill every outstanding student of St. Freya Academy had to master.
Whether it was guarding against ambushes or judging an enemy's strength, this primal instinct was extremely useful.
Having studied at St. Freya Academy, Hua naturally possessed this superhuman intuition and reaction speed.
Seizing that fleeting moment, she struck like lightning, deflecting the lead round with a punch.
Thunk!
The deflected bullet bounced off Zeo's belly, then ricocheted into the concrete ground.
Vill-V froze for a moment, then quickly grabbed Hua's hand. "Hua, are you alright?"
"I'm fine... my father used to make me practice hitting iron sand." Hua rubbed her hand, indicating she was okay.
"Wait, what do you mean 'iron sand'? What kind of training is that?! Did you watch too many martial arts dramas? Practicing Iron Sand Palm or something?!"
Seeing Hua wearing gloves, and that the fair skin beneath showed not even a red mark, Vill-V finally let out a sigh of relief.
"What kind of normal person uses their fist to hit a bullet..."
"Relax, Hua. The defense of this core device is extremely comprehensive. Even if the electromagnetic shield is breached, there are still gas pulse barriers, quantum shields, and spatial distortion devices to intercept attacks."
As she spoke, Vill-V manipulated the floating core device, displaying its various functions one by one. But Hua's expression turned serious as she pressed down on Vill-V's hand.
Meanwhile, inside the shop.
The hat issued by St. Freya Academy had built-in air purification, so Inori hadn't inhaled any toxic gas. However, her vision was obstructed by the smoke.
"Smoke cover?"
Inori shifted her stance, positioning herself in front of the clothing store owner.
A figure flickered within the smoke, and in that instant, Inori sensed danger.
She hooked the gun from the ground and fired several shots into the smoke.
For Inori, who was proficient with both sword and gun, close-range shooting could reach near-domain-level precision.
Her bullets collided with the incoming lead rounds from within the smoke, canceling each other out. Not a single one managed to approach her.
However, a few bullets still passed through the smoke.
By sheer coincidence, those bullets were heading straight toward Hua outside.
"Watch out!"
Vill-V deployed a defensive shield in front of Hua, blocking the bullets.
Though the enemy's position was unknown, it didn't stop Hua from using sword control techniques to strike toward the source of the gunfire inside the shop.
Her fingers formed a sword seal.
Hum—
A clear sword cry rang out.
The Taixuan Divine Sword soared into the air and pierced into the smoke.
This strike was not merely probing the enemy's reaction.
As a creation of Vill-V, the Taixuan Divine Sword naturally possessed more than just flight capability.
It also had sonar detection functionality—a perfect companion for fishing enthusiasts.
Whether skewering small animals or spearing fish, the Taixuan Divine Sword could determine the target's position anytime and launch precise attacks.
Ensuring a successful hit while earning gasps and cheers from onlookers.
The sword's sonic imaging system quickly displayed the enemy's position within the smoke.
What made Hua's expression turn grave was that this supposedly unavoidable strike had been blocked.
The one who blocked the sword reacted swiftly—and their counterattack was equally rapid.
Boom!
A strange gunshot rang out, and Hua and Vill-V immediately felt their bodies grow heavy.
The acceleration of gravity bypassed their equipment and directly acted on their bodies.
"Mm... so heavy..."
Worst of all, Zeo—who had been struck—was falling toward them.
Zeo—although an artificial lifeform made of soulium—still contained a large amount of biological material.
Weighing 1,512 kilograms, and now multiplied tenfold by the gravity gun, it became over fifteen tons—the equivalent of five fully loaded concrete mixer trucks.
If that came crashing down, it would absolutely be fatal—and there was no time left to dodge.
Anyone else would have tried to fire back, jump away, or desperately block it with all their strength.
But Magician made no attempt to dodge or defend. She grabbed Hua and allowed herself to be crushed beneath Zeo's massive body.
BOOM!
The enormous Zeo toppled over, its head smashing into the ground and sinking into it.
A thick cloud of dust burst outward like a spreading ring.
It was simply too heavy—the asphalt couldn't support its weight.
Not far away, Zeo's fallen top hat began to spin. Vill-V pulled Hua out from within it, completely unharmed.
"Ta-da~ A little performance from the Magician."
Looking at Zeo stuck upside down, Vill-V made an apologetic expression.
"Sorry, Zeo. Stay like a carrot for a bit—I'll pull you out soon."
"Goo~oh~"
Vill-V swept her arm through the air, positioning the core defense device in front of the now-unarmed Hua.
The next second, Inori's figure burst out from the dissipating smoke, raising her fist and smashing it toward the two of them.