Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

The moment Lin Yi stepped into the church, three rockets tore through the air.

The projectile's exhaust trailed an orange-red path through the dim cave, pointing directly at his position.

Almost at the same moment, two distinct gunshots rang out from behind Lin Yi.

On the left is a sniper from the Justice Realization Unit calmly firing short bursts, the 7.62mm armor-piercing round precisely cutting into the connection between the warhead and engine of the first rocket.

The projectile disintegrated in mid-air, and the warhead, which had not yet fully detonated, turned into a dull fireball, with fragments scattering in all directions.

The gunshots from the right were deeper and heavier; they were the roar of the Gohena Disciplinary Committee's specially made anti-materiel rifles.

The second rocket was hit directly in the middle by the 12.7mm warhead. The entire rocket exploded in the air into a brilliant firework, and the shock wave even overturned several puppets in the front row who were holding guns.

As for the third rocket, Lin Yi spread his five fingers on his left hand and loosely gripped the incoming rocket.

Visible ripples appeared in the air as the rocket seemed to have crashed into an invisible gel wall, its speed decreasing drastically.

A sword aura struck first, precisely slicing through the projectile along its axis.

The rocket, which had been cut in half evenly, fell at an angle to both sides, exploding into two charred craters on the ground five meters away from him.

Before the echoes of the explosion had even faded, a hail of bullets followed.

The cave resounded with a dense, continuous barrage of gunfire—the roar of hundreds of guns firing simultaneously.

The bullets struck the barrier, producing a dense, crisp sound like raindrops hitting banana leaves.

With each bullet that hits, a faint black ripple spreads across the surface of the shield.

These nun dolls are exceptionally accurate shooters; they are not affected by the breathing and heartbeat of human shooters, and each bullet flies along the ideal trajectory.

What's even more troublesome is that the bullets of the guns in the hands of these puppets are all covered with a faint halo—that's the enhancement of aura energy.

Just as the shield was about to shatter, Lin Yi's figure floated backward.

Hina and Tsurugi stepped forward simultaneously, blocking Lin Yi's original position.

Bullets rained down on the two men.

Hina's black wings suddenly folded forward, weaving into a large wing shield in front of her.

The surface of the wings gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen. Bullets that struck them sent sparks flying, but could only leave faint white scratches.

The multi-layered halo above her head rotated steadily, and the dark red core continuously pumped out energy, strengthening the defense of her wings.

He Cheng's choice was more direct; she didn't even make any defensive stance, just stood there and let the bullets hit her.

With each bullet that hits her, a faint blood-red ripple appears on her skin, an outward manifestation of her aura of power.

The bullet's kinetic energy is dispersed by the ripples, preventing it from causing substantial penetrating damage.

However, their defense was not without cost; with each blow to Hina's wings, the brightness of her aura would diminish.

The crimson ripples on He Cheng's skin were fading, and bullets were beginning to penetrate them, leaving shallow bloodstains on her body.

"Cover fire!"

The Trinity Justice Fulfillment Department instantly deployed its formation.

Team members wielding specially made bulletproof shields quickly stepped forward, and the sharp supports at the bottom of the shields slammed into the ground, forming an arc-shaped cover.

The shield's surface glowed with the distinctive golden patterns of the Holy Trinity, which were energy conduit arrays.

Behind the shield wall, the gunners were divided into two groups.

The first group used precision rifles to fire in bursts, with each bullet aimed at the arm or head of the doll holding the gun.

The second group used fully automatic weapons to suppress the enemy, with barrages covering the front of the puppet ranks, preventing them from concentrating their firepower.

After enduring the first round of concentrated fire, Hina Sorasaki spread her wings.

Its black wings, with a wingspan of over three meters, resemble two enormous fan blades, stirring up violent air currents.

Using the recoil, she was lifted into the air and briefly hovered in the air.

It was this brief moment of airtime that gave her the perfect angle for a downward shot.

The heavy machine gun barrel began to spin, slowly at first, then faster and faster, until it became a blurry, indistinct shadow. The purple patterns on the surface of the gun lit up one by one, perfectly synchronized with the pulsation of the halo above Hina's head.

Fire.

There was no deafening explosion, only a low, guttural roar, like tearing through thick canvas.

Countless bullets, enveloped in a purple halo, poured from the muzzle, weaving a deadly net of fire in the air.

This net covers the entire area below.

The nun's habit of the female doll shattered first, turning into scattered pieces of cloth.

In just three seconds, more than twenty dolls within a 15-meter radius directly below Hina were all reduced to ashes.

But the puppet's counterattack came even faster.

Deep inside the cave, the puppets that weren't covered by the barrage of bullets quickly adjusted their tactics.

Ten rockets, trailing plumes of flame, ascended into the sky and were fired at Hina from different angles.

"President Hina, take cover!" Ayako's voice came through the communication channel.

Hina's pupils contracted slightly in mid-air. Her wings flapped suddenly, and her body made a sudden stop and change of direction in mid-air that almost defied the laws of physics.

Three rockets grazed her wingtips and exploded on the distant rock face.

But the other seven have already blocked all her escape routes.

At that very moment, the sniper rifle fired again.

Not one, but seven almost overlapping crisp sounds.

Seven rockets were detonated in mid-air at the same moment.

The flames from the explosion stretched across the sky, illuminating the entire cave as bright as day.

There were four people who fired the shots.

Two snipers from the Justice Realization Department, one sniper from the Gohena Disciplinary Committee, and Sand Wolf Shirako, who was crouching behind a stalagmite bunker and had just changed to a new magazine.

The submachine gun in Bai Zi's hand was still smoking.

She wasn't using a submachine gun, but a compact precision rifle that she had somehow taken out of her backpack.

The custom paint on the gun was badly worn, but it was in excellent condition.

After firing, she didn't even look at the result. Instead, she quickly looked down, pulled the bolt to eject the spent cartridge, and then took out a five-round magazine from her leg pouch. Her movements were so fluid that it seemed like she had practiced it a million times.

"Bai Zi, your marksmanship is quite good." A slightly surprised voice came from a sniper in the Justice Realization Department over the communication channel.

Bai Zi did not respond.

She had switched back to her submachine gun, her blue eyes scanning the battlefield through the iron sights, searching for the next target worth eliminating.

Meanwhile, the battle on the ground had reached its climax.

Hina had landed back on the ground after the rocket attack. Her breathing was slightly more rapid than usual, clearly indicating that the aerial tactics and emergency evasion had taken a toll on her.

But the heavy machine gun in her hand did not stop at all, continuing to pour firepower at the troupe of puppets.

Crane City has completely infiltrated the group of puppets.

A puppet raised a gun and aimed it. He Cheng stepped aside to avoid the muzzle of the gun and grabbed the puppet's wrist with his left hand, twisting it downwards.

The puppet's arm emitted a screeching sound as metal twisted, and the rifle slipped from its grasp.

Immediately afterwards, Tsurugi's right fist slammed into the opponent's chest, the pale blue body caved backward, and the entire puppet flew backward, knocking over three of its kind behind it.

Another puppet lunged from the side, its gun butt striking He Cheng in the temple.

She ducked to avoid it, then swept her leg to knock the other person down, before stomping her heel heavily on the other person's head.

The skull shattered like a watermelon, and sparks burst from its internal structure.

Her movements were ferocious and efficient, without any unnecessary frills.

Every strike was aimed at the vital points, and every dodge was perfectly timed.

A blood-red halo spun wildly above her head, and the dripping blood droplets evaporated into crimson mist before they even hit the ground. This mist, in turn, amplified each of her attacks.

But there were just too many dolls.

Just as He Cheng was taking down dozens of puppets, three puppets opened fire simultaneously from different directions.

The bullets created a crossfire, sealing off all her space to dodge.

He Cheng grinned, surprisingly neither dodging nor avoiding, but instead crossed his arms in front of him, ready to take the hit head-on.

The bullet struck below her left rib, and the bloody ripples shattered upon contact.

The bullet tore through the combat suit and embedded itself in the flesh, causing blood to gush out immediately.

He Cheng's movements froze for a moment.

It was during that moment of stunned silence that more puppets seized the opportunity.

Five puppets simultaneously raised their guns, all locking onto her.

At the same moment that He Cheng was shot, Lin Yi had already disappeared from the spot.

When he reappeared, he was already standing five meters in front of He Cheng.

The shadows on the ground within a ten-meter radius of him suddenly came to life.

Dozens of shadowy blades shot out from the ground, precisely piercing the torsos of all the puppets within range.

All the puppets pierced by the Shadow Blade simultaneously emitted a soft sound like shattering glass from their bodies.

Their bodies began to disintegrate from the inside, their pale blue skin quickly turning gray and then turning into scattered dust.

Only then did the dolls that had been resurrected further away begin to emerge from the ground, half of their bodies.

Several sword energies shot out from his hand, precisely piercing through the core of the resurrecting puppet.

The bodies of these puppets, which had just begun to take shape, disintegrated once more. This time, no new ripples were created nearby.

A small section of the contract field was permanently erased.

Deep inside the cave, the bishop finally raised his head.

Its gaze swept across the battlefield, past Hina who was reloading, past Tsurugi who was panting, past Kirito Nagisa who was calmly directing from behind the shield formation, and finally focused on Lin Yi.

It made a prayer gesture on its chest.

No sound came from its mouth.

But a melody resonated deep within everyone's consciousness.

That was a hymn.

The chilling notification from the Paradise of Reincarnation rang in Lin Yi's ears: 【You have been affected by the 'Twisted Hymn' domain.】

[Willpower check in progress... Check passed.]

You are suffering the following debuffs:

Defense reduced by 30% (affected by debuff resistance; original effect was 95% defense reduction)

A willpower check is performed every minute; failure will result in a state of 'confusion'.

Almost as soon as the notification sound rang, Lin Yi sensed the change.

The surrounding air seemed to have become viscous, and each breath required more effort than usual.

The students behind him were even more severely affected.

Hina's halo dimmed for a moment, and her rotation speed dropped sharply.

She groaned, knelt on one knee, and dropped the heavy machine gun to the ground.

The blood-red ripples on the skin's surface, which could have easily deflected bullets, were now so faint as to be almost invisible.

Crane City's situation was even worse. The wound on her ribs, which had been barely sealed by the power of the aura, burst open again, and blood gushed out.

A shield bearer's arm was grazed by a stray bullet, her combat uniform torn and her skin ripped open—normally, such a bullet would have no effect on her at all.

But now, the wound is bleeding profusely, and there is no sign of healing.

"My halo... has failed?!" someone exclaimed.

"It's not that it's ineffective, it's that it's been suppressed."

"Everyone retreat and fight from cover! Do not rely on aura defense!"

But the order came too late.

Without the aura of absolute defense, the students had to rely on the most basic tactical maneuvers and cover once again.

The puppets' shots remained accurate, and the bullets began to cause real damage.

One of the Justice Fulfillment Team members was a beat too slow while moving to cover and was shot in the thigh.

She screamed and fell to the ground, her trousers quickly soaked in blood.

Another member of the disciplinary committee, Gohena, exposed half of her body during a reload, and three bullets hit her in the chest almost simultaneously.

The bulletproof plate blocked the fatal wound, but the impact still sent her flying backward, crashing into the rock wall and knocking her unconscious.

The battle situation took a sharp turn for the worse within ten seconds of the hymn's sound.

At this moment, the bishop giant continued chanting.

The melody of the hymn layered in my consciousness, and with each cycle, the oppressive force intensified.

Pale golden runes began to appear on the cave walls, resonating with the hymn and forming a massive suppressive field that covered the entire battlefield.

He gritted his teeth and reached out to try to pry out the bullet embedded under his ribs.

As soon as her finger touched the wound, she couldn't help but gasp – the bullet was lodged deep, and the tissue around the wound was dying at an abnormal rate.

Just then, a warm light enveloped her.

You have cast 'Group Purification'.

[Dispelling debuffs from friendly units within range...]

[Dispelling successfully.]

You cast 'Group Healing'.

[Healing friendly units within range...]

Hina felt the oppressive force disappear, and the flow of energy within her body became smooth again.

On the skin's surface, the pale purple energy patterns lit up again, though not as bright as before, but enough to rebuild the basic defenses.

She grabbed the heavy machine gun from the ground, and the barrel began to spin again.

At the wound under Hekichi's ribs, the necrotic tissue was quickly replaced by new flesh and blood.

The bullet embedded in his body was slowly expelled by the writhing muscles, falling to the ground with a clatter.

The wound healed at a visible speed, leaving only a new pink scar.

She touched her wound, then grinned.

There was no trace of relief at surviving a disaster in that smile, only an even more fervent fighting spirit.

"Thanks."

She straightened up and clapped her fists together in front of her chest.

The blood halo began to spin again, and this time, it spun faster than ever before.

The dripping blood no longer evaporated into mist, but instead condensed into tiny blood blades that surrounded her body.

“Then—” He Cheng licked his lips, his gaze fixed on the regrouping of the puppet ranks ahead, “the second round.”

She rushed out.

This time, she was faster and stronger.

The halo collided with the bullet, producing a piercing friction sound, and the bullet was deflected.

She had already rushed up to the other person and punched him through the chest.

The light in the doll's eyes went out, and its body went limp.

On the other side, Hina's heavy machine gun opened fire again.

This time, however, she did not choose to fire widely, but instead fired precise bursts.

Each purple bullet is aimed at the head or core of a doll, killing it instantly and wasting no ammunition.

The battle has returned to a stalemate.

No, it's tilting in favor of the students.

Because Lin Yi started moving forward.

He walked straight toward the bishop giant deep in the cave, like a sharp knife.

All the puppets that tried to block him were pierced and crushed by blades that suddenly emerged from the shadows when they entered within twenty meters of him.

Occasionally, a few fish might slip through the net, but they would be picked off by the precise shots of the students behind them.

The tempo of the hymn began to quicken, and the melody became more urgent.

The golden runes on the cave walls brightened dramatically and even began to peel off the walls.

But Lin Yi only glanced at it.

As the power of the abyss within Lin Yi began to erode, all the runes exploded simultaneously, turning into golden dust that scattered across the sky.

The hymn's melody abruptly stopped.

For the first time, the eerie blue light behind the bishop giant's metal mask showed a noticeable fluctuation.

There seemed to be a hint of...confusion mixed in with that fluctuation?
The giant lowered his head, the two empty holes in his mask "gazing" at the tiny humans below.

It lowered its praying arms, and its hands, made of metal, began to clench into fists.

All the remaining nun dolls in the cave simultaneously ceased fighting the students.

They turned around in unison, all pointing their guns at Lin Yi.

One hundred and fifty guns spat fire simultaneously, the barrage so dense it almost formed a wall of metal.

The bullets crisscrossed in the air, blocking all possible evasive maneuvers.

But the bullets had absolutely no effect on Lin Yi.

The giant finally realized that firearms were meaningless against an opponent of this caliber.

So it abandoned its ranged attack and took a step forward.

Thirty meters is just three steps for it.

When it took its third step, it was already in front of Lin Yi.

His right fist, made of metal, was raised high, then slammed down with the force of crushing mountains.

The force of the punch sent dust flying from the ground.

Lin Yi looked up at the giant fist that was growing larger and larger in his field of vision.

He also raised his right fist and met the attack.

Two fists, one large and one small, with a ridiculously disproportionate size, collided in the center of the cave.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment.

Then, the shockwave exploded.

Centered on the point of impact, a ring-shaped shockwave spread wildly outwards.

The black stone slabs paving the ground shattered inch by inch, and the fragments were swept into the air.

The dozen or so nun dolls that were closest to the impact were blown away by the shockwave and crashed into the rock wall, shattering into pieces.

The giant's fist stopped in mid-air.

No, it didn't stop in mid-air—at the moment of impact, the force from that tiny human fist forcibly stopped its downward momentum.

The light behind the giant's mask flickered wildly, a sign of extreme shock within its "consciousness".

But the shock lasted for less than half a second.

Because a second force came from Lin Yi's fist.

The giant's fist rapidly turned gray and decayed from the point of contact.

The decay spread upwards like a plague, sweeping across the wrist, forearm, elbow joint...

The giant tried to pull his arm back.

But it's too late.

His entire right arm, from his fist to his shoulder, had completely collapsed.

The giant staggered back a step.

Lin Yi had already withdrawn his fist. He looked at the shards scattered on the ground, then at the giant's missing right arm, and then gently flicked his wrist.

"Is this all there is to it?" (End of Chapter)