Zongman: Collecting starts with Shiori

"Ouch!"

The puppet suddenly let out an exclamation, as if surprised by Shikimori Kaede's insight.

“No wonder Yoshino has a crush on you. Not to mention her, even I have to look at you differently, big brother! It’s not easy for you to detect the secret between us in such a short time! That’s right, I’m Yoshino, and this shy little girl is Yoshino!”

The puppet's words were full of pride and recognition of Shiki Morikaze. Its eyes seemed even brighter at this moment, as if it was happy to have found a friend who could understand their secrets.

It really is like this...

Although I don't know the specific principle, this doll called Yoshina should be equivalent to Yoshino's second personality. For Yoshino, who is timid by nature, Yoshina is the mouth through which she communicates with others, right?

But I understand.

Shiki Shoufeng's head became bigger.

After all, if he wants to conquer Yoshino, he needs to communicate with her. No matter how long he talks with Yoshino, his mission has not made any progress.

"Is that so? Then let me introduce myself. My name is Shikimori Kaede. Nice to meet you."

"Oh, Kaede, what a nice name! But it's still a little bit worse than Yoshino, what a shame!"

"I think so too, but I still want to remind you of my suggestion again... I'm here to take you away. If you don't mind, just follow me. I'll ensure your safety. No one can hurt Yoshino again. How about that?"

"Oh..."

Shiona turned her head and looked at the silent Shion.

It asked in a suspicious tone.

"Feng, you are so anxious to take us away, is it because you can no longer suppress your inner restlessness and want to immediately strip Shion naked and do a bunch of shameful things?"

"No... I just think Yoshino is a gentle child, and I don't want her to get hurt..."

"Answer me, Feng. Are you avoiding my question? If so, why should I follow you, Yoshino?"

"..."

Faced with Yoshina's relentless pressure, Shikimori Kaede's patience is almost worn out.

He felt that he was being ungrateful, which made Shi Shoufeng's face start to turn unfriendly. It would be useless to keep giving in. In this case, if I push my luck too much, I'll see how you deal with me.

"Yeah. So what?"

Chapter 75 Origami Breaks Through the Wall

"Wow, what a bold statement, but I do like your straightforwardness! In this world full of hypocrisy, honest people are the most shining gems!"

Contrary to Shikimori's expectations, Shionai not only did not show the slightest displeasure, but instead seemed extremely happy. Her little cloth hands excitedly clapped the air, as if applauding his courage. Each clapping was accompanied by a cheerful rhythm, and the air was filled with a wonderful harmony and surprise.

"In that case, Feng, I will be generous and give you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! We are in this spacious and bright building. Do you want to accompany Yoshino on a unique adventure?"

There was a cunning gleam in Shionai's eyes, and she seemed to be looking forward to the little adventure that was about to take place.

Shopping? This word echoed in Shi Shoufeng's mind, sounding both novel and slightly absurd.

After all, strolling through a mall with a spirit with mysterious powers is not an everyday sight.

He was originally racking his brains on how to naturally prolong the time he spent with Yoshino. After all, the last time he tried to force her to stay, she just disappeared like a phantom. This made Shikimori Feng realize that tough measures were obviously not a good way to solve the problem.

Now, Yoshino has taken the initiative to extend an olive branch, which is undoubtedly a wonderful turn of events.

"of course can."

Shikimori Feng readily agreed, secretly thinking in his heart that this might be a perfect opportunity for him to get to know Yoshino more deeply, and even communicate with her true self.

At that moment, Shiona's attention was attracted by a corner of the toy store, where there were small climbing frames designed for children and colorful ball pools, like a miniature fairy tale world.

Shion instantly transformed into a curious child with bright stars in her eyes. She jumped into the ball pool without hesitation and climbed up the mini castle. The hand puppet waved up and down with her movements, exuding innocent joy.

"Hahaha, I am the king of this world!"

Yoshino stood on the top of the "castle", holding her puppet high, her voice full of childish pride and excitement. This childish action unexpectedly set the stage for Shikimori Kaede's plan.

Considering that the height of the climbing frame did not pose a challenge for adults, Shikimori Feng calmly used subtle force and gently touched the fragile "castle".

In an instant, Yoshino lost her balance and fell from a height that was not high but high enough to cause an accident. This fall cleverly made her land on Shikimori Kaede, and a sudden "intimate contact" occurred between the two.

Yoshino's long hair, as soft as blue velvet, brushed against Shiki Morikaze's cheek. Her lips, as soft as jelly, touched Shiki Morikaze inadvertently. At that moment, time seemed to freeze.

All of this seemed both sudden and subtle under Shi Shoufeng's careful planning.

The puppet Shionai at the side laughed exaggeratedly, with a hint of teasing in her voice.

"Hahaha, Feng, you really are a complete pervert. You actually took advantage of this opportunity to steal a kiss!"

I saw Shion shyly getting up and hiding aside in silence, only the puppet Shion kept chattering and teasing me.

The tension and anticipation in Shikishoufeng's heart eventually turned into some kind of indescribable complex feeling, as if something had quietly died in his heart...

However, there is no need to rush now. Time is long, so we should take it slowly.

The impatience in Shikimori's heart gradually subsided and turned into a gentle force. He decided to let go of those impulsive thoughts and just stood quietly beside Yoshino, like a guardian, quietly watching her innocent smile, as if the whole world became simple and beautiful at this moment.

Shion's every move is full of childlike wonder and joy. She is curious about everything around her, and every fallen leaf and every cloud can make her laugh.

This scene, Shikimori Feng felt familiar and warm. In her memory, Tohka had also been so carefree. Their eyes reflected a pure world that had not been polluted by the earthly world. The hearts of the elves seemed to always maintain that precious purity, which made people yearn for it.

This realization inadvertently brought a warm smile to Shi Shoufeng's lips, which was a sincere praise for beautiful things.

"Hey! Feng, your smile is really a bit obscene!" Shion slid down the slide happily, and Shion made jokes to Shikimori Feng without mercy.

...I take back what I said!

Shi Shoufeng was amused to the point of laughing and crying. He clenched his fists and muttered to himself, this guy's mouth really makes people love and hate him!

Just as Shimomori was preparing to fight back and reply to Yoshina with the same words, the wall not far away suddenly broke apart without warning, making a deafening sound.

"Bang!!!!"

Accompanied by a deafening roar, a figure carrying an unknown device suddenly appeared in front of the astonished Shikimori Kaede and Yoshina. The abrupt appearance made the air freeze a little.

"Asshole, don't even think about escaping!!"

Following closely behind was the furious Tohka, her voice filled with uncontrollable anger. It was obvious that this sudden intruder was the target she was chasing.

And the person wearing high-tech combat equipment was none other than Origami.

She ignored Tohka's anger behind her and only had eyes for the goal ahead.

She raised the laser sword in her hand that was flashing with a cold light and rushed towards the helpless Yoshino without hesitation. Every movement revealed her determination and coldness.

"Elf...die..!"

I don’t know how Origami escaped Tohka’s defense, nor do I know why she suddenly appeared here.

Everything was so abrupt, but Shikimori Kaede still rushed towards Yoshino who was not far away from him at the first opportunity.

Origami has the advantage of equipment, while Kaede has the advantage of distance.

The two arrived at the same target almost at the same time. At the moment when Shikimori Kaede knocked down Yoshino, Origami's lightsaber also arrived.

Although she didn't attack Yoshino, unfortunately, the puppet in Yoshino's hand was directly knocked away by the lightsaber.

The moment the puppet left Yoshina, the blue-haired elf whose puppet was taken away opened his eyes wide.

The next moment, Shiona's eyes kept rolling, her face was covered with sweat, her breathing became rapid, and even her fingertips began to tremble.

Ye Shouwu immediately remembered how pitiful and nervous Shiona was when she accidentally dropped the puppet last time.

To be...

Although he didn't know what would happen, Shikimori Feng became more and more uneasy.

Chapter 76: Runaway Yoshino

""

As expected, just as Shikimori Feng had expected, the spiritual power around Yoshino was like an uncontrolled torrent, surging and her body was trembling slightly from the impact of this force, indicating that she had reached her limit and was about to trigger a spiritual power rampage.

She slowly raised her right hand, her arm seemed a little stiff due to nervousness, and then she waved it down resolutely. Although her voice was trembling slightly, it revealed an unquestionable determination and courage.

"Ice puppet."

These four words uttered from her mouth seemed to have magical power, instantly solidifying the air around her.

Then, accompanied by a loud noise of the floor shattering, a huge and shocking puppet suddenly broke out of the ground and appeared in the astonished eyes of everyone.

The doll's design is slightly funny, with rounded lines and soft colors, giving it an inexplicable sense of intimacy, as if it were a lost playmate in a fairy tale.

However, the faint chill surrounding it and the faint blue light that flashes from time to time silently reveal its potential danger.

Shiona, who was standing next to Shion, the always timid elf, now nimbly jumped onto the broad back of the doll and inserted her hands into the holes specially reserved on the back of the doll.

This action seemed to be some kind of mysterious ritual. As Shionai moved, the puppet's eyes suddenly lit up with a red light, which was a wild and threatening signal. Then, a deafening roar erupted from the puppet's mouth, and along with the roar, a bone-chilling white mist spread from the puppet's body, and the surrounding air seemed to be frozen, and the temperature dropped sharply, making people shiver.

Faced with this sudden crisis, Shikimori Feng did not show the slightest fear. He just walked slowly towards Tohka, with a bit of helplessness and understanding in his eyes, and spoke softly.

"It seems that even the usually gentle Yoshino has been thoroughly enraged."

Shion only needed to gently pull the invisible string in her hand, and the giant called the "Ice Puppet" let out a low and majestic roar, and without a moment's hesitation, it turned its huge body towards Origami, ready to launch an attack.

Apparently, due to Origami's previous attack, Yoshino's anger towards her has surpassed all reasonable boundaries.

Although Origami was wearing special combat equipment, these equipment seemed so fragile and powerless in the face of the true power of the elves.

After all, when the wrath of the elves is ignited, how much use can mortal weapons have?

Just when the ice puppet's attack was about to hit Origami, Shikimori Feng stepped forward again and stood in front of Origami.

He mobilized the power of the Flame Demon in his body to form a fiery barrier, blocking the angry attack of Shionai. He tried to maintain a gentle smile on his face, trying to resolve the conflict in a peaceful way.

“Yoshino, this is Origami’s fault. I apologize to you on her behalf. Now, can I return your friend – this doll – to you?”

And when Yoshino's ears gently caught the words of Shikimori Kaede, she seemed to have found a glimmer of reason.

Taking advantage of this fleeting opportunity, she deftly directed the frozen puppet beside her and gently took over the hand puppet that had accompanied her through countless days and nights, as if silently saying goodbye. Then, she followed the frozen puppet without hesitation, using its cold and solid body as support, and lightly jumped out of the gap in the window, breaking the tranquility of the night sky, leaving a faint trace of frost, and escaping to the unknown freedom.

However, Yoshino did not choose to restore the frozen puppet to its original state. This action not only failed to ease the tense situation, but instead was like a stone thrown into the lake, causing even greater waves.

The AST troops, those elite warriors specially established to deal with the threat of elves, will naturally not miss this rare opportunity.

They were keenly aware of the brief separation between Shikimori Kaede and Yoshino, and like a cheetah spotting an antelope that had escaped from the herd, they did not hesitate to once again turn their spearheads towards the isolated and helpless Yoshino and launched a more fierce offensive.

Shi Shoufeng looked at this scene with mixed feelings in his heart. He could only cover his face with his hands weakly, and a trace of helplessness and pain flashed in his eyes.

He knew very well that once the power of the elves got out of control, events would often go beyond everyone's expectations.

The destructive power of the ice puppet summoned by Shiona after her rampage was far beyond everyone's imagination.

The elf, originally as gentle as snow, turned into a winter storm at this moment, raging against everything around it.

The AST forces took this opportunity and, using the excuse that the elves took the initiative to attack, completely threw aside their concerns about Tohka and Shikimori Kaede and launched an unprecedented fierce attack on Yoshino.

Hundreds of missiles streaked across the sky and poured down on the buildings like raindrops. The dust stirred up covered the sky and the sun, as if doomsday had come.

Amid this chaos, every crack in the building indicated that future restoration work would be a difficult and massive undertaking.

At the same time, in mid-air, Shion controlled the ice puppet like an elegant dancer, dodging and weaving in and out of the dense fire network, and every movement revealed the unique agility of an elf.

Although the spiritual outfit that gave her protection and strength could resist most direct attacks, Yoshino was different from Tohka after all. Facing the siege of various weapons coming from all directions, it was almost an impossible task for her to escape from the melee unscathed.

Just as Shimokage was determined to stop this meaningless battle at all costs, a frightening scene came into view - after an attack that she failed to completely avoid, Yoshino's body shook violently, and then she slowly fell from the sky like an angel with broken wings.

Shikishou Feng's heart suddenly tightened, and almost driven by instinct, he ran towards her desperately, hoping to catch the falling star.

But fate always seems to like playing tricks on people. Just like when they first met, Yoshino's body and the ice puppet began to gradually become blurred, as if wrapped in an invisible mist, slowly, bit by bit peeling off from this real world, and finally disappearing into nothingness.

That is the door to another world, a deep, silent, unknown dark space, where she will fall into endless sleep again, waiting for the next moment to be awakened.

"Son of a bitch!"

Watching Yoshino disappear, Shikimori Kaede stomped his feet hard on the ground.

Because the fire demon state had not yet been lifted, the ground even cracked due to this stomp.

Chapter 77 Punish Me

The members of AST are no strangers to such situations. In countless battles with the elves, the sudden disappearance of the opponent has become a default signal for the end of the battle, as if it were a retreat ritual unique to the elf world, leaving the real world full of confusion and uneasiness.

As Yoshino's figure quietly disappeared into the void, the air around her seemed to become softer, and nature seemed to feel some kind of comfort. The long-lost sunshine finally penetrated the thick clouds, caressing the earth gently like a loving mother. The mottled light and shadow intertwined, bringing a touch of warmth and hope to this area that had just experienced the baptism of war, as if telling people that even in the darkest moments, light will never be absent.

However, under this light, the dilapidated buildings around stand quietly like fossils of history. Their cracked walls and twisted and deformed steel bars silently tell the thrilling battle that took place not long ago. Every brick and tile carries a story.