Zongman: Collecting starts with Shiori

"Oh... Really?"

Faced with Mana's straightforward challenge, Origami unexpectedly remained calm. She glanced at Mana indifferently, then her eyes returned to the photo on the screen.

Mana couldn't help but feel an inexplicable sense of loss. She had thought that such a provocation would provoke a duel, thereby proving her own strength and allowing her to act more freely afterwards, but the other party was unmoved!

A trace of doubt crept into Mana's mind, and she once again turned her attention to the screen.

This time, she discovered that in addition to the nightmare that haunted her, there was another figure vaguely visible in the photo.

Because she was too focused on the nightmare, she actually ignored this existence.

If her focus was not Nightmare, or she didn't know Nightmare at all... then...

A meaningful smile appeared on Mana's lips.

"Hey, I just noticed that there is a boy here? He looks... like he has a close relationship with Nightmare. Is he her companion? If so, as long as we control this boy, Nightmare should show up on her own, right?"

"..."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire office suddenly fell into silence.

Before Ryoko could say anything, Origami looked at Mana again.

"You just said... I'm not as good as you, right? Let's try it..."

Seeing Origami's calm face and eyes inadvertently revealing a fighting spirit, Shinna knew that his bet was right.

"Okay, that's what I asked for."

Liaozi looked at the two of them with a headache.

Although Origami's timely words dragged the topic away, but in this way...

"Ugh..."

Liaozi sighed silently.

Although I don't want to say it, Origami might really be in trouble this time.

It turned out to be just as Liaozi expected.

With the agreement of both parties, a simulated battle to test their strength was soon launched.

Moreover, at Mana's insistence, this duel was an unconventional 10VS1 duel with a large number of players.

only....

On the surface, this is a battle between the majority and the minority.

But in fact--

“—Uwaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

A sharp wail pierced the air, accompanied by a slight static interference from the communicator, vibrating Origami's eardrums.

She closed her eyes tightly, as if she could see the crisis her teammates were facing through her desperate cry.

"...!"

There was a moment of silence, with only the sound of breathing echoing in the headset, filled with heaviness and uneasiness.

Origami opened her eyes, a calm light flashing in them, and she let out a breath.

The sounds coming out of the headphones are all very familiar.

That was the voice of the members of AST, the anti-elves unit that Origami belonged to.

This is——the ninth person.

Yes, the ninth cry for help meant that except for Origami herself, all other teammates had fallen to the powerful enemy.

Origami pressed herself tightly against the broken bunker, her fingers gently stroking the cold surface. She closed her eyes and concentrated, as commands quickly formed in the depths of her mind.

In an instant, guided by Origami's thoughts, the casual field surrounding her quietly unfolded.

This field woven with energy was like a distorted mirror, reflecting the light and shadow of the outside world, and reflecting the structures hidden from sight one by one on her keen retina.

At this moment, they are in a special training ground near the Ground Self-Defense Force's Tiangong garrison base.

The venue has been specially treated with magic, and the air is filled with a faint magical atmosphere, which seems to be able to inspire people's potential and allow every warrior here to use the manifestation device that is enough to rival the elves.

All around, like the ruins of a doomsday battlefield, obstacles of varying heights formed an intricate maze.

And in the midst of this chaos, a young girl stood proudly in the center, her silhouette elongated in the setting sun, appearing both lonely and powerful.

——Takamiya Mana.

Origami silently recited the name in her mind, and along with the name came the impression that the other party's strength was not to be underestimated.

When she opened her eyes again, she carefully examined the girl with a spirited ponytail. Her calm demeanor stood out in the mess. Even Origami herself had to admit that she... was really strong.

Chapter 126: Provocation

The light twisted and turned in the subtle fluctuations of the air, and each refraction of the light seemed to carry an unspeakable mystery, outlining the outline of Mana's equipment with exceptional clarity.

Although the wiring kit was similar in shape to those used by Origami and her companions, it was different in subtle ways - the lines were smoother, and each interface seemed to conceal high-tech precision, emitting a faint blue light, revealing its unique identity as a new generation of prototype.

This set of equipment is said to be the result of the latest research results of the scientific research team. Not only is the material light and tough, but the protective performance has also been improved by several levels.

The most eye-catching thing is the double-layered armor on Mana's chest, which is shaped like an ancient knight's shield. There are subtle energy ripples flowing on the surface, as if ready to meet any impact at any time, giving people a sense of invulnerability.

At this moment, in Origami's eyes, this heaviness is not only a mass visible to the naked eye, but also a deep worry about the future battle situation.

Recalling the thrilling confrontation just now, every collision of actions made Origami clearly feel the huge generation gap between the two equipments.

Her own equipment seemed to be struggling in the confrontation, like using a wooden sword to resist a torrent of steel. The feeling of powerlessness cast a shadow over her heart.

However, what was even more shocking than this was the power displayed by Mana herself.

That power surpassed the limits of all of Origami's previous opponents. It was not only reflected in the physical strength, but also in the perfect control and use of power with accuracy to the millimeter.

Every move Mana makes seems to be the inevitable result of precise calculation, making it impossible to predict or resist.

Origami slowly lowered her eyes and stared at the high-powered lightsaber in her hand.

This lightsaber, which had accompanied her in countless battles and witnessed countless victories, now looked so dilapidated. The blade was covered with tiny cracks, and its light was much dimmer, as if it was telling of the blow that was almost beyond imagination.

It was unbelievable that in just a simple battle with Mana, the main weapon he relied on for survival was almost destroyed.

"Please come out! If you continue like this, the time will be up!"

Mana's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and the vigilance contained in them never dissipated for a moment, as if she could see through every slight movement around her.

However, her voice was like a spring breeze, gentle and with a barely perceptible smile, subtly reminding Origami.

Such a true person is really hard to blame.

After all, in such a lopsided battle situation—ten people besieging one person—she not only did not fall into a disadvantage, but relied on her extraordinary skills and amazing calmness to turn this overwhelming disadvantage into a one-on-one direct confrontation.

What is even more amazing is that she is still standing straight, without a speck of dust or scars on her body, and she looks as perfect as if she had just stepped onto the battlefield.

Looking back at Origami, the high-tech weapons in her hands are no longer as glorious as they once were.

Originally well-equipped with a wide variety of weapons, now there is only a dim, shaky lightsaber left.

The energy fluctuations on the lightsaber became unstable, and it seemed that it could go out at any time, just like the confidence in Origami's eyes was gradually dimming, revealing the fatigue and unwillingness that were difficult to conceal.

But she wasn't going to give up so easily and walk out of this situation so hastily.

Although she knew very well that the opportunity before her was like a drop of water in the desert, tiny and hard to grasp, it was this almost invisible light of hope that drove her not to miss any moment that might turn the tide.

Her eyes were still probing around, as if searching for that ray of dawn in the endless darkness, eager to find that opportunity to defeat the enemy in one move and turn the tide.

However, Mana seemed to have lost her patience in waiting.

In this contest, all she needs is victory.

Although she felt disdain in her heart and thought these methods were too despicable, a barely perceptible smile appeared on Mana's face. It was an expression of seeing through the opponent and being sure of victory.

Because she seemed to have found a way to break Origami's defenses and reveal her flaws.

"Since you don't plan to come out, why not listen to me?"

Mana spoke loudly to the people around her as if nothing had happened.

"Actually, the reason I came to this city is to hunt down Nightmare. She has always been my target, but I have been fighting her for so long and still haven't found her 'weakness'..."

Mana lowered her head slightly so that no one could see her expression and continued to whisper.

"But this time... I seem to have discovered something different. This is the first time I've seen her appear next to a boy, and this boy is still alive and well in this world. Does that mean that this boy has a different meaning for Nightmare? What do you think... If I catch this boy and extract useful information from him... will this method work?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she immediately felt a pair of cold eyes staring at her from a distance.

She raised her head happily and looked at the flying origami.

"Oh, you're out?"

Mana smiled at Origami.

"If you touch him, even if I die, I will die with you."

Origami simply chose to ignore Mana's smile and said this in an indifferent tone.

"Hey~?"

Mana tilted her head and looked at Origami curiously.

"Is this boy really that important to you? Sergeant Origami, I can sense the true murderous intent from you. You are serious."

"Well, I'm serious, don't try to hit on him."

Origami said no more, but issued instructions in her mind. Her will was like an electric current, instantly activating the high-tech flight thrusters embedded in her slender back.

With a slight mechanical hum, these sophisticated devices seemed to have heard the silent call of their master, and suddenly ejected hot air flows, pushing her towards the blue sky like an arrow.

At this moment, Origami only had a sharp weapon in her hand, which meant she could only engage in hand-to-hand combat. She cut through the sky at an astonishing speed and rushed straight towards Mana.

"Well... you're angry..."

A playful smile appeared on Mana's lips, and he waved his hands lightly. The pair of shields began to undergo a strange transformation under his control, as if they had life, and quickly attached to his arms, forming a perfect defensive posture.

"Cloud Group - Double Blade Form!"

As Zhen spoke, a dazzling light suddenly burst out from the front of the shield, and two huge blades of light emerged.

However, faced with this heart-pounding scene, Origami did not hesitate at all.

Instead of slowing down, she sped up even more, arms raised high. In her mind, she already knew the consequences of charging in a straight line, but that was part of her plan.

"--It's now!"

Origami muttered to herself, and at the delicate moment when her and Mana's respective arbitrary domains were about to collide, she suddenly compressed the scope of her own domain with amazing willpower.

The original free area that was three meters wide shrank to a narrow space of only thirty centimeters in the blink of an eye.

This action immediately caused the rear part of the flight thruster, which had escaped the protection of the field, to return to the embrace of the earth, and the pressure caused by gravity increased sharply.

Origami reacted quickly, quickly disconnecting the wiring kit from the thrusters, and at the same time deftly curled up her body like a silk thread passing through the eye of a needle, using the tiny difference in space to slide past Shin's unprepared side.

"Varied……?"

Mana obviously had not expected the other party to have such a strange plan, and a hint of surprise flashed in her clear eyes.

The uncontrolled flight thrusters were like a wild horse that had broken free from its reins. With inertia and anger, they turned into a stream of light and rushed straight towards Mana.

But Mana quickly came to his senses, and with a flash of light blade, he cut the behemoth in half cleanly and neatly. Sparks flew, and the wreckage drew beautiful arcs in the air before finally falling to the ground.

But this is exactly the trap that Origami has carefully laid.

“——Tsk!”

Origami steeled her mind, and re-summoned the edge of her lightsaber, striking at Mana's defenseless back with lightning speed.

This was the result of her careful calculations. She took advantage of the split second when Mana was responding to the flight thrusters to deliver a fatal blow.

The blade succeeded as it wished and carved a mark of victory on Mana's CR-Unit. Although it was only a shallow scar, it proved that the strategy was effective.

However, the dawn of victory was swallowed up by darkness in an instant.

"Varied……!"

Origami was so shocked that she lost her voice. She felt that all the movements of her body stopped abruptly at that moment, and time seemed to freeze.

“——Phew, that was a close call!”

Mana turned around leisurely, his eyes fell softly on Origami, with that mysterious smile still on his lips.