Sky Striker Princess, but the swan song of Valkyrie.

"It's okay, don't worry so much. In the future, if we see Zero again, we will definitely be able to bring her back and save her."

Just feeling that Kohinata Mirai might be hallucinating, Tachibana Hibiki remained silent for a long time before encouraging her best friend with a smile.

"Next time...?"

Kohinata Mirai understood what Tachibana Hibiki had said, and realized that she should adjust her mindset and work hard to improve her strength.

However, Kohinata Mirai was a little anxious.

At first, she tried to help Lingyi with words of advice, but soon realized that the power of words was too weak.

Not long ago, she began to try to persuade the other party with practical force, but this level of force was completely useless against the other party.

Now that neither language nor reality can change things, although it's not outwardly apparent, Kohinata Mirai is finding it increasingly difficult to endure.

[The person who saved me, the person clumsily moving forward, the person who caused me worry—I really want her to stop, to live more relaxedly, instead of continuing to be so exhausted.]

Similar thoughts would occasionally surface in Kohinata Mirai's mind.

I really want it, I really hope so, I long for it so much...

Moreover, as time went on, this idea grew stronger and stronger, and from time to time, overly beautiful fantasies would appear in her eyes.

"If there's a next time, maybe a lock and a blindfold would be a good choice..."

Looking in the direction where the figure resembling Zero had disappeared, Kohinata Mirai murmured to herself.

"Soft, wait a minute, Future, did you just say something outrageous?"

Listening to what the people around her were saying, Hibiki Tachibana didn't understand, but an instinctive feeling sent a chill down her spine.

"Ah, it's nothing, don't worry. Hibiki, if we have the chance, we can... um, it's nothing, let's keep playing."

Shaking her head to clear the scene that had inexplicably surfaced in her mind, Kohinata Mirai turned her attention back to the present reality.

"Cut sauce, are you sure it's okay? This is the last one."

Standing in front of the goldfish scooping stall, looking at the nine torn paper nets, Tsukuyomi looked at Akatsuki, who was already extremely anxious, with some concern.

After they parted ways, the playful and optimistic Xiaoqiege dragged Tsukuyomi to explore the festival's entertainment stalls. They had just arrived at the goldfish scooping area.

"It's alright, it's alright, trust me. I just wasn't serious enough. I'll unleash my true power for the last shot, risking the power of my slashing weapon—Death!"

Holding a paper net, Xiaoqiege's voice trembled slightly as she hesitantly and slowly placed the net into the pond, gently slipping it over the swimming goldfish.

"Gurgle... Don't break Death."

Xiaoqiege prayed anxiously, but things didn't go as planned; the goldfish was about to break free of the paper net.

"It has to be done this way."

Just as Xiaoqiege was about to repeat the mistakes of the previous nine times, a hand reached out from the side and grasped Xiaoqiege's hand.

Then, before she could react, the hand covering hers controlled the net in her hand, slowly scooping the goldfish out of the water and placing it in a bowl beside her.

Xiaoqiege didn't dare to breathe loudly the whole time, because she was very familiar with the owner of that hand.

"Sister Zero?" "Why is Sister Zero dying here?!"

The two looked surprised and turned to their side.

Although she was dressed differently than usual and her eyes were somewhat dazed, they could still recognize each other from her familiar face.

Before the two could ask any further questions, Lingyi's eyes, which had been glazed over, were now filled with clarity. She then turned around in a panic and disappeared into the crowd of festivalgoers at a speed that was impossible to catch up with.

P.S. Goodnight.

Chapter 53 Unsustainable

Despite Tsukuyomi and Akatsuki's attempts to catch up, Rei's concealment was incredibly swift; in the blink of an eye, they lost sight of what appeared to be Rei's figure.

"What do we do? Make the sauce, how do we make Death?"

"Let's notify the commander and the others first."

Having lost track of them, the two men, somewhat distressed, decided after discussion to first report this sudden phenomenon to a reliable person.

"Commander, it seems we just ran into Sister Zero, Death."

"The time was just now, and the location was around the goldfish scooping stall at the summer festival."

A moment later, they dialed the communicator, and then, without much time, the two told each other everything that had just happened.

"Zero, is that right? I understand, I get it."

Genjuro Kazanari learned of this news through the communicator, but only silently acknowledged it before hanging up without further communication.

"Commander, should we send men to search?"

Shinji Ogawa stepped forward and asked if they should send someone to investigate Rei's whereabouts based on the clues.

"No, no need. Don't forget, she has the ability to create clones of drones. Maybe what Qiege and Diao saw was just a decoy."

In response, Kazanari Genjuro shook his head, firmly stopping Ogawa's idea without wavering.

"Rather than risking diverting manpower by sending people here, guarding this complete relic is what we should be doing right now."

Then, looking around them at the black and red blades that were being tightly guarded and sealed off by the makeshift heretical technology prison, he explained.

"Yes, I understand."

After the explanation, Shinji Ogawa had no questions and continued to follow his previous instructions, guarding the Skyblade's side and keeping watch for any possible movements around them.

"Is this enough, Yukine...?"

After speaking, Kazanari Genjuro remained silent, recalling the matters that Chris had discussed with him on the phone that morning, and thought to himself.

......

Will she come?

At the same time, in a dark corner, a white-haired girl sat alone on the ground, leaning against the wall, gazing at the clear night sky where the stars were clearly visible, and murmured uneasily in her heart.

This morning, she came up with an idea that she herself didn't know if it would succeed, an idea that would allow her to see Lingyi now.

......

[Then, the second thing is, please, sir, could you please bring forward the city's summer festival?]

During the phone call, Chris solemnly conveyed this request to Commander Fengming, hoping to get his help.

[Holding the summer festival ahead of schedule... If we talk to the relevant management, it should be possible, but, Yukine, what's the point of doing this?]

Commander Fengming was somewhat puzzled, not understanding the purpose of this seemingly incongruous idea.

I don't know, I'm not sure about the specific meaning and I don't want to say. The only thing I can say is that doing this was just my own willfulness...

Chris pondered Commander Fengming's question at length, but ultimately, she decided not to bring it up.

Is it related to Zero?

Kazanari Genjuro was very clever. From Chris's reaction, he quickly deduced that this matter was probably related to Zero, and subconsciously asked her about it.

【…】

Chris remained silent, offering no answer to the question. She didn't want to go against her conscience, nor did she want to deceive the people she trusted with lies.

I understand. Do we need someone from SONG or Tachibana to accompany us?

Silence is also a form of response. Although Commander Fengming did not understand what Chris was thinking, he respected her and asked if she needed their help.

[No need. Anyway, it's pointless to do anything. Nobody should come. This is my own business, and only I can do it.]

Chris rejected Commander Windcaller's offer.

On one hand, this memory belongs to her and Lingyi, and she doesn't want any impurities to appear in this time of meeting.

On the other hand, after so many battles, Chris has come to a clear understanding of one fact.

Lingyi is very strong. No matter what they do, they can't defeat her. Even if they seem to have driven her into a corner, she believes that no trap can hold her back.

Therefore, Chris only wanted to achieve the most basic, humble, and minimal goal in accepting this invitation, and she didn't want to consider anything else.

Greed for more will only intensify the regret of failure.

【Alright then, I'll process your request as quickly as possible. The summer festival can be held this afternoon at the earliest. I hope you have a good time, Yukine. I won't let anyone disturb you.】

Having understood Chris's idea, Commander Fengming was worried and somewhat puzzled, but out of respect, he agreed to her approach.

Rather than subjecting the little girl to psychological pressure, Commander Fengming preferred to defeat the enemy honorably on the front lines.

【Thanks.】

All Chris could do in response to Commander Fengming's understanding was to express her heartfelt gratitude.

......

If it were just such a humble request, she would probably agree.

Returning to the present, Chris clutched the cute pink envelope tightly in her hand, feeling a little uneasy.

For the reasons stated earlier, she has no intention of using this agreement to do anything.

Her only wish is to seal her feelings on a piece of paper and hand it over at this moment when she can be sure that she will meet Zero's true self.

After sending the letter, Chris decided that she would no longer continue this long-distance battle with no end in sight.

She was acutely aware of her own weakness, and therefore, she knew that the only thing she could do in the face of Lingyi's suffering was to do something else.

If you choose to continue suffering like this, I will be with you. If you choose to live this painful life alone, I will continue to torment myself until the end of my life.

Tears blurred her vision; this was the only way she could think of to comfort herself, knowing that she could not win no matter what.

......

They've shaken them off; haven't they caught up?

Using the blind spot of the crowd with ease, she shook off Xiaoqiege and Yuedu Diao, who had come into contact with her unexpectedly. She hid herself at the edge of a dark alley, covering her forehead. Lingyi would rest here for the time being.

At this moment, the surrounding crowd surged, and the musicians who were also participating in the summer festival activities appeared and disappeared here.

While on the run, she also saw Kazanari Tsubasa, Maria, and their respective friends and sisters chatting and laughing, seemingly unaware that they were being hunted down.

【Ugh—ha, no, not now, phew…】

As she moved stealthily, the illusions created by the surrounding atmosphere continued to flicker in her mind, with fragments of the past relentlessly eroding her clarity.

"Well done, Chris. Although I don't know how or when you noticed it, this approach has definitely had an impact on my mental state."

Gently swaying her gaze, suppressing all the desires, hopes, and aspirations in her mind, Lingyi felt a slight sense of admiration for Chris's actions.

It's alright, it's okay. It's just a trap; as long as you calm down, escape, and ignore it, it's not a big deal.

Despite saying that, Lingyi wasn't really panicked at the moment.

Ultimately, she had no reason to fall into the trap at this time. Summer festivals aren't just once in a lifetime, so missing one wouldn't be a big deal.

Compared to this insignificant persistence, my current mental state is what I should be more worried about. If I were to have a mental breakdown at this time, that would be the worst outcome.

[Yes, think about it carefully. I don't necessarily need to do that kind of thing at this time, right?]

[SONG's people have basically given up the search. Following the concealed route and the pre-arranged plan, they will be absolutely safe once they reach that spot on the coast.]

Having calmed herself down and reviewed her plan in her mind again, Lingyi took a step forward.

One step, two steps, with firm strides, oblivious to the city's prosperity.

Locate the motorcycle parked at a safe point in the city, check the fuel tank, make sure it's full, put on your helmet, and start it.

The wind whistled past my ears - @月椅易(疑2拔師咝?II) The helmet narrowed my vision, and slowly, I drove myself onto a deserted road.

The narrow field of vision and dim streetlights made the road difficult to see.

Despite the imperceptible view, the well-thought-out plan in her clear mind still guided Lingyi steadily toward safety.

[Phew, we're here. If you want to, it's definitely possible.]

Far from the bustling city, in the pitch-black suburbs, the darkness that made it impossible to see anything engulfed the surroundings. In this darkness, Lingyi could only see herself.

Shaking her head to make sure she was on the right track, Lingyi stepped off the motorcycle and her eyes fell on the steps leading down.

As her dominance was about to be destroyed, she had secretly hidden the Hercules Base underwater near the coast.

Equipped with underwater mobility gear, the Hercules Base can move underwater, allowing her to reach her base, which she has set up in the deep sea to avoid detection, more quickly.

Furthermore, the spare flash blades stored on it can provide her with basic weaponry, even though she is currently unarmed.

Once she reached the top, her escape plan would be more than half successful, and she was confident that no one could catch up with her.