Sky Striker Princess, but the swan song of Valkyrie.

But she didn't expect that a simple, ordinary sneak attack would completely incapacitate the opponent, rendering them utterly useless.

[What's going on? Why do I feel like my whole body is being tightly bound? What happened? Wait, that's... Miss Zero?]

On Tachibana Hibiki's side, after being restrained by the anchor, she finally came to her senses from the dizziness. She jumped up from the ground and looked around, and immediately spotted Zero, who was wearing white armor, standing behind her.

[Hmm, it can still move, even though I've already turned the Widow's Anchor power up pretty high. Is this a characteristic resulting from fusing with the artifact?]

At the same time, Rei also noticed Tachibana Hibiki recovering and was somewhat surprised.

[The fact that Ms. Zero is here means she really is here to capture me, and she's really doing this terrible thing. Does that mean I now have to become her enemy, to fight against someone who is also human?]

Hibiki Tachibana, who noticed Rei, also realized this fact, and as she understood the current situation, the problem that had been troubling her all along became something that urgently needed to be solved.

Must humans fight each other? No, that's not right. It's wrong for humans to fight each other. Our enemy should be noise.

However, even now, Hibiki Tachibana still doesn't understand what she should do when facing an enemy who is also human.

This thought made Tachibana Hibiki's expression even more conflicted.

[Hmm, what's this guy thinking? His expression is so strange. Oh well, since we couldn't completely disable him, let's reinforce the restraints a bit more. We'll use these extra steel cables.]

Rei noticed Tachibana Hibiki's conflicted expression, but quickly ignored it and continued to focus on the task at hand.

[As expected, I still can't bring myself to be an enemy of humanity, but at least I have to escape. Although I don't quite understand it, I'm very important to everyone in Section Two right now, and I can't just let Ms. Zero take me away like this.]

Hibiki Tachibana, who also noticed Rei approaching her, although she still hadn't figured it out, at least understood what she should do right now.

P.S. Goodnight.

Chapter 59 Rapid Offense and Defense

We must escape.

Although that's what she thought, Tachibana Hibiki had no idea how to escape from this situation—being tied up in a dark alley in the dead of night.

At least we need to take action.

With that thought in mind, Hibiki Tachibana then used all the strength she could muster to get up, turn her body towards another exit of the alley, and began to move her legs.

Paji-

Then, Hibiki Tachibana's face made intimate contact with the ground, performing a standard flat fall.

"...Would fusing with a fragment of a relic cause intellectual impairment? Why do you believe that the anchor you're wearing is a release device?"

Looking at Tachibana Hibiki, who had just gotten up and was now in close contact with the ground again, Rei, who was holding onto the anchor chain attached to Tachibana Hibiki, complained.

Then, Zero used a steel cable to drag Tachibana Hibiki, who had run a meter or two, back to her, and then used the widow anchor to tie her up with a steel cable in a way that made it impossible for her to move even a finger.

At the same time, Zero also took a gag from the portal where she had just gotten the anchor and put it on her to prevent her cries for help from attracting enemies.

"Mmm mmm mmm"

Feeling the complete restraint from her wrists to her ankles, and the foreign object filling her mouth that completely restricted her from making a sound, Hibiki Tachibana realized that she probably really couldn't escape this time.

[It seems like they've resigned themselves to their fate, or perhaps they're conserving their energy?]

After spending a dozen seconds tying up Hibiki Tachibana, Rei noticed that Hibiki Tachibana was no longer trying to resist.

But regardless, since such an opportunity has been created with great difficulty, we must seize it while we can.

Thinking of this, Lingyi picked up the prisoner, weighing several dozen kilograms, from the ground with one hand as if he were carrying luggage, and prepared to leave the place quickly.

"Hey, Hibiki, don't rush so far. If you're going to fight Noise, at least rejoin Genjuro and the others first... Ah, you are!"

Just as Lingyi was about to do that, accompanied by the sound of an engine, a car suddenly pulled up at the entrance of the alley where Tachibana Hibiki had come in, and Sakurai Ryoko's voice came from above.

Obviously, as a member of Section 2, Sakurai Ryoko couldn't just leave Tachibana Hibiki running around unattended. So, after realizing what was happening, Tachibana Hibiki jumped out of the car to chase after Noise, and Sakurai Ryoko followed closely behind in her car, witnessing the scene unfold before her.

"Oh, Miss Ryoko, I'm sorry, I've been caught."

Noticing Sakurai Ryoko's arrival, Tachibana Hibiki felt extremely embarrassed, thinking to herself that no matter what, being ambushed and captured after only eliminating one noise was still too shameful.

"Um, well, I won't bother you any longer, I'll be going now."

Upon seeing Tachibana Hibiki's miserable state and the inorganic gaze of Zero, who was carrying Tachibana Hibiki, Sakurai Ryoko realized the situation and immediately stepped on the gas of her beloved car.

After all, she was just a non-combatant and it was impossible for her to rescue Tachibana Hibiki from Zero's clutches, so running away was the right choice, wasn't it?

[...Sakurai Ryoko? If I just let her go as a member of Section 2, it'll be terrible if they chase after her. I can't fight them with a burden like this. Time... I should have enough time, and I can also test the waters...]

Seeing Sakurai Ryoko's actions, Zero thought for a moment and then immediately made her own judgment.

She abandoned Tachibana Hibiki, who was already bound but inconvenient to carry, and then moved quickly to the passenger door of Sakurai Ryoko's car before it left. She then used the flash sword in her hand to 'open' the door.

"Haha, Miss Lingyi, hello there. The night is lovely tonight. I have something to attend to, so I'll be going now."

Seeing Zero's actions, Sakurai Ryoko hurriedly opened her car door, trying to jump out and escape. However, before she could carry out her plan, Zero, who was already inside the car, instantly covered her mouth, controlled her movements, and simultaneously stepped on the brakes.

"Waaaaaah..."

Before she could even cry for help, Sakurai Ryoko, a frail researcher, was completely controlled by Zero and rendered incapable of moving.

This should significantly delay the time it takes to be discovered.

After spending less than half a minute using the car's seatbelt to give Sakurai Ryoko the same bondage as Tachibana Hibiki, Rei parked the car on the side of the road and got out of the car.

"Hmm, a warning?"

The very next second after she stepped out of the car, an alarm signal suddenly appeared in her field of vision. It was from the alarm device mounted on the anchor she used to restrain Tachibana Hibiki.

"...As expected, things won't go so smoothly."

Seeing the message in her field of vision that her weapon was damaged, Lingyi thought to herself, and without stopping, she returned to the alley where she had set up her ambush a few seconds later.

Then she saw the anchor whose main structure had been destroyed, a manhole cover that had been overturned somewhere, and Ogawa Shinji, who was helping Tachibana Hibiki break free of the steel cable on her body.

“Oh no, we’ve been discovered, Mr. Ogawa.”

At the same time that Rei saw them, Hibiki Tachibana also noticed that Rei had returned.

In the split second that Lingyi left, she saw Ogawa Shinji, whom she thought had left with the Commander, suddenly emerge silently from a manhole cover in an alley. He quickly used some tool she couldn't understand to dismantle the mechanical claws on her body, restarting the stopped armor on her body.

"Take care of yourself, Tachibana, then find a way to notify the Commander and everyone, and tell them that Zero has appeared here."

Shinji Ogawa, who also noticed Zero's arrival, immediately stood up, drew his sidearm, and slowly retreated to the other side of the alley while saying this to Hibiki Tachibana.

"...When did I miss it?"

While the two reacted differently, Lingyi focused her gaze on a certain part of her field of vision, which showed a moving vehicle. In the passenger seat of that moving vehicle, there was a motionless figure dressed in a black suit.

"Hmm, it should be something like a substitute, right?"

While looking at the black suit in the moving vehicle, and then at Ogawa Shinji, whose suit had mysteriously disappeared, Rei quickly figured out what kind of plan the other party had used.

“Alright, I was worried that we might be followed. Ogawa Shinji, your initiative has made things easier for me. If we deal with you here, Section Two’s combat strength will be significantly weakened in the short term.”

Finally, looking at the armed police officers behind her, Ogawa Shinji made this announcement, while a large amount of smoke exploded from behind her.

P.S. Good afternoon.

Chapter Sixty: Forms of Deterioration

Tick

Sweat dripped onto the ground, but Tachibana Hibiki no longer had the energy to care about it.

Blades thrusting from the darkness, artillery fire falling from the sky, and black anchors that mean game over once you're caught.

In those few minutes, Tachibana Hibiki had endured countless attacks similar to those described above.

She had never fought a battle like this before. She didn't know where the enemy was, where the attacks were coming from, or which direction to move in.

What should I do? How can I escape from here?

Hibiki Tachibana pondered, but being someone who wasn't good at thinking, she was even less able to come up with a solution under the current high-pressure combat environment.

"Tachibana..."

Shinji Ogawa noticed Hibiki Tachibana's condition beside him and felt somewhat worried.

"Don't worry, Mr. Ogawa, I can hold on. As long as I keep going, once Mr. Kazeaki and the others find out that Miss Lingyi is here, he will come to our aid immediately, right?"

Hearing her companion's voice, Tachibana Hibiki responded optimistically.

"..."

Shinji Ogawa didn't know what to say. In fact, he had already sent a distress signal to the sky before rescuing Hibiki Tachibana, but after a few minutes, he did not receive any support from Commander Kazaki.

The signal he sent was universal; as long as one member of Section Two saw the signal, they could report the situation to the commander.

Under these circumstances, there is only one reason why the commander did not come to provide support: he was delayed by something and could not arrive immediately.

A muffled cannon shot rang out, followed by several more burn wounds on Tachibana Hibiki's body.

"Huff, huff..."

After withstanding this shelling, Hibiki Tachibana was visibly exhausted.

The prolonged period of intense mental concentration, coupled with numerous large and small wounds all over her body, were putting immense pressure on her will to break.

If things continue like this, Tachibana Hibiki will collapse before Commander Kazunari, whom she mentioned, arrives to provide support. And if Ogawa Shinji is left alone, it will be even less likely that he will win.

"..."

Shinji Ogawa already knew this fact, so what should he do next?

Is it possible to sacrifice only one person?

After thinking for a while, Shinji Ogawa made up his mind. He had anticipated this situation after taking this job.

"Tachibana-kun, run, run in that direction. Ignore any attacks. I'll handle everything. Once you're out there, run back to the Second Division headquarters as fast as you can."

With a clear mind, Ogawa Shinji gave this instruction to Tachibana Hibiki beside him without any hesitation.

"Hey, Mr. Ogawa, what did you say?"

Upon hearing Ogawa Shinji's instructions, Tachibana Hibiki didn't react for a moment.

"Tachibana-san, trust my judgment. Only in this way can we avoid defeat."

Shinji Ogawa said firmly.

If Hibiki Tachibana can return to the Second Division headquarters and utilize the heretical technology defense measures there, the probability of her being kidnapped by Zero will be greatly reduced.

"oh, I understand now."

Although she didn't know what Shinji Ogawa was going to do, out of trust for her companion, Hibiki Tachibana carried out Shinji Ogawa's instructions and rushed towards the exit of the fog-shrouded alley, with Shinji Ogawa following closely behind her.

[Once we do this, you will definitely attack. If we manage to escape this confined space, you will no longer be able to conceal yourself with the thick fog.]

This is a completely open strategy; as long as the other side doesn't want to give up their advantage in the field, they will definitely make a move.

Soon, just as Ogawa Shinji had expected, he felt a movement of air from behind. Zero was already behind him, the scorching blade already piercing his body.

Please, Tachibana-san, you have to escape.

With that thought in mind, ignoring his injuries, and fueled by the surge of adrenaline, Ogawa Shinji pulled out something that looked like a hand grenade from inside his suit.

I never expected that the inspiration I gained from the previous battles would actually come in handy.

With the blade still attached to his body, Ogawa Shinji held a gun in one hand and pulled the pin on the heavy object in his hand with the other, immediately throwing it in front of him.

The next moment, a dazzling light pierced the darkness. Even the thickest fog could not obscure the light, and along with it appeared the shadows of three people.

[Shadow Stitch!]

As she turned her head, the pistol fired backward. The high-speed bullet, carrying the power of heresy, reached the shadow of the girl illuminated by the light. The next moment, the girl's figure, which had been moving at high speed, came to an abrupt stop.

Traditional Shadowstitch requires a knife as a medium for casting spells, while modern Shadowstitch can be successfully cast even with pistol bullets, resulting in a much faster casting speed.

"We escaped, Mr. Ogawa!"

Emerging from the foggy alley, filled with the joy of surviving a near-death experience, Hibiki Tachibana's gaze began to search for her companions who had helped her escape the hellish battlefield.

"Ah... cough cough, it's good that you escaped... Tachibana-san, hurry back to the Second Division headquarters, the facilities there can protect your safety."

Then, Hibiki Tachibana saw Shinji Ogawa, whose clothes were severely torn in many places, each tear bearing a hideous and terrifying wound, and who was walking unsteadily.

"Mr. Ogawa?"

Hibiki Tachibana exclaimed in disbelief.

Ogawa Shinji, who had barely sustained any injuries just moments before, was now in this disheveled state in less than ten seconds.

"Ahem, hurry up and leave, Tachibana-san. The shadow gap created by the flashbang won't hold her off for long."

"I can't help but say it," Shinji Ogawa said reluctantly.