episode_0243

The scene unfolding before Violet’s eyes was even more chaotic than before.

The interior of the convention center had transformed into a complete battlefield.

-Boom!

A chaotic melee had already broken out between Violet and the Obsidian Legion agents. Just as things had settled into a lull, unidentified cultists burst in, and the exhibition hall rapidly devolved into uncontrollable chaos.

“Aargh! Watch out!”

“What are those things now?!”

As screams echoed from all directions due to the unexpected attack, the Violets checked their map.

“What are *they* now?!” “Ugh! It looks like they’re here to steal the artifact too!”

Sure enough, the unidentified intruders threw the encirclement into disarray. Several hasty cultists rushed towards the bag held by a suited agent.

“That’s ours! Hand it over!”

“Hands off! Unless you want to die!”

Seeing the charging cultists, Aspen’s response was swift. The hand not holding the bag moved quickly, striking the uninvited guests’ vital points.

“Aargh!”

Immediately after cutting down the third charging enemy, he subtly but quickly issued the next command.

-Move to the Academy Promotion Hall!

Immediately after the command, the agents began running, smashing through a side partition wall. After running for a short while, a sharp girl’s voice immediately echoed from all directions.

“Stop! You thieves!”

“You can’t escape!”

The Violets’ encirclement quickly detected the escapees’ movements. The movement of the bag was reported moment by moment on the Violets’ tactical map, which was deployed to every corner of the exhibition hall.

“How dare they! Try to escape?!” “It seems they can’t escape our eyes!”

The Violets prided themselves. Their encirclement might be wide and sparse, but it never missed anything.

-Slice!

“Shriek!”

Several Violets who had charged forward were cut down and fell, but even more Violets appeared behind them. A Violet, having slipped through a gap, swung her sword. The agent retreated to defend, but it was a feint.

“Fooled you, didn’t I?”

As the bag, its handle expertly severed, fell to the floor, Unit 1912 snatched it up and threw it.

“…!”

Aspen hastily stabbed the Violet’s back, but another Violet had already snatched it and fled.

“It’s mine! I got it!” “Well done, Unit 1912!”

Violet thought. She didn’t know how important this artifact was, but she figured carrying it would lure them in.

And her prediction was correct.

“Stop! You infidel! Hand over the artifact right now!”

A sharp sword pierced the back of the Violet who was joyfully fleeing. The head of the cultist who was gleefully carrying the bag was severed in a single strike.

A fierce struggle for the metal bag containing the artifact erupted between the Obsidian Legion, the unidentified fanatics, and the Violets and security guards. The exhibition hall was turning into pandemonium as everyone tried to seize the bag.

“Uwaah! My arm’s cut off!”

The fight quickly spread beyond the artifact exhibition room to engulf the entire fairground.

-CRUNCH!

Shattered exhibits and promotional materials lay scattered across the floor, and chairs and tables were smashed to pieces.

“Aaaaaah!”

“Get down!”

Civilians, terrified, started screaming and fleeing. However, most of them fought back, even if defensively. Many awakened individuals were capable of self-defense. Panicked students hid near booths, but some brave ones jumped into the fight, actively trying to suppress the chaos.

The Obsidian Legion agents were swift and meticulous. They were frantically determined to snatch the artifact with cold precision. Violet responded to this with experience and numbers.

“Aargh!”

And some fanatics, drenched in madness, created a bloodbath.

Someone’s scream was heard. Violet turned her head and saw a student, stabbed by a fanatic, bleeding and collapsing.

“Ugh! These guys are attacking other people too!” “This won’t do. Kill all enemies marked on the map!”

Violet charged towards the enemies. Her sword flashed, severing the fanatic’s arm. The fanatic screamed, spouting blood, but Violet paid no heed and immediately took off its head.

“Die!”

Even amidst the chaotic free-for-all, the struggle of each faction for the metal bag showed no signs of stopping. One of the Legion agents snatched the bag once more, but he found himself surrounded by a group of fanatics. From all sides, groups of Violets, along with other people, fiercely engaged with the unidentified attackers.

“No! Don’t lose it!”

As the bag soared into the air once again, Violet desperately shouted. But in the chaotic struggle, the metal bag was snatched back and forth, floating in the air without finding a master.

It was utter pandemonium. In the confusion, Lucian muttered forlornly.

“Another incident has broken out…”

As an uninvited guest rushed up behind him while he was lamenting, Lucian irritably fired a magic bullet.

“Damn it! Get lost!”

He had tried so hard to avoid this. It was a daily occurrence to get caught up in incidents whenever he got involved with Violet.

“U-Ugh!”

“Oh, you idiot. Assemble it quickly!”

“Ah, alright…”

While Levi hastily assembled the ballista, Lucian firmly resolved and fired magic bullets.

‘Next time, I’m absolutely not getting involved!’

**

Clutching the metal bag tightly, I ran like mad. The footsteps of the fanatics and Legion agents echoed loudly in my ears, but now was not the time to confront them.

“Damn it, if I had a high-firepower weapon, I would’ve ended this already…!” “I can’t even use self-destruct!”

But if I did that, innocent people would bleed. As the Ariel Group, which adheres to the Geneva Conventions, we can’t just throw bombs without caring about civilians.

“Move! Get out of the way!”

I ran forward, shouting breathlessly. Then, in an instant, my vision brightened.

“What? The power’s back on?”

She didn’t know how, but it seemed power had returned to the entire exhibition hall. Under the bright lights, I gasped at the stark scene laid bare before me.

People lying collapsed and bloody, shattered booths. The exhibition hall, ruined by the villains.

“It’s too horrible!”

But at the same time, thanks to the brighter visibility, every movement of the enemies felt almost tangible.

“Good, now I can fight back!”

I shouted vigorously and picked up speed. But at that moment, an unexpected situation occurred.

-CRASH!

After a fierce back-and-forth, the metal bag, unable to withstand the chase, shattered into pieces. The ‘Heart of Sunset’ inside rolled across the ground with a loud clatter.

“Wh-What?! No!”

The Heart of Sunset bounced noisily and flew far away. The one who picked it up was, of all people, one of the fanatics.

“Ah, no! Prepare to snipe!”

Just as Unit 512 was about to swiftly shoot him down and retrieve it, he suddenly moved stiffly like a robot, then slowly turned his head to face me.

“What’s he doing?”

My confusion lasted only a moment before the fanatic trudged over and placed the Heart of Sunset into my hand. I could only receive it blankly.

“What?”

In that fleeting moment, the suited man from the Obsidian Legion, who had been following, fiercely lunged at me.

“I won’t miss this time!”

Seeing the treasure in my hand, madness welled up in his eyes.

“Aargh! Be gentle!”

“You damn clone hag!”

A sharp, chilling strike came flying relentlessly. It was a situation where the artifact was almost snatched away.

-CLANG!

“Violet! I’ll handle this guy!”

Sophieel Unnie, who knows when she appeared, blocked the enemy’s attack.

“Sophieel Unnie!”

Unnie’s arrival was enough to turn the tide. And it wasn’t just that.

“There he is! It’s an Obsidian Legion guy!”

“Grab him!”

In the brightened atmosphere, hunters and students across the exhibition hall came to their senses and quickly countered their attacks. The enemies Violet had held back were now one by one hit in the back of the head and fell.

“Kraaagh!”

Finally, we began to overwhelm the enemies. Watching the collapsing fanatics and Legion agents, I let out a deep sigh of relief.

“We won!”

And Unnie’s fight also came to an end soon.

“Kraaagh!”

The guy who had attempted an attack was defeated by Sophieel Unnie’s unique counter-technique and fell to the floor.

Overjoyed, I scoffed at the fallen Legion agent.

“Fake guy!” “The true Ariel triumphs!”

The chaos at the exhibition gradually settled. Though something felt a little off.

Wait, it really felt like I’d missed something.

Were there really so few of those fanatics?

“Hey! Come to the exhibition hall! These guys are doing something weird!”

At Unit 122’s urgent voice, I felt a dizzying sensation.

“Wh-What is that?!”

At the sight seen through my clone’s eyes, I ground my teeth and muttered. The fanatics we thought we had completely suppressed had survived and were doing something suspicious in a corner of the exhibition hall.

“Is it a prayer meeting?” “No, look at what they’re holding! Don’t tell me…”

What they held in their hands was a familiar object. The artifact I used when making hamburger sets.

The crazed attackers, with the small Miracle Box in the center, were muttering and moving.

“Oh, Goddesses of Mercy, Wisdom, and Peace…”

Suddenly, a strange intuition flashed through my mind. Why were those guys so obsessed with the Heart of Sunset? My numerous past experiences suggested something ominous to me.

“Was their real goal not the Heart of Sunset?” “The Miracle Box is their target? Why that?”

Could it be that everything up until now was a diversion?

It was then. A strange blue energy field began to spread around the fanatics.

“I don’t know, I have to stop them first!”

I quickly rushed forward, but was blocked by the energy field and couldn’t easily approach.

“Unnie! Hit this for me!”

“Alright!”

-CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Sophieel Unnie also joined in, unleashing powerful attacks, but it was no use. Though sparks flew noisily, the energy field remained steadfast.

“Oh, Great Three Goddesses!”

“Show us the truth. Guide us on the path of salvation!”

They muttered and prayed as if possessed by something.

“What?! Why isn’t it breaking through! Break through!”

They were plotting something dangerous, but we couldn’t stop them.

And as the ritual reached its climax, an eerie blue light enveloped the entire exhibition hall.

“Aaaaaah!”

“No, this is…!”

As everything was tinged with a strange color, I felt my breath catch in my throat. The entire world was being swallowed by a blue aura.

“Aargh! Unnie! I’m being pulled away!”

“Violet, it’s alright. You are…”

Startled, I cried out for Sophieel Unnie, but no answer came back. My vision blurred, and my consciousness slowly faded.

“No! I’m being pulled away! Uwaaah!”

And then everything was engulfed in pitch-black darkness.