episode_0240

* * *

Ashe’s stomach was pierced.

By Rahel’s sword, falling vertically from the ceiling.

Future Ashe, pushed back and collapsing, stared blankly at the scene.

The current Ashe, pierced by the sword,

“Got you…!”

Grasped the blade that pierced her stomach and smiled grimly.

Blood gushed from her mouth, but she didn’t seem to care.

“【God of Time. Chain. Link. Ring of Ages】”

The words of the chant flowed out.

Rahel, sensing something unusual, hurriedly tried to pull out her sword, but it wouldn’t budge due to a strange force.

In that situation, current Ashe’s other hand grabbed Rahel’s arm.

“Let’s rest for a moment… 【Complete Stop】!”

With that, everything about the current Ashe stopped.

Her heart, which had been racing, the blood flowing from her body, the arm that gripped Rahel’s hand.

The time of her body had stopped.

A body with stopped time can no longer be cut or broken.

Therefore, the sword stuck in her, and the hand gripping Rahel’s body could not be pulled out or shaken off.

Because the time of that body had stopped, it was also fixed in place.

Rahel poured magic into it, trying to shake off the spell, but future Ashe approached from behind and suppressed Rahel.

From behind the resisting Rahel, another chanting word continued.

“【God of Time. Chain. Link. Ring of Ages】”

Magic swelled.

Something special, different from the monotonous magic so far, was coming.

Rahel, sensing this, didn’t stay still. She haphazardly poured out magic and used magic as well.

Crackle crackle crackle-!

Blooming in the hallway was an ice flower, *bingseolhwa* (氷雪花). [Ice and snow flower]

Pillars of ice, each more than enough to tear apart a fragile human body, soared upwards. They had to soar.

But it was stopped before it could reach Ashe.

Before it could properly activate, the time of the ice had stopped.

Again, the only amount of time she could stop was 1 second, or less than 2 seconds.

But that was enough.

For her, who controls time, the possibility of 1 second was endless.

“【KRONOS, God who controls time, God who manipulates time, God who is time itself, I pray to you now】!”

“【Please, lend us that power】.”

Acceleration was already applied to her body. Moreover, with an acceleration that didn’t consider the aftermath, her current speed was─16 times the original.

She lengthened the 1 second of time that stopped Rahel into 16 seconds, completed the incantation at an impossible speed, and manifested the magic.

“【A prison of time to trap our enemies】.”

“【Chains to bind them with the law of time that no one can defy】!”

While suppressing Rahel, Ashe emitted a light of magic from her whole body, and put the last word of the incantation in her mouth.

“【Chronos Time】!”

The chanting words ended there.

Along with that last word.

As if rewarding the incantation, anomalies occurred instantly, surrounding the two Ashes and Rahel.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh——

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh…!!

From the three people who were close to each other, the light and wind of magic expanded and unfolded with a *hwaaa* sound.

In the light that made it seem like only that place had turned into another world, several rings of light surrounded the three.

“Haa… really, you’ve worked hard, time-version of me. Young me is amazing. The current me could never do that.”

The current Ashe, who had stopped her own time, could not hear that voice.

Still, future Ashe muttered as if she didn’t care. Admiring, praising her past self.

Within the surrounding rings of light, the two Ashes and one Rahel were enveloped in light, and soon disappeared from that spot.

The figures of the Hero Leaders who had been scattering blood and fighting just a moment ago were no longer there.

The place where they flew was a different dimension between time and time, which does not exist anywhere in this world.

In a place isolated from all concepts, their time will stop, and they will eventually be released back into reality at some point in the future.

In a way, it’s like time travel.

Because they disappear from the present in their current form and reappear in the future.

And in the meantime, the physically isolated Rahel can no longer interfere with No. 13.

Without Rahel, there are no more variables.

If she grabs Doraji as she is, it will all be over. Rahel, who returns later, can be stopped by Doraji’s order.

This fight was definitely a victory for No. 13, Abyss, and Ashe.

* * *

………………..

………..

……

Clang! Boom!

Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-!

Crash! Rumble!!!

Loud noises, reminiscent of a battlefield, echoed incessantly.

In fact, the place was no different from a battlefield.

This was because the hallway of the hotel had become a complete mess due to the numerous security robots Doraji dispatched, and the traps and exploding mines laid everywhere.

It was a clearly murderous attack.

She clearly has no intention of forgiving, and no intention of allowing entry into the place where she is.

But with this level of threat, she cannot stop two A-class Heroes who have experienced all kinds of hardships.

“This side’s done. These guys are just big, there’s nothing to them.”

“I’ve handled all the traps on this side too.”

Spade, who ran ahead, instantly turned the combat robots that had almost filled the hallway into scrap metal, and Mabel rendered all kinds of traps powerless by wielding her brush.

There were cases where bullets poured down like a barrage, but they could not penetrate the red magic Spade had wrapped around her body or the ink walls Mabel had created.

Thanks to this, No. 13 was very comfortable.

Perhaps Doraji was only wary of Apple’s ability to make her weapons unusable, but even without Apple’s ability, the cards she possessed were being easily captured.

If you feel you lack strength, you can have greater strength.

It’s like an ultimate muscle brain idea, but after seeing the Heroes, it becomes impossible to deny.

‘The wound….’

No. 13 limped down the hallway.

He had died several times due to the adjutant’s attack a little while ago, and his magic was insufficient because he had been resurrected.

He had enough magic left to resurrect one more time, but he was moving down the hallway with his current injury, which was not fatal, just in case.

This level of injury doesn’t cause any inconvenience in his movements.

It will be fine.

* * *

At some point, no more security robots appeared.

The same was true for traps.

Even so, they didn’t neglect their vigilance against the surroundings, and investigated by opening each room on the top floor one by one.

There were no keys, so Spade or Mabel basically broke them with force or magic.

Then, at some point, they seemed to feel a presence from inside the door they had arrived at.

Spade and Mabel also sent their gazes towards each other, as if they felt the same thing.

Carefully, they grabbed the doorknob of that door.

Unlike other rooms, the doorknob turned easily and opened. It seemed that it was not locked.

And the door opened.

Bang!

A gunshot was heard immediately.

A bullet flew, accurately aiming for No. 13’s forehead.

However, it did not pierce No. 13’s head, but was caught and blocked by Spade’s hand, which was wearing gloves.

Catching a bullet, not just grabbing a blade.

It was an amazing technique from Spade, but she was very nonchalant.

“Sh, shit…!! What the hell is that, are you a monster…!!”

Spade took a step forward into the entrance, as if protecting No. 13.

Then, several shots followed in succession.

But none of them managed to injure Spade, and soon only the sound of clicking could be heard, and no more gunshots were heard.

Had she run out of bullets?

No. 13 passed by Spade’s side.

In his view, the face of the mastermind was finally clearly visible.

Long hair with black and blue mixed together. Unlike Dorothy, she was tall and the curves of her body were clear.

Her eyes were the same blue as Dorothy’s.

He came inside and looked around the room.

It was a hotel room, but it had been remodeled to feel like a laboratory.

A space lined with various tools and chemicals.

In one corner of the room, a bed was placed, and Dorothy was lying half-naked on the bed.

Whether she was asleep or not, she didn’t react to this side.

After checking up to that point, No. 13 looked back at Doraji.

“You’re Doraji, right?”

“Shit… Shit…!! Die… I’ll kill you…!!”

“You’ve been doing whatever you want.”

No. 13 said in a voice filled with subtle anger.

Doraji seemed frightened by the voice and shrunk her shoulders, but she gritted her teeth, glaring at him, as if not wanting to lose.

As if not caring, No. 13 approached and snatched the gun from Doraji’s hand.

She resisted, but as Doraji only had the strength of an ordinary woman, she couldn’t beat the strength of a robust man.

When Doraji was deprived of her gun, she reached out towards the desk instead, but he grabbed her arm so she couldn’t, and threw her to the floor as she was.

There seemed to be many suspicious chemicals on the desk. Was she trying to throw these haphazardly?

“I’m going to give back everything you’ve done so far 100 times. I won’t forgive you even if you apologize while crying, so you should know that.”

Doraji tried to rush in one last time, screaming, but was quickly subdued by Spade who intervened.

She no longer had any means or methods to overcome this situation….