The sky was a clear blue, white clouds drifted leisurely, the city was beautiful, and pedestrians bustled about.
Standing suspended in midair, Shichen took in this harmonious sight at first glance and almost thought he had returned to the café. After all, at a quick look, the cityscape seemed similar—both in a modern style.
He still couldn't fly at will, and on closer inspection, one would notice a transparent barrier under his feet, serving as a foothold. Otherwise, he would've fallen.
The moment he arrived in this world, he appeared in midair. If he hadn't reacted quickly and used a barrier to block his fall, he might have been smashed into pulp.
He still hadn't tested his True Ancestor powers and wasn't sure if he could fully recover from a fall—but he didn't want to try. Shichen couldn't help suspecting that "she" had done this on purpose, letting him appear in midair. From "her" tone, it seemed "she" didn't particularly like this world.
But he found himself very fond of this world—fond of those who were both strong and vulnerable—and wanted to meet them as soon as possible.
However, just arriving here, he was unfamiliar with the situation. There was a lot he needed to do, a lot he needed to confirm. It felt chaotic, complicated, but he was inexplicably excited.
Right now, the most important thing was time itself.
Shichen glanced at the empty sky, unsure if his sudden appearance had been noticed by any hidden behemoth. There was a good chance it had.
He hoped there wouldn't be any misunderstanding.
Retracting his gaze, Shichen looked down, planning to land in a deserted alley. But at that moment, a shrill, air-raid-like siren suddenly blared.
The wailing echoed through the entire city, and the once-peaceful scene turned chaotic.
Pedestrians ran in all directions, flocks of birds took to the sky, and the clamor almost drowned out the siren.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, the streets became deserted. Apart from the siren, not a sound could be heard.
People in this world evacuated at an impressively fast pace.
"No way…?" Shichen frowned, unsure.
He wasn't certain if it was just his luck to run into such an incident right away, or if it was merely a city-wide drill. But given "her" history with teleportation, it was very likely real.
Though calling this "good luck" didn't seem appropriate.
Before he could think further, a spherical purple object suddenly appeared beneath his feet. It grew rapidly in size, stirring up a storm around it.
It was as though a typhoon had struck. The city was devastated, shop windows shattered instantly, and railing fences were swept up and flung aside.
By now, that purple sphere had expanded into something colossal, and it suddenly emitted a dazzling light.
"Boom—!"
It exploded in an ear-splitting blast, and a massive shockwave rippled outward, destroying buildings in an instant.
"It really is a spacequake!"
The shockwave surged toward Shichen as well. He could only teleport, moving to distant ground in the blink of an eye to evade.
Fortunately, the spacequake didn't prevent him from using spatial movement; otherwise, the moment he arrived in this world, he would've had to test his True Ancestor powers.
The spacequake Shichen spoke of ended quickly, but the destruction it left behind was breathtaking. Right before his eyes, the street he had just seen was completely gone, and further ahead was a scene resembling a meteor impact.
A giant crater had been gouged into the earth, and the surrounding area lay in ruins—nothing but rubble.
There wasn't even the smell of burning.
Suddenly, he recalled the moment he'd been forced into the dimensional world, struck by a meteor. Could that place have looked like this afterward?
But now wasn't the time for such thoughts. He noticed something unusual in the crater and blinked, appearing at its edge.
From there, he had a clear view of what lay within—and he also confirmed this world's timeframe.
In the center of the giant crater stood an earthen object resembling a throne, and beside it stood a young girl in something akin to armor—a bizarre outfit. She placed a foot on the throne's armrest, her entire presence emanating an imposing majesty.
"Huh?" The girl noticed Shichen, turned her head toward him, and at that moment, Shichen got a good look at her face.
She had long, knee-length hair in a shade of purple-black. Her face was youthful, around sixteen or seventeen, both cute and regal.
Her eyes were exceptionally beautiful, glowing with an otherworldly light like crystal glass.
Her attire was lavish: it seemed part cloth, part metal, forming a princess-like armored gown. Sections of the skirt, lining, and hem were composed of shimmering, mysterious layers.
Her beauty was almost violent in its intensity. Her name was on the tip of one's tongue, but at this point, she still had no name at all.
[Detected target hosting a Divine Fragment!]
Right then, "her" voice sounded in Shichen's mind. It no longer seemed mechanical but carried a hint of displeasure.
[Target Individual— *****.]
[Mission: Give her a name, spend time with her, earn her trust and dependence, and then claim the Divine Fragment.]
[Once the mission is complete, you may head to other worlds to continue searching for more Divine Fragments.]
[Mission Privileges: Immunity to all spiritual power damage, immunity to all angelic damage (limited to one month).]
[Once the Divine Fragment is claimed, the privilege is permanently retained.]
A mission target without a name—understandable, in a way. But it wasn't the right moment to dwell on this.
"You too?"
The girl made her move. She gently and carefully grasped the handle jutting out from the throne's back and slowly drew it out.
It was a giant sword with a broad blade, radiating a dreamlike, rainbow-like brilliance that dazzled the eye.
She lifted the sword over her head, tracing a hazy, luminous arc in midair. Then, in one swift leap, she appeared before Shichen, sword in hand, pointing it at him.
"You too?" Her cold tone betrayed her fatigue.
"Wait—whoa!"
Before Shichen could ask what she meant, she suddenly swung her sword sideways at him—but not with great speed.
Instinctively, he ducked, bending low to evade.
Crack—an arc of swordlight sliced through the air, and everything behind Shichen—houses, storefronts, roadside trees, traffic signs—was instantly cut clean in half. Then came the thunderous collapse of buildings and structures.
"What are you doing?" Shichen glanced back, then snapped irritably.
"Huh?" The girl seemed momentarily stunned.
"Are you out of your mind?" Shichen stood up, walked right over, and unceremoniously chopped her lightly on the head with a hand blade.
"What… are you doing?" She didn't move, just stared blankly at him.
"Isn't it obvious? Teaching you a lesson!"
"Teaching me a lesson? Why?"
"Why? You just swung a sword at me—what do you think?"
"But… aren't you here to kill me? I had no choice…"
"Who said I want to kill you? I wouldn't do such a thing." Shichen cut her off, speaking gently.
"Wha…?" The girl looked at Shichen, frowning in confusion and suspicion.
"There's no need to doubt me. I'm telling the truth," Shichen said with a soft smile.
"I can't understand… and also why… you have my… hmm?" The girl's words trailed off as she suddenly looked up at the sky.
Shichen, frowning, followed her gaze.
Whoosh—several humans clad in high-tech gear came flying in. Without hesitation, they fired what looked like missiles from their weapons, straight toward Shichen and the girl.
"They sure know how to interrupt."
Shichen turned, positioning himself in front of the girl, and raised a hand to release a stream of water. It swept over the incoming missiles. Instead of detonating, they fell, crashing to the ground like duds.
"What are you…?" The girl's lips parted slightly in astonishment as she stared at him.
Shichen turned back and smiled at her. "Now do you believe I'm not here to kill you?"
"Umm…" The girl pursed her lips, appearing momentarily dazed.
The person before her had just protected her. Clearly, he wasn't here to take her life. It was the first time she had ever encountered such a situation.
"You were about to say something… but maybe now isn't the best time."
More missiles came hurtling toward them. Shichen sighed, raised a barrier, and blocked them—also cutting off the enemy's line of sight.
"You and I… are we the same?" The girl, eyeing the barrier that deflected the attacks, asked in puzzlement.
"Pretty much."
"Then you're my ally?" Her tone held a trace of hope.
"You could say that… but now's not the time to talk about it. You should leave for now. I'll find you later. This bunch isn't going to give up easily."
"Can I come find you?"
"Of course. Just try not to cause such a commotion next time." Shichen grinned and reminded her.
"Got it… wait for me." The girl took a deep look at Shichen, then turned and left.
Shichen withdrew the barrier, watching her fly off into the distance. The high-tech troops immediately followed in pursuit.
Concealing his presence really was effective; none of them noticed him. Among that group, however, Shichen spotted a white-haired girl.
He wasn't worried about the purple-haired girl's safety; with her power, if she wanted to, that group wouldn't stand a chance. She really was too kind-hearted.
Had he not just arrived in a new world and been unfamiliar with it, he wouldn't have let the girl leave on her own.
For now, though, he needed to find himself a place to stay.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, he sensed a spatial fluctuation around him. He didn't resist, and in the next instant, he vanished into thin air.
~~~
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