As the night went on, the situation unfolded exactly as Haruka had predicted. Soon, the first Rank B anomalies appeared. These were unaffected by the pulses coming from the lake, so they began mercilessly slaughtering the weaker anomalies, which, unable to defend themselves, continued advancing toward their destination.
"You know? This reminds me of a documentary I saw on TV…" Mochi commented as she watched what was happening outside. "When baby turtles try to reach the sea and get attacked by bigger predators."
The fear she had initially felt had already faded. In its place was an unsettling curiosity as she observed the brutal scene.
The situation continued like that for another hour. They were lucky—the anomalies were too busy devouring each other or fighting among themselves to approach the inn.
But their luck didn't last.
A thunderous roar shook the air, making the walls tremble. The Rank B anomalies froze in place, paralyzed with fear. From deep within the forest, a colossal figure emerged: a massive gray ape at least six meters tall. In its hand, it carried a gigantic scimitar, as large as an adult person. It advanced through the trees, snapping them apart like mere twigs.
"It's a Rank A… and a pretty strong one."
The ape turned its gaze toward the inn and displayed a savage grin, as if it had just found a particularly interesting prey. Without haste, it began moving forward, eliminating any anomaly that crossed its path. Even Rank B ones fell with a single strike of its blade.
"Haruka-san, it's coming this way!"
"What do we do?!"
Haruka took a few seconds to think, assessing the situation.
"I'll go face it. If that thing reaches the inn, it will destroy it completely. You two must stay here. It's very likely our fight will attract other anomalies. Deal with them without going outside. Don't actively seek fights—just eliminate any that come in."
She prepared to leave, but just before stepping through the door, Mochi stopped her.
"Haruka… please, tell me the truth… can you win against an anomaly that powerful?"
Haruka looked at her in silence for a moment, then gently patted her head.
"Don't worry. It's quite strong, and I've never fought something like that alone… but have no doubt: I'm going to win."
Mochi clenched her fists, gathering her courage.
"Haruka… can you close your eyes for a second?"
Haruka tilted her head slightly, confused.
"Alright."
She closed her eyes.
She felt Mochi step closer. She could sense her presence, her warmth… and then, something warm and soft brushed against her cheek. It was a brief contact, almost fleeting, but intense enough to leave a burning sensation on her skin. A small sound accompanied the gesture before Mochi quickly pulled away.
Haruka's eyes snapped open.
In front of her, Mochi was completely red, almost the same shade as her hair.
"I-it's a ritual… for good luck," she murmured, barely audible, her gaze fixed on the ground. Then, gathering courage, she looked up. "Make sure you come back!"
Unable to hold her gaze any longer, Mochi turned around and ran back inside the inn.
Haruka remained still.
Slowly, she raised a hand to her cheek, touching the spot where the warmth of the kiss still lingered. If she could have seen herself at that moment, she would have noticed that her face was almost as red as Mochi's.
Haruka left the inn and headed straight toward where the anomaly was. Even though she was about to face a formidable enemy, her mind kept circling back to what had just happened.
Was it really just a ritual… or did it mean something more?
She should ask her later… but… what if it really was a ritual?
Has she done it with someone else?
If so, she should warn her not to do it again…
Haruka brought her hand to her cheek once more, still feeling the lingering warmth.
…Though it would be a shame if it never happened again.
She shook her head firmly, forcing those thoughts away.
She needed to focus first.
If she wanted answers, she had to survive this fight.
This time, she wouldn't hold back.
Ether began to circulate through her entire body, flowing through every muscle, every limb, reinforcing her from within.
When the ape entered her range, Haruka didn't hesitate.
"Let's finish this quickly. No matter how strong you are… you won't come out unscathed."
She fully opened her fan and unleashed a barrage of dense icicles, each the size of a spear. They shot forward at high speed, aimed directly at the ape's chest.
By the time the creature sensed the danger, it was already too late to dodge.
Haruka watched closely. If the ape tried to block or use any ability, it would be forced to reveal its hand. Even if it defended itself, the damage would be inevitable.
But what happened next completely exceeded her expectations.
The ape didn't even move.
It didn't raise its weapon, didn't attempt to dodge. It simply stood there… and took the attack head-on.
The icicles struck its body and, instead of piercing it, shattered instantly, as if they had hit a wall of steel. Fragments of ice scattered in every direction. The impact pushed it back several steps… but it didn't suffer a single scratch.
The ape exhaled a dense vapor through its nose, completely unfazed. Then, slowly, it raised its enormous scimitar and pointed it directly at Haruka.
This will be harder than I expected…
That toughness isn't normal. It's reinforcing its body with ether…
This changes everything. It's going to be a much longer fight than I anticipated.
That same attack had destroyed other anomalies of similar level… but it hadn't done a single thing to this one.
"I'm starting to hate apes…"
Without wasting time, Haruka began to move, running in circles around the creature. She knew she had to keep her distance while analyzing how to defeat it. Thanks to the ether reinforcing her body, her speed was outstanding.
As she moved, she continued launching icicles at different parts of the ape's body, searching for a weak point.
But the ape didn't react as she expected.
It didn't chase her.
It remained at the center, motionless, slowly turning its head to follow her movements. The projectiles struck its body without causing any damage. Only when one was aimed at its face did it raise its arm or sword to block it, never taking its eyes off Haruka.
She frowned.
"Its physical resistance is absurd… I need to change my approach."
She partially closed her fan and channeled her ether into the ground.
"Pierce."
Spikes of ice erupted upward from the ground. Unlike the icicles, these were much thicker and sturdier, designed to impale from below.
But the ape had already anticipated it.
It leapt sideways at just the right moment, avoiding the attack, and the instant its feet touched the ground, it propelled itself forward again with an explosive burst of strength. In the blink of an eye, it closed the distance between them, thrusting its scimitar straight at her.
Haruka barely had time to react.
She concentrated all her strength into her legs and jumped backward, dodging the attack by the narrowest margin. The blade passed in front of her with a violence that made her skin crawl.
"That was dangerous…" Haruka murmured, quickly assessing the situation. "It realized what I was trying to do… and it also has good swordsmanship. That thrust was something only someone with a lot of experience could pull off."
The main problem now is its speed… I need to slow it down somehow.
As she landed, she struck her fan against the ground. Instantly, massive pillars of ice erupted around her, rising with sharp cracking sounds that shattered the stillness of the forest. They weren't a direct attack, but a barrier—thick, solid structures designed to endure and restrict movement.
Her plan was simple: reduce the anomaly's mobility and buy time.
The ape began moving between the pillars, dodging them with agility, but unable to reach its full speed. Meanwhile, Haruka focused her ether into her fan, maintaining her composure… even as the distance between them shortened with every passing second.
Until she had it right in front of her.
The ape unleashed a powerful horizontal slash with its scimitar, but Haruka, confident, spun precisely and slipped to the side, hiding in the shadow of a nearby pillar. The blade struck the ice with brutal force, cutting it in half… but it got stuck.
It was the opening she had been waiting for.
"This ends here!"
Haruka raised her fan and pointed it straight at him.
"Comet!"
The air around her seemed to freeze. The temperature dropped sharply, and an invisible pressure built up in the surroundings. The ape felt it instantly. Its instincts roared— it had to get away… or it would die.
It tried to retreat, but its weapon was still trapped. Without hesitation, it let go and pushed itself backward with all its strength. However, the pillars surrounding it limited its escape. Its back slammed violently against one of them.
"Too late."
In front of Haruka, an enormous mass of ice formed, the size of a car. The next instant, it shot forward at a speed faster than sound, producing a deafening roar.
The name of the attack was no coincidence. As the block of ice moved at such velocity, it endured extreme air pressure and high temperatures that caused its surface to sublimate, leaving a trail of vapor behind. It was, quite literally, a comet tearing across the battlefield.
The impact was inevitable.
The projectile struck the ape head-on, unleashing a colossal explosion that shook the ground. The shockwave spread in all directions, sweeping everything in its path. Several nearby anomalies were annihilated instantly.
From inside the inn, Mochi and Miyu watched the scene in disbelief.
A second later, the shockwave reached them.
The window glass shattered into a thousand pieces. They barely had time to react: Miyu deployed her umbrella at the last moment, while Mochi took cover behind her.
The wagasa held.
It not only blocked the shards of glass and the force of the impact, but also dampened the roar of the explosion. For Mochi, that was an immense relief. With her sensitive hearing, a sound of that magnitude could have caused permanent damage.