Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

But what is strong is only their energy. Their life force remains at a somewhat awkward level.

[These are inferior supernatural life forms. Their offensive and defensive capabilities meet the standards, but their life strength remains limited. A single hit during an offensive-defensive transition will kill them instantly. Aside from this, they can be roughly considered senior supernatural beings achieved without genetic locking.]

Thoughts wove together in his mind, and he successfully recalled a theory that Margot Lloyd had mentioned at some point—that there are only two modes of battle between extraordinary beings: one is to decide the outcome in an instant, and the other is to drag it out for thousands of years.

The reason for this situation is that the survival abilities of supernatural beings are all incredibly strong. Without a strategy to annihilate them all in an instant, the only option is to drag the fight out until one side reaches theoretical exhaustion. However, this only applies to genuine supernatural beings, not to those alien species created by various accidents or other artificially produced imitations—merely achieving a fourth-tier offensive or defensive capability only qualifies as the limit of the third tier, and the current enemies are at most slightly stronger than the limit of the third tier!

The shift in thought was fleeting. Reassured, Zheng Zha calmly raised his blood-red longsword. He stared at the three men in front of him who were adopting a defensive stance, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.

"I just heard the name of an angel, which reminded me of someone who brought me painful memories. And since you've struck first, don't blame me for retaliating fiercely!"

The next moment, his aura swelled up, and like a crimson meteor, he crashed into the winged woman who was in a defensive stance!

................................................

Alice blinked, looking at the three winged women who had suddenly appeared around her. She had sensed the rapid changes in space as she alerted Zheng Zha. After sending out the intelligence and setting up defenses and a temporary base, she found herself suddenly disconnected from Zheng Zha.

No, it's not disconnected; the connection still exists, but information transmission is severely delayed. What used to be a mere instant now involves a delay of about ten minutes, as if a distance of less than ten kilometers has been stretched to light-seconds!

“Space-time manipulation… I see. You've altered the timeline of this land, placing me ten minutes earlier.” Alice sighed softly, her Staff of Control appearing in her hand as she quickly entered combat mode. “Looks like I've been seen as the weak link. If I'm not mistaken, my companions should be fighting you all in some unknown point in time in ten minutes. And that idiot probably hasn't even noticed anything amiss?”

“Wrong. You are the prey that we should be paying attention to. Although a mere mutated day vampire is powerful, every known vampire lord has similar abilities. Compared to those heads that, while possessing great power, already have numerous records, your head is a much more worthy target for our collection.”

The winged woman in the center possessed an innately melancholic face, and an eerie, almost benevolent aura emanated from her words. It was some kind of energy field, and when it reached within ten meters of Alice, it directly activated the runic spell's automatic defensive function!

Alice raised an eyebrow. While stalling for time with words, she projected her senses around and concluded that an area of ​​approximately one million square kilometers had been altered to another dimension. Although she didn't know how these angel-like beings could accomplish such a thing, she sensed it was some kind of borrowed external force rather than the winged beings' true power. After all, while the level of this time barrier was undoubtedly profound, its application was rather crude.

Her fingers trembled slightly, and an abnormal fluctuation in time spread out. However, just as this fluctuation was about to trigger a subsequent reaction like the flapping of a butterfly's wings, a neutralizing shockwave was reflexively released from the three-bodied winged being's body, completely offsetting the time fluctuation she had released!

A moment of silence...

The two made their subtle movements almost simultaneously, and were noticed by the other at the same time. When they both realized they were doing something futile, they both chose to stop.

"Could you explain this?" Alice sighed and tapped her forehead. "If you want my head, at least tell me where this precious head is worth. That way, the fight will be more efficient, and I won't have to hold back, which would be so embarrassing."

The winged woman on the right let out a sneer.

The next moment, the battle broke out!

A massive explosion, equivalent to a direct hit from the Great Library's macro cannon, erupted between the four. Alice wielded energy threads, while the three winged maidens simultaneously hurled spears of light forged from pure energy! The spears, coated with lethal radiation effective against most organisms, exploded at the epicenter, only to be completely gathered by the dancing energy threads before reaching Alice's skin, attaching to the Staff of Control and transforming into broadswords!

"How arrogant! We are merely witnessing for the first time a higher life form not among the fifteen races. You mingle with vampires, yet lack blood sensitivity; you use magic, yet lack the pointed ears and spirit stones of forest elves; your physical attributes are powerful, yet you lack the fur and sharp claws of orcs—" The winged woman sneered, flapping her wings, scattering fire and light with each flutter. A spear, a mixture of flame and radiance, materialized in her hand, clashing hundreds of times in mid-air with the broadsword that Alice had slashed down!

With a whoosh, the spear was severed on the thousandth strike, and the witch's broadsword followed suit, slashing fiercely towards the winged woman's waist. The multiple layers of protective runic barriers shattered instantly. Then, just before the blade struck flesh, a shift in space interfered, slowing the blade by a fraction, allowing the sneer to escape.

Space continued to tremble, and from the silent winged woman initially positioned on the far left, a dozen spatial rifts were torn open out of thin air, like a painting. Even the sharpest sword in the world was no match for these irregular black spiderwebs, yet they all stopped at the hem of Alice's skirt, like rabbits running into a tree!

[Because this is an alternate world where time is out of place, the other side doesn't dare to use time-space abilities casually...]

Alice casually brushed aside the black spiderweb, attempting to channel her will into it to shake the foundations of the otherworld. However, the answer she received was far from ideal—beyond the barrier of the otherworld lay only chaotic currents of time and a boiling sea of ​​energy. It was impossible to return to the normal flow of time in a short period!

But this is not without meaning.

With a slight movement, thorn-like ice crystals materialized out of thin air where she had been standing—she had nimbly veered ten meters to the side before the attack could strike. As she dodged the suddenly appearing crystals, she discovered that the two winged women, who had sustained some damage in their previous clash, had completely recovered, like true supernatural beings, returning to their original forms!

They were crystals, crystals that appeared out of thin air. The crystal created by the winged maiden in the very center could effectively heal the injuries and condition of her kind. The crystal that had formed where Alice had previously been suddenly exploded, transforming into a highly toxic substance specifically designed to counteract the energy released!

With one main attacker, one main defender, and one main support, plus the added benefit of their secret treasures, this is undoubtedly a fairly complete and powerful combat team.

This also means that the possibility of a fourth person hiding nearby is extremely slim.

Alice's mind raced. After dodging the potent energy poison, she unleashed hundreds of dark sword energies, each imbued with a curse against non-human creatures, from the air with her broadsword. This was unlikely to be decisive, but it provided her with some room to maneuver. As the three winged maidens parried and dodged, she traversed a semi-circular path in the air, her broadsword transforming into a giant scythe. After creating several illusions to evade a series of attacks, she slashed fiercely at the winged maiden who was the main supporter.

With a whoosh, the giant scythe slashed down, piercing the fiery spear rather than the winged man's neck. The attacker, with the help of his companions, managed an emergency teleportation, perfectly dodging Alice's attack.

Very good, very good, not bad at all.

The balance of power quickly returned to normal, and both sides resumed their stalemate. Alice's decapitation attempts failed several times in a row. Meanwhile, the fighting spirit of these winged women grew even stronger.

“You are nothing. Although you have a slight feeling of being a dragon spirit, you still can’t see through the Time Scale that we, the Skywing race, obtained by defeating the final dragon. You are not a member of intelligent life, yet you possess such powerful strength. How could you not cherish it?”

As she successfully blocked Alice's attack for the seventh time and retaliated slightly, the winged woman, who was in the lead, issued a declaration that sounded almost like a victory. Her aura surged, and the flames around her rose even higher.

Alice, while avoiding the question, responded with a question.

"Have you never heard of the existence of a species like humans?"

"Are you talking about those hairless monkeys?"—that was the answer she received.

The next moment, the giant scythe transformed into a massive sword the size of a door. Flames, crystals, and even spatial rifts were all easily severed. A massive energy storm swirled, separating the two combatants to opposite ends of the battlefield.

Alice's voice carried clearly through the storm—"After fighting for so long, it's a bit impolite not to use names. My name is Alice, Alice Margot Lloyd. And what kind of people are you all?"

"The Winged Race, the fifteenth seat of the Winged Council—Uriel." —The main attacker clad in flames.

"I am the thirteenth seat, Sahalil." — The one who controls the space.

"Israphael, Ninth Seat." — The leader in charge of support.

The energy storm suddenly dissipated outwards. When Alice reappeared, she single-handedly withstood a combined attack from three Skywings!

“Thank you for the information, everyone.” The witch’s lips uttered powerful words. “Angels of Light, Angels of the Sky, Angels of Music… I must admire the way your Creator named you—I will remember your names as a reminder that I once severed three such exquisite heads.”

The next moment, all the air paths that Alice's seven attacks had taken collapsed, sealing off the three Skywings, while a sea of ​​dark matter mixed with endless energy surged out from the cracks!

“The Book of Revelation was written, the River Styx was lamented…” Alice said softly, “…You winged races who presume to bear the name of the angels, this is your burial place.”

Section Four: The Headhunter

The Lament for the Styx—this is an apocalypse that Alice alone composed, capable of being unleashed without external assistance. If the world were shifted forward one dimension, Alice could unleash such power simply by drawing upon the bubble world within her. However, alas, in this world, the bubble world has not yet appeared, and the concept of a permanent entity has not yet been formed. Therefore, to utilize this power, she must rely on the terrain and the Staff of Control in her hand.

The sea of ​​dark matter surged in with a roar, and the nine diverging Styx Rivers rushed towards the three winged maidens who had falsely claimed the title of angel. The defensive barrier they had hastily erected was easily broken by the Styx Rivers, and Uriel, whose defenses were slightly weaker, even had her wings tainted by the Styx River, half of her wing turning pitch black in an instant!

"What is this?! The defensive spell is completely ineffective?!" Uriel screamed, relaying the message to her companion, the Spear of Time, who unhesitatingly severed the corroded wing. The space around her shifted, and in a flash, Saharil teleported her into a fence woven from spatial rifts.

A tear-like ice crystal fell from Israphael's hands, but the healing power that should have restored Uriel to her original state in an instant was completely ineffective! Her damaged wings were frozen in an instant, and when they were restored, they were still in a damaged state!

"How is this possible—such power!?"

The Styx River roared in, and in the next instant, the barrier formed by the spatial rift faced an unimaginable test. The protective measures that were originally capable of withstanding bombardments strong enough to level a continent gradually became unstable under the physical bombardment of the Styx River, which was formed from the tide of dark matter, and were in danger of collapsing in an instant!

The winged maidens' defiant cries pierced through the fence and the tide of dark matter.

"Where did this mere monkey, this lowly creature that isn't even considered a wild animal, steal such power from?!"

The resentment and contempt in that tone almost tangibly echoed in the witch's ears. Someone with a weaker will or a stronger sense of human identity might have responded with sarcasm. However, Alice remained indifferent, watching these winged women struggle in the River Styx with their clumsy tricks.

[Because you've discovered a power you can't understand or deal with, you're trying to trick us into revealing even a single word of information? Using such crude rhetoric, it seems these so-called Winged Races have long been at the top of the food chain in this world. However, unfortunately, I've already seen through your true nature. Although you appear to be intelligent and sentient beings, you are actually nothing more than empty shells, like the billions of angels created by the Emperor of the Ninagawa Kingdom, with added emotional modules.]

Alice snapped her fingers, and one of the nine rivers of the Styx abruptly separated. A crimson beast emerged from the river, its gaping maw unleashing a hoarse roar!

One of the River Styx, a demon from the border jail. Those who seek help will have their voices denied.

"Your spatial defenses—are stripped away."

The protective spatial rift barrier suddenly collapsed, as if it had never existed in the first place. The sudden collapse of the Styx tide instantly engulfed the three Skywings, and was then temporarily pushed aside by the burst of energy tide.

"Words of power?"—A questioning voice rang out, followed by a surge of even more Styx water.

[You are powerless to resist the tides of the Styx, for you presumptuously claim the title of angels who roam the multiverse, yet are nothing but falsehoods, unworthy of your position, lacking both virtue and strength. What should have been a balance of light and darkness will inevitably become a situation where you are unilaterally subdued by me. And since you cannot obtain information from me, all you can do is take a risky attack.]

Ah... if only I could have so easily and effortlessly compiled the Book of Revelation back then, when I was fighting against the emperor's men. If that were the case... oh well, the outcome wouldn't have been any different.

The energy around Alice surged, converging into another branching Styx River. She watched as the three Skywings were chased and fled by the sevenfold Styx River. Then she assessed the possible countermeasures the other side might take.

As a puppeteer who had dealt with the Emperor, she could easily see that these so-called Winged Races were nothing more than puppet-like creations. Although they possessed emotions, they were essentially fabricated objects, like programmed modules. And since they were puppets, their actions were necessarily guided by fixed missions.

Whether on patrol or hunting, these puppet-like hunting dogs always adhere to rules set by their masters. When an extremely powerful and unknown enemy appears, their task as puppets is inevitably to gather intelligence and eliminate variables. And since they are at the top of the food chain in this world, the possibility of attempting annihilation is far greater than simply fleeing.

Therefore, even if they are at a disadvantage, they will not immediately dispel the time barrier and escape. The only thing they are most likely to do is—

—Beheading!

'Crack—! ! !' Like shattering pieces of fine glass, the fleeing Trisolarans somehow connected using a spell and simultaneously activated close-range teleportation—the spatial structure around Alice directly collapsed into tiny fragments and dust. As the sea of ​​dark matter surged forth, the three suddenly appearing Trisolarans disregarded their bodies being corroded by the River Styx and launched a desperate attack on Alice at the same time!

Spears of light, swords of ice, and halberds of the sky. Three attacks simultaneously sealed off every opening around Alice. Their assaults were fierce and ruthless, but to Alice, they were futile. For Alice had prepared beforehand; the pre-existing Styx suddenly spun, transforming into a wall of sighs that completely blocked the three attacks!

The essence of the Border Prison is 'rejection'; its previous disguise as a Word of Power was merely a deception! And the next moment, the three Heavenly Winged Species' all-out bombardment shattered the outer wall!

No, there are only two!

Alice raised an eyebrow, and the relatively weaker Void Halberd in her vision vanished like a phantom. As she blocked the remaining two attacks, she detected a rapidly gathering magical energy high above her!

[To burn everything away and unleash a transcendent, all-out attack... requires building up momentum. This kind of move isn't very versatile!]

Alice stretched out her hand towards the sky and grasped at thin air. However, just as she mobilized the gravitational tide to crush the gathered Sky Angel, the other two Skywings she had blocked simultaneously emitted a dazzling light of self-destruction!

--'boom!!!!!!'

................................................

Zheng Zha was utterly bewildered. While the three winged maidens before him weren't exceptionally powerful, their resilience was unexpectedly strong. He had assumed that a single, devastating attack exceeding their defensive limits would destroy one of them, inevitably leading to the annihilation of the other two. But when he unearthed the word 'destruction' from the depths of his memory—a sense of temporal displacement that astonished him—and tore one of them to pieces, the seemingly dead winged maiden miraculously revived in a strange manner.

Like the moon reflected in a well, or a flower in a mirror. Clearly not very strong, clearly their internal energy pathways easily discernible, yet they were utterly unable to completely kill these three beings who seemed no match for them. Zheng Zha felt like a clumsy gorilla, struggling to swat a few flies, only to have them successfully evade him each time before he could be swatted!

Buzz, buzz.

It's not strong, but it's annoying, frustrating, and impossible to kill!

Zheng Zha felt his confusion gradually transforming into an extraordinary rage, a rage capable of scorching the entire world. Just as he was about to unleash a massive, map-clearing rampage and a strange, sensible plan formed in his mind—the world, however, crumbled before he could act!

"Gah?"—Zheng, who had been gathering his strength and preparing to unleash a devastating strike, froze in mid-air, his greatsword raised. He clearly saw the surrounding space shatter like a mirror, and then the mountains and plains he had torn to shreds just minutes before were strangely torn apart into even more gruesome forms. The necks of the three winged women, who had been so aggressive and dodging left and right just a second ago, were all severed simultaneously, their severed heads and bodies silently turning into a mirage of colorless ash!

Alice's voice rang out from not far behind him.

"I see. The time barrier is divided into two layers, one ten minutes ago and the other five minutes ago. They not only intend to hunt me, but also have the plan and confidence to deal with me within five minutes before dealing with you."

Zheng Zha turned around in surprise, raising an eyebrow as he noticed Alice's skirt, which showed signs of burning and seemed to be constantly alternating between repair and damage. His gaze shifted, and he was startled when he saw the three severed heads Alice was carrying.

“Margot Royd, you, this…” He noticed that the faces of the three heads were all very familiar, and although one of them had become much younger, the facial features of the winged woman who used spatial interference could still be vaguely seen.

"Don't worry, these guys aren't dead yet." Alice shook the three heads in her hands. She glanced somewhat displeased at the burn marks on the hem of her skirt that hadn't fully healed, frowned, and forcibly ended the cycle of destruction and regeneration. Although the consequence was that she had to change the style of her coat, it wasn't actually that much different from before.

“These three are called Skywings, an immature clan created by a powerful being in this world. I can obtain a lot of valuable information from them, so I temporarily bypassed their self-destruction measures by using the puppeteer method. I will still have to put in some effort to get the information out later.”

"Is...is that so?" Zheng Zha breathed a slight sigh of relief, his emotions somewhat ambiguous. His eyes held undisguised doubt as he looked at Alice's hand, then at the spot where the three guys who had bothered him for so long had disappeared. "But I was clearly with them just now..."

"Didn't you notice something's off about the timeline...? Hmm, didn't you notice the space has been shrunk a bit?" Alice pointed with some confusion to a chasm-like gash on the ground, its end abruptly ending nearly a hundred kilometers away. "You and I are both trapped in two separate, non-adjacent time barriers. My side is my true form, and your side is your avatar. It's understandable that you didn't notice at first, but we've been fighting for almost five minutes now... and you still haven't realized it?"

Zheng Zha turned his head away awkwardly, roaring inwardly.

—Who the hell would notice how the rift valley broke off 100 kilometers away?! I'm not like you, with eyes and ears everywhere. As long as I'm having fun cutting, isn't that enough?!

—Although the chopping wasn't very satisfying...

"I'm so sorry..." Zheng Zha roared inwardly, but outwardly he gave an awkward smile. "I was a little too excited, so I didn't really notice these details..."

“No need for an apology.” Alice shook her head, weaving a storage spell to neatly contain the three undying Skywing heads. “But the lesson must be remembered. As a transcendent being, mastering countermeasures against time interference is essential—I should have let you experience the feeling of time freezing when we dealt with Esdeath. But since it’s all in the past, let’s just forget about it.”