Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Zhao Yingkong exhaled softly, her warm breath turning into a thin mist the moment she exhaled. She frowned slightly and instantly moved away from the spot where she had just left her mark.

That's terrible...

She sheathed the Fang of Netherfire in her hand, minimizing her presence. At the same time, she activated the cloak of concealment she was wearing, completely hiding her physical form, heat signature, heartbeat, and breathing.

She learned something from Alice—everyone has their weaknesses, and tools exist to address those weaknesses. Specializing in one's own skill without relying on external aids is indeed a superior path in martial arts. But in the cycle of reincarnation, doing so is undoubtedly tying one's own hands.

This cloak of concealment was a piece of future equipment she obtained by exchanging a remaining C-rank side quest from the Ju-on world and two thousand reward points. Equipping this item undoubtedly greatly enhanced her stealth and stealth abilities.

No matter how stealthy a person is, it's impossible to completely shield their body's heat sources and vital functions. Even if it were possible, the effort and energy required would be far less than simply donning an optical cloak. Using this, she easily traversed two or three blocks without attracting anyone's attention.

She noticed something.

Many people came out to investigate after hearing the commotion in the city… The local government had absolutely no intention of evacuating them. Had they been treated as disposable pawns from the start? Three armored divisions… if fully deployed, could raze the city to the ground.

Her heart pounded anxiously, and just then, a remote communication from Alice sounded in her ear. Because of the concealing cloak, there was no risk of their conversation being leaked.

“I will assist you in the next operation, Zhao.” Alice’s voice was quick and concise. “You will be dealing with the US 7th, 10th, and 11th Armored Divisions. The nearest one, the 10th Armored Division, is about four kilometers away in a straight line from your four o’clock position. At your current speed, you can get there in two minutes.”

[Are we ignoring the remaining two armored divisions?] Zhao Yingkong frowned slightly, her pace quickening slightly once more. She leaped directly onto the rooftop, gliding through the air like a large bird, carried by the rain.

"It's too late. The enemy's battle lines are too spread out. Moreover, the ground in this city is ridiculously hard, allowing main battle tanks to travel at normal speed on the streets. We can only stop one division at most. I can use magic to delay one more from a distance, but the remaining one will inevitably run into the others in the villa area."

How are the others?

"Everything is fine. The infantry have been mostly cleared out. It's just that the garage was unfortunately damaged. Although the vehicles are still there, it will take up a lot of our time. So we still have time to talk."

What is your assessment of the current situation?

“This is undoubtedly a premeditated operation, and we are not in a favorable position.” Alice’s voice became serious. “You know what? I just did some research online and found that there’s a cold front moving inland from the Atlantic this season, coupled with a low-pressure system with active sunlight… and this rainfall is actually government-organized artificial rain.”

"They used at least 20,000 rain-bringing rockets. The resulting cumulonimbus clouds covered a third of North America. This made it impossible for me to directly hack into their critical databases via satellite. Even if I could bypass physical barriers and use magic to hack into those physically isolated servers, I simply couldn't locate the servers in this situation."

"Moreover, the armored division you're dealing with has almost completely cut off all complex communication devices. Their weapon systems are also damnably purely mechanical transmission types. While this reduces their combat effectiveness, it also prevents me from directly paralyzing them with a single 'information disruption'... There's no doubt that the 'Apocalypse' group in the opposing camp has already figured out our capabilities... at least my capabilities, to a great extent. The upcoming battle will be very troublesome."

If what you're saying is true, then they must have more tricks up their sleeve. Even if we defeat this armored division, something worse will follow.

“Undoubtedly,” Alice replied, “but we don’t have many options. Besides, I’ve made some preparations.”

【That's good. 】

Zhao Yingkong took a light breath. In her vision, the steel torrent constructed by the 10th Armored Division was like a ferocious beast moving through the night.

There are some things Alice doesn't know. Coming from another world, she absolutely doesn't know that in Zhao Yingkong's real world, the US Army's fifteen armored divisions were reduced to only two after World War II. This is because there is simply no need to prepare so many armored forces in peacetime, and the government cannot afford such heavy military expenses.

Yet in this world, in an equally peaceful era, this superpower at the top of the world has maintained such a powerful military structure.

Undoubtedly, with such a powerful army, there must also be enemies to deal with. So... who are these enemies they intend to confront?

"Us? No... No matter how powerful these Awakened Ones are, they can't possibly be stronger than the Supreme God. Therefore, the enemy they must be facing must be something else entirely. Could it be... we aren't the first guests to arrive in this world?"

She landed gently on the top of a tall building, and under the cover of the rain, her gaze wandered among the advancing armored divisions.

A single armored division of the U.S. military possesses over a thousand main battle tanks and various infantry fighting vehicles. Not to mention the tens of thousands of elite soldiers. Although the number of aerial units visible was limited due to thunderstorms and communication disruptions, hundreds of armed helicopters were still circling at low altitudes, constantly monitoring any unusual activity on the battlefield.

A direct confrontation would be suicidal, but a stealthy attack also requires a suitable opportunity.

She connected with Alice's communication in her thoughts.

Alice, I need your cover.

"Understood, cover fire will arrive soon... I suggest you find a lower-lying spot. Things might get a bit chaotic next—you don't want to get caught in the crossfire, do you, Zhao?"

Without hesitation, Zhao Yingkong slid down the connecting pipe on the roof. Water splashed everywhere, and the noses of several armed helicopters turned slightly, seemingly noticing the unusual location she was in.

Then, just before they could act, a deafening roar of thunder echoed through the sky. Huge bolts of lightning flashed through the clouds, like the ravenous roar of a awakened beast.

—A thunderstorm is coming.

Section 16 Experimental Losses

While harsh natural environments can certainly hinder the casting of certain informational magic, the dense energy contained in the atmosphere can still be a powerful weapon in the hands of witches—she cannot directly dispel the clouds covering a third of North America, but stimulating a portion of the cumulonimbus clouds to create a catastrophe-like thunderstorm is within her power.

[However, this requires meticulous control. If it triggers a chain reaction and spreads the thunderstorm to my side, the situation will become even more unfavorable.]

Alice lowered her eyes.

She didn't use such a large-scale celestial magic on a whim. This indiscriminate, low-precision bombardment didn't actually pose a threat to a mage of her level. But it was an excellent method for clearing out mobs—she wasn't worried that Zhao Yingkong would be accidentally injured in this thunderstorm. Or rather… if she were accidentally injured, she would actually be relieved.

Her gaze swept across the light screen beside her. By sharing the optical signals captured by the sensor on Zhao Yingkong's cloak, she knew that Zhao Yingkong had taken refuge in a safe place, observing the actions of the 10th Armored Division from the shelter of the building where the lightning strike could not reach.

Those armed helicopters were the first to be destroyed. Although they noticed the spray of water created by Zhao Yingkong breaking through the rain from high above, their altitude was also the source of their demise. When the lightning struck, their sturdy alloy shells became steel tombs.

They exploded in mid-air, shattering into pieces of iron. The still-spinning propellers hurtled towards Zhao Yingkong's location like out-of-control beasts, while the falling debris detonated fuel tanks upon impact, turning the ground into a sea of ​​fire with the spreading fuel.

However, Zhao Yingkong was not afraid of fire... at least not fire of only one or two thousand degrees Celsius. So this wouldn't kill her, nor could it force her out of her bunker.

The lightning continued to strike, killing soldiers and destroying tanks and chariots. It triggered various unexplained explosions, turning the entire street into an inferno—if Alice hadn't studied the city's layout beforehand and determined the approximate location of the septic tanks beneath this area, the subsequent septic tank explosions might have actually forced Zhao Yingkong out from between the buildings… or locked her inside the collapsed structures.

Amidst the chaos brought by the thunderstorm, Zhao Yingkong's gaze caught sight of the armored division's command center.

Alice looked away.

[They're just bait; we have to finish this quickly.] She thought to herself, even without the aid of optical sharing, she could see the massive thunderstorm nearly ten kilometers away with the naked eye from her location.

Death had already broken the rules. From the moment it instigated the American army to launch the attack, Alice was 70% certain it wasn't an embodiment of order. Because after this battle, at least tens of thousands of soldiers and innocent civilians had died. And the disruption to Death's order was far more serious than allowing the Central Continent team to live.

This shows that it had no intention of showing any mercy from the very beginning; it was determined from the outset to kill everyone in the Zhongzhou team regardless of the cost.

However, its power is limited.

[If Death truly is the embodiment of order, then that thunderstorm would have inevitably spiraled out of control, and the spell I cast would have brought us calamity. Because if the out-of-control thunderstorm had spread to this villa, aside from the seasoned veterans, several newcomers and main characters would certainly have died.]

It had no reason to let such a good opportunity slip by, after all, it had already gone on a killing spree, disregarding the lives of innocent people… And since it did so, the first possibility is that it couldn't have done it, and the second possibility is that it had ulterior motives. Either way, it proves that it is not part of the order. But…

Alice's gaze swept across the rain-soaked city amidst the roar of battle. She knew that one of the three American armored divisions had been halted, and another's advance had been slowed by her magic. However, the last remaining armored division would soon arrive near the villa, finding the Central State Team's new base. And when that happened, another bloodbath would ensue.

Many people will die, and the world's order of death will be disrupted even more thoroughly. Logically speaking, since Death has already pushed the situation to this point in a single day, it should have used all its strength.

【but……】

What if these people were destined to die from the very beginning?

Further verification is still needed.

She stopped casting her spell. In her perception, the collapsed garage had been cleared away. However, just as the vehicle was about to depart, she realized the passing of a life bearing her magical mark.

—Someone has died.

She died even after she had prepared protective measures for everyone and arranged life-saving shields.

Are you a newcomer?

Her gaze shifted downwards, peering through the obstructed rain towards the noisy crowd emanating from the garage. Saito's gaze met hers mid-air, and an exchange of messages instantly took place between them.

Alice: [What happened? Who died?]

Saito Hajime: [A newcomer named Wang Xiaoxiao died. Just as he was about to hide in his car, a delayed-action grenade from the first wave of attacks exploded, and he was unfortunately pierced through the brain by a shard of porcelain. There was no time to save him.]

Alice: [I prepared protective shields for everyone beforehand; it's impossible for anyone to die or be injured for this reason... This must be related to you. Are you using him for experiments?]

Saito Hajime: [It was just simple mental interference. I deliberately triggered Zheng Zha's calamity and then tried to transfer it to a newcomer. So far, the experiment seems to be going smoothly, but I don't know if the conclusion will be as I hope.]

Alice: [You killed him?]

Saito Hajime: [It was Death who killed him; after all, the Supreme God didn't deduct my reward points.]

Alice: [...Your experiment isn't over yet, is it? Newcomers' lives shouldn't be wasted like this.]

Saito Hajime: [No, you're right, but you're right, so I'll be more careful with equipment wear and tear next time... By the way, have you heard of Touhou Koumakyou ~ the Land of the Scarlet Devil and Touhou Youyoumu?]

Alice ended the conversation.

Of course, she knew what Scarlet Devil Village and Youyoumu were. She even knew about Kagura no Tsukasa, Eternal Night, Hisoutensoku, Fuujinroku, Shinreibyou, and Kokoro... Ever since she discovered the disc with Reimu's image printed on it in the Ju-on world, she immediately inquired about the relevant information from the Main God upon returning to the Main God Space. The Main God readily gave her an entire Touhou Project setting book, which left her utterly astonished during the several hours she spent reading it.

However, it was just shock; nothing serious.

She had been prepared for the possibility of having a counterpart in another world… ever since she entered the Main God Space and came into contact with that infinite cycle of reincarnation. But so what? The counterpart was not the same person she was now; at most, she was just a group of strangers with the same appearance and name. They had no relation to her whatsoever.

However, these are not the main points. The main point is the meaning behind Saito Hajime's words at this time.

Undoubtedly, the newcomer knew some information about her and harbored some unfriendly intentions towards her... Although it's unclear how much Saito Hajime was involved in, there's no smoke without fire. If the newcomer had no ill intentions, then it would be quite difficult for Saito Hajime to provoke them.

So... if you die, you die. It's not a big deal.

[Experimental supplies...looks like more deaths are coming. Saito Hajime is getting stranger and stranger; a mere Seven Chapters of the Mysterious Lord's Secret Records shouldn't have made him like this. After all, the Mysterious Lord's abilities...are only so-so. And I even deliberately deleted the most troublesome seventh chapter...he must have come into contact with some other things.]

[But it doesn't matter, as long as they don't get in my way. After all, having embarked on this path... he knows best what the final outcome will be.]

Let's deal with the current situation first.

Author's Note:

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

I tried it out with one order, and then I got five consecutive 10-pulls in a second... It scared me to death!

I'm going to train Darius now. As a good friend of Africans (people from Africa), it's really disrespectful that Darius is only level 1.

Section Seventeen: Unraveling the Mystery

It was raining heavily.

When Alice stopped maintaining the tilted gravitational field, the heavy curtain of water fell from mid-air, washing the area where the group had been standing into a mess of ruins. She gently landed on the roof of the vehicle that had already driven into the rain, and with a flick of her finger, a communication channel for transmitting sound waves was connected to the interior of the carriage.

“How is everyone? If anyone is injured, please let me know, and I can provide treatment right now,” she asked.

Xiao Honglu's voice then came from inside the carriage.

"No one was injured. The main characters and the newcomers are all fine... Except for one newcomer who unfortunately died, no one else even got a scratch."

“Understood. You should have a plan for where to go next. The 10th Armored Division has been blocked by Zhao Chenggong, and the 7th Division has been hindered by my magic. But the 11th Division is really beyond our ability to affect. We will be within their firing range in about ten minutes.”

"...Where's Patchouli? She should be able to use magic like you, Alice, right?"

"Patch isn't here right now, and I can't contact her for the time being. But if we can hold out until dawn, Patty can provide us with protection that can withstand a direct hit from at least a small to medium-yield nuclear bomb. She can also provide powerful fire support."

How powerful is it?

"It's stronger than you think."

“Understood. Then I’ll take care of settling the new recruits. Since they’ve deployed their armored divisions directly into the city, it means they’re no longer concerned about the safety of the city’s residents. Also, areas with overly complex terrain are disadvantageous to us. So I’ve chosen the southwest.”

"Let's try to bypass this armored division... The chances of success are slim, but we have to try. I suspect they're not the government's trump card, so we'd better get out of the city as soon as possible. Ideally, we could use the heavy rain as cover to bypass them, but if not..."