Fighting you is like being in jail.

Then she spread her hands, fingers pointing forward, and looked at Goto Ichiri with confidence and a sense of triumph, saying:

"Then let me see your strength!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the military swords on the ground flew up and circled around her. At the same time, the extra swords flew directly towards Goto Ichiri!

But the world changed in the next second.

*Puff!*

A feeling of having made a leap forward rose once again in Altair and Serega's hearts.

Altair's pupils contracted, and her closed mouth opened slightly. She stared wide-eyed ahead, where the sidewalk under the streetlights was studded with her own military knives, but Goto Ichiri had long since disappeared.

There was no process, no warning, it was like being teleported instantly.

Suddenly, the scent of shampoo wafted out from behind Altair, sending a chill down her spine and making her tremble with tension at the sudden change.

The voice rang out just before she turned around.

It was Goto Ichiri's calm voice.

Are you going to turn back here?

"What?!"

Altair's eyes widened in horror, her teeth clenched as she forced out a look of shock. She seemed frozen in place, her arms trembling—a struggle between the instinct to fight back and the suppressed force of reason.

Something's not right!

If we turn back here... something terrible will happen!

What just happened? Why is she gone? My saber is still stuck in the ground; I haven't even attacked yet...

Am I... actually stumped here?

If we can't move forward because of this situation...

In that instant, I...

"die-!"

She gritted her teeth, her eyes flashing with killing intent and resolve. In an instant, a military knife appeared on the metal glove that was clenched into her fist. Her arm drew an arc in the air, like a pendulum crashing into the figure behind her!

bite!!

The blade of the military knife struck the figure behind him in an instant.

Success! So easy!

However, at that very moment, when she could finally see the figure clearly...

His pupils dilated violently, his eyes became as sharp as needles, and his blue eyes reflected his own image.

"How is this possible!? I actually—saw myself!"

After an inexplicable shock, she found her body slowly sinking into nothingness.

"W-What is this!?"

The next second, she was stunned to find herself standing in front of her, looking exactly as she had seen herself, facing the direction she had just been in!

"what happened!?

She couldn't comprehend what was happening; her eyes widened in terror, cold sweat trickling down her cheeks as she breathed in the chilly air.

The night sky and the sidewalk were completely silent and cold.

The streetlights flickered at that moment, mirroring Altair's trembling heart.

suddenly!

Goto Ichiri's face appeared in the darkness behind Altair's neck. She gritted her teeth, her eyes wide with ferocity, and murderous intent and ruthlessness shone in her green eyes.

"As a way of putting it into practice, I'll show you."

"Since we've come to this point, I'll tell you."

"What you see and touch now is your future self."

"You see your future self in the seconds that have passed."

"This is the power of King Crimson!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Goto Ichiri clenched his five fingers together and thrust them with all his might toward Altair's back.

puff!

"Pfft-!"

The hand slash pierced Altair's body, and blood exploded in her chest, the spurting blood as vibrant as a rose.

Her eyes widened, her body trembled with pain, her mouth was filled with the taste of blood, and she had absolutely no chance to fight back!

What on earth is this?!

She couldn't understand how she could have been so easily beaten up by an unknown stranger.

This world created by the Creator... is definitely not as simple as it seems on the surface!

PS: Just so you know, the ability to copy is permanent.

P.S.: Also, extracting the English text made it feel less flavorful, so I didn't cut it. (Besides, it's only thirty characters... not too many, right?)

Chapter Fifty-Six: Me, me, me, Diablo!

"Pooh!"

Altair coughed up another mouthful of blood, his mouth and nose filled with the smell of blood and a hint of salt. His body trembled with pain, and all his muscles were clenched and twitching from the pain.

Tick-tock:

Blood dripped from her Russian-style black military overcoat onto the sidewalk, seeping into the concrete and leaving black marks.

But she did not give up. Instead, her pupils narrowed, and she forced herself to open her mouth despite the trembling pain, staring at the night sky in front of her.

The next second, she lowered her head slightly, covered her eyes with the brim of her hat, and a mysterious smile appeared on her lips.

"Fourteenth Movement: The Transformation of Cause and Effect!"

"Nani!? Mazi-yi—!"

Goto Ichiri's expression changed the moment Altair spoke, and she cried out in alarm. Her green eyes had already seen the future; in a second, she would be pierced through the chest and die.

But no matter what, Diablocie is no match for her!

She withdrew the hand blade that had pierced the enemy, and swung it around as if doing a stretching exercise. Her green eyes, flashing with surprise and astonishment, stared intently at Altair.

His lips curled down in displeasure, filled with resentment.

"King Crimson, wipe out all the worlds except mine—!"

*Whoosh!*

In an instant, the world in her eyes collapsed, everything became a popcorn, and her body floated in this world that resembled the universe.

"Hiss... Ha... Hiss... Ha..."

Goto Ichiri gasped for breath, his eyes filled with lingering fear and resentment.

She maneuvered her floating body to the opposite side of Altair, arrogantly tilting her head back in disdain.

"You were so close! Just a tiny bit more... and you succeeded!"

"But! Your future has been completely seen by me, Diablo!"

"Hehehehe... Ahahahahaha—!"

"As expected, fate is on my side! And you—you nameless scum! You can only die by my hand, Diablo!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she prepared to attack, clenched her fists, and shook her arms violently.

Once the world begins to recover, then... it will all be over!

"Time! Let's restart—!"

*Puff!*

Time began to resume, and in an instant, Altair's injuries vanished; the wounds disappeared, and the blood was no longer visible.

The moment she came to her senses, Goto Ichiri punched her in the face.

"Take this punch!!"

Bang-!

A fist traveling at 300 kilometers per hour slammed into Altair's face, the immense force sending her flying backward.

She fell backwards to the ground, crashing heavily into the sidewalk railing!

Boom!

A dull thud rang out as her body slammed into the railing, leaving a dent.

"What?! How could this be! Baka!"

Altair, who had been looking back, lay on the railing, her pupils trembling like needles. The punch had left her mind blank.

The unfailing cause-and-effect transformation has been deciphered!

My abilities have been broken!

The power that granted me in that instant... was just... broken!

"What...what have you done?!"

She thought of Setsuna, and the legacy Setsuna left her, and on the verge of a breakdown, she roared at Goto Ichiri, who had landed in front of her.

However, she calmed down as soon as she finished speaking, shook her head, covered her face, took a deep breath, and sighed, her chest heaving down.

"How rude of me. I shouldn't have gotten so agitated."

As she spoke, she floated up and stood in the air once again, opposite Goto Ichiri.

However, before she could react, Goto Ichiri had already started moving.

Goto Ichiri sprinted towards Altair with a hand chop, his face filled with murderous intent, and his green eyes flashed with a fierce light.

At that moment, her moldy octopus head swayed behind her head, creating the arc of waves as she ran.

As he ran, he opened his mouth and shouted fiercely.

"I, Diablo, am the Emperor!"

"And you—will be my defeated opponent, Diablo!"

As he ran, Goto Ichiri's momentum surged once more, and the next second would surely bring a fatal attack.

just

Altair lowered her head, shielding her eyes with the brim of her hat, a slight, regretful smile playing on her lips. Her body began to glow with a blue light, as countless blue cubes replaced her form.

"It seems the time isn't right yet... Let's say goodbye here, and I believe we'll meet again."

As soon as she finished speaking, she transformed into countless blue cubes and disappeared into the sky above the street.

Then, Goto Ichiri, who rushed up but missed, clenched his fists in anger, squeezed his arms tightly, bent his legs, and roared furiously.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa!"

"Come back! Come back to me—!"

"You disgusting piece of trash, like a rat dropping in the toilet! Come back here!"

"I, I, I am Diablo!"

Goto Ichiri roared to the sky, his voice echoing through the night.

Awakened by Goto Ichiri's roar, the motion-sensor lights in the stairwells turned on one by one in the pitch-black streets.

Serena, who had witnessed all of this, stared in disbelief at the roaring and frenzied Goto Ichiri, speechless.

At that moment, the car's high beams shone from the side.

brake-!

The sound of brakes was heard, followed by the sound of the car door opening.