A beautiful girl who transmigrates into a Herrscher of the Void is treated like an elf and conquered

"Moreover, if she sees the battle between the elves and the AST, and it reminds her of her own experience or triggers the seal, then that would be troublesome."

"Didn't we already say that we would try our best to avoid putting pressure on Tohka as much as possible for Ratatosk?"

"No, but..." Shido was still a little worried. He wanted to get Tohka out of his sight, especially in this chaotic situation.

Then, just as Shido was about to reply, a loud and anxious voice came from the depths of the corridor.

"Hey, you guys! Itsuka-kun, Yatogami-kun, and Murasame-sensei too! Please... please don't linger there! It'll be dangerous if you don't get to safety right away!"

Shido's homeroom teacher, Tamae Okamine, who is petite and affectionately known as Tamae-sensei, was shrugging her small shoulders, her face full of anxiety and worry, and waving vigorously at them.

Because she was so nervous, her words even sounded somewhat incoherent.

Chapter 203 Commitment

Lingyin's calm words carried an undeniable determination: "...Hmm, it would be troublesome if Ms. Kozuma kept watching us. Let's go quickly."

She glanced around at the increasingly sparse crowd, then turned around without hesitation and strode towards the school building entrance, which was in a different direction from the flow of refugees.

"Uh, wait a minute—"

Shido looked at Reine's resolute back, then at Tohka beside him, who was still holding his hand with eyes full of dependence and confusion, and struggled with his inner thoughts.

Although she was extremely worried about letting Tohka go to the shelter alone, Reine's analysis was correct.

It would be far too risky to let Tohka witness the battle between the AST and the Spirits, which would stimulate her sealed memories and powers.

Moreover, they now have more important tasks that they must carry out immediately.

"...Sigh!" Shido scratched his hair haphazardly in frustration, finally making up his mind.

He squeezed Tohka's hand tightly, then took her hand and led her to Ms. Kozuki, who was anxiously urging him on.

“Teacher,” Shido gently placed Tohka’s hand in Ms. Kotama’s hand, his tone solemn, “I’m entrusting Tohka to you.”

"Huh? Oh? Ah, okay... okay, of course!"

Teacher Xiaozhu was surprised to be entrusted with taking care of the students, but her sense of responsibility as a teacher made her straighten her small body and nod vigorously in promise.

"I'm a teacher, protecting my students is my duty!"

"Shido...?"

As Tohka watched Shido's actions, she sensed the unease of their impending separation. Slowly, she frowned, her purple eyes filled with confusion and a hint of panic.

"Tohka, listen up!"

Shido placed his hands on Tohka's shoulders, looked directly into her eyes, and instructed her in as calm a tone as possible, "Go to the shelter with your teacher. It's safe there."

"Where's Shido? What should we do about Shido?" Tohka asked anxiously, her hand unconsciously grabbing Shido's sleeve.

“Ah…I…” Shido paused, his eyes flickering, and in the end he could only give a vague answer.

"I have something important to take care of. So you go ahead, okay? I'll be right back."

He couldn't tell Tohka the truth, so he could only appease her temporarily in this way.

"Ah! Shi... Shido!" Tohka couldn't help but call out as she watched Shido let go of her hand and turn to leave.

At the same time, Teacher Xiaozhu anxiously called out, "Wuhe, Teacher Murasame, and Phoenix Courtyard students! Where are you going? It's dangerous outside!"

Just as Tohka clutched Shido's sleeve, her eyes filled with unease and longing, and Shido hardened his heart to leave in that split second—

Senin slid between Shido and Tohka, turned around abruptly to face Tohka, raised his right hand high with a "whoosh," his five fingers spread as if to grab the sky, and placed his left hand on his chest, making an extremely exaggerated yet inexplicably imposing gesture.

He raised his head slightly, his black hair moving as if there was no wind, and a smile that was both extremely confident and reassuring, like that of a theatrical protagonist, appeared on his face. In his clear and deliberately raised voice, he spoke loudly to Tohka:

"Rest assured, Night's Chosen! I have received all your concerns!"

He remained in that position, his gaze fixed firmly on Tohka's still uneasy purple eyes.

"I swear in the name of this 'Mysterious Undying Black Mage'! I will bring your important contractor—Itsuka Shido—back from the battlefield of chaos unharmed!"

"Any calamity or powerful enemy that dares to obstruct our path will be reduced to dust by my ultimate technique!"

His words were off the charts twice, but beneath that extreme exaggeration lay an undeniable certainty and powerful confidence, as if he truly possessed the power to turn the tide.

Chiin's tone softened slightly, carrying a hint of reassurance, and she winked at Tohka, "For now, let's follow this human guide." (Referring to Kotama-sensei)

Simply retreat to a safe haven and await good news! This is the combined battle of the 'Dark Flame Master' and the 'Undying Black Mage'; the equation for victory has already been written!

Having said that, without waiting for Tohka to fully process his "declaration of victory," he abruptly turned around, forcefully slapped the still-stunned Shido on the back, and hissed:

"Let's go, Shido! The stage of destiny is calling us!"

Then, he, Shido, and Reine rushed out of the school building without looking back.

As for Tohka, who was left behind, looking at Senin's strangely resolute back and his words that were like a reassuring pill, the panic and unease in her eyes actually dissipated a lot.

Although she didn't quite understand the specific meanings of those chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) terms, she could feel the determination that Chiin wanted to convey: "I will definitely protect Shido."

She nodded gently, gave a soft "hmm," and slowly loosened her grip on Shido's sleeve, instead grabbing the hem of Ms. Kotama's clothes beside her, obediently following her teacher towards the shelter.

But his gaze lingered on the direction where Shido and Senin had disappeared, until their figures completely blended into the shadows of the corridor.

Chiin's impromptu, quirky, and self-deprecating reassurance successfully provided Tohka with a peculiar yet effective sense of comfort during that tense and chaotic moment of parting.

Chapter 204 The Elf I've Met

Thanks to Ratatoskr's precise teleportation coordination, Shido, Chiin, and Reine were almost instantly transported to the futuristic Fraxinus bridge the moment they left the school building.

Before she could even fully steady herself, Kotori's voice, slightly urging yet still commanding, came from the central captain's seat, where she had already switched to commander mode:

"Ah, you two have finally arrived. The signs of the elves' appearance are very clear; they will officially appear soon."

With the gem in her mouth, she glanced at Shido and Chiin, who had just arrived, before turning to Reine, who was walking toward the control panel. "Please have Reine prepare."

“…Yes.” Lingyin nodded slightly, without any extra movements. She deftly lifted the hem of her white coat and sat down in the seat at the front of the control console, which was located below the bridge and filled with various indicator lights and screens. Her hands began to operate rapidly on the complex interface.

Just then, the main screen in front of Fraxinus and the auxiliary screens surrounding the bridge clearly projected real-time images of Tengu City below.

What should have been a certain area of ​​the city was now enveloped by an unusual energy field, and the air was violently distorted and rippling with ominous waves, like the surface of water tossed with a stone.

Then, it was as if some invisible boundary had been broken—

Even through the screen and the soundproofing of Fraxinus, a deep, soul-shaking roar seemed to faintly penetrate the air. The scene on the screen suddenly changed drastically!

Centered on that point of distortion, space itself shattered and collapsed inward like fragile glass!

The raging energy turbulence was like an invisible behemoth, tearing and devouring everything around it!

Reinforced concrete buildings were easily torn apart and thrown away like building blocks, and the solid earth was plowed with deep scars. The violent shock wave, carrying dust and debris, spread rapidly outward in a ring!

That was not an ordinary explosion, but a more fundamental collapse and reconstruction at the level of laws!

A massive crater, its edges flashing with dangerous arcs of energy, was forcibly "branded" into the city in just a few seconds.

"This...this is...a spacequake..."

Shido involuntarily held his breath. Although he had heard about it from the information and Kotori, the shock of witnessing this scene, which resembled a natural disaster, was still far beyond his imagination.

That destructive power sent a chill down his spine.

Chiin, standing nearby, also abandoned her usual nonchalant expression, her eyes widening as she muttered:

"Wow... this commotion... it's even more exciting than I imagined... it's like a live broadcast of an apocalyptic movie..."

Kotori, seated in the captain's seat, took in their reactions. She gave a soft "humph" and said in a tone tinged with superiority and mockery:

"Look at you guys, so pathetic, your eyes are practically bulging out. It's just a spatial vibration that happens when an elf manifests, it's the most basic thing in the world."

She shook the precious pearl in her hand, as if commenting on two unsophisticated country bumpkins.

"Honestly, you've never even witnessed a spacequake in person, and you still dare to call yourselves experts at dealing with Pokémon? Or rather, your assistants? Looks like I have a lot to teach you."

Her comment pinpointed the shock and slight embarrassment the two were experiencing, bringing Shido and Chiin back to their senses with somewhat awkward expressions on their faces.

Indeed, before witnessing this cataclysmic scene firsthand, their understanding of the term "spacequake" was ultimately too abstract and simplistic.

Now, the harsh reality is right before their eyes, and they are about to confront the beings known as "elves" who caused this phenomenon.

The tension and sense of mission once again overwhelmed the initial shock.

While Shido and Chiin were still reeling from the shock of the direct destructive power of the spacequake, Kotori licked her lips and spoke in her characteristic commander's tone, carrying an assessment:

"Judging from the energy level and the scope of the damage, it was just a small-scale spacequake. However, if it were a 'Hermit,' this scale would be normal."

As soon as she finished speaking, Kannazuki Kyōhei, who was standing to the side, immediately stepped forward and began to explain in his melodious and rhythmic voice, as if he were introducing some rare animal:

"Yes, Commander. According to our database, the spirit that has appeared in this world is identified as Hermit. Its spirit wave pattern matches past records."

"This Pokémon's characteristic is that it usually exhibits a docile tendency to avoid contact with others. Among the confirmed Pokémon, it is relatively... well, you could call it 'harmless'."

As Kaminarizuki introduced the scene, the image on the main screen began to zoom in rapidly, precisely pinpointing the very center of the spatial crater.

Meanwhile, environmental data in the corner of the screen showed that a light drizzle had begun to fall in the area, the cool rain washing away the dust from the ruins.

The image finally freezes, clearly capturing that petite figure standing alone amidst the ruins and rain.

The moment he saw the figure clearly, Shido was struck as if by lightning. His pupils contracted sharply, and he subconsciously took half a step forward, almost touching the screen.

“That…is…” he murmured to himself, his voice filled with disbelief.

You can’t go wrong!

The girl who wore a cloak decorated with huge rabbit ears and had curly hair as blue as the ocean.

She looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old, wearing a slightly oversized green coat and an inner garment made of an incredible material.

Then, the most striking feature is that she wears a comically designed rabbit hand puppet on her left hand.

As long as Shido's eyes and brain are functioning normally, there is absolutely no way he could mistake someone for someone else.

She is—the girl Shido met yesterday on his way home from school in that sudden rain, the one who danced in the rain, accidentally fell, and was both shy and mysterious!

"What's wrong, Shido?"

Kotori keenly noticed Shido's unusual reaction, tilted her head and asked, her black ribbon swaying slightly, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Shido snapped out of his daze, pointed at the blue-haired girl on the screen, and hurriedly explained to Kotori, "Kotori! That girl... that elf 'Hermit'! I saw her! Just yesterday! On my way home!"

He quickly recounted how they met in the rain yesterday—how he saw her dancing alone in the rain, how she fell, how he went to help her, how the talking rabbit puppet spoke on her behalf when she was shy, and how she hurriedly ran away.

"...I'm absolutely certain I haven't mistaken her, it's her!" Shido concluded with certainty.

This news surprised everyone on the bridge. Having a peaceful, even "friendly," encounter with an elf they hadn't officially made contact with before undoubtedly added a new variable and... perhaps a glimmer of opportunity to their upcoming actions?

Kotori tapped the armrest of the captain's seat lightly with her fingers, looking at the blue-haired girl standing quietly in the rain on the screen, seemingly out of place with the surrounding ruins, a calculating glint in her eyes.

"Oh? There's such a thing... That's interesting."

Chapter 205 Awakening

Just as Shido was surprised by his unexpected connection with the "hermit," the situation on the screen suddenly changed!

Several missiles trailing flames and a dense barrage of bullets, like a swarm of bloodthirsty bees, coldly shot towards the blue figure that looked incredibly small in the rain from all directions!

"……!Danger!"

Shido practically forced the warning out of his throat, his body instinctively leaning forward as if to shield the girl. However, separated by the cold screen, his voice could not reach the battlefield.

boom! boom! boom!

The explosion and smoke instantly engulfed the location where the "hermit" was.

"Those guys... they actually attacked a little girl...!" Shido stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the AST unit's merciless attack, clenching his teeth and knuckles white. Her shy demeanor in the rain contrasted cruelly with the scene now covered in artillery fire.

"...At a time like this, why are you still saying such things?" Kotori narrowed her eyes slightly, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness and a calm understanding that she had already grasped. She continued:

"When Tohka appeared in the world, didn't you learn this lesson yet? For AST, it doesn't matter what form the spirit takes—whether it's an innocent girl or a ferocious monster."

"All they possess is a sense of mission to protect the world, and the most primal survival instinct that every living being should have: to eliminate anything that could harm humanity."

“Even so…” Shido tried to refute, but found himself at a loss for words.

The moment he spoke, the petite blue figure reappeared in the dust.

She did not retaliate, nor did she even make any attacking gesture. Instead, like a frightened bird, she frantically dodged left and right in the sky, using her wondrous ice-forming ability to create barriers and struggling to withstand the continuous attacks. Her figure appeared extremely helpless.

"That child... she doesn't intend to fight back at all?" Shido looked at the "hermit" on the screen who was constantly dodging, and an indescribable sorrow welled up in his heart.

“That’s right. They’re always like that.” Kotori affirmed Shido’s observation. “Among the known spirits, the Hermits are one of the most gentle and non-aggressive types.”