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

The three were instantly enveloped by the dampness, darkness, and sour, rotten smell emanating from the trash cans of the back alley.

Compared to the commotion and chaos on the main street not far away caused by the spacequake alarm, this narrow alley, piled with clutter, was unusually quiet, with only their hurried footsteps echoing between the walls.

Almost the instant they stepped into the back alley, the formation of the group naturally changed.

Without any hesitation, Chika took the lead and strode quickly along the alley, following the directions indicated on the origami phone map.

Her steps were steady and quick, her long, icy blue hair tracing clean lines in the dim light.

(Let's give Shido some space; he definitely needs to coordinate with his "backup." I'll also maintain this "safe" distance from Origami and see where she's trying to lead me.)

Just as Chika had expected, Shido did need this break. He deliberately slowed his pace slightly, watching Chika and Origami walk ahead of him, creating a distance of about five or six meters between them.

He immediately lowered his voice and communicated urgently into the invisible earpiece:

"Kotori! Can you hear me? We're heading to the shelter following Origami's directions! But this route feels so remote... Chinatsu, she..."

We saw it!

Kotori's voice was heavier than ever before. "Route analysis shows this path does indeed lead to Vault 7, but it passes through an abandoned park midway through, where it's highly unlikely anyone else will be!"

[This is highly suspicious! Furthermore, AST's movements are very unusual; they seem to be intentionally guiding ordinary citizens in other directions, as if this route has been deliberately 'cleared out'!]

(Deliberately cleared?) Shido's heart tightened. (Could it be...?)

[Shido, stay alert!] Kotori's tone was almost a warning.

We suspect the AST might be planning to take action against Chinatsu along this path! You must protect her at all costs... no, if necessary... prioritize protecting yourself! Chinatsu is most likely a Spirit, and the AST forces can't do anything about her. If she isn't, the AST wouldn't target ordinary people.

"I understand!" Shido took a deep breath, feeling the pressure on his shoulders increase. He quickened his pace, trying to close the distance between himself and the two people in front of him.

Origami, walking slightly behind Chinatsu, witnessed everything. She saw Shido deliberately lag behind to contact someone, and considering Shido's interpersonal relationships, it was highly likely that he contacted his sister Kotori to see if she had gone to the shelter.

Although the origami result was correct, the process was completely wrong.

I noticed that Chinatsu suddenly quickened her pace. (My target is actively distancing herself from Shido…just what I wanted.)

In Origami's logic, the priorities are absolutely clear: Shido's safety > Mission execution > Personal safety.

(If I walk with Shido, the target might approach Shido to obtain a 'hostage' or for other purposes, increasing the risk to Shido.)

(Now, the target is ahead, and I am running alongside it, which allows me to effectively monitor and guide it while also drawing the target's attention to myself.)

(Shido is positioned at the rear, in a relatively safe location. Even if fighting breaks out ahead, Shido will have enough time and space to react and retreat.)

(As for me... if the mission requires, I can become a shield between the target and Shido, or... a bomb that takes the target down with me.)

This triangular formation—with Chinatsu in front, Origami close behind, and Shido at the very back—is formed and maintained through silent understanding and individual calculations.

Origami's military discipline allowed her to easily keep up with Chika's pace, and even had the time to pay attention to subtle changes in the surrounding environment, as well as Shido's situation behind them.

Her gaze was mostly fixed on Chika's back, like the most patient hunter waiting for the moment to lure her prey into the final trap.

The alley was deep and dark, and the fork in the road ahead seemed like a gaping maw. The three people's footsteps sounded exceptionally clear in the silence, each step as if they were stepping on a taut string.

They were drawing ever closer to that fateful intersection marked with a red "X." The air was thick with not only the stench of dust and decay, but also a palpable tension of impending danger.

Chapter 93 An unexpected encounter

The sky had darkened completely sometime earlier. Lead-gray clouds hung low over the city, and the sweltering air seemed to solidify, foreshadowing a torrential downpour.

The already dim light in the back alley became even more ambiguous, with shadows spreading rampantly in the corners of the walls.

The route indicated by the origami was indeed secluded; the further you went, the fewer people you saw.

On both sides are long-abandoned old warehouses and low-rise buildings slated for demolition, with weeds stubbornly pushing their way out from the cracks in the broken cement.

The sound of the three people's hurried footsteps was particularly clear in the increasingly oppressive silence.

Chinatsu, who was walking at the front, and Origami, who was following closely behind, could already see the outline of the slightly open abandoned park at the exit of the alley ahead—that was the sniping point that Alan Mathers had chosen for the "Herrscher of Reason".

Shido, lagging a few steps behind, was also nervously observing his surroundings. The voice from Koto in his earpiece carried an unprecedented urgency:

[Shido! That abandoned park is just ahead! The AST ambushes are likely there! Be extremely careful! We're trying to locate their sniping system, but it'll take time!]

Just moments before the three were about to step out of the alley and into that deadly trap—

A powerful melody suddenly rang out, melodious and gentle, yet carrying an inexplicable sorrow and eeriness. It abruptly pierced the oppressive air and drifted slowly in. The mournful and lingering music, like the whisper of a ghost, was completely out of place with the desolate surroundings, instantly captivating the three people's attention.

It's the sound of a saxophone.

The music was completely out of place with the dilapidated and dangerous surroundings, as if it came from another time and space, carrying the languor of a nightclub and the luxury of a bygone era, yet it was also like a lament for the dead.

The three of them stopped in their tracks at the same time.

Origami instantly went into high alert mode, slightly turning her body and focusing half of her attention on the direction from which the music was coming, while keeping the other half locked on Chinatsu and the park in front of her.

Shido also stopped abruptly, searching for the source of the sound with surprise and uncertainty.

Chika's icy blue eyes suddenly narrowed. (This melody…this ominous premonition…could it be—?)

Under the flickering, unreliable old streetlamp at the alley entrance, the space rippled like water. A figure, accompanied by a falling shadow, appeared elegantly and eerily.

She was a breathtakingly beautiful young woman. Her skin was as white as snow, and her long hair, like a blend of night and day, was tied up with an exquisite black bow hair accessory.

She was dressed in a gorgeous and elaborate Gothic Lolita gown in black and red, with a golden clock eye slowly rotating in her left pupil, exuding a mysterious and dangerous aura.

She didn't have a saxophone in her hands, but the melodious music seemed to linger around her.

It was Tokisaki Kurumi.

However, in stark contrast to this breathtaking, almost inhuman perfection was her current state. Her magnificent spiritual attire was now tattered and mangled.

—The once crisp fabric was torn, the edges curled and charred, as if licked by flames; there were several long rips at the hem, vaguely revealing even more horrific wounds beneath, the delicate lace stained with dust and congealed dark red blood clots.

On her fair, almost translucent cheeks, an unnatural, bewitching blush, like the glow of the sunset, floated, but beneath this blush lay an undeniable weakness and pallor.

Her breathing lost its usual ease, becoming shallow and rapid. With each inhale, her delicate eyebrows would involuntarily furrow slightly, as if even the air had turned into tiny ice needles, piercing her lungs.

Her tightly pressed lips had lost their color, with a trace of crimson remaining at the corners, like a red plum blossom suddenly blooming in the snow, dazzling and poignant.

The melodious saxophone music that surrounded her remained the same, but now it seemed to be tinged with tremolo, as if playing a mournful narration for her forced pride and the pain she suffered.

Her very presence here is a paradox—an exquisite work of art, yet also a battlefield fresh from a storm.

That beauty, highlighted by this severe trauma, appears all the more startling, all the more fragile, and all the more... dangerous.

"Ara la la~" Kurumi gently tapped her chin with her blood-stained fingertips, her golden clock eyes narrowing slightly. Her gaze swept over the bewildered Shido and the expressionless but instantly tense Origami, finally settling on Chinatsu, who stood at the very front with her pupils slightly constricted.

Greetings, all three of you.

Her voice was sweet as honey, yet carried a chilling edge. "Excuse me, have you seen anyone?" She deliberately dragged out the words, as if recalling something interesting.

"...Where's that brown-haired gentleman in the gray suit and black-rimmed glasses? Oh~" She seemed to suddenly remember something, covered her mouth with her fan, and let out a soft, ambiguous laugh.

The air seemed to freeze. Shido and Origami instantly understood who she was looking for—the "Walter Yang" who had proclaimed the name "Anti-Entropy" on the battlefield and fought fiercely against Eren! Meanwhile, alarm bells rang loudly in Chinatsu's heart!

(She was after me after all! These injuries... were they from a fight with AST or DEM? What does she want with 'Walter'?!)

Kurumi, seemingly oblivious to the sudden change in the three people's expressions, continued in her aria-like tone, "...If you ever encounter this gentleman who always uses a cane as a walking stick, please be sure to let me know."

She leaned forward slightly, her golden eyes flashing with a mad and persistent light. "After all—we made a promise to dance a... waltz together."

She emphasized the final address, and although she smiled, an invisible pressure surged forth like a tide, locking onto everyone present.

She was seriously injured, but precisely because of this, she was more like an enraged, endangered beast, and the level of danger increased rather than decreased.

Origami immediately stepped forward, subtly positioning herself further back to block Shido, her hand already on her concealed equipment, and said coldly:

"We haven't seen the person you're talking about. Please leave."

Shido nervously swallowed, forcing himself to remain calm as he said, "Y-yes, we're just about to go to the shelter..."

Chika was inwardly groaning.

(What should I do?! She's clearly convinced that 'Walter' is connected to this place! If I show any abnormality, she'll immediately target me! But right now... I can't beat her!)

She felt her spiritual energy nearly depleted. She had temporarily stripped away her core to create the Welt Stand in order to escape her body. Facing Kurumi, who was still imposing even when she was seriously injured, a sense of powerlessness arose spontaneously.

(Even if she takes action, it would only be revealing her identity. If she doesn't... judging from her attitude, she probably won't let us go easily unless she finds 'Walter'! Origami and Shido can't stop her at all!)

(There's no other way... I can only...)

Chika steeled her resolve and made a decision. She had to completely sever ties with "Walter"!

Let "Walter" appear as a completely independent, unexpected intervention!

She struggled to maintain a slightly pale expression, as if startled by the sudden appearance of the spirit, and leaned slightly towards Shido, as if seeking protection.

At the same time, using the corner of his eye, he subtly transmitted a mental command to a shadowy corner in the distance.

(Show yourself... 'Walter'... come to the rescue... but pretend... you don't know me at all!)

Just as Kurumi's smile gradually turned dangerous, as if she was about to lose patience, and the shadow began to writhe and expand beneath her feet—

“Tap…tap…tap…”

The steady, clear, and unhurried footsteps came from the depths of the even darker dead-end alley behind them.

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn over.

A tall and imposing figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

Brown, tousled hair; deep, pale gold eyes; a handsome face with a touch of world-weariness; and a pair of familiar black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

He was wearing a gray classic suit vest and a bow tie, and in his hand he held a simple-looking cane-sword that was now emitting a faint blue light.

It was indeed "Walter Young"!

At this moment, he was wearing well-fitting gray trousers and leather shoes, and his whole image was calm, refined, and full of mature scholarly temperament.

Completely different from the image described in Kurumi's description, only the staff-sword that serves as her symbol remains the same.

He pushed up his glasses, his gaze calmly sweeping across the entire scene behind the lenses. It lingered briefly on the heavily injured Kurumi, with a hint of scrutiny, before turning to the tense confrontation between Origami, Shido, and... Chinatsu, who looked "panicked."

His eyes remained expressionless, as if he were merely a passerby.

"It seems quite lively here," he said, his voice deep and magnetic, carrying an innate calmness and authority.

"I think I heard someone is looking for a... gentleman who likes to wear skirts?"

His tone carried a perfect balance of confusion and detachment, and his gaze finally settled on Kurumi.

"I'm sorry, miss. As far as I know, there are probably very few people who fit your second description."

He completely ignored Chika and the other two, as if she were just an insignificant, ordinary teenager caught up in the incident.

Chika breathed a sigh of relief. (Great! That's the reaction!)

On the surface, however, she looked at the suddenly appearing, extraordinary "stranger" with the same surprise and a hint of curiosity as everyone else.

Kurumi's golden clock eye instantly locked onto "Walter," and the smile on her face grew even deeper and more dangerous as she gently licked away a trace of blood from the corner of her mouth.

“Ah... I’ve finally found you, my dear... ‘Herrscher of Reason’.”

Chapter 94 Locked Transfer

Rewind a little, to the moment when Chika, Shido, and Origami had just stepped into the dimly lit alley from the back door of the old shop.

About 800 meters from the target location, on the top floor of a disguised commercial building, in the temporary command center set up by DEM, the atmosphere was not as smooth as expected.

Alan Mathers stood like a sculpture in front of the huge one-way floor-to-ceiling window, his sharp gaze piercing through the glass and locking onto the old shop in the distance.

Behind her, several DEM technicians were intently monitoring various data streams on the control panel.

“Reporting to Lord Allen!” A technical supervisor’s voice carried a hint of barely perceptible tension.

"The 'Genesis Reversal' system has detected an anomaly in its deep scan of the target 'Phoenix Inu Chika'!"

Allen didn't turn around, his voice icy: "Speak."

"The spiritual energy signal on the target... the signal weakened drastically after she entered that shop! Just now, after she left her seat to go to the restroom and came out, the signal strength had dropped to the level of background noise! ​​We... we've lost a stable target!"

"What?" Allen finally turned around, a cold glint flashing in his sharp eyes.

"Energy shielding? Or did she notice?"

"It doesn't seem like intentional blocking... more like..." The technical director carefully chose his words.

"...It's as if the source of her spiritual energy...has suddenly disappeared, or entered some kind of extreme silence that we cannot detect. The scan progress is stuck at 90% and cannot proceed!"

A low murmur rippled through the command center. The target's spiritual energy had vanished? This was completely beyond their understanding of elves.

Without a stable spiritual energy signal as a "creation mark," the inverse calculation matrix of the "Genesis Reverser" cannot complete the final lock, and the accuracy of its emitted "return to origin command" will be greatly reduced, or it may even fail.