Sky Striker Princess, but the swan song of Valkyrie.

"This one..."

When faced with Hibiki Tachibana's invitation, Rei hesitated at first, then tapped the tablet without attracting anyone's attention.

Ding Dong

Immediately, the phone that Lingyi had placed in the black clothes emitted a notification tone indicating that a message had been received.

"Ah, I got a text message for me... Um, sorry, Hibiki, I'm afraid there's no chance. Christina and I have urgent business to attend to, so we have to leave now."

Then, in front of Hibiki Tachibana, Rei took out her phone, frowned slightly after looking at the contents, and then declined Hibiki's invitation.

The entire set of movements was very smooth and fluid, and very natural.

"Is something urgent? Well then, there's nothing I can do. Rosé-chan, you can go now."

Hibiki Tachibana didn't feel anything was wrong, but she was a little disappointed that she couldn't enjoy the hot spring with this stranger she had chatted with so well.

"Well then, I'll be leaving now."

Lingyi said this with a smile, then picked up the guitar case she had brought and walked out of the dressing room naturally.

"..."

Stepping out of the changing room, Lingyi arrived at the front desk of the hot spring inn. From there, she could hear hearty laughter coming from the men's changing room on the other side.

Without stopping, Lingyi smiled and walked straight out of the main entrance of the hot spring inn at a normal pace.

Perhaps because it was already past the time when office workers were leaving get off work, the crowd density in the hot spring street had increased compared to when she first arrived, and it felt a bit crowded with people coming and going.

[Phew, that way we've escaped the danger zone without revealing our identities.]

Walking down the somewhat crowded street, Lingyi thought to herself as she raised her hand, which wasn't holding the guitar case, to her cheek and began to gently draw circles on it.

[Your face seems a little sore. Is it because you haven't made that kind of expression in a long time, and you're not used to it?]

As Lingyi thought this, her expression returned to its blank state as her fingers massaged her.

[Now that 'Luyo's' identity is no longer a suspect, all that's needed is to find Chris, take her with you, and leave this hot spring town to begin the investigation.]

While relieving the discomfort on her face, Lingyi thought to herself about what she needed to do next.

I remember Chris was in that shop, right? Yeah, I saw her.

Because she had been following Chris's situation before, Lingyi didn't need much time to find Chris, who was chatting happily with the cashier.

[By the way, what was she talking about with him? Oh well, never mind. I need to hurry. If I'm not ready by the time the second department's team-building activity is over, it'll be a problem.]

With that thought in mind, Lingyi pushed open the door of the convenience store and focused her gaze on Chris.

P.S. Goodnight.

The Battle Begins in Chapter 52 (4k)

In the changing room of the hot spring inn, after Rei left, Hibiki Tachibana, who had lost her conversation partner, was idly eating snacks like cookies on a bench.

"Oh no, I think I forgot to ask for Rosé's contact information."

Hibiki Tachibana, who was doing nothing, suddenly realized something.

Because "Rouge" left so quickly, it wasn't until several minutes after she left that Hibiki Tachibana realized she seemed to have forgotten to exchange contact information with the girl she had been chatting with so comfortably.

"Damn it, I was hoping to become friends with Rosé-chan."

Hibiki Tachibana thought with some annoyance, and her worries turned into appetite. She grabbed a handful of snacks from the snack bag and put them in her mouth, puffing out her cheeks like a hamster.

"Gah gah gah, I hope I'll have another chance to meet Ryuyo-chan in the future."

As she chewed the food in her mouth, Hibiki Tachibana thought to herself.

"Oh my, who is Rosé-chan? Hibiki, what are you talking about? Could it be that you fell in love with someone at first sight while I wasn't looking, Hibiki?"

Just as Tachibana Hibiki was feeling troubled, a mature, teasing voice suddenly rang in her ear, and soon, she felt a warm, sucking sensation on her outer ear.

"Ugh... Miss Ryoko, please don't tease me like this!"

Startled by the abrupt stimulation, Tachibana Hibiki immediately covered her mouth and jumped up. After swallowing the food that was about to spit out, she complained somewhat resentfully to the culprit who had caused all of this.

"Hmph, Hibiki, you're so cute. I really want to get you before anyone else, hmm."

Ryoko Sakurai, who was standing next to Hibiki Tachibana, said to Hibiki Tachibana in a regretful tone.

"Please excuse me, but I cannot!"

Hibiki Tachibana firmly denied Ryoko's statement.

"Waaaaah, does Hibiki hate me that much? Even in the hot spring, I was just trying to check on your development... *crying*"

Upon hearing Tachibana Hibiki's rejection, Sakurai Ryoko immediately raised a hand to the corner of her eye, striking a heartbroken pose as if she had suffered some great injustice.

"Haha, so Miss Ryoko, you've already finished soaking in the hot spring. What about Miss Tsubasa?"

Having grown accustomed to Hibiki's antics, Hibiki Tachibana has become quite adept at selectively ignoring certain behaviors of her.

"Hmm, Hibiki, you've become boring."

After failing to get the desired response, Sakurai Ryoko stopped making those exaggerated movements, sat back down on the bench in the locker room, picked up her glasses which were wet with condensation and wiped them a few times.

"As for Xiaoyi, she said she wanted to soak in the hot spring a little longer. Ah, young people are so healthy, they can soak for a long time. As for an old person like me, I can't stand it after just a short while."

Then, while putting on her cleaned glasses, Sakurai Ryoko answered Tachibana Hibiki's question.

"Is that so? Then, Miss Liaozi, I'll go make a bath now."

Upon hearing what Sakurai Ryoko said, Tachibana Hibiki thought for a moment and then prepared to enjoy the hot spring she hadn't finished soaking in.

"Go ahead, go ahead. Honestly, Xiaoxiang, you're just too easily embarrassed. Look at Xiaoyi, she doesn't shy away from me at all. If you ask me, Xiaoxiang, you should let me check your body more often, so that you won't be embarrassed in similar situations in the future."

Sakurai Ryoko waved her hand, while continuing to express her enthusiasm in her words.

"Um...no need, Miss Ryoko. I feel perfectly fine now. Alright, I'm going to the hot springs. Goodbye!"

Hearing Sakurai Ryoko's wild words, Tachibana Hibiki's speed in preparing hot spring supplies instantly increased to a new level. She quickly tidied herself up, passed through the curtain, and went to the hot spring area.

"Sometimes I really can't stand Miss Koko's enthusiasm. Ah, I see Miss Tsubasa."

Upon arriving at the hot spring, Tachibana Hibiki quickly spotted Kazami Tsubasa's tall and handsome figure amidst the thick steam in the hot spring bath.

Miss Wing-

Hibiki called out, but the other person seemed to be doing something and didn't notice her.

"Um, Miss Yi, what are you doing?"

Having received no response, Tachibana Hibiki was somewhat puzzled.

Soon, she tied her hair up and walked into the hot spring step by step, wanting to see what Kazunari Tsubasa was doing.

"Miss Yi, oh, Miss Yi, are you... cultivating?"

Once she got close enough that the mist couldn't obscure her vision, Hibiki Tachibana saw what Kazanari Tsubasa looked like.

At this moment, Kazanari Tsubasa was kneeling upright in the hot spring pool, her eyes slightly closed, like a sharp sword that had been sheathed. This posture reminded Tachibana of some samurai training she had seen in anime.

"This means that I am always on the battlefield. As a sword, even if this place seems peaceful and tranquil, I cannot let my guard down. Only in this way can I be considered to be able to defend myself."

After Tachibana Hibiki approached, Kazanari Tsubasa finally noticed her figure, so he opened his eyes and replied to Tachibana Hibiki in this way.

"Haha, Miss Yi is really strict with herself."

Hibiki Tachibana chuckled awkwardly, then turned around and stopped by the edge of a hot spring near Tsubasa Kazanari.

Although Hibiki Tachibana didn't quite understand why Tsubasa Kazanari was so tense when they were relaxing in a hot spring, she usually just smiled and that was enough.

Hu Pingyi

No longer paying attention to the statue-like Kazanari Tsubasa beside her, Tachibana Hibiki completely relaxed her body in the hot spring.

Over the past two weeks, although the number of noises has decreased significantly compared to before, Hibiki Tachibana has actually accumulated a lot of fatigue because she still has to participate in simulation training and escaped from the siege of a group of strangers yesterday.

The fatigue was completely released in the warm water of the hot spring, making Tachibana Hibiki feel unprecedentedly comfortable, as if her whole body was refreshed.

"Indeed, soaking in a hot spring is a very relaxing thing."

Tachibana Hibiki, who was completely captivated by the hot spring, thought to herself.

"If you have the chance next time, let's try it together in the future."

Then, Hibiki Tachibana spread her arms and lay down in a more comfortable position on the slippery edges.

"What a beautiful night sky."

After lying down, Hibiki Tachibana looked up at the sky. The sky had already fallen into darkness, and the night completely enveloped the earth. The only source of light was some dim celestial bodies hanging in the sky.

"Hmm, is that the moon?"

As Tachibana Hibiki gazed aimlessly at the night sky, she suddenly noticed that the luminous disc that usually hung in the dark night sky seemed exceptionally bright today.

"Miss Yi, look, the moon looks so bright tonight."

Intrigued, Hibiki Tachibana immediately stood up, wanting to share her discovery with Tsubasa Kazanari beside her, since such a bright moon was a rare sight.

"Moon, what are you talking about, Tachibana? Isn't today a new moon? Where is the moon at this hour?"

However, faced with Tachibana Hibiki's enthusiastic sharing, Kazanari Tsubasa opened her eyes with some doubt and asked in return.

"Haha, Miss Yi, you must be too busy with work and have misremembered. How could it be a new moon today? Look, isn't there such a big and bright moon in the sky?"

In response to Kazunari Tsubasa's questioning, Tachibana Hibiki smiled and said...

Thinking that Miss Tsubasa might have been too busy with work and had forgotten the time, she pointed out to Kazunari Tsubasa the 'moon' she had just seen.

"How could that be? I check the date every day, there's no way I could have misremembered. Tachibana, did you mistake something else for the moon? Point it out to me so I can see."

Kazunari Tsubasa was certain she hadn't misremembered; she had carefully researched the team-building schedule and couldn't possibly be wrong. So, following Tachibana Hibiki's directions, she decided to see what Tachibana Hibiki had mistaken for the moon.

"Um, that's it, Miss Yi, look, what else could be that glowing thing hanging in the sky at this time of year besides a full moon?"

Hibiki Tachibana, somewhat unconvinced, pointed to the light source shining through the mist in their direction and said to Tsubasa Kazanari.

"It could also be something like a very large airship."

As she spoke, Kazunari Tsubasa shifted her gaze to the spot where Tachibana Hibiki had pointed, and soon she saw the true form of the thing that Tachibana Hibiki had called the moon.

Then·......

"......'

Feng Mingyi suddenly fell into a long silence, his expression constantly changing, as if he was confirming something and comparing it.

"Miss Yi?"

Hibiki Tachibana couldn't understand why Kazunari Tsubasa suddenly fell silent when she saw the "moon" she was pointing to.

"Prepare for battle, Tachibana! That thing is an enemy weapon, not the moon at all!"

Just as Tachibana Hibiki was feeling confused, Kazanari Tsubasa, who was next to her, suddenly shouted this at her.

"Ah, what? The enemy? That moon?"

Hibiki Tachibana hadn't figured out the situation yet; how could the moon be an enemy?

"There's no time to explain, Tachibana, hurry up... be careful!"

Kazunari noticed that the luminous object in the distance, which was clearly visible even through the thick fog, emitted a burst of intense yellow light for a moment. As a result, she reflexively pounced on Tachibana Hibiki next to her.

"Miss Tsubasa? Ugh-"

Just as Kazaki Tsubasa knocked down Tachibana Hibiki, a violent explosion suddenly occurred at their original location, and the shockwave instantly blasted half of the hot spring water into the surrounding area.

"Cough cough, cough cough, Tachibana, are you alright?"

On the open ground nearby, Kazanari Tsubasa cleared her throat, which felt a little foreign from the impact, and then immediately inquired about Tachibana Hibiki's condition.

"Miss Yi, I'm alright, but what exactly happened with that attack just now?"

Soon, Hibiki Tachibana's energetic voice rang out, indicating her good condition and also posing a question to Tsubasa Kazanari.

She didn't understand. She had just been comfortably relieving her fatigue in the hot springs, so how could she suddenly be attacked by someone from who-knows-where?

"Hey, Tachibana, just look at that 'moon' and you'll understand."

Standing up and letting out a sigh of relief, Kazunari Tsubasa said this, pointing to the 'moon' that Tachibana Hibiki had just discovered.

"moon?"

Prompted by Kazanari Tsubasa, Tachibana immediately looked again at what she had previously thought was the moon.

"What is that...? Is it a UFO, or some kind of mutated noise?"