Bound light was violently compressed in Jibril hand, and as she hurled it downward, it transformed in an instant into a spear of pallid radiance. Like the judgment of a true god, a massive pillar of light—nearly drowning the entire world—pierced through the heavens and the earth. It even completely erased a corner of Ashihara no Nakatsukuni below, leaving behind a perfectly smooth, scorched arc.
Fortunately, in this apocalyptic moment of world-rending destruction, no one cared about such minor details. Even the gods and Great Yōkai were preoccupied with whether the world could continue to exist at all, let alone the fate of a single province.
This wasn't the usual power of Jibril Heavenly Smite. The reason it seemed to cover the entire world, leaving nothing but a blinding white void in one's vision, was that this strike, delivered in fury, was infused with the divine power Tet had entrusted to her. It was because of this divine authority that it was unstoppable—an attack from an external universe far more powerful than this one.
Like a metal water bottle thicker than an arm colliding with a glass vial no larger than a palm, the one to shatter would inevitably be the glass. Under Jibril Heavenly Smite, Amaterasu was that fragile glass vial.
The portions engulfed by the pure white light resisted for a mere few seconds before vanishing entirely. The waves of flesh were washed from the world as if they had never been, leaving not even a trace of ash.
For Amaterasu, who had nearly merged with this ocean of flesh, the loss was not merely physical. She lost the soul and will embedded within that sea. She felt herself forgetting—forgetting things she needed to remember, things she no longer had the capacity to hold.
For a fleeting moment, Sū ěr felt as if he were seeing the Jibril he first met. But this Flügel was in her prime, her power undiminished. Amidst the drifting, incandescent sparks of light, Jibril—who a second ago had been high in the sky—appeared directly before him. Her amber eyes, marked with cross-shaped pupils, were inches from his face. They were so close their noses almost touched, as if she were seeing him for the first time.
"You look quite pathetic, don't you~?"
The pink-haired Flügel spoke with such proximity, but the next second, just as a translucent palm was about to shove her face, Jibril jerked her body backward.
"I didn't expect that the peaceful life after the war could actually change the instincts of a brainless, war-hungry monster like a Flügel... Can't you 'Long-Haired Monster' see the situation we're in?" Think sneered, lowering the hand she had used to ward off Jibril face.
Whatever the state of the other world was, seeing the choice Tet had sent—even if he hadn't come personally—gave Think a sense of reassurance. Of course, she wouldn't let her tongue lose the battle.
"Calling me a 'Long-Haired Monster'? Aren't you long-haired too?"
It was back. Everything was back. Jibril likewise raised a cold eyebrow, letting out a sigh of mock surprise and pity that was utterly exaggerated.
"My, my~ how 'illusory' someone looks right now," the pink-haired Flügel mocked wantonly. "What? Do you need a senior like me to teach you how to survive as an energy-based lifeform? It might make you slightly useful, so you aren't completely worthless, being chased around like a wild beast... Oh, Sū ěr, I'm not talking about you~"
Sū ěr: "..."
Truly, thanks for the explanation that would've been better left unsaid. Furthermore, while it seemed he didn't have to worry about the awkwardness of a long-awaited reunion due to time dilation, or Jibril still harboring a grudge over the past... was it really okay for these two to enter "insult mode" without a moment's pause the second they met?!
Amaterasu is screaming! She's actually screaming!
It couldn't be described merely as a wail or a shriek. Amaterasu was like a wounded beast that had suffered losses it could no longer sustain. She frantically scrambled to pull back all the flesh that hadn't been obliterated by the Heavenly Smite, no longer daring to scatter it with such reckless abandon.
Jibril Heavenly Smite had undoubtedly dealt excessive damage. This agony and the loss of her mass caused the sliver of reason she had regained upon sensing the "outsider" to evaporate once more.
"DIE!!!"
With a piercing shriek, she focused all her divine authority and every ounce of gathered power into a single point. The retracted flesh suddenly transformed into a sharp, elongated needle. The tip reflected a dark, oily light; one could tell that being struck by it would lead to no good end. It lunged forward with lightning speed—only to strike empty air.
"...Can I apply for a change in position?"
After a moment of silence, Sū ěr raised his left hand to make the request. Even though blood was currently trickling from the corner of his mouth, he had to admit that his mood had brightened the moment Jibril appeared.
Sensing that pressure instinctively, Amaterasu concentrated attack was meant to break the outsider's defense in one go, aiming to eliminate the enemy instantly. Had she used such an attack while facing Sū ěr alone just now, he couldn't guarantee he would have escaped in time.
However, Jibril simply vanished and reappeared in the black void of the cosmos—holding Sū ěr in her arms.
Specifically, a bridal carry.
"Wait, now that that 'Weed' is one with you... doesn't that mean I'm technically holding her too?" Ignoring Sū ěr request, Jibril suddenly had a realization that made her shudder, and she abruptly lowered the arms holding him.
"Can the 'Monster Miss' be any more of an idiot?!"
Feeling violated, Think suddenly lunged out from Sū ěr body and shouted. Even though she tried her best to act like she didn't care, the sudden spike in her voice showed she was thinking exactly what Jibril was worried about.
...Both sides felt equally disgusted.
"Huh? Me, an idiot? You're the idiot, right? You went out to play with him and ended up being completely useless, just watching him get beaten like this. Can a useless waste like you just turn back into Elementals already? Hmm?"
"A waste who didn't dare show her face for over a decade sure talks big, doesn't she? If it were you here, you probably wouldn't even know how to replace Elemental formulas with spiritual power. Don't think too highly of yourself, 'Miss Brute Force'?"
"Huh?"
"Ha?"
Sū ěr: "..."