A wail, even more piercing than the Spatial Quake alarm and seemingly originating from the very foundation of the world, rang out!
Centered on the two of them, space appeared like a shattered mirror, displaying countless twisted and cracked patterns! Violent Spirit energy turbulence tore at the atmosphere, the ground cracked inch by inch, and the remnants of buildings were pulverized by an unseen force!
This was the Spirits' most extreme and effective method for clearing the field and creating chaos—actively triggering a Spatial Quake!
Although the scale was far smaller than a naturally occurring giant Spatial Quake, the instantaneous burst of energy turbulence and spatial distortion was enough to disrupt all precise locks and formations!
"What?! Are they insane?!"
Mana and her team members were forced to retreat, deploying their protective shields to withstand the violent energy impact.
Ellen's eyes narrowed as well; she had no choice but to temporarily halt her offensive and steady herself. (They think they can escape using this?)
However, precisely in the instant when space was distorted, visibility was blurred, and everyone was distracted by the sudden chaos—
"Zafkiel—[City of Devouring Time] (Sefira)!"
A successful smirk appeared on Kurumi's main body's pale face. She spread her arms, and the massive clock pattern beneath her feet expanded rapidly like ink dropped into water!
Shadows as thick as blood, accompanied by countless pale arms, stretched out from the clock pattern, instantly submerging a large area like a living tide!
This domain of shadow did not attack the AST or DEM personnel; instead, as if guided by intent, it precisely enveloped three targets:
Shido, who was unsteady on his feet due to the Spatial Quake's eruption and was being fiercely shielded by Origami.
Chinatsu, who was sandwiched between AST members and was "fearfully" watching the chaotic scene;
And "Welt," who had just triggered the Spatial Quake and whose aura seemed to have weakened slightly!
"Wha—?!" Shido only felt the ground vanish beneath him, as if he were plunging into a cold abyss.
"!?" Chinatsu was startled internally but immediately realized this was the perfect chance to escape. Without the slightest resistance, she allowed the shadow to swallow her.
"Welt," meanwhile, seemed to have exhausted his strength and was consumed by the shadow without any resistance.
The shadow came quickly and departed just as fast. When the residual effects of the Spatial Quake subsided slightly and Ellen waved away the smoke in front of her, the area covered by the [City of Devouring Time] was already empty.
Shido, Chinatsu, and "Welt"—the three of them had vanished without a trace, as if they had evaporated into thin air.
Tokisaki Kurumi's main body and the injured clone had also disappeared along with them.
All that remained at the scene was a huge scorched crater, a ravaged battlefield, a pale-faced Ellen Mathers, and the bewildered AST members exchanging glances.
Origami abruptly stood up, intense emotional fluctuations appearing in her pale blue eyes for the first time.
She stared intently at the empty ground, her fists clenched tightly. (Shido...!)
"Madam Executive... they..." A DEM combatant stepped forward, his voice uncertain.
Ellen ignored her subordinate. She looked in the direction where the three had vanished, a cold light flickering in her eyes like an arctic ice storm.
"Do they think they can run?" she muttered to herself, a cruel curve forming on her lips.
"Notify all units! Initiate the highest level tracking protocol! Lock onto Nightmare's Spirit wave residue!"
"Designate Phoenix-in Chinatsu as a top-priority associated target!"
"They, and that damned 'Welt'... none of them will escape!"
The hunt was not over; it had merely entered a new phase.
Only this time, the line between hunter and prey seemed to have blurred somewhat. And what kind of situation awaited the three individuals who had been swept into the City of Devouring Time?
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