Long-term salvation

And that familiar prelude.

Spring shadow.

The prelude of the song that Xiangzi would never forget had begun, played by the unknown girl, and Su Shi, who had noticed his presence on the stage, showed a panic expression. She wanted to say something but stopped herself, and subconsciously placed her fingers on the strings, wanting to open her mouth to stop him but then she retreated back.

"..."

The girl on the stage is shining, while the girl below is shrouded in darkness.

The communicator in his hand suddenly vibrated, and Xiangzi subconsciously clenched it tightly. But even so, it was still vibrating and the signal light was flashing a dangerous red light.

Ah yes, Su Shi, you are like this, wanting to be needed by others - you will never forget those who have shown you a little tenderness... You really haven't changed at all, but I am different:

Shoko Toyokawa has changed.

"Sing... sing it out..."

Xiangzi said softly, which made Ruoye Mu next to him cast a complicated look at him. The "existences" in the latter's heart did not dare to say much, and huddled in the deepest part of their soul trembling, fearing that they would be completely annihilated.

"Sing and play for our past, for our past friendships, and for the daily lives we live in."

At this moment, the girl finally confirmed one thing——

She has completely moved away from "daily life" and fallen into "extraordinary life".

Tears rolled down Xiangzi's eyes, and she finally understood why that man said she was "really unfortunate"... It turned out that coming into contact with that dark world was not her true destiny.

As Kasuga Ying sang, Xiangzi glanced at the content on the communicator, nodded slightly to Wakaba Mu, and then rushed out of the performance venue:

[A monster from the other world has appeared, codenamed "Model," and armed priestesses are urgently assembled.]

"Hey...Xiaoxiang..."

Standing on the stage, Nagasaki Motoyo watched the familiar figure leaving quickly, her heart suddenly filled with panic, her face filled with sadness, despair and helplessness.

The performance is over and the music stops.

Nagasaki Suyo asked angrily, feeling hopeless: "Why are you playing Kasuga Shadow?!"

The bullet is loaded and the machine starts.

Toyokawa Shoko spoke calmly, her heart suddenly burning: "Armed miko Toyokawa Shoko, join the battle."

Armed Miko Toyokawa Shoko (7): Oblivionis, 発jin!

"Shoko, check the machine's parameters. We only have one chance... If it escapes again, we'll have to call in the Army Without Borders. At that point, everyone in the GOC Tokyo branch will be questioned by the boss."

Saikawa Ayane's voice rang out in the communication channel, causing Xiangzi's movements to pause slightly:

“Will my salary be deducted?”

"You can't escape the year-end bonuses for this year and next year."

"..."

After taking a few deep breaths, Xiangzi closed his eyes and put his hands deep into the operating device.

The girl wore a close-fitting, rubbery garment known as a "Guardian Enhanced Suit," and over it, a layer of her usual red and white miko costume to cover the slightly revealing undergarments. The mechanical exoskeleton used in ordinary combat was attached to the driver's seat, allowing the wearer to escape in the event of a mechanical failure.

The M6 ​​"Bushnell" is the second-generation Arm Slave (AS) that Atlas has just completed mass production design. It is an S (Supernatural) type special machine. Specifically, it carries a shield, fires armor-piercing incendiary shells, and has a cannon and close-combat weapon. At the same time, it has additional capacitor and gas turbine output to suppress supernatural enemies in the shortest time.

At this moment, this machine is being placed in a large transport plane, ready to be airdropped in a more secretive manner to the forest on the edge of Tokyo where the monsters of the other world are hiding:

According to intelligence gathered by GOC investigators, the monster codenamed "Model" has taken advantage of the night to enter the forest using the sewers as cover, killing six innocent passersby who witnessed its true appearance.

Thinking of this, Xiangzi bit his lip slightly, and there was more self-blame and anger in his eyes.

"We've arrived above the forest. This operation is being covered by cargo planes. The Reality Veil Administration's executive officer has already coordinated with the GOC to initiate information suppression. The search and combat must be completed within three hours."

Listening to the voice on the communication channel, Xiangzi exhaled slowly and responded in a low voice:

"Yes, Xiangzi understands."

"It's time to talk about code names," Shiraishi Mizuki's voice squeezed into the communication channel. "We'd better not conflict with the Japanese government—don't even think about using this thing to fight tanks and attack helicopters on the front line."

“…I thought this guy would be super powerful.”

Xiangzi thought of the mecha she saw on that rainy night, and the weapons on it made her yearn for it. For this reason, the left arm of the mecha she is using now is equipped with the same or even an upgraded version of the pile driver - the nail tip is covered with black stone powder, and it has an explosive rocket booster... All of this is to be able to kill the monster completely at the moment of penetrating the armor.

"Although the AS can't fight tanks and helicopters, it has a human form and can become an extension of the concept of 'humanity'. It can be used to fight monsters from the other world. It can give us weak 'humans' the power to withstand the storm. It's as if riding in this mecha makes us omnipotent."

"Of course, they are also useful in complex terrain and specific environments."

Shiraishi Mizuki finished speaking calmly, but then she changed the subject and said seriously:

"Arrival at the target location, prepare for airdrop, we will meet you on the ground."

A faint vibration was heard, and Xiangzi immediately heard the ambient sound read by the body's sensors:

The wind is howling and the pine waves are rolling.

The hydraulic levers of the transport plane's rear hatch murmured with fatigued metal as they opened, letting a waterfall of dusk light pour into the cabin. The next second, air streams of air rushed in, carrying the scent of pine needles and resin, forming tiny dewdrops on the mecha's surface.

"Airdrop begins—M6-S005 out, M6-S005 in!"

"Oblivionis, 発jin!"

Xiangzi responded loudly in the communication channel, and she immediately felt a strange sense of weightlessness, but this feeling quickly turned into fear and unwillingness of being pulled downward by the gravity of the planet.

The M6S's fuselage trembled in the air. Although the parachute had already opened, the speed of its descent was still so fast that it frightened Xiangzi. This had never happened to her during her past training. Was it because the weapons and ammunition it was carrying were too heavy?!

"Damn gravity!!"

Xiangzi complained angrily. She quickly turned on the camera under the body of the aircraft and enlarged the image of the treetops that were getting closer and closer. After counting a few numbers in her heart, the girl subconsciously clenched her fingers and allowed the driver's seat strap to tie her up tightly.

The recoil device was activated, and the strong wind blew the surrounding trees to and fro.

When the eight-meter-tall body of the M6S crashed into the forest, time took on a sticky texture—twigs and fallen leaves were squeezed down at the same time, and the water droplets accumulated on them fell down, flowing along the outer armor of the mecha into the soil, just like the most common rain showers in this season.

"...Oblivionis has landed safely and is now searching."

When the sense of security conveyed by the solid earth climbed into Xiangzi's heart, she let out a long breath, then shook off the slight sense of regret and prepared to control the mecha to move in the forest - there were four more M6S-type mechas that were airdropped with Xiangzi, and they would cooperate with the armed priestesses advancing from the ground to search together.

"Let me see, high-powered Ododek scanner activated, drone released... hm?"

The mech's footsteps, sinking slightly into the humus, suddenly stopped. The crisp crunch of falling leaves was drowned out by a sticky, tearing sound. Pine needles wove a dense web around the M6S mech, filtering the dusk light into shifting specks—and at that moment, all of them were trembling irregularly... Something was approaching!

What's going on?! It came so fast!

Xiangzi quickly manipulated the mecha to turn around. This was the right decision:

The monster's sharp claws scratched the small armored shield on the mecha's shoulders, leaving deep ugly marks. Even an armed priestess wearing an exoskeleton and bulletproof vest would be cut in half!

"I'm so lucky," Xiangzi muttered softly. She felt a little disgusted as she looked at the image on the screen of a being that was almost as tall as the mecha. "This is Oblivionis, making contact with the target... Yes, as expected, the [model] has become even taller - suppression operation begins!"

The monster, codenamed "Model," resembled a tall, ungainly human woman, with a thin jaw so sharp it could pierce a mecha's armor, and a massive mouth filled with shark-like fangs. Emblazoned on its chest was the face of a human man, still wailing non-stop.

"You lied to us all! There is no new student!"

“…How disgusting.”

Xiangzi no longer cursed, nor showed any mercy, she just silently controlled the mecha to fight back -

The machine gun's armor-piercing incendiary shells whistled through the forest, piercing through several trees along the way and igniting flames. Now was the time when the forest was the wettest, so the flames just licked gently, letting the billowing smoke show its presence.

The [Model] monster dodged several machine gun attacks, as if it could sense the movements of the mecha driver. The latter first retreated into the thick smoke, and the next second jumped out from another direction, leaving abominable marks on the mecha's armor... It was testing the mecha's weaknesses, or evaluating whether it could deal with this iron lump.

The battle continued, the entire forest trembling with explosions. The smell of burning pine resin and the stench of burnt protein mixed into a sickening, poisonous mist. Together with the thick smoke, it obscured Xiangzi's vision and blurred the observation of the mecha's sensors and cameras.

"The machine gun can't keep up with the enemy's movement speed, and our companions have two minutes to arrive," Xiangzi gritted his teeth. "Then let's engage in close combat, delaying and weakening the enemy first."

M6S threw away the machine gun in his hand and pulled out the dagger attached to his thigh with his right hand. Even though his hand only had three fingers, it was enough - the mecha crouched slightly and maximized the sensor sensitivity - the sound waves and data immediately bloomed in front of Xiangzi.

"There's nothing in front, behind, left, or right... There's nothing above or below?!"

Startled, Xiangzi immediately controlled the M6S to leap backwards. The M6 ​​AS had a maximum leaping capacity of nearly 25 meters, but its speed was far inferior to the monster that had emerged from the mud like an eel! The latter's body had completely transformed into a centipede-like shape, just like the monster Xiangzi had seen that rainy night, only stronger and faster!

"So fast!"

The violent tremors and the alarm sounds squeezed out all of Xiangzi's thoughts. She wanted to control the mecha to retreat, but found that her left leg had been pierced. Hydraulic oil spurted out, covering the monster's ugly and ferocious face with black mechanical blood.

The mecha stabbed with the dagger but the monster dodged it easily, and the latter instantly drilled into the soft soil, so fast that it seemed as if there was no hindrance at all!

The surrounding forest began to shake abnormally, as if mocking Xiangzi's arrogance.

"The energy activity readings in the other world are rapidly increasing... the timeline is disrupted... Tsk, is this a ritual site?!"

Sitting in the cockpit, Xiangzi felt more anxious. She thought for a few seconds and made up her mind - but the next second, the rocket launched by the armed helicopter exploded in front of the left side of the mecha, and the centipede-like figure flashed through the dust.

"Reinforcements? No, the communication is too heavily interfered with. I can't hear what's being said on the channel at all." Xiangzi frowned. She took a deep breath and decided to continue with her operation. "Record: Without accurate orders, Oblivionis attempted to kill or restrict the enemy's mobility."

The action begins!

Xiangzi let the mecha half-kneel on the ground and threw away the dagger - she wanted to use herself as bait to attract the monster. After all, as a powerful psychic, she would definitely be a delicious dish:

Human greed often leads to death, and the same is true for monsters.

Xiangzi's greed lies in her desire to kill the monster here, while the monster's greed lies in its desire to try to satisfy its eternal hunger before escaping.

So, let’s see who is greedier!

"coming!"

The soil in front of Xiangzi suddenly moved, and the monster's pale limbs jumped out, instantly cutting open the left chest armor of the mecha!

A faint ray of light penetrated into the cockpit and reflected in the girl's eyes - in an instant, the mecha leaned back, and its right arm suddenly grabbed the head of the monster attacking from the other end - this cunning thing used its lower limbs to feint, while its head was attacking the cockpit directly from another direction!

"Pile driver - preheating the nails... release the body's movement restrictions, start the rocket booster - penetrate it!!!"

Xiangzi roared and turned the mecha around, the recoil rockets on his back and legs were activated for the last time, and the pile driver on his left arm blasted out in a burst of flames and dust!

Corrupted blood splattered everywhere!

The spikes, coated in Black Stone powder, pierced the monster's flesh without resistance, piercing through the creature, which was as wide as the M6S's leg, and severing it in half! But this wasn't the end. Just as the monster's screams echoed through the forest, the mecha fired another piercing blow!

The power of the Black Stone began to act on this supernatural body, dispersing the chaotic energy of the otherworld, and breaking down the properties that constructed and connected it to worldly activities, making it even more fragile.

"What a tasteless face, but it's about to get even more tasteless."

Xiangzi exhaled slowly, looking at the man's face on the monster's chest. She sneered - the mecha raised its right fist - and when the cold smile passed from the corner of the girl's mouth, the right fist immediately swung down, again and again.

Until that thing is completely turned into meat paste, until the monster completely loses the ability to resist.

"Huh... My mecha is broken. I hope they won't deduct money from my salary and bonus?"

Feeling fatigue and fear surging from every part of his body, Xiangzi slumped in the cockpit, his face full of anxiety.

In the forest, more M6S AS and armed priestesses slowly appeared, staring at everything in front of them in amazement:

On the monster that was gradually turning into meat paste, the steel giant seemed to have fallen into a long sleep.

Armed Shrine Maiden Toyokawa Shoko (VIII): Battle of Asukayama Park

When Xiangzi walked out of the multiple disinfection spray room, she only felt tired, without a trace of joy of victory - due to the use of hastily developed new weapons and fierce fighting, her most commonly used body had been broken.

It's probably going to be sent for dismantling and scrapping... She painted the "Oblivionis" logo on the M6S body herself!

Wearing a white bathrobe, Xiangzi slumped on the soft chair outside, letting the loose collar of his clothes reveal a little cherry color licked by the hot bath.

Shoko let his thoughts wander and showed a dazed expression, which made Saikawa Ayane, who also came out of the disinfection room, laugh. By the way, he also had the urge to touch that smooth skin and knead those perky breasts... Ahem, Ruixi will be angry.

But then again, has this little blue-haired octopus really never been exploited by the girls around her? They perform live during the day and then go to parties at night, right?

"Keep your collar close - it would be terrible if you get harassed by some pervert," Saikawa Ayane said with an unconscious smile. She handed Xiangzi a can of sweet warm milk. "You've worked hard in the battle. Drink this and then go home and have a good sleep."

"Don't I need to undergo a mental pollution assessment? After all, I stayed in that supernatural environment for so long."

Xiangzi took the milk, took a sip, and a satisfied smile immediately blossomed on his face:

"So sweet!"

"Your resistance to mental pollution is relatively high, and you were inside the AS during the battle. A simple appraisal afterward will be enough. Not to mention that the enemy this time isn't a mental type." Saikawa Ayane sat down next to Xiangzi and stretched. "If you don't want to go home, you can stay at the Future Tool Research Institute. Of course, you can also come back to the shrine with me, but you'll have to share a room with the other miko."

Go home... Hearing this word, Xiangzi sighed inwardly. She shook the half-empty milk bottle in her hand, watching the milky white liquid swirl inside the bottle, turning into a small vortex. After a few seconds of silence, the girl said softly:

"I also need to bring food back."

"...Well, this is your family affair, we won't interfere." Saikawa Ayane also sighed and reached out to touch Xiangzi's head next to her. "But don't let your personal feelings affect the battle. This is for the sake of your life."