Chapter 517: Devouring the City of Devouring Time! The Second "Zafkiel"!
"Omniscience also has things it doesn't know," Kurumi understood. This showed that Nia's so-called omniscience was limited to this world. As Ren was from another, it was normal for her not to know him.
Ren… Tohka hadn't heard of him either, but she was more curious why DEM was capturing Spirits. "This…"
Nia looked at her and introduced herself. "I am Honjo Nia."
"Hmm, Nia-san, can you tell me why DEM captured you? And what did they do?"
"They captured me because I became a Spirit. As for what they did…" Nia, about to answer, suddenly paused. She only remembered being imprisoned, but had no impression of what they had done. "Is there something wrong with my memory?"
She frowned and immediately manifested her Angel, Rasiel, trying to retrieve that memory. But to her surprise, everything appeared blank. "How is this possible…"
Tohka saw her distressed expression. "What's wrong?"
Nia shook her head. "I don't know why, but it seems I'm missing a paragraph of memory—the memory of being in DEM."
Tohka was about to ask for specifics when Kurumi interrupted. "Oh my, I thought we'd be safe once we left, but it seems I was overthinking."
"Are they chasing us?" Tohka gripped Sandalphon, her expression turning vigilant.
Nia's face was filled with disbelief. "Can they still find us when we're this far away?" She knew through her omniscience that this place was at least 150 kilometers from DEM.
"Heh, you'll have to ask yourself that," Kurumi scanned Nia with a strangely surprised look.
"Me?" Nia pointed at herself. "I didn't tip them off!" She thought she was being suspected.
"You may not have, but perhaps there's a tracking device on you."
"!!!" Hearing this, Nia's pupils contracted. She remembered they hadn't installed any, but the blank memories made her suspect her body had been tampered with.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz!" A loud buzzing sound rang out. The pursuers had arrived.
"It seems I'll have to welcome the guests," Kurumi said, already holding Zafkiel.
The source of the buzzing was an aerial battleship, its streamlined hull adorned with golden lines. Tohka and the others stood below, their hair fluttering. The hatch opened, and two figures descended. A cold, golden-haired girl in white-gold armor, and a black-haired woman in black-purple armor.
"Spirits. Three of them," the golden-haired woman, Ellen, said, instantly locking onto Nia.
"Oh my, I finally caught them!" the other woman, Rosa, had a look of madness in her scarlet eyes.
Ellen frowned. "Rosa, your emotions are very unstable."
"Heheheh," Rosa let out a strange laugh. "Me, unstable? I'm very stable. I've waited far too long. I can't believe the company hid one from me." She licked her lips, her eyes scanning them like prey. "Ellen, don't forget our mission. Capture them!"
With that, she charged towards Kurumi. Ellen also prepared to capture Nia.
"Spirits are my kind! I won't allow it!" Tohka, holding Sandalphon, stood firmly in front of Nia. Ellen didn't waste words and directly engaged her. After all, she was one of the strongest wizards in the world.
"Oh my. Treating me as prey? I hope you have enough time. City of Devouring Time!" A clock shone in Kurumi's golden pupils, and a pitch-black barrier was born where she pointed, dark and chaotic, as if filled with wriggling shadowy tentacles.
Rosa was enveloped, her body instantly becoming heavy, her time forcibly absorbed. "It seems it's not much," Kurumi shook her head. Her power had increased too much; she had nothing to fear from DEM.
"Kurumi-chan! Be careful! She's moving again!" Nia, who had no combat power, had been paying close attention. She had already gained knowledge of Ellen through Rasiel, but regarding Rosa, the information was blank. She saw Rosa grinning within the barrier and quickly warned Kurumi.
"Hmm?" Kurumi also sensed something unusual. She felt her City of Devouring Time weakening. Upon closer inspection, she discovered the clue. "You're absorbing my power? How is this possible!" Her eyes widened in disbelief. How could a human absorb the power of a Spirit Crystal?
"The power of a Spirit is so delicious! I've waited too long! Feel it, my new power!" In just a moment, Kurumi's barrier had disappeared. Rosa wiped the corner of her mouth, a sinister smile on her face. Strangely, a clock extremely similar to Kurumi's appeared behind her, and a gun similar to Zafkiel manifested in her hand.
Kurumi's gaze widened again. "Zafkiel!"
[Inorin Note:
If you wish to support me so I can continue to survive and afford proper food, you can join my membership on Patreon [patreon.com/InorinTL]. Be sure to check out "The Founding Pillars"—a special, limited-time tier that offers all the benefits of "The Plot Uncoverer" at a discounted price! Slots are limited, so grab yours before they run out. Besides membership, you can also donate via Ko-Fi [https://ko-fi.com/inorintl].
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]