When Si Yexing heard what Old Lady Victor said, she could tell from the aura the old woman gave off that she was merely a three-star peak-level Esper. Feeling certain the old woman posed no threat to her, Si Yexing looked at her and asked rather arrogantly in return,
“Well, I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”
Facing Si Yexing’s retort, Old Lady Victor simply kept her kind smile and replied,
“Young lady, aren’t you a little too confident in yourself?”
Upon hearing Old Lady Victor’s answer, Si Yexing didn’t hesitate for a second. She unleashed her own full power as a three-star peak-level Esper and said to her,
“Feel my aura now.”
When they sensed the power radiating from Si Yexing, Maka and Hua Yiya, who stood behind Old Lady Victor, couldn’t help but show shocked expressions. The disdain that had been in their eyes earlier was completely gone. Yet, there was no trace of worry in their gaze either. After all, Old Lady Victor’s strength was something an ordinary three-star peak-level Esper could never hope to match.
“Hmm, a three-star peak-level Esper. Young lady, your strength is quite impressive. No wonder you spoke so boldly before. If I were just an ordinary Esper standing before you, I’m sure they’d immediately choose to surrender the moment you released your aura. But this old lady here is no ordinary Esper,” Victor said calmly.
“We’re both three-star peak-level Espers. Do you really think that this Grim Reaper, along with all these people from the Supernatural Affairs Bureau here, can’t keep you and those two accomplices behind you from getting away?”
Si Yexing truly couldn’t understand where Old Lady Victor’s confidence came from. Although her clone’s personality traits made her act a bit theatrical and chuunibyou, she wasn’t so foolish as to be blinded by it. While she secretly called her other clones in her mind, asking them to come and reinforce her, she raised the Grim Reaper’s scythe in her hand and pointed it at Old Lady Victor, questioning her like this.
Faced with Si Yexing’s question, Old Lady Victor nodded without any hesitation and answered,
“Yes, you and the others here are indeed incapable of keeping me and the two young people behind me from leaving.”
“Such big words! Then let this Grim Reaper come and personally see what you’re capable of, old lady.”
Fearing that if she kept chatting with Old Lady Victor, she might, like Maka did a few days ago, use some little trick she couldn’t detect to pull off a disappearing act, Si Yexing decided to waste no more words. She swung the Grim Reaper’s scythe in her hand and launched an attack directly at the old woman.
Watching Si Yexing swing her scythe and charge towards her, Old Lady Victor’s face remained completely calm. She simply gave a gentle clap of her hands. The spirits she had collected over the years using various methods, and kept hidden in her shadow, immediately emerged from within it and stepped directly into Si Yexing’s path, blocking her attack.
“What!”
Seeing the warrior spirit before her easily raise its sword and block her strike, Si Yexing—who was encountering such a situation for the first time—couldn’t help but let a look of utter surprise appear on her face.
But before she even had time to think about what was going on, the other spirits positioned around the warrior spirit either raised their own weapons or used their Esper powers, launching an attack against Si Yexing.
Sensing the danger closing in, Si Yexing realized she absolutely had to put some distance between herself and this group of spirits, or she would surely die here without even a proper burial. She kicked out hard at the warrior spirit in front of her, using the powerful recoil to dodge the spirits’ incoming attacks.
Once Si Yexing landed safely and was out of immediate danger, she finally had a moment to lift her head and look at the five spirits now gathered around Old Lady Victor. They were all in different shapes and forms, each radiating powerful fluctuations of Esper energy.
“I really didn’t expect those five spirits around you to all possess the strength of three-star peak-level Espers. No wonder you stayed completely calm and unruffled no matter how much this Grim Reaper tried to intimidate you just now.”
Judging from the intensity of their Esper energy fluctuations, Si Yexing could accurately determine that all five spirits that had crawled out of Old Lady Victor’s shadow had the power of three-star peak-level Espers. She lifted her head and looked at Old Lady Victor, who was now surrounded and protected by five powerful spirits, as she spoke.
“Young lady, by now you should have a deep understanding of the gap between this old lady and yourself. So, while I still haven’t changed my mind, quickly take yourself and your companions and leave this place. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to make you into a new spirit under my control.”
Since she had no grudge against the Freedom Life Association, and she genuinely liked girls like Si Yexing who reminded her of her own youth, Old Lady Victor said this to her. She hoped Si Yexing would know what was best for her and lead her organization’s people away from here.
Faced with Old Lady Victor’s threat, no hint of fear appeared on Si Yexing’s face. After all, she was just a clone of the main body, so even if she died here, she could be revived through recovery.
Thinking this, Si Yexing hesitated no longer. She raised her head and, with a firm tone, replied to Old Lady Victor, who stood not far away,
“Heh, this Grim Reaper is a deity who harvests the souls of sinners and rules the Underworld. How could I possibly back down and lead my companions away just because of a threat from a mortal like you, old lady?”
“So, does that mean you’re determined to make an enemy of this old lady, young lady?”
“You may take it that way.”
“What a pity. In that case, I have no choice but to make you into a new spirit. Apothecary, take action.”
Hearing Si Yexing’s answer, a look of genuine regret spread across Old Lady Victor’s face. She then commanded the Apothecary spirit beside her to attack.
Receiving its master’s order, the tall, imposing spirit in a doctor’s uniform standing next to her opened its enormous mouth—easily large enough to swallow a whole pig—aimed at Si Yexing and the rest of the Supernatural Affairs Bureau members, and began spewing out a pale yellow mist wildly.
Seeing the pale yellow mist surging right towards her, memories flashed through her mind of another version of herself who often fought using poison mist. Si Yexing instantly realized something terrible was about to happen and urgently shouted to the Bureau members behind her,
“This is bad! Everyone, retreat from here immediately!”
Hearing Si Yexing’s shout, the people from the Supernatural Affairs Bureau, who had already sensed things were going south the moment the five terrifyingly powerful spirits appeared, reacted quickly. They immediately began pulling back in the opposite direction from the surging pale yellow mist.
Unfortunately, the pale yellow mist spread far too fast. Even though they reacted as quickly as they possibly could, many of the Bureau’s people still collapsed, overcome by the mist.
