Kaneko slashed upward with her sword, aiming to shatter the sky-obscuring Array Pattern. But Ertis wouldn’t allow it. With a swift hand seal, chains of condensed mana shot straight toward Kaneko.

They stood close. Ertis moved fast. The attack reached Kaneko’s back in a blink. Kaneko slammed on the brakes, barely dodging the coiling chain. Immediately, she raised her rapier. Mana light gathered midair, forming a fully charged Magic Cannon.

Refusing to fall behind, Ertis swept her hand. Ambient mana swirled toward her, erecting walls of mana before her body.

Yet the Magic Cannon never came. Kaneko left the ribbon behind—a massive mana orb hovering serenely above it—while she dashed toward the skyborne Array Pattern.

Reaching the right spot, Kaneko slowly opened her mouth. Mana surged through her entire body, bursting free with her words.

“I decree: no formations allowed in this pla—"

Before she could finish, a fiery explosion erupted behind her. Ertis parted the flames, blinked to Kaneko’s side, and drove her heel straight into Kaneko’s abdomen.

After several encounters, Ertis knew Kaneko’s words always came true—a power granted by her Magic Stone. Her mind recognized both its existence and terror. Though bound by range and phrasing limits, enduring even one targeted decree was excruciating at equal mana levels.

She absolutely could not let Kaneko finish.

“I decree!”

Clutching her abdomen, Kaneko stabilized midair and began speaking again. Ertis wouldn’t grant her the chance. Spirit Threads erupted from her body, aiming to bind Kaneko’s mind and silence her.

But the moment the threads emerged, Kaneko waved her hand. The half-ribbon she’d left behind coiled around her forearm. In that instant, she swung her arm.

Sword light shot from her sleeve with mountain-cleaving force. The gale wrapped around it seemed ready to split the heavens.

Ertis stood firm. Her eyes traced mana flows; her mind pinpointed weak points. A single Magic Spell could shatter this strike. Yet she sought more. She raised her arm—stars and moons swirling in her eyes—unfurled jet-black wings, and gathered the Spirit Threads before her, merging spiritual energy with mana.

“O timeless, supreme wisdom! Descend your divine decree! Gather all worldly forces into my body—Solo·Staccato·H!”

Countless giant hands stretched from the light orb before Ertis’s chest, grabbing the incoming sword light. It shattered the foremost hands with overwhelming force. But deeper it went, the hands grew tougher—some halting the blade for seconds, others pushing it back.

“So this is all…”

The hands broke through and lunged at Kaneko. In an instant, she spoke:

“I decree! No conflict allowed in this place!”

The hands dissolved. Simultaneously, cracks spiderwebbed from Kaneko’s chest. Mana leaked profusely. Clearly, her body hadn’t reached Ultimate—it had skipped Cantata Three entirely. She couldn’t contain the overflowing power.

Below, hearts pounded. They all knew Kaneko’s strength came at a cost. Even that heaven-piercing sword light couldn’t shake Ertis beneath the Array Pattern. Each decree increased the strain; stronger words brought fiercer backlash. Wasn’t magic bound by equivalent exchange?

They could only silently cheer. Too weak to fight, their duty was to stay safe—to avoid holding Kaneko back, becoming hostages, or being weaponized against the one shielding them.

Kaneko panted heavily. She knew her state. Skipping Cantata Three had flooded her with Ultimate power. A self-destruct countdown had begun. Every decree accelerated it. Two or three decrees remained. Thanks to the last one, combat was temporarily suspended—neither could attack the other.

In this window, she could safely recite the next decree.

“I decree! No formations allowed in this place!”

Her voice echoed across the heavens. Where her words reached, the massive formation covering District Twenty One began collapsing inward from the center in an impossible ripple.

Ertis looked up, dazed. Though she knew Kaneko’s Magic Spell could dismantle Array Patterns strangely, this was bizarre—the core still pulsed while the edges crumbled. She numbly raised her arms, trying to mend it.

Cracks now covered Kaneko’s face. To a stranger, she’d seem to wear a shattered mask. The backlash had cost her two decrees at once. Glancing at her hollowed arm, she estimated one remained…

The decree’s effect was time-limited. Even without that limit, once her body failed and her level dropped, the decree would fade. Then Ertis would repair the Array Pattern. The disaster over District Twenty One would remain. Death still loomed.

She would use her final decree to force Ertis back to Cantata Two. Then, if the Seekers in the tower launched an all-out assault, they could win.

She cast a deep glance toward the tower. Tears glistened in her eyes. In the end, she had upheld her justice. Surely the Captain and the Old Woman would be proud.

Kaneko’s lips parted slightly—soundless. Yet below, hearts tightened. Sensing her intent, the silent crowd cried out:

“Stop!”

A faint smile graced her lips. Suspended at the sky’s heart, her pure white Magic Armor dissolved into the wind. Her pale, cracked body shattered into finer fragments. She regretted nothing. Straining her ruined vocal cords, she forced out her final words:

“I decree: no Ultimate power allowed here.”

“Lift the ban on conflict.”

Hoarse yet resonant, the words echoed across the heavens, lingering without fade.

Ertis froze. She watched her Ultimate Magic Armor dissolve. Her level plummeted like a roller coaster. Her aura vanished—leaving her as weak as an ant.

“Go!!”

Most of Kaneko’s body had shattered. She erupted mana into a thunderous roar, urging Zhao Qingsnow and the others onward.

Understanding her meaning, the tower’s defenders charged.

Ertis clutched her head. The Ultimate organ within clashed violently against Kaneko’s decree. The internal war left her body in shambles. She had no strength to resist Zhao Qingsnow and the other two.

“Ancient frost, descend upon this world! Shatter the eternal ice—Frostbite Fang! Freeze all creation anew!”

“Clear sky, summon ink-cloud tempests! Honor lightning and fire’s ancient pact! Shatter the heavens with pure thunder!”

“O Earth! Keeper of history, witness of civilizations, steadfast mother… Nurture life, then reclaim it. Return all to the soil!”

They chanted in unison, unleashing lethal spells while Ertis reeled. Ice, earth, and lightning intertwined, surging toward her. Ertis weakly raised a hand—a thin Magic Layer formed. Too late. The triad of light engulfed her.

Her body turned to ash. Only the Eye Orb and her brain remained. The brain released disorienting Spirit Threads and fled swiftly, leaving the orb abandoned on the ground.

Entangled by threads, the Old Woman and Purple Lightning broke free. Zhao Qingsnow started to chase—but Kaneko, now only torso and above, plummeted weakly. Zhao Qingsnow caught her gently.

“A bit of a pity… You didn’t need to… save me…”

Kaneko’s voice was faint. Two more words might shatter her completely.

“How could we not? Your sacrifice was immense… Please, rest.”

Kaneko shook her head. Channeling her last mana, she offered the pure white Magic Stone from within. A faint rhythm coiled around Zhao Qingsnow’s wrist. Then the stone lost its luster, cracked, and crumbled to dust.

The Old Woman retrieved the Eye Orb and joined Zhao Qingsnow. Together, they watched in silence as Kaneko slowly faded.

“We… won… Why the gloomy faces? …Be happy. We saved so many. They’ll live on happily.”

“And I was… just an artificial human. My life wasn’t precious. If my death brings others joy… I die without regrets.”

Cracks consumed her entirely. Her remains shattered like glass, glittering like stardust as they scattered across District Twenty One.

“Look…”

“I did it!”