When Chu Lian arrived in front of her room, she saw the man inside had already assumed a defensive stance, looking at her warily as if she were a tiger.
But after witnessing her calm and collected performance just now—effortlessly taking down four enemies—he had every reason to be cautious. Even though she looked like an ordinary young girl and didn't seem to have any abilities, her tactical thinking alone applied immense pressure.
The two of them stared at each other, neither making a move. But both were keenly aware that there was still one person downstairs. If he came up now, the situation could instantly turn.
Still, a stalemate wouldn't solve anything. An idea flashed through Chu Lian's mind. She feigned fatigue, her pink lips parting slightly as she began to breathe a little heavier.
Her past experience and a woman's instinctive acting ability made her performance flawless. After watching cautiously for a moment, the man seemed convinced that she really was exhausted and believed his chance had come.
The moment she blinked, he closed the distance, forming a blade with his fingers and swinging a hand chop toward her neck.
But Chu Lian immediately activated her final ability: "Remilia-sama's Dignity." She turned her head and glared at him, a strange red light flashing in her eyes. His heart wavered for a brief moment—but that was all. Their strength gap was too wide; he wasn't truly intimidated.
Then...
Chu Lian's body suddenly crouched down, her hands covering her head instinctively. The man, thinking she had been startled, didn't hold back and continued his strike.
Smack! His hand chopped down on her neck—but to Chu Lian, it felt like a gentle breeze. To him, it was like hitting a block of iron. His right hand swelled and turned red immediately.
Absolute Defense wasn't just invulnerability. Against energy-based attacks, it nullified them. Against physical damage, it rebounded it. That he used such force against a small girl showed how ruthless his intent was.
The five seconds passed quickly. Just as the man gritted his teeth and was about to switch to an energy attack, Chu Lian pulled out "Takeshi Gouda's Microphone" and leaned in close, singing:
"You are my little, little apple, loving you never feels like too much..."
What had been a sweet and pleasant voice was transformed into a nightmarish screech by the microphone. The man froze, dazed.
"Women's Self-Defense Technique No. 18: The Groin Kick..." Even at less than 1.4 meters tall, Chu Lian jumped and landed the kick cleanly.
It was the ultimate anti-male move. Unless one had undergone specific training, even the toughest man couldn't endure it.
His eyes bulged. His mouth opened, as if to scream, but no sound came out. Because at that moment, Chu Lian poured the very last bit of "Misuzu Kamio's Juice" into his mouth. Gulp gulp He swallowed a little, and at last, released from that searing pain, he passed out cold.
Only the final person downstairs remained. But the bread was unusable. No chance to use the jam. Imagine Breaker could only be used once. Absolute Defense was gone. Reimu's 100,000-point miracle was unavailable—she didn't have enough Integrity Points. Takeshi Gouda's Microphone was only effective when catching someone off guard. This was bad...
Even though only one opponent was left, Chu Lian had nearly exhausted all her trump cards. Dealing with him, let alone defeating him, was a real problem.
From the moment they entered to her subduing the fifth person, less than five minutes had passed. The one stationed downstairs now clearly realized something was wrong. He didn't dare move around and was guarding the main door, both to prevent anyone from entering and to stop her from escaping.
"Big Sister's Loving Whip: Misaka Mikoto's exclusive electric shock technique for Shirai Kuroko. It causes no physical harm, but places the target into a bizarre, inexplicable M-state."
"Prerequisites for use: Must be wearing Misaka Mikoto's safety shorts, holding her coin, and dressed in Tokiwadai Middle School's uniform. Exchange cost: 12,000."
Knowing she couldn't delay any longer, Chu Lian opened the exchange list and carefully searched through entries from "A Certain Scientific Railgun" and "Touhou Project." Finally, she found a usable ability.
This was the first time she'd seen usage prerequisites, but the requirements weren't excessive, so she simply redeemed the items along with the ability.
"Misaka Mikoto's Safety Shorts: The greatest invention in human history! While wearing them, you'll never have a wardrobe malfunction. (Actually just ordinary safety shorts, but supposedly has anti-damage and anti-exposure properties.) Exchange cost: 3,000." The system's daily sarcasm could be ignored. After redeeming them, she immediately put them on.
"Tokiwadai Middle School Uniform: Standard school uniform. Exchange cost: 1,200."
"Misaka Mikoto's Coin: The coin used by Misaka Mikoto to fire her 'Railgun,' seemingly imbued with special properties. Exchange cost: 1,000 each."
Once the coin was in her hand, its description changed:
"Misaka Mikoto's Coin: Used by Misaka Mikoto to fire her 'Railgun.' Due to its special significance, it carries a trace of the LV5 Electromaster's energy. Can be used to launch a minor attack."
After preparing everything, a minute passed. Peeking downstairs, Chu Lian saw that the last man seemed restless, on the verge of leaving. She couldn't let him go—otherwise, next time, they might come in greater numbers.
Steeling herself, she straightened her outfit, then stepped down the stairs slowly, one hand on the railing. As she walked, she gazed down at him with a lofty, dismissive expression, like a queen looking at an insect. The man was stunned, then clearly irritated.
Understandable. If you're a grown man in your late twenties and a loli under 1.4 meters tall looks at you like that, you'd be angry too.
(Unless, of course, you're a pervy M-type lolicon. In that case... never mind.)
Still, irritation aside, he didn't dare act rashly. If not for fear of punishment for failing his mission, he'd have left already. Why else would he remain on edge here?
Chu Lian approached him with tiny steps, a slight smile on her lips, and asked, "Hey, why are you people trying to capture me? Did I do something to offend you?"
She was only trying to distract him. Her right hand, pressed behind her back, already held a coin, ready to strike at any moment.
"Don't try to get information out of me. I won't say a thing." He hadn't planned to speak, but the pressure was unbearable. If he didn't vent a little, he might snap and attack on impulse. So after a moment's hesitation, he spoke.
But just as he finished, Chu Lian flicked the coin from her hidden hand. It struck his body—but a gray light instantly enveloped him. The coin didn't even make a ripple.
She had expected that. Without missing a beat, she leapt up. Her right hand activated Imagine Breaker, and her left hand pressed another coin against him. As her right hand made contact and nullified his defensive aura, the second coin triggered "Big Sister's Loving Whip," sending a jolt of electricity through his body. Wisps of white smoke began to rise.
It looked dramatic, but it was mostly for show. At best, it left him paralyzed for a short while—but that was all she needed. Grinning, Chu Lian pulled out "Aunt Akiko's Jam," forced open his mouth, and poured it in.
"Go on, enjoy one of the world's most terrifying culinary horrors..."
Clapping her hands, she stood. Six intruders—and she had taken down every one. From start to finish, Chu Lian had achieved an impossible six-kill.
And just to say it—yes, one of them was taken out right at the beginning. But the rest of you grown men couldn't deal with a single loli? What a waste of your years on Earth.
Just as she was about to make a call, she noticed a piece of paper lying next to one of the unconscious men. She picked it up and instantly froze, eyes wide.
"This girl's origins are highly complex. If necessary, search her home for documentation of her birth. She is a vital component in a project from the Otherside. Capture her—but do not harm a single hair on her head. Otherwise, you will face a fate worse than death.
"P.S.: Keep things low profile. If anyone else finds out about the operation, consider yourselves done for."
A note with no sender and no signatures—just a message.
But given her current situation, Chu Lian could tell: the "girl" mentioned was her. Without even knowing it, she had become the target of some mysterious organization lurking in the shadows. It was like being told that a sniper had her in their sights 24/7.
"Ayase, Ayase, get out here! What the heck is going on?!" Panic surged through Chu Lian at the realization that she had unknowingly been pulled into a dangerous scheme.
Ayase stayed silent for a moment before answering: "Do you remember what I told you before? 'Stay alive'—that wasn't just a warning. It's part of the ultimate quest. Your first mission is to become a true 'national goddess.' The second... is to survive."
She paused, hesitated briefly, then continued, "Don't worry too much. You'll soon earn some Skill Points, and with them, you can acquire abilities that will help you. At first, they'll be cautious and only send weaker people. But as time runs out, their scruples will fade. So don't relax too much."
"Who am I really?" The question echoed in her mind. But she couldn't bring herself to say it aloud.
She didn't notice the paper in her hand slowly slip to the floor. The characters on it began to vanish, and a green flame consumed it, reducing it to ashes.