I, Kurumi Tokisaki, Am a Wanderer

Dark purple, intricate magical arrays unfolded across the sky.

The two slender tails behind Schwi drew upon every ounce of available spirit energy in the surroundings.

Gripping a spear of flickering purple lightning in her hand, she assumed the perfect javelin-throw stance. With precision, Schwi hurled the divine spear.

It was a move the Flügel girl knew all too well—Heaven's Strike.

The pinnacle of Flügel combat techniques.

The world was bathed in blinding white light.

Dragging her illusionary wings and wearing tattered clothes, the girl emerged from the dazzling brilliance, standing high above.

The "Apocrypha: Heaven's Strike" had an efficiency of about sixty percent compared to the original. And as a parsing unit of the Ex-Machina, Schwi could only exert about a third of a combat unit's strength.

But... Flügel were not known for their durability. Even the strongest among them, Jibril, rarely unleashed a full-power Heaven's Strike.

A Flügel exhausting their full strength would enter a loli-form recovery phase, a state in which they returned to their true juvenile appearance. Being seen in such a vulnerable form by the predatory atmosphere of Avant Heim, a place full of yuri-maniac peers, was nothing short of a nightmare.

Even a mere twenty-percent-powered Apocrypha: Heaven's Strike was sufficient to breach the God of War's bestowed protections.

"You… YOU JUST DESTROYED THE PANTIES AND SOCKS LORD RAPHAEL WORE!!!"

Looking down in agony at her shredded sleeveless top and mismatched stockings, the Flügel girl let out a cry that sounded more like a hentai villain's lamentation.

Standing proudly above the gloomy sea of clouds, her amber eyes gleamed like molten iron, exuding apathy as they looked down upon the lowly world.

The weakest beating the strongest?

What a laughable fantasy. That was just Lord Raphael's delusional nonsense. How could the weakest ever triumph over the strongest?

Spirits surged forth like tidal waves, heeding her call and rushing to her command, engulfing the sky. Her amber eyes blazed brilliantly like a miniature sun.

The girl gazed toward the heavens with a serene expression.

In perfect symmetry, her wings of light spread horizontally from her waist while her slightly curled form created the shape of a perfect cross.

Despite her tattered attire, her battered figure exuded not a hint of vulgarity. Instead, she radiated a divine presence.

Clouds churned as the primordial hymn of spirits whispered in her ears. It was a song emanating from the Spiritual Corridor, an eternal melody echoing through existence. Sadly, the machine before her, capable only of mimicry, could not hear it.

Closing her eyes in bliss, the Flügel girl traced a massive, complex circle in the air. When she reopened her brilliant eyes, they locked onto Schwi.

The summoned spirits compressed, condensed, and compressed again. The spear of thunderous purple lightning took form, gripped tightly in her hands.

"Scrap metal…" The girl sneered coldly. "Let's see if you can survive this."

A 100% Heaven's Strike unleashed a tidal wave of spirits, tearing apart the gloomy sky.

Like a dragon's breath laced with thunder, it pierced through the clouds, leaving a gaping wound in the heavens.

The world, still reeling from the first flash of brilliance, was drowned once more in radiant white light.

A divine spear capable of shattering the heavens barreled toward Schwi like a meteor, its presence alone enough to split the ocean. The sea was torn apart, exposing the pitch-black seabed like the parting of the Red Sea.

As a Flügel, a weapon of the God of War, the girl had converted her entire body into a nerve conduit directly linked to the Spiritual Corridor, drawing forth the purest power to deliver this strike.

This was the true Heaven's Strike.

Confronted by the vortex of overwhelming power, Schwi's display interface was overwhelmed with static and distortions.

The spirits within her body faltered under the onslaught, and a cacophony of electronic noise filled her auditory systems.

Would she die?

Perhaps.

Would she regret it?

Who knew...

In her mind, the soft image of that radiant figure appeared—Kurumi, her visage blooming like a rose under the moonlight.

Her chest felt warm, her thoughts unwavering. Schwi steeled herself and charged headlong into the cataclysmic attack.

The world fell into a profound silence as light rained down.

Even the air itself bowed to the Heaven's Strike. At the epicenter of the explosion, a deadly stillness reigned.

Through the silence, the Flügel girl thought she heard something faint.

A voice...

"Apocrypha: Ultra Variant—"

"Retribution—"

The battered figure of the Ex-Machina shot forward, seemingly unscathed.

Impossible!

The Flügel girl—no, now a Flügel loli—gasped in shock.

After unleashing her full-strength Heaven's Strike, her once statuesque form had completely regressed, leaving her as nothing more than a diminutive version of herself.

Schwi was already upon her, cannon barrel trained on her side as she pulled the trigger.

"Counterattack!"

A torrent of blue energy erupted, sending the loli's hair flying. She bawled loudly, crouching down and cradling her head in mock surrender.

"Huh… huh?" The loli cautiously looked up, her amber eyes wide with disbelief.

She wasn't dead.

The cannon's barrel pressed firmly against her forehead.

"Flügel," Schwi's voice was cold and unyielding. "Tell me your objective. Why were you watching us?"

Sister doesn't want anyone to die.

Sister said… every piece on the board was a white piece. So, let her go.

Resting one hand on her chest, Schwi felt warmth emanating from her diamond-shaped core. Though it lacked a heartbeat, it brimmed with something akin to life.

Kurumi had only attacked her once. That seemingly mundane attack had taken Schwi almost a full month to analyze—despite Kurumi's assistance.

Even then, her replicated Apocrypha weapon only retained one percent of the original's attack power.

However... it flawlessly replicated the rule etched into its design:

Invincibility.

The Flügel loli sniffled, tugging at her ill-fitting over-the-knee socks.

She hiccupped and recounted her mission, all the while gazing wistfully at the ocean below.

With her body reduced to its diminutive state, her other sock had fallen completely off. She had only managed to save this one after a "hard-fought" battle.

These were Lord Raphael's sacred, original panties and socks! The Flügel loli's heart bled at the loss.

Meanwhile, Schwi wasn't much better off. The lovely dress Kurumi had gifted her was also ruined.

Suppressing the urge to fire one last shot, Schwi watched the diminutive figure retreat toward the distant horizon. Across the sea lay Avant Heim, the floating city of the Flügel, an airborne citadel of divine envoys.

By the time Kurumi arrived at the coastline, all she saw was a rift in the sky and the rare sunlight spilling through.

Schwi, disheveled and forlorn, wore the tattered remnants of her pink-and-white, off-shoulder taffeta dress, with a large tear running up its side.

The moment Schwi spotted Kurumi emerging from the White Forest, she couldn't hold back her emotions any longer. She dashed forward, throwing herself into Kurumi's arms.

Swift and nimble, she no longer resembled a machine but a young girl overwhelmed with grief.

Golden tears glimmered in the sunlight, and for the first time, Kurumi thought...

Maybe machines could be cute after all.

For this little girl who had given her such a big surprise when they first met, Kurumi couldn't help but feel a special fondness.

In a faraway, otherworldly realm, a long-dormant will stirred.

Something—someone—was awakening.

A heart...

A heart?

The drowsy girl gazed at the sky. It no longer resembled the suffocating, narrow gap it once had.

The black-and-red sky stretched above her like the backdrop of some somber stage play.

She sniffed lightly. A strong metallic scent of rust filled her senses.

Only then did she realize… she had awakened.

A girl who should have been utterly alone, one who should have perished, had once again opened her eyes under this vast and desolate sky.

"Was it you who awakened me?" The ancient girl, as old as this planet itself, asked the childlike deity standing before her.

The deity stood atop a colossal black chess piece at the edge of the world, scratching their head awkwardly. "Ahahaha… If I said this was all a misunderstanding, would you believe me?"

"Holou—" Their radiant smile was so infectious that even the newly awakened girl returned it with warmth.

Walking along the coastline, Kurumi and Schwi strolled together, bathed in the slanting sunlight.

The eternal gray-blue snowfall from Schwi's memories had finally ceased. The sea had retreated unusually far, as if preparing to unleash a massive storm.

The white sands lining the shore were soft and fine, glimmering with a dreamy luster beneath the rare sunlight.

Holding tightly onto Kurumi's hand, Schwi's face was flushed a bright pink. Being a mechanical girl, her system had logged countless strings of chaotic and contradictory data.

If the rest of her connection units saw such illogical statements, they would only further reject this outcast unit. But to Schwi, those contradictions were her treasures—she would never share them with those others.

"Hey… little Schwi, are you feeling uncomfortable?" Kurumi asked, feeling the soft warmth of Schwi's hand in her own. Her golden eyes gleamed with curiosity as they met Schwi's ruby-red gaze. Those gem-like eyes didn't reflect the world—they reflected Kurumi alone.

Schwi tilted her small head, the rare sunlight casting an orange glow over her delicate face. Black strands of hair fell gently against her cheek.

Her expression was serene, pure—like an innocent young girl.

For the first time in her 210 years of existence, Schwi felt truly fulfilled, brimming with hope.

Her previous dress had been torn during the battle with the Flügel. Now, she wore a simple black knee-length dress. The high waistline accentuated her slender figure, the skirt blooming like a rose. A large lace bow adorned her chest, cleverly hiding what she lacked.

"Nya... I'm just very happy."

Her eyes curved into crescent moons, brimming with a radiant joy that was endearing and infectious.

It made Kurumi question… Was she really a machine? Did she truly exist to analyze the concept of a heart?

A simulated, slender tail wrapped tightly around their clasped hands, while the other wagged playfully like that of a delighted cat.

They gazed at the far-off edge of the world, leaving behind all their worries. Unhurried, they began their journey back.

Out of nowhere, Schwi's eyes flashed, a long string of ancient code scrolling rapidly across her interface.

It seemed to be an outdated algorithm abandoned by the Ex-Machina eons ago.

Immersed in Kurumi's warm touch, Schwi froze for a moment before her expression returned to normal.

Behind them, the sound of crashing waves grew louder, intertwining with the distant echoes. The tide swelled higher, rushing toward the White Forest.

In a secret base on the southwestern side of the Lucia Continent, the central figures of the [Ghosts] sat gathered. A massive strategic map lay spread before them.

For an entire season, the Ghosts had been covertly active across the continent.

Holding a white rook piece, Rick moved it northward.

As they had suspected, the Elves and Fairies shared a deep connection. Upon learning of the terrifying weapon possessed by the Dwarves—the [E-Bomb], the two factions quickly allied.

Their pact brought with it the support of the Dragonia.

The Dwarves were a fanatical race, willing to wage wars capable of destroying the world for the sake of the Elves' precious soulstones. Naturally, they harbored no kind thoughts toward the Dragons, whose entire bodies were considered sacred relics.

Part of the White Dragons entered into a contract with the Elves, joining forces to fend off the Dwarves' high-speed warships.

On the map, the Dragons' Bishop, the Elves' Rook, and the Fairies' Pawn were clustered together.

On the opposing side stood the Dwarves' Bishop, their allied Giants' Rook, and the Phantasma, represented by the Knight—who had joined the Dwarves after Kurumi revealed the Elves' anti-mythical weapons, the Zero Void Protection.

The two major alliances stood in opposition, but both were held in check by the God of War Artosh's supreme faction, the Flügel.

Three months prior, Artosh's forces, once content to observe from afar, had inexplicably sent vanguard troops deep into the Elves' capital of Melvore. There, they engaged in an unknown battle.

The resulting Heaven's Strike tore apart the continental shelf, unleashing earthquakes and tsunamis that ravaged the White Forest.

Threatened by the Flügel, the two opposing alliances—both harboring doomsday weapons—dared not engage in direct combat, leading to a tense stalemate.

The three factions now appeared locked in a standoff, centered around the ocean east of Lucia.

Rick moved the Werebeast's piece westward to the archipelago. Left on the Lucia Continent were only two remaining factions: humanity and the final threat—Demonia.

Flying through snowflakes mixed with Black Ash, Schwi carried Kurumi in her arms as they soared toward the far north of Lucia.

Ever since returning from the White Forest, Schwi had undergone a peculiar change. She had become adept at acting spoiled, coquettishly wrapping Kurumi around her little finger. With soft "nya~" sounds and simulated ears and tails, her mastery of moe antics was seamless.

Her bashful, sweet demeanor made it difficult for Kurumi to refuse her anything.

Kurumi didn't particularly enjoy being carried under someone's arm during travel, which led to the current scenario—a princess carry.

Before them stretched the endless snowy expanse of the Arctic Wastelands, home to the Demonia.

For the Ghosts, strategy was their only lifeline. Facing irrationally powerful enemies meant retreat was often their only option.

While consuming rotting flesh could trick the Demons, there was a more effective solution at hand.

With an ace up their sleeve, why bother overcomplicating things?

The Demons were monsters spawned by mutated Phantasma. Most were mindless creatures driven purely by instinct.

Of course, there were smarter leaders… and a core that was nearly akin to a Demon King.

If they could strike down the core, the brainless monsters would amount to nothing but trash.

With that thought, the two sped up, aiming for the heart of the Demonia' domain.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon: 

Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven