Block the Bridge!

Seina gently set Star-trail on the ground and stretched her bandage-wrapped fingers.

The burning pain from earlier had already faded.

She looked down at the contract mark on the back of her hand. The amplification array, which had only recently been etched onto her skin, was glowing faintly, as if that single arrow from earlier had awakened some dormant patterns.

“I feel like I can fire a few more shots.”

She clenched her fist and looked up at Snowrealm, the excitement in her eyes not yet fully faded.

“...Then let's keep going.”

“Can you detect any more?” Snowrealm asked Star-trail.

It had to be said that Star-trail's detection was incredibly useful, like having an extra pair of eyes in the sky.

Through Star-trail's contract, any Erosion Body was revealed as clearly as if she had X-ray vision.

“To the east, there are a few under the overpass, climbing up the bridge piers. There's a night construction crew on the bridge deck. We must stop them before they reach the top.”

Snowrealm nodded, then turned to Seina. “This time, set up your bow from a high vantage point. Wait for me to get close and stagger them before you pick them off. Don't rush your shots; take them out one by one.”

“Understood!” This time, Seina didn't jump straight down. Instead, she leaped onto the crossbeam of a signal tower, finding a spot with a clear, wide view.

Snowrealm had already darted off, staying low to the ground.

Her boots kicked up a series of tiny ice flowers in the puddles, each step leaving a fleeting trail of frost on the water's surface.

As Star-trail's detection scan spread through the air, Seina already had her bow in hand.

Looking down from this height, the puddles beneath the overpass reflected the distant streetlights. A few glowing spots were slowly moving up the bridge piers.

Snowrealm had already landed beneath the bridge. She looked up in Seina's direction, and Seina gave her a "ready" hand sign.

Snowrealm withdrew her gaze, lowered her center of gravity, and dashed beneath the bridge piers like an arrow released from a bow.

The moment her weapon was unsheathed, a mist of ice condensed in the air, freezing the forelimbs of the Erosion Body closest to the pier against the concrete surface.

Without turning her head, she called out the coordinates, her voice reaching Seina clearly through the contract communication: Leave the frozen one to you. I'll draw the rest away.

High above, Seina drew her bowstring to its limit. An arrow of light streaked through the night, precisely piercing the Erosion Body that was still struggling to break free from the ice.

At the same time, Snowrealm's figure darted back and forth twice between the other two Erosion Bodies, each dash perfectly drawing their attention away from Seina.

She did just enough to provide a clear window of attack without entirely relieving Seina of the pressure of real combat.

Quiet returned to the underpass as Snowrealm flicked the black mist off her straight sword.

She looked up at Seina, who was leaping down from the signal tower.

“Where's the next spot?” Seina asked before she had even fully landed.

Star-trail pointed its tail toward the southwest.

“The riverside greenway. Two of them are trying to infiltrate from the river. But be careful—they move faster in the water than on land, so don't get too close.”

Snowrealm thought for a moment after hearing this, then turned to Seina.

This kind of environment would test Seina's archery, but it was also an excellent opportunity to practice.

“You'll take the lead this time, and I'll block their movements. The water is different from dry land. Your arrows will refract when they hit the surface, causing an angular deviation. You need to aim slightly lower to compensate.”

Seina nodded seriously, committing every detail to memory.

The river's surface shimmered under the moonlight. Seina half-crouched beneath a willow tree, her bow half-drawn, the tip of her arrow tracking the two dark shadows moving slowly through the water.

Snowrealm had already circled to the opposite bank, setting up three ice walls in the direction the Erosion Bodies were likely to flee.

Seina didn't rush to shoot. She waited until the exact moment the two Erosion Bodies were forced out of the water by the ice walls before releasing her string.

The arrow of light split into two in midair, striking the cores of both Erosion Bodies.

Water splashed high before falling back into the river, leaving behind only a few wisps of dissipating black mist.

“A split arrow.” Snowrealm leaped back from the opposite bank, landing beside her. She glanced at the lingering traces of mana on the water's surface. “When did you learn that?”

“Just now! When I was drawing my bow, I suddenly felt like I could do it, so I did.”

Seina held her bow at her side, her voice carrying a hint of tentative surprise. “It was my first time trying it. I didn't expect it to actually work.”

“Very good.”

Snowrealm nodded, then turned to walk along the river embankment.

Seina followed closely behind, looking down at her bandaged hand as she walked, still savoring the feeling of that last arrow leaving her fingers.

Star-trail flew above them, its tail swaying slowly.

It watched Snowrealm leading the way, her pace slightly slower than when they had set out tonight.

Sure enough, there were no other mana fluctuations from Erosion Bodies nearby. There were a few weak points in the distance, but they were all within the jurisdiction of the Association's patrol teams, so there was no need for them to intervene.

Tonight's harvest was quite good. For Seina's first real battle, she had defeated a solid number of enemies. Her experience points must have gone up quite a bit.

Snowrealm had observed and guided her the entire time. Although she hadn't fought much herself, she had done an excellent job fulfilling her duties as a senior.

“That's about it,” Star-trail's voice came from above as it slowly descended, landing on the railing of the river embankment.

“There are no more Erosion Bodies within my detection range that need clearing. Tonight's training is officially over. You two should go back and rest.”

Seina, still immersed in the accomplishment of her split arrow, looked up with a lingering desire for more. “Eh? It's over already? I can still practice that move a few more times. Maybe I can even split it into three—”

“That's enough for today.”

Star-trail lightly patted her head, cutting her off. “Your wound opened up again during the fight just now. Don't think I can't see it just because it's wrapped in bandages.”

Seina instinctively hid her injured hand behind her back, only for Star-trail to swat it again with its tail.

She pouted but didn't argue further.

“Thank you for your hard work. Let's call it a night. Remember to tend to your hand when you get back.”

Snowrealm said, turning around as her hair fluttered gently in the night wind.

Without waiting for Seina's reply, she walked back along the river embankment.

Seina jogged a few steps to catch up, stowing her bow away as she walked.

On the other side of town, Qiluo Tian Gong placed her hair tie on the nightstand. Her long hair fell loose over her shoulders as she collapsed backward, sinking into her bed.

Cradling her head with her arms, she stared at the ceiling light for a moment.

The frequency of Erosion Body appearances had dropped significantly lately, and tonight, the two contractors had struck while the iron was hot, clearing out several more.

Within the range of the detection array, the mana fluctuations had stabilized.

The remaining ones were nothing but insignificant dregs. Even if left alone, they would dissipate on their own in a few days.

Going by this trend, nothing should go wrong on the day of the school festival.

Just to be safe, over the next few days...

She would go on patrol every day as well!

There was no way she was letting anything slide!

No way these things would show up then!

But there was one more thing!

Star-trail landed on Seina's shoulder.

It brushed its tail against the patch of damp sweat behind her ear. The slight chill of the contact made her instinctively shrink her neck.

“You did well tonight. To be this impressive in your first real battle... if the people at the Association find out, they'll probably scramble to promote you.”

Seina twirled her hair, a little embarrassed by the praise. “I wasn't that impressive... Senior Snowrealm led me well. She kept creating openings for me to attack.”

“And you too. Did you secretly help me stabilize my mana again?”

She turned her head to look at Star-trail on her shoulder, her eyes shining brightly under the moonlight.

Star-trail hopped to her other shoulder. “Don't worry about such small things. But speaking of which, I've seen quite a bit of merchandise around. Over at the concert venue, even a single keychain costs a fortune. Do you know how those licensing deals work?”