It took Felicity a while to grasp what was really going on.
To put it simply, she didn't recognize the two girls in front of her—and from the look of things, they had no authorization to be here. No doubt about it—they were intruders.
After relying on Herta for so long, Felicity figured it was time she pulled her own weight and did something to ease her burdens.
"Hey, you over there. Stop wasting my time."
Silver Wolf spoke lazily, not the least bit concerned about Felicity.
Raising her right arm, a cyberpunk-style gadget shimmered into existence around her wrist. A sphere of light swiftly gathered at the device's core—then with a sharp biu~, a blazing beam of energy shot forward.
It really did sound like a game effect.
Felicity blinked, her feet gliding back a few steps, seemingly just barely avoiding the blast.
But Silver Wolf's amused grin faded, her gaze sharpening. That dodge hadn't been a fluke—she was sure of it. As a top-tier hacker, her instincts didn't lie.
"This might get interesting."
She murmured to herself, her tone laced with a thrill, like a gamer facing a rare high-difficulty stage.
Bang—
Before she could strike again, Felicity snapped her fingers. Without warning, two thick vines erupted on either side of her.
"Be it sin or grace, receive the blessing of Abundance."
Felicity whispered, lifting her right hand as she calmly pointed toward Silver Wolf.
The vines sprang to life, thrashing forward to ensnare their target.
"Tsk..."
Silver Wolf clicked her tongue and twisted aside, narrowly avoiding one, while the other was vaporized by another beam of searing light.
Felicity narrowed her eyes. What intrigued her was not the destruction of the vine—but the aftermath. Despite taking a direct hit, the vine didn't crumble into dust. If that had been all, her power would've restored it instantly.
Yet this recovery… it wasn't immediate. Slower, more labored. She could still feel the vine regaining strength, but she couldn't force the process to accelerate.
—If I hit myself with that thing... would it kill me?
The thought flickered through Felicity's mind, lighting up her gaze. She raised her hand and pointed once more, this time toward the ground beneath Silver Wolf.
From the earth, several more vines erupted, bursting forth around Felicity like wild serpents.
"Where even are these vines rooted?! What kind of broken mechanic is this?!"
Silver Wolf's eyes widened as she twisted her body to evade, cursing with every dodge.
"Stop blaming the Path of Abundance!"
Felicity shot back coldly, summoning another wave of vines to chase her down.
Silver Wolf fell silent, her breath steadying. For all her cocky attitude, she was a seasoned combatant. As long as her opponent wasn't on the level of an Emanator, she had little reason to worry.
—Target the summoner.
Her gaze locked onto Felicity. Sure, she could waste time hacking away at the vines, but taking out their source would be faster and cleaner.
She guessed Felicity was already at her limit. Controlling so many summoned vines had to consume a lot of focus. That left her body slow, unguarded.
As long as Silver Wolf evaded perfectly, there would come a gap—one clean shot was all she needed.
Decision made, she surged forward, slipping through the entangling vines with the grace of a fish in water. Dozens of them snapped around her, but not a single one caught her.
With a light step, she was already at Felicity's side. Her right arm lifted, and the signature cannon materialized once again.
"Got you!"
A smirk tugged at Silver Wolf's lips. She was already picturing her win.
But—
"Shame."
Felicity's finger rose slightly.
In the next instant, a vine shot up from the ground—right beneath Silver Wolf's feet.
She'd wanted to take it head-on, but dying here was far too boring.
"Whoops!"
Silver Wolf's expression shifted—barely. Then she stuck out her tongue playfully.
"Please, this is textbook boss-phase transition stuff. You think I wouldn't be ready?"
Her cannon continued charging, while her other hand danced across a digital screen that had appeared out of nowhere.
"Data adjusted. Coordinates locked."
"Execute."
Boom—
The beam pierced cleanly through Felicity's body.
"That's game."
With the surrounding vines collapsing, Silver Wolf snapped her fingers, hand on her hip, ready to return to Kafka.
"Silver Wolf, you're not done just yet~"
Kafka's voice floated over softly. She stood beside the gray-haired girl sprawled on the ground, then turned to glance at Felicity with a gentle smile.
"Huh? What do you mean? That shot clearly—"
Silver Wolf's words cut off. Her eyes turned, and her breath caught.
"Abundance is the voice of all life. All things are ever-changing."
Felicity had nearly crumpled, but a vine propped her up. Emerald light swirled around her, and when she opened her eyes again, they gleamed like precious stones.
"...That power's not something a regular person can wield."
Kafka murmured, gaze solemn.
"We don't have much time, Kafka. If we follow the script, the Astral Express crew will arrive soon. We shouldn't be here."
Silver Wolf urged, brows drawn together.
"I know, Silver Wolf. But the one before us... isn't so simple."
Kafka's eyes narrowed, a rare seriousness creeping into her voice, though her tone remained gentle. "Isn't that right? Emanator of the Path of Abundance."
"Emanator…? Wait, Elio's script never mentioned we'd face an Emanator of Abundance."
Silver Wolf stiffened. She looked genuinely rattled. Elio's scripts never failed. If anything was omitted, it was because it didn't matter.
But the power of a Path? That wasn't something you overlooked.
"Relax. Elio didn't say we'd die here."
Kafka's smile returned, calm and composed. She glanced once more at the girl she'd been speaking with earlier, then turned her full attention to Felicity.
Extending one hand toward her, Kafka's voice became soft—enticing, almost like a lullaby.
"Now, listen to me—stop."
--+--
T/N: Fun fact, Felicity is an actual word(I did not know this) and it means intense happiness like euphoria. Makes sense as an emanator of abundance.