**Chapter 47: The Rain Has Stopped**
Under the dim rain-soaked night.
Alice had raised a long spear made of blood in front of her chest.
The next moment.
She felt as if her chest had been rammed by a speeding cargo truck.
The tremendous impact sent her petite body flying, crashing into several sturdy tree trunks before finally coming to a halt.
“I was careless… I should have killed it before it unleashed its full power…”
With great difficulty, Alice pushed herself up with her hands, trying to stand.
But the duplicate’s pursuit came right after.
It displayed agility that was in stark contrast to its massive frame.
A giant hand swept across, sending Alice flying again as she attempted to rise.
At that moment, the tide of battle completely turned.
Alice, who had initially held the absolute advantage, now struggled to fend off the attacks.
The duplicate, taking on the form of a white spirit, exhibited strength that was on par with half-dragon Alice, even if it was just a counterfeit.
Having devoured countless brothers and sisters to gain power, it now resembled a second white spirit.
Its black figure flickered in and out of visibility under the rain-soaked night, like a hunter lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.
“Damn it…”
Alice spit out blood and pulled a small iron box from the pocket of her coat.
She could feel the urgent nature of the duplicate’s attacks.
Despite having the upper hand.
It seemed to be worried about something, attacking frantically, wanting to eliminate her as quickly as possible.
Alice judged that she could exploit this flaw.
When it attacked her, she would use dragon breath to finish it off.
—Just a piece should be manageable.
Alice re-evaluated herself and poured a crimson tablet from the iron box.
She swallowed it in a single gulp with the rainwater.
The special ingredient in the tablet ignited the dragon blood within her, actively entering a state of blood imbalance, but simultaneously stifling the brutal impulse, allowing her to maintain her human rationality.
Within seconds, her once cooling body became feverishly hot again, the golden light emanating from her right eye shining more brilliantly.
Realizing this was her last chance.
She spread her wings to seek an aerial advantage.
But the agile and bulky form of the duplicate followed closely behind.
The clash of their attacks generated a shockwave that temporarily cleared the raindrops mid-air.
The sound of their physical collisions was deafening.
……
……
Inside the SEMA special circle.
DD-chan looked around in surprise.
In this data room, which was about half the size of a classroom.
Paper documents piled up high, and amid the stacks, several super-large computers were barely visible.
The silver logo of “Crossed Wings” on the computers stood out starkly under the light.
DD-chan put down the planning book in her hands and floated into the air to re-examine these paper files.
She discovered that they contained various manuscripts about urban legends or strange tales, and further in, there were materials regarding the history of the White Spirit Shrine.
DD-chan was taken aback.
But Nagi, seemingly uninterested in any of this, went straight past the towering piles of materials to the innermost depths.
There was a large door in there.
Nagi used the same trick again and took out her student ID.
But at the moment the starry eyes flickered.
The door opened automatically, giving her no chance to swipe her card.
Seeing this, Nagi revealed a faint bitter smile.
Nagi pushed the door open.
Behind the door was a pure white circular space, a long glass corridor.
On the table at the end of the corridor sat a wooden box.
Inside the box was a golden object.
As DD-chan approached, she realized it was a golden bell.
Though it was her first time seeing it, it evoked a sense of nostalgia.
Nagi examined the bell as if she was confirming its condition.
Seeing this, DD-chan couldn’t help but ask:
“What is this?”
“…..It’s a wish machine that keeps this city ‘peaceful.'”
…..
…..
The battle had intensified.
Half-dragon Alice and the white spirit duplicate had gone through several rounds of probing.
Both were looking for an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to the other.
The first to seize the chance was Alice.
In one of the charges launched by the duplicate.
She leveraged the instant explosive power brought on by her half-dragon transformation to dodge and thrust the blood spear in her hand deep into the duplicate’s flank.
With no way to distance itself from her.
Alice opened her mouth, dragon blood boiling.
The searing dragon breath began to gather.
Known for its destructive power, there was no doubt it could severely injure the duplicate in front of her.
But this was a flaw deliberately exposed by the duplicate.
Having witnessed Alice’s dragon breath, it naturally knew she had this card up her sleeve and was waiting for an opportunity to unleash it.
Seeing Alice attack as it intended, a smirk crept across its mouth.
“Could it be—”
By the time Alice processed this, it was already too late.
The duplicate’s massive body suddenly elongated and became slender.
Causing Alice’s imminent breath attack to miss completely.
Its blade-like claws were already aimed at Alice’s heart.
In that instant.
A sudden gust of wind coincidentally lifted the raindrops.
The duplicate’s movement appeared to be momentarily constrained, freezing for a fraction of a second.
This fleeting moment gave Alice an opportunity.
She adjusted the direction of her blood spear and sent her searing dragon breath into the duplicate’s slender torso.
A dazzling beam of light shot through the sky.
The resultant shockwave simultaneously dispersed the clouds hanging over Kawano City, revealing a clear night sky.
Under the destructive force of the dragon breath, the upper half of the duplicate’s body was obliterated.
Its magical reaction drastically diminished.
Its body gradually shrank, returning to a matchstick-like form.
“This familiar feeling, could it be…”
Having escaped with her life, Alice looked up in confusion as the rain stopped.
Above the night sky, countless stars hung brightly.
“No, it’s impossible; it has already…”
Alice shook her head, dispelling her timid thoughts.
Then she approached the ailing duplicate.
“Mother, I’m sorry; I couldn’t avenge you…”
Even after receiving a direct dragon breath attack, the duplicate still exhibited signs of life, but it was like a candle flickering in the wind.
Noticing Alice drawing closer, it revealed a crescent-like smile and began to laugh maniacally:
“Foolish humans! You have no idea what you are up against!”
“The day is coming! You will all die then! Hahaha! You will all die—”
Alice condensed her blood spear and cleanly pierced through the duplicate’s head.
She delivered a brutal finishing blow.
Only after confirming it was completely dead did she release her control over her blood.
But it was not over yet.
The duplicate’s dying words made Alice gaze longingly at the small city before her.
Was the monster it spoke of the very thing she was sent to investigate on this mission?
If it was something it feared so much, could she really handle it?
Under the starry sky.
Alice took out her phone and dialed the logistics department of the SEMA special circle.
—It seemed she would have to stay in this city a while longer.
