The Vixen's Gambit: Tonight We Hunt

[Lee] didn't dislike Hua.

Though often hindering and disobedient, Hua hadn't done anything truly bad. She was more incompetent than malicious, a slightly dimwitted junior—at least better than Vill-V or Aponia.

Though she'd given Hua a good thrashing back then, it was long ago. Hua should have learned the truth from Elysia and no longer hold a grudge.

Which meant Hua should be on her side. They'd fought side by side for years in the Previous Era! Though not as strong as her, Hua was a top-tier fighter. With her help, crushing these weaklings would be child's play!

[Lee] smiled, looking at her opponents. Foolish humans, you think you're the only ones who can gang up? I can call for backup too!

Called by [Lee], Fu Hua instinctively took a step towards her.

Yes, if Lee needed help against a powerful enemy, she would help, even if it was a losing battle. Lee rarely asked for help. If she was asking, she must really need it.

Reddish flames flickered around Fu Hua's fingertips as she assessed the battlefield.

Multiple enemies, but not unbeatable—

"Squad Leader? What are you doing?!"

"K-Kiana?!"

A sharp, familiar voice snapped Fu Hua back to reality. She looked around, realizing she was standing against Kiana and the others.

Wait, this is wrong. How could Kiana be her enemy? Even when making a deal with Otto, she'd insisted he not harm them…

In a way, Fu Hua had watched them grow up. She was practically family. How could she bring herself to hurt them?

"Squad Leader, get out of there! She's dangerous!"

The fight raged on. Even as Mei warned Fu Hua, the clash of blades and lightning continued.

"She's trying to rule the world by force, deciding everyone's future… That cannot be allowed!"

Rule the world? Who? Lee?

Impossible. Lee wouldn't do that… if it was Lee, she wouldn't be humanity's enemy. There must be a misunderstanding.

But if it wasn't Lee, but that damned Herrscher…

"Squad Leader, snap out of it! We almost have her! Delaying will only make things worse!"

The urgent voices made Fu Hua instinctively take another step forward, but a furious shout froze her in her tracks.

"Hua?! What are you doing?! Are you betraying me again?!"

"Why are you always like this?! Why can't you trust me?! Have I ever let you down, ever made a wrong decision?!"

Not just anger, but deep sadness and disappointment radiated from [Lee], paralyzing Fu Hua.

"Squad Leader—" Seeing Fu Hua frozen between the two sides, looking utterly lost, Kiana's eyes narrowed. "That villain is using her mind control! She's trying to force Squad Leader to become her puppet!"

"We have to take her down, fast!"

They reached a silent consensus, momentarily ignoring the distraught Fu Hua, focusing all their energy on [Lee].

"Hua—tch, useless! Move aside!"

Having given up on Fu Hua's assistance, [Lee] unleashed her full power against her opponents.

This clash wouldn't be decided quickly; neither side could win in just a few moves—that was everyone's assessment.

Except Otto's.

While forcing the Void Archives to fight, he casually brushed past Fu Hua, seemingly adjusting his support position.

"Old friend, the person before you might not be who you think she is, but the companions beside you certainly are… No matter what, getting her to sit down and talk is always a good start."

"..."

Fu Hua was silent. Yes, she still didn't know if this was truly Lee.

Her appearance and power were identical, but her actions were completely different.

But Kiana and the others were undoubtedly her friends.

Yes, talk… everyone is a good person. Subdue her first, then talk things out. It might all be a misunderstanding.

Seeing a path forward, Fu Hua felt a sense of relief. This was the best solution for everyone, right?

The others, unaware of Fu Hua's thoughts, were preparing their finishing moves.

[Lee], focusing all her energy, was ready to take down one opponent, then pick them off one by one!

"Edge of Taixuan—" What?!

A flash of red struck [Lee] from an unexpected direction.

Caught completely off guard, she braced herself, taking the hit while still defending against Mei's attacks.

The seemingly invincible [Lee] was sent crashing into a nearby building, engulfed in dust and debris.

No one was more worried than Fu Hua herself. Though she'd held back, ensuring the blow wasn't lethal, attacking a former comrade still filled her with trepidation.

"Lee, are you alri—"

"Get lost! Stop with the fake concern!"

[Lee] stumbled out of the wreckage, battered but with eyes sharper than ever—and most of that sharpness was directed at Fu Hua.

"Lee, listen to me! There must be a misunderstanding! Let's stop fighting, let's all—"

"Drop the pretense." [Lee] interrupted coldly. "Fu Hua… heh, well played!"

"You exploited my lingering affection, knowing I'd hesitate to attack you—you win. When it comes to betraying friends, I'm still no match for you! How foolish of me, knowing you're always so stubborn, to still trust you… What did I ever do to you to make you hate me so much?!"

"It's not like that, Lee! Let me explain—"

"Enough! Hearing you speak makes me sick… I'd rather—!"

[Lee] suddenly raised a hand to strike herself, shocking everyone. "No! She's going to commit suicide—!"

In that moment of distraction, a wave of mental energy washed over everyone, subtle but enough for [Lee].

When they recovered, she was gone.

"She ran away?!" Theresa was dumbfounded. Wasn't she all about dying rather than being captured?

So much for a Previous Era hero. What kind of hero runs away?!

"There's more bad news." Mei's face was grim. The Divine Key she'd been carrying was gone. "She took the Ark of Dawn…"

Panic erupted. "What?! Without the Ark of Dawn, how can we fight her?!"

Facing the Herrscher of Sentience without mental protection was suicide.

While everyone was in shock, Otto simply chuckled. "That's what I'm here for."

He summoned the Void Archives, transforming it into a cube.

"While fighting alongside you, I analyzed its structure… I didn't have much time, so this imitation is far from perfect, but it should provide temporary protection."

"With the Immortal Phoenix joining us, we're much stronger than her—more than enough time to take her down!"

"Um, Otto, not to rain on your parade, but…" Eleanor pointed at Fu Hua, who was sitting on the ground, looking catatonic. "You're not relying on her, are you?"