Rita's gaze locked solely on Pine Bloom. Wrapped in Crimson Dandelion's glow, she abandoned all forms of defense. Her dagger carved arcs of golden lightning dragons through the air.

Pine Bloom staggered backward. Her methods were nearly exhausted. She had already used the majority of her Player Relic's abilities during her earlier battle against Ash Cinders…

When her HP dropped to three percent, Pine Bloom—wearing her black dragonscale glove—drove her hand toward her own heart.

She intended to self-destruct.

Rita did not hesitate. She activated one of her most crucial abilities—

[Waste Guide].

Having spent twenty-three hours patiently building the Waste Index, she stepped directly in front of Pine Bloom, pulling every bolt of lightning toward her. Then she raised her dagger…

The instant dozens of attacks simultaneously struck Pine Bloom, the suspended moment ended.

And Rita finally heard the notification she had been waiting for.

[Player BS-Rita has slain player Lania Kaia-Pine Bloom.

Lania Kaia-Pine Bloom will join BS- and will now be known as BS-Pine Bloom.]

[Detected: Lania Kaia-Pine Bloom is a Lania Kaia leader.

Her city will now belong to BS-.

Her followers may voluntarily choose whether to join BS- alongside their leader.]

As Pine Bloom's body collapsed, the small robot that had been fighting Y128 also disappeared.

Throughout the battle, hunters and players had been trying to hit her.

She wanted Pine Bloom—

but the others wanted her just as much.

Every player here wished to recruit others into their own world.

BS-Rita was impressive, yes—

but fully developed leaders from other worlds were even more valuable.

This entire area had been in chaotic warfare.

Under Crimson Dandelion's protection, Rita slipped through strikes and explosions.

[The Wind Doesn't Speak]—

the desert wind wrapped her in one buff after another.

[Spring Scenery & Flowers]—

each step she took caused unfamiliar blossoms to bloom across the sand.

Every swing of her dagger left trails of golden lightning that lingered in the air.

Five players and seventeen hunters had converged here, along with countless robots and pets.

The bombardment of skills never ceased.

With their mobility restored and their sealed abilities reactivated, players no longer feared confronting hunters head-on.

The Isolated Isle fighters were powerful—

but players who had survived countless Divine Games were not weak.

Forcing players and Mechanoids to share bodies earlier was Divine Game's balancing act, giving Isolated Isle a sliver of hope.

But with restrictions lifted, surviving players were fully capable of killing Isolated Isle combatants.

Following Rita's command, Nivalis unleashed all her abilities on a nearby player—and immediately entered full cooldown under [Worth the Wait].

Using [Unchanged Fate], Rita endured every incoming attack as she charged toward her true target—

Lania Kaia—Mistblade.

The one who had hidden until the final stage of the game, then rushed toward BS-Rita the moment she heard the final-phase announcement.

The best possible choice in Rita's eyes.

A crimson fog blade intercepted the golden dagger. Red mist clashed with golden sparks. Mistblade's lips lifted in a smile as she met Rita's blazing black eyes.

"You really are greedy."

[Wildfire Rita]!

A storm of golden blades cut toward Mistblade from every angle.

Normal attack—eightfold critical—sixty-fourfold critical…

Every time Rita entered [Midnight Exile], she understood why Winter Sea's Frenzied Shark was once called "Calmly Facing Death."

Of course the enemy would die before she did.

How could one not be calm?

Clang clang clang—

Every strike was parried.

Mistblade's skills were on cooldown and her Player Relic sealed, but she still had her blade—

and her passive skill:

[Conspirator in the Mist]—

successful parries meant zero damage taken.

Rita recognized this instantly and felt a spike of frustration.

Mistblade was playing her like a boss fight—

as if this were some kind of parry-based sword game.

The battlefield was becoming overcrowded—

more hunters, more players, the chaos growing by the second.

Lightchaser and Ash Cinders arrived as well.

Pine Bloom had been able to cancel Rita's special skill states.

Other players undoubtedly had similar effects.

They simply hadn't landed a hit yet.

[Cat's Ideal] shimmered behind Rita.

[No Logic]—

twisting the perception of every living being nearby.

She shouted:

"A new rule for this game—

all attacks against BS-Rita and Lania Kaia-Mistblade are forbidden!"

Players immediately backed away.

Rita lunged again and again, only to be parried again and again.

Mistblade's gaze drifted across Rita's face, and for an instant she felt as if she were back in the final corridor of carnage in GodDraw77—standing in the Snowfield, facing Rita once more.

Back then, they fought to kill each other and win.

Now, they fought for the same reason—

to claim each other.

"You've never been told this?" Mistblade asked softly.

"You're very arrogant."

Such a convenient rule.

Rita could simply forbid others from attacking herself.

But instead she crafted a "fair fight."

Exactly like in GodDraw77, when she'd awakened her teacher's summoning skill yet still insisted:

"I don't need your help. I just want you to be here."

BS-Rita was strong—

but not yet strong enough in pure technique to defeat her.

A die rolled.

Rita triggered another skill—

[Lucky Number].

Then she deliberately pressed forward into Mistblade's blade.

If Mistblade's damage contained her Lucky Number, it would double the reflection.

[Falling Starry Sky] rained down again, freed from cooldown by School Rule 710.

Mistblade's crimson blade sliced stars out of the sky as she parried strike after strike.

Then—

just as Rita's lips parted in another fierce attack—

she suddenly smiled.

Mistblade froze for a heartbeat.

Rita whispered:

"You're worth setting aside my arrogance."

A small golden dagger stabbed from behind Mistblade at the same moment Rita struck from the front.

Lightchaser's fairy sprite.

Not only for Mistblade—

but not unrelated, either.

From the instant Rita heard the final-phase rules, she had been using skills nonstop—calling the fairy sprite back.

BS-'s crisis,

Deceitful Bloom's manipulation—

they had filled her with fire and frustration.

Before this game, she only wanted BS- to survive.

But after leaving the temple wearing that collar—

she wanted BS- to crush Dawn completely.

With such heaven-crafted rules, how could she allow pride to make her miss this chance?

She rejected the fairy sprite's aid in GodDraw77 because she believed she could win.

Now, she needed it—

because she wanted BS- to win beautifully.

And why twist everyone's perception to avoid attacking Mistblade?

Because Mistblade belonged only to BS-.

Two identical golden daggers, in identical arcs, with identical timing.

Even though the sprite's stats were lower, her combat technique compensated.

Mistblade's technique was exceptional—

but she had nothing left except her blade.

And she now faced Lightchaser's pupil—

Rita under [Waste Guide], [The Wind Doesn't Speak], [Phoenix Seat], [Spring Scenery & Flowers]—

every buff active at once.

When Mistblade's HP reached two percent, she lifted her hand and caught Rita's golden dagger barehanded. Lightning exploded across her palm. She looked directly into Rita's eyes, lips tipping upward.

Her voice was soft as a whisper.

"So—have you decided?

When I descend upon BS-,

how will you protect your throne

and your people?"

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