9. A: If Auto Mode Is A Random Meteor Shower, Then Manual Mode Is...

Rolling from different directions, and passing through many paths.

But in the end, it doesn’t even matter how far they go, this world is a spiraling maze.

So watch the coins pass by, watch the coins roll away.

In the end, it doesn’t even matter how far they go, they all gonna meet, like a part of a hoard.

What it means to me is that eventually, those coins will be a path to the guide, the one I looked for so far and searched so wide.

Yes, I did this all just to wait and watch it go.

And in the end, it doesn’t even matter anymore, for one thing, that now I know.

Those coins... They are finally there... No, seriously...

‘The nodes are here.’ Grinning as she said that, the Azure fragment quickly shut her mouth barely suppressing her laughter, and then looked up as she slowly stretched her right arm, only to then suddenly move it further to the right, to the left, up and down, and in many different forms and directions, guiding and leading the coi-... No, guiding and leading the meteor shower on its intended paths as the poor doll...

“Ghhrrr...” It shivered and gritted its teeth, feeling the threat those shiny star-like bullets presented. Still, there are things like the laws of physics even in this twisted world, and so as long as you are not killed you won’t die, and as long as you are not hit you won’t get injured... Well, at least if you are another semi-immortal divine beast with instantaneous regeneration, but... Anyway, whether the doll knew those obvious laws of this world or not aside, for now, that ‘thing’ simply stared at the threats accelerating toward it as they whistled through air, and then... It took a step to the side.

Sshhhh.

Coating its small body in bluish light and registering the surrounding scenery in its mind, the doll casually took a small step to the side, twisting the flow and appearing a few meters away, only for it to ignore the explosion behind it and instantly twist its body to the side barely avoiding a sudden shot to the shoulder, calmly spin in place avoiding another shot and then finally it took another ste-... No, by now let’s just acknowledge the truth, that’s a Blink, no? I mean, yes, it’s somehow different and is a little more versatile considering it even helps in concealment, but yeah... That trick of instant movement used by all diving beasts is pretty much a type of Blink or should I call it a Divine Step Art or something for now?

‘... It’s Confusing.’ Muttering that and tilting her head in wonder, Licia blinked her eyes a few times before once again resuming her role as the mad conductor playing Whac-A-Mole. Still, the behind-scene antics aside, for now, the doll, an Avatar of Ferocious Childishness, kept moving.

Ignoring the cracking floor below its feet, and the explosions ringing around it, that doll kept twisting its body left and right while also blinking and avoiding most of the bullet shots. More precisely, they are...

‘Warning Shots.’ Though the doll probably won’t know that, not like it had time to, considering that the attacks were getting more precise and numerous, while its exhausted body was getting weaker. Hell, even its arms were still disfigured with no chance to regenerate them. And so...

Oblivious to both the danger of its current situation and its own shadow’s smiling azure eyes, that doll kept moving everywhere, appearing and disappearing here then there, all as it avoided the random bullet shots and even the pieces of debris flying around but honestly... It’s hard, it’s difficult, and it’s...

“T-taAh... yRriin.” Barely clearing its head enough to mutter that word, the doll once more gritted its teeth and resumed its weird dance through the flying debris and shower of bullets as it tried brainstorming, but... But, what to do? WhAt tOo d-Do? WhAat t-To doOo?

“... WHhaAAatTtoOo??!”

Feeling annoyance and dread at the abnormal situation while also madly looking around for its enemy and brainstorming for a solution, that doll kept moving and moving faster in its hope of reaching the nearby waves of abominations, in its hope of finding food to satiate it, and maybe also regenerating its body quicker, but you see, the thing is...

It’s not like that doll was the only one getting used to this situation, and so... VrRrRr. Along with a sudden buzzing sound ringing in the surprised doll’s ears, those tens of coins that already fell crashing onto the floor rose again, while the hundred of coins still drawing closer instantly froze in air, and then without giving a chance for the confused doll looking for a way out, those hundreds of coins’ silver-white shine instantly vanished...

“Ghi?...!!?”

ZzzSssZt.

Only for a loud buzzing sound and a pulsing wave of Azure lightning to replace that shine. After all, now that data collection and warming up are all done, it’s time to get serious, which means it’s...

“It’s Manual Mode, you ready?” Hearing that sudden question and feeling surprised, the doll, confused at the whereabouts of its enemy, suddenly took a pause in its movement and warily looked up, but what it saw then was a storm... One of swirling azure sparks and wrathful stars, ready to descend.