Fight

“The two people next to the love goddess also seem to be using magic behind their arms, which seems to be powering the strings, but they aren't the source,” her eyes keep observing. Era also sees that this is not, in fact, the source.

Era nudges her before pointing towards the two figures. “They seem to be casting more strings.”

She was correct; the two figures near the love goddess cast three strings. Their shape was skinny and impossible to see with the naked eye, but it also seemed to have magic coursing through it.

“What is that?” Shina instantly realised the new target approaching rapidly, its thin form lashing out at her before hitting her body, causing a bit of magic to syphon out of her.

She grabs her arm where it was lashed, seeing a little white line formed on her school uniform, before turning around towards Era and the girl for answers.

“They take away my power, but it's pretty weak considering I have a deity now,” she quickly informed them before continuing to dodge the thin strings and counteract the figures.

At the back, Era notices the weird predicament, her gaze turning towards Ayuri; seeing the thing's string being cut off by her threads gave her a small smile. Finally, turning her eyes around to Toki, the string seemed to pass through him entirely, despite trying to clearly lash out at him.

“They can only hit beings with magic; that much I can tell,” Era commented before her scientist spoke out.

“Those strings are the same ones connected to the back of the figures. Considering that it means that those people are connected in some way, which grants them the ability to avoid and block them.”

“So, taking out the strings on their backs breaks their connection,” Era concluded before seeing her scientist nod.

I have a weakness, deity girl.

Shina turned her gaze towards her in the back before quickly dashing backwards towards her, the hooded figures instantly following; however, their speed was far slower, giving her a couple of seconds.

“There are strings on their back; either cut or rip them apart, and it should stop their abnormal movements. They are all connected via the same string, so it seems that each one can convey information to another.”

She adds the secret at the end.

“The ones you are fighting aren't the same as at the start. Every time they leave your field of vision, they switch with one another, which is why they can react so fast.”

Shina nods knowingly before dodging a strike, her eyes focusing on the string behind the hooded figures. She knew her new target now, but hitting it, however, was another story she needed to solve.

Era sees that one is already understanding the situation, decides it's time to take a more radical approach, and she quickly appears behind Ayuri, who accidentally hits her with the drum major stick.

“I'm sorry!” A hint of fear came out from hitting a goddess despite it doing nothing to her.

Era sighed, “Do you see those strings trying to hit you?”

She quickly nodded; her threads were fighting them off very effectively. It wasn’t much concern for her safety, but it limited her attack power quite a bit.

“Do you have something to tell me?” Her eyes focused on the strings, their movements trying to weave past the intricate web of threads Ayuri planted.

She quickly ordered, “Allow them to hit you; their power greatly exceeds yours, considering they are cast by three separate love members.”

“I don't feel like dying,” Ayurii quickly rebuked her request. Who would even allow themselves to get hit by the enemy? Even if Era didn't consider Ayuri the smartest of the group, it's not like she would go to harm's way without reason.

Era traced back the string attacking Ayuri, her eyes going towards the two figures casting the string; they too were connected. Something even her scientist couldn't tell

“Let them hit you—”

“No,” Ayuri quickly interrupted.

Era was now getting extremely frustrated at not even being given the chance to explain her idea. Ayuri was like her worst nightmare; an emotional girl was the total opposite of what she wanted.

“Let me explain." She waited for any comment before continuing.

Ayuri seemed to show some interest now.

“You will use your thread to wrap around the string and follow it back to the original person. Toki is unaffected by them, which will make it best for him to head there and destroy their connection.”

She quickly thought about the idea; it was definitely worth it, but the risk of not knowing what would happen to her still hung heavy as she had to decide between continuing this endless stalemate against enemies who would never tire or ending it at the cost of her own self.

“Tell Toki before I do it.” Ayuri gave a glance before Era vanished off to explain to him.

Understanding the citation at hand, Toki seemed to be disapproving.

“I won't let her risk herself just for your plan.”

Era sighed again. This group were definitely too close for their own good in her view. “Just trust me, the weakness is implanted; she will be connected like the rest of them, and it will break once you get rid of the host.”

Toki looked behind him, seeing the girl in the back nod. There wasn’t much to say anymore before he shouted at Ayuri, “Go do it.”

Ayuri nods back before stopping her intricate thread web around her. If there were any reactions behind those hooded people, then there would definitely be shock.

She then brings her arms to her drum major stick before issuing one final command.

“Find the original of these strings.” Golden ripples emerge from the ground around her before all the threads disappear and reform into one singular, thick-looking thread. Her ability was now ready for the job.

The string, seeing its opportunity to strike, doesn't wait anymore; it rushes down towards Ayuri before striking her in the back.