Earthquake!
Sherry Cromwell was acutely aware of the tremors around her at this moment.
"Damn it, why didn't I have any premonition? Is it because Academy City is on an active seismic zone?" Sherry Cromwell was about to flee to the surface with the girl.
Even as an expert in manipulating the element of 'earth,' Sherry Cromwell dared not underestimate the might of nature.
Just then, an even more heart-stopping tremor came from beneath her feet, and Sherry Cromwell couldn't help but turn to look at the passage that had just been blocked and sealed by the collapse she had caused.
She subconsciously put down the girl she was holding and watched the spot with full vigilance.
It was as if... a monster was about to break through its seal and burst out of the hole!
...
Time rewound to two minutes earlier.
Lin Wuming was blocked in the original underground passage by the suddenly collapsing tunnel ceiling, looking at the pile of rubble in front of him with a stunned expression.
It could be confirmed that the enemy—Sherry Cromwell—had... escaped?
Seeing her aggressive demeanor, combined with her performance and motives in the original plot, Lin Wuming had thought she would be even more insane.
Facts proved that madness did not equate to stupidity. Sherry Cromwell might not mind sacrificing herself, but she was unwilling to die in vain before achieving her goal.
Facing an opponent she was destined not to defeat, a temporary retreat and regrouping was a wise choice.
Lin Wuming touched the dellinger pistol in his pocket and couldn't help but sigh inwardly—if he could enter "Bullet Time" and clear the immediate obstacles in a short time, continuing to pursue the enemy would be no problem at all.
But now... clearing away this dirt and building debris at normal speed, the opponent would have long since vanished.
If only there was a Spatial Ability User...
At this thought, Lin Wuming suddenly remembered that Kazakiri Hyouka also seemed to possess abilities like Space Movement.
But when he turned his head, Lin Wuming then noticed—Kazakiri Hyouka had disappeared at some unknown point.
"She really is elusive," Lin Wuming couldn't help but sigh.
But just then, a genuine "Spatial Ability User" appeared.
"Senior Wuming!" Shirai Kuroko appeared beside Lin Wuming in a flash. "You here... wow, you really made a mess."
With the help of a few remaining lights, Shirai Kuroko saw the tragic state of the underground passage.
"Shirai!" Lin Wuming's eyes lit up, but noticing the girl frowning and squinting as she surveyed the surroundings, he immediately calmed down and asked instead, "How's the situation outside? Have the citizens been evacuated?"
The conditions for activating "Space Movement" were extremely strict, as a single misstep could result in getting stuck in a dangerous place.
In a situation like this, Lin Wuming wasn't sure what the conditions were on the other side of the collapsed tunnel, so he certainly couldn't let Shirai Kuroko use her ability to move across.
"Huh?" Shirai Kuroko tilted her head and looked over—she felt as if Senior Wuming had wanted to say something just now.
However, the situation was urgent, so she didn't think too much about it and reported quickly: "Senior Wuming, please rest assured, the citizens in this underground district have basically been evacuated."
"Basically?"
"Yes," Shirai Kuroko looked back in a certain direction. "There are still six people trapped in a shop; they can't escape temporarily due to the collapse, but the structure is sturdy enough, so there's no danger."
That's right, Kamijou Touma and Index were among those six people—in fact, Kamijou Touma had stepped forward to fight the stone giant precisely to save the other four girls at that time.
Shirai Kuroko had returned to this dangerous battlefield also to rescue the last six trapped citizens.
"Senior Wuming," Shirai Kuroko had generally understood the current situation, knowing that the battle should be over and the intruder had been driven away. "If possible, I hope you can..."
Shirai Kuroko's tone was hesitant; she wanted to ask Lin Wuming for help.
Help move the floorboards and stones blocking the trapped people's room, and help take Kamijou Touma away—because of "Imagine Breaker," Shirai Kuroko couldn't use Space Movement with him.
—But, Senior Wuming seemed more concerned about that intruder; was he trying to find a way to get through this obstacle and continue pursuing the enemy?
Actually, Shirai Kuroko also knew that defeating and capturing the intruder as quickly as possible was the best way to solve all problems once and for all, which was why she hesitated whether to ask Senior Wuming for help...
Just then, an urgent communication completely ended Shirai Kuroko's hesitation.
Haruue Erii, who was providing support from the rear, suddenly sent a message.
—A girl had accidentally entered this area and happened to encounter the underground passage collapse, falling down along with the ground.
According to the positioning information, she was precisely near Shirai Kuroko's current location.
Upon receiving the message, Shirai Kuroko couldn't help but take a deep breath and look at the collapsed area in front of her.
—Compared to the six people who were temporarily safe, the situation of the girl ahead was much more urgent!
Not only because she fell from the ground, but also because behind this collapse area, there was a dangerous intruder!
"Senior Wuming," Shirai Kuroko immediately made her decision, "Can you scout the situation ahead?"
Shirai Kuroko knew that Lin Wuming's Nen could scan the surrounding environment like a radar. Using that information, he might be able to activate Space Movement.
It was a pity—Shirai Kuroko missed Shokuhou Misaki a bit at this moment—if they had "Mental Out" for direct thought-to-thought communication, they could transmit information much more accurately.
Lin Wuming also heard the communication just now, and to Shirai Kuroko's surprise, Lin Wuming showed a smile.
"No need for such trouble, I have a faster method."
As he spoke, four paper cranes flew out of Lin Wuming's pocket.
—The situation was urgent, so "Bullet Time" had to be activated to open a path in the shortest time;
—The pistol just happened to malfunction, unable to actively trigger the "Bullet Time" state as before;
—On the other hand, the current situation was not a tense life-or-death battle, the overall situation was controllable, and even if it failed, there was still room for recovery.
Thinking carefully, apart from the possibility of himself suffering a backlash from using magic, there were no other worries.
It could be said that this was the best time for an experiment.
Water, fire, air, earth, the four basic elements were applied one by one to the corresponding positions and colors of the paper cranes; during this time, Lin Wuming recited the corresponding incantation at high speed—
"...This is the revelation of my companions from the upper realm, every man and woman is a star, every number is infinite, there is no difference... Hadit, you are my hidden center, my heart and right..."
—Come on, "Bullet Time."
