The moon in the sky was perfectly round, and the stars were numerous, casting a faint glow—not out of attraction for one another, as in some base coupling, but simply to illuminate the earth. Yet, Fuyuki City remained shrouded in darkness that night.

This was only natural. While the hidden channel of Fuyuki City did not reject the light of the moon and stars, no ordinary person was present to generate the intense illumination that could make the night as bright as day. Not only the outskirts, but even the urban districts were frighteningly dark and silent.

It had been over half a month since the various powerhouses descended upon Fuyuki City. The number of battles was uncountable, and no one bothered to keep track of such things. But after so many clashes, certain subtle patterns had emerged.

For instance, no matter how fiercely they fought, any streets destroyed would automatically restore themselves by the next day. Furthermore, not a single ordinary person had perished—excluding those who died of natural causes or accidents, but absolutely no civilians were caught in the crossfire of their battles.

Although they had tried their utmost to avoid fighting in populated areas, not all battle zones were sparsely populated outskirts. Theoretically, at least one or two, or even more, unlucky souls should have been dragged into the conflict. This wasn't some RPG where bystanders were immune to death in combat.

Yet, that was precisely the bizarre reality.

Once or twice, one might overlook it, but as this absurdity repeated itself, everyone began to sense that something was fundamentally wrong. Sometimes, a few of the more violently inclined individuals even entertained the thought of killing a few civilians just to see what would happen. Terrifyingly, some harbored notions of wiping out the entire city.

Of course, someone did attempt the former, but no one dared try the latter. In the end, it remained mere thought, considering that in the current Fuyuki City, you could potentially encounter the Twenty-Seven Ancestors, a Magus, or a Servant in rapid succession within five minutes. Thinking about slaughtering the city was far less practical than thinking about staying alive.

What if, mid-slaughter, one accidentally ran into an unfathomable monster like the Water Moon Spider, or perhaps the fiercely combatant Hei Ji, or even a Servant who enjoyed mass engagements? In that scenario, they would likely be the ones getting slaughtered.

Speaking of which, the Second Miss had been having quite a good time lately, thanks to the abundance of toys that couldn't be easily broken.

While the situation felt deeply unsettling, over time, once they accepted this strange setting, they grew accustomed to it. Truthfully, having so many monumental figures concentrated in one city, unable to leave, was already bizarre enough; a few extra oddities barely made a difference.

Pat! Pat! Pat…

On the otherwise silent and deserted street, the sound of slippers scraping the ground suddenly broke the quiet. As the sound grew louder, a long shadow stretched beneath the moonlight. The owner of this shadow was a young girl clad in a white dress—not Komeiji Satori, but the 'Little Natural.'

Although the Little Natural had a habit, or perhaps a preference, for going barefoot, in Lin Luo's view, making a beautiful girl walk around constantly barefoot made it look as if he were abusing her to any uninformed observer, which would reflect poorly on him. Though, for someone with a foot fetish, it might be quite enjoyable.

So, at Satori's instigation, Lin Luo had given her a pair of slippers, which was better than nothing.

"Waaah... I can't find a convenience store. I'm so hungry." The Little Natural walked along, looking around, and seeing all the shops lining the streets dark, her face instantly fell into dismay, with tiny tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

The only person in the entire world who would cry from hunger was probably her.

After all these days, even the outsiders were aware that this city existed in two different versions. Yet, the Little Natural, being the one closest to the (the behind-the-scenes power), remained utterly oblivious. Her level of naivety must have been world-ending.

Because she couldn't find a convenience store, she walked further and further, growing hungrier. As she displayed an expression so pitiful it could melt armies, the Little Natural couldn't help but start complaining about Lin Luo, and also Gaia and Alaya... It couldn't be helped; Gaia, that brat, refused to watch movies without commentary, preventing Lin Luo from attending to his own important matters, leaving him no time to care for her hunger, thus causing the Little Natural’s starvation.

Having money in hand, yet being unable to buy food—this was truly a sorrowful state.

The Little Natural was overcome with sadness and felt increasingly wronged, gradually transitioning from weeping to sobbing... Her whimpering cries, coupled with the sound of her white dress rustling and the pat-pat of her steps, made her resemble a female ghost. It was fortunate this was the hidden channel; otherwise, if an ordinary person had encountered her, they would have been scared senseless.

However, even those who were not ordinary humans would feel a degree of horror seeing the Little Natural in this state, such as the Church Executors walking from the opposite direction.

The Church's most powerful combat unit was arguably the Burial Agency. Although its membership numbered less than ten, nearly every one of them could contend with a Servant. Beneath them were the Executors.

This group consisted of five Executors, considered elite in terms of strength. However, many Executors had been eliminated during this period, so when they saw the Little Natural from a distance, they instinctively felt a chill run down their spines.

It was understandable. They, who usually commanded awe, were treated like mere mobs in an RPG in this city, existing only to be farmed for experience points. This had instilled in them a state of extreme paranoia; any slight disturbance made them suspect they had encountered an Ancestor or a Servant.

Although the Little Natural did not exude the aura of a powerful being, who could tell if she was merely pretending to be weak?

Wait... were they the tigers?

Thus, operating under this mindset, the five Executors unhesitatingly darted into a nearby corner to hide.

The Little Natural, completely unaware that five "tigers" were lurking nearby, continued forward while weeping until she passed the spot where they were concealed.

"This person... doesn't seem like a big deal?" After seeing the Little Natural's retreating figure, one of the Executors frowned and murmured softly.

Executors forming the main combat force of the Church were certainly not nobodies. Besides powerful combat ability, their senses were also top-tier. The Little Natural, however, registered as nothing more than trash that felt utterly ordinary no matter how she was sensed.

While they didn't know why such a weak person would be present here, they knew one thing for certain: anyone able to enter this place could not be ordinary.

In this city, for their Church, there were only two types of people... enemies and friends.

So, if a stranger with negligible combat power appeared before them, was there any need for further deliberation?

Eliminate her!

Their gazes met, and the five immediately charged out. Just as they were three meters away from the Little Natural, an intensely strong repulsive force suddenly struck them, startling them into an instinctive retreat.

Simultaneously, the Little Natural sharply turned back.

Instinctive Deterrence had one great advantage: for the weak, it could deliver a fatal blow, and the user wouldn't even notice it. However, when it failed to kill an enemy, it would generate a perceptible sensation.

For these five Executors to merely feel repulsion under the instinctive deterrence of the Golden Star UO was proof enough of their formidable strength.

"Who are you..." The Little Natural was fearless, unaware that these five Executors were here to kill her. Even upon seeing them, she wasn't afraid; after a moment of confusion, she excitedly stepped forward and asked, "Are you guys selling bentos? I have money."

Saying this, she shook a pile of banknotes from her pocket.

"..." These five Executors had weathered many storms and seen all manner of things, but faced with the Little Natural's current action, even they didn't know how to react.

Being ambushed in the dead of night, only to have the attacker offer to buy food instead of fighting back or fleeing—was she brain-dead, or were they just lagging behind the times?

The Executors were momentarily stunned.

But they quickly regained their composure, a fierce glint entering their eyes. One said coldly, "Never mind her; this idiot just has some minor automatic defense. Nothing to fear."

As he spoke, the Executor lunged forward, bringing down his Black Key as if it were a blade. However, due to the presence of Instinctive Deterrence, his speed was severely slowed upon closing the distance, allowing the Little Natural to instinctively dodge the strike.

It consumed no HP or MP, and even when sleeping or unconscious, as long as malicious intent struck, the Instinctive Deterrence would release continuously. This was its sole distinct advantage over the Pressure Haki.

Although the Little Natural was somewhat disconnected, she wasn't an idiot. At this moment, she realized the five facing her meant ill intentions, and she immediately began to tremble in fright before turning tail and running.

"Waaaah... Don't kill me, I haven't done anything bad."

The Little Natural ran while weeping, but the Executors paid her no mind, swarming forward to attack her. This was only thanks to the protection of the Instinctive Deterrence; otherwise, even this initial assault would have resulted in her death at least five times over.

But even with it, she couldn't hold out for long.

After fleeing blindly for a short while, she unexpectedly stumbled into a dead end.

"If you're in danger, just play your guitar."

Finding no way out, the Little Natural suddenly recalled a sentence Lin Luo had once told her. She immediately took out her guitar, but the combination of hunger and exhaustion had significantly depleted her stamina. The moment she pulled it out, the guitar slipped with a pat and fell to the ground.

"Waaaaah... I'm going to die! Help!"

The Little Natural burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

"No one can save you, give up!" an Executor roared, bringing his Black Key down in a sweeping arc.

However, just then, a small girl with white hair wearing a white dress suddenly appeared at the mouth of the alley. The moment her eyes swept over the scene, the Executors felt as if they had been struck by a paralyzing curse. The Black Key froze suspended above the Little Natural’s head, and the man holding it stood rigid, his face a mask of shock.

"I sense... a kindred aura. What... are you trying to do?"

The white-haired little girl spoke, her calm voice echoing in the air. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.) RQ