Yet, despite the dwindling numbers, Hinaichigo showed no sign of letting down her guard; on the contrary, she grew more cautious, for she understood well that those left at the end are always the most formidable. Shinku, her eternal rival, offered no reason for complacency, having already displayed combat prowess far surpassing her previous strength, and with the addition of Nadeshiko’s Rosebud, further power was likely to emerge.

As for Kirakishou, the Maiden perpetually shrouded in mystery, putting aside her bizarre abilities, her very pathological temperament and unnatural psychology demanded twelve parts of vigilance to handle.

Purely relying on the power of the Rozen Maidens, Hinaichigo could not guarantee defeating both of them, yet she truly did not wish to employ the Host's strength before these sisters… that was her final stand!

Fortunately, she had already absorbed the Rosebuds of Souseiseki, Suiseiseki, and Kanaria; the power of those three could also be utilized by her, so unless a major unforeseen event occurred, even fighting one against two, her chances of victory were the highest.

When a person possessing absolutely overwhelming power appears, be it for self-preservation or any other reason, the weak will inevitably band together, just as Shinku and Kirakishou did… even if they hadn't intended to join forces initially, once Hinaichigo used the powers of four Maidens to push them into peril step by step, they instinctively began to coordinate, attempting to reverse their disadvantage.

"Doll Enlargement? Naive!" Seeing a doll as huge as a small mountain suddenly rush toward her, Hinaichigo snorted disdainfully. Then, a pair of golden scissors flew from her hand, hurled fiercely toward the giant doll, and simultaneously, her wings transformed into twin black serpents, tightly coiling around and gnawing at the construct.

Besides attacks using her candy cane and roses, Shinku possessed another highly special ability: bestowing life upon and controlling dolls. While this life could not be maintained permanently, and upon the disappearance of her power the infused entity would immediately revert to a common doll, this ability remained utterly heaven-defying, in some respects almost equivalent to creation, though this creative capacity was overly singular, and its offensive power was not immense.

But one must not forget that Shinku currently possessed Nadeshiko’s Rosebud.

Nadeshiko's ability was doll enlargement; in truth, this power was quite formidable because the enlargement had no set limits. Theoretically, as long as the heart could accept it, she could make a doll bigger than the Earth. It was only because Nadeshiko herself was not inclined toward or fond of fighting that her ability had always seemed somewhat redundant.

However, now under the command of a fiercely combative Shinku, coupled with her own power, the increase in offensive capability was far from marginal... Imagine the sheer terror when a nimble, martial arts-skilled giant, towering like a mountain, swings its fists and feet at you.

In the past, even ten Hinaichigos could not have withstood such a strike.

But the Hinaichigo of today was not the Hinaichigo of before. Even without resorting to the Host's strength, at full power, she possessed a destructive force nearing absolute might; anything bitten by her black dragons would instantly disintegrate into dust.

Furthermore, perhaps due to the connection with Suiseiseki and Kanaria, Souseiseki’s Rosebud seemed to have awakened as well, birthing a new power… As long as one was clipped by Souseiseki’s Gardener’s Scissors, a wave of circular energy would be released, causing the clipped object to self-destruct immediately from an inability to bear the vibration.

Thus, assailed by these two forces, even if Shinku created countless giant living dolls, she still found herself at a disadvantage.

On the other hand, although Kirakishou possessed only one Rosebud and hadn't even utilized its power, her very existence was exceptionally peculiar, far beyond a mere thought-form entity... How to put it?

While ordinary physical attacks could indeed not harm her, the Fifth Wave possessed by Kanaria could directly destroy her thought-form. Yet, even if one Kirakishou thought-form was annihilated, she would quickly spawn a second... Through battling her, Hinaichigo gradually understood that this power was neither regeneration nor was it due to Kirakishou’s life source being able to infinitely absorb the human heart. More accurately stated... Kirakishou possessed a highly unique self; as long as her consciousness affirmed her own existence, nothing outsiders did could cause her to vanish!

This power, almost exceeding specifications, meant that previously, unless Hinaichigo used the Host's strength, defeating her was impossible. But the coincidence lay here... Suiseiseki’s Contract Power happened to be able to restrain her.

As long as the contract power bound her, her self-awareness would be severely weakened. Consequently, it would be difficult for Kirakishou to regenerate her thought-form, and even if she did, her combat power would diminish.

Of course, Kirakishou was not one to stand still and take a beating. She cunningly evaded the Contract Power released by Hinaichigo, seizing the opportunity to counterattack.

The battle between the three was temporarily balanced. Although Hinaichigo possessed several abilities and held a degree of suppression over Shinku and Kirakishou in terms of power, four hands were always superior to two. Moreover, Shinku and Kirakishou’s combat experience was also vast; taking them down quickly would not be simple… No, it might even be difficult to win!

Because she wielded four different abilities, Hinaichigo's ability to control them freely was slightly insufficient for her Maiden capabilities, whereas Shinku and Kirakishou were extremely adept at utilizing their powers.

However, as time wore on, the scales of victory gradually tipped toward Hinaichigo.

Fighting two opponents simultaneously meant Hinaichigo was clearly expending more power. Furthermore, her preoccupation with other matters caused her spirit to be slightly distracted. In such a state, merely not losing should have been considered good, making it hard to maintain a dominant position. The reason for this development was singular... Hinaichigo felt an intense sense of déjà vu regarding the current abilities wielded by Shinku and Kirakishou. And she knew exactly why this feeling arose.

There was only one reason, because...

*Tear... Thrust!

The instant the Black Dragon and the Gardener’s Scissors shredded the giant dolls blocking the way, Hinaichigo mercilessly plunged the Mercury Sword into Shinku’s body during the momentary obstruction of Shinku’s sight.

"Mercu... ry..." Shinku gripped the blade with both hands, frowning tightly, trying her best not to betray any pain. Her eyes, fixed on Hinaichigo's gaze, held a flicker of regret, sorrow, and a sigh.

Knowing her end was certain, she harbored no resentment, only asking, "Why? Why must you do this? Even through other means... there was a possibility of becoming Alice. Why?"

"Because I must find Father." Hinaichigo replied thus.

"Is... that so." Shinku gave a mournful smile, releasing her hands. Her body, suddenly devoid of power, began to fall downward.

At the same moment, two Rosebuds flew out from within her.

Hinaichigo swiftly tucked the two Rosebuds into her embrace.

The moment Shinku was pierced by the Mercury Sword, Kirakishou knew the battle was lost. Without hesitation, she concealed herself within the clouds, attempting to flee.

Seeing this, Hinaichigo, who should have been pursuing her, paid no mind. Instead, she closed her eyes, seemingly sensing something... After a dozen seconds, Hinaichigo abruptly opened them.

"Right here!" With a loud cry, Hinaichigo shot the Mercury Sword in a direction 45 degrees to her upper right. Its peerless speed surpassed what the naked eye could perceive; the Mercury Sword instantly pierced several layers of clouds, followed by a sharp crack.

With a slight jerk, the Mercury Sword returned to Hinaichigo's hand, but there was now a Rosebud impaled upon its tip.

Crash!

Almost simultaneously, Kirakishou fell from the clouds.

Hinaichigo slowly floated forward, catching the feather-light form in her arms.

Draped over Hinaichigo's arm like a broken rag doll, Kirakishou managed to lift her head with difficulty, a bitter smile touching her lips, and asked, "Why?"

Hinaichigo knew what she was asking. "Your ability is unique; no matter how I attack, I cannot kill you, even using Contract Power. However... your ability has one weakness: the Seed. The Seed, the source of all your consciousness, once destroyed, means your certain death."

"Then how did you know... my Seed was within the Rosebud?"

"Because you have no need for a Rosebud, but we do. Therefore, no matter which of us obtained your Rosebud, we wouldn't attack it; this means hiding your Seed inside the Rosebud was the safest option," Hinaichigo murmured down to her. "By sensing the aura of your Rosebud through the six Rosebuds I possess, you could no longer evade me."

"I see. As expected of my... most respected elder sister."

Kirakishou smiled bitterly, and as her words faded, her body slowly vanished.

With this, only Hinaichigo remained of the seven Rozen Maidens, and all seven Rosebuds were in Hinaichigo's possession. According to the rules of the Alice Game, next, as long as she integrated the final Rosebud into her body, she could become the most perfect doll—Alice!

However, just as Hinaichigo was about to do so, she suddenly felt a blur before her eyes and realized Kirakishou’s Rosebud had vanished without a trace, causing her expression to change drastically.

Clap, clap, clap!

A round of applause echoed from the air. Hinaichigo instinctively looked over to see Laplace's Demon clapping nearby, while an object emitting a faint glow floated beside him... it was the Rosebud!

"Laplace's Demon, what do you think you are doing?" Hinaichigo immediately roared, already harboring intense revulsion toward Laplace's Demon. Now, with the opportunity to realize her wish finally within reach, and expecting to see Father shortly, having this entity interrupt at this moment meant she could hardly maintain a polite tone.

In truth, if the matter of Father were not her absolute priority, she would have dealt with Laplace's Demon long ago.

"Truly magnificent, Hinaichigo. You have shown me a truly interesting spectacle." However, Laplace's Demon seemed completely unfazed by Hinaichigo’s attitude, continuing to applaud and praise her.

"Magnificent? Interesting?" Hinaichigo frowned deeply. While it could not be denied that this battle was the fiercest the Rozen Maidens had ever experienced, sister killing sister—how could that be interesting?

"Laplace's Demon, to be frank, I have tolerated you for a long time." Staring at the entity with a sharp gaze, hiding none of her killing intent, Hinaichigo said coldly, "You have always acted as the planner and organizer of the Alice Game. Although I don't know what relationship you have with Father, if you dare to interfere again, I absolutely will not forgive you!"

"Oh dear, such terrifying killing intent, like a raging fiend." Laplace's Demon maintained his calm and composed tone. "It has been some time, Hinaichigo, you have grown much stronger."

"Stop with the nonsense. Return the Rosebud to me, or else—"

"Alas, such an impatient girl." Before Hinaichigo could finish, Laplace's Demon sighed. "It is rare for me to witness such an interesting scene. I was going to praise you for a while longer, but if you won't appreciate it, I can't help it."

"Go to hell, Laplace's Demon!" Hearing the entity's endless babbling, Hinaichigo could bear it no longer. Gritting her teeth, she transformed into a streak of black light and charged toward Laplace's Demon, her speed faster than lightning, her power mightier than the stars—this was the Host's strength!

She held no intention of holding back against Laplace's Demon, yet...

Clang!

With just a gentle tap of his staff, Hinaichigo's full-force attack was blocked.

"This... how is this possible? I am..." Hinaichigo's expression instantly changed drastically; she could scarcely believe it. She possessed Quasi-Heavenly Rank strength, after all. Although she wasn't using her full power at this moment, still...

"If it were your Father reborn, or perhaps Shinku himself, I might be wary. But you..." Shaking his head dismissively, Laplace's Demon wore an air of complete indifference. "Hinaichigo, you are ultimately still too green."

As he spoke, Laplace's Demon drew a cross with his left hand: "Doll... Seal!"

Instantly, a cross-shaped pattern enveloped Hinaichigo, forcibly drawing out the six Rosebuds as well.

Then, as if all power had been drained, Hinaichigo's body fell limply downward.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you, because you are still useful." Laplace's Demon stated faintly, then he gathered the seven Rosebuds together, a look of excitement faintly surfacing on his face. "This day, I have finally waited for it, finally..."

Then, amidst endless, dazzling radiance, the seven Rosebuds merged into one, forming a colossal Gate of Light.

"Father... I'm sorry..."

Hinaichigo painfully stretched out her hand; the hope within arm's reach was slipping away, making it impossible to suppress the sorrow and despair welling up inside her, causing two lines of painful tears to fall.

The next moment, Hinaichigo completely lost consciousness.

Neither the despairing Hinaichigo nor the wildly ecstatic Laplace's Demon noticed the faint, flickering silhouette within that Gate of Light... RQ