"Give up. We've already seen through your scheme. Just let me take you out so I can clock out early."
Artemisia walked toward the Bartons as if she were out for a stroll—calm, unhurried, not a trace of tension. She was a magician employed by Infinity Corporation, Ellen's disciple, and currently the world's second-ranked magician.
The armor she wore—like Ellen's—was named after Arthurian legend: Lancelot, the strongest knight of the Round Table, known as the Knight of the Lake. In the original story, Artemisia wore the same armor under the same name, though its appearance here was somewhat modified. Unlike the original design, this version covered her entire body, without the exposed chest and midriff.
In the original timeline, Artemisia was once the ace of Britain's anti-Spirit unit. Later, after being framed and left brain-dead, she eventually joined DEM under Westcott. Once there, her memories were erased, and she became nothing more than a loyal dog willing to do anything for DEM. Her fate had been tragic.
But now, things were different. Artemisia had been chosen by Ellen from the very beginning, trained by her, and had risen to become the world's second-ranked magician.
"Hah?! You want to clock out? Fine. Then I'll do you a favor and send you to eternal sleep!" Cabuno sneered at her dismissive tone.
Suddenly, he raised the hand he had been hiding behind his back, revealing a button device clutched in his palm. A look of madness and cunning filled his eyes as he burst into wild laughter. "Hahaha! You fell for it!"
He pressed the button.
Beep.
At the sound of the prompt, the scene changed instantly. As Artemisia walked past the bodies of the Bartons she had killed, a glow emanated from them. The corpses swelled rapidly—then exploded. Dozens of bodies turned into dozens of small points of light. In an instant, they contracted, then unleashed powerful blasts of energy that radiated outward, engulfing Artemisia.
BOOM!
The explosions merged into a massive roar, spreading outward at alarming speed. Just as it seemed Cabuno and the others might be caught in the blast, a transparent barrier materialized, cutting off the explosion completely. The barrier sealed off the blast from all directions, forming a perfect box that contained the detonation and prevented it from spreading.
After the explosion was safely locked inside the barrier, the remaining Bartons finally snapped back to reality.
"G-General... th-that was our hypernova bomb?!" One of the Bartons recognized the weapon their leader had just detonated and looked at him in horror.
Cabuno simply nodded. "Everything is under control, comrades. Under the blast of that many hypernova bombs, that Infinity Corporation magician must be dead by now. Everything will return to how it was. We need to speed up the plan."
Hearing this, the others swallowed nervously.
Dead? Of course she would be dead. The hypernova bomb was the Bartons' ultimate weapon. Each one packed the destructive power of a neutron star explosion—a true doomsday device for any civilization. And now, dozens had gone off at once. The combined force was unimaginable.
Of course, the barrier that had contained the blast was also a piece of Barton black technology—a super-strong defensive field capable of withstanding the simultaneous explosion of over a hundred neutron stars. If not for that barrier, Earth itself would have been reduced to ash in that explosion.
It was because of these advanced technologies that the Bartons had remained one of the most powerful races in the universe. Even the Giddha had never been able to conquer them. The Bartons had previously considered using these two trump cards to subjugate Earth. But Infinity Corporation had proven even more powerful—armed with countless technological marvels of their own.
That was why the Bartons had never dared to confront them head-on. Now, having ambushed Artemisia, they felt confident she was dead. Seeing the terrifying power of the explosion still sealed within the barrier, the Bartons were greatly relieved.
"General, your decisiveness is truly admirable! Hail the General!" They all showered Cabuno with praise—even though he hadn't bothered to warn them before setting off such a devastating bomb.
Cabuno smiled faintly. Just as he was about to dismiss everyone and accelerate the plan, a crisp cracking sound echoed through the air, drawing everyone's attention.
A massive crack had appeared in the barrier, spreading rapidly in all directions. The Bartons' bodies tensed in horror. If the barrier shattered, the remaining explosion inside would be unleashed—ravaging Earth and the entire solar system. And they wouldn't survive it either.
"Th-This... General?! What's happening?! It cracked?! How can it crack?! Are we going to die?! I don't want to die!!!" The Bartons looked utterly hopeless, some on the verge of tears.
Cabuno had lost his composure too. Fear was written all over his face.
But just as the barrier shattered, the explosion inside seemed to be absorbed by something—swirling into a vortex and disappearing. In moments, everything was gone. No radiation, no residual energy. All of it had vanished.
The Bartons stared in disbelief. Cabuno's voice trembled as he questioned the impossible. "No! That's impossible! How are you still alive?!"
There she stood—Artemisia, completely unharmed.
Not only was she alive, but her armor didn't have a single scratch. The wheel-like wings behind her had absorbed the explosion and all its aftermath.
Crack—shatter! After Artemisia absorbed the blast and residual matter, she lightly thrust her sword, and the barrier collapsed into pieces.
"Neutron star-level bombs? Kinda average. We've got plenty of those at the company. Not even enough to scratch my armor—couldn't even damage our training room." She shrugged, raised her sword, and walked toward them. "Pretty ruthless, though. You planted those bombs inside your soldiers' armor. Plan was to take your enemy down with you if you lost?"
She glanced at the armored Bartons protecting the others and immediately saw through the secret hidden in their suits.
The armored Bartons felt chills run down their spines. They had no idea bombs had been planted in their own gear. But before they could demand answers from their leaders, Artemisia made her move.
She cut through them like slicing vegetables—killing every Barton in sight. She hunted them all the way to the underground base, until not a single one remained. Then she returned to the surface.
Standing atop the pile of bodies, Artemisia dusted off her hands.
"Time to clock out. Maybe I'll treat myself to some ice cream," she murmured softly, spread the wings on her back, and flew off the island.