It was just an instant.


    The world of the fog changed into one of a red sunset.


    Wu Yan who wanted to blow the fog away also paused.


    A high-pitched voice chanted a spell card.


    "<strong>Murderous Doll</strong>"


    Hundreds of cold glimmering steel flickered around Wu Yan in a swirl.


    Those are all daggers that could easily cut flesh apart.


    As if there were dozens of assants, the daggers danced in a macabre dance as they encircled Wu Yan.


    The color shifted once again, for just a second, before the daggers immediately se tupon him.This isn''t just fast, it looked like instant teleportation.


    <em>Bam</em>


    Wu Yan emitted a giant burst of magic power that bounced all the des away.


    A coolbat butler shielded Remilia.


    Remilia was pale but she recognized her most trusted maid.


    "S-Sakuya?"


    "Sakuya-san?"


    Patchouli and Hong Meiling were also surprised.


    Sakuya shrugged when Wu Yan smiled at her.


    "This is a duel, would you mind butting out?"


    Remilia wanted to say something but Sakuya interrupted her.


    "It has nothing to do with the young miss, I just acted on my own."


    Sakuya calmly said.


    "Sorry, Young Miss, I couldn''t bear to see you hurt again."


    "Sakuya."


    Remilia felt powerless and guilty.


    There are few stronger than Remilia in Gensokyo.


    But, when was she so powerless that her maid had to intervene?"


    Remilia was conflicted about this.


    Wu Yan didn''t bother too much about the duel.


    "So, are you going to substitute Remilia and fight for n?"


    "Well, I was thinking more of a pincer strategy, although that wouldn''t be fair or honorable."


    Sakuya sighed.


    "However, the Young Mistresses take higher priority than an honorable duel."


    Sakuya''s figure blurred.


    Hundreds of des appeared around her in a circle.


    "<strong>Eternal warmth.</strong>"


    Just like before, the attack phased as if time was stopped and resumed by an anomalous power.


    Even if he knew she had temporal control, it was still weird to fight a time-stopper.


    If she had been a tier 9 instead of tier 8, Wu Yan might not have an easy time dealing with her.


    Nheless, Wu Yan is far more powerful than her in levels.


    There are no restrictions on his abilities this time.


    He had peak tier-9 abilities.


    He can easily use one of his many trump cards.


    Other than n, every single one of them wouldn''t stand a chance even if they ganked him.


    Hong Meiling, Patchouli, and Remilia saw Sakuya attempting another blink attack on Wu Yan.


    Just as the hundreds of des looked like it would hit Wu Yan, he vanished in an instant.


    The daggers only hit his afterimage.


    Portals opened near the daggers'' flight paths to swallow Sakuya''s des.


    Then, another portal opened above Sakuya, and he turned her attacks back on her.


    Sakuya quickly opened another skill.


    "<strong>Mani''s clock.</strong>"


    Sakuya summoned hundreds of des to counter her own attacks from before.


    <em>ng ng ng</em>


    The daggers hit each other in a storm of metallic ngs.


    A portal opened behind Sakuya. Wu Yan touched her shoulder with a light tap.


    "—!"


    Sakuya jolted before she cast another skill.


    "<strong>Time Stop, Sakuya''s world</strong>."


    Time stopped, the trees stopped, the winds stopped, it was truly her world.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Everyone''s expression was frozen in a temporal stasis.


    Sakuya only had one target.


    She looked at him only to be met with a shocking sight.


    A white me burned within her frozen world. The white mes started spreading in a grand fashion.