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Rin led Luvia into the imaginary passage. Before they could take in their surroundings fully, a roar echoed, as if a lion was guarding its territory.

"Aaaaahhhh!!"

Both of them were left stunned by the immense surge of magical energy they felt as they gazed ahead. Their expressions displayed pure astonishment. In the heart of the Mirror World stood a figure, cloaked in a swirling dark magical storm, emitting an aura of deep despair.

Rin's voice dropped to a murmur, "No wonder the Leyline had those weird anomalies. There's something here siphoning the magical energy!"

Luvia's gaze remained fixed on the black figure, her astonishment evident. She couldn't help but wonder aloud, "But why would something like that be here too?"

Rin turned to her and asked, "What's wrong?"

"That's a Heroic Spirit!" Luvia broke into a cold sweat, feeling somewhat traumatized, "It's exactly the same as the one I encountered in Adra Castle. That's a Heroic Spirit!"

"Ah ah ah ah!!"

The black Heroic Spirit let out a manic cry and then locked its gaze on them. Its eyes emitted a fierce crimson light, and dozens of shining Noble Phantasms appeared around it, shooting towards them.

They quickly used a spell to strengthen themselves and dodged the incoming barrage.

"This attack pattern..." Luvia couldn't help but think of the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, whom she encountered in Adra Castle.

But the Heroic Spirit standing before them clearly surpassed the fake Gilgamesh she had encountered in Adra Castle.

The relentless barrage of dozens of Noble Phantasms cracked the ground beneath their feet, and the fierce gust of wind sent them flying.

As her body was thrown back, Astraea emerged, taking a concerned look at her. "Luvia, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she brushed her finger over the bloodstain on her lip.

Astraea gazed at the black figure and let out a sigh. " Luvia, let's merge in Quasi-Form. I'll grant you my power and Divine Core."

Luvia nodded in agreement.

Astraea then released the restrictions on her Divine Core and fused with Luvia.

With the fusion complete, Luvia now wielded the formidable power of the goddess Astraea, and for the moment, their personalities seamlessly intertwined. The fusion ratio leaned heavily towards 70% Astraea and 30% Luvia.

With the Sword of Justice clutched firmly in one hand and the Scales of Justice in the other, Luvia exuded a divine aura that effortlessly dispelled the onslaught of Noble Phantasms.

Hurrying to Rin's side, she asked, "Rin, you alright? Did you get hurt?"

The concern in Luvia's voice almost made Rin feel queasy. She had to remind herself that the person before her was mostly Astraea, so she suppressed the urge to vomit and simply nodded, replying, "I'm fine."

"Ah ah ah ah!!"

But the black Heroic Spirit was far from giving up. It let out a furious roar, and its form was surrounded by golden ripples. Dozens more Noble Phantasms materialized and shot towards Astraea.

She arched an eyebrow and tapped into her lightning powers. Thunder crackled around her, forming an impenetrable defense that shattered the incoming onslaught of Noble Phantasms. Even the high-level ones that managed to break through the thunder barrier were either cleaved apart by her swift sword or obliterated by the Stars emanating from her Scales of Justice.

"These things are utterly useless against a goddess," she remarked with a hint of confidence.

As Rin observed Luvia, now imbued with Astraea's power, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It was quite a reversal to see Luvia, who used to be her rival, now becoming her protector.

"Ah ah ah ah!!" The black Heroic Spirit's relentless roars continued as it launched even more Noble Phantasms. However, it seemed to instinctively realize that these attacks alone wouldn't be enough to defeat a god. In response, several golden ripples emerged around it, and long steel chains appeared, weaving through the space.

She skillfully deflected the incoming barrage of Noble Phantasms, but her attention was drawn to the appearance of the steel chains.

"...He has the means to restrain gods. Could he be another Eternal King?" Astraea muttered, feeling a headache coming on.

Her frustration reached a disheartening peak as a realization struck her hard. The opponent she had been facing had a set of specialized attacks solely designed to counter gods, effectively nullifying the power of her Divine Core. The palpable divine restraint within those chains posed a massive threat to her as a god.

While facing the Eternal King's Noble Phantasm, she could sense the ominous presence of the dreaded "God-Slayer." However, this particular Heroic Spirit exuded an unmistakable aura of "Divine Restraint."

Astraea boasted an impressive Strength stat of A+ and an EX-level Mana. By channeling her magical energy to enhance herself, she could dramatically increase her already formidable strength. With such power, even dragons and giants were no match for her, and only the True Ancestor by the side of the Eternal King could rival her in sheer might.

Despite her extraordinary strength, she couldn't help but acknowledge that being captured by those chains would pose a considerable challenge to break free. It wasn't so much fear for her own safety, but rather her concern for Rin's safety.

Just then...

"Ah ah ah ah!!"

The Heroic Spirit reached into its treasury and retrieved an odd black-golden-red cylindrical Noble Phantasm, bearing a vague resemblance to a sword.

"What... How can something like that even exist?!" Astraea couldn't contain her surprise. Her usual goddess-like composure vanished, replaced by a panicked expression.

Concerned, Rin asked, "Lady Astraea, what's happening?"

With nerves on edge, she responded, "We have to get out of here, Rin. Now!"

"Swoosh!"

The chains shot forward, extending like serpents towards Astraea.

But the Scale in her hand suddenly emitted a brilliant and radiant light. With a resounding cry, she unleashed her second Noble Phantasm, "Iam Redit et Virgo: Let Order Be Restored Here!"

In an instant, the world seemed to explode with brightness, and just like that, everything reverted to the state before Astraea and Luvia merged.

The Heroic Spirit's ominous chains and the peculiar sword-like Noble Phantasm vanished into thin air; all traces of their existence were nowhere to be seen. Everything was restored to its original state, as if the intense confrontation had never happened.

Astraea was forcefully expelled from Luvia's body, and despite her weakened state, she managed to shout urgently, "Quickly, establish the connection and run!"

Rin was no fool; she understood the seriousness of the situation. Apparently, Astraea had sensed the true danger posed by that Heroic Spirit, prompting her to reverse everything and advise them to flee.

Without hesitation, Rin swiftly constructed a magic circle that simulated imaginary passage and opened a portal. "Luvia, follow me!" she cried out and took off running.

Luvia wasted no time and closely followed Rin as they made their escape, leaving the Heroic Spirit behind.

Having merged with Astraea, Luvia could sense her emotions. Astraea was unconcerned about anything else, only fearful of the chains and that peculiar sword.

After a close call in the Mirror World, they managed to barely escape, collapsing on the ground, both gasping for breath.

...

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