Chapter 294 - 294: Just Keep Going.

Maria didn't understand. In one moment, she was looking over her shoulder, having noticed that something had happened to her pursuers, and in the next, she was running straight at them. Their weapons were already aimed, as if awaiting her arrival.

Forcing her body to a halt, she reflexively raised her arms to block an instant before her vision was filled with red. A barrier rose in front of her, blocking the red rain. The resulting explosion pushed her back, but she didn't go far, slamming into something that held her in place.

[Maria!] A familiar voice shouted in her mind.

[Shield!] She replied.

The salvo didn't stop and the explosions continued, pushing her farther back. Though a second shield had appeared above the one she had just deployed, its limit would soon be exceeded, leaving her exposed. A counter blinked on her OAM, signaling that the shield generator was approaching its limit. She quickly went through her options, picking through the best for the moment, but before she could make use of it, the counter stopped.

Wind blasted through her surroundings, showing that something had just exploded. Maria couldn't see any of it, however, all thanks to the large patch of darkness in front of her. As she tried to discern what it was, a pair of hands fell on her shoulder, and her body was forcefully turned around.

[Be careful. That thing brought you here!]

In the corner of her eye, Maria caught sight of another black patch. She recalled seeing something similar just now, and how it had blocked one of the beams that had almost pierced her. Something clicked in her mind at that moment, but before she could grasp the thought, several alarms blared through her NIM.

[Maria! I… I'm…]

An infiltration attempt. Someone had caught their signal and is trying to dive into her Exocore, as well as her friend. In a panic, Maria directed all of her mind power to fighting the Diver. Screens sprang up, filling with code before disappearing. In just a couple of seconds, she manifested enough barriers to slow the enemy, and before they could break through them, she went ahead and severed power to all the signal emission and reception circuits, cutting the infiltration path toward her and her friend.

"Maria!? Why-"

"Don't worry about it. Just keep going."

Taking her friend's arm, Maria kicked the ground. Her cloak fluttered, revealing the compact machinery enhancing her legs. In just a few steps, she crossed a dozen meters. At the same time, she raced through commands one after the other, quickly making adjustments to her OAM.

Several red beams caught up to her right away, but no dark patch appeared in their way. Knowing better than to rely on something of unknown source or nature, she studied the aim of her enemies and timed her movements, successfully evading each beam.

At the same time, she kept her eyes peeled on the path ahead. As if to validate her caution, a black speck manifested in her path, instantly expanding. Maria hit the brakes and shifted her body, instantly changing directions. Nevertheless, she evaded one trap and walked straight into another, only realizing that she had done so when she saw the backs of her pursuers.

Not wasting any time, she instantly decided to make use of the situation, plucking something from her belt and tossing it in the air. As the cylindrical object spun in the air, several circles appeared on her OAM, selecting specific spots on the white hunters.

With a faint pop, the cylinder split apart, scattering small arrowheads that took flight the next instant. Each arrow struck one of the selected spots, creating a big enough explosion to send the white hunters flying. Ignoring their falling comrades, the remaining hunters turned their lenses at her, and their weapons followed.

Instead of blasting her with lasers, they opted for their energy blades. Mira appeared just in time, parrying one of them with a blade of her own, but the others got through, forcing Maria to evade. Dodging swings and thrusts was much easier compared to evading lasers, but with how close her opponents were, the window she had was much narrower. They limited her range as well, and though she had enough optical sensors to see everything around her at all times, being forced to focus on a single direction in a close-quarters fight was bound to cause problems.

Producing a blade of her own, she parried one of the hunters, then spun around, stabbing it into his flank. The blade met the hunter's protective screen, turning its color from light blue to orange before piercing through. It pierced the white plate next, but before it could get any deeper, the hunter leapt away, escaping with minimal damage.

Maria turned her attention to another hunter, blocking his swift strike. A third one slashed at her from the side but was dropkicked by Mari, who appeared from a different direction. Faced with three more attackers, Maria grabbed another cylinder from her belt and was about to toss it, already selecting the targets for the arrows. Unfortunately, a red line pierced through it the instant it left her hand, right before her eyes.

A moment later, Maria found herself rolling on the ground. Her shield activated just in time, so her face was still there, but she couldn't absorb the blast. Ignoring the slight dizziness and her shaky vision, she pushed herself up, relying on her power suit to remain steady.

Looking ahead, she saw more white hunters rushing toward her. Gritting her teeth, she selected them and reached for her belt, but just as her hand grabbed another one of her cluster grenades when her entire body went rigid. The weight that had been pressing on her shoulder was gone.

She reached for her left hip, patting it several times, but nothing was there. The white hunters reached her just then, forcing her to move, but her panicked mind only focused on the bag she was missing.

Looking around, she located it in no time. It was only a short distance away, and the strap she carried it with clearly severed. Retrieving it seemed difficult, but the next moment, it became almost impossible, because a black patch appeared right under it at that moment, and the bag fell through it right away. It disappeared just like that, as if the ground had opened up and swallowed it.