Chapter 5: Scorching My Lungs with Purple Smoke

"Phew..."

I lit a cigarette I’d scavenged from a commander’s corpse along the way.

I let the purple smoke fill my lungs as if to stifle every last cell before exhaling through pursed lips.

"Cough... hack."

I cleared my parched, burning throat twice. With tears pricking the corners of my eyes, I kept at it—inhaling, exhaling, inhaling, exhaling.

"...Hmph. Doesn't even taste that good."

A single plume of smoke rose from my lips like an incense stick offered in mourning as I recalled the scent of the construction foreman who had been like a father to me.

To me, this was a ritual.

"A mass-produced...?"

The protagonist’s voice cracked, thick with bewilderment. Huh. This is the first time I've seen his face up close. He’s got quite the baby face.

Well, I can't blame him. His final shot at survival—his last glimmer of hope—was just snuffed out by a useless mass-produced unit. He must be devastated.

"Heh... hehe."

I couldn't help but let out a chuckle. I was the one in control here. I could do whatever I wanted, and there was no one left to tell me otherwise.

"In that case, I guess I’ll just have to become the perfect Phantasm Girl!"

Right here, right now, I’m casting aside my old self.

From this moment on, I am Luca-A37. That is my name now.

I ripped off the eyepatch covering my left eye and shouted.

"Accelerate, my world... 'Tachyon Overdrive'!"

"'Tachyon Overdrive'."

The girl who had appeared out of nowhere activated her ability with clear intent.

In an instant, time froze with her at the center. I could still perceive my surroundings, but my body wouldn't budge an inch. All I could do was stare, eyes wide, at the scene unfolding before me.

The moment I realized she had leapt forward—light as a feather, as if gravity were a mere suggestion—her blade was already sliding through blocks of steel without a hint of resistance.

One after another, the mechanical dolls were cleaved in two by a single strike. In that silent, inorganic void, only her eyes glowed with a fierce, brilliant light.

The result: fifty-two machines annihilated in less than thirty seconds.

Who are you?

The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't speak.

Noticing my gaze, she flashed a bold, defiant smirk.

"Do your best."

As soon as I read those words on her lips, she vanished from my sight, and the world snapped back to normal.

"....! Is everyone okay!?"

Afterward, we—saved by that white-haired girl—reported everything to headquarters.

The mysterious Phantasm Girl was officially designated as a new S-Rank Slayer. They gave her the codename Chrono White, the Clock-Tinker. Investigations are ongoing, but everything about her remains a mystery.