Anime Multiverse: Building a Pantheon from Scratch

"Urgh!!" The heavily armed soldier, wearing a steel helmet and faceplate, hunched over like a boiled shrimp as he slid helplessly across the floor, collapsing to the side.

After bringing down that Special Operations Team member, Sharon quickly retreated away from the window, pressing her back against the wall. Around her, three other Special Ops agents lay either sprawled on the ground, slumped against the wall, or hanging halfway out of the window. Although they were still breathing, they had clearly lost consciousness.

"A sniper, huh..."

Avoiding the window, Sharon recalled the faint glimpse of a figure she had caught through the corner of her eye—someone positioned at the base of the building across from her.

"There was no actual shot. Meaning, they don't plan to kill me from long range. Are they wary of the Holy Shroud?"

A mocking smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She found it oddly complicated—after all, she no longer had the Holy Shroud on her, yet the enemy still assumed she did.

"Because of that selfish man, I've gained an advantage… but it's not something I can be happy about."

She glanced at the soldiers lying unconscious on the floor, her gaze tinged with a hint of pity. While she had deliberately held back and refrained from killing, it wasn't because she was particularly kind.

As someone once part of the Church, Sharon rarely took human life—demons were her only true enemies. Even though she knew these Special Ops agents were tasked with boxing her in, she maintained her restraint.

"Seriously, this isn't even the world I was born in… if I keep trying to stay this 'pure,' I'm going to get myself killed."

She let out a self-deprecating chuckle, then her ears twitched slightly. Like a gymnast, she launched herself into motion, nimbly dodging away from the window as she dove into the first room next door.

Just as Sharon entered that room, a figure rolled tactically out from the corner where she had been moments ago. In one swift motion, they adjusted their stance, crouched low, and raised a pistol.

"She noticed? What sharp hearing… and I moved three times faster than a normal Special Ops member," Chisato Nishikigi muttered under her breath. She approached the three downed agents, checked their pulses to confirm they were still alive, and exhaled in relief.

Back at the corner where Chisato had been moments ago, Takina Inoue stood with her back to the wall, holding her submachine gun ready. She tilted her head and said, "Kurumi, give us the target's coordinates."

A lazy voice crackled through the headset, "Right in front of Chisato, first room. Based on the sniper's viewpoint, she's still inside."

"Oh, that close? That's a problem… I can't take on that demon hunter in close quarters," Chisato mumbled while rummaging under her skirt. A pineapple grenade suddenly appeared in her hand.

"Since I can't beat her up close… here, take this—grenade delivery~!"

With a flick of her wrist, she gently lobbed the grenade, which sailed through the air in a graceful arc toward the room's window.

Then—bang!

A bullet shot out from inside the room and struck the grenade mid-air. Boom! A small fireball exploded in the hallway.

Simultaneously, Sharon, gripping her submachine gun, burst out of the room and opened fire on Chisato without hesitation. She had instantly recognized the unusual cadence of Chisato's footsteps—this was no ordinary opponent, but someone with an enhanced physical constitution. Sharon understood that evasive movements that worked against regular foes wouldn't work on someone like this.

After all, even among gun users, there was a world of difference between an ordinary person and a demon hunter. Facing another enhanced individual, Sharon opted to use firearms too.

Bullets whizzed toward her target.

In that split second, Chisato's pupils contracted. Rat-tat-tat!! The sound of automatic gunfire filled the hallway.

But before the sound even registered, Chisato's body was already in motion—tilting her head, sidestepping, gliding with almost dancer-like grace as she weaved through the hail of bullets. In Sharon's incredulous eyes, Chisato looked like she was defying physics.

Then—bang! One well-aimed shot from Chisato's handgun struck Sharon's arm, bursting a spray of red.

"What?" Sharon's eyes widened. The specialized bulletproof gear failed, and the weapon slipped from her hands.

At that moment, Takina stepped out from her hiding spot in the hallway, raised her submachine gun, and opened fire.

Rat-tat-tat—! The burst of automatic fire was deafening, but this time, Sharon was on the receiving end.

She gritted her teeth and rolled to the ground, tumbling into the room. Her right arm had been shot again, and her left leg had taken a bullet as well.

Before disappearing into the room, Sharon caught a glimpse of Takina—the girl who had just shot her.

Her mind flashed: It's you again?

She yanked out a roll of white bandages tucked at her waist and quickly began wrapping her injured arm.

However, this time, the bleeding didn't stop as quickly as usual.

Recalling how her nun's uniform had also failed to provide protection earlier, Sharon's heart sank.

"An Abyssal Artifact that seals abilities? SDS really has something like that?"

Now unable to use her powers, her physical strength was no longer enough to ignore gunfire. Facing two gun experts who clearly specialized in firearms—

"...And that woman who dodged my bullets just now… she must be SDS's ace, Chisato Nishikigi."

"Her reflexes were so fast I couldn't even aim at her…"

Sharon had always outpaced even elite special forces soldiers in neural response time, easily dodging bullets fired at her.

But now, Chisato was doing the same to her—just as she once did to others. The extreme gap in reflexes cut both ways.

"A suppression-type Abyssal Artifact and an elite firearms ace… Tch, I really kicked the SDS hornet's nest this time."

Given the current situation, Sharon couldn't think of a single way to escape.

Her physical enhancement spells had been sealed. Her protective gear had failed. Her life-saving potions were inert. And now she faced an enemy who outmatched even her in gunplay.

Even the commanding officers of the Demon Hunters wouldn't survive this.

After all, the strength of a demon hunter came from layering countless arcane techniques. Once those were sealed, all that remained was the trained physical body. While still enough to overwhelm regular armed soldiers, it was no match for an elite marksman who specialized in nothing but guns.

"It's a death trap…"

As Sharon muttered with a complicated expression, a sudden chill swept through her. She instinctively shifted her position.

Then—searing pain exploded in her left hand. Seconds later, she finally heard the delayed sound of a gunshot.

They've started sniping?!

At the same moment—ten seconds earlier, in the hallway:

After injuring Sharon, Takina walked up to Chisato and calmly asked, "Should we try to get her to surrender? She's part of a covert organization. There's probably a lot of intel we need. And given the situation, the chances of capturing her alive are high."

"True, but that depends on what the Boss wants..." Chisato began to say—then came the crack of a gunshot.

"That shot?! A sniper?!" Chisato's eyes widened as she turned to look at Takina in shock.

"Oh no…"

"That shot?"

At the entrance to the apartment's first floor lobby, Kirika Tachibana, holding the Kusanagi Sword, froze as she heard the distinctive crack of a sniper rifle. Her expression darkened, and she pressed a hand to her earpiece and barked,

"Who gave the order to fire?!"

Static buzzed in the earpiece.

Then, a cold and detached female voice came through:

"That order came from me—Ryoko Yakushiji."