Dao Of Heaven

Chapter 305: Question the Trisolarans, Understand the Trisolarans, Become the Trisolarans

After sending off the Natural Selection and Blue Space, Setsuna focused on constructing the Trisolaran world outpost and researching this universe's technologies.

The shipgirls split into several fleets, using the Solar System as their center, to scout and eliminate nearby alien civilizations and fleets.

Their goal was to carve out a 200-light-year security zone around the starbase.

The loli researchers aboard, along with the two Sirens who had tagged along out of curiosity, turned their attention toward the spoils of war captured from this universe.

At the research building beside the starbase—

Although much smaller in scale than the main world base, it was still fully equipped with experimental devices.

Most of the Trisolaran world's technology lay in physics and engineering. Accordingly, most of the loli researchers assigned here were from those two departments.

"Mm, Commander, we've studied the captured Trisolaran starships, technologies, and detectors."

After several days of work, Kayo Senju reported her findings to Setsuna.

"Their overall technological level isn't high. Their space warships are entirely inferior to ours, without any reference value."

"The Droplet as a detector isn't advanced either. We already have sensors capable of real-time monitoring within a range of dozens of light-years—there's no need for such sub-light-speed devices."

"As for the strong interaction material composing it, we can manufacture that too. But I think it's inferior to the zero-element nanocomposite armor we use on starships."

Setsuna wasn't surprised. The current starships had been built by Grey using the Creator's legacy technology, mixed with Siren modifications.

They stood at the pinnacle of the stellar worlds, naturally far beyond sub-light natives.

"However, we did discover something else of interest."

The little loli projected a heap of complex data onto the holographic display.

"The sophon."

"It's an intelligent microscopic particle, involving dimensional technology. Both its functions and its construction are fascinating."

The Trisolarans had once used sophons to interfere with physics experiments on Earth for 200 years, sealing humanity's scientific progress.

Sophons could also draw energy from the vacuum, travel at near-light speed, and use quantum entanglement for real-time communication.

By switching dimensions, they could access any location through higher-dimensional space. In theory, nothing could escape sophon surveillance.

Otherwise, humanity would never have resorted to the Wallfacer Plan to counter the Trisolarans.

"Can we make some?"

Setsuna asked.

"Technically, it's not difficult, but we currently lack the equipment. We'd need a specially-built giant particle accelerator, along with tools for two-dimensional etching."

Kayo Senju answered.

"Whatever you need, have the Bulin build it when we return."

Setsuna decided firmly.

Sophons were also multifunctional artificial intelligences, with extremely powerful data analysis abilities.

One day, they could even be made into humanoid forms to assist with his work.

"Well… if we need one urgently, we could actually pick up a ready-made one."

Kayo Senju pointed toward Earth.

"The Trisolarans had launched a sophon there before. After their homeworld and First Fleet were destroyed, the sophon lost its controller and is now ownerless."

"With some effort, we could seize control of it."

"Oh?"

Setsuna became intrigued.

Using the starship's sensors and scanners, they could pinpoint the sophon's exact location.

At its core, it was a fundamental particle, currently maintaining a three-dimensional form, hovering in outer space.

"Do it."

At the order, aboard the Eternal Snowfall, Nymph and the loli researchers initiated a signal intrusion into the sophon.

"Mm, Master, I've never hacked into something the size of a particle before. I'll give it a try."

Nymph scratched her head.

Sitting at the main console, she locked onto the sophon's position.

As a universal electronic warfare humanoid, she possessed immensely powerful hacking abilities. Having been upgraded multiple times by Daedalus, Grey, and the loli researchers, she now embodied the most advanced information warfare technologies of Synapse and the stellar worlds

One had once been a Fallen Empire, a divine-level civilization of immense glory. The other was a father civilization whose starting point surpassed lightspeed.

No matter how developed Trisolaran computing was, it could never compete against the creations of two such advanced civilizations simultaneously.

Before Nymph's eyes flashed tens of billions of data streams.

The loli researchers assisted her on the holographic computers.

"Mm, Master, I need to seize control of it first—make the sophon unfold into two dimensions—then rewrite its control instructions…"

Nymph's eyes turned crimson, countless streams of complex data flickering within.

In outer space, the sophon transformed into a two-dimensional geometric plane of nearly infinite area and zero thickness.

Under planetary gravity, it spread across Earth.

People on the planet looked up and saw the night sky turn into a giant mirror, reflecting everything on Earth clearly.

Continents, oceans, even the image of every individual—all reflected in the heavens.

"What is this?! …"

At first, the crowds were confused.

Soon, some scholars familiar with Trisolaran civilization cried out.

"It's the sophon!!!"

"This is sophon two-dimensional unfolding!!!"

"???"

"WTF??! Weren't the Trisolarans completely wiped out?!"

Like triggering collective PTSD, Earth erupted into chaos again, nearly descending into riots.

After the war against the Trisolarans, most had put the sophons out of their minds, assuming they had vanished along with their masters.

No one imagined the thing would resurface.

Nymph worked on cracking the sophon for an entire day.

By the next morning—

The blue twin-tailed loli sat back in her chair, looking slightly exhausted.

"Master, it's done."

"I've completely seized control of the sophon and linked its program into your ship's AI."

"Well done. Go get some rest."

Setsuna patted her head and pulled up the main console.

On the holographic screen appeared a line of text:

[Sophon Unit 1 ready, awaiting orders.]

The sophon's voice was that of a cold, emotionless girl.

"Oh!"

The shipgirls crowded around curiously.

"A robot the size of a fundamental particle? Commander?"

"According to the original story, it could monitor the entire world and block science. What do you plan to do with it?"

"…"

Setsuna thought for a moment.

"In the future, we'll manufacture more sophons to help manage our vassal worlds."

"As for this one… I think letting it continue monitoring the Trisolaran schemers would be perfect."

He issued the command through the holographic interface:

"Monitor all activity on Earth. Report any hostile intent immediately to the Angeloid."

"Understood."

The sophon could simultaneously observe all communications on Earth and intelligently analyze their content.

Just as the Trisolarans once had, under its all-encompassing surveillance, privacy no longer existed.

If it wished, it could even tally how many words a random person spoke each day, or how many grains of rice they ate.

This higher-dimensional AI could observe everything except thoughts themselves—perfect for monitoring vassals and colonies.

"Oh, one more thing."

Setsuna remembered.

"To prevent these humans from causing trouble, lock down their science again."

...

"???"

When Earth's people learned they would again be monitored by sophons and their technology locked, their minds collapsed.

Before the aliens came, they had been watched by sophons, their science blocked.

After the aliens came, they were still watched by sophons, their science blocked.

Wasn't this exactly the same?!

No—worse.

Back then, at least they had been a spacefaring civilization under suppression.

Now, they were directly confined to pre-space times.

Some tried to organize protests, but before their plans could even begin, every detail was reported to Grey and the Angeloid by the sophon.

In the planetary office—

The nanobot scowled at the sophon's compiled reports and slammed the table.

"Damn it, Commander!"

"Earth here seems way too urbanized. These schemers have nothing better to do than stir up trouble?!"

Considering that most of Earth's ambitious had left with Starship Earth, what remained were insects.

All day they dreamed up nonsense.

Some even imagined creating a new Wallfacer Plan against the Starsea Empire.

Luo Ji repeatedly reported that people harassed him to launch some so-called 'curse' against the Eternal Snowfall.

"Handle it however you want."

Setsuna gave Grey full authority.

"Then I won't hold back."

With the Angeloid, the nanobot carried out a sweeping purge on Earth.

At the UN headquarters, they erected a stone stele dozens of meters tall.

Upon it, Grey personally inscribed a poem expressing his governance policy:

Deceivers sharpen blades in the night, Empire's star sways, Mars glows bright.

Turning heaven and earth anew today, why spare labor when killing's the way?

Trisolaran schemers—kill! Saints—kill! Singers of false civs—kill!

Alien scum and schemers alike, the Starsea Emperor says: Kill, kill, kill!

"???"

Whenever Earth's people saw the stele, they were reminded of a figure from history, and shivered involuntarily.

...

Half a month later—

The nanobot reported back to Setsuna.

"Commander, the Earthlings now acknowledge themselves as your loyal subjects. They are willing to serve the Empire like beasts of burden."

"Even if it means eating husks and swallowing gruel daily, they will never complain."

"Oh, good results in governance."

Setsuna praised briefly.

"Just one small issue."

Grey scratched his head.

"Seems a few countries and about four billion people are… missing."

"..."

"No problem. That's fine."

...

Vmmm—

A small ship carrying Setsuna and several shipgirls cruised outside Earth's atmosphere.

Grey's governance of Earth had been astonishingly effective, and everyone wanted to see for themselves how the nanobot had managed to subdue the schemers into obedience in such a short time.

It was also a chance to inspect their new territory.

Setsuna had originally planned to let the humans here live freely, building only a research station on the starbase while leaving both sides to their own devices.

But after Grey's intervention, Earth's people now pledged near-fanatical loyalty to the Starsea Empire, willingly submitting as a vassal state.

Every few days, new petitions arrived.

The general message: from now on, Earthlings would gladly serve the Empire as beasts of burden. Even with technology sealed, reduced to pre-space natives, they would not complain.

Their only request: that the nanobot restrain its terrifying powers and spare them.

"How did you manage this? As far as I remember, the mobs here were far more unreasonable than those in other vassal worlds. Much harder to control."

Bismarck asked curiously.

She had overseen other vassal civilizations. Most pre-space natives were obedient enough—so long as they were fed and clothed, they never entertained strange ideas.

"Organics are foolish. Their feeble brains and limited information-processing can't rationally analyze benefits and risks."

"They're easily swayed by vague ideals, making extremely stupid choices under the incitement of a few."

"Thus, the quickest and most direct method is simply to physically eliminate them—and let the rest live in fear."

Grey crossed its arms proudly.

Then it realized it had just insulted all organics with a broad stroke, and hurriedly corrected itself:

"Ah, no, Commander, I meant everyone except you is an idiot."

"???"

The shipgirls, considering themselves essentially warships rather than organics, didn't mind.

Gudako, however, was dragged into it and scowled.

"What about me?!"

"I don't think you're very smart either."

The nanobot tilted its head.

"Do you know the Grand Unified Theory? Do you understand entropy recursion? Can you explain a fourth-order singularity??!"

The rapid barrage of questions left Gudako dizzy.

She couldn't handle arguing with the nanobot.

Its thought processes were utterly alien to ordinary humans.

With near-limitless intelligence and flawless logic, it could memorize anything it saw, even knowledge it couldn't apply.

Even magic was no exception. Debating it on academic matters was self-humiliation.

Only heavyweights like Lucoa or Mio from the magical side could hold their own against it.

Bickering all the way, the ship entered the atmosphere.

But the sight that greeted them was unsettling.

Setsuna felt the continents looked wrong—different from what he remembered.

Half of the British Isles were gone, chunks of the Americas were broken off, Africa and the Asia subcontinent were split down the middle, north and south, as if cleaved by a blade.

Many island chains were missing entirely.

The shifts in the continental plates had drastically altered Earth's climate.

Cities once hailed as global centers—New York, Tokyo, Frankfurt—were reduced to barren wastelands. Their skyscrapers and antigravity towers had vanished without a trace.

The aftermath resembled a world war.

People looked up at the ship in terror, then fell to their knees in worship.

"Uh…"

The shipgirls had to confirm several times that this was indeed Earth, and not some other planet.

"What happened here?"

"Did some research institute botch an experiment?"

Bismarck pointed toward the Midwest plains of North America.

There, as though erased, a perfectly circular zone several hundred kilometers in diameter had been carved out of the urban sprawl.

Nothing grew within. It was scorched wasteland.

"Oh, Wyoming."

Grey thought for a moment.

"They were organizing protests. Opposing imperial rule, demanding the sophon blockade be lifted, shouting about freedom of space exploration."

"Chanting slogans like 'Give me liberty or give me death'—the usual white-left nonsense humans spout."

"A few leaders were ready to sacrifice themselves—martyrdom, they called it. Said their deaths would awaken the people… a whole crowd of journalists showed up too."

"And what did you do?"

Bismarck pressed, more curious now.

Trisolaran schemers had long loved taking to the streets. In a sense, it was a habit inherited from the Common Era. Politicians most feared the media's inflammatory coverage. But Grey clearly didn't care.

"I dropped a few antimatter bombs on them. Sent them all up to heaven."

The nanobot shrugged.

"They said, 'Give me liberty or give me death,' didn't they? I've never seen such a strange request."

"Later, more people protested—accusing me of violently suppressing demonstrations, violating civil liberties. So I dropped a few more antimatter bombs."

"After that, no one had any complaints."

"…Oh, badass."

Gudako clapped.

Physically erasing the opposition really was brutally efficient.

"You leveled Jerusalem?! Don't the religious fanatics have a problem with that?!"

Cruising over the Mediterranean coast, Formidable stared at the devastation below, dumbfounded.

"They did."

Grey nodded.

"I told them superstition was useless. Praying to the Commander was more effective than praying to God—at least the sophon actually delivered their prayers to me."

"But those idiots claimed their God would smite me. They knelt day and night, begging angels to come down and destroy me. I transformed into a ship and waited a few days—no angel ever came."

"So I used orbital cannons to send them all to meet their God."

As Grey spoke, it pointed toward a city square below.

A towering metallic statue of Setsuna, dozens of meters tall, stood proudly at the center.

Citizens prayed devoutly before it, reciting praises and reverently bowing.

Scenes like this appeared everywhere. All religious sites had been replaced.

Setsuna had become Earth's sole spiritual idol, gaining hordes of fanatics—eerily reminiscent of the ETO's devotion.

It felt like another worldline where humanity worshipped a Golden Giant.

"..."

The shipgirls were stunned, at a loss for words.

As the ultimate product of technology, the nanobot inherently despised all religions and superstitions. Even if Satan himself appeared, they suspected Grey would dissect him out of academic curiosity.

"And Africa, Asia split in two—what was that?"

"Someone stirred up trouble. So I hit them with gamma lasers a couple of times."

Grey said matter-of-factly.

"Cutting continents in half with starship weapons is normal, isn't it? Civilians dying? Don't sweat the details…"

"..."

Setsuna nodded.

Gudako gave a thumbs up.

"And you, my friend, are truly the Western King of the stars."

"Of course."

Grey crossed its arms proudly.

"Do you know how Earth parents quiet children now? All they need to say is, 'The Gray Tempest is coming!' and the kid immediately shuts up, too scared to cry."

"..."

The shipgirls exchanged looks.

"Strangely enough… that is kind of badass."

Chapter 304: I Am Herta, I Broadcast to the Entire Universe

"What is going on…?"

Herta stared in disbelief at the scene before her, quickly pulling surveillance feeds from every region of The Blue.

Countless holographic projections appeared before her.

On the screens, the black beast tide poured into cities, unleashing devastation, ceaselessly hunting humans.

Order within cities and nations had completely collapsed—riots, chaos, energy leaks, skyscrapers toppling, security personnel frantically firing weapons at monsters, the whole world resembling the end of days.

Yet amidst this apocalyptic scene appeared a bizarre sight that did not belong.

Those monsters, which seemed to know only slaughter, deliberately avoided certain humans.

In one feed, a man shielding his family was not attacked. The monsters circled around him, even avoiding his family.

In another, a soldier fought relentlessly, yet no matter how many monsters he struck down, none harmed him—while his fellow soldiers nearby were cruelly torn apart.

In another, a little girl separated from the crowd clutched her doll and wailed amid the beast tide—but the monsters all shied away, as if she herself were a source of fear.

Scenes like this multiplied, leaving Herta increasingly shocked.

But she quickly regained composure. Clever as ever, she instantly realized—this must be the monsters' predation mechanism.

"What is the reason these people are not attacked?"

As the most intelligent human in The Blue's history, Herta accessed the planet's population records at once, scanning and analyzing them in mere breaths.

Her conclusion left her stunned.

"All those spared are individuals society evaluates as kindhearted, with little to no blemish in their life histories!"

She then retrieved the records of those attacked first.

Almost all were labeled by human society as evil or malignant individuals.

Not only them—even some politicians, businessmen, and others with heavy stains upon their records had been the first targeted.

"So that's it… that's it! I've discovered the rule behind their predation!"

Herta slapped the virtual screen in excitement, her fingers flying across keys.

"The trigger condition for these monsters' predation is based on moral alignment—or rather, judged by their life history."

"These creatures from another universe possess the ability to probe the life records of intelligent beings."

"They are not hunting individuals per se, but civilizations as a whole. Within a civilization, they target those individuals who harm, damage, or negatively impact the collective."

"In other words, they prey only on those whose life records mark them as malign—evil people, bad people."

Herta continued her analysis, exhilarated.

"The most critical factor is… information. The negative records in a life's history are an immense lure to them."

Back when the Genius Society first debated the possibility of invasion from another universe, they had assumed it would be a disaster bent purely on destruction.

Now, it was clear—that was not the case. While it was indeed a calamity spanning the entire cosmos…

By this selective mechanism, more than 80% of intelligent life might be wiped out.

Yet over 90% of civilizations themselves would survive.

It was more akin to a vast cosmic cleansing.

A purge that wiped out individuals and forces not aligned with good.

After reaching this conclusion, Herta suddenly thought—it might not be entirely bad.

But the greatest damage from such a catastrophe would not come from the black beast tide itself, but from the chaos and resistance provoked during their predation.

Even if the monsters would not harm kindhearted individuals, the ensuing riots and organized resistance would still cause massive casualties.

If there were no resistance or chaos, and the monsters were simply allowed to cleanse, then at most 60% of the universal population would be lost. But with organized resistance from civilizations, that number would rise, leaving only 20% of the population across the cosmos.

"This is unsolvable…"

Herta exhaled deeply, relinquishing control over the planetary systems.

Wherever there was civilization, there would inevitably be organized structures of governance—whether federations, alliances, nations, or even dictatorial rule.

And as long as such organizations existed, they naturally carried within them the negative information of civilization.

To ensure their survival, these structures would inevitably resist, flee, and counterattack.

"This mechanism of selection—the survivors must have already noticed it. With just a little time, word of it will spread across the entire universe."

"When that happens, internal divisions within civilizations will arise on their own."

"Without a unified will, no interstellar organization can hold together."

Though Herta was a scientist, she was also a scholar—and she understood well what positions and alignments meant.

The kindhearted and the corrupt were natural opposites.

Would those spared by the monsters protect those being hunted?

Obviously not.

From a few simple deductions, Herta could already foresee the final outcome.

"We've already lost… Before even attempting to resist, we've already lost."

"The final collapse is only a matter of time."

Herta sighed helplessly.

At that moment, the voices of The Blue's parliamentary members crackled through the comms.

[Lady Herta! Please respond, Lady Herta! Why has the defense system been shut down? Have you suffered a fatal attack?!]

[Lady Herta! Answer us, please!]

Herta did not reply. Even without her analysis, The Blue's collapse was inevitable.

[Curse it all! Deploy every security force and soldier to the frontlines! Otherwise, we're all dead!]

The leaders of The Blue had also realized by now that the monsters did not kill indiscriminately. After all, to rise to a civilization's upper echelons, they could not be fools.

But their ugly desperation was laid bare for all to see, to the point where even Herta felt there was no saving them.

It wasn't as if she could spend every moment protecting them, was it?

Ignoring the pleas of The Blue, Herta hurriedly transmitted her analysis to the Genius Society, and from there, through all the Society's Emanators, spread it to the entire universe.

[I am Herta, Seat 83 of the Genius Society. I now broadcast live to the entire universe…]

...

"Quick! Cloud Knights Fleet! Block all large-scale monsters outside the Cavern Realm!"

"Any monsters that have breached the Cavern Realm must be annihilated!"

RUMMMBLE—

"Kill!"

"Kill them all!"

"United against the foe, enduring calamities together—!"

"Hurry! Stop that giant monster! The defenses of the Xianzhou are about to be breached!"

Six massive planet-sized Xianzhou vessels stood aligned in empty cosmic space, with only a distant barren planet as the lone backdrop.

Countless Starskiffs streaked through the void at incredible speed, launching ceaseless energy barrages against monsters like ephemeral mayflies of the cosmos.

Some of these monsters were even faster than the Starskiffs themselves.

The number of Abyssal beasts clashed endlessly with the number of Starskiffs, locked in battle across the starry expanse, explosions erupting like an epic display of fireworks.

Every second, countless Abyssal monsters were slain; every second, Starskiffs were shattered into dust of the cosmos.

Cloud Knights commanding great warships wielded what appeared to be ancient melee weapons—yet in truth, they were overclocked vibration blades—slashing into Abyssal beasts in brutal combat.

The weapons of the Xianzhou Alliance appeared as archaic cold arms, but in essence were sophisticated high-tech constructs.

"Split the heavens, pierce the stars—draw the bow and hunt the wolf—!"

At the very moment the black beast tide erupted within the Xianzhou Alliance, the entire fleet mobilized in full force.

Unlike the IPC, the Xianzhou Alliance had, since Lan ascended as the Aeon of the Hunt, pursued and battled the Abominations of Abundance ceaselessly. Their combat discipline and collective battle power had been honed to the utmost.

One command, and all obeyed without question.

And the Xianzhou were far from ordinary.

The Aeon of the Hunt had granted the Xianzhou Alliance unrestricted access to the Path of the Hunt. Xianzhou citizens could draw freely from this power, pouring it into Cavern Realm technologies to create countless inner realms.

Each Cavern Realm could house tens of millions of Xianzhou people.

At present, each Xianzhou vessel had developed no fewer than a thousand such Cavern Realms.

Moreover, these Cavern Realms slowed the invasion speed of the black beast tide.

Combined with their endless logistics, they could sustain themselves for a time.

Additionally, every Xianzhou vessel bore a Lightning-Lord, bestowed by the Hunt, capable of unleashing Emanator-level might.

The Generals of the Xianzhou were themselves Emanators, and with the Lightning-Lords, their strength could stack and rise even further.

Though the Emanators of the Hunt were not the most powerful among Emanators, each one could summon the arrows of the Hunt.

Within the Xianzhou's inner realms, even new recruits battled ceaselessly against small Abyssal monsters that slipped inside.

"Be destroyed, monsters!"

"Take this! Unstoppable strike—!"

Blades of ice bloomed again and again within the beast tide, freezing Abyssal monsters into sculptures before shattering them into shards.

"Yaaah! Take this—my Supreme Void Sword!"

"Ouch! I'm hurt! Don't move if you're injured! I'll heal you all! Miracle pills, miracle pills—!"

"Little Gui, don't you dare follow me! Find somewhere safe to hide!"

"This is terrifying! Sushang, I'm leaving! Promise me you'll stay safe! Running away when you can't win isn't shameful at all!"

...

ROOOAAAR—

Just as the battle raged fiercely, a deep roar shook the cosmos. A colossal black head tore through space itself, thrusting forward.

The massive head dwarfed even the long-withering Ambrosial Arbor aboard the Xianzhou Luofu.

"The Xianzhou Alliance, blessed by the Hunt… in terms of heritage and strength, truly unmatched. At minimum, it would take a being of Primordial rank to break you."

A low voice rumbled from the black head.

Its arrival did not halt the beast tide—rather, it drove them into greater frenzy.

On the Xianzhou side, countless Cloud Knights and pilots froze in terror, their eyes vacant.

The suffocating aura struck directly at their spirits, crushing their minds. Those less resolute fainted outright under the weight of it.

Just as morale was about to collapse, golden radiance surged from the Xianzhou Luofu. Along with the light came a voice of solemn majesty:

[Resplendent Divine Might, hear My command—strike without mercy!]

A golden figure of a general swelled in size, expanding until it matched the colossal black head. Only then did it halt.

The awe-inspiring golden general's shadow hefted a blade capable of cleaving a planet in half and swung it down toward the black head.

Vmmm—BOOM—

The cosmic starry sky was dyed gold by the energy of the Path, forming swirling clouds of radiance as if this golden giant were engaged in the act of star-forging.

With a single slash of the golden giant's blade, swathes of the black beast tide were obliterated back into Abyssal energy. Even the domains covered in Abyssal power were shattered apart.

"So this is the power of an Emanator of the Hunt? The vessel itself is so weak, yet with this strength, it can reach nebula-class. If reckless, it might even touch God-King-class."

The black head spoke in a low rumble.

"But… so-called Emanators are nothing more than wielders of borrowed power—the concept of a Path. It is not their own strength."

"They are but lenders—akin to the spirit-invocation arts practiced by certain cultivators within the great planes under Liyue's dominion."

The black head slowly parted its Abyssal maw.

Within appeared a violet-black black hole, birthing a strange and terrifying gravity.

The surrounding cosmic laws began to warp.

BOOM—

The golden giant's strike landed squarely upon the violet-black black hole. The blade shattered instantly, and an explosion of energy more dreadful than a gamma-ray burst erupted.

A straight column of energy shot in opposite directions across the cosmos.

Its speed far surpassed that of light, warping spacetime into distorted curvature.

On the scale of a galaxy, a single radiant beam split an entire galaxy cleanly in half.

Yet even in such close combat, the Xianzhou Alliance suffered no damage. Instead, one-third of the Abyssal beast tide assaulting them was annihilated, a vast region of space scoured clean.

"Not a bad strike, Emanator of the Hunt. But you have drawn upon power far beyond your limit. At most, you could unleash it once more—before the backlash of the Path destroys you."

The black head gradually closed its Abyssal maw, scarlet eyes gazing upon the small figure who had struck it.

That small figure, utterly calm, questioned it: "To speak with such wisdom, you must possess a rich consciousness."

"Before I begin battle with you, I have a few questions."

The black head's monstrous visage curled into a dreadful smile. "Stalling for time?"

"But you have the right. After all, that Aeon's gaze has already turned toward me. Were it not for the Xianzhou being so close, I would already have been pierced by one of his radiant arrows."

"I know I cannot take you down. Otherwise, that Aeon would not hesitate to sacrifice a ship or two to kill me outright."

"I am called Erinas, a galactic-class beast of the Abyss. Ask your questions, Emanator of the Hunt."

Chapter 57: The Future Killing Move

"Ranzuki, go to the sage land to heal, and also reacclimate yourself to its natural energy."

As soon as they returned to the great hall, Satsuki, leaning in her signature slanted pose on the main seat, issued her first order.

Below, Ranzuki bowed her head in obedience. As she passed by the two Kaguya clansmen, she stole a subtle glance at them before quietly using her Tenseigan's gravitational control to depart the hall.

"As for you."

Ignoring Ranzuki's small gesture, Satsuki spoke slowly: "Since you followed me here, you should already be prepared."

Then she asked casually, "What's your name?"

"Lady, my name is Maei Kaguya. This is our clan leader, Suzuki Kaguya." Though the boy was tense, his words were clear—a feat in itself.

From her seat above, Satsuki said, "I can see that you intend to offer yourself as a bargaining chip to save your clan leader's life. But as a fighting force, your clan leader is worth a hundred times more than you. Even if I cannot use him directly, I could make him into a puppet without losing any of his combat strength."

Her golden gaze fixed on Maei. "So what do you have that compares with him?"

"I…"

It was the very question haunting him. His instinctive action earlier had indeed carried the thought of offering himself as exchange. But now, looking back, he realized he had no such qualification.

Against her power, neither he nor his leader had any choice but to be at her mercy.

"If you cannot answer, then I'll ask you a few questions as interest." Seeing him unable to produce a word, Satsuki wasted no more time. "Your clan leader's bloodline has developed to a level far beyond ordinary Kaguya. Aside from his natural talent, I want to know—does he have any other secrets?"

Maei fell into memory at her words. After searching himself, he pulled out two medicine vials.

"Though the clan leader and I are among the few survivors to awaken the Shikotsumyaku, our clan has always regarded this bloodline with fear and disgust. So I never spoke with anyone about it in depth."

He continued, "This vial was given to me by the clan leader during one of my bloodline sickness episodes. He said it suppresses the illness, giving us time to grow in strength. If we can become strong enough to fully master the Shikotsumyaku, then we will no longer suffer from the sickness."

Satsuki directed a servant puppet to take the vials from Maei and hand one to her.

Accepting it, she asked, "Do you know the recipe for this medicine?"

"…Yes."

After a moment's hesitation, Maei revealed the formula and method of preparation. He had realized this drug was designed specifically for the Shikotsumyaku, and with all its wielders now in Satsuki's hands, things could hardly get worse.

Listening to his explanation, Satsuki showed no outward reaction, only closing her eyes in thought.

Whether true or not, she had time and means to verify later. It did seem, however, that Suzuki had indeed mastered some method of controlling the bloodline sickness. Likely, his rise to such strength had relied on this secret medicine to survive the early torments of developing his bloodline.

But then… what caused his Shikotsumyaku to evolve toward the dreaded All-Killing Ash Bones?

Her golden eyes opened.

"Maei Kaguya, have you ever heard any rumors about your clan's Shikotsumyaku?"

"Lady, I only heard when I was very young that our bloodline supposedly came from a great being who committed a terrible sin—a curse passed down from them. Later, when I showed signs of awakening the bloodline, the clan imprisoned me. So I know nothing more."

It seemed he knew nothing of the All-Killing Ash Bones.

That meant the key to evolving the Shikotsumyaku into the All-Killing Ash Bones still lay with Suzuki Kaguya.

With that thought, Satsuki summoned two puppets with her will, ordering them to carry Suzuki Kaguya away on a stretcher for treatment—conveniently making him a subject to test the medicine's effect.

Then she rose slowly from the main seat and walked up to Maei Kaguya. Raising his chin with one hand, their eyes met. In that instant, Maei felt as though he were gazing into the brightest starlight in the world. Within those golden irises, a six-petaled flower seemed to turn endlessly.

In the next moment, he fell under the Tenseigan's hypnotic genjutsu.

Satsuki whispered in his ear: "Remember—it was Satsuki Ōtsutsuki who killed your beloved clan leader. You want revenge, but her strength is overwhelming. So you desperately seek out one called Isshiki Ōtsutsuki. With his help, once you awaken the All-Killing Ash Bones, you will come to kill Satsuki Ōtsutsuki with your own hands."

She repeated the words three times, then compelled Maei to echo them back.

Still entranced, Maei murmured: "It was Satsuki Ōtsutsuki who killed my clan leader. I want revenge, but she is too strong. I can only flee and seek the help of someone called Isshiki Ōtsutsuki. Once I awaken the All-Killing Ash Bones, I will kill her myself."

"Good."

Though it was her first attempt at using the Tenseigan to cast a hypnotic technique, and her execution was somewhat unpolished, the results were satisfactory.

As the supreme eye technique, the Tenseigan's hypnosis was not limited to altering memories. It could also implant conditions that would trigger later. Once met, the jutsu's effects would unfold, turning the target into Satsuki's puppet.

And this trap was laid for Isshiki Ōtsutsuki—the hidden one. Perhaps it would prove useless, but if it worked, it would be a killing move.

After branding Maei's body with a trace of her Tenseigan chakra, Satsuki opened a space-time passage and cast him inside.

Once finished, she returned to the main seat. In the empty hall, Candle Nine Yin's voice resounded:

"Master, your wisdom is truly unfathomable."

"Save your needless words," Satsuki replied. She released the Sage Mode she had maintained all this time; the horns at the sides of her head shrank and vanished into her hair.

"I have a question for you."

"My lady, what matter troubles you?"

Satsuki lifted her left hand. In her palm rotated a silver orb of senjutsu chakra.

"After taming natural energy, this is the senjutsu chakra formed by combining it with my Ōtsutsuki chakra."

Toying idly with the orb that could cause catastrophic destruction, she murmured, "Through it, I faintly sense the existence of a far greater consciousness."

Even Candle Nine Yin, watching, felt cold sweat run down his horns from the immense energy within that silver orb.

"I am sorry, my lady. In my training, I never encountered such a great existence."

"I see."

Though she did not receive the answer she sought, Satsuki was unconcerned. For her, reaching the next layer of power was only a matter of time.

She dispersed the orb of silver chakra with a wave, and finally allowed her eyes to close in true sleep.

Since her return from the Ryūmyaku, she had not rested, constantly arranging plans and strategies, training in senjutsu all the while. Even with a sage's body, she could feel exhaustion. The moment she relaxed, she fell asleep on the throne itself.

By the next day at noon, important news arrived from Shirakumaru's side.

"The Uchiha clan's greatest secret, the Sharingan, will soon become part of your collection, my lady."

No sooner had Satsuki awakened from her rest than she received news from Shirakumaru, along with detailed reports.

Her mind, though still weary, instantly sharpened. After Tajima Uchiha's disastrous decision, his position within the clan had become perilous. He alone still knew how to evolve the Mangekyō into the Eternal Mangekyō. To preserve control, he had chosen to make both his sons the next clan heads. Inevitably, this would spark unrest and rebellion. A coup was almost guaranteed.

"So you're saying Tajima has effectively left it to you to eliminate the disloyal Uchiha, and that their Sharingan will be the reward?"

"Yes, Lady Satsuki," Shirakumaru replied with his head lowered. "Though unspoken, his meaning was clear."

"Heh."

Satsuki chuckled coldly. "Tajima's plan is clever. He avoids dirtying his hands while making the Hagoromo clan the scapegoat."

Shirakumaru thought for a moment and said, "My lady, since he gave us a list, I doubt he'll turn against us."

"Not yet." Satsuki yawned. "After what he saw of my power in the Valley of Clouds and Lightning, unless he has absolute confidence, he won't dare turn."

"My lady, I cannot imagine they have any capital to oppose you."

Her expression returned to its usual coolness, though her good mood made her patient enough to explain her plan even to a puppet.

"You and I may think so, but he does not."

"Why?" Shirakumaru asked.

"Because I gave him a reason not to." She glanced at him with faint amusement. "If I recall, you were the one I sent to deliver that information."

"You mean when we told him his son was the reincarnation of Indra?" Shirakumaru realized.

Satsuki gave a small nod. "All beings are limited in perception. At his level, he cannot judge powers beyond his comprehension."

Thus, as Uchiha clan head, Tajima could only believe—in his own judgment, in the Eternal Mangekyō's supposed ability to withstand the divine power behind Shirakumaru, and in Indra's reincarnation being able to challenge or even destroy the mysterious being who had crushed the entire Uchiha clan with just a pair of eyes.

This was blind conviction, riddled with flaws, yet the only motivation driving him to keep scheming for the clan's future.

Satsuki stated coldly, "So he will inevitably turn on us. And that list? If he slips in a few names from his own faction, then when the time comes to confront him, it won't be convincing evidence. Or worse—by then his sons will already hold the clan, their positions secured by awakening the Mangekyō. If Tajima then betrays us and kills himself, with no proof left behind, the Hagoromo clan will instantly become the scapegoat."

"I no longer understand such emotional reasoning," Shirakumaru said in an icy tone. "Shall I simply kill Madara Uchiha and Izuna Uchiha now, to end their clan's will to resist?"

"There's no need. Just follow the agreement with Tajima."

"As you command."

With that, Satsuki severed the connection.

The Sharingan was indeed a treasure, with the potential to evolve into the Rinnegan, and worth collecting. But Satsuki had no intention of acting personally. Her current position was too advantageous. Few even knew she existed. The sages thought she had vanished into the Tenryū Heart Cave, and Isshiki Ōtsutsuki was unaware of her altogether.

Long ago, she had devised a stratagem—and that stratagem was the "Hagoromo clan."

Acquiring the Sharingan, sowing discord between the Senju and the Uchiha—such deeds would be carried out under that mask. And if the Hagoromo clan were ever exposed, it mattered little. It was only a disposable disguise Satsuki had created. Later, Shirakumaru could simply reemerge under another name.

The aftermath of Tajima Uchiha's scheme was meaningless, and those Sharingan would be lost forever in history. Even if Madara later sought to pursue the truth, he would never find any trace linking it to the so-called "Hagoromo clan."

And if he chose instead to turn his grudge upon the Ōtsutsuki name—that would be far more interesting.

Satsuki's revelation of the Ōtsutsuki surname had not pointed solely to herself, but also toward her enemy, Isshiki Ōtsutsuki. If the heavily wounded Isshiki were to clash with Madara, and she could reap the benefits as the fisherman between them—that would, of course, be ideal.

Naturally, she knew the likelihood was slim, nearly impossible.

Rising from the main seat, Satsuki went behind the hall where the mountain spring remained clear and secluded. She shed her robe and entered the water, letting its coolness wash over the smooth curves of her body. Her fair skin gleamed against the rippling surface, every line of her form flawless in proportion.

After bathing, she stepped out, droplets sliding down shapely legs before she dried herself. She slipped into a short kimono of soft black silk, its loose folds outlining the curves of her chest and the length of her thighs, leaving her presence alluring yet restrained.

Once dressed, she activated a teleportation formula and departed, arriving at the Rōran stronghold.

In the time since her last visit, it had changed greatly.

Kiyomaru had built it up well. With inexhaustible energy supplies, the puppets provided endless labor. They required no rest, no food, and their efficiency and organization far outstripped ordinary people.

When Satsuki appeared at the very core of Rōran where the Ryūmyaku chakra erupted, even she paused briefly at the sight of its transformation.

Through her Tenseigan, she observed the entire city's layout and progress of construction. Towering spires rose everywhere, already numbering in the hundreds, connected by aerial walkways. Within the towers, elevator-like mechanisms allowed movement between levels. In every unfinished section, puppets labored tirelessly, like worker ants building the vast network.

Still, Kiyomaru had reported several conflicts between the puppets and the rogue ninja originally imprisoned here. It was inevitable: the samurai puppets were tasked with both preventing intrusions from outside and escapes from within. Against rogue shinobi who were starving and weak, however, the outcome was predictable.

Because of the desert environment, Kiyomaru had gathered sand to produce glass in abundance. As a result, much of Rōran's architecture gleamed with glass designs, forming a style utterly distinct from the Warring States shinobi world.

And with the near-infinite power of the Ryūmyaku as an energy source, Kiyomaru had, using stored records, rebuilt an energy network within Rōran itself. With the giant Tenseigan at its center, the system converted Ryūmyaku chakra into electricity, heat, and other usable forms, laying a solid foundation for life and experimentation.

"It's like creating an industrial nation in the middle of an agricultural world. It seems Hamura's records weren't as outdated as they appeared," Satsuki remarked.

Standing before the giant Tenseigan, she watched as the Ryūmyaku chakra still gushed endlessly from the cavern below. Over time, its condition had improved, though until the Six Paths treasured tools were restored, it remained a temporary fix.

Her purpose here was clear: after a period of cultivation and screening, the first batch of Hyūga clan cell embryos had matured. Today, she had come to examine their survival rate and record data to refine future experiments.

Chapter 144: Banquet… Schemes… Quinque

Ward 1, Imperial Hotel Tokyo.

Inside an elegantly decorated, relaxed private dining room.

Vela sat at the banquet.

"Do you have any questions, Akira? Go ahead, don't be nervous. Tonight is just colleagues having a heart-to-heart. I'm listening."

"Well then, Special Class Russell… what was it like performing field duties in the North American branch?"

"In North America, rather than a CCG investigator, it's closer to being a federal agent, a criminal investigator. Screening, executing, and capturing ghouls is only one of the most important responsibilities of the North American Commission of Counter Ghoul."

Resting her chin on her hand, stirring sugar cubes in her coffee with a spoon, Vela spoke calmly. "If a police-related shooting occurs nearby while you're on duty, you have to respond quickly and assist. Beyond that—robberies, homicides, anti-gang and narcotics enforcement, criminal investigations, and occasionally being seconded to joint task forces with other law enforcement agencies… There's a lot. A whole mix of things."

"As for the ghouls in North America, they hide well, hide deep. Commonly, they rationalize nearby bloodshed and casualties by forming or joining gangs."

"Gang wars…"

Akira Mado nodded thoughtfully, then asked curiously: "Are they like ghoul organizations such as Aogiri Tree?"

"Of course not."

Vela shook her head with an amused smile.

She slid the now-sweetened coffee aside and picked up her dessert spoon. Scooping up a bite of ice cream topped with blueberry jam, biscuit crumbs, sugar frosting, and fruit, she took it into her mouth. After the refreshing taste passed her throat, she glanced around at her colleagues before speaking slowly.

"Although my jurisdiction could be called rich with talent—and full of messy cases, plenty involving corpses… still…"

She paused, her smile taking on a deeper meaning.

"A filthy organization that belongs only in the sewers—brazenly attacking a federal law enforcement facility, declaring war, killing hundreds upon hundreds of federal agents, and even daring to seize an administrative district of a first-tier city?"

"In the Americas, no such arrogant illegal organization would ever be allowed to exist."

Back in 2015, even as the USA first began showing signs of national decline, circumstances dictated that Congress had to bare its fangs. For the kind of havoc Aogiri Tree caused in Tokyo—replicating that in Washington? Even in far-off Hawaii or Alaska? If the sitting President and Cabinet didn't swiftly destroy them, they'd be facing impeachment themselves.

At this, Marude's eyes opened ever so slightly wider.

"Disgraceful!"

Kuroiwa crossed his arms, his breathing heavy and uneven, his face full of shame and indignation.

Yukinori Shinohara, meanwhile, simply placed a hand on the shoulder of the white-haired youth beside him—who was eating heartily—and then lifted his beer, downing the foaming drink in one gulp.

Around the round table, other investigators invited by Marude—colleagues who had worked with Vela the year before—exchanged glances.

"Ohhh… so the knife is finally bared."

Boiling gray hair stood on end like an explosion. Wearing round frameless glasses and a gray high-collar coat, Chuu Hachikawa let out a low laugh.

He pulled down his collar, revealing his scarred, disfigured face—his lips long gone, jaws twisted in a grotesque grin. The sight, as he raised his glass and took a swig, sent a shiver through the waiter delivering food.

But for the assembled ghoul investigators, it was nothing unusual.

"Careful."

The tall, broad-shouldered, black-haired, black-eyed investigator Kousuke Houji steadied the waiter's trembling tray with a hand, then silently took a spoonful of dessert for himself.

Meanwhile, a man of average build, short dark-brown hair, a forgettable face—Take Hirako—remained quiet, impassive, waiting for the dishes to be served.

"How to deal with illegal ghoul crime organizations, with Aogiri Tree at the forefront—that is the second major responsibility of my current Tokyo CCG term for 2015."

Vela fixed her gaze on the gathered investigators. Indigo eyes brimmed with pressure, with an almost invasive sharpness.

The younger First Class and lower-ranked investigators, brought by their squad leaders, all felt her gaze sweep over them.

As for the Special Class investigators who knew her well—nothing more needed to be said.

The key figures were the senior investigators who knew Vela, though not intimately.

Chuu Hachikawa, Associate Special Class Investigator.

Though he often seemed like a withdrawn, foul-mouthed, bitter man with a bad reputation among new recruits, he also had a kind side and cared for comrades—something veteran investigators all knew. During his early career, in a raid, his entire squad was wiped out protecting a civilian who had stumbled into the scene. His mentor and subordinates were killed by the "Black Dog" and its organization. That was when his personality changed drastically.

A tragic investigator, much like Kureo Mado.

During Vela's first Tokyo term in 2014, when raiding for Quinque material, she had worked with him. Having seen her combat prowess firsthand—her sensory perception rivaling, even surpassing, Arima Kisho's level—he knew she was no gilded ornament. Her cold ruthlessness toward ghouls suited his own nature, so their relationship was cordial. Though he had little patience for the rational "enforcer" philosophy—he lived as an avenger now.

Kousuke Houji.

This Associate Special Class Investigator, with slicked-back hair and two strands falling forward, had a refined, elegant bearing, his handsome face cool and restrained. Vela had only met him a few times. They had some connection, but not much. Still, he had once partnered with Kureo Mado, who had taught him Quinque skills thoroughly. Since Vela had saved Kureo Mado, and his daughter Akira had been Vela's adjutant, Kousuke's future was bound to benefit from this connection. If he survived, a smooth career path lay ahead—perhaps even a reassignment to North America one day. That connection was why he was here.

Take Hirako.

A First Class Investigator. Though his rank was lower, his record was solid. He had once worked with Vela to block a ghoul group. More importantly, he had been Arima's partner for six years—so in a sense, he was here as Arima's proxy, to welcome and acknowledge Vela's return to Tokyo as a Special Class.

"Special Class Russell…"

Akira Mado opened her mouth.

She hadn't expected the discussion to take this turn. The atmosphere had grown too heavy.

"Apologies, apologies. I'm not looking to blame anyone."

Vela lowered her hand from her chin, waving it lightly. Her bright eyes turned languid again as she picked up her dessert spoon. "Historical legacies. As the world's most populous, most developed metropolitan region, Tokyo has its own realities. I understand."

(P.S. Year 2015.)

Having set the tone, she continued smoothly: "Every country has its circumstances. Tokyo's law enforcement struggles with its dense population and narrow space. North America's investigators struggle with its vast, sparsely populated terrain."

"And your citizens… are far more cooperative with the government than our citizens back home."

Her tone turned slightly self-mocking. "Those ghouls hiding in street gangs are often surrounded by whole groups of foolish young men—duped, yet unaware. Dealing with them is what drains us the most."

Her voice carried the weariness of being beyond contempt—too tired even to curse.

"Although we investigators have the highest priority authority against ghoul crimes—in principle, no need for courts or prosecutors to sign warrants or orders—the aftermath… is a nightmare."

For once, Vela pressed a hand to her forehead, looking genuinely weary.

"If civilians get hurt or killed, the endless bickering and lawsuits begin. Hearings, consultations, press conferences—answering the media, community leaders, all their tricky questions…"

Her well-timed venting shifted the room's mood from heavy to light again.

"Oh, just imagining it gives me a headache."

Yukinori Shinohara, ever the highly empathetic, well-liked one, naturally picked up the thread.

He also cast a glance at the problem child he had brought.

The boy, Juuzou Suzuya, was busy shoving cake into his mouth, crumbs smearing his fingers and lips. Looking up with a blank, tilted-head stare, he seemed to silently ask what the issue was.

Smack!

Shinohara shut his eyes and slapped his own forehead heavily.

Even just one problem child was enough to exhaust him—so he could imagine well Vela's frustration in North America, forced to work alongside disruptive fools and reckless teammates. That feeling, he understood.

"I see now, no wonder you were so eager to transfer to Tokyo…"

Marude stroked his chin. "So that's your real plan. You're a sly one, Russell, huhuhu…"

"What are you laughing at?"

Vela shot him a look, brow raised. "Why don't you go try North America yourself? I guarantee it would leave a deep impression."

"I'll pass."

Marude shrugged. "That kind of experience? No thanks."

"You're afraid."

"Me? Afraid?" He raised his voice in challenge.

"Then in 2016, come transfer with me to North America. Just six months. With international service experience under your belt, the next Bureau Chief seat is yours for sure."

"I refuse. Going there means working under you. Who knows what thankless, impossible assignments you'd dump on me?"

"Trust me, I wouldn't—"

"I don't trust you. You nasty-tempered woman—I saw through you long ago…"

"Ha? You have the nerve to call me nasty-tempered?"

Their banter gradually stripped the room of its earlier heaviness.

Soon after, the main dishes arrived. The savory aromas set mouths watering. Cold plates, hot plates—one steaming delicacy after another was carried in. Between clinking glasses and chilled drinks, the atmosphere at the table grew lively.

Some were reserved, some loosened up, others acted as usual. Vela herself ate comfortably, carefully picking out her favorites and directing the servers with calm precision, enjoying the feast at her own pace.

Night fell.

The banquet neared its end.

"North America is vast. In the Midwest, in the Mexican deserts, in Canada's frozen valleys—who knows how many cannibal villages and ghoul families are hidden there? Each year, countless tourists and adventurers go missing. Finding them, scouting them, often takes far longer than the actual battles…"

"Ghoul-founded cults never truly die out. Some humans even want to become ghouls, working with them. Always, there are fools who fall for their flimsy tricks—sold out, and still helping count the money…"

"Sometimes, our jurisdiction even extends into Latin America. In Rio de Janeiro…"

The atmosphere was now completely lively, Vela casually sharing anecdotes of her enforcement work in North America.

For investigators who had only ever worked in the dense, cramped streets of Japan, it was novel and fascinating.

Especially the junior investigators seated with their squad leaders—all of them listened with rapt attention.

Finally, the banquet ended.

All present were CCG elites and senior staff—none could afford to drink themselves senseless.

"So, comrades—in 2015, live on. For the eradication of ghouls. Let's encourage one another."

Vela rose, raising her crystal glass. The blood-red wine shimmered as her wrist moved, its glow reflecting the figures of all those rising with her.

Everyone solemnly raised their glasses. "Together."

Clink.

They downed them in one go.

...

The gathering dispersed.

Each returned home. Their half-day leave was over, and the Special Class investigators, burdened with high office, had to return to duty—leaving earlier than the rest.

Vela was the last to leave the hotel. Leisurely, she tilted her head back.

Hoo—

The night breeze brushed her face, cooling her instantly.

She gazed across Tokyo: a city of lights, towering skyscrapers sleek with modernity and technology. From afar, it seemed full of hope. Up close, patches of decay lurked in shadow—just like the CCG, just like the Washuu family.

The golden glow reflected in Vela's deep eyes, which flashed with a dangerous brilliance.

She was now Special Class. The USA branch—a natural Rank-1 foreign affiliate. Along with three local Special Classes, two Associate Specials on the verge of promotion, and multiple veteran First Classes with distinguished records—once everything was ready, it would be enough to strike the Washuu legally.

Tomorrow, she would report to CCG Headquarters in Ward 1 to formalize her post. Then, she would choose a powerful division and lead her team to cut down ghouls—her official declaration of return.

They wouldn't dare sideline her with meaningless busywork.

Vela thought silently.

Aogiri Tree was only the first step. The true target of her reassignment to Tokyo was the V Organization—and the Washuu family, holders of the technology to turn humans into ghouls.

"Sp… Special Class Russell!"

"Hm?"

As Vela sank into thought, a nervous, youthful male voice called out.

Turning, she said, "Associate Special Class Fura."

Her gaze fell to the young man standing behind Kousuke Houji and Akira Mado.

The brown-haired youth stiffened as soon as Vela's eyes landed on him. Snap—he stood rigidly at attention, then bent forward into a deep ninety-degree bow.

"Hello! I am Seidou Takizawa… Second Class Investigator, CCG Headquarters. I was Akira's classmate at the Academy. I've often heard of your achievements, Ms. Russell. I'm—your fan, no, I mean… your admirer!"

Perhaps realizing that "fan" wasn't the best word to use before the solemn Vela, he quickly corrected himself.

A shy, green young man.

Here to chase an idol—or to seek encouragement?

"Hello, Seidou Takizawa, right? I've heard Akira mention you. You're a promising one. But being an investigator is no easy path. Grow up quickly. Don't die. Keep at it."

Vela smiled, nodding.

She thought no more of it. Helping him up, she gave a few words of encouragement, then exchanged a glance with Kousuke Houji, nodded, and after calling to Akira, descended the steps.

Akira bid Fura farewell, then hurried after her in her low heels.

"Special Class Russell…"

"Call me Vela in private."

"Oh."

Akira nodded. After opening the car door for Vela and slipping in after her, she hesitated before speaking: "My father didn't mean to avoid coming. He said rather than attending something flashy like this, it's better to hunt more ghouls. He's prepared many leads on S-rated and higher ghouls for you. They're all in your old office…"

She looked slightly ashamed after speaking. After all, Vela had once saved her father's life. And in terms of handling interpersonal matters, her father was… lacking.

Hearing this, Vela laughed heartily. "He understands me well. A pragmatic man—that's exactly what I need."

"Looks like I'll soon have all the gifts prepared for Dr. Kouitsu Chigyou."

"Dr. Chigyou?"

"Mm."

Vela nodded, then showed Akira the text message on her phone.

[Kouitsu Chigyou]

Message:

"Vela, you're finally back in Tokyo. Hurry, hurry, come! I've completed the fusion between your [Arata Proto] living Quinque armor and the [Ayato] S+ specimen. I've been refining and perfecting it all this time—just waiting for you to try it on…"

A graceful smile curved across Vela's lips. She turned to the driver. "Change destination—to CCG Headquarters, Ward 1."

"Yes, ma'am."

Chapter 225: Elias and Eden’s Joint Performance

"Terrible news, Miss Eden, the pianist's hand is injured! He won't be able to play for now!"

"What?!"

The sudden bad news made Eden drop her wine glass. Today, one of the songs she was set to perform was brand new. If the pianist couldn't play, there wasn't even a substitute available.

What's more, Eden's accompanists were all top-tier musicians. They couldn't just find anyone to replace them.

"Everyone, don't panic. It's fine—we'll use a recording for the piano part. Though it'll lack flexibility, there's no other choice."

Eden forced her expression to remain calm as she addressed everyone, though inside she regretted that tonight's concert might not be perfect.

After all, using a recording meant there would be no chance for improvisation or live adjustments. Eden's voice was free and unrestrained, but this would bind it with chains.

Just as she was resigned to performing stiffly and by the book—

"Looks like you've run into trouble, Eden. But I happen to know a thing or two about this. Need my help?"

Elias offered himself as he lightly patted her shoulder.

"Hm? Mr. Elias, you can play piano?"

Eden was surprised, but not entirely shocked.

"A little bit~"

"…Thank you, but I'm afraid not. One of today's songs is new, and it might be too demanding."

"Oh? A new song?"

Elias blinked, genuinely surprised. Eden's music was rare in that it resonated with him—it could stir his heart. And now, to find out tonight held a new piece… it was an unexpected delight.

He glanced around and spotted the sheet music on Eden's vanity. Quickly, Elias looked it over once. To the shock of everyone present, he then said:

"Mm, I've already memorized it."

"What?"

"As expected of you, Eden. It's beautiful."

Elias spoke as he walked to the other side of the dressing room.

The organizers had truly given Eden the highest treatment. The room was over a hundred square meters, with not only a vanity and wine but also a selection of instruments. Perfect for Elias to show off a little.

He lifted the lid of the piano, a nostalgic look flickering in his eyes, then casually began to play.

Eden: "!!!"

A graceful, melodious tune filled the room.

Everyone present was struck with awe.

From the moment Elias picked up the sheet to setting it down, less than half a minute had passed. Yet now, he was already playing flawlessly. What terrifying memory and talent!

Elias: (That's it? Compared to the Moonlight Throne's design, thicker than a dictionary, this single sheet is as easy as memorizing a sentence!)

In truth, he had only looked at it for five seconds. The rest of the time, he was thinking about how to improve it.

"Well, Eden? Can I be of help?"

After finishing a rapid playthrough, Elias turned his head with a proud smile.

"Of course! Mr. Elias, you've given me a wonderful surprise. Please, perform with me tonight."

Eden, visibly moved, extended her hand.

"OK. And just call me Elias."

Without hesitation, Elias clasped her hand.

Truthfully, this time he was being selfish.

Normally, Elias always chose the optimal solution. Here, he could have simply healed the pianist's injury with the Herrscher of Rebirth's power. Unless the man's head had been chopped off, Elias could have restored him—even regrown the hand if it had been severed.

But Elias wanted to perform with Eden.

On the other side, Eden had also guessed this.

She had witnessed firsthand Elias curing the wheelchair-bound woman earlier, even healing terminal illness like magic. How could he possibly fail to treat a pianist's hand injury?

But she, too, was curious.

Eden wanted to hear Elias' music.

She wanted to know what kind of melody would be played by this white-haired boy who could say: "Tragedy is not the end, but the beginning of hope."

"Then I'll be in your care, Elias."

"Of course. Let's enjoy our performance."

...

"Why isn't Elias back yet? No way, no way—it hasn't even been that long. Don't tell me something already happened to him?"

From her seat in the audience, Elysia grew anxious. Other Eden fans who had gone backstage were already returning, but her white-haired boy was still nowhere to be seen.

Just as she was biting her lip, debating whether to sneak backstage as a Pink Agent to investigate, the lights in the hall dimmed. The concert had officially begun.

At that moment, a striking figure of white on stage caught her eyes. Elysia was so shocked that the milk tea in her hands slipped and spilled onto the floor.

"E-Elias?! On stage?!"

Her lips parted slightly in disbelief.

She didn't know what had happened…

But Miss Pink Elf was completely stunned!

She couldn't even imagine how, in less than half an hour, her boyfriend had managed to join Eden's accompaniment team—and as the pianist, no less.

(My dear Elias, you really are just as good at creating surprises as ever. I don't know what you did with Eden, but… nice!)

A moment ago, Elysia had been sitting rather lazily. Now, she immediately sat upright, waved at the boy on stage, and perked up her elf ears in eager anticipation.

If it had been just Eden's concert, Elysia would of course look forward to it, but not to this extent. But now that Elias was part of the performance, it was a completely different matter!

Her anticipation shot through the roof. In her heart, Eden's concert had already been renamed Elias' concert. She wasn't going to miss a single second of the music that followed.

Meanwhile, Elias also spotted Elysia in the crowd. At once, he decided to give it his all—not just to perform with Eden, but to show off in front of the girl he loved most.

The first piece, naturally, was the tragic song.

At this moment, Eden's emotions were perfectly aligned. She lived up to her title as the greatest musician of the Previous Era. With the first lyric she sang, she already had the audience in her grasp.

The sorrowful, desolate melody became all the more hauntingly beautiful under her voice.

People had once said that science knows no borders. Elias didn't fully agree. But if there was one thing he believed without question, it was that music knows no borders!

Music was the most beautiful language in the world. It transcended all barriers. Even without words, the emotions woven into melody allowed all people to understand each other.

Eden's voice surpassed even that. She unified the emotions of every listener present. As they listened, tears began streaming down the faces of the audience.

Suddenly, Elias turned to Eden in surprise.

He had thought this was purely a song of sorrow.

But at the end, Eden changed it—she suddenly raised her voice, turning what should have been a quiet, fading close into a powerful climax, as though hope itself lay just ahead.

(Hah! Brilliant!)

Elias praised her silently, adjusting his playing to match her impromptu change, blending in flawlessly.

(Oh? He can keep up?)

Eden resisted the urge to turn her head, surprised that Elias could follow her lead.

Her change had been completely spontaneous, without any prior discussion. Yet the white-haired boy had answered her with perfect accompaniment.

And not only that—even though this was their first time performing together, Elias matched her so seamlessly that he outshone accompanists who had played with Eden for years!

(What an incredible person… But I still haven't heard your own melody.)

From start to finish, Elias had only been supporting her, never showing his own style. Eden felt restless inside, as though a cat were scratching at her heart.

She was burning with curiosity about what Elias' music would sound like.

(Finally, we're in sync.)

Elias narrowed his eyes slightly. In just one song, he had gauged the abilities of the other musicians and part of Eden's as well. The corners of his lips curled upward.

Now—it was his turn.

The second piece was Eden's new song.

The introduction and first verse contained no piano. While listening to Eden's soaring vocals, Elias enjoyed the moment as he flexed his ten fingers.

Then, when Eden's lyric ended and the piano was to close the phrase, the instant Elias' fingers touched the black-and-white keys—the air of the entire hall transformed!!

Eden: "!!!"

Everyone: "!!!"

If one were to describe it in a single phrase—it was the performance of a king!

The moment Elias began to play, he seized the emotions Eden had stirred and reshaped them into his own with even greater power.

What should have been only accompaniment instantly rose above every other instrument. It was as though he refused to share the stage, even taking command of the other musicians' melodies!

Powerful, beautiful, elegant, meticulous—

Everyone felt a shock run through them, scattering the lingering resonance of the previous song. Their scalps tingled, and their entire bodies trembled uncontrollably.

The other accompanists instinctively followed Elias' lead, lost in the boy's piano like soldiers following their king, reshaping their performances around him.

(So this is his sound? To such an extent!)

Eden couldn't hold back—she turned her head at last.

She was utterly shaken, filled with surprise and joy.

(So this is your melody? I've never heard anything like it. Ah—what? It's changing again!)

Elias shifted his tempo slightly. The overwhelming tone of a sovereign suddenly softened.

In truth, he was not merely a ruler standing above all. Anyone who had ever known Elias understood how deeply gentle this boy truly was.

And now, his music wrapped around everyone present.

Under the guidance of his melody, even the other accompanists transcended themselves, playing harmonies so exquisite they could scarcely believe were their own.

At times he was fierce, at times passionate, at times tender.

All were immersed in his music.

By now, the accompanist Elias had already seized the lead.

In reality, this was a highly discourteous act.

For this was Eden's concert. Right now, Elias was like an uninvited guest barging into someone's birthday party, sitting at the head seat, eating the cake, and taking the gifts. And yet…

(Eden, you've never felt satisfied, have you?)

From the previous song, Elias had already understood. Eden had never once shown her full strength—because her voice was too beautiful, too perfect.

Though her accompanists were skilled professionals, they simply weren't worthy. They couldn't keep up with her, forcing Eden to restrain herself.

She was like a bird with wings that could fly anywhere, but locked in a narrow cage—hitting the limit of the cage before ever truly soaring.

But now, Elias had opened her cage.

He became a boundless blue sky.

Now, Eden could finally unleash her full power.

Elias: (I've elevated the accompaniment several levels. If it's you, you can handle it. But if you can't, Eden…)

Eden: (If I can't rise to match this performance, then this concert of mine will become Elias' concert… is that what you mean?)

Music could speak directly to the heart.

In this moment, Eden understood Elias' intent. Taking a deep breath, she sang in answer to his accompaniment.

And in that instant, the concert leapt across multiple levels, reaching an entirely new peak!

Eden's voice and Elias' playing intertwined, weaving together into a miraculous harmony.

The audience trembled at this unprecedented experience. Their spirits and souls felt uplifted, as though they had reached heaven itself!

It was as if the pair's music commanded their bodies, seeped into their souls, and stole their hearts.

But no one resisted. On the contrary, they were enraptured, lost in ecstasy, bewitched and intoxicated—wishing only to give themselves wholly to this miraculous sound.

(I can go even higher. Do you want it?)

(Yes! Please—give me everything.)

Eden's emotions soared. Though it was somewhat impolite to the audience, at this moment she faced only Elias, yearning for the boy to bring forth even more beautiful music.

The two no longer needed even a glance.

Music itself had built an invisible bridge—

Connecting their hearts as one.

Elias and Eden were both enraptured by the duet. Without extraordinary sensitivity to sound, one could never experience this peak of bliss.

This was no longer Eden's concert, nor Elias' performance. This was a true musical union—Eden and Elias' concert!

Both had surpassed each other's expectations.

Voice answering voice, sound answering sound—

This was the etiquette of true musicians.

(Such a passionate symphony. I wish time could freeze this moment.) Eden's beautiful eyes narrowed in bliss. She was certain she had never felt anything like this before.

At this very moment, though already standing atop the pinnacle of her era, her musical realm ascended yet another level through Elias' performance.

And Elias too felt joy like never before—an unknown, unimagined delight, a rapture of the soul!

The two exchanged a single glance as voice and piano continued to fuse together.

And this was only the second song.

Afterward, the miraculous concert of Elias and Eden continued for a full three hours.

At the very end, as the final note fell—

Eden, still an ordinary human, her stamina long past its limits, swayed on her feet, about to collapse.

Fortunately, Elias caught her in time.

And the next second—

"UOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH—!!!!" ×N

Like thunder rolling across the heavens, the cheers shook the entire venue.

The audience roared and clapped with all their strength, sending the two on stage their most heartfelt applause. This was a concert they would never forget.

Every single person felt as though they were ascending to heaven!

And it had lasted for three hours straight!

"You've given me a surprise beyond imagination, Elias. I've never felt anything so wonderful."

"Haha~ Same here. Pure bliss."

Elias looked at his ten fingers trembling slightly, his face lit with the pure smile of a boy. In this moment, all worries and burdens vanished from his mind.

Instinctively, his eyes turned toward the audience. Spotting a certain pink elf bawling her eyes out in joy, his smile grew even brighter. He raised his hand and flashed a peace sign.

"Uuuuuu—! Too beautiful, far too beautiful! My Elias is number one in the world! I'll accept no rebuttal! Miss Pink Elf is a lifelong stan! Starting tomorrow, let's quit Fire Moth and debut as idol singers together!"

Elysia clapped until her hands turned red.

In that moment, she realized something of utmost importance: Elias' hands were never meant for fighting the Honkai. His hands existed to play the most beautiful melodies in the world.

Quit! Quit Fire Moth without hesitation!

Let Kevin and the others handle saving humanity.

As for Elias—he should debut at once! And she, Miss Pink Elf, would be his exclusive manager!

Chapter 531: Mrs. Yuigahama’s Stubbornness

Just imagine—you're nearly forty years old, a mother raising two daughters alone.

And now, a 16-year-old high school girl, the same age as your eldest daughter, is sitting in front of you. She pulls out a bank card, slaps it down on the table in a domineering manner, and says: "The password is your birthday. Spend it however you like."

What would your feelings be?

Surely a mix of emotions—complicated and tangled. The key is that deep down, you know very clearly this JK who wants to "support" you isn't joking. She really does have money!

As long as you nod your head, starting today, this bank card and everything in it would be yours.

"This card… you—you want to give it to me?!" Tomoka Yuigahama's voice trembled a little. A scene like this, a JK trying to support her—she had never seen anything like it in her whole life. For a moment, she had no idea how to even respond.

How old was Kotomi Izumi?

She was the same age as her eldest daughter, Yui Yuigahama. In fact, she was Yui's classmate and friend!

Yet here she was, sitting in front of her, offering a bank card.

Kotomi Izumi nodded again, worried that Tomoka might refuse to take it, and pushed the card forward a little more.

"No, no, I can't accept this card. Take it back, quickly. If you keep this up, I'll really get angry," Tomoka Yuigahama said firmly.

She shook her head hard, as if using her entire strength to reject Kotomi's offer. She didn't know how much money was in the card, but whether it was just a single penny or enough to stack into a mountain of cash, she would never accept it.

She would not accept any charity! This was Tomoka Yuigahama's principle.

Even knowing that such a decision meant her life would be harder, she still chose to persist—stubbornly refusing to be swayed, no matter who tried to persuade her. Even Tomoka herself was well aware of her own character—marked by this unyielding stubbornness.

...

The first time Tomoka Yuigahama revealed this stubborn side of hers was at her husband's funeral.

Her husband had been a very kind and gentle man. After Yuka was born, he died in an accident. The doctors hadn't even had time to attempt any treatment before he drew his final breath, gravely injured.

On the day of the funeral, her husband's relatives and friends all came dressed in black to offer incense, pay their respects, and follow the rituals.

Her husband's parents, facing the daughter-in-law who had lost their beloved son, did not vent their grief on her. Instead, they spoke gently:

"Tomoka, he's gone. Life will be very hard from now on if you live alone. If you ever need help, come to us anytime. And don't lock yourself in grief forever. You're already the mother of two children—you must be the first to stand strong and face the days ahead. Besides, you're still young. If you meet someone suitable in the future, don't hold back. Pursue your own happiness."

"Father, Mother… I don't want to remarry. From now on, all I want is to raise Yui and Yuka well…"

"Sigh. Raising two daughters alone will be very hard." Her husband's parents let out a long sigh.

Dressed in a black kimono, Tomoka Yuigahama looked at her two daughters sitting in the corner not far away. Yui Yuigahama was trying hard to suppress her sorrow, holding little Yuka tightly in her arms.

The young Yuka seemed unable to truly grasp the situation. During the entire funeral, she stayed nestled in her sister's arms, wearing a blank, dazed expression. Unlike her usual mischievous, playful self, she behaved quietly and obediently.

Perhaps she didn't yet understand that the father who always tolerated her mischief, never scolded her when she was naughty, but patiently taught her not to do such things—that father was gone.

But when she looked at her father's black-and-white portrait, something in her seemed to understand.

From that day on, her naturally mischievous and playful personality was replaced by an obedient and quiet demeanor.

Before, anyone who had met little Yuka would always comment: "This child needs close watching. Leave her alone for even a second, and she might just tear the roof off the house."

The adults, all dressed in black, cast glances at Yui and Yuka, saying one after another: "How pitiful." Some emotional women even took out handkerchiefs to wipe away their tears. One by one, their voices filled the atmosphere of the funeral.

They were so pitiful, so deserving of sympathy. If the girls had broken into tears out of grief, surely many would have stepped forward to comfort them gently, encouraging them to stay strong.

In the quiet atmosphere, the memorial service concluded. The adults moved into the tatami room to begin the Buddhist post-funeral meal, with sushi and sake laid out on the table.

Yui Yuigahama went to the restroom to wash her face, then returned to follow her mother, suppressing her grief as they thanked the mourners who had come today.

The adults said to her: "Yui has grown up, she's so sensible. From now on, as the elder sister, you must help your mother and take good care of your younger sister. Stay strong."

Yui bowed, as if in gratitude for their words. Then she picked up a small plate, used her chopsticks to place a few pieces of sushi that Yuka liked. From morning until now, Yuka hadn't eaten a single bite.

Halfway through the meal, her husband's relatives began talking about real-life matters. Even those who had just been moved to tears returned to a calculating mindset when faced with practical concerns.

"If their mother remarries, what happens to Yui and Yuka? If she doesn't take them with her, then they'll have to be raised by their grandparents."

"But our parents are already old. Even leaving aside whether they have the energy to raise two small granddaughters, they certainly can't move to Chiba. They'd have to bring the girls back to the countryside. But they're still in school, and the educational resources in the city are far better than those in the countryside. They definitely should stay in Chiba."

"Let me be clear—I can't take them in. My family already has three children. We finally managed to buy a house, and it's small, yet we still have to pay off a 25-year mortgage. Our income is already stretched thin. There's no way we can take in two more."

"Second Sister! Her family's villa is huge, and her husband makes so much money. They only have one daughter. Taking in two more shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Some relatives, when they met on normal occasions, always loved to flaunt how much money they had made that year, what businesses they ran, which luxury brand bag they bought—eager to show the world how well-off they were. But when it came to real matters, they suddenly started acting poor.

Everyone was pushing away the responsibility of raising Yui and Yuka, as if Tomoka Yuigahama had died in that accident as well.

After all, in their eyes, a full-time housewife who had lost her husband had no way to raise children—let alone two. A homemaker who had spent so long out of the workforce would find it almost impossible to adapt to society again, let alone find a job.

To put it bluntly, her husband's relatives all assumed Tomoka Yuigahama would definitely remarry. And if her new partner refused to accept the burden of two "extra" children, then who would take care of Yui and Yuka?

In the adults' eyes, the two girls were nothing but hot potatoes—best pushed as far away as possible.

Though the adults kept their voices down as they argued, Yui Yuigahama had always had sharp hearing. Even from afar, she heard clearly what they were saying at that table…

Yui sat on the floor without saying a word. She simply reached out and covered little Yuka's ears with both hands.

The woman called "Second Sister," plump and dressed in jewels, had been sitting there eating sushi. She thought the quality wasn't nearly as good as what she ate at a high-class sushi restaurant in Ginza. She had been just about to find a chance to brag when she suddenly heard someone tossing the "hot potato" her way.

"What nonsense are you spouting! Of course my husband wouldn't agree to that. Besides, our marriage is already dead in name only. Just recently, I discovered he was keeping two female college students outside. When he realized I had caught him cheating, he came clean directly. We agreed to keep appearances as husband and wife, but not to interfere in each other's private lives anymore. My daughter just entered her first year of junior high. For her sake, I've had no choice but to endure quietly!"

The jeweled, plump woman even dabbed at her tears as she spoke. But what she didn't say was that while her husband was indeed keeping two college girls, she herself was no saint either. On her very first day at the gym, together with other wives of wealthy men, she had gone with the most handsome trainer to a nearby love hotel, not leaving until the next morning.

"I only just got married, and I don't even have my own child yet. How could I possibly adopt someone else's children?

"Besides, it's not like both their parents died. Their father may be gone, but their mother is still alive. Let's not meddle in things that don't concern us."

"One woman trying to raise two daughters all on her own—that's bound to be difficult. The pressure would be enormous. Obviously, she'll end up remarrying. If her new partner accepts the two burdens, fine. But if not, in the end, it'll be us, the husband's family, who get stuck with them."

"During his life, he did help me out, and I'm grateful for that. But honestly, with my current income, I just can't manage something like this…"

"How about sending them to an orphanage? I actually have some connections in that area."

"No, that won't do. If we really send them to an orphanage, where would our family's face be?

"Exactly. It'd look like our whole clan can't even support two little children. If that got out, people would laugh at us behind our backs."

"Even raising just one child is expensive these days. School tuition alone is no small sum… Since that's the case, big brother, big sister-in-law, why don't you take them in?"

"I already have my hands full taking care of my father-in-law. Don't try to dump everything on me!"

"How about letting Tomoka raise them herself…?"

"What are you thinking? She's just a full-time housewife. With her husband gone, the family has lost its income. How is she supposed to raise two children?"

"She is good at baking."

"So what if she's good at baking? Can that feed a family? Unless she opens a dessert shop, that won't put food on the table."

The ones raising their voices were all relatives from her husband's side. They were arguing over who would have to care for the two children if Tomoka Yuigahama remarried and her new partner refused to accept them.

In simple terms, no one wanted to take them in. Most of the Yuigahama relatives were only of average income. Supporting their own families and children already drained them. They had neither the energy nor the money to raise someone else's kids.

As for Tomoka's own family, the Mizuni family, their situation wasn't much different.

The shirking of responsibility grew more and more heated.

At first, they still kept their voices down, afraid Tomoka Yuigahama and her daughters might overhear. But as the arguing escalated, they stopped caring whether the three of them could hear.

Her husband's parents watched with helpless eyes, signaling for Tomoka Yuigahama to take her daughters out of the room. The adults' debates about reality were not things the children should have to hear.

"You've had a long day already. Go rest a while. If Yui or Yuka get tired, let them sleep in the bedroom. Children should go to bed early," her mother-in-law whispered.

Just then, the Second Sister of the Yuigahama family suddenly blurted out something so ugly it made others want to cover their ears: "These two kids really are just burdens. Instead of being left behind, it would've been better if they had died together with their father in that car crash—"

Thud!

"I will never abandon my two daughters to remarry. From the very beginning, I never had the thought of remarrying. From now on, I will raise them on my own—because I'm their mother!"

With a loud slap on the table, Tomoka Yuigahama, who had been wearing a black kimono and exuding a frail, gentle aura, suddenly stood up. Her resolute words tore through the gloomy atmosphere. To her two daughters, in that moment, their mother's voice was a radiant light that could drive away all darkness.

Tomoka rarely lost her temper. She was always known for her gentle personality. But now, her eyes, filled with calm yet seething fury, glared at her Second Sister with hatred—as if to warn her: if you dare say such words again, I will make you pay!

"Tomoka, raising two daughters alone will be very hard," her mother-in-law tried to persuade.

"Father, Mother, thank you for your concern. But I decided this long ago. In fact, what is there to even discuss? I never intended to remarry from the very beginning. Besides, I'm not dead—I have hands and feet. Of course I will raise my two daughters myself. I am their mother!"

Tomoka Yuigahama's voice carried the strength of her stubborn resolve. She knew very well that as a full-time housewife, to suddenly have to both earn money to support the household and raise two daughters at the same time would bring hardships beyond what words could express.

But even so, she chose this path—because she was Yui and Yuka's mother!

Seeing that Tomoka refused to accept the bank card, Kotomi Izumi didn't panic. Instead, she calmly pushed the card forward again, smiling as she said: "Mrs. Yuigahama, you've got it wrong. How could this be called charity? This is clearly just an advance payment—your future salary once you join Type-Moon World as our art director."

Sometimes it all depends on how you phrase it. Kotomi knew Tomoka would never accept the card if she thought of it as charity. So she simply reframed it as an advance on her future wages as chief illustrator.

Tomoka froze for a moment. What kind of boss was Kotomi supposed to be? She hadn't even agreed to join yet, and already Kotomi was trying to pay her in advance?

Looking at the bank card, Tomoka couldn't help but wonder—had she really become such an "old auntie" after all? Was she already unable to keep up with Kotomi's way of thinking? Was this what they called a generation gap?

Kotomi, after finishing her explanation, didn't forget to add with a playful smile: "The money in this card is your first year's salary once you become art director at Type-Moon World. That means during your first year after joining, I won't be paying you any additional wages. So, please accept it, Mrs. Yuigahama."

Chapter 619: Pronouncing Your Death Sentence!

"They have already lifted the veil of hell!"

"Let these alien vermin know what true demons are! Any living thing that dares resist—whether crawling on the ground, flying in the skies, or hiding in the mud—crush them all!"

"I don't care which world you come from—recruitment worlds, agricultural worlds… or tourist worlds—remember the battle manuals drilled into your minds. Apply the RDA database downloaded into your personal tactical terminals. Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

"Recruits, I don't expect too many casualties. That would look bad in my report!"

"What Her Majesty the Empress Selene desires is a swift and overwhelming victory!"

Bridgehead Outpost Base had become a massive hub for troops, weapons, and supplies.

Landings, speeches, orders to march… the Imperial auxiliary officers on site went about their work in strict order—delivering final exhortations to the Imperial servitor regiments newly reorganized by the Imperial Ministry of War, now entering their first battle.

Only blooded regiments required this procedure. The veteran servitor regiments, hardened by dozens of campaigns, had no need for such words. As for the auxiliaries and the Astartes Legions, needless to say.

In fact, even for newly reorganized regiments that had just been assigned their Imperial serial numbers, this speech would often be the only one. Sometimes, not even that. After fighting enough wars, fresh recruits became veterans. Later generations of recruits would be brought up by the veterans of their own regiment.

Even when the old generation retired, the traditions were carried on. After all, behind every regiment stood an Imperial colonial world.

Once they had shed blood, the servitor regiments no longer required the Ministry of War's close supervision.

Unless they achieved some earth-shattering feat that drew the notice of the Astartes Legion ruling their homeworld sector, to be reported to Empress Selene, or unless the Empress herself granted special promotion to elevate them into the auxiliary ranks—then, and only then, would the Ministry of War focus its attention again on a particular servitor regiment.

But such cases were exceedingly rare. Generally, only exceptional individuals were transferred into the auxiliary forces. As for a regiment being elevated—that was rarer still. Across all the Empire's colonial worlds, across all the numbered worlds under the Astartes' banners, only a few had ever seen it happen.

Such was the scale of the Sacred Selene Empire—too vast. From the perspective of a single-planet civilization, the Ministry of War's methods of management might even seem crude.

"For the Empress!!" ×N

A thunderous battle cry rang out. Judging from their uniforms, their rugged features, bristle-like body hair, weathered eyes, and bulging, powerful muscles… yes, another regiment of barbarians, dragged from some forgotten corner of the galaxy.

Their homeworld was not hard to guess—harsh environment, likely frozen wastelands. When the Imperial exploration fleet had discovered them, they hadn't even entered feudal society.

The Empire had plenty of regiments like this. Yet any who survived such harsh environments were hardened by natural selection into fierce warriors—excellent stock for soldiers.

Even fully clad in combat uniforms, their savage ferocity could not be concealed.

"Slaughter them all! Until the earth drinks their blood!!"

"Skulls for the Golden Throne!" ×N

...

"How many groups is this now?"

An RDA employee slouched in the corridor of his dormitory building, speaking listlessly. He had been shocked too many times today to feel much anymore.

"How would I know…? Must've already passed a million by now. With so many regular troops, looks like those Na'vi natives are completely finished."

"Regular troops? Hah, I'm telling you—they're definitely not from Earth. For all we know, they could be aliens."

Another RDA employee leaned against the window, watching several officers of the Imperial auxiliaries outside the gatehouse. Dressed in ornate military greatcoats, wearing broad-brimmed caps, adorned with sashes, cords, and medals as if headed to an evening gala, they barked orders to the guards watching over the RDA prisoners.

Most striking of all—they wore no filtration masks, as if merely strolling through a garden.

Pandora's atmosphere was filled with ammonia, methane, and chlorine gases. Normally, without filtration equipment, humans from Earth could not possibly survive here.

Were they truly the same species as us?

"What do you think they'll do with us?" someone asked nervously.

"Not killing us yet."

At that moment, a tall blue shadow loomed over them—Miles Quaritch and his Avatar commando squad. "With their military strength, if they wanted us dead, they wouldn't need to bother with all this."

Pushing aside his RDA colleagues at the glass, Miles Quaritch hunched forward to watch.

With the arrival of the Imperial Expeditionary Fleet, the Bridgehead Outpost Base—originally designed to house at least two to three million people with its vast cargo port and military airfield—was now crammed to the brim.

For living essentials, everything was being offloaded: from battlefield rations, weapon maintenance kits, and personal hygiene supplies, to medical goods like synth-skin sprays, cast sprays, and counterseptics.

...

Under the ceaseless labor of intelligent operating systems and engineering machines, mountains of standardized military supplies were unloaded from transport craft. Firearms, laser weapons, explosive ordnance, incendiary devices, thermite arms, plasma capacitors, energy-based weapons, Gauss rifles…

Some were destined for the frontlines, while others were being stockpiled on-site, constructing armories that would serve as permanent Imperial garrisons on Pandora.

Most striking of all were the heavy armaments: colossal main battle tanks of various models, artillery, armored personnel carriers, logistics vehicles, assault carriers, recovery tanks, self-propelled guns, and even combat skimmers… mountains of material piled high.

Miles Quaritch no longer entertained any thought of escape. There was simply no chance.

RUMBLE—RUMBLE—RUMBLE!!

Even denser than the sporadic gunfire outside the base was the roar of heavy artillery fire support. Imperial artillery crews, lacking space behind the defensive walls, had simply torn down sections of Bridgehead Base's fortifications to make room for their countless, bristling gun barrels.

The deafening thunderclaps of the barrage followed. Each high-caliber shell unleashed earth-shattering shockwaves, capable of leveling buildings with ease, killing or maiming creatures nearby, and shattering glass within hundreds of meters.

As the artillery opened fire on areas still harboring Na'vi stragglers, colossal mushroom-shaped fireballs bloomed into the sky.

This symphony of artillery fire was nothing short of a hymn for devotees of the Cult of the Multi-Turret and the Big Gun enthusiasts.

Miles Quaritch stood dumbstruck, speechless.

He had no idea how to even describe these people.

...

In an age of aerospace and interstellar colonization, they still used such antiquated towed cannons—massive, railway-dependent siege guns long abandoned on Earth since World War II—yet here they were, still in use, and on such a massive scale, fully integrated into their army formations…

...

Were they backward and decadent? The Astartes' power armor and high-tech war machines made him drool with envy. The auxiliaries' powered exoskeletons were thoroughly science-fiction in design, and their use of intelligent operating systems to coordinate mechanical legions was flawless.

But were they advanced and cutting-edge? Good grief, not only were they still wearing red greatcoats, but even gaudy 18th–19th century uniforms appeared, while their infantry carried rifles that looked like they'd been pulled out of a museum from the First or Second World War…

Well, then again—when he saw a servitor soldier drag back a hammerhead titanothere nearly eight meters long single-handedly, then casually use that same archaic-looking rifle to shoot a circling banshee straight through midair with a single shot…

Appearances were deceiving. And so were weapons.

The contradiction was absolute.

If the detained RDA employees were anxious and uncertain about their future, then the Imperial army was, in the most literal sense, killing without restraint.

The blaring of massive sirens echoed through the ruined jungle wasteland, the deafening rumble breaking the silence. Towering Titans were sweeping the battlefield, their distant movements a grim prelude to what was to come.

What they had thought would be a mere sweep against the Na'vi now turned into something else—the alien creatures of Pandora had also risen in defiance.

When the orbital bombardment ceased, the surviving Pandora fauna erupted in frenzy. Just like the war between the Na'vi and the RDA more than a decade earlier, countless creatures surged together in a beast tide, charging the Imperial troops hunting the Na'vi.

Wave after wave pressed forward. Even as bullets pierced their hides, explosions tore their bodies apart, fire consumed their flesh, and plasma melted their bones… instinctive fear never overcame them. They did not flee. They hurled themselves forward like an undying legion.

Unfortunately for them, the Imperial army was not the RDA's mercenaries. Numbers alone meant nothing.

Before the Imperial lines stretched a true river of blood. The gore of beasts flowed like streams, pooling in bomb craters until the pits filled with dark red liquid, as though the planet itself were bleeding.

One auxiliary sergeant crouched down, drawing his power sword from the neck of a wolf-like beast. Kicking the severed head aside, he muttered: "Are these alien animals all insane? This suicidal madness is far too strange…"

"Why think so hard? Dead is dead. If they don't listen, then slaughter all of Pandora and turn it into a dead world."

Beside him, a mid-ranking auxiliary officer lit a cigarette, ordering the servitor soldiers forward.

"Sir, according to the RDA database, their research had some merit. Pandora's biochemistry developed into a unique ecosystem. Almost all Pandora vertebrates possess a neural interface. That one-meter-long appendage hanging like a braid from the backs of the blue-skinned aliens—that's their neural interface."

"There's even a hypothesis here… let me see… yes, from Dr. Grace Augustine, one of the RDA's Avatar program leads. She claimed that what the Na'vi call the Mother Eywa is a planetary consciousness formed by the neural network linking all Pandora's life. A guardian deity of the planet, she said. A cycle of life, nature's delicate balance, and in the people's hearts—an indelible divinity…"

Treading on scorched, smoldering ash, a technical officer of the auxiliaries tore off his holo-terminal in frustration, cursing:

"What nonsense is this? Is she writing a scientific report or preaching a sermon? Divinity? Protect her?! Heresy!!"

"Hmph. And this Grace Augustine—she actually studied the blue-skins' biology? Show her some leniency, bring her here to—"

"Uh, sir, according to the RDA records, she betrayed humanity. She was one of the main culprits of RDA's disastrous defeat fifteen years ago. Whether she's alive or dead is unknown."

"Tch… another one fit for the stake."

They did not linger on the topic.

"Advance. The beast tide seems to have halted…"

...

"Mother Eywa, is it…"

A glowing mass swayed rhythmically, quivering with faint light. Durandal slowly lifted a hand, watching carefully as one of the sprites danced in her palm, until—buzz!

A surge of violet-red Honkai energy consumed it.

"So you're the one controlling the beast tide against humanity… I see. I begin to understand why Jake Sully betrayed mankind."

The golden-haired knight raised her head.

Before her eyes loomed a towering tree, its countless drooping roots glowing with a beautiful violet radiance, resembling the tendrils of a colossal jellyfish upon the land.

Each glowing tendril was an exposed neural interface, allowing this tree to link tens of thousands of Na'vi simultaneously, to hear their prayers and their cries.

It was the Na'vi's sacred site—the Tree of Souls.

Hidden deep within a canyon hundreds of meters down, it was an extremely secluded place, almost like a forbidden zone. Though lush plants grew thick and the soil was fertile, not a single vertebrate dwelled here. Silence reigned.

Because of this, the area had been spared from the orbital lances. It remained intact.

In every sense, this was a miraculous holy place. For any researcher, not to collect samples for study here would seem a waste.

But Durandal did exactly that—wasted it. A massive black-and-white lance pierced straight through the Tree of Souls, as corrosive violet-red Honkai energy crawled across the trunk of what was, for Pandora's lifeforms, the most precious tree of all.

The moment the Tree of Souls was impaled, an ominous force seeped forth—something drawn slowly from the End itself…

Durandal knew the rest no longer required her attention.

For Selene's will would utterly break, assimilate, and devour the vague collective consciousness known as Eywa.

Thud-thud-thud!

The synchronized march of heavy boots shattered the peace, as armored warriors in formation flooded the canyon, bringing blood and fire to scour it clean.

...

The great leonopteryx—Pandora's supreme aerial predator, symbol of the Na'vi's greatest leaders—fell without resistance.

Its massive body crashed twisted upon the ground, wings spanning over twenty-five meters broken and mangled. Its sharp blue crown was wrenched off by Luna Wolves warriors as trophies.

"General Durandal, Jake Sully has been brought."

"Mm. Bring him forward."

"Yes, ma'am."

Before long, two servitor soldiers dragged Jake Sully forward like a dead dog. His abdomen, shoulder, arms, and legs all bore wounds of varying severity. Blood trailed across the ground in a crimson smear. He had lost all strength to fight or move.

Cough… cough…

Jake Sully spat blood, glancing toward Durandal among the gathered. He no longer cared about human notions of beauty. His wife's death, his family's destruction, all he had fought for reduced to ashes—his eyes burned with a hysterical light.

The skin of his brow and nose formed a deep furrow, the corners of his mouth dragged down, the muscles of his face trembling taut, like a cornered beast ready to lash out.

"Pah! What do you want? To slaughter this planet's life as the RDA did, then strip away all that's valuable?!"

"Impudent—!"

A Luna Wolves Centurion stormed forward, wrenching Jake's hands behind his back, kicking his knees until they shattered, then smashing his head to the ground with a brutal thud.

Even with his teeth broken, Jake spat venom: "Impudent? You only just massacred countless lives on this planet for your vile greed!"

"Justifications for violence are all the same. I don't deny it—for I have mine as well. But for you, such words are meaningless."

"Announce to the entire army—I will personally execute the traitor, the Na'vi rebel leader Jake Sully." Durandal gestured for the Luna Wolves to cease their pointless abuse and prepare for the execution.

"Here is where your spirit transferred from human flesh into your Avatar's body. Here is where your mistake ends."

"All things must return to their end."

Shhhk—clang!

"A mercy for him," the Centurion rumbled as his master-crafted power sword left its sheath, sparks shrieking across the air.

"Thank you."

Durandal accepted the sword, then stepped to the broken Jake Sully.

"No more words. In the name of the Sacred Selene, I—Canoness Superior of the Adepta Sororitas, General of the Valkyrie Corps, Commander of the Imperial Expeditionary Fleet in the Pandora warzone, and Major General of the Imperial Guard, Bianka Ataegina—hereby sentence you to death!"

Gripping the hilt with both hands, she leveled the blade at Jake's furious, unyielding gaze.

Clang—!

Slash!

Without deploying a disintegration field, Durandal swung with cold precision. The strike was fast, clean, and merciless—Jake Sully's head was severed in a single motion.

The headless body gushed blood, collapsing silently to the ground, painting the fading Tree of Souls in new crimson.

Crack—!

The Tree of Souls fell.

Chapter 549: Evil of the World

"Was that guy just now… Potimas?"

Staring at the wilderness that had been turned into an empty plain by Mirei Shinohara's last breath, both Ariel and Dustin were left in a daze.

Although neither of them could use Space Magic, their eyesight was sharp enough. Naturally, they saw the two golden-haired men appear in an instant, only to vanish again just as quickly.

Shiraori and Mirei didn't recognize those two golden-haired men, but Ariel and Dustin were extremely familiar with one of them.

It was the leader of the Elves, the culprit who had turned the world into its current state—Potimas Harrifenas.

Immediately, a wave of intense satisfaction surged through both Ariel and Dustin's hearts. Even though they knew the one who had just died under Mirei's breath was nothing more than one of Potimas' mechanical clones.

For both of them, Potimas was the most hated person in this world. They desperately wanted to kill the culprit who had ruined the world, but unfortunately, for now, they still lacked the means to truly destroy him completely.

Still, just seeing him suffer such humiliation was enough to keep them delighted for a long while.

Meanwhile, inside a hidden base of the Elf village, Potimas had just awakened in a new mechanical clone. His face was dark as he glared in the direction of the UFO.

Earlier, while casually monitoring Ariel's movements, he had discovered the UFO above the wilderness.

As for that UFO—namely the G-Fleet—he was well aware of its existence. After all, the design schematics for that thing had come from his very own hands.

He also knew that the G-Fleet was certainly equipped with a GMA Bomb. The GMA Bomb was a powerful aggregation of MA energy. If he could obtain it, the benefits to him would be enormous.

That was why he had gone to the G-Fleet's location, planning to use the excuse of "saving the world" as cover to seize the GMA Bomb for himself.

But the outcome had strayed far from his expectations.

He had originally intended to transfer near Ariel and Dustin's location, but the final transfer coordinates deviated heavily, placing him directly within the attack range of that unknown monster he dreaded.

He absolutely refused to believe that Space Magic itself had malfunctioned. His subordinate who specialized in Space Magic had always handled the transfers for his mechanical clones, and never once had there been a mistake.

Therefore, it must have been some unknown power interfering with the transfer.

Even so, there was no way he would give up on the GMA Bomb.

No matter what kind of unknown danger lurked there, it could not shake his determination to go again. At worst, he would just lose another mechanical clone. For him, such a thing was utterly inconsequential.

It was only a pity about that subordinate who could use Space Magic.

Moreover, since the robots and war chariots there had already been destroyed, his next transfer couldn't possibly land him again within that unknown monster's attack range.

Thus, he summoned another subordinate skilled in Space Magic, gave the coordinates, and initiated the transfer once again.

...

While Potimas was transferring again, Mirei Shinohara and Shiraori had already returned to Ariel's side.

After briefly introducing themselves to Dustin nearby, they began discussing methods of entering the UFO.

By now, since Gülied still hadn't returned from space, Ariel had completely abandoned that hope.

Therefore, the only option left was for them to resolve this final threat by themselves.

Just then, another spatial fluctuation appeared, immediately silencing their conversation as everyone turned toward it.

Before their eyes, a spatial rift opened at the disturbance, and out stepped Potimas and another golden-haired elf.

"Hmph, Potimas, you actually have the face to come here? That last attack felt pretty good, didn't it?"

Seeing him appear before her, Ariel's expression twisted with disgust as she hurled her taunt.

Even Dustin, who always wore a kindly smile, now turned expressionless.

"You don't have to say it like that, Ariel. I only came here to help you save the world, you know? Without me, you can't deal with this thing~"

Potimas didn't show the slightest displeasure at Ariel's mockery. Instead, he smiled as he pointed toward the UFO high above.

However, to both Ariel and Dustin, that smile of his only made them want to punch him even more.

"Speaking of which, that attack earlier caused me quite a heavy loss. That monster over there… shouldn't you compensate me a little for my trouble, since I came here with the intent of saving the world?"

Potimas flicked his hair with a deliberately melancholy look, casting his eyes toward Mirei Shinohara.

At his words, Mirei didn't bother with courtesy—she fired back immediately.

"Ha? What do your losses have to do with me? If you got caught up in my attack, that's your own fault. Serves you right for wandering into my range."

Neither Mirei nor Shiraori held the slightest goodwill toward Potimas at first sight. In fact, their hostility was blatant.

Through Appraisal, they already knew what kind of deranged existence this seemingly harmless man actually was.

And because of that appraisal, they had learned the truth of the world—why this world was on the verge of destruction.

The fate of the world itself might not matter much to them, but because of Potimas' destruction, Eriri had indirectly been placed in constant danger of perishing along with it. That was something they could never accept.

If not for the fact that they needed a method to enter the UFO, they would have already destroyed this mechanical body of his again without hesitation.

"Since you know how to deal with that thing, hurry up and tell us everything you know."

Mirei had no intention of playing word games with him. She pressed him bluntly.

Hearing her words, Shiraori, Ariel, and the others all stared straight at Potimas. Under their gazes, he raised both hands in a mock gesture of surrender.

"Alright, alright, I'll talk. Honestly, you're all such impatient types."

With a helpless shake of his head, Potimas pulled a spherical object from his robes and displayed it on his palm for all to see.

"Take a look at this."

The sphere's center suddenly opened into a small circular aperture, and a beam of light shot outward, projecting a three-dimensional hologram into the air.

Even for Mirei and Shiraori, who had come from a modern world, the futuristic augmented-reality technology was refreshing. This was the first time they had ever seen such a thing in real life.

But soon their attention was drawn away by the image itself—for it was unmistakably the UFO floating in the sky.

"Why are you showing us a projection of that thing? We just want to know how to destroy it." Ariel's face twisted with irritation.

At her impatient tone, even Potimas' composed mask nearly cracked.

"Cough, cough. Ariel, don't be so hasty. If you want to deal with something, shouldn't you start by understanding it first?"

Dustin couldn't resist sneering. "You mean like how you shamelessly plunder the world's MA energy?"

Potimas suddenly felt like he didn't want to continue this conversation. These people absolutely refused to follow his pace, and it annoyed him immensely.

But for the sake of his plan to seize the GMA Bomb, he forced himself to endure and continued speaking.

"This floating weapon is codenamed 'G-Fleet.' These are its design schematics." His expression was flat as he spoke.

At those words, Dustin's face instantly tensed. He quickly questioned:

"Wait—why do you have something like that?"

"Do I really need to spell out everything for you?"

Potimas' tone was dripping with disdain, as though Dustin wasn't even worth answering. The contempt in his eyes was obvious.

Dustin's fury boiled over. The kindly grandfather-like demeanor he normally carried was nowhere to be seen. Ever since Potimas appeared, the Pope of the Word of God Religion had been unable to maintain his composure.

Even though Potimas hadn't answered directly, his words left no room for doubt—these G-Fleet schematics had originated from his own hand.

"So in the end, all this chaos is your fault, isn't it?!"

Ariel glared fiercely at Potimas, energy surging uncontrollably through her body, bringing her to the brink of lashing out.

Seeing that Ariel was about to explode, Potimas' face shifted into an expression of feigned helplessness.

"You're really wronging me. While it's true that I was the one who designed that thing, I wasn't the one who built it. Until today, I didn't even know it had actually been manufactured. If that weren't the case, would I have bothered to come here at all?"

Though his words were framed as self-defense, the undertone was mocking Ariel's lack of intelligence.

Naturally, Ariel caught the mockery, and her face grew even darker.

"This is your last chance. Tell us honestly how to deal with that thing, or I won't hesitate to make sure this body of yours stays here forever!" Ariel spat through clenched teeth.

At her words, Mirei Shinohara quickly added her voice. "That's right. Stop wasting our time. When it comes to the G-Fleet, we know just as much as you do. All we want now is the method to get inside."

Potimas sneered. "If you know as much as I do, then why can't you get into the G-Fleet yourselves?"

He clearly didn't believe Mirei's claim in the slightest.

Mirei faltered for a moment at his words. Although Appraisal had provided a method of entering the UFO, that method was essentially useless.

Because what Appraisal described was brute-forcing the UFO's underside open with overwhelming violence, then charging directly inside.

But both she and Shiraori feared that such an attack might detonate the bomb immediately, so they hadn't dared to attempt it.

Since Mirei and Shiraori had interrupted, Potimas no longer bothered discussing his connection to the G-Fleet schematics. Instead, he moved straight to what he considered the most crucial point.

"The G-Fleet itself has no destructive power. It's just a carrier. But what it carries is a certain bomb."

He gently caressed the sphere that projected the holograms, and the display began cycling through different images until it settled on a spherical object.

"This is the GMA Bomb. It has the ability to—"

Before he could continue, Mirei cut him off sharply.

"Enough. We already know all that. Whether it's the continent-destroying GMA Bomb or the G-Meteor, Gülied has already gone into space to deal with the G-Meteor. What matters now is entering the G-Fleet to deal with the GMA Bomb. So quit stalling and just tell us how to get inside."

To someone like Potimas, Mirei felt no guilt whatsoever about cutting him off.

Still, his words hadn't been completely useless. At the very least, now she and Shiraori knew what the GMA Bomb looked like. When they entered the UFO, they could search for it directly without wasting time using Appraisal on everything inside.

At Mirei's blunt words, Potimas' face finally shifted drastically.

"So you really do know…"

He cast Mirei a long look, curiosity in his eyes, but he didn't press the matter.

"Of course we know. We've been saying that all along—it's just you who wouldn't believe us. Now, can you tell us the way into the G-Fleet?"

Instead of answering, Potimas ordered his subordinate to use Space Magic to return to the Elf village and bring back a massive cylindrical object. Then he pointed at it and addressed the group:

"Use this to blast open a hole in the G-Fleet's outer wall, and you'll be able to enter."

The moment they saw the cylinder, both Mirei and Shiraori recognized it instantly—it was basically a giant rocket launcher.

Potimas' voice rang out again.

"Although this is only a one-time cannon, its power is absolutely guaranteed."

"Wait. If we blast the G-Fleet with this, won't it destabilize the GMA Bomb and cause it to explode?"

"Relax. The GMA Bomb isn't that easy to detonate."

Chapter 304: Let the Aliens Taste the Iron Fist of the Davai Comrade!

Between Alpha Centauri and the Solar System.

In the dark void of space, the First Trisolaran Fleet advanced at ten percent of light speed.

They had departed from their homeworld 200 years ago. According to their original plan, they would arrive at the Solar System in over 200 more years.

To annihilate the humans there and secure a stable new home for the Trisolaran civilization.

With sophons locking down Solar System technology, barring any accidents, the human United Fleet would not even be able to defeat a Droplet probe.

This was supposed to be a great victory for Trisolaris.

Then—an accident did happen.

The Droplet was captured by an alien civilization, and the Trisolaran homeworld was annihilated by the Fallen Star Lance.

At this moment, although the three stars of Alpha Centauri still shone brightly to the naked eye, every Trisolaran crew member knew that it was now a lifeless, dead system.

Only a massive black hole and wreckage orbiting its accretion disk remained.

"..."

The commander of the First Fleet found himself in a very awkward situation.

They had set out to conquer the Solar System, yet their homeland had perished first.

In the Solar System, there was also a Juggernaut-class ten-gigaship that no Trisolaran dared provoke.

The First Fleet did not have enough fuel to return, and even if they could, returning was meaningless.

Continuing toward the Solar System according to the original plan would only be seeking death.

Thus, the First Fleet was now lost and confused.

"The enemy has already dispatched a pursuit fleet. We must act quickly."

"We cannot return to the homeworld, nor can we approach the Solar System. Our only option is to seek another star system…"

Within the First Fleet, discussion began.

Trisolaran communication was extremely efficient, and they quickly reached a conclusion.

"For the continuation of our species, we must abandon a portion of our ships and disperse."

The fleet's fuel was only enough for 2–3 more light-years of travel. For long-distance voyages, resources from most ships would have to be concentrated into a few.

Then they would advance toward other star systems.

"Do it."

The commander of the First Fleet gave the order.

"90% of crew members are to dehydrate. Concentrate resources into 60 starships and scatter to escape."

"Move fast—the enemy won't give us much time."

Trisolarans could preserve themselves for very long durations in a dehydrated state. In a sense, they were well-suited for interstellar travel.

The fleet gradually drew closer together. Some crew voluntarily dehydrated, expelling excess bodily fluids and shrinking into thin, dried sheets.

Suddenly—

Vmmm—

The fleet's detectors blared alarms.

The Starsea Empire's fleet was faster than they had imagined.

In the distance, the stars suddenly flashed with a fierce white light. A pale-blue battleship, inlaid with cyan patterns, emerged first from the void.

"Northern Union First Fleet, Sovetsky Soyuz, reporting in."

"I have discovered the First Trisolaran Fleet—total count: 1,024 ships. Commander, should we annihilate them all?"

On the bridge, a shipgirl with long cyan hair, stern and severe in expression, holding an icy-blue scepter, turned to Setsuna for instructions.

"Capture a few starships and a small number of Trisolarans. Bring them back for research. Purifier and Observer-chan love dissecting aliens, don't they?"

Setsuna gave the order lazily.

"Understood."

From behind Sovetsky Soyuz, more Northern Union ships emerged—Kirov, Chapayev, Tashkent, and the entire Northern Union fleet.

Alongside them were four Illustrious-class armored carriers dispatched for support.

"Destroy them! Let them taste the Soviet iron fist!!!"

Tashkent and several destroyers clenched their fists eagerly.

This was their first time properly fighting aliens.

"We are Royal Navy shipgirls, thank you very much…"

Formidable and Victorious both sighed in exasperation.

Activating sensors, they scanned the distant Trisolaran fleet.

The design philosophy of Trisolaran starships was completely unlike Earth's. Complex—that was the first impression.

Their hull structures seemed disordered, following design rules unique to the Trisolaran world.

The ships were enormous, more than ten times larger than the United Fleet's, yet before shipgirl warships, they still appeared small and fragile.

The 1,024 starships all shared the exact same design, equipped with antimatter propulsion and several high-energy weapons.

"Comrades, attack!!"

Sovetsky Soyuz gave the cold order.

Shwoom—Shwoom—Shwoom—

The crushing battle began in an instant.

For the shipgirls, fighting the Trisolarans was no different in difficulty than the Eternal Snowfall fighting the United Fleet.

After all, they were merely sub-light natives who had only just stepped into the space age.

Boom!!!

The first volley was a broadside from battleship and battlecruiser shipgirls.

Dozens of multicolored energy torrents spewed forth from their massive axial cannons, streaking across hundreds of millions of kilometers of space.

The forward rows of the Trisolaran First Fleet were instantly reduced to particles.

Next, carrier shipgirls unleashed thousands of space-based aircraft, while destroyer shipgirls launched countless space missiles.

It was only after sustaining two rounds of devastating attacks that the Trisolaran fleet realized what was happening.

They desperately tried to counterattack, but immediately discovered that, due to the enormous technological gap, they could not even fight back in space warfare.

The two sides were separated by over 300 million kilometers—about 20 light-minutes.

The Trisolarans' detectors could only see images of the shipgirl fleet as they had been 20 minutes ago.

By the time they saw the shipgirls opening fire, their fleet had already been shattered to pieces.

A 20-minute delay meant there was no chance of hitting the enemy in interstellar warfare.

If the shipgirls widened the distance further, the information delay could stretch to two hours, two days, even two weeks or months…

At that level of informational disparity, space combat became nothing more than one-sided slaughter.

Thousands of space-based aircraft activated their short-range jump drives, instantly leaping close to the First Fleet.

Dense energy rays and kinetic cannons tore the fleet apart.

After a brief clash and chaos, the Trisolaran commander gave a single order:

"Flee."

All starships activated their engines at maximum power, scattering in all directions.

"A pursuit battle, huh? Tch."

Carrier-based fighters and starships split into several groups, hunting down the fleeing enemy across the vastness of space.

For some younger shipgirls, this was their first proper interstellar war. Even though the enemy were only sub-light natives, they were excited.

Opening full fire, light streaked across the void like a meteor, performing high-speed, complex maneuvers.

Beams of every color interwove across the cosmic night. One after another, enemy ships erupted into explosions.

Half an hour later—

In the thin nebula, only the wreckage of the Trisolaran fleet remained.

They had been reduced to interstellar dust clouds, scattered across empty space.

Several ships had their weapons modules destroyed but remained intact.

The Angeloid led boarding actions against them, seizing control of the vessels and capturing all the crew aboard.

"Report, Commander—the First Trisolaran Fleet has been completely annihilated."

"Enemy losses: 1,020 ships destroyed, four ships captured. Our forces suffered no casualties, and all ships remain in perfect condition."

Sovetsky Soyuz once again reported to Setsuna.

"Very good."

Setsuna nodded.

"Send a few back for Siren-chan to dissect. The rest—lock them up in a zoo."

"Grey suggested we build an alien zoo in the Trisolaran world. We'll lock all these aliens inside, and maybe teach them some circus tricks—jumping through fire rings, walking tightropes, that sort of thing."

"Understood!"

After a simple reformation, part of the Northern Union fleet escorted the captives back to the Solar System.

The rest kept their radars active, scanning nearby systems in search of other alien fleets.

Cheering joyfully, they reignited their engines.

"Long live the Northern Union! Let's go shatter these decaying alien civilizations, Davai Comrade!!!"

...

At the other end of the Solar System.

On the fleeing Natural Selection, Blue Space, Ultimate Law, and other ships, the crew had fallen into an eerie silence.

Zhang Beihai stared at the signals continuously coming from Earth. Since awakening and joining the Space Force, he had never imagined such absurd events could occur.

The Trisolaran civilization had been completely destroyed, and their threat had vanished.

The Starsea Empire had first crushed the United Fleet, then wiped out the Trisolaran world.

With undeniable technological superiority, they now ruled the entire Solar System and were preparing to sweep the surrounding starfields.

At this moment, in a sense, the Natural Selection and the ships chasing it—Blue Space, Ultimate Law, Enterprise, and Deep Space—were the only five remaining warships of the United Fleet.

Clack—

After stepping out of his spherical cabin, Zhang Beihai walked through the corridor, opened a door, and entered the largest spherical hall aboard the warship.

At the center of the sphere floated a formation composed of fleet officers and soldiers.

Only the first layer was real; the upper and lower layers were holographic projections.

The holographic formations were composed of soldiers from the four pursuing ships. In front of the three-tiered formation, five senior colonels, including Dongfang Yanxu, stood in a row and saluted him together:

"Asia Fleet, Blue Space!"

"North America Fleet, Enterprise!"

"Asia Fleet, Deep Space!"

"Europe Fleet, Ultimate Law!"

Dongfang Yanxu was the last to salute: "Asia Fleet, Natural Selection!"

"Senior, you have preserved five interstellar warships for humanity—this is now the entirety of humanity's space fleet. From this moment on, we place ourselves under your command!"

"..."

Zhang Beihai felt conflicted.

The United Fleet being defeated by the Trisolarans had been within his expectations. But the sudden emergence of another human civilization was a complete surprise.

Onboard the Natural Selection, after receiving the salutes of the other captains, his expression did not change. His gaze remained calm as still water.

"Senior, what should we do now?"

Dongfang Yanxu asked.

"Earth has been completely occupied by the Starsea Empire. The ground resistance forces were annihilated within half a day. They are now rebuilding the government."

"The other side seems to be an imperial civilization. It's hard to imagine a feudal empire in the space age? …"

Zhang Beihai shook his head.

"Dongfang, don't measure another civilization by our values, nor waste time criticizing systems—those are empty illusions."

"If the other side is stronger than us, we must face reality."

"..."

Dongfang Yanxu fell silent. Zhang Beihai was a soldier of the Common Era, not impressed by the so-called freedom and equality of the New Humans.

"Earth hasn't contacted us yet. Should we return, or continue fleeing?"

The captain of the Ultimate Law asked.

"..."

The five captains fell into brief silence.

"The Starsea Empire has demanded that humanity never again retain any space fleet. If we return, we must hand our ships over to them."

"Then return to life in the pre-space era."

Chu Yan spoke.

The crew's expressions darkened.

Each of them had developed some attachment to their ships. Handing them over felt unbearable.

What's more, once they returned, they would never again have the chance to set foot into space.

"And if we continue to flee? They seem not to care about us~"

Dongfang Yanxu opened the star map on the holographic interface.

"As the last free humans, we could rebuild a new civilization in the universe."

"The nearest star system where we can resupply is… toward Cygnus, star NH558J2."

"It has two planets, both gas-liquid giants similar to Jupiter. Not suitable for human habitation, but capable of supplying fusion fuel."

"..."

The captains fell silent.

Cygnus was 18 light-years away from the Solar System.

Considering the difficulties of the journey, it would take about 2,000 years to reach it.

--

Chapter 393: I Am the Star, Silver Star Whose Blade Glitters With Cold Light (2/3)

None of their ships had the supplies to reach that destination.

Unless…

They concentrated the resources of the other ships and placed the majority of the crew into hibernation.

"!"

The same fleeting thought crossed the minds of the five captains.

Terrifying and dark.

"…Let's return for now. We'll decide later."

Zhang Beihai sighed.

Just as he was about to turn and leave—

Zzz—

The holographic interface flickered with white static as the Eternal Snowfall's communication connected in.

With tachyon communication, there was no delay at all.

Setsuna glanced at the five captains standing in perfect formation, then at Zhang Beihai, who was frowning.

The scene felt oddly familiar.

"Stop. Don't run. If you keep running, you'll end up playing interstellar battle royale again."

"Just come back first."

"???"

Over five thousand crew members and the captains stared at Setsuna in shock.

For a moment, they wavered between suspicion and confusion.

"I guarantee your safety. Return."

Setsuna smiled.

If he let them follow the original storyline and flee again, the final victor would probably still be Chu Yan.

As for Zhang Beihai, Ding Yi, and a few others—they were among the rare few on Earth who actually had brains.

"…."

The crew turned to Zhang Beihai, awaiting his decision.

"Return."

Zhang Beihai sighed.

"If they want to pursue us, we can't escape anyway."

"For now, we still have some room for negotiation."

Vmmm—

The warships slowly turned back toward the Solar System.

...

The Natural Selection and the other ships spent several days making their way back to the Solar System.

As soon as they passed Mercury's orbit, even with the naked eye they could see the massive starship hovering above the Sun.

The Juggernaut hung silently over the star, with the boundless starry sky above and the blazing star below.

The Milky Way refracted across its towering hull, forming a silver-white halo that intertwined with the burning sunlight, solemn and awe-inspiring.

Facing such a planetary-class giant ship up close, the crew couldn't help but tremble.

Especially when they thought about its ability to destroy stars—then saw it casually parked atop the Sun—their fear only deepened.

Clack—

A shuttle piloted by the Angeloid came to receive them.

Zhang Beihai, Chu Yan, and a few others whose names were called boarded the shuttle and made their way toward the Eternal Snowfall's bridge.

They noticed that, in the space above the Sun, a small starbase-town had already been constructed.

Tens of thousands of Bulin bustled about, wielding tools and building structures for the starbase at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"A space city on the Sun? How…?"

Chu Yan frowned, unable to hide the shock in his eyes.

"And those workers? Are they AI? Why are they building a space city with hammers and drills?!"

"…."

Zhang Beihai didn't understand either. In his imagination, a spacefaring civilization would use intelligent AI or engineering robots for space construction.

Why was a starbase of an FTL civilization being built purely by hand?!

After pondering for a long while, none of the captains could make sense of it.

They could only chalk it up to divine-level civilization power, beyond their comprehension.

Twenty minutes later—

They entered the Eternal Snowfall's bridge and met Setsuna.

Seeing an Eastern-faced general, both Chu Yan and Zhang Beihai felt a faint sense of kinship.

Most shipgirls had been dispatched to eliminate aliens and conduct reconnaissance, while a few remained on the bridge.

The sight left them stunned.

"Their captains… are all girls? …"

"Wait, this moon-sized ship has no crew?!"

"A 3,600-kilometer-long unmanned starship?!"

They were struck speechless, overwhelmed by shock after shock.

The technological gap between humanity and the Starsea Empire was clearer than ever.

"Ahem, simply put, I'd like to talk with you."

Setsuna gestured for them to sit, his gaze settling on Zhang Beihai and Chu Yan.

Debating endlessly with Earth's petty schemers was a waste of time—but for these two, Setsuna was willing to spend some effort.

"As you can see, the Starsea Empire has fully taken control of the Solar System. Soon, a starbase above the Sun will be completed."

"We will conduct research here on the Trisolaran universe—its unique technologies and alien civilizations."

He explained the situation succinctly.

"As for you… I'll give you two options."

Setsuna thought for a moment.

"Live on Earth. From now on, Earth will no longer have a space fleet. You can find something else to do—the United Government will guarantee you a comfortable life."

"Or, continue voyaging into the stars. I can provide you with some supplies."

"…."

The group fell into deep thought.

That they were even being given a choice meant their worth was being acknowledged.

On Earth, they could live safe, stable lives—but would never again reach for the stars.

The captains exchanged glances, whispered briefly among themselves.

Zhang Beihai was the first to speak:

"There's no need for us to return to Earth."

He shook his head and looked at Setsuna.

"Once humanity set foot into the stars, it became a new civilization."

"I've always been fond of the Natural Selection. It was our dream two centuries ago. I did many things, by any means necessary, just to make the starship a reality."

"If I were to choose my own resting place, let it be alongside my starship."

"As the leader of an interstellar civilization, you should understand what I mean."

Chu Yan and the other captains nodded in agreement.

"…."

"Indeed."

Setsuna gazed at the starlight outside, thoughtful.

"Leaving you to rot with those petty schemers on Earth would be wasting your talents."

...

Two weeks later—

A small starbase above the Sun was completed.

The Natural Selection and Blue Space slowly departed from their berths.

Their hulls and engines had undergone complete reconstruction, upgraded to a technological level humans could comprehend. They were refitted with lightspeed engines and more advanced ion weapons.

Fully loaded with supplies sufficient to sustain thousands of years of interstellar travel, the ships set out on their journey.

The two vessels were commanded by Zhang Beihai and Chu Yan, with Ding Yi serving as the onboard scientist, leading those willing to leave the Solar System and explore the deep void.

Although the Trisolaran schemers were loathsome, among them were still dreamers who longed for the stars.

The rest, unwilling to risk such peril, returned to Earth.

From then on, apart from the Solar System ruled by the Starsea Empire, another wandering human civilization emerged in the void—

—Starship Earth.

"Thank you for your support. We hope that one day we can repay your gift."

Zhang Beihai saluted Setsuna via holographic interface.

"Go."

Setsuna waved his hand.

Refitting the two ships had been a trivial task. For safety and maintenance, he had only installed lightspeed engines.

Even so, in this universe, it was more than enough.

Originally, Blue Space had been able to preserve humanity's spark even in its impoverished state, eventually mastering miniature worlds and lightspeed ships.

Now, Starship Earth was starting from a much higher foundation, with a stronger roster. Setsuna was eager to see how far this wandering civilization could go.

"Perhaps one day, Starship Earth will become a civilization as great as yours. Let us meet again, in Perseus, in Andromeda, or even farther into the universe."

The two captains saluted Setsuna one last time.

Boom!!!

The two ships ignited their engines, vanishing into the deep void.

"Until we meet again, Commander Setsuna."

Chapter 303: Emanator Dies, Interastral Peace Corporation's Great Escape

From the Pier Point Galaxy, the power that had erupted and radiated into the surrounding star systems suddenly dissipated, and the force that had been annihilating the black beast tide collapsed.

From beyond the galaxy, the overlapping bubbles that had been attempting to envelop it directly burst apart. The one-third of the region that had not yet been tainted by Abyssal power was instantly covered.

The entire Pier Point Galaxy turned into an ominous black-red, as the cosmic darkness of an entire galaxy was detonated.

"Before the Abyss, all resistance is nothing but futile."

"Even if the Aeons' power suppresses us, it is only so much."

The Abyssal Apostle looked upon Oswaldo, who had been completely corroded by the cosmic darkness. His body emitted streams of black-red aura, resembling a mindless corpse, yet he still roared out words:

"Aaahhhh—what is this thing, my power! Why! The Path!"

To ignite sin—in Teyvat's main universe, this was not only Abyssal corruption but an even more terrifying erosion, stripping away memory, intellect, and everything else, leaving behind only a monster devoid of reason.

The Abyssal Apostle casually flicked out an energy orb, instantly blasting Oswaldo into the torn space and sending him plummeting into the unknown reverse side of the Star Rail Universe.

At present, the only beings who had truly come into contact with the reverse side were the mysterious ones of Equilibrium and Nihility.

They were able to touch the cosmic darkness only because their own Principles leaned closer to chaos. Thus, they could make contact.

But it was only contact. To analyze it, let alone wield it, was utterly impossible.

Unless one was already the master of the cosmic darkness itself—or had become the master of the universe.

However, the Principle of Nihility indeed had the potential to become the ruler of the Star Rail Universe's reverse side. But the Aeon of Nihility was far too apathetic, caring for nothing.

This was its stubborn adherence to its own philosophy, and so even if it knew, it would not take the initiative to touch the reverse side of the cosmos.

Crack—

Less than one system hour after the Abyssal Deluge erupted, an Emanator had fallen—and not just anyone, but a minister and board candidate of the Interastral Peace Corporation.

However, even if it was only a little time gained, it was already enough for all of the IPC's high-ranking cadres to complete their tasks.

Before the Pier Point Galaxy's defense system collapsed under the black beast tide's assault, every spatial transfer device was fully activated.

Shrill alarms blared across the entire planet. Red warning lights flashed within orbital corridors and space stations, as every IPC member capable of action—as well as scholars of institutions like the Genius Society—hurried into ships to initiate space jumps.

[Warning, warning. All defense arrays of the Pier Point Galaxy have been destroyed.]

[Warning, warning. All signal facilities across the galaxy have been destroyed.]

[Warning, warning. All company personnel, board ships immediately. Jump sequence commencing.]

[Jump countdown begins…]

"Aaahhhh! Help! The monsters have broken through here—we're all going to die!"

A small Infernal Hound crawled out from a twisted vortex, instantly causing a terrified employee to collapse on the floor screaming.

Boom—

Before the hound could pounce, a piece of chalk infused with Imaginary energy struck it, blasting it apart into fragments of Abyssal energy.

"Foolish."

A blue-haired young scholar with a blank expression walked over holding a book.

"Professor Ratio! Th-thank you, thank you for saving me!"

Ratio shook his head in disappointment. "As always, foolish. When humans face danger and fail to make the correct judgment, it can only be due to a lack of learning."

"Enough—don't thank me. Get on the ship quickly."

Ratio, called professor by his students, preferred to call himself a doctor—the Doctor of Truth who treated the disease of human stupidity.

"This ominous black power is utterly different from Imaginary, Quantum, and all other universal energies."

The Doctor of Truth gazed at the corpse of the monster he had just shattered, analyzing ceaselessly. But no matter what, he could not discern anything.

Then, with a self-mocking smile:

"So even I can be foolish—using what I believe to be correct cognition to judge something from another universe…"

No matter how much he understood of this universe, he had been born in it, and his cognition was entirely determined by his perception of this universe.

But his cognition was completely ineffective when applied to another universe.

"Sigh, hurry and go."

The broadcast came through the speakers.

"I can only hold for twenty seconds. After twenty seconds, any employees who have not boarded will be abandoned."

The lazy yet heavy voice carried a cruel indifference.

The voice belonged to Lady Bonajade, Jade, one of the Ten Stonehearts of the Strategic Investment Department, ranked P46, the highest authority remaining at IPC headquarters aside from the Seven-Member Board.

Any IPC employee ranked above P45 held a portion of significant authority within the company.

Atop the tallest building in Pier Point, an interstellar warship hovered in the skies. Beams of purple energy crisscrossed through the planet's atmosphere, slightly hindering the tide of beasts.

Even if it could only delay them by less than twenty seconds—

It was still decisive.

A woman with pink hair wielded a whip, lashing out again and again as streams of energy flared forth.

Her gray-blue eyes were filled with complex emotions. She wore a black hat lined with blue fabric, a black, blue, and white formal dress, and adorned herself with a necklace, bracelet, and belt set with jadeite rings. She looked like a queen standing atop her castle walls, watching as an invading great lord prepared to smash open the gates.

"The Minister of Marketing Development, Emanator of Preservation Oswaldo… to think he would fall so quickly. Sigh…"

Jade gripped her Cornerstone tightly, lips parting softly:

[I come to pay homage]

[I come to pour the wine]

[I come to claim]

[I grant poison in the guise of nectar]

[Spring planting, autumn harvest]

[Await the withered fruit upon the branches]

[All to the Amber Lord—]

As the last trace of Emanator-level power erupted within Pier Point, Abyssal power completely engulfed the galaxy. No resistance remained.

...

[This message comes from the Interastral Peace Corporation. Headquarters in Pier Point is completely cut off. According to the statements of escapees, the entire Pier Point Galaxy has fallen completely. Oswaldo Schneider, Emanator of Preservation, member of the Seven-Member Board of the Interastral Peace Corporation, and one of the most powerful individuals in the universe, has been confirmed dead.]

[Topaz, Director of the Strategic Investment Department and one of the Ten Stonehearts, along with Debt Retrieval Officer Aventurine, have been completely lost in contact.]

[The Interastral Peace Corporation headquarters has been destroyed. The galaxy has lost all external communication. Fortunately, most of the IPC's vital assets were preserved.]

[Next, a factual report from the Genius Society.]

[I am Herta, Seat 83 of the Genius Society. At present, gravitational wave communication across the universe has been disrupted by the unknown energy that now pervades the cosmos, making effective transmission impossible.]

[The above message was delivered through a temporary communication technology devised by myself, Screwllum, and several fellow members of the Genius Society, using the cosmic microwave background radiation as its medium.]

[This technology is full of flaws, but in the current state of blocked communications, it is the only way to exchange information effectively.]

[The following is the Genius Society's analysis of the catastrophe's traits and countermeasures, based on critical data acquired by the Interastral Peace Corporation...]

Based on samples collected from the IPC and other galaxies that had encountered the black beast tide, the Genius Society carried out exhaustive research.

Yet no matter how much they studied, they could not analyze anything concrete—until Nous, the Aeon of Erudition, extrapolated from the entirety of universal big data and conveyed the results to all Pathstriders who walked the Path of Erudition.

The broadcast from the Genius Society spread throughout the entire universe.

Any civilization that had already stepped into interstellar development received it.

Those still confined to their planets, in remote galaxies untouched by interstellar civilization, naturally did not.

Although the Star Rail Universe was highly developed, the entire cosmos was fractured like scattered sand, with almost no chance of ever uniting.

Not even in the face of a cosmic catastrophe of this magnitude.

The Blue, Herta Space Station.

After the Genius Society analyzed the declaration of war from another universe, Herta recalled all her personnel scattered across the cosmos, having her puppets temporarily manage the operations of all Herta Space Stations.

Herta's true body resided in the largest station orbiting The Blue.

Herta herself was the greatest mind of The Blue—the most intelligent human since the dawn of intelligent life there.

And now, this beautiful blue planet was under attack by the black beast tide.

RUMMMBLE—

As the homeworld of an Emanator of Erudition, The Blue's defenses were no weaker than Pier Point's.

All the more so, since an Emanator of Erudition excelled in research, not raw combat strength.

At this moment, The Blue was surrounded by a defense grid akin to a Dyson sphere, pouring endless energy barrages upon the black beast tide that crowded the skies of its surrounding space.

Brilliant bursts of light blossomed ceaselessly across the cosmos.

Outside the Herta Space Station, over a thousand Herta puppets, armed with weaponry capable of annihilating entire planets with ease, continuously slaughtered massive beasts.

Meanwhile, Herta herself sat within the station, operating the defense system's core—unleashing torrents of Imaginary, Quantum, and other cosmic energy cannons.

Every strike was enough to slay a stellar-class monster.

Herta's personal strength was not overwhelming—at most stellar-class among Emanators—but her research ability was at the nebula-class level.

Though far from reaching galaxy-class, given time, she could arm an entire galaxy.

"Damn it… truly endless monsters. Even if I clear a batch, they're replaced almost instantly."

Herta gritted her teeth, fingers flying across countless virtual keys.

The entire Blue defense network required her direct control. To simultaneously command the firepower of tens of thousands of stellar systems was already straining her to the limit.

Yet the black beast tide completely ignored spatial laws of the cosmos. Their next appearance could not be predicted at all.

"If only Ruan Mei and Screwllum could finish their end sooner, maybe they could lend me a hand. Right now, it feels like I'm staring at a failed experiment report!"

By now, Herta was drenched in sweat.

She had expected an invasion from another universe to be terrifying—comparable, even, to the Swarm Disaster that had once swept across the cosmos.

But this was far beyond the Swarm Disaster—the Swarm Disaster did not even reach one percent of this destructive power.

The black beast tide was not only harder to kill than the Swarm, but a whole tier stronger. Even monsters at Emanator-level appeared in swarms.

Worse still, when these Emanator-level monsters were wounded, their spilled blood and flesh fragments transformed into lower-tier monsters—an endless cycle of division.

This completely violated the cosmic fundamental law of energy conservation.

As if that wasn't terrifying enough, when the black beast tide lingered in a cosmic region for long enough, it caused mutations in spatial laws, even twisting other universal principles along with them.

That meant weapons designed under the original cosmic laws would weaken—or even fail entirely.

"Another discovery about these monsters' traits. I have to spread this quickly. If too many of them gather here, even gravitational waves themselves might mutate."

For the first time, Herta—Seat 83 of the Genius Society, Emanator of Erudition—felt a crushing despair.

Monsters that could alter the very laws of the universe… this was every scientist's nightmare.

All prior knowledge, all research, all achievements—here, they were utterly overturned.

"Let's hope the rest of the Genius Society can find a way to counter this bizarre power!"

The Genius Society was composed of peerless geniuses at the cosmic scale, but each still had their own homeworlds to defend. They could not all converge to devise countermeasures. Protecting their homelands came first.

Seat 76, Screwllum, had returned to protect Planet Screwllum. Seat 81, Ruan Mei, had gone to defend her homeworld.

"Bad news! Lady Herta! A massive swarm of smaller black monsters has broken through the spatial blockade and entered The Blue itself!"

"What do we do?!"

Herta snapped back to awareness, quickly pulling up The Blue's planetary surveillance feed.

"What—?"

On screen, an endless beast tide surged into the cities, slaughtering indiscriminately.

Herta nearly lost her composure, but the next moment, she calmed herself.

"Wait… there's something strange! These monsters—something's off!"

"It seems… they have some sort of condition for predation! They're not indiscriminately killing all life!"

The feed froze on a scene: a woman clutching a young girl. The monsters seemed to ignore her completely—not a single beast attacked her. They even actively avoided her path.

Chapter 56: The Prototype of the All-Killing Ash Bones

The newcomer was none other than Satsuki Ōtsutsuki.

For some time, she had been training in senjutsu within her secret sage land. Today marked her first attempt at entering Sage Mode.

The moment she succeeded, her vastly enhanced perception linked with the giant Tenseigan, immediately sensing the crisis surrounding Ranzuki.

This Tensei Puppet was her most valued creation. It could endure setbacks, but never destruction.

Without hesitation, she activated the space-time technique she had inscribed upon Ranzuki's body and transported herself there, arriving just in time.

...

"How… how is this possible?"

The sight before Suzuki Kaguya defied all imagination.

The gray-black bones forged through his transformed Shikotsumyaku, hardened to an unparalleled degree, had been effortlessly stopped by a single finger of this woman who had suddenly appeared.

Cold dread swept over him, his body trembling.

Run! Escape!!!

Deep within his heart, a voice born of pure survival instinct screamed in desperation.

But the very air around him had grown heavy the instant she appeared, pressing down on him with suffocating weight. Even the bone armor encasing him creaked under the unbearable strain.

He could not move a single step. He could only struggle vainly against the crushing force.

Then her gaze shifted toward him.

In that moment, his heart quaked violently.

This woman… she was an existence far beyond the limits of his understanding.

Her features were exquisitely divine, and the slender horns rising diagonally from her brow marked her as something other than human—perhaps not human at all.

Most of all, those golden eyes. Strange, dazzling, incomprehensible—they stirred within Suzuki not awe, but a deep-seated, long-buried fear clawing back to the surface.

Somewhere, sometime, he had seen something like this before.

"As a whetstone, you've done well," Satsuki's voice was devoid of emotion, an indifferent statement. Then, a wave of killing intent so vast it shook the heavens erupted from her.

"But… you've done far too well!"

The finger that held his massive bone spear flicked lightly.

An irresistible torrent of force surged down the weapon and into Suzuki. His gray armor, already strained to its limits, shattered into dust.

Even his unbending frame, the pride of the Kaguya clan's leader, collapsed beneath the overwhelming might. Veins bulged across his forehead, his jaw clenched so tightly blood seeped from his gums. His pride refused to bow.

But this strength was beyond anything he could resist. In less than a second, the light in his eyes dimmed, and he fell unconscious beneath the crushing power.

Easily subduing Suzuki, Satsuki's Tenseigan swept across his body. Her transcendent perception discerned instantly that his form was collapsing from within.

The cause—his own bones.

"Shikotsumyaku backlash?"

Then, gently supporting the still-weak Ranzuki, she examined the wound on her foot. With her golden Tenseigan vision, she saw a gray, murky energy lingering there.

That power had annihilated Ranzuki's senjutsu chakra and even erased parts of her enhanced body tissue.

Satsuki infused her own Tenseigan chakra into the wound, forcing the strange energy back. Then, with ease, she shattered the bone spike completely, freeing Ranzuki's foot.

Yet that power unsettled her. Simple Shikotsumyaku alone could not do this.

Her mind drew the connection to another, far more dreaded ability.

"All-Killing Ash Bones?"

No… if it were truly the All-Killing Ash Bones, Ranzuki would already be dead, and even she would not have blocked it so easily with one hand.

This was something else—something between Shikotsumyaku and the All-Killing Ash Bones. A bloodline limit that stood as a diluted remnant.

It seemed Suzuki Kaguya, as a descendant of the Ōtsutsuki, had inherited only a weakened version of the All-Killing Ash Bones.

Even so, this was still a subject worthy of study—perhaps more valuable to her than his bounty.

Lost in thought, Satsuki did not notice the strange look Ranzuki was giving her.

In Ranzuki's eyes, Satsuki at that moment appeared as a goddess descending from her dreams. Her luxurious black robe was embroidered with golden cranes and a vivid dragon, its fine silk shimmering. The open collar revealed the proud line of her chest, while her satin-black hair flowed down to her waist like a river of night.

At her waist, a dark-gold knot tied like a butterfly accentuated her form, while beaded tassels of gems and glass swayed lightly, chiming softly with each movement. Her delicate feet rested in high-heeled sandals that lifted her height, their sharp slope and elegant arch making her stance even more captivating.

This dreamlike figure lowered her golden eyes, gazing at Ranzuki's wounded foot.

Flustered, Ranzuki's face burned red with shame.

Satsuki, deep in thought, noticed the unusual flush on her face and frowned slightly.

"Other than your foot, are you injured anywhere else?"

At her words, Ranzuki's cheeks grew even hotter. She longed to speak, yet hesitation knotted her heart.

So shameful… for Lady Satsuki to see me like this. Would she be disappointed? Would she abandon me? What must I do to prove myself again?

These tangled emotions overwhelmed her more than the battle just fought. In the end, she whispered so faintly it was like a mosquito's buzz: "N-no, Lady Satsuki."

"Good."

Still, to be sure, Satsuki activated the giant Tenseigan to examine her condition. Though Ranzuki's puppet body bore no external injuries, it was riddled with hidden damage from overuse of senjutsu, ninjutsu, and brutal taijutsu combat. Several critical meridians had even ruptured. Fortunately, her sage-enhanced body was already beginning to heal, so it was not fatal.

"Can you stand?"

"N-no problem."

Only then did Ranzuki realize she had been half-leaning in Satsuki's arms. Her blush deepened, and she hurried to stand. But pain lanced through her wounded foot, and she nearly fell again—until Satsuki caught her.

"It seems you'll need to rest for a while."

"I-I'm sorry," Ranzuki said, hanging her head.

"There's no need to apologize. I thought your Sage Mode alone would be enough to keep you safe in the shinobi world. That's why, to avoid certain hidden powers discovering you, I forbade you from using your Tenseigan Chakra Mode. But today proves that carries its own risks."

Satsuki's voice softened slightly. "Once you recover, continue your missions. But if things grow dire, you may enter Tenseigan Chakra Mode freely—do not hesitate."

Leaning against her shoulder, Ranzuki whispered, "Yes, Lady Satsuki."

Then, her body lifted into the air. Guided by Satsuki's gravitational control, she drifted gently into a black space-time corridor.

Turning her gaze toward the unconscious Suzuki Kaguya, Satsuki prepared to leave—yet her eyes flicked toward a granite boulder. A glint passed through her golden pupils.

The massive rock crumbled into powder as if it were tofu, exposing the white-haired boy hiding behind it.

No questions were needed. From his distinct eyebrows alone, she knew his relation to the fallen Suzuki.

With a wave of her hand, she infused natural energy into a healing jutsu and cast it upon the unconscious man, keeping him alive for now.

"Before his last breath fades, find him a grave."

Without waiting for a reply, she turned to leave.

As she stepped toward the space-time corridor, a tug pulled at her robe. She glanced down—the white-haired boy had approached, his youthful face calm as he looked up at her.

Their eyes met: his expression blank, hers lofty and untouchable.

Neither spoke. With a sweep of her left hand, both Kaguya clansmen were drawn into the corridor by her gravity manipulation. Then Satsuki herself stepped into the passage.

Chapter 143: Altered Trajectory

At the same time that Vela returned to Tokyo, welcomed by veteran CCG Special Class Investigators like Marude Itsuki on her way to the Imperial Hotel, chatting about daily matters and discussing how best to deliver a swift, decisive blow against the resurgent and arrogant ghoul organization "Aogiri Tree"—on the other side of Tokyo, in the west…

Tama District, Fussa Town, inside a CCG secure facility near the U.S. Yokota Air Base.

An independent suite, fairly spacious.

A mother and daughter—both with tea-brown hair and brown eyes, almost like mirror images—sat at a desk, studying together.

Sha, sha.

Finally, the young girl stopped writing, lifted her head, and gazed at her mother, who always accompanied her gently. Her innocent lips moved softly. "Mama, I'm done."

"You worked hard, Hinami."

The woman reached out, softly patting the girl's head.

The mother and daughter were none other than Ryouko Fueguchi and her daughter Hinami—detained by Vela's order more than half a year ago.

They served as a typical case of "ghouls under lawful containment."

"You must keep it up, grow up smart and knowledgeable. Don't be like me—always hiding, without any proper education."

Saying this, the mother stood and walked to the living room. Beep—she picked up the remote control from the coffee table and turned on the TV. Tokyo TV, anime broadcast.

"Now it's relaxation time."

Clapping her hands together, resting her palms under her chin, the young woman smiled brightly.

"Mm, I want to watch…"

Hinami leapt into her mother's embrace affectionately, rubbing against her.

An anime about family bonds played, while the two sat on the sofa.

Ordinary, plain, warm…

But such warmth was always brief. Especially for ghouls stripped of freedom, living under custody.

Creak—

The door opened.

"Mrs. Ryouko Fueguchi. Here's today's 'food.'"

Ryouko stood up instantly, instinctively shielding her daughter behind her.

The visitors were two CCG investigators.

Even though she had met them many times, Ryouko still bowed politely. "Mr. Kusaba, Mr. Nakajima, I trouble you again."

"Just following Special Class Marude's orders."

Glancing at the protective Ryouko, the weary-looking middle-aged man—his badge reading Yasunori Nakajima—waved his hand dismissively. He placed the package of newly developed synthetic food, specially supplied by the CCG's R&D department, onto the entryway cabinet before turning to leave.

"Oh, right."

As if suddenly remembering something, Nakajima turned back before leaving. "Special Class Vela Adelheid Russell has returned to Tokyo."

Hearing those words, Ryouko's hand tightened around her daughter's.

So she had been promoted to Special Class.

That meant the experiments requiring her cooperation—the High Rc-Cell Synthesized Food consumption trials, the Kakuhou regeneration experiments, and the Quinque surgery programs—were coming to an end.

The true trial would begin.

"The execution of the One-Eyed King…"

She whispered to herself.

Ryouko would never forget that day—the dreadful White Dove in black armor, wielding a thorned blade, had spoken those words to her.

...

Meanwhile, in Tokyo's 20th Ward.

The district had regained peace and calm.

Most of the afternoon had passed. High school was already out.

On the bustling streets, middle schoolers, high school girls, and noisy teenagers moved about in groups, laughing and chatting, weaving between shops. The air overflowed with youthful vitality.

"Sorry for the wait! Hey, Touka, here's your crepe—blueberry flavor."

At a street stall, a high school girl with short orange hair received two freshly packaged crepes from the vendor. Walking quickly toward the L-shaped billboard where her friend waited, she handed over the blueberry jam-topped crepe with eyes curved like smiling crescents.

"…Yoriko."

The girl with short blue hair cut to her neck, bangs covering her left eye, dressed in Kiyomi High School's summer uniform, sighed at the sight. Her gaze was complicated as she scolded softly: "Another one of those calorie bombs again…"

Her name was Touka Kirishima.

She accepted her friend's treat and took a light bite.

"…With this much cream added, be careful you don't get fat again."

Fat… you've gotten fat…

"Mm—!"

Those words immediately made Yoriko, the girl being teased, let out a small beast-like wail.

The crepe in her hands suddenly lost its flavor.

"Not everyone has a figure like you, Touka, hmph! At school you put on that cold, distant act with everyone—so who exactly are you keeping that figure for? Ohhh~"

Drawing out her tone, her brown eyes beneath her bangs suddenly gleamed with gossip.

"Is it that boy with the eyepatch?"

Glancing left and right, she lowered her voice to ask.

"Tch!"

"Eh, wait for me, Touka…"

When Touka Kirishima clicked her tongue coldly and walked ahead with a look of disdain, Yoriko quickly dropped the question, rushing to catch up. She tugged her friend's hand, pleading coquettishly. "I'm sorry, Touka, uu, I'm sorry…"

"What nonsense. I want to get into a good university, so I'm going home to study."

"Ohhh. That's all? I thought you were mad at me."

"If you keep asking, I will be."

The two girls continued walking side by side down the narrow yet lively path.

Yoriko chattered on about small troubles with her studies, while Touka lowered her gaze to the road, chewing slowly and rhythmically, taking small bites of the crepe. To be exact—she swallowed without chewing.

Unnoticed by others, her grip on the shoulder strap of her sling bag slowly tightened, her hand trembling, veins bulging.

It was unbearable—a wave of nausea, her stomach roiling…

Even following the manager's teaching—swallow, don't chew—eating for this long, while walking, her stomach felt like it was filled with putrid sewage. Each step worsened the rising acid, forcing Touka to strain every nerve, lock her throat, and desperately maintain the appearance of a normal girl eating.

Looking at Yoriko's adorable hamster-like munching, hearing her chatter about "desserts going to a second stomach," Touka really wanted to know—

What does human food actually taste like?

Her thoughts drifted to Nishiki Nishio.

Or rather, to that arrogant man's human girlfriend. A top student in Kamii University's medical department—her name was Kimi Nishino. Even after learning Nishiki was a ghoul, she still stayed by his side.

Drawn into a ghoul incident because of it, she was rescued and later mentioned plans to study abroad in Germany with the GFG, hoping to apprentice under Dr. Akihiro Kanou, a leading figure in modern ghoul biology. Her dream was to research ways to adjust a ghoul's taste perception so that ghouls could savor human food.

Touka etched that deeply into her heart.

It was why she said she wanted to get into a good university, to study. Kamii University—the same one that idiot Kaneki, with all his hesitation and blunders, also attended.

It wasn't just an excuse to dodge Yoriko's invitations to go shopping.

The manager, Uncle Yomo, Kaneki, and everyone at "Anteiku" supported her decision.

Knowledge changes fate. If such treatments were ever developed—or if artificial food for ghoul consumption could be perfected… Thinking of that, Touka once again steeled her resolve: to live on, carrying the will of Ayato and her parents.

"Eh? A Special Class Investigator?! From the USA… Vela Adelheid Russell—oh! Wasn't she the great hero from the massive ghoul assault in the 20th Ward? She's back… Touka, Touka, look, look!"

While Touka struggled to suppress her nausea, clinging to her new resolve to abandon past pain, Yoriko suddenly stopped, pointing at a news screen outside a shop, and exclaimed.

The great hero of the 20th Ward incident? From the USA?

She said it casually, but to Touka, it hit hard.

Touka's heart lurched.

She turned toward the broadcast.

CCG News Report.

"Just moments ago, Special Class Investigator Vela Russell—who left Tokyo seven months ago to return to North America—has now, at the invitation of Special Class Investigators Marude, Shinohara, and Kuroiwa, arrived once again in Tokyo. Let us welcome…"

All the ease, all the comfort, vanished in an instant.

It was her. She was back!?

Touka's stomach flipped violently.

"Urgh—"

She suddenly covered her mouth.

"What's wrong? Touka, are you sick?"

Yoriko panicked, patting her back nervously.

Forcing the nausea back down, Touka shook her head, her face pale.

"I'm fine… I just remembered that day… so many people died…"

She had to hurry back to Anteiku. She had to warn everyone!

...

Almost at the same time, in the shadowed corners of Tokyo—in the suburban wastelands, the underground districts—whispers spread. Some went into hiding, some stirred unseen currents, some simply watched coldly.

...

Ward 1.

Imperial Hotel Tokyo.

At the eye of this storm, Vela, having returned to Tokyo, was calmly dining.

Yes, a simple dinner—relaxing, exchanging opinions with like-minded comrades who had fought alongside her.

Compared to [Cyberpunk]—the endless struggles in Arasaka, the ruthless maneuvering, the merciless games of power; [Resident Evil]—founding Militech, scheming to overshadow America, clawing for control with manic obsession; [Call of Duty]—joining hands with Atlas, stirring world turmoil, fanning the flames to reap selfish gains…

In [Tokyo Ghoul], setting aside ambition and self-interest, as a Special Class Investigator of the CCG, serving directly on the frontlines—upholding justice, punishing evil, protecting the people—Vela was undoubtedly competent.

Here, her mindset was at its healthiest, most spirited.

Chapter 224: Tragedy Is Not the End, but the Beginning of Hope!

After Elias followed the staff backstage, Elysia sat alone in her seat.

Sipping her milk tea while scrolling on her phone, she wasn't the least bit worried that her beloved boyfriend might be captivated when he met the world-renowned superstar.

First of all, Miss Pink Elf had absolute confidence in her own charm! Second, unfortunately for Eden, Elias was already enchanted.

But not by her as a person—by her voice.

Elysia knew well that Elias' playlist only contained two kinds of songs.

The ones he composed himself.

And the ones sung by Eden.

Rather than worry about Elias falling for Eden, it made more sense to worry whether Eden might fall for Elias.

But in Elysia's eyes, even that possibility was slim.

Anyone who had heard Eden sing understood: she was someone who had devoted herself entirely to art. Eden poured her very soul into her music, transcending herself to become a symbol of the era's art itself.

No matter how handsome Elias might be, such a supreme artist would never act so carelessly.

Elysia: "At most, if the two meet, they'll just resonate over art. There's no way Miss Pink Elf could be cheated on here—absolutely impossible!"

At this moment, the innocent pink elf had no idea.

When two geniuses resonated with each other over art… the effect might be comparable to Herrscher Cores of the same attribute resonating.

Elias had personally tested it: at least a tenfold increase in power.

...

—On the way backstage—

Elias glanced at the other lucky winners beside him.

Everyone was trembling with excitement. One woman in a wheelchair was even shaking with anticipation, saying that Eden's voice had been the driving force keeping her alive in this world.

"I'm really about to see Miss Eden! I-I'm so lucky! Sacrificing my brother's lifelong bachelorhood was worth it!"

"Yeah, I'm so nervous. Is my outfit too casual? Is my hair messy?"

"Ahhh, Miss Eden, I'm finally—finally going to see you. Your songs saved me!"

"Eh, wait a second… isn't that guy over there…?"

"No way. Could it really be him? Just how much good fortune did we draw today?!"

Elias noticed a few gazes directed at him and tilted his head in confusion. The next second, they all turned away nervously, becoming even more anxious than before.

Except for the woman in the wheelchair, everyone else had gone through three layers of security checks before being allowed backstage. They all understood the reason. After all, the person they were about to meet was the shining jewel of the Previous Era's art world.

They had to be cautious—if anything were to happen, the loss would shake the entire civilization.

When the manager opened the diva's dressing room, they finally saw the queen of sacred music they'd only known through TV before. Everyone froze, dazed as if in a dream.

"Hello, I am Eden. Thank you all for coming to my concert."

Though it was nothing more than a simple greeting, from her lips it felt like a melody itself. The listeners felt as if their ears had conceived new life.

Elias raised his eyes to the front. There sat a goddess at the vanity, smiling warmly at them.

The first word that came to mind was perfect.

Beautiful burgundy hair, golden radiant eyes, features worthy of the phrase "peerless beauty." She wore a graceful and luxurious performance gown, its cinched waistline and flowing skirt sketching a breathtaking portrait of the era.

The pinnacle of elegance and poise. Her very existence seemed like supreme art crafted by the gods. Beyond "perfect," no other word sufficed. For a moment, everyone forgot to breathe.

Elias too was stunned. If Elysia was a dazzling, flawless fairy like scattered petals, then Eden was a golden goddess of art and beauty.

But though she was the brightest star of the Previous Era—

Eden carried herself with gentle humility, showing no arrogance at all.

She sincerely thanked each person for attending her concert, and even shook hands with everyone.

Elias could almost hear someone thinking, I'll never wash this hand again. At the same time, the woman in the wheelchair also clasped Eden's hand.

"Thank you for coming to my concert. Miss, since your legs are inconvenient, allow me to arrange a private box for you."

"T-this… how could I possibly accept that!"

"Please don't be modest. Compared to your willpower to endure illness just to come hear me sing, this is nothing at all."

"Ah… ahhh…"

The woman in the wheelchair instantly burst into tears. Gazing at her kind and beautiful idol before her, her eyes filled not only with excitement and joy, but also with a hint of madness.

"As I thought—you truly are the perfect goddess. Thank you… I'm so happy. Eden, I beg you one thing, my time is almost up. Please… die with me!"

"!!!"

The shocking yandere confession caught everyone off guard. The woman clutched Eden's hand tightly with one hand, while the other pulled a knife hidden in her wheelchair armrest.

The next second, wearing a hysterical smile, she thrust it toward Eden, whose face showed clear fear.

The manager turned pale, fans screamed, and security outside couldn't react in time. The shining jewel of the era seemed on the verge of being snuffed out.

"Ah~ Miss Eden, to have such a yandere fan win the lottery to meet you—what rotten luck."

"What?!"

The woman's eyes widened. Her knife had been effortlessly caught between two fingers—the white-haired boy behind her had intercepted it with casual ease.

Even if others couldn't react in time, there was no way someone who was both a Seven-Core Herrscher and a Vipralopa-class MANTIS would allow such an attack to succeed.

If Elias had let it happen, he might as well go smash his head against a tofu block.

"Well, forests are big and birds are many. With so many fans, of course some crazies will show up."

"Uaaahhh—!!"

With a light squeeze on the woman's arm still clutching Eden, Elias snapped her bones. She screamed in pain and let go.

Elias pulled Eden behind him, shielding her with his body. His face remained calm as he considered how best to punish the woman.

"Damn it, don't stop me! You don't understand! Eden! Your voice is my hope, my reason to live! I can't live without it! But I'm going to die soon anyway—so please, Eden, die with me! That way I can still hear your songs in the afterlife! I beg you!!"

"Good grief… what kind of trash reason is that…"

Elias was speechless at such shameless words. How could she even say that out loud?

"I'm sorry, but I cannot die with you. My voice belongs to this era. There are still many who wish to hear me sing, many who need my songs. And most importantly—I don't want to die yet."

Eden shook her head, sorrowful yet firm.

"Uh, Miss Eden, you don't need to answer her so seriously."

Elias smiled wryly. At the same time, he decided on the best way to deal with her.

"You—what are you going to do?!"

Elias stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. A pure white flower quietly bloomed there.

"There. Now your wounds and illness are all healed. If you don't believe me, try standing up."

"W-what?"

The woman clutched the wheelchair armrest in disbelief, certain he was mocking her. She was about to explode in anger—but when she saw the boy's handsome face, she froze.

Then, as though realizing something, she hurriedly checked her body. A moment later, her expression turned ecstatic.

"It's true—I'm healed! My arms, my legs, my illness—it's all gone! I can live again!"

Before everyone's stunned eyes, she rose from her wheelchair. Her sickly appearance had vanished entirely, with no sign she had ever been at death's door.

"Since you're healed, then get lost. Don't be an eyesore here."

"Yes! Yes! I'll leave right now!"

The hatred that had filled the woman's eyes toward Elias was now gone without a trace. Abandoning her wheelchair entirely, she scrambled and crawled out of Eden's dressing room.

"You truly are merciful."

"This was the best way to handle it."

Elias shook his head with a faintly meaningful smile. After all, he couldn't exactly kill someone in Eden's dressing room. And while he had healed the woman…

Whether that mercy was a gift or a poisoned apple, only time would tell.

No one present understood Elias, nor the thoughts in his heart.

Still, because of this attempted stabbing, the backstage meeting ended earlier than planned. To avoid disrupting the concert, Eden needed some time to compose herself. However…

"Thank you, my savior. Without your protection, I would already be dead. Or perhaps I should call you Mr. Elias, or Hero, instead?"

In the dressing room, Elias had been left behind.

The beautiful superstar bowed deeply to him. As she leaned forward, her figure rivaled even the most prominent of the heroines who had appeared thus far!

"Eh? Miss Eden, you know me?"

"Of course. Even though I'm only a singer, I know the world faces grave danger, and I know of Fire Moth's existence. I've heard many speak of you as a remarkable hero."

Eden smiled as she praised him.

Elias' fame was even greater than he had realized.

Ever since the birth of the Herrscher of Thunder, Honkai had entered the public eye. Fire Moth had recently been preparing to reveal itself openly to civilians as well.

And Elias, the hero who had defeated four Herrschers in a row, was already well-known. Many people knew his name, and even among Eden's fans earlier, some had recognized him.

"Thank you, Mr. Elias. You not only saved the world, but today you also saved me."

"Uh, honestly, you wouldn't have died. That woman was an amateur. Even if she had stabbed you, it would have only gone into your stomach—it wouldn't have been fatal."

Elias shook his head. Eden was destined to survive until the fall of the Previous Era. Fate would not allow her to die early. Still, even he had been startled.

"I think you should be more cautious about your safety. Have more thorough checks in advance."

"Yes, you're right. Next time, I'll be more careful."

Eden smiled wryly. Because the woman had seemed disabled in a wheelchair, she hadn't insisted on a strict inspection. Who would have thought that would lead to such a situation?

If not for the white-haired boy before her… Eden touched her stomach, imagining how painful that strike might have been.

"Please allow me to thank you once more, Mr. Elias. And… may I ask you to stay and talk with me a while longer? I've long been curious about your stories. And with you here, I feel much safer." Eden asked sincerely.

"It would be my honor, Miss Eden. I've also wanted to talk to you about music."

"Just call me Eden, my savior."

The two exchanged smiles and began a lively conversation. Meanwhile, in the audience, Miss Pink Elf remained unaware that the bond between Elias and Eden was already beginning to soar.

Elias and Eden found much common ground—both were passionate about music and had unique insights into beauty.

Before long, however, one of the accompanists approached. Eden nodded to her slightly.

"Please, let me sing this piece first."

"No problem, Eden. After what just happened, you deserve to vent some feelings."

"Hm? What is it?" Elias asked curiously.

"Nothing much. I just want to start with a sad song to release my emotions. It's this one." Eden handed him the sheet.

"Even though my songs gave her the will to live, she repaid me in such a way. Even for me, it's hard not to feel sorrow." Eden sighed wistfully.

Elias nodded in understanding. After experiencing something so awful, feeling down was only natural.

If it had been some fragile or less resilient star, they might have canceled the concert on the spot.

But Eden chose instead to release her emotions through a tragic song. Elias gave her a thumbs-up in approval.

"Don't worry, that woman won't appear before you again. But this song… it's very sad, a tragedy indeed."

Every song was a story. After glancing through the sheet, Elias immediately understood. The notes and lyrics painted a tale: a protagonist longing to become light, repeatedly betrayed and deceived, dragged into the mire, losing everything in the end—a tragedy without redemption.

It perfectly suited Eden's current state of mind.

"If you don't like it, I can change to another."

Eden smiled gently. Though she wished to sing this song, if her savior disliked it, she would willingly set aside her own feelings.

"…No, it's fine."

Elias hesitated, then shook his head.

Though he did dislike tragedies, and had once sworn to change all of Mihoyo's "knives," he wasn't so unreasonable as to reject a sad song outright. Besides, he could tell it was a fine piece.

Sung by Eden in her present mood, it would undoubtedly become a deeply moving melody. To cancel it just for his personal taste would be a pity. Moreover…

"Tragedy is not the end, but the beginning of hope."

Elias smiled brightly as he admired the tragic score. He knew even tragedies were never meaningless.

Even now, though in the eyes of others he had already achieved brilliant victories and saved countless lives, Elias knew he still hadn't saved everyone.

Tragedies remained…

But they were not the end!

He carried all regrets, tragedies, and tears in his heart. In the next cycle of the future, these sorrows would become the foundation of hope, allowing him to craft an even more perfect story!

"Tragedy is not the end, but the beginning of hope…"

Eden repeated his words blankly.

"What beautiful words."

Her sorrow eased considerably.

Such positive, warm words, paired with Elias' radiant smile, made Eden feel as though the earlier attempt on her life no longer mattered. Her frightened heart had already been soothed by this white-haired boy.

"Hehe~ perhaps someday, Eden, you'll encounter something that makes you grateful for today's tragedy."

Elias spoke as though in jest. Yet Eden couldn't help but laugh. This white-haired boy was truly different—his words carried a strange power that made one want to believe them.

And indeed, not long after, Eden would genuinely feel thankful for this tragedy.

Because it was the very beginning of their bond.

"May your words come true, my friend. Do you have a song you'd like to hear? I would gladly sing it for you."

Just as Eden was about to offer something in return, the day proved to be full of misfortune. Another accompanist rushed in anxiously.

"Terrible news, Miss Eden, the pianist's hand is injured! He won't be able to play for now!"

"Ah…"

Chapter 530: I’ll Support You, the Password Is Your Birthday!

The rise of online shopping came with both advantages and disadvantages. At least for consumers, having a faster, more convenient way to shop was undoubtedly a good thing.

But for those running physical businesses, it was far from pleasant.

From the moment online shopping was born, it stood on the opposite side of traditional retail, continuously squeezing the survival space of physical stores. Especially as it developed to its current stage, it had become nothing short of a devastating blow.

In the past, people loved going out to shop. As long as you visited a department store or shopping mall, they were crowded with people—sometimes you even had to line up to take the elevator. But now?

Everything a physical store could sell, online shopping could also sell—and often at a cheaper price with coupons. On top of that, online shopping could provide items that physical stores didn't even stock.

So was online shopping good or bad? No one could give a definitive answer, nor was one needed. It all depended on perspective.

As a consumer, it was wonderful to be able to buy goods from home at the same or even lower price, delivered right to your door—including items you couldn't normally buy in nearby shops.

But as the owner of a physical store, you'd see online shopping as a sworn enemy. One moment you were happily running your little shop, making money while eating sukiyaki and humming songs—and the next, a bolt of lightning called online shopping came crashing down from the sky.

Amazon Japan and countless other platforms had already taken away many customers. Even once-thriving department stores and shopping centers now looked deserted.

In Toyohashi City, there was a shopping mall Kotomi Izumi often visited. The place was practically empty. Even if there were people, most went straight to the fifth floor—because that was where the cinema was. Other floors were almost deserted.

Nowadays, those who went to shopping centers were mostly there for movies. The number of people who actually strolled around for shopping had become very, very few. After all, there weren't many who enjoyed wandering aimlessly just for the sake of the experience.

Even the owners of department stores and shopping malls, who openly resented online shopping, privately used it in their own lives. They found it distasteful, but it was undeniably convenient.

This forced many physical shop owners to attempt transitioning to online sales. If you can't beat them, join them—seemingly a good strategy. But the problem was, running an online shop also required costs.

For small business owners already struggling, how many could afford the expenses of maintaining an online shop?

Take Tomoka Yuigahama's Dango Cake Shop, for example. Every month, rent was already a fixed expense, and she had to pay it annually in advance. Thankfully, business was good enough that she could at least cover rent and operating costs.

But besides rent, there were utilities, ingredient costs, and other overheads. Running a physical store demanded money in countless ways, and when you added it all together, it wasn't a small amount.

And this was in Chiba City.

If it were in Tokyo, where land was worth its weight in gold, just the rent alone would drive most people away.

Asking Tomoka Yuigahama to also run an online shop? Impossible. It might look like diversification—another income channel—but in reality, it would be the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Online shop fees, advertising, packaging costs for shipping cakes, delivery fees… and selling the cake wasn't the end of it—you still had to handle after-sales issues.

Running one physical store already pushed her to her limits. Adding an online shop would only push her toward ruin.

All these years, while running the cake shop, Tomoka had also been working as an illustrator. She was only human—of course she was exhausted. More than once, she had thought about giving one of them up. But she still lacked the courage.

If she closed the cake shop, her primary source of income would vanish. In her parents' eyes, she would become an unemployed single mother. And Tomoka herself worried too—if she relied solely on illustration, could her income really remain stable? Some months might bring in a lot, but the next month could easily bring much less.

But if Tomoka Yuigahama gave up her illustration work, she would feel unwilling. It was a profession that actually brought in money. If she just held on a little longer, maybe things really would get easier.

After her husband passed away, the entire weight of the household fell on her shoulders. Between the cake shop and illustration, she wavered constantly, never certain which one she should give up.

If she gave up neither, the exhaustion was unbearable. Tomoka couldn't even remember the last time she had gone to bed before midnight. Each night she sat at the computer to draw, and by the time she glanced at the bottom right corner of her screen, it was always already one or two in the morning.

Kotomi had long since noticed Tomoka's hesitation. That was why she chose this moment to reveal her plans for Type-Moon World. She wanted to become the reason Mrs. Yuigahama could close the cake shop and focus solely on illustration, giving her the confidence to do so.

"Kotomi, could you tell me more about your company plan in detail?" Tomoka asked after a moment of thought.

"No problem."

Kotomi smiled slightly. It seemed Mrs. Yuigahama was starting to consider it. What came next would depend on how well she could explain and convince her. She needed to reassure Mrs. Yuigahama enough to make her join willingly. So she began to describe the concept and plan of her future game company, Type-Moon World, in detail.

As for the money…

To be honest, for Kotomi, paying Mrs. Yuigahama wasn't a problem at all.

Kotomi didn't have enough capital to actually establish a company yet. After all, game companies burned money like no other. Unlike other types of businesses, internet-based ventures thrived on burning money to make money. As long as each step was carefully planned and properly placed, the more you spent, the more you stood to earn back.

But that only applied to internet companies.

Game companies were a little similar in that they also burned money to profit, but they carried a much bigger risk. The development cost of games was itself the main risk. And sometimes, no matter how well you made a game, it didn't guarantee success in the market.

How many games with glowing reviews had ended up shutting down? Some were canceled mid-project, others dragged entire companies down with them.

Sometimes, running a game company required a bit of luck.

If, after launch, the game didn't turn a profit quickly, then sorry—time to shut it down.

Kotomi knew this truth well. That was why, even though she was telling Mrs. Yuigahama about Type-Moon World now, she had no intention of actually starting the company immediately. She still needed more money!

The actual opening of the company would have to wait. She hadn't even decided on the exact timing.

But what she couldn't wait for was securing Mrs. Yuigahama as her person.

Well… perhaps that sounded strange. Kotomi wanted Mrs. Yuigahama to become her exclusive illustrator—not only to handle every illustration for her future light novels, but also to take on the role of lead artist for Type-Moon World's games, drawing the character art and CGs.

Kotomi wanted Tomoka Yuigahama's art style to become the defining visual identity of Type-Moon World.

But right now, Type-Moon World didn't even exist. Kotomi hadn't chosen an office space. Forget about game development—the company didn't even have a team yet.

If anyone else heard her say this, they'd probably walk away instantly, thinking: What kind of game company is this? Sounds like a scam. She'll just run off with the money! Goodbye!

Tomoka herself had been a little lost in the clouds at first. She had taken illustration commissions for a few game companies before, but she didn't really understand the industry. Until Kotomi finally said something very straightforward:

"Mrs. Yuigahama, my game company hasn't started yet. But that's fine. You can already be my exclusive illustrator. As for money, don't worry—I have plenty. I'll support you."

"Support me? You cheeky little brat." Tomoka froze for a second, then felt both speechless and amused.

Being told I'll support you by a sixteen-year-old child… what kind of feeling was that?

"I have money."

"You can't just spend money like that… of all things, why would you choose to 'keep' an old auntie like me?"

Tomoka Yuigahama didn't doubt that Kotomi had money. Her poise and confidence at critical moments made her look every bit the daughter of a wealthy family.

"Who said anything about keeping you? Once you close the cake shop, your income will come from illustrating my novels. If your royalties aren't enough, just tell me—I'll give you more money, and you can draw more illustrations for me. I give you money, you draw. The one thing I'll never run out of is money. And once Type-Moon World opens, you'll officially join as an employee. I've already chosen your position—Chief Illustrator."

Kotomi's words weren't just generosity—they were also part of her careful planning.

The workload for Sword Art Online illustrations wasn't huge. After Tomoka completed the first volume's illustrations, she gradually became more comfortable with the work. On the surface, it seemed she could manage illustration while still running the cake shop.

But soon Kotomi would launch new works. Not to mention the one destined to become her magnum opus—Mushoku Tensei.

Redo of Healer Volume 1 would begin next year, and the illustration work, naturally, would also fall to Tomoka.

With Sword Art Online and Redo of Healer, Tomoka's workload would jump from one series to two.

If, by chance, both series released new volumes in the same month, Tomoka would need to finish illustrations for both within the limited time frame.

For a full-time illustrator, that might not be a big issue—they could always work overtime and still finish within a few months.

But if Tomoka kept her current routine—running the cake shop by day and drawing by night—then once the workload doubled, she simply wouldn't survive it. Overwork could even kill her.

That was why Kotomi chose now to persuade her—to temporarily close the Dango Cake Shop and focus solely on illustration.

Worried illustration alone wouldn't be enough to support the family?

That was fine. Kotomi had already quietly prepared a bank card.

It contained… all the New Year's money she had ever received since childhood.

For most kids, New Year's money wasn't much to begin with. Often, it didn't even get saved. The moment a child got it, their parents would say:

"Sweetie, let Mom and Dad hold onto this for you, okay? We'll save it for your college tuition."

And being naïve, children believed them, obediently handing it over.

But Mr. and Mrs. Izumi never took away their daughters' New Year's money. Instead, they gave Kotomi and Aimi each a separate bank card, specifically for storing it.

Their goal was to give the two girls a simple concept of money while they were still young.

They didn't expect them to learn financial management—after all, finance had too many intricacies. Teaching it to such young children would be pointless. If a kid could really understand finance at that age, wouldn't they go straight to Wall Street to wreak havoc when they grew older?

Since childhood, Kotomi and Aimi never lacked food or clothing. This bank card, used only for New Year's money, mostly just sat there as deposits. They rarely touched it. They barely even remembered its existence—since they had other cards for daily use, where most of their money was kept.

The only time they remembered this card was during New Year's, when they received New Year's money and deposited it.

Aimi, clever from a young age, didn't use the card often, but she kept it in a small box in her bedroom drawer, always able to find it immediately when needed. She also remembered the password clearly. And even if she forgot, it was no problem—she had saved a backup in her phone's notes.

Kotomi, on the other hand… she used to change the password every single year—not out of caution, but simply because her childish brain couldn't remember it!

Every year, when it came time to deposit New Year's money, Kotomi would have forgotten the password completely, forcing her to reset it again and again.

It wasn't until she graduated middle school that Kotomi finally managed to remember it.

But recently, Kotomi went to the bank once more—and changed the password on that card.

She changed it to Mrs. Yuigahama's birthday.

When Kotomi went to change the password, she also took a glance at the card's balance. She had spent her whole childhood just depositing New Year's money into it, never really checking how much was inside.

Seeing the balance now, even though she had recently earned plenty from writing novels and drawing manga, she still couldn't help but suck in a cold breath. So much? I didn't realize I was this rich?!

Why should she worry about not having enough money to start a game company? Just the savings in this card alone were enough to establish Type-Moon World, recruit a large team, and start making waves in the gaming industry.

No wonder, when she walked into the bank that day—only to reset her card password—the branch manager came rushing over personally, smiling like he had just seen his long-lost father, respectfully inviting her into a private office, fussing over her with tea and fancy snacks.

To anyone else, it would have been unthinkable that Kotomi was only there to change a card password.

Every New Year, her grandparents on both sides had given both Kotomi and Aimi New Year's money. The red envelopes were always thin—not because the amount was small, but because instead of cash, they contained checks.

Back then, little Kotomi couldn't read the figures clearly. She would pull out the check, see a long string of numbers, but never truly understand how much it was worth.

Even so, after seeing the balance, Kotomi still transferred 90% of it out to another account, leaving only 10% in the original card—for Mrs. Yuigahama.

It wasn't that she didn't want to give more. She knew very well that if she handed over such a large sum, Mrs. Yuigahama would never accept it—and it might even create distance between them.

Even without money, one must keep their self-respect. This was something Tomoka had always taught her daughters.

Kotomi knew Tomoka's strong-willed personality well. The mother of Dango was a woman both charming and stubborn to the core. That was why Kotomi left only 10%—because even that much would already be more than enough to cover the Yuigahama family's expenses, as well as Yui and Yuka's tuition and living costs for the years ahead.

Kotomi could be steady and reliable when it came to serious matters, but at times of leisure, she still had her streaks of chuunibyou.

There had been a time when she loved reading web novels—not for the cheesy Mary Sue romance, but simply to enjoy watching the protagonist flex, humiliating those who looked down on them.

Yes, whether it was male-targeted or female-targeted novels, Kotomi loved the "face-slapping" satisfaction.

But you couldn't just skip to the face-slapping scenes. Without the buildup, the payoff wouldn't feel as exhilarating. To Kotomi, it was like eating fried rice without ramen—just not right.

One day, while reading through the setup of such a novel, she came across a line that struck her as so incredibly badass that she longed to imitate it.

But she had never had the right chance—or the right person—to say it to. Until now.

Finally, she had her chance. How could Kotomi possibly let it slip away?

From her pocket, Kotomi pulled out the bank card and slapped it lightly but firmly onto the table. She smacked it too hard—her hand stung from the impact—but she kept her face calm, pretending nothing had happened.

"The password is your birthday. Use it however you like."

The words had barely left her mouth when Kotomi's lips twitched—not from heartache over the money, but from the sheer rush of finally, finally being able to say that line. She had to restrain herself from trembling with excitement.

Chapter 618: In the Name of Selene—

The blazing sun burned above, just like the hearts of every RDA employee at that moment.

As the plasma lances pierced the atmosphere, the rain-soaked clouds vaporized in an instant. The sky caught fire, everything lit ablaze as if the heavens themselves were burning.

Crimson—the color of the sun.

Even with filtered respirators, the scorching orange-red glow seared the faces of everyone within Bridgehead Outpost Base. The very air they breathed rolled like heatwaves, stifling and unbearable.

Instinctively, many closed their eyes, retreating back toward the permanent buildings within the base.

Miles Quaritch grimaced in pain, rubbing the ears of his Avatar body in discomfort.

At times like this, the heightened senses granted by Na'vi DNA were hardly an advantage. Hearing so sharp it could detect faint sounds was overwhelmed by deafening shockwaves, leaving only painful ringing in their ears. None of his Avatar commando squad was spared; after the first detonations, their eardrums were assaulted with unending noise, impossible to distinguish.

The acute sense of smell capable of tracking prey by pheromones now became torture. The hot winds carried the stench of burning vegetation and animal flesh, mingled with the acrid tang of ozone. The stench was unbearable…

Humans, with their duller senses, fared better. But the Avatars, unprepared, inhaled the foulness and several collapsed, gagging and vomiting.

RUMBLE—!

Blinding fire shot skyward, the ground quaking beneath them. In the distance, hundreds of kilometers away, the earth split apart. Lava fountains erupted tens of thousands of meters high, triggering quakes that set volcanoes ablaze across entire highland jungles.

Some RDA workers recognized the direction—it was where a large Na'vi tribe had once attacked them. The treacherous terrain and guerilla tactics there had plagued mining operations.

But now…

"Those blue monkeys are finished." One muttered, with a trace of pity, but far more relief.

Thousands of kilometers away, scorching winds rose. Ash turned to dust and drifted into the sky.

One after another, concentric rings of light, each kilometers wide, spread outward. The burning sky spiraled around towering lances of light, swirling faster and faster, like endless columns of fire tornadoes tearing the heavens.

"It's enough."

Hot winds howled, tugging at Durandal's uniform. Unlike General Ardmore and the other RDA personnel beside her, scrambling in disarray, the knightly woman stood pristine and immaculate, her bearing unshaken.

Yet no one noticed this small detail. Even Ardmore himself, like all within Bridgehead Base command, stared stupefied at the steel behemoths suspended above.

"The fleet has entered Pandora's orbit. Prepare to deploy the landing forces."

Judging the results of this limited orbital bombardment, Durandal gave a faint nod, then declared firmly: "Cease bombardment. Release the suppressants. Extinguish the fires. Now, it is time for the warriors to claim their glory."

With those words, she slowly removed her respirator and oxygen mask, golden hair spilling down like a waterfall.

There was no need to hide anymore. Every human on Pandora had already been gathered within the outposts. From this moment—

"General Ardmore, contact all human armed forces on Pandora immediately. Inform them: from now on, the Empire will assume control over all affairs on this planet."

Durandal's voice carried no room for doubt as she ordered the command staff:

"Remember—our vanguard landing troops will descend by airdrop. Warn your men: do not open fire recklessly. Keep your weapons under control. Even if they see alien species, they are not to act. Any incident beyond this—will not be in my power to save them."

To preserve their lives rather than see them cut down as trophies for the Empire's auxiliary forces—that was the greatest mercy she could offer. The rest would be settled in swift battle.

Within the Empire, the prevailing attitude treated alien species as nothing more than cannon fodder and insects—unworthy of sympathy, deserving only of scorn, punishment, and brutality. Even other human groups, unless they had submitted and pledged loyalty to the Imperial consensus of faith—to Her Majesty Selene—were struck down mercilessly, with ruthless cruelty.

Under the influence of Selene and Sebas, through her frequent visits to the Imperial Ministry of War, observing the Astartes Legions in their campaigns, and engaging in deep exchanges with veterans of the Imperial auxiliaries and subservient forces… all of this had tempered Durandal, making her far more pragmatic than when she first entered the Empire's military ranks.

To fight for all that is beautiful in the world.

This principle was one Durandal had always upheld, and it remained her driving force. But with a broadened perspective, she came to understand the necessity of priorities.

She recalled once, beneath the soaring halls of the Imperial Palace, when Empress Selene had asked her: "To fight for all that is beautiful in the world… Tell me, what do you mean by 'world'? How broad is its scope?"

At the time, Durandal had no answer.

Selene had not pressed further. She had only smiled and told her there was no need to rush.

"Think carefully. See with your heart. Decide your stance—whose interests do you represent? For whom will you act? A person? A family? A homeland? A nation? A race? I hope you will find that answer.

"Even when warriors give their lives to expand my dominion, when their battle cries thunder: 'For Selene!'—is it truly for me? Not necessarily. Some fight for someone they love, some for their family, some for their homeland, some for their nation, some for their people… I merely unify the authority to allocate and judge these sacrifices.

"And you?

"'All that is beautiful,' 'everything that is beautiful'—these are too vague. No one can achieve that. Not me, not even any god. Even the so-called universal faith envisioned by God still had its heretics and its fallen angel, Satan. Perhaps such perfection has no answer, nor can it ever be realized.

"In the Empire, beauty and kindness must be directed properly. Misplace them, and you will find no path forward.

"On this stage of the Empire—across the multiverse, across the countless races and nations of the cosmos—will you remain obscure, or will you rise to fame? You, Kiana, and the others—I will no longer interfere."

After that conversation, she had been gently led out of Selene's palace, her mind unsettled.

That question lingered in Durandal's thoughts for a long time.

She had never been particularly quick-witted. As a child, her tutors had even called her a blockhead.

Until—she witnessed the aftermath of Imperial campaigns. Victorious auxiliaries and subservient troops received their titles, rewards, and salaries, rejoicing sincerely from the heart. She also saw the warmth of families welcoming soldiers home in triumph. And she saw children who received nothing but an urn of ashes—the price their parents had paid, traded for rank, wealth, and glory.

She saw her homeworld rise from the shadow of the Honkai disaster, rapidly rebuilt under the governance of the provincial governor. Former members of Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and even remnants of World Serpent were all properly accommodated.

The Empire's open-handed supply of resources and its seemingly limitless market demand ensured that every world brought into its system prospered with astonishing speed.

It was then that Durandal found her path—to learn from Selene, discarding the dross while embracing the essence.

Selene: …

Rather than worrying about unattainable dreams of the future, focus on the present.

If she was to fight for all that is beautiful in the world, then first and foremost, she must fight for the beauty of every world under Imperial rule.

Next, for those humans not yet under the Empire's dominion.

And lastly, for non-human species—the "alien races" so often named by the Empire's military.

Such was the Empire's nature, one she could not change. She was only a general, not an Astartes Commander, much less the Empress. Doing what she could to reduce unnecessary slaughter—that was her limit.

For even the auxiliary corps raised from the Honkai-stricken worlds, after fighting alongside the Empire's armies a few times, had already assimilated into this ethos.

"Any objections?"

Durandal rapped her knuckles on the railing as the blazing lances of light faded, her eyes sweeping across the assembled RDA personnel.

"Yes, ma'am!" came the sound of nervous swallowing.

The RDA employees were stunned that Durandal could breathe freely in an atmosphere thick with toxic gases. But when they saw the heavy-armored giants with their hands resting on the triggers of their boltguns, they chose to comply, quickly hurrying back to the command center to relay the orders.

"Disarm these mercenaries."

Durandal gave Agravain a nod, signaling him to activate the teleportation beacon. The Luna Wolves within the base could now move into action.

"All personnel! Disarm yourselves and return to your quarters!"

"Hey! Who the hell are you?!"

Some tried to resist. But when these returning mercenaries from the outer mines saw the intruders—heavily armed Luna Wolves warriors with multiple boltguns aimed directly at them…

Clang!

"Don't kill me! I surrender! I'm just an employee, not an RDA shareholder!" One man immediately threw down his weapon, raising his hands in panic before dropping to his knees to show he posed no threat.

Damn, he was just a contractor—why throw his life away? One shot from those barrels, easily .75 caliber, meant certain death.

BUZZZZZT—!

The surge of a warp-teleport pulse exploded in the courtyard of Bridgehead Base. As reality tore open, thunderous footsteps boomed forth.

At the forefront, a Luna Wolf Centurion bearing a power sword strode out, leading the Astartes squad. Gasps rippled through the RDA personnel who had been ordered back to their quarters.

The Luna Wolves spread out with their usual severity, discipline, and uncompromising combat doctrine, swiftly seizing all critical areas of the outpost. Resistance was crushed instantly. Imperial auxiliaries followed to assume control of all positions.

When the striking Valkyrie units arrived, incidents flared. These men, long deprived on Pandora and surrounded only by gruff comrades or hardened women, couldn't suppress their urges when faced with radiant warriors. Their leering… tch tch…

And then—nothing more. The auxiliaries guarding them laid into them with batons, beating them into silence.

"Who the hell are you people?"

Overhead, massive transport craft descended with a roar. Miles Quaritch raised his hands, glaring at the dark-haired man before him, voicing his question.

After the orbital bombardment ceased, the fleet still loomed above in low orbit. Hundreds of warships, stretching kilometers and even tens of kilometers in length, filled the sky, nearly blotting it out.

"If you live long enough, you'll find out."

A storm of magic surged. The black military uniform upon Agravain shifted, replaced by austere dark armor. A white fur cloak with blue and gold trim draped from his left shoulder. Standing stiff, one hand behind his back, he spoke bluntly: "Take him away. If he resists, execute him on the spot."

"Yes, sir!" ×N

At that moment, Miles Quaritch was certain—these were absolutely not forces from Earth.

If the United Earth Government possessed such strength, the Na'vi would have been wiped out long ago—why would things have dragged on until now?

Even the enhanced bodies of the Avatars, several times stronger than normal humans, were being subdued by men who looked like they wore old-fashioned military coats. He had thought only the heavy-armored warriors could restrain them.

A sudden thought flashed through his mind—human body enhancement.

The Gothic warships, the armor, the power armor, the exoskeletons, the long coats—it all looked like some bizarre patchwork army, yet it was overwhelming.

"General Durandal, congratulations. The takeover is complete, with virtually no casualties. The base, personnel, and supplies have been preserved to the greatest extent possible."

Agravain placed a hand to his chest as Durandal approached in her silver-white armor.

"With absolute superiority, there is little to praise," Durandal replied with a faint smile, shaking her head.

Orbital bombardment alone was enough to terrify most civilizations.

And when backed with the display of fleets and armies… against the RDA—a corporation whose employees had no true loyalty—it was no surprise. Even sovereign nations would surrender under such pressure, unless they were fools.

"So, the only thing left is to deal with these aliens called the Na'vi?" Standing at Durandal's side, Agravain lifted his gaze to the sky, where the sight of descending orbital drop-pods and landing gunships was like a rain of falling stars.

No matter how many times he witnessed it, the spectacle remained overwhelming.

"No. The most crucial task now is to deal with the planet itself."

Pointing to the ground beneath them, Durandal's expression grew layered with meaning before her form blurred into a streak of blue light, soaring skyward.

...

Awakening.

Jake Sully felt as though he had dreamed an endless nightmare. In it, he relived the loss of everything—his people, his family, his children—all butchered by vile thieves.

Cough… cough…

Jake spat blood, chest heavy, breath ragged. With difficulty, he whispered the names of those dearest to him: "Neytiri… Neteyam, Lo'ak, Tuk, Kiri, Spider…"

Huff… huff…

He opened his mouth to roar, but no sound came. Only the rasp of a broken bellows escaped him. The moment he forced his body, another surge of blood filled his throat.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the twisted, broken body of his direhorse, pierced through by countless jagged shards of stone and splinters.

It had shielded him. Jake remembered the collapse of the floating mountain as the shockwave struck, sorrow flooding him. He stroked the beast's face, then struggled to drag his battered body free.

At last, he crawled out from under the direhorse's corpse and looked around.

All was ruin—Hallelujah Mountain lay shattered.

Fragments of colossal stone stretched to the horizon, the ground littered with gleaming deposits of Unobtanium. His body screamed with pain: his right hand and left foot were gone, his abdomen ripped open by a massive wound.

Everywhere his gaze fell was desolation. Blue-white crystalline particles drifted down like frozen sparks. Towering infernos that had raged into the heavens now guttered out. On the charred ground, faint smoke and sparks still rose.

Perhaps it was only an instant—or perhaps centuries had passed. The endless roar of falling "meteors" resounded without pause. Engines, treads, hydraulics thundered across the land, drowning even the wind. The ground shook ceaselessly, as though stirred by titanic footsteps.

Jake forced his eyes wide. When the steel-clad behemoth finally crested the horizon, his mind rang with a deafening buzz. The world spun.

What was that…?

A colossal storm of dust towered into the skies, immovable even before the wind. A flood of high-powered searchlights blazed. Grim cannon muzzles jutted from thick armor plating. A moving fortress, radiating murderous intent. A Titan…?

Somehow, the word surfaced in Jake's mind.

Above, the lances of light had ceased striking the horizon. But the monstrous shadows blanketing the world told a crueler truth.

"Bastards—! Get your filthy hands off my mother!!"

It was Lo'ak's voice!

Joy flashed across Jake's face—then, instantly, dread clenched his heart.

"Oh? An alien whelp who understands English—?"

"An English-speaking Na'vi? Hah! Seems we've caught ourselves a big prize! Kill them!"

Then—

THUD! THUD-THUD! THUD-THUD!

Dull gunfire echoed through the ruins.

"Lo'ak! Run!!" Neytiri's scream tore through the air.

VRRRR-BZZZT! CRACK!

The snarl of chainswords, the thud of rounds tearing flesh and stone.

Hurry! Hurry!!

Bloodied and broken, Jake Sully clawed his way up through rubble and corpses, his eyes widening in despair at the sight before him.

The wreckage of the floating mountains was strewn with the dead. Survivors screamed amid blood-soaked stone, but what awaited them was no healing—

Blood stained the rubble everywhere, fresh and bright crimson, glaringly vivid against the ruins.

The stench of charred flesh mingled with blood, filling the air and stabbing into Jake Sully's senses.

There was no doubt—this had been a massacre.

Scattered across the scorched wasteland were thousands of his people, hurled and broken by the orbital bombardment's shockwaves. Among them lay the corpses of direhorses, heavy-armored sturmbeests, hammerhead titanotheres, and countless other Pandora creatures, all lying lifeless in pools of blood.

"Sturmbeests… right? According to the downloaded RDA database, these things can run up to ninety-five kilometers per hour… What do you think about bringing one back as a trophy?"

"Not worth it. Better to save up for a Danger Beast mount—that'd be way more impressive."

"Bah, killjoy. Wonder if Pandora creatures taste any good… Anyway, the blue-skinned aliens here are cleared. Five beheadings for me. You?"

"Not much, three beheadings. Plus two blue brats."

"Ugh, unlucky. Only two beheadings for me."

...

Imperial auxiliaries in bright red greatcoats laughed as they went about their work. With long rifles fitted with monomolecular bayonets, they stabbed the hearts of fallen Na'vi one by one, then drew blades to slit throats and hack off heads.

One Na'vi feigned death, springing up in a desperate attempt to seize a human hostage. The next instant, he was booted back into the dirt, riddled with bullets until unrecognizable.

Their casual, mocking disregard for life made Jake Sully seethe with rage—especially when he saw among the Na'vi heads strapped to the auxiliaries' mech-controllers… Neytiri's.

"No—!!"

In that instant, Jake lost all reason. Eyes bloodshot, he seized the weapon he had scavenged from an RDA mercenary.

"I'll kill you all—!!"

RATATATATATAT—!

"Tactical evasion!"

"Enemy sighted! Single hostile, three o'clock!"

"Concentrated fire! Fireteam—grenades, three-round rapid volley!"

The moment Jake revealed himself, the auxiliaries displayed their military discipline. Their maneuvers were sharp and precise: locating him by the gunfire, raising energy shields, laying down suppressive fire, and signaling their grenadiers to hammer his position.

It was no surprise. Already weakened and bleeding heavily, Jake's sluggish movements betrayed him. He was dropped within seconds by a volley of shots.

Do not underestimate these men, drawn from the most hardened conscripts of each Imperial world. Their marksmanship was basic training.

"He still dared fight back? Three of you—go. Careful. Don't get sloppy. Take his head!"

"Yes, sir!" ×3

CRUNCH-CRUNCH!

Boots ground against rubble, metal gear clattering as three auxiliaries advanced.

"Wait. This blue-skin has five fingers… Captain, he's not Na'vi—he's an Avatar!"

"Really? Confirm facial features."

"…Confirmed. Avatar—Jake Sully!"

"This fortune belongs to us all! Quickly, report to command!"

Chapter 548: Solar Breath

From the seamless bottom of the UFO, countless identical hatches suddenly opened, and soon a massive swarm of fighter jets poured out.

Because the UFO was so far above the ground, to Shiraori and the others, the jets looked like a swarm of insects spilling forth.

But they were no ordinary people. Even from several kilometers away, they could clearly make out the true forms of those jets.

"What are those things now?"

Ariel stared up at the densely packed fighter jets, her eyes filled with fear. For a moment, she wanted nothing more than to flee from this place.

If not for knowing that Gülied was acting as backup, she wouldn't have been able to suppress her terror and remain in place.

When Mirei Shinohara had explained the ancient ruins to Ariel earlier, she only mentioned the robots, war chariots, the UFO, and the G-Meteor.

She hadn't shared any other details. After all, she and Shiraori still had their eyes on the GMA Bomb, so she didn't want anyone else focusing too much attention on it.

As for why Ariel didn't question her explanation, it was simply because the urgency of the situation left her no time to think about inconsistencies. Otherwise, it would've been difficult for Mirei and Shiraori to explain how they knew so much.

Ariel had already judged the UFO to be highly dangerous, but after seeing these fighter jets, that danger level rose exponentially.

Once they emerged from the UFO, the fighter jets immediately descended toward Shiraori and the others on the ground.

At their speed, it wouldn't take long before the two sides clashed.

"These are fighter jets, a type of extremely powerful aerial combat weapon. Be careful of the energy projectiles they fire."

Having some knowledge of fighter jets, Mirei quickly warned Ariel. As for the Wind Dragon nearby, she didn't bother to explain anything to him.

Compared to the utterly terrified Ariel and Wind Dragon, Mirei and Shiraori appeared relatively calm.

Although Appraisal had already revealed that the UFO contained tens of thousands of robots and war chariots—and even more fighter jets—actually seeing them made their scalps tingle despite their composure.

And this was only the first wave. The main forces of robots and chariots hadn't even appeared yet.

Even so, Mirei wasn't overly concerned. To her, only the G-Meteor, the GMA Bomb, and the UFO itself were things she couldn't handle. As for these fighter jets and other small fry, no matter how many there were, she was confident she could deal with them.

For others, sheer numbers backed by solid quality might be overwhelming for any single individual to face.

But not for Mirei.

After all, her greatest specialty was wide-area and group attacks.

And with her bug-like innate skill, "Solar Sovereignty," her attack energy would never run dry. The power of the sun was infinite, and borrowing it cost her nothing. Even spamming large-scale area attacks endlessly wouldn't be a problem.

Hearing Mirei's words, and seeing the jets drawing ever closer, Ariel didn't say anything further and instead launched her own attack.

At first, Shiraori and Mirei worried the fighter jets might possess a mysterious barrier like the war chariots that nullified energy-based attacks. But after testing them with magic, they finally relaxed.

The following moments were filled with deafening crashes as fighter jets were blasted from the sky one after another.

But there were simply too many. No matter how many they shot down, in the face of such an endless swarm, their efforts seemed insignificant.

"Damn it, there are too many! Why hasn't Gülied come back yet? It shouldn't take this long to deal with just one weapon!"

After taking down several more jets with her cloth-like appendages, Ariel finally snapped, voicing her frustration at Gülied's delayed return.

In her mind, eliminating the G-Meteor shouldn't have taken him more than a minute.

But now, nearly ten minutes had passed, and there was still no sign of his return.

"The great one must have been held up by something. I've already called for other clansmen to come help. We just need to hold out—Lord Gülied will surely return!"

Even as he bled under the assault of the fighter jets, the Wind Dragon still held absolute faith in Gülied, convinced he would come back.

Unfortunately, before the fighter jets had even appeared, Gülied had already been trapped in space by one of D's calls.

...

"Not good!"

Mirei Shinohara suddenly cried out, her previously calm expression shifting in alarm. Hearing her, Shiraori's face also tightened, instantly realizing what had happened.

As for Ariel and the Wind Dragon, they instinctively looked toward the UFO high above—and soon saw a sight that made their hearts sink.

A large number of fighter jets had split off and were heading toward the human nations around the wilderness. At the same time, more robots and war chariots continued to pour out of the UFO.

These weren't just ground units, but flying robots as well. Their numbers could only be described as blotting out the sky.

Once they landed, most of the robots and war chariots scattered in all directions alongside the fighter jets.

For Mirei and Shiraori, this was unacceptable. Since Eriri had reincarnated into this world, if these machines invaded human nations, her safety would no longer be guaranteed.

That was the last thing they wanted to see happen.

So their first priority was clear: prevent the fighter jets, robots, and war chariots from leaving this wilderness.

Without hesitation, Mirei and Shiraori broke off from their current battle and sped toward the largest concentrations of robots.

Though urgent, this was still within their expectations. There was no panic, no despair.

"Mirei, it's up to you now."

As they closed in on a vanguard unit of robots, Shiraori spoke solemnly to her.

Hearing her, Mirei raised her dragon head proudly. Her cute dragon face carried a very humanlike confidence.

"Hmph, just watch me!"

She soared ahead of the robotic forces and began drawing on the maximum amount of solar power she could muster.

Then, from her mouth erupted a massive breath attack carrying unbearable heat, engulfing an enormous swath of land.

This was Mirei's strongest attack, her full power unleashed—and it instantly erased everything within tens of thousands of meters ahead. Robots, fighter jets, and even the war chariots that once ignored energy attacks all turned to ash under the sun's wrath. The so-called immunity rule was completely broken.

With just one strike, thousands of machines were obliterated. Ariel and the Wind Dragon, struggling to fend off fighter jets nearby, froze in shock at the sight.

Only after taking another barrage of energy projectiles did they snap back, with the Wind Dragon paying the price of a deep, penetrating wound.

But this was the terrifying part—Mirei's strongest strike wasn't a one-time move. It was repeatable. And this was exactly why Shiraori believed that once Gülied dealt with the G-Meteor, he wouldn't need to interfere with the rest.

Next, Ariel and the Wind Dragon watched in disbelief as Mirei finished off one vanguard force, then immediately flew to another group without lingering.

To delay the robot armies' advance, she summoned massive earthen giants using her Five Elements Manipulation, directing them to smash into enemies from all sides.

Though her own energy limited how many giants she could summon, it was still enough to buy time.

Meanwhile, Mirei herself reached another robot formation and unleashed her Solar Breath again—another massive swath of machines was wiped out.

While Mirei was devastating the battlefield with her wide-range attacks, Shiraori also unleashed her Evil Eyes and magic, tearing through the robotic armies without restraint.

But Shiraori's stamina was nowhere near Mirei's. Before long, she could no longer maintain her Evil Eyes.

So, she finally acted on the idea she'd had back in the ruins—she snapped off one of her forelegs, bound it with her threads, and forged it into a massive reaper's scythe.

Without even pausing to appraise its stats, she grabbed the weapon and launched into physical attacks against the remaining war chariots.

Meanwhile, after dozens of round trips and unleashing Solar Breath at full power dozens of times, Mirei had reduced an army of over a hundred thousand robots to fewer than ten thousand, clustered beneath the UFO.

And now, it wasn't just Ariel and the Wind Dragon staring in shock—many more Wind Dragons had arrived, called in by their leader. Though they had cleared the skies of fighter jets and destroyed many robots, they had taken heavy losses.

Still, with Mirei's strength, the remaining machines could be finished off with just a few more breaths.

It was then that a spatial ripple appeared not far from Ariel. Two human figures emerged from the warp.

Though her attention was still fixed on Mirei, Ariel immediately sensed their arrival. When she saw one of their faces, her brows furrowed.

"Dustin… What is the Pope of the Word of God Church doing here?"

"My apologies. For suddenly appearing before you without warning, I beg your forgiveness."

The elderly man in ornate ceremonial robes showed no displeasure at her sharp words, his face carrying a kindly smile.

Unaware of the current battlefield situation—his back to the robot remnants—he nevertheless noticed the wreckage of countless fighter jets and machines around Ariel. Clearly, things were dire.

"Perhaps there have been grudges between us, but for the sake of dealing with this crisis, might we call a temporary truce?"

Glancing at the remains of the robots, then at the UFO looming above, Dustin made his proposal with a smile.

"There's no need. We don't need you here. Best you go back where you came from."

Ariel's tone was blunt, offering not a shred of courtesy. Having said her piece, she turned away, focusing again on Mirei.

At that moment, Mirei was beginning another Solar Breath.

Curious at Ariel's gaze, Dustin turned to look as well—and his eyes widened. In the distance, he saw Mirei spew forth a blazing torrent of solar fire, reducing thousands of robots and war chariots to ash.

The Pope's ever-gentle smile faltered.

"What kind of monster is that?"

"I don't know—how should I?" Ariel shot back, giving him no explanation.

She had overheard Mirei call herself a pure-blood dragon earlier when intimidating the Wind Dragon, but she had no intention of sharing that with Dustin.

Rebuffed, Dustin could only fall silent, watching Mirei's overwhelming display.

...

After wiping out yet another robot battalion, Mirei finally sighed in relief at the sight of only a few thousand enemies remaining.

To stop the machines from leaving the wilderness, she had been rushing about endlessly, dousing fires on every front. It had exhausted her.

But the results were good.

She handled wide-scale annihilation while Shiraori mopped up what slipped through. Between them, not a single fighter jet or robot had escaped. Eriri's safety was secure.

Now, only one last Solar Breath was needed. Once these final robots were gone, the only task remaining would be to deal with the UFO itself.

Without delay, Mirei soared toward the last gathering of machines and began concentrating solar power.

Bit by bit, terrifying energy pooled within her, flowing into her mouth until it condensed into one final breath.

But just as she was about to unleash it upon the robots, spatial ripples burst open in their midst. Two golden-haired, sharp-eared elf men appeared.

They didn't even have time to take in their surroundings before the searing Solar Breath engulfed them—instantly vaporizing them where they stood.

Chapter 303: We Call It “Ultra-Efficient”

The Fallen Star Lance, carrying unimaginable energy, shot from the Solar System at near-infinite speed and struck the star of the Trisolaran system.

From a broader astronomical perspective, it seemed as if a red beam of light directly connected the Sun to Alpha Centauri.

On the fleeing Natural Selection, and aboard pursuing ships like Blue Space and Ultimate Law, crews momentarily forgot their duties.

They stared blankly out the portholes, watching the crimson radiance extend from the Solar System into the deep void, piercing into the Trisolaran home system, into Alpha Centauri itself.

At that moment, the Trisolaran homeworld was orbiting one of the three suns.

The lance struck the star directly, tearing open a massive rift across its photosphere and convective layer—a hole wide enough to fit ten Jupiters side by side.

By Setsuna's deliberate design, the strike landed on the ecliptic plane.

From the Trisolaran planet, one could see a blindingly bright spot appear on their sun's surface. Radiation from deep within the star poured through the rupture, penetrating the photosphere, convection zone, and chromosphere, shining directly onto the planet.

Exposed to the stellar blaze, life on the surface was seared within seconds.

And that was only the beginning.

The onboard AI had precisely calculated the Fallen Star Lance's trajectory.

The beam completely pierced through the star, leaving a gaping void.

Then, in perfect alignment, it struck another star 6,000 AU away.

From a distance, it resembled a string of candied fruit.

The two shattered stars spewed massive amounts of stellar matter through the ruptures, fountains of flame shooting into space.

From the planet below, the sun appeared to sprout a magnificent fire tree.

"This is…"

The surviving Trisolarans on the homeworld trembled as the fire tree drew closer and closer.

In moments, surface temperatures soared past 5,000 degrees Celsius.

Apart from military fortifications and a handful of expeditionary warships, most cities were melted and scorched.

Billions of Trisolarans, unable to seek refuge, were desiccated in an instant. Their bodies dehydrated into thin sheets before burning away, turning to ash in the extreme heat.

The planet's surface ignited into raging infernos, magma overflowing.

Deep beneath the surface, near the core, lay the last line of defense—massive shelters built to withstand extreme astronomical disasters, reinforced with every available technology, even Droplet-level strong interaction materials.

For now, the shelters could resist the surface heat. Scientists frantically calculated the unfolding catastrophe.

At their technological level, Trisolarans could survive most Chaotic Era disasters.

If they endured this calamity, with the supplies and technology within the shelters, civilization could be rebuilt in short order.

But throughout millions of years of the Trisolaran system's evolution, through countless cycles of civilizations, none had ever faced the simultaneous destruction of two stars.

This was far worse than the Fixed Soaring Star.

It was not a natural disaster, but man-made—an assault from a higher civilization.

Their quantum computers simulated for several seconds before producing the unsurprising, yet utterly despairing conclusion:

"Supreme Leader, no life in this star system will survive this strike."

"Even the newly-launched refugee fleet will not escape the system."

Half an hour later—

The blazing fire tree engulfed the Trisolaran homeworld in its orbit. The planet was, in effect, running inside the star itself.

Oceans of magma consumed everything, eroding from the surface into the crust.

Ships in the atmosphere warped and melted, collapsing into streams of molten metal.

Underground shelters became blazing tombs, their temperature regulation destroyed, the interior searing beyond ten thousand degrees.

Orbital space cities, their systems failing, were dragged into the star by gravity.

By then, no life remained on the planet. The Trisolaran world was no more.

The two ruptured stars, after briefly spewing their matter into space, approached their end.

The immense energy contained in the Fallen Star Lance fractured their outer shells, beginning a collapse inward.

One after another, the stars exploded, each eruption more violent than a supernova.

In the vacuum, there was no sound—only the sight of the stars swelling thousands of times before shattering. Shockwaves and radiation ripped everything in the system into fragments.

Thousands of refugee ships, barely having escaped the scorching from the stars and just beginning their flight, were torn apart by the violent spatial upheavals.

The third star, slightly farther away, was struck by the shockwave of the first two explosions. Its outer layer cracked, then it too collapsed, triggering a third explosion.

After three stellar detonations—

Only one larger star remained, collapsing into a black hole.

Stellar matter and broken planets, along with the wreckage of ships, formed a vast accretion disk around it, like a gray graveyard.

The system finally stabilized. The three-body problem was resolved—

By the complete destruction of its three suns and the Trisolaran civilization.

Utterly efficient.

Every planet in the system was destroyed. Within the gravity well of the stars, not a single survivor remained.

Three supernova-scale eruptions obliterated all life in the system—whether on planets, in space cities, or aboard fleeing ships.

Only an extremely small number of vessels that had already been outside the system before the strike managed to escape.

The First Trisolaran Fleet, which had departed for the Solar System two hundred years ago, was similarly spared.

But they soon received another message from the sophons.

This was merely a casual strike launched by the Eternal Snowfall from the Solar System against the Trisolaran system.

The Starsea Empire commanded more than two hundred FTL starships, each equipped with weapons capable of shattering planets, and they were departing from the Solar System—coming for them.

...

The First Fleet's maximum speed was ten percent of light. The fleeing civilian ships were even slower.

Their enemy exceeded light speed.

And the Empire's leader had issued an order chilling in its simplicity:

[Cleanse all alien civilizations within two hundred light-years.]

"..."

The fleet commander turned back, gazing toward their lost homeworld.

They had spent two hundred years traveling four and a half light-years.

The Starsea Empire's fleet could arrive to intercept them in less than twenty minutes.

A deep sorrow and helplessness welled up within.

The Trisolarans had long since understood the Dark Forest principle.

The universe was crowded—each civilization a hunter, gun in hand, moving through the dark woods.

At the slightest sound, someone would always fire toward its source.

Now, into the Dark Forest had stepped a hunter unlike any other.

If other civilizations were hunters with guns, this one was a star destroyer looming high above the forest.

No movement within the forest could escape its gaze.

"..."

The fleet commander stared at the star map, dazed.

Within two hundred light-years, surely many spacefaring civilizations existed. They believed themselves well hidden, having mastered the laws of survival.

But to the Starsea Empire, it meant nothing.

Sub-light civilizations could only kneel like insects, praying for the invader's mercy, hoping a fragment of their fireseed might be spared.

"Many stars will be extinguished…"

The commander of the First Trisolaran Fleet looked out into the distant starlight and spoke softly.

...

The annihilation of the Trisolaran system, projected in real-time by the Eternal Snowfall, spread across Earth and to every remaining starship in the Solar System.

People instinctively looked up. In the night sky, the familiar triple star still looked the same.

That was starlight from four years ago.

If not for the Eternal Snowfall, they wouldn't even know what had happened within the Trisolaran homeworld.

No one doubted the authenticity of the projection—the sophons had confirmed it.

Four years later, humanity on Earth would be able to witness with the naked eye the most spectacular sight in history: three suns exploding. Astronomers would record how Alpha Centauri was detonated, shattered, and collapsed into a black hole, and through it glimpse the true might of the Fallen Star Lance.

By then, the Trisolaran civilization would already have been extinguished for over 1,500 days.

This was how an FTL civilization demonstrated its power—directly, undeniably.

While sub-light civilizations were still planning wars, defenses, or flights, every move they made was laid bare before the enemy.

On astronomical scales, the strike arrived instantly.

Such FTL attacks, crossing several light-years—or even dozens—were unavoidable.

For most civilizations, they would realize what was happening only in the final instant of their destruction.

What they could observe would only be the faint afterimage of the Eternal Snowfall from years earlier.

"..."

On the Eternal Snowfall's bridge, UN officials fell silent. On Earth, ordinary people froze. Even aboard the fleeing Natural Selection, silence reigned.

Scientists stared wide-eyed at the holographic display, desperate to extract useful information.

But Earth's basic sciences had been locked down by sophons for over 200 years. Even on a popular science level, they struggled to understand the structure of an FTL starship or the Fallen Star Lance.

On Earth, people first looked blankly at the sky.

Alpha Centauri was still there.

Many hoped it was all just a cruel prank by the Eternal Snowfall—some movie-like special effect meant to frighten them.

The sophons quickly shattered that illusion.

It was all real. In four years' time, every person would be able to see with their own eyes the Trisolaran homeworld's destruction.

Then—

Earth fell into chaos, disorder, and division.

Before churches, masses of believers knelt, crossing themselves, murmuring prayers.

"Lord, forgive us, save us…"

"Deliver us from such heavenly punishment…"

Millions of fanatics prostrated toward the Sun—toward the Eternal Snowfall's position.

"Savior!!!"

"The one who saved the world!!!"

"Humanity's hero!!!"

They paid no mind to the fact that Setsuna had just destroyed the United Fleet, wiping out humanity's entire space force.

Some were simply elated at the Trisolarans' annihilation; others were opportunists.

Since the Starsea Empire would replace the Trisolarans in ruling Earth, just as the ETO had once pledged allegiance to Trisolaris, so too would collaborators emerge—hoping to seize a share when society was rebuilt and power reshuffled.

Meanwhile, doubt and fear spread among humanity.

"The Trisolarans had already surrendered. Why did he insist on exterminating them?"

"Couldn't humanity and the Trisolaran civilization coexist peacefully? They even offered us the Droplet as a gift…"

"Tyrant!!! Inhuman tyrant!! If he exterminated the Trisolarans, he'll do the same to us!!"

"Dictator!!!"

Differing stances ignited fierce conflict across Earth.

Pacifists, opportunists, collaborators, bleeding hearts, spiritual Trisolarans—all sides clashed in chaos.

Information was processed by AI and relayed back to the Eternal Snowfall.

Officials felt exasperated.

With a star destroyer parked at the Sun, was this really the time for infighting??!

Setsuna chuckled. He wasn't surprised by humanity's petty squabbles.

He ordered the AI to switch to another surveillance feed.

"...Human thought is very diverse, please don't take offense..."

The Secretary-General cautiously apologized.

"No big deal."

Setsuna shrugged, turning away from the main console.

His gaze swept across the gathered officials.

"I don't care about the opinions of ants."

"Out of regard for us being the same species, I grant you the right to survive—but from now on, there will be no next time."

His voice was steady, decisive, carrying an oppressive authority that brooked no rebuttal.

Those officials, veterans of political maneuvering who thought themselves masters of power, couldn't help trembling.

In the face of absolute power, there was no room for tricks or deceit.

After witnessing the extinction of the Trisolaran civilization, everyone realized—the Eternal Snowfall was now a sword of Damocles hanging over Earth. A single misstep meant total annihilation.

Once the shuttle returned them to Earth—

Under the command of the Angeloid, governments began reconstruction.

Whether people liked it or not, from then on, the Solar System would fall under the management of the Starsea Empire.

All armed forces of the UN, nations, regions, and private sectors were fully confiscated.

Aside from small numbers of security personnel, Earth was forbidden from possessing or manufacturing any weapons—including fighters, tanks, and firearms.

Setsuna's governance of humanity in the Solar System was essentially "free-range."

No technological aid would be provided, nor would resources be extracted. Only the basic social order was maintained—to ensure humans caused no trouble.

The Empire's focus lay on researching laws-level weapons and other alien civilizations. Compared to that, the Solar System's trifling resources were insignificant.

Even so—

Everyone understood. A new era had arrived—

The era of Starsea Empire rule.

...

...

East Asia Administrative Zone.

Shi Qiang drove Luo Ji all the way to New Life Village No. 5.

With the United Fleet destroyed, the Starsea Empire taking over Earth, and the Trisolaran civilization annihilated—

Luo Ji's duties as a Wallfacer had ended.

With the new order forming, some chaos in human society was inevitable, though overall things remained under control.

After crushing uprisings and riots, the Angeloid mostly withdrew to the Eternal Snowfall, heading off to assist Bulin in constructing a starbase.

Management of Earth was handed back to humans.

Compared to the Trisolaran extinction policy, Luo Ji found the Starsea Empire far more lenient.

They simply didn't care about humanity. So long as no trouble was made, people were free to live as they pleased.

Aside from the confiscation of weapons and spaceships, life would see little change.

Screech—

As the car stopped, Da Shi frowned.

"Something feels off."

A crowd surrounded them. On everyone's clothes, holographic displays showed Luo Ji's portrait.

With devout expressions, they knelt before him.

"Lord! Save us!"

The leader spoke first, sparking a chorus.

"Deliver us from the alien invaders!"

"Great Speaker, uphold cosmic justice!"

"Use your curse to save humanity and Earth's freedom!!!"

"???"

Luo Ji was dumbfounded.

The Trisolarans were finished. He didn't consider himself responsible for saving humanity.

After a moment, he reacted, testing cautiously:

"The curse worked?"

"Yes."

The leader nodded.

"Fifty-one years ago, star 187J3X1 was destroyed. We observed it a year ago."

"When the United Fleet was annihilated by the Starsea Empire, in despair, some sought hope in history. They remembered you, and your curse."

"They checked the star—and found it gone."

"..."

Luo Ji nodded, unsurprised.

A few zealots even knelt to kiss his feet.

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Use your curse to defeat the invading Starsea Empire!!! Destroy that moon-sized ship!!"

The crowd erupted, united in discontent with the Starsea Empire.

With the United Fleet obliterated, they placed their hope on the former Wallfacer.

"..."

Luo Ji lifted his gaze skyward.

A few Starsea Empire ships, flying in protective formation, passed over Earth. Their trails burned across the night.

In a flash, their FTL drives ignited, radiating brilliant white light before vanishing into the horizon.

"It's useless."

After a pause, Luo Ji shook his head, displeased at being put on the spot.

"Forget it."

"In this universe, 'the curse' does not apply to them."

...

Chapter 302: Emanator of Preservation? Your Sins Are Heavy

Rumble—Rumble—Rumble—

Countless golden chips, like a meteor shower, collided with the onrushing tide of black beasts. Brilliant explosions of energy burst across the deep space outside Pier Point, dazzling like fireworks.

The range of the explosions was vast, enough to cover dozens of Pier Point-sized planets beneath a cosmic canopy.

However, most of this destruction was not caused by Aventurine himself. The Ten Stonehearts drew their power through the authority of the Emanators, and that authority was linked to the Path of Preservation.

Thus, in truth, the one dealing destruction to the black beast tide was Qlipoth.

The Aeon of Preservation, holding a great hammer as he built the Subspace Crystalline Barrier, cast only a brief glance toward Pier Point.

After that single glance, He resumed hammering away, faster than before—the speed of construction of the Subspace Crystalline Barrier had increased severalfold.

He was not doing nothing. He was exerting himself fully, drawing in the forces radiating across galaxies under the Path of Preservation, suppressing the power of another universe, and gathering all forces—even those he could not comprehend—toward Himself.

This was one of the functions of the Subspace Crystalline Barrier core: to attract all forces that threatened Preservation itself, to be struck down and destroyed there.

Preservation is survival, protection, safeguarding.

Ensuring the safety and continuation of the universe was his ultimate purpose in practicing Preservation.

As long as that final purpose was not threatened, He would not interfere with anything else. At most, He would cast a single glance.

But now, the entire universe was suffering invasion from another universe.

It threatened the survival of the cosmos itself, and thus he acted without hesitation.

The Great Attractor was already the largest structure in the universe—a cosmic-scale formation guiding the motion of billions of galaxies.

Though he altered the structure only at a macroscopic level, it was still sufficient to suppress sources of power at stellar-class and above.

Within the Star Rail Universe, having cloaked his aura under the fabric of cosmology itself, the Abyssal Monarch Aether gazed toward the first Aeon to take action: Preservation.

"The first, but not the last."

"Aeons are the most obstinate of existences. Their ideals are absolute, wholly devoted to carrying out the philosophies they embrace."

"The Abyss threatens survival, disrupts balance, destroys civilization's harmony, alters the cosmos' finality, and corrupts its voracity…"

Every Path was affected, and so every Aeon would descend.

And when that happened, he would face war with them all.

Yet at that time, he feared he might not be able to match more than a dozen Aeons—even with the Pseudo Star Map Creation.

Were it only standard single-universe gods, even dozens would not trouble him.

But Aeons were different. They were executors of Laws, their weight of power nearly indistinguishable from that of Cosmology itself.

"Do not worry. Devour the universe as planned. At most, you will face only a few Aeons."

Noah's voice echoed within Aether's mind.

Aether steadied himself. If Lord Heavenly Principle said so, then there could be no problem.

Noah, across the vast distance between two great universes, cast his gaze upon the stratagems he had unleashed for this tide of black beasts.

In Penacony, Sparkle idly toyed with her family members, stirring up trivial entertainments.

She now sat upon a high chair, swinging her legs as she watched the live broadcasts issued by the Interastral Peace Corporation.

Although Penacony had not yet been swept by the black beast tide, panic already gripped the people, sparked by IPC's news. The patriarchs of the great families strove desperately to prevent chaos from worsening, while preparing for interstellar refugees fleeing from other galaxies.

Meanwhile, because of the Stellaron Hunters, the Astral Express crew had successfully reached the Xianzhou Luofu. They were ferried to safety by the Ministry of Navigations' merchant vessel under Tingyun's guidance.

Now, six world-class flagships of the Xianzhou Alliance had gathered, consolidating all the Alliance's strength and standing ready.

Because of this, the Stellaron Hunters, bound to Elio's script, were immediately surrounded by six generals the moment they arrived aboard the Luofu—and conveniently captured for questioning.

For now, they were kept in the Shackling Prison, treated with good food and drink.

The reason was simple: with the universe on the brink of an unknown catastrophe, the Stellaron Hunters—each of them infamous across the galaxy—might prove useful at a critical moment.

After all, when faced with a common enemy, even bitter rivals would join hands.

Thus, the Astral Express crew naturally could not leave either.

The Xianzhou Alliance was not near the regions where the black beast tide had erupted, and so remained safe for the moment. But hearing that the IPC headquarters, Pier Point, had already fallen and was on the verge of destruction left the entire Alliance drenched in cold sweat.

The Alliance was not much weaker than the IPC, but certainly no stronger.

And they had, after all, been invited by Pier Point itself—they knew exactly what that place represented.

To destroy Pier Point would take no fewer than three Xianzhou-class vessels combined, and even then, those ships would be lost in the process.

The Alliance, however, had only six vessels.

Whereas the Interastral Peace Corporation spanned countless galaxies.

If the six ships were destroyed, the Xianzhou Alliance would be annihilated.

Himeko looked at the high-ranking officials of the Alliance who had come to meet them and sighed, knowing full well what kind of discussions would follow.

Meanwhile, Firefly stood at the side. She was an Emanator. Though her companions had been detained, the Alliance was unwilling to spark a war with her and thus did not restrain her freedom. She, on the other hand, could hardly abandon her companions and walk away. A compromise had to be made.

Besides, it had been the Stellaron Hunters who acted first.

Even so, for Stelle, the casual familiarity shown by this mysterious Stellaron Hunter left her a little dumbfounded.

...

At Pier Point—

Shortly after Oswaldo Schneider, the Emanator of Preservation, unleashed his galaxy-level might—

A power of equal magnitude erupted from a rent in space.

An Abyssal Apostle stepped forth from the torn space, fixing a playful gaze upon the sweat-drenched Oswaldo Schneider.

"Hehehe… An Emanator of Preservation? Preservation? How ironic. If you truly walk the Path of Preservation, then why are you so thickly enshrouded in the curses of Alaya and Gaia?"

"Oh… you don't understand? In other words—your body is bound in the maledictions of life itself, in the grief of the world."

"You… your sins are heavy."

The Abyssal Apostle gazed at Oswaldo Schneider, the Emanator of Preservation burdened with such overwhelming sins and curses, and spoke.

Even one such as he, who specialized in capturing and imprisoning evil gods of the main universe, could not help but be astonished.

The worst sinner he had ever apprehended before was merely a demon king who destroyed several large planes and a few hundred ordinary ones.

Such a sin, in the Teyvat Universe, was already rare enough to stir the notice of several divine collectives in the main universe, placing that demon king among the top ten most sinful.

Yet compared to the man before him, that demon king was less than dust.

The curses of Alaya and the hatred of Gaia upon him were far too overwhelming. Even the collective sins of an entire divine pantheon in the Teyvat main universe might not compare.

And this was but one man.

Judging by the weight of his sins alone, at minimum, he had affected the rise and fall of tens of millions of galaxies, perhaps wiping out an entire galaxy with the mere flick of a finger.

Oswaldo Schneider had once been a Nameless follower of the Aeon of Trailblaze, Akivili.

But during the Swarm Disaster, Akivili's performance paled before that of the Preservation Aeon, Qlipoth, who had slain the Aeon of Propagation, Tayzzyronth, with three strikes of His hammer.

Witnessing that universe-shaking sight, Oswaldo Schneider became a fervent zealot of Qlipoth.

After Akivili's mysterious fall, he did not hesitate to join the Interastral Peace Corporation. His fanatical devotion drew Qlipoth's gaze.

It was then that he became an Emanator of Preservation.

He established the Marketing Development Department, endlessly spreading Qlipoth's greatness across the universe, conducting ruthless commercial conquests, and supplying materials to build Qlipoth's Subspace Crystalline Barrier through plunder.

Minerals from across the universe flowed, at his command, to Qlipoth's domain.

Though his methods were meaningless to Qlipoth, the Aeon's silence convinced Oswaldo Schneider that He desired more materials, even rewarding him in approval.

Thus he grew more unrestrained. To obtain minerals, he would not hesitate to annihilate all intelligent life on a planet.

Of course, as the Interastral Peace Corporation valued its reputation, such deeds were never done openly.

Instead, he incited conflict within planetary civilizations, driving them to slaughter one another, until at last the IPC would arrive as a supposed savior to reap both the world and its new laborers.

"You monsters… can you actually speak?" Oswaldo looked at the monster, his equal in power, in astonishment.

Then he calmed. This tide of black beasts was nothing more than the vanguard of another universe.

Just as with this universe's Swarm Disaster—the first to appear were always the countless small insect swarms.

The Abyssal Apostle raised a hand. Abyssal power swirled in his palm, coalescing into a vortex that could obliterate a galaxy with its detonation.

Yet the control was exquisite. At galaxy-class might, He could destroy a meteor without disturbing a star.

An Emanator, by contrast, wielded borrowed authority of the Path—not painstakingly cultivated mastery. Their control lagged far behind.

"I've no intention of wasting words with you. After all, villains fall to their own boasting. Though, I hardly consider myself a villain."

"So then, I'll claim this glorious merit for myself."

The Apostle struck. The Abyssal power expanded, a vortex ballooning in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, it formed a gravitational anomaly rivaling the core of a galaxy's black hole.

"Kill me? Hahahaha… I am the Emanator of the Supreme Amber Lord! All that I am belongs to the Amber Lord!"

"All to the Amber Lord—hahahaha!"

Oswaldo Schneider unleashed the full might of an Emanator of Preservation. The Path of Preservation flooded into his body.

The eruption of his power began to shake even the great galaxies surrounding the Pier Point Galaxy.

Such power, placed in the main universe of Teyvat, would stand tall among the God-King tier—not a weakling by any means, easily ranking within the top hundred.

At that moment, a phantom larger than an entire galaxy manifested, serving as the backdrop of the cosmos.

This was the resonance of the Path, a ripple of Law caused when an Emanator fully unleashed the authority of their Path.

Though the Emanator's power was not his own, it was borrowed authority—enough to stir the echo of the Path and draw forth endless force.

Moreover, Qlipoth was already suppressing the Abyssal power, forcing all galaxies within his radiance to bear the heavy weight of his restraint.

This was akin to a domain ability. Within this range, all Abyssal energy flows slowed to a crawl, and the strength of Abyssal creatures was diminished by half or more.

An unseen shackle enveloped two-thirds of the cosmos.

Such was the burden of fighting on foreign ground—within another's domain, one was bound, hindered, weighed down with countless negative debuffs, no matter how strong they were.

Yet this suppression could only last so long. After all, the Abyss was the dark half of the universe itself.

How could the power of the universe suppress its own other side? Such a feat was as impossible as lifting oneself by one's own hands.

Light blazed like a supernova, illuminating the Pier Point Galaxy. Layer upon layer of thin membranes expanded outward.

From the outside, it resembled countless soap bubbles forming one after another. In the blink of an eye, more than seventy percent of the Abyssal beasts were annihilated by the eruption.

Only Abyssal monsters at True God level or higher survived. Yet it was not just the Abyssal beasts—many life-bearing planets under the IPC were also shattered. Tens of thousands of planetery civilizations were wiped out in an instant.

The Abyssal Apostle was momentarily stunned. "Even your own people you would destroy?" He shook His head and muttered.

"The curses of Alaya and the hatred of Gaia deepen still further."

"In that case, let those very curses drag you into the Abyss, hehehe…"

"The Abyss needs talents such as you."

As a God-King-class Abyssal Devil, he excelled at igniting such debuffs, driving enemies to their own destruction.

Clap—Clap—

The Apostle clapped his hands.

Abyssal power surged forth, igniting the darkness within both the Pier Point Galaxy and Oswaldo Schneider himself.

Chapter 55: The Terrifying Shikotsumyaku

Like a natural disaster given form by storm and thunder.

Four dragon-shaped tempests wrapped around the land covered in a forest of bones, lifting it high into the sky.

At the same time, the four storm dragons raging up and down underwent a new transformation. After circling the lifted bone forest several times, they spread outward, weaving a curtain of wind centered on Suzuki's island.

Then, the four storm dragons entwined together and spiraled skyward. With their movement, the entire sky's clouds were stirred into a colossal vortex, and even the drifting thunderclouds in the distance were drawn in, converging toward the swirling storm.

Boom… boom… boom…

The muffled roar of thunder echoed within the clouds. Natural thunder, born of heaven and earth, was something utterly different from chakra-born lightning—neither in scale nor destructive power could the latter compare.

"Fuse!"

From the four directions, Ranzuki shouted together. Raising their hands high, the storm dragons responded as if sensing the command, plunging into the clouds, swallowing cloud and lightning.

The storm dragons formed by sage chakra moved with extreme swiftness. Very quickly, they devoured one another and transformed into four fully manifested Arashi Dragons.

Once they had consumed the thunder of the heavens, the four Arashi Dragons turned their violet lightning-glowing eyes toward the bone forest below.

From Suzuki Kaguya's perspective within the bone forest, his gaze collided directly with that of one of the dragons.

In that instant!

Goosebumps erupted across Suzuki's back. Since becoming leader of the Kaguya clan, this was the first time he had felt fear—the sensation of something irresistible.

"Disappear." ×4

With Ranzuki's cold declaration, the four Arashi Dragons crashed down toward the bone forest mountain below.

At the moment of impact—utter silence.

...

The might of the Storm of the Gods could no longer be described. Its very existence transcended the limits of any technique.

From that silence burst countless rays of rainbow light, enough to pierce the deepest darkness.

These radiances were the ultimate fusion of Wind Release sage art and natural thunder. Spreading outward from the center, the rainbow-hued energy radiated in every direction, then rebounded continuously within the wind curtain's confinement.

Where the light passed, everything vanished like foam—air, the bone forest infused with dual-element transformation, even mountain rock.

All of it was annihilated beneath the rainbow light.

This terrifying sage art, enough to destroy shinobi villages or nations, was tightly confined by Ranzuki's wind curtain, forcing its energies to collide, overlap, and surge higher and higher.

At last, it formed a colossal rainbow pillar reaching from earth to sky.

No sound could pass through, for even the medium that carried sound had been completely obliterated.

"..."

From afar, in the midst of their chase, Ai Tachibana and Setsu Yuki widened their eyes in shock at the sight of the towering pillar of light.

In that eerie silence, both suddenly felt as though the battle no longer had meaning.

And Taki Tachibana, who had witnessed the technique directly, was completely stupefied.

When the pillar formed by the Storm of the Gods finally dissipated, the restraining wind curtain dispersed as well. With its disappearance, water currents and air from the surroundings rushed in to fill the void where all matter had been annihilated.

The surge of torrents and winds poured back toward the epicenter, even creating a second round of storm.

"Release."

Ranzuki dismissed her Shadow Clones, and a crushing fatigue and depletion of chakra rebounded onto her own body, nearly breaking her ability to maintain Sage Mode.

Though utterly exhausted, she still lifted her head confidently toward the raging storm gradually enveloping the bone forest.

No one could possibly survive such a technique—except Lady Satsuki.

Yet!

As the storm subsided, within the place that should have been completely annihilated by the rainbow light, a massive gray-black bone sphere floated in midair.

The sight made Ranzuki's heart jolt.

Even Taki Tachibana, relegated to the role of mere spectator, was filled with disbelief at what he saw.

"He actually blocked that move?"

"How is this possible…"

This time, it was finally Ranzuki's turn to utter the signature line.

But the perception of a Sage granted her clarity—Suzuki Kaguya, beneath the Storm of the Gods, was indeed still alive.

As the technique ended and the secondary tempest dispersed, Suzuki, within the bone sphere, could no longer endure.

Puh~

Blood spilled from Suzuki Kaguya's mouth.

"At least I managed to block it… but after forcefully stimulating the Shikotsumyaku, I won't last much longer."

But… I must protect my clan…

A glint of resolve flashed in his eyes.

Reaching into his robes, he pulled out another vial of medicine and downed it in one gulp. Once again, Suzuki catalyzed his Shikotsumyaku, his entire body sprouting gray-black bones that encased him under his bloodline control, forming a suit of skeletal armor.

One hand gripped a spear, the other held a shield. Fully armed.

Shikotsumyaku: Enma.

Encased in full armor, Suzuki leapt from the bone sphere. Guided by an inexplicable instinct, he appeared beside Ranzuki in a flash, thrusting his gray-black bone spear at her shocked face.

In that dire moment, the brilliant insight of her Tenseigan revealed the flaw in his attack. She dropped low, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike that threatened her life.

Just as she was about to counterattack, a surge of danger erupted in her heart, startling her into instinctively retreating.

Only after creating distance did Ranzuki notice the transformation before her. Staring at the changed Suzuki Kaguya, her heart sank.

"This form…"

The warning in her heart did not cease. Step by step, she was forced to retreat, while Suzuki pressed forward, reversing the roles of predator and prey.

Not a single wasted movement—every strike was precise, clean, and efficient, radiating a mastery of taijutsu beyond compare.

"So it's true… just as the scrolls said, he excels in taijutsu."

Over these past days, Ranzuki had taken pride in her taijutsu and even faced formidable experts like Ai Tachibana and Taki Tachibana. Yet Suzuki's style was entirely different. Where Ai was domineering and fierce, and Taki was sharp and fluid, Suzuki's technique perfectly countered her—someone with overwhelming physical power but lacking in refined experience.

From afar, Taki, still shaken by the Storm of the Gods, finally stirred, intending to help Ranzuki.

But the speed of the two fighters' clash was far beyond his reach. At his level, he could not intervene at all.

Realizing he would only be a burden, he decisively surged his Lightning Release chakra and retreated to regroup with Ai before returning to assist.

Ranzuki spared him only a glance before fixing her attention back on her opponent.

Suzuki's spear shadowed her every movement. Each step and dodge was already anticipated. Without the insight of her Tenseigan, she would already have been riddled with wounds.

Yet the ceaseless sense of danger gnawed at her.

From the moment she laid eyes on those gray-black bones, the alarm within her never stopped ringing.

There's something strange about these bones.

She dared not risk contact with them, forced only to evade. Even her vaunted speed at forming seals found no opening—Suzuki had pressed her down entirely.

In a sudden burst, Suzuki swept forward with a thrusting slash. Already perceiving the strike, Ranzuki tilted her head slightly, letting the bone spear graze past her cheek. She moved to counterattack—

"Dance of the False Cleavers."

Suzuki unleashed his secret dance, his movements accelerating to an unbelievable degree. He canceled the stiff delay of his sweep, withdrew his spear, and launched a storm of rapid thrusts at her.

Ranzuki, her Sage Mode and Tenseigan insight pushed to the limit, moved like a tightrope walker, weaving between the rain of blows. Miraculously, she evaded every strike.

Huff~~

His ragged breaths and the blood seeping from within his body were plain in her perception, bolstering her confidence. This was but the death throes of a man's body pushed beyond its limits. If she endured, his own body would collapse.

But Suzuki's expression did not change. Indifferent to his failing body, he wrung out his final strength, appearing behind her in an instant. The bone spear stabbed downward.

Her Tenseigan foresight already caught his intent, and she dashed forward to avoid it.

"As long as I dodge this, the rhythm of the fight is mine."

Yet this very movement made Suzuki smile faintly.

At the same moment, a sharp gray-black bone blade burst from her escape path.

A trap!

Ranzuki's heart lurched. She pushed her Tenseigan to the limit, but her body no longer had the stamina to avoid the carefully prepared ambush.

Shhk!

From below upward, the hidden bone spike pierced through her foot, pinning her in place.

The instant she was struck, a mysterious energy within the bone severed her body's flow of sage chakra. Her Sage Mode was forcibly dispelled.

Before she could even process it, death loomed—the reaper's scythe already descending from behind.

"Die!"

The whistling wind at her back sealed her fate. In that instant before death, time slowed in her Tenseigan's vision.

A blurred yet familiar figure appeared before her eyes.

That noble, merciless person—the very first face she had seen at birth.

An illusion? Ranzuki didn't know.

"But… to see you once more before death… that's enough."

She closed her eyes slowly, her chakra utterly dispersed, awaiting death.

...

Yet seconds passed, and the fatal strike never landed.

Instead, she felt a hand on her back, radiating immense power. That force expelled the strange energy from the gray bones.

Relief washed over her. Calming herself, she opened her eyes.

Before her stood a stunning woman of supreme nobility, long black hair flowing. With a single outstretched finger, she had effortlessly stopped the massive bone spear.

Ranzuki's eyes widened in disbelief. The woman turned her head slightly, golden eyes dazzling as they met hers.

"Next time, be more careful."

She spoke softly.

Chapter 142: Reassignment to Tokyo

[Tokyo Ghoul]

Tokyo Haneda International Airport.

Clang, clang.

A government jet belonging to the North American Commission of Counter Ghoul General Affairs Bureau stopped steadily on the runway. After several CCG agents wearing sunglasses disembarked, Vela, carrying a black-and-gold Quinque case, walked down the boarding ramp, lifting her head to gaze at the soft afternoon sunlight.

At the turn of summer and autumn in Tokyo, the golden wind brought coolness, the air was high and the horses fat—just the right season for a grand undertaking.

With one hand shielding her face, her indigo pupils narrowed against the radiating halo of light, tinged faintly with a golden hue.

…This time, I've prepared SS+ grade Quinques for you.

Mm, and everyone will always have one on hand.

Over on [Call of Duty], it's the establishment of the Humanoid Robotics Division and the Service Robotics Division, the [Supreme Control Protocol], Baghdad, the Mesopotamian region—indeed, the Middle East doesn't lack resources, enough for 'you' to manufacture.

But be wary of things like 'Sentinels'… It's not impossible that Mitchell's old company might stab you in the back later. Also, be cautious in production—don't let Atlas trigger some Skynet Judgment Day, a machine crisis, or an Iron Man rebellion.

The data on the Manticore bio-gene programming virus?

I don't need it here. But the "dragonization" of the One-Eyed King, the ghoul virus—I believe Arasaka, Militech (Vela's side), and Atlas should all have interest in the research, each with different technical analytical capabilities.

Prepare fallback options for me: stockpiled, ready-to-use weapons of mass destruction. Small-scale, conventional, and unconventional—have them all. Who knows, in this coming grand undertaking, some unexpected situation might make me decide to heat Tokyo up again, to drop a 'third nuclear'.

Overestimate the enemy.

Hopefully, I won't have to use it…

"Special Class Russell."

At the bottom of the boarding ramp, Akira Mado—formerly Vela's adjutant in the "Russell Squad"—who had been waiting for some time, quickly stepped forward to greet her as Vela descended slowly. Instinctively, she reached out, wanting to take the white dove-patterned overcoat draped over Vela's arm along with the Quinque case she carried.

But Vela pulled her hand back slightly.

"Eh?"

Akira blinked, dazed. "Ma'am?"

Looking at the blonde-haired, blue-eyed figure before her—black stockings, high heels, a pencil skirt, dressed like a mature city office lady—yet showing a faint expression of small grievance, Vela laughed heartily.

"You're already a Rank-1 Investigator, soon to be promoted to First Class and leading your own team. Letting you do adjutant chores again isn't suitable."

In the CCG, assistant investigators were logistical administrative staff doing odd jobs. Rank-3, Rank-2, and Rank-1 were all junior investigators—less officers than employees, climbing by seniority. Only after reaching First Class did one have true officer status, a squad of their own, command authority, and entry into the ranks of senior investigators.

After lightly embracing Akira with the arm holding her coat, Vela looked toward the group of investigators gathered behind her to welcome her.

Well-known faces: Marude Itsuki, with parted hair, hooked nose, high cheekbones, and a perpetually sharp expression when he smirked; Yukinori Shinohara, cropped hair, burly but kind-faced, radiating warmth; Iwao Kuroiwa, with thick brows, stern demeanor, and rarely a smile…

They were all senior investigators Vela had gotten to know and build rapport with during her four months stationed in Tokyo.

They were also supporters of Vela's initiatives: the [High Rc-Cell Synthesized Food for Ghoul Consumption Experiment], the [Ghoul Behavior Harmful/Harmless Distinction Act], and the large-scale Quinque mass production plan.

Even after she left Japan for over half a year to report back in North America, she had maintained steady communication with them.

"What a considerate superior, Russell…"

Marude opened his mouth. Though meant as a welcome and praise, coming from him it somehow sounded like sarcasm… Still, Vela understood his ways well enough not to mind, and directly shoved the black-and-gold case into his hands.

He froze for a moment.

"You hold it."

"Hah?"

Marude's displeasure was immediate.

"Akira's about to be promoted to First Class, not fit to do adjutant work. But me? I'm a Special Class, about to become Bureau Chief—so it's fine for me to do it?"

"Akira needs to build authority. You, Marude, what you need right now is to show your approachability, to connect with the people. I'm helping you."

Vela spoke without looking back.

"Really? How come I don't believe that?"

Though he said so, Marude still took hold of Vela's black-and-gold Quinque case.

After more than half a year apart, with only texts, emails, and online video calls in between, that sense of distance melted away with this casual yet intimate banter.

"So this is your SS+ grade [Black Abyss IV] composite Quinque?"

He tapped lightly on the black-gold case and asked.

"Mm."

Nodding, Vela walked up to Yukinori Shinohara—who was rubbing his forehead and smiling warmly as he watched her interaction with Marude—and extended her hand.

"Long time no see, Special Class Shinohara. Ready for a big campaign?"

"Of course."

After shaking hands, Shinohara's expression quickly grew serious.

"Special Class Russell, during the half-year you were away, the One-Eyed Owl resurfaced. Aogiri Tree attacked several of our branches. That damned beast still knows strategy and timing. Finding and utterly destroying them will be very difficult."

"Difficult tasks—that's exactly what our duty is, isn't it?"

Vela lifted her chin confidently and naturally stepped forward. "Special Class Kuroiwa."

She reached out her hand to Iwao Kuroiwa, who stood tall and exuded a rugged aura.

"You're right. Even Special Class Arima can't be everywhere at once. We do need ace combat power like Special Class Russell here, a fresh force to lead surprise strikes. The One-Eyed Owl—even if I have to sacrifice this old body, I will banish it to honor the spirits of our fallen comrades!"

Lightly clasping Vela's fingertips, the seasoned investigator spoke without concern for saving face.

To him, strength was strength, weakness was weakness—plain to see. Vela was stronger than him. In management, she had trained in multiple tactical and military divisions across North America, even spent time with Germany's GFG. Not only could she handle ghoul cases, but she was also adept in both strategy and combat, capable of leading them in purging ghouls. That was enough.

Factional struggles, petty politics for face and profit—those were beneath his concern.

"There will be a chance. My mission this time is precisely to cut down Aogiri Tree and eliminate that One-Eyed Owl that's troubled us for more than a decade."

Vela spoke with a proud, confident smile—but beneath it, Kuroiwa caught a sharper, colder glint. His years of hunting ghouls told him that it was the merciless blend of enforcer and predator.

Thud, thud.

"All right. Don't spend every day thinking only about killing ghouls. Careful you don't end up like Kureo Mado."

It was Marude.

He leaned against a CCG-marked government car, tapping the hood as he spoke.

"Chief Marude, I know what you say is true, but as his daughter, please allow me to express my dissatisfaction."

Akira Mado, following behind Vela, looked somewhat displeased. She knew his words came from goodwill—it was simply his style. After all, Marude was Kureo Mado's direct superior.

"My apologies. But you really should remind that guy Mado to balance work and rest. Not every time will Russell or Arima be there to save the day."

"I will."

Shrugging, Marude turned to Vela. "Do you intend to chat here all afternoon, Russell? Your welcome-back banquet—at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo—our people are still waiting there. You coming or not?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I go when you're footing the bill?"

Vela exchanged a look with Shinohara and Kuroiwa, dropping the talk of ghoul-hunting. They each entered their CCG government cars. Marude passed the black-gold case back over, and Vela shared a vehicle with Akira.

Vrrr… Vrrr…

The engines roared to life.

The convoy drove toward downtown Tokyo.

Chapter 223: I Like You, Please Let Me Be the Second Wife!

"Captain Elias! I like you, please let me be the second wife! I'm begging you!"

"Uh, is today April Fool's Day or something?"

Inside the Fire Moth base, Elias stared speechlessly at the girl who had just confessed to him.

He didn't really have much interaction with her. Well, actually, not that little either, since she was one of the female staff responsible for task assignments and collecting reports at the mission hall.

Because Elias had a high number of deployments, he was fairly familiar with her. But he had never done anything ambiguous that could lead to misunderstandings. If anything, his habit of writing "Very simple!" in every mission summary had probably just caused her more trouble.

"Sorry, Anew, I already have someone I like."

"I know, that's why I said I want to be the second wife."

"Cough, cough! Cough, cough, cough—!"

Elias stared at the girl's serious expression, completely unable to comprehend it, but utterly shaken! Were people of the Previous Era always this open and unrestrained when it came to relationships?!

What kind of girl confesses by asking to be the second wife!

"Oh, come on of course I can't compare with Miss Elysia, and Miss Sakura is both beautiful and cool, not to mention even Dr. Mobius is a stunning beauty—and terrifying too… Anyway, how could I dare to compete with them"

Anew spoke as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

The corner of Elias' eye twitched as he grew even more speechless, but in the end, he still rejected her. Not only was she not his type, but this was simply way too bizarre!

However, this wasn't the end. The same thing happened three more times—three different women at the base confessed to him, all saying they wanted to be the second wife.

This left Elias completely baffled. His first reaction was that the Herrscher of Sentience had descended early and rewritten everyone's common sense, turning the Previous Era into a bizarre world where [girls could confess by asking to be the second wife].

"That's not it at all! It's just because you're too charming, Elias, and you're too kind to everyone. Plus, with Sakura and Mobius being so close to you, the girls at the base all think they might have a chance too."

Elysia puffed up her cheeks, hugging Elias tightly like she was declaring sovereignty, sticking to him at an 18-inch distance to stop any more confessions.

After the defeat of the Herrscher of Ice, Elias' reputation and prestige had risen to an inconceivable height. After all, this was already the fourth Herrscher to fall at his hands.

People imagined the destruction Herrschers should have brought to the world, only for them to be taken down again and again by the same man. Many couldn't help but sigh.

This wasn't just strength—it was destiny!

It was as if Elias had been born into this world solely to lead humanity against the Honkai.

His existence shone like a blazing sun, yet the most important part was that this sun did not burn.

Elias always treated those around him gently. As long as one held no malice, no matter how close they drew, all they felt was his warmth.

They didn't need to fear becoming like Icarus, who flew too close to the sun and had his wings melted away.

And with both Mobius and Sakura being overly close to Elias as well, many women at the base began to feel that maybe they too could take a chance at this white-haired boy.

After all, if they could just receive a portion of his warmth and love, anyone could imagine a life of bliss.

And besides, what was so bad about being a second wife?

The Savior's second wife—that would only make people envious.

"...Girls' thoughts really are more of a mystery than the true face of the Honkai. Ely, you really don't need to hold me so tightly. I have no intention of accepting those confessions, so rest easy."

As Elias spoke, he lifted Miss Pink Elf's chin and, right in front of everyone, gave her a deep, loving kiss.

Immediately, the surrounding girls who had been considering becoming the second wife all silently gave up the idea. After all, the main couple was right here feeding dog food in public—how could anyone go up now and say they wanted to be the second wife?

Even someone as kind and gentle as Elysia, who was always warm toward everyone like Elias, would definitely get angry if someone interrupted at this moment.

"That's better~ but Elias, you really are sly."

"Hm? How am I sly?"

"Mhm! Even though doing this stops others from having thoughts, it actually makes you even more popular with girls. Most girls like brave guys more. Compared to a hero strong enough to save the world, we prefer a guy who has the courage to kiss us in public~"

Elysia's cheeks flushed as she revealed a part of a woman's secret thoughts. Elias and the other men nearby immediately noted it down in their hearts, thinking: So that's how it is~ learned something new!

"Ahem, but it seems like we've been lacking sweetness lately, Elias. That's why others thought they had a chance. In that case—ta-dah!"

Elysia pulled out the concert tickets she had long prepared.

"We've got the day off today—let's go on a date~!"

"These are Eden's concert tickets? Ha! My dear Ely, you really know how to surprise me."

"Hehe, I knew you'd like it, Elias."

Seeing the white-haired boy's face light up with delight, the pink elf felt incredibly proud. For someone who loved music like Elias, there was no way he could resist Eden's concert.

And she knew well—aside from the songs Elias himself had written, the music folder in his terminal was filled entirely with Eden's works. While he wasn't like some guys who plastered Eden's posters on their walls and closets…

This white-haired boy was still very much an Eden fan.

...

With high efficiency, the two quickly prepared for their date, changing from Fire Moth uniforms into casual clothes.

Elysia even insisted that they should leave separately and then meet again at the station before setting off together.

Elias understood this sense of ritual that girls valued. After all, if they walked out of the base together, it would feel no different from their usual missions or strolls. It wouldn't have that "date" feeling~

...

—In a city named Varenna—

Hand in hand, Elias and Elysia walked down the street.

Their aura and looks ensured a 100% head-turn rate. Passersby thought it was as if a prince and princess from a fairytale had stepped into reality, or perhaps two angels had descended to the mortal world.

"Wow, no wonder Eden is so popular. Now I understand why so many officials want her to hold concerts in their cities."

Elysia looked around in amazement.

She wasn't unfamiliar with Varenna. During their past world travels together, they had also stayed in this city for a few days. But back then, the streets hadn't been nearly half as crowded as they were now.

Many visitors—even from abroad—had traveled thousands of miles just to see Eden's concert.

If it were any other star, such fanaticism would surely be questioned. But if it was Eden, everyone of this era would understand and agree—because she was worth it!

The singer hailed as the symbol of the era… Her concert was worth penguins traveling from the South Pole to the North Pole to watch! Some even joked that if Eden sang on the battlefield, wars would cease…

Perhaps an exaggeration—

But if it was Eden, it might really be possible.

"Of course, Ely. Every mayor in the world dreams of Eden performing in their city. After all, as long as Eden comes, even the most remote place instantly reaches peak foot traffic. Not only does it boost the city's fame, but it also brings huge profits~!"

Elias took the milk tea from Elysia's hand and sipped. His eyebrow lifted as he realized it was even sweeter than he'd expected. Without thinking, he pinched Miss Pink Elf's waist.

"Ah! Elias, what are you doing?!"

"Ely… do you really not plan to show a little restraint?"

"Shhh~ I-I don't know what you're talking about. Miss Pink Elf doesn't know anything at all."

Elysia guiltily whistled and turned her head away, hiding the second cup of triple-sugar milk tea behind her back. What was wrong with liking sweet things, milk tea, and cake anyway?!

Elias could only chuckle helplessly and ruffle her pink hair.

"Fine, whatever. Even if you get fat like a piglet, I'll still like you. But seriously—that's Maheśvara Honkai Beast's gene in your body. How could you even manage to gain weight?"

Through recent research, Mobius had deciphered part of the Maheśvara Honkai Beast's abilities, one of which included its trait of "self-purification."

This Vipralopa-class Honkai Beast had extremely high resistance and immunity to foreign substances. Its vitality was even sturdier than Chiyou's, and aside from its weakness to ice, nearly all of its resistances were maxed out. Its very cells could even resist Shesha's venom.

After its gene was fused into Elysia's body, she inherited this "self-purification" trait. Other than ice-type attacks, almost nothing could cause her effective harm.

Mobius had practically broken down on the spot.

So that explained why all the computer parts she had secretly fed to Elysia until now had been completely useless. The issue lay in the Maheśvara gene itself.

Not only did it grant external resistance, but internally it also made Ely's body resistant to "changes." No matter how much she ate, she couldn't get fat. Without training, her figure remained graceful. Despite staying up late every night, her skin only became more flawless and never broke out.

It was basically every woman's dream body. And yet…

Elysia, against all odds, was actually managing to gain weight despite the Maheśvara gene's overwhelming resistances. Elias found this absolutely baffling!

He really wanted to remind her—

That same gene that made it hard to change also meant that if she did manage to grow some fat, it would be nearly impossible to lose it again!

At this moment, Miss Pink Elf hadn't realized how serious this could become. One day, she might roll down a hill like a chubby ball, becoming a round and plump beauty.

Elias: (Forget it. Let her be. I'll still love her anyway. Worst case, when things get truly irreversible, I can just use the Herrscher of Rebirth's power to cheat for her.)

Elysia: (Praise Elias! Praise the House of Elias!!)

Soon, the two arrived at the concert venue.

Truth be told, if not for Eden's posters being big enough and her fame well-known, many might have mistaken Elias and Elysia themselves for the stars about to perform on stage.

And Ely's luck was incredible—she had drawn front-row tickets.

But the two had arrived a bit early, and there was still some time before the concert began. Several staff members were walking through the audience seats carrying a small box.

It looked like they were holding some kind of raffle.

"Please show us your tickets. We've prepared a little activity for Eden's loyal fans who came early. If you draw a golden ball from the box, you'll be allowed a backstage tour before the concert begins."

One of the staff explained as they offered the box to Elias and Elysia, unable to hide their amazement at the pair's looks.

"Can we meet Eden?" Elias asked with eager eyes.

"If you don't mind undergoing a few security checks."

"Perfect! Buggy, this is the moment to use the luck you lent me!"

Elias recalled the cross Kiana had once given him. Though he couldn't bring it to the Previous Era, he was certain it was still with him in some form.

The white-haired boy reached into the box with great momentum.

Elias: (For the strongest duelist, every duel is inevitable. Even drawing a ball can be determined by the duelist's will. God Kiana, bless me—let this be a golden draw in one go!)

After stirring his hand inside the box for a moment, Elias suddenly gripped a ball that gave him the feeling of "this is the one, 873!" Without hesitation, he pulled it out—and a miracle really happened.

A staff member nearby accidentally turned a spotlight his way. The beam landed directly on Elias' hand, making the golden ball he held shine brilliantly.

"Success! I hit gold! Kiana, you're amazing!"

"Mm? Wait, wait, wait! Elias, what was that super cute name you just mentioned? What's going on?!"

Elysia felt like she'd just caught some critical intel she couldn't ignore. How could there be a rival she didn't know about?

"Uh, Kiana is… a cat!" Elias said with a completely serious face.

"Huh? Oh, um, really?" Miss Pink Elf blinked in daze.

"Yeah, exactly! A white-haired, blue-eyed cat—obedient, mischievous, but even greedier than you, Ely."

Elias recalled the image of the little paramecium in his mind, and his hands instinctively began mimicking the expert motions of petting a cat.

Honestly, if it weren't for the presence of Miss Pink Elf in the past and now Miss Pink Fox here in this era, how could he even endure this Previous Era without being able to cuddle his Kiana-cat!

Watching his professional cat-petting gestures, Elysia gave up her suspicion. She thought to herself: I didn't know my Elias was secretly keeping a cat… how adorable.

"Alright, now it's my turn to draw!"

After Elias returned the golden ball to the box and the staff gave it a shake, Elysia confidently reached her hand inside with great momentum.

Ely: (A mere one percent chance? For Miss Pink Elf, the probability is one thousand percent! But just to be safe… I'm willing to trade my precious 10kg of body weight with fate, in exchange for that shining golden ball!)

Clack clack clack clack~

Elias: (Hm? Why do I suddenly hear the sound of an abacus? Am I imagining things?)

Ely: "In one go—give me gold!"

Elias: "..."

What she raised over her head was… a white ball. This time there was no spotlight effect, only the awkward atmosphere from the staff and Elias himself. Miss Pink Elf covered her face and quietly put the ball back.

In truth, had she simply made a normal, ordinary wish when drawing, then with the Herrscher of Origin's cheat-like authority, the world surely would have fulfilled her little wish.

But no, she had to get greedy—not only wanting the golden ball, but also trying to sacrifice her weight. The result of such greed was, of course, empty hands.

"Ah~ Ely, wait here for me. I'll be back soon."

"Uuuh~ Okay, Elias, but you'd better come back quickly! Otherwise, I'll die of loneliness. And you're absolutely not allowed to flirt with Eden-san!"

"How could I? Do I look like that kind of man?" Elias replied with perfect seriousness.

Chapter 529: Confession to Mrs. Yuigahama?!

Tomoka Yuigahama's expression was complicated—not angry, not purely shy, but tangled with emotions difficult to put into words. Countless feelings surged inside, twisting together like a ball of yarn a kitten had just unraveled with its tiny claws—impossible to cut through, impossible to untangle.

Kotomi Izumi thought Tomoka hadn't processed what she had just said, so she spoke again: "Mrs. Yuigahama, be with me. You might think I'm too young, unreliable, but give me some time. Let me prove to you that I'm someone you can rely on."

Such bold, almost reckless words left Tomoka at a complete loss for how to respond.

She was already the mother of two daughters, and now, faced with Kotomi's confession, she could only stand there half-opening her mouth, as if she had lost the ability to speak.

"—Haven't you noticed? The one Kotomi likes is you."

The words the bookstore owner had once said echoed in her mind again. Tomoka had never dared to think of them seriously. The thought that Kotomi, who was the same age as her eldest daughter Yui, might actually like her—this middle-aged aunt—made her toes curl unconsciously in shame. A strange, inexplicable feeling stirred within, her cheeks faintly flushed as she looked away, unable to meet Kotomi's burning, determined gaze. Her voice carried a note of reproach:

"Kotomi, that's impossible for us…"

"How is it impossible?!"

Tomoka hadn't expected that her words would suddenly ignite Kotomi's tone.

Kotomi was proud to her core. She hadn't even finished explaining herself, and Tomoka was already rejecting her? A trace of frustration flared in her heart. She had thought everything through so carefully, convinced Mrs. Yuigahama would never refuse her. Fueled by emotion, she refused to yield to Tomoka's words and pressed forward.

But in her agitation, Kotomi didn't realize she hadn't fully expressed what she meant. As a result, she and Mrs. Yuigahama were suddenly talking past each other, like two people separated by a wall.

"I know, I'm only sixteen now. I've still got two years before I'm legally an adult. And even then, I'll still just be a third-year student preparing for university entrance exams. Most people would think—even if young love is acceptable—this is just too young, right? You might also think that even if I'm good at writing novels, I might not have talent in other areas.

"But Mrs. Yuigahama, think about it. I haven't even had the chance to truly spread my wings yet. My current funds may not be enough. If I acted recklessly, it could easily lead to failure."

"Isn't what you're doing right now already reckless?!" Tomoka gasped, feeling her mind whirl into chaos.

"If it's not reckless, can you even call it youth? Besides, even if I fail, I can still take care of you. My grandparents have more money than they could ever spend—in their eyes, it's just meaningless numbers. If I told them about you, they might even double their support."

"You… you plan to tell your parents?!" Tomoka was shocked pale. She hadn't expected Kotomi to be so bold. Confessing to her wasn't enough—she even intended to tell her family?

There's no way they'd agree to it! Not every household was so open-minded as to allow their daughter to have a girlfriend—let alone a high school girl wanting to be with a woman who had already been married and was the mother of two daughters.

Tomoka looked at Kotomi, heart growing more frantic. Kotomi seemed utterly unbothered, leaning slightly forward, as if about to kiss her, eyes locked firmly on Mrs. Yuigahama.

"Mrs. Yuigahama, don't you feel exhausted?

"You're running both the cake shop and doing illustrations. Online shopping is becoming more and more dominant—physical stores are losing their space to survive. Even if it's not completely gone, the decline is visible to the naked eye.

"And your energy—it's impossible to sustain both managing the cake shop and doing illustration work well at the same time. Even if you force yourself to keep going, what if one day you collapse under the pressure? What will happen to this family then? To Yui and Yuka?

"When necessary… you'll need to make a choice. You don't need me, a child, to teach you that, right?"

"But…"

Before Tomoka Yuigahama could finish her "but," Kotomi spoke again, her eyes flickering with nervousness yet filled with firm resolve:

"Mrs. Yuigahama, I hope that from now on, every light novel I write, you'll be the one to illustrate. At first, it was because I loved your art style that I made this decision. But gradually, I realized… more than the illustrations, what I truly treasure is you.

"I don't want you to exhaust yourself supporting this family—running the cake shop late into the night, then staying up even later to draw. If this continues, you'll break down sooner or later. Between the cake shop and illustration, you'll eventually have to make a choice.

"You might think that if you close the cake shop, you'll lose a significant portion of your income. With Yuka about to start elementary school, expenses will only increase. Without the shop's earnings, can illustration income alone really sustain your household?"

Tomoka instinctively nodded. What Kotomi said was indeed one of her greatest worries. Closing the cake shop and focusing on illustration wouldn't only improve the quality of her art—it would also give her more free time each day. She wouldn't have to drag her exhausted body to the desk after bathing at night to force herself to draw. She wouldn't have to keep sacrificing the chance to personally cook a meal for her daughters.

In the eyes of others, Tomoka Yuigahama was an admirable mother—after losing her husband, she had bravely supported the family and raised her two daughters alone.

But in her heart, she always felt like an unqualified mother. She had missed countless moments in her daughters' growth. Didn't Yui and Yuka want to act spoiled with their mom like other girls did?

Of course, they did.

But they were sensible children who understood how exhausted their mother was each day, running the cake shop and baking cakes in the kitchen. The only time she could rest was after coming home from the shop at night.

So, in that time, the only thing they could do was avoid disturbing her, so she could rest more easily.

That was why Yui took the initiative to prepare nearly every dinner. From a girl who once didn't even know how to hold a knife, she had grown into someone with decent cooking skills—just so her mother could come home and eat right away, without needing to do anything.

In the past, Yuka often misbehaved, causing trouble and making her playmates cry. She had given her parents no shortage of headaches.

But after their father passed away, when she saw her mother and sister crying, Yuka swallowed her grief and told herself: You have to grow up now. From this day on, you can't cause Mom and Onee-chan even the slightest trouble.

Compared to other children her age, Yuka's mischievousness seemed to vanish completely. She no longer acted like a child at all.

A child too well-behaved, one who doesn't even know how to be mischievous, is a pitiable sight.

Because of this guilt toward her daughters, Tomoka forced herself to keep running the Dango Cake Shop and staying up late each night to draw. The combined income of those two jobs was what supported the Yuigahama family.

Tomoka never allowed herself to think about whether she was tired. She only knew she had to keep enduring a little longer, so her daughters would never be unable to attend school because of money.

Kotomi's words pierced straight into that soft, hidden place in Tomoka's heart. She… she wanted to. But what could she do? She still had two daughters to raise!

Looking at Tomoka, Kotomi's gaze softened, pulling back the sharp decisiveness from earlier.

Even though her expression softened, her resolve never wavered.

"A sixteen-year-old girl sits beside you, saying she wants to start a company and invites you to be its very first employee.

"If it were me in your place, I might just pull out some money from my wallet out of pity and hand it to her, thinking: What a poor child. So young, yet her head's not working right. Not even an adult yet, and she's already dreaming of starting a company? Ridiculous!

"But if it's me, then ridiculous dreams will become reality. I admit I'm proud, but even so, I will establish a game company called Type-Moon World. And I want you to be its exclusive illustrator, with the highest salary. I had originally planned to tell you officially after graduating high school.

"But now, not just for myself but also for you, I've chosen to reveal this plan of starting a game company.

"So that you won't need to keep running the Dango Cake Shop. So that all you'll have to do is draw for me. The money you earn each month will not only cover this household's expenses, but also pay for Yui and Yuka's tuition. You won't have to wear yourself out like this anymore."

"Huh? You… you want to start a game company, and then hire me as an employee…?"

Only then did Tomoka Yuigahama catch up, and her brain immediately fell into complete chaos. She instinctively pointed at herself in disbelief. Wasn't Kotomi confessing to her just now? How did the topic suddenly shift to starting a company and inviting her as an illustrator?

When had the subject changed?

She hadn't even noticed!

Or… had Kotomi from the very beginning been inviting her to be an illustrator, while she herself had misunderstood from the start?

She thought Kotomi had been… confessing to her!

"That's right." Kotomi nodded firmly, sealing the matter.

What in the world did I just interpret Kotomi's words as!!!

Tomoka's brain was in complete chaos, screaming inside. If the tatami had split open at that moment, she would have immediately crawled into the gap without hesitation! This was far too embarrassing. She never imagined she had been miscommunicating with Kotomi from the very start.

And of all possible misunderstandings—why did she have to assume Kotomi was confessing to her?!

Right now, Tomoka even felt like fleeing the Earth.

Thinking back, Kotomi's reactions did seem odd.

After she had said, we're impossible, Kotomi's tone had risen sharply.

Tomoka had said we're impossible because she thought Kotomi was confessing to her. Her mind had been too overwhelmed then; she'd nearly forgotten how to even speak properly. Without considering her true feelings deep down, she forced herself to say the most "appropriate" thing: we're impossible.

It wasn't strange at all. Imagine it: you're already the mother of two daughters, and suddenly one day, your daughter's friend confesses to you. How would you feel? No matter how short or long the moment, you'd certainly experience shock and disbelief, thinking perhaps she lost at a game of Truth or Dare.

During that time, whether calm or panicked, the sheer impact of a friend of your daughter confessing to you would completely overshadow any true thoughts you might have had about the confession.

As an adult, you'd instinctively respond with what you thought was the most correct reply in the shortest time possible.

But Kotomi, upon hearing we're impossible, believed Tomoka was rejecting her outright. Her emotions spiked instantly—she couldn't understand why Tomoka would refuse her, especially before she had even explained things in detail!

Then again, Kotomi wasn't blameless either. When she first started speaking, she hadn't clarified she wanted to start a game company and hire Tomoka as her illustrator. Instead, she had blurted out, let's be together.

Tomoka thought about it, realizing her misunderstanding wasn't entirely her fault. Kotomi bore half the responsibility. The thought made her cheeks flush faintly, her expression both mature and adorably shy.

When Kotomi unintentionally caught sight of Mrs. Yuigahama showing such an adorably shy expression, her heartbeat quickened by several beats. She almost wanted to take out her phone and capture this moment forever in a photo.

But Mrs. Yuigahama was Yui's mother. As Yui's friend, wouldn't it be far too rude if she suddenly pulled out her phone to take a picture?

Though regretful, Kotomi suppressed the urge.

Maybe it was just her imagination, but Kotomi felt that even if she didn't get a chance this time, there would be many more opportunities in the future. And when that time came, she could have perfectly legitimate reasons to capture Mrs. Yuigahama's adorable—or perhaps even mature—expressions.

Just thinking about it…

Kotomi rubbed her nose, her mood bubbling with excitement.

Meanwhile, once Tomoka Yuigahama realized Kotomi wasn't actually confessing to her, her emotions became complicated, tinged with something like disappointment?

Could it be… that while she had been nervous, she had also been secretly expecting Kotomi to confess to her?

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!!

Tomoka, Tomoka, look at the age difference between you and Kotomi. In her eyes, you're nothing but an old auntie! How could she ever like you? Stop dreaming!

Besides, don't you know that Yui likes Kotomi?

As her mother, how shameless would it be to even entertain the thought of competing with your daughter for Kotomi's affection?!

Tomoka scolded herself harshly inside, forcing her heart to calm down. Clearing her throat, she said:

"You're right. When you suddenly said you wanted to start a game company, I was really shocked. Type-Moon World… that's a wonderful name."

I thought you were confessing to me. There was no way Tomoka could ever say those words aloud.

So she pretended she had simply been listening to Kotomi's invitation to become Type-Moon World's first employee all along.

Even though at the start, they had been speaking at complete cross-purposes…

In the end, Kotomi's words truly did strike a chord with Tomoka Yuigahama.

On one hand was the Dango Cake Shop, on the other her illustration work. Juggling both brought in a stable, comfortable income, easing her household's financial burden.

But just as Kotomi had said—it was exhausting. So exhausting that more than once, in the dead of night, Tomoka had thought about giving up.

Between these two jobs, maybe it really was time to give one up and devote herself entirely to the other…

For the first time, Tomoka Yuigahama fell into deep contemplation. In her busy life, she had rarely ever given herself the chance to truly think about it.

Chapter 617: The Oppressive Sense of Orbital Bombardment

Nearly all of Pandora's land was covered in dense alien tropical rainforests, a vast sea of green made of irregular cliffs and towering, multicolored trees.

Above the vibrant forest canopy stretched layers of swirling clouds that seemed endless.

Suspended within the sea of clouds were countless floating islands of rock containing the rare room-temperature superconducting mineral, Unobtanium. Under Pandora's magnetic field, these massive floating rock islands created a breathtaking spectacle.

Their tops were relatively flat, but their sides were sheer cliffs, with rivers spilling over to form waterfalls hanging in midair. Bound together over thousands of years by massive vines and tree roots, they drifted in the magnetic field like icebergs in an ocean, sometimes colliding with one another.

Though danger lurked everywhere, the broad and vividly colorful primal scenery was still one of the greatest sights for humanity on this world.

After all, on Earth's worn-out environment, you could hardly find a trace of green even if you wanted to.

(P.S.: According to the setting of Avatar, this time when the RDA returned to Pandora (Avatar 2: The Way of Water), they carried an extremely important mission—the search for a new home for humanity. Earth in this world was on the brink of death. Scientists predicted that in at most another century, Earth's environment would become completely unsuitable for human life.)

Amid the endless green, a lifeless volcanic crater suddenly appeared, as if a pair of giant hands had cruelly gouged a piece out of the land.

The carpet-like virgin forest gave way to an open-pit mining area.

In the terraced mine below stood excavators and trucks several stories tall. At the bottom of the pit, giant bucket-wheel excavators hundreds of meters high loomed.

Clearly, this was one of the RDA's outdoor mining sites. Beside the mine was an RDA outpost camp, connected to the network of all human bases by a maglev railway.

In the train service depot, several maglev trains were parked. Air transport could only solve a small portion of logistics; the bulk of ore transport and supply had to rely on rail.

If all went as planned, these mines and outposts would gradually be expanded into new forward bases.

The RDA's development strategy was easy to guess: bases as pillars, maglev railways as chains, mines and outposts as locks. By upgrading temporary mines and camps into permanent bases, then building new ones, filling them with personnel, and advancing step by step, humanity steadily expanded its activity range.

Like the Allies after the Normandy landings—familiar tactics.

Only now, this mining site was deathly silent. The giant excavators and trucks stood still, the booming blasts of mining explosives had ceased, and the machines had been pulled back, some parked haphazardly at the edge of the camp.

Rumble!

Thunder.

The black sky was like a vast dark curtain, making the silent mine below seem even more lifeless.

In the foul weather, roaring thunder, flashing lightning, and torrents of heavy rain mingled with the chaotic footsteps and shouts of RDA garrisons and employees.

"Sir, this retreat is so urgent… does it mean we're abandoning this mine? Has there been a large-scale counterattack from the Na'vi?"

Someone shouted, his voice carrying through the storm, full of unwillingness.

"The Na'vi actually went on the offensive? Shouldn't we be rising to the challenge? Retreating like this—those blue-skinned monkeys will laugh at us!"

"Sir, wouldn't it be safer to plant time bombs in the armory? Even if we can't take it with us, we can't just leave it for those blue monkeys! If they think they've struck it rich, we ought to give them something harsh to remember us by!"

Another voice cut in, offering a bewildered suggestion:

"No need! Because we don't have the time to waste any longer! Orders from Bridgehead Base: all forces stationed at the outdoor mines are to withdraw immediately to the nearest outpost bases! Headquarters has lost its patience—orbital bombardment of those blue-skinned monkeys will begin shortly!"

"If you want to stay behind and be buried alongside the Na'vi, then I'll allow you to go set your bombs. But if you value your own life more than those savages, then carry out the order immediately!"

"Everyone! If you want to live, move faster! This mining site is the farthest from the outpost base among the newly developed ones—we don't have much time left!"

According to the stable development policy, every mining site was generally placed no farther than two hours of armed gunship support from the nearest outpost. Mutual aid was the principle.

"Hurry! Move quickly!"

"Faster, faster—! Park all engineering vehicles in one place!"

"Seal the permanent buildings, dormitories, watchtowers, and armory!"

"Abandon everything that can't be taken!"

With the camp leader and overseers shouting, the RDA grunts had no mind to admire the torrential rain and rainforest scenery—it was run or die!

Though no exact timetable had been given, tension was contagious. In an instant, the heavy atmosphere took hold, and the joking and banter disappeared completely.

"Fuck you! Are the higher-ups all pig-brained? With such little time, are they trying to get us killed?!"

"Shut it! This mine was already the highest-paying deep-mining site. Tightest schedule, heaviest workload—wasn't that obvious? Otherwise, why would they pay us several times more just to feed us for nothing?"

"Heh… I actually think this sudden, unannounced withdrawal has its upside. Maybe those Na'vi tribes won't be prepared at all and will all get blown to pieces… though we might just be bait."

One worker muttered self-deprecatingly as he scrambled onto the train.

"Damn it! If they're using us as bait, then they better pay extra! Once we get back alive, we all need to raise hell about this…"

"Bad omen talk! Why the hell are you raising flags? Get to the last car and stay away from me before you drag me down with you!"

...

"Humans… seem to be retreating?"

Through the heavy rain, faint sounds drifted from the steep jungle not far from the outpost camp, mixed with other indistinct noises. A non-human blue hand quietly parted the leaves, and golden cat-like eyes peered at the busy shuttles rising from the camp.

A Na'vi scout.

He pressed the human communication device captured at his throat.

...

"What? The RDA abandoned the mine? They didn't even take a single large excavator, just left them sealed in place?"

Whoosh!

Riding a direhorse, Jake Sully landed on a massive jungle branch, jumping down fully armed. Pressing his comms earpiece, he demanded grimly, "Are you certain? Did the RDA destroy the outpost? Any personnel left behind?"

When he received confirmation from multiple scouts, Jake's eyes widened, and he lifted his head. "This is bad."

The RDA was a private corporate trust—driven by profit, not life. Forcing these greedy vampires to spit out meat already in their mouths was no simple matter.

Besides, the Na'vi resistance he led had never applied enough pressure to force RDA into abandoning entire mines and contracting their forces.

Which meant there was only one explanation: an irresistible order had forced RDA's higher-ups to abandon the mines. Though the exact scheme was unknown, it could only mean a force stronger than the RDA had intervened on Pandora.

And stronger than the RDA—the largest single non-governmental organization in the human universe—Jake Sully could think of only one possibility: the government's regular military!

The Na'vi's DNA gave Avatars five senses far sharper than humans'. With eyesight several times stronger, Jake Sully peered through the gaps in the jungle and spotted dozens of SA-2 Samson transport helicopters roaring off into the distance.

He knew that direction—it was where the RDA's largest outpost on Pandora stood: Bridgehead Base.

"We need to find out what the RDA is planning."

He turned to his wife Neytiri, their two sons, and the Na'vi warriors at his side. "Remember—don't get bogged down in a fight. This could be an RDA trap. We must stay cautious. Shoot down one and retreat. Capture prisoners or seize intact RDA comms equipment and mission data if possible."

After nods of acknowledgment, Jake leapt onto his direhorse, calling out before launching skyward. "Move out!"

SCREEEECH—!

...

Not long after, above the rainforest, shrill cries of banshees echoed, followed by the thunderous blast of gunfire and explosions tearing through the downpour.

BOOM—!

A black SA-2 Samson transport helicopter erupted into a ball of fire midair. Its cockpit had been pierced through by several arrows over two meters long, killing the pilot. The helicopter wavered and plunged toward the dense jungle.

"James! Damn Na'vi—!"

An RDA soldier screamed in fury as he watched the falling helicopter. He manned the onboard weapon—a triple-barreled MBS-9M Hydra heavy machine gun—and opened fire wildly at the triumphant, screeching Na'vi.

RATATATATAT!

"Enough! James is gone! We must escort the train back to base. There's no time! His revenge can wait—if those blue monkeys survive the orbital bombardment."

The officer glared at the Na'vi, who halted their pursuit after the helicopter went down. Then he turned sharply to the maglev trains speeding below. "Move out!"

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Dull booms resounded through the rainforest.

The chopper's tail snapped apart, black fragments scattering. Its flaming nose smashed into the ground, carving a long trench across the earth.

Because of Jake Sully's earlier warning, the Na'vi had avoided hitting the fuel tank. The downed SA-2 remained mostly intact before impact, its structure still usable.

CRASH! SPLAT!

The cockpit glass had shattered, bodies lay twisted around the wreckage. A blood-soaked man, barely alive, dragged himself painfully out of the wreck.

"Cough… cough…" Blood spurted from his mouth as he glared up at the surrounding blue-skinned Na'vi, spitting curses: "Damn blue monkeys… to die on the eve of victory!"

"Bastard!" A young Na'vi, understanding English, raised his weapon furiously, about to shoot.

"Lo'ak!"

"Father…" Hearing Jake's voice, the young Na'vi froze, fear flashing across his face.

Jake crouched, ignoring his son's slip. "Such a complete withdrawal from the mines… what is the RDA planning?"

"Traitor!"

The dying man spat blood, his face twisted in scorn. Every RDA employee who had returned to Pandora knew that face. With a final shudder, he collapsed lifelessly.

How does betrayal of one's own species feel?

Only Jake Sully himself knew. A flicker of struggle flashed in his eyes before he covered it up. Reaching down, he snatched the RDA mercenary's comm earpiece and pressed it to his ear.

BZZZT… CRACKLE…

"Damn blue monkeys! Their joy won't last long—we'll slaughter them all sooner or later!"

"How far to Bridgehead Base?"

"When does the orbital bombardment begin? I'm not dying alongside these blue monkeys…"

...

Jake Sully filtered out all the insults, latching only onto the words orbital bombardment. Instantly, his entire body shuddered, as though drenched in ice water from head to toe.

No wonder the retreat had been so absolute—

"Jake…" Neytiri, with their two sons beside her, saw her husband's pale, distracted face and spoke with deep concern.

"Quickly!"

Jake shot upright, gripping Neytiri's arms tightly. "Warn the people—no, warn every tribe! Orbital bombardment, it's coming! The forest is no longer safe—we must flee into the mountains!"

Images of nuclear firestorms flooded Jake's mind, refusing to fade.

"Everyone! Retreat! Contact the Hallelujah Mountain encampment, evacuate at once—deeper into the mountains! The deeper the rock layers, the better!"

Seeing Neytiri's confused look, he uttered two words: "Nuclear bomb…"

She understood. As one of the earliest Na'vi to study with humans, she had attended their schools before the fallout, learning much of their knowledge—including the nature of humanity's ultimate weapon.

"Neytiriam, Lo'ak." Neytiri called their eldest and youngest sons as she vaulted onto her direhorse, urgency on her face. "We must return!"

WHOOOSH—!

The Na'vi vaulted onto their mounts, taking to the skies in a rush, abandoning any thought of gathering supplies as they raced back toward the camp.

Faster!

Faster!!

We must make it in time!!!

Jake's brow was knotted with dread, his fear unshakable.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the lush, bioluminescent rainforest beneath the clouds—the glowing plants clinging to trees and sprouting from the undergrowth, painting the world in beauty. He knew, perhaps this might be the last time he ever saw it.

In his mind's eye, nuclear fire consumed mountains and rivers alike.

In the grip of sheer terror, time lost all meaning. For the Na'vi, too, perception blurred.

Jake only knew he had driven his direhorse mercilessly on a grueling trek. The beast foamed at the mouth, tongue lolling, body at its limits.

He stroked it gently. Through their neural link, he felt its exhaustion. Yet it pressed forward, having seen the images in his mind, accepting his desperation.

"We're here!"

The tribe's cries brought Jake back to himself. Ahead loomed the cloud-wreathed Hallelujah Mountains, vast floating rock formations suspended in the magnetic field.

Na'vi knights flew out from the floating peaks to meet them, riding their winged mounts.

But then—

The sky blazed.

Floods of blinding white searchlights pierced the atmosphere, burning through the thick cloud cover, flooding the world in radiance.

BOOOOOM—!!

Thunderous detonations split the sky. Pandora itself seemed torn apart, the stars drowned by a new brilliance.

At the same moment, Na'vi tribes and human outposts alike—all eyes lifted skyward. What they thought were shining stars resolved into something else.

Not stars—but the blazing plasma of colossal engines.

Countless plasma thrusters trailed fiery tails. The shimmering particles converged into an immense galactic river of light, as dozens—hundreds—of warships descended in unison.

Majestic warships with ornate hulls pressed down through the atmosphere, their prows adorned with the double-headed eagle. Massive, cold, luxurious, and overwhelming.

Several Punisher-class battleships roared like beasts, their deep engines rumbling. The endless fleet shattered Pandora's silence.

"Go! Move! Don't look—close your eyes! Orbital bombardment is about to begin! We don't have time—into the mountains, go—!"

No one had time to wonder how such immense warships were even built in Earth's shipyards. At Jake's furious command, the Na'vi plunged into the Hallelujah Mountains' depths.

The next moment—FWOOOSH—!

A crimson lance of light speared down from the heavens. Heat fierce enough to melt steel, explosions powerful enough to vaporize oceans, fire bright enough to incinerate the air itself—an entire swath of land was engulfed. The sky ignited into a burning sea of flame.

Even miles from the blast zone, Na'vi knights who dared glance back were blinded by the radiance. Their optic nerves faltered, stunned as though deafened by sound.

A tidal wave of pressure and flame tore across the world.

Then came the second strike.

The third.

...

In that instant, it seemed as though the entire world was engulfed by spears of light from the heavens. Countless alien lives were annihilated in a heartbeat—burned, shattered, obliterated…

Perhaps only a few breaths later, when eyes opened again, the world was nothing but red fire.

Chapter 547: Orbital Weapon

What was happening now had completely exceeded their plans. If the robots and war chariots inside the UFO launched an assault on the ground, it would be a world-ending catastrophe.

Not to mention the additional armament, the G-Meteor, which had already launched into space. From the Appraisal's description, it could be classified as an orbital weapon.

If they didn't stop it, then once an asteroid was pulled down, this otherworld would inevitably face destruction.

The key problem was that they had no means of entering space to destroy that orbital weapon.

"What do we do now?"

Mirei Shinohara's heart was filled with panic. If she could, she wanted to fly straight into space to chase after that orbital weapon.

But right now, she didn't have the ability to survive in outer space. Even if she did catch up, it would only be certain death.

Moreover, with her current flight speed, reaching space would definitely take a long time. By then, the asteroid strike might have already begun.

Beside her, Shiraori, stepping on her energy footholds, didn't respond to Mirei's words. Her inner anxiety was no less than Mirei's.

"This is really the end… Why did I choose this path of evolution?! If I had taken the second method and slowly accumulated energy, things would've been so much better. I'm such an idiot!"

"Lord Appraisal has tricked me!!!"

"What do we do, what do we do… Is there any way to erase that G-something weapon from space…?"

As Shiraori racked her brain for a solution, a nearly forgotten figure suddenly surfaced in her memory.

"That's it. If only that pitch-black guy came to help! Since he's a god, he must have a way to solve this."

"But how do I even contact him…?"

"Lord Appraisal, almighty Lord Appraisal, hurry and give me some advice!"

...

Meanwhile, about a dozen kilometers away from where the UFO floated, a petite figure stood frozen, staring up at the sky.

Even from over ten kilometers away, the massive object suspended high above was imprinted clearly in her eyes.

That figure was none other than Ariel, the Demon Lord, who had parted ways with Shiraori and Mirei a few days ago.

Having always dedicated herself to saving the world—and protecting the person most important in her heart—Ariel absolutely could not tolerate seeing the world in danger, even if it was only a possibility.

So even though she didn't know what that massive object was, her timid nature didn't stop her from charging toward it without hesitation.

The distance of ten kilometers wasn't much for Ariel. Even though she didn't use teleportation magic, her sheer movement speed was enough to cover it in an instant.

Thus, when Ariel arrived beneath the UFO, it happened to be at the exact moment Shiraori was seeking help from Appraisal.

Seeing the colossal object in the sky up close, Ariel's eyes widened in shock.

At the same time, she spotted the two figures floating above—Shiraori and Mirei Shinohara. Unable to hold back, she shouted loudly toward the sky:

"Hey! What is that thing?! And why are you two up there?!"

Ariel's voice pierced through the air, reaching the heights above. Hearing it, Shiraori and Mirei both looked down in surprise.

"The Demon Lord?"

Seeing who it was, Shiraori froze for a moment before her eyes suddenly lit up.

"That's right. Since she's the Demon Lord, maybe she knows a way to contact that pitch-black guy."

With that thought, Shiraori quickly turned to Mirei and whispered:

"Let's go down first."

Saying so, she dismissed her energy footholds and dropped toward the ground. Nearing the surface, she conjured a few footholds to slow her descent and landed steadily right in front of Ariel.

Just as Shiraori was about to voice her thoughts to Ariel, she suddenly found herself unable to speak. When facing strangers, she still couldn't manage to hold a conversation.

So instead, she cast a pleading look at Mirei Shinohara, who had followed her down, and transmitted her thoughts in brief words through telepathy.

Receiving Shiraori's telepathic message, Mirei immediately took the initiative and flew to stand before Ariel.

"Demon Lord, can you contact a Black Dragon named Güliedistodiez?"

Without any wasted words, Mirei directly expressed Shiraori's idea. Right now, the most important thing was dealing with the G-Meteor. The matter of the UFO could be discussed afterward.

Ariel was shocked by the question. "How do you know about Gülied?"

As one of the world's administrators, aside from the dragon race and a select few humans, almost no one knew of Güliedistodiez's existence.

For these two to mention his name left Ariel greatly increasing her level of regard for both Shiraori and Mirei.

"That doesn't matter. What's important now is whether you can summon him here. If we're too late, the world will be destroyed. As for the rest, we can talk later."

Hearing Mirei's urgent words, Ariel's expression shifted drastically. She immediately stopped worrying about anything else and began using her own unique method to contact Güliedistodiez.

As fellow beings from ancient times, and because of the angel Sariel, Ariel and Güliedistodiez were long-time acquaintances.

They both shared the same goal: to rescue Sariel, who had become the system's core. Because of this, they had always kept in touch.

"I've contacted Gülied. Now can you explain what's going on? Why would the world be destroyed? And what exactly is that thing?"

Ariel pointed at the UFO floating in the sky, her face tense as she looked at Mirei.

"It's like this…"

Mirei didn't hide much and explained the matter of the ancient ruins in broad strokes—though she didn't mention their true purpose for seeking the ruins.

After hearing Mirei's explanation, Ariel's eyes widened.

"What on earth did you two do?! And why was something that dangerous buried underground?!"

Neither Mirei nor Shiraori argued against her reprimand. After all, this disaster had arisen partly because of them.

Seeing that Mirei didn't respond, Ariel chose not to press further. Ultimately, this wasn't solely their fault. Even if today's incident hadn't happened, that buried UFO would have been a catastrophe sooner or later.

"Forget it. Talking about this now won't help. What matters most is dealing with that thing. If it's really as you said, then the only one capable of handling the G-Meteor is Gülied."

"That's great, that's great!"

Hearing that the orbital weapon above their heads could be dealt with, both Mirei and Shiraori finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At that moment, a huge flapping sound came from behind, followed by a booming voice.

"Oh my God! What the hell is that?! I leave for just a while, and this kind of freaky thing appears?!"

The three turned to look back and saw a massive wyvern staring blankly at the UFO in the sky. Then he lowered his head and glared at Ariel.

"What kind of scheme are you up to, Spider?"

"Don't ask me. I just got here too."

Ariel shot the wyvern an impatient glare, clearly familiar with him.

"In the end, this is also your responsibility. As the ruler of this wilderness, how could you not know something so dangerous was buried underground?" Ariel's sharp gaze bore into the wyvern.

"Uh…"

At her words, the wyvern instantly closed his mouth.

Standing nearby, Mirei Shinohara and Shiraori couldn't help but cast an Appraisal at the wyvern making a fool of himself.

[Name: Shubon]

[Race: Wind Dragon]

[Level: LV98]

[Identity: Clan Leader of the Wind Dragon Tribe, rulers of the wilderness in the Small Nations Region]

[Stats: HP 12,545/12,545, MP 15,494/15,494…]

[Skills: …]

[…]

Looking at the results, Shiraori and Mirei quickly gained a rough grasp of the wyvern's strength.

In short, he was strong, but not at the very top.

With average stats over ten thousand, his power exceeded 99.9% of all monsters. Even among dragonkind, he was an extremely powerful existence.

At the same time, he was the fourth being they had encountered in this world with over 10,000 stat points.

However, at this level, his usefulness here was minimal.

At that moment, space nearby suddenly warped, and through the portal stepped Güliedistodiez, clad in pitch-black armor.

Seeing him appear, the previously swaggering Wind Dragon immediately flew over and lowered his head like a subordinate.

"Lord Gülied, what brings you here?"

"Ariel informed me. With a problem like this, I cannot turn away."

Gülied spoke seriously, not dismissing the wyvern despite his subordinate status.

Then, turning his gaze to Ariel, as well as Shiraori and Mirei, he showed an apologetic expression.

"My apologies. It was my oversight that caused you trouble. Ariel has already told me the situation. From here on, leave it to me."

Without waiting for a reply, Gülied teleported straight into space.

"Wow… that's some efficiency…"

Watching how quickly he arrived and then left again, Mirei couldn't help but mutter.

"Well, now the biggest threat has been dealt with. All that's left is the UFO."

At Mirei's words, everyone turned their eyes once again to the massive object floating high in the sky.

Meanwhile, Mirei began communicating telepathically with Shiraori.

"Shira, it looks like we still have a chance. With that god helping, destroying the UFO shouldn't be a problem. The real question is how to secure the GMA Bomb inside for ourselves."

"We'll see."

Shiraori gave a curt reply, though her mind was already running countless calculations.

Trying to seize a bomb from the hands of a god might not be as difficult as taking on the UFO alone, but it was hardly much easier.

If possible, she wished Gülied would simply deal with the G-Meteor and not interfere with the UFO. But she knew that was impossible—his attitude just now had made it clear he wouldn't leave it be.

Shiraori could only hope he would restrict himself to destroying the robots and war chariots, leaving the rest to her and Mirei.

With that thought, she sighed inwardly.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Eriri, watching the livestream, couldn't help but smile mysteriously after hearing Shiraori's inner thoughts.

Then she turned to D beside her and said:

"D-chan, give that Black Dragon another call…"

...

"What's the big deal? Once Lord Gülied comes back, he'll finish it in no time."

The Wind Dragon spoke with complete nonchalance, his tone filled with absolute faith in his superior.

But then his eyes shifted toward Mirei.

"Speaking of which, what the hell are you supposed to be? You look like you've got some dragon features."

Hearing his foul-mouthed remark, Mirei instantly flared up.

"Hey! Watch your tongue, or I'll smash your head in! And for the record, I'm pure-blood dragonkind. Don't you dare compare me to some half-breed like you!"

As she spoke, Mirei ignored the UFO entirely and unleashed her intimidation skill straight at the Wind Dragon.

The overwhelming bloodline pressure crushed him to the ground, pinning his body flat so he couldn't even twitch a finger.

Still, Mirei didn't go too far. After giving him a good scare, she withdrew her aura.

After all, he was the subordinate of that god. The last thing she wanted was to invite divine retaliation by hurting him. At her current level, she was nowhere near his equal.

But deep down, she felt it wouldn't be long before she caught up to him—or even surpassed him.

Freed again, the Wind Dragon stared at Mirei in terror. His earlier cocky demeanor vanished completely, leaving him obedient and subdued.

Off to the side, Ariel, who had witnessed the whole scene, glanced at Mirei in surprise, once again raising her evaluation of her.

And just then, the long-still UFO hovering in the sky finally began to stir.

Chapter 302: Destroying You, What Does It Matter to Me?

The Eternal Snowfall slowly departed from Earth's orbit, cruising at high speed until it reached above the Sun.

As the charging progressed, the starship's main axis, with a launcher larger in diameter than ordinary spacecraft, emitted an increasingly dazzling radiance.

In the sky, it looked like a small sun.

UN officials and Earth's people watched the Juggernaut in confusion, not knowing what it intended to do.

"Come to think of it, we haven't actually seen the Trisolarans yet?"

"At least let's have a look. See what the Trisolaran system looks like—it'll also help me evaluate the Fallen Star Lance's power."

Setsuna activated the Eternal Snowfall's sensors, performing a directional scan of the surrounding star systems.

[Scanning target]

[Confirmed, holographic image constructed]

The starship's sensors fully scanned the star system over four light-years away.

A colossal holographic projection appeared on the main console and was transmitted across the entire Solar System.

4.2 light-years away.

The Alpha Centauri system.

Three stars burned fiercely, two of them close in size to the Sun, the third smaller.

Within the system were several planets; the second orbital planet was the Trisolaran homeworld.

Near the planet, peculiar space cities and ships could be seen.

Trisolaran architecture and design philosophy were completely unlike that of humans, bearing a strange industrial beauty.

"So that's the Trisolaran system? You can observe the homeworld from here in the Solar System?!"

UN officials stared in astonishment at the holographic display, marveling at the Eternal Snowfall's advancements.

Although Earth's civilization had tangled with the Trisolaran world for centuries, this was their first time truly seeing the Trisolaran star system.

Setsuna enlarged the projection.

Under high-precision scanning, the forms of the Trisolarans could be seen on the planet.

They resembled soft-bodied creatures, their skin mirror-like, with no distinct torso or limbs.

Even distinguishing torso from head was difficult.

"They look like slimes… ugh—"

A few small shipgirls made faces and groaned.

"The Trisolarans can dehydrate and enter hibernation at will. It's normal they don't have skeletons."

"You don't think all aliens will look like us, humanoid in form, do you? In the future, we might even encounter fungal civilizations or silicon-based ones."

Setsuna chuckled.

Seeing them in person, the Trisolarans weren't much different from what he had imagined.

"Wait… that scan result—is it real-time?!"

Ding Yi and Earth's people suddenly realized something terrifying.

When observing the Trisolaran world from the Solar System, what they saw was the state from four years ago.

But the Eternal Snowfall's projection was immediate—they could monitor dozens or even hundreds of light-years around them in real-time.

And down to individuals on a planet!

By current physical theory, such a thing was impossible.

But the Eternal Snowfall had achieved it.

Sophons could transmit information through quantum entanglement, but they had no ability to monitor vast ranges across star systems.

"Faster-than-light… without a doubt, this is an FTL civilization…"

"In their eyes, the universe has no secrets. They can see every star's present and past form, even track the entire Milky Way's movements…"

Ding Yi's body trembled as he looked toward the Eternal Snowfall.

His gaze was pious, reverent—as if beholding a deity.

To surpass light speed meant humanity's entire foundation of physics was overturned. The two sides' fundamental sciences weren't even on the same plane.

In the face of such an existence, whether it was Trisolarans reaching 13% of light speed, or the space navy's 15%, both were nothing more than insignificant insects.

"You all know the Trisolaran game, right? The one Wang Miao played?"

Setsuna spoke casually.

"In the Trisolaran world, due to the irregular orbits of the three suns, many terrifying astronomical disasters occur."

"Three Suns Hanging, Triple Conjunction, Fixed Soaring Star… right?"

The UN Secretary-General didn't know why Setsuna suddenly brought this up.

But facing this conqueror who held humanity's life and death in his hands, she thought carefully before responding.

"You mean the VR game from the Common Era? Yes, it simulated the astronomical patterns of the Trisolaran world."

"Three Suns Hanging means the thermal energy of all three stars simultaneously scorches a planet, turning it into a lava world in a short time…"

"Triple Conjunction is when all three stars align, their combined gravity tearing a planet apart and consuming it. The most terrifying is the Fixed Soaring Star—Trisolaris' greatest 'curse'…"

She recalled the details from memory.

The three-body problem is a chaotic model proven unsolvable mathematically. Over long spans of time, three stars inevitably consume every planet within their system.

This was the reason Trisolarans were so desperate to find an alien colony.

"Then… have you ever imagined what it would look like if all three stars exploded at once?"

"Guess—would they form multiple black holes, or collide into something else entirely?"

Setsuna gazed into the distant starlight as he asked.

"!!!"

His words, transmitted from the Eternal Snowfall's bridge, reached Earth, the surviving fleet members in space, and even the fleeing Natural Selection.

Everyone felt their breath stop for a moment.

"Destroying stars?!"

"Excuse me, I don't understand, do you mean…"

Terrified officials stammered.

Only a few seconds later—

A sophon instantly projected a massive line of text:

[Do not do this, we surrender]

"I don't accept. The Empire has no need for so many Trisolarans. Leaving a few for a zoo is enough."

Setsuna yawned casually.

[This is unreasonable. Our civilization has no conflict with yours. The Trisolarans only seek survival space]

The sophon projected words again at great speed.

"Speaking of morality in the universe is meaningless. If you stood where I stand, you'd do the same to humanity."

Setsuna answered calmly.

"Destroying you—what does it matter to me?"

"…."

After a long silence, the sophon projected one last line:

[Please grant the Trisolaran civilization a chance to preserve a seed of life]

It was nearly begging—Trisolaris pleading with its judge for mercy.

"…."

"I said before—extermination is the highest form of respect for a civilization."

"Farewell."

Clack—

The starship slowly turned toward the distant system.

An hour later.

The AI's prompt tone rang out:

[Fallen Star Lance]

[Charging status: 100%]

[Target locked: Alpha Centauri (4.2 light-years)]

[Firing sequence ready]

"An attack on an enemy homeworld at astronomical scale?!"

Ding Yi realized the Eternal Snowfall was preparing to do something utterly absurd.

From the Solar System to Alpha Centauri was 4.2 light-years!

His limited imagination could not fathom a weapon with a firing range measured in light-years.

The United Fleet's weapons couldn't even reach across half the Solar System.

Clack—

Setsuna pressed the firing key.

Blazing energy compressed and warped within the main cannon.

Boom!!!

A crimson torrent nearly a hundred kilometers wide erupted.

From Earth, it looked like a red pillar of light firing from the Sun, shooting straight into the distant stars.

The cosmic void itself seemed split in two by the beam—spectacular and terrifying all at once.

The main cannon's excess energy annihilated several satellites and asteroids along its path.

The Fallen Star Lance, like the sophon light spear, was an attack at near-infinite speed—faster than light.

Thus—

Almost the instant it fired, the crimson beam leapt across the vast cosmic void and struck Alpha Centauri, 4.2 light-years away.

The Trisolaran home system.

The Trisolaran planet was in a stable Chaotic Era, orbiting one of the three suns at a radius of about 0.6 AU.

As soon as the supreme leader had learned that an unknown alien warship had appeared within the Solar System and captured the Droplet, they had immediately begun organizing an exodus.

As a more advanced civilization, the Trisolarans understood all too well the consequences of technological suppression. Only those arrogant, foolish humans would dare challenge a higher civilization.

Vmmm—

Shwoom—

Large and small, civilian and military ships launched from the planet, heading into the distant universe.

By the most optimistic estimate, the strike would take at least years to arrive.

Once, they had thought the distance between Trisolaris and Earth was too vast—the First Fleet required 400 years to reach the Solar System.

Now they cursed that the distance was too short.

The outsider had discovered them with ease.

The Trisolaran world had no "language."

They communicated via brainwaves, with incredible speed. Between individuals, there was no privacy or secrets. Their society was a utopian form of collectivist despotism.

Thus, across the entire planet, apart from the hum of machines, no other noise could be heard.

After negotiations collapsed, every Trisolaran earnestly prepared to flee their homeworld.

"The Solar System is no longer habitable. Our only escape route is farther away."

"Once the ships launch, shut down all comms, remain in silence, avoid detection!"

"All wartime laws are void. For the sake of survival, free exodus is permitted."

The supreme leader and officials did their utmost to command the evacuation.

Heading for Earth would be suicide. At their current technological level, long-distance interstellar migration was exceedingly risky.

They would need to remain in dehydrated stasis, journeying hundreds or even thousands of years to possibly find a habitable system.

In the end, fewer than one in ten thousand of the refugee ships might survive.

But for the continuation of their civilization, it was a price they had to pay.

"If the strike arrives in four years, we can build six interstellar migrant ships… Aside from the Solar System, the nearest star system is…"

"Considering unforeseen events, we should evacuate two years earlier. The fleet would be reduced to two or three ships… projected survival numbers are…"

Technical officials worked nervously on calculations.

They had no idea what kind of strike the enemy would launch. According to physics, the fastest speed they could imagine was light.

Which gave them about four years of buffer time.

Vmmm—Vmmm—

Suddenly—

A sophon delivered new information.

[The enemy has already launched an attack on the Trisolaran homeworld]

"So fast?!"

There was no time for shock.

The instant the message arrived—

On the planet, Trisolarans raised their gaze to see the crimson pillar tearing through the cosmos, descending from beyond their star system.

From the Eternal Snowfall's firing to impact, the interval was less than a single second.

The enemy had given them no chance to prepare or flee, determined to consign their entire civilization to death.

The Trisolarans stared upward. Through long evolution, they had shed cowardly emotions, suppressing feelings to remain calm and rational.

Now, once again, they felt the ancient fear buried deep in their genes.

4.2 light-years—nearly forty trillion kilometers—erased in a single thought, the strike arriving instantly.

"Is this… God?"

Chapter 301: Defense Array Breached! Emanator of Preservation Mobilized

Faced with this force strong enough to suppress the natural order of the planet, the surging tide of black beasts ravaging its surface instantly slowed. Some of the weaker Abyssal beasts were even pinned down, unable to move at all.

From outer space, the pale-green planet defended by an artificial ring defense system had already turned dim, as a sinister purple-red aura continuously altered its hue.

Now, two-thirds of the planetary surface had already turned purple-red. This area was the domain formed by the Abyssal aura.

Within this domain, the instincts of the entire Star Rail Universe were powerless to resist.

If one were to liken the universe to a human body, then the regions engulfed by Abyssal aura were undergoing cancerous transformation.

This was not the power of the Teyvat Universe invading the Star Rail Universe.

Rather, the Abyssal aura had ignited the Star Rail Universe's own cosmic darkness.

It was something that already existed within the Star Rail Universe itself, now awakened and detonated—something that would not draw the attention of the Tree and Sea.

This was the unique nature of the Teyvat Abyss.

Not only the Star Rail Universe, but no great universe could resist the Abyss.

The Abyss of Teyvat was the dark side of countless cosmologies. As long as a great universe's cosmology contained such a concept, the Abyssal will could freely manipulate it.

This was precisely why Noah dared to unleash the Abyss in a direct, violent invasion.

The Abyss was his ultimate trump card—one he had never once played until now.

Once activated, no other universe could possibly withstand it.

Previously, he had refrained from using it mainly to allow the main universe—home to the various pantheons and divine collectives—to develop freely. Moreover, if a universe had not yet reached standard single-universe level, being eroded by the Abyss would heavily damage its origin.

The loss would be borne by the Teyvat Universe itself, so the Abyss was a card reserved only for facing great universes.

A decisive, absolute killing blow.

In places where the Abyssal aura ignited the cosmic darkness of this universe, domains were formed where Abyssal creatures could traverse at will.

This was not space travel but a power beyond the universe itself.

A standard single-universe could never comprehend such forces.

It was akin to when, back in Teyvat's era of the Seven Nations, the gods faced Abyssal domains.

"...Ugh..."

Topaz, one of the Ten Stonehearts of the Interastral Peace Corporation's Strategic Investment Department, was drenched in sweat as she urged her Cornerstone, Topaz of Debt Retrieval. She had been entrusted with a portion of an Emanator's power by Diamond, the department's minister and Emanator of Preservation.

Her exertion was already pushing beyond her limits.

Although the Cornerstone could allow her to temporarily unleash Emanator-level strength, it was only a weakened version.

Moreover, it depended on her own ability—the greater her talent, the stronger the eruption she could summon.

"Huff… huff… So this is the cosmic-scale catastrophe that we prepared for half a year ago?"

"It's only just begun, and it has already shattered Pier Point's defense array! There's no safe corner left in this entire galaxy!"

Topaz gasped heavily for breath. Wearing flight gear, she hovered above the atmosphere of one of the IPC's most important administrative planets, staring in terror at the advancing frontier of the black beast tide.

"No good! My strength alone isn't enough!"

As a P45-rank senior executive of the IPC, how could she not grasp the dire situation?

Turning her gaze to the cosmic depths, she saw the starry skies suffused entirely with purple-red haze. Even the light of distant stars, shining across countless light-years, had taken on that eerie hue.

Within the Pier Point Galaxy's deep space, there was not a single place left undisturbed.

Roar—Roar—Roar—Roar—Roar—

What was worse, from the locations where the galaxy's defense array had collapsed, several purple-black suns let out terrifying howls.

Those were not suns but living, terrifying cosmic monsters.

As one of the Ten Stonehearts and a senior executive of the Interastral Peace Corporation, Topaz had, of course, studied the history of Amber.

The ancient Leviathans that humanity once fought during the Twilight Era under the protection of the Amber King were nothing compared to these cosmic monsters—not even a fraction.

The current Aeon of Voracity had been the last of the Leviathans, elevated into aeonhood. Yet even the largest of the ancient Leviathans had been no bigger than a gas giant.

The monsters now reflected in her eyes, however, were several times larger than ordinary stars.

Their sheer gravity alone was enough to damage the defense array.

Even planet-buster cannons, when fired upon such colossal cosmic monsters, failed to stir the slightest ripple.

"Pier Point… It's not just likely—it's certain that it will be destroyed…"

As Topaz muttered in despair, her confidence collapsing, an immense rift appeared across the space ahead—a set of violet claw marks that ripped space apart like a curtain.

From within emerged a massive wolf head of dark gold, wreathed in violet-black currents, slowly pushing through.

Its crimson beastly eyes fixed on Topaz, carrying a hint of mockery.

Mocking the futility of the natives' resistance.

Only then did Topaz realize—the claws of this beast, one capable of annihilating a planet in a single strike and far more terrifying than the Doomsday Beasts of the Antimatter Legion, were reaching straight for the planetary defense ring.

Topaz's face went pale with horror. If the ring was destroyed, the entire planetary defense system would collapse.

The barriers that had barely held back larger monsters would vanish. The whole planet could very well be lost.

"Stop—!"

"Charge! Numby—!"

A golden, ornate piggy burst forth from space, riding an energy storm as it charged at the claws of the Golden Wolflord, a high-god-level monster.

But the Golden Wolflord only opened its maw and spat out a violet-black energy projectile toward Topaz.

The golden piggy bank was obliterated instantly, and the blast struck Topaz in the same breath.

Crack—

The Cornerstone in her hands shattered on the spot.

Topaz lost consciousness and plummeted from the planet's atmosphere toward its surface.

The Golden Wolflord did not continue its attack. Instead, it withdrew back into cosmic space.

Abyssal monsters at god-level possessed intelligence, and their instincts told them clearly what should and should not be done.

The moment the Cornerstone shattered, Pier Point's headquarters received the report.

At that very moment, the place was filled with all of the IPC's highest executives—all of the Emanators of Preservation.

Countless staff members frantically relayed messages to powers across the universe and transmitted urgent commands to personnel.

"Emergency report! Layer 73 of the galaxy defense array has been destroyed 100%! Layer 72 has sustained 96% damage… Layer 23 has sustained 11% damage… The rest of the array has all suffered varying levels of damage, and the collapse is still spreading!"

"Emergency report! Gravitational wave signals have already been sent across the entire universe to establish contact—"

"Emergency report! P45-level senior executive Director Topaz has lost all contact!"

"Topaz has already perished?"

"No surprise there. In the face of a cosmic-scale catastrophe, even an Emanator cannot preserve much. Besides, in this calamity, powers on par with an Emanator are hardly rare."

"Hardly rare? There are many. Just within the Pier Point Galaxy alone, there are more than ten monsters at Emanator-level strength. Some are even stronger than us. The only mystery is why they didn't attack us immediately."

"Perhaps they follow some unknown operational mechanism."

"Heh… In less than half a system hour, two-thirds of the entire galaxy has already fallen. To think—light alone would take 100,000 years just to cross the whole galaxy."

"It's incomprehensible. Even the IPC's entire team of spacetime researchers in the Technology Division, or the scholars of the Genius Society, have no clues."

"Don't waste your effort. How could the special power of another universe be judged by the knowledge of this one? The very cognition is different."

"What we must do now is evacuate all the Corporation's vital assets to safer galaxies."

"Just now, we contacted the Genius Society. The Aeon of Erudition, Nous, has already calculated the positions of those gates that suddenly appeared across the entire universe. They are distributed evenly."

"However, galaxies farther from these gates will suffer more slowly."

"We need as much time as possible to understand the power of this other universe."

"Issue orders to all senior executives of P40 and above. Relocate as many vital assets as possible to safer galaxies."

In this conference room, known only to a handful, the holographic projections of the Interastral Peace Corporation's leaders held a brief meeting.

These leaders were not all in Pier Point; they were spread across the universe, connected here via projection technology.

All were at least P47 or above.

At this level, the lowest rank was a candidate for the Board of Directors.

Each of their meetings could easily stir waves across the entire universe, with countless civilizations rising and falling in response to their decisions.

They were:

P49, Lifetime Director and IPC Founder, Louis Fleming—the only lifetime director for 14,600 cycles, one of merely two immovable pillars.

Lifetime Director and architect of the universe's credit currency system, Dongfang Qixing.

P48–P47 Board Directors and Director Candidates, also known as the Seven-Member Board:

Madam Scarred Eye.

Former Nameless of Trailblaze, now a Qlipoth zealot, Emanator of Preservation Oswaldo Schneider.

Emanator of Preservation, Diamond, Minister of Strategic Investment.

"Damn it! For our headquarters to collapse so completely in the very first wave—all of this is the fault of that damned Aeon of Joy!"

Oswaldo Schneider slammed his hand on the table, which instantly turned to dust. But since this was a projection, it was only a visual distortion.

Dongfang Qixing frowned. "Although the decoded declaration of war stated it was because the Aeon of Joy invaded their world first…"

"But that is nothing more than a unilateral claim. Who knows the truth?"

"In any case, as it stands now, the cosmic-scale catastrophe sweeping across the universe intends to destroy us all."

"To the enemy, what does it matter how you think? Their only intent is to destroy you."

"So, make haste."

With that, Dongfang Qixing disconnected.

"I must prepare as well. Though my galaxy has not yet been struck, according to the Genius Society, the nearest disaster point is less than two million light-years away."

Diamond sighed. "Sigh… In the face of this all-pervading, inescapable beast tide, our prior preparations now seem like nothing but a joke."

Oswaldo Schneider ground his teeth. "Damn it, I won't waste time discussing with you any further. If I don't take action now, Pier Point will be annihilated before evacuation even begins."

With that, he erupted with power—force vast enough to shake the entire galaxy.

The disintegrating layers of the galaxy's defense array slowed their collapse.

The invading Abyssal beasts above god-level were suppressed and forced into stasis. Some below god-level were crushed outright, their bodies shattered into pure Abyssal energy that was then reabsorbed by the Abyssal domains.

The energy of these fallen beasts would serve as nourishment for the birth of new Abyssal creatures.

The power of an Emanator of Preservation depended on how much strength the Aeon Qlipoth chose to grant.

Qlipoth was a relatively generous Aeon—any who were Emanators wielded galaxy-level might.

"All Strategic Investment Department executives at headquarters—abandon defense. Focus entirely on slowing the beast tide's advance. Activate every spatial warp device to preserve the Corporation's vital forces."

At the same time, all of the Ten Stonehearts, and all senior executives of the Strategic Investment Department, ceased their defense and charged directly into the fray.

Aventurine watched as the endless tide of colossal black cosmic monsters broke through the final galaxy defense array and surged toward Pier Point itself.

Around them, the orbital structures encircling Pier Point shattered under the beast tide's impact, becoming drifting debris scattered across space.

"Such an exaggerated beast tide… Even the wildest scenes of the Swarm Disaster recorded in historical images were no more terrifying than this."

"If it were other executives facing such a situation, they'd probably already think they'd been abandoned as cannon fodder."

"But me? No, not me. From as far back as I can remember—whenever there's gambling involved, I've never once lost."

"This time, I'll bet that I won't be devoured by monsters."

Aventurine's eyes held no fear—only exhilaration. Slowly raising both hands as though embracing the sun, he declared:

"So…"

[I place my wager]

[I gamble]

[I win]

[I spin the wheel of life]

[All or nothing]

[Traverse death to grasp life]

Aventurine erupted with light as brilliant as a star. That radiance sank into his body, and in space, a golden curtain vast enough to cover a planetary surface spread out. From the void, endless golden chips appeared.

Each golden chip, under Aventurine's full control, carried the destructive force to obliterate a space city of one million souls.

Now, countless such chips shot forth together into the tide of black beasts that surged like a cosmic ocean.

[All to the Amber Lord—]

Chapter 54: Ranzuki vs. Suzuki Kaguya (Part 2/2)

Zzzzzzz…

The sharp, piercing screech of high-frequency friction echoed between them.

On another part of the battlefield, the other three also sensed the disturbance from Ranzuki's side. After several probing exchanges with no clear winner, each realized it would be impossible to defeat the other quickly. Up to now, they had silently reached an unspoken truce of stalling. But with this sudden sound, the fragile balance was shattered.

Without a word, Setsu released his Ice Release and immediately fled the area.

"Taki, go support Ranzuki. We can't let this Yuki shinobi escape. I'll track him," Ai said.

"Yes, brother."

With their plan made, the two split up instantly.

...

Meanwhile, on Ranzuki and Suzuki's battlefield, the clash between the Sage Art wind-enhanced kunai and Suzuki's strongest spear had already reached a conclusion.

What shocked Suzuki was that even his full-powered dual-layered defense couldn't stop the attack. The kunai, empowered by sage chakra, tore through his wind nature transformation and pierced directly through the massive bone spear he had forged.

The force carried straight into his arm, punching through it, then sent him flying hard into the ground.

"It's over."

Before he could catch his breath, Ranzuki Body Flickered again, her wind-blade sword raised for a decisive strike.

Facing the storm-like attack descending upon him, Suzuki let out the faintest laugh.

To think… I would be pushed to this point by a little girl.

From his chest erupted dozens of jagged bones, layered and interwoven like a bramble. For every one that was cut, another layer took its place. Even Ranzuki's Sage Art wind blade could not slice through them all instantly. Her strike carved through most, but was caught midway.

In Ranzuki's vision, she could see the heavy earth nature chakra infused into the bone spikes, forcibly withstanding her assault.

In the deadlock, Suzuki spoke with genuine admiration: "You are the strongest brat I've ever seen… no, the strongest female shinobi I've ever met."

Ranzuki's expression didn't change. "You're the hardest hedgehog I've ever seen."

"Heh."

With a low chuckle, Suzuki's body erupted with a thunderous surge of chakra. A wave of danger welled up in Ranzuki's chest.

"Dance… of the Seedling Fern!"

In an instant, countless sharp bones sprouted from Suzuki's body, infused with both wind and earth chakra. Ranzuki's Tenseigan immediately recognized the change, and even someone as powerful as her had no choice but to withdraw temporarily.

But the bones multiplied endlessly, spreading outward without pause. Within moments, spikes jutted from the ground in every direction, extending rapidly toward Ranzuki's position.

"Wind and earth dual chakra transformation."

Even she was forced to evade, leaping back while focusing Tenseigan chakra. At the last moment, she launched herself into the sky with gravitational force.

When she finally looked down from above, she saw an entire forest of bones covering the ground.

Through her perception, Suzuki's chakra was no longer a distinct point—it had fused with the bone forest, impossible to pinpoint.

"So he guessed my eyes can track chakra… he deliberately poured chakra into the bone forest to conceal himself, while slipping underground with Earth Release."

Understanding his tactic, Ranzuki smirked bitterly. "As expected of a super S-class missing-nin. What a pain."

At that moment, Taki also arrived near the bone forest. Seeing the terrifying expanse of bones, his face was filled with shock.

"Ranzuki! You okay, brat?"

"I'm fine. Don't get close to that bone forest." Ranzuki's Tenseigan continuously scanned below. "Suzuki Kaguya's chakra is fused with this forest. He can appear from anywhere at any time."

Hearing this, Taki was stunned and immediately backed away from the surrounding bone spikes.

Hovering above, Ranzuki rubbed her chin in thought before calling down, "Hey, if the target's corpse ends up incomplete, does it still count?"

"Huh?"

The question left Taki utterly baffled, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"It counts. It counts," he stammered.

"Good."

Ranzuki instantly formed hand seals and released Shadow Clone Jutsu.

Poof!

Poof!

Poof!

Three clones emerged from the smoke. Including her original body, the four Ranzukis positioned themselves around the bone forest, each at a cardinal point.

Hidden within the reinforced bone forest, infused with dual wind and earth chakra, Suzuki also noticed the formation.

"Is this to prevent my escape… or something else?"

Yet, concealed within his fortified domain, Suzuki felt certain the girl could do nothing to him.

Once all four Ranzukis took their positions in the sky, they began weaving seals in perfect unison.

Instantly, a terrifying surge of chakra flooded the battlefield.

The overwhelming wave of energy was so immense that even Ai Tachibana and Setsu Yuki, far away in their pursuit, stopped and turned their eyes toward Ranzuki's location.

"That kid… she's really this strong?" Ai murmured.

Witnessing it firsthand, Taki stood frozen, shaken by both her overwhelming aura and the killing intent she exuded.

Her indigo haori flared wildly under the torrent of sage chakra.

The four figures, with brilliant azure eyes, fixed their gazes firmly on the mountain cloaked in white bone.

Then, in unison, their voices rang out, crisp and overlapping like divine decree:

"This shall be your grave." ×4

The moment the words fell, four colossal storms roared to life, each taking the form of a dragon. With terrifying force, they tore apart the towering waves and wrenched the bone-infested canyon straight from the earth.

"Sage Art: Storm of the Gods!" ×4

Chapter 53: Ranzuki vs. Suzuki Kaguya (Part 1/2)

Behind the ice mirrors stood Suzuki Kaguya and Setsu Yuki, both already in battle stance.

At this moment, their expressions were grim. It wasn't just because their subordinates had been wiped out in an instant, but also because their reaction had played perfectly into the enemy's calculations.

As the leaders of the Kaguya clan and the Yuki clan, their strength was beyond question. Even against such a sudden self-destruction tactic, they could still protect themselves without worry.

But precisely because of their known strength, this plan had never targeted them in the first place.

"Shinobi of the Yuki clan, you already have no chance of victory. Why throw away your lives alongside Suzuki Kaguya?"

From the thick mist emerged Ranzuki. On her face had already appeared the markings of Sage Mode, while her pupils radiated with a strange sapphire glow.

A dōjutsu shinobi? Or perhaps a genjutsu type?

Even as he observed, Setsu rapidly formed hand seals in front of his chest. Under his chakra's influence, the surrounding mist condensed into a vast array of ice mirrors, encircling Ai Tachibana and Taki Tachibana while also saving two of his subordinates.

"Since we've taken on this mission, our clan will see it through to the end." With that, Setsu's figure blurred, and using the reflections of the ice mirrors, he swiftly merged into the maze surrounding Taki Tachibana.

Ranzuki stood still, paying no mind to Setsu chasing after Ai and Taki.

Her target was only the bounty and Suzuki Kaguya. The rest didn't matter.

Meanwhile, within the ice mirror trap, Ai's expression grew extremely serious. "Taki, be careful. This is the Yuki clan's kekkei genkai secret technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals."

"So this is the Yuki clan's secret ultimate jutsu? First time I've seen it." Taki glanced around. "Doesn't look like much. Watch me smash it with one punch."

Before his words even finished, Taki transformed into a streak of lightning and charged at one of the mirrors, fist ready to shatter it.

Yet just as his punch was about to land, every ice mirror suddenly flared with blinding light. Under the dazzling glare, Taki's vision was inevitably blinded.

At the same time, an ice blade appeared from one of the mirrors—Setsu's figure stepping forth with disdain across his face, swinging to end Taki's life.

But just before the blade struck, Taki's body stopped abruptly, violating all common sense. In an instant, he went from extreme motion to complete stillness.

The lethal slash grazed past his neck, leaving only a shallow cut.

"You!"

Startled, Setsu instantly retreated back into the mirrors. Expecting a counterattack that never came, he looked back to find Ai clutching Taki's shoulders firmly, forcibly halting him.

So that was it.

Frustrated at missing the perfect opening, Setsu hid once more, seeking another chance.

Inside the mirrors, Ai and Taki pressed back to back, watching the shifting reflections carefully.

"Don't be careless, Taki. This is no ordinary enemy."

"Got it, brother," Taki replied with lingering fear. "But… that brat Ranzuki—can she really handle that monster Suzuki?"

Ai's gaze darkened as he scanned the mirrors. "That's up to her alone."

...

On another part of the battlefield—

Suzuki Kaguya stared at Ranzuki with a look of puzzlement.

"Why is it… that I feel fear from your eyes?"

"Who knows."

Ranzuki tilted her wrist, and a kunai shot toward Suzuki with tremendous speed. But he was no simple opponent—he saw through the kunai's trajectory instantly.

With a flicker, he evaded. Yet in that same moment, Ranzuki had already closed in, the Tenseigan's overwhelming insight letting her predict his movements. Her foot lashed out, aiming straight for Suzuki Kaguya.

Her sudden burst of speed was terrifying—so much so that even Suzuki Kaguya, with his formidable taijutsu, couldn't react in time. He could only cross his arms to block the strike.

But the power of a single Sage Mode kick was unreasonable. The moment their bodies clashed, Suzuki was sent flying.

Ranzuki instantly Body Flickered forward, chasing him without pause.

Through the Tenseigan's vision, Suzuki's chakra signature was painfully obvious. The thick mist did nothing to hinder her pursuit.

After smashing through dozens of giant trees, Suzuki finally managed to halt his flight. Though his instincts had helped him disperse much of the force midair, what he felt inside left him deeply shocked: this unfamiliar kunoichi's taijutsu was so overwhelming that a single kick had shattered most of the subcutaneous bone layer of his Shikotsumyaku armor. This was the reinforced calcium defense second only to his strongest spear technique. For it to break so easily proved her monstrous strength.

Such brute power… could she be from the Senju clan?

Then from behind him came that same youthful voice.

"Why keep running? Wouldn't it be better if I just killed you?"

"Kill me?"

Though battered, Suzuki sneered, refusing to yield. "Do you think you can?"

"What do you think?"

Her voice sounded at his side in the very next instant.

His heart lurched. Overcome by a powerful sense of danger, Suzuki instinctively leapt high, trying to avoid the attack that exceeded even his perception. At the same time, he activated his Shikotsumyaku, forming a bony shield at his side.

But the massive force shattered his hastily formed bone shield instantly, and even cracked the secondary layer of hardened bone beneath his skin—nearly striking his organs.

Blasted away once again, Suzuki no longer dared hold back. Ranzuki had already appeared above him.

She gathered sage chakra into her foot and unleashed a downward kick. This wasn't ninjutsu—just a taijutsu strike born of instinct.

Feeling the threat to his life, Suzuki reacted desperately.

"Dance of the Larch!"

Dozens of hardened bones shot from his chest, the density heightened for maximum defense. They barely managed to stop her kick.

But even as he was sent flying, Suzuki pointed all ten fingers at Ranzuki.

"Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!"

Like bullets, ten sharpened bones fired from his fingertips, each honed into conical projectiles imbued with both wind nature transformation and shape manipulation. Their speed and penetrative power rivaled A-rank ninjutsu.

With narrowed eyes, Ranzuki drew a Vacuum Blade wind sword from her back. Infusing it with wind chakra, she struck in a blur, deflecting every bone bullet in an instant.

The scattered projectiles pierced through mountain ridges and rocks alike, leaving behind perfectly hollowed holes.

Though she'd neutralized his assault, Suzuki had no chance to breathe.

Ranzuki sheathed the wind sword, wove hand seals, and spat out a razor-thin blue wind blade from her mouth.

"Sage Art: Wind Release—Wind Cutter."

The approaching blade was so sharp and lethal that even Suzuki, with his powerful defenses, instantly realized he could not withstand it head-on.

At the last moment, he pulled his spine from his body, hooking it to a nearby rocky outcrop. With a desperate tug, he yanked himself sideways in midair, narrowly evading the devastating wind blade.

"It's not over yet."

Before he could recover, Ranzuki hurled a specialized kunai. Her hands clapped together.

"Sage Art: Wind Release—Gale Palm!"

Her sage-enhanced chakra enveloped the kunai, magnifying its speed and destructive power to terrifying levels.

"So fast…"

Suzuki's eyes widened at the incoming kunai streaking like a falling star.

"Dodging is impossible. I'll have to take it head-on."

His chakra surged violently, far beyond that of an average jonin.

"Flower."

A colossal spiral bone spear grew rapidly from his arm, reinforced to its strongest state and infused with cutting wind chakra.

In the next instant—

The wind-imbued kunai collided with the massive bone spear.

Zzzzzzzzz…

A sharp, grating screech of high-frequency friction shrieked between them as the two forces clashed head-to-head.

Chapter 141: Bringing Arasaka’s “Advanced” Management Experience to Atlas

[Business Planning]

From: Vela Adelheid Russell

To: Jonathan Irons

Subject: "Flesh is Weak, Machine is Strong"

—The future of humanity depends on the machines of today.

Content: On the necessity of establishing two new manufacturing divisions: the [Humanoid Robotics Division] and the [Service Robotics Division].

...

If one had to point out the imbalance and critical weaknesses in Atlas Corporation's current "tech tree," Vela's answer would be—smart control systems.

Not absent, but not good enough.

Perhaps compared to its contemporaries in Call of Duty, Atlas' technology was still far ahead. But in Vela's eyes, it was crippled.

EXO mechanical exoskeletons, AST combat mechs, T-540 self-propelled tanks, T-740 hover tanks…

Atlas products all carried low-level AI plug-ins. For instance, the EXO exoskeleton came with an encrypted program that bound the user's biochemistry, which only the wearer, medics, or maintenance personnel could remove.

But the applications were crude, the encryption insufficient, the IFF systems sluggish, and the management sloppy—lacking unified vertical programming.

Specific examples included:

Atlas AST combat mechs—when a pilot was killed, hostile forces could easily breach the cockpit and seize control.

There was no pilot-recognition program, no firewall-decryption step—an enemy could simply reboot the AST, and the mech would still remain linked to Atlas' internal combat intranet.

The intranet's control over company property—exoskeletons, drones, prosthetics—and the enforcement of real-time executive orders was weak.

The database's handling of employee identity and status—active, terminated, or retired—was slow in adjusting and implementing changes.

...

It fell naturally on Vela to address these flaws.

As an Atlas shareholder, R&D Director, and Chief Engineer overseeing weapons development, her main focus now was to plug the gaps.

Since her official appointment as Director of R&D in mid-2058, such slackness had to be eradicated completely.

Before, her rank wasn't high enough, or her jurisdiction too far removed from these fields. She could influence indirectly, but had no grounds to intervene directly.

Now, she sat on the Atlas board.

And Irons had already delegated authority.

The time to act boldly had come.

She would bring Arasaka's "advanced" management experience to Atlas.

Well—part of it.

"Above is just my humble vision for the company's manufacturing future. Though their market launch will inevitably draw attacks from unions and other such groups, Mr. Irons," Vela concluded.

Clapping her hands lightly, she glanced at the PDA screen, at that stern, commanding face etched with deep forehead and nasolabial lines.

"This is hardly a 'humble vision,' Vela."

Irons' deep voice rumbled from the speakers.

"Humanoid Robotics Division…"

He muttered the name of one of the two proposed divisions.

"Military robots—replacing flesh and blood with machine intelligence. It is indeed an effective way to reduce human casualties. If the Korean War of '54 had been fought with robots, Will might not have… No. The White House, the Pentagon—they will never see it. They only push larger wars in the name of selling their 'democracy.' To make fathers bury sons—this grotesque violation of nature, repeating endlessly!"

His voice suddenly surged with emotion.

"Haa…"

A long exhale.

After a moment's pause, Irons' voice returned to calm.

"Apologies, Vela. Forgive my outburst. Go ahead—do it. I trust you. Only through innovation can we secure humanity's survival and prosperity. Only by making Atlas stronger can we change more lives…"

"As for criticism from outside?"

Irons' voice carried a hint of laughter.

"Do you remember the Atlas creed?"

Tilting her head, Vela paused, then smiled as she answered: "We are pioneers who forge ahead."

Pioneers—those who achieve extraordinary feats must themselves be extraordinary. To act ahead of the times means setbacks, and it means being misunderstood.

"Good. The Humanoid Robotics Division and the Service Robotics Division—I hereby approve them unilaterally. For now, they'll be placed under your R&D Department. I look forward to your results… Hm?"

On the screen, an assistant seemed to approach and whisper to him. Irons nodded, then looked back into the camera.

"I'll review your proposal thoroughly tonight. But the most important matter right now is still the design of Atlas' New Baghdad headquarters."

He pointed at her, emphasizing his priorities, before smiling and ending the call.

Beep beep.

Setting down the PDA, Vela's faint smile quickly faded.

"New Baghdad."

That the headquarters took precedence did not surprise her…

It was inevitable that Irons placed greater importance on New Baghdad.

Strategically, once Atlas completed New Baghdad, exerting control over the Middle East—extending influence across the Persian Gulf, the Caspian, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Suez Canal—would be no problem. It showed that Irons favored breakthroughs on the world island, while he had little faith in securing dominance directly in North America.

But the future was unpredictable. Who could say? Who knew when Irons, once betrayed again by a confidant, might lose control entirely?

In the silence of her thoughts, Vela turned her gaze to the holographic monitor on the console.

On the shooting range, Mitchell was test-firing the [Projectile Launch System], while Gideon and Joker chatted animatedly.

Ilona stood off to the side, leaning against a wall, occasionally chiming in.

Vela's eyes lingered on Mitchell.

Ripples of light shimmered across her retinas…

Taking form was a silhouette—her own—marked by a silver clover brooch at the collar, staring back at her.

In terms of smart-control technology and EMP resistance, compared to Call of Duty, the "breeding ground" of electronic warfare units in Cyberpunk—their firewalls, corporate intranet construction, and defensive strength were indisputable.

"A pure network world, untouched by rogue AIs or Rache Bartmoss' rampages… truly the perfect testing ground for AI-driven robotics."

Vela turned her gaze away from the monitor.

Her mind was already far from San Bernardino.

Picking up her private PDA again, she opened the encrypted archive. After biometric verification, she scrolled to the lowest tier:

—[Supreme Control Protocol]—

Beep.

With a glint in her eyes, she turned the screen off and slipped the PDA into her coat lining.

It was time to return to New Baghdad.

Mitchell and Gideon were manageable distractions. The true main stage—the urgent mission—was elsewhere.

Before leaving the examination room, she retrieved a silver-white suitcase from the storage locker.

Clack—the gate opened.

"If this is meant to protect me, S+ won't be enough."

Handing the case to a waiting MP, she murmured inwardly.

...

[Tokyo Ghoul]

Tokyo Haneda International Airport.

A Special Class Investigator, newly reassigned from North America's CCG back to Tokyo CCG, descended the boarding ramp slowly.

"Don't worry. This time, we've prepared SS+."

Chapter 222: Elias—It's Actually Quite Simple!

"What's with this weird mask?"

Kalpas frowned behind the mask as he saw his reflection in the ice. Elias thought to himself that perhaps the Tiga Ultraman mask wasn't quite to his taste.

"Weird? Not at all. Trust me—wearing this will make you popular. One day you'll thank me."

"Thank you? Hmph! Absurd."

Kalpas hesitated, but in the end didn't remove the mask.

Strange as it was, it wasn't ugly. More importantly, he hated showing his real face even more.

Though Elias had already seen it, Kalpas wasn't going to bother with silencing him.

Not that he could, anyway.

Without undergoing the Meta-Morph surgery, Kalpas wasn't even a match for Sakura—let alone Elias.

Even if he seemed strong enough to solo a Herrscher just now, he had paid dearly for it. If not for Elias using the Herrscher of Death's power to heal his frostbite, he would have been suffering for a long time. Though Kalpas' tolerance for pain was monstrous—honed by years of torture from those damned villagers.

"Tell me your name."

Kalpas crossed his arms and stared at the boy before him.

"Loser announces first—that's the rule. I won, so you go first."

"Fine, fine! I'm Kalpas. Remember it! Next time, I won't lose to you again!"

"Such a temper… whatever, keep it. I'm Elias. Nice to meet you, Kalpas."

Elias imagined a polite, soft-spoken "Mr. Kalpas" and almost laughed at how wrong it felt. This man being hot-headed was far more entertaining.

Elias liked people with personality.

"…Hmph!"

Kalpas glanced at Elias' outstretched hand, then at his own bloodstained fist—still marked by the Herrscher of Ice's blood. With a cold snort, he turned away, ignoring it.

"You really are rude."

Sakura sounded displeased. As Elias' devoted fox-eared follower, she already disliked Kalpas—who had just fought him, and now acted disrespectfully.

"Hah? Woman, I've already shown him respect. If you want mine too, you'd better prove it with strength."

"Oh? Is that so."

"!!!"

Kalpas didn't react in time. When he came to, Frozen Naraka was already at his neck.

The icy-blue blade lacked the chilling force of the Herrscher of Ice, but it carried an edge infinitely sharper.

The most frightening part, however, was the speed.

That strike had taken just 0.1 seconds.

Elias: (Other than me, Sakura's the fastest in Fire Moth. But still, that strike took 0.1 seconds—far from reaching the realm of [Setsuna].)

The time for a normal human to react was called a "thought," about 1.08 seconds.

A "Setsuna" was one-sixtieth of that—roughly 0.018 seconds.

Sakura was still far from the mark, unable to unleash that world-freezing slash. But against Kalpas, who had yet to undergo Meta-Morph, it was more than enough.

Right now, Brother Kalpas was feeling a little socially defeated.

He had just said his piece, only to be instantly schooled by action. He couldn't help but wonder—what was with these two outsiders? And that cold, monstrous being earlier…

Was this world really so deep?

"Hmph! Interesting. Fight me!"

Kalpas' battle intent quickly reignited, his masked gaze locking on Sakura. His fury hadn't fully burned out, and he was eager to vent it. Just as he was about to leap into another fight, however, a wave of extreme cold swept from behind him.

So cold it nearly froze his flames solid!

For a moment, Kalpas thought the Herrscher of Ice had revived.

But…

"That's enough. Fighting all day long—what's the point? All this killing is bad for everyone. And while I'm a kind and forgiving person, Kalpas, if you so much as harm Sakura, the consequences will be very, very serious."

The source of the chill was Elias.

"What—you can wield it too?!"

Kalpas stared in shock at the ultra-low temperatures radiating from Elias, colder than the Herrscher of Ice herself.

Earlier, Elias had retrieved the Herrscher's corpse and pried the Gem of Stasis from her chest, embedding it into the Key of Blankness disguised as his ordinary clothing.

And so, the unprecedented Seven-Core Herrscher was born!

The concentration of Honkai energy around Elias skyrocketed, leaping to 30,000HW!

Compared to him, the Herrscher of Ice was nothing. If Elias wished to end the world, with the help of Benares' Meta-Morph ICHOR that granted climate control, he could permanently lower global temperatures to below -70 degrees.

The oceans—frozen solid at a whim.

The skies—endless snowfall, without end.

If he wished it, the world would become eternal tundra.

And truthfully, ice would be far more efficient for extinction than fire.

"This… really is the Herrscher of Ice's power!"

Sakura's eyes widened in shock.

Watching Elias effortlessly manipulate temperature, condensing a crystal-clear shard of ice in his palm, she was awestruck.

To wield a Herrscher's power as one's own—Sakura felt as though she had glimpsed an earth-shattering secret.

As she panicked over what to do, Elias looked at her with trusting eyes.

"This is my greatest secret. Don't tell anyone, Sakura. Otherwise, I'll be in big trouble."

"I'll never tell!!"

She answered without hesitation.

She knew he had deliberately revealed this to her, showing trust by exposing his secret. How could she betray that?

Sakura was suddenly grateful she didn't talk in her sleep. Otherwise, she'd need to sleep with a gag in her mouth (lol).

"Mm. Thank you, Sakura. Here, take this."

"Th-this, I can't possibly accept—"

Elias shaped the shard of ice further, crafting it into a deep-blue crystalline necklace. It would never melt, nor feel cold to the touch.

But above all, it was breathtakingly beautiful.

Perfect for a girl as beautiful as Sakura.

"I'll treasure it for my entire life!"

Sakura's voice was firm and earnest. It was the best gift she had ever received. The fox ears atop her head flicked nonstop, showing her overflowing happiness.

Elias smiled, as always, reaching to pat her head before fastening the necklace around her neck.

Their eyes met in a deep gaze, the atmosphere so sweet it felt like they might kiss the next moment.

Kalpas: "..."

The masked man watched silently, feeling as though he'd just swallowed something unbearably sweet and sticky. With a huff, he turned aside.

Gazing at the ruined village, the mad king clenched his fists. The fire in his heart, which had only just cooled, once again began to burn uncontrollably.

But Kalpas' rage wasn't for Elias or Sakura, nor even for the Herrscher of Ice. It was anger at himself—his failure to protect his home. To him, that was all that mattered.

The Herrscher's final outburst of cold had already turned the entire region into permafrost, unfit for human habitation.

Kalpas looked upon his destroyed refuge, lost, and began wandering aimlessly in a random direction.

He didn't know where to go.

But he no longer wanted to remain here. Staying would only keep his fury boiling endlessly.

Just then…

"Kalpas."

"Hm? Done with your flirting?"

Turning, he saw the white-haired boy standing behind him, while the fox-eared woman stood nearby, looking dazed and smiling faintly.

Toward the boy who had defeated him in fair combat—yet also saved him—Kalpas' attitude was surprisingly "friendly."

After all, he had not yet undergone Meta-Morph, nor suffered the cognitive corruption that would later twist him further into fury.

"..."

"If you have something to say, say it. My patience is short."

"I'd originally planned to invite you to come with me… but now I think it's too soon. What you need is a place to rest—a sanatorium to cool the fire in your heart."

Elias abandoned the idea of immediately taking Kalpas to Fire Moth.

Though Kalpas, strong enough to defeat a Herrscher without even being a fusion warrior, was undoubtedly a powerful force—there was no need to rush. For now, humanity in the Previous Era was thriving. Fire Moth was united in its war against the Honkai.

Herrschers were already being suppressed—by Elias himself.

That momentum would continue.

At least, the Herrscher of Death and Herrscher of Fire would still be handled—because Elias already had the means. Having held the Gem of Haste and Gem of Desire for so long, no one knew those Herrschers' powers and weaknesses better than him.

Kalpas' aid wasn't essential.

Elias: (The best way to win Kalpas over is to give him a home—to become his family. Heart for heart. But… forget it. I'm not into guys. I'd much rather stay close with the girls. And for later's sake, letting him go now is best.)

He knew where Kalpas would go next—the Dusk Street, a cradle of talent in the Previous Era.

Pardofelis and Aponia had yet to appear. Kalpas would find his way to MOTH's sanatorium, where he could cool his fury.

Once he found a new home and family, his rage could finally be tamed. And with Elias' interference, Sakura would never kill those Honkai-afflicted children this time.

This time, everyone could have a perfect ending.

"Kalpas, real family protects each other with their lives—they don't hurt one another. What makes a home a home isn't just that it's a place to sleep or return to—it's that it warms your heart…"

"What are you trying to say…"

"You'll find true family someday. When you do, protect them well. Here, take this."

"Enough!"

Elias formed a terminal and tossed it to Kalpas. But without hesitation, Kalpas crushed it in his fist, then strode away without looking back.

For some reason, Elias' words made him feel as though his heart was being peeled open like an onion, layer by layer.

It was as though he'd been seen through—understood.

That baffled and unsettled him. As a beast-like man, this unreasonable kindness and understanding only made him more cautious, more guarded.

And so Kalpas ran. He had no choice.

After all—he couldn't beat Elias right now.

At this moment, Kalpas had no idea that he would soon become Elias' most loyal enforcer—second in devotion only to Sakura.

"Ah, wait—I might've just given him a buff. With that Tiga Ultraman mask I made, he'll win over Aponia's sanatorium kids even faster. Heh, Kalpas, you'd better thank me later."

Hands on his hips, Elias thought proudly to himself—truly, he never disappointed.

...

From the skies came the sound of Fire Moth's transport craft rotors. Elias looked up and saw his adorable Miss Pink Elf waving at him from above.

"Sakura, it's time to go home."

"..."

But while Elias called her, the fox-eared girl was still standing dazedly in place, fingers tracing the ice-crystal necklace at her throat, lost in bliss.

"Sakura, Sakura—time to snap out of it!"

"Mmnn!"

Elias chuckled helplessly, tugging gently on her fox ears to bring her back to reality.

"Sorry, Elias, I was just…"

"It's fine. I'm glad you like my gift. Come on, let's go home."

"Mm!"

Sakura nodded firmly, then tucked the necklace beneath her clothes to rest close against her skin.

Elias couldn't help but think it a pity she had no tail—otherwise, it'd surely be wagging sky-high right now.

He also found it amusing. That necklace was just a casual trinket he'd made on a whim, yet Sakura cherished it as though it were priceless. It made him… want to give her more.

After all, Elias wasn't a girl—he couldn't truly understand what it meant for a pure-hearted maiden to receive a beautiful necklace from the boy she adored.

To Sakura, that necklace was worth more than her own life.

And it made one wonder—

When the day came that necklace shattered… what kind of expression would she show?

...

—Inside Fire Moth Base—

"As expected of Captain Elias! He defeated another Herrscher!"

"Yeah, and this time in less than a minute!"

"That man's a Herrscher-killer, a savior!"

"Efficient—too efficient! This time there's not even any cleanup to do. Perfect!"

"Humanity will prevail! Long live Captain Elias! Prepare the victory banquet!"

The base erupted into a sea of cheers.

It was a great victory, unprecedented. Only a small village had been lost—the cost was negligible.

Elias' reputation soared once again. As he stepped off the transport, the white-haired figure drew eyes brimming with admiration.

(Elias: "How lonely is invincibility How empty is invincibility Alone atop the peak with only the cold wind blowing Who can understand my solitude!")

Humming in his heart, Elias gave himself a mental thumbs-up.

He glanced at the mission report, summarizing the Fifth Herrscher's defeat, and wrote without hesitation two bold words: Very Simple.

"Waaah~ My kill got stolen again!" Miss Pink Elf rubbed her eyes, fake-crying adorably.

Since the Second Herrscher, she hadn't landed a single finishing blow.

Finally, Elias had promised her two kills.

But the Herrscher of Wind outran her, and the Herrscher of Ice had literally spawned in front of Elias—sniped in an instant.

"My dearest Elias, are you cursed to always steal Herrscher kills? This is too much. I feel like no one will ever snatch a kill from you for the rest of their lives~"

"Cough, cough—don't say it like that, Ely. Trust me, you'll definitely get your chance."

Elias thought of the Herrscher of Dominance yet to appear—over a thousand bodies. Sharing a few with Elysia and Kevin wouldn't be a problem.