Dao Of Heaven

Chapter 528: If We Keep Looking at Each Other Like This…

Illustrators, like authors, were only human—which meant delays were inevitable.

Completing the illustrations for a single volume already took a long time. Add in the possibility of delays, and it wouldn't be surprising if a book scheduled for release next year got pushed back to the year after.

Kotomi Izumi went straight to Mrs. Yuigahama, and the two of them decided to finalize the new project's illustrations in advance and start drawing the next day.

That way, by the time Kotomi sent the manuscript to Haruno Yukinoshita, Mrs. Yuigahama would have finished all the illustrations for one volume as well.

By completing the most time-consuming part of production early, the editor could later send both the text manuscript and the illustrations together to the printer, keeping the publication schedule within a predictable timeframe.

Kotomi could then estimate when the book would be printed and choose the best month for release.

"I get it now. This really would free up the time usually spent on illustration work. Even if Dengeki Bunko decides your popularity warrants a special edition of Redo of Healer Volume 1, with extra bonuses and a decorative box illustration, I could finish that within a week," Mrs. Yuigahama said.

"Then it's decided. I expect I'll have the final Sword Art Online manuscript finished by next year. As for when Dengeki Bunko chooses to publish it—that I don't know."

Kotomi grinned. After all, Dengeki Bunko released several light novels every month, and their production capacity was limited. She continued:

"Once Sword Art Online's final arc is done, I'll have a lot more time. First, I'll devote a month or two fully to Redo of Healer. Once I'm in the right rhythm, I'll start my new project—Mushoku Tensei."

"Does Haruno know about this?" Mrs. Yuigahama asked cautiously. She felt like she might be the first to hear Kotomi's true plans.

Dengeki Bunko had only just published Sword Art Online Volume 1. The series' popularity was steadily rising. Even with just one volume out, it was already sitting firmly on the bestseller charts. And yet Kotomi was already thinking about the final arc.

If Haruno found out, would she laugh, or cry?

"Editor Yukinoshita doesn't know. In fact, I haven't told Dengeki Bunko anything about my future plans. Not even hinted at them," Kotomi admitted.

Her relationship with Haruno was good, and she was classmates with Haruno's younger sister Yukino. But that didn't mean Kotomi could count on Dengeki Bunko always being a friendly partner. At the start of any partnership, both sides shared a honeymoon phase of goodwill and talk of shared dreams.

But once that phase passed, disagreements over interests could easily arise.

From the moment she signed, Kotomi had kept this in mind—she never intended to tie herself down completely to Dengeki Bunko.

Yuko Hiratsuka never said it outright, but when the release schedule for The Girl Who Lives in a Mecha Won't Smile Volume 10 clashed with Sword Art Online Volume 1, her handling seemed fair to both authors. Still, Kotomi noticed a hint of favoritism.

Later, once she got to know people at Dengeki Bunko, she learned the reason. The author of The Girl Who Lives in a Mecha Won't Smile, Toki Renmu, had signed a special contract with the publisher back at Volume 5.

Dengeki Bunko had agreed to give him stronger support and a bigger cut of adaptation profits. In exchange, for 30 years, every light novel he wrote could only be published through them.

When Kotomi signed, her contract covered only Sword Art Online.

But Toriki's contract bound him as an individual—for thirty years.

So when scheduling conflicts arose, it was only natural that Editor-in-Chief Hiratsuka would give the PV promo slot to Toriki. It was normal business practice, understandable enough.

If Kotomi were in charge, she would have made the same decision. When two authors had a scheduling conflict, one signed only for a single series while the other had signed themselves away for thirty years—of course the PV promo slot would go to the latter.

If Kotomi had tied herself to Dengeki Bunko for thirty years, then Editor-in-Chief Hiratsuka Yuko would surely have given her the PV slot without hesitation. After all, the potential of Sword Art Online was obvious to anyone—it far outshone The Girl Who Lives in a Mecha Won't Smile.

Even Toki Renmu admitted as much: "One more volume—no, even just one! Teacher Izumi's popularity and sales will leave me in the dust. The entire bestseller list will be reshuffled."

Kotomi had no intention of binding herself to Dengeki Bunko for thirty years. Her ambition was to create her own game company. Light novels were her stepping stone, not her shackles.

Toki Renmu, however, felt his thirty-year contract was worth it. With it, he was able to buy a home in Tokyo outright—something he never imagined possible before. Thanks to his series, he had achieved financial freedom. Every month's royalties arrived before he'd even spent the previous month's. Not fabulously wealthy, but more than enough to never worry about money again.

Rumor had it that several other bestselling authors had also signed thirty-year contracts.

Everyone had their own path.

"So, I'm the first to know, then?" Mrs. Yuigahama asked softly. When Kotomi nodded, her feelings grew complicated.

Kotomi continued:

"Mushoku Tensei's worldbuilding, settings, and plot will be vast. Every scene and detail needs careful crafting. It's an epic tale of growing into a hero. It'll definitely take millions of words. While working on Mushoku Tensei, I won't start any other long light novels—it would divide my focus. At most, I might write a few short or medium-length works on the side."

"I can tell this is a huge undertaking. If an author can create one such work in their lifetime, it would be an unparalleled success—both commercially and creatively. With your ability, Kotomi, Mushoku Tensei might even be adapted into anime," Mrs. Yuigahama said with admiration. She hadn't expected, as the mother of two daughters, to feel her heart ignite with such excitement again.

Yes—an anime adaptation.

Kotomi planned to handle Mushoku Tensei's anime herself, through her company, Type-Moon World. From Volume 1 all the way to the end! From visuals, scripts, music, to voice acting—every part had to reach the highest standard.

For now, with her current savings and connections, it was only a dream. But she had the confidence to make it reality.

At last, Kotomi spoke the most important words she wanted to say tonight.

She gently held Mrs. Yuigahama's hands. Before she could pull away, her beautiful eyes, flustered by the sudden touch, met Kotomi's gaze.

Faced with such a burning look, Mrs. Yuigahama turned her head, cheeks growing warm. She didn't dare keep meeting Kotomi's eyes—if they kept looking at each other like this, who knew what might happen?

But Kotomi had no intention of letting go. Staring straight at her, she said seriously, word by word:

"Mrs. Yuigahama, let's be together."

Chapter 616: Durandal’s Choice—Not Good at Deception

Vrrrmmm—!

The noise of these unfamiliar new craft immediately drew the attention of everyone around Bridgehead Base's airfield.

In the corridors, footsteps slowed. Workers on the runway also gathered curiously, moving closer, even pressing together for a better look.

"Check out those beasts of steel—so damn beautiful! Woohoo—! I can't wait to kick those blue-skinned monkeys' asses!"

"With you? The guy who pisses his pants every time he sees a Na'vi? These new toys aren't for the likes of you…"

"Oh, Frit, didn't your mother ever tell you your mouth stinks worse than John's horse's ass? Shut that damn hole!"

They couldn't identify the exact models of the mounted beam cannons, battleship guns, or dual-linked plasma turrets, but looking at the array of weapons bristling across those heavy gunships, the sharp-edged hulls, and the thick armor plating…

Compared to their current rides—the SA-2 "Samson" transport helicopters and the AT-99 "Scorpion" gunships, both of which were constantly getting shot down by Na'vi arrows—these were on another level.

The cockpit glass on those things was far too fragile. Flying them meant living in constant fear that an arrow would come out of nowhere from the trees—and then it was game over.

But inside these new armored gunships, behind thick plating? The difference was night and day. The sense of security surged instantly.

"Boss, these new gunships are the real deal. Think we can try putting in a request…?"

Behind Colonel Miles Quaritch, seven or eight Avatar soldiers with blue skin and lean frames had also arrived to check out the scene. One of them, wearing a camo cap, spoke with shining eyes.

"There'll be a chance."

Unlike his men, who only saw the benefits of better gear, Quaritch—once a Marine Corps colonel—considered deeper implications.

The ungainly aerodynamic shape paired with such heavy armor, yet still capable of pulling near-Mach-2 maneuvers? A true "brick that flies."

Could ordinary humans inside the cabin even withstand the g-forces?

Either there'd been breakthroughs in shock absorption and pressure resistance technology—or these machines were designed specifically for human Avatars.

After all, the Na'vi might look skinny as sticks, but their strength was deceptive—roughly four times that of a human.

Their unique calcified structure, combined with keratin fiber bundles layered like reinforced concrete, made their bones incredibly tough and resistant to fractures.

And his Avatar body, though a human-Na'vi genetic hybrid grown through engineering, shared nearly all those advantages—except for having five fingers instead of four.

New equipment, eh? Hmph. Jake Sully… the human traitor. The day of vengeance wouldn't be far off.

At the thought, Colonel Miles Quaritch bared his teeth in a cruel grin.

The roaring heavy gunships began slowing down, landing in batches of three at a time. Under the guidance of ground crew, they touched down in flawless formation—first wave, second wave, third wave… The thunderous wash of their engines drowned out every other sound.

When they finally landed, the sheer weight of their armor was undeniable—no less massive than the C-21 "Dragon" assault craft, their weapon calibers equally astonishing.

Their hulls were painted gray-white, with streaks of sky blue along the wing edges. The gleaming emblem of a double-headed eagle spread its wings across their sides. On the swept-back wings, one insignia bore a gear with outstretched wings, while the others displayed the crest of a black wolf swallowing the moon.

"Two different emblems… what does that mean?"

Miles Quaritch wracked his memory, but nothing from his Marine Corps days matched these insignias. A new unit?

Then, as silence fell, the gunship hatches opened simultaneously with a sharp hiss—!

Quaritch's yellow, catlike eyes widened. In that instant, he realized—he was wrong. Completely wrong. These machines weren't meant for him or his Avatar squad.

They wouldn't be needed at all.

Because—thud, thud, thud—!

With thunderous steps came a procession of armored giants, each over 2.7 meters tall.

Their march was perfectly synchronized. Every suit of armor gleamed, painted gray-white with black trim, massive shoulder pauldrons, and across the chest, a golden lightning-winged eagle. One pauldron bore the Roman numeral "XVI," the other the black wolf-and-moon emblem.

Scarlet glows lit within their visors, sweeping over the crowd. Instinctively, people cleared a path.

These towering white-armored warriors held unknown large-caliber firearms, massive chainswords, or jagged-bladed axes, disembarking from dozens of gunships in twin columns.

At their head were several even larger figures, clad in more ornate armor, their helmets distinct—Roman-style crests marking them as centurions.

Over a hundred Luna Wolves of the Black Legion marched past the onlookers, forming ranks. The crowd fell silent, struck dumb by their imposing presence and awe-inspiring discipline.

Of course, since they were clearly human allies, the onlookers didn't panic. After all—Roman numerals, double-headed eagles? What alien would have such symbols? Clearly Earth-born, most likely European units.

So Earth had finally decided to claim Pandora once and for all.

"Greetings, Colonel Miles Quaritch."

A sudden, melodious female voice reached Quaritch's ears. The sound was like finding fresh water in a desert—refreshing, soothing.

Clack—clack—! The armored giants stepped aside, forming a path. A golden-haired, striking female officer strode naturally down from a C-3 Thunderhawk heavy assault craft, extending her fist toward the towering blue-skinned figure before her, calling him by name.

"Memory genes transferred, personal insignias reborn, over a decade of indoctrination, consciousness awakened again—how well does this Avatar body suit you?"

Her neatly tied ponytail shimmered in the light. Dressed in the black uniform of the Immortal Blades, with sash and aiguillette, gold-trimmed epaulettes and collar insignia—on anyone else it would look standard issue, but on her it radiated a presence entirely different.

Her features were so flawless it was as if she had stepped straight out of a painting, her golden hair tied neatly into a ponytail that glistened like strands of sunlight. She radiated both martial vigor and undeniable feminine beauty.

Anyone who could so easily access Quaritch's records, arrive with such formidable force, and enjoy this level of protection had to be someone of significant standing—either a child of RDA's upper echelon or of the United Government's ruling families.

For ordinary people, rising to such rank at such a young age was impossible. But for the privileged heirs of power, becoming a general in their twenties was hardly surprising.

"No problem at all. Ready for combat anytime!"

Meeting those clear, sky-blue eyes, Quaritch saluted, then lightly bumped fists with the blonde officer before withdrawing. "Ma'am, you are…?"

"Bianka Durandal Ataegina."

It was Durandal herself. Wearing a standard air filtration mask for appearances' sake, she adjusted her cap slightly and smiled. "You may call me Durandal."

"New reinforcements? Authorized by headquarters? Then why wasn't I informed of this beforehand?"

At that moment, the sound of commotion rose. Durandal turned to see a middle-aged woman in jungle camouflage approaching quickly. She moved with the aid of a simple four-limbed exoskeleton—more like powered stilts than a proper bipedal mech.

The four stars on her cap identified her at once: this was General Ardmore, the highest-ranking human commander on Pandora, responsible for Bridgehead Outpost and beyond.

"General Ardmore."

This was the one she had to save. Save her, and she would save all the humans on Pandora.

Durandal repeated it silently. Even so, her honest nature made her feel a pang of guilt at this tactical deception.

If it were Selene in her place… guilt? What was that?

To avoid any mistakes, Durandal had borrowed someone from Artoria's Round Table Knights—the one most suited for this role.

"General Ardmore, this is a direct order from headquarters. Do you have any objections?"

It was not Durandal who spoke. A deep, magnetic male voice rang out from behind her. From the looming shadow of the Luna Wolves stepped a middle-aged officer with slicked-back black hair, his attire and bearing immaculate.

"Jake Sully, the traitor, remains at large after more than a year. General, your inefficiency is unacceptable. This criminal has repeatedly led Na'vi insurgents to attack our personnel, destroy our supplies, and sabotage our operations—seriously delaying Pandora's development."

The man's pale face, sharply defined features, high cheekbones, narrow eyes, and thin lips exuded severity. From beginning to end, his expression remained joyless and grim.

"Headquarters is losing patience. You understand what that means, don't you, General?"

"You…" Ardmore was rattled by the man's rapid-fire accusations. That was the intent. Murmurs spread among her subordinates at once, whispers of doubt growing louder.

Even Quaritch's Avatar unit looked taken aback. So this was an inquisition.

"Sir—what is your mission, then?" Ardmore finally forced the words out.

"My mission is to clean up after your failures. Consider it assistance—but don't bother thanking me…"

True to his reputation, this was none other than Agravain of the Iron, the Round Table's cold, uncompromising secretary. Ruthless, rigid, and utterly indifferent to sentiment, he embodied a merciless devotion to duty.

Agravain—son of Morgan le Fay, Arthur's witch-queen sister, and the only child she could truly trust.

His temperament made him widely disliked among the Round Table, many seeing him as the cause of its decline. Yet in truth, the Round Table only began to collapse after his death.

Watching Agravain steadily press General Ardmore into a corner, gaining the upper hand, Durandal recalled Selene's earlier judgment of the Round Table Knights:

Agravain was the most indispensable member of them all—perhaps even more so than Merlin, that old scoundrel who never took anything seriously.

'Thank you, Sir Agravain.'

'Duty demands it.'

At Durandal's silent thanks, Agravain's eyes flickered imperceptibly before he unleashed another barrage upon Ardmore, activating the mass-produced spirit-control wristband in his hand.

Durandal simply wasn't capable of lying. Her innate honesty and knightly spirit reminded Agravain of the king he once served. She would fumble this kind of deception. So he did it for her, gladly taking on the dirty work and the blame.

Back in Camelot… this was nothing new for him.

'Kiana, Artoria—those RDA ships in near orbit, are they under control?'

At that moment, in low orbit above Pandora.

Every ISV Venture Star-class ship—over 1,600 meters long, 330 meters wide, 218.5 meters high—was forcibly seized. Bright with the Imperial Navy's double-headed eagle insignia, assault boats and breaching torpedoes clamped to their hulls.

Inside, molten-cut openings linked the ships directly to Imperial boarding craft. Squads of Astartes stormed through, while auxiliary troops corralled captured RDA personnel, locking them in sealed fields that blocked all outgoing signals.

In one command chamber, Artoria stood before the ship's core systems, stunned by the data: Miles Quaritch resurrected through DNA memory transfer, his mind uploaded to Earth, then reborn in a hybrid Avatar body.

"This will be useful. Package the data and send it to the Imperial Science Bureau. Perhaps one day such technology could serve our own fallen soldiers."

Meanwhile, Kiana injected a Honkai virus into the ship's systems. "Durandal is doing her utmost to achieve a peaceful integration of the humans on Pandora—we can't lag behind."

"Once she has gathered all personnel into the RDA outposts, that will be our signal to strike."

These words she directed to the Luna Wolf officer beside her, his armor crafted like Roman legionnaire plate with a crested helm.

"Very well. I will await General Durandal's signal."

Though he longed to say what he truly thought: Durandal was too young, too soft-hearted. A handful of stragglers in the field? If they died, so what. Efficiency first. As long as they didn't bomb the RDA's bases, a few casualties among non-Imperials were meaningless. Ants—kill them, and they were simply dead.

By his measure, a direct assault was the most cost-effective method.

But Durandal had firmly vetoed the Wolves' rough plan of attack.

If it could be avoided, then every unnecessary casualty should be prevented.

The chosen few sent from Earth to open new worlds—their miners, machine operators, engineers, doctors, geologists, soldiers—were all elites. Properly reorganized, they could swiftly become assets for the Empire's own conquests.

The Wolves didn't argue further. Fine. She was the supreme Imperial commander of Alpha Centauri. If she wanted to waste effort, so be it. Best not to cross one of the Empress' favored rising stars over a trivial matter.

...

Bridgehead Base.

"What? Abandon all gains outside the outpost? Withdraw all personnel and equipment?" At Durandal's order, even General Ardmore did not object, but the entire command staff froze.

"Yes. Large-scale orbital bombardment is imminent. Our comms are not synchronized, our IFF protocols mismatched. This is the best way to prevent friendly fire."

After explaining, Durandal added sternly: "Transmit the order. Immediate evacuation. How long will it take?"

At the words "orbital bombardment," no one argued further. Operators rushed to relay the command.

"Report: personnel along the maglev line are already pulling back. Estimated time for full withdrawal… General, at least two hours."

"Then three hours from now, the bombardment begins."

Chapter 546: Big Trouble

"Could this ancient ruin actually be a military base? This clearly looks like a storage hall for robots!"

Staring at the neatly arranged robot army, Mirei Shinohara once again voiced her amazement.

Shiraori nodded in agreement, her beautiful crimson eyes flickering with excitement.

In her past life as a hardcore gamer, Shiraori had always been fascinated by robots and similar things. If possible, she even wanted to bring one out of the ruins to play with.

Unfortunately, the robots weren't about to give her that chance.

Most of the machines in the hall were still inactive, though there were many empty spaces in the front rows—clearly the slots where the ones she and Mirei had just dismantled had once stood.

Of course, that was only because they hadn't stepped fully into the hall yet.

The moment they entered the hall, the inactive robots instantly activated, converging on them all at once.

At the same time, the walls of the corridor behind them split open, releasing another swarm of robots hidden within.

In an instant, they were engulfed in a torrent of steel, while countless energy bullets filled the air in a wild crossfire.

If any human or monster without strong defenses had appeared here, they would have been turned into a sieve by stray fire in seconds.

But even with thousands of robots, Shiraori and Mirei were not troubled in the slightest.

In less than ten minutes, the robots followed their "predecessors" into scrap, reduced to nothing more than heaps of broken metal parts.

"They're not hard to fight, but having so many of them really is a pain." Floating above, Mirei glanced down at the ground, now carpeted in robot wreckage, and couldn't help but complain.

Shiraori nodded in agreement, though her eyes carried a trace of regret.

"Ahhh, they were such cool robots… and now they're all just scrap metal. What a waste."

Just as she was lamenting, a massive energy shell suddenly shot out from deep within the hall.

At the same time, she heard Mirei's startled cry not far away.

"Watch out!"

But the warning came a moment too late. The energy shell slammed into Shiraori's forehead before she could react, the impact hurling her backward several meters.

Seeing this, Mirei rushed to Shiraori's side, looking down at her in worry.

"Shira, are you okay?"

Shiraori didn't answer immediately. Instead, she rolled to her feet.

Despite the direct hit, her body was unharmed. The only mark was a faint red spot on her forehead.

"Uwaa, seriously? A headshot on a beautiful girl? If my defenses weren't this strong, I'd be disfigured for sure!"

"I've said it a million times already, but Pain Nullification really is god-tier!"

"Without it, I'd definitely be bawling my eyes out right now. Definitely!"

"Thank you, Pain Nullification, for letting me fight without holding back!"

After her quick inner rant, Shiraori turned to Mirei and shook her head.

"I'm fine."

"Phew, that's a relief." Mirei sighed, reassured by Shiraori's intact state. Then her gaze shifted toward the direction from which the energy shell had come.

"What was that this time?"

Following Mirei's words, Shiraori also turned her gaze toward the source of the energy shell. Soon, they saw something emerge from the far end of the hall that exceeded even their expectations.

It was a war chariot—a massive steel vehicle, its entire body encased in heavy armor.

Mounted on top was a huge turret.

It was obvious that the energy shell that had just struck Shiraori's forehead had come from that cannon.

Compared to the guns wielded by the robots, the difference in power was like night and day.

Though the shell hadn't injured Shiraori, it had still blasted her several meters back when she wasn't guarding herself—something the robots' weapons could never achieve.

From the impact alone, Shiraori estimated the shell's power had exceeded 10,000 points.

That kind of force could easily one-shot most monsters—and nearly all humans.

As the chariot rolled toward them, it didn't stop firing. One energy shell after another blazed from the massive barrel.

The projectiles were fast, but not fast enough. To Shiraori and Mirei, dodging them was effortless.

They countered with their own abilities—Mirei unleashed thunder, while Shiraori used her Dark Magic: Dark Spear.

But the moment their attacks struck the chariot, they vanished without a trace, as though they had never existed.

Both of them froze.

"What's going on? Why didn't my attack work?" Mirei cried out. Refusing to accept it, she tried other skills, but every strike disappeared upon contact with the chariot.

Memories of countless isekai light novels surged in Shiraori's mind, and she thought of a universal cheat skill.

"Could the chariot be covered by some kind of mysterious barrier that nullifies attacks?"

She immediately voiced her suspicion to Mirei.

"That's a problem. If our attacks don't work, doesn't that mean we'll just have to sit here and take it?" Mirei grumbled. But then her eyes lit up.

"Not necessarily. We've only tried magic so far. What about physical attacks?"

Without hesitation, Mirei charged at the chariot. Reaching it, she twisted her body and slammed her massive tail against it.

Boom!

With that single strike, the enormous steel chariot collapsed into a heap of wreckage.

"Looks like physical attacks still work~" she said smugly, flying back to Shiraori with a satisfied smile on her dragon face.

Shiraori ignored her words, instead clenching her fist.

"So I really do need a physical weapon too. At first, my webs worked fine, but now that I've got a half-human body, they're not really fitting anymore."

Lowering her head, she began to think about her future weapon.

Then her gaze fell to her spider forelegs, shaped like scythes.

In her mind, the image of a stylish weapon surfaced—her eyes lit up instantly.

"Right! I can make a reaper's scythe. That would look way cooler!"

"And I can use my forelegs as materials. With healing skills, I don't even have to worry about becoming crippled."

She immediately resolved to craft her future melee weapon—so eager that she nearly wanted to make it right then and there.

But at that moment, the floor of the hall suddenly began to quake violently.

The tremors grew stronger, equivalent to a magnitude-seven earthquake, and only intensified with each passing moment.

Thankfully, Shiraori's lower spider body provided excellent stability, keeping her from falling. As for Mirei Shinohara, she floated in the air, unaffected by the shaking ground. If not for the walls around them trembling and cracking, she might not even have realized the ground was quaking.

Suddenly, a piercing alarm blared once more.

"This isn't good, Shira. Let's head back to the surface. Looks like something big is about to come out from below." Mirei's expression turned serious as she spoke.

Shiraori didn't object. Clearly, now wasn't the time to keep exploring.

With a nod, she turned and bolted toward the exit.

Just as they began retreating, the ground shattered, and a surge of blazing flames erupted upward, sweeping rapidly through the passage.

Compared to Mirei, who flew easily through the air, Shiraori had a much harder time sprinting on the trembling ground. Though she possessed a space-mobility skill that let her move in midair, it required constructing magical footholds and wasn't suited for navigating tight ruins. For now, she could only rely on her eight long legs to dash across the ground.

Even so, her speed was immense, and the rushing flames never managed to catch up.

Before long, the two burst through the ancient ruins' gate and climbed up through the vertical passage back into the ant nest.

Moments after they emerged onto the surface, the ant nest collapsed entirely.

Then, directly ahead—above where the robot hall had been—a massive, dazzling pillar of fire burst skyward.

The scorching heat spread rapidly through the wilderness, and though Shiraori and Mirei were at a fair distance, they clearly felt the hot wind rush over them.

But neither had the mind to worry about heat. Their gazes were locked in shock at the sight before them.

In the center of the fiery pillar, an octopus-shaped mechanical construct shot into the sky at high speed, vanishing from sight.

Then, a colossal object followed, bursting from underground and halting in midair.

A massive, disk-shaped flying object—several kilometers in diameter—now loomed above them.

Both Shiraori and Mirei stared blankly, their voices overlapping in disbelief.

"UFO?"

...

"So the Appraisal wasn't exaggerating. It really is a UFO. I thought it was just some kind of codename for a strategic weapon of this world…"

Mirei looked up at the hovering object in shock. Beside her, Shiraori was equally stunned, her thoughts in complete disarray.

Even after seeing robots and a war chariot in the ruins, neither had ever truly connected the word "UFO" with an actual UFO. The level of technology was on an entirely different scale.

"Forget it, this isn't the time to think about that. We need to figure out how to get inside and find the bomb." Mirei steadied herself, shot Shiraori a look, then flew upward.

Shiraori quickly followed, using her space-mobility skill to leap through the air as though stepping on invisible platforms.

From the ground, the UFO had looked relatively close. But now, flying toward it, they realized it floated thousands of meters up. As they reached its underside, the craft seemed even more immense, blotting out the sky.

"How do we get in? I don't see any entrance." Mirei frowned, scanning the seamless underside. She considered brute force, but the risk of detonating the bomb inside held her back.

Once again, it was time for Appraisal.

At Shiraori's quiet cue, they both cast Appraisal on the UFO.

[UFO — Actual designation: G-Fleet. Equipped with a GMA Bomb capable of destroying an entire continent. Contains tens of thousands of combat robots and numerous war chariots, prepared to launch indiscriminate attacks against the entire world.

Additional Armament: G-Meteor — a strategic weapon capable of pulling asteroids from the moon's orbit to crash down. Launched into space one minute ago.]

Reading the results, Mirei swallowed hard.

"Uh, Shira… I think we just caused big, big trouble…"

Chapter 301: The Winners Hold Court, the Losers Become War Criminals

"!!!"

"???"

Stunned, astonished, bewildered…

People realized that the man before them, in just a few words, had decided the fate of two civilizations.

Like a lofty judge passing sentence.

And the conditions he proposed were, to humanity, nothing short of absurd.

"…."

After a brief silence, what followed was a wave of outrage sweeping across the world.

"You want us to surrender to the Starsea Empire?!"

"And abandon all dignity, becoming your vassals?!"

Human officials challenged Setsuna.

"No—you don't even qualify to be vassals."

Setsuna corrected them.

"I don't care about your survival. I only care about certain things in this universe. The Solar System can remain as a forward base."

"You can live under pre-space-age conditions. As long as you don't cause me trouble, I'll make sure you have food."

"Too much!"

Humans on Earth, watching the live-broadcast negotiations, erupted.

"You're treating us like lab rats! This is unfair!"

"This is tyranny and oppression!!!"

"Hegemony! Disgusting, revolting hegemony!!!"

Some furiously cursed at Setsuna's holographic image.

Others clung to faint hope, trying to reason with him:

"We should build friendly cooperation! Think about it—if our two worlds coexisted peacefully, if our people could migrate freely between universes…"

"Shut up."

Grey swore bluntly.

"You pests still dreaming of coming to the capital?! The Commander hasn't neutron-swept you already—that's mercy!"

"???"

Soon, Earth erupted in a storm of curses against the Eternal Snowfall.

They seemed ready to spit the ship out of orbit with sheer outrage.

After the Second Renaissance, humanity had adopted the slogan: Give civilization to years, not years to civilization.

Freedom, democracy, and such ideals had become universal values. To them, interstellar hegemony was unacceptable.

At UN Headquarters—

Sai quickly convened officials and fleet commanders for an emergency meeting.

"Their purpose is the same as the Trisolarans—to conquer Earth."

"More precisely, they want to conquer both the Solar System and the Trisolaran civilization."

"They refuse any negotiations. If we reject their terms, war is inevitable."

Sai summarized bluntly.

Officials looked at each other, many still reeling from the shocking reality.

"Your thoughts?"

The young Secretary-General looked to the fleet commanders and officials.

"…."

After a moment of silence, one official finally spoke:

"Under the sophon blockade, we struggled for centuries to build our brilliant civilization. We cannot surrender just because of one outsider's ultimatum."

Several nodded in agreement.

"And the Starsea Empire—Empire! They're clearly a totalitarian state. Hard to believe such a feudal system could exist in the space age."

Another official sneered, stressing the word Empire.

In his mind, he pictured a feudal interstellar state.

Completely at odds with modern Earth.

After lengthy discussion, most still found Setsuna's demands outrageous.

Forcing a spacefaring civilization to regress to pre-space age, submitting fully to an alien power—it ran entirely counter to humanity's values.

"We cannot bow to tyranny."

"If they won't live in peace, we cannot yield so easily."

The officials' opinions gradually aligned.

Suddenly—

An unfamiliar transmission came through.

"I think we should accept."

It was Zhang Beihai's voice.

After the Natural Selection's defection, he had cut off contact with Earth.

"Why?"

Sai asked.

"I'm considering it from the perspective of preserving human civilization."

"I know you're drunk on your technical achievements, but remember: in the past 200 years, under sophon blockade, the Solar System hasn't advanced a single step in fundamental science."

Zhang Beihai replied.

"Mongol cavalry had attack speeds comparable to 20th-century armored divisions. Northern Song's bed crossbows had a range of 1,500 meters, similar to 20th-century sniper rifles."

"But these were still only ancient cavalry and crossbows—they could never match modern power. Fundamental theory decides everything."

"We cannot defeat the Trisolaran fleet, nor the Starsea Empire. Compared to the Trisolarans, their terms are actually more lenient. From the perspective of survival, we should accept."

"Additionally, if possible, we should dispatch some fleets to escape, to preserve more seeds of humanity."

His reasoning was clear, his tone steady.

But the space navy's officers shook their heads.

"You're too pessimistic. Even without that ship interfering, we could've dealt with the Trisolarans."

"And look at the people—no one wants to live under totalitarian rule."

He switched the display to Earth.

Crowds were demonstrating in the streets, waving massive banners toward the Eternal Snowfall.

"Down with the alien dictator! Humanity will triumph!"

"Have the United Fleet destroy them!!!"

"Expedition to the other world! Liberate its oppressed people! Bring freedom and democracy there!!"

The people shouted slogans with fervor, casting Earth as a beacon of liberty.

To them, their foe was merely a feudal empire.

"…."

Zhang Beihai realized persuasion was impossible. He stopped arguing, leaving the Natural Selection to continue in Proceed to Four state, putting as much distance as possible from the Solar System.

...

On the Eternal Snowfall—

The shipgirls watched in confusion.

"Wait—why do they think they're here to give us freedom and democracy?!"

"I think my life's pretty good—hardly suffering in misery!"

"That's just how Trisolaris rabble are."

Setsuna spread his hands.

Even before fighting the Trisolarans, the United Fleet had planned to grant them refuge.

Now, without even facing the Droplet, their confidence had swelled again.

Their heads were stuffed with thoughts of freedom, democracy, and equality.

He patiently gave both Earth and the Trisolaran civilization thirty minutes to decide.

The Trisolarans replied first.

A sophon connected to the Eternal Snowfall's comms.

"Your terms are too harsh. We cannot accept reducing our species from a spacefaring civilization to caged livestock."

"We request further negotiation."

By Setsuna's conditions, the Trisolarans were allowed only 50,000 survivors, living like animals on Earth for study and observation by the Starsea Empire.

The Trisolarans wanted to migrate to the Solar System, but not to live as livestock.

"I wasn't bargaining with you."

Setsuna raised an eyebrow.

Then—the United Fleet commander's transmission came through.

His reply was equally unsurprising.

"Earth does not accept foreign domination."

"We will not submit to aliens without reason."

Shwoom—

The United Fleet shifted into combat stance.

Weapons loaded. Turrets turned.

"Oh."

Setsuna nodded, unsurprised.

"Maybe I should've just let the Droplet finish you off earlier?"

"But it doesn't matter. The result is the same."

...

From the very start of negotiations, the Solar System Fleet's two thousand stellar-class warships, under the space navy commander's orders, had encircled the Eternal Snowfall in advance.

He expected at least some reaction from the enemy, but the giant ship seemed utterly unconcerned.

It simply hovered in the void, allowing the three major fleets to close in from tens of thousands of kilometers away.

Space was three-dimensional, so the United Fleet sealed every angle—above, below, and on all sides.

From afar, it looked like two thousand fireballs surrounding a single planet.

Up close, everyone marveled at the Juggernaut's staggering size and its incomprehensibly complex structure.

Earth's scientists could not fathom how a starship of such magnitude could have been constructed, nor how it overcame its own gravity.

"Ohhh—finally, a real interstellar war!"

"Now this is a worthy opponent for the United Fleet! That Droplet thing was nothing—fighting alien ships is real excitement!"

"What good is size? With two thousand ships firing gamma lasers or nuclear missiles, we'll blow it to pieces, right?"

"This time it won't be like using two thousand cannons on a mosquito, heh…"

"Make it give back the Droplet first! That was supposed to be our war prize…"

Earth's people, watching the broadcast from Jupiter Base, remained fervently optimistic.

Some were even annoyed the Eternal Snowfall had stolen the Droplet from them, as if the Trisolaran fleet and its weapon were already the United Fleet's property.

Meanwhile—

Ding Yi, with several assistants, departed the Quantum aboard a shuttle.

He was a scholar—there was no need for him to participate in battle.

"Run… tell them to run…"

The old man tugged urgently at a fellow officer's arm, stumbling over his words.

"It's fine. With a ship that size, all we have to do is disable its propulsion and weapons systems—it'll be crippled."

"We've already proven giant starships are impractical. Too big, just easy targets."

The officer laughed and tried to reassure him.

"No… wrong. Just now, I calculated its trajectory… from when it entered the Solar System. Its speed was… it was…"

Ding Yi pointed at the holoscreen's equations, trembling, unable to finish.

"Was what? Supersonic? The United Fleet already reaches hundreds of times that."

The officer was puzzled.

"…Light speed."

The next moment—

[All weapons systems online]

[Targets locked. Point-defense arrays activated]

Clack—

On the Eternal Snowfall's massive wings, one hundred and twenty axial cannons, along with thousands of other turrets of varying size, locked onto the surrounding fleet.

Boom!

Both sides fired almost simultaneously.

The tachyon lances blazed brighter than stars—one hundred and twenty dazzling blue torrents of energy ripped through the void.

Even on Earth, the night sky lit up like day. People outdoors shielded their eyes, unable to look directly.

With speeds approaching infinity, there was no chance to react.

At the instant of firing, more than seven hundred ships directly in front of the Eternal Snowfall were completely annihilated.

The lances pierced across the Solar System into deep space, like beams of light stretching for light-years.

Boom, boom, boom—

From the flanks, the point-defense batteries unleashed torrents of fire at the upper fleet.

Designed for intercepting fighters and missiles, they tore human warships apart even more easily.

Dense energy beams and kinetic slugs shredded them into scraps, fusion engines exploding into brilliant red fireballs against the stars.

From Earth, it looked like a dazzling fireworks display in the heavens.

After suffering the first devastating volley, the United Fleet scrambled desperately to fight back.

Gamma lasers, electromagnetic rail cannons, interstellar torpedoes—every weapon the fleet had was unleashed.

The firepower, capable of scouring planetary surfaces, only raised faint ripples on the Eternal Snowfall's energy shield.

They couldn't even scratch the ship's hull.

Whoosh—

When conventional weapons proved useless, several ships launched infrasound hydrogen bombs toward the bridge, hoping to kill the crew inside.

Still ineffective.

"Shields!! Energy shields!!!"

Staring at the faint blue field enveloping the Juggernaut, the Solar System Fleet realized they had made a catastrophic mistake.

This was something Earth's imagination had dreamed of—but could never build.

Boom—Boom—Boom!!

Fireballs erupted endlessly in the night sky, shaking the hearts of people who looked up from Earth's northern hemisphere.

Even the news anchors froze mid-broadcast.

They understood—the United Fleet was being destroyed at unimaginable speed.

And that towering ship, vast as a planet, hadn't even fired its primary main cannon.

In just a few minutes, the fleet encircling the Eternal Snowfall was annihilated. Only debris and drifting shuttles remained.

Setsuna did not pursue the shuttle survivors. Instead, he targeted the Saturn Fleet's command base.

Boom—

A single lance erased everything, igniting Saturn's atmosphere in a brief flare.

"…."

"Ah…"

UN officials and Earth's citizens fell into stunned silence.

They opened their mouths, pinched their own faces, as if trying to wake from a nightmare.

But the drifting wreckage in space, and the ever-nearing Eternal Snowfall, reminded them this was bloody reality.

The United Fleet had been obliterated—in 2 minutes and 16 seconds.

A glass of water, a trip to the restroom—and the world had turned upside down.

No back-and-forth battle, no fierce contest—only one-sided crushing.

The Eternal Snowfall accelerated, gliding into orbit above Earth.

Its shadow blanketed the entire northern hemisphere night sky, eclipsing moon and starlight beneath its colossal bulk.

Thanks to anti-gravity systems, it caused no gravitational disturbances.

Clack—

Its lower bay doors opened. Hundreds of thousands of Angeloids descended.

Their wings roared as they swept down, suppressing the last resisting ground forces.

Seeing the space fleet crushed and the Juggernaut looming overhead, Earth's defenses lost all will to fight.

With almost no resistance, the Angeloids seized control of the world and UN headquarters.

Sai and the UN officials were brought before Setsuna.

On the Eternal Snowfall's bridge, they trembled before the conqueror from another universe.

Around him stood shipgirls in crisp uniforms, their beauty matched by their cold, soldierly aura.

"What will become of us?"

Sai asked, secretly hoping Setsuna might show leniency for fellow humans.

"I'll repeat my earlier question."

"From now on, the Solar System falls under the Starsea Empire. All humans will be disarmed and return to pre-space-age life."

"Do you accept?"

Setsuna sat casually in his chair, speaking evenly.

Then he added:

"As long as you don't cause trouble, I don't care what you do on Earth. Live however you want—destroy yourselves if you wish, it doesn't matter."

"But if you cross the line… you know the consequences."

"!!!"

The officials fell silent with fear.

They had no doubt that if they said "reject," the Juggernaut's firepower would strike Earth the next second.

Within seconds, Sai and the others nodded.

"We… accept."

"Good."

Setsuna felt no particular malice toward this secretary-general.

But these arrogant humans indeed needed to be broken first, before they would obey.

He stood and examined the star map, beginning to assign orders.

"Grey, take Bulin and the Angeloids, build a small research base on the Sun. We'll use it to study the Trisolaran civilization."

"Everyone else—scout and clear all star systems within 200 light-years. Be careful. If you encounter enemies, strike from range immediately."

"Report any suspicious findings at once."

"Understood."

The shipgirls deployed, projecting hundreds of starships that streaked out in all directions.

"Clear… the star systems?"

Sai caught the unfamiliar phrase.

"Excuse me, what does that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. Eliminate every alien and alien fleet within range."

Setsuna replied calmly.

"The Empire is building a research base here. We can't allow interference. For safety, everything within 200 light-years must be a dead zone. That way, even if enemies approach, we'll have 200 years of warning."

The range of a stellar base's sensors was precisely 200 light-years. Since the Trisolarans couldn't surpass light speed, any incoming foe would be detected centuries in advance.

More than enough.

"Ah…"

Wipe out every civilization within 200 light-years?! Humanity couldn't even flee that far.

Sai was overwhelmed by the scale.

Then she noticed Alpha Centauri on the map.

Only 4.2 light-years away—well within range. The Trisolarans' homeworld.

Setsuna smiled.

He lowered his gaze toward Earth, knowing sophons were still watching.

"The Trisolaran civilization will be the same."

The Eternal Snowfall powered up once more.

Its main axis glowed faint orange.

The AI's mechanical voice rang out:

[Fallen Star Lance on]

[Main cannon charging: 23%… 35%…]

"To annihilate a civilization is to grant it the highest respect."

"Farewell."

...

Chapter 300: The Black Beast Tide Floods into the Star Rail Universe

"So it's that great universe."

Aether's eyes widened, then quickly calmed, though deep within them flickered intense emotions.

Before arriving in Teyvat, he and his sister had already traveled through many worlds and even several great universes. Among them, the strongest was that very universe—the one where the Aeons dwelled.

And now, at last, it was time to annex that universe.

When the Aeon of Elation invaded Teyvat, he had already known that Lord Heavenly Principle would sooner or later deal with that universe.

Now that time had finally come.

"This mission belongs solely to your Abyss. You know the old rules. There's nothing more I need to say—you may begin now."

Noah's golden eyes shimmered faintly. Even with Aether's current weak single-universe power, he could not detect the slightest trace of the descending higher-dimensional force.

The half-opened World Gates all flung wide in an instant.

Over one hundred thousand World Gates opened at once, and the cosmic power of the Abyss Universe surged madly into them like a black hole devouring everything.

ROOOAAAR—

At the same time, the immense black nebulae—stretching millions of light-years—that had gathered here under the Abyss will were drawn in with irresistible force.

These black nebulae were filled with roaring, howling Abyssal beasts.

Among them, those that had reached True God level and above were known as True Beast Queens.

Each True Beast Queen was itself equivalent to an Abyssal source, possessing the ability to create lower-tier Abyss beasts from its own black blood.

If its body were destroyed by external force, its spilled flesh and blood would still become clone-like existences.

The more injured it became, the more clones it produced. This granted them near-complete immortality—unless struck down by a being capable of burning galaxies, the chance of killing a True Beast Queens was almost zero.

By comparison, the broodmothers of the Swarm in the Star Rail Universe were far inferior. Only the Emanator-level Starshatter Broodworms possessed comparable power.

But the number of Starshatter Broodworms was not even one ten-thousandth that of the True Beast Queens.

As soon as the World Gates fully opened, Aether wasted no time in broadcasting his will throughout the Abyss.

"All Abyssal gods—by the will of the Abyss, march forth!"

Aether's will was the Abyss's will. Instantly, every Abyssal creature understood what was happening.

No matter their rank, all Abyssal gods instinctively rushed toward the World Gates.

"By your command—!"

They were ecstatic, shouting in near-madness.

In past annexations, the Abyss always had a role to play—but it was mere scavenging. When had they ever been the main force?

Without contributing real strength, they could not earn large amounts of merit. Without merit, the Abyss could never compare to the main universe.

But now, fortune beyond measure had finally descended upon the Abyss.

Run fast and you gain. Run slow and you lose. Every second mattered.

All of the Abyss roared in excitement, contorted in savagery, and rushed into the great universe beyond. Their eyes glowed blood-red with ferocity.

Adding to it all were their shrill, cackling voices, making the scene even more horrifying.

Watching the endless flood of Abyssal monsters surge into the Star Rail Universe, Aether's face revealed a faint trace of cruelty.

For all the ages he had been Abyss Monarch, he had longed to unleash the full fury of the Abyss.

But in Teyvat, he could not unleash it upon the main universe, nor truly spar with gods on his level.

I, Abyss Monarch, today shall… unleash slaughter.

He had absolute confidence he could fight against multiple Aeons.

Even if the enemy had over a dozen Aeons, he would not flinch in the slightest.

His Pseudo Star Map Creation was not to be underestimated.

Among the countless Pseudo Star Map Creations, his ranked among the top three.

Aether released his aura without restraint and strode into the World Gate without hesitation.

...

Meanwhile, at the very center of the Abyss Universe,

This place was similar to the Supreme Divine Domain, though half a rank lower in hierarchy and only a third its size.

It was known by the intelligent life of the Abyss Universe as the Abyss Domain.

Even though countless Abyssal beasts and Abyssal gods had departed, the place remained immensely bustling.

Those left behind were all intelligent beings who had not yet reached godhood.

The lives of Abyssal beings were not much different from those in the main universe—except when it came to food, which was entirely distinct.

At the center of the Abyss Domain lay the Abyss Temple of the Abyss Monarch.

At this moment, only a single god-level existence remained within the domain.

That was the one known in the Abyss as the Creator of Beasts—the Alchemist Witch of the Abyss, Rhinedottir.

Having created the vast black beast tide, she had earned such monumental merit that she successfully ascended to Supreme God.

She was now the third-ranking figure in the entire Abyss Universe.

Before her stood only the Abyss Monarch and the Apocalypse Emperor Beast.

Those Abyss Heralds and Abyssal Lectors were also on the verge of breaking through to Supreme God, needing only a bloodbath in the Star Rail Universe to achieve it.

Rhinedottir herself, with the merit of the black beast tide, was set to soar directly toward Primordial God.

And since she had once been granted the knowledge of Ouroboros by Noah, she might even reach weak single-universe level after the annexation of the Star Rail Universe was complete.

At this moment, that future weak single-universe being knelt reverently before the Abyss Throne.

Noah sat casually upon the Abyss Throne, gazing down at Rhinedottir.

"The last time you knelt before me was ten thousand years ago, wasn't it, Rhinedottir?"

"Yes, Lord Heavenly Principle~" Rhinedottir's muffled voice replied.

Though her contributions to the Abyss Universe were great, she had already been granted the reward she had long dreamed of—more than sufficient.

She could not expect Noah to treat her as he did Furina and the others.

Besides, the mere act of beholding him was already the greatest blessing in the universe.

Noah extended his hand, casually tracing a circle with his finger.

Like flowing water, the space before him transformed into a mirrored projection.

Scenes from another universe appeared within.

An endless tide of black beasts suddenly emerged in the vast emptiness of space, then roared as they charged toward the glowing regions.

Reflected within their countless crimson eyes were the planets of this universe that bore the breath of civilization.

God-level Abyss beasts instinctively sought out the flames of civilization, devouring the filth and impurities hidden within that light.

To the Abyss beasts, such filth and impurity were the most delicious nourishment.

These impurities were the wicked and corrupt intelligent beings—those burdened with Alaya's hatred, and the rulers steeped in endless sin.

As for intelligent beings without such impurities, the Abyss beasts would not pursue them. To the beasts, such beings were like poison. They would even retreat into space itself to avoid contact with kindhearted intelligent life.

Of course, Abyss power inevitably polluted the environment to some degree. But that pollution was minor compared to the destruction wrought by interstellar civilizations expanding across the cosmos.

...

At the same time—

One hundred thousand World Gates appeared evenly throughout the Star Rail Universe.

Some opened within black holes, some within the territories of galactic empires, and some directly inside the headquarters of cosmic-level powers.

RUMMMBLE—ROAR—

The Pier Point Galaxy.

This galaxy was named after Pier Point, headquarters of the universe's largest power: the Interastral Peace Corporation.

It was not only the IPC's headquarters, but also the most prosperous sector in the entire universe.

The lifeblood of the entire cosmic economy flowed here before being redistributed across the universe. It was also the hub of countless connections between major powers.

Here, even throwing a random stone might strike a great figure of some galactic force.

Even IPC employees needed to reach the rank of branch leader of at least a P35-rank before they could be transferred back here to begin anew.

Yet now, this galaxy that held the economic lifeline of the universe and its greatest prosperity had plunged into chaos. Screams, shouts of fear, roars, and cries of despair filled the air.

"AAAAHHH! Monsters! Monsters everywhere!"

"Too many to count! Monsters, monsters!"

"Help! Security forces! Save me!"

"Fire! Attack with everything we have!"

"Activate all standby planet-buster cannons! Deploy planetary defense systems! Maximum-scale extermination protocols, now!"

"All advanced annihilation tech from the R&D Department, deploy everything!"

"Do not let a single monster through the planetary defense array! Not one!"

RUMMMBLE—

Brilliant beams of light burst forth across the galaxy, weaving together into dense networks that shielded the inhabited planets.

ROOOAARR—

Ear-piercing howls echoed through the cosmic void, fusing into an unending psychic shockwave.

A massive gate of light, nearly fifteen astronomical units across, stood tall in the center of the Pier Point Galaxy.

From it, endless black nebulae spewed forth like smoke.

Among them emerged terrifying beasts the size of entire planets.

The moment they appeared, Pier Point detected them and immediately initiated defensive measures.

Every standby weapons system came online at once.

In that instant, the ring defense network deployed across the entire star system flared to life like a colossal magic array encompassing the galaxy.

Countless interstellar warships, moving like marching ants, leapt through the void—each carrying planet-buster cannons aimed squarely at the anomaly.

RUMMMBLE—

Whoosh, whoosh—

The colossal Abyssal beasts were at first slowed by the interstellar defense arrays, but the smaller ones—those below god-level—slipped through with ease, breaching the defenses and pouring down onto the planets.

As the most prosperous galaxy in the entire universe, the number of intelligent beings here far surpassed that of other galaxies, and chaos erupted instantly…

Within the planetary cities, the black beast tide descended like a tsunami from the heavens, unleashing wholesale slaughter.

Abyss beasts, with their ability to ignore material barriers, treated skyscraper walls as illusions, phasing through them as they hunted for the dregs of civilization.

Whoooosh—

The passage of the black tide brought with it terrifying gales.

Mixed with screams, shouts, and wails of despair, the entire planet had become a living hell.

"AAAAHHH! Help me!"

"Don't come closer! Stay away!"

"AAHHHH—"

Some screams cut off abruptly—their owners torn apart and devoured by Abyss beasts.

The black tide was no different from a swarm of piranhas. Wherever it passed, the population was halved.

Some megastructures collapsed, flames and lightning erupted, energy cores exploded, and devastation spread.

These disasters were not caused directly by the Abyssal tide, but by panicked people fleeing for their lives.

The IPC's security forces, riding personal flyers and wielding weapons, opened fire desperately at the beasts.

Even though these security personnel—stationed in Pier Point—were already elites among elites, their minds broke under the onslaught. Blindly firing, they no longer heeded the commands coming through their earpieces from headquarters.

"Why are there so many monsters?!"

"AAHHHH! Don't eat me!"

"Die, die, DIEEE!"

As order on the planet teetered on the brink of total collapse beneath the black tide, a clear voice resounded across the world.

"Do not panic, all of you. Especially now—this is Pier Point, the world under the protection of the Amber King!"

"Therefore—"

[I will judge. I will reckon. I will reclaim.]

[I see the gloom veiling the skies.]

[I summon the storm.]

[Clouds shall part, and the amber sun shall shine—]

As the words fell, a pressure capable of shaking the planet crashed down from orbit.

A radiant, amber-hued sun blossomed in the upper atmosphere.

[All to the Amber Lord—]

Chapter 52: A Dangerous Place

Half an hour later—

Watching yet another captured ninja take poison and die, Ai Tachibana frowned and shook his head at Ranzuki. "They came prepared. It seems there's no way to extract information from them."

Ranzuki rolled her eyes. "Don't you guys use genjutsu when interrogating ninja?"

Taki Tachibana explained, "These shinobi disrupted their own chakra flow with a forbidden technique the moment they were captured, putting themselves in a chaotic state. Standard genjutsu won't work on them."

Genjutsu, in fact, was the Tachibana clan's weakness. Born tall and powerfully built, with naturally abundant chakra, they were almost made for taijutsu. But the trade-off was a lack of fine chakra control and only average aptitude for illusions—one reason they struggled against the Uchiha.

The Uchiha's Sharingan genjutsu was overwhelming, and some masters could cast illusions with a mere finger gesture—exactly the kind of opponent Ai and Taki found hard to counter.

"Let me handle it."

Ranzuki pulled one of the captives toward her with gravity, seizing his throat in one hand. A sharp crack—she dislocated his jaw to keep him from biting down on poison.

Then she conjured a sphere of chakra and pressed it to his head. This was the Tenseigan's Mind Sphere, able to control another's will and actions or access their thoughts.

While she delved into his memories, Ai and Taki instinctively stood guard around her.

A minute later, Ranzuki opened her eyes. "They already know we're here. There's a good chance the path ahead is trapped. Do you still want to go?"

"Kid, you're strong, but don't underestimate us," Ai said, irritated. As clan head, he wasn't used to being doubted.

"Fine." Ranzuki nodded. She clenched her raised hand inward, and the dozen ninja still trapped in the water prison went wide-eyed before their bodies twisted unnaturally—their bones shattered, reducing them to a red slurry.

The massive water sphere burst apart in a rain of blood.

"A terrifying technique…"

...

In a hidden outpost deep in the fog—

"Captain, the chakra signatures of the Fourth Assassination Squad have all vanished."

"Impossible." The speaker was a robed shinobi with features so fine they could be mistaken for a woman. His brow furrowed.

"The assassination squad was composed of elite members jointly chosen from the Yuki and Kaguya clans. Each one was at least elite chunin level, with several jonin among them. To be wiped out instantly?"

"Three minutes ago, the sensory unit still detected their chakra. At two minutes forty-two, two massive chakra signatures appeared in their patrol zone. At one minute thirty-five, a third massive signature appeared. Ten seconds ago, all squad chakra vanished. The sensory unit now detects the enemy advancing on this outpost at great speed—likely after extracting intel from the squad."

The bandage-headed ninja reported with precision; as the sensory unit's leader, his skill was beyond question.

"From the chakra readings, there are only three of them, but each is at least jonin level… no, it's impossible for mere jonin to annihilate an entire squad so easily and still interrogate them. That means they didn't kill them all at once—they left them alive but unable to fight."

Realizing the situation, the commander immediately ordered, "The intruders are likely Ai Tachibana and Taki Tachibana of the Valley of Clouds and Lightning, accompanied by a ninja skilled in large-scale genjutsu or ninjutsu. Gather all jonin proficient in Wind Release and genjutsu at once. Sensory Unit, tighten the detection range, increase the density of the mist barrier, and locate their position immediately."

"Yes, sir."

Under the commander's orders, Yuki clan shinobi and allied Kaguya clan ninja began to move at once.

"Suzuki, can your body still hold out?"

The Yuki commander looked toward a white-haired youth sitting in the shadows, silent until now.

"…I'm fine. And… thank you."

"This is just a transaction. You provided the Two-Tails' intel; we shelter your clan." Setsu Yuki turned his gaze toward the drifting fog outside. "Instead of politeness, it would be more useful if you could give me better intel. From what I know, Ai and Taki aren't adept at large-scale ninjutsu or genjutsu. So who is this third person with them?"

Suzuki Kaguya shook his head. In his mind, aside from the Uchiha, there were no other ninja clans with genjutsu or ninjutsu of this caliber. But the Uchiha had already been expelled from the Valley of Clouds and Lightning after a joint assault during the battle for the Eight-Tails. At the moment, he couldn't think of any other possible group.

"The shinobi world is vast. There will always be strong ones we haven't thought of."

At that moment, a ninja appeared instantly in the outpost. "Lord Setsu, all jonin skilled in Wind Release and genjutsu nearby have assembled."

"Good."

Setsu Yuki, along with Suzuki Kaguya, stepped outside the outpost. Five jonin stood neatly in formation—already a considerable force.

"Have we confirmed the enemy's location?"

"Reporting, Commander—they're here."

"What!?"

Before they could react, the ninja who spoke began emitting a hissss—the sound of explosive tags.

"Careful! That's the sound of—"

BOOM!

A massive explosion filled the canyon where the outpost stood. The terrain amplified the destructive power of the blast. The assembled jonin were strong, but in a trap sprung without warning, even the smallest delay was fatal. One jonin, just a fraction too slow, was killed instantly.

The remaining four scattered, hands flying through seals to unleash Wind Release techniques in an attempt to blow away the mist.

But before they could finish, two lightning-wreathed figures burst from the fog.

"Lariat!" x2

The two lightning-clad attackers moved with astonishing speed, and with the advantage of a surprise strike, the result was inevitable. Kaguya and Yuki clan ninja caught in their path were hurled away, their torsos and internal organs shattered.

In the blink of an eye, only two jonin remained standing.

Meanwhile, Setsu Yuki and Suzuki Kaguya had been shielded by a massive wall of ice. Though it appeared fragile, the ice withstood the full force of the blast without a single crack, blocking the explosion completely.

Chapter 51: Ambush

In an inn within the Valley of Clouds and Lightning—

"Today's the day we agreed to meet with those two big guys, Ai Tachibana and Taki Tachibana. I should be getting word from them by now." Ranzuki couldn't help but find their work efficiency lacking. Back in Satsuki's castle, there was never such a thing as discussing a single matter for several days.

"With Lady Satsuki's wisdom, her decisions are always correct. All we need to do is execute them." She was happily lost in this blind self-satisfaction when her Tenseigan suddenly flashed. Her gaze shifted to a large white eagle outside the window, radiating chakra with a distinctive Tachibana signature.

She walked over, opened the window, and let the great eagle inside. From its leg, she took a message tube and retrieved the sealed letter.

The signature belonged to Ai Tachibana—the goateed old man she'd kicked flying. The letter briefly mentioned the mission's danger and tactical distribution, but Ranzuki skimmed past it straight to the meeting place and time.

Destroying the letter with a flick, she threw on her haori and stretched. "Finally, my time to shine. Lady Satsuki, await my return with that 45 million ryō bounty!"

She wiped a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth and looked at the majestic white eagle. "Big bird, I can fly myself, so you go handle your business."

The eagle was originally meant to serve as her transport, but finding a ninja who could fly made it unnecessary. Whether or not the bird understood, Ranzuki took off into the sky, leaving it staring blankly.

...

At the Valley of Clouds and Lightning's harbor—

Two large men stood quietly at the water's edge, staring south. They were the Tachibana clan's top fighters, Taki and Ai Tachibana.

This mission had taken great effort to convince the clan elders and advisers to approve, and only under the conditions of bringing no guards or attendants, and not informing the rest of the clan.

If Ai and Taki hadn't sworn to Ranzuki's strength—and even given a demonstration—those elders would never have believed that this girl-like outsider could fight their clan leader to a standstill. Beating Ai with one hand? They would have dismissed it as Ai exaggerating to convince them.

Glancing up by chance, Taki said in surprise, "Big brother, I think I see someone flying up there."

Ai's mouth twitched, resisting the urge to smack him. "Careful, or I'll send you flying too!"

Whoosh…

Before he could finish, a roaring sound of air being split grew rapidly louder until it boomed like thunder. Both brothers looked up—and their faces froze in shock. Someone really was flying.

That golden hair and distinctive haori in the wind made it clear: the airborne figure was none other than the girl they had fought before, Ranzuki.

Moments later, she manipulated gravity to descend to the ground in front of them.

Seeing their odd expressions, she asked, "Hey, what's with those looks?"

Ai said awkwardly, "Nothing, nothing… it's just the first time I've seen someone fly."

"First time seeing someone fly?" Ranzuki made a small sound of acknowledgment and said casually, "Back home, flying is pretty normal."

Even Satsuki couldn't quite explain how the propulsion and transmission systems of her puppets worked. Other than samurai puppets without chakra pathways—and a certain white-haired exception—most puppets, or human puppets, seemed to fly naturally as long as they had a power source.

"Flying… normal??"

The two Tachibana leaders exchanged a glance, slipping into silent eye-contact conversation.

"Flying is normal?"

"Big brother, how should I know? Maybe this little girl's clan has some unique kekkei genkai or secret technique."

"A secret technique or kekkei genkai…"

"Brother, I advise you not to get any ideas. This could be a hidden shinobi clan no weaker than the Uchiha."

"No, no, I'm not that kind of man."

Somehow, their eye contact conveyed far more meaning than it should have—perhaps the bond between brothers explained it.

Ranzuki was already impatiently boarding a small boat. "Hey, what are you two dawdling for? Let's go."

"Coming, coming," they replied in unison.

With their own thoughts in mind, Ai and Taki followed her aboard, and they set sail.

...

Two days passed quickly.

After consuming a few military ration pills, Ranzuki and the others still drifted at sea, surrounded by thick fog. Visibility was nonexistent.

With a suspicious look at the two brothers, Ranzuki asked, "Since we entered this fog two nights ago, two days have passed. Do you even know where Suzuki Kaguya went?"

"The intel says it's around here. But…" Ai paused, frowning. "This fog seems different from a few days ago."

It hung low, thick, and unyielding. Even Ranzuki's Wind Release couldn't disperse it. Clearly, this wasn't a naturally formed mist, but some kind of defensive measure.

Taki's muscles were tense as he steered, keeping full attention on their surroundings. Seeing Ai and Ranzuki so relaxed, he couldn't help thinking, To think I'm one of the Tachibana's strongest, yet not even on par with a young girl… ridiculous.

Then came the sound—creak, creak—from beneath the boat.

Taki immediately stopped steering. Ai reacted faster, unleashing a Lightning Release technique into the water. But their attackers had planned for this—lightning had little effect.

"Move!"

The three split into a triangle formation. A moment later, the boat exploded in a blast equal to at least ten explosive tags.

"As a greeting, not bad," Ranzuki remarked, half-floating on the water. She activated her Tenseigan, raised one hand toward a point below the surface.

The sea beneath her seemed to be compressed inward by an immense force, forming a deep depression. The underwater attackers were trapped by crushing pressure, as though locked in a massive Water Prison.

"Can't decide if you're clever or just stupid."

She lifted her hand, and the sea roiled violently, as if some enormous beast was about to breach. Ai and Taki, still on guard for underwater attacks, tensed—thinking it the work of a powerful Water Release user.

Then, a colossal water sphere surfaced, holding dozens of shinobi clad in plastic suits with breathing gear.

The sight stunned the brothers.

"A Water Prison?"

"Do we have another water-style ally helping us?"

As a veteran Kage-level shinobi, Ai knew Water Release well, but never of such a massive Water Prison. The technique required the caster to continuously channel chakra into an area of water, increasing its gravity to immobilize targets. Even a jonin could normally trap only two opponents of similar strength.

Yet here, dozens of shinobi—skilled enough to evade his and Taki's senses—were floundering like fish.

The assassination plan was shattered instantly. Such power was terrifying.

From the fog came Ranzuki's voice: "Hey, what are you two daydreaming for?"

She walked over, hand raised, blue light blazing in her eyes. The brothers instantly recognized from her chakra output who had created the Water Prison.

Taki said with newfound respect, "I thought you only used taijutsu, but you can use Water Release of this scale at your age?"

"Water Release?" Ranzuki gave him a strange look. She had no desire to tell outsiders this was her Tenseigan's ability, so she changed the subject. "Save the small talk. Let's interrogate a few of them and find the Kaguya clan's hideout first."

Chapter 50: The Brute’s Way of Thinking

Impossible!

Seeing this scene, Taki Tachibana's heart tightened. At the start, their clash could still be considered evenly matched, but in the following exchanges, the opponent had truly used only one hand to repel his elder brother.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he never would have believed it.

Ranzuki herself, however, was unconcerned. Even setting aside her true strength, which far surpassed the current shinobi world, this body alone—having stepped into the Sage Body realm—was enough for her to overpower anyone in pure taijutsu except for Satsuki.

"This so-called Tachibana clan leader should be the strongest ninja here, but the gap with Lady Satsuki is still too vast. When she moves, I can't even react."

Ranzuki glanced toward Taki standing at the mountain's edge and said smugly, "Big guy, you'd better join in too, or this fight will be too boring."

For the first time, Taki's expression grew serious. Signaling his female subordinate to leave, he leapt into the center and helped Ai Tachibana out of the crater.

After the fierce battle, Ai's clothes were tattered, while Ranzuki's haori remained spotless—an obvious difference. But to her secondary Tenseigan, he didn't seem injured. Although she hadn't gone all out, his physique was undeniably formidable.

In just moments, Ai had purged the Tenseigan chakra she'd injected to disrupt him—impressive speed indeed.

Now, the famous Tachibana brothers regarded Ranzuki not with casual ease, but with the respect due a powerful opponent.

Finally, having acknowledged her strength, they introduced themselves: "I am Ai Tachibana, head of the Tachibana clan. This is my younger brother, Taki. You're no ordinary kid—what's your name?"

"So noisy. I'm Ranzuki. Are we fighting or not?" she replied impatiently.

"Stand down. As clan head, I, Ai Tachibana, acknowledge that you—Ranzuki—are qualified to hunt a super S-class missing-nin."

They'd already exchanged enough blows that, if they continued, the damage wouldn't be small. Though still fired up, Ai knew when to be prudent.

"Then I can take the mission now?" Ranzuki frowned in disappointment when she heard the fight was over. "Hurry and tell me where that guy's hiding so I can go fight him instead."

"Uh…" Ai scratched his goatee, looking embarrassed. "Even if we gave you the intel, you couldn't go right now."

"Huh? Why not?" Ranzuki asked.

The female subordinate finally spoke: "The Kaguya clan fled to the southern island chain, which is shrouded in heavy mist year-round. It's easy to lose your way. All our ships were destroyed earlier, so we currently have no means to go to sea."

"Hey, don't think just because I've read fewer ninjutsu scrolls you can fool me," Ranzuki said with a puzzled look. "When the mist clears, why not just send a few strong people to cross the sea directly?"

"Uh…" The brothers were momentarily speechless.

Truth be told, the two brutes of the Tachibana clan also thought having no ships wasn't a big deal—they could just muscle their way across.

It seemed brutes really did think alike.

But the clan's elders and advisers had vetoed the idea, warning that with the thick fog, no one knew the exact situation. If they rashly crossed the sea and the Kaguya clan had set traps there, they'd be walking right into them.

This reasoning had kept them from pursuing the enemy further after driving the Kaguya clan away. And after the war, there were plenty of internal matters to handle—enough to make even a battle maniac like Ai Tachibana feel suffocated in an office.

The reason Ai had been so eager to fight Ranzuki this time was because it gave him an excuse to indulge his battle lust under the guise of official business.

Now, facing Ranzuki's question, both brothers felt awkward.

At moments like this, it was best to have someone who could think clearly. The female ninja spoke calmly: "To forcibly use chakra to cross the sea, even we couldn't find many shinobi with such vast reserves. There's also the possibility the enemy has detection measures in place. If we're discovered after expending that much chakra, our chances of victory drop significantly."

"So in the end, it's just that your strength isn't enough. If it were Mother Sa—"

Ranzuki suddenly froze mid-sentence. A strange sense of danger welled up inside her, cutting her words short.

"I do have an idea," Taki Tachibana said, stepping forward. "We form a small squad, and once we've built a small ship, we lead a unit across and carry out an assassination mission against the target."

Ai, as clan head, thought for a moment before nodding. "If it's just us, there's a strong chance we could kill Suzuki Kaguya in a short time."

Turning to Ranzuki Ōtsutsuki, he asked, "Would you be willing to join us on this mission?"

"Team up with you?" Ranzuki's expression grew wary. "How's the bounty split?"

Ai raised an eyebrow at the question.

His tone turned sharp. "The Tachibana clan isn't about to cheat a little girl. The bounty's all yours."

"Calling me a little girl… I wonder who it was that got knocked to the ground with one hand just now…"

Taki's muttered jab didn't escape Ai's ears.

Blue lightning chakra erupted around Ai once again as he punched Taki, sending him flying into the side of a distant mountain.

"Let's go."

Without even glancing at his airborne brother, Ai vanished from the peak with the others.

"What a temper…" Taki grumbled, standing up from the dust before Body Flickering after them.

As they departed, the mountain split apart from its center and collapsed completely.

With Ai's endorsement, Ranzuki soon settled in here. But because she was an exceptionally rare outsider to pass an S-class certification, she had to do more than just pass the test. She needed to show her face around the village, receive identification papers, and undergo a degree of background investigation—after all, hunting S-class missing-nin sometimes involved highly classified information.

And such secrets were not something everyone was willing to share with outsiders.

Chapter 49: Crossing Hands with Ai

"STOP!!!"

The voice was like thunder from the sky, the force like a dragon bursting from its mountain pass.

Before this sudden, overwhelming storm of lightning, even the imposing presence of Taki Tachibana paled in comparison.

Fortunately, Taki's earlier strike had only been a probing attack—its chakra and force could be reined in. At the last moment, he withdrew his offensive.

Still, judging by the cold sweat on his face, it was clear the newcomer before them left quite a psychological impression.

"Big brother, what are you doing here?"

Taki dispelled the lightning around him, looking unexpectedly obedient.

"Hmph, if I hadn't come, who knows what kind of mess you'd make."

From the fading lightning emerged a voice full of dominance. Ranzuki's Tenseigan had already observed the arrival, so she was unsurprised.

Indeed, the newcomer was none other than Ai Tachibana—whom Satsuki had once glimpsed through Shirakumaru's eyes.

A genuine Kage-level powerhouse in today's shinobi world.

After chiding his younger brother, Ai turned his gaze toward Ranzuki. "You're the one planning to take the bounty on Suzuki Kaguya?"

"That's me. So what?"

"We've already detailed Suzuki Kaguya's abilities and threat level on the bounty notice," Ai said gravely. "Even knowing that, you still intend to take this mission?"

"Of course." Ranzuki pouted. "Old man, you're really annoying. Are we fighting or not?"

Her cool tone piqued Ai's interest. The person before him was clearly just a young girl, yet wrapped in a high-level illusion that even he couldn't pierce. And after hearing about the target's danger, she still had the confidence to face him alone. Either she was a fool—or she truly had the strength.

If she was a fool, he would teach her the consequences of mocking the Tachibana clan. But if she really had that power… The thought made his brow twitch, and battle intent surged through him. "Then let me be the one to conduct this test."

"Hey, big brother, this is my job," Taki protested.

"Nonsense. It's rare to meet someone taking an S-class assessment—I'm not letting this go."

Before the test even began, the two brothers were already arguing.

Ranzuki could tell Ai was a battle maniac, probably here mainly to fight whoever came for the assessment. That was fine by her. Whether the opponent was Taki or Ai didn't matter—if anything, the stronger the opponent, the better.

Seeing them bicker, she said, "Why don't you both come at me together?" She clasped one hand behind her back and raised the other in front. "To be fair, I'll only use one hand."

Truth be told, she had no intention of using Truth-Seeking Balls or Tenseigan Chakra Mode—otherwise, there'd be no suspense.

But her attitude lit Ai's temper.

The brothers stopped their quarrel. The taller Ai shoved Taki aside, and lightning exploded from his body, radiating dozens of meters. Everything in its path shattered, and even Taki was flung far away.

Turning his head, Ai said, "In the shinobi world, there are few who dare challenge me alone. To dare provoke both me and my brother at once—you're the first."

Before his words even faded, Ai crouched low. In the next instant, he shot toward Ranzuki at a speed surpassing even the three-tomoe Sharingan's ability to follow.

His opening strike was a simple punch, infused with lightning nature transformation—not a formal taijutsu technique, but pure speed, strength, and chakra.

Ranzuki's Tenseigan flashed as she read the straightforward attack. Without dodging, she answered with a one-handed punch of her own.

One fist crackled with thunder and bulging muscle, the other plain and unremarkable—yet it struck first.

Boom!

The head-on clash was like thunder booming and waves crashing against cliffs. A shockwave born purely of immense power radiated from them, leaving devastation and cracks in its wake.

Even Taki and his subordinate, flung far away earlier, were lifted again by the force and pushed to the edge of the mountaintop.

"Impossible… without any nature transformation, just pure taijutsu power, this person actually matched my brother's punch!" Taki's eyes nearly popped. He knew better than anyone the strength of his brother—a man who once sent the Eight-Tails flying with a single punch, and who shattered Tajima Uchiha's Susanoo in a final, desperate clash. Even without going all-out, no mere girl should have been able to withstand him.

His female subordinate had already been blown away by the shockwave and would have been lost to the winds if Taki hadn't caught her.

Between their fists, blue lightning chakra and pale violet Tenseigan chakra clashed and spiraled into twin vortices.

In the deadlock, Ai Tachibana's eyes shone with admiration. "Such force, such reflexes!"

He suddenly broke into roaring laughter. "Hahahaha! Interesting! Very interesting!"

Before his words ended, the second wave of attacks had already begun.

"Lightning Release: Lariat!"

Explosive lightning chakra burst from Ai, shaking Ranzuki's arm aside. He then concentrated the lightning into his right arm, charging at far greater speed than before. The lightning strike cleaved forward like a blade.

In Sage Mode, Ranzuki's expression didn't change. As the Lariat closed in, she slid half a step to the side, evading with pinpoint precision. Her free hand caught Ai's lightning-free left arm, locking his body in place. She leaned in close, then detonated chakra from her shoulder and back.

Iron Mountain Lean!

Though Ai reacted quickly, he had never faced a small-framed opponent with such monstrous strength. Off guard, he was struck squarely.

Boom!

The massive impact scattered his power in an instant. The towering two-meter figure was sent flying by someone barely reaching his shoulder.

The sight was absurd.

Ranzuki smirked. "You look so big, but your strength's pretty weak. Did you skip lunch?"

Landing from his flight, Ai was shocked. Her sequence of moves had been too fast to react to, and the force behind them immense. Even his incomplete Lightning Release Chakra Cloak, activated instinctively, had only managed to block part of the damage—without it, his organs might have been injured.

Clearly, her willingness to take on Suzuki Kaguya's bounty came from genuine strength.

But this wasn't enough to quench Ai's battle spirit. With a shout, he forced lightning to gather around him, forming an unstable cloak—the famed Lightning Release Chakra Mode of the future.

"Continue!" he demanded.

As the words left his mouth, both vanished from sight.

A bolt of lightning and a stream of pale violet chakra wove and collided, each clash ringing with sonic booms and thunder. The entire mountain shook under the impact, waves surging tens of meters high below.

Even Taki could no longer follow their speed, forced to dodge wildly while holding his subordinate, searching for safe footing.

Such rapid exchanges left no room for error.

With her Tenseigan chakra, Ranzuki's speed had already surpassed conventional Body Flicker. Ai's incomplete Lightning Mode still managed to hold on.

In just three minutes, they had clashed hundreds of times. Ai grew increasingly shocked—her speed seemed endless, always pressing him back. If she'd used both hands, he might already have lost.

Meanwhile, Ranzuki, reading the fight like palm lines, had learned all of Ai's attack habits and tells.

Suddenly, she accelerated, jabbing at his armpit—the thinnest point in his lightning chakra flow. To her secondary Tenseigan, the flaw shone like a beacon.

Her strike landed, and her chakra disrupted his Lightning Mode. Ai moved to unleash a wide attack to force her back, but his chakra suddenly failed to obey.

In that instant of shock, Ranzuki leapt and delivered a flying kick, launching him like a cannonball into the already-ruined mountaintop.

Landing lightly on a pile of stone, Ranzuki stood calmly, looking down at the fallen Ai.

Chapter 140: Gift or Poison

Atlas – San Bernardino Base, California.

Inside the massive, fortress-like building housing the R&D division.

Clang.

—[403 Exo Research – Surgery in Progress]—

The warning light above the door had been lit for fifteen minutes.

While Vela performed the cybernetic implant surgery for Mitchell, three armed MPs stood guard outside the mechanical gate. Taking advantage of the downtime, Gideon walked over to a wall-mounted folding chair, pulled it down, and sat, reviewing his mistakes from the recent exercise.

"Complacency. Got careless," he muttered, slapping his thigh a few times.

He replayed the exercise in his mind.

From the initial prep stage, with the "unlimited choice of personal weapons and explosives" notice, to the habit of relying too heavily on the resonance device's X-ray view when storming the villa's media room, to encountering armed robots that neither the threat-detection grenades nor the resonance devices picked up…

Since it was just an exercise—a surprise inspection-type one at that—he'd been told only that it was a hostage rescue op. That led to a certain degree of relaxed complacency, assuming the increased difficulty meant more enemies and a tougher exfiltration under pursuit.

That inertia and overconfidence ended with a spectacular blunder.

A hostage rescue mission where all the hostages died.

Normally, with a stealthy first strike, eliminating all armed hostiles meant the job was mostly done.

The appearance of armed robots changed everything.

Drones might offer a similar challenge, but hardly anyone flies drones in confined indoor spaces.

Imagine: after clearing every hostile in a rescue op, a killing machine hidden right next to the hostages activates at the sound of gunfire—and kills them before coming for you.

Yes, it felt targeted, like a show of force. But wasn't the purpose of an exercise to prepare for the unexpected?

If they'd been better prepared—bringing higher-caliber AP weapons, tactical pinhole cameras, stronger EMP grenades, and thinking through more contingencies…

Still, it wouldn't have been easy.

EMP grenades are loud. Breaching in an enclosed space and pairing it with a silent field? That adds more complexity… maybe a squad hacker to disable the machines instead?

Gideon shook his head.

And then there's the report to write.

Since Director Russell had specifically mentioned it, he couldn't just half-ass it. He'd have to give solid recommendations.

With Atlas planning to release such products, "friendly" competitors and national forces would surely take note, imitate, and improve. Illegal groups like the K.V.A. would likely buy civilian models in bulk and modify them. The chances of their Rapid Response Forces encountering hostile robots would only increase.

Abandon R&D? Change Atlas' manufacturing strategy?

Not a chance.

That would be like giving up eating for fear of choking.

So for his own survival in future field missions, Gideon would have to seriously consider better tactics against armed robots, upgrades to RRF equipment, and targeted weapon development.

It was clear that he, Mitchell, Joker, and a whole bunch of other unlucky RRF operators would be spending a lot of time in the [Simulated Battlefield].

"Hey, Gideon, sitting here alone—philosophizing?"

Just as he was tapping notes into his forearm tactical terminal, recording his scattered thoughts, a cheerful female voice interrupted him.

Gideon looked up.

The newcomer was a tall white woman.

Her hair was tied in a bun, light brown with hints of gold, irises a warm brown. She wore a sharp short-sleeved shirt under an EXO assault-type exoskeleton, carrying a gym bag in one hand and sipping from a sports drink as she walked.

A familiar face.

"Philosophizing, my ass."

With a grin and a jab, Gideon straightened in his seat to look at the newcomer.

Ilona—former Russian Special Forces, now a member of Atlas' Rapid Response Forces. An ace sharpshooter and reigning record-holder on the base's shooting range.

"Heard you guys got your asses handed to you in the last run?"

She arched an eyebrow with a smirk, then reached into her gym bag and tossed him a bottle of water.

Catching it, Gideon glanced at the sweat on her brow and arms, twisted the cap open, and took a long swig. "Don't bring it up. I'm just thinking about my report. Would've been the same if you'd been there."

"You should've brought me along," he added firmly.

"Looks like you've been at the shooting range again, Ilona. Still that competitive? Trying to prove something?"

"No need to prove anything. Just unwinding," she shrugged.

Turning her head, her gaze lingered briefly on the three fully armed MPs. "Where's Mitchell?"

"Inside. Getting a prosthetic swap," Gideon said, pointing at the gate. "Director Vela Russell is personally doing the cybernetic implant."

"Well, well…"

Pulling out the folding chair beside Gideon, Ilona sat down, her expression knowing. "I'm guessing that's Irons' doing."

"Mitchell was his son's last comrade-in-arms before he died," Gideon replied evenly.

"Figures."

That kind of connection couldn't be bought.

"Still, this swap is taking longer than usual," Gideon noted, glancing at the gate and comparing the time to Mitchell's past maintenance procedures. "Looks like Irons gave him some serious upgrades."

"Cybernetics, huh? Ever think of chopping off an arm for one? Irons would probably hook you up with some lab-grade toys."

Ilona teased.

"Maybe if I get injured badly enough one day," he replied.

"All right, enough bad-luck talk. Your op failed because you ran into Vela Russell's new military robots?"

"Yeah. Tech's solid, fire-control system's excellent, intelligence is no joke. Their arm motors and hydraulic output were strong enough to pin Mitchell—even in an expert-class EXO."

Ilona's interest piqued.

The two continued discussing the exercise.

About fifteen minutes later—

Ding—

The warning light above the gate changed from [In Surgery] to [In Checkup].

Accompanied by the faint, even sound of metal sliding, clack—the yellow gate opened.

"Gideon."

Wearing a white lab coat, sterile gloves, and a disposable cap, Vela appeared, clearly in a good mood. She gestured inside. "Come get him."

Without another word, she turned back inside toward the washroom.

Gideon and Ilona exchanged a look.

Inside, Mitchell lay on the operating table, EXO removed, surrounded by high-tech equipment.

"OK, surgery went great. Let's start calibration. Try moving your new arm—bigger finger movements… yes, like that… hold on."

Two technicians were strapping sensor bands to Mitchell's newly replaced left limb—metallic with visible cybernetic indentations, featuring more micro-vents for its cooling system. They inserted neural link needles, fine-tuning on a nearby holographic control panel.

"Looking comfortable," Gideon said, stepping closer and giving him a once-over. "How's it feel?"

"Don't know. Drugs… surgery… they took it off, put on the new one, disinfected, calibrated—done."

Still a bit groggy from the anesthesia, Mitchell's voice was flat.

"Why'd it take so long?"

"Besides replacing the prosthetic, there was also a neural pathway realignment," Mitchell said after a moment's thought. "Next, there's the [Data Port Connector], [Elastic Joints], [Fortified Ankles], [Reinforced Tendons]… all recommended by the Director."

"Joints, ankles, tendons… are they trying to turn you into a super-soldier?"

Ilona glanced at the data panel beside the operating table. She couldn't make much sense of the technical details, but she could tell where on the body the implants went.

"That's right—Atlas' super-soldier."

At that moment, Vela—now changed out of surgical gear—walked over.

She gave Ilona a deep, penetrating look.

Ilona, right.

Vela's unique "future sight" told her:

In time, this sharper, more calculating woman—far more so than Mitchell or Gideon—would, during an operation to take down the K.V.A. leader, obtain a memory chip. Instead of turning it in, she would check it privately, discovering that Irons had withheld information: that K.V.A. was plotting a global-scale attack. Irons had intercepted the intel but chosen to keep it secret.

Classic "nurture the enemy" strategy.

Persuaded by the emotional Ilona, Mitchell would waver—before even verifying the truth, Atlas MPs would raid them. In that moment, Mitchell would choose to believe and turn his weapon on Irons, burning the bridge entirely. The two would defect.

Later, veteran operative Gideon would be drawn into the defection as well.

Their insider knowledge of Atlas' facilities and armaments would indirectly lead to the corporation's downfall.

Should she kill Ilona now? Kill one to save two?

Gideon was beyond question—a senior member of the Rapid Response Forces with both experience and skill. A cornerstone in the field.

Mitchell? A soldier king, but prone to going with the flow.

"Director… Russell?"

For no apparent reason, Ilona felt a wave of unease—a nervous, oppressive weight.

That glance from Vela was unforgettable.

Meeting those bottomless indigo eyes and the faint, ambiguous smile, she felt momentarily lost.

"It's nothing."

Vela smiled.

"The battlefield rose who yields to no man—I'm pleased with your achievements in the Rapid Response Forces."

She lightly patted Ilona's shoulder.

"Keep up the good work. When there's a chance, I'll outfit you with a custom exoskeleton."

With that, she walked past her without another look.

"Director."

Gideon saluted with a fist to the chest.

Half joking, half hopeful, he pointed at himself. "Do I get one too?"

"Of course. When we go to the New Baghdad headquarters."

She then tilted her head toward Mitchell, who was flexing his new left arm after calibration.

"The neural link is perfect—feels like a natural limb. But I recommend regular recalibration."

Though, by Cyberpunk standards, an arm replacement was minor surgery, the neural realignment still took Vela half an hour—especially since she was teaching the procedure to two assistants and recording instructional footage.

The "backdoor" was now in place.

Her eyes glinted.

She wasn't as lenient as Irons. In her book, suspicion defaulted to guilt, though she wouldn't condemn before a crime was committed. But if someone crossed the line—there'd be no mercy.

"Understood."

Mitchell, focused on adapting to his new arm, nodded.

Creek—

Without further words, Vela walked to a coded storage cabinet, keyed in a password, and retrieved two medkits and a small, inhaler-like device.

"MaxDoc Type-1 Pneumatic Spray—a flexible combat stimulant. Temporarily boosts neural transmission. Think of it as a special med tailored for cybernetic shooting."

She tossed the medkit to Mitchell. "Take a hit, then go test it. Specialty ammo—there's someone over there to provide it."

She waved for the two technicians to follow and gather data.

"Thanks."

Without hesitation, Mitchell inhaled the MaxDoc. "Haa…"

Nodding to Vela, he stowed the medkit and left the operating room.

Clack clack clack.

In his right hand, he carried his EXO, while his left cybernetic arm responded to a thought—its reinforced carbon-ceramic composite plating slid outward like a beetle's wing cases.

"Holy shit!"

It was Joker.

Arriving to announce the simulation program was ready, he stopped dead at the sight of Mitchell's arm.

"Relax, Joker. You gonna chop your arm off to get one?"

Gideon quipped, though he too eyed the upgraded limb.

With a clack clack, the artificial skin on Mitchell's forearm shifted over the precise inner mechanisms.

"Damn, like a Transformer. Makes me want one. Combat cybernetics—hell of a name. But don't let it go to your head, Mitchell."

"Ilona? What's with you—lost in thought?"

The voices and footsteps faded.

Clang.

The gate closed again.

In the quiet room, Vela lowered her gaze to her PDA.

Beep beep.

"All right, Professor Irons—the gracious gift has been delivered. Before I return to New Baghdad, let's talk about the development strategy for the [Humanoid Robotics Division] and [Service Robotics Division]."

Chapter 221: Herrscher of Ice—Where’s My Newbie Protection?!

In a certain mountain forest in the far north.

Elias and Sakura were walking forward, the latter like a samurai serving her lord, leading the way and slicing apart every Honkai Beast in sight with Frozen Naraka.

"Sakura, shouldn't it be my turn to take point by now?"

"No need. I haven't expended much energy, and these Honkai Beasts are too weak to warrant your personal effort. Let me handle them."

Sakura turned with a gentle smile.

Like a pink cherry blossom blooming in the snow.

Elias couldn't help but stare. He had originally thought this icy land was a cursed place, but upon seeing the girl's smile, he no longer found it so unpleasant.

At the very least, it could serve as a backdrop to highlight Sakura's beauty and warmth.

"It's so good to have you here, Sakura~"

"!!"

Those words were a critical hit to Sakura.

She nearly lost her grip on Frozen Naraka, quickly turning her back to Elias to hide the uncontrollable upward curl of her lips.

Just one compliment from Elias was enough to make her feel her stamina fully restored. Her morale doubled instantly. At this moment, even if she had to face a Judgment-level Honkai Beast or a Herrscher alone, Sakura wouldn't back down.

"But let me do something trivial at least."

Elias snapped his fingers.

The Herrscher of Fire's power formed a ring of fiery light centered on him, instantly blocking the surrounding cold. Wind and snow were kept outside the circle.

"So warm."

Sakura marveled within the circle.

For fusion warriors, most environments posed little threat—whether extreme cold or even vacuum—but cold was still cold.

Now, she felt as if she were basking in sunlight, warmth enveloping her whole body, the snow and ice on her clothes melting away.

"Your ears were trembling from the cold earlier. Feeling better now?"

"You noticed?"

"Of course. The scenery here isn't much to look at, but watching you fight is mesmerizing. And I know better than anyone how sensitive your fox ears are."

Elias proudly reached up to grasp the fox ears on her head, curling them gently in his hand. Recently, whenever stressed, he found playing with Sakura's ears was an excellent way to relax.

The tender yet stimulating sensation on her head made Sakura's face flush, her body instinctively tensing, yet she didn't resist.

After a while, Elias finally let go.

"Thanks, Sakura. I feel much better."

"Mm… You're… welcome… Haa haa"

Sakura's legs nearly gave out. If Elias had continued for a few more minutes, she might have needed a break before continuing.

"Still, we've been investigating for so long and haven't found the cause of the anomaly. Don't tell me it's another Vishnu Honkai Beast?"

Elias scanned the area impatiently.

The reason he and Sakura had come here was to investigate mysterious Honkai Beast deaths.

With Fire Moth now fully focused on defeating the Honkai, they had reexamined past intel.

It turned out this region showed a clear anomaly.

Despite having no Fire Moth garrison or Helixcraft hangar, every Honkai Beast entering this area was dead, and the Honkai energy concentration here was incredibly low.

This made Elias dismiss the idea of another Vishnu Honkai Beast.

While Vishnu was the only type of Honkai Beast known to kill and consume others, it did so to evolve—resulting in rising Honkai energy levels, not suppression.

"According to intel, this region has only one isolated village that still retains some primitive customs. Perhaps the anomaly is connected to them."

"Mm, you make a good point. Let's go take a look."

Elias nodded, already forming a suspicion in his mind. But he wasn't certain—after all, in the game, intel about the Previous Era was always messy, vague, and full of riddles… all thanks to miHoYo!

Incidentally, the reason Elysia wasn't brought along this time had nothing to do with Elias losing interest in her.

It was simply because Elysia was weak against the cold.

With Miss Pink Elf's current strength, she could handle fighting a Herrscher one-on-one. However, the last time she went up against Parvati, she struggled. Although she won without injury, she sneezed for two days afterward.

Elysia wasn't built for the cold—the type of girl who paid a price for wearing short skirts in winter. So for a mission to investigate anomalies in a frozen wasteland, Elias left her behind.

(Elysia: "I'm touched! I knew you loved me, Elias!")

As Elias and Sakura made their way through the snowy forest, they finally found the hidden village.

Whooo—!

A fierce blizzard suddenly struck without warning, dropping the temperature to several dozen degrees below zero.

At the same time, their Honkai energy detectors emitted piercing danger alarms.

[Alert! Alert! Rapid increase in Honkai energy detected! 1000HW, 2000HW, 4000HW… Levels still rising! Leave the area immediately!]

Elias and Sakura exchanged shocked looks.

"This is… a Honkai Eruption?!"

"And it's happening right in front of us!"

Honkai energy surged in the form of an ice-and-snow storm, sweeping through the area. When they reached the eruption's center—the village—the villagers were already frozen solid. In the wind and snow, their bodies cracked apart into crystalline dust. All dead.

Then a white-haired woman in black clothing, wearing a crown of ice and snow, appeared before them—her face obscured.

(The Herrscher of Ice…)

Elias' gaze sharpened, and he immediately pulled Sakura behind him.

"Sakura, your abilities counter poorly against hers. Leave this to me."

"Understood. I'll leave it to you."

The fox-eared girl obediently stepped back.

She wasn't the type to be stubborn. While the Herrscher's true powers were still unknown, her control over blizzards and ice was obvious.

And Sakura's own abilities—ice and speed—were perfectly countered, much like how Rita in the Current Era would be. She didn't mind; in fact, she felt sorry for this Herrscher.

Of all the places to be born, she had to appear right in front of Elias. That was suicide. The earlier blizzard hadn't even made Sakura, protected within Elias' flame ring, feel cold.

...

"Ice and snow shall be ruled by me!"

The newly born Herrscher of Ice danced in the blizzard.

As an apostle of the Honkai, her purpose was to destroy civilization, annihilate humanity, and freeze all things in eternal, unmelting ice.

Spotting the only two survivors—Elias and Sakura—she unleashed her power without hesitation. World-freezing cold rushed toward them, but…

"Herrscher, lament your misfortune. This time, you will have no chance to destroy the world."

The Herrscher of Fire's power erupted. Scorching flames clashed with the Herrscher of Ice's storm.

Elias drew a lance from his back. As he gripped the shaft, flames coated the weapon.

The Soulium lance began to melt under the heat, but it would last long enough.

"Human, I will freeze you into a statue."

"Come and try."

The Herrscher of Ice's power was temperature manipulation, while the Herrscher of Fire's was the control of molecular motion. In this moment, the clash manifested as ice against flame.

With his overwhelming advantage in Honkai energy, Elias easily pushed back the Herrscher's cold wave.

"The lance tip is ignited!"

Elias' Soulium lance finished charging. The armor around the guard opened, and red flames roared out.

If Elias hadn't gripped the shaft tightly, the lance would have flown from his hands. At the same time, countless sparks shot from its surface, bursting like fireworks around him.

They looked flashy and impressive—yet were utterly useless. Without a doubt, Vill-V's handiwork.

"!!"

Sensing imminent death just moments after her birth, the Herrscher of Ice intensified her output, preparing to unleash her full power and freeze Elias solid.

But then—

"You bastard! I'll slaughter you to the last!!!"

"What?!"

From behind the Herrscher, in the village center, an altar's ice sculpture shattered apart. A man wearing a wooden mask, his body covered in wounds and blood, roared in fury.

Like a mad king emerging from purgatory, his rage manifested as flames engulfing his fists. The terrifying aura he released rivaled even Elias' own.

For the Herrscher of Ice—another lethal threat had appeared.

"I'll burn you until nothing but ash remains!!!"

Kalpas' fury peaked.

Her arrival had instantly destroyed the entire village, killing everyone but him. Now, the only thought in his mind was to kill this Herrscher.

(So it is Kalpas! I knew it!)

The moment the Herrscher appeared, Elias had guessed this must be Kalpas' village.

But seeing the man charge forward, fists raised, Elias was startled—this guy wanted to steal his kill?! No way he'd allow it.

Kalpas: "Kneel… and die!"

Elias: "Flame Lance—CHARGE!!"

Herrscher of Ice: "#@!%￥%￥"

The Herrscher was utterly confused. Two blazing forces she could not freeze were closing in from front and back like bread pressing cheese, both delivering mortal danger.

She didn't know what to do—until instinct made the choice for her.

"Stay away from me!!!"

She unleashed her full power, centered on herself.

Temperatures plummeted toward absolute zero, as if space and time themselves were freezing. The ultra-cold wave crashed toward Elias and Kalpas like a tide.

Normally, no one could withstand this. Though she was newborn, the Herrscher of Ice was far from weak—given time, she could plunge the world into a new ice age.

However—

"KILL!!!" x2

Neither Elias nor Kalpas slowed.

Elias, bathed in the Herrscher of Fire's flames, pushed his power to the limit, completely shutting out the cold.

Kalpas couldn't resist such cold with flame alone—but with sheer willpower and his inhumanly strong body, he forced his way through.

Shhh! Bang!

Elias' flaming lance pierced the Herrscher's heart from the front.

Kalpas' fist tore through her back.

The Herrscher of Ice's face froze in disbelief. In her final moment, she felt only confusion.

Herrscher of Ice: (Why… why was I born? Is this what they call… landing and instantly getting killed?)

It had to be said—the Herrscher's spawn point was truly unfortunate. She'd spawned right in front of two super bosses, with not even a single second of newbie protection, and got deleted instantly.

After the Herrscher of Ice perished in frustration—

Elias and Kalpas locked eyes.

Elias' flaming lance, after piercing the Herrscher, now pressed against Kalpas' throat. Meanwhile, Kalpas' steel fist, having smashed through the Herrscher from behind, was aimed at Elias' neck.

"I think we can talk this out."

"Hah hah hah! Talk? Sure—let's use our fists to talk out your last words!"

"Tch, fine—then you can lie down first!"

Battle lust flared in Elias' eyes. He realized he'd made a dumb mistake—trying to talk with Kalpas in a berserk rage was even more pointless than playing music to a cow.

The slaughter of the villagers had driven Kalpas beyond reason.

The weakling Herrscher hadn't satisfied his fury, and now Elias was right in front of him. Both sides recognized—through mask or eyes—that the other was a durable punching bag.

Kalpas needed to vent his rage.

If Elias wanted to talk, he'd have to knock him down first.

So, to Sakura's bafflement, the two men immediately swung at each other. The Herrscher's corpse was sent flying by the wind pressure of their blows.

...

"Face my wrath, haaaah!!!"

"Out of your depth—go down!"

Their clash began—and instantly turned into a one-sided beatdown.

Half an hour later, Kalpas was embedded in the ground. His inner fire still burned, but his body had reached its limit and could no longer move.

The Herrscher's final strike had indeed injured him badly. Kalpas couldn't block the ice with power like Elias could; now, his whole body was covered in severe frostbite.

"Had enough?"

"..."

His mask was nearly shattered, revealing sharp eyes beneath. But as Elias approached, Kalpas stopped struggling, resigning himself.

When he closed his eyes, prepared to be killed—

"Hm?"

An indescribable comfort spread through his body.

Opening his eyes, Kalpas saw countless pure white flowers blooming across his form. In moments, they had healed both the damage from Elias' blows and the frostbite from the Herrscher.

"Mind your own business. I don't need your pity."

"Tch, such a sharp tongue."

Elias ignored the protest. If he hadn't played the game and known exactly what kind of man Kalpas was, and why he raged, he would have gladly kept pummeling him.

Now he also understood why Honkai Beasts kept dying here, and why the Honkai energy level remained low.

It was because Kalpas lived here.

One day, the alien Kalpas had arrived at this village. He treated it as his home, and its people as family, protecting them by hunting any Honkai Beasts nearby.

The truth of the anomaly was that simple.

Unfortunately, while Kalpas saw the villagers as family, they didn't see him that way.

These beasts had tied their savior to the altar's stone pillar, draining his blood repeatedly, believing it could repel Honkai Beasts and cure Honkai disease.

Kalpas could have broken free at any time—but because he saw this place as home, he silently endured the torture.

Until the Herrscher of Ice came and slaughtered them.

Only then did Kalpas break his bonds and exact furious revenge.

Elias: (Huh. Thinking about it that way, I almost want to thank the Herrscher of Ice. Wiping out those ungrateful villagers was satisfying—probably the only Herrscher in the Previous Era to ever do a good deed.)

"You think healing me means I'll thank you?"

"Doesn't matter. I do what I want. And you didn't think it was free, did you?"

"What?"

"Let me take a look!"

Before Kalpas could react, Elias did what countless Captains had dreamed of but never achieved—he ripped off Kalpas' mask and studied his face for several seconds.

"Hoh~ so that's what you look like."

Elias nodded in satisfaction, rating him on par with Kevin in looks, though still a step behind.

At that moment, the mask in his hand finally crumbled—it was only wood, after all. Burned by fire, frozen by ice, it was a miracle it had lasted this long.

"You—!"

"Relax, I'll give you a new one."

Seeing Kalpas about to flare up again, Elias immediately used his power to forge a new mask—and slapped it onto his face.

A Tiga Ultraman mask.

"Like it?"

Chapter 527: Don’t Work Too Hard, You’re Still Just a Child

Tomoka Yuigahama often unintentionally revealed an adorable, almost girlish side, and whenever Kotomi Izumi saw it, her heart would honestly skip a beat.

Mrs. Yuigahama's orange hair was tied into a braid—Kotomi didn't know the exact name for that style, but it gave off a gentle, graceful vibe. She wore a well-fitted nightgown, and the pale skin exposed to the air was like a ripe peach.

That was the charm of Mrs. Yuigahama—occasional playfulness and cuteness that made her seem like a freshly graduated college girl, yet paired with a gentle maternal maturity that quietly reminded you she was the mother of two daughters.

A mature, captivating woman who could still be cute at times—for Kotomi, the charm was lethal. To be honest, she'd more than once dreamed about Mrs. Yuigahama. With her gentle, mature experience, all Kotomi had to do in the dream was lie down, leaving everything else to Mrs. Yuigahama to take the lead.

As she thought about it, those dream scenes began to replay in her mind…

Kotomi quickly shook her head, reminding herself to stay calm. Even her movements climbing through the window into Mrs. Yuigahama's bedroom became a bit stiff.

If Mrs. Yuigahama hadn't reached out in time to pull her in, Kotomi might have failed to get through the window and nearly fallen to the floor.

Tomoka Yuigahama's bedroom used to be the shared room of her and her late husband. After his passing, she slept there alone. Though not very large, the room still felt a little empty when you thought about the couple who once shared it.

The air carried the mature fragrance of her favorite perfume—subtle but unforgettable. Kotomi loved it.

Kotomi often wondered: did Mrs. Yuigahama feel lonely at night when everything was quiet?

"Have you eaten dinner?" Tomoka asked. It was already evening; outside the window, the sky had long since gone dark—it was dinner time.

"I'm fine, I'm not hungry."

Kotomi shook her head. That wasn't exactly true, but the thought of sitting in the bedroom with Mrs. Yuigahama discussing illustrations completely erased her appetite.

Normally, Kotomi could barely stand skipping a meal.

Mrs. Yuigahama knew Kotomi had a big appetite, so skipping dinner wouldn't do. But since Yui didn't know Kotomi was coming, she had only cooked enough for the three of them as usual. Even if she brought Kotomi dinner upstairs, it wouldn't be enough to satisfy her.

"Let's talk about the illustrations first. After Yui finishes eating, she should go upstairs to her room to study and then put Yuka to bed. I'll order you some takeout then," Tomoka suggested.

"No need to trouble yourself. Once we're done, I'll head home."

"Are you sure we can finish that quickly?"

Mrs. Yuigahama gave a soft laugh—she could tell Kotomi was just being polite. Setting aside the Sword Art Online illustrations, Kotomi had brought outlines and character settings for her new works. Just discussing each character's design and appeal would take more than two hours.

For the new titles, each volume would have a cover, several color illustrations at the front, and over a dozen black-and-white ones. Deciding how to draw them, what each would focus on, and what content they'd depict—all of that had to be determined step by step. And not just verbally—Mrs. Yuigahama would have to sketch multiple drafts before finalizing each piece.

And Kotomi had brought more than one new project.

Frankly, they could talk all night.

"Quick and efficient…"

Kotomi gave a sheepish smile. She knew perfectly well that illustration work couldn't be wrapped up in an hour or two—she had already considered that.

That was why Kotomi told her mom she was going to the Yuigahama house for a study session—just in case the illustration discussion went late, Tomoka Yuigahama could call her home. As Yui's mother and a fellow parent, Tomoka's word would naturally carry credibility.

"Alright, no need to be so polite with me. Let's start on the illustrations first. When you get hungry, we'll order takeout. But let's try to wait until Yui finishes dinner and goes upstairs before we do."

"Okay."

Kotomi didn't stand on ceremony. She took off her coat, pulled out the USB drive, and followed Mrs. Yuigahama to the small sectioned-off space inside her bedroom.

Mrs. Yuigahama slid open the partition door. It had once just been a storage area. After her husband passed away, she decided to earn money through illustration work, so she cleared it out and secretly worked on converting it into a studio. In under two months, she had transformed it.

Compared to the bedroom floor, the raised platform of the small space was covered with tatami mats. She set up a low square table, brought in a monitor and computer tower, and added a legless backrest chair.

The tatami platform wasn't large, but just big enough for both Kotomi and Mrs. Yuigahama to lie down side by side. You could stretch your legs out comfortably—perfect for a short rest after working on illustrations.

Every usable spot in the small space had been put to good use.

On the table sat only the essentials: a drawing tablet, stylus pen, and a water cup. The keyboard and mouse, used less often, were placed on the tatami to leave more space for the tablet.

The walls were decorated with wallpaper Mrs. Yuigahama had drawn—three dango characters representing the Yuigahama mother and her two daughters. Whenever she felt tired from work, she would look at them and think of her girls, regaining the motivation to keep going.

Mrs. Yuigahama took Kotomi's USB drive and plugged it into the computer.

"I heard from Haruno Yukinoshita that you've started writing new works? Won't that interfere with your Sword Art Online planning? There aren't many full-time light novel authors who write two series at once, and you're still in high school. Isn't it too much to pour so much energy into writing while keeping up with school?"

Though she didn't know much about novel writing, Mrs. Yuigahama felt that creating a story and putting it into words had to be exhausting. Like illustrating, it might seem fine for a couple of hours, but what about working at the computer all day? By bedtime, you'd be too drained to even pick up your phone, just wanting to sleep off the fatigue.

Kotomi was only a first-year high school student. Mrs. Yuigahama felt that writing just one light novel was tiring enough—doing two at once while balancing studies sounded exhausting.

Thinking of Kotomi sitting late into the night in front of a monitor made her feel a pang of concern.

"No, it's fine. Before I even started writing the main text, I'd already planned out Sword Art Online from Volume 1 to the ending. As for typing… hehe, I type pretty fast. Haruno-sensei can vouch for that."

She wondered how far Haruno had read in those several volumes she'd sent. If the fans knew, they'd be so envious—while they were still waiting eagerly for news about the Volume 2 preorder, Haruno Yukinoshita had already read several volumes ahead.

"Don't push yourself too hard. You're still just a child," Tomoka said gently.

Hearing those soft words, Kotomi couldn't help but think about pretending to cry and say, Writing novels is so hard!—and then collapse into Mrs. Yuigahama's arms to be spoiled.

The computer Mrs. Yuigahama used was an old one she'd had for many years. It started up a little slowly, but it could still run her illustration software smoothly.

For Mrs. Yuigahama, unless the old computer completely broke down or couldn't run her art programs anymore, she would never consider replacing it. She wasn't very knowledgeable about computers, but sometimes while watching videos on YouTube, she would come across content complaining about rising graphics card prices. Curious, she looked into it and was shocked to find that buying a new computer nowadays was so expensive—even one that only needed to browse the web and run illustration software smoothly.

She found a website made by a computer enthusiast where you could enter your needs—gaming or office work—and it would automatically generate a parts list. Buying the parts and assembling the computer yourself could save quite a bit of money.

Of course, if you couldn't build it yourself, the site would also recommend suitable prebuilt systems.

Mrs. Yuigahama wasn't very tech-savvy. She had only learned to use her drawing tablet by following the manual step-by-step. Expecting her to buy components and assemble a computer herself was impossible, so she looked at the prebuilt systems instead.

The price nearly made her drop her mouse. The cheapest recommended prebuilt system that met her requirements cost 150,000 yen!

She had the money—her payment for the Sword Art Online Volume 1 illustrations had already been deposited. If she really wanted a new computer, she could have bought it long ago.

But it wasn't just about whether she could afford it. Little Yuka would be starting elementary school soon, and the tuition for six years wasn't a small amount. After that would come middle school, high school, and then university.

Not to mention, Yui was already in her first year of high school. In two years, she'd graduate and go to university, which meant more tuition.

No matter how hard it was, Mrs. Yuigahama was determined to work and make sure both her daughters could go to university. Even though money was tight, she constantly reminded them:

"Don't think that dropping out to help at home will make things easier for me. It's the opposite—remember, don't only think about the present. Education is yours to keep. Finishing university and getting your degree will help you find a better job in the future."

Thinking of Yuka about to start school, Mrs. Yuigahama immediately set aside the idea of a new computer. Her old one still worked, and with computer prices so high, she figured she'd wait. Who knew—maybe one day the prices would suddenly drop.

She opened the folder Kotomi had saved on the USB drive.

Inside the main folder were three subfolders, all with different names.

"Redo of Healer, Mushoku Tensei, The Testament of Sister New Devil… Kotomi, have you not decided on a title for your new work yet?" she asked curiously.

Kotomi shook her head. "No, those are the titles. They're three different new works I want to write."

"You're going to work on three new projects at once?! That makes four including Sword Art Online! Are you sure you can handle that?"

Mrs. Yuigahama was startled. In her eyes, writing two books at once was already exhausting. But four? Even full-time light novel authors wouldn't dare attempt that. Even if your typing speed could keep up, what about your thinking speed? Converting an outline into prose that readers enjoyed was still a major mental task.

"There's no way I could write four at the same time. Even if I quit school and stayed home to write, I couldn't maintain both quality and speed."

Kotomi shrugged. If she leveled up her writing skill a few more times, writing four novels at once probably wouldn't be an issue. But she didn't want to tire herself out like that—besides, she fully intended to keep going to school. After classes each day, she planned to spend some time writing two or three thousand words, but the rest of her free time was for gaming and watching anime.

"Then why?"

"Redo of Healer is already decided—I'm about to start on the Volume 2 manuscript. As for Mushoku Tensei and The Testament of Sister New Devil, I'm sure I'll work on them after Redo of Healer. So I figured, since I'm here today anyway, I might as well finalize all the illustrations and character designs for all three future works at once."

"Isn't that a bit rushed? Even if you've decided to write all three, you could finalize the illustrations for Redo of Healer first, then wait until its Volume 1 goes on sale before working on the other two," Tomoka asked, puzzled.

Even after a volume was finalized, the publisher wouldn't print it immediately. They still had to coordinate with the printing company and schedule the run. Normally, the first thing an editor did upon receiving a manuscript was read it through multiple times.

First, to catch as many typos as possible. Nowadays, almost all light novel authors typed their manuscripts—some even wrote them on their phones. Handwritten manuscripts were extremely rare, at least in the light novel industry. (Though in literary publishing, a few authors still submitted handwritten works each year.)

Still, whether on a computer or phone, typing quickly meant typos were inevitable. An editor's job was to read while correcting these, reducing the number of mistakes in the final print.

Some authors, however, had such distinctively funny typos that they became running jokes among readers. In those cases, editors sometimes didn't bother fixing them—occasionally, they would even suggest deliberately leaving or creating such a typo for comedic effect, much like streamers adding gags to boost engagement.

Second, and more importantly, editors acted as the author's first reader, checking if the plot or character portrayals had issues. If a low-to-mid popularity work fell apart, so be it—the editor might even welcome the excuse to cancel it. But if a popular work went off the rails, the editor would immediately contact the author, insisting on changes to avoid damaging the series.

This was because of a strange phenomenon in the creative world—not just in light novels, but also in manga and other mediums—where even popular series sometimes suddenly collapsed halfway through, with the plot or characters breaking out of nowhere, blindsiding readers and tanking the reputation.

And it wasn't limited to Japan—creators around the world were guilty of it.

Every time an editor encountered a creator who "let their imagination run wild" mid-series, they wanted to tear their hair out.

If a work was purely self-indulgent and made for fun, then fine—go wild. But commercial works existed because readers spent their hard-earned money to support you!

Some creators lived off commercial success but then caught a case of "artistic pretension," smashing the proverbial rice bowl by pulling stunts in the story designed to disgust readers—only to smugly think they were being profound. And when criticized, they'd whine: "This generation of readers just has no taste; they don't understand my talent!"

Talent, my ass.

Whenever Kotomi encountered such self-contradicting, pretentious creators who wrote absolute garbage, she could easily think of tens of thousands of words to roast them. But the first thing she wanted to say was always:

—RNM, refund me!

When Haruno Yukinoshita first took charge of a light novel, its popularity was overwhelming. She was thrilled, but also careful—reading the Sword Art Online manuscript with extreme attention, phone in hand, ready to call Kotomi to change anything that might cause controversy.

But from Volume 1 to the present, Haruno discovered something delightful: Kotomi's Sword Art Online never once contained plot points that would make readers uncomfortable. On the contrary, the story was exhilarating!

Kotomi was an author with a crystal-clear sense of her creative direction. Her prose might not be the most elegant, but it was thrilling and deliciously risqué. She understood perfectly well that she was in this for commercial success, and built every plot point around one goal—making the readers feel satisfied.

Her stories were free of poisonous plot twists, and her depictions of female characters went straight to the extreme, as if the accelerator pedal had never been released. The editorial team often debated whether Sword Art Online should be rated R18—because the writing alone was already suggestive enough, and combined with Hanayui's sensual illustrations, it was more than enough to overwhelm younger audiences.

When an editor received a manuscript, whether for proofreading or to check the plot and characters, it was impossible to finish reading it in just one day. And once they confirmed everything was fine, they still had to coordinate with the illustrator—confirm schedules, and send over the manuscript along with cover concepts and scenes that needed illustrations.

Covers, color pages, a dozen black-and-white illustrations—this workload couldn't be done in less than a few months, even if the illustrator was working daily.

Following the normal schedule, if Kotomi submitted Redo of Healer Volume 1 to Haruno in February, it wouldn't be ready for printing until at least May. Nearly three months would be reserved for Mrs. Yuigahama to complete the illustrations.

Release timing mattered—Kotomi wanted each volume to come out in months with peak traffic. But on the normal schedule, she couldn't reserve dates ahead of time; the release month would depend entirely on when the illustrator finished and when the printing was done.

If the available months all had low traffic, she'd lose out on exposure.

Her solution? Skip the usual timeline by finalizing the illustrations and character designs with Mrs. Yuigahama in advance, working on them little by little.

Once Kotomi explained her idea in detail, Mrs. Yuigahama immediately understood—Kotomi's plan was to cut out the months normally reserved for the illustrator in the publication process.

Chapter 615: Beyond the Mountains and Seas Lies a Village of Blue Smurfs

Pandora.

Under the light of the gas giant in the Alpha Centauri system, the lush landscape mirrored Earth's tropical jungles by day, but at night, the ground was bathed in an enchanting blue glow.

The tranquil moonlight shone upon this alien land teeming with life, casting an air of peace.

Over 98% of Pandora still remained covered in its original forest.

Even though outsiders had been working relentlessly to mine the precious Unobtanium beneath Pandora's surface, a mineral deposit comparable in scale to Earth itself was not something a single private company could exploit quickly.

Even if that company was the RDA—Resources Development Administration—the largest single non-governmental organization in human space, boasting millions of shareholders, the oldest and largest quasi-administrative entity in history.

Especially when mining operations were frequently disrupted by attacks from the native Na'vi, efficiency was even lower.

The attrition rate of personnel and equipment was equally high.

Even the mighty RDA found such sustained losses irritating.

Yes, mercenary death benefits were cheap, and replacements could be recruited from the Marine Corps' fourth-tier ranks back on Earth. There was no shortage of people there.

But at 4.2 light-years away, replenishing personnel and losses was far from quick.

Pandora wasn't the only extraterrestrial planet awaiting development by the RDA; for all its resources, the organization had to attend to many fronts.

Though Pandora was perhaps the most important of them.

The Pandora division of the RDA had not been idle in its efforts.

Unfortunately, the war between humans and the Na'vi over a decade ago—sparked by the betrayal of a certain RDA employee—had wiped out decades of off-world development. Countless mining machines and processing plants were destroyed, and landing personnel suffered heavy casualties.

Most heartbreaking for RDA shareholders back on Earth was the loss of millions of tons of processed Unobtanium stored at the Hell's Gate base.

That was real treasure—worth more than gold.

Each kilogram valued at twenty million USD—imagine the scale.

That was my money!

That damn traitor—fine, you're noble! You're remarkable! Returning RDA's captured employees from Pandora to Earth was one thing, but what about that Unobtanium? Couldn't you send that back too?

It was already mined and processed—you can't just put it back underground.

Na'vi: NO!

RDA shareholders: Just you wait!

Thus, fourteen years after being expelled, humanity sent a colonial force to land on Pandora again. Humiliated and heavily damaged, they came in full force. The scale of the colonial military's armament far exceeded anything from before.

There were even hints of the Earth United Government military among them, the discipline fierce.

From the very start, under overwhelming suppression, over a dozen Na'vi tribes were wiped out. In a short time, not only were several new outposts established, but the once-abandoned Hell's Gate base was restored.

This time, neither the RDA nor Earth's leadership entertained any illusions of diplomacy like the previous 'Avatar' project. If the Na'vi wouldn't give it willingly, they would take it by force.

Using multiple outposts as anchors, each supporting the others, personnel and resources from Earth poured in, steadily advancing the colonial development of Pandora.

Such a military presence was beyond what the Na'vi—armed mainly with bows and arrows—could hope to overcome. Attacking human outposts now was nothing more than suicide.

Under this steady yet overwhelming development policy, countless Na'vi were forced to migrate. Among them was the Omaticaya clan.

In the Hallelujah Mountains—a vast range of floating rock formations—the Omaticaya had built their camp.

Deep within the endless floating mountains, their base lay in a massive cavern between the stones. Hidden and secure, the unique magnetic fields here prevented most human aircraft from venturing too far. The true rulers of these skies were the Na'vi's winged mounts—the Banshees.

In the cavern base, tents woven from unknown leaves, wood, and vines were arranged in clusters.

Fires and captured human lighting equipment illuminated the rough stone walls. There were also human aircraft, modular lab units, and other industrial items that clashed with the tribal atmosphere.

Patrolling the camp's perimeter were Na'vi guards clad in a mix of leather armor and human bulletproof vests.

They stood around three meters tall, with blue skin marked by zebra-like stripes that glowed faintly in the dark, as if scattered with starlight.

Facially, they looked quite similar to humans, with the same physique—narrow waists, elongated frames, and broad shoulders forming a V-shaped back.

From an athlete's perspective—especially a swimmer's—their streamlined builds were impressive.

The only obvious difference: each hand had only four fingers. Otherwise, they resembled stretched, enlarged humans.

Some carried sharp long spears, others wielded massive hunting bows taller than a human male, and some even held heavy human firearms, murmuring into radios.

A true blend of the ancient and the modern.

Since humanity's return to Pandora, a year of migration and guerrilla resistance had made them familiar with human weapons and equipment.

"...Huff…"

In a hammock the size of a trampoline, Jake Sully woke from a nightmare, sitting up and breathing heavily.

"Jake, what's wrong?" A gentle female voice came from beside him.

Turning instinctively, he saw a beautiful blue face by human standards, marked with exotic patterns and golden, cat-like eyes watching him.

It was his Na'vi wife—Neytiri, daughter of the former Omaticaya chief, and the greatest honor of his life.

"Is it because of the RDA's actions? Too much pressure?"

Neytiri took Jake's hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, I and the children will be with you." As his wife for over a decade, Neytiri naturally knew much about Earth.

"Jake, if there's a problem, we'll face it together. We are family."

"Thank you, Neytiri." Steeling himself, Jake's gaze flickered briefly before he rose, kissed her forehead, and carefully stepped past the sleeping children. "I'll go patrol for a bit."

"…."

"Chief." ×N

In his nearly three-meter-tall Avatar body, Jake breathed the mix of ammonia, methane, and chlorine in the air as he reached the edge of the cavern, nodding to the patrolling Na'vi warriors. His expression grew complicated as he gazed out at the stunning floating mountains.

"Great Mother Eywa, is this a warning?"

That night, Jake Sully's mind felt trapped in a rapidly spinning blender.

In the dream, a dense darkness surrounded him, nothing visible at all.

Fragmented, blurry images kept flooding into the depths of his mind.

And then came pain—an unbearable pain he could no longer distinguish as physical or spiritual. Perhaps it was Eywa's own pain, for the RDA's reckless exploitation was like tearing one hideous wound after another into Pandora's body.

Next, a chorus of overlapping roars and cries echoed in his ears—human, Na'vi, and countless other creatures of Pandora. Even his nose seemed to catch the overwhelming scent of blood.

Whoosh—!

High-altitude winds battered the massive floating rocks, howling through the night. The chill on his forehead and neck quickly drove away his drowsiness. Controlling his restless heart, Jake relied on his Marine Corps training—at times like this, you stayed calm.

Anger was useless. He wasn't some video game berserker—rage didn't come with a critical hit bonus.

Reaching a high point among the floating mountains, Jake lifted his gaze toward the sky. Brownish-red haze spread across it, accompanied by faint, low growls—an ominous sign before the dark.

No matter how he tried to reassure himself, Jake knew his greatest fear was inevitable: this beautiful planet would soon face the baptism of true war.

Not the skirmish of decades past with a few thousand mercenaries.

And nothing like the low-intensity raids of the past year—guerrilla strikes on human outposts, rail sabotage, train hijackings, and pipeline destruction.

RDA's space operations fell under ICA (Interstellar Commerce Administration) oversight. Organizations like RDA conducting interstellar business were bound by ICA treaties, under United Nations directives, prohibiting weapons of mass destruction and limiting the development of space military forces.

Everyone knew ICA was more like RDA's puppet or fig leaf. Still, it placed restrictions on the deployment of WMDs and many lethal military-grade weapons for private mercenaries.

If RDA's colonial failure on Pandora led ICA to revoke its off-world mining rights… if humanity's leadership lost patience… the result might be Earth's United Government military taking the field themselves.

In that case, the bans on WMDs and military starships would no longer apply.

A fully armed United Government regular army was an entirely different concept from treaty-restricted mercenaries made up of retired soldiers.

If it were possible, Jake might even suggest to the tribal council allowing RDA conditional mining—but there were too many concerns. If RDA took the opportunity to bring in more forces and build more fortresses, what then?

Such were the fears when at an absolute disadvantage—every step like walking on thin ice.

The gap between the Na'vi's tribal society and human civilization was simply too great.

"I have to change this…"

...

Bridgehead Base.

Built after humanity's return to Pandora, it dwarfed the Hell's Gate base established decades ago. Dozens of meters tall, reinforced concrete structures ringed the facility.

On top and beyond the defensive walls, countless deadly weapons stood watch on guard towers.

Seeing the scale of armament here, Jake's worries were understandable. Such large-caliber autocannons and heavy artillery clearly fell under the military restrictions of the treaty.

Either RDA's colonial private security had violated and discarded those restrictions—or… the Earth United Government military had joined the fight.

Amid shouts from ground crews and coordination from the control tower, several triangular-wing spacecraft, each over a hundred meters long, slowly descended.

"All personnel, attention! The ship will land in three minutes!"

After the cold, synthetic female voice announcement—

Following years of long travel, they had finally reached their destination. Someone let out an excited shout.

"Woohoo—! Money planet, new home, here I come!"

"Shut it! I get you're excited, but during landing, keep quiet unless you want to bite your tongue off."

A nearby officer barked at the newcomer.

Landings were bumpy—speaking during it could indeed lead to bitten tongues. A lesson learned in blood.

Another officer strode down the aisle of the spacecraft. "Everyone, put on your filtration packs!"

"Remember, on this planet, without oxygen you'll pass out in 20 seconds and be dead in 4 minutes! I don't want any incidents—it looks bad in my reports!"

"Yes, sir!" ×N

Pssst!

As the turbulence faded, the hiss of the hatch opening signaled the moment they had been waiting for. The newly arrived personnel hurried out—miners, machine operators, engineers, geologists…

Even through their masks, they curiously surveyed their surroundings.

Even the soldiers couldn't help but feel intrigued by this new world—potentially humanity's second home.

"Hey, what's that? Those arrows must be nearly two meters long."

Not far from the runway, a massive ore transport convoy passed by. Most striking were the giant arrows with colorful fletching lodged in the two-meter-wide tires.

If one of those, thicker than a thumb, hit a person—body armor might not be enough.

"Rookies, no matter how good you were on Earth, here on Pandora you're just green recruits! Everything in the forest can kill you—the prettier it looks, the deadlier it is."

"And those arrows? Biggest obstacle to our work. The handiwork of the blue-skinned natives. Poisoned—don't touch them. This neurotoxin will stop your heart in under a minute. Consider this a friendly warning from your seniors. Good luck, rookies!"

A grizzled veteran grinned, giving the newcomers a grim bit of survival advice.

"Hahaha, alright… ladies and gentlemen, you're on Pandora now. This is a fact you'll respect every second of every day."

Then came a booming voice.

People turned. "You're…" Amid startled looks, a towering, three-meter-tall, blue-skinned humanoid walked over.

These were trained elites—though shocked, they didn't panic.

After all, this was a human base, surrounded by heavily armed troops. The blue alien wore body armor, spoke English, and carried a soldier's presence—likely the result of some experimental program.

Black buzzcut, yellow eyes, a lemur-like tail, and a one-meter-long braid-like organ trailing from the back of his head.

In his reborn Avatar body, Colonel Miles Quaritch ignored their stares. The scene reminded him of his days at Hell's Gate, handling new recruit orientations.

Back then, as head of security, this had been his job. Feeling a familiar itch, he raised a hand and pointed beyond the defensive wall to the dark forest.

"Out there, every crawling, flying, or burrowing thing wants to kill you and eat your eyes like candy."

His gaze swept over the newcomers.

"The locals—a humanoid species called Na'vi. They're smart. If you encounter them, don't show mercy. Otherwise… you'll end up like this."

Quaritch pointed at his own face in self-mockery.

Vrrrmmm—!

As silence fell and his words sank in, the roar of massive engines suddenly ripped through the sky.

"Hm?" People looked up to see dozens of large gunships painted in gray-blue patterns approaching the airport at a blistering 2,000 km/h, breaking the sound barrier.

Newly deployed equipment?

Quaritch thought so—it had to be.

Could it be the Na'vi? Impossible. If they had this level of tech, they'd all be dead already.

And the base's defense turrets remained idle, clearly granting landing clearance.

Time to see what new developments had arrived.

Chapter 545: Ancient Ruins

"Sorry, but we can't accept your invitation. Compared to saving the world, we have something more important to do."

"Of course, after we finish that, we might consider joining you."

Mirei Shinohara didn't make things too absolute—after all, she wasn't sure whether Shiraori, after evolving into a god, could take someone out of this world.

If she could, then all would be perfect.

If not, then for the sake of ensuring Eriri could live a better life in this doomed world, they would certainly put their full strength into saving it.

Hearing Mirei's reply, Ariel's expression didn't change. She had never expected to secure their agreement with just a single sentence.

"I don't know what could be more important to you than the survival of the world, but I still hope you'll seriously consider my invitation. If the world is destroyed, nothing else will matter."

Her tone then shifted.

"Speaking of which, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Ariel, the current Demon Lord~"

Since she hadn't felt the sensation of being appraised, Ariel had no idea that the dragon and spider before her already knew her details inside and out.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Mirei Shinohara, and this one here is Shiraori. We'll think about what you've said, but if there's nothing else, we'll be leaving."

Mirei and Shiraori had no plans to waste more time. The ancient ruins were already very close, and they were eager to reach them.

Though they no longer relied solely on telepathic exchanges, they hadn't lost that ability. During the conversation with Ariel, they'd exchanged short inner messages, with Mirei voicing their final decision aloud.

Once she finished speaking, the two turned and continued toward their destination.

Watching their swiftly retreating figures, Ariel didn't give chase. She knew they would meet again. After all, as long as they lived in this world, they couldn't escape the system's grasp.

...

A few days later, having left the canyon, Shiraori and Mirei stopped in the middle of a vast wilderness.

"The ancient ruins should be somewhere around here."

Seeing the appraisal show a distance of only a few hundred meters, Mirei turned to Shiraori.

Shiraori said nothing, simply nodding with a serious expression.

After more than two months of travel, they had finally reached the site of the ancient ruins. Shiraori couldn't help but feel excited—this was the final step to attaining a complete human form.

"Looks like the ruins are underground. So, should we blast the ground with skills, or slowly dig down?"

Instead of answering, Shiraori pointed toward a small opening in the ground not far away.

"Dig."

With that single word, Shiraori headed straight for the hole, and Mirei quickly followed.

When Shiraori reached the spot, the ground around the hole suddenly collapsed, sending her entire body downward.

She didn't panic—she had planned to dig down through the hole anyway. The unstable ground had simply saved her some effort.

Once Shiraori disappeared below, Mirei dove after her and quickly caught up.

Just as they prepared to keep digging downward, they suddenly sensed multiple presences rapidly approaching them.

Shiraori and Mirei Shinohara remained completely calm. Although there were many approaching presences, they were all extremely weak.

Soon, the owners of those presences came into view—a swarm of giant ants, each about the size of a human.

It was clear that they had stumbled into the nest of these ant-type monsters.

Upon seeing the ones responsible for destroying part of their nest, the ants attacked without hesitation.

But their strength was pitiful, with stats barely around 100. To Shiraori and Mirei, they were no different from ordinary ants—easy to crush in large numbers.

However, the sheer quantity meant that without using large-scale attack skills, it would take a while to clear them out.

To save time, they each used their signature abilities—one with Breath, the other with Evil Eye. Like using anti-aircraft guns on mosquitoes, they annihilated the entire nest in less than thirty seconds, leaving not even a single corpse behind.

Once the ants were gone, they didn't linger. Mirei used her Five Elements Manipulation to control the earth element, while Shiraori used earth magic. Together, they dug straight downward at high speed.

After some time and relentless effort, they finally arrived at their ultimate destination.

Staring at the massive metal gate before them, their eyes widened.

Though they had never entered a human city, they had been near one before, enough to get a general sense of this world's medieval fantasy style. Gates and doors were almost always made of wood.

This world might have the technology to make metal gates, but a gate of this size and grandeur was something impossible to create here.

Such a feat would require at least the high-end technology of modern Earth.

More importantly, this was the gate to the ancient ruins—meaning that in ancient times, this world's technology must have been extraordinary.

What could have caused it to regress to a medieval state?

That question arose in both their minds.

They recalled what Ariel had told them days ago. Could this be related to the world's impending destruction?

Regret flickered through them for not asking Ariel more about the world's history. At over three thousand years old, she would surely have had a comprehensive understanding.

But now was not the time for such thoughts. They were here for the ruins, and everything inside took priority. Matters of the world could wait until after they found Eriri.

...

With a loud creak, Shiraori pushed open the massive metal gate.

The moment it opened, a loud alarm blared from inside the ruins.

Beep—beep—beep—

The sound was all too familiar, confirming for them once again that this world's ancient era had been one of modern civilization.

That meant the "bomb" mentioned in the appraisal was most likely a modern, highly destructive missile.

Of course, that was only speculation—perhaps this world's ancient technology surpassed Earth's, and the bombs they made were even more devastating.

Ignoring the noisy alarms, Shiraori and Mirei cautiously stepped inside.

They found themselves in a pristine, uniform, high-tech corridor—a sight that made them feel, after a year in the labyrinth, as though they had returned to Earth.

Before they had walked far along the corridor, the walls suddenly extended multiple long gun barrels, all instantly aiming at Shiraori and Mirei Shinohara.

Already expecting something like this, the two showed no surprise. Not knowing the power of these weapons, they didn't wait for the guns to fire. In a flash, they used their skills to destroy every single gun barrel along the walls.

With the traps dealt with, they continued down the corridor until they reached its end—only to find a solid wall, with no branching paths.

"Now what? Looks like there's no way forward…"

Shiraori shot Mirei a glance and said only two words.

"Appraisal."

"Ah, right, how could I forget Lord Appraisal~"

Mirei immediately used Appraisal on the wall.

[Ordinary wall enclosing an elevator. Passing through will lead inside the elevator.]

"First a metal gate, then a high-tech corridor and gun traps, and now even an elevator." Mirei couldn't help but remark.

Before she finished speaking, Shiraori, having read the same result, extended her right hand and smashed the wall apart with a single punch, then stepped inside.

"Hey, wait for me!" Mirei hurried after her.

Inside the elevator, they found that apart from a hatch at the top, all three other sides were blocked by walls.

Without hesitation, they used Appraisal again. Following its guidance, Shiraori smashed the wall opposite them.

Beyond it was a door, which Shiraori pried open smoothly with her front claws.

At that moment, the familiar alarm blared once again.

They stepped into another high-tech corridor, identical to the previous one, though this one was noticeably shorter.

It ended at a pristine double sliding door. Just as Shiraori prepared to pry it open, it suddenly slid apart on its own, almost as if welcoming them.

Both froze in surprise—not just at the automatic door, but at the countless mechanical eyes and gun barrels aimed at them beyond it.

"My god… battle robots. And so many of them!" Mirei exclaimed, amazed. Scenes like this she had only ever seen in sci-fi movies back in her previous life.

Shiraori's thoughts also stirred at the sight.

The robot army gave them no time to think—countless bullets shot toward them. These weren't physical rounds but energy projectiles.

That confirmed it—this world's ancient civilization had technology surpassing modern Earth.

Reacting instantly, they raised their defenses. After withstanding a barrage, they concluded the bullets' power was unimpressive—at least to them.

Thanks to Predator and absorbing many powerful creatures, Shiraori's physical durability was second only to Mirei's Diamond Body. Even if they took the shots head-on, they wouldn't be harmed.

Of course, that didn't mean the bullets were weak by normal standards. In the human world, a single shot could punch a large hole in someone without strong defenses.

Abandoning defense, they let the energy rounds strike their bodies without effect. Then they went on the offensive.

They dismantled the robots with ease, none lasting more than a single exchange.

In no time, every attacking robot had been reduced to scrap.

But this was only a small portion of the ruin's mechanical forces.

Ahead lay a space larger than a sports arena—filled wall to wall with neatly arranged robots, forming a massive mechanical army.

Chapter 300: You Are All Insects

The Human United Fleet could not comprehend what had just happened.

The space navy was far too reliant on so-called advanced technology.

On every starship's radar display, there was no sign of the massive warship's movement.

Technically, it was invisible to everyone.

Logically, a starship the size of the Moon should have caused obvious disturbances to other planets in the star system.

Yet it had no gravity at all—neither gravitational wave detectors nor radar could detect even the slightest anomaly.

Only when it was close enough could one see the giant with the naked eye.

In fact, people on Earth watching the spectacle saw the Eternal Snowfall before the United Fleet's crew did.

Looking up at the night sky…

On one side of the night hung two thousand points of light—the space navy fleet.

On the other, like a meteor the size of the Moon streaking across the heavens.

As it passed perihelion, the massive wings blotted out the moonlight and stars, casting a huge shadow over the Northern Hemisphere.

Nearly all of Eurasia was engulfed in the Eternal Snowfall's shadow.

Earth's people stared dumbly at the sky.

No space navy intelligence had ever mentioned a planet-sized warship.

The Trisolaran First Fleet was still two centuries away from reaching Earth.

At present, only a probe had arrived.

As for other aliens?

Humanity remembered no other extraterrestrial civilizations beyond Alpha Centauri.

And a ship of this size approaching from deep space—there was no reason the space navy wouldn't have detected it.

"Run? Run where? Why?"

"Where did it come from? Why didn't we detect it?"

The officers beside Ding Yi blurted out the questions instinctively.

After discovering the Eternal Snowfall, most fleet captains and crew, along with the United Fleet's supreme commander, were briefly stunned into silence by the shock.

"No anomalies from gravitational wave or radar scans?!"

Ding Yi had wanted to urge the fleet to distance itself from the giant warship, but soon an even more shocking report came from a technical officer.

"Nothing. The detection stations in Saturn's orbit haven't seen a thing."

The officer shook his head.

Ding Yi frowned, thinking for a moment.

Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.

A planet-sized ship entering the Solar System completely undetected meant, in his understanding, two possibilities:

One: its counter-detection technology surpassed all human capabilities—gravitational waves, electromagnetic waves, nothing worked on it.

Two: during acceleration, it exceeded the speed of gravitational wave detection—that is, faster than light.

Electromagnetic waves from detectors couldn't keep up with its speed, no signal could return, and thus no human—or any civilization in this universe—could detect it with observation instruments.

It could be the first, the second, or both.

Ding Yi shook his head—he found the second possibility too terrifying to believe willingly.

"Asia Fleet, North America Fleet, Europe Fleet, disperse! Enter combat readiness!"

The space navy's commander quickly issued the order.

The three fleets, over two thousand starships, slowly adjusted formation.

With their basic science locked, humanity could build spacecraft, but an effective command system had yet to be established.

For a moment, chaos rippled through the starship group.

A thousand kilometers away, the Droplet seemed to sense something.

It turned toward the Eternal Snowfall, emitting an invisible gravitational wave in an attempt to probe the giant warship's internal structure.

But the ship's built-in tachyon interference rendered it futile—the returning signal was nothing but garbled data.

In the realm of electronic warfare, sub-light natives could never compare to an FTL civilization.

Their foundational sciences were on entirely different levels.

Aside from using the naked eye, any technological attempt to spy on the Eternal Snowfall was futile.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk… this feels like ancient cavalry trying to disrupt an aircraft's radar by shouting loudly," Nymph quipped from the bridge.

Vmmm—

The Droplet reacted far faster than the human fleet.

Realizing all detection methods were useless, a blue halo formed at the tip of its tail, rapidly expanding, shifting from blue to yellow, and finally to red.

With the halo's propulsion, it accelerated sharply—moving at ten times the third cosmic velocity, piercing through the nearest two human ships, then making an acute turn in defiance of both momentum and angular momentum conservation laws.

It fled at maximum speed in the opposite direction of the Solar System.

The Trisolarans' technology far surpassed Earth's; as a civilization that entered the space age earlier, they regarded Earth's fleet as insects.

Earth's insects could not understand Trisolaran technology.

Yet the Trisolarans also couldn't comprehend the giant starship blotting out the stars before them.

Which meant, in the other's eyes—they too were insects.

"Hide yourself."

This was a truth the Trisolarans had learned long ago.

They understood perfectly how terrifying a technological gap could be in space warfare, and had no intention of tangling with the Eternal Snowfall.

They didn't even bother with the human Solar System fleet, though the Droplet could have annihilated them in thirty minutes.

Instead, it simply turned and ran.

"You're not getting away~"

On the bridge, massive holographic interfaces appeared before Nymph.

Her eyes turned red, data streams flowing across her pupils as her fingers danced rapidly over the displays, locking on to the Droplet's position.

The universal electronic warfare Angeloid had also undergone upgrades after acquiring FTL tech.

Though her combat power was no match for Ikaros or Astraea, Nymph possessed the strongest information and electronic warfare capabilities in the entire base.

Vmmm—

The Droplet suddenly halted in space.

It was as if both sides were struggling for control.

Then it began to emit a dark red glow, attempting to trigger its self-destruct.

"What? Can't win so you're flipping the table?"

The blue-haired loli pouted, tapped a few more commands.

Minutes later, the glow faded, and the Droplet stabilized in space.

"All done, Commander! It's paralyzed, and I've disabled its self-destruct!"

"Bring it back and we can modify it for our own use~"

Nymph tilted her head up proudly toward Setsuna.

"Good job."

Setsuna patted the little Angeloid's head.

After the hatch opened, two Angeloids piloted a small shuttle to retrieve the Droplet.

"It's beautiful—like the Virgin's tear."

Kayo Senju made a face and prepared to dismantle it for study.

She'd worked hard to convince the Commander to let her join this expedition to the Trisolaran world.

"Hey???"

"Are you all addicted to cosplay or something?!"

...

On the other side of the Solar System—

The Natural Selection fled at 1% of light speed.

In the Proceed to Four state, all crew were already in hibernation.

Zhang Beihai locked himself inside a spherical cabin, speaking to Dongfang Yanxu through the internal comms.

"The pursuing fleet is only 1.2 million kilometers from the Natural Selection," Dongfang reported.

"Your pessimism about the war is unfounded. Now, the Trisolaran world has shown signs of negotiation, the Solar System United Fleet has already set out to intercept their probe—the war is about to end in humanity's victory."

She tried to persuade Zhang Beihai to abandon his escape.

"I saw the news…"

Zhang shook his head.

The Natural Selection was still in contact with Earth, but as the ship moved farther from the Solar System, delays in receiving news grew.

"You still insist on your defeatism and escape plan?"

"Yes. I believe humanity will lose."

Zhang sighed.

"..."

Dongfang wanted to say more.

She searched through the latest news for something about the United Fleet to convince him to give up.

Then, one explosive headline made her freeze.

The young captain double-checked it many times—it wasn't a joke from Earth.

Finally, with some hesitation, she said:

"...Something's happened."

"A strange ship appeared in the Solar System not long ago. The Droplet was taken—by aliens."

"..."

Zhang Beihai: "?"

...

Solar System, beyond Neptune's orbit.

The Human United Fleet stared, stunned, at the massive warship that had suddenly appeared.

It hovered tens of thousands of kilometers away, and simply looking at its colossal hull exuded a crushing sense of pressure.

Meanwhile, Earth's news outlets were broadcasting live coverage of the battlefield anomaly.

"The Solar System United Fleet has detected an unidentified alien warship beyond the outer orbit!"

"Based on estimates, this vessel is comparable in size to the Moon, and it appears to have captured and restrained the Droplet through some form of technology!"

"This is not part of the Trisolaran fleet. The Human United Fleet is now in a standoff with the alien craft."

"No matter what enemy appears, the space navy will loyally defend the Solar System…"

From Saturn Base's feed, viewers saw the United Fleet shifting into a dispersed formation.

Part of the fleet moved to face the target head-on, while others fired up engines to flank the Eternal Snowfall.

Spectators on Earth became animated, though some wore worried expressions.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk… I knew just one Droplet would be boring—finally a real big one shows up!"

"Is this a Trisolaran ship? Doesn't look like it…"

"This thing should be enough for the fleet to fight, right? I mean, it's big enough."

"What's the point of size? In space, it's just a big target! Can it survive concentrated fire from two thousand stellar-class ships?!"

"Hey, can we get the aliens to give us back the Droplet? That should be the United Fleet's spoils, right?!"

"…."

All this chatter reached the Eternal Snowfall, making Setsuna and the shipgirls chuckle.

Humanity's inflated confidence was at an all-time high.

They truly believed they could handle the Droplet and the Trisolaran First Fleet with ease, dismissing any foe.

If the Resetters showed up, they'd probably want to slap them, too.

Before long, a communication request pinged the Eternal Snowfall's AI.

"Hello? Where are you from?"

"Hello?"

"%*@?"

The United Fleet sent greetings in dozens of languages, complete with a translation array marked with mathematical symbols for each character set.

In space, math was universal—numbers and mathematical laws could be used to translate into any language.

"What age is this? You don't have AI with auto-translation systems?"

Setsuna tossed the translation data aside.

Clearing his throat, he gave a signal.

The Eternal Snowfall's sensors instantly linked to all 2,015 stellar-class warships, as well as the human space navy's Jupiter Base and the United Earth Government.

Even the fleeing Natural Selection, Blue Space, Ultimate Law, and others received Setsuna's transmission.

Shwoom—

A holographic display opened aboard every ship and before every government and military official.

Zhang Beihai, still mulling over Dongfang Yanxu's shocking news about aliens, was startled when an unfamiliar man appeared on the main console.

Setsuna addressed them all.

"They just cracked all of humanity's communications networks instantly?"

Ding Yi, Zhang Beihai, and others were briefly stunned.

This was a military-encrypted network—no one should have been able to tap in so casually.

"Humans of the Solar System, greetings."

"We come from another world—you may call us the Starsea Empire."

Setsuna kept his self-introduction short and direct.

"?"

"He's human?"

The top commanders of the United Earth Government and the space navy stared hard at the hologram of Setsuna.

They scrutinized him repeatedly.

No matter how they looked at him, he was indistinguishable from an Earth human.

And he was a Common Era human.

After two to three centuries of development, the Trisolaran world's mainstream aesthetics favored androgynous, soft beauty.

Setsuna's demeanor resembled that of Common Era soldiers who had gone into hibernation centuries ago under the Reinforcement Plan—people like Zhang Beihai or Chu Yan.

Hiss—

On Earth, the live news audience erupted.

"Human?! The alien is human?!"

"Could he be some kind of shapeshifter that can turn into anything?!"

"Or a species that changes form to match whoever it meets—human before humans, Trisolaran before Trisolarans?!"

"…."

After some deliberation, the United Nations and the space navy's commanders let the United Fleet's supreme commander speak first.

"Your civilization is called the Starsea Empire? Could you explain further? You appear to be the same species as us—what star system are you from?"

"I'm also from the Solar System—just from another universe's Solar System. You should understand what I mean."

"Parallel universe?!"

The concept was common in Earth literature, and humanity quickly reached a rough consensus.

Cheers rose at the discovery of a new civilization.

"!!!"

Only aboard the Quantum and the Natural Selection did Ding Yi and Zhang Beihai's expressions grow heavier.

"Can the Quantum enter deep-sea state, ready to proceed to Four at any time?" Ding Yi asked.

"Why?" the technical officer asked, puzzled.

"That ship… it gives me a very bad feeling…"

Ding Yi tapped his pipe on the table.

"A starship that can cross worlds… it's not something simple. It may be more dangerous than the Trisolaran civilization…"

He wanted to explain that the Eternal Snowfall wasn't just thousands of times larger than the human fleet—it was something far beyond.

Light speed, world-crossing…

A terrifying picture formed in his mind, though his knowledge wasn't enough to grasp it fully.

But the crew dismissed his concern.

"Trisolarans? Ding, they're no threat anymore."

"If that random alien hadn't interfered, the Droplet would've been ours."

"The Trisolaran First Fleet is probably turning tail right now, hahaha…"

"…."

After the chatter, attention returned to Setsuna.

They were endlessly curious about the massive ship from another world.

"Then, may I ask your purpose here in the Solar System, Mr. Lu?"

The fleet commander spoke.

"On behalf of humanity, I welcome you. We can establish cooperation between our worlds—our scientists are very interested in your civilization."

"We can exchange and share advanced technologies…"

He painted grand visions—mutual immigration, visiting the Starsea Empire's Solar System, shared technology, and more.

The people of Earth quickly lost themselves in dreams of tourism to another universe.

"…."

Setsuna thought he might have arrived at humanity's most retarded period.

He coughed, cutting through the officials' fantasies.

"Unfortunately, I have no such intention."

"The Solar System will be incorporated into the Starsea Empire as a forward research station."

"And you… after disarming entirely, will be allowed to live on Earth at pre-space-age standards."

"In the future, you'll live alongside other aliens. I will ensure your basic living conditions, but abandon unrealistic delusions."

"Forget your so-called freedom, art, and other nonsense. The universe is cruel."

Before departure, Setsuna had considered how to handle the Trisolaran world's Earth and its humans.

These troublemakers were unfit as vassals, and resource exploitation in such a chaotic universe might not be worth the investment.

The Solar System was already nearly stripped bare.

He decided the best option was to build a small stellar base here for research.

The Trisolaran world held many interesting things, but you couldn't take them all in one trip.

High-risk projects like dual-vector foil experiments weren't safe in his own universe—but here, they were ideal.

In the future, perhaps even ether engine experiments could be run here—failures wouldn't matter.

And it would be a good opportunity to study aliens like the Singers and Trisolarans.

"???"

"Accept Starsea Empire rule? Disarm?!"

The UN officials and fleet commanders were stunned.

"Yes. You have thirty minutes to decide. The United Fleet is to surrender, and the Solar System will come under Starsea Empire administration."

"As for the Trisolarans…"

Setsuna glanced toward Earth, knowing sophons were listening.

"I will allow no more than fifty thousand Trisolaran survivors, relocated to Australia on a reserve, living at low-tech, pre-space-age standards."

"We have some interest in researching aliens."

"Likewise, all your ships will be destroyed. You will never enter space again, nor conduct any research work."

Clack—

He slapped the table, stood, and let his voice echo through the silent Earth and space fleet.

"This is the final offer. There is no room for negotiation."

…

Chapter 299: Abyss, Begin Your Annexation

Lumine was overjoyed.

The Master of Law—a rank above even Almighty God.

Even holders of the Pseudo Star Map Creation could only reach Almighty God, their final limit being single-universe level.

But the Master of Law was a truly ultimate existence, transcending the limits of the universe itself. While not on par with the Master of Truth, within the boundless superdimensions they could still overturn countless great universes with a mere flip of the hand.

Though she still lacked the ability to leave the Teyvat Universe, she had a good brother—what he knew, she would know as well.

Before, she had been unwilling to accept that her brother was stronger than her. But now, she had surpassed Aether in one leap, and at last could speak to him loudly again like before.

Well… she had always spoken to him loudly.

Noah pinched Lumine's lips with his fingers. "Alright, stop taking advantage of me."

"But now that you've become the Master of Law, you are my Sustainer. A Sustainer must follow their duties well. Otherwise, I can strip you of your position anytime. Understand?"

Lumine brushed his fingers aside, placed her hands on her hips, puffed her chest out, and raised her head. "Don't worry. I'm now also the mistress of Teyvat—I will definitely protect my Teyvat."

Heh, it may look like Noah had completely taken advantage of her, but she had profited greatly—profited beyond measure.

Now, she was the woman of the Heavenly Principle, and the mistress of the Teyvat Universe.

Just thinking of it made her drool.

She could already imagine the next divine assembly, where she would sit upon the highest divine throne, overlooking all the gods of the universe.

Hehe, hahaha—

And not just that—Zhongli, Venti, and even Aether would bow respectfully before her.

Just imagining it felt incredible!

Wherever she went, the great gods of every Divine Collective would treat her with caution and flattery.

Ahhh—too good, too good…

Noah flicked her forehead. "Wake up, stop daydreaming."

As expected of Lumine—the undisputed bully of the Teyvat Universe.

"The duty of the Master of Trailblaze is to expand the Teyvat Universe, linking all galaxies, space-times, and planes together."

"Since your Traveler Pantheon is basically Teyvat's street wanderer, I'll give this task to you. It's tied to your strength."

Lumine protested, "What do you mean street wanderer? It's traveling—proper traveling. I've helped many pantheons solve problems, you know. I have great relations with them."

"Ow~"

Noah flicked her forehead again, making her cover it in pain.

Of course the Divine Collectives liked her—just give her a bit of merit and she'd eagerly lead her pantheon to help them, doing the job well and beautifully.

Such a useful tool—what pantheon wouldn't like her?

"Of course, among the Four Shades, Paimon is the most idle. I'll have her work with you."

The moment he finished speaking, Paimon suddenly appeared before Noah, looking confused—though she understood in the next moment.

Noah grabbed her big head, snapping her back to attention.

"Ah! Master!"

Noah said sternly, "Among the Four Shades, you're the laziest. Every shift you just stand there clueless. After switching with Baal, you run off to Wanmin Restaurant."

"What else can you do besides spacing out and eating?"

"Think I can't discipline you?"

He smacked her backside, making her cover it in grievance.

"Wuu… Master, I was wrong. I… I won't sneak food from Wanmin Restaurant anymore."

"Eat openly, you mean?" Noah rubbed her big head with both hands.

"Wuu…"

Lumine was fine, but Furina's mouth hung slightly open as she watched Noah mercilessly tease Paimon.

To them, the lofty Sustainer of Heavenly Principle—who oversaw everything—was just a pitiful little thing who could only be bullied in front of the Heavenly Principle, even calling the Heavenly Principle "Master"…

Oh~

Only now did they recall that among the nine Sustainers of Heavenly Principles, four were shadows of Human Principle Phanes. Since Phanes was the greatest mistress of Teyvat, her shadows naturally had to call the Heavenly Principle "Master."

Otherwise, if they addressed themselves the same way Phanes did, wouldn't that be an act of outright rebellion?

Aside from them, there was also the Ruler of Ice, Esdeath, who hadn't attended the last divine assembly.

Among the nine Sustainers, eight were strong single-universe level, while only Esdeath was standard single-universe level.

Because of this, she was most eager to fight Asmoday.

After all, only Asmoday and her peers could be her opponents.

The last divine assembly was missed because Esdeath, in a reckless move, picked a fight with Phanes. Phanes thought Esdeath was far too unruly and slapped her straight into the Temple of Truth.

So she missed the assembly entirely.

This sort of self-inflicted beating was something Noah wouldn't interfere in—Esdeath liked it that way.

Once fully healed, Esdeath stopped challenging other Sustainers and instead sought out holders of Pseudo Star Map Creations.

As a result, Raiden Makoto and the others had been avoiding her.

Zhongli had even descended to mortal form, disguising himself as an ordinary man in Liyue Harbor to live as a retired elder once more.

This time, Zhongli's retirement was entirely due to Esdeath forcing his hand.

After all, holders of Pseudo Star Map Creations could only unleash single-universe-level power briefly—how could they dare fight Esdeath?

Even if they wouldn't die, they'd lose all dignity.

"…I didn't call you out just to scold you," Noah continued.

"This time, you'll team up with Lumine to expand the universe—laying down the Silver Rail across the cosmos to link it all together."

Noah kneaded Paimon's big head firmly as he spoke.

Paimon was stunned. "Huh? Team up with Lumine to expand the universe? Lay down some kind of silver… what?"

Before she could process it, Noah had already vanished before them.

Lumine's eyes sparkled as she rubbed her hands together. "Hehe, Paimon we're teaming up again It's been nearly ten thousand years since last time~"

With Paimon at her side, expanding the universe (and running wild) would have no obstacles. Hehehe~

Furina patted her chest. "Then, let's start from my Fontaine, Lumine."

...

At that moment, Noah arrived in the Abyss Universe, walking through the vast cosmic void.

"Looks like Aether is fully prepared. Time to begin."

"The Abyss's own annexation mission—without the involvement of any other Divine Collectives."

A vast tide of black beasts, spanning hundreds of thousands of galaxies, roamed the Abyss Universe.

In the Abyss Universe, these black beast tides were part of cosmic order itself, acting as cosmic repairers—moving planets and pulling galaxies.

They varied greatly in size. The largest, the size of an entire star system, swam around the supermassive black holes at galaxy centers, guarding the passages to other great universes and preventing gods who violated order from entering the Abyss illegally.

The smallest Abyss creatures were no bigger than mosquitoes.

The strongest Abyss creature had reached weak single-universe level.

That was the Apocalypse Emperor Beast, Trihexa, originally drawn into the Abyss from the DXD world by the Abyss Lord. In biblical mythology, it was called the Beast of 666.

According to its mythological origins, if this world-ending beast ever crawled out of the Abyss, it would signify the end of countless worlds and the destruction of two-thirds of the main universe.

Even without emerging, a mere glance from it could drag beings into the endless Abyss.

It was the embodiment of the Abyss Lord's will.

A weak single-universe level Apocalypse Emperor Beast indeed possessed the power to destroy the universe.

It was now a part of the Abyss Universe—its every move a tidal shift in the Abyss's structure.

Moreover, Abyss power inherently corroded everything in the main universe, so even opponents at weak single-universe level were as vulnerable as standard single-universe beings before it.

Sensing the will of the Universe's ruler descending, the Apocalypse Emperor Beast abruptly opened its blood-red eyes.

In the Abyss Universe, thousands of eyes, each tens of thousands of light-years in diameter, appeared.

An overwhelming tide of Abyss power poured forth.

Its size was the second largest in the Teyvat Universe.

First place still belonged to the True Red Dragon God Emperor, Dream, eternally flying in the Dimensional Gap.

Compared to that, the Apocalypse Emperor Beast was small enough for the Red Dragon God Emperor to crush in a single claw.

Hea—Hea—Heavenly Principle!

After a brief flash of terror, thousands of galaxy-sized eyes narrowed into crescent moons, and a sycophantic Abyss will spread across the universe.

The monstrous being, terrifying in form with thousands of massive heads, now resembled a fawning husky, sticking out black tongues dripping with corrosive venom.

"Your arrival in the Abyss fills me with honor. To witness your holy visage is a glory that even at the universe's end I could never forget."

"Pfah, pfah—you see my foolish tongue! Teyvat is eternal and indestructible—how could it have an end?"

"I'll just twist off this head that displeased you."

Crack…

Each head spoke, then turned to glare at one of their own—before furiously tearing it off.

Black, ominous blood splattered across thousands of galaxies, which instantly grew hundreds of times more active upon contact.

Nearby black beast tides surged like piranhas, swarming to fight over the spilled blood in space.

The shrill roars added another layer of terror to the Abyss.

Noah's expression didn't change, but inwardly he was already making snide remarks.

Slave-master Aether's dog-training skills were truly becoming more and more refined.

Whether Abyssal beasts or Abyssal gods, all of them were ultimate lapdogs.

The kind that would literally twist off their own heads for entertainment.

"Enough, Big Dog, go guard the Abyss Wall."

"Yes—your will is our will."

The tens-of-thousands-light-year-long Apocalypse Emperor Beast instantly curled its head and body into a ball and began rolling away through space.

Inside, it howled with excitement.

Lord Heavenly Principle has given me the name 'Big Dog'! From now on, I am Big Dog!

Noah's eyelids twitched as he lowered his gaze. The Abyss Monarch Aether appeared before him, placing a hand over his chest and bowing slightly.

"Lord Heavenly Principle, I'm honored you could come to the Abyss."

The moment Aether felt the Heavenly Principle descend into the Abyss, his entire body trembled, his heart surging with joy.

He knew Lord Heavenly Principle must be here to assign him a task unique to the Abyss.

This was an Abyss-exclusive mission, unrelated to any other Divine Collective.

Otherwise, the World Gates would not be something only the Abyss possessed.

For this mission, exclusive to the Abyss, he had made thorough preparations.

He had already used the Abyss will to spread mobilization orders to all Abyssal gods above True God level.

The black beast tides had been swelled to ten times their previous size in a short time.

Even before, a beast tide of such scale could sweep through a standard-universe-level world containing several single-universe-level beings.

Now, the beast tide could cripple an opponent even if they had a dozen or more standard-universe-level entities.

As for the possibility of encountering strong single-universe beings?

That was impossible—Teyvat's annexations always fought with overwhelming force.

"From the look of your preparations, you've already guessed, haven't you, Aether?" Noah said with a faint smile.

Aether now possessed weak single-universe strength, and with a Pseudo Star Map Creation, he could even fight two or three Aeons on equal terms. With the endless supply lines of the Abyss Universe, he could eventually wear down and kill one or two Aeons in a prolonged battle.

Aether quickly replied, "I wouldn't dare guess your will, Lord Heavenly Principle. But I did sense, near the Abyss Wall, the aura of another great universe, so I made extra preparations."

Noah waved his hand. "Alright, I'm not here to reprimand you. I just claimed Lumine for myself—no need to be petty and rub it in your face."

Aether's face twitched; he almost lost his composure.

Though he knew Lumine couldn't escape this fate, hearing it now still made it hard to keep a straight face.

Noah stroked his chin. "Hmm, I must say—your sister is very smooth. And she's got plenty of 'water,' enough to compare with the Hydro Archon Furina."

Though flat-chested, Furina's greatest asset as the Hydro Archon was her extremely abundant water element—practically a waterfall.

Aether suddenly felt a stab in his heart. It was one thing for Noah to play with Lumine, but did he have to tell him how satisfying it was? How black-hearted could he be?

Noah continued, "To follow up on what you said, yes—I do have a separate mission for you."

"A Great Universe. One you're quite familiar with—the homeworld of that Aeon who invaded my Teyvat."

Chapter 48: Assessment

At this moment, Ranzuki had already stepped into the Valley of Clouds and Lightning.

It was her first time traveling such a long distance alone.

Since gaining self-awareness, Ranzuki had lived a life of strict seclusion, rarely venturing beyond her quarters. Her only previous journey outside the castle was when Satsuki had taken her to the desert city.

At all other times, Ranzuki had devoted herself to training in sage arts and familiarizing herself with the abilities of the Tenseigan, with almost no firsthand experience of the current shinobi world.

"So this is the Valley of Clouds and Lightning? Peaks everywhere, thunderclouds all around… completely different from the terrain around Iga Castle. Fascinating."

Flying through the air with the illusion cast by her secondary Tenseigan concealing her presence, she had no fear of being discovered.

The border between Musashi and Iga had once been connected by trade routes, but after the great battle between Tajima Uchiha's Susanoo and Myōken Senju's Eight Gates Released Formation, a deep trench was carved into the land.

This disruption had made travel to and from the Valley of Clouds and Lightning much more difficult.

The valley itself had little arable land. Its weather shifted unpredictably, and though water was abundant, the complex terrain made large-scale farming impractical.

Previously, the Musashi lord, pressured by the Uchiha clan's presence, had been forced to provide substantial financial support each year despite his reluctance.

But after that battle, this funding ceased.

As a result, the Tachibana clan not only accelerated their assimilation of the Uchiha clan's holdings but also set their sights on the Kaguya clan.

Several fierce battles followed.

Though the Tachibana emerged as ultimate victors, their losses were significant, especially in manpower. Their one advantage lay in the wealth they gained from absorbing multiple shinobi clans, allowing them to post an exceptionally high bounty—45 million ryō for an S-class target. This was far beyond the inflated currency era of the later shinobi world, where even a minor monk like Chiriku was worth 30 million.

After flying for some time, Ranzuki used the heightened perception of her Sage Mode to locate her destination.

It had to be said—the Tachibana clan had a unique sense for choosing their headquarters. Perched atop a towering peak shrouded in mist and echoing with deafening thunder, it was a dramatic and imposing site.

Upon arriving at the bounty office, Ranzuki tossed the scroll in her hand to the shinobi in charge. "I want to take this bounty mission. What are the requirements?"

A woman?

The attendant glanced at her—golden hair tied in a high ponytail, sharp and confident, wearing a dark indigo haori with no clan insignia, yet radiating wealth and status.

Opening the scroll, the attendant was startled. "An S-class fugitive?"

His voice was quiet, but it still drew considerable attention within the bounty office.

Several shinobi who had come to accept missions looked over curiously.

"An S-class bounty? It's been a long time since anyone in the Valley of Clouds and Lightning had the guts to take on a mission like that."

A towering man—his afro hairstyle framing a face above a heavily muscled, dark-skinned body—stood up. "Don't throw your life away just to show off."

Standing nearly two meters tall, he was a giant by the standards of this era.

Ranzuki turned her head and gave him a brief glance, saying nothing.

"Hey, are you even listening?" said a short-haired kunoichi, who appeared to be one of the Tachibana's guards. Through the Tenseigan, Ranzuki saw that this woman's chakra was pulsing outward in specific frequencies, gathering information from the returning signals.

It seemed she specialized in intelligence gathering and sensory work.

However, because Ranzuki mainly cultivated sage arts and Tenseigan chakra, such probing was completely ineffective against her.

Ranzuki paid no mind to the tactic—her Sage Mode excelled in the same field. After giving the eager Tachibana shinobi a sidelong glance, she turned back to the desk attendant. "I want to take this bounty mission. What procedures are required?"

"If you have relevant mission records or recommendations, no special procedures are necessary."

"I have neither," Ranzuki replied casually. "This is my first bounty mission."

"What?" The ninja's tone shifted sharply. "You're not here to cause trouble, are you, kid?"

"You just said if I had records or recommendations, no special procedures were needed." Ranzuki's eyes flashed a brilliant blue as she cast a genjutsu on him. "I don't have either—so what special procedures are required?"

"If you lack proof of experience or ability, you'll need to go to our assessment chamber to test your strength. Only if you meet the standard can you take the mission."

Though still agitated, he revealed the necessary information.

"Assessment chamber, huh?" Ranzuki tucked away the scroll, ready to leave, but the towering Tachibana shinobi from before—Tachibana Taki—stepped in to block her path, his subordinate at his side.

Ranzuki looked up slightly at the man, who was more than half a head taller. "Big guy, something you want?"

Scratching his afro, Taki said, "Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but I heard you're going to the assessment chamber. Turns out I'm the S-class assessment officer—the one who decides if someone qualifies to take an S-class bounty."

After a moment, he added somewhat sheepishly, "Let's go together."

Ranzuki didn't know the way, so having a guide suited her.

The three of them left the bounty office, winding their way through the streets.

Along the way, Ranzuki looked around curiously, pausing often to poke at something or examine a stall—like a girl fresh from the countryside, fascinated by everything.

The locals were generally hearty and tolerant, shaped by years of enduring harsh weather. Her behavior barely raised an eyebrow.

The Valley of Clouds and Lightning's unforgiving environment had forged a community of strong personalities. It was no wonder it had produced hard-as-steel Raikage who could face Amaterasu head-on—this place was a cradle for real warriors.

Before long, they reached a remote mountaintop far from the bounty station.

Ranzuki glanced around. "This is the assessment site? Looks like just some random mountain platform."

"If this were for an ordinary outsider, it wouldn't be like this," Taki explained. "But S-class assessments are different from standard ones."

As he spoke, lightning and killing intent erupted from his body. The pressure cracked the stone beneath his feet, and his afro bristled into a mane of upright hair under the surge of electricity.

"You see, this is why we don't do S-class assessments indoors—place would be in ruins within minutes."

Standing amid the storm, he spoke in a tone that contrasted with his oppressive aura: "As for the content… honestly, I haven't decided yet. You're the first to undergo this test since I took over."

"Haven't decided?" Ranzuki flexed her wrists and stepped forward. "Then let beating you be the test."

At her deliberate provocation, Taki's playful expression vanished, replaced by a serious glare. A wave of pressure rolled toward her, accompanied by the rumble of thunder. His female subordinate had already retreated to a safe distance, notebook in hand, ready to record.

He cracked his knuckles like peals of thunder, rolled his thick neck, and fixed his sharp gaze on Ranzuki.

"Such big words… I can't just ignore a challenge like that."

Before the words had fully left his mouth, Taki's figure shot forward like a cannonball.

Sizzling lightning trailed him, the roar of his charge like a tiger descending the mountain—his momentum akin to a thunder god's descent.

But before he could strike, an even greater bolt of lightning flashed down, faster by far. From within the light came a booming voice.

"STOP!!!"

Chapter 47: Fusion

Once she had this realization, Satsuki naturally wouldn't let such inspiration slip away.

Under Candle Nine Yin's protection, she sat cross-legged again, preparing to actively absorb the sage land's energy, now branded with the Candle Dragon imprint.

The Tenseigan's insight into energy granted Satsuki a fine perception of the power around her.

These originally pale-blue streams of natural energy gradually transformed into gold under the change brought by the life imprint.

One spread to ten, ten to a hundred…

Within just a few minutes, the entire sage land had shifted to the same golden, aggressive natural energy found in the Tenryū Heart Cave.

From her vantage point, Satsuki saw koi in a distant pond twist and deform under the invasion of this energy, their bellies turning up as they died one after another.

"Just by altering the life imprint's nature, what was once sweet nectar instantly became a lethal poison."

The sight made Satsuki pause in thought—an idea forming in her mind.

"Candle Nine Yin, if someone forcibly altered another person's natural energy attribute, would it cause a backlash of natural energy?"

From its embroidered form, Candle Nine Yin replied, "If the sage land's master is still alive, it's impossible for outside force to change the life imprint of that natural energy."

It added, "Once Sage Mode is successfully mastered, a sage imprint forms within the lifeform's body. This ensures that any unbranded natural energy absorbed outside can be converted to match. With this safeguard, no sage has ever been able to forcibly alter another's imprint while its owner lives."

Hearing this, Satsuki relaxed.

She lacked neither strength nor skill, but if training sage energy created such a fatal weakness, she would rather abandon the idea.

Closing her eyes and clearing her mind, Satsuki entered a state of emptiness, beginning to draw in the surrounding natural energy.

Thanks to the prior training records of Shirakumaru and Ranzuki, she had already studied the key points and necessary states for cultivating natural energy.

With her exceptional perception and Tenseigan control, Satsuki guided the golden natural energy around her. Part of it was drawn into the Candle Dragon embroidery on her robe, serving as nourishment for Candle Nine Yin; another portion was sealed into her forehead.

After testing for a while, she confirmed there was no longer any repulsion.

"The first hurdle of sage training—successfully resolved."

Satsuki let out a slight breath of relief, then moved to the next stage.

The second step of Sage Mode cultivation was to maintain the absorption of external natural energy while keeping a balance between it and her own chakra.

For most ninja, this was a major obstacle. Even Jiraiya, one of the so-called "Sannin" had to rely on the elder toads Fukasaku and Shima to solve it.

Another method was Naruto Uzumaki's—using shadow clones to gather natural energy, then dispelling them to feed the energy back to the main body.

But the most flawless method belonged to the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju—clap his hands, and Sage Mode was instantly available.

For the current Satsuki Ōtsutsuki, Jiraiya's approach was unacceptable. Not only was it inefficient, but it created unnecessary vulnerabilities.

Naruto's method was a slight improvement, yet still required preparation time and couldn't achieve instantaneous Sage Mode.

"Hashirama could enter Sage Mode so easily…"

Satsuki pondered. She had once observed him through her puppets—a boy with a bowl-cut hairstyle, showing nothing exceptional, with even less sensory ability than his brother, Tobirama.

His only notable traits were a relatively large chakra reserve for his age and a Sage Body.

Both of which pointed to the same source—being the reincarnation of Asura's chakra.

"But Naruto Uzumaki was also an Asura reincarnation…"

The only difference, then, was that Hashirama Senju, as Asura's reincarnation, had also fully awakened the Sage Body.

Naruto Uzumaki, as a descendant of the Uzumaki clan and the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, perhaps lacked the bloodline strength to awaken the Sage Body?

"Could that be it? Is the key factor whether one has the Sage Body?"

For Satsuki, who had inherited the bloodline of the Ōtsutsuki clan, the Sage Body was hardly unfamiliar.

Forming hand seals, she began extracting her Ōtsutsuki chakra and fusing it with the natural energy she was absorbing.

Through the Tenseigan's vision, she entered an introspective state.

Her forehead continued to draw in natural energy from the outside, while within her body she extracted matching amounts of Ōtsutsuki chakra, mixing them together in a precise ratio.

The pale violet Ōtsutsuki chakra and the golden natural energy formed a tiny taiji diagram inside her forehead.

They ground against each other, suppressing one another, neither willing to yield.

At this moment, Satsuki's entire body was wrapped in vast natural energy and her own Ōtsutsuki chakra. The surging flow of power was just like when she had once bathed in the Ryūmyaku.

But the Ryūmyaku was merely the most basic form of chakra.

Now, she was immersed in two of the highest and most exalted forces in this world.

For a time, these two energies turned her forehead into a battlefield, waging an intense war.

"What terrifying talent," Candle Nine Yin thought, as it absorbed natural energy from within her robe, watching Satsuki's state with both awe and apprehension.

It knew exactly what its master was doing—attempting one of the most difficult feats in Sage Mode training: taming foreign natural energy with one's own chakra.

If she succeeded in this step, she would be able to enter Sage Mode at will, instantly and without side effects.

"But aside from the Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, no one has ever accomplished this."

Moreover, Hagoromo had only tamed the natural energy of Mount Myōboku—utterly incomparable to the Tenryū Heart Cave's natural energy.

The difference between the two was not only in sheer power, but also in the difficulty of subjugation.

Just as there were differences in quality and quantity between forms of chakra, natural energy also had its own hierarchy.

The most direct reflection of this disparity was the difference in strength between the various sage land masters.

"Still… it's not impossible," Candle Nine Yin mused inwardly while continuing to absorb energy. "With the Giant Tenseigan's assistance, perhaps she really could become the second person in history to create such a miracle."

But all of this would take time to prove. The clash between natural energy and Ōtsutsuki chakra would require a long and grueling battle before any victor emerged.

Chapter 46: Sage Land Imprint

In her original plan, she intended to refine the natural energy sealed in her forehead, then fuse it with her Ōtsutsuki chakra to generate new sage chakra.

However, something unexpected occurred in the process.

The vast amount of natural energy she had absorbed from the Tenryū Heart Cave was incompatible with the natural energy of her current location. The two types of energy repelled each other.

In other words, it was as if she had absorbed natural energy from Ryūchi Cave but then went to Mount Myōboku to train in Sage Mode.

Satsuki temporarily stopped absorbing the local natural energy.

"Candle Nine Yin, do you have a solution?"

For matters she didn't understand, Satsuki never hesitated to ask.

"Let this old dragon have a look."

From the embroidery on Satsuki's robe, the great dragon form of Candle Nine Yin emerged. Fortunately, this sage land existed in a separate dimension—otherwise, such a massive body could never fit.

Candle Nine Yin roamed the hidden realm for a while, then used its sage sensory abilities to examine it before returning to Satsuki. "Lady Satsuki, the master of this sage land has already perished. This place now qualifies as an unclaimed sage land."

An unclaimed sage land?

"What does that mean?"

Satsuki paused her extraction of Tenseigan sage chakra and waited quietly.

"With Hamura's inheritance, I'm sure you're not unfamiliar with this world's truths," Candle Nine Yin began, coiling its immense body beside her. "We sages were the first lifeforms born in this world, and the first to learn to use natural energy."

Its tone darkened.

"But places in this world rich in natural energy are limited. These became what later generations call sage lands. To claim them, we sages fought countless competitions and battles."

This bit of dark history was unexpected, yet upon reflection, it made sense.

"To secure their claim, some sages developed a special sage technique: once they occupied a sage land, they would imprint their life signature into it. This would make the land's natural energy available only to that single species or those with related genetics. Later, their enemies discovered this method and spread it worldwide, so all sages marked their territories with such imprints."

Satsuki suddenly understood: no wonder only toads could train at Mount Myōboku, and those who trained in its Sage Mode took on toad-like traits.

The same was evident with Kabuto Yakushi after mastering Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode.

"It's a form of certification—a declaration that this place has an owner."

Here, Candle Nine Yin shrank its body, holding two spheres of sage chakra in its claws.

One was golden, drawn from the Tenryū Heart Cave's natural energy; the other was blue, extracted from this sage land. Even at a glance, the difference was obvious.

"I have a question," Satsuki said. "You claim this is an unclaimed sage land, yet I've seen Shirakumaru's training records—he displayed obvious fish-like traits. Why is that?"

"Strictly speaking, I mean that its previous master is dead," Candle Nine Yin replied while circling in the air. "But unless an outsider alters the imprint, the natural energy will still bear that signature."

"I see." Satsuki's eyes narrowed. "Then how do I change the life imprint here?"

"You cannot do it alone," Candle Nine Yin said. "As an outsider of Ōtsutsuki blood, your lineage is not recognized by this land. You cannot perform a sage imprint."

"Alone, I can't…" Satsuki repeated, the light in her Tenseigan flashing as she looked at him. "But you can."

"Exactly, which is why I said you're truly fortunate," Candle Nine Yin laughed heartily. "This Candle Dragon body has a special connection to your Tenseigan chakra, and as its primary structure is formed from the Tenryū Heart Cave's sage chakra..."

"That makes it possible for it to be recognized by a sage land."

Candle Nine Yin gazed at the glowing orb in its claws with a hint of emotion. "I can use this Candle Dragon body's life imprint to mark this sage land. Through the Giant Tenseigan's authority, it will be as if this sage land recognizes you as its master."

"Then get on with it," Satsuki said, valuing her time. Once she understood the key, she had no need for delay.

"Alright." Candle Nine Yin's body erupted with intense sage chakra, forcing a drop of heart's blood from its tangible dragon form, mixing it into the vast sage chakra.

The sage chakra took the shape of a massive dragon, drifting in the air before locating the sage land's greatest source of natural energy. Its body turned into a beam of light and dove into the depths of the earth's veins.

A tremendous crash and a roaring sound echoed from deep below.

Through her Tenseigan, Satsuki saw the natural energy source take on the form of a giant carp in response to Candle Nine Yin's life imprint. The carp clashed with the dragon-shaped sage manifestation.

The difference in power was vast. The dragon quickly tore the carp imprint apart with one strike, then lunged at the source of the natural energy.

The tremors of the sage land ceased, and the surrounding natural energy shifted to a golden hue.

Candle Nine Yin returned to Satsuki's robe.

Through the Giant Tenseigan's link, Satsuki sensed a subtle yet profound connection between herself and this sage land.

"The sage land imprint is complete, my lady. The human body stores chakra in multiple places. Now that you've changed the imprint of this land's natural energy, you can use the yintang point on your forehead as another location to cultivate sage chakra."

Satsuki's eyes lit up at the suggestion.

In the original anime, there were multiple locations where ninja could store and extract chakra. The most common was the abdomen around the navel—used by the vast majority of shinobi.

But there were other points as well, such as the yintang point used in Tsunade's Yin Seal technique.

Satsuki's initial instinct to store the Tenryū Heart Cave's natural energy in her forehead had been influenced by this.

Yet while she could forcibly absorb such vast amounts of natural energy due to her own "hardware," extracting sage chakra from it had remained a problem.

Now, Candle Nine Yin had given her the key to solve it.

With her deep understanding of the human body, Satsuki knew there were actually three main chakra storage points:

The yintang point between the brows.

The guanyuan point, three inches below the navel.

The yintang could serve as a reservoir for natural energy and sage chakra, while the guanyuan was the seat of her Tenseigan chakra.

As for the newly fused sage Tenseigan chakra created through Candle Nine Yin's integration, it could be stored in the shanzhong point at the center of the chest.

This was Satsuki's plan for her future training.

Chapter 45: Traversing Time and Space

Seeing this information, Satsuki thought for a moment before calling forth the dormant system in her mind.

The system responded sluggishly, "Host, you rarely take the initiative to contact me. What new question do you have this time?"

"What's the next world?"

One sentence from Satsuki caused the system to crash.

Same formula, same flavor.

After a while, the system finally recovered and replied, "Host, what do you mean by that?"

"I don't have the time to waste talking to a wall," Satsuki said bluntly. "Or are you going to make me go through my reasoning process again before you decide to be honest?"

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about," the system feigned ignorance.

Satsuki was already used to the system's usual evasive tone. She simply said, "I remember you once called yourself 'The Strongest System Across All Worlds.'"

"That's right."

"Then theoretically, your existence isn't that simple."

Satsuki's thoughts churned, but she didn't try to hide them. Instead, she spoke directly: "Since it's 'across all worlds,' there are only two possibilities: 1. You exist as a multiversal entity. 2. You possess the ability to traverse multiple worlds."

She laid out her conclusion.

As expected, what followed was a long silence from the system.

Satsuki didn't mind. This kind of silence often revealed even more. After a brief pause, she continued, "But judging from the tasks you've given me, I lean toward the second possibility. Because if you couldn't travel between worlds, then I've already become the strongest in the Naruto world. After subjugating the Dragon-Headed Sage, I've now completed the objective of assembling the strongest force across worlds."

"So, what's next?"

Satsuki asked softly, then answered herself, "If it were merely about completing missions, then the system should've immediately issued the next one. But instead, I received a Time–Space Medal."

She stared at the platinum-like medal floating in the dark void of her consciousness.

"Based on my deductions, after completing those two missions, I must have unlocked a new function in you—and the Time–Space Medal is the key to that feature."

"Given its name, I believe it's related to time and space, which makes sense. Combine that with your name, and the answer is obvious, isn't it?"

"It allows me to travel between worlds using one of your functions."

"So, that's why I asked: What is the next world?" Satsuki concluded coldly. "Next time, don't make me explain something so elementary. Understood?"

After a long silence, the system finally spoke: "Alright, host, you guessed correctly. I do have the ability to traverse worlds. But I didn't hide that on purpose."

As it finished speaking, a spatial void suddenly appeared in Satsuki's sea of consciousness.

Hovering above that spatial rift was the Time–Space Medal, anchoring it within her consciousness.

"Actually, many of my functions are sealed. Only when your mission reaches a certain stage do I unlock new ones. It's quite strange."

"Every time you complete a task, either a function or the main quest gets further unlocked. The two are almost in sync. Sometimes, I don't even know what feature has been unlocked until you point it out. Only then do I become aware of that function."

Interesting.

Satsuki didn't judge whether the system was telling the truth. If it was lying, then so be it—she'd just play mind games with it in the future. But if it was telling the truth, then the implications ran deep.

"Causality, huh?"

Satsuki buried that thought deep in her mind. It was still beyond her reach. Even though she had become one of the strongest beings in the Naruto world, Satsuki firmly believed in one principle—strength is always relative.

"So that means you also have no idea what the next world is?"

"I don't know what the next world is," the system replied. "I merely provide the function to traverse the worlds, along with two different methods of traversal. After that, fixed tasks will be issued."

Two methods of traversal?

Satsuki's interest was piqued. "Two methods? What are they?"

"One is soul transfer—your soul inhabits a body in another world. Depending on the host body, the system must expend varying amounts of energy."

The system gave an example: "Placing you in the body of this Ōtsutsuki clan member cost me all of my energy at the time. Most of my functions were forcibly shut down, and I had to spend an entire year recovering before I could reboot."

"You could've just chosen an ordinary person for me to possess," Satsuki said, puzzled. "That would've saved a lot of energy."

"That's just how the program is written," the system replied irritably. "As the 'Strongest System Across the Worlds,' I naturally seek the strongest candidate within the available range—otherwise, the task would be impossible to complete."

"So, you're saying that no matter the host's latent potential, I will always face the strongest in that world?"

"Roughly, yes. And if you fail, I disappear too. That's why I spared no effort in choosing a body from the Ōtsutsuki clan."

No wonder this system had always been so indifferent—unlike the newbie gift-pack–throwing systems from her past life's web novels.

With that in mind, Satsuki softened her tone slightly. "And the second method?"

"The second way is for you to traverse with your current body and fuse with the strongest template I can find in that world."

The system added, "However, I need to remind you—because every world is governed by its own laws, your power will change. It will be converted to match that world's system. How much power is retained or increased is hard to predict. I currently have no database on that."

"Understood."

Satsuki then pointed to the Time–Space Medal. "So what does this do?"

"The Time–Space Medal provides the energy required for world traversal. It also self-charges. At this level, if you don't complete extra tasks, it'll fully recharge in about three years."

Three years wasn't particularly long.

But when she heard the word "time," Satsuki's mind flashed with a key question. "Once I enter another world, how do the time flows between the two compare?"

"No idea."

Yep, classic system reply.

Still, the answer didn't bother Satsuki. She hadn't planned on jumping to the next world just yet anyway. She had no urgent reason to do so—and much still needed her attention here.

Three days later—

Satsuki arrived at the Source of the Ryūmyaku in Rōran. After initial development, the location now met her standards, making it suitable for the creation of the Hyūga clan.

She cultured nearly five hundred samples using her own cells and placed the resulting tissues into an incubator. This time, she also added a protective isolation barrier to prevent external contamination.

Through pre-built pipelines, Ryūmyaku chakra was channeled under the Giant Tenseigan's control into designated conduits. Since she didn't yet know what energy intensity best supported cell development, Satsuki divided the project into multiple experimental groups, each with different Ryūmyaku chakra levels.

This process alone took more than half a day.

It would take about a week to observe results—not too long, but not short either. With nothing else to tend to, Satsuki decided to spend this time cultivating sage chakra.

With Candle Nine Yin's help—even though she had destroyed the Tenryū Heart Cave with Earth Wheel Reincarnation Destruction—Satsuki had managed to absorb a large amount of natural energy from that realm.

That natural energy had been sealed into the vermilion mark on her forehead. Now was the time to release it and merge it with her Ōtsutsuki chakra.

She still remembered that her initial Tenseigan awakening had occurred after triggering the Sage Puppet Formation in her family's secret sage land—a fortunate result of exposure to natural energy.

This confirmed that natural energy had some synergistic relationship with Ōtsutsuki chakra or perhaps even Tenseigan chakra.

Much like how the ultimate Yin and ultimate Yang combined could give birth to the power of Creation of All Things—like how Uchiha Madara's Mangekyō Sharingan, fused with Senju Hashirama's body, could develop into the Rinnegan.

Even after awakening the Tenseigan, Satsuki didn't believe she had reached her limit.

Chapter 139: Vela's Reputation Within Atlas

"I've met Gideon and Mitchell's team."

"The best? Perhaps. But I'm generally skeptical of all ultimate weapon programs and extreme super-soldier projects. Industrialization, mass production, and scalability—that's always been the core of my philosophy. Honestly, I hope they aren't the best—just capable of constantly getting better…"

Tap, tap.

Wearing a custom single-ear earpiece, Vela walked slowly through the blood-splattered villa hallway, holding a PDA in one hand while speaking with BOSS Jonathan Irons.

As for the so-called "warrior greater than an entire base" Irons mentioned, Vela remained expressionless—noncommittal.

As long as Mitchell didn't threaten her or Atlas' interests, she didn't care about the rest.

He could even change his last name to Irons for all she cared…

Shaking her head to dismiss the stray thoughts, Vela lifted her gaze and glanced around the 'post-battle' interior with interest.

Leaving aside the set destruction effects, in the corridor, the 'terrorists'—who had been 'revived' after the [Hostage Rescue Exercise Completed] announcement—were already removing their helmets and masks, beginning post-exercise scene reset duties.

Some were joking about their simulated gunshot wounds—now dried blood stains. Others, marked as dead from headshots, melee knockouts, or throat slits, rubbed at the "impact sites," complaining that the Rapid Response boys really didn't hold back.

The simulated battlefield's central control system offered impressive realism.

Even Gideon's assault team was fully integrated into the virtual model. Based on feedback data—weapon types, ammo, grenade models, hit zones, impact force, etc.—the system calculated results in real time and updated each person's status via datalink.

The Atlas staff working the simulation training center were highly professional.

Their performance easily rivaled seasoned extras on a Hollywood set.

Given Irons' approval, the business department would probably have the nerve to pitch themselves for hardcore military blockbusters in L.A.

"Existence, development, change, and relativity—that's what you said. Then let's help them get better, Vela."

"You mean, let's help Atlas get better, right, Mr. Irons?"

Exchanging easy banter with Irons, Vela exited the villa.

Outside, the rain had stopped.

On the outer lawn and pathway, the mock red mines, tripwires, and sentry guns used in the exercise had already been deactivated.

Beneath the towering, segmented holographic dome, the lights brightened. In the distance, the glass wall display exited simulation mode, its metallic frame sliding back along tracks with a faint shhhh—revealing glaring sunlight and letting the noise of the outside world rush in.

Beyond, flags fluttered atop flagpoles—Atlas' black background with nested red-white 'Λ' arrowhead insignia. Farther still rose the stacked structures of the base's office towers.

Vrrr… Vrrr…

A six-seater extended convertible Jeep pulled up and stopped on the ramp.

Thud. An Atlas MP (military police) got out of the vehicle.

"We'll talk later."

Waving her hand to end the video call with Irons, Vela descended the stone steps. The waiting MP immediately opened the car door.

Click.

Vela climbed in. In the front passenger seat, the backrest automatically adjusted to fit her height and posture.

"Soldier, get in. K.V.A. (the anti-tech terrorist group) has been getting more and more aggressive. You need better-performing prosthetics to help you fulfill your duties. I've prepared one—or several—top-shelf upgrades for you."

Tap tap. She lightly patted the car and pointed behind her—gesturing to the two-member rapid response team following her out of the villa.

One with a yellow beard, one black—Gideon and Mitchell, descending the steps mid-conversation.

Hearing her, the two exchanged a glance. Gideon's expression grew serious.

He placed a hand on Mitchell's shoulder and said, "Even if Irons holds you in high regard—don't let it go to your head. Don't ask unnecessary questions."

Gideon gave the reminder in a low voice.

Then, he stepped forward to open the rear door of the Jeep, letting Mitchell climb in first.

As he did so, he turned his head and called out to Joker—who was still standing on the steps.

"Joker, we're heading to the R&D department. After Mitchell gets his new arm, he'll need to adjust, so I'll run him through a few more training sessions. Let me know once the simulation program is ready."

Only after that did Gideon get into the vehicle and close the door. Vrrr—the engine purred to life and the Jeep pulled away.

The open-top Jeep exited the [Simulated Battlefield] and cruised smoothly along the arterial roads between Atlas facilities.

Inside the vehicle, Vela sat in the front passenger seat, her right elbow resting on the open car door. Head bowed, her delicate fingers danced nimbly across her PDA tablet. Her simply-tied golden hair billowed freely behind her in the wind.

"Director Russell."

At a checkpoint along the way, a guard recognized Vela and respectfully saluted with a fist to the chest.

His right hand was noticeably paler than the rest of his body and bore metal indentations—clearly a prosthetic.

Vela raised her hand in return.

In less than a minute, more than a handful of Atlas employees saluted Vela.

Her status and reputation within Atlas needed no further explanation.

Sitting in the third row, Mitchell observed everything silently. Ahead of him, two fully armored Atlas MPs in the second-row seats blocked his view entirely.

"...Military Police."

He muttered.

Anyone who could command MPs clearly wasn't someone of low rank.

It wasn't jealousy—just genuine surprise that someone so young had achieved so much.

"How old is Russell again?"

Mitchell suddenly asked.

"Twenty-five. It's not that unusual."

As if reading his thoughts, Gideon replied from the seat beside him.

"Maybe one day, it'll be Director Russell signing off on our pensions. Once you're done with fieldwork, keep an eye on the company's internal developments."

As he spoke, he rotated his left arm and tapped at the tactical terminal embedded on his forearm.

Beep.

Mitchell raised his own left hand.

Gideon had just sent him a document—a publicly available excerpt of Vela Adelheid Russell's profile within Atlas:

[#2053 — Age 20: Graduated early from UC Berkeley, joined Atlas R&D Department as Assistant Engineer.]

[#2054: Made multiple breakthrough advancements in neural networks and bionics research; promoted to Senior Researcher and Sub-Project Director.]

[#2055: Appointed Chief Engineer of Prosthetic Technology; led development of medical prosthetics capable of replacing missing or damaged limbs and organs; project approved by Atlas Board; received FDA approval for trial launch.]

[#2056: Introduced the concept of cybernetic components; appointed Director of Atlas Cybernetics Research Institute; launched civilian-friendly prosthetic models; continuously improved design and integration to reduce production costs; normalized and reduced costs for anti-rejection treatments.]

[#2057: Due to repeated K.V.A. attacks on global nuclear energy infrastructure, oversaw radiation protection projects; developed multiple radiation-blocking pharmaceuticals and countermeasure products.]

[#2058: Took over management of multiple advanced research divisions covering prosthetics, exoskeletons, smart systems, and energy technologies; appointed Director of Atlas R&D Department; assumed partial oversight of weapons development. Nominated by Chairman Irons, confirmed by board vote. Gained equity in Atlas through technical and managerial contributions.]

...

Mitchell was amazed.

Unaware of the interaction—or thoughts—between the yellow- and black-bearded rapid response duo behind her, Vela was remotely operating the prosthetic lab at the San Bernardino garrison's R&D division.

In under three minutes, the vehicle passed by a warehouse storing T5 self-propelled tanks, a helipad with stealth-capable rotorcraft, a drone swarm hive, an outdoor parkour obstacle course buzzing with activity, and an AST combat mecha training field…

Skrrt! — Brakes engaged. The vehicle stopped.

Click.

Disembarking, Vela said, "Come with me."

Holding her PDA tablet, she waved them forward and stepped into the massive fortress-like structure that housed the base's R&D division without looking back.

Mitchell and Gideon followed.

Tap, tap.

Inside the colossal structure, the hum of machines, clinks of equipment being tested, and the murmurs of researchers blended into a busy, slightly chaotic symphony.

Before long, after passing several testing areas, they arrived at their destination: a heavy yellow blast-proof door.

Three MPs remained outside with Gideon while Vela led Mitchell inside.

Once the door shut behind them, the noisy ambiance disappeared, leaving only silence.

"Director Russell, everything is ready."

Inside, two technicians in white coats, wearing ID badges, stepped forward to greet them.

"Mm."

Vela naturally handed her PDA to one technician and took a white lab coat from the other.

After putting it on, she gracefully tucked a few stray strands of her long hair behind her ear.

"Remove the exoskeleton and lie down."

She gestured toward a metallic instrument resembling an operating table, speaking as she headed into a side room to wash up.

Mitchell nodded. He disengaged from his EXO suit; sensor latches and locking mechanisms clicked open. Lifting his feet, he easily stepped out of the dovetail-style connection system. Guided by the technician, he lay on the table, and sensor straps on his wrists and waist secured him.

"Is all this really necessary?"

Mitchell asked, puzzled.

"It's a minor procedure. The [Bionic Joints], [Fortified Ankles], and [Reinforced Tendons] are foundational cybernetic implants that improve the performance of either the [Mantis Blades] or the [Projectile Launch System]. Of course, you can opt out."

At that moment, Vela reemerged—gloved, sanitized, prepped.

In truth, by Cyberpunk standards, implant surgery wasn't nearly this formal. In the street clinics of black-market ripperdocs, it was common to go under the knife right after a drug trip or a quickie.

She went through the full procedure only to reduce his psychological resistance.

"The [Mantis Blades] and [Projectile Launch System]—those are the features installed on the new prosthetic arm, right?"

Mitchell asked, cutting to the point.

"No. You can only choose one. Unless you want me to cut off your other arm too."

Vela smirked, tone playful.

"Uh… I'll pass."

"Then pick one."

Vela projected two holographic displays beside the operating table:

—The [Mantis Blades], featuring retractable hidden blades, reinforced with nano-wire edges, razor-sharp and visually striking.

—The [Projectile Launch System], capable of firing various special munitions—essentially a concealed hand-cannon or palm-sized missile launcher.

"Remove his old prosthetic."

While Mitchell was lost in thought, Vela instructed the two assistants.

The reason for involving them was simple—mentorship. She aimed to normalize the concept of ripperdoc-style cyber-implant surgery.

She was already a towering figure in the bionic prosthetics field. Continuing to expand her influence and reputation was only natural.

"I choose… the [Projectile Launch System]."

After a deep breath, Mitchell made his decision.

Vela smiled.

Of course—typical American. Between swords and firepower, they always preferred the quick draw.

"Administer anesthesia."

She said.

The cybernetic implant procedure began.

...

Chapter 220: The Herrscher of Ice Got One-Shotted~!

"Now this is rare—why aren't you clinging to Elias today? Elysia, did you finally get dumped?"

"That kind of thing could never happen, not even in a dream, my dear Mobius! There's no way my Elias would ever dump me—impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Elysia waved her hand with full confidence.

But the next second, something seemed to occur to her.

Her expression changed. She lowered her head and began drawing circles on the ground, her dejected demeanor so out of place that even Mobius was surprised.

"No way… you two actually hit a rough patch?!"

"Not at all! Elias and I are doing great! It's just… today he went on a mission with Sakura and said I couldn't come."

Elysia pouted, vigorously squishing Mobius' face beneath her in frustration.

"Hahaha, finally! You got a taste of your own medicine!"

Even though she was still pinned down, that didn't stop Mobius from slapping the floor in triumph.

Mobius was thrilled. She'd lived long enough to see this—Miss Pink Elf, finally taking an L.

Elias went on a mission with Sakura… but not Elysia.

Who knew what the two of them were doing right now?

Elysia, looks like you're getting greened again~

(…Wait a second, what am I even celebrating?! Doesn't this mean Sakura's threat level is dangerously high? If she can threaten the pink elf's position, then what about mine…)

Mobius belatedly broke out in a cold sweat.

Now wasn't the time to be enjoying the show.

If Sakura could threaten Elysia's place, then naturally she could threaten Mobius' too. Sure, Elysia might be more affected due to their matching pink aesthetics, but Mobius wasn't exactly safe either!

"Elysia, tell me carefully—just how dangerous is this Sakura girl?"

Mobius had already pulled out her little notebook.

"Ugh! Sakura's really capable. Good thing I met Elias first, or I'd already be in big trouble…"

"Th-that scary? I thought her figure wasn't as good as yours."

Actually, that wasn't entirely true—it was just that Elysia had a softer, curvier build, perfect for hugging.

Sakura, being a highly disciplined assassin, had a slender and tight figure—but hugging her still felt great in its own way.

"The real issue is that Sakura's too good at everything. She can do literally anything. She takes amazing care of people, her cooking is ridiculously good—ever since she moved in, Elias doesn't even eat with me at the cafeteria anymore. And those unfairly fluffy pink fox ears—I really want to touch them again!"

Elysia made a clawing motion with her hands.

She had only gotten to touch Sakura's fox ears once—on the night Sakura first appeared—and the sensation was outrageously pleasant.

As much as Elysia hated to admit it, compared to her own elf ears, Sakura's fox ears were softer.

Even though Elias' favorite person was still Elysia, his favorite ears were undeniably Sakura's.

It was just a small defeat—but for someone as used to total victory as Miss Pink Elf, it still stung!

"My dearest Mobius, you can totally help me grow a pair of pink fox ears too, right? Please, help me~ I'm begging you!"

Still sitting atop Mobius, Elysia pleaded sincerely.

If you can't beat 'em—join 'em. Miss Pink Elf had decided she wanted her own pair of cute pink fox ears too. That way, not only could Elias touch hers, but she could touch them herself to satisfy her ear addiction!

Mobius sneered coldly. She pulled out a drill from who-knows-where, revving it up with a menacing zzzzzz, and gave Elysia a dangerous smile.

"Sure. I can help you. I'll drill two holes into your head and attach ears from a Yaksha Honkai Beast. Sound good to you, Elysia?"

"I think that sounds terrible!"

Elysia was covered in black lines. There was always some evil snake trying to sabotage the adorable Miss Pink Elf.

Mobius, you really don't understand the situation. Sakura had barely debuted and was already posing a threat to Elysia—didn't that mean she could obliterate you too?

Now was not the time to emulate upper-level infighting. They needed to unite and suppress the newcomer! That was the real priority!

(This pink elf is such a baby.)

"Hmph! Oh right, did you say Sakura can cook?"

"Yup. Slurp~ She's amazing. I heard she used to cook every day for her little sister."

Elysia wiped her lips as she spoke. These days, all of Elias' meals were handled by Sakura—he didn't even need to visit the Fire Moth cafeteria anymore.

And Miss Pink Piggy herself had, of course, snuck some bites. The result? Utter shock. She never expected Sakura's cooking to be on par with Elias'!

Simply put, this girl totally lived up to her title as a star of the Elysian Realm—someone who once dared claim she could teach the Herrscher of Cooking (Raiden Mei) how to cook. A classic pampering-wife archetype who could spoil someone into uselessness!

"Elysia, then why not fight back?"

"Eh? But I can't cook."

"Huh? Weren't you and Elias travelers before? Shouldn't you be one of those people who can just pick up ingredients off the ground and whip up a gourmet meal anywhere?"

Mobius stared at her with deep suspicion.

How had this pink glutton traveled the world without knowing how to cook? Even cooking idiots would normally learn out of necessity during travel.

The next moment, Elysia puffed up proudly with her hands on her hips.

"That's because I had Elias Mobius, let me tell you: even though Sakura is an amazing cook, she's still not as good as Elias Back when we traveled together, he could find random ingredients in the forest and cook up something better than a five-star restaurant."

"Tch! Stop bragging already!!"

Mobius' lips twitched violently. She was dying of envy.

Elias was perfect in every way—but his biggest flaw was spoiling his own people too much. Especially when it came to Elysia. This pink elf had been pampered by Elias since forever!

Mobius strongly recommended confiscating all of Elysia's equipment and tossing her into the wilderness to survive on her own. No—better yet, force her into a few days of outdoor survival training.

Elysia: (Hmph~ In that case, I guarantee I'd starve to death on the very first night! And Mobius, you don't get to talk—you're just as hopeless in daily life!)

Mobius: (...…)

Granted, she had left home young and struggled through society for a while… but now that she was wealthy, most of those survival skills had faded.

These days, all Mobius could make was instant noodles.

Compared to that, Sakura's wifely abilities absolutely blew both of them out of the water.

Maybe she wasn't as cute and optimistic as Elysia, or as sultry and seductive as Mobius—but Sakura was an undeniably beautiful girl, with a unique set of strengths.

Fox ears. Loyal dog personality. Ideal wife material. And she even came with a super adorable little sister bonus.

Elysia: "Oh right! I almost forgot—Sakura's little sister is also a huge threat!"

Mobius: "Huh? How bad could she be? Wasn't her sister just a grade-schooler?"

Elysia: "Grade-schooler? That's Sakura's ace wingman!"

Sakura might be the straightforward, sincere type who didn't play petty tricks—despite being a fox girl, she was ridiculously pure. She had no schemes and simply served Elias with her whole heart… which, honestly, made her even more dangerous in its own way.

But Rin? Rin was a very competent little sister.

Sakura might not know how to play games—but Rin totally did!

Just like the Valkyries back at St. Freya Academy in the future—who loved shipping Elias with all the girls—the soldiers and staff at this Fire Moth base were also deeply into CP party drama!

Currently in the absolute lead, with unmatched popularity, was the Elias x Elysia pairing. The Elias Faction and the Ely Faction were vast, mighty, and seemingly unshakable.

Second place had been the Elias x Mobius pairing… but that faction had already dropped to third.

Because the new Elias x Sakura pairing had exploded onto the scene with shocking force.

Their current supporter count was already nearly equal to Elias x Elysia. And the mastermind behind this sudden boom? Rin!

The news of the Fire Moth councilors being executed by Elias wasn't exactly classified. By the next day, everyone knew. Countless people speculated on what the councilors had done to earn his wrath.

Just as speculation was at its peak—

Rin stepped forward as an "insider," offering herself for an interview by the Fire Moth news division. And she declared…

"Of course my brother-in-law did it for my sister! Ahem, here's what happened: my poor, kind big sister was being threatened by those awful people. They said if she didn't kill Big Brother Elias, they'd kill me."

"She had no choice but to accept the mission and come here. But then, she accidentally fell in love with Big Brother Elias. And when he found out the truth, he saved me right away—and then, in a righteous rage, eliminated all the villains who threatened her!"

"That's it! And I didn't lie—not a single word."

Though Rin hadn't told the whole truth…

She hadn't exactly lied either.

Even Elias himself couldn't really find fault with it. After all, while he'd long planned to deal with the councilors, part of his reason for acting when he did was indeed to stand up for Sakura.

And the result—

"Shocking! Captain Elias Slaughters Council for Love!"

"Too Handsome! Oh God~ Give Me a Boyfriend Like Captain Elias!"

"Fire Moth's Strongest Hero Saves the Beauty—Envy! Sakura-san, Switch With Me!"

"Rejoice~ A New Faction Has Risen! The Dazzling Hero and the Tragic Assassin—Welcome to the Elias x Sakura Faction!"

The entire Fire Moth internal network was set ablaze by the topic. The Elias x Sakura Faction's popularity skyrocketed, immediately overtaking Mobius' ship and surpassing it.

Even Elysia was so startled she briefly panicked.

Fortunately, her CP with Elias had an overwhelming amount of delicious content—sweet moments, abundant scenes—and her large, loyal fanbase ensured she remained undefeated.

Mobius: "Damn it! Why am I the only one taking a loss?! I knew it—anyone with pink hair is bad news! Cut them open and they're all black-hearted!"

Vill-V: "Congratulations, Dr. Mobius! You've unlocked the achievement: 'The Only One Who Got Hurt in This World!' Haha~"

Mobius: "Vill-V! Start preparing to spend the night on the operating table!"

Still, though the Elysia stock remained strong…

If no new sweet moments were added soon…

It was only a matter of time before the newcomer replaced the veteran, just like Mobius' poor, dwindling faction—now basically sustained by Klein alone.

"Elysia, I hope you fall out of favor soon!"

"As if! Miss Pink Elf never goes out of style! The Elias Faction and Ely Faction will last forever! Once Elias gets back, we're going on a date! I'm already prepared—ta-da~!"

As she spoke, Elysia reached into her chest, and to Mobius' horror-stricken expression, pulled two beautiful concert tickets and a promotional flyer from her fourth-dimensional cleavage.

"The Star of the Era, Diva of Sacred Music, Classical Artist EDEN—The Valerna Concert is About to Begin!"

On the flyer was a regal, stunningly elegant red-haired woman—so beautiful that at first glance, one could only think of art and music.

She was none other than the Previous Era's top artist and ultra-wealthy superstar: Eden.

"Eden's concert tickets? Aren't those ultra-rare? How'd you even get them?"

"I just happened to snag two! Elias loves music—he'll definitely be happy."

"Hmph. You'd better be careful. What if he accidentally seduces the diva herself? Then you'll have a new rival."

"Haha As if, Mobius. This is Eden we're talking about. Didn't that magazine interview say she's in love with the current era and with art? A superstar like her wouldn't compete with cute little me for Elias"

Miss Pink Elf spoke with full confidence and ease.

She was already picturing it—

In the dimly lit concert hall, sitting beside Elias while they listened to the singer's ethereal voice. A romantic atmosphere blossoming… slowly drawing closer… gazing into each other's eyes… and then—a kiss…

Elysia: "Sluuurp~! Looks like just buying tickets isn't enough. I should check nearby hotels and book a nice couple's suite… just in case."

Next to her, Mobius and Vill-V twitched violently at the corners of their mouths. They now strongly suspected that this pink-haired elf hadn't come here to complain about Sakura's threat level—but to show off!

Damn it! This shameless pink piglet—does she not realize that flaunting her love life like this invites karmic retribution?! Heaven will punish you!

And just then—

[ALERT! ALERT! Honkai Eruption Detected! Honkai Eruption Detected! Fifth Herrscher identified. All squads prepare for deployment. Proceed to the Arctic Zone at coordinates xxxxx!]

Heaven's punishment arrived.

The sudden eruption left the three women stunned.

Mobius immediately linked to satellite feed to assess the Fifth Herrscher's condition. Vill-V pulled up her terminal and activated all nearby mech forces.

"My my~ Interrupting a girls' chat like this… what a tactless Herrscher."

Elysia had already drawn her bow, Whisper of the Past, and was dashing toward the transport craft.

"Oh well~ Elias did say the Fifth Herrscher would be mine to hunt. Time for Miss Pink Elf to fire up!"

But just as she reached the doorway—

[...All units, cancel deployment. Herrscher signal lost. Honkai energy levels in the target zone are dropping. The Fifth Herrscher… appears to have been eliminated.]

THUD!

The pink elf tripped over her own feet and faceplanted on the floor. But she didn't even care—clutching her sore nose with tear-filled eyes, she stared at the intercom in disbelief.

Elysia: "My kill… it's gone AGAIN?!"

Vill-V: "Uh… that Herrscher lasted, what, a few seconds?"

Mobius: "Not even thirty. That's a new record. And I'm betting a cup of instant noodles it was Elias who did it."

Chapter 526: Yui Doesn’t Even Know I’m Going to Her House!

"Oh, is that so? Looks like if I want to hang out with Izumi-san on the weekend, I need to make a reservation even earlier," Ruriya Hojo said half-jokingly.

Hearing this, Yui Yuigahama, who was following behind Kotomi Izumi, had a vivid change in expression—like a little dog who'd been lazily enjoying the sun, eyes half-closed, suddenly springing up in alarm, worried someone might steal her owner away.

Without thinking, Yui reached out and tightly grabbed Kotomi's hand.

Kotomi didn't understand what Yui was trying to do.

Yui herself didn't even know—she just felt like holding Kotomi's hand! But of course, this action immediately drew the attention of Yukino, Kotomi, and Ruriya Hojo.

Under their questioning looks, Yui's cheeks flushed slightly, but thankfully her brain didn't completely shut down. She blurted out a reason:

"Kotomi, help me balance a bit… My balance is bad. I almost fell when putting on my shoes just now."

"Alright, I'll hold you like this. Go ahead and put them on."

Kotomi nodded in understanding. Whether it was Megumi, Yukino, Yui, or Mashiro, whenever they changed shoes together—either at school putting on indoor shoes, or after school switching to leather shoes—Kotomi would discreetly watch them.

It was a little embarrassing, but Kotomi couldn't help fantasizing about burying her face between their stockinged or sock-covered feet.

With Megumi, her girlfriend, she never hid that part of her XP—they'd even played quite a bit with it…

But with Yukino and the others, since they were still just close friends, she limited herself to stealing a glance.

Because she always watched closely, Kotomi knew each girl's habits when changing shoes.

For example, Yui liked to keep the foot she was putting into her shoe slightly raised. It made things easier, since the snug leather school shoes required a little finger-hook at the heel to get on properly—not like sneakers that slipped on easily.

And Kotomi knew Yui's balance really was bad.

Sometimes, Yui could trip out of nowhere while walking on perfectly flat ground, scaring the people next to her.

Just walking with Kotomi, she had already tripped five times. Once, since they were holding hands, she even dragged Kotomi down with her.

Kotomi had brushed the dirt from her skirt and pretended to scold, "Why are you so clumsy? I won't let you hold my hand anymore!"

That single sentence made Yui, who had been about to stand up, lose all strength. She lowered her head pitifully, eyes brimming with tears like a puppy about to be abandoned, unable to even speak.

Fortunately, Kotomi immediately changed her tone, holding Yui's hand to help her up: "This time, I'll be the one holding your hand."

From then on… Yui just followed with a blissful, silly smile, letting Kotomi lead her.

This excuse worked perfectly… Yui breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't really thought things through earlier—she'd just felt anxious seeing Ruriya so close to Kotomi and even inviting her out on the weekend, and impulsively grabbed Kotomi's hand, like staking a claim.

But once she'd acted, she didn't have the nerve to actually say it—especially with three people staring at her in confusion.

If it had only been Yukino and Ruriya Hojo looking at her in confusion, Yui might have stubbornly kept holding Kotomi's hand without explanation.

But when Kotomi, who hadn't processed what was going on, suddenly turned her head with a puzzled look, Yui felt her gaze and quickly came up with the excuse about her bad balance while putting on shoes.

It was a childish excuse, but Yui knew Kotomi would believe it.

As they changed shoes, Kotomi gently applied pressure with the hand holding Yui's, genuinely thinking Yui might lose her balance and fall even during something so simple. She chatted casually with Yukino and Ruriya while maintaining steady, careful support.

"Th-thanks, Kotomi. That really helped."

Once she had her shoes on, Yui quickly released Kotomi's hand like a guilty child, cheeks burning as she wondered what silly thing she had just done… and yet felt happy for the excuse to hold Kotomi's hand.

She loved Kotomi's hands. She'd dreamed more than once of waking up in the same bed, Kotomi already awake, gazing at her with gentle affection. In those dreams, Kotomi would stroke her messy hair from the night before, fingertips brushing her slender neck before giving the collar around it a teasing tug.

"Woof~"

The mix of tenderness and dominance in those moments melted Yui's thoughts until she only wanted to snuggle closer to Kotomi.

Whenever she had that dream, she'd wake from excitement—and immediately have to change her underwear.

To Ruriya, Yui holding Kotomi's hand just seemed like friendly affection between girls. For close friends, holding hands was nothing strange—girls could even be playful in the changing room without it meaning anything.

But Yukino's eyes toward Kotomi and Yui grew complicated…

After leaving Sobu High, Kotomi remembered her agreement with Tomoka and kept quiet about her true destination.

Once home, she rushed to her bedroom, turned on her computer, plugged in a USB drive, and confirmed all necessary files were saved. Only then did she safely eject it and slip it into her pocket.

"Mom, I'm heading out. A friend invited me to a study session."

"Huh? What kind of study session?"

Akina Izumi was puzzled. Kotomi used to be too lazy to attend such things, and now, as the top student in all of Tokyo, what could she gain from them besides showing off?

"I've been so busy practicing songs that I've fallen behind on some class notes—stuff that might be on the finals." Kotomi smiled sheepishly.

Akina naturally took it as a sign her daughter was now proud of her academic standing and already worrying about maintaining her rank.

Her daughter was finally maturing.

"Which friend's house are you going to?"

"Yui Yuigahama's."

In a sense, Kotomi wasn't lying—she really was going to the Yuigahama house. Just that neither Yui nor Yuka knew.

So it's to that girl's house… Akina sighed inwardly, unsure what to say.

"Don't stay too late. Or maybe eat dinner here first so you don't trouble them. And take some fruit—don't go empty-handed. You two can snack while studying."

Fruit? Kotomi thought. Yui doesn't even know I'm coming…

"No need. They eat early, maybe they've already finished. I'm not hungry—I'll eat when I get back. Bye, Mom!"

Not hungry? That didn't sound like Kotomi at all. Akina was surprised, but nodded. "Be safe, and come home early."

...

When Kotomi left home, she checked the time on her phone—5 p.m.

Most of the time, Kotomi walked at a steady, unhurried pace. Her grandmother used to say that people who walk neither too fast nor too slow tend to be confident. They don't slow down because they're hesitant, nor do they rush because they're anxious.

When Kotomi first heard that as a child, she thought her grandmother was the wisest person in the world. No wonder Tendou Souji always liked to start sentences with, "Grandma said…"

So even when she knew she was about to be late for school, Kotomi would stroll along as if nothing was wrong—earning plenty of parent calls from teachers since elementary school.

Teacher: "Why are you late again?"

Little Kotomi, pointing to the sky: "My grandma said time flows around me. Whether one walks too fast or too slow, they won't achieve greatness. Only I have the bearing of an empress!"

Teacher: "…Tell your parents to come to school tomorrow."

But now, just thinking about Tomoka waiting for her in the bedroom made Kotomi's heart stir—and her walking speed doubled.

Inside Kotomi's body, Kazumi had just finished projecting an Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 and was happily starting Sekiro. With that controller, she was confident she could clear the game in one life even blindfolded.

But as the game loaded, Kazumi tilted her head, puzzled. She thought Kotomi should be home from school by now, so why had the Queen of All Females constitution suddenly activated? She was running like she'd just heard her CS:GO teammate call out "Five enemies at B!"

"Kotomi, where are you going in such a rush?"

"I'm going to the Yuigahama house!"

"What are you in such a hurry to see Yui for?"

"I'm not going to see Yui, I'm going to see Mrs. Yuigahama!"

"At night? You're going to see Dango's mom?"

Kotomi's words shocked Kazumi so much she dropped the controller.

Kazumi stared at her, speechless for a long time, before finally saying:

"Didn't expect my Kotomi to have the mindset of a true schemer."

The walk from the Izumi house to the Yuigahama house took Kotomi less than five minutes.

Standing at the door, she caught her breath and wiped the light sweat from her forehead. She'd been here before—stayed over, even. And yet, just to discuss some illustration work with Mrs. Yuigahama, she'd rushed over like she'd gotten a text from her girlfriend saying, "My parents aren't home tonight."

Her excitement had grown without reason, her pace speeding up until she'd broken into a run with the Queen of All Females boost…

Remembering that, Kotomi covered her face in embarrassment. It was just to discuss illustrations! She kept telling herself that as she touched the USB drive in her pocket. Luckily, it hadn't flown out while she was running.

Whenever she wore clothes without zipped pockets, Kotomi constantly checked to make sure nothing had fallen out.

"How am I going to get in…"

Looking at the brightly lit Yuigahama house, she knew Yui and Yuka must be home. Since she had promised Tomoka to keep her work as an illustrator a secret from them, ringing the doorbell and walking in through the front was out of the question.

Kotomi was certain that with Dango's considerate personality, the moment the doorbell rang she'd rush to the entryway, check the electronic screen connected to the bell, and then open the door.

And then she and Yui Yuigahama would be staring at each other, neither knowing how to explain why Kotomi had suddenly shown up at her house at night.

She couldn't exactly grab Yui in a hug and whisper: Dango, ever since we parted at school, my longing for you has been driving me mad. I love you! I want to be with you every second! Yui would probably overheat and faint on the spot.

Too shameless. That wasn't Kotomi's style.

If she couldn't go through the front, she had to think differently…

Her eyes instinctively went to the second-floor window—Yui's bedroom.

Maybe she could climb up, slip in through the window, then make her way down to Tomoka's room.

With the Queen of All Females boost, she could climb a tenth-floor window if she had to—though she'd have to overcome her fear of heights first. Planes were fine, but standing high up and looking down made her legs go weak and her head spin.

She remembered Yui's window opened inward from the inside. No way to open it from out here.

"Guess I'll have to find another way… the back door? But they don't have one."

From tutoring Yui often during midterms, Kotomi knew the Yuigahama house layout like her own—and knew about the small workroom in Tomoka's bedroom that neither Yui nor Yuka knew about.

Just then, her phone buzzed—a LINE from Tomoka Yuigahama.

[Tomoka Yuigahama: Kotomi, have you left yet?]

[Kotomi: I'm already at your door, trying to figure out how to sneak in without Yui or Yuka noticing. Brr, it's cold out here.]

[Tomoka Yuigahama: Hmph, usually you act like nothing is ever a problem, but now you can't think of a way in?]

Usually so composed and mature for her age, Kotomi rarely felt like a child in Mrs. Yuigahama's eyes. But now, seeing her stuck, Mrs. Yuigahama felt a small, playful satisfaction.

[Tomoka Yuigahama: Sweetie, even you have trouble sometimes. Ask Auntie for help. Don't go to the front—Yui's in the kitchen cooking. If you ring the bell, she'll hear. Climb over the first gate into the yard, then go right.]

Kotomi's face warmed at the message.Auntie, why are you so cute… You're making me want to marry you, even if you're Yui's mom!

The Yuigahama place was small but complete, with a low wall and a yard. Kotomi took a few steps back, ran, and leapt over in one go.

Going right brought her right to Mrs. Yuigahama's bedroom window—no need for risky second-story climbs.

Knock knock knock.

"It's me, Auntie Yuigahama."

Click. The lock turned. Tomoka Yuigahama pulled back the curtain and opened the window, smiling. "Good evening, Kotomi."

Kotomi shrugged. "Next time we meet here, let's pick a time when Yui and Yuka aren't home."

"Hehe~" Tomoka stuck out her pink tongue playfully—a hint of girlish mischief in her mature charm.

Chapter 614: Busy Inside and Outside the Empire

"Pandora… Pandora, signal lock confirmed, database star map comparison… location identified as the southern constellation, Alpha Centauri triple star system. Comparing with the solar system as an exploration expansion reference anchor point… rough estimate: distance is 4.24 light-years."

"This location…"

A blue-skinned humanoid race, nearly three meters tall.

As Selene skimmed past the brief report and began reading the full exploration report, an image of this subspecies popped into her mind.

From deep-buried memories, a sentimental, tragic, and yet somewhat irritating story framework took shape in Selene's thoughts.

It was something like this: on a beautiful planet, the native people lived a peaceful, pastoral, and primitive life—until the day an evil human megacorporation shattered their tranquility.

Humans, bent on surveying and exploiting the planet's resources, committed massive deforestation, drawing hostility and attacks from the natives. A long, drawn-out struggle began between the invaders and the indigenous.

Then, one day, among the reinforcements sent by the corporation was a disabled man—someone who by all rights should have been unable to pass the tests for interstellar travel and exploration.

Because of his role in a diplomatic persuasion project, he spent a long time in close contact with the natives.

Perhaps from living among them too long, and feeling the pull of love and mission, the disabled man—together with a group of scientists who shared cross-species sympathy and compassion—rose up in rebellion, ultimately defeating the evil corporation and its brutal mercenaries.

Yes, full of love, compassion, a tear-jerking tale of resistance against tyranny and evil… yet the more Selene thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt.

Forget it. No comment.

It didn't matter. Selene had no interest in digging deeper. Only the Empire's interests mattered. Only Selene's own interests mattered. In this, all were equal. The grand framework of expansion remained unchanged—conquer.

"The rock that makes up Pandora… room-temperature superconductor (Unobtanium), at least somewhat valuable. Understanding the structure of Pandora's room-temperature superconductors will add another fundamental material to the Empire's military industrial resource library."

Such resources could never be in excess. Even though Honkai crystals could achieve the same performance, studying the structure of room-temperature superconductors could further improve the conversion efficiency of Honkai crystals. After all, there was still the climb toward higher civilization and greater technology.

Every new element, new structure, and new technology was accumulation—the foundation for analogy, innovation, and explosive progress.

Materials science was the cornerstone of all technological advancement.

The logic was simple: a better base material imbued with the same amount of Honkai energy would always outperform a lesser material with the same.

This was one of the core interests Selene valued, advancing technology in parallel with expansion.

Many of Selene's ministers didn't quite understand why the Empress insisted on researching alternative technologies for things already solvable with Honkai energy.

Even if it meant plundering, looting, and scouring the worlds for technology—extending wars and paying more than the cost of simply blasting things apart—she still pushed forward.

Yes, new technologies combined with Honkai energy could yield higher output. But simply increasing the amount and concentration of Honkai energy could also achieve the same result.

As long as the Empress lived, Honkai energy was inexhaustible… surely the great Divine Empress would not… well, cough.

From frugality to extravagance is easy; the reverse is hard.

As for the ministers' complacency, Selene didn't bother answering. Think for yourselves. The Empress' command—will you follow it or not?

Ministers: We'll follow, we'll follow! Whatever you say, Your Majesty, no problem! We guarantee to complete the task!!

To this, the ministers privately speculated—perhaps the Empress simply had a special fondness for military technology. Bigger, thicker, stronger… she always seemed inexplicably partial to it.

"Giving a bunch of nature-worshiping primitives something like this is a waste…" Selene remarked with clear arrogance.

Knock knock!

"Come in."

"Your Majesty." Sebas entered, carrying a folder, his measured and dignified steps as if precisely calculated.

"Oh, Sebas. Have a seat." Selene nodded, beckoning him over. Together they sat by the window.

Sebas sat opposite Selene, while the chamberlain standing quietly in the shadows withdrew naturally to prepare drinks and refreshments.

"Your Majesty, the reconstruction of Shinra—the master's long-cherished wish—it seems it has been realized in your hands."

Sebas exhaled in relief. These past days had kept him running ragged. While Selene went to the Index world to handle classified affairs, he naturally took her place at the heart of the Empire's internal administration.

If it had only been domestic affairs, that would have been manageable—he had grown familiar with it through repetition—but with matters concerning his 'homeworld' constantly pulling at his mind, he'd been mentally fatigued. Only today could he finally say things had settled down.

Not that the upcoming work would be light. The multi-world Fate system's Throne of Heroes… Esdeath served as a sector governor there in the real world, but the Throne's affairs had been handed by Selene directly to him.

With no specific instructions.

Many Heroic Spirits, drawn by the Empire's vast and magnificent worlds, had chosen to descend from the Throne. Sebas didn't stop them; using the partial authority over the Swirl of Honkai granted by Selene, he had granted physical bodies to numerous historically renowned heroes.

The problem was allocating them.

Heroic Spirits—Selene's Cursed Legion—were all proud and diverse in temperament. Assigning them to theaters where they could maximize their value meant matching their personalities, at least somewhat, with the local Imperial commander. Completely mismatched temperaments were a recipe for disaster.

For example—you could not send Artoria and her Round Table, or Saint Jeanne, to theaters commanded by the Night Lords Legion, World Eaters Legion, or Raven Guard Legion.

If only everyone were as obedient and reliable as Karna, would Sebas need to rack his brains like this?

And then there was Gilgamesh—the 'Wise King' was tolerable, but the 'Bratty King,' with his arrogance and constant "this king" and "mongrel" in every other sentence… was he trying to get himself sent to the front lines for a beheading by his theater commander?

Did he think he was the Empress?

Out, out, OUT—back to the Throne of Heroes.

"Your Majesty, this is the list of Heroic Spirits who have voluntarily descended from the Throne and been granted physical form."

"Voluntarily" being the key word—but in truth, if Selene truly wished to deploy the Cursed Legion, the Throne of Heroes had no power to resist.

"You've worked hard." Selene leaned back in her chair and took the folder from Sebas. "Iskandar, Ozymandias… no signs from proud rulers like them? Or from those mild and indifferent like Enkidu?"

"Makes sense. Those who do respond tend to be like Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, driven by unfulfilled wishes, or adventurers like Fionn mac Cumhaill, or warriors like Miyamoto Musashi who seek to challenge the strong and hone their skill."

Selene smiled and set the folder down. "Fine. Leave them be. The ones we do release—if they die, just give them new bodies." After all, they couldn't truly die—might as well use them recklessly.

"Just as there are many 'heroes' who dislike or reject our ideals, there are also many who favor the strong, centralized order we represent. Whether they value culture or martial might, each will have their supporters."

Evening refreshments were brought in, and Selene cheerfully told each attendant to take something for themselves. Sebas, lifting a cup of coffee, smiled and said, "Lady Artoria has been spending more time lately with Durandal and Miss Kiana."

Sebas added, "Your Majesty, my humble opinion is that some Heroic Spirits could appropriately be placed under Durandal's command. She has the qualifications and potential—I very much look forward to her future growth."

"An unexpected compatibility between Valkyrie culture and knightly culture, hmm?"

Selene gave a soft laugh, motioning for the attendant beside her to brew her a cup of tea. Leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window, she cradled the steaming cup with the lazy elegance of a hermit chess master, taking a slow sip.

"With or without that rascal Merlin's help—two entirely different approaches. And so quickly, they've found the Imperial military unit most suited to them."

Artoria's stiff way of thinking made it unlikely she'd have found it on her own—most likely she'd have stayed in the Imperial Capital's gourmet district until the Ministry of War issued her deployment orders.

Merlin's sly mind, however, kept darting around to gather information. Eventually, he caught wind of the Valkyrie Corps and maneuvered Artoria into contact with them.

"Approved."

The tea's aroma was intoxicating, its distinct bitterness easing Selene's mind. She lowered her head in the armchair, eyes half-closed.

"Where's Alyssa? Wasn't she clamoring for a big fight? Send her to Alex's First Legion—have her catch me a few pets…"

...

Imperial Inquisition 2341st Exploration Fleet, unnamed frontier world.

Alpha Centauri system.

A massive, radiant gas giant dominated the center of the system, about twice the size of Jupiter in the Solar System. Like Jupiter's Great Red Spot, it was wracked by colossal solar storms, endlessly raging.

From space, the stormy bands looked like the furious eye of a god gazing at the cosmos. Fourteen moons, scattered at various distances, orbited in stately formation.

It brought to mind the phrase—"stars encircling the moon."

"Beautiful…"

A petite knightly maiden stood before a towering arched viewport. Reflected in the glass were her delicate features and shoulder-length golden hair. In her emerald eyes, a swath of glittering starlight shimmered; countless mysterious stars twinkled in a deep blue halo.

Artoria's gaze fixed on the stars, but one dazzling object drew her attention—a jewel among the system's treasures, vibrant and resplendent.

"Pandora… clearly, this moon is the source of the signal. We can call it Pandora."

With the crisp clack of heels on deck plating, Durandal approached in silver-white armor, handing Artoria a bag of snacks she'd just fetched from the mess hall.

Over time, Durandal had discovered that "diplomacy at the table" was an effective way to build rapport with this so-called Knight King from another world.

"Mm, thank you—you're a good person. I misjudged you before."

An acquaintance formed in battle, Artoria knew Durandal, but hadn't expected to end up under her command.

"This sector's commander… is it you?" Artoria mumbled around three or four mouthfuls of snacks.

Freed from the burden of kingship—perhaps thanks to Merlin and the Round Table's persuasion, or from seeing the splendor and strength of Selene's Empire—Artoria had realized she might not be suited to be a king. Selene fit that role better.

Once she accepted that, she relaxed considerably. In her mind, she had surrendered; Selene was now Britain's 'king.'

From what she'd seen, aside from harsh enforcement measures, the Empire had steadily improved her people's standard of living. She had no more misgivings.

"Not sure. The Inquisition informed nearby Astartes Legions. The sector commander is usually from the unit with the most participating troops. So far, I know the 16th Legion—Black Legion—has sent four fleets."

As she spoke, Durandal noticed something—though Artoria made no sound or obvious motion while eating, the ahoge atop her head suddenly stood straight at attention.

Durandal felt an urge—would pulling it make her angry?

No, no, she couldn't think such rude thoughts.

She forced her gaze away, but Artoria had already noticed, quickly stepping back and clapping a hand over her ahoge, eyes wary.

"Sorry, that was rude of me." Forthright as ever, Durandal didn't hide it. She earnestly offered her own bag of snacks.

"I'm fine!"

Durandal chuckled softly, cleared her throat, and said firmly, "Well, leisure time is over. I've located several human settlements—along the forest's orbital lift line, a human outpost appears to have been attacked by alien… xenos. I plan to eliminate them."

"This will be my first battle commanding Imperial forces—failure is not an option!"

Chapter 544: The Demon Lord’s Invitation

"Uwah, what's Mom doing here?! Did she come all this way just to deal with me, the one that slipped through the cracks?"

"But geez, Mom looks terrifying… If I hadn't followed the Appraisal-based evolution path, would I have ended up like that too?"

"Thank goodness, praise be to Lord Appraisal and the Voice of Heaven! Otherwise, I'd have no face left to meet Eriri!"

Even as she ranted furiously in her mind, Shiraori's face remained perfectly expressionless.

She didn't fully understand her mother's power—after all, she didn't have Appraisal the last time they met. But from the pressure radiating off her, it was clear the Queen Taratect's strength was far from ordinary.

Knowing full well that Queen Taratect wouldn't hesitate to devour her own offspring right after birth, Shiraori had already mentally prepared herself for battle.

But before anything happened, she didn't forget to appraise the Queen Taratect.

[Name: Unnamed]

[Race: Queen Taratect]

[Level: LV89]

[Stats: HP 24,557/24,577, MP 22,301/22,301...]

[Skills: ...]

[...]

Seeing the average stat values around the 20,000s, Shiraori let out a small breath of relief.

The Queen Taratect was undoubtedly the strongest opponent she'd encountered aside from Güliedistodiez. But now that she had evolved into a Jorōgumo, the difference wasn't overwhelming.

Her own stats had already surpassed 30,000, a full 10,000 more than the Queen's.

With that kind of gap, she honestly couldn't imagine how she would lose.

Mirei Shinohara, who had also used Appraisal, remained calm as well. She didn't rush to attack, though—having noticed the strange behavior from Shiraori earlier, she suspected there might be some connection between the giant spider and Shiraori. After all, they were both spiders.

While Shiraori and Mirei remained relaxed, the Queen Taratect, facing them, was far more serious.

As the sovereign of the Elroe Great Labyrinth, she had always been the supreme ruler—every other monster was merely prey. But now, for the first time, she sensed a threat from these two: a half-human spider and a snake-like unknown being.

Even more alarming, her attempt to appraise them had failed—meaning their strength likely surpassed her own.

Of course, she noticed that Shiraori carried her own bloodline and realized she was one of her offspring. But what puzzled her was why Shiraori wasn't affected by the usual subordinate control.

And that half-human, half-spider form—she had never seen such an evolution before. She felt it necessary to report this to her own mother.

Seeing that they had no intention of attacking, the Queen Taratect made her decision. Without a word, she turned and left.

Watching her sudden departure, Shiraori was slightly stunned.

In her mind, her mother had always been a brutal, merciless figure.

Still, she had no intention of pursuing. As much as she disliked the Queen Taratect, she had no desire to commit matricide unless absolutely necessary.

After all, there wasn't any real animosity between them.

Just then, Mirei floated up in front of Shiraori with a curious look on her face.

"Hey, Shira—what's the deal with that giant spider? She related to you or something?"

Shiraori silently glanced at Mirei, then turned and continued walking down the path.

"Hey, don't just ignore me! You still haven't answered my question!"

Watching her retreating back, Mirei quickly followed after her, continuing to pester her with questions.

Some time later, Shiraori and Mirei finally emerged from the labyrinth they had spent an entire year in, stepping into the sunlit world outside.

The moment they stepped into the outside world, that familiar Voice of Heaven rang out in their minds.

[Elroe Great Labyrinth cleared. Congratulations! You have acquired: Mastery of Otherworldly Language.]

...

While Shiraori and Mirei were leaving the labyrinth, it was just past 5 p.m. on Earth.

The massive screen in the living room continued to livestream the two's journey.

Since dinner time was approaching, Aoi Kujou had gone off to prepare the evening meal as usual, with Meido tagging along, apparently interested in learning to cook.

Now, only Eriri and D remained in the living room watching the broadcast.

"They've left the labyrinth… looks like it won't be long before they return," Eriri said with a smile as she watched the screen.

Although the time flow was a hundred times faster in the other world—and so was the livestream speed—it made no difference to them. It all felt like normal time.

"So this is the kind of plot you enjoy? Honestly, I find it pretty boring," D remarked.

Despite sticking around with Eriri, D found the survival-themed progression of Shiraori and Mirei utterly dull.

"What kind of plot do you enjoy then?"

"A weak creature showing countless possibilities… offering small nudges at key moments to see how far they can rise. That kind of story."

"That does sound interesting, but I still prefer the kind of story where overwhelming force crushes everything. It's more fun to watch."

"Is that so? As long as you're happy."

D didn't continue debating and didn't leave the room, even though she found the livestream boring.

Time ticked by, and at 6 p.m., Aoi Kujou and Meido returned to the living room—with a deliciously prepared dinner in hand.

...

Several days had passed since Shiraori and Mirei entered the human world.

Because of their appearances, they had never once visited a human town during that time. Instead, they stuck to the wilderness and forests, avoiding populated areas.

It wasn't that they feared humans, but they didn't want to attract unnecessary trouble.

Nor did they take this opportunity to explore the world just for fun. For them, the top priority was finding the ancient ruin.

Only after Shiraori fully evolved into human form would they be able to blend into the human world more easily and search for Eriri.

Once they found her, then they could travel the world all they wanted—with Eriri in tow, of course.

What they didn't know was that they had already caught the attention of the most powerful entity under this world's system.

...

Another month passed in the blink of an eye.

Following Appraisal's guidance, Shiraori and Mirei confirmed their destination lay to the north, and so they advanced at full speed.

What would've normally taken nearly a year, they reduced to just over a month.

Though they hadn't yet arrived at the ancient ruin, they were now very close—it wouldn't be long before they reached it.

Having stuck to wild areas and forests, they encountered few humans in that time, but plenty of monsters.

Without exception, all those monsters ended up as prey for Shiraori. The energy she gained significantly boosted her strength—

—but did little to push her toward evolution.

As for the humans they encountered, it seemed to be an adventurer party. When the adventurers saw Shiraori and Mirei, they were instantly captivated by their appearances.

Shiraori's human upper body was extraordinarily beautiful, and Mirei herself looked like a living work of art.

To them, such exotic and gorgeous "monsters" had to be worth a fortune.

Those human adventurers instantly set their sights on the two, hoping to capture and sell them to some noble lords—surely a transaction that would make them rich beyond belief.

Unfortunately for them, this was a death wish.

Originally, Shiraori and Mirei Shinohara had no intention of harming the adventurers—after all, they were once human themselves. But the adventurers made the first move.

And that left the two with no reason to hold back.

In the very moment the adventurers attacked, they were all wiped out by a single Evil Eye blast from Shiraori.

After a year of dungeon crawling, they had long grown accustomed to bloodshed and slaughter. Even though this time the targets were humans, the discomfort lasted only a few seconds.

Then, they were back to normal.

...

Now, Shiraori and Mirei had arrived at a canyon. Once they passed through it and crossed the wilderness ahead, they would reach the location of the ancient ruin.

But before they could exit the canyon, a figure suddenly appeared before them at incredible speed.

"Are you the monsters that child mentioned?"

Standing before them was a petite girl with short black hair and a large streak of white bangs. Her clothing was minimal and revealing—but despite her appearance, neither Shiraori nor Mirei mistook her for a little girl.

[Name: Ariel]

[Race: Primordial Spider Monster]

[Level: LV139]

[Age: 3000+]

[Title: Current Demon Lord]

[Stats: HP 90,098/90,098 +99,999, MP 87,655/87,655 +99,999...]

[Skills: …]

[...]

Seeing the absurdly overpowered stats and skill list, Shiraori and Mirei couldn't help but recall Güliedistodiez, who had similarly appeared and vanished months ago.

Though Ariel's raw stats were slightly inferior to the humanoid Black Dragon, she was still undeniably among the strongest beings in this world.

Her title alone—Demon Lord—made her status clear.

And the numerous titles like Human Slayer, Demon Slayer, Elf Slayer, Dragon Slayer were further proof that she was no kind soul.

But times had changed.

After over a year of evolution and growth, both Shiraori and Mirei had become entirely different beings.

Shiraori's stats had surpassed 60,000 across the board, while Mirei was even stronger—bolstered by her superior cross-rank combat abilities and the powerful defensive skill "Diamond Body."

Though they couldn't claim victory against this Demon Lord loli, they were confident they wouldn't die.

More importantly, there was no sign that Ariel had come to fight.

In fact, they could tell she had approached them with goodwill.

So they had no reason not to talk—best to hear her out first.

And clearly, between the two, Mirei was better suited to that role.

"That 'child' you mentioned—are you talking about the giant spider in the labyrinth?"

Since Ariel was also a spider-type, it wasn't hard for Mirei to guess who she meant.

"Correct. She mentioned you to me recently and piqued my interest, so I came to see you for myself."

Ariel smiled as she looked at the two.

"Oh? And now that you've seen us, what do you think?" Mirei asked curiously.

"I can only say that it was worth the trip. You're quite extraordinary."

Ariel had already tried appraising them upon her arrival. Unsurprisingly, the results had been blocked.

Their Appraisal skills not only allowed them to analyze anything in the world without being noticed, but also shielded them from others' attempts to appraise them.

"Honestly, I can't see through you. I can feel your strength… so—"

"So what?"

"So I want to invite you to join me—to help save this world from its looming destruction."

At her words, Mirei and Shiraori were both visibly shocked.

"What did you say? This world is going to be destroyed?" Mirei asked urgently, while Shiraori's expression turned equally serious.

"Yes," Ariel said, her tone grave. Both could tell she wasn't lying.

Shiraori's thoughts immediately started racing.

"World-ending crisis… Seriously? Just my luck!"

"Wait, my Space Magic currently only allows teleportation to previously visited places. But if I evolve again… could I reach another planet—or even return to Earth?"

"No choice. I need to accelerate my evolution. I must find Eriri before the world ends, and take her to a safe place."

With that in mind, Shiraori turned to look at Mirei.

And at the exact same moment, Mirei looked back at her.

Their eyes met, and they instantly understood each other.

Without hesitation, they made their decision.

Chapter 299: The Giant Steps into the Children’s Playground

In the following days, Setsuna gave everyone time to familiarize themselves with the situation.

The Heroic Spirits and Spirits were generally uninterested in this kind of hard sci-fi world—their specialty was magic, and fighting space wars with alien fleets on an astronomical scale was hardly their forte.

A few dragon girls simply said, "Call us when it's a magic world," and dove into the library to research the remaining two neighboring worlds.

The shipgirls and science-side researcher lolis, however, showed immense enthusiasm, devouring The Three-Body Problem over and over again.

They strove not to miss a single detail.

Even if the enemy was just a sub-light native civilization, tactically they still deserved respect.

Weakness and ignorance are not the greatest obstacles to civilization's survival—arrogance is.

Everyone agreed with this sentiment.

So they carefully sorted through the Trisolaran timeline and conducted in-depth studies on every civilization mentioned.

The Three-Body timeline spans centuries, and counting Cheng Xin's time after leaving the black domain and spending eons in a pocket universe, it stretches even further.

Human and Trisolaran civilizations were only tiny footnotes—fleeting existences that a passing higher civilization could erase with a casual strike.

The Singers and their Homeworld were more powerful, having mastered dimensional-reduction weaponry, and were preparing to two-dimensionalize themselves to survive the universe-wide dimensional collapse.

Beyond them were the Resetters, aiming to restart the universe entirely, and in pocket worlds, super-civilizations broadcasting ultra-membrane signals to the whole cosmos.

Most of these acted as background forces, with scant available information.

It was, in every sense, a bustling space-age world.

Yet the more the shipgirls read, the more something felt off.

Whether among its humans or across the entire universe, something was just… wrong.

"Commander, I think this Trisolaran world is doomed," Harbin said, slapping three thick books down on Setsuna's desk.

She pulled out a bottle of liquor, intending to take a swig, but thought better of it and set it aside.

Beside her, Formidable, Musashi, Bismarck, and others nodded in agreement.

"Oh? What's on your mind?" Setsuna smiled at the ponytailed, short-qipao-wearing shipgirl whose demeanor carried a certain bold charm.

"Are the Trisolaran humans idiots?!"

"And not just any idiots—the dumbest of the dumb?!"

Harbin, always blunt, voiced the soul-piercing question.

"From the moment they learned of the Trisolarans, they couldn't unite against the alien threat. Instead, they came up with the ETO, Adventists, and all sorts of traitorous nonsense.

"After the Great Depression and the Second Renaissance, they finally made some space-tech progress—only to get so arrogant they sent their entire fleet to be destroyed? If Zhang Beihai hadn't run for it, humanity would have lost its seed entirely?!

"When Luo Ji was useful, they praised him to the heavens. Once he deterred the Trisolarans, they feared him to death. They didn't even thank him?‖!

"And in the end, they chose a saint to lead them all to doom???"

...

Harbin's anger only grew, drumming her fingers hard on the table.

"Commander, those humans are beyond saving."

Bismarck picked up the thread.

"They have neither the courage to fight the enemy to the end, nor the discipline, and they're arrogant and foolish."

"The Trisolarans are no better."

Setsuna had to admit, among the dozen or so worlds he had conquered or was about to conquer, the Trisolaran world's humans were certainly the most pathetic.

They combined anti-intellectualism, mob mentality, and naive idealism into one package.

When faced with apocalypse, they threw parties and perfected the art of infighting.

The number of clear-headed individuals on Earth could be counted on two hands.

It was hard to imagine that, under alien threat, Earth's government could be so utterly incompetent.

In the Stellaris worlds, Earth's United Nations or the Human Federation completely outclassed these Trisolarans by miles.

"I think… there's no need to make that Earth a vassal," Richelieu said after some thought.

"It feels like they'd cause trouble every few days—they'd be hard to manage…"

"We might end up putting in more effort than the returns are worth."

"Mm…" Setsuna pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

"There's no need to stay in the Trisolaran world for long. Just take Photoid, Dual-Vector Foil, and other valuable tech and leave.

"At most, we can set up a research station there for high-risk technology and experiments. Since their universe is doomed anyway, we won't feel bad if it blows up."

The Trisolaran universe had been battered and broken long ago.

In ancient times, it had been an eleven-dimensional universe.

Time had more than one dimension, and the speed of light was nearly infinite—one could cross from one end of the universe to the other in a single Planck time.

Later, through large-scale wars between civilizations using law-based weapons—dimensional reduction strikes—the universe was gradually beaten down to three dimensions.

Sooner or later, it would likely be reduced to two.

Collapsed 2D spaces and slow-light black domains littered the cosmos, impossible to repair.

Simply put—the pollution was too severe.

Setsuna had no interest in saving an entire universe.

"If it can be reformed, fine. If not, drag it off to power generation."

...

A few days later—

After the shipgirls had fully familiarized themselves with the Trisolaran situation and finished tuning their gear—

In Earth's orbit, aboard the Eternal Snowfall—

Hundreds of shipgirls in the expeditionary force gathered on the bridge, gazing out the windows at the starlit void, faces full of anticipation.

As the Empire's flagship, the Eternal Snowfall would shelter all its companions on campaign.

Setsuna stood at the main console and opened the extra-dimensional star map.

[Trisolaran World (Space Age)]

This universe contains numerous spacefaring civilizations of varying levels of development.

Some civilizations can manufacture law-based weapons to strike enemies, causing severe damage to cosmic space.

No civilization has yet achieved faster-than-light travel.

Comparison of Strengths:

• Technological Level: Like an Ant.

• Military Strength: Like an Ant.

• Economic Power: Like a God.

"…"

Economic strength was now calculated by productivity.

Given that his ten or so vassal worlds couldn't outproduce the myriad spacefaring civilizations in the Trisolaran universe, that was normal.

As for tech and military levels, the reasoning was obvious.

Sub-light natives had no comparison to an FTL civilization—among technological civilizations, this was pure top-tier crushing.

"Some civilizations can manufacture law-based weapons…" Setsuna read the intro and almost laughed.

"Is this the first world capable of killing itself off? If I arrive too late, will the Trisolaran world have turned 2D or 1D?"

Steadying his mind, he extended his hand, channeling his authority to open a space-time portal.

Shwoom—

A kaleidoscopic tunnel opened in the starry sky above.

Vmmm…

The Eternal Snowfall passed through the long corridor.

After a swirl of temporal-spatial turbulence, the tunnel's end revealed a dim, cold cosmos.

"Tch, so when you cross over in space, you get dumped into space, huh?"

Setsuna engaged the starship's thrusters.

With a ship, the exact drop location didn't matter—near or far, it was all within reach.

Boom!

The Juggernaut descended into the void, the surrounding space trembling.

[Engines: Normal]

[Weapons: Ready]

[Full Ship Diagnostic: Normal]

The AI's mechanical voice confirmed.

Through the viewport, he spotted a deep-blue planet slowly spinning in the void.

It was far larger than Earth, with planet-wide ice storms raging in its atmosphere.

Around the ship drifted sparse nebulae and small celestial bodies.

"Neptune?"

Setsuna quickly realized they had arrived in the outer Solar System, within the Oort Cloud.

Far away, the Sun was a faint pinprick of light, barely visible.

"Initiate full-scan of this system and a 100-light-year radius."

Setsuna activated the sensors to assess the surroundings.

Suddenly—

"Commander Onii-chan, over there!"

Unicorn pointed toward the distant void.

In the black of space, two thousand suns appeared.

They were arrayed in a perfect rectangle, emerging in the darkness.

On closer inspection, the "suns" were the blazing fusion drives at the tails of starships.

Two thousand one hundred and fifty vessels, accelerating slowly from Jupiter's orbit toward Neptune.

Their formation was immaculate, as if flaunting humanity's dignity and invincibility to the cosmos.

"Oh? Is that the local human fleet?"

Grey and the shipgirls craned their necks in curiosity.

Meanwhile, the holoscan revealed a blinking dot moving in the opposite direction, farther from the 2,000-ship fleet.

It was another starship, apparently at full thrust, trying to escape the Solar System.

A few ships behind it were starting up, preparing to give chase.

Intercepted comms carried voices from the fleeing vessel.

A deep male voice spoke with a younger woman.

"You are a qualified captain, Dongfang."

"Where are we going?" the young woman asked.

"…Wherever it is, it's a more responsible choice than staying here."

His voice carried a quiet thrill as he recited the command he had pursued all his life:

"Natural Selection—Proceed to Four."

"…"

...

"What is this? Are they planning to welcome me with two thousand salvos?"

Setsuna trailed off.

The Doomsday Battle.

He and the shipgirls instantly understood the situation.

At this moment, the Trisolaran probe had just arrived in the Solar System, and humanity's fleet had mobilized in full to face the Droplet.

Zhang Beihai had fulfilled his lifelong wish and was piloting the Natural Selection in escape.

Cheng Xin's ally, Tu Hengyu, had long been ready—evacuating the ship's atmosphere, topping up fuel, and now giving full chase from behind.

At this time, human confidence had swelled to unprecedented levels.

Under the technological blockade of the sophons, humanity had nevertheless built starships using controlled nuclear fusion, achieving speeds of 15% of light speed—faster than the Trisolaran First Fleet's 10%.

This speed advantage gave humanity the courage to face the Trisolaran fleet in battle, even though their foundational sciences were frozen.

Of course, the outcome would be nothing more than setting off a 2,000-round fireworks show in the Solar System.

"Hmm…"

"Aren't their ships a bit too backward? Can these even get into space?"

Grey tilted her head, using the Eternal Snowfall's sensors to scan the ships.

The human United Fleet's vessels were all standardized in design, looking quite similar.

Each was about the size of three aircraft carriers—smaller than the Starsea Empire's interstellar frigates—and driven by controlled fusion engines.

They carried gamma-ray lasers, electromagnetic kinetic cannons, infrasound hydrogen bombs—common weapons for natives first venturing into space.

From Setsuna and the shipgirls' perspective, their speeds were akin to crawling through the void.

The sensors then picked up a small craft beyond the Solar System, heading toward the fleet.

It was tiny—just over three meters, smaller than a carrier-based fighter.

Its shape was that of a droplet: a rounded head, sharp tail, and a flawless mirror-like surface reflecting the Milky Way as smooth light patterns.

The Droplet's speed was far greater than that of the United Fleet, and they were expected to meet soon within the Solar System.

On the star map, the United Fleet, the Droplet, and the newly-arrived Eternal Snowfall formed a triangle.

Thanks to advanced optical camouflage and electromagnetic jamming, neither the United Fleet nor the Droplet had detected the massive Juggernaut appearing on the far side of the Solar System.

"Commander, they're about to crash into each other. So… what should we do?"

Grey pulled out a pile of sunflower seeds and drinks from her pocket, stacking them on the console and calling the shipgirls over.

"How about we watch the 2,000-round fireworks first—call it a salute to the Emperor's arrival?"

"I'm in!" Ritsuka Fujimaru raised a hand.

"Hah?!"

The shipgirls realized these two's moral compass was… chaotic. Humanity's folly went without saying, and nanomachines didn't exactly measure good and evil in normal ways.

Grey, in fact, looked down equally on everyone except the Commander.

Bonk—Bonk—

"Ow!"

Setsuna flicked both of them on the forehead.

"Go. First, capture the Droplet for me—the science lolis have been begging for one to study."

Boom—

From the Eternal Snowfall's stern erupted a plume of ghostly blue light as it surged forward.

...

On Earth—

Humanity was in a state of unprecedented confidence and fervor.

The Second Renaissance and advances in controlled nuclear fusion had allowed them, in a short time, to build a massive space navy fleet, large enough to blot out the sun.

They held full confidence in the Doomsday Battle. Though it would decide Earth's fate, almost no one outside the ideologically sealed-off camps believed humanity could lose.

The United Nations had even begun planning how to deal with the defeated Trisolarans.

This included debates on whether the Trisolaran fleet should be given living space within the Solar System, whether Trisolaran immigrants should be accepted, and if they should be integrated into human society.

This plan was called the "Sunshine Project."

Earth's people decided to show the Trisolarans their strength, magnanimity, and humanitarian concern.

Not long after, a piece of news sent humanity into a frenzy:

"The International Fleet has reached a decision."

"All stellar-class battleships of the Asian Fleet, European Fleet, and North American Fleet—2,015 ships in total—will form a United Fleet to intercept the Trisolaran probe that has already crossed Neptune's orbit!"

Through a live broadcast relayed from Jupiter's space military base, people watched as two thousand stellar-class warships, blazing with brilliant light, slowly advanced toward the outer Solar System.

Under the light of two thousand suns, Jupiter and its moons seemed to burn.

And their interception target was nothing more than a single Trisolaran probe.

The Earth erupted into celebration. Some wept tears of joy, others cried out in excitement, and many joked with the confidence of the strong.

"All this for one tiny probe?"

"This is like using two thousand butcher's knives to kill a chicken!"

"Exactly, two thousand cannons to hit a mosquito! What is this?"

"Come on, understand the International Fleet—this might be their one and only battle against the Trisolaran world."

"Yeah, if you can even call it a battle."

"Well, fine—just think of it as a parade of human civilization's might. A super fleet like this? It'll scare them to death—if they even have bladders to empty!"

"Hahahaha…"

The United Fleet advanced in a dense parade formation, each ship just twenty kilometers apart—practically side-by-side in space.

This was to ensure every ship could be counted as participating in the interception. No one wanted to be excluded from the honor.

Two thousand warships, like two thousand little suns, pushed forward.

On radar, the Droplet was now visible.

50,000 km…

35,000 km…

10,000 km…

Finally, the United Fleet maintained a distance of 1,000 km from the Droplet.

This was calculated to be safe—even if the Droplet self-destructed via matter-antimatter annihilation, the blast would not reach them at that range.

Through this proximity, both the fleet and Earth's viewers could now see the Droplet's precise form.

It looked so delicate—simple yet beautiful.

The liquid-like surface was so lifelike that observers sometimes thought it truly was a liquid, not a machine.

"It's beautiful—like the Virgin's tear," a female officer aboard one ship said.

Her comment struck a chord. People began to suspect it might be a gift from the Trisolarans.

At the edge of the United Fleet, inside the stellar-class battleship Quantum, an elderly man with white hair was packing his equipment: electron microscope, geology hammer, thermal sensors…

Ding Yi, Earth's most renowned scientist, was to be the first to approach the Droplet in a small shuttle to study it up close.

The risk was enormous, but his thirst for knowledge had long since eclipsed fear.

"I have a bad feeling," Ding Yi said, tapping his pipe against the Droplet's holographic image.

"Why? It looks like a harmless work of art," a military officer replied.

"That's why I feel bad," Ding Yi frowned. "If something strays too far from our expectations, it's never a good sign."

He sensed unease. Humanity's recent achievements were astonishing—victory over the Trisolarans seemed inevitable. But as a scientist, he knew their fundamental science hadn't advanced in centuries.

"Children, do you know what I've been doing all these years? Teaching physics at university. Even supervising PhD students. Me—a man from two centuries ago—still teaching physics. Ha…"

He shook his head and looked outside.

Suddenly, in the dark void, he spotted something out of place: a bright point of light moving from Neptune's orbit toward the United Fleet and the Droplet.

At first, Ding Yi thought it was one of the United Fleet's ships, but quickly dismissed the idea.

It was far too large—so big it could be seen with the naked eye from this distance. And it was moving fast, like a meteor streaking across the Solar System.

As a key figure in starship and fusion research, Ding Yi knew human ships couldn't reach such terrifying speeds.

"Something's approaching from Neptune's orbit," he reported.

After rapid escalation, the Quantum's captain and the entire United Fleet went on alert.

The ships' radars swept at maximum power, detecting nothing.

"Nothing, Professor Ding. Aside from us and the Droplet, the Solar System's empty," the comms officer said.

"Outside! Use your eyes! Stop trusting those stupid instruments!"

Ding Yi slammed the porthole, shouting.

One by one, crew members turned to look—then froze.

A starship, thousands of times larger than a stellar-class battleship, the size of a small moon, was gliding through the cosmos.

Its vast hull, on an astronomical scale, was nearly as long as the United Fleet's entire two-thousand-ship formation.

Its main axis stretched for thousands of kilometers, with vast weapon wings blotting out the stars—each turret and gun far larger than a human stellar-class warship.

Ding Yi didn't know what a Tachyon Lance or Focused Arc was, but he knew these weapons dwarfed anything the United Fleet had.

A moon-sized warship—this defied all human physics and engineering.

A simple truth hit him: a stellar-class battleship, the size of three aircraft carriers, could wipe the surface of Earth clean and destroy nations with ease.

So what could a ship the size of an asteroid do?

Who was it? Where had it come from? What was it here for?

A storm of questions filled his mind.

In the end, he could only blurt out one thing:

"Foolish children—run!!!"

Chapter 298: Radiating Across the Cosmos, Lumine the Master of Trailblaze

As Athena's words fell, she gently tapped the ground with her star-and-moon staff.

The Pseudo Star Map Creation—Zodiac—instantly unfurled, and the aura of another universe spread throughout Mount Olympus.

The Zodiac represented the paths traced by the sun, moon, and stars across the sky, as observed by humankind. The ancient sages who observed the heavens attributed the movements of celestial bodies to the power of the gods—each star and celestial body a divine incarnation.

Within this Zodiac were included all the Olympian gods—except Chaos.

The celestial sphere that enveloped the world was the Sky God Uranus.

Beneath the celestial sphere lay the Earth, the domain of the Earth Goddess Gaia.

Daytime belonged to Apollo, God of Light.

Eternal night was Nyx, the Goddess of Night.

The shadows beneath the stars were Erebus, the God of Darkness.

The sun was Helios, the Sun God; accompanied by the Goddess of Sunrise and the Goddess of Dawn.

The moon was Artemis.

Jupiter was Zeus…

All the Olympian gods who were not embodiments of Chaos resided within the Zodiac.

"Within my Zodiac, the primordial gods—Gaia, Goddess of the Earth; Erebus, God of Darkness; Nyx, Goddess of Night; Tartarus, God of the Underworld—shall inherit the primordial divine seats."

Athena began bestowing the blessings of the Pseudo Star Map Creation.

These powers did not come from nothing—they were authorities derived from an already-born primordial universe and belonged exclusively to the original cosmic framework.

There were five Primordial Gods within the Zodiac—five original deities representing universe-structural forces.

At this level, a single strike could shatter cosmic structure and destabilize the universe.

In Little Garden, Primordial Gods like these would be top-tier within the 3-Digits—though not yet capable of transcending.

True transcendents among the 3-Digits were the holders of Pseudo Star Map Creations. Once their primordial universe was fully developed, they would formally enter the realm of 2-Digit.

Gaia, Nyx, Erebus, and Tartarus bowed with emotion.

"Great Lady Athena, we Olympians shall surely shine across all worlds under your guidance."

"All worlds" in Teyvat referred to the infinite multitude of worlds.

After all, small universes and supermassive planes were constantly being born.

The main universe was still expanding, and even after hundreds of billions of years of exploration, the frontier might still remain untouched—it could only be slowed, not stopped.

Athena continued.

"First- and second-generation Olympian gods will reach Supreme God."

"The twelve major gods of the third generation will also reach Supreme God, with other deities ascending in accordance with their mythological origins."

Crack!

The blessing of the Pseudo Star Map Creation descended. The full potential and mythic origins of all Olympian gods were awakened, allowing them to reach the levels their legends prescribed.

The four primordial gods, who had been stuck just short of God-King, broke through instantly and ascended to Supreme God.

Their own cosmic Laws and the breath of Truth fused into a unique Supreme Authority, and a divine ring representing their Supreme rank appeared behind each of them.

A vast cosmic aura spread across the universe, affecting tens of thousands of galaxies under Olympian rule.

"Ah… so this is the Supreme God. What a vast and magnificent power!" Gaia, Earth Mother, gently raised her hand, and under her gaze, tens of thousands of galaxies across tens of millions of light-years had their trajectories shifted by the sheer force she had just acquired.

With a single gesture, she could twist, destroy, or create galaxies on a grand cosmic scale.

Compared to this, a God-King was like an ant—she could kill her former self with a single breath.

Zeus, who had been stuck just before God-King, finally ascended. He now fully embodied his mythic role: God-King Zeus.

Each motion carried the power of galaxies.

As she watched the gods around her break through one after another, Athena herself ascended to beyond Supreme God.

"At last, Olympus can now stand shoulder to shoulder with the original Seven Divine Collectives."

Athena then raised her gaze to the highest level of the Supreme Divine Domain—toward that tiny Celestia—her brilliant eyes glinting with ambition.

The ultimate in the universe, the convergence of Pan-Human History and Truths—Heavenly Principle's Eden...

If I reach Almighty God, could I step into that realm like those four supreme gods?

Only upon obtaining a Pseudo Star Map Creation did one understand—

The hierarchy of gods was not yet complete.

As long as the Teyvat Universe continued to grow, the hierarchy of gods would continue to evolve.

Just as there had been three previous divine rank transformations—

Above the three Supreme God tiers—Supreme God, Primordial God, and Almighty God—there were still more realms yet to be constructed.

Athena was a goddess of powerful ambition. Only by ascending to the Temple of Truth in Eden—the origin of the Teyvat Universe—could she truly transcend the cosmos.

I have become a holder of the Pseudo Star Map Creation. One day, I will become an Almighty God. When will the supreme Lord Heavenly Principle once again cast His gaze upon me?

...

In the Palais Mermonia, after a refreshing night of clouds and rain, Noah felt a divine sense reach out to him and glanced over with amusement.

This little goddess Athena's ambition is quite strong, huh? Don't worry—I definitely won't forget you.

At this moment, Lumine and Furina had already tidied their clothing and were attentively massaging Noah's legs and shoulders. Noah, calm and composed, sipped his red tea.

Having received the blessing of Heavenly Principle, both Furina and Lumine had advanced significantly in power and refinement. Lumine, originally a Supreme God, had now reached Primordial God.

"Lumine, you're quite something—so smooth~"

As he spoke, a ping-pong-ball-sized orb of light appeared in Noah's hand, radiating dense aura of Law.

"What Buer said before wasn't wrong. This Heavenly Principle is fair. Even without a Pseudo Star Map Creation, you'll still receive something even better."

The room was instantly filled with the presence of Law, making both Lumine and Furina tremble.

Furina stared at the orb in Noah's hand in shock. "This… this is…" That aura—it resembled the presence of those four embodiments of Truth, yet it was less intense and not as unfathomable.

"Hiss… this power!" Lumine's entire body trembled as she felt the aura.

Just as Furina had said, this level of power was something she had only ever sensed from those four beings.

Suddenly, her pupils widened—she remembered something.

"This aura is so similar to that Aeon who once invaded Teyvat! Though, in terms of quality and mystery, it's weaker than those four embodiments of Truth!"

Furina also recalled and quickly nodded. "Yes, yes—that's exactly it!"

Back when that being had invaded Teyvat, all of Teyvat's cosmic-level existences had been mobilized to keep it there. Furina had personally witnessed Lord Heavenly Principle stripping away the intruder's origin.

That origin's aura was very similar to Truth—but it was definitely not Truth itself, only something akin to it.

"Are… are you going to give this to me?" Lumine's heart pounded wildly as she stared at the glowing orb in Noah's hand, her breath growing rapid.

This was definitely something no weaker than a Pseudo Star Map Creation—perhaps even more mysterious.

After all, this was something akin to Truth.

Noah idly rolled the orb between his fingers. "This is indeed something similar to Truth—a crystallization of philosophy, a tendril of philosophy itself."

"Truth is philosophy itself, and a tendril of Truth is a manifestation of philosophy, a crystallized form of it. These concepts are known across the unfathomable superdimensions as 'Law.'"

"Law is like a piece of the puzzle that makes up Truth."

"If Truth is the sovereign, then Law is its minister—an essential part that assists Truth in harmonizing the entire universe."

"I divide gods into four tiers."

"Those with ultimate authority over faith, divine power, and other high forms of mystical energy are Energy Gods."

"Those with ultimate authority over planetary rules and planar laws are Rule Gods."

"Those with ultimate authority over universal laws and cosmic space-time are Concept Gods."

"Those with ultimate authority over Truth and Law—these philosophical domains—are Philosophy Gods."

"Each higher tier holds absolute dominion over the tier below it."

"These four tiers correspond to the divine rank system I have set."

"The first three tiers have already been fully defined."

"Almighty God corresponds to the final stage of the third tier."

"I am currently constructing the fourth tier, consisting of 'Master of Law' and 'Master of Truth.'"

"The peak levels of these two positions will be super single-universe level and multiversal level, respectively."

"Truth has already been set. The position of Master of Law, however, remains to be filled."

With that, Noah smiled and extended the orb toward Lumine.

"This crystallization of Law is called Trailblaze."

"To blaze unknown frontiers, to chart the future of the cosmos, to explore the endless beyond the universe itself; so long as the heart's desire to explore never ceases, the path of trailblazing will never end—linking infinite worlds and realms unknown."

"This belongs to the Ouroboros faction."

The small glowing orb was reflected in Lumine's eyes, its light illuminating her cheeks with a radiant sheen. Her hands rose involuntarily, gently touching it.

The instant her fingertips made contact, the Principle of Trailblaze resonated with her, and within moments, transformed her very being into a Philosophical Holy Body.

In the Star Rail Universe, the Philosophy Holy Bodies of Aeons often took bizarre and monstrous forms.

Many would become extreme zealots under the influence of their Law.

But in the Teyvat Universe, such a phenomenon did not exist.

In Noah's view, if the self was distorted by power, was it still the self?

Thus, in the universal framework he had established, such inversions would never occur.

Hum—

At that moment—

As the Principle of Trailblaze awakened, its will spread across the entire universe.

This universe referred to the main universe, the Endless Planes, countless space-time realms, and the primordial universes of every Divine Collective.

As a supreme rule that radiated across all dimensions, Law, like Truth, naturally reached across all cosmologies.

On a macro level, a faint, much dimmer halo—far weaker than the light of Truth—encircled the Teyvat Universe, shining with the radiance of Law.

Lumine's consciousness was also instantly projected across all places touched by the will of Trailblaze.

Yet it lasted only a moment before withdrawing back into her body.

In that instant, Lumine's own power reached weak single-universe level.

From this point forward, her growth would continue in accordance with her understanding and enactment of the Principle of Trailblaze.

Once she spread the path of Trailblazing throughout the main universe, she would reach standard single-universe level.

When she extended that path throughout the Abyss Universe's myriad realms and planes, she would become strong single-universe level.

And if she brought Trailblaze to every primordial universe of the Divine Collectives, she would attain double-digit strong single-universe status.

Even among strong single-universe entities, there were distinctions. Possessing the power of a single-digit universe meant only being an average strong single.

To put it in perspective, a single-digit strong single could obliterate several universes with a single blow.

Yet power was not determined by quantity, but by quality.

No matter how many universes one could destroy, if the quality didn't change, one remained a strong single-universe.

In contrast, a super single-universe level being was defined by their ability to elevate universal rules into Law—thanks to the overwhelming quality of their Truth.

At present, Teyvat's Truth had not reached that level.

But it was only a matter of time. In fact, all the conditions for a multiversal breakthrough were already present.

Currently, Teyvat was a weak multiversal embryo, awaiting its moment to break free from its cocoon.

The transformation from weak multiverse to standard multiverse would be a true metamorphosis.

For further reference, one could study the structure of the Tree and Sea.

Either through immense resources or through the slow passage of time—growth would come.

Outwardly, Lumine appeared unchanged, but as she opened her eyes, a pale moon-colored ring of Law slowly revolved behind her.

"Wah! Noah! You're so good to me!"

Smack smack smack~

Lumine immediately dove into Noah's arms, planting kiss after kiss across his face.

Chapter 44: Super S-Class Bounty – Suzuki Kaguya

After her discussion with Candle Nine Yin about the Six Paths Treasured Tools, Satsuki secluded herself in the castle laboratory. She wasn't only reorganizing the future laboratory to be rebuilt at the Ryūmyaku, but also refining her plan for creating the Hyūga clan—laying it out into a workable process.

Regardless, creating a brand-new clan required one thing above all: enough resources to allow for trial and error.

Following the castle and laboratory expansions, her funds had already been depleted by more than half. While she had a stable supply of test subjects from the Senju clan, the material she now needed at minimum had to be trained ninja. Even in the Warring States period, ninja corpses were valuable—and an expensive resource.

"In any world, scientific research needs massive funding before it can produce results," she thought, rubbing her temple as she reviewed the puppet-compiled financial report for the castle.

"The fastest way to raise funds, besides trade, is to take bounty missions."

Though her dealings with the Senju clan brought in millions of ryō monthly, the time frame was too long for her liking. In this era, A-rank bounties could fetch millions, while the rarer and far more dangerous super S-class bounties could reach tens of millions.

An S-class missing-nin was vastly stronger than an A-class—by later standards, A-class was jonin level, while S-class could be near or at Kage level.

Nobility was another potential source of funds. "I've already used my noble status to seize control of several major cities, and their treasuries have been sitting untouched. It's about time I made use of them."

The Heavenly Wheel Reincarnation technique could only control a limited number of human puppets, so she wouldn't waste one on menial tasks like these. For the daimyō negotiations, she sent a squad of puppet samurai—those daimyō were already bound by her control seals, so puppets could handle it.

"As for the bounties, Ranzuki can deal with them. It'll be good experience for her as well."

Through the Giant Tenseigan's communication, Satsuki summoned the waiting Ranzuki, who soon arrived in the main hall.

Seated in the master's chair, Satsuki looked down at Ranzuki kneeling respectfully. "I have some tasks for you," she said calmly.

At her mental signal, a maid puppet brought forward intelligence scrolls from the Senju's Iga settlement—records of super S-class bounty ninja. There were fifteen scrolls in all.

"Only fifteen super S-class bounties?" Satsuki was mildly disappointed. In this era, true powerhouses were rare creatures indeed. She casually drew one scroll and opened it.

"Oh, a familiar face."

The scroll detailed the bounty for the leader of the Kaguya clan—Suzuki Kaguya.

It was her first time seeing this "character sheet" style dossier, complete with ability descriptions, danger assessments, and other relevant intel.

After scanning Suzuki Kaguya's abilities, Satsuki quickly formed an assessment: his strength likely rivaled that of Uchiha Tajima with Mangekyō Sharingan activated. The report also made no mention of the bone-related bloodline disease.

Judging by his listed skills, his natural talent surpassed that of Kimimaro in the future. He also appeared to wield both Wind and Earth nature transformations, suggesting he might be even more formidable than Kimimaro with the Cursed Seal of Earth.

As the current head of the Kaguya clan, Suzuki Kaguya had surely found a way to manage the clan's hereditary bloodline disease. It was no wonder—being of Ōtsutsuki descent, the Kaguya clan had had generations to address such an ailment.

Kimimaro's generation had fared far worse. Even a rare genius had died to the disease before reaching his peak—tragic indeed.

Now, before her stood a fully matured Kaguya prodigy. Yet Satsuki had little interest—there was too great a gap between them. As a sparring target for Ranzuki, however, he was ideal.

"Suzuki Kaguya—this will be your first target. You are not to use Tenseigan Chakra Mode. His life or death is irrelevant. Bring the bounty to Kiyomaru."

"Yes, Lady Satsuki." Ranzuki accepted the scroll and vanished from the hall.

This puppet was exceptionally gifted. As her only puppet capable of entering Tenseigan Chakra Mode, Ranzuki's aptitude placed her among the very top of this era—good enough to absorb natural energy on her first attempt without guidance and enter Sage Mode.

That set Satsuki's standards for future puppets extremely high. Any who could not match Ranzuki's talent were unworthy of becoming Heavenly Wheel Reincarnation puppets. Yet Ranzuki's case was rare. She had already spent months screening for materials with the same potential, consuming hundreds of elite test subjects with no match found.

This project had become her second-largest drain on funds.

Restricting Ranzuki from using Tenseigan Chakra Mode was simply to avoid the sages recognizing her connection to Satsuki. Sage Mode alone would suffice for most situations.

With the task assigned, Satsuki infused her Tenseigan with Ōtsutsuki chakra, sweeping her awareness over the castle.

The fortress now neared completion. From its beginnings on the mountainside, it extended all the way to the foot, built in layered Japanese style. Watchtowers, research facilities, factories, transport routes, and puppet maintenance bays were all concealed within structures that seemed ordinary from the outside.

The patrols were still primarily Tenseigan-controlled puppets, granted limited sentience by her chakra. Over a thousand could be counted openly.

Some handled daily patrols, others renovations and expansions, and others maintained barriers and their energy supplies. Research puppets recorded data in the laboratories; worker puppets produced supplies for the Senju and Uchiha; repair puppets maintained the entire puppet force.

This vast operation was the culmination of her plans since obtaining the Tenseigan.

"The castle is now self-sustaining. The security puppets have reached chunin level under my chakra infusion. Security is solid. If trouble arises, I can return instantly with space–time ninjutsu."

Satisfied with her assessment, she closed her eyes to rest—when suddenly, the system's main quest display shifted in her mind:

"Main Quest Update: Become the strongest being in this world (Progress: ???) – prerequisite achieved. New quest unlocked: Assemble the most powerful force in this world (Progress: ???) – prerequisite achieved. Reward: Time–Space Medal ×1."

Chapter 43: Six Paths Treasured Tools

Just after returning, before Satsuki could decide how to arrange Ranzuki, she received a message from Shirakumaru.

She recalled that she had previously assigned him, via the Giant Tenseigan, to infiltrate the Uchiha clan. His mission: to reveal the identities of Indra and Asura to intensify the feud between the two clans, ensuring her plans could proceed.

This time, however, Shirakumaru brought unexpected news.

"Might Hui?"

The name sounded faintly familiar. After pressing Shirakumaru for details on the man's appearance and attire, Satsuki concluded he could well be the grandfather of the future Might Guy—the man who nearly ended everything with a single kick.

According to Shirakumaru, this man had already begun to unconsciously develop the prototype of the Eight Gates Released Formation in battle—an astonishing talent.

The Eight Gates technique required profound knowledge of the body's chakra pathways. While it appeared simple in anime—just opening a sequence of "gates" to channel chakra—the reality was far more complex. The human body contained hundreds of interconnected meridians, each with different functions and different chakra tolerances.

Meridian strength wasn't something one could enhance through training alone. The practitioner needed to select the optimal chakra route before any strengthening could even begin. Without deep knowledge of human chakra networks—or a dojutsu like Satsuki's Byakugan—trying to brute-force open the Eight Gates was essentially suicide.

Considering the charm and character of Might Guy and Rock Lee in the anime, Satsuki decided to pass on her nearly complete Eight Gates technique to them. Strictly speaking, she had acquired it from the anime world, and it no longer offered much improvement to her own abilities.

Her body, refined through the fusion of the Tenseigan and further enhanced by immense natural energy absorption in the Tenryū Heart Cave, far outstripped the benefits of the Eight Gates—and without its severe side effects. After all, the Eight Gates was ultimately a consumable technique.

She ordered Shirakumaru to ensure Might Hui's safety. For now, she placed Ranzuki on standby while preparing to handle the Ryūmyaku chakra energy and consider her position toward the sage faction.

Her staged battle with the Dragon-Headed Sage had granted her the ability to cultivate natural energy but had also offended the sage forces. Though she had the power to disregard them, they remained a potential threat.

Her Tenseigan chakra was far too distinctive. If she appeared openly, she risked deliberate targeting. If she ever allowed Ranzuki to operate freely in the outside world, she would likely need to limit her use of Tenseigan Chakra Mode.

That said, she had no immediate incentive to destroy the sage faction. Their full strength and hidden depth were unknown, but in the future, when facing the Ōtsutsuki main family or the elusive Isshiki Ōtsutsuki, they could serve as useful pieces on the board.

As a descendant of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, Satsuki was destined to inherit many tangled grudges—thanks in no small part to her ancestor's clumsy handling of affairs.

She summoned three squads of puppet samurai and some puppet shinobi to maintain order here, then used the Summoning Technique to call forth the stone statue of Hamura Ōtsutsuki, instructing Kiyomaru to use it to remodel the area.

Kiyomaru, her steward, had been imbued with a true personality by her Tenseigan chakra and was considered part of her household. But as he was not a true human puppet, she had never granted him a new name—he remained Kiyomaru.

After arranging these matters, Satsuki summoned the Giant Tenseigan.

On closer inspection, Satsuki noticed the Giant Tenseigan's glow was slightly dimmer than when she first saw it, and the six-petaled flower pattern at its core was blurred. Clearly, her spur-of-the-moment "Earth Wheel Reincarnation Destruction" had taxed it heavily.

Fortunately, the Ryūmyaku chakra was available.

She placed the Giant Tenseigan within the Ryūmyaku's energy, channeling the flow into it.

The scene caught Candle Nine Yin's attention.

"This energy has already been converted by the Ten-Tails into chakra. It's fundamentally different from natural energy and your Tenseigan chakra," it said, its spectral form emerging from the dragon embroidery on Satsuki's robe. Circling the Giant Tenseigan, it added, "This thing was made by your clan, wasn't it? Some functions resemble the God Tree. Unfortunately, it's incomplete."

"You know about the Ten-Tails?" Satsuki's interest piqued. She was curious about the Ten-Tails as a planetary weapon—especially its energy conversion and chakra authority hierarchy, which effectively rewrote a planet's fundamental physical laws.

In the original story, the Uchiha's ocular power could command tailed beasts directly. Even the Senju, Uzumaki, and other descendants of the Ōtsutsuki could exert a vague suppressive influence. The reason was that the tailed beasts were vast chakra entities born when the Ten-Tails converted the planet's natural energy into chakra—and in doing so, it established a hierarchy of control.

Ōtsutsuki chakra, and that of their descendants, naturally suppressed ordinary chakra. This was why they could so easily subdue tailed beasts.

It was this theory Satsuki had tested when she lent that scroll to Gokuma Senju—and from the results, her Ōtsutsuki chakra indeed had overwhelming control over the Eight-Tails.

"I'm just an outsider," Candle Nine Yin replied. "I discussed the Ten-Tails with Hagoromo, but only superficially. However, I can tell this Giant Tenseigan is incomplete—it can't generate its own energy, only use what it has stored."

It cast her a wary look. "If you used that Earth Wheel Reincarnation Destruction once a month, it would exhaust its reserves in less than three years."

"Ryūmyaku chakra charging is only a stopgap. You have a real solution?" Satsuki caught the implication.

"To let it absorb and convert energy into Tenseigan chakra by itself, you'd need to enhance it—and that requires Hagoromo's relics."

The Six Paths Treasured Tools.

After a moment's thought, Satsuki shaped Tenseigan chakra into three tools: the Amber Purifying Bottle, the Sword of Totsuka, and the Yata Mirror Shield.

"How nostalgic," Candle Nine Yin murmured. "These were made by the Sage of Six Paths after he became the planet's highest authority following the Ten-Tails' distortion of the world's laws. Each tool was imbued with unique Six Paths power. If you could merge them with the Giant Tenseigan, it could not only regenerate energy but perhaps gain other abilities."

"I didn't sense great power from them in battle," Satsuki said, dispersing the images.

"That's because what you've seen are imitations. The genuine Six Paths Treasured Tools vanished after Hagoromo's death."

It withdrew back into her robe.

"No one knows their whereabouts? Is that really true?"

Satsuki didn't take its words at face value.

She remembered the Amber Purifying Bottle imitation had come from the sage clan. If fakes existed, there must be clues to the originals. Once her plan to create the Hyūga clan reached a certain stage, perhaps it would be time to visit the legendary sage clan.

Chapter 42: Candle Nine Yin

After the slash, the entire sage land before Satsuki began to crumble completely. In the area cut by the Earth Wheel Reincarnation Destruction, the very fundamental laws of existence were distorted.

The entire sage land had begun to self-destruct and disintegrate.

"Host, this space is extremely dangerous. I recommend immediate relocation."

In her mind, the system's voice rang out after a long silence.

"No rush."

After replying to the system, Satsuki raised her hand to cancel the summoning of the giant stone statue.

That Earth Wheel Reincarnation Destruction had far exceeded her expectations in power. Even though she had intentionally held back, it still completely destroyed the foundation of this sage land in one strike.

The consumption of Tenseigan chakra for that technique was also terrifying.

Although the Giant Tenseigan could supply nearly infinite Tenseigan chakra and ocular power, recovery still required time, and excessive use placed a burden on it.

"Stop pretending. I know you're not dead."

Looking at the Dragon-Headed Sage several miles away, frozen in place with its dragon eyes wide open, Satsuki spoke impatiently. "If you keep stalling, this place will collapse completely."

"My apologies—adjusting to a new body took some time."

A spectral dragon head emerged from Satsuki's shoulder—none other than the shadow of the Candle Dragon she summoned in Aragami Form. It gazed at the sage land shattering like glass in the far distance and said with regret, "Even if this was an act, you struck too hard. The Tenryū Heart Cave is severely damaged. In three days, it may no longer exist."

The Candle Dragon shadow's eyes shone with intelligence. Judging from its voice, it was indeed the same Dragon-Headed Sage who had fought Satsuki moments ago.

"Isn't that exactly what you wanted?" Satsuki replied indifferently. "This way, they'll have no idea your soul entered this Candle Dragon shadow. They'll just think your body and soul were obliterated by that one slash."

To understand their conversation, one must turn back to the moment Satsuki unleashed the Veil of Light and Shadow.

At that time, pinned to the ground by the oppressive force radiating from the giant eye in the sky, the Dragon-Headed Sage quickly realized what that power was.

Dragon's Might.

The purest, most ancient, and most exalted dragon's might.

It immediately hatched a plan and used the last of its strength to convey its thoughts to Satsuki.

"Oh? You plan to fake your death and become my subordinate, just to regain your dragon body?"

As she wielded the Earth Wheel Reincarnation Destruction, Satsuki negotiated. "But if I lose the Candle Dragon shadow, my power will be greatly reduced, and my relationship with the sage clan will collapse. How will you compensate me?"

"I will not only aid you in battle as it did before, but I can also protect you from the mental erosion of natural energy, allowing you to train in sage chakra safely."

That offer intrigued her.

In the Naruto world, Sage Arts were a supremely powerful but demanding system. Upon learning about the mental side effects of training in Sage Arts, Satsuki had felt relief in avoiding it—but also regret at being unable to practice it.

While the Tenseigan and Giant Tenseigan already gave her Six Paths-level power, sage chakra was like a passive enhancement—perfect Sage Mode caused no conflict with other power systems, and boosted nearly all abilities, with immediate physical benefits.

It was the ultimate all-rounder skill.

Training both could be critical for Satsuki to break past Six Paths level and reach an even higher realm.

Perhaps even the "Kekkei Mōra" level Kaguya Ōtsutsuki once reached, with ocular powers rivaling the Rinne Sharingan.

Satsuki agreed to the deal and deliberately released her suppression of the Dragon-Headed Sage, allowing its soul to escape and merge into the Candle Dragon shadow beside her.

She wasn't worried about deceit. The moment it entered the Candle Dragon shadow, it became bound to the Giant Tenseigan. As the highest authority, she could see every thought in its mind. Any hint of betrayal, and she could erase Candle Nine Yin's will entirely—just like a puppet.

The surrounding sages had already been cleared out by her earlier techniques, so no one knew what had happened.

…

Back to after the battle—

With a sigh, the Candle Dragon shadow floated before Satsuki, lowering its head respectfully.

Having achieved her aim, Satsuki sat in the void. On her black robe, the image of a living dragon rippled vividly.

Taking advantage of the collapse of the Tenryū Heart Cave, Satsuki and Candle Nine Yin began drawing in the surrounding natural energy. The once-scattered energy now surged toward her under an overwhelming pull.

In the already-apocalyptic sage land, a vast storm of natural energy formed in the center, linking heaven and earth.

At its eye stood Satsuki.

Part of the energy streamed into the dragon pattern on her robe; another part rushed into the vermilion mark on her forehead.

She had suddenly thought to imitate Tsunade's Yin Seal technique.

Though Satsuki had not studied sealing arts in depth, her mastery over chakra and natural energy was unparalleled. Absorbing and storing such vast quantities posed no issue.

This absorption lasted for three full days.

Only as the space was about to collapse did she withdraw from the blissful cultivation. The vermilion mark on her forehead, infused with natural energy, condensed into a tiny crimson gem.

Using the spatial coordinates she had set earlier with the Giant Tenseigan, Satsuki warped back to the Ryūmyaku altar.

"Lady Satsuki, you've returned?!"

The delighted voice of Ranzuki reached her ears. For someone long accustomed to solitude, the warmth was unfamiliar, but she quickly suppressed the feeling.

"I'm back," she said calmly, meeting Ranzuki's gaze.

Her eyes soon shifted to the floating, half-starved "test subjects" nearby. Frowning, she asked, "These past days, you've kept them suspended with gravity like this?"

"Yes, Lady Satsuki. Without further orders, I maintained the gravity the whole time."

No wonder. Satsuki realized Ranzuki was still in Tenseigan Chakra Mode, sustaining the gravity for three days straight.

With a complicated look, Satsuki said, "Let them down. I'll have Kiyomaru handle the rest. You come with me."

"Yes."

Ranzuki happily withdrew the gravity. The starving rogue ninja crashed to the ground, all falling unconscious.

"It seems that while Tenseigan chakra can give human puppets a degree of intelligence and personality, they still require cultivation and growth afterward."

Turning away, Satsuki left with a new thought forming in her mind.