The young man watched the video of Svarog and knew that an intense, thrilling battle was about to erupt.
Unfortunately, just as Svarog finished his threatening words, the video cut off.
The young man quickly opened the streaming app just in time, not a second early or late.
Caelus and the others were now standing off against Svarog.
"Peacekeeping Protocol temporarily suspended. Requesting activation of Annihilation Protocol."
March 7th took a step back in alarm. "Annihilation? You mean that literally?"
Dan Heng summoned his spear, "So negotiations have failed. Prepare for battle!"
Clara rushed in front of Svarog. "No, Mr. Svarog!"
"Leave this place, Clara!"
After watching Clara being led away, Svarog spoke slowly.
"Prototype Unit No. 3 'Overseer Machine' Svarog. Annihilation Protocol request status: Approved."
"... Permission to exterminate granted."
Everyone raised their weapons, staring intently at Svarog before them.
Caelus gripped his bat. "If other robots are already this strong, and Svarog still reigns above them... he must have something extraordinary. Everyone, be careful!"
Indeed, just as Caelus predicted, Svarog's power was terrifyingly overwhelming.
Not only could he fire devastating lasers from his palms, but his body's durability also far exceeded their expectations.
Dan Heng's well-aimed spear strike left only a scratch far from a fatal blow.
"That level of toughness is just unfair!" March 7th kept firing arrows while complaining.
"March, look for a chance to freeze Svarog!" Dan Heng advised as he searched for an opening.
"Got it!" March 7th leaped into the air, drew her bowstring taut, and unleashed a volley of arrows that transformed into countless "Pom-Poms" raining down on Svarog.
However—
Svarog's back armor plates flipped open, and a barrage of missiles shot into the sky, obliterating every single "Pom-Pom."
The group was stunned. No wonder Svarog was so domineering.
Truly, all fear stems from insufficient firepower and that's no joke.
After witnessing this, everyone became much more cautious, avoiding reckless approaches.
"Ah without a doctor present, how can we fight with peace of mind? Everyone, focus on the battle. I'll be right behind you."
At that moment, Natasha's voice came from behind them along with Sampo's figure?
Seele turned around excitedly. "Nat? How did you?"
Sampo pointed at himself. "All thanks to yours truly, Sampo!"
"Sampo, you! Of course!"
Svarog observed the sudden reinforcements.
"Detection: Large number of Wildfire armed personnel infiltrated. Threat assessment: All high-risk individuals marked for extermination."
Before he finished speaking, a massive floating hand-shaped robot appeared in the air—clearly, this was Svarog's backup.
Even more terrifying, Natasha the doctor pulled out her own weapon: a hefty grenade launcher.
[Damn, Svarog is so cool!]
[They should make a figurine of him!]
[I'd buy it in a heartbeat especially the missile-launching version!]
[Svarog was already stylish, but this? Mechas will always be a man's ultimate fantasy!]
[But what the hell is that huge, thick gun Natasha's holding? Isn't she the healer?]
[Guess the saying's true: "Studying medicine can't save all." It's a widely circulated quote for a reason.]
[Eh, it's fine. This just makes her even more reliable!]
—
The battle resumed.
But with numbers on their side, Sampo's occasional assists, and Natasha's firepower, Svarog was soon forced into retreat.
Finally, Svarog could no longer hold on, dropping to one knee as sparks crackled across his body.
Natasha clenched her teeth, her grenade launcher glowing as she charged up one final attack.
Just then—
Clara rushed forward, arms outstretched, shielding Svarog.
"W-Wait...!"
"Please don't hurt Mr. Svarog!"
The camera zoomed in on Clara her fear, her trembling, the tears at the corners of her eyes, yet unmistakable courage shining through.
[This close-up damn! Who's the cinematographer? I need to treat them to dinner!]
[It's a beauty born of fear and courage!]
[So beautiful, truly beautiful! Not just her looks, but her spirit.]
[The hymn of humanity is the hymn of courage; the greatness of humanity is the greatness of courage!]
[I rarely praise people, but I have to say Clara perfectly blends "delicate vulnerability" and "fearless strength"!]
[This is miHoYo at its finest!]
—
With Clara's intervention, Svarog acknowledged the trio as "Variables" of value.
They were integrated into Svarog's cold logic and he calculated a completely different outcome.
At last, the moment arrived.
Svarog revealed the truth of this planet to everyone present.
However.
The truth is always a sharp blade:
The upper echelons of this world including its guardian had long known that the Stellaron was the source of disaster.
Yet, to maintain the city's stability, they chose to conceal it.
And all secret attempts to destroy the Stellaron ended in failure.
These revelations struck Bronya like daggers to the chest.
Every breath felt unbearably heavy.
"Mother... Why? Maybe she didn't know... Maybe she"
Seele gripped Bronya's shoulders. "Stop lying to yourself. It's time to make a decision!"
Bronya met Seele's gaze. "All these years... was I chasing a lie?"
"Quit looking so defeated. You can share your troubles with me. Or do you think your high status means you can't show weakness?"
"This isn't the Overworld. Here, you can shout your frustrations out loud."
"I just... I don't know who to trust anymore!"
"You've lived in lies long enough. Now's your chance to break free."
Caelus watched silently.
Natasha approached him and explained that she was, in fact, Wildfire's true leader.
She assured him that the trio could return to the Overworld tomorrow with Seele accompanying them.
But for now, rest was crucial to face what lay ahead.
Before leaving, however, Caelus curiously eavesdropped on Clara and Svarog.
Clara fretted over Svarog. "Is your memory module damaged? Clara wants to help however she can."
"Records from the Architects' mechanical era: intact. Combat data from the Preservation War: intact. Logs from the Glimmer Exploration Team period: intact..."
"Clara's creation of the mini magnetic drill: intact. Clara's explanation of the human behavior 'sleeping in': intact..."
"S-So, the memory module is fine?"
"All data related to Clara has been backed up. No need for concern."
"...Even the 'sleeping in' logs?"
"Multiple backups exist. Ready for retrieval at any time."
"Mr. Svarog, can I delete some of them...?"
"Request denied. All memories involving Clara are vital data. Must be preserved in full."
[LMAO, I'm dying. We just had an epic battle, and now we get this sweet, funny slice-of-life moment.]
[Oddly enough, it doesn't feel disjointed at all!]
[Gotta hand it to miHoYo their pacing is impeccable.]
...
After the chaos, Caelus decided to let Wildfire handle the aftermath. Right now, exhaustion weighed heavily.
The trio returned to the familiar Goth Grand Hotel.
March 7th looked both relieved and guilty. "Finally, we're one step closer to the Stellaron! But... I feel bad for Clara. We promised her a peaceful talk with Svarog."
"My fault. I couldn't convince him." Caelus rubbed his head.
Dan Heng reassured him. "You did your best. The oversight was mine I didn't prepare well enough. Besides, Svarog struck first. We had no choice."
"But there's still so much we don't understand!"
"Like why Cocolia is targeting us!" Caelus' expression darkened at her name.
He then shared the whispers he'd heard in his dreams.
After discussing with his companions, Caelus reached a conclusion:
The most urgent task now was to return to the hotel and get some proper sleep.
They could consult Wildfire for their thoughts tomorrow.
The scene shifted Caelus sprawled across his bed in a starfish pose.
Soon, he drifted into sleep, hoping no demonic whispers would haunt him tonight.
—
Meanwhile, Seele and Bronya stood before Rivet Town's orphanage, reminiscing.
After a long silence, Seele smirked.
"...Honestly, I can't picture it. But more importantly what 'vulgar language' did you even say back then?"