"Where did you go?" Superman asked with concern.
"Just took a little trip," Liu A'dou said as he teleported back. The shrinking effect only worked inside the bottled cities—once outside, he returned to normal. "I went to deal with the missiles." Truth was, he was still secretly giddy about having talked those AIs into suicide.
"Have you decided where to place all these bottled cities?"
"The Fortress of Solitude still has room. We agreed to store them all there," Superman said.
"Alright, I'll help you carry them."
Once that was done, Liu A'dou returned to the South Pole. From Colu's capital he had gotten something valuable—the upgraded schematics for the shrink ray. Though they hadn't built an actual device, the scientists' minds had never stopped working. In gratitude for Kid saving them, they gave him the design as a gift.
The Moonlight had been completed. At last, the two elf apprentices would return to their homeworld. Kid returned Uncle Ben's body to him.
Neo was reluctant to part with them. Though the time at the South Pole had been short, it had been full of laughter and fights. In a way, Ben and Kailan were his very first friends. "I'll miss you," he said, handing Ben a gift.
It was Ben's favorite—an Elsa CD. "Thank you."
Kailan's gift was even more dazzling, a crown identical to the Snow Queen's, breathtaking in its beauty.
Kid, on the other hand, stood empty-handed. "I only brought your junior here. Even though we just met and now must part, don't forget the bond between you three."
Harry had already acknowledged Kid as his master. He also knew his senior brother and sister bore responsibilities even heavier than his own. Ruling an entire planet far outweighed running a corporation.
"I've got gifts too," Harry said, pulling out two boxes. "Inside are two high-polymer battle suits, Jedi-style. You'll need them—take care of yourselves."
That made Kid, the empty-handed master, even more embarrassed. But Ben quickly said, "Master, you've already helped us so much. You taught us the Force, helped us build the Moonlight. Without you, I wouldn't even know how to fulfill my uncle's wish."
Kailan went even further, bowing deeply with the most solemn etiquette of the Green Elves. "Master, your teachings will never be forgotten."
Liu A'dou's nose itched and his eyes blurred. "Why are you two being so dramatic? Go on, don't disgrace the Jedi name. Teach those Chitauri a good lesson—for your master's sake."
"We'll definitely complete the mission, Master," Ben said. Raising his right hand, he used the Force to lift his uncle's ice coffin and carried it aboard the ship.
Kailan nodded firmly, then turned back.
They already had their homeworld's coordinates, but before returning they planned to scout nearby and learn about its current state. That meant taking a detour.
"From here on, it's all up to you," Liu A'dou thought, worried but ultimately choosing to trust his apprentices. They would handle it.
The Moonlight spread its wings and soared into space, graceful as a swan.
"Alright, time to get back to finishing the subscription system," Kid said. With mecha infantry taking off in popularity, he decided that beyond selling equipment, the future would run on monthly passes.
A good game didn't need to fear losing players. If you charged, they'd pay.
But building the Moonlight had drained Liu A'dou's savings, including everything earned from the game. As the mecha infantry game expanded, more elements, weapons, and maps kept being added. In countries where the hardware wasn't sold, people went through all sorts of channels to get the gear.
"Worldwide release is already set," Harry said. "Should we start selling monthly passes right after launch?"
"That's your call," Liu A'dou replied, shrugging. Business was something he happily left to others.
Harry shrugged. "Then it's settled." After all, he now ran the company. The success of the mecha infantry had brought in a lot of money. With the board seeing the profits, no one gave him trouble anymore.
This year had been a chaotic blur, nonstop from start to finish. Half the time he didn't even know what he'd been doing. Sometimes, when he thought about it, it felt like too much already.
But did Liu A'dou think the year would just end like that, that the new year would be fresh and peaceful? Obviously, it wasn't going to be that simple.
Life was unpredictable—even the main character couldn't see everything coming.
In a Metropolis restaurant, Lois was eating while rushing to finish an article. As a frontline reporter, danger was her daily companion. Even her eating, drinking, and living revolved around work. She probably even dreamed of scooping Superman in her sleep.
Suddenly, the sound of an argument broke out in the restaurant. Lois had picked the quietest place she could, yet when she looked up, she saw a tall woman in a standoff with a waiter.
Listening closely, Lois realized the woman was trying to skip paying for her meal. But she didn't look like the type. Beautiful, elegant, even more striking than an actress. If the waiter hadn't been a woman, she might've just let her walk out.
It turned out the woman had simply forgotten her wallet. She said she'd return to her hotel to get it, but the waiter insisted on proof she'd come back.
Just when Lois thought it was nothing out of the ordinary, the tall woman suddenly grabbed the waiter and lifted her clean off the ground. "I said I'll come back, so I will. Don't provoke me."
That kind of strength wasn't normal. Her arm looked like solid stone. The waiter struggled and struck at her but couldn't make her let go.
Security rushed in, but the woman flicked her hand and sent the table's knife and fork flying. The guards went down instantly, blown back as if hit by bullets. The force of it was like a storm.
'Impressive,' Lois thought. This was definitely news. A woman like this couldn't be ordinary. "I'll pay her bill," Lois said quickly.
Then she stepped forward. "Hi, I'm Lois. Reporter."
"Luciela. Warrior."
"Warrior?" Lois blinked. A soldier? "Are you in the Marines?"
"What's the Marines?" Luciela asked, puzzled. "I'm a Claymore warrior."
Looking at Luciela's inhuman beauty, paired with her strange words, Lois's instincts screamed that this woman was not normal. She leaned in, curiosity piqued. "What exactly is a Claymore warrior? Can you tell me?"
Luciela didn't see any reason to hide it. After leaving the hospital, she'd stayed in Gotham for a while, learning how to live on Earth. She found Earth wasn't paradise—it had sin, too. She'd learned about money and how to use her fists to earn what she needed.
She had come to Metropolis because Superman appeared here so often. She wanted him to either fight by her side or face her in battle, to draw strong followers to her.
Luciela had taught herself to drive, crashing through who knew how many traffic laws and injuring plenty along the way, before finally arriving in Metropolis. Lois was the first woman to greet her with kindness. Most men they passed had tried to get close, only to be beaten down. To Luciela, Lois's warmth made her drop her guard. That was a Claymore's weakness—low defense against kind, beautiful women.
Lois could hardly believe it. She had just gone out for dinner and run into an alien. But then again, this was Metropolis. Why not? She quickly put the pieces together and smiled softly. "Welcome to Metropolis."