Chapter 104 - Aftermath
The streets of Helios Reach slowly returned to normal.
Inside the ruined restaurant, Imperial soldiers carefully cleaned the shattered tables and broken walls left behind by the confrontation.
One of the Imperial Elite Soldiers let out a tired sigh as he swept pieces of broken stone into a pile.
"...There goes the Administrator again."
"And here we are..."
"...cleaning up his mess."
The soldier beside him immediately elbowed him in the ribs.
"Keep your voice down."
"If someone hears you, you'll be the one cleaning latrines for the next month."
The first soldier immediately straightened his posture.
"...Right."
Nearby, an Imperial officer apologized repeatedly to the restaurant owner while handing over a heavy pouch filled with Skyrealm's Credits.
"The Empire will cover all repair costs."
"We sincerely apologize for the damages."
The owner could only nod nervously.
Then—
BOOOOM!!
A deafening explosion echoed across the city.
The ground trembled beneath everyone's feet.
"What was that?!"
Civilians screamed and scattered through the streets.
Several Imperial soldiers immediately rushed outside.
"Report!"
One scout sprinted toward the officer before saluting.
"Sir!"
"Something... or someone..."
"...just crashed into the downtown district!"
The officer's eyes widened.
"What?!"
"Seal the area!"
"Medical teams, move!"
"Everyone else with me!"
Within minutes, dozens of Imperial soldiers surrounded the impact site.
A massive crater had torn through several abandoned buildings.
Dust and rubble covered everything.
The soldiers cautiously approached.
Then...
They froze.
Standing in the middle of the crater...
Was Administrator Orion.
Half of his face had fractured into glowing golden code.
Parts of his body flickered as damaged system fragments desperately tried to reconstruct themselves.
Even his long coat had been torn apart.
The surrounding soldiers stared in disbelief.
They had never seen an Administrator injured.
"Administrator Orion!"
Several soldiers rushed forward to support him.
"Please, let us assist you!"
Orion shoved one of them aside.
"...Don't."
"I can stand..."
"...on my own."
He forced himself upright.
His body staggered.
For a brief moment...
It looked as though he might collapse again.
Then his balance returned.
His golden eyes burned with frustration.
"...Damn you..."
"...Blaze."
His voice echoed across the silent street.
"This isn't over."
"I swear it."
His fists slowly clenched.
He had been outplayed.
Not defeated by strength.
But by strategy.
The realization only made his anger worse.
Golden light surrounded his body.
Without another word—
He vanished.
Silence filled the ruined street.
One young soldier slowly lowered his weapon.
"...He's gone."
Another quietly answered.
"He probably returned to the Administrators' headquarters."
The commanding officer remained silent for several moments before another soldier asked,
"Sir..."
"Should we begin searching the city?"
"The Starlink Sniper and her group can't be far."
The officer slowly shook his head.
"...Negative."
Every soldier looked at him in confusion.
"They just fought an Administrator..."
"And survived."
His expression became serious.
"There are only a handful of players in the New World capable of accomplishing that."
"We are not engaging them without direct orders."
He turned toward one of the messengers.
"Send an emergency report to Commander Frostbyte."
"And request immediate reinforcements."
"Yes, sir!"
The messenger disappeared into the crowded streets.
The officer looked once more toward the crater left behind by Orion.
"...The Empire just gained another reason to fear Blaze."
Meanwhile...
Several districts away...
A flash of blue and white light appeared in a quiet corner of Helios Reach.
One after another...
Blaze...
Ryze...
Volt...
And SK crashed onto the stone pavement.
Thankfully, this part of the city was far from the busy marketplaces.
Only a handful of civilians witnessed their sudden arrival before quickly running away.
Volt groaned as he slowly stood up.
"...Remind me..."
"...never to fight an Administrator again."
Ryze sat against a nearby wall, breathing heavily after exhausting nearly all of her mana.
"...Agreed."
SK looked around carefully before lowering her scythe.
"...We made it."
Then all three turned toward Blaze.
He stood silently, staring back toward the distant center of Helios Reach where Orion had reappeared.
After a long silence...
Blaze smiled.
"...Well."
"...That was fun."
The other three could only stare at him.
"...You're insane."
Volt finally said.
Blaze simply laughed as the four disappeared into the quieter streets of Helios Reach before the Empire could discover where they had landed.