For Olvia, Viola naturally inspired a sense of closeness. Among all Seraphim prototypes, having living parents was exceedingly rare, which made Viola's situation unique.
Once Olvia learned of Viola's origins, her gaze softened, carrying a quiet trace of maternal affection. Before long, Viola nestled into Olvia's embrace, the two forming a picture of warmth that resembled a loving mother and daughter.
At that moment, the Snake Princess suddenly reached out her small hand and gently tugged at Lloyd's collar, her voice soft as she spoke.
"Saint Lloyd, can you let me see your wings again? You flew too fast earlier, I could not see clearly..."
Lloyd paused briefly, then gave a slight nod. With a thought, a pair of enormous black wings unfolded behind him, their presence commanding and vast. He carefully brushed one wing against the Snake Princess in his arms.
Her eyes lit up as she clapped her hands.
"So beautiful... why are ours so small?"
Lloyd allowed a faint smile.
"Because you are still young. In time, your wings will grow as well."
Unlike Pacifista, the Seraphim were not mere machines. They were living beings, capable of growth just like ordinary humans.
The Snake Princess nodded thoughtfully before continuing.
"Saint Lloyd, I heard Kuma say that you can also control flames, just like us."
As she spoke, she gestured toward the back of her neck. Earlier, in order to be held comfortably, she had retracted the Lunarian flame behind her neck, switching into speed mode. Lloyd himself remained in that state most of the time, as the constant presence of flame could easily harm others unintentionally.
Seeing her curiosity, Lloyd activated his innate ability without hesitation. A blazing flame ignited behind his neck, rising fiercely as the surrounding temperature increased.
However, such heat held little effect on the Seraphim. The reflection of the flames danced within the Snake Princess's star-shaped pupils as she murmured,
"Saint Lloyd... are you our Father?"
The words caused an immediate reaction.
Before Lloyd could respond, Olvia's cheeks flushed red, while Robin's expression turned noticeably strange.
Just moments earlier, Olvia had allowed Viola to call her Mom. Now, the Snake Princess referred to Lloyd as "our Father," clearly including all Seraphim within that meaning.
The implication was obvious, it subtly tied Lloyd and Olvia together as a pair. For Robin, it was even more abrupt, as it implied Lloyd becoming her father.
She had no intention of accepting that.
Robin was about to speak and correct the misunderstanding, but Lloyd responded first.
He shook his head slightly, a faint chuckle escaping him.
"No, I am not your Father. The Lunarian lineage factors within you originate from King. Even so, he cannot be considered your Father either."
The Snake Princess blinked, then gave a soft, understanding response.
"Oh."
Lloyd gently set her down and spoke in an even tone.
"Snake Princess, stay here and play with Viola for a while. I have matters to attend to."
She nodded obediently, her voice bright and sweet.
"I will wait here for Saint Lloyd to return!"
Lloyd gave a small nod, lightly patting her head before activating Kamui. His figure gradually faded until he vanished entirely.
Outside the defensive perimeter, Lucia remained aboard Vice Admiral Huoshaoshan's warship. As an Admiral, her presence quickly stabilized the fleet, which had fallen into disarray after the earlier attack by the Ancient Robots. The defensive line had since been reorganized.
By the time Lloyd returned, the last group of injured soldiers had already been transported to the rear for treatment.
Lucia had also deployed a unit of Fish-Man Navy soldiers into the sea, instructing them to patrol beneath the surface and prevent another surprise attack from below.
Since Shirahoshi had been escorted to Mary Geoise, relations between Fish-Man Island and the World Government had grown significantly closer. As a result, the Navy now had access to a considerable number of Fish-Man soldiers.
Lloyd remained aboard the warship until dusk. As the sky darkened, he prepared to call Lucia back to Mary Geoise.
At that moment, two Fish-Man Navy soldiers burst from the ocean, landing heavily onto the deck. Their expressions were tense and urgent.
Upon spotting Lloyd, they reported immediately.
"Celestial Dragon Marshal, we have detected giant robots beneath the sea. They have returned!"
Lloyd's eyes narrowed slightly. He walked to the bow and gazed down at the water.
Moments later, the calm sea began to churn violently. Several Fish-Man soldiers leapt out, some visibly wounded.
With a raised hand, Lloyd exerted control, pulling all of them safely onto the deck mid-air.
No sooner had they landed than three massive figures rose from the ocean once more.
Huoshaoshan stepped forward, his voice grave.
"Celestial Dragon Marshal, these are the same robots that attacked us earlier."
Lloyd observed them carefully.
Their forms closely resembled the ancient machine Emet he had encountered on Egghead Island. However, these units appeared far more rigid, their expressions devoid of any trace of intelligence.
One of them was missing an arm, clearly the one severely damaged during the earlier battle.
The moment they surfaced, the surrounding warships unleashed a barrage of cannon fire. Explosions engulfed the three machines in an instant.
When the smoke cleared, the robots remained.
Their steel bodies were scorched black. The damaged unit appeared the worst, with half its head destroyed and sparks crackling from exposed mechanisms.
This time, the Navy was prepared. Thanks to the enhancements by Dr. Vegapunk, the fleet's artillery possessed formidable destructive power.
Yet the machines showed no hesitation.
They felt no pain, no fear. With glowing red eyes, they charged directly toward Lloyd's warship.
Huoshaoshan snorted, preparing to order another volley, but Lloyd raised a hand, stopping him.
In the next instant, a figure streaked forward in a flash of purple light.
Lucia shot across the battlefield, halting above the sea before the advancing machines.
From the surrounding ships, voices rang out.
"Admiral Nightingale!"
Lucia held her blade vertically before her chest, its edge burning with intense purple flames. Compared to the towering machines, her figure seemed small, yet the presence she exuded was overwhelming, like an immovable mountain.
In the next moment, the flames erupted.
A vast curtain of purple fire surged outward, descending upon the Ancient Robots below.
"Day of Judgment, Hell's Descent!"