I am Liu Xiyue.
Just moments ago, I had been prepared to risk everything. Then, right before I acted, a familiar voice interrupted me.
But the voice was distorted beneath layers of electronic static. In that life-or-death moment, I couldn't recognize who it belonged to.
Before I could think further, a strange force swept through my mind.
The chaotic whispers clouding my consciousness faded instantly, as though someone had forcibly cleared away the corruption gnawing at my sanity.
At the same time, that voice calmly reminded me:
"Something big is coming."
I didn't take it too seriously at first.
Then, in the next second, my instincts exploded with warning.
A terrifying heat source was descending from the sky at incredible speed.
I barely had time to lift my head.
Boom!!!
An ultra-miniature "meteor" tore through the ceiling like a blazing star and smashed violently into the center of the venue.
The entire ground shook.
The impact instantly obliterated one of the Flesh Worms.
…
…
The burning "meteor" crashed down with overwhelming momentum.
A scorching shockwave erupted outward like a tidal wave. The air distorted violently from the heat, and countless glass panels burst apart with sharp cracking noises.
Yet strangely enough, despite the terrifying destructive force, the heatwave seemed perfectly controlled.
Floors were overturned.
Walls cracked apart.
Dust surged wildly into the air.
But the fleeing crowd remained untouched.
Not a single person was burned.
Not even a strand of hair had been singed.
This level of control was something far beyond Liu Xiyue's capabilities.
The remaining Extraterritorial Creature wasn't nearly as fortunate.
At almost point-blank range, the creature was smashed by the aftershock head-on.
Boom!!!
Its enormous body exploded apart like a shattered glass bottle.
Chunks of disgusting flesh and dark blood sprayed everywhere, blasting through the walls before raining outside the venue.
Liu Xiyue coughed repeatedly amidst the smoke and dust, her body stained with ash.
Meanwhile, in a distant safe area, Silver Wolf leaned lazily against a wall while chewing gum, calmly watching the battlefield unfold.
[As expected of her.]
[Somehow… this scene feels nostalgic.]
As the smoke gradually dispersed, Liu Xiyue narrowed her eyes.
Her crimson pupils locked onto the "meteor" at the center of the crater.
Then—
The thing slowly stood up.
Liu Xiyue's eyes widened.
"This is actually… a person?"
Within the smoke stood a humanoid silhouette.
Silver Wolf, however, had already seen through the dust clearly.
It was a tall suit of white mechanical armor.
The head was completely enclosed beneath a mask-like helmet, concealing the pilot entirely.
Heavy pauldrons protected the shoulders.
Movable armor plates reinforced the elbows.
Flame thrusters glowed faintly beneath the arms and feet.
Every joint of the armor looked designed solely for overwhelming combat efficiency.
Silver Wolf clicked her tongue softly.
[What a pity.]
[This thing means a lot to Firefly. Otherwise I'd definitely borrow it for a spin.]
The smoke continued clearing.
Finally, the armored figure became fully visible.
Half-kneeling inside the crater, Sam's right fist remained embedded deeply in the shattered ground.
Cracks spread outward like spiderwebs beneath the armor.
The scorch marks alone were enough to reveal just how terrifying that landing strike had been.
Liu Xiyue subconsciously compared herself against it.
If it were purely a competition of firepower...
She wasn't necessarily weaker.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, the armored figure moved.
"Landing successful. Enemies have been repelled."
A calm mechanical voice echoed from inside the armor.
Sam slowly pulled her fist from the ground before landing lightly in front of Liu Xiyue.
Liu Xiyue instinctively narrowed her eyes.
She stared cautiously at the person before her, unable to suppress a trace of curiosity.
Sam paid no attention to her scrutiny.
The visor slowly scanned the surroundings like a machine analyzing the battlefield.
Finally, it settled on Liu Xiyue herself.
Disheveled appearance.
Blood flowing from her nose, eyes and ears.
Severely damaged mental condition.
Yet those crimson eyes remained incredibly bright.
Through Sam's visual systems, every detail was displayed with absolute clarity.
"Confirmed. Mental state depleted. No immediate threat to life."
Silver Wolf's voice immediately followed inside the communication channel.
[That's because I healed her in time.]
[Otherwise the whole 'hero arrives at the last second' moment would've belonged to me.]
"Mm. Thanks for the assistance."
Sam replied calmly.
Only then did Liu Xiyue realize something.
The mysterious voice inside her head and the armored figure before her belonged to the same side.
Her thoughts sharpened slightly.
Even while mentally exhausted, Liu Xiyue still condensed a small fireball in her palm and spoke warily.
"Who exactly are you?"
Sam turned toward her.
The electronic voice remained steady and emotionless.
"Stellaron Hunters."
"Sam."
…
…
A few minutes earlier.
Inside the café.
Firefly was currently working at the front counter when several university students nearby suddenly began discussing something excitedly.
"Holy crap, look at this video! They say today's Anime Convention got attacked or something. The whole place is chaos right now."
"No way, seriously?! A friend invited me earlier too. Good thing I didn't go."
Firefly blinked.
Anime Convention?
Silver Wolf had mentioned one earlier today.
She had even invited her.
Firefly originally thought it was probably just a coincidence.
Then her phone suddenly rang.
For some reason, the moment she saw the incoming call, an uneasy feeling rose inside her chest.
"Hello?"
The call connected instantly.
An electronic voice spoke from the other end.
"Hello, Firefly. I am the artificial intelligence 'Friend' installed within Prometheus. Partner's current location has encountered severe abnormal interference. Probability of mystic realm involvement: extremely high."
Firefly froze.
She immediately remembered the AI Silver Wolf had mentioned before.
And since it could directly contact the phone Silver Wolf personally modified for her, there was no reason to doubt it.
Almost instantly, Firefly removed her work apron.
"Manager, something happened to my friend. I need to leave immediately. Sorry!"
Without waiting for a reply, she rushed out the door.
"Hey, wait—"
The shop owner instinctively tried stopping her.
But Firefly had already disappeared.
The owner sighed helplessly.
"That child…It's not like I would've refused…"
Having someone important enough to worry about wasn't a bad thing.
The problem was—
Firefly hadn't gone through the front entrance.
And behind the café…
Was a narrow alleyway no ordinary person should have been able to cross that quickly.