"World Bubble adventures, heroes versus demon kings—Rosalia wants to be a hero!"
Inside the office of Saint Freya Academy's Theresa, a group of assembled comrades listened attentively to Daniel's briefing. No sooner had he finished than Rosalia's hand shot up, her excitement nearly palpable. Her twin sister, Liliya, shared her enthusiasm.
"Bronya also wants to check it out," someone added. Thanks to the launch of Daniel's gaming company, Bronya had even begun developing her own game. Perhaps it was because she now possessed the upgraded Little Rabbit mech—or maybe she was inspired by that high-octane mech animation Walter Young once produced—Bronya had developed a keen interest in mecha-themed games and animations.
"Leave the demon king-slaying to Kiana," Kiana declared cheerfully.
"Idiot, Kiana—the demon king will surely be defeated by Bronya," someone teased. Although direct rivalries among Bronya and Kiana had diminished recently, in certain circles they still couldn't resist one-upping each other.
All of this was thanks in part to the arrival of Hiser, which finally allowed Bronya to break free from clinging to Mei.
"Of course the demon king will be vanquished by Rosalia, right, Liliya?" Rosalia chimed in, leaping up beside her sister.
"Alright, tomorrow we all go. We can even treat it like a vacation—just get some good rest tonight," someone proposed.
"World Bubble, heroes versus demon kings, and Chickenhead—what do you say?" Saint Freya Academy's message echoed, and Daniel from Anti-Entropy made sure not to forget it.
"Go ahead. Leave this here to me and Walter; you all take the chance to get some rest," Schrödinger interjected before Einstein could reply.
"Is this the World Bubble? Where's the demon king?"
The next morning, Daniel gathered the group inside the World Bubble. Rosalia was the first to volunteer to take on the demon king, already armed to the teeth. So excited was she—she barely slept last night, and it was thanks to Liliya's insistence that she eventually managed some sleep.
"I don't know where the demon king is," Daniel explained, "but as long as we follow the true hero, we'll find out. Look, they're here!"
Daniel had chosen a route that led straight through the Emerald Forest—a passage that Delta and Hiser used as their main thoroughfare.
"Ah, there's Hiser—and is that… you?"
As Hiser and Delta appeared in view, everyone paused in surprise. Rosalia was the first to bound over to Delta, her eyes wide with curiosity, with Liliya close on her heels.
"Not again," Delta muttered. Gazing at the twin sisters with a mix of exasperation and fondness, she pressed her left hand against her head. As someone well-versed in World Bubble affairs, she knew all too well that she already had a pair at home.
"Don't worry, Bronya—it's okay," Hiser cried excitedly as she leapt into Bronya's arms.
"Um, I'm not the Bronya you know," Bronya corrected gently once Hiser's tears had subsided, clarifying her true identity.
"Ah, sorry, Sister Bronya—no, I mean… uh," Hiser stammered after Bronya's explanation, clearly embarrassed by her misidentification.
"If you want, you can call me 'Sister'," Bronya offered softly, and Hiser happily agreed.
"Let me explain everything," Major Ji stepped forward and recounted the background in brief.
"What the heck are you up to?" Delta hissed as she managed to break free from the twin sisters and edge toward Daniel, speaking in a low voice.
"Relax—we're here just to take a break in this World Bubble. Your companions seem to like you, so for now, let's stick together. In the world we came from, those children became Fusion Warriors purely by accident," Daniel explained, summarizing how the twins had come to be. His words drew a serious expression from Delta.
Different worlds produced vastly different fates—while in some worlds twin sisters might be incredibly lucky, in Delta's world, Liliya had been less fortunate, which led to the circumstances that created Delta herself.
"Delta, Delta—how did you become so strong?" the twins cooed in awe as they watched Delta effortlessly subdue them with a display of power that earned their admiration.
"According to the Hero's Guide, not far ahead should be the Emerald Forest. There, the Spring Spirit is said to reside," Major Ji said, holding up the battered Hero's Guide with a rueful smile. She glanced at Hiser with the same expression one might use when looking at a naive child—many details in the guide were obviously fabricated, yet Hiser believed every word. Had it not been for Delta's intervention, Hiser might still be stuck toiling away on pointless tasks.
Even though the Hero's Guide was unreliable, it did provide a target: to traverse the Emerald Forest, pass the ruins, and reach the floating island—the alleged lair of the demon king.
"Hiser, don't worry—we'll save your Sister Bronya," someone promised reassuringly.
During their journey, the group moved in unison, with Aleliyah casually peppering Hiser with questions about the basic conditions of this World Bubble.
"By the way, here," Daniel tossed a small spatial ring to Delta along the way. Every member of the group now possessed one—Cang Xuan's Book had one as well. With it, carrying personal gear or weapons became much easier.
"Thanks," Delta replied after a moment's hesitation. For someone who often traversed World Bubbles, she well knew the convenience a spatial ring brought.
"Don't mention it—meeting someone like this in a vast World Bubble is destiny," Daniel added with a smile.
"Isn't that just like a clumsy disguise?" Delta teased.
At noon the next day, the group finally arrived at the Emerald Forest. As they deliberated on how to locate the Spring Spirit, they suddenly discovered a multitude of wooden signposts scattered among the fallen leaves. Each sign, bearing cryptic inscriptions about the Spring Spirit, lay almost hidden beneath the forest's detritus.
"Let's see what the Spring Spirit looks like—if it's me," Rosalia joked, reading one of the signs aloud. Soon enough, following the directions on the signs, the group pinpointed the Spring Spirit's location. Standing by the trunk of a large tree was the Spring Spirit—a being that looked exactly like Kiana, except for one difference: the spirit's ears were pointed, like those of an elf.
"Spring Spirit, have you seen Sister Bronya?" Hiser cried, dashing forward with urgency as the group stared in astonishment at the uncanny resemblance.
"Uh… are you a hero? Who might you be?" The Spring Spirit greeted Hiser with a gentle smile that immediately froze as more people emerged from the distance—especially one person at the very front, whose appearance was an exact duplicate of hers.
"We are allies of the heroes," Rosalia bellowed confidently.
"Let me see… According to the Hero's Guide, you need to toss coins into the spring," Hiser said. Spotting that the Spring Spirit hadn't reacted, she quickly flipped through the Hero's Guide and produced a pouch of coins she'd earned from previous performances, ready to toss them into the spring behind the spirit.
"Hold on," Delta interrupted sharply, drawing her red greatsword "Sleeping Beauty" and jabbing it into the ground. She fixed a stern gaze on the Spring Spirit. "Weren't those wooden signs made by you? Why lure heroes here?"
For Delta, the coins in Hiser's hand were clearly hard-earned from endless performances. It irritated her that those sent to collect items in the World Bubble weren't even given a modest starting fund—forcing her to go hungry on occasion.
"I don't understand what you mean," the Spring Spirit said, her gaze drifting uneasily as if hiding a secret.
"We're here to help defeat the demon king. Please, update us on Sister Bronya's status," Delta pressed just as Major Ji reappeared from a side corridor.
"Your Sister Bronya—if she hasn't returned yet, it means she hasn't defeated the demon king," the Spring Spirit revealed after a thoughtful pause.
"Sister Bronya!" Hiser's eyes widened with worry.
"Don't worry, Hiser. We'll rescue your Sister Bronya," another Hiser comforted her gently.
"Yo, Youlandel—who would have thought that you're a forest spirit! I wonder what I'd look like," someone quipped as the Spring Spirit spoke with a slight air of amusement.
Guided by the Spring Spirit, the group quickly ventured deep into the Emerald Forest. Beyond the forest lay the ancient ruins; however, the path was blocked by a beautiful young woman with long golden hair and two deer-antlered knights.
"Sorry, you cannot pass—we can't risk sacrificing more lives," the young guardian said apologetically, though she showed no inclination to step aside.
"Forest Spirit!" someone shouted.
"Pardon me—I'm in a hurry. Please step aside," the guardian pleaded.
At that moment, Delta suddenly charged forward with her red "Sleeping Beauty" in hand. The two deer-antlered knights flanked the guardian to block Delta's attack, but within seconds both were swept away by Delta's powerful strike.
"Delta, you're amazing!" Rosalia and Liliya, witnessing Delta's display of might, cheered excitedly. Delta's sweeping sword not only sent the knights flying but also shattered trees within several dozen meters of her path.
Just then, as Delta swung again at the Forest Spirit, the spirit produced a strangely designed wooden spear from thin air, intercepting Delta's blow.
"Enough—this is where we stop. Let's head back," the Forest Spirit declared, and at once the forest seemed to come alive. The ground's grass began growing at an alarming rate, twisting around Delta's feet, while shattered tree trunks sprouted new branches that reached toward her.
"Truly impressive—a forest spirit capable of controlling trees. I suppose that means the Spring Spirit can control water," someone observed.
It wasn't until now that Daniel truly recognized the latent power hidden within this World Bubble.
"Interesting, but these little tricks won't hold me off for long," Delta laughed as she deftly sliced through the creeping grass and branches with her greatsword, and charged once more at the Forest Spirit.
Realizing that conventional plant magic wasn't effective, the Forest Spirit abandoned her spells and advanced with her spear. As the old saying goes, a mage who can't fight up close isn't a good mage—and in the Forest Spirit, that truism was fully evident.
"Let's fall back a bit," Major Ji ordered as the battle's shockwaves grew stronger, warning everyone to retreat to avoid collateral damage.
"Liliya, when will we be as strong as Delta?" Rosalia asked admiringly, watching Delta's fierce display as she wielded "Sleeping Beauty." Rosalia longed to be just as powerful and handsome.
"Rosalia, you'll never be as strong as her," Liliya teased, not sparing her sister any encouragement.
"You're both already strong enough—you don't need to be exactly like her," Major Ji said kindly, placing a hand on Rosalia's shoulder and smiling.
While the twin sisters might not fully grasp Delta's might, people like Major Ji, Einstein, Tesla, and even Kiana and Mei—who had recently endured hardships—were beginning to speculate. No one wanted Rosalia to become the next Delta.
"Alright, that's enough," a cold voice boomed. Just as Delta and the Forest Spirit were about to resume their clash, they both felt an overwhelming heaviness and turned to see Daniel stepping between them. In his right hand he grasped the Eden Star—the very same device he'd used to halt their advance with its gravity field.
"Forest Spirit, you've witnessed our strength now. Let us pass, and I promise that this time we'll finally crush that demon king," Daniel demanded.
"Forest Spirit, it's been so long—do you still honor your ancient vow?"
Though the Forest Spirit herself had the power to be one of the heroes who would defeat the demon king, she remained at the Emerald Forest out of a promise made to someone.
"Go on, then," she replied after a long, pensive silence, stepping aside to clear the way.
"Thank you. We'll be back soon," Daniel said gratefully as the group hurried past.
"Everyone, come out—I know you're here," a voice called out.
Exiting the Emerald Forest, the group reached the ruins documented in the Hero's Guide—the ruins of Rylek. After surveying the area, Daniel addressed everyone.
"Have we been discovered?"
Moments later, three figures emerged from behind a crumbling wall.
"Whoa," Cang Xuan's Book exclaimed as it rushed forward; there was an undeniable kinship among them. These three figures were, in fact, armed automata.
"I am the Messenger of the Frozen Abyss, the Pathfinder of the Pitch-Black Chasm, the Warden of the Desolate Netherworld—come, worship me," intoned one of the automata, whose initially aloof tone melted away as soon as she spoke, leaving not a trace of her former coldness.
This automaton was none other than Xiaoyue's Requiem—a legendary mid-teen anthem, as the tales would have it.
"We have come to see the Great Sage," Hiser said, clutching the Hero's Guide and reciting its directions.
"We are the Great Sage," the three armed automata replied in unison.
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