"What's wrong, Bronya? Is there something else you don't understand?"
"Mother, seven hundred years ago, Belobog incurred such an enormous debt that even if we sold the entire city today, we likely still wouldn't be able to repay it. I fear that the Interastral Peace Corporation might…" Bronya said worriedly.
"It's… well, that is indeed a cause for concern." Cocolia originally wanted to say it was fine, but after reconsidering, she quickly changed her words before they left her mouth.
Ahem. "Bronya, as the Supreme Guardian, I hereby assign you a mission of utmost importance." Cocolia cleared her throat and spoke in a very solemn tone.
"Supreme Guardian, Bronya will not fail in this duty!" Hearing this, Bronya's expression turned serious. She rose from her seat and knelt on one knee, offering the most solemn vow to Cocolia.
"Mm, very good." Cocolia nodded in satisfaction.
"Then, do your utmost to win Yun Fan's heart!"
"As you command, Supreme Guardian—... Huh?" Bronya froze, unable to believe her ears. What did Mother just say? Did I mishear? She wants me to win over… a man's heart?
In truth, Cocolia's decision was not without careful consideration.
——————————
Night, Belobog's Upper District… Goethe Hotel…
"Haah… haah…" After a long day's work, Dan Heng lay on the hotel's large bed and quickly fell asleep.
At first, his breathing was steady, slow, and rhythmic. But it wasn't long before Dan Heng seemed to be gripped by some kind of nightmare. Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead, and his breathing became erratic.
Within the dream…
Amidst swirling mist, Dan Heng stood lost, unable to see any light or discern his surroundings. Then, an eerie voice whispered into his ears.
"Of five people, three must pay the price…"
"Who's there?!" Dan Heng summoned Cloud-Piercer, his guard up as he scanned his surroundings.
"Heh heh heh, Cloud-Piercer? To think you've kept it all these centuries…"
Thud—!
The muffled sound of a blade piercing flesh echoed. Dan Heng looked down. Staring at the sword protruding from his chest, a memory seemed to surface in his mind.
"Yingxing…"
"Of five people, three must pay the price… Dan Feng… you are one of them."
As the words faded, the dream world shattered like a bubble, vanishing without a trace.
"Haah… haah… haah…!"
In reality, Dan Heng abruptly sat up in bed, gasping for air. After calming himself slightly, as if sensing something, he turned his gaze toward the window. Yet outside, there was nothing but the bright moon and the stars accompanying it.
"Yingxing… is coming…"
————————————
The next day…
"Mmm… slept so well!" At the dining table, March 7th, freshly washed up, stretched vigorously, her graceful figure outlining a beautiful arc that Yun Fan couldn't help but notice.
The latter gave her a brief glance, running a few mental calculations before roughly estimating March 7th's measurements.
Overall, March 7th's figure was quite good. Well, at least much better than Qingque's.
"Stelle, morning!" After loosening up, March 7th greeted the late-arriving Stelle with her usual energetic cheer.
"Yaaawn… Morning, March," Stelle replied with a big yawn, her voice still heavy with sleep.
"Mm!" Satisfied with the response, March 7th nodded with a smile before scanning the group.
"Strange, Dan Heng still isn't here yet. This is the first time I've seen him oversleep."
Just as she voiced her confusion, the very Dan Heng she mentioned appeared in everyone's line of sight.
"Hey Dan Heng, why are you so… uh."
As Dan Heng approached, March 7th finally got a clear look at his face.
Right now, Dan Heng looked utterly exhausted—dark circles under his eyes, pupils streaked with red veins, clearly having had a terrible rest.
"Dan Heng, what's wrong with you?" Seeing this, Yun Fan narrowed his eyes. This guy was the Imbibitor Lunae, the High Elder of the Vidyadhara. Even if all of Belobog's forces were gathered, they wouldn't stand a chance against him. For him to be this troubled… could it be… Blade?
Yun Fan didn't use his authority over causality to verify but instead made an educated guess.
"I'm fine," Dan Heng shook his head. After a moment of hesitation, he added, "But a very dangerous person might be coming to Jarilo-VI."
Hearing this, Yun Fan understood. So his guess was correct—it really was Blade. Most likely, when Dan Heng used the power of the Imbibitor Lunae back at Herta Space Station, Blade managed to lock onto him. Now, that guy must already be on his way here.
——————————
Meanwhile, three light-years away from Jarilo-VI, in outer space…
"Hahaha! Hahahaha…!"
Mad laughter, carried by the power of Destruction, reverberated through the vacuum. Alongside it, streaks of cyan sword light flashed.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several Interastral Peace Corporation starships were sliced in half, erupting violently in the void.
"Interastral Peace Corporation, hahaha…! Since you insist on standing in my way, consider yourselves the sacrificial offerings before my blade meets Dan Feng! Hahaha…!" Surging Destruction energy erupted from Blade's body, flooding into his sword, Shattered (Zhilí).
Once the blade reached its limit, Blade leaped into the center of the fleet.
"Though I cannot attain this beauty for myself… I shall let you all admire it in my stead!"
Ultimate Technique—Great Cleave of Ten Thousand Deaths!
Shattered fragmented into countless cyan sword energies, weaving through the Interastral Peace Corporation's fleet. In moments, more than half the ships were annihilated.
Inside the fleet's central command room…
"Truly, 'the arrow is shot before the bow is fully drawn'…" Topaz wiped the cold sweat from her forehead as she watched the sensor feed.
This Stellaron Hunter's strength… far exceeded her expectations.