Firefly crossed her arms and quietly watched Mad Lion search for SAM for a full five minutes. Finally, his face a mask of disbelief, he slumped back into his chair and stared at the young girl across from him.
Mad Lion extended a trembling right hand toward Firefly, stammering, "Y-you... you're SAM?!"
"That's right," Firefly replied matter-of-factly. "What's the problem?"
What's the problem? This wasn't just a problem—it was a catastrophe!
It felt like discovering that your best childhood friend, who had transferred to another school in middle school, had somehow transformed into a stunningly beautiful girl by high school!
Had you simply misjudged her appearance as a child, mistakenly assuming she was a boy all along?
What kind of clichéd Japanese light novel plot twist is this?!
But here's the kicker: Mad Lion wasn't the type of "nice guy" protagonist who charms girls in Japanese anime. He wasn't even from the Sakura Nation—he was an American from White Eagle.
As a hulking, muscular man, Mad Lion was the classic type who believed women only slowed down his punches. He simply couldn't accept that his best bro had suddenly transformed into a beautiful girl who barely reached his chest!
Another reason for his shock was the sheer absurdity of it: a two-meter-tall silver-white mech had abruptly become a cute, 1.6-meter-tall young girl. The contrast was too jarring! If he hadn't witnessed it firsthand, who could possibly connect the two?
Five minutes later, Mad Lion still hadn't recovered, his brain completely frozen. "No, this can't be real! It must be a dream. How could my best bro suddenly turn into a little girl?"
Watching his stunned reaction, Firefly's lips twitched slightly. Deciding to help him face reality, she held her Transformation Device horizontally across her chest and declared in a clear, serious voice, "Like a firefly to a flame, Life Begets death!"
In the next instant, flames engulfed her. A silver fist shot out from the blaze, delivering a vicious uppercut to Mad Lion's jaw.
Bang!
Caught completely off guard, Mad Lion, his mind still reeling from the unexpected attack, had no time to react. He was sent flying through the air, smashing through the aircraft carrier's metal bulkhead and spiraling into the sea.
The soldiers patrolling the deck froze. "Did you see that? Did something just fly past?"
Another soldier stared blankly. "I think so...?"
Meanwhile, in the mess hall, the Captain and other soldiers who had witnessed the entire scene were equally stunned and bewildered.
When Firefly first reverted to her human form, the Captain's initial thought was, As expected of Lady Elysia. So SAM really is a girl? She looks so young and adorable.
But then, when Firefly transformed back into SAM and sent Mad Lion flying, the Captain rubbed his chin thoughtfully. One of White Eagle's leaders, Mad Lion of the White Eagle Eight, just got his ass kicked right in front of me. Should I react?
Do I really need to react? And if so, how?
Never mind. Let's just pretend we didn't see anything and finish eating.
Before long, Mad Lion, dripping wet, climbed back onto the ship, even crawling through the same hole he had smashed earlier.
After soaking in the sea and cooling down, Mad Lion had come to a realization: 'SAM' wasn't a person at all, but a weapon or piece of equipment. And there was a pilot inside!
Some might think Firefly's strength stemmed entirely from her mecha, dismissing her own abilities. But Mad Lion didn't see it that way. After all, mastering the control and use of any weapon was a skill in itself.
So, what did it matter whether SAM's pilot was male or female? It was irrelevant! Whether a hulking brute or a beautiful girl, Mad Lion respected true strength.
Mad Lion watched Firefly, now back in her young girl form, eating her meal. He sat down opposite her and boomed, "My apologies! I was narrow-minded. Regardless, you have my recognition as a comrade, Firefly!"
Mad Lion had said his piece. Firefly, still eating, didn't respond verbally, but she couldn't help but give him a thumbs-up.
The scene shifts back to Herta's home in Great Britain. After obtaining the data from the Dimensional Rift beneath the sea, she immediately began her research. Having previously studied the Portal Gun, Herta already possessed a considerable understanding of spatial mechanics, allowing her research to progress rapidly.
In just one day, by noon of the following day, she had made a remarkable breakthrough.
Herta held a purple Great Key, roughly the size of an adult's arm. Adorned with intricate and flamboyant decorations, most people's first impression would be that it was merely an ornamental object.
Then, with a gentle push, Herta propelled the key forward. It floated in mid-air as if truly inserted into something, its decorative elements radiating a magnificent purple glow.
Anyone witnessing this spectacle would likely reconsider their initial impression, assuming it was a magical artifact. Yet in reality, it was a purely technological device.
Herta muttered to herself, "Now for the next step..."
The next instant, with a sharp snap, the lights in Herta's room—no, the entire building, the whole residential complex—went out simultaneously. The circuit breaker had tripped.
"Huh?" Herta exclaimed, momentarily stunned. Wait a minute, she thought, this Great Key has its own built-in Energy Module and doesn't draw external power. How could it possibly cause a power outage?
As if sensing something, she glanced out the window. In the sky beyond, she could faintly discern a blurry, dark phantom.
It was a Dimensional Rift. Of course, due to Great Britain's Veiled Barrier, the rift had manifested in the Outer World rather than directly above Herta's head.
Undoubtedly, this was connected to Herta's recent experiment. But she had merely inserted her newly invented device into the 'Aether' without even activating it. How could it have caused such a disturbance?