Stelle: "Yeah, a bit similar. Thinking about how we've been running circles on this planet, all because of Cocolia, I just—"
"Want to give her a good whack with my bat! Wake her up."
Dan Heng: "Less tough talk. Don't forget the people carrying the weight behind us."
The girls fell slightly silent.
If their home wasn't on the brink of destruction, who wouldn't want to chase that sliver of hope and fight for a future?
Belobog's entire future now rested on their shoulders.
Seele took a deep breath.
She understood the one bearing the most weight was Leon.
She also knew Leon wasn't exaggerating.
If he ignored the restricted zone's battle, even defeating Cocolia wouldn't save Belobog.
With that scale of Fragmentum monsters, even if the Wildfire had a hundred times more people, they couldn't hold.
What use were the Silvermane Guards' fine equipment? They'd be ground down eventually.
Leon, clearly the leader of this Nameless team, chose to stay in the restricted zone, protecting people he had no ties to.
Cocolia's bitter fruit, yet he bore the heaviest burden.
Thinking of this, Seele's urgency grew.
She hated the helplessness of relying on others to share the load but had to accept reality.
Finding Cocolia wasn't just about stopping the Stellaron, saving Bronya, or protecting their home.
It was about carrying forward the unyielding will entrusted by the Nameless.
The Nameless owed this world nothing, nor Belobog's people.
If their roles were reversed, Seele doubted she could do what Leon did.
"Everyone, speed up. I'll clear the way."
Without giving the Trailblaze team time to react, Seele vanished with a whoosh.
"Hey—slow down!"
March 7th helplessly retracted her outstretched hand.
"Without Leon's speed buff, it feels like this world's gravity suddenly got heavier."
① "Good thing I've got a full set of speed Relics."
② "Stop whining, catch up."
③ "If you can't run, just say so. I'm in top shape—I can carry you."
"Hah, the Relic domains aren't even out yet—where's a full speed set coming from?"
Players chose differently.
"Who says I can't run? Don't underestimate me. Back in the day, I outran… uh, never mind."
March 7th abruptly shut up, sprinting forward.
Stelle and Dan Heng followed, the former asking curiously.
"Who did March outrun back then?"
"The Heavy Armor Rabbit King, a creature with strong defense but way slower than humans."
"No wonder she clammed up mid-sentence, looking embarrassed. Tsk tsk." Stelle chuckled.
Catching up to March 7th, she wanted to tease her but held back due to time.
She wasn't oblivious to Dan Heng's earlier words.
Leon bore the duty of protecting all of Belobog. Without stopping the Stellaron, the enemies would return endlessly.
Seele was efficient.
Traces of her battles were occasionally visible along the way.
Reuniting with Seele, she stood ten meters from two echoes, waiting.
"Let's hear what these echoes say."
The group approached, ready to receive the lingering voices of the past.
"Wait—"
They froze, looking puzzled at Stelle, who'd suddenly closed her eyes.
After about ten seconds, Stelle spoke gravely.
"The Stellaron knows we're closing in—or rather, Cocolia knows."
March 7th: "Hearing those voices again?"
"Yeah."
"Any visuals?"
"No visuals, but I know the Stellaron's ordering Cocolia to stop us. Seele, no more solo moves—watch for traps."
Stelle warned.
Seeing her expression, Seele nodded lightly and approached the echo.
Here, they learned much about Belobog's history.
Seven hundred years ago, the Antimatter Legion invaded.
The first Supreme Guardian, Alisa Rand, commanded the Silvermane Guards in this ancient battlefield.
She traded immense sacrifices for a brief respite, but the Legion knew no fatigue.
What happened today at the restricted zone frontline was eerily similar to the past.
Alisa Rand realized human flesh couldn't stand against such terrifying foes.
In despair, she turned to the Stellaron, making the first wish.
Then, the Eternal Freeze answered humanity's plea.
Cocolia: "Ironic, isn't it? The Stellaron merely fulfilled humanity's wish."
"Yet for centuries, we've feared it, even tried to suppress it with it."
Bronya's tone was full of doubt.
"It?"
"A device not made with Belobog's technology. The old Interastral Peace Corporation and Architects planned to use it as a Stellaron suppressor."
"You have many questions, I understand. Be patient, Bronya. The answers are right ahead—all the answers."
The echo faded.
Stelle didn't comment, only casting her gaze forward, calmly saying four words.
"Keep moving forward."
Words from someone seduced by the Stellaron, blinded to reality and illusion, needed no evaluation.
Crossing broken ruins, climbing a passage to higher ground, they reached a transfer platform.
Seeing a distant echo, Seele instinctively furrowed her brow.
"Look, that woman again, but Bronya's not with her this time. Could it be…"
Just then, Cocolia's echo suddenly turned, staring dead at the four.
Without thinking, Stelle bent her knees, launched forward, and charged at Cocolia's echo.
"This replica was given clear orders to stop us from reaching the Stellaron. No need for words—cut her down!"
Without hesitation, they raised their weapons, launching attacks one after another.
The scene was chaotic. March 7th didn't attack recklessly, opting to use Six-Phased Ice to protect her allies, waiting for an opening.
Finally, she found a gap.
Stelle, Dan Heng, and Seele pulled back in different directions, forming a pincer formation.
"The flaw's fleeting—now! Take my Six-Phased Ice!"
The ice constructs rained down on Cocolia, exploding on impact.
"…Huh?! It didn't freeze her?"
Seeing Cocolia's phantom unaffected by the Six-Phased Ice, March 7th felt like she saw the word "immune."
Damn it!
"A mere phantom's this tough? Dan Heng, stop holding back—use your hidden power!"
Dan Heng's expression didn't change. "You go first."
In the player's turn-based combat view, only character dialogue was audible.
Still, it sparked some chuckles.
As everyone knew, March 7th's ultimate freeze wasn't 100% guaranteed.
Influenced by earlier plot points, Ah Xian went all-out, maximizing damage while keeping up with dialogue.
After launching Seele's head, she successfully obliterated Cocolia, triggering a victory CG.
Stelle strode to the wall, flipping mid-air to adjust her stance.
"Hmph, Trailblaze Style… Bat Smite!"
"Pfft—"
Ah Xian sprayed the milk tea in her mouth.
The execution animation was undeniably cool, but the quirky line stole the show.
-----
Full Recovery!