Adrian tried his best to suppress a smile. He had seen with his own eyes as Blake, in the midst of flying through the air, swiftly pulled a packet of ketchup from his pocket and squeezed the entire thing into his mouth.
To keep the [blood] from being too thick, he even downed a pouch of red sweet water to dilute it.
Worthy of the Church's head—Adrian almost wondered if Blake had trained at the [Tavern]. How else could he be this absurd?
"Tch~ A shoddy performance, not even a fraction of my finesse. Laughable." Seeing Stelle so invested, Freesna could only mutter under her breath. If it were her, the effect would've been far better.
"Little brother, am I seeing things, or… did Blake just blow himself up?"
Due to her angle, Serval clearly saw Blake pull a soap from his pocket and smash it onto himself with force.
"Sister, forget that for now. Get behind me. The priority is dealing with the Voidranger constructs… Silvermane Guards, form up!"
Gepard hoisted his upgraded Black Bastion, taking Blake's place and tearing through the Voidranger monsters.
"Didn't he say he was protecting you? Why's Officer Gepard charging in first?"
"Miss March, you don't get it. If you take out all the enemies, you can better protect your family."
"Makes sense. Stelle, let's go help!"
"My dear friend is dead, and I no longer care to debate right or wrong. You've chosen your path to ruin—prepare to face the wrath of the Galaxy Ranger!"
Stelle drew her mimetic weapon, joining March 7th on the battlefield, determined to wipe out every last Voidranger beast!
"Wait, is no one going to check on Sampo, who got thrown out there?"
Himeko, who'd at least crossed paths with Sampo before, felt a pang of pity seeing no one pay him any mind.
"Hm… let him rest. Leave the Voidranger constructs to us." Dan Heng reserved the right to remain silent. If Blake wanted to put on a show, let him— as long as it didn't derail the mission.
Seeing Dan Heng and Himeko join the fight, Serval couldn't hold back any longer. Maybe she could play some rock music to boost morale, but that didn't feel quite right.
"How can you have this much fun without me? Little brother, I've got your back!" Serval grabbed some small weapons and dove into the fray.
Freesna's eyes gleamed with a thirst for battle.
"Want to join in?" Adrian asked, noting her eager expression. She'd get her chance to shine when it came time to face Cocolia.
Freesna shook her head. The timing wasn't right… The energy within her was too complex, and she rarely acted rashly.
...
After quickly dispatching the Voidranger constructs, Gepard and Serval stared at the unconscious Blake in silence.
His performance was so convincing that the Landau siblings genuinely believed it.
Stelle transformed her mimetic weapon into a hat, placing it over her chest and bowing deeply to Blake. "Rest well, Pontiff Blake."
"Don't be so dramatic, he's not dead!" March 7th couldn't help but retort. "Sampo's fine, so how could he be in trouble?"
"Miss March, you finally remembered me! Old Sampo's touched." Sampo covered his face, feigning tears. Though it was an act, he nailed the sentiment.
"Poor Blake, rest in peace. When spring arrives, you shall be reborn."
Freesna seized the moment to play the role of funeral officiant. Despite Blake's stellar performance, her words made his lips twitch.
"Wait, did he just move?"
"Probably just a last gasp. Pay it no mind."
Himeko: ???
Were all offworld visitors this absurd? Bronya's value kept rising—compared to Adrian's crew, she was practically an angel.
Serval, who'd been silent, made up her mind and addressed the group. "Before the next wave of Voidranger constructs hits, you all should break through. My brother and I will stay to look after Pontiff Blake."
"Eh? Serval, you're not coming with us to find the Stellaron Core?"
"If I don't lend a hand… who knows how the next fight will go? Besides, Adrian upgraded so many weapons— it'd be a shame not to use them."
"I really want to go with you, I do! The [Stellaron Core] is so close, I've always wanted to see it…"
"You're looking at it now." Adrian pushed Stelle forward to Serval.
"Huh?"
"No point hiding it anymore… There's a Stellaron Core in my body. Consider your dream fulfilled."
Stelle stood with her hands on her hips, completely oblivious to the shift in Freesna's expression beside her.
"I see… But I can't abandon my brother and the Guards, and I have to protect Pontiff Blake. I'm a Landau, after all! It's up to you now—I believe in you. I see hope in you all."
"Get the Stellaron Core before Cocolia notices!"
"Ooohhh! I'm fired up!"
...
Leaving the restricted zone's frontline, the group entered unfamiliar territory.
"This is… the Voidranger swarm Gepard mentioned?"
"Compared to this, the erosion at the Edge Passage is nothing." Dan Heng surveyed the area. Judging by the level of Voidranger corruption, the Stellaron Core was nearby.
"Serval said the Stellaron Core is likely hidden in the snowfields north of Belobog. To get there, we'll need to find the exit to this Voidranger maze first."
March 7th shivered. "This place is creepy… Don't you feel like we're being watched by a ton of eyes?"
"It's like bugs are crawling all over me. Gross." Himeko grew more uneasy thinking about Bronya possibly being brought here by that wretched Guardian.
"A strange feeling? What are you all talking about?" Freesna tilted her head, unbothered even by the cold.
"Wow, is the Elven physique just that strong?"
"No, it's all thanks to [Eternity]." Freesna gave a cryptic smile. "No wonder this power feels so familiar. Heh heh… I'm starting to understand everything."
Freesna lifted her white robe—nearly smacking Adrian with snow in the process—and extended a hand to Stelle.
"Trailblazer, come join our Church of Eternity!"
Stelle froze for a moment before eagerly grabbing Freesna's pale, icy hand. "Really, Priestess Sister? I can join the Church of Eternity?"
"It's Saintess," Freesna corrected, getting back to business.
"Ahem! Wanderer of distant realms, don't be shy—state your request! [Eternity] will not withhold THEIR grace."
"Then… please grant us some credit points!"
"Uh… ahem… Credit points, wayward Trailblazer? How can you chase such a source of worldly sin? That's exactly what we seek to sever!"