Nury and Levi walked down the long metallic corridor, escorted by two Ancient soldiers.
Their footsteps echoed quietly against the walls.
Levi's expression carried a trace of discomfort — a tension that didn't quite leave his face.
Levi: "Yeah…"
A brief pause.
"I definitely don't trust Doctor Albert Nutjob back there."
Nury glanced sideways at him, amused by the nickname but unsurprised by his suspicion.
Nury: "And what exactly are you planning to do about it?"
She kept walking, hands behind her back.
"We're already here. Whatever their plan is… we've already stepped right into it."
Levi shot her a sideways glance of his own.
Levi: "Tch."
A moment passed.
"I'll figure something out."
His voice lowered slightly.
"I'm not letting things play out their way."
The two Ancient soldiers suddenly stopped in front of a massive metallic door embedded directly into the mountain stone.
The contrast between raw rock and engineered steel made the doorway look ancient and futuristic at the same time.
One of the soldiers stepped aside.
Ancient Soldier: "You may enter."
The heavy doors slid open.
Warm light spilled out into the corridor.
Inside was a massive dining hall.
The ceiling lights shimmered softly, arranged in clusters that resembled small stars scattered across the night sky. Their glow reflected across the polished marble floor beneath.
The room itself was elegant — far more refined than the military corridors outside.
But the mountain was still present.
The walls remained raw stone, carved and painted with intricate murals that stretched from floor to ceiling. The drawings looked ancient, almost sacred, depicting what seemed to be stories — battles, celestial figures, falling stars, and beings surrounded by glowing particles.
History etched directly into the mountain.
The Red Moon clan stood among members of the Ancient faction.
A welcome banquet had already begun.
Long tables were filled with dishes from both Earth and Nitchtron — unfamiliar fruits, steaming platters of meat, glowing drinks poured into tall crystal glasses.
Soft music floated through the hall.
Conversation flowed easily between the two groups.
The quiet clinking of glasses blended with low laughter and polite chatter as both factions shared the same space.
Kayo approached them from behind, emerging quietly from the crowd.
Kayo: "Ms. Nury. Captain Levi."
He stopped beside them.
A brief pause.
"So… how did it go in there? When will Rumbler be ready?"
Nury answered calmly.
Nury: "I'm not entirely sure. They said they will begin the work tomorrow."
A pause.
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
"However, I advise everyone to remain cautious."
Kayo nodded.
Before he could respond, another figure pushed through the gathering behind them.
Lee.
Lee: "Ms. Nury, some of the scientists would like to speak with you, ma'am."
Nury nodded once.
Nury: "Understood."
She glanced at Kayo.
Nury: "Make sure you keep him out of trouble."
She nodded toward Levi before turning and walking into the crowd with Lee.
Kayo watched her leave before turning back to Levi.
Concern crept into his expression.
Kayo: "I'm guessing things aren't going to turn out the way we want, huh?"
A beat.
"What happened in that room?"
Levi didn't answer immediately.
His eyes were scanning the hall.
Watching.
Measuring.
Everyone.
Levi: "They told us what they thought we wanted to hear."
His voice was calm but edged with suspicion.
"But I have a feeling they're doing more than just turning Rumbler into a cyborg."
Kayo's eyes narrowed.
Kayo: "A cyborg?"
He frowned.
"That's… interesting."
A pause.
"But why would they need the artifact then? That thing only boosts stardust levels. It only works with living beings."
Levi answered without looking at him.
Levi: "Exactly."
" That contradicts what they told us before."
A pause.
"They wanted to make us believe they're being honest."
Another moment passed.
Then Levi finally turned toward Kayo.
Levi: "Whatever I do next…"
A beat.
"Follow my lead."
Kayo didn't respond.
He simply stared into Levi's eyes.
Something in Levi's gaze made the message clear.
Levi wasn't joking.
This mission was too important.
And the Seventh Blade wouldn't hesitate to force things in his favor if necessary.
Suddenly—
Someone jumped onto Levi from behind.
Levi: "WHAT THE HELL?!"
Kayo blinked in shock.
Kayo: "What is going on?"
A young Nitchtronian woman clung to Levi's back, arms wrapped around his shoulders.
She had been staring at him from across the hall long before she approached.
Levi growled.
Levi: "Get off me!"
He shoved her off violently.
"You want to die?!"
The woman burst out laughing.
Lady: "You're so cute!"
Kayo's eyes widened.
Levi didn't even acknowledge her.
He simply turned and started walking away.
Lady: "Hey! Don't just walk away!"
She shouted after him.
Levi waved dismissively.
Levi: "I don't have time for this."
The young woman chased after him.
Kayo followed behind them.
Lady: "Wait! Hold on!"
Her patience began to fade.
"If you don't stop right now, I'll tell them what I just heard."
Levi stopped instantly.
So did Kayo.
The woman froze when Levi slowly turned around.
His gaze locked onto her.
Cold.
Unblinking.
The faint crimson spread slowly through his iris like blood bleeding into water.
Levi: "Sounds like you really want to die."
His voice was quiet.
Dangerously quiet.
Behind her, Kayo silently materialized a small dagger in his hand.
Ready to strike.
Elsewhere in the hall
Nury stood with Lee and Shiba near one of the long banquet tables, speaking with several Ancient scientists. Crystal glasses of deep red wine rested in their hands while soft music drifted through the hall.
Doctor Groog swirled the wine in his glass, examining it closely.
Doctor Groog: "This Earthling drink is remarkable."
He took a careful sip.
"It has a bright acidity, moderate tannins… notes of dark cherry, with subtle vanilla undertones."
Shiba chuckled awkwardly.
Shiba: "Uh… that's definitely one way to describe it."
A small pause followed.
Her eyes wandered toward the towering stone walls surrounding the hall.
"So…"
A beat.
"I couldn't help noticing those sketches carved into the walls."
She gestured toward the murals stretching across the mountain stone.
"They look like they're telling some kind of story."
Another scientist stepped forward.
She was short and visibly older than the rest, his posture slightly bent with age.
Doctor Katys.
Doctor Katys:"You have a keen eye, young human."
A faint smile formed on her face.
"They do indeed tell a story."
Nury spoke calmly.
Nury: "What story?"
Her expression remained cold, but her gaze stayed fixed on the murals.
Doctor Groog answered.
Doctor Groog: "They tell the story of Babula."
He lifted his glass slightly.
"The creator of the universe."
Shiba blinked.
Lee glanced at her in confusion.
Shiba: "I'm afraid I've never heard of that before."
Doctor Katys chuckled softly.
Doctor Katys: "That is not surprising."
She turned toward the murals.
"Most of the universe hasn't."
A pause.
"The story of Babula predates even our earliest recorded history. Much of it has been lost."
She gestured toward the carvings.
"Our research suggests these drawings were made more than five thousand years ago."
"At the very least, that is how old we believe this mountain to be."
Doctor Groog continued.
Doctor Groog: "The story tells how our ancestors struggled to survive the harsh environment of this planet."
His eyes followed the sequence of carvings.
"For decades they endured storms, famine, and the brutal terrain."
A beat.
"But one day… something happened."
He lowered his voice slightly.
"They heard a voice from the sky."
Shiba leaned forward with curiosity.
Doctor Groog: "At first, they could not understand it."
"Until suddenly… the voice began speaking through one of them."
He gestured to another mural.
"Babula had entered the body of one of our ancestors."
"Now speaking their language, it told them it had come to help."
Doctor Katys nodded.
Doctor Katys: "It opened its mouth…"
"And a wind of dust poured out."
Doctor Groog continued.
Doctor Groog: "And then it vanished."
A moment passed.
"The people did not understand what had happened."
"But in the years that followed… things began to change."
"They grew stronger."
"More resilient."
"More intelligent."
He pointed toward a mural depicting several Nitchtronians gathered around one figure.
"And among them…"
"Some were born different."
Doctor Katys stepped forward again.
Doctor Katys:"They could sense things others could not."
She tapped the carving of a Nitchtronian with a glowing third eye.
"They would react before danger appeared."
"Find paths through storms without guidance."
"See patterns others could not see."
Doctor Groog added quietly.
Doctor Groog: "It was as if they understood the world a moment before it happened."
Doctor Katys nodded.
Doctor Katys: "Our ancestors believed their third eye had awakened."
"They called it…"
She looked toward the mural.
"The true sense of the third eye."
Shiba and Lee stared at the walls with fascination.
Shiba: "Wow…"
Lee nodded slowly.
But Nury remained silent.
Her gaze stayed locked on the ancient drawings.
Cold.
Calculating.
Nury: "Intriguing…"
Back to Levi and Kayo
Kayo stood behind the young Nitchtronian woman, holding a dagger behind her back where no one could see it. The blade was thin and sharp — sharp enough to pierce steel if it needed to.
The woman stood frozen.
Her heart pounded visibly in her chest, sweat running down her face.
Levi watched her.
Levi: "Follow me."
He glanced toward Kayo.
"Kill her if she tries anything."
The three of them began walking again, doing their best to look normal among the guests. They moved through the hall quietly, blending into the crowd before slipping through a side door.
They entered the kitchen.
The room was empty.
Metal counters. Steam vents. The faint smell of cooked food lingering in the air.
Kayo stayed near the door, watching the hallway.
The woman lowered her head, trembling.
Lady: "I shouldn't have said anything…"
Her voice broke slightly.
"Why do I always end up liking the bad guys…"
Levi stared at her without emotion.
Levi: "Now."
His voice was cold.
"You're going to tell me why you wackos lured us here."
The woman lifted her head, confused.
Lady: "Uh… I'm not sure what you mean."
A small pause.
"I thought we were all working together to take down the Archangel Hope."
Levi studied her carefully.
Her heartbeat.
Her breathing.
Her eyes.
Nothing about her suggested deception.
She sounded sincere.
Naïve.
Kayo spoke next.
Kayo: "I have a question for you."
A beat.
"Why did you make us retrieve the stardust-boosting artifact if you're turning Rumbler into a cyborg?"
He frowned slightly.
"That doesn't make much sense to me."
The woman began thinking, clearly trying to piece it together herself.
Lady: "Well… it could be because the Ancient don't want to jeopardize the Earth–Nitchtron treaty."
Levi and Kayo exchanged a quick look.
"That has to be it."
She scratched the back of her head awkwardly.
"There are plenty of those artifacts here anyway."
Levi narrowed his eyes slightly.
Levi: "I heard about the treaty a few years back."
A beat.
"Why does it matter to you people?"
The woman answered quickly.
Lady: "Because it defines our galactic boundaries and commerce."
She gestured vaguely as she spoke.
"It keeps the balance between worlds."
"Anything that could start a war isn't in anyone's best interest right now."
She continued explaining, clearly used to this kind of information.
"Every planet in the galaxy holds treaties with each other."
"Things like smuggling illegal weapons, exploiting territory outside your jurisdiction, or interfering with another planet's Fighters…"
She shook her head.
"Those are all violations."
A pause.
"If word got out about the artifact and it was traced back to us…"
She swallowed.
"…it could bring the attention of Nitchtron's Archangel."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"Ragnor."
Levi said nothing.
He stood still.
Letting the information settle.
Kayo looked toward him.
Kayo: "What are you thinking, Levi?"
Levi didn't respond immediately.
The room grew quiet.
Uncomfortably quiet.
Then—
A grin slowly spread across Levi's face.
Cold.
Sharp.
Even Kayo felt a chill crawl up his spine.
Levi: "There it is.
"I got it."
His eyes gleamed slightly.
And just like that—
The Seventh Blade had found what he was looking for.
The opening that would steer this entire mission down the path he chose.