Sunday's pupils contracted.
At that instant, his first reaction was not shock, but confusion.
Because it was the first time in his life he had ever seen someone use a cross as a bludgeon.
And the speed of it left him with no time to dodge at all.
Boom—!
Judah swept past Sunday's ear and smashed heavily into the floor behind him.
The tiles in the lobby of the Reverie Hotel—supposedly sturdy enough to withstand bombardment from an interstellar warship—shattered like brittle glass under that single blow.
In an instant, the entire lobby fell silent.
Every Family member still present froze where they stood.
Not one of them dared move.
Because the power of Preservation from earlier still blanketed the whole hall, heavy as a mountain, crushing the air until it was hard to breathe.
Sunday slowly turned his head and looked at the massive crater behind him.
Then he withdrew his gaze and looked back at Kallen, a smile still lingering on his face.
It was just that now, there was a little more seriousness in it than before.
"What formidable strength Miss Kallen possesses," he said.
Kallen retrieved Judah and planted it casually on the ground.
"There. Identity verified."
"I'm a Galaxy Ranger, genuine and guaranteed. So—can I check in now?"
Sunday fell silent for two seconds.
In those two seconds, his mind raced.
Preservation. A self-proclaimed Galaxy Ranger. And this utterly unreasonable style of conduct…
He searched through every scrap of information he knew, trying to find anything that matched the woman before him, but found nothing.
He had no memory of such a person existing anywhere in the galaxy. She was a complete unknown.
And when it came to unknowns, that usually meant risk.
At a time like this, risk was precisely what Sunday could not allow.
At last, he spoke.
"Penacony never turns away guests who have come from afar, least of all Galaxy Rangers as exceptional as yourself."
The moment those words left his mouth, the immense pressure of Preservation filling the lobby gave a faint tremor.
Kallen's attention sharpened by a fraction.
She could feel it—something was resisting the Preservation she had spread.
And Sunday remained where he stood, not even changing posture.
Yet behind him, a vague halo-like radiance began to emerge.
The light was warm and gentle, but carried a quiet majesty.
"However—"
Sunday's tone shifted. It was still mild, but now carried an authority that did not invite negotiation.
"Before you check in, there is one thing I must confirm."
As he spoke, he took a step forward.
"You said just now that Galaxy Rangers have no need for invitations."
"That is not without reason. I, too, have heard of the Galaxy Rangers' way of doing things. They are indeed free-spirited and unconstrained. When they wish to go somewhere, they simply go."
He paused.
"But—"
The halo behind him grew more solid, as though countless voices were softly humming in unison within the void.
"Penacony is, in the end, the Penacony of the Family."
"And the Charmony Festival is, in the end, the Charmony Festival of the Family."
"The Family welcomes every guest who comes in goodwill. But the premise is this—"
"That goodwill must first be confirmed by Harmony."
The instant his words fell, the illusory halo behind him solidified completely.
A flood of dazzling light surged forth, colliding head-on with the power of Preservation Kallen had cast.
The Family members in the lobby hurriedly retreated, horror written across their faces.
They had never before seen Sunday personally take action.
Still less had they imagined that, on the eve of the Charmony Festival, someone would clash openly with the head of the Oak Family right in the Reverie Hotel lobby.
Yet Kallen paid it little mind.
"So Sunday, how exactly do you intend to confirm my goodwill? By fighting me?"
Sunday did not answer.
But his actions answered for him.
From within the halo, countless golden threads spread outward, dancing and weaving through the air like notes in a hymn until they formed a giant net that descended over Kallen.
This was attunement—Sunday's Harmony power. He was trying to establish resonance with this unknown existence before him.
If it worked, he would be able to perceive her intentions and determine whether she truly came in goodwill.
It was the core ability of the Path of Harmony, and the foundation of Sunday's control over the Oak Family.
But Kallen merely snapped her fingers lightly.
A trace of Nihility seeped out soundlessly from her fingertip and bled into the golden net.
The next moment, the entire net darkened from gold to gray, like parchment soaked through with ink.
Sunday's pupils shrank sharply—he had not even had time to react.
"You—"
Before he could finish, Judah's chains were already whipping through the air.
Twelve chains writhed across the void, sealing off every path of retreat.
Sunday instinctively tried to evade, but they were too fast—far too fast for him to react in time.
In a blink, he was bound firmly in place.
He tried to struggle, but the force running through the chains made his heart sink.
"Don't bother."
Carrying Judah, Kallen strode toward him.
"My Judah is invincible. If you can break free, I'll turn around and leave right now."
"But you just said you wanted to confirm my goodwill?"
"Sorry, but I have no need for you to confirm it."
"Because—"
She paused, the corners of her lips curving into a meaningful smile.
"I came here looking for trouble in the first place."
In the next instant, she was already standing right in front of him.
Then she set Judah aside and punched Sunday square in the face.
Bang!
Sunday was sent flying like a cannonball, slamming hard into the wall.
Kallen drew back her fist and flexed her wrist.
"Well? Satisfied now?"
Amid the settling dust, Sunday slowly rose to his feet.
His suit was torn, a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, and for the first time, unmistakable surprise showed in his eyes.
"You're… an Emanator? An Emanator of Preservation?"
That was right. From that single exchange, Sunday had finally grasped her level.
He had truly not expected that, on the eve of the Charmony Festival, an Emanator of Preservation would appear to stir up trouble.
"...Are you with the IPC?" he asked.
Although the Path of Preservation was not directly synonymous with the IPC, when one spoke of Emanators of Preservation, the IPC was naturally the first thing that came to mind.
But Kallen had no intention of admitting any such thing.
Since she had put on the skin of a Galaxy Ranger, then whether people believed her or not, she was going to stick to it to the end.
"Didn't I already tell you? I'm a Galaxy Ranger."
"What, Sunday—can't you even tell the difference between The Hunt and Preservation? I'm a bona fide Emanator of the Hunt."
With that, Kallen casually hoisted Judah onto her shoulder, looking thoroughly unconcerned.
"Mr. Sunday!"
A few Family members finally came back to themselves and tried to rush forward to support him, only for Sunday to raise a hand and stop them.
His gaze settled on the giant cross resting on Kallen's shoulder, something in the depths of his eyes churning soundlessly.
Preservation.
Genuine Emanator-level power.
And yet she claimed to be a Galaxy Ranger—an Emanator of the Hunt?
Absurd.
And yet more absurd still, he found himself unable to fully reject the possibility.
Because in that instant just now, beneath the force of Preservation, he had sensed something else hidden underneath.
It had flashed by so quickly it could have been mistaken for an illusion.
But Sunday knew it had not been an illusion.
Could it be… that she really was a Galaxy Ranger?
So he spoke again.
"Miss Kallen, your arrival is truly an honor. It seems I was the one who failed to recognize greatness."
Kallen raised a brow.
"So we're not fighting anymore?"
"I can't beat you," Sunday admitted frankly.
That frankness made Kallen spare him another glance.
"And," Sunday continued, "with the Charmony Festival so close at hand, the Family does not wish to make enemies of any Emanator-level existence."
"No matter which Path you follow, and whether or not you possess an invitation…"
He inclined his head slightly.
"Penacony and the Family welcome you."
Kallen stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly smiled.
"Now that's more like it."
She stowed Judah away, and the suffocating pressure that had smothered the entire lobby receded with it.
"Fine. Then I'll stay."
"But—"
Her gaze swept over the Family members around them who were still pale with fear.
"You'd better not go around talking about who I am."
"I like to keep a low profile."
Sunday was silent for a beat.
Low profile?
Could what she had just done possibly be called low profile?
But he did not say it aloud, only nodded.
"Please rest assured, Miss Kallen."
"Your identity will remain known only to those present today. I will ensure that they—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Before he could finish, another change descended without warning.
For some unknown reason, the lights in the lobby dimmed.
And the Family members standing nearby vanished one by one in that moment.
Then a man stepped out from the shadows in the corner.
He wore robes similar to Sunday's, though plainer, more restrained.
"Honored Emanator, greetings."
"I am the Dreammaster of Penacony, the true ruler of this land. I wonder… might you and I have a private discussion?"
A private discussion?
Kallen let out a faint laugh.
Naturally, she knew quite a bit about this Dreammaster.
Supposedly, within Penacony, the Dreammaster was all-knowing and all-powerful—practically an Emanator in all but name.
But Kallen put no stock in such exaggerated claims.
"Certainly. If you can survive one hit from me, then perhaps I'll spare you a conversation."
Without giving the Dreammaster any time to react, Kallen moved instantly.
This time she did not use Judah. Instead, she simply drew back her fist and smashed it straight toward the Dreammaster's face.
Seeing this, the Dreammaster's pupils constricted.
He tried to defend himself, but Kallen was too fast—far too fast.
Boom!
He ended up crumpled right next to Sunday.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 147)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter185)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter105)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter215)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 185
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 170
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/1
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 206
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 190
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/23
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 106
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 125
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 105
I Can Copy Unique Skills 90
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 90
My Harem Is Indescribable 80
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 86
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 81
Still playing traditional Honk 65
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 65
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 57
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 45
Transmigrated as Sukuna 59
Checking In in Demon Slayer 59
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 73
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 45
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 36
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 40
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 60
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 30
Why did they assign me to Uma 35
MYGO Beauties 43
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 30
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 31
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