Far away in Jinzhou, Changli's heart suddenly skipped a beat. The Heartfire Feather in her arms trembled at the same moment, and right after that, a wave of cold spread out from it.
The Heartfire Feather had always been incomparably warm. Something like this had never happened before…
The strategist beside her, who had been explaining the situation, saw the woman sitting in the main seat turn pale and couldn't help but ask with concern, "Lady Changli, what's wrong?"
The strategist's words pulled Changli back from her scattered thoughts. She forced a faint smile onto her face.
"It's nothing. Keep a close watch on the movement of the TDs. All the TDs across Jinzhou suddenly disappearing must mean something happened. Report to me immediately if there's any information."
"Yes!"
After dismissing the strategist, Changli felt the sensation coming from the Heartfire Feather, and it was like a piece of her heart had been carved out.
She had left the other Heartfire Feather beside Zane. If something was happening to the one in her hand, then did that mean the other one…
At that moment, the command room door was suddenly slammed open from outside. A white figure rushed in hurriedly.
"Master… is there any news from the front line?"
Changli looked at the girl who had rushed back through dust and wind. Her fair face was full of exhaustion from traveling.
———
Jinhsi had just returned to Jinzhou from Huangdu. Before she could even rest, she suddenly felt waves of pain in her chest.
A sense of unease instantly climbed into her heart. It felt like something she cared deeply about was slipping away from her.
That vague, indescribable anxiety drove her to rush straight to Changli's command room to ask about the situation.
Changli gave Jinhsi, whose face was full of worry, a long look. A slight smile curled on her charming face.
"The front line is going smoothly. The TDs across Jinzhou have also been successfully suppressed." Changli stood up, walked over, and patted Jinhsi's slender shoulder.
"You've worked hard going to Huangdu and negotiating with those old guys. Go get some rest. We'll still need you to take charge afterward."
Since her master had said so, Jinhsi could only attribute the unease in her heart to exhaustion.
"Yes, Master."
After seeing off Jinhsi, who was still weighed down with worry, Changli turned and looked out the window.
The sky, which had been gloomy, was now almost clear, and the sun hung in the sky once again…
But facing that pale sunlight, her heart only grew colder.
———
Looking at the boy sleeping peacefully in her arms, Rover raised her head. Her eyes, almost filled with despair, locked onto the TD that was struggling to stand. Her golden eyes were wide open, bloodshot.
She didn't cry… but her eyes were red beyond measure.
The constant stabbing pain in her chest had already made her forget sadness.
No, maybe it wasn't that she forgot sadness, but that she didn't dare to think about it.
[…I, Zane, keep myself clean, I'm not that kind of casual person.]
[…I hope you can step on me in black stockings…]
[…Rover, let's talk this out, don't get handsy…]
[…Pinky promise, for a hundred years it won't change. I'll never leave you…]
"Liar…"
Rover pressed her lips tightly together. The hand gripping the Swift Blade trembled, her knuckles turning pale from the force. Step by step, unsteady yet firm, she walked toward the TD.
Her messy bangs cast a shadow over her face that wouldn't fade.
Standing opposite her, the Threnodian felt death closing in. It frantically drew in the frequencies of all the TDs across Jinzhou and injected them into the TD in front of it.
"You big liar!"
Rover suddenly raised her head, her hoarse voice tearing out of her throat. The mark on her right hand shone with dazzling light as she fiercely grabbed at the TD.
In an instant, the Threnodian felt a terrifying pulling force coming from Rover's hand. Its own power… and even the TD's power coefficient… were being sucked away by her.
The TD seemed to realize something. Its exoskeleton-covered arms crossed in front of itself, trying to block the absorption.
But its struggle was meaningless in the end.
After being heavily wounded by Zane, it, and even the Threnodian behind it, no longer had the ability to stop Rover.
Strands of frequency energy began to flow out from its body, gathering continuously in Rover's hand...
The next second, a single pitch-black wing spread open behind her. An aura of annihilation flowed around the girl.
A one-winged angel holding a scythe. A white demon holding a shield…
Rover clenched her hand, now filled with power. For the first time in her life, she felt disgust toward her own strength.
If she didn't need this power, then maybe Zane wouldn't have had to risk his life to clear the obstacles for her.
Looking at the girl who had gained new power, the Threnodian knew clearly that if it didn't act now, it would be caught by Rover and refined in an instant.
So it decisively abandoned the TD that had been drained dry and prepared to act personally.
As expected of the Threnodian of war.
Rover watched as the moon before her continued gathering power. The Swift Blade in her hand transformed into a massive scythe over two meters long as she rushed toward the eye-like moon hanging in the sky.
At that moment, the fallen female human TD suddenly floated up uncontrollably, like a puppet on strings.
The sound core in its left chest flashed with a dangerous light as it rose.
A piercing alarm rang out from the flickering sound core.
A massive surge of energy erupted from the core in its chest and swept straight toward Rover, the closest target.
But in the very next second, through the blinding light, Rover once again saw that familiar figure standing in front of her, shielding her from the impact.
"Zane…?"
Rover looked at the figure standing ahead with his back to her, disbelief filling her voice. Her trembling hand reached out toward him.
Just as she was about to touch him, she stopped.
She was afraid that the moment she touched him, she would realize this was just a dream.
A dream she never wanted to wake up from.
"Is it really you…"
At this moment, how she wished the person in front of her would turn around, wearing that carefree smile, teasing her,
"Yo~ why is our Rover crying? Miss me or something? Don't be like this, I'll get shy."
Then she would follow up with a sharp chop to his head, watching him beg for mercy, joking with her like always…
"Zane is already dead."
[T/N: Intresting]
The doctor walked gently to Rover's side and held the hand she had stretched forward.
Her words were like a sharp blade, stabbing straight into Rover's chest.
Rover suddenly turned her head, wanting to question why she would say that. He was clearly standing right there. He had stood up again.
But in the next moment, she saw the doctor's lips bitten until they bled, and the tears trembling in those large, lovely eyes that never dared to fall.
Yes.
She already knew.
The Nexus Armament on Zane's wrist was flashing with a dim light.
[Hero, As long as the will to protect hasn't gone out, they will never fall]
At that moment, the mark on the back of Rover's right hand stirred and suddenly burst out with a brilliant light.
Right after, a strange ball of light flew out from the mark and floated beside Zane.
The suicidal attack launched by the Threnodian through the TD was completely absorbed and devoured by that sudden light.
Along with a loud, satisfied burp coming from within the light, the Threnodian took advantage of everyone's attention being drawn to it and fled the battlefield.
Despite being the the Threnodian of war, it chose to run instead of fighting to the end.
As its final attack was swallowed, the ball of light revealed its true form...
Fluffy ears, a short tail, one yellow and one blue eye, with patterns of frequency visible in its pupils.
It was emergency food Solaris sub-unit…
Uh, no. Was it a white-furred flying bunny? Or a white-furred flying dog?
The mysterious creature patted its round belly. Just as it opened its big heterochromatic eyes, it saw Rover rush over and catch Zane, who was slowly collapsing to the ground.
At the same time, a sky-blue butterfly flew in from afar and landed on Zane, who was being held in Rover's arms.