On the other side of the battlefield, Heimdall swung the great sword in his hand, striking precisely at Code IV, Emperor's core hub.
With a sharp "zzza!" the black mech's crimson eye-lights instantly went out, and its massive frame swayed.
The entire mech finally dissolved into fine black particles, scattering into the evening breeze.
"A counterfeit is still a counterfeit. It doesn't even have half the real one's skills. What's that saying again? Waving a broadsword in front of me, completely overestimating yourself."
Fu Lin curled his lips into a grin and let out a low chuckle, raising his palm slightly.
With his gesture, Heimdall's body began to glow with a gentle blue light. The mech's outline grew transparent, and it gradually broke apart into countless motes of light, silently merging into the air.
All that remained on the ground was a devastated battlefield, pitted earth, lingering scorch marks of spent energy, quietly telling the story of the fierce mech duel that had taken place.
Bronya's side was also nearly finished.
As the last monster was pierced through by Lyle's sniper shot, its body shattered into blue particles scattering through the air.
Timido and Adam came up beside Bronya, their eyes full of relief after enduring the tension.
"That was the last one, right? All done, all done!" Lyle's voice came from above. The next second, the boy lightly hopped down from the rooftop railing, sniper rifle securely slung on his back.
As he landed, he deliberately spun and flicked the hair off his forehead, carrying that youthful swagger unique to teenage boys.
Bronya shot him a glance, her tone carrying the precision unique to a squad captain,
"Cadet Collodi, please be accurate with your wording during reports."
Lyle instantly straightened up at her words, feet together, posture rigid. He repeated the report seriously and properly.
Bronya gave a small nod, then introduced the lively boy to the group. When she moved on to introduce Adam, she hadn't even finished the sentence before Lyle excitedly interrupted.
Lyle rushed up to Adam in a few steps, eyes burning like tiny flames, his tone full of affectionate enthusiasm,
"I know! He's the savior of the Third Squad, the only male student at St. Freya, the future star of Schicksal, and my soulmate, Adam!"
Fu Lin walked over leisurely at this moment. Seeing Lyle's overexcited expression, he couldn't help laughing, deliberately poking fun, "You're done for, kid. Interrupting your superior? Careful you don't get punished later."
Lyle's heart skipped a beat. He peeked nervously at Bronya, voice unsure, "N-no way, right? Captain seems beautiful and kind, I doubt she'd be that petty?"
Bronya didn't respond. Instead, she looked to Adam beside her, a hint of confusion in her eyes, "You two know each other?"
Adam almost immediately stepped back half a step, quickly distancing himself, tone full of "we are Not close" indifference, "Sorry, and you are?"
"Dude, seriously?!" Lyle practically yelped, reaching out as if to grab Adam's arm.
"We were in the Schicksal prep course together! We hid in the training field corner to avoid the instructors, we said we'd be lifelong comrades! How did you forget all that?!"
Seeing no one speak, Lyle grew even more frantic, rushing to defend himself, "Captain, Timido, and uh… mysterious guy I don't know, you have to believe me! He and I were inseparable brothers!"
Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He clapped his hands as if struck by a brilliant idea, "Ah! I know how to prove it. Do you all want to know his lesser-known side?"
"Oho~ I love that kind of thing! You sure know how to hook an audience," Fu Lin's eyes sparkled instantly, staring at Lyle with eager anticipation.
But before Lyle could start, Adam suddenly clamped a hand on his head, fingers tightening slightly. His eyes were cold, like he was staring at a corpse.
Lyle, "..." The air froze instantly.
"All right, I get the general picture."
Bronya looked at the two who were practically wrestling, a fleeting nostalgia crossing her eyes. Then her gaze shifted toward Timido, who had been silent the whole time.
"Hm?" Timido also lifted her gaze slightly, meeting Bronya's eyes, still without speaking.
After a moment of silence, Bronya rubbed her forehead helplessly, "What's wrong? Come over and introduce yourself too."
"Eh?" Timido snapped back to her senses, placing a shaky hand over her chest. She lowered her head even further, not daring to look up, and whispered with trembling voice,
"...H-hello, s-senior… I'm T-Timido from S-Second Squad…"
"Uh, I can't hear you…" Adam's voice, calm and emotionless, sounded out, and instantly crushed the shoulders of the already socially anxious girl.
Staring at the cracks in the ground, Timido's fingers clenched until they turned white. A hint of despair coloured her trembling voice,
"S-sorry… I'm too nervous…"
Fu Lin said with a broad smile, "Mm, the Second Squad sure is interesting. One extreme extrovert, one extreme introvert."
As soon as he said "extrovert," Lyle puffed his chest proudly, as if he'd received a medal,
"Of course! When dealing with teammates, you gotta be the one to make things lively! That's how you make friends wherever you go!"
He even reached out to pat Adam's shoulder, but Adam subtly sidestepped him with a clean, practiced motion, like avoiding unnecessary trouble.
Fu Lin chuckled, tapping his chin, "Being proactive is good, but only if the other person is willing to respond."
His words were pointed, eyes sliding toward Adam's still-cold face. Lyle's smile faltered, but he still refused to give up, "Bro!"
Timido watched the noisy scene in front of her, and her tense spine relaxed ever so slightly.
Then, after repeatedly giving herself silent pep talks, her clenched hands slowly loosened. She took a deep breath and suddenly sped through her self-introduction again at lightning speed.
Once finished, her face flushed bright red, and she quickly lowered her head again.
"All right, since everyone knows each other now, it's time to plan our next steps."
Bronya looked around. Seeing the atmosphere significantly calmer, she led the group toward the garage. Stopping at the entrance, she continued, "This garage will serve as our base of operations. Clean it up, reconnect the power, set up equipment, rest and planning will all be easier afterward."
Lyle glanced around the empty garage, discarded parts piled in the corner, dust covering the floor, and clicked his tongue, "Mm… Calling it a base is generous. It's basically empty."
Adam nodded at the side, "Good thing this is still within the city. We can source materials locally."
Timido immediately lifted her head, volunteering with determination, "M-moving things… I-I can do it!"
Bronya nodded and quickly assigned tasks, "Adam, Lyle, clean the place. Timido and I will go search for useful supplies."
She paused, as if remembering something, then looked toward Fu Lin, "And one more thing, those staying behind must keep an eye on him."
Lyle froze for a second, then instantly straightened his back, "Yes! I'll make sure the mission is completed!"
Fu Lin let out a helpless laugh, "Big Duck, you're treating me like a suspicious person? I helped you take down that big guy earlier. No medal, fine, but now you're giving me special supervision?"
"Your identity is unclear. Temporary observation is reasonable. Or would you prefer I tie you up and keep you by my side?"
Bronya met his gaze without backing down, her tone firm and unwavering, her discipline crystal clear in her eyes.
Kiana☆ subconsciously ignored everything before that.
The moment she heard Bronya say she might tie Fu Lin up and keep him by her side, her expression instantly changed. "Bronya, are you choosing to be my enemy too?!!!"