The group took a dedicated elevator deep underground, passing through numerous security checkpoints before finally arriving at the conference room door. Everyone could guess that what they were about to hear would be extremely important—perhaps even something that would overturn their understanding of the world.
But just as they reached the door, Mu suddenly stiffened, his expression shifting dramatically.
"Yang Hui! I can sense Creuset's presence!" Mu shouted, pointing at the conference room door.
"What!?"
"Captain Creuset!"
Murrue and the others gasped in shock. Their minds reeled—hadn't Yang Hui killed Creuset? How could Mu still sense him? Meanwhile, Athrun felt a mix of astonishment, relief, and even a flicker of joy. Though he knew Creuset had orchestrated the war from the shadows, the time they had spent together in Creuset Team had been real. No matter how despicable Creuset's actions were, as a captain, he had been competent and had genuinely cared for Athrun and the others.
"Let's just go inside first," Yang Hui sighed at Mu's tension, pushing open the conference room door and ushering everyone in.
"Rau Le Creuset!"
Click—
Though Creuset was currently wearing a full-face mask under the alias "Vidar," Mu immediately saw through the disguise and drew his gun, preparing to fire. But Yang Hui was faster—the moment the bullet chambered, he snatched the pistol away and swiftly dismantled it into scattered parts.
"Calm down, Uncle Mu. He's not the enemy," Yang Hui reassured him.
"What?"
"Take a good look around," Yang Hui urged again.
Only then did Mu and the others survey the room. They realized that in this high-security, fully enclosed conference room, Creuset was seated right beside Sumeragi, while Setsuna walked straight to an empty seat beside him and sat down.
Considering the clearance level required to enter this room, it was clear that Creuset's true identity must have been known—otherwise, he would never have been allowed inside, let alone seated as an equal alongside Sumeragi and the others.
"Oh? What a pleasant surprise," Creuset remarked dryly as Murrue and the others entered, his lips curling into a mocking smirk.
"Vidar… sir! You… really are…" Athrun noticed that Creuset's speech pattern had shifted. Though his voice remained hoarse, the familiar cadence was unmistakable.
"Well, Athrun, long time no see… or should I say, not long enough?" With that, Creuset removed his mask, revealing his true face. "And Mu, I didn't expect to see you again so soon. Truly… fate has a twisted sense of humor."
"Rau Le Creuset! Why are you here!?" Mu roared.
"That's a question better suited for Yang Hui, don't you think?" Creuset replied with amusement, tossing the responsibility to Yang Hui while settling in to enjoy the show.
"Alright… everyone, take a seat," Yang Hui sighed, gesturing to the empty chairs.
"..."
Brimming with questions, the group reluctantly sat down. Yang Hui then explained why Creuset was still alive and even held a high-ranking position in Orb.
Some accepted the explanation, while others felt conflicted. A few, however, couldn't bring themselves to accept it at all.
"Yang Hui! He's dangerous! He's a madman!" Mu argued vehemently.
"Yeah, I agree…" Yang Hui nodded solemnly.
"Then..."
"But he has already proven through his actions that he can be trusted. This outcome has been unanimously recognized by me, Sumeragi, Liumei, Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria. He has become our comrade. His madness and danger will now be directed at our enemies."
"But..."
"Well, let me continue first. After I finish, you can all share your thoughts, alright?" Yang Hui spread his hands, not blaming Mu for being unable to accept Creuset. After all, their perspectives were still too limited, not on the same level. They saw things differently and couldn't think comprehensively.
"..."
Mu fell silent, determined to hear what else Yang Hui had to say. He was confident he wouldn't be persuaded—there was no way he could acknowledge Creuset's existence.
But... as the existence of Prometheus Fortress and the true identities of Yang Hui and the others were revealed one by one, Mu's confidence wavered. Murrue and the others also lost their ability to think, struggling to accept it all at once.
After Yang Hui finished speaking, it took about ten minutes for everyone to reorganize their chaotic thoughts and regain their ability to think normally.
"You... you're not from this world!"
"Prometheus Fortress can connect to countless parallel worlds..."
"No wonder! The special armaments of Dawn, the Quasi-GN Drives and GN Particles... your abilities are beyond ordinary!"
It was beyond their expectations, yet somehow not entirely surprising. After all, Yang Hui and the others had already brought them so many shocks and were so outstanding that they seemed almost inhuman!
But now, everything made sense. Though Yang Hui and the others were not even twenty years old, their abilities were already world-class, and they had brought many things that defied common sense. It turned out they had never been children—their youthful appearances hid souls decades or even centuries old.
"Why?" Kira asked.
"Because you should already know—the enemies that will appear next. If we don't unite, this world will be destroyed, and humanity will go extinct," Yang Hui replied. He knew Kira wasn't asking why they had kept it a secret but why they were revealing the truth now.
"What!?"
"What exactly is going on!?"
"From the second phase of our mission—also the final phase—we learned that something not of this world has arrived here. It's currently in a dormant state but poses a threat of awakening. Once it awakens, it could expose this world's coordinates, leading an army here. When that happens..."
"According to the commander protection protocols of Prometheus Fortress, we will be forcibly recalled, and all connections to this world will be severed."
"How could this be..."
"Can't we resist? Our current strength isn't weak!"
"There's no way to resist."
Yang Hui sighed and shook his head, while the others looked at him with concern—they still didn't know what Yang Hui had discovered back then.
"The enemy is one capable of traversing between worlds, having destroyed countless civilizations. We haven't even managed to leave our solar system yet—how could we resist?" Yang Hui countered.
"This..."
"Yang Hui, what exactly is our enemy?" Sumeragi asked. Only by knowing the true nature of their adversary could she formulate appropriate battle plans and countermeasures.
"It's this," Yang Hui replied as he projected an image.
"This!"
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