[The research on the Stellaron Constraint Device had alerted the Cancer of All Worlds to the looming threat. Through its endless whispers, it had come to understand that it could never shake the resolve of the Imperial Sovereign.]
[No longer content to slowly let the 'sickness' consume Belobog, it now sought to enact the will of 'Destruction,' to bring about the final end of this planet.]
As these two lines of text appeared on the screen, everyone in the stream felt a moment of disorientation.
Clearly, no one had expected the Stellaron to become unstable at this critical juncture.
Yet, faced with this wildly unpredictable turn of events, Bronya's expression on screen remained unshaken.
Over the past year, she had grown immensely. The hesitant girl of the past was now the leader of Wildfire, and maintaining composure under pressure had become second nature to her.
Her silver-gray eyes turned to Svarog as she asked, "What's the specific situation?"
"Conclusion: Based on the distribution of Fragmentum energy, a significant number of Fragmentum creatures have spawned in the Outlying Snow Plains and the city's peripheral pathways. Additionally..." The crimson glow of his optics shifted upward, "There is a large-scale energy reaction detected in the Everwinter Hill. The predicted energy source is—the Stellaron."
Bronya rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.
Behind her, Seele, Clara, Natasha, and Svarog—key figures from the Underworld—remained silent. They all understood that the appearance of Fragmentum creatures on the front lines at this moment was actually advantageous for the Underworld.
The Overworld would be unable to recall troops from the front, allowing the Underworld's counterattack to proceed without hindrance.
But the final decision rested with the person before them.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Bronya lifted her calm eyes. The resolve in her gaze gave everyone their answer.
[Bronya was well aware of the terror of the Fragmentum creatures' resurgence. The Silvermane Guards on the front lines would struggle to hold them back. If those creatures flooded into Belobog, the Underworld's counterattack would become meaningless.]
[She divided the Wildfire forces into two groups, dispatching them to reinforce the peripheral pathways and the Outlying Snow Plains. Meanwhile, she herself led Svarog, Seele, Natasha, and others toward the Everwinter Hill, aiming to suppress the Stellaron!]
--+--
Watching Bronya's decisive actions on screen, the viewers' eyes lit up with anticipation.
In the ending predicted by Sparkle, Bai Heng would ruthlessly eliminate all potential future threats to Belobog, absorbing all the resulting negativity onto himself. In the end, the citizens would view him as a 'tyrant,' and Bronya would be the one to end him.
But now, things seemed to be taking a slightly different turn!
--+--
Kiana: 「Bronya chose to reinforce the front lines instead of pressing the attack on the Overworld... which means the ending Miss Sparkle predicted might not come to pass!」
Himeko: 「Exactly! Launching a counterattack against the Overworld now would be the most opportune moment, but Bronya didn't choose that path. She can clearly assess the pros and cons and make the right decision!」
Stelle: 「She's grown! She's really grown! I'm literally crying right now!」
Silver Wolf: 「Why does this feel like the bittersweet satisfaction of finally leveling up a stubborn alt account...」
--+--
The mood in the stream was electric.
If Bronya's decision could resolve the crisis brought by the Stellaron, relations between the Overworld and Underworld would significantly improve. Lifting the blockade and moving toward reconciliation was no longer just a distant dream.
And perhaps, the fates of Bronya and Bai Heng could also take a different turn!
Filled with anticipation for what was to come, everyone turned their attention back to the screen.
[Wind-piercing bullets shattered the defenses of the Fragmentum creatures. Phantom-like butterflies flickered across the battlefield. Missiles from an ancient robot and a doctor's gatling gun tore through the barricades formed by the creatures' bodies. After a bloody battle, Bronya and her team reached the Everwinter Hill and came face to face with the Stellaron in its current form.]
"Is this the Stellaron...?"
Bronya couldn't help but tremble at the sight of the colossal being before her.
A steel giant stood like a mountain, its massive crimson eyes glowing with a divine light, like bloody suns rising in the depths of winter.
"Correction: This is the Engine of Creation, a planetary-scale construct created a century ago by the Architects. Current analysis indicates it is under the control of the Stellaron. Probability of victory in combat: thirty percent."
Svarog's cold, mechanical voice delivered the analysis.
"Enough with the chatter! Let's just do this!"
A voice thick with impatience cut through the air as Seele, scythe in hand, transformed into a shimmering butterfly and charged forward.
Without another word, Bronya raised her rifle, the muzzle glowing with the light of Preservation—a silent testament to her resolve.
Yes, this was a battle from which there could be no retreat.
As long as the Stellaron existed, Fragmentum creatures would spawn endlessly. Only by suppressing it could everything truly end.
But...
Both Bronya and Svarog had severely underestimated the Stellaron's power.
The steel giant was not the true threat; the real danger lay in the Core's relentless, terrifying whispers!
The voice tore through their minds, seeping into their very souls.
Even with her hands clamped over her ears, Bronya could not block it out.
In her disoriented state, she saw her mother reaching out to her, her expression as gentle as it had been a decade ago when she last held her.
She also saw that man's smile—once soft yet resolute—his eyes filled with approval.
But it was that very smile that dredged up the memories she most wished to forget.
"All the world's misfortunes stem from one's own lack of capability."
Those icy words, spoken by that man long ago, exploded in her ears, jolting her silver-gray eyes back into focus.
Instinctively, she raised her gun to fire, only to find the giant's iron fist already upon her.
In that instant, the threat of death spread through every fiber of her being, and time itself seemed to slow to a crawl.
She saw Natasha's anxious face, Seele rushing toward her, the energy gathering slowly in Svarog's palm cannon.
But nothing could stop death's approach.
Her silver-gray eyes began to close, as if even Bronya herself had accepted her fate.
But then...
WHOOSH—!
With a terrifying sound that split the air, a lance of fire pierced through the blizzard, impaling the giant's fist and shattering the death that had enveloped Bronya.
"Giving up so easily, Bronya? I don't recall teaching you that."
Through the snow and wind, the clanking of armor grew steadily louder. A tall figure strode toward them, his cloak billowing in the wind, his empty right sleeve starkly visible.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.