Unfortunately, Jace did not get the chance to see Herta's manuscript.
[Shortly after Stelle finished her conversation with Asta, a sharp alarm suddenly blared across the space station. Countless red warnings popped up on the main interface, flooding the entire screen.]
["Ah! What's going on?" March 7th exclaimed in panic, looking around frantically.]
[On the screen, a massive claw slowly pierced through the space station's protective shield. Accompanied by the sound of the shield cracking, the camera pulled back to reveal a dragon-like colossal creature clinging to the station's exterior, attempting to tear through the barrier with its claws.]
[A trace of panic flickered in Asta's azure-blue eyes, but she suppressed it the next second. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Himeko and said, "You all take the train and leave. I... will stay."]
["Mm." Himeko nodded.]
["But..." March 7th hesitated, wanting to say something, but in the next moment, she was pulled away by Himeko.]
[In the pitch-black darkness of the Celestial Screen, only Asta's intermittent, static-filled voice continued to echo.]
["The support sector's shield won't hold much longer... Hurry..."]
["Leave this place... to me..."]
["You... hurry..."]
——
"Heh, this monster..."
Ryomen Sukuna crossed his arms, his expression calm on the surface. However, Kenjaku, who stood closest to him, felt as if his entire body was wrapped in a bone-chilling coldness.
It was like being submerged in icy water, where even breathing became a struggle.
The two cursed spirits beside him trembled visibly, shaking so violently that Kenjaku—who had just summoned them—wondered if they would dissipate under Sukuna's oppressive cursed energy if they kept trembling like this.
—The moment he saw the Doomsday Beast, Sukuna instinctively released a portion of his cursed energy.
This beast-like intuition was something Sukuna had honed through countless battles. Against such an enemy, one had to be fully prepared from the very first second.
Thanks to the system's effect, even through the Celestial Screen, they could feel the overwhelming pressure emanating from the Doomsday Beast.
This long-lost, blood-pumping sense of oppression reminded Sukuna of the time he tamed Mahoraga. Yet, in comparison, the pressure Mahoraga exerted was like clouds and mud next to the Doomsday Beast.
A faint trace of anticipation finally surfaced on Sukuna's face.
...How he wished he could unleash Malevolent Shrine inside the space station and let this behemoth taste his slashes.
[In the Celestial Screen, Himeko and the others had arrived at a secluded area.]
["...Communications are down." Himeko shook her head.]
[Thinking of the monster they had just witnessed, even Dan Heng—who was usually unflappable—now wore a hint of worry on his face. He cautioned, "Should we go back? That's a Doomsday Beast—the Legion's anti-planetary weapon."]
[Himeko, however, remained composed. "This space station was built by Herta. Unless an Emanator of Destruction intervenes, nothing too serious will happen here."]
["B-but, we can't just run away like this, can we?" March 7th felt that leaving just like that was somewhat irresponsible.]
[Dan Heng said gravely, "The Legion bears the blessing of Nanook, the Destruction Aeon. They came prepared. The people here won't be able to hold out."]
[Himeko turned her gaze toward Stelle and spoke calmly, "That's exactly why we must leave—and take Stelle with us."]
["She is the key to turning the tide. Of course, I could be wrong."]
["???"]
[Stelle stared at everyone in utter confusion.]
[What the heck? How did I suddenly become the key to solving this crisis?]
——
"Whew—"
"In this kind of situation, I really have to admire Section Chief for adapting to this pressure so quickly."
"Truly, the youngest Void Hunter in New Eridu, huh?"
Inside the HAND Headquarters' Anti-Void Section 6 office in New Eridu, Tsukishiro Yanagi slumped weakly in her chair, her exhausted demeanor making it seem like she had just finished twenty sets of strength training. Drenched in sweat, she lay sprawled across the desk, too drained to even fiddle with the documents.
In contrast, the black-haired Kitsuki girl in front of her seemed completely unfazed. Gazing up at the Celestial Screen with a look of longing, Hoshimi Miyabi leisurely took a sip of tea. The steam curled upward, carrying a refreshing aroma, while the warmth left a faint layer of mist on Yanagi's thin glasses.
"Section Chief, this... doesn't look like a monster that could emerge from the Hollow, does it?" Yanagi wiped her glasses and muttered sullenly.
Ever since this strange Celestial Screen appeared, Section Chief Miyabi hadn't moved from her seat for an hour. Even when the overwhelmingly oppressive Doomsday Beast descended, she only paused for two seconds before continuing to sip her tea.
Something about "undertaking a ten-hour non-leaving-seat training"...
For the first time, Yanagi felt the weight behind Section Chief Miyabi's bizarre training regimens.
This Celestial Screen had initially been jointly investigated by HAND Headquarters and the Public Safety Bureau. At first, they thought it might be a Hollow-related phenomenon, but further checks revealed that no existing Hollow could possibly produce such a spectacular accompanying effect.
The Celestial Screen seemed to connect to another world, yet bore no relation to New Eridu. The higher-ups' decisions remained unclear, but at the very least, they hadn't dispatched Anti-Void Section 6 to take any action.
But now, things might change. The oppressive aura of the Doomsday Beast had likely already disrupted normal operations in New Eridu.
Everyone could feel it—their heartbeats pounded like war drums, as if struggling to burst out of their chests. If one dared to look directly into the Doomsday Beast's eyes, the terror was akin to staring into the depths of a crystal-clear lake, feeling as though they were being sucked in.
"The goosebumps feel even more real than when I watch immersive movies." Asaba Harumasa lay sprawled on the desk, still shaken. "If monsters of this size appeared in the Hollow instead of Witherers... Ugh, damn, now I feel like the Witherers are downright amiable in comparison."
"Speaking of which, Section Chief, can I take three days of sick leave for this?"
Yanagi snorted. "If you showed half the enthusiasm and energy in dealing with Witherers as Miss Stelle does when beating up Voidrangers—instead of dozing off behind Sango—maybe I'd consider it."
"Deputy Section Chief, really?!"
"Mm." Yanagi lazily raised a finger. "Of course, there's one more condition—you'd have to have a Stellaron stuffed inside you like Miss Stelle does."
Harumasa's initially raised eyebrows immediately drooped.
——
["Alright, what should we do next?"]
[Himeko glanced around and pointed to a passage behind them. "This is the support sector where maintenance staff work. It leads to the nearest platform. Let's head there and regroup with Welt."]
["Mr. Yang? He's here too? Didn't he stay on the train?" March 7th widened her eyes in surprise.]