Sea of Quanta, Candy House...
This was the refuge of the alien Sugars race, not only the pinnacle of this civilization's technology but also the ark that allowed them to continue their lineage while being pursued by a formidable enemy.
An unidentified creature resembling a black cotton candy ball, leaning on a cane, came with unprecedented urgency to find the only non-Sugars being in the Candy House and her partner.
—Shigure Kira and Nicholas.
In the language of the Sugars, their names were Crystal Sugar and Brown Sugar.
"Elder Konpeito, is there something urgent that you called us over for?"
"Crystal Sugar, Brown Sugar, I've called you here this time for a matter concerning the very survival of the entire Sugars race that I need to entrust to you."
"..."
Concerning the very survival of the entire Sugars race?
A single sentence was enough to make the light-blue-haired girl and the black cotton candy ball on her shoulder focus their attention.
Because Elder Konpeito never lied. His long life had given him enough knowledge to make the most prudent judgments about the future.
"Elder, what on earth happened? Why is it suddenly a matter of life and death for all of us?"
On Shigure Kira's shoulder, a black cotton candy ball, several sizes smaller than Konpeito, spoke up.
Konpeito chose his words carefully before replying, "Not long ago, a World Bubble that should have continued to exist perished in an extremely short period of time."
Hearing this, Shigure Kira and Brown Sugar didn't think there was anything wrong.
Due to the nature of the Sea of Quanta, countless bubbles were born every moment, containing something from the Real World, yet not truly existing. But because the energy flow within these World Bubbles was extremely warm and couldn't resist the corrosion and assimilation from the Sea of Quanta, they would often perish in a short time.
Countless worlds, born and destroyed in an instant.
Such things happened every moment.
Therefore, the World Bubbles that could stably exist in the Sea of Quanta all had their own unique qualities.
It was even possible that, like the World Bubble assimilated into Durandal's body, they were supported by powerful wisdom from the past.
However, this time was different...
"I suspect this World Bubble was not destroyed due to natural causes."
The key phrase appeared. It wasn't about destruction and being destroyed; it was a man-made destruction, not a natural decay.
The Sugars had naturally observed the changes on the Real World's Earth.
The great change that affected the entire Earth-Moon system made them marvel at the terror and power of the human race, and they also felt fear towards the three beings who contended in the starry sky.
The Stigma Project not only affected the Real World's Earth but also caused quite a stir in the Sea of Quanta.
However, now that the two gods of Earth had defeated the Stigma Project, these effects should have been suppressed to a minimum and should no longer affect the Sea of Quanta.
In theory.
The old Sugars was worried. "I suspect that the destruction of this World Bubble is related to the sworn enemies of our Sugars race—the terrible and abominable Sky People."
"To find out the truth about that World Bubble, I need powerful personnel to go to it."
It was self-evident who the candidates were.
"Crystal Sugar, Brown Sugar, this mission is yours."
"Leave it to us, Elder Konpeito."
The two powerful members of the Sugars race immediately set off to investigate the truth in that World Bubble.
A completely dead civilization entered their sights. A few dilapidated shelters were the last echoes of this World Bubble. As for the enemy that destroyed them...
*Bang—! Bang—!*
Several ugly mechanical constructs fell at their feet, with more of the same kind rushing forward.
"Nicholas, it's these guys after all!"
"Yeah, finding one usually means there's a whole nest hidden. It's typical of the Sky People."
After a fierce battle, the army of mechanical constructs, which had no advantage other than numbers, was cut down by the two of them working together.
The former Schicksal A-rank Valkyrie, Shigure Kira, and her companion explored this world, which was now devoid of any signs of life, as if it had been destroyed from the inside out by a violent explosion.
But apart from some of the Sugars' sworn enemies, empty shelters, and an insane artificial intelligence, they found nothing.
"Let's go, there's nothing of value left here."
"What a pitiful world."
Shigure Kira and Nicholas returned unharmed to the Sugars' sanctuary, the Candy House, to report their findings to the Sugars' elder.
"Sigh~~~"
The old Sugars appeared before the two, his face, unrecognizable to humans, now showing sorrow.
"Elder Konpeito, what's wrong?" Shigure Kira couldn't understand.
"Could it be that the destruction of that World Bubble will affect us in some way?"
The joys and sorrows of people are not the same, and the joys and sorrows of people and Sugars are even harder to empathize with.
The old Sugars was full of anxiety about the future. He didn't want to reveal certain secrets to his juniors, but in this potentially dangerous situation, concealing these secrets would not only harm the lives of his juniors but also the Sugars race itself.
Konpeito: "The destruction of this World Bubble has little to do with us. Even if the Sky People discover the Candy House, we have sufficient means to deal with them."
"What worries me is something else."
"Although the Sky People are powerful, there exists a being in the Sea of Quanta far more threatening than them—Sa!"
"It is a shadow rooted in the Sea of Quanta, a destruction that looms over all worlds."
"Crystal Sugar, Brown Sugar, I need you to go to a World Bubble that has been targeted by that entity and gather some important information."
"The danger of this trip..." The old Sugars had no hidden agenda and explained the dangers one by one. It wouldn't matter even if his two juniors refused.
But young people were full of drive.
"Elder Konpeito, leave this matter to us!"
"Then I'll be counting on you."
Forces from Earth began to advance towards the world targeted by the last Venusian.
"Salt Snow Holy City... Iron Sand Nation..."
"Is this the anomaly happening in this World Bubble?"
Shigure Kira, with her partner, entered the World Bubble observed by the Candy House and learned about it from its inhabitants.
Setting aside the internal situation of the World Bubble for a moment, the existence of the Iron Sand Nation and Salt Snow Holy City perfectly matched the observations of the Candy House.
This World Bubble was originally a single entity, with no connection to any other World Bubble.
However, in the Candy House's last observation, this World Bubble had formed a close connection with another of equal size, like a pair of conjoined twins.
Such an anomaly made the elder of the Sugars certain that it was the work of the terrifying Sa, and he decided to send Shigure Kira and Nicholas to investigate.
The old woman who welcomed them into her home poured two cups of hot tea for the guests who had come from afar. Her aged face held a longing for the future. "Yes, the Sage of our Salt Snow Holy City has the power to communicate with the Iron Sand Nation."
"Our lives end in Salt Snow Holy City, but our lives in the Iron Sand Nation have just begun."
In this old woman's description, death was no longer a silence filled with eternal peace, but the beginning of a brand new life.
Since death never truly existed, the fear of death lost its foundation.
The candlelight in the room flickered, and a family photo on the wall was filled with a wonderful atmosphere.
Only Shigure Kira and Nicholas forced a smile, knowing that behind this brief tranquility lay the ultimate destruction of this World Bubble.
When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. When the two World Bubbles are destroyed, not a single living being within them will survive.
Having learned the information she wanted, Shigure Kira had the intention to leave. "Granny, thank you for your hospitality, but my companion and I have other things to do, so we won't bother you any longer."
"Is that so?" The old woman's face showed some regret, but she accepted the reality with understanding and kindly offered them help.
"You two girls have come to Salt Snow Holy City at a pretty good time."
"A few days ago, monsters often hurt people in Salt Snow Holy City. Everyone was terrified, living in constant fear. But after the Sage appeared, she sent divine envoys to protect us, allowing everyone to live on."
"Although Salt Snow Holy City is now under the protection of the Sage and is not as dangerous as before..."
"But since you're new here and not very familiar with Salt Snow Holy City, let this old woman find you a guide."
Unable to refuse the old woman's kindness, the two watched as she went out the door and called out in one direction: "Vita, are you home?"
"Granny, what can I do for you?" The corner of a white dress appeared in their vision. The wall blocked their view, so Shigure Kira and Nicholas could only tell from the voice that it must be a beautiful girl.
The old woman smiled kindly. "Vita, I have two children here from the outside world. I hope you can show them around Salt Snow Holy City."
"No problem, leave it to Vita."
A girl with green hair, red eyes, and a white dress appeared, her delicate face filled with a beautiful smile. She was waving enthusiastically at the two. "Hi, I'm Vita, your good friend."
"I'm Shigure Kira."
"Just call me Nicholas."
"Since we all know each other's names now, we're good partners who can trust each other with our backs. You two have to protect me, okay?"
The beautiful girl's smile was so sweet that one couldn't help but let down their guard in her warmth.
It was as if they were old friends, reunited at this very moment.
Shigure Kira: "It's nothing, really. My strength isn't actually that great."
The three of them traveled together in Salt Snow Holy City, and Shigure Kira and Nicholas also learned more about this world from Vita.
Vita, like them, came from the outside world. When she arrived, the Sage of the High Tower had already appeared. This being had used her power to quell the turmoil here, allowing the residents of the holy city, who were threatened by monsters, to finally live a peaceful life.
However...
Although most of the monsters invading Salt Snow Holy City were eliminated by the Sage's divine envoys, people were still occasionally attacked by monsters that appeared out of nowhere.
Shigure Kira and Nicholas eliminated a quantum monster that had run out from some dark corner, allowing the enthusiastic and generous girl to calm down.
"Thank you, my friends." Vita patted her full chest, her delicate face filled with relief. "If it weren't for you, I might have been sent to the legendary Iron Sand Nation by these monsters."
Shigure Kira: "How come this Iron Sand Nation sounds like heaven in your mouths? You're always talking about going there to enjoy life!"
The future superstar complained.
Vita smiled knowingly. "Oh, it can't be helped."
"Before the Sage of the High Tower showed her power, the Iron Sand Nation, representing the afterlife, was almost everyone's only hope. You should try to understand everyone's feelings."
After cleaning up the mess, the two girls, led by Vita, started moving forward again.
The enthusiastic and generous girl took the two outsiders to a high place in Salt Snow Holy City, revealing the tower, shining like the sun, in its entirety to Shigure Kira and Nicholas.
Vita pointed at the tower, which shone with a sun-like brilliance at its peak, and extended her hand to the two. "My friends, welcome to Salt Snow Holy City."
Brilliant, shining, bright, warm...
In a World Bubble with undeveloped productivity, the existence of such a towering building, estimated to be several hundred meters high, could easily be seen as the dwelling of a god and savior.
The top of the tower radiated a bright light like the sun, taking on the sun's duty to bring light and warmth to this world.
The tower's body, made of some unknown material, was covered in dilapidated marks, but instead of giving the tower a sense of broken decay, it added a touch of ancient vastness.
"So tall!"
"And so bright!"
The two exclaimed in admiration.
Although they had witnessed countless worlds with magnificent scenery together in the Sea of Quanta, such a spectacular sight was rare even there.
It was truly a feast for the eyes.
Vita smiled. "What do you think? Isn't the tower of our Salt Snow Holy City beautiful?"
"And not only that, the Sage who lives in the tower regularly sends her divine envoys to help us clean up those monsters, so we can live in peace."
"And there's a legend in our Salt Snow Holy City that if you climb to the top of that tower, you can find the path to the Iron Sand Nation and be reunited with your deceased relatives."
Shigure Kira quipped, "That's because you might accidentally fall off the tower and report directly to the Iron Sand Nation, right?"
"Oh my~~~" The lovely Miss Vita was a little angry. "Kira, some things are better left unsaid. Everyone has their own beautiful wishes for the future, so let's not disappoint them."
"Alright, alright, I respect the customs of your Salt Snow Holy City." She replied casually.
After understanding the basic situation of Salt Snow Holy City, Shigure Kira did not forget her mission.
The Iron Sand Nation was a distant legend to the residents of Salt Snow Holy City, but for the duo from the Candy House, it was a real crisis threatening this world.
Even if they couldn't solve this problem, they had to figure out why it was happening and understand the methods Sa used to achieve this, so they would have more confidence in fighting this entity in the future.
And to understand Salt Snow Holy City and the Iron Sand Nation...
"Vita, do you know how to get to the top of the tower?"
"What, are you planning to go to the Iron Sand Nation?" Vita's smile was bright, her expression teasing.
"If my friends want to go to the Iron Sand Nation, although Vita is a bit reluctant, she'll have to accept it with a heavy heart."
She sighed dramatically, as if she was about to be forced to kill her two friends and had to make a decision that would sadden her allies and please her enemies.
Nicholas, not being human, couldn't grasp the humor in it, but Shigure Kira had already raised her big baby without hesitation.
"Vita, I have a big baby here. Do you need me to treat you with it?"
The green-haired, red-eyed girl waved her hands repeatedly. "No, no, if you stick that in, I'll really break."
"Okay, no more jokes. What do you know about the tower?"
Vita thought for a moment. "As far as I know, before you came here, two new divine envoys appeared in Salt Snow Holy City."
"Not only are they stronger than the average divine envoys, but they also possess many magical powers and can easily eliminate a large number of monsters invading Salt Snow Holy City."
Other outsiders?
Shigure Kira instinctively felt that these two must be related to her purpose for coming here.
"Is there any way we can meet them, or meet the Sage of the High Tower?"
Spreading her hands, Vita spun around in front of her two new friends. "My friends, do I look like I can do either of those things?"
"..." Shigure Kira covered her head. "Alright, looks like I'll have to figure it out myself."
"Vita, thank you for all your trouble along the way."
"You're welcome. If you come back to Salt Snow Holy City, be sure to find me first." The enthusiastic and generous girl waved goodbye to her two new friends, then turned her head to the side.
"Just saw off two friends, and now another lovely visitor has arrived. Could it be that Vita's beauty has made everyone hopelessly fall for me?"
The black-haired young man watched Shigure Kira and Nicholas leave. His presence was like the wind and light integrated into this world; he was clearly there, but he couldn't be detected by normal means.
And his purpose for being here was also very simple: "Messenger of Sa, you have only two choices before me: surrender willingly or be beaten to your knees by me."
Vita: "..."
Oh no, this time I'm going to be locked in the basement!