Chapter: 47. The God of the New World
In a distant desert away from the Star Academy.
Beneath the desert lies a cold space, with temperatures starkly different from the surface.
This place should not bear any signs of life; however, a man-made tunnel descends straight down, as if plunging into the heart of the world.
Dim yellow lights extend along the walls, casting mottled shadows between rough rock walls and metallic supports, creating a suffocating silence that lingers in every inch of the air.
Six hundred meters underground lies the core base of the anti-anomaly organization “Blood Cross.”
Blood Cross was once the anti-anomaly organization affiliated with the “former ace blood crow” Maria True Red. The earliest members of the organization were, without exception, the most loyal followers of the “Elemental Sovereign.” Having come to know some truths about the death of the “Elemental Sovereign,” they believed that the Special Circle Sema and the Three Academies had betrayed the “Elemental Sovereign” and murdered it on the altar.
Thus, they formed “Blood Cross” with the purpose of avenging the “Elemental Sovereign.”
“Blood must be repaid in blood” is the common oath that this organization frequently recites.
However, what is puzzling is that within this organization, which is at odds with the Special Circle Sema and the Three Academies, there are numerous setups bearing the logos of both.
Especially in the deepest part of the base, in the rectangular control hall, the walls and floors are made of deep gray titanium alloy, as polished as a mirror.
A circular light source is installed on the ceiling, constantly releasing cool white light, illuminating the mainframe structure in the center of the hall that occupies an entire platform, known as the “Body.”
This is another “Body” of the β system, but compared to the one underground in the Star Academy, this mainframe’s design lacks the “fantasy style” and is more realistic in appearance—
It consists of towering server stacks and liquid cooling pipelines arranged neatly in layers. Each block of obsidian-colored metal shell flickers with a faint blue light, yet these surfaces are engraved with markings from the Special Circle Sema and the Three Academies.
In the gaps between the towers, bundles of optical fibers extend like veins, connecting to a vacant slot in the center.
Like a keyhole waiting for a key to be inserted.
If Professor Tenjō were here, he would be astonished that his previous research has been perfectly replicated by someone else.
And to some extent, it is more complete and advanced than the “Body” he developed; it is hard to imagine that an anti-anomaly organization could produce something even better than the Star Academy, given their resources.
In front of the console, the technicians of Blood Cross operate silently, inputting codes and confirming the final energy flow path.
The atmosphere is calm and serious, with only the low-frequency vibrations emitted by the mainframe periodically altering the breathing frequency of the entire space.
Footsteps echo on the empty metallic floor, steady yet unhurried.
A cadre of Blood Cross slowly steps into the control core, cradling a silver alloy box in her hands.
Inside is precisely the core of this β system—the key.
As long as the key is inserted into the empty slot of this body, this artificial deity will come online.
A technological god descending upon the fantasy world.
The cadre skillfully places the box on the verification platform in front of the central control console, where several laser scanning lines crisscross, reading identities, comparing permissions, and confirming key integrity.
【Key authentication passed. Can be inserted into the main core.】
The system’s prompt sounds mechanically, devoid of any emotional fluctuations.
At the moment the alloy box slowly opens, a faint sound of footsteps suddenly emerges from the shadowy corner of the hall.
The anti-anomalies of Blood Cross present all turn alert, their eyes shining with magical brilliance as they stare in the direction of the sound.
In the corners where the light cannot reach, something is slowly approaching.
It is the outline of a person. First, the bottom of a shoe steps into the boundary of light and shadow, black short boots landing on the metal floor with a steady echo, followed by long legs and a straight figure bound beneath a white uniform.
His black hair is illuminated by the light from the ceiling; the silver emblem of the Star Academy on the collar of his uniform reflects light like a star.
“You—” he speaks, his voice low and steady:
“Do you know what you are doing?”
When the black-haired man raises his head, his silver-starred eyes reflect the silhouettes of everyone present.
S-class anomaly, “Elemental Sovereign.”
Glight.
—————–
“I’ve finally found it—”
Inside the tactical mecha cockpit, Sasaki slowly opens her eyes, and the white lines instantly vanish with a snap of her fingers, dissipating into the air.
“The place below is where Professor Tenjō is located.” Sasaki reports in a tone of unwavering certainty.
Her anomaly has locked onto Professor Tenjō’s current location.
“There is an island below.” A report from the communication officer in the cockpit comes through: “According to satellite imagery and heat scans, it appears to be an abandoned meteorological observation station, but the structure is abnormal.”
“The scanning results show there are large underground spaces.”
“It seems they have completely transformed the observation station’s underground into a base.” Jūniro calmly assesses.
He exchanges glances with Kanade beside him.
The two shared intelligence long ago during their operation at the Star Academy, and Jūniro has learned that Kanade is temporarily degraded to an ordinary person due to magic negation.
Thus, this rescue operation will be led by Jūniro.
Kanade will stay aboard the tactical mecha with the two academy girls as rear support.
Once they land on the island, the pilot will temporarily carry them away.
On the other side.
In a seat at the corner of the cockpit, Erika suddenly wakes up.
However, to Nagino’s surprise, Erika shows no trace of her usual light-hearted optimism after awakening.
Nagino thought she might be a bit excited when facing this situation or might feign calmness while expressing a desire to protect herself.
However.
In the dim light of the cockpit, Erika’s constricted eyes are filled with uncontainable fear and confusion.
She trembles all over, as if just breaking free from a nightmare, clutching her arms tightly to herself as if about to collapse at any moment.
“Erika?” Nagino cannot help but turn to her, frowning slightly.
A bad thought arises in her mind.
To avoid potential inspection, Nagino’s shadow does not conceal any fantasy monsters introduced to her by the End, and she herself is in a state of magic exhaustion, unable to use her anomaly.
Erika’s reaction makes Nagino feel that her previous worries are slowly becoming real.
In the original game “Star Draw 2,” the DLC character “Erika” is highly related to the main plot’s “β” system. Since the existence of the β system has completely come to light, it is evident that the personal storyline of the main character “Erika” will also emerge.
However, Nagino cannot recall the plot summary from the trailer of the “Star Draw 2” DLC, whether it’s about what the β system is or how it relates to Erika. She only vaguely remembers that Erika’s anomaly “Key Liberation” is crucial.
“Is there… something… wrong…”
Supported by Nagino’s shoulder, Erika murmurs in a hoarse voice, her gaze vacant as if she senses some fear.
“…Something is coming; it… He is coming…”
Witnessing this scene, Jūniro and the others are also stunned.
As experienced frontline combatants with anomalies, they place immense trust in “intuition,” whether it’s their own or others’.
These flashes of inspiration often save their lives.
Erika’s reaction is clearly abnormal.
Yet the current situation seems to leave them no time to think.
“Enemy attack!! We’ve been detected!!”
Suddenly, a shout from the cockpit breaks the brief silence.
In the next moment, the tactical mecha violently shakes, the evasive operation is forcefully initiated, tracing a steep trajectory.
The body almost grazes the clouds overhead, emitting metallic wails.
—A blazing white magical beam rises from the depths of the island, piercing the night sky like lightning and almost hitting the main engine’s tail.
Immediately after, numerous fireballs roar towards the sky like angry beasts.
It seems that even though the tactical mecha possesses optical camouflage, it has still been detected by the Starry Society below.
The tactical mecha continues to tremble, the optical camouflage fails under intense thermal shock, and the transparent shell begins to flash with its true outline.
Inside the cabin, Nagino holds the trembling Erika.
And Kanade steps forward, reaching out to support Nagino.
He locks eyes with Jūniro once again.
The latter’s gaze is filled with determination.
There is no time to worry about anything else.
They must rescue Professor Tenjō before anyone else does.
Jūniro stands up in the rocking cockpit, pressing the hatch unlocking device:
“We must go down immediately, or—Professor Tenjō might be transferred again.”
The cockpit door slowly opens in tactical mode, sea breeze and flames rushing in.
Jūniro leaps down first, and the other prepared team members exchange glances with Kanade, following closely after.
The End’s Special Operations team officially engages in combat with the Starry Society.
……
……
Meanwhile.
Underground in the Starry Society base.
The red alarm lights flash incessantly, and sharp warning bells resonate between the alloy walls.
In front of the interrogation room door, everyone momentarily freezes in place.
Facing the question thrown by DD-chan, Professor Tenjō seems frozen, his gaze hollow and expression dazed.
A terrifying answer he had never truly contemplated echoes in his mind—yet has long been buried deep within his intuition.
“Professor?”
Beside him, Alice cannot help but call out.
Now is not the time to zone out.
Latest intelligence indicates that the special operations team from the Moon Academy has already arrived over the island.
Although Professor Tenjō seems to have revealed everything he knows, he still holds value for the Starry Society and must be transferred quickly; he cannot be taken back to the Special Circle Sema or the Three Academies.
“It’s… him…”
Tenjō murmurs, appearing not to have heard Alice’s voice, lost in thought.
“Who? Who are you talking about?”
Maria furrows her brow and steps forward.
It looks like she plans to drag Professor Tenjō away.
Faced with the gazes from Alice, Maria, and DD-chan.
Professor Tenjō suddenly reveals an expression almost filled with terror.
“It’s Glight… it has always been him.”
His voice trembles, as if finally seeing through the dark truth concealed by layers of fog.
“Glight? The S-class from the Star Academy? The one who initially proposed the concept of the β system?”
DD-chan is confused as to why his name appears here.
Tenjō suddenly turns his head, murmuring as if memories are surging forth:
“It was his idea. Before the meeting took place, he proposed to remove the key from the main structure and send it to another research facility for final adjustments; he also suggested— to avoid attention from potential fantasy monsters and anti-anomaly organizations, to send the key as an ordinary package to the academy.”
“That’s how the key got lost.”
He opens his eyes wide, as if unable to believe he only now sees this obvious conspiracy behind the line.
The bubble that had covered the “sense of incongruity” seems to have been punctured at this moment by DD-chan’s question.
Did Glight really only create the body of the β system underground in the Star Academy?
“From the beginning, he knew—he knew that the β system could never be accepted by the Special Circle Sema and the Three Academies; he merely exploited the panic triggered by the End fragment incident to obtain enough resources, developing it secretly under the guise of ‘confidential’…”
“Glight… he has been scheming everything since the day he first proposed the plan!”
“He intended from the very start to launch the β system under the noses of the Special Circle Sema and the Three Academies through other means!”
“Including me, including you… we are all his pawns.”
“The people sent here—may not be to stop the system, nor to save me, but to silence me…”
“To eliminate all witnesses…”
—————–
Below the desert.
In the hall where the “Body” is placed.
Glight looks at the members of Blood Cross before him, a slight smile playing on his lips.
“Ladies and gentlemen, what we are about to do will change this world.”
He claps his hands, urging everyone to continue their work.
Blood Cross, this anti-anomaly organization that once sought revenge against the Special Circle Sema and the Three Academies, has long been under his control in the identity of “Light.”
Over the years, he has been secretly funding various anti-anomaly organizations.
Providing them with various high-tech resources from the academy, as well as intelligence.
Blood Cross, Starry Society, and many more.
The goal has always been to let them help him secretly complete the β system.
The Special Circle Sema and the Three Academies could never accept such a plan that stripped humanity of its privacy and essence, even using the threat of the End, not to mention that the End has almost been resolved by Kanade now.
The world’s progress will be slowed down by this hypocritical peace.
To protect this world, the β system must go online.
This is the “answer” from the depths of his memory, the only one that has not proven to be a failure among countless memories of failure.
The β system is the key to saving this world; the best answer to confront the constantly incoming fantasy monsters is to employ equally tireless inorganic entities, which is the savior that this world needs.
For years.
He has been calculating everything step by step, finally welcoming the final moment.
Even the potential obstacles have been secretly dealt with by Blood Cross beforehand.
The anomaly known as “Erika,” in his memories, is the only existence that may threaten the β system itself.
However, as a prominent S-class anomaly, Glight is not convenient to step into the light, so through his connections with Blood Cross, he secretly hired third-rate armed groups and obscure companies to eliminate Erika, preventing interference from the Special Circle Sema, the Three Academies, the End, or fantasy monsters.
The plan was successful; that specially anomalous anomaly fell during the attack, and a child seems to have inherited her name as an anomaly to join the Star Academy, but the anomaly is completely different.
The nemesis of the β system has been removed.
Next, it will become the true god of the new era.
Now the final key is Professor Tenjō.
Only he has the potential to uncover his entire plan, so he must die.
“Have you not found Professor Tenjō yet?” Glight taps on the earbud.
A low voice comes from the other end of the communication.
“Not yet; the clues are too few. Even though we, as X-class anomalies, can temporarily use some permissions from the Star Academy, finding the kidnapped professor is like searching for a needle in a haystack.”
“These are minor issues; as long as the system goes live, the god will open his eyes, and everything in this world will have nowhere to hide.”
With that.
Glight turns back to the massive “Body” before him.
“Let us awaken the god of the new world and greet the new era.”
“β… no, this name is not suitable for you.”
“From now on, you shall be called—”
Source Light: Alpha.
