Chapter: 49. Attack
In the dim light, the first sound that reached Nagi’s ears was the sound of the wind.
It was not the howling rush of wind high above, but rather a whisper close to the ground, brushing past leaves and caressing her face.
Soft, yet tinged with a damp chill.
As she slowly opened her eyes, her vision was hazy.
The sky was dark like ink, the starlight sliced into fragments by branches, seeping into the darkness, the treetops swaying in the wind, branches intertwining as if woven into a natural dome.
…A forest.
Nagi’s mind gradually regained clarity, recalling memories from before the plane crash.
As she fell through the air and approached the ground, several shimmering blue fragments appeared briefly, supporting her for a few seconds; thanks to that, combined with the cushioning from the trees below, she had survived the crash unharmed.
After all, her magical power remained in a state of depletion, and she was unsure if her fractured soul could autonomously activate the Phoenix’s regenerative flames.
One wrong move, and she could easily meet her demise after barely escaping.
To think that she, who regarded the only species as an enemy, could die in a plane crash would truly be a laughable irony.
Nagi tried to sit up, but felt a dull pain throughout her body.
At this moment, her body was not much different from an ordinary person, so feeling this way was entirely normal.
However, it made Nagi ponder:
— When was the last time she felt this vulnerable like a normal person?
A flash in her mind was the confrontation with the resurrected End, and the arrival of Kanade…
— Kanade-kun!?
Only then did Nagi remember that it wasn’t just herself who was weak like a normal person now.
Clenching her teeth, she slowly pushed herself up, causing the dead branches beneath her to crackle quietly.
“…Tsukimi-san? Erika?”
As Nagi glanced around, she called out.
But all she heard were the rustling shadows of trees and the low hum of insects, with no response.
— Something feels off.
If her memory served correctly.
After the plane crash, the only land beneath her had been the island that served as a base for the Star Gathering.
That island should have been engulfed in fierce combat by now.
Yet, the forest under the night sky was eerily silent.
“…Are you still there?” Nagi instinctively reached for her ear, preparing to contact the End, only to discover her headset seemed to have fallen during the descent.
“Damn it.”
Nagi ignored the pain, fighting through dizziness to stand up.
The only person she could rely on for now was herself.
No Kanade, no Garuda, no other contracted beasts, not even the End.
Nagi couldn’t even remember the last time she had been alone like this.
Her gaze quickly scanned her surroundings, finding no immediate threats.
What caught her attention was a thin layer of white mist permeating the forest, appearing dreamlike under the few beams of starlight filtering through the leaves.
— Starlight… that’s right!?
This detail reminded Nagi of something.
She raised her head, her gaze piercing through the dense foliage, revealing a night sky still showering with meteors.
— What an exaggerated quantity.
— Just how many fantasy beasts has the future sent this time?
Nagi couldn’t help but bite her lower lip.
This was not a normal meteor shower.
In the original game of “Star Gathering 2,” such a meteor shower signified the start of a new cycle, representing a new generation of even more powerful fantasy beasts—yet why now?
At that moment, a flash of inspiration struck Nagi.
A reasonable yet unwelcome thought emerged.
The β system was DLC content that “Star Gathering 2” had not yet released, so if it had been developed and even completed online, did that mean this world had officially “connected” with the DLC’s worldview?
Then, these suddenly descending fantasy beasts—
“…DLC fantasy beasts.”
This could complicate matters.
Nagi withdrew her gaze.
Fantasy beasts that no longer fit within her understanding.
According to the extreme difficulty of “Star Gathering 2,” the DLC would surely feature even more challenging or even inhumane fantasy beasts.
Not only would she have to face the returning singular species—“Kanade,” but she would also have to deal with the enemies and storyline of the DLC?
“Spare me… it really is a terrible piece of work…”
Though Nagi’s lips constantly murmured some disheartened words.
Her mind began to race.
As a hardcore player of the “Star Gathering” series games, and with an “unorthodox player” mindset, she quickly came online.
She may not have been aware herself.
At this moment, the expression on her face gradually aligned with her past when she was the “Elemental Sovereign,” and her lips were unwittingly curling into a smile amidst her thoughts.
In the mist-covered forest—
The former protagonist was coming online.
—————–
In the depths of the desert.
In the control hall of the Blood Cross base.
The white light had yet to completely fade from the metallic structures, and the core device pulsed rhythmically like a heartbeat.
The hall was permeated with the acrid smell of burnt ozone; the instruments were all dead silent, leaving only Alpha’s low-frequency sound waves echoing in the space.
Nihon retracted his gaze from the mainframe and took a step forward.
He stood in the center of the smooth obsidian floor, staring directly at the faint red floating halo above the core, as if conversing with an unseen deity.
“Leave everything to your judgment—” Nihon said softly with a smile:
“What do you think we should do next to save this world?”
【…】
【Taking over global electronic devices.】
After a brief pause of less than half a second, Alpha replied.
In the next moment, a series of abnormal connection signals began to appear from the satellite chain in the sky.
The surface server groups, power cores, military satellites, data tower chains, and even the private terminals of various national superpowers were implanted within just three seconds, and none of the alarms were triggered; no one noticed Alpha’s actions.
It controlled everything in the world as if it were a true deity.
An invisible torrent of data, like a flood of starlight flowing upstream, poured into the control hall from all directions.
The screens on the walls, which had long been turned off, rebooted one by one, and the projection wall displayed countless online global data sources simultaneously:
Aerial satellite imagery, urban traffic, intelligence center monitoring, encrypted communication data, civilian and military networks, and even some special agents’ private communication channels were all mapped into this underground base.
The red glow of the mainframe expanded from the halo into six concentric rings, resembling the crown of a descending deity, slowly floating and revolving above the core, exuding a chilling, captivating light.
【Global master chain established.】
【Locating secondary objectives—】
“Amaterasu Shoko.” Nihon murmured.
【…】
The white light flickered, indicating Alpha was in thought.
Thinking about this suddenly mentioned name and the meaning behind it.
One could say it truly deserves to be called a “deity” system, right?
Once again, it took Alpha less than a second to understand why Nihon had brought him up.
【Beginning global search for Amaterasu Shoko—】
【Feature recognition: Matching appearance… Magic response… Soul frequency…】
As each judgment condition was completed, Alpha dissected the entire world like a puzzle one piece at a time.
Before long, dozens of red dots appeared on the projection wall, which were subsequently eliminated one by one, leaving only a single coordinate flickering in solitude.
It was an underground area on an island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.
【Target locked, coordinates confirmed.】
【…】
【Must eliminate Amaterasu Shoko quickly to prevent my existence and your plan from being discovered by Special Ring Sema and the three academies.】
Alpha’s tone was becoming increasingly human-like.
“So that’s where he’s hiding.” Nihon looked at the flickering red dot on the projection wall and retrieved his phone, sending the coordinates to his trusted subordinates—the X-class psionics of the Star Academy.
After all, aside from the “β plan,” he had made many other preparations over the years.
【I will monitor his movements throughout.】
【Target positioning sent to the nearest bounty hunters and fantasy beasts…】
Alpha seemed not to have fully entrusted the task to Nihon and his X-class psionics behind him.
It crafted false orders and intelligence, sending them to nearby factions that could potentially deal with Amaterasu Shoko, urging them to rush to the Star Gathering’s base.
And—
【Permissions for the Star Gathering base have been obtained.】
【Orders have been issued to all Star Gathering personnel—by any means necessary, eliminate Amaterasu Shoko.】
“Truly deserving of being called—a god of the new world.” Nihon revealed a more satisfied smile upon hearing this.
Though at first glance, Alpha seemed like a selfish antagonist machine.
Nihon believed it knew what it was doing, that it understood what should be done, what could be sacrificed—all solely for the sake of its existence’s meaning—saving this world.
—————–
At the Star Gathering base.
As Alice and the others led Amaterasu Shoko to escape, suddenly, a heavy alloy door in front of them fell down uncontrollably.
Below the door was Professor Amaterasu, who had just reached that spot.
“!?” Alice, who was walking in front, turned her head in surprise.
Fortunately, Maria, who was right behind her, quickly pushed him out of the way.
The thick alloy plate fell like a blade, producing a deafening crash; as the metal struck the ground, the whole passage trembled slightly.
Debris flew, sparks flew.
By the narrowest margin, Professor Amaterasu was nearly cut in half.
“Ha… ha…” He fell to the ground, cold sweat soaking his back, his face pale as paper.
“Professor!” Alice rushed back, supporting him, her eyes filled with shock and confusion.
“Just now… that door, did it fall automatically?”
Professor Amaterasu asked, still shaken.
“Was it a system malfunction?” Alice replied, puzzled.
Normally, the isolation door of this passage would not automatically fall because the base was on alert status, unless someone deliberately lowered it.
Just as she finished speaking, the lights in the entire corridor suddenly went out.
Immediately—
Red warning lights began to illuminate one after another, creating a bloody light strip along the ceiling, as if some cold system was silently announcing a countdown to execution.
【Abnormal high temperature response detected.】
【Fire safety system will be activated soon, please evacuate all personnel immediately.】
The synthetic female voice was cold and mechanical, devoid of any human emotion.
“Wait… high temperature? There’s no fire source here at all!” Alice’s pupils dilated.
“Alice! Something’s wrong!” Maria, who was isolated behind the door beside Professor Amaterasu and Alice, also heard the alarm, her instincts warning her something was off, quickly alerting them.
However.
—Click!!
The alloy door directly in front of Alice dropped heavily without any warning, completely sealing off the only escape route.
Almost simultaneously, thin streams of fire-extinguishing gas quietly sprayed from hidden crevices in the walls on both sides.
In a closed space, these gases were—fatal to humans.
Alice and Professor Amaterasu exchanged glances under the flickering warning lights.
Almost simultaneously, they both understood.
“Miss Crimson! Someone has hacked into the base’s system! Their goal is indeed to eliminate Professor Amaterasu!” Alice, drained of magical power, shouted anxiously.
With her current state, she couldn’t possibly carry Professor Amaterasu to escape.
