After a bout of farce, everyone immediately set off toward the flying castle island.
....
But the moment they stepped onto the stone stairs leading to the castle, their bodies were suddenly yanked by an invisible force. Space shifted in an instant, and amid startled cries, everyone fell from midair.
"W–Whoa! Th-that was close!" Carol staggered as she regained her footing, patting her chest in lingering fright. "Why did we suddenly fall from the sky?!"
Bronya quickly adjusted her posture and landed, frowning slightly as she analyzed the situation. "It was probably another 'invisible Star Gate' that teleported us here."
"Then… what place is this?" Mei☆ tightened her grip on her weapon, warily surveying the unfamiliar surroundings.
Fu Shi brushed the dust from her clothes. "If nothing unexpected happened, this should be the interior of the flying castle island."
....
At her words, everyone looked up.
What greeted them were only shattered corridor pillars, tilted and collapsed, with broken architectural remnants eerily suspended in midair, as if time itself had frozen.
In the distance, a chaotic dark-red mist churned and spread, dyeing the entire space in an even more gloomy and oppressive hue. Every wisp of air carried a trace of eerie unease.
"Seriously… this is the inside of the flying castle island?"
Lyle rubbed his numb knee from the fall, his tone tinged with complaint, though his eyes cautiously scanned the surroundings.
Fu Hua relaxed her brows, a faint smile curling at the corner of her lips, "Everyone, this Star Gate teleportation was no accident. It was likely deliberate, to lure us here."
Bronya met her gaze and also revealed a slight smile, "Then they're definitely going to regret it."
"Exactly!" Fu Shi immediately chimed in. "They're such good people~ Saved us the trouble of exploring everywhere. Straight to the point!"
....
As soon as her words fell, a series of roars echoed from afar.
One shadow after another rapidly closed in, this time, the number of construct monsters far exceeded before, densely pressing toward the group.
"Perfect timing!" Carol manipulated her weapon, her fighting spirit already blazing as she leapt straight to the front. "Watch me take them down one punch at a time, for the captain's revenge!"
Mei☆ drew her long sword. Purple-red lightning surged and flowed along the blade as her figure shot forward like a bolt of lightning. At the same time, she warned the others in a low voice, "These monsters seem stronger than the ones we encountered in Saint Fontaine. Everyone, be careful!"
Elysia's skirt twirled lightly as pink arrows shot through the air like fluttering petals, easily neutralizing the monsters' surprise attacks. A bright, charming smile still hung on her lips.
"My feelings, be sure to accept them properly, okay~?"
Adam held his sword, glanced at Lyle, and said in a deep voice, "Lyle, I'll leave my back to you!"
"Go on, partner!" Lyle shed his usual flippant attitude, his expression turning serious. He pulled the trigger as he spoke, still finding time to complain. "So many of them, this is going to keep us busy!"
....
With everyone's seamless cooperation, the battle soon came to an end. The ground was littered with ashes left behind as the monsters dissipated.
Fu Shi kicked a remnant that hadn't yet faded, her tone full of disdain, "That's it? And you thought you could keep us here?"
The group advanced steadily deeper into the flying castle island, clearing out every construct monster that blocked their path.
....
At that moment, Elysia sensed something and spoke up, "Everyone, there's an individual with a high Honkai energy reaction not far ahead."
Bronya's eyes sharpened.
"So it's finally showing itself… the ones from the sky."
Fu Hua's expression turned solemn.
"Stay alert, everyone! The enemy ahead won't be simple!"
"Understood!" everyone replied.
....
Following the Honkai energy signal, the group eventually stepped into a grand building resembling a cathedral. Soon after, they heard a voice that made their skin crawl.
"Welcome, uninvited guests."
The low, mocking voice echoed through the vast hall. A blond, masked man slowly turned around, Void Archives.
His gaze swept across the group before settling on Elysia, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.
"Oh my, it seems your numbers have increased. And to think I'd even meet an 'old acquaintance' here~ Hahahaha."
Siegfried instinctively tensed up, staring warily at Void Archives as he muttered under his breath, "Tch… that damn voice. Just hearing it makes my body react on its own."
"Void Archives! We know it's you, stop pretending!" Mei☆'s lightning flared faintly around her, her tone filled with icy resolve.
Void Archives tilted his head slightly, a trace of surprise seeping through the expression beneath his mask.
"Oh? I thought you'd mistake me for that obsession-ridden man, Otto Apocalypse. To recognize me right away, well, that takes away some of the fun~"
His tone shifted, turning serious.
"However, since you've recognized me, it does save quite a bit of explanation time."
"The 'Stargate' is about to open. The descent of the sky people can no longer be stopped. I'm here to welcome you, merely to fulfill my duties as a host."
"How about we sit down and have a proper talk, and welcome the transformation of this world together, hmm?"
"Shut up!" Fu Shi licked her lips, frowning impatiently as power surged around her. "Just hearing your voice gives me goosebumps all over. Don't force me to crush that soulium face of yours!"
"Agreed." Mei☆ echoed coldly.
Bronya nodded in agreement. "Anything I don't want to hear is automatically treated as background noise."
"Oh? Is that so?" Void Archives chuckled lightly, his disdain undisguised, though the expression beneath the mask had already grown solemn and grim. "Then go ahead and try!"
....
Before his words had even finished, Void Archives instantly entered combat mode. Mimic Judas appeared out of thin air, and a golden barrier rose abruptly, trapping everyone tightly within the confined space.
"Hahahaha!" Void Archives laughed loudly, his tone arrogant. "At a time like this, shouldn't I say something that really sounds like a villain? You cannot defeat the 'sky people', fall here!"
....
But the very next second,
"Seriously?" Lyle's timely complaint rang out. "I thought you were stronger than this. And now you're just… gone in an instant?"
"Ugh…" Void Archives let out an unwilling grunt. Cracks spread across his shattered mask as golden fragments fell away, revealing a face strikingly similar to Otto's.
His pupils shrank as he stared in shock at the Herrscher of Sentience right before him, her slender hand brimming with terrifying power which was gripping his face tightly.
The scene felt eerily familiar. The image of Otto being grabbed by Fu Shi flashed slowly through his mind.
He struggled to counterattack, only to find the power within his body completely suppressed.
Mimic Judas emitted a sharp hum as its light dimmed abruptly, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
"Tsk, with just this much ability, you dare run your mouth here?"
Fu Shi looked utterly disgusted as she casually tossed Void Archives aside like trash. He slammed heavily into the wall, producing a dull thud.
"Heh… even if you defeat me, it won't change anything." Void Archives struggled to prop himself up. "I already told you, you can't stop it."
He looked up at everyone, a trace of crazed obsession flashing in his eyes.
"The opening of the 'Stargate' is already irreversible! Even if I fall, the sky people will descend as scheduled. All of your struggles are nothing but futile!"