["And the disappearance case in the Trovis System, the Stellaron incident on Lor-51, the cyberattack on Screwllum's planet, the Pier Point invasion, and so on and so forth—a total of 46 heinous crimes!"]
["Do you admit that all these malicious incidents were perpetrated by the Stellaron Hunters?"]
As the words fell, the four beastly faces opened their scarlet eyes.
Kafka's voice remained calm and unhurried, carrying a hint of playful mockery: ["As far as I know, those incidents are somewhat related to the Annihilation Gang."]
["But, I admit it. However, it seems you've overlooked one case…"]
Kafka's lips curved slightly upward. At that very moment, a shadow suddenly cloaked the window glass, as if an icy breath brushed past through the curtains.
["—The Jepella Rebellion."]
In an instant, the scarlet threads silently snapped. The puppet strings controlling the four figures seemed as though they had never existed.
The scarlet hue in their eyes was forcibly stripped away, replaced by a glimmer of clarity in their pupils.
[—But it was too late.]
An explosion unleashed a blazing white light, flames engulfing the entire room like the maw of a giant beast. Meanwhile, in a safe building somewhere far away, Kafka casually removed the shackles from her wrists, smiling brightly as she admired the chaos in the distance.
From the shadows beside her, a faint green glow flickered—
["You need to break that habit of toying with your prey, Kafka."]
Accompanied by the mechanical whir of gears, the mech slowly emerged from the shadows. Its towering frame illuminated the darkness with glowing traces, cyan energy lines pulsing across its armor, flickering like breathing lights.
["Got it. Next time,"] Kafka said, draping her suit jacket over her shoulder with a faint smile.
["This time… it's already too late."]
In the distance, Silver Wolf toyed with a revolver, while Blade, dressed in a formal suit, unhurriedly donned his coat. SAM stood in the evening breeze, their coat flapping in the wind.
But in an inconspicuous corner of the screen, a black cat leisurely licked its paw, as if it had long known the dangerous secrets of this land.
——
Demon Slayer World
"Wait!? What is that thing? Is it human?"
The Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, pointed at SAM in the corner. Though he couldn't comprehend what that thing had done to cause the massive explosion, he was utterly shocked.
"Is that armor? It should… be, right? How is it so lightweight? It's practically weightless, yet perfectly cohesive."
"The person wearing it must be an incredibly burly man…"
The Serpent Hashira, Obanai Iguro, was filled with envy. This "armor" could not only trigger explosions but also perfectly protect the person inside. If the Demon Slayer Corps could obtain one, even Muzan and all other demons… wouldn't stand a chance of harming it.
More importantly, with this armor, why bother training Breathing Styles? They could just chase down Muzan and kill him.
And besides, this looked far superior to Himeko's drones!
——
Teyvat
"Furina—"
"Fu—ri—na!!"
Outside the Opéra Épiclèse, Navia's lips formed a circle as she leaned toward Furina's ear, her voice growing louder. The distracted girl finally snapped back to reality.
They had come to feed pigeons outside the opera house, but by the time Furina came to, the breadcrumbs were long gone.
"Ah! Navia…" Furina coughed awkwardly, her gaze still drifting toward the screen, as if afraid of missing something. "I was just thinking… uh, about the costume for my next theatrical role! Yes, the costume!"
"Oh?" Navia leaned closer playfully, noticing the girl's cheeks growing warm, and winked mischievously. "I see. It seems this 'character's' suit does have quite the 'dramatic' flair."
As they chatted, the Traveler and Paimon happened to pass by. Seeing Navia and Furina talking, they curiously joined in.
Paimon pointed at the skyward screen: "Did you see that, Furina? For some reason, Blade suddenly dressed so formally, like a model! Does he have to stay elegant and refined even on a mission?"
"But this outfit really suits him!"
Furina's eyes sparkled, her tone growing excited: "You feel it too, don't you? That dangerous yet captivating aura! His outfit makes him look even taller and leaner, and that red tie—"
She suddenly stopped, realizing her enthusiasm, and coughed awkwardly again. "Ahem…! I mean, his style has a lot of artistic tension!"
Navia covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
"Furina, you're blushing~"
"N-no, I'm not…!" The setting sun grazed Furina's ears, making her flushed ear tips almost translucent. "…It's just the sunset glow! Not blushing!"
——
Marvel Universe
"So, you're saying—that Elio, who can see through fate and predict the future, is actually… a cat?"
At the top of Avengers Tower, Tony Stark sat with a coffee in hand, while a projection beside him displayed the black cat from the screen. No matter how much they zoomed in, they couldn't spot the Time Stone that Strange had speculated about.
"If what Kafka said is true, Elio's vision can pierce through time, seeing the superposition of the present and future, perceiving countless branching paths—far more… convenient than my Eye of Agamotto."
Though he explained it seriously, everyone could see the strained smile on Strange's face, betraying his embarrassment.
He had initially assumed Elio was a cunning, calculating man, and when rallying the Avengers, he spoke with grave authority… only to find out that Elio wasn't just not a man—he wasn't even human.
On the screen, the black cat lazily licked its paw, its inky eyes clear enough to reflect the sky.
"Could it just be a random black cat that wandered into the frame, coincidentally standing with the Stellaron Hunters?" Hawkeye remarked coolly. "Elio might be someone else entirely—shouldn't we consider that possibility?"
"Otherwise, here we are, solemnly discussing a cosmic time crisis, while the key figure is pondering 'which plate of dried fish to favor in the future'?"