Victor retracted his armor with a satisfied, metallic click. The {Furious Shark} plates slid back into his body, but the adrenaline from the upgrade was still coursing through him. He turned to Valerie, making zero effort to hide the tender glow in his eyes. A playful, almost predatory smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"But of course," he teased, his voice dropping an octave. "An elegant waltz requires a dashing partner to truly highlight your beauty, don't you think, my Queen?"
"You... you... don't you have any shame?!"
Valerie's voice was barely a whisper, a stark contrast to the roar of her {Blaze Punch} gauntlets moments ago. She shot him a flustered glare, her eyes darting around the room in a panic. The "Queen of Violence" was currently being conquered by a single wink. "Phyllis is right there watching us... stop it!"
Before she could finish, her face had already turned as red as a ripe apple, the flush spreading all the way to her ears, visible even under the workshop's harsh LED lights. This sudden, unguarded moment of affection had finally torn away the last veil between them, dragging their hidden feelings out into the open for all to see.
"Wait... what?! Sister Valerie and Mr. Victor?!"
Standing to the side, Phyllis was completely floored. Her usually stoic, knight-like face was now a mask of pure disbelief.
She blinked rapidly, wondering if she was experiencing hallucinations from an energy overload during the recent battle. "Are things... are things already that far along? Since when?"
The air in the workshop seemed to freeze, vibrating with the silent scream of Valerie's embarrassment.
Finally, Valerie let out a long, heavy breath—as if dropping a massive weight—and gave a resigned, self-deprecating laugh.
"Haha... I guess you saw through us. Okay, Phyllis, I won't hide it anymore—Victor and I have actually been dating since before the world collapse!
Victor tilted his chin up with the confidence of a warrior and the pride of a man in love. "Valerie and I are destined to compose the most exquisite dance of our lives. Just you wait and see, Phyllis!
In the East Sector, our combined flames and waves will be unstoppable!"
With that, Victor gave her another roguish wink. That was the killing blow. Whatever composure Valerie had managed to regain instantly vaporized.
Overwhelmed by sheer, suffocating shyness, she completely lost her cool. She lunged forward, grabbed Victor by the heavy collar of his base-layer suit, and hoisted him up like a piece of luggage.
"The mission! Did you forget we have a mission?! Stop talking nonsense and move!"
She rambled loudly, her voice a desperate attempt to drown out her own heart. Under Phyllis's stunned gaze, Valerie used every ounce of her B-Rank strength to "drag" Victor out of the workshop, leaving a trail of scuff marks on the floor.
It was a frantic, clumsy retreat—the final wall of tsundere she had built to hide the sweetness overflowing in her heart.
"Haha... honestly, those two."
Watching them bicker as they disappeared, a lingering smile stayed on Phyllis's lips—a rare moment of warmth sparked by her friends' happiness. But as she rounded a corner into the deep shadows of the corridor leading to the Command Center, that warmth instantly turned to ice.
A familiar figure was standing there, leaning against the cold bulkhead.
The smile on Phyllis's face froze. Her blood felt like it was flowing backward to her heart. "...It's you."
Her voice trembled with raw, unfiltered hatred. In her fractured memories, the man before her was the architect of her ruin—the one who had torn her family apart .
She instinctively took a step back, her {Saint Silver} circuits hissing with defensive energy.
George didn't approach. He stood in the center of the hallway, watching her with an expression so complex it bordered on sorrow. "It seems you still hate me, Joanne."
He spoke softly, his tone flat, yet he precisely uttered the name she had buried under layers of steel and blood.
"We have nothing to talk about!" Phyllis forced the words through gritted teeth. "From the day you abandoned me, I threw that name away. I am Phyllis—a warrior who has absolutely nothing to do with a coward like you."
Without a second of hesitation, she marched past him. A cold gust of wind trailed in her wake, brushing against the silver hair on George's forehead.
He remained where he stood, his gaze as deep as the ocean, watching her walk away. Only when her presence had completely faded did he look down at his scarred hands.
"So... she's still holding onto that, huh?"
There was no resentment in his voice; instead, there was a strange, relieved tenderness. He slowly closed his fist.
"It doesn't matter. As long as she's alive... that's enough for my penance."
Inside the Command Center, the glint of fresh metal filled the space. The atmosphere was no longer that of a desperate group of survivors; it was the aura of a high-level raiding party.
George's {Mage Heart} stand in the corner silently watch the back of Phyllis
Victor's {Furious Shark} pulsed with deep blue light.
Valerie's {Blaze Punch} gauntlets hissed with escaping steam.
Phyllis's {Saint Silver} shimmered with the cold dignity of a knight.
Luther's {Sniper Eye} is triggering his sniper and checking the ammo.
And in the back, Emma's {Bastion} sat like a silver mountain, silent and terrifyingly heavy.
Amidst the low hum vibrating from the depths of the earth, the teleportation array slowly hummed to life.
Blue data streams surged like a fountain in the center of the hall.
Ester stood gallantly before the light, her usual playfulness replaced by the solemnity of a commander.
"Congratulations on completing your upgrades. You now possess the power to shake this entire region. But remember—the Thunder Sovereign does not show mercy."
"All units, move out! The liberation of Nova Star Town begins... NOW!"
[SYSTEM: DEPLOYMENT INITIATED. TARGET: EAST SECTOR 3]
One by one, they dive into the light, vanishing into the digital storm. The real war has finally arrived.