"Are you certain you want to continue this fight? There's something happening on the other side," June murmured, stifling a yawn as metallic tubes rose from the ground, shielding him from Grey Iricson's incoming assault. "Hmm, a rather gruesome scene. I wonder who met their end." He appeared far more focused on the lifeless bodies of March and August than the ongoing battle.
With a single, sweeping slash, Grey cleaved through the metallic tubes. But just as he readied to launch another attack, a voice echoed in his mind.
"Grey, let me take over."
Grey exhaled in resignation and nodded. In an instant, a brilliant light engulfed him as Silver took control of the body. With a subtle gesture, Silver turned to assess the situation. June smiled widely and followed her, ever keen to avoid conflict when possible.
"Who are these people, September?" June asked as he approached. "September? Where are you?"
His eyes darted across the crowd, scanning the bodies on the ground, until his gaze landed on September, encased in heavy armour with only her face exposed. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"It's me, June," September nodded gently.
June's expression faltered, and before she could respond, he blurted, "How did you manage to kill September?"
He didn't wait for an answer. "Though he was dull, and an all-around bore, he was reliable when it mattered. His strength was legendary—how could a girl like you have killed him? Oh, September, September… I will truly miss you." His tone, laced with mockery, betrayed a flicker of genuine sorrow, an emotion he could not fully mask.
The members of the Starflame Community exchanged resigned glances, and September chuckled softly. "I didn't kill September."
"Then how are you wearing his armour?" June's voice quivered with disbelief. Realization dawned on him, and his face contorted in shock. "Wait… no. This can't be real."
"You are September?" June's voice trembled as his eyes and mouth stretched wide with surprise.
"Have you ever noticed that all the even months are male, and the odd months are female?" September asked slowly, her voice almost taunting.
"I thought you were an exception! Your voice, your manner of fighting, the way you carry yourself—none of it was remotely feminine!" June buried his face in his hands, overwhelmed by the revelation.
"That's the cost of gathering information without being noticed by Antonio," September replied proudly. "I've perfected the act, though it feels strange to return to my true self every so often."
June gestured for her to stop, shaking his head in astonishment. "This… this is too much."
"You don't seem the least bit concerned by the deaths of your comrades," Zang remarked, her tone cold as she pointed to the bodies of March and August. "What's your take on this?"
"Oh, them? I couldn't care less," June shrugged dismissively. "As long as I'm alive, and as long as my best friend September is alive, their deaths mean nothing. To be honest, I never liked those two anyway—always strutting around, acting like they were superior to the rest of us."
Zang's eyes narrowed, her hand tightening around her sword. "We could kill you just as easily."
Huang's voice was calm and low as he interjected. "Are you not afraid of that?"
June looked around at the Starflame Community members, then let out a long sigh. He shrugged. "If you could take out March and August so quickly, I doubt I'd stand a chance. Fear won't change anything… If you want to kill me, then so be it. It's just bad luck."
Huang let out a quiet laugh, a mix of admiration and amusement gleaming in his eyes. After a brief pause, he turned to Qing.
"I need a moment to discuss something. Qing?"
Qing, with an indifferent nod, pressed his fingers to his eye socket. As his eyeball turned gently, the entire surrounding area seemed to freeze, the motion of both people and objects grinding to a halt.
Shun's heart raced as he surveyed the frozen scene, his disbelief evident. Everything had halted—every living and non-living being, every motion, all except for the members of the Starflame Community and himself.
"Thanks, Qing," Huang said, breaking the eerie silence. "We've been having a rather smooth run lately, haven't we? First, the heir, then Luca Azoria's memory vessel—everything has fallen into place."
"A good thing, surely," Qing added with a mocking smile. "Let's not tempt fate by complaining, shall we?"
Huang's expression turned serious again. "The issue is that the right event occurred at the wrong time. We must first allow…" Realising something, he stopped abruptly. However, Qing and Zang had already understood his unspoken words.
Zang shook her head in resignation. "Simple. With the Blightmark on that girl, she could never escape our notice. Let her return to Antonio Valdis for now, and we'll act when the time is right."
Qing sighed. "Huang, you're in charge of informing the head. And if he's displeased with us, well… the responsibility is yours. I'm not looking to end up like Zang."
Zang cleared her throat, a faint splash of blood dripping from her swordcase. "Excuse me?"
"Nothing," Qing quickly replied, waving off the comment. "Discussion time is over!"
As Qing moved to adjust his eyes again, Shun, still stunned, managed to weakly raise his hand.
"Can you… explain this situation to me?" Shun asked, his voice faint as he struggled to sit up. "Why is everyone frozen?"
"I stopped time. Simple as that," Qing answered casually as if he was explaining something utterly basic. "Don't worry about us for now. Continue your journey in Lordrixis. Though the path ahead will be challenging, rest assured that the Starflame Community will always have your back, Shun. You will eventually become our next leader, and that day is coming sooner than you think."
Shun's eyes widened in shock. Stopping time was a power beyond imagination. Even Norton Es, with his ethereal arm capable of manipulating time, could never achieve such a feat.
Huang's voice broke through his thoughts. "Don't be too surprised. Once you inherit the Head's power, abilities like mine will seem like a joke to you. But before that, you'll have to experience a great deal more."
"How strong is the Head of Starflame?" Shun asked, his curiosity mounting. "And why am I the chosen heir?"
"To put it simply," Huang replied with a quiet seriousness, "The Head could obliterate the entirety of Lordrixis in a week. That includes travel time." He paused, weighing his words. "As for why you were chosen, the Head claims it's because you're the son of the previous Shadow and Sword of Starflame. But there's likely another reason he's kept hidden from us. You'll find out eventually."
Shun's questions kept coming. "Is there anyone stronger than the Head?"
The three of them exchanged glances, a silent conversation passing between them. Huang spoke again, his tone measured. "There are a few who could match his strength in the Eternal Dynasty, but they are few and far between."
He counted them off on his fingers.
"Father of machines, Cao Zunsheng, former chairman of the Platinum Hall."
"Du Tian, the Long Haired Monk, Abbot of the Reimbursement Temple."
"Black Serpent Zhu Wuyan, Central Commander of the Imperial Army."
"Ice Prince Liu Anli, the third brother of the current Emperor."
"Wu Que, the Corpse Burier, imprisoned deep beneath the Imperial Palace."
"But there is one person who resides within the Imperial Court. Even if all of these other individuals were to unite against him, he would still likely defeat them without breaking a sweat."
Shun's breath caught. "Who?"
Huang's voice dropped, reverent yet full of weight. "The Strongest in the World… Huan."