At that moment, on the edge of the platform, the group finally arrived. Just as they got there, they were met with such a poignant scene of mother-daughter confrontation that everyone fell silent.
Pei Guang, however, casually pulled out a few white stools he'd scavenged from an abandoned diner. He sat down, taking out snacks and drinks, and glanced at the others.
Pei Guang: "What are you all standing there for? Grab a seat and wait! Clearly, we can't skip this cutscene. Let's watch and wait until it's over, then we'll fight."
Seele was visibly conflicted: "Shouldn't we help Bronya?"
Pei Guang: "Help? Nah, we just sit and watch the cutscene when it's time."
Stelle plopped down on a stool, snatching a bag of chips from Pei Guang's hand: "Exactly, exactly! Listen to Pei Guang—there's no rush."
March 7th: "Right~ Hey~ Dan Heng, your little pink bunny is actually kinda cute."
Dan Heng: "…"
While Pei Guang and the others were relaxed, it was absolute torture for Gepard.
Serval sat down on one of Pei Guang's stools: "Little brother, this kid's got the right idea. Who should we even help right now? Bronya? Not a good idea. Cocolia? Even worse. Let them fight it out, and we'll jump in once we figure things out. Who knows, maybe Bronya will win and save us some trouble."
Gepard: "Alright, I guess…"
Gepard had to admit his sister had a point. They didn't fully understand the situation yet, so it was better to wait. Whether standing or sitting, they were still waiting, so might as well sit, eat, and gather their strength for the next battle while resisting the cold.
Meanwhile, Pei Guang? To keep the atmosphere lively, he even set up a campfire and started grilling meat. As for Bronya? No need to worry—this was still part of the cutscene, wasn't it? Look how Cocolia was getting beaten back by Bronya. If this was a starter village boss, Pei Guang would… eat his hat upside down.
And so, while one side was locked in an intense battle, the others calmly munched on snacks, waiting for the cutscene to end.
On the battlefield, Cocolia grew angrier as the fight progressed: "Arrogance! Ignorance! You think that just because you've gained some power, you're invincible? Bronya, let me show you what real power is!"
Bronya: "Arrogance? Cocolia, the arrogant one here is you. Whether you're the Stellaron or Cocolia, I will defeat you!"
Cocolia swung her ice spears, once again deflecting Bronya's bullets: "Bronya, I'll give you one last chance. Choose, daughter! Come to the new world or…"
Bronya's bayonet gave the answer for her: "The tip of my blade is not for killing—it's for protecting. I am the heir chosen by the people to be the next Supreme Guardian. Even if I never become the Supreme Guardian, my blade will always protect Belobog. You seek to trample on humanity, to erase the efforts of all the past Supreme Guardians—that's something I will never allow."
"Good! Very good!!!" Cocolia erupted with a freezing cold so intense it blew Bronya away and extinguished Pei Guang's campfire, scattering their snacks and drinks.
Pei Guang reached out in despair as the consumables blew away: "No! My precious stash… Polluting the environment like this will make the people of this world like me less!"
Serval walked over to March 7th and whispered, "Is he always like this?"
March 7th clutched her chest: "Don't ask… it hurts my soul too… I had just opened my snack."
Stelle: "I can't take it anymore! Pei Guang! I'm going in. Today, I'm going to crack open Cocolia's head—"
But just as Stelle was about to get up, the ground began to shake.
Cocolia glanced at Bronya, then at Pei Guang's group, who had just arrived: "This city… Belobog's fate has already been sealed. Its future will unfold in our hands. And you lot? You will become the foundation of the new world."
Cocolia raised her hand, and amidst the snowstorm, the Frozen Greatsword passed down by the Guardians appeared in her grip.
"To build anew, the old must be destroyed," Cocolia aimed her weapon at the sky. "As the Supreme Guardian, I command you to rise! Engine of Creation!!!"
With the appearance of the blizzard, the ground trembled. Soon, a colossal machine appeared before everyone's eyes, followed by countless Fragmentum constructs flooding the platform.
Pei Guang: "Looks like the cutscene's over, folks. Time to get ready for battle!"
March 7th gazed up at the enormous Engine of Creation, worried: "Can we even beat that thing?"
Pei Guang: "Huh? Isn't this all part of the storyline?"
Stelle: "I get it! Our current state is just..."
Pei Guang: "We don't know who we are!"
March 7th: "We don't know where we are!"
Seele: "We must unleash total carnage!"
Pei Guang: "But it's not us who'll be doing the carnage. It's... March! Take action."
At that moment, March 7th pulled out the certification for the Star Destroyer Battleship: "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time!"
March 7th then took out the white chair she had stashed away earlier and sat down slowly, crossing her legs. Just as she was about to spring into action, she realized something was missing: "Pei Guang! Get me a cup of coffee!"
Pei Guang: "Here! A cup of coffee for the boss!"
March 7th took the coffee: "You did well!"
After receiving the coffee, March 7th sat on the chair, crossing her legs and taking a delicate sip. Just as she was about to say something, she noticed Pei Guang had also sat down.
March 7th: "What are you doing?"
Pei Guang: "Look, the boss is still in cutscene mode. In this first phase, we just clear out the small fries. Since you're handling them, of course I'm going to sit down and enjoy the show."
Stelle also pulled out a chair: "Watching your performance, March~ Go ahead!"
Even Dan Heng sat down with his pink bunny plush, the closest he'd ever been to facing a Stellaron. He said something about wanting to experience this properly. As for messing up? Well, they could deal with that later. For now, he decided to empty his mind and follow Pei Guang's rhythm.
Serval and Gepard had wanted to join the fight, but seeing this scene, they weren't quite sure what to do anymore. As for Seele? She moved a little too quickly, already running to Bronya's side to help her fight against Cocolia, who was gradually fusing with the Stellaron's power.
Fortunately, thanks to Bronia and Seele, Cocolia's fusion with the Stellaron was delayed, buying Pei Guang and the others plenty of time for... whatever it was they were doing.
Meanwhile, on the Astral Express, Welt and Himeko noticed that the battleship had begun charging its energy. Seeing this, Welt couldn't help but comment: "The battleship is charging up for an attack. Looks like they've gotten into a rather tricky battle."
As the Fragmentum creatures grew stronger, Himeko also managed to use the train's monitoring systems to locate the crew. If necessary, she was prepared to offer support.
Himeko: "I've pinpointed their location. Let's see what's going on with them."
On the screen, the platform at Everwinter Hill came into view: a gigantic robot, Cocolia fusing with the Stellaron's power, Bronya relentlessly trying to stop her, countless Fragmentum creatures... and an entire row of people sitting in chairs, watching!
Himeko and Welt had been tense at first, but seeing that whole row of spectators, it was impossible to stay serious.
Himeko: "Ahem, what... are they doing? I mean, the Stellaron is... huh? What is that?"
The chairs. They were just ordinary white plastic chairs. These non-degradable chairs could last for hundreds of years without being damaged. Originally, they had been abandoned, left to be consumed by corruption. But when Pei Guang took them, their destiny changed forever.
One of the chairs even received the highest honor, for sitting on it was a person holding a Pink Bunny plush!
Himeko focused on Dan Heng, who was calmly seated on one of the chairs, gripping his spear that was pointed skyward. Yet, this was the view from Dan Heng's perspective.
From Himeko and Welt's point of view, under the blizzard and amidst the countless howling creatures preparing to attack, Dan Heng sat there sternly on his little chair. His eyes were sharp, showing no fear of the battle nor concern for his teammates.
He held his Pink Bunny plush tightly, watching the approaching enemies. Oh? He smiled! He smiled. Was that a smirk of disdain, or something else? Only Dan Heng himself could answer that.
Watching this close-up of Dan Heng, Welt and Himeko both fell into contemplation.
Welt: "Is the equipment broken?"
Himeko: "It's fine…"
Welt: "Pffft"
Himeko: "Did you just laugh?"
Welt: "I've had professional training: no matter how funny it is, I won't laugh!"
Himeko cracked a smile: "Unless you can't hold it in~ Ahahahah!"
Welt: "Ahahahah!"
However, Welt was still experienced enough to know this wasn't the time for jokes: "Check the situation again. We can laugh when it's over."
Himeko agreed, shifting the screen away from Dan Heng and focusing on the others. She wanted to see who was about to fire the Battleship's cannon. What appeared on the screen next, however, froze her expression completely.
March 7th was sitting in her chair, sipping her coffee with great flair, before dramatically looking at the Fragmentum creatures: "I think you don't quite understand."
At that moment, the Star destroyer Battleship fired!
With a dazzling flash of light, March 7th mused: "Humanity has never hidden its desire to control the stars. Of course! That includes me too!"
As her words fell, the Star Destroyer's attack arrived on the battlefield. The strike was truly special. Brilliant beams of light descended from the sky, wiping out every creature in an instant.
It wasn't the mere destruction of the enemies that made this special: It was the accompanying visual effects.