With the sealing of the Stellaron, the Silvermane Guards stationed in the restricted area, as well as the members of the Underworld, all felt a significant reduction in pressure from the Fragmentum creatures.
When they saw everyone returning, the restricted zone fell into a quiet stillness.
Seeing their silence, Bronya knew it was time for her to speak. She stepped forward, facing the expectant Silvermane Guards and the Wildfire members, and loudly declared, "Everyone! Cocolia, who was corrupted by the Stellaron, has been defeated. The Stellaron has been sealed, and Belobog's disaster has come to an end. The invasion of the Fragmentum will stop... We... have won!!!"
"That's amazing! We did it!"
"I don't even know what we did, but it's amazing!"
"I didn't understand a thing, but I know we won!"
Those who understood the truth celebrated wildly, while those who didn't quite grasp the situation joined in the cheer anyway.
Meanwhile, Oleg turned to a nearby Silvermane Guard. "How about that? Not bad for an old man, huh?"
The young guard replied, "Sir, you must be joking! I've heard about your legendary feats since the day I joined the Silvermane Guards. You're still as strong as ever!"
Oleg laughed heartily. "Ha! Legendary feats? I'm just an old man who refuses to give in to time. But give me a gun, and I can still defend the restricted zone with ease."
On the other side, Clara looked up at Svarog. "Mr. Svarog… has the disaster really ended?"
Svarog paused before responding, "There is no data to confirm whether it has truly ended. However... calculations show that the Fragmentum's spread has completely halted and has begun to recede. This is the first time in seven hundred years that this has occurred. Based on this, we can conclude that the Fragmentum is indeed retreating. At the current rate of retreat, it will take fifty years for the area to return to what it looked like ten years ago."
Clara, slightly surprised, asked, "That long?"
Pela, standing next to Clara, spoke softly, "It might take a long time, but this is hope. It's hope for us and for the generations to come."
For seven hundred years, the residents of Belobog had lived with despair, watching as the Fragmentum spread relentlessly, never retreating. But now, it was receding. Even if it took fifty years to return to the state it was ten years ago, at this pace, in seven hundred or even seven thousand years, the people of Belobog might one day walk across every corner of this planet!
No matter how long it takes, this is a glimmer of hope!
The celebration lasted only a short time. At Bronya and Gepard's command, the Silvermane Guards resumed their positions to fortify the defenses. As for the mass-produced Svarog models...
Pei Guang said, "Huh? I don't really need to keep these around. The materials to make them aren't that rare; if I ever need them again, I can just make more. You guys can keep them as toys."
Thus, the various-colored mass-produced Svarog units and many robots were left behind by Pei Guang to aid Belobog. At the same time, Pei Guang learned that during the defense of the restricted zone, not a single Silvermane Guard had been lost.
Pei Guang was pleased with this outcome. After all, they had fought so hard to ensure that everyone would have a happy ending. Now, it seemed that everyone was content, and Pei Guang had even earned some nice rewards from defeating the boss. He was more than satisfied.
Bronya had important matters to attend to and left with the Landau siblings for the time being. Seele followed Oleg to deliver the good news to the Underworld. That left Pei Guang, Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng alone.
The three decided to head to a hotel to rest. On the way, March 7th started joking around.
"I'm so tired~ But this was the most fun mission we've had in a long time."
Pei Guang chimed in, "No worries, it'll only get more fun from here."
Stelle agreed, "Exactly!"
March 7th smiled. "That's right, with you guys around, the future can only get more exciting. Huh? What's that? Is that a drink shop? Wanna give it a try? Hehe~ Let's call it a celebration!"
Since they had been so busy earlier, there hadn't been any time to explore the city. Now that things had calmed down, March 7th wanted to take a good look around and experience the unique charm of Belobog. Even though the world was on the brink of collapse, some entertainment venues in the city center were still operational.
There were drink shops, food stalls and even a small commercial street.
Pei Guang said, "A celebration? Definitely! After a big battle, it feels wrong not to celebrate. Let's try some of the local drinks from this newbie village."
Stelle joined in, "Experience the local flavor~~~"
Pei Guang and Stelle happily followed March 7th as they ran toward the drink shop. Seeing their energy, Dan Heng had no choice but to follow along.
Once they arrived, the group found a table. Dan Heng stayed behind to watch the seats while the other three went to the counter to order drinks.
Pei Guang glanced at the drink menu and asked, "Excuse me, do you have any recommendations?"
The staff, noticing that Pei Guang was with two beautiful girls, decided to have a little fun at his expense.
"We recommend this one, the Blue Lovers. If you order it, you'll get a special Y-shaped straw for couples."
"Oh?"
At Pei Guang's intrigued reaction, March 7th and Stelle turned to look curiously. They saw the drink—a deep blue liquid reminiscent of the sky, with heart-shaped jelly floating inside. The milky foam at the top added white clouds to the blue sky.
Stelle, her eyes sparkling with excitement, locked gazes with Pei Guang. "Ah Guang!"
Pei Guang, equally enthusiastic, returned the look. "Stelle!"
Pei Guang & Stelle: "As expected of you, thinking the same as me."
March 7th: "?"
March 7th stared at the obviously romantic drink and the couple's straw, feeling a little short of breath. She wanted to say something, but before she could, Stelle and Pei Guang had already placed their order.
At that moment, March 7th felt a pang of discomfort. She was the one who had suggested getting drinks first, and now... her thoughts were shifting in a way she hadn't anticipated.
As for Pei Guang? Oh, our Pei Guang ordered a Blue Lovers drink? Yes, after a battle, sharing a drink with someone you like is truly a joyous thing. The hero winning the heart of the beauty—this is the hallmark of a protagonist.
Look at that! The blue liquid seems to express someone's feelings, and the bright red heart represents a passionate heartbeat! So, who will Pei Guang share this drink with, using that Y-shaped straw?
Wait—he's moving. He's ordering another one?
Could it be? Could Pei Guang not be satisfied with choosing between two, and instead, he wants both? What a greedy, ambitious scoundrel! He walked up to the two girls. Oh? Is he about to offer this romantically charged drink to them? It looks like things are about to get interesting.
But at that moment, Pei Guang walked up to March 7th, having bought two drinks. Naturally, he brought two Y-shaped straws with him. He put one of them away, then bit down on the bottom of the Y-shaped straw. He inserted both top ends into the drink and took a deep sip.
Feeling the coolness of the drink, Pei Guang said contentedly, "Why don't you give it a try? Drinking two of these at once feels amazing. After a big battle, it's so refreshing."
Stelle, holding two Blue Lovers herself, chimed in, "Yeah! Honestly, it's really good. This is a great local specialty. Hey, should we grab a couple more for Dan Heng?"
Pei Guang nodded. "Sure, I'll go get two more. Slurp~ Hey, March~ What do you want to drink? It's on me."
March 7th remained silent, lost in thought, wondering what exactly she had been expecting.
In some ways, it seemed like March 7th hadn't quite been caught up in the same wave as the others.
But soon, she let it go, pointing at the Blue Lovers in Pei Guang's hand. "I'll have the same as you guys—two, please."
The server, who had been working there for years selling couple drinks, was at a loss for words. He had never seen anyone drink them like this.
A few minutes later, Dan Heng found himself staring at two drinks in front of him, each with a Y-shaped straw. He looked around at the three of them, all drinking enthusiastically at their respective seats, and fell into deep thought. What exactly were these three doing?