Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 468: Standard Plot Development
The girl's voice was so cold that it no longer resembled the slightly tsundere young woman he was familiar with. Instead, it sounded more like that of a mad tyrant who had already stepped beyond the point of no return—emotionless on the surface, yet filled with a despair so thick it refused to dissipate.
And when Steven's eyes landed on the dress she was wearing—something completely unlike the military uniform she usually clung to year-round—he began to seriously question whether the girl standing before him was still the same little fire dragon he knew.
A gothic-style, exquisitely tailored dress, paired with orange ribbons used purely for decoration…
Was this really something she would choose to wear?
Steven didn't believe it. Not even a little.
However, when he noticed the line of text floating above her head—
[Awakened Black Snake / Talulah]
—he nodded slowly, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.
"So this is what happens if I don't scrape that disgusting thing off her sooner or later, huh?"
But what exactly had happened to push Talulah into falling this far, into becoming what now stood before him?
Steven knew all too well what that title implied. It didn't mean that the Black Snake had completely taken over her body. Rather, it meant the two shared awareness—she knew exactly what she was doing, understood every action she took, and yet felt no urge to resist it.
To the Talulah Steven currently knew, that was nothing short of absurd.
If she were to see what this version of Reunion was doing now, she'd probably have already started fighting her future self.
So what kind of experiences could possibly turn an idealist with unwavering resolve into a despair-filled tyrant, her once-bright silver-gray eyes now drowned in pitch-black hopelessness?
No matter how curious Steven was, however, this wasn't a situation he could interfere with, let alone walk up and casually ask what had happened.
And Talulah certainly wasn't going to pause her actions just to satisfy his curiosity.
As she gently closed her outstretched hand, a wave of heat burst forth from before her. This wasn't ordinary flame—it was more like the air itself had ignited due to extreme temperature. In an instant, everything around her began to melt.
"I really don't remember her being this strong normally," Steven muttered, raising an eyebrow. "Is this the legendary 'go dark, get three times stronger' buff?"
Naturally, the heat had no effect on him—but that didn't stop him from commenting. Judging by Talulah's current combat power, even if she couldn't solo Patriot, it was highly unlikely that Yelena would be able to defeat her.
As for the Rhodes Island operators who were actually facing this terrifying attack head-on, despair crept across their faces. That level of heat was simply not something they could withstand.
But in the very next second, Amiya, who had been supporting the Doctor moments ago, stepped forward.
She raised her hand toward Talulah as well.
In that instant, the heat that seemed capable of melting everything was abruptly cut off. Black energy surged up from beneath Amiya's feet, forming a barrier that completely isolated and blocked the incoming attack.
Only, judging from the clearly strained expression on that little rabbit's face, her current state clearly wouldn't last much longer.
"Oh? An unexpected discovery," Steven murmured with interest as he watched. "So this little rabbit's been hiding things too?"
Looking at the black energy surging around Amiya—something that was clearly not any conventional Originium Arts—Steven felt a genuine sense of novelty. He'd long known about the "Lord of Fiends" flag attached to Amiya, but seeing her actually bring it out like this was another matter entirely.
So this was the so-called protagonist halo—when things get critical, you just power up to save the narrative stakes?
If that was the case, then what about this so-called Doctor? What interesting trump card could she possibly have?
Steven cast a curious glance toward the Doctor, who seemed completely stunned by the scene before her. Unfortunately, her reaction disappointed him a little.
After all, someone who could barely stand on her own feet had no realistic way of participating in a superpower clash like this. Expecting more from her would be asking too much.
The scorching heat continued to lick at the barrier Amiya had formed. Talulah, standing opposite her, seemed oddly intrigued by this power. Rather than crushing the fragile defense outright, she slowly eroded it, as if savoring Amiya's struggle and despair.
"Enough… you should all leave. I'll handle this."
At the critical moment, a burly figure suddenly stepped in front of Amiya. As a flash of Originium Arts light passed over the shield in his hands, a much sturdier barrier replaced Amiya's nearly collapsing one, sheltering the remaining Rhodes Island operators.
Ace didn't turn around, but everyone present immediately understood the meaning behind his words.
"No… we can't—"
"—I said, leave it to me."
Cutting off Amiya—who was already on the verge of collapsing—Ace turned his head and gave his comrades a smile as steady and reassuring as ever.
"Doctor, I'll catch up soon," he said calmly. "So for now, I'll leave Amiya in your care."
After offering a brief word of reassurance to the still-dazed girl, Ace raised his heavy shield and forcibly pushed the barrier forward toward Talulah. Behind him, his squadmates raised their own shields, covering the retreat of their comrades.
The remaining operators cast one last grief-filled look at the middle-aged man's back—a back that never once turned again—before quickly lifting the wounded and retreating at full speed.
The barrier formed by Originium Arts advanced only a few meters before being halted by the terrifying heat. Cracks formed from the intense baking and rapidly spread across its surface.
The collapse of the defense was inevitable. Still, they had achieved their goal—buying time for their comrades to escape.
"A foolish and meaningless sacrifice."
Only then did the girl standing opposite, still radiating heat, shake her head in mild boredom and deliver her judgment.
The very next second, the barrier shattered.
And in an instant, the endless heat swallowed the shield-bearing middle-aged man whole.
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/55713?view=condensed
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