The Ember Base in the downpour.
Rocks fell like rain, and the island crumbled as if the world were ending.
The open-air training ground, once used by the Children of the Stars, was now scarred with craters and unrecognizable, pummeled by falling rocks.
In the distance, the cafeteria was scattered like soft cake, blasted into pieces, with explosions and flames raging continuously.
Yet, these two places weren't the worst off.
As the only two areas specifically targeted by the 'Skyfall', the outer staff dormitory area on the ground was almost completely destroyed.
One of the largest dormitory buildings had even been diagonally split in half by an unknown giant rock, revealing rooms like a honeycomb inside.
"H-help me!"
"Medical team! West district needs support!"
Amidst the desperate cries of countless outer members of the Ember Base, Tendo slowly approached the outer gate, looking up at the sky.
Above him, a colossal floating island revealed its exaggerated iceberg tip through the thick layer of dark clouds.
Atop this floating island, a group of figures in Star Envoy association uniforms stood, coldly overlooking the Ember Base below, which was constantly being engulfed in explosions and flames.
It was as if, to them, the terrified Ember organization members fleeing in chaos within the outer base were nothing more than expendable cockroaches; if they died, they died—there was no need to show much emotion.
However, among this indifferent group, two individuals displayed completely different expressions.
One was Gon, the Judge, from the Deep Blue Branch.
The other was... William, the Clockwork Knight, from the Steam Branch.
The former's expression was one of disgust, while the latter's was one of unbearable sorrow.
"William, they're just a bunch of degenerates. You don't need to sympathize with them."
Noticing William's unusual demeanor, Benjamin, the Demolition Expert, standing beside him, kindly offered words of 'comfort'.
However, William didn't quite agree.
"No, Captain, I feel there must still be some among them worth saving, so..."
"No 'so,' William, mind your place."
"You're just a mere Branch Vice-Captain, while Lord Byron... is a Special Envoy from the General Headquarters."
"You have no right, and no ability, to question Lord Byron's decisions and actions."
Before William could finish his sentence, Benjamin, who had been speaking softly a second ago, suddenly changed his expression and coldly interrupted him.
Looking at the contempt for life in Benjamin's eyes, William ultimately hesitated to speak further, his expression complex.
It was as if he was re-evaluating the captain who had suddenly been parachuted into the City of Steam from the General Headquarters.
Meanwhile, Isaiah, the Sea Spider, captain of the Deep Blue Branch's special combat squad, suddenly noticed Gon preparing to turn and leave, and immediately questioned, "Gon, where are you going?"
Gon not only didn't stop, but he even pulled one hand out of his pocket and waved it arrogantly at Isaiah behind him, clearly showing he didn't care about his so-called squad captain.
"It's just a one-sided slaughter; what's there to see?"
"Matches are only interesting when they're fair, even... if it's just superficial fairness."
With that, Gon deliberately found a flat rock and, without a care, lay down directly on it.
His casual and disregard for discipline instantly made Isaiah, the Sea Spider's expression incredibly grim.
This not only made Isaiah feel that his authority as the captain of the Deep Blue Branch's Third Squad had been challenged, but it also made him feel that he had lost face in front of Lord Byron.
After all, if he couldn't even control his own subordinates, how could he possibly get into the General Headquarters!
He had planned to use this valuable opportunity to make a good impression on Byron, the Special Envoy from the General Headquarters, thereby gaining his appreciation and entering the coveted General Headquarters.
Therefore, seeing Gon make such a mistake at such a crucial moment, Isaiah immediately wanted to teach him a good lesson.
However, before he could act, Byron, the Special Envoy from the General Headquarters, who had been focused on controlling the 'Skyfall', unexpectedly spoke up.
"Let him be, Isaiah. If Gon wants to rest, let him rest for a while. Don't disturb him. After all, his mission... is much more crucial than yours."
"...Yes, esteemed... Special Envoy Byron."
It's happening again, it's happening again!
Seeing Byron, the Special Envoy from the General Headquarters, once again showing almost 'indulgent' and boundless tolerance towards Gon, Isaiah, the Sea Spider's face was filled with resentment.
At the same time, Gon, on the rock, seemed to do it on purpose, flashing him a timely smile full of mockery.
At this, Isaiah instantly felt an endless rage burning within him.
Why, why was he clearly the captain of the Deep Blue Branch's Third Squad!
Yet, whether it was Dotre, the Branch President of the Deep Blue Branch, or Byron, the Special Envoy from the General Headquarters, they both showed almost infinite tolerance towards Gon, forgiving all his excesses and capriciousness again and again.
Just because he was younger than him?
Just because he was the only one in the branch with a 100% win rate mission record?
But Gon's missions, he could do them too!
If he were also given the right to freely choose missions...
If he were also given almost unlimited resource allocation in the branch...
Then he, Isaiah, might also be able to achieve a 100% mission completion rate!
Damn Gon, don't let me catch you making another mistake, otherwise, I'll definitely make you regret it!
Looking at the gloomy-faced Isaiah, Gon, lying on the rock, guessed what he was thinking but didn't care at all.
After all, in his opinion, from the moment Isaiah decided to curry favor with Special Envoy Byron to gain entry into the General Headquarters, Isaiah had already 'surrendered' to his competitors deep down.
And in this arena called life, having lost his 'confidence' and 'dignity', he was destined to never compete on the same stage as himself again.
Because Byron, as the 'judge,' indeed had the ability to influence the outcome of a match.
But that was based on the 'athlete' having certain strength themselves.
However, with Isaiah's current strength, 'Byron' alone, as a judge, couldn't help him.
Not to mention, it wasn't even certain whom Byron would help.
Thinking of this, Gon didn't even care if Isaiah could hear him, and let out an unrestrained laugh.
His laughter reached Isaiah's ears, instantly making him unable to control his anger, ready to completely tear off all pretense and show him a thing or two.
But just then, Byron, standing at the very front, suddenly spoke.
"Alright, I've cleared out most of the Star Energy detectors down below."
"As soon as that guy comes out and I tie him down, you'll find an opportunity to deploy those four 'Star Beast Lure Devices'."
"Yes."
Isaiah and Benjamin responded simultaneously, then turned and walked towards four colossal Star Energy devices, each ten meters tall.
But just at that moment, a resounding dragon's roar suddenly came from the Ember Base below.
Before long, to the shocked gazes of Isaiah and Benjamin, a massive mechanical dragon, entirely forged from special metal, flew out of the Ember Base, which was engulfed in explosions and flames.
The mechanical dragon rising from below, and that familiar figure standing atop the mechanical dragon's head.
Byron's expression grew excited.
"Here he comes. You're finally out, the Doctor of Ember, or rather, one of the former General President's proud disciples, the Level 3 Perfect Mechanoid Star Envoy known as the Dragon Machinist, Dragone Cybercross."
In Byron's excited voice, the Doctor, standing on the mechanical dragon, ignored the scattered boulders around him.
He directly ascended above the clouds, meeting Byron's gaze across the sky from the floating island.
Although neither of them spoke, an invisible clash of aura quietly unfolded between them.
At the same time, including Benjamin and Isaiah, a Level 2 Upper-tier and a Level 2 Mid-tier association Star Envoy respectively, most of the association Star Envoys present involuntarily knelt down under the gaze of the mechanical dragon beneath the Doctor.
Only Gon and William withstood this invisible pressure, barely remaining standing.
Gon, who had already gotten off the rock, was tightly clutching a red card, his expression exhilarated as he looked at the mechanical dragon beneath the Doctor.
It was as if he was contemplating whether, if he could secretly manipulate the match as a referee, he would have a chance to defeat the strong with the weak.
William, on the other hand, gritted his teeth, firmly propping himself up with the 'Minute Hand Greatsword' inserted into the ground, barely preventing himself from kneeling.
Because as someone who adhered to the knight's code, he would never allow himself to kneel and 'beg for mercy' before an enemy.
Noticing the situation of these two, the Doctor, while showing surprise, rarely gave a very high evaluation.
"Byron, it seems that for the 'key' in my hand, you indeed found two very good helpers."
"One a lunatic who recklessly pursues extremes, one a fool who recklessly pursues fantasies; they... both have the potential to forge perfection."
"After all, the word 'perfect' never descends upon cautious mortals."
"And that is the true reason you have always been inferior to me."
Faced with the Doctor's assertion, Byron disagreed.
He slowly removed the mask covering his face, revealing a terrifying mechanoid visage that had been completely mechanically reformed.
"Is that so? But why is it that I, a mortal in your eyes, currently have you, this mighty 'dragon,' trapped?"
"Furthermore, as long as I can obtain the 'key' in your hand, even if I am but a mortal, I too will have the chance to mend my flaws and forge that supreme 'perfection'!"
To Byron's surprise, the Doctor did not get angry at his slightly provocative remarks. Instead, he spoke with a tone of profound regret: "Byron, it seems that even after fifteen years, you still cannot recognize reality."
"You should understand that if you could truly forge 'perfection,' then you wouldn't need the key in my hand."
"And if you cannot forge 'perfection,' then even if you obtain the key in my hand, you still won't be able to do it."
"In this regard, you are not even as clear-sighted as those two juniors behind you."
"After all, they, you see, have always been very clear about what their 'perfection' is."
"..."
Upon hearing these words, the excited expression on Byron's face gradually vanished, replaced by an inexplicable grimness and coldness.
He raised his hand, and the massive floating island beneath him suddenly trembled violently.
Then, a colossal mechanoid fortress, entirely crafted from high-end technology, split off from within the floating island.
Byron took a step, standing atop his mechanoid fortress.
The terrifying aura of a Level 4 Upper-tier Star Envoy even caused the surrounding clouds to distort slightly.
He looked directly at the Doctor, standing atop the mechanical dragon in the distance, and said coldly, "Dragone, whether it's perfect or not, what you, a stray dog, say doesn't count."
"Once I get the key you're hiding, I'll judge for myself."
Rumble!
As a thunderbolt flashed through the clouds, Byron and the Doctor, with remarkable tacit understanding, began to ascend, gaining altitude.
They knew very well that the aftermath of their battle alone would be enough to completely destroy everything and everyone observing from below.
To emphasize the danger of Level 4 Star Envoys, the association had specially created a title for them.
This title was 'Calamity'.
And although the Doctor was only Level 3 Perfect, in terms of strength, Level 3 Perfect was entirely equivalent to Level 4.
In other words, the Doctor was also a Calamity-tier Star Envoy.
And two Calamities meeting would only bring greater disaster to others.
Therefore, going to a battlefield far away from everyone else was their shared understanding.
All are ants beneath a Calamity; this saying... wasn't just words.
As the two terrifying Calamity-tier Star Envoys, the Doctor and Byron, completely disappeared into the clouds on the horizon, the association Star Envoys left on the floating island were finally able to catch their breath.
After a brief rest, they immediately began to execute the orders Byron had given them earlier, rising and walking towards the four colossal 'Star Beast Lure Devices' not far away.
However, during this process, another person acted against the rules.
"Gon! What are you still lying there for? Have you forgotten what Lord Byron said?!"
Seeing Gon once again lying down on the flat rock, Isaiah, with Byron absent, could no longer control his anger.
However, to his furious, man-eating expression, Gon's reply was lazy, yet revealed an unquestionable firmness.
"Come on, Isaiah, you want me to lure a bunch of Star Beasts to attack that group of guys down there, who are at most Level 2. How is that different from me finding someone to beat up the opposing athlete before the match even begins?"
"You see, as a 'Judge', my authority comes entirely from the audience's belief in 'fairness'."
"And once the audience believes my judgments have lost their fairness, then I, as a judge... naturally lose my reason for existence."
"Therefore, no matter how important the match, the first thing I need to consider isn't how to win against the opponent, but how to make the audience believe the match is fair and agree to let me officiate."
"Because only then can I exercise the authority they grant me."
Having said this, Gon, who was already lying on his side on the rock, yawned, then scratched his slightly itchy back, saying casually, "Isaiah, I've already pretended not to see you beating up the opposing athlete outside the arena."
"But if you insist on dragging me into this dirty business, then you... might as well be prepared to be beaten to death by me first."
"After all, the audience's eyes are sharp; you can deceive yourself, but you can't deceive them."
After speaking, Gon ignored Isaiah's grim expression and started snoring to himself.
This damn guy, he actually fell asleep at such an important and crucial moment!
And it was after Gon finished these words that William, who had been walking towards the four 'Star Beast Lure Devices,' suddenly stopped, deep in thought.
"What the hell is wrong with you now!"
Looking at William, who had inexplicably stopped moving, Isaiah, completely consumed by anger, couldn't care less about 'teammate's face' and directly roared at him.
To this, William calmly said, "Mr. Isaiah, I think Mr. Gon is right. Even if I can deceive myself, I can't deceive the audience outside the arena."
"Similarly, a knight's justice should be to strike down fully armed enemies with a sword, not to swing a butcher's knife at unarmed civilians."
"Not being able to persuade Lord Byron earlier was already a slight violation of my inner justice."
"Since that's the case, I cannot continue making the same mistake."
"I know that on the battlefield, all means are understandable for victory, but a righteous knight should not use this as an excuse to deceive himself, and even less should he use it to deceive others."
"So, I can watch you deploy those four Star Energy devices that symbolize 'butcher's knives,' but you cannot expect me to also pick up this butcher's knife, I apologize."
Hearing William's words, Isaiah was completely stunned.
He simply couldn't believe that in the cruel Star Envoy world, full of danger and deception, someone as foolishly idealistic as William could exist.
The Way of the Knight?
No, how did a fool like you survive until today?!
However, before Isaiah could voice his thoughts, Gon, who was supposed to be asleep not far away, suddenly spoke again.
"Oh, wow, I didn't expect such an interesting fellow to exist among this group of idiots."
"It seems that dragon-riding guy was right; you really do have the potential to forge perfection."
"It's just that you woke up a little late, causing you to take some wrong turns earlier."
To this, William, who had completely understood his true heart, appeared quite at ease.
"Yes, esteemed Mr. Gon, I did indeed do many wrong things and took many detours in the past."
"But once I truly started a family and had my own daughter, I suddenly realized my mistakes and have been constantly striving to correct them."
"After all, as a father, the first thing I need to do is set a good example for my daughter; otherwise, she won't be proud to have a father like me."
"So that's how it is..."
Gon rolled over and sat up, looking up at William, the Clockwork Knight, whose expression was resolute in the heavy rain.
"...No wonder someone told me that humanity's most precious treasure is never wisdom, but their rich emotions."
"If it were a calm mechanoid, it would absolutely be unable to comprehend your foolish idea."
"After all, changing oneself for others, even completely negating one's past life, is no different from asking those mechanoids to dismantle their underlying code and then recreate a brand new one—both are foolish acts akin to suicide."
"However..."
Gon stood up, ignoring Isaiah, who was glaring at him, and walked directly in front of William, looking into his clear eyes.
"...You need to think carefully. While I may reject the temptation of capital to a certain extent for the sake of fairness, this doesn't mean I will oppose capital."
"In other words, while I might know someone intends harm to an off-field player, at most, I'll warn them, but I will absolutely not risk my life to help them."
"After all, to successfully host a match, just having an audience isn't enough; capital operations are also necessary."
"Therefore, compromise and being compromised are also good qualities a referee needs to possess."
"But you're different from me. You're essentially putting yourself on the chopping block, constantly risking your life."
"After all, even the most unarmed and weak commoner, given the right conditions, still has the chance to kill you, a fully armed knight."
Faced with Gon's kind advice, William gave his answer without hesitation.
"As long as the way of the knight exists in my heart, then this body... does not need to return home."
Hearing this, Gon was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help but sigh: "...Understood. No wonder that dragon-riding guy said you were a fool; you really are incredibly stupid."
While Isaiah, Benjamin, and the other association Star Envoys present couldn't understand the meaning of William's words, Gon instantly grasped it.
William meant that rather than taking up the butcher's knife and returning home with a body full of shame and guilt, regretting it for the rest of his life, he would rather lay down the butcher's knife and die in a foreign land with an upright and just demeanor, with a clear conscience.
In the former, though the person lives, their heart has died.
In the latter, though the person dies, their heart... still lives on.
However, while Gon could understand William's thoughts, he completely disagreed with them.
After all, if a person is dead, what's the point of talking about their heart?
But disagreement aside, this didn't mean Gon didn't admire William.
"Alright, since you've made up your mind, then do as you wish."
"And if your body truly remains here, don't worry. As long as conditions allow, I will definitely bring your heart back for you."
"However, no matter how I think about it, if such a situation truly arises, it might not necessarily be a good thing for your daughter."
William smiled, then raised the pink children's watch on his right hand.
To Gon's expression, as if he had just eaten something terrible, William said proudly, "No, I think if she knew what her father did, she would proudly tell everyone that she has such an excellent father."
"Just like I can now proudly tell everyone that I have such a lovely daughter."
"..."
"Damn it, why do I feel like I talked too much again? Even though there's almost a twofold age difference between you and that Tendo, I always feel like what you two say is pretty much the same—it's all something I can't get, but also deeply envy."
"I'm going to sleep, going to sleep. I shouldn't have been so loose-lipped and asked you that."
"Hey, Isaiah, after that Level 2 Perfect Dream Star Envoy comes out, send someone to call me."
"You see, if I want to tie her down, I have to get some good sleep now, otherwise I might just fall asleep mid-fight."
With that, Gon simply lay down and went to sleep, completely ignoring whether Isaiah had heard him or not.
And this time, Gon was truly asleep.
It was clear how troublesome that so-called 'Dream Star Envoy' was to him.
As for Isaiah, although he really wanted not to call Gon, thereby letting him be punished by Special Envoy Byron later, he ultimately didn't dare to do so.
Because among the Level 2 Star Envoys present, only Gon had the ability to tie down that monster.
However, thinking this in his heart didn't mean he would say it out loud.
"Damn it, that Calamity Star Envoy was right, you two are one an irrational lunatic, and the other an incurable fool."
"Perfect? To hell with perfect! All I know is that as long as I'm alive, whether it's perfect or not simply doesn't matter!"
With that, Isaiah led the others to deploy the pre-prepared 'Star Beast Lure Devices.'
And being high in the sky, they didn't have to worry about the large number of marine Star Beasts attracted by these lures.
Therefore, even if this artificially induced Star Beast tide couldn't completely destroy the Ember Base below, it would be enough to deplete their scarce defensive forces.
At that time, they would descend in full strength, taking advantage of the weakness.
And within the Ember Base, they would find the 'key' that Lord Byron had always spoken of and yearned for.
A key... to true perfection.
Ember Base, Ground Area, Main Gate.
"Tendo, do you think the Doctor and we... can safely get through this ordeal?"
After dealing with the last rock falling from the sky, Chen Xing put away his demonic blade and asked Tendo, who had his back to him, with a grave expression.
At the same time, all the other Children of the Stars, including Chen Kong and Jing Liuli, instinctively gathered around Tendo.
Although they didn't yet know exactly what had happened, whether it was the terrifying meteorite shower or the mechanical dragon that suddenly appeared beneath the Doctor, everything made them realize that what was happening today was absolutely extraordinary.
Therefore, they instinctively asked Tendo, trying to find out from him what they should do next.
After all, their trust in Tendo had become an ingrained instinct in the bones of these Children of the Stars.
It was as if, as long as Tendo was present, no matter how winding or arduous the path ahead, he would surely lead them out of the long and dangerous abyss to see a bright and brilliant dawn.
Hearing Chen Xing's words behind him, Tendo turned around, calmly looking at the hopeful eyes of the Children of the Stars.
A moment later, amidst everyone's nervous expressions, Tendo suddenly smiled.
"Don't worry, both you and the Doctor will be fine."
"Because your tomorrow... I have already seen it."
Hearing Tendo's words, all ten Children of the Stars present, including Chen Xing, subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
Although they knew Tendo's words might just be comforting, for some reason, when such words came from Tendo's mouth, they were so... reassuring.