The headquarters was unusually quiet.
Then—
RING! RING!
Chen Wei's mother picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
A trembling voice came from the other side.
Renge Akihana.
"Ma'am…"
His voice cracked.
"I found the Martial Artist Killer and her daughter."
Chen Wei's mother immediately became serious.
"Where are they?"
"They were unconscious… inside the prison."
He took a breath.
"But… there's someone else."
Silence.
"I found a girl."
His voice became even weaker.
"She's known as… the Poison Girl."
He couldn't bring himself to say her real name.
"I'm bringing all three of them back. Please prepare the medical robots."
"Prepare the operating room too."
Chen Wei's mother frowned.
"What happened? Why are you crying?"
Renge immediately forced out a strange laugh.
"Crying?"
"Haha… no."
"I'm not crying."
His voice was obviously shaking.
"I'll be there soon."
The call ended.
---
Renge stood inside the ruined headquarters.
The walls were destroyed.
Beyond the broken structure, the Chinese forest stretched into the distance.
He was carrying Shion Kisaragi in his arms.
Her body was barely responsive.
Her mechanical arms and legs were completely broken.
Blood trickled from her head.
Her breathing was extremely weak.
Renge looked down at her.
His eyes suddenly changed.
A strange pattern began rotating inside them.
The Eye of Laligurans.
Then—
A flash.
Renge suddenly saw something.
Shion.
A laboratory.
The Alien Queen.
Shion being treated like nothing more than a test subject.
Energy blasts repeatedly striking her.
The Queen laughing as she tested her power.
Renge's entire body trembled.
The vision disappeared.
He clenched his teeth.
"No…"
Another flash.
Shion falling.
The Queen continuing her experiment.
Renge's breathing became heavier.
"Stop…"
He looked toward the sky.
"Please…"
His voice cracked.
"Stop doing this to her."
---
He immediately called the headquarters again.
"Please prepare everything."
"This is an emergency."
"I need medical robots."
"And…"
He looked at Shion's broken mechanical limbs.
"Prepare one robotic arm and one robotic leg—no."
"Prepare two arms and two legs."
"I don't know what condition they'll need to be in."
"I'll explain everything when I arrive."
Chen Wei's mother answered calmly.
"Understood."
"But…"
She paused.
"I haven't performed an operation like this in years."
Renge looked down at Shion.
"Please try."
"I'll bring her there."
---
A strange light appeared around Renge.
His eyes glowed.
The pattern inside them began spinning like a rapidly rotating fan.
Then—
WHOOSH!
His body transformed into countless flower petals.
The petals scattered through the air.
Renge disappeared.
The same floral energy surrounded the unconscious Shion.
And the Martial Artist Killer and her daughter disappeared with him.
---
Headquarters
Everyone was gathered together.
Leo frowned.
"What happened?"
Yuna looked worried.
"Why did he suddenly ask for medical robots?"
Chen Wei's mother was already preparing the medical room.
"I don't know."
"But whatever Renge found…"
She looked toward the operating room.
"…it's serious."
A moment later—
WHOOSH!
Flower petals appeared inside the headquarters.
Renge materialized.
He immediately collapsed onto his knees.
The medical robots rushed forward.
They took the Martial Artist Killer and her daughter first.
Their conditions were serious, but stable.
The daughter would regain consciousness after some time.
Then the robots turned toward Shion.
Leo's expression changed.
"Wait…"
He stepped forward.
"Who is she?"
Renge couldn't answer.
Leo looked at her face.
Then his eyes widened.
"Shion Kisaragi…"
He remembered.
"Poison Girl?"
---
A Memory
China.
Years earlier.
Leo and Renge were walking through the city.
Renge suddenly stopped.
Leo looked back.
"What?"
Renge pointed toward the roadside.
A young girl sat there.
She was surviving by herself.
She looked exhausted.
But even then…
She refused to give up.
Whenever someone offered her help, she tried to do something for herself instead.
She didn't want to depend completely on others.
Renge watched her quietly.
Leo noticed.
"You like her, don't you?"
Renge immediately looked away.
"What are you talking about?"
Leo laughed.
"You've been staring at her for five minutes."
"Shut up."
But Renge kept coming back.
Sometimes he brought food.
Sometimes he simply checked whether she was okay.
What attracted him wasn't her appearance.
It was her attitude.
No matter how difficult things became…
she kept trying.
She refused to surrender.
That stubborn determination was what Renge admired about her.
---
Present
"Move!"
Chen Wei's mother rushed toward the medical room.
"Put her on the table."
The robots carefully placed Shion down.
Chen Wei's mother examined her.
Her expression immediately became grim.
"Her mechanical limbs are destroyed."
"The internal connections are severely damaged."
She looked at the mask.
"And this…"
She carefully examined it.
"This mask can't simply be removed."
"It is connected to her facial structure."
"If I force it off, I'll cause even more damage."
She carefully repositioned it.
"Keep it here."
The robots began preparing the replacement limbs.
Chen Wei's mother took a deep breath.
"Let's begin."
---
Hours seemed to pass.
The operation continued.
The mechanical limbs were connected back to her body.
The moment the connections were activated—
Shion's body suddenly jerked.
"Aaah—!"
Her scream echoed through the room.
She clenched her teeth.
Her body trembled violently.
The medical robots continued their work.
Chen Wei's mother remained focused.
"Hold her steady."
Shion screamed again.
Renge suddenly burst through the door.
"PLEASE!"
Everyone turned.
He rushed toward her.
"Continue the operation."
"I'll handle her."
He knelt beside Shion.
He carefully held her.
"I'm here."
Shion's breathing was chaotic.
Renge lowered his voice.
"You know me."
"Maybe…"
"You don't remember me anymore."
"But I'm here."
He paused.
"My name is…"
He told her his name.
Shion's eyes slowly moved toward him.
For a moment…
Nothing happened.
Then something changed.
Her breathing became slower.
The tension in her body began to disappear.
That voice.
That warmth.
Something about it felt familiar.
She didn't know why.
She couldn't remember.
But somewhere deep inside her mind…
that voice felt safe.
Renge held her quietly.
"That's it…"
"You're okay."
Chen Wei's mother continued the operation.
Finally—
BEEP.
The machines stopped.
She removed her gloves.
"It's finished."
Everyone released a breath.
Renge looked at Shion.
She was unconscious.
But alive.
---
Later…
The group gathered outside the medical room.
Leo leaned against the wall.
"So…"
"What do we do now?"
Yuna looked toward Chen Wei's mother.
"What will the enemy do next?"
Chen Wei's mother remained silent.
Then suddenly—
Her expression changed.
A memory flashed through her mind.
China's largest city.
A mysterious temple.
Something was being summoned.
She slowly stood up.
"I just remembered something."
Everyone turned toward her.
"The organization…"
"They're preparing something in the largest city of China."
Leo frowned.
"What?"
Chen Wei's mother continued.
"They're trying to summon the mysterious temple."
The Temple Guardians immediately became serious.
Chen Wei's mother looked at them.
"If the Weapon Master's Guardian awakens her power…"
"The others may begin awakening too."
"And once they enter their original forms…"
She paused.
Everyone became silent.
"If all five of them merge…"
Her expression became grim.
"This world may not survive it."
Nobody joked this time.
Lily looked toward the medical room.
Yuna lowered her eyes.
Even the other Temple Guardians were visibly worried.
And somewhere inside that room…
Shion Kisaragi remained unconscious.
Her story had only just begun again.
TO BE CONTINUED…