"He's gone," March replied instinctively, her crisp voice still holding a trace of lingering caution.
The words barely left her mouth before she realized she'd responded too quickly, too unguardedly. Startled, she spun around, her azure eyes scanning the direction the voice came from.
"Who is it?!" March demanded again, her voice now clearly laced with wariness, pitching slightly higher, trembling like a taut bowstring ready to fire.
The Topaz spirit perched on Daziel's shoulder also let out a low hum. "Oink oink? Oink oink oink?" The short, sharp sounds came rapidly, like a string of firecrackers, questioning and warning the unknown arrival, echoing in the empty space.
March's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, swept the surroundings with the intensity she used when aiming her bow, searching for any suspicious movement.
Finally, her eyes settled on a corner not far away.
A small figure stood there quietly. Short silver hair refracted the space station's light with a cold, metallic glint. She looked like an exquisite, delicate doll, yet emanated a subtle air of danger.
"You're... Ah, aren't you that hacker girl from the Stellaron Hunters, Silver Wolf?" March's voice was filled with surprise, confusion, and an almost imperceptible nervousness. "Why did you suddenly appear here?! You're not planning more destruction, are you?"
As she spoke, she instinctively took a small step back, her petite frame adopting a slightly stiff defensive posture, like a bristling kitten ready for a sudden attack. After all, the name "Stellaron Hunter" always carried a negative connotation for the members of the Astral Express Crew.
Daziel remained calm. He shifted slightly, standing beside March, carefully observing Silver Wolf. His deep eyes shone with contemplation, seemingly analyzing the situation rapidly.
"Easy, little March. Don't be nervous. She's most likely here because of the Aetherium Wars game, right?" Daziel's voice was calm and steady, possessing a reassuring quality that slowly soothed March's anxiety. Considering Silver Wolf's personality, this conclusion was easy enough to reach.
He gently raised a hand and patted March's shoulder, signaling with his eyes for her to relax.
Silver Wolf crossed her arms, leaning back slightly. She nonchalantly blew at a stray lock of messy silver hair near her forehead, a playful smirk appearing on her delicate face.
"You seem to understand me quite well," Silver Wolf chuckled, her tone light and casual, as if chatting with an old friend. "Looks like even with different identities, we still find plenty of common ground."
Hearing Silver Wolf's slightly ambiguous words, March's vigilance spiked again. She suddenly hugged Daziel's arm tightly, pressing her small body close to his like a little animal guarding its food, terrified her treasure would be snatched away.
"Ah, you're not still after our Daziel, are you? Little girl, with that physique of yours, you should grow up a few more years before trying!" March puffed out her cheeks indignantly, her round face resembling an angry pufferfish. She made no effort to hide her rejection and hostility, determined not to let anyone—especially a pretty little girl like Silver Wolf—get close to Daziel.
Silver Wolf watched March's childish antics without any change in expression, maintaining her usual impassivity. She gave a slight shrug, indicating she meant no harm.
"Yes, but not entirely," Silver Wolf said, her tone suddenly becoming serious. She paused, turning her gaze to Daziel, a subtle gravity flashing in her clear eyes. "Have you ever considered that the basic framework the Corporation used to create Aetherium Wars comes from Punklorde's Aether Coding technology?"
"But even on Punklorde itself, Aether Coding can't be used to write Aether Spirit code this realistic."
March was completely lost by Silver Wolf's abrupt shift to a serious topic. She blinked her large, watery eyes and asked confusedly, "The Corporation's tech isn't bad though, right? Making some improvements after porting it over seems pretty normal?"
Silver Wolf shook her head, a rare look of seriousness on her delicate face. "I'm not talking about technical improvements. They added something else to the game... Those damn Masked Fools will do anything for kicks, especially that Giovanni!" Silver Wolf's voice held obvious disgust and caution, as if the very name "Masked Fools" carried an unpleasant power.
March grew even more puzzled. She tilted her head, asking curiously, "Eh? Are you very familiar with that Mr. Giovanni?"
Silver Wolf stuffed her hands into her pockets, gazing out at the endless starry expanse beyond the viewport, seemingly lost in thought for a moment. "He's probably the most flamboyant Masked Fool in the entire universe—who hasn't heard of the Masked Merchant of Epsilon? It'd be stranger if I didn't know him." Silver Wolf's voice held a trace of annoyance. "It's just that I didn't investigate the game's sponsor initially, and ended up falling into the trap carelessly..."
Hearing this, a flash of understanding crossed Daziel's sharp eyes. A playful smirk tugged at his lips as he slowly began to speak, "Let me guess. You realized you were affected by that special meme, which is why you specifically sought me out, correct?"
Silver Wolf turned her head, her gaze landing on Daziel, a hint of appreciation in her eyes. "Smart," she admitted readily.
March looked back and forth between Daziel and Silver Wolf, feeling lost in a fog, completely clueless about what they were discussing, as if she'd missed some crucial piece of information. "Aren't you a genius hacker? Are you still afraid of this kind of tampering with a game?" March asked, still confused.
Silver Wolf sighed helplessly. "I can only resolve issues related to Aether Coding. Memes are the product of a different kind of technology. That stuff involves fields I'm not specialized in."
Daziel watched Silver Wolf, a teasing glint in his eyes. He deliberately adopted a flippant tone, "So you came asking me to f*** you, right? You really are a Lewd Wolf." After all, Silver Wolf's outfit was quite provocative, boots paired with fishnet stockings encasing delicate, pale feet – most people wouldn't be able to resist. If she took off her shoes... what kind of pleasure would that be?
Hearing Daziel suddenly utter such bold and explicit words, March's eyes widened, her blue irises filled with shock and disbelief. She stared at Daziel, hardly believing her ears, wondering if she'd misheard. "Eh, Daziel, how can you say something like that? That doesn't sound like you at all!" March's voice held a note of reproach and confusion. The Daziel she knew, while sometimes mischievous, would never be so crude.
But Daziel had his own reasons. He wanted to verify if the notion of him being the "Savior of Villains" had already become a consensus within the Stellaron Hunters. If he truly held such importance, then Silver Wolf wouldn't react negatively to his statement.
Silver Wolf didn't get angry as March might have expected. She merely raised an eyebrow slightly, her delicate face still wearing a nonchalant smirk. "He's not exactly wrong, you know. It's no big deal. Besides, Kafka already..."
Before Silver Wolf could finish, a piercing broadcast announcement, like screeching metal, suddenly blared throughout Herta Space Station, forcefully interrupting their conversation.
"HEY—HEY HEY—STELLARON BRAT—PINK-HAIRED SHORTY—" Herta's impatient and urgent voice boomed from the speakers, sharp enough to pierce eardrums. "WHAT ARE YOU DAWDLING FOR—ARE YOU PLAYING THE GAME OR NOT—I HAVE RESEARCH TO DO—!"
The sudden broadcast struck like lightning from a clear sky, stunning both March and Daziel. The slightly risqué atmosphere instantly froze.
March stomped her foot forcefully, pointing angrily at the speaker, her pink cheeks flushed red. "Pink-haired shorty... she doesn't mean me, does she?!" She whirled to face Silver Wolf, her tone accusing and aggrieved, "And why didn't she call you out? What kind of preferential treatment is this!" She looked utterly wronged, like a child facing unfair favoritism.
Silver Wolf crossed her arms, gave a slight shrug, her voice laced with amusement. "I made some minor adjustments to their surveillance terminal backend—if I appear here as a hologram, they can't see me through the monitors."
March's jaw dropped, her face showing immense envy. "What a convenient ability! If I had that, couldn't I just... with Daziel... outdoors anytime..." March muttered under her breath, her voice audible only to herself.
Daziel looked up towards the speaker and called out loudly, his clear voice cutting through the space, "Lady Herta—we'll be right there!"
Silver Wolf's hologram flickered slightly. She looked at Daziel, her gaze serious. "Although Herta can't see me through the monitors, her attention will be drawn here soon. There's still some time before the meme outbreak. I'll leave first. I'll come back in my physical form when I get the chance."
March put her hands on her hips, made a face at the spot where Silver Wolf had vanished, and wrinkled her small nose. "Hmph, good riddance! Helping you remove the meme is one thing, but don't you keep eyeing our Daziel's body!"
Silver Wolf's hologram disappeared completely, as if she had never been there...
March let out a long breath, turned to Daziel, her tone light and teasing. "Gone just like that? That little girl runs fast, unlike me, always by your side."
Hearing this, the corner of Daziel's mouth twitched.
She affectionately linked her arm with Daziel's, snuggling her small frame against him, grinning. "Well then... shall we head off too—to find Herta!"
The two walked side-by-side towards Herta's room, their footsteps echoing in the corridor.
Herta's office wasn't far; they arrived shortly. Lacking the necessary clearance, the automatic door remained tightly shut, not opening for them. The metallic door panel reflected the cold light of the space station.
Daziel raised his hand and knocked politely.
"Hmph, it's the Stellaron brat and the pink-haired shorty," Herta's voice immediately came from inside, dripping with impatience and disdain, as if they were tardy guests wasting her precious time. "There were no obstacles, you could have come straight here to challenge me. Why were you dawdling?"
The door slid open, revealing Herta's figure. She was still in her puppet form, arms crossed. Herta's purple eyes scanned Daziel and March up and down, her tone laced with complaint. "If you ask me, those guys at the Tournament Association have screws loose. They should have set up some puzzles and preliminary stages to filter out some idiots. That would reduce my workload significantly."
Hearing this, March immediately bristled, jumping up and down in anger, her pink hair bouncing. She pointed at Herta, protesting, "Lady Herta, who are you calling pink-haired shorty! Can't you speak properly?!"
Herta's gaze landed precisely on March, her tone as flat as if stating the obvious. "You, who else? Look around the station, is there another pink-haired person here? Did you think I was talking about myself?"
March was choked speechless. Hands on her hips, she glared furiously at Herta, her cheeks puffed out. "Lady Herta, you're... too much! You have no respect at all!"
"Alright, alright, shorty, stop making a fuss," Herta waved her hand impatiently, like shooing away a fly. "Hurry up. You want to do that—duel thing, right? Let's get started, I'm very busy." She glanced at Daziel again, her tone implying charity. "Or should I just give you the Qualification Badge? Save us some time. Your choice."
Daziel's eyes flickered. He stepped forward directly, held out his hand, and addressed Herta frankly, "In that case, Lady Herta, please just give it to me directly." Avoid fighting if possible. He had no interest in such meaningless battle processes anyway. Besides, he doubted the audience enjoyed watching one-sided stomps either. Skipping it saves everyone trouble.
March looked at Daziel in surprise, blinked, and whispered, "Eh? Is that okay? Didn't they say we have to follow the procedure?"
Herta shrugged nonchalantly, the metal joints emitting a faint click. "Sure, no problem... Uh, hold on, I need to take a call."
A bad feeling instantly arose in Daziel's heart. His intuition told him things wouldn't be this smooth.
Herta walked aside, picked up a communicator, and answered the call. Her voice was low, deliberately keeping it from them. Only vague, fragmented words could be heard intermittently.
"What? No?!"
"Mm... mm-hmm... okay... I understand..."
A few minutes later, Herta hung up and turned back. Her puppet face remained expressionless, but her tone carried obvious annoyance. "That was the Tournament Association. They said we must follow standard procedure. You have to win a match."
"Hmph hmph hmph hmph!" The Topaz spirit on Daziel's shoulder suddenly let out a series of cheerful snorts, seemingly smug that the Corporation's game rules were being upheld.
"Quiet!" Herta glared discontentedly at the silver Warp Trotter. "What a pain. If I didn't have to give the Corporation face, I wouldn't be playing this stupid game. Wasting my research time."
"..." Daziel also sighed. Knew it wouldn't be that simple. It seemed what was fated would happen; this so-called "duel" couldn't be avoided after all.
"Fine, let's get started," Herta urged, casually tossing an Aether Coin.
Daziel cooperated, striking a cool pose as he tossed his own Aether Coin.
The coins tumbled in the air, landing in their hands—
The duel began!
This battle was equally devoid of suspense. Although Herta was a cut above Master Gongshu, she posed no challenge to Daziel. Initially, when Daziel only sent out the Topaz-disguised Warp Trotter, Herta seemed somewhat invested in her role as champion candidate. A flicker of interest crossed her face as she methodically commanded her Aether Spirits, attempting to showcase her skills. After all, a genius should be a genius in all aspects, even in a game played casually.
However, when Daziel summoned Cocolia in her Mother of Deception form, Herta's expression instantly changed. The massive form of the Mother of Deception appeared like an insurmountable fortress, exuding suffocating pressure.
Daziel controlled the Mother of Deception, executing devastating maneuvers that ruthlessly crushed Herta's team, primarily composed of Voidrangers. Those Voidrangers, which Herta might have considered well-raised, were as fragile as paper before the Mother of Deception. Even the Centaur-like Voidranger Trampler, an Overlord-level Aether Spirit, was no match and was utterly defeated within a few rounds.
"Tch, boring! So boring!" Seeing this, Herta stomped her foot angrily. This guy, is he cheating?! What kind of broken game did the Corporation design? Is there any balance at all? Herta immediately lost all interest.
"Okay, okay, that's enough," Herta suddenly spoke up just as Daziel was about to launch the final attack, interrupting his command, her voice laced with impatience. "This is pointless, too time-consuming. I give up."
Daziel was slightly surprised. He paused his actions, looked at Herta, a hint of confusion in his voice, "Lady Herta, does saying that comply with the Corporation's procedures? Can't you at least put on a proper show?"
"Ah! I lose! My strength is drained! I'm so weak! Oh, the regret!" Herta threw her hands up, promptly lay down flat on the floor, kicked her legs up high, adopting a posture of complete surrender and indifference. "Here, take the Qualification Badge. Just take it and leave, don't bother my research."
"Wow, so casual. There's absolutely no sense of ceremony," March remarked, looking at the badge Herta casually tossed over, then at Herta lying petulantly on the floor, finding the situation somewhat surreal.
Herta raised an eyebrow, retorting, "What more ceremony do you want? Do you want me to kneel and beg you to take it?"
Daziel walked up to Herta, looking down at her from above, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He began to speak slowly, his voice calm yet carrying a hint of pressure, "Lady Herta prides herself on being a genius scholar, possessing wisdom far beyond ordinary people. Although you merely deployed a puppet to handle this matter, appearing effortlessly capable, have you truly not realized that there's something wrong with this Aetherium Wars game?"
Herta's previously lazy expression stiffened slightly. She sat up, crossing her arms, and looked at Daziel with keen interest. "Oh? What's wrong with it? Tell me. If you can say something interesting, I might consider taking you a bit more seriously."
Daziel stroked his chin, speaking meaningfully, "Could it be, Lady Herta, that you haven't realized you've already been affected by a strange meme? Your consciousness and Herta's puppets are interconnected. Perhaps your main body has been affected too."
As he spoke, Daziel began to mentally calculate how to assist Herta with a righteous "purification." The previous methods might not work well. Considering the material and structure of Herta's puppet, the foot joints might not be flexible enough. That method could be uncomfortable, or even risk damaging my own 'club'. So, I need to think carefully... did Lady Herta pay attention to detail when designing her puppets...? Are her key parts realistic?
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