A violet-glowing figure came crashing down from the sky.
[JOKER Maximum Drive]
"[Rider Kick]!"
The massive, centaur-like frame of the Trampler was launched backward by the impact, toppling countless Voidrangers in its wake.
When it finally rose again—immune to pain as it was—something about it still seemed… off.
A strange force was rampaging inside its body, as if the blow had awakened some foreign memory from another world.
It clutched at its chest, and from the point of impact, violet light pulsed wildly, impossible to conceal beneath the night sky.
ROAR!
BOOM!!
With a final, desperate bellow, the Trampler exploded in a burst of golden light.
A shockwave of destruction swept outward, swallowing and erasing the surrounding Voidrangers.
The spectacle instantly drew the attention of the entire Antimatter Legion. They surged toward the source—encircling the violet figure with bared fangs.
"Whoa. That kick caused that kind of chain reaction?"
Sora stared, genuinely surprised by the result.
He hadn't expected the Trampler to go up like a bomb after just one hit. Regular Voidrangers definitely didn't do that.
"Looks like the stronger their internal energy, the more unstable they become after I hit them."
It was a sudden realization—and an important one.
The stronger the Voidranger's energy core, the more volatile it became under Joker's blows. The weak ones couldn't contain enough to trigger an explosion. But the elites…
Sora's eyes lit up.
He looked at the remains of the Trampler not as an enemy, but like a jackpot that had just paid out.
I knew it. The Stellaron Hunter's blessing is on my side!
These Trampler-class enemies weren't obstacles—they were walking warheads. Just waiting for him to light the fuse.
His excitement fed into the Joker Memory, pushing his physical abilities higher and higher, surpassing previous limits with ease.
But at that moment—he sensed something.
Back at the evacuation point… something had changed.
Elsewhere, under Sora's instruction, Ouja had taken charge of organizing the survivors' escape.
Though chaos had reigned at first, the evacuees quickly regained order and began a coordinated withdrawal from the area.
Clearly, this wasn't their first time facing the Antimatter Legion. They knew how to run.
Robin was among them, eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of Sora.
She didn't know the violet figure out there was him. She searched the fleeing survivors over and over, desperate to spot his familiar face.
But she never found it.
Frowning, she slipped toward the rear of the procession where Ouja was coordinating.
"Miss Guard, is… is there anyone who hasn't made it out yet?"
Her anxious voice drew Ouja's attention.
"Who hasn't evacuated?"
"Mister Sora, he—"
"Captain Ouja!"
Before Robin could finish, a panting soldier ran up, weapon in hand.
"Captain, most of the evacuees have cleared out, but… the First Seat hasn't moved!"
What?!
Robin and Ouja both froze, eyes wide in shock.
Robin was especially stunned—so much so that the little wings behind her ears fluttered unconsciously.
Did I hear that right?
The First Seat?
There was only one person that could mean—the girl she and Sora had spoken with before.
But how could this be? She had the authority to assign rooms, had spoken like a leader.
So how was it that she remained behind while everyone else fled?
Surely that couldn't be right.
And yet—reality is often stranger than fiction.
Robin had no choice but to believe it.
Ouja's face tightened. "What about comms? Didn't you try to contact her?"
"You know how it is, Captain. Once she enters that state, she can't hear anything."
"Damn it."
Ouja's gaze swept back toward the battlefield, still pulsing with light and chaos.
"…Looks like we're going in again."
Without hesitation, she turned and sprinted back toward the fray.
The soldier followed. Robin stood still for a beat—then made her decision and chased after them.
I need to check if Sora is safe.
The building frame had already been damaged in the earlier quake. What if Sora had been knocked out? What if he was trapped?
Ouja noticed Robin behind them but didn't object.
Despite her delicate appearance, Robin carried the blessings of a star god.
She wasn't a fragile civilian. Even if her combat skills weren't elite, she was still far stronger than the average person.
"Don't do anything reckless, First Seat…"
By the time they reached the battlefield again, Sora was deep in the fray, darting through Voidrangers with uncanny speed.
Strange audio cues echoed through the air.
[JOKER Maximum Drive]
"…What was that?" Robin's ears twitched.
Her hearing was keen—she caught the phrase clearly.
But no one answered her question.
"Now's our chance," Ouja said quickly. "They're all distracted—let's move!"
The group dashed through the shadows and retraced their steps to the First Seat's chamber.
"First Seat, we—"
Ouja opened the door.
What she and Robin saw inside exceeded even their wildest expectations.
There sat the girl—Anna—calmly perched on her chair.
Despite the Antimatter Legion swarming the planet, she looked neither frightened nor despairing.
In fact… the power radiating from her made Robin hesitate instinctively.
It was vast—far beyond the Harmony Path Robin wielded. Beyond what she could even perceive.
"You're back, Ouja. How's the evacuation proceeding?"
Her tone was unhurried, almost casual.
"Everyone's out. First Seat, you need to go now, too!"
"No."
Her voice turned resolute.
"Our honored guest is fighting for us. He's surrounded by enemies. How could we abandon him now?"
"First Seat, this isn't—"
"Just let me borrow the power of the Aeon one more time."
She raised a small object.
Robin's gaze snapped to it.
A bullet—silver in hue. And the energy radiating from it made its allegiance clear.
The Hunt Aeon—Lan.
Known throughout the galaxy for vengeance and pursuit. A star god who roamed the cosmos, hunting the followers of Yaoshi, the Abundance.
Those who followed Lan's path included the legendary Xianzhou Alliance… and the now-vanished cosmic rangers of the Hunt.
But… how was such a thing here?
On this desolate planet?
Robin couldn't make sense of it.
Then she saw it.
Streams of power flowed from the bullet and were absorbed into Anna's body.
Robin watched as the girl's hair began to change color. Luminous threads of light radiated from her, forming intricate patterns.
Then—the ground began to tremble.
Arrowheads burst from the earth like blooming thorns, launching forward in a deadly volley.
They soared through the air, streaking toward the Antimatter Legion.
Their brilliant arcs lit up the scorched battlefield—
—and brought the light of divine judgment to the desolate land.