"Flame Impact!"
With a roar, Oren thrust both palms forward. A ring of blazing fire sprang to life before him, swirling like a living sun. Without hesitation he sprinted straight through the fiery circle, heat rippling across his armor.
His target loomed ahead—Bikaria.
Oren leapt high, twisting in midair. His heel struck with crushing force.
"Boom!"
The impact shook the arena. Bikaria's body shattered in a burst of flame and smoke, fragments scattering like dying embers before dissolving into the wind. Nothing remained but a faint, acrid haze.
Across the vast audience of the Three Realms, a wave of awe swept through the spectators.
> "Incredible!"
"Oren is unstoppable!"
"No magic machine can stand against him!"
On the colossal screen overhead, the image shifted.
Steve—calm and composed—addressed Xun with a quiet warning.
"You'd better not take the upgrade key on your own," Steve said, his eyes narrowing.
Xun tilted his head, puzzled. "Why not?"
"I'm your assistant, aren't I?" he added, trying to understand.
Steve's lips curved into the faintest smile. "No. You are far more important than an assistant."
Xun gave a short laugh at the odd statement. But Steve continued, voice soft yet firm:
"You are my… son."
The words landed like a thunderclap.
Xun's smile faltered. His expression froze, stiff as stone.
And in the vast audience of the Three Realms, shock erupted.
> "What the—?!"
"They're the same age!"
"How can Xun be his son?"
"This makes no sense!"
"I don't get it at all!"
Xun blinked, completely bewildered. "Son?"
"Yes," Steve replied, his tone almost a whisper. "We are father and son. And a child should listen to his parent."
Xun shook his head. The concept was alien. He wasn't human; he had no understanding of what a father and son even meant.
But Steve pressed on. "I promise you this, Xun—you can go after Zero-One's upgrade key."
The offer lit Xun's face with sudden excitement. "Really? That's… great!"
Without another word he launched into action.
A crackle of energy flared as Xun transformed an unsuspecting bystander into an Oniko magic machine, seizing Oren's precious Bird Key in the chaos.
---
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, a shadowed figure approached Blade Wei'a.
"I hope you can eliminate the Destruction Thunder yourself," the man said, voice low and deliberate. "With your abilities, you should manage it."
Ren Wei'a inclined her head respectfully. "I am honored by your trust."
He presented a gleaming device. "This is the Thunder Wasp. Its output is two hundred percent higher than the Galloping Cheetah's. I prepared it especially for you."
---
Back on the main battlefield, Xun set his sights on a new target.
A well-known female voice actor let out a startled cry as he struck, converting her into a magic machine with a flash of dark energy.
"President Oren, please destroy her!" Iz called urgently.
But a middle-aged man rushed forward, placing himself between Oren and the transformed woman.
"Stop!" he shouted, voice trembling. "She's my daughter—Qingyin!"
"Qingyin, don't do this!" he pleaded.
Xun froze, confusion creasing his brow. "Why are you protecting her? She's already a magic machine!"
Before he could react, Qingyin—still in her transformed state—lashed out and struck her father, sending him sprawling.
Xun turned to his companion Lingyi, frustration etched across his face. "Why would he protect her? I don't understand!"
Lingyi sighed and curled his lips in mild exasperation. "How can you not get this? It's natural for parents to protect their children. They'd risk their lives without hesitation. That's what being a parent means."
"Parents… protect their children?" Xun repeated, still baffled.
The notion hammered at him, foreign yet strangely stirring. He pressed a hand to his forehead as a dull ache throbbed. Something within him wavered.
Moved by the father's devotion, Xun hesitated. He even reached toward Qingyin's belt, as though considering freeing her.
"Run!" someone cried.
But Qingyin refused. Instead she activated her own transformation, her form morphing into a strange frog-like warrior.
Oren reacted instantly.
"High Leap—Flying Locust!" he shouted, launching into the air.
"Knight Kick!"
Energy crackled as he descended in a dazzling arc.
From the shadows, Steve stepped calmly into view.
"My son," he said evenly, "it's too early for you to leave your father."
"Mie—Steve—are you here to protect me?" Xun asked, hope flickering in his voice.
The spectators across the Three Realms felt a pang of pity. Xun's innocence, his ignorance of the simplest human bonds, was almost heartbreaking.
Steve met his gaze. "You are the Xumagia I created. That is why I call you my child. Do you understand? Now hurry and complete your mission."
He fastened a driver onto Xun's waist. Energy surged.
"Ah!" Xun cried as a wave of power engulfed him.
Before the stunned audience, Xun himself transformed into a magic machine.
The Three Realms fell silent. Then whispers erupted:
> "So Xun is a Xumagia too!"
"No wonder he doesn't understand parents and children."
"I can't believe this."
"Steve is ruthless—turning his own creation into a weapon."
"Some father-son relationship. Xun is just a tool!"
Xun's voice was cold now, mechanical. "Connecting to Destruction Thunder Station. Fly—Soaring Eagle—Damage Mode."
His armor gleamed crimson and white as he clashed fiercely with Oren. Sparks showered with every blow. Yet despite his new power, Xun could not overcome Oren. Eventually he disengaged, retreating into the shadows.
---
The screen shifted again.
Ming Town shimmered into focus.
A new Xumagia approached Steve and Xun, bowing slightly.
"Have we gained more allies?" Steve asked.
The assassin shook his head. "The infiltration of the Xumagia system failed. The hospital's security cannot be breached. We need stronger combat strength to force a breakthrough."
He paused, eyes glinting. "Our next target is the Ames organization—specifically Ren Wei'a."
---
In a bustling super-chat group, messages flew.
Fu Nina: "That guy is horrible!"
March 7: "Don't let them near her!"
Liu Ying: "She's such a beautiful person. I really hope she's safe!"
Hu Tao: "It's unforgivable!"
---
At the Ames Special Technology Research Institute, Ren Wei'a stood before a conference table, images flickering on the screen behind her.
"I trust you've reviewed the footage from the other day," she said. "Next, allow me to explain our countermeasure."
A mysterious man leaned closer, voice barely above a whisper. "You must understand, Jiger is a destructive weapon built on our most advanced technology. Its instantaneous maximum output is more than five times that of ordinary units."
Ren Wei'a nodded, her own voice steady. "I'm confident Jiger will soon see actual combat under Ames command."
As if on cue, several towering robots stepped from the shadows, their metal frames gleaming under the lab lights.
An engineer gestured proudly. "This is Jiger—the independently driven Xumagia command weapon. Jiger can interface with out-of-control Xumagia units and override them through a secure local network."
The revelation sent a shiver through every viewer across the Three Realms.
> "It can control rogue Xumagia?!"
"That's terrifying!"
"If they lose control of that, imagine the disaster!"
The stakes had risen higher than ever.
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