[Has the interrogation started? What does that mean?]
[Duh, they're about to interrogate Mommy!]
[I've been waiting for this moment! Finally, Kafka's here!]
[Kafka's coming, my Kafka!]
[I don't actually want Kafka to get caught, but I just want to see how she looks right now.]
[Brothers, this is the episode we've all been waiting for.]
Tap, tap, tap…
In the pitch-black screen, the sound of high heels echoed.
When the light returned, Kafka was already at the center of the frame.
Escorted by two Cloud Knights, she slowly walked forward.
The next moment, the camera zoomed directly onto Kafka's face—only now, she was completely bare-faced.
Gone was her usual light makeup, and the coat draped over her shoulders was nowhere to be seen. It was a completely different vibe.
The barrage of comments scrolled at lightning speed.
[Is this Kafka? This is the Goddess of Beauty!]
[She removed her makeup! Mommy's bare-faced now! AHHH!!! So gorgeous.]
[Wait, was Kafka wearing colored contacts before?]
[Without makeup, she looks so pure. Who dares call Mommy a villain now?]
[Oh, she looks as gentle as my own mother.]
[Kafka Mommy! I love you! No matter how you look, I'll always love you!]
"Was such a grand display really necessary? I did say I'd cooperate."
Kafka swept her gaze across the crowd before finally settling on Fu Xuan.
"You're a wanted criminal who specializes in manipulating minds with 'Words of Power.' I have no interest in anything you say."
"Say whatever you want. But I will only believe the divinations of the Matrix of Prescience.'"
"The Divination Commission has ways to extract the truth from you—far more than mere words could ever reveal."
Kafka showed no resistance. "Then, please, let the Master Diviner witness my fate."
With that, Kafka obediently bound her own hands and stepped into the center of the Divination Platform.
Fu Xuan activated the formation with a hand seal. "Rise!"
Instantly, countless arrays lit up across the screen, the visual effects overwhelmingly grand—
Though the light pollution was severe enough to blind half the audience again.
Suspended mid-air by the formation's power, Kafka remained smiling. That ever-present, unshakable smile.
Click—
A beam of light shot from the third eye on Fu Xuan's forehead, and the formation froze.
"You… went this far for this?"
Kafka slowly descended. "Well? Do you like the truth you've uncovered?"
"Unbelievable… But the Matrix of Prescience does not lie."
Caelus stepped closer to Fu Xuan. "What did you see?"
"Kafka has nothing to do with the Stellaron. But you… it's actually you… Ha! Absurd! How could such a thing—"
"Are you seriously being cryptic right now?"
"Go ask her yourselves—take as long as you need. I must report to the General immediately. Excuse me!"
With that, Fu Xuan hurried off toward Jing Yuan's projection.
The group exchanged glances before Welt Yang spoke to Caelus.
"Caelus, you go. You've been worried about Kafka from the start. I know you still have questions for her."
Without hesitation, Caelus nodded and strode toward Kafka.
Kafka watched as he approached. "Hi… You haven't changed a bit. Sorry you had to see me like this."
From this moment, the perspective shifted to Caelus's first-person view.
Kafka's smile remained, but this time, it seemed genuinely happy.
[HOLY CRAP, WHAT IS THIS ANGELIC POV?? MIHOYO GETS ME!!]
[Why does Kafka look so gentle? Is this really the same Kafka??]
[AHHHH! Kafka, don't look at me like that—my heart's melting!]
[First-person view?! This is too beautiful! Is this a dating sim now? I'm joining the Kafka fanclub!]
[She's my mom. Of course I know what she's like! Unlock those handcuffs and let me hug her!]
[I can't take it—this flawless bare face! Damn it! DAMN IT!]
[Even her tone is softer now. Combined with the no-makeup look, this is just unfair.]
[The way she's looking at me… I knew I was always in her heart.]
[No, she's still a villain—she's playing weak! …Fine, I give up. She's Kafka, the woman I love most.]
The camera remained fixed, not showing Caelus's face—only his voice could be heard.
"Are you okay? Were you hurt?"
Hearing this, Kafka's happiness became palpable. She laughed, truly from the heart.
"You're worried about me? I'm fine. The Xianzhou has always treated prisoners politely."
"On the Express, I didn't speak to you because I knew we'd have this moment alone. So I thought, why not save everything for now? You have a lot of questions, don't you?"
[What's happening? Why does she genuinely seem to care about the Trailblazer?]
[Names can be wrong, but nicknames never lie.]
[This scene is perfection. I never expected the story to go this way.]
"What's your goal?"
"As expected. He foresaw that you'd ask three questions, but they all boil down to the same thing. If I heard even one of them, I was to tell you everything about our purpose here."
"Since you asked one of those three, it means everything is going smoothly. Ready for my answer?"
The camera nodded along with Caelus's perspective.
Finally, Kafka spoke, revealing the full truth.
"The one who brought the Stellaron to the Xianzhou and activated it was someone else entirely. There are traitors within the Luofu and enemies beyond—all seeking to overthrow the Xianzhou."
"But the Stellaron Hunters' purpose here is simple. We're not here to oppose the Xianzhou Alliance…"
Kafka tilted her head slightly.
"—It's for you."
After dropping this bombshell, Kafka fell silent, just like the stunned audience.
Seeing Caelus's furrowed brow, she continued.
"Sounds absurd, doesn't it? No wonder Master Diviner Fu Xuan didn't believe it. But the Matrix of Prescience doesn't lie. So here's the amusing truth: The Stellaron Hunters came here, Blade allowed himself to be captured, and I let myself be led into this formation—all to bring you, the Astral Express, to the Xianzhou."
"I needed to lure you here. I needed you to meet the Luofu's General directly, to help them resolve the Stellaron crisis, so the Alliance would owe you a favor. That way, in the future—at the most critical moment—the Xianzhou will lend you its strength."
"Well? Surprised? The infamous Stellaron Hunters went through all this just to make you the Xianzhou's hero. Who could've predicted a script like this?"
"What future are you talking about?"
Now, Kafka's smile was the same—but the feeling it gave off had completely reversed.
It was as if she had become that villainous woman again.
"Did you know? Even 'Aeons'… can be killed."