After returning home, Firefly first brushed her hair, smoothing out the kinks from her nap. She didn't bother with any elaborate hairstyle, letting her waist-length hair cascade freely down her back. She changed into a light-colored top and pants, paired with white sneakers, creating a casual and comfortable look.
Even in such a simple outfit, Firefly's appearance still made Ikezawa and Lü Heng's eyes light up when she reappeared before them. While it's often said that "clothes make the person," when someone possesses exceptional looks, attire becomes secondary. Simply put, she could make anything look good. Her youthful and vibrant energy radiated effortlessly.
Lü Heng cleared his throat and pulled out his phone, scrolling through it. "Let's see... what good places are nearby?"
Firefly cut to the chase. "So, you didn't really invite me out just to meet a new group member and have lunch, right? There's something else, isn't there?" As she spoke, she glanced at Ikezawa beside her, already forming a suspicion.
"Um..." Lü Heng hesitated before finally deciding to ask directly. He stepped closer to Firefly and whispered, "Hey, Peace Dove... SAM... is that you?"
"Did Daoist Wuwei tell you?" Though framed as a question, Firefly's tone left no room for doubt. She clearly saw Ikezawa's expression tighten with nervousness.
However, she didn't hold it against him. Before Lü Heng or Ikezawa could speak, she simply nodded calmly and continued, "It's me."
"Uh... huh?" Lü Heng was stunned by Firefly's straightforward admission. Logically, masked heroes who fought for justice would go to great lengths to protect their loved ones from villains by concealing their identities.
Think of Ultraman from the Sakura Nation or the superheroes from White Eagle.
But Firefly wasn't a masked hero, and she had no family or friends to protect. There was no need for her to hide her identity.
Even if some "villain" did target her, what difference would it make if they knew her name? As long as they couldn't match her strength, all their schemes would be meaningless.
In short, as long as the news didn't spread too widely and the whole world didn't learn that Firefly was SAM, the impact on her would be minimal. The members of the Chat Group were generally trustworthy, so there shouldn't be any issues.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Lü Heng pressed for confirmation. "So, SAM—the one who can speedrun a Dimensional Rift in minutes, flies all over the world, and is virtually invincible—is actually your mecha?"
Firefly nodded. "Yes."
Lü Heng continued, "Remember that time we got sucked into that school horror-themed Dimensional Rift? I recall everyone else getting knocked out, but you soloed the whole thing. I always wondered how you managed it. So, after we passed out, you transformed into SAM and slaughtered your way through the entire place?!"
Firefly nodded again. "That's right."
To be honest, even with Firefly's straightforward answers, Lü Heng still found it hard to believe. He stared at the young girl before him, flawlessly adorable from every angle, and tried to reconcile it with the image of SAM's imposing figure.
I just can't picture this young girl tearing through battlefields! Lü Heng thought to himself.
But the truth was undeniable. Abandoning his thoughts of quitting the exam, Lü Heng pressed further. "So, you're actually an Outsider? Was your frantic speedrunning through the Dimensional Rifts before an attempt to find a way back home? SAM hasn't shown up lately... did you fail? Did you give up?"
This time, Firefly didn't immediately nod. She paused, slightly taken aback. Her previous speedruns through the Dimensional Rifts had been purely to complete System Missions. Once those were done, there was no reason for her to keep going.
However, Lü Heng's improvised explanation was logically sound. After a moment's hesitation, Firefly nodded slowly, playing along. "That's right. At first, I tried to find a way back, but I failed."
Lü Heng nearly dropped to his knees. "So you're the real Big Boss! Peace Dove, why didn't you say so sooner?! If I'd known we had such a powerhouse in the Chat Group, I would have handled the Dimensional Rift crisis with far more swagger!"
After all, Firefly had repeatedly assured the group that they could use the Chat Group's summoning function to call her for help if they ever found themselves in danger.
Lü Heng had always assumed Peace Dove was only slightly stronger than him. He figured he could handle minor troubles himself with a bit of effort, and if anything serious came up, calling for help wouldn't make much difference anyway. So, he never took her offer of assistance seriously.
But who could have imagined just how valuable her "help" would turn out to be?
It's worth noting that while Ikezawa had just made Lü Heng promise not to blurt out this secret, it was undoubtedly impossible to hide from Li, with her exceptional hearing.
Sure enough, Li was now wagging her tail and gazing at Ikezawa with intense curiosity. "What's SAM?" she asked.
Under the Beast-Eared Girl's eager gaze, Ikezawa hesitated before answering, "Um... a cool-looking robot?"
Li remained curious. "What's a robot?"
"It's a humanoid thing," Ikezawa explained, "angular, sharp-edged, and very cool-looking."
Li tilted her head. "Huh? I think you're very cool-looking, Ikezawa! Does that mean you're a robot too?"
Ikezawa fell silent.
He could tell she seemed to be complimenting him, but he touched his cheek. Was his face really that square, that... angular?
Li pressed on. "So, Ikezawa, are you SAM?"
Ikezawa's mind reeled. "???"
What kind of bizarre equation was this?
Although the topic they had planned to discuss over dinner had already come up, that didn't mean they should abandon their meal. They couldn't just disband on the spot and go their separate ways, could they?
On the way to the restaurant, Lü Heng kept pressing, "So, how exactly did you become SAM? Is there some kind of device? A magic wand? A belt? Or some other kind of Transformation Device?"
Before Firefly could answer, Ikezawa, finally escaping Li's relentless stream of questions, chimed in, "It is a Transformation Device, but I doubt anyone else could use it. I remember it being a weapon genetically bound to the Glamoth Iron Cavalry."