Very quickly, Andrew had everything ready.
While waking up Meow-Da, Andrew opened the shop door, only to discover that Soldier 11 had already arrived outside the blacksmith shop unknowingly. She was standing straight as a ramrod, waiting quietly with a serious expression.
Unlike Andrew, whose purpose for going was to expose a fraud, Meow-Da was going purely to join in the fun. In his words, no matter what the Boss was doing, as the Boss's Felyne, he absolutely had to tag along.
This was also the main reason why he had run to the blacksmith shop a day in advance yesterday. As for being conscripted into labor, that was purely because Andrew felt annoyed seeing Meow-Da playing with the plants on the windowsill while he was busy non-stop, so he found something for the cat to do.
With the roar of a motorcycle engine tearing through the silent sky of Sixth Street, they set off.
Above, the brief yet beautiful Blue Hour had long since passed. As the sun completely peeked over the horizon, everything in the surroundings was dyed golden.
Different from the intense orange-red of the sunset or the tranquility of the Blue Hour, the pale golden morning sun was incomparably vigorous. The light tearing through the curtain of night seemed to bring infinite new vitality to the earth.
With the rising of the sun, New Eridu seemed to be awakened by someone and began to bustle once again.
However, unlike the vigorous vitality of the sun, on the way to Lumina Square, on the buses, in front of the subway stations... the high school students carrying schoolbags and the office workers in suits holding briefcases all revealed a faint sense of deathliness without exception.
This formed a thorough and complete contrast with the surrounding scenery.
But thinking about it, it makes sense. Getting up at six to go to work at seven isn't much in itself. But what if, yesterday, you not only had to work but also maintain half-baked, fake social interactions, battle wits with 'green tea' manipulative colleagues, and deal with idiotic clients at the same time?
After getting off work, first came a meeting, then you were jammed with emergency tasks and forced to 'voluntarily' work overtime until ten at night.
After finally finishing and sending it to the leader, squeezing onto the last bus home, just as you wanted to rest, you immediately received a text bombing from the boss and had to start working from home.
After dealing with that, just as you wanted to spend some time for yourself, you realized it was already past twelve o'clock.
Although you clearly know that sleeping immediately now would only get you six hours of sleep, as one of the few moments that truly belongs to you... at this time, do you stay up, or do you not?
When first starting a job, you might choose to stay up even if it kills you, just for that little bit of private time. But as time goes on, your body won't allow it. Helplessly, you choose to sleep.
The result? You find that due to age, the boss's gaslighting, high work pressure, high intensity, and the fact that you haven't relieved stress in ages, your mental state is highly taut. You have insomnia.
Tossing and turning until two or three o'clock, you finally manage to drift into a groggy sleep. Then, as if only an instant had passed, the alarm for work rings. And then, everything that happened yesterday, you have to face all over again today.
This isn't just one or two days. It's six days in a row like this. After resting for one day, another six days come. If you can repeat this process for a month and still be full of vigor, I would be willing to call you the strongest.
(>w
However, all of this had nothing to do with Andrew, who opened a shop and didn't lack money.
Facing the newly risen morning sun, Andrew rode the bike carrying the three of them towards Lumina Square. After parking the vehicle in the designated parking lot, they began to walk towards the location the other party mentioned.
Although they needed to walk, fortunately, the HIA Club was quite close to the parking lot. Thus, the group quickly arrived at the location the other party had left on Knock-Knock.
Since 6:30 AM was already early enough, apart from people going to work or doing morning exercises, there weren't many people present on the leisure pedestrian street of Lumina Square. So, in front of the currently empty HIA Club, that graceful figure of a young girl was incomparably conspicuous.
Her petite and slender body was forcibly made to look taller by the large fox ears. Her beautiful and flawless face, under the shine of the morning sun, seemed to attract people's gazes at every moment.
It was only because there were few people in Lumina Square right now. Otherwise, regardless of identity, relying solely on the girl's looks would be enough to block this place with a crowd until not even water could trickle through.
However, unlike the incredibly fluffy fox tails that Fox Thirens usually have, this Fox Thiren girl was very unique. Her back was bare; just like an ordinary human, there was no tail.
Moreover, this was clearly not formed post-natally, but she was born this way.
Wearing the uniform of Section 6, her posture was upright and tall. Her hand, hanging by her waist, rested on the Tachi at all times, ensuring she could draw the blade instantly to deal with any sudden attacks.
However, unlike the incomparably vigilant blade in her hand, the girl's eyes were slightly closed. She looked as if she were meditating.
It could be said that such a unique Fox Thiren was extremely rare in the entire New Eridu.
And coincidentally...
Andrew had actually just encountered a Fox Thiren in exactly the same condition as her a few days ago. Not only that, an even greater coincidence was...
That Fox Thiren was also from Section 6. A few days ago, she even put out word that she would definitely bring him to justice.
Isn't this purely too damn coincidental...
What happened to the agreement that it was almost impossible to meet in the future?! The flag was reclaimed so quickly that it makes one unable to help but sigh: Life is impermanent, like a large intestine wrapping a small intestine—a total mess.
Compared to Andrew, who felt his face was about to be swollen from the slap of reality because the flag he planted earlier was uprooted, and thus refused to admit reality... Meow-Da, who hadn't planted any flags, was much more direct.
Taking advantage of Soldier 11 not paying attention, he immediately sneaked up to Andrew's ear and whispered:
"What do we do, Boss! Isn't this the crazy woman who suddenly attacked us a few days ago?!"
"Don't... don't panic, don't panic yet! Maybe we mistook her for someone else, and the person meeting us isn't her at all!"
Saying this, Andrew, harboring a fluke mentality, immediately turned his head to look at Soldier 11 beside him and instructed immediately:
"Soldier 11, just to be safe, use Knock-Knock to contact the other party and see if she has arrived and where she is waiting for us. After all, it would be awkward if we recognized the wrong person."
Hearing this, Soldier 11, who trusted Andrew immensely, didn't suspect anything. She took out her mobile phone and began to edit and send a text message asking Andrew's question.
However, less than a few seconds after Soldier 11's text was sent out... In Andrew's eyes, which were filled with a despair greater than death, the mobile phone in that Fox Thiren girl's bosom rang with the tone belonging to a text message.
And accompanied by the other party taking the phone out from her bosom to check and tapping on the screen, Soldier 11's phone received a new reply, conveniently accompanied by a real-time location ping.
And what was displayed on it was impressively the position where that girl was standing.
As the last shred of fluke mentality was shattered, Andrew instantly felt a bit numb.
In this huge New Eridu with so many people, with so many scammers casting wide nets and countless ordinary people, how did the master Soldier 11 casually found through a chat online turn out to be the newly appointed Void Hunter of New Eridu?!
And the kind of Void Hunter who ascended based on combat merits, at that. What the hell is this luck? Does it have to be this coincidental?!
The reason Andrew was so numb, besides the deep impression left by the previous surprise attack, was due to an even more important point. That was: what if he was recognized by the other party?
At this moment, Andrew wasn't wearing his armor or helmet. Being recognized would mean his cover is blown instantly, exposing his true identity.
Fortunately, due to the special nature of the Dust Devil Set, looking at him without armor versus with armor made for a huge difference. So, realistically, there shouldn't be any major problems.
But as long as that possibility existed, Andrew didn't really want to take the risk.
At the same time, Meow-Da, who also had a deep memory of that incident, proposed in a whisper with a conflicted face:
"Boss, should we run away immediately right now? If we run directly now, we can still make it, right?"
Although Meow-Da's proposal was extremely tempting, Andrew ultimately rejected it.
This was, of course, not because the girl was so good-looking that his brain short-circuited and he changed his mind to get close to her, but because...
The girl had already followed the content of the text message Soldier 11 sent earlier, ended her meditation, and looked over here.
And as mentioned before, aside from people coming here to work, there weren't many idlers on Lumina Square in the early morning. And in front of the HIA Club, not a single passerby existed.
Under these circumstances, if Andrew suddenly hoisted Meow-Da onto his shoulder, turned his head, and ran, that would simply be countless times more conspicuous than a light bulb. It would be like pasting 'I have a problem' right on his face.
At that time, even if the other party hadn't suspected anything originally, she would start to get suspicious. Especially since she had already noticed this place, coupled with the speed far exceeding ordinary people that she displayed in the previous battle.
Outside the Hollows and without riding the Leaping Tracker, Andrew wasn't confident he could shake her off relying solely on his own two legs.
So, things having reached this point. Running was not an option. Looking left and right, the only way was to bite the bullet and face the difficulty.
Soldiers block the enemy, earth blocks the water. Since he had made up his mind, Andrew would not hesitate.
Just like the first time meeting Hoshimi Miyabi, Andrew followed beside Soldier 11 with a completely natural attitude and walked towards the other party. At the same time, he extended his palm intending to shake hands to show friendliness, while introducing himself:
"Hello, my name is Andrew. I am an ordinary blacksmith shop owner. You must be the Master that Soldier 11 spoke of, right?"
Hoshimi Miyabi, who knew from Soldier 11's advance contact that there would be extra people coming, was not surprised by Andrew's existence. She nodded slightly.
Similarly extending her hand to gently grasp the knuckles of Andrew's extended palm, she said in a rigid, formulaic manner:
"Hello. My name is Hoshimi Miyabi, the Chief of the Hollow Special Operations Section 6. As for Miss Soldier 11, I can only count as giving a pointer or two; I cannot claim the duties of a Master."
To be honest. Although she often introduced herself like this, Andrew hadn't heard such a rigid answer in a long time. One question, one answer—it was like talking to a bot.
Just as he wanted to try and further close the distance, the moment their palms clasped, a sudden mutation occurred.
Wait and see—the Demon Blade: No-Tail, which had been staying incomparably peacefully inside the scabbard seal, suddenly became restless with impatience, as if it had discovered the rarest treasure in the world.
In just an instant, ghostly blue ice flames began to burn ragingly from the blade, even transforming from the original ghostly blue to a bewitching scarlet red at an incredibly rapid speed. It was as if the karma fire of hell was roasting the vengeful spirits trapped within, bizarre and eerie.
And it was only at this moment that the Demon Blade: No-Tail, which looked ordinary as if it were a common long sword, finally began to look like a Demon Blade.
Until this abrupt emergence of scarlet fire shrouded and swallowed the entire blade body. Relying solely on the aura emanating from Andrew, the violent flames seemed to have found the perfect firewood and began to climb rapidly, segment by segment.
In just an instant, it became incomparably violent and surging. The originally incomparably firm seal was breached quickly as if it were made of paper at this moment, and the ice flames soared violently.
In Hoshimi Miyabi's incomparably shocked, even appalled gaze, it rotated, entwined, and turned into a scarlet fire snake that surged out.
Subsequently, following the hand with which Hoshimi Miyabi held No-Tail, it climbed up her body. The fire snake then rushed at extreme speed toward Hoshimi Miyabi's other arm, attempting to follow the arms where the two were shaking hands to charge fiercely toward Andrew.
This never-before-seen, sudden change made Hoshimi Miyabi lose her composure instantly. Ever since having the scabbard, the Demon Blade: No-Tail, which had always been very stable, suddenly went berserk without any warning.
No-Tail's ice flames were incomparably cold. But at this moment, Hoshimi Miyabi felt as if she were once again placed in an incomparably surging raging fire.
The scarlet flames blocked her vision. Like boundless karma fire and crazy raving whispers, it made her feel as if she had returned to that unforgettably massive fire from her childhood.
The past wronged souls within the flames were thirsty and impatient, seemingly unable to wait to rush toward their own target in the next moment. The omnipresent flames, the berserk Demon Blade, the person in front of her.
All of this happened too fast, and too rapidly. It caught her unprepared.
Although Hoshimi Miyabi, whose mind was countless times firmer after growing up, merely froze for a split second before recovering and immediately wanting to let go of the held hand... it was already too late.
The fire snake, single-minded toward its target, used Hoshimi Miyabi as a bridge. The speed of the ice flames whistling past was too rapid. In just an instant, the scarlet ice flames had already arrived at the position where the two shook hands. In the next moment, it would climb onto Andrew's palm.
Too late. Letting go was already futile.
However, in this rampage, Hoshimi Miyabi did not feel the insanity that pierced deep into the heart like before. Before she had the scabbard to perform the seal, every rampage would inevitably be accompanied by the endless and crazy ravings of the past former owners swallowed by the Demon Blade.
Although this rampage was more violent than ever before, the madness it brought was much lighter. But this did not mean it was a good thing.
A rampage several times more violent than before, yet with very slight crazy ravings, only explained one thing: Their target was fundamentally not Hoshimi Miyabi, who held the Demon Blade, but Andrew in front of her.
It was like finding a peerless delicacy.
"Danger!"
Hoshimi Miyabi's warning was already in vain. Before the words of warning could exit her mouth, the ice flames had already climbed onto Andrew's palm. Subsequently, they climbed rapidly up Andrew's arm, rushing toward his body.
But just at the moment the ice flames were about to touch Andrew's arm...
Snap!
Accompanied by an explosive crisp sound, under circumstances where no one had reacted, the pace of the charging fire snake instantly stumbled. It stopped its steps, somewhat dizzy and disoriented.
Unknown when it happened, a white thin strap, which was originally a scabbard, had extended from Icebrink on Andrew's back and was currently suspended in the air, eager to give it a try.
____
New Story: Danmachi: But I am a God, time to make a family!
🔥 25% off something at the funeral parlor... care to take a look? 🔥
✅ Access up to 40 advanced chapters of ALL stories!
✅ Receive exclusive content and updates!
Help us hit our community goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters of ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan