After everyone had signed the guest list, Bai Yuechen stood at the main stage, nodding with satisfaction. He was just about to announce the end of the banquet.
Meanwhile, Huang Na and her two companions were visibly anxious.
"Why isn't Jiang Ge back yet?"
"Did he eat too many desserts?"
"Maybe he's stuck in the restroom…"
As they speculated, Lin Yunyi—now wearing her fox mask—and Liu Ying entered the hall. Their striking attire instantly drew attention.
"Who are they? I haven't seen them before!"
"The silver-haired girl is stunning. Is she from Tianhuan Academy?"
"The masked one has an amazing figure too!"
Whispers rippled through the crowd as curious eyes followed the pair. Several male students tried to approach, but Lin Yunyi and Liu Ying ignored them, heading straight for Bai Yuechen.
Huang Na froze.
"That masked girl… she looks just like Lin Yunyi. Didn't we see her at the academy gate earlier?"
Before she could say more, two black-clad figures burst through the banquet hall doors.
Daggers glinted in their hands. Their Aura was sharp and murderous.
Panic erupted.
The students—mostly newly Awakened and untrained—screamed and scattered. No one dared to intervene.
The assassins locked eyes with Bai Yuechen and charged.
"Oh no… they're from Shadow!"
Bai Yuechen's expression darkened.
Shadow—an infamous assassin organization from the Xia Kingdom—was known worldwide. If your name appeared on their kill list, survival was a miracle.
Of course, not every contract was lethal. Some, like the Jiang Family's, were staged—two Bronze One-Star assassins sent for show.
Still, Shadow always delivered. Their mark was unmistakable.
"Damn it… who paid Shadow to target me?"
Lightning crackled around Bai Yuechen. Twin bolts surged in his eyes. As the Bai Family's heir, he had trained extensively—even before Awakening.
"Run! They're from Shadow!"
"I just Awakened—I don't want to die!"
Students bolted. Some froze. A few brave ones tried to help, only to be swiftly taken down—stabbed and writhing in pain.
The crowd retreated.
Only Lin Yunyi and firefly stepped forward.
"Firefly."
At Lin Yunyi's command, emerald light bloomed in Liu Ying's hand. A crystal firefly-like device appeared, glowing with flame and light.
She extended her hand. The device unfolded like wings.
Emerald patterns and flickering flames wrapped around her body.
In seconds, she transformed into a silver-white mecha—
Stellaron Hunter "Sam"!
Gasps echoed through the hall.
"Did that girl just turn into a mecha?!"
"Wait… are they going to fight the assassins?"
"They might actually stand a chance…"
Even the students who hadn't fled felt a flicker of hope.
"Xiao Na… that masked girl's back… doesn't it look like Lin Yunyi's?"
The tall girl squinted.
The girl with glasses nodded. "Now that you mention it… yeah, it does!"
Huang Na shook her head. "Impossible! That little tramp didn't even Awaken. She couldn't get into a place like this!"
But then she remembered—the fox mask, the outfit—exactly what Lin Yunyi wore at the academy gate.
Her heart skipped.
On stage, chaos erupted. Bai Yuechen fought valiantly, lightning flashing as he clashed with the assassins.
But Shadow's agents weren't amateurs.
One glowed with power, transforming into a half-human, half-bear beast. His fist shattered Bai Yuechen's lightning and sent him flying.
The other sliced his palm, blood morphing into a whip aimed at Bai Yuechen's throat.
Suddenly—
A metallic arm clamped down on the whip.
"What the—?"
The assassin's eyes narrowed at the sight of Stellar Hunter "Sam."
"Where did this mecha come from?!"
Before he could react, Liu Ying yanked the whip, throwing him off balance.
Then—
Bang!
An iron fist smashed into his face. Blood sprayed as he flew backward like a ragdoll.
The bear-like assassin froze.
That mecha… its Aura was Bronze Three-Star!
"Damn it! The intel said this place was full of weaklings!"
Snarling, he lunged at Bai Yuechen, hoping to finish the job before being stopped.
But Liu Ying was faster.
Boom!
Another punch. The assassin crashed into the wall, unconscious.
Gasps filled the room.
"She's so strong…"
"She just one-punched a Shadow assassin!"
"Isn't that mecha the silver-haired girl from earlier?!"
Amid the stunned silence, Lin Yunyi walked calmly to Bai Yuechen, who lay bloodied on the floor.
"Oh dear… I might've gone a little overboard."
She knelt beside him, extending a hand.
"Are you alright?"