"It seems the plan is proceeding smoothly."
Cocolia crossed her arms, looking down at the encirclement below from her office, a confident smile curling at the corners of her mouth.
She wasn't a fool - fools couldn't reach the high position of Supreme Guardian. Moreover, Bronya was her only daughter.
She knew Bronya too well, aware that her kind-hearted daughter would never sit idly by. So she had long instructed Gepard to make preparations.
Sure enough, she soon discovered Bronya making contact with a woman she had never seen before. And the moment the Stellaron saw that woman, an immense sense of panic transmitted from the Stellaron.
[Must... eradicate...]
That woman appeared to be the biggest variable. As long as she was completely eliminated, no one would be able to stop her plan.
"Hmph, everything is under control."
Cocolia smiled confidently.
Suddenly, her pupils sharply contracted.
Following her line of sight, one could see that the young woman who had just been in contact with Bronya was now looking in her direction, even waving at her.
On the other side, March 7th and the other two had already broken through the encirclement, leaving only Felicity standing dazed in place, waving toward the direction of the Everwinter Monument.
"Sis Feli, what are you doing?!"
Seeing this, March 7th immediately became anxious.
She raised her hand, materializing an ice bow formed from Six-Phase Ice, drew the string in the air, and shot out large numbers of colorful Seven-Phase Ice sculptures, attempting to help Felicity escape danger.
"Hmph."
Gepard, at the forefront, raised his right arm. The armguard forged from Geomarrow on his right arm immediately radiated brilliant light, and a peculiar shield that resembled a violin case more than a shield was erected before him.
An almost invisible force field shield unfolded before everyone, easily blocking March 7th's attack.
"Waa, such a thick shield!"
March 7th let out a frustrated cry. She drew her bow again, but was stopped by Dan Heng beside her.
"March, don't be upset. Felicity has her reasons for doing this."
Dan Heng calmly explained to March 7th,
"With her abilities, these people can't hold her back. She intends to use herself as bait. We'll regroup in the Fragmentum later."
"Ah? Is Sister Feli that noble?"
"Let's go!"
Without another word, Dan Heng lifted his spear again, his figure blurring into an afterimage as he knocked aside the Silvermane Guards attempting to block their path.
Stelle immediately understood, quickly following Dan Heng and March 7th as the three rushed toward the Fragmentum.
Only Felicity remained behind, tilting her head in slight confusion.
"Huh? Was I sold out?"
"Commander, they've charged into the Fragmentum. What should we do?"
Nearby, the Silvermane Guards responsible for pursuing March 7th and the others retreated, reporting to Gepard,
"No matter. We have their accomplice in our hands, and we're more familiar with the Fragmentum's terrain than they are. Reassemble the guards and surround the entire Fragmentum."
Gepard calmly issued orders, then frowned at Felicity, warning coldly,
"You'd better surrender quietly..."
"Guard Captain, don't let your guard down. She's not as simple as you think."
Suddenly, a cool voice came from the direction of the teahouse. Bronya leaned on her rifle, followed by Pela.
Noticing Felicity's gaze, Bronya's expression stiffened momentarily before quickly returning to normal.
Doubt breeds arrogance, doubt breeds evil thoughts. As the successor to Belobog's Supreme Guardian, Bronya believed she shouldn't entertain unnecessary thoughts.
Bronya's reminder instantly put Gepard on high alert.
He immediately reached out to restrain the seemingly fragile girl, but his plan was doomed to fail—
"Wood Style: Abundant Emanator Tree!"
The ground cracked without warning as a sapling emerged from the soil at an eerie speed, growing into a person-height tree in the blink of an eye.
The next moment, two branches suddenly lashed out, instantly blocking Gepard's advance.
"Open fire!"
Dozens of rifles immediately aimed at Felicity, firing bullets in unison, yet every round was deflected upon contact with her body.
No matter how lazy she might act, Felicity was still an Emanator of Abundance - no amount of ordinary people could ever defeat her.
"Reinforce defenses!"
Gepard barked.
His forcefield shield showed faint cracks under the continuous whipping of the vines, and he needed time to rebuild energy for another deployment.
"...Better not go too far."
Felicity murmured to herself. She glanced at Bronya and suddenly conceived a bold idea.
Setting others aside, this girl who had come to "negotiate" with her before Cocolia sent people to surround them was rather interesting.
Why not take her down to the Underworld too? Let her see the real Belobog.
Not for any particular reason - Felicity simply thought it would be amusing.
She was curious to see whether Bronya would resolutely raise her gun against her own mother after learning the whole truth, then declare something like "Farewell, mother. And farewell to my cowardice."
Felicity wasted no time. She raised her hand, and a vine quietly rose, unnoticed by anyone, suddenly binding Bronya.
"Protect Lady Bronya!"
Gepard was the first to react. He immediately stomped the ground, enduring the vine's attacks, and seized the moment to firmly grasp one of the vines.
But Felicity moved faster than him. With a few swift movements, she reached Bronya's side and, right in front of Pela, hoisted Bronya over her shoulder.
"You—you villain! Let go of Lady Bronya!"
Pela was both frightened and frantic, rushing forward to stop Felicity.
But she was just an intelligence officer—at best capable of strategizing and observing the battlefield. If she were truly sent to the front lines, she probably wouldn't last a single round before being taken out.
So, she didn't even manage to touch Felicity and could only watch helplessly as Felicity carried Bronya away.
"You... what do you want to do?"
Bronya was at a loss. Although she had guessed that the Silvermane Guards were no match for Felicity, she hadn't expected the situation to be so one-sided. Even Gepard, hailed as Belobog's sturdiest shield and one of its top warriors, couldn't hold his ground against Felicity for more than a few seconds.
She couldn't even fathom why Felicity wanted to capture her.
"You'll find out soon enough."
Felicity smiled mysteriously as she carried Bronya toward the Fragmentum.