Chapter 15: The Ice and Flame Tournament (Part X)

Chapter 15: The Ice and Flame Tournament (Part X)

The blade pierced through the butterfly's protective wings, its crimson body, and then the hard human form that had emerged from below. It sliced the giant high-level ice butterfly cleanly in two from top to bottom, without any doubt or hesitation!

Blood splattered, creating a rain of red droplets in midair.

The gale generated by the blade slicing through the ice butterfly's energy field spread chaotically in all directions, uncontrollably pushing away all the sand and rocks around it, as well as forcefully propelling the hovering mecha starships in the distance.

The ice butterfly's body split in half and plummeted into the deep pit below.

The black mecha stood high above, its purple radiance brighter than the sun behind it.

Moments later, the mecha lowered its arm.

The fingers and forearm of the mechanical hand had already melted in the heat, dripping with black metal liquid. The mecha's exterior was pockmarked and covered in cracks, exposing sparks flying from exposed pipelines.

Inside the cockpit, alarms blared about damage sustained and the depletion of energy sources. However, Rong Mi did not immediately maneuver the mecha to land. Instead, he lowered his head to look into the depths of the pit.

The young man panted heavily.

His face was drenched in sweat, devoid of the exhilaration of victory; instead, he remained on high alert, still prepared for battle.

Rong Mi pressed against the mech console, muttering softly, "Terrible..."

The pit that the Ice Butterfly had fallen into was incredibly deep, as if it led straight to the Earth's core. Rong Mi didn't hear the heavy thud of the Advanced Ice Butterfly hitting the bottom.

On the contrary, he heard another sound emanating from the depths.

A crisp, munching noise.

It sounded like the Advanced Ice Butterfly's wings were being torn apart and devoured, its hard body slowly being crushed and consumed.

At the same time, the spirit energy that hadn't yet dissipated from the creature was also being absorbed.

Mixed in with the crunching were countless faint scraping sounds.

As if more Advanced Ice Butterflies were folding their wings, using their insectoid limbs to cling to the rock walls of the pit and climbing upward.

They seemed to be flying out, but they didn't attack Rong Mi; rather, they appeared to be fleeing in all directions.

Yet, before they could fully exit the cave, the high-level Ice Butterflies were yanked back by an unseen force from the depths and plummeted downward.

Human-like faces on their bodies contorted in intense fear, emitting piercing, desperate cries.

Seconds later, the cacophony abruptly ceased.

Rong Mi: "…."

"…Not possible," Rong Mi whispered, gazing at the bizarre scene below. "A reborn person shouldn't have this kind of plot, right?"

"I was just saying how lucky I was to be reborn again… and now, here's something unexpected."

"What could possibly be down there…"

"Feasting on their own kind, replenishing energy… It seems like a sign of a top-tier Fifth Rank High-Level Ice Butterfly preparing to ascend to the rank of Sub-Butterfly…."

For a brief moment, silence reigned.

Only the unwavering alarm within the mecha cockpit continued its relentless repetition.

"Ding ding—Mechanical energy remaining below ten percent—Alert—"

"Over ninety percent damage to the chassis—Backup systems unable to initiate—Core mechanism about to shut down—Alert—"

"Whizz—"

"Whizzing—"

Yet, in the next moment, the icy butterfly's humming resurfaced, completely drowning out the alarm sounds.

The very atmosphere of the planet seemed to quiver as the icy butterflies' resonant cries boomed from the depths beneath.

Cracks spread across the ground, sinking once more. From these fissures, vibrant red light shot forth anew.

A sight even more breathtaking than before!

The flattened assembly peak, the distant snowfields, the mountain ranges beyond, and the fringes of the icy sea in the farthest distance...

It was as if the planet itself were on the verge of shattering, ripped apart by vast swaths of crimson.

This crimson hue pierced the heavens, so vivid that it was visible even from distant galaxies.

The erstwhile white desolate planet seemed to have been pierced from within by those red rays, radiating an intense red glow outward.

Inside the Space City, the live broadcast director, standing by the window, watched the planet's direction. His pupils dilated, his face wearing a bizarre expression, a mix of fear and excitement.

On the screen beside him, the live feed had long since descended into a blur of static. However, the fleeting glimpse of the High Ice Butterfly before the signal cut out had already alerted the military investigation team, who were already paying close attention to the match, that something was amiss.

"Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep!"

His communication bracelet was buzzing frantically, indicating calls from either the military, the entertainment department, or the Space City Police Bureau.

Soon, the sound of orderly footsteps echoed in the hallway outside his hotel room, followed by vigorous knocks on his door and a warning that they would break it down if he didn't open up soon.

Unperturbed, the broadcast director fixated his gaze on the distant planet. He muttered involuntarily, "It's what Lord Cecil desires..."

That was a Level 5 High Ice Butterfly, on the cusp of ascending to become an Archaic Butterfly.

Its massive form spanned wide enough to envelop a significant portion of the planet. When it pierced through the planet's crust, its butterfly wings would undoubtedly outline a striking silhouette from afar.

It had slumbered deep within the desolate star, slowly absorbing the core of the planet and drawing energy for its evolution while asleep.

Yet, they had awakened it, assisting in its feeding and initiating its metamorphosis.

Over five hundred participating mecha pilots served as its appetizer.

Whether those pilots were devoured by the lowly Ice Butterflies or by the level three ones under its command made no difference.

For these Ice Butterflies were also reserves for its own transformation into a Sub-butterfly.

Following that, the military would inevitably launch an assault on this evolving Sub-butterfly.

However, with the urgency of the situation and the inability to coordinate their fleet, they would only become a more delectable feast for it.

And then, it would complete its evolution.

Satiated, it would break free from the military's encirclement, seeking out its own sanctuary.

It would also bear witness to their endeavors, assisting them in fulfilling their desires...

The live broadcast director envisioned the future, eagerly awaiting the crimson glow that would shatter the planet's surface and the emergence of the high-level Ice Butterfly from within the celestial body.

Yet, amidst the dark universe, the vibrant red light suddenly vanished.

The desolate planet, veiled in eerie red, returned to its pallid state. The cosmos resumed its orderly arrangement as if the imminent destruction of the planet's surface was just an ephemeral hallucination.

The live broadcast director jolted upright.

"It can't be!" He panted, his breath fogging against the glass.

In the vast expanse of the cosmos where human vision couldn't reach, on the desolate planet's surface, snow began to fall.

Glistening and pure white snowflakes descended gently, landing on the ground and seeping into crevices.

The ground froze over.

A translucent layer of ice enveloped the earth, penetrating deeper, encapsulating the vivid red within, binding together the ground on the verge of fracturing.

In the distance, the mechas struck by the red beams and those desperately twisting in mid-air to evade them, as well as the competitor's starship that seemed to be plummeting headfirst with an uncertain fate, were all frozen within towering ice pillars that rose from the ground, stabilizing them firmly.

In an instant, the howl of the Ice Butterfly vanished, and time itself appeared to have come to a halt around them.

Yet, in the next second, a muffled thud echoed from beneath the earth.

"Bang! Bang!" It sounded like the Ice Butterfly was violently slamming against the icy cocoon that entrapped it, attempting to break free.

Rong Mi's heart tightened. As he maneuvered his mecha to descend into the crater, the Silver Wolf inside its Pokéball let out a cry.

"Ao."

From within the snow-laden clouds, the roar of a human starship's engines echoed.

Amidst the fairy tale-like descent of snowflakes, a black starship descended from the high altitude clouds.

On its sides, Spirit Power notches encircled the vessel, radiating a blinding silver glow.

These notches converged at the fore and aft, top and bottom of the ship, forming quad cannons.

Cannons glinted, but instead of firing in a concentrated beam, they formed a circle, encircling the starship and creating an impenetrable protective barrier.

More mental energy radiated from this center, transforming into snow that blanketed half the planet.

"Beep-"

The black starship descended steadily. A light illuminated below, and its hull opened to reveal a docking bay.

"A starship is requesting armor suit docking," the cockpit's monotonous warning was finally replaced with a docking notification.

"The system has detected an unfamiliar starship not on the competition's authorized list. Automatic docking rejection engaged—"

"The starship is identified as belonging to the military system. Automatic rejection disabled—manual operation required by the pilot—"

Rong Mi tore his gaze away from the abyss.

He gazed at the starship above, then tapped the docking command after a moment.

In the silver-white world, only Rong Mi's armor suit and the black starship remained free from the icy embrace.

The black mech ascended vertically, entering the docking tunnel and locking into its designated docking rails.

With a soft click, the cockpit ejected outward.

Rong Mi, cradling Silver Wolves, leaped out of the mech. She swiftly scanned the layout of the starship, her gaze settling on the end of the docking bay.