After leaving the world of all NPCs

The young ace chief magician from the British SSS force sat upright, his long orange-gold hair cascading over his shoulders like flowing sunlight, his deep blue eyes fixed on the screen, his beautiful brows slightly furrowed.

Captain Kusakabe Ryoko, sitting in the main seat in the circular shape, took a deep breath and suppressed the turbulent waves that were also surging in his heart.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency Artemisia. The magical energy in the entire area is fluctuating extremely violently. Preliminary analysis suggests it's formed a barrier far beyond our comprehension, similar to a random field. It's more like an impenetrable 'membrane', completely isolating the entire battlefield. All our current technological and magical observation methods are unable to penetrate this barrier. The satellite imagery you're seeing... is the maximum information obtained by each department after exhausting all its potential."

Liaozi's eyes swept over the people around the circular table, who all had different expressions.

Mikie's lingering fear, Millie's mixed wonder and worry, the undercurrent beneath Origami's icy surface, and the blond-haired, un-Japanese-looking man in the corner.

Kaminozuki Kyouhei stared at the scenes of destruction with shining eyes, as if he was evaluating something.

Artemisia's face was filled with pure inquiry and solemnity.

Liaozi's heart tightened, and he controlled the terminal in front of him. The screen began to focus on the end of the "incident".

The divine punishment and natural disasters that continued to unfold on the screen gradually subsided, and the chaotic and violent energy storm also weakened. The light stabilized, and the picture once again focused clearly on the land that had been ravaged repeatedly.

In the center of hell, where the smoke and icy dust had not yet dissipated, a figure stood quietly.

The camera was forcibly zoomed in, magnified, and sharpened by technical means, passing through the remaining magical warmth and clearly reflected into everyone's eyes.

That's a teenager.

Her black hair falls softly like the quiet night.

The black pupils are like black holes that absorb all light.

In the picture that is magnified to the extreme, the contours of the facial features appear in perfect proportion and as upright as classical sculptures.

But this is just an appearance.

When his image clearly occupied the center of the screen, an attraction that transcended physical form, like a real torrent, instantly flooded the entire operations conference room through the screen.

The boy's existence itself is like a star born on the ruins.

Behind him was a picture of a land covered with huge charred pits, bottomless chasms, thick layers of ice and clouds of dust, as if it had been hit by a hundred asteroids in turn...

Above my head, there was still the night sky that had been torn apart repeatedly.

The environment is an absolute apocalypse, a disaster of colors and a ruin of structures.

However, the boy just stood there quietly.

He did nothing, not even looking at the camera, but this simple existence possessed overwhelming magic. He instantly became the absolute focus of the picture, the only source of light and meaning.

The grand background behind him that was shattered into dust by divine power, and the broken and depressing sky above his head, all became insignificant and blurred backdrops the moment he appeared.

He is the light.

The morning star is no more than this in the deepest darkness before dawn.

Most of the AST members present here are beautiful girls with youthful vigor.

At this moment, time seemed to slow down.

The girls only felt that their hearts were suddenly grasped by an invisible hand the moment the screen locked onto the boy's face, stagnating for a delicate fraction of a second. Then, a scorching force violently hit their atria, ten or a hundred times more violent than a high-maneuver flight under overload.

The sound of blood rushing suddenly amplified in my ears, and my cheeks quickly became hot.

A violent throbbing crept up the spine madly, the throat unconsciously swallowed something dry, and the fingers unconsciously curled slightly.

A thought exploded in the sea of ​​consciousness.

If he could just glance at me... no, if the owner of that face could just glance at me, the instantaneous throbbing and scar that would arise would probably be engraved into my bones and could never be erased for a lifetime, right?

Captain Kusakabe Ryoko glanced at the reactions of all his subordinates and was not surprised at all.

Even some empathy.

It is a ruthless crushing of the ultimate charm of nature's creation. It has nothing to do with will, but only comes from the resonance and admiration of life's instinct.

The brief silence was torn apart again by the sudden burst of bright light from the main screen!

The boy on the screen moved.

He was seen raising his right arm slightly.

Roar--!

A dragon head made of a layer of cuticle with a texture between metal and black rock replaced the boy's original right arm.

The dragon's head was raised proudly, occupying most of the screen's field of view with an oppressive feeling. A thick and sharp spiral horn pierced the sky, and there was a pair of black wings on both sides of the head.

The dragon's head was raised high, pointing at the land that was completely shattered and scattered with billions of dust and fallen corpses.

hum!

The next moment, a point of red light so pure that it could not be described in words suddenly condensed from the depths of the dragon's throat.

The birth of light came without any warning, but with a kind of distortion.

The light was just a tiny singularity at first, and then it quickly expanded to fill the entire dragon's mouth.

The red light instantly shot out through the keratin gaps of the dragon's head, turning into a pure beam of light.

Wherever the crimson light reached, the earth emitted a low rumbling sound, as if billions of hearts were revived and beating at the same time. The bottomless and hideous rifts that were torn apart suddenly closed and squeezed. The gravel that had collapsed into the finest dust frantically reorganized where the red light passed, and its molecular structure was forcibly reversed and repaired.

Twisted steel bars struggled to straighten themselves, broken concrete regained its original shape, and broken trees sprouted new branches from the wounds.

The completely flattened city structure seemed to have been rewound, growing out of the scars of the earth at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Swallowed by abyssal crevices, evaporated by the scorching sun, frozen into ice sculptures in the absolute cold, blasted into charcoal by thunder, and reduced to dust by shockwaves...

Countless lives have been completely wiped out.

Their limbs, flesh, blood, and fragments of clothing were forcibly reversed and condensed from the depths of the earth, from the air, and from every gap between particles!

Swish-!

Countless fragmented and blurred lights and shadows quickly turned from virtual to real under the weaving of the red light.

The broken limbs and body parts were silently pieced together, the evaporated blood began to flow again in the veins, the frozen fire of life was forcibly lit, and the mark of life that turned into carbon marks was burned back into the living body.

Men, women, old people, children, and pet dogs frozen in despair while running...

The remnants of props that belonged to the hell scene just a moment ago were now all reshaped into human form.

Confusion, shock, fear, ecstasy of surviving a disaster... countless strong emotions have not yet fully formed on the faces of the newborns. They just instinctively stand on the newly restored earth, looking blankly at this world that seems to have been re-kneaded by the hand of God.

Life itself constitutes a silent torrent.

Countless lives were pulled back from the brink of death by the creator-like power.

This resurrection scene is so grand, so counterintuitive, and so ordinary...

It's creepy.

An absolute dead silence enveloped the combat conference room of the Tiangong garrison, heavier than any moment before.

The huge main screen was frozen in time with the incredibly restored earth and the densely packed crowd of people standing there in a daze, with the young man in the center having his arm transformed into a terrifying dragon head.

The crimson light was fading, and the ferocious dragon head's limbs were turning into a slender right arm.

There was no expression on Ye Zuochen's face, as calm as if he was just casually brushing away a speck of dust from his shoulder.

No one spoke in the conference room.

Only the faint hum of the machine's cooling fan proves that time is still flowing.

The blush on the girls' faces has not yet completely faded, but the intoxication in their eyes has been replaced by admiration.

The boy who was like a morning star on the screen was now an unknown god in human skin!

"It's truly a power beyond common sense."

In the corner, Shenwu Yuegong broke the stagnant air, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the cold alloy tabletop, making a soft thud. "This is no longer within the realm of the 'angel' wielded by the elves. This is not a messenger of God, but an authority from a higher dimension, a power belonging to the realm of the gods. Creation and destruction are all in a single thought."

"I agree." Artemisia's voice followed closely, "Angels are essentially 'miracle weapons' wielded by elves, with their own form, boundaries, and activation logic."

"And what this young man on the screen is displaying is a power system that completely surpasses the 'Angel' system."

"It's more...primitive? Purer? And more incomprehensible."

"It is a power that cannot be explained by any technology, magic, or even theories about elves known to mankind."

"What's even more disturbing is that this 'individual' possessing this power was previously battling another enemy seemingly equal in power."

"This battle created the apocalyptic scenes seen in satellite footage."

"This means that there are at least two creatures that are completely unknown to us and have the ability to shake the rules of the world."

Kannazuki Kyouhei raised an eyebrow: "Oh? You also think... he's not an 'elf'?"

This question was like a stone thrown into stagnant water, causing a small ripple.

Captain Kusakabe Ryoko immediately looked over, his brows slightly furrowed.

Artemisia nodded without hesitation, "On this point, my understanding is correct."

"The remaining power spectrum across the battlefield is extremely chaotic, but its core frequency and characteristics are fundamentally different from the spiritual power reaction patterns of all known elves."

"It's too big, too strange."

"If the power of the elves is a 'river', then this remaining aura is a boundless 'ocean'. I do have some vision."

"Unfortunately," Captain Kusakabe Ryoko interrupted the two men's professional discussion. "Based on the above... final decision. Regardless of our on-site analysis, the top brass has determined that he is an elf! And an extremely rare, never-before-seen... male elf!"

"The analysis report indicates that he is most likely the 'Elf King'. His appearance and the power he displayed have only one purpose: to capture all existing female elves!"

"Produce his offspring!"

"This is the judgment of the people above. It's probably the same biological judgment based on the idea that male lions have the right to reproduce in nature."

Kusakabe Ryoko shrugged.

"Gudong."

A very soft swallowing sound was particularly clear in the pin-drop silence. Mildred's eyes widened slightly, and she subconsciously muttered to herself in a voice that only she and her neighbor could hear, "This... is too enviable, isn't it? If only I... were an elf too, so I could receive his mercy."

Before she finished speaking, she reacted immediately, quickly covered her mouth, and rolled her eyes guiltily.

But it seemed to resonate with someone.

Sitting not far away, Okamine Mikie, who was still in shock, showed obvious approval on her tender little face with a little baby fat.

Her clear eyes blinked, and her gaze involuntarily glanced at the screen again. Although Ye Zuochen's figure had disappeared long ago, his face seemed to still linger in her mind.

Mikie Okamine nodded subconsciously, the amplitude was very small, but extremely certain.

This subtle but consistent reaction quickly spread throughout the conference room.

Kusakabe Ryoko took in all of this, took a deep breath, and spoke sternly, like a shower of cold water: "I understand, or rather, I cannot help but understand your physiological instincts. But please maintain the last ounce of dignity and clarity as a soldier! Especially don't forget your identity and responsibilities! Mission is above all else!"

Her voice suddenly rose, with a warning tone.

"Origami! Sergeant Tobiichi Origami!"

"You are the most steadfast among us, the one who best understands the true threat posed by elves! You wouldn't... be so easily deceived and shaken by that face, would you?!"

Everyone's attention instantly focused on Tobiichi Origami.

The white-haired girl suddenly raised her head and spoke clearly, each word sharp and blood-chilled: "He is an elf. Or at least, the elves' protector and nourisher... the source of their power, the foundation of their existence! Therefore, he must be eradicated! Completely, absolutely, and obliterated from the very meaning of existence!"

Seeing the flames of hatred in Origami's eyes that seemed about to burst out of her sockets, Kusakabe Ryoko felt relieved and even a little comforted.

Very good, this deep-rooted hatred, at least at this moment concerning the core goal, firmly overwhelmed the physiological instinctive judgment.

She gave Origami a barely perceptible nod, a look of approval in her eyes that said "well done".

However, this comfort was interrupted the next second by Kaminozuki Kyohei's regretful voice.

"Unfortunately, despite the higher-ups' conclusion, I personally lean more towards Major Artemisia's analysis. The essence of his power is more like the arrival of a higher being. It's hard to imagine the elven system being able to give birth to and accommodate a being of this level of power." Kannazuki Kyouhei paused, as if weighing his words. "Even if he truly is an elf, his power to decompose and reshape matter, to breathe life into the dead... far exceeds the realm of threat."

"Whether he's an elf or not is completely irrelevant now," Kusakabe Ryoko immediately put an end to the debate. "He and the power he displayed have already surpassed the level of 'disaster'. He has been unanimously recognized by DEM, AST Global Headquarters, and all informed national institutions as a 'world-destroying threat to the survival of humanity'!"

Artemisia took a deep breath, a heavy look of rationality on her face. "I admit that as a soldier, I understand the logic behind this order."

"But please forgive me for saying something that will dampen my own ambition."

"Given the power he's demonstrated to manipulate time, space, matter, energy, and even life itself at his fingertips... the possibility of achieving the goal of 'elimination' is infinitely close to zero."

Kusakabe Ryoko's lips formed a resolute line. "Yes! It's almost impossible. But 'impossible' is never an excuse for a soldier to abandon a mission! Military orders are as firm as a mountain. Even if we're facing a self-destructing star, there will be soldiers who will carry out orders before it destroys its mother planet!"

"Then... how do we execute this?" Kannazuki Kyohei leaned back in his chair, his arms folded across his chest, and looked at Ryoko with an amused yet serious expression. "'Eliminate' a being of this magnitude? To him, the power we hold is no different than an ant facing Godzilla."

A complex light flashed in Kusakabe Ryoko's eyes before she spoke, "In the past... AST, DEM, and even the world's military have always viewed elves as pure, uncommunicable natural disasters and threats. There was only one policy—elimination by force! Wipe them out with the fastest, strongest, and most thorough means!"

She glanced at her bewildered subordinates and changed her tone, "But the situation now is different. The individual we are facing has a power level that has completely surpassed the current upper limit of human 'erasure' capabilities."