It's Afu!

Surrounded by boundless darkness, with cold emptiness beneath my feet.

Kang De slowly opened his eyes.

He surveyed his surroundings; the place was silent and still, utterly empty, where nothing existed.

Even the divine power of time and space could not get a response.

But the Paradox Element remaining in his body were still actively operating, and the power of the Fire Thief swirled around his fingertips. Kang De looked around, and memories from before flooded his mind.

He piloted the Afu into the starry sky, unleashing the compressed nuclear energy spear along the direction of the Starry Firmament Bridge, then immediately fled. After teleporting back to the White Mist World, a dazzling light overwhelmed all his memories, and then he awoke here...

What is this place? What's going on?

Despite being in a foreign land, and even with his Phase Teleportation ability and Akatum's divine power suppressed, Kang De felt no unease whatsoever; in fact, he felt a strange sense of anticipation.

It felt as if I was about to meet an old friend.

Then, as if noticing something, he raised his hand.

The Divine Ring of Stellar Authority slowly emitted a soft light.

Kang De seemed to understand something, and he murmured, "Sura..."

This is the name of the sun god.

As if in response to his call, light appeared before Kang De.

In an instant, the dark world was filled with soft light, a warm sea of light spread from beneath our feet, the cold, deathly darkness was replaced by the warm sun, a gentle breeze swirled around us, tender shoots sprouted from the void beneath our feet, and sunbirds flew overhead, their shimmering feathers trailing down rays of sunlight, and the whole world became vibrant with life.

Before Kang De appeared a large sphere of light that resembled that of the Main God.

For some reason, Kang De laughed when he saw this large sphere of light.

The scene before him was familiar, much like the Battle of Valentan. He had gained the approval of the Dragon of Space and Time and acquired the divine power of Akatum. Now he could confirm that he had appeared in the realm of the Sun Goddess, bathed in her radiance—but it was different from the time he had faced the Dragon God directly.

If it was Battle of Valentan that the Fire Thief felt genuine compassion, which enabled them to activate the Crimson Scroll, this time, it was no longer an interview to pass the test.

Rather, it was that I was finally able to see him.

He said, "Hello."

The ball of light trembled slightly, as if trying to say something, but Kang De couldn't hear it—he simply couldn't hear it. Times had changed, and the Fire Thief's claim of not being able to hear it meant he couldn't hear it.

He approached curiously; the voice seemed to be a single syllable. He listened intently, and asked with a smile, "What do you want to tell me? What do you want to give me?"

He joked, "The time-space power that Brother Tu gave me is even better than Dio's, and you too..."

Before he could finish speaking, the ball of light crashed into him. Kang De instinctively reached out and grabbed it, his hand probing into the warm light, and then he seemed to have grasped something.

The light faded, Kang De was startled; it was a scroll.

The Crimson Scroll, obtained from Grand Duke Reknos and preserved by the Taidariel Family, is associated with the Sula, the Sun God, the Main God worshipped and believed in by the Goth People.

The instant he touched the scroll, a sea of scorching power surged into his hand, and at the same time, something seemed to flow out of his body. This process was extremely rapid; the influx and outflow of divinity happened in an instant. The next moment, the boundless sea of brilliant light vanished with a roar, and Kang De's consciousness was swept into deep chaos.

"Hold!"

Kang De suddenly sat up.

Sunshine and white clouds, azure sea in the distance, low-rise buildings with exotic features—this is Zhuerban, the capital of Gambia, White Mist World.

"Father, you're awake?"

Horus's voice rang out, his suit detached, and Iron Son transformed into Terminator -like figure, kneeling to examine Kang De's condition. "You shouldn't have been exposed to nuclear radiation... Why are you unconscious?"

He pointed to Kang De's hand. "We believe it's related to this thing. After you entered the White Mist World, it flew over automatically, and you fainted as soon as you touched it."

Kang De glanced at the Crimson Scroll in his hand, then smiled knowingly.

Although he didn't know why this was happening, a gut feeling told him it was a good thing.

"Perhaps it was the nuclear fusion that activated it..." Kang De casually explained, then noticed Horus's choice of words, "We?"

Horus silently pointed behind him.

Kang De turned back.

He noticed Shadow cast behind him, followed by a delicate, fragrant aroma.

A cute pink braid hung down, and a lovely, smiling face came closer. Her bright, starry eyes sparkled. Where did this little girl come from?

She grinned and said, "Daddy!"

Kang De moved his hands and feet, crawling back a meter, before he could see the other person's full appearance.

He was taken aback. "You are...?"

The girl stretched out her slender hand and made a V-sign at the corner of her eye. "I'm A Fu."

"..."

Kang De turned around in surprise and looked at Horus.

Horus seemed a little down and nodded.

Ah, this...

Kang De turned to look, and saw that the girl's warm, starry eyes had an eerie purple hue, seemingly due to the influence of Paradox Element, yet they also revealed a sense of dependence and pleasure. As his surprise subsided, Kang De felt a spiritual connection with her, just like with Horus.

He immediately confirmed the other person's identity.

A super-fantasy intelligent life form born from the White Mist Element and the Power of the Fire Thief.

His second... well, child.

A ship girl transformed from the Horizon class corvette, Knight Astolfo?

Kang De sized up the other man, and the child, seeing this, gracefully spread his arms and spun around as if showing off. Then, he gently lifted a corner of his skirt, which resembled the armor plating of a warship, and curtsied to his father. His legs, wrapped in black stockings, were straight as icicles, and his posture was perfect, elegant, and graceful.

The child was dressed in military uniform, with a sharp sword at his waist, his armor looking imposing.

She is the human form of the Horizon class corvette.

The pure white cloak draped behind her reveals her nationality and origin; the headdress resembles a ship's bridge; the streamlined armor evokes the graceful shape of a warship; and the spurs on her boots are shaped like propellers. Judging from her attire and appearance, she is a noble knight. From the details of her armor, she is a ship girl in human form, or a Valkyrie galloping across the sea, wielding a sharp blade—gentle and beautiful.

The armor on the chest features a majestic black tiger roaring towards the sky.

"..."

Kang De's eye twitched.

There are many requirements and Element.

He had already understood the origin of that figure and appearance.

Based on the two-flower theorem of the White Mist Element enchantment, the key to the birth of a being lies in emotion, and its form is formed by fantasy and intention. He and the replica of the Knight Astolfo have come all the way since the Battle of Distant Harbor. The Afu used anti-aircraft missiles to destroy the corrupted dragons and used its powerful ships and cannons to intimidate the nations. She was admired, praised and trusted by the people of Distant Harbor. In the Battle of the Broken Isles, she became the guardian goddess of the fleets of the nations. All of this has endowed the Afu with the image of a human spirit and an intelligent being.

However, this also contains the dregs of Kang De's thought, and even the thoughts of people all over the world...

Kang De tapped his head.

After saying all that, there's only one key point.

I don't care about anything else...

Kang De gazed at that lovely face, that pink hair, that slender figure, and the mystery hidden beneath the heavy breastplate and shimmering battle skirt—a mystery that was impossible to discern at all.

She... he...

--Is this a son or a daughter!?

If you asked a hundred people in another world, you'd get a hundred identical answers: she's a noble, beautiful, and powerful knight lady, but... but...

However, the appearance and form of A Fu clearly contain the figure of a character from a certain anime series, modeled after a famous knight from the time of Charlemagne in France, who was also named Astolfo. Moreover, this figure is quite popular and is enthusiastically sought after by many people with unique tastes.

He's a cute... boy.

But it looks so damn similar!

Kang De felt uneasy, but didn't know how to ask. He was even afraid that the other person would innocently lift her skirt, and then Kang De would see a treasure even bigger than his own...

The elderly father shakily got up. Although so many things had happened today, and so many were so shocking, this one was still quite astonishing— Gork and Mork? This is too surreal!

Horus stood up, but A Fu rushed forward to help his elderly father.

Kang De quickly shrank back. "I can do it myself, I can do it myself..."

I thought I heard a faint humming sound behind me—but it was probably just my imagination.

A Fu leaned closer worriedly, while Kang De covered his head. "Wait a minute, let me sort this out. There's too much to do. Let me think, let me take stock..."

The ship girl understandingly took two steps back, while Kang De covered his head and walked to the side, pacing back and forth.

Where Kang De couldn't see, A Fu had always been well-behaved and had a gentle smile, quietly turned her head and looked at Horus. Her innocent and adorable face, like a white lotus, had become frivolous and unruly, like a delinquent. A Fu stretched out her small, tender white hand and gave Horus the middle finger.

His eyes were full of provocation and mockery.

A camera suddenly popped out from Transformers's shoulder, ready to capture this evil scene. However, A Fu's antenna decoration on his head turned slightly, and a flash of electricity appeared in his bright purple eyes. Horus's camera popped and sparked, and then went out of service.

A Fu withdrew his fingers, lightly tracing a line on the delicate, swan-like neck, and licked around the corner of his mouth with his pink tongue. His provocative smile was both wicked and alluring.

At this moment, Kang De turned around and asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

Horus silently retracted the camera, A Fu, turning around, smiled innocently. They answered in unison, "Five minutes and twenty-seven seconds."

Kang De nodded. "It's alright... Let's get ready, we need to go back."

He looked puzzled because A Fu and Horus had unconsciously moved their feet, blocking his view. Kang De turned his head to the side and saw that something was wrong with the buildings in the distance near Zhuerban.

"Huh..." he pointed in that direction, "What happened? It looks like something exploded."

A Fu's smile froze, while Horus said nonchalantly, "It's that Crimson Scroll, Father. After you came out, it flew here, crashing into many things along the way."

Then A Fu nodded along like a chick pecking at rice. "Yes, yes."

Kang De frowned slightly, but it was a minor matter. He said, "Hong San's master and the Parrot must be getting impatient. Shall we go now... A Fu?"

--Because A Fu raised his hand.

The new child asked, "Dad, aren't you going to ask me what my abilities are? A Fu is very capable."

Kang De smiled and said, "You'll find out gradually in time; there's no rush."

A Fu tilted his head. "Then Father, in what form should I return to the other world? Would you prefer me to appear as a warship, or in this form?"

--To be honest, if you were a ship, I wouldn't be so panicked and conflicted.

Although the thought crossed his mind, Kang De replied, "That's your own business. You can decide for yourself. Behind the Sound of the Tide Manor is a private sea area, enough to dock a warship, and there are many empty rooms in the manor. You can stay however you like."

A Fu paused for a moment, then broke into a bright smile, his little tiger teeth looking quite adorable.

She gave a military salute. "Yes, sir!"

Kang De smiled, reached out and opened a spatial portal. Just as he was about to step out, he turned to look at the new life he had brought into the world. "By the way, A Fu?"

A Fu raised both paws and clenched them. "Meow?"

Oh shit.

The more adorable she looks, the more shrouded in Shadow her ambiguous gender becomes.

Kang De hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry about what happened before."

When he piloted the Afu into the starry sky to hunt down the God of the Star Palace, he had already decided to sacrifice the warship. He would use the Paradox Element to create a shield to withstand the attack until he reached the maximum distance before firing, thus ensuring maximum lethality and certainty.

But this means that the Afu will completely disintegrate under the backlash of the Paradox Element.

He said sincerely, "That must have hurt a lot—this will never happen again."

A Fu paused for a moment, then her surprise and astonishment turned into a warm smile. She rushed forward and hugged Kang De's arm, rubbing her cheek against his arm with a laugh, "Of course! Because A Fu is no longer a tool! But Daddy's good girl!"

Kang De froze, then silently shook his head.

--Well, even if it's a son, it's normal. It's just a hug between father and son.

Just then, he sensed something and turned around to find Iron Son staring at him without moving. When his father looked over, the Transformers remained expressionless—though it couldn't really make any expressions.

The filial son remained silent, but his face suddenly transformed into an LCD screen, displaying an image.

The beautiful woman in that picture is a fan art piece from the well-known Type-Moon series of anime and manga. It depicts an adorable child wearing a pink sailor uniform and a short skirt, with flowing pink braids, a blush on her cheeks, and her head tilted to one side, her slender fingers lifting the hem of her skirt.

The object encased in pink and white striped underwear was enormous.

--Hold!

The moment A Fu turned around, the picture disappeared.

Kang De's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

He opened the Phase Gate and leaped out with his two children.

The landing point was above the dark night sky. Horus was just about to transform into his battle armor and throw the little hoof he didn't like into the sea when suddenly a radiant light shone, and the Divine Ring of Stellar Authority naturally transformed into wings of light, lifting Kang De.

Kang De exclaimed in surprise, "It seems even smoother than before..."

A Fu clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Dad is so awesome!"

Then, the ship girl, still in mid-air, reached out her arms and said, "Daddy, hug me!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Horus flew over in his thrusters, raising his steel hand where Kang De couldn't see, pressing down on A Fu's face and pushing her downwards. "Father, I'll take him down with me!"

Kang De paused for a moment, then secretly approved.

What a good son.

If he were to hug A Fu... it would feel extremely strange.

A rumbling sound came from afar, and the night sky shone with brilliant light. Kang De looked up and saw the endless sky swirling with orange-red auroras. It was a solar wind-like reaction caused by the high-energy particles that escaped after the nuclear spears streaked across the sky and fell into the atmosphere. Together with the shattered Starry Firmament Bridge, they filled the sky with dazzling bands of light.

Hold.

How the hell am I so awesome?

Thinking of this, Kang De felt even more relieved. He looked up at the sky, but could not see the endless space in the distance. However, it was clear that this shot had probably wiped out more than just the Sakata Regiment of the Star Palace.

In the distance, bursts of intense light crashed into the sea, wave after wave, like a meteor shower.

Phoenix Fire flashed below.

Kang De's expression shifted, and his wings of light unfurled brilliantly. He swooped down, carried by the sunlight, while below, phoenix flames soared into the sky, and raging fire crashed straight towards him.

The next moment, light and fire collided, and Kang De felt himself being embraced by a pair of arms. The force of the impact was easily neutralized, and phoenix wings and wings of light shone in the air. The Parrot hugged him and spun him around and around. In this celebratory embrace and spin, Kang De saw flowing emerald hair and jewel-like golden eyes.

Kang De knew at a glance that it was Parrot.

The previous Phoenix King, Malegith.

She bore a resemblance to Dairila, a shared lineage, except that the royal bloodline of the Parrot was not passed down. Instead, her brother, Dairila's ancestor, succeeded her.

The emperor's majesty and sharpness had dissipated during her long exile, but the top bloodline of the elven royal family still retained her stunning beauty. Compared to Dairila, the woman before her, Malegith, lacked the fierce aura and domineering presence that the empress used to conceal her inner emotions; she possessed only wisdom, composure, and cunning.

Her long, flowing hair danced in the night sky as she raised her swan-like, delicate, and white neck to look up at the heavens, her chin directly facing Kang De's gaze.

Even from this deathly perspective, the elf's beauty remained undiminished. Illuminated by the radiance of her wings and phoenix wings, Malegith, spinning in the night sky, seemed to have stepped out of a painting.

Kang De's gaze momentarily wavered.

He watched as Malegith close to him, looked up at the sky, laughing and shouting, stretching out her arms and pointing to the radiant light of the heavens, letting out a joyful cry.

"Holy crap!" she exclaimed, "That's so cool!"

Kang De laughed too.

The Parrot looked down at him and exclaimed excitedly, "How did you do that! What did you do! This isn't a nuclear explosion, it's a tachyon beam!"

Kang De, infected by her joy, said smugly, "I thought I'd be done after tricking her into giving me a few more tactical nuclear bombs—guess what? My old friend A Chuan tipped me a nine-megaton InterContinental ballistic missile!"

"Damn it!" Malegith exclaimed, "It really is one of our own—and then what!?"

Kang De proudly declared, "I turned that nuclear bomb into a fusion-armor-piercing projectile!"

The Parrot exclaimed excitedly, "Project Orion?"

The Earthling nodded and said, "Indeed!"

Holy crap! That's awesome!

"Right!"

The two twirled in the air, their wings of sunlight and phoenix feathers reflecting each other, the aurora borealis shimmering in the sky, and burning debris and rumbling starlight falling into the sea in the distance. They laughed and jumped for joy, like two children.

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PS1: Update! I was laughing while writing this today, and I'll be happy tomorrow too.