Fusion! Crimson of the End α!

In an instant, Three of Spades and the Gale Wolves around her were swallowed by a storm of crimson lightning.

When the light faded, a heap of Gale Wolf corpses lay on the ground.

The evolving Gale Cocoon had shattered too, leaving only a single strand of green silk.

But Three of Spades was still alive.

Leaning on her broken Wooden Staff, she struggled to lift her battered body. Her Spade Mask had cracked, revealing a woman's face.

"What... what kind of power was that?! A Superpower? Or magic?"

Clenching her teeth, she looked weakly toward Marée Alaira in the distance. Only fear remained in her eyes.

Then she turned to the shattered cocoon and used the last of her strength to say, "It doesn't matter... The ritual is complete. My child!"

"Descend—"

"Return from the ancient summons!"

"Awooo—!"

Before she finished speaking, the strand of green silk split open, and a massive blue-green wolf paw stepped out.

"It's huge!"

Bai Xuan couldn't help startling.

That paw alone was over two meters long!

The whole wolf had to be more than ten meters long!

And in the brief moment that thought crossed his mind, the Swiftwind Wolf King emerged fully from the Spatial Rift!

It was several times larger than an ordinary Gale Wolf, its body easily over ten meters long. A pointed green horn rose from its enormous head, glimmering with an eerie light.

"Is that the Wind Horn?"

Bai Xuan stared at the horn atop the Swiftwind Wolf King's head, anticipation flickering in his eyes.

Just as the Swiftwind Wolf King stepped out of the Spatial Rift, Su Yue arrived.

She got out of the Maybach and looked beneath the bridge. Her heart jolted!

That giant wolf was far more dangerous than an ordinary Anomalous Calamity. It might already be D-Rank!

"This is bad..."

Su Yue frowned and lightly bit her fingertip.

She was deeply worried. After all, these Gale Wolves were after her, and in a sense, the man in the Slime Mask had come to save her.

She couldn't stand by and watch a stranger give his life for her.

"We have to help him!" Su Yue immediately told the old butler beside her.

"Miss, I don't believe he needs our help," the old butler replied.

"Why?"

Su Yue looked at him, puzzled.

"Haven't you noticed? He's remained calm this entire time," the old butler said slowly.

"?"

Su Yue looked toward Bai Xuan. The two round eyes on his Slime Mask stared unblinkingly at the Swiftwind Wolf King in the distance.

If the mask's expression reflected his feelings at all, he wasn't afraid. He looked almost... excited?

"What is he...?"

Su Yue unconsciously bit her fingertip, her round-toed leather shoe tapping lightly against the ground.

She couldn't figure out who this man was.

Or why he had come to save her.

One thing, at least, was certain: he wasn't an Investigator.

"Miss, if I remember correctly, a rumor has been going around Ninghang City lately."

The old butler turned to Su Yue. "A man in a Slime Mask and an armored Female Knight have been quietly protecting this city."

"A Female Knight?"

Su Yue immediately looked at Marée Alaira beside Bai Xuan and said doubtfully, "But she... doesn't look anything like a Female Knight."

"Perhaps he has another companion." The old butler smiled kindly. "But one thing is certain: they're on the side of justice, and they're extraordinarily powerful."

"Mm..."

Su Yue nodded gravely. "Prepare a few things for me."

"Hahaha!"

The moment Three of Spades saw the Swiftwind Wolf King, she threw away her Wooden Staff and burst into wild laughter. "Come, my child!"

"Let's set this broken world right!"

"Awooo—!"

At her summons, the Swiftwind Wolf King threw back its head and howled. Then its hate-filled gaze locked onto Bai Xuan and Marée Alaira, as though it meant to avenge the fallen Gale Wolves.

"Kill them!"

Three of Spades gave the order without hesitation.

Before her words had faded, the Swiftwind Wolf King began advancing on Bai Xuan and Marée Alaira.

"Hmph. It's just a big dog."

Marée Alaira snorted disdainfully and was about to attack when Bai Xuan suddenly spoke. "Wait, Little Marie—let's try that."

"That?"

Marée Alaira froze for a moment, then an excited smile spread across her face. "Really? Human? You want to fuse with me?"

"Uh... yes!"

Bai Xuan nodded.

"Okay!"

Marée Alaira hurried to Bai Xuan's side, grabbed his hand, and declared, "Let's fuse!"

"Fu... how do we fuse?"

Bai Xuan faltered. This was his first time, and he had no idea what to do.

As soon as he spoke, a prompt appeared before his eyes:

[Activate Bio-Mecha Alpha Form?]

[Yes or No]

Huh?

"There's an Alpha Form?"

Bai Xuan chose without hesitation. "Yes!"

[Fusion in progress!]

The instant the notification sounded, a dazzling red light flared, completely enveloping them both!

"What's happening?"

Three of Spades looked utterly baffled. Even the Swiftwind Wolf King stopped and watched the red light warily.

Then Marée Alaira's ringing voice came from within the glow:

[Tremble! Behold my arrival!]

[Crimson of the End α!]

Boom!

The red light suddenly contracted to a single point.

Then a ten-meter-tall, fully armored Red Dragon appeared before them.

"What is that?!"

Su Yue saw it from afar, her heart jolting!

She couldn't believe her eyes!

When the red glow faded, a dragon-shaped mecha had appeared out of thin air?

And...

It looked as though it had stepped straight out of the superhero shows she watched as a child—

No!

It was far more intricate and awe-inspiring than anything in those shows!

It looked alive!

Every dragon scale seemed to pulse with life, opening and closing slightly as it released crimson lightning!

As though proclaiming its arrival!

Meanwhile, Bai Xuan found himself in a strange space.

He sat on a Throne, with several floating screens before him displaying live images of the outside world.

"So this is... fusion?"

Bai Xuan looked around, barely able to contain his excitement.

At last, he got to pilot a mecha!

Wait—no!

Suddenly, Bai Xuan sensed something was wrong!

He looked around again, but apart from the Throne beneath him, the entire space was empty.

"Huh? Where's the control panel?"

Bai Xuan froze.

How was he supposed to pilot a mecha without controls?

Just as he was puzzling over it, white light flashed!

Marée Alaira appeared out of thin air, landing directly in his lap.

She said excitedly:

"Human! Control me! Control me in battle!"

"?"

"How?"

"Grab them! Grab my Dragon Horns!"

"Oh~"