Standing behind the imposing lectern, Hao Xiaoxi could clearly feel the weight of hundreds of gazes from the floor-expectation, doubt, anxiety, and cold scrutiny. She took a deep breath and swept her gaze across the hall, finally meeting Zhou Zhezhi's steady, encouraging eyes below. She nodded slightly and began a speech destined to go down in history.
"Delegates, Mr. Secretary-General," Hao Xiaoxi's voice carried through the silent hall over the microphone, clear and firm, "together, we face one of the gravest trials since the birth of human civilization. A being from the distant cosmos has issued us an ultimatum, wielding power beyond our understanding. Panic is spreading, chaos is brewing, and a seemingly 'simple,' 'low-cost' solution has been placed before us-hand over the four warriors who are not of our kind, along with 'Lilith,' whom we do not yet fully understand."
She paused briefly, allowing the weight of her words to sink in. Below, the delegate from the Gaul Nation leaned back slightly, an impatient trace of "as we should" on his face. Mike of the Eagle Nation listened intently, his brow furrowed.
"Yes, judged purely by the balance of power and calculations of short-term interests, handing them over might buy us a brief respite, perhaps even lasting peace." Hao Xiaoxi shifted her tone, her voice growing graver. "But, delegates, humanity has never come this far solely through minds skilled at calculation. We have also relied on souls that uphold morality and good faith, and on the instinct to help one another."
"Those four warriors from another universe call themselves the 'Ultimate Force Zero.' When the Final Angel descended and our most advanced weapons proved helpless, they stepped forward. Like Zero, they fought and bled for a planet that was not their home!"
"They suffered grievous injuries for it and