"Haah... haah..." Hanxing lay in the cold snow, trying to calm himself down quickly. It had all happened so suddenly, and his face had long since turned bright red.
Hanxing soon put on his mask. He slashed his xiuchun blade horizontally and vertically, opening a spatial portal to the Underworld. He stepped through and emerged in an unknown location.
"Mangfeng, you're here?" Hanxing looked at Caelus and the others. March 7th and Dan Heng watched him warily.
"A friend?" Dan Heng asked Caelus. "Sort of. He said he was a Galaxy Ranger." "Someone who follows The Hunt..." Dan Heng seemed to recall some unpleasant memories and asked no more.
"Now that everyone's here, I'll get straight to the point," Oleg said. "These two young people went over everything with me again, from the Stellaron you mentioned last time to what happened to you in the Upper District. The last time I saw Cocolia, she was still a headstrong little girl... I never thought that after becoming Guardian...
"All I can say is that I sympathize with what you've been through. Don't worry, Wildfire doesn't stab people in the back. Your plan sounds about as sensible as a drunk miner's ramblings, but at least it points us toward a way forward.
"The people of the Underworld have long since run out of options. Now that things have come to this, I'd rather take a gamble on you," Oleg said. "Don't worry, mister, we'll prove you were right to trust us!" March 7th said.
"And it wasn't a miner's ramblings," Dan Heng added. "All right! Let's look at things a little more practically. You want to know where the Stellaron is, and we in Wildfire want to lift the blockade on the Underworld. That means Svarog is our common target. If we don't deal with this 'big shot,' everything else is just talk." Oleg laid out their shared objective.
"Is this Svarog really that strong?" Hanxing asked. Surely this thing couldn't be harder to fight than a Fragmentum creature.
"Kid, I know how strong you are. Seele told me all about it. But Svarog himself isn't the hardest part to deal with. It's his forces that are too powerful. We don't have the manpower to make a dent in them."
"I see." Hanxing silently stepped back to his original spot.
"We need to find a way to get him on our side," Caelus said. "Hmph, he's a robot. What would he understand? The quickest way is to just chop that heap of scrap metal down!" Seele said, somewhat impatiently.
"That's right. We need to prepare for both possibilities. A peaceful solution would be best, of course, but if things change, we need to be ready at all times," Oleg added. "Wildfire has tried to contact Svarog many times, but we've been turned away every time. That guy has no intention of talking to us.
"With our strength, forcing our way in would be extremely risky. Svarog's robots aren't afraid to sacrifice themselves, but I don't want to risk the lives of the people of the Underworld. Now things are different. Your arrival made even Svarog acknowledge that 'an outside variable has appeared.' Things have changed, and although I don't know the details, maybe there's a chance we can persuade him," Oleg said.
"That would be best, of course," Dan Heng said. "Hahahaha! Look at the little plans we're cooking up. Sounds nice, doesn't it? Sigh, once you actually reach Svarog's turf, you'll understand. Nothing ever goes that smoothly down here. What do you say, Silvermane Guard girl? Among everyone here, you're the one who doesn't necessarily have a reason to fight Svarog to the bitter end. I'd like to hear what you plan to do." Oleg turned to Bronya.
"The Underworld is part of Belobog too. If Svarog's presence threatens the people here, then of course I'm on your side," Bronya replied. "Hahaha, good! That's the kind of awareness I'd expect from the girl who's going to shoulder the Guardian's burden!" Oleg said with relief.
"Well, if you're ready, you should set out. I've arranged a guide to take you to Svarog," Oleg told them. "What about Wildfire?" Caelus asked. "Wildfire has always been on bad terms with Svarog. If we went with you, we'd probably cause a misunderstanding and do more harm than good.
"We'll be standing by nearby. If things go wrong, Wildfire will be there right away. Seele, accompany our friends from outside a little farther." After explaining to everyone, Oleg turned to Seele. "Leave it to me, boss," Seele agreed.
"I probably won't take part in this fight," Hanxing said. "But just as Wildfire planned, if things change, I'll appear before you immediately."
Everyone nodded, and before long, they met the supposed guide. "...Hook, it's you?" Seele said in surprise. "I really didn't see that coming..." March 7th remarked.
"I see. The Moles are also part of Wildfire's..." Dan Heng said. "That's right, it's me, Pitch-Dark Hook! Do you need something?" Hook asked, looking at them. "Uh, kid, I think there's been a misunderstanding..." Sampo's voice suddenly rang out.
"Sampo... you again?" Hanxing's gaze was cold enough to kill. "Don't be like that, my good friend. I'm only here to guide you this time." "You'd better grow eyes in the back of your head, or that head of yours might just part ways with your body."
"You two don't get along?" Caelus asked, looking at the two of them ready to come to blows. "Just a little personal grudge. Don't mind it. When it counts, I still put the group's interests first."
Sampo nodded, then turned back to the others. "This really hurts... You even thought of such a little kid, but you didn't think of me..." Sampo said with an aggrieved look. "All right, all right, why make a fuss over that? What I want to know is, everyone in Wildfire knows where Svarog's lair is. Why do we need you as a guide?" Seele asked, puzzled.
"Hey, everyone has their specialty. Wildfire may know where Svarog's base is, but they've never been inside," Sampo explained. "Have you?" Seele asked. "...No. But I've checked out every inch of the Mechanical Settlement and gathered plenty of clues. I guarantee I'll be a great help to you." Sampo spoke sincerely.
"Let's hope your actions match your words," Caelus said. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean? Is there anyone under the heavens whose actions match his words better than mine? Heaven and earth are my witnesses, I, Sampo, am truly full of earnest goodwill-" Sampo said, looking deeply hurt.
"Ah, fine, we believe you. Just hurry up and lead the way," March 7th interrupted impatiently. "All right! Then stick close." Everyone followed Sampo.
Off to the Mechanical Settlement!