“Meanwhile, over with Topaz and Svarog.”

“Topaz was led to an empty area, a massive activity field, with only a few lights providing meager visibility.”

“I never expected it to be in this place… But I don’t see any mechs or weapons? These surroundings are all solid rock walls, could it be…””

“That’s right. Those weapons are hidden within the towering rock walls.” Svarog confirmed Topaz’s thought.

“No wonder! No wonder we couldn’t find the so-called arsenal anywhere—” Topaz suddenly thought of something and sharply raised her head, “Wait! You just said these weapons have always been hidden here? Meaning… The Architects of Jarilo-VI didn’t use these weapons at all during the war with the Legion?”

“These mechs have never left here since they were built. When the Company withdrew from this planet more than seven hundred years ago, no one knew how to activate this batch of weapons anymore.”

“Based on the design blueprints left by the Company, The Architects built the first batch of replica mechs. But among the resistance led by Alisa Rand, the main force was still flesh-and-blood humans.”

“…Oh, I see. The legends about this world are becoming more and more fascinating.”

—

Demon Slayer.

“Huh? Aren’t the people from this Company a bit too dishonest? They didn’t even tell the Belobog people how to activate the mechs?”

Shinazugawa Sanemi just put himself in their shoes for a moment and already started getting angry. It felt like spending a huge amount of money to forge a Nichirin blade for killing demons, only to be told after it was made that the sword could only be looked at and not used, and you had to punch demons with your fists to kill them, but you still had to pay the money.

“In this situation, shouldn’t the Company’s debt be reduced as well?”

Shinobu Kocho also felt it was too unfair. For the Belobog people, it was equivalent to spending money and losing lives, and their descendants would unknowingly bear seven hundred years of interest, maximizing their losses.

“Reduce what? Shinobu, can’t you see the Company’s true face at this point?” Shinazugawa Sanemi sneered, “The Company only cares about money and that… Amber Lord of theirs. Other than that, they are no different from man-eating demons.”

“Demons kill your physical body, but the Company wants to squeeze every last bit of value out of you. Those scoundrels don’t care about ‘sacrifice’ or ‘resistance’ or anything like that, they only care about money. They just like to bully people within the rules they set, relying on their own strength!”

“……”

Shinobu Kocho silently lowered her head. At first, she thought that if the Company ever expanded to Earth one day, they could use the Company’s technology to help them completely eliminate demons… But now it seemed she had overlooked a crucial question from the start—what would be the cost?

The Company’s oppression was probably even more terrifying than demons, right? They had no fangs, yet they displayed their “fangs” invisibly. Facing people who were just like herself, Shinobu felt utterly powerless.

—

“After speaking, Svarog posed a question to Topaz: ‘If the Company had not intervened, this world would have met its end—do you firmly believe in this conclusion?’”

“…” Topaz lowered her head and thought for a moment, finally nodding: “I believe it.”

“Before coming here, I reviewed countless cases and reached a consistent conclusion: every world that has been invaded by a stellaron has ultimately been unable to escape the fate of demise.”

“Even with the help of the Star Rail, even if everything seems to be improving on the surface… these are just temporary windows of respite.”

“Long-term crises usually lie dormant beneath the surface of prosperity, and ordinary people are completely unaware of them.”

Svarog nodded: “Understood.”

“Understood? That’s it? Aren’t you going to share your opinion?” Topaz’s tone held a hint of expectation.

Svarog stated that it did indeed hold opinions distinctly different from Topaz’s, but that wasn’t important. It was merely a tool, not a decision-maker, and it only wished to confirm if Topaz’s answer was sincere.

—

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.

“…Demise, hehe, it seems this young lady didn’t consider the case of the Xianzhou Luofu.”

Serie’s fingertips tapped lightly on the armrest of the throne, producing a crisp sound as her nails met the marble: “The Immortal Boat is a civilization that coexists with ‘disaster.’ Over a long period, they have probably become accustomed to crises of the stellaron level.”

“The true killing blow of the Xianzhou Luofu’s stellaron outbreak wasn’t the stellaron, but Phantylia… A single stellaron wouldn’t be able to cause much trouble for the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.”

“But Lady Serie…” Jian Ze suddenly said from the side, “But because of this matter, the Xianzhou Luofu completely offended Phantylia, offending the forces of Destruction. In the long run, isn’t this also a huge latent crisis?”

“If that Lord Ravager were to return one day and attack together with the bountiful star people, then perhaps…”

The Xianzhou Luofu has just emerged from a crisis, and the surface is calm, but with the forces of Destruction and the bountiful star people eyeing them covetously, it aligns with what Topaz called a “long-term crisis.”

“Hmph, then there’s even less need for others to worry. The Star Rail won’t stand by and do nothing. If the Xianzhou Luofu is in trouble, the other Immortal Boats won’t remain indifferent either. And Elio of the Stellaron Hunters, as the one who orchestrated the entire situation, has a more long-term perspective than anyone else. If the Xianzhou Luofu truly has any problems, he will definitely make arrangements in advance.”

—

Topaz’s whereabouts became unknown after she left Rivet Town. She arranged for a large number of her subordinates to occupy the area and conduct asset evaluations.

Himeko suggested not to engage in direct conflict with the Company’s people, and Gepard strongly agreed. He decided to use a type of stealth demolition mech to quietly knock out a group of the Company’s personnel.

The mechs were very effective, and soon everyone reached a high platform and met Svarog.

It did not conflict with the Company’s people and informed everyone that Topaz was ahead. Regarding Topaz’s viewpoint, he also truthfully conveyed: “In her view, incorporating Belobog into the Company is the only way of Preservation. Although I hold a different opinion, it is difficult to find evidence to refute it with the current computing power.”

Despite saying this, Svarog still hoped that both sides would try to avoid armed conflict.

“Of course, the Train Crew never advocates for conflict, but once it escalates to a confrontation with weapons, we are never afraid. We’ve come this far doing just that, haven’t we?” Himeko smiled faintly.

Everyone took the elevator to the nearest plaza, where Topaz had been waiting for them for a long time.

“Finally here~ I thought you weren’t going to make it.” Topaz turned around and looked at the three people approaching, curiously saying “Hmm?” “This lady next to Miss March 7th… she feels somewhat familiar?”