"Are those two even in their right minds? How can they be talking about sweets when the fate of humanity hangs by a thread?" an elderly man snapped, his voice thick with outrage. He wore a suit adorned with numerous medals—clearly a former general of considerable rank.

"They’re treating this like a joke? The world is on the brink of disaster, and they’re just standing there—arguing, chatting calmly, taking their time?"

"As expected... this generation can’t be trusted. If we place our hopes in them to save us, then our end is all but certain."

...

Voices of ridicule and disapproval rippled across the hall.

Of course, not everyone was blinded by disdain. A few sharp-eyed observers had already grasped the terrifying extent of Kira and Sian’s strength.

"That girl may look young, but her power is overwhelming. I wonder which unit she belongs to."

"And the man with her... he looks almost delicate, softer than her even, yet he handles those monsters with effortless ease—as if they were nothing."

"Damn it—how can they smile and fool around in the middle of a battlefield? There’s no professionalism whatsoever. Just a pair of ridiculous children."

Inside the conference room, high-ranking officials and veteran generals argued heatedly over Sian and Kira’s conduct, finding it deeply infuriating.

General Lan’s gaze swept over them, sharp with anger.

"If not for those ’children,’ the monsters would have wiped out the entire unit and marched straight to the city to feast on your rotten heads."

"Instead of fixating on their chatter and behavior, why don’t you take a proper look at how many monsters they’ve killed? At how they’re protecting the team—and suppressing the threat?"

His voice hardened, cutting like steel.

"A bunch of fools with nothing but loud mouths. If you don’t know how to speak sense, then don’t speak at all. Stay silent."

The sheer weight of General Lan’s presence—and his authority—was enough to cow even the most outspoken among them into silence.

Especially when every word he said was true.

Despite the casual banter picked up by the drones, Kira and Sian’s combat efficiency had not dropped in the slightest—in fact, it only seemed to rise with every passing second.

Meanwhile, members of the Special Investigation Team for supernatural phenomena murmured among themselves.

"Did you see that? Kira—that little devil—is actually following orders... and with that frightened expression?"

"I’m just as shocked as you are. When has Kira ever been this obedient? This well-behaved? She’s practically acting pitiful in front of that man—and she’s afraid of him."

"Who is he? And why does she call him ’Boss’ so naturally? It’s like she relies on him completely—as obedience comes to her instinctively around him. She’s never even acknowledged our captain, no matter what. Never once called him ’Boss.’"

Speaking of the captain...

His expression had darkened to the color of a scorched pot.

Humiliation burned in his chest.

No matter what he had done in the past, Kira had never given him the slightest acknowledgment—never recognized his authority as her leader. Once, she had even told him to his face that he didn’t deserve to hold the position of her captain.

The insult had cut deep.

Though... it would prove insignificant compared to what he would feel later, when he finally met Sian.

But that was a story for another day.

—

At that moment, with Kira’s support, Sian finally closed in on the massive, enraged creature.

Earlier, the monster had acted with cunning—creating subordinates to shield itself and eliminate the two "insects" as quickly as possible.

But as time passed, it realized most of its minions had already been slaughtered.

There was nowhere left to hide.

Perhaps it possessed a degree of intelligence—because it feared dying at the hands of Kira and Sian. That was why it kept its distance, choosing ranged attacks instead of engaging them directly.

Then—

A thunderous, bone-chilling sound ripped through the desert night.

Everyone present—both on the battlefield and in the conference hall—witnessed the same shocking scene.

At some point, Sian had taken advantage of the creature’s distraction—its focus entirely on Kira—and slipped behind it in utter silence.

He raised his hands slowly into the air.

And without warning—

Every blade, every weapon, every shard of steel scattered around the encampment lifted into the sky.

The sight was nothing short of astonishing.

Metal surged upward from all directions—and before the creature could even react, Sian thrust his hands forward.

Hundreds of blades shot toward the monster, driving deep into its flesh with brutal force.

A horrifying scream tore from its throat—raw, agonizing, enough to make one’s soul tremble.

But it wasn’t over.

Not yet.

Sian crossed his hands into an X—then flung them apart in one swift, decisive motion.

In response, the countless blades embedded in the creature’s body tore through it from within, shredding every inch of its form.

Flesh exploded outward.

Chunks were scattered across the ground in all directions.

Silence fell.

Not because they wished to remain quiet—

But because what they had just witnessed left them utterly incapable of making a sound.

—

Lan Qishing, who stood at the scene, remained frozen for a long moment. When he finally came back to himself, his voice carried a fragile mix of disbelief, hope... and relief.

"...Is it... over? Is it finally over?"

Truthfully, he had wanted to rush forward—wanted to grab Sian, to ask if he was alright.

Even from a distance, Sian’s slender body swayed unsteadily beneath the pale moonlight. He looked fragile... as if he might collapse at any moment.

But before Lan Qishing could take a single step—

He watched, helpless, as the scattered chunks of flesh began to move.

They twitched... then slid... then gathered together in one place.

Right before everyone’s eyes, the pieces fused—melding, reshaping—

reconstructing the very monster Sian had just torn apart.

"What the hell... is that?"

Even Lan’s battle-hardened soldiers—men who had long since accepted death for the sake of their country—felt their knees weaken at the sight.

A quiet, dreadful thought crept into every mind:

...Can humanity even survive this?