Ironclad Group Chat: Red and Black Lists Engraved with Heroic Epics

"How did I end up with you?" Xing said in a deep voice, "I need an explanation..."

Blade said, "We've gathered here under the guidance of the [script] to temporarily achieve a common goal... that's all."

"I don't care about anything else."

Clearly, he felt very little sense of belonging here, but he still couldn't help saying, "I only have one piece of advice for you—don't disappoint Kafka. She sacrificed a lot to keep you here. And..."

"Um……"

He sighed and fell silent. Xing quickly pressed, "Don't just say half the story..."

But before she could finish asking, her last remaining phantom memory froze completely.

[Jing Yuan: Hmph, Ren is still the same as always, cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Even though he's not very familiar with the hunters yet, he still can't help but stand up and say a few fair words.]

[Fireworks: It seems Kaffa is incredibly kind to Little Grey. But why? Is the performance evaluation for Star Core Hunters very strict? If they fail, even a Star God will be fired, so Kaffa is desperately helping her improve her record? Tsk tsk, the hearts of parents are truly selfless. To keep her child at a high-paying company, she's actually working two jobs? I'm so moved I could cry~~]

[Yao Guang: It certainly can't be for such an ordinary reason. And the fact that everyone's words abruptly stopped here is definitely not an accident, but rather a restriction left by the hunters. Perhaps Xing joining the Star Core Hunters isn't, as we subconsciously assume, a matter of the Last King leading the way, with Xing naturally becoming a core member. Even their utter secrecy suggests that once revealed, there will be some trouble to resolve.]

[Star: No way? There's foreshadowing?]

[Illusory Image: Sigh~ That's the beauty of reality. In real life, being a riddle teller is assumed to imply something else, but when we draw long comics and leave a cliffhanger, readers might even think we haven't figured it out yet... although most of the time we really haven't.]

The space of memory froze for a moment, and the liquid falling from the coffee cup stood like a sculpture.

Oronis's voice came through, calling out "Mother" and "Father," reminding Star to look out the window.

The instant she saw it, Fu Li's body, radiating a dazzling light, burst into her eyes.

Mimi flew in from the car window behind her, circling around her. The two looked at each other, puzzled yet perfectly in sync.

[Star: This is...this is just like the scene where Demyoko matures in the cycle of reincarnation, then sees the train arriving and runs wildly without regard for anything else, finally jumping into it!]

[Fireworks: That floating figure just now... Hmph, it was clearly Floating Ripple, going against the current, unleashing his power.]

[March 7th: Did you know there are Easter eggs in places like this?]

Mimi guided Xing to find a crucial piece of memory.

The Star Core Hunters gathered together, ready to fight, while opposite them, a Void Soldier was surrounded!

However, judging from the hunters' appearance, it seems that they encountered a large army in reality.

Xing stepped forward.

The attitude of the people is very different from before.

Silver Wolf glanced at him and smiled: "You've finally arrived, buddy."

Sam was confident she would arrive on time: "I knew you wouldn't miss it, buddy."

Blade reminded him, "The script says, leave no survivors, comrades."

Kafka looked at her one last time, a slight smile on her lips: "I'm so glad you're here, my partner."

"The path we've walked has never been smooth... It's been filled with fire, scars, malice, and killing. But I assure you, as long as you stand shoulder to shoulder with the Starcore Hunters, you'll never have to taste betrayal."

"Come on, partner, let's go on stage together. In the [script], we are the most dazzling stars on the galaxy stage, and the camera will never leave you."

"All the bloodshed and cries off-screen are merely backdrops for the protagonist. We will dance together, going against the current, until the 'end' of the universe."

Firefly looked at the monster army, ignoring them completely, and instead said to Star, "Dance, my companion."

"Dance, my friends!" All the hunters sent out invitations one after another, standing together in the center of the stage to save the galaxy!

Even if it's just a memory, the burning passion that transcends time and space in my heart still ignites Xing's fighting spirit.

This feels...not bad! Since it's my own memory, it's okay to indulge a little once in a while, right?

She drew her quill and, with a power she had never possessed before, stepped once again into the same battlefield.

Silver Wolf was extremely dissatisfied with the division of labor: "Ugh~~ Why am I being assigned to be an off-field support again? How boring."

"This scene... to share? You are not worthy." Blade drew his longsword, gave the legion a contemptuous smile, then leaped into the enemy ranks, stirring up waves of blood.

The hunters swarmed forward aggressively, as if they were the ones with the numerical advantage.

The illusory soldier, whose body had been erased by the Ether editor, glared resentfully at the Silver Wolf, only to be met with the retort: ​​"You think I cheated? Go ahead and ban my account if you dare."

Fireflies join hands with the stars, while the flames of the Sam mech bloom into a sky full of fiery lotuses: "Together—ignite the sea!"

[Fireworks: You know what I'm going to say... Hahaha, it was Sam from the Star Core Hunters who gave you your final send-off!]

Although the illusory army was numerous, it was futile against the overwhelming individual strength of the hunters. The army, which had been slaughtering living beings, could only suffer a one-sided massacre, leaving behind only mangled limbs and wails of agony.

The battle ended quickly.

Although Xing still doesn't know the truth, after fighting side by side, that unconditional trust is rekindled in her heart.

She could sense that little time remained in her memories. She chose to dedicate her limited time to the two of them.

"You've arrived?" Kafka, who had noticed Hoshi's arrival at some point, smiled faintly by the car window. "This time, the [script] has also been successfully completed..."

She seemed to sense something: "What happened? You look... a little vulnerable."

Xing was both reluctant to part with him and somewhat surprised.

This was the first time since she entered the memory space that they were able to interact with each other's real-time reactions instead of talking to themselves!

Can this still be considered a memory? Or is she deceiving herself?

After a long silence, Xing pursed her lips and asked, "Did you abandon me?"

[March 7th: Um... This is the first time I've seen Xing say something like this, so helpless. Like a truly abandoned child.]

[Fireworks: No wonder she likes to crawl into trash cans; it's a hint that Little Gray is homesick!]

[March 7th: You...you've completely ruined the atmosphere!]

Kafka smiled gently: "You know I would never do that."

"Tell me about it. You've been confiding in me for a long time, haven't you?"

Xing lowered her head, her eyes flickering, recalling the complete trust she had shown during the battle. She felt a pang of guilt and unease, like a child who had done something wrong.

"I...I've forgotten everything..."

"..." Kafka's eyes, hidden behind her contact lenses, flickered slightly: "I see... You've lost your 'past,' and you feel helpless."

She sighed softly, "Unfortunately, I am not a slave to fate and cannot foresee the future—I cannot fill the void in your memory, nor can I tell you what we went through together later."

Xing murmured, "I still remember the scene when we met again..."

Kaffa's eyebrows drooped, her heartache evident in her eyes: "You must have gone through a lot afterward. But you will eventually meet me again, which means..."

Her smile vanished, her eyes offering silent encouragement: "I will get it back. Hmph~ Listen to me—"

The power of memory swept through the minds of people today, but this time, the "words of power" did not have the usual jarring notes.

"I bet you'll encounter a lot of danger and find yourself in terrible predicaments on that script I haven't read yet."

"You will probably encounter many wonderful things and have companions who are like family—even if they are no longer us, Starcore Hunters."

Kafka looked out the car window at the starry sky and said proudly, "You'll probably embark on adventures you never even dreamed of, right? After all, you were born for adventure."

"There's only one thing I want you to always remember: no matter where you go, no matter where you are in the galaxy... you can always find a safe haven here with me."

"I don't have much patience..." She turned to look at Xing, her eyes filled with a deep tenderness: "I will never be stingy with my affection for you."

Looking into her eyes, Xing felt much more at ease. She looked directly at her companion and said, "I should go now, Kafka."

Goodbye, my friend.

Outside the light screen, March 7th, who witnessed everything, was dumbfounded and felt like his brain was about to burn out.

[March 7th: No, why do I feel like she... is almost real? These conversations are too...]

[Hanabi: Oh~~ To comfort your heartbroken little one, you went all the way from the stars to into her mind? What great maternal love! Well, I actually think it was a "landmine" that Kaffa had planted long ago, in case Hoshino had an emotional breakdown and started crying and making a fuss, so she could come out and comfort her.]

[Qingque: It feels like the Star Core Hunters do this kind of thing all the time. Like when Xilian escaped from Changyeyue's prison with Xing, the information about the Four Great Ends was just suddenly revealed.]

A figure disappeared.

Xing walked over to the other person she was worried about.

"Ah... Xing, it's you." Liu Ying was admiring the Milky Way when she noticed Xing coming to find her. Her dazed expression suddenly changed, completely different from her previous polite colleague relationship.

"The script is finished again, right? It's always reassuring to have you by our side."

[Hanabi: That's more like it! That's exactly what we want – the instant change of expression upon seeing Little Gray, that blind trust like someone blinded by greed, thinking, "With you here, we're invincible!"]

[Phantom Photo: Absolutely right, Fireworks, you're absolutely right!]

[Star: You guys... never mind, I'm getting angry for no reason. You live in the Two-Phase Paradise, right? You can run away, but you can't hide. Sooner or later I'll treat you to a "feast"!]

Mentioning "with you by our side" stirred up Xing's feelings again, and her brows furrowed with unspeakable sorrow.

Upon seeing this, Liu Ying was startled. What had she said wrong?

"What's wrong? I've never seen you look like that before."

[March 7th: I've never seen it either.]

Xing spoke with difficulty, "I can't remember anything..."

"Huh? What... does this mean?" Firefly was bewildered. Unlike Kafka, she was not worldly-wise and was speechless for a moment.

After a long silence, she tried hard, but timidly, to speak: "What happened? I... I don't know if I should ask you this. I just... wanted to express some concern, concern for my companion."

Xing: "It seems like we traveled together..."

Liu Ying's pupils contracted sharply. The journey... was over.

"Is that so...? Will this journey together also come to an abrupt end?"

But she remained optimistic, or rather, she managed to find a glimmer of good news amidst a sea of ​​pessimistic reports. Her words, spoken from the heart, flowed far more fluently than when she was racking her brains.

"But... it's alright. Since you're here, it proves our paths will cross again. You're alive, and so will I. The separation yet to come won't be forever."

Xing remained as optimistic as ever about the future, managing a slight smile: "We have indeed reunited."

"That's wonderful." Firefly looked up at the starry sky, her eyes filled with longing as she captured this moment in a shooting star that represented her wish: "I will try my best to forget this and seal it deep in my mind... When the day comes that we part, I will take your words as a promise to reunite."

"When the day comes that we meet again, I think... I will pretend that we have never met before, get to know you all over again, and start everything from scratch."

She made a promise and set a goal for herself: "I will try my best to be honest with you... because I can't do that right now."

There was no sadness in Liu Ying's expression, only anticipation for that day to come.

"What a day to look forward to. Two people—no longer accomplices, just two souls adrift in the galaxy—meet in an ordinary way, get to know each other in an ordinary way..."

"...That is the greatest luxury I can imagine."

Xing gazed at her intently, a smile of heartache mixed with relief playing on his lips.

At least, that not-so-extravagant luxury has been achieved!

"I should go now, Firefly."

"Yes, that's the expression I know Xing to have." Liu Ying smiled gently. "You're leaving, aren't you? Because you're going to do something important... You always understand what's important."

"Go quickly, Xing. It doesn't matter if you forget everything... I will engrave the promise of our second encounter in my heart for you." She encouraged him with strength and determination. To ensure Xing had no worries, she would shoulder the weight of their feelings. And she believed she could do it!

"I hope it's a beautiful night with shooting stars."

As the words fell, the light screen dimmed, signifying the end of yesterday's reunion.

[March 7th: Oh~~ So this is Miss Firefly's wish!]

[Illusory Image: But, young lady, didn't you promise to remember that agreement? You can't back down now, go for it!]

[Fireworks: That's right, a left front kick, followed by a right roundhouse kick, to bait and ambush. Knock Hoshi to his knees, so he can die a full-fledged wretch!]

[Star: What are you trying to do, instigate Yingbao?!]

[Sambo: Hiss... So, Star only seized the opportunity to recall this memory after the crash of Onpharos? He gained the chance to form a bond with Xilian and even gain control over Liuying all at once? Tsk tsk, Zandal's powerful hand, Laigus truly is the galaxy's number one wingman!]

……

I originally planned to split it into two chapters, but I'm too tired to do that now. This part is much longer than I expected, so I'll consider the extra chapters as bonus chapters.