"Ann?"
Hearing this name, Sandrone was speechless.
"Rene, has something gone wrong with your brain? I just used a random..."
Halfway through her sentence, Sandrone's expression became blank, but quickly returned to normal.
Upon hearing Rene's words, Alain immediately regained control of Sandrone's body, then grabbed Rene's hand tightly and asked.
The group concerned about Sandrone just happened to be at the rooftop door. They saw this scene and were instantly bewildered, but quickly, a burning fire of gossip ignited in their eyes!
Good grief, since you can't defeat Monsieur Rene in talent, you'll settle it through family status!
Miss Ann, we support you!
Jacob, watching from the side, snorted coldly and wanted to step forward to separate the couple, but he was quickly restrained by the people around him who acted with lightning speed.
"What are you doing? Let go of me!"
"Monsieur Jacob, don't interfere with Monsieur Rene's happiness!"
After hearing these words, Jacob's face turned even redder.
"Get away, Rene only needs me!"
"Monsieur Jacob, you can't provide Monsieur Rene with that kind of happiness!"
"Who says I can't?!"
As soon as Jacob finished saying this, expressions of horror and admiration immediately appeared on everyone's faces, and even more people rushed to restrain him.
Go for it, Miss Ann! This is all we can do to help!
"Rene, is what you said true?"
Alain's tone was urgent. Although Sandrone looked like the Mary-Ann in his memories, there was still a certain difference compared to the real Mary-Ann.
"It was the Director who saved her back then."
Rene nodded and then began to recount what happened at the time.
"Mary-Ann's soul was damaged and on the verge of dissipating, but in the end, the Director used his remaining soul to fuse with her, filling the gap in her soul..."
After listening to Rene's account, Alain's tone clearly became even more urgent, his hands gripping Rene's shoulders, and his face pressed very close.
This scene made the crowd at the doorway gasp, their admiration growing even deeper.
Miss Ann is truly too brave!
At this moment, Jacob struggled even harder, but in the next second, even more people used their bodies to pin him down. The future of Miss Ann and Monsieur Rene would be guarded by them!
The phrase "men on top of men" was no longer enough to describe Jacob's current situation.
To avoid hurting others, Jacob didn't dare to unleash too much of his power.
He could only punch the ground helplessly as he watched the scene in the distance, the bitter scent of defeat growing ever more pungent.
"Where is Ann now? Take me to her!"
"Of course I'll take you to see her, after all, you are her older brother."
Rene looked at Alain and paused before speaking again.
"But before that, please come with me to see Monsieur Neuvillette. The Seventh Fatui Harbinger, "The Marionette," I didn't expect you to have joined the Fatui."
"The source of this information is your fellow Harbinger, Dottore, and I believe its authenticity doesn't need to be questioned much.
"As a Fatui Harbinger, you should know what secretly entering Fontaine and even joining the Fontaine Research Institute means, right?"
Damn it!
Alain suddenly remembered that he had forgotten about that bastard Dottore. That goddamn scoundrel, couldn't he just wait for him for a little longer?!
Dottore only needed to endure pain and torture for a few more days, but Alain had many more things to consider if he wanted to rescue Dottore.
He absolutely couldn't let Rene take him to Monsieur Neuvillette. Even Dottore had been captured, and it was obvious that Neuvillette wouldn't have a very good attitude toward Fatui Harbingers. He didn't want to suffer the same fate as Dottore.
As for Mary-Ann, it would be just the same if he returned to Fontaine as a diplomat and looked for her then.
Alain released his grip on Rene's arms and turned to leave, but in the next second, his arm was grabbed tightly by Rene.
"Alain, don't be in such a hurry to leave."
"We haven't seen each other for so many years, I still want to catch up with you properly."
This scene caused the surrounding crowd to gasp in surprise. Monsieur Rene had actually made a move!
In their eyes, this scene was clearly Sandrone trying to run away after teasing Rene, only to be caught by Rene who was about to give her a harsh lesson.
When Jacob saw this, his pupils shook violently, and a feeling of betrayal sprouted in his heart.
Back then, we agreed not to part and to be together forever.
But now, Rene, you've really forgotten your friend for the sake of beauty?!
Alain's gaze turned cold. In the next second, he commanded Pulonia to throw a massive fist at Rene's shoulder.
Rene made no attempt to dodge, simply letting Pulonia controlled by Alain swing its fist at him.
At the last moment, a giant palm blocked the attack like a shield, and a dull metallic boom echoed from the point of impact.
The black mecha had appeared behind Rene at some unknown point, silently blocking the attack for him.
"Let go."
Alain spoke coldly to Rene, but Rene remained unmoved.
For the time being, the matter of Dottore being in Fontaine could not be known to Snezhnaya, so he couldn't possibly let Alain leave Fontaine.
Seeing that Rene had no intention of letting him go, Alain stopped holding back and released all Pulonia's equipment restrictions. In an instant, rows of pitch-black cannon muzzles appeared on Pulonia's body, aimed straight at Rene.
In the next second, the mountain-like mecha pointed its single hand at Pulonia, and a huge cannon muzzle emerged from its palm.
The cannon's caliber was almost as large as Pulonia's entire head. Before the black mecha, Pulonia looked like a mere peanut.
"Have we already reached the 'enemies to lovers' phase?"
"As expected of Miss Ann and Monsieur Rene. This is progress that ordinary people can't even hope to match!"
"A clash of machines is also a clash of talents. I see it now!"
"Miss Ann and Monsieur Rene are using an alternative way to love each other. They want to use this method to decide their future family status!"
Hearing the "know-it-all's" words, the others all had expressions of sudden realization on their faces.
"This is the unique romance that only we scientists possess!"
Jacob couldn't listen anymore. He couldn't help but use a bit more force, and then he dragged the large pile of people on his body out of the rooftop passage, making a considerable amount of noise.
Rene and Alain, who were about to make their move, heard the commotion in the distance and couldn't help but turn their attention this way. Then they saw a small mountain made of people, and for a moment, they fell silent.
When the people realized they were exposed, they all scratched their heads awkwardly, then quickly scrambled to their feet, dragging Jacob away while shouting to the two.
"Keep going, just pretend we aren't here!"
As they spoke, the crowd even made cheering gestures toward Alain, leaving Rene momentarily speechless.
Why does it feel like my Fontaine Research Institute has suddenly sprouted a bunch of spies?!
This brief interlude made the atmosphere between the two awkward, and for a moment, neither Alain nor Rene knew whether to continue the fight.
Ultimately, Rene tried to persuade Alain to go see Monsieur Neuvillette with him.
"Alain, Monsieur Neuvillette is very reasonable. As long as you haven't done anything harmful to Fontaine, he won't do anything to you."
Hearing these words, Alain sneered.
"Rene, stop trying to fool me with such childish lies."
"If Monsieur Neuvillette isn't going to do anything to me, then why must he insist on seeing me? Surely he isn't planning to have a friendly chat with a Fatui Harbinger like me?"
After saying this, Alain immediately made his move.
Every cannon on Pulonia erupted with orange-red flames, launching a barrage of missiles at Rene. Simultaneously, Alain tore off his white robe, successfully breaking free from Rene's grasp. Immediately after, Pulonia deployed a barrier to shield him from the explosion's impact.
At that moment, the mecha also moved. With a single blast, it cleared the entire area, even obliterating a corner of the rooftop. Then, the mecha extended an arm, drew a jet-black greatsword from its waist, and swung it diagonally at Pulonia. The barrier blocked the strike, but it dimmed significantly in the process.
"It's starting, it's starting!"
The onlookers hiding in the shadows watched the battle unfold with great relish. They had even brought out small folding stools and sunflower seeds, commanding the Gardemeks to hold Jacob down so they could enjoy the show in peace!
"How intense! Neither of them will back down for the sake of future household dominance!"
"Sigh, Monsieur Rene is a bit of a dense straight man. As a woman, Miss Ann should show some restraint."
"I disagree with that. If Monsieur Rene did that, Miss Ann would surely look down on him. You have to understand how strong Miss Ann's pride is."
At this moment, Jacob's face was ashen. His mind was already filled with the terrifying image of a third party wedging themselves into his life with Rene.
No, the one standing beside Rene can only be him!
Jacob erupted, but the Gardemek just had to use a little more force, and he immediately went soft again.
Gently, gently, it hurts.
He can't beat the Gardemek, he really can't beat it!
-
"Rene, since you're disregarding our past friendship, then don't blame me for being impolite."
"It just so happens that I wasn't very satisfied with the results of the previous match, so let me test your true strength now!"
After speaking, Alain returned control of the body to Sandrone, and then his own consciousness re-entered Pulonia.
From the brief exchange before, he saw the power of the mecha developed by Rene. If it were left to Pulonia's own program to fight, the possibility of losing would be very high.
Only by personally controlling Pulonia could he fully unleash the machine's full power.
When Alain returned to Pulonia's body, he began to take over all its controls.
Pulonia, which had originally been at a disadvantage, reversed its fortunes after Alain took over, every movement filled with a spirituality it had not possessed before.
And at this time, Sandrone, who had gained some modified memories, also made a move, connecting with Pulonia. Not only could she enhance Pulonia's various skills, but she could even borrow Pulonia's power herself.
This was the ability Alain had granted this body, and also the foundation that allowed Sandrone to maintain her position as a Fatui Harbinger.
Under the joint onslaught of Sandrone and Alain, the black mecha was finally beaten into a steady retreat.
They can win!
The two of them were filled with confidence. Even if the mecha before them surpassed Pulonia in performance, power, and armor, data didn't represent everything. Under their precise control, they could fully unleash Pulonia's 100% performance to a 150% level!
Seeing the mecha's damage grow more severe and its movements become slower, Sandrone and Alain grew increasingly relieved. However, they overlooked one problem.
"So you really were considerably affected after all."
After seeing Alain's current strength clearly, Rene sighed and spoke to Sandrone and Pulonia.
"With your talent, after hundreds of years, your achievements should have been far beyond this."
"Forget it, this farce should come to an end now."
"You're about to make your move too, aren't you, Rene?"
After hearing Rene's words, Sandrone roughly guessed his meaning, but she didn't take it seriously in her heart.
After all, the now-upgraded Pulonia, under their joint onslaught, definitely had God-level strength, while Rene was ultimately just a mere mortal. How could he possibly fight them?
Sandrone admitted that Rene's talent and gift had become even more terrifying than before, but his ability to build powerful mecha didn't have much to do with his own strength; even she had only managed to approach god-level strength by relying on Pulonia's power.
"Fine, then let me see what you're capable of now!"
Under Sandrone and Alain's gaze, Rene rummaged through his clothes, and shortly after, he pulled out a strange stick that looked like a toy. Moreover, its colors made it look like something a girl would use to play house. They were momentarily stunned. How did the tone of this situation suddenly become so strange?
No, even if Rene wanted to relive the beautiful childhood memories of playing house, this wasn't the time, was it?!
And they were all several hundred years old by now, how could he still be so childish?!
While Sandrone and Alain were dazed, Rene solemnly raised the stick in his hand to his chest and then asked seriously:
"Alain, do you believe in light?"
Alain: "?"
At this moment, a string of question marks appeared on Alain's forehead. Rene was becoming more and more absurd.
Alain didn't answer, and neither did Sandrone. However, Rene didn't care about their reactions. In the next moment, he raised the stick high in his hand and shouted:
"Henshin!"
"Pfft!"
Sandrone couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
But the next second, the smile froze on her face. Rene's figure was enveloped in an incomparably dazzling light, which then rapidly enlarged until it filled most of her field of vision.
In an instant, a Giant of Light appeared before Sandrone and Alain, towering over them as if they were ants.
Sandrone and Alain felt the aura on Rene, which now far surpassed that of an ordinary god, and they were completely shaken.
Just then, Rene raised a palm the size of half the Fontaine Research Institute and reached out to grab Sandrone and Alain. Without hesitation, Alain controlled Pulonia, carried Sandrone on his shoulders, and fled into the distance. All the way, Sandrone urged Pulonia to move faster while shouting behind her:
"I believe! I believe in light!"
"Stay away from me!"