Jarilo-VI.
Seven hundred years ago, monsters from beyond the stars, the Antimatter Legion, set this planet ablaze. The land became scorched earth, flames everywhere, smoke rolling endlessly across the sky.
At the very brink of extinction—
A planetary cold wave descended without warning. Jarilo-VI entered an ice age. The invading legion was buried beneath snow and ice, while the Eternal City, Belobog, protected by the Aeon of Preservation, remained untouched by the frost.
Belobog was shaped like a massive connected disk.
It was divided into upper and lower levels. The upper city handled administration and trade, while the lower city was responsible for energy supply and resource extraction. More than ten years ago, however, the eighteenth Supreme Guardian, Cocolia, sealed the passage between the two.
This was no accident.
She deliberately requisitioned the Silvermane Guards stationed in the lower city and cut off travel between the upper and lower levels, all to accelerate the erosion of the Fragmentum in the lower city.
That was not all.
She carried out many meticulously calculated operations.
For example, during fierce battles between the Silvermane Guards and Fragmentum monsters, she would suddenly issue cross-rank commands: "All Silvermane Sharpshooters advance twenty meters. All Silvermane Vanguards retreat twenty meters."
The shooters became the frontline. The frontline became spectators.
The result was repeated defeats, heavy casualties, and plummeting morale. Complaints filled every unit.
She also halted all research related to the Stellaron and expelled the entire research team from the Architects' faction.
Cocolia, a steadfast believer in the Stellaron, stood forever in opposition to the people of Jarilo-VI.
And yet—
Things on Jarilo-VI were beginning to change.
Standing by the window, Cocolia gazed at the distant stone streets. Children bundled in thick clothes chased each other and laughed. They should have been Belobog's future.
Unfortunately.
Because of her deliberate actions, the Fragmentum's influence had already seeped into Belobog itself. Even parts of the upper city now saw Fragmentum monsters appear from time to time.
Klipoth of Preservation had never cast its gaze upon them. That was nothing but the delusion of the Architects and past Supreme Guardians. Only by fully embracing Destruction could the Stellaron grant this planet rebirth.
Cocolia's expression hardened with resolve.
"Supreme Guardian, just as you predicted. Those three outsiders truly intend to overthrow Belobog."
The report came from a Silvermane Guard officer.
"?"
A question mark practically popped over Cocolia's head.
She was planning to overthrow Belobog. Those outsiders were also planning to overthrow Belobog. Did that mean she had targeted the wrong people? No, wait. Hadn't they claimed they wanted to resolve the Stellaron crisis?
"Oh? Then where are those outsiders now?"
"They escaped. Lady Bronya has already led troops in pursuit, but we captured one of their companions."
The officer waved his hand.
A standard-issue automaton soldier of the Guards carried a massive slab of pavement. On top of it was something round and bulky, held down by the bodies of over twenty Silvermane Guards.
Cocolia: (⊙_⊙) What is that?
"This is a Fragmentum monster driven by those outsiders. It's extremely powerful. Blades can't pierce it, fire and water don't affect it. The brothers had no choice but to restrain it like this and bring it to you for inspection."
"So… what exactly is it?"
"Well… it has a dark brown shell, a lid on top, cylindrical shape, and extremely well-developed muscles."
The guard suddenly began to sweat.
New recruits were always sternly warned by veterans. Never do anything unnecessary in front of the Supreme Guardian. Otherwise, you might be ordered to advance twenty meters and be eliminated.
But if the Supreme Guardian gave you a hint and you failed to understand it, you might also be ordered to retreat twenty meters and be eliminated.
In the end—
Even though he knew it was a trash can that had grown arms and legs and started punching people, the sheer absurdity of it terrified him. He did not dare say it outright, leaving Cocolia completely baffled.
The description made her think of a trash can, but then it had arms and legs, fought bravely one against hundreds, and was finally subdued by the Guards at the cost of life and limb.
It was… hard to picture.
After exhausting every adjective he could muster to describe the epic battle between trash can and Silvermane Guards, the officer noticed the Supreme Guardian's expression turn stormy.
This is bad.
Am I about to be ordered to advance twenty meters and die?
Just as the atmosphere reached suffocating levels, a strange, low sound echoed. The cluster of Guards restraining the unknown object began to shake violently.
Boom.
Crack.
Clang.
The Silvermane Guards howled as they were blasted away by a powerful shockwave. Before Cocolia's stunned eyes, the trash can stood up.
"A t-trash can? It really is a trash can? Can trash cans turn into Fragmentum monsters now?"
Holy Light – Refinement of the Can
A special skill of the Order Can. Unlike Refinement of the Can, this technique releases a large amount of holy light before attacking, creating a flashbang-like disruption effect that reduces enemy defense by fifteen.
Though shocked by the interference, Cocolia did not lose her combat instincts. She raised her arm to block, only to feel intense numbness spread through the muscles.
A Pathstrider?
And for some reason, the opponent's Path seemed to counter her own. When that kick landed, Cocolia felt the Stellaron's whispers cut off for a brief instant.
"Who are you? A mere trash can cannot possibly be a Pathstrider." As she spoke, Cocolia drew her flaming lance.
The lance behind the Stellaron baby.
Its true name was Alisa Rand's Lance, the weapon of the first Supreme Guardian. Every generation since had wielded it. Cocolia was no exception.
"It is… a dangerous object. For eternal prosperity, we must never allow it into the cradle of the new world."
After reconnecting, the Stellaron immediately panicked. From a conceptual standpoint, Order was the natural nemesis of Destruction. What era was this, for Jarilo-VI to still have such an antique from hundreds of Amber Eras ago?
"Hmph. A coward hiding in the shadows. This is sacred Fort Klipoth, not a place for you to run wild."
With many Silvermane Guards present, Cocolia restrained herself despite the Stellaron's blessing and did not unleash Destruction's full power. The trash can, however, charged in without restraint.
Master's Insight
Unlike the Knights of Beauty, the knights of the Order-Clean Court Church were relatively free. Any method that maintained order was a good one, so they were all experts with various weapons.
As a trash can entrusted with transporting precious refuse and serving as escort to Jin Lajitzde and Tatalov, this one was hardly a novice.
With martial prowess at its peak, the Order Can possessed this skill. In Jin Lajitzde's Memoirs, it was recorded to have dislocated the joints of a massive immortal dragonkin barehanded.
Long weapon versus bare hands.
With the Stellaron's blessing on her side.
In theory, Cocolia held overwhelming advantage. Yet in fewer than eight exchanges, she was blasted away like a cannonball, crashing into one of Fort Klipoth's main pillars.
"Ugh… Stellaron, damn you… that hurts!"
Cocolia was stunned senseless.
The main reason was simple.
She had started with overwhelming advantage, but after one or two exchanges, the Stellaron's blessing vanished outright.
Her stats dropped instantly. A miscalculation later, she was sent flying by a single punch to the abdomen.
"It is… a dangerous object. For eternal prosperity, we must never allow it into the cradle of the new world."
The Stellaron repeated itself again after reconnecting. After all, it was merely an artifact, not a higher lifeform. It could only rummage through memories to deceive hearts.
"Guh… urgh—"
The trash can did not let up. A close-range grab, followed by a flurry of punches and kicks, and then it swung Cocolia overhead.
The Stellaron's blessing vanished again.
She could not understand it. Was this thing doing it on purpose? This was absurd. How was this any different from her advance twenty meters and retreat twenty meters orders?
Cocolia was hurled into the air.
Garbage Sorting Kick
An innate skill of the Gang Can.
In truth, this technique originated with the Order Can from hundreds of Amber Eras ago. It was the prototype. Knights of the Clean Court Church loved using this move.
Blades, spears, guns, machine guns, mortars.
No matter the weapon, church knights would finish with this technique, known in that era as the Knight Kick.
"A mere trash can… I will never—"
Cocolia roared with all her strength, channeling every ounce of the Stellaron's blessing into the flaming lance. Fire blazed at its tip as she fought for her life.
Garbage Sorting Kick versus the All-Or-Nothing Flaming Lance
The Order Can's flying kick struck the shaft of the lance.
Cocolia on the left. The Order Can on the right. As Cocolia braced with both hands, the flames of Destruction at the lance's tip rapidly guttered out. She was forced backward by the overwhelming force.
The ground cracked beneath her feet.
Since ancient times, beam clashes favor the right side.
The Order Can understood this well and deliberately attacked from the right for the final blow.
In this moment—
Whether raw strength, attribute compatibility, or sheer superstition, the Order Can held absolute advantage. Perfect timing, perfect positioning, perfect execution. To plan this far, it had to be a trash can of terrifying intellect.
"Haah—!"
"I will not lose!"
Cocolia screamed.
Her power surged. In her entire life, she had always been the one humiliating others. Never had she been humiliated like this.
Cocolia was furious beyond measure.
Her desperate wish to utterly destroy this trash can resonated with the Stellaron. The unstable blessing flickered back to life, the lance threatening to reignite.
But at that very moment—
At the critical instant when she was about to turn the tide and parry the flying kick—
The trash can's limbs suddenly retracted with a whoosh. Before Cocolia's eyes, it reverted into an ordinary trash can.
The lid clattered to the ground.
Black, twisted energy poured from the can as garbage erupted outward, dumping all over Cocolia and dousing her renewed flames with cold reality.
"My plan failed. Such is fate."
The Order Can's final echo rang through the air.
After being summoned by Tatalov, Starlet, it had maintained the most energy-efficient form while investigating the civilization of this planet.
It helped the Trailblazer trio, then deliberately revealed a flaw, allowing the Silvermane Guards to deliver it straight to the source of this planet's disaster: Supreme Guardian Cocolia and the Stellaron.
And yet… was it one move short?
The Order Can had miscalculated one variable.
The existence time of a trash can was limited. Though longer here than in Kiyono Inori's world, it was still extremely brief.
It lost to time.
There was only one reason for its failure, a very simple one.
It was just a trash can.
Amber Era 2157.
The Order Can exited the stage with regret.
But its attack was not over.
Once the heroic soul left, the trash can lost the spirit of Trailblazing and returned to its original state, a container filled with all kinds of garbage.
"Guh—ugh—blegh—!"
The trash poured out in a torrent. The suffocating stench overwhelmed Cocolia's senses completely.
The sticky feeling alone was bad enough, but she had been shouting "I will never lose to a trash can" with her mouth wide open. Unnamable garbage liquid splashed right in.
"Ugh."
Cocolia gripped her arm tightly, using sheer willpower to pull herself free of the heap.
She glanced around.
Fortunately, the Silvermane Guards inside Fort Klipoth had all been knocked unconscious by the trash can's aura. Otherwise, seeing this scene would have ended the Supreme Guardian's life socially.
She looked back at the ordinary can and the reeking pile of trash.
"Trash. Can. Man!"
Cocolia slammed her fist into the wall.
Jarilo-VI was a closed planet, but seven hundred years ago it had contact with extraterrestrial forces. The historical records in the libraries documented many galactic matters.
Including factions.
The so-called Masked Fools. The records were unclear, possibly tampered with by fictional historians. Still, Cocolia knew of a group of Pathstriders obsessed with pranks and overturning order.
And yet—
The small mercy in her misfortune was this. The trash can that humiliated her left behind a clue. Through the Stellaron's blessing, Cocolia could perceive its lingering aura.
If she sealed that aura and created devices that triggered alarms when sensing similar traces, she could find the mastermind.
Her hands trembled. Her stomach churned. Fighting the urge to retch, she reached into the trash heap.
She had to collect some of the Path aura before it dissipated, or this ultimate humiliation would have been for nothing.
Though the world was about to enter a new era, delegating trash digging to subordinates would inevitably spark rumors. She might even lose her position as Supreme Guardian.
And without that title, how could she lead the world into Destruction's new era?
She could not disappoint the gods.
Calm down. Calm down, Cocolia. That Pathstrider might become the greatest obstacle to the new world.
With iron will, Supreme Guardian Cocolia gagged while rummaging through the trash.
She did not notice that the Silvermane Guards lying around were not actually unconscious. They were playing dead.
The trash can had been very measured. Once they collapsed, it stopped attacking. The Guards were already used to its behavior.
"Captain, Lady Cocolia is…?"
"Hmph. She must be testing us. Probably probing our faction before finding an excuse to advance twenty meters and eliminate us, balancing the Guards' internal factions."
The captain signaled with his eyes. "Don't overthink it. Lady Cocolia must have unfathomable intentions."
"Such deep scheming. Truly worthy of Lady Cocolia."
Sensing something, Cocolia glanced back. The Guards all rolled their eyes back and resumed their unconscious poses.
…
The next day.
"Good heavens, what is this? Did Belobog add another masked vigilante to the wanted list?"
Old Sampo, on his usual run of buying goods in the upper city to resell in the lower city, stared at the notice on the wall.
It was a wild, unrestrained portrait. Or rather, a wanted poster. The artistic achievement was, frankly, eye-searing. Even the Aeon of Elation would give it a thumbs-up before leaving.
Chaotic brushstrokes and bold colors brought the trash can vividly to life, giving it a thumbs-up. The abstract absurdity practically spilled off the paper.
"Wait. Is this really a masked hero?"
Sampo hesitated.
If you wanted to hide your identity, wouldn't a hat, cloak, or mask suffice? Who puts themselves inside a trash can?
Beep-dong. Beep-dong. Beep-dong.
The red button beneath the poster suddenly blared. Eighteen units of Silvermane Guards immediately surrounded Sampo.
"Silvermane Guards. Do not resist."
"Abandon pointless resistance."
Seeing at least hundreds of Guards, Sampo saluted with a French military salute. "Whoa there, gentlemen. I was just looking at Belobog's wanted poster. I didn't do anything bad."
"Don't move. Lady Cocolia has ordered that anyone who triggers the device is to be detained immediately."
"Abandon pointless resistance and come with us."
"Ah, friends." Sensing danger, Sampo's tone turned sly. "I have to ask. This trip isn't just taking me to the security office, is it?"
"By Lady Cocolia's order, all alarm triggers are to be imprisoned in the deepest cell."
"Hmph. Then don't blame old Sampo for getting rough."
He let out a cool snort and tried to call upon the Path of Elation.
Nothing responded. The power felt completely absent, as if he had never connected to Elation at all. Only laughter echoed in his mind.
The Aeon of Elation?
Sampo: (⊙_⊙) Kids, this isn't funny.
"Don't move. Any further movement and we open fire." The Guards nervously chambered their weapons in unison. Hearing that, Sampo quickly saluted again.
"Uh, hi. Gentlemen. I was just trying to lighten the mood. Haha.
I swear, I am a lawful citizen of Belobog. I have never violated the constitution. I would never attack the Silvermane Guards who protect our people. I am an upstanding citizen. Could you lower your guns?"
Sampo exaggerated every word.
…
Trash Alarm
A device created by Cocolia while digging through trash, using the Stellaron's power to seal Path aura. Whenever Trailblaze or Elation-aligned power is nearby, it goes beep-dong nonstop.
…
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Let me know if I got a name wrong. I know basically nothing about MyGO.