Jarilo-VI, Core Passage
This was the hub connecting the Underworld and the Overworld of Belobog. Due to Cocolia's decree sealing off the two districts, it had been abandoned for a long time.
Now, under the orders of the Great Guardian Cocolia, elite Silvermane Guards from the restricted zone were stationed here, preventing the outsiders who had assassinated the next Great Guardian, Bronya, from escaping.
"Deputy commander, about those tremors just now… Captain Gepard already went to investigate. Could something really be wrong?" a guard asked with a frown.
The deputy commander shook his head, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
"I have been thinking about that too. Lady Cocolia can only be described as unfathomable. She ordered us to absolutely hold this position and not let anyone through, not even a fly. Acting on our own would undoubtedly count as disobedience."
"Deputy commander, you mean…"
"Exactly. Maybe Lady Cocolia is targeting the Landau family. She knows that with Captain Gepard's personality, he would never ignore that disturbance. Any guards who followed him would likely get purged for advancing twenty meters and retreating twenty meters. We were lucky to survive."
"Ah, saved again."
The Silvermane Guards left behind all sighed. Honestly, anyone who had survived under Cocolia's command until now had probably cheated death countless times.
"Deputy commander, something is coming up from the Underworld!" someone reported as the ground shook again.
"Let me see." The deputy commander measured with standard-issue automata gear. "Wait. How many outsiders did Lady Cocolia mention?"
"Three."
"That's not right. This feels like hundreds!"
The deputy commander frowned. "They probably colluded with people from the Underworld. Stay calm. They're just a rabble. Form defensive ranks!"
He activated Silvermane Officer: Rally.
The Silvermane Guards quickly assumed a group battle formation. Traps in the front, gunners in the rear, shooters on the flanks seeking sniper angles, and the vanguards forming ranks under the deputy commander's lead.
"They're coming. It's automa… huh? Trash can people?"
The front line first saw automata, but on closer look, each one was carrying a trash can. The automata were only serving as transport.
Trash cans had limited active time.
After negotiating with Svarog, the Express crew decided to use automata to transport the trash cans to the Overworld, conserving as much of their energy as possible.
The Silvermane Guards did not know trash can weaknesses.
But they had heard the story of Lady Bronya leading a squad of guards while being carried off by mysterious trash cans.
"What trash can people? Smash them all the same!"
The deputy commander boosted morale. "They're charging in with automata. Do not panic. We have traps set. Gunners, open fire!"
Silvermane gunners fought with portable cannons, usually coordinating with shooters.
Trash cans were made of metal. Bullets might not be effective. The deputy commander ordered concussive fire, aiming to disrupt their formation.
Shells rained down on the trash can forces.
But the scene he expected never came. No trash cans sent flying, no domino-like crashes halting the charge.
"Quack! I just arrived here and I am unfamiliar with this place. Who would have thought I would run into highway robbers!"
A trash can with a tuft of white beard leapt into the air, moving like a martial arts master. "Enough! Let this Jianghu Can deal with you!"
"Hmph. Is this the level of modern technology?" scoffed the Scholar Can, examining the shells. "It's no different from tens of thousands of years ago. Disappointing."
"Brothers! These are all elders of the can world. It's time to show the results of our training and our unbreakable bonds!"
Several trash cans with tire shoulders and a gritty comic-book style stepped forward.
They were the Nine Cans of Bodybuilding Circle.
Through all kinds of bizarre methods, the trash can charge was not only unhindered by the artillery barrage but accelerated straight toward the Silvermane line.
"Silvermane Guards stand firm! No retreat!"
The deputy commander personally took the field with his ice spear and shield.
He had planned to blunt their momentum with artillery, but every one of these trash cans was a Pathstrider. The bombardment had no effect. The situation was dire.
But these Silvermane Guards had never fought an easy battle.
Since Lady Cocolia became obsessed with micromanagement, none of the guards stationed here had ever known a smooth fight. They were all pressure veterans.
Just a few dozen Pathstriding cans.
They had faced worse.
The guards who had joked about cheating death earlier had already soaked themselves in kerosene. Once ignited, they could detonate the buried traps. At the very least, the passage would collapse. They could not let the trash can people reach the city and endanger civilians.
The scattered trash cans crashed into the tightly formed guard ranks.
Though he had expected their strength, it far exceeded Fragmentum monsters. The deputy commander was shaken. Almost every trash can he faced was stronger than him.
"Farewell, Lady Cocolia!"
"In the name of Preservation!"
The guards spread their arms, ready to sacrifice themselves and trigger the explosives when suddenly, emerging from the passage was—
"Stop! Stop! Don't fight anymore!"
Bronya, the designated next Great Guardian, who was rumored to have been murdered by outsiders and trash cans together.
Along with the three members of the Astral Express.
"Hey, Stelle, do something about your trash cans!" March 7th shoved the Stellaron baby. "They beat up the Silvermane Guards. Does this count as assaulting officers? Are we going to jail again?"
Stelle looked at the trash cans blankly.
"How despicable!"
"They must have sent spies to overhear Stelle's orders and learned that we can't hurt them, so they're trying to self-destruct to make Stelle hate us!"
"What vicious scheming!"
"And now they're blaming us back. Are you green tea cans or what?"
Dozens of trash cans argued loudly, standing on the moral high ground and condemning the Silvermane Guards for bullying honest cans.
The deputy commander stared blankly.
In short, these trash cans did not seem to be enemies. That was the only conclusion he could draw without understanding their language.
"This world truly is…"
As he was about to sigh that nothing was impossible, Bronya spoke urgently.
"You're stationed here on my mother's orders, right? There's no time. Where did my mother go?"
After defeating Svarog and obtaining information about the Stellaron, the entire Underworld suddenly shook.
The assessment update said the outsiders could indeed avert the destruction of Jarilo-VI, but the destruction had already begun. Without additional variables, they had less than three minutes left.
That was what Svarog said.
They had no idea why seven or eight minutes had passed and the planet still stood.
But this was the critical moment to save the world. They had to find Cocolia, who was closely tied to the Stellaron, without any mistakes.
"Lady Cocolia's whereabouts? How would we know? But according to Captain Gepard, the source of the tremors was Everwinter Hill to the north. He's already taken troops to reinforce the restricted zone."
The deputy commander provided the intel.
The Express crew looked to Bronya. Her face was filled with despair. "From here to Everwinter Hill, it takes at least thirty minutes. We're already… Mother, why…"
Stelle turned to the Sage of Cans, Jin Lajitzde. A wide grin appeared on the can's body.
"Oh, my dear little friend. Heehee. I, Jin Lajitzde, love helping others. Saving the world is of course my duty. Now tell me, are you ready to start a new adventure?"
"I'm ready!" Stelle raised her hand.
"Not energetic enough. Again," Jin Lajitzde said. "Are you ready to start a new adventure?"
"I'm ready!" Stelle jumped high with her hand raised.
"Who's ready?"
"I am! I'm ready!"
After Stelle and Jin Lajitzde perfectly completed the strange pre-adventure ritual described in the Memoirs of Jin Lajitzde, joyful laughter and trumpet sounds surrounded Stelle, pulling the Stellaron baby into a wondrous space.
March 7th, Bronya, Dan Heng, and the trash cans all stared blankly as Stelle vanished.
Elsewhere.
"Huh? Where did March go?" Stelle looked around the empty mysterious space in shock. "Jin Lajitzde, are you making me save the world alone?"
"Ah-ha!" Jin Lajitzde laughed loudly. "My dear little friend, your companions didn't complete the ritual with us!"
"You… you never said that!"
"Oh, old age makes one forgetful. My mistake. Once you leave this space, you'll arrive at Everwinter Hill!"
Before her stretched an endless cosmic starfield. She had been here once before. At Herta Space Station, when the Doomsday Beast elbowed her, the Aeon of Destruction Nanook had glanced at her.
Stelle stared blankly.
Jin Lajitzde, where did you send me?
…
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Let me know if I got a name wrong. I know basically nothing about MyGO.