Chapter 2: Who Put This Mask in My Pocket?!
The boisterous, echoing laughter of Aha rang through the cosmic void. A bizarre, chaotic energy coalesced rapidly, forming a massive, shimmering hand of pure force that swatted directly toward Leon's location.
"Off you go!"
Just as the giant hand sent Leon hurtling through the fabric of space, a deep shift occurred in the depths of the universe. One heavy, ancient gaze after another pierced through the astral sea, all converging on a single point.
"Why are you all looking at Aha?" The Aeon of Elation tilted their head, blinking with exaggerated innocence. "Aha doesn't know anything."
Looking up at the starry sky at a perfect forty-five-degree angle, Aha began to whistle a jaunty, off-key tune.
Slowly, the oppressive weight in the void lifted. One by one, the silent, judging gazes retracted into the dark.
"Ahahaha! Such an interesting thing, and I definitely won't share it with you boring blocks of wood." Aha spun around, running off into the cosmos while laughing their signature, manic 'Aha! Aha!'
Far away, floating in the orbit of Jarilo-VI, the Herta Space Station was currently under heavy siege. The Antimatter Legion had breached the hull, and vicious Void Rangers flooded the pristine corridors.
Amidst the chaos, Kafka twirled with lethal elegance. Her twin submachine guns flashed in the dim emergency lighting, spitting fire. Countless silver shell casings rained down, clinking musically against the metallic floor right beside her dark high heels.
She paused, offering a slight, almost polite nod to the encroaching monsters. Raising her gloved right hand, she gently released her grip on her weapon. Her eyes, previously half-lidded in calm amusement, suddenly snapped open.
"Boom."
A single, casual syllable slipped past her lips. In an instant, a web of violet bullet trajectories materialized from the ether, violently piercing through the surrounding Void Rangers. The beasts dissolved into ash before they could even take another step.
Taking full advantage of the Antimatter Legion's chaotic invasion, Kafka and Silver Wolf had smoothly infiltrated the Herta Space Station. Any straggling monsters foolish enough to block their path were cleared out with effortless precision.
"It seems we're the ones being ambushed," Kafka noted, her tone light and entirely unbothered.
"Unfortunately for them, they're the ones being surrounded," Silver Wolf replied, her fingers dancing across a holographic keyboard.
The two Stellaron Hunters moved at a leisurely pace toward the storage room, treating the deadly Void Rangers around them like mere target practice.
Thud!
Without warning, a figure plummeted from the ceiling, crashing heavily into the floor right in front of them and kicking up a thick cloud of debris.
Kafka instantly shifted into a combat stance. Her gun raised, the barrel aimed dead center at the settling dust.
"Hiss... where the heck did that slap take me?" A voice groaned from the crater. "Am I even still in the country?"
As the dust cleared, Leon sat up, vigorously rubbing the back of his head. He patted his arms and legs, blinking in surprise. He was completely unharmed.
My physical constitution is actually this strong? I took a direct swat from Aha and didn't even lose a tooth. Does this count as successfully tanking a hit from an Aeon and living to tell the tale?! I really am amazing.
Leon puffed out his chest, a proud smirk forming on his face as he sat in the rubble.
"Is this person in Elio's script?" Kafka kept her weapon trained on the strange man, tilting her head slightly to look at her companion.
Silver Wolf paused her holographic game, blowing a large pink bubblegum bubble. It popped with a soft snap. "No..." she said, her voice flat and calm. "And things not written in Elio's script are entirely insignificant."
Satisfied with that answer, Kafka lowered her gun, fully intending to step around the bizarre intruder and ignore him completely.
At that exact moment, Leon finally processed his surroundings. His eyes locked onto the two women standing before him.
"Kafka? Silver Wolf?"
Leon froze, the names slipping from his mouth before he could stop them. He couldn't help it. They looked exactly like they did in the game, standing right there in the flesh!
"Oh? You know us?" Silver Wolf raised an eyebrow, glancing down at him. "Since you know we're Stellaron Hunters, you should probably leave quickly before the Antimatter Legion comes back." She offered a dismissive, albeit somewhat kind, wave of her hand, signaling for him to get lost.
"Wait, don't! Can I follow you guys?"
Looking at the petite hacker, Leon felt a surge of absolute joy bubbling up in his chest. Ah, it really is the beloved Blue Sovereign and Mommy. Now that I've actually met them, there is absolutely no way I am letting them out of my sight.
Just thinking about having a cute, soft Silver Wolf around made him sigh happily inward. Her cyberpunk-style clothing was packed with personality, exuding a fierce air of rebellion from her oversized jacket down to her boots.
Meanwhile, Kafka wore her iconic, standard attire. A crisp white shirt paired with black high-waisted shorts, a cloak-style black suit jacket draped over her shoulders, and her signature reddish-purple tights. It was an outfit that might look ordinary on a hanger, but on Kafka, it was incredibly eye-catching. There was no other reason for it aside from her perfect figure, which filled out the tailored fabric flawlessly.
"Ha? Follow us? Aren't you afraid of dying?" Silver Wolf caught Leon's lingering gaze and felt a wave of sheer speechlessness wash over her.
Deciding this guy was a waste of time, she raised her hand, preparing to use Aether Editing to forcibly teleport him away so he wouldn't delay their mission. A pixelated, digital void materialized in the air behind Leon, rapidly expanding to envelop his body.
Silver Wolf turned on her heel, ready to walk away.
Huh... Leon blinked. He felt a strange, pulling force tugging at his body, trying to drag him into the pixelated rift. But he really didn't want to leave. So, he simply rejected the force.
The digital void shattered into harmless light. Leon remained sitting exactly where he was, completely unaffected.
"Hmm? You're also a Pathstrider? Interesting!" Silver Wolf stopped, a genuine spark of competitive interest lighting up her eyes.
She tapped the air, increasing the intensity of her Aether Editing. The digital code swirled violently around Leon, trying to rip him from the physical space. Yet, he didn't budge a single inch.
Silver Wolf narrowed her eyes.
She refused to accept this. As the invisible emperor of Punklorde and a peerless master of Aether Editing, how could she possibly fail to teleport some random, common Pathstrider? She didn't believe it for a second. Her fingers flew faster, preparing to crank the output to maximum.
"Alright, Silver Wolf. Now is not the time to waste on games." Kafka stepped forward, her heels clicking softly against the floorboards. She offered Leon a gentle, dangerously sweet smile.
"Listen to me..."
Kafka activated her Spirit Whisper. The subtle, mind-altering power laced through her velvet voice, designed to bypass the conscious mind and command the soul directly.
"Okay, Mom! I'll listen to everything you say." Leon beamed, nodding enthusiastically.
A heavy, suffocating silence descended upon the corridor.
Kafka stared at him. Silver Wolf stared at him.
"Pfft..." Silver Wolf clamped a hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking. "Hahahaha! Kafka, when exactly did you adopt such a big son?"
Kafka completely ignored Silver Wolf's loud, mocking laughter. Her mind was racing. What truly concerned her was the fact that her Spirit Whisper had completely failed. A powerhouse capable of outright ignoring her mind control had suddenly appeared on the Herta Space Station, right in the middle of their operation.
Yet, there was absolutely no mention of such a character in Elio's script.
This anomaly forced Kafka to reevaluate the smiling man sitting in the rubble.
"A Masked Fool? An Emanator of Elation?" Kafka asked softly, her tone measured and analytical.
"I shouldn't be, right?" Leon scratched his cheek, looking genuinely puzzled.
He honestly didn't know why he could brush off Silver Wolf's Aether Editing or ignore Kafka's Spirit Whisper. He just felt an innate certainty that he could. Could it be that Aha really did give him a blessing before swatting him across the universe? Was he actually an Emanator of Elation now? That would certainly explain why he survived a terminal velocity drop through the roof of a space station without a scratch.
Just as Leon was pondering his new cosmic status, a small object slipped from his pocket.
Clatter.
A pristine, theatrical mask bearing an exaggerated, mocking smile bounced against the metallic floor, coming to a rest right between his shoes.
Leon stared at the mask.
Kafka stared at the mask.
Silver Wolf stared at the mask.
"Who is it?! Who put this mask in my pocket?!" Leon suddenly scrambled backward, pointing an accusing finger at the smiling piece of wood. "This mask isn't mine! Mommy, Wolf Lord, you have to believe me!" he roared at the top of his lungs, his face a picture of exaggerated betrayal.
"So you admit it's a Masked Fool's mask?" Silver Wolf crossed her arms, her eyelid twitching slightly. She couldn't even bear to look at his terrible acting. "And you admit it fell out of your own pocket?"
Seriously, buddy? Your faction item literally drops on the floor in front of us, and you're still trying to pretend you aren't a Masked Fool?
"And is 'Wolf Lord' supposed to be referring to me?" Silver Wolf added, tilting her head. "How come I don't remember ever having that title? But... it actually sounds pretty good. I'll give you credit for that." Despite her annoyance, she looked quite satisfied with the new nickname.
"Let's go, Silver Wolf. We can't afford to miss the timing." Kafka gave Leon one last, deeply meaningful look before turning away, signaling for the hacker to continue leading the way.
She didn't bother arguing with Leon about who exactly planted the mask in his pocket. After all, engaging in a debate with a Masked Fool... wouldn't that just be providing them with more free entertainment?
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