**The Csh of Titans**
The aftermath of the explosion left the air thick with the acrid scent of molten metal. The once-imposing iron sphere had been reduced to a bubbling pool of crimson sg, its surface hissing as white-hot steam coiled toward the sky. Guan Lan stood calmly amidst the devastation, his gaze fixed on the remnants of the bck pilr—now whittled down to a needle-like spire.
"Really?" he mused, voice ced with disappointment. "This is all you've got? Compared to 'Little Iron,' you're barely a warm-up."
From the smoldering slope of liquefied steel, a figure emerged—Da Gou, his chest heaving, his metallic skin still glowing faintly from the heat. *Damn it... If I hadn't merged with the pilr in time...* He forced a smirk, masking his lingering dread. "Not bad. But you seem to forget—*this is my domain.*"
As he spoke, the molten steel at his feet surged upward, spiraling around his body like a living tide. The bck pilr beneath Guan Lan dissolved, its mass funneling into Da Gou's form. His silhouette swelled, limbs elongating, shoulders broadening—until he loomed over the battlefield like a god of iron, his shadow swallowing the wastend whole.
Guan Lan, now no rger than Da Gou's toe, tilted his head. "Finally decided to get serious, huh?"
The steel colossus's voice boomed like thunder. "I heard you once wielded Boros's *Divine Imagery* during the Battle of the Sacred Tree. Show me!"
Guan Lan scoffed. The lightning dragon at his feet crackled, its azure scales shimmering as it lifted him to eye level with the giant. "You're not worth that technique."
Da Gou's ughter shook the earth. "*Hah!* What can you possibly do? A fly riding a dragonfly! In my realm, steel is *infinite*! I am—"
"Eternal?" Guan Lan sighed. "Shan... Don't bme me for this."
Before Da Gou could react, Guan Lan raised his hand. Two fingers pressed together, three curled inward—a gesture as simple as it was devastating.
"**Pilr of Creation.**"
Light erupted.
A blinding white column tore through the sky and earth, its radiance vaporizing everything in its path. The iron forest disintegrated; Da Gou's gargantuan arms vanished mid-swing, his torso dissolving into motes of light before he could even scream. The beam expanded, then contracted—colpsing back into Guan Lan's palm like a dying star.
When the gre faded, only a charred crater remained.
---
### **Aftermath and a Warning**
Shan stood frozen as the tavern's walls rematerialized. Her eyes locked onto the glowing orange in Guan Lan's hand—*Da Gou's core, still pulsating with fading warmth.* Tears streaked her cheeks.
Guan Lan hesitated, then spoke softly. "Give me the *Phantom Heart* too. I know you're not part of this mess. If you need money—"
She threw herself into his arms, sobbing. He held her, guilt gnawing at his chest.
Later, aboard the speeding hovercar back to Wynroth HQ, Shan broke the silence. "What if I'd refused to come with you?"
Guan Lan kept his eyes on the controls. "Then Illya would've found you. And trust me—*you'd prefer my way.*"
Shan smirked. "How rational. But here's something that might rattle that cool head of yours..."
The car screeched to a midair halt.
---
### **Mission: Infiltrate the Jade Empire**
The next morning, Qin Hong jolted awake to his communicator's shrill tone. Guan Lan's hologram flickered to life, cigarette smoke curling around his grim expression.
"Mission. Now."
Qin Hong sat bolt upright. "Sir?"
"Akatai region. A jade magnate named 'Da Fei' recently adopted a gifted girl. Intel suggests she's a *diviner*—handpicked by *Liyas* to scout gem deposits."
Qin Hong's blood ran cold. "*Liyas?* As in—"
"The 'Radiant Heart' wielder. Yes." Guan Lan's knuckles whitened. "Find her hideout, and it's a commendation. But if you *see* her—**run.**"
"Uh... Wouldn't *you* be better suited for—"
"*I'm hunting her as we speak.* And no more backtalk." Guan Lan crushed his cigarette. "Da Fei's also hoarding a hexagonal ruby—Boros's relic. Retrieve both. *Dismissed.*"
The screen went dark.
---
### **The Art of Seduction (and Infiltration)**
An hour ter, Qin Hong stood outside Naya's dorm, knocking insistently.
The door cracked open to reveal a bleary-eyed Naya—who promptly *smmed* it shut.
Two minutes ter, she reappeared: hair styled, shes curled, lips glossed, and pajamas swapped for a suspiciously *strategic* sweater.
"Come in!" she chirped, ushering him toward her bed. "Sit here! It's, uh, *softer* than the chair!"
Qin Hong obliged, oblivious to her creeping hand until—
"Hey, what do you know about a guy named Da Fei? Jade merchant in Akatai."
Naya's fingers froze. "*Da Fei?* His *Chao Ge* tower's a fortress—20 floors, armed guards, *zero* uninvited guests." She paused. "...But I *can* get you in."
Qin Hong leaned in. "Do tell."
---
### **Training Grounds Distraction**
Meanwhile, Bel scanned the sparring field. "Where are Naya, Qin Hong, and Merkel?"
Worso coughed. "*Sick.* All three. Terrible coincidence."
Bel's eyes narrowed—then she shrugged. "Fine! Today, we train with *double weights!*"
Groans erupted.
(Unseen, Worso whispered to Haruko: "Think they'll pull it off?"）
