Collapse Iron Live Broadcast Connects All Worlds, Scares Away Wuzhan at the Beginning

-

"Xing defended Ester, saying, 'She didn't mean to hide it, but due to her position...some things are inappropriate to be discussed publicly.'"

Latio sneered, "What position is more important than the safety of the Black Tower?"

"...Well, since I've tacitly allowed Mr. Latio to be involved in this matter, he's no longer an outsider." Estelle sighed. "It's okay, Xing. Tell him."

"Xing has just spoken about the recent crisis of trust in the space station. If another malicious incident occurs at this time, it will be like adding fuel to the fire and will completely ignite the internal conflicts within the space station."

"Oh, no wonder Miss Ester acquiesced to my joining. After all, the representatives of the Society of Knowledge wouldn't want to be associated with the space station, but their stance aligns with the company's. There's no need to worry about favoritism, and it also protects the interests of the space station—killing two birds with one stone."

"Latio tentatively agreed with her statement and was about to continue questioning her when Estelle's phone suddenly rang. Someone had posted a short video in the group chat. The content was quite significant."

"The attack on Ms. Black Tower has finally been resolved! The [Annihilation Gang] claims responsibility for the incident and will take further action. The Association strongly condemns this..."

"The image suddenly began to change. A strange figure appeared in the center of the screen—a burning goat skull with a lens attached, standing on the collar of a suit. Flames snaked in the air, as if even the screen was sizzling from it."

"The gods of the astral realms, detached from the world, care little for the fleeting mortals. Only the benefactor who bore the wound can bathe all realms in the flames of destruction."

“There are always cowards who try to reject grace and escape the pain.”

"The flame demon spread his arms wide, his burning goat head held high, and his laughter roared like the roar of a hellish furnace."

“Escape, escape as much as you can—no matter where you flee, annihilation will eventually visit you!”

-

The burial of Fulilian.

The flame demon in the sky stretched its body, and the burning breath of sulfur seemed to penetrate the sky and hit her face. Fulilian's pupils shrank slightly, and she subconsciously tightened her grip on the staff.

"Hey, hey...are you kidding me?" Cold sweat broke out on Hugh Tark's forehead, his muscles instinctively tensing. Although he was only indirectly present, unable to sense its imposing presence or pressure, even a fool could see at a glance that this fire demon's strength was completely on a different level from the Seven Collapse Sages they had encountered previously.

Do demons exist in the universe?!

"...The [Annihilation Gang], Lady Flillian, is an organization I've never heard of. They seem to be subordinates of [Destruction] Nanook." Philen's expression was serious. "This guy dares to challenge the Commander of Wisdom. Could it be that he is the Commander of Destruction?"

"I'm afraid so. If someone dared to act so high-profile, without any real strength, they would have been eliminated by other forces long ago." Fulilian looked at the flaming demon on the sky with a puzzled expression. "But I don't understand. Ms. Black Tower is a key partner of the Interstellar Peace Company. Declaring war on her would undoubtedly challenge the authority of the company's top management. Isn't this envoy afraid of being surrounded and suppressed by the combined forces of [Intelligence] and [Protection]?"

Even Huanlong wouldn't dare to take such a risk, right?

"Lady Fulilian, but when I think about it carefully, although the Annihilation Gang believes in [destruction], it is possible that they have not received the blessing of [destruction] - they may be an organization similar to the Society of Knowledge, but with a different destiny." Feilun came to the conclusion after thinking it over.

Fulilian thought about it carefully...it seemed that there was some truth to it, but no matter whether the Annihilation Gang had received the blessing of destruction or not, there was one thing she was absolutely sure of.

——This fire demon must be ridiculously strong!

-

"A declaration of war, a warning letter—you're being targeted. The Legion's aftermath continues, and the Annihilation Gang is hot on their heels. It seems your dimension and the fate of destruction are more compatible than intelligence." Latio couldn't help but laugh as he spoke.

"This [Underworld Lord] Afrit was born from the now-destroyed planet [Tophet]. The Fire Demons, constantly burning themselves, revere Nanook as their emperor and benefactor, yet have never even received a glance from the Star God."

Latio scoffed coldly, "What a bunch of pathetic lunatics. I like Dr. Primordial's assessment: Nanook sees less value in the so-called Annihilation Gang than in a baby who deliberately broke a vase."

"Fire demons are inherently violent; burning and destruction are their instincts. Afrit is particularly vicious and cruel. The [Eternal Flame Mansion] he leads is even a sworn enemy of the [Yepela Brotherhood], a fellow Annihilation Gang."

Ester lowered her head and recalled, "The Yepera Brotherhood, I seem to have seen that name somewhere..."

"ScrewGrum: "On the Star Hunters' wanted poster, they are accused of being involved in the Yepera Rebellion - which led to the downfall of the Brotherhood."

"The Yepera Palace collapsed in flames, and then Afrit's power grew. Do you believe this was just a coincidence?" Latio folded his arms and said, "The same thing is about to happen on the space station. As a fire demon, he is naturally good at spontaneous human combustion. The disappearance of the staff and the puppet is also part of the plan. And after this..."

"That video will spread quickly throughout the station. Watch as it soon becomes a sea of ​​fire."

Chapter 306: Mediocrity and the Crown of God: Mediocre People Make Trouble (Part 4)

Hunter x Hunter.

Junyi's chess piece hovered at her fingertips, and Xiaomai keenly noticed the king's movement sluggish for a moment. She tilted her head slightly, her empty eyes "gazing" in the direction of the ant king.

"king……?"

The Ant King did not respond. He recalled the demonic figure that had just appeared in the sky for tens of seconds—Afrit opened his arms, and the endless flames echoed with a crazy hymn to [Destruction] Nanook.

"Interesting," the king said suddenly, a slight smile curling his lips. "Even though you haven't received the attention of the gods, you still believe in destruction and follow their path. This purity... is indeed worthy of praise."

Pufu knelt at the entrance to the palace, his butterfly wings fluttering uneasily: "But, King, this irrational declaration of war——"

Suddenly, a sharp explosion erupted in the air!

The king's tail lashed Pufu's face like a steel whip, knocking him to the ground.

"Do I need you to tell me what rationality is? Do you think I can't tell the difference?" Wang's voice was like an ice cone soaked in venom, piercing deep into Pufu's heart.

"...Yes, it was your fault! My king." Pufu climbed up tremblingly, and the intense pain and strong self-blame swept over him like a tsunami.

What a majestic king! And yet I dare to question his judgment. How foolish!

"Am I really worthy of staying by the king's side?" Pufu fell into deep doubt.

The Ant King finally returned his gaze to the chessboard and finally dropped the chess piece he was holding. "Remember, I want a sharp blade that can fully implement my ideas, not a mediocre person who spends all day worrying about right and wrong. Do you understand?"

Pufu collapsed to the ground, staring at Wang's back in fascination as he refocused on the chess game. "As you wish... Wang."

-

"Latio invited Xing to join the investigation, while Ester and the others stayed behind to control public opinion."

"They found Alan and obtained a list of missing officers and their detailed information from him. Without even glancing at it, they handed it to Xing: 'Here, memorize these names. Then find a well-informed friend and tell him you want to know how to contact these people.'"

"Xing looked at him puzzledly: "Any clues?"

Latio shrugged. "I don't know. It depends on your friends."

"Xing had no choice but to hand the list over to the gossipy Pamela on the station. She then continued to discuss the next steps with Alan. When Latio mentioned wanting to meet Mr. Adler, Alan said he had also disappeared a few system hours ago."

"The last time I saw him was in the main control section, with Wen Shiling."

"Lead the way. You said this Adler seemed to have some clues, but you didn't get to say it. If his disappearance is also related to the attack, I'm afraid he really has realized something."

"Xing recalled that it was energy life that inspired Adler. The Underworld Duke is also an elemental life. Perhaps the two have something in common."

"She contacted Dan Heng and asked him to investigate for more information about Duke Netherfire. She needs more intelligence."

-

fate.

The Emiya family's dining table was laden with steaming dishes. Saber was concentrating on putting her curry rice into her mouth, a look of complete enjoyment and satisfaction on her face. Meanwhile, Tōsaka Rin rested her chin on her hand, staring at Professor Latio's sharp profile against the sky.

"What a strange person," she said thoughtfully. "Even though she speaks so aggressively, she's willing to work with Xing to investigate such a dangerous disappearance. She's the complete opposite of Ms. Ruan Mei."

"A warm-hearted but sharp-tongued person?" Emiya Shirou smiled. "Sounds like someone who always likes to preach." As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully at Archer who was sitting next to Rin.

Archer snorted coldly: "Don't compare me to a scholar."

"But speaking of which... Saber, do you want to go to the Milky Way?" Toosaka Rin suddenly put down her chopsticks, her face full of interest. "Go to the world within the sky? Fighting mythical heroes from other civilizations, that must be very interesting, right?"

Saber's emerald eyes flickered with anticipation: "I really want to experience it myself, but if there's no Master over there, will it be..."

"Saber, this is just a hypothesis! Just a hypothesis! I'm just asking casually." Toosaka Rin glanced at Archer beside her, "What about you? Do you want to go, Archer?"

"I refuse," Archer interrupted flatly. "Even if such an opportunity existed, I wouldn't go—and it doesn't exist. I consider my own safety more important than satisfying the young lady's curiosity."

"Tsk—" Toosaka Rin snorted, her tsundere tone practically floating out the Emiya family's window, "I'm not looking forward to your fight at all."

-

"They found Wen Shiling, who was crying over Chandler's disappearance. She said he'd been researching spontaneous human combustion and paranormal phenomena lately, and had become completely delusional."

"What did he say?" Latio suddenly asked.

Wen Shiling suddenly remembered and blinked, "Okay, it seems to be a fragrance or something!"

"'Fragrance...'" Latio repeated thoughtfully.

"Wen Shiling handed them a booklet, saying it was the last thing he read before he disappeared."

"Just then, Pamela also sent Xing a message, saying she had a subtle result in contacting the missing persons. These people didn't really have any connections, but they had all posted radical remarks against management on the dark web and had many supporters."

"Your face doesn't look like good news."

After relaying Pamela's findings to Latio, he gave a meaningful "Oh," saying, "The missing clerk is the opinion leader denouncing management. That's quite intriguing."

"While you were replying, I had already finished reading this booklet. It records the biographies of several members of the Genius Club—some quite interesting information."

"He thinks it's time to go back and talk to Ester and Mr. Screw-Gum."

"On the way back, Dan Heng also sent Xing the intelligence he had gathered, indicating that the Grand Duke of Hellfire was quite remarkable. His flame characteristics were unique among the fire demons of Tophet. Based on eyewitness investigations, Dan Heng speculated that the Grand Duke's flames inherited some ability beyond combustion, related to his origins."

"His flames are difficult to capture as they constantly shift through phases."

"'Phase Shuttle...'" Xing felt that these four words sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember what they were.

Chapter 307: Mediocrity and the Crown of God: Mediocre People Make Trouble (V)

Attack on Titan.

The setting sun stained Wall Maria with a bloody crimson hue, and the treetops swayed gently in the evening breeze. Reiner lay on his back on a thick branch, his hands behind his head, gazing through the leaves at the scene on the sky.

"Duke of Hellfire..." Reiner tutted, then suddenly spoke, "If this guy is so powerful, why didn't the Star Core Hunters eliminate this fire demon when they went to kill the Yepera Brotherhood? With Sam and Blade's strength, it shouldn't be difficult to do it, right?"

Ani's cold voice came from the branches higher up: "Do you really think the Star Core Hunter can defeat the Underworld Duke? What if he can't?"

"How is that possible?" Reiner narrowed his eyes slightly. "Have you forgotten how Kafka played with those animal-brained guys in the Yepera Brotherhood?"

"The Yepera Brotherhood can stand against the Eternal Fire Mansion within the Annihilation Gang, which shows that their strength and influence are similar. But if one can be easily destroyed by the Star Core Hunter, how can the other resist?"

Ani nodded slightly, thinking it over, and it seemed to make sense. Kafka had entered the game as "prey" and ended it as "toyed." From beginning to end, the Yepera Brotherhood hadn't been able to resist.

Being able to fight back and forth with these guys also indirectly exposed the strength of Yonghuo Mansion.

Bertolt hesitated and asked, "Is it possible that there was a conflict between the Star Core Hunter and the Duke of Hellfire? But he escaped? After all, he has the ability of phase teleportation, so it's not that easy to kill him completely..."

"Do you think Kafka and Blade would make such a mistake? If the Star Core Hunters decided to kill the Underworld Duke, they would never let him use his abilities to escape."

Ani leaned against a nearby tree trunk, toying with a leaf with his fingertips. "I can only judge this way: perhaps in Elio's eyes... now is not the time for Duke Hellfire to die. He is more useful alive than dead."

-

"The two returned to the confinement section and shared all the information they had gathered with Ester and Screwgum."

"Among them, one clue is particularly crucial. It's the flame that can travel through phases, as described in the pamphlet. It's said to be able to [burn the worlds, leaving behind many descendants of the flame].

"Screwgum guessed it immediately: 'It's [Phase Spirit Fire], the creation of #29 Sisikar. She's a remarkable genius, intelligent, kind, and humble.'"

"But unfortunately, according to human time, she only lived for a brief twenty-nine days. The Phase Spirit Fire shifted to a different phase upon its birth, and by the time it returned, Sisi Kaer had already died. Since then, it has continuously shifted phases, making it difficult to capture."

"Someone once stumbled upon the Phase Fire and captured a seed. The Black Tower took it and lent it to Ruan Mei for research, but the fire itself was lost. If Afrit is also a descendant of the Phase Fire, the whole story becomes clear."

Latio said coldly, "As his descendant, the Grand Duke of Hellfire possesses abilities similar to those of the Phase Spirit Fire. I'm afraid he can't achieve [Phase Shift], but he can achieve a degraded [Space Transfer]. This is the truth behind the spontaneous human combustion: the officers didn't disappear, but were [transferred]."

"Although the victim's whereabouts are currently unknown, the Grand Duke's plan is clear. He intends to cause chaos through his 'disappearance', then secretly push the crisis to the forefront, waiting for it to take root and sprout."

"And the next step, bam—is to ignite the spark. Look at these missing officers. What would happen if their commonality were discovered? I don't need to explain."

-

grim Reaper.

Kuchiki Byakuya stood on a cornice above the Seireitei, his silver-white veil swaying gently in the night breeze. He listened quietly to Professor Latio's conclusion, his brows furrowing slightly, barely perceptible.

“…boring.”

Hitsugaya Toushirou walked over from behind, the hilt of Hyorinmaru gleaming coldly in the moonlight. "What? Are you disappointed?"

"No wonder the Duke of Hellfire doesn't receive the gaze of [Destruction]... [Destruction] should be facing the end of all things."

Byakuya shook his head in disgust. "Now, you're hiding your true intentions and using fire to divert ordinary people. In my opinion, this move is undoubtedly scratching the surface and is still a long way from true [destruction]. Aside from angering a few geniuses and stars, what other meaning does it have?"

"But Huanlong did the same thing back then, didn't he?" Dong Shilang chuckled. "Inciting chaos in the dark, ultimately leading to destruction... Perhaps Duke Hellfire's teacher was Huanlong."

"But Huanlong's target is a fairy ship, a patrolling envoy... and an entire civilization to be destroyed." Baiya folded his arms and said coldly, "But now that the truth has been revealed, he should also show up and fight like Huanlong did, right?"

"Haha, how is that possible? The space station is manned by the genius that is Screw Gum. Who knows what this robot has up his sleeve? These techies always come up with some bizarre things."

Compared to General Jingyuan, who is the envoy, Dong Shilang feels that scientists like Screw Gumu and Heita are more oppressive.

Jing Yuan may be powerful, but at least his methods are laid out in the open. Meanwhile, for Gum-O-Screw, technology seems to have given them the ability to create countless trump cards and countless means of dealing with their enemies. Urahara Kisuke and Kurotsuchi Mayuri gave him the same feeling... Never, ever, stand against "science."

-

"At this time, Xing's group message started ringing again. As expected, public opinion in the group started to spiral out of control. Some people even suspected that the disappearances were staged by management to eliminate dissidents."