I'm in another world, and I start out transformed into Lancelot.

Rose stood frozen in place, her mind racing, yet almost entirely blank. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat striking the deliberately buried layers of memory.

His icy blue eyes were fixed on the face he had longed for day and night, a face that now felt both distant and familiar.

How do I explain this? How do I portray a "scientist sent by the emperor"?

In this palace she knew so well, at this most unexpected moment, she was unexpectedly confronted by an old friend she least wanted to meet in this way, in such a ridiculous and absurd misunderstanding...

The genius mechanic's hard-won composure was once again torn apart and disrupted by the hurricane called "the past".

Suddenly, a languid voice sounded behind them: "Euphemia? What are you standing here for? Lelouch sent me to pick you up." It was C.C.

Unlike Euphemia, who immediately turned around with a bright smile upon hearing the sound, the blonde figure in the white coat stiffened visibly and unusually.

This unusual stiffness immediately caught CC's eye.

"Hmm?" Her gaze had been casually sweeping across the room, but when it landed on Rose, it seemed to be drawn in by something invisible, and she slowly stopped.

The faint light of world consciousness that always enveloped Rose, imperceptible to ordinary people, stirred up almost imperceptible ripples in the ageless witch's keen senses, like a stone thrown into water.

CC frowned almost imperceptibly, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.

As Lelouch's contractor and one of the palace's guardians, and with her agreement with someone (referring to Melsin), she has a general idea of ​​the important faces who frequently enter and leave the palace.

But the person in front of me... the aura surrounding her...

Like a cat that senses a familiar scent but can't immediately pinpoint its source, she moved with a unique, slightly cynical yet inquisitive gait, unhurried yet purposefully toward the tense Rose.

When those iconic white boots finally stopped in front of Rose, she looked up in astonishment, her eyes instantly meeting CC's golden eyes that seemed to see through time.

The witch's gaze, filled with unprecedented scrutiny and doubt, fell directly on Rose, like an invisible probe, especially... focusing on the area around her lips.

Rose's nerves suddenly tightened to their limit. The deep entanglement she had with this witch in the past made her body react almost a step faster than her mind.

Her fingertips, hidden beneath her oversized white coat, unconsciously touched the corner of her mouth.

It was there—in the last moments before her identity as "Yao Lan" resolutely departed in another era, that she was bitten hard by the sharp fangs of this green-haired witch, driven by surging emotions, whether anger, love, or pure possessiveness, leaving a mark tinged with blood and obsession.

These instinctive memories, deeply ingrained in the soul and body, were completely exposed and spiraled out of control under immense pressure and the gaze of that familiar yet unsettling look.

The touch of fingertips to the corner of the lips is like a spark igniting a fuse.

CC's golden eyes, which seemed to hold the weight of a thousand years, contracted almost imperceptibly after catching Rose's subtle, almost instinctive reaction.

That sharp scrutiny instantly coalesced into an almost tangible penetrating force, locking firmly onto Rose. Her cold, resolute voice, as if carrying shards of ice, rang out clearly once more, echoing in the empty hall: "It's you, isn't it?" Three words, leaving no room for doubt.

Rose's heart seemed to be gripped by that gaze and voice at the same time, and suddenly stopped beating for a moment.

Blood seemed to rush to her ears instantly, and all the sounds around her—the echoes of the hall, Euphemia's curious gaze—became blurred.

She opened her mouth, trying to regain the composure she was so proud of as a genius mechanic, trying to deny it, even if it was just playing the role of "the bewildered scientist hired by the emperor." "I...I don't understand...what are you talking about?" Rose's voice was dry and tense, with a tremor that even she herself loathed.

She forced her gaze toward the bewildered Yuffie, as if seeking a sliver of oxygen to break the suffocating atmosphere. "This... Miss, have you mistaken me for someone else?"

"Mistaken identity?" CC seemed to find it somewhat amusing, a very slight, cold smile curving her lips, but her gaze remained as icy as a still pond, never wavering.

“The aura may be similar, but the imprint of the soul is unique.” Her gaze swept over Rose’s lips again, seemingly casually, as if the invisible probe had pierced through the appearance of “Rose” and touched the existence called “Melushin” deep inside. “And the deep memories left by this body do not lie.”

She took another half step forward, and the ancient and intangible sense of oppression that had accumulated over time suddenly intensified.

Dusk streamed into the hall through the huge French windows, casting long shadows on the polished floor and reflecting the undisguised pallor and stiffness on Rose's face.

“Melushin…” CC’s voice was low, like a whisper, but it carried an undeniable weight. It was the name of the fairy knight from the depths of her memory.

"Or, would you rather tell me your new name?" Those golden eyes narrowed slightly. "Explain. Why shed your fairy knight's form? Why return here in this manner? With Euphemia about to—"

She didn't finish her sentence, but the unfinished words, like a tangible thorn of suspense, pierced precisely into Rose's most chaotic heart.

Just then, Euphemia, who was standing to the side, seemed to sense the strange atmosphere. Her pure purple eyes moved back and forth between C.C. and Rose, filled with puzzled worry: "C.C.? Do you know each other? This scientist lady..." She hesitated, looking at Rose's unusual reaction, and added, "It's not like we've met for the first time... that subtle sense of familiarity."

This unintentional remark became the last straw that broke Rose's last line of defense.

“I…” In the depths of Rose’s icy blue eyes, the facade of calm she had been trying so hard to maintain was crumbling inch by inch.

Chapter 114 The battle of superpowers is about to begin!

Halonia felt completely caught in the middle of the vortex.

All the words—explaining his identity, explaining his time travel, explaining those deliberately sealed-off past emotions—were stuck deep in his throat, too heavy to utter.

Any pretense pales in comparison to CC's penetrating gaze and Euphemia's innocent intuition.

Just then, an unusual fluctuation suddenly spread out from her body.

The air emitted a faint, almost inaudible hum, and the scenery at the edge of the field of vision—the magnificent dome, the colorful stained glass—began to sway and stretch like reflections in water.

Immediately afterward, Halonia clearly felt her body becoming light and transparent. The spatial distortion caused by the Bruton monster was crumbling, and the shackles of time were about to break.

【Time is up!】

The thought rang out sharply in her mind like an alarm, breaking through some of the rigidity.

The name she kept hidden the deepest, the name that marked her original existence, was almost instinctively uttered with each breath under the immense pulling sensation and CC's all-knowing gaze.

"...Harunia..."

The voice was as faint as a drifting feather, barely leaving the lips before being swept away and torn apart by the invisible winds of time and space, almost dissipating into the empty and silent hall.

The blonde woman's figure vanished completely in the violently distorted light and shadow, leaving only the faint "Harunia" that extinguished like a candle in the wind.

All that remained were the cold shadows on the floor and the faces of the two women in the palace, their expressions suddenly becoming incredibly complex, each carrying their own thoughts. Reunion and parting were compressed into such a hasty and bizarre moment.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The battlefield, outside the armory.

The pungent smell of gunpowder mixed with ozone instantly flooded Rose's mouth and nose, roughly pulling her back to reality from the palace hall shrouded in past emotions and temporal distortions.

The violent tremor of the ground beneath her feet caused her to stumble, and her vision quickly focused on the horrific scene before her.

The shrill screams of metal being torn apart by brute force, the sharp whistles of energy beams slicing through the air, and the groans of buildings collapsing under the massive impact—the cold battlefield symphony of the Zeta world instantly drowned out the tranquility and palpitations that lingered from the previous second.

The ace of the armory, King Gyo, was in the cockpit, where Yoko was precisely controlling the gun and the AI ​​was making fine adjustments, while dense beams of Pedanium particles poured out from the shoulder-mounted gun barrel and the main gun muzzle.

Like an angry torrent, it crashed into the seemingly soft and harmless gray-blue sponge in the center of the field—the four-dimensional monster, Bruton!

However, what happened next made everyone who witnessed it feel a chill.

The violent energy beam, powerful enough to tear metal and shatter rocks, vanished silently the moment it touched Bruton's bizarre body, like raindrops falling into a sponge, without causing any explosion or penetration. It was as if it had been directly "swallowed" into another dimension.

The next moment, the two inconspicuous, slender antennae on Bruton's head began to flicker with a faint, eerie light. The space rippled visibly, like a stone thrown into a calm pond.

Then, something strange happened: the energy beam warheads that had just been "swallowed" suddenly emerged from the void and from different directions around King Joe without warning!

They accelerated instantly, forming an impenetrable net of destruction that completely enveloped King G. Joe's massive steel body!

Boom! Boom! Boom! A series of deafening explosions rang out!

King Gyu-chiao's massive body swayed violently and staggered backward amidst the intense flames and impact. The flames from the explosion illuminated Yoko's pupils, which widened suddenly in shock and frustration, through the cockpit window!

Almost simultaneously, the AI ​​system built into King Gorky maintained its characteristically calm tone, smoothly broadcasting in the cockpit and on the communication channels:

[Note: Torso armor damage 20%. Unknown interference signal detected in the right arm's dynamic joint; range of motion is limited.]

The cold, electronic sounds contrasted sharply with the violent explosions outside.

The Armory's strongest special operations machine, which not long ago could withstand the ferocious modified monster Gorgione Raiden, is now like a strong man facing a complex lock, futilely swinging a hammer, with no way to use his strength and all his skills.

Its power, speed, and precision operation appear so clumsy and fragile in the face of absolute spatial dimensional differences.

"Phew... thankfully my hand speed was fast enough, the shield command took effect in time." Rose muttered to herself, still shaken by the battlefield shift and recovering from her emotional turmoil, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

In that instant, she instinctively used her mechanic skills to remotely cast a temporary energy shield on King Joe, barely managing to absorb some of the impact, but it was just a drop in the ocean.

Her brow furrowed as she rapidly assessed the situation: "No, my current equipment is also limited by dimensions. The G-series robots can only provide firepower; they can't penetrate the rules of space at all."

"Melushin and Ereshkigal's powers are also unsuitable..." Rose quickly ruled out the other options she could make in her mind.

Her two backup trump cards—the fairy knight's martial prowess and the underworld's divine power—both proved inadequate in the face of the challenge of breaking through the dimensional barrier.

The harsh reality pressed down like a cold iron curtain, and the current battle situation has slumped into a suffocating quagmire.

Conventional attacks are completely ineffective, while Bruton can create a devastating counterattack simply by flicking the spatial lines.

Her gaze pierced through the gaps in the smoke-filled battlefield, landing on the figure that had just emerged from the glow of transformation—Ultraman Zeta.

This time, he unhesitatingly revealed the iridescent glow of his Gamma Future form.

The warrior's posture was more composed and elegant than ever before, his every move exuding a sharp and confident edge. Yaohui's confusion and hesitation had clearly been completely swept away by the insights gained from the journey through time and space.

"The glimmer of hope for breaking this deadlock lies with you." Rose's lips curved into a firm yet expectant smile. "Ganbatte!"

At this moment, only the Gamma Future Warrior before us, who possesses the power of cosmic miracles and is proficient in various superpowers, has the power to cross that seemingly insurmountable spatial chasm and truly touch and severely damage Bruton's essence!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Ultraman Zeta – Gamma Future Form stands proudly on the smoke-filled battlefield.

He gracefully raised his arm, his fingertips seemingly containing an endless galaxy, and dazzling energy began to gather and compress in his palm, radiating a heart-stirring fluctuation.

Chapter 115 The Battle of Wits in Chechi Kingdom (Ultraman Version)

Bruton seemed to sense an unprecedented threat, and the two slender antennae on its head flickered with a faint but eerie light at a high frequency once again.

The surrounding space was like a pond tossed with pebbles, with distorted ripples spreading wildly, attempting to construct an invisible yet substantial spatial barrier in front of it.

Despite the bizarre defense, Ultraman Zeta remained completely calm.

The ball of light compressed to its limit in his palm suddenly burst forth!

This beam of light, imbued with the power of cosmic wonder, did not forcefully break through, but rather precisely cut into, dissected, and disintegrated the spatial structure that Bruton had just distorted.

Wherever it passed, visible spatial ripples resembled grease being sliced ​​by a scalding blade, emitting a sizzling sound as if space itself was screaming in pain!

The spatial defenses constructed by Bruton were easily torn apart and penetrated by this beam of light!

Bruton, who was precisely hit, shuddered violently for the first time and lurched backward.

It emitted a strange buzzing sound, like countless bubbles bursting and collapsing simultaneously, sounding full of unbelievable pain and rage.

Those invisible spatial ripples were no longer regular, but surged violently and chaotically like an enraged swarm of bees.

Its antenna suddenly lit up, violently stirring up the surrounding space.

Several twisted, sharp "spikes" that seemed to be formed out of thin air by the shattered space itself appeared out of nowhere, accompanied by a shrill whistle that tore through space, and shot toward Zeta from different tricky angles at speeds that exceeded the limits of physics!

Zeta seemed to have anticipated this, and he did not dodge—ordinary displacement was meaningless in the face of such a dimensional attack that transcended the concept of speed.

He suddenly spread his arms, the movement as elegant as plucking the strings of a harp, drawing a mysterious arc around his body!

[The Miracle of Gamma Barrier!]

As he moved, the space in front of and beside him instantly changed dramatically! The air was no longer empty, but solidified like a magnificent cosmic glass, and the patterns of the Three Heroes Timer flowed and flashed at high speed inside the barrier.

Those deadly invisible spatial spikes slammed into the spatial barrier that Zeta had forcibly "solidified"!

Buzz—! Click! Click-click—!

A strange and piercing sound erupted! The shattered spatial spikes collided violently with the solidified spatial barrier, like the sharpest blade slicing through the hardest alloy.

The powerful energy shockwave distorted the view and repelled the surrounding smoke and dust, creating a brief vacuum zone.

Despite the terrifying impact, Zeta's massive body remained unmoved, its radiance flowing, as stable as the unshakable foundation of a star!

The suffocating deadlock on the battlefield was finally torn open by Gamma Future's miraculous strike!

The invisible dimensional barriers are not invincible; the real battle has only just begun!

As if in response to this declaration, Gamma Future Zeta's movements suddenly changed, his hands crossing in front of his chest like a phantom, his fingertips gathering a dazzling purple halo.

The halo quickly condensed into dozens of energy missiles shaped like playing cards! Each missile had sharp edges and shimmered with a purple glow, like a physical cosmic card, exuding an elegant yet dangerous deterrent force.

Zeta pushed his hands forward, and the purple playing cards shot out like arrows.

Each missile tore through the air, emitting a piercing whistle, its target aimed directly at the core of Bruton—wherever the missile passed, the space was briefly tinged with a dazzling purple light.

Bruton was clearly not going to back down; its antennae flashed at a high frequency again, and the ripples in space boiled violently.

This time, those ripples coalesced into equally sharp, dark energy pulses, accompanied by the hum of collapsing space, heading towards Zeta's purple missile.

In an instant, a shocking exchange of fire erupted in the center of the battlefield!