Manager, give me a membership card too!

Just a day earlier, Regius had experienced the most powerless moment of his life.

Their main force was wiped out, the enemy fleet surrounded their home base, and even issued a death notice. Meanwhile, the people they had always vowed to protect, under the enemy's incredibly clumsy guidance, began to storm the Administration Bureau that was protecting them, roaring angrily at their guardians.

Regius wanted to do something to salvage this precarious situation. But as a lieutenant general, he had no means to resist his opponent.

The orbital defense platform was destroyed by concentrated fire the moment the enemy appeared. Any anti-aircraft artillery on the ground that dared to fire would be met with a retaliatory saturation bombardment. If Midzhilda hadn't activated its planetary shield in time, it would probably have fallen long ago.

Only a fleet can fight against another fleet. Regius had no air units except for a few dilapidated ships under repair on the ground. Although he was determined to kill the enemy, he was powerless to turn the tide. He could only sit dejectedly in his office, listening to the increasingly noisy protests around him, and silently staring at the countdown in front of him.

Just when even Regius was helpless and could only silently await the end, there was a knock on his door. And the person knocking on his door was none other than Jell Scarriedy.

Having just emerged from Chaldea prison, Zell Scalierdi, bearing the marks of his internal injuries that had just been healed, got straight to the point and explained his purpose to Regius.

Through long-term research and exploration, he discovered a way to return to his birthplace, the legendary 'Lost City, Al-Hazard'. The only regret was that this method was a one-time thing. Once you went, you could never come back.

He had already locked this method away at the very bottom of the archives. But now, it might be their only hope of gaining the upper hand.

Initially, Regius didn't trust the criminal he had always secretly despised, always feeling that the other party had some ulterior motive. But a single sentence from this mad scientist made Regius reluctantly agree to this desperate measure.

“I am a man of unimaginable sin, having committed countless evils, and I will not stop now. Only under your protection can I do these things without fear of waking up one day to be caught and hanged. Only if you live, and the Time and Space Administration lives, can I live. I do all this not for you, but for myself.”

Despite feeling uneasy about this seemingly irrefutable reason, Regius still began his preparations after obtaining the teleportation device (made by Chaldea) from Scaliedie.

If you want to go fishing, unless you're the reincarnation of Jiang Ziya, you must prepare enough bait to attract fish.

In Scully Eddie's words, feigning weakness and proposing the signing of a peace treaty was a very sweet bait. To ensure the other side took the bait and didn't reveal any flaws later, those attending the peace treaty meeting had to be truly capable and hold high positions; only in this way could they distract the invaders.

To ensure that Rorschach wouldn't discover anything amiss, Regius, after arranging his own affairs, searched through the night for all those who shared his ideals and were willing to sacrifice their lives for the Bureau.

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. With the collapse of the Time and Space Administration, the higher-ups will likely meet a bad end; death is the most comfortable outcome. Having personally destroyed countless regimes, the administration's leaders are well aware of their current predicament. Since they're going to die anyway, they might as well die a glorious death.

If the plan succeeds, not only will he be remembered in history, but his family and subordinates will also receive rewards and care from the Administration Bureau.

Thus, apart from a small number of cowardly individuals who were killed on the spot by Regius under the pretext of preventing the plan from being leaked, most of the people he found agreed to the plan and began their own preparations.

Regius, having prepared the 'bait,' did not rest but instead headed to his next destination without stopping.

圣王教会

Besides bait, to successfully catch a fish, he also needs a sturdy enough fishing rod to fight off the fish's struggles.

The current Pope of the Holy King Church, an SSS-level Archmage, a legendary figure in the human world proficient in healing and protective spells, Ulysses II is the perfect choice.

To Regius's surprise, Ulysses II, who had always been at odds with him due to differing political views, agreed to this certain death mission without much hesitation. He even revealed a secret to him.

The Holy King Church has always kept a secret fleet, small in number but large enough to launch an attack on the enemy surrounding Kuranagang and disrupt their formation.

Upon receiving this news, Regius was naturally overjoyed. With a sturdy fishing rod like Ulysses II, even that terrifying man should be able to be held off until the teleportation was activated.

Once the teleportation begins, the spatial storm unleashed by the time-space portal will be enough to prevent anyone from escaping. Even legendary gods would be trapped in that ancient, lost city, suffering eternal imprisonment.

At that time, the Chaldea fleet, which will suddenly lose its leader, will inevitably be in a state of chaos for a short period of time. Then, when the hidden fleet of the Holy King Church attacks, the enemy forces, which have lost their command, will most likely choose to retreat. The Time and Space Administration will also gain a valuable breathing space to regroup and repel the invading enemy.

Regius's idea was wonderful, but the reality was so harsh that he could hardly accept it.

Leaving aside what the Azure Fleet's ship girls and his subordinates would become if Luo Xia were truly missing—they'd probably be ready to tear this planet apart—it's worth noting that all of this was actually under Luo Xia's control all along.

"It was you! You were the one who instructed Scarlett to deceive me! What exactly are you trying to do?!"

As Regius relived everything that had happened yesterday, cold sweat poured down his forehead like rain. Only now did he realize what a foolish thing he had done.

He had bound most of the Bureau's top officials, along with a pope from the Holy King Church, and handed them over to this terrifying man. Thinking that the other side would undoubtedly deploy a large force at the teleportation destination to capture them, Regius's first reaction was to use telepathy to shout to Ulysses II, who was maintaining a shield beside him:

"Your Majesty, we've fallen into a trap! This man has outmaneuvered me. We must relay this message back to Kurana. Once the teleportation ends and the spacetime storm dissipates, we will buy you time. With your strength, you are sure to escape successfully. Please find an opportunity to return to Midzilda with these people. The future of the Administration rests on your shoulders! Your Majesty? Your Majesty?"

Regius anxiously called out to Ulysses II, who was not far away, but for some reason, his telepathic communication was met with no response, as if a stone had sunk into the sea. Just as the general hesitated whether to say it aloud, an unexpected voice appeared in his telepathic channel.

"Old Master Ulysses, General Regius is calling you. Aren't you going to respond?"

That voice?!

Looking at the smiling man outside the shield with a look of horror, Regius hadn't even reacted when the shield that had been blocking the man's advance and had been used as a protective umbrella by them suddenly turned into countless specks of light and slowly dissipated.

At the same time, a feeling of tightness came from Regius's body. Several rings shimmering with soft white light bound him tightly to Senator Mead, who had been supporting him to prevent him from falling, like a crab tied with a rope, unable to move.

Not only Regius, but all the Mead councilors present were bound hand and foot to varying degrees by the white aura, turning them into lambs to the slaughter. Among this group, the only one unaffected by the binding magic was Ulysses II, the current Pope of the Holy King Church, who had previously erected a defensive shield to block Rorschach's advance.

Regius felt the familiar yet unfamiliar magical fluctuations on his body with disbelief, and slowly turned his head toward the center of the conference room.

"Your Majesty, you?!"

Ignoring Regius's desperate cries, which sounded like the sky had fallen, Ulysses, holding the white jade scepter, lowered his eyes slightly, avoiding direct eye contact with Rorschach, and slowly moved closer to him. His steps, though slow, carried a strange rhythm, as if he were performing some solemn and sacred ritual, causing the surrounding onlookers to instinctively hold their breath.

Step by step, Ulysses approached Rorschach and respectfully held up the white jade scepter with both hands. In front of everyone present, he knelt down and lowered his head, raising the scepter to Rorschach.

"My lord."

Chapter 342 Miracle

Chapter 342 Miracle

The war ended, and a treaty maintaining friendship and peace was concluded under the witness of the Holy King Church.

The Time and Space Administration and the Human Innovation Alliance reached a settlement and used this as an opportunity to integrate into a more powerful organization, jointly fighting against various evil forces hidden in this universe and using their own strength to maintain peace and order in this star sector.

The Human Existence Preservation Agency, Phineas Chaldea, will be the new name of the Time and Space Administration. All personnel, units, institutions, and armed forces that originally belonged to the Time and Space Administration will be transferred to Chaldea and reassigned after reconsideration.

Although ordinary civilians were unaware of the treaty's specifics and didn't care what the Administration's name had become, the sight of the warships slowly flying away from Kuranagang in the sky secretly brought them a sense of relief. After all, not everyone could live a normal life nonchalantly with a dark cannon barrel pointed at their head.

The lives of the people of Midzhilda have returned to their usual rhythm. Apart from the fact that the police patrolling the streets have some mechanical puppets around them, nothing much has changed. Even the various exorbitant taxes and levies have been reduced.

However, for others, the situation has now undergone a dramatic reversal.

A group of high-ranking Meadians, led by Regius, are on trial for treason, war, crimes against humanity, corruption, abuse of power, and harboring criminals. They are currently serving their sentences in a secret prison, paying the price for everything they did in the past.

As a Level 1 wanted criminal, Jail Sculliedy was also imprisoned, and the dark, sunless cell would be his only refuge for the rest of his life. From then on, the word "freedom" would be a thing of the past for him.

Precia Testarossa, a Level 1 wanted criminal, surrendered herself to the People's Revolutionary Alliance police department several months ago.

After a reinvestigation by the Chaldea Legal Department, it was found that the main responsibility for the initial experiment failure did not lie with her. Rather, it was due to her superiors forcibly accelerating the experiment in pursuit of better results. After Precia noticed something was wrong, they ignored her warnings and forced her to continue the experiment, ultimately leading to disastrous consequences and causing significant casualties.

As for Fate, the artificial life form illegally created by Precia through the "F·A·T·E Project," she publicly expressed her forgiveness for Precia's actions and waived any legal responsibility. Finally, under the auspices of the Chaldea Civil Justice Department, she formally established an adoption relationship with Precia and became her legal child.

In conclusion, after careful deliberation, the Chaldea Legal Department decided to revoke Precia Testarossa's status as a Level 1 Time-Space Wanted Criminal, release her in court, and restore her freedom.

Lindy Harlowen, former admiral of the Time-Space Administration Bureau and captain of the Dimensional Fleet battleship 'Athha,' resigned from her position and went to Kurana, the capital of Midgard, to take on the administrative management of Chaldea there. The battleship Athha was handed over to the Azure Fleet for temporary management until her son, Chrono Harlowen, came of age and inherited the ship.

The Holy King's Church announced that it has found a path to the lost city of Al-Hazard and will soon organize a team to excavate ancient ruins and fill in historical gaps. Pope Ulysses II has called upon scholars from Midzilda to join the expedition, working together to reconstruct the true face of this ancient civilization and present the truth of history to the people...

In the dimly lit space, three brains, submerged in glass jars, floated silently, surrounded by various electronic tubes and instruments. Under the soft white light, the slowly writhing patterns on the surface of the three brains were clearly visible, evoking a strange sense of unease in the viewer.

"The Holy King has reappeared. After disappearing for countless years, the Holy King of Belka has once again descended upon this world."

"The sycophants of the Holy King's Church have already submitted to the new Holy King and helped him conquer Midgold."

"Back in the distant 'old days,' the three of us chose to overthrow the Holy King and establish the Time and Space Administration to replace him because Belka had lost his rule. But now, we have become the Holy King's enemies. This is truly..."

"Satire."

An aged voice, filled with emotion, emanated from the speaker beneath the glass jar, echoing throughout the empty room.

"In order to protect the peace and order of the dimensional ocean, we have abandoned our physical bodies and survived in this ugly form until now. With the power of the Time and Space Administration, we have eliminated countless evils and filth. If you give us some more time, we will surely restore the prosperity and glory of the ancient Belka era and let that golden age reappear."

"But now all of that has vanished. The Time and Space Administration is gone, Regius is dead, the Supreme Council is meaningless, and we have lost our value to continue living."

Bubbles churned, and the brains seemed to sink into some kind of melancholy. With their silence, the room fell silent once more. But soon, new sounds filled the room.

That was the crisp sound of shoes stomping on the ground, a sound that brains had never heard before.

Who are you? Why have you come here?

As the strangers approached, the brains cried out their questions. But their inquiries received no response; instead, only a pair of crimson eyes gleamed in the darkness.

"Bang~ Bang bang~!"

.............................................

A gentle breeze wafted by, softly lifting a corner of the curtains. Feeling the comfort of the breeze on his cheeks, Hayate Yagami, lying on his bed in his bedroom, slowly opened his eyes.

"Um... what am I doing...?"

Raising her hand, she rubbed her eyes, which were slightly dry from sleeping too long. The girl stared blankly at the familiar ceiling above her head, lost in the reverie of just waking up.

However, the next second, a look of surprise appeared on Hayate Yagami's face. A strange feeling was slowly emerging in her mind.

It was a tingling sensation with a slight stinging pain, which was continuously emanating from her lower body, stimulating Hayate Yagami's nerves.

A flicker of disbelief crossed her clear eyes. She slightly raised her head, looking at the foot of her bed with a mixture of longing and fear. There, precisely, lay the girl's legs.

Although Hayate Yagami lost control of her legs from birth and relied on a wheelchair to move around normally, her primal instincts passed down through millennia allowed her to learn how to manipulate these natural limbs without any outside help.

With a slightly uneasy expression, Hayate tentatively tried to move her legs. Almost the next second after she had this thought, a wave of tingling and pain several times more intense than before swept through the girl's mind. However, instead of showing any pain, Hayate Yagami's face blossomed into an extremely surprised smile.

Therefore, her leg moved!

Although it was only a tiny movement, perhaps less than a centimeter, it was a novel sensation that Jifeng, who had been unable to walk since childhood, had never experienced before. And this represented a possibility that a young girl would never dare to even imagine, let alone dream of.

Her condition has improved!

These legs, which were more like ornaments than limbs, have regained their normal function.

Hayate Yagami's face was filled with unbridled joy and excitement. She threw off the blanket covering her, revealing her slender legs clad in white stockings.

Feeling the slight envelopment of his legs by the stockings, Hayate Yagami endured the waves of pain as he slowly moved his legs from the center of the bed to the edge.

She took a slight breath. This simple action, which seemed so easy to an ordinary person, had almost exhausted Hayate Yagami's strength. However, feeling the strange sensations coming from her legs, the girl felt endless power surging from the depths of her soul, allowing her to recover her condition very quickly.

After resting for a few minutes, Hayate Yagami tentatively moved his body and touched the ground with the toes of his feet, which were covered by white stockings.

pain!

It hurts!

It hurts so much!

The girl's feet arched slightly involuntarily due to the intense pain, but Gale did not stop his movements. Instead, he forcibly suppressed his instincts and touched the ground with his toes again.

Compared to the first time, the reaction this time was much gentler.

Hayate Yagami kept testing the limits of his legs, just like the Little Mermaid walking out of the sea, experiencing the joy that came from the pain in his legs.

Finally, after about fifteen minutes, Hayate Yagami was able to place both feet completely on the floor, and the pain and numbness in her legs had subsided considerably and become tolerable.

His feet, encased in pristine white stockings, gently rubbed against the cool floor. Hayate Yagami tilted his head slightly, a blissful grin spreading across his face.

I can feel my legs again, I'm cured, I can...

The girl's gaze shifted to a pair of neatly arranged blue plush slippers by the bed, and a look of longing crept across her face.

walk...

I want to walk...

I want to walk, run, and jump like a normal person, so that when I go out with others, they don't have to stop and wait for me to catch up with them.

I want...

Subconsciously swallowing, Yagami Hayate stared intently at the fluffy slippers beside her bed. She awkwardly stretched out her stiff legs and reached for the slippers.

First there was one, then two.

Looking at the slippers that were securely slipped onto his feet, Hayate Yagami couldn't help but shed tears.

For the first time in her life, she put on her shoes without the help of her own hands. What would be a simple task for an ordinary person was something she could never have accomplished before, but now, she had done it.

Silently wiping away her tears of excitement, she knew it wasn't time to celebrate yet, because there were more important things for her to do.

Silently straightening her legs, Hayate Yagami gathered the last of her strength. Taking a deep breath, the girl's slender arms braced against the edge of the bed, and she slowly and forcefully lifted her body.

As the height increased, the girl's center of gravity shifted from her waist to her legs. Her feet, which had gradually adapted, once again voiced a 'serious' protest, accusing their owner of 'not taking care' of them.

However, Hayate Yagami ignored her physical discomfort. She gritted her teeth and endured the pain in her lower body while holding onto the armrest of the wheelchair placed beside the bed. Slowly, tremblingly, she stood up little by little.

"I... I'm standing up?!"

Gazing upon this unprecedented 'landscape,' the sound of the wind trembled. So many years had passed, so many years of suffering, so many years of despair. She had stood up!

Having finally realized her long-held dream, Hayate Yagami was somewhat unsure whether she was in reality or dreaming. However, for Hayate, who had always longed to walk like a normal person since childhood, whether it was reality or a dream was no longer important. What mattered most was experiencing things she had never experienced before.

"I stood up. I'm going to tell Brother Rorschach, I'm going to tell Nanoha, I'm going to tell Fate, I'm going to tell everyone, I can... I can..."

Muttering excitedly to himself, Hayate Yagami leaned against the wall of his room and slowly raised his right leg.

step!

Although she wobbled a little, Hayate Yagami still took her first step in life. Feeling this unprecedented sensation, the girl smiled and lifted her other leg.