Demonic Po*nstar System Chapter 777: Fangirl Mode

Nyx remained frozen, hands still covering her mouth, her eyes wide as moons. The sound she’d made moments ago still hung in the air of the cathedral, as silence had fallen over everyone since.

"Nyx?" Aria ventured.

"That's Scarlet!!" Nyx exclaimed again, as if repeating it would solidify the reality. "That's Scarlet the Flame Monarch. Here, at our dungeon! Standing beside Mother! At OUR dungeon!!!"

"You've already said that!" Luna scoffed.

"At OUR dungeon, Luna!"

Kaiden observed his space-obsessed companion's unraveling from his position on the throne, a memory surfacing, ancient enough to feel like it belonged to a different existence.

A sun-drenched afternoon. Cones of ice cream. A shy, pink-haired girl walking beside him, mere moments before her first adult photoshoot, attempting to distract herself from the impending nudity before a film crew.

"Who is your favorite awakened person?" he had inquired. It was a casual question, meant to keep her talking.

"Mine is Scarlet."

The way she had uttered the name, laden with both reverence and deep longing.

"She's the most badass woman I've ever witnessed. Scarlet embodies everything I aspire to be..."

Back then, Nyx was a twenty-year-old who had all but abandoned hope of ever awakening. She spent hours watching videos of Scarlet incinerating monsters and soaring through the heavens like a celestial body, seeing in that powerful woman the life she believed would forever elude her.

Now, Nyx herself was the Space Valkyrie, the very embodiment of Space. One of the most promising new awakenings on the continent, standing within a dungeon she helped secure, surrounded by allies capable of decimating a small army.

Yet, she was losing her composure because her lifelong idol stood at the threshold.

"Some things never change," Kaiden mused, a smile gracing his lips.

"Alright," he declared, rising from the throne. Alice shifted on his lap, her small hands gripping his shirt as he stood. "Let's go meet her."

...

The Nightclaws swiftly transported them back through the passageway. The familiar sensation of dark wings beating, the accompanying chirps of their escorts, the sensation of passing through chokeholds, and the distinct temperature shift as they transitioned from the abyssal depths. Nyx spent the entire journey trembling, squealing, and murmuring to herself.

"Do I look alright? Is there any dirt on my face? Luna, tell me, is there dirt on my face?"

"No, but when she sees you, she’s going to ask why we brought a farm animal with us."

"Luna," Kaiden's deep, commanding voice interrupted.

"O-old habits die hard." The recent reprimand for her poor conduct still echoed physically on her body.

They landed in the Safe Zone, and the dungeon gate materialized before them, torrents of daylight piercing the abyssal gloom.

The spectacle that greeted them caused Kaiden to slow his pace.

Two women stood at the entrance.

To the left stood Vespera Ashborn, the Shadow Monarch. Her posture was impeccably composed and unyielding, her crimson gaze sweeping the perimeter she had meticulously organized with silent authority. The shadows at her feet pooled with an unnatural thickness, as if the very ground recognized and deferred to her presence.

To the right was Scarlet.

In person, the image glimpsed through the scrying device paled in comparison. The crimson suit jacket appeared even sharper, tailored as if crafted specifically for the wearer, enabling her to stride from a magazine cover onto a battlefield without a moment’s wardrobe change. The black turtleneck beneath clung to her athletic physique, lean and sculpted – the kind of form equally at home sprinting through a dungeon break or gracing a fashion runway. Her deep red hair, escaping a loose knot at her nape, caught the light, and her molten orange eyes radiated an innate warmth.

Where Vespera exuded stillness and shadow, Scarlet radiated barely contained heat. She stood with one hip jutting slightly, hands tucked into her jacket pockets, a subtle smirk already playing on her lips as she watched their approach.

The Shadow Monarch and the Flame Monarch. Standing together.

If an artist were to capture a portrait of two of the nation's most formidable women, this scene would compose an absolutely stunning tableau.

Nyx emitted a high-pitched squeal, akin to a kettle reaching its boiling point.

Scarlet’s grin widened as the group crossed the threshold. Her gaze swept over them, alight with open curiosity and palpable amusement, her furnace-bright eyes lingering on each face in turn.

"So, I finally get to meet the whole crew."

Her voice was a perfect match for her presence: relaxed, unhurried, and disconcertingly at ease.

Vespera's gaze remained fixed on the perimeter. "You've already seen them up close. You were in the audience when the President presented their medals."

"Pay no mind to this grumpy woman, everyone," Scarlet dismissed with a wave, offering a playful wink towards the Valkyrie currently experiencing an emotional overload.

Vespera's red eyes flickered sideways. The glare she directed at Scarlet possessed a potency that could have withered flowers.

Instead of flinching or retreating, as any creature with a modicum of self-preservation instinct might, she simply met Vespera's stare and returned the wink.

Nyx surged forward, eclipsing anyone else's chance to speak. The months of meticulous planning and battlefield command she'd cultivated had completely evaporated. Her eyes blazed, hands clasped tightly over her chest, and her voice ascended to a pitch never before heard by her companions.

"I'm Nyx! The Space Valkyrie! And I'm just so incredibly thrilled... you have no idea! I've devoured every recorded fight of yours, I know your thermal lance technique by heart, and I've been following you since even before my awakening-"

"Breathe, darling." Scarlet opened her arms, an informal gesture that dispelled any need for rigid introductions.

Nyx's eyes widened, a small squeak escaping her as she practically flew into the embrace.

The hug was instant and all-encompassing. Nyx burrowed against the Flame Monarch with the fervent intensity of a fan who spent years watching from afar, never truly believing this moment would arrive.

Scarlet staggered back slightly from the force of the impact, her eyebrows arching.

"Aren't you quite a big girl?" she inquired, her gaze drifting down to the form pressed against her.

Nyx giggled into Scarlet's shoulder. "It's probably all the milk I drank growing up!"

"Milk?" Scarlet erupted in laughter. "If only it were that simple... I suspect your genetics played a rather amusing trick on the female form, sweetie."

Despite her jest, Scarlet's expression remained relaxed and self-assured, radiating an unshakeable confidence in her own beauty. There wasn't a trace of insecurity to be found.

She lifted a hand, resting it gently on Nyx's pink hair. "I'm truly honored to have such a devoted fan."

Nyx squealed again, her grip tightening.

"Big brother," Alice's voice chimed in, her tone one of innocent curiosity. "Are you losing a wife?"

Kaiden's hand found the top of her head.

"No, Alice."

She melted into the comforting headpats, the question dissolving from her mind.

Luna crossed her arms, observing the scene with a narrowed gaze.

"I mean, I always knew you were odd, but being a lesbian-"

"Shut it!" Nyx hissed, the vehemence of her retort capable of shattering the sound barrier. She remained locked in the hug, her embrace intensifying as if Luna's words had triggered a defense mechanism expressed through sheer gripping power.

Scarlet let out a genuine, warm laugh, clearly amused by the unfolding chaos.

"Quite a lively group, aren't you?"

Aria then spoke, stepping in to salvage some semblance of group decorum. "I apologize for them. My two Valkyrie friends are rather peculiar."

Scarlet's intensely bright eyes shifted to Aria, a spark of mischief glinting within them. "Being 'normal' is dreadfully overrated. Just ask your producers about that." Her head tilted slightly. "Also, while I might not have followed your content extensively, I have perused certain articles. So, I must inquire: are you truly in a position to speak, 'Yandere Princess'?"

Nyx's giggles continued from within the embrace, her fangirl enthusiasm undiminished, her grip unwavering.

Aria's silver eyes narrowed.

"Humans are peculiar beings," Bastet's voice commented from near the dais, her tail giving a single, measured swish.

"Let them be," Calypso advised, observing the spectacle with crossed arms and a broad smile. "It's merely part of their behavioral repertoire. They forge bonds through shared acts of delightful madness."

Scarlet's attention turned towards the pair, her focus sharpening with palpable interest.