From Apocalypse To Entertainment Circle (BL) Chapter 156: Reunion in Blood and Steel

Old Master Lan required no further inquiry; the unfolding scene had already provided all the answers.

Despite General Lan's confidence in his army and elite special forces, the battle displayed on the screen was beyond any normal human capacity.

A young girl, delicate as a doll with an innocent facade, stood at its epicenter.

Wielding a dagger as long as a sword, she carved a bloody path through a field of fallen foes.

Kira's speed defied comprehension. The cameras could only capture the faintest blur of her shadow when she momentarily eased her pace to deliver a strike.

Yet, the grotesque, dark entities were no less formidable than her.

Old Master Lan mused that any other individual attempting to confront these monsters would be annihilated within two moves—at best. Even this was a generous estimation; more likely, death would come before comprehension.

A cold sweat beaded on General Lan's brow. Across years of conflict and personal bloodshed, he had never experienced such terror, not even when taking his first life.

Suddenly, the doors were thrown open.

A man in a meticulously tailored suit entered, his countenance severe and unyielding. Approximately ten others, diverse in age, appearance, and origin, followed in his wake.

"Minister Liang Wei," General Lan stated, his voice strained. "What brings you here?"

Liang Wei's gaze shifted to the colossal screen, his eyes widening involuntarily.

For a brief instant, palpable unease flashed across his features as he observed the young girl battling amidst the monstrous horde.

However, his position as a shadow minister was not attained by chance.

The expression vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"I am acting under orders from a higher authority," he declared calmly, turning to face General Lan. "I have brought the Special Investigation Team to assess the situation and gather intelligence on our adversaries. Should—"

He paused, the gravity of his subsequent statement evident.

But only momentarily.

"—Should your special forces prove incapable of containing the creatures," he continued evenly, "my team will possess adequate data to assume control."

Honestly, General Lan held scant regard for Liang Wei's pronouncements—or his presence.

As the commander of the Special Forces, a unit comprising individuals with exceptional abilities, his presence to oversee the battle and intervene if required was logical.

Naturally, reservations lingered regarding the decision to withhold the team's deployment against the monsters. Yet, he was not foolish.

No one divulges their ultimate assets without complete situational awareness, confirmed intelligence, and thorough preparation.

For the present, all he could do... was hope.

Hope that Sian and Kira would succeed in vanquishing these abominations—and liberating humanity from them permanently.

Liang Wei took a seat, the others following suit.

All attention converged upon the massive screen dominating the hall.

A heavy, oppressive silence descended upon the chamber—over thirty individuals present, yet not a soul dared to disturb the quiet.

---

In the desolate expanse of the desert, Kira continued to dance across the battlefield, severing the heads of the smaller, repulsive entities.

"Kira, take care of the ones on your right."

"Your right, genius—not the monster's orientation."

"Ugh, Boss, you know my sense of direction is dreadful. You're doing this intentionally."

"Proceed. Clear them out and forge a path for me. Ensure the creature's focus remains on you—not me."

Their synergy was impeccable, so fluid it scarcely needed verbal cues. Even Sian's directives were terse and elliptical, a testament to their shared history of countless battles fought side-by-side. They comprehended each other's strategies and rhythms with innate understanding.

And yet... Kira remained unequivocally Kira.

Dramatic, loquacious, and utterly incapable of maintaining silence amidst combat.

"Boss, observe! My visage is now coated in vile, black ichor—ugh, utterly repulsive."

She swiped at her cheek with her elbow and continued,

"How can you subject a delicate, beautiful maiden like myself to such savage beasts? Boss, look—they are ganging up on me."

With a swift, single blow, she dispatched two adversaries, then positioned herself before Sian, her features contorted into an expression of exaggerated distress.

"Boss, they are too numerous... my limbs are beginning to ache."

Despite her incessant complaints and performative suffering, the effervescent smile on her countenance never faltered—and her movements never ceased, not for an instant, as she spun to intercept a creature attempting to flank Sian.

Sian almost chuckled.

The tableau was so familiar it evoked a sense of nostalgia.

Kira had always chattered incessantly during their engagements—until that brutish bear would administer a blow to her head. Only then would she fall silent... and retreat to him, whimpering about being mistreated.

"Quit your whining," Sian stated, his tone sharp. "Has your power waned to the point where you can't even deal with a few insignificant pests?"

His gaze was cool, bordering on detached—yet a different emotion flickered within his amber eyes.

To be truthful... it had been an incredibly long time since he had genuinely felt this alive.

Encountering Kira once more—fighting by her side as they had in the past—had unearthed a cascade of both poignant and cherished recollections.

The profound sentiment of reuniting with fellow warriors... with brothers who had been forged through the crucible of combat... is an experience that remains largely incomprehensible to those who have not endured it firsthand.

A subtle, nearly imperceptible smile graced his features as he looked at her, a delicate expression that hinted at a complex tangle of feelings.

"If you don't eliminate them within the next ten minutes," he declared with perfect composure, "you'll be deprived of strawberry cake for an entire month. Do you comprehend?"

Kira's large, innocent eyes flew open in sheer panic, the rims beginning to turn a rosy hue.

"W-What?! Boss, that's utterly ruthless! Completely unjust!"

The instant the words escaped her lips, she launched herself forward like a speeding projectile—subduing the grotesque creatures with a surge of renewed vigor and an overwhelming display of might.

What remained unknown to both Sian and Kira... was that their entire exchange was being broadcast in real-time to the central conference hall—

where every individual present listened in absolute quietude...

witnessing them bicker and jest like young children amidst the chaos of a war zone.