Miss Witch Doesn't Want to Become a Songstress-Chapter 202.2

Burning Iron Energy Headquarters.

Compared to the bustling activity outside, the interior was eerily quiet and cold, likely due to the heavy security. The guards, influenced by the atmosphere, rarely spoke.

Inside the fortified underground bunker, Brod watched the screens displaying various images and information. Occasionally, he contacted regional leaders to adjust their actions, while leaving the rest to the commanders within the corporation.

“Third mech squad has breached A3 and reached A2. Currently encountering minor enemy resistance. Handling in progress.”

“B5 guard post under bombardment from enemy rear B1. Personnel are relocating, seeking suitable cover.”

“Central command requests permission to deploy long-range rockets to clear enemy position at C2 bell tower.”

Various reports came in one after another, and Brod handled them methodically. However, he was starting to feel the strain. After all, he had been under intense pressure for an entire day.

It seemed he would have to delegate some authority to the frontline commanders. Pushing himself further wouldn’t be wise. He needed to conserve some energy.

With this in mind, he called for his adjutant, planning to rest for the day.

Removing his headphones, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment. Just then, the door to the conference room slid open, and light footsteps entered. Though the sound was faint, it was discernable in the vast, quiet room.

Was it the adjutant? Brod prepared to stand up, but something felt off. His adjutant’s footsteps were never this light. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he rolled off the chair.

With swift movements, he drew a pistol hidden under the table, flipped over, and crouched, aiming and firing in one fluid motion.

The bullet hit the figure in the room, but it didn’t have the intended effect.

A pale blue barrier appeared in the air, the bullet embedding itself in it before falling to the ground with a clatter.

Behind the barrier stood a petite figure. She didn’t hide her appearance, simply standing there quietly, one hand raised, blue sand-like particles floating around her. With a gentle exhale, the particles drifted toward Brod, freezing him in place like a statue.

The girl glanced around, curiously examining the surroundings before approaching Brod. She took the gun from his hand and set it aside.

"Are you the leader of Burning Iron Energy?" Her voice was clear, like a mountain spring, revealing her youth and delicate beauty.

"I am," Brod finally managed to move, stepping back and frowning as he answered.

Though wary, the girl didn’t seem intent on killing him, so he decided not to provoke her.

"I apologize for the sudden visit, but I have some thoughts I’d like to share with you," the girl said, sitting across the conference table and looking directly at the man.

"You can speak," Brod’s tension eased slightly, and he sat back down.

"I hope you can cease hostilities immediately and sit down with Black Hammer to negotiate the future of Lebion."

"Cease hostilities?" Brod shook his head slightly.

"Ceasing hostilities isn’t something we can just decide. You’re being naive, miss. The situation between us is like a war chariot hurtling toward an abyss. It won’t stop until one side is completely destroyed."

"Conflict won’t end just because we stop fighting. The current situation only allows one industrial group to survive in Lebion."

If it weren’t for the girl’s unpredictable strength, he wouldn’t have the patience to explain this.

"I understand the reason for your conflict," the girl replied, unsurprised.

"The continuous decline of Northern 2nd District has led to a shrinking market. As the remaining industrial group, you’re facing overcapacity. To survive, you have to eliminate your competitors, right?"

"If you understand, why are you suggesting something so naive?"

"Yes, it is naive," the girl seemed to agree with herself.

"But I still want to try."

"Because even if you defeat Black Hammer, your future is still a slow death. The population of Northern 2nd District won’t recover, and the Federation won’t support you. In the end, it’s just a matter of delaying the inevitable."

The black-haired girl sat upright in her chair, her dark blue dress complementing her blue eyes. Though not tall, she exuded a certain presence.

"So what? The affairs of our corporation aren’t for a little girl to worry about," Brod replied, growing impatient. By now, he had secretly activated a button under the table, alerting the guards.

The ceiling of the conference room suddenly opened, and black-and-red exoskeleton-armored soldiers descended. They raised their rifles and opened fire on the figure in the chair. At the same time, a dozen soldiers raised riot shields, covering Brod as he retreated.

After a burst of gunfire and smoke, the chair in front of the conference table was reduced to splinters, but there was no sign of blood. Just as the guards were wondering what had happened, the black-haired girl reappeared in front of Brod’s retreat path.

Compared to before, she now seemed more imposing. Her black hair reflected the firelight as she raised her hand, blue crystals forming into a silver blade.

"Open fire!" the guard captain immediately ordered, and another storm of bullets followed.

The bullets rained down, but they all missed. The girl’s figure flickered, as if turning into a phantom, passing through the hail of bullets and closing in on the guards.

The silver blade in her hand danced like a performance. Her dark blue dress swirled with the blade’s movements, her actions seemingly slow but leaving behind blue afterimages, as if three people were fighting at once. The arcs of her sword strikes sparked against the exoskeleton armor, and as she advanced, one elite soldier after another fell.

"This..." Even the experienced Brod was stunned by the scene.

She definitely wasn’t Sequence 6, maybe not even Sequence 5, as the Aijeka particle fluctuations weren’t strong. But in terms of magical utilization and combat skill, she was at the peak of what he had ever seen. It was hard to believe she was under 20.

Such a genius—he had never heard of her. She couldn’t be from Northern 2nd District. Even in the Central Star Region, such talent was extremely rare. What was she doing in this remote corner?

"Who are you?" Brod asked as the girl closed in, and the guards around him dwindled.

"Me?" The girl paused, about to answer.

Zzz—

A deep red particle beam shot through the ceiling, engulfing the spot where she had been standing.

Two deep red mechs tore through the ceiling, landing in the underground bunker. Their electroplated metal shells reflected the surrounding flames, and the roar of their internal power systems echoed as they used their mechanical arms to tear through the steel structures, shielding Brod and quickly leaping out to the surface.

As Brod was carried out by the mechs, breathing in the cool night air, a faint blue light rose from the ground, floating into the night sky.

She’s still alive? How did she survive a direct hit from the mech’s high-energy particle cannon? Brod was momentarily stunned, but the mechs beside him launched another attack.

First, the shoulder-mounted machine guns spun rapidly, raining bullets like a storm. Then, several more particle beams streaked across the night sky.

Despite the overwhelming firepower, it was like using a cannon to swat a fly. The agile figure dodged everything.

"What a nuisance. But you’re just one person," the mech pilot muttered, his helmet’s chip locking onto the constantly shifting figure and firing continuously.

First, two mechs, then all twelve mechs stationed at the headquarters took positions on high ground, firing into the sky. The night sky lit up like a fireworks display.

After dozens of seconds of continuous fire, the mechs’ weapons began to overheat, their firing rate dropping. Yet, the figure in the sky remained unharmed.

“So this is the limit of these mechs?”

Thilan thought to herself, slightly disappointed. She had expected a tougher challenge, but these older fourth-generation mechs had too many flaws.

After the novelty wore off, she stopped delaying. Her figure rose higher, like a shining morning star.

The Aijeka particles in the atmosphere slowed and stilled. The roaring mechs fell silent, their power systems shutting down. The Aijeka particles floated quietly in the night sky before gathering once more.

In the night sky, the black-haired, blue-eyed girl hovered amidst the flames, surrounded by countless drifting specks of light. These specks began to swirl, tracing the paths of the wind and stars, converging to form a massive moon.

Halt, condense, temporal strings, void melodies...

Finally, a gray-white full moon appeared in the sky. Under its light, frost spread across the ground. Wherever it reached, mechs shut down, guns fell silent, and the chaotic battlefield grew quiet.

"Dammit, what’s going on?"

Soldiers on the frontlines were shocked as their guns suddenly jammed. They stared at their enemies, unable to attack, but their foes were equally frustrated.

However, they soon realized this wasn’t just happening to them—the entire city was falling silent. Only the occasional crackle of flames remained. The gunfire and explosions gradually ceased.

"Is it... over?"

A severely injured soldier crawled out from a corner. His legs had been blown off, and he had been waiting to die. But now, the situation seemed to have changed, reigniting a sliver of hope. He struggled to pull out an emergency kit, spraying disinfectant on his wounds and gritting his teeth through the pain.

Civilians in the city, hearing the sudden silence, cautiously opened their doors and windows to look outside, wondering what had caused the ceasefire.

"Look, up there—the moon."

Compared to the usual moon, this gray-white full moon was enormous, almost as if it were within reach, exuding an overwhelming presence. Beneath its cold light, a black-haired girl stood bathed in moonlight, a faint lunar mark visible on her forehead as she gazed down at the city.

She closed her eyes, savoring this fresh yet unfamiliar feeling.

Though she had used her abilities before, today was different. This was the first time she had combined her two talents.

The Crystal of Convergence, represents condensation, crystallization, healing, and repair, and the Voice of Temporal Strings, represents the Songstress, time, dyed magic particles, and influencing hearts.

Originally, the Crystal of Convergence could only affect herself and a few nearby targets. But through the amplification and dyeing of the Voice of Temporal Strings, vast amounts of Aijeka particles took on the characteristics of her abilities, spreading across the entire city.

“Now, everyone should be able to calmly listen to my song and the future I envision.”

Just as the girl prepared to convey her thoughts and feelings to the people of the city, a deafening roar shattered the silence.

Deep within the Burning Iron Energy headquarters, a long-sealed structure slowly opened under the power of mechanical gates. With the grinding of gears and the hiss of steam engines, a long-dormant underground elevator rose to the surface, revealing a unique mech.

The mech’s silhouette was humanoid, but its joints were unlike any human’s. Its calves and feet were covered in heavy armor, with eight thrusters on each side. Its thighs were slimmer, giving the lower body a stable trapezoidal shape. The central torso was elongated and hexagonal, with thick armor on the shoulders, clearly housing heavy weapons.

The main color was steel gray, but the edges, shoulders, and head were painted in fiery red, giving the illusion of burning steel. Its exaggerated structure and sharp angles exuded the aura of a war machine, unlike the smoother, more ergonomic designs of modern mechs.

As the elevator reached the top, its frame collided against the rusted structure before coming to a halt. The mech’s indicator lights lit up one by one, as if it had come to life.

“Third Fleet, Sixteenth Division, codename ’Burning Iron-6412,’ requesting deployment.”

An aged voice echoed from the cockpit. The mech’s chest reactor activated, glowing with orange spiral patterns that began to rotate. Intense flames shot toward the center, constrained by a powerful force field.

Finally, a dazzling orange sphere formed in the center of the chest, its energy spreading throughout the mech, lighting up the Aijeka circuits inside and on its surface. The overwhelming magic fluctuations caused the surrounding steel structures to melt under the intense heat.

Even as everything around it warped and blurred in the scorching air, the mech remained unscathed, as if this were just the beginning.

Massive orange streams of heat erupted from the mech’s back, feet, and shoulders, lifting the colossal machine into the air, defying gravity.

"Finally, we’ve done it."