The first rays of dawn filtered through the curtains as Firefly opened her eyes. She hadn't slept, instead watching the boy beside her all night—his head nestled against her chest, messy hair tangled in her fingers, sleeping as innocently as a child.
She dressed quietly: a snow-white shirt, black shoulder cape, smoothing the wrinkles from her azure skirt. Sitting by the mirror, she fastened her hairpin, then paused to gaze at Anming's peaceful face.
Leaning down, she kissed his forehead.
"I'm leaving now."
"Don't forget me. Keep loving me."
Her steps faltered as she reached the door. She glanced back—only to find Anming's eyes wide open.
"Idiot," Firefly whispered, tears glinting as she dashed back, tackling him onto the bed. Their farewell kiss burned fiercer than supernovae.
Later, Aboard the Stellaron Hunters' Ship
"You're 17 minutes late." Silver Wolf's fingers danced across holographic controls. "The IPC's cross-galactic artillery is locked on Jarilo. No escape now."
She side-eyed Firefly's wobbly legs and smirked. If that bastard hurt her, I'd nuke his funeral.
"Silver Wolf."
"Hm?"
"I'm… strong now."
Before Silver Wolf could react, golden flames erupted across the cosmos.
The Molten Knight's wings blazed like twin suns, eclipsing the galaxy itself. IPC sensors screamed—ENERGY READINGS: ∞—before exploding.
"Fire at will!"
"Sir, the target's output—it's rewriting physics!"
Firefly's voice cut through the chaos, gentle yet unyielding:
"I will ignite the stars."
Her swords carved spatial rifts into black holes, swallowing the IPC fleet whole. When she returned to the ship, only embers remained of the blockade.
Silver Wolf stared at the empty radar. "You… dated and came back as a god?!"
Jarilo-VI, Aftermath
"Your fleet's fireworks were spectacular," Stelle deadpanned, mouth full of popcorn.
Topaz adjusted her gloves, unfazed. "My contract only covered economic aid. Explosions are… extracurricular."
Nearby, Qingque wailed over her vaporized star skiff. "My baby! My beautiful gambling den on wheels!"
Anming rubbed his neck. "Sorry, Firefly's… enthusiastic about goodbyes."
As the Astral Express prepared to depart, he glanced skyward. Somewhere beyond the stars, a golden glow still lingered—a promise etched in superheated stardust.
Next Stop: The Xianzhou Luofu
The dream kiss on Firefly's finger pulsed faintly. For the first time in centuries, the firefly chasing illusions finally held a star of her own.