He went to discuss it with Alena. "No," she said, "that would be too unfair to Alice. She's done nothing to deserve being killed." A deep worry creased De Silva's face. "I'm terrified that if things continue like this, the City-State will be completely occupied by the Nine Stars United. History itself would be rewritten." Alena's face was also clouded with concern; she felt it was entirely possible. The Nine Stars United was now too powerful, and the City-State's former technological advantages were gradually disappearing. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her. "Since they have a person from the future in Vega, why don't we bring Alice out to help us?"
"You think things aren't chaotic enough?" De Silva rejected the idea.
"Could the outcome be any worse than it is now?" Alena retorted.
"If we lose, we lose everything. The City-State will cease to exist."
De Silva thought for a long time before finally agreeing. He immediately rushed to the Eagle's Nest. Alice, accompanied by Ares and Hill, was living a decent life. She often told them stories of the past, and the two young men would listen with rapt attention, sometimes angry, sometimes sad. On this day, she was telling the story of how she and her brother were imprisoned in the "Doomsday Castle." De Silva suddenly burst in. Ares, engrossed in the story, was very unhappy about the interruption. "What are you doing here?"
De Silva burst in and declared dramatically, "Alice, things outside are in absolute chaos. It's time for you to step up."
"You were the ones who wanted to lock Vega and me up, and now you want me to step up? I really don't understand."
"It's precisely because Vega joined the Nine Stars United that the situation has become what it is today."
"Ah! She didn't go back to Mexico?"
"Didn't Daechir tell you?" De Silva retorted, his eyes wide.
Alice shook her head. "She only said she was going to bring Vega back, not where she was."
"It's a shame she can't come back herself!"
"What do you mean?"
"She's been captured by the Nine Stars United. And what's terrible is, she borrowed my…" Before he could finish, Ares cried out, "Daechir was really captured?"
"Yes, and she borrowed…" He was cut off again as Ares shouted with glee, "This is great! I'm free! That wretched woman finally got what was coming to her!"
"Can you please let me finish?" De Silva said angrily. "Go ahead! I'm not covering your mouth," Ares shot back. Alice made a gesture. "I know what you're going to say."
Without Daechir, Ares and the others once again left the Eagle's Nest. They didn't enter the City-State but settled in Tako Town instead. On the battlefield, the City-State was in constant retreat, having already lost nearly half its territory. Two members of the Grand Elder Council had submitted their resignations. De Silva and Alena were frantic; the enterprise they had worked so hard to build was on the verge of collapsing into nothing. Alice didn't want to see this happen either and offered several ideas, but each was thwarted by the Nine Stars United.
Daechir was currently locked in a stone room. Her head was bowed, her hands were cuffed, and she looked utterly dejected. The stealth cloak had been confiscated by Ethan. Fortunately, Paitun visited her regularly, which gave her some comfort. One day, Paitun came again. She lifted her head, her beautiful eyes wide. "Can you do something for me?"
"Are you going to ask me to release you? I'm sorry, I can't do that."
"No, it's not about that."
"Then what is it? Tell me."
"The stealth cloak was borrowed from a friend of mine. I hope you can return it."
"Daechir, the cloak originally belonged to the Nine Stars United. It was Lady Uwa's."
"No, it belongs to the City-State. It was Amandine's cloak. He gave it to Uwa, and she returned it to his son." After a long silence, Paitun said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I still can't do it." Hearing his answer, Daechir shot to her feet, her voice laced with fury. "How is this any different from the Illuminati? You're robbers, just like them!" Paitun didn't reply, walking out with his head lowered. His heart was heavy. Through their time together, he had fallen in love with Daechir. But he could do nothing, for they belonged to different factions. As soon as he was outside, a hand clapped his shoulder. "Brother, you went to see her again?"
Paitun was silent. "Did she ask you to return her cloak?" Nandi continued. "How did you know?"
"I saw it on the surveillance monitors, of course!"
"Are you that bored? Constantly spying on me!" Paitun said, displeased.
Nandi glanced around, then whispered conspiratorially, "I know where the cloak is!"
"So what? Are you really thinking of returning it to the City-State?"
"Oh, so you don't want it!"
"We overthrew the Illuminati because of that stealth cloak. It's a strategic weapon. We can't just hand it over, or I'll become a traitor to the Nine Stars United." Nandi said happily, "Brother, it seems you haven't lost your mind after all." After they parted ways, Nandi walked to a corner and vanished. Ethan had given her the stealth cloak and ordered her to keep Paitun under surveillance. On Vega's advice, she was to find Ares to reprogram the two captured stealth robots. Taking a private jet, she arrived in Tako Town. Although she had been many times, she was still captivated by its exotic charm. Growing up with her father and brother, she had lived a nomadic life. This time, she planned to take the opportunity to explore.
The town faced the sea, under a vast blue sky with clear water, its colorful houses built into the hillside. The town's most famous landmark was a church built in the style of a Greek cross, with a history of over three hundred years. Its powerful dome was lifted high by a strong drum, forming a centralized monument. The dome, eighty-five meters high, was the vertical centerpiece of the church's composition. It was constructed of three shells and topped with a lantern, a common feature of the Renaissance era for admitting light. Between the nine ribs on the dome's surface, gilded aluminum reliefs of trophies stood out against a green background, creating a brilliant and dazzling effect. Nandi now stood before it, tilting her head back to look at the magnificent structure, unwilling to leave for a long time.
Not far from there, in a small building, lived Ares and the others. Alice sat in a chair, her brow furrowed, one hand propping up her chin as if in deep thought. Hill and Ares were locked in a staring contest, their eyes unblinking. Just then, the robot dog began to bark "Woof! Woof!" at the door. The two were at a critical moment in their game and paid it no mind. Alice, annoyed by the noise, stood up, walked to the door, and kicked the dog to vent her frustration before opening it. A woman in her thirties stood outside. "Who are you looking for?" she asked. "I'm a friend of Vega's. She asked me to come see her aunt. I have a letter from her," the visitor said, handing over an envelope. "Are you from the Nine Stars United?"
"No, I'm a new friend she made." The visitor was Nandi. She had spent the day wandering the town, familiarizing herself with the layout before finding this place.