My Instant Death Doomed Firefly to a Lifetime of Regret

The Firefly IV Strategic Assault Armor, also known as "Sam," was the iron steed that Firefly had been piloting all along. And now, it would become her medical pod, carrying her away from Gramer to a distant, unknown destination.

Standing in front of the transparent floor-to-ceiling window, Firefly stretched out her hand toward the sunlight. The bright beams filtered through her fingers, casting a warm glow on her beautiful eyes. She stared blankly at the silver ring on her ring finger, its cyan gemstone sparkling under the sunlight.

"Goodbye, Titania."

Firefly glanced at the sky, now covered by countless silver iron steeds, before turning away. There was nothing left for her here, no one worth staying for.

Gramer was a land of sorrow.

Once, the sky here was a hopeless gray. Darkness had enveloped this world, and a young man had turned himself into a blazing fire, vanishing like the last flicker of light before dawn. Many iron steeds never saw the dawn, instead becoming silent wrecks in the darkness. Nameless, unknown, only lines of genetic codes remained on their tombstones, recording what they had looked like before turning to ash.

Firefly walked step by step toward higher ground. Under the sunlight, she looked like a firefly spreading its cyan wings, dancing lightly as she broke free from the identity of a genetically modified soldier that had bound her for so long, flying toward the distant horizon.

Pure white, like a newly sprouted bud.

Blooming under the brilliant morning sun.

Fireflies fly into the flame for something more important than life itself.

In her hand, Firefly tightly clutched the transformation device she had personally adorned with cyan wings. The golden cross on it shimmered with a dazzling light.

This was the iron steed Anming had left for her—the Molten Knight that no longer consumed her life force. The blazing golden flame at her chest would forever accompany her.

He had kept his promise to her.

"Goodbye, Gramer."

Firefly stepped into Sam. The once-familiar process now felt somewhat foreign. The flames that once burned fiercely now enveloped her gently, warm like his embrace. Within the tender flames, a touch of gold shone, never fading, intertwining with the cyan wings to form a beautiful azure-gold.

"Anming, let's... go home."

The sky was a blue silhouette, covered by countless silver iron steeds. Ships trying to escape were shot down like falling meteors. Firefly heard the roar of the vessels, saw people running and crying, and watched as the royal court crumbled.

Amid the scorched earth of the ruins, Titania sat on what was once her throne, quietly gazing at the sky.

"I dreamed of a wasteland," she said, watching Firefly's figure soar into the sky. A lonely smile appeared on her face. "And you are the newborn firefly, destined for a world far beyond."

"Anming, I owe you nothing now."

The silver-haired girl curled up on the throne. The moment she closed her eyes, she saw a glimpse through someone else's vision.

*Don't die!*

"I'm just... tired."

"Finally... I can rest."

Titania smiled peacefully, tilting her head as she leaned against the throne, her breathing ceasing forever. For the first time in centuries, she truly felt what it meant to breathe.

So this was what it felt like to be alive.

How blissful.

Explosions lit up Gramer one after another. Tall buildings collapsed, beautiful gardens were buried, and the lakes and cake shops that held so many memories were reduced to ruins by silver blades. Large chunks of debris fell, covering Titania's figure.

The ground split open with massive fissures, magma devouring everything. The white sea of flowers was set ablaze, the flames reflecting off the silent tombstones.

The black tombstones finally gained color—like the flames of life that had once burned.

Amber Era ???.

The Gramer Republic of the Celestial Empire fell.

On that day, the iron steeds filled the sky, much like the insect swarms decades ago. Titania, leading the Molten Knights, had brought an end to Gramer's future. The once-prosperous empire had turned into a wasteland.

Only the wreckage of countless iron steeds scattered across the star domain remained, recording all that had transpired.

...

...

**[???]**

"Kafka."

"Hmm?"

Kafka hung her coat on the side, her light purple eyes turning toward the source of the voice. Blade stood there, clutching a car key in his hand. After a long silence, he spoke.

"Did you see her?"

"'Her'?"

Kafka instinctively glanced at Silver Wolf, who was supposed to be by her side, only to find that the girl had already carelessly flung herself onto the soft couch, picking up a game controller and crossing her legs. The smoothness of her actions left Kafka speechless.

In the corner, a black cat shrugged very humanly, nimbly leaping onto the cabinet and crouching beside a photo frame. Next to the frame were white bellflowers and a cyan transformation device.

"Pfft."

Silver Wolf spat out the bubblegum she was chewing in shock. "Did that guy mistake the car key for the transformation device?!"

Kafka walked over to the photo frame, studying it for a long time before turning to the black cat. She said nothing, yet it felt like she had said everything.

The black cat let out a timely "meow," as if to say this wasn't part of the script either.

"Speaking of which..."

Kafka suddenly remembered something. "Doesn't she have two transformation devices?"

Silver Wolf switched the leg she was crossing and paused the game. "You mean the one that looks like a limited edition, glowing golden?"

"So what are you trying to say?"

Both of them turned to look at Blade, who remained silent.

"..."

"She took all the funds for the next mission," Blade finally said, also looking at the black cat. "We can't drive to the Luofu."

The black cat: "Meow?"

...

...

The Xianzhou Luofu.

"Is Lady Fu Xuan... in seclusion?"

A mischievous girl tilted her head, peering into the Dayan Qiong Guan Array, but all she could see was the petite figure's back.

"The Grand Diviner has ordered that no one is to approach."

The Cloud Knight outside the array dutifully blocked the girl's view, speaking in a stern tone.

"Wow, that's such a shame," Qingque said with a sad expression, saluting the diligent Cloud Knight before turning and running off at lightning speed. As she ran, she dropped a trail of items—documents, to-do lists, everything. "Emperor's Jade Gambling—activate!"

With the Grand Diviner away, today was the perfect day to slack off to her heart's content.

Inside the Dayan Qiong Guan Array.

The pink-haired girl stood quietly at the center of the array, as if waiting for something.

Then, a soft tapping sound echoed.

"The Dayan Qiong Guan Array lives up to its reputation."

A mechanical male voice emerged from the silver-gold armor, a cluster of dazzling golden flames burning at its core. Even if an employee from the company responsible for printing the Stellar Hunters' wanted posters were present, they would likely struggle to recognize that this was Sam, the one with a bounty worth a string of zeros.

"What the Eye of Truth sees..."

Her twin tails swayed gently as her small heels tapped out a rhythmic beat. The third eye on her forehead was deep, as if it could see through all falsehoods in the world.

Fu Xuan slowly turned, her cherry-colored lips parting slightly. "Will surely come to pass."

"I've been waiting for you for a long time, Stellar Hunter Sam."

"Or should I say..."

"Firefly?"