Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

Although the venue had changed, the second match was eerily similar to the first match in terms of flow.

In the Blood Cry Empire's side, apart from a mech pilot operating an all-around Mecha who gave Catherine a slight inconvenience during the team battle, the victory was identical to the one against the Thunder Dragon Empire.

It didn't even reach a point where Bai E had to step in.

Yet such a bizarre victory only amplified the unease lingering in Catherine's heart.

Still nothing…

The Blood Cry Empire's legendary mechanic remained absent.

That individual who had caused her some minor trouble was merely slightly stronger than Victor. Given time, he would likely become a formidable legendary mechanic.

But not now.

Where had their legendary mechanic gone?

Competing in the tournament, isolated from outside intel, she was filled with restless frustration.

If she were outside, amidst such strange developments, she would undoubtedly be able to detect clues.

What… had gone wrong?

Yet, even with this mounting unease, the matches continued.

After facing the Thunder Dragon and Blood Cry Empires, the subsequent rounds of opponents proved even less noteworthy.

The Bauhinia Republic, long oppressed and ridiculed by nations within the Peak Alliance in this Stellar District, miraculously demolished all their opponents and cruised effortlessly into the final match.

Their ultimate adversary, unsurprisingly, was the Thousand Stars Commerce Alliance—the last of the Peak Alliance's three major powers.

"Holy crap! We've made it to the finals!"

"Our mech pilots are insane!"

"Championship! Championship!"

But amid the nation-wide jubilation on Bauhinia's online platforms, a single staggering announcement emerged from the highest echelon of the country—an announcement no one dared to believe:

"Effective immediately, the Bauhinia Republic will formally change its name to the Bauhinia Trade Zone, under the management of the Peak Alliance."

"..."

When the announcement was broadcast nationwide, the entire internet fell into a deathly silence.

After quite a while, someone finally spoke up.

"Haha~ Is this some kind of April Fools' joke?"

"Trying to stir things up, huh?"

"The official media released it… They even uploaded the handover footage. Still stirring things up?"

"Haha! Just an official prank, that's all."

"Quit screwing around! We freaking lost our country! F*ck!"

After successfully completing the handover ceremony and stepping down, the Peak Alliance's head cheerfully patted the Bauhinia Republic's former leader on the shoulder. "This should've been done earlier. From now on, you'll be our third-in-command at the Summit!"

The former Bauhinia leader's resolute, square-shaped face showed a strained smile, though his gaze repeatedly darted towards the screen hanging in the corner...

On the screen, the preparatory phase for the Stellar District League's final match was being broadcast.

'Catherine…'

The leader inwardly sighed.

His most trusted lieutenant was still out there fighting for national glory, yet behind her, the country… had already ceased to exist.

Bauhinia's freedom was but an illusion; on so many levels, they had been all but ostracized and battered into submission by nearly every nation in the Stellar District.

The domestic stability was already the last line of effort from these leaders.

If… If that shard of divinity had appeared just a little earlier, perhaps they could've turned the tables.

But now, it was too late.

Everything had come too late.

The leader closed his eyes, a tear silently sliding down the corner of his eye...

And it wasn't just him. All who truly realized their nation's demise now looked upon the live-streamed tournament stage with sorrowful expressions.

The warriors fighting for their country were still shedding blood on the battlefield, yet the nation supporting them from behind had already vanished.

Was there anyone left who truly cared about the outcome of this battle?

A victory? A defeat? How much did it even matter to the future now named the Bauhinia Trade Zone?

Bauhinia… has perished.

Utterly unaware of the situation outside, the tournament team was busy preparing for the final match.

"The last match! Everyone, let's go!"

"We'll definitely win!"

The string of victories had given confidence to these previously hesitant team members.

In their minds, the Thousand Stars Commerce Alliance was on par with the Thunder Dragon and Blood Cry Empires. If they could defeat those two, they could surely defeat the Thousand Stars Commerce Alliance as well.

"I'll take the lead in the first round!" Victor's slightly boyish face brimmed with excited anticipation. "This time, it's a plain terrain—just charge straight in!"

The closer they came to the final challenge, the heavier Catherine's unease grew. Yet, she still approved Victor's request for battle.

After all, the team lacked other viable options. Entering into the realm of legendary mechanics or near-legendary ones, only Catherine, Bai E, and Victor in the team still had the strength for combat.

The other members had already gained substantial tempering through previous matches. If this final challenge was truly as Catherine feared, then perhaps this round's outcome no longer mattered to them whatsoever.

Under the watchful eyes of countless spectators, whether despairing or simply seeking entertainment, the warrior representing Bauhinia entered the row of towering mechas clad in protective gear.

Round 1: The All-around Singer versus the All-around Tōgen.

The Thousand Stars Commerce Alliance boasted Mechas of dazzling design, with unmatched material investment.

Among mass-production models, their Mechas were especially dominant in performance.

Thus, even if their two legendary mechanics were slightly inferior in skill compared to the Thunder Dragon and Blood Cry Empires' legendary mechanics, the combat abilities displayed were nearly equivalent.

Facing the unknown opponent inside the pristine white Mecha adorned with fiery crimson emblems, Victor charged forward without hesitation.

The towering Mecha swept across grasslands taller than the average person, and in the blink of an eye, the two Mechas closed in on one another.

"Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!"

The flashing blades intertwined, accompanied by the close-range blasts from the accompanying Mecha-mounted cannons.

Coordinated attacks between short-range and long-range weaponry—a pinnacle of violent modern battlefield aesthetics.

Yet this battle didn't replicate Victor's usual standoffish encounters even when facing superior opponents. Within mere moments of engagement, his Singer Mecha was struck hard in the torso by a slash, followed by a brute-force kick that sent his Mecha crashing backward heavily.

"Rat-tat-tat-tat!"

Heavy artillery pounded Victor's Mecha in the face as the enemy stomped on its chest, mangling its faceplate into scrap metal.

The opponent let out a cold laugh, his voice echoing out from the Mecha's loudspeaker. "Hmph! A defeated nation's warriors…"