After several long, grinding months-Young Sector ninety-nine-Nihari With steady, unwavering steps that echoed with a disciplined rhythm, a bare-chested human ascended a massive stone staircase carved into the side of a towering structure. His muscles tensed with every stride, glistening faintly under the pale morning light. At the staircase's peak hung a colossal horn-an ancient, ceremonial-looking instrument shaped as though it were crafted for sacred declarations or divine offerings. He paused, inhaling deeply-his chest expanding as if he intended to draw in not just the surrounding air, but the very essence of the region itself-and then The horn roared across the horizon. The moment the thunderous blast echoed outward, the enormous crowd gathered beneath the colossal platform exploded into cheers. Thousands surged upward with unrestrained joy, waving their arms, jumping, shouting, releasing a storm of excitement that felt strong enough to shake the mountain base itself. Their eyes gleamed with thrill, pride, and an almost overwhelming anticipation. Yet, strangely. despite the sheer size of the crowd-despite the hundreds of thousands filling every inch of the industrial grounds-there wasn't a single child among them. No elders leaning on canes. Not even a gentle-looking housewife with soft hands or mild features. Every single person present bore thick coats of dirt or deep-black oil smudges across their exposed skin. Many had fresh outer injuries, bandaged tightly, or scars still in the process of healing. Their bodies bulged with muscle, shaped by brutal labor and grueling conditions. Their hardened expressions declared unmistakably that these were people of grit, discipline, and overwhelming physical might. These were the equipment factory workers of the True Beginning Empire-the unseen engine behind the rise of the three great empires and the reason they could stand proudly across so many sectors. These were the iron-willed citizens of the factories that had begun spreading like wildfire throughout the northern region of Nihari. A woman with her hair tied back in a sharp horsetail-her face etched by a long scar crossing her eye-shouted as she pointed toward a specific direction, her voice trembling with excitement she could barely contain. There stood a massive metal warehouse. Its giant ceiling began to open slowly, piece by piece, before the eyes of the gathered masses. A heavy metallic rumble accompanied the unfolding panels- then something began to rise from within. A vessel of the Destruction Note class. A model every worker here had seen hundreds of times. More than a quarter of them had personally worked on that class, assembling its plates, forging its internal components, or adjusting its power circuits. They knew its design intimately the shape of every bolt, every line of wiring, every hidden chamber. Yet this time. everyone stared at it with a strange, heightened sense of excitement, awe, and respect. Because this one was different. The modifications were unmistakable. The vessel had grown noticeably larger- its silhouette more imposing and powerful. The two primary cannons at the front were now significantly bigger, extending farther outward like the claws of a beast ready to tear apart the sky. Four additional large cannons had appeared-two on each wing. Smaller than the main pair, but no smaller than the older main cannons, clearly enhanced with the same extraordinary refinements. All six cannons protruded forward with an aggressive, unmistakably predatory posture. Along each cannon, glowing embedded tubes ran like luminous arteries-stretching across the metal frames and burrowing deep into the ship's internal systems as though feeding them with some mysterious, potent energy. Aside from the increased size, the altered weaponry, and the long luminous tubes stretching across the ship's body. everything else in the design remained the same. Yet even those few changes were more than enough to transform the vessel into something completely different-something far more menacing. Zara exhaled sharply, tension trembling through her breath as she watched the massive craft rise into view. The waves of excitement and horia washi through the hundreds of thousands around her never once found their way to Instead. she simply looked afraid. Deeply, silently afraid. At that moment, a voice sounded casually beside her: "Wow, they told me something big was happening today-but this is bigger than Zara turned quickly. Normally, absolutely nobody dared approach her this closely-much less start speaking in such an informal, relaxed manner. But the instant she saw who it was, she softened, her features relaxing as she offered a gentle, welcoming smile.
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