Chapter 25: Part (1): Eye of the Storm

[Seraphim].

Full designation — [Seraphim]-class Strategic Support Heavy Exoskeletal Armor.

The armor was based on the Valkyrie model, deeply modified by the Eisenburg Research Division using technical blueprints provided by the Steel Brotherhood, combined with their own technological reserves.

Though it originated as a Valkyrie variant, the design philosophy of the Seraphim completely overturned the traditional concept of a personal combat suit.

—It was not about adapting the person to the armor,
but adapting the armor to the person.

Such a design, however, brought with it skyrocketing costs and the inconvenience of incompatible components between models.

The operating difficulty also rose sharply, demanding terrifyingly high physical and mental standards from its wearer.

But for the Queen, that was never an issue—

After all, this suit had been tailored specifically for her.

If the Valkyrie was a black war god forged for slaughter and domination, then the Seraphim was its silver-white counterpart—
a modular revolution designed for command and supremacy.

Every module and every component used a proprietary quick-link system. Even the armor plating itself could be swapped or reconfigured at will according to mission requirements.

Combat, reconnaissance, flight—

Different functional components could be freely combined, granting the wearer near-limitless adaptability on the battlefield.

When firepower was needed, heavy weaponry could be mounted;

For stealth or infiltration, optical camouflage could be engaged;

For aerial maneuvering, propulsion units would automatically deploy.

Even more astonishing, the Seraphim was equipped with a fully autonomous logistical system.

While it lacked the near-miraculous self-repair of nanometal micromachines, it deployed a specialized fleet of miniature drones—each carrying preloaded modules or auxiliary energy packs.

These drones would launch from concealed hangars across the city, navigate to the battlefield, lock onto the user’s signal, and perform rapid in-field assembly.

The entire process required no human assistance.
An intelligent management system coordinated every motion, completing reconfiguration within mere seconds.

But that still wasn’t the most terrifying part.

The true horror of Seraphim lay in its deep integration with the entire Eisenburg information network—
satellites, superintelligent computation, city databases…

Every surveillance camera, communication tower, radar array, even the traffic lights on the streets—

As long as it was connected to Eisenburg’s network and servers,
it became its eyes.

Within Eisenburg, whoever wore the Seraphim—
was omniscient. A god.

BOOM—

A silver-white meteor dove from the sky, thrusters roaring, and came to a halt on the edge of the dome above the ruined safehouse.
The scorching exhaust burned the once-gray floor black.

The wide, circular walkway had been half-destroyed by the explosion that came from below…

“Kirupa, pull up all surveillance footage of her charity activity this afternoon.”

【Command confirmed.】
【Retrieving related data…】

Compared to the tactical visor of the Valkyrie, the helmet interior of the Seraphim felt more like a miniature command center—
as if its pilot were alone in her own starship.

As Seraphina gestured, stretching and rotating her fingers in the air, a 360-degree holographic projection unfolded around her, immersing her in a live feed of Eisenburg’s underground central district.

【Retrieval complete.】
【Total: 347 related video files, duration 10 hours 37 minutes.】
【Filtering target: Subject—Mili.】

“Focus on her last known location…”

【Time window: 16:00–19:00.】
【Analyzing…】

Dozens of screens unfolded around her in a ring, overlapping like the control room of a surveillance center.

Countless feeds began playing at accelerated speed, the flickering light mingling illusion and reality until it blurred together.

Seraphina leapt from the fractured rim of the walkway, landing beside the smoking ruins of the safehouse.

The surrounding walls were blown apart, the once-heavy blast doors warped outward, twisted open like a beast’s gaping maw.

The air was choked with the heat of smoke and char—so thick it stung to breathe.

Floodlights flared from her silver armor—beams shooting from her helm and shoulders, piercing the haze and lighting the wreckage like day.

【Search complete.】

Found her.

“Scan for life signs in the debris,” she ordered coldly, pulling up Mili’s tracking data.

【Scanning…】
【Server data missing.】
【Unable to access Sanctuary-0 local surveillance logs.】
【Reconstructing collapse structure…】
【Estimated time: 56 seconds.】

While the AI processed, Seraphina’s gaze locked on the street-level monitors, searching for that familiar figure.

The feed froze at a street corner—the last image caught by a camera.

A girl in a white saint’s robe, running under Kaya’s protection, fleeing across what had been the safehouse entrance.

Timestamp: 18:49.

They didn’t enter the safehouse?

Then who was it that died in the explosion?

【No life signs detected within Sanctuary-0.】
【Confirmed: No survivors inside the structure.】

“Keep tracking them. Move forward in time and switch to all cameras along their escape route.”

【Retrieving camera data.】
【Estimated coverage: two-kilometer radius, all monitoring devices.】
【Including: street surveillance, shop security, public systems, private residences.】

“Authorize full access,” Seraphina ordered icily. “I want to know exactly where she is.”

“And pull the safehouse feed too. Find out who that imposter was.”

【Decrypting encrypted channel…】
【Parsing…】
【Warning: multiple anomalous records detected.】

“Deal with that later!”

The main display split in two—

On one side, Mili and Kaya’s trail;
on the other, the footage from before the squad entered the safehouse.

Seraphina’s mismatched gold-and-blue pupils narrowed sharply.

The “Saint” escorted before the guards—

That face…
That posture…
That outfit…

Exactly the same.

18:30.

In the footage, the false Saint was speaking gently with the escort team, her face full of delicate, pitiable innocence.

Her movements were flawlessly imitated—

The way she bit her lip, nervously rubbed her sleeves, avoided eye contact…

Even her tone of voice was identical to Mili’s.

No.

Something’s wrong.

Seraphina leaned closer to the display, her suspicion deepening.

This wasn’t mere mimicry anymore.

Training?

Could systematic conditioning achieve this level of perfection?

But Mili had only been here a week—how could anyone have replicated her so completely…

【Warning: biological signature anomaly detected.】
【Target physiological data inconsistent with records.】
【Recommendation: conduct identity verification.】

“Now you warn me?” she sneered coldly. “Kirupa, your response algorithm needs an upgrade.”

【Feedback recorded. Optimizing recognition protocol.】

The playback continued.

18:45 — the squad captain swiped his card to enter the safehouse.
18:51 — the elevator reached the lowest level.
19:07 — the hymn began to play…
19:11 — signal lost.

—That was when the implosion occurred.

Throughout the entire sequence, the “Saint”’s performance was impeccable.

She knew exactly when to tremble in fear,
when to offer a grateful smile to a guard,
and even mimicked the girl’s habitual gestures flawlessly…

But—

That wasn’t her Mili.