Glo had been captured and brutally tortured by the Illuminati years ago, the scars on her face a permanent reminder of that time. Corey had tried to force her to join the Illuminati to sow discord within the resistance, but she chose death over submission. Consequently, Corey found a body double to impersonate Glo. A faction of the resistance, believing the deception, lost heart and withdrew. Later, Uwa rescued her during an operation. Once free, she contacted her old comrades to rebuild the resistance, eventually overthrowing the Illuminati. She dedicated her entire life to the city-state, forgoing marriage, children, and family. Now, at the age of eighty-five, though covered in scars, she stood up once more for her city. Yurina and Daechir were notoriously difficult for anyone to handle, but in Glo's presence, both were completely submissive, holding a deep, heartfelt respect for her.
Their first mission was to retake Yin City, three hundred kilometers away. Each led fifty warriors, all dressed in Nine Stars United combat uniforms. Glo's reasoning was that this would confuse the enemy. Yurina's team set out first. After a two-hour drive, they finally reached the outskirts of Yin City. Everyone disembarked. It was Yurina's first time leading a team, and her inexperience showed. She launched a direct assault, convinced that as a robot, conventional weapons couldn't harm her. As they approached within three hundred meters of Yin City, they were ambushed by Nine Stars United. A hail of bullets, rat-tat-tat, rained down from the front, instantly scattering their formation and hitting a dozen warriors. "Everyone, fall back!" one of the soldiers shouted.
Yurina, enraged, yelled, "Who gave you the order to retreat? Attack!"
Unfortunately, her words had no effect. The enemy's numbers were growing, and more of her soldiers were killed. Yurina had no choice but to lead the remaining forces in a fighting retreat. A bullet whizzed by and struck her in the chest, spattering a crimson liquid. She let out a soft cry, feeling pain for the first time. A soldier, seeing her injured, shielded her with his body. "Captain, you go first! We'll cover you!"
Just as he finished speaking, a sharp crack sounded, and a bullet struck him squarely in the head. The city-state's warriors dwindled. They retreated to a hillside to await rescue. Suddenly, gunfire erupted from behind the enemy lines. Yurina, overjoyed, cried out, "It must be Daechir attacking!" A short while later, Alice arrived with over a hundred more people. The three forces combined and finally managed to repel the Nine Stars United troops. The trio found a wide, open space on a nearby mountain, set up a temporary camp, and prepared to launch an attack at dusk. "We should make a plan," Alice suggested.
Yurina replied, "What's there to plan? We just attack directly."
"If Daechir and I hadn't arrived, your team would have been wiped out. Haven't you learned your lesson?" Daechir laughed. "It's because of this personality that her father locked her in an iron box."
"Daechir, what did you say?" Yurina fumed.
"I said you're unruly, willful, and self-righteous." Alice thought to herself, "Isn't that exactly Yurina's original personality? Why is the robot like this too?"
By evening, the three proceeded according to the plan they had discussed during the day. Daechir and Yurina, clad in bulletproof vests and pants, descended like war goddesses, attacking simultaneously from the northeast and southeast sectors. With this gear, their combat power was greatly enhanced, and they no longer feared bullets. Alice followed behind Daechir, providing support. The battle lasted for over three hours. They annihilated more than two hundred enemy soldiers and captured over five hundred. This was the city-state's first victory in recent years. When the news reached Zi City, everyone at the Grand Elder Council was ecstatic.
In South America's You City, Block 9819, De Silva and Alena lived in a two-person room. Wrinkles had formed on their faces, making them look like an elderly couple in their sixties. Most of their former friends and family had passed away. More than two hundred years had gone by, and even the "Telomere Rejuvenation Liquid" they had injected couldn't hold back the ravages of time. The year was 2630. The city-state's population had reached an unprecedented 1.5 billion, with all of Zi City and its sub-cities forming the "New World." The new generation's Holy Virgin was named "Saria," a peerless beauty chosen from all the city-state's knights. The De Silva siblings had never married or had children. They relied on each other, leaving Zi City and moving through seven different city-states, traveling across all continents. They constantly changed their names, afraid of being recognized. This time, they had reverted to their original names, which hadn't been used in over forty years. De Silva was a scientist in You City, while Alena was a middle school teacher. On a weekend, the two were chatting on their balcony. "Alena, I saw my grandfather Ronnie in 'Shire Town' yesterday."
"What a coincidence. What was he doing?"
"He's only nine, just arrived in Shire Town, but he's incredibly smart. He solved all the problems I gave him instantly."
"Then you could recruit him to our You City."
"Of course, I want to, but he has his sister, Alice, and doesn't want to come," De Silva sighed.
"Have Alice join the city-state too. Wouldn't that solve it?"
"Alright, I'll try that next time."
Far from You City, in Australia, Daechir and Yurina lay buried like scrap metal in a pile of ruins, the result of a battle lost over two hundred years ago. At that time, they and Alice had each led their teams into the central district of Hai City. To their surprise, it was a ghost town. They realized they had fallen into a trap, but as they tried to withdraw, all the exits were suddenly sealed. Alice shouted frantically, "Everyone, don't panic! Let's break out together!" Just as she finished, with a deafening boom, the glass ceiling of the "Dream Sea" building shattered and fell, crushing a dozen warriors on the spot. Before anyone could react, the ground collapsed downwards. The resistance forces fell into chaos, scrambling desperately for the exits. Another tremendous roar, and the thirty-three-story building collapsed. The scene was filled with screams and curses. In less than ten minutes, the resistance suffered heavy casualties. Some were crushed into pulp, a gruesome sight, while others had their legs trapped, unable to move. Alice was killed instantly by a piece of falling rock that struck her head. Daechir and Yurina were pinned by their lower bodies, but luckily their heads were unharmed. The other warriors were either dead or injured. As some tried to crawl out, Nine Stars United released poison gas into the central district. In that battle, the entire resistance force of over two hundred was wiped out.
Six years passed imperceptibly. The energy of Daechir and Yurina gradually depleted, and they lost consciousness. The area underwent new construction. They were treated as trash, scooped up by a mechanical loader, and dumped in a landfill on the outskirts of the city. Being far from any town, it wasn't until two hundred years later that a bachelor in his forties discovered Yurina's half-body. "This must be a silicone doll. An Asian one, too. I like it!" the bachelor muttered to himself. "Too bad the lower half is crushed. I'll have to make do."
He took Yurina home, found a chainsaw to separate her upper and lower body, and threw away the shriveled lower half.