Taking Aerith and leaving Xandar was just a whim for Su Ye.
But when it comes to where to take her and when to leave, Su Ye really hadn't thought it through.
For now, it's just selling some flowers, chatting, and teasing a bit—still a far cry from talking about love or anything serious.
As for the rest, it depended on when Ronan would attack Xandar.
Speaking of Ronan, he really is dragging things out. It's been five or six days since he got the Power Gem, and he's still on the way. No one knows what he's wasting time on.
With all this time, doesn't he worry that Xandar will get wind of it and prepare in advance?
Or is it that he wants Xandar to be prepared in advance, so that when he attacks, it will give him more of a sense of accomplishment?
On this matter, Su Ye had once asked Zack if he had received any notice about combat readiness.
The response was, "We are always ready for battle. That's our mission as special forces!"
Su Ye had nothing to say and decided to put aside the speculation about Ronan's whereabouts and thoughts, focusing on his task as a special forces operative: monitoring and interacting with Aerith.
In the meantime, Tifa called to ask about Su Ye's progress.
After hearing that Su Ye had successfully joined Shinra, becoming a special forces soldier and starting his mission, Tifa encouraged him warmly.
"Keep it up, do your best. As long as the mission doesn't go against your conscience, just carry it out properly. Don't worry about the bar or Avalanche—I'll take care of things here."
Su Ye scratched his head a bit—Tifa trusted him so much, and here he was romancing Aerith. Wasn't that a little… not right?
But then again, Gwen and Mai Shiranui had also trusted him, and that just ended up with him… spreading love everywhere.
Trust is a good thing, but you can't trust a scumbag...
Speaking of Mai Shiranui, Su Ye suddenly realized he hadn't seen her in a while.
During the New York battle, Mai had gone to Japan for vacation.
Later, when she heard about the chaos in America, she rushed back and met Su Ye briefly in Los Angeles—brief separation, joyful reunion—and then... nothing more.
Now, it felt like all the characters from King of Fighters had vanished. Even among the Guardians of the Great Wall, there were some who didn't know such a group of fighters were associated with Su Ye.
"Looks like I need to go back to Earth—at least to see Mai more often, and Tifa too!"
Mai Shiranui and Tifa—these two unassailable giants in both 2D and 3D realms.
Having just one would be enough to lord it over the world. Having both? Anyone would die of jealousy.
If the chance came, he'd definitely go for it!
Su Ye made a secret vow.
A 1v2, against Tifa and Mai—that was the kind of fantasy every veteran dreamt of.
But Su Ye dreamed even wilder. He didn't just want 1v2—he wanted a 1v3.
As for the third? Gwen? Aerith? Or maybe Saber? All were options.
Of course, if possible, he hoped it would be 2B.
Even though 2B's figure was slimmer than Mai or Tifa's, and her bust couldn't compete at all, as the new icon of the 3D scene, Su Ye was very into her.
That's just how men are—never satisfied. Heh!
And so, the days passed in peaceful happiness, filled with quiet, ordinary moments.
Until that day, when the weather was as usual, sunny and the wind quiet, but suddenly a huge shadow appeared in the sky of Xandar.
It was a spaceship, massive enough to blot out the sun—large enough to cover nearly half a city district.
The Dark Aster—Ronan's flagship, his only asset, and his last shot at turning the tide.
During the centuries-long war between the Kree Empire and the Nova Empire, Ronan's ancestors were almost all killed in battle, which is why the hatred between him and the Nova Empire can never be erased.
In order to seek revenge, he would not hesitate to go in alone or sacrifice all his assets.
For the Nova Empire citizens on Xandar, a Kree invasion wasn't new— but a direct assault that breached the capital's atmosphere? That was rare.
As a result, many people's first thought was not fear, but rather to go outside and watch the spectacle.
Phones, cameras, livestreams—in the joy of rubbernecking, aliens and Earthlings were surprisingly alike.
This was all due to their confidence in the Nova Empire's military strength.
They believed that with the Nova Empire's capabilities, even if the Kree ship entered the atmosphere, it wouldn't matter.
It would just be a grand firework display sent by the Kree.
In truth, the ease with which Ronan's ship entered was due in part to Xandar's lack of resistance.
The leader of the Nova Empire on Xandar, Nova Prime, had already received word that Ronan and the Kree were coming to attack.
They had even protested to the Kree Empire's higher-ups about it.
However, the protest was ineffective, as Ronan was already in a state where the orders from his leaders didn't matter to him, and the Kree Empire's higher-ups had no influence over him.
Later, from the Ravagers, the Nova Empire learned that Ronan had obtained the Orb and was preparing to use his immense power to annihilate all of Xandar.
At first, they didn't believe it.
Ravagers, they were space pirates. It would be more reliable to trust a pig to climb a tree than to believe them.
But then, Shinra sent word that Ronan was indeed coming.
Although Shinra had its own army and influence, it was based on Xandar, so its relationship with the Nova Empire couldn't be easily severed.
So, they had always maintained a very friendly cooperative relationship.
At least, that's how it appeared on the surface.
After receiving the message from Shinra, the high-ranking officials of the Nova Empire finally became unsettled.
When they thought about what the pirates said, that Ronan had obtained the Orb and the Power Gem, they knew this invasion wouldn't be simple.
Soon, the Nova Empire decided to confront Ronan outside, engaging in a battle outside the planet's atmosphere.
But Shinra had a different idea:
Why not invite the enemy into the trap instead?
Though Ronan's forces were not large, they were like a thorn in the side for the Nova Empire.
But defending for a thousand days is not a long-term solution. It's better to eliminate the enemy in one swift blow, which would resolve the Ronan issue once and for all.
Shinra's proposal was to use Xandar as bait, lure Ronan in, then have both Shinra and Nova Empire forces destroy him together.
Once on the surface, Ronan would have no escape and would die on Xandar.
After a brief discussion, the high-ranking officials of the Nova Empire finally agreed to Shinra's proposal.
Not because they feared Ronan, but because they worried about collateral damage to the people.
With Shinra's help, things would be much more secure.
Eliminating Ronan and his ship on the surface would solve the problem once and for all.
So, Xandar began setting the stage.
On the day of the invasion, the Dark Aster encountered no resistance and entered the atmosphere effortlessly.
For Ronan, the reason for his smooth entry was that Shinra had acted as an insider, disabling Xandar's external defense systems at a crucial moment through network technology.
This was a plan that the Nova Empire and Shinra had arranged, where Shinra pretended to betray them, helping Ronan enter.
But what the Nova Empire didn't know was that Shinra was playing both sides.
Helping the Nova Empire defend was a lie; helping Ronan infiltrate the planet was their true intention.
Once Ronan's ship entered, the unsuspecting Nova Empire sent their troops into the sky alongside Shinra's Special Forces for a joint defense.
The Nova Empire sent out the Nova Corps, their main combat force, which was well-known across the star system.
The criminals in the Kyln asteroid prison had all been caught by them—proof of their power.
Shinra only sent three people.
But these three were not ordinary.
They were Shinra's highest-ranking Special Forces—1st Class.
Genesis, Angeal, and the strongest of all—Sephiroth.
These three had a reputation in the galaxy even greater than that of the Nova Corps.
Especially Sephiroth.
If the Nova Corps caught you, you might end up in Kyln and get a chance to repent—or escape and return someday.
But if Sephiroth caught you? You died. No exceptions.
And they weren't just famous and ruthless—they had true power.
Each one was as strong as a whole army.
All three together? Even the Nova Corps dared not challenge them lightly.
Because if they lost, the ones destroyed might be the Nova Corps themselves.
Still, teaming up with them brought the Nova Corps great relief and a sense of security.
"Today, we'll finally see Sephiroth slice a ship in half with his sword."
"Yeah, I've heard that Sephiroth is really strong. His sword, when extended, can slice through a spaceship like cutting through vegetables. I've never had the chance to see it, but today, it looks like we'll finally witness it."
"These Kree actually dared to enter the atmosphere? Don't they realize this is part of our strategy? I heard Ronan's from a noble family and is supposed to be a great general, but looking at this, he doesn't seem that impressive."
"Exactly—lots of people are all talk. Ronan's probably no different."
"Can't wait to see Ronan's face when his ship is cleaved in two. Bet he won't believe it even at the moment of death."
In their fighter jets, Nova pilots chatted over comms while climbing skyward.
They were relaxed, certain that the battle would end quickly.
And indeed, the aerial clash ended quickly—
But not how the Nova Empire had expected.
Instead of striking Ronan's ship, the Shinra Special Forces turned their blades on the Nova Corps jets.
Explosions of Nova fighters filled the sky, shattering their confidence and plunging the people below into chaos.
"Oh no—what's going on!?"
"That one—he's from Shinra, right? Why are they attacking the Nova Corps? Weren't they supposed to help defend Xandar?"
"Was there a mistake?"
"No—wait, Shinra's betrayed us!"
"Betrayed? Impossible. My idol Sephiroth would never betray us! He's the pride of Nova Empire. This must be a misunderstanding!"
"Sephiroth just attacked the Nova Corps. What more do you need to see? It's happening right in front of us!"
"I don't care! I refuse to believe Sephiroth would do this!"
"Wow, are all his fans this delusional?"
"Shut up! You lowlife scum don't deserve to judge Sephiroth-sama! If you don't get it, get lost!"
Arguments erupted among the crowd—rational patriots clashing with rabid Sephiroth fans.
Such scenes were common across the galaxy—fans are rarely rational.
In their eyes, their idol doesn't eat, poop, or fart—everything they do is sacred and must be supported.
Even if their idol breaks the law or commits treason, they believe it's lies, coercion, or a misunderstood act worthy of forgiveness.
Trying to reason with them and have them view their idols' actions rationally is almost impossible.
Even when the truth is right before their eyes.
So, this argument didn't continue for much longer.
The rational spectators had already begun to turn away and leave the scene.
Looking at the sky, it was clear that today's invasion was about to escalate into a major event. The Nova Corps was being slaughtered, and Xandar's defense forces weren't sure if they could hold their ground.
In this situation, they couldn't enter the battlefield or resolve the fight, so all they could do was hurry home and face the outcome with their families.
Whether it would be good or bad.
In the sky, Sephiroth and his two companions were going wild.
Three people. Three weapons. Each slash reaped lives like the scythe of Death—
Every swing destroyed one or several Nova fighters.
And using their superior mobility, they weaved through wreckage and ships unharmed.
Inside the Dark Aster, Ronan snorted.
"Those Nova fools. Weak in strength and mind. Trash like this doesn't deserve to exist in the universe. All troops—attack!"