Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

The player, reminiscent of an old recorder, sat on the table, with its two disks slowly rotating, playing ethereal and distant songs, composed when humans first ventured into space during the Fourth Era. The female vocals in the song were particularly haunting, making one glimpse the era when humanity followed fleets into the vast universe to explore. Most would spend their entire lives on the ship, waiting until their grandchildren's grandchildren were born before the fleet would arrive at its destination, meaning departure from Earth was a farewell to all family and friends.

In a corner of the room, the sound of water splashing came from the shower room. Tilan slightly shook her hair dry after bathing, looked at herself in the mirror; though her appearance and height hadn't changed in years, her demeanor was indeed different.

Her eyes remained clear, but compared to the timid purity of the past, there was now more of a diamond-like calm. Additionally, Tilan looked down, pinched her thigh; it seemed she had gained a bit of weight, wasn't as thin anymore.

Reflecting back on past events, Tilan tied her long hair into a large high ponytail, then picked up a soft black hairband from the table, tied it into a bow, adjusted it symmetrically behind her head. After completing these steps, she donned her bathrobe and walked out.

She knelt on the bed, having removed her slippers; the room was unlit. Being in a high-rise, she could gaze through the blue floor-to-ceiling windows at the outside's neon-flowing nightscape.

Closing her eyes, the young woman continued listening to the especially distant and nostalgic song from the player, imagining the smallness and loneliness humans felt in space during that era. After a long time, when the player stopped, she slowly opened her eyes.

She had initially thought that after leaving the university, she would have nearly ten years to travel around the Federation, continuously learning, gradually accumulating knowledge and experience, and then gradually expanding her influence to slowly change the people and things around her.

However, reality seemed not to afford her such ample time; now the Federation's situation changes daily. Even if she wanted a quiet life, the people around her were full of anxiety, a sentiment she had already sensed.

Blanchi, Ores, Shui Yanqing, Audrey... Tilan recalled each familiar name and the familiar scenes from the past emerged, then dissipated uniformly.

It seems everyone can't go back to those simple and carefree days.

There was no sadness, just some feelings of sentiment; the carriage of time moves relentlessly forward, causing inevitable changes in everyone.

...

After Blanchi delivered a speech on May 25th, the flame of rebellion spread like ignited alcohol, within a blink of an eye, and by June 10th, approximately 23 star domains in the Western Star Domain experienced power struggles between the Blanchi-supported Independent Faction and the Federation-unifying Conservative Faction.

Main battle tanks sped through the streets, star harbors in various star domains were sealed, patrol fleets descended over inhabited planets, intimidatingly suppressing rebellion forces, yet battles still occurred everywhere.

Sharp-Snout Shark Star Domain, a bulwark star domain near the Central Region within the Western Star Domain, had a relatively good economy, thus supporting the Conservative Faction more significantly.

On June 12th, twelve superluminal fighters suddenly attacked the space station where the Starfield Governor was stationed. The previously iron-fisted Conservative Faction governor died in the explosion at the station, and the situation within the star domain began spiraling out of control the next day, with the two sides engaging in fierce battles on all inhabited planetary regions.

In Eastern District No. 2, above the originally crowded street, blue dense smoke suddenly appeared, then emergency projection barriers rose on the main street; these barriers displayed warnings in bright red lettering against a yellow-black background, and subsequently, tanks, around ten meters high, sped rapidly toward the incident site.

"Announcing now, all personnel of the 'Holy Blue Cross Sect' are deemed as illegal armed forces, all Riot Control Units and military police are granted permission to fire upon them."

"Any sightings of members from those factions can be reported to the authorities and receive a reward—" the announcement from the levitating Autonomous Unit broadcasting above the street was cut short by the explosion of blue flames.

"How tedious, now we're the official ones." A silhouette, youthful-looking like a teenager, walked out from the smoke; blue flames still flickered at his hand.

One would refer to him as youthful, but his Tide Sequence 7 strength was not what a sixteen or seventeen-year-old could possess.

"Take it easy, Aix, we haven't won yet, hahaha." Another figure, tall and mature, stepped out of the smoke, standing beside the blond-haired youth. She wore black-framed glasses and a professional business suit; if not for the turmoil around them, one might mistake her for a senior secretary of some company.

"Hmph." As the youth evaded his teammate attempting to place a hand on his shoulder, he instantly dodged, then leapt back into the high air, sweeping away the dozen hovering riot control Autonomous Units, transforming them into burning blue fire debris.

These charred remnants crashed into the nearby building, some landed on the ground, melting the metal railings on the street side, turning into dark red molten iron, while other debris fell onto store signs, raising plumes of piercing smoke.

The seemingly subsequent flames rendered the sturdy alloy like melted mud, evaporating on the spot, emitting a pungent smell in the air.

Originally on both sides of the street, numerous tourists and pedestrians screamed upon witnessing the fierce battle, sounds of running rang everywhere, some even fearlessly holding personal terminals to record the scene.