Chapter 1613: Chapter 1613

"For now…" Quick Hare's serious expression softened instantly as she noticed Maria and her family approaching, beaming with bright smiles. "Ah! Maria! Everyone! You're back!"

She embraced everyone with her large robotic arms. Lucifer and Partner groaned irritably at the gesture, though the others didn't seem to mind.

"You don't need to worry," Maria said. "We did what we had to do, right, everyone?"

"That's right!" Nyx nodded cutely. "Now that we've won, are you going to become the new ruler, Quick Hare?"

"Wait, me?!" Quick Hare gasped. "I could never… I…"

"Come on, you're perfect for it!" Celes said.

"No way! How could I ever become a ruler? A rabbit ruling people? That idea is outrageous…" Quick Hare said, growing flustered.

"Huh? Weren't you the one saying it didn't matter that you were blessed by the Rabbit Zodiac?" Maria asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Did you change your mind that quickly?"

"T-That's…" Quick Hare stammered, her embarrassment causing her body to overheat, releasing steam everywhere.

"Come on, Quick Hare, the people are waiting for you. Look," Vyperion said, patting her shoulders.

"They want to hear what their leader has to say," Gallotron added, smiling at her.

"Eh?" Quick Hare glanced behind her, noticing hundreds of Zodiacrons floating in the skies, gazing at her.

Their eyes glowed with hope and optimism. Despite the revelations and the great battle, the war against the Hive Queen was finally over, and their greatest deceiver, Drakogon, had been exposed and slain by Quick Hare for his terrible crimes.

They were waiting for her, for Quick Hare to step forward and declare that things would improve from now on.

That the citizens of Zodiacron Prime… finally had a future.

"Why are you acting shy all of a sudden?" Maria laughed. "Quick Hare, you defeated Drakogon, didn't you? What's there to fear? You're technically the strongest Zodiacron now."

"…I am?!" Quick Hare gasped. "I-I…! Wait, how does one act as a leader?!"

Vyperion and Gallotron facepalmed, while Maria chuckled at Quick Hare's endearing nervousness.

"You acted like one before," Alma said. "Just think back to how you did it, Quick Hare! When you explained to your people what happened, when you exposed Drakogon's lies."

"Ooh…" Quick Hare's eyes widened.

"You can do it," Lucifer said. "Don't be shy now." For more chapters visıt novel•fire.net

"Come on! You can't keep your people waiting much longer, can you?" Jonathan asked.

"…Right," Quick Hare nodded, glancing back at the people of Zodiacron Prime and flying toward them.

Her hands trembled with nerves, but as she looked at her people and their hopeful eyes, she felt overwhelmed with emotion and could no longer contain herself.

"Everyone, first of all… I want to thank all of you," she said, surprising them. "Thank you for believing in me and trusting me… Without your help, we might never have come this far."

She calmed herself and continued her speech.

"Yesterday and today, we faced many difficulties and challenges. I never imagined that this small group I found in the wastelands would change our lives so profoundly…"

Quick Hare spoke at length about her journey with Maria, from their first meeting to how they arrived here. She recounted helping them register, the task assigned to Maria, and how they aided the warriors in winning their first battle in decades. This led to Drakogon's betrayal and their journey inside a spaceship.

It was a chain of events, one after another, that culminated in this moment. Drakogon had tried to blame them for everything, fearing the Hive Queen's wrath after Maria slew one of her daughters.

And then came this great battle, where Quick Hare convinced her people by persistently appealing to their hearts.

"Thanks to Maria and her party, the Hive Queen has been defeated, and with Drakogon gone, we are finally free from the dangers threatening our future. We can now move forward, rebuild our world, and walk into the wilderness without fear. We will reclaim our world, and our civilization will continue to grow!"

"Among the first things we'll do, we will free all those imprisoned for rebelling against Drakogon. Then, we'll recover as many Zodiac Cores as we can from the treasury and return them to the people!"

"Everyone here was once born with one, but Drakogon took them away, offering them to the Hive Queen! That will change. We will distribute those we find to our warriors first, who will ensure everyone's safety, and then we will find a way to help everyone else regain their cores!"

"I don't know if I'll ever be your Queen… or God Queen or whatever, but I'm glad to be here for you and help. I expect everyone to cooperate with me, because I certainly cannot do much alone… haha."

Her slight awkwardness, paired with her charming smile and hopeful eyes, stirred a mix of emotions among the Zodiacrons.

She was nothing like Drakogon, who was imposing, mighty, and exuded wisdom and confidence. Quick Hare was full of flaws, but that… made her so relatable.

"We will stand by her, as her right hand," Vyperion said.

"And her left hand," Gravox nodded.

Both were well-known warriors and veterans, so the Zodiacrons felt even more confident with them by Quick Hare's side to guide her on the path of leadership.

"Thank you, everyone… Please, let us build a new future together! One where, no matter which Zodiac Beast blessed you, you will not be looked down upon or discriminated against! Everyone is important, and everyone is unique in their own way!"

The Zodiacrons cheered, raising their arms in celebration as they began returning to their city.

Maria smiled warmly as the events unfolded. Most of her family joined the Zodiacrons in the celebrations, along with the many Players who had stayed in the city, choosing not to follow Drakogon in his misguided plans.

Their caution paid off. They learned from Maria and her family what had truly happened and how she and her party had defeated the great enemy.

Ultimately, it wasn't as if they would have tried to hunt the Hive Queen anyway. She was far beyond the power of any Players present.

Ferleen and Melianna, the two fox beast brothers Maria had met on the previous floor, were also there with their parties, listening to Maria's account alongside several other Players who approached them.

Some were quite recognizable, such as the plastic man carrying a huge pair of scissors and covering most of his body, or even Splex's party, who happened to be present but didn't dare approach Maria, too intimidated by her.