Chapter 25: The God Mask

​The scene opens with R76, R56, and R98 being escorted across the royal grounds of Genova. Their heavy boots thudded against a plush red carpet as the Royalty of the kingdom led them toward the heart of the palace. Upon reaching the grand guest wing, Crown Prince Derrick turned to them, his posture formal.

​"Our servants will guide you to the chambers we have prepared," Derrick said, his eyes searching R98’s expressionless face.

"Will this be satisfactory?"

​R98 maintained his clinical air of authority.

"Yeah, no problem. You don't need to personally escort us any further."

​Derrick nodded, a flicker of something—perhaps relief or further suspicion—crossing his eyes.

"In that case, shall we continue our discussion later this evening... at the ball?"

​"That would be best," R98 replied.

​With a sharp gesture from the Prince, a group of servants stepped forward.

Without another word, the three Rangers followed their respective guides, splitting up as they were led down the ornate corridors of the palace.

​Once the Rangers were out of earshot, the Prime Minister leaned toward Derrick, his voice a low hiss.

"Your Highness... whoever these men are, they are terrifying. They didn't even hesitate when you suggested you might personally escort them.
They act as if your status is beneath their notice. Can we truly trust them?"

​Derrick placed a finger over his lips, signaling for silence. He glanced at the high, vaulted ceilings.

"We do not know who—or what—is listening," he whispered. "Keep your counsel for now."

​Across the wing, a young maid led R98 into a massive guest chamber. Gold-leafed furniture and silk tapestries adorned the room.

She bowed with perfect etiquette, her voice trembling slightly. "My Lord... is there anything you require? Food? A bath?"

​R98 kept his professional aptitude, his voice cold.

"Privacy. You may leave."

​The maid hesitated, her hands twisting in her apron.

"But, My Lord... what if you need something in the night?"

​"I’ll call you," R98 replied flatly.

​"In that case, I shall wait just outside the doors," she said, bowing one last time before retreating.

​R98 stood perfectly still until he heard the heavy thud of the oak doors closing. He waited another five seconds, eyes locked on the handle.
As soon as he was sure she was gone, the "Alien God" persona shattered.

​R98 let out a muffled yelp and dove onto the king-sized bed like a teenager. He began rolling over the silk sheets, burying his face in a pillow.

"Geez, that was tough!" he groaned into the fabric.

"Why are the people here so tense? I almost broke character three times! My face muscles are literally cramping!"

​He sat up, his hair a mess, looking around the luxury room.

"Anyway... I need to coordinate with 76 and 56. We need a plan before that ball starts."

​[R300 Division Meeting]

​"I'll get straight to the point," C_0 said, her voice cutting through the hum of the command center.

"The 98th Universe is facing an unidentified threat. We’ve lost all contact with three Rangers from the R0 divisions,
and our monitoring arrays are being jammed from the inside."

​R324 leaned back, his combat suit glowing with a faint, aggressive crimson. He let out a derisive snort, cutting her off mid-sentence.

"That’s it? You brought the R300s in for a mere reconnaissance op? Don't you have the R100s or R200s lackeys for search-and-rescue?"

​C_0 didn't flinch. She fixed R324 with a cold, piercing stare.

"No. That isn't the only reason. We’ve detected a specific mana signature leaking from the 98th universe. One that shouldn't exist in a Rank-Y13A world."

​She tapped a button on the table. The surface, which had appeared to be standard metal, suddenly dissolved into a high-definition digital hologram.

The R300 members leaned in, their bored expressions vanishing as the data began to stream.

​

To be continued...

© MYukH. All rights reserved.

Author Note:

Umm...I don't know....

Atleast he tried to appear God-like....

But yeah I can smell something big coming