Timeless Assassin

(Across the Universe – GalaxyNet Livestream Commentary & Social Reactions)

As the red carpet stream continued broadcasting across GalaxyNet, comment sections, fan forums, and reaction feeds lit up in real time— with hundreds of millions of viewers watching the Rodova team strut down the carpet.

And when Leo Skyshard's interview aired?

The universe net fractured.

[GalaxyNet Stream – Top Comment Section, Sponsored by Crimson Pulse Media]

@CutieDemon_87:

> "Did he seriously say he didn't care about his fans?? What a jerk. Like, bro, we STAND UP for you and defend you on social media and you don't even feel thankful for us?"

@PeachyPhoenix:

> "He's hot, don't get me wrong. But that attitude?? Nah. Cold men are so out of fashion. My Su Yang would NEVER."

@RodovaFanMom:

> "I hope the Horizon Dominion PR team drops him after this. He's not grateful AT ALL. This kind of arrogance is dangerous for the brand."

But just as the disapproval swelled…

Another wave of fans started carving a different path entirely.

@WarCriminalWife:

> "No smiles. No fake charm. Just brutal honesty and death in his eyes. Finally… a man worth simping for."

@EmperorVibes:

> "He said 'nah' with his whole chest. This man doesn't care about fame, politics, or PR. He's just here to win. I respect that."

@SkyshardCult (Verified Fanpage):

> "Others wear suits for the cameras. Leo wears it to hide the blood of his enemies splattered on his chest. We're witnessing the rise of a true killer."

@GalaxyThorns_Alpha:

> "He's the anti-hero we didn't know we needed. The kind of guy who doesn't show up to parties… but makes sure they end early."

@MyGFLeftMeForLeo:

> "He called Su Ran food for Su Yang. I screamed. I ascended. Feed me more, King."

Even professional analysts started weighing in:

@Teller_Nova (Sports Psych Analyst):

> "Skyshard may have just tanked his marketability—or he may have pioneered a new wave of raw, brutal warrior branding. Only time will tell."

@DariusHex (Esports Commentator):

> "This kid doesn't want fame. Doesn't want friends. Doesn't even want us.

He wants victory. And that's why he terrifies the competition."

And perhaps the most viral quote of the hour?

A short clip of Leo's calm expression as he said:

> "He's annoying. But I acknowledge him as a warrior."

Followed by a fan's captioned remix:

"Bros before PR."

As within the hour, memes flooded GalaxyNet.

— Leo's face imposed over a silent assassin walking away from an exploding media stage.

— A shirtless Su Yang with the caption: "He's my brother." And Leo under it saying: "...No he's not."

—--------

Back at the Horizon Dominion Group HQ, the PR team watched in panic, as Leo did not follow the script that they had prepared for him at all.

"I'm going to get fired…. My job, my career are gone–" Said the PR head responsible for Leo, as she sulked and buried her head in her hands.

However, what she thought was a PR disaster, actually turned out to be an organic wave of promotions, as Leo was tagged and reshared 4x more than any other warrior walking the red carpet.

"Why's our engagement rate spiking?" one analyst gasped.

Another swiveled in his chair. "The negative sentiment is dropping. He's going viral in the underground forums. Dark fanbase engagement is up 400%."

"Wait… wait—look at this. We're getting repeat shares across both light and dark channels," a third data analyst blurted out, his eyes wide as a fresh wave of metrics scrolled across his monitor.

The Horizon Dominion PR lounge had gone from despair to disbelief to full-blown celebration.

"Fanpage creation just doubled in twenty minutes," someone else added. "Half of them are rebranding as Skyshard Syndicates… is that a thing now?!"

"It is now," said a fourth, already taking screenshots for the next promotional brief, as the PR head who had buried her face in her hands slowly raised her head, blinking in confusion.

"We… we didn't just survive that?"

A nearby strategist smirked and cracked open a can of synth-caffeine. "No, honey. We just struck gold."

—---------

Meanwhile, back at the head office, the executive dashboard buzzed to life— and Ladina Horizon herself skimmed through the live updates from her penthouse suite on StarGate.

She took one look at the skyrocketing metrics, the fan reactions, and the heat maps lighting up across three quadrants… before nodding once.

"Let him keep being himself," she said softly. "Turns out the galaxy likes killers more than it likes saints."

"Change the PR campaign, project him as the cold man he shows himself to be, make the most of his persona and brand him appropriately—"

And just like that, Leo Skyshard—cold, silent, brutally honest—was no longer just a promising fighter.

He had become a movement. A myth.

A media storm wrapped in midnight steel.

—-----------

(Within the VIP Meet and Greet Lounge)

After the press-walk and the red carpet, came the common meet and greet area where fighters of all teams met with some of the common ticket fans and the top sponsors of the event—

And it was here that Serina patiently waited for Leo, as although she had a VIP pass to the Rodova Team Lounge as a 'Super Fan', she couldn't go in there yet, as the Rodova team had not yet arrived.

Serina found herself dressed in a navy-blue gown today that hugged her figure with precision only noble-tailoring could buy.

The fabric was dark when no light was cast on it, yet it shimmered faintly under the overhead chandeliers, catching light at the curves and casting shadows at just the right angles to accentuate her natural beauty.

Her long dark hair was styled into soft waves that cascaded down one shoulder, her makeup flawless, that highlighted her almond eyes and high cheekbones with just enough allure to turn heads—but not enough to seem desperate.

But in case that wasn't enough, the family tailor added a bold slit in her dress that revealed a smooth line of leg that many of the young male fighters found impossible to ignore.

And they didn't ignore her.

Because, within minutes of arriving, Serina had been approached by no less than seven different warriors—two of them high-seed circuit contenders—offering her everything from compliments to drinks to dinner reservations.

However, since her instructions about who to fraternise with were clear, she simply smiled politely at them all, charming when needed, demure when it suited her, but never letting the conversations linger.

Because her eyes kept flicking toward the entrance.

Searching.

Waiting.

And though the praise and attention swirled around her, giving her a faint but undeniable boost in confidence—none of it mattered once he walked in.

Leo Skyshard.

The moment he stepped into the lounge, all noise fell away in her head. The pulse of the music, the chatter of voices, the clinking of glasses—it all blurred as her heart skipped a beat.

He was dressed in that sharp, jet-black suit tailored by Horizon Dominion, the collar high, the sleeves tight around his arms, his eyes cold and unreadable as always.

He looked like a soldier at a gala, a killer in formalwear.

And suddenly, despite her hours of preparation, the practiced lines she'd repeated in her head, and the elegance she'd wrapped herself in like armor—

Serina felt nervous.

Because now… it was showtime.