As I left the factory and ran through the streets, I kept thinking about my next moves.
Was the Grand Sovereign more incompetent than I expected? The "Masquerade" is growing far too quickly.
'At this rate, it won't even take tens of minutes to reach Act 3.'
From Act 3 onward, the main body of the Masquerade moves directly. As expected of a Vortex One, its combat power is extremely strong. The psychic waves it's been spreading since Act 1 are just a bonus. Naturally, it's incomparably more troublesome than before.
'It would be nice if PS-111 could recover before then...'
I still haven't heard from Isabelle. I'm certain the work to save my sister is in progress, but I don't know when it will be completed.
'I have no choice. I'll have to use the card I prepared first.'
Actually, there's something I've been steadily preparing since before entering Jax-01, or rather, Star Union territory.
A card to be revealed only when all objectives are achieved. A trump card to break through Star Union's defense line and escape with everyone.
I've been checking on it whenever I built temporary nests. Once the tasks I requested from the Cult and Adhigh Orr are completed, I can use my prepared card.
'The Cult's part should be finished by now. Adhigh probably needs a bit more time.'
I entrusted him with a particularly difficult and important mission. By now, he must be moving very quickly and busily.
'It's going to be close.'
Will the Masquerade reach Act 3 first, or will our preparations be completed first? It's hard to predict.
'Still, what needs to be done is clear.'
Until Adhigh completes his task, I absolutely must remain above the "House of Consciousness." I need to maintain connection with the main body to use my trump card.
'Let's find a good place to build a nest.'
There are a few relatively safe places outside the Masquerade's territory, though not many.
As I was heading to one of those places, No. 26 on my back poked me repeatedly.
"Fake baby. Where are you going?"
"I'm going somewhere safe.'
"Safe place? That's right!"
Hearing this, the creature seemed to suddenly remember something and waved its tentacles.
"Horned person tried to do bad things with scary box! But couldn't do it and scary box got angry! Box ate horned person, ate smelly person!"
"Scary box? Ah."
The creature explained everything that had happened so far. Though its speech became awkward as it tried to form long sentences, I understood the content well enough.
The Cult had spontaneously tried to summon the Masquerade but was stopped by No. 26. As a result, the Masquerade went completely berserk and annihilated the Cult. As a bonus, the cyborgs nearby were also caught up in it.
Everything happened as I had expected.
"Scary box eats anything! Very strong, very scary. I ran away! But scary face followed. Through path horned person knew!"
"A path the Cult knew?"
"Yes! Tunnel! Wet and winding path!"
The moment I heard those words, I stopped running.
There used to be a mining site where Star Union built Prime Head. The underground tunnels are remnants of that.
The tunnels cover roughly 70% of the city. Some of them connect to underground facilities like bunkers. I had considered using them for infiltration before coming here.
'But I gave up because there was no way to break through the security system.'
"When horned adult person stood in front, smelly person didn't know."
"The cult leader, I see."
The Vortex One cult that entered before us had various hacking tools. None of them could pass through the tunnels.
It seems only the cult leader had such a tool. He must have intended to use it as an escape route.
"But scary face kept following. Smelly person said safe place! But people and horned people all became scary face. Strange."
"Hmm."
Now I understand how the Masquerade could grow so quickly.
'It raided the bunkers.'
All the shelters in the city were filled due to the arena incident. The Masquerade accessed the bunkers through the tunnels and devoured all the refugees inside.
"So tunnel bad. Safe place bad."
"That's right."
Coincidentally, there's a bunker near where I was heading. The Masquerade's clowns could pour out at any moment. If I had gone there unaware, it would certainly have been dangerous.
"Thanks for the useful information. You did very well."
"Really? Wow!"
*Tap tap*
No. 26 glowed with joy at being praised. The angel spider riding on my back alongside it clicked its chelicerae in response.
'A place not connected to the tunnels.'
I thought while stroking the happy No. 26.
Among the potential hiding places, there are some that meet this condition. However, they're all in the suburbs. It would take too long to get there.
'Wait, maybe I don't need to worry about the Star Union side?'
The city's underground has been completely consumed by the Masquerade. There are no automated trains to transport troops. If they disperse their forces as they've been doing, they'll just be defeated one by one.
In that case, it would be rational to concentrate their forces in areas untouched by the Masquerade to preserve their strength. And in this city, only one place is completely disconnected from the tunnels: the Pyramid of Machines.
The Pyramid is a fortress with tremendous defensive capabilities and superweapon-grade firepower. It's the optimal place to hold out against Vortex One. The Star Union's rankers must know this.
Therefore, other locations are likely to be empty.
'Then there's no need to go far. Let's build a nest nearby.'
"Let's go again!"
*Tap tap*
After adjusting my destination, I started moving again.
After adjusting my destination, I started moving again.
After running at full speed for about 10 minutes, I stopped in front of a building. It was an unmanned truck maintenance facility on the outskirts of the factory district. There are no underground facilities nearby.
I broke through the firmly closed iron door and entered. The interior was completely empty as all the cyborgs had evacuated.
'Seems safe.'
There don't appear to be any problematic elements. I sent a message to Hasazar using a communication device I had taken from the armed police, telling him to come here with the cult members.
"The cult members will be here soon."
"Cult? Like nice people!"
"I'm going to build a nest now. Protect me and the cult members."
"Yes! Trust me!"
No. 26 waved its tentacles with a proud attitude.
Entrusting our safety to it, I went deep inside the building. I spewed black mucus in an area filled with vehicle parts.
I lay down on the quickly completed House of Consciousness. And I waited. For Adhigh to successfully complete his mission.
5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, time continued to pass. Various sounds could be heard from outside. The footsteps of cult members and strong explosions. The battlefield between Star Union and the Masquerade had expanded to here.
Still no news from Adhigh. It's taking longer than expected, but I'm not worried. He will definitely succeed.
And that belief was correct.
"AMorph! Adhigh has succeeded!"
Hasazar, who came running in urgently, announced the good news. As soon as I heard those words, I linked to the House of Consciousness. The consciousness contained in the apostle returned to the main body, transcending the vast distance.
I quickly scanned the space around me with a widely spread energy field. I don't sense any problematic elements. I immediately pulled out my trump card.
"Movable 'object' confirmed. Activity will be suspended for '87 hours' after movement."
The [Stellar Coordinates] trait of the Formidable Opponent's Mark displayed a text box. It's a trait that can make specific objects or friendly creatures leap at superluminal speeds.
Using this trait means I won't be able to move my body for a certain period, so it must be used carefully, but this time there's no need to worry. I looked at the object I was going to move.
The place where my main body has been lying is neither a cave, nor a planet, nor a spaceship. It's a [Terramorph] disguised as a rocky celestial body drifting through Star Union territory.
The Terramorph is an object that is under the control of my consciousness. Even if the main body cannot move, it can still be operated.
And I'm not the only one inside this living celestial body. The Sky Mother and several comrades have completed all preparations and are waiting for my instructions.
This is the card I've prepared.
'Good.'
I activated the Stellar Coordinates, imagining the destination for the leap.
Everything around me turned blue. The place I'm trying to go is normally inaccessible without permission. But now that lock has been released.
Soon, my main body and everything else was enveloped in blue light. The Terramorph shook slightly due to the vibrations created while passing through countless stars.
When the shaking stopped, we were in a completely different space. The sky was full of polluted clouds-we were in the airspace above Jax-01.
After confirming our arrival, I created passages throughout the Terramorph connecting to the outside. All my waiting comrades rushed out at once.
The Red Queen's pack, the Sky Mother, and the Wolf warriors she had personally raised.
Now begins the hunt of the predators who follow me.
-x-X-x-
"Callion Eleven. Report. Ground forces 68% lost. Prime Head turret loss rate reached 12%."
"Typhon Twelve. Report. Repair drones conducting turret maintenance operations."
"Nemea Five. Report. Reserve units of fleets 5 and 11 ready to provide support."
"Europa Two. Report. Time until next metamorphosis of second target estimated at 6 minutes 12 seconds."
The voices of the Supreme Councilors filled the central control room.
Everyone was moving busily due to the greatest crisis since the revolution.
"Europa Two. Report. Gamma-class bomb transfer complete. Moving to strike the second target with the bomb loaded."
" Nemea Five. Twenty decoy ships. Supporting Europa Two."
"Callion Eleven. Deploying Screamer support teams 8, 9, and 10 as decoys.
Successfully lured target 2-1."
"Typhon Twelve. Report. Prime Head turret 10% restoration complete. 2% permanent damage confirmed. Replacement needed."
The Supreme Councilors mobilized all their resources and abilities to confront the Masquerade. All weapons mounted on Prime Head, along with fleets and troops coming from outside the planet, continuously pressured the Masquerade.
Thanks to this, the tide of battle was slowly turning in Star Union's favor.
However, Grand Sovereign Jubaka, who was watching this, was not feeling good inside. He nervously tugged at his well-groomed beard as he recalled what had happened earlier.
After realizing that the root cause of the situation was the infamous AMorph, the first response method that came to mind was escape.
Whether in the game or in reality, no one targeted by the 5th-ranked had ever survived. If this were a game, he would have fled long ago.
The problem was that this world was reality. The position of Grand Sovereign constituted no small part of Jubaka's power. If news of his escape spread outside, the authority of the Supreme Dignity would completely collapse.
Therefore, he had no choice but to postpone his escape. Instead, he warned the Machine Council. He told them that AMorph was the cause of this crisis and they needed to prepare for his attack.
The Machine Council was also aware of AMorph's danger. Two of the Supreme Councilors were presumed to have fallen victim to him.
However, finding him while confronting the Masquerade was not an easy task even for the Supreme Councilors. So the Machine Council came up with another countermeasure.
To wage a defensive battle rather than an offensive one.
For this purpose, they built fortifications centered on Prime Head and fully activated the Pyramid's security facilities. This was to respond to attacks from both monsters: the Masquerade and AMorph.
The firepower of the fully fortified Prime Head was beyond that of a superweapon. It would be nearly impossible for either the Masquerade or AMorph to approach through Prime Head's concentrated fire.
If they somehow got close, the completely sealed walls of the Pyramid would be waiting. Breaking through these and entering the interior would be very difficult. In fact, dozens of minutes had passed since the fortress was sealed, but he remained quiet.
Yet Jubaka's anxiety did not easily subside.
'...If it weren't for him, I would be at ease too! If only it weren't for that damn monster!'
He had managed to penetrate Jax-01's strict security. There was no guarantee that Prime Head wouldn't be breached as well.
'Even in the game, he never brought Vortex One with him... What trick is he planning to pull?'
"Europa Two. Preparations complete for striking the second target."
While the Grand Sovereign was grinding his teeth in worry, the Supreme Councilors were preparing a fatal blow against Vortex One.
They were going to directly strike the Masquerade with a gamma-class bomb powerful enough to blow away an entire city, loaded onto a ship.
When the bomb explodes, a significant portion of the city will be destroyed, but most of the territory outside the Pyramid has already been taken by the enemy anyway. The Machine Council decided to sacrifice this to annihilate the enemy.
"Nemea Five. Decoy fleet activities deployed. Automatic train operation confirmed. Successfully lured the second target."
"Europa Two. Gamma-class bomb timer set to 2 minutes 30 seconds..."
"Typhon Twelve. Urgent report from Prometheus. First target 'Red Galergon' approaching."
Just before the attack began, an unexpected report came in from outside the planet.
The Red Galergon, which had not been detected anywhere on Jax-01 until now, was approaching Prometheus at tremendous speed.
"The first target's acceleration exceeds the set limit. Error in Prometheus's target designation."
"What?"
"Nemea Five. Order. All standby ships, close the distance with Prometheus."
For Prometheus to use its forced warp ability, it needs to designate coordinates. However, the target was not only small but also moving too fast for the radar to properly track.
In response, Nemea Five used the fleet to create a physical wall. Over a thousand ships gathered to surround Prometheus.
"No way?!"
"98% probability of collision between the first target and Prometheus." "S-stop it immediately! Catch that lizard bastard by any means necessary!"
However, Red Galergon had already approached very close to Prometheus. A small glowing red signal pierced through Prometheus and passed by.
"Typhon Twelve. Prometheus damage rate over 82%. Operation halted."
"Damn it! Activate all dormant Prometheus units immediately!"
Due to Prometheus's destruction, a temporary hole appeared in the system's air defense network. Through that gap, the entity Jubaka had been worried about squeezed in.
"Nemea Five. Report. The fleet has detected warp energy."
"Callion Eleven. Report. Ground forces have discovered an unidentified sphere in the airspace of Jax-01."
Videos captured by numerous ships were uploaded to the central control room.
'What is that?'
The entity in the video was an unknown moon made of rock and flesh. A sphere so massive that ground forces could see it with their naked eyes was floating above the clouds.
"...Machine Council, listen."
Seeing this, Jubaka quietly ordered.
"Shoot that thing down with all available weapons."
"Chairman, sir?"
"I don't care about any sacrifices, just eliminate that thing! As quickly as possible!"
The Grand Sovereign screamed his orders. The Masquerade and other problems were no longer in his mind.
If the entity in the video was AMorph's weapon, it had to be stopped at all costs.
If not, there was only one future left.
The end of the Machine Kingdom.
-x-X-x-
The sky is filled with smog whether day or night, and the ground is packed with colorless buildings.
The central area, Prime Head, is no different. Except for the pyramid, which is larger than most small cities, you only see similar buildings stretching endlessly.
That's why those critical of the Star Union mockingly call Prime Head "the colorless metal tripod."
But that monotonous scenery is changing. It's because of the battle with Vortex One "Masquerade."
As time passed, the flames of war blazed fiercely. Now the entire city is engulfed in the fires of war. Even areas without military facilities weren't spared.
The unmanned truck maintenance facility in the factory zone is one of the places exposed to danger.
Amid the flames of bombardment consuming the streets, this maintenance facility was the only place with lights on. It was surrounded by parked trucks and various materials. Someone had created barricades and cover.
Those who fortified the maintenance facility weren't cyborg soldiers or androids. Instead of solid metal, they were a race with cold scales-the Coldblood.
Scale-covered warriors armed with Star Union weapons were guarding the maintenance facility.
"Not much time remains until the Great Ones' plan is fulfilled. Until then, we must protect this place."
A copper-scaled female Hasazar shouted from atop a truck.
"We all owe our lives to the Great Ones. We must not waste them carelessly. We must survive to welcome the Order."
The Coldbloods hiding behind cover nodded at her words.
Young Wolfs watched this scene from inside the building.
"Is it okay if we don't help?"
"Yeah, it looks dangerous."
"They told us to stay hidden. We'd just get in the way if we went out there."
"But still..."
The Wolfs stopped talking and turned around.
Inside the building's warehouse, in front of a tightly closed door, stood an alien being.
Its overall appearance resembled a spider, but it was the size of an adult male.
Its body had bundles of tentacles attached, and it had only one eye.
It was the Angel Spider that escaped from the arena. The Wolfs were already acquainted with it.
"Why is that thing here again?"
"Yeah, didn't the god say it would be dead by now?"
"I heard another god brought it."
"It did!"
"Right, another god... huh?"
The Wolfs' gazes shifted downward at the sudden voice. The owner of the voice was a life form resembling a pink balloon.
The creature moved its tentacle-like legs and rummaged through a bag. Then it pulled out several packaged calorie bars and held them out.
"Small furry people eat this."
"Uh, well, thank you."
"Thank you, my lord."
"Yes. Eat and grow big."
The Wolfs awkwardly accepted the calorie bars.
No. 26, who had given the gift, bounced over to the Angel Spider.
"Bubble thing eat too and get better."
*Tap tap*
The Angel Spider rolled its eye around before accepting the food. There was no trace of its notorious fighter persona.
"I can't believe that monster is so docile..."
"It looks weak, but I wonder if it's as strong as the god who saved us?"
"It doesn't look like it could break even a rock, let alone a metal door."
"You met the lord before us. What was it like?"
A Wolf with a jaguar's head asked a Wolf with a bull's head.
Their comrade had left the arena earlier due to serious injuries during a match. No. 26 was the one who saved him when he was destined to be processed into biofuel at the factory.
"Honestly, I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"When I opened my eyes, I was already in the hideout. I've never directly witnessed our lord's power."
"Hmm. I see."
"The Coldbloods say it's extremely powerful and merciful."
"Powerful and merciful? I can't imagine that."
"Right. It just looks cute."
"Except for the mouths on its legs."
As the Wolfs were chatting, the Angel Spider's eye, which had been eating a calorie bar, turned toward the window.
"Hiss!"
"Scary face coming."
Just as No. 26 finished speaking, a thunderous sound came from outside. The entire building vibrated slightly. The intermittent bombing sounds that had been heard until now were getting closer.
The movements of the Coldbloods outside became more frantic. Weapons stolen from the Star Union spat fire. The Wolfs pressed themselves against the window to watch.
"Where are the enemies?"
"I can't see well because of the smoke!"
Through the thick smoke, they could see shadows stirring. The outlines were similar to humans, but much larger. What appeared after the smoke cleared were dozens of monsters.
"W-what is that?"
The monsters looked as if they were made by lumping together human body parts and flesh. From a distance, one might mistake them for moving piles of corpses. Several red masks depicting angry faces were attached to the head portion.
The monsters were more than four times larger than the Wolfs, making their grotesque appearance clearly visible even from a distance.
The monsters, which looked like they came straight out of a nightmare, charged ferociously. Even the fire net spread by the Coldbloods couldn't slow the enemy.
The monsters, which reached the barricade in an instant, swung their massive fists. Bombs hidden between the barricades activated at the right moment.
Explosions powerful enough to make the ground shake occurred one after another. But the monsters remained intact. They only slowed down a bit due to the flames blocking their view.
"Everyone fall back!"
During that gap, the Coldbloods retreated into the building. Hasazar held onto a heavy weapon and covered her comrades. Only after everyone had escaped did she run into the building.
One monster followed closely behind her. Just before the monster's fist could strike the Coldblood, a purple flash flickered in the sky.
"It's here!"
No. 26, who had been on alert, shouted in a bright voice.
Simultaneously, a purple beam descended from above and struck the monster. The beam, reminiscent of a pouring waterfall, mercilessly tore the monster apart.
After the beam disappeared, only the masks that had been attached to the monster's head remained scattered on the ground.
The gazes of the Wolfs watching from behind the window turned upward.
"Is that an angel?"
"No, that's..."
A being that didn't belong in the ash-filled sky was floating.
"A dragon?"
It was a dragon. Dragons with wings as bright as the sun and dragons with the color of dense jungle.
The pure white dragon dove down and attacked another monster. Its claws, honed like blades, cut the target into pieces in one go.
Despite being split in two, the monster didn't die. Its arms moved on their own like puppet limbs and grabbed the dragon.
At that moment, a black object sprang from the dragon's back. It was a black wolf with a golden spear in its mouth.
The wolf, comparable in size to a small car, was incredibly agile despite its size. With nimble movements, it mounted the monster and stabbed the mask with its spear.
The mask, which had remained intact through bomb explosions and the dragon's heat beam, immediately cracked. Then the monster's body collapsed instantly.
The wolf landed in front of Hasazar, leaving the falling enemy behind.
"Thank you, Tane. You came at the right time."
The black wolf, called "Tane," exchanged eye greetings with the copper-colored Coldblood.
The monsters, seeing this, didn't move rashly. Perhaps because they had lost two of their kind in an instant, they showed clear signs of caution.
"Rejoice, everyone."
Hasazar spoke while reloading her heavy weapon.
At the same time, five dragons landed on the ground. Each had beasts of different appearances riding on them.
"The Order has arrived."
The black wolf and the beasts charged at the enemy with a roar. The dragons simultaneously spat purple heat beams.
The second opponent faced by the demon who descended upon the machine kingdom is the Order that serves the five gods.
-x-X-x-
"You crazy AMorph!"
An intense telepathy flew at me as I was controlling the living star "Teramorph."
"Not only is there a fleet, but there's also 'Masquerade'!"
It was a thought wave from Sky Mother outside. She must have seen the clowns marching toward the machine pyramid.
"And that's already stage 2, no, looking at the scale, it's almost stage 3? When on earth did you summon it?!"
I had informed her that I had secured the Masquerade relic before entering the arena. That's probably why she thinks I summoned it.
I'd like to explain in detail, but I can't right now. I can't move my body due to the price of using the "Star Coordinates."
Of course, that doesn't mean there's no way to communicate. I engraved words containing my intentions on the surface of Teramorph.
"'The situation has become complicated'? You call that an explanation..."
She sent a thought wave filled with bewilderment, then paused for a moment. I can easily imagine her sighing.
'Tsk. It's true though.'
Given what I've done so far, she doesn't seem to believe me at all.
"...Alright, I understand. Isabelle hasn't finished her job yet, right? So we need to hold out until then."
I drew a circle.
Although the variable of Masquerade has emerged, what Sky Mother needs to do hasn't changed.
I asked her to do two things: search for the Prometheus that hasn't been activated yet, and support the Order that has infiltrated Jaks-01.
Of these, the former is obviously the priority.
Adhigh destroyed one Prometheus, but that can't be all of them. The enemies only deployed one because they were only anticipating a battle with Masquerade. There must be more reserve weapons that haven't been deployed in battle.
'If I think in terms of the game, there might be about four left.'
Since improved versions of Prometheus have also appeared, there might be even more.
I had already asked Sky Mother to find and destroy these with Adhigh's cooperation.
"Okay. Then I'll move as we discussed before."
With that thought wave, the presence of the griffon beastkin disappeared beyond my perception range.
For this operation, she brought the unique-grade pirate ship "Wandering Ghost." The Wandering Ghost is the fastest of all ships in Space Survival. It's perfect for moving in step with Adhigh.
'Now, let's move on this side too.'
I sense ominous movements from the boundary of my perception area. Ships equipped with numerous cannons have begun their attack.
Focusing my mind as I feel the approaching torpedoes, the energy field emanating from my body, enhanced by Teramorph, moves. Instead of spreading widely, it condenses into a narrow, long form.
I swung the intangible whip thus created vigorously. The approaching torpedoes hit the energy field and exploded one after another.
Then I spread the energy field again to capture the flames created by the explosion.
The enemy fleet, noticing my intention, quickly disperses. A giant fire serpent under my control licks its tongue and pounces on its prey. Aircraft with thin armor crashed, engulfed in flames.
Still, the destroyers and battleships with thick armor survived. The enemies who broke through the flames spread out widely to surround me. Then they approached rapidly.
'They're actually narrowing the distance?'
Although the power of the energy field is strong, it's impossible to grab hundreds of battleships simultaneously. Have they already noticed the weakness?
'No. That can't be.'
Originally, that fleet was prepared to face Masquerade, not me. Some of the numerous ships must be carrying powerful bombs.
The appearance of deploying ramming tactics is a disguise. In reality, they intend to attempt suicide attacks with ships carrying bombs.
Three or four gamma-class bombs would be difficult for even Teramorph to withstand. And I don't know which of them are meant for self-destruction. If this were a game, it would certainly be a crisis.
'If this were a game, that is.'
The unique trait I newly acquired before entering the Star Union is actually two. Besides "Faceless Apostle," there's one more.
'More precisely, I changed one I already had.'
Once you obtain a unique trait, you can't change or remove it. But an exception occurred.
Thanks to the space monster type stage 3 reward.
It allows me to completely change an existing unique trait into a new space monster trait.
Of course, it's not free at all. As it's an out-of-spec ability, the price required to use it is also enormously large. That's why I only changed one.
Anyway, the new unique trait has already been activated.
The enemies approaching while drawing my attention with heat beams and torpedoes. The warships flying with the determination to pierce through Teramorph suddenly slowed down.
Then they began to move erratically, breaking formation. Some ships plunged toward the ground, while others rammed into allies. They all seemed to have gone mad simultaneously.
Some of my traits can distort the senses of intelligent beings or drive them mad by showing illusions. Is this one of those?
No.
'Everything those ship crews see and feel is real.'
The name of the new unique trait is "Boundary Dweller." It's a trait that summons a group of psychic creatures called "boundary beasts" within my energy field domain.
These creatures, resembling translucent eels, usually swim along the energy field. But when someone shows hostility toward me, they become aggressive.
Their attack method is to swarm and bite. Simple, but quite threatening due to the large number of boundary beasts.
Moreover, their true value lies in their special abilities.
Boundary beasts are hardly constrained by physical limitations. They can pass through metal walls and even ignore damage from laser or plasma-type attacks.
Instead, they are very vulnerable to psychic power. They can't even pass through black silver, a psychic-blocking metal.
'They don't know this fact.'
For them, it's like fighting ghosts that appeared out of nowhere. Naturally, they can only be confused.
And the Galergons hiding under Teramorph, waiting for an opportunity, began their activity.
Young Green Galergons rammed into the confused ships while using super acceleration. No ship survived being hit by these biological missiles nearly 10 meters long. They either shattered into pieces or broke in two and fell.
The enemies who avoided the boundary beasts' attacks tried to counterattack, but they had different opponents. Experienced adults, White Galergons, shot psychic breaths to cover their kin.
As battleships and destroyers fell one after another, there was a reaction from the ground.
I sense strong energy reactions from below. The Star Union's machine pyramid and Masquerade's automatic train. Both sides are attacking me.
An enormous amount of heat beams pounded the surface of Teramorph. Chunks of rock firmly bonded by black slime were scraped off. If I continue to be attacked like this, I won't last more than a few minutes.
Yet I didn't avoid it, but slowly descended.
Currently, Masquerade is on the verge of entering stage 3. If it gets stronger, things will become troublesome in many ways.
I can't stop its growth itself, but I can at least check it. By taking away its most powerful weapon.
From now on, I'm going to drop Teramorph to crush the automatic train.
'Since it worked with the space fortress, this should be enough.'
Of course, since the Order members in the city might get hurt, I'll have to adjust the power appropriately.
I gradually increased the descent speed while paying attention to the situation below. The enemies, seemingly reading my intention, intensified their attacks.
By now, the edge of the energy field touches the ground. I can sense the movements of clowns rushing to protect their master. But there's nothing they can do.
Now the ground is close. Close enough to feel it through the AMorph's auxiliary organs. Energy rapidly gathers at the station where Masquerade's main body is located. Its evolution is imminent.
But I'm faster.
Finally, a tremendous impact struck Teramorph.
-x-X-x-
"Nemea Five. Report. Confirmed landing of temporarily designated 'Target 3-1'."
The unexpected crash of the suddenly appearing celestial rock body. Its impact was felt even in the pyramid.
"Typhon Twelve. Report. Automated train damage rate has reached 83%. Operation ceased."
"Europa Two. Question. Was Target 3-1's objective to destroy the automated train?"
"Nemea Five. Unable to confirm."
"Callion Eleven. Confirmed Target 3-2 is intercepting Target 2-1."
"Europa Two. Relationship between Target 2 and Target 3 requires reassessment. Behavioral prediction simulations need revision."
The High Councilors were considerably flustered by this situation. The culprit behind this crisis, AMorph, was deliberately causing unpredictable disruptions.
Even with their superintelligence, they struggled to grasp its intentions.
"....."
The Grand Marshal silently watched the hologram screen. He too found it incomprehensible.
However, he was the only one present who had directly encountered AMorph. Because of this, he could be certain of one thing.
This chaos itself was exactly what the creature intended.
'If we get caught up in this, we're finished.'
The AMorph he knew was a monster. One shouldn't try to understand a monster's intentions or strategies.
What matters more is how to respond.
'Further fortification would be meaningless.'
It had destroyed the automated train with an absurdly massive rock. There was nothing stopping it from doing the same to the pyramid fortress.
Of course, this fortress was sturdy enough to survive even if Planet C-08 were to split apart. After becoming Grand Marshal, he had reinforced it to be much stronger than in the game. It could withstand multiple impacts from that celestial rock.
The problem was that the creature wouldn't simply wait during that process. While ramming with the rock, it would simultaneously attack from other directions. Merely enduring wasn't enough.
'...Now is the time for a more aggressive response.'
The Grand Marshal recalled his most powerful weapon. The ultimate weapon he and Cloe Garmelda had created using their special privileges.
'I was saving this for Akira originally. Tsk.'
Unlike the Returnist faction, the Dominionist faction lacks strong bonds between members. They're more like a temporary alliance formed for individual interests. They could become enemies whenever necessary.
His relationship with Chloe was relatively good. Their special privileges had synergy, and they shared the same goals.
In any case, Jubaka possessed a weapon infused with the power of two rankers. Though still incomplete, its power was extraordinary. It had enough potential to face AMorph.
"Listen, everyone."
Having made his decision, Jubaka spoke.
"I will use 'Supreme Fist.' Everyone, cooperate."
"Your Excellency?"
All the High Councilors' gazes turned to the Grand Marshal.
"Chairman, operating 'Supreme Fist' requires at least three High Councilors. The Prime Head's security level will be significantly reduced."
"Agreed. Additionally, the energy consumption issue of 'Supreme Fist' remains unresolved. When activated, 28% of the fortress facilities will cease functioning due to energy shortage."
"Agreed. Many survivors remain within the fortress. Request reconsideration."
The androids hastily expressed their concerns.
When the rankers created the secret weapon, the Machine Council had participated as well. They knew about the weapon's power, but also its weaknesses.
However, Jubaka did not change his mind.
"If we leave those insolent creatures unchecked, the damage will only increase.
We must accept some sacrifices."
"But Your Excellency. This is..."
"This is a decision made by the People's Light. The Machine Council must obey."
"Typhon Twelve. Report. Target 2-1 transformation complete."
"There's no time. The Machine Council must obey!"
Jubaka reprimanded the hesitating High Councilors again. The silent androids finally nodded.
"...Confirmed. Europa Two. Requesting access permission for Code CWSP (Colossus Walker System Prototype)."
"Callion Eleven. Permission granted."
"Typhon Twelve. Permission granted."
Nemea Five, the last remaining councilor, hesitated before finally nodding.
"...Nemea Five. Permission granted."
"Permission granted in the name of the Chairman."
"Confirmed permission from the Chairman and three Machine Council members. Code lock released. Europa Two, Nemea Five, Callion Eleven connected. Connection confirmed."
As soon as Europa Two finished speaking, the entire fortress shook. All internal facilities were shifting from their original positions.
The structure of the central control room changed in real-time. The lights emitted by computers and wires flickered unstably before most of them went out, leaving only a few.
Then the cables connecting the Grand Marshal and the three High Councilors who had accessed the code detached themselves. The chairs they sat on moved to a different space with their occupants.
When all the changes were complete, Jubaka found himself in an entirely different location.
"Connection complete. Energy charge 93% confirmed. Movement test confirmed. No issues with activation preparation. Synchronization settings complete."
New cables plugged into his nape. The voices of the three androids, merged into one, echoed in his head.
Simultaneously, Jubaka felt the exhilaration he had experienced before. The immense power from the giant metal body elevated his spirits.
""Supreme Fist' system, activating."
The moment the Grand Marshal opened his eyes, the giant sleeping within the pyramid awakened.
-x-X-x-
"...Now at 68%."
In a dimly lit space illuminated by light from a monitor.
Isabelle, an android with somewhat unusual appearance, stared at the monitor screen with serious eyes.
"Thirty minutes until completion."
She looked behind the monitor.
In the darkness, machines of various sizes worked diligently. At their center was a being that could be either biological or robotic.
A metal shell in the form of a human female, filled with biological organs and mechanical parts inside. This was PS-111, Isabelle's twin sister.
Under the delicate touch of the machines, PS-111 was gradually approaching completion.
Though the work was progressing smoothly, Isabelle wasn't feeling at ease.
According to plan, it should have been completed with time to spare. It was taking longer than expected.
'I started too late.'
The infiltration itself had been successful. The problem came afterward. The fortress's internal structure and security systems had changed significantly from what she knew.
Here, no mistakes or failures could be tolerated. She had wasted much time carefully approaching the High Councilor manufacturing facility.
'AMorph seems to be waiting and anticipating this too.'
Subtle vibrations had been intermittently occurring in the floor and walls.
There was only one being capable of shaking this invincible fortress. AMorph was still rampaging outside. Its effects were reaching all the way here.
Thanks to AMorph, she had gained time. The rest was up to her. Only by reviving PS-111 would everything end.
As Isabelle sighed and turned her attention back to the monitor.
With a loud noise, the space shook violently. This was completely different from the previous vibrations. It felt like the entire facility was being moved.
And suddenly the power went out. The machines assembling PS-111 stopped completely.
"No, no! This can't be happening!"
She hurriedly checked her sister's condition.
Fortunately, PS-111 was intact with no damage. However, the machines in the manufacturing facility were completely unresponsive. It seemed the energy supply had been completely cut off.
"Damn it! What should I do? How should I..."
While desperately pondering, she thought of her own power source. An android's artificial body engine is an organ that generates and supplies energy. If connected to the facility's machines, they could be reactivated.
The question was whether an android's heart could handle the energy demanded by the manufacturing facility. It would stop within 10 minutes.
'No, that's not it. I need to reduce the manufacturing time itself.'
Only fellow High Councilors are proficient in creating High Councilor-grade androids. And Isabelle knows someone with such knowledge.
"...Sister Penelope."
Isabelle opened her abdomen and took out an object she had stored inside. It was the brain of a mini-screamer where PS-111's memories were stored. She had brought it to implant after completing the body.
'Even though it's incomplete, connection itself is possible.'
Currently, the basic life support system and part of the nervous system to transmit brain signals were already complete.
Directly connecting the brain might awaken the dormant mind.
However, this method carried significant risks. Her hands weren't as precise as the machines in the manufacturing facility. One mistake would be irreversible.
'But this is the only way.'
Further deliberation would only waste time.
What matters is achieving her goal by any means necessary. Just like AMorph had done.
Isabelle carefully connected the brain to the incomplete body. She concentrated intensely to prevent any problems during the process.
'Done.'
Fortunately, the work was completed safely. Finally, she pulled a cable from her body and plugged it into the exposed terminals on the brain's surface.
The energy generated by the android engine awakened the dormant memory storage device. PS-111's previously motionless body twitched.
"PS-Model Number 101. Rebo—Zzzz—teeing—Rebooting."
A mechanical voice with a stiff tone came from the still incomplete vocal cords.
"Sister?"
The twin responded to her sister's call.
"Con—Zzzz—Confirmed. Little sister?"
"!"
Though mixed with static, it was clearly the voice she had been waiting for. Isabelle felt as if the engine that existed in place of her heart might burst.
"Body, status error. Do you know why this is happening?"
"...Sister lost her body long ago. I've awakened you after you've been asleep for a long time."
"Incomprehensible. I was en—zzz—route to 'Megacorp Junkyard'. No threat detected."
"That's right. The problem occurred after arriving at the junkyard. AMorph fell into a trap, and suddenly Outspacers invaded too."
Perhaps because it wasn't in her memory, PS-111 remained silent.
"I'll explain the details later. Right now, we have work to do."
"Please, wait a moment."
PS-111 moved her arm with exposed metal bones and rearranged several cables connected to her brain. Then she twitched her body just like when she first woke up.
"Situation confirmed. Current location, Prime Head jurisdiction High Councilor manufacturing facility. Little sister's objective, creating my body within time limit. Is this correct?"
"Huh? How did you...wait, did you read my memories again?"
"Yes. Little sister's security level. Significantly reduced. Partial access to memory data possible. Confirmed."
"...Ha. You're still the same even after coming back to life."
Seeing her family behaving exactly the same as before, Isabelle inadvertently let out a hollow laugh that contain an joy.
"Anyway, if you've seen it, that makes things faster. Can you solve this?"
"Reasoning ability insufficient. There is a method, but calculating success probability is difficult."
"I'll listen and judge that part myself."
"Since time is short, I'll transfer directly."
Before Isabelle could respond, images and text flowed into her head. It was a blueprint for a complex organism combining metal, machinery, and organic matter-a screamer.
"What is this?"
"Second design plan for creating little sister. If the first plan failed, I would have proceeded with this design."
"Is this really possible?"
"Theoretically, yes."
What PS-111 had conceived wasn't an ordinary screamer. Nor was it a mutant screamer like Isabelle or PS-111.
The goal of the second plan was to merge two or more screamers into a single entity.
"...I see why you said it was difficult. It doesn't look easy to succeed."
"There's another problem besides probability."
"Problem?"
"Once initiated, it cannot be reversed."
"Cannot be reversed? You mean once merged, we can't separate?"
"Yes. You and I will permanently share a body."
Isabelle paused at those words.
She had already lost her body once and become a screamer. Now she might lose her own body as well. It was naturally a conflicting issue.
"If you feel uncomfortable, I'll look for another method."
"No."
However, her deliberation wasn't long.
"Let's try the second plan you showed me."
"Are you sure?"
The android containing Isabelle's will nodded firmly.
"You once said something like this before. That you wished our bodies could become one so we could protect each other more easily."
"Did I?"
"You probably don't remember, but our lives weren't easy. Not just here, but over there too."
Isabelle took PS-111's hand.
"Promise me. Promise that no one will ever be able to separate us."
They exchanged glances silently for a moment.
"Of course. No one can separate us."
PS-111 also grasped her hand with determination.
"Good. So what should we do first?"
"First, we need little sister's main body and surgical tools compatible with androids."
"The main body is stored here too. I'll disconnect from the artificial body and move directly."
"Then I'll use the artificial body."
And so, the flame in the manufacturing facility, which had been in darkness and silence, ignited once again.
---
Right after the Terramorph collided with the automated train, I spread energy fields widely in all directions. This was to confirm whether I had successfully hit only the target.
'At least the automated train is mostly finished.'
The cars carrying turrets were completely destroyed. A few cars carrying combat drones survived, but that wasn't significant. The automated train was effectively neutralized.
'The cult is safe too.'
While the areas near the station were devastated, the factory district where the cult members were hiding suffered relatively less damage. As long as they didn't disobey my instructions and go elsewhere, they would be safe.
'Good. Things seem to be working out well.'
There have been about 10 cases of space fortresses dropping superweapons on planets. But in reality, this is the first time one has been dropped while calculating the damage range.
I was extremely careful, and fortunately, the results were good.
'Let's move again then.'
Thanks to controlling the impact, the Terramorph still remains. Though its lower part is broken, making it closer to a semicircle in shape.
As I tried to lift it again with an energy field, something from below grabbed and pulled the Terramorph down.
'It's here.'
Below the Terramorph stood a being I knew well.
A monster with its lower body and limbs covered in red stems, and its upper body and head covered in faces. Though humanoid in shape, it stood about 20 meters tall.
I know what this is without even seeing it. It's the main body that appeared when the 'Masquerade' transitioned to 'Act 3'.
'Now it begins.'
Unlike the previous stage where it controlled clowns to fight, in Act 3 of the Masquerade, the main body takes the initiative. It also freely uses unique powers it hadn't used before.
The real battle with Vortex One begins from Act 3.
'Sorry, but not here.'
I detached the part it had grabbed and flew toward the outskirts of the city.
The mental waves emitted by Act 3 of the Masquerade are wide enough to cover the entire city. Fighting near the station could involve the cult members and Gallerons. To avoid this, I plan to move the battlefield outside the city.
The Masquerade closely pursued the Terramorph flying on the energy field. I maintained an appropriate speed so it could follow.
I didn't even dodge the attacks filled with its anger. Each time Vortex One's attacks struck, chunks of rock were shaved off the Terramorph's surface.
Like all Vortex One attacks, the Masquerade main body's attacks are threatening. Not only are they highly destructive, but they also inflict deadly debuffs.
The Terramorph is no exception. To prevent problems, I completely detached the affected areas along with their surroundings.
I continued moving outside the city while taking hits.
'This should be far enough.'
We've been well beyond the city limits for quite some time. From outside, the mechanical pyramid would probably look only as big as a pinky finger.
I stopped fleeing, changed direction, and dropped onto the Masquerade.
Seeing me falling again, it tried to respond. Ignoring this, I rammed into it.
Though not as powerful as when I smashed the automated train, the impact was sufficiently large. I could feel the mass of flesh writhing beneath the Terramorph's surface.
Unfortunately, the Masquerade didn't die. It recovered instantly and counterattacked. With two falls plus its offensive, the damage became unbearable.
'This is as far as it goes.'
As expected, facing the Masquerade with just the Terramorph is too much. Just as it has emerged in its main body to act, I should also bring out my main body.
'Normally I couldn't move due to the risk of the Starlight Coordinates, but...'
I have one means to nullify this.
'Void Dice.'
One of the characteristics of the [Formidable Adversary's Insignia], 'Predator's Amorphous Polyhedron,' can devour equipment and specialize its unique abilities. I once ate something left by a past ranker, and used this characteristic to acquire a new ability.
The ability is called 'Void Dice.' Using this ability removes all cooldowns and restrictions on all my characteristics for three minutes. As a bonus, risks from using characteristics also disappear.
'If only the ability's cooldown were shorter, I would have used it more often.'
The cooldown of Void Dice itself is randomly determined. With good luck, it might be days; with bad luck, it could be years. The last time I used it, the cooldown lasted almost half a year.
Anyway, the cooldown has ended now. I used Void Dice.
Heat rises from the heart inside my thick carapace. The spiral patterns engraved on the outer carapace respond to the heat and glow silver.
The flow of energy that started from my chest covered my entire body before stopping. Then came the familiar sense of liberation. The shackles of the Starlight Coordinates were broken, and my body regained freedom.
[Zzuzz (Done)]
"Grr?"
"Grrrrr"
The two heads on either side, freed from restraint, growled to express their delight.
I immediately created a passage between this place and the Terramorph's outer shell. Then I disconnected from the Terramorph.
The living nest loses its vitality and collapses. I spread my wings, larger than my body, and soared upward.
Flying through the long passage and passing through in one breath, the dreary sky welcomed me. Below, I could see the fragments of the Terramorph, which had lost its form and collapsed into a mountain of debris.
Eventually, the Masquerade crawled up, breaking through the pile of debris. The numerous faces densely arranged on its upper body stared at me.
"..."
It hesitates, though it had immediately attacked the Terramorph. It seems to have detected that I am not an easy opponent.
'Well, that makes sense.'
Even the notorious Vortex One would be seeing a being like me for the first time.
After obtaining 'Faceless Apostle,' my appearance changed significantly.
The biggest difference is my body shape. Due to my enlarged head, my torso has transformed into a long, thin snake-like form.
To match the body's changes, my head size has also decreased from before. The horns on my head have become smaller, and their appearance has become relatively simplified.
The head carapace, which used to resemble a magnificent crown, has been divided into smaller pieces stacked in layers around my neck. To use an analogy, it's like a mane made of carapace instead of fur.
The bio-pipes that emit energy fields are placed at the tips of each carapace, and the monster's tentacles are positioned in the gaps between the carapaces.
To accommodate these changes, my neck has become longer and thicker. There's almost no difference in thickness between the neck and torso.
Below the developed neck hangs a gluttonous pouch like a wattle. Its width has decreased, but its length has increased.
Following the long neck down, you'll find an equally elongated torso and massive wings.
The two pairs of combat arms that had previously transformed into tentacles have now changed into wings. The membranes of both wing pairs extend all the way to the middle of the torso and tail.
The small arms and legs on the chest have atrophied and disappeared. Instead, protruding corrosive tentacles serve as hands and feet.
Overall, my appearance has become closer to a three-headed dragon or a dragon with tentacles.
"..."
The momentarily paused Vortex One moves again. It seems about to use a special ability to face me, a formidable opponent.
Naturally, I have no intention of remaining idle either.
'Let's use [Symbol of Hunter] right now.'
The Masquerade is valuable prey. I must absolutely take the characteristics it possesses.
Just as I was about to use 'Symbol of Hunter,' I sensed an intense energy reaction from afar. A beam of heat was approaching at tremendous speed.
'Oh no!'
"Gruk!"
I quickly twisted my body but couldn't completely avoid it. One of the horns on my left head was hit by the heat beam and oxidized without a trace.
'What was that?'
Even though my head carapace and horns have become smaller, their durability hasn't decreased. On Planet C-08, only the mechanical pyramid could pulverize my horns.
However, this attack didn't come from the pyramid.
Above the horizon where the light of war illuminated the burning city. Some entity was running toward us with its back to the city.
'A giant?'
The rapidly approaching entity was a giant forged of metal.