"Ah!"
Witnessing the Supreme Guardian Cocolia being taken down at lightning speed, Bronya and the Silvermane Guards were left completely stunned.
Under the effect of spirit-speech, their minds felt somewhat hazy.
"Wait, this is?!..."
Big Bronya staggered forward a few steps before being supported by little Bronya and Silver Wolf.
"It's fine. I just let her rest for a while."
Kafka picked Cocolia up.
"Take her to a hotel, Qlipoth Fort, or even the Astral Express—anywhere works. Just have someone keep an eye on her."
"If she keeps arguing endlessly with the Stellaron and follows its instructions to fight us to the death, that would be troublesome, right?"
"So, why not let her calm down for now? Once we've handled everything, we can deal with her situation properly."
As she spoke, she glanced at Big Bronya.
"I feel like it's easier to communicate with you? You more or less call the shots in Belobog, right?"
"!"
Bronya Rand took Cocolia and checked her condition.
She had simply been hypnotized and had fallen into a deep sleep.
Bronya had no idea how that purple-haired woman had done it, but she guessed it might be some extremely powerful form of hypnosis.
"You actually did this to the Supreme Guardian..."
Gepard, the captain of the Silvermane Guards, gripped his weapon tightly as he stared at Kafka.
Instinctively, they felt cautious and hostile toward these strangers who had suddenly appeared in Belobog.
In the past, if anyone had openly knocked out Cocolia and spoken so disrespectfully, Bronya would have immediately led the Silvermane Guards to arrest them.
Now, however, as they stared at the purple-haired woman, the guards realized they could barely muster any hostility, as if they had been subjected to a powerful psychological suggestion.
"What... exactly do you want to do?"
Bronya Rand asked, gripping her gun.
"Didn't I already tell you? We're here to solve this world's problems. Your adoptive mother, Cocolia Rand, has been bewitched by the Stellaron's power."
"She struck some kind of deal with it—a self-righteous one. The Stellaron promised her a new world, on the condition that she destroy Belobog and Jarilo-VI."
The Herta puppet rolled up Cocolia's sleeve, revealing the arm that had been eroded by the Stellaron.
"Oh, and her decision to withdraw the Silvermane Guards from the Underworld and seal off the upper and lower districts was probably for this reason too."
"But making wishes to a Stellaron never ends well. The Fragmentum erosion will eventually destroy Belobog, and the Overworld will collapse before the Underworld does."
"No!"
"That's impossible! Mother, she..."
Big Bronya tried to argue, only to meet Herta's gaze—one that looked at her like she was an idiot.
"If you don't have sufficient evidence, don't casually question my conclusions, little girl."
"!"
Though the Herta puppet looked small and cute, her presence was anything but weak.
She had absolute confidence in her area of expertise.
"But we've never heard of the Starsea Empire. There's no record of you in any of our documents."
"Where are you from? Do you have any relation to the Interastral Peace Corporation?"
After thinking for a moment, Gepard and Bronya both showed suspicious expressions.
Pfft—
The Astral Express crew almost burst out laughing.
"What is this? Asking what era this is?"
Gudako patted Big Bronya's shoulder, her expression filled with a bit of pity.
"Come to think of it, you don't receive interstellar news, do you?—Oh right, you really don't."
"In other worlds, when people see the Starsea Empire's fleets, they welcome them with offerings. Unlike you... tsk, tsk."
After taking over the Interastral Peace Corporation, the Starsea Empire had already become the undisputed overlord of this side of the universe.
Ordinary civilizations, upon seeing starships bearing the Empire's flag—or even the Astral Express—would tremble with fear and show utmost respect.
Only Belobog, long isolated from the outside world, remained completely ignorant of everything beyond.
"Come on, time for a quick history and current affairs lesson. The times have changed."
Silver Wolf stuffed a tablet into Big Bronya's hands.
"Ask me if there's anything you don't understand—considering we look so alike."
...
Half an hour later.
Inside the Supreme Guardian's residence.
"Uh... uh..."
Big Bronya flipped through the data page by page.
This was extremely valuable information.
For a long time, Jarilo-VI had become an isolated island in the universe, completely unaware of external developments.
After the Stellaron appeared, the Interastral Peace Corporation and many residents fled, and technological progress was cut off as a result.
Their last impression of the outside world was that the Corporation still ruled most of the galaxy.
Yet after only a few pages, Bronya encountered shocking news.
The Interastral Peace Corporation was finished—it had been completely conquered by the Starsea Empire.
The once-mighty trade empire had been swept into the trash heap of history with devastating speed.
Now, this universe was ruled by the Starsea Empire.
"Ah..."
Overwhelmed by the massive influx of information, Big Bronya took a long time to recover.
"...So you've taken over the Interastral Peace Corporation?"
"That's right."
"You can understand it that way. And while going through the Corporation's records, we also found something interesting."
Gudako tapped a few times on a holographic interface and transmitted several documents.
"Seven hundred years ago, the Corporation's investors provided Belobog with an astronomical amount of funding during the Stellaron crisis to support the Architects."
"Later, when Belobog was swallowed by the cold wave and lost contact with the outside world, this massive debt was left unresolved..."
"Now that the Starsea Empire has fully taken over the Corporation's business, and Belobog continues to exist as an independent polity, we also have the right to collect that debt."
"Huh???"
Bronya was dumbfounded.
She carefully reviewed the materials again and checked the historical records multiple times.
The documents and evidence were all genuine. Belobog's own records confirmed the matter.
Even without interest, the debt from seven hundred years ago was an astronomical figure—impossible to repay with their current level of productivity.
If the Interastral Peace Corporation could easily suppress Belobog with force, then what about the Starsea Empire that had destroyed it?
"Miss Bronya, you wouldn't want Belobog to be surrounded by the Starsea Empire's fleet because you can't repay your debt, would you?"
The Stellaron-born troublemaker leaned closer with a villainous grin.
"This..."
Big Bronya showed a troubled expression.
"I'm sorry, we really... can't repay it..."
"Can't pay? No problem. As long as you go aboard the Eternal Snowfall and sincerely repent to the Commander—and accept his disciplinary stick—"
"What?"
The innocent Bronya blinked.
"Is it... to use corporal punishment in place of the debt? If that's the case, then I..."
She seriously considered that if taking a beating could offset such an astronomical debt, it might not be a bad deal.
Thud—
Himeko lightly knocked the gray-haired girl on the head.
"They're teasing you."
"The Commander has no interest in those capitalist tricks. Credits are meaningless to us—we have no intention of collecting your debt."
"Eh?"
"Phew—"
Big Bronya let out a sigh of relief.
After several emotional ups and downs, she felt that this was a rather extraordinary nation—one that could casually dismiss such a massive sum of money.
"You just need to cooperate with our next actions."
Gudako cleared her throat.
"The Starsea Empire will resolve Belobog's crisis, rebuild the entire planet, and allow this place to continue existing as a normal world."
"Oh, and a few lucky chosen ones might even get to visit the Empire's core worlds and attend a party."
"..."
Bronya found the mention of attending a party a bit strange, but at this point, she had no reason to refuse.
"Then... what do you plan to do?"
Shh—
Himeko summoned a Sophon and conducted a detailed scan of all of Belobog.
The planet's condition was projected clearly before them.
"It's simple. Since Cocolia has already been dealt with, based on the Commander's Trailblazing experience, we only need to do three things next:"
"Retrieve the Stellaron, recruit companions, and transform the planet."
"If we move quickly, it should take about half a day to finish."
...
Hum—
A small shuttle carried the Astral Express crew and Bronya toward the northern snowfields of Belobog.
This place lay far from the city center. It was the frontline restricted zone of the Silvermane Guards and the primary battlefield against Fragmentum creatures, nearly completely consumed by the Fragmentum.
Below, grotesque monsters could be seen wandering everywhere. They had arrived here from another world through the Fragmentum, attacking all life on the surface without restraint.
Only through the stubborn resistance of the Silvermane Guards had the damage been barely contained within a certain range.
Even so, as the Fragmentum continued to expand, Belobog's defensive forces were becoming increasingly overwhelmed.
"Hmm... if you don't deal with the Stellaron, the Fragmentum will sooner or later swallow the entire Belobog."
Herta made a quick calculation on the holographic interface.
"Judging by the current situation, at most, you've got one to two years left."
"..."
Bronya fell silent. In such a desperate situation, it was no wonder Cocolia had accepted the Stellaron's temptation.
If they did nothing and continued to resist, it would be a slow death. Embracing destruction, on the other hand, was a desperate gamble.
Unfortunately, Cocolia was not as knowledgeable as Herta and did not understand the consequences of making a wish to the Stellaron.
"It's fine! We're here now!"
March 7th handed Big Bronya a piece of pastry.
"Even if the Amber Lord ignores you, you've still got the Astral Express. The Commander is the Aeon of Trailblaze, after all."
"..."
An Aeon with whom they had no prior connection had sent Their Emanators and subordinates to save Belobog.
While Bronya felt relieved, there was also a strange sense of disbelief.
But soon, after becoming somewhat familiar with the Astral Express crew, her attention shifted to the other Bronya and Silver Wolf.
The three Bronyas looked at one another, creating an awkward atmosphere.
"Uh, how about you form a group and play a round of Fight the Landlord?"
Kiana suggested.
"...Where are you from?"
Big Bronya was very curious about the other two.
"Bronya is from Siberia and is a student at the Imperial Valkyrie Academy of the Starsea Empire."
"Punklorde. And don't look at me—yeah, we look alike, but my name is Silver Wolf, thanks."
Big Bronya was clearly more mature than the other two and a bit taller, giving off the faint impression of an older sister.
"Oh... so your name is Bronya Zaychik? Nice to meet you. I'm Bronya Rand. My mother took me in."
Although their surnames and life experiences were different, their appearance and hair color were strikingly similar.
Big Bronya felt as if she were meeting her younger self, which made her feel an unusual sense of closeness.
"Uh... so how should I address you two from now on?"
Gudako scratched her head.
"Silver Wolf and Bronya are fine—they have different names. But you two can't exactly go by your surnames, right?"
"If we call out 'Bronya,' we won't even know who we're referring to."
"Uh... that does seem like a bit of a problem."
The two Bronyas exchanged glances.
"I've got a great idea!"
The Stellaron girl immediately raised her hand.
"You two should fight and compete for ownership of the name 'Bronya.' The winner keeps it, and the loser changes theirs."
"Like changing it to something like Bron... Gah or something..."
"What the heck???"
The two Bronyas were stunned.
The name sounded bizarre, bringing to mind some kind of grotesque creature.
"Stop messing around. Look, we didn't need to change our names."
Himeko rubbed Stelle's head.
The two Himekos had similar personalities and were as close as sisters, with no issue over sharing the same name.
"Uh..."
The gray-haired girl thought for a moment.
"But you two still mix each other up sometimes..."
"How about this—you can also compete. Whoever wins gets called Sister Himeko, and whoever loses gets called Auntie Himeko. Sounds fair, right?"
!—
The two Himekos took critical damage and instantly lost their composure.
"You're really a master of stirring things up, aren't you?!"
March 7th spat out a mouthful of water.
"Ahhh—"
A brief commotion broke out between the three Bronyas and the two Himekos.
Pfft—
Seele couldn't help but laugh from the side.
The white-haired girl poked her.
"What are you laughing at? When the Sophon scanned the planet earlier, guess who it found?"
"..."
Before long, the shuttle arrived deep within the northern restricted zone of Belobog.
Looking down, they saw a snow-covered mountain. Along the mountain path were humanoid monsters frozen in place.
They took on all sorts of forms—some charging, some fleeing, others poised to attack.
Without exception, all were covered in thick layers of frost, completely frozen where they stood.
"These are... Voidrangers?!"
"When the Antimatter Legion invaded this place, they probably never expected to be swallowed by the cold wave themselves."
March 7th observed the scene. This was the closest point to the Stellaron and the most heavily affected area.
"We've arrived. The Stellaron is sealed here."
The shuttle landed on an open space at the mountain's peak.
"Brr!"
The moment everyone stepped out, they felt a bone-piercing chill.
Even with genetic ascension or enhancements from the power of Trailblaze, the temperature here was unbearably low.
In front of a massive mechanical platform floated a metallic polyhedron. The energy it emitted was almost tangible, forming a ring of golden light around it.
The closer one got to the object, the more terrifyingly low the temperature became.
"This should be where the Architects sealed the Stellaron."
Herta examined it.
Long ago, Belobog's scientists had discovered that the Stellaron was the source of all disasters, but they lacked the ability to destroy it.
Revealing their findings would only have disrupted social order, so the Stellaron had been left here ever since.
Click—
Kafka lightly tapped the device containing the Stellaron. The metallic structure opened, revealing a mass of golden light inside.
With one hand, she grasped the Stellaron and placed it into a transparent containment field.
Whoosh—
The Stellaron's energy was instantly confined by the field, unable to leak out even the slightest bit.
At the same time, the howling winds in the restricted zone seemed to weaken slightly, and even the temperature rose a little.
"Done. We've dealt with plenty of these before."
Kafka wore a faint smile.
Recovering Stellarons was routine work for the Stellaron Hunters.
"Take it back to the space station. There are facilities there to contain and study it. Hmm, I wonder if it could produce another little Stellaron brat?"
Herta took the Stellaron and examined it.
"Sorry, we don't have that many hosts."
Silver Wolf shrugged.
"Uh... that's it? It's solved just like that?"
Big Bronya looked utterly incredulous.
"Mm-hm. We don't even have to deal with a crazed Cocolia, so what's difficult about it?"
"Oh, wait, there is still a bit of trouble."
Kiana glanced around.
Crack, crack—
Freed from the freezing cold, the Voidrangers began to stir back to life. The ice statues across the battlefield started trembling and cracking.
"They're coming back to life!"
Bronya exclaimed in alarm.
"Relax. Now that the Stellaron threat is gone, we were going to clear out the remaining Fragmentum creatures on this planet anyway."
"After all... this world will belong to Trailblaze in the future. It needs a proper cleanup."
Himeko clapped her hands.
Clap—
The Astral Express doors opened.
Thousands of Angeloids flew out, spreading their wings as they formed combat formations in the sky, beginning the cleanup of the remaining Fragmentum creatures and the frozen Antimatter Legion.
Boom—
Boom!!—
Blinding high-energy beams streaked across the sky, while the thunderous explosions of erosion missiles echoed continuously, weaving a multicolored web across the battlefield.
The Fragmentum creatures were annihilated in an instant. The Voidrangers, along with the ice encasing them, were vaporized by the beams in less than a fraction of a second.
In the past, the Silvermane Guards had paid an enormous price to hold back those monsters.
That was because the enemy's numbers were endless, and Belobog's long isolation had left its weapons and military technology far behind.
Faced with the efficient firepower of the interstellar age, the Fragmentum creatures and the Voidrangers on the ground had virtually no chance of resistance.
"Ahhh!!!"
The uninformed citizens of Belobog, seeing the Angeloids, thought divine beings had descended.
Cries of shock rang out everywhere.
At the same time.
Shh—
In the Golden Theater of the Overworld, inside Qlipoth Fort, within the Goethe Hotel... and even among the dilapidated buildings of the Underworld...
The Sophon's avatar was projected, formally conveying the will of the Starsea Empire to all of Belobog:
"This is the Starsea Empire. We have completely resolved Belobog's Stellaron crisis and are currently conducting cleanup operations. Please remain calm."
"Once the remaining threats are eliminated, we will establish a new administrative and governance system in Belobog and reconstruct the planet. You will begin new lives under the Empire's rule."
"From this day forward, you are the people of the Starsea Empire—and of the Aeon of Trailblaze."