Whoosh—
As Kafka retrieved the Stellaron, although the cold wave and blizzards over Jarilo-VI did not cease, the biting chill seemed to lessen slightly.
More importantly, the Fragmentum was originally a disaster caused by the Stellaron distorting space. With the Stellaron isolated, Fragmentum creatures and new Fragmentum zones would no longer be produced.
Rumble—
The Angeloid forces swept rapidly across the planet's surface, eliminating the remaining Fragmentum creatures and the thawing Voidrangers on the ground.
At the same time, they announced the Starsea Empire's rule over the entirety of Belobog.
In the Overworld of Belobog, near the central plaza.
A blue-haired girl wearing the standard white uniform of the Silvermane Guards, paired with black tights and glasses, stared blankly at the angelic troops flying low overhead.
"The Starsea Empire is currently clearing remaining enemies across the planet. There is no need to panic."
"All personnel are to return to their residences and avoid interfering with our operations. The cleanup is expected to be completed within 3 hours and 25 minutes."
The Sophons and the Angeloids repeated the broadcast over and over.
They urged curious onlookers to keep their distance and not approach the battlefield, lest they be reduced to ashes by the aftermath of high-energy weaponry.
"???"
"What is this?!"
Pela was stunned.
She and the Silvermane Guards stared wide-eyed as the Angeloids reduced Fragmentum creatures to molecular states with high-energy weapons.
Erosion missiles streaked across the sky one after another, annihilating all the thawing Voidrangers.
Compared to their drawn-out battles against Fragmentum creatures, the efficiency of the Angeloids was on an entirely different level.
"These... angels? Are they here to help us, or do they have other motives?"
"What are we supposed to do?"
The Silvermane Guards responsible for maintaining order in Belobog grew restless.
In theory, they were meant to protect Belobog's safety and independence. Since the Starsea Empire had declared its rule over the entire world, they should at least make a response.
But the Angeloids were helping them deal with the Fragmentum enemies, and using their own pitiful weapons to interfere would only cause trouble.
Whoosh—
Bronya's communication suddenly cut in.
"Pela, Gepard—have all Silvermane Guards withdraw from the combat zones and maintain order within Belobog."
"Everyone return to the city. Do not engage with the Angeloids, and do not interfere with them."
"I'll be back shortly."
"Huh?!"
Pela, Gepard, and the others froze.
"Miss Bronya, what's going on? Those angels—what are they? And what about the Aeon of Trailblaze they mentioned?..."
"Don't ask for now. Just do as instructed."
Boom—
When Bronya and the Astral Express crew returned to Belobog, the Angeloid forces on the streets were already cleaning up the aftermath.
Within just two to three hours, the Angeloids had completely wiped out the remaining enemies across Jarilo-VI.
With precise positioning from Sophons and AI, every last Fragmentum creature and Voidranger of the Antimatter Legion was destroyed.
Ordinary people were both curious and somewhat fearful.
Under orders from the Silvermane Guards, they stayed inside their homes, peeking out to observe these beautiful, white-winged angels.
"So fast!"
Bronya was shocked. She had witnessed what "Starsea Empire efficiency" truly meant.
Less than half a day after their first meeting, they had casually retrieved the Stellaron that had plagued Belobog for over seven hundred years.
Then, within a few hours, they eliminated all Fragmentum creatures. The Silvermane Guards' hard-fought battles now seemed like children's scuffles in comparison.
Once an interstellar powerhouse stepped in, the situation immediately became one-sided.
"..."
Big Bronya stared at the Astral Express in deep thought.
She remembered reading about the Nameless in historical records—they were travelers who followed Akivili, journeying across worlds and connecting countless realms.
So why did this crew seem so different from the records?! Their combat power was absurdly overwhelming!
Setting aside the weapons on the train itself, the Angeloids they had just deployed were enough to conquer an entire planet.
Did exploration really require such a massive armed force?!
"We'll take the Stellaron back to the space station for processing. There won't be any more new Fragmentum incursions in the future."
Herta casually toyed with the Stellaron sealed within a containment field, pondering whether she could create another Stellaron-born entity.
Or perhaps turn the gray-haired girl into a dual-core processor.
"Uh... thank you."
Bronya still looked somewhat dazed.
A crisis spanning centuries had been resolved so effortlessly, leaving her with a strong sense of dissonance and unreality.
The achievements gained through the painstaking efforts of countless scientists and Supreme Guardians were, to geniuses like Herta and the Stellaron Hunters, merely trivial acts.
"If only you had come earlier..."
She murmured softly.
"It's not too late even now."
Himeko smiled.
"Also, we still have two small matters to handle."
"Hmm... Cocolia shouldn't have any issues now, right? Kafka, could you wake her up? We need her help with something."
...
Inside Qlipoth Fort in Belobog's Overworld.
Cocolia lay on the bed, her chest rising and falling steadily with her breathing. Her breathing was stable, but she showed no response to the outside world.
"Lady Bronya!"
The attending guards and Serval stepped aside to make way.
Although Serval had already broken ties with Cocolia, she still came to check on the situation given its unusual nature.
"She won't be affected by the Stellaron anymore. Wake up."
Kafka tapped a finger lightly against Cocolia's forehead.
A surge of imaginary energy spread instantly ,breaking her deep hypnotic state.
"Mm..."
Cocolia's eyelashes trembled as she let out a faint murmur.
Then she slowly opened her eyes, shaking her head as she sat up.
Holding her forehead, she looked at the people around her in confusion.
"Bronya? And all of you? What is this...?"
"We've dealt with the Stellaron."
Herta raised her hand, showing her the sealed Stellaron.
Then she glanced at Cocolia a couple of times.
"Your connection to it has been severed. You won't be eroded by it anymore, but the damage it caused to you is irreversible."
"That's not my field. If you have time, ask the Commander—maybe they'll feel generous enough to treat you."
"!!!"
Cocolia was startled when she saw the golden sphere.
That was Belobog's nightmare for centuries—and the 'hope' that had promised her a new world—now casually held in someone's hand.
"You removed the Stellaron from its containment device?!"
"We have our own methods. Are you thinking clearly now? No more voices talking to you in your head, right?"
Herta glanced at her again, her tone utterly blunt.
"Don't tell me you're still expecting the Stellaron to grant your wish. There's a limit to how foolish one can be."
"I..."
Cocolia rubbed her head, a splitting headache pounding within.
Without the Stellaron's interference and temptation, her independent thinking began to recover.
"It could give us a new world... no, that's not right. Why would I think that?"
"But Belobog..."
Two sets of thoughts and memories clashed within her, leaving her momentarily confused.
As the Supreme Guardian, her rationality told her to reject the Stellaron's temptation, yet she had indeed followed its instructions and done many terrible things.
"Mother, they've resolved the Stellaron for us."
"And the Fragmentum creatures and Antimatter Legion have all been destroyed by the Starsea Empire. Belobog is no longer in danger."
Bronya said.
"Ah!"
Cocolia suddenly snapped back to reality.
"Belobog is safe?"
"Yes. There are still many problems to deal with, but at least we don't have to worry about being swallowed by the Fragmentum anymore."
"And I just...?"
Cocolia threw off the blanket and sat up, stunned for a moment.
She felt as though she had simply taken a nap, and suddenly divine reinforcements had descended to solve everything. Being Supreme Guardian like this felt almost absurd.
"If you had been conscious, who knows what trouble you might have caused."
The gray-haired girl scratched her head.
"If the Stellaron had completely messed with your mind, fighting a boss wouldn't be a big deal—but if you dragged Bronya, the Silvermane Guards, or others into it, that'd be a problem."
"So we dealt with you first, then solved everything else. Much more convenient."
"..."
Cocolia was speechless. She couldn't deny that she might have done something disastrous in that state.
"Thank you for helping Belobog. What happens next?"
"We'll be taking over all of Belobog and selecting some people. You don't have any objections, right?"
Gudako asked.
"..."
Cocolia felt that even if she objected, it would be meaningless.
The other side held absolute military superiority and had resolved Belobog's crisis. Opposing them now would be sheer foolishness.
"Excellent. Here—this is the list. Everyone, get ready."
...
In Belobog, the Underworld.
This was an underground hollow-city structure. Within the towering rock walls lay remnants and buildings from the old world, while massive support pillars connected it to the surface above.
Compared to the luxurious Overworld with its blue skies and white clouds, this place was far more dilapidated and worn.
Various industrial equipment and tools were piled haphazardly near the mines, and the residents' clothing looked much rougher than those in the Overworld.
In the early years, the Geomarrow prospecting team had led Belobog's expansion downward, excavating a fairly large underground city.
However, after Cocolia's blockade policy withdrew the Silvermane Guards from the Underworld, communication between the two sides was completely cut off.
Inside a somewhat shabby clinic.
A female doctor with teal hair and pink eyes, her hair tied in a ponytail, carefully portioned out medicine and handed it to the waiting patient.
"Just a minor injury. It's nothing serious. Be more careful next time—don't wander around the large mining zones."
Natasha gently pinched the girl's cheek.
"Mm!"
The girl with long dark blue hair, dressed in a short outfit, let out a small huff.
"Any new news lately?"
"No idea. There was some shaking from above just now. It sounded like people fighting, and on a large scale. I don't know what's happening in the Overworld."
Seele shook her head.
"The Fragmentum?"
"Not sure. I wanted to go up and take a look, but you know—it's not easy right now."
Belobog was already an isolated island in the universe, and the Underworld was an island within that island. Not only did they receive no information from the outside, they didn't even know what was happening in the Overworld.
However, just surviving underground already consumed immense effort. Most people had no extra energy to think about things so far beyond them.
"Mm... our medical supplies are running low too. If this keeps up, it'll be troublesome..."
Natasha murmured softly.
Suddenly.
Whoosh—
A Sophon projection appeared, announcing the arrival of the Starsea Empire to everyone.
"This is the Starsea Empire. We have ended Belobog's Stellaron crisis and cleared all remaining threats."
"Jarilo-VI will be unified under the Starsea Empire's rule. A new order and administrative system will be established. All citizens are requested to cooperate."
"In two standard hours, Angeloids will begin taking control of the Underworld..."
"..."
"???"
The people of the Underworld were completely baffled.
Seele and Natasha exchanged glances. Not far away, a small white-haired girl with red eyes approached, staring at the holographic interface with confusion.
"Who is she? What is she talking about?"
"Take control of us?!"
For the isolated Underworld, they didn't even understand the situation in the Overworld, let alone a foreign civilization from another world.
Most people didn't even know that Belobog's problems were caused by a Stellaron.
"Threat? What threat? Are there visitors from other worlds in the Overworld?"
Seele, sharp-minded, considered a possibility.
Then, as everyone was still arguing.
Whoosh—
Another transmission cut in.
Cocolia's image was projected.
Belobog did not originally possess such advanced communication systems—she was using equipment from the Starsea Empire.
"I am the Supreme Guardian, Cocolia Rand."
"!!!"
Everyone in the Underworld held their breath, staring fixedly at the hologram.
Svarog, Oleg, and the others were equally astonished, unsure what the high and mighty Supreme Guardian intended to do.
"With the help of the Starsea Empire and the Nameless, we have sealed the source of all disasters—the Stellaron. From this day forward, Belobog will no longer face the threat of the Fragmentum."
"All Fragmentum creatures and remaining forces of the Antimatter Legion have also been eliminated."
Cocolia explained concisely.
"Huh?!"
Crack!—
Seele unconsciously crushed the drink cup in her hand.
What was going on? What was Cocolia talking about? Belobog's problems were solved?!
How? Why? Was it real?!
Everyone had a flood of questions.
"I know you have many questions. It was visitors from beyond the sky who helped us."
"Belobog has decided to accept the protection of the Starsea Empire."
Cocolia's gaze swept across the Underworld's people. There was too much to explain in a short time.
"The blockade between the Overworld and Underworld is hereby lifted. The Silvermane Guards will once again be stationed in the lower districts."
"If you have questions, come up and see for yourselves."
As she spoke, Cocolia called out several names.
"Seele, Natasha, Clara... the Starsea Empire's officers wish to meet you. Someone will escort you up shortly."
"..."
The Underworld erupted into an uproar.
The information Cocolia delivered was far too shocking, leaving many unable to process it immediately.
"Lifting the blockade? Why would she suddenly be so kind?"
"Belobog is at peace now? Really?! Why all of a sudden?..."
"Starsea Empire?! Who are they?!"
Some miners, long resentful of the Overworld, began to stir noisily.
Those whose names were called were equally stunned.
Seele and Natasha exchanged looks.
"Do you know anything about this Starsea Empire?"
They asked at the same time, then both shook their heads.
Everyone Cocolia named was someone they knew, yet none of them had ever heard of this so-called empire.
"...Is this a trap?"
Someone asked.
"..."
After a moment of silence, Seele clicked her tongue.
"Let's go take a look. No matter what they're planning, we should go up and understand the situation."
"Mm."
Natasha nodded.
"The clinic also needs more medical supplies."
"And we can see what the Supreme Guardian has to say."
...
One day later.
The people of the Underworld passed through the passage and arrived in a world beneath blue skies and white clouds.
Many of them had never had the chance to reach the Overworld before. Compared to their underground lives, this place felt like an entirely different world.
Wide, clean streets, towering buildings, fresh air...
"Wow..."
The younger children couldn't help but gasp in amazement.
Even more astonishing was the presence of numerous angels in the sky—beings they had never seen before.
Most visitors were properly guided by the Silvermane Guards and the Angeloids, touring this Overworld that had always existed above them.
A smaller group, however, was escorted by designated personnel to the administrative residence—Qlipoth Fort.
"Report. All personnel have been brought in."
An Angeloid saluted the Astral Express crew.
"Huh?!"
Seele looked around. Sitting at the head was still Belobog's Supreme Guardian, Cocolia Rand.
But beside her were several unfamiliar girls. Among them was a girl with long dark purple hair whose appearance strangely resembled her own.
"Seele, look, look—your long-lost sister from another family is here."
"Huh?—"
Kiana nudged Seele Vollerei, who cautiously looked at the older Seele.
The other party looked much more mature—and clearly not someone easy to deal with.
"This is...?"
"May I ask why we've been called here?"
Natasha asked directly.
"Belobog has decided to accept the protection of the Starsea Empire and will henceforth be incorporated into it."
"Their Commander seems to have taken an interest in you. You have been invited and granted permission to enter the Empire's core worlds."
Cocolia answered.
"What?"
The Underworld girls' minds went blank from the sheer volume of information.
"Simply put, you've been chosen by an Aeon as 'participants.'"
Gudako enthusiastically patted Seele's shoulder.
"How about joining a party? In the future, we'll have two Himekos, two Seeles, two Cocolias, plus three Bronyas..."
"Wow—I'm already getting excited just thinking about it."