Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Missing...

Since the Alliance opened permissions for space exploration, the number of missing Zerg reported each year has remained alarmingly high.

Among them, some Zerg lost their way in the vast starfields due to lost cosmic navigation beacons, some were involved in accidents during space travel and were declared missing with unknown survival status, while others were attacked by space pirates or sucked into black holes...

There are simply too many female Zerg, and the reasons for their disappearances are even more complex. Although the Inspectorate assigns Zerg each year to register and search for these missing female Zerg, more often than not, the search results end inconclusively.

There’s no helping it—space is too vast, and accidents are too frequent.

Even though the Zerg’s technological level has now advanced to unimaginable levels, the universe always finds ways to teach female Zerg to revere the unknown and respect life.

However, when faced with accidents and emergencies, female Zerg may revere, retreat, or even give up... but not when a male Zerg is involved.

At least, not when it concerns His Highness Fei Luo.

"What do you mean by 'missing'?"

The architectural and interior design style of the Torras estate changes with the preferences of each generation’s inheriting male.

Compared to previous male owners, Yi Jia Fa favors a more luxurious and vibrant interior design.

Thus, at this moment, seated in a hall adorned with crystal and jewel decorations, the usually impeccably dressed black-haired female Zerg, who best suits this opulent style, now appears strikingly disheveled.

Tilting her head slightly, the female Zerg who had just rushed from the council chamber had dark, unfathomable eyes. Ignoring her clearly improper attire and abandoning her usual composure, she spoke softly.

"Is the officer from Kalms Military Academy mean that after their fleet was attacked by a star beast, he himself remained unharmed, yet managed to lose the only male Zerg on board?"

Her gentle demeanor dissolved like melting snow, as if the facade she'd maintained for years had suddenly shattered. A silent, deadly sharpness and bloodlust crept into the corners of her eyes. Her pupils curved slightly, and the next moment, her words were as cold as the snow atop Mount Kazapi, or the edge of a hidden blade.

"If that’s the case, then it’s a pity he’s still alive."

Yes, what a pity.

A female Zerg who fails to protect a male Zerg—that he can still speak, that life still intact—truly has no reason to remain.

With a darkened gaze, Principal Aofu of Kalms Military Academy said nothing. Faced with such an excessive accusation from the young female Zerg, this usually protective elder remained uncharacteristically silent.

After all...

"Now is not the time to assign blame. What’s important is that since we’ve already contacted the responsible Zerg from the fleet, we must quickly clarify the sequence of events to organize a search and rescue for His Highness Fei Luo."

Speaker Norman, who had also rushed over from the emergency meeting, intercepted his own child’s next words.

His silent gaze swept over the black-haired female Zerg’s face, noting the barely-contained fury in her eyes. The old female Zerg frowned and redirected the conversation to Zhousha, who sat composedly across from them.

"General Zhousha, news of His Highness Fei Luo’s disappearance has already spread across the Star Network. Rumors and wild speculation about His Highness’s safety are severely disrupting public order. Has the military obtained the fleet’s complete flight recorders?"

"To prevent the situation from escalating and for the sake of His Highness’s safety, if the military has accurate information, we hope you will share it."

Different roles among the Zerg entail different priorities.

Since news of Fei Luo’s accident spread, the entire Zerg society had plunged into chaos.

Within just a few hours, multiple incidents of unrest had erupted across various starfields in the Alliance, all due to female Zerg acting out of momentary fury. By now, public demands for the Alliance to release accurate information about His Highness Fei Luo’s condition had grown increasingly urgent.

As the Speaker responsible for maintaining social stability, Norman’s words were justified both publicly and privately.

But...

Raising his eyes, the female parent of the missing male Zerg—who should have been the most emotionally unstable—remained remarkably calm.

"The fleet’s full flight recorders have already been handed over to the military. After inspection, the logs are intact, with no data loss. The recordings clearly document the entire process of Fei Luo’s disappearance."

In short, the data that could answer all the questions the gathered Zerg had—about the specifics of the incident, the purpose of their visit today, and Fei Luo’s condition before his disappearance—was now in the hands of the senior female Zerg.

Gripping the table, the Zerg who had been frantic since hearing of Fei Luo’s accident couldn’t help but urge impatiently.

"Then what are we waiting for? General Zhousha, send us a copy of the recording immediately!"

"That’s right, General. Right now, leaked footage of the fleet’s accident is spreading like wildfire. Some Zerg are absurdly claiming it was an S-class star beast attack, others say no one survived the fleet, and some damn fools are even spreading rumors that His Highness Fei Luo is already—General, just tell us what really happened!"

"General, you must have already watched the full recording. Why did His Highness Fei Luo disappear? What about the leaked footage? Was he unharmed when he went missing?"

"General Zhousha, where exactly did His Highness Fei Luo’s accident occur? Although most of the military’s stationed forces have already been deployed, if the location of His Highness’s disappearance is confirmed, I’m willing to lead my clan’s private security force to personally assist in the search. The more Zerg searching, the greater the hope of finding His Highness quickly."

"The Hofstadter family is also willing to contribute."

"The Kashmir family would gladly give our lives for His Highness Fei Luo."

"The Achimedes family too..."

A male Zerg in danger was already enough to shock the entire Alliance, let alone when the Zerg in question was His Highness Fei Luo.

His Highness Fei Luo of the Torras family had frequently appeared in the public eye since returning to the Capital Star due to various matters.

Whether it was his identity as a Super A-class Male Zerg, his personal charm, or his way of handling affairs, the Alliance’s Zerg held an extraordinary affection for this male Zerg.

Even more remarkably, during the last Silk Flower Festival, His Highness had publicly rejected advances from all female Zerg.

Admittedly, while the elders of the rejected female Zerg couldn’t help feeling disappointed, they also found themselves harboring even greater expectations.

After all, if a male Zerg rejects one Zerg, it’s a rejection. But if he rejects all Zerg, it’s no longer a rejection.

In a way, Fei Luo’s actions during the Silk Flower Festival had put all the female Zerg of the Capital Star on equal footing. Thus, the outcome of this competition for his attention remained unknown.

Considering this, it was no surprise that the Capital Star’s major families rushed here upon hearing of Fei Luo’s attack and disappearance, even competing to participate in the search.

That said, while many of the gathered Zerg still harbored ulterior motives, their concern for Fei Luo’s safety was genuine—male Zerg were the entire Zerg race’s highest priority.

Scanning the room, the senior female Zerg being pressed for answers took a slow breath. Instead of immediately sharing the flight data, she said solemnly,

"There’s no hurry. One guest has yet to arrive. Once he’s here, I’ll—"

"Wait for what, Zhousha? This is an emergency! Aren’t you worried about your own Fei Luo? Just tell us what’s going on! And aren’t all the responsible Zerg from the military and the Alliance government already here? Who else are you waiting for—"

Slamming a hand on the long table, the Legion Commander of the Second Army—one of the military’s key leaders—could no longer contain his notoriously short temper. He interrupted Zhousha and scanned the room, as if searching for the missing attendee.

Unfortunately, though the Second Army’s Legion Commander interrupted General Zhousha, he too was cut off before finishing.

"My apologies for being late."

The voice of a young female Zerg instantly snapped all attention from every Zerg who had frowned at Zhousha’s earlier words.

As their eyes met, the newcomer stood at the entrance, her green hair disheveled and her sea-green eyes darkened almost to black.

This was...

Seeing the female who suddenly rushed in, hardly any of the insects expected that Zhousha’s awaited guest would be this one. After all, the Geshaluolin Family neither engages in politics nor serves in the military.

By all logic, a female from such a family shouldn’t play a significant role in this incident, but could it be...

"It's fine. The Qiluoza Sector where the Commerce Guild is located is indeed quite far from the Capital Star. Li Wei, have a seat."

Rarely, the elder female, who had shown little emotional fluctuation since appearing today, now spoke with a tone that could be described as solemn as she gestured for a young female to sit down.

Turning their heads slightly, the insects who heard Zhousha’s words, their frowns deepened.

However, without paying further attention to the others, the elder female waved her hand, and a large, clear holographic screen materialized in the air behind her.

Lifting her gaze, her aged gaze hardened as she fixed them with difficulty on the holographic screen, her voice gravelly.

"Everyone, this is the full incident report captured by the military ship’s recorder. Everything you want to know is here."

With that, she said no more. As her words, now tinged with a trace of emotion, fell, the holographic screen suddenly displayed the figure of a male whom everyone recognized instantly.

At this sight, the assembled crowd temporarily shifted their focus away from the unexpected appearance of the green-haired female and instead concentrated on the holographic screen.

In the holographic footage, the silver-haired male, who had only recently left the Capital Star, was clearly in trouble...

"How could there still be pirates on a military route? What’s wrong with the Patrol Guard? If we hadn’t run into them, who knows what would’ve happened to these captives!"

"I heard it’s because the star beasts near the border stars have been becoming agitated and breaching boundaries again, so most of the Patrol Guard there have been temporarily reassigned to the front lines. These pirates probably caught wind of it and sneaked in to cash in."

"Those damn bastards! What kind of situation are we in right now, and they’re still busy robbing and kidnapping? Aren’t they afraid the star beasts will breach our borders again one day? Bastards, I’ll curse their ancestors for eight generations!"

"Hey, hey, watch your language. Don’t forget His Highness Philo is still on the ship. You wouldn’t want him to lower your rating, would you?"

"Please, His Highness couldn’t care less! Last time, he even swore himself, and I swear he did it smoother than me."

"Ah, so you’ve met him? And you saw him swear? Don’t tell me you provoked him on purpose?"

"Oh, come on, are we doing our jobs or not? Hey, look—there’s a captured Patrol Guard female here, still in uniform."

"Don’t change the subject! Tell me, when exactly did you meet His Highness Philo?"

"No, seriously, look at her—something’s wrong. Doesn’t she seem...?"

"Shit—! Back up, everyone back up! Call the medical insect, now! This female’s mental state is unstable—she might go into a psychic meltdown any second!"

Psychic instability and a psychic meltdown are two entirely different concepts.

The former, while painful and capable of affecting both body and emotions, does not threaten life or consciousness. The latter, however, is another matter entirely.

Once a psychic meltdown occurs, no female has ever survived. Worse, during an outbreak, a female’s combat ability multiplies, and she will attack all living beings around her indiscriminately.

Thus, when the cadet fleet dispatched by the Kalms Military Academy discovered a female on the verge of a psychic meltdown locked in the lowest prisoner hold of the captured pirate ship, they immediately rushed to clear the area.

Against this backdrop, Philo—who had recently been observing the A-class males’ psychic soothing sessions at the Male Insect Management Committee and had learned to harness some control over his own psychic abilities—hesitated briefly before suggesting he try to soothe the female.

After all, though he had never done this before, given that he was the only male nearby and the female would likely die without immediate psychic soothing, he had no choice but to attempt it.

Admittedly, Philo’s proposal was their best shot under the circumstances.

For one, the female’s condition was too advanced for medication. Secondly, she was only a C-class female and had already been restrained by the ship’s crew. Logically, even if Philo failed, there would be little risk.

Thus, after weighing the pros and cons, despite the express orders from the academy’s instructors and higher-ups that Philo was not to engage in any activities beyond piloting the ship during this training mission, neither the trainees, the instructors, nor the females assigned to guard Philo from the accompanying fleet stopped him when a life was at stake.

And though Philo had never performed psychic soothing on a female before, whether due to his high psychic level or his repeated attempts, the C-class female’s psychic instability gradually subsided.

Witnessing this, every insect present—including the ordinary females rescued from the pirates—felt nothing short of awe, gratitude, and admiration for the male.

But in truth, even the insects watching the holographic replay of Philo’s first successful psychic soothing couldn’t remain entirely calm.

Put simply, while such an act might be baffling coming from any other male, from Philo, it hardly surprised them.

After all, His Highness Philo was simply His Highness Philo.

Only he would step forward to help without waiting for pleas or reminders.

And most importantly... His Highness Philo had mastered his psychic abilities.

The implications of this were not lost on any insect present, and their gazes toward the silver-haired male on the screen grew increasingly complex.

Yet, despite their swirling thoughts, the insects in the Tulath Manor couldn’t help but grow puzzled.

When the pirate ship first appeared, they had assumed the incident would stem from there.

But no—the Kalms Military Academy trainees resolved the situation without even needing their instructors’ help.

Among them, a brown-haired female and a heterochromatic female distinguished themselves. Clearly, the academy’s training was effective, and these females were indeed qualified for live drills near the border stars.

But if the pirates weren’t the cause of Philo’s disappearance, then what was?

Pondering this, the insects continued watching—only to see the trainees discover the female on the brink of a psychic meltdown among the pirate captives.

At this point, they nearly concluded she was the reason Philo vanished, but in the end, Philo had successfully soothed her.

With each minor incident resolved by Philo and the trainees, the insects outside the holographic screen were baffled.

Judging by the leaked recordings from rescued civilian females, Philo’s ship had indeed been attacked by a star beast afterward.

But those clips only showed chaos inside the ship and distant roars of the star beast—none captured the actual events, as the civilians lacked the means.

Thus, most insects present were skeptical of the claim that an S-class star beast had attacked Philo’s ship.

After all, star beasts were not only formidable in combat but also highly perceptive.

They knew which insects and resources were worth targeting—and which planets and groups weren’t worth the effort.

For them to bypass heavily armed border stars and attack a lone ship was utterly illogical, much less the mention of an S-class star beast.

To date, every S-class star beast attack had targeted the Alliance’s most resource-rich star systems—never had one crossed borders just to strike a single ship.

And how many S-class star beasts even existed? They’re not exactly common!

Jaws clenched, the military females in the Tulath Manor focused even more intently on the silver-haired male on the screen.

They doubted an S-class star beast was responsible for Philo’s disappearance. But if not, then what? Why would ordinary star beasts suddenly attack a ship...?

Questions remained, but the insects didn’t have to wait long. Soon, the holographic screen changed abruptly.

"A deafening boom—"

The violent sound of the energy wave crashing against the warship suddenly erupted in an instant.

Philo's body swayed slightly. The male, who was in the final stages of performing Psychic Soothing on the female, slowed the continuous flow of his psychic power due to the sudden tremors caused by the attack on the ship.

Before Philo could even regain his bearings and figure out what was happening, a piercing alarm blared throughout the warship.

The alarm pattern—three long beeps followed by two short ones—signaled that the fleet was under attack by an external enemy.

An external enemy?

They had just dealt with a group of space marauders. Could another group have stumbled upon them now? Had the security around the border star systems really deteriorated to this extent?

Lancelot and Amber exchanged a glance. Soon after, Amber led a team of females to "hold position"—though in reality, they remained in the central area of the warship to protect Philo. Meanwhile, the higher-ranked Lancelot took another team of females to the forward combat zone to counter the enemy assault.

Throughout the process, the cadets communicated little, their disciplined demeanor clearly indicating they had rehearsed for various emergencies beforehand. Lancelot and Amber were undoubtedly the alpha squad leaders among this batch of first-year cadets.

As for Philo, who was still performing the final steps of Psychic Soothing on the female, he instinctively increased the output of his psychic power upon realizing the emergency. He intended to resolve the issue with the female before him as quickly as possible so that the females guarding him could assist Lancelot. But...

A claw-like Energy Wave suddenly grazed Philo’s cheek, leaving three parallel gashes that silently and gradually surfaced on his face.

The pain seemed delayed by two seconds, as if the wound had come too abruptly.

However, raising his gaze, Philo—who had just completed the full Psychic Soothing—instinctively touched his cheek, and then...

"Philo!"

Palm meeting palm, the female with heterochromia abruptly dodged another massive Energy Wave aimed at the central area of the warship while simultaneously seizing Philo’s hand and forcefully pulling him behind her.

This... this was...

"Be careful. It's a star beast."

Yes, it was a star beast.

The surviving ordinary females on the galactic net hadn’t lied or exaggerated. The hostile creatures that had suddenly attacked the training warship of Kalms Military Academy were indeed star beasts—and...

"Don’t move. This is an S-class star beast."

The massive warship, struck by the Energy Wave from the S-class star beast’s giant claws, was nearly split in half.

Because of this, Lancelot—who was currently engaged in battle against various mid-tier star beasts at the forward combat zone—could sense an even more terrifying presence behind her but was utterly unable to break away to assist.

But in truth, even if the brown-haired female could come, she wouldn’t be of much help.

"Don’t move."

The voice was so low it was almost inaudible, devoid of its usual casual calm. At this moment, Amber’s heterochromatic pupils darkened like pitch black, thick and oppressive.

Philo didn’t move. After hearing the female with heterochromia’s words, he truly remained still—even his breathing seemed consciously slowed.

But then—

"Boom—"

This was the sound of Amber’s psychic power clashing with another wave of the star beast’s attack. Though the female successfully blocked this assault, her success seemed only to further enrage the already agitated star beast.

A screeching roar erupted once more, and with its spread, an invisible pressure instantly engulfed the entire warship.

Standing behind the female, Philo—who had only ever seen star beasts in games—finally understood what kind of creatures the females of the insect race had been fighting all these years.

Such creatures... were truly terrifying.

Yes, terrifying. Horrifyingly so.

Without pause, from the moment Amber first intercepted the star beast’s attack, the battle between her team of females and the star beast never ceased.

The young females’ psychic power continuously collided with the star beast’s Energy Waves, while their plasma rifles were all aimed at the seemingly phantom-like star beasts. The sustained barrage reduced the once well-equipped warship to ruins in mere moments.

Standing behind all the females, Philo balled his fists in silence as he watched the scene unfold—one where he could do nothing but evade.

Unlike active combat personnel, or even the instructors from Kalms Military Academy who were currently entangled with other star beasts, these first-year cadets—many of whom were A-class females armed with high-yield armaments—were still outmatched. Blood pooled.

It didn’t take long—perhaps not even a few minutes, Philo thought.

The females shielding him fell one after another, only to rise again and again.

They didn’t retreat. They didn’t flee.

As if aware of what the male behind them represented, as if aware of the consequences if they fell, these high-grade female cadets—still clad in their training fatigues—fought against an S-class star beast with raw combat power and sheer determination, a creature even A-class military females would struggle against.

And then...

"Your Highness, sir? Come with me quickly! The aft evac pods are ready. Leave now—we’ll find you later."

An unfamiliar face—a female seemingly in charge of the warship’s evacuation systems—seized Philo’s forearm and urgently tried to drag him toward the rear section.

But—

"Can I stay and help?"

He didn’t ask what would happen to Amber, Lancelot, or the female before him if he left.

Looking at the unfamiliar female, Philo didn’t move or run. He simply repeated,

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

I can pilot warships—though given the current damage, that skill seems useless now. But I can also service and repair starship systems. If possible...

"I can help you. Grant me access, or take me to your weapons locker. If you give me replacement parts, I can fix the offensive arrays damaged by the star beast. Then you could—"

"Go!"

Without letting Philo finish, the usually soft-spoken female with heterochromia raised her voice for the first time, bodily shoving Philo toward the female in charge of evacuation.

"Take him away! Quick!"

No more debate, no further listening.

Drenched in gore, the female with heterochromia pushed Philo back before charging once more at the star beast—whose claws had already pierced the bulkhead—with her equally bloodstained energy weapon.

There was almost no doubt: the females stood no chance of victory against this star beast. At best, the outcome would be complete wipeout, with only a handful surviving.

After all, the gap between A-class and S-class was like heaven and earth—let alone the fact that most of those facing the S-class star beast were green recruits in cadet grays, not even commissioned soldiers.

Thus, in the mere seconds Philo had spent speaking, the star beast—already closing in on the warship—had now fully sunk its talons into the hull.

The moment the star beast’s massive paw landed on the main deck, the already shattered warship was instantly ruptured by the Energy Wave it unleashed.

Countless weapons inside the ship were reduced to slag. Countless mounted equipment now floated midair. Countless females who could still fight moments ago... now were combat-ineffective. Witnessing this, the young female—who had prepared the evac pod for Philo from the start—had no more time for his wishes or military protocol. Grabbing Philo, she turned and sprinted toward the rear section without breaking stride.

As for the central area... there was almost no need for them to stay there any longer.

Yes, just a young female Insect from the logistics corps, who had been so panicked at the start of the battle that they almost forgot how to operate the escape pod—this young female Insect suddenly became incredibly hyper-focused at this moment.

They understood that they could no longer let His Highness Philo remain on this battlecruiser, which was destined to be overrun by the star beast soon.

They understood that they had to get His Highness Philo away as quickly and without detection as possible.

They understood... "Hn—"

The male Insect, who had been dragged along in a forced sprint by the female Insect, was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace by the female Insect as they turned back to look at them—and then—

"Ugh—"

Blood dripped down the male Insect's alabaster throat.

Raising his eyes, his purple pupils were still as beautiful as when the young female Insect had first seen him.

But...

Don't cry, Your Highness.

From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I made a wish to the mighty Insect God.

If I could just enter Kalms Military Academy, if only I could have the chance to see you often, if only I could have the opportunity to speak to you—then I would willingly offer my life, my soul, everything I have.

So, Your Highness, please don't cry for me.

You must run... you must run...

In the aft section, there's an escape pod I prepared for you... You must run.

The black claw withdrew from the female Insect's heart, life and blood mingling as they spilled over the male Insect's hand.

Holding the now-lifeless unfamiliar female Insect, Philo's first instinct was to press a hand to their still-bleeding, still heart. His second was to remember their face.

He thought, at the very least, he should remember them.

If given the chance, he would ask for their name later.

But he couldn't make anything out.

Why was everything so blurry? He... couldn't make anything out.

He didn't move, didn't run. Even though he knew exactly what he should do next, at this moment, staring at the female Insect in his arms and the blood covering his hands, Philo—for some reason—didn't run.

Yes, why didn't he run?

Perhaps because... he was never the paragon the female Insects imagined him to be.

He wasn't that fearless.

He wasn't that strong.

He certainly wasn't as composed and decisive as they believed.

At least right now, Philo truly had no strength left to run or escape.

So, was he going to die?

Die in this unfamiliar star system, in this uncharted cosmos, beside his comrades.

Though not without regrets, if this was truly the end, then perhaps...

"Schlick—"

A blade pierced flesh, the metal imbued with power-leeching alloy plunging unhesitatingly into the weakest point of the star beast's claw.

A roar of pain and rage erupted beside Philo's ear, and at the same time, a recognizable voice rang out.

"Move!"

Clutching the blade tightly, letting her own palms be sliced open, Amber—whose irises now appeared stained the same crimson as the blood around her—had somehow fought her way from the central area to the stern. Her shout at Philo was weaker than before, but just as firm.

Their eyes met. Even though Philo still couldn't quite make out Amber's features clearly at this moment—

Looking at the female Insect, at the blood covering her, the combat blade in her hand, his palms clenched slowly, and strength seemed to gradually return to the male Insect's body. Then—

"Go! Are you fucking stupid if you don't go?!"

Run!

Without a shred of hesitation, he bolted forward!

No looking back, no waiting.

Seeing the pod's airlock ahead, Philo mustered every last ounce of his strength into running toward it.

Yet soon, even though it was Amber—the female Insect—who had wounded the star beast, the creature seemed to momentarily abandon its attempt to kill her upon seeing the male Insect about to escape. Instead, it lumbered toward Philo.

But it didn't succeed.

Leaping onto the star beast's back, the female Insect's blood soaked its coarse hide. Ramming the blade into its body once more, she successfully stalled the creature's advance toward the male Insect—only to be hurled violently from its back onto the deck and then crushed in its talons.

Compressed, pulverized with monstrous force.

The grip strength of Insectoids, especially female Insects, was terrifying.

But compared to the star beast, it seemed the female Insects' strength was nothing.

Organs began to rupture, chitin cracked, livid bruises bloomed across flesh, and blood welled from the corners of her mouth, eyes, and ears.

The female Insect's life force drained away drop by drop in the star beast's grasp.

At the same time, as the crimson spread, the heterochromatic female Insect's originally onyx-black pupil grew increasingly red, while the amber one beside it had long turned the hue of fresh blood.

Finally, just before the last traces of cool colors vanished from her eyes, a peculiar, cloying scent emerged amidst the overwhelming scent of blood.

Yet—no, this scent also carried the copper bite of blood. But at the same time, it seemed mixed with something else—the pheromones male Insects secreted when under extreme threat or emotional distress.

This was...

Without hesitation, the male Insect snatched up a jagged fragment of metal and gashed his forearm. Letting his lifeblood flow freely, he hauled himself into the escape pod and bellowed:

"Hey!"

"Your target is actually me, isn't it?!"

"Come on, if you've got the balls, come get me!"

Yes, if the male couldn't see clearly at first, then by the time the star beast chose to ignore Amber, who had wounded it, and instead chased after him, Philo understood exactly which insect this suddenly appearing star beast was targeting.

No wonder it attacked the central zone where he was initially. No wonder, after he fled to the rear zone, the star beast stopped fighting with the females in the central zone and followed him to the rear.

So… its target was him after all?

If that was the case…

Power at maximum, shuttle speed set to maximum, automatic navigation and positioning systems—anything that could emit sound or draw the star beast’s attention—all turned off. Picking a random vector, the male took one last glance at the female who had been released, her eyes wide-eyed as she stared at him, before laughing loudly.

"Amber."

"Live well!"

"Live for both of us."

If one of us was destined not to survive, perhaps it didn’t necessarily have to be you, the female.

After all, this might just be another world—maybe dying would send him back to where he came from.

So—

Pressing the ignition button, the blood from the male’s arm spread to his shoulder. But he didn’t look back, nor did he hesitate any longer. The tight escape pod flickered like a sudden burst of light before vanishing into the blackness of space.

At the same time, disappearing along with the escape pod was that S-class star beast, as well as the other star beasts of varying ranks that had followed the S-class.

As abrupt as their arrival, the star beasts—who had been ravaging other sections of the warship, attacking the females—disappeared in a flash, chasing after that streak of light.

And along with the star beasts… Philo was gone too.

Their male. Their Highness. Philo.

Leaning against the ship's wall, gripping their weapons, the insects stared blankly as the star beasts abruptly disappeared. Those who had believed they would die here today swept their stunned gazes over the bloodied surroundings before all turning toward the direction the star beasts had gone.

Just now… what had those star beasts been chasing?

Before they left, whose voice—so familiar—had suddenly called out?

And His Highness… the one they had fought desperately to protect, the one they thought had already hidden in an escape pod… where was he now?

Cosmic dust mingled with the wreckage of the warship. The sector of space, roaring with gunfire just moments ago, had suddenly gone dead silent.

Fingers trembling, one of them collapsed to their knees on the bloodstained deck.

In the end… they had failed to protect him.

Author's Note:

Couldn’t hold back, posting early—share my pain.