The Stellaron Hunters had departed—but before leaving, Kafka handed Sora a planetary access card.
"Entropy Loss Syndrome?!" Robin turned quickly to Sora, worry flashing across her face. "You... You actually have that disease?"
Entropy Loss—one of the rarest, most devastating conditions in the galaxy.
Almost incurable. Almost always fatal.
Those afflicted required specialized stasis chambers just to survive. For anyone else, even functioning was nearly impossible.
How could Sora possibly have this?
"Minor issue. Nothing big," he waved it off.
Sora had no intention of confirming it outright. If he ended up recovering later, and people found out his symptoms never returned, they might label him a medical miracle.
So he decided not to spread the news unnecessarily.
Besides, he didn't even see it as a real illness.
Compared to that—what deserved more attention was what Kafka had said before leaving.
"The Annihilation Faction will arrive in five system ticks."
Sora didn't always buy into cryptic, prophetic talk, but Kafka had said it with such certainty… might as well be prepared.
"Sorry, Robin—can you go tell Anna what we know? Whether it's true or not, we need to stay alert."
He turned toward Black Swan.
"As for you, Miss Memokeeper..."
"No need to worry about me." Black Swan smiled gently. "I'm merely an observer. I'll record what I see."
"In that case, feel free."
Sora's gaze turned toward the stars.
Let's see if that Stellaron Hunter's prophecy holds any weight.
---
"You already knew about it?"
"Only just found out myself."
Anna and Robin had reconvened, and both had the same news.
Realizing they were on the same page, a brief silence fell between them.
Then Anna turned serious.
"You said Zeltworth has a treatment for Entropy Loss?"
"That's just hearsay from a Stellaron Hunter. It doesn't mean anything."
Anna didn't argue—she simply pulled up her terminal and started searching.
After inputting the keywords, pages of results appeared instantly.
"But... maybe it's true."
She turned the screen toward Robin.
Zeltworth enters communication with Genius Society #81: Ruan Mei. Discussion includes 'Entropy Loss Syndrome'.
If it had just been a rumor before, now there was at least some credibility.
Because that name—Genius Society—carried weight.
Chosen by the Aeon of Erudition, Nous, the Society consisted of fewer than a hundred super-geniuses, plucked from trillions across the galaxy.
Each member had the power to change galactic history. And Ruan Mei was unquestionably the most authoritative voice in the life sciences.
"Still... that kind of consultation must cost a fortune," Robin said. "Can Sora even afford that?"
Anna smiled.
"No need to worry."
She pulled out a terminal—and a sleek, jet-black credit card.
Displayed on the terminal was a summary of Promia's offworld assets. Not much, but still in the trillions.
The black card? Her entire personal fortune.
With a few taps, she synced the data with the Interastral Peace Corporation.
In an instant, the ownership of Promia's offworld assets changed hands.
Sora—who didn't even have a bank account—was now a multi-trillionaire.
Though he had absolutely no idea.
Anna had only received a token "payment of hope" from him earlier. She'd never wiped the name off the transfer log.
"With this much, even if Zeltworth can't help, we can get Sora the best stasis chamber on the market."
"He's a guest of this planet—and our savior. There's no way we'd let him suffer alone."
And she wasn't done.
Chin in hand, Anna kept pondering.
"A stasis pod's a boring place. We should use some of this fortune to fill it with stuff he likes."
Then, she looked up suddenly.
"Hey—why don't we make a series out of everything that's happened?"
"For the bits that don't match reality... just say it was written by a 'Speculative Historian'!"
Who would suspect a fictional drama of containing real historical events?
Especially when real history had already been overwritten into fantasy. No one would know which layer was the truth.
"Yes... we'll broadcast it across the galaxy! Everyone will know who saved this planet!"
"We'll need galactic celebrities too..." Her gaze drifted to Robin. "Robin-san, how about you play my role in the drama?"
Robin opened her mouth but couldn't say anything.
Anna had already planned for Sora's hospitalization, stasis, and post-crisis PR rollout—before he'd even agreed to any of it.
That strange déjà vu again...
She felt like she was talking to one of those rambunctious Galaxy Rangers.
No—not just a feeling. It was true.
Anna possessed faint—but definite—power.
She was walking the Path. That's why she and Ouja were immune to Zulo's corruption.
"Hm? Robin-san, why are you smiling like that?" Anna asked, lightly touching her cheek.
"Nothing... I'm just glad I met you."
"Eh?!"
Anna looked completely baffled.
---
Meanwhile, Sora had waited long enough. And finally—he saw it.
A ship.
Not a fleet, not a battalion.
Just a single Annihilation Faction vessel approaching.
Sora stood in the open palm of Promia's guardian deity, watching the ship draw nearer.
He was just about to figure out how to open comms when the ship contacted him first.
"Judging by the Doomsday Beast behind you, you must be with the Legion."
Apparently, they'd confused the guardian deity with one of the Doomsday-class beasts.
"How about letting our Annihilation Division's Trampler Unit serve under your command?"
"Our 67 members can each match a Trampler's might. You'd be gaining considerable strength."
Then silence. The ship held its position in orbit—awaiting Sora's answer.
Even the guardian deity bowed its head, awaiting his decision.
Sora... said nothing at first.
The Annihilation Faction was infamous across the galaxy. For just one ship to approach, its power couldn't be underestimated.
But after hearing the bit about "Trampler-tier strength," Sora's eye twitched slightly—then returned to calm.
He reached for a book.
[Primitive Dragon]
Sensing his will, the guardian deity transformed into a book and settled into his hand.
[Miracle Beast of Starlight]
A divine creature born of united wills, yearning to fight alongside its comrades.
It was time to settle this with reason—and force.
"[Miracle Beast of Starlight! Get!]"
"[Henshin]!"
"[Blazing Blade Slash]!"
"[Baki. Boki. Born! Mera. Mera. Burn]!"
"[Miracle Amplified! Ancient Miracle Dragon]!"
Flames coiled around him. Sora stood alone in space, his blade tearing through the light around him.
Ancient and miraculous. Comrades and partners. A bond that can never be severed!!
"I'm giving you only two options..."
He pointed his blade straight ahead—toward the Annihilation ship, where they waited, listening.
"Choose now."
"Swear fealty to this planet—or die here."
Black Swan fell silent.
Strangely... the Trampler Unit suddenly felt more like a bunch of would-be adventurers trying to slay a dragon.
Was it just her imagination?
---
"To think we detoured all the way here for one man…"
Kafka swirled her wineglass lazily as the planet shrank behind them.
"Elio... what exactly did you see?"
Just one man. Ordinary, by all appearances. Yet they'd traveled all this way for him.
"Who knows?" Blade replied, taciturn as always. "This mission's still part of his script."
"Ah, the script..." Kafka sighed, her eyes distant. Something unreadable flickered in her voice.
Elio—slave of fate. His scripts could predict nearly every future possibility.
The Stellaron Hunters had followed his direction time and again.
Usually, no one questioned each other's scripts.
But this time...
"He's not part of the team yet. So I'm allowed to be curious." Kafka smiled, then opened her comms.
"Hey, Elio."
The line connected immediately.
But before she could speak, Elio's voice cut her off.
"I know why you're calling. No—I didn't see this one in the script."
Kafka blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"The future's been scrambled. All I can see are fragments—one per galactic week."
Even Blade raised an eyebrow.
"But he was in one of them. I'll send it to you... the script's damaged, but see for yourself."
A file arrived. Kafka opened it.
First panel: two armored figures locked in combat. Then one turned—glancing toward a nearby alley.
In the next frame...
Sora stood at the corner, silently watching.
"Sora-senpai... why are you just standing there? Did you really betray us?!"
Kafka flipped the page.
Now Sora stood opposite a girl with glow-worm-colored eyes.
"Our kind was created for one purpose: to die."
"No empire. No empress. No future worth living for."
"And it's all thanks to you humans. That's why I'm rewriting the truth—why I'm here."
Those eyes… reminded Kafka of someone in their organization.
Next frame: Sora, now in a black trench coat, walking forward.
Behind him—countless girls with white hair, all following in perfect formation.
At his hip: a tanuki emblem, bold and clear.
Last frame: a blood-marked figure kneeling before a tall woman with purple hair and a massive blade.
"Kill me. Isn't that why you're here?"
Her reply—unreadable. Just corrupted data.
"I wish they could find their future. But I was never part of them... I might even drive them mad."
"Come, Trailblazer—send off this 'Glamoth Specter' who should never have existed."
Her hair began to turn pure white.
"I wanted him to try the dessert I recommended. What a shame..."
The blade fell.
A streak of light—seven colors shimmering in white—flashed across the screen.
The file ended.
A final message from Elio followed:
"In the original script I saw, that entire star system was meant to be consumed."
"Now? I can't see anything at all."
"If you're curious… check in after your next mission. Tell me what you find."
Kafka stared at the receding planet, Sora's face still fresh in her mind.
But before she could linger—
An enormous explosion lit up the sky in fire.
"No surrender, huh?"
She checked the time.
Yep. That was definitely an Annihilation Faction flare.
But aren't you supposed to send a surrender notice first...?
Why the hell did he go straight to Plan B?