The prevailing melody of space had always been one of majestic, absolute silence.
Like a mourner observing quietly from afar, silently watching over all life.
But now, that silence was shattered by an endless buzzing echoing throughout the galaxy.
Not to mention, amid this constant drone, there were occasionally even more extraordinary sounds...
...For instance, the sound of an exploding planet.
Boom!
An asteroid erupted violently, blossoming into a fiery glow that briefly illuminated the surrounding cosmos.
Yet, even this intense brilliance was swiftly smothered, hidden behind countless swarming insects.
The culprit responsible for shattering this asteroid was an unimaginably immense figure, its massive body covered in countless azure stripes.
Its form was colossal beyond imagination. Even stars appeared minuscule before its vastness.
Beside it, colossal True Swarm insects capable of swallowing the Astral Express whole appeared no larger than mere pets.
Its intricate blue patterns were as striking as planetary canyons etched across its body, filled with boundless mystery.
All these characteristics pointed unmistakably toward one of the Swarm's noblest existences:
Starcrusher Swarm King—Scarakabaz.
Its body was nearly as resilient as Qlipoth's Amber Wall, allowing it to dominate freely across space.
Its mandibles could effortlessly crush entire planets into nourishment, and every breath it took sent celestial bodies trembling.
Its existence alone was a catastrophe. For any civilization or planet, this was an unbearable disaster.
Not to mention, even the fragments falling from its massive body could spawn countless new True Swarm insects.
It traveled slowly toward its objective, dispersing its vast army as it moved forward.
At that exact moment, a message suddenly reached it from countless light-years away, conveyed instantly across immeasurable distance:
—[Under influence from an unknown entity, part of our conquered territory has been lost. Should we contract inward or retake the lost territory?]
The message originated from a Computer Sting, spawned from fragments of its own body.
Under interference from a certain figure, the Swarm's occupied territory had recently been reclaimed by other lifeforms.
Confusion filled the Computer's mind—should it mobilize all available insects to reclaim the territory or abandon it and consolidate defenses inward, preparing for a decisive battle?
Upon receiving this message, Starcrusher Swarm King felt slightly surprised.
It fully understood the Swarm's reputation across the cosmos, as it was largely responsible for creating this very fear.
Its unstoppable form had publicly crushed planet after planet, effortlessly devouring the resulting debris even amidst relentless bombardments, before calmly departing as if nothing had happened.
At its peak, Scarakabaz had defined arrogance itself, establishing the Swarm's terrifying legend.
"When the Swarm arrives, life must swiftly evacuate."
This had been the universally accepted rule since then.
Yet now, after untold years, this absolute truth seemed to have failed for the first time.
—[Interesting.]
Although it didn't know which race had achieved this feat, Starcrusher Swarm King felt genuinely intrigued.
It was tempted to head over immediately to let them experience true despair firsthand.
But, right now, more important matters awaited its attention.
—[Ignore that matter. Consume as many resources there as possible, and breed additional Swarm Mothers.]
Their true opponent this time was an AEON who also walked the Path of Propagation. Addressing this situation took absolute priority.
Born directly from Tazzyronth, the Propagation, it clearly understood the final destination of this Path.
Thus, the Swarm had to fully encircle these hundreds of light-years, devouring all resources from outside in, leaving nothing behind.
Only then could it have absolute confidence to overcome an AEON-level adversary.
Therefore, a small loss of territory wasn't worth considering.
The Starcrusher Swarm King's instructions instantly resonated across the Swarm's collective consciousness, traveling hundreds of light-years in mere moments.
But when its message finally arrived, a crimson dragon had already begun rampaging through this star system.
Orderly formations of insects swarmed in precise formations, turning this region into an impenetrable fortress.
Yet, the red dragon soaring through space had already punctured holes in their perfect defense.
One massive fireball after another erupted from its mouth, each effortlessly devouring countless insects.
Standing atop the dragon's head was a figure clad in crimson armor—
It was precisely Hoshigaki Sora and Dragreder!
He had raced tirelessly to this region, seeking to hunt down the Swarm's local Swarm Mother and Computer Sting.
Of course, to the companion beneath him, their arrival here was more akin to visiting a buffet.
Dragreder's body, now several hundred meters long, appeared utterly insignificant amid this endless sea of insects.
Yet this tiny streak of discordant crimson alone had already significantly disrupted the entire star system's carefully organized movements.
"Roar—!"
Facing such countless insects, Dragreder's excited roars echoed endlessly.
But when Sora listened closely, all he heard was:
"Delicious! Love it! Want more!"
Clearly, the dragon was thoroughly enjoying this boundless feast.
Yet, the insects here were different from those encountered earlier at the outer planets.
"Be careful," Sora warned Dragreder calmly.
No sooner had he spoken, a cluster of concealed explosive insects suddenly emerged behind ordinary ones and erupted violently right beside them!
BOOM!!
Their movements were swift and coordinated, as though controlled by a hidden force. Flesh-corroding fluids instantly blanketed the surrounding space.
Yet in the next moment, a massive fireball blasted open a hole through that region of space—from which Dragreder gracefully soared out, completely unharmed.
"Roar!" (That startled me! Thankfully my hide's thick enough.)
Dragreder was uninjured but still clearly shaken by the surprise attack.
"I just told you to be careful," Sora sighed helplessly. Eating so much earlier had clearly caused the dragon to let down its guard.
But as Sora spoke to Dragreder, the seemingly endless swarm suddenly shifted formation, reshaped by an invisible hand.
Heat-resistant insects lined up at the front. Those capable of long-range acid attacks positioned themselves behind, ready to fire.
Countless explosive insects glowed ominously from within the masses, lurking dangerously nearby.
The previously chaotic swarm now displayed unmistakable signs of tactical organization.
Sora swiftly scanned his surroundings. Above, below, front, back—every possible escape route was completely covered by insects.
And at the center of this encirclement stood Sora himself.
"Is this the work of a Computer?" Upon seeing this arrangement, Sora instantly identified the only possible entity responsible.
All the insects around him moved in flawless unison, clearly directed by a single mind.
Without question, the commander here was the Computer Sting.
A Computer's status wasn't determined by size or brute strength alone—even a tiny True Swarm insect could potentially ascend to become a Computer.
Yet, that hardly meant they were weak. In fact, a Computer was notoriously difficult to kill.
It could command all True Swarm insects remotely while keeping itself safely hidden among them.
With intellect matching or surpassing most sentient beings, a Computer's greatest strength lay in extending its consciousness to control vast armies of insects effortlessly.
That explained why the encirclement formed so swiftly and naturally.
To a Computer, this was as simple as clenching its own fists—it required nothing more than instinctive intention to complete.
And the entity currently performing this maneuver…
Sora instantly focused his attention on a specific part of the swarm.
"Is that the place?"
Though the swarm reorganized quickly, changes always began from a certain point.
Sora keenly perceived precisely where that first movement had started.
Behind the swarm he observed, a heavily damaged planet riddled with countless holes stood prominently.
This planet had already been thoroughly hollowed out, transformed into a breeding nest through which insects could freely pass.
One after another, freshly hatched insects emerged obediently from within, seamlessly integrating into the swarm surrounding Sora.
Clearly, the Computer was hiding somewhere within that hollowed-out planet.
As soon as Sora's gaze locked onto that position, the insects around him immediately grew restless, sensing the sudden threat.
Dragreder, perfectly attuned to Sora's thoughts, instantly blasted a massive fireball toward that very spot, charging ahead without hesitation!
The insects encircling them immediately reacted and launched their attacks in response.
Heat-resistant insects positioned their carapaces defensively at the forefront, explosive insects hid in the shadows waiting to strike, and streams of corrosive green liquid streaked through the void of space.
Yet Sora continued advancing, seemingly oblivious to their assault.
Because…
"An encirclement means nothing to me!"
As he declared this, Sora produced a fiery red card blazing brightly in his hand.
At the instant this card appeared, Dragreder's massive body instantly released waves of fire that rapidly expanded outward in all directions.
Sizzle!
Those heat-resistant insects leading the charge instantly crumbled to ashes. Explosive insects silently vanished without even a chance to detonate.
Corrosive fluids vaporized on contact, and flame waves radiated endlessly outward, centered on Dragreder.
Just as Sora said, encircling him at this point was utterly meaningless.
Having devoured countless insects already, Dragreder had grown to its current colossal size—several hundred meters long. Its flames were naturally just as formidable!
Clearly, someone understands how to properly use special effects.
The card in Sora's hand was originally designed to escalate fights—a certain death sentence in most people's hands.
Yet, in the hands of its previous wielders, this card always transformed into a power capable of saving others.
An infinite swarm of insects was enough to terrify anyone.
But the moment this card appeared, everything seemed to change.
The card's true name was…
In this endless galaxy, roaring flames burned with breathtaking intensity.
Even without oxygen or energy, in the emptiness of space, these flames unscientifically blazed brighter and brighter.
Illuminated dramatically by this firelight, Sora placed the card into the dragon-shaped device, gently pressing it closed.
'[SURVIVE!]'
Whoosh!
As the announcement sounded, flames surged wildly outward from Sora's position.
During Dragreder's charge, countless scales fell away from its body, unveiling radiant golden stripes gleaming across its red scales, elevating its majestic appearance to an entirely new level!
Without any hesitation, Sora swiftly swiped another card.
'[FINAL VENT!]'
"ROAAARR!"
With a mighty roar, Dragreder's body began twisting and folding dramatically.
A magnificent, crimson war-bike emerged, racing freely across the boundless galaxy.
Even within trackless space, the fiery vehicle raced onward, entirely unimpeded.
Sora immediately twisted the throttle to its limit!
BOOM!
Flames erupted behind him, instantly propelling him forward at unimaginable speeds.
Fiery energy enveloped the vehicle and rider alike, instantly obliterating and absorbing any insects foolish enough to block their path.
Maintaining this unstoppable momentum, Sora raced directly toward the utterly hollowed-out planet ahead.
From a distance, his figure was minuscule—nothing more than a tiny speck of cosmic dust.
Yet that tiny speck carved a blinding trail through the void, striking headlong into the hollowed-out world.
Silence. Absolute silence.
The insects surrounding them halted entirely, frozen motionless as the universe briefly reclaimed its innate quietude.
This strange tranquility lasted a few seconds until—a tiny speck of dust emerged, piercing through the far side of the planet.
It seemed utterly insignificant, yet it immediately triggered a massive chain reaction!
BOOOM!!
After that tiny speck flew away, the hollow planet suddenly collapsed violently upon itself, crushed and distorted as though struck by an immense force.
Dust clouds billowed forth, smoke surged out wildly, and the planet met its final destruction in mere moments.
Perhaps the planet had long since been teetering at the brink of collapse.
Yet even as it shattered apart, a vast cloud of debris completely engulfed Sora.
Amidst the endless smoke and dust, two blazing crimson eyes shone brilliantly like stars.
Unfortunately, the dramatic scene was thoroughly ruined by the sound of loud chewing nearby.
Sora helplessly turned to glance at the front of his fiery vehicle.
Right there, Dragreder was casually holding a blue insect firmly in its claws, taking one delighted bite after another, savoring every morsel.
This blue insect was precisely the Computer Sting responsible for commanding the insects in this star system, hidden away safely inside the hollow planet.
But beneath Dragreder's ravenous gaze, no hiding place was sufficient.
In mere moments, the Computer was captured and devoured completely.