Why isn't she Propagating?
This was the question HooH, observing from afar, couldn't quite grasp.
THEIR gaze swept across countless distances, crossing innumerable star systems before finally resting upon Tartaro—now sealed off by the impenetrable walls formed by the Swarm.
This place was supposed to be the home ground of a newborn deity, a stage upon which countless replicas should emerge one after another.
Yet, reality unfolded in a way utterly beyond THEIR expectations.
Because the newborn deity, who had devoured the power of Tazzyronth's Emanators, was actually refraining from fulfilling her Path.
As an AEON of Propagation, this was precisely the moment she should be splitting herself apart, multiplying endlessly to birth companions.
But astonishingly, not only was this newborn deity refusing to propagate, she had instead accepted countless refugees onto her planet.
Perhaps…she intended to slowly transform these people?
HooH pondered deeply, suspecting that this newborn AEON intended to gradually convert the humans into her own strength.
Yet, this suspicion had scarcely arisen when HooH extinguished the thought personally.
No—at this moment, she harbored no such intent.
Even encircled by Tazzyronth's endless Swarm, she still showed no inclination to fulfill her Path.
Why?
The Path of Propagation had ascended precisely because of loneliness. To become its AEON, she surely must have felt loneliness herself at some point.
Then, why refuse to propagate?
Could it be…because of these ordinary people beside her?
HooH's gaze rested upon the refugees gathered on the planet.
Among them were all sorts of Path-striders, but most were simply ordinary humans.
Having escaped from the Swarm disaster, their turbulent emotions were now being gently soothed by Tartaro itself.
Panic, fear, and relief—all these emotions were softly calmed by Memoria.
And Memoria was nothing less than Titania's own extended limbs. If she wished, these people could instantly become her replicas.
Yet she did no such thing.
It was precisely this that utterly baffled HooH, leading THEM to wonder if perhaps a certain prankster, seeking amusement, had done something tricky when reviving this newborn AEON.
Nevertheless, it mattered not.
Even if she refused to fulfill her Path, she had already consumed two of Tazzyronth's Emanators.
Her current power was something no ordinary Swarm drone could match.
Eventually, she would inevitably confront the remaining three Emanators directly. This was an unavoidable situation—a fate that couldn't be escaped.
In the end, both sides would suffer devastating losses.
[EQUILIBRIUM…]
...
"Titania? Titania!"
Fenille's repeated calls had no effect.
At this moment, Titania still stood frozen in a daze, clearly extending her consciousness across the entire planet.
A look of resignation flashed across Fenille's face, and she finally uttered the phrase guaranteed to snap the person before her back to reality:
"Commander Titania!"
It was the nickname given to Titania by the refugees after she'd taken them under her protection.
In the eyes of these refugees, the current leader of Tartaro was undoubtedly Titania.
This title quickly caught on, becoming how all refugees addressed her.
But the one bearing this nickname clearly wasn't fond of it at all.
Every time she was addressed this way, she'd always…
"I'm no Commander—I'm a God!"
Exactly as Fenille had expected, the moment her voice fell, Titania instantly snapped out of her stupor and immediately protested with this familiar line.
"Commander" absolutely did not suit her! She was no weakling commander—she was a God!
Yes, as long as this title was uttered in her presence, regardless of when or what state she was in, Titania would instantly rebut with this same statement.
Thus, Fenille had cleverly begun using the nickname as a reliable wake-up call for Titania.
"Yes, yes, my esteemed Goddess," Fenille responded, nodding half-heartedly. She then explained why she'd come.
"The Path-striders among the refugees seem to have come up with a plan for escaping this place. They're waiting for your approval."
Indeed, even though the entire star system was already thoroughly sealed by the Swarm, and though even the starlight from beyond had long since been blocked out, the refugees here had not given up hope of escaping.
Under the leadership of the Path-striders among them, after days of heated discussion, they'd finally devised a seemingly plausible escape plan.
Yet, for this plan to be executed, it required the approval of the now widely respected 'Commander'.
"Why do I have to approve it?" Titania blinked, genuinely confused.
Fenille felt a wave of helplessness at Titania's adorably dense reaction.
Because you're the strongest one here, of course!
However, she couldn't say that out loud—otherwise, Titania would immediately respond with something like "That has nothing to do with me!"
"Because, Goddess, your power is an absolutely indispensable part of the plan."
Fenille skillfully exercised the art of flattery, adding sweetly, "Thus, Goddess, it's necessary for you to listen to their undoubtedly flawed plan and offer your guidance."
"Hmph, that's how it should be!" Titania accepted Fenille's invitation. With a casual wave of her hand, she instantly transported both of them to the discussion site.
The abrupt change in scenery caught Fenille completely off guard.
But more importantly…had she even told Titania where the discussion was taking place?
Suspicious eyes quickly turned toward Titania as Fenille realized someone had apparently been secretly eavesdropping earlier.
Titania naturally felt Fenille's blatant gaze. Turning swiftly, she asked suspiciously, "What's the matter? Is something wrong?"
Wait—did I accidentally expose myself?
Fenille quickly flashed a warm smile, answering innocently, "Nothing at all."
The two women's sudden appearance at the meeting caused a small stir among the gathered refugees.
But once they recognized the arrivals, excitement quickly spread, and they greeted them enthusiastically:
"Miss Fenille, Commander Titania, you're here!"
"I'm a God!"
Titania instinctively protested upon hearing that familiar keyword again.
At Titania's predictable reaction, several refugees quietly turned their heads away, suppressing smiles.
No good. If someone accidentally laughed, this goddess might really lose it.
After a tense moment of self-control, everyone present finally suppressed the waves of amusement swelling in their hearts.
They understood clearly why Titania had come, quickly shifting the conversation back to more pressing matters.
"After extensive discussion, we've come up with a plan that could successfully break us out from here."
Now that the topic turned serious, Titania quietly listened.
To escape this place, the most critical obstacle wasn't those scattered Swarm drones floating through space—it was the impenetrable barrier formed by the Swarm itself.
Only by breaking this wall could they have any hope of escaping.
Therefore, everyone gathered here had painstakingly devised a method to break through this barrier.
Though the Swarm wall appeared seamless at first glance, it was actually composed of countless individual drones linked closely together.
As long as they located a gap between these links, breaking open the barrier might be possible.
"Through precise calculations by our remaining scholars, we've recently discovered one such weak point."
The scholars who had survived thus far finally managed, through continuous observation and calculation, to identify a potential vulnerability.
If they attacked precisely at this weak spot, there was a real chance they could breach the barrier.
But breaching it wasn't enough—they'd also have to contend with its sheer thickness.
If it were merely a thin, single layer, they'd have escaped long ago. But those who had fled into this place knew firsthand this barrier couldn't possibly be thin.
A barrier composed of a seemingly endless tide of Swarm drones, vast enough to obscure entire constellations—how could it possibly be a single layer?
"However, with our available weaponry and equipment, we should be able to carve out a tunnel," the refugees explained.
Tartaro wasn't merely equipped with weapons provided earlier by Jobs; the refugees themselves had brought substantial equipment.
With these resources, along with the help of numerous Path-striders, they should be capable of breaking through and forging an escape route.
Yet after breaking open a tunnel, one final and most crucial step remained.
All eyes converged upon Titania.
"The last, and most vital, step is to prevent the Swarm from repairing the breach."
They couldn't simply let those at the front escape while leaving everyone else behind.
Therefore, maintaining the passageway—stopping the Swarm from sealing it again—was key.
And naturally, this critical task could only fall upon the strongest being here—Titania herself.
"Commander Titania..."
Titania was just about to object to the title, but upon noticing the sincere gazes from everyone around her, she forcibly restrained herself.
Amid everyone's expectant looks, a confident smile graced her face.
"Merely keeping a trivial passage open? Leave it to me."
Even though Titania couldn't confront all three remaining Emanators head-on right now, handling ordinary Swarm drones was simple enough.
Titania's answer immediately sparked cheers from the crowd.
"That's great!"
"Commander Titania is the best!"
"Commander, we adore you!"
Fenille couldn't help but smile, hearing everyone's excited cheers.
Only Titania herself wore an increasingly dark expression.
"I'm a God! You guys could stand to show a little more respect!"
...
Now that the plan had been decided, everyone on the planet immediately began preparations.
Every soul on Tartaro knew clearly that time equaled life.
The longer they waited, the thicker the Swarm wall would become, so preparations had already begun beforehand.
And once the plan was officially approved, they rapidly readied themselves.
"Mom, will we really be able to escape this place?" asked a child who'd fled to Tartaro, anxiety creeping into his voice.
His words drew the attention of Titania, who stood nearby on the same starship.
"We will," his mother answered gently, offering Titania a grateful smile. "Commander Titania will surely lead us out of here."
Titania pursed her lips slightly at the title but, unusually, didn't correct the mother's mistake this time.
Amid this atmosphere of determined preparation, the plan finally commenced!
The seemingly endless Swarm barrier stretched out into the darkness, its countless carapaces tightly intertwined, appearing inseparable at first glance.
Those responsible for the first stage of the plan soon arrived precisely at the spot calculated by the scholars.
It looked no different from anywhere else, causing some frontline members to hesitate slightly.
"Betting my title as a follower of the Erudition and all the hair I've recently lost, I'm certain—this is the spot!" one scholar confidently announced.
Since the experts were convinced, it was time to act!
"Commander Titania, should we initiate the operation?"
As the communication reached her ears, Titania looked at the people standing before her, eagerly awaiting her command. For a moment, she fell into a daze.
When did I suddenly find myself surrounded by all these people?
Initially, she'd saved these refugees merely to demonstrate her divine benevolence as a god.
Yet, who would've thought things would turn out this way?
A smile formed unconsciously on her lips. Hah, this feeling isn't so bad after all.
See this, you idiot Sora? This is my charisma as a god!
In a delighted mood, Titania finally gave the order:
"Commence the operation!"
"Roger!"
With Titania's command, those standing before the Swarm barrier quickly pressed launch buttons one after another.
From Titania's vantage point, dazzling lights erupted across the distant void.
These radiant flashes bloomed silently yet spectacularly against the backdrop of darkness.
Then, through the communication channel, a deafening roar echoed forth!
BOOM!!!
Far away, a massive burst of fireworks blossomed within the pitch-black space.
Immediately after, a large portion of the dark void collapsed inward!
Looking at that collapsed region revealed countless densely packed Swarm drones, a sight eerie enough to send chills down the spine.
It was precisely these horrific creatures that had imprisoned them here—but now, under Commander Titania's leadership, they'd break free from this prison!
"Second step commence! Forward starships, charge!"
This indentation was a rare opportunity. Before the Swarm could fill the breach, ships filled with Path-striders rapidly surged toward the gap!
Painstakingly, a pathway formed from countless Swarm carcasses gradually opened.
"Commander Titania!"
The communications filled with hope and anticipation.
In that moment, Titania suddenly understood exactly how it must feel for Sora whenever people called out to him.
"So this is how it feels..."
She didn't know exactly how to articulate the emotions bubbling within her heart—perhaps due to her lack of formal education.
Yet at this crucial moment, she wholeheartedly answered everyone's expectations.
Transforming herself into pure Memoria, she stepped gracefully from the starship.
Observing the slowly regenerating tunnel, Titania calmly stretched out her hand.
Just like a god reaching out to her devoted followers...