"Third defensive line breached."
"An M-Site entity detected. Switching to emergency internal channels to avoid communication contamination."
"Destruction of the stealth minefield confirmed."
"Delta B-2241 sector shows reactions from two division-sized clusters of monsters. We cannot confirm if that’s all."

Beep—

"Retreat to Delta C-1540 Colony confirmed."
"Fifth defensive line installation has begun."
"The fourth defensive line is also being reinforced. Fleet 72 has been fully deployed."
"Delta C sector is clear. No monsters have been detected in the area so far."

Beep—

Aria listened to the reports without stopping the movement of her hands manipulating the holographic screens.

Of all times.

For this to happen when the Master was away.

Beep—

Where had things gone wrong? Surely, all preparations had been thorough.

The first wave of territorial expansion had been completed without incident, and preparations for the second wave were underway.

Territorial expansion wasn’t as simple as planting a flag and declaring ownership.

It required the installation of monster detection and interception systems, astral signal management modules to block unauthorized warps, and other infrastructure. Only when these systems were fully operational could the territory officially become part of the Galactic Empire.

This time, considering the expansion was beyond the barrier, they had even deployed the automated intercept colony, KAI.

Yet, mocking all those efforts, a legion of monsters had appeared near the barrier.

"Can we truly never take monsters lightly?"

Aria frowned.

She had been so confident when reporting to the Master.
Her pride was taking a significant blow.

This ambush was nothing less than a sucker punch to the Galactic Empire. For decades, there hadn’t been any legion-scale activity from monsters.

What had driven them to act now? Was it because of the Empire’s advance beyond the barrier?

But that didn’t seem entirely plausible. The Galactic Empire’s recent territorial expansions had faced little resistance, almost as if the monsters had quietly retreated.

Not to say there was no resistance, but it hadn’t escalated into critical counterattacks capable of expanding into full-blown wars.

Had they been too complacent because of that?

No, perhaps the opposite. Maybe this happened because they had taken no chances and gone all-out.

With most of the Empire’s heroes deployed at the frontlines, it was possible the monsters had seized the opportunity presented by their absence. And with the Master unavailable as well…

This ambush by the monster legion was undoubtedly a critical blow to the Empire.

"Still…"

At least, this only affected the outer lines beyond the barrier. A single legion wouldn’t be enough to breach the defensive lines installed within the barrier.

"A communication request has come in from Grand Duchess Camilla."

Aria immediately accepted the call.

A transmission from one of the great heroes—a welcome piece of news.

Beep—

"It’s been a while, Camilla."

Hiss, hiss.

On the screen appeared Camilla, wearing a gas mask.

"…A while," she muttered, her tone as dry as ever.

"You seem less spirited than before. What happened to the Camilla who once cornered Count Maxien?"

"S-shut up!"

"I assume you’re aware of the current situation?"

"Y-yeah…"

"This isn’t the time for jokes and idle chatter."

"You’re right."

"So, the fact that you’ve contacted me means…?"

"Yeah… I’ll go."

"Hmm."

The woman on the screen had green hair hidden under a hood.

Though her expression was obscured by the gas mask covering her nose and mouth, her eyes betrayed no fear, even though she was fully aware of the situation.

"Are you sure? No. 17 isn’t an opponent to be taken lightly."

"I-I know."

How could she not?

A Named entity.

Even just appearing on the Empire’s Named Monster List marked it as extraordinary, but Prohiden carried a double numbering.

What made it worse was the specific number—17.

Seventeen.

A double-numbered entity from the highest tier.

In the double numbering system, the threshold of the 50s marked a significant qualitative leap. Anything above that line was noticeably stronger, even with just a one-number difference.

And No. 17?

It was practically closer to single digits in rank. Facing it alone was near impossible.

"You’re a rear-position specialist. Going out without a frontline hero is too dangerous."

"Even Maxien managed it…"

"Count Maxien only managed to defeat No. 48, and that was because he had a specific advantage. Challenging this purely out of rivalry is a terrible idea."

"I-I know that!"

Did she really? This was No. 17. Its name wasn’t something to be uttered lightly, even as a joke.

"Even so…"

"I-I don’t have a choice, do I?"

"…"

"If the Galactic Empire collapses, he’ll… he’ll be devastated."

"Hmm."

"S-shut up!"

"Is this… the power of love?"

"I-it’s not like that! I just… feel sorry for him, that’s all!"

"Heh. Very well. I’ll leave it to you. But please avoid direct confrontation if possible and focus on containment."

Given her skill set, as long as she didn’t let the enemy close the distance, she should be able to manage.

"F-fine."

"And make sure you address His Majesty properly next time."

"Ugh! Fine…"

If Camilla Bashatiret was stepping in, the Empire’s burden would significantly lighten.

Her abilities ensured that she wouldn’t act recklessly.

Even if she couldn’t bring her fleet immediately, when she deployed, she would lead her elite forces.

This was her true strength, the reason she was revered as one of the Empire’s great heroes.

Yes. With her, there was no need to worry.

"Thank goodness. I was starting to wonder."

The deployment of a single great hero would drastically stabilize the situation.

Still… when would the Master return?

***

The mere rumor of Camilla Bashatiret joining the battle electrified the battlefield.

"Hold the line! All we need to do is endure! Lady Camilla is on her way!"
"Is this all you've got? Fight harder!"
"Don’t give up! Just make it to the backup point. Stay sharp, everyone!"
"Hold on no matter what! If we hold the line, the Empire gains tenfold the time! Delay them as much as you can until the defensive line is reinforced!"

The soldiers began to fight with renewed vigor. They only had to endure until she arrived!

A little longer.
One more monster.

Camilla was the most battlefield-adapted hero among the greats.

Her presence was a blessing to every soldier on the front lines.

Static—

But not everything could be achieved through sheer willpower. If humanity could overcome trials by will alone, history would have no wars.

[This is Delta B-7258. The location of the M-Site remains unknown. However, at least three division-sized monster clusters have us surrounded. No signs of ultra-massive types so far.]

Static—

[The colony's key resources and personnel have successfully been evacuated.]

Static—

[This is Delta B command. ...Are you sure about this, Colonel?]

Static—

Those communicating knew what this meant. The man broadcasting the final report of the colony had chosen to stay behind.

As the commander of Delta B-7258, he had volunteered to remain alone, fulfilling his duty to the end.

[...So it’s you, Major. Haha.]
[Colonel...]
[Take care of my family... on the planet Isenguard.]

Static—

[...We pay our respects to Colonel Matio for his service to the end. You needn’t worry about your family. Thanks to you, they’ll live safely and more comfortably than anyone else. I will personally see to it.]
[Thank you... then... that’s it.]

Click.

The cold metallic button pressed down, severing the communication. It was the right thing to do to prevent communication contamination by the M-Site.

He had wanted to leave more meaningful final words.

“Phew…”

One by one, the hundreds of screens connected to the colony went dark, signaling their destruction. The occasional glimpses of remaining feeds showed monsters breaching the colony’s defense systems.

Reaching into his chest pocket, he pulled out a faded photograph. Frequent use during deployments had left it yellowed with age.

"Don’t forgive your father. And I’m sorry, my love."

Static—Pop!
Static—Pop!

The growing number of disconnected monitors meant death was closing in. As he watched the monster legion on one of the last screens, his eyes widened.

"What...!"

Something caught his eye.

An unidentified Named entity.

His pupils trembled.

The presence of even one Named entity carried catastrophic implications. The sudden appearance of an undocumented Named monster was a grim revelation.

But had the gods not forsaken him entirely?

Flash—

A torrent of blazing light descended in intricate arcs upon the monster legion.

Boom—

It wasn’t far; the explosion's shockwave rattled the colony’s main control room.

Boom—Boom—Boom—

The streaks of light multiplied.

Then, the colonel realized something.

“Aah…!”

Camilla Bashatiret.

It was her.

Boom—Boom—Boom—

The streaks of light fell like a rainstorm, forming a web of destruction that ravaged the enemy ranks.

Flash—

Blinding flashes erupted across the battlefield, too bright for the screens to fully capture, painting the monitors white.

Static—

[Is anyone still alive out there?]

Ah… God in heaven!

The colonel, overwhelmed with emotion, hurried to respond.

Static—

[Th-this is Colonel Matio, commander of Delta B-7258 Colony.]
[You’ve done well.]

The voice of a young girl.

Yet that voice brought him immeasurable comfort.

Camilla Bashatiret.

The Supreme Commander of the Imperial Taskforce.
Leader of the Execution Corps.

The Galactic Empire’s great hero had arrived.

Flash—

From an unfathomable distance, precision long-range strikes began picking off the Named monsters hidden among the legion.

Flash—Boom—

And that wasn’t all.

The fleet’s coordinated maneuvers, as though a single organism, swept away the tidal wave of monsters.

Colonel Matio finally let out a shaky breath, wiping his face with trembling hands.

[Th-thank you!]

Static—

[Don’t mention it.]

With this offensive, the Galactic Empire had launched its first true counterattack in the battle.

***

"Hmm."

In front of Camilla, countless red dots formed a three-dimensional formation.

She quickly manipulated the panels, inputting the fleet's movement paths and attack timings down to the minute.

Commanding the entire fleet manually from a distance?

Some might call it nonsense, but for her, it was a different story.

Of course, the finer movements would be handled by the crew onboard.

"This one’s in the way."

From the ether weapon fixed to her shoulder, high-density ether began to gather.

"Hmm, this one’s in the way too. I’ll deal with it on the next shot..."

As she muttered quietly, a satisfied smile crept onto the girl’s face.

In that instant, a flash of ether engulfed the area.

The hearts of 24 Named monsters and a triple-numbered beast were pierced through by the blast.

And then, at that very moment,

In a secluded part of the battlefield,

A monster, which had been keeping its eyes closed, suddenly opened them, revealing violet glowing eyes.