"Hmm…"

Even a soft hum from her lips radiated a crushing pressure through the air.

Birdel clenched her fists, struggling to straighten her back in the presence of the figure before her.

Silver-haired.
Piercingly strong yet graceful features.
A flawless, balanced physique.

She was undeniably beautiful.

Yet Birdel's entire body, down to the cellular level, registered the woman before her not as a person, but as a monster. Her instincts screamed in warning.

"Are you the one in charge here?"
"…Yes."
"Hmm…"

The woman who had summoned Birdel was none other than Maxien Asteria, the silver-haired enigma.

In less than an hour after her arrival in the World, she had demonstrated that she was its undisputed strongest being.

She was likely an ally or subordinate of him.

"...Are all those around him like this?"

Twelve million.

Without her recent breakthroughs, Birdel doubted she could have surpassed even two million in combat power.
And twelve million… That number was incomprehensible.

She couldn't even be certain that this was Maxien's true form.

If it wasn’t, then just how powerful was she?

Birdel couldn't begin to fathom.

The silver-haired woman finally spoke.

"I don’t know who you are. Frankly, I don’t care."
"…."
"However, there’s a reason I called for you."

The oppressive aura she emitted tightened its grip on the surroundings.

"I don’t like the look in your eyes."
"…."
"Have you not realized it yourself?"

Birdel failed to grasp Maxien’s meaning.

What could she mean by disliking her gaze? Was this nothing more than provocation?

Unbeknownst to her, Birdel had displayed instinctive hostility toward Maxien from the moment they met.

"…Fine. Let’s set that aside for now. It doesn’t seem like an immediate problem."
"…."
"Let me ask you something else."

Ask me something else?

"Why are you so weak, despite standing by Kalstein’s side?"
"…."

Even if Birdel had asked herself this question before, hearing it from someone else was jarring.

Since the day he had saved her, all she had encountered were looks of reverence or fear.

And the casual way this woman referred to Kalstein—no honorifics, as if they were close—only deepened the unease.

Envy? Why do I feel anger rising?

An unexpected emotion bubbled to the surface.

"Perhaps Kalstein will explain it to me later, but surely you don’t believe you’re of any help to him as you are now?"
"…."

There was no response Birdel could offer.

The woman’s eyes held no hint of malice, only unwavering certainty. Her words carried no personal grudge, only pure, unvarnished truth.

And that stung all the more.

Birdel’s frustration was aimed squarely at herself.

"At least you don’t seem content with your current state. That’s a relief."

Though Maxien had said little, it felt as though she had peeled away every layer of Birdel’s facade, exposing her bare insecurities.

Yet any discomfort was secondary.

"…How can I become as strong as you?"

Birdel forced herself to meet Maxien’s gaze, summoning all her courage to ask.

"…"

This time, it was Maxien who remained silent.

"If I reach your level of strength… can I stand by his side?"
"…Determined, aren’t you?"

But Birdel’s gaze didn’t waver.

The question she had asked Maxien was one she had turned over in her mind countless times. It was her raw, unfiltered truth.

"Hmph. That kind of resolve… it’s irritating, but not entirely unpleasant."

Thankfully, Maxien didn’t dismiss her sincerity outright.

"But…"

A soft hum of power resonated as starlight danced around Maxien’s body, shaking the room.

"!!"
"If your goal is only this level of power, you’re sorely mistaken…"
"Ugh!"
"You do know, don’t you? This isn’t even my true form."
"…Is that so."
"Still…"

In an instant, the immense, towering presence that had seemed like a giant receded, leaving the original Maxien standing before her.

"Following behind might not be impossible."
"!!"

The implied permission in Maxien’s words hit Birdel like a thunderclap, and her legs almost buckled under the release of tension.

"But be prepared."
"…I will."

"For now, you’re to step away from combat. I’ll inform Kalstein myself. You’ll have your hands full for a while."
"…Thank you."

"That is, if you survive."

***

"Kalsh. Why are all your subordinates women?"
"…."

Sigh.

Maxien barged into the room without so much as knocking and threw out that question right away.

And what did she mean, all women?

The martial arts unit, the transcendents from the community…

Most of them were men.

And besides—

"Have you sold off your sense of formality?"
"Haha. This is the World. You’re not the emperor of the Galactic Empire right now."
"…."

Well, it wasn’t like her lack of honorifics annoyed him or anything.

She was the one who had insisted on being formal in the first place.

It reminds me of the old days.

Indeed, when he had first met Maxien after his possession, he wasn’t an emperor of anything.

"Have your feelings changed? You were the one who insisted on honorifics to begin with."
"…That’s…"
"That’s what?"

Maxien faltered, her words trailing off awkwardly.

"…?"
"I can’t say."

Can’t say?

What could possibly silence the Galactic Empire’s great hero?

"Anyway, Kalsh."
"Hm?"

Her casual tone made the distance between them feel much shorter than before.

"I’ve found someone promising. Mind if I train them?"
"Who?"

Wasn’t this the same Maxien who always scoffed at the idea of taking on a disciple?

"Ah, Birdel?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm…"

Birdel, huh.

"Whether or not you take on a disciple is your decision."
"Still, I should get your approval first, right?"

Having the Galactic Empire’s great hero take on a disciple wasn’t a trivial matter.

That’s why she was bringing it up directly now.

Though she spoke casually, Maxien was someone who kept work and personal matters separate.

"Do as you wish. But you know what I’m going to say, don’t you?"
"About what?"
"No matter if it’s a possession body, the limitations of your abilities haven’t been lifted."
"…."
"I’m worried about you, Maxien."
"Hmph."

She turned her head away with a huff.

Was she displeased?

Regardless, rules were rules.

The health of the Galactic Empire’s great hero was a top priority.

With what he’d said, she likely wouldn’t push herself too hard.

"Still, maybe it’s because you’re using a possession body? You seem a bit more like your old self lately."
"Well… I wouldn’t know. I just find this body stifling. The link, or whatever it’s called, doesn’t seem perfect."
"That’s all the more reason to be careful. You’ve got to live long enough for me to grow old and die of old age."

Given his practical immortality, that was essentially forever.

"…I get it. Thanks for the concern. I’ll be off, then."

As if she had urgent business, Maxien darted out of the room.

"That woman…"

Kalstein shook his head in mild exasperation.

"Either way, if Maxien’s going to train Birdel, it’s a win for us."

The stronger Birdel became, especially with her awakened dimensional transfer abilities, the more options Kalstein would have at his disposal.

He picked up the wine glass on the table and took a sip.

"Hmm. This should work out well enough."

Their compatibility as swordswomen was excellent, after all.

Birdel would have plenty to learn, and Maxien might uncover new insights about dimensional transfer in the process.

Either way, it was a good deal.

***

“Retreat! It’s them!”
“What… what is that?”
“Just report it first! Quickly, get the comms up!”
“The communications aren’t working!”

Amid their retreat, panicked voices echoed from all directions.

“Everyone, quiet! It seems they’re jamming our signals. For now, our priority is to get out of here!”

Boom!

From the colossal ship hovering in the sky, bolts of energy rained down, obliterating everything on the ground.

And it wasn’t just a single strike—it was relentless.

“What the hell is that?”
“It’s definitely the Sephiroth.”
“Then we have to report this.”

The Sephiroth faction wasn’t what it used to be.

Up until recently, they had focused on maintaining a balance of power, avoiding outright conflict while fortifying their respective strongholds.

The Galactic Empire’s martial units and fleets had engaged in minor skirmishes with Sephiroth’s detachments, but these were merely reconnaissance and probing efforts.

Both sides avoided full-scale battles, opting instead to consolidate their power and expand their territories cautiously.

Or so it had seemed.

This massive ship, now descending upon them, had never been deployed before.

In other words, the Sephiroth had completed their preparations.

“Did you capture footage?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Let’s retreat immediately.”

The barrage of artillery directed at the massive ship was being neutralized by an invisible barrier, dissipating harmlessly upon impact.

“Looks like the real fight is finally starting, huh?”

Of course, their side hadn’t revealed their full capabilities either.

Take, for instance, the ranking elites or the silver-haired woman. They’d been holding back as well.

“This isn’t the time to get complacent! Move quickly!”
“Commander…”
“What is it?”
“Over there… look!”

Another massive ship loomed in the direction of their retreat.

“Looks like we’ve been surrounded.”

They swiftly changed course, preparing for combat as they adjusted their retreat route.

We have to get this report out!

***

Drip-drip-drip—

The sound of tearing and squelching filled the air.

A space thick with slime and torn flesh.

A massive pulsating sac burst open, spilling viscous fluid in every direction.

Step. Step.

From within, a figure emerged.

Shrouded in shadows, the being strode forward, drawing the gaze of countless eyes fixated upon it.

“...Initiate… counterattack…”

Screeech!
Gurgle.
Roooar!
Screeeech!
Hisssss.

The monsters, stirred by the presence of the figure stepping out from the ruptured sac, began howling and writhing.

Fwoosh—

The very fabric of the World began to quake.