[Cocolia, the Stellaron is in danger. Return—immediately.]
The message arrived without warning.
Cocolia, who had willingly surrendered and was now under house arrest within her own office, froze as the voice echoed in her mind. It was a signal—not merely heard, but felt—a direct transmission through the residual bond she shared with the Stellaron.
The Stellaron had once granted her its power, and through that connection, their communication was akin to a radio frequency only the two of them could hear.
Her original plan had been to wait, to observe. But now, anxiety crept into her bones.
The Stellaron—her Stellaron—was in danger?
If it were destroyed, then who would shape the promised future for her?
Just moments ago, she had felt a faint sense of pride. Bronya, that once docile and obedient girl, had finally raised her head in defiance—for the first time, she stood against her mother. Cocolia did not resent her. On the contrary, she welcomed this rebellion. A Supreme Guardian could not survive by clinging to outdated values. She must embrace the new world, even if it came at the cost of the old order.
Only through such courage could one lead others into the future.
But the present crisis allowed no such sentimentality.
There was no more time to hesitate.
Cocolia rose from her seat, each movement deliberate. She walked toward the door, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor. Then, with a knuckle wrapped in tight control, she knocked.
Click.
The door creaked open slightly, revealing half of Pela's pale, round face.
"…What is it, Lady Guardian?"
There was a wary edge in Pela's voice. Her loyalties had shifted. She had chosen Bronya—and in doing so, she could no longer look at Cocolia without suspicion.
"I wish to see Bronya."
"…Lady Bronya?"
Pela's expression did not change. She gave a slight nod.
"I'll deliver the message."
"...Make it quick."
--+--
Meanwhile, on the other side—
Felicity's expression darkened.
The Stellaron had reached its limit.
She hadn't even used the full vitality of two continents—just one and a half of Yalilo-VI's life force—and yet the Stellaron could no longer absorb more. Any further, and it would burst apart like an overfilled water sac.
"…Strange," she murmured, scratching her chin, "…I always thought Stellarons had infinite capacity. Aren't they the things that throw entire galaxies into chaos?"
A flicker of dull light trembled in her palm.
[Guh… Kill me, if you can…]
The Stellaron's glow was more brilliant than ever—but its voice was threadbare, wavering like a dying candle in a storm. It looked up at the Emanator of Abundance who held it as if it were a trinket.
There was despair in its gaze—but no fear.
A being born on the road of Destruction could never afford to flinch at death.
To destroy others was to accept one's own destruction.
Even now, it waited. It endured the humiliation and pain, its entire will bent toward a single moment—one instant of distraction. If that chance came, it would self-destruct without hesitation, dragging Felicity into annihilation.
Felicity's eyes narrowed.
"Oh?"
She sensed the shift.
"You're getting ready, aren't you?" she said, amused. "If I gave you one chance—just one—would you be able to kill me?"
[I will grant you the blessing of Destruction!]
The Stellaron's voice now surged with venom and conviction.
Felicity laughed, her joy unhidden.
"Then let's test your resolve."
With a flick of her hand, the earth trembled. A great emerald tree erupted from the ground, its trunk twisting skyward, taking Felicity and the Stellaron up, up—until the skies broke open and the void of the universe stretched before them.
Far above Yalilo-VI, the tree stopped. Felicity stood suspended in space, unbothered by the vacuum. She released the Stellaron from her grasp, arms wide as though welcoming a long-awaited storm.
"Come, show me everything you've got."
The Stellaron's core flared.
Their thoughts, once cold and calculating, were now swept away by fury.
This woman—this arrogant being of Abundance—had mocked them. Looked down on them. Believed that no matter how they struggled, they could not touch her.
Unforgivable.
The Stellaron roared, their power bursting free. Imaginary energy surged like a tidal wave, warping space itself. Their form expanded rapidly—first to the size of a building, then a mountain, then something far beyond human comprehension. Their figure twisted into a monstrous beast of raw destruction.
[I will show you the most radiant and terrifying light in existence!]
They lunged toward Felicity, intent on detonating all their power in one magnificent act of defiance.
The moment had come.
All the life force, all the hatred, all the pain—they released it in a single instant.
A supernova of imaginary energy consumed everything.
A storm of corruption exploded outward, devouring light and sound alike. A lesser being would have been reduced to atoms. Even gods would have hesitated before such chaos.
[Destruction! Destruction! Destruction—!]
Their final cry echoed through the void.
And then—collapse.
The mountain-sized mass began to shrink, their energy gone. Their form withered, receding into a sphere no larger than a clenched fist.
They had sacrificed everything.
The intelligence they had briefly formed began to crumble. But even then, they did not despair.
As long as they drifted to a living world, they could rise again.
They had defied even the Emanator of Abundance.
What else could stand in their way?
…Yet—
Just before consciousness slipped away, a glimmer of green pierced the darkness.
[You…]
Felicity hovered above them, unharmed. She tapped her chin with one hand and plucked the weakened Stellaron between two fingers.
Her voice was filled with lazy disappointment.
"You couldn't kill me."
Her grip tightened.
"Now it's your turn to die."
Crack.
The core shattered like glass. No fanfare. No scream.
The fragments scattered into the void and vanished.
It was over.
And strangely… the Stellaron felt peace in that final moment.
[Apologies... I failed to make you use your full power...]
"..."
Felicity stared at the place where the Stellaron had faded.
"Oh no," she sighed. "I should've saved half of it for Herta. She'd have loved that one."
She shook her head, genuinely regretful.
The Stellaron back at Herta's space station couldn't even talk. That made it boring. This one… this one had personality.
Felicity turned around, her gaze drifting toward the Astral Express in the distance.
A figure slowly approached—floating through space with practiced ease.
"…What happened here?" Welt asked cautiously.
"Nothing much," Felicity replied, brushing nonexistent dust off her shoulder. "A Stellaron tried to blow itself up with me. I killed it."
"…And where is it now?"
"Gone."
Welt stared at her for a long moment.
Then, with a sigh, he rubbed his temple.
He was suddenly very, very glad that Felicity was on their side.
He had sensed the outburst earlier—its scale, its chaos. It wasn't something a normal Stellaron should've been capable of. He and Himeko had been discussing it just moments before. The power levels were absurd. Almost apocalyptic.
Could a Stellaron truly become this strong, just by devouring a dying planet?
Was it truly the "Cancer of All Worlds"…?
He shook the thoughts from his head and adjusted his glasses.
His eyes returned to Felicity.
"Are you alright?"
Then, seeing her completely unharmed, he instantly regretted the question.
"Do I look like someone who's dying?"
Felicity raised an eyebrow, then scoffed and turned away.
She drifted back toward the now-silent emerald tree. With a simple touch of her finger, the towering colossus began to shrink—folding itself downward, returning her to the world below.
--+--
T/N: Bro salty that she couldn't die.
Last chapter of the day btw, can't be bothered to do more, cause it's 3:38 am.