Thus, after the company's navigation ship set sail for the Xianzhou Luofu, the Borisin—who could no longer suppress the schemes in their hearts—began to take action.
Utilizing the Borisin's innate ability to transform, the Borisin abominations easily disguised themselves as key personnel of the Interastral Peace Corporation. Using these identities, they entered the ship's main control section.
Because the Borisin had infiltrated the main control section through legitimate channels, the company's guards were unable to mount any effective defense. Taking them by surprise, the Borisin quickly seized control of the ship's control room and used the opportunity to spread to other sections, eventually taking over the entire vessel.
"All of you had better behave yourselves. If I discover any of you trying to pull any tricks, heh."
The leading Borisin let out a cold snort. The threat in his words was self-evident.
Upon hearing this, the company employees—who originally possessed no effective combat ability—immediately felt a chilling intent shoot straight to their heads. They frantically agreed to the man's demands, only hoping to escape with their lives.
"Hmph, a bunch of useless trash!"
Seeing this situation, the Borisin leader snorted disdainfully. He was quite satisfied with the employees' "cooperative" attitude, but he held utter contempt for their cowardly, death-fearing personalities.
"Lord Leader, we have completely taken control of this navigation ship. Some stubborn resisters have already been eliminated by us."
"Very good."
The Borisin leader nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the captives.
"How are the matters I arranged proceeding?"
The matter the Borisin leader had arranged was naturally related to Topaz. After seizing the main control section, he had sent someone to Topaz's temporary office under the pretense of delivering a meal.
In truth, the Borisin leader was also quite wary of the 'Ten Stonehearts.' It could not be denied that they were a group of brutes, but they were not fools.
The 'Ten Stonehearts' possessed special abilities that allowed them to temporarily tap into a portion of Emanator-level authority by borrowing the power of 'Cornerstones.'
The 'scout' sent to deliver the meal had the task of investigating whether Topaz carried a 'Cornerstone.' This was the key to whether the plan could succeed.
If it failed, he actually still had a backup plan…
"Ugh—! Not good!"
Suddenly, the Borisin leader let out a muffled groan. In his mind, a purple thread suddenly tightened, then snapped into two pieces and turned into flying ash that dissipated.
"Everyone, aler—!"
'Boom!'
A thunderous explosion rang out. The main control section door—forged from alloy metal—was smashed into pieces by a massive external force as if it were scrap.
'Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!'
Countless metal fragments and shards shot out in all directions like a violent storm. In an instant, they tore apart the bodies of the several Borisin closest to the door.
"Aaaah—!" ×N
Agonized screams came from all directions. Because the flying shards covered everything indiscriminately, the captured company employees were also within the attack range.
However, just as the metal shards approached the employees, a red energy barrier suddenly appeared out of thin air, protecting them within.
"Damn it!"
Watching his brothers and comrades being torn apart by the shards, raging fury burned in the Borisin leader's eyes. He wished he could charge forward personally and rip the despicable sneak attacker hiding in the shadows to pieces.
In the end, however, he held back. The Borisin leader clearly understood that at this moment, what he needed to do was not 'revenge' or 'retaliation,' but to survive.
Thinking of this, he hurriedly gathered the surviving Borisin and had them gather around him. As for the captured employees, the leader no longer had the mind to worry about them.
The red energy barrier surrounding the company employees meant that, at least in the short term, they had no way to break through it.
"Borisin, heh. I didn't expect a ragtag bunch like you could sneak onto a company navigation ship. This is indeed somewhat beyond my expectations."
A cold voice came from outside the main control section's cabin door. Upon hearing it, the Borisin all stood ready, looking toward the sound.
A fair, jade-like leg wrapped in shorts gently stepped through the cabin door, followed by an arm, then a torso…
In the blink of an eye, Topaz—wearing a captain's hat—walked in openly through the main entrance.
"'Ten Stonehearts'… Debt-Collecting Jade, Topaz…"
After clearly seeing the newcomer's identity, the Borisin leader's face became so dark it looked like it could drip water.
He had considered the possibility that his little scheme would be exposed, but he had not expected the other party to see through it so quickly and to kill the Borisin sent to deliver the meal without hesitation.
Gazing at the valiant Topaz—who looked just like a naval captain—the Borisin leader gripped the weapon in his hand tightly, gritted his teeth, and prepared to lead the remaining soldiers in a desperate fight to the death.
His backup plan was an independent spaceship. Once their plan failed, they would quickly transfer to the ship and escape.
What he had not expected was that Topaz would arrive far faster than they had imagined. This rendered the so-called 'backup plan' useless. The only thing the Borisin could do now was to fight with their backs to the wall.
'Slash—!'
The Borisin leader swung the long spear in his hand. The spear tip swept horizontally, aiming straight for Topaz's neck in an attempt to take her life with a surprise throat-sealing strike!
Facing the Borisin leader's attack, Topaz—who had activated the power of her 'Cornerstone'—merely frowned. Immediately afterward, a crimson energy barrier appeared, clashing with the spear tip and sending golden sparks flying.
"Brothers, charge!"
The Borisin leader's attack acted like a command. Following his charge, the remaining Borisin soldiers all raised their weapons and launched fierce attacks toward Topaz.
'Clang! Clang! Clang…!'
Accompanied by successive sounds of weapons clashing, long spears, sickles, iron chains, long swords…
Various weapons rained down on Topaz's energy barrier like a storm, creating ripples.
Facing the Borisin's attacks, Topaz simply adjusted her hat lightly. Her vermilion lips parted.
"Break—!"
Topaz's voice was soft, but in the enemies' ears it sounded like a muffled thunderclap. In an instant, a surging wave of Imaginary energy swept out with Topaz's feet as the core, exploding outward in a fan shape.
"Aaaah!!" "Ah—!" "Puff—!" "...…"
The Imaginary energy blast swept through, directly blasting and crushing the group of Borisin before her. They were sent flying more than thirty meters away, ultimately slamming hard into the distant walls.