The ship pushed its engines to the limit, racing ahead of the blazing orange mass swallowing everything in its path.
The Day of Destruction continued to expand, devouring one planet after another.
And with each one it consumed, its speed increased.
The fourth Flashburst hadn't even begun yet—and already, its pace was terrifying.
If it triggered again, it might outpace the ship entirely.
Stopping wasn't an option.
Bu Yi stared grimly at the expanding inferno behind them. The energy readings were off the charts.
"So this is the Day of Destruction…"
He'd read about it. About how it had wiped out every planet within hundreds of light-years.
But this was the first time he was seeing it—feeling it.
Its speed alone left most civilizations helpless. Let alone stopping it—nothing thrown into it survived. No weapon, no defense—just fuel for its flames.
When it reached its limit, it would implode.
That implosion, Bu Yi suspected, would rival the Imaginary Collapse Pulse developed by the 79th Seat of the Genius Society.
Maybe even surpass it.
And that weapon—crafted over a lifetime, consuming the resources of the Interstellar Peace Corporation—had annihilated the largest known swarm in the galaxy.
But the Day of Destruction?
Just a casual creation from an Aeon.
Pure annihilation—no life could survive it.
The gap between humans and Aeons… was beyond comprehension.
Even a genius who stood atop all humanity could barely replicate something an Aeon created on a whim.
Can humanity ever stand against an Aeon?
Bu Yi felt the weight of that disparity. It was… humbling.
But for now, survival was all that mattered.
The ship had reached parity with the expanding wave—running just ahead of it.
Which meant the Day of Destruction was almost on them.
A terrible sign.
It would only take a little longer for it to catch up.
When the energy disrupted their magnetic field, the ship's velocity would drop sharply.
In other words—it was only a matter of time.
"…Sigh."
Bu Yi exhaled deeply.
"Looks like I still underestimated it."
He thought the ship could outlast three Flashbursts and escape the aftermath.
And they had survived three.
But they couldn't outrun it.
"So this is it, huh. Didn't expect my journey to end here."
He was a man who had once grown weary of daily routine aboard the Luofu.
Joined the Galaxy Rangers. Spent centuries among the stars.
He'd invested everything to buy this ship.
And now… this was how it would end.
"But all things considered… it's been a good life."
Bu Yi accepted it with a sigh, facing the firestorm behind him.
[Notice: Incoming planetary warning detected.]
[Interstellar Defense Vessel #86471, you have entered a civilian trade zone. Please reduce your speed.]
!?
Bu Yi jumped, startled. He stared at the ship's terminal.
"What the—? A… trade planet?!"
He looked out the viewport.
Sure enough, a bustling world loomed ahead—freighters coming and going, cargo being unloaded.
Why is an Interastral Peace Corporation trade hub here?
This was no abandoned rock—it was teeming with ships.
He pulled up the planetary ID and population register.
3.5 billion…
That was the combined flow and resident population. None of them knew what was coming.
The Day of Destruction would wipe them out—and they didn't even realize it.
"Destruction Aeon…"
This was the cost of an Aeon's passing thought.
Planets devoured. Lives—billions—lost without ever understanding why.
[Alert: Side airlock open. One-man starlight skiff has disengaged.]
Bu Yi didn't even look.
He could already picture what would happen when the fire reached this planet.
Despair. Utter, total despair.
And down below, someone else had noticed the glow on the horizon.
---
"Papa… what's that?"
On a passenger freighter preparing to dock, a little girl pointed to the expanding orange.
Her father squinted, frowning.
"Some unusual galactic phenomenon, probably."
"Can I make a wish? They say when rare things like this happen, wishes come true!"
He smiled, ruffling her hair.
"Of course. What do you want to wish for?"
"Hmm… I want to go home safe with Papa!"
"Haha, that's my girl."
Their voices were just one thread in the tapestry of this planet.
The girl closed her eyes, earnestly making her wish as the glow grew stronger.
And when she opened them—
She saw a streak flash past.
A one-man skiff, blazing toward the light.
In a blink, it vanished like a shooting star.
She thought she saw sword-light, and stars gathered in the cockpit.
[Autopilot engaged. Target confirmed.]
Sora set the skiff to automatic and stepped outside.
The weightlessness told him he was back in open space.
But this time, he wasn't leaving.
"This planet's future won't end here."
I've seen what apocalypse looks like. I won't let it happen again.
Starlight surged around him.
His crimson blade glowed blue like the galaxy itself.
"I'll be the one to guide the end of the Day of Destruction!"