City No. 6, Administrative Center.
Seven of the highest ruling sages sat in their seats, watching the observation results with great interest.
On the Klaxosaur warning device before them, an abnormal target had been marked.
Amidst the swarm of Klaxosaurs, she stood out distinctly, the energy radiating from her body dazzling to the extreme.
If the other Klaxosaurs were stars, then she was the sun.
"Unit 001, no mistake—this is Unit 001…"
One of the masked sages, struggling to contain his excitement, spoke.
"That beautiful and complete being… she is also the only remaining Klaxosaur-human on this planet…"
Having dealt with Klaxosaurs for many years, they immediately realized that this serpentine Klaxosaur was no ordinary one.
It must be connected to the leader of the Klaxosaurs.
"She commands all Klaxosaurs. Capture her."
The leading sage, adorned in luxurious robes, gave the order.
Soon, a messenger was summoned.
"Deploy all forces. Capture that Klaxosaur at any cost."
"Ah? But there are too many Klaxosaurs outside…"
The messenger tried to protest, but the sage silenced him with a wave.
"Capture her, and the war will end."
"That is an order."
"…Yes, sir."
After the others had left, the APE leader gazed into the distance, deep in thought.
"The FRANXX units are no match for the Klaxosaurs. Once they exhaust Unit 087's strength, we will make our move and capture 001."
"Understood."
The other sages nodded.
They knew 001's power well. In past confrontations, regular forces against her were little more than cannon fodder.
To the Seven Sages, both humans and the FRANXX units were simply tools to drain the enemy's strength.
As long as they could create an opening to strike, it was enough.
"Then, monitor 001's movements. Also, find a way to reach City 13—we must ensure the safety of 02 and Chloranthus…"
Just as the Seven Sages were planning their next steps—
Whoosh—
A shrill sound tore through the air above.
Moments later, missiles streaked across the sky, followed by the thunderous clash between the city's air defenses and the Angeloids.
From the moment Setsuna gave the order, the battle had already begun.
Within seconds, the city's defenses were completely crushed.
Led by Ikaros and Nymph, the Angeloids charged straight toward the administrative center.
Boom—
Rumble!—
A beam of high-energy laser fire pierced through the massive structure, blasting a gaping hole in it.
[Master, target located—the Seven Sages.]
From above, Ikaros looked down coldly. Her pupils turned crimson, countless analytical displays flashing within them.
She scanned every figure below from head to toe.
Then, she noticed something peculiar.
[Targets are not standard biological organisms. Lock down the surrounding area.]
[Nymph, don't let them escape.]
"???"
The Seven Sages looked up in shock at the descending Angeloids. Their attack was so sudden, it coincided perfectly with the moment they had just begun their plan.
They had never seen Angeloids before. After a long stare, they concluded these beings were neither human creations nor part of VIRM.
The seven masked figures tilted their heads upward, eyes glinting behind their masks as they studied the winged figures above.
"How hideous. Capture them! The Commander and Observer want them alive!"
Nymph pointed downward.
Swish—
Close-combat Angeloids wielding monomolecular blades and plasma weapons dove from the skies.
The Seven Sages took battle stances, engaging the Angeloids directly.
By normal human standards, the Sages fought remarkably well.
Their limbs were hidden beneath their robes, movements obscured, but they could manifest energy weapons to strike back.
"Ha? You creatures really aren't human, after all."
However, against the highly trained Angeloids, the difference was insurmountable—whether they fell in three seconds or ten made no difference.
Bang—Crack—
After a fierce round of combat, the overwhelming power granted by the reactor allowed the Angeloids to quickly gain the upper hand.
Astraea wielded a photon sword in one hand and a shield in the other.
She deflected an incoming strike and lunged straight for the leader of the Seven Sages.
Bang!
The blonde angel's photon blade pierced into the Sage's left arm, slicing through the robe without resistance.
"Huh?"
The feedback through the hilt puzzled her.
It wasn't biological, nor mechanical—it felt like stabbing into empty air.
Crack!!!
Without hesitation, Astraea unleashed a powerful follow-up strike, knocking the Sage flat onto the floor. She leaned closer.
"Let's see what you really look like…"
She tore off the mask—only to find a hollow void beneath it.
There was nothing inside. The robe deflated as if the being had vanished into thin air.
It was as though she had been fighting… empty air wearing a cloak.
"Ah?"
Astraea tilted her head, question marks practically floating above it.
She lifted the robe with her sword, utterly confused as to where the person had gone.
"Idiot! Idiot!"
"Didn't the Commander tell you before departure? VIRM thoughtforms have no physical body! The Seven Sages are just controlled puppets!"
Nymph projected a holographic interface in front of her.
"Hmph, as expected, it takes me to handle this. Stupid Astraea."
Bzzt—
Her pupils glowed red as streams of data and code flashed rapidly through them.
"So they're information-based thoughtforms—advanced digital lifeforms. No wonder the Commander wanted me to handle this…"
"I am the strongest Angeloid!!!"
Whoosh—
An immense surge of data poured outward.
The remaining Sages immediately froze in place.
They'd been hacked—literally.
Against the ultimate electronic warfare Angeloid, taking control of a few puppets was child's play.
"Hey!"
The twin-tailed, blue-haired loli pointed toward a nearby shuttle.
"Be good and get in. You're coming with me to see the Commander."
...
Ten minutes later.
Aboard one of the auxiliary vessels of the Eternal Snowfall.
The Klaxosaur Princess stared blankly at the Angeloids returning—with six captured Sages in tow.
Their actions had been so fast she hadn't even had time to react.
She had been about to command the Klaxosaurs to intercept, but before she could, the entire city had already fallen to the assault of the combat angels.
Six of the Seven Sages were captured.
"Reporting to Master—one of them was blown up because of stupid Astraea's improper capture method."
"The rest are all here."
Nymph puffed her chest out proudly as she reported to Setsuna.
"Good work."
Setsuna patted her on the head, then turned his gaze toward the six captives.
"Information-based thoughtforms… virtual lifeforms, perhaps? Interesting."
"Take them away. Once we return, hand them over to Daedalus for research."
The Seven Sages, as VIRM-controlled entities, were essentially beings constructed entirely from data and energy.
This form of life was rare—something even the Starsea Empire had encountered only once before.
—That previous encounter had been with the Zero-Homer of the Three-Body Problem world.
One was a civilization of pure information; the other, a civilization of pure energy. Similar, yet distinct.
However, compared to the Zero-Homer Alliance, the VIRM's sophistication was leagues lower.
"..."
The Klaxosaur Princess, having just boarded and not yet had a proper introduction, glanced between Setsuna and the captured Sages.
She hesitated, then seemed to relax slightly—after all, they were also enemies of the VIRM.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, she stepped closer to Setsuna, rising on her toes and leaning in to sniff his scent.
Their faces were so close their foreheads nearly touched.
"Hey? What are you doing? You're not about to kiss the Commander the moment you meet, are you? Get in line."
Gudako protested indignantly from behind.
"You… are different from the others."
The Klaxosaur Princess spoke softly.
"You carry the same aura as a Klaxosaur-human… why?"
...
Five minutes later.
City No. 6 had been completely pacified.
The beheading of the Seven Sages had inevitably thrown the city into chaos, but the Angeloids swiftly descended to restore order.
For them, this kind of operation was already second nature.
They soothed the civilians, distributed supplies, restored power and communications, and eliminated any rioters or opposition leaders…
Finally, through public broadcast, they announced the arrival of the Starsea Empire and the establishment of the new order.
As long as their daily lives remained unaffected, ordinary citizens cared little about who ruled over them.
Especially in the DITF world—where life had never been particularly good to begin with.
Even though humans had gained eternal life through the Immortality Serum, the harsh control of APE and the constant threat of the Klaxosaurs made existence burdensome.
Looking at the beautiful Angeloids, some people even began to think that perhaps being ruled by the Starsea Empire wouldn't be so bad.
At least, the angels were far more approachable than the robed and masked elites of APE.
Meanwhile.
Outside the city, the Klaxosaur forces gradually dispersed under the Klaxosaur Princess' command, retreating back into the depths of the earth.
The hard-won peace made people breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Those who survived the ordeal were grateful to still be alive—but also deeply puzzled.
"Why can the Klaxosaurs coexist peacefully with those strange ships and angels?!"
They dared not ask aloud, nor speculate too much.
After being beaten so thoroughly, silence seemed the safest choice.
...
Aboard the ship, once everyone had settled in, Setsuna frowned slightly, glancing down at himself.
"Me? What Klaxosaur aura? Where would I even get that?"
He had never set foot in the DITF world before this, and since their arrival, he had been commanding remotely from orbit.
He hadn't even fought a Klaxosaur directly.
"You have it too."
The Klaxosaur Princess stepped closer to Gudako and sniffed her as well.
"Are you a dog or something?!"
The Human Evil couldn't help but retort.
"You've both piloted a FRANXX."
The Klaxosaur Princess stared intently at the two of them.
"You can tell just by smelling us? Well, yeah, we did pilot the Strelizia earlier. Look, it's right there."
Gudako pointed curiously toward the red-and-white mech parked in the corner.
"Heh… I thought so."
"Because FRANXX… are originally created from my kin."
The Klaxosaur Princess sighed softly, beginning to explain.
Her account matched closely with what Setsuna already knew.
The Klaxosaur race were the original inhabitants of Earth. To resist the invasion of the VIRM, they had retreated underground.
The creatures known as "Klaxosaurs" were actually transformed Klaxosaur-humans—living weapons forged from their own kind.
Over countless millennia, those capable of fighting became Klaxosaurs to defend the planet.
Those without combat ability turned into magma energy to sustain the others.
Humanity, having been infiltrated by the VIRM at the highest levels, had been deliberately led to view the Klaxosaurs as enemies.
"No wonder. Digging up magma energy to make that Immortality Serum—it's basically grave-robbing the Klaxosaur race. No wonder they keep attacking."
Gudako clicked her tongue, then tried to reassure the Princess.
"Don't worry. We have no interest in that so-called Immortality Serum. Immortality doesn't tempt us in the slightest."
"After all, everyone here's already long-lived enough as it is…"
"..."
The Klaxosaur Princess didn't fully understand, but she could sense the truth in those words.
She glanced toward Strelizia again and continued.
"The FRANXX mechs were built by Dr. FRANXX based on Klaxosaur anatomy."
"They're powerful—but in essence, they share the same origin as us. Under the right conditions, they can even evolve into their ultimate form."
"Bio-mechanical weaponry, huh. Makes sense."
Setsuna nodded thoughtfully.
No wonder Strelizia looked so different from the metallic titans like Barbatos or Strike Freedom.
She wasn't purely a product of science—there was something metaphysical about her, something rooted in willpower itself.
"Wait, so are you the only Klaxosaur-human left?"
Richelieu, realizing something, turned to ask in surprise.
She had noticed that if Klaxosaurs were weapons, then the true beings behind them were the Klaxosaur-humans themselves.
From the Klaxosaur forces below, most were monstrous in form—only the Klaxosaur Princess before them could still be called human.
"Yes, I am the last surviving Klaxosaur-human on this planet."
The Klaxosaur Princess closed her eyes and spoke calmly.
"Tens of millions of years ago, when the last of my kind transformed into Klaxosaurs and magma energy, I became the sole leader of all remaining Klaxosaurs."
"I once wished to become a weapon like them—to fight alongside my kin—but someone had to command and lead the armies against the invading VIRM."
"So… I chose to remain myself. Whether it takes ten thousand or ten million years, I will continue to protect this planet and my people."
Her tone was serene, but Setsuna and the shipgirls could feel the deep sorrow beneath her composure.
Alone, buried beneath the earth, leading her weaponized kin against alien invaders—while simultaneously fighting confused humans on the surface.
Such endurance and willpower were beyond anything ordinary beings could comprehend.
"If it were the Commander," Gudako muttered, "he'd probably deal with the troublemakers on the surface first. Internal stability before external threats, right?"
"I don't like wasting power on internal conflicts. I only teach lessons when they go too far."
The Klaxosaur Princess shook her head softly.
"That's where you're still young."
Setsuna smiled faintly.
"For ignorant troublemakers, I usually give them a chance to change. Once I explain the truth—if they still persist in causing chaos, then it means they're doing it deliberately."
"Deliberate troublemakers are enemies—and must be purged."
"..."
The Klaxosaur Princess realized the man before her seemed to have his own unique philosophy on governance.
Extreme, perhaps—but undeniably effective.
"Ahem. Anyway, that's not important."
After a few more exchanges, Setsuna stood up.
"You've endured for tens of millions of years against the VIRM—that alone is remarkable."
"Now, I'll eliminate those alien pests completely. From this day forth, both Klaxosaurs and humans will live under the Starsea Empire's rule."
With the FRANXX units, the Klaxosaur Princess, and the still-loli-aged main cast all secured, only one task remained—
to crush the remaining aliens and conquer this world.
The latter was already being handled by the Angeloids. There was no need for him to worry.
Clap—
He snapped his fingers.
"Nymph, locate the VIRM homeworld."
"Roger~"
The little loli grabbed one of the newly captured Sages and began working at her holographic interface.
Within seconds, streams of complex data appeared before her.
"Please wait a moment, Commander. I'm decoding their thoughtform signal source—it won't take long…"
"Hmm, it's a bit far. A few thousand light-years, but with Transwarp, it's manageable…"
"You're… going after the VIRM?!"
The Klaxosaur Princess looked stunned by how decisive he was.
"Of course. Can't have them dropping by every now and then to cause trouble. This world is my vassal now."
Setsuna replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"..."
"They're strong," the Princess warned softly. "Even the VIRM scout fleet we fought cost us dearly to repel. Their forces near the homeworld must be far stronger…"
"Can they blow up a sun?" Setsuna asked his first question.
"Uh… no. If they could, we would've been annihilated long ago."
The Princess thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"Can they travel faster than light?"
"Uh… I don't think so. We've occasionally observed their ships."
"Can they use weird magic?"
"No. They're technologically advanced, but purely scientific lifeforms."
Faced with the three soul-searching questions, the Princess answered each one, increasingly confused.
"Oh, so they're weak."
Setsuna yawned.
"Third Fleet, remain in the Solar System."
"Everyone else—follow me. Let's go beat up some aliens."
Boom—
The starships' thrusters ignited, spewing long trails of light as they soared into the cosmos.
—
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