"A hater?" Robin curiously repeated the term.
"Right, Robin-san, how do you usually handle haters who don't like you?"
Shunji looked at Robin inquisitively.
Robin, as a galaxy-renowned superstar, naturally had countless fans. Among those fans were undoubtedly a number of haters. Thus, Shunji had come specifically to seek Robin's advice on how to deal with haters.
They were treating this inexplicable hater with great seriousness.
After all, this was Sora's first-ever hater, and his number-one anti-fan at that—of course they had to handle it properly.
But since they'd never encountered something like this before, Shunji had come to Robin to ask for advice.
"Someone you all like got a hater?" Robin asked, intrigued. "Who is it?"
These Iron Cavalry girls stuck so close to Sora all day long that Robin had assumed they had no entertainment life at all. But apparently, they'd found someone to stan without her even knowing. Robin couldn't help but be curious about what kind of person could capture the Iron Cavalry's affection.
"Well, uh…" Shunji hesitated, suddenly feeling embarrassed.
She couldn't exactly reveal what they'd been doing. That would be far too awkward.
"Oh, I understand, I understand." Robin quickly picked up on Shunji's embarrassment and hurriedly changed the subject. "But regarding haters, there are basically just two ways to deal with them..."
Shunji immediately focused, listening carefully.
"You either improve the quality of your work so much that the haters can't help but become fans—or you just ignore them entirely, treating their criticism as references for gradual improvement."
Robin presented two very effective ways to handle haters, yet clearly neither option was what Shunji wanted to hear.
"Then… what if the hater is just irrationally attacking you?"
"In that case," Robin said with an apologetic smile, "there's really no helping it."
"After all, in this vast universe, there will always be people who like you and people who don't. You can't force everyone to be a fan. It's just inevitable."
Upon hearing this, Shunji immediately showed a defeated expression.
"But," Robin suddenly added, "I have heard of something some minor idols do..."
Robin leaned close to Shunji's ear and whispered quietly:
"For example, making an anonymous alt account and debating fiercely with them. After all, they'll never know it's you…"
Shunji's eyes widened in shock, staring at Robin in astonishment.
She had always assumed this famous galactic idol would be far removed from things like this.
Seeing her reaction, Robin simply flashed a clean, elegant smile. "Of course, I've never done it myself. Instead of wasting time arguing, I'd rather improve my own work."
"Ah… sorry for misunderstanding." Shunji quickly apologized.
But Robin's words gave her the inspiration she needed.
"Thank you, Robin-san! I know exactly what to do now!"
Shunji left the room immediately afterward, greeted by anxious faces waiting just outside the door.
As soon as she emerged, they gathered around her. "Well? Did you figure out a solution?"
Shunji nodded firmly, and soon they found a quiet room to discuss their strategy.
"So you're saying… we need to argue with them directly?"
Then this task must fall to whoever's best at debate!
Mitsutake quickly scanned everyone's faces, swiftly deciding who should handle this.
"Unkyō, we'll leave this to you!"
Unkyō accepted the mission solemnly, created an anonymous account, and immediately began debating with the hater online:
—[We personally experienced the events you're describing, and we completely disagree.]
Unfortunately, what they never imagined was that behind the other screen was someone who'd experienced these events even more intimately.
In fact, that person had faced Sora head-on countless times, while these Iron Cavalry had merely supported from the sidelines.
In terms of details, she wouldn't lose to anyone.
Furthermore, with Memoria at her fingertips, her typing speed exceeded everyone's imagination.
Fenille stared blankly at the input box, words appearing instantly one after another.
Line after line…
This…
"Did I just do something I shouldn't have?" Fenille murmured guiltily. She vaguely felt she'd committed a mistake.
This speed was comparable to an advanced mechanical lifeform…
Thus, the debate had barely begun when Unkyō let out a mournful cry:
Unkyō had been sunk instantly!
"Their typing speed… it's insane! No normal human can type this fast!"
In the time it took Unkyō to reply once, the opponent had already fired back five or six messages.
Before she could even respond properly, Unkyō was utterly defeated by this information overload.
The opponent mockingly concluded with a final message:
—[A big idiot is just a big idiot. A fool for one day, a fool for life!]
All of them fell into silence.
"It seems… it's time we sent in reinforcements," Mitsutake said firmly.
Since one person couldn't handle it, they would throw numbers into this battle against the sudden hater.
If you have a speed advantage, then we have strength in numbers!
They exchanged determined glances, resolute to win this online battle.
...
Jobs moved swiftly. A craft capable of traversing dense Memoria had already arrived on the planet.
Even Sora felt slightly surprised when he got the news.
"The cargo ship happened to be passing by Xianzhou Luofu for a resource transfer, so it was conveniently delivered."
Jobs briefly explained why the transport was so quick, then showed Sora how to operate the craft.
"Mr. Sora, I don't know why exactly you need this, but please be careful."
Even without an explanation, Jobs had already guessed Sora's intended destination.
Tartaro was a planet formed entirely of Memoria, and now Sora had specifically requested a craft that could navigate dense Memoria.
His goal obviously could only be the core of the planet.
Though Jobs didn't know exactly what Sora intended at the Core, as a shrewd man, he wouldn't pry into matters that didn't concern him.
"If you ever need anything else, just tell me. I'll do my best to help."
"Thanks," Sora nodded gratefully. Without Jobs providing this equipment, Sora would've been forced to brute-force his way through.
Jobs also secretly provided a valuable piece of information: several kilometers away was a Memoria rift, allowing direct passage beneath the planet's surface into the dense Memoria below.
"Please be careful. If you get lost down there, it'll be nearly impossible to retrieve you."
Sora accepted this advice solemnly, then contacted the Iron Cavalry.
He intended to seal off the planet's exterior, completely trapping Titania.
Thus, the Iron Cavalry—who could sense Titania's power fluctuations—needed to stand guard outside, ensuring she wouldn't escape.
However, unexpectedly, the usually instantaneous call took a long time to answer today. And when it did connect, he heard strange tapping sounds from the other end.
Tap tap tap.
It sounded suspiciously like… someone furiously tapping on a screen?
"Are you busy with something right now?"
"Ah! No, no, no! We weren't doing anything at all!"
The tapping stopped abruptly as soon as Sora spoke.
"Is something wrong? Do you need something?" Hotaru's voice quickly returned to normal.
Though suspicious, Sora still told her what he was about to do.
Since this involved official business, they immediately abandoned their previous activities.
"You're going to face Titania alone?" Hotaru asked seriously.
"Yes. Her current strength is clearly weaker than last time—I can handle her alone."
The last time Titania had awakened, she'd enveloped an entire planet. Yet now, she'd barely caused a ripple before going silent.
Even her creations no longer came as massive human-wave formations. Just a single twisted Memoria being appeared.
Given these conditions, Sora concluded:
Titania was undoubtedly weaker now, making him confident he could handle this alone.
"Just ensure you seal off the planet's exterior. Don't give her any room to escape."
Hotaru naturally disliked Sora going alone. But one sentence from Sora dispelled all her objections:
"If you guys get infected again, the one most worried would be me."
This single line was far more convincing than any argument could be. Everyone beside Hotaru abandoned their objections instantly.
"Then we'll wait quietly outside the planet for your good news."
"Yeah. Just wait."
After arranging everything, Sora piloted the craft directly towards the rift.
...
Meanwhile, the Iron Cavalry had fallen silent after the call. Although the hater still stubbornly argued online, none cared to respond.
"Unkyō, just reply quickly and end this ridiculous debate. We have a mission now," Hotaru ordered calmly.
Mission accepted, everyone stood up decisively, leaving their trivial argument behind.
Flames ignited, streaks of silver-white meteors rising into the sky.
Unkyō left last, using two fingers to type out her final comment before departing:
—[After all that talk, here's my point: If we're ever in danger, he'll come save us. That's all.]
Seeing that last message appear, Titania fell completely silent.
After that final comment, Titania didn't reply for a very long time.
She wasn't sure why—but she no longer felt like replying.
"Look, meteors!" Fenille suddenly gasped softly, staring outside.
Figures wrapped in blazing white flames streaked through the sky, just like shooting stars.
But unfortunately, just as suddenly as it appeared, the scene vanished. In the blink of an eye, the sky returned to normal.
Fenille sighed softly, then noticed her phone had fallen completely silent.
Glancing behind, she saw the screen had already gone dark.
"Hm? You're not going to keep chatting?"
"There's no point in continuing."
There's no point indeed. After all, an idiot is just an idiot—that's the truth. Hmph!
Titania forcibly suppressed the complicated feelings that rose within her.
Fenille couldn't actually see Titania, yet she clearly sensed Titania's mood from her voice alone.
"Don't worry about it. Most stuff on the Galaxy Network is fake—you have to read everything backwards."
Fenille had long been familiar with the Galaxy Network and knew precisely the sort of things people would say there.
Clearly, Titania had been emotionally shaken by the argument just now.
Read it backwards?
Titania fell silent, recalling the final sentence again. She wondered what it would mean reversed.
In other words… That guy would come save me, even if nothing was wrong?
Heh, that's hilarious.
We're enemies who, upon seeing each other, can barely hold back from throwing punches directly at each other's faces.
How could that guy possibly come and save me?
But Fenille's comforting words still managed to soothe Titania, bringing a momentary peace.
An existence like her actually receiving comfort from another—this feeling truly was strange.
Yet Titania hadn't forgotten her purpose—the path she walked, the destiny she embodied, the reason she had been born into this universe…
How could she forget? How would she ever forget?
But, somehow, this feeling seemed far better than the companionship she'd sought before…
"Is this an illusion?"
Titania didn't know if it was an illusion or not, but she definitely felt an odd kind of joy.
Honestly, maintaining the current situation didn't seem like a bad choice.
Yet unfortunately, maintaining the current situation was clearly impossible.
Because, right now, numerous starships were closing in on this location, clustered around a massive entity drifting slowly through the void…
At the heart of that fleet was a colossal insect enveloped by a grotesquely twisted shell of Memoria.
Its massive body was riddled with countless cracks and tiny holes, each of them continuously spewing forth powder capable of clouding minds and conjuring illusions.
The Deceiver Swarm King had arrived near Tartaro!
Having already devoured plenty to replenish its depleted energy, it had now ensnared every ship it encountered on its path, enslaving their minds with illusions.
Surrounding its huge body were ships bearing the insignia of the IPC, along with Xianzhou Luofu's own Starskiffs…
All had become fanatical followers, loyally escorting the Deceiver Swarm King onward.
Yet each ship's crew saw entirely different visions…
"Who would've thought an IPC director would personally assign me escort duty? Looks like my promotion and pay raise are right around the corner!"
A man dressed in IPC specialist attire was flushed with excitement. A recommendation from a company director alone was enough to catapult his rank significantly!
"I never expected the Luofu to sail out this far! How fortunate—soon I'll be home again!"
A man with fox-like ears gazed eagerly forward, filled with anticipation at the thought of soon reuniting with his wife and child.
None of them realized they were clustered around the Deceiver Swarm King—a being capable of plunging the entire galaxy into chaos.
However, among those aboard these ships, one person couldn't shake a faint suspicion.
"Lord Yukong never mentioned the Luofu coming this way…"
Though illusions clouded her eyes, Tingyun's careful nature stirred vague doubts in her mind.
As the Sky-Faring Commission's most renowned representative, Tingyun relied not only on her beauty but also on her meticulous thoughts.
The Xianzhou Luofu rarely deviated from its designated path without warning. Why, then, had it suddenly appeared near the planet where she was trading?
Could something have happened to the Luofu, or perhaps some other trouble?
Tingyun's thoughts raced, unease building inside her. But the mental interference prevented her from reaching a clear conclusion.
At that moment, something appeared before her eyes that instantly widened her pupils in shock.
"Th-that's…!" Tingyun stared in disbelief at the planet ahead.
Countless plant-like branches wrapped around the planet, while figures hovered and spiraled endlessly through its atmosphere.
These figures had branches entwined around them, blooming with vibrant flowers.
This posture, these figures…
"Abominations of Abundance?!" Tingyun unconsciously swallowed hard.
Such distinctive characteristics unquestionably marked them as the spawn of Yaoshi!
Yet in the eyes of the others, those images had warped into their own deepest fears!
In reality, they'd already reached the security perimeter of Tartaro.
An urgent transmission came from a nearby space station:
—[Unidentified ships approaching, immediately state your inten—]
But the message abruptly cut off, as the space station exploded into a brilliant firework display.
The Deceiver Swarm King had led its entranced armada directly to Tartaro.
The moment it arrived, it felt the unmistakable hostility of another being walking the same Path.
This was the rage of two predators who could not coexist in the same territory.
And so, it let out a piercing cry!
"KREEEEEEE—!!!"
Instantly, the numerous starships clustered around its massive form received the command and launched their assault!