Sora quickly found the rift Jobs had mentioned and steered the ship directly inside.
The interior of Tartaro was completely different from the exterior.
Most planets had scorching magma at their cores, yet Tartaro's interior had none. Instead, it was calm, eerily calm.
Quiet, solid, lifeless…
This was Memoria condensed to an extreme, forming a tangible structure that supported the entire planet. Thus, no other sound could exist here; all emotions were wiped away, and even physical matter arriving here would be converted entirely into Memoria.
This made the spaceship Sora piloted—which could navigate through dense Memoria—incredibly precious.
It resisted assimilation by Memoria, continuing to forge ahead.
The cost of this ship was unimaginably high. Without it, Sora would've had to transform into magma itself to charge through, exhausting immense energy before even confronting Titania, likely putting him at a severe disadvantage.
Fortunately, all these difficulties were resolved by Jobs's incredible purchasing power.
Inside the cockpit, Sora guided the ship steadily deeper while continuously adjusting his position through the [Planetary Library].
His destination was the planet's Core—and the enemy waiting there.
Finally, after what seemed like an endless journey, something appeared before Sora, starkly contrasting with the tranquility around it.
It was a mass of Memoria clustered together, endlessly radiating intense emotions in every direction:
Pain, sadness, joy, sorrow, love…
It was as though every emotion experienced by the planet since its birth had been gathered here, and among those emotions, Sora felt a disturbingly familiar fluctuation.
"I've found you, Titania!"
Sora stared at the clustered Core ahead, immediately drawing out a [Fullbottle].
He wasn't one to hold back against dangerous foes—he would crush them as swiftly as possible.
But just as he prepared to unleash its power, the [Planetary Library] urgently warned him of danger!
This sensation of crisis was eerily familiar. He'd felt the same overwhelming threat when Promia faced destruction, just before the Day of Destruction annihilated countless light-years around it.
Now the [Planetary Library] once again warned him:
—[If you use overwhelming power to destroy the Core, Tartaro will instantly collapse and disintegrate.]
The entire planet was sustained by this Core. If it shattered, all Memoria on the planet would lose coherence, and the world itself would crumble entirely.
Then, everyone on the planet would drift peacefully into space, slowly fading away within the enveloping Memoria.
Sora's hand froze immediately.
Sacrificing one planet to kill an embryonic Aeon was undoubtedly a profitable trade.
But that was a purely rational calculation.
Sora wasn't purely rational. To destroy a planet and condemn countless innocent lives to death simply to defeat a god was something he couldn't do.
His fight against Titania was meant to protect others—not to become exactly like the enemies he despised.
But if he sacrificed a few to save the majority in the entire galaxy, wouldn't he become a "champion of justice" himself, in a twisted way?
Yet, there was still another way.
Hadn't Titania herself already given him a method earlier?
"Looks like you dug your own grave, Titania."
'[CROSS-Z MAGMA!]'
Use fists brimming with intense emotion to scatter the Memoria's fusion state. Titania herself had provided this solution.
Moreover, the Memoria in front of him clearly weren't fully unified yet; otherwise, they wouldn't manifest all these contradictory emotions. There'd only be the endless drive to propagate.
In other words, perhaps it was possible!
Magma erupted forth, enveloping Sora as orange-red armor formed across his body. He emerged from the ship, and immediately the dense Memoria surged toward him, attempting to fully assimilate him.
However, as the Memoria made contact, a faint glow emanated around him.
His fiercely beating heart resonated powerfully with the strengthened [Idealistic Power], creating a barrier that kept all Memoria at bay, preserving his independent existence.
Sora briefly tested his movement, ensuring everything was functioning correctly, then stepped boldly towards the planet's Core.
There, tiny golden particles pulsed gently, starkly contrasting with the swirling Memoria around them.
"Hmph. Found you."
Facing the condensed Core, Sora threw out a mighty punch!
BOOM!
His fist smashed squarely into the Core, sending ripples of emotion radiating outward through the Memoria…
...
!!!!
As though a powerful fist had slammed straight into their hearts, everyone on the planet suddenly snapped awake in an instant.
"What am I…?" Robin frowned, puzzled, but immediately her attention was drawn upward by explosive noises ringing through the sky.
Boom—Boom—BOOM!!
Only then did Robin notice that, at some point, the bright sky had vanished entirely.
A gigantic shadow descended upon the planet, casting the entire world into gloom as though night had suddenly fallen.
"What… what's happening here?"
Robin stared in shock at the colossal shadow looming above.
Why didn't I realize this sooner?!
Though stunned by the planet's abrupt plunge into chaos, Robin quickly calmed herself.
Perhaps she'd experienced too much—so even in such extreme circumstances, she could regain her composure rapidly.
As memories flooded back, Robin finally understood what had just occurred.
When the shadow had descended, many people had indeed noticed—but the planet itself had suppressed their sense of danger, blinding them until now.
Only just moments ago had she regained her ability to perceive danger.
"In this kind of situation, first, I must find…" Robin instinctively thought of seeking out Sora, but she quickly remembered he wasn't even on the planet right now.
He'd gone off somewhere else.
Which meant that, right now, the only ones left outside the planet were her and the Iron Cavalry.
After a brief silence, Robin's expression hardened with determination.
"Even if it's just us left, we have to face this properly."
She had no idea what exactly was happening in space, but guiding everyone to safety first was undoubtedly the correct move.
...
Meanwhile, in space above Tartaro, the scene was even more chaotic.
Tartaro's defense system poured continuous firepower toward the Swarm King, still protected by numerous starships.
But to the starships surrounding the Swarm King, this attack appeared utterly different.
Some saw hordes of insects charging suicidally, others saw Yaoshi's monstrous spawn deploying terrifying new weapons, others saw…
Yet, in all their illusions, the target under attack remained the same—the "precious existence" they'd sworn to protect behind them.
Thus, under the Swarm King's mental manipulation, several starships fearlessly threw themselves forward, using their own hulls to block Tartaro's incoming fire.
"What… what are they doing?!"
The Iron Cavalry, originally posted outside the planet awaiting Titania, stared in bewilderment as starships shielded one of the galaxy's greatest scourges—a giant Swarm King—with their own vessels.
"What's wrong with this cosmic space? There are strange particles mixed everywhere!"
Unkyō immediately detected something unusual, analyzing the mysterious particles scattered throughout space.
"These particles are similar to the hallucinogenic powder produced by True Sting insects, no—" Unkyō's voice rose sharply in shock. "These particles are several times stronger!"
Everyone knew True Sting insects could emit hallucinogenic dust—but the gigantic insect before them was releasing powder several times stronger!
"The illusions it creates directly manipulate organic beings' central nervous systems. Everyone aboard those ships is completely under its control!"
Unkyō's words fell like a boulder into a calm pond, sending waves of shock through everyone.
"Then what about us?!" Mitsutake instantly grew worried about her comrades' safety.
She feared her squadmates might turn on each other under this influence.
"There's a certain power within us granting immunity to the illusions. The source of that power is…"
Unkyō reluctantly voiced the name none of them wanted to hear: "The resonance left in our bodies by Titania when she awakened."
When Titania had tried ascending as an Aeon, each of them had resonated with her, leaving residual power within them. Who could have expected it would become their lifeline now?
"Whatever this power's origin," Hotaru's voice rose calmly, focusing their attention, "it's a good thing if it keeps us clear-headed in this crisis."
"We can't be certain yet of this insect's ultimate objective. But defeating it first is absolutely the correct choice!"
Her words quickly gained the Iron Cavalry's approval.
Whether the Swarm King intended to aid Titania or destroy the planet itself, their duty was clear—defeat it first!
They assembled swiftly, facing directly the Deceiver Swarm King—one of the Emanators of Propagation.
Brilliant white flames ignited across their bodies as they instantly entered a state of maximum output.
"I've already taught you everything about defeating insects," Hotaru said firmly, sharing her tactics against insects via the fiery bonds linking them. "But be cautious—this insect might be vastly different from any I've faced before!"
She knew for certain no insect this massive had existed during Glamoth's time—so it might possess unknown abilities.
At her words, everyone gathered around her nodded solemnly. Without another word, they charged directly at the distant Swarm King!
Viewed from afar, amidst the endless darkness of space, their glowing forms resembled shimmering fireflies, bravely charging toward a mountainous enemy.
As they drew nearer, the Swarm King sensed the fiery strength radiating from the approaching figures.
Weren't these precisely the pawns of its sworn rival?!
"Kreee—[Destroy them all!]"
Following its command, countless starships around the Swarm King unleashed attacks, creating an impenetrable web of firepower that seemed to fill the galaxy itself.
Yet, the Iron Cavalry showed their unparalleled agility as elite soldiers, weaving through gaps in the firestorm and relentlessly pressing forward toward their massive foe!
The Deceiver Swarm King felt deeply annoyed.
Its most powerful ability was releasing hallucinatory powder capable of manipulating any living being. It could even contaminate system codes, controlling mechanical and organic entities alike.
But this time, it encountered enemies completely immune to its hallucinations…
Glamoth's Iron Cavalry, who shared the Path of Propagation, were utterly unaffected by its strongest weapon.
It was like facing Hotaru with one arm tied behind its back!
But—hallucinations weren't its only trick!
Facing the Iron Cavalry who had already broken through its defenses, countless tiny fissures instantly opened on the Swarm King's body.
Immediately, dense, nearly solid powder surged forth, rapidly forming countless figures!
Huge beasts of ancient eras appeared alongside numerous mechanical starships, all clustering protectively around the Swarm King.
"ROAR!!"
A summoned ancient beast bellowed, its massive jaws opening wide to fire a continuous beam of energy directly forward!
Simultaneously, those starships unleashed overwhelming firepower!
"What is this?!" Unkyō had never faced anything like this before.
She dodged sharply, and the beast's beam obliterated a ship already under the Swarm King's control. In the blink of an eye, the destroyed vessel's fragments were absorbed into the Swarm King's body—
And astonishingly, the ship reappeared moments later, fully reconstructed from the hallucinations!
Nani?!
Unkyō's eyes widened in shock at this bizarre sight, hurriedly warning her comrades: "Watch out for these attacks!"
The enemy could convert any destroyed targets into illusions that strengthened itself.
If those attacks hit them directly, the consequences were unimaginable!
The Iron Cavalry didn't need the reminder—they were already swiftly dodging.
Yet the Swarm King kept conjuring one foe after another from its memory. Within moments, the depths of space witnessed the spectacle of a vast, illusory galactic fleet emerging before them.
This fleet's sole opponent was the vastly outnumbered Glamoth Iron Cavalry.
Their formation scattered under the assault, forcing them into evasive maneuvers while counterattacking the illusory foes.
Mitsutake wielded a spear forged from blazing white flames. Her spear struck forward like a dragon, piercing straight through the massive shadow-beast illusion.
The brilliant flames swiftly consumed the phantom beast completely.
"Our attacks can counter theirs too—don't panic!"
Mitsutake's realization instantly raised morale.
They didn't fear endless enemies—only being helpless against them.
But now that they knew their weapons could effectively counter these illusions, the situation changed entirely.
Wasn't this just dodging and counterattacking between strikes?
"This assault is nothing compared to the overwhelming waves Titania threw at us before!"
Titania's replicated army had surged endlessly like tidal waves, leaving them barely room to breathe. Yet even then, they'd held their ground.
If they could survive Titania's relentless onslaught, they could surely withstand this weaker attack!
The Iron Cavalry quickly rallied, aggressively destroying the summoned illusions.
But was the Swarm King really going to stand aside and watch idly?
Just as the Iron Cavalry regained momentum and sounded the horn of counterattack—
Without warning, a starship rushed directly at one of the Iron Cavalry, stopping right next to her.
And in the next instant, the ship initiated self-destruct, bursting into brilliant fireworks in space!
The immense force from the explosion prevented the nearby Iron Cavalry member from dodging—and directly ahead of her was a deadly illusory attack!
The Swarm King had patiently awaited this exact moment. In heightened emotions, even trained soldiers might overlook a fatal detail.
"Asatsuba!!"
Seeing their comrade about to be annihilated, the Iron Cavalry screamed her name desperately. Some even reached out helplessly towards her.
Asatsuba herself still hadn't recovered from the sudden shock.
The attack was right in front of her—she had nowhere left to escape. Her death seemed certain.
Yet at that very instant, her body flickered briefly—then vanished entirely, swallowed by a black hole.
"Eh?!"
Every person in space—Iron Cavalry and Swarm King alike—was stunned at this bizarre turn.
A black hole suddenly appearing right at that moment, precisely engulfing Asatsuba?
What in the world was this…?
"Really, I only step away for a little while, and you already get into this kind of trouble?"
A familiar voice suddenly crackled over their comm channel.
Their shock quickly dissolved, replaced by overflowing relief.
Far away, atop a sleek, silver-shining spaceship, a figure stood holding a [Fullbottle]. Behind him stood none other than the vanished Asatsuba herself.
"You took your sweet time." Although complaining, joy clearly filled her voice.
"The main character always arrives last, doesn't he?" Sora twisted the [Fullbottle] dramatically.
'[MACHO FEVER]'