Thanks to System XN's transfer, we materialized directly above Ganland. This place sat on the fringes of Einst space, but the signature crimson haze that defined the dimension was fading away. Crystalline structures and rock fragments were vanishing one after another.
Is this it…? The space can't hold together any longer?
"Lemon, status on the dimensional stability!?"
"It's bad! The surrounding space is… being swallowed whole!"
At the exact moment Lemon shouted, both Grow Savior and Ganland were dragged into what could only be called a dimensional rift.
"Uwooooooooh! T-LINK system, full contact! Telekinetic field at maximum output!"
The first sensation was violent shaking—far beyond anything felt during the transfer from that world to this one. To make matters worse, the debris drifting in Einst space had been sucked in with us, now raining down like a meteor storm.
Damn it. At this rate, not even Grow Savior's telekinetic field will hold—Ganland won't last either. We need some kind of defense… defense?
In that instant, a memory flashed through my mind: the original OGs, where only the combined maximum firepower of the modified Hiryu and Hagane barely breached that entity's absurdly powerful energy field.
I wanted to pat myself on the back for securing it when we first crossed worlds. Occasional jolts still rocked us, but the telekinetic field kept major damage at bay. Inside the cockpit, I pulled up the spatial storage inventory and selected White Star.
"Lemon, can you hear me!?"
"Barely… but if this keeps up, Ganland won't last much longer!"
"I'm deploying a satellite base from storage that can generate an ultra-powerful energy field! It's a massive white sphere—spot it and get inside immediately. We'll be safe in there!"
"Axel, what the—!"
I didn't wait for Lemon to finish. White Star materialized in the rift, and almost simultaneously, Ganland streaked toward it.
As expected of Lemon. She trusts me, no matter what she says.
With that thought, I piloted Grow Savior into the same hatch Ganland had entered.
Inside White Star, silence reigned—as it should.
"Axel, what's the plan now?"
I'd barely caught my breath in Grow Savior's cockpit when Lemon's comm came through. She'd already disembarked from Ganland and was exploring the hangar.
"First, restore White Star's energy field systems. Can you handle it from there?"
"I can access controls from the hangar. Hold on… emergency defense system… activating now."
At Lemon's words, the vibrations shaking White Star gradually subsided. The energy field had deployed successfully.
"Now that we're out of immediate danger, care to explain? This satellite base… it's that one, isn't it? The Aerogater forward base from this world. Federal intel said every Aerogater aboard was eliminated, yet White Star itself vanished… You pocketed it."
"Exactly. We'll go over details on Ganland—need to brief the others too. Besides, I swiped the base, but I know nothing about its internals. We'll need everyone to investigate."
"Agreed. I'll wait in Ganland's primary briefing room. It's big enough for the entire tech team."
"Got it. Contact the tech division for me."
"On it."
The channel closed. I moved Grow Savior to Ganland's hangar and headed straight for the briefing room.
"…Whoa."
That was the first word out of my mouth upon entering. Twenty pairs of tech-division eyes locked onto me at once. Most gleamed with ravenous curiosity—Talk. Now. Spill everything. The small mercy? It wasn't the murky hunger in Agila's gaze.
Lemon watched from a distance, clearly amused. Echidna stood beside her. I forced a wry smile and took my place at the front.
(For the record, the mass-production Ws weren't present—they were busy assessing ship status, repairing Grow Savior, and inspecting White Star's hangar. Mass-pro Ws lack sentience, thus curiosity. A summary briefing later would suffice.)
"Alright… First, good work, everyone. We escaped Einst space only to nearly get swallowed by a dimensional rift, but White Star will keep us safe for now. So… where to begin?"
"Captain Axel, please explain your special abilities," a scientist requested.
I opened my mouth.
"Right. Some of you have seen them in action, but I was born with several unique powers. For example…"
I snapped my fingers. A spatial storage portal opened beside my face.
"This. I call it spatial storage. Even I don't know the mechanics, but simply put: anything non-living can be stored, and time freezes inside. Watch…"
I mentally selected a hot dog and sports drink from the inventory.
"This hot dog was purchased in the other world—at least six months ago. Yet…"
Steam still rose from it. I took a showy bite for the tech team. The sausage snapped crisply; the freshly toasted bun, ketchup, mustard, and caramelized onions burst with flavor.
"…it's piping hot, straight off the grill."
"So when Wonderland suddenly vanished…"
The tech who'd been at Ganland's ramp during recovery spoke up.
"Yep. I stored it. It's still inside."
"A-and… this satellite base we just took refuge in?"
"Same deal. It was in storage until moments ago."
"You can store something colony-sized!?"
Another tech's jaw dropped. I nodded.
"No way to measure exact limits, but White Star fits."
"Wait—just now, you said White Star!?"
"Yeah. Some of you might know, but I transferred into the battlefield where the final clash between the Hagane, modified Hiryu, and the Aerogaters—who predated the Inspectors—took place. I saw Hagane and Hiryu escape the base, figured it was empty, and tested storage. Worked like a charm."
"So the mystery of White Star's disappearance…"
"My bad."
The room erupted in murmurs. Understandable—the vanishing of White Star had been a major debate in that world. Having the answer dropped so casually was bound to cause a stir.
"Moving on."
"There's more!?"
"I said I have several abilities."
I summoned a shimmering silver slime from storage. Several techs screamed—fair, given a metallic blob just materialized in front of them. (Currently, the slime's mass could engulf a PT-sized unit with room to spare, though most remained in storage. Only a head-sized portion was visible.)
"This is another ability. I just call it 'slime,' but it's practically an extension of my own body."
"That's… the Adaman Halper!?"
One tech connected the dots; realization spread like wildfire.
"Bingo. That's the true nature of the Adaman Halper."
"So the story about repurposing Tesla Labs' Type-3 ship-cutting blade tech…"
"Was a convenient cover to utilize and conceal Axel's ability," Lemon cut in smoothly.
"It can digest and absorb targets, increasing its own mass."
I tossed a briefing-room pen into the slime. It vanished, and the visible portion grew fractionally.
"Like so."
I returned the slime to storage and closed the portal.
"That's the gist of my powers."
The moment I finished, nearby techs began theorizing wildly with their neighbors.
"Quiet down. You're forgetting something critical. We're safe inside White Star, but we're still adrift in a dimensional rift. I get that my abilities are fascinating, but survival comes first."
Silence fell. The tech division wasn't stupid—they understood the stakes. If anything, my powers had been a perfect distraction from grim reality.
"Axel," Lemon said, "you have an escape plan, don't you?"
Every eye turned to me again. This time, the glint wasn't curiosity—it was desperate hope.
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