My Children Swarm the Cosmos

“We’ve obtained the blueprint and usage records for the Babylonia Planet Weapon. We’ve also sufficiently destroyed the facility, both physically and electronically.”

Kreion, who was in Euryale’s central nervous system, confirmed that Vatory had also safely entered the same space.

“We need to retreat immediately.”

The UNF fleet, armed with state-of-the-art equipment, was intervening and slaughtering Lemegeton and the Chimeraz drones with their firepower.

The size of their fleet that had tracked them down here was about 80 squadrons, which was approximately 16 times larger than the 5-squadron Chimeraz fleet.

➖ The enemy is too strong.

Their numbers and firepower were overwhelming. The ships that made up the UNF fleet each deployed partial shields, allowing them to attack and defend simultaneously. Furthermore, their carrier-based spacecraft had their own shields, making them resistant to Crepitus’ self-destruction attacks.

Lemegeton’s Organic Accelerator Cannon shots were distorted by the gravity field they had collectively deployed, causing them to veer off in strange directions. The few purple plasma beams that managed to hit their target were helplessly blocked by the multiple layers of the expansive shield.

At the moment, a small number of Lemegeton were barely managing to escape from the battlefield and join up with Euryale. The other Lemegeton were buying them time while they hurriedly formed a ring formation.

“This can’t be a coincidence. . . How did the UNF find out about this and come at this exact timing. . .?”

This was the Procyon star system, which had no dimensional passageways. There was no human nation here either. The only things here were the secret Planet Weapon and those associated with it.

“Kreion-nim. I met Asher there.”

“Asher?”

“A human resource. One of those who were sold to New Ark.”

Gnox reacted to this.

“Why is brother Asher there? Is it really him?”

“It’s definitely Asher. The way he talks, the way he fights, even the mask he wears over his mouth. I was about to kill him, but he came out.”

“Why was he there? Was he the first to wake up?”

“He must have woken up first and been stationed there. They called him a special anti-Chimeraz unit. He was probably sent in first to protect the Planet Weapon, which is humanity’s most powerful weapon.”

Another connection to New Ark was revealed.

Kreion speculated,

“The presence of a human resource there means that New Ark, who bought the human resource, anticipated our invasion.”

That was probably why a UNF fleet of this size had come here.

However, Vatory expressed her doubt.

“How did New Ark anticipate that? Unless they had a spy among us, there’s no way they could have known.”

“It’s not a spy. This is. . .”

At the very least, there couldn’t be a spy among the Chimeraz species. They were all connected by each other’s waves.

Kreion pondered various possibilities in the depths of his ocean of thoughts. His thinking speed was completely different from that of humans, so he was able to come to a conclusion quickly.

“. . .It’s the map of the galaxy.”

“The one I brought?”

“Yes, so New Ark must have used that. . .”

Gnox already seemed to understand. Vatory prompted him with her eyes to tell her as well.

“Vatory. You went to the Venice Editorial Intelligence Agency, which possessed humanity’s largest map of the galaxy. You killed Director Galleass there, took the map, and escaped.”

“Yes. But?”

“News of the director’s death somehow reached New Ark. So New Ark stationed the human resource they had on the Planet Weapon and informed the UNF fleet to support the Planet Weapon.”

“So New Ark predicted that if we got our hands on the map of the galaxy. . . we would attack the Planet Weapon first?”

“That’s right.”

“But how did they know that we got our hands on the map of the galaxy?”

“They simply assumed that Director Galleass’ death was our doing.”

That seemed to be how this situation came to be.

“What shitty timing.”

“. . .”

Vatory was smiling, but her eyes revealed her indignation and resentment.

“Fortunately, we achieved our purpose in attacking this place. Now we need to get away from the UNF fleet.”

The minimum number of Lemegeton required for a ring formation had gathered. Soon, the Lemegeton formed a circular formation with Euryale at its center.

However, if you were to ask if they could leave like this, the answer would be no.

“Kreion-nim. If we leave like this, our light trails will remain, and we’ll be tracked.”

The number of ships in a fleet meant that the fleet’s overall output was also as strong as the number of ships in the fleet.

In other words, it would be much faster and more powerful for the other side to form a large-scale ring formation and move than for them to move in a ring formation. This was because there was a clear difference in the size and strength of their gravity fields.

And there was one more reason why Kreion couldn’t leave right away.

‘Nazar.’

➖ I am late. I cannot escape from the fleet battle in my current location.

Nazar had initially boarded a separate, enhanced Lemegeton in order to command the other Chimeraz fleet that was far away from Euryale.

‘Just have the Lemegeton you’re riding escape on its own.’

➖ Enemy attacks are coming from all directions.

‘Try it anyway. I’ll wait.’

➖ I cannot. Master.

For the first time since he was born, Nazar defied Kreion’s will.

➖If I escape from here, my swarm will become wild animals without a master and will not be able to fight properly.

‘Retreat first. If they’re tracking our light trails, we’ll respond and shake them off somehow while retreating.’

➖ Don’t you know that there is a safer option, master? You of all people should know. You just said to retreat first.

At that moment, Nazar’s large eyes saw a more distant future and a more important value.

➖ I will stay and lead the swarm to buy you time. In the meantime, master and the others should escape.

‘Nazar. . .’

➖ We must do this much against the UNF. I will remain here and fight.

Kreion gritted his teeth. In truth, he couldn’t deny that Nazar’s argument was correct.

➖ I wish for you to live, master, and continue to lead the future of our species as you have done so far.

‘You can’t be left out of the future of our species that I aspire to lead. Nazar.’

➖ Then I will accompany you in your memories, master.

Nazar had become stubborn towards his master for the first time.

➖ Thank you for creating me and leading me.

➖ I will offer the life I received from you back to you, master.

➖ So please make a cold judgment as a ruler. That is the figure of the master that I respect.

➖ I beg of you.

In the end, Euryale and a small number of Lemegeton turned their backs on Babylonia, and

“Dammit. . .”

Blood dripped from Kreion’s fist.

🔷🔷🔷

Nazar was inside a Lemegeton that was slightly larger than a regular Lemegeton.

Nazar confirmed that Kreion’s swarm had moved out of sight and soon disappeared.

Now, there was only one thing to worry about.

How much time could he buy?

‘My remaining children. Attack the nearest enemies first. We need to wear down their shields to make them move less aggressively. Humans fear death.’

The UNF fleet was bombarding Babylonia’s colony-infested surface. And the Lemegeton, despite suffering heavy casualties from the enemy’s attacks, continued to fire their Organic Accelerator Cannons.

The Cresecters were carrying out self-destruction attacks along with the Crepituses in order to destroy as many enemy ships as possible.

This was the tactic they had chosen because the Chimeraz’s defense was meaningless against the overwhelming firepower of the UNF fleet. If Nazar hadn’t been there, the remaining swarm would have fought instinctively without such tactics.

‘I came to serve a master. And for the second time, no less. Thinking about it now, the scenery of the humble colony site comes to mind.’

The remaining swarm listened to Nazar’s story.

‘It was my fortune to be able to experience that together. So this will be a meaningful and splendid death for the third-ranked leader.’

‘Scream as loud as you can and kill as many as you can. We need to slow them down even a little bit.’

At this rate, they might be able to hold out for an hour or so. Nazar hoped so.

Tick. . . Tick-tick. . .

Nazar, inside the Lemegeton, walked with his tentacles and looked in the direction his master had left with his large eyes.

And then he sent out waves into the distance.

‘I shall become master’s eternal child today.’

The immature Cresecters, who had just been born on Babylonia, sat on the surface and shot out balls of plasma. A makeshift Crepitus swarm abandoned their self-destruction attacks and evaded the enemy’s cannon fire, buying time.

Meanwhile, the UNF fleet had landed ground troops on Babylonia and begun a reclamation operation.

Nazar felt the senses of the dying Chimeraz. It wasn’t a very pleasant sensation, and

Above all, he was relieved that the sensation of his own death was not being transmitted to Kreion.

He wished he could meet him again. He desperately wished he could. He hid such emotions. If such emotions reached his master, it would only cause him distress.

‘. . .Come to think of it, I’ve never said this to master before.’

Hoping that the waves he was sending now would reach him someday.

‘Thank you, master.’

Those were Nazar’s final waves.

‘Thank you for everything.’