[Swarm King: Skaracabaz]
A replica of an Emanator of Propagation, created by Ruan Mei!
Its immense size made one wonder where this monster had been hiding. How had it gone completely undetected?!
"—!"
The Trailblazer held her breath. Facing a giant insect that towered over her by an immeasurable height, she had been caught completely off guard as it snuck up behind her, nearly costing her her life! She couldn't help but feel her heart pound with terror.
Fortunately, the gray-haired girl's reflexes, honed by extensive training against insects in the Simulated Universe, saved her from the successful ambush.
The instant the Swarm King's massive jaws lunged at her, the Trailblazer immediately raised her Flame Lance before her as a shield!
BOOM!
The heavy blow sent the gray-haired girl flying. The sheer, brutish force nearly knocked the Flame Lance from her hands, sending an unprecedented shock and tremor through Stelle!
How is this possible—
She had successfully defended against the meteorites summoned by Cocolia.
An impact on the level of an asteroid fragment was nothing to the will of Preservation.
The Flame Lance had even parried the onslaught of Phantylia the Undying. This was the first time the Trailblazer's faith in the power of Preservation had ever wavered!
It felt absurd. Even if it was a sneak attack, she shouldn't have been thrown into such a sorry state by a mere insect.
The girl spun in mid-air to bleed off the momentum before landing on the ground. Stelle immediately straightened her posture, ready for battle!
Only then did the Trailblazer get a clear look at the Star rushing Swarm King.
When she saw the giant blue insect's sharp, pincer-like mandibles, the hair on her arms stood on end.
"The Jaws of The Propagation...?!"
Tazzyronth, the Aeon of Propagation, could use its mouthparts to concentrate a death ray that could shatter celestial bodies.
And the mouthparts of the giant insect before her were identical to the dismembered parts of the Aeon of Propagation she had seen in the Simulated Universe!
The light that roared from those giant pincers could turn shattered star clusters into breeding grounds for its offspring. It was once the nightmare of all worlds during the Swarm Disaster!
An insect that inherited the Jaws of Imperator Insectorum, a being bestowed with the power of an Aeon, was known as an [Emanator].
In an instant, the Trailblazer understood the origin and true combat strength of the blue insect before her, as well as the cataclysm it could potentially cause!
"An Emanator of Propagation… a single blow is enough to destroy the entire space station and the surrounding star system, converting all life into newborn larvae."
"That Ruan Mei… is she insane?! To actually create something like this inside the space station?!"
The Trailblazer was horrified, shocked by the genius's madness and by the fact that she could actually create a living Emanator.
If the Starcrushing Swarm King were to unleash its breath attack, no one would survive.
Weighing the pros and cons, the gray-haired girl instantly determined that she could not flee! She couldn't even create too much distance!
Instead, she raised her Flame Lance and charged toward the Emanator of Propagation—
It wasn't that she thought she could defeat the Emanator; Stelle was nowhere near that powerful.
But if she created distance and forced the Swarm King to use a ranged attack, the consequences would be unthinkable.
I can't run! I have to charge straight ahead!
If she ran, she would surely die, and everyone on the space station would perish along with her!
This obvious fact forced the gray-haired girl to choose the radical approach of charging against the tide.
"Orchis, you need to run!"
As she charged forward, Stelle didn't forget to worry about the delicate doll-like girl behind her. She had to protect her!
"Leave this to me! As soon as you get away, contact Asta and Herta and get them to send reinforcements!"
In the Trailblazer's eyes, she didn't know Orchis was a Meme, so telling her to flee and deliver a message was the logical course of action.
As the only combatant, she couldn't possibly let that fragile girl assist in battle!
The Trailblazer was even prepared to take the enemy down with her. If she couldn't hold the Emanator back, she would have to unleash the power within the Stellaron—a power even she couldn't control—to minimize the disaster brought by the Swarm King.
If it came to that, sacrificing only herself… was the most cost-effective option.
The Preservation she learned from Belobog allowed Stelle to face death without fear, not for herself, but like a proud hero, charging bravely forward!
"—"
Watching the gray-haired girl make her decision so decisively, her actions so rational and swift, Orchis felt a somewhat indescribable emotion.
Telling others to flee while she stayed behind to cover the retreat, facing a powerful enemy without fear of risk or sacrifice… the Trailblazer was far too gallant.
Standing in the protagonist's position, speaking the protagonist's lines, protecting the heroine behind her—it was very cool and very charming.
But it wasn't so friendly to the script's development. The one shouldering all the pressure and making the sacrifice had suddenly become the protagonist herself!
The gray-haired girl's strong sense of autonomy was not entirely a good thing.
Orchis had hoped the Trailblazer would cluelessly drag her along as they fled, getting chased by the insect and running for their lives. Then she, as the guide who had arrived early to scout, could use her familiarity with the surroundings to show Stelle an escape route.
She would be the one being protected, but without holding anyone back, and could even provide actual help.
Finally, when the protagonist was cornered by the insect, the heroine would do her best to block a fatal blow for her and fall unconscious. A simple, effective script would be complete.
She never expected Stelle to stay behind herself, buying time alone to let Orchis evacuate first.
However, it wasn't as if Orchis didn't have a backup script.
As long as the main story outline was maintained, an actor should have the professionalism to adjust the details and improvise based on the situation.
Taking a deep breath, the doll-like girl spoke to the gray-haired girl in front of her.
"I'm not running. And… I can't do what you asked."
"What?" Stelle looked back in astonishment. This was no time for hesitation!
Only if Orchis truly escaped and brought back reinforcements could they perhaps secure a sliver of a chance for them both to survive.
If they both fought the Emanator head-on, Orchis, with her frail appearance, didn't look like she had any combat ability. She would be absolutely no match for the Swarm King!
If she couldn't provide a reasonable explanation at a time like this, the heroine would seem like she didn't appreciate the protagonist's good intentions, making her a burden.
When a character fails to do what they should and instead hesitates out of concern for others, their good intentions backfire and hinder progress, which is very frustrating.
Orchis couldn't possibly play such a foolish role in front of the player and the gray-haired girl, so she had to offer a constructive reply.
"Instead of looking for people whose whereabouts are unknown, we should make them come to us," Orchis said immediately.
"Come to us…?" The gray-haired girl was confused. That was easier said than done, but how?
"Gray, we need to make a huge commotion. That way, the people on the space station will investigate the truth immediately. A disturbance is also easily identified as an enemy attack, so reinforcements will arrive prepared for battle. It's a more efficient way to relay information."
A heroine could be weak, but she must have a positive impact on the story; she couldn't be a dead weight.
She needed to remain wise and virtuous, learn to protect herself, and even help the protagonist in return.
Furthermore, for a heroine to truly feel like a heroine, she must offer blessings and psychological comfort to the game's protagonist who bravely sacrifices herself on the battlefield, the sweetheart of a reluctant hero. She must be a safe harbor for rest, a strong pillar of support!
"I won't abandon you. I will never leave you alone. I will not allow you to face such danger by yourself…"
I will be with you. I will join you. I will walk the path ahead with you, whether it leads to happiness or despair.
A sense of possession, a sense of giving, playing the role of a trustworthy pillar in a time of crisis—Orchis needed to fight alongside the Trailblazer!
Not only did the doll-like girl not flee, but she also walked to the surprised Trailblazer's side, stirring an indescribable emotion in Stelle.
The Trailblazer's hand holding the Flame Lance trembled slightly, but then her grip became even firmer.
She didn't know how to describe it… but at this moment, facing that ferocious giant insect, she somehow didn't feel as afraid anymore.
Even in a desperate situation, someone was still by her side. The end, whenever it came, would not be a lonely one.
"…"
The gray-haired girl fell silent, a faint, encouraging smile on her face.
She still didn't know the full story of the doll-like girl beside her, and she wasn't planning on dying here…
She would definitely protect Orchis, this girl who cared so much for her, until she could ask about the past between them.
With that thought, the Trailblazer's gaze turned cold. As she faced off against the Swarm King, she silently kept Orchis protected behind her.
Although she had gained moral support, the desperate disparity in combat power between them and their enemy was still laid bare!
How could a normal Pathstrider be a match for an Emanator?
The Emanators of Propagation were also among the most troublesome in terms of combat ability, possessing notoriously exaggerated vitality and absurd firepower.
"—"
The Swarm King bared its fangs and let out a harsh screech. Immediately after, a dark red light erupted from its body.
A deep black aura rose and swirled, forming into spheres, like spores or biological eggs. They instantly shattered, and one after another, winged insects were born, flapping their wings as they descended into the world, soon forming a dense swarm.
[True Sting]
As the master, the mother insect or Swarm King could differentiate into countless offspring to devour all life in the universe.
If the Aeon of Propagation were present in person, any concept related to creation or design would be contaminated by Propagation. Even picking up a pen to draw would cause the drawing to turn into an insect. While the Aeon's Emanators lacked such mighty power, they could still continuously self-replicate to create an interstellar-scale swarm.
What's more, the insects' combat abilities were among the best of all Pathstriders. Devoid of reason, they would tirelessly hunt and assimilate all life they saw. Defeating them wasn't the end, either; they would self-destruct to take their enemies down with them, and their scattered flesh and blood were terrifying sources of infection.
The Trailblazer's expression turned grim. Having experienced the Simulated Universe, she knew from the Swarm Disaster just how troublesome Propagation was.
Her chances of winning against the Swarm King were already slim, and now this monster could create a large number of soldiers to further widen the power gap.
Faced with such an opponent, how was she supposed to fight?
-----------------
"Gray… that pocket watch, do you still have it with you?"
Orchis suddenly asked the gray-haired girl something completely unrelated to the current situation.
In their current predicament, she still needed to contribute a little if she was going to fight alongside the Trailblazer.
Although Orchis wanted to maintain her delicate, sweet girlfriend persona based on player feedback, and she also wanted to conserve her power for Penacony, so she shouldn't design special abilities for herself too early and should save points where she could, an ability with limitations and costs wasn't out of the question.
For example, fighting by sacrificing her life force… and then providing some support that was better than nothing, but looked grand and intimidating!
"The pocket watch?"
The gray-haired girl muttered to herself, immediately taking the golden timepiece from her pocket and tossing it to Orchis.
She didn't ask why; that would be foolish. She trusted that Orchis wouldn't do something pointless in a situation like this.
Orchis immediately caught the flying pocket watch. Under the Trailblazer's gaze, she opened it and began to fiddle with the winding mechanism on the watch face.
"Ngh—"
Immediately after, the doll-like girl pressed her lips together, biting them until they bled.
Unable to hold back, she suddenly clenched the watch face with both hands, letting out a pained yet suppressed cry.
Soon, the Trailblazer witnessed a scene she had never imagined.
Only then did Stelle belatedly realize something.
The pocket watch Orchis had given her was not some simple decoration, but a Curio.
The scene before her eyes was space itself being torn apart.
Literally. No correction needed.
Like the Fragmentum rifts that appeared with the Antimatter Legion, it used the world as a curtain and unveiled what lay behind.
From within a chaotic fissure, a large number of black shadows emerged.
They walked out slowly, their steps stiff and mechanical. The shadows, shrouded in darkness, revealed their true forms—they were puppets, marionettes!
One after another, the puppets wore low-brimmed, dark hunter hats. Their faces were replaced by dull wooden masks, and beneath the masks were blood-red scarves. Bandages were wrapped around their dark combat attire, and they tightly gripped a pair of gleaming short daggers, exuding the style of rangers.
All their movements had a sense of being pulled, manipulated by threads as fine as spider silk.
The strings of fate descended from the void, precisely controlling the combat posture of each and every puppet.
A tide of puppets descended upon this domain, leaving the Trailblazer who witnessed it all utterly bewildered.
"What are these things…?!"
-----------------
The combat skill Orchis designed for herself was that of a puppeteer who controlled puppets.
Firstly, her goal was to become a noble, Ice-Type character of the Path of Remembrance in the future. Based on the underlying logic of Remembrance characters, summons and Memokeepers were unavoidable design elements. In keeping with the style of a gothic doll-like girl, controlling puppets to fight was a very natural choice.
Secondly, a puppeteer's combat power was easy to control. The main body was undoubtedly weak, a princess in need of protection, with all her skills vested in her puppets. It was very easy to classify her combat strength based on the quality of the puppets.
What level of puppets were stored in the pocket watch's extra dimension? That was left to the audience's imagination.
And taking out and using the puppets required consuming Orchis's Memoria as a Meme.
Losing the Memoria that sustained her existence would cause the Memetic girl pain and could also lead to her true demise.
"Cough, cough, cough—"
Under the gray-haired girl's astonished and worried gaze, Orchis clutched her chest, her face pale and haggard as she curled up on the ground.
"Is this… all I can do at full power right now…?" A single line to limit the time and context of its use.
Through her dying whisper, Orchis implied that she used to be able to control far more puppets than this.
This would allow her combat power to swell later in places rich with Memoria, like Penacony and Amphoreus.
"…!!"
Seeing Orchis on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion, the Trailblazer, through the function of the pocket watch, instantly connected many dots.
Using that pocket watch caused Orchis great pain; that much was obvious at a glance.
At the same time, the pocket watch could summon a large number of puppets to fight. This was undoubtedly Orchis's own weapon.
So, why would the doll-like girl give her own weapon to the Trailblazer? Stelle could naturally only arrive at one answer.
It was definitely not a decoration or a memento. Orchis's words and actions showed an unreserved affection for Stelle.
The reason for entrusting her weapon was so that, at a critical moment, the Curio would spontaneously protect its holder.
If the Trailblazer ever fell into danger, the pocket watch would summon the puppet army at the crucial moment to protect her life.
This was not a good thing…
Because of the cost. Seeing Orchis curled up on the ground, sobbing, no matter how the gray-haired girl speculated, she could only reach one conclusion.
That pocket watch was fundamentally a failsafe!
If an unexpected crisis occurred during Stelle's trailblazing journey, it would sacrifice Orchis's life in exchange for Stelle's safety!
"Why…" The moment those puppets appeared, Stelle instantly realized this truth, and a cold sweat trickled down her cheek.
The Trailblazer vaguely understood the meaning behind Orchis's earlier words.
And because of that, she felt an indescribable, suffocating weight from such a heavy sacrifice.
If she hadn't been investigating Ruan Mei, the Trailblazer would have never found Orchis, and one day, she would have unknowingly used up her life.
The grave the girl had chosen for herself—in this deserted corner of the laboratory, she was waiting for the end, to offer up her life.
This shocking truth made the Trailblazer's hands colder than the fear brought by the Swarm King.
An unknown love, an unknown devotion. Orchis had dedicated her everything to Stelle, and the person in question had been completely oblivious.
(Chapter 20 up in p@treon)