06 The Thing That Emerged from the Nightmare 3

Eight hours had passed since escaping from the super-large entity 'Stalt' via emergency override.

Jin still wore his pilot suit, focused on gathering intelligence with the副官 in the briefing room.

"...Are you certain?"

"Yes. The enemy is still tracking our convoy."

The distance traveled via override navigation was three light-years.

Three light-years represented the limit for instantly relocating an object as massive as a colony convoy.

Jin did not fully understand, but the calculations required to determine new coordinates took time.

Under normal circumstances, such a distance would be sufficient.

No ASID would travel that far to pursue.

But the enemy was not an ordinary ASID.

"Relative velocity remains steady at approximately 2 km/s."

"Logically, it should be impossible to catch up."

"Considering it's heading straight toward us, there's a possibility we'll be overtaken again."

In recent years, the number of encounters between the Third Fleet and ASIDs had been rising steadily.

It appears that ASIDs previously ignoring the Fleet are now approaching it—but the reason remains unclear.

Perhaps this 'Stark' incident is part of the same pattern.

Regardless, one thing is certain: if we continue like this, we'll be caught once more.

"Troublesome…"

The fundamental strategy of the移民 fleet has always been to minimize resource expenditure.

Engage in combat if it results in less consumption; flee if that proves more efficient.

On top of that, the value of human life enters the equation—but in this case, escape is the only viable option.

This is not an opponent the fleet could confront alone.

The issue lies in the distance between the individual移民 ships.

"Positional relationship of the First, Second, and Fourth Fleets?"

"Public information. The First Fleet is—nine hundred light-years. The Second Fleet is relatively close—seventy light-years. The Fourth Fleet is—unfeasible. One thousand three hundred light-years."

"Even if we call for reinforcements, it's too far."

Overlight navigation is not infallible.

It cannot bridge distances exceeding one hundred light-years.

Continuous Overlight navigation is considered practically impossible due to ether consumption, requiring pauses between jumps.

Even if we summon reinforcements from the First and Fourth Fleets, arrival would take at least one to two months.

It would take that long to accumulate sufficient ether for fleet-wide Overlight transit.

The Second Fleet could reach us in a single jump—however—

(……No unusual movements are occurring, really.)

The events eight years ago.

Aside from the Second Fleet’s unusual movements—truly, nothing stands out.

Since the queen’s elimination during that expeditionary training, they have solely focused on supporting the Third Fleet, which has been in dire straits.

There were many moments when the situation would have collapsed without them. In that regard, gratitude is sincere.

Yet Jin cannot fully trust them.

It is merely a gut feeling.

Precisely because of that instinct, Jin can trust it. It has saved his life on multiple occasions.

Given that, even though the Second Fleet is close, it still feels unwise to request reinforcements lightly.

Still, the decision rests not with Jin, but with the Defense Force’s upper command. Contemplating it serves no purpose.

“…I’ll check on the higher directive. Take turns resting in pairs. Rotation schedule is yours to manage.”

“Understood, Captain.”

Jin briskly set aside the rest schedule to the副官 and hurried to gather information.

First, the most direct route.

He dialed the number; the line connected after one ring.

"Long time no see, Colonel."

『You. Commander Tozawa. About the earlier giant-class incident?』

A former superior officer, now a colonel.

Promoted through successive ranks.

Transferred to the Training Unit, the direct connection had been severed, yet the channel remained.

This too, perhaps, marked him as a member of a faction. Jin considered it briefly.

『I expected you'd be the first to inquire.』

"Either way, you'd have heard soon enough. You've been busy."

As a colonel, he commanded a frontline unit.

Even after the emergency override, he would have been occupied with evaluating the response to 'Stalt.'

Even now, a faint trace of fatigue shows in his voice.

‘You’ve seen through it. Well, fine. What is it you’d like to know?’

‘…How do you plan to deal with it?’

‘Originally, it was either to let it flee—or to gather the entire migrant fleet and hunt it down. Either way.’

The major let out a small laugh. It carried a tone of irony.

‘But now that we’ve learned it’s been tracking us all along, the course has changed.’

There is no escape.

There may not even be enough time to gather the fleet.

Once that fact is realized, there is only one option left.

‘The Third Fleet Defense Force will conduct the extermination operation against the super-sized entity “Stalt” independently. The operation order will be issued within minutes.’

Jin understood. That was why the major’s speech had been so smooth.

A margin of minutes—nothing worth concerning oneself over.

...Now is the time to apologize. The information you presented ten years ago was treated as factual within Intelligence.

"I knew, actually."

It had already been recognized as true based on what I heard from Sharon.

...You've grown quite perceptive.

"Thanks to your guidance. I can also predict the reason for the information's secrecy. No need for an apology."

Such information. If released indiscriminately, the entire convoy would descend into chaos.

I understand. And the rage that once burned has long since cooled. It's impossible to sustain that fury from those days to this moment.

"Having you say that eases my mind... Regardless, we've been preparing since ten years ago. I'd like your cooperation."

"Of course, Major."

That is why Jin has held onto his active status all this time.

Afterward, he relayed two or three more confirmations, then turned toward the officer's mess hall.

"Hey, Ace. Long time no see."

"Captain. About a year, I’d say?"

The commander of the unit that once escorted him during training.

Recognizing the face of someone with a long-standing connection, Jin quickens his pace toward him.

"About that. Right. Your student helped me out recently—impressive guy!"

"Your student? You mean Lieutenant Sasamori?"

"That’s him. Honestly, I got goosebumps. Exactly the same feeling I had when I first saw Captain Tozawa move."

Sasamori Kou was steadily accumulating kills. Already enough to be mentioned with a smirk.

And the more kills he scored, the more requests came in for Jin’s return as Instructor.

Jin could only offer a wry smile.

Kou had always been exceptional. All Jin had done was give his growth a slight push forward.

Without instruction, he would have been called an ace eventually.

"No, right now it's more about this. Did you see it, Captain?"

"Yes. I saw it."

Technically, he had heard it rather than seen it, but the detail was immaterial.

"That assault on the super-heavy class just now. Was the command staff serious? Haven't you seen that firepower?"

"Perhaps that's why I made the decision. I just reviewed reconnaissance data—its trajectory hasn't changed. It's still pursuing us."

"Seriously? That's a bit too much of a stalker, isn't it?"

"I agree."

A quick glance around confirmed the topic remained the super-heavy assault.

Jin suddenly realizes.

Up until now, Defense Force operations had been, as their name implied, defensive.

Repelling swarms approaching the convoy.

But this time was different.

Attacking the enemy's position—was this perhaps the first time such a move had been made?

The fact that such an ASID had never existed before is precisely why it needed to be eradicated.

"Could it be... a dangerous one?"

"Very dangerous indeed."

The mere fact that they were actively targeting it was enough to signal its threat level.

And they were doing it themselves.

Ten years of preparation.

At minimum, they had expected at least one engagement.

Jin had prepared for battle.

When the moment arrived, what filled Jin’s mind—was fear.

The dread of confronting that monster again.

Yet that fear was stronger than others, born from having already been repelled once.

The agony of his half-body dissolving.

The despair of knowing he had lost everything.

None of it could be forgotten.

He poured fire into his heart, trembling against the fear.

All that had been taken from him—now he would make them pay the price.