Escape

A breach point had been driven into the connecting bridge ahead of Milina and her group.

From the breach emerged a military doll, heavily armored with a large shield and a blaster rifle.

"Is that Milina Al Ringlund, ma'am?"

The doll rushed over, positioning its large shield to protect Milina. After confirming the safety of Milina and her companions, it turned its blaster rifle toward the armed group that had been pursuing them.

"Warning. These individuals are now under our protection. Further combat is futile. Surrender your weapons and retreat immediately. Otherwise, we will forcibly eliminate you."

The pursuing armed group consisted of six members.

Markus continued to block their attacks with his shield, despite their relentless gunfire.

『Markus, leave those fools alone! Whatever happens from here on is their own responsibility! Guide the guests safely inside the ship.』

"Understood."

Following Shinosuke's orders, Markus continued to fight back against the armed group while gradually retreating.

"Please proceed along the wall and enter the ship through the corridor."

Taking Markus's instruction, Marcelus, Milena, Ann, May, and Rize dashed toward the entry point.

"Also, please discard the weapons you're currently carrying—they are standard issue from the 6325 Star Union. Leave them here."

Marceus and the others tossed their blaster rifles onto the ground and rushed into the entryway.

"Markus, always so particular... Well, if he says to return them later, it'll be a pain to come back for them..."

Shin nosuke shook his head in disbelief.

"Everyone has entered the ship."

Upon hearing Seira's report, Shin nosuke gripped the steering wheel again.

"Markus! We're pulling out—get back here!"

Markus, having received Shin nosuke's order, retreated all the way back to the entrance of the access tunnel.

"This is your final warning. Leave this connecting bridge immediately. As soon as I return to the ship, this access tunnel will be retracted. Do you understand? Or is swimming through space without a suit your idea of fun?"

The attackers ceased firing upon hearing Markus's words.

"Exit through the bulkhead access door within ten seconds."

With that, Markus retreated back into the ship through the access corridor.

"Ten seconds... Well, I guess I'll wait then. Countdown: 10... 9... 8..."

Shinobu deliberately let the attackers hear the countdown through the external speakers on the access corridor.

Hearing the countdown, the attackers dropped their weapons and rushed toward the bulkhead access door, scrambling to escape.

It was a race against time—just barely enough to get out before it was too late.

"Three... two... one... too late. Plus, three... two... one... zero. Evacuate!"

After confirming that the attackers had escaped through the access door, Shinnosuke fired up the side thrusters and pulled the Cerberus away from the connecting bridge.

With the access tunnel withdrawn, every object inside the bridge was sucked out into space through the hole torn in the outer hull.

Even the blaster rifles discarded by Marcelus and the others were pulled out into the void.

"...Too bad the supplies we left behind ended up sucked into space. Well, whatever."

At least six of the attackers had safely escaped.

The security forces gathered at their escape route were just a consequence of their own actions.

Shin nosuke retracted the entry passage and turned the Cerberus around.

"From Cerberus to the Harbor Management Center. I apologize for the large hole in the connecting bridge, but our business here is complete. This ship will now return directly to the Aknelia Galactic Federation. We've left the terrorists behind, so they'll be the ones covering the repair costs."

"Harbor Control Center, acknowledged. The terrorist threat within the colony has been mostly suppressed. We'll handle the aftermath here. If there are any shortfalls in the repair costs for the connecting bridge, we'll bill the Sirius Free Merchant Guild....Please be careful on your journey back."

"Kelberos acknowledges. Thank you for your cooperation."

Shinonsuke pushed the throttle lever forward, accelerating the Kelberos toward the Aknelia Galactic Federation.

As soon as the Kelberos launched, Marks returned to the bridge immediately.

"Master, I've escorted Lady Milena Al Ringlund and her party."

Since Marks had brought Milena and her companions, Shinonsuke switched to autopilot, stood up from the pilot's seat, and faced them.

Milena stepped forward and bowed courteously, so Shinonsuke returned the gesture with a formal salute.

"Captain Shinonsuke Kashimura of the Kerberos, a guard vessel belonging to the Aclenia Galactic Federation's Salius Stellar Province Free Merchant Ship Consortium. It's a relief you're all safe. Welcome once again to the Kerberos."

"Milena Al Ringlund. I'm truly grateful for your rescue at such a critical moment. I'd been told arrival was scheduled for tomorrow, so I'd nearly given up hope."

Shin nosuke nodded in agreement with Milena's words.

"I didn't anticipate this outcome, but I've shortened our schedule, preparing for every possible scenario."

"Then we were saved because of this—this is destiny, truly."

Shin nosuke shrugged in response to Milena's words.

Before him stood Milena Al Ringlund, elegantly dressed in a pale blue dress, a saber at her waist.

It may look like a noble's ornament, but in reality, it's far from elegant.

Upon seeing the switch embedded in the hilt, one can tell this saber is a deadly weapon, capable of vibrating its blade at extreme speed to slice through anything.

"If it's inconvenient for you to carry this saber aboard due to security reasons, I'll hold onto it for you until we arrive at the Aclenia Galactic Federation?"

Shinnosuke knew it would be rude to stare at the woman's waist, but Milena simply smiled, as if she could read his thoughts.

"No, it's quite alright to keep it with me as is."

Shin nosuke declined Milena's offer.

What caught Shin nosuke's attention more than the sword was the third eye on Milena's forehead.

The third eye, vertically slit across Milena's brow, stared directly at Shin nosuke.

Strangely, Milena's two side eyes were vivid emerald green, but unlike them, the third eye on her forehead was red.

"Indeed, it's hard to ignore, isn't it? As you likely know, this is the third eye of the people of Lemuria."

Stepping forward, Milena looked up at Shin Nosuke with her three eyes—her two side eyes and the red one on her forehead.

Milena's already striking beauty was heightened by the crimson eye on her brow, making her eerie elegance all the more devastatingly powerful.

Even the straightforward Shin Nosuke was taken aback.

"No, I apologize," he said.

Milena gave a sly smile as Shin Nosuke hastily stepped back.

"Because of this thing opening up, my life—once that of a carefree noblewoman indulging in the pleasures of the empire—has completely changed. Truly, it's quite troublesome."

As Shin Nosuke watched Milena speaking with a smile, a single question surfaced in his mind.

(What if my vision worsens? Does the empire have glasses or sunglasses for that?)

It was an extremely trivial, meaningless question.