186: Where has the sword gone?

"Let us now clarify the situation."

After temporarily repelling the sword-shaped alien monster,

I was escorted by Virijanira, having assisted the police with their on-site investigation and interrogation. I was then led to a room in the police station of the Fifth Primeval Colony.

Inside the room were our four, several police officers, and a few high-ranking officials from the Shiblasmith Stellar System joining remotely.

Regarding the incident that just occurred...

A police officer begins explaining the general overview of the case I interrupted.

According to the report...

First, the perpetrator reportedly arrived at the Fifth Primeval Colony, specifically in an area known as the Eighth Leaf Zone.

At the time, the suspect was said to be walking unsteadily, looking pale and unwell.

Whether out of suspicion or concern for medical aid, two officers on duty at the scene approached the suspect.

Immediately afterward, the suspect's demeanor changed drastically, suddenly killing one officer with a surprise attack, then finishing off the other with a follow-up strike.

Then chaos erupted, people started fleeing, and the perpetrator stepped forward to attack the third victim... at that moment, I appeared, and as you already know, the rest unfolded just as it did before.

I see. Lord Vilijaniara, Lord Sata, Lord Mekoshi, Lord Johalis. As the one entrusted with maintaining order in the Shibrasmith System, I sincerely express my gratitude to each of you. And though it is regrettable, I must ask for your continued assistance. If the information we have received is accurate, it is clear that the threat has not yet passed.

Thank you, sincerely. Although our ability to help is limited, we will continue to cooperate going forward. Peace and stability for the Empire is our greatest wish.

Now, what should we do from here?

For now, I've received words of gratitude from those maintaining order, and since Viridianiela has accepted our continued cooperation, I have no objections to proceeding in that direction.

But even if the general direction has been decided, exactly how we proceed—well, that depends on the discussion here.

"Right then, we have several pieces of information to share. First, as previously mentioned, thanks to our specialized mod, we can track the direction in which the sword-shaped space monster fled, at least up to a certain point. Memo."

"Yes, Master Vee."

Memoqui provides observational data gathered through the 'Hetero Mirror.'

Moreover, everyone present here knows of my existence, so my true form—my main body in the Ether Space—is clearly reflected.

As for the crucial matter—the sword-shaped space monster...

"If it escaped from the Fifth Prime Colony and lost its signal in outer space, then shifted from its monster-like resonance to inertial flight by suppressing its own space monster signature..."

Whether or not it was responding to my posts, the holographic projection, based on the data provided by Memokshi, gradually shifted in its prediction of where the blade-like space monster was located within the Syblasmith system.

A spherical indicator showing it was somewhere within range slowly expanded while sliding across the hologram.

Along with it, the positions of several gas planets and various colonies also shifted accordingly.

"Possible contact with the Sixth Prime Colony?"

"Yes. It's just one possibility among many."

"A spaceport existed in the Eighth Leaf Sector, where the blade-shaped space monster caused chaos. There's a strong possibility they attempted to escape from the Fifth Prime Colony. Therefore, depending on their intelligence, we should consider the possibility that they're deliberately moving through space."

"Intelligence, intelligence... Even if they're cosmic monsters, can a blade possess intelligence? It doesn't even have eyes, ears, or a brain..."

As such, the colonies that might come into contact with the blade-like cosmic monsters are being listed.

Incidentally, warnings and notifications regarding these colonies have already been completed.

Indeed, they're worthy of the Vilijanira name, and as nobility ruling the Sybrasmith system, they're quite capable.

One of the colonies that might come into contact is the Sixth Prime Colony, meaning there's also a possibility of contact with the battleship currently under construction, the 'Jichikaneto'.

Well, the people on-site will handle the alert.

What I should really be concerned about is this.

"Regarding the intelligence of the space monsters, I have a small report to share."

"Satokun, was it? Go ahead."

It's about the mod the space monsters were using.

"As for that blade-shaped space monster, it appears to have granted a highly powerful body control mod to a human. With that ability, even if the space monster itself had minimal intelligence or sensory organs, it should still be able to gather sufficient information and move around effectively."

"????"

Many people stared at me with confused expressions.

Hmm, maybe I need to explain this in more detail?

"Vee..."

"Sat. Please explain it step by step, so I can understand too. First, let's start with the part about the extremely powerful body control mod."

"Ah, yes."

Yeah, I guess I really have to do it.

Vilijanira seems to understand already, but I should still explain it properly.

"Then, in order. First, the culprit who was rampaging with the sword-shaped space monster—his body had an extremely powerful body control mod attached. This mod functions even under 'Vanilla OS,' but fundamentally it was designed to operate on a different OS, so it's best to consider it as something granted by the sword-shaped space monster."

"What about it? What's the crucial effect?"

"In simple terms, it can brainwash anyone who wields the sword-shaped space monster, controlling them completely at will—no matter how extreme the output, even to the point of destroying their body."

"......"

The expressions of everyone in the room instantly turned grim at my words.

They probably just realized where the culprit's overwhelming physical strength and skill came from.

But what makes this mod truly dangerous isn't just the ability to control someone with destructive output that could break their body.

"And furthermore, this mod can quickly brainwash anyone holding a blade, rewriting their thoughts and enabling them to act based on prior commands even without direct input from the blade. They can also formulate conclusions based on those commands and relay them back to the blade. Therefore..."

"Once someone wields it, their mind can be used to perfectly assess their surroundings and plan future actions—potentially even devising cunning, malicious strategies."

"That's exactly what I mean."

"……"

Even electrical signals racing through the brain are subject to control.

In other words, the perpetrator who died at that scene might have merely been a victim.