315: Conceit

Today's update consists of four chapters.

This is the second chapter.

"Satou. I'll focus on the operation, so leave the talking to you."

"Got it. You mean to smoothly extract the information. Understood."

The asteroid explosion was avoided by instantly retreating me into the Ether Space using the powered suit.

Then, I reappeared slightly shifted in coordinates.

"Is that the spot!"

Immediately after reappearing, Funaka launches an attack.

"Wha—?!"

"What?!"

Thanks to Viljaniela's control, I barely dodged the attack and immediately countered with a punch.

"Uuu… Ora-ra-ra-ra-raaaah!?!"

"Kuhaa, hahaha! So that's how it is!"

From the moment I landed the first punch, I used the gravity control mod to keep our positions locked in place, allowing me to brace myself properly, then unleashed a barrage of strikes with the four tentacles growing from both arms and back toward Funaka.

Funaka, on the other hand… was laughing.

Laughing as if completely indifferent to being punched.

Even the sensations transmitted through my fists gave no sense of delivering actual damage.

"Ahh... I see. That's why I can't properly perceive the world—because of the bentos' ink. Even without knowing the specifics, combining the priestess's foresight makes it so I'm forced to take the attack head-on."

...

"But the foresight thing still doesn't make sense. How can something as insignificant as a twig perceive the future better than me, a god? It's definitely not natural—must be farmed, then. Anyway, that's beside the point. If I can't kill him here, I'll never escape the scope of his plans... Hmm."

He figured it out.

I'd known it would happen, but still, Fuunaka's grasp of mods was truly impressive.

Just as Fuunaka said, right now I'm scattering ink all around me while simultaneously wrapping myself in it.

This ink not only nullifies external mod interference, but also allows me to change color freely due to internal mod interference. By adjusting the color of my own body surface, I make it difficult for Fuunaka to recognize me.

As for foresight... I don't understand it myself, so I can't offer any response.

But more importantly—

"Talking like this is just buying time, isn't it, Fuunaka?"

If Fuunaka is calm, I should use that calm to my advantage.

"You've figured it out, huh? But it's only natural, isn't it? I left the opponent to Ventus and the priestess, while the Imperial forces interfere with Planet Syltrilichi One. They must have sensed that there's my OS spread around that planet, and are trying to eliminate it... hahaha! They can't possibly succeed! Even if it were someone like Ventus or the priestess, outliers like them, it's impossible for just a regular human to eliminate it!"

"And as time passes, your OS defenses will break, and the imperial forces will turn against you. As long as we don't have enough firepower to take them down all at once, it'll be fine to kill us after that."

That's exactly the kind of situation. Being pursued and eroded by the very army we're supposed to be allies with—this discord cannot be ignored. No matter how predictable it might have been, even if I foresaw that, within his expected range, such a scenario would trigger another mechanism, I still can't turn a blind eye to it.

What Fuunaka said... would be correct, within the bounds of general understanding.

A regular Imperial Army wouldn't stand a chance interfering with or disabling whatever is maintaining FuunakaOS.

If I were Fuunaka, I'd ensure it couldn't be broken by brute force, and I'd also make the situation so complex that humans couldn't handle it.

"Didn't you realize that arrogance would be your downfall?"

"Huh?"

But this time, the forces arriving at the Siltrilich Star System aren't a regular Imperial Army—they're the elite Imperial Army.

And the elite Imperial Army—that is, professionals who would carry out their mission at any cost, even sacrificing their lives, and individuals who have dealt with hostile space monsters appearing within the Empire.

They are precisely the kind of group I have always deemed it necessary to avoid confronting at all costs.

If that is the case, then...

I'll show them.

"!?!"

Suddenly, Funaka turns toward the planet where Siltrilich 1 is located.

Likely, once several layers of the multi-tiered defense system were breached, communications would have been routed directly to Funaka.

Combined with Funaka's reaction of turning away, it became clear that the Imperial forces, despite heavy casualties, had shattered FunakaOS's defenses at a level Funaka hadn't anticipated.

And given that this timing was foreseeable, there was only one person who could have predicted it.

Vilijanira.

Vilijanira seized control of my body and launched a complete surprise attack toward Funaka, who was looking away.

Of course, to Funaka, this was just another in a long line of attacks she'd endured countless times before—no doubt she thought vigilance was unnecessary...

But I'll say it again clearly:

"Your arrogance will be your undoing."

"!?"

My arm plunged into Funaka's face.

The poison flowed from the inserted arm into Funaka's body.

A custom-made toxin specifically designed for Funaka OS, further adjusted precisely for combat in this very location.

"————～～～～～～～～～～!!"

Funaka let out a soundless scream, releasing shockwaves that sent me flying backward.

On her face was a smile.

But blood gushed out from every hole, drifting through the surrounding space.

"Phew, bwee… hihibi… you really did it… aah, my insides are singing such a wonderful discord… if only this were due to my own neglect… ghih, hibihii… and now the OS in the star system has been destroyed too… bwee… yes, this is truly my arrogance…"

"……"

The poison had definitely taken effect.

The Funaka OS deployed across the Siltrilich system had likely been dealt with by the Imperial forces, rapidly fading away and being overwritten by the 'Vanilla OS.'

It should be over now—just finish off the battered Funaka—but there's still a sense that something else is coming.

"But you're overconfident, aren't you…?"

'Shut up!'

"I know!"

I lunged toward Funaka to deliver the final blow, my right arm piercing through Funaka's chest and injecting additional poison.

Then, right after that—

"Who said my true form is the same as that of a mere human?"

A colossal red moon, slightly larger than my true body, materialized as if tearing through space.