087 Drift Arc 27: The Final Battle

This was supposed to be where the greatest battle began.

Or so it should have.

"Why did it come to this?"

Let’s rewind a bit, back to before the battle. Five thousand versus three thousand two hundred—plus Anoi Fortress.

With Anoi Fortress’s combat power added, we were slightly favored. But fighting would mean massive casualties on both sides. A true stalemate.

Prince seemed to plan on winning without fighting.

If he’d truly meant to fight, he’d have brought the station into the fray. But Prince, believing Akira was dead, had grown complacent.

I’d activated the Tactical Weapon Integration Control System at full capacity, preparing to launch from my Personal Ship and map the battlefield.

That moment—sudden chill rising up my spine. Something was hacking me from the other side.

I visualized the data link as a virtual screen, treating the neural network as a real space.

Something massive is coming at me. Ah, this is the same pattern as when a battleship got reverse-hacked.

The circuit I’d seized with an Erosion Bullet is being forcibly reclaimed—reversed back through the line.

Meaning, something with a brain more advanced than a battleship.

Only one thing comes to mind.

"A stray starship’s nest... the mothership!"

I dive into the neural space with my avatar.

I shoot the enemy’s barrier with my avatar’s weapons. The neural space is an image-based world.

The image of destruction breaks the barrier.

I reassert control over the data link with additional Erosion Bullets.

Enemy offensive shields descend like beams.

I imagine a G-Bullet and fire the railgun.

The enemy’s shields shatter—the corridor opens like the sky clearing after a storm.

Before me, the image of a biological brain. The core of the stray starship’s nest.

Suddenly, words hit my mind like telepathy.

『That power—what are you?』

「Me? I’m Akira Yaegashi. High school student.」

『Why do you invade me?』

«Probably because I want power?»

『Do you even have the资格?』

«Well... I dunno.»

『Show me your资格.』

«Hmm. How about “Admiral Command, obey me!”—random, but good enough?»

『Ohhh... Absolutely the rightful successor. I’ve been waiting for you. I’ll gladly serve under your command!』

«Huh?»

『Huh?』

I’d somehow just gotten the stray starship’s nest—its mothership—under my control.

『You need power, don’t you?』

«Yeah. Kinda in a pinch right now.»

『Then I’ll come at once!』

While Akira was locked in a reverse-hack paralysis, the prelude to the final battle had already begun.

『What’s wrong, beast-men? Follow me, and happiness awaits.』

Those words sent Larter into a rage.

"Your little word 'beast-man' comes with a smirk, doesn’t it?"

Larter was a warrior clan. No matter how strong the enemy, they’d charge in without flinching—step back? Never. That’s what Larter was.

Charging into reckless battles and winning with pride—only that was Larter.

As always, the Larter clan broke through in force.

"Idiot! Why fight? After Akira’s gone, what’s left to fight for?"

"You’re the idiot! You trample our pride and then say there’s no reason to fight? That’s laughable."

While the Prince faltered, the Larter-led mixed fleet of a thousand ships charged forward.

The Prince’s five-thousand-ship formation, built on intimidation, froze in place—chaos erupted.

"You don’t care what happens to the wives of beastmen, do you?"

The Prince panicked and made a bad move. That’s when the cat and dog clans reacted.

‘‘You don’t see me as anything but a hostage—so no one’s coming to help you!!’’

One thousand ships from the Graul Dominion and one thousand from the Caprius Dominion charged forward.

The battle had already begun—no need to wait for Akira.

‘‘Akira, it’s started!’’

A transmission came in from President Kamizawa.

I was yanked from the neural web back into the real world.

‘‘President, sorry. Was deep in the feed.’’

I launched with full readiness.

‘‘‘‘‘Gyah! What the hell is this?!’’’’’

‘‘Help! God, please!!’’

‘‘This is the end of the world…’’

At that moment, panic signals flooded in from every ship.

Chaos erupted across the void.

A rogue space fleet—their mothership—had just warped in from the Anoi sector.

‘‘They’re here♡’’

‘‘They’re here♡? No, they’re not!!’’

I delivered my best deadpan line with everything I had.

Several tens of thousands of stray capital ships erupting from the warp simultaneously.

I frantically reassign the stray capital ships to blue (friendly) on the Tactical Weapon Integration Control System and push the update through.

Naturally, the Prince’s fleet must’ve picked up the identification signal as red (enemy).

Fifty thousand. A sudden tenfold increase in combat strength.

‘‘Don’t shoot my allies, okay?’’

‘‘Leave it to me.’’

I mentally emphasize to the stray capital ships. As long as they understand friend-or-foe signals, that’s all that matters.

Then I send the GO signal via dimensional comm.

I’ve locked and sealed the Anoi sector’s Dimensional Jump Gate from the sub-space side.

Now the Prince can’t run.

(Well, Prince? What now?)

‘‘I think the outcome’s already settled. Surrender, Prince?’’

I offer surrender.

Yeah, I get that he’s not the kind of Prince who’d show up riding in on something like that.

‘‘N-no way… Akira! You’re alive!!’’

‘‘Alive and kicking. Saw right through your trap, you know. Anyway, what’s the plan with this? What now?’’

‘‘Damn it… Kill him!’’

‘‘Got it. If that’s how it ends, then so be it.’’

I aim the Long Barrel 5cm Railgun at the Prince’s Personal Ship.

Easy to spot—the thing’s covered in flashy decorations, unmistakable as a Prince’s vessel.

No hesitation. I pull the trigger—(metaphor, since it’s brainwave-controlled).

The G-Bullet flies straight toward the Prince’s ship. Direct hit.

Damage sustained, but not destroyed.

I fire another G-Bullet.

At that moment, the Dimensional Jump Gate opens—and a single, one-of-a-kind Personal Ship bursts through.

It fires a G-Bullet, intercepting mine—neutralizing it mid-flight.

A flare of massive energy collides—lightning tearing through the void.

When the flash faded, the Prince’s ship and the mysterious Personal Ship had vanished.

No chasing possible—the Dimensional Jump Gate had closed, politely sealing itself shut.

Five thousand surviving ships surrendered. Captured.

One hundred of them had crews. The Prince’s side had fewer resources than expected.

Thought it’d be the final showdown. Turns out it was a bit underwhelming.

Their fate decided later.

Letting the Prince escape means the fight’s far from over.

He still has a station left.

Pain in the ass.

Forgot to bring back the imperial fleet—should’ve been home ages ago, story-wise.

Added note: they’re due back soon, as per 076.