The Algrand Empire's capital planet.

Within the palace, there is a special room that has been used by successive generations of emperors.

In that room, where only a select few are permitted entry, a throne even larger than the one in the audience chamber is prepared.

The current emperor, Bagrada, was also fond of it, and as he sat, he lovingly caressed the armrest with his right hand.

The Prime Minister, one of the few allowed in this room, had complex feelings as he looked at the throne.

(Though it is a throne favored and passed down by successive generations of His Majesty the Emperor... what a sinister aura it exudes.)

Visually, it was a magnificent throne adorned with treasures.

Or rather, the entire room could be called a throne.

The throne on the dais was connected to the floor, a part of the room itself.

In such a room, the Prime Minister reported the war situation to Bagrada, all the while feeling a strange, ominous presence.

"Your Majesty, the punitive force is in a dire situation."

"Ah, so I've heard. Does it look like Cleo can turn things around?"

"—It would be impossible. We should either dispatch reinforcements immediately or order a retreat."

The Algrand Empire had dispatched a punitive force against the Banfield Family, citing signs of rebellion.

Normally, it was a force of a scale that should have guaranteed victory, but the reports reaching the Empire indicated the punitive force was in a disadvantageous position.

Bagrada should have been aware of the situation, yet he showed no sign of panic.

He was looking up at the ceiling, where a large glass chalice was set.

It was catching a black, blood-like liquid dripping from the ceiling, and the glass chalice was about a third full.

Bagrada's eyes, as he watched this, curved with amusement.

He looked quite pleased.

His attitude suggested he considered the matter of the punitive force to be trivial.

(The previous emperor, and the one before him, also used to gaze at that black liquid in this room. I never thought that Lord Bagrada, too, would become captivated by this room.)

The Prime Minister had spoken with Bagrada several times back when he was still the Crown Prince.

At that time, Bagrada had been an intelligent prince.

Being royalty, he had dabbled in shady affairs, but he had been concerned about the state of the Empire and believed it should be improved.

Now, not a trace of that former self remained.

"Your Majesty, at this rate, the Imperial Army will be defeated by the Banfield Family. Given the Empire's national strength, there is no need to panic over a single defeat. However, the very fact that we were defeated by a single lord will become a problem."

It didn't matter that the opponent was the renowned Duke Banfield.

It would be disastrous for the other interstellar nations to learn that the superpower, the Algrand Empire, had lost to a single lord.

He first explained that the situation was steadily worsening.

"The neighboring countries are growing restless. Even the Hegemony Kingdom, which was supposed to have shown its allegiance, is now baring its fangs at the Empire and raiding our borders."

The enemy was not just the Banfield Family.

The Prime Minister, explaining desperately, wanted Bagrada to indicate some sort of policy.

Whether they reconciled with the Banfield Family or continued to fight, the Prime Minister didn't care.

What was important was Bagrada's decision.

Perhaps the Prime Minister's earnestness got through to him, as Bagrada let out a small sigh and looked slightly exasperated.

"You're trying to say that if the Banfield Family wins, the neighboring countries will think the Empire is in decline and launch a full-scale invasion, aren't you?"

"That is correct."

Realizing that Bagrada understood the situation, the Prime Minister felt a sense of relief and let his guard down.

However, that relaxed feeling was immediately shattered.

Before the Prime Minister, Bagrada's lips curled into a smile.

"—Isn't that just wonderful?"

"Y-Your Majesty?"

Bagrada extended his right hand toward the glass chalice on the ceiling.

And then.

"Duke Banfield is a strong light. Don't you think he's the light of hope everyone has been waiting for?"

"L-Light? It is troubling to hear you speak of one who has drawn his bow against the Empire in such a way."

The Prime Minister broke out in a cold sweat at the Emperor's own words, which seemed to admit that the Empire was the villain.

Facing the floating glass chalice, Bagrada foresaw Liam's future.

"—But a strong light will also draw forth a strong darkness. In a battle of this scale, monsters will be drawn by the immense chorus of resentment and reveal themselves."

"Monsters? Your Majesty, what are you saying?"

As the Prime Minister stood there, confused and unable to understand, Bagrada turned to face him.

He stared at the Prime Minister with dull, lifeless eyes.

"Beings that have transcended the realm of man. I've been looking forward to it for a long time, thinking it might just happen. I believe that Duke Banfield will surely draw them out."

Bagrada seemed to be looking forward to the appearance of these beings who transcended humanity.

And finally, Bagrada smiled.

"Cleo did a fine job. As an incompetent but diligent worker, he prepared the perfect stage for us. Don't you agree, Prime Minister?"

Being asked for his agreement, the Prime Minister couldn't hide his agitation.

"You can't mean... you thought His Highness the Crown Prince would lose from the very beginning!?"

"If I hadn't done this, a war of this scale would never have occurred."

"H-How could you—"

The way Emperor Bagrada spoke suggested he had ulterior motives for this war, a war the Empire had staked its prestige on.

As for these beings who transcended humanity, the Prime Minister couldn't make sense of it.

But at this rate, the Algrand Empire itself would be shaken to its core.

In fact, unrest was already spreading in some parts due to the Banfield Family's victory.

With time, the Algrand Empire would face invasions from neighboring countries while also dealing with internal problems.

As the Prime Minister felt a wave of dizziness, Bagrada's chest swelled with anticipation.

"Beings beyond human comprehension—I'm truly looking forward to it."

◇

"—So I can't win."

On the deck of a warship fleeing from the Banfield fleet, the Guide was on all fours, shedding tears.

In zero gravity, his tears formed into spheres, froze, and scattered around him.

Shedding tears of blood-tinged frustration, the Guide hated Liam.

"How can I beat Liam? Do you have any idea how much support I gave Cleo? Normally, winning in this situation would be impossible! Liam, are you even human!?"

The Empire's punitive force, including its rear support vessels, numbered over ten million ships.

Despite being attacked by a fleet of that size, the Banfield Family was successfully defending their territory.

The punitive force had already begun its retreat, and the Banfield fleets were launching pursuits in various locations.

Even now, as the Guide despaired, Imperial warships were being destroyed one after another.

"How—how can I beat Liam—Ugh, my stomach is starting to hurt."

Perhaps thanks to all the stress Liam had caused him, the Guide was feeling a stomachache.

An unpleasant pain, the likes of which he had never felt before, twisted the Guide's mouth.

"How much more must you torment me before you're satisfied?! Liam, I will never, ever forgive you!!"

◇

Meanwhile.

"Kill every last one of them!!"

On the bridge of the super-dreadnought, Marie was in command, as if venting all her pent-up frustration.

The defeat of the Imperial Army's main force—on the battlefield where this news arrived, Marie's fleet, which had been holed up in their fortress, was now on the offensive.

The opposing mixed fleet of feudal lords, though superior in numbers, chose to retreat.

Now that the punitive force's main body had been defeated, they likely judged it too dangerous to remain and fight in enemy territory.

But Marie would not allow it.

"After doing whatever you pleased all this time, don't you dare think you can get away for free!"

Her pseudo-noble lady speech had vanished, and the merciless Marie issued orders to her allies with bloodshot eyes.

When the Banfield fleet saw enemy ships that had run out of fuel and raised the white flag—they destroyed them without mercy.

They showed no mercy in attacking surrendered enemies, but there was, of course, a reason for this.

Marie's second-in-command asked how to handle the enemy ships that had offered to surrender.

"Your Excellency, another fleet has shown up wanting to surrender."

To her second-in-command, who shrugged as if to say "here we go again," Marie merely glanced and spoke coldly.

"Ignore them. They are the ones who rampaged and scorched the Banfield territory as they pleased. There is no need to show them any mercy."

The invading punitive force had committed every possible act of plunder in the Banfield territory.

Afterward, they had scorched the planets to prevent them from being used again.

Marie felt no need to show mercy to an enemy that had tried so thoroughly to destroy the Banfield Family.

Furthermore—

(The ones here are a gathering of competent, pro-Empire nobles. Viscount Moth, who led the fleet, is undoubtedly capable as well. —That's why I'll make sure to finish them off here and now.)

—She was aware that letting the enemy before her escape would be detrimental to the Banfield Family.

Considering the future, it was necessary to crush them completely, if only to chip away at the Empire's military strength.

"You defied Lord Liam and attacked the planet where Lady Rosetta resides—don't think a single one of you will make it back alive."

Facing the retreating enemy fleet, Marie fought with the determination to sink every last ship.

◇

"Annihilate the pirates!!"

And on another front, Tia, who was in command, had also shifted to a pursuit.

The enemy fleet led by Marquis Hampson, while superior in numbers, had almost no supplies left.

Perhaps deeming it impossible to continue the battle, they had begun to retreat—but just like Marie, Tia was not one to let them get away.

Above all.

"You plundered Lord Liam's territory to your heart's content and scorched his planets—that makes you space pirates, doesn't it? It's useless to say otherwise. I have officially designated you as such!"

After unilaterally designating them as space pirates, Tia mercilessly attacked the enemy fleet.

Her second-in-command, knowing it was futile, still sought Tia's judgment.

"Lady Tia, a group has appeared wishing to surrender."

Towards the surrendering Imperial soldiers, Tia maintained her smile.

"—I cannot accept the surrender of space pirates."

"Understood."

On this battlefield as well, surrendered ships were destroyed without mercy.

Tia projected an image of the entire battlefield into the air and began to ponder her next move.

"Now then, will the enemy flee in disarray, or will they rendezvous somewhere—I wonder where I should head to strike the most enemies."

The Imperial forces were retreating on all fronts, and she was calmly considering where to go to effectively reduce their numbers.

Even while excited about exterminating space pirates, her ability to think calmly was likely Tia's greatest strength.

Her second-in-command pointed out their own army's problems to Tia.

"Our army's morale is high, but the problem is that we're exhausted from the defensive battle. We are in pursuit, but our numbers are insufficient. If we push too deep, we'll suffer greater losses from a counterattack."

"I don't want to push our allies who endured the enemy's fierce assault. Let's have them maintain a reasonable distance. Have you contacted the capital planet?"

"It has already been done, and we have received approval."

"Excellent—now then, shall we continue our enjoyable pursuit?"