Fated to Die to the Player, I'll Live Freely with My SSS-Class Ship!

After a brief pause, my mind started analyzing the sight before me even though it did not want me to. In a literal instant, a quarter of a fleet disappeared just like that; no debris was left behind, not a sign of resistance—they just vanished. A fraction of the fleet disappearing meant a fraction of the number of lives I needed to protect at all costs was lost.

"N-No way...!" Even Eva, sitting beside me, gasped. "Everyone is... suddenly... gone!"

Just one unpredictable blow of "something" and those lives had been erased from existence. My chest tightened as I realized the terrible reality, and a harrowing possibility—if that attack came again, it could erase us all.

I drew in a muted gasp, my breath caught in my throat, before calling out desperately to the fleet.

"Everyone, forget all my previous orders! Toggle your thrusters to the maximum output and scatter!"

Only a few seconds had passed after we escaped the encirclement, but the fleet had managed to create some distance from the Detonid horde. Turning on the thrusters now would not detonate the Detonids swarm, at least I hope so—although I’m not sure about those still attached to some of the ships’ hulls.

My fingers flew over the control panel with practiced precision, turning the Range Falcon’s thrusters and boosters up to their maximum value. Around us, the other ships flared to life, their systems powering up in unison as they prepared to scatter in all directions.

Just as I had ordered, the fleet began to break formation, spreading out randomly to avoid further batch annihilation.

The Range Falcon, which was right in the middle of the formation, was slower to maneuver due to the cluster of ships still nearby. But waiting wasn’t an option. I floored the pedals, putting the thrusters at full output, and directed the ship to catch up with the Heracles, which was already forging ahead.

I still don’t know what attacked us, but one thing was clear: the Heracles, having survived a direct collision, was our best shield against whatever was lurking out there.

’In short, staying by the Heracle’s side is the safest choice!’

Of course, after receiving an unperceived attack, adding the fact that they hit something that couldn’t be seen, I was convinced about one thing.

"Falcon-000 to all ships! Take note! A bigger Detonid is lurking in the darkness of space around us!"

That so many vessels could be destroyed in one blow was testament enough to its might and size. Its unseen figure indicated that it was using some advanced camouflage, avoiding detection both by radar and vision.

But I had something else in mind.

"Percy! Run a biological scan! Max detection power, minimum range!"

[ Command received. Scanning...]

A pulse rippled out from the Range Falcon, visible on the VBA Module as an orange wave expanding in all directions. As the wave struck objects in its path, they became outlined in an orange mesh, their structures mapped in real-time. Ships in the fleet lit up briefly, their shapes rendered in intricate detail. And then, beyond all that, it appeared.

About ten kilometers away, an enormous figure began to materialize on the scan. The orange mesh revealed a creature, starting at the tip of a tentacle, rapidly crawling its way down the tentacle and toward the central part. The size of it left me breathless.

"What in the nine heavens is that beast?!!"

The mesh hadn’t even completed rendering its full form, but what was visible was already beyond comprehension. Its basic shape resembled the Detonids we were familiar with, but its size was on an entirely different scale.

While normal Detonids measured around 10 meters from tip to tip, this creature’s tentacles stretched at least ten kilometers each. Its body, when fully rendered, would easily span 20 kilometers across!

A cold sweat broke out on my brow as I stared at the colossal form taking shape. Whatever this thing was, it wasn’t just another Detonid. It was a monster, a titan, a nightmare given form!

Just as I staggered at the sheer threat of the giant enemy—even bigger than the Heracles—its orange wireframe tentacles started to move. It seemed slow at first, but with its enormity, the ends of its tentacles must have been moving at more than a hundred kilometers per second!

The VBA Module swiftly plotted its trajectory, and dread sank into me as the projection showed the obvious—it was coming straight for the Range Falcon.

"Shit...!" My instincts kicked in, overriding any thoughts of hesitation. Risky maneuvers didn’t matter—survival did!

I stomped the pedals, pushing the boosters into overdrive. The Range Falcon roared to life, shooting forward as the cabin’s anti-inertia systems struggled to keep pace. My eyes blacked out for an instant as the acceleration pushed well over 10G.

A colossal, whip-like tentacle snapped down behind us, narrowly missing the stern by mere meters. A chill crept down my spine—we barely made it, but that wasn’t the end of it. The creature wasn’t satisfied with a close miss. Hundreds of its tentacles sprang out, and several were now after us as if we had managed to anger it somehow.

"Y-You… bastard…!" Eva groaned next to me, her voice tense. "Warn me before you play a stunt like that! I passed out for a second, you asshole!"

Even with her complaining, Eva knew what was going on. She grumbled and refocused on her console. "The other ships are beyond its range now, but that thing… It’s still pursuing us, and it’s moving at a crazy speed!"

While talking, Eva connected the Biological Scan Module to the radar, which finally detected the enormous Detonid, showing it as a gigantic bright red spot. Its dimensions on the screen by itself validated my first guess—this beast was humongous! Furthermore, it was catching up with us, traveling even faster than the Range Falcon was!

I clenched my teeth. "Damn it… I want to run, but…"

I couldn’t lead this monstrosity to the rest of the fleet. If it reached them, the damage that could be inflicted on them was unimaginable.

"Falcon-000 to all units!" I compelled my voice to sound firm, hiding my increasing terror. "Start the next phase of the plan! We’ll distract this enormous son of a bitch for the moment! Heracles-000, take command after you’ve left this dimension. Safety first, above everything else!"

{Acting Commander Astoria…! We can’t leave you and the Major behind!}

Naturally, most of them hesitated. My order involved putting not only myself but Major Terrence as well, in danger. Nevertheless, I had no other choice.

"This is something that only my Range Falcon can accomplish, so stop whining and obey! Get the hell out of here!"

The fleet was not in very good condition. Their systems had various degrees of damage from the petrification, to the point that keeping even 10 km/s was already stretching it.

"If you waste time, I’ll personally report your insubordination to Major Terrence later!" I snapped, mixing authority with a light threat to push them into action.

{Nautilus-000 to all vessels. Obey Mister Gerard’s orders. Vessels with Detonids on their hulls, clear them with powered suits and cold weapons. Those already cleared, start space jump in batches of ten!}

The Del Pravvio’s second-in-command—Officer Fardin—stepped in, reinforcing my orders. With his support, the fleet finally began moving. Though I could sense their reluctance, I was relieved to see the ships spreading out and leaving the area.

"Finally!" I grumbled, turning to Eva with a weak smile. "Now it’s just us. Buckle up—we’re going to be experiencing some intense G-forces. Curse me to your heart’s content later if you want!"

"You…" Eva glared at me but sighed in resignation. "Dragged into another one of your reckless stunts. I’ll definitely claim double pay after this!"

"Only if we survive!" I retorted, twisting the controls to send the Range Falcon into a sharp space drift. The ship groaned under the strain as we banked hard. "And stop talking for now, or you might bite your tongue!"

Three invisible tentacles slammed down where we would have been if I hadn’t veered off course.

The VBA Module flashed, marking additional incoming tentacles. The mega-sized beast was enraged, its attacks unrelenting, as if it were having a tantrum specifically targeted at us.

Its rage made it more dangerous—but thankfully, also more predictable. The tentacles followed straight, near-rigid courses, and I employed every last shred of concentration to take advantage of that, weaving through them like a thread going through a needle’s eye.

"Shit!" I spat as the beast closed in on us.

Every time I make a turn, the distance between us shortens. If it came any closer, its tentacles would envelop us entirely, eliminating all avenues of escape.

"Eva!" I called, haste heavy in my voice.

Her reply was a snarl, her fingers dancing over her console. "Just shut up and drive! I know what to do!"

Her determination mirrored my own. As I desperately controlled the ship to keep us alive, Eva was doing what she did best—calculating the path to victory!