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

The five pairs of patrols quickly fell under Cassandra's control.

After verifying that they had truly succumbed to her ability—by making them fall in line with the rest—she promptly ordered them to resume their duties.

After all, if their regular reports were delayed, the enemy would immediately notice that something was wrong.

Of course, we made sure to instruct them: act as if we and the brainwashed soldiers were invisible to you.

With that safeguard in place, we could move freely without concern.

Just to be thorough, I updated the markers on them, changing their designation to purple—indicating a "corrupted" patrol unit.

"With this, we can proceed to Stage Three."

Stage One was locating the Eclipse Sovereign. Stage Two was sneaking in and securing "pawns" to use. And finally, Stage Three—

"We're taking over the Eclipse Sovereign!"

Of course, that was much easier said than done.

The Eclipse Sovereign was an absolute behemoth—a spherical warship spanning nearly 500 kilometers in diameter, easily comparable to a medium-sized natural satellite.

In short, traveling from our current position—roughly two kilometers from the core—to every crucial section of the ship and seizing control wouldn't be simple. Even in pure Euclidean distance, the farthest points extended over 250 kilometers from us!

In a warship of this scale, brute force alone wouldn't cut it.

We had to be smart.

"So, we're taking over the surveillance centers first?" Eva asked, more to confirm than to question.

We had discussed this plan earlier—how to seize control of the Eclipse Sovereign without detection. The only way was to eliminate the enemy's eyes and ears. That meant taking over all surveillance hubs scattered throughout the ship.

With a ship this size, there were hundreds of them, each responsible for monitoring a designated section.

If the ship relied on one centralized command hub, the sheer volume of sensor data alone would be overwhelming—taking days to process, even with AI assistance.

"Exactly 530 surveillance substations and relay stations," Cassandra added, relaying fresh intel from the brainwashed soldiers.

Not only did they confirm the number, but they also provided the precise coordinates of each station—giving us a massive strategic advantage.

However…

"Since we need to strike all of them simultaneously, we'll need time to prepare," I pointed out, frowning.

If we only took out some of the surveillance hubs, the others would immediately detect the anomaly and report it to the bridge. We had to strike all at once—or not at all.

But there was a problem.

With just two thousand soldiers on our side, we could only assign around four men per station—an uncomfortably small number, considering these locations would be heavily fortified.

If we moved forward with our current forces, our success rate was barely 10%.

"..."

There was a method that would ensure a 100% success rate, but…

I turned to Cassandra, concern creeping into my expression.

Can I really ask her to do this?

Issuing that order would be brutal—borderline inhumane. And more than anything, it would break something inside her.

Even though I had grown used to her "Crazy Princess" persona, forcing her to take this step with my own hands… didn't sit well with me.

"Arthur…"

Just as I hesitated, Cassandra called my name.

Her voice was serious, her gaze unwavering.

Resolve burned in her blue eyes, though her lips trembled slightly.

"Let's proceed as planned," she declared, her voice carrying a quiet weight. "I… will order the soldiers to lay down their lives for my cause."

"C-Casey?!"

"Cassandra…"

Eva and I both gasped, stunned.

She had just, of her own volition, resolved herself to sacrifice her own people.

These weren't just random soldiers—these were men and women of the Meyers Star System. Her people.

A girl barely eighteen years old had taken it upon herself to bear the responsibility of thousands of lives.

I locked eyes with her, my voice steady.

"Are you sure?"

For a brief moment, hesitation flickered across her face. But she didn't look away. She held my gaze, firm and unwavering, before slowly nodding.

I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment.

A girl younger than me had just chosen the worst possible path for the greater good…

As the one currently acting as her "commander," how could I let her shoulder all the burden alone?

"Then, Cassandra," I inhaled deeply, then gave my order in a commanding tone.

"Divide our forces into 530 groups. Assign two members in each unit a Micro-Blackhole Grenade."

I paused.

Then, with a voice devoid of emotion, I continued—"At my signal, command them to detonate."

"...!"

Eva inhaled sharply.

She immediately understood why I had said that.

Rather than making Cassandra shoulder the burden of ordering her men to their deaths, I took it upon myself instead.

Their deaths would no longer be her fault.

It wouldn't be because of her decision, her ability, or her cause.

Instead, it would be because of my orders.

A simple trick. A game of shifting blame.

But if it spared Cassandra from breaking under the weight of her own guilt—then I'd gladly be the one to bear it.

"Arthur..."

Cassandra's eyes flickered with emotion—just for a brief moment—before she quickly turned away, as if to hide her face. She took a few seconds to collect herself, inhaling deeply before commanding with all the strength in her voice.

"Brave soldiers of the Meyers Royal Family! I hereby command you all!"

She roared, her voice reaching its loudest—practically a shout.

"Form groups of three or four! Each team, equip a micro-blackhole round and proceed to a surveillance relay or substation! Act normally and follow my commands! The communication channel is..."

Without hesitation, the entire army sprang into motion. They swiftly grouped up, moving in threes and fours before rushing toward their assigned targets.

Within moments, the once-crowded space—where thousands had stood—became deserted.

Only the three of us remained, standing in the heavy silence left behind.

Eva moved first, stepping behind Cassandra and gently patting her back. She leaned in, whispering something softly into her ear.

I didn't hear what she said, but whatever it was, it worked—Cassandra's lips curled into a faint, fragile smile. Even so, she looked as though she would break at the slightest push.

'As expected... Cassandra isn't fit to be a dictator. She's still too young for this.'

I sighed internally.

"Anyway, let's monitor their movements."

I sat cross-legged on the ground, tapping on my personal terminal to bring up a holographic display. The nanobots' synchronized feeds aggregated into a large, real-time map of the operation.

This allowed us to oversee everything in motion.

—But before all else, I didn't forget to activate my trap card.

With a single press of a key, the little virus I slipped in activated, switching all cameras within the ship from active, to an unchangeable paused state. This way, the enemy wouldn't notice our movements for a short while.

After dispersing, as expected, the soldiers navigated the labyrinthine passageways in a swift, coordinated rush.

Whenever they encountered other troops—who, understandably, were confused by the sudden movement—small conversations would follow…

And then, the oblivious patrols would be cut down.

"..."

It was a literal bloodbath.

Each time they struck, they seized the dead soldiers' communicators, perfectly mimicking their voices to maintain routine reports.

Their precision was terrifying—each impersonation so flawless that not even the original speakers would have noticed the difference.

'As expected of the Meyers Royal Family's elite soldiers…'

Their merciless efficiency, their sheer ability to move like shadows—silently reaping their former comrades—it was almost unreal.

Those assigned to nearby surveillance hubs reached their targets in under a minute. The rest, whose destinations were over 200 kilometers away, relied on indoor transport systems—rushing toward their objectives at top speed.

And, right on schedule, in exactly ten minutes, every unit was in position.

Not a single one late.

It was almost… miraculous.

But the real carnage was just about to begin.

Cassandra turned toward me, as if waiting for my signal. I met her gaze before parting my lips.

"Do it."

Her lips trembled as she echoed my command over the special channel. Right then, two soldiers from each group moved.

They stepped inside their assigned information centers. Exactly five seconds later—

The feeds of the soldiers waiting outside were abruptly consumed by a pair of expanding, black spheres.

Micro-blackholes.

In an instant, entire sections of the Eclipse Sovereign—control rooms, relay hubs, data centers—were reduced to nothing. Clean-cut gaps were left in their place, exposed wires sparking faintly in the vacuum of destruction.

"..."

Even though I was the one who gave the order, I didn't feel much guilt. After all, these soldiers of the Meyers Royal Family were strangers to me.

Unlike Cassandra—who might have known some of them personally—I felt no connection to their sacrifice.

But regardless, my choice had helped lessen Cassandra's burden.

She leaned against Eva's shoulder, her frame seeming smaller than ever.

I could hear faint sobs. But with her back turned, I couldn't confirm whether she was truly crying or simply trying to suppress it.

I closed the holographic feed and stood up, stretching lightly.

"Alright…!" I spoke, my voice deliberately lighthearted.

"Then, Cassandra, order the remaining troops to standby near the central area—securing the Eclipse Sovereign's bridge."

Her shoulders trembled slightly at my tone, but I didn't stop.

Call me a devil if you want, but this was my role.

"It's time to get rid of King Meyers."

For a moment, Cassandra didn't move.

Then, she exhaled slowly, lifting her hands to wipe her eyes.

Finally, she turned to face me—her eyes red and puffy, but the resolve burning within them never wavered.

"Alright," she said, her voice hoarse yet unwavering. "I… will finish what I started. It's time for the final stand."

I smiled.

She wasn't as broken as I had feared.

Stepping forward, I placed a gentle hand on her head—careful not to let the weight of my suit press down on her.

"That's my girl."

Then, with a grin—

"Let's end this."