Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 34

In the crimson flame ring of the Flaming Binary, there was a small planet named Milantu. It was only a quarter the size of Old Earth and was located at the Lagrange point of the binary stars, rotating at a very slow pace. It has a thin atmosphere with a high content of hydrogen and helium. Generally, such small planets weren’t suitable for human habitation, but because of the rich metal deposits in its strata, colonists established mines here, creating an artificial atmosphere and ecosystem suitable for human survival, along with a spaceport for ships transporting the ore.

During the First Galactic War, the colonists evacuated Milantu. In the dark years that followed, this gem in the flame ring was forgotten in the passage of time. Technology declined, civilization regressed, until the first group of Earth survivors brought lost technology to the “Unfallen Star”, and the colonists saw the dawn of hope.

Another fourteen hundred years passed, and Joanna Begrel’s fleet, defectors from the Federal Army turned space pirates, arrived here. They discovered that once the abandoned base’s energy was restored, it could still operate. Within forty-eight hours, the artificial atmosphere filled the base’s sky, the ecosystem began to recover, and various plants and animals were automatically cloned and revived by the computer. Even the thousand-year-abandoned mines resumed operation, with machinery extracting tons of ore from the rock layers according to the ancient colonists’ programs. Everything was orderly, as if the base had merely taken a brief nap, rather than being abandoned for a millennium.

Joanna immediately decided to make Milantu the base for her pirate fleet. After some renovation and expansion, the base became a small town, including pirates, their families, and reserve members of the pirate group, with a population of nearly a thousand. Almost every week, black market merchant ships came to Milantu’s spaceport to sell weapons and buy stolen goods. During the off-season, the base would open the mines and rely on selling ore for income. Over the years, they had accumulated quite a bit.

The female pirate leader returned to the Flaming Binary at the end of the off-season. The Lady of the Night passed by the last merchant ship buying ore for the year under the deep red light of the red giant star. The merchant ship sent a message to the Lady of the Night: “Isn’t this the mad queen? We thought you died on Hecate!”

“What? Is this how Old Highway’s caravan welcomes me back?” Joanna, sitting in the command seat, said unhappily to Leo. “Curse him for me!”

“At your command, Captain!” The dutiful AI sent a message back to the merchant ship. “Fuck you!”

The merchant ship immediately fled from the Lady of the Night like a scared rabbit.

“Oh, Captain, look at what you’ve done,” Leo chided. “You scared Old Highway away. He might not come to buy our ore next year.”

“It was you who scared him away, not me!” Joanna wanted to swing the command seat at the AI. Fortunately, the base was sturdy enough to avoid a disaster.

“Dear crew members, the Lady of the Night will dock in five minutes. A large crowd is waiting at the port to welcome us. Finish your work, bring the gifts you bought for your family and friends, and put on a tearful expression! We’re going home!”

After Leonard’s announcement, cheers erupted in the dining hall. Ibb Descartes was so excited he almost jabbed a fork into Alois’s nose.

“Sorry, brother!” Ibb threw down the fork and started waving a napkin to express his joy.

“Are we arriving at Milantu?” Alois calmly forked a piece of potato into his mouth.

“Yes! Milantu! Our base! We’re going home!” Ibb was as excited as if he were on a stimulant.

Alois glanced at Joshua, ensuring he had no intention of stealing his meat, then asked, “Is your family also on Milantu?”

Ibb wiped the tears of excitement from his left eye with his left hand and vigorously patted Alois on the back with his right hand, nearly causing him to choke on the potato he had just swallowed. “Of course! Where else would they be?”

So when Alois disembarked and saw the “family” Ibb embraced, he started boasting about his wide mouth. Joshua, with his mouth shut, boasted about his large eyes. The cat-skin scarf Schrödinger around his neck boasted about both simultaneously.

“Let me introduce you. This is my mechanical teacher, Maxim, but everyone calls him ‘Spider’.” Ibb pointed excitedly at the two people and one cat. “They are the new companions the captain recruited, Joshua Planck and Alois Lagrange, along with their pet, Schrödinger.”

“Welcome to Milantu, newcomers and new cat! Your expressions are priceless!” Maxim’s voice was bright as he shook Joshua’s and Alois’s hands and Schrödinger’s paw simultaneously. Saying “simultaneously” was appropriate because his hands were two mechanical prosthetics, and he had two additional pairs of mechanical arms on his shoulders. With his legs, Maxim had “eight limbs” in total, hence his nickname “Spider”.

“Don’t make that face, Alois.” Ibb looked a little hurt. “Spider lost his hands in an accident and installed six mechanical arms to better repair machinery. He’s the best mechanic in the fleet.”

Alois stiffly nodded.

“It’s okay, Ibb.” Spider Maxim smiled. If one ignored his six arms, he looked like a quiet, intellectual reader rather than a sweaty technician who worked on machines all day. “I love seeing expressions like theirs. It’s exhilarating!”

Alois and Joshua silently exchanged a look, wordlessly saying, “Milantu is terrifying! I want to go back to Hecate, really!”

Joshua understood, nodding. To confirm he wasn’t dreaming, he pinched the black cat on his neck hard. The black cat let out a miserable cry, and Joshua resignedly sighed.

Captain Joanna, upon disembarking, was immediately surrounded by a sea of people, receiving an even warmer welcome than when she returned to the Lady of the Night. She had to punch a few people to break free from the crowd, then climbed onto a transport vehicle and raised her hands. Usually, when the captain made this gesture, it meant she had something important to announce. The bustling crowd immediately fell silent, and the once lively spaceport became quiet, with thousands of eyes focused on the red-haired female pirate.

“My companions,” the captain began. “Not long ago, due to my foolish mistake, I caused trouble for everyone! I’m sorry!”

The crowd burst into laughter. Someone shouted, “It’s okay, Captain, we’re used to it!” This was met with many agreements.

Joanna continued, “Even so, you all risked your lives to rescue me… You are truly my good brothers!”

Another round of cheers. “And sisters!” several girls shouted from the crowd.

“And sisters.” The captain nodded. “Now, we, the Lady of the Night, have finally returned to Milantu. We are home!”

Applause, cheers, and screams drowned Milantu’s sky. The grandeur of this scene was no less than a concert by the Galactic Diva, Alois thought.

To quiet the crowd, Joanna raised her hands again.

“Here, I want to formally introduce two new companions, my fellow prisoners from Hecate.” Joanna keenly pointed out Alois and Joshua in the crowd. “The Mourner—Joshua Planck, and his family—Alois Lagrange, who is also the fourth pilot of the Lady of the Night!”

The crowd’s burning gazes turned towards the two. Alois didn’t know what to do, so he looked at Joshua for help. The assassin calmly raised his right hand, greeting the crowd with a solemn nod, as if he were a leader inspecting his troops.

“Ahaha, two S-class wanted criminals,” Spider said. “The average bounty in Milantu just went up a lot. Congratulations.”…There’s nothing to be happy about in this! Alois thought mournfully.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 33

Joanna Begrel stood gaping, staring at the silver-white machine in the maintenance bay. “Leo, what is this?”

“Captain, has your eyesight deteriorated that much in just a few days?”

“If I’m not mistaken, this is a ‘Bard’.”

Titia stood next to her, holding an opened bag of chips, but hadn’t eaten any. “Captain, you lied.” She stared at the machine and said, “You said we couldn’t afford a ‘Bard’.”

“It wasn’t me who said that. It was Mrs. Mota.” Joanna grabbed a handful of chips from Titia’s bag and stuffed them into her own mouth. “And it… it wasn’t me who bought it!”

Leonard, arms crossed, squatted on top of the machine, directing a group of small robots to reinstall the removed pilot seat. “In fact, it wasn’t bought at all.”

“Then how did we get it?” Joanna looked at Leo in horror. “What did you do in Neo Venice that was so terrible?”

“What kind of look is that? We’re pirates, aren’t we? Whether it’s stolen or robbed, it’s perfectly normal!”

Joanna’s eyes welled up with tears of excitement. “So… was it stolen or robbed?”

“Lagrange kidnapped a hostage, and this is the ransom.”

The female pirate sniffled. “Really? Lagrange has learned to kidnap hostages and even brought back a ‘Bard’?” Her emotions mixed, like a mother bird seeing her chick learn to fly, with feelings of both joy and pride intertwined. “I need to give him a raise, Leo!”

“I’ll relay that to Mrs. Mota for you.”

“Can I pilot the ‘Bard’ now?”

“Absolutely not.” The ship was currently traveling at near-light speed, leaving the Lalage star system, and flying out now would be equivalent to suicide.

Joanna sadly grabbed another handful of chips from Titia.

“Let’s not talk about piloting it. Can I at least touch it?” Titia asked. “Or sit in the cockpit for a bit?”

“Don’t even think about it.” Titia had a knack for dismantling fighter jets while piloting them, and no one knew how she did it.

The female pilot wanted to eat a chip to ease her frustration but found that the last one had been silently taken by Joanna. She glared at the captain as if she were her arch-nemesis, and the ‘Bard’ was instantly forgotten.

Sensing the rising tension between the two, Titia’s two observant brothers immediately stepped in to separate them. “Captain, your dog needs you to take it for a walk.” “Titia, I bought a bag of Neo Venice specialty seaweed yesterday. It’s delicious.”

After they left, the maintenance bay quieted down. The elevator doors silently closed, cutting off Titia’s loud “I’m tired of seaweed! And I’ve named it ‘Nasha’. How’s that?” leaving only the sound of robots clanging on the pilot seat’s base echoing in the empty room.

Alois and Ibb Descartes had been hiding behind a Godot II, not daring to breathe, afraid of being caught up in the crazy women’s battle. Now they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Ibb elbowed Alois. “Hey, did you hear that? The captain’s giving you a raise! Shouldn’t you treat us?”

“I think so too. But I’ll have to wait until she gives me last month’s salary first.” Alois shrugged, unfazed.

On June 17, 1416, Standard Calendar, the Lady of the Night finished its repairs at the Neo Venice ship repair yard. Amidst the cursing of the yard’s manager (“An AI dared to bargain with me! And it actually convinced me! Damn!”), the ship departed at near-light speed, leaving the Lalage star system and entering warp, heading towards the binary star system Rylier at the border of the Empire and the Free City-States Cluster. Rylier was famous throughout the Empire for its stunning scenery. One of the binary stars was in the red giant phase, pulsating and ejecting massive amounts of matter into space, forming a beautiful nebula that glowed bright orange and dark red, resembling a ring of deep red flames on optical displays. It was also known as the “Flaming Binary”.

The “Flaming Binary” was also notorious for another reason. It was the border between the Empire, the Federation, and the Free City-States, and a major trade route between them. A notorious, ruthless female pirate with flaming red hair and her gang prowled here, eyeing the passing merchant ships. When they found a suitable target, they pounced like hungry wolves, plundering the ships and their cargo, kidnapping the crew, and demanding ransoms from the shipping companies. This notorious pirate was Joanna Begrel. The Empire and the Federation had attempted to dispatch troops to eradicate the pirates but were too preoccupied with fighting each other. The Free City-States couldn’t muster a strong enough military, and the area around the “Flaming Binary” was filled with unstable magnetic vortices and mines left over from the First Galactic War, making it a death trap for anyone unfamiliar with the terrain. Thus, the pirates became increasingly rampant.

“Rampant enough to break into a prison planet and rescue prisoners?”

Major General Darius Bayes sat in the command chair on the bridge, his gloved fingers rhythmically tapping the armrest. A holographic star map was displayed before him, with one region marked in red. In fact, even without the marking, that region was already quite red.

The Major General’s adjutant, John Leibniz, stiffened upon hearing the question, unsure how to respond. The Major General’s thoughts were always inscrutable, the adjutant thought. Sometimes he highly praised Joanna Begrel’s tactics, almost treating her as a model of strategy, while other times he loathed her, wishing to personally take her head. Was the Major General currently admiring her, or hating her? John Leibniz couldn’t figure it out.

The Major General didn’t expect him to. “Order the entire fleet to head towards the ‘Flaming Binary’,” Darius said. “That wicked pirate must have returned to her lair to recuperate.”

“To the ‘Flaming Binary’?” John Leibniz asked in disbelief. “But there… Sir, it’s very dangerous, full of…”

“Full of strange magnetic vortices and old mines that can’t be cleared, right?” The Major General finished his sentence. “I’ve been to places more dangerous than that. Besides, we can’t let this matter drag on, or the Empire’s reputation will be in tatters. We can’t let these pests disrupt the Empire’s peace.” He waved his right hand, closing the star map. “We have great things to accomplish in the future. Let’s use Joanna Begrel’s blood to inaugurate our campaign!”

“Yes, sir!” The adjutant straightened up and saluted. “Additionally, there’s one more thing to report!”

“Speak.”

The adjutant cleared his throat, lowering his voice. “Colonel Gilbert Gauss has been acting strangely lately.”

“What happened to him?” Gilbert Gauss was an officer from a noble family, holding his position thanks to his family’s influence. Rumors said he was one of Prince Sorey’s many illegitimate children. Though Darius Bayes outwardly dismissed these rumors and warned his subordinates not to slander others, he secretly harbored hostility towards Colonel Gauss. Darius, with royal blood and practically raised by Her Majesty the Queen, had little fondness for the philandering prince and his illegitimate offspring.

“Colonel Gauss publicly accused you of cowardice and refusing to fight the pirates,” the adjutant said, glancing around as if his words might be overheard. “He also said that if he were in command, Joanna’s head would have been presented to Her Majesty as a gift long ago.”

“Oh? How interesting.” Darius’s lips curved. “If Colonel Gauss has such ambition, then let him lead the charge against that ‘Mad Queen’!”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Interlude 2

On the outskirts of Nami, the spaceport city where the imperial capital and the royal palace were located, stood a three-story mansion with red tiles and white walls, surrounded by fiery maple trees. A winding cobblestone path led to the entrance, lined with pink and white roses meticulously tended by the gardeners, complementing the maple trees around the mansion. The scenery was as beautiful as the famous ancient Earth painting [Sunset in Fontainebleau Forest].

The locals referred to this mansion as the “Maple Pavilion”. Although it was beautiful, no one dared to approach it, for its owner was Duke Winnet, a prominent figure and the cousin of Her Majesty the Queen. To some, the Duke was a formidable and ambitious man. Rumors circulated that he was recruiting troops and amassing an army with the intention of staging a coup to seize the throne. Naturally, the Duke himself denied such claims. “How could I possibly take my sister’s crown? What a ridiculous notion!” he said calmly in a televised interview—though this did little to reassure those wary of him, instead making them more anxious about his manipulation of public opinion.

Today, the Duke had finally managed to escape his busy duties and returned to his long-neglected home. Since the death of the Duchess, he had grown increasingly estranged from this so-called “home”, preferring the company of his ship, the “Stella”.

But today was different. Today was a special day for the Duke, necessitating his return to the Maple Pavilion. After getting out of the car, he hurried along the cobblestone path, cutting across the neatly trimmed lawn to save time, much to the gardener’s anger, and arrived at the front door of the mansion. The butler, along with a group of male and female servants, was already waiting under the porch. The Duke waved them off, indicating they need not stand on ceremony, and went straight inside.

“Where is my daughter?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” the butler bowed slightly. “The young lady is in her study.”

“I’ll go find her. You all may return to your duties.” The Duke dismissed the servants.

“Uh, but sir, the young lady has ordered not to be disturbed, ‘even if Her Majesty the Queen arrives’. Those were her words…”

The Duke’s eyes widened. “I am her father!” Ignoring the butler’s attempt to speak, he hurried upstairs.

The Duke’s daughter, Musaya, had her quarters on the third floor of the mansion, an entire floor to herself, including half the attic. It was filled with her rare collectibles, from first-edition anime chips to limited-edition figurines, all meticulously categorized by the Duke’s daughter. There was even a room dedicated to life-sized pillows, the images on it which deeply concerned the Duke about his daughter’s mental health.

There were several studies in the Maple Pavilion, and the Duke had a rather large library of his own. However, it paled in comparison to the “study” of the Duke’s daughter. Her study was as large as a basketball court, with shelves connecting the floor and ceiling, so close together that only one person could barely pass through. The shelves were packed with the Duke’s daughter’s beloved books, mostly comics and novels, with some classic literature she bought to appear deep (none of which had been opened). Even so, the study was filled to capacity, with no room for more books, so the Duke’s daughter had to move some older books to the attic to make space for her “new loves”.

The Duke was troubled by his daughter’s peculiar hobbies. Unlike other noble ladies, she didn’t care for jewelry, fashionable clothing, parties, or social balls (in fact, she loathed such events, preferring to stay home with her computer rather than dance with handsome young men). She was not particularly interested in politics or business and had only a casual interest in literature and art, without delving into their principles. She majored in literature at university but took an indefinite leave of absence halfway through, citing “social anxiety and inability to write papers” and had since been idling at home. Fortunately, the Duke’s wealth could support her lavish lifestyle. However, the Duke had grown increasingly worried: he could take care of her now, but what would happen after he passed away? He had been planning to find Musaya an excellent husband who could manage the family business, treat her well, and help him achieve his ambitions.

Years ago, the Duke had discussed this with his daughter. “Would you be interested in marrying Prince Annot?” the Duke asked. “He will be the future ruler of the Empire, and you would be the Queen. You could buy any book you want.”

“Mm…” Musaya seemed slightly swayed by the last statement. “But Annot is my cousin.”

“The Empire’s laws don’t prohibit cousins from marrying.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Musaya said dejectedly. “I mean, I know him too well. His cowardly nature annoys me! Marry him? I’d rather buy an inflatable doll!”

“Watch your language!” the Duke retorted angrily. “Even if Annot is a coward, you shouldn’t say it out loud!” And what on earth is an inflatable doll?! Don’t bring strange things into the house!

Later, news broke that Annot had fallen in love with a commoner woman. “That’s wonderful—a prince and a Cinderella, just like a novel!” Musaya was happy for her cousin’s romance. Thus, the idea of a political marriage was abandoned. However, the Duke couldn’t easily swallow his anger. Of course, he would never tell Musaya what he did to that commoner woman.

Standing in front of the study door, the Duke hesitated. The urgency from earlier had completely faded from his face. He had traveled thousands of light years back to the capital to see his daughter, but now, in front of her door, he hesitated. He paced for a moment, then took a deep breath and knocked decisively.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Come in.”

Hearing his daughter’s long-missed voice, the Duke felt both joy and sorrow. He turned the door handle and opened the door.

In the center of the study was a large computer desk, cluttered with empty drink bottles and half-eaten snacks, and several magazines of varying sizes piled beside them. The Duke’s daughter sat at the desk in a swivel chair, her back to the door, typing on a tactile keyboard.

“Emma, is it my delivery?” Musaya asked without turning her head.

“Yes, miss, your delivery has arrived,” the Duke said, mimicking a female voice.

Musaya pushed the tactile keyboard away and spun her chair halfway around to face the Duke. “Dad, why are you back?” Her tone lacked the joy of reuniting with her father and instead had a hint of reproach, as if saying, “I told you not to disturb me, so why did you come in?”

“What’s with that attitude?” the Duke said. “We haven’t seen each other in nearly six months, and this is how you greet your father?”

“What should I say? ‘Oh, Dad, you’re finally back. I’m so happy!’ like that?” Musaya raised an eyebrow. “Come on, you barely come home, and when you do, it’s never for a good reason. Last time, it was because the terrifying assassin killed Leia, and before that, Prince Sorey had a falling out with Her Majesty. What’s wrong this time?”

The Duke turned away. “If I’m so unwelcome, I might as well leave. I had prepared a birthday present for you, but I might as well return it to the store.” He played a little trick, thinking Musaya would surely change her attitude and beg him to stay.

To his surprise, Musaya crossed her legs and smirked. “Go ahead and return it. I don’t care.”

In the end, the Duke conceded defeat. He considered himself more cunning and capable than anyone else in the universe, but he always lost to his daughter. “Alright, alright, I admit defeat,” he said with a smile, taking a small box tied with a silver ribbon from his pocket. A golden tag on it read, “Happy Birthday, Musaya, love from Dad.”

“Oh, my god, what’s this?” Musaya exclaimed in surprise, untying the ribbon. Inside, on a red velvet lining, was a teardrop-shaped pendant, intricately carved with totems. Upon closer inspection, the totems were actually melted and solidified rubies, shining with a noble and mysterious light against the velvet.

“This is the ‘Tear of Blood’! Just like in the anime!” Musaya’s eyes sparkled. “Oh my god, even the official merchandise isn’t this realistic! Dad, where did you get this?”

“Had it custom-made. The butler told me you liked that anime and always wanted a pendant just like this.”

“Oh, my god.” Musaya hugged her father. “Dad, I love you so much!”

The Duke smiled helplessly. Only at times like this did Musaya act like a sweet daughter. He patted her head. “Though your birthday is over a week away, happy early birthday.”

“Won’t you stay and celebrate with me?” Musaya asked.

“No, I have many things to do. Besides…” the Duke looked at his daughter apologetically. “I’m afraid you can’t stay in the capital for your birthday. Start packing today. You need to leave for the territory by Friday.”

“Why?” Musaya asked, dissatisfied, “Why do I have to go back? I don’t want to leave! Besides, I have so many things here at the Maple Pavilion…”

“Listen to me, my child,” the Duke said softly. “It’s for your own good. In the near future…” His gaze passed over his daughter’s shoulder, over the holographic computer screen, through the study window, beyond the tall mutated maple trees of the Maple Pavilion, into the blue autumn sky of the capital, and out into the boundless stars beyond the atmosphere. “It will become very dangerous here. Everywhere will be very dangerous. I need to send you somewhere safe.”

“What’s going on, Dad?”

The Duke withdrew his gaze. “Nothing major,” he said. “Just start packing. Travel light. It’s only for a while. It’s not like you can’t come back. Emma and Garn will take care of your collections. I promise, they won’t gather a speck of dust by the time you return.”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 32

After the twenty-ninth song [The Sound of Silence] ended, the grand theater once again fell into darkness. Across the wide circular stage, the fluorescent audience seats glowed like a river’s surface glistening under the moonlight at night, and the fans’ waving glow sticks resembled fireflies dancing by the riverbank.

“Thank you all very much for coming to my concert.” Camilla’s voice echoed from the stage. “Our time together is always short, and farewells are inevitable. Before we part, I want to sing one more song for you all.”

The melodious sound of an accordion drifted in from nowhere, like a light and nimble bird fluttering gracefully around the grand theater.

“This is a very old song, passed down from the ancient days of Earth. I dedicate this song to all of you here. No matter where you are in the future, my voice will always be with you.”

The accordion music abruptly ceased. For a moment, time seemed to freeze, then it slowly started flowing again. Dark blue lights lit up on the theater’s ceiling, and flakes of snow drifted down from the sky, tinted blue by the lights. The singer standing at the center of the stage, draped in silver brocade, shone brilliantly in the darkness, like a bright moon in the night sky.

“Moon river, wider than a mile.
I’m crossing you in style some day.
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker.
Wherever you’re goin’, I’m goin’ your way.
Two drifters, off to see the world.
There’s such a lot of world to see.
We’re after the same rainbow’s end.
Waitin’ ’round the bend.
My huckleberry friend.
Moon river and me.” [Note 3]

This was an a cappella song. There were no magnificent electronic accompaniments, no dazzling holographic effects—only starlike snowflakes and a silver-haired girl singing while strolling through the snow. Camilla sang the song twice, ending with a gentle hum of the melody. As she hummed, the lights gradually dimmed. First, the snowflakes stopped falling, then the blue light faded away, leaving only the silver light dancing on the singer. As the humming weakened, the silver light finally disappeared like melting snow.

There was complete silence in the darkness, lasting for several minutes. It wasn’t clear who started clapping first, but the audience, as if waking from a dream, realized that the enchanting performance had ended. Everyone joined in the applause, accompanied by cheers and whistles, and the theater’s ceiling lights came back on, revealing an empty circular stage. Camilla must have left during the brief darkness, leaving only a blue rose in the center of the stage and colorful memories in the minds of the audience.

The seats suspended in mid-air descended row by row in order, and all the doors of the theater opened, letting in a warm spring night breeze.

The staff began to guide the fans out of the theater in an orderly manner, although most people still sat in their seats, unable to extricate themselves from Camilla’s singing.

“It was truly wonderful,” Kepler said as he walked out of the theater hand in hand with Jolene. “Being able to hear the voice of the Galactic Diva with my own ears, I have no regrets in life.”

“Look at you.” Jolene covered her mouth and laughed. “You’re so old and still joining in the fun with young people. I had to spend a lot of money to get two tickets!”

“More than I did? I not only missed out on front row premium seats but also lost a ‘Bard’!” Kepler’s heart ached at the thought of the significant loss a few days ago.

“Alright, alright, it’s just a plane. You can always earn it back. I heard they’re going to launch a new model in a few years. They’ve even thought of a name, ‘Lucia of Lammermoor’…” Jolene suddenly stopped talking.

Seeing her stop, Kepler asked in confusion, “What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with Lucia?”

“Nothing.” Jolene shook her head. Just now in the crowd, she seemed to have seen a familiar figure flash by, but when she looked carefully, that person was gone. “Maybe I was mistaken.” She turned to the loan shark and smiled sweetly. “Let’s go.”

Joshua Planck piloted the Gondola back to the Lady of the Night from the Whirlpool Grand Theater, with Alois sitting beside him, sighing deeply as he held the album Camilla had given him.

“Haa, why does she have to be a man?” Alois felt deeply sad as he looked at the beautiful girl on the cover. He hugged the album to his chest, as if this could bring him closer to the diva.

Joshua didn’t respond, not bothering to correct the logical error in his words.

“But she’s right, whether she’s a man or a woman, I like her.” Alois stared at the sky, the image of the diva’s graceful figure still lingering in his eyes. “I liked her in the past, and I will in the future…”

Suddenly, a hand covered his eyes.

“Hey, stop it, Joshua,” Alois said.

“I really want to gouge your eyes out.” Joshua’s voice was so close to his ear, so low, that it could almost burst his eardrums, making Alois tremble all over.

“What for? To put them in your formalin cabinet at home?” Alois pulled away his hand and turned around. The assassin was staring at him with a subtle and complex expression.

“No.” Joshua said, “So your eyes would only see me.”

Alois was stunned. Was this a joke? It didn’t seem like it. Joshua liked to joke with him, usually to tease him. But this time, it wasn’t funny at all. He opened his mouth to ask if Joshua was feeling unwell, because the assassin had been sullen throughout the concert and had kissed him so many times (Alois was actually quite happy about that). Before he could speak, the assassin pressed a finger to his lips.

“Shh, don’t talk,” Joshua said, touching his lips. “Look at me.”

Alois felt very confused. He obediently stared back at Joshua, trying to find clues in the assassin’s expression as to why he was acting so strangely, but before he could draw any conclusions, Joshua shook his head dejectedly.

“Alois Lagrange, you’re really sly,” he said. “You say you like me, but your eyes are looking at someone else. When you look at me, your heart isn’t thinking about me.”

“I didn’t!” Alois retorted. “I definitely wasn’t thinking about Camilla just now!” As soon as he said it, he felt like he was being defensive, even though he really wasn’t thinking about Camilla just now.

“You know, your eyes look so adoring and passionate when you look at him. But when you look at me, it’s completely different.” Joshua’s voice sank. “Do you like him more than me?”

…Hey, wait. What does this mean? Is Joshua jealous? Alois blinked, suddenly feeling a surge of unnamable pleasure. Joshua is jealous, he thought. Does this mean he also has a little bit of… a little bit of affection for me?

“Why don’t you answer? Is this question hard?”

“No, no, Joshua, listen to me. It’s different.” Alois felt his cheeks start to heat up. “I’ve liked Camilla for many years, since before I met you.” He paused, observing Joshua’s reaction. The assassin’s face was expressionless, but a murderous aura could be sensed rising.

Alois smiled triumphantly. He wrapped his arm around Joshua’s shoulder and leaned closer. “But I love you.”

Close enough to feel each other’s breath, he was satisfied to see the murderous aura around Joshua dissipate immediately. “What about you, Joshua?”

The assassin’s eyes softened considerably. He awkwardly lowered his head, lifted Alois’s right hand, and pressed it to his own heart.

“Don’t look at Camilla anymore.” Joshua said, “I’ll be jealous. I…”

He cradled Alois’s head in his arms and kissed his wind-tousled black hair.

“…like you.”

The words drifted away with the wind, disappearing into the starry night sky.

But at least, Alois heard them loud and clear.

---

The author has something to say:

[Note 3]: This section of lyrics is from the song [Moon River], lyrics by Johnny Mercer.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 31

Alois felt his blood boil, only to be doused by a bucket of ice water.

“…Srosie?” he asked in disbelief, his voice trailing off.

“Oh, yes!” The “Srosie” in the silver foil dress nodded, his gaze strange as if saying, “We just met yesterday, how can you not remember me?”

“…Camilla?” Alois asked again.

“That’s right.”

Instantly, words like “trap”, “femboy”, and “crossdresser” flew through Alois’s mind, like meteors crashing on a planet’s surface, causing an earthquake!

“You’re… a man?” He stammered, barely getting the words out.

“What’s wrong with your eyes? Isn’t it obvious?” Camilla, or rather Srosie, put his hands on his hips, looking quite displeased.

“Then why are you dressed as a woman?!”

Srosie, or Camilla, pouted. “Is it wrong to like wearing women’s clothes?”

Alois’s mind exploded. What the hell is going on?! His heart was racing like a herd of wild horses, but his face remained as calm as a still lake. Camilla is a man! Camilla is a cross-dresser! Oh Lord! Asimov! Tell me, I’m not dreaming! I haven’t crossed into some strange parallel world! Someone give me a wall to bang my head against! I’ve heard that on some remote planets in the Federation, there’s a weird religion where believers scream to express their dissatisfaction with reality when they’re stressed. I want to join and scream too!

“What’s with that expression?!” Srosie frowned his delicate eyebrows. “Aren’t you my fan? Now that I’ve told you my biggest secret, you should at least pretend to be happy!”

Alois continued his deadpan expression. How can I be happy! This is not something to be happy about! Why haven’t I realized Camilla is a man all these years! Why didn’t I realize Srosie was Camilla when I met him! Makeup! It’s all because of makeup! Makeup can make a person look completely different! Yes, it’s all the makeup artist’s fault!

“Why do you still look like a dead fish?” Srosie stretched out a slender finger and poked Alois’s face. “Does being a man make you stop loving me?”

Alois’s expression remained blank.

Srosie looked at him with frustration. He grabbed the young man’s collar and roared, “Do you like me or not? Answer!”

His eyes were deadly serious, the blue pupils like the sea, glistening under the bright lights. Alois suddenly felt that if he said “no”, Srosie would immediately cry in front of him.

…The makeup would be ruined.

He patted the boy’s head, feeling the cool, delicate texture of the silver foil against his palm. “I do like you,” he said. “Whether you’re Camilla or Srosie, I like you.”

“Mm.” Srosie let go of his collar, quickly turning to Rita standing nearby. “Bring one of my albums.” Alois saw him rub his eyes with the back of his hand, the light revealing a sparkling trace of tears. But he pretended he saw nothing.

“Already prepared.” Rita smiled, handing over an album and a permanent marker. The album was the newly released “Eighth Galaxy Hymn” from half a year ago, with Camilla on the cover, her blue hair flowing freely as she spread her arms in the galactic wind, as if flying or embracing the world. Srosie took out the cover paper and signed a few lines in elegant script on the last page of the lyrics booklet.

[For Alois:

May the pirate of the galaxy have a prosperous career and always fly freely among the stars.

Your diva, Camilla.]

After signing, he roughly stuffed the album into Alois’s hands. “Hurry into the theater. I need to finish my makeup. You’ve wasted too much of my time!”

Alois didn’t even have time to say thank you before being pushed to the door. Whether it was because the makeup wasn’t well done, he always felt Srosie’s face was very red. He wanted to turn back and say, “Good luck with your concert,” but Srosie suddenly lunged forward and kissed him, silencing his words. The kiss was light as a breeze, brushing over and quickly separating.

Alois stumbled into the darkness outside. If not for the square-faced guard catching him, he would have fallen to the ground.

“Are you okay?” the guard asked expressionlessly.

“Yes, yes, thank you.” Alois found his balance, still dizzy. He held Camilla’s album to his chest, his heart pounding wildly again.

Joshua stood beside the square-faced guard, hands in his pockets, looking at him with a complex expression. Oh, Joshua. He almost forgot about the assassin. Since entering backstage, Joshua hadn’t said a word, silent as a statue.

The square-faced guard led them back to the theater entrance through the dark corridor. He pointed to the flowing crowd. “Follow them inside. The theater is right there. I have to get back to work.” Alois thanked him and apologized for taking up so much of his time.

Following the crowd, the two walked into the Whirlpool Grand Theater. The entire theater was over a hundred meters high, with a vast open interior. In the center was a circular stage, surrounded by concentric rings of seats. Alois looked for his seat number in confusion and found the “special seats” were in the innermost ring. There were very few of them, probably only about twenty.

‘This theater’s layout is so strange,’ he thought. The audience seats aren’t even tiered. How will the people in the back see? Or are they going to rely on holographic images?

After sitting down, staff pushed carts selling drinks, lozenges, and glow sticks. Alois unthinkingly bought two glow sticks, using Joshua’s card, of course. He sneaked a glance at the assassin, afraid he might be unhappy, but Joshua kept his head down, deep in thought.

After a few dozen minutes, the theater was full of people, and the surrounding noise was deafening.

Snap! The lights on the theater’s ceiling went out, plunging the theater into darkness. The seats seemed to be made of some special material, glowing faintly in the dark.

Ethereal music began to play. The buzzing whispers immediately stopped. Alois felt his seat vibrating and looked around in confusion, realizing that all the seats were rising! A chorus of surprised gasps sounded in the theater, quickly silenced by the music. The seats rose higher and higher, spreading apart. Alois noticed that the floor beneath the seats was made of separate magnetic levitation panels. The rows in the back rose higher, the ones in the front lower, with the special seats almost floating above the circular stage. Soon, the seats formed a conical shape, slowly rotating around the stage driven by the magnetic levitation panels. In the dark, the glowing seats looked like scattered stars in the universe.

No wonder this place is called the “Whirlpool Grand Theater”. It really does look like a giant whirlpool.

Alois and Joshua’s seats were connected. Looking around, he saw that the distant stars were also grouped in twos and threes. It seemed the theater had arranged adjacent seats when selling tickets.

In the darkness, a clear singing voice arose.

“You stand there, lined along the hillside, meeting,
The sight of my dying self, fleeting.
Add another page to this life’s story,
On the burning paper, in all its glory,
I have recognized you all!
But fearless words escape with burn,
‘The Galactic Diva Camilla has return!’” [Note 1]

Snap! The lights flashed on! People, unable to adjust to the sudden brightness, quickly covered their eyes. When they opened them again, they found that the circular stage had also risen, with a girl standing in the center. Her deep blue hair floated like waves, her sleeves and skirt also fluttering, making her look like she was floating in water. A close-up image of her appeared above the stage. Her eyes were closed, and diamond-like light dust was scattered on her long eyelashes, as if she were asleep.

Though he knew it was a holographic image projected onto special foil, Alois couldn’t help but marvel.

The music abruptly shifted from ethereal to passionate. The sleeping girl opened her eyes, instantly radiating brilliant light like a shining star.

“Knowing you can soar in the sky,
Makes you fear that moment of spreading wings and forgetting the wind’s sigh.
Forget it, even if where you go is unclear,
The distant mirage will soon appear,
Fearing that someday it will come, it’s true,
Reflects the future of me and you.” [Note 2]

The girl began to dance, turning the entire theater into her domain. In an instant, translucent wings spread from her back, transforming her from a fish in the sea to a bird in the sky, flying and singing freely, her voice echoing through every corner of the galaxy.

Alois stood up excitedly. Their seats passed right in front of Camilla, no more than three meters away. The diva saw him too, smiling and winking at him.

“When two hearts without solace stand close together,
True sorrow begins to soar, untethered.
Forget it, in the night’s embrace,
Dreaming of the days’ shadowed face,
It will surely fall, as dreams take flight,
Heading towards that light.”

People screamed in excitement, singing along with Camilla. Alois was no exception. He knew every song by Camilla, could remember all the lyrics.

Joshua suddenly raised his head. He could no longer stay calm. In the dazzling holographic light, he clearly saw a red mark on Alois’s lips, probably left by Camilla’s kiss earlier. And the young man himself hadn’t noticed, bouncing around beside him, flirting with the cross-dressing diva.

Damn it!

Damn it!

How hateful!

The assassin grabbed Alois’s arm, pulling him towards himself.

“What’s wrong, Joshua?”

His question was silenced by a fierce kiss. Joshua pressed his lips against Alois’s, not letting him make a sound. He tasted the lemon-flavored lipstick left by Camilla, which only fueled his anger. He held the back of Alois’s head, preventing him from pulling away, giving him a dominant kiss amidst the diva’s splendid singing.

“Someday I will be with you,
Sharing the moon, enjoying the dawn, basking in the sunlight, witnessing the morning.
Weaving dreams together, wandering through summer, braving the cold winter, passing time together.
Brushing the breeze, playing in the water, treading the dust, soaring in the sky.
Walking farther and farther in destiny.”

When the kiss ended, both were panting, faces flushed. “What’s wrong with you, Joshua?” Alois asked again.

On stage, Camilla spun, the colorful lights flashing with her movements. Joshua stared at Alois, satisfied to see his lips still red, but now from the passionate kiss and bites.

“Nothing,” the assassin said. “I just suddenly wanted to kiss you.”

As Camilla finished a song, the theater plunged into darkness again. Applause and cheers swept through the theater, accompanied by waving glow sticks.

After each song, Joshua kissed Alois again in the darkness. He remembered that they kissed twenty-nine times until the final song, [Moon River].

---

The author has something to say:

[Note 1] This passage is adapted from the last stanza of Robert Browning’s “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”.

[Note 2] This passage and the following two stanzas are from the song “Oblivious“, lyrics by Yuki Kajiura.

---

Kinky Thoughts:

You can find the full text of Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came here. Translation for Oblivious lyrics here.

I took some artistic liberties with the lyrics in the novel in order to make them rhyme.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 30

Getting off the Gondola and facing the massive crowd of fans around the Whirlpool Grand Theater, Alois couldn’t help but feel a bit hesitant. The small artificial land at the theater’s entrance was packed with fans waving little flags saying “I love you, Camilla”, and the police had to mobilize patrol boats around the edges to prevent anyone from accidentally falling into the water. Soon, even the patrol boats were crowded with people. A small number of lucky (or wealthy) individuals with tickets walked into the theater under the envious gazes of the crowd. Those without tickets had to wait outside or hover around in flying vehicles, hoping to catch a few notes of the performance or see a glimpse of light from inside once the show started.

Joshua parked the gondola next to a patrol boat, ignoring the police’s shouts of “Hey, no parking here,” and pushed through the excited crowd, creating a narrow path for himself and Alois. Alois gratefully followed behind him, occasionally guarding against being knocked over by someone’s arm.

The two of them weaved through the maze of people, struggling towards the theater entrance. Halfway there, Joshua noticed that Alois had fallen several steps behind, so he stopped to wait. When Alois caught up, Joshua grabbed the young man’s hand and continued their effort towards the door.

After finally making it through the crowd, they joined the line to enter, drawing suspicious looks from the security guards. Most of the people ahead of them had electronic tickets, which they scanned at the machines to confirm their identities before entering. When it was Alois’s turn, he silently handed over two pieces of paper to the stiff-faced guard. The papers were crumpled and stained, and the guard frowned as Alois coughed awkwardly.

“Front row special seats, hmm?” This remark caused a small stir among the surrounding fans. Alois, bathing in looks of envy, jealousy, and resentment, took the torn stubs from the guard. “Go on in.”

“Uh, excuse me, how do we get to the backstage?”

The guard’s eyes widened. “Unauthorized personnel are not allowed backstage!”

“I’m looking for Srosie,” Alois said. “He asked me to find him.”

The guard turned and had a whispered conversation with a higher-ranking official behind him. This man had a square face, a severe expression, and even a bit of a fierce look with a scar running from above his left eye down to his nose. Alois noticed that his left eye was a prosthetic. The square-faced guard nodded repeatedly, then glanced at Alois with both his prosthetic and natural eyes.

“Follow me,” he gestured.

Alois shivered, wanting to say, “Maybe I’ll come find Srosie another day,” but the guard’s stern look made him follow obediently. Joshua silently joined them.

Their departure caused another stir in the crowd. “Hey! Why can they go in?” “It’s not fair! Why can people with special seats go backstage?” “I want to see Camilla! Let me in!”

“Quiet! Quiet!” The guards had to shout to calm the crowd, doing their best to keep the excited fans outside the security line.

The square-faced guard led Alois and Joshua through the theater doors and into a small corridor marked “Staff Only”. The Grand Theater was almost entirely enclosed, and the inside was so dark they couldn’t see their hands in front of their faces. Only the “Emergency Exit→” signs in the corners provided some faint light. The guard remained silent, his tall figure like a looming mountain, and in the dark hallway, he looked like a grim shadow.

Alois suddenly felt they weren’t heading backstage but to some underworld boss’s lair. He remembered the anxious expression of the woman named Rita when she came to fetch Srosie, suggesting that Srosie might really be some high-ranking figure. Hey, could they really be heading into a criminal hideout?

He slowed down to walk alongside Joshua, seeking some comfort. If they did run into a gang fight, an assassin would be more useful than him. But damn, it was as dark as space here! Joshua looked even more scared than he was!

The corridor ended ahead, revealing a half-open door. Golden light and the sound of chatter spilled through the crack.

“Go in.” The guard stood by the door, gesturing for them to enter. “I’ll wait for you here.”

“Does it have to be this formal…” Alois muttered as he pushed the door open.

Instantly, the noise amplified several times, rushing at him like a tidal wave.

“Mary! Where’s the comb?” “These shoelaces are wrong! Get the silver ones!” “Makeup artist, don’t make the makeup too thick!” “Let’s tie the hair up.” “The director’s urging us. Let’s hurry up!” “Why the rush? We still have nearly an hour!” “Fiza, your tie is too loose!”

The entrance led to a spacious room, with walls lined with mirrors topped with diamond-like lights, making the room so bright it was blinding. Several people sat before the mirrors, applying makeup, while many more ran around, busy passing things. A group of makeup artists gathered in front of a large mirror on the left, surrounding someone. From the gaps between their bodies, Alois glimpsed a strand of blue hair. He had no doubt it was Camilla.

Camilla! The Galactic Diva was now standing less than ten steps away! So close! So close!

Alois’s heart started pounding wildly, and he felt parched, not knowing what to do. Everyone was bustling about, and hardly anyone noticed them. Alois spotted the woman named Rita standing not far away, leaning against a dressing table with her arms crossed, calmly watching the makeup artists.

“Uh, are you Ms. Rita?” Alois decided to talk to someone he recognized.

Rita turned at the sound. “Who are you?” She looked confused. “How did you get backstage?”

“I’m here to see Srosie.” The young man scratched his head and repeated what he had told the guard. “He asked me to find him.”

Rita suddenly understood. She clapped her hands and called out to the makeup artists. “Srosie, someone’s here to see you!”

Could Srosie be one of the makeup artists? Alois wondered as he walked over. His heart was racing because he was now one step closer to Camilla.

“Move aside! You’re blocking me! Get out of the way, I need to talk to someone! Stop the makeup, continue later! Out, out!” Srosie’s irritated voice came from the center of the crowd. The makeup artists shook their heads and dispersed, revealing the person they had been surrounding.

Alois’s heart almost leaped out of his throat.

The Galaxy Diva Camilla was wearing a short dress made of silver foil, a material that could gather holographic lights to create dazzling effects. Her deep blue hair was tied up in a complex braid, also covered in silver foil. She had a slender figure, with a somewhat flat chest compared to other girls her age, and her half-done makeup made her pointed face look rather plain.

She waved off the makeup artists like swatting away flies, then extended her hand towards Alois. “You finally came!”

The voice was a very, deep male voice.

---

Kinky Thoughts:

LMAO. Too bad he met Joshua first.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 29

In the maintenance hangar, Leo was busy directing a group of robots to extract parameters from the “Bard”.

“Hey, Leo, where did Joshua go?” Alois asked as soon as he stepped out of the elevator.

“He went back to his room,” Leo replied without taking his eyes off the fighter.

“I’m going to find him.” Alois tilted his head before stepping back into the elevator. As the door closed, he heard Leo’s dissatisfied voice from the elevator ceiling. “All you ever think about is Joshua, Joshua… Don’t you care about how my research is going?”

“Uh, okay. How is your research going?” Alois pressed the button for the floor where the cabins were located.

“Hmph! You don’t sound sincere at all. I won’t tell you!”

“Didn’t you just ask me to ask?!” AI can be so unpredictable!

No matter how much he knocked on the walls, Leo didn’t respond again. Clearly, the AI was sulking. Alois really began to suspect that there was some crucial code missing from Leo’s program.

When he arrived outside Joshua’s room, Alois pressed the doorbell. After waiting a few seconds, the door silently slid open.

Joshua was lying on the bed, playing with the cat. Surprisingly, there wasn’t just the cat, but the dog as well. Schrödinger was lazily sprawled on the assassin’s chest, enjoying a belly rub while using its sharp claws to threaten the dog on the floor. Pavlov whimpered and nudged Joshua’s leg sadly.

Alois squinted his eyes. “Your room is turning into a zoo.”

“Isn’t it great?” Joshua had already removed his contact lenses. His eyes returned to their black-and-gold “Abyssal Flame” state. Those mesmerizing eyes made Alois’s heart tremble.

“They get along well,” the assassin continued. Pavlov’s mournful whine shattered his life mercilessly. Clearly, Schrödinger was bullying the big dog with its inherent advantage.

“Oh, forget about the cat and dog. I’ve got something good to show you!” Alois bypassed the golden retriever and proudly displayed the two tickets in his hand. “Tickets to Camilla’s concert!”

Joshua glanced at them, seemingly uninterested. “Srosie gave them to you?”

“Yeah.” Alois smiled. “Let’s go see it together tomorrow!”

“Find someone else,” Joshua said, flipping Schrödinger over to scratch its belly.

“What? You don’t like concerts?” Alois snatched the cat and tossed it to the floor. “Go play with your new friend!”

Schrödinger glared and hissed at the dog before trotting out of the room. Pavlov reluctantly followed, tail between its legs. Once the door closed and Alois confirmed they were alone, he placed the tickets on the table and straddled Joshua.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Can you get off me?”

“Why can a cat lie on you, but I can’t?”

Joshua sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Here you go again.” He tucked his hair behind his ear. “Don’t tell anyone about the cyborg we encountered on the island.”

“Why?”

“Can’t you tell? This involves military secrets. If it blows up, you might not survive.” Joshua pinched Alois’s cheek. “Stay on the ship for a few days. I’ll have the hotel send over our luggage. Don’t wander around, understand?”

“But the concert…”

“Which is more important, the concert or your life?” Joshua seemed a bit annoyed.

Alois whispered, “I think both are important…” He mumbled, “It’s such a rare opportunity…”

“Then go die out there and don’t come back,” Joshua said harshly. He thought Alois would give in, but to his surprise, the young man smiled and leaned in mysteriously. “Would you let me die? Would you really?” He kissed Joshua on the cheek. “Would you, hmm?”

Joshua couldn’t help but laugh. “You can try and see if I’ll feel sad.” He kissed Alois back, engaging in a deep, passionate kiss. The young man was delighted, savoring the intimate play of their tongues.

The assassin propped himself up with one hand and slid the other down Alois’s waist, pausing suggestively at his crotch.

“Feeling frisky?” He began to rub Alois through his pants, eliciting a satisfied sigh. Alois was already hard, the shape evident even through the fabric. Joshua continued to kiss him while unzipping his pants, reaching in to grasp his throbbing erection, applying varying pressure.

“Mm…” Alois moaned in pleasure. Joshua’s touch was perfect, giving him waves of ecstasy without pushing him over the edge too quickly. It was a slow, tantalizing climb, and Alois grumbled in frustration. “Harder…”

“Always thinking about your own pleasure…” Joshua teased, licking his lips. “How about helping me too?”

Lost in the bliss of Joshua’s touch, Alois struggled to think. Following the assassin’s subtle guidance, he unbuttoned Joshua’s pants and pulled out his hard cock, stroking it from base to tip. He could feel the heat, like molten lava.

“Does it feel good, Joshua?”

The assassin didn’t reply, answering with a deeper kiss.

Alois was kissed into a daze, unable to even sense what he was doing, his mind filled only with thoughts of doing more pleasurable things with Joshua. He arched his back upwards, pressing his penis against Joshua’s, from the scrotum to the glans, tightly rubbing together. The fluid seeping from the slit flowed down the shaft under the constant stroking of fingers, seeping into their pubic hair.

The stimulation was almost too much for Joshua. Alois’s intoxicated expression, focused on stroking both of their erections, was even more enchanting, like a potent aphrodisiac injected into his heart. The assassin kissed him fiercely, leaving him no time to moan. The stroking grew faster and faster until they both took a deep breath together and reached their climax.

The white, murky liquid shot onto Joshua’s abdomen. Alois, panting, shifted to kneel beside Joshua, extending his tongue to lick off the semen splattered on his abdomen. The scene was so erotic that Joshua’s mind was in turmoil, wanting to push Alois away immediately yet also wanting to hold him close and kiss him passionately.

‘I’m really losing it,’ the assassin thought. He grabbed Alois’s hair, pulling him into a kiss, their tongues mingling. He could taste himself on Alois’s lips… and didn’t mind it at all. After a long, heated kiss, they broke apart, both breathless. Alois collapsed on top of Joshua, wrapping his arms around his neck. “Why not go all the way?”

‘No,’ the assassin thought, regaining his composure. He gently patted Alois’s back, like soothing a child. “Don’t do this. It puts me in a tough spot.”

“We’ve done almost everything.” Alois rested his chin on the assassin’s shoulder. “Why not this too?” A thought suddenly struck him. “Joshua, um, this is just a guess, don’t get mad if I’m wrong.”

“Mm.”

“Do you have some kind of psychological trauma about this?”

Joshua didn’t answer. Alois knew he had guessed right. ‘Damn,’ he thought, ‘This is serious. Psychological trauma isn’t something that can be fixed quickly. Why did I have to bring this up?’

“Sorry,” he mumbled, trying to comfort the assassin. “Don’t think too much about it. I shouldn’t have…”

Joshua pressed a finger to his lips, signaling him to be quiet. “I should be the one apologizing.” He lowered his black-and-gold eyes. “Sorry, I’ve been selfish. Because of my issues, I haven’t been able to…” He paused. “Fully reciprocate your feelings. I’m sorry.” He hugged Alois, taking a deep breath. It was his first time opening up to someone about his feelings, making him feel both unfamiliar and uneasy. The legendary galactic assassin Mourner now felt like a nervous young boy, unsure how to express his affection to his first love.

“Can you… give me some time? Will you wait for me to overcome this?”

“Mm.” Alois kissed him. “I’ll wait.”

Joshua’s eyelashes fluttered. Thank you, Alois, was what he wanted to say, but what came out was, “Go back to your room.” …Damn it!

Alois reluctantly put his pants back on, biting his lower lip. “I’m always left to go back alone…”

“Shall I escort you?”

“No need.” The young man got up dejectedly. His expression was so forlorn that Joshua felt he had really hurt him.

“…I’ll walk you back.” Without waiting for Alois’s consent, Joshua picked him up and carried him to the next room. It was only a few steps, but Joshua felt the path was very long. He had always hurried Alois away in the past, which was really unfair to him.

Entering the room, Alois struggled to get down, his face as red as a ripe apple. “You…”

Joshua bit his earlobe, licking it, before whispering in his ear. “Next time you need me, just call me over.”

If he pinched Alois’s face now, it would surely bleed.

After Joshua left, Alois dreamily climbed into bed. Joshua’s words kept echoing in his mind, unable to be shaken off.

“I haven’t been able to fully reciprocate your feelings. I’m sorry.”

“Can you give me some time? Will you wait for me to overcome this?”

“Next time you need me, just call me over.”

The words played over and over. Even if Alois covered his ears with a blanket, they couldn’t be silenced. It was as if ten thousand Schrödingers were scratching his heart.

The communication terminal rang, indicating a new message. Alois pulled it out from his clothes and found a message from Joshua.

“You left your tickets here. Let’s go to the concert together tomorrow.”

…The Schrödingers in his heart scratched even more fiercely.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 28

When Joshua climbed out of the cockpit, he was greeted by a bizarre scene: a large group of robots of various sizes, armed with all sorts of tools ranging from electronic magnifiers to laser cutters, were swarming the maintenance hangar. Leading them was Leo, whose face bore a twisted, sinister smile. “Wonderful, a ‘Bard’!” He rubbed his hands together eagerly. “Can I study it? Maybe extract some parameters or something…”

Joshua slammed the door shut, amidst Alois’s complaints of being bumped and Srosie’s near-suffocated groans. He paused for a few seconds to regain his composure and then opened the door again.

The scene outside remained unchanged.

Joshua felt like he had just walked out of one nightmare only to enter another—this one a robot battle version.

“Don’t be rash, Leo. This isn’t ours!” He stepped on a lively little robot that was waving a screwdriver. “If you want to take it apart, you need the owner’s permission, right?”

Leo grinned, showing off his gleaming teeth (presumably enhanced by some special effects in the hologram). “Where’s the owner?”

Alois climbed out of the cockpit and pointed behind him. “In there.”

Ten minutes later, Srosie was carried out by two robots. To make room, they had to dismantle the pilot seat. Although Leo promised to reassemble it later, Alois had a nagging feeling it would end up in some dark, disassembled state in the ship’s repair bay.

The robots roughly dumped Srosie on the ground (undoubtedly under Leo’s orders). The boy groaned in pain and tried to get up but failed. “Help me up!” he yelled from the ground. The two humans and the AI looked at each other, none of them moving.

“Think of a way to get rid of him, Leo.” Alois’s face twitched.

“That’s easy!” Leo pulled out a handgun from behind him and aimed it at Srosie’s head. “Kid, you’ve been kidnapped! We’re evil pirates roaming the galaxy, so tell your family to send ransom money, or else!”

There was a moment of silence.

“What?” Leo looked at the humans in confusion. “Isn’t this what Joanna says when she robs people? Isn’t it right?”

Alois seriously doubted that the person who designed Leo’s program hadn’t overlooked some important codes.

Srosie rolled his eyes and felt around in his jacket pocket, pulling out a small pink communication device. He quickly dialed a number.

“Hello? Rita? It’s me… I’m sorry. I’ll explain later. Right now I’m at…” He looked at Leo for confirmation. The AI smiled and replied, “The third ship repair dock, Lady of the Night.”

“You heard that, right? Good. Come pick me up. I’ll explain later. Bye!” He hung up with a scowl.

Leo’s smile froze. “What about the ransom?”

Srosie remained on the ground, pointing to the silver fighter. “Will that do?”

“Oh… of course. The captain will be very pleased.” Leo magically put away the gun.

Srosie snorted in disgust. He got up and dusted himself off (“What are you dusting off? I clean every day. There’s no dust!” Leo protested). “My family is coming to get me. Where’s the exit?”

Leo was already engrossed in studying the Bard’s structure, pretending not to hear the boy’s question. Joshua started humming and stared at the ceiling. Alois sighed. “It seems I’m the only good person in this world!” He turned to Srosie. “I’ll take you out.”

Srosie’s mouth twitched. “You still have the key, right?”

“Uh, right.” Alois pulled out the Bard’s activation key, intending to return it to the boy. But since the fighter had been pledged as ransom to the pirates, he hesitated, unsure who to give it to. Srosie angrily snatched it and threw it at Leo. “Hey! It’s yours!”

Leo didn’t move. The key passed right through his body, fell to the ground, and bounced twice with a metallic clink.

Srosie stared, dumbfounded. “A hologram?!”

The AI sneered. “It’s the first time someone figured it out within five minutes. You’ve set a galactic record. You can brag about it to others.”

“What’s there to brag about?” Srosie grabbed Alois’s shirt and walked off quickly.

Alois was even more exasperated. Luckily, the boy didn’t go in the wrong direction, or Leo would have mocked him more mercilessly.

After confirming that they had taken the elevator to the lower level, Joshua called out to Leo, who was about to inspect the Bard’s interior. “Search for information on ‘Green Star Diamond Island’.”

“Why? Are you interested in that place?” Leo directed a robot to pick up the key.

“We encountered a cyborg on the island.”

Leo’s shoulders stiffened but quickly returned to normal. “Oh, maybe the Neo Venice military repurposed the island as a research lab?”

“It wasn’t an ordinary cyborg,” Joshua continued. “It looked very much like ‘Yasha’.”

The little robot held the key and slipped into the cockpit.

“I’ll check it out,” Leo said, not turning around, his eyes fixed on the robot’s movements. He had abandoned his usual facial expression simulations. If he had, his current expression would undoubtedly be one of utter terror.

Alois led Srosie down to the docks of the third ship repair dock. Neo Venice’s advanced shipbuilding technology was fully displayed here. The repair dock, half-floating on the water, resembled a giant shell, swallowing dozens of ships of varying sizes. Small shuttles transported repair robots between the ships, while massive mechanical arms hoisted alloy plates, casting large moving shadows on the ground.

In the distance, Puccini Spaceport looked like a steel jungle floating on the sea, its lead-gray hue shimmering in the mist rising from the water. Various Gondolas and flying cars flying out of the city resembled startled birds in a forest. Srosie squinted his eyes and soon raised his hand to wave at a distant Gondola. Alois searched the vast sky for a long time, unable to find who he was waving at.

“Someone’s here to pick me up,” the boy said.

“Safe travels.” Alois patted his slender shoulder. “Don’t fly planes without a license, okay?”

“…Hmph!” Srosie crossed his arms.

Damn kid, still showing attitude! Alois debated whether to punch him again when Srosie suddenly turned and asked, “Hey, I never got your name.”

“Alois Lagrange.”

“Alois, even though you hit me a lot, you’re the nicest person I’ve met today.” Blushing, he added, “Here’s a little something for you.”

What’s this kid up to? Alois wondered nervously. Could he be giving me a check? What’s he pulling out of his pocket? Two pieces of paper? Are those really checks?

“Take these.” Srosie handed him two slightly crumpled, possibly water-stained papers. Alois carefully took them and nearly fainted at the sight.

“Tickets to Camilla’s concert?!” he exclaimed. “Front-row VIP seats!”

It was like a miracle! He had thought he would never get to see the galactic diva live, yet here were two tickets, for free! He was almost moved to tears.

The brat (now suddenly handsome and adorable in Alois’s eyes) bit his lip. “What? Don’t you like Camilla?”

“Like? I love her!” Alois restrained himself from trembling with excitement. “But, but isn’t this too valuable? Are you sure it’s okay to just give it to me?”

Srosie clasped his hands behind his back, kicking the ground with his left foot. “You saved my life. It’s only right to give you something as a thank you.” He turned his flushed face away, staring at the uneven walls of the repair dock. “If you don’t want to go, you can sell the tickets.”

“No, no, I’ll definitely go! Oh God, you have no idea how much I love Camilla!” Alois was nearly in tears.

“If… If you do go, remember to find me backstage before the show,” Srosie mumbled.

Suddenly, the repair dock was filled with cries of alarm. A Gondola sped in, swerving past several obstacles like a stunt vehicle, causing a minor collision, and headed straight for Alois and Srosie!

Alois quickly shielded the boy. A gust of wind hit them as the Gondola made a sharp turn and stopped right in front of them.

“Srosie! You scared me to death! Are you okay?” A young woman stepped off the gondola. She had slightly tanned skin, a tall figure, the latest hairstyle from Second Milan, and a light blue professional outfit that made her look stylish and capable. She grabbed Srosie’s hand, choking up. “I’ve told you countless times, always bring a bodyguard and text me every half hour to check in. Why don’t you ever listen?”

Srosie shook his head irritably. “I’ll explain when we get back!” He hurriedly pushed the woman into the Gondola and climbed in himself, not forgetting to shout to Alois. “Remember to find me! Just say you’re looking for Srosie, and they’ll let you in!”

“Alright, let’s go back quickly. Everyone’s waiting for you! How can you still be so willful at a time like this…” The woman started the Gondola while lecturing him. The gondola turned around and flew out of the repair dock. Srosie stuck half his body out the window, waving goodbye to Alois. Alois watched the boy’s dark blue hair fluttering in the sea breeze until the gondola became a tiny black dot in the distance.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 27

“Hello? Hello? Leo, can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear. Your voice is as loud as the main engine starting up.”

“Leo, where are you now?”

“At the third ship repair dock in Neo Venice. You’ll see the lovely silhouette of the Little Lady as soon as you enter the port.”

“Alright. Please open the maintenance hangar. We need to make an emergency landing.”

“Oh, what happened? Weren’t you on vacation? What happened? Hey, I see it! Asimov, what is that? A ‘Bard’? Lagrange, what did you do to get a ‘Bard’? The captain will cry if she sees this! No, no, we have to hide it! Titia could turn it into scrap metal in a minute!”

The silver “Bard”, moving at a speed that defied all other models in the universe, quickly left the mobile island and soon returned to the Puccini spaceport. Since fighters couldn’t enter the city, Alois flew it around the city’s perimeter, then painstakingly pulled up the satellite map to find the location of the third ship repair dock.

The cockpit was as packed as a sardine can, making it difficult to move even a hand. Srosie was spread out in a U-shape behind the pilot seat, his resentful eyes shooting curses at Alois from the lower right. Joshua was pressed against him, trying his best not to interfere with Alois’s operations, but the young man’s hands occasionally brushed against his waist as he worked the controls. Alois swore he wasn’t doing it on purpose and mentally apologized to Joshua a million times while continuing to brush against his waist.

The cockpit was dimly lit, which Alois found comfortable. Space was nearly devoid of light, with only the screen and cockpit lights illuminating the darkness. However, Joshua seemed less comfortable. Knowing that he suffered from claustrophobia made Alois worry.

“Joshua, are you okay?” he asked.

“Mm,” the assassin grunted.

“Hang in there. We’re almost there.”

“Mm.”

Joshua shifted up slightly, wrapping his left arm around Alois’s shoulders and burying his head in his neck. “I’m fine,” he said, his voice muffled. Warm breath tickled the young man’s neck, making it a bit itchy.

Alois felt his bones melt.

Deep beneath Green Star Diamond Island

In the dark laboratory, only the holographic projector was lit, casting a ghostly pallor on the man in a white coat standing before it. An ambiguous smile hung on his face, the lenses of his non-prescription glasses reflecting white light, obscuring his eyes. The projector was displaying footage of the “Bard” taking off, filmed from the camera embedded in the cyborg’s eye. To the man, this was precious data, but unfortunately, it had to be destroyed after one viewing. He felt a pang of regret.

A cold female voice came from behind. “Doctor, our lab’s location has been exposed.”

The man remained silent.

“Why didn’t we shoot down that fighter? We could have done it,” the female voice pressed.

“Researcher Ebelin, take a good look at this person.” The man, addressed as Doctor, waved his hand, and the image switched to a close-up of a silver-haired man in the jungle, aiming a gun at the camera. The image zoomed in, freezing on the man’s face.

Ebelin stared at the silver-haired man. “Who is he?”

Another hologram popped up, displaying a wanted notice issued by the Empire police. The notice featured three individuals, one of whom bore a striking resemblance to the silver-haired man, aside from the eye color.

“An assassin… Mourner?”

The Doctor turned off the projector, plunging the lab into pitch darkness. Ebelin clapped her hands twice, and the ceiling lights flickered on, illuminating the underground space.

The Doctor sighed, his shoulders slumping. “The lab was discovered just half a year after it was established. I’ve been too careless. The old coots in the science committee will scold me again.”

Ebelin frowned. “You shouldn’t have chosen this place in the first place.”

“Why not here?” The Doctor picked up a book from a nearby lab table. In an age where e-readers were ubiquitous, owning a paper book was a luxurious indulgence. He lovingly caressed the book’s worn cover, as if stroking a lover. Ebelin saw that the cover was inscribed with “Selected Poems of Storen Wright” in cursive.

“Oh maiden who haunts my dreams…” the Doctor murmured. “I’ve always dreamed of seeing Green Star Diamond Island. Building a lab here has been my lifelong dream. The work here is such a pleasure: sunshine, beaches, waves, beautiful scenery, and enchanting legends. We put in so much effort to convince the committee and spent a fortune to buy this island from Neo Venice.” He hugged the poetry book to his chest like a child with a treasured toy. “I really don’t want to leave.”

Ebelin felt her stomach churn. This man is such a performer, she thought. Pretending to be a melancholic prince. When creating cyborgs, he laughed like a madman. If she hadn’t seen his crazed side, she might have been deceived by his current elegant demeanor. Disgusting! Revolting! “But Doctor, we’ve been exposed. We can only hope the news doesn’t spread. All personnel are ready to evacuate. We’re just waiting for your command to destroy all data.”

“What a shame.” The Doctor, clutching his poetry book, walked toward the door. “Our research on ‘Humanoid Killing Machines’ had made such progress, and now this…”

“Indeed a pity.” Ebelin stepped aside to let him pass. “But we’ve backed up the data and can start again.”

The Doctor entered the corridor leading to the main lab, his silhouette looking somewhat frail.

“It seems I have no fate with Green Star Diamond Island. We’ll find another place and apply for a new research budget. Ah, how is my little Tom? I heard he was injured. It pains me.”

Tom was the Doctor’s first cyborg, whom he treated like a pet. Despite repeated requests from researchers to restrict Tom’s activities to the underground lab, the Doctor insisted on letting him live in the island’s jungle.

“Kids are like that. If you don’t let them play outside, they’ll throw a tantrum.” The Doctor had said this while affectionately stroking Tom’s grotesque face, his tone as gentle as it had been when he spoke to his poetry book. “Isn’t that right, my dear Tom?”

The cyborg’s camera eyes whirled wildly. It didn’t speak, as its vocal cords had been destroyed by the Doctor’s scalpel. But the Doctor seemed to hear its response and laughed joyfully.

“He said ‘yes’. Did you hear that?” The Doctor turned ecstatically to the researchers.

Since that day, no one dared to challenge the Doctor’s decisions.

Madman. Genius. Pervert. All these words perfectly described Dr. Frank Shelley.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 26

Alois swallowed hard.

The surroundings fell into an extreme silence in an instant, with even the faint sounds of insects and rustling leaves disappearing. Yet, that needle-like sensation of being watched remained. Alois had never felt this uneasy, not even under Leo’s constant surveillance on the Lady of the Night. The gaze from the jungle was like a hungry beast, filled with malice, ready to strike at any moment’s vulnerability.

“Joshua, did you bring another gun?”

“No, it’s in the flying car.”

Alois and Joshua stood back-to-back, their shared warrior instincts naturally leading them to the safest defensive stance. Srosie clung to Alois’s waist, trembling like a leaf.

“Hey, hey, don’t joke around… I just came out to play with the plane, and now, I survived a crash only to get eaten by some monster?” The teenager’s voice quivered.

“Can you stop shaking? When you shake, it makes me want to shake too!” Alois pinched Srosie’s face. “I should be saying, stop joking around. This is Green Star Diamond Island, a tourist spot, right? How could there be any large beasts… Haha, we must be getting too paranoid…” His voice also started to tremble.

Srosie gasped. “Did you say this is where?”

“The Green Star Diamond Island.”

The boy’s grip tightened, and Alois felt his internal organs being squeezed. “I must be having a nightmare!” Srosie’s voice was on the verge of tears. “Didn’t the Green Star Diamond Island become a military restricted area?!”

Alois choked. “Since when?!”

“About half a year ago. You shut-in types who don’t keep up with current events!” Srosie clung even tighter. “I was wrong. Rita told me not to fly here, but I didn’t listen… I was really wrong!”

‘Aha, half a year ago, I was still in prison listening to the warden’s weekly speeches,’ Alois thought helplessly. ‘It’s not my fault I was stuck in there every day.’

Joshua scanned the surroundings. “Stop thinking nonsense. If this is really a military restricted zone, we would have received a warning before entering.”

“Uh, not necessarily.” Alois wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. “Some highly classified military bases don’t give warnings. They just…”

Rustle, rustle.

Something moved in the jungle.

“They just what?” Srosie asked.

Alois stared blankly at the thing slowly emerging from the darkness. “…They just shoot to kill.”

A beam of sunlight penetrated the dense mangrove branches, illuminating the thing. It was a humanoid robot over two meters tall, though calling it a robot wasn’t quite right. Its mechanical torso was intertwined with human flesh and blood. Muscles and blood vessels covered the steel frame, connected to nerves made of wires. In some places, gray metal skin covered white bones. Its chest was exposed, showing rib bones wrapped with red and blue wires; a heart was beating in the left chest cavity, and artificial lungs expanded and contracted. Moving upward, its neck and head were half metal, half flesh. The metal skull reflected the sunlight, while the other half was rotten, with muscles exposed and skin gone, teeth bared, and eyes replaced by camera lenses swiveling at different angles and frequencies.

This was a half-human, half-machine monster. It might have been human once, but now it was a complete monster.

A cyborg. A chill ran through Alois. All colonies had signed agreements prohibiting cyborg research when the Neo Athens Academy was established. By now, cyborgs should only appear as villains in holographic movies. Unexpectedly, the research continued—in the Free Federation! On Neo Venice’s mobile islands!

“We’re doomed, Joshua…” Alois murmured.

Joshua looked no calmer, his shocked expression akin to seeing a dead neighbor come back to life. “My God… This is…” The assassin’s lips trembled, uttering a strange word that sounded like “Yasha”.

Alois didn’t care what “Yasha” meant. With the time to ponder that, he’d rather think of how to escape. He quickly realized they couldn’t flee towards the island’s edge. The path the Bard had cleared was covered by the rainforest, and navigating the forest risked getting lost. Returning to the flying car seemed impossible.

If they fought the cyborg head-on…

The cyborg pushed aside a fern, slowly advancing. Its left hand had five sharp blades instead of fingers, gleaming menacingly. The right arm ended not in a hand but a black, small-caliber beam cannon, likely powerful enough to blast them to pieces in an eighth of a second.

Fighting it head-on was hopeless.

That left only one option.

“Joshua, let’s head back!” Alois whispered. “The Bard might still start. We can escape in it.”

Srosie protested. “Don’t joke! I’ll crash it into the sea!”

“Idiot! Just because you can’t fly it doesn’t mean everyone else can’t!” Alois wanted to knock the troublemaker out with a stick.

The cyborg was now less than five meters away, separated only by a low plant. Joshua pulled the trigger, and a beam of light shot into the cyborg’s chest and exited its back. Another beam deflected off its metal face, causing no harm.

The cyborg scratched its wounded chest with steel claws, one blade cutting its face and drawing blood, which trickled down the silver blade. It remained unfazed.

Its eyes (if those could be called eyes) stopped their erratic movements, both focusing on Joshua, who dared to shoot.

At this moment, even the battle-hardened assassin felt a twinge of fear. “Run!” he shouted.

Alois bolted. Srosie, clinging to his waist, stumbled along. “Damn it, let go!” Alois pried the boy’s hands off, scooped him up, and sprinted towards the Bard.

Joshua retreated, firing at the cyborg. His attacks were mere pinpricks, barely slowing it down. The creature’s damaged leg only slightly impeded its progress.

Alois and Srosie reached the Bard. “Get up there!” Alois ordered.

“Me? But, but, I can’t climb up!”

“Do you want to die?” Alois cursed. He squatted, gesturing for the boy to step on his shoulder. “Climb up using my shoulders!”

“Are you sure?”

“Stop talking! Hurry, or I’ll leave you here!”

Srosie bit his lip, wiped his tears, and stepped onto Alois’s shoulder.

“Up!” Alois stood, supporting the boy. Srosie grabbed a dangling vine, tested its strength, then leaped, clutching the cockpit cover, and struggled inside.

“I’m in!” He threw the vine to Alois. “Climb up!”

The young man caught the vine, swiftly climbing into the cockpit. Srosie pulled him in.

“Move aside!”

“Where can I go?”

Alois plopped into the pilot seat, swiping his fingers across the control panel, bringing the screen to life.

“Please insert the activation key,” the display read.

“The key!” Alois kicked the boy trying to squeeze into the back.

Srosie glared but didn’t argue, searching his pockets. He finally found the key, which Alois snatched and shoved into the slot.

“Activation key inserted. Phantom of the Opera Bard, system initiating.”

Lights illuminated the cockpit, and the engine roared to life. Alois quickly adjusted the parameters, gaining a rough understanding of the Bard’s controls. While doing so, he anxiously thought, ‘What’s taking Joshua so long?’

Gunshots echoed outside. Alois couldn’t wait any longer. He leaned out. “Joshua! I’ve got it! Hurry up!”

Joshua fired another shot before abandoning his attack and sprinting towards the Bard. The cyborg sped up but was hindered by its leg wound. The assassin reached the fighter, grabbed the vine, and climbed into the cockpit.

“Get in!” Alois helped Joshua into the cramped space. The cockpit was already tight for two; now, with a third person, it was suffocating. Srosie groaned, nearly out of breath, while Joshua squeezed above Alois, pressing down on him.

“Joshua, you’re heavy…” Alois’s voice was strained.

“You’re not light either,” Joshua muttered, shifting to make more room.

Breathing easier, Alois pressed buttons to close the cockpit and start the engine.

A faint vibration and metallic clang reverberated through the hull. The cyborg was attacking the Bard’s exterior, but Neo Venice’s pride wasn’t damaged. The cyborg’s efforts were futile.

The magnetic field activated. The anti-gravity system began its calculations. The escape system was shut down.

The Bard lifted vertically. Dirt and leaves fell away, revealing its beautiful silver body, stark against the cyborg below. The engine emitted pale green particles, forming a natural barrier around the aircraft.

Crash. The canopy above broke, creating a huge gap. The silver bird freed itself from gravity, soaring towards the blue sky, trailing green particles like a tail.

The girl wearing the Green Star Diamond. Just like in Storen Wright’s poem.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>