Intergalactic conquest with an AI

In an instant, the white gun unleashed a blinding beam of energy, roaring forth with a sound like a thunderclap. The blast tore through the air in the form of a spear of pure light that struck the K. Champion square in the chest.

The impact sent shockwaves through the wreckage, sand and debris flying as the force of the blast drilled into the Champion, tearing through armor, flesh, and bone.

The K. Champion screamed with fullness of agony and fury as the energy ripped into him, splintering his form with merciless precision. The wounds left by the blast didn't heal; instead, they burned with golden light, searing through his regenerative power, consuming him from within.

Rex watched how all of this was unfolding with his eyes cold and unyielding as the K. Champion stumbled, his once-imposing form now crumbling under the sheer power of the weapon. The champion collapsed to his knees, his body ravaged, and the golden flames were spreading, devouring him.

As the dust settled, Rex blew on his fingergun, his smirk returning. "Guess that dream weapon works just fine after all."

"Kukuku... well done, human. This... is my defeat,"

the K. Champion rasped, his voice low and guttural as his body was consumed by the golden flames. With one final snarl, he dissolved completely, leaving only ashes drifting on the desert wind.

Rex watched until he was certain the champion was death. Then, with a weary sigh, he turned toward the wrecked gunboat, stepping through the hole left by the severed hand of the fallen beast.

Inside, the scene was gruesome, blood and viscera splattered across the walls, the remains of the officers the K. Champion had devoured in his rampage. The metallic smell of blood and burnt flesh hung thick in the air.

At the far end of the cockpit, he found General Leena, curled up in a corner, hugging her knees. Her face was pale, her eyes wide and unblinking, like a cornered animal. She was still trembling, either from shock or fear.

"You're safe now, General,"

Rex said, his tone flat.

"The K. Champion is dead. You can head south; there's a defensive line I set up. You'll find protection there.

" He turned to leave.

"I have other things to take care of. Good luck."

But as he took a step toward the exit, Leena's voice cut through the silence, shrill and desperate.

"Stop right there! You can't just leave me here! As your superior, I order you to escort me to safety!

"

Rex paused, slowly turning back to face her. He knelt down until his face was level with hers, his expression cold, almost contemptuous. "

While it's true that you're a superior officer... you're not my superior."

His golden eyes bore into hers, unyielding and fierce

. "I'll be honest, General, I don't like you one bit."

He let the words hang in the air, watching her reaction with a hard gaze.

"I lost good men because of you. Because of your arrogance. If I'm not ending you right here and now, it's only out of respect for Admiral Voss."

He rose to his feet and turned to leave again, but once more, she stopped him, her voice trembling, laced with a hint of desperation and madness.

"S-stop! If you leave me here... I'll report your location to the Strategos!"

Her face twisted with a frantic gleam in her eyes, her hands clenched into fists as she scrambled to regain control.

Rex's expression shifted, a dangerous smirk forming on his lips as he looked over his shoulder.

"Oh? You think that scares me?"

He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a cold whispe

r. "Go ahead, report me. Let them know exactly where I am."

Leena's bravado faltered, her eyes darting away from his intense gaze.

"I... I just... I just need to survive this."

Rex shook his head slowly, almost pitying her.

"Then survive on your own. Maybe you'll learn something out there... though I doubt it."

He straightened, no longer sparing her a second glance.

"Goodbye, General."

Without another word, he walked out of the ruined gunboat, leaving Leena alone in the flickering light of the emergency beacons, surrounded by the echoes of her own failures.

A few minutes after Rex left her alone in the dark wreckage, Leena was startled by a playful, almost mocking voice that drifted through the silence.

"Huhu, my darling really is a softy, don't you think, General

～

?"

Leena's heart raced as she scrambled to her feet, clutching her handgun with trembling hands and swinging it wildly in every direction.

"W-who's there? Show yourself!"

Before she could react further, a powerful kick struck her square in the stomach, sending her sprawling backward into a seat. She gasped, struggling to breathe, when she felt a sharp tug on her hair, forcing her head back painfully. A figure settled onto her lap, holding her hair in a tight grip.

Through the haze of pain, Leena tried to see her attacker.

"Wh-who are you? Why are you doing this to me?"

Her voice cracked as tears were coming up in from her eyes.

A chuckle sounded in her ear.

"Mmm... maybe my darling knows what a'strategos' is, but I don't. Care to enlighten me, General? I'm really curious,"

the voice cooed, laced with sinister amusement.

"Oh, silly me, I forgot I was still in stealth mode. Give me a moment."

The air shimmered, and then a woman appeared, perched on Leena's legs with a wicked smile. Her eyes sparkled with an almost childlike glee, yet there was something terrifyingly unhinged about her gaze.

"Much better, isn't it?"

Ys said, running a single finger down Leena's cheek, her touch as cold as ice.

"Now, tell me more about what you threatened my darling with. This 'Strategos' nonsense."

Leena swallowed, her voice shaky and barely a whisper.

"The Strategos... they're high-ranking officials in Nexum Dynamics. High Rank Three. They control entire military campaigns, fleets, ground operations… across multiple planets. They're… they're powerful."

Ys's eyes narrowed with mild interest, but she tilted her head unimpressed.

"Mmm, interesting. But I still don't see why my darling should be afraid of them."

Her grip on Leena's face tightened, pulling her closer until their noses almost touched.

Leena's breath hitched, fear flooding her veins.

"It's because... he has something Nexum Dynamics wants,"

she stammered.

Ys sighed, her patience visibly thinning.

"Ugh, I'm getting bored, little girl. Stop stuttering and spit it out. What exactly does your precious corporation want from him?"

As she spoke, her eyes flashed with a predatory glow, making Leena's blood run cold.

"It's… it's an egg!"

Leena screamed, her voice desperate.

"They were looking for an egg on this planet, something... something ancient and powerful. And Rex... he stole it from them!"

Ys's eyes widened slightly, a slow grin spreading across her face.

"An egg, you say?"

She released her grip on Leena's face and leaned back, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"Now that's interesting."

Leena watched her warily, still trembling

. "Please… I told you everything. Just... don't hurt me."

Ys laughed softly, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. "

Oh, don't worry, General. I won't hurt you much. But remember this: if you ever try to threaten my darling again, if you so much as whisper his name to your precious strategos..."

She leaned in, her voice dropping to a deadly whisp

er. "I'll make sure you regret it in ways you can't even imagine."

Ys let go of Leena's hair but remained sitted on her legs with a wicked glint in her eyes. She bit down on her own finger, drawing a thin bead of dark, shimmering blood.

"Since you don't want to die, I have a different plan for you.

"

She purred, holding her finger close to Leena's trembling lips.

"Lick my blood, and you'll become my servant, bound to me completely."

Leena's mind was already fractured, her spirit crushed by fear and helplessness. She didn't resist. Her small tongue slipped out hesitantly, tasting the blood that dripped from Ys's finger. As she licked, Ys's face lit up with a dark satisfaction. She could feel her blood weaving its magic, binding Leena's will to her own.

Ys's predatory instincts flared, a surge of power and dominance filling her. This was her true nature: the huntress, the conqueror. She reserved her softer, submissive side for Rex alone.

"Good girl,"

she said, her voice dripping with condescension.

"Now, you're under my protection. The Khryssari here won't harm you. You're safe... for now."

She hopped off Leena's lap, stretching lazily as if she'd just enjoyed a satisfying meal. Turning back, she regarded Leena with a sly smile.

"Now, go. It wouldn't do any good for someone to see us together, would it? And make sure to report back to me with any information your organization has about my darling."

Leena's newly green-tinted eyes glistened as she stood up from the seat, kneeling before Ys.

"Understood, ma'am,

" she murmured, her voice hollow and submissive.

Ys gave her a sweet, almost childlike smile before vanishing from sight, her stealth mode reactivating, leaving Leena alone in the dark, changed in more ways than one.

Outside, the battle raged on. Thanks to Leena's earlier artillery orders, the Khryssari forces were faltering, their lines breaking under the relentless assault. The allied soldiers could feel the tide of victory approaching with the end of this brutal conflict within their grasp.

But Rex's instincts were sharp, honed by countless battles. He felt a dark presence lurking beyond the smoke and chaos, something far more dangerous closing in.

"Soldiers! Fall back!"

Rex's voice boomed through the communicator, urgency filling each word.

"This is far enough. Retreat to the transport ships immediately!"

Those who had fought alongside Rex for a long time didn't hesitate, trusting his instincts without question. They pulled back swiftly, moving toward the transports with practiced precision.

But some of the newer recruits, those who hadn't yet seen the depths of Rex's experience, hesitated, murmuring among themselves that he was being overly cautious or even cowardly. They pressed forward, ignoring the command.

Rex gritted his teeth as he ran, the weight of his familiar backpack shifting on his shoulders. A voice came from within, soft yet mischievous.