About ten minutes earlier.
Against the backdrop of the vast Star Sea and dark cosmos.
Four small saucer-shaped spacecraft, three white and one red, were speeding after another craft of the same model, though this one had clearly been modified and was silver-white.
Whether in performance or piloting skill, the latter was obviously superior at a glance.
At that moment, the silver-white spacecraft blasted out blue-white exhaust flames, widening the distance between them once more.
"The target has accelerated. At this rate—"
"Combat level raised to orange. Authorization granted for Class C weaponry!"
"We absolutely cannot let it escape! No matter what, stop it!"
"Understood!"
The pilots of the four spacecraft rapidly exchanged words over the communications system.
In an instant.
White missiles shot out through clouds of smoke, locking precisely onto the target spacecraft.
The latter tried to evade, but it was futile.
In the blink of an eye, the barrage struck its exterior one after another, each explosion unimaginably powerful.
Even so.
The silver-white spacecraft withstood the assault, suffering only a few malfunctions amid the violent shaking.
However, it seemed unable to continue flying normally.
"Hmph, looks like this is the end," the pilot inside the red spacecraft said with a chuckle.
Elsewhere.
Inside the silver-white spacecraft, where electric sparks flashed everywhere, a girl let out an unwilling roar. "How can I give up in a place like this?!"
With a forceful pull of the throttle.
The spacecraft erupted with blue flames again and shot forward, vanishing into blossoming purple light seconds later.
"Lock onto its subspace signal immediately and follow it!"
"Understood!"
The four spacecraft took the same action, disappearing one after another into the boundless void.
The next moment.
The silver-white spacecraft, having completely lost power, abruptly appeared in another starfield.
Yet the girl inside had