Beyond the Present Realm, in eternal darkness, the dim glow of the Present Realm illuminated countless shattered borderlands around it.
Amid the wreckage, grim warships howled past, crushing the debris beneath them.
Then another warship emerged from a mass of fragments...
A third, a fourth...
Using vast amounts of borderland wreckage, like an asteroid belt, as cover, the Sagittarius battle group sped through the depths, trails of engine flame bursting forth, brilliant as stars.
But before long, the fleet's speed visibly began to slow.
As though it had lost its target...
"A notice?"
On the noisy flagship bridge, the central air conditioning kept blasting cold air, yet it could not disperse the stifling heat and anxious tension in the air.
Commander Colombo, staring fixedly at the observation screen, froze in place. Doubting his own ears, he instinctively adjusted his headset. "What notice?"
"It came two minutes ago, from the Heavenly Kingdom Lineage."
A voice came through the communications line. "The Heavenly Kingdom Lineage sent us a notice through the Current Realm Defense Bureau headquarters.
As the legitimate institution of the Ideal Nation, the Heavenly Kingdom Lineage has obtained Red Book authorization from the Unified Bureau and will shortly repossess the Ideal Nation's property: the borderland of Canaan.
They demand that we halt our operation—"
"But we've already deployed!" Colombo raised his voice angrily. "This is an operation of the Deep Space Legion. There is no room for interference from any other organization!"
"But the Red Book has higher priority."
The other side said, "The Unified Bureau has already granted authorization, and strictly speaking... as a borderland, Canaan also falls within the authority granted by the Red Book."
The general from the Current Realm Defense Bureau gave his final order. "Suspend the operation, Colonel Colombo. That is an order."
"...Understood, sir."