Phantom: That... was something that had looked back from the abyss.
"Oww!" Luther let out a yelp as I jabbed the blood draw needle into his forearm.
"Don't be so dramatic." The green ring at the top of the blood collection tube lit up, indicating we had enough of a sample. "Quit acting like a puppy." I removed the glass tube and gave it a quick shake to mix the sample with the anticoagulant.
"You just suck at this!" Luther grumbled, frowning as he used his willpower to close the wound and stop the bleeding while loosening the tourniquet on his bicep.
"I do not." My arm was throbbing with waves of pain, but I refused to admit it.
I placed Luther's blood sample in the rotary shaker, then retrieved my own tube from the machine, unscrewed the cap, and inserted it into the analyzer, watching the probe dip in to extract a sample.
"Isn't it weird for you to do these things yourself?" Luther asked, resting his chin on my shoulder from behind. "There are plenty of doctors on the ship, aren't there?"
"I enjoy these... activities. They help me relax." The analyzer showed the serum separation in progress. I forced myself to cross my arms over my chest, trying not to fidget with my hands, which felt awkward no matter where I placed them. Damn, I really needed those vanished pockets right now! "Besides, I don't think it would help morale for the medical officers to know that their admiral has emotional control issues."
"I thought you agreed that open and honest communication between team members is essential for effective missions," Luther said in a slightly sarcastic tone, as if challenging me, though he didn't raise his tail.
"I'm their protector, not the other way around." I stated the fact, and Luther responded with a disgruntled grunt that probably meant something like, "If you say so."
The screen began to display data, pulling my focus away from everything else, so I didn't respond.
"Didn't you say that using our abilities doesn't affect us physically?" Luther seemed determined to distract me, throwing more questions my way.
"It's not the abilities themselves that affect us." Normal... normal... normal. "It's the feeling of omnipotence, the idea that you can destroy worlds with a snap of your fingers, that you're somehow superior to everyone else." I switched to the next screen, continuing to review the data.
"I know a few people like that..." Luther muttered.
"Everything's normal." I sighed in relief, leaning back in my chair. The stress hormone levels were close to critical, but I'd say it wasn't a big deal.
"Are you sure you don't need a break?" Luther pointed to the cortisol levels. "You look pretty stressed." Damn it, how does he know? Did I explain it to him? Am I already at the age where I forget what I've said? Damn it, stop it, cortisol!
"No need." I clicked my tongue in mild annoyance, putting Luther's blood sample into the analyzer. "Have you decided on your major yet?"
"You always do this when you know you're wrong," Luther lazily rubbed his head against my shoulder. "Change the subject right away."
"I don't." I sighed, reading Luther's report. "You're the one changing the subject."
He let out a monosyllabic protest, stood up straight, and started pacing aimlessly around the living room.
"Is it really that hard?" After confirming that Luther's indicators were all normal, I let the analyzer destroy our samples, then powered off the machine.
"It's just..." He scratched his head violently, continuing to pace back and forth. "Is it really that important?"
"One day, the Imperial Fleet will under your command." I spoke in a calm tone, trying not to make it sound weird every time I mentioned it. "So yes, it is important."
"Arthur would be happy to take over. Why does it have to be me?" Luther muttered, quickening his pace. "And you've still got ten years in you, right?"
"Arthur is more than ten years older than me." His confused expression was almost endearing, making me laugh at an inappropriate moment and nearly forgive his rudeness--damn those puppy eyes. "Indulge me for a bit, okay? I don't have anyone else to rely on." I forced the bitterness out of my voice, wondering if I had ever imagined myself saying something like this at forty--was this what a midlife crisis felt like?
Luther's posture shifted restlessly, crossing his arms and raising his chin and tail stubbornly.
This mutt always knew how to hit my soft spots in various ways, and now I just wanted to tickle his belly like crazy and listen to those adorable whimpers.
Damn it, boundaries during duty hours!
I shook my head vigorously, refocusing, determined to keep up the pressure, but those big brown eyes staring back at me immediately crushed my resolve. I could only sigh, swallowing the words that had been on the tip of my tongue. I guessed Luther wasn't ready to know yet, and I wasn't ready to tell him that the Empire's Heart was built for him.
"Imagine, once you become admiral, you can order those jerks you hate to scrub the deck with a toothbrush." I cracked a small joke, unable to control the smile creeping up my face.
"Oh, is that so?" Luther rolled his eyes at me, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Will I get a cool title too?"
"I'm struggling to think of anything that would suit." I tilted my head, trying to envision the image in my mind. "No matter what word you pair with 'mutt,' the moment loses all its grandeur." Luther turned his head away in displeasure, letting out a huff at my assessment.
"I wouldn't mind using yours," Luther mumbled, so softly that it made me raise an eyebrow.
"You wouldn't mind?" Well, I suppose taking on a title is quite different from taking on a fleet.
"Storm... it just sounds..." He tilted his head, then shrugged. "It just sounds cool."
"But storms only bring destruction." I said softly, my throat beginning to dry up again.
"Oh, storms do a lot more than that!" Luther suddenly seemed interested, ears perking up. "Did you know that storms create powerful disturbances that can stir up deep, cold water, preventing coral bleaching? And they help maintain forest health, drive ecological succession, and cycle nutrients in both terrestrial and ocean ecosystems!"
I tilted my head at Luther, watching the tip of his tail wagging rapidly. It reminded me of some fond memories from my younger days.
"So storms don't just destroy; they also bring life. They're pretty awesome!" Luther met my gaze and then, somewhat sheepishly, lowered his head, scratching his ear. "At least, that's what Ian says."
Seeing him like this was... heartwarming. I didn't really want to ruin the mood, but I thought it was always better to be honest about who we truly were.
"On Gaia, storms do work like that." I said gently, not wanting to sound like I was raining on his parade. "But the title was given by the Federation."
Luther's head tilted slightly, his expression stiffening.
"Have you ever seen a storm on Ares?" I raised my right hand in front of my eyes, rubbing my fingers together gently. "Where the storm passes, nothing remains."
Luther looked at me silently with those big brown eyes, a touch of sadness in his gaze. Was he... pitying me, or was it for some other reason?
Before I could voice my question, the living room was bathed in a red glow, accompanied by the blare of mechanical alerts.
"Level Two Red Alert, Gamma-Class Phantom! Level Two Red Alert, Gamma-Class Phantom!"
"Damn it!" I cursed, activating my personal terminal. "Destroyer squadron, what's happening?"
"Admiral, the Phantom mothership somehow evaded detection. The fleet is estimated to enter its patrol range in one minute!" the on-duty radar officer replied. Other captains began to join the meeting, their avatars appearing one by one along the screen's edges, while the center displayed a tactical projection of the fleet's ships and the Phantom's location.
Damn, too close. Before I can stop the Phantom, it will inevitably engage with the fleet. This is unacceptable! But a Gamma-Class must have a leader, and if I issue a challenge, it has to respond.
"All ships, evade! Do not engage! Let the Empire's Heart handle this!" I ordered, then expanded my consciousness to fully envelop the Empire's Heart, synchronizing with the outermost drones. I emitted a unique resonant pulse, making myself appear as a brilliantly shining beacon within the mental domain. "I'll intercept in the training room. Leader challenge."
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I retracted the terminal into my arm and summoned "Gray Snow" from the storage compartment.
"Bring Aether with you," I instructed Luther as I felt the resonance of Gray Snow greeting me. "But don't interfere unless the other crew members are in danger and I can't divide my attention. " As soon as I finished speaking, Luther summoned Aether from his room and took it in hand. "And absolutely do not expand your consciousness--you're not ready yet."
Luther seemed to understand the seriousness in my tone and nodded earnestly.
I suppose it's about time I explain what the Phantoms really are.
The moment we stepped into the hallway, the Empire's Heart shook violently.
"Phantom boarding pods have breached the armor! Starboard, Section Alpha-3, compromised and sealed!" the voice of a crew member on the bridge came through the terminal, sounding anxious.
"Arthur, you know what to do. Lead them to the training room," I said, taking a sharp turn at an intersection. "And all crew, avoid that area--engagement is forbidden. If any idiot tries to play hero, I'll make sure their only job until the next landing ceremony is peeling potatoes."
"What's a potato?" Luther asked beside me.
"Some sort of tuber," I replied, glancing at the directional indicators on the wall and sensing the pulses within the mental domain to confirm the Phantom's position. "Basically, it's a punishment similar to cleaning the food synthesizers."
I drew Gray Snow, while Luther tilted his head, likely digesting this new information.
The source of the unique resonance was just ahead--two of them.
Lowering my stance, I pressed close to the deck and shot forward. I lightly pushed off the ground below, then kicked off forcefully, changing my direction just in time to dodge several conical projectiles. Using the momentum of my spinning body, I swung Gray Snow in a wide arc, slicing cleanly through the object that had just entered the corridor from around the corner, cutting it in half.
Metal fragments of various sizes clattered to the ground with a series of sharp impacts. I landed softly on the deck, crouched slightly, and set up a defensive barrier, deflecting two high-energy plasma shots. The bright, pale-purple orbs quickly dissipated in the air.
Seeing that its firepower had failed, my attacker decided to try a different tactic. It retracted its side-mounted cannons into a dark, oval body brimming with glowing red components and began advancing toward me with dozens of metallic tendrils attached to it. These long tendrils, each with hundreds of joints, were made of the same non-reflective metal as its main body and ended in a variety of tools--the most common being sharp, coldly gleaming claws.
It encroached on my domain, then immediately began spinning like a top, slashing at me with its claws as it charged.
The Gamma-Class's tactics were as straightforward as ever.
I pushed off the ground with my toes, leaping into the air and twisting my body to evade the blades. As I came over the dark shell, I activated my defensive barrier to block the various projectiles it fired at me. Within the domain, I identified several containing explosive charges and promptly cut all the fuses with a half-sword. Before landing on the oval body, I switched Gray Snow to a reverse grip, held the hilt with both hands, and thrust downward, piercing through the barrier and metal shell, driving the blade deeper until I was certain I had destroyed the core.
The red light faded, the tendrils went limp, and the main body crashed onto the deck.
I withdrew Gray Snow, jumped down from the wreckage, and landed back on the ground.
"Is this... a Phantom?" Luther asked, his voice tinged with awe as he walked up beside me.
"No," I replied, pointing to the first wreckage I had sliced in two. "That's more like a Phantom's... minion." I found what I was looking for and used my Domination to pull it into my hand. It was a silver-white sphere, now split in two.
"In most cases, they have a 'core' located at the center of their body, though sometimes it's elsewhere." I set the two halves aside and pointed at the wreckage with my sword, explaining to Luther. "As long as you inflict enough damage on the core, the 'Squid' will lose its mobility."
"This is... adamantine!" Luther exclaimed, poking the metallic hemisphere with his finger.
"Yes, this is our primary source of adamantine," I gestured for him to follow me. "We can retrieve it later--it won't run away." Luther walked alongside me, clearly brimming with questions. "Gamma-Class Phantoms can even extract exotic matter, so in a way, we're quite lucky."
Thanks to the extended range of my mental domain, I managed to destroy the cores of two more Squids in subsequent encounters before they could even react.
"The next one's for you to practice with," I said to Luther, sheathing Gray Snow.
"Really?" Luther drew his sword, Aether, and flexed his wrist. "I thought you said I wasn't ready yet?"
"You're not ready to face a Phantom." I quickly flashed him a series of tactical hand signals, but Luther just tilted his head in confusion. "For the love of Rationalism!" I rolled my eyes. "Remind me to prioritize reviewing tactical signals next time."
Luther reluctantly grunted in acknowledgment. I took that as a sign he got the message. Picking up my terminal, I pulled up a map of the surrounding area and began explaining the situation to Luther.
"This one is isolated, and you're in my domain. If necessary, I'll intervene." I leaned my back against the partition wall, one hand resting on the sliding door's control panel. "Think of the Squid as an psychic, because there's not much difference in what the two can do."
Luther crouched low in front of the sliding door, holding his sword single-handed, adopting a stance that was close to the Ice Spike form. A surprise attack with a quick finish? It seemed he had been paying close attention earlier. I wondered how well he'd actually perform.
"Just remember one thing: never expand your consciousness." I reminded him again. Luther nodded, his brown eyes flashing with anticipation and excitement.
He's still just a kid at heart, huh? I thought he'd be a bit more nervous. Well, go on then!
I slammed my fist onto the panel, and the moment the door slid open, Luther shot out, stirring up a gust of wind.
He's fast!
Achieving that kind of speed with just output of basic consciousness was no small feat. Luther was far better at body enhancement than I was. Maybe I should find someone else to guide him in that area; I could barely manage to construct such a wave pattern.
I had expected the fight to be over in an instant, but the Squid noticed the mutt charging at it and immediately drove three tentacles into the deck, setting up a defensive position. The remaining tentacle tips, along with six barrels extending from its oval body, aimed at Luther.
In the next moment, a barrage of bullets rained down.
Since we had already been spotted, I stepped out of cover, maintaining the strength of my defensive field as I cautiously approached the two combatants.
To call it a fight was an exaggeration--Luther was simply enduring the bombardment.
I relaxed my defensive field, allowing the passive one to take over, and ignored the impacts rippling across the invisible barrier. Instead, I focused on analyzing the types of ammunition the Squid was firing.
Gamma-class weapons equipped with adamantine-tipped bullets--I wasn't sure if Luther had noticed, but I prepared to intercept any shots with Domination if necessary.
Luther's movements weren't as agile as mine, but he dodged left and right, gradually finding the sparsest path through the barrage toward the Squid. Fortunately, his passive defensive field was as solid as a rock. I was confident that even if all the attacks hit him squarely in the front, they'd do little more than obscure his vision.
The Squid launched two rockets. Luther ducked to avoid the first, then spun his body to slice through the fuse of the second.
"Hey," I said as the first rocket exploded against my defensive field. I neutralized the shockwave with a binding circle, sweeping away the dust and debris. "Be more precise. You should be protecting those behind you, not causing them trouble." As far as on-the-fly learning goes, that was a decent move, but I'm a tough critic.
"I was just trying to keep you from getting bored!" he laughed, then moved with a fluid grace. A few silver flashes later, Luther swung his sword in a wide arc, then crouched down, holding the sword in his right hand, with the tip touching the ground beside him.
He had noticed the adamantine-tipped bullet the moment it left the barrel and deflected it with Aether.
Was it by recognizing the unique pulse of the adamantine, or was it just instinctive reflex? Either way, that level of sharpness was impressive.
Before I could say anything, the red light on the Squid's body faded, and its entire structure collapsed onto the deck. Seeing the incapacitated creature, I finally understood what had happened.
I'd been too focused on the bullets coming our way and hadn't noticed the ones being redirected--the moment Aether made contact with the bullets, Luther had used Domination to alter their trajectory, sending them back to the Squid and precisely shattering its core.
"That... was pretty impressive." I offered genuine praise. "Your Domination is already exceptionally strong, but to be able to sense danger and seize the perfect moment to counterattack--those judgments were outstanding." Normally, such instinctive actions are impossible without significant combat experience.
Did I... train this mutt too well? What happens when he surpasses me...?
"Actually, I kind of cheated." Luther sheathed Aether and shook his hand. "Your concern was so palpable; I could practically feel the waves of it." He scratched his ear and glanced aside.
"Oh." Well, I hadn't expected that. "Uh..." I gestured for Luther to follow me. "Regardless, that was an excellent performance. You're almost at the level of a sword master now." Even with the advantage of an ability, that technique and movement would earn Qana's approval.
I could tell from the change in air currents that Luther was wagging his tail enthusiastically.
That simple joy immediately swept away any worries that had been brewing in my mind.
"If only Aether didn't hate me so much..." Luther grumbled, fastening the sword to his belt, then shaking out his right hand.
"Oh?" I tilted my head and glanced at Aether, its matte black hilt and guard resting quietly in the matching scabbard. "You two still aren't getting along?"
"It still zaps me, even during actual combat!" Luther complained, gripping the sword hilt. "It did it just now when I missed the first rocket, like it was scolding me... Ow!" Luther let go of the hilt, shaking his left hand.
"Uh..." I patted Luther's back, trying to comfort him. "Give Aether some more time. I'm sure you just need to get to know each other better."
Luther didn't offer a response, just cast a resentful glance at Gray Snow.
"Ha, don't even think about it!" I playfully smacked the back of his head, unable to suppress a chuckle. "Besides, I'm sure Gray Snow would be even stricter."
We passed through the sliding door and down the final hallway. With my command privileges, I unlocked the sealed area, bringing us to the entrance of the training room.
"A Gamma-class Phantom isn't too difficult to handle, but this will be your first time facing one." We stopped in front of the door, and I locked eyes with Luther, emphasizing my point. "Never expand your consciousness circle, no matter what. I'll explain the rules later."
No matter how nonchalant Luther seemed in ordinary circumstances, he could be serious when it counted. That was something I found truly reassuring.
"And one more thing..." I raised my hand, hovering it over the control panel. "I'm not sure... what kind... of version... we'll encounter." I didn't have the time to explain the potential situations we might face. I had to focus completely--even a Gamma-class Phantom could present vastly different levels of threat depending on the version. "Remember, our realities cannot overlap."
Luther clearly didn't understand what I was saying, but he nodded seriously, adopting a submissive stance that put me slightly more at ease.
"Alright, here we go." I said softly, and after confirming that Luther was ready, I pressed the sliding door's control panel.
Without hesitation, I stepped into the dimly lit room. Although I knew the rules protected us from ambushes by creatures like the Squid, I still remained on high alert, cautiously moving toward the center.
The training room was in its default state, meaning the center was nothing but open space. A bright beam of light from above illuminated a circular area on the ground.
I understood that this was our stage.
"You two must have been busy flirting to take this long." A raspy voice came from the other end of the room, cloaked in darkness. "I almost decided to call you out for breaking the rules."
"My apologies." I bowed deeply, lowering my ears. "I thought this was a good opportunity for Luther to get familiar with a Squid." I straightened up and rested my hand on my sword hilt.
"'Squid'?" He chuckled, the raspy sound sending a chill down my spine--at least, the fur on my back was standing on end. "Is that what you call them here?"
A steady, heavy rhythm echoed as the figure slowly stepped into the light, casting Phantoms across his face.
"Never mind, I suppose you think I won't be too harsh with you, huh?" The hem of his crimson coat swayed as the Phantom moved. "I'd forgotten how cute you looked when you're confused." He tilted his head and flashed a grin at the mutt behind me.
The sheer shock radiating off Luther was impossible to hide, sending violent ripples through my domain.
I could only imagine what Luther was feeling. After all, when I first faced a Phantom, I had some idea of what I would see, but Luther didn't--that was a wolf with pure white fur, a black nose, and eyes as blue as a cloudless sky.
But a long scar ran above his right eye, slashing across half his face, likely the reason that eye appeared cloudy and milky-white. Both ears also bore a few notches, though I couldn't tell what had caused them.
"You gave him the Aether?" Phantom looked Luther up and down, then burst into laughter--a sound like the last gasps of a dying breath, unsettling to hear. "That's some sick sense of humor." He wiped at the corner of his eye, unbuttoning the collar of his black uniform, and took a few more steps toward me. I noticed he had a slight limp.
The impaired vision and limp--those might be advantages I could use.
"Can we get down to business before the chit-chat?" I wasn't eager to let him spend too much time around Luther or spill something he shouldn't, so I intended to wrap this up quickly.
"Hmph, overprotective much?" Phantom spat, but at least he drew his weapon, not refusing the challenge.
When I saw the bastard sword leave its sheath, I knew this was going to be a tough fight. At least I could be thankful that his power was limited to Gamma level.
I drew my own sword, assuming the Snow stance, and fixed my gaze on Phantom.
"Qirnangajuq." I awakened Gray Snow, the powerful resonance rippling through the training room, sending the hem of my coat billowing.
Phantom's stance was almost lazy, casually testing his wrist with a couple of swings. Then he nodded in satisfaction, locking eyes with me and flashing a grin that exposed the tips of his fangs.
"Luther," Phantom whispered, almost tenderly. Violent resonance radiated from the bastard sword in his hand, distorting the space around him.
We charged at each other, unleashing a storm.