Sora had just faced his first job rejection in this world.
"I understand your intention completely," Anna said gently. "But Camille is still in the early stages of reconstruction. At the mont, we simply don't have the position available."
"That said, please rest assured: once the rebuilding is complete, you will receive an official invitation. And if you're still willing by then... we can have a proper discussion about compensation."
Her tone was apologetic, but firm.
Sora sighed, feeling a pang of regret. Working under a wealthy, soft-spoken royal like her would've been way better than signing on with so overworked branch of the Interastral Peace Corp.
"But seriously... this compensation is way too much."
Billions of credit points—unless the local exchange rate was worse than Zimbabwe dollars—was an absurd amount of wealth in any world.
He couldn't bring himself to believe he was worth that much.
"Actually, we do have a small request for you, Mr. Sora."
And there it was.
Sora's suspicions imdiately settled. So there's the catch.
Of course, a few hundred billion wouldn't co for free.
"Let say this up front," he warned. "I appreciate the gesture, but I'm not so greedy that I'll do just anything for so credits."
"If it's sothing I find objectionable, I'll walk away. Card or no card."
"Of course not," Anna reassured him. "We wouldn't ask anything improper of our honored guest. It's a very simple task—just a small favor, really."
"What kind of favor?"
"Co with . I'll explain on the way."
Though still recovering, Anna wrapped herself in a white-and-gold outer robe. She took the lead without a single guard, with Sora following quietly behind.
They exited the survivor outpost and headed into the outskirts—far from any main road or outlying patrol.
The landscape was dim, saturated in the grayish hue of the lingering black mist. All around them lay the crumbling remains of hos and shattered walls.
Anna finally stopped.
A faint ray of light filtered through a crack in the overhead fog, shining weakly onto the ruined earth.
She lifted her hand and pressed the silver ring on her finger.
Rumble...
The ground beneath them began to tremble.
At the center of a shifting square, the platform they stood on slowly began to descend.
Sora tensed instinctively, but Anna stood calm, clearly used to this.
As the earth parted, layers of sedint gave way to gleaming steel—until the structure below ca into full view.
At first, it was cloaked in shadow.
Then, sensing their presence, the entire facility lit up at once.
"What is this place...?"
They stood in a vast chamber. Cold steel dominated the space—stark and clean, a striking contrast to the war-torn wasteland above.
And more than anything, it was... empty.
A massive hangar, yet devoid of ships or equipnt.
"This is Camille's starship depot," Anna said softly. "Once, it housed 112 planetary units, 35 orbital escort vessels, and one interstellar-class warship."
"But every single one was destroyed during the planetary siege."
"Even the last remaining starship capable of deep-space travel was torn apart by a Doomsday Beast. You can still see the wreckage outside."
Sora understood. He recalled the twisted debris he had seen upon arriving—ruined tal and scorched plating. So that's what it had been.
The devastation must've been unimaginable.
But Anna hadn't brought him here for a history lesson.
She led him to a tall, sleek starship—its elegant contours glinting faintly in the light. Pure white plating trimd with platinum gave it a noble presence, restrained yet regal.
"This is the Royal Bellow, the last manned starship capable of interstellar flight on Camille."
She placed a hand gently on its hull.
"And I would like you, Mr. Sora, to escort this vessel—to protect the children and elders aboard, and take them far from here."
Sora frowned. "That sounds like a goodbye speech. You're not coming?"
Anna smiled. "You're overthinking it. This is just a temporary evacuation."
"Think of it like renovating a house. If the family stays during the repairs, it becos chaotic and cramped. Better to let them stay elsewhere."
"I'd like you to escort them to a trade star three light-years away—one administered by the Interastral Peace Corp."
"Once the planet is safe again... I'll bring them ho."
Her explanation made sense.
But Sora still narrowed his eyes.
"And for a mission like this, you're offering hundreds of billions of credits? You sure?"
It's just one more trip. A few fights. A bit of babysitting. Surely not worth a planetary fortune...
Was this universe's economy just broken?
"I am royalty," Anna said quietly. "The assets of the deceased default to the crown. When the planet is fully restored, I'll petition the Peace Corp and gain access to trillions in inheritance."
"Spending a few hundred billion on the man who saved our world? I consider it a fair investnt."
To be honest, she had him there.
Sora finally realized: he wasn't dealing with a corporate contract.
He was talking to soone who could command an entire planet's wealth.
"All right. When do we leave?"
"In two days," Anna said. "This facility has been in total shutdown. We'll need so ti to prepare."
Her hand brushed the hull again, almost tenderly.
This ship... was Camille's last hope.
"Got it. Just let know when it's ready."
Sora did a quick ntal check—it lined up perfectly with the timing of his next Rider Power draw.
Last ti, he'd gotten JOKER, and that had been a huge boon.
What would it be this ti?
His eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Anna, on the other hand, remained composed.
...
[Random Power Selection: Countdown complete. Initiating recall...]
A thread of power detached from his body, forming a glowing silhouette before him.
Sora blinked—wait, JOKER's power hadn't fully left him.
He could still feel its presence, just diminished. If he'd been able to use 100% of its potential before, now it felt closer to 70% or 80%.
That's still plenty. Especially for a power like JOKER's—which was fundantally limitless.
[Recall complete].
[Please proceed to your next Rider Power draw.]
The JOKER mory floated beside him, fading into particles of violet light.
Sora didn't hesitate. He reached forward and pressed the button again.
Then—sothing unexpected happened.
Among the dozens of Rider icons spinning across the display, one surged ahead without waiting.
It shot out from the exit port like a bullet.
And slamd straight into the fading JOKER mory—rging with it.
The combined force flooded into Sora's body.
"What the hell... is this?"
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