Prologue
Whether infinite or finite—I couldn’t care less—but the vast cosmos stretches far beyond anything mere human imagination could conjure.
Kaito Crouch has, due to certain circumstances, been continuing his journey across the galaxy, protecting Earthlings scattered throughout its reaches—something he never would’ve imagined doing back when he lived on Earth.
Yet, as time passes, even these scattered Earthlings seem to find their own places, their own homes, scattered across the stars.
[Can you hear me? You can hear me, right, Captain-Kaito!?]
“I can hear you! Whether I want to is another matter!”
A vibration, thunderous and deep, reverberated through the vacuum of space—somehow, impossibly, carrying a heavy bass tone with it.
Kaito’s fighter craft, the Quinbee, raced forward alongside a convoy of ships, both headed for the same destination: a nameless star system—one of countless celestial bodies monitored by the [Federation], the organization Kaito belonged to.
The convoy flying in parallel, however, wasn’t part of the Federation. Then again, they weren’t exactly enemies either.
“I’m asking you one more time, Gorou Saito! Are you serious about this!? Seriously!?”
[Yeah, we’re serious! Dead serious! And you’d better help us out, Captain-Kaito!]
The Rare Organism Protection corporation.
A corporate entity dedicated to preserving and rescuing every endangered lifeform possible. They’d once been affiliated with the Federation, but now operated independently.
Gorou Saito, the man currently speaking with Kaito, belonged to the Corporation’s dispatched fleet—and was a full-blooded Earthling. Apparently, he’d been a biologist back on Earth, and his expertise had earned him this position.
“Protect it? Protect it!? Don’t make me laugh! You know as well as I do what lies beyond that thing!”
[…I know exactly what you mean! That’s why I’m asking for your cooperation!]
The goals of Kaito (and the Federation) and Gorou (and the Corporation) were fundamentally different. Even though they shared the same destination, their purposes diverged completely.
Another tremor shook space. The fleet slipped through an asteroid belt, eyes turning toward the massive rings encircling a giant planet ahead.
It wasn’t the elegant, Saturn-like rings one might imagine. Instead, countless fragments of rock—like shattered asteroids—swirled chaotically around the planet.
“You of all people can’t possibly fail to grasp what a miracle a Planet-Eater is, can you!?”
“…Look, I’m not saying we should kill it. Just… change course. That’s all I’m asking.”
With a sickening slither, something emerged, splitting open the planet’s surface.
Something long, serpentine, and absurdly huge—disproportionate even for a planet of that size. It looked like rocks moving on their own, or perhaps a snake, an earthworm, or an eel.
Like a whale spouting water, chunks of rock erupted from its back, colliding midair with debris already in orbit, shattering each other into dust.
“That thing is…”
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Its actions seemed utterly meaningless. If it were playing, perhaps it had some intelligence. But it was hard to tell.
Silicon-based lifeforms, commonly known as [Planet-Eaters]. Massive creatures that feed on planetary cores and swim through the void of space.
According to Federation records, multiple attempts at communication had been made—every single one a failure.
When it became clear that these beings had begun preying upon star systems harboring intelligent life, the Federation abandoned all hopes of peaceful coexistence.
“Beyond that thing lies a planet where life has evolved. If that snake starts heading that way, I have to stop it.”
[We exist to ensure the survival of all rare species! If the Planet-Eater desires it, there must be a way to evacuate all life from that planet somewhere else!]
“Don’t you dare make it sound that easy—moving entire ecosystems from planet to planet!? That’s not simple, that’s insane!”
[We barely understand the Planet-Eater’s biology at all! What if changing its course causes irreversible harm to its life functions!?]
The reason both the Quinbee and the Corporation’s fleet were racing forward was simple: each saw the other as a threat to their goal. The only reason open conflict hadn’t broken out was because both sides understood the other had their reasons.
“Besides, don’t call letting it loose ‘protection’! Billions—trillions—of lives could be wiped out in an instant!”
[If we study the Planet-Eater’s biology, we can protect it properly! And if that requires a little sacrifice…]
“…Tell me, Gorou—can you say that same thing to the billions of people who died on Earth because of this kind of ‘sacrifice’?”
From Kaito’s lips came a voice so cold it sent chills down the spine.
Gorou seemed to snap out of it immediately, his tone dropping sharply.
[Even so… even so, we must protect it. It might be the last of its kind in the entire universe.]
Kaito cut the transmission and flew the Quinbee past the planet where the Planet-Eater was still feeding. The fourth planet from this one toward the star was the world the Federation had been observing. At a slight distance, much like Zodgia, an artificial satellite had been placed there to monitor planetary development.
He needed to rendezvous quickly and decide on a course of action.
“That big-headed idiot!”
Kaito’s—and the Federation’s—objective was clear: redirect the Planet-Eater. If that failed, eliminate it.
Gorou’s—and the Corporation’s—objective? Protect the Planet-Eater. And, incidentally, study its biology.
As long as the Planet-Eater continued heading toward the star, their goals would never align.
Just then, Kaito’s partner—who had stayed silent throughout the conversation—spoke up in a flat, emotionless voice, still in his spherical form. She usually took this shape while aboard ship, especially when combat might be imminent. Supposedly, it was to avoid blocking Kaito’s view.
[Captain. The Corporation’s fleet has deployed into orbit around the planet.]
“Yeah, figured as much. How many Earthling life signs on that fleet?”
[Twenty-three individuals, including Dr. Saito, appear to be aboard.]
“Got it. So should I be glad fewer people are around to get hurt, or sad that I got dragged into this mess…?”
Sighing—a habit he’d picked up recently—Kaito let his thoughts drift back to how exactly he’d ended up in this ridiculous situation in the first place.
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