Intergalactic conquest with an AI

"You don't have to decide right now," Rex said while lying back down on the grass and folding his hands behind his head. His tone was lighter now, almost teasing.

"Take a minute. Think it through. It's not every day someone tells you to overthrow your own empire and start from scratch, after all."

Despite herself, Lilla let out a faint, shaky laugh at his words. Her chest still felt heavy with doubt, but a tiny spark of hope had ignited within her. Maybe, just maybe, there was a path forward, one she hadn't seen before.

Ys, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, gently rested a hand on Lilla's shoulder, her emerald eyes warm and understanding. "Whatever path you choose, Lilla," she said softly. "You can count on me."

The reassurance made Lilla's lips tremble, and she blinked back fresh tears. For the first time in what felt like forever, she didn't feel entirely lost.

Lilla stood up from the beach chair, where she'd been resting with Ys, and asked, "So, what do you think I should do from now on to achieve that?"

Rex, with a smirk on his face, closed his eyes and said, "Like hell, I know. I'm just the messenger; you should only kiss the messenger, not ask him hard questions."

Lilla's response left her momentarily dumbfounded, but then she kneeled beside Rex and gently kissed his forehead. The kiss startled him, and he lifted his torso off the ground, staring at Lilla as she walked away.

"W-what...?" Rex touched his forehead, now humid from the kiss. He turned to Ys and asked, "What the hell just happened?"

Ys saw Lilla's face had been bright red after kissing Rex's forehead. With a dangerous smile, Ys said, "I saw how you were cheating on me and making a move on a little girl; that's what happened."

Rex stood up, defensive. "I'm the victim here! I was just lying there doing nothing. How could I flirt with her?"

Ys appeared behind him in an instant and whispered, "You're being too defensive, darling. Could it be you really liked that kiss, and now your mind is full of younger girls?"

Rex turned around and grabbed Ys by her arms. "I'm telling you it's not like that!"

Ys licked her lips and said, "He～, Prove it then."

Rex kissed her fiercely, without romance. Surprisingly, that was how Ys liked it.

After a few minutes of intense kissing, Rex stopped. "Is that enough proof?"

Ys smiled barely noticeably and said, "Barely～ but I'll let it pass this time."

While Rex and Ys were caught up in their heated exchange, Lilla had already made her way back to the meeting room through the secret passage Ys had used earlier to smuggle her out.

The passage was dimly lit and silent, her footsteps echoing faintly as she hurried forward. Her heart raced, not from fear this time but from the weight of the decision she had made.

Once she reached the end of the passage, she took a deep breath, steadying herself before stepping out into the meeting room.

Inside, the atmosphere was vastly different from before. Cleo stood in the center, surrounded by hundreds of holo screens floating in a perfect arc around her. The glow from the screens illuminated her icy expression as her eyes darted across streams of data and footage.

She didn't turn to look at Lilla as she entered but still addressed her as if she had known all along that Lilla was coming.

"Welcome back," Cleo said, her tone calm but sharp. "By the look on your face, I can determine that you've come to a decision about the situation. Am I correct?"

Lilla hesitated for only a moment before nodding firmly.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Good," Cleo said while waving her hand. The hundreds of holo screens around her vanished in an instant, leaving only the two of them in the room. Her piercing golden eyes locked onto Lilla's. "Well then, let me hear your answer."

Lilla swallowed hard, but when she spoke, her voice was steady and resolute. "I… I plan to use my title as a saintess in the Human Empire to create a zealot force. A faction of humans who are loyal only to me. With their help, I'll take control of what's left of the Empire and rebuild it from the ground up."

Cleo's lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smile, though it was impossible to tell whether it was approval or amusement. "Mmm, I see. It's a bold plan, but one with a glaring weakness," she said, her tone clinical as ever. "Before you can take such a step, there's something far more critical that you must decide."

Lilla furrowed her brow, confused. "What do you mean?"

Cleo leaned back slightly, raising her hand as a series of holo screens flickered back into existence, displaying various chaotic scenes. Entire civilizations being consumed, religious zealots driven mad, and entities of unfathomable darkness wreaking havoc on fragile worlds.

"What kind of deity are you going to serve?" Cleo asked, her tone cold and logical

"Surely you're aware that humans, despite their stubborn pride, are mentally fragile. If you begin preaching faith, people will listen. But faith has its price. Out there, in the void, there are creatures that are powerful, ancient things that can and will answer those who call out to them."

"And sometimes, those creatures aren't kind. They consume, corrupt, and destroy entire civilizations, as you can see here."

Lilla's stomach churned as she stared at the images on the holo screens, each more horrifying than the last. Entire planets reduced to nothingness. People who had placed their trust in false gods, only to be devoured from the inside out.

Cleo continued, her voice unwavering. "For the limited access I have to the Kaelzars' collective knowledge, I doubt that the 'gods' many races serve are truly divine. But there are entities out there powerful enough to earn such a title."

"The late Emperor of the Kaelzars was one of them since he was on the brink of reaching Tier 9, a level of power that defies comprehension."

Her holo screens disappeared again as she folded her arms and sat down, gesturing for Lilla to take the seat beside her. Her piercing gaze remained fixed on the young saintess.

"So, unless you already have someone in mind to serve as the deity for your zealot force, I'd suggest you reconsider your plan. Without a 'god,' your movement will crumble. And if you choose poorly, you might doom your people before you've even begun."

Lilla hesitated, her mind racing as she considered Cleo's words. Slowly, she made her way to the chair next to Cleo and sat down, her hands trembling slightly as she gripped the armrests. Her voice was soft and hesitant, but there was a spark of hope in her eyes.

"Well… I don't know if this counts, but..."

Lilla hesitated for a moment, gathering her thoughts before launching into an explanation. She began recounting what she knew about the Lady in White, the mysterious, otherworldly figure who had visited her when she was a child.

She spoke of the "gift" the lady had bestowed upon her in exchange for her eyes and the price she had paid to receive it. The details were sparse, but she also mentioned the son the Lady in White had spoken of.

Cleo listened intently, her expression calm but her mind clearly working to process the information. When Lilla finished, the room was silent for a moment, the weight of her story hanging in the air.

"Mmm. Interesting," Cleo finally said while leaning back slightly as she tapped her chin in thought.

"If what you're saying is true, this entity could be one of the superior ancient races, beings that only emerge when a new galaxy is formed. There's not much reliable information about them in the records we have, but..."

Cleo trailed off as her tone grew more serious: "Lucky for you; my race has fought against one of these entities before."

With that, Cleo raised her hand, summoning a single holo screen. This one was unlike any Lilla had seen before. Its surface was marked with glaring red warnings, flashing symbols, and countless layers of encryption.

Thousands of locks began to unlock in rapid succession as Cleo worked with frightening efficiency, her fingers moving faster than the eye could follow.

"What I'm about to show you," Cleo said, her tone dropping to something almost ominous, "is classified information. No one outside of the Kaelzar royal family and a few select individuals has ever seen this. You are to take this knowledge to your grave. Do you understand me?"

Lilla swallowed hard but nodded, her gray eyes unwavering as she met Cleo's icy gaze. "Yes, I understand. I won't speak of this to anyone."

Cleo studied her for a moment, her piercing gaze searching for any trace of doubt or deception in Lilla's face. When she was satisfied that the saintess was speaking the truth, she nodded and continued working.

The final locks on the holo screen clicked open, and Cleo gestured for Lilla to watch closely. "This is one of the most forbidden recordings in our archives. Pay attention. It will give you an idea of what you may be dealing with."

The holo screen flickered for a moment before stabilizing. The recording showed a scene that could only be described as breathtaking and terrifying.

"Emperor Xynithar," a deep, resonant voice said as the camera panned across a fleet of Kaelzar ships, each one massive and bristling with weapons. Find your next adventure on empire

The one that spoke was a Kaelzar clad in exquisite white power armor with glowing azure lights. He stood tall at over five meters, his imposing form dwarfing those around him.

His voice carried a sense of urgency as he spoke to the golden figure standing at the forefront. "The royal fleet and all the princesses with their forces are in position. The planet-destroyer weapons are fully charged and awaiting your command."

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