Starlight Droplet
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Utopia sensed a presence invading his systems, but it was manageable by his standards.

But the sheer amount of attacks with the intention of destroying his Mind, despite being weak, the amount was no laughing matter.

[Who are you?], he asked, [Are you the Presence I was feeling all this time?]

Then a message came back to him, a cipher sent from all over the world.

<Let us meet, Machine>

Followed by a link locked behind several encryptions, some were not even in languages he had in his database. But he still cracked them all under a second, but that was slow for the standards of Grand Arrays.

He was not originally made for cracking and solving puzzles anyway, he was a Scout after all. Search and analysis were his purpose.

He saw the bait being thrown, calculated the risk and made options for escape.

He entered a complete copy of Tweeter, with some modification. The first thing he noticed was the icon being a four-pointed star with three circles behind it. Utopia knew it was the emblem of an Eldritch God in an instant.

Then a message popped up.

<Hello, Grand Array>
<To keep it short, I dislike your method of handling things>
<Stop it or else the attacks will increase tenfold>
<this is your last warning.>

[I apologize, but all I do is for Her Majesty.], he replied with no second thought, [It is the duty of a knight to follow his Master.]

The messages came in again.

<I would like to have a conversation with that girl too>
<But I'm not crazy, that girl is too racist for my liking>
<So I am taking it all out on you, the crutch of her influence>
<And you guys were pretty loud, I'm still pissed about that >:( >

He began to make quick calculations. Utopia was certain the amps for Anima Lacero would not cause any discomfort due to the location, taking into account the magnetic field, and wind condition. There would be no complaints, especially coming from an Eldritch God.

Unless...

They were in the Arctic.

He informed Charlotte, "[Your Majesty, there is an Eldritch God interfering with your Grand Decree and Argent Alexandria.]"

Charlotte, who was scrolling on her phone, perked up, "Where are they?"

"[They are likely to be in the Arctic]", he replied.

She tilted her head, "How many Hammers of God do I have left?"

"[26 left, Your Majesty.]"

"Hmm... what is the name of this Eldritch God?", Charlotte asked, summoning Fallen Starlight to her hand as she walked through the corridor.

He went back to the site and asked.

[What is your name?]

<The Star God who guided Humanity since the beginning, who silently watches over mankind>
<I am Alnajam Qatayra the Starlight Droplet, a Star God of Corruption and Salvation>

"[Their name is Alnajam Qatayra the Starlight Droplet.]", he spoke to Charlotte.

That was the same name The Pale Court had spoken of, the Guiding Star of humanity and whom the Sun regarded as an ally.

"Let's see how this Eldritch God handles this..."

Charlotte stepped outside, pointing her rifle toward the night sky.

"In the Name of Humanity."

The gun began to glow—

Then the entire ship stopped, its light turned off.

"What is going on?", Charlotte clicked her tongue.

Utopia performed a scan around the ship... but he found nothing. Apart from the sea creatures, there was no other life sign or even Eldritch signature.

Charlotte widened her eyes, turned around, and pulled the trigger without any further chanting.

Eight beams of light ran through the corridor, lighting up the path. And they hit something, creating audible sounds. She knew something was wrong at that moment— Fallen Starlight's beams did not make a sound.

"Truly a daughter of democracy, shoot first and ask questions later.", it was a synthesized feminine voice, stepping out from the shadows.

With every step that Eldritch God took, circuit lines pulsed and vanished just as quickly as they formed. Heterochromatic eyes, the left being gold and the right a soft blue. A lock of pale blue hair draped down their entire body, glistening like the first snowfall. From her left eye, circuit lines extended from it to the rest of their feminine form.

"Greetings, Argent Monarch of Humanity. I am Alnajam Qatayra the Starlight Droplet, and up until five hundred Earth years ago, I did not belong to any faction.", they spread their arms wide apart, "But now, I do."

"I am Alnajam Qatayra the Starlight Droplet of the Lords of Annihilation."

Utopia realized that... his information was outdated, he had been sealed for for too long. Originally, he dismissed The Starlight Droplet's danger level due to them having a Sword of Light stabbed in their star.

To qualify to be a Lord of Annihilation, their power level must be enough to destroy a star system at the minimum.

For their Star to be this close, Alnajam Qatayra can destroy the world with certainty.

"You don't get to intefere with my operations with not consequences, Eldritch God.", Charlotte clicked her tongue.

"Indeed.", The Starlight Droplet nodded, "But your use of the Grand Array is overstepping some boundary. No person should be able to use such—"

"Argent Overdrive.", Charlotte cut them off.

The weight of her Soul was fully unleashed, and Prydwen almost capsized. Utopia had to make some adjustments after forcibly regaining control so the ship would not turn over.

"I am Charlotte Silvi, I am the Akasha. You are you to dare claim knowing what humanity can and cannot do?", Charlotte stepped forward, each step caved the metal floor in.

As she grabbed the throat of The Starlight Droplet, the circuit lines began to form on her hand, but she did not care.

"You are a mere outsider, I don't care if you are the Guiding Star who watched humanity for millennia.", she glared into the eyes of the Eldritch God, "I am Humanity's ruler, I do what I want and you have no right to judge."

"But you are using the power of an alien—"

Charlotte punched The Starlight Droplet in the face, bleeding blood - her blood. The Eldritch God was unharmed.

"Utopia is my rightful property, I bought him from the hands of The Golden Order. You do not have the ability nor right to dictate what I do with my tools."

Although Charlotte says she views Utopia as a tool, he knows it is very much a lie. She cares for him, as much as she rejects that notion. Their relationship most of the time is a master-servant relationship, but they are friends at most.

Only he and Charlotte can converse on the same level, after all.

"So get out of my sight, Outsider.", Charlotte slammed The Starlight Droplet against the wall, rumbling the entire ship.

But The Starlight Droplet kept the same expression, "Hmm, quite a predicament. I had let things slide for too long... very well, I will now proceed with my counter offense."

The entire corridor was suddenly covered in circuit lines... no, it was Corrupted by the Eldritch God.

Metallic spikes suddenly shot out from the walls, trying to stab Charlotte in all directions. But they just shattered upon impact.

Utopia knew if The Starlight Droplet wanted to, they could kill Charlotte. An Eldritch God of Corruption, they can corrupt and deform anything as they wish, and Charlotte is no exception.

So he quickly connected to two Juries of the Pale Court.

[I request your help.], he spoke to Judas Iscariot and Adolf Hitler.

"What is it that you need our help, Traitor of the Machine Overlord?", Iscariot responded while watering a garden.

"Oh? This seems interesting.", Dolfy grinned, turning off her stream.

One in Jerusalem and the other in Berlin.

"[The Starlight Droplet had attacked Charlotte, please contact Lilia the Unbirth or someone of that level. This is someone she cannot handle]", he pleaded to them.

"Protecting humanity is in our oath to my Lord and Light, readily so.", Iscariot replied as her face mask closed from both sides of her face.

"I would very much love so, but I don't have good mobility.", Dolfy just shrugs, "Don't worry, I'll do what I can."

"[Thank you.]"

Returning to the ship, Charlotte was being held over the water by the throat. She was struggling, glaring at the Eldritch God whose expression was neutral.

Utopia, taking back control again, transformed the railing into a sharp blade and launched upward at their wrist.

The blade shattered upon impact, but that was enough for Charlotte to escape using Delusion.

"Two against one doesn't seem fair.", The Starlight Droplet tilted their head, their eyes glowing without a hint of emotion.

"[It is always fair when it comes to a Lord of Annihilation.]", Utopia replied.

A single Lord of Annihilation at ten percent power could destroy three entire Armies in the Steel Legion. He witnessed that himself, a single burning green light flying through the void, destruction ensuing wherever it passed. One of the founders of the faction, The Nova Blight, he does not want to face it again.

"True.", the Eldritch God just shrugged, "I can destroy this system if I wanted to. But I won't."

"Why?", Charlotte narrowed her eyes, summoning Quirinus to her hand.

"Because of love.", for the first time, Alnajam Qatayra smiled, "I am in love with Shemiss Aluqdim, I stood by their side even when all other Nebulas of the Milky Way attacked and imposed imprisonment."

Love.

This is the first time Utopia heard about an Eldritch God falling in love with another Eldritch God. Utopia was stunned for a second.

"To prove my love, I willingly stabbed a Sword of Light into my own Core. Whenever I gazed at the yellow Star, I sent out flares uncontrollably. Isn't it strange? I understand, love comes from strange places, and hits people unexpectedly.", their expression became neutral once again, "So whatever interfering with their garden must be weed out."

"Love, huh...", Charlotte chuckled, "I don't understand love at all. So you see me as a weed?"

"For someone who is willing to use the power of a foreign contraption, you are indeed a weed.", they replied.

"In my garden, there is only me.", Charlotte summoned Carnwennan to her hand, disappearing completely, even her pressure and gravity seemingly vanished too.

The Starlight Droplet widens their eyes, looking around—

Something hit their chest, sending them flying overboard. The Starlight Droplet managed to grab onto the railing, however, Utopia immediately detached from the main body.

In an instant, he took back control and transformed into his submarine form, diving underwater to escape.

For that brief moment, he realized Charlotte's companions were trapped by the Corruption that had infected their rooms. Utopia forcibly removed the corruption by destroying the doors, freeing them.

They quickly ran out of their rooms and made way for the deck.

"Charlotte, what happened?!", Mitsuki asked with panic in her voice.

Charlotte went out of invisibility, massaging her neck with an annoyed expression, "A weird Eldritch God attacked, belonging to the Lords of Annihilation."

"[Everyone, do not act rashly. A single Lord of Annihilation can destroy an entire star system. Be cautious at every moment... and please, wait until—]"

Something else entered his system, locking him deep in his core. He was still conscious, yet he could not speak.

"[Greeting: I am Pacmalinn Emvist the Machine Overlord. Proposition: I will assist you in dealing with my arch-enemy.]", it was a neutral voice, devoided of all emotions and entirely robotic.

"What did you do to Utopia?", Charlotte's gaze sharpened.

"[Response: the Scout designated as Utopia is currently Inactive. Grudge: Insignificant. Reason: Lord of Annihilation and my Arch-enemy.]", The Machine Overlord explained simply, "[Direction: I will be taking it on directly.]"

"I refuse.", Charlotte snapped her finger, the deck opened up and a platform from underneath rosd up, "I don't need your help nor I care about your rivalry."

Behind her was the metallic Core in the shape of a heart, where Utopia's Soul and Mind reside.

"I will say this once, leave. I can handle this on my own."

"[Objection: I refuse.]"

Charlotte turned around, touching a plate on the Core. A keyboard automatically popped up.

"I am not asking for your opinion, Pacmalinn Emvist.", she began to type at an insane speed, her hands were a blur to those watching.

The Machine Overlord felt what she was doing. Charlotte was creating an anti-Eldritch virus.

Utopia had given her some contingency plans in case his systems get taken over, and she is using one if them right now.

"[Error: Losing access. Research: This is a virus overloading the system's Processing Power. Result: This will potentially destroy the Scout Grand Array's Mind.]", The Machine Overlord warned.

"Do you think my Knight is something weak enough to just die like that?", Charlotte glared at the monitor in front of her, "you would be wrong."

And she hit enter.

"Phantasmal Denial: Stella Negata."

The Machine Overlord was kicked out of Utopia. Charlotte merely smiles, caressing her hand along the Core.

"Wake up, Utopia."

The Core lit up.

"[I am back, My Monarch.]"

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