Chapter 31: A Traitor Among Us

Takumi's Star-Destroyer was absurdly massive. When the Holy Empress and the others arrived, they finally grasped the scale. The shuttle they had ridden in was already several times the size of a bus. Yet when compared to the Star-Destroyer, it felt no bigger than a bug. It was like driving into the underground parking garage of a skyscraper. The shuttle entered from a hangar bay on the bottom of the Star-Destroyer, landing in a designated area. The hatch opened. An onboard AI instructed everyone to disembark in an orderly fashion. Hearing this, the children aboard began quietly filing out. The hangar was huge. Several other ships were docked there, and numerous robots worked to maintain order, directing people toward other areas. Two robots approached the Holy Empress and her group. One robot led the children away. The other turned to the Holy Empress. "Please board me," it said. The robot transformed into a transport pod. Without a word, the Holy Empress stepped on, gripping the handrails. The transport lifted off and carried her away. The children who had come with her watched curiously. The Holy Empress was here too? Where was she going? No one answered. Robots began escorting the children to rest areas—or directly into Imaginary Space. Takumi had opened many portals to his Imaginary Space where the children could rest. He would transport them all together later. Meanwhile, the Holy Empress was brought to Takumi's private chamber. She hesitated at the door, then stepped inside. Only Takumi was there. Seeing him, the Holy Empress froze. Wasn't this the man from the computer screen—the mastermind behind everything? "Let me introduce myself. My name is Takumi. I come from another world," he said with a faint smile. The Holy Empress was dumbfounded. "You... Why are you doing this?" Unable to hold back, she questioned him. Takumi looked confused. Why was he doing this? Did he really need to explain that to her? Weren't they the ones who had abandoned those children? Naive. "Well... your world had some traitors." "They believed life would be better in another world." "And frankly, your world's treatment of those poor kids..." "They are your salvation, and yet you cast them aside." "So, out of humanitarian concern, I came. Any problem with that?" ... Plenty of problems! The Holy Empress had so many questions, but couldn't voice any of them. There were traitors in their world? People who made contact with another world? Her mind buzzed. Takumi, seeing her speechless, waved his hand and opened a portal to Imaginary Space. "Go on in. Stay there for now." He said nothing about taking her away. Once inside, others would explain. The Holy Empress stared at the portal, bit her lip, then stepped through. She was like a fish on a chopping block—powerless. All she could do was submit. As she emerged into Imaginary Space, she was stunned. Countless cursed children were there. So were many adults—and familiar faces. "Mr. Shiba...?" Seeing Miori's father, she was stunned. Why were they here? There were many executives from Shiba Heavy Industries too! Traitors found! In that moment, everything clicked. People had whispered that something was wrong inside Shiba Heavy. That President Shiba had fallen ill... that the company was selling off assets... Looking back, they had clearly been planning to flee all along. Hearing her voice, Miori's father turned and hurried over. Recognizing a familiar face, the Holy Empress immediately demanded answers. She needed clarity. She had to understand why the world collapsed, why she was brought here, and what awaited her. Miori's father didn't hide anything. He explained everything they had discussed with Takumi. "In short, please stay here for now, Your Grace." ... After understanding the situation, the Holy Empress was completely dumbfounded. Takumi had no desire to manage things himself. So he brought her to his world to govern it in his place? What? She was speechless. "We'll discuss specifics later. For now, please rest here." Miori's father returned to his work, leaving her staring blankly. Takumi, meanwhile, paid no attention. He continued retrieving cursed children and vetted citizens. Those willing to leave were brought onboard. Those who resisted? Ignored. Takumi had made his stance clear. If you wanted to leave, talk to the nearest robot. If the scan and data check cleared, you could go. If not—rejected. Many freeloaders tried to sneak in. The robots ignored them. Some grew angry and attacked. The result? Swift retribution. Under Takumi's overwhelming force, no one dared to resist. Those who tried were killed. Even heavy weaponry proved useless. From morning till night, the operation lasted an entire day. By then, Takumi had gathered nearly all the cursed children. The few who remained were those who refused to leave.