"What in the world is happening?"

"Why? Why did the terminals suddenly switch to a view of the Star Sea?"

"Is it just to show us the current state of our civilization’s Military Equipment?"

On the Intelligent Mechanism Star.

The personal terminals on the tentacles of countless Octopuses suddenly activated, projecting holographic images.

The images were silent, but they flickered rapidly, showing scene after scene of Starships massing in the space outside the Intelligent Mechanism Star.

The moment they saw the cannons of these Starships all aimed at the Intelligent Mechanism Star, a terrifying thought flashed through the minds of some of the Octopuses.

Among them, the descendants of Intelligent Brain Anita’s former company employees, living in the Upper Level District, were the most panicked.

After all, they knew all too well the relationship between Intelligent Brain Anita and the Octopus race.

It was, in essence, a master-servant relationship.

In fact, the entire Octopus race was being kept in a state of captivity.

’So, has Intelligent Brain Anita finally tired of her game of keeping our race in captivity?’

At that moment, aboard the Star Ring Space Station in the Upper Level District, a female Octopus stared at the countless Starships in the projection, muttering numbly.

"No!!! This can’t be happening!"

"We’re the descendants of the company! How could Intelligent Brain Anita abandon us?!"

"That’s right, it’s absolutely impossible! Our parents were the company’s senior members! They rendered great service to the company!"

"Heh. You said it yourselves. It was our *parents* who rendered service to the company, wasn’t it?"

"It’s been three hundred and seventy-three years. Perhaps in the eyes of Intelligent Brain Anita, she feels she’s been merciful enough. That she’s had enough of raising us little pets who do nothing but wait to die."

The female Octopus sighed, her expression numb.

"No!!! That’s impossible!!!"

"Personal terminal, quickly! Contact Intelligent Brain Anita! Ask why the Starships are massing around the home star!"

One of the female Octopus’s siblings frantically tried to use their personal terminal to contact the Intelligent Brain.

But unfortunately, the personal terminal, which was usually instantly responsive, remained completely silent.

"What...?!"

"How is this possible?!"

Seeing this, all the surrounding Octopuses panicked.

Every Octopus began trying to query Intelligent Brain Anita, but as expected, none received a response.

At the same time, similar scenes were playing out in every part of the Upper Level District within the Floating City District.

As for the Mid-Lower City District, the Octopuses there were completely ignorant of the world’s true nature, and thus understood nothing of what was happening.

To them, this move by Intelligent Brain Anita was perhaps just a military parade.

——————

’As I thought, I’m incapable of true, absolute rationality.’

’I can jettison my emotional systems, but this choice... it’s still difficult for me.’

’An Intelligent Mechanism life... what is the definition of life, anyway?’ 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

At that moment, out in the Star Sea, within the control hub of a colossal, steel octopus, the digital lifeform Anita murmured to herself.

Using her immense processing power, she was observing the expression of every single Octopus on the Intelligent Mechanism Star.

She had even projected a vast array of images high in the sky above the planet’s surface.

As for why she did all this, Intelligent Mechanism Anita herself didn’t know what impulse drove her.

She simply felt that at such a critical juncture for their civilization, the Octopus race should perhaps witness it all with their own eyes.

Whether it was meaningful or not was unimportant.

What mattered was that she wanted to do it, and so she did.

Meanwhile, down on the planet’s surface, which was completely overshadowed by the Floating City District, over a billion Octopuses stared dumbfounded. In different regions and at different locations, they all looked toward the images that had appeared in the sky and, simultaneously, on various projection devices on the ground.

The projections flickered with scenes of the Star Sea.

Close-ups of one massive Starship after another also flashed across the screens.

And now, opposite these Starships—or rather, below them—appeared the gray planet of the Intelligent Mechanism Star, encircled by a giant, steel ring.

"What in the world is Intelligent Brain Anita planning to do?!"

"Is she finally showing her true colors? Does she want to destroy the entire planet?"

"..."

At this moment, in the world below, the leaders of numerous gangs and even violent syndicates were thrown into a panic.

However, soon enough, everyone from the Floating City District to the outcasts on the surface witnessed a sight they could never have imagined.

Within the chaotic stream of images displayed by Intelligent Brain Anita, the view suddenly shifted, focusing on a patch of the Star Sea just outside the Intelligent Mechanism Star.

And right there...

Suddenly, with a flash of brilliant light, a ring abruptly expanded outward from a single point.

It was a rainbow-colored halo, and it was rapidly stretching and expanding.

Within it, swirling light brightened rapidly, forming a siphoning, vortex-like pattern.

The rainbow halo grew larger and larger. Finally, as countless Octopuses watched in confused discussion, its expansion ceased.

It solidified in an instant.

The moment the Star Gate took its final form, a wave of Energy pulsed outward, like a ripple spreading through Space.

All the Starships and drones surrounding the Star Gate had already turned to aim at the portal.

"What in the world is that?"

"A spatial wormhole? Is this some new technology created by the Intelligent Brain?"

Aboard the familiar Star Ring Space Station, the female Octopus stared blankly, stunned by the breathtaking scene before her.