Cosmic Spirit Body - (1)

Solaryon Planet, the capital of the Super Galactic Empire Federation. A world in the same star system as Terra Planet, the origin and mother world of humanity. Named after the star Sola, which brought light and warmth from the dawn of the first civilization on Terra.

The path here hadn't been smooth. The entire star system was half-isolated, with warp gates positioned at the outermost edges. My avatars' fleet had to pass through countless inspections just to enter the capital planet. Things like this bizarre green mist enveloping people's bodies, for instance.

Ziiing—

"Hm? What's this?"

I couldn't view the capital planet through the AI information entity's field of vision. So I'd descended near my avatars, planning to board the fleet with them and head in. But even a constellation's temporary body had to undergo this device's scan.

As I casually voiced the question, Yuna and Beatrix, who were basking in the mist beside me, answered.

"Lord Constellation, this is a simple test to check for space parasite infections and mental corruption."

"Space parasites?"

"There are tales of people infected with space parasites entering a planet once, forcing a brutal quarantine over an entire city that barely managed to eradicate them-wa yo."

Monsters bursting out from human guts, the kind you'd see in SF horror flicks. As I listened to explanations about space parasites contaminating water with their insane reproductive and activity rates, the inspection ended.

The fleet pierced the atmosphere and landed on the planet.

"Which sector gets the new cultured treatment units?"

"I can't believe I get to work on Solaryon..."

"The trip was pretty long. Let's hurry and disembark."

As I watched people lightly stepping off the fleet with relaxed hearts, figures who clearly screamed government agents approached.

"Are you by chance Lord Whispering Star Cluster and your avatars?"

A nod of affirmation, and they communicated via a small chip in their ear before cautiously speaking up.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"We're from the Solaryon Planet Defense Force. We heard you received an invitation in advance, but if you don't mind, could we reconfirm your identities?"

After identity verification, the agents led us somewhere. But the direction felt a bit off. If we'd been invited by a councilor, shouldn't they take us to the Supreme Council?

"Hey. Aren't we supposed to go to that building up there? Why are we heading downward?"

I pointed to the colossal structure reaching into the atmosphere. It was the largest on the planet, visible even from space fleets. And it wasn't the council building?

"Ah, that's the general administrative district. The council, including the Alliance Lord, isn't located on the planet's surface."

Then was it in the crust or mantle depths? Images of underground bunkers or radiation shelters briefly flashed in my mind. But the guided destination wasn't like that. Despite being underground, it was no different from a surface city.

The underground city's "sky" featured massive displays simulating clear skies or stars. The space was impossibly vast, teeming with bustling crowds. Officials in uniforms. Defense troops wielding compact laser rifles on alert. Guides with bodies fully replaced by machinery...

"Whoa—"

"They live underground too because of the planet's high population density-wa yo?"

"Correct. Solaryon was the first planet colonized during the Terra Empire era. After it became the capital, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠countless settlers and..."

I let the explanations wash over me. Roughly, it stemmed from overpopulation and cosmic radiation issues in the early space pioneering days. They'd developed without demolishing the original structures, turning them into permanent buildings for Federation officials.

After a long journey, I finally met the councilor who'd invited me.

"Welcome, Lord Whispering Star Cluster."

Alserian, the Supreme Councilor who'd summoned me. The unassuming hunchbacked man approached and bowed.

"Alliance Lord Reinhardt and Lord Silent Starlight, with whom he is contracted, await you."

* * *

"Lord Constellation, then we'll..."

"Thanks for coming all this way for my business. Constellation messages don't work on the capital planet, so you can head back."

"But..."

I smiled at their hesitation and spoke. It was a fake body anyway, with a descent time limit—no need to wait.

"My descent time's almost up regardless."

"Ah...!"

Pointing to the body shedding faint motes of light, they finally understood. The avatars chatted as they departed, and Alserian and I entered a massive dome-shaped building. The high strategic secretary I'd seen before wasn't following, so this really was en route to the Alliance Lord.

The deeper we went, the fewer lifeforms we encountered. Android guards and drones were conspicuously plentiful.

We arrived at a door emblazoned with a golden eagle. Adorned with beautiful, ornate patterns, it was presumably the Alliance Lord's office.

"This is as far as I go. The Lord requested a private audience."

Glancing at the bowing Alserian, I stepped forward. In the utterly silent space, only the sound of the door opening softly echoed.

Kiiiek.

Opening the door and entering revealed a lavish jade throne. Seated upon it was a stern-faced middle-aged man, Alliance Lord Reinhardt—no, wait.

"Oh... I see the incarnation of the great one. I am Carnos, overseer of the Pulsations of the Nebula, managing this place by the command of another great one."

It was obvious at a glance. A divine being possessing a human body. One on par with Naiserria, no less.

"You're Silent Starlight?"

"Yes. Lesser existences cannot hear my true name unscathed, so I use the incarnation system created by the great one to call myself thus."

"And that body belongs to Alliance Lord Reinhardt?"

"Indeed. Upon hearing you were coming, I temporarily possessed my avatar's body."

Possession? I couldn't do that now. Even this temporary body, barely formed with countless sacrifices, was crumbling bit by bit—possessing an avatar would shatter it.

The reason I could only descend near avatars infused with my body's specks, my Cosmic Power, was that they acted as anchors or conduits drawing and fixing my mind. But their flesh was insufficient to fully contain me. Other constellations descended and roamed freely, but mine was time-limited, and in this state, I felt suffocating confinement.

Like being huddled tight, bound in something loose and flimsy. But loosening those bindings would end the descent. Even the oppressive squeeze from all sides was unavoidable. A side effect of descent? There must be a fix if so.

"I have a question."

"Ask anything."

"Is incarnating in flesh always this suffocating?"

I could've endured mere discomfort, but the loose shell encasing me was the issue. Silent Starlight, introducing himself as Carnos, answered.

"The one I serve said something similar. That one possessed this planet, however..."

Not descending via a temporary body, but possessing the planet itself? Since I'd come this far, I should speak with his master. An Outer God served by a Galaxy Spirit, no doubt. That's why I'd come—to meet this kin who tossed around words like "this lady."

I could learn why the Federation leadership thought me a Galaxy Spirit, or why they built mock celestial gardens for pranks.

"I want to meet your master."

"Of course. I expected as much. Pardon the intrusion..."

As if anticipated, Carnos waved his hand. The scenery shifted with his gesture, starlight from the cosmos descending everywhere. Not resisting the motion sending my mind-alone temporary body somewhere, I stayed still.

In an instant, I escaped the planet into the void's heart. No—the body had dissolved into golden dust, leaving only mind propelled onward. Black matter filling the surroundings, stars twinkling here and there. A landscape I'd seen endlessly in my true form. Sick of it already, I gently closed my eyes. The mind's transit wasn't over yet.

■■■■!!!

Sound didn't carry in the vacuum of space. Yet this grotesque roar pierced directly into my mind. By Federation standards, a Planet God dubbed a predatory Planet Spirit was devouring a planet.

—The viewpoint steadily rose 'upward.' The predatory Planet Spirit shrank to fleet size, until an entire galaxy filled my sight.

That was the galaxy housing the Super Galactic Empire Federation, where I'd just descended. Even this dust-speck galaxy looked rather ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠beautiful from here. I slowly savored the elliptical galaxy before turning my will elsewhere. To the Outer God fragment that had lingered behind me lately.

Joy emanated from the girl of light. Her rank and will felt perfectly natural. An Outer God, just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like me.

She pondered briefly before sending a playful will.