Fated to Die to the Player, I’ll Live Freely with My SSS-Class Ship!

Of course, upon arrival, we didn't blindly open the door and charge in.

After all, with the chaos we had caused, King Meyers had definitely realized we had infiltrated the ship. If we stepped onto the bridge without a plan, all that would greet us was a storm of beams and lasers.

So instead of barging in, we waited. What were we waiting for? The other soldiers, of course.

Even after the initial suicide assault, at least a thousand of Cassandra's brainwashed troops should still be alive. Clearing out the Eclipse Sovereign's bridge would be easy if we sent them in first—using sheer numbers to overwhelm the defenders.

I monitored their progress through my stealth nanobots' live feed.

As expected, they met some resistance, but within a few minutes, they would reach us.

About 20% of them wouldn't make it—falling to the enemy's counterattacks—but the rest would still be more than enough to finish the job.

"Cassandra..." I turned to her, frowning. "How are your preparations to face King Meyers?"

This final step of our plan relied entirely on Cassandra's claim—her assurance that she had a way to defeat King Meyers without risk.

She never told us exactly how, only asking us to trust her.

Still, I had a vague idea of what she was planning...

"... I'm ready anytime."

She exhaled sharply before responding, her voice steady.

Her resolve had long solidified. At this point, there was no stopping her.

I studied her for a moment, then nodded lightly before shifting my gaze to Eva.

"And you?" I asked, a hint of amusement in my tone. "Ready to put your life on the line?"

I was just trying to lighten the mood, but Eva shot me a glare as she scratched away the dried blood caking her cheek.

"I already was before we even got here."

…Well, that killed the joke.

Her serious tone made me feel as if I had doubted her mental fortitude.

Awkward, I quickly cleared my throat and changed the topic.

"Well, alright. Just be careful when we go in. Don't get within 50 meters of King Meyers—or you'll die. Seriously."

"I know." Eva nodded, her gaze locked onto the massive door ahead.

Looking at her, I realized there was nothing more to say.

Soon enough, the rest of the brainwashed soldiers arrived.

They filled the hallways and connecting passages leading to the bridge, blocking off any reinforcements.

With this, we had them completely surrounded.

"Cassandra."

I turned to her and gave a slight nod—signaling her.

She flinched, as if in pain, but quickly masked it with a blank expression. Then, in a straight, unwavering voice, she extended her hand forward and commanded:

"All troops... Kill everyone within the bridge!"

This was an order that would send even more soldiers to their deaths.

Cassandra knew it. I could see it in the way she clenched her jaw, in the way her fingers trembled ever so slightly. But despite the burden, she kept her gaze forward—watching as her soldiers rushed toward the bridge…

…toward their deaths.

Since the passage wasn't very wide, only about twenty soldiers could position themselves around the entrance at once.

As for us, we stayed sixty meters away—just far enough to be safe, but still have a grasp of the general situation. And that decision saved our lives.

*ZIIIN!*

The moment the bridge's doors parted open, a blinding hail of lasers filled the air.

The soldiers standing directly in front of the entrance had their upper bodies vaporized on the spot—disintegrated in a grotesque display of light, blood, and gore.

Even though we had expected this, seeing it happen up close was something else entirely.

"Take cover!"

I pulled Cassandra back and pressed against the passage wall.

At the same time, several of the brainwashed soldiers stepped forward, placing their bodies in the line of fire—acting as meat shields in case any stray shots reached us.

The rest immediately returned fire.

They moved with machine-like precision, forming a firing formation and targeting the enemies along the edges first, slowly tightening the noose toward the center.

The battle quickly escalated into an intense crossfire.

Energy projectiles crisscrossed through the air, making it look like we were caught in the middle of a hyperspace jump gone wrong.

The silence from before was obliterated—replaced by the chaotic symphony of death.

King Meyers' troops were outnumbered. They had, at most, a few hundred within the bridge. Meanwhile, we had at least a thousand.

It didn't take a genius to see how this battle of attrition would end.

"Tsk!"

Eva clicked her tongue somewhere nearby. She looked like she wanted to jump into the fight, but she knew better.

Even the brainwashed soldiers were falling by the dozens every passing second. Her lone contribution wouldn't change a damn thing. So instead, she gritted her teeth, seething, waiting for our turn.

The intensity of the enemy's firepower dwindled—not because they were holding back, but because they were dying too fast.

The sheer difference in numbers was something they couldn't counter, especially since most of the personnel in the bridge weren't frontline fighters to begin with.

Within the next minute, the rate of enemy fire plummeted—

From hundreds of beams per second…

To barely a dozen.

Sensing the moment was right, Cassandra's brainwashed soldiers charged.

With energy shields in one hand, covering their bodies, and laser blasters in the other, they marched forward without hesitation.

The first wave acted as a human shield, absorbing the last desperate shots—

While the second wave sniped down the remaining defenders with ease.

Ten seconds.

That was all it took.

Within ten seconds, every enemy inside the bridge flatlined. Every enemy except the one sitting at the captain's seat. Or rather—the throne.

I patted Cassandra's shoulder, gently urging her forward.

Her eyes flickered with a mix of sadness and resolve as she took a step ahead. Eva and I followed closely behind, staying within reach.

The three of us soon passed through the entrance, stepping into the Eclipse Sovereign's bridge.

It was an expansive atrium, nearly 150 meters in diameter.

At the far end, King Meyers sat upon his throne, his golden eyes locked onto us—boiling with rage. An old man in his mid-sixties, yet he carried himself with the pompous arrogance of an emperor.

His golden hair was the same shade as Cassandra's, but while her presence was calm and restrained, his was anything but. No—he exuded the same unstable aura as the Crazy Princess from my memories. Their blood ties were undeniable.

Around him, control panels and consoles filled the bridge. The vast space explained why hundreds of personnel had been needed to operate the ship, many of whom now lay slumped over their stations, lifeless.

Others were scattered across the floor, corpses twisted in death.

The brainwashed troops moved quickly, creating a perimeter around the bridge's inner walls. Of the survivors, about 300—half of what remained—were stationed inside, sealing off any chance of escape.

As for the three of us, we continued forward, walking in a straight line—until we were exactly 100 meters from the throne.

"Fa—" Cassandra started, but faltered.

Her expression twisted with bitterness before she corrected herself. "King Meyers, this is the end. Please cease your futile struggles."

Her voice wasn't particularly loud, yet it reverberated across the bridge, ensuring everyone, including King Meyers, heard it clearly.

Silence.

He didn't respond.

He only glared harder, his gaze drilling into her with cold fury.

'Did he figure out Cassandra's ability already?'

He shouldn't have had enough information to piece it together—our offensive had taken place in less than an hour.

And yet…

It seemed he had already understood the danger she posed.

"You unfilial bitch..."

King Meyers' voice boomed across the bridge.

His words deliberately sidestepped Cassandra's, avoiding a direct response.

"As long as I had the key, nothing else mattered!" He snarled, his eyes turning bloodshot. "I would've become a king whose name would be etched into the annals of history!"

His fury swelled with every word.

"I would have gained all the power that I ever dreamed of!" His voice cracked with madness. "And you... YOU DARE?!"

Cassandra, standing firm against his wrath, did not flinch. Her voice remained steady as she answered.

"If it was the key you wanted, you could've just asked..." She sighed softly, then extended her hand forward.

Atop her palm, a prismatic key floated—its shaft pulsing with a faint rainbow glow.

"If this key was all you needed, then why did you kidnap me, killing all my bodyguards? Why did you try to take my life? Why everything that came after?"

Her words lashed like a whip.

"Wasn't it all just to satisfy your own greed? To eliminate me, your own daughter—because I was a threat to your rule?!"

She tried to stay composed, but her voice rose at the end.

Yet even with her emotions stirred, her resolve never wavered.

"If you had never searched for our family's heirloom... If you had just stayed in your little cage—none of this would have ever happened!"

King Meyers gritted his teeth, his face flushing red with fury.

He tried to keep his words independent, never directly answering Cassandra—an effort to escape the trap of her ability.

A battle of wits. A clash of pride.

Both of them fought to dominate the other with words alone.

—But the fight ended quickly.

Cassandra's voice cut through his defenses like a blade. "You're no king... You're just a murderer, claiming to be one!"

Her emotions finally broke through for a moment—just long enough.

And King Meyers fell for it.

"NO! I... AM KING!!!"

His roar shook the bridge.

But the next moment, his face paled in realization.

His own words echoed back at him, sealing his fate. He realized his mistake. His careless reply had activated Cassandra's ability.

Cassandra's expression shifted—her gaze turning cold and unwavering. As if her emotional outburst had been nothing but an illusion.

She exhaled, then gave her final command.

"King Meyers..."

A pause.

"...Kill yourself."

The bridge fell into absolute silence.

King Meyers shook. His body trembled violently, his hands twitching.

Then, as if pulled by an invisible force, he stood from his throne.

His shaking fingers reached for his sword, hanging from his waist, gripping the hilt.

And then—

'Something's not right!'

A premonition struck me. And before I could process it, my body moved on instinct.

"CASSANDRA!!!"

I lunged, shoving her aside.

A split second later—

*THUD!*

Something hit the floor.

A short object, encased in red-and-black armor—a familiar color scheme. My vision blurred for a moment, but my mind processed it instantly.

That wasn't just my suit's arm.

It was my entire right arm.

From the elbow down.

The realization hit like a bullet to my brain. Pain followed a second later—

"UGH—!!!"

A searing agony tore through my nerves, but now was not the time to collapse.

No time to think.

No time to hesitate.

"EVERYONE RETREAT!!!"

I roared with everything I had left.