"I know what you're looking for!"
Just as the situation deteriorated, Bellona, who had come along with Dante, finally spoke.
The Burner stopped at once, turning its gaze upon Bellona.
Bellona felt a terror unlike any she had known before. Emotions she had long repressed and dulled surged forth, threatening to suffocate her.
"To be honest, I don't know… I just want you to stop attacking…" she confessed. "But those missiles were obtained from the Talon Sector—they just didn't tell you the truth."
Upon hearing this, Phoros nearly stabbed Bellona on the spot.
But the Burner gained a clue. Even if the people of Talon Sector had merely excavated the missiles, it was at least a lead.
One question remained, however: what exactly was this Talon Sector these creatures mentioned?
The Burner knew nothing of the Talon Sector. It knew only that each galaxy in the cosmos bore its own spatial coordinates, and when its kind spoke of galaxies, they mentioned coordinates rather than names.
"You don't know where Talon is, do you?" Bellona forced a smile, suppressing her fear. "I can take you there, but I'm currently trapped on this planet. The bugs are trying to devour us all, so…"
Dante looked at Bellona in disbelief, unable to fathom that she would consider striking a deal with such a creature.
Bellona, however, had not lost her mind from fear; her actions were not without reason.
Long ago, she had heard the tale of a fellow Inquisitor who encountered a xeno on a distant planet. The Inquisitor had released a creature locked within an unknown device on that planet.
This creature helped the Inquisitor eliminate the xenos and even transported his group to their ship before the planet faced annihilation.
The creature's description closely matched the being before her.
This meant it was capable of reason.
Yet the Burner had little patience, and no shared history with the others to foster any inclination to aid them.
However, before arriving here, the Burner had wandered the galaxy for eons without unleashing its flames upon anything. The prospect of lingering on this planet piqued its interest.
Thus, though Bellona's judgment was mistaken, the Burner decided to lend its help.
"You are a bold female ape," the Burner said with a nod. "Do you lack any kind of shielding? I need to ensure you don't accidentally get burned to ashes by me."
"There is a damaged void shield within the fortress…" Bellona replied.
The Burner floated toward the fortress's interior without a word, though a voice echoed in everyone's minds: *Take me to the void shield.*
...
The void shield of Angel Fortress had previously been ravaged by the insectoid swarm. Its power generator was severely damaged, rendering the void shield itself unrepairable within a few years.
The Burner was led to the void shield's location.
No one knew what it might do, so they merely observed.
The Burner stood in place, gazing at the void shield and its power generator for a few moments before laughing derisively, "Why use such a fragile shield, and why leave its core structure so exposed? If it weren't for the lack of other shields here, I'd think you placed this bait in the material universe just to lure enemies into attacking it."
No one took offense at its sarcasm, as they didn't understand its meaning.
The void shield was already hidden within the core of Angel Fortress and was heavily guarded—how could it be exposed?
Seeing no reaction from these mortals, the Burner lost interest and began its task.
Damaged cables and mechanical structures detached from the main body and floated midair.
Materials from unrelated devices were drawn in, linking to the cables or filling damaged structures.
Dante was astonished.
For reasons unknown, Bellona, her face now filled with awe, looked upon the Burner. "This is nothing short of a miracle!"
"A miracle? It's just fixing this piece of junk." The Burner's tone was cold, though a subtle pleasure lingered.
Star gods not only enjoyed the souls of other creatures in the universe but also relished their reverence.
Although such reverence held no power, the star gods enjoyed it regardless.
In the War of Paradise, a star god with the largest cult of Dreadbearer followers even diverted a portion of his believers to worship his kin to avoid their jealousy.
Under Bellona's awestruck gaze, the Burner swiftly repaired the void shield.
Angel Fortress was once again shielded by the void barrier, halting the insectoid warship's assault and greatly easing the defensive pressure.
After restoring the void shield, the Burner didn't stop but began enhancing its internal structure, making it sturdier and more durable without altering the underlying technology.
"It won't break down so easily now," the Burner said to Bellona. "If someone wants to destroy it, they'll need a bomb capable of blowing the fortress to the heavens."
"What a miracle, you're truly a god," Bellona continued to praise the Burner.
Dante, standing nearby, was puzzled. As an Inquisitor, Bellona should despise such xenos—why would she praise it?
Then, he remembered her response when Foros asked why she used a dimensional engine upon arriving at Baal.
*By any means necessary, at any cost.*
This reaction from Bellona was precisely her "means."
"This is no miracle, ants," the Burner said, floating toward the fortress's exit. "Stay within the fortress. If any bugs try to consume you, cry for help—I'll hear it. Until you take me to the Talon Sector, you don't have the right to die."
As the Burner vanished from sight, the worshipful expression on Bellona's face faded, replaced by her usual scowl.
"So," Bellona turned to Dante, "with this xeno's help, you no longer need me to execute the psychic plan?"
Dante nodded. "Thank you for all you've done for Baal, but your plan was simply too dangerous…"
The response was entirely expected. Bellona had foreseen it the moment the Burner appeared.
"I'm the one who persuaded it to stay and aid you in battle." Bellona fixed her gaze on Dante, stating her demand slowly, "If anyone inquires about the psychic plan, you must feign ignorance."
Though her request seemed rather self-important, Dante agreed. "The Blood Angels and their successor chapters will sign a confidentiality agreement."