32 days before Riko Rexton's death.
On Purtia the winter never ended. This didn't mean the sun never rose, or that greenery was impossible— only that everyday was snowshoe day.
After an unseen debt was announced, Purtia lost its standing among the planetary coalition. It couldn't have come at a worse time.
The Coalition had offered several reasons for the tournament. It was as if every official had their own, but most hid behind two.
Economic sustainability.
These planets humanity claimed were not Earth. Earth had been built for the life that had inhabited it. Most worlds across the galaxy were not. The more natural resources a planet possessed, the more valuable it became— and the more fiercely it was contested.
Inter-colonial stability through competitive resolution.
This was only the first Death Guarantor, but the weapon itself had existed for decades. A war deterrent. Tensions still rose. The tournament provided a non-war mechanism for solving territorial and resource disputes.
Lumi barged into the king's office, frustration painted across her face— though she still offered a formal bow.
"Father," she said. "Let me compete for my home. For our home. I know I don't have the face of a princess, so let me fight."
The man groaned without turning to face her. He looked more like a corpse than a king these days. An expected state, when you lose your spouse and become an enemy of an unstoppable force.
"Fine my foolish daughter," he said quietly. " Peugeot is acting as director. Find him. We're all dead anyway."
He lifted his glass of whiskey with a shaking hand and stared out the window.
Lumi rushed through the castle halls— a familiar sight now, one that made servants instinctively step aside. A lifelong habit that earned her the title The Piercing Princess.
However, in the last month it has evolved.
She slammed open another door.
Peugeot stood mid-conversation with several military officers.
"We're already down to just seven mechs," one was saying. "That pirate—"
They all turned toward her with a collective sigh.
The Persistent Piercing Princess.
Rune stepped forward, irritation already etched into his face.
"Damn it, Lumi. Again? You can't compete. You're the king's daughter. It doesn't matter if you might be an esper."
Peugeot raised a hand, studying Lumi as she lingered beneath the door frame.
"Actually," he said calmly, waving her in. "I think Miss Purtana may be a wise choice."
Rune blinked.
"Huh?"
Peugeot walked back to the centre of the room, this time addressing everyone.
" If the king gave his permission, then as you said the Princess possibly being an esper could work to our advantage. Besides… no one here has been able to use Silk-Soul's star aspect, perhaps Lumi might be able to."
The last comment visibly triggered Rune. But it was as the director said, despite him being a prodigy, he hasn't been able to use Purtia only star aspect mech. The mech destined to be his.
"But don't look so grim," Peugeot continued. "I've also spoken with our pirate friend. We reached an agreement."
"You actually want that pirate to compete for us?" One of the men scoffed.
Lumi was covered in confusion. The pirate they captured months prior was all over the news, why are they mentioning him now? She looked over to Veig but he was passed out, feet kicked up on the table in front.
"His freedom and ship to leave." Peugeot responded. " And for that he will fight every match he still breathes."
Lumi shot up.
"How can we trust him to fight?"
Peugeot smirked— a sign there wasn't a question left he couldn't answer.
"That last name, Rexton. It must be some sort of keepsake. There was a colony destroyed by the Death Guarantor Rextonia— so it seems clear to me, our pirate friend doesn't intend on dying easily."
The meeting ended and Purtia four allocated pilots were chosen.
The piercing princess.
The sleeping grey.
The restless prodigy.
And—
The Undying Pirate.
Veig slipped out to smoke afterward, not at the designated smoking area like everyone else. He stood by a glass covered orchard, apples, peaches highlighted by snow; easy findings for the farmers. But what stood out most was the white haired girl sat with them, watching them grow.
"I will take it, you're here for me." Lumi said.
Veig nodded, creating a squiggly line of smoke.
"Yup, you always come here when you're frustrated."
"I thought old people were supposed to lose their memory over time."
She walked up to him and gently pulled the cigarette from his mouth before throwing it to the ground.
"They won't grow if they smoke here." she said. " If you're here to ask me why. It's because I need to change… grow up."
She sat back down by a small apple tree. Her eyes focused on a ladybug protecting the tree, crawling along the bark.
"Nobody here respects me, y'know. The patches on my skin, they don't see me as a princess. Everyone just calls me Lumi or that stupid nickname… I've never heard anyone call you Alek."
Veig sat down by her.
"Y'know?" he chuckled. "That's because everyone feels close to you. Like family… or a close friend. And I've been told my mug is too ugly for the name alek."
Lumi hadn't noticed the aphids at first. They blended in too perfectly with the leaves, small and pale, nestled along the stem. Left alone, they would have fed until the tree weakened— slowly, without malice.
The ladybug didn't hesitate.
It crawled along the branch, stopping only long enough to feed, then moved on to the next. Efficient, unremarkable. necessary.
The tree wasn't being saved.
It was simply part of the process.
Synergy.
Lumi watched in silence.
So much of her world demanded reasons, some sort of justification.
"You know my father already speaks of us being dead. It's like mother took a piece of him with her."
Veig went to interject but Lumi cut in before he could.
"Though I don't worry too much. He still drinks, he still watches the snow fall."
Veig nodded, watching her, watching the orchard.
"Mm."
The Ladybug continued to march across the branch.
It fed.
Then it slipped— vanishing into the spider's web.
Lumi turned to Veig.
"Why does that pirate still choose to fight?"
08 days until Riko Rexton's death.
Riko jumped from his chair, rushing in towards Peugeot.
"What the hell do you mean Puppy-Cat is too small?"
Peugeot pulled a leaflet from his pocket and pointed towards one of the bullet points.
"No more than twenty feet difference between opposing mechs. And Puppy-Cat lost the coin flip."
Ezra blinked, scratching his head.
"I was never told about any coinflip."
Peugeot looked towards Veig— who quickly turned away pretending to sleep.
"It came up on the screen after the draw. You were automatically assigned a side."
Riko moved back to his, his demeanour completely shifting.
"Oh." he giggled. "We were discussing how to beat that music mech with audio Lumi got."
"I guess I'm going to have to pilot one of their mechs then."
They all turned towards Riko.
"Nope"
"No way."
"Forget it."
"I'll fight." Veig said.