Interstellar Age

Chapter 407 Consuming a Dying Star

The time had come once again for Ayumi to devour the energy from another star. Her rebirth as a so called "Star God" had been kept a secret for the time being. And because of this, Erich escorted her with his personal starship outside of the Milky Way, and to the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy, where in the previous timeline he had waged a bloody battle against the sages.

It was obviously not the same star system. In fact, it was an old and dying star within a system completely uninhabited by any life forms. Tia had marked stars like this across the Milky Way, and recently its stability dwarf Galaxies, in preparation for Ayumi's new and strange physical needs.

Her plans were to harvest these star systems of any and all resources they may have, and then allow Ayumi to swallow what remained of their stars, essentially preventing a supernova.

By now Tia's robotic worker legions had turned the celestial bodies into this system into barren wastelands. Any and all potential resources that could be extracted could be done so. Meaning that Ayumi was free to consume the star.

For moral support, Erich had taken Ayumi to this destination, despite her ability to traverse the stars on her own. Ayumi had long since been practicing to control her abilities in a barren?area of space, one which Tia had built specifically to her needs.

She was not necessarily a danger to Erich or his people anymore, and thus now lived on Earth full time. With only occasional journeys into the great beyond when she needed to devour a star's energy for her physical growth.

Within the small starship, which was what one might refer to as Erich's personal corvette. Ayumi stood in its hanger bay. There was a heavy starfighter meant to be piloted by two people residing in the bad, as well as Erich, who was dressed in a space suit.

He hugged his woman, giving her a sign of trust, as he verbally encouraged her to do what was necessary, despite her reservations to do so.

"Ayumi, everything is fine. There are no lifeforms in this galaxy, and its celestial bodies have already been stripped of their resources. You are free to consume what remains of this dying star. By Tia's calculations, it will be enough to meet your physical needs."

Ayumi pressed her hand against Erich's helmet, obviously meaning to touch his face, as she gave him a loving smile. She tried to press his forehead against her own, but only felt the cold glass against it. Still, this was enough for her, as she spoke to the man she loved, and the mother of his father as if she were dying.

"Erich... It was kind enough of you to come all this way for me... But you should go now. If something were to happen to go wrong, and you were to get... Hurt.... I would never forgive myself.

These last few years together have been the best of my life, and I would never want to live without you."

Erich smirked when he heard this, before flicking the woman on the forehead, causing her to react in shock. He then told her the words she needed to devour the star without any worries.

"Please, you know by now I am immortal. If this vessel perishes, Tia will upload my consciousness into an exact copy, and I will be back home looking after our daughter and waiting for your return. I could die anywhere in the universe, and Tia would revive me. It is no concern of mine.

I would rather waste this vessel, both the flesh I inhabit, and the ship I stand upon, being by your side for moral support, then to let you do this on your own. So go, do what you need to do to survive, and grow. I'll be waiting for you, either here or back home."

Ayumi's mood vastly improved when she heard this, giggling in the process, and giving Erich one last hug before hitting the button that opened the hangar of the corvette. She then said one last statement before flying off and doing what most living beings would consider something to be abominable.

"You make it sound like you're the god here.... I'll be done shortly, so please be patient...."

Ayumi flew out of the hangar of the corvette, her figure no longer one of flesh and bone, but rather one of pure energy, energy whose color matched her amber eyes. Tia may have warned Erich about Ayumi. She had, after all, become a being of ancient terror, one who the ancient Elven records spoke with nothing but abject horror about.

But to Erich, she was a goddess, one which he had no problem "worshipping" and if a few dying stars were the cost of her survival and growth, then so be it. He would happily pay such tribute to the woman.

Like before, when she had first "ascended," Ayumi approached the nearby star, though this time she was fully conscious as her mouth opened and devoured the energy of the star until nothing remained. Its light forever vanishing from the universe.

The scene was indeed, both simultaneously, an awe-inspiring and terrifying experience for Erich to witness unfold. And as he waited anxiously for something to go terribly wrong, it never did.

In the end, Ayumi flew back to the hangar, where Erich shut its doors behind her. Her form of pure energy receding back to flesh and bone, the every beautiful appearance which Erich had long since grown to love greeting him with a warm smile and excited smile, as the woman proclaimed her victory.

"I did it!"

Erich could not help but boldly reach out and touch the woman's face with his glove, something she treasured, as he responded to her excited words, with a humble tone and reassuring tone. One that conveyed his affections to the woman.

"Indeed, you did...."

And while Erich made this gesture, he thought to himself that Tia must be mistaken. How could a woman this beautiful and kind hearted ever become a blight upon the galaxy, and a danger to his people?