The Blue Star's La Fidèle, Episode 1

“Big brother, I’m scared!”
“Brother, are we going to die!? Are we really going to die!?”

The screams of six young siblings echoed inside the cramped float-type space boat. The one being called “big brother” was Vapena Yubana Antares, himself only an eight-year-old elementary school student of the Tiger Bionoid species, not much older than the rest.

Everyone here was a sibling sharing parents with the same Amur Tiger-type artificial genes, covered in faint golden and black fur, with topaz irises and hints of jade-like green floating in their pupils. Despite being young, they were at the age where their ears were large and their fangs and claws were just about to fully grow in.

Only the eldest son, Vapena Yubana, had his deep wine-colored mane—the mark of the family successor—tied up long.

“Shut up, don’t cry, you guys! I sent an SOS from that red line earlier, so help will be here soon! Just hold on until then!”

That was a lie; he had no such certainty. The old-model machine that had been drifting through space for so long was more than half scrap, and the possibility that the signal he sent had been picked up by anyone was desperate.

“You said that two hours ago!”
“We’re going to die! Mommy~!!”

Shut up, shut up, I want to cry just as much as you do! But as the eldest brother, and as a “Tiger Cub of the Antares Family” whose name is known throughout the galaxy, I can’t show my tears to these little ones!

He had discovered this space boat during last year’s Halloween season. He had stumbled upon it by chance while out on a little solo adventure by air-jet from the Deucalion Colony, which was the Antares family’s territory. Inside the ship, an ancient air conductor was still operating, providing a small amount of oxygen. Thinking he had found a great toy, he had snuck past his parents and his father’s underlings every day to carry in a little bit of food, bedding, and game machines.

It was supposed to be a dream paradise for Yubana alone, but these curious little ones found out and threatened him, saying, “If you don’t let us ride, we’ll tell Mom and Dad.” He should have been more careful about coming and going from the house.

And today, while the adults were busy with a large party where relatives were gathered, they snuck out, boarded the small Skyler that was a birthday present, and ended up in this pathetic situation.

Inside the craft, which was practically discarded trash, six Tiger-type Beastnoids—who, despite being young, boasted a fair amount of weight—had been jumping and playing around. The engine, which had apparently been holding on by a thread, stopped completely, and they were now drifting somewhere, tossed about by cosmic currents. The Skyler they had arrived in was originally a product for two children and not a full-fledged passenger machine. It was fine to ride it toward home, but if they lost their bearings and got caught in a stardust storm, that would be the end.

“Waaaah! I want to go home, I want to go home~!!”
“I need to pee! I’m going to wet myself!”
“I’m hungry! Mommy~!”

Since it was the night of the party, the four sisters, who were dressed up, had their long tiger-specific whiskers and facial fur soaked with tears and drool, and the two brothers were already too tired from crying to even make a sound. Above all, just thinking about the thinning oxygen levels made him feel like he was going crazy.

What am I supposed to do! Damn it... if it were just me, this wouldn’t have happened!!

“..., ...ed. Is anyone... there?”

At that moment, Yubana lunged for the microphone in his sweat-drenched dress jacket. It was covered in terrible noise, but that voice had certainly reached the sharp eardrums of a Tiger Beast, which had been enhanced over many generations.

“Mayday! This is Vapena Yubana of the Antares family! Please respond!”
“Thank goodness! I am with the Interstellar Survey Team! I am right near your boat now! Please do not cut this transmission!”

The children let out a cheer at the clear, mechanical response, likely coming through a helmet. While feeling like he might collapse from relief, Yubana managed to grip the hand microphone and steel himself.

“Me and my six little brothers and sisters, there are seven of us trapped in total! Our oxygen and engine are already at zero! Please help us!”
“Understood! Everyone, are you wearing buddy suits?”
“N-no, we aren’t! We only have our regular clothes on...”
“I understand, there are seven of you?”
“Yes, seven! There are seven of us!”
“In that case, I will cut the door from the outside, so everyone please hold hands tightly. Please crouch down and gather in the center. It might shake quite a bit, but please do not worry.”

As those words ended, a clattering sound echoed as something struck the outer wall, and the children hugged each other, crying out in surprise. Yubana also desperately spread his arms as if to shield everyone.

Clang, clang-clang-clang... whirrrrr...

It was a metallic sound, like a tiger-species child having their growing fangs polished at a clinic. Then, an impact was applied as if something were being torn open. Yubana watched with clenched fists and a prayer as the small, distorted entrance was carefully pried open.

(Oh, God of the Ancestral Tiger, please help us. If everyone is safe, I will be a serious, good child for the rest of my life, study hard, and become a man who upholds the honor of the universe...!)

Along with Yubana's desperate wish, the door section was completely cut away, and a slender, milk-colored pilot suit appeared from outside. The face was hidden by a full-face helmet, but the height was around 160cm, about 15cm taller than Yubana, who was still a young tiger. It was a slender silhouette that likely didn't weigh much different.

“Are you all alright!? Are you injured!?”
“Waaaaah!!”

As the youngest sister, four-year-old Pattainya, screamed, a distinct smell of ammonia spread.

“You idiot! Don't wet yourself!”
“But, but I just couldn't hold it anymore!”
“It's alright, I have pants and shirts. Everyone, first wipe off your sweat with these sheets. They are made of a special fiber that also eliminates odors. You're hungry, aren't you?”

Everyone nodded silently. When the milk-colored suit asked, “Does anyone have any allergies?”, a chorus of “What's an allergy?” flew back.

“An allergy is a disease that the old humans... the Earthlings used to have... It has nothing to do with us Bio-roid Beasts.”
“...I see, my apologies.”

At that moment, a bad premonition flashed through Yubana's mind, even as he was immersed in a sense of relief.

“Hey, can I ask who you are? I mean, I can't even see your face.”
“Oh, how rude of me. Here, please have some water and food.”

The younger brother and sister scrambled to grab the emergency packs offered. But Yubana remained frozen, his eyes fixed on the sight of their savior removing the full-face helmet.

From the connection point of the helmet, where the UV protection cover had been removed, a rich, voluminous brunette mane spilled out. No, it wasn't the “black fur” that they, the Beastnoids, defined; it was a jet-black, silky thread like darkness, the likes of which he had never seen before. It was a smooth, custard-cream-colored cheek with no body hair at all—not an animal lifeform created through repeated DNA manipulation—with a low-profile nose bridge and features. And in the center of it all were large eyes... two Earths that had already lost their civilization.

“Y-you! You were a human!”

At the eldest brother's loud voice, the younger siblings stopped their frantic eating and drinking. Yubana stood up and spread his arms to defend them and intimidate the stranger.

“What's a human?”
“You mean the ones who lived on Earth? The ancestors of us Beastnoids?”
“Whoa, there's no hair on their face at all! No whiskers either!?”

The “human” with blue eyes lost their expression at that reaction, slowly raised both hands, and stepped back. Looking closely, only the hair on both sides of the ears, which was long enough to reach the waist, had silver strands.

“Yes. I am an Earthling, and I am a human.”

The voice from behind the removed helmet was as clear as the wind chimes their grandparents decorated the garden with. It was impossible to tell if they were male or female, but it was the first time in their lives they had encountered an extinct species.

They killed each other off and went extinct. I learned that everyone died!

The human lowers their gaze at Yubana's harsh remark.

In the Beastnoid compulsory education curriculum, students are taught that last century's Earth humans were extremely bellicose, cannibalistic, arrogant, and vulgar creatures who had no respect for nature. Ironically, they themselves were created by those very vulgar Earth humans, which is the reason for their current prosperity.

As you say, but this must be an emergency situation. Shouldn't we escape from the ship first?
Y-you guys can't be trusted. My dad and grandpa said so! They said you skinned tigers and wolves to make carpets!

At Yubana's words, the other children began to get scared too. A person who noticed the freezing atmosphere said, Well then, and reached around to their waist. Yubana bared their still-undeveloped fangs.

D-don't move, you human bastard!
I will do nothing. I swear it on my mother's name.

Slowly extended was a magnificent jet-black scabbard, the same color as the owner's hair. It was probably about 30cm long. It was likely a dagger. Crimson and gold braided cords were loosely wrapped around it, and pearl and jade ornaments sparkled.

So pretty!!
Pattainya, be quiet!
If I ever try to cause harm, you may use that to stab me to death.

The six children fell silent at that dignified expression, beautiful choice of words, and the deep fear lurking within them. Only the youngest sister looked around curiously.

O-okay... I'll hold onto it.
It is a memento of my father, so if anything happens, please burn it along with me.
...O-okay...

Realizing the weight of the tool for killing passed from hand to hand, Yubana shuddered for the first time. The person with the beautiful voice and eyes had no hair on their hands or body, and their fingers were delicate beyond comparison to a beast's; even with gloves on, the difference in strength was obvious.

What am I doing... They helped me, and yet...

When I looked up at their awkward, small face, the blue jewels were soft, fleeting, and sad, with a smile seeping through. It was a gaze in which resignation and habit had settled.

Bang!

Everyone, get down!

All the children, who had been completely off guard, were pulled down to the side, and Yubana hit their own head on the floor, seeing fireworks before their eyes. No, these were real sparks. The sound of glass shattering exploded, and the alarm began to scream shrilly.

Ow...
Big sister!!
!?

Amidst my sister's piercing scream and my dizzying field of vision, something warm dripped from the slender body that had covered me. The smell of iron filled the air...

Are you alright!?

I'm not alright, you are.

I wanted to reply like that, but I couldn't. Crimson rain dripped into Yubana's mouth, and for the first time in his life, the taste of raw meat nearly awakened his tiger instincts. A thin, silver shard was piercing through the shoulder of the jet-black-haired human.

“Y-you...! Why did you save me!?”
“Big brother! This person is going to die!”
“Miss, there's blood, so much blood...!!”
“I-it's alright... The blood vessels aren't damaged... probably.”

Haa, haa—the human, whose hair was being dyed by the massive blood loss, took a deep breath and pulled up the arm of Yubana, who remained in a daze.

“My calculations were off, I'm sorry. The old-model engine was prone to electrical leaks... We must escape from here quickly.”
“You, your blood, this is... because of me...!”
“I'm fine, I'm used to it. Besides, it doesn't hurt as much as it looks. Everyone, please put on the buddy suits from the pack. They're for adults, so roll up the sleeves and pant legs.”

As the blood-soaked figure gave instructions with a smile, the children, who were in deep shock, obeyed in silence. Yubana, suffering from such mental trauma that his fingers wouldn't stop trembling, even had the person who protected him put the suit on for him.

“My comrades will be here in a few minutes. Everyone, cheer up.”

Once the seven children had managed to put on the suits, the smiling benefactor finally began to treat her own wounds.

“I'll help.”
“Oh, thank you very much. Then, please apply this sheet to my wound.”
“Okay.”
“I'll do it too.”
“Me too.”
“Ahaha, that's enough, I'm fine. I appreciate the sentiment.”

Yubana alone stared blankly as his younger brothers and sisters clumsily peeled off the hemostatic sheet, but he regained his senses when a rattling vibration began to echo from the floorboards.

“Don't worry, it's my comrades' ship. I completely forgot to ask, but where is your home?”
“We're children of the Antares family.”
“I see, I see. Your parents must be worried. I will take you as close as I can.”

With a bang, that door opened again, and two people in dark green buddy suits—definitely human adults—entered while still wearing full-face helmets.

Efficient, trained movements, Yubana's tiger instincts warned him. Do not let your guard down.

“Your Highness, are you injured!?”
“I am fine. These people are the daughters and sons of the Antares Group. Be sure to treat them with the utmost respect.”
“The ones from that beast mafia... Understood.”

(...Your Highness, understood... unfamiliar sentences, and they aren't speaking Galactic Standard. It's a very old-fashioned, heavily accented foreign pronunciation.)

The two younger brothers and four younger sisters were easily scooped up by the adult duo and carried along the makeshift passageway. These people must have connected the tube tunnel. They finished moving into a brand-new, bright cabin immediately. The children let out cheerful shouts.

“It's alright now. You protected your family. You were truly magnificent.”

Supported gently by the shoulder by the lifesaver whose jet-black hair was matted with blood, Yubana's tear ducts collapsed all at once. For three hours, he had been terrified, thinking he was going to die. He had been deeply afraid that something might happen to his brothers and sisters.

“I... I said terrible things... to you, who saved me...”
“I am fine. Humans and Earthlings are truly cruel creatures. Please don't forget that in the future. We likely won't have the chance to meet again.”

“U-um, this...”Just as he tried to return the dagger he had been gripping tightly the whole time to its owner.

“This is... Your Excellency!”

A shadow descends before the two humans who were handing drinks to the younger siblings. Yes, the word “descends” is truly appropriate. Like the person holding Yubana’s shoulder, they have long, jet-black hair with silver, tuft-like strands. And eyes the color of Earth. They are nearly two meters tall, with a stature like a long sword. And with a rugged, handsome face that looks like it stepped out of an art museum—an Odysseus you could never forget once you’ve seen him.

“You look like him...”

When I blurted that out, the person with the same black and silver hair and blue eyes as the tall man nodded at Yubana.

“Brother, thank you for coming all this way...”

Before the person standing next to me could finish, a palm struck their blood-stained cheek, and a sharp sound echoed.

“Th-the hell! What are you doing all of a sudden!!!?”
“Your Excellency, please stop!”
“No backtalk. I merely whipped a fool’s kin.”

Yubana managed to support the slender frame with all his might just before he collapsed, but if he had hit the floor, the wound that had finally stopped bleeding might have opened up again.

“This guy, he risked his life to, to save us! And you, you...!!”
“I apologize, Brother.”
“We are in the middle of a covert operation. You will take responsibility for this, Lieutenant.”
“I understand. However, abandoning young lives—would that not be contrary to our great cause?”
“Sharp-tongued as ever.”

Yubana caught the arm that was raised again with all his strength.

“Heavy!!”

The muscle mass and speed are incredible. He is a formidable expert, no less capable than the adult Tiger Beasts, my father and uncle.

(This guy, he’s used to killing!!)

The explosive power and toughness of a Tiger Beastnoid, born from artificial eugenic manipulation of carnivore genes and refined over generations of physical lineage, should never lose to a human. Yet, my fangs and claws couldn't even reach his skin.

“I have no time to deal with a wet-behind-the-ears brat.”
“You scum! What kind of upbringing did you have to hit your own injured sibling! I’d like to see your parents’ faces!”
“Mr. Antares, please stop. You too, Brother.”

The icy, handsome man disappeared into the depths of the ship with an overwhelming presence, without looking back at the two of them. Like a storm accompanied by a gale.

“That bastard, he hit you while you were badly hurt! That’s the worst!”
“He is actually a kind person, you know.”
“You idiot! That’s what everyone in domestic abuse situations says!”

When I shouted that, tears of frustration streaming down my face, a “Heh” escaped him, like spring flower petals brushing against my cheek. It was a beautiful, gentle smile from a masterpiece painting that instantly captivated me.

“Your Highness, communication with the representative of the Antares Group is finished. They seem to be coming to pick you up immediately.”
“Thank goodness... Mr. Antares. I am truly sorry, but we cannot show our faces to other races. This is where we part ways.”
“I’m not a ‘Mr.’ I’m Vapena Yubana Antares. My family calls me Yubana.”
“That is wonderful. Vapena and Yuba are both fragrant, healthy flowers and plants in our homeland.”
“What about you? What do they call you?”
“...I am...”

Seeing that expression, clouded like the sky before a tropical squall, Yubana hurriedly followed up with, “Ah, I’m not forcing you to tell me.” The rain didn't fall, and those blue Earth-colored eyes wavered fragilely.

“...My late parents gave me the name of a tree, Lianju. No one calls me by that name anymore.”
“Lianju, I will definitely see you again. I will absolutely repay this debt.”
“Oh, please don’t worry about it.”
“I want to see you again. Definitely.”

Yubana’s topaz eyes, unique to the tiger race, shone brightly, and his furry hands wrapped around those slender fingers. The person tilted their head slightly in thought and smiled, saying, “Then, until that time, I look forward to it.” An indescribable feeling welled up at the sad farewell, and I found myself embracing them as if to hold those black locks.

(...It's a fresh, elegant plant scent. Is this Vapena?)

I will never forget this person's scent, the planet-blue of their eyes, or the sound of the wind chimes.

Once all the children were inside the clearly futuristic float-ship—not something made with Beast Bionoid technology—the streamlined vessel vanished into the distance. And then... and then...

Big brother! It's amazing! Look at that!!
A big robot~!!
Big brother, is that something humans made?

A bipedal military robot weapon, looking just like an ancient samurai, slowly turned and spread its beautiful wings into space, waving at Yubana and the others. Surely, this must have been the robot that reached the door of our battered ship first.

Wow... a mechanical giant... No, it's an angel!

The pure white mechanical angel flashed its eye-lights green one last time, and before we knew it, it flew off into the sea of the nebula.

...Thank you, Liange. We will definitely meet again...

Released all at once from the tension, fear, and excitement, Yubana and his younger siblings sat dazed on the air-seats until their parents arrived from the Antares system in a high-speed craft, still wearing their party suits and dresses.

Fearing they would be scolded, they were surprised when their father, the young head of the Tiger Mafia family, and their mother, who managed the organization as the boss's wife, burst into tears and hugged the children. Behind them, the family's underlings were also crying, saying, 'Thank goodness! We're so glad you're safe!'

We're all going to the hospital for a checkup now. Grandpa and Grandma are coming too. You all did so well. The tiger cubs of Antares are our pride.
Yubana, you were truly brave too...

Seeing his mother, who was usually so strong-willed, laughing with her makeup ruined like mud, Yubana couldn't help but remember the interaction between the human siblings he had witnessed earlier. Why did that 'older brother' hit his younger, injured family member? It was a shocking sight that would be impossible in his own home.

Hey, Mom, Dad.
Yubana? Does something hurt?
Here, should Dad carry you on his back?

He hurriedly refused, gesturing toward the broad back of the Tiger Bionoid who had stooped down. Not in front of his younger siblings, that was out of the question.

From now on, I'm going to study hard and train my body. I want to learn languages and go to university. I'm going to become a full-fledged tiger man, and in the future, I'll become a fine boss of the Tiger Antares family.

Since their eight-year-old son had suddenly started making declarations, his parents, who carried the tiger genes strongly, opened their eyes—where jade sank into the same topaz as his—wide, and then roared with laughter.

What's gotten into you!? You can't even finish your homework most of the time!
Do you forget that you're near the bottom of your class? Hey, hey, you didn't hit your head too hard, did you?

Even his younger siblings were laughing while shedding tears. Gratitude flooded his chest, realizing he had been born into such a warm home.

I...

From the waist of his slacks, he grips the beautiful, jet-black hilt that he had failed to return.

"I have to go return this. And then, I'm going to make that guy's older brother apologize on his knees."

True to his declaration, Vapena Yubana Antares graduated at the top of his class from a prestigious private university at the age of 18, and continued to devote himself entirely to his studies, martial arts, and swordsmanship. He would grow into a handsome man, standing 193cm tall and covered in the supple muscles characteristic of the tiger tribe, but that is a story for another time.

Thus began the story of the man who would later be known to posterity as the "Golden Tiger King."

[La Fidèle of the Blue Star] Episode 1 End