Stalking the Star

*The side story was additionally published on April 25th.* "If you're grateful, give me money." "So, I just need to pay you!" ‡Synopsis‡ Kikirn, a space troubleshooter with a notorious reputation for bringing bad luck, is burdened with enormous debt. Driven by his debt, Kikirn accepts a high-paying request, but true to his reputation(?), he ends up obliterating the planet Ike during the mission. Meanwhile, on the planet Ike, which is also the base of a dark organization, Er, a Pieta species with a natural affinity for machines, is kidnapped and exploited as a slave. Just as he's about to be discarded, the star Kikirn appears like a miracle (though it reads more like an intrusion), and he...