"As expected."
"An oversight of this magnitude was never going to happen."
Seeing that March 7th could not establish contact with the Astral Express, Elio's projection spoke with a grave expression.
Kafka's injuries were mostly healed, but this did nothing to help the current situation. The [Fragmentum Integrator] possessed combat power equivalent to an [Emissary], an Imaginary energy level ranging from Stellar-class to Super-Stellar-class. No one had ever been heard of winning a fight against a [Fragmentum Integrator] on equal footing, let alone when everyone present was weaker than it.
The only way to survive was for Elio's main body to arrive in person.
However...
The certainty of sacrificing a part of himself versus the possibility of his entire team being wiped out—no matter how Elio weighed the options, the choice would be a bitter one.
But before that—
CRACKLE!!!
Black lightning erupted from above the [Fragmentum Integrator]. The surging bolts instantly formed a cage, trapping the motionless creature within!
"Expending the last of this projection's energy..."
"This should buy you all about ten more seconds."
From Elio's already blurry image, electric serpents writhed manically.
"Silver Wolf."
"Cooperate with the Nameless. Get Kafka out of here as fast as possible."
The injuries from the Stellaron's explosion were healed, but replenishing her Imaginary energy was not something that could be done in a moment. Although the Fragmentum's contraction was nearing its end, it would still be some time before space fully recovered.
"Please do not return to the Express."
After instructing Silver Wolf, Elio immediately shifted the topic to the Nameless.
"The trouble over there is no less than what we face here... If the two enemy forces were to converge, the problem would only become more severe."
"Your Excellency Elio."
Just as Elio was preparing to sacrifice this projection in exchange for a sliver of hope for his two subordinates, he was suddenly interrupted by Eden, who had been silent since the Stellaron's explosion.
"?"
"There's no need for such trouble."
Under the confused gazes of the others, a small, silver tetrahedron appeared in Eden's raised palm.
"Although this was not my intention."
"This time..."
"I'm afraid you all will owe us a favor."
Eden did not explain who "us" was, because everyone would soon witness it for themselves. As Eden uttered an "incantation" in a language that was unrecorded and not the common tongue, the vertices of the perfect tetrahedron began to slowly open with a faint flicker of light.
The next moment, an extremely violent spatial fluctuation appeared before them!
"Commander!"
The few remaining Iron Warlords sent an incredulous sensor report to Jorah's personal terminal: a spatial fluctuation with an energy level comparable to a Titan's warp jump was compressed into a space of only a dozen cubic meters in front of them. And its warp level... was infinitely close to the theoretical Level 10.
In an instant—
Tap.
An echo sounded in the void.
The figure of a human woman appeared, standing before everyone, including Elio's projection.
"I truly didn't expect..."
"That there would still be a time for me to make an appearance."
---o---
"..."
"Your Excellency Ziz."
Seeing the woman who had appeared here, Eden first showed unconcealed surprise, then immediately bowed slightly in salute.
"Worried I couldn't handle this?"
Ziz instantly understood the meaning behind Eden's "surprise."
As one of the Three Pillars, the leaders of the Apostles, her combat power was certainly great, but in the understanding of the Empire's upper echelons, her normal state was only at the "star-destroying class" level. Unleashing her full power would indeed allow her to contend with a "Stellar-class" opponent like Kevin, but the side effects of doing so were considerable.
She had thought...
"Little Bai is busy."
Ziz could discern Eden's thoughts from the slightest psionic fluctuations—a feat that, in the cosmic sea, would require a powerhouse two tiers higher, proficient in both the [Path of Remembrance] and the [Path of Erudition].
"Little Bai respects your wishes."
"However..."
Ziz's "gaze" met that of the [Fragmentum Integrator].
"You, whose 'link' with Little Bai is not so close, should witness with your own eyes the new power that comes with 'His Majesty the Emperor's' advancement."
The [Divine Link] connected all members within the Empire, but the strength of this link varied. The [Three Pillars] were the most closely linked, and also the greatest beneficiaries of the Monarch's advancement into the [Grand Sovereign Entropy Dragon]—a connection that even the [Four Templars], who were extensions of the Monarch's will, and the [Flame-Chasers], who possessed the Monarch's genes, could not match.
"Its power is approaching 'Super-Stellar-class'."
"How will you deal with it?"
Elio asked, his expression grave.
Ziz and Eden's conversation was not concealed, and the others nearby heard their exchange. Although some of the terms were unfamiliar, they still gleaned a great deal of information:
First, in the civilization Eden belonged to, there was a supreme ruler and strongest individual known as the Monarch. Second, this newcomer was one of the highest-ranking members of that civilization.
"Approaching Super-Stellar-class, you say..."
Before Ziz could finish, the [Fragmentum Integrator], as if sensing a threat, began to forcibly break out of the cage Elio had set. Its six wing-like tentacles spread out, stabbing like sharp blades at the surrounding blockade. After a burst of intense light and a screeching sound, the seal that Elio claimed could hold for another ten seconds shattered instantly!
SCREEEEEE—!!!
A piercing soundwave erupted from within the [Fragmentum Integrator]!
An invisible shockwave rippled out into the depths of space, striking on both the physical and spiritual planes.
This cry, which couldn't even be classified as an "attack," directly caused the heads of the few surviving Iron Warlords to explode. If not for Eden's timely assistance, even Jorah would likely not have been spared.
At the same time, in front of the [Fragmentum Integrator]'s planet-like single eye, endless, magnificent bands of purple light precipitated from the void, all surging madly toward the core, which was slowly rotating according to some unknown pattern!
"Little Bai."
Ziz brought her hands together before her chest, her ten fingers interlocking in a prayer-like gesture.
"Lend me some power."
DENG!!!
The dark universe was instantly illuminated!
The starry sky behind Ziz was torn asunder, and a boundless stretch of Imaginary Space unreservedly presented its "treasury" before her.
This was a higher version of the [Monarch Armament] used by the Four Templars—
VMMMM!!!
A pillar of deep purple light descended from the heavens. Its star-shattering power annihilated everything in its path.
As for Ziz, who stood directly in the line of fire...
BOOOOOM!!!!!
Like insect wings, like bird feathers, like metal, like ribbons of light.
Eight indescribable wings of light burst forth from Ziz's back, forming a shield before her that absorbed the entirety of the [Fragmentum Integrator]'s power!
Swoosh!
A crown of thorns made of stars appeared on her head, and the light of a sun formed a veil that draped over her body.
Ding.
The [Fragmentum Integrator]'s star-shattering blow was thus neutralized.
"Amazing."
March 7th's face was filled with envy.
"A moment that could match an [Emissary]."
Dan Heng's gaze was fixed on Ziz. He was becoming more and more interested in this unknown civilization.
"To suppress a star-destroying attack..."
"It didn't look like it took much effort."
With little power left to cross the sea of stars, Elio's barely maintained projection spoke to Silver Wolf.
As for Ziz, who stood at the forefront...
"Is that all?"
"Then... is it my turn now?"
The power Ziz borrowed from the Monarch was no ordinary thing. She had directly used the [Dominion of Preservation] to activate the [Celestial Comet Wall] to block that attack.
Even if the Monarch himself were present, the [Celestial Comet Wall] he could unleash would be of a similar magnitude.
The only difference was that Ziz's body could not support her casting a technique of this level multiple times. The [Dominion of Preservation] was one of the Paths with the fewest side effects, but even so, the hidden dangers of casting a skill above one's level could not be ignored.
She had to end this quickly.
Ziz could not successfully cast the Monarch's [Galactic Silence]. The strain of using the [Dominion of Destruction] was too great, and the opponent itself was a creation of the [Dominion of Destruction], so its effectiveness was questionable.
[Divine Flame Impact]
The most "gentle" star-destroying skill in the Monarch's arsenal.
And the [Divine Flame Impact] unleashed in the complete form of the [Great Sun Collapsed State: Seraph of Blazing Annihilation] was Ziz's answer.
A vast, surging ocean of golden light poured out from Imaginary Space, flowing through the eight angelic wings and into Ziz's body.
Imaginary silence, where all rivers flow into the sea.
It was a supremely brilliant, golden pillar of heaven—
VMMMMMM!!!!!
---o---
BOOOOOM!!!!!
"Report damage!"
"Shields overloaded! Power core damage at 18%! The Express Cannon has entered an overclocked state! We've lost our main armament!"
A terrifying explosion directly pulverized...
No, the explosion directly vaporized the "Cosmic Island" spaceport.
Whether it was the refugees transferred from Planet Keya V, the Interstellar Federation citizens and soldiers who lived on the spaceport, or even the two starship fleets docked there, all were annihilated without a trace in the sudden attack.
The debris and fragments scattered throughout deep space came from the various research and sensor bases that had been deployed on the surrounding asteroids.
In the vast expanse of space, the only intact object remaining was the Astral Express. Pure structural integrity could not have achieved a result of "only light damage"; even the sturdiest "hard-light composite" armor would have been incinerated. The key to the Astral Express's survival was the forced-deflection shield deployed by converting the power of the already-charging "Express Cannon."
Of course, without this shield, the train would at most have been seventy to eighty percent destroyed, but no intelligent life form inside would have survived.
After all... that was an attack that could make a 200-light-year diameter sphere of three-dimensional space completely disappear:
[The One-Trillion-Degree Fireball]
---o---
"How do we fight this thing?"
"We can't."
Inside the Astral Express.
The genius interstellar engineer Himeko (Third Counterpart), who had just finished repairing the control room, was asked this by Welt (Third Counterpart), who had been slammed against a wall with a loud thud.
Himeko pointed to the image in the center of the control room.
"This thing is a forbidden celestial weapon sealed by the M78 Galaxy."
"During a certain war, the M78 Galaxy's home was 'habitually' raided. An elite team from the Antimatter Legion, composed of the Vanguard of Havoc, stole all of the few 'Zettons' they had and modified them into a super anti-star weapon called 'Hyper Zetton'."
Himeko added at the end:
"This is all information recorded in the 'Express Library'."
"M78 Galaxy? Sounds like it's not far?"
Welt used his control over gravity to stand up.
"No, it's very far."
"Although the names are only off by three digits, the two aren't even in the same cosmic dimension."
Himeko instantly dashed Welt's hopes.
"The communication device is broken. Repairing it is no simpler than fixing the power core."
"We can't even contact March 7th right now, let alone hope to cross the 'canopy of the Tree' to call for help."
"Then—"
"It's up to you guys."
Himeko's repair work never stopped, even as she talked with Welt.
"Buy me more time. As long as I can fix the power core before the next [One-Trillion-Degree Fireball] is released, we can take this thing out... or escape from it."
"Excluding the [One-Trillion-Degree Fireball], Hyper Zetton's mid-to-close-range firepower can only suppress a star-destroying class opponent. The most troublesome part is its shield."
"Ignores energy attacks..."
Himeko had already transmitted all the information about Hyper Zetton to Welt.
"Correct."
"Although we're at a 'disadvantage' in terms of size, a physical attack is our only solution."
"..."
This wasn't a matter of being at a "disadvantage."
[The Nameless] were mostly humanoid races. For them, with an average height of no more than two meters, to fight an opponent with a long axis of nearly forty kilometers—
"Understood."
Welt did not say much more.
After a simple "understood," he walked directly toward the rear carriages. Rather than wasting energy on useless arguments, it was better to act immediately... Hyper Zetton was already beginning to gather energy for a second [One-Trillion-Degree Fireball].
This thing actually required a considerable amount of time to charge.
The attack they had just suffered was likely launched immediately after Hyper Zetton had finished charging and warped to their location. This must have caused significant damage to Hyper Zetton itself; after all, generating and containing a [One-Trillion-Degree Fireball] was no simple matter. That it didn't just dissolve and collapse during a warp jump was already extremely fortunate in Himeko's view.
"Attention all hands!"
As Welt set off, Himeko began a train-wide broadcast.
"We are under attack by the Antimatter Legion. The opponent is—"
"Large-scale spatial fluctuation!"
Before Himeko could finish, the sensors had already detected a new target.
Directly above and behind Hyper Zetton, a large object of 10K-class was approaching at a speed of Warp 9.9999!
"Brace for impact!!"
Himeko only had time to give one last command.
The "signal source," detected for less than 0.1 seconds, had crashed straight into the "back of the head" of Hyper Zetton—
BOOM!!!!!