The cold outer space battlefield seemed to have been muted, like a bizarre painting where the colors were forcibly dimmed and the movements infinitely slowed.
The 'Order Interference' field silently enveloped everything, incorporating the clamor of the gods, the surging tides of energy, and even the flow of time into a certain cold and absolute logical framework.
Holy Keisha still floated calmly at the core of the field; her simple white dress remained undisturbed amidst the near-stagnant turbulence of energy around her.
She didn't even cast another glance at the gods struggling in the field like insects trapped in amber; her gaze was already cast toward the deeper, more distant reaches of the Universe, as if the standoff that had just been enough to overturn the power structure of the Known Universe was, to her, nothing more than a trivial deduction with a predetermined outcome.
Angel Yan, Angel Leng, and Zhui, like other high-ranking guards, moved freely within the field, like fish in water.
They quickly and efficiently completed the final cleanup.
Several remaining Demon warships that had luckily escaped direct destruction by the judgment and were trying to struggle and flee under the suppression of the field were precisely destroyed by pinpoint shots.
When the heavily injured Ato attempted to launch a final counterattack, his core was pierced by Yan's flame sword; dark purple blood froze into strange ice crystals in the vacuum, and then, along with his remains, turned into cosmic dust in the subsequent artillery fire.
Morgana, this Demon Queen who once dominated the world and terrified countless civilizations, was now like a specimen frozen in time.
The fallen Dark Energy surrounding her was suppressed almost to freezing point, and the wounds caused by the silver wings oozed purple-black blood at an extremely slow speed after losing energy support.
The flame of madness in her eyes did not extinguish; instead, it burned even more twistedly under the extreme restraint, staring fixedly at Keisha not far away, but all curses, roars, and struggles were locked deep in her consciousness by that invisible logic-locking field, unable to be transformed into any effective action or sound.
Rui Ci and the Moon God floated quietly like two ancient statues; the space-time around them seemed to be covered with a layer of frosted glass, twisted and blurred.
The starlight around General was as dim as a candle in the wind; he maintained a defensive posture, his eyes filled with unprecedented gravity and a trace of faint horror.
And Karl, along with the phantom of his great clock, which was almost stagnant and dim, was like a ghost frozen in amber; deep within those dim blue eyes, for the first time, ripples of 'miscalculation' and 'cognitive subversion' appeared so clearly.
The Angel, at the cost of zero casualties, ended this divine war that could have had widespread repercussions and even shaken the foundations of the order of the Known Universe.
The price was the use of a certain taboo power that transcended the General cognition of the current Universe and touched the level of rule definition.
'Recover the battlefield, mark the Demon wreckage and energy residues.' Keisha calmly ordered, her voice clearly transmitted to every Angel Warrior in the field, 'Lift the logic suppression on non-hostile targets, and retain the deep information lock on the target, Morgana.'
With her will, the invisible 'Order Interference' field began to undergo subtle changes.
The logic suppression on Rui Ci, the Moon God, General, and Karl began to be lifted layer by layer at an extremely slow speed, according to some preset complex protocols, but the whole process was extremely sluggish, like rusted gears being forcibly turned.
They regained basic control over their own energy and rules, but the sense of absolute restraint, like a nightmare they had just experienced, was deeply imprinted in their consciousness, making their gaze towards Keisha full of indescribable wariness and re-evaluation.
As for the suppression on Morgana, not only was it not lifted, but it became more in-depth and targeted with the adjustment of the field, from physical restraint to comprehensive logical shackles on her divine body information structure, Dark Energy circulation, and even soul fluctuations.
Several silver wings, like the most precise locks, firmly fixed her in the void, and the rule-suppression runes contained within them continued to operate, ensuring that she did not even have the chance to self-destruct or activate some unknown backup plan.
'Keisha...' Rui Ci's voice sounded again, more aged than before, and with a bit more complexity, 'What I have seen today exceeds the Academy's expectations. The evolution speed of you and the Angel Civilization... is awe-inspiring, and also... thought-provoking.'
'The path of justice is endless.' Keisha replied faintly, without saying much more.
The Moon God remained silent, just took a deep look at Keisha, and his figure slowly faded, as if he had never appeared.
Rui Ci's avatar also nodded slightly to Keisha and dissipated into dots of starlight.
They seemed to have defaulted to the fact that Morgana was captured by the Angel; at least under the current situation, they were powerless and had no intention to forcibly intervene again.
General bowed slightly to Keisha again, without saying another word, and his figure turned into a scorching stream of light, quickly retreating towards Earth.
He needed to immediately confirm Rena's safety and re-evaluate his relationship with the Angel.
Karl was the last to be 'unfrozen'.
The moment the suppression of the field was completely lifted, the phantom of the great clock let out a low hum, and then, as if it had exhausted all its power, it quickly became transparent and dissipated.
Karl's phantom was dimmer than before, almost leaving only a blurred outline, but the look in his eyes when he looked at Keisha was colder and more focused than ever, as if analyzing a dangerous experimental sample that had just shown unprecedented characteristics.
'Logic definition... rule monopoly...' Karl's hoarse voice was erratic, full of research fanaticism and cold killing intent, 'Keisha... you have gone further than I imagined... but also more... dangerous. The era of the Void will not stop because of this. We... will meet again.'
After speaking, his phantom completely dissipated in the void, leaving only those cold words, like a curse, echoing at the edge of the battlefield.
Keisha turned a deaf ear to Karl's threat; her gaze did not even follow the direction he disappeared.
For her, although the shadow of the Styx still existed, after this battle, its threat level and mode of operation needed to be completely reconstructed and evaluated.
Right now, there were more important things.
'Yan, Leng, escort Morgana back to Merlot Heavenly Court, hand her over to the Heavenly Base King, and initiate the highest level of information isolation and rule sealing.' Keisha ordered, 'Other Angel Warriors, clear the battlefield, collect all residual information related to Demons and Heavenly Scum, especially traces of possible links with Karl and the Styx.'
'Yes, Queen!' Yan and Leng accepted the order solemnly and immediately led the elite squad, escorting Morgana, who was imprisoned by layers of silver wings and logic-locking protocols, onto the special detention ship, quickly left the battlefield, and headed towards the Merlot Heavenly Court.
Other Angel Warriors also began to efficiently execute cleanup and reconnaissance missions.
However, just as the dust settled on this outer space battlefield and Keisha's gaze had just been withdrawn from the deep starry sky, preparing to handle subsequent matters on Earth, an urgent communication request from the highest alert level of the Merlot Heavenly Court suddenly connected to her private channel.
The communication came from Hexi, who was sitting in the Merlot Heavenly Court. Her voice was still calm, but her tone carried a hint of suppressed anger and cold mockery:
'Keisha, it seems that the pervert Karl still has a backup plan. Just when you were 'logic-locking' the gods over there and making a huge commotion, the rats he left in the Known Universe probably thought the Merlot Heavenly Court was empty and could come to pick up a bargain.'
Hexi paused, and the mockery in her tone became stronger:
'Millions of Heavenly Scum, accompanied by some low-level interstellar pirates and mercenaries, are launching a surprise attack on the outer defense line of the Merlot Heavenly Court from three directions simultaneously. Judging by their posture, they want to recreate the 'glory' of the Battle of Wrathful Sea, or at least, drag us back home to make it convenient for Karl to cause trouble on Earth.'
Millions of Heavenly Scum? This was almost all the family assets that the remaining organized Heavenly Scum forces in the Known Universe could scrape together!
Added to those ragtag armies driven by profit or fear, the scale was huge.
In the past, this would definitely be an invasion that threatened the outskirts of the Merlot Heavenly Court and required the Angel army to be ready.
However, at this moment, the Hexi on the other end of the communication did not sound nervous at all; instead, she had a kind of... playfulness of a hunter seeing prey throw itself into a trap.
There was no ripple in Keisha's golden eyes, as if this sudden invasion alarm, which would make any civilization panic, was just a small, expected episode.
'It seems that their understanding of the Angel still remains thirty thousand years ago.' Keisha's voice was calm and waveless, 'Or, they think that after losing my presence and losing some elites to expedition to Earth, the Merlot Heavenly Court has become an undefended garden.'
'It is a garden,' Hexi chuckled on the other end of the communication, her voice coming through the channel with a metallic coldness, 'However, it is a 'garden' full of man-eating flowers and automatic turrets. It just so happens that those 'little toys' left by little Artoria, and the new things we recently tinkered with based on her whimsical ideas, are lacking a decent practical test. These millions of Heavenly Scum... are barely enough to be live targets.'
'Execute according to the predetermined defense protocol.' Keisha ordered faintly,'Since they are here, let them see what war in the new era is. Pay attention to collecting combat data, especially the cleaning efficiency and energy consumption ratio against large-scale, low-quality, high-quantity targets.'
'Understood. Just wait and watch the show.' Hexi's tone was relaxed, even with a hint of anticipation, 'I guarantee they will come, but won't be able to return.'
The communication was cut off.
The corner of Keisha's mouth curled up in an imperceptible, faint arc.
Her gaze was cast again in the direction of the Merlot Heavenly Court, as if piercing through the endless sea of stars, seeing the 'fireworks' made of steel, fire, and absolute rules that were about to bloom in the cold Universe.
Merlot Heavenly Court, outer defense circle.
Under the shroud of the light of Eternity, the tranquility of the Angel Nebula was completely broken.
In the pitch-black cosmic background, countless light spots flashing with chaotic energy, like a migratory, malicious swarm of insects, poured out from three predetermined jump points, quickly assembling to form three thick torrents exuding chaos and violence, rushing towards the iconic star gate and defense platform of the Merlot Heavenly Court, which stretched out like huge wings!
At the forefront were dense swarms of Heavenly Scum, clad in old-fashioned, pitch-black, menacing, barbed armor.
Most of them had twisted expressions, their eyes filled with a paranoid attachment to past glories, a deep-seated hatred for female Angels, and the madness born from being exiled and hunted.
They piloted assault ships and bombers of ancient design, crudely modified with reinforced firepower and armor, their hulls painted with symbols desecrating the Angel emblem.
Following closely behind were a motley collection of interstellar pirate ships and modified mercenary vessels.
This rabble was poorly equipped and undisciplined, but vast in number, lured by the Heavenly Scum's promises of plundered wealth and the insane slogan of 'conquer the Heavenly Court, share the Angels.'
Like hyenas smelling blood, they followed with bloodshot eyes.
A fleet of ten million, even if mostly crude cannon fodder, generated enough energy fluctuations and a sense of oppression when gathered together to fill any conventional civilization with despair.
They emitted chaotic and frenzied communication roars, their energy weapons began to preheat, and they assumed a standard assault formation intended to forcibly break through the defensive line.
According to their past experience, facing a surprise attack of this scale, even Angels would need to mobilize their main fleet, relying on exquisite tactical coordination and powerful individual combat prowess to repel them through arduous positional and attrition warfare.
And at this moment, the Heavenly Court was 'empty'—it was a golden opportunity!
However, when they charged aggressively into the predetermined engagement distance of the Merlot Heavenly Court's outer defensive perimeter, preparing to meet the expected interception by the Angel fleet and intense close-quarters dogfights—
What greeted them was not the neatly arranged Heavens Blade Department warships, nor the rapidly charging Angel Warriors.
It was silence.
An absolute, bone-chilling silence.
The expected defensive platform artillery fire? None.
The anticipated patrol fleet interception? None.
Not even the most basic energy interference or warning communications? None at all.
Only the giant, elegantly styled, and sacred star gates, defensive platforms, and massive energy collection arrays floating in the void ahead were operating quietly under the illumination of the eternal holy light, as if turning a blind eye to the surging torrent of death before them.
'What's going on? Are the Angels scared silly?!'
'Who cares! Charge in! Loot everything! Kill everyone!'
'For the glory of King Hua Ye! For the Heavenly Palace Order!'
More rampant howls erupted in the communication channels of the Heavenly Scum and the ragtag army.
Their charge speed increased rather than decreased, and countless energy cannons began to charge, aiming at those seemingly defenseless, magnificent structures.
Just as the first wave of thousands of Heavenly Scum assault ships at the forefront were about to enter the effective range of their main cannons, and the light from their muzzles was already blindingly bright—
Hum—!!!
A low, deep hum, as if coming from the pulse of the Universe itself, suddenly resounded without warning, originating from the core area of the Merlot Heavenly Court and instantly spreading throughout the entire combat airspace!
Immediately after, a scene that all invaders would never forget took place.
They saw the surfaces of those star gates, defensive platforms, and energy arrays that had been operating quietly suddenly light up with countless complex energy patterns, flowing with pale gold and silver-white light!
These patterns were not chaotic; instead, with an aesthetic and precision that transcended mortal understanding, they instantly constructed countless three-dimensional, layered, and nested giant energy matrices that covered all offensive angles in front of them!
The moment the matrices formed, countless 'muzzles'—if they could even be called that—quietly'slid' out, deployed, and charged from every node of the matrices, from beneath the concealed armor of the defensive platforms, and even from the structural gaps of the star gates!
These were not traditional energy cannon barrels, but rather something more akin to highly integrated, modular, and rapidly deployable 'energy focusing and projection units.'
They varied in form—some slender like needles, some flat like discs, others multi-faceted crystal structures—but without exception, they all exuded a cold and efficient aura of slaughter.
'Fire.'
In the core of the Heavenly Court, at the defensive control center, Hexi reclined in the command chair, resting her chin on one hand.
Watching the swarms of insects on the panoramic tactical screen as if they were casting themselves into a net, she parted her red lips and calmly spat out the two words.
The command was instantly synchronized to every defensive unit through the linkage between the Sacred Knowledge Vault and the Sky-based Computing Cluster.
The next instant.
The outer defensive perimeter of the Merlot Heavenly Court was lit up.
It was not lit up by the fire of explosions, but by a 'rain of light' that was purer, denser, and more... despair-inducing!
Millions and tens of millions of energy beams, pulses, particle streams, and even some kind of space-distorting ripple attacks erupted from those countless deployed 'muzzles' like a volcanic eruption!
They were not firing randomly; instead, they had undergone terrifying calculations by the Sky-based Computing Cluster within microseconds.
Every attack trajectory had been optimized, forming an absolute fire coverage net that was omnidirectional, three-dimensional, and predictive!
The density, efficiency, and'saturation' of this fire net exceeded the limits that the meager imaginations of the Heavenly Scum and the ragtag army Commanders could describe!
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom——————!!!!
Continuous, seemingly seamless explosions instantly engulfed the Heavenly Scum assault fleet at the forefront!
Those pale blue energy shields evaporated instantly like dewdrops under the sun, and the heavy armor was torn, pierced, and detonated like paper under the dense barrage of beams!
Ship after ship, like eggs smashed by an invisible giant hammer, disintegrated and shattered in brilliant, fleeting fireballs, and the crew inside turned into the basic particles of the Universe before they could even scream.
This was just the beginning.
The fire net, like a living tide of death, advanced and expanded at an astonishing speed.
The second and third waves of Heavenly Scum fleets and the ragtag army watched helplessly as their companions ahead fell in swathes like harvested wheat waves.
They tried in panic to turn, decelerate, and flee, but it was too late.
That rain of death seemed to have eyes, accurately chasing down every ship trying to escape and bringing it into the scope of destruction.
What made the invaders collapse even more was the eerie nature of the Angel defensive system's attack methods, which exceeded their cognition.
Some beams seemed to carry a certain 'Logic Erosion' effect; upon impact, they not only caused physical damage but also led to the instantaneous disorder and self-destruction of the warship's control system.
Some pulse attacks specifically targeted the resonant frequency of energy shields, often causing the shields to overload and collapse with a single hit.
And there were those space ripples; ships caught in them would be like sinking into an invisible quagmire, their movements becoming extremely sluggish, only to be easily picked off by the subsequent, more intense firepower.
This was not a war at all; it was a unilateral, efficient, and cold-to-the-extreme 'cleanup' operation.
An army of ten million sounds horrifying.
But in the face of automated, intelligent, and saturated firepower that exceeded generational gaps, quantity lost its meaning.
They were like a swarm of locusts rushing toward a fully automatic lawnmower, serving no purpose other than providing insignificant 'workload' and 'battle result data' for the cold metal blades.
Occasionally, a few particularly formidable or lucky Heavenly Scum capital ships, relying on superior maneuverability or special defensive means, luckily broke through the outermost fire net and attempted to approach those defensive platforms or the star gates themselves.
However, before they could bare their menacing fangs, several or even dozens of streamlined 'autonomous defense mechs' or 'automatic target-seeking turrets,' with movements as swift as ghosts, would instantly pop out from those defensive platforms.
These units were also equipped with targeted weapons, and in coordination with the long-range firepower that still enveloped the battlefield, they tore the fish that slipped through the net into pieces in a very short time.
The battle presented a one-sided, suffocating, crushing momentum.
The Heavenly Court's defense system was like an elegant and efficient gardener, using the most advanced automated tools to clean up a patch of noisy and dirty 'pests' attempting to pollute the sacred garden.
At the defensive control center, on the tactical screen in front of Hexi, the red light dots representing enemy units were disappearing at an avalanche-like speed, while the blue light dots representing friendly defensive units, except for an occasional brief flicker due to cooling needs from continuous high-frequency firing, suffered almost no losses.
In the corner of the screen, the real-time updated battle damage ratio data had already reached an astronomical figure and was still climbing.
'Tsk, they are even less durable than expected.' Hexi shook her head, her tone slightly disappointed.
'Energy utilization rate is 62.3%, ammunition consumption is 18% lower than expected.'
'The 'Hive' array cross-fire efficiency is excellent, the 'Web' interference unit has significant suppression effects on enemy communications... The 'Logic Erosion' warhead's destruction rate for the information hubs of old-model Heavenly Scum warships is 99.8%. Hmm, this data is not bad.'
She casually recorded the various data on the virtual panel, as if evaluating an ordinary live-fire exercise.
'Notify the logistics and engineering departments; after the battle, immediately recover the battlefield wreckage and process it by classification.'
'Valuable materials should be recycled, and garbage should undergo harmless decomposition.'
'Also, pack the real-time combat data package, especially the reaction data of the enemy under the influence of the 'Order Interference' field, and send a copy to me and Keisha.'
'Oh, send a simplified version to little Artoria as well; after all, a lot of her ideas were used in this.'
'Yes, Heavenly Base King!' The communications soldier replied respectfully.
Hexi leaned back in her chair, watching the 'firework show' on the screen rapidly approaching its end, a satisfied smile curling the corners of her lips.
'Karl... you want to use such an outdated trick to tie us down? You are underestimating us too much.'
'However, it is also good. It is just right to use your blood and fire to announce to the entire Universe...'
'The era of Angels has not only not ended, but instead...'
'It has just entered a new chapter that you cannot comprehend.'
Outside the window, on the outskirts of the Merlot Heavenly Court, the cold and brilliant 'fireworks,' adorned with the lives and wreckage of ten million invaders, were slowly extinguishing.
The starry sky returned to 'tranquility,' leaving only countless floating metal fragments and the slowly dissipating energy afterglow, telling the story of the brief, efficient, and absolutely asymmetric 'defensive war' that had just taken place.
The Heavenly Court remained bathed in the eternal holy light, immaculate, sacred, and solemn.
As if that massive invasion had never happened at all.
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