"What now, Your Majesty?" Sake asked.
"What now? Yeah, what now?" Duoduo La muttered, as if asking someone else—or himself. Can't break in. Tough spot. Then it hit him. If I can't get in, I'll make them come out. Grinning, he said, "Join up with General Jiteli." Sure, Flying Dragon Star's a bust, but crushing other planets works for revenge.
Watching the retreating warships, Oula and Oumei were baffled. "They're just… leaving? No way they came this far for nothing," Oula said cautiously. Oumei nodded, agreeing with her sister.
"Which fleet to send? Too few won't cut it; too many, they'll spot us," Oumei said, frowning.
Oula smiled at her sister's cute pondering—still so childlike despite motherhood. "The Emperor Space Fortress. Its stealth system's flawless—no radar can track it. Firepower? Overkill."
"Major General Mikai, tail them closely. If they pull anything shady, act at your discretion," Oula ordered. Mikai, commanding Emperor, lit up. Nothing thrilled a soldier more than battle. Wiping out those thousand ships earlier was too quick—blink, and done. Now, tracking millions? That's a fight.
In Gemini System, Wushite's ground troops clashed fiercely with Sky Dragon's army. Wushite charged en masse, while Sky Dragon played hit-and-run, ten-man squads per position. They fired, relocated, and didn't even bother dodging, as if Wushite's soldiers were beneath notice. Furious, Wushite troops, ignoring piles of their own dead, rushed forward, eyes blazing.
Bang! A soldier ahead of Mola fell, a laser through his eye. Mola, charging past, cursed under his breath. Experience from multiple assaults kicked in—he rolled, diving behind a man-sized rock. A laser scorched the spot he'd just left, leaving a blackened crater.
Mola, a lieutenant in Wushite's 26th Legion, 3rd Mobile Ground Brigade, 2nd Squadron, led ten men. In six hours of combat, only four remained—six died, eyes blasted out. As a soldier, the precision chilled him. Sky Dragon's not human. Their aim's demonic. Over a thousand Wushite bodies littered the field, yet the position held.
"Captain, we're screwed. They're unkillable," a squadmate griped, joining him.
Mola sighed, glancing at Sky Dragon warriors atop the hill. Lasers sparked harmlessly off their armor. When did the cosmos birth such insane gear? Death-proof. He'd tried aiming for eyes, but their visors gleamed like gemstones. How do you hit that?
"No choice. Orders are to take it fast. We do our best," Mola said.
"That's just sending us to die!" another squadmate snapped.
"Heh, we could stay here, cover the front. Least we're not slacking," Mola joked, hoping to lighten the mood. To his shock, all four nodded eagerly. Damn.
"Captain, you're a genius. Brilliant idea," a squadmate flattered. Mola winced, praying he'd avoid a court-martial.
He didn't need to worry long. A day later, Wushite Empire would cease to exist, a mere historical footnote. Released from a POW camp, Mola thought it was a prisoner swap—only later learning the truth.
Mola gave a bitter chuckle. "Since you all agree, prep up." The five hunkered behind the rock, sniping at Sky Dragon warriors like it was a shooting game. Only their side kept dying.
"General Jiteli, His Majesty Duoduo La's heading our way," the adjutant reported. Jiteli, irritated by the ground troops' lack of progress, frowned. "What, he took Flying Dragon Star already?" He cared little for Duoduo La's conquests—planets were trivial. The treasure was everything.
"No, but he's coming to assist," the adjutant said.
Pacing the command room, Jiteli waved the adjutant off. "Duoduo La, that moron. He's fine, but I'm screwed. His 'help' just makes it easier for Sky Dragon to gang up on us." Still no progress on His Majesty's mission. Jiteli's mood soured.
"Damn it, I don't believe I can't crush you scum!" Baizhan, ever brutal, roared. "No more one-on-ones. Link the warships and charge! Let's see them stop this."
Sky Dragon's warships merged swiftly, their massive laser beam slicing the cosmos like a spatial sword, splitting the darkness. Wushite ships in its path vanished, swallowed by the white light of death.
Jiteli, staring at the command screen, froze. Ten thousand ships, a million soldiers—gone. "Spread out! Don't cluster!" he screamed.
Baizhan grinned. "Hell yeah, that worked. Think I'm a sick cat when the tiger roars?" Then the electronic system flagged chaos at the rear. "Damn, who's hitting my back? Sneaky bastards." He ordered, "Split half the fleet, blast those incoming ships."
When Duoduo La's forces, fresh from Flying Dragon Star, reached the Gemini battlefield, he ordered a charge at Sky Dragon's linked warships.
It didn't go as planned. Sky Dragon stabilized fast, splitting their fleet to counterattack. Duoduo La watched the massive beams shred his vanguard. "Spread out! Don't clump!" he yelled.
Finally back. Seeing Xue'er's weary face, I pulled her into my arms, kissing her gently. "You've suffered," I whispered, nuzzling her ear. Xue'er gazed at me, stroking my face. "Since I chose you, I've lived in bliss." Gods, this woman. What more could a man want?
"How's it going?" I asked.
"Duoduo La threw a tantrum at the Yin-Yang Cosmos Array, tried antimatter ships to clear the asteroids. Our Space Fortress took them out. He gave up and headed to Gemini," Xue'er said.
"Just in time, then. Let's go check it out. Oula, get the Palace Guard Legion moving. Guests are here—we'd be rude not to greet them," I said, chuckling, pulling the ladies onto the warship. Onscreen, Oula relayed orders, and the Palace Guard Legion jumped to Gemini System.
"Commander, they've got too many ships. Our warships are tougher, but they can't take multiple volleys," Deputy Commander Gaga warned Baizhan.
"I know, but the empire's got no spare troops. Even if we did, they wouldn't make it in time. We kill as many as we can to cut our losses," Baizhan sighed.
A young major general appeared on the comm screen. "Commander Baizhan, I'm Major General Mikai, Emperor Space Fortress, here to assist per Commander Oula's orders."
Baizhan's frown eased. "Much appreciated." "All for the empire," Mikai replied politely.
Just as Duoduo La and Jiteli gloated over Sky Dragon's struggle, the battlefield darkened. "Gods, what's that?" a radar operator gasped, staring at the screen.
Jiteli rushed to the scanner, seeing a massive shadow. "Show me a 3D model," he ordered.
"Commander, interference's too strong—we've only got the underside," the operator said, displaying it. Jiteli and Duoduo La gasped at the shrunken image of Sky Dragon's Space Fortress base. What weapon covers an entire battlefield?
Dread hit Jiteli. "All legions, leave the battlefield!" he shouted into the comms. But warships in pitched combat couldn't just flee. Seeing the fortress's laser barrels charging, Jiteli cursed, "Damn it!"
As Jiteli and a few quick-reacting ships jumped from the shadow, he glanced back. The area was trapped in a glowing ring. It's over.Damn empire intel—eating shit instead of reporting this weapon. Tears streamed silently down his face.
Only two million ships escaped. Two billion soldiers—gone. Jiteli, who thought he'd never cry again, wept. "Commander, three million ground troops are still planetside," the adjutant whispered.
Jiteli waved him off, sighing. "Retreat. Now." The adjutant hesitated but stayed silent.
Staring at the departing adjutant, Jiteli felt helpless. It's not that I don't want to save them—I can't. With his remaining forces, rescuing three million was impossible. His twenty million might die under that monstrous fortress. Sacrificing a few to save the rest was necessary.
Duoduo La sensed the threat when Jiteli spoke, but his flagship, mired in chaos, couldn't jump. The fortress's beams missed them in the melee, but what followed broke his oversized heart. Countless transformer-like fighters swarmed from the fortress, tearing into his fleet.
Duoduo La wanted to curse, but no time. "Your Majesty, we've detected a spatial jump—only a powerful legion could cause this," Sake reported.
"Order all legions to retreat. Avoid tangling with Sky Dragon," Duoduo La said, eyes closing in pain. A year's preparation, and now this humiliating flight. So unwilling. His heart ached.
An eye for an eye. Duoduo La's surprise attack was now his downfall. Sky Dragon's frontal ships pinned his fleet, leaving no chance to face the rear ambush.
"Haha, made it! Xiaomi took out plenty, but there's still some soup left," I said, eyeing the brutal battlefield. "Hit Yellow Dragon Legion from the side—don't let one slip. They come, they die," I growled, seething.
Time to close the net. "A-Hu, reel it in." "A-Long, ready to net?" "Yes."
Duoduo La saw the golden dragon emblem on the new warships—Sky Dragon's elite Palace Guard Legion. "Run! We're done if we don't!"
Some ships tried to bolt at our arrival. Escape? Not a chance. "Activate Sky Net," I ordered. Countless God-Demon armaments rose, light rings shooting from their hands, rippling like water to seal the starfield. This was Sky Net, a reverse-engineered fusion of divine and demonic defense magic, locking space. Only a stronger mage versed in this spell could break it—otherwise, no jumps, just a white cosmic bubble prison.
Over four million warships—Sky Dragon versus Pandora and Wushite—clashed in this final cage, settling old scores.
"Commander, we can't jump," a pilot reported to Duoduo La.
Jiteli and Duoduo La noticed the anomaly simultaneously. "General, we're in deep trouble," Duoduo La commed Jiteli. "Your Majesty, not only is there no treasure, but we're worse off now," Jiteli griped.
Duoduo La bristled. Fallen emperor or not, I'm not beneath you. He nearly snapped back but swallowed it, knowing he'd caused this mess. "General, now's not the time to bicker. We need a plan. The treasure? Sky Dragon likely moved it to Flying Dragon Star."
Jiteli knew this but vented out of frustration. Hearing Duoduo La, he said, "We can't break through. Forget the Palace Guard—just that monster fortress is enough. Ever seen a ship like it?"
When Sky Dragon hit Pandora System, they'd used it in stealth, amid chaos. Duoduo La, fleeing under Marshal Pompom's pressure, hadn't studied the battlefield. "I vaguely recall something like it, but I left in a hurry," he said, embarrassed. Jiteli nearly collapsed, staring as if to say, Why didn't you mention this? Sighing, he slumped into his chair.
"Your Majesty, Sky Net's set," Mikai reported, saluting onscreen. "Great work. Don't let them slip above," I said.
"Yes." Sky Net's flaw: ships could pass through and jump after. We had to box Wushite and Pandora in, keeping them inside.
"Got comms with them?" I asked Nizi. "Connected," she replied from behind.
"Commander, Sky Dragon's emperor requests a call." "Your Majesty, Sky Dragon's emperor requests a call." Jiteli and Duoduo La received my comms. "Patch it through."
Smiling at the screen, I said, "Gentlemen, our first formal meeting. I've known of you, but circumstances kept us apart. Fate's given us this chance—divine will, no?"
"Cut the smug act. What do you want?" Jiteli snapped. Rude bastard.
"My intent's clear, but I'll spell it out. Surrender and accept reorganization," I said, eyeing them.
Jiteli leapt up. "Surrender? Never. Our ships match yours—why should we?" Duoduo La, ex-emperor, stayed calm, pondering.
"I'm not here to argue. Double your ships, you still can't escape. You know the situation better than I do. I don't want slaughter, but if you refuse, it's your two billion soldiers' lives in your hands. Don't call me arrogant or say I'm disrespecting you. This is an era of strength. Three minutes to decide. Goodbye." My voice dripped with killing intent. Even Duoduo La, outwardly calm but inwardly raging, paled.
"Your Majesty, your call? I'm not surrendering. They want it, they'll fight for it," Jiteli declared, seeing Duoduo La waver.
Duoduo La glanced at Jiteli, then his remaining warriors. "You think I want to? But we're exactly where he says. Fight? With what? We've downed a few ships, lost half our fleet. Forget their ships—that fortress above us kills our odds. For my soldiers' lives, I surrender. My life, my pride—nothing," he said, heart cold.
"You coward! No man! Humiliated like this, and you take it? Your home, your throne—stolen by him!" Jiteli screamed, trying to rile him.
Duoduo La's face lit with fleeting joy, memories of happier times flashing by. Then, thinking of me, his expression twisted with venom. Jiteli, watching, grinned, hoping he'd fight. "Forget it. It's over. As he said, strength rules. The weak fall—eternal truth," Duoduo La said, crushing Jiteli's hopes.
"Fine, surrender if you want. Wushite soldiers never kneel," Jiteli spat, shouting "good" repeatedly. Duoduo La felt a pang of shame. Some Wushite troops considered joining him, but under Jiteli's command, they fought on.
"They're begging for death. Don't blame me," I said coldly. "Full barrage. Beat them till they break. I'm done with these losers' petty fights. I don't fight—I annihilate." I was pissed—selfish pricks ignoring their billions of soldiers' lives.
With the Space Fortress's aid, Jiteli's Wushite fleet was obliterated. Duoduo La, witnessing it, took a deep breath. Sky Dragon's this strong? He quietly admired his quick surrender—minutes later, he'd be like Jiteli, a ghost.
"Your Majesty, Sky Dragon's ordering us to accept custody," Sake said cautiously. "Do as they say," Duoduo La replied, feeling oddly relieved, shaking his head like a weary old man, done talking.
Soon, Duoduo La's group boarded my flagship. "Your Majesty, I respect your wise choice," I said, shaking his hand.
"Emperor Feitian, your words sting—pity or mockery? I did this for Pandora's people. I lost, no excuses. Spare my warriors—they're innocent," he said.
I smiled. "Rest easy. Surrendered soldiers go free if they don't rebel. You know my actions in Pandora System—no need to repeat myself."
"Yes, I owe you thanks," Duoduo La sighed. "Lude's doomed against you. You've won, young man." His voice carried bitter resignation.
Sirius Zone
"I'm launching the general offensive," A-Long announced, checking his watch, issuing orders to all legions. "Yes," legion commanders saluted onscreen.
Lude paced anxiously in Wushite's palace, clueless about the front. Milo's early reports called the situation "less than ideal." From a battle-hardened marshal, that spelled trouble. Lude's heart sank. Things were beyond his control—retreat was impossible. A bad feeling gnawed at him. Jiteli hadn't reported back.
In Sirius Zone, Milo, brow furrowed, stared at Sky Dragon's fleet. Their merged warships baffled him—untouchable despite his numerical edge. The fight was pathetic.
"Marshal, Sky Dragon's reinforcements are here!" a radar operator urgently reported.
"What?" Milo shouted. Reinforcements meant Jiteli failed—Sky Dragon wouldn't pull legions from Pandora or Sky Dragon System otherwise. Their arrival would doom Wushite. "No, I won't let it happen."
"Broadcast: Wushite's at its darkest hour. Sky Dragon's reinforcements are near. We've no aid—it's us alone. Now's the time to die for the empire, for His Majesty. Wushite breeds heroes, not cowards!" Milo's words ignited a fierce resolve, downing three Sky Dragon ships.
Seeing the enemy's sudden ferocity and his three lost ships, Telanke clenched his fists. "Hit them! Focus fire!" Cocky bastards, even with my reinforcements here.
"Marshal, we're surrounded!" Milo realized too late his fleet was trapped in Sky Dragon's net. A massive fleet encircled by a smaller one would amuse outsiders, but Wushite's soldiers weren't laughing. Sky Dragon's ships, though fewer, were far superior.
"Damn it!" Milo slammed the console. Ready to die, so what's a siege? "Deploy Petal Formation," he ordered—his secret tactic. Win or lose, this was it. Wushite's fleet ascended, forming three expanding layers like petals—the Petal Formation.
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