Boom!!
Orange-red sparks erupted in the air.
The inferno condensed on her blade erupted into a firebird, incinerating the entire corridor, which stretched over several hundred meters, along with all the monsters that rushed through it.
"There are a few too many grunts," Himeko remarked, shouldering her greatsword.
Her current route led to the Sky People's land-based hangar, which housed a large number of enslaved alien laborers. They had all been modified into semi-mechanical beings and would charge at their targets like zombies.
These slaves, designated [Code 0 - The Fool], were controlled by [Code I - The Magician]—the latter being a floating mechanical lifeform that looked like a spine with four arms, its core a shield generator.
Simply put, they were likely collaborators from among the enslaved alien races, modified into overseers that fit the Sky People's aesthetic (red).
After [Code I - The Magician] was eliminated, the "zombies" did not stop their assault. Instead, they launched an even more frenzied suicidal attack.
On a side note, the reconnaissance robot discovered on Earth was officially named [Code VI - The Lovers].
"Professor Welt."
Himeko called through her bracelet. As she spoke, the Helljumpers had already formed up and charged past her.
Unlike Himeko, who was in her human form, the Mechanical Species members of the Imperial Orbital Assault Team had a very "romantic" way of fighting. Although their individual strength was still far from the Primordial Species level, they could alter their own mechanical structures and, in a classic "I'll form the head!" fashion, combine into a Super Robot-style Honkai Beast.
That's right.
The most classic combination and transformation!
By sharing processing power and Imaginary energy, the combined [Mechanical Species · Metal Synthesis Beast] saw no change in its defense but more than doubled its attack power—enough to touch the threshold of the Primordial Species level.
There were even some stragglers (whose squads had been wiped out) who could transform into attachable armor or fire support systems, loading out onto the Metal Synthesis Beast as external armaments.
Supported by the Primordial Species · Templar-class units, the advance speed of the Orbital Assault Team members was in no way inferior to that of Himeko, who could exert the power of a Higher Primordial Species with her Valkyrie armor.
"This base is too big."
"The legion has already committed sixty percent of its forces (about 24,000 troops). The number of Sky People isn't very high, but the controlled subordinate races are in the hundreds of millions."
As Himeko spoke, she kicked aside a still-twitching octopus head on the ground. These Sky People were no ordinary troops; they wore special sensor-blocking armor and had been preparing a sneak attack, but unfortunately for them, their entire squad had been wiped out by a single swing of Himeko's sword.
"Looking at the appearance of these 'Code I's, there must be some kind of mind-control device in this base. Those [Code I - The Magicians] are at best just shielded brainwave relay stations."
"Don't worry."
"General Vik Duke has already gone down. His movements should be—"
Screeeech!
BOOM!!
One second, the zombie tide was like a fortress wall blocking the hangar door. The next, the heads of every single [Code 0 - The Fool], along with the [Code I - The Magicians] controlling them, exploded into a shower of red and white semi-solid gelatinous matter that flew through the air.
"Alright then."
Himeko lowered her communicator.
"He certainly is fast."
A five-meter-tall mechanical giant with four arms, its entire body reflecting a bright silver light, smashed through the roof of the Sky People's hangar, creating a massive hole as it charged down.
Vik Duke.
Commander of the Orbital Assault Team, Chief Instructor of the Helljumpers.
A master of the Authority of Sentience, particularly skilled in "psycho-energetic conversion" theory. He was a Higher Primordial Species who had evolved from a Mechanical Species.
He was the second most powerful combatant in this expeditionary force, after Welt.
With their general having broken through the defensive line, the Metal Synthesis Beasts surged forward like water from a burst dam, rapidly rushing towards the other side.
Clang!
Clang!
Beneath a matte gold mask, the flowing liquid metal that served as his mouth vibrated with extreme regularity.
"A pleasure to meet you, Science Officer Murata."
The giant extended a thick arm.
Vmmm—
BOOM!!!
As he spoke, the [Thermal Ray Cutting Device] extending from his posterior cervical vertebrae sliced a [Code IX - The Hermit]—which had yet to emerge from the shadows—clean in two. This wasn't a use of the Authority of Flame like Himeko's, but a pure conversion of the Authority of Sentience into an energy beam... perhaps with some reference to the application of the Authority of Wind in cutting technology.
"A pleasure to meet you, General Vik."
Within the Empire, "General" was not a military rank, but a title for a Higher Primordial Species within a legion who possessed Legion Commander-level strength but did not hold a high-level position or was retired.
"Mm."
The metallic voice emanating from General Vik was not grating; instead, it produced a profound sense of security.
His disproportionately large hands released each other.
"Your fighting style is nothing like your mother's."
"It is, however, quite similar to Ragnar's... I hear she's now a martial arts instructor at St. Freya?"
Ragnar Lothbrok.
As mentioned before, she was Bianca and Rita's mentor. Before joining St. Freya Academy, she was the commander of the "Battle Sisters"—a unit belonging to the "Death Legion," warriors just as fanatical as the Helljumpers.
The difference was.
The Helljumpers mostly reveled in destruction and slaughter, while the Battle Sisters carried out their objectives based on a fervent worship of His Majesty the Emperor.
"Yes."
"I have benefited greatly from Instructor Ragnar's teachings."
"..."
"I see."
As the two conversed.
Half of the Mechanical Species squad that had just charged into the hangar was blown back out by a violent shockwave!
BOOM!!!
"RAWR—!!!"
Although they weren't seriously injured, it meant the legion's offensive had been stalled.
THUD!!
It had a spinal structure similar to the "Magician," but was much larger overall, with a terrifying head like the skull of a ram with curved horns.
"Code VII - The Chariot?"
"No, I must have crushed dozens of 'Chariots' with that last attack. One this big—"
A monstrous beast over 500 meters long was clearly not a mass-produced unit.
Blue-gold light flashed with increasing speed along its four mechanical arms.
"—among the Sky People, this one must be at least at the level of a fleet commander."
General Vik had barely finished speaking when an even more massive explosion descended directly from above them!
BOOM!!!
An ancient dragon with a skeletal frame of silver-grey metal, inlaid with a large number of red pipelines (neural networks), descended from the sky.
"This one..."
"Same kind of thing."
This super-sized [Code XV - The Devil], just like the [Code VII - The Chariot] from before, was not an ordinary, or even an elite, unit.
As they spoke, the bodies of the "Devil" and the "Chariot" rapidly combined, their aura flaring up to a level comparable to a Higher Primordial Species.
"GRAAAH!!!"
The roar kicked up an air current so powerful it tore open the frontline base's outer armor.
"This one must be the commander of the garrison forces," General Vik said, gently pushing Himeko aside. The brightness in his eyes (lights) no longer held its previous placidness (boredom).
"I'll take this thing on."
"Science Officer Murata, I'll leave the command center to you... If it's too tough, you can hold back for a bit. This should be resolved in about five minutes."
"...Alright."
Himeko nodded in agreement, then flew straight up towards the passage in the ceiling that the "Devil" had torn open.
---o---
"Line 1-33 has been breached!"
"Hangars 7, 11, and 14 have been completely captured!"
"Energy Furnaces No. 2 and No. 3 have ceased operation! Ship anchors are under enemy control!"
"..."
More and more bad news flooded into the mind of the base commander.
"Any reply from the home world?"
"..."
The command center, which had been a thousand times noisier, fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.
"We have not yet received a message."
"..."
"Damn it!"
Vmmm—
A violent psychic wave emanated outwards.
The octopus-like heads of several staff officers with weaker mental fortitude, who were connected to the consoles, simply exploded!
BOOM!!
Having finally vented his frustration, the commander gradually calmed down.
"What in the world are these things?"
The floating screens, large and small, displayed the worsening battle situation inside the base. With more and more power furnaces and strategic facilities being destroyed, the large shield covering the base would soon be unable to withstand the firepower from the enemy fleet.
"Mechanical races, flesh-and-blood races, psionic races... Are these damn things really a joint attack from the followers of several Astral Gods!?"
Crack!
The renewed fluctuation of his psychic power even caused cracks to appear on the surface of the massive cylindrical tank!
"How can they be mixed together without fighting among themselves!?"
"..."
No one could answer the supreme commander's question.
In truth, while the Sky People had plenty of reasons to be attacked, they had kept a low profile lately, reducing their activities by more than seventy percent. For the life of him, he couldn't think of how they had offended such a tough opponent.
One had to understand.
Combatants on the level displayed on the screen (represented by General Vik, a Higher Primordial Species), the entire Sky People military, including the high-ranking officers of their controlled "auxiliary armies," couldn't even muster two hands' worth. Although the appearance of the Sky People conformed neither to human aesthetics nor would it look normal to a Honkai Beast, they did indeed have five fingers.
The Deimos Base, as the primary frontline base, garrisoning two such powerful individuals was already considered a luxury.
But the enemy...
With just a medium-sized fleet of five starships, they had deployed two experts of this level (the Sky People did not know that the expeditionary flagship was Welt's Collapsed State, and Himeko in her Valkyrie armor also displayed the combat power of a Higher Primordial Species). They had even managed to block communications between the frontline base and the home world.
No matter how he thought about it, it was abnormal!
"..."
Watching the defensive lines being breached faster and faster, the commander finally made his decision.
"Initiate the self-destruct sequence."
"!?"
After a flurry of chaotic brainwave activity among the staff.
"The enemy's target is most likely our home world."
"All base personnel below Level 3-2 are to seal the pipeline routes at their respective posts to buy time for the detonation of the core power furnaces. All command personnel of Level 3-5 and above may choose their own method of retreat."
The class division among the Sky People was extremely vast. The lower classes had no right to object.
"The above is a command from the supreme commander."
"Execute!"
The moment the commander finished speaking.
The thousands of his kin in the command center vanished in an instant without a trace. Before the supreme commander had given the order, trying to leave would have been a death sentence. But now that the command had been given, those who had long seen the writing on the wall weren't about to stick around and wait to die.
"..."
The second hand on the clock moved with lightning speed.
Facing the empty command center, the cracks on the cylindrical tank grew more pronounced, and then—
CRACK!!
The pale red liquid slithered and spread across the floor as if it were alive.
A three-meter-tall humanoid creature appeared in the center of the command hub. Its vital points were covered by semi-enclosed armor of silver, grey, and black. Four arms, similar to General Vik's, hung naturally at its sides. Two broad-bladed energy swords, arranged in an "X" on its back, emanated a terrifying aura. All of its exposed parts, including its face, revealed a clear, muscle-fiber-like structure.
The supreme commander of the frontline base, the most outstanding warrior and most brilliant mind of the Sky People's Primordial race [Code VIII - Strength]: Mammon Deimos.
That's right.
The entire Deimos system, including the base, was named after him.
BOOM!!
The second after Mammon revealed his combat form.
The massive, hundred-meter-high alloy door at the front of the command center was blasted clean off its hinges by a massive shockwave, flying towards Mammon's position—
VMMMM!!!
A red light flashed.
Without any visible motion of drawing or swinging a blade, a crimson thread scattered into thousands of illusory sparks, slicing the entire alloy door in two right down the middle!
CLANG—CRASH!!
BANG!
Consoles and controllers were destroyed in droves, and winding electrical arcs erupted in violent flashes.
Amidst the pure white light, a fiery red figure slowly walked in—
"Gurgle... gurgle (crackle)."
The translator installed next to her red faceplate faithfully performed its duty.
"Alien."
"Why have you come?"
As he spoke, the arms extending from behind his "scapulae" had already drawn the two broad-bladed energy swords from his back, which glowed with a deep crimson light.
One of them was aimed directly at Himeko.
"Why have we come?"
"Hmm..." Himeko asked back in an innocent tone, simultaneously drawing the greatsword from her back.
"That question is actually pretty irrelevant."
"?"
The facial fibers that seemed to form his brow trembled slightly.
Fwoosh.
The swing of her greatsword kicked up a scorching wind.
"You people..."
"...are nothing more than a stepping stone for His Majesty the Emperor to meet the Antimatter Legion."
SWOOSH—
The wind howled!
CLANG!!!