Mutual destruction.
The Imperial Dreadnought and the Animus were locked in a deathly embrace.
The colossal wreck, blooming with fireworks, slowly tumbled through space, shedding a sky full of debris.
Space junk of this size, if captured by any planet's gravity, would cause a world-ending catastrophe. Of course, if even a single intact device were to be salvaged by a civilization that had not yet reached the stars, it could lead to a technological leap... provided they weren't too close to the surface of the Quantum Sea.
However, at a moment of life and death such as this, who would pay attention to such scraps?
As the Imperial Dreadnought was destroyed, Welt's form re-materialized in the starry sky. Compared to his initial appearance, however, the Collapsed State Welt manifested this time was less than half its original size. The force of the earlier collision had been too immense. Although Welt had initiated the attack and made ample defensive preparations, such a suicidal tactic had still consumed a massive amount of his Imaginary energy reserves.
Of course, the results of that one ram were spectacular.
The Sky People's command system was completely paralyzed.
There were still many life signs within the Titan's wreckage, but the collapse of the command center and the Sky People's high command had turned their fleet into a scattered mob, each ship fighting for itself.
But just as the victor of the "ground-level" battle was about to be decided—
"Whoosh!"
From both sides of the [Executor-class Star Destroyer], twenty sets of crimson streamers flew out symmetrically, instantly tracing elegant arcs across the deep night of space.
The next moment, all the streamers shot straight toward the warring fleets!
"Finally..."
After observing for so long, the Antimatter Legion had chosen to make its move.
The streamers emerging from the Star Destroyer were incredibly fast; they would likely join the battlefield in less than three seconds.
As for the model of these new combatants...
They were 40-meter-class mechs, predominantly gray in color and "decorated" with numerous red patterns. These assault troops dispatched by the Antimatter Legion looked like a fusion of a [God-Machine Heimdall] and a [Code VII - The Chariot].
Even without considering the destructive power the Antimatter Legion was known for, in terms of speed alone, the level displayed by these mechs was uniformly at the [Higher Primordial Species] rank!
"Quite the grand gesture," Vill-V sneered softly.
What did forty [Higher Primordial Species] entail?
It meant that for its simple "debut," the Antimatter Legion had deployed forty Herrscher-level combatants. Even with the Legion's vast number of powerful warriors, these mechs (or more accurately, mechanical lifeforms) were considered absolute elites.
Such a "show of force" was indeed shocking.
And the appearance of these mechs... if the intelligence was correct, the personal mech of the Sky People's ruler, Scarab, the [Code IV - The Emperor], was likely the same model.
"The mission is basically complete."
"The legion cannot be wasted like this."
From the corners of the Plague Templar's eyes, flowing particles of turquoise-gold light began to drift out.
"I will deal with them."
The Imperial expeditionary fleet had only six [Higher Primordial Species] in total. As Himeko had said before, the total number of combatants at this level within the entire Empire was just over two hundred.
If these things were allowed to charge into the fleet...
It wouldn't be an evaluation; it would be a slaughter.
---o---
The wind was flowing.
Shielding all her presence, the Plague Templar, seated high atop the Titan's wreckage, began to unleash her power.
"All shackles are broken."
As the chant began, brilliant golden particles surged around her.
The turquoise Authority transformed into an formless wind, rapidly expanding outward while drawing energy from Imaginary Space at a rate several times faster than usual.
"Snap!"
The seals connecting her to the spiritual world shattered.
The Monarch was the source of the Four Templars' existence; all of them had undergone repeated awakenings and transformations under the radiance of the Monarch's power.
The [Divine Link], normally kept in a half-sealed state, was now completely released. In this state, they could draw even greater support from the Monarch... a "strength" sufficient to allow the Four Templars to cross the chasm between power tiers for a short time.
"The biting wind sings aloud!"
The deep turquoise wind grew darker, continuously shifting into a state that was like both wind and water.
The towering silhouette of a giant appeared behind the Plague Templar. That faint, looming figure was the image of the Monarch before he "became an egg."
"Monarch Armament!!!"
"Hiss—"
The newly solidified Monarch silhouette exploded, scattering into eight streams of light that surged madly toward the back of the Plague Templar's head!
"Thrum!"
A Herrscher's death spot materialized, twisting into a ring.
The Plague Templar, borrowing the Monarch's Dominion, had completed a [Divine Ring]. The moment it formed, her combat power leaped from the "surface-scouring" level to the "planet-busting" level. Though the duration was short, for this limited time, the Plague Templar would possess combat strength rivaling the [Three Pillar Gods].
"With this."
A longbow as tall as herself materialized in her palm.
The void-string was drawn taut, and the arc of the storm condensed at her fingertips.
"—A Thousand Armies Flee Before It!!!"
" "
The arrow, merging with the deep space, flew toward the far-off enemy.
Soundless, colorless, formless. Even the immense Imaginary energy contained within it could not be perceived by the outside world.
The very next moment, as the arrow reached its apex...
"BOOM!!!"
It shattered into a million threads, a rain of light showering down.
In an instant, the arrow transformed into a cascade of rain that fell across the starry sky!
Whether it was the Sky People's fleet fighting their desperate last stand, or the mechanical lifeforms about to charge into the fray, all were pierced by the falling brilliance—
Pierced through and through!
"BOOM!!!!!"
---o---
"With this."
It wasn't over yet!
The vibrating bowstring was drawn once more. The light of the [Divine Ring] behind the Plague Templar's head had dimmed by several shades.
The Sky People, who were being crushed by the Imperial fleet, were the least of her concerns. Defeating them required little power and could be considered an "afterthought." But the mechanical lifeforms from the [Executor-class Star Destroyer] were a different story entirely. They were true [Higher Primordial Species] combatants. To annihilate forty of them in an instant... even with the power of the [Monarch Armament] to rely on, it was no easy task for the Plague Templar.
Among the Four Templars, and indeed all the Apostles, the Plague Templar was the one who cherished and protected her subordinates the most—otherwise, someone with Wendy's personality would never have held the high position of Legion Commander.
If the first arrow was for the protection of the legion...
Then this second arrow was for her own mission... the mission to probe the enemy.
"—Felling the Stars!!!"
"BOOM!!!"
The arrow transformed into a surging pillar of light.
All the power granted to the Plague Templar by the Divine Ring was poured into this single shot.
The target... was aimed directly at the Antimatter Legion!
"Ping—"
Contact. Eruption. A wave of destruction swept outwards.
"BOOM!!!!!"
A terrifying shockwave expanded madly!
The universal constants in the space around the epicenter of the explosion began to fluctuate dramatically.
"Vill-V."
The Divine Ring dissipated from behind the Plague Templar's head.
Not only that, her remaining Honkai energy reserves were no longer sufficient to maintain her weapon. She even reverted from her humanoid form—first changing into an [Old Templar-class] being with a surface of intertwining turquoise, silver, black, and gold (this was her true form), and then her body quickly [Collapsed] into a perfect, human-sized sphere.
As a passive manifestation of the Authority of Wind, the surface of this sphere was frictionless.
"Prepare for battle."
After leaving those three words, the "Plague Templar Sphere" vanished.
This wasn't a spatial ability like teleportation or warping.
Rather, like the countless avatars the Monarch had scattered across the universe of the Tree and the Sea, she had returned directly to the Monarch's true body.
"Prepare for battle, huh..."
Vill-V watched the Plague Templar depart.
The Plague Templar was clearly aware of the power of her ultimate attack.
For her to say "prepare for battle"... that ridiculously powerful arrow must have failed to destroy the Antimatter Legion's Star Destroyer. To be frank, it probably didn't even cause any serious damage. After all—
"Whoosh."
Heat, fluctuations, debris.
All obstructions to sight and senses were blown away by a conspicuous flow of energy.
Directly in front of the Antimatter Legion's Star Destroyer, a humanoid figure, clad in technological armor, appeared motionless in the starry sky.
Annihilation Attendant: [Vanguard of Havoc].
---o---
One couldn't say it was completely unscathed.
But the Plague Templar's last attack hadn't had much of an effect on the Antimatter Legion. The Vanguard of Havoc had blocked the entire attack, expending only about thirty percent of its Imaginary energy. A temporarily boosted planet-busting power, after all, lacked the fine energy control of the genuine article.
"Clank."
A multitude of levers and gears emerged in sheets from the spatial backpack on Vill-V's back.
These parts, which filled the entire spherical space within a one-kilometer radius, expanded to their limit before frantically contracting, finally forming a 33-meter-tall humanoid mech that enveloped Vill-V completely.
[Anti-Kevin Armament Model 799]
This was currently Vill-V's strongest personal combat armor.
Although it couldn't grant her a direct leap in power like the Plague Templar's [Monarch Armament], it could just about manage to contend with a planet-busting level opponent for a short time.
"This is a real pain..." Vill-V couldn't help but complain.
As a not-so-purely-scientific researcher, Vill-V's thinking was very different from the Plague Templar's. If the Plague Templar hadn't interfered in the clash between the mechanical lifeforms and the Imperial fleet... even if the legion had suffered heavy losses, most of them (or more likely, a small portion) could have been saved. Plus, it would have been a better opportunity to test the combat effectiveness of the new starships.
Most importantly, if the power for that extra arrow had been conserved, this [Vanguard of Havoc] wouldn't be so troublesome to deal with.
At least she wouldn't have to face it alone.
And now—
"Whoosh!"
The Vanguard of Havoc's figure vanished from her field of vision!
Normally, a villain would deliver a few grandstanding lines before starting a fight, but the Antimatter Legion had a completely different style. Fortunately, Vill-V was familiar with this approach; after all, the "act tough, talk less" style passed down from the Monarch had been well-preserved by all the major legions.
"CRACKLE!"
A flash of lightning!
The Vanguard of Havoc was incredibly fast; Vill-V's senses couldn't track its movements at all. However, a scientist's fighting style differed from a warrior's. They could use their brains to compensate for a lack of brute force—
"CLANG!!"
The burst of lightning was blocked by a mirror of ice!
A [Zero Seal] field, at a temperature infinitely close to absolute zero, surrounded Vill-V. This ability, which could adapt its defense based on the attacker's movements, was specifically designed to counter high-speed opponents.
Against weaker foes, this special field could even freeze them to death on the spot.
However...
"CRACK!"
Against the Vanguard of Havoc, who was a whole major tier above her, the effect was less than a tenth of its potential. The ice mirror that had formed between them lasted for only a few dozen milliseconds before being shattered in two by an overwhelming cutting force!
"BANG!!"
The mechanical arm used for auxiliary defense was instantly blasted to pieces along with the ice mirror by the Vanguard of Havoc!
"Whoosh!"
Fortunately, the force of the explosion helped Vill-V create some distance between them... a distance of less than half a meter.
"Authority of Thunder..."
"No, this thing's control is far inferior to Mei's. Is it the Dominion of Destruction?"
In that brief exchange, Vill-V had already reflexively identified her opponent's ability.
As a [Pathstrider] of the Astral God of Destruction, the Vanguards of Havoc were the elite of the elite within the Antimatter Legion, each mastering a specialization of the [Dominion of Destruction]. The one before her was clearly a master of "electromagnetism."
Whether it was cleaving through molecular fields or breaking down the atomic structure of super-alloys, she could only feel faint energy fluctuations. The alloy used in the [Anti-Kevin Armament Model 799] was the strongest of any personal armor manufactured by the Empire.
A simple swing of the sword, yet it infused the Dominion into every single move.
"This won't do..."
The funnels hidden behind her had just launched. Before they could even begin their prelude to a surprise attack, they were blasted to dust by an arc of electricity casually swung by the Vanguard of Havoc.
There was no time to lose.
Vill-V quickly sent a retreat command to the distant Imperial fleet.
The Vanguard of Havoc was even stronger than expected. Just two brief exchanges had given Vill-V a much clearer and deeper understanding of its universe-renowned reputation for "destroying a star single-handedly."
She had originally thought its combat power was only at the level of the Monarch before he "became an egg."
Now it seemed that compared to the [Star-Annihilator Cannon], which required a long charge time... the time a Vanguard of Havoc needed to destroy a planet was probably less than five minutes.
The best plan now... was to retreat!
To face such an opponent, relying on a powerless researcher like herself was greatly overestimating her own abilities.
The Empire was strong, and its legions did not fear death.
But when it was time to retreat, their speed when executing the "run away!" strategy was second to none!
However...
Just as Vill-V diverted some of her attention to the Imperial fleet...
"!?"
For the first time, something completely unexpected happened.
The Imperial fleet, which had all but annihilated the Sky People, did not move. Or rather, it could not move.
Because, right at the bow of the Imperial fleet—
Somehow, a second Vanguard of Havoc had appeared!