Xyrin Empire

After the War Song ceased operations, the pressure faced by the Celestial System Fleet decreased by almost a third, making me marvel at the sheer power a superweapon from the Old Empire era can exert on the battlefield.

No matter how special it is, the War Song is ultimately just a planet battleship. But by altering the Cosmic Law, it can suppress an entire Constant Star System Fleet. Even during the Old Empire era, there must have been more planet battleships as powerful as the War Song than there are Celestial System Fleet units now—I can't believe that the Xyrin Emperor capable of creating such super flagships was only Sandora. Thinking about it, you realize how mighty the Xyrin Apostles were before they overreached—of course, they eventually did overreach.

Leaving the personnel handling the battlefield, my Big Sister and I led half the ships back to the Main Army. After casting the strongest curse yet, my Big Sister seemed a bit fatigued, so I let her go back to rest. The Pandora Sisters wanted to continue fighting, and I found I couldn't stop those two battle-crazed maniacs, so I just told them to be careful and let them go. Dingdang was extremely angry about being used as a weapon. Once I returned to human form, she mercilessly attacked her Master with her Gangya, creating a spectacular result—my arm was akin to having been in a brutal fight with four or five hundred mosquitoes, with bite marks arranged in creative patterns like apples, bananas, skyscrapers, and the Arc de Triomphe, bringing me much distress and contemplation: I feel any fly wanting to land on my arm would need a pair of climbing shoes, and an accident insurance if possible.

Fortunately, Little Douding's anger flared and faded quickly. One second she'd gnaw at your fingers, vowing divine retribution, and the next she'd roll around happily on your forehead, drinking tea and eating candy—actually, before I could apologize to this little guy, she'd already forgotten about being tossed as a Dingdang ball.

The battle near the Celestial System Fleet was still ongoing, and without the suppression from the War Song, the battlefield became several times more intense than when we left. The Servant Army's ships and the Imperial Guard Ships bravely left the Mother's protective zone, quickly maneuvering through the explosion-laden space, tracing countless bright streaks in the darkness, intercepting Super Space-Time Strikes possibly threatening the Mother Ship. Standing on the planet battleship's ground, the sky's glaring flashes washed over everything like a grand meteor shower.

Sandora was waiting on the bridge for me, and the moment I appeared, she sneaked up and pinched my lower back hard, muttering, "What have you done? Acting rashly again?"

I knew I couldn't hide my intention to capture the War Song alive, so I awkwardly scratched my head: "Don't worry about it, anyway the War Song has already shut down, and it's being transported. We should find a way to reactivate the core when we get back."

Sandora widened her eyes in surprise, "Shut down? How did you make it shut down? The War Song's core is a device for modifying mathematical laws, and we probably don't have the equipment to analyze it yet, do we?"

"It was Dingdang!" Before I could say anything, a Little One bounced up excitedly on my head. Dingdang, holding a half-eaten peanut, jumped up and down waving her lunch, "Dingdang is amazing! Made it shut down instantly."

Facing Sandora's bewildered eyes, I nodded with a serious expression, "That's right: I threw this little thing in, and then it just crashed."

Sandora: "...Well, that's one way to do it, I guess. If the War Song truly had any flaws, this would definitely count as one."

That's not a flaw at all! Do you think in a real battle, someone could breach a starship's core and toss a Dingdang ball inside?! This isn't like a glass bead; theoretically, unless you can ignore a hundred billion Goddess believers' cross-border pursuit to do this, you're just asking for it...

The little thing continued to chatter about her heroic deeds. Although she was a bit dizzy then, she now more or less understood that she played a significant part in shutting down the War Song, even if that contribution was merely acting as a little iron rod that jammed the machinery—but the little thing didn't care about that. She's been resting for so long, and having finally felt she did something productive, she was immensely smug.

Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore and stuffed the Little One back in my pocket: "Alright, the only thing you did was get thrown in by me—Sandora, there's something even more important I need to tell you."

Dingdang poked her little head out of the pocket, curiously surveying the situation. Seeing both Sandora and my expressions suddenly turn serious, she stuck her tongue out and quietly withdrew.

"I have a guess on what you encountered inside the War Song's core?"

Sandora gazed at me playfully, eyes shining bright, "Approximately at the moment you started dismantling the core, the Revenge Army's attack suddenly paused for a few minutes. Although very brief, what happened during those minutes provoked deep thought: a portion of the Revenge Army started killing each other. The remnants of those high-orbit warships you're seeing were a result of this slaughter. Many Revenge Army Raid Fleets had already breached the Celestial System Fleet's defense perimeter, but before we could react, they fought each other to the end."

I paused briefly, likely having guessed what was happening: PL-15 might have made another effort during those minutes. Though I still don't fully understand the state he and the other Revenge Army souls are in, they might be trying to regain control of their bodies. But now it seems this attempt still failed, and they only regained control for a few minutes.

"I heard a voice," I said, pressing a hand on Sandora's shoulder, looking into her eyes, "from PL-15, the Great Governor."

The smiling Queen's expression froze in an instant. Sandora blinked incredulously, and I could feel her body tremble slightly.

She immediately began checking me over, as if afraid I'd suddenly fall bleeding to the floor, "I figured as much, but did you see something in the heart of the War Song?"

I scratched my head awkwardly, knowing full well I couldn't hide my risky attempt to "capture" the War Song from her: "Never mind that, the War Song is offline now, it's being transported—you can try to figure out how to reactivate the core when we get back."

Sandora widened her eyes in surprise: "Shut down? How did you get it to shut down? The core of the War Song is a mathematical law-modifying device, and we don't have the equipment to analyze it yet, do we?"

"It was Dingdang!" I hadn't even begun to speak when a small figure above my head jumped excitedly, Dingdang clutched a half-bitten peanut, and bounced around waving her lunch, "Dingdang was amazing! Shut it down in one go."

Facing Sandora's embarrassed look, I nodded seriously with a straight face: "Indeed. I tossed this little thing inside, and it just crashed."

Sandora: "...Alright, that's one way to do it, I suppose."

That's a flaw?! Do you think someone is likely to intrude into the starship's core and throw a Dingdang Ball inside during a normal battle?! That's just tempting fate...

The little thing was still babbling about her heroic deeds, full of self-importance now that she realized she played a pivotal role in halting the War Song, despite her role only being akin to a small metal rod jamming the machine—none of this mattered to her, as her ego was inflated to unprecedented levels by the thought that she had been the hero, even if her contribution was akin to a jamming bar.

Finally, when I couldn't bear it any longer, I grabbed the Little One and stuffed her back into my pocket: "All right, the only thing you really did was get tossed in there by me—Sandora".

Dingdang peeked her little head out of my pocket, curious and nosing about, but then quickly withdrawn in silence when she noticed both Sandora and I seemed gravely serious.

"So what did you see in the War Song's core?"

I knew that my plan to take the War Song alive couldn't be kept from her, so I scratched my head awkwardly, "Don't worry about that. Anyway, the War Song is down now. It's being transported here, and once it's back, we can find a way to reactivate the core and it should still work."

Sandora looked shocked, her eyes widening in surprise: "Shut down? How did you shut it down? The core of the War Song is a mathematical law modification device, but we don't have the equipment necessary to analyze it, do we?"

"It was Dingdang!" I hadn't even started speaking when a lively little figure jumped up on my head, Dingdang holding half-chewed peanuts, waved her lunch while bouncing, "Dingdang is so great! She shut it down in an instant."

Meeting Sandora's incredulous gaze, I nodded with a serious expression: "That's right: I threw this little one in there, and it just froze."

Sandora: "...Well, that's one way to do it, I suppose. If the War Song really had a flaw, this must be it."

What kind of flaw is that! Do you think in real battle someone could really get close enough to the starship's core to throw in a Dingdang Ball?! That sounds like a death wish...

The Little Douding kept prattling on about her brave deeds. She was overjoyed at her pivotal role in the machine's shutdown, regardless of her work being nothing more than a little iron rod jamming the machinery. But she was so euphoric now, feeling immensely proud, that nothing seemed to matter to her.

Eventually, I could no longer bear it, so I grabbed the little one and put her back in my pocket, "Alright, alright, the only thing you did was get thrown in there by me—Sandora, I really have something more important to tell you."

Dingdang managed to poke her tiny head out of my pocket, peeking around. Seeing Sandora's stunned look and my serious expression, she silently retreated back in.

"I think I've already guessed—what did you see inside the War Song's core?"

Sandora smiled, and with eyes shining, I could feel my body tremble slightly.

"I heard a voice," I said, placing my hand on Sandora's shoulder and looking into her eyes, "It called itself PL-15 and claimed that it and many of the Revenge Army's souls had suddenly begun operating their bodies for some unknown reason. They told me they couldn't communicate with the material world anymore, and that they even needed to rely on the War Song's power to speak to me..."

Queen Sandora was watching me with skepticism, her expression frozen, blinking in disbelief. I could feel her body trembling slightly.

"Do you truly believe," she finally spoke, "that this voice isn't deceiving us? That it's not just another trick of the Revenge Army? After all, their actions over the last month have shown every sign of being under PL-15's control. And to change the plan now is extremely dangerous. If the Ghost Energy Death Star continues and collides with the target as planned, it would have to slow down before impact, and then the Death Star will have no chance to accelerate again. But if we can shut down Shadow space and the core safely, we still might have a chance..."

I was silent, contemplating that everything the voice claimed was based solely on its own narrative. Although there was plenty of evidence supporting its claims, I still had doubts about my experience inside the core of the War Song. But for Sandora—it seemed that any dubious matters might not prevent her from being willing to go into this with eyes wide open...

"Maybe we should call for some outside input on this one," I suggested seriously.

Sandora: "?"

Lin Xue: "...You blockhead, you do know me well."

Sandora: "..."

Lin Xue: "Well, sometimes, Wood, you just have to make your own judgments."

I exchanged a glance with Sandora.

"The future has indeed been glimpsed, but I have already spoken of things I shouldn't have before, leading to an uncertain future. Many facts stand at the brink of appearing or disappearing; a mere word from me can collapse the future into a single certainty, and I don't think that would be a good idea."

"No hints at all?"

"No," Lin Xue's reply was resolute. "Moreover, perhaps I should remind you not to rely too heavily on my hints. I can only voluntarily tell you things when permitted, and any additional information you gain from me impacts the future's course. The more frequently this occurs, the more precarious the future becomes. Trust your own judgment, use any method possible. This is all I will say."

After the communication with Lin Xue ended, Sandora and I looked at each other in silence. She brushed the hair away from her forehead and pondered, "She's right; relying too much on the Prophet's power may diminish our judgment, and following a pre-set future isn't my style anyway."

"Follow your own judgment..." I muttered to myself.

"Ah Jun? Are you back? What were you discussing?"

While Sandora and I were considering whether to trust PL-15's loyalty and risking failure to slow down the Death Star, Qianqian's voice suddenly came from behind.

The energetic short-haired girl bounced onto the officer platform, beads of sweat on her forehead, indicating she had just returned from saving the day on a starship in crisis. I ruffled her hair and laid out the situation with PL-15, also conveying Lin Xue's hint.

Although I didn't expect Qianqian to be particularly helpful at this juncture, I knew if I didn't inform her now, it would be challenging to have peace going forward; her capability for action astonishes even top city enforcers.

"Hmm, it's indeed a difficult choice," Qianqian frowned thoughtfully after hearing my explanation. I was surprised she could ponder like this, yet she seemed to have come up with an idea. She slapped her paw in delight, "No matter what, we just need to make a decision, right?"

"Lin Xue did say that," I shrugged.

Then Qianqian took out a coin and tossed it into the air in front of us, leaving Sandora and me wide-eyed.

"Ha, heads! Let's trust that guy then!"

I finally couldn't hold back, pulling Qianqian into an embrace and fiercely pinching her cheeks, "Are you serious or not!"

But Sandora, surprisingly thoughtful, stopped my act of assault: "Ah Jun, perhaps Lin Xue's hint is exactly this."

I looked at her puzzled.

"She clearly meant: let us judge for ourselves, using any method necessary. So perhaps she means—even if Qianqian tosses a coin, as long as it's our first judgment, it's the correct one?"

I found myself a bit stunned, yet felt Sandora might be onto something. Based on my understanding of Lin Xue, this might indeed be the unspoken depth she intended, but... wasn't it just a coin toss by Qianqian! Lin Xue, are you sure your advice is okay?

"Qianqian's coin toss is simply offbeat in our common sense, yet in the broader system of causality, tossing a coin and prophecy both have probabilities, holding the same significance. The world lacks our sensibility-based judgments. So once Lin Xue binds the future to some random event—even if that event is tossing a coin—there should be no doubt to it—I choose to trust Qianqian's judgment."

Thus, Qianqian, satisfied, ran off to play who knows where, leaving me dumbfounded staring at Sandora.

"Don't look at me like that, I've certainly pondered it," Sandora tossed a scornful look my way. "Qianqian's coin toss is indeed a tad unorthodox, but I've thought it over; maybe the voices you heard were indeed trustworthy: If their souls truly remain, it explains why the defensive forces in this space have always been abnormal."

Ultimately, we reached a consensus: regardless of whether the souls of the Revenge Army truly remain trapped within the control core, we should still check it out. Even if the odds are slim, I won't choose to maximize success rate over leaving Sandora with a lifelong regret.

What if they're really still waiting there?

More importantly, what if the only one who knows how to destroy the control core is indeed PL-15? At that time, blindly crashing the Ghost Energy Death Star makes things worse, leading to an intolerable result.

The Celestial System Fleet's formation began slowly adjusting, and the Ghost Energy Death Star's Class Coordinate Engine had reached maximum output. We approached the control core of the Shadow Space rapidly, which seemed like a lighthouse in the darkness. The massive information waves made it visible on any radar wavelength, and the Revenge Army's interceptive fire had already waned. Perhaps PL-15 truly suppressed the maneuverability of those shells, unable to concentrate fire on intercepting the Imperial Fleet. The frontline Servant Army Fleet finally gained breathing space, fleets with significant damage began landing on nearby Planet Fortresses for organization. The artificial gods of Atlantis started replacing these ships in resisting enemies, the giants swinging fists at jumping warheads at twenty times the speed of sound left a strong impression. Lilina suggested tailor-make Gundam outfits for all of them once back, perhaps even produce a Gangdamu sequel, which I strictly vetoed.

"The New Eden Federation Fleet has withdrawn from the battlefront; while spaceship losses were severe, personnel casualties were bearable. We're docking at the Teldar Hill Planet Battleship; the air here is fantastic. Commander, may I request a bottle of liquor—my ship is already wrecked, surely you won't send me to battle clutching a stone?" Tex's voice came through the communicator. Sandora and I had grown accustomed to this individual, perpetually incapable of learning basic military etiquette, knowing they safely evacuated was comforting. Now the Revenge Army recalling forces from real space poses little threat to the Celestial System Fleet. Originally their vast numbers sufficient to inflict lethal damage on the Ghost Energy Death Star. Yet, due to some mysterious interference, these unlucky spacecraft even experienced several instances of losing control, indulging in brief periods of mutual destruction; they bombarded their comrades copiously, clearing the greatest obstacle for the Imperial Army.

Another contributing factor to our safe strike here was the ferocious Community Fleet. Consistent with their iconic reckless spirit, they attacked any imaginable enemies within their range employing any conceivable tactics. These fierce warriors perhaps cannot individually match the Imperial Soldiers, but their indomitable fighting spirit earned respect from many Angels. I almost thought the only competitors for self-destruction against the Revenge Army were them and Sandora's Avenger Army, the latter depleted ten minutes ago.

In any case, the action proceeded more smoothly than anticipated.

"Control core within Emperor's Breath range, Ghost Energy Death Star entering deceleration phase."

A signal from the Ghost Energy Death Star suddenly rang out on the bridge, marking the journey's final step. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you're welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)