"9 Astronomical Units!"
The Lyra and the other Star-Class Warships and Planet-Class Warships formed a battle formation, like a blanket suspended in the starry sky. Every warship had exited warp, their cannons all aimed at the swarm of Microscopic Demons 9 Astronomical Units away.
The main cannons of every warship glowed faintly. That was the radiation left behind after the Tachyon Light Swords had fired, rapidly recharged, and fired again and again. Many mesons scattered and escaped through the dim glow, like the diffuse smoke rising after artillery fire in the old era.
Only 9 Astronomical Units remained. After this salvo, there would be no more time to recharge. The Microscopic Demons would envelop the entire fleet in the next instant, then devour the lifeforms within the warships.
Even Strong Artificial Intelligence could not escape being devoured.
Even at the final moment, humanity did not give up.
"All Close-In Weapon Systems and Matter Fission Cannons, prepare for indiscriminate fire! Gravity Bombs ready, Laser Weapons ready, Warp Speed Missiles!"
The Real Shields rose as well.
Yet at this final moment, humanity received a message from the Daya Civilization fleet.
"Could this be a final farewell?"
The Lyra received the message immediately, and everyone assumed the Daya Civilization was about to leave some last words.
They thought so because no one could escape at a time like this. It was unlike the situation between the Daya Civilization Main Fleet and the joint fleet of the Level 5 Civilization in the Star Sea, where the latter had attacked only to drag the Daya Civilization down with them.
"You are not the Crimson Flame Civilization. You are Human Civilization! So it was you. We should have realized it long ago."
Huh?
What was going on?
The people aboard the Lyra froze at first, then