The Brutality of Space War

In her previous life, Xi Xiu had lived in a country without war. Though she often saw wars in other countries on the news, and the footage was brutal, it truly could not compare to the brutality before her now.

The instant those Alliance warships were struck by the Inquira's Atomic Light Cannons, they vanished into the starry sky, reduced to fragments.

Even after the warships had broken apart, the Inquira seemed unable to vent their anger. They actually fired another volley of light cannons, blasting the wreckage into dust.

The soldiers who had boarded escape pods to retreat vanished into ashes along with them, leaving no trace behind.

The scene that had just appeared in the video hurt Xi Xiu so badly she could barely breathe. She had truly never been able to imagine such a brutal war before.

Behind the splendor of this world lay countless dangers.

That was why every Alliance citizen studied physical arts, why there was universal military service, and why their studies were so demanding—all so they could survive.

No one knew what day war might suddenly arrive. Just last night, the three of them had sat in a tree watching Ningkui Star's satellite, pointing at the Capital Star in the sky and looking forward to the life they would have there.

Yet this morning, they had seen something so shocking and heartbreaking. The impact left all three of them unable to recover for a while.

At their core, every war in Alliance history had been the same: plunder.

Even after the footage ended, Xi Xiu still had not fully emerged from it. Her expression was somewhat blank.

The hours-long live broadcast of the war had not only struck her repeatedly, but also made her understand that the road ahead of her would likely be no different from that of the soldiers on the front lines who had lost their lives.

Xue Fanhui swore to herself that she would design even more powerful weapons, blast every last Inquira away, and make those overbearing creatures disappear completely from this starfield.

Zhen was somewhat worried that Xi Xiu and Xue Fanhui would develop a fear of all this. If those shadows continued to follow them after they entered military academy, it would be detrimental to their future.

Zhen reached out and took Xi Xiu and Xue Fanhui's hands. Feeling the warmth transmitted through their hands, Xi Xiu finally came back to herself from the video.

Xue Fanhui pressed her lips together. "Xi Xiu, this is the road you and I will walk in the future."

"Mm, Fanhui, I understand." She understood it all now. She could not afford to slack off even a little more.

Once good news came from the front lines and the restrictions were lifted, she would work even harder to improve her strength, along with the other knowledge she absolutely had to master.

"Do you have any thoughts?"

"We have to become very strong. Only then can we survive in war." That was Xi Xiu's most immediate feeling.

"Mm. Then let's work hard together. I'm going to design the most formidable weapons and make sure these invaders never return." Those resolute words were the vow of a twelve-year-old girl.

"Alright, fight for the Alliance." And fight for myself, Xi Xiu told herself inwardly.

One day in the future, when the three of them reunited and recalled this afternoon, their hearts would be at peace.

They had all done it. They had fulfilled the vow they made that afternoon. Only the past knew the hardships they had endured.

"I'll stay behind and silently pray for you, cheer you on." Zhen felt that her strength was limited, and she could only do what she was capable of.

"Alright. Only if you're safe can Xi Xiu and I fight without worry. Remember that, okay?" Xue Fanhui said earnestly.

This battle made them grow up overnight.

After watching that shocking footage, Xi Xiu and the others logged off the Star Net. They needed time to process it.

Robot 08 stood silently guard outside the dormitory, while Vivian activated protection combat mode. At times like this, 08 was an unreasonable machine with its only emotional mode removed. If they tried to leave, 08 would take forceful measures.

Xi Xiu and the others had no intention of defying Vivian's orders. They stayed in the dormitory and quietly waited for good news from the Alliance.

During the days of waiting, Xi Xiu opened the Virtual Network and quietly began training.

She had already mastered one of the Martial Skills Wei Lanshan had given her. Now, she felt she needed to practice several more, because compared with those thermal weapons, the human body was truly far too weak.

Even with the enhancement of Mental Power, it could not withstand a single Atomic Light Cannon.

Xue Fanhui was the same. Seeing the two of them working so hard, Zhen trained alongside them. Just as Xi Xiu had said, the more skills one had, the better.

During her regular patrol, Vivian came to Xi Xiu's dormitory. Seeing that the three girls were not only disciplined, but training desperately as if facing a great enemy, she felt a bitter ache in her heart.

If possible, they all wished for the children to spend their childhoods carefree, without having to face such cruelty and danger.

But this starfield had never known true peace. Flowers pampered in a greenhouse could not bear heavy burdens as they moved forward.

The events of five hundred years ago had already told them that. That painful disaster had cost the Alliance the greatest price in its history.

The children were actually far stronger than they had imagined. They were the hope of the Alliance.

"Xi Xiu, Fanhui, if there's anything you need help with or anything you're unsure about, you can message me. I'll reply as soon as I see it. Don't worry, things haven't reached the worst point yet."

Vivian's tone was gentle. Such comfort was insignificant, but better than nothing, and it could bring temporary peace to their hearts.

"Alright, Vivian. We're fine. We'll take good care of ourselves. Don't work too hard either."

Vivian sighed inwardly. War was cruel. It made children grow up overnight, yet only in this way could they mature and understand just how dangerous the road ahead truly was.

Vivian continued her patrol, comforting these half-grown girls. Every one of them had fear in her eyes. This was the first time since their birth that they had witnessed such a bloody scene.

After finishing her patrol, Vivian gave the robots instructions to play some soothing music for all the children, so they could relax a little.

They spent fifteen Ningkui Star days like this. Then, when the sun rose on the sixteenth Ningkui Star day, Vivian sent everyone a message announcing the end of martial law.

The Inquira had been driven back by the elite Alliance warships sent to reinforce them. Of their five thousand warships, none returned; only some high-ranking officers managed to escape.

The entire Alliance erupted in cheers.

But the price had also been enormous.

More than five million Alliance soldiers had fallen in this expedition, and Tianwei Star's original defensive forces had suffered devastating losses. Although they had destroyed over nine million Inquira, the casualties were still staggering.

Countless warships had been destroyed. Many damaged vessels were transported back to repair yards and would return to the front lines once they had been restored.

Vivian gathered the children and told them of the Alliance's victory, as well as the casualties.

"I believe you all saw the brutality of war in the videos. I won't say much else. You must work hard—harder still—and improve your own strength. Only then can you protect yourselves and the Alliance. Do you understand?"

"Yes! We won't slack off for even a moment." The children's faces were still somewhat immature, but none of them shrank back.

Postwar counseling was a necessary course. Ningkui Star had also begun rearranging its defenses, and once the new defensive plan arrived, the Orphanage would adjust its existing setup as well.

Redeploying defenses required time and manpower. Compared with history, Tianwei Star's losses this time could not be considered catastrophic.

However, war always brought pain.

The Alliance would hold a funeral for the fallen soldiers—a unified State Funeral, broadcast live across the entire Alliance.

Rolling around and begging for recommendation votes ()