Fighter Interception

Meanwhile, Sparta was flying toward a city, and his movements had long since been tracked by satellite.

Big-Mouthian troops were stationed throughout the city, directing the Big-Mouthian civilians into air-raid shelters.

Evacuation was definitely too late. Their only hope of survival now was to enter the air-raid shelters.

The general responsible for defending the city had also received Sparta's flight path.

"I don't know whether three hundred thousand soldiers can stop him, even if there's only one of him."

"Now we have an even more difficult task: the civilians."

"Most of the civilians are still outside the air-raid shelters. We need to hold him back and give them time to enter safely."

"Pass on my order! Have the air force hold him back! Keep him occupied for as long as they can!"

With the general's order issued, alarms blared across the city. It entered a state of combat readiness, and the nearest air force base went into operation.

One fighter after another roared down the runway, taking off to intercept him.

"This is White Magpie 1. I am airborne and in good condition."

"This is White Magpie 2. I am airborne and in good condition."

"This is..."

Sparta flew through the sky with a heavy heart. He had not expected to run into something like this on his first mission.

He was not a bloodthirsty person. Nine years of compulsory education would punish anyone who wanted to do bad things, and he could not get past that hurdle in his heart.

It was fine for everyone to mouth off online, but in real life, who didn't love beef?

Just as Sparta's thoughts ran wild, a sonic boom suddenly rang out beside him.

Hearing it, Sparta curiously looked toward its source.

More than twenty fighters emerged from what had originally been tiny black dots, gradually becoming clear as they drew nearer.

"So, you're here."

Sparta hovered among the clouds, quietly watching the incoming fighters.

He wanted to see what tricks this fighter squadron could pull off.

"The target has stopped!"

"All units, prepare yourselves! Let him have a taste of our missiles!"

More than twenty air-to-air missiles tore through the sky, trailing white smoke as they rushed toward Sparta.

A string of more than twenty explosions swallowed Sparta whole as the fighter squadron flew past the blasts.

When the smoke cleared, Sparta had not lost so much as a hair. Even his skintight combat suit remained spotless with the help of the Intelligent Atoms.

His gaze remained locked on the fighter squadron. Their Mach speeds were completely unimpressive in Sparta's eyes.

"All hits confirmed! But he's fine!"

"I repeat! The target is completely unharmed!"

The pilots' breathing grew rapid over the fighter communications channel.

"White Magpie 7 reporting. The target's defenses far exceed expectations. Requesting a tactical adjustment."

"Approved. All units, disperse into formation and strike from different positions."

More than twenty fighters instantly spread out, locking onto Sparta from different angles.

This time, Sparta was practically surrounded by missiles from every direction, yet he remained exactly as before after the explosions.

After the fighter squadron's second strike, Sparta did not remain hovering in place. Instead, he pursued one of the fighters.

The fighter fled ahead while Sparta gave chase from behind.

Even through the oxygen mask, the terror on the White Magpie 11 pilot's face was clearly visible.

As the red dot on the radar drew closer and closer, the pilot's anxious voice rang through the communications channel.

"This is White Magpie 11! He's on my tail!"

"Hang in there!"

All the fighters turned around, attempting to cover their comrade, but Sparta suddenly accelerated again.

He appeared beside White Magpie 11's canopy, flying alongside the fighter.

Sparta's figure was reflected in the pilot's terrified eyes.

Under his despairing gaze, Sparta extended a hand and drove all five fingers into the fighter's hardened fuselage.

The pilot immediately changed direction, trying to shake Sparta's hand loose, but it had no effect whatsoever.

Sparta clung to the fighter like an unshakable leech.

"I CAN'T SHAKE HIM OFF!!!"

The pilot shouted desperately.

With a forceful tear, Sparta ripped half the fighter's fuselage open as if it were paper.

The wreckage fell toward the ground wrapped in flames.

"White Magpie 11 has crashed! I repeat! White Magpie 11 has crashed!"

Sparta threw the half of the fuselage in his hand toward the ground and turned to look at the remaining fighters.

A ring of white shockwaves appeared beneath his feet, and he shot toward the nearest fighter.

At that moment, he reached Mach 20.

"Scatter! Scatter!"

Urgent warnings rang through the comms, but it was already too late.

Sparta became an afterimage in midair, and two fighters that failed to evade him were smashed into fragments.

A missile flew straight at Sparta's face. He raised a hand and caught it, then aimed at the fighter that had launched it and hurled the missile back.

The missile flew back at an even greater speed and struck the fighter with perfect accuracy. Amid the blazing explosion, Sparta's figure streaked across the sky.

Another fighter was destroyed.

He appeared like a ghost in front of another fighter.

The pilot's eyes widened as he stared at the figure that had suddenly appeared ahead.

Sparta punched through the canopy and struck the pilot's head, which burst like a watermelon dropped onto the ground.

The uncontrolled fighter crashed into his steel-like body.

Sparta flew out of the fiery explosion, clenched his fists, and continued searching for his next target.

"The target is still pursuing us! Move!"

Sparta's voice appeared in every fighter pilot's mind. "Don't you want to accompany your fallen comrades?"

Who the hell would want that?

"Tower, tower! Requesting..."

The voice abruptly cut off as the fighter crashed.

After a brief exchange, the more than twenty fighters had not only failed to injure Sparta, but had all been destroyed.

Sparta hovered in the air, gripping a blood-dripping human head in his right hand.

He raised the head in his hand and met its lifeless eyes.

"I didn't want to do this, but orders are orders."

"You will be heroes of Big Mouth Star."

After looking at it for a while, Sparta clenched his hand. The head exploded in his palm, and several drops of blood splashed onto his cheek.

He did not even blink.

After dealing with the fighter squadron, Sparta continued flying toward the city.

The destruction of the fighter squadron quickly reached the rear, and every Big-Mouthian fell silent.

The general's face was ashen as he looked at all the officers present. "They were heroes. There is no doubt about that."

"How are the civilians in the city? Have they entered the air-raid shelters? The real battle is about to begin."

At that moment, a lieutenant general stood up and said:

"Most have entered the air-raid shelters. The remaining small number of civilians will enter within five minutes."

The general nodded lightly. With this piece of good news, the iron-gray color of his face eased somewhat.

The sacrifice of more than twenty pilots had not been meaningless. They had bought precious time for the civilians.

"Then let us meet the Viltrumite known as a 'god' throughout the universe!"

"Even if he's a god, I'll peel a layer off him!"