A tripartite council

Outside Deva City...

Luke Eland wore silver lion-headed pauldrons and sturdy dragon-scale armor, a two-handed greatsword resting on his shoulder. His slightly tattered cloak fluttered in the wind.

He passed through the swarm and strode step by step through the steel gates that the {Bulls} had smashed open. The Insect Race on either side bared their claws and fangs at him, but he showed no fear.

Likafeier sneered. "With that pose, does he think he's some kind of hero?"

Liya, clad in golden battle armor, drew her sword and went out to meet him.

They took their positions and, following the ritual of a sacred duel, each summoned a small Mujing Tower.

Both quickly absorbed the towers' power. The Mujing Towers lost their luster and crumbled into powder that scattered on the wind in an instant.

Liya saluted Luke. To her, any opponent willing to stake their soul deserved respect.

Luke had none of her rigid scruples. As Liya saluted, he swept his sword at her. Fortunately, she reacted quickly and leaned backward, narrowly escaping, though the golden armor over her chest was left with an electrical scorch mark.

The Asha warriors atop the walls burst into cheers, shouting Luke's name.

Karen looked at Mora in surprise and asked, "Since when did a sneak attack deserve cheering?"

Likafeier said coldly, "Something else has taken the place of a warrior's honor."

Liya surpassed Luke in combat prowess, but his endless repertoire of dirty tricks barely kept them evenly matched.

Seizing an opening, Liya severed one of Luke's secondary arms with a slash. The Insect Race erupted into spine-chilling shrieks.

Liya gave Luke no chance to catch his breath and thrust again at his chest. Luke twisted aside, silently slipping a dagger into her left side.

"Lia Gross, today is the day you die!"

"What a joke!"

Liya raised her sword with both hands to resist the pressure of Luke's blade. With a secondary hand, she forcibly pulled the dagger out of her body and plunged it into Luke's heart.

As Luke stared in bewilderment, Liya cut off his head with a single stroke. She raised it high and roared at Deva City, "Surrender!"

After the battle of Deva City, news of Liya's return spread throughout the Third Colony Star system, but word of her treason also spread throughout the Asha Empire.

Camille Star, home to the Insect Race, was also placed on the Asha Empire's list of targets. But three hundred years of peace had left many Asha people unable to remember how to fight.

Before the supposedly invincible imperial fleet even entered Camille Star's territory, the Insect Race's {Rebecca} devoured it in space.

The Insect Race and Lila fleets under Liya's command swept forward unstoppably. In less than a year, she occupied two-thirds of the former empire's star systems.

At last, Zhang Fan's Insect Race could openly slaughter the creatures of those systems and devour their cells. Millions of genetic sequences kept Zhang Fan happily occupied.

Aboard the Lila command ship, Karduoduo asked Liya, "All our forces are now concentrated in the Asha Star region. What are your plans, Grand Commander Liya?"

"Plans? All I want is Asalas."

Karduoduo laughed heartily. "Asalas is no longer a concern. I meant our agreement for peace between our two peoples."

"Rest assured, General. From now on, we'll be an alliance and mine Mujing Ore together in peace."

Karduoduo shook his head. "Even an alliance needs a hierarchy, doesn't it? Our position is clear. We've spared no effort to help Asha this time, so there should be no objection to our taking the lead."

Karen sneered from the side. "Showing your true colors already?"

Likafeier stood silently nearby, as though the matter had nothing to do with her.

"General, are you saying that once we form an alliance, your Lila People will have the final say? Do you think that's appropriate?"

Karduoduo asked in return, "What do you think, Grand Commander Liya?"

Mora suddenly suggested, "Since we're forming an alliance, I propose that the Insect Race Overlord become its leader."

Liya immediately agreed, but Karduoduo laughed. "The Insect Race? They may be our allies, but every star system belonging to Lila and Asha is the result of a thousand years of our development. Yet you want an outsider race to lead the alliance?"

Likafeier remained silent. After glancing at her, Liya told Karduoduo, "Once the war is over, we'll have plenty of time to discuss this."

"I hope you truly have the time when that day comes, Grand Commander." With those words, Karduoduo turned and left.

Liya looked at Likafeier, who had remained aloof throughout, and asked, "What does the Overlord think of our proposal?"

Likafeier smiled. "The Insect Race has no need for Mujing Ore, so we don't intend to take part in the dispute between your two sides. The Overlord's wishes are for us to leave once Asha is reunified and resume our journey home."

Karen exclaimed, "You're leaving? You've lived on Camille for three hundred years! This is your home. Where else would you go?"

Likafeier smiled. "Among the Insect Race, the Overlord's will comes before everything. Wherever he says home is, that is home to us."

Karen smiled. "In some ways, I really do envy you."

Zhang Fan's voice suddenly rang out in everyone's minds. "I just received a message from the Whirlwind Great Emperor. He has agreed to help Asha achieve reunification. He also proposed that if Asha refuses to form an alliance led by the Lila People, it should cede six star systems as compensation for their deployment, after which both sides will return to their previous relationship. If Asha agrees, he is willing to open all Lila star systems for Asha to share."

"All their star systems?" Mora exclaimed, then fell into thought.

Karen and Liya also exchanged incredulous glances. It seemed the Whirlwind Great Emperor was offering considerable sincerity. But wouldn't accepting Lila leadership effectively make Asha subordinate to the Lila People?

Zhang Fan laughed. "I have a better proposal: a tripartite council."

"A tripartite council?" everyone asked in unison.

"Yes. Our Insect Race has two star systems, so we'll hold two votes on the council. Each star system gets one vote. Asha has thirty-seven star systems and therefore thirty-seven votes, while the Lila People have thirty-six. That makes exactly seventy-five votes! Major decisions will be settled by the majority."

Mora immediately said, "Then we might as well put the Insect Race in charge, since you'll hold the deciding votes."

Likafeier glared at Mora, considering his words disrespectful to Zhang Fan. But Zhang Fan laughed heartily. "As blunt as ever, Mr. Mora. Our Insect Race doesn't need Mujing Ore, and we can keep either side from making bad decisions. If we propose something ourselves, both of you hold more votes than we can sway. Isn't that a good arrangement?"

Zhang Fan continued, "The Whirlwind Great Emperor has already agreed. What about you, Commander Liya?"

Liya glanced at Likafeier, then nodded. "The Insect Race has always been our staunchest ally. I trust them."

Karduoduo returned to the command cabin and told Liya with a smile, "The Whirlwind Great Emperor has informed me of the agreement between our two empires. I will do everything in my power to help Commander Liya reclaim the Asha Empire."

Two thousand Lila Warships, six hundred {Rebecca}, and more than thirteen hundred Asha Empire warships surrounded Asha Star.

No matter when the people on Asha Star looked up, they could see neither stars nor moons. Only the enormous fleet filled the sky, hanging over their heads like the sword of Damocles.