A deafening roar.
The entire Gemstone shuddered violently.
Dominic was slammed hard onto the bridge floor.
He suddenly looked up at the woman who had saved him.
His eyes were filled with anger and confusion.
"Let me go! Who told you to save me?!"
Dominic yelled hysterically at her.
"You have no right to decide the life or death of a general, Inquisitor!"
"I'd rather die there with my soldiers than live like a coward!"
"You have disgraced me! You have disgraced the honor of the Ventria Family!"
He roared at Sorine like a wounded beast.
He hated her.
I hate her for meddling.
That saved his life.
This forced him to bear the weight of everyone's sacrifices and continue living.
Sorine stood there quietly, watching Dominic's dazed expression.
Her face was expressionless.
There wasn't a trace of emotion in his red pupils.
She's seen far too many people like that.
Blinded by glory and pride.
They valued their own lives more than the victory of the entire battle.
Sorine didn't indulge him.
She stepped forward.
"Smack!"
A crisp, resounding slap landed hard on Dominic's face.
That slap was incredibly powerful.
The blow knocked Dominic's head to one side.
A trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
The entire bridge fell into a deathly silence.
All the surviving officers and soldiers stared in disbelief at the scene.
No one dared to speak.
No one dared to breathe.
Dominic was also stunned.
He looked at Sorine in disbelief.
No one has ever dared to hit him in his entire life.
No one dared to slap him like that.
You can die anytime you want.
Sorine's voice was cold and calm.
There was absolutely no emotion involved.
"But are you going to give up the victory of the entire battle for the sake of so-called noble pride and glory?"
"What were those guards and nuns sacrificing their lives for?"
"It's all so that you can survive."
"Will you be able to continue commanding the fleet and lead them to victory in this war?"
Do you think it's glorious to die?
No! That's cowardice, that's escapism!
"You are betraying all the soldiers who sacrificed for you!"
"You are betraying the Emperor's trust in you!"
Sorine's voice grew increasingly stern.
Every word was like a sharp blade, piercing Dominic's heart.
"This battle isn't just confined to this place."
"Outside the ship, the massive main fleet of the Orks is about to arrive at the Carl II."
"If you die now, the entire human fleet will be deprived of its backbone."
"At that time, not only will the Gemstone fall."
"The entire Calixis System could fall into the clutches of the Orks."
"Billions of humans will be slaughtered by the Orks."
"Who will bear the blame for this crime?!"
"Is that you, Major General Dominic Ventria?"
Sorine's words struck Dominic's panicked mind like a heavy hammer blow.
Every word carried a chilling truth, piercing through the shell he had woven with pride.
Dominic sat on the ground, Daidai, with a clear handprint still visible on his face.
The burning pain gradually brought his confused mind back to normal.
He looked up and gazed out the bridge window.
In the pitch-black space, countless points of light twinkled.
Those are warships from the human fleet.
They are still fighting.
They are still fighting a bloody battle to protect Carl II and the billions of humans in Brevis behind it.
But he, because of his pride and honor, wanted to give up everything.
He wanted to use death to escape his responsibilities.
"Yes, the war isn't over yet..."
Dominic muttered to himself.
His voice was dry, with an indescribable pain.
The madness and anger in his eyes gradually faded.
Instead, there was an overwhelming sense of loneliness and guilt.
He looked down at his empty left arm.
Fresh blood continued to gush from the wound.
The intense pain was a constant reminder to him.
Ralfa is dead.
Renix is dead.
Heisen is dead.
Countless loyal soldiers died in that hall while protecting him.
They gave their lives to give him the chance to live.
But he wanted to betray their sacrifice.
Dominic's shoulders trembled slightly.
He covered his face with his right hand.
Hot tears slipped through my fingers.
He wasn't crying because of his missing arm.
It wasn't because of her own experiences that she cried.
He was weeping for the soldiers who died for him.
Crying for my own foolishness and cowardice.
The bridge was silent.
All the officers and soldiers watched Dominic in silence.
No one spoke or urged them on.
They all understood his pain.
Everyone is waiting for him to get back on his feet.
Their general awaits, ready to lead them into battle once more.
Sorine stood quietly to the side, her calm red eyes finally stirred with a ripple.
She knew Dominic needed some time.
Take some time to process and accept all of this.
Unfortunately, fate didn't give them much time.
"Bang!!!"
A piercing gunshot suddenly shattered the silence of the bridge.
The bullets whistled sharply as they shot out of the ventilation ducts in the ceiling.
It went straight for Dominic's head.
"Careful!"
Sorine's reaction was surprisingly quick.
Almost at the moment the gunshot rang out, her body moved instinctively.
He grabbed Dominic by the collar and yanked him roughly behind him.
"Sizzle~!!!"
The bullet grazed Dominic's scalp and struck the floor behind him.
Sparks flew everywhere.
Due to the immense inertia, Dominic crashed heavily to the ground.
His severed arm scraped violently against the cold metal floor for a distance.
"Ah!!!"
The intense pain caused Dominic to let out a scream.
Cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
But he gritted his teeth and didn't faint.
At least he survived.
"Enemy attack!!!"
"On the ceiling!!!"
Chaos erupted on the bridge.
The surviving guards immediately raised their Boltgun and aimed them at the ventilation ducts in the ceiling.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Several more gunshots rang out.
Bullets rained down from the ventilation ducts.
This time, their target isn't just Dominic.
There were also a few surviving guards on the bridge.
"Pfft! Pfft!"
Two of the guards who reacted a little slower were shot in the chest.
Blood spurted out.
They fell heavily to the ground and remained motionless.
Fortunately, the other guards found cover in time and hid, preventing further casualties.
"Clang!"
The grilles of the ventilation ducts were kicked open one by one.
Dozens of figures, like black bats, jumped down from the ventilation duct.