Iridescent Light Empire, flagship of the Fifth Army.
General Mingke Old God solemn, standing before the star map like an unchanging iron stone, deep in thought.
The Fifth Army's achievement of the "Iron Army" honor is largely attributed to this incorruptible and valiant general. He led by example, transforming the chaotic Iridescent Light Army into an elite force that stands out across the entire plane.
"How's the situation at the front?" General Mingke asked without turning his head.
His adjutant, Victor, asked doubtfully, "Your plan to lure the enemy seems to have failed. According to intelligence gathered from the front lines, the Saila People fleet shows no signs of advancing."
Upon hearing this, General Mingke's lips curled into a rare smile. "You're wrong, Victor. The Saila People have most likely taken the bait. However, Sergei is cunning enough to conceal the fleet's advance, just like how we used illusion devices to make the enemy believe our main force was concentrated in the center..."
In clashes between renowned generals, the outcome is often less about producing extraordinary, Legendary victories, because both sides can anticipate each other's moves and are unlikely to make mistakes. Ultimately, the contest boils down to the sheer strength of the armies themselves.
General Mingke knew that Sergei had likely seen through his plan and was using himself as bait to lure the central army forward, thus revealing a weakness.
But Sergei had no choice.
If General Mingke were faced with the same choice, he would also have no choice but to move the fleet forward to prepare for an attack on the flagship.
Why?
Because the temptation was too great!
Just as a Blood Qi young man cannot tolerate a stunning beauty flirting in front of him, the effect of exposing the enemy flagship is not much different.
Once the central army breaks through and achieves a decapitation strike, it will reap enormous benefits, practically declaring victory in the war.
Correspondingly, the risks have increased many times over.
But war is inherently the riskiest thing in the world.
Both generals could see it clearly.
Right now, their competition is really about who achieves their tactical objectives first.
If Sergei succeeds in decapitating the enemy first, the Saila People will win.
If General Mingke breaks through from the flank or rear, the Iridescent Light Empire will win.
They're practically playing their cards right.
The adjutant never questioned the general's judgment, and immediately Earth Dao with enthusiasm, "In that case, order the four fleets on the right flank to launch an attack!"
"It's not time yet!" General Mingke waved his hand, his eyes deep and unfathomable. "We need to lure Sergei further forward and create an even bigger opening!"
The adjutant's expression changed. "But General, this means your safety..."
Mingke raised his hand to interrupt his adjutant, his tone firm and resolute, like the clang of metal on metal, "No need for further words. I have already disregarded life and death; any price is worth paying to win this war!"
"Yes, General!" Victor gritted his teeth and stepped back.
As time passed, when Sergei realized that the distance was close enough, he decisively ordered the main artillery of the central army to fire, launching a mass attack!
The next moment, streaks of light streaked across the dim universe, like a spectacular meteor shower, sweeping across the distance.
Under General Minko's command, the Mingke Iridescent Light Empire's fleet retreated in an orderly manner while pushing its shields to their limits, struggling to withstand the relentless bombardment from the front.
Among these attacks, the flagship suffered the most severe damage, its energy was consumed rapidly, all the indicator lights turned red in an instant, and piercing alarms sounded one after another.
However, with General Mingke in command, even in this critical situation, the soldiers inside the flagship remained calm. They performed their duties diligently, seemingly immune to fear and hesitation, like an unbreakable iron plate. Nothing could disturb them; as long as the general was there, they would not fail!
"What is the energy situation like, and how long can it last?"
"Reporting to the General, thanks to prior preparations, our energy reserves are plentiful. However, the flagship engine is operating under extremely high loads, and despite the presence of Mechanics for maintenance, it cannot sustain operation for very long."
"Give me a relatively definite time!" General Mingke emphasized.
Lieutenant Victor gritted his teeth and said, "25 minutes, that's the Chief Mechanics's limit!"
"Twenty-five minutes? That's enough. Order the right wing fleet to launch a full-scale attack!" General Mingke waved his hand, and his adjutant stood at attention and immediately went to relay the order.
"Commander-in-Chief, the left flank of the fleet is under heavy attack. The enemy has concealed their strength; they have organized at least four large fleets, with firepower three times stronger than before!"
Sergei's expression remained unchanged upon receiving the news. Just as General Mingke had predicted, Sergei did not underestimate his opponent; he had long anticipated General Mingke's intentions. However, he still chose to launch a strong attack down the middle route.
"Hold the left-wing fleet to its place. Do not retreat an inch. Die on the battlefield, or die!" Sergei's tone was icy, leaving no room for negotiation.
"Yes, Commander-in-Chief!"
"Furthermore, order the 7th, 19th, White Horse, and Kestrel fleets, which are serving as reserves in the rear, to support the left flank and hold off the enemy's right-flank attack."
"Clear!"
"Heh, so it really was bait? Mingke, you've got some nerve. Let's see who comes out on top!" Sergei sneered and issued another order, "Central army, charge! Don't worry about the situation in the rear! At all costs, take down Mingke's flagship!"
The order was given, and the Saila People fleet stretched out once more, like an ever-extending arrowhead, heading straight for the heart of the Iridescent Light Empire's fleet.
One side launched a fierce attack, while the other retreated in an orderly manner, and the battle lines continued to stretch.
On the flanks, with the addition of four medium-sized fleets and Sergei's death order, the Saila People, with their fearless courage, stood like an impregnable wall in front of the Iridescent Light Empire's fleet. Although warships were being destroyed every moment, they did not retreat an inch, displaying remarkable bravery.
However, what Sergei failed to notice was that with his reserves being withdrawn from four medium-sized fleets, his rear began to be vulnerable.
After three deep flanking maneuvers and taking a long detour, the "Wolf King Assault Ship Fleet" immediately launched an attack upon discovering the Saila People's vulnerable rear.
The Wolf King Assault Ship's ferocious firepower advantage was fully utilized in this situation where the enemy's strength was weak.
One by one, strategic support points were eliminated.
Soon, it was Thousand Leaves Planet's turn.
Facing the "famous" Lion Fleet, 7th Fleet Commander Masainu Lelves, who was serving as the interim commander-in-chief, did not take it seriously and chose to attack from all sides.
His idea was simple: this fleeing fleet would surely be demoralized and likely surrender immediately in the face of an attack. In this way, he could take Thousand Leaves Planet Blood Blade, while also disrupting a batch of the Saila Empire's most advanced space warships—a win-win situation.
However, while Masainu's idea was good, he forgot one thing: when besieging an enemy, there must be an opening.
The Wolf King Assault Ship Fleet slaughtered its way through, sparing almost every single Saila People warship, annihilating and destroying them all.
What would the officers and men of the Lion Fleet think of such a horrifying scene?
Surrender? You need to give us a chance first!
Judging from your aggressive demeanor, you clearly intend to annihilate us all.
The Lion Fleet, now trapped like beasts and threatened with death, rediscovered the chivalry they had once forgotten, unleashing unprecedented fighting power.
"Brothers, the Vist People aren't giving us a way out, what do we do?"
"Fight them!"
"Charge out!"
After a brief mobilization, the Lion Fleet, under the command of Sorens, began its gradual resistance, relying on the fixed war fortresses of Thousand Leaves Planet.
The Lion Fleet, going all out, finally showed the world for the first time what it means to overwhelm people with money.
While Sorens and other high-ranking fleet officers were indeed greedy and fond of business, they were also graduates of the rigorous military academy of Saila, and possessed all the necessary tactical skills; they simply didn't want to fight.
In addition, almost all members of the Lion Fleet came from the Kaidilar Planet, and their families were generally well-off. If it weren't for the unique conscription system of Planet Saila, they wouldn't have joined the army.
As a result, the major conglomerates and companies belonging to the Kaidilar Planet were spending lavishly on their "precious sons," equipping the Lion Fleet with all sorts of high-tech weapons and equipment.
The effects weren't apparent under normal circumstances, but once the fighting actually began, the three Wolf King Assault Ship Fleet of the Iridescent Light Empire were completely dumbfounded.
These three large fleets, equipped with the most heavily armed Wolf King Assault Ship, were surprisingly not much better than the opposing Lion Fleet in terms of direct firepower.
What's going on?
"What's going on? Why doesn't the Lion Fleet's combat strength match the intelligence?"
"With this level of firepower, just how many high-end weapons are they equipped with?"
There was a lot of discussion in the command room. They thought they were the easiest to handle, but when they tried to bite into them, they almost broke their teeth.
Bang!!
Masainu slammed his fist on the table with a loud thud, his face contorted with rage. "The enemy's firepower is fierce, but their energy engines are limited. They can't hold out for long! Increase the firepower! We must take Thousand Leaves Planet as soon as possible! The general is holding off the Saila People attack with a small force at the front. We can't hold him back!"
Upon hearing Masainu mention General Mingke, everyone's expressions turned solemn, and they all pledged their allegiance to the military.
Thus, an even more brutal battle broke out.
No one expected that the most brutal battle since the Saila Empire attacked the Iridescent Light Empire would take place on Thousand Leaves Planet, which was located in the rear.
One side fought desperately to defend their lives, while the other side fought desperately to attack for their country and for the general they admired.
To further enhance the firepower, Masainu even ordered the fleet to advance, shortening the distance to increase the destructive power of the energy beams.
This is essentially a life-for-life fighting style.
Because they had a larger number of warships, it was a case of killing 600 enemies while losing 1000 of their own!
In the fierce battle, one after another of the most advanced spaceships were blown to pieces, and countless fragments fell toward Thousand Leaves Planet like meteors. Coupled with the occasional energy beams that leaked through, Thousand Leaves Planet's environment was severely ravaged in a short period of time, with only one-tenth of the surface buildings remaining and countless lives lost.
This is war.
The destructive power of a space fleet is catastrophic for any planet; even the aftershocks are enough to Destruction a planet's surface ecosystem.
The distance between the two sides continued to decrease over time.
When the distance was close enough, Gustavo suddenly transformed into his true form, a thousand-meter-long spider-like behemoth covered in sharp, blade-like spikes, leaping out of the warship and leading the Dragon Soldier Legion in a boarding action.
The three Wolf King Assault Ship Fleet, relying on their numerical advantage, had already brought the Lion Fleet to the brink of collapse, but with the sudden appearance of Gustavo, the situation changed once again.
The Wolf King Assault Ship is a type of space warship with high attack but low defense. It is fast and has strong firepower, but its external armor is of average thickness, its shield generator is just a common model, and its energy shield is very thin. It is most vulnerable to boarding combat.
In a very short time, the Wolf King Assault Ship were breached by the Dragon Soldiers. Gustavo even summoned a massive Void Torrent to help the Dragon Soldiers break through the energy shields first, allowing the Hammer Dragon Warrior to slip inside and wreak havoc.
As black smoke rose in waves, a large number of Wolf King Assault Ship were brought to a standstill.
When Sorens and other high-ranking officers of the Lion Fleet witnessed Gustavo's incredibly fierce performance, they were moved to tears. It turned out that he was indeed a master of boarding action, and they had misunderstood him.
Thanks to the precious time bought by Gustavo, the Lion Fleet's Mechanics quickly repaired and reinforced the energy engines, restoring their firepower, which had been weakened by the overload.
"Damn it, the Ashes dared to interfere in our direct war with the Saila Empire! When we get back, I will definitely suggest to the Ministry of Defense that we cooperate with the Crimson Alliance to wipe out these despicable bugs!!" Masainu roared angrily. Unlike the calm General Mingke, this general was hot-tempered and known for his daring and aggressive nature, earning him the nickname "Raging Bull."
"Your Excellency, should we change our attack direction? The Lion Fleet is no easy nut to crack; they even have a large number of Department of the Extraordinary supporting them," an advisor suggested to Masainu.
"No!" Masainu immediately rejected the suggestion. "If we can't take Thousand Leaves Planet, and we want to take a detour, we'll have to leave a fleet to watch them, otherwise we'll be vulnerable to rear attacks. But if we do that, our frontline forces will be insufficient to complete the mission assigned by General Mingke. Therefore, we must take Thousand Leaves Planet first before continuing the attack!"
"Commander, isn't the Lion Fleet supposed to be quite cowardly according to intelligence? Perhaps they won't attack our rear if we abandon our offensive."
"Hmph, do you still believe that bullshit intelligence?" Masainu roared, "This must be a conspiracy by the Saila Empire, a smokescreen released by that old devil Sergei to make us underestimate our enemy, so that he can launch a surprise attack at a crucial moment."
"I should have figured this out long ago. The Lion Fleet, with such a majestic name, how could it be as cowardly as rumored..." Masainu's expression was uncertain.
The others nodded in agreement when they heard his words; that was true, and the commander's explanation reflected their own thoughts.
After all, this formidable fleet in front of them couldn't possibly be associated with the word "cowardly."
"Continue the attack! Destruction them completely!"
Amidst the beastly roar of the Raging Bull Masainu, the three large Wolf King Assault Ship Fleet continued their attack.
Time passed slowly, and of the Lion Fleet's more than seven hundred warships, only thirty remained, forcing them to retreat into the near-Earth orbit of Thousand Leaves Planet.
Gustavo's Dragon Soldier Legion also suffered heavy losses, but he wasn't too bothered. They were just puppets anyway, and he had enough materials to make as many as he wanted.
Gustavo's only worry was that if the fighting continued like this, his entire army might be wiped out.
Shortly after he conceived this idea, a bizarre scene unfolded: the Iridescent Light Empire fleet, poised for victory, suddenly retreated.
They left Thousand Leaves Planet in batches, and after an orderly evacuation, they transformed into streaks of light that disappeared into the vast Starry Sky.
Sorens, who had survived the ordeal, was stunned, seemingly unable to believe it was true.
"Alarm, alarm, unknown fleet detected approaching... Unidentified communication requesting access..."
"Communication?" Sorens' pupils trembled as he answered the call.
The projection appeared, and a middle-aged Saila People with a hooked nose and distinct facial features came into view.
This man was Lieutenant General Yers Menier, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Second Army Group. He was a fierce general who usually looked down on those cowardly troops and publicly humiliated them was a common occurrence for him.
However, at this moment, Vice Admiral Yers, who had always looked down on the Lion Fleet, saluted Sorens with utmost respect, "Thanks to your tenacious resistance, the Commander-in-Chief was able to lead the central force to defeat the enemy's main force. You are truly the Lion, the Champion fleet!!"