Beams of blazing light shot into the sky one after another. Amidst a dense blockade of intercepting scout planes and fighter jets, the Empire's armored knights deployed en masse.
Furthermore, on the orders of the Secrecy Bureau, every member was placed on emergency assembly. Under strict, unyielding directives, every Celestial Chosen capable of flight tore through the air.
A scene resembling the advent of doomsday unfurled above Tacheng.
Across one half of the firmament, autocannons fired furiously as fighter jets pursued a remarkably slippery bomber with reckless abandon, striving to cut off and box it in regardless of the cost.
Thunder crackled across the heavens, and radiant beams surged from the earth. Between boundless devastation and death, the Vengeance soared like a pitch-black bird.
Continuously accelerating, its roaring engines unleashed a piercing echo that sounded almost like manic laughter as it skimmed across the sky.
Yet on the other side of the sky, nothing stirred. The azure firmament stretched clear and tranquil. Under the Federation's watchful surveillance and heavy suppression, peace remained undisturbed, years quiet and fair.
Only sharp, formidable auras rose one after another into the heights, keeping vigilant watch over this frenzied "military exercise." Every single missile launcher had already locked onto the Empire's vital strategic coordinates.
It appeared to be a tranquil, composed silence, but in truth, all preparations had been made for mutual slaughter.
A crisis capable of thoroughly igniting the entire powder keg was on the verge of erupting.
All the bewildered onlookers began to tremble in helplessness.
They simply could not understand.
A scene vibrant with life, where all things competed to thrive, had seemed right before their eyes just yesterday...
Even more incomprehensible was what madness had seized the Empire to push what was once a relatively stable situation to such a perilous brink in the blink of an eye!
There's really no need for this, big bro! There's honestly no need!
Just tell us what you want! If the boys scrimp and pool together, we can still squeeze out some fat for you!
We're begging you!
Why... why on earth go this far?!
Down on the earth, dozens of kilometers from the Imperial garrison base, a pale, swollen human head bobbed to the surface of a foul-smelling, murky drainage ditch before sinking under once more.
Just like that, drifting and tumbling, bobbing up and down, it rode all the way west until vanishing into the rolling tides of the sea.
Ten minutes later, in the deep ocean waters, the dead head suddenly twitched. Immediately after, life returned from the burnt offering.
Eyelids began to flutter once again. The missing body regenerated anew under the incinerating blaze of blood-flame, and a look of absolute weariness of life surfaced within his eyes.
Another ten minutes passed. An emaciated, white-haired shell-gatherer, completely naked and clutching a pile of shells, climbed onto a battered little skiff.
The old man panted, longing for a drink of water, when he suddenly sensed something was amiss. He felt his hair and plucked out a broken enoki mushroom...
At once, he could no longer hold back and unleashed a full routine of calisthenics composed of the finest profanities the modern world had to offer!
Now he finally understood why Ji Jue had worn such an unfathomable smile when discussing his escape route.
Turns out you motherfucker just flushed me down the goddamn toilet, didn't you?!
Just what in the world do you take our Swarm for?!
*Boom—*
Amidst a mournful shriek, a shadow cast from the heavens flashed past, followed immediately by another, then another, and another still... Amid the thunderous roar of autocannons, the sea instantly erupted into geysers of water under a barrage of stray rounds.
The tiny sampan tossed relentlessly in the violent winds.
Yet the old man, prostrating in "terror," could not resist raising his head to stare at the black silhouette that had just whipped past at low altitude, his face twitching.
That son of a bitch sure plays big!
Even going to his death, he makes it earth-shattering...
"Have a swift reincarnation, Boss,"
Old Tom rolled his eyes and raised a distant middle finger. "Have a safe trip!"
No one answered.
Only the Vengeance, soaring freely through the heavy encirclement high in the sky, let out a brazen, shrill shriek.
*Goodbye, I'm off to die!*
***
At that very moment, inside the Vengeance's cockpit, where countless warning sirens echoed incessantly, a sudden *biu~* sounded from the pilot's seat.
Under the targeted teleportation of the Doomsday Express, "Ji Jue" materialized in the empty cockpit in an instant. Before he could even fasten the seatbelt, a dizzying spin seized him.
Under the violent barrel roll, he was nearly slapped against the canopy like a limp rag.
Billowing thick smoke rushed straight into his face!
At this moment, hunted down by dozens of fighter jets and the Empire's armored knights, the wildly galloping Vengeance had long reached its absolute limits.
The bomber once forged by the Empire at all costs was now riddled with holes from the onslaught of diverse weapons. Both wings were damaged, the port engine was dead, and the phlogiston reserves were running on fumes, teetering on empty.
It was practically a miracle.
In this game of cat and mouse, it had held on until now, frantically parrying and swerving, clashing continuously, yet still unable to break through the Empire's ever-tightening dragnet.
The Vengeance, which had just been steadily accelerating, suddenly pitched its nose up without warning, slamming on the aerial brakes!
A Cobra maneuver sent the Imperial armor tailing it aggressively overshooting to the front. Immediately afterward, short autocannon bursts blew apart the heat-seeking missiles hurtling toward it.
After making a wide circle over the open sea, the Vengeance caught its pursuers unawares, executing a sudden sharp turn in an attempt to shake off the foes closing in from all sides.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
Lacking sufficient power, it could no longer maintain peak speed. In its supersonic dash, the battered airframe began to fracture and shed plating rapidly.
*Boom!*
Narrowly rolling to evade a nasty bolt of lightning, its speed proved a fraction too slow after all, and it was locked on by Tianyuan.
An invisible force erupted from the void. Missing by a hair's breadth, it tore away the exposed landing gear.
Instantly, the Vengeance rocked violently, as if stalling, and began to spiral.
Inside the cockpit, having erased the final trace of his presence, Ji Jue looked up once more. He saw the oncoming armored knights surging toward him, along with faint figures rising one after another from within Tacheng.
The inescapable net lay right ahead; there was no way out.
Nor was there any need to flee.
The final stop was just ahead!
Midair, smoking profusely and teetering on the verge of collapse, the Vengeance actually accelerated again, charging head-on straight into the encirclement!
"Warning to Vengeance C-09: immediately disable all weapon systems and comply with instructions to make a forced landing! You have no escape! Repeat, you have no escape!"
Over the encrypted friendly communications channel, the voice—already hoarse to the point of smoking—continued to shout: "On humanitarian grounds, the Empire will grant you prisoner-of-war status! It is not too late to abandon darkness and turn to the light! Only by cooperating with the Empire will you have a chance at life!
"Warning, Vengeance C-09, immediately—"
Amidst the repeated warnings, the fire-engulfed Vengeance let out a sound like manic laughter as it cut through the air.
Within the inescapable encirclement, it pitched its nose down sharply.
As if on a suicide run, it plunged straight toward the ground!
More precisely... toward the presidential mansion of the White Nation Provisional Government, whose occupants were completely dumbfounded on the ground, totally oblivious to what was happening!
Over the public channel, the response from the Vengeance finally sounded.
Amid shrill sirens and heavy static, someone in the cockpit roared hysterically, shouting to the Empire, to Tacheng, to everyone watching this place, and even to the entire world.
At last, he uttered the classic line that had heralded countless detonations throughout history.
"—Witnessed by the White King, the White Nation is eternal!!!"
The hoarse, shrill voice carried instantly into everyone's ears.
"What the hell?!"
Countless onlookers bolted upright in shock, their expressions contorting instantly. Before they could even process it, their vision went black, again and again.
It was as though they could already see the ashes of nine generations of their families dancing freely in the air.
Instinctively clutching their heads, they let out unnamable shrieks.
*Fuck your mother, what the fuck are you saying?!*
*Big bro, if you don't know how to talk, you can keep your mouth shut! I'll kowtow to you right now—can you just swallow those words back down? Pretty please?!*
*Say another word, goddammit!*
*Please, hurry up and add that it was all an act just now, won't you?!*
Unfortunately, there was no chance left.
Ji Jue had no chance.
And neither did they...
*BOOM!!!!*
Blazing light that had long gathered strength on the ground shot skyward.
A pitch-black suit of power armor arrived like a titan tearing through the air. Defying gravity and wind resistance, it flickered and jumped like a phantom, materializing out of thin air right before the falling bomber.
A savage faceplate lifted, instantly locking onto the roaring pilot inside the cockpit.
The Empire's fifth-generation power armor prototype had deployed!
There was not even time to react.
An uncanny spear pierced the air without warning. Like death itself, it effortlessly ripped through the cockpit, skewering and pinning the presumptuous beast dead.
At the same time, invisible forces snapped shut in the void, clamping down hard on the falling bomber and forcibly freezing it in the sky.
Before his display screen, Duke Passarella shot to his feet in excitement, his eyes wide as he stared unblinkingly at the feed. He could no longer hold back a sigh of relief.
Inside the operations room, countless people cheered and shouted, congratulating one another, embracing with tears practically welling in their eyes.
Finally!
It was finally fucking over!
Soon, they saw the feed transmitted by the armored knight.
Impaled upon the spear, the charred, dying figure had been struggling violently and twitching just moments ago, only to suddenly go stiff.
Under the backlash of the pack blood oath, his soul was annihilated, welcoming death.
Not a trace of life remained...
That lifeless husk could no longer maintain its disguise.
Under everyone's stunned gazes, thick, bristling black fur sprouted from beneath the flesh. Amid the grotesque warping of the flesh, a beast-like countenance emerged...
It quickly disintegrated, turning to ash and vanishing into nothingness.
Gone.
Just like the smile that had only just appeared on Passarella's face.
A minute later, another photo from the scene was sent to the screen in the bunker.
The screen cast a faint glow over rows of numb, funeral-pale faces.
The photograph showed the burning wreckage of the Vengeance, mangled and twisted beyond recognition.
And upon the racks that should have been fully loaded...
It was completely empty.
Where was the fusion bomb?
Where the fuck was the fusion bomb?!
"Heh..."
Inside the operations room, the stunned munitions director suddenly let out a hollow laugh.
He raised his hand, starting to speak, hesitating, starting again, yet unable to utter a word. Only his trembling hand drew his service pistol and shoved it into his mouth, choking down a wail of despair.
He did not even have the strength left to pull the trigger.
Amidst the dead silence, no one spoke.
Only a rainbow of light tore through the air as a tardy figure emerged.
"Fear not, children, I have arrived!!!!"
Amidst that rousing, impassioned voice, Ellis, Earthly Warden Precipice, who had rushed to reinforce the Empire, laughed aloud. He looked up, his blood already boiling, prepared to wage a grand battle against a mighty foe!
Unfortunately, no one replied.
Bewildered, he looked around, seeing only the faint aura of death clinging to everyone's faces and hollow, lifeless eyes devoid of all hope.
He froze in place.
"Uh..."
He ran a hand through his golden hair in confusion, utterly unable to comprehend:
"Am I late?"
Chapter 601