usatvline Chapter 403 64 - Decapitation: Rupert III
Chapter 403 64 - Decapitation: Rupert III
So... Wende's mission was also a crucial one. Right now, he was like an anonymous online troll, furiously using trivial matters to launch "malicious slander" against Nanook for his past deeds. The richness of his vocabulary and the intensity of his emotion made the other spectating Aeons exclaim, "When did an Aeon of Slander come into existence? And one that can wear other people's skins, no less!"
In short, Nanook's attention was temporarily diverted from the rest of the cosmos. He was currently mired in another "war," the first-ever "Aeon Scuffle" in history, also known as the "Simulated Universe Chat Room Cyber Flame War"!
Returning our focus to the main battlefield, things were bustling aboard the Astral Express, the main force for this decapitation strike. On one hand, they had to synchronize their strategy with the rest of the Alliance; on the other, they had to devise two separate plans of their own to deal with the aftermath of the assassination mission.
Once all resolutions were agreed upon, the Alliance's first move... began!
---o---
The first wave, a pathfinding squad composed of the Xianzhou and Galaxy Rangers, deployed simultaneously with decoy teams from other factions. They immediately drew the mechanical constructs in this star system in five different directions.
On the main front, a mixed fleet of countless starskiffs and high-speed warships plunged into the swarm of mechanical constructs like a steel blade. The Xianzhou pilots' superb flying skills and ferocious firepower instantly sent the frontline constructs into a full retreat.
However, the number of mechanical constructs was like a swarm of mechanical locusts in space—disgustingly numerous. While they posed no real threat to the pilots and Galaxy Rangers, they significantly slowed their advance.
At the same time, Rupert III, at the very center of the mechanical swarm, began to stir. The surface of the entire mechanical planet shifted and reconfigured. Then, a massive, deep crater was suddenly revealed on its colossal body, as if a corner of the planet had been forcibly gouged out.
And within that crater, a suffocating, heart-pounding power was gathering...
If Wende had seen Emperor Rupert III at this moment, he probably would have blurted out the words "Death Star" in shock. Such a planet-class battle station, a weapon of war equipped with a superlaser cannon, was an unforgettable sight for anyone who laid eyes on it.
And right now, Emperor Rupert was slowly aiming that massive "cannon muzzle" at the Xianzhou allied forces on the main front.
If a laser of that caliber were to fire, every object in that sector of space would be turned to cosmic dust in a torrent of extreme heat, including a large portion of its own mechanical constructs.
But to Rupert III, those constructs were nothing more than cannon fodder for his grand plan. They weren't worth the effort to maneuver around. Their value wasn't even as much as the energy consumed by this single laser shot!
"It seems Master Gongshu's calculations were correct. This guy really does have a superweapon. If that cannon fires, the entire frontline team will likely suffer a devastating blow!"
Welt looked at the projection, an "I knew it" expression on his face.
However, since they had anticipated this move, the Alliance had naturally devised a way to counter it.
A high-intensity electromagnetic interference bomb. For mechanical lifeforms, this was a weapon as deadly as the "Death Note." A single one could cause every electrical device on an entire planet to shut down and burn out on the spot. While one couldn't take out Rupert III directly, it could at least stall the progress of its energy charge.
The unit responsible for deploying the bomb was from...
"Wait, why are the Masked Fools in charge of deploying the electromagnetic interference bombs?"
Stelle looked at the projection showing the team tasked with disabling Rupert III, her voice filled with confusion.
She had encountered plenty of Masked Fools on her trailblazing path. Were these guys... really reliable?
"Don't worry, there's another bomb deployment team."
March patted Stelle's shoulder and then pointed to a team in the corner of the projection.
Ah... it was a squad of Mourning Actors. Well, this was just great. Two groups "blessed" by Elation, who couldn't stand the sight of each other, were now tasked with the same deployment mission.
"Um... it should... probably... maybe be fine?"
Himeko looked at the two teams, and the thought of their love-hate relationship gave her a headache. The dynamic between these two factions was truly hard to watch!
"Let's trust them. When faced with matters of great importance, I hope they can view the problem correctly."
Welt also looked quite troubled.
The two teams' mission priorities were not identical, but their ultimate goal was the same. The Mourning Actors would advance from behind the Xianzhou fleet, using the EMP bombs to clear a path and find an opportunity to hit Rupert III hard!
The Masked Fools' mission was to fire wildly at Rupert III's position!
It was a simple task. Although the EMP bombs might be blocked by other mechanical constructs, as long as a single one hit its target, it would be a success!
After all, that was Rupert III. The EMP bomb only needed to interrupt its weapon's charging process. Wanting to destroy it directly was pure fantasy!
This was also why the Mourning Actors needed to help clear the way for the main force. Tailing behind the main force and the Mourning Actors was the Astral Express, poised and ready. As long as they safely advanced to the designated target area, the Astral Express would launch immediately, charge straight in, deploy Kevin, and have him cleave Rupert III in two with a single strike!
Alternatively, they could deploy Dan Heng as well, but that was a backup plan in case Kevin failed to finish Rupert III.
Once the Mourning Actors and Masked Fools joined the battle, the previously troublesome mechanical constructs on the front line instantly became oversized "space junk." It made sense; Rupert III wouldn't waste precious resources on this cannon fodder. Most of them were evolved from simple intelligent machines and were unlikely to have built-in anti-interference systems.
As it turned out, although the electromagnetic interference bomb was an ancient piece of technology, it was still incredibly effective!
Under the free-for-all "bomb scattering" by the Masked Fools and Mourning Actors, an EMP bomb finally struck Rupert III...
But the effect wasn't as good as they had hoped. On Rupert III's surface, an electromagnetic shield directly intercepted the bomb. Although it caused a partial breach in the shield, it didn't affect the charging of its superweapon!
This scene was naturally observed by all the factions present, and they came to one conclusion: if the subsequent EMP bombs couldn't hit Rupert III's main body through the gap in the shield... then the Xianzhou and Galaxy Rangers on the front line were likely doomed.
---o---
"It seems we've indeed run into some trouble. Go and help them, my dear lady. Only your ribbon... can bring this to an end. Whether it's the past... or the present."
In an unknown region of space, an old man murmured as he gazed towards the location of the great battle.
At the heart of the battle, countless mechanical constructs swarmed like locusts, circling the massive body of Rupert III, protecting their "god."
And amidst this swarm of machines, a certain ship, invisible to the naked eye and undetectable by sensors, was nimbly evading all constructs, heading rapidly towards the gap in Rupert III's shield.
Piloting this vessel was an elegant lady. Her face seemed to be blurred by the influence of some strange artifact, but the obscured features still couldn't hide the "lethal" aura emanating from her.
She was the fourth member of the Genius Society, Polka Kakamond, also known as the "Lord of Silence."
The ship's launch tube aimed at the still-unrepaired shield gap. A hyper-electromagnetic pulse bomb, its warhead wrapped with a ribbon, was launched at extremely close range through the gap, hurtling towards Rupert III's main body.
This reckless move was tantamount to suicide, but she didn't see it that way. And in this world, only she... could make a clean getaway.
The prophecy once made by the venerable Nous did not refer to a single event, and Polka Kakamond... was something of an "anti-Emperor" specialist...
BOOM!!!!
On the surface of Rupert III, an electromagnetic pulse storm instantly swept across the entire "planet"! The weapon of destruction, which had been in the middle of charging, was forcibly halted by the interference. And Emperor Rupert III's core computer actually shut down for nearly half a minute under the assault of this PM-version electromagnetic pulse bomb!
Polka Kakamond had intended to finish it off right then and there, but she was stopped by a voice.
"That man is the new Emanator of Preservation. The universe needs to witness his power. This will also serve to proclaim the might of our lifelong chairman... Leave the rest to them. You've worked hard."
The lady, who was about to strike, immediately ceased her actions upon hearing the person behind her. She then quietly departed in her ship, which was completely unaffected by the bomb's explosion.
She was, after all, the fourth member of the Genius Society. Before she became infamous throughout the cosmos, she was a rare genius...
Some wars need to be fought for millennia, but once the enemy reveals a fatal flaw, ending the war... often takes very little time.
With Rupert III temporarily shut down, the frontline forces immediately seized the opportunity to push forward. Even after Rupert III rebooted itself, it was unable to effectively intercept the force that had already penetrated deep into its core territory.
By now, the other factions' efforts to pin down the mechanical constructs began to take effect. If Rupert III were to redeploy constructs from other fronts, the enemy could just as easily strike from those weakened positions.
For a moment, Rupert III was caught in a logic loop. It always sought the most perfect solution, but...
As it turned out, maximizing one's body size was clearly not a good idea.
The frontline Xianzhou forces went into full-on warrior mode, driving straight into the heart of Rupert III's territory. Because of that PM-version interference bomb, Rupert III was temporarily unable to reactivate its superweapon. This was the perfect window of opportunity!
The Xianzhou forces immediately began clearing the area. The Mourning Actors' interference bombs, combined with the hunter-like high-speed starskiffs, quickly cleared out most of this airspace. It was now suitable for the Astral Express to dock. Next, they just needed to deliver Kevin directly to Rupert III's side.
The train launched in an instant. Trailing a long tail of light, the Astral Express rapidly entered the star system where Rupert III was located, passing through the path cleared by the frontline forces.
Aboard the train, Kevin was ready, the Might of An-Utu in his hand, poised to strike. He had never used this power from the most ancient of [Gods] before. He had recently crammed on the worldview of Honkai: Star Rail, and thinking about it, it was exactly like the stories of becoming a hero he had imagined in his youth...
Heh... am I... a hero?
If the Honkai world had developed according to its original laws, he would have become a villain. But now was not the past.
Before entering the Star Rail world with Otto, he had returned to the World Serpent, entering that world for the first time...
There were still many things he couldn't let go of. But when he saw those old friends again, especially her...
So, MEI, please forgive my selfishness. But now is not the time for our reunion. There are still some things... that I need to verify.
The scenery outside the train's porthole flew by. Moments later, the train arrived in the airspace near Rupert III. Dan Heng, Stelle, and March immediately exited the carriage to engage in combat, clearing out the nearby mechanical constructs.
Welt calculated the most suitable path for Kevin, while Himeko needed to operate the various equipment on the train to prepare for their subsequent escape.
All was ready. Wielding the Might of An-Utu, Kevin stepped out of the carriage.
The mechanical planet named Rupert III was currently four hundred thousand kilometers away. And what he had to do... was shatter it with a single strike!
"Are you ready?"
Holding the simulated Star of Eden, Welt pushed up his glasses and asked Kevin, who was beside him.
"Let's begin."
He was ready.
"I will use gravity to accelerate you. You need to destroy it quickly after you get close. According to the data, you don't need to specifically look for its weak point. After you defeat it, the overwrite program will activate, and all nearby mechanical constructs will initiate their self-destruct sequence, so you don't need to worry about the train's return journey."
"I understand."
"Good."
Welt nodded, then controlled the simulated Star of Eden to envelop Kevin.
Kevin's figure rapidly approached the colossal Rupert III, the Might of An-Utu in his hand trailing a streak of fire in the vacuum of space.
From the observation perspective of the other factions:
A line of fire, as thin as a thread, appeared in the star system near Rupert III. And at the forefront of this "thread," a tiny point of light slowly approached the massive mechanical planet.
Then... a sheet of flame erupted like a supernova! It completely transformed the nearby sea of stars into a sea of fire! The dazzling glare and extreme temperatures instantly fried the optical equipment on many reconnaissance probes!
This light persisted in the cosmos for a full minute before gradually weakening...
When the light dissipated and people once again turned their gaze to where Rupert III had been, they found that there...
...was nothing left.