"Tsk, five alien generals at once? It's as if those monsters have gone mad, sending so many at the same time. I heard the Douglas family was handling the Federation's defense this time. They might end up losing a titled Star Armor warrior."
"Is that why you disobeyed the command center's orders and refused to assist the Violetcrown Federation on time?" asked a Star Armor warrior clad in black and red armor, his tone cold as he looked at another Star Armor warrior encased in a massive crimson suit nearly ten meters tall.
"What else? Follow orders and die for nothing? You heard it yourself—five generals! Anyone who went up against them was doomed. Right now, that Douglas family Star Armor warrior is probably already a cold corpse. If I'd followed orders and gone to assist, I'd still have a bit of warmth left."
"Enough, Aedais, don't give Guen such a hard time. In that kind of situation, how could you expect him to follow orders?"
"...Fine," Aedais relented after a brief silence, dropping the topic. "Let's go. We'll head to Selavi Station. The mission to rescue the Federation's Star Armor warriors has failed, but we can't leave those five alien generals roaming unchecked. We must stop their destruction."
Soon, the three titled Star Armor warriors, leading a massive army of nearly 100,000 troops, flew toward Selavi Station. By this time, it had been twenty minutes since the Douglas family elder had sent an urgent request for assistance to the Empire's command center.
"What... is that?"
Upon arriving at Selavi Station, the three titled warriors were greeted by an awe-inspiring sight: Muria's colossal martial avatar, spanning over 800 miles of sky. The sheer scale left the three leaders stunned, while the soldiers behind them collectively fell into a state of confusion.
"Should we attack?" one of the soldiers instinctively asked. Just gazing at the enormous avatar filled him with an overwhelming sense of insignificance and dread.
"This thing looks familiar... I feel like I've seen it somewhere before," one of the titled warriors muttered, frowning as he tried to connect the massive apparition with the reports they had received from the Federation.
"When did those invaders develop something like this? Fascinating. I wonder how destructive it can be," another Star Armor warrior mused, instinctively dismissing the possibility that this could be of human origin. Something so vast simply couldn't have been crafted by human hands.
"Test it with an attack. This is our Empire's territory—we can't just ignore it."
At the command, the three titled warriors and their 100,000 troops unleashed a full barrage. Streams of firepower illuminated the sky, their brilliance flooding the battlefield. The massive attack surged into the sea of clouds ahead, causing explosions to ripple through it.
Dark-shelled alien creatures rained down from the skies, lifeless. Large swathes of the martial avatar's pristine white energy dissipated under the intense bombardment.
"It's working! Keep firing!"
One of the titled warriors allowed a small smile to break through his grim expression. Encouraged by the results, he ordered the troops to continue their assault.
Then, the clouds shifted. The white energy surged once more, and from it emerged an emperor, majestic and unyielding, wearing a towering crown. His visage remained obscured by the twelve dangling tassels of the imperial headpiece, making it impossible for anyone to discern his features.
The emperor raised his hand and pressed downward in the direction of the army. Instantly, every soldier, from low-ranking warriors to the three titled leaders, felt as though the entire sky was collapsing upon them.
Before the emperor's palm descended even ten meters, the pressure caused the weaker soldiers to plummet like rain. Even some of the elite Star Armor warriors succumbed, unable to withstand the oppressive force.
"Damn it!"
The palm moved deceptively slowly, but its speed was overwhelming. Despite their desperate efforts, the three titled Star Armor warriors were struck, their bodies flung over ten kilometers away. Their sophisticated armor, bristling with weapons, suffered varying degrees of damage, shattered under the immense force.
"Command center! Requesting reinforcements! We've encountered an extraordinarily powerful alien general. The three of us combined couldn't withstand its attack," one of the titled warriors reported urgently after recovering. There was no room for pride on the battlefield—asking for help was the only sensible choice.
"Reinforcements? The five alien generals who breached our defenses and invaded the Empire's territory have already been eliminated. The victory report has already landed on my desk. And you're still asking for reinforcements?"
"Eliminated? But just now..." Aedais was dumbfounded. Lying in a crater, he stared blankly at his communication device. The command center's scathing reply made no sense to him.
"Hold on," the commander interrupted, "Douglas family representatives are contacting me. Wait for further instructions."
"What's going on? If the enemy's been eliminated, then what did we just attack? And what hit us like that?"
Using the wartime communications channel, all three titled warriors overheard the commander's words and collectively fell into confusion.
"You three idiots! What exactly did you just do?"
The command center's fury erupted over the channel moments later. "Not only did you fail to reach the battlefield on time to support the Federation's martial master, but upon arrival, you attacked him instead! Now the Douglas family is questioning why our reinforcements were late and then opened fire on their forces!"
"Wait, we didn't attack anyone from the Douglas family. We attacked—"
"You attacked the martial master's avatar!" the commander snapped. "The Federation has already informed me. You didn't even ask questions when you arrived—you just opened fire."
"That... was a martial avatar?" Guen, known as the Crimson Blade, began to doubt his entire worldview. The sheer scale of the avatar had shattered his expectations.
"Of course it was!"
"Do you know how massive that thing was? And you're telling me a human cultivated it?"
"Enough talk! Go and apologize to the Federation's martial master immediately, and show proper respect."
"But we're titled Star Armor warriors! Apologizing is—"
"Too much? You attacked the wrong target! Do you think an apology is too much to ask? Let me make it clear: if not for the current situation, you'd all be finished. That martial master defeated five alien generals and their entire army in less than fifteen minutes.
"Tell me, how long do you think it would take for him to deal with you?"
"...Fine, we'll go apologize."
With the commander's words ringing in their ears, the three warriors remembered their earlier encounter. They had fired upon someone who had wiped out five alien generals and their armies effortlessly—and who had casually swatted them away afterward.
When they returned to the site where they had been struck down, the sprawling sea of clouds had vanished. In its place stood a chilling mountain of corpses. Atop the pile stood a handsome young man, examining the tattered remains of the five alien generals. Nearby, an elderly man with a kind expression watched the scene with a pleased smile.
"Excuse me, are you Martial Master Jeros?" The three Star Armor warriors hesitated briefly in midair before landing cautiously beside the corpse pile. Bowing slightly, they addressed the youth with utmost care.
"Of course. Who else could survive your barrage and still send you flying like that?" Before Muria could respond, the elder spoke proudly, his tone brimming with arrogance. "This is our family's finest talent—someone who can not only shrug off your attacks but also make fools out of those who can't even distinguish friend from foe."
The elder had witnessed the entire battle and now basked in a sense of glory. Watching Muria stand atop the mountain of alien corpses, his confidence surged to the point of swelling pride.
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