The Fallen Star Lance, carrying unimaginable energy, shot from the Solar System at near-infinite speed and struck the star of the Trisolaran system.
From a broader astronomical perspective, it seemed as if a red beam of light directly connected the Sun to Alpha Centauri.
On the fleeing Natural Selection, and aboard pursuing ships like Blue Space and Ultimate Law, crews momentarily forgot their duties.
They stared blankly out the portholes, watching the crimson radiance extend from the Solar System into the deep void, piercing into the Trisolaran home system, into Alpha Centauri itself.
At that moment, the Trisolaran homeworld was orbiting one of the three suns.
The lance struck the star directly, tearing open a massive rift across its photosphere and convective layer—a hole wide enough to fit ten Jupiters side by side.
By Setsuna's deliberate design, the strike landed on the ecliptic plane.
From the Trisolaran planet, one could see a blindingly bright spot appear on their sun's surface. Radiation from deep within the star poured through the rupture, penetrating the photosphere, convection zone, and chromosphere, shining directly onto the planet.
Exposed to the stellar blaze, life on the surface was seared within seconds.
And that was only the beginning.
The onboard AI had precisely calculated the Fallen Star Lance's trajectory.
The beam completely pierced through the star, leaving a gaping void.
Then, in perfect alignment, it struck another star 6,000 AU away.
From a distance, it resembled a string of candied fruit.
The two shattered stars spewed massive amounts of stellar matter through the ruptures, fountains of flame shooting into space.
From the planet below, the sun appeared to sprout a magnificent fire tree.
"This is…"
The surviving Trisolarans on the homeworld trembled as the fire tree drew closer and closer.
In moments, surface temperatures soared past 5,000 degrees Celsius.
Apart from military fortifications and a handful of expeditionary warships, most cities were melted and scorched.
Billions of Trisolarans, unable to seek refuge, were desiccated in an instant. Their bodies dehydrated into thin sheets before burning away, turning to ash in the extreme heat.
The planet's surface ignited into raging infernos, magma overflowing.
Deep beneath the surface, near the core, lay the last line of defense—massive shelters built to withstand extreme astronomical disasters, reinforced with every available technology, even Droplet-level strong interaction materials.
For now, the shelters could resist the surface heat. Scientists frantically calculated the unfolding catastrophe.
At their technological level, Trisolarans could survive most Chaotic Era disasters.
If they endured this calamity, with the supplies and technology within the shelters, civilization could be rebuilt in short order.
But throughout millions of years of the Trisolaran system's evolution, through countless cycles of civilizations, none had ever faced the simultaneous destruction of two stars.
This was far worse than the Fixed Soaring Star.
It was not a natural disaster, but man-made—an assault from a higher civilization.
Their quantum computers simulated for several seconds before producing the unsurprising, yet utterly despairing conclusion:
"Supreme Leader, no life in this star system will survive this strike."
"Even the newly-launched refugee fleet will not escape the system."
Half an hour later—
The blazing fire tree engulfed the Trisolaran homeworld in its orbit. The planet was, in effect, running inside the star itself.
Oceans of magma consumed everything, eroding from the surface into the crust.
Ships in the atmosphere warped and melted, collapsing into streams of molten metal.
Underground shelters became blazing tombs, their temperature regulation destroyed, the interior searing beyond ten thousand degrees.
Orbital space cities, their systems failing, were dragged into the star by gravity.
By then, no life remained on the planet. The Trisolaran world was no more.
The two ruptured stars, after briefly spewing their matter into space, approached their end.
The immense energy contained in the Fallen Star Lance fractured their outer shells, beginning a collapse inward.
One after another, the stars exploded, each eruption more violent than a supernova.
In the vacuum, there was no sound—only the sight of the stars swelling thousands of times before shattering. Shockwaves and radiation ripped everything in the system into fragments.
Thousands of refugee ships, barely having escaped the scorching from the stars and just beginning their flight, were torn apart by the violent spatial upheavals.
The third star, slightly farther away, was struck by the shockwave of the first two explosions. Its outer layer cracked, then it too collapsed, triggering a third explosion.
After three stellar detonations—
Only one larger star remained, collapsing into a black hole.
Stellar matter and broken planets, along with the wreckage of ships, formed a vast accretion disk around it, like a gray graveyard.
The system finally stabilized. The three-body problem was resolved—
By the complete destruction of its three suns and the Trisolaran civilization.
Utterly efficient.
Every planet in the system was destroyed. Within the gravity well of the stars, not a single survivor remained.
Three supernova-scale eruptions obliterated all life in the system—whether on planets, in space cities, or aboard fleeing ships.
Only an extremely small number of vessels that had already been outside the system before the strike managed to escape.
The First Trisolaran Fleet, which had departed for the Solar System two hundred years ago, was similarly spared.
But they soon received another message from the sophons.
This was merely a casual strike launched by the Eternal Snowfall from the Solar System against the Trisolaran system.
The Starsea Empire commanded more than two hundred FTL starships, each equipped with weapons capable of shattering planets, and they were departing from the Solar System—coming for them.
...
The First Fleet's maximum speed was ten percent of light. The fleeing civilian ships were even slower.
Their enemy exceeded light speed.
And the Empire's leader had issued an order chilling in its simplicity:
[Cleanse all alien civilizations within two hundred light-years.]
"..."
The fleet commander turned back, gazing toward their lost homeworld.
They had spent two hundred years traveling four and a half light-years.
The Starsea Empire's fleet could arrive to intercept them in less than twenty minutes.
A deep sorrow and helplessness welled up within.
The Trisolarans had long since understood the Dark Forest principle.
The universe was crowded—each civilization a hunter, gun in hand, moving through the dark woods.
At the slightest sound, someone would always fire toward its source.
Now, into the Dark Forest had stepped a hunter unlike any other.
If other civilizations were hunters with guns, this one was a star destroyer looming high above the forest.
No movement within the forest could escape its gaze.
"..."
The fleet commander stared at the star map, dazed.
Within two hundred light-years, surely many spacefaring civilizations existed. They believed themselves well hidden, having mastered the laws of survival.
But to the Starsea Empire, it meant nothing.
Sub-light civilizations could only kneel like insects, praying for the invader's mercy, hoping a fragment of their fireseed might be spared.
"Many stars will be extinguished…"
The commander of the First Trisolaran Fleet looked out into the distant starlight and spoke softly.
...
The annihilation of the Trisolaran system, projected in real-time by the Eternal Snowfall, spread across Earth and to every remaining starship in the Solar System.
People instinctively looked up. In the night sky, the familiar triple star still looked the same.
That was starlight from four years ago.
If not for the Eternal Snowfall, they wouldn't even know what had happened within the Trisolaran homeworld.
No one doubted the authenticity of the projection—the sophons had confirmed it.
Four years later, humanity on Earth would be able to witness with the naked eye the most spectacular sight in history: three suns exploding. Astronomers would record how Alpha Centauri was detonated, shattered, and collapsed into a black hole, and through it glimpse the true might of the Fallen Star Lance.
By then, the Trisolaran civilization would already have been extinguished for over 1,500 days.
This was how an FTL civilization demonstrated its power—directly, undeniably.
While sub-light civilizations were still planning wars, defenses, or flights, every move they made was laid bare before the enemy.
On astronomical scales, the strike arrived instantly.
Such FTL attacks, crossing several light-years—or even dozens—were unavoidable.
For most civilizations, they would realize what was happening only in the final instant of their destruction.
What they could observe would only be the faint afterimage of the Eternal Snowfall from years earlier.
"..."
On the Eternal Snowfall's bridge, UN officials fell silent. On Earth, ordinary people froze. Even aboard the fleeing Natural Selection, silence reigned.
Scientists stared wide-eyed at the holographic display, desperate to extract useful information.
But Earth's basic sciences had been locked down by sophons for over 200 years. Even on a popular science level, they struggled to understand the structure of an FTL starship or the Fallen Star Lance.
On Earth, people first looked blankly at the sky.
Alpha Centauri was still there.
Many hoped it was all just a cruel prank by the Eternal Snowfall—some movie-like special effect meant to frighten them.
The sophons quickly shattered that illusion.
It was all real. In four years' time, every person would be able to see with their own eyes the Trisolaran homeworld's destruction.
Then—
Earth fell into chaos, disorder, and division.
Before churches, masses of believers knelt, crossing themselves, murmuring prayers.
"Lord, forgive us, save us…"
"Deliver us from such heavenly punishment…"
Millions of fanatics prostrated toward the Sun—toward the Eternal Snowfall's position.
"Savior!!!"
"The one who saved the world!!!"
"Humanity's hero!!!"
They paid no mind to the fact that Setsuna had just destroyed the United Fleet, wiping out humanity's entire space force.
Some were simply elated at the Trisolarans' annihilation; others were opportunists.
Since the Starsea Empire would replace the Trisolarans in ruling Earth, just as the ETO had once pledged allegiance to Trisolaris, so too would collaborators emerge—hoping to seize a share when society was rebuilt and power reshuffled.
Meanwhile, doubt and fear spread among humanity.
"The Trisolarans had already surrendered. Why did he insist on exterminating them?"
"Couldn't humanity and the Trisolaran civilization coexist peacefully? They even offered us the Droplet as a gift…"
"Tyrant!!! Inhuman tyrant!! If he exterminated the Trisolarans, he'll do the same to us!!"
"Dictator!!!"
Differing stances ignited fierce conflict across Earth.
Pacifists, opportunists, collaborators, bleeding hearts, spiritual Trisolarans—all sides clashed in chaos.
Information was processed by AI and relayed back to the Eternal Snowfall.
Officials felt exasperated.
With a star destroyer parked at the Sun, was this really the time for infighting??!
Setsuna chuckled. He wasn't surprised by humanity's petty squabbles.
He ordered the AI to switch to another surveillance feed.
"...Human thought is very diverse, please don't take offense..."
The Secretary-General cautiously apologized.
"No big deal."
Setsuna shrugged, turning away from the main console.
His gaze swept across the gathered officials.
"I don't care about the opinions of ants."
"Out of regard for us being the same species, I grant you the right to survive—but from now on, there will be no next time."
His voice was steady, decisive, carrying an oppressive authority that brooked no rebuttal.
Those officials, veterans of political maneuvering who thought themselves masters of power, couldn't help trembling.
In the face of absolute power, there was no room for tricks or deceit.
After witnessing the extinction of the Trisolaran civilization, everyone realized—the Eternal Snowfall was now a sword of Damocles hanging over Earth. A single misstep meant total annihilation.
Once the shuttle returned them to Earth—
Under the command of the Angeloid, governments began reconstruction.
Whether people liked it or not, from then on, the Solar System would fall under the management of the Starsea Empire.
All armed forces of the UN, nations, regions, and private sectors were fully confiscated.
Aside from small numbers of security personnel, Earth was forbidden from possessing or manufacturing any weapons—including fighters, tanks, and firearms.
Setsuna's governance of humanity in the Solar System was essentially "free-range."
No technological aid would be provided, nor would resources be extracted. Only the basic social order was maintained—to ensure humans caused no trouble.
The Empire's focus lay on researching laws-level weapons and other alien civilizations. Compared to that, the Solar System's trifling resources were insignificant.
Even so—
Everyone understood. A new era had arrived—
The era of Starsea Empire rule.
...
...
East Asia Administrative Zone.
Shi Qiang drove Luo Ji all the way to New Life Village No. 5.
With the United Fleet destroyed, the Starsea Empire taking over Earth, and the Trisolaran civilization annihilated—
Luo Ji's duties as a Wallfacer had ended.
With the new order forming, some chaos in human society was inevitable, though overall things remained under control.
After crushing uprisings and riots, the Angeloid mostly withdrew to the Eternal Snowfall, heading off to assist Bulin in constructing a starbase.
Management of Earth was handed back to humans.
Compared to the Trisolaran extinction policy, Luo Ji found the Starsea Empire far more lenient.
They simply didn't care about humanity. So long as no trouble was made, people were free to live as they pleased.
Aside from the confiscation of weapons and spaceships, life would see little change.
Screech—
As the car stopped, Da Shi frowned.
"Something feels off."
A crowd surrounded them. On everyone's clothes, holographic displays showed Luo Ji's portrait.
With devout expressions, they knelt before him.
"Lord! Save us!"
The leader spoke first, sparking a chorus.
"Deliver us from the alien invaders!"
"Great Speaker, uphold cosmic justice!"
"Use your curse to save humanity and Earth's freedom!!!"
"???"
Luo Ji was dumbfounded.
The Trisolarans were finished. He didn't consider himself responsible for saving humanity.
After a moment, he reacted, testing cautiously:
"The curse worked?"
"Yes."
The leader nodded.
"Fifty-one years ago, star 187J3X1 was destroyed. We observed it a year ago."
"When the United Fleet was annihilated by the Starsea Empire, in despair, some sought hope in history. They remembered you, and your curse."
"They checked the star—and found it gone."
"..."
Luo Ji nodded, unsurprised.
A few zealots even knelt to kiss his feet.
"So what do you want me to do?"
"Use your curse to defeat the invading Starsea Empire!!! Destroy that moon-sized ship!!"
The crowd erupted, united in discontent with the Starsea Empire.
With the United Fleet obliterated, they placed their hope on the former Wallfacer.
"..."
Luo Ji lifted his gaze skyward.
A few Starsea Empire ships, flying in protective formation, passed over Earth. Their trails burned across the night.
In a flash, their FTL drives ignited, radiating brilliant white light before vanishing into the horizon.
"It's useless."
After a pause, Luo Ji shook his head, displeased at being put on the spot.
"Forget it."
"In this universe, 'the curse' does not apply to them."
...
—
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