The close-earth orbit cannons released a dense barrage of light. Giant battleships, flying from space stations and Earth, simultaneously fired and launched a massive number of combat troops.
They formed an impassable wall, blocking the enemy outside the planet.
Swish—
A long blade left a brilliant purple streak in the dark cosmos, seemingly cleaving the starry sky in two. The hundreds of Abyss Beasts that had been roaring and charging were instantly frozen, like sculptures.
The Valkyries and Knights who had come to meet the attack all stood in place, watching the space around them crack with fine fissures, each one only inches from their bodies.
No one dared to move. Their intuition told them that even S-rank powerhouses would be sliced through if touched by those fissures.
Cling.
The sound of a blade being sheathed pierced their ears. Everyone's eyes widened. They saw the cosmos shatter like a broken mirror, splintering into countless pieces. The ferocious Honkai Beasts were cut and decomposed within this shattering, finally dissolving into innumerable particles.
Turning their heads, hundreds of pupils reflected a flash of pink. A figure in a swordswoman's uniform stood behind them, gently sliding a long blade back into its sheath.
The blinding sharpness was gone, allowing them to finally look directly, and upon seeing the slender, long ears, many sighed in relief.
"It's the 'Setsuna' Flame-Chaser, Lady Sakura! Her blade is as sharp as ever!" Another pink-haired girl, holding a long blade, exclaimed, her aqua eyes filled with stars.
"It really is her! She hasn't appeared for three centuries, has she? Why tonight..."
"Idiot! Every time the Moon Ring stirs, we enter a state of maximum alert. Would the Flame-Chaser ladies be unprepared?"
"Uh, are you going to say hello? That's your idol."
The scattered voices drilled into Sakura's ears. She maintained an expression of neither joy nor sorrow. She looked at the Moon, which had returned to normal, and then at the fragments floating in space.
'Mobius and the others ran off too fast, just dumping this mess on me. Hua is messing around with her, too. Well, I guess I can understand after so many years of waiting.'
She gently bit her lip. She wanted to rush to the Moon to see what was happening, but her duty held her back. She scanned the battlefield with cold eyes.
Dense close-earth orbit cannons, a dozen Hyperion-class battleships, and hundreds of warriors.
"Follow me to continue the advance. Pursue the remaining fragments. Five small teams will land on Earth to eliminate the stragglers."
"Yes!"
With a Flame-Chaser present, the warriors' morale was high. Even though these Abyss Beasts were much stronger than before, humanity had been preparing for over a millennium. They had no fear.
Sakura stood at the rear of the front line, her gaze sweeping over the entire battlefield, ready to assist at any moment. After observing for a while, the slight furrow in her brow relaxed.
Very strong. And their coordination is excellent. They don't need my help at all.
That's right. Two thousand years of accumulation, various new technologies—they are far stronger than the Previous Era. And this is just the first line of defense. If it were breached, Mei would open the channel at any moment to send in the true main force.
'Just a Moon Ring. I can suppress it with a flick of my hand. But there is a hint of Sa's aura mixed in. I need to capture two specimens for Mobius to study. This Moon Ring's shattering must be related to Him.'
As Sakura contemplated, she gripped her blade and moved forward. Watching the battle firmly leaning in humanity's favor, she couldn't help but sigh softly:
"If we had this power during the End War, perhaps Ryan wouldn't have had to face It alone."
"He's not stupid. He wouldn't give us time to develop slowly. The Fire Moth-Chaser only took less than five years in total."
A familiar yet unfamiliar voice pierced her ears. Sakura's footsteps halted. She instinctively sprung her blade, but the three-inch-long, snow-bright blade froze, as if welded in place.
Sakura maintained her forward-leaning posture and turned around at the fastest speed of her life. Her slightly trembling pupils reflected the figure of the newcomer, and she instantly turned into a statue.
Instant crash, huh? Am I that scary? Why does everyone look like they've seen a ghost when they see me?
With the noisy cosmos as the backdrop, Ryan simply looked at her. After a long moment, he raised his hand. Since he didn't know what to say, flattery was the most appropriate choice.
"Sakura, after tens of thousands of years, you are still so dependable."
The swordswoman remained motionless. Her cold gaze swept over her hands, and her lips twitched slightly before quickly smoothing out.
"Mhm. And then?"
"Your swordsmanship is even more advanced. I wouldn't have been your opponent before the Seventh Herrscher."
Sakura gently bit her lip, supporting her blade as she moved forward, a chilling aura swirling around her.
"And then?"
Ryan began to panic. I'm complimenting you. Why the strong killing intent? He thought for a moment and decisively raised his voice.
"I sincerely apologize for making you wait so long. I rushed straight to the front line without even waiting for Mobius and the others."
Sakura's steps finally stopped. As if receiving an unexpected gift, she transformed into lightning and charged straight toward the man.
Ryan, of course, didn't dodge. After fifty thousand years, he would accept whatever resentment Sakura had. But he only felt a sudden weight on his chest as the girl slammed into his arms.
A soft body, soft lips, and an intense, fervent demand, filled with boundless longing.
Decisive, direct, and completely undisguised—this was the Flame-Chaser named 'Setsuna.'
The dark cosmos was being shredded by various light beams and energy cannons. Giant battleships swept past them. This scene reminded him of the charge toward the Cocoon of End. In that war, he had no guarantee of anyone's survival, nor did he dwell on who might fall.
Thinking of this, Ryan hugged Sakura's waist tightly, whispering in her ear, "I'll perform a magic trick for you. Think of it as a reunion gift."
"Oh? What magic trick?"
Sakura's face was flushed. She was confused, watching Ryan raise his right hand.
Snap.
A snap of his fingers. Just a snap. She felt an irresistible force spread through her body and into the cosmos. She instinctively turned her head, witnessing an indescribable scene.
The brilliant stellar ring expanded, vast enough to cap the Earth. It swept over the bustling front line, covering the entire battlefield.
In the blink of an eye, the tens of thousands of Abyss Beasts turned into fragments, then into particles, leaving the cosmos shrouded in a layer of dense mist.
If her slash could cover a region, Ryan had instantly cleared the entire battlefield, leaving the warriors bewildered, some still rubbing their eyes.
What happened? Where are the Abyss Beasts? Did they all self-destruct?
"You..." Sakura was also somewhat disbelieving. She knew Ryan hadn't been sleeping for the past fifty thousand years, but she never imagined he could be this powerful.
But quickly, her gaze became composed. She had submitted to Ryan because she valued the sense of security he brought her during the apocalypse. Now, that sense of security was beyond description.
"With you here, it seems I don't have to worry about the war with 'Sa.'"
"Thanks to His curiosity for startling me awake." Ryan's gaze was like a torch. He gently released Sakura. The hidden energy couldn't be concealed from him. Following the dissipation of the energy, he crossed the dimensional barrier and found a peculiar entity in a distant corner.
It resembled the Cocoon, but was far weaker than the Cocoon. Sa had been unable to fully 'cultivate' over the years, forced to concentrate his energy on manufacturing subordinates and fighting the Fire Moth-Chaser.
Is that all?
Ryan was a little disappointed, but quickly felt that using Him to stretch his legs and test his full power before embarking on a new journey wouldn't be a bad idea. He hadn't planned on leading a war anyway.
"Mei and the others will arrive soon. The troops have already been mobilized for you. All that's left is for you to raise the flag." Sakura stood straight, her fighting spirit high.
"No need for such trouble. There will be no war. I apologize for the disappointment."
"Oh? Then what are you..."
Ryan didn't answer immediately. He simply gazed into the distance, his entire being slightly blurring.
The far shore was close at hand.
In that instant, Ryan seemed to stand before Sa, enjoying the confusion and terror radiating from the entity.
Sa couldn't comprehend how this 'person' had arrived before Him. A vast Sea of Quanta and countless World Bubbles separated them. Why could he pinpoint Him directly just by following the residual energy?
More terrifyingly, this 'person' didn't exude any hostile emotion, nor did he show any desire to explain himself.
He was like a hunter, merely drawing a bow and notching an arrow after spotting his prey.
The man in close-earth orbit raised his hand. The mist pervading the cosmos seemed to be pulled by a force, gradually converging into a giant spear, a star-annihilating spear.
Ryan raised his hand, as if gripping the colossal spear, leaning back to charge the weapon.
"This one strike holds fifty thousand years of power. He cannot withstand it!"