Chapter 155: A Hollow Victory
"No matter who is in control," Cocolia interrupted, "the urgent task is to deal with the immediate crisis. The Voidrangers have noticeably slowed their attack rhythm."
"I think this is a good opportunity," Orion immediately interjected. "We should counterattack now."
Cocolia hesitated. "Counterattack? Isn't that too aggressive?"
"Precisely because of that, we must take the initiative," Orion said, walking to the map. "The Voidrangers are at their most scattered right now. If we wait for them to regroup, we'll truly have no chance."
"Orion is right," Dan Heng expressed his support.
Seeing their determined eyes, Cocolia made up her mind. "Alright! My command: all units prepare for a counterattack! Orion, you will have full command."
"Understood."
And so, under Orion's leadership, Belobog began its counterattack. The first victory came easier than expected. In the following days, news of victory kept pouring in. Orion personally led the team, penetrating deep into enemy lines time and again. That black sword became the nightmare of the Voidrangers.
"Orion routed a legion of over a thousand on the eastern front!"
"The encirclement to the south has been broken… Orion split their defenses with one sword!"
"Great victory on the northern front! Young Mr. Orion is too strong!"
His presence greatly boosted morale, giving the despairing Silvermane Guards hope.
One month later, the situation had completely reversed. The once overwhelming Voidranger legions now had only one final stronghold left.
"The time is ripe," Orion said at the operational meeting, pointing to the last red dot on the map. "I propose launching a major clear-out operation to completely eliminate all of them!"
The Great Clear-out Operation officially began. Orion personally led the main force, along with the Trailblazers, directly to the largest Voidranger gathering point. Bronya commanded from headquarters, while Gepard and Seele stayed to defend Belobog.
"All units in position!" Orion stood on high ground, overlooking the tens of thousands of Voidrangers below. "Charge!"
He leaped down, his black sword manifesting in mid-air. With one strike, the earth trembled! The black sword energy was like the Grim Reaper's scythe; wherever it passed, Voidrangers fell like cut grass.
"Charge—!" Seeing Orion tear open the defenses, the Silvermane Guards' morale soared, and they all surged in.
The Express Crew followed closely, cutting down any Voidrangers that approached. Facing such a fierce offensive, the Voidrangers finally broke and began to scatter.
"Don't let them escape! Annihilate them all!" Orion ordered.
The pursuit lasted for several hours. When the last Voidranger fell, only a field of debris remained.
"We won! We won!" March 7th excitedly waved her bow. She was panting heavily, covered in sweat and dirt, but a smile on her lips couldn't be suppressed.
However, Orion frowned. He noticed the distribution of the corpses seemed strange. "Dan Heng, don't you think the positions of these corpses..."
"Yes," Dan Heng also noticed. "They're too regular."
The group climbed a nearby hill. As they overlooked the battlefield, several of them gasped. The corpses of the Voidrangers had formed new characters!
"How is this possible…" March 7th said in shock. "They deliberately died in those positions?"
Then she read out the line: "The birth of destruction shall be crowned in laughter and death."
"The birth of destruction… crowned…" Stelle murmured. "What does this mean?"
Orion's expression became extremely solemn. Someone was witnessing, or even celebrating, the birth of a new destructive existence. And this new destruction… is me.
"Woo—woo—woo—" Suddenly, a piercing roar came from afar. It was the city's alarm.
"It's Belobog!" Stelle reacted.
"What happened?!" March 7th hastily opened her communicator.
Bronya's voice came through, filled with panic. "You… you look at the sky!"
Orion and the others looked up. In the distant sky, several massive dark shadows were flying towards Belobog. Their wingspans blotted out the sky, and each flap made the air hum.
"What is that?!" Stelle gripped her baseball bat.
March 7th suddenly took a step back, her face instantly pale. "No… it can't be… That shape… when we were at the Herta Space Station…"
"Doomsday Beast," Dan Heng said the name in a low voice, his spear trembling slightly. "And not just one."
March 7th's gaze darted among the figures, her face growing paler. "One, two, three… Five! There are five Doomsday Beasts!"
[Inorin Note:
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