The vast tide of crystal particles crashed over like raging waves.
On Snow Dove cockpit’s screen, a red targeting marker continuously locked onto the trajectory of the mecha ahead.
Jiang Jianming narrowed his eyes, calculating the moment just before colliding with the alien creature swarm. As he lowered the protective plate in front of his eyes, he pressed the button to issue the firing command.
On the inner walls of the northern and eastern zone fortresses, dark cannon muzzles simultaneously gathered energy, beams firing in unison.
In an instant, the sky bloomed with fierce fire like flowers. The sound of cannon fire mingled with the roars of alien creatures!
“Ugh…!” Jiang Jianming’s eardrums ached from the shock, his cockpit violently shaking. A coolness touched the back of his neck as the intelligence Seth Henry automatically injected him with a tranquilizer.
“Jiang!” Ryann called out to him, “You…”
Jiang Jianming calmly interrupted. “Your Highness, just focus on going forward at full speed. Leave the rest to me.”
Ahead, darkness and white light flashed alternately, blood rain splashing up and down. Ryann’s crystal bones covered over ninety percent of the Twin Stars’ main half-body as it plunged in.
The Snow Dove maximized its energy shield, closely following the wake left by the Twin Stars.
The mecha in front blocked most of the cannon fire, while the mecha behind precisely shot down the alien creatures that slipped through. They were like dancers grazing past the scythe of death.
Just seconds later, Jiang Jianming realized a thorny problem.
The firepower wasn’t enough. Most long-range cannons were configured on the gun platforms of the fortress’s outer walls, muzzles pointing outward, with very few able to reach the central area.
Moreover, the speed at which the gun platforms adjusted coordinates couldn’t keep up with the mechas’ full-speed flight. If this continued, they would soon be surrounded by alien creatures, slowing their pace!
Jiang Jianming decisively opened communications. “Major General Xie, please help!”
Eastern zone of the fortress.
Xie Yuduo stood inside the broken wall on the third level of the fortress, grabbing his hair in desperation.
Too crazy, he thought. How could this be happening? How could the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess charge into enemy lines when even the army couldn’t hold ground and had to retreat!?
But looking around, every imperial officer and soldier was craning their necks, their eyes bloodshot, staring fixedly at where those two mechas had gone.
Rumble…
In the central area, the monster Margaret once again struck the blue defense net with her crystal bones.
This strike gathered all the monster’s strength. The alloy steel plates under her feet burst open in all directions, even the ground beneath the steel plates cracking!
Suddenly, a soldier began to whimper.
“Our…”
He tore at his uniform, wailing to the sky. “Our fortress!”
For the Silver Big Dipper, this wasn’t just a military fortress they were guarding, but a home they had built with their own hands.
Who could bear to see their home destroyed? Who could willingly accept the meaningless deaths of their comrades?
The soldier cried. “Major General! That’s our fortress!”
Xie Yuduo’s eyebrows twitched. He took a deep breath and picked up the communication earpiece.
By the looks of it, those two who had gone mad couldn’t be called back. So what else could be done? Only…
The general steeled his heart. “Stationed starships in Alpha Star Domain, hear my command. Full energy firepower support, clear a path for Their Highnesses!!”
In space, Silver Big Dipper’s starships moved.
As they moved, the Crystal Cult starships locked in a standoff in the star domain naturally had to move as well.
Hundreds of starships began a chaotic battle, fighting from the star domain down to the planet’s atmosphere. The imperial forces couldn’t get close to the ground in a short time, their cannons unable to aim precisely, only able to sweep indiscriminately.
So while they said they were clearing a path, it was really just a joint bombardment. It was only thanks to Ryann using crystal bones to protect both mechas that they didn’t crash.
…Everyone knew that with this intensity of cannon fire, Ryann’s crystal bones would inevitably be injured, and his body would certainly suffer severe backlash. But now there was no other way.
Whenever damaged crystal bones crumbled to ash, new ones immediately covered over, only to be damaged again.
“…”
Jiang Jianming clenched his jaw, almost unable to bear watching the crystal bones shatter.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he shouted into the communication. “Your Highness, are you still conscious!?”
There was no response from the other side for about three or four seconds, then came a voice mixed with labored breathing. “…Keep up with me!”
M-Snow Dove clung to the underside of L-Twin Stars, as if they had become a single iron boat in the sea of flames.
At this moment, the white crystal monster had swollen to be taller than the highest level of the fortress. Margaret’s eyes were vacant as her crystal bones repeated the attacking motion.
Rumble… Rumble!!
The blue light net flickered violently, this time unable to repel the white crystal bones.
The crystal bones pressed down inch by inch, the light net alternating between bright and dim as the defense system used its last energy to resist the monster’s force.
“Cough… cough!”
Inside Snow Dove, Jiang Jianming supported himself with one hand on the control panel, cold sweat soaking his back. The crystal particle environment here was too harsh; every breath he took made him tremble in pain.
Inside the mecha, all data readings had long since gone red. Seth was barking frantically, but with his voice turned off, he could only pitifully flood the screen in the corner.
The dense smoke and fierce fire were finally left behind as the two mechas charged side by side into the central area!
Jiang Jianming struggled to look up. There was… there was just a final stretch of distance…
But right at this moment—
With a “hum,” the light net completely dissipated into thin air.
The defense system had been shattered!
Margaret’s crystal bones converged into a beam high in the sky, about to smash down.
They were so close, but not in time.
In the distance, Xie Yuduo sighed long in frustration.
All was lost.
Inside L-Twin Stars’ cockpit, Ryann raised his head fiercely, blood staining half his face and tangled curls, continuously dripping onto the control panel.
No, not yet…
He wouldn’t allow it to end like this!
The next moment, his pale green pupils contracted. A powerful mental shock centered on him, using the dense crystal particles in space as a medium, suddenly transmitted in all directions!
The scene from the Battle of Lan Xishi repeated itself. The alien creatures behind let out miserable screams, their consciousness confused as they toppled and fell towards the ground.
In front, Margaret’s body tilted!
The white crystal monster stumbled two steps, its heavily falling crystal bones missing their original target—landing on the fortress iron wall beside the main cannon.
Bang, rumble…rubble fell.
In a flash, an idea sparked in Jiang Jianming’s mind.
With his left hand, he maximized the energy of Snow Dove’s rebound defense shield. His right hand pushed the control lever diagonally, directly ramming into the nearby Twin Stars.
The collision force was amplified by the rebound shield, causing Ryann’s mecha to speed up another level in an almost impossible situation!
The mecha’s cannons had all been discarded at the very beginning; this thing had almost no combat power at the moment.
Ryann went even more completely mad—the full-speed advancing mecha directly crashed into the white crystal bone monster in a self-destructive manner!
Explosion flames soared into the sky.
Margaret let out a scream, stumbling back another step.
“Ah… Ah ah ah!!!”
The girl encased in white crystals seemed insane, throwing her head back and emitting meaningless shrill sounds.
The next second, in the sky, over a dozen enormous crimson-gold crystal bones rose from the flames, accompanied by crisp sounds as they pierced into that white crystal mass!
Huge waves of cheers erupted simultaneously from the two areas where the imperial army was stationed.
“Did we make it!?” Tang Zhen’s face was flushed red with excitement, “That’s great, that’s…”
But when he looked back, Xie Yuduo’s face beside him was still ashen.
“Not so good,” the major general shook his head, saying bitterly, “His Highness has expended too much. He’s already so injured, his condition is probably…”
Even the sunlight was shadowed.
Ryann was lifted to an extreme height by his own crystal bones, his platinum hair dancing wildly in the wind. He gritted his teeth, veins bulging at his temples, his breathing heavy and tinged with pain.
Countless sharp edges shot out from both their crystal bones almost simultaneously.
Colliding, shattering, regenerating, colliding again.
The millions of “clangs” were so dense they merged into one sharp, piercing long whine that extended across the entire fortress sky.
Blood droplets fell like rain.
It was Ryann’s blood; the backlash from pushing his crystal bones to the limit caused wounds to open all over his body.
After each collision, crimson-gold crystal fragments would splatter. He was locked in a stalemate with the monster at the cost of self-mutilation, yet still at a disadvantage.
Yes, although the imperial army had never conceived the notion that “their prince could also lose”… their prince was also a living person.
He could tire, be injured, die…
So how could he not lose?
A few drops of blood were blown away by the wind. Suddenly, a white streak flashed by, and the crimson color pattered onto Snow Dove’s wings.
Having endured that recoil just now, Snow Dove nearly crashed directly. By the time Jiang Jianming piloted the mecha to fly up again, his heart had turned ice cold.
He immediately made a judgment: in Ryann’s current state, this kind of struggle simply couldn’t last too long.
When the time came, forget about slaying the Bishop of Death —even His Highness’s own life would be in danger!
The sound of crystal bones colliding still stimulated his eardrums, as if striking his heart.
Jiang Jianming felt his chest heaving with surging blood and qi. He stared fixedly ahead; that black giant cannon and the crystal bones battling in front of it were getting closer and closer.
Snow Dove wasn’t originally a strong offensive mecha. Even if he rushed over to support right now, how much help could he provide?
What… was there that he could still do?
What he should really do.
There should be something, Jiang Jianming thought, his lips pale. He breathed rapidly, closing his eyes as his vision began to darken.
He felt he must know the solution, the final, only, victorious method in this situation.
Yes, he knew it with perfect clarity.
Suddenly, the young man with black hair became calm. He reached out to open the fixed communication channel. “Major General Xie, please give me the unlock code for the main cannon.”
“Wha…”
Xie Yuduo was stunned at first.
But he instantly realized what Jiang Jianming intended to do.
Xie Yuduo’s eyes flashed with grief as he shouted hoarsely. “No, no, Little Excellency, you can’t do this!!”
“…Major General Xie.”
Despite the critical moment, the voice from the other side was calm to the point of gentleness.
Yet it carried an irresistible force. “Do you remember what you said to me at the Stele of Heroes?”
“…!”
Xie Yuduo’s heart shook.
Once… in that underground palace lined with white monuments. He had knelt before the young man who claimed to be just a commoner and sworn an oath.
If the young man could become the one to lead Silver Big Dipper, the general would be willing to offer his loyalty.
In mid-air, Snow Dove whistled as it cut through the wind, brushing past the Crown Prince’s figure in the distance, twisting its body to fly towards the main control room below.
“This is an order.”
“Xie Yuduo, give me the unlock code for the main cannon.”
……
Snow Dove landed in the main control room. The moment Jiang Jianming pushed open the cockpit door, he felt the chaotic crystal particle flow rush at him violently.
As if struck in the chest by an immense force, he suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground, but forced himself to get up the next moment, staggering forward.
It was only about a dozen steps, but Jiang Jianming fell three times. When he finally managed to support himself on the control panel, both his hands were covered in his own coughed-up blood.
Overhead, the sound of crystal bones colliding had become almost frenzied.
Jiang Jianming quickly executed the unlock sequence, leaving dark red traces wherever his fingers touched.
This was…
The final, only, victorious method.
Earlier, Raymond and his group had opened the main control room but hadn’t unlocked the main cannon. This was out of concern that once unlocked, if they encountered a strong enemy attack from the Crystal Cult, the soldiers might not have time to lock the main cannon again before perishing, and this most powerful weapon of the First Fortress would fall into enemy hands.
But now, this place was already an empty forbidden zone for the living.
Even the alien creatures were affected by Ryann’s mental attack earlier, temporarily unable to return to normal.
So, they could fire.
[Password correct]
[Fortress main cannon beginning to unlock…]
[10%…30%…]
Crack…!
Suddenly, a brutal snapping sound came from above.
Countless crimson-gold crystal edges crashed down, deeply embedding into the main control room’s floor.
[…50%…70%…]
Jiang Jianming took a broken breath, dragging his unsteady body towards where the firing lever was located.
Halfway there, he fell again. This time he had no strength to stand up, and in his haste could only crawl forward on his knees.
He knew that the torment of crystal particles alone shouldn’t have reduced him to such a wretched state.
Even if it did, the cold that now filled his body, the grief and pain that threatened to burst his heart, must surely come from something else.
[…90%…100%…]
[Main cannon unlock complete, beginning to charge…]
The moment his fingers touched the firing lever.
He felt the world go dark.
The fortress’s main cannon was originally a high-damage weapon aimed at starships in high orbit and large alien creatures.
So if he fired, he would have to include Ryann, who was suppressing Margaret, within the attack range.
What would happen after that was up to fate.
[…50%…]
Light gathered in the depths of the main cannon’s muzzle.
Perhaps because no one had imagined it would come to this end, at this moment both the imperial army and the Crystal Cult could only stare blankly at this scene, temporarily losing the ability to think.
Ryann also saw the light of the main cannon charging.
A dazzling color bloomed in his expression, and the Crown Prince revealed a sharp smile.
He admired that Jiang Jianming could think of this method in just a few short seconds, and was gratified that the person he loved had the courage to make this choice.
Like countless times before, he felt proud of Jiang Jianming, and joyful at how their souls were in sync.
But that smile also withered.
He still couldn’t bear it.
[…70%…]
Jiang Jianming gripped the firing lever tightly, his deep black pupils looking up to the sky, his pale and blood-stained hand trembling violently.
With this push, he didn’t know if Margaret would truly die, nor did he know if Ryann could survive.
With this push, it was possible he would kill his own Little Highness with his own hands, yet fail to eliminate the enemy.
[…90%…]
The universe is merciless. There will always be a possibility in this world that even if you exert all your efforts, staking your own and others’ lives and wills, you may still face the most desperate outcome.
Some people know this, yet still push forward to the death.
Is this right? Or is it wrong?
Is it courage, or is it foolishness?
[Beep————]
[Main cannon has completed 100% charging]
Jiang Jianming became strangely calm, even as Alpha’s cold wind surged in, like knife points scraping his bones.
In the heart-wrenching pain, he had an epiphany.
Under this starry sky, there is no right or wrong, only choices.
So at this moment, Ryann would be there, and he would be here.
In the final second, the pale back of his hand stopped trembling.
Jiang Jianming pushed the firing lever all the way down.
Be victorious, my Highness.
My lover.
