The following events proceeded in an orderly manner. Jiang Jianming returned to the command room and somewhat calmed the military’s concerns – though how effective this was remained to be seen, he had done what needed to be done.
Afterward, he told Sylph about his subsequent plans, which earned him a complicated expression from the chief.
“I cannot say it’s impossible to succeed,” Sylph struggled to find the right words, “It’s just…”
She ultimately didn’t finish explaining what “just” meant, but instead composed herself and said seriously, “But since you have already decided, I will hope for the best outcome.”
After Sylph left, Jiang Jianming returned to his and Ryann’s room.
With His Highness gone, the room suddenly felt much colder. He ate something alone, then voluntarily entered the treatment cabin for a short rest.
About an hour later, Lin Zhi’s personal communication woke him up, bringing the news he wanted.
“Your Highness Jiang. The communication with the Empire has been established. Do you wish to speak with Her Majesty or the Old Marshal?”
“Thank you for your trouble, please connect me to the military headquarters.”
Half a minute later, Jiang Jianming pulled out a chair and sat in front of the communicator.
He thought to himself: This is also a form of avoidance, isn’t it? I just told Xie Yuduo to face his marriage relationship, yet here I am afraid to face Lin Ge…
When the communication connected, the projection screen showed not the military office, but the interior of the Gyrfalcon mecha cockpit.
The white-haired Old Marshal’s eyes blazed. “Commander, circumstances required that I could only speak with you here.”
Jiang Jianming pushed aside other thoughts, his expression becoming grave.
“I originally wanted to ask if there was any unusual crystal particle activity in the Empire. It seems things have reached the point where the Supreme Commander must personally take the field…”
“Speaking now won’t interfere with anything, right?”
Chen smiled. “Don’t worry, if there’s an emergency, even if it’s your communication, Commander, this old man won’t hesitate to cut it off when needed.”
This scene of both sides calling each other “Commander” was truly bizarre. In leisure time, Jiang Jianming would certainly have made some helpless remarks about it. But now he wasn’t in the mood, and only said, “Then I’ll be brief.”
As he spoke, Jiang Jianming opened both his light computer and wrist device, shared his data charts, and demonstrated while speaking with his fingers moving quickly.
“The situation isn’t optimistic. Chen, I can foresee… what will happen next.”
The black-haired youth pressed his brows. “The Crystal Nest is making its final counterattack, large streams of crystal particles are surging past the space station towards the human empire.”
“I had technicians calculate the rate before – in five hours, the Alpha Alien Star where the Silver Big Dipper’s first fortress is located will be the first hit, and in about half a day, all nine star cities will be affected.”
On the star map, as the time values changed, white arrows extended acceleratingly towards the Empire’s territory.
“By then, those caught in the battlefield will no longer be Far Star soldiers, but more ordinary civilians who haven’t been trained and are used to peaceful times.”
Jiang Jianming said in a deep voice, “The casualties will be extremely heavy. The mental pollution from crystal particles will also take advantage of the situation. Once the crystal disorder outbreak begins, the situation will be completely uncontrollable.”
Chen stared at that expanse of white, stroking his chin and pondering. “Hmm, but I heard that until the Pangu’s Axe restarts, there should still be…”
The old man glanced at the time, “Forty-nine hours, right?”
“Rest assured, Commander, the Empire can hold on for this amount of time. I’m more worried about the space station.”
“The space station is temporarily safe.”
Jiang Jianming’s gaze swept across the golden-red outside the window and said, “Like the Empire, we can barely hold on for forty-nine hours, we can manage that.”
“But,” he leaned forward slightly, lightly tapping his interlocked fingers, “there’s another question: have you considered what if that shot from the Pangu’s Axe doesn’t succeed?”
Chen’s drooping eyelids suddenly snapped open.
A murderous light like swords and daggers flashed in the old man’s eyes, pale golden mental threads trembling in response!
Torrential rain poured in the skies above the Aslan capital, with lightning and thunder flashing in the distant horizon.
The mecha L-Gyrfalcon fired all its cannons, flames engulfing the crystal creatures scurrying about, reducing the buildings in the area to ruins.
Lieutenant General Luther’s voice came through the military channel, mixed with the sound of rain. “Supreme Commander, the shelter in zone 3 can’t hold much longer, requesting reinforcements! There are still about three thousand non-crystal people here…”
Chen snorted. “Reinforcements? We’ve no troops left here either. Tell those meritorious nobles to send out their private guards to protect the city, say it’s my order.”
Through the earpiece, that voice continued. “…it’s not impossible. The Crystal Nest keeps releasing crystal particles and its volume is shrinking accordingly. I’m worried the previously targeted coordinates might deviate.”
“Now, everyone is hoping the Pangu’s Axe will end this with one shot. The military will surely hype up this forty-nine-hour countdown to encourage ordinary citizens to hold on, isn’t that right?”
The mecha L-Gyrfalcon looked down at the city districts through the downpour, as crystal life forms continued taking shape at various street corners.
“But what will people think if after forty-nine hours, they find the crystal particles’ assault hasn’t stopped?”
These crystal creatures moved sluggishly, unlike their unpredictable behavior at the Crystal Nest; their strength was also mediocre, B-grade crystal bones could shatter them, not even matching alien creatures.
But for ordinary people, just the fact that alien life forms had invaded their doorsteps was enough to cause panic and chaos.
Soldiers and some brave new humans were still fighting, while more people could only scream, cry, and flee in panic. Patrol police desperately tried to calm and maintain order, but with little effect.
Old Marshal Chen sighed, “Indeed, they’ll wonder: Has the frontline fallen? Is the military lying to us? Is there no hope left for the living, and were the sacrifices of the dead meaningless?”
“They’ll instantly despair, losing all will to fight. Commander, you’re preparing for the worst scenario.”
“Haven’t you?” Jiang Jianming swiped away all the shared virtual screens, while picking up the Wings of Venus from the table and inserting it into his holster.
Finally, he took up the Crown of Golden Dawn’s mecha bracelet, slowly putting it on his wrist over his glove.
Old Marshal Chen: “Even if I have, there’s nothing I can do, Commander. At that point, mere words won’t be enough to give everyone courage.”
“Unless we can have a real, tangible hope that won’t shatter until the very end.”
“A hope that victory will come after bitter struggle, a hope that the sun will rise after enduring the dark night.”
Old Marshal Chen’s eyes gleamed, “Can you bring this hope?”
Jiang Jianming leaned back in his chair, his gaze turning to the faint golden-red color outside the window, and calmly said, “No, I cannot.”
“But I can fabricate one.”
****
After cutting off communication with the Empire, Jiang Jianming began considering what remaining matters he needed to handle, and what else he could do.
The golden-red color outside the window was still being constantly torn at by crystal particles. He forced himself not to look, nor imagine the pain Ryann’s consciousness was enduring, to avoid disrupting his thoughts.
Just as he was contemplating whether it was necessary to write another will, there was a knock at the door.
Jiang Jianming got up to open it, and froze for a moment.
“…Dad.”
Jiang Sheng stood there with a bitter expression.
“Ming Ming,” the middle-aged man’s eyes showed sorrow as he placed his hand on his child’s shoulder, saying softly, “Must you go?”
“…Why does everyone think I would die with him?”
Jiang Jianming shook his head and smiled wistfully. He stepped aside, gesturing for Jiang Sheng to come in and talk, but the latter didn’t move.
Jiang Jianming had to be honest. “Yes, I do have things I must do. It’s for His Highness Ryann, and partly for victory. From my personal perspective, personal feelings… the former weighs slightly more.”
“So, Dad, I’m sorry.”
“If I don’t return, when Dad has the chance to visit the Glorious Star City someday, please visit Ms. Wen Helga’s bronze statue for me… would you?”
“…”
Jiang Sheng let out a long breath.
His Adam’s apple bobbed, as if he had countless words to say.
But in the end, the man simply stepped forward and embraced the child he had raised, each word coming out with difficulty. “Ming mMing, you don’t need to be so formal with Dad.”
Jiang Jianming leaned into Jiang Sheng’s embrace as his father’s large hand messed up his hair. He blinked his eyelashes and spoke softly, “Dad, I…”
“So many people think I would die with Ryann,” he laughed before finishing his sentence, “so…do I…do I look like I’m deeply in love with His Highness?”
Jiang Sheng was stunned, “Why ask such a foolish question?”
Jiang Jianming slowly closed his eyes, burying his face in Jiang Sheng’s shoulder, and whispered. “If that’s the case, then I truly have no regrets.”
****
Somewhere in the Crystal Nest.
Exact time unknown, exact location unknown.
The distant sky was obscured by turbid crystal particle storms. Nearby, as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but crystal edges and hellish blood and corpses.
Dozens of human soldiers’ bodies were sealed within large patches of crystal. Some had their limbs twisted off, eyes gouged out, crystals piercing their abdomens… yet they still clung to life by a thread.
“…..”
Tang Zhen couldn’t remember how many times he had awakened from chaos.
His consciousness contained only endless torture and infinite torment.
The mental pollution from crystal particles couldn’t be simply summarized with words like “pain” or “fear” – perhaps it was too difficult to describe using known human concepts.
Tang Zhen had lost consciousness multiple times but always woke up after some time.
Each time he awoke, he could see his comrades’ cruel deaths through his remaining eye.
The crystal particles’ consciousness “told” him that only humans whose will had been completely crushed would be granted the mercy of death.
Tang Zhen watched one person after another die. The commanding officer died, the veterans died, brothers who had been close friends just yesterday died…
At first, he had shouted encouragement to everyone not to give up, that humans would win once the Pangu’s Axe fired again; later he begged everyone to hold on, that they could go home once the war ended.
Now he lay motionless like a puppet, blood trickling down his hair, blurring his remaining eye.
He also saw Bei Man’er, that girl was right across from him. The once beautiful and vivacious noble lady was now covered in blood, barely recognizable as human.
Dead or alive? Man’er hadn’t shown any signs of life for a long time, he couldn’t tell if she was dead or alive.
Perhaps the mother nucleus consciousness judged that watching companions being destroyed one by one was more effective at breaking his will than eternal darkness.
Actually, Tang Zhen couldn’t understand why he hadn’t broken down yet, he felt he should have gone mad long ago. This wasn’t scientific at all, damn it, who was it that had praised his good mentality such a long time ago…
Oh, being able to make such complaints in this situation, perhaps he truly was uniquely gifted in this aspect.
“F*ck you…” Tang Zhen cursed with a hoarse voice that sounded as if it had been burned, “…f*ck you mother nucleus crystal particles…”
Crystal particles drilled into his throat, exploding with intense pain. Tang Zhen’s body suddenly convulsed, veins bulging on his forehead. More crystal spikes pierced his body, his heart-wrenching screams turning into barely audible gasps midway.
Nearby, a female soldier who could barely move shed a silent tear from the corner of her eye.
“Tang… Zhen…”
Bei Man’er’s eyes were unfocused and half-open, with only tears continuously flowing out.
She weakly tried to straighten her mangled fingers, “Tang Zhen…”
Only regretting that the distance was too far, beyond her reach.
Bei Man’er unwillingly gritted her teeth, but whimpers still escaped between them. “Tang…”
As tears once again rolled down her blood-stained face, her right prosthetic leg suddenly made a crisp sound of metal breaking!
A screw fell onto the white crystal ground.
Ding!
Like the soft clinking of wine glasses.
That sound came from deep in her memories, blurring reality with past years. The spring breeze of Aslan Capital blew away the hell before her eyes, lifted her heavy and incomplete body, carrying her to float back and look.
She seemed to see the luxurious decorations, the three-tiered golden chandelier, illuminating the pearl dress she wore.
On that day years ago, at a ball filled with perfume and elegant guests, wine glasses clinked.
Miss Bei had just finished a dance and was leaning against the railing amidst praise when she suddenly glimpsed some commotion on the street below.
A fight had broken out. A young man in formal wear had pinned down some notorious young master and was punching and kicking him, his mouth spewing a string of street thug curses.
People around whispered, criticizing this young man’s rudeness and impulsiveness as truly lacking refinement.
She raised an eyebrow and watched for a while, finding it amusing. “Are there still noble youths with such a temper in Aslan City?”
The butler hurriedly said, “Young Miss, don’t you remember? That’s Little Master Tang, you met him at a banquet a year ago.”
Bei Man’er remembered. It was truly a boring banquet, just because the Tang and Bei families had ancestral connections, having to greet the younger generation too was really unreasonable.
But at that time, watching Little Master Tang following behind Old Master Tang from afar, she found that he too seemed disinterested, and couldn’t help feeling a sense of kinship.
Yet the youth she saw today was passionate and straightforward, his expressions of laughter and anger so vivid, reminding her of wild horses on the prairie.
So Miss Bei snapped her black feather fan shut, dimples appearing on her cheeks as she leaned against the window and smiled. “This person is quite interesting, I like him.”
I like him.
Ding! —
Bei Man’er suddenly widened her eyes, letting out a shrill roar of rage.
Her right prosthetic leg abruptly shattered. A goose-yellow crystal bone had forcefully pierced through the metal, penetrating the nerve-connected metal, blood dripping from its tip!
Sharp fragments were thrown out in an arc like flying arrows.
Two drops of bright red blood splattered on Tang Zhen’s face.
He stared blankly with wide eyes, blood suddenly gushing from his mouth.
The metal fragment had pierced through his throat, a fatal wound for his Base Body.
Across from him, Bei Man’er smiled at him with acceptance.
“Tang… Zhen.”
She wanted to say, “I like you.”
But such words had been said too many times when they were schoolmates.
“Next time… when we meet again…”
So Bei Man’er lifted her blood-stained face, showing a smile as bright as ever, “Marry… me…”
****
“–Man’er!!!”
Deep within the Black Shark Base, a youth’s anguished cry suddenly echoed.
Tang Zhen rolled out of the treatment cabin, his limbs convulsing, continuously retching. Medical soldiers and lab staff crowded around him talking, but he couldn’t hear anything clearly.
The mental burden made his vision blur, his head feeling like it was being split open with an axe. Man’er… it was Man’er who sent him back, Man’er…
In his swaying vision, Tang Zhen’s consciousness grew dim, he could only see a window. It was the base’s porthole, outside a sky full of golden-red light was falling, magnificent and vast.
“Is the sun setting…”
Tang Zhen’s body grew cold, and before losing consciousness he mumbled, “Or is it meteors…”
It was neither.
Thirty-eight hours had passed since Crown Prince Ryann had transformed into crystal particles to protect the Golden Sun Wheel space station. This was the time bought with the heir’s life.
But now, that crimson-gold barrier finally could no longer be maintained.
At the final moment, it shattered piece by piece, like a rain of fire withering away, each crystal particle dissipating in the air before reaching the ground.
“Your Highness…!!!”
Diana and Changze both burst into tears, and more members of the Black Shark Base cried out as well. Chief Sylph quietly looked up, her expression silently grief-stricken.
Soldiers roared in anguish, some collapsed to their knees. Xie Yuduo leaned against his mecha, his tightly clenched fists trembling continuously.
Jiang Jianming stood alone in the vast crimson-gold light, his figure appearing so small.
He gently raised both hands, his expression the calmest of everyone’s, even watching his lover’s death with what could be called a tender gaze.
Until the countless lights withered away completely, falling before his eyes, falling through his hair, falling past his lips, falling between his raised fingers…
Several crimson-gold crystal particles fell on his shoulders, like young birds returning to their nest, before dissipating.
Jiang Jianming turned around, adjusting his wrist device while walking down the exposed stairs toward the space station’s top level.
The metal plates beneath his feet were in ruins, and the disabled person walked unsteadily. Ryann’s crystal particles followed him, as if acting spoiled, or perhaps simply afraid he might fall through the gaps.
“Ryann,” Jiang Jianming reached out to vaguely catch those crystal particles, saying softly, “Don’t worry about me.”
Creak… military boots stepped onto the highest point of the space station.
Jiang Jianming wore the Silver Big Dipper military uniform, standing alone on the empty observation deck.
Below, muffled crying could still faintly be heard. The final crimson-gold crystal particle kissed his ring finger, then dissipated without a trace.
He opened his wrist device.
During the time Ryann had bought them, Old Marshal Chen had already helped him prepare everything. Jiang Jianming knew that now he only needed to speak.
He closed his eyes to steady himself, then began.
…..
“To my beloved citizens of the Empire…”
“I speak to you from the Crystal Nest.”
…..
Within Imperial territory, Maz City.
A simply dressed woman fled in panic down a secluded path.
“Help, someone save me! Is anyone there, please save me!!”
The other side of the Star City was already in chaos, and the military couldn’t spare attention here. The crystal creature was right behind her, and the non-crystal woman was crying uncontrollably, knocking over a garbage bin at the intersection, desperately rolling and crawling on the ground.
“No, I don’t want to die, save me–”
Suddenly, a young, slightly chubby mecha maintenance worker jumped out from the corner ahead.
His face reddened as he roared, crystal bones releasing from both arms, slashing down at the crystal creature’s head!
“Joe!”
The woman wept with joy, knowing that the Brown family’s son was the only young person in their poor area who had attended the military academy and had even served in the Silver Big Dipper.
Although he was eventually sent back home, and the neighbors had gossiped for a while, at a time like this, he was undoubtedly her hope for survival.
Ten minutes later, crystal particles dispersed at the street corner. Joe had managed to defeat the crystal creature, though he was completely exhausted.
He panted heavily, wiping his sweat and giving the woman a shy smile. “It’s okay now… ha, I got it. Let’s go to the shelter.”
At that moment, both his and the woman’s wrist devices suddenly lit up, forcibly displaying small rectangular screens.
This only happened when the Empire’s highest authorities issued real-time emergency orders to all citizens.
But this time, the screen didn’t show the usual neatly dressed, solemn official spokesperson.
Joe Brown rubbed his eyes hard, his mouth falling open in shock.
…..
Aslan Star City, District 3, Kaios Military School.
“Let us go!!”
In the unending rain, the military academy students raised their arms and shouted, crowding at the school’s sealed gates.
“You’re still children.”
Luo Hai stood there like an iron tower, looking at these passionate youths, his voice deep. “Children are meant to be protected by adults, grow up to become adults, then protect the next generation of children. Leave today’s battle to the adults, my children.”
The downpour soaked both adult and children’s faces. Kevin stood at the front, his thin frame visible through his wet clothes, neck stiff as he gritted out. “But if humanity has no next generation, what’s the difference between children and adults!?”
Fire seemed to spark in his eyes, “Instructor Luo Hai, we are Kaios Military Academy students, supported by the Empire, receiving elite education, we’re the closest to soldiers among ordinary citizens!!”
“If we don’t fight, who will!? The poor who can’t even afford food, the non-crystals who’ve never touched a weapon? Or the elderly who can’t walk, babies in swaddling clothes!”
Behind him, the military students shouted. “Kevin is right, let us go!!”
“Instructor Luo Hai, we request the academy to release training mechas to senior students. Aslan is our home star city, please allow us to fight for it!!”
“We’ve already signed liability waivers, we’ll take personal responsibility for all consequences, please let us go!!”
Thunder rumbled in the distance. The downpour extinguished the gunsmoke but couldn’t dampen the students’ passion.
Until Luo Hai’s protests were drowned out by the students’ shouts, he could only fall silent, his gaze sweeping over each face with both sorrow and pride.
These children…
These young yet determined flames.
“…I understand,” Luo Hai sighed.
“I will convey your request to the principal and military.”
Suddenly, everyone’s wrist devices lit up simultaneously. The small windows glowed in the rain like fireflies in darkness.
…..
In front of the Golden Sun Wheel Military Headquarters, a group of distraught civilians surrounded it in the rain.
“Step back! Everyone step back!” the guards shouted in the torrential rain, “This is obstruction of duty, attacking a military facility! If this continues, we have the right to open fire!”
A young new guard was furious, “How has the Empire wronged you? Star City is in crisis, even Her Majesty is personally piloting the Iron Rose in battle, what more do you want to achieve!?”
“What do we want to achieve?”
Someone looked up anxiously, rain streaming down their face, “We’re here to ask what will become of us!”
“These past two years, when Her Majesty said to support the war, who didn’t comply, who didn’t obey?”
“We ate chaff and vegetables so resources could go to the frontlines, watched helplessly as our sons and daughters were conscripted, right? But now…”
The rioting crowd shouted one after another.
“What’s really happening now, at least give us an explanation!”
“Our own star city is about to fall, what’s the point of fighting the Crystal Nest!? The military’s decisions were wrong, you’re sinners, sinners!”
“Bring the army back! We want to live, we demand the army’s protection!”
Suddenly, above the Golden Sun Wheel building, the massive projection screen lit up.
The rioters’ and guards’ wrist devices also lit up, and everyone stopped arguing, some looking up, some looking down, staring blankly at the displayed image.
……
“To… my beloved citizens of the Empire.”
“I speak to you from the Crystal Nest.”
Crystal Nest Domain, Imperial Space Station.
Jiang Jianming stood alone at the highest point of the space station, his handsome face slightly pale, but his expression very calm, and somewhat gentle.
He rested his elbow on the observation deck’s railing, gazing into the distance, in a somewhat casual pose.
“I speak to every soldier, whether brave or fearful, I speak to every citizen, whether calm or panicked.”
“I speak to those who love this Empire, and also to those who hate it.”
After Ryann’s crystal particles had completely vanished, the mother nucleus of the Crystal Nest renewed its assault.
Jiang Jianming watched the returning white tide, saying softly, “Yes, I speak to all of you, to all my compatriots.”
At this moment, thinking of his next words, a sense of release suddenly rose in his heart.
In this lifetime, having lived through two lives, he had tasted countless hardships and joys, but never had he felt like this…
Clear, light, and purely clean.
As if he had shed the shadows that had clung to him like maggots, he could now walk under the sun after rain, walk into the bright light without shame before countless lives.
A faint smile touched the corners of Jiang Jianming’s eyes. This black-haired, pale-skinned non-crystal youth spoke gently to all of humanity.
“I am the consciousness projection of Dawn Aslan.”
