Silence.
Whether it was the three alien fortresses drenched in bloody battles, or the nine imperial star cities plunged into chaos.
In this second, under extreme shock and confusion, it seemed as if someone had pressed the mute button in everyone’s ears.
–What?
–Wasn’t that His Highness Jiang on the screen?
–His Highness Jiang had awakened and recovered?
–What did he just say?
–Wait, something’s wrong, why was His Highness Jiang at the Crystal Nest battlefield, did he run to the frontlines again?
–So what did he just say?
–Dawn Aslan?
–Why did Commander Aslan’s name suddenly appear here?
–Everyone shut up, so what did he just say!?
If people still had the ability to speak, every place would have been filled with such clamor. But now, only absolute silence permeated every corner.
Chen Hanke, who had just returned to military headquarters and sat down in his office, patted his forehead with twitching eyes.
…No wonder the Commander had repeatedly emphasized disconnecting all personal wrist devices of soldiers participating in battle, both within imperial borders and distant star fortresses, leaving only the large screens in the fortresses or military facilities.
He had guessed the Commander was planning something big, but didn’t expect it to be this massive. If the soldiers’ forced projections hadn’t been shut off when this announcement came, how many would have met with disaster due to momentary distraction?
On screen, the culprit probably also guessed the impact of his words. But Jiang Jianming didn’t repeat himself, instead raising his right hand.
“Crown of Golden Dawn, open the first cockpit.”
He proved his words through action.
His fingers brushed across the mecha bracelet on his wrist, which glowed with activation. The super S-class mecha L-Crown of Golden Dawn unfolded before everyone’s eyes, its first cockpit door open.
Jiang Jianming extended his arm, and pale golden mental connection threads obediently wrapped around him. They probed their master’s neural currents, slowly lifting the disabled human’s body into the air, suspended before the cockpit.
[Not entering.]
Jiang Jianming gave the command to the mecha’s intelligence with his mental power.
Instead of entering the cockpit, he sat on the Crown of Golden Dawn’s body. The mecha glided, carrying him away from the imperial space station, flying toward the approaching white waves of crystal particles.
…..
In Aslan Star City, mecha L-Iron Rose hovered in the wind and rain. In the cockpit, Lin Ge stared at the screen before her in disbelief.
“…Jiang?”
The female emperor touched the projection with trembling hands, and the moment her fingers passed through Jiang Jianming’s brow, a sense of ominous dread filled her chest.
Because the Commander slowly raised his face, his eyes becoming as vast and gentle as the starry sky, and he gazed at the screen.
“In fact, to this day, I’m still not very clear about to how many people Your Majesty has revealed the ‘Base Body Project’ and its derivative concept of mental consciousness projection.”
“Therefore… please forgive me for omitting the details and confessing to everyone in the most straightforward terms.”
“Before regaining new life in the form of a new Base Body, I was a disabled human living in the old empire, and used the name Dawn Aslan to conceal my identity.”
“And His Highness Ryann Kaios, he is our founding Great Emperor, His Majesty Kaios.”
Just like that, so matter-of-factly.
Just like clarifying an insignificant misunderstanding, he brushed past his own magnificent past history in a single breath.
Jiang Jianming closed his eyes then opened them again, his lips carrying a slight curve of apology and relief.
“I’m very sorry for the concealment over these many years.”
“But this isn’t what I want to tell everyone today.”
Yes, the account of his previous life amounted to only these few brief sentences.
All those days and nights endured in silence, every dried scar, none received even a glance of pity from this person.
The old years were cast behind him as the Crown of Golden Dawn carried him toward the final suffering.
Jiang Jianming stood up, slowly drawing the Wings of Venus from his waist and gripping it in his hand.
Up until this point, he had been telling the truth, but unfortunately what followed would be fabrication.
Earlier on Alpha Alien Star, he thought that was the peak of his deception in this life, but now he could only say fate was playing tricks.
But Ryann’s words were right – practice makes perfect, especially since he was already skilled at it.
The next moment, the black-haired youth raised his face, his eyes bursting with dazzling spirit.
His voice became resonant, his tone elevated. “What I want to say is… the final battle has reached its decisive moment.”
“And Kaios and I are the last link in the White Bird Project!”
In an instant, the Crown of Golden Dawn collided with the oncoming torrent of crystal particles!
The mecha didn’t look back, charging into the white light like a wild goose.
Jiang Jianming seemed no longer able to feel the pain brought by the crystal particles. The flame in his eyes grew brighter as he raised his right hand holding the gun.
The distant Crystal Nest illuminated him like an enormous white sun, casting long shadows on the dark golden steel behind him.
“In about twelve hours, the empire’s Golden Sun Wheel space station will activate the giant cannon ‘Pangu’s Axe’ to bombard the mother nucleus of the Crystal Nest, with a success rate fluctuating between 60% and 68%.”
“And the remaining 40% to 32% – we will secure those odds of victory.”
That clear voice traversed the universe to reach countless human ears.
In the image, the black-haired officer smiled composedly; though alone, he appeared as if addressing troops under a military flag.
No, rather…
At this moment, he was more like the military flag itself.
“During the Fifth Holy War, His Majesty left both his and my bodies deep within the Crystal Nest as a final contingency.”
“Now, His Majesty’s Base Body has already self-destructed ahead of me; next, I will follow His Majesty and awaken deep within the Crystal Nest!”
“Our Great Emperor is humanity’s strongest new crystal race; and I, as a non-crystal race, have stronger resistance to crystal particles’ mental interference-”
“If the Pangu’s Axe cannot destroy the mother nucleus in one strike, we will complete this final task together, at any cost.”
The silver gun barrel pressed diagonally against his pale jaw.
Jiang Jianming’s expression was clear, he stood perfectly straight, his gun-holding hand steady. His finger rested on the trigger without a trace of trembling.
“Here, I have only one request for everyone.”
“Before victory, don’t give up.”
****
“Look at him, heh… can you tell this person is actually lying?”
In the Black Shark Base, Sylph laughed grievously.
Behind the chief, the few Black Shark Base members all turned pale – they were among the few who knew the truth.
Diana’s consciousness form was no longer willing to emerge, while Audrey stood beside them silently weeping.
“Chief, no… no no…” Changze was too horrified to speak properly, “It can’t be like this, it won’t work! Stop him quickly!!”
Sylph closed her eyes.
She recalled her last meeting with Jiang Jianming.
He sat across from her, fingers interlocked, looking at her earnestly, analyzing point by point with composure.
“Sylph, listen to me. Regarding Ryann’s and my original bodies, the situation may not be as bad as you imagine.”
“You said that given my body’s condition before hibernation, I might not be able to withstand the shock of the base body’s death. But Ryann absorbed me in the Crystal Nest for so many years, drawing crystal particles to nourish my body – it should actually be better than when I first went into hibernation.”
“I once accidentally awakened in my original body. The sensation wasn’t exactly comfortable, but at least my consciousness was clear and my senses sharp. As long as I can wake up, there’s still room for possibility.”
“You and dad both said that perhaps due to certain experiences in this life, my mental power has become very special.”
“If crystal particles’ mental attacks can destroy consciousness, the reverse might also be possible. After I awaken in the Crystal Nest, perhaps I can nurture Kaios’s damaged consciousness…”
“–Jiang.”
Sylph interrupted him coldly; she rarely addressed the Commander by surname alone. “I admire that you can remain so calm and meticulous in this situation… but.”
She grew unusually irritated, “These are all just your speculations! Theory, fantasy, things whose probability can’t even be calculated!”
Jiang Jianming nodded. “Correct.”
Sylph stared at him. “You can’t possibly base a battle plan on a hypothesis, Commander.”
“This isn’t like your style at all. Even in your previous gambles, you…”
She didn’t finish the sentence, falling silent because Jiang Jianming suddenly smiled soundlessly across from her, though his expression turned sorrowful.
“Sylph, this isn’t any battle plan.”
Jiang Jianming said wistfully. “It’s just a beautiful vision, just like my name, do you understand?”
****
Drip.
The wind had grown gentler at some point. The last raindrop fell on the streets of Aslan Star City.
A few rays of light struggled through gaps in the thick clouds, shining on the rippling puddles between collapsed ruins, beautiful like scattered silver.
“Please remember, every crystal particle is connected to the mother nucleus. Therefore, every human will that collides with crystal particles can indirectly attack the mother nucleus.”
“Now, each of you is the empire’s spear and shield, each of you is key to victory.”
Jiang Jianming’s voice still echoed through the city’s streets and alleys.
Whether in corners of collapsed buildings or underground shelters, people were infected by the consecutive shocks, losing their ability to think.
“Please fight alongside me until the final moment.”
Let alone harboring doubts.
What was there to doubt? Who would have thought that in this desperate situation between survival and destruction, someone would illuminate such an illusory lighthouse at the cost of their life?
Everyone believed, and thus the uncertain path ahead gained light.
Soldiers propped up their battered bodies, residents’ faces showed delighted smiles, and rioting mobs lowered their heads in shame.
On the alien stars of Far Star, in the three fortresses that had been overrun by crystal beings, the sound of counterattack fire rang out once again.
In the Crystal Nest space domain. Starships took off again from the imperial space station, and warriors whose Base Bodies were already exhausted donned their tattered crystal-resistant battle armor, climbing onto their mechas with low growls.
Fight until the final moment!
Until the moment of victory!
A tear slid down Lin Ge’s cheek.
She trembled as she whispered. “No.”
“I wish.”
In the square screen, Jiang Jianming nodded with a smile, as if seeing gratifying scenes unfold.
“To reunite with everyone after dawn.”
He closed his eyes and pulled the trigger.
“Dawn!!!”
Lin Ge screamed in anguish, “Don’t–!!!”
—…
There was no gunshot.
The universe swallowed everything into silence, with only a streak of blood spraying into the air.
“Dawn…”
Lin Ge collapsed back into the cockpit seat, dazed.
“Jiang… Jianming…”
The silver-white pistol slipped from the black-haired young man’s loosened hand.
He closed his eyes, his figure slowly falling backward, the pale golden mental threads detaching from his nape like dandelion seeds scattered by the wind, floating away in all directions.
Jiang Jianming’s body fell onto the cold iron body of the mecha.
The disabled human’s face was peaceful, his profile resting on his slightly disheveled black hair. That shot was decisive and clean; he had already breathed his last when he fell.
Blood gushed forth, quickly spreading into a glaring red patch on the enormous steel mecha.
In millions of small screens, the scene was silent and still.
People’s mouths hung open, their eyes fixed straight ahead.
That pool of blood continued to expand, becoming the only changing color in this world.
Deep in a star city shelter, suddenly a childish cry of “Wah!” broke out.
It was a six or seven-year-old girl, obviously frightened by this bloody scene, who burrowed hard into her mother’s arms and began crying loudly.
“Mama, mama,” the girl sobbed convulsively, clutching her mother’s sleeve, “Wuu wuu… did the Commander die? Wuu wuu… I don’t want…”
The shelter fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. The mother held her daughter tightly, her face also somehow streaming with tears.
“No…” the woman choked back sobs.
“The Commander… he will come back.”
The rain stopped.
People huddled deep in the shelter stood up.
