The situation had settled for the time being. Although she hadn't received word from the Xianzhou yet, she decided to take the initiative!
Specifically, by bringing Acheron along.
This time, her trip was purely fueled by the desire to make life difficult for Celenova.
However, she knew that if she didn't invite Acheron, she'd likely end up being chased down and pummeled by her later.
The memory of the last time Acheron pursued her with a blade was still vivid in her mind.
Then again, Celenova's ability to create clones was a bit difficult for 'Saber' to put into words.
To her, those clones just made Celenova harder to kill; they didn't actually pose much of a threat.
Even after that incredibly powerful body had died there last time, it hadn't forced Celenova into total silence. Truly cutting her down for good was likely no easy feat.
So, 'Saber' didn't expect to actually slay Celenova on this run.
On the other hand, the newly born Eighth Lord Ravager—who hailed from the Propagation—likely had mediocre survivability. Maybe there would be a chance to cut them down instead.
Well, assuming they didn't have any bizarre abilities.
Standing before Acheron, she laid out her thoughts and plans. To her surprise, Acheron simply smiled and brought up something else first:
"Your new identity this time is quite... petite."
"..."
Why did everyone have to comment on that?
'Saber' looked up and shot Acheron a glare, which prompted a dry cough from the latter as she dropped the subject.
"So, the main goal this time is to clear out the Antimatter Legion and see if we can take down the Eighth Lord Ravager, right?"
"Yeah. Plus, the Eighth Lord Ravager is from Propagation, so if we eliminate them directly, we might not even have to lift a finger against those new Legion troops," 'Saber' theorized, basing her logic on Path research.
"I understand. I'll give it a try," Acheron nodded, decisively accepting the task of handling the unknown Lord Ravager.
"...Well, if things don't go your way, don't push too hard." Seeing Acheron looking so eager, 'Saber' hesitated before squeezing out a warning not to be too impulsive.
"Don't worry, I know my limits."
Shortly after Acheron agreed, Jing Yuan shared the coordinates of Celenova and the Antimatter Legion.
[Jing Yuan: Celenova has been very active lately, likely to replenish her ranks as quickly as possible.]
[Jing Yuan: However, the Legion forces on the Borisin side are the largest and most powerful. If necessary, the Alliance can dispatch troops for support.]
[Nameless: No need. If you really want to thank me, find an opportunity later to arrange a meeting between me and Yingxing... I mean, Yingyue.]
[Jing Yuan: ...I will find a way to arrange it.]
Yingyue was living a stable life on the Luofu.
After all, his previous incarnation was the prized disciple of General Huaiyan, and with Jing Yuan looking out for him, the Preceptors naturally didn't dare to go too far.
However, they still kept a very close eye on him; arranging for an outsider to meet him wouldn't be easy.
Furthermore, in Jing Yuan's view, since she had made such a formal request, the meeting was clearly going to be more than just small talk.
While Jing Yuan believed Madam Bai Ming wouldn't do anything to harm Yingyue or the Xianzhou, the Preceptors wouldn't necessarily see it that way.
He really had to put some thought into how to organize this.
[Jing Yuan: Oh, right. If I may be so bold, there is something I might need to trouble you with, Madam Bai Ming.]
[Nameless: What is it?]
[Jing Yuan: The intelligence regarding Celenova was sent from afar by an organization called the Claretwheel Temple. They are all Denizens of Abundance by birth, but they became monks because they loathe slaughter.]
[Jing Yuan: Claretwheel Temple seeks the Alliance's protection, but as you know, the hatred between us and the denizens of Abundance runs deep. It would be difficult for the public to accept them.]
[Jing Yuan: I wanted to suggest they seek refuge with the Land of Light, but I lack the connections. With the threat of Celenova's Legion looming, a disaster is inevitable if a decision isn't made soon.]
Claretwheel Temple... right, their base was located right inside Borisin territory.
Now that Celenova was leading her Legion on a warpath through the Borisin, Claretwheel Temple might hate killing, but they were still Abundance-born. Celenova likely wouldn't spare them.
'Saber' just remembered that such a small faction had appeared in the game's event stories. And if she recalled correctly, Claretwheel Temple actually belonged to the Path of Equilibrium.
Though she didn't understand Buddhism—and thus couldn't fathom how their teachings were "Equilibrium" exactly—those people were indeed quite innocent.
It wouldn't hurt to lend a hand and set up a connection with the Land of Light while she was at it.
[Nameless: Got it. You want me to contact the Land of Light to take them in, right?]
[Nameless: But why didn't they just ask the Land of Light for help before? Given its current reputation in the universe, it's not like they wouldn't know about it.]
[Jing Yuan: You might not realize, but many at Claretwheel Temple are long-life species who are accustomed to asceticism in isolation. Since the Land of Light was established only a few centuries ago, they know of the Giants of Light, but not the nation itself.]
[Jing Yuan: Even within the Alliance, there are many recluses who know very little about the Land of Light.]
[Nameless: ...]
[Nameless: I guess I just don't understand long-life species.]
The Giants of Light had only appeared a few hundred years ago, and the formal establishment of the Land of Light was even more recent. To a long-life species, it was indeed a bit too "young."
Ending the conversation with Jing Yuan, 'Saber' followed the star map coordinates and pulled Acheron into the Phase Flame.
Of course, they didn't just jump directly into Celenova's face. They manifested amidst a field of planetary debris, where the Antimatter Legion was visible to the naked eye, stretched out in a massive line.
Unlike the traditional Legion, however, many of the Voidrangers in this batch bore characteristics of the Swarm—sinister segmented limbs, insectoid carapaces, and thin, translucent wings.
The Legion was currently invading a planet that seemingly belonged to the Borisin. Huge beast-ships broke through the atmosphere, relentlessly attempting to tear through the Legion's lines.
From a distance, the overlapping fires of war looked like a long ribbon of light stretching across the cosmos. At a glance, it was almost beautiful.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard they fought, it was futile; even the beast-ships themselves would eventually become nutrients for the Legion, serving as bait to swell their ranks.
'Saber' carefully reviewed the intelligence Jing Yuan had sent.
She realized Celenova seemed to have already thrashed several major Abundance races and was now on the verge of wiping out the Borisin.
Claretwheel Temple had only escaped the massacre because they lived in such a remote area.
But given Celenova's speed of expansion, their time was almost up. If they had arrived two or three days later, the Antimatter Legion would have been at the temple's doorstep.
"When do we start?" Acheron asked, waiting for the signal.
"We aren't using any stealth equipment. Celenova has likely already spotted us."
Just as 'Saber' finished speaking, a continuous barrage of flashes ignited from beyond the horizon, hurtling toward them with overwhelming majesty!
She reached out and grabbed Acheron's wrist just as she was about to draw her blade. The Phase Flame flared up, enveloping them both.
The carpet-bombing attack landed just moments later, annihilating every scrap of matter within a range of nearly one light-year.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the front line, Celenova sat outside her ship and clicked her tongue softly.
Then, she raised her right hand and tapped her slender finger into the air ahead of her.
A pitch-black giant rose from the massive vessel behind her. Huge blades snapped out from its wrists, and with a burst of searing white flames, it slashed violently at a point in the void!
Vroom—!!
A dark blade light, accompanied by fire, emerged from the void.
A heart-stopping darkness, carrying a momentum that seemed ready to swallow the world whole, swept upward. It forcibly shoved back the giant's strike.
Not only that, but the terrifying aftershocks attempted to drown the nearby Legion forces in shadows.
The Voidrangers showed no fear; instead, they flapped their wings and surged forward, using emerald-green flames to forcibly extinguish the black blade light.
Celenova's gaze turned cold. She stood up, floating before the giant, and snorted. Her voice rippled through the Imaginary Energy, echoing everywhere:
"Not satisfied with delivering yourself to my door, you had to bring someone to keep you company? Bai Ming!"
The fires of the Phase Flame dissipated, revealing a blonde figure. She looked Celenova straight in the eye and said:
"You're so sure it's me? Couldn't it be someone else coming for a visit?"
"I'd recognize you even if you were turned to ash!!"
Celenova stared at the now petite and cute Bai Ming, but she didn't find her cute at all.
Especially when she felt the aura emanating from the sword-wielding woman standing beside her—it was incredibly irritating.
That woman's power was dangerous; even just observing it made her instinctively tense up.
"Heh~ feelings that are too heavy won't make you popular, Celenova. That big guy behind you must be the Eighth Lord Ravager."
'Saber' looked at the massive figure. In terms of appearance, it looked almost like an insectoid cyborg.
However, the huge translucent wings on its back and the emerald flames looked eerie no matter how one sliced it.
"Indeed. I was wondering where to find you, but I didn't expect you to be so eager to deliver yourself to me," Celenova sneered.
The giant behind her let out a long howl. Across the spreading battlefront, countless insectoid cries overlapped, forming a silent wave.
It was enough to shatter many small celestial bodies into dust. The infinite swarm, like a black tide drowning the galaxy, swarmed toward the two of them.
Celenova spread her arms, her form expanding rapidly into a towering giant:
"I have hunted countless Denizens of Abundance, devoured their flesh, and harvested their thoughts to create this tide of destruction. It's yours to enjoy—!!!"
Beams of light capable of drowning a star system erupted from the Legion, persistent and precisely locked onto 'Saber's' location.
The connected ranks of Voidrangers all ignited with emerald flames, squeezing out everything they had—even sacrificing themselves to the gods to launch an attack.
All to answer Celenova's rage and burn the enemy to cinders.
Facing this near-infinite onslaught, 'Saber' simply shared a look with Acheron. One raised a holy sword high, while the other lowered a long blade.
"Ex—"
A beam of light, hotter and brighter than any star, shot into the heavens; pitch-black shadows lurked beneath the radiance.
'Saber' held her sword with both hands, watching Celenova as she retreated behind the Legion. Power condensed to the absolute limit upon the holy blade.
"calibur—!!"
As she swung her hands down with a violent force, an exaggerated flame, carrying an overflowing ripple of Imaginary Energy, swept across the battlefield.
The sheer dissipation of energy alone turned everything it touched to dust.
Countless Voidrangers fell silent; ships were reduced to ash in the explosions. The enclosed cage was easily torn open by a massive rift.
The light cannon pierced through the entire front line, aiming straight for Celenova, who was trying to hide behind the scenes.
Having prepared for this, Celenova swung her arm.
An intentionally ignited planet collapsed rapidly, turning into a high-density celestial body capable of tearing space apart as it hurtled toward the incoming beam!
The sphere, which warped the visual horizon, collided violently with the light cannon amidst the flames of destruction.
Imaginary Energy decayed, annihilated, and warped under the pure impact and pressure, finally radiating out as colorful ripples for light-years.
Beneath that brilliant glow, a pitch-black blade light spread quietly like a shadow that swallowed everything.
The myriad attacks, debris, planets, and even the Voidrangers and ships that hadn't reacted yet were captured and devoured by the shadows beneath the light—silently and without resistance.
Their very existence was unraveled, leaving not a single trace behind.
But as the Legion commander, how could Celenova ignore those extremely dangerous shadows?
The pitch-black giant raised its blades, crossing paths with Celenova.
Screeching swarms of insects constantly emerged from the emerald flames, their collective will releasing a pure shockwave in an attempt to block the spreading shadows.
The massive death toll of the swarm and the Legion didn't bother Celenova in the slightest.
The power of countless soldiers and insects gathered into her body. With an impatient, forceful grip, she completely annihilated the burning, collapsing planet.
Trading that spectacular destruction for a moment of explosive power, she broke apart the exaggerated pillar of light. The remaining force transformed into a burning claw, descending toward 'Saber'!
Powerful gravity tore apart the remaining stars, and debris was pulled into the burning claw, serving as kindling for the fires of ruin.
The tiny, sword-wielding figure looked as if she would be evaporated by the flames of destruction in the next instant.
Watching this, Celenova burst into laughter:
"Bai Ming—! I'll have you know that things are different now! With the help of the new Lord, I am no longer weaker than you!"
A platinum sword light tore through the sea of fire. The relatively small flash of the blade slashed fiercely against the claw. Though it looked fragile, the sword light forcibly halted the descending attack.
'Saber' did indeed feel the heavy pressure. Celenova wasn't lying.
Although she didn't know how she'd managed to get another Lord to willingly lend her their power, Celenova was currently a composite of the Legion, the swarm, and a portion of another Lord's strength.
The attack was truly massive and heavy.
The two forces annihilated each other once again in the void.
"I admit you've recovered quickly, Celenova. But by pulling all that power into yourself to fight me, aren't you underestimating my companion a bit too much?"
'Saber' didn't back down, transforming into a streak of golden light that rushed in front of Celenova to deliver a slash.
If she had come alone today, it would have been a thrilling and dangerous fight.
But Celenova had gone so far as to borrow part of the swarm to face her. Didn't that mean the black giant on the other side would have a much harder time fighting Acheron?
Celenova let out a disdainful snort, unconcerned:
"Hah, I just need to take you down quickly. You can't hide it from my senses—this body of yours is weaker than all the ones you've had before!"
"Then you're welcome to try."
A weaker body didn't mean she was any less of a threat.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL