Hexi's plan was comprehensive. Secret awakening, contact in batches, explaining the great cause, and proceeding gradually. She even carefully selected the first seventeen "reliable" Ancient Angels whose "ideologies were relatively easy to reconcile" as a pilot group and backbone, hoping for a smooth transition to gradually bring this dust-laden power back under control and safeguard the transformation.
However, Hexi overlooked one point, or rather, with her rational mindset as a research officer, she underestimated one thing—those old Angels who had waded through the blood and fire of the Wrath Sea Era and the Form Wars, their love and persistence for the "Angel" civilization itself had long surpassed any specific creed, order, or even life and death.
It was a near-instinctual desire to protect, branded deep in their souls and merged with their long lives and shared memories. When this desire to protect encountered a turning point capable of transforming the entire civilization and leading it toward unprecedented glory, the power and determination it unleashed were enough to overturn any "comprehensive" plan.
The cause of the matter was a small "accident."
Flowing Moon, the former left-wing guard who was selected by Hexi as one of the first targets for awakening, remained silent for a long time after secretly receiving Hexi's encrypted communication and initially understanding the possibilities represented by that "new knowledge" and the mission of "protecting the future of the Angel Civilization and starting a new expedition." This retired veteran, known for her calmness, decisiveness, and strong sense of the big picture, pondered for a long while.
She did not immediately reply to Hexi, nor did she prepare to go to the designated secret awakening point according to Hexi's instructions.
She just sat quietly at the observatory where she had lived in seclusion for thousands of years, located deep within a remote Nebula, watching the eternally rotating Nebula outside the window. In those eyes that had witnessed the darkest and most glorious years of the Angel Civilization, it was as if a volcano that had been dormant for ten thousand years was slowly reviving, with magma rolling and heat scorching.
Then, she did something that was outside of Hexi's plan, but in her view, it was absolutely correct and necessary.
She activated the oldest and most secret emergency contact protocol known only to a very few Ancient Angel elders, established during the Wrath Sea War period—"kindling."
This protocol was independent of the existing Angel communication network and, to a certain extent, even independent of Queen Keisha's Knowledge Treasury. It was the last resort used by the Angel Civilization to call all the veterans scattered across the Universe who still had combat capability to return to the ranks during the most critical moments of life and death.
Since the establishment of the "order of justice" and the relative peace in the Universe, this protocol had never been activated again, and many young Angels did not even know of its existence.
Flowing Moon, as the former left-wing guard, had this authority. And she believed that now was the moment when the "Angel Civilization" faced a major turning point, needing all loyal warriors to return to their posts and contribute their strength! It was not for any specific enemy, but for the future of the civilization! For that priceless knowledge capable of illuminating the path ahead!
She did not disclose the specific content of the new knowledge, as this was Hexi's strict order, but in the most resonant and unquestionable tone, she issued a rallying cry in the "kindling" channel to all the sleeping, secluded, and traveling ancient comrades:
"I am the former left-wing guard, Flowing Moon. The Angel Civilization stands before a door of unprecedented opportunity. The old path is coming to an end, and a new path has appeared. This is not a time of danger, but a chance for sublimation! Yet opportunity comes with wind and thunder, and safeguarding our heritage requires heavy weapons. All sisters whose hearts are with the Angel Civilization and whose blood has not yet run cold, no matter where you are, no matter why you left in the past, today, in the name of 'Angel,' I summon you to return! For the future of our civilization, for our home, take up your weapons, don your armor, and fight the galaxy again!"
The "kindling" protocol was like a giant stone thrown into a still lake, and like lighting a fuse that had been silent for ten thousand years.
At first, there were sporadic lights shining in every corner of the Universe, on those long-forgotten Planets, Nebulae, and even in the cracks of space. Those were ancient Angel beacons being reactivated, carrying the vicissitudes and sharpness that spanned time.
Immediately after, waves of powerful Dark Energy, like the breathing of a sleeping giant beast waking up, rippled across the scale of the Universe. Some fluctuations were even more majestic, more ancient, and more... filled with the aura of iron, blood, and conquest than many of the main gods of current civilizations.
Then, there were figures.
The first to respond were those old Angels who were already close to Flowing Moon's ideology, or who had been paying attention to the dynamics of the Heavenly City and were dissatisfied with the current situation. They walked out of their respective places of seclusion, tore off their disguises, put on their long-dusty but still shiny-as-new battle armor, flapped their wings—which might have been slightly dimmed by time but were still powerful—and turned into streams of light, breaking through the atmosphere, tearing through the starry sky, and began to converge toward the direction of the Merlot Heavenly Court.
But this was just the beginning.
Flowing Moon's call was like a key, unlocking memories and hot blood that had been sealed by time. More and more ancient beacons were responded to. Those names that had long been determined to be "missing," "fallen," or "completely secluded" appeared one after another in the feedback of the "kindling" network.
There was the "Blazing Wind" legion commander who had disappeared since the beginning of the Second Form War and had once led the Angel Legion to sweep across a star region.
There was the first-generation research officer "Star Whisper," who had been seriously injured at the end of the Wrath Sea War and was rumored to have passed away long ago.
There was the "Judgment" knight who, due to ideological conflicts, had left in anger after Queen Keisha established the order of justice and had been traveling the Universe, ignoring worldly affairs.
There was the "Watcher" who was tired of endless wars, chose self-exile, and silently guarded the peace of a region in the edge galaxies of the Universe...
Some of them traveled alone, while others brought the veterans who had also chosen to live in seclusion under their command back then. The warship models they used were ancient and powerful, some even being styles that would only be displayed in museums, but at this moment, those ancient engines spewed out scorching light, cutting through the silent starry sky.
The lights became more and more numerous, from sporadic to converging, from streams to rivers.
The monitoring station on the periphery of the Angel Nebula discovered the anomaly at the first moment. The monitors watched in dumbfounded silence at the radar screen, witnessing the Angel energy signals that were surging toward the Heavenly City from all directions of the Universe like a burst of stars, in numbers so huge they were suffocating. The characteristics of these signals were ancient and powerful, clearly different from the current Angel Warriors, but the core coding was undoubtedly the brand originating from the oldest bloodline of the Angel Civilization.
The alarm instantly rang through the Heavenly City's defense network, but soon, a higher-level command suppressed it—an emergency order from Heavenly Base King Hexi: Allow them to pass, do not intercept, and do not ask questions.
Because Hexi herself was also watching this scene in dumbfounded silence through the Sky-based Computing Cluster and special permissions.
On the star map unfolded before her, covering parts of the known Universe, the light points representing the Ancient Angels were lighting up from the darkness at an astonishing speed, like kindling being ignited, and then began to move toward the same center—Merlot Heavenly Court. The light points became more and more numerous, denser and denser, gradually converging into streams of light, and the streams merged into rivers of light, finally, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, surging toward the Heavenly City from all directions!
"This... this is..." Even with Hexi's tens of thousands of years of temperament, she felt a wave of dizziness and disbelief at this moment. She had anticipated that Flowing Moon might contact some old subordinates, but the scene before her... how could this be "contacting some old subordinates"? This was clearly... the Angel War Machine that had been sleeping for tens of thousands of years, fully reviving at the sound of a bugle call!
A million? No, it might be far more than that! Just the ancient signals that have been detected and responded to so far, with energy reactions clearly reaching the standard of first-generation Angel Warriors or higher, have already exceeded seven figures! And this is just the beginning; there are even more signals waking up and responding from more distant and hidden corners!
"Flowing Moon! What have you done?!" Hexi almost roared as she connected to the secret communication with Flowing Moon.
On the other end of the communication, Flowing Moon's voice was calm, but carried an unquestionable iron-blooded determination: "Your Majesty Heavenly Base King, I did what I believe is correct and necessary. You and Queen Keisha have brought us hope and pointed out a new path for us. Then, protecting this path and fighting for the future of the Angel Civilization should not be the responsibility of just a few, nor should it be a matter of covering things up and proceeding gradually. This is the glory and mission of all Angel Warriors! I, in the name of 'kindling,' have awakened all the sisters who can still fight and whose hearts are still with the Angel Civilization. We will work together, breaking through thorns and thistles for the future of our race!"
Hexi: "..."
She opened her mouth, finding herself speechless for a moment. Could she rebuke Flowing Moon for acting without authorization? It seemed she could not. Flowing Moon's starting point was purely for the Angels, and it was full of that decisiveness and sense of responsibility typical of the older generation of Angels—"if something happens, just go for it, no need to blabber." Could she blame Flowing Moon for leaking secrets? Flowing Moon did not disclose the specific content of the new knowledge, only calling to "fight for the future of the civilization," which, to any Angel, was only right and proper.
But this scale... this commotion... completely disrupted all the secret layouts she and Queen Keisha had made! What about the agreed-upon secret awakening, conducting in batches, and low-key handling? With this current situation, I'm afraid half of the civilizations in the known Universe with some capability can detect the anomaly!
Just as Hexi felt her scalp tingling, swiftly thinking about how to deal with this out-of-control, or rather, far-exceeding-expectations situation, a more majestic, yet equally carrying a trace of imperceptible astonishment voice, directly rang in her mind—it was Queen Keisha.
"Hexi... explain." Queen Keisha's voice sounded steady, but Hexi could hear the same shock beneath that calmness, as well as a trace of... laughter and tears?
"I... Flowing Moon... used the 'kindling' protocol..." Hexi rubbed her temples, feeling she hadn't had such a headache in tens of thousands of years, "Queen, the plan has changed... no, the plan... has collapsed."
A brief silence.
Then, Queen Keisha's voice sounded again, this time carrying a peculiar, complex emotion mixed with helplessness, emotion, and a hint of faint pride: "...It seems we underestimated them."
"More than just underestimated!" Hexi was almost going crazy, "What do we do now? So many... so many Ancient Angels returning collectively, the Heavenly City is almost going to be packed! And with such a big commotion, Karl, Morgana, and other god-level civilizations, as long as they are not blind or deaf, they must have noticed!"
"So what if they noticed?" Queen Keisha's voice suddenly became calm and strong, the majesty belonging to the King of Gods returning, "They have returned to protect the future of the Angel Civilization. This is the internal affair of the Angels. Who dares to interfere? It's just as well; let certain people see that the Angels have never been just about the forces on the surface. Our foundation is far beyond their imagination."
Hexi was stunned for a moment, and then she calmed down. Yes, things have come to this, panic is useless. A million Ancient Angels returning, while this certainly disrupted their plan of acting secretly, but from another perspective, isn't this a deterrent that is powerful to the extreme? This is equivalent to declaring to the entire Universe: the Angel Civilization still possesses unfathomable war potential capable of crushing the vast majority of civilizations! Any force that wants to target the Angels after Queen Keisha's "fall" must carefully weigh whether they can withstand the wrath of these million ancient war gods.
Moreover, although the return of these old Angels was high-profile, their goal was clear—to protect the future of the Angel Civilization. This itself gave their actions legitimacy and cohesion, and would not cause too much impact on the existing order; instead, it might lead to faster integration with the new generation of Angels due to their common goal.
"I will immediately arrange for reception and settlement..." Hexi immediately began to retrieve data on space stations, military camps, and even some secret Bases in the Heavenly City and surrounding star regions, and began to calculate with a splitting headache how to accommodate this million-strong army that had suddenly popped up.
"No," Queen Keisha interrupted her, her tone carrying a hint of profound meaning, "You and I, we will go to welcome them together."
Hexi was stunned again: "We? Go to welcome them together?"
"Yes." Queen Keisha's voice came through the communication, as if carrying a faint smile, and also like some kind of declaration, "They responded to the call of 'Angel' and returned, so let the supreme ruler of 'Angel' personally welcome their loyalty and... enthusiasm."
Outside the Merlot Heavenly Court, the originally quiet and peaceful starry sky was now filled with endless flowing light and color.
That was the trajectory left by the flapping of wings, the light emitted by the engines of ancient warships, and the majestic momentum naturally radiated by countless powerful Angel Warriors gathering together, which made even the stars dim in comparison.
The first to arrive were Flowing Moon and the thousands of Ancient Angels she directly contacted who were relatively close. They lined up neatly in the starry sky not far from the gate of the Heavenly City, silent and quiet. Although the styles of their battle armor varied, some magnificent, some simple, and some even bearing traces of repairs, every suit of armor radiated the heaviness accumulated over years and the sharpness tempered by blood and fire. Their eyes were no longer the pure belief in "justice" of young Angels, but something deeper and more complex—it was the persistence for "home" after experiencing vicissitudes, the rekindled fighting spirit after seeing hope, and the firmness of finding a sense of belonging again after spanning a long period of time.
Flowing Moon stood at the front of the formation, her figure as upright as a pine, her silver long hair fluttering slightly in the starry sky. She looked at the magnificent gate of the Heavenly City, a glimmer of emotion flashing in her eyes, but more of it was a light as sharp as a knife.
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