Following that, more light converged. Flame Wind Legion Commander brought the elite "Blazing Wind Knights" she had commanded years ago, hundreds of Ancient Angels clad in heavy armor with fiery auras, descending like a burning Nebula.
Star Whisper's figure emerged from the data stream; she looked more like a scholar, but the absolute control over energy and information swirling around her made everyone who saw her feel awe.
Judgment Knight carried her iconic, door-like greatsword, bearing an unyielding, fierce aura, but deep in her gaze toward the Merlot Heavenly Court, there was a hint of imperceptible complexity.
The Watchers came in silence; their auras were more restrained, yet they carried a Bedrock-like determination to protect all things...
One squad, two squads, ten squads, a hundred squads... Thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, millions!
They made no noise, created no chaos, but relied on ancient discipline and tacit understanding to orderly find their positions, line up, and stand at attention in the starry sky.
The scene was incredibly spectacular and shocking.
The entire Merlot Heavenly Court seemed to be surrounded by an endless sea of stars composed of Angels, emanating an ancient and powerful aura.
Inside the Heavenly Court, countless young Angel Warriors flew high into the sky or stood on observation platforms, watching this scene in stunned silence.
Many of them had never even seen so many Ancient Angels, let alone felt such a majestic, heavy, and... soul-shivering collective aura.
In that aura, there was no malice, only a will to protect that had been accumulated for tens of thousands of years, as hot and restrained as a star.
Just then, the magnificent central gate of the Heavenly Court, which seemed as if it had never been opened since ancient times, slowly swung inward with a low hum.
Two figures flew out side by side.
On the left was Holy Keisha, wearing royal robes and a crown, her expression calm yet carrying supreme majesty.
On the right was Heavenly Base King Hexi, with silver hair like a waterfall, dressed in silver light armor, her expression slightly complex but still maintaining composure.
The two most powerful female monarchs in the known Universe came out to greet them personally.
When Keisha and Hexi's figures appeared in the starry sky, facing that endless, grim, and silent Ancient Angel army formation, even they were deeply shocked once again.
Although they already knew the number was huge through monitoring, seeing it with their own eyes created a completely different visual and spiritual impact.
A million Angels, and certainly not ordinary warriors; each of them radiated energy fluctuations of at least the first generation or higher, many even reaching the second generation or above.
Gathered together, it was like a silent ocean of stars capable of unleashing a storm of destruction at any moment.
Keisha's gaze slowly swept across the vast army formation before her, across those faces, familiar or strange, yet all written with years and stories, and finally, it stopped on Flowing Moon, who was at the lead.
Flowing Moon stepped forward, clenched her right fist, and struck it heavily against her left chest, over her heart—the most solemn of the ancient Angel military salutes.
Behind her, the million Ancient Angels, regardless of their position, rank, which legion they once belonged to, or why they had left, moved in perfect unison at that moment, as if they had practiced it ten thousand times.
"Bang!"
The sound of fist armor striking breastplate converged into a dull yet magnificent roar, like an ancient Thor beating war drums in the starry sky, resounding through the Universe and shaking the soul.
"Former Left Wing Guard, Flowing Moon!" Flowing Moon's voice, transmitted through the vibration of divine power, rang out clearly and firmly in the ears of every Angel.
"Bringing sisters who responded to the 'kindling' call and are willing to fight for the future of the Angel Civilization, a total of 1,275,306 members, reporting for duty! Awaiting orders!"
1.27 million! This number made the corner of Keisha's eye twitch imperceptibly and made Hexi hold her breath subconsciously.
This was nearly a third more than their most exaggerated estimates! And this was likely just the first batch of responders!
Keisha took a deep breath; her state of mind, which had calmed winds and clouds for tens of thousands of years, rippled at this moment.
She stepped forward, her voice not loud, but carrying the power to soothe all restlessness, clearly spreading across the starry sky: "Angel Warriors, welcome home."
There was no excessive small talk, no lengthy lectures.
A single "Welcome home" caused ripples in the eyes of countless Ancient Angels—eyes that had weathered the storms and were as firm as Bedrock.
They had been gone for too long, some not even leaving willingly.
But at this moment, "home" was calling, the future was calling, so they crossed the galaxy, clad in armor, and returned.
Flowing Moon lowered her arm and turned her gaze to Hexi beside Keisha.
Her gaze remained sharp, but it lacked the absolute reverence she had shown Keisha, and instead carried a bit more... accountability?
Or rather, it was a veteran's scrutiny of a Commander who had failed to fulfill their duty.
"Your Majesty, Heavenly Base King." Flowing Moon's voice was still clangorous, but clearly carried a hint of disapproval.
"For such a major matter concerning the rise and fall of the civilization's future, why didn't you summon us sooner? If I hadn't perceived the clues and proactively contacted old subordinates, would we have had to wait until those petty thieves attacked our door before letting us old bones crawl out of our graves?"
Her words were blunt, but none of the million Angels behind her felt it was inappropriate.
On the contrary, many nodded slightly, looking at Hexi with burning eyes.
The meaning was clear: With such a good thing, why didn't you call us old folks first—the ones who can fight the best and are most willing to die for Angels? What were you thinking, Heavenly Base King?
Hiding it away—is it because you look down on us, or do you think we're old and useless?
Hexi felt her scalp tingle under these million gazes, many of which came from old antiques with more seniority and perhaps not much less power than herself.
Even with all her wits, she felt a bit unable to defend herself at this moment.
Could she really say, "I was afraid you would have conflicting ideas and cause trouble, so I wanted to take it slow"?
If she said that, she would probably be poked into a sieve by these veterans' glares.
Keisha spoke up at the right moment, her voice calm yet carrying unquestionable majesty: "This matter was a decision made after consultation between Hexi and me."
"New knowledge is of great importance and requires cautious handling. Waking you all also required thorough preparation. Flowing Moon's action, while slightly hasty, is commendable in spirit. Since you have all returned, then it is perfect."
Her gaze swept across the entire field, passing over the faces of every Ancient Angel like a physical presence: "The future of Angels needs the strength of every loyal warrior."
"A new path has been opened, and new challenges lie ahead. Your return is not to repeat past wars, but to protect the hope of the future, to explore unprecedented territories. Are you willing to follow me, fight in the galaxy once more, and open a new era for our Angel Civilization?"
"Willing to follow the Queen! For our Angels! Open a new era!"
A million Angels roared in unison.
The sound converged into a violent tide of energy, echoing in the starry sky, shaking the distant stars as if they were trembling.
That momentum, that determination, that boiling fighting spirit, made all the observing Angels, whether new generation or Ancient generation, feel their blood boil and their souls tremble.
At this moment, the barriers seemed to have melted away.
Whether for "Justice" or for "Angels," at this moment, their goals were unprecedentedly unified—to fight for the land beneath their feet, for the civilization behind them, and for that hopeful future!
After the simple welcoming ceremony—or rather, after the million-strong army instantly completed its assembly and oath of allegiance—came the complex, scalp-tingling work of resettlement and reorganization.
Fortunately, with the terrifying computing power of the Sky-based Computing Cluster and Hexi's overall planning, coupled with the extremely high discipline and obedience of the Ancient Angels—at least in external military operations—everything began to proceed in an orderly manner.
On the outskirts of the Merlot Heavenly Court, several huge, long-abandoned or semi-abandoned interstellar fortresses and planetary Bases were urgently activated and renovated.
Countless engineering Angels, including many technical officers from the ancient era, erupted with astonishing efficiency under Hexi's unified coordination.
In a short time, a vast temporary military camp capable of accommodating a million-strong army, with complete facilities and tight defenses, rose from the ground in a specific area on the outskirts of the Angel Nebula, known as the "Guixu Barrier," serving as both a garrison and a frontline alert position.
While the resettlement work was in full swing, several of the most prestigious and powerful Legion Commanders among the Ancient Angels, after handling the initial emergency matters, unanimously submitted a request to Hexi:
They wanted to meet the otherworldly guest who brought the "kindling," the young girl named "Artoria."
Hexi originally wanted to politely refuse, worried that the large crowd would scare Artoria, and also worried about revealing more secrets.
But the attitude of these Legion Commanders was exceptionally firm, and their reasons were sufficient: they had returned to protect this hope.
If they did not meet the person who brought the hope and personally express their gratitude and intention to protect, they would be uneasy, and it would be difficult to truly understand the weight of what they were to protect.
With no other choice, Hexi had to accompany them personally, and beforehand, she sternly warned all the Legion Commanders to restrain their auras and not to frighten the guest.
Thus, shortly after the shocking scene of the return of the million Ancient Angels had passed, the Silver Moon Observatory welcomed a few extremely special visitors.
There were five visitors in total.
The leader was none other than the former Left Wing Guard, Flowing Moon, who was now temporarily appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the "Guixu Barrier."
She had changed out of her military uniform into simple, silver-white casual clothes, but the majesty of long-standing authority and the sharpness forged through blood and fire still hit one in the face.
Beside her was a tall female Angel with fiery red hair and an aura of heroism and vicissitudes between her brows—the former Legion Commander of the "Blazing Wind" Legion, Blazing Wind.
She just stood there casually, and the surrounding temperature seemed to rise slightly; that was the brand left by her having once controlled stellar energy.
Another female Angel had a completely different temperament.
She wore clothing similar to a scholar's robe, her face was cold, and her eyes were deep, as if containing countless stars and data—the former first-generation Chief Science Officer, Star Whisper.
She looked the calmest, but when her gaze swept over the various facilities of the Silver Moon Observatory, a sharp and inquisitive light would flash.
The fourth was a female Angel carrying a dark golden greatsword almost as tall as herself, wearing black light armor, with a cold expression and an indelible fierce aura between her brows—the "Judgment" Knight.
Her real name was rarely mentioned, and she was mostly called by her title.
She stood silently, yet she was like a sword drawn half an inch from its scabbard, radiating a sharpness that kept others at bay.
The last one was a female Angel who looked the most gentle, wearing a plain long dress, her aura as restrained as a deep pool, but her eyes carried a clarity and compassion that could see through people's hearts.
She was the representative of the "Watchers," named "Silent Sea."
Any one of these five, appearing alone, would be enough to make a star region take notice.
Now that they had come together, even though they had deliberately restrained themselves, the intangible, tens-of-thousands-of-years-accumulated aura and majesty still made the space of the Silver Moon Observatory seem to stagnate slightly.
Hexi looked at Artoria somewhat nervously, only to find that although there was surprise in Artoria's eyes, her expression was quite calm, and she only subconsciously protected Minerva's projection behind her.
Minerva's projection was curiously examining these ancient and powerful visitors, with no fear in her azure eyes, only pure curiosity.
"Artoria," Hexi introduced, her tone carrying a hint of imperceptible helplessness, "These are... seniors who have just returned. Flowing Moon, Blazing Wind, Star Whisper, Judgment, Silent Sea. They... want to see you."
Artoria steadied herself, stepped forward, placed her right hand on her chest, and performed a standard Angel salute: "Artoria, greetings to all seniors."
Flowing Moon and the others examined Artoria, their gazes as sharp as knives, as if they wanted to see through her inside and out.
They saw the aura of knowledge belonging to Hexi's lineage on Artoria, saw the close link in her soul with the special information lifeform beside her, and also saw her essence, which, though young, contained extraordinary potential and some indescribable quality.
After a moment of scrutiny, Flowing Moon stepped forward first.
She did not speak, but simply faced Artoria, clenched her right fist, slowly raised it, and once again struck it heavily against her left chest over her heart.
Behind her, Blazing Wind, Star Whisper, Judgment, and Silent Sea—the four renowned Ancient Legion Commanders—moved in perfect unison, likewise saluting Artoria with an ancient and solemn military salute.
There were no words, but the dull sound of fist armor striking breastplate, and the gravity, gratitude, and unquestionable will to protect revealed in their eyes, were worth more than a thousand words.
They were expressing their highest respect and firmest commitment to the young girl who brought the "kindling" in their own way.
Hexi stood to the side, letting out a soft sigh of relief, a complex light flashing in her eyes.
She knew that from this moment on, Artoria's position in the Angel Civilization would become completely different.
She was no longer just an otherworldly guest being protected, a gifted student; she had become a symbol, a key person... who connected the new and old eras and ignited the new fire of the civilization.
And Artoria, facing the solemn military salute of the five Ancient Angel Legion Commanders, was overcome with mixed emotions.
She hadn't expected that her momentary suggestion would trigger such an earth-shattering chain reaction.
But she also truly felt the heavy, pure, and fiery heart of protection of these ancient warriors.
The future of the Angel Civilization seemed to have truly become a little different at this moment.
------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the fanfiction has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 or more chapters in advance over on my patreon: patreon.com/FTLGenBen
Also every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone, Thanks.