Merlot Heavenly Court, Angel Network, specialized channel for high-level tactical assessment and deduction.
A specially encrypted command, labeled "Queen's Authorization - Real Combat Assessment Case," was quietly sent out. It pushed a streamlined combat record, retaining all key nodes and data, to the personal terminals of several active core high-level Angels. These included Angel Yan, the Left Wing Guard who had just arrived on Earth, Angel Leng, the acting Commander of Heavenly Blade Seven, and several other experienced elder Angel Warriors currently on various missions.
The command's postscript read: "The Queen's Decree: This is an assessment of a new-type tactical case. Use your own experience and tactical proficiency to conduct a simulated evaluation. If you were to encounter an enemy with a similar tactical system, how would you defeat them?"
Almost simultaneously, the high-level Angels scattered across different star regions stopped their work and clicked on the file labeled "Artoria - Combat Record against Suma Li."
...
Angel International Building, top-floor lounge.
Having just finished that unpleasant "exchange" with Reina, Angel Yan stood alone before the floor-to-ceiling window. Her fingertips lightly tapped the rim of her glass as she contemplated the chaotic game of chess that was Earth. Suddenly, her personal terminal vibrated slightly.
"A secret order from the Queen?" Yan raised an eyebrow and opened the file. When she saw the title and postscript, her expression immediately became focused. Her lazy demeanor vanished, replaced by a gaze as sharp as an eagle's.
She walked to a quiet corner and activated her personal holographic projection, unfolding the combat record in maximum definition, multi-angle, and slow-motion playback. From the initial ship cannon fire blasting open the camouflage, to the orderly and instantaneous deployment of the mechanical flood, to Suma Li's transition from contemptuous disdain to horrified despair; the overwhelming rain of bullets, each bearing a god-slaying mark; the fearless and precisely coordinated mecha dogfights; the accurate spatial interruptions and timing of concentrated fire; that final unconventional punch, and the lingering resonance of the ultimate total annihilation...
Yan's brow furrowed deeper as the record played. It wasn't that she hadn't experienced interstellar war or seen powerful enemies before. But this method of combat completely subverted her existing perception of "battle."
This wasn't a contest of individual bravery, nor was it the unspoken rapport of a tactical squad, or even a frontal collision on a legion scale. It was more like... the cold execution of a highly industrialized, standardized, and de-emotionalized War Machine. It treated powerful individuals as "system vulnerabilities" or "stubborn nodes" to be overcome, and then used a massive amount of targeted, expendable "tools" and "protocols" to conduct saturated attacks, continuous attrition, and precision strikes until they were completely "repaired" and destroyed.
Efficient, cold, and... extremely extravagant.
When the record finished, the holographic image froze on the scene where the starry sky returned to silence and Artoria's "shadow shuttle" began recovering shell casings. Yan remained silent for a long time.
She brought up a virtual deduction panel and tried to project herself into Suma Li's position—or rather, into the position of someone facing this tactical system.
"Primary issue: How to counter the first wave of beyond-visual-range, high-power ship cannon strikes that seemingly include spatial interference?" Yan tapped her finger, simulating her possible reactions—early warning, high-mobility evasion, deploying energy shields, attempting wormhole jumps to escape... But the record showed that the cannon attack was not only incredibly powerful but also launched with almost no warning and seemed to possess some kind of locking characteristic. Suma Li had failed to completely avoid the core impact even inside a meteorite. Yan assessed that even for herself, without sufficient warning, the difficulty of tanking it or completely evading it would be immense, with a high probability of being injured or falling into a passive state.
"Next, the deployment of the mechanical legion and firepower suppression." Yan's brow furrowed even tighter. Taken individually, those mechanical units posed a limited threat; a Third Generation God Body could easily destroy them. But their terror lay in their numbers, coordination, and the targeted nature of their equipment. The threat of godslayer no. 1 armor-piercing rounds to a Third Generation God Body was very real; being hit by concentrated fire would still result in injury and energy depletion. More importantly, their attacks were continuous, without fear or error, strictly executing preset tactical protocols. Once entangled, it was like falling into a high-speed death mill, where one's defenses and strength would be ground away bit by bit.
"Information interference and spatial lockdown..." Yan noticed the role of the "Weaver" units. This targeted interference would greatly limit the dark communication, wormhole calculations, and energy invocation that high-level Angels relied on. In such an environment, many sophisticated tactics and life-saving methods would be severely compromised.
"And that final punch..." Yan's gaze lingered on the frame where Suma Li was sent flying by a single punch, her eyes filled with confusion and gravity. "Instantly deployed armament... extraordinary explosive power... this is definitely not the physical quality a normal Super Soldier should have. Is it some special individual exoskeleton? Or... is her own reinforcement direction simply unique?"
She quickly sketched various counter-schemes on the deduction panel: attempting to use a speed advantage to decapitate the controller before the mechanical legion fully deployed? But the opponent was clearly prepared; that "shadow shuttle" looked fragile, but its defensive and stealth capabilities were unknown. Forcing a charge through the mechanical sea to quickly clear the field with absolute power? Facing the overwhelming rain of god-slaying bullets and self-destruct units, the consumption would be enormous, and the opponent could use ship cannons or those strange "spatial interruptions" at any time. Using wormhole tactics to maneuver and find weaknesses? Information interference and dense firepower would make wormhole calculations difficult and dangerous...
Regardless of the scheme, the deduction results showed that "defeating the enemy" was extremely difficult and costly. The most likely outcome was falling into a long and painful war of attrition, eventually being worn down to death. To achieve a quick victory, unless... one could launch a devastating, unavoidable strike far exceeding the opponent's endurance limit with thunderous force before they could fully deploy their tactical system, such as...
"Heavens Blade Judgment..." Yan whispered the answer. Only a strategic strike of the caliber of Heavens Blade Judgment—with its wide coverage and power sufficient to instantly vaporize large swaths of a mechanical legion and even potentially threaten the controller's body—could possibly break the deadlock in one go.
"But the premise is," Yan gave a bitter smile, marking the deduction result, "the opponent must give you the time and opportunity to complete the charging and locking for Heavens Blade Judgment. And given the combat rhythm and preemptive aggression the opponent displayed... such an opportunity is minuscule."
She closed the deduction panel and leaned back in her chair, letting out a long breath. Usually confident and even somewhat cynical, her heart was now filled with shock and a hint of... fear? If she truly encountered an enemy using a similar tactical system on the battlefield in the future, with resources and technology comparable to or higher than Artoria's... it would be an absolute nightmare for the Angel Legion.
"It seems little Artoria's combat style... though its 'extravagance' makes one's heart ache, it does have its merits, or rather... its lethality." Yan rubbed her temples and reported her deduction process, conclusions, and that sense of helplessness truthfully in the reply channel. She didn't mention specific tactical details because she couldn't think of a perfect counter-measure in such a short time; she only emphasized the huge challenge this tactical system posed to existing Angel combat modes, as well as its characteristics of relying on high-intensity information warfare, saturated firepower, and specialized equipment.
...
Heavenly Blade Seven, command bridge.
Angel Leng stood before the main screen with her arms crossed, having already watched the combat record three times. Her beautiful face, which always bore a cold and proud expression, was now filled with gravity, and there was even a faint, hard-to-detect sense of... frustration?
"How is it possible..." she muttered to herself. "That old fossil Suma Li might be disgusting, but his strength was the real deal. To think... he was just... swept away like trash?"
Similar to Yan's analysis, Leng also quickly realized the horror of this tactic. Its strength didn't lie in the individual, but in the "system." An enemy who could pour out precious god slaying weapons like regular ammunition, instantly spawn troops to form an absolute numerical advantage, possessed powerful information suppression and spatial control capabilities, and whose controller also had strange melee skills... This was simply a monster born for war!
She also attempted a deduction. If she led a standard Angel vanguard squad and encountered this situation...
The result made her shiver. The squad's cooperative advantage would be quickly neutralized by the mechanical sea's absolute numbers and relentless assault that disregarded losses. Individual strength required constant caution in the face of the rain of god-slaying bullets. Information suppression would make squad communication and coordinated combat difficult. And the controller, hidden behind layers of protection, was like a queen ant behind her swarm, difficult to reach.
Unless... regardless of the cost, a high-level guard Angel like herself, relying on stronger personal strength and higher-level god slaying weapons, tried to force a breakthrough to execute a decapitation strike. But the success rate... was equally unguaranteed and the risk was extremely high.
"Heavens Blade Judgment..." The same ultimate answer surfaced in Leng's mind, but she immediately dismissed it. It was unrealistic. The battlefield changed in an instant; the enemy wouldn't give you time to prepare a Judgment.
She frustratedly ran a hand through her short silver hair and finally submitted a report in the reply channel similar to Yan's conclusion, but with a more direct and even slightly aggrieved tone: "...This tactical system clearly counters existing Angel conventional tactics. It is difficult to deal with, and conventional means struggle to achieve victory. Recommendations: Prioritize the development of means to counter its information interference and large-scale mechanical units; or, develop automated combat units with equal or higher efficiency; or, enhance individual penetration and decapitation capabilities to secure victory before the opponent fully deploys. Additionally, high importance must be placed on the controller's strange melee abilities, and an evaluation should be made of possible unknown reinforcement pathways."
The replies from the other high-level Angels who received the record were largely the same. Shock, vigilance, a deep wariness of the tactical system, and a bewildered yet urgent search for a way to break it.
...
Merlot Heavenly Court, Throne Room.
Kaisha quietly "watched" the replies from Yan, Leng, and the other high-level Angels. The shock, confusion, and serious reflection on the new tactical system revealed in those reports caused a barely perceptible, satisfied smile to flash in her golden eyes.
"It seems our little Artoria not only cleaned house this time but also gave these proud warriors a good lesson." Kaisha's voice rang out calmly in the empty hall as she looked at the projection of Hexi that quietly appeared beside her. "A completely new tactical approach, different from the mainstream but possessing immense destructive power and potential. Although it currently appears to rely heavily on resources and technical reserves, its 'logic' might be more valuable than the 'toys' themselves."
Hexi's projection leaned lazily against a virtual chair back, a strand of silver hair twined around her finger, a proud smile unmasked on her face. "Of course, look whose student she is. However, their analysis hit the mark. Little Artoria's style is centered on'systematic crushing' and 'targeted countering.' Using absolute numbers, precise counters, and efficient execution to offset or even surpass individual strength. Simple, crude, but effective. Especially when facing enemies who rely too much on personal bravery and traditional tactics, the results are outstanding."
"However," Hexi's tone shifted, her eyes shimmering with the light of a researcher, "the counter-measures they mentioned are indeed worth considering. Information warfare, anti-mechanical unit weapons, high-speed penetration for decapitation... these are all directions that can be researched. Perhaps we can use this as an opportunity to push for further innovation in the Angel tactical system? After all, our enemies won't stay in the past forever."
Kaisha nodded slightly. "Approved. List this case in the high-level tactical textbook library, labeled 'New-type Threat - Mechanical Swarm and Saturated Strike System.' Order the Heavens Foundation, Heavens Blade Department, and Apocalypse departments to jointly conduct targeted deductions and research into counter-measures. You may handle the resource allocation as you see fit."
"Understood." Hexi nodded, her figure slowly fading away, clearly eager to start working on the new project.
Kaisha's gaze turned toward the distance once more, as if piercing through the endless sea of stars to land on that azure Planet.
"New storms, new tactics... this era is becoming more and more interesting."
...
Meanwhile, Earth, Juxia City, Super Seminary training Base.
Having returned with a belly full of fire after her unpleasant meeting with Angel Yan, Reina was watching the routine shooting and physical training of Qi Lin, He Weilan, and the others on the training field with boredom.
Qi Lin held her breath, focused, and pulled the trigger. "Bang!" A bullet hole appeared in the center of the distant target. She was using conventional high-precision sniper rounds.
"Nice, Qi Lin, Ten Rings!" The instructor in charge of shooting practice called out the score.
Reina curled her lip, walked over to pick up a bottle of energy drink, took a large gulp, and then, as if remembering something, complained to Rose and Rui Mengmeng, who were also resting nearby, "Sigh, I say, we're still practicing with these ordinary bullets, one shot, one hole. Look at the Angels' side..."
She pointed toward the sky, and though nothing could be seen, her tone was exaggerated. "Man, I heard from that old woman Yan today that a new 'little guest' at their place went out to handle some private business. When she fought, the bullets she used... tsk tsk, were all godslayer no. 1 armor-piercing rounds! It was like rain! Do you know what godslayer no. 1 is? It's specifically for hitting Super Soldiers like us, for hitting God Bodies! With one shot, even our Black Armor might not hold up for long!"
Qi Lin's ears perked up, and her shooting motion paused slightly. Although she quickly recovered, a flash of extreme shock and yearning clearly crossed her eyes. Godslayer No. 1? Wasn't that the stuff of legends?
Rose's brow furrowed slightly. She didn't speak, but her gaze became sharp.
Rui Mengmeng looked blank. "God... Godslayer No. 1? Is it very powerful?"
"More than just powerful!" Reina rolled her eyes. "That stuff—it's hard to say if there are even a hundred rounds in stock on Earth right now! That's a strategic-level reserve! And what about her? She uses them like ordinary bullets! A single volley probably uses more than that! It's truly... inhumanly wealthy!"
She sighed exaggeratedly, but a hint of complexity flashed in her eyes. As the Chief God of Lieyang, she understood better the meaning behind this resource gap. It wasn't just about being "rich"; it was a manifestation of total dominance in technology, industry, and resource control. Earth... in this regard, was lagging too far behind.
Qi Lin silently loaded a new magazine, aimed, and fired. The bullet still hit the bullseye precisely, but her mind had already drifted toward that starry sky where one could freely squander "Godslayer No. 1." That kind of power... if she could only have it...
The atmosphere of the training field became somewhat subtle due to Reina's exaggerated and self-deprecating complaints. An invisible pressure and a thirst for higher-level power quietly grew in the hearts of the young warriors.
Meanwhile, inside the "shadow shuttle" that had just returned to the skies above Juxia City and was preparing to land quietly, Artoria, who knew nothing of this, was leaning on Minerva's shoulder, sleeping soundly. She would probably never know that her ordinary "house cleaning" had not only shocked many viewers in the Known Universe and triggered a tactical storm among the Angel high-command but had also incidentally given the Super Soldiers of Earth a vivid and brutal lesson on the "Resource Theory of Interstellar War."
------------------------------
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.