In Earth's outer orbit, within the darkness and cold of Eternity, there was now an additional touch of brilliance and majesty that could not be ignored.
The massive "Heavens Blade Department Series" Royal Court Flagship—Holy Keisha's throne—floated silently in orbit like a moving palace from myth. It was not a hideous weapon of war; its lines were smooth and elegant, with divine golden light flowing across its entire body. Its massive wing-like structures stretched out to both sides as if embracing this star system, or perhaps declaring supreme sovereignty. Surrounding the flagship were several smaller but equally majestic Heavens Blade Department Frigates and many more agile heavenly blade assault boatss performing sentry duties, together forming a daunting divine domain.
It had not activated any offensive weapons, released any deterrent energy fields, or even initiated communication with Earth. Yet its mere existence, radiating a grand, ancient, and supreme civilizational aura, was enough to make every observer in the Chi Wu Star System tremble in their soul. Whether it was the terrified nations of Earth, the lurking demons, or the temporarily dormant Taotie remnants, everyone held their breath and turned their gaze toward the golden radiance in that patch of starry sky.
The King of Gods, Holy Keisha, had personally arrived at Earth.
Inside the "Heavens Blade Department Royal Court," the core Throne Hall.
There were no redundant decorations here; only endless starlight seemed to flow and shift across the pure silver-White metal dome and walls through some kind of force field. In the center of the hall was a slightly raised platform, upon which sat the divine throne—simple in line yet incomparably majestic, symbolizing one of the supreme powers of the Known Universe.
Keisha did not appear in her usual lazy, leaning posture. She sat upright on the throne, wearing her iconic silver armor and red skirt, her long golden hair cascading down like a waterfall. Her exquisite face bore a calm and profoundness that transcended the mundane. Her golden eyes seemed to reflect the birth and extinction of the Universe; merely meeting her gaze allowed one to feel a wisdom and power as vast as a sea of stars. Her existence itself was the best interpretation of "King" and "God."
Below the platform, not far in front of the throne, two figures stood silently.
On the left was Angel Yan, still in her red skirt and silver armor, but her expression was one of unprecedented solemnity and respect, her head slightly bowed to show absolute reverence for the Queen.
On the right was Artoria. She was not wearing Angel battle armor, but rather her usual silver-gray attire suited for action, with the "star dome" at her waist and her long hair simply tied back. Her stance was not as formal as Yan's, even somewhat casual, but her back was straight and her gaze clear. She looked at Keisha on the throne calmly, with respect in her eyes but without a hint of cowardice or fear. Minerva had not entered the Throne Hall and should be waiting in another area of the flagship.
The hall was silent, with only the starlight flowing wordlessly.
After a long while, Keisha's gaze slowly fell upon Artoria. It was not sharp, yet it seemed to see through all pretenses and disguises.
"Little Artoria," Keisha spoke, her voice peaceful yet carrying a penetration that reached the depths of the soul, echoing in the empty hall, "I have arrived."
Three simple words, yet they contained a thousand meanings. Her arrival was itself a signal, an attitude, and a final tone-setting for everything that had happened before.
Artoria bowed slightly: "Queen."
"No need for formalities." Keisha raised her hand slightly, an invisible force lifting Artoria. "There are no outsiders here. Tell me, during your time on Earth, what you have seen, heard, done, and felt."
Her gaze swept over Artoria and then Yan: "Especially you, little Artoria. From the moment you stepped onto Earth, encountering tests, purging the ranks, participating in negotiations, drawing boundaries, witnessing war, refusing moral kidnapping... until today. Tell me, after all this, what have you felt?"
No preset answers, no leading questions. Keisha simply asked calmly, giving Artoria the maximum space to express herself. This was an examination, and also a listening.
Artoria was silent for a moment, seemingly organizing her thoughts. Various scenes from her trip to Earth flashed through her clear eyes—the bustling cities, the cries of despair, the persistence and refusal at the negotiation table, Suma Li's annihilation under the mechanical torrent, Ge Xiaolun's cowardice and the Monkey King's furious staff, the faces of those praying and cursing outside the boundaries, and that cold, clear image of refusing protection...
She did not embellish or hide anything, beginning her narration with a calmness that was almost analytical:
"I felt... the fragility and resilience of civilization." Artoria spoke slowly, her voice clear. "Earth, a pre-nuclear civilization, is like a candle in a storm under the iron hooves of interstellar war. The gaps in technology, power, and organization bring crushing casualties and destruction. But they... or rather, many of them, did not give up. Soldiers are fighting bloody battles, civilians are saving themselves, the Super Seminary is struggling... that will to survive and resist that erupts in despair is real and worthy of... respect."
"But I also felt... the weight and price of choice." Artoria's tone became a bit more complex. "The choice to refuse protection made by Elder Huang, Du Kao, and the others on behalf of Earth, or rather Huaxia, is backed by deep patriotism, civilizational self-respect, and a natural wariness of 'outside interference.' This choice, morally, I understand, and even... respect."
"However," she changed her tone, her eyes becoming sharp, "when they made this choice, were they truly clear on what it meant? Were they truly prepared for the possible, bloody price? Or was it mixed with too many... other things?"
She looked at Keisha with a candid gaze: "For instance, the resistance of the Deno Remnants to reclaiming glory through outside help, a certain obsessive expectation for the 'Power of the Galaxy' to grow independently, or even... the possible calculation that 'the Angels won't truly stand by and watch, so we can exploit Angel power at the minimum cost'?"
"During negotiations, I could feel the contradiction deep within Du Kao... and a faint, hard-to-detect consideration of including the Angels in his long-term plans. He might not have been entirely malicious, but this mindset of viewing allies as variables to be calculated and exploited makes me feel... wary and uncomfortable."
Keisha listened quietly, her golden eyes showing no ripples, as if she had already seen through everything.
"And for those ordinary people at the bottom," Artoria's voice lowered slightly, carrying a hint of genuine sorrow, "I feel... pity. They are the foundation of civilization, yet they are often completely ignorant of the high-level gambles that decide their fate. When disaster strikes, they bear the most direct pain, losing homes, loved ones, and lives. And in their despair, they find that the 'Gods' who seem so close and possess great power have closed their doors to them because of a 'refusal' they might not even know about or understand. Their cries, prayers, and even moral kidnapping certainly have their tragic aspects, but the root... lies in the lack of information and the helplessness of having no control over their own fate."
"I sympathize with their plight, Queen." Artoria looked up, meeting Keisha's gaze. "But sympathy does not mean I will violate my principles to satisfy their unreasonable demands or take responsibility for others' choices that don't belong to me."
"So," her voice became clear and firm again, with a calmness and decisiveness that belied her age, "I drew the boundary and made my attitude clear. My intervention was based on the Angels' minimum guarantee for their own assets and personnel safety, and... a basic stance against large-scale, indiscriminate Carnage, rather than an 'obligation' to protect Earth's civilization. I refuse moral kidnapping because what I must ensure first is the clarity of the Angels' stance, the safety of the Angel Warriors, and that the Angels' 'justice' is not abused or misinterpreted!"
She paused, stating the most crucial and coldest core:
"After all this, what I feel most deeply is perhaps... the Angels' 'justice' is, in essence, the 'moral justification' and 'code of conduct' that the Angel Civilization bestows upon its own actions based on its own philosophy, interests, and power. It is noble, it is beautiful, and it guides us forward, but it is by no means... a 'cheap commodity' that can be handed out at will, passively accepted, or morally kidnapped by others."
"We are willing to fight for 'justice' and shed blood and sacrifice to protect the goodness and order of the Known Universe. But the premise is that our actions align with our principles and are our proactive choices, not forced, distorted, or calculated ones."
"Earth refused the Angels' 'protection.' In a sense, they also refused the 'legitimacy' and 'obligation' to receive large-scale, direct military intervention from the Angels under the framework of 'Angel justice.' All our actions hereafter will be based on our own judgment and direct strikes against 'evil,' rather than a 'responsibility to protect' Earth."
"This might be somewhat... cold," Artoria concluded, her eyes clear and firm. "But this is the reality I see. Before protecting others, one must first clarify their own position and guard what they cherish. Otherwise, blind kindness and giving will only become a weakness to be exploited, eventually hurting oneself and possibly... failing to truly solve the problem."
After she finished speaking, silence returned to the Throne Hall. Angel Yan glanced sideways, a deeper sense of approval flashing in her eyes toward Artoria. The mind and insight of this Star Vault Steward were far more mature and thorough than she appeared. She had not fallen into pointless emotional entanglements or been confused by moral kidnapping; instead, she had clearly grasped the essence of the problem—power, stance, choice, and cost.
Keisha gazed at Artoria silently. After a long while, a very faint but genuine smile of approval and relief slowly bloomed on her eternally calm and beautiful face.
"Very good." Keisha's voice rang out, gentle yet powerful. "You did not get lost in superficial emotions and conflicts. You saw the rules behind power, the hidden costs of kindness, and the responsibilities that accompany choices. More importantly, you understood that the premise of 'guarding' is the firmness of one's own stance and principles."
"The Angels' 'justice' is never a handout, much less a debt that can be claimed at will. It is a sword held in our own hands; where it strikes and when it is unsheathed is decided by us based on our own principles and judgment. Giving help is a favor; sticking to principles is our duty. We respect Earth's choice. Correspondingly, our actions only need to be responsible to our own 'justice'."
She nodded slightly. "Your handling of Earth, while there are places where it could have been more tactful, was not wrong in its general direction. The boundaries were clearly drawn, and the attitude was explicit. You demonstrated both power and bottom lines without over-intervening, leaving flexible space for future developments. The matter of Suma Li was handled cleanly. Your response to moral kidnapping was also appropriate."
Keisha's gaze turned toward the azure Planet outside the viewport, her tone becoming distant:
"Earth's suffering has only just begun. The Taotie are just the appetizer; the demons are lurking in the shadows; though the God of Death Karl has been heavily wounded, his schemes have not ended. The obsession of Deno, the calculations of the Blazing Sun, the observations of the Super Seminary... this pool of Water is very deep."
"And as for us," she withdrew her gaze and looked back at Artoria and Yan, "since we have already stated our attitude and drawn the boundaries, then next..."
"We shall wait and see."
"Let us see what this 'grand play,' pushed onto the stage by various forces, will eventually evolve into. Let us see how Earthlings find a path of their own amidst pain and sacrifice. And let us see... what other cards those hands hiding behind the scenes will play."
"Little Artoria," Keisha finally looked at Artoria with a hint of expectation in her eyes, "your path is still long. Keep your clarity and stay firm in your heart. Do as you think, and act as you will. The Merlot Heavenly Court will always be your backer."
"Yan," she looked at Yan again, "continue your mission on Earth. Focus on observing the movements of the Deno Remnants and gathering intelligence from all parties. If necessary, coordinate with Artoria."
"Yes, Queen!" Yan accepted the order solemnly.
"Yes, Queen." Artoria also responded with a bow.
Keisha waved her hand lightly, signaling them to withdraw.
Artoria and Yan bowed again, turned, and left the grand and silent Throne Hall.
Inside the hall, Keisha was once again alone. She sat on the throne, her gaze penetrating the flagship, as if seeing the burning cities on Earth, the crying crowds, the struggling warriors, and... the deeper, surging undercurrents hidden beneath it all.
Cold starlight flowed in her eyes, reflecting the eternal laws of the Universe: survival, choice, cost, power... and the never-extinguishing pursuit and protection of 'justice' and 'order'."
"The stage is set, the actors are in place..." Keisha whispered to herself, her voice slowly dissipating in the empty hall.
"The grand play has begun."
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