[A/N:]

We’ll talk more about Oblivion later—perhaps in the heat of battle. For now, I’ve given you a taste of what to expect. I’ve listed most ships and their parameters in earlier chapters, so I’ll only mention a few basic things before the war begins. Nothing too deep—just enough to prepare you. That’s my promise.

….

Back in my suite aboard the Obliterator, I turned away from the virtual window. The stars disappeared behind me as I calmly called out:

“Red Empress.”

It took her a second, but she materialized before me, forming out of red-hued data streams like a holographic goddess. Her voice, smooth and sharp, echoed slightly in the chamber.

“What is it, Kallus? Is there something on your mind?”

“Hmm. Something, yes,” I said, tone even. “Something worth thinking about.”

She tilted her head, intrigued. “Then what is it?”

“Before that,” I said, “have everyone informed. We’re holding a meeting—a debriefing. It’s time we begin the final preparations.”

“And that… ‘something’ I’m thinking about? I’ll share it there, with everyone.”

She smiled faintly, a glint of understanding in her virtual eyes. “Ohhh… so it’s finally upon us, is it?”

“That it is, Empress,” I replied quietly. “That it is.”

“Understood. I’ll have them informed immediately,” said the Empress before disappearing from my suite, off to carry out her task.

I shook my head slightly, then vanished from the room myself, reappearing in the designated meeting chamber — a space reserved for important councils like this. I sat in silence, waiting for the others to arrive, my mind still turning over what I intended to say.

Meanwhile, the Red Empress moved swiftly, personally delivering the summons to every key figure within the fleet. Tyler Smith. Minister Evans. Admiral Ezra of the 1st Fleet. The rest of the admirals from the 2nd to the 7th. And a handful of other high-ranking personnel vital to the coming operation.

She didn’t waste a second.

Within five minutes, the first figure entered — Tyler, of course. Always punctual.

Two or three more minutes passed, and the rest followed, arriving one by one until all seats were filled.

No more than five minutes passed before people started showing up, one by one. Tyler was the first, of course. Within another two or three minutes, everyone had arrived.

They were all standing by their seats, and after a brief salute, I said, “Please, everyone, be comfortable. Nothing too serious.”

At first, they looked at each other with uncertain glances before finally sitting down. I gave a small nod, Then…..,

I stood up from my seat, hands folded behind my back, and began to walk slowly around the central holotable. My face remained calm, devoid of any emotion—no fear, no hesitation was written over it. I spoke with the same unwavering composure as before, as if war itself were merely a passing event.

There was no room for fear in this chamber. No space for wasteful negativity. I was certain—no unfavorable situation would even arise. For I had no reason to expect failure, no scenario where defeat felt possible was ever there. For I Was Confident and sure about what was to come and what was to expect from it, and I trusted my strength and power. My confidence lay not only in myself, but in the formidable strength of my newly refitted fleet: a sheer armament of doom.

I began, my voice steady and clear:

“The time has come upon us to finalize our readiness. The Void Fleet must be prepared for what is to come—or rather, for what we shall bring upon those who dare set their eyes on what is basically our own backyard as there to take hah!

I want full status reports on our current preparedness. Now, Admiral Ezra Tanno.”

Admiral Tanno stood up from his seat and saluted sharply before delivering his report. His voice matched the tone of the room precies and composed.

“Imperial Commander, the overall Grand Fleet(Void Fleet) currently stands at ninety-eight percent readiness.

All seven battle groups are forward-deployed and fully operational, aside from the small fleet left behind in the Solar System to enforce our will on Earth and protect its interests.

Additionally, the integration of our seven new Dreadnought-class battleships, The Oblivion, as the flagships of the seven battle groups, has been completed without any issues.

All seven flagships have passed final calibration and are now officially combat-ready. Only a few minor adjustments remain. Once those are completed, the Grand Fleet and all battle groups will be fully spaceworthy and combat-ready, and prepared for any terrain or combat scenario.”

“Admiral Tanno, what is the status of our battle carriers and fighter units?” I inquired.

“The fighter units assigned to our battle carriers are ready, fully operational, and fully staffed with bio-human pilots—for obvious reasons,” Admiral Tanno added, replying to me with a crisp nod.

As I listened to Admiral Tanno’s briefing, I slowly walked toward the virtual window, turning my back to the meeting chamber. Then, I turned around, nodding in slight appreciation.

“Good. See to it that the remaining two percent is dealt with immediately.”

Then I snapped my fingers. The central table rose slightly, and a holographic map flickered to life in front of us.

Pointing at the map, I began in a calm tone, “This map shows the region just beyond this desolate star sector.”

As I spoke, the map zoomed in on a star system no more than four or five light-years away—just beyond the edge of what we call the Forbidden and Locked Zone.

“This system,” I continued, “is known as rigid by the Specia. Rich in resources, yes. But still… they call it rigid. Why? There are richer systems out there. So why the label?”

I paused.

Because this system—unlike ours, which is basically in a desolate, forgotten part of space—is heavily occupied. That’s the real reason I called you here.”

The map shifted again, highlighting fleet formations.

“This is where the Minoru Clan’s 7th Fleet is stationed. Over ten thousand ships. Nearly ten times our numbers. A force that would overwhelm most.”

Now, you might think raw numbers matter. That they’ll crush us with their overwhelming might. But we all know better. Warrior or rather in our situation, ship numbers might help in some situations…

I looked around the room.

“But, no warrior, no hero, no miracle will help in some situations. And sometimes, absolute power? It’s just another stepping stone.”

I let that hang in the air.

“At least… for us. Right?”

“Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Definitely, Imperial Command,” said Admiral Alexander. “We might be fewer in number, but who says we aren’t superior?”

He leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing at the map.

“You haven’t given us a full breakdown of their tech yet, but from the briefings we’ve had, it’s clear—the Minoru are nothing but brutes who stumbled on advanced technology passed down by others. That’s the only reason they’re able to hold their ground out here in the Outer Rim of the Milky Way.”

“Definitely, Imperial Command,” said Admiral Alexander. “We might be fewer in number, but who says we aren’t superior?”

He leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing at the map.

“You haven’t given us a full breakdown of their tech yet, but from the briefings we’ve had, it’s clear—the Minoru are nothing but brutes who stumbled on advanced technology passed down by others. That’s the only reason they’re able to hold their ground out here in the Outer Rim of the Milky Way.”

He paused, then continued with more weight in his voice.

“It is impressive, I’ll give them that. They took what they had and forged an empire—powerful, yes. But that power rests on borrowed tools and brute force. Their foundation is weak.”

Alexander looked around the table.

“Do they have minds like Tyler, our lead imperial engineer? Or anyone in his department? No, right? They’re not building—they’re imitating. They’re pushing the edge of technology they barely understand.

And now that we’ve dabbled in mana-based systems too—runes, arrays, whatever we’re calling them… right, Chief Engineer?”

“Yes, basically,”

“Exactly. With all this, we’re basically far ahead of them on multiple levels.”

He gave a short, sharp breath through his nose.

“We’re already powerful. I won’t say absolute, because we haven’t even tested the true limits of our weapons. But fear?” He shook his head. “No. We’re stronger than the Minoru. And that’s not just pride speaking. That’s fact.”

“Hmm. That’s right,” I said, watching everyone’s reactions. They were quiet, but I could see it—they agreed with Alexander’s words. And so did I.

“True, we haven’t tested our full strength yet. But I have no doubt. I have absolute faith in you, Admiral Ezra.”

I turned to face him directly—First Fleet Commander, now Chief Admiral. “This entire operation will rest on your shoulders. I’ve made that clear.”

“My role in this? I’ll remain with my personal ship, the Obliterator, and the Super-Anters. We won’t interfere unless it’s to protect our critical assets or our people. Beyond that, this battle is yours to command.”

I glanced around the table again.

“Alexander was right on nearly all points, and I agree with him. But numbers… numbers can be dangerous. Even to an almighty force—if arrogance creeps in, if the guard drops to zero. That’s when downfall begins.”

I looked Ezra in the eye again.

“So I expect no arrogance. No hesitation. This must be dealt with swiftly and coldly. No need to play games. The faster you clear out their so-called 7th Fleet, the faster we move on to what really matters.”

I paused, letting the weight of my words settle.

“I trust you understand what this is. Not just an operation. An opportunity. And only you truly know what that means.”

Ezra rose from his seat slowly, his expression calm but sharp—like a blade unsheathed.

“I do understand,” he said. “This isn’t just a fleet engagement. It’s a shift in momentum. A point we’ll mark in history.”

His eyes moved across the room, meeting the gaze of every officer.

“They’ve grown comfortable in their corner of space. The Minoru think their numbers, their inherited tech, and their brute force are enough to keep everyone else in line. And now, they dare to even consider capturing this region. It’s locked down—for now—but tomorrow? Tomorrow, they’ll move.”

He paused.

“Their arrogance blinds them.”

Ezra clenched his fists slightly, his voice steady but laced with fire.

“They believe they can easily take over this region, claim it as theirs. But no… that’s where they’re wrong.”

His tone sharpened as he raised his voice.

“They doubt. But now that we’re here—”

“Heh…” I cut in with a smirk, my eyes glinting coldly.

“Oh, no, Ezra. That’s where you’re wrong.

“Everyone turned to look at me.

“It’s not them who will find us.” I stepped forward, voice calm but brimming with quiet menace.

“It is us who will find them. It is we who will decide where the next fire burns, where the next empire falls. They are waiting in silence—we will be the storm that breaks it.”

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