As a thought passed through his mind… this life was something that I already owed to him. Because if not for him, would he Kael even have had the chance to reincarnate and live a new life? And perhaps, far in the future, he could potentially gain the opportunity to take his revenge on those who had wronged him—despite the fact that he himself had done no injustice to deserve such a fate?

But it’s not about whether I could gain that opportunity or not, or if he had gone through injustice in his previous life—something he had almost no memory of! It was about the debt he felt he owed to the person he owed his life, faith, and trust to. Not to mention the many favors the Imperial Commander had already given him—and would definitely continue to give if need be; of this, he was absolutely sure. Think about it: Kael truly didn’t know how he could ever repay a lifetime of such gratitude.

Think about it: Kael truly didn’t know how he could ever repay a lifetime of such gratitude.

And with the many favors the Imperial Commander had already given him—and would definitely continue to give—Kael truly didn’t know how he could ever repay a lifetime of such gratitude.

Dark Blade looked as if he could read Kael’s face, which appeared bitter, confused, and filled with reverence—a look he had seen on many when they faced the Imperial Commander himself. Though the bitterness puzzled him, once he checked Kael’s thoughts through their state of semi-fusion, his confusion turned to a mix of pity and irritation.

This was no place for such reflections! Kael could contemplate these things when he actually had the time, not in the middle of a battle. Even with the guarantee of victory, they were still facing a coalition fleet with a 1:2 ship ratio, not to mention eight giant Star Battle Fortresses.

“Okay, okay, stop with these thoughts! For God’s sake, you can contemplate this later when we aren’t in the middle of a war,” Dark Blade said with a hint of irritation.

He didn’t stop there, continuing: “If you really want to repay the gratitude the Imperial Commander bestowed upon you, why don’t you quickly finish the mission and head back? That is your duty. By doing your duty with extraordinary efficacy, you perform up to his expectations and lessen his burdens. In simple words: your duty is the way you repay him!”

Hearing this, it was as if the dark clouds surrounding his mind instantly cleared away. He couldn’t help but exclaim in excitement, Yes! Why didn’t I think of this? Doing my duty as I’m supposed to—or even more efficiently—is the way to perform up to the expectations of the Imperial Commander! Lessening his burdens… isn’t this the way? To perform my duty well is to repay the debt I owe!

He sighed, knowing the Imperial Commander would likely continue to provide him with gifts that would only add to a debt he could never fully repay. But he quickly brushed the thought aside. Whatever happened, he would do his duty as a loyal subordinate.

Pumped up and ready to jump the gun on the Minotaurs and their so-called alliance, Kael felt a surge of adrenaline. Anyone standing in the way of the mission given by the Imperial Commander himself would be crushed by his iron fist and the overwhelming might of the Third Battle Fleet.

Dare they cross my path! Then I dare to slaughter them and make this place the last they ever visit in this life.

Burning with a passion to finish the mission and return in time for the Foundation Ceremony of the Empire, Kael radiated a fierce battle intent. Sensing this shift, the Dark Blade—in its sword form—pointed toward the coalition fleets. It hummed, sharing the excitement of its master, and added with a sharp edge: “And what better place to start than right here?”

Exactly else could the batter place be then this to start from !! with a sly grin that looked like a grin of demon that was about to commence his rampage !! appeared in kael face !! as he spoke with enthusiasm and battle intent that was already surging begun to expand from the hidden compartment then through out his flash ship then through the formation of battel ship of anters class and resurgent class around which were the protectors as well as the escort of the the void requiem (the flagship) …

The pressure didn’t stop there; it covered the entire central formation of 4,000 ships, including the logistical vessels at the rear. Even the vanguard and the left and right flanks were caught within the range of that intense battle intent.

Every crew member of the Fourth Battle Fleet felt it—the tremendous aura radiating from the flagship. On board the Void Requiem, Vice Admiral Leo felt it more keenly than anyone due to his high perception. He couldn’t help but smile, shaking his head helplessly. “Looks like our Grand Admiral is a bit excited at the moment.”

“Uh-huh,” Rear Admiral Rio nodded speechlessly. “There goes our chance to score any additional merit points. It looks like the Grand Admiral is going to take the lion’s share now. Knowing where he is and what he’s up to is as clear as a white page to me. God dammit!” he cursed.

Other commanders and captains on the bridge—all possessing sharp ears—could only shake their heads in resignation. They consoled themselves with the thought that, at the very least, they would receive participation merits, even if they were small.

Kael had finally had enough. Unable to suppress his excitement any longer, he spoke with a fresh surge of energy, finally reigning in the battle intent that had ‘mistakenly’ spilled out. “Let’s set off, Dark Blade! Our mission is to clean up the space garbage that shouldn’t be there.”

“Off we go to clean the space garbage right ahead!” Dark Blade agreed.

The hidden hangar bay below opened, and Dark Blade—with Kael inside—dropped from the Void Requiem’s ventral compartment. The thrusters mounted on the mecha’s legs roared to life, leaving a trail of brilliant blue light as it raced toward the encroaching coalition fleet.

“Minotaurs and whatever allies you’ve gathered… be ready to face my wrath!” Kael muttered. He pushed the thrusters a notch higher, his control so fluid it was no different from using his own legs to run.

In a matter of mere seconds, Dark Blade crossed a distance of over 5,000 kilometers, utilizing nothing more than its ‘normal’ cruising power.

This incredible speed didn’t even give the Minotaurs or their powerful allies a chance to react. It was clear at a glance that the allies were treating the Minotaurs as literal cannon fodder; Minotaur ships were deployed on the front lines while the ‘allied’ fleets remained at the back, providing long-range support.

They rained a barrage of attacks down on the Fourth Battle Fleet. These allies were clearly more powerful than the Minotaurs themselves; it was visible to the naked eye as their firing solutions and weapon yields actually began damaging the advanced quad-layered shields of the Fourth’s vanguard. Though they hadn’t managed to get past the first layer yet, the pressure was real.

All the while, the Minotaurs were the ones suffering heavy losses, yet they remained unable to speak up for themselves. The Minotaur commander was visibly frustrated, as were those within the command bridge of this particular Star Battle Fortress.

This fortress was distinct from the ones Ezra and Ryn had encountered. Not only was it larger, but its design abandoned the traditional ‘bull-head’ aesthetic for a spherical, moon-like shape. It was faring much better than its predecessors; its shields hadn’t even been flickered yet.

The same could be said for several of their battleships, battle cruisers, and destroyers—vessels that were, on various levels, completely different from the intel the Void Fleet had on record.

Anyone with observant eyes could tell that these ships had undergone upgrades that were not present previously. Yet, while those upgrades were significant, they didn’t make much of a difference compared to the previous two battles. The only change was that these ships survived a couple more shots before bursting into flames and turning into scrap metal floating in the void.

This sight was becoming unbearable for the Minotaur Commander, Zyth, and the other high-ranking Minotaurs. They were more perplexed than helpless—unlike their kin who had already died at the hands of the First and Third Battle Fleets in other systems. Those fleets had encountered ships and fortresses with some upgrades, but nothing like the completely diverted design Zyth now commanded.

“How… how is this possible? How are our ships falling like this?” Zyth stammered. “They are supposed to be able to withstand several attacks even from secondary-level, Quasi-Tier One weapon systems after the ‘generous’ upgrades our allies provided!”

“Is this some kind of illusion?” another Minotaur added, his voice trembling with disbelief. “If not, how could this be happening?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep