Chapter 340: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield [R-18] (58)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 340: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield [R-18] (58)
“My daughter, it's been a while.”
At the sound of his voice, Adele froze instinctively. A familiar tone she had desperately wanted to forget. A soft way of speaking, laced with a smile.
“How are you here…?”
“Truly, I was a bit surprised back then. I thought, ‘surely not’… but you betrayed your father without a hint of hesitation.”
Adele squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip. The breath rising from her throat was trembling.
Just then, Leon’s gaze shifted to the side.
He scanned the faces of Su-hyeon, Hina, Lisa, Mason, and Oh Hyun, all bound to their chairs. His eyes then fell on Sheryl, who was lifting her head despite her severe injuries.
“Have you enjoyed playing house all this time?”
Adele’s voice was low.
“…If you touch them, I won’t stand by.”
“Don’t worry. I have no particular intention of harming them.”
Adele closed her eyes and spoke quietly.
“Back then… I should have just killed you…”
“Your grandfather said the exact same thing. But unfortunately for him, he failed, and I am standing upon that failure.”
Adele’s eyes wavered. But what followed was even more horrifying.
Jack Spencer. He stepped forward, a twisted sense of anticipation in his eyes.
“Uh… would it be alright if we… used the other women?”
In that instant, Leon’s gaze turned ice-cold. The atmosphere in the room chilled.
“……Truly. How low-class.”
His hand shot out and grabbed Jack by the throat.
There was no mechanical device, no support equipment.
Just simple physical strength. The movement of a human whose muscles, bones, and nervous system had been completely ‘enhanced.’ Jack couldn’t even resist as he was lifted into the air, dangling by his neck.
“Uncontrolled desire isn’t evil. It’s trash.”
Jack struggled, but it was useless. Leon’s fingers were as hard as steel.
“There’s no need for useless beasts.”
Crack.
The sound of a neck bone twisting. Jack’s eyes rolled back, and his body fell limply to the floor.
Leon slowly turned his back again and said, “In the world I’m creating, worthless desire is unnecessary.”
His voice was calm. As if he were just taking out the trash, a mundane part of his emotionless daily routine.
Jack Spencer’s corpse lay motionless on the floor. The other Zeros Code members who witnessed it trembled in silence.
It was terror.
The sight of Jack’s twisted neck and the power Leon displayed by lifting him with one hand were frightening, but what was more terrifying was the fact that he was smiling as if nothing had happened.
Leon turned his head, his emotionless eyes scanning them one by one.
In that moment, the same sentence flashed through every operative’s mind.
‘That… that’s not the look of someone who sees us as fellow human beings.’
They knew. The moment they were no longer useful, they would be discarded without a second thought.
Leon began to walk again. He slowly came to a stop in front of the bound Adele.
“Now, my daughter.”
His voice still sounded gentle, but it held no warmth.
“Are you prepared to pay the price for your betrayal?”
Adele closed her eyes. Then, she quietly opened her mouth.
“……What are you planning to do?”
At her words, Leon slowly bent down. He knelt to meet Adele’s gaze. Then, with his bare hand, he lifted her chin and smiled.
“Propaganda.”
That single word was laden with the intent of manipulation and destruction.
“The rumors of Adele Licencia’s betrayal have spread far and wide, and look at this… you, conveniently in the company of the Colonial Army.”
He glanced over at the captive Lisa, Mason, and Oh Hyun. They were perfect to be consumed as definitive ‘evidence.’
“I’m going to put on an interesting little show with it.”
Adele’s eyes widened in horror.
“……Don’t tell me.”
Leon’s smile grew even softer.
“The pitiful heir to the Licencia Group, truly joining hands with the Colonial Army to betray the Federation! She hands them Federation weaponry, and they use it.”
A heavy silence fell over the room at his crazed declaration.
Even the sound of breathing ceased.
Leon leaned in again and whispered in Adele’s ear.
“The world doesn’t care about the truth. It only believes what it sees right in front of it.”
He whispered quietly, as if reading a book to a child.
“I will create the truth, and the narrative of that truth will begin with your blood.”
Leon smiled as he gently stroked Adele’s cheek.
*
Mars Colony, one of the Earth Federation’s large-scale migration planets.
‘Something’ fell through the calm, red atmosphere.
Before any alarms could sound, the entire surface began to ripple and melt. Heated shockwaves and high-speed particle energy dissolved the city’s structures, and residential areas housing tens of millions of people evaporated in a single attack.
Buildings, transportation networks, life itself—not a trace remained.
The last thing the orbital surveillance satellites captured was a sky stained crimson and, at its center, a ‘Zero-Lux Particle Lance’ falling in a straight line.
A few hours later, an emergency broadcast was transmitted throughout the Earth Federation.
『BREAKING— Adele Licencia's collusion with Colonial Army confirmed. Colonial WMD used on Mars. An estimated 500 million dead, including civilians.』
Below it, the phrase ‘Zero-Lux Particle Weapon deployed from orbit’ flashed in red. Soon after, a new headline took over every broadcast and news outlet.
『BREAKING— Adele Licencia apprehended. Confirmed reports that Zeros Code led the arrest.』
『Supreme Chairman of the Earth Federation issues emergency statement. —Adele Licencia and all accomplices to be charged with treason under Federation Law Article 17.』
『And, for the first time since humanity’s expansion into space, a public execution has been ordered.』
The moment this headline appeared, all broadcasts across the Federation automatically switched to that channel. Public facilities, street screens, even military communication networks. All eyes and ears were fixed on one person.
『The public execution will be held in 48 hours at the 4th Metropolitan Void Dome. To be broadcast live via satellite. All Federation citizens will be able to watch.』
With that one line, every news channel was brought under control.
Adele’s face was broadcast on a loop, like a still image. Beside her, the names and faces of her companions were displayed along with the fabricated charges.
Public opinion on the internet was instantly engulfed in rage.
#Licencia_Traitor
#Mars_Massacre
#PublicExecution_Approved
No one asked for the truth. Everyone was furious, and everyone was thrilled.
I stared at the screen with ice-cold eyes. The news footage played on repeat, and on it, the face of a bound Adele… hung silently.
Beside me, Elena, Brol, and Lillian were also watching the broadcast.
They watched in silence as the footage showed the ruins of Mars, the annihilated cities, the billions of lives that had vanished without a single corpse left behind.
After a moment, Brol spoke.
“…It makes no sense that Arsenos could have approached Mars so quietly without being detected.”
Lillian nodded.
“And this is absurd, no matter how you look at it. Do they think Arsenos is stupid enough to just fire a weapon like that? They know the Federation could bring out something worse than the Xeno Cyclone.”
Just then, Elena asked quietly, “Seo-yun… what are you going to do?”
I took a long breath and said calmly, “We have to go save them.”
Lillian’s eyes shot up.
“Are you crazy? The Federation’s main forces have been fully mobilized there.”
Brol quickly added, “The forces we have? Two old battleships and one new one. You want to break through the Federation’s capital sphere with that? To be honest… the probability of success is zero percent.”
I nodded quietly.
“…We’ll have to find a way to infiltrate quietly.”
Elena shot back sharply, “You’re going in on your own? Do you… really know what that means?”
“I do… And I can’t just abandon my women like this.”
At my words, Elena was momentarily speechless. She closed her mouth and lowered her head slightly.
“…If it were me, I’d hope you wouldn’t come. And… I’m sure they feel the same way.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m going to give up.”
Elena finally dropped her head. She let out a short breath and muttered under her breath.
“Haa… I guess it can’t be helped. You really are a reckless man.”
Just then, Brol mumbled, “Damn… I really don’t want to die like this.”
I gave a short laugh and said, “We’re not going to die. If I planned on dying… I wouldn’t have come with you in the first place.”
After a brief silence, Lillian slowly broke it.
“Hmph… Fine.”
Everyone looked up at her words. A virtual map unfolded over the table.
“The most important thing is how we approach Earth.”
Brol muttered, “My ships can’t get anywhere near it. We’re already on the Federation’s blacklist. The moment we’re spotted, they’ll open fire.”
Just then, Carla timidly raised her hand.
“…In that case, what if we approach them by announcing that myself, my darling, and Major Elena are survivors?”
Instantly, all eyes turned to her.
“Nemesis survivors?” Brol asked, furrowing his brow. Carla nodded.
“Officially, we’re probably listed as deceased… but for the Federation, the existence of survivors who made it back from Nemesis would be a valuable propaganda asset.”
Everyone nodded silently at Carla’s words. Lillian crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.
“…It’s certainly a decent plan, but what if they just ignore us?”
Carla looked up at Elena and continued cautiously, “That’s why… we need your name, Major. The Eisenhardt family. They’re a military family with a long and storied history within the Federation.”
Elena looked down without a word. Then, letting out a quiet sigh, she said, “…So the time has finally come for that name to be of some use.”
Brol stroked his chin and smirked.
“Sounds plausible. At the very least, we should be able to get in safely.”
I stared at the map for a moment before speaking briefly.
“The problem is… getting out is another story.”
Lillian continued in a calm voice, “Fortunately, this ship has a stealth function, so we can approach quietly and wait for you to get out. Of course, if we get too close, it’s only a matter of time before we’re detected.”
Lillian fixed her gaze on me again.
“But the real problem is, even if you rescue them… how are you going to get off Earth?”
Lillian calmly zoomed in on the map and pointed to a coordinate marked over the Federation’s capital sphere.
“This is the first public execution. Security will be tripled, no, quadrupled.”
She paused, tracing her finger over the area.
“The execution is taking place in the heart of the Federation’s capital. And security is being handled by the Capital Command. It’s effectively the most heavily defended area on Earth.”
“And armed forces… will be deployed all over the city.”
Lillian nodded and added firmly, “Exactly. And if you don’t have a clear plan for that part—”
She turned her gaze to meet mine and said resolutely, “I can’t agree to this operation. It’s just a suicide mission. It would be better to do nothing at all than to rush in recklessly.”
I met Lillian’s gaze for a moment without looking away, then spoke quietly.
“…I can’t explain the details, but I need you to trust me.”
I looked around at the others and said in a low voice, “I haven’t let you down before, have I?”
Lillian smirked and turned her head.
“Fine. I’ll trust you this time, too.”
Brol let out a hollow laugh.
“Ha, this is nerve-wracking. I’ve been a mercenary for a long time… but I don’t think I’ve ever been involved in anything this crazy.”
“Then let’s come up with a plan to succeed in this crazy mission.”
At my words, we began to strategize.