Chapter 377: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (93)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 377: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (93)
“I have a question. Why did you let me through so easily? Did you finally give up?”
He stared at me for a moment, then let out a small laugh. It was a hollow sound, filled with self-mockery.
“I haven’t given up on anything.”
He slowly rose from his chair. He was taller than I expected and still maintained a robust physique.
I drew the pistol from my hip, aimed it at him, and spoke.
“If you haven’t given up, then why didn’t you stop me?”
“I didn’t think a monster like you could be stopped just by trying.”
Aaron took a step toward me. He showed no fear, even with a gun pointed at him.
“Honestly, if it weren’t for you, my plan would have succeeded completely.”
“What, are you whining about your life now?”
Aaron didn’t stop. He kept walking closer.
Bang!
I shot Aaron Blake in the foot as he continued to approach.
“Ugh… To shoot so suddenly. How rude.”
“If you have something to say, say it from there. When a man gets too close, I get goosebumps all over.”
He laughed, a sound like a sob.
“Hehehe… No matter how I think about it, it’s hilarious that someone like you is the protagonist of this war. No justice, no ideals… to think my end would come at the hands of a monster that only tears everything apart.”
“Cut the bullshit. What are you plotting?”
Aaron looked down at his bleeding foot, still lost in his own monologue. A flash of irritation shot through me.
“Twenty-nine years ago, when my family was killed, I realized something. The weak are always trampled, and the strong laugh from above.”
Aaron stood up again, taking another step forward despite the blood streaming from his foot.
“Keep spouting that nonsense and I’ll blow your head off.”
He continued with a bitter smile.
“Seeing you gives me certainty. You’re a being who can destroy this world far more thoroughly than I ever could.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“You have no justice, no cause. You’re a pure monster, moving only according to desire, pleasure, and the instinct for destruction.”
Aaron’s voice grew increasingly excited.
“So what about it?”
“That’s why I’m looking forward to it. To what you’ll do after I’m dead.”
Aaron pulled something from his pocket. It was a small data chip.
“This contains all the technology I’ve accumulated over twenty-nine years. Methods for manufacturing unmanned weapons, fortress construction techniques, and…”
He paused to catch his breath.
“…the technology to control human beings.”
With a blood-soaked hand, Aaron slowly held the chip up. I took a step forward and pressed the muzzle of my gun directly against his forehead.
“You think I’ll move according to your will?”
“Hehe, who knows… You’re not a predictable man. But, in my personal opinion, you will definitely use these things in one way or another.”
“The way you talk like you know me so well is fucking pissing me off.”
“I’ve studied you, investigated you from every angle, and watched you in secret, but I’ve never seen a being as alien to this world as you.”
A glint of even more manic curiosity flashed in Aaron’s eyes.
“Where in the world did you come from? How did you acquire such monstrous power?”
I stared blankly at Aaron Blake as he continued to spew nonsense.
“I have no intention of telling you. Just die. You’re wasting my time.”
—Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
Gunshots echoed through the room. Forehead, chest, abdomen, heart, nape. Each shot precisely pierced a neural center.
As the last bullet hit, Aaron’s body collapsed limply. I stepped over the spreading pool of blood and walked slowly toward the monitors.
Dozens of screens displayed countless battlefields.
“Hmm… I have no idea what any of this is. How the hell do I stop it?”
Communications were down. I couldn’t call for help. Messing with it blindly could cause an accident, which would be a headache.
I hesitated, scanning my surroundings. Just then…
—Beep-beep-beep.
[Transfer of authority complete. Registering new master.]
The lights in the central hall shut off all at once, and a blue hologram materialized in front of me.
“What is this?”
[Bio-response scan complete. Registration complete.]
A holographic interface unfolded before my eyes.
Complex menus and figures were listed in dense rows.
[All system authority has been transferred. The assets currently under your control are as follows.]
The screen changed, displaying a massive list of assets.
“This was the scale of his operation?”
[Additionally, there are 67 weapon blueprints and 144 tactical manuals stored in the database.]
Everything Aaron Blake had accumulated over 29 years had fallen squarely into my hands.
“But why did I become the master?”
[The previous master configured the system to automatically transfer authority to the new master.]
I swiped through the hologram, getting a feel for the system. Fortunately, the interface was intuitive.
“First, I need to shut down all the drones in combat.”
[Execute full shutdown command? This command cannot be reversed.]
Just before I issued the command, my hand paused.
What a waste…
With this many weapons and facilities, it was a power that went beyond mere domination. Overturning a world or two wouldn’t be difficult.
“You left behind an interesting gift, Aaron Blake.”
I glanced down at his corpse lying nearby. Strangely… a satisfied smile remained on his face.
As if his plan had worked out in the end.
“There’s nothing more fucked up than being played by a bastard like you. Hey, execute the command.”
[Propagating command…]
The situation on each battlefield was displayed on the monitors. The unmanned drones engaging the allied fleet began to power down one by one, and the fortresses ceased their bombardment in unison.
[All systems shut down. Awaiting further orders.]
“Self-destruct all unmanned weapons and fortresses.”
[Warning: This command will result in the complete loss of all assets. Are you sure you wish to proceed?]
“Blow it all away.”
[Master voice recognition complete. Initiating full self-destruct sequence.]
In an instant, all the monitors turned red.
[Self-destruct in approximately 5 minutes.]
I turned around immediately.
I sprinted down the corridor and burst into the hangar where my unit was waiting. The moment I boarded, I activated the main systems, and as soon as I heard the engine whir to life, I pushed the thrusters to maximum output.
The moment I exited the fortress, a communication link from Elena connected.
[Seo-yun! Are you okay?!]
“I’m fine. I just left the fortress.”
[What in the world happened? The drones suddenly stopped, and now they’re all exploding!]
Looking at the screen, it was truly a spectacular sight. Chain explosions were erupting throughout the asteroid field. Aaron’s weapons, accumulated over 29 years, were turning into fireworks one after another.
“The fortress is about to self-destruct too. Relay this to the entire fleet. Have them immediately reform the lines from front to rear and get out of this sector.”
[What do you mean…]
“There’s no time to explain. Just guide the fleet’s retreat.”
[…I understand.]
Elena’s orders were broadcast to the entire fleet. The Federation and Arsenos allied fleets began to retreat in unison.
I turned my unit toward the Astrea. Behind me, the fortress’s self-destruct countdown continued.
[2 minutes until self-destruct.]
I thought I had secured enough distance.
—KWAAAAAAAANG!!!
An explosion beyond all imagination occurred. It wasn’t just the central fortress; surrounding asteroids were caught in the chain reaction. It was on the scale of a small star exploding.
The shockwave spread out like a tidal wave. A few ships at the rear of the allied fleet were caught in it and staggered.
“Damn, that was bigger than I expected.”
I quickly returned to the Astrea. As soon as I landed in the hangar, I headed straight for the bridge.
On the bridge, Elena and the entire crew were gathered with tense expressions. The main screen was still showing the aftermath of the explosion.
“Seo-yun, what on earth happened?” Elena asked urgently.
“Aaron Blake is dead, and I’ve destroyed all the weapons he left behind.”
“Destroyed? How?”
“I issued a self-destruct command. The threat of the unmanned weapons is gone.”
A collective sigh of relief swept through the bridge. Some crew members hugged each other in joy.
“Then… is it really over?” Sheryl asked cautiously.
“Yes, it’s over. There’s no reason to fight anymore, and no means to do so.”
Someone laughed loudly.
“Haha! It’s finally over! Let’s go get wasted!”
But I didn’t feel as emotional as they did. For me, it was just one more thing that was over.
“By the way, Seo-yun, what happened to Aaron Blake?” Elena asked.
“I killed him.”
“…Just like that?”
“Yes.”
“Seems like you killed him too easily for all the trouble he caused.”
“No need to overthink it. Just enjoy the victory for now.”
Elena looked like she wanted to say more, but she eventually just nodded.
“In any case, you went through a lot. Truly.”
“It was nothing.”
I looked out the window. The debris from the explosion was still scattered across space. Everything born from 29 years of hatred and revenge had turned to ash.
“Let’s go home now.”
Elena gave an order to the helmsman.
“All ships, set a course for home.”
The Astrea slowly began to turn. The allied fleet followed, one by one.
*
The war was over, but there were still many issues to resolve.
Three days after the Astrea arrived at Adele’s home colony, an emergency summit was convened. The venue was Procyon Station, a neutral territory. It was a gathering of the Federation, Arsenos, the neutral nations, and the Alliance.
I attended as a member of Adele’s entourage. Honestly, I had no interest in politics, but Adele insisted I had to be there, so I had no choice but to tag along.
“My voice carries more weight when you’re here, darling.”
That’s what Adele had said. Well, she had a point. She had recently been promoting me as a war hero.
When we entered the conference hall, the representatives from each faction had already arrived.
On the Federation side were Walter Eisenhardt and his aides. Representing Arsenos was Dodone Vegas, who had been appointed interim chairman. And representing the various neutral nations and the Alliance were Adele and a few delegates from smaller states.
“Well then, let us begin.”
The ambassador from a neutral nation, acting as the moderator, spoke up.
“The purpose of today’s summit is to establish a new political order in the post-war era. First, let’s hear the Federation’s position.”
Walter stood up from his seat.
“The Federation acknowledges the truth of this war and apologizes for its past mistakes. However, at the same time, we wish to build a true democracy under a new federal system, where all planets and colonies can participate as equals.”
“Specifically?” Adele asked.
“We will restructure the Federation Council, but this time, we will greatly expand the autonomy of each region. The central government’s authority will be limited to national defense, diplomacy, and conflict mediation.”
It sounded like a decent proposal. But the reaction from the Arsenos side was different.
“Words are cheap.”
Dodone Vegas said with a sneer.
“Didn’t you make a similar promise 29 years ago? And how did that turn out?”
“The situation is different. Now…”
“Just because we’re sitting face-to-face like this doesn’t mean trust has been restored.”
Dodone crossed his arms.
“We demand complete independence. We have no intention of remaining under the Federation’s system any longer.”
“So, you intend to secede?”
“That’s right.”
A murmur went through the conference hall.
“Just a moment.”
Adele raised her hand.
“Listening to you both, it seems the core issue is that you can’t trust each other.”
“And so?” Walter asked.
“What if we create a third-party arbitration body?”
Adele projected a hologram. A complex organizational chart appeared.
“A completely independent arbitration body, separate from both the Federation and Arsenos. An organization that can mediate when disputes arise and, if necessary, exercise enforcement powers.”
“An interesting idea. But who would lead such an organization?” Dodone asked.
“The Alliance will take on that role.”
“But the military power of the nations in the Alliance is…”
“That’s why he is here.”
Adele pointed at me.
In an instant, all eyes in the room turned to me.
“If he agrees to serve as the supreme military commander of this arbitration body, any conflict can be resolved.”
This was the first I was hearing of this. I secretly poked Adele in the back with my finger.
She glanced back at me, her eyes pleading.
I hate troublesome things.
I thought about it for a moment. Honestly, politics was a pain in the ass. But if I could wield power from time to time under the pretext of resolving disputes… that didn’t sound too bad.
In the end, I nodded in acceptance.
“Thank you so much, darling,” Adele whispered.
“Well, it sounds like it could be fun,” I replied nonchalantly.
And so, the foundation of a new post-war political order began to form.
The Federation was reorganized into a new system with expanded autonomy for its members, while Arsenos gained de facto independence without completely separating, occupying an ambiguous status.
And to mediate it all, the ‘Judgment Court’ was born.
Of course, the real power was in my hands.
The political issues were settled for now. But there was still a mountain of problems left to solve.