Chapter 2290

2290 - Opportunity

Whoosh

Whoosh

The minor gates on the Mothership opened, and the World Calamities and Nexus State holders began to emerge one after another. Each of them immediately headed toward the nearest front before them, whether it was the enemy forces that had appeared out of nowhere on the Right and Left Flanks, or that massive gathering spread across the center. They all charged forward swiftly without a moment's hesitation, as if they had rehearsed this scenario dozens of times.

Bang

Bang

Bang

The attacks from the Note Armadas' cannons did not cease. In the blink of an eye, the tightly packed vehicles of the massive squadron transformed into colossal blazing flowers adorning space, while debris, fireballs, and metallic sparks scattered in every direction as the bombardment continued without mercy.

The World Calamities and Nexus State holders intervened immediately. Energy shields and defensive combat techniques appeared one after another, slowing the rate of losses slightly and protecting as many vehicles as possible. However, this did not last long, as the shields and techniques were consumed at a terrifying pace under the density of firepower that gave them no chance to catch their breath.

Their best option was to attack...

But there were two problems.

First, the Note Armadas were extremely far away, beyond the normal firing range of their fleets, even accounting for the cannons equipped with range-enhancing enchantments, making a direct response nearly impossible at the moment.

Second, if the Power Centers left their defensive positions and launched an attack, their squadron would be completely annihilated before they even realized what happened, because those left behind would be unable to withstand that hellish bombardment.

And of course, in return, the Power Centers would undoubtedly be able to destroy the Note Armadas, at least one for one, and perhaps more if the battle turned in their favor.

But...

That was a decision only the Supreme General could make; he alone would decide whether he was willing to make a sacrifice of this magnitude in exchange for achieving a breakthrough in the enemy's ranks.

Kshhh—

Another door opened, and the Seventh Son himself stepped out, his eyes wide with fury and indignation as he watched the massive formation before him, hardly believing what he saw.

Seventy fleets in front of him, and fifteen on each side...

A total of one hundred fleets.

They had planned and calculated everything to face only fifty fleets, even accounting for the possibility of an ambush or a surprise element... but they found double that number, and worse still, they were the ones caught off guard.

"Arsin!!" the Seventh Son shouted loudly. "How do you explain this?!"

"..."

At that moment, another person descended silently from the vehicle behind him, then began approaching with furrowed brows and tense expressions—it was the Syndicate's envoy.

"We scanned the entire Young Sector 99, not a single spot escaped our eyes, even the Safe Zone itself. We scanned the space between planets from a distance using that Seventh-Grade Tool... and only fifty Nota-4 Fleets appeared to us."

"Then what do you see before you?!" the Seventh Son pointed ahead nervously.

"...More than fifty." The envoy gritted his teeth, as this was an extreme humiliation.

A miscalculation by the Syndicate was something that should never happen, a concept that should not exist in their dictionary at all.

"Double the number of vehicles, and they know we're here. They've prepared countermeasures against our arrays, and even unveiled arrays never seen before." The Seventh Son pointed toward the envoy. "And in the end, they surrounded us in a way we don't understand!"

The envoy furrowed his brows and said, "I do understand part of it... It's clear they used Fast Support Vehicles to approach the Right and Left Flanks, but the problem is that there shouldn't have been any vehicles to approach in the first place." He then continued, staring at the battlefield, "The only place capable of hiding those vehicles from our sight is the Rear Side of the Galaxy's Planets, where our sensors cannot obtain detailed images of what lies there. I don't mean they settled there after a long journey... No, those fleets never left the planets since we began monitoring them."

The envoy furrowed his brows even more tightly.

"...I fear those fleets were newly built over the past few years—the years following the departure of the First and Third Armies. We must reconsider our calculations with our allies regarding this rate of development; this matter has truly become dangerous."

"You think?!" The Third Son raised both hands and shouted with agitation.

At that moment, their squadron was being pounded from three sides simultaneously, while the rear front was left wide open, as if the enemy deliberately left them a single exit to choose between retreat or annihilation.

At that point, the Seventh Son stopped speaking, and he could do nothing about the Syndicate's envoy either. He stepped forward until he was a distance away from his squadron, then used Spirit Power to amplify his voice until it echoed across the battlefield.

"Who is your commander?! Stop this farce immediately, or I will turn everything to ashes!"

*Kssh*

The reply came swiftly, in a harsh, hoarse voice, as if it originated from the very depths of hell.

<"Take your followers, turn around, and go back to where you came from before it's too late… I won't leave you an escape route for long.">

"You allow me to escape?" The Seventh Son raised his right hand, and his Spirit Power began to transform into commands that spread in different directions, reaching all the Power Centers simultaneously.

The World Calamities and the Nexus State holders began to advance slowly, having prepared to abandon defense and charge toward the Note Armadas, no matter the cost.

Then he raised his hand again, and several Spirit Gates appeared beside him.

*Whoom*

A number of Spirit Creatures emerged from them, each possessing power equivalent to a full-fledged World Calamity.

"I want to see how the scum of the Young Belt will drive me away today!!" shouted the Seventh Son.

Even if his squadron were destroyed today in exchange for destroying the Note Armadas, it would be fine.

The important thing was to seize the galaxy.

All he had to do was destroy the galaxy's striking force stationed here, then give the ground forces the necessary space to launch their attack from their new headquarters.

He had wanted to minimize losses as much as possible…

But it seemed that wouldn't be possible today.

*Crackle*

*Crack*

*Crack*

*Crack*

The gates of the Note Fleets opened at that moment.

“…?” The Seventh Son was puzzled, then immediately issued new orders. "Proceed with caution; these could be new cannons or some other type of weapon."

*Step*

*Step*

But what emerged were not cannons or weapons…

Rather, people wearing crimson armor, with pulsating red tubes running inside them, and long horns atop their helmets that inspired awe.

Hundreds of them…

No…

Even more!

“…?!” The Seventh Son's eyes gradually widened, shock creeping into his features bit by bit.

Their disembarking from the vehicles directly into space meant they were all at least World Calamities…

All of these are World Calamities?

All of them inside the Young Belt?!

*Ssssssh—*

The main gate of the Mothership facing the galaxy opened, and two figures descended slowly from it.

Both wore similar armor, but with different and more distinctive designs than the rest of the soldiers.

One of them had armor that appeared closer to a female form, and from behind her horns emerged long metal hair braids, which began to float slowly around her like snakes poised to strike.

The other was much larger than her, nearly five meters tall, carrying a giant hammer almost as long as his entire height. Its mere presence gave a feeling of terrifying weight.

That giant pointed his hammer toward the Seventh Son and said in a voice filled with savage excitement:

"Today, Amon will see... whether dense Spirit Power changes the taste of flesh!"