Chapter 1067: Chapter 581: Furyflame Extinguished_2
However, he dared not trust any promises made by the Alliance.
The hatred between both sides was too deep and too numerous, and it was mutual.
The Furyflame had once destroyed the Phoenix, and had confronted the Alliance alongside the Dragonhawk; the Alliance and the Phoenix had also savagely crushed the Furyflame. The previous Battle Group Leader, Erso, who was deeply loved by his battle brothers, had fallen at the hands of the PhoenixâŠ
Politos could only promise himself to remain rational, willing to endure all humiliation, but he couldnât guarantee that each member of the battle group thought the same. If just one Fury Flame Warrior, after surrendering, couldnât swallow his pride and acted out, it could easily give the Alliance a pretext for a massacre.
From the Allianceâs perspective, it wouldnât trust the Furyflame just because they surrendered. Would they dispatch them for critical missions? How could they dare? What if betrayal occurred again at the last moment?
If Politos were in Gu Hangâs position, he believed he would accept all surrender conditions from the Furyflame, then secretly imprison the entire battle group and have them executed without public knowledge.
For this very reason, he did not dare to surrender.
He resolved to hold out on the ground, in the unearthed bunkers, and also in the deeply buried tunnels.
All he could see was darkness, devoid of any future.
Yet, even so, he had to hold out in this darkness, even if the final outcome remained unchanged.
âŠ
Just as Politos predicted, the Allianceâs assault on Mirage Moon began quickly.
Participating were only the Zhuge-class Aircraft Carrier, three Battle Cruiser-class ships, and the Bloodshark Fleet.
The rest of the fleet had gone for repairs.
Though the number of ships was small, the most pivotal figureâGu Hangâwas there.
Everything the Furyflame had prepared and worked for was completely devastated in just moments.
The planetâs outer defensive systems were the first to fall under attack. The Furyflame Fleet that ventured out according to plan deployed small-scale ships for harassment.
The Alliance decisively pursued them.
The Furyflame Fleet scattered to escape. The Alliance also split up to chase them.
The three colossal ships that had been hidden in the shadows hoping the Alliance would hold back now faced a dilemma.
Youâre not playing by the rules!
If they did not reveal themselves, they would only watch as the Alliance wiped out all the small and medium-sized ships that had gone out.
Though the value of these ships wasnât too high, after two or three rounds, the fleet would be depleted.
But if they revealed themselves⊠the Alliance wasnât unaware of their presence. They dared to disperse their forces and pursue themâsurely, theyâd prepared for this eventuality.
After deliberation, they decided to emerge.
All three colossal ships revealed themselves, blocking the Alliance Battle Cruiser Ronglin right in its path.
This was an excellent opportunity for a strike, but the three colossal ships still acted with extreme caution. They did not recklessly charge at the outnumbered enemy but instead chose to keep their distance, aiding their own ships and intending only to force the Ronglin away.
Even with such prudence, they ran into trouble.
The Ronglin was utterly unfazed.
It ceased its pursuit of small ships, but it did not retreat either. Instead, it relied on the speed and agility of a Battle Cruiser to maneuver at the edge of the firepower threat zone.
Its posture was unambiguousâtracking them, shadowing them, ensuring they could not escape until reinforcements arrived that could collectively annihilate this lone remnant of traitorous naval forces.
The Furyflame Fleet, left with no alternative, was forced to go all in, advancing on the Ronglin to eliminate or drive it away.
The Ronglin began to retreat.
The tug-of-war commenced between both sides.
When the ships had pulled apart to a certain distance, where it became clear that the âStarfire Wingsâ Battleship could not catch up in time, the Ronglin suddenly made its move.
It turned its bow and launched a fierce barrage at the ship originally belonging to the Alfonso Sect.
Simultaneously, that shipâs Void Shield suddenly vanished.
At the same time, another Furyflame flagship, âFire of Triumph,â went silent.
Without a doubt, this was Gu Hang and the Phoenix taking action.
The remaining two hundred Fury Flame Warriors aboard the âFire of Triumphâ were powerless to resist. The Think Tank couldnât stop Gu Hang from tearing through the Void Shield, and instead had its head exploded by Gu Hang; the Interstellar Warriors stood no chance against the Phoenix. Only three hundred Phoenix warriors teleported onboard, outnumbering their opponents by merely 50%, but their individual combat capabilities were vastly superior; the remaining Battle Group Auxiliary Army aboard the ship was being overwhelmed by the relentless, fearless spiritsâŠ
By the time the âStarfire Wingsâ Battleship finally arrived at the battlefield, the Alfonso Sectâs last surviving Battle Cruiser was ablaze with fire across its hull, clearly heavily damaged; the firing system on âFire of Triumphâ was visibly weakened, signaling that inside the ship, the conflict had tipped overwhelmingly in favor of the Alliance.
Under these circumstances, the âStarfire Wingsâ did not retreat. It knew full well its slower speed meant escape was impossible; its only option was to launch a death charge.
The âStarfire Wingsâ attack proved effective.
The charging Ronglin was knocked off course.
Earlier, retaliation from the Alfonso Sectâs Battle Cruiser, as well as firepower from âFire of Triumphâ before its systems were entirely disabled, had landed hits. The Ronglinâs Void Shield had already turned crimson.
The prolonged engagement delayed by the Battleshipâs arrival had placed the Ronglin in a very precarious state. Multiple consecutive strikes, including three Doomsday Light Spears, had pounded the Void Shield from crimson to glowing redâthe precursor to overload; then came a shot from an X-class âDivine Punishmentâ Spear Array, shattering the shield and melting a hole into the Ronglinâs armor.
The difference in frontal combat effectiveness between a Battle Cruiser and a Battleship was starkly evident in this moment.
Immediately, incoming volleys of cannon fire were dodged or intercepted with emergency maneuvers by the Ronglin. Yet, one X-class Colossal Cannon hit the stern brutally.
The armor failed to hold; the ship sustained major damage, now wobbling uncontrollably, struggling to maintain a stable trajectory.
However, just as the âStarfire Wingsâ intended to press the attack and destroy the Alliance vessel, it suddenly took a hit on its flank.
The shot was fired by the âFire of Triumph.â
The âStarfire Wingsâ captain was dumbfounded.
He couldnât comprehend why this happened.
It was clear that the Phoenix was formidable, and the Furyflame couldnât match them; everyone understood this by now.
It was perhaps absurd to be overwhelmed so quickly, but marginally acceptableâŠ
Yet, to capture a ship so swiftly? That wasnât simpleâit required a significant number of crew members.
Did they jump over with engineers alongside? And had enough personnel teleported in during ongoing combat to seize control of the vessel?
This was unheard of!
Yet, the âStarfire Wingsâ captain quickly recalled one detail: the âFire of Triumphâ wasnât an ordinary warshipâit was a Battle Barge exclusively used by Interstellar Warriors.
It had numerous critical shipboard roles that could only be operated by Interstellar Warriors. Through neural links and black shell interfaces, they could directly control significant portions of the vessel, much like their neuroconnectivity to Power Armor.
This seemed to account for the situation.
Although certain nuances remained unclear, such as the apparent lack of password locks or genetic recognition safeguardsâŠ
And besides the neural-linked roles, the rest of the positions still required many crew members. Where did those come from?
These questions stayed unresolved.
But the âStarfire Wingsâ had already lost its best opportunity to destroy the Ronglin.
Numerous Escort Ships had arrived, including a Lunar-class one, charging aggressively toward the âStarfire Wings.â
These small and medium-sized ships intercepted what remained of their own Destroyers and Cruisers while attacking the Ronglin, and simultaneously disrupted the next two volleys from the âStarfire Wings.â
Though they paid a steep priceâlosing two Lunar-class ships and more than ten Silver Shield and Silver Sword-class shipsâthe Ronglin was ultimately preserved.
Meanwhile, they were breached.
Spirits wreathed in lightning appeared across the vessel, and over a hundred Phoenix warriors teleported onboard.
Soon, the âStarfire Wingsâ fell into the hands of the Alliance as well.
Once the outer fleet was completely wiped out, the downfall of the Furyflame became a countdown to inevitability.