The twilight stole the last vestiges of light, and a heavy, inky blackness crept up the vault of the sky.

Through this darkness, a nickel-colored humanoid mech sliced by like a meteor, moving so swiftly it was almost impossible to track.

Yet, a vibrantly colored silver-blue mech clung tenaciously to its tail.

This was followed by a massive, well-trained fleet; their gleaming exteriors and spectacular designs immediately announced the heavy hand of the Interstellar Federation. Hidden around this imposing procession were numerous anti-stealth mechs.

“Trying to escape? Not so easy!” Kalu, the pilot of the silver-blue mech, felt a chill enter his eyes as he ordered his forces forward once more.

Ahead lay Siatu. Siatu was a peculiar planet: the east was famous for its annual meteor showers, drawing countless visitors, while the west was riddled with chaotic asteroid fields, where the slightest misstep could result in total disintegration in space.

Would An Junlie head east toward the showers?

Despite the man’s typically composed nature, he wouldn't dare commit suicidal folly in Siatu’s treacherous west.

He confidently directed his fleet: “S Squad’s top seven units, detour toward Siatu East. The rest follow me. We’ll box him in!”

The captain of the S Squad followed closely. Hearing the order, he couldn't help but ask, “There are so many tourists to the east. If we expose ourselves, wouldn't that…” The unspoken implication hung heavy in the air.

As the Star of Romance, Siatu East at night was a paradise for couples. It was precisely the peak time for the densest meteor shower, meaning a large crowd of visitors would be gathered. If An Junlie allowed himself to be seen, his nickel mech might blend in, but the boastful, brilliant hues of the pursuers would be almost impossible to conceal.

This interception was meant to be a covert operation. If it was exposed, not only would their efforts be wasted, but televised reports would certainly shake public confidence in the Federation.

Conversely, An Junlie was usually a low-key, steady individual, the very last person to choose such a risky path. His current move to the east could only mean he was fighting a desperate, last-ditch battle—a perfect opportunity that could not be missed.

Kalu stared at the streaks of meteors across the heavens and steeled himself for the decision. “I can’t worry about that now. If I can’t take him down today, I might never get another chance like this.”

The S Squad received the command and swiftly banked toward Siatu East.

Kalu watched the movement coordinates of the S Squad on his tactical display, then glanced ahead at the nickel mech approaching the meteor shower. He quickly regained his composure.

To tourists, the meteors were a spectacular sight, but to mech pilots, they were a deadly obstacle. Flying through a meteor storm meant never knowing when a rock might strike, resulting in instant destruction.

An Junlie’s skill was undeniable; he handled the meteor shower with practiced ease. Kalu considered his own abilities adequate—the assassination squad and the S Squad wouldn't pose a problem—but he wasn't so sure about the escort mechs accompanying him.

The thought that An Junlie, facing death, was still willing to sacrifice his own escorts enraged Kalu to the point of nausea. He turned back to his display, seeking a counter-strategy for navigating the meteor storm.

Just then, a sharp alert blared across the tactical screen—a hacking intrusion warning. He flinched slightly as the screen momentarily dimmed before snapping back to normal.

When he looked again, An Junlie’s coordinates had vanished.

Damn it!

Kalu struck the light screen with his fist, the sharp thud making every accompanying mech shudder. Kalu was the Fleet Commander of the Interstellar Federation, nicknamed the “Cold-Faced Yama,” yet his composure shattered completely in the face of An Junlie.

Taking several deep breaths, Kalu forced himself to calm down and analyze the meaning behind An Junlie’s move.

Having faced An Junlie countless times, Kalu knew his character intimately. When had that man ever shown weakness? To only make his move now had to be a ruse to lure him toward Siatu East…

It was clearly a diversion; he had been too complacent!

Kalu issued a cold order: “Escort ships, lock onto him. Everyone else, follow me toward Siatu West!” He sneered internally; if An Junlie had gone east, Kalu might have hesitated slightly. But in Siatu West, victory was assured.

Because Siatu West was the antechamber to the God of Death.

Once An Junlie entered, there would be no coming out alive.

Kalu’s earlier fury dissipated quickly. He had a plan now; this time, he would definitely force An Junlie into suicide!

The escort ships quickly reacquired An Junlie’s position. Kalu leaned back comfortably in his seat, watching the nickel mech hop along the edge of the asteroid field, a faint smile touching his lips.

Kalu habitually touched the white jade ring on his middle finger. Just as he was about to issue the command for the final pincer movement, the coordinates for the S Squad vanished, one after another.

What?

Simultaneously, the comm system flooded with a soft, feminine voice, whispering like a lover in his ear: “S Squad Third Seat annihilated. S Squad Seventh Seat annihilated…”

The voice he usually cherished now sounded like a summons from hell!

Kalu felt an icy cold spread from the soles of his feet, forcing a sharp, rattling shiver through him.

If he had previously thought that pitting the ten seats of the Assassination Squad and the thirty seats of the S-Class Fleet against An Junlie was overkill, now, deep in his core, he felt profound terror.

Because less than half of the men he brought were left.

Another wave of mechs and ships had just been destroyed. He suddenly realized that for the past few years, he had never truly understood An Junlie. That man’s strength far exceeded his estimations.

With such an enemy, he knew he would never know peace for the rest of his life.

An Junlie’s mech was already riddled with holes, its laser cannon frequency crystals nearly depleted, yet even in this state of near-collapse, it had just downed five more of his men.

His intuition screamed that if he underestimated his opponent again, he would be the next to die!

He closed his eyes briefly and issued his final command: Force An Junlie into the densest part of the asteroid cluster.

No one had ever escaped the perimeter of that asteroid field alive. If he could drive An Junlie inside, he could use the natural hazards of space to eliminate him.

Kalu leaned back, his eyes fixed on his fleet’s mechs closing in step-by-step. His men might not be a match for An Junlie one-on-one, but their advantage lay in their rigorous training and mastery of team tactics; a proper formation could trap An Junlie.

An Junlie seemed oblivious to standing on the edge of death, retreating under the pressure of the formation until he was finally enveloped by the asteroid field.

Kalu watched the screen intently until An Junlie’s coordinate marker blinked out, only then did the corner of his mouth curve upward.

His back was soaked with sweat. He reached up to tug at the collar of his ornate commander’s uniform, a surge of intense exhilaration flooding him. He, Kalu, had eliminated An Junlie, commander of the most formidable legion in history!

Without An Junlie, life might become a little lonely.

Before the thought could fully form, a piercing alarm erupted from the tactical display. He scrambled to his feet in alarm, only to see a nickel-colored mech suddenly materialize before him as if from thin air, its laser cannon aimed squarely at him.

The two mechs faced off. Kalu had no idea how this one had appeared, so when the brilliant laser beam shot directly toward him, even knowing he had a light-balancing system, he instinctively threw up his hands to cover his eyes.

With a deafening CRACK, the beam struck his sternum—ruthless, precise, and intensely painful. Kalu felt his heart wrench and doubled over, unable to stand straight.

A strange mixture of relief and terror warred within him. In his prime, An Junlie would have vaporized him instantly. He felt fortunate that An Junlie was now running on fumes; the laser blast carried less than ten percent of its usual power, saving his life. The terror stemmed from the realization: if An Junlie managed to walk away from this, who else in the galaxy could ever stand against him?

—If An Junlie lived, Kalu would never feel secure!

Kalu abandoned coordinating the interception and chose to engage personally. His silver-blue mech was the Federation’s top-tier model; against An Junlie’s battered wreck, he was confident he had more than enough advantage.

Since becoming the Federation’s Chief Commander, he hadn't piloted in person for nearly five years. Back then, An Junlie’s fame hadn't reached its zenith, and Kalu felt a junior officer wasn’t worth his direct attention. However, An Junlie’s growth had exceeded all expectations.

The two mechs dueled, one preceding the other, through the narrow corridors of screaming asteroids. The entire S Squad watched, sweat beading on their brows, yet none dared to move in to assist.

Nor could they.

After narrowly dodging death for the third time, Kalu identified a gap between two massive asteroids. Calculating the impact timing, he maximized his speed and aggressively closed in on An Junlie.

The distance narrowed. An Junlie wrestled his mech to avoid the debris, each near-miss more perilous, each maneuver visibly slower. Kalu couldn’t tell if An Junlie was truly spent or luring him deeper, so he hesitated to get too close, opting instead for ranged attacks to drain the remaining energy.

Kalu preferred quick victories, but he also possessed the patience for a drawn-out cat-and-mouse game, which he found quite entertaining.

After narrowly evading a boulder, An Junlie abruptly reversed direction, executing a full 360-degree backflip, slamming directly toward Kalu’s position. Synchronized with the maneuver, the tactical computer chimed excitedly, “Energy reserves filled! Oh yeah!”

An Junlie’s tightly pressed lips curved upward slightly, his eyes burning with unnatural brightness…

Watching An Junlie’s near-suicidal charge, Kalu violated years of established mech combat protocol for the first time, abandoning the pride of the Interstellar Chief Commander, and turned to flee. But he was too hasty, and lacking An Junlie’s intimate piloting skill, his movement suffered a two-second hesitation.

An Junlie seized that minuscule pause with pinpoint accuracy and fired another shot. The magnificent silver-blue mech instantly transformed into the most beautiful fireworks display, its fragments striking the surrounding asteroids, sending them careening off course and triggering a wider, more chaotic disruption.

An Junlie fared no better. His now powerless mech could no longer perform any evasive action and drifted helplessly toward the depths of the asteroid belt.

Those watching the meteor shower that night witnessed an astronomical spectacle they would never forget: the streaks of light took on a beautiful seven-color spectrum, blooming into the most vivid, lingering flowers.