Tang Wen’s words were like sharp needles stabbing into the deepest fears in her heart, tearing apart the illusion she had so carefully constructed recently.

Illya was merely the future heir to Fia; she was not the ruler of Fia.

The ruler of Fia was her mother.

As long as her mother was alive, it simply wasn't her turn to call the shots.

On the surface, the cooperation between the Interstellar Federation and Fia appeared to be an agreement she reached with Karu as the representative in charge, but in reality, it was an alliance between the Secretary-General of the Interstellar Federation, Bai Lanxue, and the anti-Illya Queen of Fia—her mother.

Illya erupted on the spot, "Tang Wen, you refuse to drink the toast and insist on the forfeit!"

Tang Wen couldn't be bothered to reply. He turned to Blan and said, "Pull out immediately. We can return to this area to search another time."

Blan faintly sensed the killing intent as well and immediately ordered the jump drive engaged. He himself moved to the gunner's station, preparing the turrets and ammunition.

They knew Illya’s personality too well.

Anything she couldn't possess, she would destroy.

The Raider’s jump drive engaged.

Four, three, two, one!

Illya’s shrill voice echoed, "Tang Wen, go to hell with your student!!!"

As she shrieked, the two rows of dark muzzles on the battleship opened simultaneously, and Starburst Missiles roared toward the Raider. At the same time, the two battleships behind her materialized and opened fire as well.

Tang Wen narrowed his eyes slightly, pinpricks of cold light dancing within them.

Illya had indeed followed them stealthily, confirming that her intent to kill him outweighed any desire for cooperation.

Illya had gambled on the fact that Tang Wen only had one Raider and one Reconnaissance vessel, meaning his firepower was limited. Surrounding one ship with three was more than enough to be fatal.

Illya was always supremely confident in herself.

The fundamental reason her forces were utterly annihilated in the Tubal star system was that accursed giant mecha. Now, she was convinced the giant mecha had been neutralized by Morin’s hundreds of super-nuclear missiles and wouldn't reappear.

Therefore, she attacked Tang Wen with reckless abandon!

Tang Wen sat at the piano, suddenly playing a piece with surprising calmness. As he played, he said, "Blan, I don't like retreating, even if it means death."

Blan’s heart tightened sharply.

Under normal circumstances, three battleships surrounding one Raider meant the Raider would perish.

Both Tang Wen and he were exceptional captains; escaping wouldn't be hard, nor would mutual destruction. The difficult part was winning.

Now, Tang Wen was telling him that even if they couldn't win, they must take the enemy down with them!

What a mad notion!

Waves surged inside Blan, yet his exterior remained calm and composed. "We still have the electronic reconnaissance vessel. The recon vessel can deploy anti-detection signals and electronic jamming, which will lower the enemy's hit rate. Our chances of winning are quite good."

Tang Wen elegantly pressed the final note on the keyboard, rose, and walked toward the captain's cabin. "They have backup."

Blan stared at the arrogant mecha displayed on the light screen, and the inherent warrior spirit of the Special Forces was instantly ignited within him.

He had served under this corps, fighting for these people.

And now, he and Tang Wen were to suffer further abuse from these same people?

It was intolerable.

Blan had served as Tang Wen’s assistant for years, and the sharp edges of the Special Forces operative had been worn smooth, but the fighting spirit forged in his harsh youth had not vanished; it had only been dormant within him.

Now that this spirit was awakened, he resembled a roaring lion.

Why should Fia keep pushing them further and further?

Only one thought remained in his mind: "I must protect Tang Wen!"

A showdown between a former Special Forces soldier of Fia and the current captain commenced in the nebula-shrouded void of space.

Adjust the turret three degrees to the right, track the target, predict the enemy vessel’s cruising speed, predict its future cruising direction, adjust the range, adjust the trajectory, increase the frequency crystal intensity one hundredfold—attack!

Hiss—

Purple light tore through the silent void in an instant, and the head of the first battleship was cleanly severed!

The crew members on the struck battleship hadn't even managed a scream before they were stunned into silence by the next sight.

Because in the next second, seven beams of white light transversed the sky, stabbing directly through the severed opening of the battleship. The crew was mesmerized by the white radiance, watching helplessly as it pierced through walls and shattered barriers, destroying everything in its path.

As everyone knew, Tang Wen adored laser cannons.

All his personal possessions, his mecha, and his warships were entirely equipped with laser cannons.

Likewise, everyone knew he was superb at wielding laser cannons. However, no one had ever witnessed it firsthand, because everyone who had borne witness to their terrifying power had never returned alive to relay the news!

When Tang Wen eliminated one battleship with his first strike, the people aboard the Fia battleships couldn't help but gasp in unison.

Illya was lucky enough to avoid the destroyed vessel, her face contorted in fury. "Get the Divine Machine Captain over here! Today, we must devise a way to destroy Tang Wen!"

If Tang Wen remained alive, the threat he posed—

The Divine Machine Captain was Fia's most renowned captain; the stakes were too high.

Space warfare always emphasized teamwork; no one had ever been like Tang Wen, commanding respect through sheer individual prowess.

Tang Wen was remembered forever as Tang Wen, never as the Young Master of the Tang Clan.

He made the entire galaxy seem like a backdrop to set off his brilliance.

When the second battleship was destroyed, Illya suddenly understood why Popo had spoken of Morin choosing mutual destruction with the giant mecha.

When an entity is too strong and constantly threatens one's safety and development, one must use every possible means to destroy it.

????413-

The military forces during wartime were extremely disciplined. Minutes after Illya issued her command, the legendary, most ferocious Divine Machine Captain of Fia arrived leading his fleet with imposing momentum.

This region bordered the edge of the Interstellar Federation, giving Fia a distinct advantage. To maximize this advantage, Illya decisively requested the Interstellar Federation intercept Tang Clan’s relief fleet.

In a moment, this star system transformed into the most brutal and vicious battlefield. It had to be admitted that the Divine Machine Captain possessed considerable talent in combat.

And that man, ten years ago, had been Blan’s instructor.

When Blan saw him on the light screen, his expression changed instantly.

No matter how little emotion Blan still held for Fia, he had been entirely trained by the Divine Machine Captain.

Now, he had to aim the turret at his own mentor.

A fleeting look of internal conflict crossed Blan’s face.

How intelligent and perceptive Tang Wen was! Furthermore, he was perfectly aware of Blan’s background, so he naturally understood Blan’s dilemma.

The reason he hadn't mentioned it before was simply that he hadn't considered the Divine Machine Captain a significant threat worthy of his attention.

Tang Wen was never one to wait for rescue, nor did he force Blan to kill the enemy. He engaged personally, utilizing his mastery of laser cannons, carving a bloody path through the enemy lines.

The crystal composition of the laser cannons determined their range and destructive power. Tang Wen switched the turret to a multi-crystal configuration, installing different crystals depending on the required destructive force, and the multicolored laser beams tore the sky apart.

The Reconnaissance vessel activated all its electronic countermeasures: signal jamming, target-lock interference, and so forth.

However, the Recon vessel possessed negligible offensive power. Surrounded and besieged by dozens of warships, it was barely hanging on.

Blan looked helplessly at Tang Wen. The disparity in strength was immense; even fighting desperately might not guarantee victory, but if they didn't fight...

He didn't have time to hesitate before a deafening explosion sounded next to his ear—the Reconnaissance vessel had detonated!

Blan looked up, watching in disbelief as the explosion swept toward nearby enemy ships, triggering a chain reaction.

Blan’s eyes burned with emotion, and he let out a roar, rushing toward Tang Wen’s position.

The mentor was the mentor, but the enemy was the enemy. If Tang Wen lay dead before him today, Blan would never forgive himself!

The two used every available method to try and win: drones, electronic jamming equipment, laser cannon bombardments, maneuvering like agile fish through the enemy fleet, dodging incoming fire.

Illya’s battleship kept a safe distance behind the Divine Machine Captain’s flagship, protected, while she glared viciously at Tang Wen’s Raider. "There! There! Lock onto him, fire! One Tang Wen for one Raider; once he’s dead, the Tang Clan will never be a match for us again. Capturing him alive will also suffice."

The Divine Machine Captain’s face remained impassive: "Form ranks. Capture Tang Wen alive."

In space, having more ships was always more useful than having stronger ships. Having stronger ships was more useful than having stronger individuals.

The Divine Machine Captain executed a tight encirclement strategy, and within minutes, Tang Wen's Raider was completely pinned down.

The Raider struggled left and right, destroying several battleships but unable to break the encirclement.

The feeling was terrible—like a turtle trapped in a jar.

Tang Wen’s expression darkened. "Tally our remaining ammunition."

Blan’s heart skipped a beat. "You don't mean...?"

Tang Wen replied, "We have enough mecha. We will abandon ship before the explosion and escape using our mecha. This is extremely dangerous, but if we don't leave now, we'll never have the chance again."

He paused, then added softly, "If we meet again alive, I will personally gift each of you an aircraft carrier."

Everyone aboard the Raider knew that at this final moment, this might be their last gathering.

The entire crew bowed deeply to Tang Wen, their eyes filled with tears.

Tang Wen smiled faintly and returned a half-bow.

Illya felt certain that victory was at hand. Tang Wen was trapped; he had no retreat path left.

She would be the one laughing last!

She could hardly wait. "I want to personally board and capture Tang Wen!"

The cheers erupted warmly throughout the ship.

Illya smiled with satisfaction and, under the protection of her bodyguards, headed toward the shuttle bay, preparing to take an airship to Tang Wen’s Raider.

Just as everyone was immersed in the immense satisfaction of their imminent capture of Tang Wen, the battleship suddenly shook violently, as if struck by an eight-magnitude earthquake.

Illya, wearing high heels, lost her footing instantly and slammed hard against the door, striking her head so hard that stars exploded behind her eyes.

Damn it!

Illya cursed, and as she staggered upright, another violent tremor hit, this time far worse. Her head struck the wall directly.

A warm trickle of liquid slid down her forehead. She reached up to touch it—it was blood! RS