"Eh eh eh eh eh?!"
On the Xianzhou Luofu, Tingyun came running into the Starsea Empire's stationed residence, panting for breath.
"Th-that... you asked this little lady to help collect information before—what exactly was it for?"
At the moment, only Akashi, a small loli, along with some Angeloids and Bulins, remained in the residence.
The Northern Union Fleet and Grey had already set out in full.
"Yes, meow! Didn't we tell you it was for free trade, meow!"
The repair girl thought Tingyun was quite likable and stuffed a bag of snacks into her hands.
"Don't rush, catch your breath. Just made these—want some, meow?"
"Thank you... No, wait, is this really the time to talk about that?! You've already departed?!"
Tingyun was so agitated that she could barely form coherent sentences.
"Right now the entire upper echelon of the Xianzhou Alliance is in chaos. The other ships are all asking what's going on with the Luofu. The general has been dealing with them for half a day already!"
"You... how did you just start fighting the IPC like that?!"
"The Starsea Empire and the Interastral Peace Corporation have irreconcilable differences in our philosophies regarding survival and development. Neither side can accept the other's conditions. Therefore, we can only determine the outcome through force."
The Sophon answered calmly.
"From a cosmological perspective, a mega-capital enterprise spanning the cosmos like this is a massive threat and a destabilizing factor."
"The Starsea Empire will not allow its development in this universe to be constrained by others, nor will we accept any of the IPC's conditions."
"Uh..."
Tingyun's ears trembled slightly.
Within the Xianzhou, there had long been criticism of the IPC as well. In particular, the head of the Marketing Development Department, Oswaldo Schneider, had even been placed on a danger list.
Only the Xianzhou Yaoqing had maintained relatively close cooperation with the IPC. The only reason the two sides could barely get along was because the Xianzhou's sheer scale and martial strength made it impossible for the IPC to coerce the Alliance for the time being.
And the Xianzhou Alliance still needed the IPC to provide trade and various conveniences. Even so, they had already been infiltrated considerably in terms of culture and economy.
"Some of the more radical Xianzhou people do indeed have opinions about the IPC, but for you to just declare war like this—wouldn't that be a bit..."
Tingyun paused to organize her words.
"Now the entire universe knows the Starsea Empire has declared war on the Interastral Peace Corporation?! Um... a war with the IPC might not be that simple..."
"Since the Interastral Peace Corporation is the most powerful organization in this universe and stands in conflict with the Empire, then defeating them is only natural."
"This will facilitate the Starsea Empire's next phase of operations in this universe."
The Sophon smiled at her.
"Miss Tingyun, when you visited the Starsea Empire, you should have toured the Imperial Fleet. Did you never grow curious about a small question?"
"The Starsea Empire has no enemies in its homeland. So what, exactly, is the Imperial Fleet for?"
...
After the turmoil caused by the Starsea Empire's declaration of war temporarily subsided.
The Interastral Peace Corporation once again broadcast a special news report across the universe.
"Welcome to today's Interastral Peace Broadcast. First, here are the main headlines of this program..."
"Regarding the Starsea Empire's declaration of war against the Interastral Peace Corporation ten standard hours ago, the heads of various IPC departments have issued official responses."
"The Interastral Peace Corporation will not agree to the Starsea Empire's unreasonable demands. In light of the malicious actions taken against the IPC, including but not limited to insults, hijacking communication signals, and interfering with normal program broadcasts, the IPC will impose the most severe economic sanctions on the Starsea Empire."
On the holographic screen, sanction measures targeting the Starsea Empire scrolled continuously.
They covered agriculture, industry, and numerous other sectors, along with a vast number of trade embargo clauses. The thousands of listed items were dizzying to behold.
The IPC had mobilized all its departments, as well as every world and resource under its control, to impose economic sanctions on the Starsea Empire.
If an ordinary nation were subjected to such treatment—combined with the IPC's economic suppression tactics—it could very well be driven straight back to the primitive age.
"Eek—"
Some minor forces trembled in fear, sensing that the IPC intended to make an example of them.
The camera shifted to a distant starfield.
"In addition to economic sanctions, the Interastral Peace Corporation reserves the right to conduct further military operations and calls upon its trade partners to join the fight against the Starsea Empire..."
"Escort fleets have already assembled in the Tosta System. The Interastral Peace Corporation will defend every trade route and ensure the smooth flow of interstellar transportation..."
"This region is under the supervision of Director Arita. Over the past one hundred Amber Eras, it has been rated the safest star system within the IPC, with no recorded incidents of plunder..."
The host introduced the situation in the border star region.
The head of the Traditional Project Department, Arita, stood on a spaceport platform, gazing into the distant starry sky.
Strictly speaking, this matter did not originally fall under his department's responsibilities. However, given that this region lay on the frontier, certain duties had to be fulfilled. It was merely a coincidence that he had encountered the situation.
Not far away, thousands of fleets were gathering—each of different shapes and origins, arriving from every direction.
The IPC was not a military organization. However, there was no shortage of individuals and forces in the universe willing to work for money.
As long as one had funds, hiring mercenaries was not difficult. Some worlds under IPC control had also dispatched their own fleets.
"Director, this star region has completed its defensive deployment. All planets and spaceports have entered combat readiness."
An employee reported.
Several fleets were dispersed across nearby star regions, patrolling back and forth along trade routes.
Security personnel on planets and at spaceports were fully armed, with heavy weaponry brought in and set in place.
The vast majority of them had never experienced a true interstellar war. Most of the time, they maintained public order on planetary surfaces or carried out minor tasks such as escorts and debt collection under the IPC's name.
Even so, whether security staff or space fleets, none of them were particularly concerned.
They did not believe the Starsea Empire had the capability to strike into IPC territory. Intelligence from the Xianzhou was perfectly clear.
The Starsea Empire's delegation consisted of no more than seven ships.
When they first arrived at the Xianzhou, Grey had six nanomachine warships, and not long ago, reinforcements arrived—one warship bearing a hammer-and-sickle flag.
Additionally, there were around thirty unfamiliar and rather strange girls.
Seven ships could never reach here. If they wanted to send more forces, they would have to mobilize troops from the Solar System for a long-range expedition.
"Is there any further intelligence on the Starsea Empire?"
Arita asked his deputy.
"Apologies. Most of our data on the Starsea Empire is concentrated in trade-related areas. We have not found any combat records whatsoever."
An employee replied apologetically.
"But it is certain that they possess no Emanator-level combatants."
"Oh."
Even the nearby soldiers visibly relaxed.
If the enemy lacked Emanator-level strength, the intensity of battle would not be too high.
If something like a Lord Ravager suddenly appeared, that would be troublesome.
"..."
Click, click, click—
Beep—
As Interastral Peace Broadcast conducted its hourly time announcement, the final deadline set by the Starsea Empire expired.
Bzzzz—
Just minutes later, at the far end of the stars, violent spatial distortions appeared.
A jump engine tore open a massive passage through space. Sensors emitted shrill warning alarms.
A bluish-gray nanomachine warship emerged first from the void.
Behind her came the entire Northern Union Fleet.
Battleships took the lead, aircraft carriers protected at the center, with cruisers and destroyers providing flank support.
[Northern Union Fleet, entering combat position]
"Hm... the IPC's territory is quite extensive."
On the flagship's bridge, Grey glanced at the star map. The IPC's sphere of influence spanned the cosmos, controlling an incalculable number of worlds.
Most nearby key strongholds had already been marked. The rest could be scanned while fighting.
"Oh? Quite a crowd, huh?"
"We'll need to use a more efficient method. Coordinates have been sent to you. Prepare for cluster strikes."
"Understood!"
At the command, the fleet shifted formation and reignited their engines.
Whoosh—
In an instant, they accelerated to near-light speed, sweeping past one side of the stellar system.
"Ura!!!—"
Thud, thud, thud—
Launchers aboard the starships emitted dull vibrations. In the vacuum of space there was no sound—only the shipgirls piloting them could hear it.
"Hm?"
The defensive forces within the star system noticed unusual readings on their sensors.
Looking up, they saw the Starsea Empire's fleet casting down upon them a magnificent shower of white meteors.
Whoosh—
Because the Starsea fleet was moving far too fast and did not linger within the system, the IPC personnel inside the star system failed to capture their trajectories.
All they could see was a stream of meteors streaking in their direction.
From an astronomical scale, hundreds of points of light dragged long white trails across the dark universe—a spectacular sight.
A meteor shower of this magnitude was a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
"What is that? It's so beautiful."
Some people could not help but sigh in admiration. Others even took out cameras to take pictures.
"Hm?"
Yet within a few dozen seconds, Director Arita sensed something was wrong.
The meteor shower was getting closer. Closer and closer.
He realized that it seemed to be composed of strange "mass points," accelerated by some method to an inconceivable velocity.
Each mass point was far smaller than an ordinary meteor—and far faster.
"A mass accelerated to its limit? Why? How is that even possible? ..."
"Ah!!"
In a flash of thought, a horrifying possibility surfaced in his mind.
"Alarm!!—Evacuate!!—"
The instant the alarm blared—
Boom!!!—
The first Photoid struck the system's star.
Under relativistic effects, the Photoid's mass approached near-infinite levels, punching straight through the star's photosphere and chromosphere, tearing open a colossal rupture.
A vast cavity more than one hundred thousand kilometers wide collapsed into the stellar surface. Stellar material from within surged out through the rupture, forming a raging pillar of flame.
Space stations and fleets too close to the star had no time to react. They were swallowed by stellar matter at millions of degrees.
Only a few ships slightly farther away, with sufficiently robust shields, survived.
The pillar of flame intersected with the orbit of a planet at perihelion. In an instant, the planet's atmosphere ignited, engulfing the entire world.
For that brief period, the planet effectively orbited within the star itself. By the time it passed beyond the eruption zone, only a dark red molten world remained.
Everything on the surface had been vaporized by stellar heat. Oceans turned into steam. Lava flooded across the land.
This was merely the beginning of destruction.
Whoosh—
Whoosh—whoosh—
Photoids, praised for their efficiency and convenience, were less ideal for long-range interstellar engagements—but incomparably suited for precision strikes on fixed targets.
From battleships and aircraft carriers to destroyers, every starship was equipped with anywhere from a few to dozens of Photoid launchers.
Thus, what they faced was a meteor shower composed of Photoids.
Bzzzz—
More Photoids streaked across the void, delivering precise strikes to every planet within the system.
Boom!—
A rocky planet was pierced clean through by a Photoid, skewered like candied hawthorn as its core was penetrated from end to end.
Under the swelling pressure from within, the planet shattered. Blazing, dense core material surged upward. Oceans boiled atop magma. The surface was torn apart entirely.
The IPC security personnel stationed there, prepared for battle, never even saw their enemy before melting in the extreme heat.
At the same time, as the star's outer shell was breached, a second and third Photoid targeted it once more.
Their impact points had been precisely calculated, perfectly disrupting the internal balance of the star. The internal radiation pressure could no longer support its outer layers. The sun began to collapse.
BOOOOOOM!!!—
The stellar core was compressed to its critical threshold—then detonated.
An unprecedented supernova swept across the entire system, annihilating everything nearby and leaving behind only the dim remnant of a dead sun.
The Starsea Empire's fleet did not remain within the destroyed system for even a single second. They merely slowed slightly, released their Photoids, and then jumped to their next star system.
The fleet split into six combat groups, heading in different directions.
Wherever they passed, meteor showers carved through deep space.
BOOOOOM!!!—
Meteors collided with the stars in the sky, erupting in blinding radiance against the dark cosmic backdrop.
Like a chain reaction igniting across the universe, one star after another shattered in the depths of space, bursting with intense light and thermal radiation against the blackness.
Stars fractured, flared brilliantly, then sank into silence and death. From afar, it resembled a grand fireworks display.
The anchors of Interastral Peace Broadcast could not even keep pace with the reports flooding in from the front lines.
"Interastral Peace Broadcast brings you a special frontline report. It is said that Starsea Empire invaders have been spotted in the Tosta System. Escort fleets are currently engaging them..."
"Hello? We now connect to our frontline correspondent—hello? Hello?!"
"The communication has been cut off?"
All that remained in the system were the remnants of a stellar system and scattered fragments of planets drifting through the void.
"What is this...?"
"The Solar Flare-XIII System has detected traces of the Starsea Empire fleet. The enemy has launched an attack on this system!"
"Epsilon—enemy fleet captured! ..."
The host was overwhelmed by the stream of emergency reports cutting in one after another.
"It is reported—the losses inflicted upon the IPC by the Starsea Empire are... are... my god!!!"
His expression shifted from calm, to confusion, to sheer horror.
Every moment, news arrived from the front lines of entire star systems being destroyed.
"What is happening? Report the situation!"
"Which system is the Starsea Empire fleet currently in? What are they doing?"
Inside the Interastral Peace Broadcast media tower, everyone frantically contacted branches stationed in various systems, trying to ascertain the latest battle developments.
"Meteors—they used meteors to smash our sun!!!"
"Aaaaaaaah—"
After a terrified scream from the frontline branch, the screen was swallowed by incandescent stellar matter.
Click—
The live broadcast was abruptly cut off.
At first, they had hoped to receive concrete battle data.
For example: "Two thousand of our warships engaged three hundred Starsea Empire vessels in the Spindle System. We lost 125 ships, annihilated the enemy, casualties totaling..."
That kind of report was the most normal—and most common.
But events had spiraled beyond expectations.
From the very first moment of the war, the unit of loss had swiftly shifted to entire star systems.
No matter how many ships, IPC security personnel, or soldiers were destroyed, they seemed insignificant against astronomical scales.
In only a short span of time, the number of lost planets had already approached a thousand, while the death toll had climbed into the trillions.
...
At the headquarters on Pier Point.
Frontline battle reports continued to arrive. On the star map, one system after another went dark—then vanished.
Outsiders might not know the exact details. But the department heads and directors were perfectly aware of the true losses.
"..."
The IPC's upper echelon fell into a brief, deathly silence.
No matter how vivid one's imagination, no one had anticipated that the war with the Starsea Empire would begin like this.
The IPC's struggles with other civilizations were like a chess match. Each side held different pieces—economy, military, perhaps technology.
The IPC was both the rule of the board and one of its players. Even the Xianzhou Alliance ultimately had to abide by the economic rules set by the IPC.
The board of directors had tailored over one thousand two hundred sanction plans specifically for the Starsea Empire. They had dispatched elite teams to dismantle its economic system in preparation for absorbing its assets.
How to seize control of their economy, how to replace the Starsea Empire's original currency system with the credit point system, how to extract profits in an "elegant" and "reasonable" manner—every senior executive could think of over a dozen approaches.
And depending on the opponent's reactions, they could devise countless countermeasures.
But the Starsea Empire's response was incomparably simple and brutal.
They did not move a single chess piece.
Instead, they picked up the chessboard and smashed it straight into their faces.
"..."
"The Intelligence Department severely misjudged the Starsea Empire's strength. This is a grave failure of their duties."
Oswaldo was the first to break the silence.
Faced with the horrifying reality, he forced himself to extract some usable analysis.
"The Starsea Empire has no Emanators, but... this resembles the power of a Lord Ravager. No—perhaps even greater."
Lord Ravagers are the Emanators of Destruction chosen by Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction. They wield the annihilating might bestowed by an Aeon—pure weapons of devastation.
Among them, the one who most revered violent destruction—Zephyro—had, over the past several thousand years, ignited the sun of New Bethlehem, shredded the ecosystem of Yadian, and drilled through the crust of the Moonshield, and even annihilated the Tia'nua Galaxy itself... earning the terrifying reputation of "an army unto oneself."
The IPC had no data on shipgirls. To them, the situation felt eerily familiar.
"Thirty. The Starsea Empire possesses more than thirty combatants at the level of a Lord Ravager."
"Whether they achieved this through technology or by wielding more powerful Imaginary energy makes no difference."
The director of the Technology Department spoke.
Over thirty entities at the level of an Emanator—that was absolutely shocking.
Yet the directors and executives were extraordinarily sharp-minded. Almost instantly, they realized another, even more terrifying question:
In the Solar System—in the Starsea Empire's homeland—
How many enemies of this level still remained?