After several more attempts…
The unidentified Warp Demon still couldn't extract the information he wanted from the Purgators squad leader's mind.
After some thought, he temporarily withdrew his power.
After all, of the dozen or so special targets he had captured, only this one remained alive.
Better to be cautious.
He then shifted his attention to the exterior of the flesh-and-bone warship.
Nuclear explosions? Electromagnetic cannons?
To him, these so-called "weapons" were nothing more than crude and primitive toys.
By galactic standards, they weren't even worth mentioning.
As the Demon's true body in the Warp continued channeling power into this reality, a towering figure soon began to manifest inside the warship.
Standing over five meters tall, his muscular frame was thick with layers of bulging sinew, exuding an overwhelming aura of raw power.
Clad in spiked brass armor, his skin was deep crimson, his head crowned with two massive horns. A pair of leathery wings—full of holes and resembling those of a bat—unfurled behind him.
In one hand, he held a massive double-headed axe. In the other, a flaming barbed whip.
Upon appearing, he threw back his head and let out a shrill, ear-splitting scream.
A wave of raw Warp energy erupted outward, spreading like wildfire.
The nuclear fireballs and shockwaves outside were extinguished instantly upon contact.
The electromagnetic cannon rounds—owing to their special materials—weren't disintegrated outright, and still carried immense kinetic force.
They crashed violently against the ship's Warp energy shield, sending out ripples of distortion.
As the flames dissipated…
The heart of the explosion was revealed once more.
And there it was—almost completely intact—the flesh warship.
Again, it appeared on everyone's screens.
The sight threw Earth, the Moon, and Mars into a heavy silence.
Unspoken despair gripped the hearts of every military leader and strategist.
They'd thrown everything they had at it—and couldn't even scratch the shield.
---
A moment later, the warship—which had remained in a defensive posture until now—launched its counterattack.
Dozens of turrets erupted in a storm of cannon fire, unleashing a relentless barrage at the Mars base.
Every second, hundreds of shells were fired.
Though the base commander tried to mount a defense, it was pointless.
Their rate of fire and projectile speed couldn't match the incoming barrage.
Within seconds, their defensive line was breached.
The warship's projectiles—flesh-and-bone shells imbued with corrosive Warp energy—fell like a rainstorm on the Mars base.
Their explosive power was less than traditional munitions, but their destructive effect was horrifying.
Anything hit by them, no matter the material, would be reduced to pitted, corroded ruin.
And any living being? Even a single splash would turn them into a screaming human torch.
After several minutes of sustained bombardment…
Amid the guttural laughter of the Warp Demon echoing from inside the ship, the entire Mars base—spanning an area larger than a hundred football fields—was annihilated.
Over 100,000 soldiers were vaporized.
All that remained was a cratered wasteland of pockmarked scars.
---
Earth.
News of the total annihilation of the Mars base quickly reached Earth's control center.
The war room fell into stunned silence.
After a long pause, a middle-aged man finally asked,
"…What now?"
An elderly official responded calmly,
"We proceed as planned."
The man frowned.
"But our weapons don't work. Even if the Moon's forces outnumbered Mars ten to one, it'd still be pointless resistance."
If the weapons couldn't penetrate the shield, numbers meant nothing.
The old man simply shook his head, face steady:
"So what? It's all we can do."
"Either we fight… or we wait to die."
"…If you truly think it's hopeless, you're free to go home and spend your final moments with your family."
"The enemy still needs time to reach the Moon's defense line. This might be the last peace we get."
"…"
---
Later that afternoon.
In the villa…
Petra casually cut a slice of steak and, as was her habit, turned on the TV.
The next moment, her fork froze mid-air.
On the screen, the BBC was live broadcasting the Queen's abdication—passing the crown to Prince William.
"??"
"What the hell is this??"
"Why is she abdicating all of a sudden?!"
"I can't believe I lived to see this moment!!"
"There wasn't even a hint this was coming—it's way too sudden!!"
The real world and the internet exploded in unison across the UK.
And as the camera showed Prince William—now elderly and silver-haired—placing the crown upon his head, tears streaming down his face, viewers across the nation were moved to tears.
Many thought back to his father—
The late Prince Charles, posthumously crowned King at his own funeral.
Truly moving! Deeply emotional!
In fact…
That teary coronation scene would go on to rank second on the list of Britain's Most Touching 21st Century Moments.
---
Well, that aside...
Back in the villa—
Seeing the scene on TV, Elsa, who had been sitting far away from Orsaga out of caution, was shocked.
"Whoa~~ The coronation!"
"Mom, didn't you meet with the Queen just a few days ago?"
"Did she really not say anything?"
Petra, just as confused, frowned.
"I have no idea. This really came out of nowhere…"
Given her title as a hereditary countess, she should have been invited to attend in person.
But not a single invitation arrived.
By the standards of the royal family's usual strict adherence to protocol, this was almost unthinkable.
Seeing both women visibly confused, Orsaga spoke up calmly:
"They probably just didn't think they had enough time left. So they wanted to fulfill the prince's dream before it was too late."
Elsa furrowed her brow.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said," Orsaga replied.
"Dying wish: to play king before the end."
Based on the information he'd gathered, it wasn't hard to guess their motive.
After waiting decades, the man at least wanted to sit on the throne—if only for a moment.
Traditions and rituals meant nothing now.
Elsa pouted.
"Why do you talk like someone's about to die…"
Orsaga replied, honest as ever:
"Because, realistically… there's a good chance they are. Earth might not have much time left."
"…What?"
Both Petra and Elsa looked stunned—unsure if they'd heard him right.
But to Orsaga?
Whether Earth survived or not—it made little difference.
If it came to that, he'd just find another habitable planet out in the stars.
The only two people he'd make sure to protect were Petra and Elsa.
As for the rest?
He didn't really care.
__
T/N:
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