They originally kept their vision obscured by their hoods, their gaze cautiously fixed on the ground beneath them.
But now their line of sight suddenly met the golden eyes of the Holy Son, and it was too late to retract it.
Nero and his generals watched as they seemed to be pulled by some invisible force, their expressions dreamlike, slightly dazed as they walked out from among the hostages, gradually approaching the yacht carrying the Holy Son.
As the last Scorpion Tail member separated from the crowd of hostages, the pace of Nero’s tapping fingertips on the panel suddenly accelerated!
“Your Highness, what about the warp channels we requested you to open?”
The Scorpion Tail members remaining inside the transport ship were still unaware of the abnormality at the port.
They continued to address Nero in that same calm yet firm tone.
“I have noticed that ever since entering Delphi Star System’s port, you seem to be less cheerful than you were in space. Perhaps it’s because we haven’t yet let you see any bloodshed since entering the port?”
The cold muzzle of a gun circled around the cabin, pointing at a Wolf Knight who had just lost both arms.
That Wolf Knight, with severed arms, had not received any treatment.
So he could only lie quietly in the pool of blood, his breathing growing weaker.
“I believe the Empire’s medical pod can heal him, but I do not wish to see him struggle in such pain. My lord is merciful, so let me relieve him and may he return to the gods’ embrace.”
As the Scorpion Tail member cruelly placed his fingertip on the trigger, his gaze remained fixed on the silver-haired Emperor in the screen.
But he noticed that Nero’s face was pale, yet his expression was calm.
The beautiful long eyelashes slowly closed, like a layer of lonely snowfall.
“… There will be no more warp channels.”
The light and calm voice of the young Emperor made all the Scorpion Tail members in the cabin look up with doubt, looking towards the direction of the screen.
“Because, just as those Scorpion Tail scum who died miserably in Charon Star System recounted—”
The young tyrant opened his eyes, his eyes filled only with fierceness and brutality.
“—The Empire does not negotiate.”
…As a strange and prolonged humming sound rose outside the cabin, the lights of the light screen and the transport cabin suddenly went out!
And at the moment the screen went dark, a pulse flash grenade fell silently from the cabin ceiling, as if in slow motion—
The Scorpion Tail members, who had been staring at Nero on the screen, could not react to the falling flash grenade in the ensuing darkness. But their muscle memory from years of combat instinctively made them turn and cover their eyes.
But human reflexes are always slower than machines.
Like a pulsar exploding violently inside the cabin, the terrifying brilliance instantly pierced through the thin eyelids of the Scorpion Tail members, burning their retinas into agonizing whiteness!
Then, the Scorpion Tail member closest to the flash grenade heard someone kick open the severed top of the transport cabin and land heavily in front of him.
The hum of a military knife being drawn and the faint noise of a man breathing through a metal mask were the last sounds he heard in this world.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“…Our lives are connected to the collars—”
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Some Scorpion Tail members, though blind, still decisively drew their energy guns and fired fiercely at where they remembered the Wolf Knights being!
The captured Wolf Knights on the ground had long lost their sight, but they still identified the pulse flash grenade from the sound of the fragments landing.
They exerted all their strength, dragging their severely wounded bodies, rolling into concealed places such as the corners of the cabin or under the seats, to provide space for the entering soldiers.
But despite repeatedly pulling the triggers, the Scorpion Tail members heard not a single gunshot.
“…What?”
Having completed numerous missions before, they had never encountered such a bizarre situation.
But the Scorpion Tail members had no time to ponder further.
They quickly discarded their useless energy guns and drew long military daggers from behind, slashing vigorously towards the approaching sound source.
Although the footsteps seemed to be inches away, the Scorpion Tail member’s blade only struck the air.
The next second, violent and fierce pheromones of burning incense pressed closely against his face.
A black military knife, engraved with rose patterns, directly pinned his throat to the cabin wall!
“Reporting to Your Majesty, the energy core suppression field has been deployed.”
The Infiltrators, not shown on the star map, were currently suspended directly above the port, rapidly reporting to Nero, “Coordinates of the suppressed generators are Port G9, F6, S3, D5…”
Nero did not reply, but tightly gripped the control lever, channeling his mental power into Vermillion.
The massive silver-red mecha was activated, rushing towards the port.
Energy crystals, common energy stones in the galaxy, were widely used as fuel in mecha cores, curvature engines, fortress passages, and various other technological products that supported the Empire’s operations. These crystals also served as the ‘batteries’ for Asimov Collars.
If the Scorpion Tail members in the port had the chance to escape and look down from Delphi’s sky, they would find the invisible fleet hovering above the port, each connected to one or more field generators outside the port.
The fleet in the sky and the field generators on the ground connected by dense azure beams of light, together constructed a seamless ‘cage,’ tightly locking the entire port within.
“Sir White Wolf Knight, currently to remove the Asimov Collar, physical contact with the hostages is required, otherwise it cannot be removed. However, we have reviewed the experimental reports you sent us and found that the ‘Test Subject No. 1’ experienced several brief ‘shutdowns’ of the collar during the experiments—the experimental data suggests that the energy crystals in the collar can be suppressed to make the applied commands lose its effectiveness for a short time.”
Time rewound to three hours ago. Nero listened to the military meeting through the mini earpiece while saying to the Scorpion Tail member coldly, “Absolutely impossible.”
“No, the failure of the command does not mean remote deactivation. The data from ‘Test Subject No. 1’ shows that if the energy crystal is supressed, the controlled individual will enter a state of vegetative paralysis, maintaining only the most basic physiological functions without any autonomy.”
The Infiltrators communicated quietly with the White Wolf Knight.
“As you proposed, the engines and pressure systems of the transport ship are also powered by energy crystals. Once the supression field is deployed in space, all functions of the transport ship will immediately cease, and the hostages will be at risk of suffocation.”
“Wait.”
Nero interrupted the Scorpion Tail member tormenting the Wolf Knights.
He looked at his Wolf Knights, his heart as if being roasted in a blaze, his brain nerves seeming to burn fiercely.
For a moment, he even thought his madness was about to erupt.
But it didn’t.
The effect of the Holy Son’s kiss persisted perfectly, severing a part of his brain from emotions, maintaining a remarkable calmness and coldness.
His firm tone softened, as if for the first time he was giving some leeway to the Scorpion Tail, “Land at Delphi Star System’s port, then?”
“Inform the Infiltrators and the Imperial Scepter.”
The White Wolf Knight accurately understood his command.
“Change of operation location: Delphi Star System’s port. The Infiltrators will return to the port immediately and prepare to deploy the energy core supression field.”
“Understood!”
The Infiltrators, like the Imperial Vanguard Legion brought by Nero from the Heka Star System, were one of the elite legions.
Unlike the Imperial Scepter, which possessed attributes of berserkers and assassins, the Infiltrators were a pure auxiliary legion. They were composed entirely of engineers and military technicians, specializing in electronic warfare, space traps, infiltration reconnaissance, and so on.
Nero brought them to Delphi Star System originally to prevent the Scorpion Tail from infiltrating Delphi and causing riots during the Temple Festival.
Above the port, the cage-shaped energy core suppression field had already been fully deployed.
All the lights in Delphi Star System’s port abruptly shut down due to the inhibition of energy supply.
The Asimov Collars on the hostages in front of the Temple yacht also suddenly deactivated, causing the hostages to stand stiffly as if struck by lightning, motionless like puppets.
After all, the Scorpion Tail members possessed mental abilities comparable to the Wolf Knights, so this sudden change quickly brought their minds back from the Holy Son.
A Scorpion Tail member immediately called his companions on the transport ship, only to find that even the communication device had lost its function.
“Spread out. Go see what happened.”
The Scorpion Tail member ordered the hostages, but was stunned to find that no one moved.
All the hostages stood still, like a row of statues, with slightly rolled white eyes and motionless bodies.
Seeing that even the Asimov Collars, which once had absolute control, no longer made them execute their commands, all the Scorpion Tail members in the port quickly raised their energy guns.
But the ‘ammunition’ for the energy guns was also energy crystals.
Even if the magazine was full, they could never fire at the hostages.
“…Damn it!!”
The Scorpion Tail members finally couldn’t maintain their composure. They raised their eyes, full of shock and anger, looking towards the rapidly approaching Vermillion.
“…Damned descendant of Caesar’s blood, I curse you! May you fall into hell, never to be reborn!”
As the words ended, the Imperial Scepter legion poured out like a tide from the transport ship and a thousand parked winged ships at the port.
Within the suppression field, energy guns, beam weapons, and shields were all useless, turning Delphi Star System’s port into a battleground reminiscent of ancient Earth’s medieval times, dominated by melee combat.
“I curse you! Nero Augustus Cassius!! You will perish at the height of your glory, just like your pitiful father, dying tragically with your wife and children—”
Before the words fell, a pitch-black knife pierced from under the Scorpion Tail member’s jaw, through his rear brain, silencing his enraged scream.
Asaga’s golden eyes were cold as he gripped the Scorpion Tail member’s military knife with one hand, kicked his chest, and yanked his knife from the fractured skull, flinging blood and brain matter to the ground.
As the suppression field would simultaneously disrupt communication lines and energy crystals, from the moment the field was opened, the port was completely cut off from the outside world.
The fleet and mechas could only blockade the fleeing Scorpion Tail members outside the field. Whether it was rescuing the hostages or killing the Scorpion Tail members, it could only be done by the Imperial Scepter.
Thousands of soldiers descended from the winged ships, quickly forming a protective circle around the hostages and sending a team to check for any remaining Scorpion Tails among them.
The combat troops scanned over the Scorpion Tail members’ heads, seeking their tall leader.
Asaga, extracting his knife from a Scorpion Tail’s skull, signaled with his arm towards the transport ship, indicating the area was clear.
No more words were needed. The medical team was immediately escorted into the transport ship to rescue the critically injured Wolf Knights. A group of soldiers guarded the cabin door and roof to prevent the Scorpion Tail members from entering again.
Asaga, leading the Imperial Scepter in battle, often fought in intense space conflicts where mecha signals could sometimes be more convenient than communication.
In the suppression field, the Imperial Scepter naturally couldn’t use internal communications, but they still exhibited astonishing teamwork and discipline.
Before the communication with the outside world was cut off when the obstruction field was opened, Asaga had received one final command from His Majesty the Emperor.
The command was extremely simple.
Because it was typed out, it also seemed very plain.
It was just a short sentence:
—Tear them apart.
Asaga’s golden eyes lit up like torches.
He cut the throats of several Scorpion Tail members, then single-handedly grabbed one attacking him, dragging him to the bridge of the transport ship.
The black military knife, initially resting on the Scorpion Tail member’s neck, swiftly moved downward as he remembered his master’s command. The man then plunged the blade through the enemy’s abdomen in front of all the Scorpion Tail members—
Then slashed upwards!
The so-called former members of the Knights of the Holy Temple, under this inhuman torture, emitted screams as piercing as slaughtered pigs!
Soon after, the man kicked the still-living Scorpion Tail member off the bridge.
All the Imperial Scepter warriors saw their leader, with golden eyes, making the most familiar Imperial tactical gesture to them:
All the Imperial soldiers watched as their gold-eyed leader, facing them, made a gesture they knew all too well: the right index finger circling towards the Scorpion Tail members’ direction, and the left palm slamming onto the right fist. This signal always meant one thing:
Complete and merciless annihilation.
“—Understood, Commander.”
Deserved 😌💕
destroy them!!!
Thanks for the new chapters <3