MCDWTBS Chapter 89

Chapter 89 Chapter 89 “Serra, Your Majesty, you’ve gone mad…”

Outside the rebel army’s main battleship, particle cannons dyed half the universe red. Edwin’s vanguard, leading the charge, quickly clashed with the rebel army’s advance troops. The multicolored wings of the female Chongs cut through the silence of the universe, and hands transformed into sharp claws tore apart mechanical shells. Beast-like roars were drowned out by the sound of gunfire.

Serra’s mental perception was momentarily overwhelmed by the chaotic and brutal battlefield. The aura of death was like chilling water, seeping into his soul drop by drop through his mental senses, making him stiff with cold – Serra was, after all, not a soldier. Faced with the battlefield and death, he instinctively felt panic.

But what crushed him even before the panic was his concern for Edwin’s situation.

Through his mental perception, he “saw” Edwin. Across a vast expanse of space, he couldn’t perceive Edwin’s state – in fact, he couldn’t perceive anything at all. The irreversible and inseparable bond between him and the female Chong was faint and imperceptible. Terror, like stagnant water in a tomb, slowly crept up his feet and into his heart.

Why? Why did the Fourth Army appear here, taking on the vanguard role in attacking the rebel army?

Why would Edwin, as a general and commander, personally be on the battlefield? Did… did he not care about his own safety at all?

Before making life-or-death decisions, before going into battle, did he think of Serra? Did he consider the close connection between his life and Serra’s, did he think that Serra loved him?

Serra gritted his teeth, casting aside the endless questions, simply because he had more urgent matters at hand.

In any case, he had to see Edwin, he wanted to hold him in his arms, protect him closely. He wanted to repeat to Edwin his undying love and unwavering loyalty, and beg Edwin to consider his own life and Serra in his next life-or-death decision.

He couldn’t watch Edwin continue this battle or slaughter the rebel soldiers any longer. Whatever the reason Edwin made this decision, Serra had to minimize the losses.

“Is it possible to have direct communication with the commander of the Fourth Army?”

“The Fourth Army refuses any requests for communication.”

Serra asked Krison anxiously. In his perception, Edwin’s vanguard was like a sharp knife, piercing into the rebel army’s defense line. The number of vanguards was not large, but they were all fighting as if their lives were worthless. Countless winged female Chongs fell midway, their extinguished lives disappearing into the silent universe almost without a sound.

In the blink of an eye, Edwin’s black wings, with their gilded edges, were like unsheathed sharp swords. Energy waves, like flames of revenge, slaughtered dozens of rebel soldiers. He deftly dodged the deadly and bright trajectories of several particle cannons, and his power claws, encased in battle armor, tore open a small airship.

His movements were too fast, Serra couldn’t capture the expression behind his battle armor, but his heart was gripped by the several life-threatening dangers he faced. Fear swelled his tear glands, and he showed signs of hyperventilation, which he forcibly suppressed.

“Open the hatch, I’m going to… I’m going to talk to Edwin. The First and Third Armies behind him are here to force the Fourth Army to act, he’s being coerced, we…” He suppressed the tremor in his voice:

“We must ensure that the Fourth Army leaves the firing range of the First and Third Armies.”

He strode towards the door, attempting to leave the ship cabin dedicated to the Mother Goddess. But Krison didn’t move, instead, he slowly moved his feet, along with the rebel army’s high-ranking officers behind him, blocking Serra’s path:

“Commander Serra, given the current situation and the interests of the rebel army, the rebel army should evacuate through the wormhole next to Celestial Palace Star. Our strength is still weak, and we cannot fight three-quarters of the Empire’s army at the same time. General Edwin of the Fourth Army has too strong individual combat ability, and the rebel army currently has no generals who can contend with him.”

“Evacuate? No!”

Serra exclaimed, “What about Edwin, what about the Fourth Army? We can’t evacuate. Let me communicate with Edwin, I will make him stop attacking the revolutionary army –”

“Commander Serra –”

Several high-ranking rebel army officers hesitated, looking at Serra with the eyes one uses when watching an absurd drama, as if he had suddenly grown two heads or said something ridiculous:

“Calm down. Male Chongs cannot survive in the space environment, and the Fourth Army’s attacks and artillery fire are very fierce. No Chong can emerge unscathed.”

Serra looked at the rebel army blocking his path in shock, his fingers still trembling slightly with anxiety and worry:

“What?”

His voice rose in shock: “We can’t just evacuate like this! Edwin is – he’s not our enemy! He was forced to attack the rebel army, so was the Fourth Army. He was originally like you, he should have been –”

He should have been a rebel army soldier, he should have been one of you!

Serra’s tongue was tied. At this moment, the petty cleverness and quick wits he had used to manipulate Edwin’s fate suddenly backfired, catching him off guard.

If it weren’t for his interference, Edwin would have been the commander of these rebel troops in front of him, their comrade-in-arms and leader, instead of their enemy – this was all wrong.

Faintly, he could almost feel the system saying in his mind, “I told you,” but the system maintained the most basic compassion for him, remaining silent in the face of the current situation.

The female Chongs in front of him had different expressions, but Krison took off his glasses and looked at Serra with tired eyes:

“Serra,” Krison’s voice was calm, “You are a high-ranking commander in the rebel army. The decisions you make should be based on a rational consideration of the rebel army’s interests. Are your words just now for this purpose?”

Serra couldn’t say yes. He knew that it wasn’t. The rebel army simply couldn’t cope with the Empire’s three major legions. In fact, they couldn’t mount an effective resistance even when facing the Fourth Army’s offensive. They were suffering terrible casualties. Evacuation was the most effective approach, because Edwin was unstoppable, and behind the Fourth Army were two major legions waiting to pounce, just waiting for the rebel army and the Fourth Army to be both defeated and injured before finishing them off at the same time.

“—He is Edwin, he is Edwin, Professor! He—”

Serra’s voice was urgent, tears welled up in his eyes. He also knew that this would make his image appear even weaker and more incompetent in front of the rebel army’s other generals – not all female Chongs and sub-male Chongs who dared to resist the Empire’s rule could accept a male Chong as their high-ranking commander. These rebel soldiers had abandoned tradition, belief, and family, not to find a new “Son of God” to worship.

They worshiped force, and Serra’s confusion and weakness would only weaken his image, going against Krison’s expectations.

But Serra couldn’t care less. In his mental perception, Edwin narrowly avoided the bombing of the particle cannon, but the energy waves of the particle cannon still damaged the protection of his battle armor, allowing three rebel army female Chongs to get close and slash off a piece of his shoulder armor with laser swords, which almost made Serra’s heart stop.

The Fourth Army’s battle line was pushed closer, almost with a desperate disregard for life. Many rebel army generals were already restless – the fledgling army simply couldn’t withstand such losses.

“He is Edwin, the most valued junior of Marshal Ax, the Marshal treated him like his own son.”

Krison’s voice was even more tired: “But he has killed hundreds and thousands of rebel soldiers, he has dampened the rebel army’s morale, he stands on the opposite side of the rebel army – regardless of his considerations. Serra, he killed too many of our compatriots, no Chong has killed more than him. This is a loss we cannot afford, we need to evacuate. You are now a high-ranking commander in the rebel army, give the answer you should give, Serra, this is not just a matter between you two.”

“I’ll go in person – I’ll stop him, I definitely will! This is all my fault, it’s because I didn’t communicate with him, it’s because… it’s because I pushed him to this point! All the losses and debts of life will be borne by me, I can’t leave him! Professor, can’t you see that something is wrong with him? He doesn’t care about his life anymore, he doesn’t care about his life when he fights, he’s in danger! This is not him, this is not him, there must be some misunderstanding, I beg you –”

“Misunderstanding?”

A rebel army soldier with a fierce expression raised his voice, drowning out the whispers of his colleagues:

“Your Majesty, what misunderstanding? He killed one thousand seven hundred and thirty-six rebel army warriors, and this number is still increasing! As the highest-ranking female Chong of the Empire, an existence that countless female Chongs and sub-male Chongs have looked up to since childhood, he chose to stab his own compatriots in the back, chose to help the wicked! You say he is in danger? What a joke –”

“He’s not!”

Serra’s robe suddenly moved without wind, an extremely large and unfathomable shadow flashed across the space behind him, a terrifying pressure spread out, instantly silencing the rebel army.

Serra was unaware of their reactions and the strange atmosphere, he only stared at Professor Krison:

“Professor Krison, let me go and persuade him.” His voice was almost pleading: “They are desperate, there must be a reason for him to do this… there must be…” His mental perception spread out completely, and the mixed information on the battlefield rolled into his mind like a tsunami. Among countless grains of sand and huge waves, his consciousness was like an anchor, trying to rivet the course. Suddenly, he said loudly:

“The Fourth Army wants to evacuate using the wormhole! They are approaching the wormhole – Edwin’s vanguard is a feint! The Fourth Army is being oppressed by the First and Third Armies, they have to advance the battle line. They don’t want a dead end where both sides are hurt. They just want to evacuate and fight for a chance of survival! Let me go, I’ll tell them that this is not a dead end, as long as we unite, as long as –”

“Your Majesty Serra.”

A rebel army general said almost jokingly, “Have you gone mad? If the Fourth Army wants to evacuate, why would they let the highest commander personally be on the battlefield? Moreover, even if their evacuation plan succeeds, our rebel army will become turtles in a jar for the First and Third Armies. Are you sure you want to use your own selfishness as the basis for decisions on the battlefield?”

“Serra,” Krison also said, “The wormhole is the anchor point for the rebel army’s evacuation, we cannot give it to the Fourth Army. They are currently refusing to communicate, and every second you delay, Edwin will kill several more rebel soldiers – they are your responsibility.”