Chapter 972: My Life, Belongs to the Divine Emperor

The lower deck of a Feng Qi Xing Alliance cruiser.

The roar of bolters, the tearing of metal, and... the screams of compatriots before death.

Communications soldier Kalike curled up in a maintenance tunnel, covering his ears with both hands.

Just half an hour ago, they had followed the flight path of the "Guardian" legion, charging toward that Scarlet Fleet.

They had assumed the enemy would crumble under their attack, but they had not expected the opponent's attack to be just as strong.

Several enemy small landing craft ignored the anti-aircraft fire and slammed into the cruiser's side.

The violent impact made the entire cruiser shake.

Kalike was not a combatant; he was merely a technician responsible for maintaining internal communications.

When the alarm sounded, he and other non-combatants were ordered to head to the lower safety zone to take refuge.

But the safety zone was not safe.

The enemy... those scarlet giants, they were clearing the ship level by level; there was nowhere safe.

A middle-aged Fengqi man in an engineer's uniform, huddled next to Kalike, said tremblingly.

"They... they have reached B Zone! I he... heard the movement! The footsteps of those monsters... and... and the gunfire of our soldiers... it stopped very quickly..."

Kalike recalled the propaganda footage he had seen during training.

The image of the powerful "Guardian" Super Soldiers easily tearing the enemy apart.

At that time, he felt the Star Alliance's military was invincible.

But now... even the "Guardians" could hardly stop those red demons; what could they, these ordinary soldiers, do?

Suddenly, a loud bang came from the bulkhead door at the end of the tunnel!

The thick alloy door dented inward, and a fist print appeared!

"They are here!"

Boom!

Another loud bang, and the alloy door was torn off its hinges entirely.

Tall, scarlet giants.

The Chainsword in his hand was still rotating slowly, and on the sword teeth, there seemed to be some kind of... tissue fragments hanging.

"No... don't come over!"

A Fengqi soldier raised his Energy Rifle and fired; the blue energy beam hit the opponent's breastplate, only splashing a few sparks.

The scarlet giant raised his arm casually, and the Chainsword swept across.

Puchi.

That Fengqi soldier, along with the rifle in his hands, was cut in half at the waist; the upper body flew out, blood sprayed on the bulkhead, and the lower body stood stiff for a moment before falling.

"Ah!"

Screams erupted in the tunnel.

People tried to squeeze backward, but behind them was a dead end.

Kalike collapsed to the ground, watching that red messenger of death approach step by step.

Was everything going to end here? Like an ant, to be easily crushed?

That scarlet giant raised the Chainsword, aiming at the crowd huddled together.

Puchi puchi...

Xiuluosheng Navy, engine room of a Sword-class Frigate.

Haken coughed and wiped the oil from his face, mixed with blood seeping from a wound on his forehead, making his vision somewhat blurry.

Haken leaned against an overloaded and damaged Plasma Conduit, clutching a Double-headed Eagle Emblem in his hand.

That was the symbol of the Emperor, given to him by a Salamanders Space Marine when he was rescued from an Orc cage.

From that day on, he swore to dedicate the rest of his life to the Emperor, to Xiuluosheng.

This frigate had been severely damaged in a previous artillery battle and was forcibly boarded by an Alien warship marked with a fist emblem.

The enemy's "Super Soldiers," those gray giants, had already broken through the outer defenses and were advancing toward the core area of the ship.

Gunfire, explosions, and the roars of battle echoed within the ship, getting closer and closer.

The engine room where Haken was located was one of the last lines of defense.

Besides him, there were a dozen or so scarred naval crew members here.

The Laser Guns in their hands were pointed at the only entrance.

"Officer Haken, B-7 tunnel has fallen! Sergeant Valentine and his squad... have all been killed in action!"

A young communications soldier reported, his arm blown into fragments, blood constantly overflowing.

Haken nodded, his wrinkled face devoid of any expression.

The time was near.

"Children, we may not be able to leave here alive."

Haken raised his voice and held up the Double-headed Eagle Emblem in his hand.

"But, remember! Who are we?"

"We are the loyal servants of the Emperor! The Defenders of Xiuluosheng!"

Several soldiers responded.

"That's right! The Emperor saved us from darkness and despair, giving us new life and Faith! Today, perhaps we will return to the Emperor's embrace, but before that, we must let these Alien scum know that the human spirit never yields! For the Emperor!"

"For the Emperor!"

Just then, the thick blast door of the engine room was smashed open from the outside by a tremendous force!

Five "Guardian" Super Soldiers clad in dark gray Power Armor, wielding Energy Swords and high-explosive Armor-Piercing Guns, rushed in!

Upon entering, they immediately shot dead two soldiers who attempted to fight back.

"Open fire!"

Haken roared.

The remaining naval soldiers poured fire upon the invaders.

A "Guardian" charged through the gunfire, their Energy Sword easily cleaving through cover and cutting down the two crew members behind it.

Soon, the only ones left standing in the engine room were Haken and three other wounded crew members, who were forced against the massive Main Engine Reactor.

The leading Guardian Captain spoke to Haken and the others.

"Stubborn Human soldiers. Your ship has been occupied; resistance is meaningless. Lay down your weapons and submit to the will of the Feng Qi Xing Alliance. Your technology and lives may yet be preserved."

Haken straightened his hunched frame, a glimmer of light flashing in his clouded eyes.

"Submit? To you Alien scum who desecrate the sacred territory of Humanity? I! Haken! Once waited for death like livestock in an Orc cage! It was the light of the Emperor! It was the Emperor's Angel! That saved me!"

Haken raised the Double-headed Eagle Emblem in his hand.

"My life, my Faith, my everything, belongs to the holy Emperor, belongs to the great Xiuluo Holy Star! You want me to betray my savior? Betray the Faith that gives my life meaning? Dream on!"

Haken spat out a mouthful of blood-tinged saliva.

"Alien! Listen well! I swear my Loyalty to the Human Emperor until the end of my life! I swear to protect the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance, even unto death! In life, I am the Emperor's loyal servant! In death, the Human soul becomes even more radiant! You want me to surrender? Not until the stars go out and the void shatters!"

The three young crew members behind Haken were also infected by this Oath and shouted in unison.

"For the Emperor!"

The Guardian Captain stared at Haken.

In his understanding, given absolute power and a certain-death situation, surrendering or being annihilated were the only logical outcomes.

This stubborn resistance based on some ethereal "Faith" was inefficient, irrational, and... incomprehensible.

The Guardian Captain gave the order.

"Kill them."

Just then, Haken tore open his uniform, revealing a row of explosives strapped to his chest, connected to complex circuitry!

"The Emperor witnesses!!!"

The sound of an explosion rang out, taking the reactor beside Haken with it.

In the instant his consciousness was annihilated, a confused thought surfaced in the Guardian Captain's mind.

Why? When survival was possible... why choose destruction? For... an unseen "Emperor"? This... is illogical...

Boom!!!

The explosives detonated, and the Out of Control Plasma Core was ignited...

A massive Fireball devoured everything.

The Guardian Captain would never understand that for a mortal like Haken, some things are more important than life.

Faith and Loyalty forge another kind of indestructible "power."

At this moment, the massive Frigate was torn apart from the inside, turning into a dazzling Fireball, its intense energy shockwave affecting other ships engaged in battle nearby.