Chapter 43: The End of the Alert Star's Turbulent Battle

Xisi gasped heavily, sheathing his Power Sword, as the Regiment continued to pour in and the remaining troops were rallied around him.

On the outer defensive line, because the Chaos Grand Army withdrew, the defending forces could focus entirely on the "reinforcements" Xisi had brought in.

But looking at the few survivors entering the line, the defenders opened their mouths several times, yet could not muster any cheers.

Xisi scanned the intermittently arriving troops behind him, and saw that the vast majority were veterans of his own Regiment, while the remnants were pitifully few.

Even the few conspicuous Krig were nowhere to be seen in the crowd.

Just as their joining had been silent, their departure was equally noiseless.

Finally, accompanied by cheers from the defenders on the farther line, waves of exhilaration reached them.

The surrounding defenders, offering respect and sympathy, broke the grim atmosphere and shouted the loudest cheers.

"Long live the Divine Emperor!"

"Long live the Empire!!"

The crowd kept shouting as Xisi looked at the few soldiers beside him and the doors behind him beginning to close.

Outside, the Chaos Grand Army, shattered by his own 200,000 remaining troops and stripped of formation, was under Kaerjia's opportunistic indiscriminate bombing, ending this assault and retreating into the distance.

And this scene, seen by the defenders, showed Xisi at the most critical moment of the line, repelling Chaos with a courageous charge.

Amidst the rising and falling shouts around him, Xisi held his helmet with both hands, and with a faint "psst" as the seal opened, finally exposed his face to the air again.

No longer filtered air, but smoke and blood, sharp and acrid, slipped into his lungs.

Amid the massive cheers, the ragged, bellows‑like gasps of the remaining troops beside him became even clearer.

Then, the already intense cheering suddenly escalated another level.

Under the Empire and the Divine Emperor, another name was added!

"Kaerjia!"

"Kaerjia!!"

The mortals kept shouting the name, and around them not only the Extreme Warriors but even all the Astartes silently lowered their weapons and respectfully beat their chests behind Xisi.

Even the Battle Nun raised her hands in prayer, begging the Divine Emperor to protect the person before her.

And the mechanized Guardian Sect Army, after receiving the command code, executed the salute protocol in perfect unison.

Looking at the cheers before him, Xisi also turned and looked behind.

All eyes were on Kaerjia, while Kaerjia's gaze......

was entirely fixed on Xisi.

Without waiting for a mortal audience, Kaerjia's towering figure personally walked slowly toward Xisi.

And the earth‑shaking cheers around them, after Kaerjia's movement, finally turned their gaze toward Xisi.

Then, amid the grand proclamation of Kaerjia's name, another word unexpectedly echoed.

"Xisi!"

The Refined Power Armor used by the Astartes stood like a massive steel sculpture before Xisi; Kaerjia raised a hand, silencing the surrounding cheers.

Then, under Kaerjia's stare, almost every gaze fell upon the Planetary Defense Regiment Commander, his body riddled with fissures, blood scabs dried and fresh.

Countless mortals scrambled to watch, eager to see the mortal legend constantly promoted by the Military Affairs Department.

They wanted to see what kind of wise and mighty being could twice breach Nest City, twice pierce the Sand Sea, and, under their very eyes, repel the raging Chaos Grand Army.

Fortunately, the Power Armor gifted to Xisi by the Nobility bore the Nobility's distinctive splendor, and combined with his youthful face hardened by thousands of battles, when the crowd saw Xisi from every angle, their eyes lit up faintly.

Even many Battle Nuns, while praying for Kaerjia, silently added Xisi's name.

The scene fell silent, and even the Chaos, retreating this time, saw its covering artillery temporarily cease fire.

The battlefield, long deprived of quiet, and looking at the real Kaerjia standing before him, Xisi bowed his head slightly, offering his respect.

"Lord Kaerjia."

Although he had been repeatedly sold out by Kaerjia, this is the Empire!

For the final victory, no sacrifice is too great to be unacceptable, nor any failure so small as to be forgivable.

To Kaerjia, Xisi is like any other unit: as long as he can yield sufficient return, even Kaerjia himself can be placed on the betting table at any time, becoming a coin for the Empire to secure ultimate victory.

Xisi bowed his head, but his salute was only half‑finished when Kaerjia bent down, reached out, and steadied Xisi.

"The legend of the Alert Star need not bow."

With a steady, solemn voice, Xisi looked at Kaerjia; Kaerjia still wore a solemn expression, and while lifting Xisi, Kaerjia continued:

"The Star Region Military Affairs Department has officially approved Squad Leader Xisi's promotion to the Star Realm Army; your new designation will be issued soon."

"Additionally, I have ordered the Military Affairs Department to gather the remaining troops as reinforcements for the Regiment, to quickly restore your unit to full strength."

"As for equipment, besides the Senate opening the supply depot, I have also requisitioned weapons from several active Kadia and Krig corps, and will prioritize arming Squad Leader Xisi's unit."

Kaerjia spoke of compensation for Xisi, and at first Xisi's face showed acknowledgment, but as Kaerjia's offers grew richer, his expression froze for a moment before gradually turning sour.

It was all fine up to now, but even several powerful active regiments were requisitioned, which was a bit much for Kaerjia.

That Kaerjia could pour such massive resources in can only mean one thing: Kaerjia wants to extract even more return from Xisi!

Sure enough, after Kaerjia finished, his gaze at Xisi was utterly speechless; after a brief pause, he calmly outlined Xisi's next mission:

"Squad Leader Xisi, I have a plan that can secure the Alert Star's victory for the Empire!"

Seeing Kaerjia's solemnity, Xisi bowed his head slightly, his back to Kaerjia, expression speechless.

Because Xisi recalled that the ultimate Alert Star victory was not the Empire's triumph on the front lines, but rather Kaerjia's learning from his Father of Genes Kiriman's cooperation with the Alien Form, and even colluding with the hidden Ark Spirit Race.

Finally, using a cloaked Spirit Race Battleship, they launched a suicide attack on Abadon's vengeful soul.

In the end they forcibly detonated a massive Subspace rift, forcing Abadon and his flagship into the raging Subspace currents, dragging almost the entire Chaos Fleet and erasing them directly from Alert Star orbit.

And why a suicide attack? Because Kaerjia needed a suicidal duel with Abadon to draw his flagship out.

The Imperial Navy was to launch a suicide attack, shielding the Spirit Race Battleship carrying massive extermination weapons as it approached the vengeful soul.

Even Xisi's well‑equipped, highly combat‑effective mortal troops were to serve as a jump brigade, sent straight onto the vengeful soul teeming with Chaos demons and Chaos Astartes, launching a suicide jump assault to disrupt Chaos's perception.

Only elite troops would be sent over, because only an attack with enough deterrent power can conceal Kaerjia's true combat intentions!

Sure enough, after Xisi had internally complained about Kaerjia countless times, Kaerjia surprisingly, in a rare move, raised his hand and, with his exaggerated large hand, slapped Xisi's shoulder.

"Squad Leader Xisi, you and your squad are about to act as a jump team, launching an attack on the enemy's flagship!"