Chapter 33 : Dying for a Greater Cause (2) It was neither my goal nor my role anyway, I would not risk everything just to destroy a few fighters that were, for most of them, remotely controlled by the Scyllas Carriers that stood safe far in the rear of their fleet. I kept pushing forward, I was so tense that I was not even feeling the physical pain from my injuries anymore. My body was entirely doped with adrenaline. I was in a situation so stressful that I even unconsciously activated my Red Mist skill. It helped me to slip between the Scyllas' barrage of fire and keep my head cool when being chased by hostile fighters. I knew that I would get hit and die the very moment I lose my calm and focus. Just after asking Gladia for it, our interceptors all joined my position and they were all pushing with me. They were taking the shots I couldn't see or dodge, destroying the fighters getting too close to me… Their only role was to protect me until I got in range of the enemy fleet. The more I advanced, the more I could see the number of interceptors diminushing, until only a few dozen were left. Once I passed the heart of the battle and I was much closer to the Scyllas corvettes at the front of their main fleet, I yelled with all my strength. "GLADIA NOW !!" A fraction of a second after I gave the signal, everything went black and I felt gravitational waves bouncing on me and my interceptor. It was a sign that our plan worked, and that we were getting closer and closer to our end goal. Before the battle, I gave the 2 anti-matter bombs we had left to Aubouros and I asked him to send them in two stealth-torpedoes we personally modified before our fleet jump into warp space. Those stealth-torpedoes were an outdated class of missiles that have been used en masse during the previous conflicts against the Scyllas, centuries ago. It had a warp system that allowed the Legions to preemptively strike enemies' positions while giving them no chance to fight back. Even if it looks like an extremely deadly armament, in reality, those torpedoes aren't used anymore and they are considered a relic of the past. In the same way a bayonet rifle would be clearly outdated and underperforming compared to an assault rifle, which will also be lacking compared to the energy rifles the Scyllas gave us before sending us to Kar'goth. The Void Legions stopped using them decades ago because of the always improving Scyllas' defenses technology. The Scyllas now have special warp-space countermeasures that can prevent and disable any small-sized object from getting too close to their ships or structures. If they didn't notice our two stealth-torpedoes, it is because of their camouflage and how we modified them. I ordered Gladia and the engineer drones to dismantle our flagship's cloaking system and adapt it to make it work on those torpedoes, so they could be as invisible as possible. I knew it would be useless for the Lance of Kar'goth to stay cloaked during such a massive battle, and while we could have still used the cloaking system to sneakily hit & run as we did for so many years, our goal today isn't to only weaken the Scyllas forces... Today is our final battle, a life and death struggle to completely eradicate them, once and for all. This ancient cloaking system was better used on those torpedoes. Aubouros doubted my idea, he explained to me that nothing can bypass the Scyllas sensors and get close to their ships without them knowing it. Nothing ? Probably, but only for the Void Legions. It doesn't apply to us and this amazing ship the Ancients Beings made millenniums ago. If we survived while being chased by a whole Scylla assault fleet for so long, it was mainly because the Scyllas had absolutely zero knowledge about the Lance of Kar'goth and its technology from an ancient era. Once cloaked, even Optio's battleship was unable to find us, as long as we kept our distance and reduced our energetic signature to the maximum. Luckily, those torpedoes are so small and their energetic signature so low that even if they were almost touching one of their ships, the Scyllas would be unaware of it. They are too proud and confident of their superiority ; they trust their technology advantage way too much. Their vanity and arrogance are what will make them fall. The moment the legions went out of warp space, the anti-matter bombs were already hiding and waiting inside the Scylla ranks. Even if by a stroke of misfortune they would have been detected, they would have appeared as mere pieces of rocks floating in outer space on the enemy sensors. Just after warping into the core sector, the torpedoes have been moved by Gladia to the First and Fourth legions' battlefield. These were the two legions guarding the sides of our fleet and they were the furthest away from our ship, which warped directly in the middle of the combat. Despite the multiple jamming ships spread among the Scylla fleet, Gladia was still able to control the torpedoes at distance and activate the anti-matter bombs at any time. The only way we found to not blow up the whole core sector was to create a special container with the densest and most resistant parts of our ship to maintain those bombs inside the torpedoes and reduce their blast. After confirming that the bombs exploded and caused a huge number of casualties among the Scyllas ranks, I fully focused on my next task and contacted Aubouros. I was just about to reach the enemy corvettes. "Admiral, it is time." The image of Aubouros' hideous appearance was displayed in a small part of my HUD. "…I wish you good luck, Lone Slayer. I will personally lead the charge after your departure and follow your last instructions. I do not know how it will go for you, but be sure that if we survive the war, today's achievement and all the years you spent fighting with us will be remembered forever, by both the Third Legion and all of my people." I was being chased by a swarm of enemy fighters, and I already entered the engaging range of the numerous corvettes standing in line in front of me. Strangely, the more I progressed toward the Scylla fleet, the more I felt relaxed. I always suspected the Scylla mind control couldn't have been removed that easily, even if I always kept my free will I was still convinced that somewhere in my mind, something was still tying me up to the Scyllas. But now, I couldn't feel this link anymore. After so much struggle, I was finally feeling free from those chains. I was so close to getting my revenge... Just one last step... "Thanks, Admiral. As a last request, protect my ship, my crew and my squad. No matter the outcome of this final battle, the Scyllas will never be as strong as they once were, they lost too much this time around. I know you and all the legions are ready to fight to death, because like me, what you seek is the Scyllas' demise. But please if their Revered Mother awoke and things go wrong, do not forget to keep all options in your mind. If I fail and your fleet can't fight the supposedly divine being they are trying to awake, do not hesitate to retreat. I know it may sound cowardly for you and your men, but retreating to stay alive is just a way to come back stronger. It is another chance to fight. May you be victorious, Admiral. Jun-Yeob, over." After bidding farewell to the admiral, I cut the communication before entering the range of the endless line of enemy corvettes. Gladia and I had predicted that if we give ourselves at their mercy, the Scyllas would rather capture us than shoot us down. I didn't know their leader, but I somehow guessed that if a chance for him to capture me alive would present itself, he would rather seize this opportunity instead of just killing me. This is why my plan looked crazy to all of those who knew about it. None of them thought that I could be right. None of them thought that the Scyllas, who hated me so much, would let a chance to slaughter me slip between their hands for one more time. None, except Gladia. 'Report, Gladia.' […the anti-matter bombs greatly affected the enemy fleet and it gave a huge lead to the First and Fourth legions. They are using this advantage to push forward and destroy the remaining forces guarding the Scyllas' fleet sides. If they win their respective battles and group up with the three other legions at the front line, they may have a chance to win the battle and end this endless war before the Scyllas could awake their Mother. May you fail or be successful in your last mission, you already gave the Legions a huge lead and the best chance to beat the Scyllas they ever had.] 'Good to know…What about the flagship ?' [It has been damaged but everything is fine, don't worry. Aubouros assigned another one of his battleships to escort the Lance of Kar'goth to the Fifth legion Dreadnought. He kept his promise.] 'I see. Despite his appearence, he really is the nicest living being I've met in this life.' When my tiny interceptor pierced through the multitudes of fighters and reached the Scylla main fleet area, as I expected I immediately lost control of my ship. I was being pulled by multiple tractor rays, coming from deep inside the Scylla formation. A few corvettes and a dozen of fighters were closely following me in case it was a trap and I somehow had a way to escape. All those years trying to catch me and my ship in vain made them so wary of me. I couldn't help but laugh at the thought that those so-called superior beings are now wary of an inferior organic specimen they considered as mere cannon fodder just a few years ago. I didn't know why their leader, Primus One, wanted so much to meet me... But like Legatus, he made a fatal mistake the moment he decided to not shot me down when I was completely alone right at the front of his fleet. The last part of my plan was a total coin flip. It was either hit or miss. Either I live or I die. We thought about multiple plans, but in all the simulations we did with Gladia, none of the plans we imagined allowed us to get close to the center of the Scylla formation in time, before they awoke their Revered Mother. In fact, most of our plans assured us a much higher chance of victory if it was a conventional war. Unfortunately, it wasn't. This conflict was closer to a race against time rather than a regular war between two equal sides. From the Scyllas' behavior, we guessed that their hierarchs didn't really care about their losses or the legions' superior strength. They only cared about one thing : gain as much time as possible. All their tactics and strategy were based on slowing us down, rather than being on the offensive and fighting us at the highest intensity possible. We deducted that their Revered Mother was probably so powerful and dangerous that no matter the outcome of the final battle, she would be able to deal with it. This means that even with the five legions combined at their full strength, we had little to no chance of winning the war if this divine being awoken. This cheeky plan was the only way we found to get closer to their leader, and while I didn't expect Gladia to agree, she surprised me by considering this plan as the best one with the highest percentage of chance to succeed. But it was also the one with the biggest drawback if it fails. I did bet everything on how arrogant the Scylla are, and how arrogant would be their leader Primus One. In the end, it seems like I was right... But I'm still surprised about it. If I was in their leader's shoes, I would not have taken any risk and I would have shot down the interceptor when it got in range of the main fleet and was a sure kill. "We were right, Gladia." [Yes...] This, once again, proved me right ; the Scylla arrogance is limitless. Now is the time for them to learn another, but the last lesson. Now is the time for a lowly specimen to beat the shit out of these space freaks, who caused so many disasters, destroyed so many worlds and spilled so much blood. Now is the time for a human being to avenge his species and his people, who all died for no reason. After all those years spent fighting, now is the time for a Void Rifter to get back his freedom, to kill his masters and finally get free from his shackles. May I die, I would make them lose so much before I take my last breath that nothing would be able to heal their wounds, nor their minds. Be it their Mother or not, they will regret their insolence. Sure, compared to those otherwordly etheric beings, I am but an inferior organic life-form. And yet, I will show them what is despair. What is losing everything you've worked for. Everything you've ever known. I will show them... what it feels like to lose a dear one who can never be replaced.