Thus began a magnificent, tragic, and decisive war. Steve had one clear, ruthless objective: destroy the deep-space predator star before it could reach Earth and awaken the unspeakable calamity slumbering beneath South America.
The war's first act opened with his proudest creation: The God of War Legion. The solar system's perimeter swarmed with billions of AI-driven war machines. Like silver waves, they flung themselves in suicide attacks against the approaching disaster-star.
But reality was harsh. The calamity, self-titled as the "Civilization Erosion," had harvested uncountable worlds—the surging steel flood covering the planet's surface was to it as mere dust. Every robot disintegrated into fundamental particles by unseen force the moment it neared the white halo. Their self-destructions or energy cannons did not even ripple its radiance. Like moths to flame, none could even leave a sorrowful scream before vanishing.
No casualty reports circulated on Avalon's bridge, as those steel soldiers were mere numbers, designed for consumption. But a different dataset cast gloom over all: the recharge rate of the [Colossus: Geo-Gravitational Star Cannon] was even slower than the most pessimistic theoretical predictions. Though the planet's will channeled immense leyline energy, converting that mysterious "ether" into technical form to fuel the singularity reactor lost immense energy in the process, exceeding Steve's worst fears. At this rate, less than half the charge would be ready when the predator star arrived.
Time was now the most luxurious resource—and to buy it, as Supreme Commander, Steve made the gravest decision.
"...Relay the order," he said, gazing at the main screen showing the massive Federation fleet, which was to have occupied Earth. "All regular forces from the 1st to 7th Federation Fleets, all reserves and militia—abandon all original battle plans and attack with full force! Target: outer edge of Solar System—coordinates XXX.XXX! Draw out the enemy, buy time for Typhon Protocol at any cost!"
The moment the order went out, the entire human-colonized solar system erupted. Tens of millions of troops, having believed the war over, now boarded ships without hesitation after a brief shock.
This was an unprecedented "reverse migration"—countless warships turned their prows toward the star of death and destruction, launching a desperate charge.
They filled the time gap with flesh and blood, what numbers alone could not provide.
Meanwhile, in every colony, a quieter, grander war began. At the government's call, soft lights illuminated the plazas and hubs; "Ether Power Converters"—three in each area—appeared like courtyards out of Atlas.
On the broadcast, Sion's calm yet unwavering voice told everyone this was their sole path forward.
The whole of humanity poured out of their homes—workers, teachers, farmers, artists… civilians who represented over 90% of the human race queued silently, pressing their palms to the cold converters. The gentle loss of vital energy—that faint sense of growing emptiness—spread instantly through their bodies. But no one faltered. They looked at their children, their homes, and willingly offered the light of "life" (Od) within them.
…
In the Side-3 plaza, Shiki, Kohaku, and Hisui stood among the crowd. Shiki pressed his hand to the converter, awash with a familiar feeling of emptiness, but peculiarly calm.
Kohaku, by his side, smiled as always:
"This time, we paid the price to protect our home, Shiki-san. Doesn't… it feel all right?"
From every colony, faint golden flows of light representing "life" rose, merging with the thick vein from Earth to Moon. This was all of humanity's resonance; the Archetypal Consciousness's mighty roar; the collective will for survival of primate-kind.
And that roar conjured an unforeseen miracle. Steve's merciless purge a year prior had by total accident weakened Gaia, the planetary suppression force, by clearing out most dead and ancestor entities from the surface. At this moment, the balance of powers—Alaya (Humanity) and Gaia (Planet)—tipped fully to Alaya's side!
That collective will, sharpened to its peak, activated the "Leyline Summoning Circles" Steve had set throughout the asteroid belt—originally a secret tactic for a long-term occupation war. Now, it became a new Holy Grail, answering the unconscious prayers of Mankind.
Lights flared in every corner—the summoned Heroic Spirits responded. Not strong warriors, and offered little in combat, unable to maintain full fighting forms. They were scholars, inventors, programmers, artists—giants of human history who pushed civilization forward.
In Avalon's data center, a despairing programmer wracking his brain over the final gravity lens code found, upon raising his head, a string of elegant, apocalyptic, yet flawless calculus he'd never seen, anonymous but signed: [-G.W.L].
At the Federation's science academy, top physicists debated spacetime shell parameters as a kindly old man with wild white hair and a German accent entered with coffee, pointing to a constant no one noticed on the whiteboard: "Perhaps you should look here again?" He slipped away as the team gasped in sudden revelation.
These "inspirations" from history's giants quietly solved crucial bottlenecks across Federation technology at the final moment—each contribution pushing the [Geo-Gravitational Star Cannon]'s charging bar another vital percent forward.
[00:00:03] [00:00:02] [00:00:01] [00:00:00]
The countdown hit zero.
The disaster star, battered by the attacks of countless fleets yet as unyielding as 14,000 years ago, finally arrived in near-Earth space. Its white aura flared and began its fated "harvest."
In British-controlled Europe, reality itself—part of Earth's surface—began to dissolve first, as if acid ate away at a painting. The stars twisted and tore, exposing behind them the churning sea of imaginary numbers and pure "nothingness."
"Alert! Large-scale rewriting of reality detected! Earth is being stripped from the current cosmic coordinate system!"
Yet this doomsday warning was drowned out by an even greater sound:
[Colossus, Geo-Gravitational Star Cannon: Full charge complete.] [Singularity Reactor at critical.] [Gravity Lens calibrated.] [Final weapon—ready to fire.]
Steve stood on the bridge, gazing out at the white star of calamity—devourer of planets, now encircled by the moon's crown of steel and empowered by all the civilization and planetary force that could be mustered.
He slowly raised his hand.
"Fire."
…