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Chapter 294: Interstellar Invasion
Almerac was a civilization with a backward regime, yet it was still considered relatively advanced. At least, that was the case in this small corner of the Galaxy.
If one were to list all the civilizations in this region, Almerac could be considered an old acquaintance of Orin Vale's. First, there was Maxima, DC's most famous bachelorette, who made a special trip to Earth to hook a man. Then there was the time she collaborated with the Cyborg Superman.
But that was all in the past. Cyborg Superman's assistance had led a minister named Zazo to attempt a coup on Almerac. The former king, Maxima's father, had been captured alive. After that, Maxima had personally rushed back to handle internal affairs, and there had been no news of her since.
Passing by today by chance, Orin Vale thought for a moment, then flew closer to check on the situation.
Indeed, there was significant turmoil on Almerac's main planet. Orin Vale gave it a cursory glance; it looked as if the civil war had reached its peak. The old regime represented by Maxima and the new regime established by Zazo with the support of Cyborg Superman had launched into an all-out war.
All the preliminary battles and operations had been mere preludes to this decisive battle. The fighting had escalated to a white-hot stage where both sides had laid all their trump cards on the table. The battlefield was now a nuked-flat, barren expanse for a hundred miles in every direction, without a single irregular bump. It was clearly the result of some weapon that had scoured the entire landscape.
The protective barriers had been torn apart. All sorts of powerful weapons, glowing with colorful special effects, created what looked like a hundred-mile stretch of light pollution when viewed from above. The armor of warships and fortresses, armed to the teeth, was ripped apart by immense energy, and spectacular explosions rose and fell like a tidal wave.
An afterimage sliced out from a curtain of flame and blinding light at supersonic speed. The blazing flames behind her were split into a turbulent trail that extended all the way into the enemy's lines.
It seemed the princess was leading the charge herself.
But that was to be expected. This princess was perhaps different from those of other royal families. Besides the appeal of her royal bloodline and her magnificent mountain peak, it seemed the only other thing she had to offer was her muscle.
Rather than sitting in the back as a mascot, it was more practical for her to lead the charge on the front lines.
Moreover, the equipment she wore now was even more advanced than what she had on her trip to Earth. Her wrists were equipped with high-heat beams capable of cutting through warship armor, and her body armor and force field could negate and absorb various forms of energy. Her leg armor was designed to maximize her super speed, and her arm strength was also greatly enhanced.
Even in her base state, Maxima was a Superman-level character. With a set of divine gear, she could rival an entire army even on Almerac.
Of course, that was under normal circumstances.
The princess's afterimage smashed through the burning curtain wall and blasted through a sturdy war vehicle. A whirlwind trailed behind her as she flash-stepped to a halt before a turret. Tearing the entire turret out by its cannon barrel, she swung it like a baseball bat.
Until an incredible blast of energy struck her from out of nowhere. The intense light from that single shot was visible across the entire battlefield, like a scorching sun flashing for a brief moment. The powerful energy slammed into Maxima, drawing a muffled grunt as she was sent flying backward. The turret barrel in her hand was annihilated into dust by the overwhelming energy.
"This shouldn't be... my armor should have absorbed it."
Maxima clutched her head, staggering to her feet.
The enemy had used some kind of unknown weapon, a technology unknown even to them on Almerac. But she had heard from her subordinates that it might have come from Apokolips.
Minister Zazo had originally launched his coup d'état with the support of Cyborg Superman and his Machine Hunter Legion. Not long ago, his backer had gone to the Solar System and had not yet returned. During that crucial window, the long-missing Princess Maxima returned to Almerac and contacted the resistance, briefly turning the tide.
But the sudden intervention of Apokolips had reversed the situation once again.
Maxima didn't know why Apokolips had come here, nor did she care.
She heard shouting in her ear, but a severe ringing made it difficult to hear clearly. She was fairly certain it was the command center calling her name, and that a loyal subordinate was pleading for her to retreat.
But she cut off the signal without responding. Taking a deep breath of the air, thick with the gunsmoke of the battlefield, she stood up straight.
She was the princess of Almerac, but she was more than that. She was also the strongest warrior on this planet.
She wasn't one for strategy, so this was the only thing left for her to do.
Maxima ascended into the sky again. Her ears were still ringing, and she couldn't hear a thing. But she instinctively locked onto the direction of the last cannon blast. The moment she left the ground, she reached subsonic speeds, and within ten seconds, she would surpass the limit of any aircraft in this planet's atmosphere. She was too fast for most weapons to lock onto.
But as her afterimage streaked over the enemy formation, she abruptly froze.
Like a video playing at ten times speed suddenly being paused, Maxima was held rigidly in mid-air. Lightning shot out from an unknown source, wrapping around her body like chains, restraining her and rendering her immobile.
A trap. A Speedster Snare, a trap designed by Apokolips for speedsters, originally intended to capture beings much faster than her.
Behind the enemy lines, in the command center, Zazo's lips curled into a smug smile when he saw this.
Success.
Thanks to the generous support from the Apokoliptians, his last major threat was about to be captured.
"Concentrate your firepower and take her down," he ordered. "But remember, I want her alive."
All sorts of heavy firepower converged on Maxima, and every cannon barrel flashed in unison. Maxima's pupils contracted. Her super speed allowed her to clearly perceive every cannon firing, to feel the vibrations in the air as the energy tore through it, and to sense the gradual transmission of heat.
But she was powerless to stop it.
In this moment, it was not just the princess who would be defeated, but the last of the planet's resisting royal bloodline, and by extension, all of Almerac.
Everyone knew that after this battle, the new regime of this once-glorious planet would become a puppet for outsiders.
For that overlord from Apokolips.
Maxima closed her eyes. But in that very instant, the ringing in her ears vanished.
In its place was the sound of Light.
An incandescent brilliance illuminated the entire battlefield, blooming like a giant lotus. A pillar of light shot toward the heavens, and amidst the swirling particles, a Giant bathed in radiance appeared.
The firepower that could have vaporized the sturdiest fortress was instantly scattered by that intense light, dissipating between heaven and earth.
Both warring factions ceased their attacks, and countless shocked gazes focused on the Giant.
Orin Vale lowered his arms, his gaze slowly sweeping over the familiar-looking equipment among Zazo's army.
Apokolips technology.
The moment this stuff appeared, the nature of this war changed from a civil war to an interstellar invasion.
This is my field of expertise.
(end of chapter)
Almerac was a civilization with a backward regime, yet it was still considered relatively advanced. At least, that was the case in this small corner of the Galaxy.
If one were to list all the civilizations in this region, Almerac could be considered an old acquaintance of Orin Vale's. First, there was Maxima, DC's most famous bachelorette, who made a special trip to Earth to hook a man. Then there was the time she collaborated with the Cyborg Superman.
But that was all in the past. Cyborg Superman's assistance had led a minister named Zazo to attempt a coup on Almerac. The former king, Maxima's father, had been captured alive. After that, Maxima had personally rushed back to handle internal affairs, and there had been no news of her since.
Passing by today by chance, Orin Vale thought for a moment, then flew closer to check on the situation.
Indeed, there was significant turmoil on Almerac's main planet. Orin Vale gave it a cursory glance; it looked as if the civil war had reached its peak. The old regime represented by Maxima and the new regime established by Zazo with the support of Cyborg Superman had launched into an all-out war.
All the preliminary battles and operations had been mere preludes to this decisive battle. The fighting had escalated to a white-hot stage where both sides had laid all their trump cards on the table. The battlefield was now a nuked-flat, barren expanse for a hundred miles in every direction, without a single irregular bump. It was clearly the result of some weapon that had scoured the entire landscape.
The protective barriers had been torn apart. All sorts of powerful weapons, glowing with colorful special effects, created what looked like a hundred-mile stretch of light pollution when viewed from above. The armor of warships and fortresses, armed to the teeth, was ripped apart by immense energy, and spectacular explosions rose and fell like a tidal wave.
An afterimage sliced out from a curtain of flame and blinding light at supersonic speed. The blazing flames behind her were split into a turbulent trail that extended all the way into the enemy's lines.
It seemed the princess was leading the charge herself.
But that was to be expected. This princess was perhaps different from those of other royal families. Besides the appeal of her royal bloodline and her magnificent mountain peak, it seemed the only other thing she had to offer was her muscle.
Rather than sitting in the back as a mascot, it was more practical for her to lead the charge on the front lines.
Moreover, the equipment she wore now was even more advanced than what she had on her trip to Earth. Her wrists were equipped with high-heat beams capable of cutting through warship armor, and her body armor and force field could negate and absorb various forms of energy. Her leg armor was designed to maximize her super speed, and her arm strength was also greatly enhanced.
Even in her base state, Maxima was a Superman-level character. With a set of divine gear, she could rival an entire army even on Almerac.
Of course, that was under normal circumstances.
The princess's afterimage smashed through the burning curtain wall and blasted through a sturdy war vehicle. A whirlwind trailed behind her as she flash-stepped to a halt before a turret. Tearing the entire turret out by its cannon barrel, she swung it like a baseball bat.
Until an incredible blast of energy struck her from out of nowhere. The intense light from that single shot was visible across the entire battlefield, like a scorching sun flashing for a brief moment. The powerful energy slammed into Maxima, drawing a muffled grunt as she was sent flying backward. The turret barrel in her hand was annihilated into dust by the overwhelming energy.
"This shouldn't be... my armor should have absorbed it."
Maxima clutched her head, staggering to her feet.
The enemy had used some kind of unknown weapon, a technology unknown even to them on Almerac. But she had heard from her subordinates that it might have come from Apokolips.
Minister Zazo had originally launched his coup d'état with the support of Cyborg Superman and his Machine Hunter Legion. Not long ago, his backer had gone to the Solar System and had not yet returned. During that crucial window, the long-missing Princess Maxima returned to Almerac and contacted the resistance, briefly turning the tide.
But the sudden intervention of Apokolips had reversed the situation once again.
Maxima didn't know why Apokolips had come here, nor did she care.
She heard shouting in her ear, but a severe ringing made it difficult to hear clearly. She was fairly certain it was the command center calling her name, and that a loyal subordinate was pleading for her to retreat.
But she cut off the signal without responding. Taking a deep breath of the air, thick with the gunsmoke of the battlefield, she stood up straight.
She was the princess of Almerac, but she was more than that. She was also the strongest warrior on this planet.
She wasn't one for strategy, so this was the only thing left for her to do.
Maxima ascended into the sky again. Her ears were still ringing, and she couldn't hear a thing. But she instinctively locked onto the direction of the last cannon blast. The moment she left the ground, she reached subsonic speeds, and within ten seconds, she would surpass the limit of any aircraft in this planet's atmosphere. She was too fast for most weapons to lock onto.
But as her afterimage streaked over the enemy formation, she abruptly froze.
Like a video playing at ten times speed suddenly being paused, Maxima was held rigidly in mid-air. Lightning shot out from an unknown source, wrapping around her body like chains, restraining her and rendering her immobile.
A trap. A Speedster Snare, a trap designed by Apokolips for speedsters, originally intended to capture beings much faster than her.
Behind the enemy lines, in the command center, Zazo's lips curled into a smug smile when he saw this.
Success.
Thanks to the generous support from the Apokoliptians, his last major threat was about to be captured.
"Concentrate your firepower and take her down," he ordered. "But remember, I want her alive."
All sorts of heavy firepower converged on Maxima, and every cannon barrel flashed in unison. Maxima's pupils contracted. Her super speed allowed her to clearly perceive every cannon firing, to feel the vibrations in the air as the energy tore through it, and to sense the gradual transmission of heat.
But she was powerless to stop it.
In this moment, it was not just the princess who would be defeated, but the last of the planet's resisting royal bloodline, and by extension, all of Almerac.
Everyone knew that after this battle, the new regime of this once-glorious planet would become a puppet for outsiders.
For that overlord from Apokolips.
Maxima closed her eyes. But in that very instant, the ringing in her ears vanished.
In its place was the sound of Light.
An incandescent brilliance illuminated the entire battlefield, blooming like a giant lotus. A pillar of light shot toward the heavens, and amidst the swirling particles, a Giant bathed in radiance appeared.
The firepower that could have vaporized the sturdiest fortress was instantly scattered by that intense light, dissipating between heaven and earth.
Both warring factions ceased their attacks, and countless shocked gazes focused on the Giant.
Orin Vale lowered his arms, his gaze slowly sweeping over the familiar-looking equipment among Zazo's army.
Apokolips technology.
The moment this stuff appeared, the nature of this war changed from a civil war to an interstellar invasion.
This is my field of expertise.
(end of chapter)
