Chapter 233: Prime War [XII]
Nullarbor Plain, South Australia. A vast expanse stretching over 1,100 kilometers, known as one of the flattest landscapes on Earth.
The name Nullarbor comes from Latin, meaning no trees and indeed, vegetation here is sparse, dominated by low shrubs and dry grass.
The reddish, barren soil stretches endlessly, blending with a vast, cloudless blue sky.
Total silence, broken only occasionally by the gusts of wind carrying dust.
It was the ideal battlefield: empty, remote, and capable of absorbing the destructive force of the impending battle.
In the middle of this vast, barren land stood a young man. He was Rokuhara Ren, the Seventh Campione.
Dressed casually, hands in his pockets, and chewing gum nonchalantly, he gazed upward at the sky.
His eyes seemed to pierce far beyond, through the layers of the atmosphere into outer space.
This is not just a metaphor. Thanks to one of the Sun Conqueror’s Divine Authority abilities, Heavenly Eye, even without activating a incantation, Ren could see up to 200 kilometers away.
What Ren saw was a breathtaking yet terrifying view of outer space.
There, he could see the International Space Station (ISS) orbiting calmly, its complex silhouette appearing small from a distance.
Countless man-made satellites circled in low orbit, silent witnesses to humanity’s technological progress.
Thousands of pieces of space debris—metal fragments, shattered glass, and other remnants—floated helplessly, relics of space exploration.
It all seemed so peaceful and quiet.
"They’re coming." Ren muttered, his eyes narrowing.
About 180 kilometers from Earth’s natural satellite, the Moon, an armada of the Kur civilization—thousands of futuristic spacecraft—was approaching.
"Five minutes until they enter the forced teleportation zone. They’ve come all the way from beyond the Milky Way." Ren spoke to himself.
"As hosts, how could we not give them a warm welcome? Earth’s people aren’t that discourteous."
Ren spat out his gum onto the ground, his casual expression turning serious.
*BZZZT!*
The air around him surged violently, the ground beneath his feet cracking and trembling as Ren mobilized the magical power within his body.
*SHUA!*
Instantly, a mystical red bow made of pure energy appeared in his hand. The bow radiated a scorching aura.
Drawing the bowstring, an arrow formed from highly concentrated magical power materialized in his right hand, vibrating with unstable energy.
Holding the bow and arrow, Ren aimed at the sky while chanting an incantation, his voice echoing across the silent plain.
"The blazing sky with nine suns, heed my will! With every shot, I shatter your arrogance. Fall, and let your destruction be an eternal warning of a conqueror’s absolute power!"
"Nine Sun Strikes!"
*SWOOSH!*
A deafening boom reverberated for dozens of kilometers as the arrow shot from the bow.
Its speed reached the Third Cosmic Velocity. The arrow was no longer a mere object but a beam of searing white light, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
The visual impact was staggering. The calm blue sky split apart. The arrow rocketed upward, leaving cracks along its path as if shattering the fabric of reality itself.
The surrounding air evaporated instantly due to the extreme heat, creating visual distortions that warped the view.
The dazzling white-hot light didn’t just streak forward; it left a comet-like trail of smoke and shockwaves that tore through clouds, producing a sonic boom that shattered the silence, visible from afar.
*SWOOSH!*
The arrow continued its ascent, piercing the atmosphere as if unhindered, heading into the darkness of space, directly toward the approaching alien armada.
In outer space, the arrow sped forward at unimaginable velocity toward the Kur civilization’s fleet.
*SWOOSH!*
The searing white light was now just a tiny, fast-moving speck, yet its energy remained overwhelmingly intense.
*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*
*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*
*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*
Then, in the blink of an eye, the arrow split into nine identical arrows, each radiating the same scorching aura, targeting different sections of the armada’s formation.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
Of course, the invaders didn’t stand idle. Dozens of spacecraft, resembling giant metallic locusts, fired dark purple energy cannons at the nine arrows to destroy them.
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
Massive energy waves shot forward, but the arrows’ speed was too great. The energy cannons only managed to destroy four of them.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
With the remaining five arrows reaching the armada’s frontline, they suddenly underwent another transformation.
*BUZZ!*
The five arrows morphed into miniature suns hovering in space. The transformation was instantaneous and awe-inspiring.
These suns radiated immense heat, so intense that the surrounding space and time seemed to warp.
*BOOOOOM!*
Every spacecraft within their radius was obliterated instantly—not just destroyed, but completely vaporized, as if they never existed.
The scene of destruction caused by the five suns was both mesmerizing and terrifying.
Dozens of alien ships were wiped out in five blinding white explosions.
The shockwaves from each blast didn’t propagate like sound but as pure radiation and energy, spreading outward.
Spacecraft farther from the epicenters, though not instantly destroyed, were violently shaken, their systems failing, and their outer hulls melting.
The visual effect was stunning in the dark expanse of space. Five massive fireballs, each the size of an asteroid, illuminated the cosmic darkness with unimaginable intensity.
Dozens of alien ships turned to cosmic dust, leaving behind glowing trails of hot gas and plasma.
Larger ship debris melted and shattered, producing flashes of light and sparks that spread like cosmic fireworks.
The five miniature suns didn’t just destroy; they left lasting scars in space, like trembling miniature black holes.
The horror and beauty of the destruction created an unforgettable spectacle for anyone capable of witnessing it.
"Tch, only 77?"
Ren clicked his tongue in frustration. Thanks to his Heavenly Eyes, he could clearly see the number of spacecraft destroyed.
"I thought Nine Sun Strikes would take out at least a few hundred ships."
His opening attack was devastating, but the target—thousands of widely dispersed alien spacecraft—was too spread out. He felt his first strike didn’t cause the anticipated damage.
"Should I fire another Nine Sun Strikes?" Ren considered. "Nah, the other side isn’t stupid. They’ve surely prepared countermeasures."
"Nine Sun Strikes consumes a lot of magical power; I shouldn’t waste it before the real battle begins."
Ren abandoned the idea of launching another Nine Sun Strikes.
In his view, the attack had already made a significant contribution. The enemy hadn’t even landed on Earth, yet he’d already eliminated a small portion of their forces.
That was more than enough.
Ren was concerned that the other Campiones wouldn’t be pleased if he dominated the Prime War too early.
After all, Campiones had immense pride and wouldn’t allow their peers to outshine them.
A fight among Campiones could be as dangerous—or even more so—than battling aliens.
"Let’s wait for them to land. I want to see how strong they are after traveling so far from outer space."
Ren smiled, his eyes gleaming with the excitement of a warrior eager for battle.