Soul of Searing Steel

Panda Novel

As the huge Void dockyards slowly opened, the anchoring points holding ships steady detached one after another. Then, propulsion streams shone as innumerable vessels shone, turning and shifting vectors in the spherical Void harbor.

A storm of energy that swept away all man tide billowed, with dull beehive outlines absorbing every hint of external light within every dockyard inside the fortress harbor. Thousands of ships began to assume a tidy formation, and as their various marshals issued orders, darted away just like a hive of bees on the attack.

Allowing the unknown fleet to build a portal was equivalent to abandoning all initiative, their very own sovereignty as a nation, all honor and courage.

To not react at all when they acted so bold, the Eldar authorities may as well end their own lives in the name of the queen.

Most of the Eldar forces were gathered here as per a predetermined plan, and hence advanced towards their objective.

***

Meanwhile, in the Void of the Zeta Ram system.

The Void Behemoths that had been nourishing their bodies by absorbing mass from the worlds reluctantly withdrew their mandibles at the admonishment of their respective Kings of Akasha. They hence moved on to other lifeless worlds, kicking up dimensional ripples as they went.

According to their calculations, the Void Behemoths created as a result of the grand cycles of the stars were a handler of refuse in the Multiverse. Like bacteria, they would grow new worlds by devouring the corpses of various dead, lifeless worlds.

Be that as it may, those entities certainly never had the luck of finding food on every turn, and their feeding could well reduce a normal world to wasteland, killing any future of life to be born upon it. Even so, with their weighing of the pros and cons along with their experience of controlling the Behemoths, the Kings of Akasha never took that matter to heart, but they certainly would have to obey the will of That Great One since they serve the Mycroft civilization anyway.

Now, in Zeta Ram—the largest world of the Zeta Ram system, Barnil’s Void Battleship had descended inside the world. With the influence of energy repulsors and automated runic systems, the unmanned warships were slowly disassembling in the air, turning into massive spare parts before transforming and reassembled under the control of the Legendary champion. Thus, it assumed the dome shape of a dimensional hub that slowly descended and Zeta Ram’s grey sea.

The coastal frame of the continent quaked under the rumble of its descent, abruptly kicking up a tidal wave over hundreds of meters tall—but the dimensional hub was mostly complete. Then, as Vahina herself supplied energies, a huge dimensional rift over ten thousand meters tall hence formed, hanging just above the hub like a black blade that cuts the sky apart.

“It would take months for the dimensional hub to stabilize and be completed. Before that, we basically won’t be able to contact the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds.”

Barnil’s voice wafted from the communications circle. Having heard it from the Void, Joshua nodded and replied, “I know.”

“Yana Milo also found powerful psionic presences heading for us.” Barnil continued. “They’re close—probably locals, but we shouldn’t underestimate them, so take a look. Although they may attack, there’s no need to kill them. ”

“…You don’t have to emphasize that. I’m not a person who abuses power in whimsical slaughter.”

“And I’m only telling you that we sorely need population and workers. Establishing a base requires great labor early on—even my runic creatures and automatons are not enough… So. If they can communicate and we can come to a mutual understanding, hire a batch of workers. If it doesn’t, you just have to force a mutual understanding.”

“A simple task I’ve mastered.”

Naturally not declining, Joshua turned off the channel and turned to the crew around him who were wearing expectant faces. “Prepare to depart,” he commanded, “we’ll take a look with the Starherders.”

“Yes, sir!”

Every crewmember was immeasurably thrilled after having arrived at a new galaxy. Even if Joshua was impassive and his voice low, there was no stopping them finally finding delight in showing their skills—being an older generation of Extraordinary individuals born to train for combat, they were citizens of Continental War who still displayed inclination for conflict, and their power was made for unstopping development of new lands and conquering in the first place.

***

Meanwhile, the main fleet of the Eldars was advancing from the edge of the galaxy.

The honeycomb-shaped warships were encircled by circles of psionic halos that naturally generated Void flow to create momentum, taming dimensional turbulences to create the optimized Void Winds for themselves. Even if their fleet appeared to be split forms of countless vessels, they were a massive collective in psionic constitution.

If one watched from the Void, each Eldar Fleet generates a huge psionic circle, the center of which each fleet group would form a symbol that helps the fleet to accelerate, form up, burst or enhance firepower.

They are about to head for the Zeta Ram system and attempt to stop the unknown fleet.

Now, however, their main fleet and another two advanced fleet had stopped in their tracks as shrill alarms rang in their warships.

“Powerful gravitational source detected ahead—!!!”

The alarm at once jolted the entire Eldar Fleet, with the military minister who was in command ordering all ships to stop at once and change formation. “The unknown faction is coming for us on their own,” he growled, “to spare us the waiting!”

“Prepare!”

Nonetheless, in the single instant the Eldar Fleet assumed formations on the fringes of the Zeta Ram system, a mysterious shadow gradually showed itself over Void turbulence.

It was a world-sized Void Behemoth which had the appearance of a crab. Its shell was a sturdy gray-white, with abnormal black lines that were either cracks or early signs of molting. Either way, the creature let out an extended cry that resounded over half the planetary system, its ripples breaking the dimensional turbulences around it and creating a stable area around itself.

And then the second, the third… and eventually, the eighth.

They had appeared one after another, their colossal forms leaving everyone immeasurably shaken with their mere presence. Before them, a simple fleet was no more than a mosquito darting around mosquitoes—it was hard to imagine anything that could threaten these lifeforms.

But the Eldars were not afraid.

They were prepared to fight those Behemoths centuries ago.

***

An entire sheet of psionic tail exhaust shone from the other side of the Void.

The Eldars’ main fleet and two more attached fleets had established a three-dimensional formation, with three tremendous sets of psionic links communicating and combining into a singular body.

The Eldar Fleet had long since mobilized, with miles long of honeycomb vessels already shifted to reveal the psionic cluster cannon behind—like little parts, the smaller vessels began to transform around the capital ships and reveal their main artillery as well. Within a single instant, the entire outer rim of the Zeta Ram system was packed with incalculable barrels of psionic cannons, and as the light in the zone dimmed, all energy was drained into a vacuum devoid of energies while endless golden specks began to gather by the barrels.

Moreover, apart from the charging cannons, massive crystal specks were ejecting out of honeycomb warships: beelike crystal shuttles, agile and each piloted by psionics who were approaching the Void Behemoths by the flanks.

“Now!” Having ensured that the eight Void Behemoths controlled by the unknown faction, the commanding military chief decisively commanded and yelling at the top of his lungs, “Attack!”

“Fire!”

Thus, in that single instant, a luminous storm stirred in the Void.

The psionic beams simultaneously fired by countless warships shot through the Void streaked forward in a straight line—a vast cascading tide of energies, it was an orange trail of fire that appeared to move slowly, but was actually extending rapidly ahead like a wave that consumes the beach. Shooting away uniformly, each reached for the Void Behemoths dead ahead.

Lifting his massive compound eyes where each crystalline box all reflected the psionic storm, the military chief saw that the light was so blinding in the Void that it would destroy even those who saw it. He watched as the tide of light broke through layers of dimensional turbulence, parting the energy shroud of the Great Mana Tide and blasted toward the slow but massive Void Behemoths which had no way of avoiding it.

It was cannon fire that destroys worlds and burns entire continents into glass, and the military chief was confident that it would maim the Void Behemoths.

He was not wrong—things would not end well for the Void Behemoths if they took the brunt of that attack.

However, that full-force barrage of the fleet could not hit the Void Behemoth horde.

As the ensigns await the next orders of their commanding officer after firing while the leaders waited for the outcomes of their bombardment. The Eldar leaders were waiting for a frontline response as well, but there was nothing, whether it was a rumble of energy or quaking—all was silence.

When the tide of light from the barrage receded, what appeared before the eyes of the Eldar leaders were the imposing, motionless horde of Void Behemoths… and an inconspicuous, seemingly ordinary silver sphere.

The sphere had quietly appeared amongst the Void Behemoths, having been lurking in their shadows. Even so, it was now the focus of the entire scene, since the psionic beams that had been surging had all turned, streaking in curved lines towards the sphere… the psionic beams that were said never to be affected in precision under any circumstances were all easily deflected.

As the radiance from the empowered barrage that could destroy a world seared the surface of the sphere, it only created a small luminous golden-red dot that soon cooled into its original silver.

“…”

The fleet’s ensigns were all silent.

The fleet’s commanders were all silent.

The Eldar authorities who watched from behind observation spells were silent as well.

In fact, even the Void Behemoths beside the silver sphere, as well as the silver fleet that appeared behind were all silent.

As if in disbelief, as if in heartfelt reverence—for five whole seconds, the entire Zeta Ram system was silent, without any exchange or communication.

“Keep it up!”

The military chief’s tail stinger had reflexively shrunk inward while his wings stopped flapping. He soon recovered, however, and gulped before issuing another determined order, “Fire!”

Used to following orders, the Eldar Fleet hence did not hesitate to shoot again.

The Void was filled with light once again—but this time, the Eldars did not foolishly rely on psionic beams again. Instead, using their respective formations and vessels, they unleashed a thunderstorm, bolts and searing flashes in the Void, as well as semi-guided missiles, wave-motion cannons and sheer psychokinesis to distort the object in the distance.

The second barrage left the Void in smoke and flames, even covering the outer rim of the Zeta Ram system with a welling orange-red nebula… but despairingly, the offensive was useless.

Everything from light, bolts, missiles, cannons or psychokinesis had all unwittingly converged onto the silver sphere, and yet unable to even affect its most fragile point.

Nonetheless, there was no time even as the military chief attempted to order a third barrage. On the other side, the Void Behemoths and silver fleet had gathered, just as the silver sphere began to gather a bright light.

“Surrender.”

A profound will swept through the entire planetary system instantly, with every crew and commander in the Eldar Fleet hearing that voice—even the Eldar leaders on the other side of the communication circles heard that serene and dispassionate voice as it spoke, “Your attack holds no meaning. Lower your weapons and surrender.”

It was a way of communication that transcends language and belongs to Steel Pythons, resounding across every corner in the system in the depths of the minds of all beings.

“How—how is this possible!”

Ignoring how the other Eldars would think, the military chief’s wings flapped rapidly. Fuming in rage, he was both in disbelief that and unable accept that their foes would so simply request their surrender.

“To have us give in like this? You insult our Eldars’ ancient tradition, glory, and cou—rage…”

As it spoke, the chief’s angry words slowed, becoming quiet and eventually muted.

That once insignificant, tiny and ordinary silver sphere was bloating like a balloon without stopping in that very moment. And as it expanded, with a tidal gravitational shift, the entire Eldar Fleet’s formation shifted involuntarily, floating towards the sphere.

Then, the sphere transformed.

Silver flames burnt in the Void, igniting the shroud and nebula Mana Tide—at the very moment of a rumble that echoed in the depths of the spirit, a Giant God of Steel with four arms that were larger than the Void Behemoths that appeared in the Zeta Ram System. His body covered in red-black radiating patterns, golden-red light flowed upon those lines, emanating the presence of slaughter, destruction, and ruin.

And in the single second he appeared, the very orbits of several systems around them skewed ever so slightly.

In that single moment, the Giant God had extended two hands which he gently placed on two sides of the Eldars’ main fleet. Two metal ramparts without visible edges instantly covered the fleet from left and light, and yet within their shadow, even the military chief could clearly see the Giant God’s other two hands were closed together delicately before his chest, stirring a wave of translucent ripples.

Sparks of atomic fusion surged away from the seams of his closed palm, filling the Void with fiery stars as if fireworks.

A decisive voice thus spoke.

“We surrender.”