Chaos' Heir
Chapter 1530: To war

Since that pocket universe had done the allied front the favor of condensing its matter into a single location, the Leviathan-class ship headed for it, relying on the full capabilities of its engines to reach its top speed.

The trip didn’t promise to be long, but it wasn’t short, either, and both the Emperor and Khan eventually decided to enter the ship once it became clear that the vast expanse wouldn’t pose new threats.

Besides, while both Khan and the Emperor could resist the space’s deadliness to various degrees, that practice was tiring, and it was their duty to remain in top form before engaging in the final battle.

The allied front’s preparations obviously included something that could contain the Emperor. Actually, that had been one of the main concerns since he was far more problematic than Khan.

Luckily, Khan’s organization already had some experience with dealing with him, and the party on the white desert had added valuable data, leading to the creation of a vast hall that combined a mixture of reinforced alloys and mana barriers.

That hall stood near the very tip of the ship for safety reasons. Nothing was ever perfect when it came to technology, especially when it was assembled in three weeks. The allied front had to account for the area’s potential destruction, placing it where it wouldn’t do as much damage or risk killing every passenger.

Nevertheless, the special hall held strong, leading to a peculiar but unavoidable arrangement. Khan and the Emperor were obviously inside, but the same went for Liiza, Ilman, the Royal Court, and most of the evolved warriors who had joined that dimensional invasion.

In regular times, that gathering would have created quite the rowdy scene. It had actually done so mere weeks ago.

However, no one dared to speak. Some warriors even occasionally held their breath, trying to be as silent as possible while watching the various holographic screens hanging from the hall’s surfaces.

Of course, there was only one thing the ship’s scanners could focus on. A few holographic screens depicted the vast expanse, but most of them were pointed at the distant star, which was growing closer by the second.

Whenever the ship closed some of that distance, new details appeared on the screen, as well as some advanced scientific data, keeping everyone’s attention on them. Words couldn’t fly in that tense environment. Only silent preparations could unfold.

Obviously, there wasn’t much anyone could prepare for anymore. It was too late for that. That silence was more about dealing with the unavoidable tension before a key battle, which everyone handled differently.

The Thilku stood proudly still, while Mazatl paced left and right, looking restless. Ilman stared sternly at the screens, and Major General Arngan released occasional growls, which were his new version of deep breaths.

As for Khan, he was with Liiza, hugging her from behind, caressing her waist. Neither of them spoke or indulged in their usual public displays of affection, focusing solely on the screens while sharing their warmth and cozy cold before the inevitable separation.

Yet, the star on the screens grew closer, and then closer still, imposing movement among that tension. It reached the point when the ship’s scanners became able to see the celestial body’s surface, revealing its magnificent but ominous environments.

The scene was less surprising for Khan and Liiza since they had already witnessed the Nak’s home world. However, that black star did look one step above the blue planet.

The celestial body was black but bright, shining with different intensities depending on its area’s purposes. Its barren ground was dim, its mountains were brighter, and flares of even more glowing True Chaos rose from vast crevices, creating deadly pillars that shed light everywhere.

No trace of life occupied those dark yet glowing environments, but the planet itself looked alive and breathing, as if it were a single organism rather than a mass of energy.

That difference, and superior trait, didn’t go unnoticed to the married couple, but that still wasn’t enough to make them speak. Everyone in the reinforced hall remained silent even as the ship began its landing procedures, heading for a world that could swallow it whole.

For all intents and purposes, that planet would have devoured ordinary ships. Actually, regular vessels would have stopped functioning already.

However, the Leviathan-class ship made full use of the benefits of the experimental fuel, resisting the True Chaos’ annihilating properties. Its mana barrier flickered but remained active, too, piercing occasional glowing clouds and heading safely for that darker-than-black surface.

The tension skyrocketed when the ship touched the ground. Everything inside it went dark. All its functions suddenly stopped, seemingly unable to endure the direct contact with that more solid version of the True Chaos.

Still, darkness couldn’t trick Khan and Liiza’s eyes. Even Ilman and the other evolved warriors in the hall knew or sensed that the mana barrier around the vessel had yet to give in, and light soon returned.

All of the ship’s functions came back. The hall’s artificial light resumed shining, and the same went for the holographic screens, which now inspected every possible corner of the surrounding black environment.

Nothing but emptiness encircled the Leviathan-class ship. The allied front had held its part of the deal, reaching that appointed location, but the True Chaos seemed to hesitate to make its move.

Of course, that was a wrong assumption. The True Chaos and its army were already there. They had always been there, and they soon showed their face.

The ground at some distance from the ship showed traces of movement, attracting its scanners. Black smoke, far brighter than what the occasional pillars featured, started oozing out of the dark surface, accompanied by veiled, solid figures.

The scanners couldn’t pick up much beyond the layer of smoke, only ending up capturing a massive cloud growing from the planet’s surface. In a way, it almost looked as if a giant fire had spread in the distance, containing untold dangers the allied front had to vanquish.

And that marked the end of the silent tension, as well as its highest point. Khan let go of Liiza, ignoring the many gazes that fell on him while continuing to inspect the screens. That was an army of his own creation, so it was up to him to give the final order.

"To war," Khan announced, and the hall’s speakers spread his voice throughout the ship, making it tremble in restlessness.

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