The enormous Space Rift slowly opened in the Star Domain, like a gaping eye suspended in the sky over Shuji. Distant starlight and illusions around the Star Gate flickered on the other side of this 'eye' — and then the massive United Fleet ignited their engines. Six Special Service Bomber Ships were the first to cross the Star Gate passage, followed closely by Shield Ships equipped with Wide Area Shield Projectors and several large Arsenal Ships. The flagship "Mass Effect" followed with the remaining battleships, accelerating through the immense passage.

In the distant depths of the Dark Meteor Domain, at the border of the Hidden Monastery's territory, a burst of energy beyond system limits instantaneously swept over the entire Star Gate!

The center of the ring-like structure surged with brilliance, red radiance roiling like blood inside the giant ring. A terrifying Rift tore through the entire space-time inside the primary ring, forcibly taking over and disrupting the originally normal Star Gate transport task. The powerful energy accumulated on the inside of the primary ring instantly lost control, erupting into countless red arcs spanning thousands of kilometers!

The dim corona of the Brown Dwarf Star reflected this rapidly expanding red flash. The Star Gate garrison had no time to react in those first few seconds — yet these initial moments were already their last chance to close this gate. After the brief release of energy and the spatial tearing, the first wave of attackers emerged from the ocean of red thunder.

Like giant beasts surfacing from a sea of blood, "Evil Spirit" class Special Service Bomber Ships entered the battlefield. Before the nearest Hidden Monastery warships could react, hundreds of Graviton Bombs were launched into space. These heavy bombs, equipped with Micro Jump Propulsion Devices, instantly jumped to the rear of the Star Gate garrison and began to violently collapse, creating a series of Gravity Collapse Points that twisted distant starlight and dragged a large portion of the Hidden Monastery's fleet into a deadly vortex.

As the explosion's flash lit up this part of space, the second wave of Shield Ships had already deployed a heavy Protective Force Field in front of the Star Gate and began sweeping away the small anti-aircraft guns set around the main ring of the Star Gate with shipborne Particle Rapid-fire Cannons. They also targeted the drones and near-defense floating cannons hastily launching from the ring.

After the Shield Ships cleared a safe zone, the Arsenal Ships behind the Protective Force Field opened all their torpedo launch ports — heavy fortress torpedoes like a school of sharks leapt into space, accelerating continuously toward the most prominent Armed Star Fort standing in space.

It was not until the first wave of fortress torpedoes smashed into the armor of the Armed Star Fort that the Star Gate's defense forces finally fully reacted, beginning a desperate attempt to organize a counterattack amidst immense panic and chaos — however, the energy pulses created by the simultaneous explosion of hundreds of Graviton Bombs completely severed the communication between the Star Fort and the defense fleet at this moment. The energy impact released when the Star Gate lost control had thrown the entire battlefield into extreme chaos from the very start.

The electromagnetic environment was boiling, various temporary gravity faults cut through the battlefield, storming through the communication channels with endless confusion and warnings, while distant outer defense units frantically inquired what was happening from the rear —

"The Star Gate is under attack! The Star Gate is under attack! An unknown fleet appeared at the center of the Jump Field, we're being bombed — "

"It's not from outside! The enemy is behind us! The attack is coming from the direction of the Star Gate!"

"In the name of the Saints! Can't you see that flash?!"

"Star Fort calling Mobile Fleet, flank needs protection, we're hit with Fortress Torpedoes... any unit, respond immediately!"

"Oh Saints, someone close that gate... Detecting new large warships entering! They're still jumping in, repeat, the enemy is still jumping in!"

"The Star Gate is completely out of control... we're finished, contact the home planet quickly — "

"Where is the defense platform? What are our heavy turrets doing?!"

"Safety protocol locked down, turret AI refuses to fire in the direction of the Star Gate, Star Fort authorization needed to unlock!"

"Then why isn't the Star Fort..."

A terrifying energy release swept over the entire battlefield, instantly filling the communication channels of the Star Gate defense forces with massive noise and wailing. Chaotic calls and pleas for help were all cut off by this howling. Some Hidden Monastery fleet commanders seemed to realize something, immediately turning their gaze towards the Armed Star Fort standing near the Star Gate.

The middle-lower section of the Star Fort was slowly expanding into a blinding ball of light, like an over-inflated balloon continuously swelling.

The main reactor was hit, millions of tons of macro-element fuel were undergoing chain reactions in the lattice.

A silent "sun" erupted in the midsection of the Star Fort, the remaining Shield Generators of the giant Space Station struggled futilely for a moment, a weak flash briefly covering its wound, after which those Shield Generators vanished along with half of the Space Station into the cold void — what's left of the Star Fort's structure continued to be torn apart into countless, varied fragments in the impact, flying across the entire battlefield.

A portion of the ejected debris fell within the capture range of the Brown Dwarf Star, molten metal wreckage spinning in space and falling towards the dark red hot spots on the substellar surface, along with the priests trapped in the safety cabins, screaming, while more debris was captured by the United Fleet's "Cleaner Ships," pounded into smaller debris by subsequent concentrated fire.

Large Armed Star Forts all come with "Disaster Modules," capable of ejecting several command-capable "Subordinates" to maintain command networks on the battlefield in the event of the Space Station's disintegration.

Thus, experienced Commanders will at least perform one or two rounds of "finishing" on seemingly inert wrecks after destroying a Star Fort.

A Dark Star Cruiser drifted erratically in space. The flash of explosions illuminated its dark red bow, its stern trailing flames and thick smoke, gradually spreading into an indistinct cloud in space. Interwoven high-energy beams and missiles gliding over the battlefield formed a giant web of death over this ship, which seemed to have lost power, with debris of various sizes passing nearby, shrouded in destruction and death.

"Kill the lights! Kill the lights!" The ship's Commander said impatiently on the ship bridge, "Maintain current course, minimal engine output, 'descend' toward the hot spots on the surface of the Brown Dwarf Star — full ship communication silence, no one will notice us!"

Enveloped in smoke and fire, the ship drifted towards the Brown Dwarf Star at the edge of the battlefield at a relatively slow speed, its weak engine flares concealed by the flames spreading from the warship itself, making it appear almost identical to the surrounding debris already captured by the Dwarf Star's gravity.

However, a warning from his spiritual intuition suddenly gripped his heart.

The Hidden Monastery Commander felt his blood stop flowing instantly, and amidst the intense pain from his heart, he instinctively lifted his head, looking towards the viewing porthole.

Amongst the surrounding fire and smoke enveloping the ship, an unknown figure had appeared — a slender, pale girl standing on one of the near-defense cannons at the ship's bow, wearing a thin white dress, with the tips of her long black hair gradually tinged with a layer of blood-red.

Red kept her eyes tightly shut, a smile spreading across her face.

"Someone's heart is beating inside this ship."

The girl's voice was as close as a whisper, directly penetrating every ear, and the ship's Commander even felt that icy breath blowing on his neck — he retreated in terror, taking two steps back, catching a glimpse from the corner of his eye of part of the Captain's seat suddenly becoming as clear as a mirror, reflecting the image of the pale girl.

He never managed to turn around — a hand stabbed into his back, squashed his heart outright.

The Commander's body collapsed heavily onto the Captain's seat, Red flicked her fingers, and the blood on her fingertips quickly evaporated into the air. Then she turned her head, smiling as she stepped towards the other Hidden Monastery sect members in the Control Hall.

The terrified sect members launched their counterattacks — spiritual power, spells, bullets, everything they could muster, all fell upon Red.

Yet the slender black-haired girl passed through all attacks as if strolling leisurely — her form seemed to refract simultaneously in countless angled mirrors, each step revealing only an illusion conjured by some mirror. The enemies' attacks refracted or even reversed in the mirrored space around her, ultimately landing in the wrong direction.

Thus, Red calmly advanced from one cultist to another, efficiently and mercilessly harvesting all lives, her smiling expression never fading, while her lips barely moved as she muttered to herself softly —

"Control it, don't drink, doesn't taste good, don't drink randomly...

"Either high blood pressure or high blood sugar, or maybe high blood fat, with infectious diseases... all low-quality blood, control yourself, don't touch it...

"Restraint, restraint, or else the old man will laugh at me...

"... Would high blood sugar taste a bit sweeter?

"High blood fat might be thicker..."

Warm blood soaked her fingertips, Red tossed another cultist aside, lowering her gaze to "look" at her fingers.

Her eyelids fluttered a few times, seemingly attempting to open.

But she quickly shook her hand, letting the crimson evaporate into the air.

"It's been too long since my last move, self-control seems to have declined a bit."

She muttered softly.

"Monster, monster—" "This thing isn't human!" "Quick, quick, run!!"

Terrified cries rang out from around her; the fear of death finally crushed the "faith" of the Hidden Monastery sect members, and the priests and believers still alive scrambled to flee from this place — but their clamor made Red frown.

"Noisy."

She raised her hand, layers upon layers of mirrors appeared out of thin air, beginning to seal off the entire ship bridge.

But the very next second, she suddenly paused, swiftly sidestepping, her figure instantly "jumping" through several mirrors floating in the air to one side.

Almost simultaneously, a scorching beam of light pierced through the bridge's ceiling, blasting open a hole at the spot where Red had originally stood.

A hazy figure surrounded by holy radiance, with wings extended, appeared amidst the light.