Beyond the Bloodline-Chapter 249: No. 2, The Empress I

Intergalactic Battlefield

Outside Perileos Galaxy

Intergalactic Void

December 5th

Year 2018

The void between galaxies was a canvas of chaos and brilliance, lit not by stars but by the blazing flames of war.

Hundreds of thousands of warships clashed in a ballet of destruction, their formations crossing and weaving patterns of light through the darkness. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

The vast expanse of space was alive with streaks of energy beams, law energy missile trails and the eruptions of obliterated ships, each explosion blooming like a fiery flower before fading into nothingness.

There were two sides to this war. The attackers who sought to conquer and the defenders who strived to resist.

The fleet of the attackers was staggering, as varied as the multitude of species that piloted them. Colossal dreadnought class ships, bristling with law energy cannons and defensive turrets, served as the backbone of the fleet.

Flanking them were thousands of predator-like cruisers that darted between larger vessels, their hulls gleaming with reflective plating that bent the light of nearby explosions.

Swarms of nimble starfighters—small, triangular vessels with glowing thrusters—spiralled through the chaos, weaving in tight, synchronized formations to evade incoming fire and launch devastating strafing runs.

Among them, mechanical leviathans resembling metallic sea creatures moved through the void, their long tendrils pulsating with law energy as they fired beams that disintegrated anything in their path.

Flagships loomed above the fray, titanic structures the sizes of planets, their exteriors adorned with various runic magic inscriptions, glowing faintly with shields that rippled whenever struck.

On the side of the defenders, the indigenes of the Perileos Galaxy, they operated a unified armada with uniformity.

Normally, these Galactic forces were at odds with one another, but facing the threat of a greater force’s invasion, they had little to no choice but to band together to resist.

Otherwise, then they’d lose the territories and resources they were warring amongst themselves for.

They had angular ships with designs optimised for speed and power, along with glowing azure energy shields that enveloped these vessels, shimmering as they absorbed blow after blow.

If there was one thing the people of this galaxy were known for, then it was their ridiculous prowess in the law of Fortification.

It was a universal law that was the reason why things could be ’Fortified’ to possess defensive capabilities that superseded their base capabilities.

And just like a shield could be a lethal weapon if wielded correctly, the people of Perileos were capable of using it offensively.

Gigantic carrier ships released waves of automated drones, each no larger than a human torso but equipped with razor-sharp precision weaponry. Interceptors—needle-thin ships that moved like streaks of lightning—cut through enemy ranks with deadly efficiency.

Above it all, their enormous command ships floated, layered with armour and energy cannons capable of blotting stars out of the void. They coordinated their movements as much as they could, ensuring no weakness could be exploited.

Again, if there was something the people of Perileos were known for, it was their use of the law of Fortification.

They had taken advantage of the high base fortification law energy concentration in their galaxy and weaponized it into something that even the invaders, with thousands of galactic conquests under their belt, could not get through.

A Galactic Barrier.

It was not the natural one that filtered cosmic energy, but an artificial one for protection.

The defending fleet fought with their backs to the Perileos Barrier, a shimmering, spherical field encompassing the top and bottom of the elliptical galaxy.

The barrier pulsed with ethereal light, a mesmerizing cascade of colours that defied explanation.

Waves of energy rippled across its surface whenever a powerful attack struck, like a pond disturbed by a falling stone.

This barrier repelled even the most powerful attacks from High Tier Deities who could destroy entire galaxies on their own. Every missile, beam, or detonation that reached it would dissipate into harmless motes of light or reflect harmlessly into the void.

Amid the fleets, those same Deities floated in the void, their bodies illuminated by the laws they commanded.

A deity cloaked in swirling fire unleashed torrents of flames that moved like serpents, igniting enemy ships in bursts of molten metal. Another deity, their form shadowy and insubstantial, seemed to meld into the void itself, appearing only to deliver devastating blows with a jagged black spear.

Space itself twisted and cracked as a deity wielding gravitational powers created crushing singularities, pulling entire formations of ships into imploding voids.

The defenders’ deities retaliated with equal ferocity.

One cloaked in radiant light forged blades of light law energy, cutting down the attacking Low and Mid deities. Another commanded storms of plasma, which spread like hurricanes through the enemy’s ranks.

Each clash lit the void in blinding flashes of power, the sheer scale of their battle dwarfing the fleets below.

Suddenly, the flagship of the attacking fleet fired its main cannon—a beam of energy so immense it momentarily turned the void into day.

The beam was a concentrated stream of pure destruction law energy, a weapon designed to annihilate anything in its path.

It carved through space, obliterating swathes of defending ships, their debris scattering like splinters in a storm.

The beam slammed into the Perileos Barrier, and for a moment, it seemed unstoppable.

The barrier trembled under the onslaught, its colours shifting violently as it absorbed the attack. Waves of energy cascaded outward, illuminating the defending fleet in surreal hues.

But the barrier held. The beam dissipated, its immense energy swallowed by the unyielding shield.

◇　◇　◇

Aboard the flagship, the Attacking General watched with a frown. His brow furrowed as he studied the holographic display of the battle, the Perileos Barrier a mocking constant in the chaos.

The defences were an impenetrable obstacle, one that even their Flagship’s strongest weapon couldn’t breach.

Around him, officers scrambled at their stations, their screens and consoles flashing red warnings. The barrier was proving more troublesome than anticipated.

Folding his arms, he barked out in a loud voice.

"Switch out the Destruction Law Crystal and prepare another volley. We’ll keep hammering that damn barrier until—!"

He stopped mid-sentence, his expression snapping to alarm as a wave of spatial energy rippled through the bridge, causing every console to flicker. The officers turned toward the disturbance as one, their Authorities activating as they went on guard.

Before anyone could react further, a tear in the fabric of space ripped open in the centre of the room.

A purple-tinted spatial gate materialized out of thin air, and stepping from beyond it was a woman.

She was of average height, her long hair a flowing cascade of purple-silver that shimmered like liquid starlight. Her features were flawless, her face a study of ethereal beauty.

Her heterochromatic eyes—one a deep, mesmerizing purple, the other an icy azure blue—glinted as she swept her gaze across the room.

Contrasting with the uniformed men and women all around, her attire was rather casual. She wore a simple, well-fitted black leather jacket over a white top and dark jeans, with combat boots that thudded lightly against the deck.

She tucked her hands into her trouser pockets as the gate behind her closed up. The air in the flagship bridge suddenly grew unbearably heavy with her arrival.

Her boots thudded softly against the polished metal floor as she walked forward, and as if pulled by invisible strings, the Brigadier General and every high-ranking soldier in the room dropped to their knees.

Heads bowed, their voices rang out in unison, filled with reverence.

"""Your Majesty."""