Sovereign of the Ashes

Fermera’s legion consisted of over ten thousand awakened angel-type robots.

When Sein summoned Fermera to the top floor of the Grandlight Tech Center earlier, those ten thousand angel robots received her order to remain on standby at their original positions.

Fortunately, they stayed along the outer periphery of the Steel Ruins.

When the Gallant Federation’s apocalyptical weapon struck, these robots did not foolishly remain in place.

Following Fermera, the strongest among them, had already become the shared consensus of this legion.

Having gained intelligence and self-awareness, they instinctively rejected continued control by the federation, refusing to serve as expendable cannon fodder on the Clash of Civilizations’ frontlines.

Sein and his group did not have to wait long before tens of thousands of angel robots appeared within their field of vision, flapping their metal wings.

Although their timely withdrawal spared them from the wrath of the federation’s apocalyptical weapon, most of the angel robots looked dusty.

Upon reaching Fermera’s side, they automatically formed combat formations, encircling and guarding the group.

No wonder they were an elite robot legion.

The average combat strength of these units far surpassed that of ordinary robots.

According to Fermera, the battle formation they used was hard-coded into their memory systems.

Beyond providing superior coordination and mutual support on the battlefield, this unique formation allowed them to share energy reserves, jointly activate defensive barriers, or unleash concentrated energy attacks.

“It’s somewhat similar to the battle formation of the Radiant Celestials’ angels I once observed in Sky City,” Old Gilbert remarked.

“It seems that a certain robotics expert within the Gallant Federation not only drew inspiration from the angel race’s appearance, but also possesses a deep understanding of the Radiant Celestials’ combat doctrines,” he added in awe.

However, his musings were abruptly cut short.

A sudden barrage of missiles streaked in, disrupting the angel legion’s formations and interrupting Sein’s exchange.

The missiles had been launched by Bond, who was leading his special operations team.

Naturally, Bond and his men had no idea where the other end of the Grandlight Tech Center’s emergency escape passage was located.

Their swift arrival was possible only because these agents had been closely monitoring the rebellious angel legion throughout the Steel Ruins.

The moment tens of thousands of angel-type robots converged on Sein’s position, Bond and his team launched their assault.

With the sole exception of Fermera, the remaining angel-type robots all possessed combat strength below Rank Four.

Naturally, they were unable to detect the federal agents, each of whom was equipped with specialized stealth gear.

The missiles streaking toward them, along with the accompanying energy beams, were all individual self-defense weapons developed by the Gallant Federation.

The special operations team led by Bond truly lived up to its reputation as the elite of the federation.

In terms of individual combat capability, even five ordinary federal soldiers in full combat gear, operating within a fleet formation, would struggle to bring down a single special forces operative.

Moreover, these elite operatives were not only genetically enhanced and highly trained in close-quarters combat, but also equipped with weaponry and gear far superior to that of standard federal troops.

The sudden barrage of concentrated fire caused Sein’s group to falter for a moment.

Caught completely off guard, some of the less experienced members even mistook the attack for the arrival of the Gallant Federation’s main fleet.

Sein’s current physical condition was far from ideal.

He had suffered injuries from the federation’s apocalyptical weapon after its impact seeped through the Grandlight Tech Center’s barriers.

On top of that, traversing the space-time passage had subjected him to crushing spatial pressure and the violent energy tides surging behind him.

The Magic Cube was also undergoing another phase of upgrade and was on the verge of entering hibernation.

Even so, the Faceless Mask covering Sein’s face allowed him to immediately perceive that the attacking federal force was actually quite limited in number, and that its leader was none other than an old adversary.

“Master Gilbert, continue the withdrawal. Black Oblivion, stay behind and hold the line with me!” Sein ordered.

Gilbert and the others were not frontline combatants, and the earlier emergency retreat had already taken a toll on them.

The Steel Ruins were about to become the central battlefield for nearly a hundred million troops from both top-tier civilizations. Remaining here any longer was clearly unwise.

Sein had no intention of gathering everyone’s strength to annihilate Bond and his team, so allowing non-combatants like Master Gilbert to withdraw first was the best course of action.

Master Gilbert did not hesitate. He grasped Valerie’s hand with one, raised his magic staff with the other, and swiftly flew toward the distant Magus Civilization forces alongside Grethel and the others.

The lower-ranking knights and mages who had been released earlier departed with them.

Seeing Sein’s group split into two forces filled Bond with unease.

Despite the clear disparity in strength, Bond was actually the one most eager for Sein and the other Magus Civilization powerhouses to turn their full attention on him.

Based on the relative speeds of the Magus Civilization and Gallant Federation vanguard fleets, the federation’s forces—which had fired their apocalyptical weapon first—would reach the Steel Ruins slightly sooner.

Bond and his team’s mission was to hold their ground and wait for reinforcements from the federal fleet.

Knowing that Sein and several Magus Civilization powerhouses had entered the Grandlight Tech Center and remained inside for an extended period, Bond concluded that they must have obtained ancient civilizational technology.

It would have been convenient if they had been wiped out outright by the apocalyptical weapon.

But now that they had reappeared within his line of sight, Bond could not simply ignore them!

Bond’s forces were severely outnumbered, totaling just over a thousand troops.

The sudden and intense firepower they had unleashed earlier had indeed dealt a heavy blow to Sein’s group, but it had also drastically depleted their own ammunition reserves.

Without transport vessels or a proper fleet to resupply them, how much equipment could these agents carry while operating deep within subspace?

Although their opponents were few in number, and the combatants who could fight at Rank Four strength among them numbered only five, including Bond himself.

Sein showed no intention of making a move.

Black Oblivion and his cousins were the first to surge forward.

Immediately afterward, Yuri, piloting the Burning Flame Unit, also selected an opponent of her own.

“Get rid of him! Even if you can’t, don’t let him interfere with our withdrawal,” Sein said to Fermera beside him, pointing at the relentlessly advancing Bond.

Fermera had once been reluctant to engage Bond, but after receiving the upgraded cube and undergoing maintenance, she now followed Sein’s orders without hesitation.

Eight metal wings flared out behind Fermera as a lightsaber materialized in her hand. She charged straight at Bond.

Rank Six versus Rank Five—this was an unfair battle.

Even with his world-class secret treasure bangle, Bond was no match for Fermera. He was barely holding his ground through sheer effort.

The situation was no better for Bond’s subordinates.

Black Oblivion and his cousins each wielded a world-class secret treasure.

Fighting creatures empowered by formidable dragon bloodlines and lineage rarely ended well.

Meanwhile, the nearly thousand special forces units Bond had brought with him were being overwhelmed by Fermera’s legion.

The battle formation developed by the Gallant Federation’s own scientists had now become the federation’s own bitter medicine.