Chapter 411: War Of The Stars (2)
In a city drowned in gray, a lone man stood tall amid the swirling smoke and dust. He gazed at the sky, heavy with dark clouds, lost in thought. The man’s stark, almost unnatural, white figure stood out in that world buried under ashes and ruins.
“Are they done preparing?”
It was unclear who he was speaking to.
The pale man looked at the black sky and faintly smirked. It had been a long wait.
Whoever claimed that time healed all wounds was a fool. Since the day his fate had been torn apart, not a single day had passed without that nightmare haunting him. Those memories had been seared into his mind like a brand. They festered, rotted, and oozed with decay.
“Haaa...” He quietly sighed and took out a necklace from his coat.
The cheap-looking necklace featured an apple on it. Its string was made of poor-quality plastic rather than metal. The red paint coating the apple had faded and peeled away. It looked like something from a children’s toy set, shabby and fragile. Nonetheless, he smiled as he held it tightly.
“Please wait just a little longer, Eve.”
The end of his long wait was finally near.
“Soon... the war will begin again.”
The second and final War of the Stars.
***
The day of the war finally arrived.
At dawn, the allied forces assembled in perfect formation.
Alina Vladimir stood on a platform, and her gaze swept across the troops. “We will breach Rome through seven separate routes.”
The enemy would surely be prepared, so entering the city through a single path would be far too risky.
“Two units will advance by sea, two by land, two by air... and the final unit will enter through the Sanctum gate located in Rome itself.”
Her last phrase sent ripples of unrest through the gathered troops.
Sea, land, and air all made sense, but entering through the Sanctum gate?
“Isn’t that basically suicide?”
“If it’s through the Sanctum, the enemy will definitely have it locked down.”
Like most nations, except for Star-Forsaken Land, Italy had several gates leading to the Sanctum. Rome, the target of this operation, possessed one of the largest gates in Italy. However, this gate sat right in the middle of enemy territory.
Unless Mobius was a fool, he wouldn’t leave a direct link between the Sanctum and Rome unguarded.
“Quiet,” Alina said.
Her order silenced the murmurs like cold water over fire.
“The unit entering through the gate will be tasked with creating internal chaos to aid the other forces’ advance.”
In other words, the gate team would be used as bait.
Tension rippled through the Awakeners. They exchanged uneasy glances and swallowed dryly.
Everyone here knew the mission required them to risk their lives, but no one wanted to be sent as decoys and die meaninglessly in enemy territory. Falling honorably in battle was one thing, but dying as bait was another.
“No need to be so alarmed.” Alina scanned the forces. “The Sanctum unit will consist of Alkaid, Mizar, Megrez, Phecda, and high-ranking Awakeners only. Regular soldiers will not be assigned to this unit. Do not worry.”
After hearing this, several sighs of relief echoed through the crowd. Soon, everyone thought of the same question.
Was it really worth sending four of the Seven Stars as bait?
Of course, even without them, the Alliance was powerful. However, the Seven Stars were humanity’s shining heroes, the cornerstone of their strength. To risk four of them in such a role seemed like an enormous gamble.
“Any questions?”
“No, ma’am!”
Of course, no one dared to speak up. Just like when a teacher asked if anyone had any questions right before class ended, no one raised their hand. It was safer to remain invisible among the crowd.
“Then, I’ll say a few words before we begin the operation.” Her eyes swept over the soldiers gathered from every nation and race. “Is there anyone here who doesn’t know about the War of the Stars?”
Only silence followed.
“Good. None of you have forgotten that horrific war.” Alina nodded slowly. “That day, humanity took up arms to defend itself and won.”
Despair and tragedy beyond measure had consumed the world. Though countless scars remained, in the end, humanity drove back the demonic beasts and claimed victory.
“Some of you are standing here because you belong to the army. Some because of the immense rewards promised. And some because you wish to uphold justice and save those who have been taken.”
Her calmness carried a fierce charisma that dominated the air.
“Whatever your reasons may be, the one undeniable truth is this. You did not run, which is why you stand here today. And that alone is enough for me to call you heroes.”
Words carried power. Alina’s commanding and charismatic speech ignited the hearts of the assembled Awakeners with a spark of heroism that would become a rare and stubborn flame.
“Look around you for a moment.”
The Awakeners turned to glance at one another.
“Gathered here are 32,782 people. Have any of you ever seen this many Awakeners in one place before?”
They could only remain silent.
“Of course not. Even I never imagined such a number would come together.”
Alina raised her arm.
“One week.”
She raised a finger toward the sky.
“It’s been only one week since the war was declared.”
It had been far too short a time to prepare for war.
“Why do you think so many people joined to fight this war? Because the Alliance moved? Because of the massive reward money? Because the meeting place was the Sanctum?”
They continued listening to her.
“No.” She slowly shook her head. “You are all here because every one of you is a hero unafraid of death.”
In truth, that was a lie. Most of those present were either soldiers obliged to fight or Awakeners drawn by the immense reward money. Only a few truly didn’t fear death.
The spark of heroism in their chests fed on the fuel of collectivism, flaring brighter and hotter. Their breaths grew heavy, and adrenaline swam through their veins like a tsunami. Like a crowd moving in rhythm to pounding music, the Awakeners' eyes burned with fighting spirit.
This should do.
Alina sensed the perfect moment to conclude.
She gazed at the passionate and determined Awakeners. “Where you are headed to will be filled with hideous demonic beasts and a wicked Celestial. Perhaps half of you, no, perhaps all of you will die.”
Her Stigma blazed with a radiant light.
“But even so—”
She glanced behind her. The Seven Stars standing on the platform responded in unison and unleashed their mana.
Woong!
The combined mana of the Seven Stars erupted and formed massive pillars of light. The Awakeners could only stare with their jaws dropped at the awe-inspiring sight.
“We will walk beside you.”
“We will fight first, and we will die first.”
“Even if mountains of corpses must be crossed, we will carry them and move forward.”
“And we will remember the 32,782 heroes gathered here today.”
“Waaaahhhhh!”
The deafening roar of the crowd shook the temple itself.
Alina waited for the cheers to subside. Then, she took out a fist-sized orb from her pocket.
“Through this communication Astral Relic, each unit will now receive its assigned route of entry. Follow your commander’s orders and move swiftly.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Understood!”
“Alright!”
Because more than half the Awakeners weren’t actually trained soldiers, unfitting responses burst out from all over the place. In a moment like this, who cared about formality?
The Awakeners stood ready with blazing eyes and awaited orders from the orb.
“Phew.” Alina sighed and stepped down from the podium.
Rousing everyone’s fighting spirit before battle had always been one of her strengths, but even a trained soldier like her could feel the weight of this moment.
“Well done, Commander. That was an impressive speech.” Kwon Oh-Jin approached her with light applause.
In all honesty, the speech itself wasn’t particularly extraordinary. Alina’s sheer presence and charisma had made it far more powerful than the words alone.
“I’ve done this many times before. Besides, it wasn’t as though I said anything I didn’t mean.”
“True. Whatever their reason, everyone here came prepared in their own way.”
“Though perhaps not quite as much as you, Mr. Oh-Jin.” Alina’s gaze softened with concern. “Are you sure you’re alright with this?”
“You mean acting as the bait?” he asked.
“Yes. I know you have a plan... but the risk is far too great.”
“The greater the risk, the greater the return.”
Alina deeply sighed as if giving up. “Please, just be careful.”
“Of course.” Kwon Oh-Jin nodded and slowly walked away.
One by one, the Awakeners assigned to the decoy unit gathered behind him. This elite unit only consisted of high-ranking Awakeners.
They followed Kwon Oh-Jin toward the Sanctum gate that led to Rome.
“Let’s go.”
The War of the Stars, named after the unity of Awakeners from every nation and race fighting as one, began for the second and final time.
