Wasteland Echoer.

"Serye, attack it! Let this old monster taste the true power of the dragons!" Olga, the chief strategist of the "Fall of Atlas" campaign, who was riding on the back of the black young dragon Serye and controlling it with iron chain reins, shouted in a frenzied and excited tone.

At this moment, he was wearing a futuristic, earth-yellow new-style mecha suit, with light blue goggles that were specially designed to protect his entire eye area from physical and light damage.

That new, earthen-yellow mech was called "KY-22:035" by the old empire. Shaneva gave it an interesting name: "Wasteland Loach".

The "Wasteland Loach" is a powerful new type of protective gear hastily produced by the Federal Council last week using old Imperial technology blueprints from the "White Night Archives." Its surface is exceptionally sturdy, and it is forged using a variety of rare metals in strict proportions and through multiple forging methods.

Moreover, once the user gets close to a "heartless person," a lost soul, or a different kind of monster, the surface of the "Wasteland Loach" will produce a slime catalyzed by the "heartless person virus," making it impossible for most physical means to capture or grab the user, thus ensuring absolute safety.

Therefore, the iron chain reins on Olga's hands, who was wearing the "Wasteland Loach" and sitting on Sera's back, actually not only bound Sera, but also bound himself.

Faced with the sudden arrival of high-ranking members of the Federal Council, Dak knew that Shaneva was perhaps quite impatient to achieve victory in the war, and the situation instantly became extremely complicated.

He could only pat Adaloni's thick, muscular shoulder and whisper:

"Put me and Hoshino Shota down, we can't leave for now. I know Olga... he used to be in the Lost Ones organization 'Odyssey's Spear,' those people are very ruthless and decisive. His strength should be close to Order 2: Abandonment. I estimate he should be an upper-level professional, but Shaneva has kept his profession a secret and never talked about it."

“So what do we do now? The good news is that reinforcements have arrived in Belogersk, and I estimate that my young dragon brethren will be able to exhaust most of Nebrius’s strength. The bad news is that I heard the sounds of tanks, mechs, artillery, and gunfire clashing. Ol…G, his name is Olga, right? A considerable number of Federation troops are already following behind him. Escape is impossible.” Adaloni reluctantly put Dark down, brushing the yellow sand and dust off his clothes, but he was still worried about Hoshino Shota and held him close to his chest.

“Commander Nebrius, it seems he’s in grave danger. He shouldn’t have come out of the ‘Dark Core Universe’ prematurely. Although those ‘universe’ spaces have disappeared, the remaining mysteries haven’t been completely devoured by him. Clearly, our revenge plan has failed, and Shaneva’s rule will be unshakeable. But…” Hoshino Shota struggled a few times in Adaloni’s arms, but fell to the ground.

Then, Adaloni tried to pick him up again, but he refused.
"The Black Core Realm is broken."

"The day of heavenly fire will return to ice."

“Zhu Yue Xi Ni Jian”

Before anyone knew it, Hoshino Shota had acquired a phantom harp made of magical energy. As his fingers flew across the keys, he played a surprisingly beautiful melody that combined elements of Crusaders and Japanese music.

In addition, the poems recited by Hoshino Shota in the language of the Flame Empire completely calmed down Dark and Adaloni's tense, anxious, and even extremely irritable emotions under the influence of "Sorrow".

It also completely relieved the heavy feeling that had been weighing on their emotions and souls, making them feel much lighter.

“Dark, Adaloni, we should both calm down now. I think it’s time to seriously analyze the situation.” Hoshino Shota withdrew the magical energy in his hand, and the illusory harp disappeared along with it, turning into wisps of ribbon-like energy that dissipated into the air.

“This is my professional ability, ‘Pitch Control,’ from the ‘Singer.’ Since I can calm us down, I can also make these Federation soldiers agitated and chaotic, and I can also put them to sleep within a certain range,” Hoshino Shota explained his ability, while looking at the tall but somewhat hesitant Adaloni and the handsome but exhausted Dark.

“I still maintain that surrendering to Shaneva is absolutely impossible. The fact that Olga is here means the Federal Council has completely blocked all the exits, including those underground tunnels that Nebrius considers his lifeline.” Dak, chin in hand, imagining a pipe dangling from his lips, analyzed the situation like a detective:

"Nablius's army was mostly composed of local residents of Nebsk, plus the resources he had accumulated over decades of operations in the east. Shaneva, on the other hand, did not have much military talent; Vovya once described her as an 'excellent administrator of the interior.' This means that she would try to retain her closest troops while first depleting the troops forcibly conscripted from various regions."

“I think that at this moment, the Novayask Guard, as well as the First and Second Legions, are still stationed inside the ‘Former 08’ military stronghold. The troops they can bring now are mostly local troops from Hoputov, North and South Ukhata, and Icefield City. These people are naturally not very loyal. And given Nabrius’s provocation, Shaneva herself has no reason not to come.”

"You mean, you want to carry out a daring plan?" Adaloni pulled the two of them temporarily behind the dilapidated wall, deliberately avoiding the sight of Olga in the air and the advance troops that were coming to reinforce them, and asked in a low voice.

“The Khitans have a saying: ‘To catch the thief, first catch the king.’ Right now, Shaneva probably only has her old flame Mikhail and a small group of elite guards [warriors] with her. And Wright should be with her too. If we can pinpoint the location of the temporary command post, we can sneak in while Nebrius and the Federation army are fighting, and kill them in one fell swoop.” Dark made a throat-slitting gesture and said:
"Without a leader, as soon as news of Shaneva's death spreads, these forcibly conscripted troops from various places will quickly collapse. Just based on Olga's dark history as a Lost One, and Mikhail's unclear relationship with those independent armed groups and the Miss Ruins Hunters, Shaneva's power will immediately crumble."

"However, this is a risky move. Shaneva is currently the last force that can unite the Crusad. If she dies, the Crusad Federation will completely fall apart, and various regions will once again fall into the chaotic situation of fighting each other in the early days of the New Era."

“Since the Crusad Federation has never considered its residents as truly human, it has no reason to exist. The ‘Old Fireworks Incident,’ the ‘Loser David Incident,’ and the ‘Artificial Heavenly Punishment Fire’ incident a few days ago are enough to prove that this federation is evil.” Hoshino Shota clenched his fists, speaking with resentment:
Even the Lost Ones, called 'beasts' and 'beasts,' know love and peace, care for their fellow human beings, and provide food and shelter for all the weak. The Federal Council, however, is not only indifferent but also cruel; it has truly reached its end. We... have no need to pity an enemy who is destined to die.

"Moreover, Dark, Adaloni, I can sense that we are not the only forces that harbor deep hatred for Shaneva. Two other forces are rapidly approaching this place... Their intense hatred for Shaneva will leave her exhausted and overwhelmed. Perhaps without our intervention, her soul will already be on the list in the underworld."

...As Federation troops poured into Belogersk from four key directions, the balance of power had completely tipped in favor of the Federation, even though Olga and Nebrius were still locked in a standoff in mid-air.

After waiting for about half a minute, Olga used a large, technologically advanced control device in her hand to control Seye to charge towards the monstrous Nebrius.

However, although Nebrius had lost most of his human emotions and consciousness, and his vocal cords, eroded by the "Heartless Virus," "Burning Liquid," and the [Core of the Khitania], were no longer able to utter a single word, his instincts as a Federation officer and [warrior] still made him dodge to the side.

This resulted in Seychelles and Nebrius each circling each other without making contact or causing any real damage.

Upon seeing that the "monstrous" Nebrius possessed agility surpassing that of dragons, Olga decided to manipulate Seye to slowly descend to the ground.

At the same time, he took out the "New-Signal 01" pistol issued to federal officers from his waist and fired a colorful signal flare into the sky. Immediately, the moment Seyer landed, countless rocket launchers, portable artillery, heavy artillery, and new electromagnetic weapons, etc., concentrated and bombarded the direction of Nebrius.

Having just dodged Seye's attack and not yet having had time to recover his strength to adjust his position, the "monstrous" Nebrius could only spread his wide wings, which had transformed into a pair of strong muscle shields, and curl his body inside, becoming a mutated sphere that was briefly suspended in mid-air by relying on "dark" magic power, to withstand this wave of attacks!
boom!
boom!
boom!
The relentless, all-out attack, fueled by the devastating consumption of ammunition, and accompanied by the dazzling and spectacular explosions of various shells, somehow added a touch of the New Year's atmosphere of the Fiery Empire to this otherwise gloomy space under the dark clouds.

Unfortunately, artillery shells are not firecrackers, and their vibrant colors are not fireworks. Amidst the constant explosions, there were occasional, chilling screams that were not human and filled people with dread and fear.

“ff.akjor. (Revenge)”

“ff.akjor. (Revenge)”

“ff.akjor. (Revenge)”

The repeated cries of "Revenge" uttered in the Central language gradually drew the dark energy in the sky further towards Nebrius's "monster body." Bright golden flames exploded continuously with the cannon fire, scorching lightning bolts unleashed bursts of white flames, and countless scarlet sparks exploded in all directions, leaving everyone present horrified by this bizarre and fantastical scene.

As the sky darkened further, the first wave of artillery fire from the federal army was temporarily halted.

As the smoke dissipated with the howling wind, the "monstrous" Nebrius slowly descended from the sky, standing straight and tall on the blood-soaked ground.

The artillery fire just now seemed to have further stimulated the power within him. The [Core of the Khitania] on his chest, which was originally the size of a fist, has now transformed from an eye image into a real eye the size of Nabrius's head, that is, the complete form of the "Alienated Dark Eye".

Its tentacle-like eyelashes fluttered wildly, and as the Federation soldiers gathered, its eyeballs swayed as if searching for Shaneva, who was hiding behind the crowd and commanding the final battle of the "Fall of Atlas" campaign.

Soon, the "monstrous" Nebrius's entire body was engulfed in a crimson flame resembling "scorching liquid," and with ripples of fire element emanating outwards, the surrounding Federation soldiers were all ablaze.

Before these soldiers could even let out a bloodcurdling scream or a roar, they instantly turned into a pool of black carbonized powder and lost their lives.

"Second form, this is Commander Nebrius's true second form. It's called 'Hades Form'!" Hoshino Shota shouted, standing behind Adaloni, half in fear and half in excitement, watching the battlefield.

At this moment, the three had retreated to the interior of a tall wasteland building, in a location that neither the Federation nor Nebrius could easily notice, to observe the outcome of the war.

“That ripple just now was ‘Netherflame Strike.’ If there’s no magical source power, ‘Heartless Virus,’ or ‘Burning Liquid’ in the body, dark energy will quickly fill the gaps caused by the lack of magic, stimulating the human body’s power and causing spontaneous combustion.” Hoshino Shota pointed to several teams of simply dressed Federation [Warriors] slowly approaching the center of the battlefield and said:

"That attack just now eliminated at least 1000 enemies, and these soldiers operating heavy weapons won't be able to replenish their numbers anytime soon. Now, that group of elite Federation ability users is approaching and joining the battle... Wait, that's Shaneva's 'Ashes of the Beginning' custom-made tank. If it's not used as a cover, Shaneva herself should be sitting inside."

As they were talking, Nebrius in his "Hades form" suddenly emitted wide currents of electricity from his fingertips. Several superhumans who rushed forward were unfortunately struck by them, their flesh and blood withering away on the spot, their bodies instantly hollowed out by energy, turning into empty shells with only skin remaining.

Now, only Olga and the young dragon she controlled, Seye, remained in a position relatively close to the center of the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Nebrius in his "Hades form" was writhing, his body a mixture of flesh and black, with fur, blood, and steel armor intertwined. His upper body was covered in various nauseating liquids, while his lower body was exquisitely crafted, almost like a mechanical being. He was taking exaggerated strides as he slowly approached Olga and Seraphim.

Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The heavy footsteps made the ground tremble. (End of Chapter)