You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

Iori's eyes were deep; although it was expected, she still nodded in satisfaction.

The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi is made of steel with a deep connection to the sun, so the amplification it received was quite significant, specifically in terms of range and the number of targets captured... It should be noted that the original targets of this divine artifact were figures of the level of disobedient gods or god-slayers, yet it still managed to forcibly take a piece of flesh from them.

If the target were changed to the Zerg, whose soul power and willpower are not particularly strong, it would truly feel like the Grim Reaper harvesting crops!

However, Uranus itself was not short of energy, and Iori did not intend to use this temporarily available, mottled energy, so she directly allowed the ship to absorb it.

Below the golden ship, countless energies converged, only to vanish as if entering a black hole.

At the same time, ripples swept across the ship's hull, and among the many symbols and patterns, the part symbolizing harvest and darkness shone even brighter, drawing in this enormous energy and condensing it into a pitch-black sphere the size of a house above the golden ship.

—Even against the backdrop of a dark universe, the golden boat still stands out strikingly.

In reality, this size is nothing on a cosmic scale; the caliber of any main gun on a Federation warship could easily surpass it.

However, this "small" black sphere made even the disciplined insect swarm shrink back, and the human camp's hearts raced with instinct. Even those working in various parts of the ship who couldn't see the actual situation were not immune, just like wild animals in the face of the apocalypse.

hum!hum!hum!

Lines of ancient characters appeared on the golden pillar, symbols that only the most ancient Earth Mother Goddess could decipher, truly the embodiment of "primitiveness".

At the same time, concentric rings composed of characters lit up beneath Iori's feet, with the third ring being particularly striking, emitting a seven-colored red light, and even light feathers floating in the void...

The former is the Earth Mother's Mystic Ritual engraved by Athena, while the latter is one of the Words of Power personally written by Iori.

He already possessed the ability to write incantations, and this time he went to great lengths to equip the special weapons on the Golden Ship with corresponding incantations.

The divine lightning that saved the world was incredibly powerful, but it could only be classified as "ordinary," and only platinum stars had a corresponding "word ring."

As for this third ring, it requires additional matching with the Earth Mother's Mystic Artifact, released using the Kusanagi Cloud as a carrier, and is comparable to the Platinum Star—

"This is the secret ritual of the creation of heaven and earth, the original scripture of all things in chaos, a storm of wind and thunder that has appeared since the birth of the stars..."

O Athena! I command you to grant me the wisdom of the heavens and the authority to rule over all things; all things must revolve in my right hand!

Now, countless dragons and snakes have gathered, bringing the darkness of antiquity to this world—

This is the sword of beginning and end!

hum! ! !

The dark star released endless gravity, twisting and tearing space apart like a real black hole. Even light could not escape, and everything in sight except the golden boat was being "slowly pulled".

This is a "collapse" process that can be observed, felt, and waited for, but from which there is no escape!

The Bronze Clan could not resist this suction force with their individual energy. Those who had already been plundered by the Kusanagi Sword were immediately sucked in, crushed, and disappeared without a trace. Those who were lucky enough to escape did not have the same luck a second time and were swallowed up equally. The same was true for those hiding in the mother nest. It was as if an invisible hand had forcibly pulled them out.

But soon, the ant mound itself was also captured by this gravity. Its enormous body bore most of the pressure. Although its volume was billions of times that of the black sphere, its mass and size became meaningless at this moment. It was distorted along with space and light and helplessly fell into the dark cave...

- Om!

The black sphere rapidly shrank and eventually "evaporated," leaving behind an empty universe. Not only was there no fluctuation, but it was as if it had never existed, leaving not a trace. It was incredibly "clean."

"..."

In the Federation fleet, Augustus watched as an entire anthill was swallowed up by an inconspicuous little black ball, while his own ship, which was at roughly the same distance, was completely unaffected. In an instant, he felt a cool sensation on the back of his neck.

"What kind of weapon is this... an artificial black hole?"

"We can't analyze that with our technology... That didn't seem to be a gravitational wave, but rather some kind of energy exhibiting gravitational wave properties... Hmm!"

"Ant mounds...two of them are still standing?"

Augustus stared at the images on the large screen, his gaze fixed on the enemy, when a ridiculous thought suddenly popped into his head:

Could it be that Lord Aizen is using the Bronze Clan for experiments, deliberately leaving a few behind to try different methods?

—He guessed right.

Iori definitely wants to see how the Golden Ship performs in all aspects, especially in terms of attack, and the Bronze Clan is a good target.

After all, from a standpoint of opinion, Iori, who considers herself human, doesn't need any reason to be irreconcilably opposed to the Bronze Clan!

However, Augustus was also wrong. Although the black sphere was very similar to a black hole, it was not the same thing in essence.

Meanwhile, the Silver Race starship, located on the other side of the same star system, did not choose to retreat upon witnessing such a horrifying sight. Even though it knew that the Bronze Race could not win, it remained, its purpose unknown.

However, one thing can be confirmed:

The Silver Clan are very rational and generally do not act impulsively or make pointless tests. If they realize they have failed, they will not be too eager to turn the tide or seek revenge. The reason they are kept around is usually to gather intelligence.

Especially these completely unfamiliar and abnormal individuals!

"Next, let's try [The Monkey King]!"

As Iori's thoughts stirred, the golden pillar spun again. This time, he pretended to pinch it near his ear, but instead, he pinched an invisible embroidery needle and slowly pulled it out. When he put it down, it was already as thick as a cane.

On the side of the golden pillar, at Iori's feet, words of power and secret rituals also lit up.

One is earth, the other is steel; they complement each other!

……

After a long while, there was nothing in space except for the remains of the Bronze Race. Having tried several methods, Iori let out a long sigh, feeling rather disheartened.

He waved his hand, and the AI ​​assistant immediately shut down the holographic image. The deep starry sky around him vanished instantly, replaced by a bridge command room that combined modern technology with mythology, somewhat resembling the style of the Greek Lostbelt.

The space was very spacious, and there were about twenty death girls wearing tight skirts, double-breasted uniforms, and black pantyhose.

They all wear headsets and bracelets. Just a few months ago, they were magical warriors with no connection to modern civilization, but now they can skillfully use various futuristic technologies.

Especially Alpha and Beta, the captains, have shown a level of proficiency that has even surpassed that of the pirate crew members who trained them, demonstrating an extremely terrifying talent.

"No unusual activity from the Silver Clan... They have been detected leaving this star system."

"Lord Aizen, the Federation fleet has sent a communication request. Do you wish to accept it?"

Two elven girls, one in gold and one in silver, asked Iori a question.

Iori shook her head: "Just send him the message I prepared beforehand. We still have important things to do—prepare for hyperspace travel. This is our first time entering the 'Path of the Stars,' so we mustn't get seasick!"

"learn!"

"Lord Aizen,"

Alpha, who regarded Iori as a father or brother, looked up and asked, "What are the star system coordinates?"

"It was already entered into the central computer... in a place that doesn't exist."

Iori's lips curled slightly: "The Hero Race's 'mother planet'!"

Chapter 517 The Fall of the Hero Clan.

In the silent depths of the universe, a bright white light from a hyperspace jump illuminates the area, signifying that a starship is about to arrive. Layers of energy fluctuations concave inward, forming a hole that transcends three dimensions, much like a Klein bottle.

Suddenly, a golden crack appeared in it!

At first, it was just a barely perceptible flash, like a thin line drawn across a dark curtain against the backdrop of the universe. But soon, the crack began to spread, expanding outwards like a shattered mirror. The surrounding starlight was distorted, and the once stable star field began to tremble violently.

In other words, the "Path of the Stars," the foundation of hyperspace travel, is difficult to completely isolate from the real universe. Just like an oil gushing from a well, its sheer volume has put immense pressure on the "pipeline" itself.

A massive rock, floating for millions of years—perhaps a long-dead asteroid—was suddenly pulled apart by an unseen force, its surface cracking with countless fine lines. Then, the entire rock collapsed with a deafening roar, the fragments spinning wildly as if manipulated by an invisible hand!

These fragments collided with each other, bursting out with dazzling light, like a silent firework blooming in the universe.

The golden light grew brighter and brighter, as if some ancient giant was trying to break free from the crack, and the surrounding starry sky was completely thrown into chaos by the distorted energy radiation.

The once quiet dust cloud was stirred up, forming a huge vortex, as if the universe had opened a greedy maw. The light of distant stars was distorted and stretched into strange bands of light, as if the entire space was being torn apart by some kind of force.

Finally, the enormous creature appeared!

A massive golden spaceship slowly emerged from the crack, its surface shimmering with a liquid gold-like light. Its hull was covered with intricate patterns, resembling ancient runes or the blood vessels of a living creature, yet orderly like an integrated circuit, seamlessly blending the elements of "technology," "biology," and "mythology."

The tail of the spaceship was not an engine, nor did it produce any high-energy reactions when it spewed energy. But like ripples created by a whale swimming across the sea, it trailed a long ribbon of light, as if it had torn space itself apart, leaving a wound that was difficult to heal for a long time.

As the spaceship fully entered this star system, the chaotic energy fluctuations reached their peak. The rocks in the asteroid belt, as if whipped by invisible forces, began to collide wildly with each other. Each collision erupted in dazzling light, scattering fragments and creating a blazing inferno!

Actually, it shouldn't have been like this in the first place.

Although Uranus is large, if it is only used for hyperspace travel, it will only require some caution when entering and exiting, and will not cause such large-scale damage to the real universe.

The reason for this is that this star field originally accumulated unimaginable amounts of heat, completely different from the cold, vacuum, and emptiness of other places in the universe. It is a gathering place for all kinds of matter and extremely high density of energy, just like the core of a galaxy, a destructive zone that is constantly undergoing supernova explosions!

Originally, over the long course of time, these high-density energy fields had worn each other down, maintaining a relatively balanced state. But the appearance of "Uranus" was like throwing Mars into an arsenal—an explosion was to be expected.

Fortunately, the disturbance only affected the surrounding area and did not spread indefinitely; the commotion eventually subsided.

The dust cloud was completely dispersed, forming countless tiny vortexes. Space itself emitted a tearing wail, spreading in an indescribable form in the vacuum, like the universe gasping in pain.

"boom……"

The spaceship's core magic reactor emitted a deep hum, the sound penetrating directly through space. Its contrail resembled a golden river or a large fishing net, slowly pulling it along in this starry sky.

The light of distant stars was distorted in the chaos, and as it passed over "Uranus," it was absorbed by the ship's hull, forming a huge but faint halo, as if crowning the spaceship.

For this star system, the existence of "Uranus" was like a disaster, yet it also carried a certain indescribable sense of sacredness.

After the energy explosion subsided, the golden boat moved slowly through the chaotic void, like a king surveying his domain—just like the magnificent epic depicted in Egyptian mythology.

However, this time its passengers have changed from the sun god Ra to Iori and his subordinates.

Finally, under Iori's control, the spaceship's light gradually dimmed, and the surrounding star field slowly returned to calm. But the torn space, the stirred dust, and the distorted starlight all silently testified to the existence of "Uranus".

"Well……"

With a labored, up-and-down motion of his throat, Reynolds, the leader of the pirate crew—now nominally Iori's subordinate—looked at the situation outside through the holographic system with a complex expression.

Even inside the absolutely safe golden boat, the repeated explosions, comparable to the main cannon fire of a warship, still sent shivers down his spine. He had to admit it, even if he didn't want to.

If they foolishly followed in the Epimetheus, that pirate ship, even with all its shields activated, would not last a minute in this hellish environment comparable to the center of the galaxy!

He was fortunate to have made the right choice. When Iori extended the invitation to the pirate crew, he didn't stubbornly insist on continuing to use his own spaceship. Instead, he moved inside "Uranus" with his crew. Otherwise, things might be different now...

"Is this the 'homeworld' of the Hero Race?"

As the captain's secretary, Alpha looked at the universe, which could be calculated in terms of "density," and her handsome eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"What a dangerous star field! Is it really possible for life to survive in such an environment, or even for a race to emerge?"

"It wasn't like this before."

Reynolds wore the Star Cross insignia, which meant "unofficial fleet." He and his companions had now gained Iori's trust and could trade among the stars in Iori's name, while also being responsible for supplying some of the daily provisions to the "Uranus."

He also looked at the inferno through the projection and shook his head: "I haven't seen it with my own eyes, but according to other races, this star field was originally extremely prosperous. It not only had a Star Path, but also had more than double digits of habitable planets."

"Then why did it become like this?"

"Because of the Heroes...they made the entire universe weep."

As Reynolds recounted his story, the Death Girls focused their attention, including Iori, who listened quietly.

"The Golden Clan, the Silver Clan, the Bronze Clan, the Hero Clan, the Iron Clan... The Golden Clan are the pioneers, the first race to enter the universe, and no one knows where their home planet is."

The locations of the home planets of the other four races are public knowledge, such as the third planet in our solar system.

Because of the rules established by the Golden Race, wars between stars are not allowed to destroy the planets themselves. Therefore, even in conflicts involving genocide, no destructive weapons will be launched against the enemy's home planet... and Earth still exists today.

But the Hero Race is an exception, because they fight not through technology, but through sheer physical strength, and their individual power alone is enough to destroy a planet.

"Such powerful beings, does the Golden Clan just let them run rampant among the stars without any restraint?"

Alpha looked puzzled.

Why should we control them?

Reynolds gave a wry smile and revealed information that even Iori didn't know.

"The Hero Race lives up to its name; they were once the 'heroes' of this universe!"

"what?"

"They are a race that can travel through the universe individually. The gravity of their home planet cannot bind them at all, and they often drift in the universe, randomly heading to other planets."

They possess great strength, but are not a particularly warlike race—probably because there are no creatures that can pose a threat to them.

Conversely, if they encounter a planet suffering from disaster, the Hero Race will lend a helping hand to the races there to overcome their difficulties.

For example, invasion by a powerful civilization, encounters with special life forms in the universe, or even natural disasters like asteroid impacts... Their immense power and indestructible presence have left countless legends among the stars, which is why they were named the "Hero Race" by the Golden People.

"……well?"

The silver-haired elven girl looked up in surprise from among the projected images: "But according to the information, didn't they destroy their home planet because of a civil war, and then destroy many other planets, which angered the Golden Clan and led to their annihilation?"

"That happened later. If they had always been destroyers, how could they have been named like the [Golden Clan]?"

The heroes were indeed wandering knights among the stars at the beginning, but later, some unknown change occurred within the heroes, and the heroes split into several clans, which began to fight each other.