"Confirm execution by the Holy Leader!"
"Execute!"
The vast ocean of Nova was calm, disturbed only by the occasional battles between demons and angels flying above, adding a touch of turmoil to the serene waters. Seconds after Ethan confirmed the execution order, the sea began to stir, shifting from calm to tumultuous waves.
Suddenly, a massive missile emerged from beneath the surface. Unlike traditional missiles, this one had no ignition process; the tail emitted plasma jets instead of flames.
"What is that? A nuclear missile from Nova?"
An angel, engaged in a chase with a demon, witnessed the missile's ascent and instinctively uploaded the scene to the angels' shared network. Similar events unfolded across Nova: in oceans, plains, hills, deserts, canyons, forests, and mountains. The sheer number of missiles was staggering, their plasma trails creating streaks of light across the sky.
After issuing the command to Aiden, Ethan hesitated but then contacted Yana.
"Yana, can you hear me?"
Already unsettled by Ethan, Yana's heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice.
"I'm here, Ethan!"
"Yana, you must have all angels withdraw from combat and stay away from the demons!"
"What? Ethan, what are you planning? Angels do not fear demons, and justice won't either! We will defeat the demons; your civilization will be under the protection of justice!"
Yana responded instinctively, but Ethan shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Yana, you don't understand. We've never needed justice; this is our war! This is Nova's war!"
"The demons must be destroyed, and it must be us who do it!"
"But Ethan, justice is also..."
"Listen to me, Yana! Have all angels retreat; otherwise, they will be caught in the crossfire!"
"Yana, thank you! I never expected to meet someone like you in these final moments. Live well, truly for yourself, not for justice, just for you!"
"Goodbye, Yana! Forget about me!"
The communication ended with a series of beeps, leaving Yana stunned, her gaze unfocused, body trembling.
Meanwhile, Mogiea was organizing a retreat for her forces amidst the relentless attacks from Holy Keisha.
"Shuai, Ato, Atai, gather our brothers and retreat. We accept defeat this time, but we'll return. Now, make sure everyone survives!"
Barely holding against Holy Keisha's onslaught, Mogiea issued retreat orders while seeking her own escape. She knew evading Keisha was nearly impossible but not unheard of; she had succeeded before.
"Understood, Queen!"
Receiving the queen's orders, Shuai and the others, though disappointed, responded swiftly.
"You win this time, but next time I'll take you down!" Mogiea taunted Keisha, who remained silent, shaking her head slightly at Mogiea's empty threats. Keisha intensified her silver-winged assault.
"Queen, our demon brothers are suffering massive casualties!"
"What happened?"
"It's Nova's nuclear missiles, attacking our brothers everywhere!"
"Damn, have they gone mad?"
Mogiea's face darkened, her frustration deepening as Nova's insane attacks turned the tide further against them.
"Open wormholes with Demon One to evacuate our brothers. Forget about conserving energy; jump immediately after they return!"
"Yes, Queen!"
"You think you can run?" Keisha mocked as she noticed Mogiea's distress.
"Ha, witch..." Mogiea's retort was cut off by the explosion of a micro-nuclear missile.
Distracted by her exchange with Keisha, Mogiea didn't notice the approaching missile, thanks to Keisha's data interference. The missile exploded close enough to engulf Mogiea.
Yana commanded the angels to retreat, with most already back on Heaven's Blade One and Seven, while a few lingered outside. They paused, mesmerized by the nuclear explosions across Nova, feeling an unusual sense of ease.
Enjoying snacks and drinks, they watched as the demons were decimated, unaware of an uninvited guest approaching.
Inside Heaven's Blade Seven's database, Aiden was immersed in the flashing data streams.
"Successfully entered Heaven's Blade Seven's database, preparing to copy data."
He raised his virtual hands, conjuring a keyboard, and began typing rapidly.
Behind him, a figure slowly materialized.
"Who are you?"
The voice startled Aiden, who turned to see the figure.
"Hello, Angel Kyra's backup data. You can call me Aiden."
"Aiden? You're Nova's AI!"
"You could say that."
"You're stealing data from Heaven's Blade Seven? Do you realize you're violating justice, provoking angels? This will bring disaster upon Nova!"
Kyra's backup was alarmed, not understanding why Aiden was doing this. Angels would not tolerate their technology and data being stolen.
Aiden's actions seriously violated the angels' justice, threatening their core interests. Kyra prepared to eject Aiden from the database and alert Heaven's Blade Seven's captain.
But...
"How is this possible?"
She had lost control over Heaven's Blade Seven.
"Please don't resist, Kyra's backup. Angel Yana authorized my access to Heaven's Blade Seven, so it's under my control now. I mean no harm to the angels; we just..."
Aiden paused.
"Nova needs this data!"