The sky burned with the crimson thrusters of a thousand Imperial warships, their shadows swallowing the desert. Li Chen's crown pulsed like a deranged heartbeat, its whispers swelling into a roar. *"Kill them all. Burn them. *Feast*."*
Xuě Húlí materialized beside him, her tails bristling. "Well, this is awkward. Should've let the sandworm eat us."
Xiao Lan gripped her wrench, knuckles white. "Got a plan, Glowstick? Or are we just dying dramatically?"
Li Chen's veins flickered between gold and black, the Húnjīng Shí's corruption wrestling with the Progenitor orb's icy power. "Distract the Arbiter. I'll handle the fleet."
Yun Teng barked orders, rebels scrambling to fortify the vault's entrance. "You heard him! Move!"
The Celestial Arbiter landed, her star-forged armor radiating heat that melted sand into glass. "Last chance, Void Demon. Kneel."
Li Chen smirked. "I've got bad knees. How about you… *sit*?"
---
**The Battle of Broken Stars**
The Arbiter attacked first, her blade carving a molten trench through the desert. Li Chen deflected with a shield of ice, the clash sending shockwaves that knocked rebels off their feet.
Xuě Húlí darted around the Arbiter, taunting. "Nice armor! Did you loot it from a discount supervillain outlet?"
Xiao Lan lobbed grenades at the warships. "Eat sparkles, tin cans!"
The explosions were mosquito bites against the fleet's shields, but Clamps the crab latched onto a descending fighter, pincers shredding wiring. The ship spiraled into a dune.
"Clamps for MVP!" a rebel cheered.
Li Chen's crown seethed. *"Focus. *Kill*."*
He unleashed a wave of frost, freezing three ships mid-air. They shattered like glass, raining shrapnel.
The Arbiter snarled, her blade igniting with white fire. "You defy Heaven itself!"
"Heaven's overrated," Li Chen shot back. "I'm more of a 'chaos and sarcasm' guy."
---
**The Fox's Gambit**
Xuě Húlí phased into the Arbiter's armor, her form dissolving into mercury-like mist. The Arbiter staggered, clawing at her helmet. "What are you—*get out*!"
"Make me," the fox's voice echoed from within.
Li Chen seized the opening, driving an ice spear through the Arbiter's chest. She screamed, her body disintegrating into ash and starlight.
The crown hissed, *"Her soul. Take it!"*
Li Chen resisted, but the Húnjīng Shí moved on its own, sucking the Arbiter's fading energy into the crystal. His veins blackened further.
Xuě Húlí reformed, panting. "That was… mildly exhausting. You're welcome."
Xiao Lan stared at Li Chen's darkened arm. "You're looking extra cursed today. New look?"
"Accessorizing," he muttered.
---
**The Fleet's Fall**
With the Arbiter dead, the rebel's morale surged. They unleashed salvaged Progenitor tech—jagged energy cannons and sonic disruptors—on the fleet.
A warship's shield faltered. Yun Teng grinned. "Aim for the glowing thing! The glowy thing always works!"
The cannon fired, piercing the ship's core. It exploded in a chain reaction, crippling a dozen others.
Xuě Húlí yawned. "How pedestrian. I once destroyed a galaxy by *accident*."
"Cool story," Xiao Lan deadpanned. "Tell it again while we *don't die*."
Li Chen's ice and the Húnjīng Shí's corruption merged, creating a storm of black frost that devoured ships whole. The crown laughed in his mind. *"Yes. *More*."*
---
**The Emperor's Voice**
As the last warship fell, a hologram flickered above the battlefield—a figure in obsidian robes, his face hidden beneath a mask of liquid shadow. The *Emperor*.
"Li Chen of Earth," the Emperor's voice boomed, smooth and venomous. "You amuse me. A rat chewing at Heaven's throne. But even rats can be… *trained*."
Xuě Húlí's ears flattened. "Ugh. He's got the charisma of a soggy sock."
Li Chen's crown writhed, its whispers frantic. *"Kill him. *Rend his soul*."*
The Emperor tilted his head. "That crown suits you. A fitting leash for a rabid dog."
Xiao Lan threw a wrench at the hologram. It passed through harmlessly. "Come down here and say that, you glorified PowerPoint slide!"
The Emperor ignored her. "Serve me, and I'll spare your rebels. Refuse, and I'll make you watch them die *slowly*."
Li Chen's ice faltered. The Húnjīng Shí's corruption surged.
---
**The Rebellion's Choice**
Yun Teng stepped forward, rifle aimed at the hologram. "We don't bow to tyrants. Not anymore."
The rebels roared in agreement, though fear flickered in their eyes.
Xuě Húlí scoffed. "Sentimental idiots. You'll all die for *principles*."
Li Chen's mind raced. Mei's voice surfaced: *"Live… even if it burns."*
He raised his corrupted hand, black frost crackling. "Here's my answer."
The ice surged toward the hologram—but the Emperor laughed. "You'll regret this, little rat."
The transmission died.
---
**The Aftermath**
The rebels celebrated, but Li Chen collapsed, his body shuddering. The Húnjīng Shí's veins now covered half his face, the crown fused like a second skin.
Xiao Lan knelt beside him. "Hey. Stay with us, Glowstick."
Xuě Húlí inspected him clinically. "He's not dying. Unfortunately."
Li Chen's vision blurred. The crown whispered, *"They'll betray you. *Kill them first*."*
He clenched his fists. "Shut. Up."
---
**The Truth in the Vault**
That night, while rebels drank stolen Imperial wine, Li Chen returned to the Progenitor vault. The orb's chamber now glowed with holograms—records of the Progenitors' war against the Empire.
A figure appeared—a Progenitor scientist, her face identical to Xuě Húlí's human form. "If you're seeing this, we've failed. The Emperor is not a man. He's a… *clone*. A failed experiment. Our greatest shame."
Xuě Húlí stiffened. "That's… impossible."
The hologram continued. "He craves the Húnjīng Shí to complete himself. Stop him, or all universes will burn."
Li Chen's crown hissed, *"Lies. *She lies*."*
Xuě Húlí stared at her reflection in the hologram. "I… remember her. *I loved her*."
---
**The Storm Approaches**
Dawn broke over the desert, the horizon churning with an unnatural storm—a swirling void of black and purple. Progenitor ruins across the Wasteland lit up, their symbols screaming a warning.
Yun Teng cursed. "What now?"
Li Chen's crown trembled. *"They come. *The Devourers*."*
Xuě Húlí's tails lashed. "The Progenitors' old enemies. The Empire's reign just became the *least* of our problems."
Xiao Lan hefted her wrench. "Can we *ever* catch a break?"
Li Chen stared at the storm. "No. But we'll make one."