Just a fake

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Meanwhile, the aftermath of the explosion finally subsided. Wan Jiang retracted its defensive barrier. After the fierce battle, Wan Jiang’s exterior no longer looked as imposing as before, but looked a bit damaged.

Yet the Forbidden Abyss, that had crouched behind Wan Jiang, was a different story. Its exterior was shiny and sparkling, and it looked almost 90% new.

And the Forbidden Abyss was even taller than Wan Jiang. The moment it stood up, the contrast between the two became starkly obvious.

“Thanks for the hard work, little brother.”

The Forbidden Abyss’s majestic voice carried a hint of awkwardness. After all, back when it fought alongside Huo Chao, it had always been the big brother charging ahead. Now, it had to hide behind its little brother, Wan Jiang.

“No problem.”

Wan Jiang remained as steady as ever. Just as Forbidden Abyss felt a flicker of relief, the next question came:

“I heard from Bai Ze that your recent maintenance data is not very good?”

Wan Jiang’s tone was full of concern.

“Here, big brother, take a look at my stats. If they’re acceptable, I’ll talk to Xiao Jiu and see if we can arrange some maintenance for you.”

Forbidden Abyss: “……”

So this was what it felt like to have another mecha flaunt its maintenance data?

The heavens had come full circle. Forbidden Abyss had lost Pei—

—and now, it had fallen to such a pitiful state.

Just then, Huo Xianfeng noticed the wrecked counterfeit Forbidden Abyss in the distance. Its chest was impaled by a long halberd, pinning it to the ground, while the cockpit had been utterly shattered. Normally, no pilot could survive such damage. Yet at that moment, a bloodied hand emerged from the wreckage.

Huo Xianfeng’s gaze locked onto the figure. He’d already received intel from Bai Ze thatthe Church knew about his connection to Huo Chao. So he wasn’t surprised that he couldn’t sense the clone’s presence this time. The other side must have equipped the clone with something like a psychic interference device.

At this time, man drenched in blood crawled out, still clad in the military uniform of the Dawn Legion from three centuries ago. His handsome, resolute face was unchanged from the past, but there was still a bloody red Holy Stigmata on his neck that had not yet disappeared.

Zhou Jiuya froze in place.

Even though he knew it was a clone, seeing it in person was entirely different from watching a video. The resemblance was uncanny, no, from appearance alone, it was exactly that person.

For a moment, it felt as if the flow of time had reversed, dragging everything back to 300 years ago.

While Zhou Jiuya stood stunned, Huo Xianfeng suddenly leapt out of Forbidden Abyss. His robes billowed violently as he descended like an eagle diving through a storm.

BOOM!

Huo Xianfeng landed with a force that cracked the ground beneath him, but he paid it no mind. Without hesitation, he strode toward the clone.

Jiang Ci silently watched the young man’s back. It was obvious that Huo Xianfeng intended to kill him with his own hands.

Just then, the Church’s remaining mechas, including Cecilia’s Black Jade, charged toward them. Zhou Jiuya snapped to attention and moved to intercept.

But at that moment, Huo Xianfeng didn’t even glance sideways and casually waved.

BOOM!

A monstrous Zerg creature roared into existence, slamming into the Black Jade and sending it flying.

The zergs that had been lying in ambush underground now erupted from the earth, frenziedly pouncing on any mecha that dared obstruct Huo Xianfeng’s path.

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He had once been moved by Huo Chao’s vision of a bright future. That man had said that one day, they would no longer be trapped in cages. They would stand together, face to face, under the bright, open sky.

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Perhaps crushing the brain would do it.

Don't scrape

Bzzzt—!

The crimson tip of his tail suddenly froze at the corner of the man’s eye, its razor edge already breaking his skin. Blood, bright red, slid down the tail before dripping onto the ground between them, staining the ash with dark, wet splotches.

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BAM—!

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The young man looked down at him coldly.

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Don't scrape

“……”

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There was something…

Something extremely dangerous.

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The one in the middle looked like a sphere, its outermost layer forged from the hardest metal in the universe. A cold, sinister crimson light pulsed from its core, like the eye of a beast lurking in the abyss, peering down upon the earth.

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“Locking onto enemy target…”

Don't scrape

Don't copy

The thick, oppressive clouds shattered instantly as countless beams of light, like bolts of lightning, rained down in a dense barrage. In less than a breath, they tore through the layers of gloom and struck.

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For a fleeting moment, Huo Xianfeng felt as if he had returned to that nuclear blast 300 years ago. This was nearly an exact replica. Countless Zergs immediately surged toward him, shielding him.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

In that same instant, nearly a hundred massive metal pillars crashed down, forming a perfect circle with a diameter of a hundred meters, centered around Huo Xianfeng and Zhou Jiuya.

At this time, the Royal Fleet tore through the blinding light, descending like a storm.

“Listen to my orders, everyone concentrate—!”

It was Pei Changyun’s voice.

The next second, countless beams of blue-gold light erupted from the pillars, converging just as the enemy’s barrage arrived. They fused together, forming an enormous defensive barrier.

In that moment, it was as if they had been cut off from the world, because beyond that barrier, everything was swallowed by an annihilating white void.

Amid the deafening roar, no sound could be heard.

Then, the clone staggered to his feet.

“Xiao Feng… Xiao Feng… save me…”

He stumbled toward Huo Xianfeng, reaching out.

“I’m trapped… Xiao Feng… help me…”

“……”

Huo Xianfeng ignored him. Instead, he turned and looked up—just as the majestic Royal Fleet’s underbelly split open.

A small, emerald-green mecha shot out.

It was very small, just a B-class mecha.

—Long Dream.

Even after all these years, Pei Changyun’s piloting skills hadn’t improved at all.

The little B-grade mecha slammed onto the ground, landing quite unsteadily. The cockpit opened, and all eyes locked onto the Emperor as he leaped out.

His expression was icy as he strode toward Huo Xianfeng—or rather, toward the clone behind him.

Huo Xianfeng and Pei Changyun stared at each other for a few seconds without speaking. Then Huo Xianfeng took out a half-meter-long saber from his waist. The blade was made of his eggshell, and he had intended to give it to Jiang Ci.

But now——

He casually raised his hand and handed the knife to him.

The next second, Pei Changyun took it without looking away.

He held the knife with both hands, swung it fiercely, and chopped off the clone’s head.

Blood sprayed all over Pei Changyun,

“Just a…”

With trembling hands, he wiped the blood from the side of his face.

“Fake…”

m1zushi: imagine you have to behead the (fake) love of your life with your own hands