Chapter 40: The So-called Unlimited Rules, Section 4

No one knew about the conversation between Black Hair and Adjutant 57. Nor did anyone have the interest to find out. Because while they were talking, the entire fleet competing in the tournament underwent changes.
The vanguard fleets, under the eager gazes of everyone present, slowly crossed that line made entirely of beams.
The war had begun…
The noise in the sky suddenly ceased. All the spectators stopped what they were doing and focused intently on the viewing screens arranged for them, waiting for the battle to unfold.
Unfortunately, the battle they had anticipated never happened. The fleets that entered the war zone first seemed to have planned this in advance. Instead of attacking each other, they all executed evasive maneuvers and then split off in different directions, racing forward at full speed. Their wake traced beautiful arcs through the tranquil universe, like streaks of meteors.
“Sigh… It’s still the same old start…” Many spectators sighed in unison, showing expressions of expectation.
They were all long-time citizens of the Empire and knew well about the cruelty of this final round. It was precisely because of this extreme cruelty that the fleets that initiated the battle first rarely fared well. No matter how skilled their commanders were, the prolonged chaos would drain them to the last drop. Thus, generally, the fleets that entered the battle zone first did not seek to attack but instead prioritized finding a strategic position. This was a common phenomenon in the final rounds of past competitions.
However, for a final round that often took half a month to decide a winner, this short wait was well worth it. No one doubted that they would witness an exciting battle shortly.
In fact, this first battle came even faster and more suddenly than they had expected. Before any of the spectators could react, the first burst of energy fire from the final round shattered the silence of the starry sky!!
The attackers were 32 ships under the seven competitors, including 18 massive Moor ships!!
The defender was contestant number 336, Lord Beck of the Empire, who had been underestimated from the start due to an imbalance in resources. In reality, it was Black Hair!!

Kurokami entered the battle arena in the eighth batch. Even before entering, he had observed other fleets from the same batch and prepared himself mentally. Although he had already received Siget’s warnings, Kurokami had his own plans—most importantly, regarding the start of the battle. He had prepared for the worst, even ready to pay a high price. Yet, to his surprise, the final round of the competition involved entering in batches, which gave him new hope. After all, with this batch-based approach, even if Siget’s prediction came true and nearly a hundred commanders intended to harm Kurokami, at most about ten of them would be in the same batch, significantly reducing the pressure and giving him more room to maneuver. When an opportunity arose, he wouldn’t waste it—Kurokami wasn’t foolish enough to give it up. So, just before entering the battle arena, a new plan took shape in his mind. The sudden attack now fell right into his plans. In the battle arena ahead, dozens of giant warships supported each other, forming a perfect semicircle that completely enclosed Kurokami’s fleet. As the first dazzling cannon blast erupted, thousands more followed, all aimed at Kurokami. The spectators outside were stunned, then erupted into chaos. No one expected the first battle to happen so suddenly, right before their eyes. Even without the vision screens, they could see the brilliant cannon fire and the majestic attacks of the giant warships through the portholes! Those were the imperial warships’ cannons—eighteen of them! Such astonishing power displayed in the very first round surely excited and thrilled everyone. Regardless of who became the victim of this first wave of attacks, the brutal scene alone was enough to ignite a murderous intent in every spectator’s heart! After all, the final round of the competition was notorious for its brutality—it wasn’t just talk. Every warship was equipped with real weapons! Once combat began, the outcome was often instant death. Aside from the actual contestants who might survive thanks to the competition’s special protective devices, all the battle ships would be torn to pieces by the cannon fire! This was true war!

True war knows no mercy at all. Thus, Kurokami holds no expectations of finding any weaknesses in the enemy’s firepower. In fact, every competitor here is a battle-hardened commander. Expecting flaws in their attacks is as unrealistic as expecting the sun to rise in the west.

However, if the enemy intends to eliminate Kurokami from the finals with thirty-two warships, including massive battleships, it will depend on luck. After all, though Kurokami’s fleet is unbalanced, they all earned their place through the same process.

Sitting quietly on the flagship, staring at the fierce enemy fire, Kurokami suddenly smiled. He snapped his fingers.

“Order: The entire fleet withdraws. The Mothership accelerates to meet them. Invisible warships and scouts enter combat mode and follow the flagship. Assault ships assemble and wait. Once the enemy’s firepower pauses briefly, advance immediately in the designated direction.”

“Understood!” Adjutant 57 remained expressionless as he swiftly passed on the orders. Only after the entire fleet moved did he stop. His bright eyes sparkled, as if he had some realization.

Putting his thoughts aside for now, Kurokami’s fleet underwent a dramatic change after this order. The numerous cheap warships all retreated at once, clearing the main battlefield from the enemy’s fire. In contrast, the massive Mothership, which had been behind, began to accelerate and quickly moved to the front of the fleet. Like a hen protecting her eggs, its enormous size, comparable to a small space station, shielded all the ships tightly. The enemy’s intense firepower fell entirely on it.

“Boom!!”

Even in the soundless vacuum of space, the deafening explosion was transmitted to everyone’s ears through the common channel. Countless blasts shattered the silence and struck the massive hull of the Mothership, instantly creating dazzling balls of fire. Large chunks of its stone-like armor were torn apart by the fierce bombardment, flying everywhere. After each blast, a cloud resembling a bouquet of glass shards appeared in space.

The Mothership, the only super-heavy supply ship in the Moor Empire’s fleet, became prey to the enemy in just the first round.

Spectacular—absolutely spectacular.

Imagine a massive ship, as huge as an asteroid, being bombarded endlessly in outer space. Its sturdy armor and imposing hull deform under waves of intense fire, with massive balls of flame erupting from the damaged holes. Especially the Mother Hive’s shape, resembling a round egg, looking precarious, is truly astonishing.

Under such fierce bombardment, an individual’s strength is pushed to its limits. No one could hope to survive such terrifying attacks.

In less than five minutes, the Mother Hive was riddled with holes and on the verge of collapse. Yet, under Black Hair’s command, it remained motionless, standing straight in front of Black Hair’s flagship, shielding all other ships from the attacks. As its damage worsened, the energy reserves stored within it began to fail, with bursts of purple light shooting out from the breaches—clearly on the verge of giving out.

Yet its resilience bought them a crucial opportunity. After ten minutes of relentless attacks, even the strongest warships needed a brief respite. Otherwise, the losses from overheating artillery alone would render them ineffective in the upcoming battles. So, as the Mother Hive teetered, the overwhelming bombardment eased slightly, giving them a much-needed break.

An opportunity!!

In the cabin, a cold glint appeared in Black Hair’s eyes. He drained the red wine in his cup in one gulp and then tossed it aside.

“Coordinates: 75845, 64214, 12457, 12255. All assault ships, charge forward. No matter the cost, create a breach for me.”

“Understood!” Adjutant 57 quickly relayed Black Hair’s orders. But instead of relaxing, he grew even more tense, his gaze filled with anticipation as he looked at Black Hair.

Because he knew that this was likely the moment Black Hair would reveal his true intentions. Everything before was merely a setup.

Sure enough, in response to his gaze, Black Hair suddenly chuckled and waved his hand. “After the assault ships launch their attack, pull back all reconnaissance ships, including the Eagle Dove, and go into stealth mode. If my estimate is correct, we’ll have our chance soon.”

“As expected,” Officer Moore nodded with a smile. “You’ve never been the kind to accept losses easily. Everything that happened before, including that incredibly valuable hive ship, was the price you had planned to pay all along, right? Isn’t the cost too high just for this one mission? What if it fails? If we get caught, we’ll only have four stealth warships left—probably not even enough to serve as cannon fodder.”
“Success and failure are often just a thin line apart. I’m not used to thinking about failure first,” Blackhair waved his hand nonchalantly. “As you said, the cost is indeed high, but it’s worth it. Isn’t it?”
“Indeed. If your tactics succeed, the cost of one hive ship is worth it,” Officer Moore finally admitted the reality after studying Blackhair for a while.
So, fifteen minutes later, as Blackhair’s hive ship was destroyed and all 40 cheap assault ships were wiped out, everyone was surprised to find that, somehow, Blackhair had disappeared without a trace right before their eyes. No one, not a single person, could know how they vanished or where they went…