Chapter 40: The So-called Unlimited Rules, Section 8

The chubby guy surrendered proudly. Judging from his proud expression, it seemed he considered this surrender to be a glorious act.
From start to finish, Black Hair never had a chance to attack. Yet according to the rules of the Imperial Conference, he had already acquired ownership of the chubby guy’s fleet. As long as his crew size allowed, he could take away those dilapidated warships and supply ships at any time. As the original contestants, the chubby guy and his sister Kixi would be eliminated.
It was a cruel reality. Although Black Hair didn’t really feel anything for the chubby guy, after all, he had surrendered voluntarily—and he was even Black Hair’s admirer. Such an outcome was truly regrettable. But there was nothing to do; the competition—no, the Moor Empire itself—was just that cruel. Survival of the fittest was the natural order.
So, just five hours later, Black Hair set sail once again. Only this time, his fleet included an additional supply ship. The chubby guy and his sister were also taken aboard his flagship since they couldn’t leave the combat zone immediately. As unofficial prisoners—or rather, guests—they continued the journey with him.
This arrangement by Black Hair greatly surprised the chubby guy and his sister. The two kids were overjoyed to be so close to their idol. They hadn’t stopped moving around Black Hair’s flagship since boarding, constantly asking various questions.
Some of these questions were reasonable, while others were utterly absurd. But without a doubt, through these questions, Black Hair quickly realized that the two siblings were no ordinary people. The chubby guy, Bisso, was an absolute command fanatic, naturally fascinated by fleet command, with great talent and imaginative ideas. The idea of hiding in the asteroid belt this time was also his. As for his sister Kixi, she was a genius in planning and coordination. Though she knew nothing about fleet command, she excelled at tasks requiring extensive calculations, such as intelligence gathering and supply distribution. They truly were a pair of genius siblings.

Yet fate is always fair—just as it takes one thing away when it gives another. Though these chubby brother and sister had astonishing talents, they both had a startling flaw: their emotional naivety, or rather, stupidity. They trusted others easily, and their fanaticism toward their idols was merely the tip of the iceberg. At least in Kuroha’s eyes, they resembled a pair of innocent children, embarking on the most dangerous and thrilling adventures in this perilous land, yet still believing they were completely safe.

Of course, none of this had anything to do with Kuroha. He was simply troubled by how to deal with these two ever-energetic kids. Fortunately, with the help of his adjutant Gojūshi, he managed to avert many troubles for Kuroha. Meanwhile, Kuroha’s fleet, driven by his fluctuating moods, continued to conquer seven regions as planned.

According to the intelligence gathered by his vast number of Mosquito-style reconnaissance drones, these seven regions were home to about ten fleets in total—all formidable opponents who had fought their way to this final stage. Though each fleet had suffered varying degrees of damage, they still retained immense combat strength. Before Kuroha arrived, these fleets had been at war with one another, striving to determine the ultimate victor.

When Kuroha arrived, the starry sky was filled with the flames of battle. The sight of massive Moor giant ships exchanging fire was absolutely awe-inspiring. Energy beams over dozens of meters in diameter could be seen everywhere, and the vast cosmic space around covered ruins of giant warships.

With just a glance, Kuroha realized that this place must have witnessed countless battles. The fleets fighting here were the survivors. Even if their ships were heavily damaged, they were by no means something his four stealth warships could match. So he had no intention of attacking. Instead, like a rattlesnake lurking in the shadows, he remained quietly at the edge of the battlefield.

The battle progressed slowly. Kuroha noticed that this wasn’t a chaotic fight but rather two small alliances, each with several fleets, attacking each other. Clearly, in such a fierce and brutal final stage, clever competitors had already thought of forming alliances. Although there would still only be one winner in the end, this approach allowed them to avoid being eliminated too early.

Both fleets were elite forces that had gone through fierce elimination, so naturally there would be no command mistakes. In Black Hair’s eyes, dozens of Moorish giant ships formed two factions, each adopting a textbook-standard circular defense formation. While engaging in intense gunfire, they protected the weaker supply ships within their formations like hens guarding their chicks. Although the firepower from both sides was equally fierce, thanks to the extremely robust armor of the giant ships, the losses were minimal. At least during the entire hour Black Hair observed, not a single Moorish giant ship was destroyed. At most, one or two unlucky supply ships were hit by stray shells from the front protective network, causing a few violent explosions. Though huge holes appeared on their hulls, they were far from being destroyed.

Seeing this situation, Black Hair realized there was no point in continuing to lurk. With such intense fighting yet both sides maintaining such strict defenses, it was clear just how outstanding their commanders were. They must already have complete control over their ships. Expecting them to fight to mutual destruction was simply unrealistic in the short term.

His adjutant, Fifty-Seven, also seemed to understand this. He couldn’t help but frown deeply. This Moorish officer, who always considered himself the best adjutant, obviously couldn’t think of a good solution right away. After all, given the defensive strength of the Moorish giant ships, if he expected any damage to occur among them, he would likely be stuck here for a long time as well.

In the end, it was the little fatty who solved the problem.

“Isn’t their current stalemate because they can’t do anything to each other? It’s like two adults fighting bare-handed in armor—neither can hurt the other. If we add a little weight to the scale, won’t that solve it?”

“Hm?” Black Hair was stunned and began to look at the little fatty with new respect.

Indeed, as the little fatty said, the two opposing sides were in a delicate balance of power. With equal weights on the scale, the conflict would go on forever. But if he added a little weight, things would change completely. Black Hair could even foresee the chain reaction that would follow.

However, what to use as that weight became a dilemma for Black Hair. After all, he only had a limited amount of power and couldn’t afford to waste it recklessly. And the ships used as weights would undoubtedly be lost—there was no way to keep them.

After much deliberation, Black Hair finally spoke slowly.

“How many crew members are needed to operate a giant ship?”

“The most basic navigation setup requires thirty people. If weapons, reconnaissance, and other elements are taken into account, at least five hundred are needed.” Before Deputy 57 could respond, the little girl beside him, Qixi, immediately spoke up. Her speed of response was as if these figures had already been in her mind.

“Commander, do you intend to abandon that giant ship? If so, you’ll likely lack a main offensive force.” Upon hearing Black Hair’s question, Deputy 57 immediately understood his intentions. After all, when he first took in that poor underling, only that dilapidated giant ship could bring him some joy. If possible, he really hoped to keep that broken ship—after all, it was still the empire’s most powerful weapon. Even if damaged, it was far stronger than his four stealth warships.

Yet he still didn’t understand Black Hair’s personality well enough. Once Black Hair made a decision, nothing could change it. So, in the next moment, Black Hair’s orders were delivered straight to his ears.

“Maintain the most basic navigation and main cannon firepower. A hundred people should be enough, right? Good. If we can take down ten contestants at once, I’ll pay that price.” Black Hair sneered, ignoring Deputy 57’s question, and instead smiled at the little girl.

“You calculate data quickly. You’re quite good.”

“Ah!!” The little girl’s cheeks turned red instantly as she shyly covered her eyes.

Her idol was praising her! It was… really amazing. She wasn’t even ready yet… Was this what happiness felt like? It seemed quite pleasant. Damn it, why isn’t my brother here yet? I’m about to cry…

Ignoring the little girl’s overthinking, Black Hair’s voice slowly echoed in the cabin.

“Assign a hundred people to that giant ship. After we leave, order it to join the current side and fire at the other side with full force. Whatever it takes, provoke the greatest reaction from them. If possible, even have it charge into enemy lines and self-destruct. I think the balance will be tipped soon. As for us, retreat 1 light year and deploy all reconnaissance drones, waiting for the final harvest.”

His cold words and merciless orders stunned everyone in the cabin. Even the little girl, who had been covering her eyes, dropped her hands in shock, her wide eyes filled with disbelief.

What a cruel order—to send one’s own ships to self-destruct for the sake of victory. It was the first time they had heard of such an order that cost a thousand enemies but eight hundred of their own. But since the black-haired man was the supreme commander here, any order given by him had to be obeyed. So soon, that dilapidated giant ship belonging to the chubby man broke away from the formation and staggered toward the distant battlefield.
Ahead of it, the chaotic gunfire raged on, and its silhouette appeared so lonely. Just like…
a moth flying straight toward the light.