Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Instead, his officers stood taller, their eyes burning with the same defiance that Kael himself carried.

Satisfied with this, Sharon's dad gave a curt nod.

Behind him, a team of soldiers approached, carrying his power armor, a massive, custom-built exosuit, enhanced with heavy shielding and built for one purpose... war.

Next came his family's shield, emblazoned with his house emblem.

And finally, his patriarch's sword, a weapon passed down for generations, carrying the weight of his lineage. Vortigan stood tall, fully prepared for the battle of his life.

"Sir! The enemy fleet is breaking into orbit! What are your orders?!" One of the officers shouted, his voice sharp and urgent, but not shaken. There was no fear, only discipline.

Vortigan's eyes flickered to the holographic display, where enemy ships loomed like a steel storm in the dark sky. He exhaled slowly with a controlled breath, then moved with purpose.

"Activate the weapon platforms and bring the planetary defenses online. I want them torn apart before they even touch the ground!" His voice rang through the command center like a hammer striking iron.

As he spoke, he stepped into his power armor, the abyss-black plating gleaming under the cold artificial lights. Silver energy pulsed along its frame, the emblem of Nexum Dynamics, a white octopus etched proudly on his chest. Over the armor draped a regal cape, bearing the sigil of his house, a white wildcat with three tails, the mark of his bloodline.

"Understood, sir!"

The room erupted. Officers relayed commands, voices overlapping in a storm of urgency. Screens flickered with battle data as sirens wailed.

Deep beneath the planet's surface, the ground shuddered. Massive defensive platforms surged upward, emerging from hidden vaults. Towering cannons locked onto their targets, while swarms of interceptors rocketed into the sky.

The moment the enemy ships entered range, chaos ignited. Blazing energy bolts and high-velocity projectiles tore through the void, ripping through frigates and transports alike. Some ships buckled instantly with their hulls crumpling under the relentless assault.

Others veered off course, spiraling into destruction. The sky became a battlefield of fire and ruin.

Inside the enemy flagship, far above the chaos, Percival watched with cold amusement. He stood still as the ship trembled under light enemy fire, a sharp contrast to the frantic movements of the officers around him. One of them approached, bowing slightly before speaking.

"Sir, the traitors have begun firing on our fleet. We're losing a significant number of ships. What are your orders?"
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Percival barely glanced at him. A slow, deliberate smirk tugged at his lips. "No need for concern. These losses are within acceptable margins. We anticipated Vortigan's treachery. His refusal to share his most advanced weaponry was just another crime to add to his name. But no matter..."

He rolled his shoulders while stretching his arms. The polished plates of his armor glowed with a faint blue energy, humming with barely contained power. "I suppose I should make an appearance, raise morale."

He turned sharply, making his way toward the hangar bay. The officer hesitated, then spoke again. "Sir, should I summon the Abyss team?"

Percival chuckled. "Of course. Have them meet me in the launch bay. Those platforms won't destroy themselves." The last thing he saw before the elevator doors shut was the flickering holographic display, showing the battle raging below.

A quiet sigh escaped him, but in his mind, satisfaction burned like a steady flame.

{Ha, I was damn impressive back there. No doubt about it. A born leader... Hah!}

Just as he let that thought sink in, his communicator vibrated. His eyes flicked to the caller ID. The moment he saw the name, he straightened instinctively.

"...Mother?"

He hesitated before answering.

The soft, sweet voice of Isolde filled his earpiece. "Honey, do you want Mommy to go with you?"

Percival groaned internally.

{Ha～ Mother... what an angelic voice～}

He took a steadying breath and spoke carefully. "There's no need for you to trouble yourself, Mother. I wouldn't want you to get dust on that flawless skin of yours."

He exited the elevator, walking toward the assembled Abyss team, Nexum's elite warriors. One hundred soldiers of Tier 5, each a force of destruction in their own right, were all waiting for his command. Their dark armor glowed with streaks of violet light, and the air around them buzzed with silent intensity.

They were the reason no one dared challenge Nexum, and tonight, they would remind the galaxy why.

"Sir! We have detected a Tier 7 power source entering the planet's orbit! And... and that's not all! Near that Tier 7, there are more than fifteen Tier 5 power sources! Their numbers keep increasing!" The officer in charge of the stealth satellites practically shouted, his voice cracking under the weight of the news.

A heavy silence filled the command center. The hum of machinery, the distant chatter of officers... everything faded into the background.

"Put them on the screen."

Sharon's father spoke slowly, his voice eerily calm, but his hands curled into fists. He already knew the answer. He had known the moment the alarms blared.

The screen flickered to life, and there it was, a blazing star, black and silver, streaking through the atmosphere like a divine spear descending from the heavens. It was moving too fast, too precisely. Around it, smaller stars followed in perfect formation, closing in like a hunting pack.

The first star crashed straight into a massive weapon platform, slicing through its steel like it was paper. The structure groaned and split in half, the explosion sending debris spiraling into the sky.

The lead star never stopped, cutting a deadly path toward the surface, while the others scattered, each one targeting a separate defense platform.

Sharon's father tightened his grip on his shield, his knuckles turning white. His voice was low, barely above a whisper.

"Percival..."

On the screen, the unstoppable force known as Percival tore through the battlefield, heading straight for the largest planetary cannon. But just as he closed the distance, something stopped him.

The collision was instant and violent. A blinding rift tore open in the air as two forces slammed into each other. The sheer force of the impact sent shockwaves across the battlefield, warping the air itself.

Then, an instant later, something crashed into the surface below, slamming into the ground cannon and obliterating it in an explosion of metal and fire. Dust and smoke billowed into the sky, hiding the battlefield in a thick, choking haze.

For the first time, Percival hesitated. His laughter echoed across the battlefield, amplified by raw power. His voice alone was enough to send tremors through the ground.

"Mmm? HAHAHA! What was that!? An ant trying to stop me... ME!? Seriously!? At least send the old man out here instead of his mutt! Don't you think so too... VICTOR? Or should I say... Mercenary King!"

His voice carried across the battlefield, defying distance, vibrating in the chests of those who heard it. The sheer presence of a Tier 7 powerhouse was enough to make reality itself tremble.

Then, from the wreckage of the destroyed cannon, movement. A lone figure emerged, rolling his shoulders, resetting a dislocated arm with a sickening crack. He exhaled sharply, then stood tall.

A long, dark cloak billowed around him, the emblem on his back unmistakable, a pair of metallic wings with five stars. The mark of a man who had fought his way to the top with nothing but blood and steel.

Victor, the Mercenary King, smiled.

"Hah. I'm glad someone that high up in the megacorps actually knows my name." His voice was rough, but there was amusement in it, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

Percival scoffed while crossing his arms. "Tsk, if flattery makes a dog like you wag its tail, why don't you just join me? I can praise you every day if that's what it takes to keep you happy." He extended his hand, mockingly, as if offering a deal.

Victor chuckled. "Hah. No thanks." His eyes glinted dangerously, his smirk widening. "And honestly, do you really think you have the time to chat with me? Because last I checked... your fleet was getting torn apart."

He raised a finger and pointed toward the sky.

Percival turned sharply, his eyes narrowed as he saw what Victor meant. His fleet. His elite warriors. His Tier 5s.

They were dying.

On another weapon platform, one of his strongest warriors, a Tier 5 powerhouse, was being overwhelmed. Not by equals. Not by fellow Tier 5s. But by mercenaries. Tier 4s. Tier 3s.

One after another, they struck, moving with deadly precision. The elite warrior lashed out, tearing through some, but they kept coming, swarming like wolves taking down a bear.

Percival's expression darkened. His smile was gone. His amusement vanished.

"...What the hell is going on?"

Without another word, he vanished, moving instantly toward the battlefield, Victor watched him go, rolling his neck before tightening the grip on his weapons.

"Oh? Getting serious now?" He smirked while stepping forward. "Good. I was starting to get bored."

{What the hell do they think they are doing?}

Percival's blood boiled. His Elites... his Tier 5 warriors, were being torn apart by Tier 4 mercenaries. It was unthinkable. Disgraceful. His fists clenched so tightly that his gauntlets groaned under the pressure.

His gaze locked onto one of his warriors, a seasoned Tier 5, stumbling back as a Tier 4 mercenary severed his arm with a brutal strike. Blood sprayed across the platform while the mercenary smirked.

Something in Percival snapped.

In an instant, he dropped from the sky like a meteor, crashing onto the weapon platform with such force that the entire structure detonated beneath him. A thunderous shockwave erupted outward, sending soldiers and debris flying in every direction.

Metal beams groaned and snapped like twigs. Smoke and fire swallowed the battlefield in an instant.