After a brief moment of thought, the Borisin leader—
not a Warhead, but clearly in command—nodded.
A crafty gleam burst from his eyes.
Bloodthirsty claws tore away the disguise masking his true form.
Borisin…
It had been a long time since things were this exciting.
The Borisin were about to welcome the return of their Warhead,
and such a moment had to be baptized in blood.
Now—
An Astral Express stood directly between them and the Xianzhou Luofu.
If they backed down in a situation like this,
what was the point of going to the Luofu at all?
Welcome the Warhead!
Welcome the Warhead!!
They were merely the vanguard.
So what if they'd only destroyed a single Xianzhou Alliance trade skiff?
That was nowhere near enough to quench their bloodlust.
The Borisin—
would rise again.
"Brothers! Prepare the ship's main cannons!"
"We'll tear that train apart!"
"Let their blood paint our path forward a brilliant red!"
"Hahahahahaha!"
"Wise words, Leader!"
"If we succeed in welcoming the Warhead's return—"
"We'll gain even greater power!"
"Becoming the next Warhead wouldn't be impossible!"
Driven by instinct, they charged into the stars.
The war had never lacked Borisin's presence.
At the leader's command—
the captain of this warship—
Every Borisin warrior transformed into their wolf form.
Their strongest state.
The form that signaled the beginning of slaughter.
However—
Just as their cannons began charging—
Aboard the Astral Express.
Dan Heng and Evan exchanged a glance.
Welt didn't even bother pulling out a black hole.
Himeko had already activated the defensive shields—
ready to ram straight through and give them a loving spin of destruction.
"Borisin…"
"They're always this aggressive?"
Evan turned slightly, looking at Dan Heng.
The Borisin were ancient enemies of the Xianzhou Alliance,
and one of the main branches of the Abundance-aligned races.
They originated from a planet known as Qingqiu.
Their ancestors shared the same roots as the Foxians.
Both had received a divine glance from the Plagues Author,
drank from the Scarlet Spring,
and were granted a long life.
But as history unfolded, the Borisin enslaved the Foxians,
using them as cannon fodder—
driving them into wars beyond the stars.
To this day, the Abundance coalition led by the Borisin
had clashed with Xianzhou in at least three major wars.
The current Sky-Fang General of the Xianzhou Yaoguang, Feixiao,
had once been a Foxian slave under Borisin rule—
a girl rescued by the previous Yaoguang general.
"I don't know…"
"They've always been this fearless…"
Dan Heng frowned, then turned to Himeko.
"Himeko, what do we do?"
"Should we avoid them?"
The Astral Express's defensive shields were active, wrapped in Trailblaze energy.
But if the train took damage before warp—
It would still be injured.
And the Borisin weren't just bloodthirsty—
they were ancient, experienced, and Xianzhou's sworn enemies.
Appearing this close to Xianzhou space meant only one thing—
They were up to something bad.
"No need," Himeko replied calmly.
"Road rage."
"I'll give it a try?"
By now, the Borisin warship had fully powered its cannons.
Every targeting reticle locked onto the Astral Express.
Perfect timing.
As long as they wiped out the Nameless aboard the train,
They could disguise themselves and infiltrate Xianzhou Luofu.
As the strongest warriors under the Borisin Warhead—
as the most loyal followers of Chaofu—
For Borisin!
"Boss—bad news!"
"He—he's standing in front of the train!"
"That person's strength—
it's not something to underestimate!"
Just as the cannons finished charging—
A Borisin warrior cried out in alarm.
That man—
Had stepped out of the train.
And was charging straight at their warship.
"Damn it!"
"『Lord Chaofu, grant us fangs and claws!』"
"『Lord Chaofu, grant us iron sinews and steel bones!』"
"『Lord Chaofu, grant us heaven-piercing strength!』"
"Fire!"
At the leader's roar, countless cannons pivoted in unison—
unleashing a storm of fire toward Evan.
At the same time—
Another warship appeared beside the Borisin vessel.
Pitch-black.
Clearly more advanced.
Borisin ships were often called Beast Ships.
They weren't built purely through technology,
but grown—crafted from living organisms.
Only their weapon systems resembled modern tech.
"Reinforcements?"
The newly arrived ship locked onto Evan as well.
An Antimatter Legion warship.
In the blink of an eye—
Both vessels unleashed a combined barrage.
Endless firepower engulfed Evan's position.
"Ha—boring."
Evan recalled the form and functions of Welt's cane,
the Star of Eden.
Then—
With a casual wave of his hand—
An identical staff appeared in his grasp.
"Let me show you,"
"what the destruction of a star looks like."
A massive black hole bloomed into existence.
Born from one of the universe's most incomprehensible phenomena.
As if IX itself had descended.
An overwhelming gravitational force erupted—
Drowned out by Borisin howls—
And in an instant,
The two warships were torn apart.
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