Stellaris Tech Tree HSR

The sky loomed dark and heavy, with fine snow blanketing the street that had lost all protection.

Once bustling with life, the district now lay in ruins, its streets littered with bodies trampled by monstrous invaders.

"Hold the line! Don't retreat!"

"Auntie, if you make it back, please tell my parents… this time, I really didn't run away."

"Defend the position! Defend the position! The left flank—they're breaking through!"

...

The sounds of battle dominated the street, where the clash of blades and bursts of energy mingled with anguished cries. Many already-injured Silvermane Guards fell, their blood pooling on the ground. Before long, their lifeless bodies would join the growing count.

Hack, hack, hack...

Gepard stumbled, clutching his shield for support. Harsh coughs wracked his body, and dark blood mixed with shredded tissue spilled from his lips, splattering the ground.

In his blurry vision, a group of grotesque, humanoid monsters clad in gold armor floated before him. Their unnatural, twisting movements seemed to mock his wavering form.

These creatures did not belong to Jarilo-VI. They hailed from an unfathomably distant part of the universe. Around them, spindly growths jutted out like diseased branches, giving them a sickly appearance.

With every gesture, they tore through the fabric of reality with an incomprehensible force. Even the sturdiest barriers were reduced to mere tissue paper before their power.

The aberrant Void Weavers moved, their emaciated hands glowing with golden light as their gaze shifted past Gepard—to the terrified civilians huddled behind him.

To them, the people were nothing more than a feast.

"Just… a small wound!"

Gepard's mangled left hand could no longer grip a weapon. Yet, gritting his teeth, he forced himself upright, his breath ragged as he barked out his defiance.

The Silvermane Guards' oath echoed in his mind, a constant reminder of his duty: as the human bulwark of Belobog, he was responsible for protecting its people at all costs. As long as he stood, no enemy would harm those behind him.

The frigid air around him stirred, surging into his body as ice-cold energy coalesced in his hands, forming a brilliant crystalline sphere. Blue mist swirled around him, his cloak billowing despite the still air.

Everyone—soldiers and civilians alike—held their breath as they watched the man who refused to fall, no matter how fierce the enemy's onslaught.

He was no ordinary soldier; his strength transcended human limits. Many in Belobog knew of this, but witnessing it now left them in awe of the Star God's blessing.

The Path of Preservation, the path of Qlipoth, had always stood firm against invaders. Its essence was to endure, to repel the aggressor with steadfast resilience.

Belobog despised invasion because they had spent centuries defending their homeland from outside threats. They understood the horrors of war better than anyone.

Belobog's walls were impenetrable because they had been built with the purpose of defying any attack.

This was the way of their faith, a testament to Qlipoth's path. And while their lives were harsh, they clung to hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Human history was a story of resistance, human prosperity born of struggle and reconstruction, and human honor a declaration of unwavering spirit in the face of annihilation.

"In the name of Landau!"

Gepard raised his right hand high, his voice resounding like a mighty bell. His unyielding will mirrored the strength in his declaration. He hurled the frost sphere into the ground between the civilians and the advancing monsters.

"By the ice and snow forged in resolve… this shall never end!"

Crash!

A massive wall of ice erupted from the ground, towering over the street to shield the people behind it.

But… this wall did not protect Gepard himself.

He had directed all its power to safeguard the civilians and soldiers behind him, ensuring their survival even at the cost of his own defense.

The Void Weavers tore through the air with their warped powers, gouging deep holes in the ice wall. Shards of frost scattered like glass, and Gepard's armor shattered under the assault.

He was flung back like a broken kite, tumbling across the ground before landing in a heap.

Dark blood splattered across his chest, blooming into crimson flowers that stained the ice and snow.

"Ngh…"

Gepard slid nearly ten meters before coming to a halt, rolling to his side. His usual composed expression had vanished, his face pale and battered. Blood clung to his eyelashes, half-blinding him, and the world around him blurred into indistinct shapes.

He tried to rise again, but his body refused to move. Even twitching a finger was an impossible feat.

He… couldn't hold on anymore.

"Captain Gepard!!"

A grievously injured Silvermane Guard sprinted past the ice wall, defying the monster's attacks as he dragged Gepard back. Tears streaked his soot-stained face.

"Captain, stay with me! Don't close your eyes! I have bandages—I'll patch you up! Hey, you, cover me!"

The soldier fumbled with a small kit, spilling its sparse contents onto the ground. But Gepard stopped him with a faint shake of his head.

"Jeff… it doesn't hurt anymore. Let me rest here a while…"

"Don't say that, Captain! You can't sleep—you promised me we'd get out of here alive!" Jeff shook Gepard's shoulders desperately. "You owe me dinner from the last card game—don't you dare weasel out of it!"

But Gepard could no longer hear Jeff's frantic pleas. His vision distorted further as he saw a figure standing before him, arms spread wide in defiance of danger.

She was fearless. She was courageous.

She had been his role model.

She had stood like a fortress, shielding him from harm, enduring what was meant for him.

Now, it was his turn to protect her. But she was no longer here to see it.

He reached out, wanting to shield the vision of her, to let her feel the safety he had known as a child.

But his hand wouldn't lift. He couldn't hold her.

He had honored his family's name, but he had failed the one who had once protected him.

Jeff was sobbing openly, his voice hoarse from shouting. He pleaded with his captain, desperate for a response.

"Stay awake, Captain! We'll get out of here alive! I swear it—reinforcements are coming!"

He prayed someone would save them. Even if it was only the captain, he would be content.

If someone managed to rescue them, Jeff vowed to repay that person with his life.

Whoosh!

Boom!

Suddenly, a wave of explosions tore through the horde of monsters, scattering debris and dismembered limbs. The ground trembled, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

Jeff froze, his head snapping up.

Figures emerged from the haze—soldiers dressed like Silvermane Guards, but with strange cylindrical weapons slung over their shoulders. The weapons fired bursts of small, compact projectiles, creating an orchestra of destruction.

At the front of the group, a young man calmly reloaded the weapons for his comrades, his voice cutting through the chaos.

"Ammo is plentiful—keep firing! And straighten your stance! I don't want to see anyone getting floored by recoil again!"

Jeff blinked in disbelief, his voice catching in his throat.

"Reinforcements… they really came."

Moments later, his eyes lit up with hope, his voice rising with newfound strength.

"Captain, reinforcements are here! They're really here!!!"

---

T/N: gepard...

Hello! Thank you so much for reading this chapter. WiseTL has worked hard to bring these wonderful stories to you, and I'm so happy we could share this moment together! Don't you think stories are a little like dreams? Each one has its own colors and shapes, and they grow even brighter when shared with others.

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