Colonel Chaimen Daisuke, not one for words, cleared his throat and began to read aloud from the small screen in a completely flat, monotone voice:
"The following is an announcement from Admiral Nom Paris, Commander of our nation's Outer Rim Fleet and Warlord of the Outer Rim Military District. Your malicious plan to launch a sneak attack on our Gibraltar Star System has been completely foiled! Your spy, Major Horn, and all intelligence personnel ambushed in Gibraltar Starport have been captured. Now, your United Fleet, which planned to attack us, is surrounded by our forces, and its annihilation is only a matter of time! Even for the sake of your soldiers' lives, we urge you to surrender immediately!"
Thankfully, at least he didn't mispronounce any words, nor were there any stumbles or unclear phrases. Yu Lian breathed a sigh of relief.
The Colonel's monotonous reading naturally lacked any infectiousness or oppressive feeling, but Prince Charlen appeared somewhat restless. He gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, and after a long while, he stammered out a few words: "This is slander!"
"Yes, this is slander!" someone shouted loudly, it was none other than Vice Admiral Osen Blackfin, who had just escaped a close call.
"It's all nonsense! The most despicable defamation! I've never seen such shameless people! We merely came to inspect our soldiers who had just completed joint exercises! It was precisely your country that basely launched a surprise attack on us! This violates international conventions! Everything that happened today, we will Present to the Galactic Civilization Council and request a ruling. All consequences arising from this will be borne entirely by your side!"
Colonel Chaimen Daisuke was silent for a moment, then looked at Yu Lian: "What did he say?"
There was nothing for it; Old Brother Chaimen's Imperial language skills were limited to reading pre-written text with a not-so-standard accent, and his listening comprehension was probably only at an ordinary middle school level.
Of course, this was indeed the true foreign language level of most people.
Yu Lian replied directly: "Is that so? At the Milky Way Civilization Council, Major Horn and all your captured assault team members will be witnesses!"
"Hmph, an Earthling you don't know where you got from, a group of fugitives from our country, these are all witnesses? Then tomorrow I can find a hundred witnesses to prove that you Earthlings are preparing to sneak attack Nefi and Tianyu!"
Vice Admiral Blackfin's response was quite rogue, yet one had to admit that his statement was watertight. Yu Lian immediately chuckled: "Is that so? It's fine if you don't admit it, then let me continue fighting, and you can all die here."
He raised the pulse blaster in his hand, causing many people Present to immediately become tense. The "Heavy Infantry" and Guardian Commander Baiwan directly activated their spiritual energy defense.
Yu Lian didn't fire immediately, but then said: "However, before that, you can indeed take a look at the situation on the main battlefield."
Yes, by this point, the battle on the main battlefield was already entering its final stage. Some battle-scarred warships had completely withdrawn from the main battlefield. They were essentially routed soldiers who had left the battlefield, and the Outer Rim Fleet did not pursue them for annihilation, but rather focused all its energy on the enemy fleet that was still resisting.
At this time, the First Fleet flagship, which was also the United Fleet command center where Marshal Scarlet Eye was located, the Salvator Ironclaw, had been locked onto by the main guns of several battlecruisers. But at this point, Scarlet Eye had no way to retreat to another ship to continue commanding.
Their formation was completely in disarray, and there was no way to ensure the safety of a transfer route.
Before this, only counting capital ships, the Kaitai United Fleet had already had nine battlecruisers and four Aircraft Carriers completely destroyed, and countless other vessels.
Prince Charlen stared blankly at the main battlefield on the screen, trembling uncontrollably. The dual pain in his mind and body tormented him to the point of almost fainting.
"Are you going to sit by and watch your loyal Marshal die in vain here, Your Highness Charlen! Your side's casualties have probably already exceeded 300,000, all of them the most loyal, brave, and well-trained naval soldiers. So, do you wish for another 300,000 to die?" Yu Lian pressed him step by step.
Blackfin looked deeply at Yu Lian. Although he couldn't see the other party's appearance, he felt he must remember this voice and then leaned closer to his liege, preparing to offer another piece of advice: "Your Highness..."
Before he could speak, Prince Charlen suddenly spoke: "What are your intentions?"
"Your Highness!" Blackfin clutched his chest, momentarily wanting to faint on the spot more than his liege.
Seeing Blackfin's expression, Prince Charlen smiled reassuringly at him, then said to Yu Lian in a deep voice: "Whatever your scheme is, just say it directly!"
Blackfin sighed and took a few steps back, his steps somewhat unsteady.
"Follow your Kaitai people's glorious tradition of honor duels! I hear that when you encounter something difficult to decide, you always determine it by the most direct outcome of battle, is that right? Trial by combat, ascending to the stage to be appointed general, or even selecting a king, it's all like this! It has continued even after you entered the space age! I also heard that the reason your Kaitai Kingdom is willing to cooperate fully with the Empire is also because of this. Your 28th Grand Protector, the most valiant king in Kaitai history, engaged in an epic, glorious duel with His Majesty the Emperor. The Emperor won the victory, but His Majesty the Grand Protector gained the honor of an unyielding warrior and the reputation of keeping his promises, is that right?"
In fact, that Grand Protector, hailed as the strongest in history, didn't last three moves against the Emperor. His Majesty the Emperor's overwhelming courage completely shocked all the Kaitai warriors, and from then on, these big cats, who revered martial prowess, behaved even more subserviently than the Lords and feudal Lords.
Of course, we're not trying to stir up hatred, so we can't say it like that.
Indeed, as soon as Yu Lian said this, the expressions of many Kaitai people improved considerably.
"We have received authorization from General Paris to challenge you to an honor duel! If you win, we will cease fire immediately and will not launch any further offensive attacks against your fleet, allowing your side to retreat and depart, or even reorganize and fight again another day! However, if you lose, you must admit on the spot at the Galactic Civilization Council that your side intended to sneak attack our Gibraltar Starport! Our side merely preempted and counterattacked! Of course, this is also the truth!"
Yu Lian paused, then smiled: "Furthermore, if our side wins, we will naturally also cease fire! Admitting the existing facts is not difficult. Regardless of victory or defeat, at least tens of thousands of soldiers' lives and morale can still be saved. Your Highness Charlen, this deal is not a loss."
Blackfin saw Charlen indeed show a moved expression and was greatly alarmed: "Your Highness, no..."
However, Charlen Crimson Mane had his own ideas. Although the United Fleet had suffered heavy losses, the few Dreadnoughts and battlecruisers under his command were in relatively good condition. If a ceasefire could truly be achieved, and they used this time to reorganize, their combat power should still be no less than the opposing Outer Rim Fleet. At that time, they would be able to regroup and resume the war.
Although the element of surprise from the sneak attack was lost, if they fought a head-on battle, their side was not without a chance of winning.
The pretext for war was also ready-made—the despicable Earth hairless monkeys ambushed us! This was already equivalent to starting a war.
"Can you prove it? What right do you have to represent the Outer Rim Fleet, to represent that old man Paris!"
Yu Lian smiled. Since he had started asking, it meant he basically agreed, so he said: "Colonel Chaimen. You speak."
The Colonel was startled, then reacted, and opened another screen, reading from the text: "Our side has such authority. Additionally, you can contact Commander Paris on the Hyperion now to confirm."
"Can't you just turn on the translator?" Yu Lian whispered.
"This violates diplomatic etiquette. Especially since we are spiritual energy users, in a sense, we also represent the national image, so we need to be more particular," Major Nani explained, suppressing a laugh: "I did persuade Chaimen to seriously learn foreign languages, at least the Alliance Common Tongue and the Imperial language, but he always said his brain was slow and he just couldn't remember."
There was nothing for it; Old Brother Chaimen was already a Vanguard. When he opened the "Blood Road" Star Ring, he had to bid farewell to his intelligence for the rest of his life.
Colonel Chaimen continued his monotonous reading: "The honor duel will be three of us against three of you! Life and death and victory or defeat will be judged by the sacred universe spirit! We will also swear by the universe spirit and our own Star Rings to faithfully fulfill the agreement! Whether it is life or death, or victory or defeat!"
People from both sides looked at Prince Charlen. He pondered for a moment, using an almost evasive movement to avoid Blackfin's gaze, and looked at his female Guardian Commander. After all, she was the expert in the spiritual energy and combat fields.
"Three against three... We have an advantage! This is our home ground, and besides, that guy is only a Three Rings," Shalun Baiwan whispered to Prince Charlen.
"Three Rings?" Prince Charlen was incredulous, always feeling that Yu Lian should be the leader.
"I'm surprised too. I was actually intimidated by his bluster. However, even if he's only a Three Rings, he's an extremely clever Three Rings, and will definitely be a major threat to the Kingdom in the future!" Baiwan said.
"...Understood, kill him!" the Prince ordered through gritted teeth.
The Guardian Commander nodded. She had originally intended to do the same.
"Crimson Mane, represent me in battle!" The Prince then said to a Kaitai officer beside him: "You wear my Emblem Machine, just as if I killed him!"
The officer silently nodded. His name was Gajji Crimson Mane, a "Sheriff," a second-ring master of the "Judgment" Star Ring, and also the military police captain and military judge on this flagship.
The Prince was just an unawakened sensitive, but he had already acquired an Emblem Machine for himself early on.
This is understandable, right? Even rich second-generation kids without driver's licenses still splurge on luxury cars for themselves, don't they?
The "Heavy Infantry" who had been knocked flying earlier also made a throat-slitting gesture towards Yu Lian. He was, of course, also one of the combatants.
"To your positions! We've all been trained in the Empire and learned the three-person spiritual energy user squad combat method! We are well-trained, work well together, and our raw strength is also superior to theirs. As long as we don't act foolishly, we will never lose!" Baiwan instructed her two partners.
The Earthlings and Kaitai people both retreated, quickly leaving a circular space with a diameter of a hundred meters in the center of the bridge. At this moment, Yu Lian subtly felt as if their six people had truly returned to the Stone Age. It would be even better if there was a bonfire in the middle.
"Fire three red signal flares! The other side will naturally cease fire! This also marks the beginning of our honor duel!" Yu Lian said.
Prince Crimson Mane nodded, motioning for his subordinates to comply.
"Then, according to the original plan..." Yu Lian said to his two temporary partners.
"Be extra careful!" Both were very worried, but at this point, there was no way to change tactics.
The Steel Crown Prince fired three red signals consecutively into the empty starry sky. A few seconds later, the Outer Rim Fleet on the main battlefield indeed slowly stopped attacking, while continuing to maintain a vigilant posture and slowly retreating.
Just as Prince Crimson Mane breathed a sigh of relief, he heard Yu Lian shout loudly: "It's starting!"
He, a mere Three Rings, thus directly charged at the enemy's most formidable, Three Rings, Shalun Baiwan.