Afterlife Department

Chapter 239 – Battle

Empire, Star Gate. 

"80%" the Station Head sucked in a cold breath when he saw the drastic decrease of the power of the Star Gate. 

Harry Walter and Kale who came to the frontline of the battle looked at each other with their expression grave. "How long can the Star Gate last?" Harry Walter asked. 

"80%…. no. 79%!" the Station Head cried. "One month and a half!" his eyes reddened. He wasn't just speaking hypothetically. With the Alliance constantly attacking the Star Gate, the Star Gate really could only last for a month and a half. 

"Marshal Walter." Kale called. "It's fine. Go head into the battle. The Star Gate can't be damaged more than it already is." He told him. 

"Yes." Harry Walter didn't even hesitate for a second and left. Kale sighed to gather more courage and raised his head to face the beautiful, yet cruel battle happening in the space. 

"Your Majesty…" the Station Head worriedly called. 

"Shut up." Kale told him. The Station Head immediately shut up. Everyone… please be safe. He thought as he closed his eyes. 

The Station Head saw Kale was silent and so he didn't speak anymore. He continued to watch the Star Gate's energy decrease by a percent again. 

Suddenly, Kale's eyes snapped open and his eyes brightened. 

BOOOOOOMMMM!!!!! A loud whistling sound was heard before a deafening roar of thunder rang in the ears. Then, a big ball of fire was seen outside the Star Gate. 

The Station Head raised his head and gaped when he saw the familiar banner in the starships behind the Alliance's starships. "General Huo… and General Quinn!" he crazily screamed. 

They're finally here! Kale's eyes lit up. "CLEAN THEM ALL UP!" he immediately ordered when Huo Jinghua's and Rayver Quinn's forces blocked the Alliance's starships from behind while Lewis Johnson's and Gerard Jackson's forces blocked the Alliance's starships up front, and supported by Harry Walter's force behind.

"Those bastards finally arrived…" Lewis Johnson sighed, but he was grinning as he watched on the monitor screen the Alliance's starships were bombarded by Huo Jinghua's and Rayver Quinn's forces. 

"Ah… I can finally rest – " Gerard Jackson slumped on his seat as his and Lewis Johnson's mechs that were badly damaged and finally stopped functioning were escorted back to the empire by the new mechs that arrived. "Let's leave them all to these bastards. They're in higher position than us! It's always us in the lower position who always suffer…" he sighed. 

Lewis Johnson heard him and he smiled. In his mind, it's an entirely different thing the 'lower position' he thought. Ah, he can't wait for these Alliance bastards to leave so he can make love to Gerard Jackson again. 

Huo Jinghua's subordinates saw their general came back and they almost cried on the spot had they not in a middle of a battle. "Don't be distracted!" they heard Huo Jinghua yell. "Attack! Don't cease attacking them!" he told them. 

"YES!!!" they answered as they continued to attack. One explosion after another could be seen and heard. They are so beautiful, enchanting like the fireworks but the truth behind this beautiful view is very cruel. 

On another starship, Rayver Quinn has his hands behind him. "Attack! Don't hesitate. Hit them until they fall back!" he told them. 

"Yes!" they answered as they fully concentrated with their task. 

Rayver Quinn finally stabilized the spirit of his subordinates, but his own spirit can't. 

He turned his head and glanced at the starship flying far from him before he turned his gaze away and lowered his head. 

Earlier, Huo Jinghua woke up. When he saw him walking towards him, he turned around and left. He was never a coward when it comes to battle, but Huo Jinghua is an exception. Huo Jinghua tried to call him, but he used the battle against the Alliance as an excuse to leave. Huo Jinghua also knew there is a pressing battle, and so he set aside their personal matters. 

Rayver Quinn had just moved his gaze away when Huo Jinghua glanced at his direction. The two missed each other again. Mary Jackson who was silently watching Huo Jinghua saw Huo Jinghua's gaze moved to the other starship. She didn't say anything and just resumed watching the battle before them. 

The air was shaking, and so did their starship as an explosion occurred. Mary Jackson almost fell off her chair after their starship rocked. Fortunately, Huo Jinghua immediately caught her. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Mn." She nodded. 

Huo Jinghua sighed in relief. "Be careful. You should go to a safer place. It's dangerous here." He told her and turned to one of the soldiers. "Escort her to her room." He told him before he turned back to Mary Jackson. "Wait for a while. This battle will be over soon, and then we can go back." He told her and smiled. 

"… mn." She just nodded before she followed the soldier. 'we can go back'? I'm afraid not. She thought as she looked at the ring on her finger. Since there's nothing we can go back to. Nothing. She thought and closed her eyes before she entered her room and locked it. She leaned on the door and sighed. 

Huo Jinghua must have already realized it, too. Their marriage can't continue anymore after a crack appeared. Like a mirror that broke, even if you patch up the pieces, but it wouldn't be the same as it was before. 

Hoobite Planet. 

Di San and Liu Lin, with both hands raised, stared hard at the gigantic statue before them that started to crack. "Feng Er!" Di San yelled. 

"Yes!" Feng Er answered as she broke each piece of the statue that fell upon them using her wind blades. Meanwhile, Si Shui was blocking the attacks of the other Soul Fragment with is wall of water. 

"How can this thing be so hard?!" Liu Lin complained as they continued cracking the giant statue. "That bastard only knew how to hide!" he added. He is referring to the other Soul Fragment hiding inside the statue. 

"The statue can hide it, but it also can suppress the Soul Fragment's power. Or else, Huo Ling would have already been vacuumed by it, and we all can kiss goodbye to our soul!" Di San said. 

They all didn't answer and continued with their task. The oppressive aura is getting heavier as the statue started to crumble. 

"Yi Bing!" Di San called through their communicator. "I'm sure you can feel it. Get Huo Ling out of this planet, since the other Soul Fragment is about to come out! Its power is very strong!" he told him. 

"En." Yi Bing answered and ended the call before he turned to Huo Ling who was stunned by the sight he saw. "This is the power of a strong Soul Fragment. It can put an entire planet to sleep. But, it can also kill the beings living in it." He told him as he looked at the Hoobites lying on the ground, floor, fountain, pond, and anywhere else. They were all asleep. "Fortunately, the Soul Fragment was inside the statue of the Hoobites' god when it casted its 'spell' and it can only put the Hoobites to sleep, not kill them." He looked at Huo Ling. "You have seen what happened to Liu Lin. Liu Lin accidentally approached it as they were looking for it, only for him to almost, completely die when it attacked him." He told him. 

"How about the Soul Fragment in me?" Huo Ling asked. 

"It must be a dormant one. There's only a small side effects when it possessed you." Yi Bing answered. 

Huo Ling's face paled. He understands. If it was that hostile Soul Fragment that possessed him, then, either would he become mad, or his soul would dissipate. "Why is it doing this?" he asked. 

"As you already know, Soul Fragments are the pieces of a soul. The soul contains the memories and also the power of one's being. Thus, the Soul Fragments contains pieces of the memories of the original soul, as well as it had a sliver of its power." Yi Bing explained. "An active Soul Fragment has a normal memory of the original soul. A Soul Fragment becoming hostile must be the Soul Fragment had an unfortunate memory of the original soul. War, abuse, etc.. As for a Soul Fragment that is dormant – " he looked at Huo Ling. " – it must have a memory that is sorrowful, desperation, loss. All negative emotions, compared to the hostile Soul Fragment that received the aggressive emotions of the original soul." 

Empire, Star Gate Station. 

"Return my son and grandson to me! Return them!" the Alliance Head shouted after he and his people were captured. 

"How can we return him? He willingly came to our empire, entered illegally, created countless crimes, and killed a royalty. Your son will die, as well as your grandson." Huo Jinghua said before he coldly smiled at the Alliance Head. "Your so-called 'nationalism' that you used as an excuse is just your greed for power. I've lost a son, I'll make sure you experience it twice!" he told him. 

The Alliance Head's face pale. He knew Huo Jinghua wasn't just threatening him. He'll really do it! Because Huo Ling died, Huo Jinghua and the others started investigating, leading to the discovery of Marquis Jin's long-planned rebellion, and also his arrest in the end. 

If Marquis Jin knew this is what will happen in the end, would he still have killed Huo Ling? 

Huo Ling shouldn't have died, or everything won't happen. But, what's done has been done. They cannot return the time anymore, as well as Huo Ling's life. They can only regret.