CHAPTER 261: CH 257

Now, as if rubbing salt in wounds that were fresh and open, his so-called partner was going even further, doing sowithout any filter. "Dammit, it hurts!"

"Ah, shut up, you little dumb bird! If I’m dumb, then what does that make you, the weapon spirit of a dumb master? By that logic, you’re dumb too! Look, you only just realized we were taken advantage of. You are no better when it comes to this."

"And what’s this about ’reading me like a book’? You might not know, or have forgotten, or have intentionally ignored this: Raj has comprehended a secondary Law which co-relates to Time, letting him look a couple of seconds into the future!

That is likely what he used to position his forces and gain a special advantage against me. So don’t you dare say I was being read like a book!" Damien roared as he took hold of Black Wing’s smaller manifestation in the cockpit and clenched his hands hard, causing Black Wing to crumple like a toy.

"Hey! Hey! What are you doing? Let me go—" Before Black Wing could complete his words, he was squeezed again by Damien’s attack.

While it could do no real harm, it was deeply uncomfortable for Black Wing—especially since his current manifested body couldn’t dissipate due to being forcefully contained by the now-angry Damien.

"You are in luck, Black Wing! Had it not for us being in the middle of battle, you would have seen just how I would punish you!" he snorted as he said this to Black Wing, whose form disappeared the moment he was released.

But even so, Black Wing dared not say anything at this moment, for Damien really was angry and frustrated. "Damn you, Raj! You really played your cards well this time."

"But this situation won’t repeat itself. Time and again, I’ll show you a few cards of my own as well."

"But... that’s for the future. Today is your win, and I will accept that," he muttered unwillingly, clenching his fingersinto a fist. He noticed a few ships closer to the Minotaur’s central formation bursting into a fiery ball, affecting other nearby ships.

Meanwhile, the signatures belonging to Raj’s own Marine team made their appearance once again. This time, all of them were just seconds away from boarding those four Dreadnoughts—including the Minotaur Clan’s second flagshipstationed in this star system.

This was all per the agreement they had made before joining the battle. Damien’s own elite Space Marines were not far behind and were rapidly closing in on their three targeted Dreadnoughts. They would soon board these ships as well.

[Raj’s Perspective: Several Minutes Earlier]

On the other side of the battle, several minutes earlier, Raj was taking the lead with his own squadron of space fighters—40 to 50 jets in total—followed by the 2nd Shadow Division, which he was in charge of for this battle.

Raj flew his Titan Bane. This advanced fighter jet, shaped like a trident, was covered in superior-grade technology that remained far beyond the Imperial Research and Development Department’s current capabilities.

Sustaining this advanced technology was a transcendent anti-matter power core. All of its weapons and modules were taken to another level by added runes carved into the Titan Bane’s surface.

This made it one hell of a fighter at both long and close range. At the helm was Raj himself, who had already proven himself in the first battle by instilling such fear in the enemy mind that they chose to flee rather than die by his hand.

"Avenger Squad A, B, and C will form a trident formation as we charge and decimate these few Minotaurs who dare come this close to our fleet. I’ll take the lead, attracting enemy fire while also making my move.

Then, it will be your turn to sweep in. Got it?" he asked over the comms, his plan delivered while they were still a safe distance from their targets.

"Sir, yes, sir!" came three distinct voices—one male and two female. They were the Vice Squadron Captains whom Rajhad personally chosen and trained.

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"Good. Relay it to the other sub-groups now. As for Avenger Squads D and E, you will act as a rear guard, but that won’t be your primary role. Your main job in this battle will be providing support to the 2nd Shadow Squad once they have boarded their targeted ships. Your mission will be to clean up any smaller Minotaur targets interfering with the boarding."

"For that, have your short-range warp drives prepared. I want no delays and no mistakes to happen during this transition. Am I clear to both of you Vice Captains?"

"Yes, Captain, you are, and we understand," came a string of voices from the comms, noticeably younger and male.

"Good. Start your preparations." With that, Raj closed the comms and turned his focus to the 2nd Shadow Squad.

"Captain Jack, as for you and the Marines, I want you to get to these coordinates, hold your posting under stealth, and wait for my signals before making your way to the drop point." Saying that, he shared the coordinates.

Meanwhile, aboard one of the Phantom Shadow-class frigates—a specialized variant of the Phantom Danger-class developed for stealth missions—was Captain Jack.

He was a former elite from the Indra Empire’s Special Intelligence and Stealth Operations Branch, who had personally participated in such operations on foreign soil.

Even before becoming a fleeter and undergoing centuries of specialized training to join the Void Fleet, he had significant experience. It was this background, combined with his scores, that allowed him to achieve the rank of Captain, just like Raj and Marcus.

Seeing the coordinates, Jack looked at them and went through a brief moment of contemplation before replying to Raj: "Very well, Commander Raj, it will be done as per your orders."

"Good. Over and out, Captain Jack." And with that, Raj closed the comms and finally began focusing on the little warm-up ahead.

"Let’s go, Tiamat," Raj said to the Titan Bane spirit, his partner.

"Oh, where to?" came a feminine voice from the cockpit and all around it. A beautiful lady in a small, doll-like form materialized with a mischievous smile on her face.

Upon hearing this, Raj sighed and shook his head before saying with a straight face: "Of course. On a cleaning mission to get rid of this trash in front of us and help space return to its pristine state once again."

Tiamat’s smile faded for a moment before she burst into laughter. Shaking her head, she spoke with mad laughter and a wide smile: "Yeah! On a cleaning mission we go!"

Just like that, the group of more than 50 fighter jets moved. These included the Vanguard Striker, a highly agile, A-shaped fighter built for close-range combat. Its refined forward-swept wings and integrated designs give it an edge in atmospheric battles, reaching a level few could match.

The squadron also included the newly added, heavier Nova Raptor. Built for head-to-head space combat, its armament can punch a level above itself. Just as its name implies, this craft, once locating the target, hunts it down until nothing is left.

Specifications (Unarmed): Length: 28.4 meters; Wingspan: 19.8 meters (variable geometry); Height: 3.3 meters; Mass: 62.7 tons.

Its shape and silhouette bore a minor resemblance to the Su-30 fighter jet of the Bear Empire. However, the jet primarily exhibits a highly faceted and angular design, much like stealth craft. Its wings take on a cranked kite or modified delta wing planform, blending sharply with the fuselage, and feature sharp angles. Its two engine inlets are placed on the upper surface of the fuselage, blended close to the center-line and positioned above the wings. Its tail is shaped like a V-tail arrangement.

It carries the same weaponry as the Vanguard Striker, but at a higher tier. This allows it to pose a threat to corvettes, frigates, and even lower-class destroyers, thanks to its photon blasters and other special weapons. Because of these features, this jet is becoming increasingly streamlined across the entire Void Fleet.

The squadron formally broke off into five different groups. Three of the groups formed the trident-shape formation and followed closely behind Raj’s Titan Bane.

The last two groups slowed their speed and began to flank the Minotaur’sleft flank, while the hidden 2nd Shadow Squadron also began moving toward the given coordinates.

Raj led the charge. Like an arrow, he crushed the frontal ships with an energy charge, tearing through the enemy line. Avenger Squads A, B, and C, following in their trident formation, began to take down the remaining Minotaur fighter squadrons—what little was left after two rounds of bombardment from their own ships.

Like hunters on a hunt, they began to slowly yet quickly obliterate the Minotaur fleet, which numbered no fewer than two thousand ships.

The Minotaurs tried to get a hold of the situation, but the disruption and fear that Raj repeatedly caused prevented them from mounting any effective defense or offense.