Time went by little by little.
The Demon Race interstellar fleet was like a thing sunk in a mire: however they struggled, they could not win free, but only sank the faster for it.
The Owl Dragon legions ringing them stood across their breakout routes like walls of bronze and iron.
And from time to time there was fire support besides from interstellar missiles or interstellar heavy artillery.
Interstellar air-superiority had been lost long since; their interstellar fighters and interstellar drones, once they took off, would assuredly not survive above 10 minutes.
And hidden within all this were certain "assassins."
These "assassins" roved the field like so many ghosts, seeking their chance, hunting the higher-grade interstellar warships.
The prey was generally among the main battle types of the Demon Race's T4 interstellar warships.
Such as the T4 Demon-Hunter-class Medium Interstellar Battlecruiser and its like.
To destroy these demon main battle types at the least cost and in the least time could break the enemy's morale severely.
"Report… our breakout has failed once again." The adjutant came before the Red Demon Fifth Legion commander and made his report.
To a case of this kind, this demon commander was perhaps grown used long since.
For in the several hours before this, he had heard reports of the same sort far too many times.
Along with the word that the Red Demon Fourth Legion flagship had been destroyed, that portion of the demon elite fleet had likewise been annihilated by the Owl Dragon legion fleets in a very short time.
Left with no choice, this demon commander could only give up at the time the thought of pressing the breakout further, gather in his own remaining elite fleet, and huddle together with the other Red Demon legions.
Thereafter, several further attempts at a breakout.
But all of them failed.
"We have lost our one best chance. They will not give us a shred of a chance to break out again. They mean to annihilate us here entire," this demon commander said, his spirit gone out of him.
Then he looked at the demon fleet upon the interstellar table, cut into several pieces. "How many interstellar warships have we now?"
The adjutant checked, and answered hesitantly, "Under… under 100,000…"
"100,000 left…" The demon commander gave a foolish laugh.
The number was great; but he knew clearly that before their opponent they were already like a fierce tiger stripped of claws and teeth, and posed no great threat.
What remained was only the question of how much time it would take to destroy them.
For of the two T5 Blade-of-Terror-class Medium Interstellar Battlecruisers, one was destroyed and one half-crippled.
Of 30,000 T4 interstellar warships, under 5,000 were left now, and in no good case either.
Beyond that, there were only those T3 interstellar warships.
And the enemy's interstellar missiles seemed a store that could never be used up; about every hour they would loose a covering fire-strike upon one district or another.
Beyond that, the enemy's other interstellar warships were of very strong combat performance too — draw out any one of them and it surpassed their own interstellar warships of the same grade and type.
It looked as though hope remained; in fact they had become the fish and flesh upon the enemy's chopping block.
"My lord Commander… what if… we try once more!" the adjutant inquired with great care.
Try once more?
The demon commander shook his head; at the bottom of his eyes was nothing but despair, though he covered that despair over very soon.
Though perhaps it might indeed be tried once more — only that this attempt would not be for their own sakes.
"Pass my order: gather every T4 interstellar warship that can be brought together now. 20 minutes from now, together with my flagship, Blade of Terror Hull No.017, launch a last wave of breakout fighting. The flagship, Blade of Terror Hull No.017, takes the charging task!" The demon commander handed down his combat order.
At hearing this order, the adjutant and no few demon officers about him were dumbfounded.
This… this… was this not a death-order sending the flagship to be killed?
With the T5 Blade of Terror taking the charging task, the enemy's aim would fall upon the T5 Blade of Terror first of all; without a word said, they could all picture what would happen then.
"Commander—" The adjutant and the subordinates made to urge him otherwise.
But this demon commander only sat quietly in the captain's chair. "Say no more. This is my order. This starship and I are fated to be unable to leave this place. Then at the least… let me and it make a little chance for the rest."
In this moment they all understood this demon commander's intent.
In fact, this demon commander did not himself believe his own last words; but this was likewise the only thing he could do now.
As for whether it could succeed, that could only be left to heaven's will.
Very soon, the Demon Race fleet's side had gathered an elite fleet once more, with that T5 Blade-of-Terror-class Medium Interstellar Battlecruiser Hull No.017 foremost, every gun firing, like a beast run mad.
"Is this… the last death-struggle?" Lilith, seeing the sight, said it in a mutter.
But Zhao Chen's eyes lit up, and he rose to his feet despite himself. "No — this is no death-struggle. Look behind this breakout fleet: a great number of fleets have made ready to break out. I never thought the Demon Race held a commander of this kind. To use his own flagship as the vanguard that opens the road — by which the probability of tearing a gap open is greatly increased. And by that time the remaining fleets can unfold their breakout, and the rate of success will be greatly increased as well."
Hearing this, Lilith was astonished. "Then is our ring not in danger?"
Zhao Chen shook his head. "This war's ending is settled already; and though this commander's spirit is worthy of respect, it can no longer alter anything. With two T5 flagships lost, our own T5 interstellar warships have no opponent left, and may hunt at will upon the field. A great number of T4 interstellar warships are destroyed, and the T4 interstellar warships remaining are in the main barely drawing breath. The spearhead has gone from that long spear of their fleet's."
Hearing the Commander's words, Lilith looked to the field.
Charlotte's Owl Dragon First Legion responded very soon to this move of the enemy's.
That T5 Blade-of-Terror-class Medium Interstellar Battlecruiser foremost in the charge naturally wanted particular attention.
Several T4 Gorgon-class Heavy Interstellar Heavy-Artillery Ships locked onto it at long range and kept up a sustained bombardment.
Though they were only T4 interstellar warships, against a half-crippled T5 Blade of Terror they were more than enough.
The star shield was very soon spent, and thereafter the hull faced the bombardment bare.
The hull armor was very soon covered over with wounds.
Thereafter, several T5 Chaos-Knight-class Heavy Assault Interstellar Destroyers, long since made ready, went out to meet it, and using "traction beams" dragged this T5 Blade-of-Terror-class Medium Interstellar Battlecruiser fast.
The purpose, naturally, being to take this flagship as nearly whole as might be.
Only, to their sorrow, this flagship's commander was truly a valiant man.
At the moment this flagship was about to fall entirely, explosions broke out in several places aboard her, and thereafter came a string of sympathetic detonations.
The degree of destruction far surpassed that earlier T5 Blade of Terror!
So much so that it had its effect upon the several T5 Chaos-Knights that had closed in, though the threat was not great.
The Demon Race fleet's two T5 Blade-of-Terror-class Medium Interstellar Battlecruisers were now declared fallen, both of them!