Chapter 23: Unyielding Resolve

As the command was issued, Ethan looked at Moni, his heart surging with determination. Even though he knew he was no match for Moni, he still wanted to give it a try. If he couldn't win, at least he could hold her off.

"I'll handle Moni. The rest of the demons are yours. Go!" Ethan commanded with natural authority, but it sparked discontent in Angel Cold.

"Tch, you won't even know how you die, and yet you dare..." Angel Cold's words were abruptly cut off by the sudden explosion.

Rewinding a few seconds, Ethan had just issued orders to Aiden. Aiden immediately controlled the high-energy electromagnetic railguns and other weapons at the spaceport, along with the high-energy plasma streams on all Nova satellites, to lock onto the first, second, and third-generation demons worldwide.

Aiden, who controlled all the spaceports and satellites, had kept the weapons in a fully charged state. Following Ethan's command to fire on all demons, it only took a few seconds to lock on to the targets, and then the fully charged weapons began continuous firing in sequence.

Among the targeted demons were Moni, Xueyi, Ato, and the Black Duo, all standing not far from Ethan. The electromagnetic railgun projectiles traveled through Nova's atmosphere so swiftly that they hit their targets within a second of being fired.

When the railgun projectiles hit Moni and her team, they were focused on Ethan, Angel Hikan, and others. Their genetic engines and Demon One issued warnings, but before they could react, they were hit by the railgun projectiles, followed by explosions.

From Angel Hikan, Angel Cold, and Angel Zui's perspective, a flash of fire instantly struck Moni and her group. Angel Cold was in the middle of her disdainful remarks when the railgun hit its target, cutting her off with an explosion.

"Aiden, keep firing the electromagnetic railguns. Continue suppressing Demon King Moni and launch three standard-yield nuclear missiles. Don't give her a moment to breathe!" Ethan ordered.

"Understood, boss!" Aiden responded.

The electromagnetic railguns wouldn't kill Moni, nor Xueyi, Ato, or the Black Duo, but they could injure and suppress them. The standard-yield nuclear missiles were the real threat.

Three seconds after the first wave of electromagnetic railguns hit, the second wave struck the targets. Then the third wave, and the fourth...

A dozen seconds later, three missiles, traveling at over Mach 500, arrived belatedly. Ethan had already retreated to a safe distance with Angel Hikan and the others. As he watched the missiles carrying nuclear warheads hit their targets, his heart tightened.

"Boom!"

A deafening explosion followed. Fortunately, those present were not ordinary beings. Day turned into night, and the nuclear blast became a new sun, the sole light between heaven and earth.

Gazing at the distant, sun-like fireball, Ethan and his companions were awestruck.

"Isn't this a bit extravagant? Using nukes so casually?" Angel Cold said, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead. She was astonished. Though she had seen more shocking scenes, a civilization with no space travel capabilities having the courage to use nuclear weapons so freely was something new to her.

"As long as we can protect the people of Nova, we don't care!" Ethan shook his head, his eyes unwavering, full of resolve.

"It's still hard to believe. Even if you win, the environmental damage will be significant!" Angel Hikan, Angel Cold, and Angel Zui couldn't understand. As young angels, they had been sheltered by Divine Kaisa and had never experienced the life-or-death struggles of their civilization. They were too powerful to grasp the determination of lower civilizations.

"Without the people of Nova, what use are these nuclear weapons or this planet? No matter the cost, protecting our people is paramount!" Seeing their confusion, Ethan sighed inwardly. He tried to explain, but felt a bit disappointed. The angels had been on their high horses for too long, even their belief in justice seemed detached...

Even Angel Hikan was puzzled but remained silent.

"Enough, Moni won't die so easily. Prepare for battle!" Ethan turned back, ending the conversation. This was no time for talk. He refocused on the demons.

Rewinding time slightly, when the first wave of railgun projectiles hit, Moni was startled by the warning from Demon One. In a split second, she used her Demon Claws to shield herself, not caring about Xueyi and the others.

Before she could catch her breath, Demon One's warning sounded again. She could only shout, "Damn it, Xueyi, Ato, Black Duo, get over here! The second wave is coming!"

Xueyi, having just upgraded to the third-generation god body, managed to survive the railgun hit thanks to her divine body, although she was struggling. Ato and the Black Duo, lacking god bodies, were worse off. They instinctively dodged slightly, turning what would have been chest hits into arm hits, effectively becoming one-armed warriors.

Hearing Moni's urgent call, they scrambled to her side, where she shielded them with her Demon Claws.

"Damn it, A'Tai, what kind of intel is this? We didn't know they had such weapons! Are you trying to get me killed?" Moni raged at A'Tai on Demon One, her face flushed with anger.

A'Tai, busy cracking the dark info barrier, was caught off guard. He had underestimated this pre-nuclear civilization, assuming Moni could handle them easily. Hearing her fury, he broke out in a cold sweat.

"Sorry, Queen, I didn't expect them to have such weapons. I'll do better next time."

"Next time? If we survive this, I'll turn you into a eunuch!" Moni continued her tirade, but A'Tai didn't dare cut the communication. Suddenly, an alarm on his screen made his face pale.

"Queen, stop! They've launched three nuclear missiles, and they're almost here!"

"What? Damn it, this is insane! Start calculating the wormhole coordinates!" Moni's orders were cut off as A'Tai frantically worked on Demon One. But an unexpected surge of computational power appeared...

"Damn it, who is it?"