Celenova's Legion was a real handful.
Thanks to her origins in Harmony and her ability to multiply herself, Celenova was one of those commanders who could truly infiltrate her own legions and execute precision maneuvers on the scale of cosmic warfare.
That's why, unless absolutely forced, no one usually picked a fight with her willingly.
But once it was confirmed that Celenova's forces were out to destroy a civilization, the Land of Light would throw a heavy punch without hesitation.
Among the Lord Ravagers, the three great armies of Celenova, Asat Pramad, and Zephyro had all faced the Land of Light head-on.
They'd crossed blades more than once or twice.
This time, however, there was plenty of time to prepare.
Under arrangements by the Interastral Peace Corporation, nearby star systems had already been evacuated.
And since several of the 'Mothers' had joined forces with other geniuses to take action, the Land of Light's judgment was that they'd just buy time externally and play a supporting role.
They'd step in when the mothers resolved the issue or when backup was needed.
'Hertatomb' wasn't surprised by the Land of Light's choice. After all, they were the type who never proactively stirred up conflict.
"What about the Galaxy Rangers? What's their take?"
"Hmm… Same as before. They want to redeem Celenova, bring her back to the light. They'll probably still make a move on her. There's nothing we can do about that."
Ken nodded, a mix of helplessness and respect in the gesture.
Most people in the Land of Light clearly didn't know the instigator behind the Celenova incident.
Herta and Zero certainly weren't going around blabbing about it.
So, to most here, the Galaxy Rangers' persistence—for centuries, trying every possible way to pull an old 'comrade' back from the brink—was something worthy of respect in the eyes of the Land of Light.
Of course, it sounded gentle enough.
But the Rangers' method of 'persuasion' was basically throwing hands.
Whenever they got a chance, they'd swarm Celenova for a little 'chat.' No wonder Celenova was utterly fed up.
"Have they never considered giving up? Or doubted that she might not be the one they knew?"
"On that matter, the Rangers say they're aware the current Celenova probably isn't the one they remember."
"But precisely because of that, they can't stand her doing those things wearing their old comrade's face. And…"
Ken paused, then clenched his fist as if in firm agreement. "Even without that connection, Celenova's current actions alone make her a worthy target for the Galaxy Rangers' sights."
"..."
'Hertatomb' was momentarily speechless. Well, put that way… it did sound exactly like something the Galaxy Rangers would do.
"Understood. Keep an eye on intel about Celenova. When the time comes, I'll deal with her."
Since Celenova was so eager to find her, why not go and give her a personal greeting?
Although Celenova's character card had just barely broken past 90%, there probably wouldn't be time to use that form for this encounter.
Still, the current Irontomb was plenty strong.
The Herta consciousness that had been suppressing Irontomb's power had been transferred out.
Without that other Herta's consciousness holding it back, Irontomb's power had clearly grown much stronger.
While it was too late now to break free from the Erudition's calculations and return to its peak, as far as Lord Ravagers went, its strength was definitely in the upper tier.
Plus, relying on Irontomb's Equation of Destruction gave it a solid advantage against Celenova, who loved legion-scale warfare.
As for 'Hertatomb' volunteering, Captain Ken had no objections.
Although this one among the three Mothers was quite mysterious, the sheer sight of that colossal form docked outside the starship made it obvious she was a serious force.
Ken wasn't sure why Mother preferred this style of appearance, but he understood and respected it.
"Understood. But before that, mother, would you like to communicate with the person in charge of the Galaxy Rangers?"
"Of course. Where are they now?"
"The Galaxy Rangers' Fleet has joined us. Their person in charge is here right now. I'll take you to her."
Her?
'Hertatomb' raised an eyebrow.
Wasn't La Mancha leading this operation?
Was someone else simply assigned, or had he already stepped aside for a successor?
As for him passing from old age… 'Hertatomb' found that unlikely.
Given La Mancha's status, extending his lifespan would be simple.
Extremely so—a straight-up mechanical ascension would do it.
The Galaxy Rangers, constantly at war, had high casualty rates, so such modifications were common. And with centuries of good relations with the Land of Light, their prosthetic tech had probably advanced even further.
Following Ken deep into the ship's interior, he contacted the Rangers' person in charge on the way.
Though he didn't reveal 'Hertatomb''s true identity, he still received an enthusiastic response.
Except… the voice on the other end sounded oddly familiar. Like someone she'd heard before?
Maybe someone she'd met during the campaign against Zulo all those years ago.
By the way, compared to her memories of the Land of Light, the giants here mostly lived at normal human size in daily life.
Within the Land of Light, whether to live as giants or at normal size was a bit of a debate—like the sweet vs. salty tofu brain argument.
The design of various warships accommodated operation in giant form, but the main structures were adapted for normal human height.
'Hertatomb' thought about it and could understand the reasons.
First, the giants here weren't a uniform 50-meter class.
Second, aside from Zero and a few others, the other giants had evolved from ordinary people of different worlds. Their loved ones and friends were all normal-sized. They obviously couldn't live year-round as giants. So, over time, it had become like this.
--+--
Following Ken into an area resembling a command center, 'Hertatomb' then saw someone entirely unexpected.
"Mothe—ahem, Madam 'Hertatomb', this is the person in charge of the Rangers for this operation, Madam Baiheng."
"Hello, I'm Baiheng."
Baiheng looked much changed from her memory—more mature and reserved, no longer the lively, outgoing figure she recalled.
Her clothing style had also transformed dramatically, with a broad neckerchief covering her throat.
The Xianzhou flavor was noticeably diminished, replaced by a stronger Ranger feel. Her overall bearing had grown sharper.
"Hello, Miss Baiheng."
"Madam Baiheng is from the Foxian race of the Xianzhou, though she left due to certain circumstances. She is one of the Rangers who frequently interacts with us."
Baiheng was surprised that Ken would directly introduce her background like that.
Though she hadn't deliberately concealed it—she hadn't even changed her name—the Land of Light had always been very tactful in external dealings.
Considering this strange 'Hertatomb' was said to be Madam Herta's creation, and given the undeniable sense of oppression, she probably reported directly to the Land of Light's upper echelons.
"Yes, I know. One of the former High Cloud Quintet of the Cloud Knights, right? I didn't expect to meet you here. Not long ago, Jingliu was just telling me about you."
"Jingliu?! You've seen Jingliu recently? How is she?"
Just as expected. The mention of Jingliu's name instantly animated this white-haired fox.
--+--