The Empire in Collapse

"Why has it come to this..."

An imperial fleet deployed in orbit above the capital planet of the Holy Rimulia Empire.

Emperor Elran Rimulia clenched his fist upon the throne of the imperial flagship, Steinflügel, the flagship of the entire imperial fleet.

Behind his decision to abdicate the throne to escape the scheming of the current Rimulia Galactic Emperor William, Elran had his own plans.

By showing submission to William and relinquishing the throne in exchange for securing the position of Supreme Commander of the Space Fleet, Elran gained actual control over the imperial military forces.

Subsequently, he led the invasion of the Damura Star Cluster Commonwealth, giving the appearance of gradually deploying forces while actually drawing most of the imperial space fleet away from William, thereby seizing substantial military power for himself.

And, having established control in a distant region from the homeland, he waited for the right opportunity to launch a counter-invasion of the Rimulian Galactic Empire, declaring the establishment of a new empire and eliminating William to seize the imperial throne.

Though far from perfect, the plan held strong potential for success, and indeed, it was progressing smoothly.

The plan had already accounted for potential intervention by other nations after capturing the Damura Constellation Commonwealth, but it was at this point that flaws began to emerge.

Although the initial phase had gone smoothly—declaring the establishment of the new nation and declaring war on the Rimurian Galactic Empire immediately after capturing the Damura Constellation Commonwealth—the unexpected intervention of the Acneria Galactic Federation came as a surprise.

Regardless, he had anticipated foreign intervention—particularly from the Acneria Galactic Federation—but the speed and scale of their involvement exceeded Elran's expectations.

From Elran's perspective, he had planned to conquer the Rimuria Galactic Empire before any foreign powers intervened, aiming to solidify the structure of the Holy Rimuria Empire. However, in the end, the Holy Rimuria Empire found itself forced into a two-front war against both the Rimuria Galactic Empire and the Acneria Galactic Federation.

Fortunately, William's forces had been weakened and our own army strengthened, so the campaign against the Rimuria Galactic Empire was progressing in our favor.

Although the Rimuria Galactic Empire still maintains a large number of star fleets, its delicate relations with neighboring states force it to station fleets across various regions not only to defend its vast territory but also to keep a watchful eye on those neighboring countries, preventing it from concentrating its forces effectively.

In addition, there are nobles and space fleets that, under various pretexts, remain neutral in the sibling rivalry between Elran and William.

As a result, William has had to mobilize even the private fleet of trusted nobles to strengthen his defenses.

Although William has sufficient chances of victory against the Rimelian Galactic Empire, the crisis caused by the fierce attacks from the Akneria Galactic Federation far outweighs this advantage.

Elran's strategies were constantly falling behind the Akneria forces, who were swiftly liberating the former Damura Star Union Kingdom territories with lightning-fast operations. The Akneria Fleet, joined by the reorganized Damura Star Union Kingdom Fleet, was now advancing ever closer to the orbital regions surrounding the capital planet.

"What on earth should I do...?"

Elran muttered through gritted teeth, a hand gently placed on his shoulder from behind.

"It'll be okay. You'll manage."

"Sister..."

It was Eseria.

"Elran, your goal is to reclaim the empire from William, isn't it? The conquest of Damra and the establishment of a new nation are merely stepping stones. Now that your preparations are complete and the declaration to the empire has been made, giving you the upper hand in battle, there's no need to cling to this country anymore."

"Abandon the capital?"

"Yes, once you've secured the empire under your control, this resource-poor nation will only be an obstacle. Simply abandon most of your territory and keep only a portion bordering the empire. Reclaim the empire's lands, strengthen your nation, and then re-unify at a later time. You're capable of doing just that."

Elran nodded firmly, his gaze locked by Ezelia's third eye on her forehead.

【Akneria Grand Flagship Astraios】

In the space approaching the capital planet of the Holy Rimuria Empire, the Akneria Galactic Federation Fleet and the Damura Star Cluster Principality Fleet had gathered.

The Akneria Fleet, beginning with the Second Fleet, consisted of three fleets, while the Damura Star Cluster Principality Fleet, though not fully equipped, managed to field two fleets.

In addition, another fleet detachment had gathered in a different sector of space, preparing for a coordinated attack from three directions.

"Report from the vanguard reconnaissance fleet! The majority of the enemy fleet previously deployed in orbit around their capital planet has begun moving. They're heading toward the Rimlia Galaxy Empire."

Upon hearing the report, Alenbal nodded quietly.

"They're not likely to linger in the Damura Constellation Commonwealth's territory. Their focus is clearly on launching an attack against the Rimlia Galaxy Empire."

This development falls within Alenbal's expectations.

"What would you recommend? Should we pursue them?"

"What about the enemy fleet still stationed near the capital planet?"

"The enemy's Second Fleet, retreating from the front lines. Since their numbers aren't large, if we dispatch part of our forces here and combine that with our main fleet, we can launch a surprise attack on the enemy's main fleet from behind."

Alenbal shook his head in response to the副官's words.

"Even if we pursue them, we'll only catch up near the border of the Rimulia Galactic Empire. That would result in a three-way conflict between the two empires and us. Moreover, our supreme objective is the liberation of the Damura Star Cluster Republic from the Holy Rimulia Empire. Expanding the conflict to include the Rimulia Galactic Empire would stray from our original purpose. We must prioritize the liberation of the Damura Star Cluster Republic."

"Understood!"

We certainly could win if we pursued them.

However, reclaiming the Damura Star Cluster Republic's territory and rebuilding the republic remain our top priorities.

"There's no need to get involved in the empire's internal conflict. Let's leave the final blow to the detachment..."

Arenval ordered the entire fleet to advance.

The empire's collapse had begun.