272: The inevitable war for the founding of a nation

Crossbell, Defense Force Headquarters.

Sonia Belz stood on the command platform of the training ground, her gaze sweeping over the neatly arrayed soldiers below.

Three days ago, when the first batch of Interstellar Peace Corporation’s military supplies arrived in Crossbell, even a seasoned Commander like her couldn't help but be shocked by the equipment before her.

These were not weapons that any country on the Zemuria continent could produce. At least, she had never seen or even heard of them.

"Attention, all!" Her voice echoed through the loudspeaker, "Today we will conduct a live-fire exercise with the new equipment!"

The soldiers straightened their backs, their eyes gleaming with excitement and nervousness. They wore brand-new combat suits, the dark material shimmering in the sunlight, with unknown alloy armor plates embedded at the chest and joints.

But what was most striking was the exoskeleton device strapped to their backs.

It was a streamlined mechanical frame, fitted to the soldiers' backs and limbs, incredibly light, yet capable of providing an astonishing power boost when activated.

"First squad, step forward!"

Ten soldiers stepped forward, their movements perfectly synchronized.

Sonia's gaze fell on the weapons in their hands; they were oddly shaped rifles without traditional magazines, replaced instead by a subtly glowing energy core.

"Electromagnetic rifle, single-shot mode, target the armored dummy ahead!"

The soldiers quickly raised their weapons, aiming at the heavy armored targets three hundred meters away. These targets were made of the same material as the Empire's latest tank armor, thick enough to withstand continuous fire from conventional Orbal rifles.

This armor plate was acquired by President Dieter with great difficulty, using his personal connections.

"Fire!"

"Bang—!"

Ten 'beams' shot out simultaneously, leaving only a faint, almost imperceptible scent of scorching in the air.

The distant armored targets were instantly pierced, the high-temperature molten metal dripping like liquid, leaving an irregular, smooth hole about the size of a bowl in the center of each target.

The training ground was silent, and the soldiers' eyes burned with intense light.

Inside her office, Sonia received the latest test data, which contained incredible figures.

"Individual exoskeleton, five times strength amplification, three times mobility enhancement, seventy-two hours of continuous combat time."

"Electromagnetic rifle, effective range one thousand five hundred meters, penetration power within the extreme effective range is sufficient to pierce the front armor of the Empire's latest tanks."

Her adjutant stood by, his brows furrowed: "This technology is definitely superior to the Empire's. But why has there never been any news of it?"

"Could it be that the Interstellar Peace Corporation is related to the Thirteen Workshop? But even the Thirteen Workshop might not have such technology, right?"

"Perhaps, but that's irrelevant to us soldiers." Sonia nodded, then shook her head, "We have only one mission, and that is to protect Crossbell. The rest is not for us to worry about."

"With this equipment, a single squad is enough to suppress a company or even a regiment from the Empire or the Republic."

"If used concentratedly, we could even establish an unbreakable defense line along the border."

"That may be true, but the quantity is still too small." A hint of worry flashed in the Chief of Staff's eyes, "Current war preparations are only enough to equip three elite squadrons. While barely sufficient to establish a defense line, what if both nations launch a full-scale attack...?"

Sonia's fists clenched slightly: "So we need time. If they just give us one more month, we can arm at least two more regiments."

"I just don't know how much time the President can buy for us?"

As Sonia was pondering, her adjutant received the latest orders. President Dieter sent a message, asking Minister Sonia to go to the Presidential Palace immediately for an important discussion.

"Why at this time?"

Although Sonia was puzzled, she left the base at the first opportunity and drove to the city center.

......

Crossbell, Presidential Palace.

Dieter Crois stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of the presidential office, looking out over the entire city.

A slight smile played on his lips, his eyes gleaming with barely concealed excitement.

Finally, it was about to happen!

After a week of preparation, the day countless predecessors had yearned for, Crossbell finally officially declared its independence today.

Outside the Presidential Palace, the crowd in the square cheered, ribbons and balloons floated in the air, and the huge Crossbell national flag fluttered in the wind.

"Mr. President." Speaker McDowell's voice came from behind him, steady and firm, "The diplomatic notes from the Empire and the Republic have arrived."

Dieter turned around, took the document, and scanned its contents, the smile on his lips gradually turning cold.

"Heh, 'accidental injury during exercise'?" His voice carried a hint of sarcasm, "Are they too lazy to even bother with such a shoddy excuse?"

On the document, the diplomatic language of the Empire and the Republic was grandiloquent, but the core message was only one.

It demanded that the Crossbell Defense Force retreat thirty kilometers, otherwise the joint military exercise of the two nations might "accidentally injure" Crossbell's border garrisons.

Speaker McDowell's brows were tightly furrowed: "This is clearly a provocation."

"It's more than just a provocation." Dieter shook his head, a sharp glint in his eyes, "This is a test."

"They want to see if we dare to resist."

"They also want to see how much capability and determination the Corporation truly has."

Just then, there was a soft knock on the office door, and Sonia Belz walked in quickly. Her military uniform was crisp, the general's stars on her epaulets shone brightly, but there was a hint of worry between her brows.

"Mr. President, the latest intelligence from the border." She handed a report to Dieter, "The Empire's armored divisions have entered a state of readiness, and the Republic's armored group armies are also moving towards the border."

Dieter took the report, his gaze quickly scanning it, the smile on his lips not diminishing in the slightest: "As expected, they can't sit still."

Sonia's fingertips tightened slightly: "Mr. President, although our new equipment's performance far exceeds expectations, if both nations launch a full-scale attack simultaneously..."

"We won't collapse at the first touch like in the past, but..." Her voice carried a hint of hesitation: "We probably won't last more than three months."

Speaker McDowell's expression also became solemn: "The military strength of the Empire and the Republic is dozens of times greater than ours. Even with an equipment advantage, it will be very difficult to compensate for the numerical disparity."

Dieter's gaze swept over the two of them, then he suddenly burst into laughter: "Hahaha... You two are still too conservative!"

His laughter carried an indescribable confidence, as if he had already seen through everything.

"Follow me." He turned and walked towards a hidden door deep within the office, "I'll show you something."

Speaker McDowell and Sonia exchanged a look, a hint of confusion in their eyes, but they followed him.