The Heavenly Court station shatters silently in the vacuum of space, its rings disintegrating after Zetian and Qin Zheng's qì blast. Helan, restrained and gagged with spirit metal, stares in shock. Zetian and Qin Zheng share a knowing glance with Yizhi, recognizing how Yizhi misled Helan into believing they would negotiate. Zetian considers firing the Hive Queen's weapons at fleeing escape ships but holds back, hoping the tribute girls escaped safely.

Yizhi explains that due to relativistic time differences between Melia's base planet and Huaxia, it will take at least six months before any Melian reinforcement fleet can arrive. Zetian is stunned by this reprieve, realizing they have actually survived a battle they were never expected to survive.

The implications horrify Zetian. With six months of unchecked power, Qin Zheng can wage total war against the Hunduns, conscripting and devastating Huaxia in pursuit of extinction. She no longer has leverage over him: he no longer needs her to navigate to the Heavenly Court, and any other girl could co-pilot. He could discard or kill her upon return.

Qin Zheng, still holding her hand, smiles and assures her, "We're going to live, empress." Zetian wavers, tempted to trust his apparent tenderness and apologies, to believe she can rule beside him and steer him toward communicating with the Hunduns. She feigns weakness from her burn wounds, doubling over. When Qin Zheng leans in with concern, Zetian draws her sword and plunges it into his heart.