A wall.
A towering stone wall engraved with a bas-relief of a crowned princess.
Through the breach in the thick fortress wall, Selene could see, via the imaging device, that behind the crumbling masonry lay vast swaths of vivid crimson.
Faces—countless human faces, magnified to human-scale proportions.
These "materials," serving as the foundation and core framework of the wall, lacked skin; their surfaces were flushed red, exposing stark white skulls and crimson muscle tissue without any concealment.
At a collapsed corner of the wall, the aftermath of bombardment had flung a massive red giant's remains deep into the ground. Stripped of stone covering, its features were grotesquely exaggerated compared to a normal human body—thick legs, thin arms, and a small head.
It looked as if, when manufacturing anatomical human models, someone had entered the wrong parameters, producing a result with wildly distorted proportions. Except—there were no gen||itals.
Pssssshhhh—
Beneath the fallen wall, steam rose between severed giant leg bones. Heat shimmered in the air, distorting the view—a clear sign of high temperature.
At the edge of the plasma beam's impact, where the wall had been breached, the bricks and unknown crystalline materials had melted, dripping like molten metal onto the stone-paved streets below with gudong sounds, hissing and bubbling like boiling water.
"Colossal Titans…"
Reflected in Selene's scarlet pupils were the massive, cable-like muscle fibers of these "building material" giants. Tossing aside the Kha battle report, she shifted her gaze and paused briefly at the operations briefing of the Astartes Second Legion's Valkyrie Detachment displayed by the adjutant.
ROAR!
Drawing her gaze away from the steam-shrouded, regenerating Colossal Titan's severed legs, Selene looked up toward the ape-like Titan standing atop the inner fortress wall, at least fifty meters high, its entire body covered in dense, dark brown fur.
"The Beast Titan."
A sly smile tugged at Selene's lips—part cunning, part desire. It was the smile of a child discovering a new toy, of a collector finding a rare treasure.
Almost at the same time, a loud thunderclap echoed from the distance.
BOOM—!
Above the clouds, golden lightning snaked through the sky before striking down, exploding amidst rows of stone and timber buildings—European medieval-style houses with pointed tile roofs.
Faint roars followed.
"Your Majesty…"
The cautious voice of Xytan 'Jar Wattinree broke the silence.
"The natives of this world—according to the adjutant's analysis—their technological level remains pre-nuclear. Varying by region, most appear in the early stages of industrialization. No signs of supernatural energy detected. These giants, forgive my presumption, though unexpected, pose no real threat. Your Majesty seems quite interested in them… May I ask what makes them special…?"
Thud. Thud. Thud—
"Eldia. Marley… This could serve as an excellent testing ground."
Selene leaned against a small table, her fingers tapping lightly, eyes deep in thought.
"Kiana—she's training under Budo, isn't she?"
"Captain Kiana Kaslana? Yes, Your Majesty. The Captain has recently withdrawn from General Budo's front-line campaign for recovery. She and Lieutenant General Sakazuki of the Auxiliary Forces are preparing to depart for—"
"Tell her she doesn't need to go."
Selene emphasized, "You'll oversee the campaign; she'll handle the aftermath. A simple matter—just…" She paused, glancing at the projection of the Sangheili Legion's supreme commander.
Xytan 'Jar Wattinree immediately understood and reported, "Punisher Legion sequence code—Conquered World 202149."
"Assign Captain Kiana Kaslana to oversee the reorganization of the 202149th Auxiliary Regiment under the Punishers Legion. Let's see what she's learned from her time with Budo."
Upon hearing Selene's words, Xytan 'Jar Wattinree froze for a brief moment before bowing deeply. "By your command!"
Kaslana.
So the rumors were true—Captain Kiana indeed had an unusual connection with Her Majesty. She was likely a descendant of the divine lineage—whether from the paternal or maternal side.
Even if there was no blood relation, the bond between them was undeniable.
But how could their personalities be so vastly different?
"Dismissed. Although the humans of World 202149 are mere mortals, with little of value worth noting, the Eldians among them are at least the best among the inferior. They still hold some worth."
"Wattinree, one more task: eliminate all resistance. Locate every Eldian across the world, gather and contain them. Their bloodline is… unique—and valuable. Do not waste them."
With this single order from Selene, the fate of Eldia and Marley was destined to change completely.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Zzzzt—
As the communication with the Empress ended, Xytan 'Jar Wattinree's four-jawed mouth split into a broad grin. Straightening his tall frame, he gazed toward the horizon several kilometers away. "It seems… we'll need reinforcements."
Across the battlefield, around the Scarab 47B–3 Heavy Assault Platform, only scattered bursts of explosions and intermittent gunfire could be heard.
"For the Divine Empress!"
The Sangheili elite warriors led the charge, commanding the Grunts, Jackals, and other former Covenant subspecies like a raging tide. Thousands of armored figures surged over the fortress base, breaking through the swarming, grappling figures leaping wildly through the air.
They were agile—but the Sangheili were no less so.
The overwhelming power of advanced technology allowed them to climb walls and dash across rooftops with ease. Accompanied by the crisp crack of needler rifles, sharp crystal shards traced curved trajectories through the air, guided by heat signatures and organic targets locked by their weapons' systems.
They pierced the bodies of those darting between buildings, one after another. Within seconds, the crystal shards detonated, scattering glittering fragments like a shower of glass and petals. Blood rained down upon the city streets.
Splash!
Bodies plummeted from heights of dozens of meters, crashing into the moat below and sending up massive columns of water. Others hit the cobblestone streets, bursting into grotesque splashes of flesh and blood.
In the streets, uniformed soldiers clutching bolt-action rifles tried desperately to form ranks under their officers' shouted orders, suppressing their terror.
"Counterattack! We are the proud warriors of Marley—" Splat!
A high-explosive grenade round landed squarely in their formation, erupting in a fireball and thick brown smoke. The soldiers, barely formed into rank, were flung skyward like rag dolls.
In the blink of an eye, the street was littered with corpses and shattered limbs.
Imperial auxiliary troopers, clad in iron-gray powered armor and armed with laser rifles and various kinetic and electromagnetic weapons, marched swiftly through the cleared streets.
The cobblestone road beneath their boots was uneven, marked with the deep grooves of old carriage wheels. As they ran, they kicked up a fine cloud of dust tinged faintly with red.
Amid the shouts of the Imperial troopers, surrendering civilians and soldiers emerged from the houses with trembling hands raised high.
This scene repeated itself again and again along the fortress walls and within the inner citadel. The peaceful lives of the inhabitants were shattered—or rather, they had long since been destroyed. This land had already become the battlefield for two opposing native powers. But the arrival of a third invading force shook everyone's hearts to their core.
Whooosh—!
Assault gunboats swept low across the battlefield, roaring over the heads of terrified soldiers and staggering Titans, delivering greetings of fire.
Rotary cannons, high-explosive shells, storm rockets, and 105mm cannons thundered in unison. Flames surged; flesh and blood erupted. Each barrage shook the earth, lifting clouds of dust that fell again like rain.
Smoke curled and lingered—but there was no point in repairs, for the Titans had been reduced to nothing but smoldering heaps of melting flesh.
It was too easy.
There was not the faintest ripple in Xytan 'Jar Wattinree's heart.
No wild streams of laser-guided munitions, no terrifying shrieks of heavy plasma cannons, no fields scorched by endless bombardment, no—
To the Sangheili, and indeed to the Imperial soldiers participating in this conquest, the campaign was as leisurely as a poetic stroll through a park.
And indeed, it truly was.
The battle was so effortless that even a fleet commander like Wattinree dared to personally land with a few armored vehicles for a "ground observation" trip—to assess the trial performance of his new Sangheili recruits and the first combat evaluations of several newly formed Imperial auxiliary regiments.
The Imperial Navy fleet in low orbit hadn't even conducted standard artillery preparation, let alone orbital bombardment.
The Titan Legions, heavy artillery units, armored divisions, atmospheric strike wings, Astartes warriors, and Imperial auxiliaries had barely been deployed.
That would have been bullying.
"Order the fleet to deploy more ground troops. The relaxed parade is over—accelerate the pace! Tell the warriors we have a new mission…"
Then—Boom!
Wattinree's eyes widened as he saw, several kilometers away, the Beast Titan's head blasted clean off by a single recoilless cannon shot. What shocked him more was the figure that leapt from the Titan's neck.
A man—bare-chested—emerged from the creature's spine.
A grin flashed across Wattinree's face. "Capture him! Alive!"
...
Provisional Inquisition Universe III–2107, Koprulu Sector, in orbit over Planet Char, aboard the Meteor Devastation.
Hak Foo was panicking.
Her Majesty hadn't seemed to care about his violation of the Imperial Command Regulations—but now… She was right behind him!!!
I'm doomed!
Burying his head behind the tactical command platform, Hak Foo mimicked the mannerisms of the First Company Captain handling administrative reports—pretending to process documents with an air of forced seriousness. If not for his constantly darting eyes, he might have looked convincing.
Don't slip up! Don't—
"That's enough."
Starlight poured through the crystal windows, scattering across the grand bridge in dreamlike hues. From her high captain's throne, Selene sat naturally above all.
"Paperwork doesn't suit you."
"First Company Captain!"
"At your command!" The Black Templars' Second Great Company's First Captain immediately stepped forward from the shadows, bowing deeply.
"Relieve your commander from his suffering."
"Ah—Your Majesty…" Awkwardly vacating his seat, Hak Foo rubbed his hands nervously at the foot of the dais.
Selene gave him a sidelong glance and casually picked up the report beside her. It was filled with data concerning the United Earth Directorate Fleet and its supreme commander—Marshal Gerard DuGalle.
The United Earth Directorate was, after all, humanity's homeworld government—far beyond the ragtag rebels of the Koprulu Sector. Whether in military technology or civil advancement, they were leagues ahead, wielding weapons and systems that the Koprulu humans had yet to even comprehend.
As for why the United Earth Directorate Fleet suffered defeat during the Brood War under the combined assault of the Koprulu Sector's factions—
After reviewing the captured UED ship wreckage and analyzing the recovered AI data logs, Selene could only conclude one thing: they had only themselves to blame.
To prevent their advanced technology from being leaked and falling into the hands of the Koprulu humans, and to simplify logistical transport, the United Earth Directorate Expeditionary Fleet had deliberately decided to use the region's outdated weaponry for this campaign.
They hadn't even brought their true advanced armaments to the Koprulu Sector war.
Thus, it was no surprise that the UED fleet fought the local humans using nearly identical technology and equipment—after all, they shared the same ancestral origin.
And in hindsight, this decision was… far from wise.
Thud!
Selene lightly smacked the folder she had been reading against Hak Foo's forehead, rubbing her temples as she muttered, "The Empire really can't afford any more brutes."
"Go, Hak Foo. This is your mission. I want to see the twin-headed eagle banner of the Empire flying above the UED capital. Remember—what I want is not ruins."
"For Selene! I swear to fulfill Your will, even unto death!"
Hak Foo turned on his heel and rushed out of Selene's sight like a gust of wind.
Shaking her head slightly, Selene raised her gaze toward the skylight. The pale starlight illuminated her flawless face. In her crimson eyes, the golden diamond-shaped cross expanded faintly as her focus drifted.
Her thoughts wandered.
Over the years, Durandal, Fu Hua, Raiden Mei, Li Sushang, Pardofelis, Bronya, and Mobius had all performed admirably… but Kiana still seemed to lack something.
As for Theresa—Selene couldn't be bothered to care.
Let her be. As deputy internal affairs officer of Central Direct Recruitment World No. 3 (Honkai Impact 3rd), her only duty was to maintain what was once the Schicksal-controlled half of the world—to serve as Schicksal's mascot.
And Kiana…
The so-called Princess of Benevolence, was she?
An interesting title, indeed.
—
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