The small transport ship drifted silently toward the colossal Star-Destroyer hanging in orbit like a dark, impossible continent in the sky.
From the windows, the Holy Empress could see the scale with mounting disbelief.
The children pressed their faces against the glass.
"Woooow!!"
"It's so big!"
"Is that a castle floating?!"
"Is that our new home?"
Their innocent awe made the Empress' breath catch. She had led a nation, survived constant political pressure, extended humanitarian efforts whenever she could—
—but even she could not imagine controlling a planet-scale starship.
This Takumi…
What kind of existence had descended upon her world?
A gentle hum ran through the ship as docking clamps connected. A corridor extended, wrapped in a pale-blue force field, and guidance lights blinked softly.
The children cheered.
The Empress stared at the glowing corridor in silence.
Is this hope… or captivity?
She did not know yet.
Arrival — The Builder's Domain
The moment the airlock opened, a soft breeze welcomed them—
a breeze that smelled like clean earth, sunlight, and flowers.
When the Empress stepped into the corridor, she froze.
It wasn't steel.
It wasn't concrete.
It was a living environment.
An entire indoor city stretched out before her.
Skylights projected natural sunlight filtered through warm, golden clouds.
Buildings were curved, grown rather than constructed, their surfaces quietly shifting to balance temperature and airflow.
Children's parks dotted the area, with safety railings that adjusted shape when gazed at.
Robots stood in orderly rows, not oppressive but politely waiting.
This was not a war vessel.
This was a civilization seed.
A sudden voice echoed overhead.
"Welcome, Holy Empress.
Welcome to my city."
The Empress turned.
Takumi walked toward them, wearing ordinary clothes—plain shirt, plain slacks. He didn't look like a tyrant or conqueror. The children surged around him immediately.
"Takumi-oniichan!"
"You really came!"
"Is this where we live now?"
He knelt and patted their heads one by one, answering with a small smile.
"Yes. This is your city.
Not mine alone.
We'll build it together."
The Empress' eyes narrowed slightly.
Even now… she couldn't read him.
Not fully.
Miori Shiba's Entrance
Miori appeared on the upper platform and waved obnoxiously.
"Welcome, Your Majesty! Ahaha~ how does it feel to ride in a flying ship? Surprised? Shocked? Horrified?"
The Empress exhaled slowly.
"Miori Shiba… so this is your doing."
Miori grinned.
"Eh, you can blame Takumi for the dramatic entrance. I told him to tone it down, but he doesn't listen~"
Takumi shot her a glare.
Miori stuck her tongue out.
Kisara Tendou — Silent and Sharp
Kisara leaned against a pillar nearby, arms crossed, blade at her hip.
She looked far more relaxed now that her revenge was complete.
She watched Takumi and the Empress with the cool patience of someone who had already made peace with her past.
"Welcome," Kisara said simply.
The Empress's gaze flickered to the faint streaks of dried blood on Kisara's sleeve.
She did not ask.
She understood.
Vengeance was a language she had no authority to judge.
Takumi's Greeting to the Empress
Finally, Takumi approached her.
He didn't bow.
He didn't kneel.
But somehow, he wasn't disrespectful, either.
"Holy Empress," he said quietly.
"I'm going to be honest. I didn't bring you here as a hostage. I brought you here because I need a leader—someone who actually cares about these children."
The Empress blinked, surprised.
"You… want me to lead your people?"
Takumi nodded.
"You have bureaucratic talent. You have charisma. And you care about the vulnerable. That makes you qualified."
The Empress frowned.
"Then what are you? A king?"
Takumi smiled faintly.
"No. I'm the builder."
CHAT GROUP: Slice-of-Life Commentary Begins
Takumi's mental interface pinged.
Fujiwara Chika:
[OMG YOU ACTUALLY KIDNAPPED THE EMPRESS LMAO]
Sagiri:
[Takumi-oniichan's city is super pretty! Empress-san must be amazed!]
Bronya:
[Requesting permission to deploy Heavy Armor Bunny units for crowd-control and plushie distribution.]
Akeno:
[Ara ara~ the Empress looks elegant. Does she like tea? Should I send tea?]
Megumi Kato:
[She probably wants a chair and a cup of water first.]
Takumi:
[Bronya, deploy Bunny-01 soft distribution. Akeno, no weird tea. Megumi, yeah, I'll offer her water.]
Bronya:
[Understood. Commencing Plushie Bombing Sequence.]
The Empress watched the sky as dozens of pink Heavy Armor Bunny drones descended, releasing soft, fluffy toys for the children.
Her lips trembled.
"Is this… really the same world?"
Takumi stood beside her.
"It's not," he said softly.
"That's the entire point."
Takumi's Authority — Demonstration #2Herrscher of Reason: Cognitive Architecture Weaving
To reassure her, and to show her exactly what he meant, Takumi raised his hand.
A translucent cube unfolded beside him, expanding into a geometric lattice.
Lines of blue light pulsed like veins.
Knowledge—raw, structured—flowed out in fractal patterns.
The Empress gasped as the structure reconfigured into a hall.
Then into a school.
Then into a residential district.
Takumi spoke calmly as the cityscape reshaped itself.
"This Authority lets me build anything I understand.
But I can't design society alone.
I can build the skeleton—
but you," he pointed at her, "will teach them how to stand."
The Empress stared at the rapidly reforming architecture, unable to look away.
"Your power…" she whispered.
"It's like a god's."
Takumi exhaled.
"That's exactly why I need someone human to balance me."
The Empress' Decision
She looked at the children hugging plushies, giggling at the robots.
At the clean air.
At the safe roads.
At the hope she hadn't seen in years.
Then she looked back at him.
"If I refuse…?"
Takumi shrugged.
"Then you can live here peacefully, but you won't lead."
"And if I accept?" she asked.
Takumi smiled.
"Then you become the first administrator of the new nation.
A world where the children you worked so hard to protect will grow without fear."
Her breath hitched.
She closed her eyes.
"…You're cruel, Takumi."
"How so?"
"You offer me a future I can't refuse."
She lowered to her knees—not as a subject, but as a sworn public servant.
"Then allow me to serve."
The children cheered, thinking she was playing with them.
Takumi extended his hand.
"Welcome to the first sunrise of your new world."
Inside the Imaginary Space — Chaos, Order, and Small Happinesses
As the Empress began touring the interior of the city, robots moved in coordinated patterns, carrying crates marked with categories:
EDUCATION MODULES
HEALTHCARE SUPPLIES
HOUSING FRAMEWORK
EMOTIONAL CARE KITS
FLUFFY TOYS (Bronya-approved)
Dozens of children were already exploring.
Some were drawing on digital pads Sagiri illustrated.
Some were chasing Heavy Armor Bunnies.
Some were learning from Herta-derived educational drones that projected hologram stories about stars and kindness.
Adults approached the Empress, bowing shyly.
They already recognized her from the old world.
They asked her for guidance—naturally.
Takumi watched her interact, and nodded in approval.
She had presence.
Calm.
Measured.
Warm.
A perfect stabilizer.
Side Scene — Kisara's New Role
That evening, Kisara approached Takumi.
"I want a job."
He raised a brow.
"Already? Don't you want to rest?"
Kisara shook her head.
"I've lived my whole life for revenge. Now that it's over… I need something else.
Something that's mine."
Takumi considered.
"Security division?"
Kisara brightened.
"Please."
"And don't kill people unless they try to harm the kids."
Kisara frowned.
"…Compromise accepted."
Behind them, Miori groaned.
"Of course she listens to YOU."
Midnight — Psychological Weight (Takumi's POV)
Takumi stood alone on a balcony overlooking the growing city.
The Empress was coordinating with Miori and the adults.
Kisara was on patrol.
Robots hummed quietly.
But the voices of children echoed everywhere.
Laughter.
Running footsteps.
Shouts of discovery.
And for the first time since he arrived in this ruined Earth…
Takumi felt something like peace.
Yet another part of him felt heavy, like gravity pulling him inward.
These people depended on him.
On his power.
On his decisions.
The responsibility pressed against his chest—
clean, sharp, frightening.
"Am I really doing the right thing…?"
The question escaped his lips in a whisper.
The group chat immediately pinged.
Megumi Kato:
[Takumi, are you doubting yourself?]
Takumi:
[…Maybe.]
Zhongli:
[Builders always doubt. Only tyrants feel certain.]
Himeko:
[You saved thousands of children today. Take the win.]
Sagiri:
[Takumi-oniichan, you're doing great! Eat cookies! You need sugar!]
Chika Fujiwara:
[I can be your moral support cheer squad!! *wiggle dance*]
Takumi laughed under his breath.
"Thanks, everyone."
The weight didn't vanish—
but it shifted into something he could carry.
Morning — A New Problem Arrives
The next morning, while Takumi inspected the agricultural ring of the Imaginary Space, a blinking alert appeared in front of him.
Incoming External Signal
Origin: Unknown
Format: Not from this universe
Encryption: Unbreakable
Tone: Playful
His stomach twisted.
Only one type of entity could send such a signal.
An Aeon.
His mind raced.
Himeko's warning.
Herta's curiosity.
The faint ripple he detected yesterday.
Oh no.
Aha, the Aeon of Elation.
Takumi grit his teeth.
Not. Now.
Not when he was building a new civilization.
Not when thousands of traumatized children needed safety.
Not when he wasn't strong enough to slap an Aeon away.
The message unfolded.
A single sentence.
"Builder-kun, your city looks fun. Can I come play?"
Takumi froze.
The group chat exploded instantly.
Akeno:
[HOLY— AN AEON??]
Bronya:
[Takumi, what did you DO?!]
Himeko:
[DON'T. ANSWER. IT.]
Megumi:
[Takumi… run?]
Chika:
[Offer cookies??]
Sagiri:
[NO CHIKA BAD IDEA]
Takumi closed his eyes.