"Eh? Eh? Eh?"
"What? Schicksal's gone? What? The World Government too? Then who are we now?!"
When the news that Earth had officially been incorporated into the Starsea Empire reached the orbital station, Theresa, Himeko Murata, and Shigure Kira were completely dumbfounded.
They hadn't even fully processed the shock of encountering a super-civilization before another earth-shattering revelation arrived.
Their home—was gone.
Of course, it was still far better than becoming mining slaves.
"Ahem. As you can see, the Starsea Empire has completed a full conquest of the Solar System," Grey announced succinctly to the group.
"In addition to Earth, we'll soon be organizing interstellar expeditionary fleets to explore the Honkai universe."
"Every star and every galaxy here will eventually be brought under Imperial rule. As for those so-called 'Sky People' and other alien vermin—you might see them one day in a zoo, laboratory, or livestock farm."
As she spoke, she noticed the group's mixed expressions of shock and unease.
With a wave of her nanobot-formed hand, she added reassuringly:
"Don't worry. During the special military operation, I gave strict orders to the Angeloids—your families are all safe."
"Our primary targets were Schicksal and certain stubborn elements. Daily life on Earth will soon return to normal."
As she said this, she even thoughtfully handed out new communication devices.
In this version of the timeline, with no Second Eruption ever occurring, the children who once lived at Cocolia's orphanage still had parents and relatively peaceful lives.
"Ah..."
The Valkyries finally realized that in all the chaos since their arrival, they had completely forgotten to contact their families back home.
"Mei!"
"You're alive! Where are you?!"
Raiden Ryoma's voice trembled with emotion when he received Mei's call.
"Earth was just invaded by aliens—they call themselves the Starsea Empire! Every national government's been scattered..."
"Now it seems like some entity named Sophon and her Angeloids are running things. What's it like over there?!"
"Schicksal said you were chosen for the first manned space mission, but the ship lost contact after entering orbit! Are you alright?!"
Hearing her father's worried voice, Raiden Mei found herself utterly unable to explain the absurd situation.
The Starsea Empire's efficiency had been overwhelming—their speed left no time for anyone to react. Many people had simply gone to bed one night and woken up in an entirely new world.
After some thought, Mei decided to keep her explanation short and simple.
"I'm fine, Father. I'm currently aboard the Starsea Empire's orbital station... Oh, and I'm now a citizen of the Starsea Empire."
"The Commander says he bears no hostility toward Earth. He plans to rebuild the administrative zones here, so there shouldn't be any safety issues..."
"???"
Raiden Ryoma, like most parents hearing similar news, was utterly baffled.
"What? You... immigrated?! What's going on?!"
"...Probably because my friend turned out to be a princess of an interstellar empire who came to Earth for cultural experience."
"Ah???"
...
In any case, after a wave of chaos and confusion, the group finally managed to calm down somewhat.
They watched as the Angeloids and Sophon efficiently restored order across Earth.
Sophon's work efficiency was beyond anything humanly imaginable—she could oversee the entire planet while processing countless data threads simultaneously.
Under her command, the bloated bureaucratic systems of the old Earth governments were completely dismantled.
Sophon became the Chief Administrator of the Honkai Universe Administrative Zone, with the Angeloids serving under her to maintain law, order, and basic governance.
Organizations such as Schicksal and World Serpent were, of course, dissolved.
New administrative centers were constructed, and across the globe, flags bearing the emblem of the Starsea Empire fluttered in the wind.
Apart from a few remaining local security forces, only the patrolling Angeloid units remained visible on the streets.
Everything was carried out swiftly and systematically—within just a week or two, all traces of the planetary invasion were gone, and daily life had returned to normal.
If not for the news reports and the angels flying through the sky, most people might have thought they'd simply dreamed it all.
A few days later, Sophon arrived before Setsuna to report.
"Report: Earth's post-war reconstruction and population census have been completed."
"The local technological level is in the late pre-space era, already capable of launching interplanetary spacecraft, though they've yet to master light-speed or faster-than-light travel."
"This world possesses a unique energy system—Honkai energy—which can sustain the majority of the administrative zone's energy needs."
"Based on this zone's characteristics, we plan to conduct detailed exploration within a radius of two thousand light-years within the next six months..."
A comprehensive report was handed to Setsuna. Sophon had drafted a complete developmental and administrative plan tailored to the characteristics of the Honkai universe.
He skimmed through it—nothing seemed out of place—and nodded in approval.
"Why are you so good at this?! Just how many times have you people done something like this before?!" Theresa was stunned.
The way Setsuna casually determined the fate of an entire planet reminded her disturbingly of how she graded student exams back at St. Freya.
With a few strokes, he could decide the destiny of billions—of entire star systems, even entire universes.
"Conquering a primitive civilization isn't anything special," Grey said with a shrug.
"Do you keep track of how many loaves of bread you've eaten in your life?"
"...!"
Theresa felt a chill. Having spent several days around Grey, she had come to suspect that with this nanobot's lack of restraint, she might really be capable of making her jump through flaming hoops one day.
"Hm..."
Setsuna opened the holographic interface and reviewed his mission objectives.
With the retrieval of the Herrschers and the conquest of Earth completed, the Honkai threat was now entirely neutralized. The Cocoon of Finality had been absorbed into the Eternal Snowfall, ensuring that this world would never again suffer collapse from excessive technological progress.
The current civilization era's campaign was complete.
Shhh—
He opened an internal communication line.
"All departments, prepare for return—except for the research teams stationed in the Honkai universe."
"Eh?"
Gudako tilted her head, surprised.
"I thought we were heading straight to the Previous Era next?"
"That's part of the plan, but there's something I want to handle first."
Setsuna rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"After obtaining the Power of Finality and storing the Cocoon of Finality inside the Eternal Snowfall, I've been too busy with Earth to study them properly."
"I want to go back and fully understand the Herrscher and Finality abilities before proceeding."
"Besides, we've brought quite a crowd this time. It's not ideal to keep everyone stuck on the station."
Aside from the Valkyries sent aboard via Schicksal-1, Icarus and the Angeloids had also brought along many of Kiana's friends from St. Freya Academy.
Though the station was enormous, it had become crowded since Cecilia, Einstein, and Tesla joined the group. They'd often heard others describe how magnificent the Starsea Empire's capital was—yet none of them had seen it with their own eyes.
Curiosity about the interdimensional empire only grew stronger—they couldn't wait to visit.
"Oh!"
Gudako perked up at the mention of the Power of Finality.
"Nice! Go figure that out quick and send me a cool Herrscher power when you're done! I'll use it to beat up Goetia—"
Bonk—
Setsuna chopped her lightly on the head.
"Don't rush. You'll have plenty of chances. When the time comes, you can pilot Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann to fight him if you want—he'll be scared shitless."
"Good point!"
After a bit of friendly bickering, the station's departments began packing up and preparing for departure.
Grey, accompanied by the Angeloids, went around distributing documents to Himeko, Shigure Kira, Seele, and the others.
"Hey, hey, hey, kids—it's time to head into the city~"
...
A few days later, at dawn—
As sunlight began to shine upon the orbital station, the lolis, Angeloids, and newly arrived Valkyries such as Kiana and Mei were already lining up to board the starship.
The Research Division had granted them several days of family leave. Originally, some of these Valkyries had been selected as pioneers of humanity to explore the depths of space.
But through a twist of fate, they had become pioneers of a different kind—ready to explore another universe entirely.
Technically, everything was voluntary. Yet after witnessing the magnificence of a super interstellar civilization, all of them shared one desire—to see with their own eyes what such an empire that spanned countless worlds truly looked like.
"Kiana, don't fool around. Stay with me."
Cecilia gently held Kiana by the shoulder. Behind them followed Mei, Bronya, and the rest of their friends.
At first, the newly arrived Valkyries were nervous, but with two legendary Schicksal Valkyries accompanying them—and Kiana's bright presence—they felt a bit more at ease.
"Mm... The Commander wouldn't make things hard for us, right... since he knows Kiana?"
A few of them huddled together, whispering nervously.
If not for that white-haired girl's assurance, they would never have dared to enter another universe.
"The Commander's very gentle, you just have to get used to him."
The research lolis tried their best to explain—but depending on who you asked, everyone seemed to have a completely different image of Setsuna.
"Eh..."
Theresa leaned against the viewing port, gazing longingly at Earth.
Schicksal was gone.
She had been raised from childhood to be both the successor to the Apocalypse family and the future leader of Schicksal.
Even after learning from Sirin and Cecilia about Schicksal's dark history, she still felt uncertain about its fall.
And now, in one sweeping motion, the entire world had been conquered, and Schicksal's remnants erased.
From this day forward, the three great families of Schicksal would live as ordinary citizens within the Empire's administrative zones. No vassal world was permitted to maintain a privileged class.
No matter if they were nobles, politicians, or magnates—none of that mattered anymore. Sophon treated everyone equally.
Against the overwhelming power of a super AI and the absolute might of the Angeloid legions, all human schemes and politics seemed laughable.
"Life in the capital's way better than on Earth, don't worry."
Midori Fuse leaned over beside Theresa, offering comfort.
"I've lived there for a few years. Uh... but there aren't any nobles or family hierarchies there. Everyone's equal."
"...I don't really think of myself as a noble," Theresa muttered, glancing curiously at the small beast-eared girl.
"Are there lots of children like you in the capital?"
"Mhm!" Midori nodded enthusiastically.
"We were among the first graduates and have already started working! There are still lots of students—some study engineering, others physics, or even magic!"
"It was Onii-chan who saved all of us."
"Oh..."
Theresa thought for a moment. Someone who saved children couldn't be all bad, right?
Then came a line that made her heart nearly stop.
"Miss Theresa, did you also go through transmutation surgery?"
"Huh? Miss?!"
"Uh... Grandma Theresa? I remember you were born in the 1950s..." Midori said hesitantly.
"Don't call me that!!!"
As they bickered—
Boom—
The ship trembled slightly. Everyone aboard felt the sudden sensation of weightlessness and spatial distortion.
"Whoa! We're home!!!"
The shipgirls and lolis cheered.
"Ah..."
Himeko, Mei, and Theresa pressed their faces against the glass, peering down.
The starship descended gracefully from orbit.
For a moment, it felt as though they had left one Earth for another.
But upon closer inspection, they saw enormous starships streaking across the skies—and even beyond the atmosphere, the solar system was teeming with life.
The Bulin fleets traversed between planets, transporting resources and constructing Galactic Wonders.
In the orbits of Earth, the Moon, and Mars, massive anti-gravity construction platforms were visible—each an enormous alloy framework that revealed only the tip of the iceberg of an interstellar wonder in progress.
"Oh, the Bulins sure work fast. Didn't we just leave not long ago?"
Grey tapped open the progress report, nodding in satisfaction.
"Now that the Commander wields the Herrscher of Reason's authority, even if he can't fabricate the entire Galactic Wonder in one go, as long as he feeds the data into the Eternal Snowfall and builds it in segments, it'll save us plenty of trouble."
"It was originally estimated to take around three years to complete... but maybe we can finish sooner?"
"!!!"
Einstein, Tesla, and the other Honkai scientists all froze, their pupils constricting in shock.
"The Galactic Wonder you were talking about—is THAT what you meant?! You're going to create it using the Herrscher of Reason's power?!"
They had thought they had already grasped the technological level of the Starsea Empire, but seeing this interstellar megastructure made them realize how naïve that assumption had been.
"Ahem. Don't think all 'wonders' are like Dyson Spheres—those flashy, fun-looking things. We have plenty of practical ones too..." Grey said casually. "We could visit the Aetherophasic Engine or Horizon Needle construction sites sometime—those are pretty cool."
The nanobot spoke as though this level of engineering was as normal as going grocery shopping.
Whoosh—
A few minutes later, the ship broke through the thick layers of clouds.
Below stretched an endless megalopolis centered on Constantinople—sprawling across the entire Eurasian continent.
Countless anti-gravity towers floated in midair, extending from the ground all the way up to ten thousand meters, piercing the atmosphere. The city seemed to defy gravity itself, its structures stretching continuously toward space.
The planet bustled with life. Shipgirls, Bulins, Angeloids, and countless little lolis moved through the vibrant streets in an endless stream.
"Ah..." Theresa felt as though she had stepped into a science fiction movie.
This place was nothing like the Earth she came from—the difference in aesthetic alone was staggering.
Click—
As the ship landed on the docking platform, a flurry of motion erupted outside.
A group of shipgirls, Heroic Spirits, and various other girls of all shapes and races rushed over to greet them.
"Master! It's been so long!"
"Husband-sama!!!~~"
"Darling~~~!"
The Valkyries were stunned by the barrage of affectionate greetings.
In moments, Setsuna was surrounded by shipgirls, Heroic Spirits, and Spirits alike, all pressing close to him affectionately.
"Commander, if you don't take Taihou out next time, Taihou will be angry~"
"Husband-sama, I've been waiting for you for so long... don't you think it's cruel to leave me alone like that?"
Kurumi Tokisaki looked up at him with tearful, seductive crimson eyes.
"Perverted Commander! You must have been flirting with other girls in another world again, doing those kinds of things! It's not fair—I demand you do them with me too!" Origami Tobiichi interjected, dead serious as she shoved Kurumi aside.
"Ah???"
"My dad's... this popular?" Kiana and the newly arrived Valkyries were speechless.
"I knew it. No way the ruler of an interstellar empire was going to be simple," Himeko muttered, rubbing her temples in resignation.
"Wait a second!" Cecilia's eyes widened as the situation spiraled beyond her expectations.
Pulling Kiana close, she puffed up her cheeks and pinched Setsuna's arm.
"Commander, you'd better not abandon me—we have a child together, remember?"
"Ho~?" Taihou arched a brow.
"What's that supposed to mean? I have one too."
A dozen little shipgirls peeked their heads out from behind the crowd, swarming up to Setsuna.
"Commander! Commander! You've been gone so long! Play with us~"
"Mhm." Setsuna smiled and patted their heads gently.
"Ah..." Cecilia and the others stood frozen in disbelief.
Little Formidable, Little Illustrious, Taihou-chan, Little Belfast, Little Akagi—they were exact miniature versions of their adult counterparts. No one could possibly doubt their connection.
"How many daughters do you have, exactly?" Cecilia asked faintly.
"Narrowly speaking—just counting the little shipgirls—probably a few dozen. Broadly... hard to say," Setsuna answered honestly.
"Ah?!"
The newcomers from Earth now truly understood—
The Starsea Empire's Commander was terrifying beyond measure.