"Why?! It's art! Why do you all call my art an eyesore?! I refuse to accept this!"
"All right, all right, Dr. Stylish, let's move along. You can present your complaints to Her Majesty in person when we get to the Capital. Complaining to a small fry like me won't change anything," Alex said, cutting him off flatly.
Under Alex's cold tone and discouragement, Dr. Stylish reluctantly ended his rant about how even Sebas could still express his art freely while his own was ridiculed.
It was just a vent, nothing serious—but Dr. Stylish dared not complain in front of Selene. Casting a 'playful glare' toward the straight-faced Alex beside him, he gave a soft humph.
"Such a dull man..."
"Tch..." Alex felt goosebumps crawl over his arms from both the tone and the look. Dr. Stylish really gave off that vibe... better keep my distance.
Then, under the gaze of awe from the citizens and the reverent salutes of the Imperial Security Division, Alex strode through the gates of the outer walls of the Imperial Capital.
The roads within the Capital were structured with impeccable order—clear divisions, flawless planning, and a sense of solemn grandeur. The very air carried dignity and elegance.
"Old Master Sebas truly is a refined artist..."
As patrols of guards and even members of the Imperial Guard Legion saluted them, Dr. Stylish couldn't help but marvel at the carefully designed greenery near the central boulevard.
Flowers in full bloom lined both sides of the road; the lush vegetation formed a soothing sea of green. The vibrant hues, combined with the delicate fragrance of flowers and grass, offered a visual and sensory delight.
Despite the myriad of colors, nothing appeared chaotic or gaudy. Instead, the symmetry and harmony gave a sense of sacred order.
Flanking the boulevard were majestic statues, intricate fountains, and perfectly aligned columns, lending both majesty and grace to the already imposing street.
The columns were draped with gold-and-crimson imperial banners—the Empire's flag, with a deep red field edged in gold, a white-bordered shield emblem at its center. Upon the shield, a golden double-headed eagle spread its wings, surrounded by olive branches of gold.
"Today's Imperial Capital... its magnificence far surpasses the old days!" Dr. Stylish exclaimed as they stepped onto the central avenue leading straight to the Grand Palace of Selene.
The main avenue stretched over five hundred meters—its sheer vastness inspiring awe. Dr. Stylish had never seen such splendor.
And there were four such grand boulevards in the Capital—extending north, south, east, and west.
Of course, perhaps this awe was psychological. The previous Young Emperor and Honest had never inspired fear in people like them—they were jesters, nothing more. But Selene... she was entirely different.
When your entire bloodline, your life, your fate, your future—all hung by her word alone... coupled with her overwhelming dominance, ruthlessness, her boundless power and control... Tell me, could you not be afraid?
"Dr. Stylish, let's move. The meeting will begin soon."
Alex slowed his pace to match Dr. Stylish's and spoke softly, his eyes filled with fervent reverence as he gazed at the colossal palace complex ahead.
That was the Grand Palace of Selene.
...
Meanwhile, at the Imperial Capital's new Schönbrunn Palace—within the Central Garden.
The garden's main gate bore the Empire's golden double-headed eagle crest, symbolizing imperial authority, with crimson and gold ribbons hanging elegantly from either side.
Framed by towering marble pillars, the lush lawns, fountains, sculptures, and colorful flowerbeds formed a scene of ethereal beauty—like a paradise on earth.
Lying on a soft woolen blanket spread over the grass, clad in her white-and-gold ceremonial attire, Selene was taking a quiet rest.
In recent days, as preparations for the Astartes Legions neared completion, Selene had become increasingly busy. Her bureaucrats were of little help—her 'busyness' had nothing to do with state affairs.
The first matter was receiving and consolidating the intelligence Mine had sent back from the Type-Moon world, while transmitting her own updated information and revised legends there—maintaining the stability of the information channel between the Honkai Dimension and Type-Moon world.
The second was her ongoing effort to construct stable super-spatial teleportation channels for several smaller worlds.
The third task—and the most crucial one—was that Selene needed to delegate a portion of her authority over external conquests. As her dominion continued to expand, it was no longer possible for her to personally oversee every small-world invasion.
The commanders of the Imperial Guard Legion and the legion masters of the Astartes needed to possess independent authority to wage wars of expansion. For this, they required permission to freely enter and exit the Honkai Dimension and control the super-spatial transit channels.
To that end, Selene temporarily created twenty-one Honkai Cubes—divine tokens of authority. With Selene's approval, their holders would wield a fragment of her power.
According to Selene's plan, the second phase of military expansion would establish twenty Astartes Legions.
At present, only Kinshasa, the commander of the Imperial Guard Legion, and Alex, commander of the First Legion, possessed the qualification to wield these Cubes. However, the Astartes Legions were expanding at an astonishing pace—Selene believed the full formation of twenty legions would soon be complete.
As for the third phase of expansion, that would come once the existing legions reached full strength.
After meticulously reviewing all these matters, Selene finally sorted out everything that needed to be done at this stage.
"Queen... uh, Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
Only when Arisa's soft, sweet voice called out beside her ear did Selene slowly awaken from her half-drowsy state.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she yawned lightly and asked, "Mmh... Arisa, what time is it now? Have Alex and Dr. Stylish arrived?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Arisa replied gently. "Commander Alex and Dr. Stylish are already waiting."
"Oh, very well then..." Selene murmured, taking the warm towel from a waiting maid to wipe her face.
For this Grand Crusade Council, Selene, well-versed in the principle of 'small meetings for great matters', did not summon a full imperial assembly. Only a select few of the highest-ranking figures were called.
"Her Majesty arrives!"
As the eunuch's voice rang through the three-tiered pavilions of Yingtian Gate at the Grand Palace's forecourt, everyone seated below the dais immediately fell to their knees.
"Your Majesty!"
"Rise," Selene said calmly from her throne atop the marble platform, her crimson gaze sweeping across those assembled.
Attending the meeting were: Great General Budo—now transformed through a special Astartes Honkai modification; Kinshasa, Commander of the Imperial Guard Legion; Alex, Commander of the First Astartes Legion; Dr. Stylish, Director of the Imperial Science Bureau; and General Liver.
As for Sebas and Esdeath—
Sebas remained preoccupied with the Grand Palace's construction. The current Imperial Grand Palace was still a half-finished masterpiece. Its sheer scale was so vast that even with the assistance of Astartes warriors, progress on the finer details remained slow.
In one year, the construction had mainly completed the new multilayered city walls and parts of the outer palace complex. The expanded Schönbrunn Palace—Selene's current residence—was one of the completed structures.
Esdeath, meanwhile, was still undergoing her transformation into the Herrscher of Ice. As this was Selene's first attempt to convert someone outside her direct Herrscher-linked Honkai Beast lineage, she was proceeding with utmost caution.
As Selene's eyes moved across the council chamber, she could clearly see it—the fervor, the excitement, the ambition within their gazes... and yet, not a hint of fear.
The idea of the Great Crusade had already been hinted at a year ago, when Budo returned to the Capital. Now, with one Astartes Legion fully formed, all preparations were in place.
Bolter weapons, chainswords, new-generation power armor—all had undergone remarkable advancements under the combined efforts of Selene and Dr. Stylish's reinforced Teigu, the Glorious Hands of God · Perfector.
Even the most complex close-combat power weapons had achieved breakthroughs. The coming Great Crusade would be the perfect battlefield test.
Clearing her throat, Selene's cold, commanding voice echoed through the hall: "All of you, I trust you know why I summoned you here."
Everyone present nodded firmly. They knew exactly what this was about—the conquest of other worlds. They had long awaited this moment, their hearts burning with anticipation.
Seeing their unified response, Selene smiled faintly, a rare trace of warmth crossing her face. "This campaign will be led by the First Legion. Alex—you will be the vanguard."
Alex struck his chest with his fist and declared solemnly, "The First Legion—our Empress' will is our command, our hearts her sword!"
"I believe in you." As Selene spoke, she raised her hand in a grasping motion. Several violet-red motes of light emerged and sank into the foreheads of everyone present. "These are visual fragments extracted from another world. The information should prove useful."
"...A virus?"
As the gathered officers fell into silent contemplation, Selene rose from her throne and descended the marble steps. Passing through the vast pavilions of the council hall, two golden-armored guards opened the grand doors. Blinding sunlight flooded in, snapping the assembly from their thoughts.
"Your Majesty..."
Selene stepped onto the battlement adorned with intricate reliefs. Gazing down at the ranks of towering Astartes warriors assembled below, she said without turning her head, "Come, see for yourselves—this is my army."
"Alex, remember this: to me, there is only one thing that matters—final victory. No matter how difficult or twisted the path may be, the process is yours to command. I care only for the result. Do you understand?"
"I will not fail you, Your Majesty!"
Meanwhile, under the superhuman vision of the Astartes warriors, they clearly saw their Empress standing high upon the battlements, with their legion commander respectfully at her side.
"Long live the Empress!"
"For Selene!!"
"In the blood of our enemies, we consecrate our Empress!!"
"In Selene's name—burn the other worlds to ash!!!"
...
In an instant, the cry of ten thousand voices erupted across the ranks of the First Legion. Legion captains led their companies in roaring unison—cheers and battle cries rolled like thunder through the Imperial Victory Plaza. The sound shook the very air.
Watching the legions she commanded, Selene's eyes gleamed faintly. The sight of those who served her with such devotion stirred something deep within. The fervor, the zeal, the longing for conquest spread like wildfire through the minds of every Astartes.
The desire to fight for their Empress surged uncontrollably. They needed battle—they hungered for it. They longed to spread Selene's glory across the cosmos, to let all life bask in her divine light.
"Excellent."
After a long while, when the echoes finally subsided, Selene nodded in satisfaction. Though their war cries sounded somewhat... unusual, she paid it no mind. After all, loyalty was loyalty.
Then, raising her right hand high, Selene's voice—amplified by Honkai energy—resonated clearly in the ears of every Astartes warrior present. "Astartes—Victory Eternal!"
"Victory Eternal!!!" ×N
...
Target World of Selene's Great Crusade
At that moment, the people of this world had no idea that their doom was about to arrive.
Even if they had known, perhaps they would not have cared. Humanity here had long since been driven into tiny, isolated territories—huddled behind great 'Monoliths,' surviving in fear and despair. If invaders came and destroyed the monsters outside, some might even welcome them.
This was a world drowning in sorrow and hopelessness.
Once a brilliant civilization, now reduced to ruins.
The crumbling cities lay covered in moss and vines. Broken highways and derelict vehicles stretched endlessly, silent witnesses to the end of an era.
In the shadow of a decaying building, a group of ragged little girls huddled together, staring blankly across the wide river. Beyond it stood a human city, encased behind towering metal walls of steel and alloy.
That was where humanity lived now—but they were not welcome there. They were abandoned children, the cursed and the unwanted.
"Do you think... we'll ever have enough to eat? What's it like over there?" one of the older girls whispered.
"I don't know..."
The two eldest stood at the broken edge of the wall, talking idly. They had no names—abandoned at birth, forgotten by all.
Bzzzz~
Suddenly, in the eyes of the frightened children, a faint purple glow shimmered over the ruined highway. Pebbles and debris trembled, as if stirred by invisible force.
"Report: Target world reached! Native lifeforms detected!"
...
Inside a residential block within the walled city—
"What? You're the civil officer sent to assist us? Tch, you're just a kid. You sure you're up for this?"
The gruff middle-aged policeman in plain clothes squinted at the young man standing before him, holding up his credentials with clear doubt.
"Even if you say that, it can't be helped. I am the officer sent to support you," the black-haired youth replied dryly.
"Rentaro Satomi... Tendo Civil Security Corporation? Never heard of it..."
"Well, shall we talk about the job, then?" the boy muttered, snatching his ID back with mild irritation. Dressed neatly in a black suit, standing around one meter seventy-four, Rentaro Satomi sighed.
"Fourth floor..."