Rumble rumble—!
Inside the City Hall bunker.
On the coffee table, various ornaments rattled violently under the high-frequency tremors, producing a sharp clattering sound that only deepened the grim expressions of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's upper brass hiding inside the bunker.
Bang!
Listening to the deafening explosions outside and watching the Self-Defense Force units being shredded within seconds on the surveillance feed, Kikunojou Tendo's face turned dark as iron. He clenched his fist and slammed it on the table. "Damn it! Where did these tin cans come from?!"
Even though the massive explosions had destroyed much of the surveillance network, many cameras connected to the city monitoring system still remained operational.
When they had first seen the Monolith barrier shattered, leaving a massive breach, Tendo and the other high-ranking officials naturally assumed it was an invasion by a Zodiac-class Gastrea—after all, the Scorpio-class Gastrea had been lingering near Tokyo for quite some time.
However, the truth was far beyond their expectations. It wasn't a Gastrea invasion—it was a human attack!
What was happening?! Why were they attacking us? Where did they come from? And why weren't they afraid of the Gastrea beyond the Monolith barrier?
And most importantly, with such a huge gap in the Monolith barrier surrounding the Tokyo Area, the densely populated city should have already drawn hordes of Gastrea swarming in—so why hadn't a single one appeared?
Bzzzz—!
On the wall-mounted monitor, a towering black-armored giant wielded a chainsword-like greatsword, mercilessly shredding the Self-Defense soldiers before him. The gruesome, bloody imagery made several pampered bureaucrats gag on the spot.
Then, after slaughtering every soldier in sight, the black-armored giant suddenly stopped, as if sensing something. He turned and raised his massive firearm. With a single thunderous shot—bang!—the feed dissolved into static.
"The Mechanized Soldier Project..." Tendo growled through gritted teeth. "Albrecht Grünewald... is this your doing?!"
His suspicion wasn't entirely unreasonable. The Astartes warriors' appearance, though far beyond anything imaginable, bore a vague resemblance to the amplified results of that defunct program.
The Mechanized Soldier Project: a military initiative once aimed at creating the ultimate soldiers using Varanium metal to fight Gastrea. It had been abandoned when the power of the Cursed Children was discovered.
And the man who had led the entire project to its peak was none other than Germany's Albrecht Grünewald.
...
The atmosphere in the bunker was suffocating. Everyone stared blankly at the half-dead wall of monitors, half of which had already gone dark.
Finally, the girl seated at the central command chair—the Seitenshi—broke the silence.
"Lord Tendo... they are human, aren't they?"
Although these black-armored giants were far beyond the proportions of ordinary humans, they wielded weapons skillfully, destroyed surveillance systems with precision—and even if they weren't human but humanoid machines, humans had to be behind them.
They couldn't possibly be aliens.
"...Yes, Your Holiness," Tendo replied gravely. "And look at the twin-headed eagle insignia on their chestplates—they're Europeans!"
"That's good," Seitenshi said softly. "If they're human, we can talk. That's better than dealing with Gastrea who only destroy. Twin-headed eagles... are they from Eastern or Central Europe, Lord Tendo? Can we negotiate with them?"
Her hopeful tone and sincere gaze made the room fall silent again.
She looked so saintly, so gentle—it was almost moving.
But to Tendo, it was also deeply exasperating.
Kindness and innocence were not sins—but in a ruler, they were fatal flaws. A leader must not only possess compassion but also the ruthlessness to act decisively when needed.
Seitenshi's naïve idealism, her repeated insistence on peaceful diplomacy even in times like this, made Tendo feel powerless. Yes, negotiation was possible between humans—but she failed to understand that sometimes, humans were far more terrifying than Gastrea.
The enemy's intentions were clear as day—they came not in peace but with open aggression. Anyone bold enough to break through their defenses with such overwhelming firepower would never simply back down at the negotiation table.
What couldn't be won on the battlefield could never be won with words.
Throughout history, every diplomat who could maneuver gracefully on the international stage with mere words had one thing in common—a powerful force backing them.
But now, when they were at a disadvantage, what was there to discuss? Unless these invaders were made to bleed, they would never stop.
"Ahh..." Kikunojou Tendo let out a deep sigh. "...Your Holiness, I believe... we must fight."
Just then—beep beep beep!
"Is it reinforcements?"
"Your Holiness! Leave City Hall immediately! The defense line has been breached! The Captain is dead—everyone is dead! The reinforcements... the Tokyo Self-Defense Force base has been attacked! Seven thousand men—wiped out!"
On the monitor, a Self-Defense soldier, covered in blood, struggled to speak. "There are no reinforcements left!"
"Over seven thousand men, gone so quickly?"
In an instant, chaos erupted in the bunker. Countless well-dressed officials began shouting and arguing hysterically, all composure gone.
"Are they useless?! Even if they were seven thousand pigs, it shouldn't be possible to lose them all this fast!"
"Run! We have to get out of here! Staying in the bunker means waiting to die! They'll break through City Hall any moment! Those idiots can't hold them off!"
"Your Holiness, perhaps we should retreat. Even if Tokyo is lost, there are still Sendai, Hokkaido, and four other regions!"
"What about your planes and cannons—are they just for show?!"
...
Panic, hysteria, fear, accusations, rage—all kinds of emotions erupted in the confined space, an overwhelming tide of negativity that was about to spill over.
"What?! Say that again!" Tendo slammed both hands on the console, shouting in fury.
"Minister Tendo, Your Holiness, it's true!" The soldier coughed up blood as he continued weakly. "The airports... the bases... all destroyed... zzzz...
BOOM!!!
Another deafening explosion tore through the layers of the bunker's soundproof walls, shaking the entire underground chamber.
In an instant, every monitor went dark. The chandelier swayed violently, sparks flew, plaster rained from the walls, and the lights flickered erratically before finally plunging the bunker into total darkness.
Click. The lights flickered back to life as Tendo activated the backup power system. His face was pale. "Your Holiness... we've lost."
"..." Seitenshi clasped her hands tightly, her voice trembling after a brief silence. "Open the bunker door..."
"No, Grandfather!"
A sharp male voice cut through her words. A young man in a fine tailored suit, wearing black-rimmed glasses and carrying an air of refinement, stepped forward.
"Kazumitsu..."
Yes, it was him—Kazumitsu Tendo, the grandson of Kikunojou Tendo, serving as Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Kazumitsu spoke quickly, almost breathlessly. "Grandfather, we can't just surrender like this! We have to negotiate for better terms!"
Whether it was the corruption behind Monolith No. 32's shoddy construction, or the ruthless elimination of his own kin years ago, it had all been for wealth and power. Now, with surrender and regime change looming, he couldn't bear to lose everything so easily.
"Grandfather, we still have value—we can sel—"
Before Kazumitsu could finish, clang!
A piercing impact rang out through the confined bunker. The sound swept through the air like a physical force, making everyone go pale and dizzy.
The next moment—clang!!
Another bone-shaking crash resounded. The massive vault door visibly bulged inward with a fist-shaped dent. Realizing what was happening, the bunker erupted in screams.
"AAAAHHHH!!"
The once-proud officials, now terrified beyond reason, scrambled in panic, crawling and stumbling toward the back of the bunker, desperate to get away from the door.
Even as they pressed against the far wall, the sheer pressure of the soundwaves made their bodies tremble uncontrollably.
Clang! Clang!
Each strike of metal against metal grew sharper, the door groaning under the unbearable force until, with a horrific screech of tearing steel, the several-ton vault door was blown off its hinges entirely.
"Your Holiness, get back!"
Seeing this, Kikunojou Tendo rushed to pull Seitenshi into the corner, shielding her behind his back.
BOOM—SPLAT!
The massive steel door, weighing over ten tons, slammed through the bunker like a projectile. With a sickening squelch, half of the officials inside were instantly reduced to pulp.
At this point, to be killed instantly or to evade entirely was the luckiest outcome. A few unfortunate souls were crushed halfway, screaming in agony as they writhed in pools of blood.
With heavy, metallic footsteps echoing through the ruined bunker, a nearly three-meter-tall figure clad in pitch-black, precision-forged power armor appeared. His helmet's faceplate bore golden, wing-shaped ornaments—an Astartes warrior.
It was Bainin.
By now, his chestplate's twin-headed eagle emblem was completely smeared with thick blood, which dripped down in viscous streaks, leaving a trail of dark red footprints with every step he took.
Looking down at the trembling survivors huddled together in terror, Bainin stopped. He reached up and wiped away the blood that obscured his visor, then drove his massive Honkai Energy Power Sword into the ground with a dull thud.
"Legion Commander! We've found them... beneath City Hall, in the bunker. According to the memories extracted from that man Raynald captured, no mistake—the silver-haired, violet-eyed girl is the one who often appears on their broadcasts... the Sei...ten...shi—their leader."
"...Understood. I will bring her—"
Before he could finish, Kikunojou Tendo, gripping his katana, lunged forward from the side, shouting, "Die!"
The blade's tip drove toward what looked like a seam in the black giant's armor around the waist.
To Bainin, the old man's attack was like that of an ant—not even worth dodging.
"Courting death!" a furious voice roared from behind him as the buzzing sound of a chainsword flared to life. The sickening sound of flesh being shredded filled the air. Tendo and his katana were cleaved cleanly in half at the waist.
His intestines and organs spilled out with a wet splatter, yet the old man still refused to scream.
"Hmm, tough old bastard," one of the Astartes grunted. "Give him a clean death."
"Yes, sir!"
Another Astartes stepped forward, raised his bolter, aimed, and—bang!—Tendo's upper torso exploded into a mess of gore.
"Lord Tendo!"
"You must be the false ruler they call Seitenshi, aren't you?" Bainin said coldly, crossing his arms as he looked down at her. His tone burned with fanatic zeal.
"I... I surrender! Sirs, I surrender!" Before Seitenshi could respond, Kazumitsu Tendo scrambled out from the terrified crowd, falling to his knees and shouting desperately.
Bainin glanced down at him with disdain. Speaking with your sovereign—how dare a mere subordinate interrupt?
He shoved Kazumitsu aside, seized Seitenshi roughly by the arm, and dragged her out of the crowd. "...Kill them all," he ordered flatly.
The words had barely left his mouth when the Astartes behind him raised their bolters in unison.
Bang! Bang bang bang! Bang—
"Please, spare them..." Seitenshi began to plead, but the gunfire drowned her words. The slaughter unfolded before her eyes, leaving her frozen, trembling.
After a long silence, she raised her head and spoke firmly. "...May I see your Legion Commander?"
"You may. Come with me."
Following the black-armored giant with the cloak, Seitenshi stepped out of the bunker—only to find the entire corridor blasted apart. The walls were smeared with blood, and the floors littered with shattered corpses.
Fighting down nausea, she stumbled out of the long passageway. Her eyes widened as she took in the devastation—the City Hall that once stood proudly here had become nothing more than ruins.
Tripping over debris, Seitenshi made her way through the wreckage. Under the watchful eyes of countless black-armored giants, she finally stood before one whose presence dwarfed all others.
Surrounded by honor guards bearing banners and ornate armor, the towering figure exuded sheer authority.
"Bainin," the giant rumbled. "So this is the so-called Seitenshi, the false ruler?"
"Yes..." Bainin replied, glancing sideways at the trembling girl who looked more like a sheltered noble lady than a ruler. "That's her, Commander."
Alex looked down at Seitenshi.
A crushing pressure fell upon her instantly. She tried to resist, but her body refused to move.
Though the invisible force soon dissipated, her whole body trembled uncontrollably. "Commander... why are you attacking us?"
"No reason," Alex said calmly. "Expansion, that's all. Now it's my turn to ask you..."
He spread his arms wide, his tone burning with fervent conviction. "Accept the rule of the Empire, and you shall be worthy to bask in the glory of the Great Emperor. Refuse... and you die here today."
"...What is your choice?"
...
Honkai Dimension — Imperial Capital, Schönbrunn Palace.
"Hmm-hmm... the report from Mine's side. The Holy Grail War she's in—two Lancers, both formidable. Three Kings' Banquet... tsk."
Creak—
"Your Majesty, Legion Commander Alex reporting..."