The ground trembled. Dust exploded outward in every direction. A thunderous crash shattered the windows of the Takagi estate. In the center of a newly-formed crater, three towering figures stood like gods of war descended from the heavens.
Before Kenthelion, an Inquisitor nearly three meters tall loomed in pitch-black power armor, his cloak billowing behind him, eyes glowing cold beneath his helm. Behind him, two Space Marines in blue ceramite armor stood like monuments of death, the symbols of the Imperial Fists and the Aquila gleaming proudly on their chests.
The pressure of their presence suffocated the courtyard, silencing the survivors and Takagi's people alike.
Their footsteps were heavy, shaking the earth and cracking it in four-meter radiuses with each step. No words. No greetings. Only silence… and judgment.
One of the Takagi family members who had fallen tried to crawl away. Too late. The Inquisitor reached out with a single hand, lifting the grown man as if he were a rag doll. With a sickening motion, his armored fist crushed the man's skull—
CRACK!
The sound of a human head bursting like a watermelon echoed across the estate. Blood sprayed. The two Space Marines followed suit. One by one, those deemed heretics were executed without warning. Three lives ended in seconds. No resistance. No mercy.
Kenthelion quickly stepped forward, raising his hand.
> "Enough! Don't kill everyone!"
The Inquisitor halted, turning to face Kenthelion. His voice was deep, like iron grinding against stone:
> "Your Majesty… permit us to purge these heretics. They dared to blaspheme your name, and by doing so, profaned the will of the Imperium."
In the distance, Takashi Komuro, Miyamoto Rei, and the remaining survivors trembled as they watched. They had seen men torn apart like insects… and finally understood.
Everyone around the Takagi estate stood frozen in fear. Their eyes locked onto the three towering figures before Kenthelion—one Inquisitor and two Space Marines. Death hung heavy in the air. The crushed remains of those who dared insult the Emperor were strewn across the ground like shattered fruit.
Then came a distant sound.
Whup-whup-whup...
The distinct thrum of helicopter rotors cut through the silence. The kind of sound that, for the desperate, often meant rescue.
All heads turned skyward.
Twenty helicopters broke through the clouds: Eighteen Black Hawk, the other an Apache gunship bristling with weaponry. They soared closer, casting long shadows over the Takagi estate.
The fat man pointed upward with a trembling finger, hope rising in his voice.
"Those are Black Hawks... and an Apache! That's U.S. military hardware! They must be here to save us!"
Takashi Komuro stared at the sky, gripping Miyamoto Rei's hand tightly.
"If we can reach the American base, they'll take us in. But Kenthelion... and those three monsters—they'll be killed by the U.S. military."
Miyamoto Rei said nothing. Her eyes were blank, staring at the helicopters like she couldn't decide whether they were salvation or a new threat.
Soichiro Takagi overheard the fat man's words, and a flicker of hope returned to his expression.
"If it really is the U.S. military, maybe even those three can be dealt with."
Yuriko Takagi stepped closer to him, voice quiet but firm.
"Do you think they're here to save us?"
Soichiro nodded slowly.
"Most likely. Japan and the United States are allies."
Saeko Busujima turned her eyes to Kenthelion, then to the approaching helicopters above, and back to Kenthelion again—her gaze searching for an answer.
Kenthelion met her eyes and gave a single nod, calm and resolute.
Saeko understood. These were the soldiers Kenthelion had spoken of.
The helicopter hovered above them, slowly descending. After a moment, ropes dropped down, and people began sliding down swiftly.
Hundreds of soldiers clad in strange green combat uniforms, gripping unfamiliar weapons, rapidly descended from the choppers. They quickly approached Kenthelion.
A commanding officer wearing a political commissar uniform stepped forward and saluted.
"Your majesty, Emperor, I am Jacob, leader of the Terra Concordia Legion, reporting to you."
Soichiro Takagi stared in disbelief. The troops he had assumed were American soldiers were unlike any he'd ever seen. Their green uniforms were strange, their weapons unfamiliar, and their officer's attire looked like a mix between Nazi and Soviet styles. He knew deep down they were doomed.
Takashi Komuro's gaze flicked between the troops and Soichiro. His whole body trembled with fear.
Others wore grim expressions as they stared at Kenthelion, whispering and speculating about his true identity.
In the distance, the growling roar of heavy yet nimble engines grew louder—
"Grrruummmm—grrrrkkk—clank-clank!"
Metal chains struck the pavement in a steady rhythm. Light armored vehicles, Centaur Light Carriers, rounded the corner and raced toward the Takagi estate's gates. Within seconds, hundreds of Astra Militarum soldiers leapt out, quickly forming a tight formation. They immediately surrounded the Takagi family members who still held weapons pointed at His Majesty, Kenthelion.
Seeing the unfamiliar weapons and armored vehicles aimed at them, along with the hovering helicopters, the Takagi group slowly began to surrender one by one.
Kenthelion and Saeko Busutjima strode confidently toward Soichiro Takagi, shielded by the Astra Militarum. Behind them, the imposing figures of an Inquisitor and two Space Marines loomed threateningly.
"Now that I have power, what will you do?"
"Who are you? Why are soldiers protecting you?" asked Soichiro Takagi, confusion etched all over his face.
Kenthelion gave a slight smirk and then glanced at Takashi Komuro. "Take a guess. Bring him here," he said, gesturing toward Komuro as he addressed the Space Marines behind him.
Instantly, two towering Space Marines began to move. Their heavy, thunderous footsteps echoed with authority. Takashi Komuro trembled at the sight of the armored giants approaching him. He tried to resist, but one of them lifted him with a single hand like he weighed nothing. The other, clearly irritated for some time, had been itching to crush this idiot—but restrained by the Emperor's order not to kill. Instead, he drove a heavy punch into Komuro's gut.
It didn't knock him out, but the pain was overwhelming.
"So, boy... you no longer desire my women, Saeko Busujima and Shizuka Marikawa?" Kenthelion asked coldly, staring at Takashi as if he were trash. "Why so quiet? Cat got your tongue? Or are you just mute?"
There was clear disgust in his voice, as if even speaking to Komuro dirtied his mouth.
"Please… Kenthelion… let me go… I-I don't dare… I really don't dare…" Takashi Komuro stammered, the courage and pride he once had completely shattered. He collapsed to his knees, begging, trembling in fear of the Space Marines—one who had carried him effortlessly, the other who nearly made him black out with a single punch.
Seeing him like that, the so-called protagonist of Highschool of the Dead, Kenthelion lost interest.
'So this is it? I thought he'd fight to the bitter end like in the manga I read in my past life. But this is reality… not anime or comics,' he thought to himself. Kenthelion had initially planned to humiliate the protagonist, but Komuro crumbled before the show could even begin.
'Japanese men… bullies to the weak, yet pathetic in front of true power. And their women—treated like objects, never respected.'
From the side, Rei Miyamoto stared in disbelief. She rubbed her eyes, thinking she might be hallucinating.
The fat boy, Hirano Kohta, continued hiding, praying no one would notice him.
Soichiro Takagi looked at Takashi Komuro, unsure of what the boy was thinking. Yuriko Takagi, on the other hand, gazed at him with clear disgust, as if he were some filthy stray that had wandered into a noble estate.
> "Lady Yuriko," Kenthelion said calmly, his voice laced with authority, "allow me to invite you to visit my humble base. Though modest, I hope it is still worthy of receiving your noble presence. I believe Lord Soichiro Takagi won't object... am I correct, Lord Soichiro?"
A faint smile formed on Kenthelion's lips—just enough to establish dominance without issuing a direct threat.
Soichiro Takagi regarded him with a composed and polite expression. Then he glanced at Yuriko, and at the heavily armed soldiers surrounding them. He remembered his own words when speaking to Kenthelion—that this man could do anything he wanted. In the end, Soichiro could only respond with a quiet, resigned nod.
Kenthelion casually waved a hand.
"Jacob!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, the Emperor!"
"Proceed with the plan. Return the Takagi family's original weapons as a gesture of goodwill, and direct all remaining forces to the next location."
"As you command, Your Majesty," replied Jacob, political commissar of the Astra Militarum, saluting with deep respect.
Kenthelion then turned to his group. "You three, board a separate helicopter and head to the next target."
He looked to Saeko, extending a hand toward Yuriko. "Saeko, let us escort Lady Yuriko Takagi. We'll take another chopper."
With calm precision, Kenthelion took Shizuka Marikawa and little Alice by the hand and boarded the newly landed helicopter, its engines growling with power and weight.
He no longer cared about these people. Let them struggle with their own pride. Kenthelion had grown tired of mortal arrogance.
As the helicopter lifted into the sky and the Astra Militarum convoy began its departure from the Takagi estate, everyone inside the mansion let out a sigh of relief.
Takashi Komuro collapsed on the ground, trembling. He had truly believed his end had come.