This was a world in despair—a world where the Gastrea mutants prevailed, and humanity suffered defeat.
Though humans had managed to wipe out Stage V Gastrea, naly Taurus and Virgo of the Zodiac, the victories ca at trendous costs. Humanity had only barely managed to survive amidst waves of Gastrea attacks, losing vast tracts of land.
Before, the humans who huddled within the safety of the monolithic barriers had grimly believed that this situation would continue indefinitely and that they were fated to be wiped out by the Gastrea until—
The arrival of black-armored giants from Tokyo, Japan, changed everything. Gastrea, the once-terrifying monsters that had brought humanity to the brink of extinction, were defeated with astonishing ease. Even the Stage V Gastrea that humans could only manage to destroy at enormous cost were swiftly eliminated, though humanity in the Black Bullet world fared little better.
Following Empress Selene’s orders, Alex and his Astartes First Legion spread the fires of war across the world.
BOOM!
"Enem—!"
A thunderous explosion sounded from the region around the Varanium Monolith barrier as a soldier stationed on an outpost scread in terror.
Squish!
Before he could finish speaking, his head burst open like a waterlon, helt and all. Red and white splattered, shocking his comrade, who had been resting by a fire at the defense post, into paralysis. The next mont, boom!
Without giving him a chance to process what was happening, a hole as large as a man appeared in the sandbag and concrete wall beside him. The soldier stationed behind the defensive wall was blown apart instantly.
But it didn’t end there; a grenade the size of a fist rolled through the hole created by the explosive rounds, rolling across the ground and coming to a halt by the feet of soldiers who had just snapped out of their daze.
Boom—!
Blazing fire erupted from the narrow corridor behind the defensive wall. When the flas died, all that remained were mangled bodies plastered against the passage’s inner walls.
A few breaths later, bang!
As debris flew and the concrete wall crumbled, a soldier dressed in black power armor carrying a bolter smashed through the rubble.
Clatter!
Then, several other Astartes followed suit, each ard with bolters, smashing through the walls in unison.
Behind them, a squad of Imperial soldiers in black combat uniforms poured through the breach and began securing the surrounding area with speed and precision.
Their gear was unique, blending elents of both modern and ancient military designs. They wore tactical helts, while their undershirts were the standard gray and black uniforms of the Empire, covered by black lightweight armor identical to that of the First Legion.
Interestingly, the armor’s design mirrored modern tactical vests, and they carried unfamiliar large firearms and soft-tal military backpacks. (Note: compared to Astartes power armour, this is considered light armor.)
Their weapons were clearly heavier than the standard rifles used by human enclaves in the Black Bullet world.
In fact, these weapons were designed by the Empire’s Science Bureau according to the physical capabilities of Imperial soldiers. Each unloaded weapon weighed over twenty kilograms, far exceeding the weight of many machine guns on Earth. If the Empire weren’t already a world of enhanced physiques, Selene would never have authorized such heavy equipnt.
Here, even an ordinary person could break through stone with their fists or tear wild beasts apart after so training. Giving them standard Earth firearms would be a waste of their potential.
While not as extre as the enormous caliber weapons used by the Astartes, these rifles had impressive firepower given their weight.
"The Legion Commander has ordered a swift advance to end this battle!"
Soon, a taller Astartes officer entered, power armor more elaborate than the others, his cold chanical voice relaying precise instructions through the helt’s communications system.
In response to the officer’s order on the internal channel, all Imperial soldiers who had broken through the defensive walls raised their weapons in unison.
"Rember, leave no one standing in our path! We’re racing against the clock. Her Majesty will descend upon us soon, and we must clear away all opposition!"
"Yes, sir!" Upon hearing this, all the Imperial soldiers, including the Astartes, erupted into a frenzy, raising their rifles and shouting, "For the Empress!" and "For the Empire!"
There was no need for discretion in front of the humans defending the Varanium Monolith. The breaches had already been blown open, and the attacking squads were everywhere.
Soon, BOOM BOOM BOOM! Deafening explosions erupted from every corner of the city, filling the air.
Black-armored Astartes and their mortal auxiliaries moved from point to point within the city, the stench of blood trailing after them.
With each resounding bolter blast, entire squads of defenders were wiped out in an instant.
"This is the last human stronghold left, isn’t it?"
Standing on a high vantage point overlooking the city, Alex, flanked by his Honor Guard, took in the barren, ruined landscape below.
"Tch. I don’t get it. Why don’t these people ever think of fixing up the outskirts of their cities—what did they call it? The Outer Area? They never try to expand and reclaim lost land. Cowering in a small area won’t get them anywhere."
One hand resting on his helt, Alex remarked, "And there must be children here."
"Yes, Lord Commander," a mber of the Honor Guard responded. "In every city we’ve conquered, there’s always a large number of young female children abandoned in the deserted outskirts."
"Sa as usual. Have the Astartes clear out all Gastrea near the city, and send in the auxiliaries to round up the ’Cursed Children’."
With that, Alex nodded toward a mortal officer in a peaked cap.
Conquering a world wasn’t the sa as razing it, so using only Astartes would have been wasteful; having auxiliaries in large numbers was far more efficient.
The earlier battle at Tokyo was rely a cautious test, which, as it turned out, was ill luck for the area—Tokyo happened to witness the only large-scale Astartes siege in this world.
For the conquest of other human cities, Alex had already figured out the general level of defense. While there was so variation, they all fell within the sa range.
Astartes would spearhead the assault to break down any strong points, and the rest would be left to the mortal auxiliaries.
Most Astartes forces were occupied with clearing out the Gastrea.
To Alex, the threat posed by the Gastrea far outweighed that of humanity in this world.
As for whether a diplomatic approach would work, Alex had lost his patience. Only a few cities hadn’t surrendered yet, and this one was the most stubborn, demanding preferential treatnt and autonomy.
The nerve. They really didn’t know their place!
Enough. Attack!
"Yes, Lord Commander!"
"Prepare yourselves. The battle is over, and Her Majesty will soon arrive." With that, Alex turned his gaze back to the city.
The towering, dark Monoliths were left in ruins, spewing smoke as jagged holes marked their sides.
Within the city, modern structures that had once thrived now lay in devastation, fires raging amid widespread destruction.
Elsewhere.
"Gastrea Virus..." Examining a dark green chunk of a Gastrea corpse, Selene clicked her tongue in wonder.
Accompanied by Dr. Stylish upon arrival in the Black Bullet world, Selene and her party didn’t directly target the world’s core. Instead, they began exploring areas crawling with Gastrea.
What had once been a bustling urban center was now a vast wasteland, a Gastrea playground.
Lush vegetation covered the cityscape. Although Japan is typically a temperate oceanic monsoon climate zone, the environnt here felt more like a tropical rainforest near the equator.
Yet there was none of the vitality or clamor of a tropical jungle—only an eerie, oppressive silence.
Standing on a desolate street overgrown with weeds, Selene looked toward a collapsed wall in a storefront.
The walls, once white, were now stained black with mold creeping over its surface. Cracks covered the floor and ceiling, threatening to break at any mont.
Despite the years that had passed, the sll remained overwhelmingly foul.
Piled in a corner were scattered, incomplete human skeletons, evidence that, at so point, a Gastrea had likely used this place as its lair.
Dr. Stylish, admonished by Selene for trying to inject himself with the Gastrea Virus, asked curiously, "Your Majesty, with its unique properties, this virus could be weaponized as a biological weapon."
"Yes, it has potential, but it needs so modification."
The Gastrea Virus was a parasitic viral organism.
It had unusual characteristics, living within humans and animals, modifying the DNA of its host until it transford into a Gastrea.
"It’s a good prototype for a bioweapon, though it has a troubling tendency to reinforce enemies rather than differentiate."
Perhaps due to her ti in this position, Selene’s first instinct wasn’t to worry about the virus threatening human safety but to think about weaponizing it, weighing its pros and cons and even considering mimicking its traits with Honkai energy to create a more potent version.
"Your Majesty!"
Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.
Turning around, Selene shook off her wandering thoughts. "Alex, what is it? Have you finished the final clean-up?"
Bowing respectfully, Alex responded, "Yes, Your Majesty. With so regret, I must report that the last organized resistance was finally eliminated two hours ago."
Selene nodded. "You did take a bit longer than expected, but your balanced approach preserved more of this world’s resources, so I won’t penalize you."
After a mont’s thought, she continued, "This world was originally to be the exclusive recruiting ground for your First Legion, but the ’Cursed Children’ you captured have proven useful..."
"Therefore, this world will also serve as a recruiting ground for the ’Sisters of Battle.’ Any objections?"
"None at all, Your Majesty! I am honored to comply!"
Although the Gastrea Virus had drastically reduced humanity’s numbers, Alex was confident that, once the surface was rid of the Gastrea, this world would recover. The technological foundation here was quite decent, too.
Pausing mid-stride, Selene turned slightly toward him. "Think about how you’ll handle this conquered world as a recruiting ground for the Legion."
"Since your Legion is the first, draw up a set of regulations. This will be formalized into a standard practice to strengthen and expand all Legions. For now, the Sisters of Battle’s recruitnt duties will be assigned to you."
"Yes, Your Majesty. But, um... the Sisters of Battle..." Pausing at the na, Alex cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, has General Esdeath returned?"
Instinctively, the word "battle" made Alex think of Esdeath. After all, her notoriety as a sadistic war-enthusiast was well-established. From every angle, she seed perfect to command a special Astartes Legion.
"No, not Esdeath. She has other tasks. The supre commander of the Sisters of Battle will be Alyssa."
"Lady Alyssa?!" Alex’s eyes widened in shock.
"Your Majesty, is this...is this true? Lady Alyssa... she... I don’t an to offend..." Alex faltered, looking around as he stamred.
"That’s enough; I understand. It will be a trial for her."
Selene raised a hand, indicating she had said all there was to say on the matter.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" With Selene’s order now official, Alex’s hesitation faded, and he responded with unwavering resolve.
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