"How is the situation?"
"Very bad, Sergeant Major... The communications system is completely silent. Whether it's the Inquisition's internal secure line, the military's general channels, the local governor districts, or civilian public frequencies—everything is cut off. Not a single Imperial unit is responding to us. It's as if..."
The officer did not continue immediately. He fell silent for two seconds.
"...A sealed prison. We've been locked inside."
After the tech officer's low report ended, the atmosphere grew heavy. The stark white light cast its glow over everyone present.
Uniform silver-gray masterwork power armor gleamed in disciplined formation, engraved and inlaid with silver enamel heraldry. Upon their pauldrons were carved the double-headed eagle's talons and the Inquisition's scale-and-rose emblem '≡≡', accented in gold and red. It was unmistakable—the main battle formation of the Demon Inquisitor Chapter, a subordinate force of the Imperial Inquisition, now cut off from contact.
"Total communication blackout. That means we have lost our formation status. We are officially missing."
"There is no doubt headquarters will not abandon the search for any of us. But if our disappearance continues for too long... will our designation be revoked? Will we already have been marked as fallen?"
"Mm. We must find a way to contact any Imperial unit... But gentlemen, you all understand—doesn't the collective hibernation transfer phenomenon this time, including the fleet's machine intelligence and servitor AI, seem far too strange?"
As the discussion opened up, voices filled the smoke-hazed flagship conference room. The quiet sounds of cigar clipping, match striking, and slow inhalation blended into the low murmur typical of such meetings.
"The entire fleet was transferred without anyone realizing it. During warp transition, I verified all testimonies from soldiers and crew. Before losing consciousness—no, more precisely, before entering what felt like stasis—everyone vaguely glimpsed a streak of golden light... and then remembered nothing."
"Hoo... That truly sends a chill down the spine."
"When we regained awareness, there is little more to say. We do not know when we exited warp, nor how long we were gone. The ship systems record nothing. We arrived in this unknown world. Communications severed. As though someone locked us in a cage isolated from our own universe."
"If that was not some rare super-universal natural disaster, but the work of a living being... then I believe we are in grave trouble. The symptoms after awakening—I assume you all experienced them."
"Hmph. A coward hiding in the shadows! If it wishes to toy with us... at worst, we die for the Divine Empress."
"Die? In a place like this, it may not be so simple. Perhaps our lives are no longer in our own hands."
"What matters most now is value. How do we maximize the worth of every life here, the worth of this fleet? To perish without merit—that would be dereliction of duty..."
...
Officers and NCOs of the Demon Inquisitor Chapter spoke in rapid succession, one speculation after another voiced aloud. Among those in attendance, the high command of the auxiliary forces in immaculate dress uniforms, the battleship captains, commanders of the servitor legions, and even the leaders of the sanctioned xenos auxiliary contingents whispered among themselves.
Knock knock—
Under their gazes, having roughly gauged the mental state of his subordinate commanders, the Chapter's First Sergeant Major—designation '117' engraved upon his left breastplate—slowly tapped the table.
Instantly, all discussion ceased. Cigarettes and cigars were crushed firmly into ashtrays. Every attendee straightened in their seats. Regardless of branch or unit, they displayed the shared characteristics of the Sacred Selene Empire's military system—high organization, absolute obedience, strict hierarchy.
"Captain Scott. Have my Inquisitor warriors lost their will?"
At the question from Sergeant Major 117, the company captain named Scott immediately rose, his right fist slamming against his chest with a heavy thud.
"The Demon Inquisitors face only death! We shall not disgrace Imperial might!"
"Mm."
The Sergeant Major nodded.
"Fleet Admiral Alfred."
"Present!"
A tall, middle-aged man in a blue-black naval officer's uniform with a thick mustache stood at attention.
"Has our fleet lost its combat capability?"
"The Imperial Navy strives for perfection, and rests only in death!"
With another nod, John 117 turned his gaze toward the auxiliary delegation.
"General Cronin."
"Present!"
...
Amid one oath-filled battle cry after another, the cold starlight of the unknown sector filtered through the viewport, mingling with the brilliant illumination refracted from the enamel dome overhead. Together they framed a conference room where morale surged and cohesion tightened once more.
When the representatives of the servitor legions and the xenos commanders finished speaking, the Sergeant Major—who rarely removed his helmet—placed both hands upon the table and slowly stood.
"I ask you—what is our most powerful weapon?"
He repeated himself.
"Is it the grand war machines forged by the Imperial Foundry? No! Is it the dreadful creations of the Imperial Science Bureau? No! Is it Titans? Lasguns? Our fists? None of them! It is courage! It is faith! Courage and faith stand above all!"
"By Her Majesty's grace, humanity endures."
Normally calm and composed, John 117 now roared as he raised his right arm. He murmured, turning his helmet, the blue-white glow of his visor sweeping across the room before slamming his fist against his chest.
"Tell our warriors. Tell our fleet. We march toward death! The enemy may be powerful. We may be but drifting dust. This unknown sector holds countless dangers waiting for us. But here and now, I tell you—face death without hesitation!"
"For Selene!"
"For Selene!" ×N
...
Clack.
One by one, the attendees departed. When the last officer's silhouette disappeared and the metal doors sealed shut, the Sergeant Major fell silent for a long moment before sinking into his seat with a quiet exhale.
"March toward death..."
He turned his head, gazing once more into the unknown deep space beyond the viewport.
"What exactly was that thing?"
John had a premonition—the cause of their arrival here was absolutely not some void-born natural disaster.
He seemed to have forgotten something.
But what was it? What have I forgotten?
That displayed power... that dazzling divine might. He had only ever witnessed such authority upon the sacred Empress Selene herself.
Whenever John strained to recall the sensation from the instant before his consciousness fractured, every cell in his body trembled.
That hollow void drifting across the sea of the soul. The indescribable murmurs and blurred whispers that lingered upon his spirit.
As though he had brushed against annihilation... and glimpsed towering Great Ones standing beyond countless infinite distances across the realms—beings he should never have perceived even the slightest trace of.
Regardless of will, the most fundamental cells that composed life had already reached an indescribable level of fear and reverence toward that moment.
Suddenly—
"Ugh..."
Swaying slightly where he sat behind the conference table, John abruptly tilted to one side. "It's happening again... damn it." Unable to stop himself from swearing, he was struck without warning by that familiar yet unknown sensation. From the physical level to the spiritual and mental plane, agony spread through his entire being.
"Hss... haa... it's getting worse..."
Bang!
With a low growl, he toppled from the chair. Struggling on the carpet, a suffocating pressure followed immediately. His thoughts became hollow and unreal—yet at the same time, incomparably clear.
Just as John prepared to endure it as he had the previous times—
"Hey, John, I secretly watched your speech. Wow, pretty cool. Never thought you, of all people... huh?! John?"
A clear, ethereal female voice rang out. As though a circuit had glitched, the lighting in the conference room dimmed.
Hum—
A graceful, exquisitely formed 'doll' composed of countless irregular luminous lines lit up and appeared at the center of the room.
She possessed a beautiful blue appearance, looking like a woman in her mid-twenties. Every detail radiated mature competence and reliable charm. The grand geometric patterns across her surface, styled after Forerunner civilization aesthetics, lent her an exotic aura.
"It's happening again... John, are you okay?"
Seeing the Sergeant Major convulsing on the carpet, the blue data spirit froze for a split second. Visible concern flickered across her face as she moved swiftly to the side of the silver-gray armored giant.
"Hah... Cortana... I'm fine. Log it. Since awakening in this unknown world, this makes the fourth time..." the Sergeant Major said.
"Shut up, you stubborn mule! I really don't get you... at a time like this, why are you still wearing that helmet?"
Cortana snapped immediately. Stepping forward, her slender fingers—formed of flowing blue data—tapped lightly at the junction between the Sergeant Major's unusually thick custom helmet and neck guard.
Beep. Authorization acquired.
As she removed his helmet, her fingers continued to dance across the holographic display near the control console.
Power pack—why aren't we injecting the high-concentration nutrient solution right now?
Life-support servitors—adjust the air composition in the conference room. Increase the concentration of gaseous Honkai energy.
And retrieve a batch of high-density Honkai Cubes.
The effect was immediate.
As Cortana's string of commands executed in sequence, a faint violet-crimson glow began to permeate the room. The Sergeant Major, who had been convulsing from inexplicable agony, rapidly calmed. In the slightly dimmed lighting, his eyes emitted a faint glow in the darkness.
"Feeling better?" Cortana's lips curved smugly upward.
Her expression practically screamed: See what you'd do without me.
"Thanks, Cortana." The Sergeant Major rose to his feet.
Just as Cortana expected him to say something more—
Click. The locking mechanism sealed shut.
Having put the helmet back on, the Sergeant Major rolled his neck once and nodded.
Cortana: "..."
Why don't you just marry your helmet and live happily ever after!
"Looks like you've discovered something."
"Hmph!"
Nearly indistinguishable from a human in mannerism, Cortana lifted her nose with a soft snort. Still, she did not indulge in petty sulking and quickly refocused.
"Of course. Who do you think I am? Your guess was right, John. Based on what you told me, I traveled between the ships. This symptom isn't unique to you."
"The nutrient solution... nutritional deficiency? And an environment rich in Honkai energy reduces the pain... Cortana, how did you figure that out?" the Sergeant Major asked.
"You think everyone's as thick-headed as you, trying to brute-force everything with willpower?"
Cortana began explaining her findings.
"Your enhanced physique makes it difficult for you to feel hunger in the short term. Combined with the urgency of the situation, you were busy convening the fleet command immediately after awakening. During this time, everyone in the fleet experienced similar symptoms. They were tolerable, and afterward, their physiques improved—so it was temporarily ignored."
"From the second occurrence onward, however, the pain began to intensify. These are recorded testimonies from lower-ranking personnel. Even aboard this ship, someone has already experienced a second episode. According to their descriptions, it isn't purely physical pain. It feels more like reconstruction and transformation. Evolution."
"Simple diagnostics confirm that afterward, their bodies can indeed bear more Honkai energy and other cosmic energies."
"John—what about you? The fourth transformation..."
"..."
Silent for a long while, the Sergeant Major slowly extended his hand.
Hum—
In an instant, violet and gold—distinct yet interwoven—shimmered into existence. Holy yet aggressive supernatural energy sparkled around him, making his entire presence appear unreal, as though the visible world itself had been distorted.
The surging aura contained within it rolled and churned, as if it might explode at any moment.
"Yes. Stronger," he said.
"But too simple. Too easy."
"Anything obtained too easily often has its price clearly marked behind the scenes."
The Sergeant Major stared at Cortana's luminous blue face, speaking each word deliberately.
"I fear this power. It should not belong to me. A castle in the air. As if I stumbled into some hollow by accident, wandered into a laboratory and picked up leftovers like a lucky scavenger—then effortlessly obtained everything I once should have pursued step by step, with my own two feet."
"Compared to opportunity or blessing, I would rather call it poisoned bait."
"John..."
Understanding his stubbornness and his deeply rooted sense of grounded simplicity, Cortana sighed.
"The moment you have this awareness and self-reflection, you already possess the qualification to wield it."
"If you don't try, how will you know?" she smiled. "Pull yourself together, John. An entire fleet rests on your shoulders. Once you return to the Imperial Capital, do you think the sudden rise in your strength won't receive Her Majesty Selene's acknowledgment?"
"Perhaps."
John—117—who would reveal even a trace of hesitation or vulnerability only before Cortana, or before 'Mother' Doctor Halsey at the Imperial Science Directorate in the capital, ended his brief bout of sentimentality and shifted into analysis mode.
"Since we've identified part of the method to alleviate the mutations affecting us, make it public. Notify the transport fleet to adjust supply distribution. Order the analysts and servitor intelligences to collect, compile, and categorize data on the transformations occurring in every Imperial soldier. Guide it toward the most beneficial outcome possible."
"Yes, sir."
Cortana snapped into a playful salute.
"Cortana, inform the fleet commander to lift communications silence restrictions. Take the lead in attempting contact with the outside."
Ignoring her theatrics, the Sergeant Major continued.
"We need to locate indigenous life in this universe. At the very least, we must find multiple resource-rich planets. Fleet supplies are abundant—but no one knows how long we'll remain lost. Nutrition... the material consumption caused by the entire army's 'transformation'—who knows if there's an end to it."
John had an extremely strong premonition.
The soldiers of his fleet would become—
Larger.
Stronger.
And far more Waaagh!!!
"John, we already have results."
Cortana's small face shone with excitement, as though she had been waiting for him to ask.
"We must prepare for contingencies... ah? Already?"
"Mm. We've intercepted countless encrypted interstellar communications... still decrypting. Something about a—Kree Empire, I think."
—
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