Far Eastern Region, the Japanese Archipelago.
Osaka's Nara Prefecture lies within a basin, surrounded on all sides by mountains. Narrow hills encircle the entire city. Within its jurisdiction, Mount Yoshino in the northern part of the Nara Basin is famed for its cherry blossoms and is reputed to be the finest on the Japanese Archipelago.
The cherry blossoms of Mount Yoshino are divided into four sections. Every April, they bloom in sequence—"a thousand at the mountain's foot," "a thousand along the mountainside," "a thousand at the summit," and "a thousand within the mountain." The sight is magnificent.
Unfortunately, it is now autumn (the Kolosten Town incident occurred after October 13, 2017). It is neither the peak season for viewing cherry blossoms nor the snowy winter ideal for admiring the landscape.
The scene of "spring bringing cherry blossoms across the mountains" cannot be seen for the time being.
From the sky, the red maple leaves of autumn mingle among the bare cherry trees, lending the landscape a somewhat desolate beauty.
And the reason the cherry blossoms here bloom so brilliantly, why the vitality of these trees far surpasses that of other places, is by no means merely environmental.
What no one knows is this—
Here lies buried a warrior of MOTH who fought for humanity all her life, who lost her last remaining loved one because of humanity, and who ultimately died in battle, disheartened—brilliant and fleeting as cherry blossoms.
Before her grave, the strongest warrior bearing the Signet of Deliverance once made a vow upon this scorched earth to his comrade and to all—no matter the cost, humanity would defeat the Honkai.
And fifty thousand years later, the land that had been utterly reduced to charred wasteland beneath nuclear fire—when the Twelfth Herrscher, the Herrscher of Corruption, seized control of the missile silos—has once again become covered in traces of life.
Is this the power of time? The tenacity of life?
Perhaps it is the nutrients transformed from the remains of MANTISes that nourish this land, allowing its cherry blossoms to shine with such splendor and beauty.
Born here. Returning to the roots here. Giving back to this land.
Within Mount Yoshino stands Kinpusen-ji Temple.
Drip.
A man in a hood, dressed in a black hoodie, pushed open the gate. The aged latch let out a faint creak.
The interior architecture bore the elegant style of the Heian period. Yet the entire entrance hall was now in shambles. Wooden windows and broken furniture lay scattered everywhere. Expensive carpets and incense burners had been torn apart, ashes strewn across the floor.
The man stepped through the open wooden door. His boots crunched against splintered wood with a crack, crack.
"So they've already been here..."
There were still faint traces of blood on the ground. Deep imprints from heavy objects were pressed into the wooden floorboards, leaving clearly visible marks.
After entering the inner courtyard behind Kinpusen-ji's main hall, what came into view was a cherry tree standing squarely at the center.
By all logic, at this season the cherry blossoms should still be buds. Yet this particular tree in the temple courtyard bloomed in full defiance of nature.
"Long time no see, Sakura."
Stopping not far from the cherry tree, his voice was hoarse and low. In the distance, the roaring din of the Osaka metropolitan area rolled like thunder, and the surrounding sky reflected a burning crimson glow.
"In this current era, there is no doubt—humanity has failed."
The black hood shifted as he raised his head. Upon the bone-white mask, beside the emblem of two crossed black daggers, the single remaining right eye emitted the red glow of a bionic prosthetic.
It was none other than Gray Serpent.
He bowed deeply toward the cherry tree—for a fallen hero, for a warrior who had killed him countless times... and for a former "friend."
Though that "friend" had not seen it that way, having repeatedly attempted to erase him and having destroyed the organization he founded multiple times, Gray Serpent's consciousness simultaneously controlled other bodies. Each time, he never truly died.
For reasons unknown, Gray Serpent seemed to have developed a peculiar sentiment toward Sakura, who had hunted him down time and again.
As early as fifty thousand years ago, when Sakura fell in battle, Gray Serpent had led his "bodies" to pay respects at her grave, lamenting that she could not personally witness this moment—a conclusion he had reached after his long studies: humanity requires a guide.
But now, Gray Serpent had come to retract the words he had spoken fifty thousand years ago.
"For the future expansion of humanity, humanity needs a guide. However, Dr. Mobius has disappeared, and our Lord seems to have failed... No, it would be more accurate to say that Kevin Kaslana has failed."
His gaze lifted. Even after so many years, the cherry tree remained just as beautiful. The solitary nobility it exuded was like the only torch lit within darkness—still as captivating as ever.
The blossoms were extraordinarily beautiful. Snow-white petals tinged faintly with pink, golden stamens clustered together like threads of gold, seeming to emit a soft glow. Each bloom was tender, opening to its own brilliance in the breeze, lively and radiant.
"A failure like him is unworthy of being the Lord of World Serpent."
In the past, whenever Gray Serpent spoke of Kevin Kaslana, he always wore the face of a fervent believer, respectfully addressing him as "Lord."
But this time, there was no reverence in his tone. On the contrary, toward Kevin—already dead in battle—Gray Serpent displayed unusual coldness, even harshness and ruthlessness.
"He broke his word. He did not fulfill the agreement between us," Gray Serpent seemed to confide to the cherry tree.
Yes. An agreement.
Gray Serpent upheld the spirit of commerce. Any deal he agreed to would be carried out to the end—even if by force.
Why had Kevin been able to become the Lord of World Serpent?
One crucial reason was that Dr. Mobius—the creator of Gray Serpent, the will he had chosen first to follow—had gone missing.
Gray Serpent's birth had been the product of a singular, irreproducible coincidence. He was not, as Robert had assumed, a human enhanced through cybernetic modification.
Because he had never been human to begin with.
Gray Serpent was a byproduct born during Mobius' testing of new technology. After confirming the feasibility of that technology, Mobius had tossed the original Gray Serpent into the disposal pool.
Yet the next day, when Mobius checked again, she discovered that while over eighty percent of the organic matter had already corroded away, "it" was not only still alive—but had undergone astonishing "evolution"?!
"The process of evolution is not beautiful. On the contrary, it is exceedingly ugly. But only by enduring this ugliness can we truly comprehend... the beauty of life." —Mobius
Within "its" hideous eyes burst forth a will to survive—a radiance that existed solely for survival... Mobius had never seen such a creature.
Thus, Mobius decided to give "it" a chance... a chance to live.
"It" left Mobius' laboratory and began conducting its own "experiments." It organized a mechanistic cult that worshiped machinery, a mutual aid society that regarded Honkai as a form of baptism, and even underworld syndicates that secretly stockpiled Honkai energy weapons...
Throughout this process, "it" continued to change. Gradually, it began to feel more and more like a human being.
That was how Gray Serpent was born.
Having survived, Gray Serpent believed that the freedom he now possessed was a generous gift granted by his creator, Dr. Mobius. Therefore, he had to give his existence value.
And it was precisely this "value" that drove Gray Serpent—who was not human—to attempt to accomplish something.
Later, Gray Serpent met Kevin. Kevin was a comrade-in-arms of Dr. Mobius. He promised Gray Serpent that humanity would surely defeat the Honkai, and that he was willing to pay any price to achieve it.
The pioneer plan Kevin was responsible for—the "Project STIGMA"—also allowed Gray Serpent to see the possibility of humanity adapting to the Honkai.
Out of a desire to realize his own value, and perhaps a sense of repayment toward Dr. Mobius, Kevin and Gray Serpent quickly reached an understanding. After the current era's civilization began, Gray Serpent acknowledged Kevin as "Lord" and formally reorganized the organization he had founded into World Serpent.
They devoted themselves to enabling humanity to adapt to the Honkai and to realizing the "Project STIGMA."
But all of that now belonged to the past. Gray Serpent had once firmly believed in following the "Lord," believing Kevin could help him realize his own worth.
Now? Kevin had broken the contract.
Gray Serpent would not howl in hatred over Kevin. He would not mourn him. Nor would he feel regret over Kevin's death.
Cold and merciless, willing to sacrifice everything and exploit anything to achieve his goals—that was Gray Serpent's true nature.
After speaking, Gray Serpent fell silent. In the courtyard, only the rustling of cherry blossoms stirred by the breeze remained. After a long moment, he turned without hesitation.
Now Kevin was dead. The heroes were either dead, missing, or surrendered. Gray Serpent had already done everything within his power.
Though pursued relentlessly by the Imperial Army, having dozens of his bodies killed or captured, Gray Serpent still chose to return once more to Sakura's former burial site—to bid her farewell again.
As for the rest—gathering the technological samples of both the Previous Era and the Current Era; abandoning the majority of his forces to sever the tail and survive; using the laboratory left behind by the Doctor (Mobius) to broadcast to all surviving shelters the announcement of this era's defeat against the Honkai...
Doctor, can you hear this?
"Humanity has once again failed before the Honkai... How long will it take before the next era arrives? How much longer until humanity can truly prevail..."
"Doctor... where are you?"
Carrying these questions, Gray Serpent stepped out through the gates of Kinpusen-ji.
From the mountain gate, looking down, the surrounding city had already lost its former tranquility. The colorful "neon lights" and "streetlights," which usually only flickered on in scattered points at night, were now blazing early. From above, they resembled long luminous serpents winding through the darkness.
However, those "neon lights" and "streetlights" brought more than beauty—they brought death.
All military bases, armed police units, and city halls had suffered catastrophic destruction. Within a single day, more than a hundred thousand people in the city had been displaced... trembling under the ravages of war.
Boom—!
The terrified crowd fell into complete chaos, scattering in all directions in a desperate attempt to flee.
Another deafening explosion erupted from a district within the city. That direction...
The red light in Gray Serpent's right eye flickered. If he remembered correctly, the location that had just exploded was one of World Serpent's bases in Osaka.
As the thought crossed his mind—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several Caestus Assault Rams roared into the mountainous region overhead. Flying at low altitude, they flattened the forest canopy below like fields of grain pressed down by a storm.
The Caestus Assault Ram is one of the assault craft used by the Holy Selene Empire. It is smaller than a Thunderhawk but larger than a Shark Assault Boat.
These aircraft are used in void warfare to rapidly deploy boarding forces directly onto enemy vessels. The Caestus Assault Ram is also one of the most commonly used boarding craft among Astartes warriors. Its speed and exceptional durability have earned it widespread acclaim.
It can transport up to ten fully armed Astartes into battle at once. The internal space accommodates warriors clad in either standard power armor or Terminator heavy armor.
Each side is equipped with one Cyclone missile launcher and two twin-linked heavy bolter autocannons.
"Report: Enemy located. Database match confirmed—World Serpent senior executive, Gray Serpent."
Inside the assault craft, the pilot stared at the black-robed figure displayed on the screen and reported loudly.
"Him again? How many times has that been? Though this is our Legion's first encounter, other Legions—and even other war zones—have recorded his confirmed kills."
Thud. Thud. Thud.
With heavy footsteps, a towering giant stepped behind the pilot. His power armor was covered in the marks of battle and smoke. Congealed blood plastered itself across his thick breastplate and pauldrons.
A thick stench of blood filled the air.
The Astartes officer stared at Gray Serpent on the screen. Behind the emerald lenses of his helmet visor, his gaze was like a drawn blade—radiating bloodthirsty fury, locking onto the figure stepping out of Kinpusen-ji's mountain gate.
"No matter how small the prey, meat is meat. Inform Squads B and D. Prepare for aerial deployment."
"Yes, sir!"
Compared to the power armor of other Astartes Legions, this group's paintwork and ornamentation were undoubtedly far more austere.
There were no gold or silver reliefs, no ribbons or decorative embellishments. The armor was entirely bone-white. The pauldrons bore numerous protruding pyramidal studs. The shoulder plates were deep blue with brass trim, and along the brass edges were regularly arranged circular brass rivets.
Upon closer inspection, the circular brass rivet emblem resembled a planet being torn apart by sharp fangs.
Beyond that, there was nothing else—no flourish whatsoever. Compared to the flamboyance of other Legions, they were as plain as freshly issued, factory-standard equipment.
But to mistake them for inexperienced recruits lacking honor or battle merit would be a grave error.
This was the unique style of their Legion.
On them, one would find none of the olive branches, greatswords, wings, or other ornamental motifs favored by other Astartes Legions. They did not even bear the iconic double-headed eagle symbolizing the Empire and Selene.
As they put it:
"We are the Empress' blades. Nothing more."
Loyalty is kept in the heart. That alone is sufficient—there is no need to display it through ornamentation.
Across the intersection of straps over their breastplates, simple and direct, the marking "Ⅻ" declared their identity.
The Astartes Twelfth Legion—the World Eaters.
They were loyal war hounds—and Selene's personal executioners.
The World Eaters officer shifted his gaze away from the screen and slowly moved toward the rear hold of the assault craft. His voice was low.
"Brothers, good news. We've found fresh prey. Supposedly a big one."
As he spoke, he drew the chainaxe magnetically locked to his lower back.
"Dead or alive. However many lives he has. As long as he is the enemy—if he dares appear before the World Eaters, we kill him every single time."
Vrrr-THUD!
The chainaxe roared to life. Perhaps too much blood, bone fragments, and shredded flesh had accumulated between its teeth—there was even a brief wet splutter as it started.
"He... he..."
No further words were needed. The other World Eaters seated in the hold let out low chuckles. Then, as one, they rose and activated their own chain weapons.
Vrrrrrr—!
In theory, as long as equipment was standardized by the Imperial Science Bureau, every Legion fielded the same categories of individual arms.
Power claws, power swords, power fists, lightning claws, thunder hammers—power weapons of all types. Chain weapons such as chainswords, chainaxes, and chain glaives. Bolt weapons, plasma weapons, laser weapons, melta weapons—every Legion was equipped with them.
But in practice, each Astartes Legion emphasized different weapons according to preference.
For example, the Dark Angels of the First Legion favored power swords. The Retributors of the Second Legion preferred power fists and lightning claws... in many ways reflecting the style of their respective Legion Commanders.
As for the Twelfth Legion—the World Eaters—their preference was obvious. They favored chain weapons above all, especially chainaxes.
The World Eaters were the purest embodiment of savage valor within the Empire.
Even their fleet reflected this philosophy. Aside from the Legion flagship, which housed palace gardens prepared for Selene's stay, the rest of their vessels were built with armor piled as thick as possible. Their close-range heavy artillery was stacked to an almost insane degree.
"What are we?"
"The Empress' World Eaters!"
"What are we?"
"Selene's war hounds!"
"Then the hour of bloodletting has come."
"Blood for the God-Empress! Skulls for the Golden Throne!"
No further orders were necessary. Across their internal communications, only one directive remained—kill.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At thirty meters above ground, the assault craft's hatch opened. One after another, dim meteors fell from the sky, smashing into the earth. The shockwaves instantly cleared a radius of nearly ten meters of grassland, kicking up clouds of dust over a dozen meters high.
These heavily armored warriors were massive and broad, standing upon the earth like towering pagodas.
"They're here." Gray Serpent calmly observed the descending World Eaters. "The Twelfth Legion, hm?"
Bone-white primary color. Deep blue base. Brass trim. The numeral "Ⅻ." Another new unit.
Gray Serpent's consciousness simultaneously controlled multiple bodies, and all perceptions were shared in real time. In effect, he alone had nearly solo-cleared the Astartes Legions one by one.
"Come. Let me see what makes the Twelfth Legion different."
He spun the double-action revolver glowing with green luminescence—Colt Peacemaker. Though he belonged to the type with weak direct combat capability, Gray Serpent had no intention of surrendering.
Even if he died, he would at least chip off a few pieces of gold or silver ornamentation from their power armor.
Previously, at one of World Serpent's bases, after it had been breached, half his body had been blown away. But he was not human. A fatal wound was merely a technicality. Feigning death, he had seized the moment to fire a shot, shattering the golden double-headed eagle relief on an Astartes squad leader's pauldron.
Though his remaining torso had been hacked into fragments in retaliation, the sight of their furious indignation had pleased him.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The instant Gray Serpent opened fire, mechs and Honkai synthetic beasts hidden within the temple compound surged out as well.
After all, he was a mere administrative officer. When traveling, how could he not bring ample bodyguards?
Then Gray Serpent noticed something.
These ones were different from the others he had encountered. Their appearance was far too plain.
And the overwhelming stench of blood emanating from them grew stronger as they approached. Even through synthetic organs, it triggered a faint nausea within him.
Zzzzt—
The power armor's built-in energy shield module crackled as bullets struck the orichalcum composite armor plates. The shield rippled like disturbed water.
Though inferior to the void shields or void field array generators issued to officers and generals, the energy shield module was cheap, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture. Like a battery, it could be recharged or swapped out entirely.
It could be deployed on a massive scale—not only across all Astartes Legions, but even among the Servitor Army. That was something the void shield series could never achieve.
Veterans using the energy shield module would often selectively reinforce it—funneling more power into joints and the helmet, while relaxing output over the already heavily armored pauldrons and breastplates.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Flames flickered from the muzzles of bolters. Standard bolt shells carved brilliant streaks through the air. The front-line mechs were instantly struck by nearly a hundred impacts.
Explosions erupted across their frames. Armor plates burst apart. A mech missing half its torso collapsed into paralysis!
"Blood for the God-Empress!"
With battle cries, Selene's executioners charged headlong into the formation of mechs and Honkai synthetic beasts, frenzy and bloodlust blazing.
Bolts and chainblades tore through metal frames and flesh alike.
Most wielded single-handed chainaxes capable of thrusting, chopping down all obstacles before them like lumberjacks felling trees.
Boom! Boom!
A newly emerged Death Web was instantly focused down. Its fragile head was swallowed by a barrage of shells, exploding into a mist of blood. The headless body crumpled to the ground.
Clang!
Another mech lost its arm in an instant to the gnashing teeth of a chainblade.
Each thrust pierced its prey. Each cleaving strike shattered bone or carapace.
Splurt! Splurt!
The World Eaters officer became a visible storm of blood, tearing across the battlefield at terrifying speed. Whether mech or Honkai beast, none lasted more than a few exchanges. Most died the moment they met him.
Dual chainaxes in hand, he was the embodiment of a flawless killing machine.
A Death Web charged at him, blades raised.
Three seconds later, its head—and the severed fragments of black mechanical construct—hit the ground together.
Two city-guard mechs charged from the left and right, attempting a pincer maneuver. In the next instant, one of them was violently hurled backward, crashing with a thunderous impact into a Death Web behind it. Its cranial processor twisted into a grotesque arc.
It dangled crookedly, swaying as though it might snap off at any moment.
Gray Serpent even noticed that they seemed disinclined to activate the chainblade's monomolecular cutting mode. Instead, they relished the sensation of tearing through flesh and machinery with brute force.
Whenever armor split open to reveal crackling electrical arcs within, or when the bodies of Honkai synthetic beasts were ripped apart and blood sprayed into the air, they would roar in unison.
Their combat style was savagely brutal. The Twelfth Legion was infamous for horrifying close-quarters assaults and slaughter.
Compared to the heavily armored giants Gray Serpent had previously encountered within Schicksal's sphere of influence, these World Eaters made those warriors seem almost refined.
With every passing moment, the berserker aura around them intensified. It even gave Gray Serpent a peculiar impression—they were the true subordinates of the Herrscher of Finality.
"Die!!"
The World Eaters completed a forceful breakthrough, cleaving through Gray Serpent's World Serpent forces. In an instant, an encirclement formed.
Trapped against the mountainside, Gray Serpent no longer had any opportunity to break through—unless he could eliminate all of them in a short span of time.
"This gap in strength..."
Gray Serpent raised his right hand. The modified Colt Peacemaker began gathering Honkai energy. A fluorescent green round fired, striking an Astartes directly in the head.
Bang!
The tremendous kinetic force sent ripples surging across the energy shield, yet the warrior's return fire remained steady—utterly undisturbed.
"A coward hiding in the rear, taking potshots! If you're a man, face me head-on like one!" the World Eaters officer sneered.
The response was three consecutive shots.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"As if I'd trade blows with barbarians like you." With his physique, if he truly engaged a World Eater in close combat, he would likely be reduced to spare parts without even the courtesy of a proper struggle.
Moreover, Gray Serpent could see it clearly—the World Eaters wanted to take him with their axes, whether dead or alive. At such close range, they still refrained from using bolters or plasma fire directly against him.
In the next instant, Gray Serpent raised both hands—one modified Colt Peacemaker in each. .50 caliber full-power rounds, infused with condensed Honkai energy.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang—
Within less than twenty meters, the remaining nine rounds were discharged almost instantly, landing nearly at the same point.
The energy shield rippled violently.
The damage was minimal. The insult was immense.
"You have such a death wish?!"
"Heh... If you truly desire it, my death is hardly impossible. As for each of you... hm?!"
Just as he was about to continue in a mocking tone, Gray Serpent suddenly froze. A strange signal had reached him.
"I suddenly find that I don't wish to die after all..."
Relaxing his grip, he casually spun the revolvers, displaying an almost contemptuous disregard for the surrounding World Eaters.
"..."
Though hidden behind his helmet, one could easily imagine the fury on the officer's face.
"Damn it! You ungrateful rat! Concentrate fire! Kill this gutter vermin!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A storm of bolt shells, plasma beams, and heavy bolter fire from the assault craft engulfed Gray Serpent completely.
"..."
As this body was reduced to scrap and his consciousness transferred away, the lone remaining eye of Gray Serpent still gleamed with undisguised exhilaration.
"Doctor!"
At that very moment, in a base buried deep underground—
A pair of unfathomable serpent eyes opened within the darkness.