"Seeing this fleet up close is really… hard to believe."
Staring at the massive warship looming before him, Colonel Holland swallowed hard, forcibly suppressing the unease rising in his chest.
After the battle, this mysterious fleet had remained near Reach.
UNSC sent communications and only received one reply:
"We'll speak face-to-face."
Thus, as the highest-ranking officer present, Colonel Urban Holland had no choice but to board a transport and fly to the colossal warship.
But the closer he came, the more shocked and confused he became.
Under normal understanding, starships—whether UNSC or Covenant—prioritized simplicity: smooth exterior surfaces, streamlined silhouettes.
UNSC tech was weaker, Covenant tech was superior, but both followed this logic.
Yet the ship before him looked like a floating mountain in space, with ornate cathedrals built atop it, and rows of gaping black cannon ports flanking heavy fortifications.
This wasn't a battleship—
It was a flying cathedral or monastic fortress.
At the very least, it suggested the owners were a civilization capable of communication.
But…
Holland's gaze landed on the enormous skull-and-warhammer emblem decorating the hull, and his anxiety worsened.
This… was not a peaceful-looking symbol.
Soon, the transport passed through a side entrance and docked inside.
After tidying his uniform, Holland stepped out under the protection of two soldiers.
There, a long-haired girl in a maid outfit stood waiting.
She bowed elegantly.
"Greetings, honored guests.
Welcome aboard the Inquisition flagship, Pink Bunny."
"Uh… what??"
Colonel Holland's mind went blank.
Even his two guards froze.
But the maid's expression remained perfectly composed.
"The Inquisitor is waiting for you. Please follow me."
She turned and began walking through the corridor.
Holland hurried after her.
Maybe… he misheard?
Forcing down his confusion, Holland followed the maid, glancing curiously around.
Even inside the ship, his impression didn't change.
The golden murals, the lavish decorations, the towering arched ceilings…
Everything looked more like a grand cathedral than a warship.
Especially when walking down the long corridors—
Through the tall windows he could see the starry sky outside, and beneath him layer upon layer of massive cannons.
The whole scene was surreal.
Before long, the maid led them to a large door.
It opened slowly, and she gestured for them to enter.
Holland had no choice but to steel himself and walk in.
But the moment he stepped into the hall, he froze.
Not far ahead stood a towering figure—
Two to three meters tall, clad in pitch-black armor from head to toe, even the helmet shaped like a snarling beast.
The instant Holland saw him, a primal terror gripped him—
He felt not as if facing a man, but a blood-soaked predator that could tear him apart at any moment.
Even his guards instinctively staggered back, reaching for their weapons—
Only to realize they had been disarmed before boarding.
Luckily, Holland regained clarity just in time and stopped them from making a fatal mistake.
Straightening himself, he bowed toward the armored giant.
"Greetings, honorable sir.
I am Colonel Urban Holland, commander of UNSC Special Warfare Group Three.
On behalf of UNSC, I extend our sincere gratitude for your fleet's defense of Reach.
Without your intervention, Reach would surely have fallen…"
"Greetings, Colonel Holland."
The black-armored giant finally spoke.
"Welcome aboard the Inquisition flagship—Pink Bunny."
"...…uh...…"
Holland could not process the disconnect between the terrifying warrior before him… and the absurd ship name.
"Forgive me, I must have misheard. This ship's name is…?"
"Pink Bunny."
Duanmu Huai repeated the name cheerfully.
"Don't you think it's cute?"
"...…It is… indeed very cute."
Now certain that he hadn't misheard and the name wasn't a mistake, Holland felt speechless.
Little did he know that behind the helmet, Duanmu Huai was smiling with deep amusement.
Because Holland was speaking fluent Mandarin with a slight Taiwan accent.
Just like in the game.
Seeing Holland reminded Duanmu Huai of the player reactions when the game first released—
The UNSC NPCs all spoke Mandarin.
Some players were weirded out—
"A bunch of blond blue-eyed foreigners speaking Chinese better than me?? This makes no sense!"
But others loved it, calling it childhood nostalgia—
Because this star sector had once been released as a standalone game in China with Mandarin dubbing.
Players who grew up with that version were thrilled.
Seeing it in reality was… admittedly hilarious.
"As for thanks, there is no need.
The duty of the Inquisition is to guard humanity and eliminate all threats to mankind.
It is simply our responsibility."
"I… I see…"
Holland had originally suspected the mysterious force might be an alien faction.
But hearing this threw him into deeper confusion.
They called themselves the Inquisition.
They fought to protect humanity.
They destroyed threats to humanity.
This was great news for UNSC—but he still had no idea what these people were or where they came from.
UNSC rebellion?
Impossible—UNSC didn't have such technology.
Holland tried to glean more information, but Duanmu Huai revealed little.
They only discussed the Covenant briefly before Holland excused himself and returned to Reach.
Even so, the information revealed was enough for UNSC to take very seriously.
After Holland left, the girls finally came out from behind.
"Knight-sir, can't we please change the name?"
Guleiya complained the instant she appeared.
The name was too embarrassing—she couldn't even say it with a straight face.
What possessed Duanmu Huai to name his flagship like this?
"Eh? Guleiya, I think it's cute. Isn't it adorable?"
An tilted her head, puzzled.
"But this name doesn't match Big Uncle's warship at all…"
Shirley added timidly.
The first time she heard the name "Pink Bunny," her reaction had been just like Holland's—her jaw almost hit the floor.
How could that monstrous gothic cathedral-battleship be named something so… soft?
"Enough. I'm not changing it."
Duanmu Huai waved off their complaints.
"I want every enemy to remember the humiliation and terror of being destroyed by Pink Bunny!"
"...…."
Honestly, it was humiliating. And terrifying.
The girls were speechless.
"Knight-sama, should we cooperate further with UNSC?"
Loreina wisely abandoned the pointless name debate.
She'd long since accepted that Duanmu Huai had… interesting naming tastes.
Perhaps he simply liked rabbits.
"That depends on them.
Though even if we cooperate, it won't be for long."
"Why not?"
"Because of the Inquisition's mission."
Duanmu Huai shook his head.
"Remember this:
The Inquisition's goal is to exterminate all threats to humanity.
The Covenant has threatened humanity and already attacked them.
So our next step is to annihilate the Covenant completely.
But UNSC may not agree."
"Why? Isn't that a good thing?"
An asked, confused.
"I thought UNSC would be happy to use us."
"The prerequisite for using us is that we'd be under their control.
We aren't.
So UNSC might consider leveraging our power to gain advantage over the Covenant, then negotiate peace."
Duanmu Huai snorted.
"But interspecies wars have no peace.
It's them or us.
Even if UNSC wants peace, the Inquisition will not stop until the Covenant is wiped out."
"Is it really necessary to go that far… Big Uncle…?"
Shirley looked troubled.
"Of course.
If you don't cut the grass at the root, it grows back in the spring.
I know it seems cruel, but that is the Inquisition's work."
He folded his arms with a cold hum.
"Now, let's see how UNSC decides."
(End of chapter)