Chapter 27 — Space Marines

Heavy hydraulics sounded as they lifted bulky armour pieces onto a mechanical frame. They clicked and screwed into place as they formed the power armour of the Space Marine. Numerous mechanics and personnel ran around assembling the armour onto the emotionless Space Marines. Towering at over 8 feet tall, they were genetically enhanced super soldiers with Gene Seeds implanted and the most powerful individual combat force in the Third Reich.

Despite being called Space Marines, they could not even start to compare to real Warhammer 40k Space Marines. They were inferior in strength, training and equipment and would be slaughtered by them. In fact, you could call them an inferior imitation of a real Space Marine. However, even an imitation of a Space Marine is a devastating weapon. Even with all these shortcuts to save cost, only 20 of them had been created.

The power armour they used was a simplified version and only tripled the strength of the user. It was an inferior armour, had less life support systems and used 21st-century technology, including night vision thermal vision, targeting assist and augmented reality. It was big, bulky and heavy, but extremely mobile and flexible. While their training and experience could not be compared with real Space Marines, they were still masters in combat and Konrad hoped to eventually catch up to and even surpass the real thing.

To standardise ammunition, powerful custom-made 30mm guns were used. Traditionally autocannon ammunition, the 30mm round had never been used in a rifle before. Perhaps the Space Marines were the only people who could actually use such a gun as the recoil would blow the arm of any regular person off.

At face value, power armour and superhumans weren't worth it. They were incredibly expensive and for the same price, had less firepower than a tank and less speed and manoeuvrability than a plane. Fighting a war of attrition with them was a guaranteed failure. However, their advantage came in their flexibility. They had high individual combat power, and just like special forces, were best deployed in specific missions that allowed them to use their strengths to their greatest advantage.

Filled with ammunition and armed to the teeth, the squad of 20 Space Marines walked from the tower into a giant ballistic missile towering on the launch pad. To ensure the element of surprise, a ballistic missile had been re-fitted to house the squad of Space Marines and deliver them to their target at rapid speed. After completing their mission, a transport plane would then come to pick them up. A missile had to be used as they were too heavy to be transported by helicopter and the only thing that could bear their weight, a transport plane, was too conspicuous. Konrad also didn't want the mission to take too long and allow Ichigo to grow any further.

Strapped into their seats, the ballistic missile launched and arced through the night sky to their destination.

In the Mildror Kingdom, Ichigo was in a workshop, watching Rubia hard at work deciphering the formula of gunpowder from the captured. It was midnight, and she had been working all day. Rubia was a shy, unconfident and cute girl that he had rescued from a goblin attack on her village. Traumatised after her family was killed, Ichigo took her in and became the parental figure in her life. Over time, he found that she had an incredible talent for alchemy. Many tools and medicines that the party used were made by her and despite being the weakest member in terms of strength, she was a vital link in Ichigo's harem. However, over time Rubia had developed a dependence and obsession on Ichigo. Every day she felt like her feelings were getting stronger and devouring her as Ichigo became the only person she saw. She felt her emotions bleed into her every cell and take over her mind.

[Rubia, you don't have to push yourself too hard, you're doing great! We still have some time before the Third Reich retaliates]

Rubia blushed as Ichigo rubbed her head.

[D-don't worry about me! The composition isn't actually that hard, I'm just useless, I'm still trying to decipher it after this long]

Ichigo embraced Rubia to her feeble protests.

[Oh, how can you be useless? You're the most talented member of our team! What would I do without you…]

Blushing heavily, Rubia grasped Ichigo's arms tighter as she mumbled something as her breathing got deeper. However, at this moment Ichigo's sense of danger went off like alarm bells ringing in his mind. He instantly rushed outside to look at the pitch-black sky, leaving a confused Rubia behind.

From the darkness, he saw a fiery speck in the sky which slowly grew larger, slowly falling down towards the castle… 

[Run! Find shelter! There's something coming from the sky!]

He dashed inside and carried Rubia in his arms, yelling and running towards the castle. Although it was dark, his abilities allowed him to have excellent night vision. When running, he swore that he could hear Rubia mumbling something along the lines of "Ichigo loves me… No one can take my love away from me…" but he dismissed it as him just being nervous.

In the castle, the alliance army was being hastily mobilized and formed. However, it would take some time as there was some confusion in the dark.

[Aren't they here too fast?]

[Regardless of how, the truth is in front of us. We must react!] 

[We must achieve victory!]

In the castle, the group of Kings and Queens of the Alliance came to Ichigo and his harem.

[You've done enough fighting already, leave this battle to the Alliance. We will take care of it!]

Ichigo looked at his girls and Rubia latching onto his arm. Even though he knew it was hypocritical, he was not willing to risk their safety.

[In that case, I'll leave it to you. I recommend you use your strongest troops to end the battle quickly!]

[Don't worry, even though we might not be able to defeat the Third Reich, it will not be a problem to defend our land!]

The missile slowed down and crashed into the middle of the castle's courtyard with a heavy cloud of smoke. Hundreds of soldiers poured in and surrounded the crash site. Their torches illuminated the surroundings.

[Are there really enemies?]

[Where did this come from?]

[Can anything survive that fall?]

From inside the wreck, Space Marines slowly and silently stepped out and spread out in a fan formation under the dust. Their eyes glowed red as their night vision and thermal vision engaged. Through the dust cloud, a large group of glowing soldiers could be seen, each with a crosshair target on them. Their guns mechanically locked onto the heads and hearts of their targets as their fingers pulled their two-stage triggers.