Chapter 18: Terra

-M29. 671. Falmart. Prometheus Arcology-

Colonel Gax is sitting in front of his table, scanning dozens of reports sent to him with a transhuman speed and understanding. He read it with complete knowledge, and he immediately sent back the answer.

He spotted the high line one in his journey within the countless documents.

He read it as it was also publicly available to the entire Prometheus' Noosphere. As he read the whole document, Gax could not hide his smirk of satisfaction.

"Everything will change indeed. I never thought this day would come since the Hell tide." He remarked upon the bitterest memory in his nearly seven hundred years of life.

Imperium changed drastically at that moment as he can remember the devastation and corruption. At that time, the Emperor ordered the most unprecedented order in the Age of Imperium history.

But this one is different from that moment. This will lead them to a change that makes Imperium shine even brighter.

"Attention, all officers are requested to attend the Command center. Attention, all officers are requested to attend the Internal Command."

UR-982's voice rang across the structure. If this was broadcasted across the arcology, it must be the Lord General calling them.

Gax stands from his seat, answering the call. He walked through the hallway with several other officers. The majority of them bear bright countenances.

As they arrive at the Command Center, they see the Lord General with his Honor Guards standing proudly in their artistic armor. A smile manifested on his face, emanating the shining figure of the third-ranked transhuman.

Without further ado, the officers began to line up with their utmost discipline.

"Hear me, the loyal soldiers of the Imperium. It's had been widespread knowledge that the second Gate led us into contact with our ancestors. But yesterday, we managed to forge formal diplomatic ties with them. Therefore, we already present ourselves to them. Now, they will come to our Cradle World to further enforce our friendship. It is our time to guide and show them humanity's true value. Let's show them the truth." The voice beamed with transhuman charisma. Lord Agral's feature became the beacon of spirit for them. His undying vibrance bathed the Solar Guardians.

"Release the cloak. We had enough of hiding!"

Since its construction, Prometheus Arcology had been hiding in a gigantic cloaking mechanism. It was a simple procedure when engaging with feudal civilization. But the circumstance had changed. Now they must reveal themselves as the dominant force in this world.

The might and the dream shall come for those wanting.

Freeing the enslaved and bringing the light to the weak.

Thus, the hiding is over.

____________________________________________________

Raias is watching the holo monitor in the commander's seat. His eyes stared at the various up-to-date report about the arcology. Then, a simple message came to all the 5th Recon Team's ears.

"For those who are outside the base. We have revealed our concealment to spread our dream of unification. The silent operation is no longer needed. We are the Imperium of Man, shall judge they who are worth this world. Ave Imperator." The message said proudly.

The 5th Recon Team slowly placed their hands on their chests. Solemnly they said.

"Ave Imperator,"

"Well, I think we must inform our JSDF friends." As the one who first emerged from his salutation, Mal smirked at his Captain.

"Indeed we must." Raias reached his vox speaker. "Lieutenant Itami,"

"Yes, Captain?" The JSDF asked.

"I suggest you open your window wide and see forward. I assure you that you will enjoy this." For a moment, there is silence.

"O-Okay? Thank you for your advice, Captain."

"No problem." Raias severed the connection.

"Prometheus had been upgraded into Ultima-class arcology, wasn't it?" Nathaniel said with a slight smirk.

"Yep," The Captain answered.

__________________________________________________________

"What was that, sir?" Kurata asked. He is in his military suit, acting as Itami's bodyguard. He and the 3rd Recon Team elements will accompany the Saderan Princess and diplomat from Japan. In contrast, Itami wears a formal suit.

"Captain Raias want us to stare up ahead. The reason? I don't know." Itami said with a sigh.

"Can you elaborate more, Lieutenant?" Koichi Aizawa asked, a diplomat tasked to the Imperium.

"I don't know. But I'm sure they are up for something." Itami shrugged.

"What are they talking about?" Pina asked the blue-haired mage.

"They said the Solar Guardian wanted them to witness something before us," Lelei told the Princess.

"Something? But I don't see anything," Rory remarked.

In that continued silence, they began to wonder about the Solar Guardian's intentions. Without any warning, a thunderous noise split the air.

"What is that?!" Kuribayashi shrieked in fear.

"Look there!" Aizawa screamed, pointing his finger forward.

As they laid their eyes in the said direction, a flash of blue light shimmered across the horizon. A lightning crackling burned the sky as unholy energy began to touch their skins.

"Impossible," Itami said in a whisper.

From the bottom, like the lifted veil, an impossibly large structure emerges into reality.

For the JSDF, they could deduce this technological wonder of Imperium's cloaking technology.

But to the Falmartian, their blood ran cold with fear and awe. The structure seemingly manifests itself from thin air, revealing its glory to their mortal's brain.

The structure is incredibly tall, sprawling like a mountain. The artistic beauty of it could not be described by their words. It was metal that rose the heaven with the might of unthinkable mastery.

It was beauty beyond any measure, filled with wonders. As far as their eyes could reach, they could not witness the peak of this structure.

"Beautiful," Lelei said with her eyes glued to the marvel of the structure.

"What is this... How was it possible." Pina trembled, not in fear but in amazement.

"Human... Are they really human?" Tuka could not believe her eyes, rubbing them as if she was dreaming.

Bozes could not utter a word, completely paralyzed with the sight before her.

Rory paled like a corpse. She was beyond terrified by the sheer magical power when the veil lifted from the inhumanly beautiful structure. The pure power of the realm of gods is beyond even her to comprehend.

"How... How can they channel that power? They are not gods... How?" She clenched her hand to steel her mind and heart.

"Rory, are you okay?" Itami asked the demi-god in concern.

"I-I don't know," She shuddered, swallowing a bitter taste of her own saliva.

Around that mountain-like metal structure, a road had been built, fortified with walls of Adamantium. They stood with unknown danger lies within. Instead of a military facility, they witnessed a colossal megalopolis.

Countless Solar Guardians perform their duties while thousands of metal automatons marched with perfect coordination. Something about those giant golems made Pina feel her heart race.

"Their weapons. They are much bigger than the Solar Guardian's." Lelei pointed.

That is what exactly made Pina nervous. She studied the golems to their utmost detail. Weapons in their possession were similar but much larger and vastly superior.

She had witnessed the might of Raias and his team destroying thousands of bandits in a single night, leaving the barren land with craters that not even Apostle could create.

And these golems held more unspeakable power of destruction. Pina's breath began to dwindle in her shock.

"Princess, breath," Bozes whispered softly.

Hearing the comfort, Pina began to control her emotion. She smiled at her most trusted knight, nodding his head in affirmation.

They also witnessed half a dozen vehicles six times the size of the 5th Recon Team possession. They are floating, bears weapons that resemble massive artillery. No, it would be an understatement. Those vehicles are the weapons themselves.

Weapons ready to unleash the apocalypse itself.

"What... Are those," Itami asked in a tone quieter than a whisper.

"Those would be Ordinatus Medium-class Self-Propeled Artilleries." A voice that neither resembled a man nor a woman rang in their minds.

"Who is that?!" Aizawa shouted.

"Greetings, I am UR-982. Ferrous Mind that served this facility." The voice stated.

"The iron spirit," Pina murmured.

"Nice to meet you again, Princess. I hope you have a great morning." The Man of Iron said happily.

"T-Thank you," Pina smiled weakly, trying to conceal her distress.

"Ferrous Mind," Itami muttered. "So, you are Imperium's Artificial Intelligent."

"Yes, I am. I think you have heard about me, Lieutenant. I'm glad to know that," UR-982 said pleasantly.

"Your welcome," Itami said with a wry smile.

"Very well, then. I will be your guide when you arrive at this arcology. All of you will wait about two hours, and then you can pass our Gate to meet our Emperor. " Ur-982 said to all of them clearly.

"May I ask?" Lelei asked.

"Of course, little psyker." The Ferrous Mind answered kindly.

Ignoring how the Man of Iron addressed her, Lelei cleared her throat. "I've heard from Captain Raias regarding this structure. Arcology, wasn't it?"

"You're correct. This is Ultima-class arcology, Prometheus. It was named after a certain deity in Old Earth's mythology. A deity that stole fire from god to grant enlightenment to mankind." When the Man of iron mentioned a deity, it made Lelei frown.

"From what Captain said, your country hates gods and any religion. But why are you using the name of a god for your structure?" The blunt question brings chills to all passengers.

"We only admire its philosophical meaning. Furthermore, this legend drove humanity's wisdom to bring salvation. His Majesty believes we must remember what makes our origin. Even we are governed by a secular government. We also practiced countless spiritualistic rituals." The revelation made all of them frown.

"Then what is the Imperial Truth?" Rory suddenly asked, narrowing her eyes.

The Ferrous Mind did not answer, remaining silent for a split second.

"Imperial Truth," UR-982 said slowly. "I don't have any clearance to speak about that to you, Rory Mercury."

"Why?" She tightened her grip on her halberd.

"Because the one who will answer your question is the Emperor of Mankind himself." That was the most deafening truth. A truth that made time itself seemingly frozen by the weight of UR-982's words.

"The Emperor himself... Why?" Not satisfied with the answer, Rory asked with concern in her voice.

"The Emperor held the title Master of Mankind for a reason, Rory Mercury. Please, you will have your answer. But for now, I will guide you in this arcology."

Finally, they entered the massive structure. From the windows, they witness the arcology is utterly wider inside. It was a city that was held within a single impossibly large frame. As far as their eyes can go, they only witness the most advanced industrial complex they have ever seen. It was automated, yet it did not eliminate any human involvement. They did see not only transhumans but also mortals who accompanied them. It was fascinating that the supposedly mere human managed to stand side by side with a transhuman.

"Take the left side, and you will find a vehicle-sized teleporter. It will bring you to the hangar. Then, Colonel Gax will meet you there." Kurata nodded his head, complying with the Man of Iron's direction. There, he spotted an iron circle with a shimmering blue light in its center.

As they entered it, a flash of brilliant light washed their visions. It did not last long as the light died out.

"Man, I feel nausea," Kurata said, holding his head.

"It would be a common experience when a person undergoes their first teleportation travel." The Ferrous Mind informed them.

"Thanks for the information," Itami rubbed his stomach as he tried to hold it into his stomach.

As they were busied with their nausea, a stepping sound echoed through the air.

A Solar Guardian came to them. This one is old, unlike the 5th Recon Team.

They have heard that a Solar Guardian can live up to one thousand years old. And this man's appearance made them wonder how old that man was.

"Greetings, the representative of the Japanese and Sadera. My name is Colonel Gax; I'm here to bring you to our Lord General until we can enter the Gate." The Colonel smiled fondly at his guest.

"Greetings, Colonel. I must say that it's new for me. Especially that teleportation." Aizawa said in his diplomat persona.

"Pardon us for that, Mr. Aizawa. We did not want to waste any time bringing all of you here. Thus, that was our ultimate choice." The Solar Guardian assured.

"Now, let me guide you to the Lord General's Sanctum."

The group followed the Solar Guardian to the hallway. Before they managed to step foot to enter, their guns suddenly wrapped around a certain direction.

"Whoa?!" Kuribayashi shrieked.

"My apologies, but we need to confiscate your weapon for safety reasons." The Solar Guardian said to them neutrally.

"Understandable, Colonel." Aizawa nodded to the JSDF, giving them a silent signal of understanding.

Then, they began to walk to the hallway. The Falmartian could only mesmerize by the artistic value behind the bone of this hallway.

As they went deeper, they arrived at the glass hallway, revealing the sight behind the majestic glass.

"Wha-What is that?!" Itami asked in shouts, excitement filling his eyes and spirit.

Itami and the entire group were petrified in awe and fear at sight before their eyes.

It was a massive chamber with countless construction bays and innumerable creation instruments slowly assembling a gigantic humanoid frame.

The Omniphages swarmed across the hundreds of meters tall frame, reaching every edge of its complex metal skeleton. In a seemingly instantaneous time, the Omniphages leave the skeleton with its metallic body. The sinew of steel covered its body as the skin of the adamantium plate became the shield of its inner anatomy.

A mighty giant that shall seek and destroy anything that stands before it.

"Mind to answer it, 82?" The Colonel gently requested.

"Of course, Colonel," The Silica Intelligent answered. "This place is Titan manufactorum. This place is where we create titan. Titan is the name of our bipedal walker. They were made solely to slay titan-sized enemies, advancing in the Emperor's name."

As UR-982 describes the mighty machine, the titan in construction roared its warhorn as a newly created Man of Iron entered the titan's noosphere.

The beast's roar made the warp-sensitive beings in the group flinch. For a brief moment, they witness something. It was not the titan but something lingering around it.

A soul. A soul of the vastly terrifying entity.

"Let's continue our walk, then." The Colonel said with a smile, snapping them from their petrification.

________________________________________________________________

They meet the Lord General. He is still inhuman as long as they can remember. He went through various lists and meeting they would undergo.

From morning schedule until night time. All were mentioned.

"Then we went to the next list outside your primary meeting. Lelei Lelena, you shall attend the scholar meeting at planet Prospero. Also, you have been appointed as a temporary student there." Agral said, eyes never leaving the holovid.

"I understand," She simply answered.

"Princess Pina co Lada and Bozes Co Palesti, you will have a personal meeting with Lord Malcador, one of the High Lords of Terra." Hearing the unfamiliar name and title, Pina is distraught. "He is master of Imperium's shadow. High Lords themselves are titles directly under the Emperor."

"I-I see. Thank you, Lord Agral." Pina replied slowly.

"The last one. The Japanese will be escorted to the Academia on the second day." The Lord General blinked several times, smiling as he read the last paragraph in the document. "There would be an exhibition that I guarantee will amuse all of you."

The JSDF only wondered what that would be.

"That's all I need to tell you; One hour later, you shall be accompanied by our soldiers to pass our Gate," Agral stood from his chair, smiling broadly. "I hope Imperium will leave you a good impression, ladies and gentlemen."

_____________________

Everyone could not hold their spirit from busting out of their bodies. They are more than eager to pass the Gate, meeting with their future generations.

The same sentiment could not be applied to some of them. The Saderan Imperials began to whisper a prayer to their gods while Rory tried her best to calm her emotions.

Tuka herself is heavily distressed by the Imperium's citizen attitude toward elf-kin. They hate her with vengeful fury, always glaring at her with intimidation.

For safety precautions, she had given a piece of the Imperium's technology to keep her ears hidden, concealing her psychic presence from all Imperium's citizens.

"With everyone here, I shall open the Gate. Enjoy your journey to our glorious nation." UR-982 declared with pride and joy.

The Gate before them opened, revealing a dark tunnel. At the end of that tunnel, a bright golden brilliant shine beautifully. It was tempting and regal.

"I will lead the way. Anything you will see is a lifetime experience; make it precious." Colonel Gax said with a slight smile on his face.

The Solar Guardians stepped first, followed by their honored guest. Their footsteps echoed through the solid wall that made up the tunnel. The golden light became brighter as they approached it.

Their eyes widened in awe and amazement as they entered the magnificent light.

"Welcome to Terra, the heart of the Imperium, the Cradle World of humanity." The Solar Guardian Colonel said gently.

It was a breathtaking sight.

A place of white metal sprung across the horizon. Mountain-sized arcology that dwarfed even the Prometheus scattered in a number of thousands.

The air is ultimately untouched by any pollution, despite its titanic urbanization. No pollution clouded the sky.

The glory of the sky was fully unrivaled; even in their world did not have this purest form of azure heaven.

The green ecology could be witnessed like an infinite roble of emeralds. It was a perfect balance between nature and technology. The shimmering light of the sun shines above as the countless buildings reflect it like diamonds.

Above the arcologies, over two dozen country-sized orbital plates float on the horizon. They are sustained with impossibly complex structures, becoming a marvel their primitive minds could not describe.

"Follow me," The Colonel's voice returned their sense to reality.

They nodded their heads, following the Colonel. In close observation, the ground they are currently stepping on is a genuine metal.

Colonel Gax stopped to the falmartian and JSDF confusion. A familiar crackling voice broke the silence among them. Instantly, the true sight was revealed to them.

It was a fortification that eclipsed anything they had seen. Solar guardians, automata, and even Imperial Knights are ready at any given moment to unleash untold devastation.

"Wha..." Itami tried to utter a word, but it suddenly died in his throat.

Without any motion, they kneel from the humanoid transhuman to the gigantic Knights. They did not dare to move, kneeling with their undying loyalty.

"Why are they kneeling?" Rory asked, feeling nervous.

"Please, be quiet." The Colonel said harshly.

Before they could ask, a blast of psychic energy washed every mortal presence in that area. Rory can feel the genuine scale of the power of this being.

It was at the same level as her god, Emroy. A being that could manipulate the Sea of Soul like a music composer stands inside the Sea of Soul, slowly emerging into the material world.

The light started to dim as the massive pressure disappeared, revealing the person within the light.

It is a frail old man with a black robe, holding a flaming staff higher than him.

"I assume you have a great time, my honored guests. My name is Malcador. I will take you to the Emperor directly." The old Malcador said with a hearty smile.