The Journey ‘Home’

In the world of Black Bullet, within Tokyo's Government Office, Selene stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of what was once the Tokyo governor's office. Gazing lazily at the sunlight outside, her expression was particularly relaxed.

As the first human city to be conquered by the Astartes First Legion in this world, Tokyo's reconstruction had only just begun and was still far from resembling its pre-war state. Yet as the Empire's new center of governance and the First Legion's military base, the former Government Office ruins, where Selene was temporarily stationed, had become of paramount importance.

Immediately after taking control, Alex had conscripted a large workforce to repair the buildings.

Outside the window, the flames of war had faded. Though the skyscrapers once symbolic of Tokyo's prosperity had been ravaged by the First Legion's onslaught, many remained standing. Smoke had ceased to rise, and the burning fires had died out.

Countless Tokyo residents, bearing complicated expressions—and some gazing in hatred—cleared debris from the ruined city under the scornful watch of the Empire's mortal auxiliary troops and Astartes soldiers.

Knock knock.

"Enter."

Creak—

"Your Majesty, these are the officials from the Tokyo region who surrendered."

Gently pushing open the office door, Alex took a respectful six steps toward Selene's back, bowing deeply as he reported.

"Understood." Nodding, Selene turned around to see several middle-aged and elderly men in suits following closely behind Alex into the office.

As their eyes lifted to take in the towering, golden-armored Imperial Guards beside Selene—each over three meters tall—the officials simultaneously fell to their knees with a loud 'thud'.

Despite their limited time interacting with the Empire's forces, none of these mid-to-high-ranking officials of human factions were fools. While some lacked vision, none lacked the instinct to survive, and certainly, there were some ambitious enough to bide their time and feign submission.

Ever since they began interacting with the Empire's forces, they had continuously observed these towering giants, assessing everything they could.

Eventually, they made a discovery: in the Empire's Astartes First Legion, identification was extraordinarily simple and brutally direct. The larger the physique and the more ornate the armor, the higher the rank.

Upon entering the Government Office with the city under complete lockdown by Imperial troops, the officials sensed that someone important had arrived.

And seeing Alex, the military commander, with such a fawning and deferential posture, they quickly stifled any curiosity that arose.

"We greet Your Majesty!"

With utmost humility, the Tokyo government officials who had entered the office paid trembling obeisance.

Not knowing what titles might apply to Selene, they avoided any prefacing honorifics, reasoning that calling her "Your Majesty" could not be too far off.

Selene regarded the group of middle-aged men before her, then raised a hand slightly, "Rise."

As they knelt deeply, heads bowed to the ground, the officials were shocked to feel an unseen force propelling them to stand upright and face the elegant white-haired figure before the floor-to-ceiling window.

To their surprise, rather than the towering warrior they had expected as the leader of the black-armored giants, they saw a strikingly beautiful woman.

At a loss for words to describe her beauty, they looked at the figure before them—"Her Majesty."

Her skin shimmered with the ethereal purity of porcelain, radiating a delicate elegance. Her lips, a soft pink like cherry blossoms in spring, drew the eye and enhanced the enchanting allure of her visage. Adorned in silver-white armor that caught the light, she resembled a celestial being, her presence akin to a galaxy of stars shimmering in the dark.

But it was her eyes that terrified them most—scarlet diamond-shaped pupils that felt like they were staring into an endless abyss.

The first glance alone made them feel as if an invisible hand gripped their throats, suffocating them. Every cell in their bodies seemed to shudder, screaming to their minds of impending doom.

"Let's skip the formalities—I have a task for you."

Selene, tapping her fingers rhythmically on the desk, glanced briefly at the officials who were visibly uncomfortable.

"How you handle this task will determine my opinion of you."

With that, Selene signaled Dr. Stylish to pass a list of her needs to the submissive local officials.

"Dr. Stylish, the AGV experimental drugs, the mechanized soldier program, the magnetic railgun 'Ladder of Heaven'—I'm sure these will enrich your laboratory."

Hearing this, Dr. Stylish, dressed in his white coat, was visibly ecstatic as he bowed grandly, saying with a reverent cadence, "Daulat Tuanku (Long live the Queen)!"

Having studied the wealth of modern industrial knowledge Selene had given him from Academy City, Dr. Stylish was naturally fluent in English, which was also the language of much of the technological documentation Selene acquired.

"You…"

Somehow, the moment reminded Selene of Shakespeare, whom she had encountered in the Holy Grail War.

"Forget it, Doctor. As long as it makes you happy." Rubbing her temples, Selene waved a hand to dismiss him, sending the golden-armored guards to accompany Dr. Stylish in consolidating this world's technology.

As long as one's loyalty was assured and no lines were crossed that threatened her authority or dignity, Selene allowed her followers some eccentricities.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Dr. Stylish, brimming with enthusiasm, bowed and backed out of the room, then turned to beckon the still-stunned officials before leading them away.

"Your Majesty, with the conquest over, this world now falls under your dominion. However, since we aren't rebuilding from scratch as in total extermination warfare, maintaining governance requires a different approach…"

With the office emptied, Alex moved into a more detailed report.

"My plan is to draw some of them in while suppressing others, with the Empire as the arbiter. The officials just now are those I've identified as open to collaboration."

Unaware of Selene's mind control on loyalty (Ideological Branding), Alex's perspective was that to maintain control over a recruiting world, he couldn't rely solely on brute force.

Divide and conquer first, then slowly apply pressure until the Empire absorbed this conquered world completely.

"This is still a trial phase. We're laying the groundwork, so proceed boldly. Practicality is key; adapt your methods to the situation and work towards making this world a recruiting ground for the First Legion as soon as possible!"

With a nod, Selene formally granted Alex authority over Black Bullet's world.

"I hereby decree this world shall henceforth be designated as the recruiting world for the Astartes First Legion."

"All 'Cursed Children' will be assigned to the Empire's newly formed military division—the Sisters of Battle."

"Understood, Your Majesty! I will give it my all!"

Walking behind Selene, Alex, though honored, felt the weight of this responsibility. While he had no issues seizing cities, handling administrative duties to govern the people…left him feeling uncertain.

"Your Majesty, what about filling the vacant administrative positions and the scope of this authority? How far should I take it…"

As Selene prepared to leave, Alex hesitated momentarily before asking.

Pausing in thought, Selene replied, "For now, military rule will prevail here, rather than under the control of the Empire's Ministry of Internal Affairs. I do not want to see any large-scale rebellions."

"As for governance, I'll give you a suggestion—taxation. In this world, two things in life are inescapable: death and taxes."

This tax wouldn't just mean monetary contributions; it would include various resources, including manpower.

"Yes, Your Majesty! I understand." With clear instructions, Alex bowed and withdrew.

Selene then approached the Tokyo governor's desk. Perhaps anticipating an occupation, the First Legion's Astartes had left most of the office's contents untouched. Within one of the drawers, she found an intriguing photograph.

The photo showed a silver-haired, violet-eyed girl seated in a chair. Behind her stood a large, muscular old man with a hardened expression, domineeringly presiding.

"This is the classic case of a weak ruler overshadowed by a powerful minister…."

When a subordinate wields more power than their sovereign, one or the other is destined to fall. Aside from a few rare exceptions, this pattern has proven unsustainable across history.

But as for Selene, anyone trying to overshadow her would likely find their family graves overgrown with weeds.

"Since all human settlements have been taken, it's time I dealt with the world core…"

Back in the Honkai Dimension, at the Imperial Palace, Alyssa and Sebas were in a standoff, staring each other down.

"Sebas, is there an issue with these recruits?"

Arms crossed, Alyssa stood before Sebas, her usual affectionate terms like "teacher" or "grandfather" gone as she pouted irritably.

In compliance with Selene's orders to form the Sisters of Battle, Sebas had no objections nor would he interfere. But since Alyssa was to be the commanding officer, he intended to uphold the highest standards.

Meanwhile, the head chef and multifunctional housekeeper, the Electric and Flame Swift Warrior [Susanoo], continued to serve up delicious fare. Since Selene had empowered it, it even had the capacity to learn more culinary skills!

"Why so many failures? Only a handful passed the first round of tests! With such young recruits, how am I supposed to fulfill the Queen's orders?"

Sitting dejectedly at the dining table, Alyssa looked frustrated as she wolfed down her soup made from the meat of a danger beast, seemingly the only way to quell her exasperation.

Sebas did not respond to Alyssa's underlying frustration; instead, he turned to look at Gensa, who appeared lost in thought.

"What is our duty as the Imperial Palace Guard?"

Upon hearing this, the Imperial Guard Commander Gensa immediately straightened, his voice reverent as he recited:

"Our duty is as weighty as a mountain, and we stand ever vigilant. Our glory endures, yet we are bound to a life of perpetual atonement, enduring all hardships without falter. We shall never abandon our post. The Empress grants us life, and in her name, we serve with unwavering loyalty and truth. Though we deem ourselves unworthy of redemption, forever unforgiven, we press forward, embracing our guilt without hesitation."

With Gensa's solemn oath, Alyssa felt a renewed sense of disappointment. Though Sebas was strict, his demands were not unreasonable.

By having Gensa recite the Imperial Guard oath, Sebas was clearly emphasizing the importance of loyalty.

Loyalty was paramount, and physical capabilities and potential took a backseat.

Most of the 'Cursed Children' had passed physical evaluations, but loyalty had become a significant drawback. Being young saved them for now; that was a victory in itself.

Meanwhile, the few children who had passed the tests had changed out of their prison uniforms into Empire-issued training attire. Shivering, they managed to stand still, though the intense stares from the Imperial Guards around them left them nervous and trembling.

Curiosity about the grandeur of the palace filled them, but they barely dared to move, let alone whisper to each other.

Hearing the conversation at the table, while they understood little, they felt a sense of dread that many of their sisters hadn't passed the Empire's tests.

Suddenly, sadness filled their hearts.

They thought of the guard's words at South Lake Camp about the Empress's promise to protect her people.

"Your Majesty, if you can hear us, please…save us." In their hearts, some of the girls began to pray.

Just then, clink—thud!

The golden-armored Imperial Guards stationed at the palace doors dropped to one knee, startling the girls from their prayers. Realizing what was happening, they hurriedly knelt as well.

In the polished marble floor's reflection, they saw that not a single person in the palace was standing.

The presence who commanded even the Imperial Guard to kneel could only be the Empire's ruler.

"Your Majesty."

A cold, crisp voice sounded, as clear as a silver bell.

"Oh, little Alyssa, you'd better prepare quickly—Alex and the First Legion have set forth on the long journey 'home.'"