Imperium of Man Terra Aeterna Season 01: Rise of Humanity's War Machin

As the first human to set foot in the Azur Lane harbor area—and in such an utterly unconventional manner—Reuel instantly became the center of attention for all the shipgirls. Whether it was because of his unfamiliar appearance, his dramatic entrance, or the strange aura surrounding him, not a single one of them could look away.

It wasn't just the main reception hall that was now filled with shipgirls from various fleets—even outside the door, a swarm of little destroyer-class girls had gathered. They snuck behind windows, peeking in while whispering and nudging each other with childlike curiosity.

"Please have some tea, Mr. Reuel."

Belfast appeared with elegant movements, carrying a Victorian-style tea set. She bowed slightly in a gesture so polite it was almost theatrical, then began to prepare tea for Reuel and the fleet representatives present. A few small plates with slices of fresh fruit, light pastries, and harbor snacks were promptly placed on the table before she stepped back calmly.

Though her demeanor remained professional, her eyes couldn't help but glance at Reuel several more times—as if trying to assess him, or maybe just looking for a clue to who this strange guest truly was.

"Thank you," Reuel said briefly, sipping the black coffee she'd served. This head maid certainly knew how to make something simple feel exceptional.

After the brief formalities, a calm yet firm voice spoke from the direction of Enterprise, who wore her signature white uniform with pride. Her gaze was sharp, focused—the kind only a seasoned battlefield veteran could carry.

"We've heard the rough outline from Richelieu," she said. "You're from another world and have the ability to cross dimensional and spatial boundaries. Can you explain how you do that?"

"Is it related to Siren technology?" asked Yixian, standing not far beside her. "There are rumors they've been researching something similar."

Reuel gave a slight nod, then leaned back just a little against his chair.

"No. Let's just say it's a kind of… superpower. I can open pathways between worlds, as long as I can observe and understand the characteristics of the target world."

The girls exchanged glances. Even Bismarck, usually composed, raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting…" murmured Enterprise.

"So, what kind of world are you from?" Queen Elizabeth spoke up, her voice loud but filled with genuine curiosity. "You must come from a truly advanced civilization, no?"

"What other worlds exist around ours?" Richelieu added softly, her tone gentle yet attentive. Now all eyes were fixed on Reuel, like children awaiting a bedtime story full of adventure.

Reuel gave a small smile.

"I can show you," he said quietly.

With a light motion of his hand—whoosh—a superdimensional starmap hologram spread out in the air. The three-dimensional display showed clusters of realities and alternate worlds, complete with symbols, orbital lines, and unfamiliar names glowing faintly in the backdrop of an

He pointed to a softly pulsating point of light at the center of the map.

"See this? This is the Universe of Azur Lane, the one you're in right now..."

The girls fell silent. Some leaned forward, others held their breath, realizing what they were witnessing wasn't just an ordinary map—it was a window into a much larger reality. A reality they had never imagined before.

And Reuel, the guest from another dimension, looked every bit the starfarer who had just opened the door to something far beyond naval warfare and Siren technology.

"The Universe just above this one is called Avatar," Reuel said, pointing to one of the glowing points on the floating star map. "There, a race of humanoid aliens called the Na'vi live in harmony with nature and worship a sacred tree named Eywa—an entity capable of controlling all the flora and fauna on the planet. I call it a 'planetary will.'"

Some of the shipgirls stared in awe, imagining bioluminescent jungles and exotic creatures living together in balance.

"And this one..." Reuel shifted the map slightly to another side, pointing at a more distant point that flickered subtly. "Is called the Warhammer 40K Universe. That world is chaotic and brutal—full of endless war. There, those who study psionic energy must confront the Chaos Gods—malevolent deities that, to put it simply, are demons. That Universe is populated by bizarre and extreme races, like the Eldar, the Orks, and the human faction known as the Imperium of Man."

"And over here," Reuel rotated the map again, "is the Moon Universe, also known as the Nasuverse. The people there summon heroic spirits from the past to fight in a ritual called the Holy Grail War. And did you know? The king of knights in that world, famous for the legend of the sacred sword, is actually a beautiful girl."

The shipgirls began whispering among themselves, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Eh? Aren't Eldar basically elves?" one of the destroyer girls chimed in, her voice innocent but sharp. "So... do they use magic too?"

"Correct," Reuel nodded lightly. "They can be considered elves, but in that universe they're called Eldar because, technically, they're the ancestors of all elven races. Most of them have fallen to darkness, especially those lured by the power of Chaos. But there are also descendants of theirs in other universes known as wise and noble elves."

He raised a finger. "And yes, magic in that world comes in all forms. Some can manipulate time, tear through reality, or summon entities from other dimensions. Some spells, if misused, could even wipe out an entire planet."

By now, the shipgirls were completely entranced. The atmosphere in the lounge had turned into something like a galactic fairy tale class. Reuel's voice became the narration of a reality far beyond their experience—beyond naval strategy and anti-Siren tactics.

Even Belfast, the ever-dutiful head maid, now stood quietly behind the group, her eyes fixed on the star map. Her usual professional composure had given way to pure, unfiltered curiosity.

The vivid images of alien worlds, inter-species conflict, and battles between magic and technology made the girls almost forget they were still inside their own base's reception room.

And as the air settled again, Richelieu, who had been quietly listening the whole time, finally spoke.

"In that case… can you visit all these worlds, Reuel?" she asked, calm yet sharp. "Or… are there certain limits?"

"Can you communicate with other worlds using this diplomatic interface? Like when you spoke with me before?"

A small group of shipgirls clustered around Reuel, listening intently.

They had heard rumors that the Sirens were researching chaotic mirror-world technology, but this was the first time they had seen such a seemingly simple method—carried out by a single person like Reuel.

"Hmm... how about we try greeting someone else, then?"

Reuel tapped one of the points on the holographic interface—The Demon Slayer World.

As soon as he touched the point, snowflakes seemed to scatter from the screen, and then appeared a tall young man in a tailored suit, his skin as pale as paper, busily working with experimental equipment. He turned sharply toward the screen that had suddenly opened.

"Who are you?!"

"Whoa—this really is connected to another world!" one of the shipgirls exclaimed.

The crowd grew denser as they watched the man with wild curiosity.

"Is this the Demon King you were talking about earlier? Doesn't look that strong..."

"Not as scary as the Siren Sweeper, if you ask me."

"If he's afraid of sunlight, can't we just drop a hydrogen bomb on him and call it a day?"

Muzan Kibutsuji—the ruler of the demon world in Demon Slayer—said nothing.

He stood frozen, unable to process the situation. A group of beings from another world were observing him through a holographic display, casually commenting on his appearance, even mocking him like he was some kind of circus exhibit.

"Well, he is kind of handsome."

"Can you do that creepy blood trick thing here?"

"Look! Their Demon King looks like a soap opera villain!"

"Ayanami, quick—slash him twice with your sword!"

Unfortunately for Muzan, no attack could penetrate the holographic projection. And clearly, he didn't have any means of tracing interdimensional data lines to get revenge on Reuel. All he could do was stand there, seething in silence.

Ten minutes passed.

Reuel closed the projection and stowed away the superdimensional world map.

The reason was simple—first, to minimize disruptions to the original timelines of those worlds. Second, for safety. Reuel knew very well that some entities were simply too dangerous to mess with—beings like the Old Ones, the One Above All, or even the Chaos Gods. They might actually be capable of crossing dimensional boundaries and wrecking everything if provoked.

The shipgirls looked disappointed.

"I didn't expect there to be so many places, so many people… and so many weird things beyond this world," one of them murmured in awe.

"I thought... fighting the Sirens was the only purpose of our existence," Enterprise muttered, leaning back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling in quiet disbelief.

"Hm... Someday I want to see what the British Empire looks like in another world..." she said softly.

"What?! The Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets is dead?! Are you serious?! Aren't we supposed to be number one in the world?!"

Queen Elizabeth—crown perched atop her head—nearly fell off her chair in shock.

"This world… is truly vast. Is this what it feels like to be a drop of water in an endless ocean?" Yixian whispered gently.

She wore a white cheongsam adorned with floral motifs. Graceful, dignified—every movement radiated the classic charm of a Chinese shipgirl. Every strand of hair, every curve of her smile exuded that timeless elegance.

Ahem.

"And yet, Mr. Reuel… the situation there seems quite tragic, doesn't it?"

Richelieu looked at him with a calm, yet piercing gaze.

"It's utterly tragic if someone has to wipe out all of humanity, spread a zombie virus, rebuild civilization from scratch, feed 6.1 billion people... and still has to fight off all kinds of aliens."

Unlike the other shipgirls, Richelieu didn't seem all that fascinated by the alternate worlds displayed. Her eyes remained fixed on just one thing: Reuel, and the mystery behind where he truly came from.

"I'm fine," Reuel replied with a relaxed smile.

For him, rebuilding the Imperium of Man from scratch wasn't that big of a deal—especially now that his new neighbors were the beautiful shipgirls of Azur Lane.

"So, I guess this is the point... and perhaps my true intention," he said, looking into the eyes of each shipgirl around him.

"I was thinking—what if we work together? The Imperium of Man and the shipgirls form an alliance."

He swept his gaze across the room.

Deep down, he hoped they'd call him Commander instead of "Mr. Reuel," which felt too formal and distant. But he knew these things took time. He had earned his place through hard work, and the road ahead was long.

And yes, Reuel did have ambition—he wanted these grown-up shipgirls to become part of his world... to become his women.

After all, the Warhammer soldiers he summoned from the system—though fiercely loyal—were too serious and often stressed him out. Having cheerful shipgirls who could fire missiles with a smile? That sounded like a much more enjoyable way to live.

As for how the Adeptus Mechanicus would react when they met a repair-type shipgirl like Akashi? Well... that was a problem for another day.

"Perfect!" Reuel declared with conviction. "I think it's time we start discussing our cooperation."

But before the carriers could respond, a small shipgirl excitedly raised her hand high in the air.

"I have an idea! Another world! If we can't beat the Sirens here, wouldn't it be better if the Trade District was just moved to another world instead?"

"If everyone just moves to that alternate version of Earth, then we wouldn't have to fight anymore, right?!"

Reuel narrowed his eyes, curious. "You're a French shipgirl? So you're ready to run away?"

"Eh...? How did you know I'm from the Second Vatican Vichy Fleet...?"

Bang!

Her words were immediately cut off by the sharp sound of a slap. The small shipgirl crouched down, clutching her head with both hands. A lump was already forming on top of it.

"First," Richelieu said firmly, her expression cold but graceful, "in the war against the Sirens, we must fight to the last drop of blood."

She cleared her throat softly, then turned to Reuel with a more diplomatic posture.

"Second... ahem. Mr. Reuel, I hope you don't harbor any prejudice against the Free Iris or the shipgirls of the Vichy Dominion."

Reuel smiled, raising one hand in a gesture of peace.

"Let's continue the discussion about cooperation."

Richelieu nodded. "Minato welcomes your intentions, and sincerely wishes to establish a partnership. We hope to bring prosperity and development... to both our worlds."