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

Reuel watched as Takagi Soichiro's expression gradually shifted. A creeping displeasure began to surface beneath his otherwise calm face. The aura of arrogance and self-importance radiating from him was so blatant that Reuel nearly scoffed. This was the type of man who believed social status gave him the right to look down on others.

And Reuel knew—this was the perfect time to provoke him.

"That was just a greeting," Reuel said coldly, intentionally belittling. "Maybe he's too weak to take it like a man."

He didn't even glance at Takashi Komuro, simply tossing out the sentence like it was something trivial.

Their gazes met—Soichiro staring at Reuel sharply, while Reuel returned it with a calm that cut deeper.

How absurd, Soichiro thought. That tone… calling a physical attack a 'greeting'?

"I've known Takashi since he was a child. He grew up alongside my daughter. I know him better than anyone," Soichiro said firmly. "I suggest you learn some discipline."

Reuel stared at him briefly, saying nothing. People like Soichiro—rigid, self-righteous, trapped in outdated morality—weren't worth arguing with. It was just a waste of time.

After issuing a few commands to Komuro and the rest of the group, Soichiro turned to leave. But Takashi remained, perhaps just to observe… or to keep a safe distance from Reuel.

---

Reuel touched the back of his ear, activating his internal comms system.

"Red Queen, patch me through to Admiral Gerard DuGalle. Gorgon-class battlecruiser."

"Yes, Brother. Connection established."

"God Emperor, what can I do for you?" Gerard's heavy voice came through the line.

"Admiral, deploy Legion Alice to Haneda Airport. Direct command under Chris Redfield. Also, request that Creed dispatch Major Marda Hellsker to extract me."

"Understood, God Emperor. Legion Alice will be deployed as ordered. Major Hellsker is en route."

DuGalle paused briefly before adding:

"By the way, God Emperor… five individuals just landed on Earth ten minutes ago via Thunderhawk. Three Inquisitors, two pilots."

Reuel raised an eyebrow slightly. Three Inquisitors? Their objective wasn't clear. But for now, he chose not to dwell on it.

"Very well. Noted."

---

Reuel continued walking, following Takagi Saya. An invitation to dinner had been extended—a formality still preserved even as the world teetered on collapse. Strangely, the dining room still held a sense of familial warmth.

Reuel entered the room. His gaze instinctively found Saeko Busujima, seated gracefully at one end of the table. In silence, a thought flickered.

"I have to tell her… but only part of it. Too much might scare her."

He leaned in and whispered softly into her ear.

"My troops will arrive soon."

Saeko raised an eyebrow, half-suspicious.

"Troops? I thought you meant subordinates."

"Subordinates are also part of a force," Reuel replied calmly.

"How many troops are we talking about?"

Reuel paused—not out of hesitation, but because he knew it wasn't time to reveal everything. Too much information could make their hosts uneasy.

"Over a million," he finally answered.

What he didn't say was that over four million personnel had been deployed into orbit, aboard Gorgon-class warships. Of that number, 1.5 million had already been deployed in America, and another 1.5 million in Europe.

"Most are new recruits, but there are quite a few veterans among them. They'll be arriving soon."

"They're coming now?" Saeko's eyes widened slightly. "Then, where are we going?"

"Haneda Airport. Flanked by sea and land. An ideal location for a military base."

"Haneda Airport… near Tokyo Bay. A strategic place," Reuel murmured with a slight nod.

"Then let's eat," he said, gently taking Saeko's hand and waving toward Shizuka Marikawa, who was sitting and playing with little Alice.

"Please, everyone, help yourselves," Takagi Saya said warmly, signaling that it was time to begin the meal.

Shizuka dug into her food eagerly, almost like a child discovering her favorite candy. Beside her, Alice sat happily, looking comfortable.

But the calm didn't last long.

Outside, the sky suddenly turned blinding white. A strange light consumed the windows with an unnaturally intense flash.

Reuel recognized it immediately.

"EMP…? But we've already secured the nuclear facilities. The story wasn't supposed to go this way anymore."

Outside, the blast of an electromagnetic pulse turned the sky into a glaring artificial day. But Reuel didn't move. He remained seated, completely unbothered.

An EMP blast? No problem.

Ordinary electronics would be crippled—cars, phones, even civilian communication systems. But his war machines were a different matter entirely.

Warhammer technology. Battle-tested on planets far more brutal than Earth. Unreliant on fragile digital circuitry—Astra Militarum vehicles used analog systems, vacuum tubes, and semi-manual mechanisms that couldn't be disabled by a mere electromagnetic pulse.

Take the Leman Russ, for example. Its backup navigation system was optic-based with a manual compass. Its comms? Radiation-shielded, redundant, anti-jamming. Targeting system? Mechanical. Analog. Reinforced with steel plates and protective runes.

And then there was the machine spirit. A semi-sentient entity that preserved logical integrity, even when the world around it collapsed.

The Imperial Guard were trained to fight under nuclear storms, magnetic field ruptures, plasma lightning, and even warp anomalies.

To Reuel, this man-made EMP blast was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

---

Saeko asked, furrowing her brow, "Was that an explosion?"

"The sky… it's so white…" Shizuka whispered, barely audible.

"I-I'm scared…" little Alice murmured, clutching Reuel tightly as the rumbling echoed outside.

Reuel immediately pulled Alice into his embrace, gently stroking her head.

"It's just an EMP bomb, little Alice. It won't affect us," he said soothingly, reassuring her.

"Really, Big Bro?" Alice asked with teary eyes, still staring at the sky.

"Yes. I promise."

---

After dinner, Reuel stood. The warm atmosphere that had briefly taken hold evaporated instantly. He could feel it—very clearly—they had not been truly welcomed here. Was it fear? Or pride? Whatever the reason, Reuel would not force anything. He never begged for permission to protect others.

Without a word to the Takagi family, he gathered his group—Saeko, Shizuka, and Alice. They prepared to leave.

But when they reached the yard, Reuel stopped.

Their Humvee—the vehicle they came in—was surrounded by dozens of armed men.

"Move aside. That vehicle is ours," Reuel said calmly, but his tone carried an intimidating authority. He stepped forward, approaching the crowd.

"You're from the Middle East, right? Get lost. That vehicle's ours now," one of them shouted.

Rather than backing down, they responded with hateful jeers, gazes full of challenge. None showed any intention of surrendering.

Reuel glanced around. Takashi Komuro and his group stood at a distance, just watching. Upstairs on the balcony, Soichiro Takagi silently observed. Takashi even grinned, as if he enjoyed the show.

Reuel took a deep breath. If his goal weren't to win the hearts of the female characters in Highschool of the Dead, this place would already be turned to ashes by an Exterminatus.

He advanced.

And one by one, they fell.

Reuel's strikes were precise and devastating—brutal, yet controlled. His kicks landed like missiles, toppling anyone who dared approach. Saeko Busujima joined the fray, her katana cutting down anyone who threatened Shizuka and Alice.

Shizuka quickly pulled Alice back, holding her tight, using her body as a shield.

In less than a minute, about 120 people lay groaning but alive.

Reuel stood amid the carnage, upright and utterly clean. He hadn't killed them—not because he couldn't, but because he chose restraint. If he wanted, all would have died in ten seconds with his bare hands.

He exhaled softly.

What the hell is this… the Highschool of the Dead protagonist turned into a cheap villain.

He didn't even bother looking at Takashi Komuro, that pitiful virgin. But then a thought slipped into his mind.

He would take Yuriko Takagi for himself.

A sly smile formed on Reuel's face.

Takashi looked at Reuel, pale as death. He hadn't expected Reuel to subdue everyone unarmed. Rei Miyamoto and the others were frozen, too shocked to speak.

Soichiro Takagi bowed his head and descended from the balcony, ordering his people to carry away the fallen. Then he strode directly toward Reuel.

Reuel signaled Shizuka and Saeko to lead Alice into the vehicle.

But before they could move, a large crowd—more than five hundred—gathered slowly, weapons raised at Reuel.

Soichiro halted before Reuel. His gaze was icy.

"Leave the vehicle. You and yours may go, but that ride stays with us," he said evenly.

"And what if I say… no?"

"In that case, you'll never leave this place alive."

Reuel narrowed his eyes. "Are you threatening me, Soichiro?"

"Consider it that way. Because I have the power to do it."

Takashi Komuro rushed up, standing by Soichiro. "Leave Shizuka-sensei and Saeko-san, too," he demanded tensely.

Saeko fixed him with a cold, emotionless glare.

Reuel sneered, then spoke calmly yet sharply:

"Well said, Soichiro. Your power is impressive. But what if I told you… I want your wife—Yuriko Takagi."

Soichiro's face twitched. The tension in the air spiked.

Takashi and Rei looked on in shock. Some bystanders stared, unable to believe what they heard.

Soichiro scoffed. "Big words from a Middle Easterner. Too bad, I'm different. I have power. You don't."

Reuel threw back his head and laughed—a cold, crushing sound, full of confidence—like Uchiha Madara during the Fourth Ninja War.

"Hahahahahahaha…"

"You sound like some condescending Japanese politician—righteous only when it suits you. If you want to defect, do it with pride."

His gaze nailed Soichiro. "What do you think, kid?"

Soichiro raised an eyebrow. "Not very impressive. But a shame," he said, then gestured.

People started moving, aiming weapons at Reuel.

But before a single shot could fire—the sky thundered above.

Everyone looked up.

Three black silhouettes appeared overhead, descending at incredible speed. The roar grew louder, heavier, as if the heavens themselves were enraged.

"They're coming! From the sky!!"

BOOM!!

A massive explosion rattled the Takagi residence. The ground trembled, glass shattered, debris rained. A small crater formed where they landed. From the thick smoke, three figures emerged.

A man in a long black cloak and heavy armor, the Aquila blazing on his chest—a Lord Inquisitor.

Behind him, two towering Inquisitors in glossy black armor, nearly three meters tall, gothic helmets glowing red. Each wielded colossal bolters that radiated lethal power.

A psychic pressure rolled over the area like a battlefield psionic wave.

Everything froze.

The Inquisitors scanned the crowd with cold disgust. Their leader stepped forward, staring at the mortal crowd that dared surround God Emperor Reuel.

At their landing point, those caught unprepared were instantly obliterated—flesh shredded, bodies fragmented, blood pooling in rocky crevices of the Takagi courtyard.

Silence. No one dared move.