Boom—!
An Astartes warrior descending from the sky crashed straight down onto the heads of a cluster of zombies. Splat! They were instantly crushed into pulp and embedded deep into the ground.
A few zombies that had miraculously retained their spines and skulls tumbled to the ground, crawling as they clawed and bit with their blackened fingernails and teeth.
Szz—szz—
But their attacks were laughably feeble against the heavy power armor. Forget piercing the orichalcum composite plating—they could not even scratch the paint.
"Disgusting, nauseating things. Compared to them, even the Danger Beast hybrids researched by Dr. Stylish look adorable."
Looking down at the zombie that had only its upper half left, gnawing at his armored boot, the Astartes spoke with undisguised revulsion through his helmet amplifier.
Bang!
Without hesitation, he stomped down. The remaining upper torso of the zombie was crushed to pieces. Having been dead for many years, the blood inside its corpse had long since coagulated and dried, so there was no spray of blood or brains.
If one had to describe the sensation, it was like crushing a crisp biscuit underfoot.
"Roar!"
On a night this silent, even the whisper of the evening wind sounded distinct—let alone Astartes warriors weighing several tons each.
In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of zombies poured out from every dark corner of this dead city. Filthy, ragged, some missing arms or legs, they lurched forward with hoarse growls rumbling from their rotten, leaking throats, staggering yet swift as they charged toward the giants clad in purple armor trimmed with gold.
"A world that once possessed advanced civilization, yet destroyed itself for unknown reasons. Humanity reduced to the walking dead."
A purple-armored warrior of the Astartes Third Legion glanced up at the surrounding skyscrapers. Though ruined and decayed, their existence testified that this world had once known productivity and order.
"Probably a wasted trip. We searched for half a day—forget seeing anyone with the naked eye, even the infrared scanners haven't picked up a single living human. As a recruitment world, it's hopeless... As a forge world, it's doubtful too..."
"If there are no living humans, then conservatively speaking, there are still five or six billion zombies on this planet... The clearing efficiency is too low. We might as well conduct orbital bombardment."
"Bah! How can you be sure there are no survivors? If we use Honkai fission bombs for orbital bombardment, then even if there were survivors, there won't be any left. How are we supposed to learn what exactly caused this world's destruction?"
Within the squad's internal communication channel, the Astartes of a tactical team from the Third Legion discussed their assessment of this world of the living dead.
Every Astartes Legion had its own defining traits, and to a large extent, these were shaped by their Legion Commander.
For example, the Astartes First Legion Dark Angels under Alex combined high efficiency with a sense of humanity.
During the Great Crusade, they rarely engaged in unnecessary slaughter. Those who surrendered were usually treated appropriately, and when encountering injured civilians, they would even offer assistance.
If Selene had originally ordered Budo's Second Legion Retributors to conquer the world of Black Bullet, perhaps the Sisters of Battle would never have come into existence.
The Second Legion was simply too cold and iron-blooded.
As for the style of the Astartes Third Legion Black Marlin under Liver... it was hard to call it bad. It was complicated—contradictory.
In battle, they retained the aggression, restraint, discipline, and resolve from Liver's days as a general.
Yet at the same time, after being framed by Minister Honest and later saved by Selene to serve as her vassal, Liver had become understated—elegant, gentle, yet consistently high in quality.
If one had to summarize their style roughly, it would be: steady as an old hound.
You could say they weren't the fastest—but they were truly steady. The legion's internal atmosphere was relatively relaxed. In warfare, they were immovable as mountains, inscrutable as shadows, and when they struck, they were like thunder. They preferred advancing step by step, consolidating their position.
This contradictory style, Selene speculated, was likely a reflection of Liver's life experiences.
In the first half of his career as a general, he had been brilliant and sharp. After being framed and imprisoned, he reined in his edge, working steadily, not seeking great merit but striving to avoid mistakes—almost like clocking in and out for work.
"Enough. Watch your mouths. Follow orders and complete your mission."
The Astartes officer with a plumed crest atop his helmet barked sternly, "Now, open fire. Exterminate these disgusting things before us!"
"I refuse to let such filth stain my armor."
With that, he raised his bolt pistol and fired first.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Splurt! Splurt! Splurt!
The large-caliber standard bolt shells effortlessly blew apart the mass of zombies ahead.
Fueled by compressed Honkai energy propellant with a two-stage ignition acceleration, each bolt shell tore through the horde at supersonic speeds exceeding several Mach.
Even those merely grazed by the shockwave were shredded apart, their rotten bodies bursting like building blocks, blackened flesh splattering over their companions.
"Yes, sir!" ×N
Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom—!!
The crunch of power-armored boots crushing abandoned vehicles, the thunder of bolt guns, and the hum of Honkai energy plasma weapons igniting merged into one deafening chorus.
Violent shockwaves swept through layers of decayed bones. From above, the metallic barrage formed by the bolt shells leapt across an entire street thousands of meters long, piercing straight through the tide of corpses.
Like harvesting wheat—no, faster than harvesting wheat. In the blink of an eye, the tens of thousands of zombies that had gathered were completely wiped out.
Before the shattered remains even hit the ground, the bolt shells that had pierced through the horde embedded themselves into a skyscraper at the end of the street.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom—!!
Upon striking hard surfaces, the high-energy explosives packed within the bolt shells detonated instantly, erupting on the first floor of the moss-covered, rust-streaked building in a chain of blazing explosions.
Crash!
Countless shards of glass rained down with crisp clattering sounds. At the top of the building, shaken by the blasts, layers of accumulated dust fell away, revealing a massive logo.
A red-and-white umbrella design.
"Umbrella Corporation..."
...
"With that much noise, if there are any survivors, they should have heard it..."
Standing atop the skyscraper, Liver frowned slightly. If not a single living human could be found in this city, there would be no need to continue searching.
At this moment, even he was tempted to simply use Honkai fission bombs for orbital bombardment and be done with it.
From their observations, nearly every region of this world looked the same—overrun by these rotting things. No trace of human civilization's order had yet been detected.
"Legion Commander Liver, there's a document from the General Staff..."
"An order from the General Staff?"
Shifting his gaze away from his warriors clearing the undead below, Liver asked his legion's Company Champion calmly, "Hak Foo, what's the situation?"
Clad in specially crafted purple power armor trimmed with gold, a coiling deep-blue dragon engraved upon his right pauldron roaring skyward, its body encircling a heavy gilded Roman numeral 'Ⅲ', and a gray cloak draped over his shoulders, Hak Foo removed his helmet and held it against his forearm. His deep-red hair, shaped somewhat like a starfish, was revealed as he spoke in a low voice.
"Legion Commander Liver, Her Majesty seems somewhat dissatisfied with our progress. Compared to General Alex and Great General Budo, while the worlds under our legion recover with high quality, the efficiency does not look... good."
Then, clearing his throat lightly, his expression turned solemn.
"By order of the General Staff, conveying Her Majesty's will—"
"Effective immediately, the Astartes Third Legion Black Marlin under General Liver shall be reorganized. In addition to ongoing Great Crusade operations, it will be expanded and repositioned as an Astartes strategic support force."
"The first batch of Knightmare Frames powered by Honkai energy has been transferred to the logistics department. Prepare to receive them..."
"For the first strategic support mission, dispatch a force to reinforce the Astartes Ninth Legion Blood Angels and the Sisters of Battle. Failure is not permitted!"
Liver listened respectfully and carefully to the entirety of Selene's decree. There were no words of urging or reprimand. Yet between every line, the meaning was unmistakable—for your own good, because you are valued.
But the more he thought about it, the more something felt off. After pondering carefully, he finally discerned the hidden meaning between the lines.
The strategic support designation was only the surface. Beneath it, every word conveyed one message—Hurry it up!
"Uh..."
Her Majesty truly had good intentions. By expanding them into a strategic support force, she preserved his face before the Imperial General Staff and maintained his authority within the legion.
Otherwise, a public reprimand would have been a genuine embarrassment across the entire Empire.
To become the first Astartes Legion to be openly scolded—one could shamelessly call it Her Majesty's favor and attention, but Liver certainly did not want that "honor."
Having understood the true meaning behind Her Majesty Selene's decree, even the usually composed Liver felt a trace of embarrassment. His eyes went blank for a moment, and the corners of his eyes twitched.
...Has Her Majesty started treating me like a toad that only moves when poked? As a subject, this is far too shameful...
Still... I really have been a bit too relaxed lately. No. Even if I'm a salted fish, I once shone brilliantly. Efficiency, is it? Just watch me flip over.
Suddenly—
Ding ding ding—!
From within the layered compartment of his power armor near the magnetic belt at his waist, the cube began to vibrate. Instantly, Liver froze in place.
That cube symbolized the authority of an Astartes Legion Commander. Other than Her Majesty herself and those granted permission, no one could establish direct communication through it.
And now, the official General Staff announcement had just concluded. The one connecting this quickly could only be one person—Her Majesty herself.
"Liver!!!"
In that instant, Liver felt as though a sandstorm had swept through his mind.
"What exactly have you been doing lately?! Slacking off? Getting paid to loaf around? Even I am not as idle as you are..."
[The following omitted thousand words: Herrscher reprimand ×, Herrscher profanity ✔]
"...Immediately dispatch forces to reinforce the Blood Angels and the Sisters of Battle. At once. No mistakes!"
...
At this moment, within the Honkai Dimension, outer ring of the Grand Imperial Palace, palace district, Special Jaegers Unit garrison.
Corridors and courtyards intertwined. Exquisite murals, gold and silver carvings, and masterfully crafted columns shimmered brilliantly beneath the soaring dome.
"Cornelia, Akame, Kurome, Natala, Bols, Seryu, Wave, Tatsumi—it's been a long time."
Crisp footsteps echoed as Esdeath's heroic visage was reflected upon the flawless gilded tiles.
"C-Captain?!"
Seeing Esdeath after many years, her demeanor greatly changed, the members of the Special Jaegers Unit spoke in disbelief.
Cornelia stepped forward, circling Esdeath with delight.
"Captain, your outfit is beautiful!"
Compared to the white Imperial general's uniform she had worn for years, Esdeath's current attire was far more splendid, elevating her image to something both imposing and intensely striking.
Her upper garment was black and blue with white hexagonal patterns. She wore a deep-blue cloak fading gradually into white. Below, she wore white thigh-high stockings adorned with blue patterns and high heels.
It perfectly matched the aesthetic of the Holy Selene Empire—now somewhat led astray by a certain someone. In short, aside from sheer scale, the more magnificent one's attire, the higher one's status.
With so many worlds conquered, precious metals like gold and silver were effectively inexhaustible.
If she wished, Selene could build every citizen in the Empire a house of pure gold and still have vast reserves left over.
Right now, Selene could plant her hands on her hips and declare, I am rich. Who dares object?
"Beautiful, yes—but to obtain the authority it grants me, I paid quite a price."
As she spoke, Esdeath extended her hand. Hum— A pale blue radiance flared. Her forearm gradually deepened into a darker blue, ice spikes coiling around her hands.
"S-So cold..."
Though the porcelain, cups, and ornamental fish tanks within the palace were unaffected, the members of the Special Jaegers Unit felt as though their blood was freezing solid, their complexions turning pale.
"Haa..."
Seeing this, Esdeath quickly reined in the brilliance of the Herrscher of Ice within her hand and let out a soft breath. Instantly, everyone felt their body temperature recover.
Such precise and effortless control over temperature far surpassed what the Teigu Demon God Manifestation · Demon's Extract could achieve. It would require further testing.
Clap clap.
Raising her head, Esdeath clapped her hands lightly and said with a faint smile, "Everyone, make your preparations. We'll eat at the reunion banquet on the way. Now, let me see whether you've been slacking off these past few years."
Akame held a plate piled high with Danger Beast meat, chewing as she spoke indistinctly, "Captain, are we heading to the training grounds?"
"No. Straight to real combat."
"By Her Majesty's order, I will lead the Jaegers to support the Astartes Thirteenth Legion Ultramarines. Their scale of operations is too large—they are unsuitable for forward infiltration..."