章 310: Sisters of Silence ×, Constraining Lawbringer Legion?
Rustle, rustle—
Under brutal destruction, the opulent palace began to crumble, as natural sunlight replaced artificial lighting, illuminating everything within the hall.
The shattered crystal chandelier turned into a scattering of irregular shards, radiating a brilliant rainbow glow under the sunlight, burning with dazzling beauty.
Unfortunately, no one paid attention to this fleeting splendor.
One side was determined to fulfill the Empress's orders; the other side was desperate to defend the heart of their empire. Neither had any intention of showing mercy.
At this moment, the commotion within the palace was impossible to conceal, as a piercing alarm blared across the imperial capital, Pendragon.
Not only palace guards, but battalions of imperial troops stationed near the palace began to flood in. Soon, the Royal Knights' Knightmare Frame mechs—the humanoid combat suits—also made their appearance.
But despite their numbers, under the blockade of several Sisters of Silence, no soldier, no matter their skill or weapon, could even approach the palace.
Strangely, the intense combat around the palace created a fiery perimeter, while inside, an eerie calm had settled among those present.
"Revenge? Is that truly the reason you allied with these foreign barbarians? How shallow. I thought you were offering a pledge of loyalty to your new master."
Signaling for the First Knight of the Round, Bismarck, to stand aside, Lelouch's father, the old Emperor Charles, spoke with a calm expression, as if his palace hadn't just been invaded.
"Lelouch, my child, you haven't changed. You're still a disappointment!" Charles's voice suddenly rose in volume.
"I know."
Lelouch replied calmly, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on his biological father.
Involuntarily, Lelouch recalled the past, remembering the day he had confronted his father after his mother, Lady Marianne, had been assassinated—this man had shown the same indifference.
But I am no longer that child.
"Don't worry yourself over me, Father. Revenge is one reason, but reclaiming everything that was taken from me is another."
"Charles, take your obsessions with planes, bombs, and Knightmares, and let it all be destroyed along with Britannia's dream of world domination."
As he spoke, Lelouch's eyes flicked briefly toward the golden-armored female warriors slaughtering their foes nearby, his gaze unreadable.
"Impudence!"
With a shout, a sharp thrust came aimed straight at Lelouch's slender neck, the razor-edged blade slicing through the air between them, speeding toward his throat like lightning.
Clang!
A crisp metallic clash rang out. Feeling the resistance at the blade's tip, the immense force of the rebound traveled up the blade and coursed through Bismarck's body.
Bismarck staggered back two steps, his eyes widening in disbelief as he stared at Lelouch, who had not even raised a defensive stance.
"How is this possible!?"
"It's perfectly possible. This is the radiant gift of Her Majesty the Empress!"
Lelouch mockingly rubbed at the faint white mark left on his neck and spread his arms, a faint red aura enveloping his entire body.
Crack!
The floor beneath him cracked inch by inch, and Lelouch's slight frame erupted with unimaginable strength. In a flash, Bismarck, struggling to defend himself, was sent flying by the impact.
Crack, snap!
The exquisitely jeweled cross-hilt sword shattered in two under the immense force, and Bismarck's body hunched over violently.
He was flung into the air without warning, and with a resounding whoosh, hurtled like a cannonball through the air.
Flying dozens of feet back, he slammed into the palace walls.
Following a massive crash, the already unstable palace wall burst open with a gaping hole, its fractured surface covered in cracks. Large chunks of stone fell with a clattering sound.
The crimson blood pooling amid the rubble was stark and clear.
The First Knight of the Round, Bismarck Waldstein, was dead!
Though Lelouch might be a fool when it came to close combat techniques, no match even for a trained Britannian soldier, overwhelming strength trumps skill every time. Against sheer, crushing power, technique is rendered utterly useless.
After all, Bismarck's physical body and skills remained within the limits of humanity. Even with his Geass that could foresee the future, his neural reflexes couldn't support a counterattack.
"This power… It's from the Sacred Selene Empire… their Empress? So, Lelouch, it appears you've truly found yourself a new master…."
Seeing his loyal First Knight fall and linking Lelouch's unusual strength to this, for the first time, a change appeared on the face of the old Emperor, Charles.
"Ah, yes, this is the power of my Divine Empress."
The Sister of Silence officer stepped up to Lelouch's side, picking up where Charles left off, her hoarse voice filling the hall.
"Prince Lelouch, remember: Her Majesty's orders are not to waste time or try any tricks. The same power that grants you strength can also be stripped away, leaving you to suffer a fate worse than death."
At her words, Charles's body went rigid, cold sweat pouring down his back. In all his years as Emperor, he had never felt such dread.
All those lofty ideals, such as courage, glory, and dreams, paled and crumbled under this overwhelming terror.
"Yes, I understand." Lelouch spoke as he slowly turned his head, casting a glance at the terrifying scene not far away.
This garden complex, with its meticulously pruned trees and attached pavilions, was now entirely consumed by flames.
On a mountain of fallen mechs, the Sister of Silence's massive sword gleamed like the scythe of the Grim Reaper, reaping lives with each swing, unleashing torrents of blood.
No matter what type of Knightmare came at them, they crumbled before their swords like mere toys built from blocks.
"Commander, may I borrow your weapon?"
"Certainly."
The Sister of Silence officer nodded and removed a custom explosive pistol painted in imperial colors of gold and red from the magnetic clip on her skirt armor.
"Prince Lelouch, I must remind you, large-caliber explosive guns have a recoil no mortal can endure. Though your body has been enhanced by Honkai Energy, your baseline physicality is still too weak, and wielding this weapon may be… uncomfortable."
If the Imperial Guard is the most powerful assault force under Selene's command in terms of all-around capabilities, then the Sisters of Silence are the most effective maneuver and support force.
Their frontal attack power might fall far short of the imposing Imperial Guard, be it in hand-to-hand combat or energy projection.
Of course, "fall short" is only in comparison to the Imperial Guard; against regular Astartes, the Sisters of Silence' overall capabilities still rank a level above.
The Sisters of Silence possess abilities that can suppress even the Astartes under Selene's command. When facing them, or if caught within their personal constraining fields, all forms of energy are weakened to varying degrees, and all Honkai Energy is suppressed or even nullified.
Yet they themselves remain unaffected, able to continue wielding Honkai Energy-based abilities, making them Selene's second-strongest force overall.
As for why they aren't ranked as the strongest? Well, it's simple—the Imperial Guard is too monstrous. Their comprehensive strength is unparalleled, with an almost nonexistent weakness apart from their lack of support abilities.
They can tank, attack, heal, and even their damage output is insanely high.
Even within the constraining field of the Sisters of Silence, which restricts their ability to use Honkai Energy projection powers, the Imperial Guard still stands undefeated.
In a purely physical close-quarters fight, one-on-one, even with the constraining field activated, a Sister of Silence cannot defeat an Imperial Guard warrior, no matter how much Honkai Energy she channels.
And why are they considered a support legion? It's because in Selene's strategy, the Sisters of Silence are also assigned the role of "healers."
In addition to basic healing abilities, the Sisters of Silence' constraining field can identify allies, allowing them to use their Honkai Energy to strengthen friendly forces. Lelouch is one such example.
Taking the large explosive pistol, which was nearly half his own size, Lelouch gripped it with both hands, aiming it at his father, who stood unmoving and maintained the dignity of an emperor.
"Now, for the sake of Mother and Nunnally, this war… should end!"
The war may have already begun, but killing Charles and forcing the Britannian Empire to surrender would shorten the war's duration.
"So, it turns out… our enemies are not human after all. How unfortunate… My ideal… a world without lies…."
"Farewell, my father!"
Bang!
...
"Well done. I'll report every detail to Her Majesty. Now, it's time to deal with the rest of them."
Taking back the explosive pistol, the Sister of Silence officer eyed Lelouch, whose arms were still trembling from the weapon's recoil due to improper handling.
"As Her Majesty specifically instructed, the emperor of this otherworld is your prey. We tried to control our power output to reduce destruction."
"Now, lift the restrictions! Sisters, finish this quickly!"
With the officer's command, there was a deafening explosion outside. Among the heaps of Knightmare wreckage, a searing wave surged, and thick smoke billowed forth like a vast sandstorm, tinged with purple-red flames that bloomed fiercely.
"Watch out!"
Several nearby Knightmares quickly deployed grappling hooks, their high-speed drive wheels spinning to try and pull away from the spreading purple-red flames.
But the flames spread much faster than they anticipated, swallowing the mechs whole. The intense heat melted the metal armor, and the stored ammunition inside detonated instantly.
Boom, boom, boom!
In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen Knightmare units exploded, instantly engulfing hundreds of Britannian infantry assisting them.
Like a chain reaction, flames shot up around the palace perimeter, incinerating even the infantry who had taken cover behind Knightmare units.
"This should end it… Eleventh Prince, it's time for you to think about how to persuade Britannia to cease hostilities. Her Majesty won't give you much time."
Returning the explosive pistol to the magnetic clip on her skirt armor, the Sister of Silence officer drew a faint purple-red circle of Honkai Energy particles around Lelouch.
"Stay inside. If you don't want to die, don't step out!"
With that, she drew the Imperial Guard's custom-made Honkai Energy-powered longsword, gripping the hilt with both hands, her gaze fixed on the golden double-headed eagle engraved on the blade.
Buzz—!
In an instant, the broad blade emitted a brilliant purple-red glow, radiating intense heat.
Honkai Energy surged as a torrent of pure energy transformed into a towering beam of light, ripping through the sky, causing the earth to tremble under its immense power.
"Bless me, O Empress—"
"Excalibur!"
At her command, the terrifying pillar of energy angled downward. Though it hadn't yet struck the ground, the resulting shockwave tore the earth asunder, and the intense heat incinerated every enemy at the center.
Whether Knightmares or human bodies, they were instantly reduced to ashes. The gardens burned, the ground turned barren!
In the next moment, a massive shockwave rose from the ground, creating a superheated air wall filled with sand and debris.
The resulting hurricane spread in all directions, ripping through the remaining palace ruins. Deep, fearsome trenches scored the earth, and the entire terrain transformed from a flat plain into a miniature canyon!
The storm broke through the sky, and the palace collapsed as if it were a mere child's toy.
Lelouch stood in the now-empty 'wasteland,' opening his mouth silently.
Were they gods or men?
...
"Facing death with such composure?"
Selene rubbed her chin thoughtfully, a glint of dark gold flashing in her crimson eyes, muttering with slight dissatisfaction.
Then again, it made sense. Charles had been Britannia's reigning Emperor for almost half a century, and his imperial dignity would never allow him to grovel or scream like a fool.
"Well, no matter." Seeing such a scene wasn't necessary. Selene might be ruthless, but she wasn't low enough to deliberately trample on a person's dignity in death.
"Collect Charles's remains and have him buried in the royal mausoleum, according to Britannian imperial customs."
Collecting her thoughts, Selene gave her order to the Sister of Silence officer.
Uninvited, you handed over so much technology; I'll recognize your last emperor's status as a courtesy. Pretty merciful, don't you think?
As for Excalibur, that… Well, how did they even come up with that?
She remembered the surprise she felt when she first gave the Sisters of Silence naming rights for their custom gear. They chose this name, and it had floored her.
Oath, Victory—sure, the name was auspicious and fit the context, but… the déjà vu—ugh!
Just thinking about ten thousand Sisters of Silence chanting "Excalibur" as they blasted beams at Artoria and her Round Table Knights filled Selene with a strange sense of anticipation.
Heh.... She gave a small shake of her head, reining in her wandering thoughts.
"With Britannia's central powers annihilated, their last resistance is done. Ah, my favorite part—the time to reap the spoils of victory—has come again."
Though she'd been feasting on victories frequently in recent years, and it was beginning to be a bit much, Selene licked her lips and patted her still-flat stomach with satisfaction. Not tired of it in the least—more, please!
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