章 307: All Hail Selene!!!
"Hahaha…this world will be our Second Astartes Legion's tribute to the Empress!"
These soldiers of the Second Legion spoke about the victory and taking prisoners as though they were exchanging small talk, not even lowering their voices. In their eyes, Britannia's fall was a done deal, and the students captured from Ashford Academy were nothing more than spoils of war, utterly defenseless and lacking any threat. And if some hot-blooded students overheard them and decided to go all out and make a last-ditch attempt on the Empress's life for the sake of Britannia…well, let them try.
After all, how close could they even get to the Empress? Did they think the Astartes were just for show?
These legionnaires chatted as though they were carelessly passing the time, but in truth, they remained vigilant, keeping track of every slight sound and movement around them.
"Astartes Legion…Empress?"
Lelouch repeated the words quietly to himself, considering the implication. Could this major figure arriving really be the Empress of the Sacred Selene Empire?
For the first time, his inner resolve wavered. The country of Britannia, his nominal homeland and the target of his long-held vow for vengeance, had encountered the most powerful adversary in its history. Through the relentless, one-sided slaughter in Area 11, Lelouch could clearly envision Britannia's destruction—the nation he had once sworn to dismantle.
"Hah…so Charles, my 'honorable' father who believes so devoutly in the survival of the fittest, the same man who abandoned me and Nunnally without protection after failing to keep Mother safe…did you imagine this day would come? That a stronger force would render you 'the weak' and obliterate you?"
With a dry chuckle, Lelouch couldn't help but laugh at the irony. But soon, his laughter faded, and he grew pensive, his face clouded with worry. The Sacred Selene Empire and the Holy Britannian Empire…were they really so different?
From what he had seen since being dragged out of the academy basement, Lelouch felt certain the Sacred Selene Empire couldn't be some peaceful, equal, or freedom-loving country. Rather, it was more than likely an absolute monarchy ruled entirely by its Empress.
As he watched the surroundings, Lelouch recognized their unwavering devotion to their Empress and the cold, rigid hierarchy of this empire's system. The enormous, gray-armored giants appeared to hold the highest rank, followed by the lightly-armored, black-uniformed "Auxiliary Troops," and then the foot soldiers of the Slave Army, who wore whatever gear they could cobble together, identifiable only by their double-headed eagle insignia.
More than once, Lelouch had witnessed these soldiers kneel and bow in worship to the Astartes Legion soldiers, their stance submissive and fearful, illustrating the empire's ironclad, oppressive hierarchy.
While he had no love for Britannia and even a twisted satisfaction over its impending destruction, Lelouch now worried about what he and Nunnally would do in the future.
And then there was the empire's fierce devotion to imperialism. Much like Britannia, they were bent on subjugation and power above all else.
The footsteps of the blood-stained giants filled the space, causing Nunnally to tremble in Lelouch's arms as the overwhelming scent of blood drifted around them.
Due to the bombardment from the Empire's Titan mechs, Area 11's Tokyo settlement was in complete ruins. Ashford Academy, located in a cluster of academic buildings, had narrowly avoided the heaviest bombardment and was relatively intact, temporarily serving as the front-line command center for the Astartes Second Legion's campaign in Area 11.
As time passed, more students were rounded up from the academy buildings, as well as a number of civilians and disarmed Britannian soldiers who had been captured.
Some of the Britannian prisoners were kneeling and sobbing uncontrollably, while others stood dazed and vacant, bodies curled in submission.
Meanwhile, the Imperial engineers were setting up fencing along predetermined boundary lines.
Creak!
At the entrance of the newly erected barrier, a tall Auxiliary officer strode in, his hat pulled low, a large scar spanning the bridge of his nose. His face was a mask of pride and indifference as he gave the prisoners a sharp, cold glance. His polished boots bore no trace of the battlefield.
"Alright, prisoners. Registration begins now!"
The Slave Army soldiers quickly brought in tables, chairs, and a terminal for data entry.
"You lot will start." The officer scanned the group and pointed at Lelouch and his friends with a stern finger.
With arms crossed, he signaled the soldiers to begin. He had a strictly businesslike demeanor, showing no interest in the beauty of the Ashford Academy noblewomen.
After all, Selene's imperial edict was clear: during conquest, soldiers could loot, burn, and slaughter under the orders of a military commander. However, acts of sexual violence were strictly forbidden and punishable by the death of the entire unit responsible, with no exceptions. Rank offered no protection—even an Astartes Legion Commander would be executed if they violated this rule.
Taking a seat behind the desk, a stoic Auxiliary soldier asked tersely, "Name?"
"Milly Ashford," Milly replied cautiously.
"Gender?"
"Female."
"Age?"
"Eighteen."
"Area of study?"
"Broadcast and Television Studies."
...
With each answer, the soldier uploaded her data to the central server for the Astartes Second Legion Reavers, where her profile was logged under the planetary identification code "Conquer the World—37."
A faint hum filled the air as a metal card emerged from a printer nearby, engraved with Milly Ashford's basic details and photo.
"Take it." Without lifting his head, the soldier passed the card across the table. "Next."
"Name?"
"Shirley Fenette."
"Gender?"
"Female."
...
"They're incredibly confident—already certain of victory and eager to establish rule before the battle has even ended." Lelouch frowned slightly.
During the registration process, everything went smoothly, with each person taking only about ten seconds to complete. But when it was finally Lelouch and Nunnally's turn in line…
"Last name...hmm?! Her eyes and legs…is she doubly disabled?"
The soldier raised his head, standing to get a better look at the girl whose face was below the table's level, making it impossible for the terminal camera to capture her image.
"Apologies, sir. This is my younger sister, Nunnally...Nunnally Lamperouge. She lost her sight and ability to walk due to an accident in childhood." Standing protectively in front of Nunnally, Lelouch's face turned anxious. His worst fears had come true!
"She may not be able to contribute to the Empire, but I can. I'm her brother, Lelouch Lamperouge. I'll work twice or three times as hard if I must!"
Nunnally, listening to her brother's humbling voice as he pleaded for her, was not deaf, though she could not see the situation. She knew she was dragging him down and quietly released the grip on his shirt.
"Officer, your orders?" asked the soldier, saluting as he called over the approaching officer.
The officer in the auxiliary corps, staring indifferently at the siblings' heartfelt scene, had seen it all countless times in wars across multiple worlds. He simply waved dismissively, saying, "Unfit. Take her away."
"Yes, sir!"
"No! Don't!" Lelouch lost all composure at this decision, shouting desperately, but within moments, he was pinned down by several soldiers from the auxiliary corps.
"Blind and unable to walk...minor issues. With the Empire's medical technology, that would be easy to heal. But you're just grass in a newly conquered world. No rank, no rights to treatment."
In the Sacred Selene Empire, no one who was blind, maimed, or disabled existed anymore, thanks to medical technology infused with Honkai energy. On the battlefield, even if half your body were blown off, as long as you still breathed, the Empire's medical facilities could put you back together in hours, allowing you to carry a gun again within days.
Why, then, did so many Imperial soldiers still have scarred faces? They considered them marks of glory from battle and refused to have them removed.
The Empire-born auxiliary soldier shook his head regretfully, seated back in his chair, and seemed about to call the next person in line.
"Rank? What rank? I'll do anything to save my sister."
"Don't you want to defeat Britannia and rule this world? I am Lelouch vi Britannia, the 11th prince of the Holy Britannian Empire. I can help you!"
Desperate, Lelouch heard the soldier's words and, grasping at straws, blurted out the truth.
He had no choice but to reveal his identity now if he wanted to save his sister. He prayed that the identity he despised might save her.
"Wait a minute!"
The officer from the auxiliary corps, eyes gleaming with excitement, hurriedly motioned for the soldiers to halt as they tried to take Nunnally away.
"Did you say you're a prince?"
He gestured for the soldiers to release Lelouch, then approached him with an expression of growing exhilaration, saying, "Are you absolutely sure you're telling the truth? Because if you're lying, it won't be just you two but everyone here who'll die! I'll make sure you wish you were dead, too!"
The officer could hardly contain his excitement. Whether he cared for beauty was irrelevant—real achievements, legitimate merit were currency in the Empire. No one in the Imperial Army wouldn't be tempted by it, be it for a promotion, wealth, or the coveted chance to join the ranks of the Astartes. Opportunities like that were hard-won.
Even if he himself was too old to undergo the Astartes Honkai augmentation surgery, he had a son. Empire policy allowed transferring this qualification to a direct relative.
The officer scrutinized the young man closely and noted a cool and noble air. It wasn't about personal strength but something instilled by family and upbringing. The officer, himself a non-heritable knight in the Empire, had seen this bearing only in the upper nobility back in the Empire's capital.
"Cough...cough... If you don't believe me, wait until you capture the Britannian capital, or bring in other members of the royal family—you'll know soon enough."
Breathless, Lelouch hurried to Nunnally's side, clutching his bruised chest as he struggled to catch his breath.
"All right. I won't do anything to you for now, but I'll report this…"
But just as the middle-aged officer was reprimanding Lelouch, a synchronized sound of armor clinking filled the entire Ashford Academy grounds.
Instantly, the officer's expression shifted. Murmuring in reverence, he whispered, "The Empress has arrived." He abandoned all thought of pursuing merit, standing to attention, turning his body, and kneeling with his right hand over his left chest, an expression of utter solemnity on his face.
The prisoners of Britannia, all still confused, suddenly heard thunderous battle cries erupt from every corner.
"Long live the Empire!"
"Long live our Empress!"
"My loyalty is my honor!"
"Where the Empress wills, our bodies shall follow!"
"All Hail Selene—Glory to Selene!"
Clutching Nunnally's hand, Lelouch whispered, "The Empress...has arrived."
Through a gap in the fence, they could see a figure gradually coming into view.
Flanked by bowing ranks of auxiliary soldiers and orderly formations of gray-armored Astartes warriors, a dazzling, splendid figure approached, finally entering everyone's line of sight.
Her footsteps rang out, clear as crystal. Her waist-length white hair lay draped over her back, and she wore an imperial robe of white, gold, and purple. Selene herself walked gracefully through the shattered, smoke-filled path, laden with the stench of sulfur and blood.
A retinue of the Imperial Guard in golden, precision-crafted powered armor and Sisters of Silence walked beside her. The towering figures of Budo and Gensa stood out, looming over even the Astartes warriors by a head and a half.
"Your Majesty, my deepest apologies. My young men fought too fiercely, leaving the city in ruins. We haven't had time to repair the area yet, and it is unworthy of you. I…"
Four-point-two-meter-tall General Budo, who had always kept a fierce, iron-blooded image, bent slightly as he spoke, humbly.
"Budo, when did you become so pedantic, like one of those tedious civil ministers?"
Selene waved off Budo's formal apology without looking back, her gaze slowly scanning the area, as though searching for something.
"Oh? So you really are here…"
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