NOVEL WEB Chapter 83: Chapter 083 - Rika Minami
"Dad! Open the door! What the hell just happened?! Open the door, Dad! Why did you lock me inside the house?!"
Panting and fuming, Takagi Saya burst out of the Takagi estate. Her face was flushed, her hair a mess, and her eyes burned with emotion. She had just managed to escape after being locked inside by her father, Soichiro Takagi.
But she wasn't greeted with an explanation or an apology—only silence. Everyone standing in the front yard was frozen in place, speechless. Not a single person said a word.
As if they were all carrying the same truth—a truth none of them dared to speak.
"Why won't you say anything? Where's Mom?" Saya's voice now trembled, more panicked than angry.
Her instincts—ones that had never failed her—screamed to life. She glanced around, and it only took seconds for her to realize… her mother wasn't there.
The graceful figure of Yuriko Takagi, the strong woman who always exuded calm authority, had vanished.
Soichiro Takagi looked at his daughter with a blank expression. His voice was calm—too calm.
"Your mother has been invited by Reuel as his honored guest."
No further explanation. No hint of guilt. No remorse.
After saying that, Soichiro turned and walked away—as if this had all been part of a long-set plan he'd already accepted.
Saya could only stand frozen. Her whole body stiffened, her mind spiraling in every direction. She didn't even realize her lips were trembling slightly, trying to form words—but failing.
"Rei… what happened? And… what happened to Takashi Komuro?"
Her voice had completely shifted—no longer angry, but full of confusion and deep worry. Her eyes locked onto Takashi Komuro, who was sitting on the ground in a daze—his eyes blank, his face pale, as if he had just seen a ghost.
Miyamoto Rei met Saya's anxious gaze with a whisper of pity. She knew that sooner or later, the truth had to come out.
And as that truth began to unfold, Saya found it harder and harder to believe what she was hearing. She knew her father was a calculating man… but she had never imagined he would "hand over" his wife to save a group of survivors—people who might not even stay loyal to him.
She couldn't say anything more. She just stood there, letting reality slowly dismantle everything she believed in.
---
Meanwhile, over Tokyo Bay…
The combat helicopter touched down on the deck of a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship—a massive carrier previously stolen from the United States and now operating under the Imperium's control.
Reuel stepped out calmly, flanked by Saeko Busujima and two other women, along with his loyal guards. Before him, the ship's deck had undergone massive modifications by the Tech-Priests of the Mechanicus. Rows of Valkyries, Vultures, and other assault vehicles were lined up neatly, ready for deployment at any moment.
His eyes scanned the area, and he nodded in satisfaction. Inside the belly of the ship, between ten to twenty armored vehicles—Leman Russ tanks, Chimeras, Sentinels—were parked, along with over 500 fully armed Imperial Guard personnel.
As he moved, the shock troopers snapped into a salute of the Imperium—hand to chest, head slightly bowed.
Reuel returned the gesture with a simple nod—no words needed.
He headed straight for the main command room. The space was vast, filled with glowing tactical panels and communication arrays. As soon as he entered, the staff inside stood at attention.
Without wasting time, Reuel began issuing orders.
"Deploy the remaining Imperial Guard forces from the Gorgon battlecruiser. They're to move toward Haneda Airport."
"If there's any rebellion or resistance there—crush it."
"Establish a secure perimeter and evacuate all survivors to that location. From now on, Haneda is our operations center."
His orders were clear, cold, and absolute. Within minutes, the entire ship was set into motion.
---
Suddenly, Shizuka Marikawa approached Reuel with a tense expression. The cheerfulness she had radiated during the flight had completely vanished. Her face was pale, her eyes restless, and she looked uneasy standing among the towering, cold-faced foreign soldiers.
"Um… Lord Reuel…" she said softly, her voice faltering. Her tone was hesitant, like someone trying to suppress something urgent.
"What's the matter, Shizuka?" Reuel asked calmly, trying to ease the atmosphere.
"Could you… help me find my friend at Haneda Airport? Her name is Rika Minami. And if you find her… please let me know."
"Do you have a photo of her?"
"Yes!" Shizuka replied quickly, then, without the slightest hint of shame, pulled out a photo from between her breasts.
Reuel paused, unable to hide his surprise. I thought that kind of absurd logic only existed in anime—stashing things in there. Turns out… it really is possible in real life.
Without another word, he handed the photo to Major Hellsker. "Find this person. If you locate her, inform her that her friend, Shizuka Marikawa, is looking for her."
"At once, Lord Emperor of Mankind," Hellsker replied sharply, saluting before turning on his heel and departing to carry out the order.
---
Little Alice looked around with curiosity, her small fingers clutching tightly at the edge of Reuel's white coat. Realizing this, Reuel gave a subtle nod to one of the female Inquisitors to accompany Alice for a walk around the ship.
Shizuka Marikawa and Saeko Busujima, who stood not far from them, seemed captivated by the rows of foreign machines and vehicles surrounding them—technology they had never seen in their entire lives. They followed Alice, who now looked delighted, perched happily on the shoulders of the towering Inquisitor.
On the other side of the deck, Yuriko Takagi sat quietly, observing every corner of the military vessel with sharp attention. Her intelligence—sharpened by years of experience as a former intelligence agent—allowed her to notice even the subtlest details. As she walked across the deck, her eyes caught sight of dozens of unfamiliar aircraft—sleek, powerful, and clearly far beyond any known military technology in the world.
"Those aircraft… Valkyries," she thought. "The design reminds me of the AH-64 Apache or the UH-60 Black Hawk. Top rotor, twin cockpits, mounted weapons on the sides… But this? This is on another level entirely."
Her gaze shifted to another combat vehicle—an APC Chimera parked not far away.
"That looks like an M113 or a Stryker. Boxy shape, multi-layered wheels, rear ramp for troops, observation slits on the sides. But judging from the build, this thing could take way more than a landmine blast."
Then her eyes landed on the Leman Russ Tank—massive, intimidating, wrapped in thick armor.
"It's like a fusion of an M1 Abrams and a Leopard 2. High-caliber cannon, rotating turret, massive armor plating. A front-line battle tank—not a toy."
Yuriko took a deep breath. And realized this was just surface power. Merely the tip of the spear.
A cold awareness crept into her thoughts.
"Is Reuel… really human?" she wondered, eyes narrowing sharply. "Or… something from the future? Or even another world entirely?"
The gear and military arsenal before her didn't resemble anything from Japan—or even from the secret files of any military or intelligence agency she'd encountered. This wasn't just advanced. It was beyond every known definition of technological progress. As if she was witnessing a vision of future warfare no human had ever dreamed of.
And as a former high-level intelligence agent, Yuriko had seen plenty—experimental weapons, black tech, top-secret state projects. But this? This was beyond the reach of current military understanding.
---
From a distance, Reuel watched Yuriko Takagi. The graceful woman stood calm, her aura radiating maturity and authority. It was hard to believe she was the mother of a sixteen-year-old girl. Her beauty wasn't manufactured—she exuded a natural elegance that few women her age could match.
"You invited me here as a guest, yet you're just going to stare from afar?" Yuriko said, breaking the silence. Her eyes sharpened as she turned, and sure enough—Reuel was gazing at her intently, eyes filled with desire.
"Oh? Then tell me—why do you think I invited you here?"
"Obviously because you want to—" Yuriko paused, uncertain. She realized the answer wasn't as clear as she had thought. She initially assumed she'd been taken as a hostage to pressure Soichiro Takagi. But now? After seeing all this… she knew Reuel didn't need to do that. He could crush Soichiro anytime he wanted.
"It's simple," Reuel said calmly, confidently. "I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. That's why I brought you here. Forget Soichiro Takagi—you won't be going back to him. Not in this lifetime."
"You bastard… how dare you!" Yuriko's face turned red, her chest heaving with anger. She never expected him to be so blunt, so shameless in expressing his selfish intent.
"Bastard? Why?" Reuel gave a crooked smile. "I learned this from Soichiro Takagi… and Takashi Komuro. You saw it for yourself, didn't you? So why don't you call them bastards too?"
Yuriko fell silent. She had seen it—and hadn't been able to fight back. Like so many Japanese women, she simply bowed to the will of men.
---
"Report to His Majesty the Emperor! Haneda Airport in Tokyo is fully under control. We have detained over a hundred individuals," a soldier barked, standing at attention before Kenthelion.
"Prepare for mobilization. Have all Imperial Guard and Legion Alice units been centralized at Haneda?" Reuel asked, his voice calm, yet commanding beyond question.
"Your Majesty, 1,500,000 Imperial Guard personnel are stationed at Haneda. Another 500,000 are escorting survivors from various cities to the same location."
"Good. Proceed as planned. Utilize every military resource this world has for mobilization—ships, helicopters, any vehicle available."
"I'll depart shortly by helicopter."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
---
Reuel then turned toward a woman standing quietly nearby. With steady, commanding steps, he approached her.
"Miss Yuriko Takagi," he said, his voice deep and composed. His golden eyes were piercing—like they could see through every lie in existence. "Would you accompany me? A journey awaits… and for some reason, your presence would make it perfect."
Yuriko didn't answer right away. The words—formal, polite, but undeniably powerful—were delivered like an emperor offering a throne to a queen.
"Go with you? Why not…" she murmured, her cheeks faintly flushed—whether from his words or the overwhelming force of his presence, she wasn't sure. This bastard, she thought. He actually makes me curious. Just who the hell are you, Reuel?
"In that case…" Reuel turned away. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Let's go."
Without looking back, he walked away.
Yuriko followed. Her steps were calm, her posture proud. But behind it, her expression held a hint of amusement.
"What kind of man walks ahead of a woman after inviting her along?" she muttered under her breath, her tone laced with subtle sarcasm. "Chivalry? Guess that's not one of your virtues."
---
When Reuel's entourage arrived at Haneda Airport, the scene before them was far from normal. The once-modern and bustling terminal now resembled a brutal warzone.
Leman Russ tanks crushed the scorched runway beneath their treads, tearing through the burnt asphalt with merciless weight. Imperial Guard soldiers patrolled in disciplined formations, fully armed, clad in olive-green uniforms with ash-gray trims. Some carried hellguns at the ready, while others coordinated convoys of trucks bringing in survivors from all across Tokyo.
Across the tarmac, hundreds of civilians knelt with their hands bound behind their heads. They were closely watched by armed guards, their faces marked by confusion and fear. Yet, beneath that… a glimmer of hope—because they had survived. Emergency tents lined the perimeter, each bearing the double-headed Aquila of the Imperium. Among them stood Commissars, stern and unyielding, dressed in uniforms blending Nazi and Soviet aesthetics. Their eyes sharp, filled with an authority that could not be questioned.
As Reuel entered the main lobby of the airport, he observed the steady stream of survivors pouring in. They had no idea who these soldiers were or where they had come from. But one thing was certain: they had survived hell, and their saviors were a force that descended from the heavens.
Then, Reuel's gaze fixed on a figure who stood out from the rest.
A woman with long, violet hair leaned casually against a concrete pillar, meticulously cleaning her sniper rifle. Her movements were calm and precise, reflecting a high level of training. Her posture was firm, her expression cold yet sharp. She wasn't just a fighter—she was a veteran. Strangely, even the nearby Imperial Guards maintained a respectful distance. Not out of fear… but reverence.
Rika Minami.
A sudden, high-pitched, cheerful voice broke the tense air:
"Rikaaaaa!!"
Shizuka Marikawa sprinted toward her, waving her arms wildly like a child reuniting with a favorite toy.
Rika turned. Her sharp eyes softened the moment she recognized the voice.
"Shizuka?"
A flash of surprise crossed Rika's face, but it quickly melted into a gentle smile. She stepped forward.
The two women ran toward each other and embraced tightly.
Their large breasts pressed together in the hug. Reuel glanced at the sight, biting back a silent growl of jealousy.
"Shizuka… thank god you're safe. I missed you so much."
"Rika… I missed you too! Hiks…"
As always, Shizuka became lost in her emotions. She sobbed into her friend's arms, all the tension and fear she had held inside finally breaking loose in that single, overwhelming moment of relief.
Saeko Busujima, Yuriko Takagi, and Reuel stood behind them, watching the touching reunion. Even Saeko—normally calm, almost cold—allowed a soft smile to grace her lips.
"Shizuka, tell me everything… What happened to you? Who are these soldiers? What's going on in the world?"
Rika began firing off questions, her heart still soaking in the warmth of reunion, yet her tactical instincts remained sharp—desperate to make sense of the chaos unfolding around them.