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

After returning from the women's warrior training grounds, Reuel drove his sports car toward his resting quarters at Haneda Airport. The car's engine purred softly as he pulled into the secured private complex. As soon as he stepped into the cool, quiet lounge, he grabbed a bottle of water and downed it greedily, one after another, as if trying to wash away the heat of the training grounds.

There was only one person in the room—Shizuka Marikawa, dressed in loose house pajamas, sitting cross-legged on the sofa. Her eyes followed Reuel's every move, and then she picked up a glass of water and sipped it slowly.

"You're back early. And drinking like that... heatstroke?" Shizuka blinked slowly, her voice soft but curious.

Reuel only replied with a weird smile before flopping onto the sofa with a half-groan.

"Scared of tigers," he said nonchalantly.

"Tigers? Are you serious?" Shizuka frowned slightly, laughing a little. "I'm scared of tigers too. Fierce, huge, they pounce around, and... rawr."

Reuel stared at the ceiling, still grinning to himself. "Yup... tigers. Big, terrifying... and I'm pretty sure this one's the queen."

His mind was still caught in the scene from training earlier—female soldiers lined up under the scorching sun, their bodies soaked with sweat. Their tank tops clung tightly to their skin, emphasizing every curve. Their breasts—huge, no exaggeration. Massive. Reuel found himself itching—not from the heat, but from the agony of not looking, which somehow felt worse than looking.

His eyes flicked briefly toward Shizuka Marikawa's chest. He cursed internally—more natural… and goddammit, even bigger.

Shizuka didn't notice the glance. She only stretched lazily and asked again in a light tone, "Where is everyone? The house feels empty."

"Saeko's still training with the Sisters of Battle... Aunt Yuriko and Takagi-san are inspecting the western base... Rika's testing her anti-zombie rifle... and little Alice is napping."

Shizuka raised her fingers enthusiastically, counting: "Five... six... three…" she paused, as if afraid she'd missed someone, then nodded with satisfaction. "Complete!"

Reuel nodded back, watching how her fingers moved so innocently, like a child counting candy. He was just about to close his eyes for a moment when—

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Reuel's tactical communicator went off. He grabbed it and answered immediately.

A firm voice came through: "Lord Emperor, this is Colonel Minka Lesk. One of our new Astra Militarum units was ambushed during a survivor rescue operation in the Tokyo sector. They were engaged with a zombie horde when an unknown group attacked them from the rear. Six members are KIA. Two others are critically wounded…"

A short pause—just long enough to make Reuel's heart drop.

"…Rika Minami is among the critically wounded."

"What?! Rika's seriously injured?" Reuel shot up from the sofa, his expression shifting instantly. "Have the wounded been evacuated?"

"Yes, Lord. They're at the military base hospital now."

"Understood. I'm on my way."

He ended the call. Shizuka, who had been watching him closely, stood up right away.

"What is it? What happened?"

"Rika... she was attacked. She's seriously hurt," Reuel said as he grabbed his car keys.

Without needing another word, Shizuka got into the car with him. During the entire ride to the military hospital, she cried. Silent tears streamed down her face, but her hand gripped her seatbelt tightly. Rika was her friend. They had played together. Laughed together. And now...

Reuel drove without saying a single word. When they arrived at the base hospital, he jumped out of the car and rushed in. The doctor on duty recognized him immediately and saluted, then quickly led him to the observation room.

"What's Rika Minami's condition?" Reuel asked without wasting time.

"She's in surgery. Two bullets to the abdomen, one hit her shoulder bone. We're trying to save function in her right arm... but the blood loss is significant."

Reuel clenched his fist. His eyes stared through the large glass window into the operating room, watching the silhouettes of the medical team fighting to save her.

After hearing that Rika Minami was undergoing surgery, Reuel immediately demanded an explanation. One of the surviving Astra Militarum soldiers—a hardened veteran from Cadia—delivered the report directly to the Lord Emperor.

The veteran had suffered serious injuries, but by Cadian standards—where death lurks around every corner—those wounds were little more than scratches. He stared at Reuel with weary eyes and began to speak with a hoarse voice.

The incident, he said, began with a fatal lapse in judgment.

His unit had been training fresh recruits while conducting a cleanup patrol in the zombie-infested districts of Tokyo. Hordes of undead littered nearly every street. The situation appeared under control—almost too quiet.

In the middle of the firefight, they spotted a group of civilians seemingly trapped between the zombies. Without hesitation, they ceased fire and rescued the supposed survivors, directing them to a safe position at the rear of the formation.

But that… was when the disaster struck.

While the soldiers were focused on the front, the "survivors" turned on them. They weren't victims—they were armed infiltrators—organized, ruthless, and highly trained. In an instant, the battlefield turned into a bloody mess. Some soldiers were gunned down by energy weapons—Lasguns stolen from Astra Militarum stockpiles, now used against their original owners.

The fresh recruits, inexperienced and panicked, dropped fast. The veteran tried to rally a defense, but the attackers outnumbered them. He watched with his own eyes as his comrades fell one by one.

In a last desperate act, he triggered a signal flare and called for nearby reinforcements. He dragged one near-dead recruit out of the killzone, managing to bring a critically injured survivor to safety. But the rest... there was no time.

Reuel clenched his fist. His eyes were sharp—like a drawn blade.

"Minka Lesk, find out who did this. I will tear them apart. One by one."

"Yes, Lord Emperor," Minka responded, without hesitation.

Reuel turned his gaze to the operating room. The red light was still on—a sign that the procedure wasn't over. He didn't go in. Not because he was afraid. But because he knew... it wasn't time yet.

He looked toward Shizuka Marikawa, who sat quietly on the waiting bench. Her face was weary, her eyes swollen, and the tears hadn't stopped falling. Reuel sat beside her, silently taking her hand. As a medic, Shizuka knew this could end in only two ways—survival… or a burial with military honors.

An hour later, the red light switched off. A military surgeon stepped out, still wearing surgical gloves.

He saluted.

"Lord Emperor, the operation was a success. But the patient is still in critical condition and will need time to recover."

"Very well. Thank you for your efforts. Get some rest now."

Reuel entered the recovery ward with Shizuka. Inside, the medical team was wheeling the patient's bed to a prepared room. Rika Minami lay unconscious—her skin pale, body wrapped in bandages and hooked to multiple IVs. Her breathing was shallow but steady.

Shizuka slowly approached, gently holding Rika's hand, her tears falling silently. Her fingers trembled slightly as she stroked her friend's hair, hoping the touch could bring some comfort.

A few minutes passed in silence.

Then, Rika's eyelids twitched. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and saw two familiar faces standing beside her bed.

"...Lord Reuel… Shizuka… you're here?" her voice was barely audible.

"Don't speak too much, Rika. Rest. You need your strength to recover," Shizuka said softly, continuing to stroke her hair.

But Reuel stepped forward, standing directly beside the bed. His expression didn't soften. In fact, his gaze grew even sharper.

"Rika Minami," he said quietly, but with weight. "You were too kind. You wanted to save them, but you misjudged. They were the enemy. And because of your lapse, your team died. You didn't order a rear guard. That was a serious mistake."

Rika looked down, weakly, her mouth slightly open but no words coming out.

Reuel continued, voice firm, "Now heal your wounds. Then... kill them. Avenge your team. With your own hands."

He stared into Rika's eyes.

A few seconds of silence... then something shifted inside her.

The emptiness in her expression gave way. Her eyes lit up again—not with warmth, but with fury and purpose. She clenched her fingers—those she could still move.

"Then… I'll kill them with my own hands," she murmured. Her voice was steady now. Cold. Her gaze turned red, staring at the ceiling as if already picturing the faces of the traitors she would hunt down to the ends of the earth.

Shizuka remained silent, then gave a small nod—she knew her friend had come back.

But this time… she was no longer the same.

---

At the Tokyo City Police Station

Inside the police station—now repurposed as an emergency shelter—the tension was thick and oppressive. Two groups stood facing each other, both armed, watching one another warily. There was no trust. Only fear and the instinct to survive remained.

"Shimada, do you think those soldiers will come for revenge?" Hido Tamaru asked in a low voice, unable to hide the worry in his tone.

"How the hell should I know?" Shimada replied with a cynical grin. "With that many zombies out there, they'll never find us. And now we've got weapons—why should we be scared?"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Officer Tajima—a senior cop with a face marked by age and experience—was speaking with Asami Nakaoka, his young but tough female partner.

"Asami," Tajima said, eyeing the armed group, "where the hell did they get those weapons? That's military-grade gear, not civilian. They're fully armed now. This isn't your everyday situation."

"What do we do?" Asami asked tensely, her eyes locked on the armed men across the room.

"Stay alert. They're not just ordinary citizens—they're gangsters. Get someone to keep an eye on them at all times."

"I'll watch them myself," Asami said firmly.

Not far away, Takashi Komuro sat beside Tajima. His face was pale, his gaze vacant. Tajima watched him sharply, as if trying to cut through whatever lies might be hiding behind the boy's expression.

"I still don't know where your unit is now, Takashi. You said the Takagi estate was overrun by zombies and Miyamoto Rei went missing. Can you explain in more detail?" Tajima asked, his voice flat but piercing.

Takashi lowered his head for a moment before answering. "Alright, Uncle..."

Takashi had actually run into Tajima—a longtime friend of Rei Miyamoto's father—not long after escaping the Takagi estate. To him, Takashi told a version of the story that didn't match reality: that the house had been surrounded by a massive zombie horde, and that he and Rei got separated while trying to escape.

But the truth was far darker. Takashi was indirectly responsible for the collapse of the Takagi estate's defenses. He fled when things got critical, abandoning his post and allowing the horde to breach the perimeter.

Tajima listened calmly, but his instincts as a cop were already on edge. Takashi's grim expression, his repeated words—as if trying to convince himself he wasn't at fault—only deepened the suspicion.

"Something happened," Tajima thought. He didn't know what yet, but it was clear Takashi was hiding something important.

Nearby, a small girl named Marina tugged on the edge of Asami Nakaoka's uniform and whispered, "Miss Police Lady... are those people bad guys?"

Asami looked down at Marina, then turned her gaze toward the increasingly agitated and impatient gangsters.

"Yes, Marina," she answered gently. "We have to be careful. But don't worry. Follow Uncle Tajima—he'll protect you."

"Okay. Marina understands... Marina will be good," Marina said quietly, nodding with solemn sincerity.

---

Haneda Airport, Tokyo

Reuel brought Rika Minami to his residence. He said he could heal her, so together with Shizuka Marikawa, they took her home.

In Reuel's mind, this was a perfect opportunity to conquer this tomboyish woman. Wounds like these? Child's play for a Medic from StarCraft.

Inside Shizuka Marikawa's bedroom, Reuel stood over Rika Minami's body lying on the bed, then spoke to Shizuka in a flat but firm tone:

"Take off her clothes. I'm going to start the treatment."

Shizuka blinked slowly as she stared at him. Her gaze was full of doubt—as if Reuel was playing the part of some sleazy hooligan. She hesitated, unsure whether she should really strip her own best friend.

Sensing Shizuka's suspicious look, Reuel only sighed and stepped out of the room, standing just beyond the doorframe.

"Shizuka, just do it. I trust Lord Reuel," said Rika Minami, turning her head toward her friend. Their eyes met, and in that instant, Shizuka understood what Rika meant.

"O-okay… I'll do it," Shizuka answered, still nervous.

"Take everything off," Rika added, her voice calm, barely affected by the pain.

"God, Rika… I'm really annoyed with you right now," Shizuka muttered, as she began removing Rika's clothes piece by piece, her hands trembling slightly.

From outside the door, Reuel's voice cut in, impatient.

"Hurry up, you idiot."

Shizuka finally undressed Rika Minami. Her movements were slow and cautious, but even so, pain crept into the open wounds. Once done, she covered her friend's body with a blanket, leaving only the wounded areas exposed for treatment.

"You can come in now," Rika said softly.

Reuel stepped inside. He saw Rika lying there, her body covered except for the exposed injuries.

"I'm going to begin. I'll place my hands on your wounds. Just hold on," he said, locking eyes with Rika Minami seriously.

."Alright, you can start the treatment," Rika Minami said quietly, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. Some of her wounds were in... sensitive areas.

Reuel slowly slipped his hand under the blanket. With Shizuka Marikawa guiding him and pointing out the location of the wounds, his hand touched Rika's bare skin. He pressed his palm gently over one of the injuries. As psionic energy flowed from his body, Reuel's eyes began to glow—bright yellow, like tiny trapped suns blazing within his irises.

His hand moved lower, still following Shizuka's direction as she indicated the next wound. Rika bit her lower lip, unable to suppress the flustered reaction from being touched in such intimate spots. Her cheeks flushed deeper red. But the pain—gradually—vanished. Completely.

A warm energy surged from Reuel's touch, healing her quickly and efficiently. It didn't take long before Rika felt significantly better. She took a deep breath and suddenly sat upright, energized—completely unaware that the upper part of her body was now fully exposed in front of them.

Reuel's eyes widened. He stared, frozen. Shizuka's jaw dropped slightly, stunned.

"K-KYAA!!" Shizuka screamed reflexively, then hastily pulled the blanket back over her friend's body.

Reuel, snapping out of his daze, immediately turned around and rushed out of the room—clearly, that wasn't part of the plan.

Once the door shut behind him, Rika slowly pulled the blanket down and looked at where her wounds had been. She peeled off a leftover bandage and stared, amazed. Her skin was smooth—like nothing had ever happened.

"What... what the hell just happened? Reuel… did he use magic?" Rika murmured, still in disbelief. Every wound was gone. No pain, no scars, not even a mark.

Shizuka, still standing stiffly nearby, finally spoke with a stammer.

"Rika… Rika Minami… you… how is this even possible? How are you completely healed already?"

Rika turned to her, her expression a mix of awe and caution.

"I don't know how Reuel did it. But yeah… it's incredible." She inhaled slowly. "But Shizuka… don't tell anyone about this, okay?"

Shizuka frowned, confused. "Why? This is amazing! We should—"

"It's Reuel's secret," Rika cut her off sharply. Her gaze was firm, intense. "We can't leak anything without his permission. You hear me? Dumbass."

Shizuka flinched, then raised both hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay, I get it… I'm not dumb, you know," she muttered, patting her chest in mild annoyance.

After Reuel stepped out, he caught the lingering scent on his hand and thought to himself, "Rika Minami's body… so soft."