Who is Curze?
For the sudden voice that appeared in their minds, perhaps the soldiers of the United Nations Space Command (U.N.S.C) did not know, and the warriors of the Covenant who came to execute the "purification" of Reach also did not know.
But as warriors belonging to the faction of the Sacred Selene Empire, especially those under the command of the Eighth Legion of the Astartes, the Night Lords, how could they be unfamiliar with the name of their direct military commander?
Konrad Curze.
And within the entire Empire, there was only one existence who could call upon the master of the Astartes Legion in such a tone, as if commanding a mere servant.
Bang... Crash!
Pushing away the layers of wreckage pressing upon his body, pulling himself out from the twisted and deformed remains of an armored vehicle, the Master Chief clutched his exposed, bloodied left shoulder and lifted his head.
Thanks to the Phase II Spartan augmentations and the life-support systems of the MJOLNIR powered exoskeleton, the gruesome wound caused by the massive tear was merely horrific in appearance.
On the ground, in the sky, and even in outer space, almost simultaneously, the deafening roar of artillery fire ceased. Looking up at the atmosphere, now completely dominated by the enormous Night Lords fleet, the Master Chief was momentarily stunned.
"Nathanael did not deceive us... The Empress, the Empire—everything he spoke of was real, not fabricated CGI."
The Master Chief had always maintained skepticism about the communication footage he had seen aboard Nathanael's ship. After all, by the 26th century, CGI fabrication, falsified communication footage, and staged films had reached a level where distinguishing truth from deception through visual inconsistencies was nearly impossible.
This was precisely why many in the Outer Colonies of the United Earth Government (U.E.G) deeply distrusted official media and believed that the Covenant, their massacres, and the war were nothing more than fabrications orchestrated by the government.
Until disaster fell upon them personally, they regarded it all as mere entertainment, a joke, a spectacle.
"John! Are you alright?" At that moment, Dr. Catherine Halsey, clad in her white lab coat, hurried over, escorted by several Spartan warriors.
"I'm fine." The Master Chief waved off concerns but kept his head lifted, his gaze locked onto the sky. "Doctor, why are you here? It's not safe."
"The base's communication systems have completely failed. Soldiers can't find their officers, commanders can't issue orders, and the central command is in complete chaos. Under these circumstances, I choose to stay with my children..."
As Halsey approached the Master Chief, she noticed something strange—the towering, heavily armored Astartes warriors around them had all taken a knee.
Her expression suddenly changed as she followed their gaze through the collapsed dome of the fortress.
The sky... No, the entire planetary system seemed to have been torn open, an unimaginably vast cosmic energy disturbance pouring a crimson-purple flood into the system, disrupting the magnetic fields between celestial bodies and piercing through the barriers of space and dimension.
From above, those massive warships distorted the sky itself. The heavens shimmered with shifting hues, casting an ethereal glow that defied reality, pushing the limits of imagination.
Twisted blotches and lines appeared across Reach's surface, fluctuating unpredictably within the eerie crimson radiance.
At that moment, the warriors of the Empire felt as if they had returned home, as if they had arrived in the flourishing and magnificent Honkai Dimension. It was a strange sensation—the exhaustion in their bodies was instantly swept away, their movements became lighter and swifter, and they felt relaxed, comfortable, and completely in their element.
In contrast, the U.N.S.C forces experienced immense pressure, as if they were drowning in the depths of the ocean, struggling to breathe. The Covenant's Brutes and Jackal troops felt it even more intensely.
Dr. Halsey's body trembled slightly. Just moments ago, everything had seemed normal, yet within a few breaths, the world had drastically changed. It no longer felt suitable for their existence—it was as if the planet, the universe itself, was rejecting them.
"What is that…?"
Millions of kilometers away, a crimson "star" suddenly appeared, its glow far outshining the Eridanus II and Tianyuan IV stars, making it seem as though it were right before their eyes.
It was an unimaginably massive "star." From the perspective of those on Reach, looking up at the sky, it appeared to be an eternal flame, radiating infinite light and heat—an endless, lifeless, and frigid Blood Sun.
On its surface, raging golden flames surged, bright golden lines intersecting as a diamond-shaped radiance rotated, contracting as if focusing like a camera lens.
"That's… a biological presence?"
Halsey's sapphire-blue eyes constricted as she murmured in disbelief.
What was this? Had she seen it incorrectly? Or was she too exhausted? She had just detected a distinct biological presence from what was supposed to be a celestial body.
The next moment—
"Welcome, Your Majesty!"
Boom! Boom!
Halsey saw the kneeling warriors of the Night Lords strike their armored chests in unison, raising their fists to their hearts as they fervently shouted:
"Long live the Empire!"
In an instant, deafening chants erupted from all landing zones, merging into a single, overwhelming roar, as if the heavens and earth themselves were responding. The deafening engines of warships were drowned out, and the U.N.S.C soldiers stood dumbfounded at the spectacle before them.
The towering Titans halted. The piercing lances of light fell silent. The terrifying giants descending from the skies stopped moving, all bowing low to the ground!
"What in the world is that? Is it the god of the Covenant…?"
As the "Blood Sun" shifted, everyone suddenly realized—this was no star at all.
It was an eye.
The vast sea of stars quivered. Two massive, crimson cores accompanied a face seemingly formed by constellations—a human face!
Though the face was only a rough outline formed by celestial bodies, in the eyes of those gazing upon it, as if a cosmic filter had been applied, the entire world fell silent.
"The Empress… The Empire…" Halsey exhaled softly. "I see now."
Even the Master Chief ceased his actions. This… was nothing like what he had imagined the Empress to be.
...
"Not too late."
Beyond the starry void, Selene observed the three-way battle in Reach's near-orbit and made her judgment.
Focusing her gaze, Selene could see Reach—the former pride of the United Nations Space Command, home to cities like Manassas, Quezon, and Ezhtergom.
These cities, painstakingly engineered at great human cost, stood tall with their grand skyscrapers and bustling streets, rivaling any international metropolis on Earth.
Yet now, with just a single encounter, the Night Lords had shattered the heavily fortified orbital defense network that had cost a fortune to build and maintain. The once-thriving cities were now covered in rubble—abandoned vehicles and scattered belongings littered the streets, painting a picture of heart-wrenching devastation.
"Island-hopping strategy combined with decapitation tactics—if we had arrived just a little later, Koz might have already reached Earth."
The strategy employed by Konrad Curze was essentially a modified combination of island-hopping and decapitation tactics.
First, using the reconnaissance unit's signal beacons, they executed a decapitation strike, striking down Reach, locking down space-time, and crippling U.N.S.C.'s command system.
Then, simultaneously with the main fleet under Konrad Curze, multiple other sub-fleets, following star charts obtained from human Outer Colonies' government, bypassed unimportant resource planets, inhabited worlds, and small military planets, targeting only the key transport and logistics hubs.
The loss of Reach, combined with key Inner Colony strongholds coming under attack, would undoubtedly cause chaos. Even if Earth's Unified Earth Government (UEG) suspected a conspiracy, Inner Colonies weren't just some backwater Outer Colonies—they were critical hubs!
With the flaws of a parliamentary system, the ruling party wouldn't dare even hint at abandoning the Inner Colonies. If they did, the opposition would immediately launch an impeachment, throwing everything into turmoil, forcing them to act.
And once they acted, U.N.S.C.'s reinforcements sent to the Inner Colonies would clash directly with the Midnight Lords' sub-fleets. Even if not annihilated outright, they would undoubtedly be held up.
Meanwhile, any reinforcements sent to investigate the situation at Reach would walk right into the main fleet's trap under Konrad Curze. Additionally, dispatching multiple reinforcement fleets would further stretch Earth's already limited naval forces.
With Earth's defenses spread thin, Konrad Curze could then execute a direct strike—another decapitation attempt—making it highly probable that Earth could be conquered in a short period.
"The plan is solid, but it would only foster deeply ingrained blood feuds. The only options then would be to either wipe them all out and replace them with a new population or for me to personally intervene and impose large-scale mind control… but that would stray too far from my original vision."
This was a 26th-century interstellar civilization. What Selene wanted was a dynamic, high-tech civilization capable of large-scale, stable contributions—not just in industry, but also agriculture, research, tourism, and recruitment.
She did not want a lifeless, cannon-fodder world.
"And the level of force applied now—this is just right."
Selene shifted her gaze.
This was a trench in Manassas, the capital city of Reach. It was also a hastily constructed defensive fortification. Using pits and cover for advantage, a group of dust- and blood-covered U.N.S.C. soldiers in exoskeleton armor were desperately holding their ground against the invading forces of the Midnight Lords' airborne troops.
The trench was littered with corpses, severed limbs, and wrecked armored tanks. The soil had been torn up layer after layer and was now stained a deep red-brown from the bloodshed. Despite the overwhelming disparity in strength, these U.N.S.C. soldiers still stood firm, eyes resolute.
They didn't understand why the heavily armored giants, the supposed "insurgent forces" (comprising auxiliary and vassal troops), had suddenly halted their advance. But regardless, they seized the moment to reinforce their trench defenses as quickly as possible.
"Even if there are countless traitors, humanity is never short of warriors."
Selene thought of those Outer Colony defectors who had collaborated with the Covenant, betraying humanity's homeworld coordinates. In stark contrast, these soldiers, standing their ground to the last, appeared all the more heroic.
"Such warriors should belong to me."
And so, amidst the tense bodies of these U.N.S.C. troops—
The battle had only just begun. The damage caused by Konrad Curze's Midnight Lords to Reach was not yet severe, and at the same time, the conventional deterrence objective had already been achieved.
"701,143,687 people."
This was the number of humans Selene sensed on Reach.
"Slightly fewer than the recorded data."
To Selene, the United Nations Space Command's cybersecurity firewall was thinner than paper. It was easy to find out that before the battle, the population of Reach was approximately 703 million, considering the usual military fluctuations.
While U.N.S.C casualties were inevitable, war was not a dinner party. To put it bluntly, the number of dead so far was insignificant. As long as the vast majority survived, that was enough.
Now that conventional military deterrence had been achieved by the Night Lords, it was time for Selene to demonstrate supernatural-level and apocalyptic-level death intimidation.
Just as she was about to stretch out her hand to make a grand gesture, she suddenly sensed a certain madness emanating from the Covenant fleet.
"Truth? A San'Shyuum."
As she spoke, the gibbering, devotional murmurs of the 'ostriches' were plucked directly from their minds:
"You are the Creator of the Universe, the Destroyer of Worlds, the Giver of Life, the Master of Ascension, the Granter of Immortality!
"Your humble servant has followed Your divine will for eternity! O Great One, have mercy upon Your pitiful lamb!"
Within those words, Selene felt joy and fanaticism, but she also felt fear and trepidation. No need to guess—they had mistaken her identity.
Did the Forerunners ever have someone as massive as her?
And what was the point of their prayers? The Forerunners had designated humanity as their chosen inheritors, not the San'Shyuum. If the Forerunners returned from the grave, they might not outright eradicate these liars, but they certainly wouldn't look kindly upon them.
Selene had every reason to suspect—how had the San'Shyuum even managed to partially decipher and utilize Forerunner technology?
Answer: It was a test set by the Forerunners for humanity.
Doesn't this seem familiar? The relationship between the Precursors, Forerunners, and Ancient Humans—now repeating between the Forerunners, the Covenant, and modern humans. The same old tricks.
Selene had spotted the flaw, and without hesitation, she cut off the ostriches' maddening chanting. She had no interest in listening further.
"Covenant ships could be useful for research... they're my property now. It would be a shame to wipe them out entirely."
Then, she sensed something in the lower decks of the Covenant ships.
"Sangheili? Their life signs are weak... an internal struggle? Oh... so this is Truth's Great Schism."
With that thought, Selene activated her power.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Inside the bridge control center of the flagship Solemn Penance, the Prophet of Truth had been mid-prayer when his vision blurred. Upon regaining focus, he found himself floating in the infinite void of space.
Surrounding him were not only his fellow San'Shyuum and their Jiralhanae enforcers but also a swarm of Drones, Jackals, Grunts—and even the disarmed and imprisoned Sangheili that he had personally ordered purged from the lower decks.
There was no atmosphere, no solid ground beneath them. The vacuum of space should have been their death sentence, yet all of them—millions upon millions—remained completely intact, still breathing.
Before they could react to their terrifying predicament, a cold female voice rang out, pressing their heads to the ground in submission:
"Let me count... eighty million... ninety million... just short of a hundred million. Conrad Curze really went all out. This will do."
"Now, as for the humans... since we're all here, let's hold a meeting."
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!
"Where is this...?"
After a dizzying sensation, Catherine Halsey blinked in confusion as she opened her eyes. Her gaze swept across her surroundings. In the far distance, she could see the vastness of space, the Covenant fleet, the Imperium's twin-headed eagle-emblazoned ships, and Reach itself...
Wait!
Halsey's eyes widened in shock. She looked down at her feet.
Below her was the merciless, endless void.
"Is this outer space?!" Stretching out her hand, Halsey pinched her own arm and applied force. "Hiss... There's pain, this isn't an illusion, this is really outer space! How is this possible..."
"Doctor." A deep voice called her back from her thoughts.
"John... is everyone okay?" Turning her head, Halsey saw 117—John—and the children she had created.
Besides the members of the Spartan Operations Division, she also saw fleet command staff, trench-defending soldiers from the city, UNSC Navy crew members, and orbital defense platform officers... an endless sea of people stretched as far as her eyes could see.
Everyone had been pulled into space!
Suddenly—
"It's those damn bastards from the Covenant!"
"Really! Brutes! And Grunts, Jackals too!"
"Kill them! Avenge our fallen comrades! If we die, we're taking them with us!"
Instantly, the crowd erupted in fury. Following the voices, Halsey looked and indeed saw Covenant aliens—especially those rarely seen in ordinary battles—the San'Shyuum "Prophet" species.
There were quite a few of them here, making them particularly eye-catching.
"Roar—! Shut up, you feeble insects! I will snap your bones one by one and grind you into meat paste!"
"Heretics! Humans! Standing alongside you defiles our sacred pilgrimage!"
If nothing else, the Brutes could never tolerate such provocation. Their infamous tempers flared instantly. They roared and, if not for the strange purple-red force field restraining them, would have already lunged at their enemies.
"Noisy."
With just one word, uttered with clear irritation, Selene silenced the entire assembly.
At that moment, everyone raised their heads, staring blankly at the cosmic giant showing an unexpectedly human-like expression of annoyance.
Yes, this was exactly Selene's intent—to hold the sun and moon in her hands, to grasp the cosmos in her palm, and to convene a gathering of billions in the void of space.
Such overwhelming power, now etched into their very souls, was the true meaning of deterrence.
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