Like the descent of an abyss, an overwhelming pressure instantly enveloped the entire starry sky. A force unlike anything Halsey had ever experienced spread out from the heavens, blanketing the cosmic sea.
At this moment, she couldn't quite describe what she was feeling.
She only felt as if a gigantic shadow had suddenly loomed over her.
It was as though she had been completely stripped bare—her body, her memories, even her very soul, all laid out for someone to scrutinize at will. She could feel every cell in her body weighed down by an immense force, her limbs frozen in the icy grip of fear. And yet, she was powerless, unable to resist, able only to endure.
It was impossible to describe. The entire surrounding space-time seemed to have collapsed in an instant!
By all scientific logic, under such gravitational pressure, the human body should have collapsed instantly. But strangely enough, their bodies remained unharmed—unable to move, unable to kneel, but still intact.
"Humans, you are not yet my subjects. You need not kneel."
Unlike the humans, "As for you all..." On the other side of the purple-red celestial barrier.
Under Selene's gaze, Prophet of Truth himself hadn't even realized it yet, but his instincts had already forced him into submission.
By the time he became aware of it, he found himself already bowing his head to the ground.
Instantly, all the forcibly transported alien species of the Covenant—perhaps unable to resist the overwhelming reverence in their hearts, or perhaps due to the deliberate pressure imposed upon them—fell to their knees in unison, striking the ground with heavy, resolute force.
Especially the Brutes, Jackals, and the San'Shyuum (Prophets), who were utterly crushed, lying prostrate on the ground.
Cold sweat poured uncontrollably from Prophet of Truth's forehead, even though his species had significantly degenerated sweat glands. Trembling all over, he mustered every ounce of courage and, with immense effort, raised his head slightly to stammer, "Y-Your... Your Eminence, greetings..."
"I am well."
It was easy to sense the immense devotion Prophet of Truth, the San'Shyuum, and the Brutes had toward her. However, Selene knew that this faith was not directed at her personally, but at the Forerunners, at all ascended civilizations, or at any entity capable of attaining divinity.
To be honest, if Selene so desired, it would not be difficult to subjugate these religiously fervent "ostrich" deceivers. However, she had little interest in the San'Shyuum.
Moreover, humans—specifically, the Unified Earth Government (UEG) and the Covenant—shared a deep and bitter hatred.
To dissolve this animosity or at least provide an outlet for it, the San'Shyuum were the perfect sacrificial pawn.
Selene's primary goal was humanity. She had no intention of making the foolish mistake of trading a great prize for a trivial gain.
"But you all do not seem well," Selene said with a faint smile.
With her will alone, the colossal visage formed by the intricacies of countless celestial bodies adopted an almost human expression.
"The first order of business for my arrival..."
Out of habitual formality, Selene casually answered Prophet of Truth's greeting with the reason for her presence: "...is to deal with you transgressing aliens."
"Even if you have built a false holy city upon a foundation of lies to bolster your own authority and embarked on your so-called 'Great Journey,' the truth will not change."
Though she said this, Selene didn't actually believe it. The truth could be changed—so long as one was stronger than the Forerunners. Rewriting history was as simple as turning a hand.
Selene understood the mindset of the San'Shyuum. If she had discovered her own homeworld littered with the ruins of the Forerunners, she might have assumed herself to be their chosen successor as well.
The biggest difference would be that, upon discovering humanity as the rightful inheritors, the handling of the situation would vary based on actual circumstances.
A lie told a thousand times becomes the truth, but the San'Shyuum clearly lacked the strength to tell it a thousand times.
"Wouldn't you agree, San'Shyuum Prophets born of Janjur Qom? You should be well aware that the inheritors were never you."
As Selene's words fell, an uproar erupted within the ranks of the Covenant's multi-species coalition. A tremendous wave of fear and reverence instantly filled the heart of the Prophet of Truth.
"No, no, no, no, Your Eminence, it's not like that, your humble servant merely..."
"Too late."
With creatures like you, even if you wanted to be my dog, I'd find you repulsive.
Following Selene's intent, the colossal celestial hand sculpted from the starry river snapped its fingers.
Snap!
A deafening roar shattered the surrounding void, an unbearable noise forcefully poured into the ears of all present, compelling them to open their mouths in agony and cry out!
Blood began to trickle from many people's ears and eyes due to the sheer force of the sound.
But the physical pain was nothing compared to the psychological devastation of what their eyes beheld.
The Prophet of Truth's ancient yet smooth upper body, along with his grotesque elongated neck and head, suddenly vanished!
No explosion, no fire, no bloodshed—his entire upper body simply evaporated into mist.
To the average observer, it appeared abrupt, but to the enhanced vision of superhuman warriors like the Master Chief, every detail unfolded in slow motion.
They saw the Prophet of Truth's body dissolving from the inside out, as though he was melting from within, his flamboyant headdress and golden back adornments disintegrating into nothingness.
Skin, muscle, bone—everything liquefied into gas particles.
Under the horrified gazes of humanity, it wasn't just the Prophet of Truth. The ranks of the Covenant—Jackals, Brutes, Hunters—all followed suit.
No matter how they shoved, cursed, screamed, or begged... nothing could stop their dissolution.
The Hunters, composed of colonies of Lekgolo worms, disassembled into individual writhing strands before vanishing.
The "Hunters" were a collective neural network of worm-like organisms absorbed into the Covenant in 784 BCE. These creatures could form any shape, but within the Covenant, they typically assumed bipedal humanoid forms, known to the UNSC as "Hunters."
"Now, it's your turn."
Selene's gaze ignored the terrified, sobbing Grunts and instead fixed on the scarred Sangheili (Elites).
Previously, while scanning the Prophet of Truth's fleet, Selene had wondered why no Sangheili warriors were present. Then, oh, there they were—locked away in cells, stripped of their weapons, guarded by Brutes in the ship's lower holds.
So, the Covenant had fractured internally after all.
But considering that this invading fleet belonged to the Prophet of Truth, Selene was no longer surprised.
(PS: In Halo lore, the Prophet of Truth was the most radical anti-Sangheili leader among the Covenant's high command. His orchestration of the betrayal against the Sangheili Councilors was entirely his doing.)
"Will you fight for me?"
To put it in simpler, less dignified terms: Do you want to be my dog?
Upon hearing Selene's blunt and direct inquiry, the Sangheili, who had fallen into despair from their shattered faith and uncertainty about the future, were momentarily stunned.
"Your Majesty, we have committed countless sins while following the San'Shyuum. Why do you not kill us?"
Among the group of four-jawed warriors scanning their surroundings in confusion, a Sangheili commander, whose figure was slimmer than his kin, clad in more ornate armor and a jewel-encrusted headpiece, managed to suppress his fear and spoke up.
"Because you have not consumed human flesh. In war, each side fights for their own, and there are always casualties. You have fought well."
There was no need to conceal this reasoning.
"...." Clearly, Selene's straightforward response caught him off guard.
"My time is precious. Answer me—yes or no?"
Although there was no overt killing intent, the Sangheili commander knew that this question determined the fate of their entire race—either extinction or survival.
After a moment of silence, the Sangheili leader finally knelt on one knee and pleaded, "Your Majesty, my people are willing to pledge allegiance to you. However..."
"Many of our warriors are scattered across the galaxy. Some are stationed in High Charity, others reside in our home system, Urs, while a portion has already followed the Prophet of Regret to the final coordinates—Earth."
"Your Majesty, I beg you to spare them as well. They, too, have been deceived by the San'Shyuum..." As he spoke, recalling his own betrayal, the Sangheili commander gritted his teeth and added, "And their despicable treachery!"
"Of course."
Selene responded gently, and with the wave of her celestial hand, she did not bring destruction this time—but renewal!
Humming with cosmic energy, warm white light enveloped the Sangheili commander, who watched in stunned silence as the scars left by the Prophet of Truth's betrayal and the Brutes' brutality healed before his eyes. His body felt lighter, rejuvenated.
Even more astonishingly, he saw his kin—those who had been mutilated, left limbless, or barely clinging to life in their cages—being rapidly restored under Selene's radiance.
"Thank you for your mercy and generosity."
"Your grace, sworn upon Sanghelios' honor, shall never be forgotten!"
This time, Selene did not exert any influence or force. The Sangheili bowed willingly, genuinely pledging their loyalty.
Not that it mattered much to her. Whether their allegiance was sincere or feigned, she had ways to ensure their obedience. If they were truthful, she'd solidify their loyalty with further indoctrination and control. If they were deceitful, well… Selene had no qualms about extracting every last drop of usefulness from their corpses.
"Return and prepare. Bring the remaining alien... no, Covenant species, and prepare for reorganization."
With a dismissive wave of her hand, Selene sent the surviving Covenant forces back to their respective ships.
At that moment—whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
From the depths of the cosmos, the master of the Night Lords, Konrad Curze, appeared. Behind him, his feet radiated an eerie blue glow, exuding a surge of entropic energy akin to a luminous afterburner, propelling him forward from the Nightfall's hull.
In mere moments, he traversed the vast expanse of the Near-Earth Orbit, reducing himself to a comet-like streak of light visible to the UNSC soldiers below.
"And now, as for you—having witnessed the spectacle, I will not force you. But the right choice..."
For the humans of the United Earth Government, Selene had nothing more to say. The goal of deterrence had been achieved. After keeping the targets she needed, the rest would be left to the Night Lords Legion to handle.
With a wave of her sleeve, after administering another round of group healing, Selene returned the more than 700 million people she had taken from Reach back to their original locations.
Many UNSC defense force soldiers felt a sudden vertigo. When they opened their eyes again, they found themselves back under a sky tinged red by the fires of war.
The only difference was that now, they all carried memories of an almost mythological experience in their minds. Every wound inflicted during the Night Lords' first wave of attacks—ranging from mere scratches to debilitating injuries—had been completely healed.
It all seemed so unreal. Even the most battle-hardened veterans found their hands trembling as they clutched their weapons.
Although it was difficult to believe, everything was clear: it was all real.
"Soldiers of the United Nations Space Command, we are human. The attack from the Covenant aliens has been utterly crushed by our forces. The Near-Earth Orbital Defense Platforms are now fully under our control. In other words, the Battle of Reach is completely won!"
"You have two choices: lay down your arms and return home, or remain on the battlefield, fighting a futile struggle, only to become the final sacrifices for your corrupt, foolish, and cowardly United Earth Government!"
"Surrender! The Empress has decreed that your past actions will not be pursued! Surrender! Only then can you safely reunite with your families...."
"You have ten minutes to decide. After that, any who resist will be executed without mercy, along with their entire units!"
At the same time, a cold, hoarse electronic voice, slow-paced and clearly enunciated, echoed across the ruins of Reach.
The sky, shrouded by the massive fleet overhead, felt unbearably oppressive. Above, the Night Lords Legion resumed its operations. From all directions, drop pods and assault craft descended like an unrelenting downpour.
Clank!
"We cannot win."
"Our resistance will only lead to death, nothing more."
"At least they're not alien scum. Surrendering to fellow humans... isn't treason."
"To gods, we are but specks of dust—annihilated with a flick of the finger..."
With the first soldier surrendering, more followed. Before long, countless UNSC troops began laying down their weapons.
Those with families on Reach chose to return home. Those without permanent ties voluntarily approached the Imperial forces, formally declaring their surrender.
"The effect is quite satisfactory...."
With that, Selene withdrew her gaze, dismissed the celestial manifestation of her divine form, and shifted her focus to the key figures standing before her.
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