Hdt
# Footfalls Beneath the Throne: The Emperor's Disposable Blades
## Chapter 1: The Summoning
The space between realms shuddered.
Thirteen distinct points of light pierced the veil between worlds—each a beacon of extraordinary power, each summoned from the furthest corners of existence by a spell so ancient it predated most universal constants.
In the heart of Thronis Eternium, the palatial super-realm at the exact gravitational and conceptual center of the Hyperversal Empire, Caelum Aurealis stood alone. His tall, imposing figure remained perfectly still as the summoning circles etched into the crystalline floor pulsed with power. His silken black hair, laced with strands of white-silver lightning, fell just below his shoulders, contrasting sharply with his immaculate platinum-white regalia.
The chamber around him—vast beyond mortal comprehension—was crafted of starlit glass and platinum flame, silent as a tomb despite the cosmic forces now being unleashed within it. Every surface reflected his perfection back at him: the broad shoulders, the narrow waist, the face so flawlessly proportioned it appeared to have been chiseled by divine hands rather than formed by mere biology.
As the thirteen circles flared to life, Caelum's gold-silver eyes, etched with fractal starbursts, narrowed slightly—the only indication of his interest in the proceedings.
"Manifest," he commanded, his deep, resonant voice reverberating not through air but through reality itself.
The circles exploded into pillars of light, each taking on a distinctive hue. As they faded, thirteen figures stood in their place—powerful, proud, and utterly bewildered.
Artoria Pendragon materialized first, her golden hair catching non-existent light, emerald eyes alert and wary. The Once and Future King stood in full battle regalia, Excalibur held ready at her side. Her regal bearing marked her instantly as a sovereign, even before one noticed the crown-like diadem upon her brow.
Beside her, Vados appeared with celestial grace, her mint-blue braid coiled elegantly over one shoulder. The angel's lavender-gray eyes assessed the situation with clinical precision, her teal and black gown flowing around her tall, slender form as if gravity were merely a suggestion rather than a law.
Kali emerged in a storm of violent energy, her multiple arms bristling with divine weapons, her indigo-blue skin glowing with barely contained rage. The goddess of destruction's silver-white hair flowed around her like moonlight, her pale light-blue eyes scanning for threats or sacrifices—to her, often the same thing.
Summer Morgan manifested with cool disdain, her platinum-blonde hair flowing to her legs, adorned with a blue ribbon and flower ornament. The fairy queen's luxurious white and gold gown shimmered with magical energy as her piercing blue eyes took in her unexpected surroundings.
Void Shiki appeared with unsettling silence, her presence creating a pocket of absolute stillness within the chaos of the summoning. Her jet-black hair framed a face of otherworldly beauty, pale violet-blue eyes gazing out with the empty depths of one who had witnessed the beginning and end of all things. Her crimson kimono seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it.
Tiamat, Mother of All Life, towered above most others, her pale-blue hair flowing like ancient rivers, violet slit eyes shimmering with primordial power. Her voluptuous form was wrapped in abyssal veils and bone-like armor, skeletal insectoid wings folded against her back, black ichor trailing behind her bare feet like amniotic mist.
Female Gilgamesh materialized with a sneer already forming on her perfect features, her golden-blonde hair cascading down her back in waves that shimmered like the treasures she so proudly claimed. Her crimson eyes blazed with immediate indignation, her golden armor gleaming as she automatically reached for weapons that would put lesser deities to shame.
Velzard appeared in a burst of frigid air, her snow-white hair rippling around her statuesque form. The Ice Dragon's sapphire eyes with their slitted pupils surveyed the chamber with cold calculation, her white dragon-scale gown rustling softly as the temperature around her dropped precipitously.
Female Reinhardt—Adelheid—manifested with warrior's poise, her crimson-red hair tied in a high ponytail, sapphire-blue eyes instantly assessing tactical options. Her white and lilac Royal Guard uniform with its gold accents marked her as nobility, while the legendary Dragon Sword Reid at her hip identified her as something far more dangerous.
Musashi Miyamoto appeared with casual grace, her silver-lavender hair partially tied with a black and red ornament. The swordswoman's cerulean-blue eyes sparkled with curiosity and battle-readiness in equal measure, her vibrant kimono-inspired battle outfit allowing for swift movement should combat prove necessary.
Amaterasu emerged in radiant glory, her rose-gold hair adorned with golden ornaments and a sun-like diadem. The sun goddess's amber-gold eyes held a knowing, superior gleam as she surveyed her surroundings, her lavish white and red robes embroidered with gold flowing around her divine form.
Quetzalcoatl materialized with exuberant energy, her golden-blonde hair curling past her waist, adorned with feathered accessories. The Mesoamerican deity's bright green eyes took in the chamber with unusual warmth for one of her station, her magnificent feathered crown and ceremonial warrior outfit marking her as both royalty and protector.
Finally, Nero Claudius appeared with dramatic flair, her golden blonde hair styled in a high bun tied with a red ribbon. The Roman Emperor's emerald eyes flashed with imperial pride as she struck a pose in her crimson and gold military-style gown, one hand already reaching for the sword at her hip.
For a moment, all thirteen stood in silence, absorbing the shock of their displacement and the sight of each other—goddesses, rulers, warriors of incalculable power suddenly gathered in one impossible space. Recognition dawned on several faces; wariness and calculation on others.
It was Nero who broke the silence, never one for restraint.
"What magnificent chamber is this? Who dares summon the Emperor of Rome from her rightful place?" Her voice rang with imperial authority, echoing through the vast hall. "Show yourself and explain this outrage!"
Female Gilgamesh scoffed. "Silence, pretender. Your tiny empire is nothing compared to mine." Her crimson eyes scanned the chamber. "Though I too demand answers. Who possesses the audacity to summon the Queen of Heroes?"
Vados raised one elegant hand, her voice smooth and controlled. "Perhaps we should first assess our situation before making demands. This is clearly no ordinary summoning spell."
"No," agreed Void Shiki quietly, her voice somehow both present and distant. "This is an ancient binding. I can feel the threads of fate being rewoven around us."
Summer Morgan's eyes narrowed as she examined the crystalline floor beneath them. "Divine craftsmanship. Whoever brought us here possesses power that rivals or exceeds our own."
Artoria had remained silent, Excalibur still held ready. Now she stepped forward, her regal bearing commanding attention. "We are not alone."
All eyes turned to the figure standing silently before them—Caelum Aurealis, The Great Emperor, watching their interactions with detached interest, like a scientist observing specimens in a laboratory.
"Greetings," Artoria said formally, lowering her sword but not sheathing it. "I am Artoria Pendragon, King of Britain. May I ask who addresses us and for what purpose we have been summoned?"
Caelum did not immediately respond. His gold-silver eyes moved from one figure to the next, assessing, judging, dismissing. Many of the women felt an instinctive urge to kneel before him—a sensation that both confused and infuriated them, as beings who themselves were worshipped across countless worlds.
"Too proud," he finally said, his voice carrying neither echo nor emphasis, yet somehow filling the entire chamber. "Too loud." His gaze swept over them with scientific detachment. "Too sentimental."
Kali's multiple arms tensed, divine weapons gleaming. "You dare speak to us with such disrespect? Do you know what I could do to you with a thought?"
Caelum's expression didn't change. With a casual gesture that seemed almost lazy, he silenced her—not by removing her voice, but by making the concept of her threat cease to exist before it could fully form. Kali's eyes widened in shock as she felt her divine power constrained in ways she had never experienced.
"You were summoned for your power," Caelum continued as if there had been no interruption, "not your pride, your poetry, or your pedigree."
He stepped forward, and space bent around him, bringing him instantly before them without the indignity of walking. The air in the chamber grew heavier, pressing down upon all thirteen women like an invisible weight.
"Women," he continued, the word itself carrying an unmistakable note of dismissal that made even Amaterasu's divine radiance flicker momentarily. "Lower your voices when you speak to me. Get behind me so I can protect you, and you are no longer allowed to draw blood."
The reaction was immediate and visceral.
Musashi barked a laugh of disbelief. "Protect us? I've cut down gods and demons. What makes you think—"
Her words died as Caelum's gaze fell upon her. Not through any spell or power, but through the sheer force of his presence—an absolute authority that made reality itself bend to accommodate his expectations.
"Power should be silent," Caelum stated, circling them slowly. "Grace should not ask for applause." His eyes lingered on Nero's elaborate crimson attire with particular distaste. "If you must be seen... then you have already failed."
Tiamat's wings flared in instinctive defiance—one did not command a primordial goddess of creation. Yet the moment her wings extended fully, they crumbled into ash, reforming instantly but now folded tightly against her back. Her violet eyes widened in shock and ancient rage.
"What are you?" she demanded, her voice a harmony of creation and destruction.
"I am Caelum Aurealis," he replied, not with pride but with the simple certainty of stating a fundamental truth. "The Great Emperor. The Sovereign Beyond Judgment. The Flame of Final Order." He paused, then added with cold precision: "He Who Cannot Kneel."
Velzard's icy composure remained intact even as frost formed at her feet. "And what do you want from us, Emperor Beyond Judgment? Why summon beings of our caliber if you find us so... disappointing?"
A flicker of something—perhaps approval at her direct question, perhaps amusement at her audacity—crossed Caelum's perfect features before vanishing.
"The Hyperversal Empire is perfection incarnate," he explained, each word measured and exact. "Billions of realities unified under one sovereign's will. It stretches beyond tiers, beyond logic, beyond even narrative."
He gestured, and the chamber around them transformed, walls becoming transparent to reveal a vista of impossible grandeur—layer upon layer of reality stacked in perfect harmony, stretching to infinity in all directions.
"Yet at the edges of the empire, in the furthest universe of the furthest multiverse, horrors stir." His voice hardened slightly. "Anomalies that resist standardization. Chaos that defies order."
"And you need us to fight these... horrors?" Artoria asked, her tactical mind already assessing the situation.
"No," Caelum replied flatly. "I need weapons. You will serve."
Female Gilgamesh laughed, the sound dripping with aristocratic disdain. "I am the Queen of Heroes, owner of all treasures. I do not serve anyone, let alone a man who—"
Caelum didn't even look at her. With a negligent wave of his hand, her golden armor dissolved, replaced by a drab gray jumpsuit. The shock on her face was almost comical.
"You may kneel," Caelum said to all of them, "or be recycled into dust."
One by one, their divine regalia, their mystic codes, their hallowed weapons—all faded, replaced by identical gray mesh jumpsuits with numerical designations where names should be. Only subtle color-coding at the collar distinguished one from another.
Artoria found Excalibur replaced by a massive pylon cannon, far heavier than her sacred sword had ever been. Vados's staff vanished, leaving her hands empty for perhaps the first time in her celestial existence. Kali's multiple arms remained, but her weapons had disappeared, her destructive energy contained within an invisible barrier around her body.
Summer Morgan's elegant gown became a field medic's uniform, complete with oversized pockets filled with crude supplies. Void Shiki's kimono was replaced by industrial-grade protective gear, thick gloves encasing her delicate hands. Tiamat's veils and bone armor gave way to a reinforced mesh that somehow still contained her massive wings.
Female Gilgamesh stared in horror at the mundane shovel that had materialized in her hands. Velzard found herself bound in glacial chains that suppressed her aura while maintaining her connection to ice. Female Reinhardt's royal uniform became training gear designed to record and repeat death scenarios.
Musashi looked down in disbelief at her bare feet, her swords nowhere to be seen. Amaterasu's divine radiance was dampened to mere utilitarian illumination, her elaborate robes replaced by a light-generating harness. Quetzalcoatl found herself burdened with heavy supply crates, while Nero's voice emerged as electronic static when she tried to protest.
"This is outrageous!" Nero's modulated voice proclaimed, the electronic distortion making her imperial indignation almost comical. "I am the Emperor of—"
"Unit Thirteen will serve as sonic disruption," Caelum interrupted, his tone suggesting he was reciting items from a grocery list. "Your tendency toward unnecessary verbalization will finally serve a purpose."
"Unit Thirteen?" Nero sputtered, her voice oscillating between frequencies. "I have a name! I am—"
"Names are inefficient," Caelum cut her off. "Numbers are precise."
One by one, he assigned them roles based on their numerical designations, each more humiliating than the last.
"Unit One," he said to Artoria, "will serve as heavy artillery support."
"Unit Two," to Vados, "will scan terrain grids and analyze tactical patterns."
"Unit Three," to Kali, "will function as controlled demolition, to be detonated at imperial discretion."
"Unit Four," to Summer Morgan, "will serve as forward field medic."
"Unit Five," to Void Shiki, "will clean death pits after extermination runs."
"Unit Six," to Tiamat, "will function as biological shield, with wings to be burned and regrown as necessary."
"Unit Seven," to Female Gilgamesh, "will dig trenches and construct defensive fortifications."
"Unit Eight," to Velzard, "will maintain temperature control in extreme environments."
"Unit Nine," to Female Reinhardt, "will serve as simulation casualty for training purposes."
"Unit Ten," to Musashi, "will run endurance drills to establish baseline human limitations."
"Unit Eleven," to Amaterasu, "will provide battlefield illumination in darkness zones."
"Unit Twelve," to Quetzalcoatl, "will transport supplies across difficult terrain."
With each designation, the atmosphere in the chamber grew heavier with barely contained fury and disbelief. These were beings who had been worshipped, feared, beloved across multiverses—now reduced to numbered utilities with mundane functions.
Artoria, struggling with the weight of the pylon cannon, stepped forward. Her royal dignity remained intact despite the gray jumpsuit and numerical designation. "Great Emperor, while we acknowledge your... considerable power, perhaps there has been a misunderstanding. We are not tools to be used and discarded. We are—"
"Where you come from, you are strong," Caelum interrupted, his voice devoid of emotion. "Here, even your full power is below average. Here, you are just women that serve."
With that pronouncement, he turned and began to walk away, each step carrying him impossible distances as reality compressed around him.
"Report to Training Field Alpha in ten minutes," his voice lingered though his form had already disappeared. "Further resistance will result in immediate recycling."
The chamber fell silent as the thirteen processed what had just happened. They stood together yet isolated in their shock, former deities and champions now clad in ill-fitting gray mesh with numbers rather than names.
"This is..." Quetzalcoatl began, adjusting the heavy crates on her shoulders.
"Impossible," finished Velzard, ice crystals forming and melting around her bound hands.
"And yet," Void Shiki observed quietly, examining her industrial gloves, "here we are."
Female Gilgamesh stared at her shovel with undisguised revulsion. "I refuse to accept this. I am the Queen of Heroes, not some common laborer!"
"Did you miss the part where he turned your divine armor into this jumpsuit with a wave of his hand?" Summer Morgan asked dryly, examining the crude medical supplies in her pockets. "Whatever this 'Caelum' is, he clearly operates on a level beyond our current capabilities."
Kali's contained rage pulsed visibly around her like a dark aura. "No one constrains the goddess of destruction. No one."
"And yet," Vados pointed out with clinical precision, "he just did. Quite effectively, I might add."
Artoria set down the unwieldy cannon, her tactical mind already analyzing options. "We need more information before we can act. What is this Hyperversal Empire? What are these 'horrors' he mentioned? And most importantly, what exactly is Caelum Aurealis?"
"He's a man," Musashi said, looking down at her bare feet with a mixture of annoyance and curiosity. "A very powerful man, but still a man. And men can be—"
"Be careful," Amaterasu cautioned, her voice unusually subdued as her dampened radiance flickered. "He is not merely a man. I have existed since the dawn of creation, yet I have never felt power like his. It's as if... as if he exists on a different conceptual level entirely."
Tiamat nodded slowly, her ancient eyes troubled. "He smells of ending and beginning simultaneously. Of perfect order imposed upon chaos." She flexed her wings slightly against their new constraints. "Even I, Mother of All Life, cannot fully comprehend what he is."
"Well, I comprehend that we have eight minutes to report to this 'Training Field Alpha,'" Female Reinhardt observed practically. "And while I have no intention of remaining anyone's 'simulation casualty' for long, I suggest we comply for now while we gather intelligence."
"Comply?" Nero's electronic voice warbled indignantly. "I am an Emperor! I do not comply with the orders of—"
"Yes, yes, we're all very important where we come from," Summer Morgan interrupted with aristocratic impatience. "But as our charming host pointed out, we're not where we come from anymore, are we?"
A heavy silence fell as the reality of their situation sank in. Thirteen women of immense power, summoned across dimensions, stripped of their regalia and identities, and assigned menial functions in the service of an empire they knew nothing about.
"We go to this training field," Artoria finally decided, hefting the cannon once more. "We observe. We learn. And then we decide our next move together."
Void Shiki's pale eyes seemed to look beyond the physical realm as she nodded in agreement. "Yes. The threads of fate are still forming around us. Nothing is fixed yet."
"Seven minutes," Vados reminded them calmly.
One by one, they gathered their assigned equipment and moved toward the chamber's exit, footfalls echoing on the crystalline floor—no longer sovereign steps, but the measured tread of conscripts marching to an uncertain fate.
None of them noticed the slight shimmer in the air above where they had stood—Caelum's consciousness, observing their reactions with detached interest, like a gardener assessing new seedlings for potential cultivation.
"Interesting," his thought echoed in the empty chamber. "They adapt more quickly than expected. Perhaps this experiment will yield more useful data than anticipated."
The shimmer faded, leaving only the silent, perfect symmetry of the imperial throne room—and thirteen sets of footprints leading away into service.
## Chapter 2: Training Field Alpha
Training Field Alpha defied conventional description. To some of the thirteen, it appeared as a vast plain stretching to a horizon that curved unnaturally upward. To others, it seemed more like a self-contained pocket dimension where space folded back on itself in impossible geometries. The "sky" above—if such a mundane term could apply—shifted between states of matter, sometimes gaseous, sometimes liquid, occasionally solid with cracks of pure energy running through it like lightning.
The thirteen women, still adjusting to their gray jumpsuits and numerical designations, assembled in the center of the field as directed. Their footsteps made no sound on the surface beneath them, which seemed to absorb all impact rather than reflect it.
"What is this place?" Musashi asked, her bare feet seemingly unbothered by the strange surface. "It feels... responsive."
"It's a quantum training environment," Vados observed, her analytical mind quickly processing the unusual physics around them. "The field reconfigures based on specific parameters—likely to simulate various combat scenarios."
Female Gilgamesh snorted, still clutching her shovel with obvious distaste. "How fascinating. Am I expected to dig trenches in quantum soil? Perhaps I should request a quantum shovel to match."
"Your sarcasm is unlikely to improve our situation," Velzard remarked coolly, the glacial chains around her wrists tinkling softly as she moved.
Before Gilgamesh could retort, a figure materialized before them—not Caelum himself, but clearly one of his proxies. It had the appearance of a perfect humanoid, its features so symmetrical they appeared artificial, its gender impossible to determine.
"Standardization Corps Alpha-13, attention," the proxy announced, its voice carrying the same perfect neutrality as Caelum's, though lacking his underlying authority.
The thirteen exchanged glances, some defiant, others calculating. None of them moved to stand at attention.
"I said, attention," the proxy repeated, its tone unchanged.
Suddenly, their bodies were rearranged into perfect formation—not forced, but simply adjusted, as if reality had decided their casual postures were errors to be corrected. The sensation was profoundly unsettling, more so than any conventional compulsion magic would have been.
"That's... disturbing," Summer Morgan whispered, finding herself unable to break from the perfect stance she now held.
"Today's training will establish baseline operational parameters for each unit," the proxy continued. "You will demonstrate your capabilities within your assigned functions. Exemplary performance will be recognized. Substandard performance will be corrected."
The proxy gestured, and thirteen glowing circles appeared on the ground, one before each woman.
"Unit One, step forward."
Artoria, her royal bearing intact despite everything, moved to the circle before her, the heavy pylon cannon balanced awkwardly on her shoulder.
"Demonstrate artillery function," the proxy commanded.
Artoria examined the unwieldy weapon. "I am unfamiliar with this technology. How does it—"
"Irrelevant," the proxy interrupted. "Demonstrate function now."
Artoria's brow furrowed as she attempted to aim the cannon at a target that had materialized in the distance. The weapon was clearly designed for someone much larger than her human frame, making proper handling nearly impossible. Nevertheless, she braced herself and activated what appeared to be the trigger mechanism.
The resulting energy discharge was powerful but wildly inaccurate, missing the target by a significant margin and dissipating harmlessly into the strange sky.
"Substandard," the proxy noted without emotion. "Correction required."
A pulse of energy surrounded Artoria, and suddenly the cannon seemed to shrink slightly, conforming better to her proportions. Not enough to make it comfortable, but enough to make it manageable.
"Imperial equipment adapts to optimize efficiency," the proxy explained. "Continued use will result in further calibration. Try again."
Artoria, surprised by the modification but quick to adapt, adjusted her stance and fired again. This time, the energy blast struck closer to the target's center.
"Acceptable," the proxy noted. "Return to formation."
One by one, each woman was called forward to demonstrate her assigned function. Vados was tasked with mapping complex topographical anomalies. Kali was instructed to direct her destructive energy at specific targets, though her power remained tightly controlled by unseen constraints. Summer Morgan found herself treating simulated injuries on holographic soldiers, her healing magic replaced by crude medical techniques.
Void Shiki was presented with a pit filled with conceptual waste—the remnants of beings erased from existence—and ordered to clean it using her connection to the Root. Tiamat was positioned before a barrage of energy attacks, her wings automatically extending to shield the others despite her attempts to resist the command.
Female Gilgamesh was given a sector to excavate, her obvious disgust doing nothing to prevent her body from mechanically completing the task. Velzard was directed to freeze an unstable energy vortex, her natural affinity for ice making this at least somewhat aligned with her abilities.
Female Reinhardt found herself in a combat simulation where she was repeatedly killed in various ways, each death recorded and analyzed for training purposes—a particularly gruesome assignment that she endured with grim determination. Musashi was ordered to run laps around the perimeter of the field, her bare feet leaving glowing tracks in the strange surface.
Amaterasu was positioned in a darkened section of the field, her dampened radiance providing just enough illumination for operations to continue. Quetzalcoatl was made to transport increasingly heavy loads across difficult terrain, her divine strength reduced to merely superhuman levels. Nero found her electronic voice channeled into disruption patterns that could destabilize enemy communications or defensive systems.
Throughout it all, the proxy observed with clinical detachment, offering neither praise nor criticism beyond the occasional "Acceptable" or "Substandard" followed by equipment adjustments.
As they completed their individual assessments and returned to formation, the thirteen women were exhausted not just physically but mentally—the humiliation of being reduced to such basic functions wearing on even the most stoic among them.
"Phase one complete," the proxy announced. "Phase two will test unit coordination."
The training field shimmered and reconfigured itself into a complex battlefield scenario—a ravaged urban landscape intersected by strange energy fields and dimensional rifts.
"Standardization Corps Alpha-13 will neutralize all resistance within this simulation," the proxy instructed. "Unit One will command. Results will be evaluated."
With that, the proxy vanished, leaving the thirteen women alone in the simulated battlefield.
Artoria, naturally assuming the leadership role that matched her designation, quickly assessed the situation. "We need to understand the parameters of this 'resistance' before engaging. Vados—Unit Two—can you scan the area?"
Vados nodded, her analytical abilities functioning despite the constraints of her new role. "Multiple hostile entities detected. They appear to be... conceptual anomalies rather than conventional enemies. Forms that shouldn't exist within standardized reality."
"How do we fight concepts?" Musashi asked, looking down at her bare feet with frustration. "I don't even have a sword."
"We use what we have," Artoria decided, her tactical mind adapting to their limitations. "Each of us has been assigned a function that, while limiting, still allows access to some aspect of our true abilities. We need to coordinate these functions effectively."
She quickly organized them into a tactical formation: Tiamat and Velzard providing defensive coverage, Kali and Nero creating disruption zones, herself and Quetzalcoatl handling offensive operations, the others supporting according to their assigned capabilities.
As the simulation began in earnest, strange entities emerged from the dimensional rifts—beings composed of impossible geometries and paradoxical physics, their very existence an affront to ordered reality.
"What are these things?" Female Gilgamesh demanded, wielding her shovel like a makeshift weapon.
"Indigenous resistance," Void Shiki replied quietly, recognition in her pale eyes. "Life forms that exist outside the parameters of the Empire's standardized reality."
"And we're supposed to... what? Kill them?" Quetzalcoatl asked, her normally cheerful demeanor darkened by the implications.
"Neutralize," Vados corrected. "Which may not necessarily mean destruction. Perhaps reformation or integration is the goal."
They had little time for further discussion as the entities surged forward. The battle that followed was chaotic and strangely metaphysical—less a conventional fight and more a contest of ontological principles. The thirteen women, despite their constraints, found ways to utilize their assigned functions creatively.
Artoria discovered that her cannon could be attuned to specific conceptual frequencies, disrupting the anomalies' coherence. Vados identified pattern vulnerabilities that the others could exploit. Kali's contained rage, when precisely directed, could destabilize the entities' structural integrity.
As they fought together, something unexpected began to happen. Their gray jumpsuits, designed to suppress their true power, started to adapt—not failing, but evolving, incorporating elements of their divine natures while maintaining the imperial design. The mesh became more responsive, more aligned with their individual abilities, though still clearly marked with their numerical designations.
More surprising than the physical changes were the interpersonal ones. Women who had been strangers—or in some cases, rivals—before their summoning found themselves developing an unusual camaraderie born of shared circumstance.
"Behind you!" Musashi called to Female Gilgamesh, who spun and used her shovel to deflect an entity that had attempted to engulf her from behind.
"I suppose I should thank you," Gilgamesh grudgingly acknowledged, her aristocratic disdain momentarily set aside.
"Save it for when we're not fighting conceptual nightmares," Musashi replied with a grin, her bare feet moving with increasingly fluid grace as her jumpsuit adapted to enhance her natural agility.
Nearby, Summer Morgan and Void Shiki worked in unexpected tandem—Morgan's medical supplies proving effective at stabilizing reality fractures that Shiki's connection to the Root could then seal permanently.
"Fascinating," Morgan observed as they completed a particularly complex repair. "Your ability to interact with the Root's foundational principles complements these supplies perfectly."
"The emperor's assignments are not as random as they first appeared," Void Shiki replied thoughtfully. "There's a pattern to how our functions interact."
Across the battlefield, Tiamat and Amaterasu had formed an unlikely alliance—the primordial mother of creation and the supreme sun goddess combining their respective shielding and illumination functions to create zones of purified reality where the anomalies couldn't maintain coherence.
"Your light," Tiamat observed, her ancient voice softening slightly, "it resonates with creation's first dawn."
Amaterasu's dampened radiance brightened momentarily in acknowledgment. "And your wings shield as the primordial seas once cradled the first life."
As the battle progressed, their coordination improved dramatically. What had begun as a disparate group of resentful deities forced into humiliating roles was transforming into something approaching an actual unit—still far from willing servants, but finding unexpected effectiveness in their assigned functions.
When the last anomaly had been neutralized—some destroyed, others somehow reformed into more stable configurations—the thirteen women regrouped in the center of the now-quiet battlefield, varying degrees of surprise on their faces as they realized what they had accomplished.
"Well," Female Reinhardt said, breaking the silence, "that was... unexpected."
"Indeed," agreed Velzard, noting how her glacial chains had adapted to channel her ice powers more efficiently rather than simply constraining them. "Our assigned functions appear more nuanced than initially presented."
The proxy materialized before them once more, its perfect features betraying no emotion as it assessed their performance.
"Simulation complete. Performance assessment: satisfactory. Adaptation metrics: noteworthy. Unit cohesion: developing."
The proxy's gaze lingered on their modified jumpsuits, which now bore subtle individualized elements while maintaining imperial uniformity.
"Rest period authorized. Deployment briefing in six hours. Dismissed."
As the proxy vanished and the training field reconfigured itself into a neutral state, the thirteen women found themselves automatically transported to a new location—a spartan but functional barracks with individual sleeping compartments and a central common area.
"I suppose this is meant to be an improvement over standing in that crystal chamber," Summer Morgan observed dryly, examining the utilitarian accommodations.
"At least we're not in cages," Quetzalcoatl pointed out, her natural optimism reasserting itself slightly as she set down her supply crates with relief.
Artoria surveyed the group, noting the subtle changes in their demeanor and the physical adaptations to their assigned equipment. "We should use this rest period to better understand each other and our situation. Knowledge is our most valuable resource right now."
"Agreed," Vados said, settling gracefully onto one of the benches in the common area. "I suggest we each share relevant information about our origins and abilities. The more we understand about our collective capabilities, the better we can coordinate within these... constraints."
One by one, they introduced themselves properly—no longer just numbered units, but individuals with histories, powers, and perspectives. The process was not without tension; many were accustomed to being the supreme authority in their own realms, and the enforced equality of their current situation chafed against deeply ingrained hierarchical instincts.
"So," Female Gilgamesh summarized after they had each spoken, "we have kings, goddesses, divine spirits, and warriors—all reduced to numbered functionaries by a self-proclaimed 'perfect emperor' with reality-altering powers."
"Who happens to believe women should be silent, protected, and non-violent," Summer Morgan added with arctic sarcasm. "How charmingly archaic."
"His views on women are # Footfalls Beneath the Throne: The Emperor's Disposable Blades
## Chapter 3: Imperial Hierarchies
"His views on women are particularly galling," Kali continued, her multiple arms flexing against the containment field that surrounded her. "In my realm, the feminine divine is feared and worshipped. Here, we are... accessories."
"Not just accessories," Amaterasu observed, her dampened radiance flickering as she considered their situation. "Tools. Weapons. Disposable blades, as our charming quarters suggest."
Velzard leaned against the wall, frost forming and immediately melting wherever she touched. "I've noted something curious. Did any of you observe the imperial guards during our transit to this barracks? All female."
The others looked at her with sudden interest.
"You're right," Female Reinhardt confirmed, her tactical mind always alert. "Every soldier wore a variant of our gray mesh—more personalized, but clearly from the same design philosophy."
"And yet Caelum speaks of women as if we're delicate flowers to be sheltered," Musashi said with a snort. "Contradictory, isn't it?"
Vados tilted her head, her analytical mind working through the implications. "Perhaps not. In many hierarchical systems, the most visible protectors are not necessarily the most valued. They are, as he put it, 'disposable.'"
"So we're cannon fodder?" Female Gilgamesh asked incredulously, her crimson eyes flashing. "I, who commanded armies and built the walls of Uruk, reduced to human shield?"
"I suspect it's more complex than that," Artoria said quietly. She had been contemplating their situation while listening to the others. "Remember what he said about the horrors at the empire's edge. If this Hyperversal Empire truly spans countless multiverses as he claims, then defending its outermost boundaries would be..."
"An impossibility," Void Shiki finished for her. "No conventional army could cover such vast territory."
"Exactly. So he summons beings of power from across realities to serve as specialized units." Artoria's emerald eyes narrowed in thought. "We may be 'foot soldiers' in his reckoning, but we're still deployed for a reason."
Their discussion was interrupted by a soft chime that resonated through the barracks. A holographic display materialized in the center of the common area, showing a map of what appeared to be a sector of the empire's outer boundary.
"Deployment notification," a neutral voice announced. "Standardization Corps Alpha-13 will report to Transit Hub Seven in thirty minutes. Anomaly incursion detected in Sector 9-Lambda-4."
The display expanded to show details of the anomaly—a pulsing distortion in the fabric of reality, with strange entities emerging from within.
"Looks like we get to test our new functions in an actual combat situation," Summer Morgan observed, examining her modified medical supplies with renewed interest.
"I, for one, am eager to face a real enemy," Nero declared, her electronic voice modulation having adapted to sound almost musical rather than merely static. "Even with these limitations, I shall bring glory to Rome—and to our unit!"
Tiamat, who had been silent for most of their discussion, rose to her full height, her wings shifting restlessly beneath her modified jumpsuit. "These 'anomalies'... they feel familiar somehow. Like echoes of the chaos before creation."
"That's... concerning," Quetzalcoatl said, her usual cheerfulness dampened by Tiamat's observation. "If they're similar to primordial chaos, then what we faced in simulation was merely a shadow of the real threat."
Artoria took command naturally, organizing their preparation with efficient precision. "We'll deploy as practiced. Our equipment has adapted somewhat to our natural abilities—we should leverage those adaptations while maintaining unit cohesion."
As they prepared, collecting their assigned gear and checking the modifications that had developed during their training, Female Reinhardt approached Artoria privately.
"You've taken to this commander role quite naturally," she observed, her sapphire eyes studying the Once and Future King with professional assessment.
Artoria's lips quirked in a small smile. "I've led armies before. Though none quite as... diverse as this one."
"We're not an army," Reinhardt corrected gently. "Not yet. But perhaps a beginning of one."
"You see potential in this arrangement?" Artoria asked, surprised.
Reinhardt shrugged, her crimson ponytail swaying with the movement. "I see thirteen extraordinary women adapting to extraordinary circumstances. What that becomes... remains to be seen."
* * *
Transit Hub Seven was a massive crystalline structure that seemed to exist simultaneously in multiple dimensions. As Standardization Corps Alpha-13 assembled on the designated platform, they could see other units—similarly uniformed but with different color designations—preparing for deployment to other sectors.
All female, as Velzard had noted. All bearing the same standardized equipment adapted to their individual abilities. All wearing expressions of focused determination rather than the resentment that still simmered among the thirteen.
"They seem... accepting of their role," Musashi observed quietly, watching a nearby unit board a transit portal.
"Perhaps they have served longer," Vados suggested. "Or perhaps they were created for this purpose rather than summoned from established existences."
Before they could speculate further, a familiar figure materialized before them—not the proxy from their training, but Caelum Aurealis himself. His perfect features showed no emotion as he surveyed their modified uniforms and equipment.
"Standardization Corps Alpha-13," he acknowledged, his voice carrying that same unnerving quality of absolute authority. "Your first field deployment will test adaptability under genuine threat conditions."
Female Gilgamesh couldn't restrain herself. "And will you be joining us on this deployment, Great Emperor? Or do you merely send women to face these 'horrors' while you remain safely in your palace?"
A ripple of tension passed through the group at her audacity. Caelum's gold-silver eyes shifted to her, their fractal starbursts seeming to pulse once.
"Unit Seven questions imperial strategy," he observed, not as a reprimand but as a simple statement of fact. "Interesting."
To everyone's surprise, he didn't punish her outburst. Instead, he continued as if it were part of a planned briefing.
"The anomaly incursion in Sector 9-Lambda-4 represents an intermediate threat level. The main imperial forces are engaged with priority incursions in seventeen critical sectors. Specialized units such as yours address containable threats that would otherwise divert resources from primary defense zones."
His explanation was delivered without defensiveness—merely efficient information distribution. Before anyone could respond, he gestured and a detailed holographic display of their target sector appeared.
"The anomalies manifest as reality distortions with semi-sentient properties," he continued. "They consume standardized matter and convert it to chaotic forms incompatible with imperial stability."
"You mean they eat your perfect empire and turn it into something you can't control," Summer Morgan translated, her aristocratic tone carrying a hint of amusement.
Again, Caelum didn't react to the provocation. "Correct, Unit Four. Your comprehension is adequate."
He expanded the display, highlighting a central structure within the distortion field. "The anomaly cluster is anchored to a dimensional fault originating from outside imperial boundaries. Your objective is to seal the fault and standardize any remaining anomalies."
"Standardize?" Quetzalcoatl asked, adjusting the supply crates she would be carrying. "Not destroy?"
"Destruction is inefficient," Caelum replied. "All matter and energy can be repurposed to serve imperial design."
"How... pragmatic," Void Shiki murmured, something like reluctant respect in her pale eyes.
Caelum continued the briefing, detailing their approach vector, expected resistance, and extraction protocols. Throughout, his manner remained clinically detached, as if discussing an academic exercise rather than a potentially dangerous mission.
As he concluded, Artoria stepped forward with the authority of her Unit One designation. "Will we have communication links to imperial command during deployment?"
"Unnecessary," Caelum replied. "Unit One will command in the field. Imperial observation will be passive unless intervention becomes necessary."
"And what would necessitate intervention?" Artoria pressed.
For the first time, something like approval flickered across Caelum's perfect features—there and gone so quickly it might have been imagined.
"Unit failure or unauthorized deviation from mission parameters would trigger imperial response." He paused, then added, "Additionally, anomaly escalation beyond your collective capability would prompt direct engagement."
"By you?" Kali asked, her multiple arms flexing within their containment field.
"If necessary."
With that simple statement, he gestured toward the transit portal, which flared to life with swirling energy. "Deployment commences. Serve the empire with efficiency."
As the thirteen approached the portal, Caelum remained where he stood, observing their movements with that same detached interest. Just before they entered the transit field, he spoke once more.
"Units."
They paused, turning to face him with varying degrees of reluctance and curiosity.
"Your adaptations are noted and approved. Continue to optimize your function within imperial parameters."
Coming from Caelum, this was practically effusive praise. Several of the women exchanged surprised glances before Artoria nodded acknowledgment.
"We will serve effectively, Emperor."
As they stepped through the portal one by one, Nero—Unit Thirteen—lingered momentarily, her emerald eyes meeting Caelum's gold-silver gaze with imperial challenge.
"We were rulers and gods before we were units," her electronic voice modulated. "Remember that, Emperor Beyond Judgment."
Unexpectedly, Caelum inclined his head slightly—not quite a nod, but an acknowledgment of sorts.
"I selected you for what you were, Unit Thirteen. Prove your designation was not... misassigned."
It was the closest thing to personal recognition any of them had received from him. Nero's eyes widened slightly before she stepped through the portal, leaving Caelum alone in the transit hub.
He remained motionless for several moments after they had departed, his perfect features betraying nothing of his thoughts. Finally, he spoke to the empty air—or perhaps to the empire itself.
"Deployment of alpha variant proceeding with higher adaptation metrics than standard units. Monitoring will continue."
With that, he simply ceased to be present, reality smoothly closing around the space he had occupied as if he had never been there at all.
## Chapter 4: First Blood
Sector 9-Lambda-4 had once been a perfectly standardized imperial outpost—a small, self-contained reality housing a research station focused on dimensional boundary integrity. Now it resembled a surrealist nightmare, with buildings twisted into impossible shapes, gravity functioning in contradictory directions, and the very air shimmering with discordant energy patterns.
Standardization Corps Alpha-13 materialized at the designated insertion point—a reinforced platform that still maintained imperial structural integrity despite the chaos encroaching from all sides. The transition through the portal had been disorienting, leaving several of them momentarily unsteady.
"That was... unpleasant," Female Gilgamesh muttered, gripping her modified shovel with white-knuckled hands.
"Transit between dimensional planes without proper shielding is always taxing," Vados noted, recovering more quickly than most due to her celestial nature. She immediately began scanning the surrounding area, her eyes picking up data patterns invisible to the others.
Artoria took command swiftly, organizing their defensive perimeter while assessing the situation. "Status report. Is everyone functional?"
A chorus of affirmations followed, though Tiamat seemed particularly disturbed by their surroundings, her ancient eyes wide with recognition.
"This distortion," she said quietly, "it carries echoes of the void before creation. Of what existed before order."
"Can you sense the source?" Artoria asked, adjusting her modified cannon to track movement in the distance.
Tiamat nodded, her wings shifting restlessly beneath her jumpsuit. "There." She pointed toward a pulsing vortex visible at the center of the research station. "A wound in reality itself."
"That matches the briefing data," Velzard confirmed, ice crystals forming around her as she instinctively responded to the threat. "The dimensional fault anchoring the anomaly cluster."
"Then we advance and seal it," Artoria decided. "Formation Delta, as practiced. Tiamat and Velzard on perimeter defense. Kali and Nero providing disruption cover. Vados, maintain tactical analysis throughout. The rest of you, specialized functions as needed."
They moved forward with surprising coordination for a unit that had only recently formed. Their modified equipment, having adapted during training to better complement their natural abilities, functioned with increasing efficiency. Artoria's cannon now interfaced directly with her innate leadership qualities, allowing her to direct precision strikes while maintaining tactical awareness. Musashi's bare feet left glowing tracks that somehow stabilized reality in her wake, creating safe paths for the others to follow.
As they approached the center of the distortion field, the first anomalies appeared—writhing masses of matter that shouldn't exist, their forms constantly shifting between states of possibility.
"Contact!" Female Reinhardt called, her training gear suddenly generating combat simulations that she could manipulate as tactical advantages.
The ensuing battle was unlike anything any of them had experienced before. These weren't merely enemies to be defeated, but ontological errors to be corrected—each anomaly representing a localized rejection of the empire's standardized reality.
Kali found her contained rage particularly effective, her multiple arms directing focused destruction at specific vulnerability points Vados identified. Nero's sonic disruption created harmonic patterns that temporarily stabilized the anomalies, making them susceptible to Summer Morgan's specialized medical equipment—which, strangely enough, seemed designed to "heal" reality itself rather than just biological entities.
They had advanced halfway to the central vortex when the situation escalated dramatically. The dimensional fault pulsed with increased energy, and something began to emerge—not the mindless anomalies they had faced thus far, but a massive entity of deliberate malevolence.
"That's no standard anomaly," Void Shiki observed, her connection to the Root allowing her to perceive the entity's true nature. "That's a Conceptual Devourer."
"A what?" Musashi asked, instinctively dropping into a combat stance despite her lack of swords.
"A being that feeds on foundational principles," Vados explained, her analysis revealing alarming patterns. "It doesn't just corrupt reality—it consumes the ideas that define reality."
The Devourer fully emerged—a towering monstrosity that resembled a cathedral made of twisted flesh and fractured mathematics. Its "head" was a collection of eyes that saw in different temporal directions, and its "limbs" phased in and out of existence as it moved.
"This exceeds our briefing parameters," Artoria noted grimly, charging her cannon to maximum capacity. "Vados, alert imperial command."
Before Vados could comply, the Devourer noticed them. Its collective gaze fixed on the thirteen women, and a sound like the universe questioning its own existence echoed across the distorted landscape.
"*IMPERIAL CONSTRUCTS,*" it communicated, not through sound but directly into their consciousness. "*IMPERFECT COPIES OF GREATER BEINGS. YOUR STANDARDIZATION IS AN ABOMINATION. RETURN TO CHAOS.*"
"It can speak," Quetzalcoatl whispered, setting down her supply crates to free her movements. "The anomalies are sentient."
"No," Amaterasu corrected, her dampened radiance brightening with recognition. "Not sentient. Invasive. This entity is not from this reality's natural chaos. It comes from... elsewhere."
The Devourer surged forward with terrifying speed, its form distorting space around it as it moved. Tiamat's wings snapped forward automatically, creating a barrier that momentarily halted its advance—but the cost was immediately apparent as portions of her wings began to dissolve where they contacted the entity.
"Fall back!" Artoria commanded, firing her cannon at the Devourer. The energy blast struck true but seemed to be absorbed rather than causing damage.
The thirteen retreated to a more defensible position, regrouping as they assessed this unexpected threat.
"Our standard approach isn't effective," Female Reinhardt observed, her combat simulations running scenarios with consistently negative outcomes. "This entity operates on principles beyond our current capabilities."
"Then we adapt," Artoria decided. "Vados, full analysis. Find weaknesses. Everyone else, defensive rotation while we develop a new strategy."
They formed a circular formation, taking turns engaging the Devourer just enough to keep it at bay without direct confrontation. Meanwhile, Vados, Summer Morgan, and Void Shiki conferred rapidly, their specialized functions combining to identify potential vulnerabilities.
"The fault is its anchor," Vados finally determined. "It cannot maintain coherence in imperial reality without the dimensional wound feeding it."
"So we seal the fault," Summer Morgan concluded.
"While someone distracts that thing," Musashi added, eyeing the Devourer warily as it tested their defenses.
A tense silence fell as they all considered who could possibly face such an entity directly.
"I will," Tiamat said quietly. All eyes turned to her in surprise. The Mother of All Life continued, "This abomination perverts the natural order of creation. As a primordial goddess, I have... resonance with its nature, even if our purposes oppose."
"It's too dangerous," Quetzalcoatl protested, genuine concern in her bright green eyes. "Your wings are already damaged from mere contact."
"I am Unit Six," Tiamat replied with grim determination. "Biological shield. This is my assigned function."
Before anyone could argue further, a familiar reality distortion announced a new arrival. Space folded inward, and Caelum Aurealis stepped onto the battlefield—not via portal, but simply by deciding to be present.
His perfect features showed no reaction to the chaos around him, his gold-silver eyes assessing the situation with the same detached interest he brought to everything. He wore no armor, carried no visible weapon, yet his mere presence seemed to stabilize the immediate area around him.
"Emperor," Artoria acknowledged, surprised by his appearance.
"The anomaly has escalated beyond predicted parameters," Caelum stated, his voice carrying easily despite the dimensional distortions. "Imperial intervention is warranted."
The Devourer turned its attention to the newcomer, its many eyes focusing with malevolent recognition.
"*SOVEREIGN OF FALSE ORDER,*" it communicated. "*YOUR EMPIRE IS BUILT ON STOLEN CONCEPTS. WE RECLAIM WHAT IS OURS.*"
Caelum's expression didn't change, but subtle shifts in the atmosphere suggested something in his demeanor had hardened.
"You trespass," he replied simply. "Existence here functions according to imperial standard. Your chaos is inefficient and unauthorized."
The Devourer roared—a sound that tore at the fabric of reality itself—and launched itself toward Caelum with apocalyptic intent.
What happened next occurred so quickly that even beings accustomed to divine speed had trouble following the sequence. Caelum made a single, precise gesture—not a grand movement, but a minimal adjustment, as if correcting an insignificant error.
Space folded around his hand, and suddenly he held a sword that hadn't been there before—Sol Excidium, the Blade of Total Judgment. It wasn't crafted of metal but of something more fundamental—erased timelines and possibilities condensed into a perfect edge.
The Devourer reached him just as the sword completed its manifestation. Caelum made one cut—a single, precise stroke that seemed almost casual in its execution.
The blade passed through the Devourer without resistance, not severing matter but something more fundamental. The entity froze in mid-motion, its form suddenly rigid.
"Judgment rendered," Caelum stated.
The Devourer didn't explode or dissolve or fall apart. Instead, it simply... standardized. Its chaotic form reconfigured into ordered components that calmly settled into patterns compatible with imperial reality. What had been a conceptual horror became architectural elements, energy matrices, and data structures—all perfectly aligned with the empire's design parameters.
The thirteen women stared in shock, not just at the ease of Caelum's victory, but at the nature of it. He hadn't destroyed the entity but transformed it completely, imposing order on chaos through sheer definitional authority.
"The dimensional fault requires sealing," Caelum noted, turning to face them. "Proceed with your assigned mission."
Artoria recovered first, nodding sharply. "Yes, Emperor. Units, advance to the fault point."
As they moved forward, still processing what they had witnessed, Tiamat found herself walking alongside Caelum. The primordial goddess studied him with ancient eyes that had seen the birth of worlds.
"You did not destroy it," she observed quietly.
"Destruction is wasteful," Caelum replied without looking at her. "All things can be repurposed to serve the empire."
"Even chaotic entities from beyond your borders?"
"Especially those." For the first time, something like animation entered his voice. "Their potential is often greater than that of naturally standardized matter. They merely require... correction."
Tiamat fell silent, contemplating the implications. As a goddess of creation, she understood the principle of transformation, but what Caelum had done transcended even divine alchemy. He hadn't just changed the Devourer's form but its fundamental nature—its very definition of existence.
They reached the dimensional fault—a pulsing wound in reality that connected imperial space to... something else. Something vast and chaotic that lurked just beyond perception.
"Units Five, Eight, and Eleven will stabilize the fault perimeter," Artoria directed, falling easily into her command role. "Units Two and Four will identify the optimal closure configuration. The rest of us will maintain defensive positions in case of additional incursions."
As they set to work, Caelum observed silently, his sword now vanished as if it had never existed. His presence seemed to make their tasks easier—reality itself more compliant with their efforts, as if eager to please its sovereign.
Void Shiki, working directly with the fault's conceptual boundaries, found herself repeatedly glancing at Caelum. Finally, she spoke, her quiet voice carrying curiosity rather than challenge.
"You could close this wound instantly," she observed. "Why allow us to struggle with it?"
Caelum's gold-silver eyes met hers—one embodiment of absolute order contemplating another who had witnessed the void beyond all things.
"Learning occurs through application," he replied. "Observation indicates your unit has adaptation potential exceeding standard parameters. This potential requires... cultivation."
"We're an experiment," Void Shiki concluded, neither offended nor surprised.
"All existence is experimental," Caelum countered. "The difference is in whether the experiment has purpose."
Before she could respond, the fault pulsed violently, and a tendril of pure chaos lashed out directly toward her. Faster than thought, Caelum was between them, his hand raised to intercept the attack.
The chaotic energy struck his palm and simply... ceased to exist, converted to orderly light that dispersed harmlessly around them.
The incident had happened so quickly that most of the others hadn't even noticed. But Void Shiki had seen something remarkable—Caelum Aurealis, Emperor Beyond Judgment, had moved to protect one of his "disposable" units without hesitation.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Caelum lowered his hand, his expression unchanged. "Inefficient to lose specialized assets unnecessarily."
Yet something in his tone suggested there might be more to his intervention than mere resource management. Before Void Shiki could consider this further, the team completed the sealing procedure, the dimensional fault collapsing in on itself with a final pulse of energy.
"Mission parameters achieved," Artoria reported, approaching Caelum with professional respect rather than the resentment that had characterized their earlier interactions. "The fault is sealed and the surrounding area is returning to standard imperial configuration."
Caelum nodded once—the barest acknowledgment of their success. "Acceptable performance. Return to Thronis Eternium for assessment and recovery."
A transit portal materialized beside him, its energy patterns more stable and refined than the one that had brought them to this sector.
"Units will proceed through the imperial passage," he directed. "Direct transit reduces unnecessary stress on specialized assets."
One by one, the thirteen women entered the portal, each experiencing a moment of reaction as they passed near Caelum. Some, like Female Gilgamesh and Kali, maintained defiant expressions, refusing to show the awe they secretly felt at his display of power. Others, like Quetzalcoatl and Musashi, made no attempt to hide their impressed reactions.
Amaterasu, goddess of the sun, paused briefly before him, her dampened radiance flaring slightly in divine recognition.
"You are more than you appear, Emperor Beyond Judgment," she observed, her amber-gold eyes studying him with new interest.
"As are you, Unit Eleven," he replied, something almost like respect in his perfect voice. "Your illumination function exceeds standard parameters."
Her lips curved in a small smile. "A polite way of saying I shine brighter than expected?"
"Precision in observation is imperial standard."
The exchange was brief but represented something significant—the first almost-casual interaction between Caelum and one of his summoned units.
As Amaterasu passed through the portal, only Artoria remained, her sense of duty requiring a formal mission conclusion.
"Will there be further deployments to this sector?" she inquired, her tactical mind already planning for future operations.
"Unnecessary," Caelum replied. "This incursion has been standardized. Other sectors have greater priority."
Artoria nodded, then asked the question that had been bothering her since his intervention. "The entity called itself a 'Conceptual Devourer' and spoke of reclaiming stolen concepts. What did it mean?"
For a moment, it seemed Caelum might not answer. Then he turned fully toward her, his gold-silver eyes meeting her emerald gaze directly.
"The empire expands through standardization of reality," he explained, his tone didactic rather than defensive. "Some entities from beyond imperial borders perceive this as... appropriation of conceptual territory."
"Is it?" Artoria pressed, her royal courage allowing her to question where others might have retreated.
Caelum studied her with that now-familiar detached interest. "Order requires definitions. Definitions require boundaries. Boundaries must be defended and occasionally... adjusted."
It wasn't exactly an answer, but it revealed more about imperial philosophy than anything he had previously shared.
"I see," Artoria said, though her expression suggested she would be contemplating his words for some time. "Thank you for the clarification, Emperor."
She stepped toward the portal, then paused for one final observation. "Your intervention saved Unit Five from potentially fatal damage."
"The unit's function is valuable," Caelum replied neutrally.
"Of course." Artoria allowed herself a small smile. "Merely an observation, Emperor."
As she passed through the portal, Caelum remained alone in the now-stabilized sector, his perfect features betraying nothing of his thoughts. After several moments of silence, he spoke to the empty air—or perhaps to the empire itself.
"Unit adaptation progressing faster than standard parameters. Emotional responses developing despite standardization protocols." He paused, then added, "Continued observation warranted."
With that, he simply ceased to be present, leaving behind a perfectly ordered sector that showed no trace of the chaos that had so recently threatened it—or of the thirteen extraordinary women who had helped restore it to imperial standard.
## Chapter 5: Recovery and Revelation
The imperial recovery chamber in Thronis Eternium was a stark contrast to the chaotic battlefield they had just left—a space of perfect geometric precision, with healing energies flowing in carefully calibrated patterns. Each of the thirteen women had been assigned a recovery pod calibrated to their specific nature, allowing for optimal regeneration after deployment.
Tiamat's wings, partially dissolved from contact with the Devourer, were already reforming within a specialized regeneration field. Void Shiki's exposure to the dimensional fault had left conceptual abrasions that were being carefully treated by reality stabilizers. The others received less intensive care, though all benefited from the chamber's restorative properties.
"Well," Musashi said, breaking the contemplative silence as she flexed her bare feet, now adorned with glowing circuit-like patterns from their mission. "That was... educational."
"That's one word for it," Female Gilgamesh replied dryly. She examined her shovel, which had somehow acquired decorative etchings reminiscent of her treasury during the battle. "I've faced gods and monsters across the ages, but never anything quite like that Devourer."
"It wasn't just its power," Velzard observed, her glacial chains now functioning more as power regulators than restraints. "It was its nature. A being that feeds on conceptual foundations..."
"And Caelum defeated it with a single stroke," Female Reinhardt added, her voice carrying reluctant admiration. "Not just defeated—transformed."
Silence fell again as they all contemplated the implications of what they had witnessed. It was Summer Morgan who finally articulated what many were thinking.
"He's not just powerful," the fairy queen said quietly, her aristocratic features thoughtful. "He's operating on an entirely different level of existence. The difference between us and him is greater than the difference between mortals and gods."
"I'm not convinced of that," Kali objected, her multiple arms flexing as the containment field around her adjusted to her changing power levels. "He's formidable, certainly, but we've yet to test our full capabilities against him."
Vados shook her head, her analytical mind having calculated the relevant power differentials. "You misunderstand the nature of the encounter. The Emperor wasn't merely stronger than the Devourer—he fundamentally outclassed it. He didn't destroy it; he rewrote its definition of existence."
"Exactly," Void Shiki agreed, her pale eyes distant with contemplation. "It's why I exist in this form—to observe and connect with the Root, the foundation of all things. What Caelum did wasn't combat in any conventional sense. It was... administrative."
"Administrative?" Nero's electronic voice warbled with confusion.
"He administers reality," Void Shiki explained. "Like a system administrator making corrections to a program. The empire isn't just his territory—it's an extension of his conceptual authority."
The implications settled heavily on the group. If Caelum's power wasn't just quantitatively greater but qualitatively different, their situation was even more constrained than they had initially understood. ## Chapter 5: Recovery and Revelation (Continued)
Artoria, who had been listening silently, finally spoke. "Whatever the nature of his power, we still have a mission to complete." She looked around at the recovering women. "And we performed well today. We faced an unprecedented threat and survived—even contributed to its neutralization."
"A generous interpretation," Female Gilgamesh scoffed. "We barely engaged the entity before our 'emperor' arrived to demonstrate his superiority."
"That's not entirely fair," Quetzalcoatl countered, her natural optimism resurfacing. "We successfully sealed multiple minor anomalies before the Devourer appeared, and we were already developing a containment strategy when Caelum intervened."
"And did you notice how our equipment adapted during combat?" Musashi added, examining the glowing patterns on her feet with genuine curiosity. "My movements are faster now, more precise. These patterns somehow stabilize reality wherever I step."
Others began noting similar adaptations. Nero's voice modulation had evolved from simple disruption to complex harmonic patterns that could reorganize chaotic energy. Amaterasu's dampened radiance now functioned as a purifying field rather than mere illumination. Even Female Gilgamesh's shovel had developed properties reminiscent of her Gate of Babylon, albeit in highly limited form.
"It's as if the equipment is learning from us," Vados observed. "Incorporating elements of our true nature while maintaining imperial standardization parameters."
"Or perhaps," Void Shiki suggested quietly, "the standardization was never meant to be permanent. Merely... transitional."
This possibility hung in the air, offering a new perspective on their situation. Before they could discuss it further, the recovery chamber's entrance dilated open, and a figure entered—not Caelum himself, but a woman they hadn't seen before.
She wore a variant of their gray mesh uniform, though hers was more personalized with platinum accents and a distinctive insignia that marked her as part of Caelum's inner circle. Her features were striking—severe yet beautiful, with eyes that held the calm assurance of one who had witnessed the empire's growth firsthand.
"Standardization Corps Alpha-13," she acknowledged, her voice carrying authority without Caelum's overwhelming presence. "I am Seraphina, First Shield of Thronis Eternium and Overseer of Specialized Deployments."
The thirteen exchanged glances, recognizing this as their first contact with the empire's established hierarchy beyond Caelum and his proxies.
Artoria stepped forward in her role as Unit One. "We are recovered and ready for further instruction, Overseer."
Seraphina's lips curved in the barest suggestion of a smile. "Your unit's performance metrics exceed standard parameters for initial deployment. The Emperor has authorized accelerated adaptation protocols and assignment to specialized quarters more suitable to your... unique composition."
"Meaning?" Kali asked bluntly.
"Meaning," Seraphina replied with a pointed look, "that you're being upgraded from 'disposable' to 'valuable.' Not a common transition, especially so quickly."
She gestured, an