SWNOVELXO Chapter 55: Chapter 055 - Meeting
Two hours later.
All shipgirls from across Terra Aeterna had gathered in the towering golden Gothic-style palace. A number of civilian and military representatives were also present as spectators and observers. This was a pivotal moment — the first real contact with a foreign world: Demon Slayer.
Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed attended the strategic meeting as well. With his trademark unshakable expression, he proposed the deployment of Cadia Shock Troopers alongside the main force of the Astra Militarum — a new division now under the command of Chris Redfield — to carry out a full-scale planetary conquest operation.
Not to be outdone, a Tech-Priest of the Adeptus Mechanicus stood at attention, ready to activate the interdimensional portal to facilitate the transport of war equipment and the Imperial Navy fleet.
Up to this point, only Reuel had ever set foot in that world. Not a single member of the vanguard fleet, the Cadia Shock Troopers, or any other military unit had any actual experience with this foreign world — save for the Emperor of Mankind himself.
Furthermore, the world they were about to enter wasn't just alien — it was fascinating. A place inhabited by entities known as Oni, creatures resembling mutants, unknown in either the biological or spiritual doctrines of the Imperium.
"So first, allow me to introduce this universe briefly," said Reuel, clearing his throat as he began his explanation.
He outlined the world of Kimetsu no Yaiba concisely but informatively. That during the Taisho era, due to a biological accident — the details of which remained mysterious — the first creature now known as an Oni was born: the progenitor of demons and the main antagonist, Muzan Kibutsuji.
His battle with the Demon Slayer Corps spanned decades and became the central narrative of that world.
However, Reuel didn't go into the original plot in depth. To him, the canon story no longer held any relevance.
"Besides, once I bring a squad of shipgirls, the Imperial Guard, and the Imperial Navy fleet there, the original plotline will be utterly wrecked," Reuel muttered to himself.
His explanation focused more on the technical aspects: technological status, the origin of the Oni, the social structure of the Taisho era, and the forms of supernatural power present in that world. This information was delivered specifically to the shipgirls and the Cadia Shock Troopers under Creed's command.
For Creed himself, none of that posed a problem.
"Mutants are still mutants," he thought. No matter what you call them — Oni, demons, mutated humans — they were all just targets to be purged.
The world was still in a pre-industrial stage of civilization. From a military standpoint, Creed believed he could conquer it quickly and with virtually no meaningful resistance.
After all, the Shock Troopers of Cadia were accustomed to facing off against the forces of the Chaos Gods in their home sector. Compared to the madness they'd endured for years, Oni were nothing more than minor pests.
"Taisho era…" Dafeng muttered quietly, brows furrowed.
"If I'm not mistaken, there's someone from that era in the Sakura Empire Fleet…"
She paused for a moment, then answered her own question.
"Mikasa."
In a certain context, Mikasa could indeed be considered a product of the same era — or at least a time close in terms of culture and technology.
Reuel nodded slightly. Mikasa was well known as one of the oldest active shipgirls ever stationed at Minato Harbor. A warship with a steel hull and the unwavering spirit of a classic-era soldier.
Unfortunately, Mikasa had not joined the expedition to Terra Aeterna. Reuel couldn't help but wonder how she would react if she saw Oni roaming the land of her birth.
"Alright, let's return to the main point," Richelieu said, standing at Reuel's side and gesturing for silence in the room.
"There are two primary objectives in this expedition," she continued.
"First, to complete the two main missions: eliminating the Twelve Kizuki and exterminating all Oni that pose a global threat in that world."
"And second, Commander Reuel intends to take full control of the planet within that universe."
A small hand rose from the line of shipgirls. Her voice was soft but clear.
"Does this fall under the category of a direct military invasion?" Ayanami asked, her eyes fixed directly on Reuel.
Reuel turned toward her, offering a faint smile, then replied without hesitation…
"Of course. Judging by their current level of technology, they'd be better off as citizens of the Imperium of Man — or kneeling completely beneath it."
He spoke in a flat but resolute tone.
Although the Oni held considerable dominance in the Demon Slayer universe, the world's actual governmental structure was still rooted in a shogunate system. There was a central government, bureaucracy, and defined social structure — albeit far below galactic empire standards.
Precisely because of that, a direct approach would be far more efficient.
Just like the Black Ships incident that ended Japan's isolation centuries ago, the rulers of that world merely needed a little "push" from a superior force to drop to their knees. When faced with overwhelming power, they'd behave like obedient dogs — provided their opponent had the courage to bark and bite.
The rest of the territory would fall under Castellan Creed and the Imperial Guard's jurisdiction. Reuel himself was more interested in completing the system mission — finishing it, extracting the results, and archiving them in the Imperium's technological library.
"Oh…"
The shipgirls seemed to understand his intent, though it was clear many of them weren't especially interested in diplomacy or geopolitics. That was their commander's domain — not theirs.
"What about our first mission? Taking down the Twelve Kizuki and eliminating the Oni threat?"
Essex spoke up, her voice clear and to the point.
"What's our initial strategy?"
Reuel nodded slowly, then replied in a relaxed tone.
"It's simple… Take out the king."
Naturally, he was referring to Muzan Kibutsuji — the progenitor of the Oni and the biological source of the mutation that turned humans into eternal creatures of the night.
All Oni traced their origin back to the same root. Eliminating that root — that ancient entity — meant severing the entire Oni production chain. No need for a drawn-out war or exhausting battles. Kill the source, and the threat evaporates.
Interestingly, some of the shipgirls had already seen Muzan's figure before — during the initial interdimensional communications link with the world of Azur Lane.
At the time, none of them had guessed that the refined-looking middle-aged man with the aristocratic face was the deadliest entity in his world.
"Just him?"
The shipgirls' expressions shifted, recalling Muzan's cold gaze and arrogant demeanor during that video transmission. Militarily, he hadn't made a strong impression… but something about the atmosphere around him had been unsettling.
"Don't you think he's quite powerful? I mean… without the ability to cross between worlds like the Commander, it'll be hard for us to take him on directly."
Richelieu added in a serious tone, recalling Muzan's calm, almost disinterested presence during the previous interdimensional contact. But when one shipgirl made a sarcastic remark toward him, his expression had morphed into fury — as if being treated as anything less than a threat had deeply offended him.
"If he knows we're coming, he'll probably show up right on time and beat the shit out of all of us."
Richelieu's words drew a few bitter chuckles from the room — a grim sort of humor, but not entirely inaccurate.
Reuel himself exhaled briefly before answering.
"From our perspective, he's not much."
He began explaining the Oni's primary characteristics in a calm tone:
These creatures were physically far superior to ordinary humans. They were immune to most conventional wounds, had exceptional regenerative capabilities, and wielded vampiric-style unique techniques. However, they all shared one absolute weakness — sunlight.
And behind all those abilities, there existed a strict hierarchy centered on a single figure: Muzan.
To the Demon Slayer Corps, defeating even a single Oni was a life-or-death battle. But to the Imperium's military — especially a joint force of shipgirls and Cadia Shock Troopers — such enemies were just another mutant to be purged.
As Reuel explained, the shipgirls were already shifting into strategic mode.
"Five brains and seven hearts? His weak points are spread out too much."
"So why not just bombard him with main battery fire from our battleships?"
"Or use high-grade uranium penetrator rounds? One shot straight through the skull should do it."
Prinz Eugen stared at the floor, silently calculating. Her fingers were already moving, adjusting virtual ammunition settings on her combat interface. She was weighing whether high-explosive armor-piercing rounds or plasma bursts were more effective in a scenario involving rapid regeneration targets.
"The Oni appear to have absolutely no viable anti-air defense system. We can deploy fighter aircraft from our carriers to launch a large-scale aerial assault on their bases. If necessary, we could even drop thermobaric bombs or tactical nukes produced by the Mechanicus."
Essex delivered the tactic with her usual confident tone, characteristic of the White Eagle's offensive doctrine which she had mastered thoroughly.
Coordinated air and naval assaults were the primary strength of the combined fleet. Once the bombing runs were completed, surface combat units could immediately proceed with the second phase, including heavy artillery support. Essex had prepared the entire procedure with military precision.
"And we can hit them from underwater too! Those Oni don't even have sonar, let alone anti-submarine systems!"
U-81 and U-73 chimed in enthusiastically, their eyes sparkling like children handed brand-new toys.
The mindset of the shipgirls — especially those from the world of Azur Lane — was vastly different from that of the Kimetsu no Yaiba universe. They were accustomed to solving problems with high-tech tactics and military-grade solutions. Thus, when confronted with enemies from a pre-industrial world, their approach became… somewhat unconventional.
On the other hand, Creed and the Tech-Priests of the Mechanicus initially showed resistance. At first, they rejected the shipgirls' presence as part of the Imperium of Man. From their strict and extreme theological perspective, the shipgirls were artificial beings — alien constructs incompatible with the biological and doctrinal standards of the Imperium.
However, after repeated explanations from His Majesty Emperor Reuel and extensive verification through the Omnissiah's systems, they finally agreed: the bodies of the shipgirls were warships — not alien biological entities. In the terminology of the Imperium, they were closer to manifestations of the machine spirit than to Xenos mutants.
There was even a proposal from the Mechanicus to "upgrade" them into full-fledged void-faring warships of the Warhammer kind. That offer was flatly rejected by Akashi — the shipgirls' chief engineer.
This rejection caused notable tension. Akashi had countless arguments with Archmagos Belisarius Cawl, especially when the Tech-Priests insisted that each shipgirl install a shrine to the Omnissiah within their hulls. To Akashi, that idea was a desecration of engineering principles and technological honor.
Ironically, though Akashi was often branded a heretek on Mars, the Tech-Priests couldn't take any drastic actions. After all, the shipgirls' bodies were still seafaring vessels — not yet transformed into voidcraft. They were still acceptable… for now.
In secret, the Tech-Priests continued to hope that time and pressure would eventually "open Akashi's eyes." They believed she would one day see the truth of the Machine God.
Reuel, however, responded with dry skepticism. To him, Akashi and the Mechanicus were simply two stubborn extremes flying under different banners.
"....."
Reuel nearly laughed — and had to restrain himself from actually doing so.
"If Muzan Kibutsuji, the so-called King of the Oni, is truly as powerful as you imagine... then why does he have no defenses whatsoever? Why are we even able to descend from orbit and drop bombs on his head without him noticing?"
He turned his body, then issued a firm command:
"Very well. Follow my orders: prepare all white phosphorus bombs, napalm, and other incendiary weapons. But remember — not a single civilian is to be harmed by our negligence. Only target Oni positions and their strongholds."
He turned to two senior shipgirls.
"Richelieu, Enterprise — head to the Planetary Defense Force base. Retrieve additional weapons, large-caliber munitions, and all necessary support equipment. We'll need everything we can get."
They nodded swiftly, turning without a word.
"And Creed..."
The Imperial Guard commander instantly stood at attention.
"Mobilize the troops. The Imperial Guard and the Imperial Navy will take full control of this planet. Subjugate this world — force it to kneel before the Imperium of Man. No compromises."
Creed bowed deeply.
"Understood, Your Majesty."