SWNOVELXO Chapter 62: Chapter 062 - Global Conquest Kimetsu No Yaiba
Reuel's ambitions, of course, were never as simple as merely conquering Japan.
The island nation, in its original history, already suffered from a lack of essential resources. Coal, metallic minerals, and rubber had to be mostly imported, while advanced technology had yet to flourish in the Taishō era. Outside of the fishing sector, its production activities were dominated by traditional agriculture and small-scale textile industries.
Yet the world in 1912 was undergoing immense upheaval.
The British Empire had completed its Second Industrial Revolution and extended its colonial influence across the globe. The United States was transforming from an agrarian society into an industrial powerhouse, entering a golden age of development in the aftermath of a prolonged civil war.
In China, the Qing Dynasty had collapsed, ending over two thousand years of imperial rule. Sun Yat-sen had been appointed the first provisional president of the Republic of China. The nation plunged into political chaos, as regional warlords began carving out power across various territories.
Meanwhile, on the African savanna, the native inhabitants were still observing crocodile teeth and harvesting cotton under the banners of colonialism. Nearly the entire continent had been carved up under European imperial rule—Britain held South Africa, Egypt, and Sudan; France dominated West and Central Africa; Belgium ruled the Congo with an iron fist. Only Ethiopia and Liberia still retained their independence.
In Europe, the German Empire under Kaiser Wilhelm II was rapidly expanding both militarily and economically. Tensions among the great powers—Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia—were reaching a boiling point. The world was hurtling toward World War I, which would erupt in just two years' time.
And no less tragic, on April 15 of this very year, the great ship RMS Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean after striking an iceberg. More than 1,500 lives were lost, making it one of the most infamous maritime disasters in history.
Reuel knew that if he allowed history to run its course, he would bear witness once more to two world wars and another Cold War, just as it had happened on the previous Earth. The outcome would remain the same: one global superpower, and a scattering of suspicious regional forces forever circling each other.
But Reuel had no intention of letting it happen again.
To him, the world of Kimetsu no Yaiba was merely the surface of a civilizational goldmine. The existence of "Oni" was nothing more than a minor nuisance in the broader arc of social evolution. He was determined to seize this entire planet and turn it into a foundation of resources and population for the advancement of the Imperium of Man—an empire he himself was building.
This, of course, was no smash-and-grab raid.
Reuel subscribed to the principle of sustainable harvesting. With the Imperium's advanced technology, he would increase this world's productivity, then extract its resources efficiently and over the long term.
To plunder recklessly like a bandit and flee was a fool's strategy. The goal was stability.
The people of this world would live peacefully and prosperously under the Imperium of Man.
As for the old rulers?
That matter had already been delegated to professionals from the Officio Assassinorum—the elite assassin organization from the Warhammer universe, now sworn in loyalty to the Emperor of Mankind, Reuel.
---
Two Days Later
A report from Sasebo Port shattered the shogunate's final line of psychological defense.
"According to information gathered from the Demon Slayer Corps and local residents, the Imperium of Man's fleet recently annihilated all Oni roaming the Kyushu region."
"They nearly flattened the entire landmass around Sasebo Port. Fires kept burning for days without end."
"Several eyewitnesses described seeing a massive explosion like a sun—followed by a giant mushroom cloud thundering into the night sky. The topography of the surrounding area has completely changed…"
The photos that arrived along with that statement revealed a horror no one could deny: the absolute power of the Imperium of Man.
For the shogunate's leadership, the Oni had always been a secondary issue. The Demon Slayer Corps was seen as a volunteer group with no official status. But this time, they weren't dealing with mere night-dwelling creatures that preyed on humans.
What they were facing was a military force capable of leveling mountains and wiping cities off the world map—in mere moments.
For the first time, everyone in the shogunate's government realized just how vast the disparity was between their strength and the civilization Reuel had brought from beyond the stars.
If that kind of power were unleashed on Kyoto, or any of the coastal cities… there would be no time even to evacuate. They would be gone before they could so much as lift a sword.
And that… was just the navy.
What if the Imperium of Man also had ground forces? Or, worse—iron birds that could fly and rain death from the skies?
It was true that in the Taishō era of 1912, airplanes were already known—but the technology was still primitive: biplanes made of fabric, wood, and light metals. Pilots sat in open cockpits with no automatic weapons. Mitsubishi and Nakajima were just starting to design early prototypes—everything else relied on imports and limited experiments.
Now, the shogunate's generals, civilian ministers, and military officials sat frozen, drenched in cold sweat, staring pale-faced at the photos of destruction. No one spoke. No one even tried to formulate a strategy.
Because there was no strategy they could make.
The discussions dragged on over the next two days—filled with arguments, denial, panic… and finally: despair.
---
Two Days Later
Reuel returned once more to the main council hall. But this time, he wasn't alone.
Beside him stood an imposing figure: Ursarkar E. Creed, the legendary general of the Imperium of Man—commander of the ground forces, renowned for his brutal tactics and impossible victories on the battlefield.
Reuel couldn't even be bothered to speak himself. He let Creed handle it.
With a scarred face and eyes that pierced through the room like blades, Ursarkar E. Creed stepped forward and declared loudly:
"Have you made your decision?"
"Will you sign the treaty with the Imperium of Man… or die?"
Silence. All eyes turned to the shogun.
Several seconds passed before the leader of Japan finally stood—his body tense, his expression like a man who had just swallowed burning coals.
"We… accept your terms, Your Majesty, Emperor of Mankind from the Imperium of Man."
He paused for a moment, drawing a heavy breath, then reached for the brush.
With a trembling hand, he signed the document and affixed the official seal of the shogunate. The red ink looked like blood on the pristine white parchment.
From that moment on, the Japanese Shogunate was officially a vassal state under the Imperium of Man. All matters of foreign policy, military activity, and macro-strategy were now subject to imperial command.
Reuel took the document with a cold expression.
"Good. You may consider this an act of 'commendation.'"
He turned to Creed and gave a brief signal, before addressing the room again in a heavy tone:
"I will establish an administrative organization. A PDF military zone will be formed in this territory. Starting next quarter, local resources will be harvested proportionally."
"Prepare yourselves, and do not delay. Otherwise, you'll face the consequences."
"Of course… if you prove your loyalty, you may become nobles within the Imperium of Man."
No one responded. The shogunate officials merely nodded—slowly, fearfully, and without any other choice.
Only when the Imperium of Man's fleet began to leave Tokyo Bay did anyone dare to exhale.
They looked to the sky—toward the massive warship shaped like a floating metal head hovering above the city.
A Gorgon-class battlecruiser, the personal vessel of Ursarkar E. Creed, had arrived to retrieve God Emperor Reuel.
"What are we supposed to do now…"
An elderly official muttered quietly, still staring at the sky as the metallic shadow drifted away.
Suddenly, he squinted and whispered to his colleague,
"Their heading… isn't that toward the United States?"
After wrapping up their business in Japan and securing its submission to the Imperium, the fleet continued on its journey.
There were still rebels to crush.
There was still a world to conquer.
Along the route eastward—cutting across the Pacific Ocean… their destination was now the western coast of the United States.
---
Global Conquest by the Imperium of Man
In the year 1912, the world had yet to know any global entity like the United Nations.
Without an international organization capable of uniting nations under a single diplomatic umbrella, there was only one possibility left for Earth—to fall under the rule of a singular, absolute civilization: the Imperium of Man.
"The United States is a nation founded on the ideals of liberty and equality! We've only just broken free from the shackles of the British Empire, and we refuse to become subordinates to any other state!"
With that fiery declaration, the United States deployed its most advanced ironclads and cruisers. The fleet formed a maritime and aerial barricade along the coast, attempting to halt the advance of the Imperium of Man's forces.
But one day later, their main fleet was reduced to a molecular state, and the entire combat unit was collectively erased from the global naval registry. A single shot from the Yamato Cannon aboard the Gorgon battlecruiser, commanded directly by Ursarkar E. Creed, was enough to wipe them from the annals of history.
After that, the Imperium's fleet arrived in Washington and—without much small talk—proposed that the United States become a subordinate nation of the Imperium of Man (+1).
---
The fleet then continued its expedition to Africa and India, introducing a system of "collaborative production" of cotton on collective plantations. Under the Imperium of Man, there was no discrimination—everyone was treated equally in their status as imperial subjects.
Children from those regions were permitted to join the Schola Progenium, where they would be brainwashed and retrained into the fanatical soldiers expected by the Warhammer system. And the adults? They would continue doing what they always had—working until death. Because in Reuel's eyes, they were merely cogs in the great machine of the Imperium.
Reuel himself was far too lazy to manage a mass indoctrination process, so he delegated the task to the Imperial Cult and the Cult Mechanicus.
"The Royal Navy is undefeated! No one can match the glory of the Empire upon which the sun never sets!"
That challenge rang out from the Thames Estuary. The British Royal Navy—then considered the strongest in the world—decided to try their luck.
Two days later, the flag of the Imperium of Man was hoisted above Buckingham Palace. Britain was officially a vassal state of the Imperium of Man (+2).
"In the face of Austrian aggression, France shall never surrender!"
Unfortunately, a single blast from the Yamato Cannon aimed at the Franco-Austrian joint fleet instantly erased their existence from the earth. Within half a day, the Richelieu warship sailed up the Seine River, bombarding the Fontainebleau Palace.
Not long after, all of France surrendered, raised the white flag, and became a subordinate state of the Imperium of Man (+3).
In less than a month, nearly every major country on the Blue Star (Pre-Imperium Terra) had been conquered—either through forced diplomacy or the direct pressure of the Yamato Cannon.
Quite unintentionally, they had conquered the entire world.
---
Inside the map room of the Gorgon battlecruiser, Richelieu gazed at the planet, now dotted with imperial flags. She let out a sigh and rubbed her temples.
"Commander... how are we supposed to manage such a... primitive world?"
She pointed to nations with vastly different levels of development—some industrialized, others still agrarian, all with their own languages and cultures.
"Even in the modern era, humanity hasn't been able to form a global government. Let alone in 1912…"
Reuel gave a faint smile.
"Of course... let them manage themselves. Just use them as a rear resource base for the Imperium."
"Once we return to Terra Aeterna, dispatch personnel from the Administratum, the Adeptus Arbites, and establish a World Government under a single Planetary Governor (Imperial Governor)."
"Don't forget to send the Navis Nobilite, the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, and the Ecclesiarchy to key points to prepare the dimensional portals. We'll need cross-universe connectivity."
Reuel patted Richelieu on the shoulder—calm and confident.
"Mission complete. Time to return to Terra Aeterna."
"We now have the resources of three universes. Once you ship girls evolve into spacefaring warships, maybe we'll be able to reach two more universes after that."