SWNOVELXO Chapter 67: Chapter 067 - A New Morning in the Imperium
The Next Day – Morning in Terra Aeterna
As the first rays of sunlight swept across the ocean's surface, a massive fleet slowly entered the Golden Horn port — the main harbor for shipgirls. From the open sea, thousands of cruise ships advanced in tight formation, led by two light cruisers styled after Dragon Empery at the very front.
Each cruise ship was nearly identical to the next, featuring plain hulls and no armaments, specifically designed for logistical purposes. On every deck stood a striking tuft of purple bristles — the signature symbol of the Universal Bulin.
Though they were not warships, the Universal Bulin were equipped with their own hulls, making them ideal as large-scale logistic carriers for the Imperium of Man.
On the command bridge of one of the cruisers stood sisters Ning Hai and Ping Hai, both wearing traditional cheongsams, gazing toward the land — toward the capital of Terra Aeterna.
"It feels way bigger than the last time we were here," Ping Hai said, eyes locked onto the megastructural skyline in the distance. "When we left for the Kimetsu no Yaiba universe, the capital wasn't this massive."
"Hmm..." Ning Hai squinted, staring at the towering Imperial Palace in the city's heart. "Commander... are you planning to build a wall for the palace too?"
The city had now grown into a true center of civilization. New buildings filled the horizon — grand structures lining the main avenue, neatly divided into multiple zones: residential, commercial, scientific research, education, healthcare, and other special-purpose facilities that were hard to describe in words.
Reuel, the Emperor of Mankind, had designed the city's entire layout based on the aesthetics and design principles of Warhammer 40K, drawing on his background as a former civil engineering student and urban planner in his previous life. While official information on the Imperial Palace was restricted by Games Workshop, Reuel understood its essence — and built it from a strong conceptual foundation.
The city's architecture was monolithic, militaristic, and cathedral-like: colossal pyramid-shaped towers, slabs of reinforced steel and concrete, gold-plated metalwork, and monumental ornamentation. The interior of the Inner Palace echoed gothic-baroque themes — towering statues, deeply carved reliefs, massive pillars, and basilica-like corridors — all of it echoing sanctity and absolute power.
The structure of the city also followed the concept of Ecumenopolis like Coruscant from Star Wars, where the planet's entire surface was urbanized. Vertical zones were separated by function and social class: elite government sectors at the top, middle-class residences in the center, and the lower layers inhabited by non-human aliens, mechanical lifeforms, and illegal creatures favored by Reuel.
Military and industrial zones adopted the layout of the Terran Dominion from StarCraft: functional square blocks fortified with defensive walls, watchtowers, barracks, and modular spaceports. Dominant colors: dark steel, weathered metal, and dim lighting.
Reuel also incorporated elements of UNSC Urban Planning from Halo, with civilian districts seamlessly integrated with military zones. The cities were designed for both efficiency and defense: wide roads, public facilities built to withstand invasions, and modular housing made of blast-resistant concrete.
The diplomatic and multi-species zones were inspired by the Presidium & Wards from Mass Effect: open-flowing architecture, gravitational gardens, curved paths, and light-toned materials. This area served as the hub for inter-entity interaction, diplomatic affairs, and joint research.
The entire urban layout was divided into districts like in Stellaris: Energy District, Forge District, Research Nexus, Spiritual Temple, and Hive Housing Block. The government system was run by the AI Administratum, and each district was managed by a sub-faction: Machine Intelligence, the Ecclesiarchy, Military, or Civilians.
Inter-zone transportation had been developed to be futuristic and sophisticated, including a variety of modes such as speeder airlanes, airspeeders, Coruscant subways, Coruscant buses, flying taxis (Star Wars), skycars (Mass Effect), maglev trains (Mass Effect), as well as hyperlane gates (Stellaris), and many more. Some sectors were even equipped with strategic teleporters and underground tunnel networks designed for emergency evacuation.
With the combination of Imperium of Man technology and full support from the Universal Bulin, the city rapidly expanded into a classical-futuristic megapolis. Its grandeur radiated through the sky, the land, and the colossal structures inspired by numerous sci-fi civilizations.
The only minor shortcoming that remained was the limited availability of manual labor to construct all these megastructures within a short period of time.
The First Fleet from the Kimetsu no Yaiba Universe Has Returned
The next day, shortly after the morning sun shone upon the sea surface of Terra Aeterna, a Bulin stationed at the watchtower spotted Ning Hai and Ping Hai's fleet approaching.
She immediately gave orders for the port to clear the sea lanes, ensuring the fleet could dock safely.
Boom — a line of transport ships owned by the Universal Bulin, loaded with containers, slowly glided toward the harbor.
"Pyuu~~, Pyuu~~, Pyuu~~!"
Little yellow chickens — the harbor manjuu — scattered out in droves, busily helping unload cargo from the ships that had just docked.
"Bulin~ brought lots of stuff!!! Bulin~~!"
"This ship is full of iron ore from Britain, bulin~~, and the one next to it is packed with animal hides and wood from deep inside Africa, bulin~~!"
"We even brought weird offerings sent by local tribal chiefs, bulin~~!"
"There's beef from South America, red wine from France, even kangaroos and koalas from Australia! Bulin~~!"
One of the Universal Bulin stood tall, hands on hips, proudly presenting the cargo to the loli shipgirls who were waiting at the dock.
The items brought back from the Kimetsu no Yaiba universe looked… eccentric, to put it mildly.
Most of the cargo came from countries whose power had waned due to political treaties binding them. Yet some had sent tributes willingly — as gestures of gratitude and hope for the Imperium of Man, which had gifted them advanced technology.
They all wanted to suck up to this mysterious civilization.
It was estimated that just from raw resources like coal, iron, and steel alone, the total haul already reached into the millions — possibly tens of millions — of tons.
Even though the technological level in that world wasn't anywhere near the Imperium's, their capacity for resource extraction was globally impressive.
In the midst of unloading operations, Yat Set stood watching the rows of containers being opened one by one. Behind her, the backdrop of the towering Imperial Palace of Terra Aeterna, with its classical-futuristic architecture, made the whole scene look like it was ripped straight from the pages of an epic sci-fi novel.
"Did every nation come to court?" she muttered, eyebrows furrowed.
Each new crate of items only deepened her confusion — though she accepted them with a straight face.
"Red wine and beef can go to the Imperial Guard… but these two?"
She stared at a koala and a kangaroo inside a small cage.
"Why the hell do we need them? Are we planning to box with the kangaroo?!"
Yat Set then lifted a piece of cloth from another box — a grass skirt made of tiger hide — with an expression of near disbelief on her face.
"And what the hell is this? A tiger-skin skirt? Is the Commander planning to cosplay as a barbarian warlord?!"
The skirt looked rough, stitched with primitive techniques — clearly handmade, and most likely the result of some remote tribe's hunting efforts.
"That's… their best craftsmanship," Ning Hai replied awkwardly, scratching her head.
"After the railways were finished and they started farming, they should've been able to bring something a little more… useful as tribute," she added softly.
Yat Set said nothing, staring flatly at Ning Hai and Ping Hai.
No wonder the tributes looked so eccentric. Civilization in the Kimetsu no Yaiba world still existed on wildly different levels — some more advanced, others still extremely primitive. And the Ning Hai–Ping Hai fleet had visited them all.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Reuel, who had come to personally welcome them, gently placed a hand on the heads of both sisters. A simple gesture of sincere appreciation.
After all the strategic materials had been inventoried, they were immediately handed over to Akashi and the Tech-Priests for further processing and classification.
"Prepare the storage facilities. We're about to initiate the universal Bulin population boom after this."
Reuel issued the order while studying the logistics report with sharp eyes.
"Store the rest of the cargo for now. Oh—let's open two bottles of red wine tonight for a small celebration."
"Hee-hee~"
Ning Hai and Ping Hai smiled brightly, then suddenly seemed to remember something.
"By the way... there were a few people who insisted on coming back with us."
"They said they wanted to thank you personally, Commander—for saving their lives. So… we brought them along."
As soon as Ning Hai finished speaking, eight figures emerged from the ship's rear cabin. Leading the group was a young woman dressed in a dark uniform with a fur-lined cloak patterned with butterflies.
Behind her were two teenage girls—one with short hair tied into a side ponytail, and the other with half of her hair let down.
Five little girls, around three or four years old, followed behind. Each wore butterfly-themed hair accessories and had long Demon Slayer-style knives tucked into their waists.
They were Kanae Kocho, Shinobu Kocho, Kanao Tsuyuri, Aoi Kanzaki, and the three tiny trio—Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho. Mitsuri Kanroji was also with them, bringing up the rear with her usual warm smile.
"Oh… you three? And five kids, too?"
Reuel raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. He hadn't thought much about the Demon Slayer Corps since the final battle against Muzan. After that massive victory, his focus had shifted to consolidating power and conquering the remaining lands of the Kimetsu no Yaiba world.
"During the fight against Doma… you and your comrades saved my life."
Kanae stepped forward calmly, then bowed deeply.
"I never got the chance to thank you properly. For that… I sincerely apologize."
She still had that same gentle aura, but now there was a firmness behind her gaze.
Reuel gave a small nod. He remembered the incident well—a meticulously orchestrated trap to take Muzan down. A string of deceptions and hidden strikes that lulled the Demon King into false confidence. The final blow: a nuclear detonation that obliterated Muzan's body, launched him into the sky, and left him to be incinerated by sunlight.
"Thank you for saving my sister."
Shinobu followed suit with a bow, and Kanao respectfully lowered her head in silence. The two stood beside their older sister with deep reverence.
Kanae then unslung a sheathed sword from her back and presented it to Reuel with both hands.
"This is the finest Nichirin Blade—forged by the last blacksmiths of the Knife Forging Village.
We know it may mean little to someone like you, but it is the highest form of respect we can offer."
"The solar energy imbued within its blade… can slay any malevolent spirit and protect its wielder from the darkness."
Reuel accepted the blade calmly. Its weight and shape felt slightly different from a typical Nichirin sword. The blade was slimmer, its design more refined, and the craftsmanship displayed extraordinary precision.
Click.
As he unsheathed it, the blade glowed in a deep navy-blue hue. Etched along its edge was a single word:
"SLAYER"
"Thank you."
Reuel nodded quietly.
He knew he didn't really need this weapon to kill something like Muzan—not anymore. Now, he had the power to destroy anything, without even laying a hand on it. But the intention, the respect, and the meaning behind the gift made him feel... genuinely honored.
Richelieu, who stood not far away, finally spoke up.
"So, where are the other members of the Demon Slayer Corps now?"
After Muzan's death, the demons had vanished from the world. With their main enemy gone, the Demon Slayer Corps lost its purpose. Some of its members wandered the world in search of new meaning in life, while others returned to peaceful lives—farming, fishing, and starting families.
"The Swordsmith Village is gone, too," Kanae answered quietly.
"Without the demon threat, there's no more need for forging."
Kanae's gaze turned to the mega-structure harbor and the sprawling cityscape beyond. Her eyes widened slightly.
"This world… is very different."
Everything she saw—from the massive docks to the high-tech ships, from the metallic classic-futuristic architecture to the towering communication spires—looked like it came from another universe. A world she had never even imagined.
And amid all these unfamiliar things, one detail left her completely bewildered:
"Um… Lord Reuel, may I ask something?"
"Of course."
"Why… is there a chicken driving a tractor and farming over there? And that one… operating a train? And at the port… fishing? That's a chicken too, right? Are these… divine beings of this world… or am I hallucinating?"
Shinobu and Kanao stared at the creatures with a mix of awe and horror.
One manjuu wore a hard hat and expertly maneuvered an excavator. Another stood atop a bucket, reeling in a fishing line. In the distance, yet another manjuu directed cargo traffic like a seasoned logistics officer.
Reuel simply chuckled softly.
"Welcome… to Terra Aeterna."