Chapter 286: War Against Hell
As for how the celestial palace would be built, there were actually no major technical obstacles.
Anti-gravity engines, unlimited energy, and the artificial ecosystem that could be created once the artificial sun was completed—none of those posed a serious problem.
Besides, the palace itself was being built for Matthew.
Even if it eventually housed maids and other attendants in ordinary clothing, their physical abilities would already be far beyond those of normal humans.
Simply living there would not be an issue.
They could also construct magical barriers and combine multiple other systems to support it.
“There’s no need to rush the celestial palace,” Matthew said, waving his hand dismissively. “Before building it, I can find someone to borrow a few ideas from.”
He had always liked taking advantage of whatever useful resources were available, and this time was no different.
When it came to large-scale construction technology, Terra could hardly compare with Asgard.
There was no need to begin until he had gathered enough useful ideas and technology.
“Understood.”
“With the war imminent, go make your preparations. You will be the main force this time.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Matthew’s figure gradually faded away, leaving only Reacher and Natasha behind.
As the appointed hour drew closer, all 6,800 soldiers of Terra’s Astartes, Raven Guard, and Grey Knights assembled.
The Astartes wore dark-blue power armor and helmets, each soldier powerfully built and nearly two meters tall.
The Raven Guard were the smallest of the three forces, but every soldier was tall and striking, dressed in their distinctive red coats.
Finally came the Grey Knights, battle-brothers clad in fitted black armor beneath hooded coats.
More than six thousand soldiers stood together, each possessing physical strength exceeding one hundred tons and having awakened all three forms of Haki.
When so many powerful beings gathered in one place, their combined presence seemed to weigh down the atmosphere itself, making the air feel oppressive and heavy.
They had assembled in front of Novi Grad City Hall, where the enormous plaza was packed with people.
Among them were Skye and Wanda, neither of whom technically belonged to the three warbands and therefore should not have been standing there.
Numerous aerial cameras surrounded the area, recording everything from above and broadcasting the footage live across Terra.
The war had been deliberately presented this way—not only to temper the soldiers of the three warbands, but also to let Terra’s citizens and the rest of the world witness it.
Terra could not unify Earth immediately, but it could begin winning the hearts of its people in advance.
Reacher, Natasha, Kalra, and the rest of Terra’s senior leadership intended to use this war to send a message to every nation and every people on Earth.
There was one thing they wanted the entire world to understand:
Terra was destined to become the dominant power on Earth.
Unlike countries such as the United States, Terra was a power truly capable of protecting the planet.
They wanted the world to see what real threats and real crises actually looked like.
“Oh my God, so those earlier reports were actually true?”
Across the world, people in countless countries watched the broadcast on their phones, through social media, and on television.
National leaders had also called emergency meetings to watch the event unfold.
Ordinary people reacted with curiosity and excitement.
Those in power, however, felt something very different—tension.
They had no idea why Terra had suddenly begun releasing information like this, why it had allowed such extensive filming, or why the three warbands had been assembled.
Was Terra preparing to begin formal expansion?
The possibility seemed very real.
Terra had already developed at an astonishing pace, and its population was still growing constantly.
If they put themselves in the Emperor’s position—commanding soldiers this powerful while personally possessing the strength of a living god—could anyone really remain restrained for this long?
Most rulers would have begun imposing their will on others long ago.
Beyond the political leadership, intelligence agencies across numerous countries were also mobilizing analysts to record and study the footage.
But the moment they saw the formations, many of them were stunned.
How many people were there?
The answer was easy to calculate. The troops stood in perfectly organized formations, making it simple to estimate the combined strength of the three legions.
More than 6,800 warriors.
Compared with modern great powers, whose armies numbered in the hundreds of thousands or even millions, that figure seemed tiny.
But these 6,800 were not ordinary soldiers.
Every one of them was a superhuman combatant with immense destructive power. Any single soldier could potentially tear through a fully equipped modern military force backed by land, sea, and air support.
Calling them spaceborne soldiers would be just as accurate.
They had truly surpassed the limits of Earth, possessing the strength to fight beyond the planet.
“What exactly are they planning?”
“Fuck, they’re not about to declare war on us, are they?”
“Probably not us. We don’t have anything worth taking. The Emperor might not even consider us important enough.”
“Has the military been mobilized?”
“If they really do start a war, I think surrendering would be the best option. Joining Terra doesn’t sound bad either. I heard their healthcare benefits are incredible.”
“Yeah. There’s some kind of medical serum being sold to the wealthy right now, and apparently it came from Terra.”
While countless discussions like these spread across the world, the broadcast suddenly changed.
Reacher appeared wearing magnificent golden armor, completely different from the standard Astartes power armor. Although it possessed many of the same functions, its design clearly reflected his status as Supreme War Commander.
He and Natasha stood at the front of the formation.
Reacher held his helmet beneath one arm and looked across the soldiers of the three warbands, his gaze passing over pair after pair of eyes.
There was no fear in them.
Only a terrifying hunger for battle.
His voice carried clearly to everyone present.
“We were born human, and once, we knew nothing of what existed beyond Earth—powerful alien civilizations, demons, and beings from other dimensions. To those creatures, humanity was nothing more than insects, vermin, livestock waiting to be slaughtered. They consumed human flesh and toyed with human souls.
“Perhaps we were weak once—but that weakness is gone. We are Terra. Under the guidance of the supreme Emperor, we have surpassed the fragile limitations of human genetics. We now possess power that humanity once could never have imagined, yet those bastards still refuse to take us seriously.
“So we need war. We will declare to the world, to the universe, to hell itself, and to every dimension beyond it that we are no longer weak. We will wash away the crimes they committed against us with the blood of our enemies.
“And it begins today—with hell.
“Are you ready to raise your weapons and take the heads of our enemies?”
Reacher’s voice had begun calm and measured, but it steadily rose in intensity until his final words became a roar.
It struck the assembled soldiers—and everyone watching the broadcast—like thunder. His speech awakened something deep within them: anger. Yes, they had every reason to be angry.
Why should humanity be treated as prey by monsters? Why should Earth, their home, be treated like nothing more than a hunting ground for creatures from beyond?