Unified Year 1932.
Late autumn sunlight poured through the towering windows of the Imperial General Staff Headquarters in Berun, bathing the office in a warm golden glow.
The war was over.
Gone were the thunderous barrages that had once shaken continents.
Gone were the screams of soldiers dying beneath artillery fire, the smell of burned flesh lingering after magical bombardments, and the endless reports of casualties that had defined an entire generation.
Only silence remained.
A calm, civilized silence.
The crackling fireplace emitted a gentle warmth.
The scent of burning fruitwood mixed with the fragrance of imported black tea, creating an atmosphere that most officers would have considered luxurious.
To Tanya von Degurechaff, it was paradise.
Behind a massive mahogany desk sat a small blonde girl whose appearance was utterly incompatible with her position.
Her golden hair was neatly tied behind her head.
Emerald-blue eyes scanned a stack of reports with ruthless concentration.
The rank insignia decorating her uniform represented a position that countless military officers could only dream of attaining.
Deputy Chief of the Operations Staff.
The very heart of the Imperial Army General Staff.
The nerve center that directed the Empire’s military, economic, and strategic policies.
A position infinitely superior to the battlefield.
Most importantly—
A position far away from bullets.
Tanya lifted her fountain pen and calmly signed another document.
“Request denied.”
The report was tossed aside.
“Resource allocation for civilian reconstruction exceeds projected returns by 11.7 percent.
Revise and resubmit.”
Another document.
“Approved.”
Another.
“Rejected.”
Each decision was precise.
Cold.
Efficient.
Completely free of sentiment.
Exactly as expected of Tanya von Degurechaff.
After all, before becoming Tanya, she had been an elite salaryman in twenty-first-century Japan.
A rationalist.
An efficiency worshipper.
A believer in meritocracy.
Someone who understood that emotions were liabilities and that society functioned best when resources were allocated according to measurable value.
Unfortunately, that worldview had led to a confrontation with a disgruntled employee.
A confrontation that ended with him being pushed in front of an oncoming train.
Then came the encounter.
The being that called itself God.
The existence Tanya had chosen to name Being X.
A self-righteous cosmic busybody obsessed with forcing faith onto humanity.
Because she had refused to acknowledge its authority, it had reincarnated her into a world engulfed by war.
A world suspiciously similar to early twentieth-century Europe.
A world where magic existed.
A world where artillery, machine guns, and aerial mages slaughtered hundreds of thousands.
A world designed specifically to break her.
Instead, she had adapted.
She had climbed.
She had survived.
Against impossible odds, Tanya had risen from an orphaned child in the military academy to become one of the Empire’s most decorated heroes.
The Devil of the Rhine.
The White Silver.
Commander of the legendary 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion.
The monster whose name had become synonymous with victory.
Years of war.
Years of bloodshed.
Years spent dancing on the edge of death.
All for one goal.
Security.
A safe position.
A stable life.
A future where nobody could casually throw her onto another battlefield.
And now—
She had achieved it.
The Republic had fallen.
The Federation had collapsed.
The Commonwealth had finally accepted reality.
The Empire stood supreme.
No enemies remained capable of threatening Imperial dominance.
The continent had entered an unprecedented era of peace.
And Tanya had finally reached the destination she had spent two lifetimes pursuing.
A comfortable office.
A prestigious title.
Excellent benefits.
Zero chance of being shot at.
Perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
A faint smile appeared on Tanya’s face.
A rare occurrence.
One that would have horrified every subordinate who had ever served under her.
She gently placed her teacup on its saucer and gazed outside.
The capital stretched endlessly beneath a clear sky.
No air raid sirens.
No anti-aircraft fire.
No strategic bombing.
Just peace.
True peace.
At long last.
‘Finally.’
Her shoulders relaxed.
For the first time in years, she felt genuinely at ease.
‘No battlefield reports.’
‘No emergency mobilizations.’
‘No insane orders from politicians.’
‘No enemy artillery.’
Most importantly—
‘No Being X.’
The thought alone improved her mood considerably.
A vacation sounded appealing.
Perhaps a mountain resort.
Perhaps a spa retreat.
Perhaps spending several weeks doing absolutely nothing.
A dream worthy of a successful bureaucrat.
Then—
Something changed.
Instantly.
The warmth vanished.
The air froze.
The flames inside the fireplace stopped moving.
Not diminished.
Stopped.
The drifting smoke became motionless.
The sunlight froze in place.
The world itself had halted.
Tanya’s smile disappeared.
Every muscle in her body tightened.
A familiar sensation gripped her soul.
An overwhelming pressure she had hoped never to experience again.
Her expression darkened.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
“…”
Without hesitation, she reached for the pistol holstered beneath her desk.
The weapon cleared leather.
A shot rang out.
Bang.
The bullet traveled several meters—
Then stopped.
Frozen in midair.
Time itself refused to move.
The bullet rotated lazily before her eyes.
Tanya stared at it.
Then sighed.
A deep, exhausted sigh.
“…Damn you.”
The pistol returned to its holster.
Only one being could accomplish something this absurd.
Only one being possessed both the power and the arrogance.
Being X.
A brilliant light appeared in the center of the room.
The shape gradually condensed into a familiar silhouette.
Tanya’s expression immediately twisted with undisguised hostility.
“I see you’re still alive.”
The radiant figure spoke calmly.
“I could say the same thing.”
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
Being X ignored the insult.
“You still refuse faith.”
Tanya laughed.
A sharp, mocking laugh.
“Faith?”
She slammed both hands against the desk.
The impact echoed through the frozen office.
“You threw me into a world war.”
“You repeatedly placed me in situations where death was statistically inevitable.”
“You forced me onto battlefields before I was old enough to legally drink.”
“You manipulated circumstances every time I achieved stability.”
“And now you’re asking about faith?”
Her eyes burned with fury accumulated over more than a decade.
“You don’t want faith.”
“You want obedience.”
“You want validation.”
“You want humanity to kneel.”
Being X remained silent.
Tanya continued.
“I survived because of my own efforts.”
“I studied.”
“I fought.”
“I bled.”
“I earned every promotion.”
“I won every battle.”
“The Empire’s victory wasn’t your achievement.”
“It was mine.”
For a moment, the room fell silent.
Then Being X spoke.
“You continue to misunderstand.”
“Oh, spare me.”
“You have yet to acknowledge the existence of God.”
“And I never will.”
The answer came immediately.
Without hesitation.
Without fear.
Without doubt.
Tanya stepped forward.
The magical computation jewel hanging from her neck emitted a faint glow.
Raw magical power surged through the room.
The Type 95 responded to her rage.
Golden light flickered around her body.
Her eyes shone with murderous intent.
“You hear me, Being X?”
Her voice trembled with hatred.
“I won.”
“I survived.”
“I achieved everything you tried to prevent.”
“I built my future with my own hands.”
“I proved that humanity doesn’t need your guidance.”
The smile on her face became savage.
“So get out of my life.”
For several seconds, neither side spoke.
Then Being X sighed.
A disappointed sigh.
“A stubborn soul.”
Tanya’s expression worsened.
She knew that tone.
Every time Being X used that tone, disaster followed.
Then came the words she least wanted to hear.
“Therefore, I shall provide another opportunity.”
The blood drained from Tanya’s face.
“…What?”
The smile vanished.
For the first time since the conversation began—
She felt genuine fear.
Being X raised a hand.
“Another world.”
Tanya’s pupils contracted.
“No.”
“Another life.”
“No!”
“Another trial.”
“NO—!!”
Time resumed.
Reality shattered.
An overwhelming force engulfed her existence.
The office.
The General Staff Headquarters.
Her rank.
Her authority.
Her carefully secured future.
Everything was ripped away.
Like sand scattered before a hurricane.
Her body began to disintegrate.
Her consciousness was torn free from reality itself.
More than a decade of struggle.
More than a decade of survival.
More than a decade spent clawing her way toward safety.
Gone.
Destroyed in an instant.
Because of him.
Because of Being X.
Because that wretched god simply refused to leave her alone.
“I curse you!
I curse you to the ends of the earth!!
No matter where you throw me, I will live again!
I will regain my peace!!
I will chop you up and turn you into pig feed—!!”
His last consciousness was swallowed by endless darkness.