Lili saw only a blinding flash—then nothing.
For a moment, she thought it was the end. But her essence, a core of pure light, could not be undone so easily.
She was flung skyward, thrown free from her shattered body as the grenade detonated. Through the swirling dust and fire below, she watched in eerie detachment as her former limbs were torn apart, the explosion ripping the hulking figure's head clean off. Infected too close to the blast were obliterated in the shockwave, their twisted forms crumbling into the dirt.
Yet none of it mattered.
"Where is the Sergeant?"
The question burned within her, and as if drawn by that single thought, her core of light surged forward.
She shot past the wreckage, weaving through the towering figures of infected and diseased giants. The burning freighter and ruined spaceport fell away beneath her, swallowed by the cold and gray nuclear winter. Higher she flew, rising past the churning clouds of ash, until the world below became but a wasteland of storms.
Then, the pull came.
Something in the sky, something above the clouds, called to her. A force like a magnet yanked her upwards, faster and faster.
Lightning cracked in the dense storm, illuminating a figure of radiant light.
For the briefest moment, she saw him—a fair, noble face, worn with age and wisdom. From his back sprouted mighty, angelic wings, their luminous glow piercing through the dark. His hands reached for her, desperation in his golden eyes.
"Wait!" the being cried. "Your destiny is not there, my child! You must return to the path! Guide your people to their fate!"
But Lili veered away, dodging his grasp with the ease of a playful breeze.
"No! I have to save the Sergeant! I didn't even get to ask his name!"
She shot past the clouds, breaking through the atmosphere. Beyond, in the endless dark of space, she could feel him.
His soul.
A small, flickering light drifting away from the ruined planet. Floating, slowly rising beyond the solar system, beyond the reach of the living.
With renewed urgency, she flew.
Faster than thought, faster than light.
Then—danger.
An instinctual shiver raced through her being, and just in time, she twisted left.
A crackling bolt of golden lightning tore past her, the angelic being within it, his form wreathed in power.
"Don't do this!" he called again, voice both commanding and pleading. "Your fate is greater than his! Billions of lives hang in the balance!"
But Lili didn't stop.
"Sorry, angel, but I have to save the Sergeant. He's so close—I can feel him!"
Then, she saw it.
A small, gray light, fragile and dim against the infinite void.
Without hesitation, she reached him.
From her luminous form, tendrils of white light unfurled, wrapping gently around the fading soul. She poured her energy into it, watching as its dull grayness slowly brightened.
"Don't worry, Sergeant. I'm not letting you go."
She held him close, whispering into his silent, sleeping essence.
"As a future medic of the Imperium, it's my duty to heal you."
But then—
A presence.
The danger returned, stronger than before.
Near the distant sun, the angelic being gathered his power once more, his radiance now fierce, his patience spent.
Lili barely had time to react before the flash came again, striking with impossible speed.
Suddenly, she was ensnared.
The being's massive hands of light gripped her tightly, holding her fast.
"Damn it, girl!" he growled, frustration in his voice. "Let go! His fate is sealed—yours lies elsewhere!"
He pulled, trying to wrench the Sergeant's soul from her grasp.
But Lili held on, every fiber of her being resisting.
"No way! I'll never let him go!"
Yet the being's strength was overwhelming. Bit by bit, her hold weakened. Her tendrils of light trembled, slipping against his divine grip.
And then—
The angel let go.
But instead of taking the Sergeant, he withdrew his hand and pulled back, preparing to cast her away.
"Now, child, return. Go back in time and change your fate, as you were meant to. See to it that humanity resists—"
Lili didn't hear the rest.
Because at that moment, something happened that neither she nor the angel expected.
A single tendril of light—small, faint, yet determined—extended from the Sergeant's soul.
And it wrapped around hers.
Her eyes widened.
The angel's did too.
"No... why would you do this?" he whispered, stunned.
Before he could intervene, the bond between them solidified.
And then—
They fell.
Together.
The angel's voice echoed behind them, fading into the void.
"Why, my child...?"
Lili barely had time to wonder.
As she clung to the Sergeant's soul, they plummeted back toward the world below.
The planet of Achios loomed before them, but something was different.
It was changing.
Green swept across the surface, rolling back the decay. Smoke unwound, folding in reverse. Time itself seemed to bend and twist, unraveling the disaster that had just unfolded.
But their path shifted.
She pulled the Sergeant closer, desperate to keep hold of him—
And the action altered their course.
They shot past Achios, missing the planet entirely, and together they flung deeper into the endless reaches of space.
Into the unknown.
And as they flew, Lili caught one last glimpse of the angelic being. It reached for them again, its form flickering, its radiance dimming as if drained of its strength.
Then—just like that—it vanished.
They were alone.
Lili held onto the Sergeant's soul tightly as they streaked through space, stars blurring past in a dizzying cascade of light. She could feel something shifting within him, the faintest stirrings of life returning.
"Sarge, can you hear me?"
Her voice was soft, hopeful. She willed him to wake up, pouring every bit of warmth she could into him.
Then—gravity returned.
They slowed, their course bending, pulling them toward a peaceful blue planet below. There were no fleets, no satellites, no signs of the Imperium. Just sprawling green landscapes, winding rivers, and thick forests stretching under a gentle veil of white clouds.
They pierced the atmosphere like a whisper of light, slipping through the clouds unseen.
Below, nestled along the banks of a long river, was a town unlike any Lili had ever seen. No towering hive-cities, no steel walls—just a small, quiet town surrounded by fields and rolling hills.
But the seeming peace there was but an illusion.
On the southern banks of the River, an army marched in large columns—a force tens of thousands strong, moving like a rolling tide toward the town's lower half. Their dark blue woolen jackets stood in sharp contrast against the bright red of their trousers, brass buttons glinting in the afternoon sun. Black leather boots pounded against the earth, their long cylindrical kepis bobbing above the sea of marching men.
They moved into the northern side of the town in thick, neet formations. Their rifles were slung over shoulders, bayonets fixed, and backpacks swaying with every step. Among them rolled cannons, their iron muzzles dull with soot, drawn by sweating horses as artillery crews scrambled to set up firing positions on the outskirts of the town.
Ahead of them lay the small town, split cleanly in two by the River. Three sturdy stone bridges spanned its waters, connecting the soon to be occupied southern district to the northern half, where seemingly their enemy stood waiting.
Unlike the advancing army, the defenders uniforms were darker, more austere: deep blue coats, pale sky-blue trousers, and distinctive pickelhaube helmets adorned with iron spikes. The defenders all gathered at the northern side of the town, and clung there to the town's cobblestone streets and stone buildings. They were hidden behind windows, in alleyways, and behind hastily erected barricades.
Then as Lili holding onto Sarge fell lower, ever closer to the surface, some ways away from the town, and close to the riverbank, she then heard it.
On the advancing armies side, top a small hill overlooking the town, there to Lilis surprise what looked like a young teenage boy, well dressed in a fancy dark blue army uniform, a prince possibly if Lili had to guess, he fired the first cannon that let out a loud roar.
A plume of smoke erupted from it, followed by the deafening shriek of an actual metal ball, and not a shell, but an actual metal ball that flew with great speed cutting through the air. It smashed into a rooftop near the bridge, sending stone and debris cascading into the street, not hurting anyone or hitting anything of value by the looks of it.
But despite this the battle had nonetheless seemingly then begun in earnest.
For instantly after that, the first waves of the advancing army surged forward into the town with loud yells that she couldn't understand.
"En avant! Vive l'Empereur!"
Without any resistance they stormed into the town, but soon stopped before the bridges. There their old, almost wooden looking rifles raised to point at the defenders, as their boots struck the weathered stone of the street bringing them to an halt. They seemed to be forming into lines ready to fire, but even still they seemingly refused to fire until fully formed.
But quickly in response volley after volley rang out from the defenders in the town, sharp cracks rolling over the river like distant thunder.
The advancing armies men began to then fall.
Some just fell screaming onto the hard stone street's, while some charged and soon began toppling into the cold waters below, their bodies vanishing beneath the current. Others simply collapsed on the bridges, clutching their wounds as their comrades scrambled over them, pressing the assault. Smoke thickened, and to Lili the whole thing seemed like the attacking men had totally lost their minds.
And yet they continued to charge, and the defenders continued to hold.
Then from the attacker's side more cannons roared out, and soon began pounding the town's southern part, their own part. They actually began killing their own men, and totally missing the defenders. Buildings crumbled onto the mass of attacker's below, fires spread and some men caught fire, and soon their moral broke and the attacker's found themselves forced to withdraw.
In response the defenders cheered, the enemies cannons causing their retreat seemingly being a hilarious thing for them. But in Lili's eyes it all just seemed like total madness.
Having seen it all before her descent, Lili's stomach twisted.
She couldn't understand any of it. Humans fighting humans? Was it a civil war?
Her mind raced with confusion. Why were they dressed like that? Their uniforms were so bright, their movements so slow. The men on the bridges—why weren't they taking cover? The ones in spiked helmets—why such simple armor? None of it made sense.
Before she could dwell on it, she and the Sergeant crashed down near the riverbank, their forms flickering with radiant energy.
And then—her body began to take shape once more.
Lili gasped as warmth spread through her, limbs forming, bones knitting together. Golden strands of hair tumbled down her back, her skin becoming soft yet firm, her petite frame reforming exactly as it had been. She felt smaller again, lighter—the familiar body of her six-year-old self.
And then—
She turned to the Sergeant.
He was changing too.
At first, the energy shaped him into something familiar, but then—something unexpected happened.
Instead of returning to his old, hardened form, his body reshaped into a much shorter, softer figure. Slender limbs. Delicate curves. A narrow waist. Hips like that of Lili's own. Fair skin, smooth and untouched by war.
Then, the most shocking detail—long blonde hair spilled down his back, framing a cute, youthful face with large, expressive deep blue eyes. A button nose. Full cheeks. A gentle, almost angelic softness.
The Sergeant had become… a girl.
Lili's eyes went wide.
No longer the grizzled warrior, he—no, she—was now a beautiful six-year-old girl with a flat chest, hardly any muscles, Sarge was actually cute now without boy part's. Sarge looked just like her, Sarge had seemingly become a copy of her, Sarge had become like Lili's very own twin sister.
And then—
Gravity took hold, and they dropped like rocks.
"Iikh!" Lili squeaked, landing with an unceremonious thump.
"Kyaahh, nooooo!"
The Sergeant yelped in a high-pitched, undeniably girlish scream before crashing down beside her.
For a moment, all was still.
Then, Lili scrambled to her knees, staring at the Sergeant—her newly transformed, undeniably adorable twin.
Her six-year-old mind short-circuited with excitement.
"Oh my God, Sarge, you're so cute now!" she gasped. "Were like, were like sister's now, right! Were twins forever!"
The Sergeant froze.
Slowly, she lifted her hands—only to realize they were far too small. Too delicate.
Her breath hitched.
Then, instinctively, she covered her chest, her face burning red.
"W-Wa—What did you say?!" she stammered. "I—I don't have my muscles anymore! Where is my fucking pecks! I'm a—"
She swallowed hard, hands shaking.
"I'm a… I'm a… MAN?!
Her voice cracked into a soft, helpless squeak.
Lili, unable to contain herself, burst into giggles.
The Sergeant—former battle-hardened warrior of the Imperium—was now an adorable little girl.
And she was not handling it well.
And as if suddenly realizing something dreadful, the Sergeant's delicate hands shot up to her face. She touched her soft cheeks, ran her fingers down her slender neck, then hesitantly moved her hands to her flat chest—
And froze.
Wide-eyed, she cupped her nonexistent but girlish chest, feeling the unmistakable softness beneath her palms. Panic set in, her breath quickening, her gaze dropping lower—lower—until, trembling, her hands darted between her legs.
Her face turned white.
"What the hell—!?" she gasped, eyes bulging in sheer horror. "Where's my pride—my fucking dick?! No, no, no, this can't be happening!" Her voice—shrill, undeniably feminine—only added to the nightmare. "Wait, why do I sound like a girl?! Lili, what the hell did you do to me?!"
Lili, still completely naked and unbothered, jumped to her feet, proudly slapping a small hand against her flat chest.
"I saved you, Sarge!" she declared triumphantly. "I did exactly what you always told me a medic should do!"
The Sergeant blinked in disbelief. "You—you what?"
"Believe it or not, I actually managed to blow myself up with a grenade, and then, in my dead state, I found your soul!" Lili explained, beaming with pride. "Somehow, I managed to bring you back!"
She held out her arms, as if expecting applause.
The Sergeant, however, was too busy hyperventilating to appreciate the miracle. Her hands returned to her chest, then her hips, then her thighs, as if desperately searching for some sign that this was all a cruel illusion.
Lili, meanwhile, finally took in their surroundings. The river flowed calmly behind them, its surface shimmering under the bright sun. Fields stretched far into the horizon, broken only by scattered trees and distant hills. Beyond the fields stood the town—its rooftops rising in jagged silhouettes against the sky, thick smoke curling from burning buildings. The sound of gunfire echoed across the valley, mixed with distant shouts and the thunderous boom of cannons.
Her head tilted slightly.
"Umm…" She tapped her chin in thought. "I don't know where we are, Sarge. But I saw people in the town killing each other, so that means there probably aren't any infected around, right?" She spun in a slow circle, marveling at the vibrant scenery. "There's grass, trees, water, puffy white clouds, a big blue sky, and no infected. That means we're safe!"
She nodded to herself, quite pleased with her logic.
The Sergeant, however, barely heard her. She had fallen into a stunned silence, her hands running up and down her body in disbelief. Hesitantly, she pinched her own soft, round cheek.
"Ack—ow!" She recoiled, clutching her face. "That hurt! That actually hurt! What the hell…?" Her hands balled into fists, her new, delicate knuckles turning white. "No way. No fucking way. What the fuck?!"
And then, as if her brain finally short-circuited from sheer overload, she collapsed forward onto the grass, her forehead pressing into the cool earth.
Lili blinked in surprise.
"Sarge?"
No response.
Curious, Lili crouched down beside her, tentatively placing a small hand on the Sergeant's trembling back. The moment their skin touched, she felt it—a familiar warmth.
Lili's blue eyes widened.
Inside the Sergeant's chest, she could feel something—something bright. A soft, pulsing light, almost identical to her own. It was faint but unmistakably there, resonating warmly beneath her palm.
She gasped.
"Sarge!" She rubbed slow circles on the Sergeant's back, excitement creeping into her voice. "You're not just a girl now—you have a piece of my core inside you!"
The Sergeant barely stirred.
Lili continued, her tone shifting into encouragement. "That means you can be a King now, no a Planetary King, and twice as fast with my help! And—and we can even build a huge strawberry farm together! With strawberries even bigger than the ones in the Metro!"
The Sergeant's shoulders twitched.
For a long moment, she just lay there, silent, her forehead still pressed against the ground. Then, slowly, she turned over and stared at her open palms.
The warmth Lili had given her sparked to life, and before their eyes, a soft glow formed in the Sergeant's hands—faint, uncertain, but undeniably real.
She sucked in a sharp breath.
Her pupils dilated.
Lili cheered. "Yay! See? Now you can grow strawberries too!"
The Sergeant's glowing hands clenched into fists—snuffing out the light. But when she looked up again, her expression had completely changed.
Gone was the panic.
Gone was the despair.
Instead, a slow, devious grin spread across her face.
"This…" Her voice trembled with excitement. "This is great."
Her grin widened.
"No, this is fantastic!"
Before Lili could react, the Sergeant suddenly shuffled forward on her knees, grabbing Lili's small shoulders in a firm, eager grip.
"Do you get it, Lili?!" Her blue eyes gleamed. "Me and you—we're going to be Kings!"
Lili blinked. "Queens," she corrected automatically.
The Sergeant ignored her.
"Once we get stronger, we won't just be Kings—we'll be richer than anyone in the Imperium!" She gestured wildly, her voice rising with excitement. "We'll create the greatest, most productive agricultural world imaginable! We'll sell food for insane amounts of credits! And not just any food—our food will heal people! And it'll make most medical technology obsolete!"
She threw her arms into the air, practically vibrating with enthusiasm.
"We'll be like gods!"
Lili stared, her small face blank.
The Sergeant's grin stretched even wider. "And the people will love us for it!"
Silence.
A single breeze rolled through the field, rustling the grass.
Then—
"Sarge…" Lili hesitated, her brows furrowing. "You mean Queens, right? Planetary Queens and Goddesses?" She pointed at the Sergeant's still-bare chest. "I mean, you're not a boy anymore, right?"
The Sergeant's manic grin twitched, her confidence faltered. She glanced down at herself again—at her undeniably girly frame—then at Lili's equally naked form. A shadow of doubt flickered across her face.
But then, with practiced arrogance, she straightened, flicking her long blonde hair back as if it was of no consequence. She planted her hands on her hips and declared,
"Don't jump to conclusions, Lili. We just arrived here, and there's no telling what form our bodies might still grow into. After all, we are not mere mortals bound by the limits of biology. We are something beyond man or woman. Soon, we shall be gods."
Lili's mouth fell open slightly.
That sounded really smart.
Maybe she wasn't a girl or a boy either? Maybe she was something like that glowing angelic being of light? The thought sent a spark of excitement through her.
Meanwhile, the Sergeant finally turned her attention to their surroundings. Her sharp eyes swept over the town in the distance, where the shouts of men and the crackling of gunfire rang out. Smoke curled into the sky, the scent of burning wood and gunpowder carried on the wind.
Then, she noticed something else.
Past an open field of rich black soil, a dirt road stretched toward a weathered wooden signpost. The writing on the sign wasn't in the High Imperial script. To Lili, the letters might as well have been strange numbers.
But the Sergeant squinted and muttered, "Saarbrücken…?"
And for a moment, she simply stood there, taking it in. Then, with newfound purpose, she looked down at her own bare figure, then at Lili's, and swiftly formulated a plan.
"Alright, Lili. I have no idea where we are," she admitted bluntly. "However, as per Imperial basic protocol, what do we do when stranded on an unfamiliar planet that may not be within the Imperium's sphere of influence?"
Lili tapped a finger to her chin, searching her memory. Then, her eyes brightened as she eagerly recited,
"Mmm! We should stay calm, assess the situation, activate emergency beacons if possible, seek shelter, water, and food! Avoid detection and stay hidden! We should also use navigation tools to find an escape route back to friendly territory. If that's not possible, we should try to establish contact with the Imperium and wait for rescue. But most of all—" She puffed up her chest, her voice taking on a dramatic tone. "If capture is imminent, we must not give away any vital information! Instead, we must fight to the last breath and die in glorious combat!"
The Sergeant nodded approvingly. "Very good, my little student. You've memorized the basics well."
Lili grinned at the praise.
"But—" the Sergeant continued, raising a finger, "this is a special situation." She gestured down at their severely unclothed bodies. "We have no ship, no weapons, no pursuers—at least, none that we can see. Which means we must adapt."
She smirked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"We will become one with the local population."
Lili tilted her head. "Huh?"
"You will be my little brother Jin. I will be your big brother Jen."
Lili gasped. "Brothers?"
"Yes. From now on we are the Jen-Jin brothers—two lost war orphans caught in the chaos of battle. It's a flawless disguise," the Sergeant declared confidently.
Lili's face lit up with delight. "Ohhh! I get it! We're playing pretend!" She straightened her back and saluted, her small frame vibrating with excitement. "Yes, big brother Jen! I, little brother Jin, understand!"
The Sergeant gave a satisfied nod. "Good. Now, let's find some damn clothes."
And with that, the two completely naked, newly christened Jen-Jin brothers took off running toward the war-torn town, ready to find some clothes, blend in, and figure out what the hell was going on.
Farther away, at a farmhouse on the outskirts of town, a young boy had been watching the battle unfold with wide eyes. He was used to seeing soldiers—his father had warned him about the war—but what he saw now made his jaw drop.
With a trembling hand, he pointed toward the fields.
"D-Dad! Look! There are naked girls running over there!"
His father, along with the rest of the family, rushed to the window, pressing their faces against the glass. Sure enough, two completely naked girls sprinted across the open field.
They gasped as the girls darted into a backyard—their neighbor's backyard—where clothes hung on a drying line. Without hesitation, the girls grabbed a set of boy's clothing and began dressing right then and there.
And they weren't just putting on any clothes.
Dark blue military-style uniforms. Knee-length pants, polished black leather shoes, plain white shirts, and short military jackets. They even pulled on black leather gloves, completing the look.
The family watched in stunned silence.
"What… what kind of wild girls are those?" the mother whispered.
The father shook his head, unable to answer. He had seen many strange things in war, but this? This was new.
But none of them dared to leave the safety of their home. Not with the crackling of gunfire echoing through the town.
Lili and the Sergeant, blissfully unaware of their audience, barely paid attention to what they were wearing. The white undergarments felt fine, but the stiff military jackets? Weird.
No time to think about that now, though.
The Sergeant grabbed Lili's hand and led her deeper into the town.
As they moved through the narrow streets, more and more people peeked out from windows. Low brick and stone houses lined the roads, their occupants whispering amongst themselves.
Then, a voice called out.
"Hey, girls! What are you doing out there? It's dangerous! Come inside—you can hide here until the battle passes!"
More voices followed, all offering shelter.
The Sergeant, visibly annoyed, shouted back, "We're fine! And we're boys, not girls!"
This only made the townsfolk more confused.
Lili, sensing the Sergeant needed backup, puffed out her chest and added in her soft, very not-boyish voice,
"Yeah! We're big scary men with big pipis! Believe it!"
The Sergeant immediately turned to glare at her.
"Shut up, Lili."
Lili shut up.
Still, the people didn't seem convinced. Murmurs of disbelief spread, but the two girls-pretending-to-be-boys ignored them and pressed on.
They reached the outskirts of the battle.
The closer they got to the bridge, the more chaotic the streets became. Barricades had been thrown up—makeshift defenses stacked with crates, overturned carts, and sandbags. Spiked-helmeted soldiers manned the first defensive line, crouching behind cover with rifles ready. Others had taken positions in the surrounding buildings, firing from windows and rooftops.
The battle had reached a stalemate.
Lili peeked around a corner, and her stomach churned.
The bridge was a graveyard.
Bodies in red trousers littered the stone. Some slumped against the barricades, others sprawled across the bridge itself. The men in spiked helmets had taken heavy casualties too—wounded soldiers lay groaning behind cover, clutching at bloodied limbs.
Lili's hands clenched into fists.
She didn't understand why these people were killing each other. It was awful.
But the Sergeant?
She was grinning.
Lili turned, horrified. "Sarge…?"
"Hah! Zee that white flag with the black eagle?" The Sergeant pointed to the banner waving above the defenders' position. "It's not the two-headed eagle, but I'd bet my last ration bar it belongs to some Imperial regiment."
Lili blinked. "Imperial? You mean… our Imperium?"
"Something like it," the Sergeant mused. Then, with sudden intensity, she grabbed Lili's hand and pulled her back behind the corner.
"Listen up, Lili. If anyone asks who you are, you say you're Jin, my little brother, and a war orphan. Got it?"
Lili nodded rapidly.
"Good. Because we're going in."
Lili's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"
The Sergeant grinned, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"We're gonna join the fight. But not as riflemen—" she smirked, "—as medics."
Lili nodded even faster, not fully understanding but trusting Sarge's confidence.
The Sergeant continued, "We'll start by helping the men with spiky helmets. We'll earn their trust, heal them up—discreetly—and make a name for ourselves. The Jen and Jin brothers will become legendary medics."
Lili frowned. "But why can't we just tell them we have healing magic? Wouldn't that be better?"
The Sergeant's eyes darkened.
"There's no telling what these people might do if they knew how powerful we really are." She crossed her arms. "For now, we keep it subtle. We heal them while applying bandages, use small bursts of magic—just enough to help, but not enough to raise suspicion."
Lili still didn't quite get it, but if Sarge said it was important, then it had to be.
"Alright, big brother Jen," she said, nodding determinedly. "Let's do it."
And with that, the Jen-Jin brothers stepped onto the battlefield, ready to carve their names into history.