(Meme was made by me. Actually, it's my first meme I've ever made. Anyways, enjoy.)

(A/N#1: Full disclosure, Jason is a captain during the battle while Nelson is a 1st Lieutenant. They will be promoted to their current ranks in their bio later on.)

(A/N#2: Also, shout out to Kythsunenyko for letting me use some of his stuff for the story.)

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Brussels, Belgium

March 17th, 2035

7:49am, Central European Time

3rd Person POV

It was a normal day in the City of Brussels. Everyone is rushing to work, tourists roaming around the city, the usual. The only thing that is unusual is the two Marines walking in the city. One is from the United States Marine Corps, and the other is from one of the US' Asian allies: The United Republics of Southeast Asia. The American Marine has dark brown hair, natural beige skin, and striking blue eyes; while the Southeast Asian Marine has black hair, hazel brown eyes, and almond brown skin. Their names are Jason Emile Hayes (US Marine) and Nelson Toshiaki Halsey (Southeast Asian Marine). Both Marines are headed for the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also known as NATO. Why, you may ask? For Jason, it's because he's part of the security department for the headquarters. As for Nelson, he's part of the security detail of URSEA's delegates and representatives currently present in NATO HQ. Both men met a few weeks ago, and immediately had a brotherly bond as they both have a lot in common. While on the way there, Jason decided to have some small talk with Nelson.

Jason: Hey. Nelson.

Nelson: Yeah?

Jason: Are you an anime fan?

Nelson: Of course, I am. Just not a very passionate one. How about you?

Jason: I'm also an anime fan. My favorite types of anime are Isekai, Action-adventure, even some Romance and Slice of life anime.

Nelson chuckles as the genres that Jason likes are also the same ones he likes. The only difference is that he also likes Mystery and Sports anime.

Nelson: Me too, my friend. Me too.

Both of them share a laugh as they make their way to NATO HQ. As the Marine duo reach the Rue de la Fusée, the road where their destination is, a large, gate-like structure appears on the other side of the road. Everyone in the area grabbed their phones to either record the event or call the police. The Marine duo started to suspect that something was wrong. A few minutes later, the police started arriving as they guide everyone near the structure away. SWAT units began arriving as some police officers started using their armored vehicles as makeshift barricades for the SWAT officers.

Jason: Bad feeling?

Nelson only nodded as both marines grabbed their guns: Two SIG Sauer M18 pistols for Jason; and two Glock 17s for Nelson. A few minutes later, a very large army walks out of the structure. In front of it was a man with a full helmet and wearing both armor and a coat that resembles those from Russia. The man then starts speaking in a really deep and authoritative voice.

Unknown Figure: People of the new world. Under the declaration of her majesty, the Tsaritsa; your land, as well as your people and contraptions, are now under the control of the nation of Snezhnaya and its military force; the Fatui. So, surrender or face the consequences.

Most people were confused as hell, while some of the SWAT officers were quietly laughing at this absurd declaration. However, some people (including Nelson) recognized both the army and the man commanding said army.

Nelson: Oh, shit. That's Il Capitano.

Jason: Who now?

Nelson looks at Jason with a deadpan expression.

Nelson: Dude. Seriously? Have you never heard of Genshin Impact?

Jason: Gacha games ain't my thing, bro. But I have heard of Genshin. Just not really interested in it. So who are they?

Nelson: That army you're seeing? It's known as the Fatui. A diplomatic and military organization set by the Cryo Archon known as the Tsaritsa. Some may call them a military, while others, myself included, call it a terrorist organization.

Jason: I see. So who's the guy leading this army of Fatui?

Nelson: That's Il Capitano, No.1 of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. You may think he's the leader of the Harbingers, but he's not. That title belongs to Pierro, Director of the Harbingers.

Jason: So what makes him dangerous?

Nelson: He has the power to kill gods with relative ease. In fact, the top 3 Harbingers, Pierro, and even the No.11, Tartaglia, have that kind of power.

Jason: Okay, so extremely dangerous.

The unknown man, now identified as Il Capitano, started shouting at the crowd.

Il Capitano: I'll tell all of you this one last time. You fools are now under our rule and privilege, you all shall be stripped from your rights as your weapons and will belong to us! The Tsaritsa orders you all to surrender, or die!

People started leaving quickly as many lightly-armed police officers guided them to safety. While that's happening, the SWAT officers started aiming their weapons at the Fatui army present in the area. Due to this, Capitano spoke in an eerily dark voice.

Capitano: No? It seems you have made your choice. And you chose it poorly. Everyone, attack!

The Fatui army behind Capitano starts attacking everyone they see as SWAT Teams start firing their weapons at the attackers. Jason and Nelson join the fray as they start shooting the attacking Fatui right in their heads. The first wave was shrinking fast, but the battle had just begun. Soon after, an even larger force of Fatui came out of the gate as they started to kill both police and SWAT officers. A Quick Reaction Force from the Belgian Military; totalling around 5,000 troops and 120 tanks, arrives to help the overwhelmed police force. But even that QRF wasn't enough as the Fatui started to overwhelm the QRF with either various elemental reactions or with the sheer amount of elemental attacks.

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Timeskip, the next day

12:50am, Central European Time

By the end of the day, the Fatui have managed to capture 85% of the city, which is around 16 of the 19 municipalities of Brussels. Within those captured parts, the Fatui stealing pieces of art, weapons & armor of dead police officers & military troops, and worst of all, captured civilians, officers, and troopers. They were taking them through the gate and towards their homeland, Snezhnaya, which is their world's version of Russia. A few holdouts are being defended by remnants of both the Brussels Police Department and the Belgian Military QRF, which also includes the Parlamentarium, the Lex Building, and the most important one out of all, NATO Headquarters.

While that was happening, both Jason and Nelson helped many civilians evacuate to NATO HQ as it was one of the most secure places in the city right now. As both of them arrived at the headquarters, they wore their gear and grabbed their weapons as they were ready to defend the place. Outside the HQ, many soldiers and marines hailing from multiple NATO countries and the United Republics of Southeast Asia had set up defenses around the HQ, from walls of sandbags with machine gun nests to even a squadron of M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tanks, to defend it from any future attacks orchestrated by the Fatui.

Jason: This is a goddamned mess!

Nelson: Tell me about it. 60% of the QRF was either killed, injured, or captured.

Jason: I just received the report about the civilian casualties. 9,200 civilians are either dead, injured, captured, or missing.

Nelson: Damn it. They're not giving up, that's for sure.

Jason: Couldn't have said it better.

Suddenly, a soldier from URSEA runs at the duo as he catches his breath.

Nelson: What's wrong, soldier?

URSEA Soldier: Sir! Another gate has appeared!

Nelson: Where?

URSEA Soldier: Manila Bay, sir!

Both marines widened their eyes as they couldn't believe what they just heard. Another gate has appeared in Manila Bay.

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Manila Bay, Philippines, United Republics of Southeast Asia

8:50am, Philippine Standard Time

Ever since the attack on Brussels, the nations allied to NATO have been on high alert. Japan, Australia, India, and Saudi Arabia have mobilized a huge portion of their military in case another gate-like structure appears in their territory. However, the United Republics of Southeast Asia are the most prepared for this in case China takes advantage of the already escalating situation. One of URSEA's founding member states, the Republic of the Philippines, has already deployed its navy, which is regarded as one of the largest and most powerful navies in the world. A large part of the Philippine Navy consists of modernized versions of WW2-era ships; even ships from the Axis Powers and ships that are sunk, scrapped, unfinished, sold, or just left to rot in the drawing board.

All that was possible due to the Zenif Wartime Corporation's little operation designated "Operation Mermaid", which in itself, is the precursor to NATO's own Operation Necromancer. In Manila Bay, a fleet of ships sits near the formerly called "concrete battleship" Fort Drum, which was renovated with a top deck wide enough to house a flight deck, many advanced weaponry such as three Railgun Turrets and multiple CIWS sentries. Now, Fort Drum's new nickname is the "concrete battlecarrier" due to its capabilities. One of the ships protecting Fort Drum is the BRP Conrado Dumlao Yap, 1st of the Conrado Yap Class Heavy Cruisers, which itself is a modernized version of the Alaska Class Cruisers. Beside the ship is a much larger ship that is easily mistaken for a small island. The so-called "floating fortress" is known as the BRP Black Pearl, one of the ships belonging to the family of Kraken Class Supercarriers.

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(Conrado Yap Class Heavy Cruiser)

(Kraken Class Supercarrier)

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Both ships, as well as the ships of the Filipino 5th Strike Division, are currently guarding Manila Bay from both aerial and naval attacks, as well as any invasion force sent by BRINCS. Then all of a sudden, a gate appears just 75km west of Fort Drum. Every ship of the 5th Strike Division points their main guns towards the gate. A tense atmosphere has gathered around the bay as who knows what could come out of the gate. A few minutes later, a gargantuan sea creature comes out of the gate. Its exterior has a bioluminescent glow that resembles the stars due to the countless plankton inhabiting the creature. This was Ptakhur, also known as the All-devouring Narwhal.

Multiple small patrol craft started heading for the creature to determine if it was friendly or not. They immediately got their answers because a few minutes later, the creature started destroying the small crafts, killing everyone in it. Every ship in Manila Bay starts firing their guns on the Narwhal as it dodges most of the attacks. A few shots hit the Narwhal, but the damage done was minimal, at best. But the barrage was merely a distraction. A few minutes passed, and the Narwhal was still fighting the 5th Strike Division, sinking a few ships in the process. Then out of nowhere, the Narwhal was hit with a strong force. It screamed in pain as it was strong enough to pierce through its nearly invincible exterior. The shot came from Turret One of Fort Drum, marking the first time a railgun was fully used in naval combat. Because of it, the Narwhal lands in the water as it tries to heal and recover, but that gives the 5th Strike Division an advantage as multiple destroyers and the Black Pearl shoot multiple torpedoes towards it. The Narwhal was about to come out of the water to dodge the torpedoes, but it was too late as it impacted the creature's port side, making it scream even more. More railgun rounds hit the Narwhal as the 5th Strike Division's Tagalaan CIWS sentries shoot at it until it died 10 minutes later from blood loss, blunt force trauma, and 2nd to 3rd degree burns. Around 30 minutes later, both the gate and the corpse of the Narwhal were secured by the Philippine Navy as the US 6th Fleet and S.A.N. (Southeast Asian Navy) 1st Fleet came in and took the dead Narwhal to Los Angeles for research purposes.

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Brussels, Belgium

9:45am, Central European Time

News about the attack on Manila Bay has reached NATO HQ. They were shocked that a creature of that size came out of another gate on the other side of the world, especially those who live/have a history of living in Manila.

Jason: Manila too, huh?

Nelson: What do you mean?

Jason: I was born in Manila. I lived there with my family until I was only 4, when we moved to San Francisco.

Nelson: I see. I live near the bay. I was born in Seattle, but my family moved near the bay when I was 5.

Jason: The city does bring back good memories.

Nelson: Can't deny that.

US Marine#1: ENEMIES INBOUND!

Everyone looked at where the US Marine was and saw a large invasion force headed for NATO HQ. All NATO, S.A.A. (Southeast Asian Army), and S.A.M.C. (Southeast Asian Marine Corps) guns were pointed at the general direction of the Fatui. Multiple tanks ranging from the M1A2 Abrams to the KMB-50 & KMB-34 Main Battle Tank roll in to defend the HQ at all costs.

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(KMB-50 Main Battle Tank. Ignore the German markings and replace them with the ASEAN logo)

(KMB-34 Main Battle Tank)

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As soon as the first elements nearly hit multiple machine gun nests, all hell broke loose as the defenders of Earth mow down the attackers of Teyvat. With zero effort, might I add. Every Cicin Mage, Skirmisher, Elemental Agent, Mirror Maiden, Legionnaire, and Vanguard fall or get blown up after being hit by 5.56x45mm NATO rounds, .50 BMG rounds, and 120mm Tank shells. Not even the first of the Fatui Harbingers (Il Capitano), the one leading the assault and the invasion in general, is impervious to these rounds and shells. However, more and more Fatui keep coming towards NATO HQ, with them already overrunning multiple machine gun nests. Due to the amount of blood he lost, Capitano pulled back towards the other side of the gate, hoping that the rest of the Fatui could take the city.

Jason: There's too many of them!

Nelson: Tell me something I don't know!

Jason: These fuckers might enslave us if we're fucking captured!

That sentence alone motivated the NATO defenders to protect the HQ at all costs. To the point where the MBTs started steamrolling through them. Why? The thing they don't want to be is slaves for a knock-off Russia. A few minutes later, the sound of whistling can be heard. The Fatui were confused as to why there's a whistling sound; all while those from the NATO and URSEA Militaries took cover as they knew what that sound was: the sound of artillery shells closing in hard and fast.

The next thing the soldiers & marines saw was many smoking craters with only gold or silver pendants remaining, each with a different symbol representing the elements. Everyone heard more tracks rolling through the asphalt as they saw their saving grace: The US Army 1st Cavalry Division, US Army 101st Airborne Division, US 3rd Marine Raider Regiment, the British Army 12th Armoured Brigade, British 7th Light Mechanised Brigade, German 5th Panzer Division, German 4th Panzergrenadier Division, French 4th Air-Combat Brigade, French 1st Foreign Regiment, Polish 6th Air Forces Command Battalion, the S.A.A. 1st Infantry Division, and the S.A.M.C. 3rd Marine Division; totalling around 315,000 troops, 1,350 tanks, 570 Infantry Fighting Vehicles, 300 Towed Artillery, 225 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, and 750 aircraft of different types. Jason couldn't help but grin at the sight of their late reinforcements arriving.

Jason: Looks like cavalry has arrived.

Nelson: And just in time too.

Jason: Now... LET'S BRING THESE FUCKERS BACK TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM!

Everyone that was still unharmed from the defense of NATO HQ shouted as both Jason and Nelson led the charge to take back the city from the Fatui. They led with the will and the motivation to take back this once beautiful city from its otherworldly invaders. A S.A.A. soldier was seen throwing hands alongside a US Marine against a Mirror Maiden and an Electro Cicin Mage; a Leopard 2A9 and a KMB-34 casually steamrolling through squads of Fatui; and a whole lot of fighting for the freedom of the city. Eventually, NATO Forces took the city back in 8 hours as the Fatui pulled back beyond the Gate. The Battle of Brussels was over.

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Status Report

Battle of Brussels/Brussels Incident

Location: Brussels, Belgium

Date: March 17th, 2035 - March 18th, 2035

Combatants

• Defenders - Brussels Police Department, Belgian Armed Forces, British Army, German Heer, Polish Army, US Armed Forces, Southeast Asian Army, Southeast Asian Marine Corps

• Attackers - Fatui Armed Forces, No.1 of the Fatui Harbingers (Il Capitano)

Outcome

• Decisive Eurasian-American Victory

• Fatui Armed Forces pull back to Starfell Valley beyond the Gate

• Il Capitano severely injured from the battle

• The Fatui captured many civilians and tech while causing half a billion dollars in property damages

• The Eurasian-American Alliance's declaration of war against Snezhnaya

Casualties

Eurasian-American Alliance:

25,600 KIA

47,900 WIA

7,000 MIA

Multiple Vehicles Destroyed/Damaged

Fatui Armed Forces:

56,000 KIA

42,000 WIA (including Il Capitano)

2,000 Captured

Civilians:

45,375 KIA

60,500 WIA

30,250 MIA

15,125 Captured

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Battle of Manila Bay/Manila Bay Incident

Location: Manila Bay, Philippines, United Republics of Southeast Asia

Date: March 18th, 2035

Combatants

• Defenders - Philippine Navy 5th Strike Division

• Attackers - Fatui Armed Forces (via All-devouring Narwhal)

Outcome

• Total Philippine Victory

• Death of the All-devouring Narwhal

• US 6th Fleet & S.A.N. 1st Fleet take the Narwhal to Los Angeles

Casualties

6 ships sunk

3 moderately damaged

12,329 KIA

The All-devouring Narwhal, KIA

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Timeskip, 2 weeks later

Brussels, Belgium

2 weeks have passed since both the Brussels and Manila Bay incidents happened. Both Gates have been secured by NATO and URSEA respectively. The total amount of casualties caused by this invasion is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. An amount not seen since the 2nd Korean War nearly 4 years ago. The news of the existence of another world has reached all corners of the world, especially those who have played Genshin Impact since it was that particular world that attacked them. So much so that its parent company, Hoyoverse, was shocked that the world of Teyvat and its people that they have created actually exist. Due to both Gates being secured, many former players sent applications to the military so they could enter the world. Unfortunately , only a handful of these players were approved as they have started their basic training a week after both incidents.

BRINCS and other enemy nations were shocked when both Gates appeared in both Brussels and Manila Bay. However, they were also angry due to their adversaries having access to the other world and its untapped resources.

While Brussels was still recovering from the attack, both Jason and Nelson were at NATO HQ because both of them are being awarded for their actions in Brussels and taking command of the defense of the very same place they currently stand. Jason was given the US Medal of Honor while Nelson was awarded the Medal of Courage & Valor, URSEA's highest military award given to those who go above and beyond the call of duty. Both of their actions gave them the nicknames...

The Sword and Shield of Brussels

And

Vanguards of Brussels

After the awarding, both officers are promoted to Major (Jason) and Captain (Nelson) respectively. The duo was both respected and congratulated by their fellow Marines.

Currently, we see the duo in a bar as they both have a celebratory drink after being awarded by their own respective governments. They have a pint of beer in their hands as both cheered and clanked their pints & started to drink the pints.

Jason: Now this, we deserve.

Nelson: Can't deny that, my friend. A good beer washes all the fatigue away.

Jason: Wise words to live by when drinking.

Both marines continue to drink as more people come in after hearing that the famous Vanguards of Brussels are there to just wind down.

(That's it for the prologue. I've started chapter 1 already so expect it in a few days. Maybe a week. Sayonara.)