The Emperor in Power Armor and the Praetorian Guard stood at the foot of the castle's front steps, with two twenty-meter-tall War Engines positioned to either side. A full company of Hellfire Knights stood along both sides of the red carpet behind the Emperor and the Praetorian Guard, clad in ceremonial armor embellished with numerous decorations. The MK2 Mars-pattern Explosive Rounds Guns held neatly across their chests were, to ordinary people, equivalent to large-caliber anti-materiel weapons. Their magnetized weapon belts carried sheathed energy greatswords as tall as a person rather than cheaper Chainsaw Swords. Ceremonial eagles, lightning bolts, laurel wreaths, and oak-leaf wreaths had been attached beneath the shoulder armor and above the leg armor to display rank and unit affiliation. Their helmets had all been replaced with centurion-style blood-red plumes.
The standard-bearer at the front held an eagle standard topped with a Golden Eagle sculpture. These more ceremonially dressed Hellfire Knights carried only Plasma Handguns, but wore blood-red capes symbolizing war. The entire Honor Guard presented a style interwoven with gold and red. The Power Armor of the Emperor and Praetorian Guard, as well as the banners hanging from the War Engines and the ornaments on their outer armor, followed the same style, running entirely counter to the sleek high-tech aesthetic beloved by the world.
Thus, when the delegation led by Shuri stepped onto the red carpet and shook hands with the Emperor, the contrast between the two clashing styles was striking. Yet no one would object to Latveria's highly artistic style, because every Wakandan still clearly remembered the consequences of the Hellfire Knights joining Wakanda's civil war. Even those who had never seen a Hellfire Knight before felt tremendous psychological pressure from the red carpet flanked by giants. Ordinary people had to crane their necks just to see