Sakura Country.
Kyushu Island.
Outside the Imperial Palace.
Tanaka Ken'go stood alone on a protruding boulder on a hill, gazing at the ancient and solemn magnificent palace.
At this moment, a young girl in a silver robe walked up beside him, standing a respectful distance away.
"The Imperial Palace has been incinerated beneath the surging lava, and this is likely Kanna-Miko's most probable hiding place..."
"However, as the last line of defense for the Sakura Imperial Family, the Imperial Palace is usually not open to the public. It houses countless ascetics who have cultivated for hundreds of years, possessing unfathomable depth and unwavering loyalty to the Sakura Emperor..."
"Attacking here head-on would be nothing short of suicide."
The newcomer was Chizuru Ginshiro, with whom Tanaka Ken'go had spoken earlier.
She had now changed into standard ceremonial attire, her expression indifferent and cold, as if devoid of any human emotion.
Tanaka Ken'go glanced at her indifferently.
"Then, is it possible that Kanna-Miko perished in the sea of lava?"
The two, who had already decided to rebel, no longer bothered to pretend. They began to address Kanna-Miko, the Emperor of Sakura, by name.
Chizuru Ginshiro shook her head.
"Almost impossible..."
"If he, who has meticulously planned everything to this extent, were to die so easily... it feels like the possibility of the Big Bang on Earth is higher."
"I even suspect that the frequent disasters on Kyushu Island this time might have been orchestrated by him."
Tanaka Ken'go chuckled wryly.
"Oh? Is that so..."
"Then, why would he do this?"
"To drag everything on the entire Kyushu Island down with him, just to kill us rebels?"
"No matter how you think about it, it's unlikely..."
Chizuru Ginshiro did not answer his question directly but looked up at the red moon in the sky.
"There are only three stars left!"
Tanaka Ken'go couldn't quite keep up with Chizuru Ginshiro's abrupt leap in thought.
"What? Three what?"
Chizuru Ginshiro lowered her gaze.
"Haven't you noticed?"
"From the moment the unrest began and the giant barrier enveloped Kyushu Island, a red moon and eighteen gray stars appeared in the sky above us..."
"But as time passed, the number of gray stars dwindled, one by one falling."
"It's hard not to wonder what they represent..."
Tanaka Ken'go rubbed his aching forehead, sighing.
"But whatever they represent, even if it's a countdown to the end of the world, it's not something we have the energy to deal with right now..."
"What we need to do now is to take advantage of this chaotic period to completely eliminate the trouble that is Kanna-Miko!"
"Everything that is happening on Kyushu Island right now has definitely far exceeded Kanna-Miko's expectations..."
"No matter how intelligent he is, or how many secrets he hides, he cannot account for every unforeseen circumstance."
"At the very least, this barrier and this red moon are definitely the most incompatible elements with him."
"And the ferocious beasts and alien races currently rampaging everywhere must have occupied a significant portion of his attention..."
"If we can't seize this opportunity, then we might as well find ourselves a grave."
Chizuru Ginshiro agreed with Tanaka Ken'go this time.
"So, we can probably start preparing..."
"But I still disagree with your reckless decision."
"Are you sure about a frontal assault on the Imperial Palace?"
"The endless defensive mechanisms and ascetics within, and possibly even some peerless masters unknown to the world... Are you truly confident you can withstand them?"
Tanaka Ken'go tilted his head towards the sky with a cold expression.
"Ascetics? Defensive mechanisms? Peerless masters?"
"I can only tell these individuals who are out of sync with the current era..."
"Sir, times have changed!"
As Tanaka Ken'go uttered the last syllable, countless flying ships, entirely constructed of mithril alloy and powered by nuclear energy, tore through space with a swoosh, warping into existence one after another above them.
Soon, a colossal fleet was formed.
Looking at the countless long and short guns on the flying ships aimed at the Imperial Palace, and the super magnetic cannon in the center of the fleet charging up with nuclear energy, Chizuru Ginshiro was momentarily stunned.
"Patriarch Tanaka..."
"As the head of a prominent family, where did you acquire so many strategic-class warships?"
"And the consumption of resources, I'm afraid, is far beyond what even so-called wealthy families can afford..."
Tanaka Ken'go glanced at Chizuru Ginshiro.
"That's not important..."
"What's important is that I need the full support of your Shrine organization now!"
Seeing Tanaka Ken'go clench his fist, determined, Chizuru Ginshiro also snapped back to attention. She knew that Tanaka Ken'go would never share secrets of this magnitude with her, so she nodded.
"Don't worry, I have already led the Shrine group to surround the Imperial Palace layer by layer..."
"No matter where you launch your attack, we can provide the most suitable assistance in real-time."
"Vision sharing, spiritual enhancement, route guidance, attribute amplification, weakening decay, severing communication, illusion remote control, assassination..."
"Everything we can offer, and all means of weakening the enemy, we will not hold back."
"Of course, all we can do is provide support, helping you deal with some secondary troubles..."
"As for the main offensive..."
Tanaka Ken'go interrupted Chizuru Ginshiro before she could finish, readily accepting the role.
"The main attackers, naturally, will be entrusted to us!"
"However, I have one last question..."
"Are you sure you have sealed off the surrounding space completely?"
"If we manage to take down the Imperial Palace, and Kanna-Miko, who might be inside, escapes, that would be ridiculous."
Chizuru Ginshiro silently produced a scepter from behind her, clearly ready for battle.
"I can guarantee with my life that the spatial sealing is definitely not a problem."
"After all, it was a project personally overseen by my master, so it is naturally foolproof..."
"Moreover, the immobility provided by this giant barrier greatly facilitates our blockade."
"As long as this giant barrier was not created by Kanna-Miko, then there is absolutely no problem!"
After receiving Chizuru Ginshiro's assurance, Tanaka Ken'go finally smiled.
"The giant barrier cannot be related to Kanna-Miko... I am reassured."
"In that case, let your people get moving..."
"Witness with me, the destruction of this Imperial Palace!"