Just before Road captured Kenya and addressed the world.

Earthguard General Hospital.

In one of its rooms, a lone man lay connected to countless tubes, half-dead, simply staring at the ceiling.

Orgord Earthguard.

The man who had once sought to dominate the world.

Road’s father, and the 99th Emperor.

Now ravaged by illness, he had lost all of his former vigor, reduced to a mere shell awaiting death.

“Father… Brother is dead. And today, it all begins.”

Road entered the sickroom alone.

“…I see.”

The man uttered just those words in response to his son’s death, then closed his eyes.

“…Then if you’ll excuse me.”

As Road bowed and turned to leave the room…

Orgord spoke up.

“Road… Do you resent me? About your mother. Do you hate me?”

Road’s mother had taken her own life long ago.

Out of a sense of responsibility for Road’s invasion of the European Union.

“No, I harbor no resentment toward anyone… except myself.”

“Heh. I see. That hatred that scorches your very being… It will never stop. That’s precisely why you are worthy to be emperor. You will accomplish what I could not.”

“…I’m not doing this to carry on your will. I’m doing it because I have to.”

“Good. Let the world hate you to its heart’s content. The fools will never understand. Our feelings.”

Road offered no reply to those words.

“…If you’ll excuse me.”

And with that, Road left the sickroom.

Left alone, Orgord Earthguard stared at the ceiling and murmured to himself.

“Scarlett… Our son has become it. Draining your blood, draining his own brother’s blood… His hands stained with so much blood he can scarcely contain it… That boy. Surely… Heh heh heh, ha ha ha!!!”

With that mad laughter as his finale, Orgord Earthguard drew his final, satisfied breath.

…

“I will unify the world. Here and now, I declare the outbreak of World War II. Oh world—submit to the might of my empire, or…”

Road proclaimed to the globe, his eyes burning fiercely.

“Perish.”

The speech came to an end.

A declaration of war broadcast to the entire world, met with thunderous cheers from the Earthguard masses.

And the world heard it—the World Alliance.

“As expected… War isn’t over after all.”

“But going head-to-head against Earthguard, now bolstered by Odin’s power? This will be a brutal fight.”

“Yeah, but that speech works in our favor. With words like those, the people will fight with everything they’ve got. Our alliance holds the edge in national strength.”

Under Xuanwu’s decree, every nation belonging to the World Alliance—every country on Earth save Earthguard—bared its fangs.

“Byakuren, Thor. Mobilize the military at once, and issue conscription orders. Everyone who can fight must, or we can’t win.”

“Understood, Father. Let’s go, Thor.”

“Yeah, on it.”

Byakuren and Thor began their preparations.

Xuanwu also reached out to Isshin Kurokami, who was overseeing reconstruction efforts in Tokyo, Japan.

“…War again, huh, Mr. Xuanwu? Japan will fight too. We just got it back—we won’t let it happen again.”

“Yeah. I’m counting on you, Kaguya, and the full might of Japan’s forces.”

“Yes, sir. We’ll head your way. Got it.”

Isshin cut the comm.

Kaguya sat beside him.

Isshin and Kaguya had been operating out of the 13th District Military Academy—a former Earthguard military base.

They had watched the broadcast there as well.

“Kaguya, what about Kenya?”

“…I don’t know. Can’t get in touch.”

That day, Kaguya had confided in Isshin about Kenya.

He’d been shocked, but he’d accepted it all the same—because deep down, Isshin trusted the boy too.

That kid wouldn’t lose. He wouldn’t go down that easily.

That’s what he’d kept telling himself.

“I see… I hate to think he’s turned enemy. Probably sworn himself to Road as a knight by now. Wonder how he’s holding up.”

“But! Kenya will absolutely take my side! No doubt!”

“…Yeah. I trust him too. Let me know the second you hear from him.”

Isshin left the room.

Kaguya clutched her device, staring at the unread messages.

“Kenya… What are you doing? Contact me already. You’re supposed to protect me, right?”

…

Meanwhile—Reina and Tanaka.

“Mr. Tanaka, what should we do?”

“Well… First, let’s head to Tokyo, Japan. But if we fly this thing straight in, they might shoot us down…”

To the World Alliance, this mech was an enemy unit.

The Sword God Sword Silfield—the Empire’s blade that had clashed against fifty thousand troops.

Heading straight there would invite interception, and Reina lacked the skill to fight them off.

“Signal should come in soon. I can reach Kaguya. Let me try calling.”

Reina was en route from Earthguard territory to Japan.

In this world, Japan—once Earthguard land—had been able to communicate with the Earthguard homeland.

Now under World Alliance occupation, Japan could connect with the Asia Union too.

Ring ring ring…

“Hello, Reina? Thank goodness. Couldn’t reach you.”

“I was over the ocean until just now. Heading to Japan now.”

“What happened? Where’s Kenya? What’s going on?”

“Calm down. I’ll explain everything when I get there—don’t have much margin for maneuvering right now… Takemikazuchi is inbound. That white mech. Please don’t attack?”

“Hold on… Dad! Incoming white Earthguard mech. Don’t shoot—Reina’s aboard.”

“Hm?… Not sure I follow, but… as long as we don’t attack, yeah? Got it. I’ll pass it on.”

(Reina’s coming too, huh.)

Isshin had overheard Kaguya’s stories about Reina.

He knew of her birth, but her mother—Sakiko Kurokami—had grown distant after marrying Zeke, so they’d never met.

He’d decided it best not to tell Kaguya about the girl living as an Earthguard.

Besides, Isshin couldn’t forgive Zeke.

Unaware of the full truth, he couldn’t forgive Zeke for abandoning his sister.

But Reina was different.

The sole keepsake left by his one and only sister.

(I have to protect her. Along with Kaguya.)

“Here it comes. That’s the one.”

The site was the pilot training academy’s grounds—the same spot where entrance ceremonies had once been held.

“Reina and Tanaka are there.”

“Yeah, said she’s landing here. Told us to stay back, but…!?”

Kaguya’s eyes fixed on the white mech hurtling straight ahead.

No sign of slowing. It barreled right for the field.

“H-Hey!! What the hell?!”

~

“Mr. Tanaka! Tell me how to stop!!”

“There isn’t one!! Slowly! Ease down slo─!?”

“Kyaaaa!!”

Takemikazuchi—the one carrying Reina and Tanaka—crashed spectacularly into the ground.

It was only thanks to Reina’s piloting skill that it avoided a straight vertical drop, managing a glancing crash instead.

“Ugh… We’re not dead, are we?”

The mech hit the courtyard like a missile.

It skidded along for some two hundred meters, kicking up sand in its wake.

Even after the dust settled, the motionless machine left Kaguya fretting over their survival.

“Cough cough! Impressive durability, as expected. A standard unit would’ve been totaled.”

“I thought we were goners…”

Reina and Tanaka emerged from the cockpit on the toppled Takemikazuchi’s back and dropped to the ground.

“What was that? Your piloting skills get worse?”

“If you think so, take the controls yourself. No one but Kenya could handle this thing.”

“I could.”

“You couldn’t.”

The moment their eyes met, Kaguya and Reina launched into a spat.

But they quickly sensed something off—the absence of the one person who could rein them in.

“…Let’s stop, Reina. No Kenya here to break it up.”

“You’re right. Sorry.”

Reina’s gaze then met Isshin’s.

Sensing the mood, Isshin approached her.

“First time meeting, huh? I’m Kurokami Isshin. Er—technically, that makes me your uncle. Sakiko was my little sister.”

“N-Nice to meet you… I’m Reina. Reina Silfield, daughter of Kurokami Sakiko.”

The pair’s first encounter felt somehow awkward.

“Heard about you from Kaguya. Been wondering what I’d say if we met… Truth is, Sakiko and I weren’t the closest siblings. But she was my one and only little sister. I loved her like family. Cherished her.”

“…Yes.”

“That’s why, Reina.”

Isshin stepped in front of her and, hesitating only a moment, gently placed his hand on her head.

Reina stared at the hand atop her head.

“Think of me as family. You’re my sister’s daughter—like a daughter to me! I’ve already got one wild tomboy of a kid. What’s one more? Besides, you seem way less high-maintenance than Kaguya.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

Kaguya jabbed back at the remark.

Reina, meanwhile, kept staring at the hand stroking her hair.

“Should I call you Mr. Kurokami?”

“Nah, just Isshin.”

And then.

“…It’s similar.”

“Hm?”

Tears began welling in Reina’s eyes.

“This hand… It’s just like Papa’s. Exactly like Papa’s hand.”

Isshin and Zeke shared nearly identical builds.

Both honed to perfection as soldiers, their hands were much the same size.

“I see… You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you? I’m on your side. Believe in me.”

Isshin ruffled her hair vigorously.

The gesture was just like the ones Zeke occasionally gave her.

“Y-Yes… Uncle Isshin.”

Isshin broke into a warm grin at her response.

“Tanaka, been a while. Sorry to put you through hell—mind filling me in?”

“Of course, but first…”

Tanaka glanced at Reina.

Meeting his eyes, Reina turned to Isshin and Kaguya, her plea earnest and direct.

“I have a request, Uncle. Kaguya! Please…”

These were the only people she could rely on now.

“Help Kenya!”