“This should be it, right… Road?”

“…Yeah. All that’s left is to bring peace to the world.”

“Right! Yeah, that’s right!”

Kenya felt uneasy. Why did Road look so grim?

They’d achieved their goal, yet it didn’t feel like their hearts were connected at all.

He must just be hurting from his brother’s death, Kenya thought.

That expression was only natural.

That’s what he believed.

…

A week had passed since then.

The world war had reached a temporary ceasefire.

The Earthguard Empire needed to reorganize after Odin’s death.

The World Alliance needed to regroup with Odin gone.

Both sides had pulled back their forces.

And the Earthguard Empire was now working under Road to repair the damage Odin had left behind.

With the General Headquarters wiped out, they were proceeding as Odin had planned, making Valhalla Castle the new central command.

“Reina, Road’s calling us in today. Mind coming with me?”

“Lord Road? Understood.”

A week later, Kenya received a summons from Road.

Since the ceasefire, Road had been swamped, and they hadn’t met once. But today, word finally came.

He’d asked Kenya to bring Reina along, so now they were heading to Valhalla Castle.

The war with the World Alliance had come to a pause for now, allowing the world a fleeting taste of false peace.

Road was working tirelessly for that, Kenya believed.

He couldn’t get in the way, so he held back his urge to talk and waited patiently.

“I hope they reconcile with the World Alliance soon. No idea what the terms will be, but we need to go pick up Kaguya too.”

“Indeed. Liberation of the colonies, but keeping military power intact. Something like that, perhaps… I hope the global situation stabilizes quickly.”

“Yeah. As long as the wars stop, I don’t care how. Then maybe Reina and I could have a proper fight. Who’d have thought you were training with Osiris?”

“I want to show you how much stronger I’ve gotten, Kenya. Get this—I beat Osiris! Though it was obvious without her arm…”

“That’s amazing!”

“So I want to show you soon. But not on a battlefield—in a simulation. Just for fun, no lives on the line.”

“Yeah, I feel the same. Someday, if we can pilot KOGs just as a sport, as a game.”

And with that, Kenya and the others arrived at Valhalla Castle.

They were escorted to the throne room.

There sat Road, surrounded by numerous military officers standing at attention.

“It’s been a while. Since that day, huh?”

“Yes.”

With people around, Kenya spoke formally.

“My knight, you’ve helped me more times than I can count. I owe my emperorship to you. I am truly grateful—from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.”

Road spoke quietly, earnestly, in a way that didn’t suit him—full of genuine sorrow.

It wasn’t for show. It came straight from his heart.

“Road? What’s wrong?”

His demeanor was so off that Kenya dropped the formal tone.

“Sword, considering your contributions so far, I’ve decided not to take your life.”

“Huh?”

Unbelievable words came from Road’s mouth.

“My life? What are you talking about, Road?”

“I’m aware you’ve plotted treason against the Empire. That’s why I’m having you detained.”

As those words hung in the air, the surrounding officers advanced on Kenya.

He was restrained effortlessly, and Reina cried out at the sight.

“Kenya!”

“Hey, Road! What the hell is this? Some kind of joke? Hey!”

Bound, Kenya shouted.

But Road said nothing.

Just one word, eyes averted from Kenya’s.

So quiet only he could hear.

“Sorry.”

Then he rose and left.

His face twisted in agony, as if he couldn’t bear to watch any longer.

“Road! Road!!”

“Take him to the isolation tower. Don’t rough him up too much. But if he resists… no choice.”

Kenya thrashed wildly and was slammed to the ground.

The officers closed in on Reina too.

“Reina! Run!”

“B-but!”

“Reina! I don’t get it either right now! Just go… and to my cousin! Here, take this!”

Kenya tossed her the card key from his pocket.

Reina instantly understood from “cousin” and the card.

Her panicked face hardened into that of a warrior.

She bolted full speed, shattered a window with a strike, and leaped from the throne room.

“Hey!? That’s the third floor!”

The officers peered out the broken window.

There was Reina, landing perfectly and sprinting away.

A master warrior’s desperate escape.

“What a woman… But we can’t let her go!!”

The officers raised their guns.

“Stop! Don’t shoot!”

But Road bellowed, halting them.

“Pursue her, but don’t kill. She’s Zeke’s last legacy. If possible… spare her. Besides, without a KOG, she can’t escape anyway.”

(Cousin? Reina doesn’t have one that I know of… Kenya’s cousin? No idea.)

Under Road’s orders, the officers gave chase.

Kenya alone remained pinned to the floor.

Watching Road protect Reina left Kenya utterly confused.

He’d been betrayed, yet Road the person seemed unchanged.

That gentle boy wasn’t fake. Kenya could still sense that kindness now.

“Road… what’s your goal?”

Kenya looked up at Road from the floor.

At the back of his friend, who turned away squarely.

“My goal…? Nothing’s changed since that day. Since the day Mother died, since she called me a devil. What I want has always been the same.”

For the first time, Road answered Kenya’s question.

“Peace for the world.”

…

“Hah… hah… This card key… it’s for Kenya’s Takemikazuchi. Cousin… meaning Kaguya for help.”

Reina fled her pursuers.

While running, she activated her KOG device.

She contacted Issei Tanaka.

“Hello?”

“Hah… hah… It’s Reina! Where’s Takemikazuchi right now?”

“Where? The maintenance bay in the southern district? Actually, right in front of me.”

(Southern district… about ten minutes from here.)

“Kenya’s been captured. Get Takemikazuchi and you ready—we’re leaving Earthguard territory together. Prepare!”

“Huh? Wait─”

Reina cut the call and sprinted even harder toward the bay.

(Hurry… they must be closing in already.)

…

“What the…? Out of nowhere, no clue what… captured?”

Tanaka had been maintaining Takemikazuchi at the bay.

Reina’s sudden call said something baffling, then hung up.

This was a special maintenance facility in the capital, prepared solely for Tanaka, Kenya, and Takemikazuchi by Road.

No response when he called back.

As he pondered, the intercom buzzed.

“Visitor? Reina?”

He checked—and saw Earthguard soldiers.

Tanaka grasped it instantly: something had happened, and he, Kenya, and Reina were now targets.

“Coming right up! Just a sec, please! Just a moment!”

He stalled with acting.

And sent Reina a message to enter via the back door.

“What the hell’s going on! Anyway, Takemikazuchi first!”

He’d just finished maintenance, ready for immediate launch.

BOOM!

The door exploded open amid a deafening blast.

Earthguard troops emerged from the smoke, guns drawn, flooding the bay.

“This is bad…”

“Issei Tanaka! Come out! You’re charged with treason. Surrender now, and we can get you a lawyer! Otherwise, we’ll shoot you here.”

Tanaka slipped into Takemikazuchi’s cockpit amid the smoke, holding his breath.

“Reina… hurry…”

As he hid, the soldiers trashed the bay.

Like burglars, ransacking lockers and bins for Tanaka.

“He bolted?”

“Looks like. But our goal’s that machine, right? Job’s done?”

“…Yeah. Tell Lord Road we got away, but secured the unit.”

After wrecking the place, they approached the machine resignedly.

Then the captain-like man noticed.

“We haven’t checked everywhere.”

“Yeah, same thought.”

Their eyes turned to Takemikazuchi’s rear cockpit.

The soldiers grinned wickedly and climbed up slowly.

“Oh no… bad, bad, bad.”

That’s when it rang.

Tanaka’s device blared. The soldiers smirked toward the sound.

Absolute peril. Tanaka pinned his last hope on the call and answered.

“Yes!”

“Open the cockpit!!”

He obeyed, popping it open.

Enemy soldiers appeared before him.

“Knew you were─here!! Gah!!”

The gunman plummeted, struck from above.

Shattering the skylight with glass shards, a silver-haired girl dropped from the sky.

She kicked the soldiers aside and hopped into the cockpit.

“Reina!”

“Launching Takemikazuchi! Close it!”

“R-right!”

The canopy sealed with Tanaka and Reina aboard.

Reina inserted the card key from Kenya and powered it up.

But.

“Kyaa!!”

It toppled over.

“No way… it’s so hard, just standing up.”

“Reina, calm down. This isn’t combat. Take it slow. Nice and easy. You can stand, then fly. You’ve got this.”

“Right! Hoo… okay!”

She steadied her breath.

(Kenya’s incredible, handling such a tricky machine.)

But Reina was Holy Knight Captain level.

She grasped the knack quickly and stood it up—slowly, but successfully.

“Sh-shoot!! Don’t let it escape!!”

The soldiers fired desperately.

But regular guns had no effect on a KOG.

“Alright, let’s fly. Nice and slow, slow─!?”

“Kyaaaa!!”

Reina floored it, rocketing skyward.

Takemikazuchi accelerated to near supersonic in an instant, soaring high.

“Reina, pull back the lever! The lever!!”

“I barely touched it!! What’s with this thing?! It’s broken!!”

“It’s tuned for Kenya!!”

“Overkill!! Kyaaa!!”

Pulling back sent it plummeting at the same speed.

Seconds from impact.

“Hurry!! Pull up!!!”

“You!! Listen to me!! I’m your master’s wife!!”

Takemikazuchi zigzagged at near-sonic speeds.

Flying proved far harder than standing. By the time they stabilized, both were bruised from banging around the cockpit.

“Hah… hah… Finally, at this speed I can handle it. How does anyone pilot this thing…?”

“Thought we were dead…”

Stabilized after three minutes of rollercoaster chaos over the capital.

Tanaka’s glasses were shattered; Reina sported huge lumps.

“Alright, heading to Japan.”

And with that, Reina flew toward Japan.

“So, care to explain? Reina.”

“…Yes. But I don’t fully get it either. Except… one thing’s clear. Lord Road is probably…”

Reina stated firmly.

“Our enemy.”

…

Ding-dong, ding-dong.

As Reina took off for Japan, the sound echoed across Earthguard.

Every resident knew it.

The signal for an imperial broadcast.

All had to tune in—or face severe punishment. Viewership neared 100%.

The World Alliance would watch too, able to receive the signal.

“Genbu! Imperial broadcast incoming!”

“Turn it on now!”

At World Alliance HQ, Byakuren, Thor, Camille, and Genbu scrambled during a meeting on next steps.

They tuned into the Earthguard signal, displaying it on screen.

The Alliance still bore World War scars, frustrated by Road Earthguard’s silence to negotiations.

Then the imperial address began.

“Bad feeling about this, Father. An imperial broadcast now.”

“…Yeah.”

The World Alliance watched, along with all of Earthguard.

A single boy stood there.

He spoke slowly, in a clear, resonant voice.

“I am the 100th Emperor, Road Earthguard. My brother Odin is dead, and Earthguard is fully under my control. The world war is over.”

All gasped at his words.

Reaffirming what it meant for him to declare himself emperor.

“This war claimed at least ten thousand lives in a single week. Each had families, parents, children, loved ones. I always wonder: why do wars happen? How can we eliminate conflict from the world, so everyone can enjoy culture, loved ones, happy days?”

“What’re you getting at… Emperor.”

“The world is filled with sorrow and hatred. My Empire has killed and been killed by millions, tens of millions in wars. Not just us—every human on this planet has been touched by war somehow. That chain of hatred has woven itself into a complex web across the globe, impossible to undo. And if things stay this way, it’ll repeat eternally throughout human history. Even if Earthguard falls, another like it will rise someday. Our wars will never end. Even alliances bringing peace will crumble with new generations, new leaders. Conflict never stops.”

Genbu and Camille nodded inwardly at his words.

They knew it too—wars wouldn’t vanish.

“Why? I’ve reached one conclusion.”

Road rose and declared loudly, clearly.

“Education.”

“Education? Ridiculous.”

Byakuren dismissed it.

But Genbu, Camille, and Isshin watched Road intently, as if affirming.

“Education is the only way we humans can face the same direction. Before personalities, common sense, ethics solidify in childhood. That’s when we can truly unite. Not race, appearance, or nation. When education and culture differ, we see fellow humans as incomprehensible enemies. But we living now can’t—our personalities are set, burdened by hatred. We can’t join hands anymore. So.”

Road paused, then cut to the core.

“Let’s entrust world peace to the next generation—the children. Pure, unburdened by hate, full of potential to love truly. Through education, teach them humanity is one, not enemies. That’s the path to eternal peace.”

“Impossible. Each nation has its own culture, religion, language, politics, economy. Completely different educations.”

“No… that’s exactly why, Road is…”

Byakuren rejected the impossibility.

Different nations meant different education and culture—that was obvious.

But that’s why Genbu understood Road’s next words.

“For that future, a new era. So… I’ll end this era. I’ll stain these hands with irremovable blood, be hated by the world for their sake. Even if it’s a demon’s path, even if I fall to hell.”

“As expected… huh.”

And Road proclaimed boldly.

“I will destroy every nation. So that all humanity faces one direction someday. I’ll annihilate them all and unite them. No matter billions who stand in my way, I’ll climb over their corpses and advance. I’ll move humanity’s needle, change the world—because I!!”

Road said it.

With a gentle face, unyielding resolve.

“Will unify the world.”

A declaration like the devil’s.

★ Afterword

Thus concludes Chapter 3.

If you liked it, please rate from the ★ below—it really motivates me to keep writing.

I’d appreciate it.

And so, Chapter 3.

Odin was a very human character tormented by jealousy—personally one of my favorites, but that pettiness makes him pitiable…

So, how about that? Did anyone notice?

I dropped hints here and there, but the final enemy is Road.

His ideology might never be understood.

His motif is Qin Shi Huang, the emperor who unified China in a bloodbath.

I wonder if he felt the same about unifying it.

If that led to modern China, unification might be one way to end wars.

Anyway, starting next chapter:

Final Chapter: For the Sake of World Peace Arc

I’ll push to finish it.

What fate awaits Kenya and the others? What ending?

Will the world find peace? Will Kenya and Road kill each other? Or get all lovey-dovey?

Anyone who sees this story through to the end is more than welcome.

Comments make me so happy—I check every 30 minutes for new ones.

Send ’em flooding in!

Looking forward to meeting again at the final chapter’s end.

This was KAZU.