“Hey, what do you think Kenya’s doing right now?”

“Who knows, but my intuition’s whispering to me. Probably having a pretty good time.”

Kaguya and Reina, communicating heart to heart.

For some reason, an image of the captured Kenya having a good time suddenly flashed through both their minds.

The two beautiful women suddenly made scary faces.

Isshin even felt a little sorry for Kenya, who was loved by these two frightening girls.

(He’s definitely the type to get henpecked… Just like me…)

But as expected from Japan’s top brass.

Isshin switched gears in his head.

“Enough with the nonsense. Let’s think about the next steps for the operation. We’re saving Kenya, right?”

“Yes, sorry. Uncle Isshin.”

“So, where exactly is Kenya right now?”

“I don’t know precisely, but probably Valhalla Castle. They mentioned something called the Isolation Tower. That must be the detached tower there.”

“Hmm. Valhalla Castle—that means right in the imperial capital Valhalla. Smack in the middle of the enemy’s main base. It won’t be easy.”

“Isshin, is it tough to ask the World Alliance for help?”

“…Yeah, it would be.”

“I think so too. The World Alliance forces would just draw more military might against us.”

“Yeah, and it’s deep in enemy territory. Overwhelmingly disadvantageous, so rescuing him through full-scale war would be tough.”

Isshin, Kaguya, Reina, and Tanaka were holding a meeting on the Kenya rescue operation.

This was the principal’s office at the 13th District Military Academy.

It used to be Zeke’s room, but now it served as the Japanese forces’ overall command headquarters.

Reina felt a bit conflicted about that.

Still, ever since that day she cried with Kaguya, something had clicked inside her.

And Kaguya felt the same.

Right now, the two of them were united in their goal of rescuing Kenya.

“So, a small elite team it is, then. I’ll go. And—”

Reina glanced at Kaguya.

“Obviously. I’m going too.”

“Yes. I can trust you.”

Reina acknowledged Kaguya’s skills. In KOG operation, after training with Osiris, she figured she wouldn’t lose now.

Still, she considered Kaguya equal to herself in close-quarters combat.

She knew it because they’d gone at each other seriously that day—Kaguya was a real pro.

“Got it. Then I’ll come too.”

“Papa too!? What about the Japanese forces!?”

“I’ll put them all under Byakuren or Thor’s command. There are plenty of commanders more skilled than me. Besides—”

Isshin looked at Kaguya and Reina.

“In close combat, I’m way stronger than you two. I was the one who taught Kaguya her techniques, after all.”

Isshin hadn’t trained on KOGs, so he wasn’t great at piloting them.

But in hand-to-hand combat, he was world-class.

A true powerhouse who could even fight Osiris and Zeke.

“Understood. Please, Uncle Isshin.”

“…Got it. Please, Dad.”

“Leave it to me. He saved my life that day. I wouldn’t hesitate to use this life for him.”

“And… I’ll stand by with the transport. You’ll need to get into Takemikazuchi after securing Kenya. But how to handle that…”

“Tanaka, how’s my Aphrodite doing?”

“Oh, yours is in the imperial capital’s maintenance bay right now. Right next to where Takemikazuchi is.”

“Roger. We’ll need to recover that too.”

“Alright, let’s organize this.”

Isshin began laying out the plan.

“Objective: Rescue Kenya. Team: Me, Reina, Kaguya—three people. Tanaka on rear support. Now, how to get to Earthguard…”

“I’ll escort with my Kagutsuchi, so let’s go via transport ship carrying Takemikazuchi. I can handle any minor enemies.”

“Right. With the World Alliance and Earthguard clashing full-force now, a single unit can take a detour by land route and arrive relatively safely.”

“Then I’ll pilot Takemikazuchi and take Isshin to the Isolation Tower. Kaguya, use Kagutsuchi to thin out enemy forces. Isshin and I will extract Kenya from the tower.”

“Shove him into Takemikazuchi, and he’ll handle the rest. Yeah, that seems the most reasonable. Now, Valhalla’s defenses. Can I hold them off solo with just one KOG?”

“It’ll be a bit of a gamble, but going big would just draw more enemies. This is a rescue op, not a battle. Minimize fighting, and this is the best shot.”

And with that, the plan was set.

Heading to Earthguard: Tanaka, Isshin, Reina, Kaguya—four in total.

Kaguya pilots Kagutsuchi, Reina Takemikazuchi.

Tanaka on standby, Isshin heads to the Isolation Tower with Reina.

Kaguya focuses on KO’ing enemy KOGs so Reina and Isshin can concentrate on close combat.

“Execution in two weeks, then? Success rate goes up once the World Alliance-Earthguard clash heats up. Too long a delay is risky too, so this timing feels right.”

“Roger. Works for me.”

“…A whole week without my Kenya fix, huh. But no choice. Roger.”

“You didn’t do anything weird while I was gone, did you?”

“Who knows? Maybe straddled him half-naked or something. He seemed thrilled, but he didn’t break his promise.”

“Good… No, not good! How the hell did that even happen!? You must’ve thrown yourself at him, you slut!”

“Slut’s fine by me. With Kenya, I’m going full nympho.”

“N-Nympho!? Don’t screw with me!!”

And just like always, Reina and Kaguya started bickering.

Isshin clutched his head watching them, but not wanting to hear his daughters’ talk like that, he slipped out with Tanaka.

Even after Isshin and the others left, the two kept arguing. Isshin and Tanaka muttered in exasperation.

“Totally good relationship or bad? Hard to say.”

“They do look alike, though. Cousins for sure. Could pass for sisters.”

“Kenya’s one lucky guy… Nah, it’s dicey. Those wild fillies will be a handful.”

“But he’ll tame ’em. He’s the world’s best pilot, after all.”

“Hah! True enough.”

“Kenya loves nurse outfits!”

“Whoa, details!”

“He pretends not to look, but he’s always staring at my chest and legs. More passionately than usual. Total perv eyes.”

“M-Maybe I should try it… Think he’d like it…?”

“Next time Kenya’s hospitalized, we can both do it for him.”

“Hospitalized as a given!?”

They chatted like total idiots.

Forgetting they were in the middle of wartime, immersed in pure girl talk.

As if filling the youth they’d lost—the happy youth they should’ve spent with friends.

But the world wouldn’t wait.

Road’s resolve didn’t waver.

…

“Lord Road, preparations are complete. But this many… Even a god couldn’t grasp them all.”

This was the Zeus, the floating aircraft carrier Odin had left behind—a cutting-edge aerial fortress.

Like a carrier dominating the skies, it let Road command from the battlefield.

A lone boy sat on its throne, with over a hundred monitors arrayed before him.

“Track them.”

“…Yes, sir!”

Screens lit up with battlefields from WWII erupting across the EU, Asia Union, and the whole world.

Road took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

“Don’t miss a single word from them.”

And so he took command of every front.

Grasping all hundred battlefields, winning every single one.

Defeat didn’t exist before him. He was resolved to devour the world and shatter it.

His one wish: world peace.

The gentle-hearted boy Road Earthguard yearned for it desperately.

However.

“I can’t become a god… but I can become a devil.”

To the people of this era, he was no different from one.