Cerydra gathered a massive army of nearly seven hundred thousand in the North, along with thousands of Chrysos Heirs and the Millelith. Looking at this formation, she seemed intent on taking out the Empire and the Revolutionary Army in a single wave.
Faced with such a terrifying army, the Empire naturally could not do nothing—on the contrary, they had already made the most complete and thorough preparations.
In the main hall of the Empire, the various officials and the Little Emperor had already arrived, waiting for the meeting that was about to begin.
"As expected, after waiting so long, that fellow Cerydra has finally launched her attack... Next, it's our turn to deal with the Revolutionary Army. Although I don't know what those fellows are thinking, it certainly won't be anything good."
Honest maintained his usual air of detachment, as if the survival of the Empire had nothing to do with him, despite the fact that he was the Minister of the Empire.
"Is it really okay for us to prepare so casually, Old Man?"
The Minister's son, Syura, had a grim expression. So far, the Empire no longer possessed any elite forces and was completely unable to support the impending war.
They couldn't even manage adequate logistical supplies!
So, how was this battle to be fought?
"That's a good point, Syura."
Honest stood beside the Little Emperor, and as his gaze swept over the civil and military officials below, he actually began to speak of the situation in a rare fashion.
"The situation in the Empire is already very dire. Grand General Budo is dead, multiple elite generals have been killed, and even the captain of the Assassination Unit met a tragic end... Without a doubt, the Empire has reached its most critical moment!"
"If we continue to allow those traitors from the North to push southward, I fear this Empire, which has been maintained for a thousand years, will vanish into the long river of history."
The officials in the court were all surprised at this moment, because none of them had ever seen Honest in such a pessimistic state. Does this mean the impending fall of the nation is truly real?
"Then what should we do?"
Someone, somewhere, asked the question at the right moment. Although the voice was not loud, it reached the ears of everyone present.
"That question gets straight to the point!"
Honest didn't care who asked the question, but it gave him the perfect opportunity to proceed with his plan.
"Your Majesty, given that the Empire is currently in a state of crisis, this old official boldly entreats Your Majesty to use that legendary power!"
Legendary power?
Most of the people were blank-faced upon hearing these words. Although they were officials of the Empire, they knew very little about the Empire's internal affairs—after all, most of them were just parasites!
However, a small number of old officials widened their eyes at this moment, their voices trembling as they uttered that name.
"Could it be the legendary Shikoutazer?"
"Correct, it is the legendary Shikoutazer. The ultimate weapon rumored to possess power rivaling the gods, which can only be used by one who possesses the Emperor's Bloodline!"
Speaking of Shikoutazer, the Minister's expression immediately became exaggerated, and even the corners of his eyes grew moist.
"Your Majesty, countless soldiers of the Empire have already given their all for this country. Even if a hundred or a thousand times more people were needed, the soldiers would still want to save this nation."
"But merely having such thoughts cannot save the Empire. The disparity in strength between us and the enemy is too great. If we continue to send soldiers to the battlefield, I fear my Empire will eventually be left with no citizens at all."
"This is this old official's incompetence; I have no way to eliminate all hidden dangers before the crisis arrived... Therefore, I can only boldly ask Your Majesty to step forward!"
Honest's tears fell drop by drop, as if he truly cared about the lives of those soldiers.
But at this moment, no one dared to interrupt. Even the Minister's son, Syura, merely turned his head away and no longer looked at Honest, not daring to speak out and interfere.
"Is that so? It turns out the Empire has already faced such a severe predicament... As the Emperor, I naturally cannot let those people go to their deaths!"
Although the Emperor was currently not very old, under Minister Honest's recent influence, he had learned to care for the lives of the Empire's subjects and thus stood tall.
The Little Emperor gave a small hop, jumping down from the throne, and looked at the group of officials below with an expression he considered majestic.
"I have been made aware. This battle is a fight for the very survival of the Empire. Any slight contempt or mistake will lead to the Empire's destruction. Therefore, I have decided..."
"I shall pilot Shikoutazer and personally lead the Army into battle!"
"We must thoroughly eliminate those barbarians who harass my Empire and bring eternal peace to the Empire!"
The Little Emperor's childlike voice echoed throughout the hall, instantly making the Empire's civil and military officials excited once again.
That was Shikoutazer!
To think that in these thousand years, there were few opportunities even to activate it, and yet they would have the fortune to witness it this time?
"Your Majesty is wise! We shall follow you even unto death!"
Amidst a chorus of cheers, the Empire similarly made its final declaration before the war, and subsequently began preparing for the final battle in a tense atmosphere.
After Cerydra's reforms, the North was no longer what it once was, with top-tier warriors emerging one after another.
The Empire possessed a thousand years of heritage as well as the trump card that was Shikoutazer; it was unlikely they would lose.
"But we, the Revolutionary Army... what do we have?"
Completely different from the North and the Empire, the Revolutionary Army had not been established for long, nor did it have abilities like Cerydra's to drag a faction into prominence in a short time.
"Next, what should we do?"
The leader of the Revolutionary Army had a dazed expression, having clearly understood the current world situation... How should it be put?
The Revolutionary Army could see no spark of life!
Once upon a time, the leader of the Revolutionary Army had fantasized that with enough manpower and Teigu, they could surely overthrow the Empire.
But as time passed, the North and the Empire had successively revealed their trump cards, which truly shocked the Revolutionary Army leader for an entire year!
Cerydra, Godslayer, Chrysos Heir, Super Class Danger Beast, Millelith...
The Little Emperor, Honest, Shikoutazer, Wild Hunt, an army of a million...
From paper strength alone, the North was the strongest, followed by the Empire, and the Revolutionary Army had become the weakest, now only able to follow behind the Empire like a stray dog to pick up some leftovers.
So, what did the Revolutionary Army rely on to win?
A will of steel?
Saying those words, even the leader himself did not believe them, and could only helplessly turn his gaze toward the silver-haired, purple-eyed beauty beside him.
"Leader, tell me... do we have a chance at victory?"
The Leader of the Path of Peace had not left since predicting the future; instead, he used all his strength to help the Revolutionary Army, all to facilitate the alliance between the Revolutionary Army and the North.
Regrettably, this alliance had not lasted long before being declared broken due to the Revolutionary Army's assassination attempt.
"Of course!"
A profound light flickered in the silver-haired beauty's eyes. She looked at the incredibly nervous Revolutionary Army leader with a smile, and even her tone of voice became gentle.
"Please rest assured. With the North, the Empire, and the Revolutionary Army contending against each other, the one to achieve final victory will definitely be us!"