"Your Majesty, please—please save my comrades! They're not traitors—"
Bang!
Before the young soldier could finish, the supervising captain kicked him squarely in the chest, sending him flying across the parade ground. "Tatsumi! You've brought shame upon the Eighth Imperial Guard Legion!"
His helmet clattered to the ground, revealing his short brown hair—it was indeed Tatsumi.
The captain immediately dropped to one knee, forcing Tatsumi's head to the dirt, and addressed Selene in alarm. "Your Majesty, the fault lies with me! I have failed to maintain proper discipline within the ranks. I am willing to accept punishment!"
But even pinned down, Tatsumi continued to struggle. "No, Captain—it's not his fault! Your Majesty—"
"Silence!"
A towering shadow fell over him. Budo, his massive frame even more imposing since his recovery under Selene's power, stepped forward. With a single hand, he grabbed Tatsumi by the head and swung him around like a ragdoll.
Boom!
Tatsumi's body crashed into the ground, leaving a shallow crater in the packed earth as dust billowed into the air.
Folding his arms across his chest, Budo's face darkened. "Soldier! Discipline, obedience, unity—the very soul of a warrior—and I see none of it in you!"
"Disobedient! Disorderly! You've disrupted Her Majesty's presence—guards, seize him!"
"Yes, sir!" Two soldiers stepped forward, grabbing Tatsumi by the arms and hauling him upright.
"Wait..." Selene's voice cut through the tension like silk. "He said he wanted to appeal something, didn't he? What was it again—and what's his name?"
Annoyed, she motioned for Kinshasa to step aside—he was blocking her view. A soldier appealing for justice before the throne? How quaint.
She hadn't expected to encounter such a scene during her inspection. It was almost amusing.
"His name is Tatsumi," Kinshasa replied. "This soldier was personally recruited by me on my return to the capital. I found him while traveling through the frontier. He wished to enlist, and his strength was remarkable—he killed a Class 1 Danger Beast, an Earth Dragon, single-handedly. I saw his potential and brought him in myself."
"Tatsumi... Earth Dragon...?" Selene's crimson eyes narrowed as a faint spark of recognition flickered. "Ah, right—that one. I almost forgot he existed."
She had been so absorbed in her grand plans that she had nearly forgotten about the so-called protagonist himself.
"So, you're saying you recruited him?" Selene asked with a faint smile that made Kinshasa's throat tighten.
"Yes, Your Majesty." He bowed low, pressing a fist to his chest, uneasy under her crimson gaze.
"Then he's your responsibility. Handle it however you see fit," Selene said casually before turning to the kneeling captain. "Rise."
With Selene's current stature, a minor appeal like this was beneath her concern. A soldier's personal grievance was hardly worth her direct involvement.
And even if she wanted to show him mercy, doing so now would only destroy him. Benevolence, in the wrong measure, kills faster than wrath, she thought.
As the trembling captain rose, Selene extended her hand gracefully, a faint pulse of invisible force smoothing the wrinkles on his chest strap and adjusting his armor.
"A soldier must look the part," she said calmly. "Your concern for your men, your shared hardships—I see it. Well done. Continue to serve with distinction."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the captain said, standing straight as steel. His voice rang out with renewed strength, and nearby officers looked on in admiration.
"Let's move on—to the next camp."
With that, Selene concluded her inspection of the Upper City garrison. Surrounded by golden-armored guards, her radiant figure gradually disappeared from the sight of tens of thousands of soldiers.
Only one figure remained—the four-meter-tall golden giant, Kinshasa, standing motionless in the night wind.
"Uh... Commander, what should we do with him?" a subordinate asked hesitantly.
"Tch! How should I know? That brat's always causing trouble," Kinshasa growled, his deep voice rumbling through his armor. "We're marching to war tomorrow, and he pulls this stunt now of all times!"
"Sir, he's still unconscious from General Budo's strike."
"Then wake him up! I want to hear this 'grievance' of his—let's see what's so important he had to interrupt an imperial inspection!"
...
"...Cough, cough... Commander, that's... that's how it happened," Tatsumi said weakly, his face pale as he explained everything.
"All right, I understand the situation," Kinshasa said finally, arms folded. "Your two comrades were likely deceived or coerced into joining Night Raid. There's a chance they could be granted clemency. I'll speak to Alex about delaying their execution."
"Thank you, Commander!" Tatsumi said, his voice trembling with gratitude.
"Don't thank me just yet," Kinshasa replied coldly. "There are conditions. Clemency comes at a price—battle merits. If you fail to earn them, they will still be executed... and your own punishment will be doubled. Their deaths won't be clean."
He stepped closer, his golden armor gleaming in the lamplight. "I'll secure the opportunity. But after that, it's up to you. Tomorrow, you'll be transferred to the vanguard. You'll march south and fight."
"Now," Kinshasa turned sharply, barking to the guards, "make sure he pays for his insubordination! Soldier Tatsumi, violation of military code—eighty lashes!"
Then to the nearby medic, he added flatly, "See to it he survives. Once the punishment's done, patch him up and assign him to the vanguard."
"Yes, Commander!"
...
The next day, the sun had risen high over the Imperial Capital, bathing its vast architecture in radiant gold.
Along South Lake Avenue—the grand boulevard Selene herself had commissioned—the city was alive with the thunder of drums and the blare of horns. The preparations were complete. The soldiers, freshly inspected by their Empress and rested overnight, were ready. The southern campaign was about to begin.
Under the crisp commands of their officers, the various legions formed ranks and began their march in perfect order. Though the streets were crowded, there was no chaos. The Imperial Army—disciplined, efficient, unyielding—moved like a living machine.
On both sides of the great avenue, civilians crowded together, cheering and waving banners.
Near the city gate, a young woman with long lavender hair and a matching cheongsam tugged at her parents' sleeves, her eyes wide with excitement. "Papa, Mama, do you think we'll win?"
"Of course," her father said firmly. "Her Majesty Selene never loses."
Hil—yes, that Sheele—nodded slowly as she watched the endless tide of soldiers marching past, their polished black armor gleaming beneath the sun, their weapons raised high as the chorus of war cries and cheers thundered through the air.
Her family's shop had flourished ever since Selene and Esdeath had visited it months ago. With the Imperial Security Division's favor—and the good fortune of Selene's indirect patronage—Sheele's family had never suffered harassment or ruin. No debts, no fugitives, no blood.
Her life had remained ordinary—peaceful. Not thrilling like the assassin's path she might have walked in another world, but safe, happy, and whole.
Holding back a blush, Sheele cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Good luck! Please—win for us!"
The nearby Imperial Guards, hearing her voice, couldn't help but smile. Though the march forbade idle chatter, many struck their chests in salute as they passed.
And thus, the true War of Unification—the Empire's greatest campaign—had begun.