In the far eastern island nation of Japan, scorching magma erupted from the summit of Mount Fuji, flowing down slowly like cream melting over ice cream, incinerating everything in its path.
Tsunamis from the Pacific Ocean battered the Tokyo metropolitan coastline wave after wave, submerging the entire region.
A pitch-black storm swept across the country, and the roar of earthquakes sent skyscrapers swaying and toppling.
Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, storms... every conceivable disaster was erupting at once.
It was often said that the island nation of Japan rested upon a fragile tectonic plate and could sink at any moment.
Now, that fear had become reality. Looking at the state of the entire country, if these disasters were to continue for more than three days, even if the nation didn't sink completely, it would shatter into an archipelago.
"The very essence of the earth is in chaos. At this rate, Tokyo will be underwater within a day. Miss Erica, is there truly no other way?"
Atop a mountain at the Ise Grand Shrine, Sayanomiya Kaoru, the Tokyo Branch Chief of Japan's Official History Compilation Committee, gazed at the apocalyptic scene before her, her eyes pleading with the haughty, blonde knight-princess.
Faced with the utter destruction of her home, she had no other options but to beg.
Hearing this, Erica shot the Hime-Miko [T/N: A high-ranking shrine maiden] a sideways glance.
"Of course there is. Am I not trying to figure something out right now?"
"Besides, what's there to be so anxious about? As I recall, when I requisitioned the god-summoning ritual from you in the King's name, you weren't exactly quick about it, were you?"
"By that standard, the efficiency of our Copper Black Cross is already quite impressive, don't you think?"
A malicious smile touched Erica's lips, and she made no effort to hide her schadenfreude.
It wasn't that she held a grudge, but that had been the very first mission Su Mo had entrusted to her.
After Marquis Voban was captured, the Bronze Black Cross had obediently handed over all their magical archives. Yet for some reason, the Official History Compilation Committee of this island nation had been brimming with misplaced confidence.
They had been less than worthless when facing Marquis Voban, yet they dared to be so insolent when facing a Godslayer even stronger than him.
It was only because Su Mo hadn't needed the materials later on; otherwise, she would have come to teach these mages from the backwoods a lesson long ago.
But getting her revenge now wasn't too late, it seemed.
Sayanomiya Kaoru's face paled, a fire of frustration raging in her heart.
From the very beginning, she had opposed those old fossils and their stalling tactics. Relying on the power of their "Honorable Grandfather," those old geezers, who had never suffered a beating from a Godslayer, had no concept of how terrifying the new King truly was. They actually dared to feign compliance while secretly undermining the King's orders.
It was as if they failed to understand a simple truth: Godslayers never need to follow the rules—they are the rules!
And now, predictably, she was the one left to take the fall for the mistakes of those idiots.
Otherwise, how would a mere branch chief like her be qualified to stand here representing the entire Official History Compilation Committee?
"Miss Erica, you misunderstand! Once we learned of your personal arrival, we immediately compiled the materials and delivered them to you. We never intended to slight you!" Sayanomiya Kaoru hastily explained with an apologetic smile.
"Only crying for help when disaster is already at your door. You Japanese are quite the opportunists," Erica retorted mercilessly before adding with a sweet smile, "However, I'll be the bigger person and let it slide. When this place is really about to sink, I'll be sure to lend a hand!"
"Of course, whether I make it in time or not... well, that's not my problem!"
"..."
Sayanomiya Kaoru's expression soured, but she didn't dare to argue. She desperately tried to signal the silver-haired knight-princess beside Erica, hoping the slender, elf-like girl might speak up for her.
However, catching her glance, Liliana, who along with Erica was known as one of the "Twin Flowers of Milan," averted her gaze with a troubled look.
"I'd love to help you persuade Erica, but you really were in the wrong here... Defying the orders of a Devil King... are you people not afraid of death?"
By the end, Liliana's tone was tinged with genuine confusion.
Never refuse a Devil King, unless you have another Devil King backing you—this was common sense in the European magical community.
Just as other magical cabals had unconditionally surrendered to Su Mo after the King of Swords and Marquis Voban were defeated, they all had an instinctual understanding of how terrifying a Devil King could be.
But these people from Japan were just... bizarre.
Even the famously soft-hearted Liliana couldn't comprehend their way of thinking.
"..."
Sayanomiya Kaoru fell silent once more.
She was afraid of death, but those old fossils weren't! They still thought they could solve everything by relying on the Honorable Grandfather!
Who could have known that the moment trouble started, that Heretic God would simply vanish without a trace?
As an awkward silence fell over the group, one of the figures behind Sayanomiya Kaoru—the elder of two shrine maidens, one tall and one short—suddenly lifted her head and spoke.
"Even if the members of the Official History Compilation Committee were disrespectful to Lord Devil King, the other citizens of Tokyo are innocent. Are you truly going to ignore the lives of so many people just to indulge a moment of pique?"
Completely ignoring her younger sister's attempts to stop her, Mariya Yuri raised her head and, in a tone of immense compassion, condemned Erica's petulant behavior.
Hearing this, Liliana and Sayanomiya Kaoru both had a bad feeling.
That kind of guilt-tripping was completely useless against Erica.
Just as they were about to intervene, a brilliant, almost predatory smile blossomed on Erica's face.
"Are you suggesting I should consider the bigger picture, set aside my personal grudges, and prioritize the safety of this country's people?"
"...Yes. That is the proper conduct for a knight, is it not?" Mariya Yuri asked, her bleeding heart on full display.
"You're absolutely right. Protecting the populace is the duty of us knights," Erica nodded, her smile deepening. "So, in the face of this apocalypse, to protect the civilization of the entire world, I must cast aside feminine sentimentality and overcome this doomsday, even if it means sacrificing everything. Would you agree?"
Mariya Yuri thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Excellent."
Erica placed a hand on her hip and pointed toward the distant battlefield.
"To overcome this apocalypse, Lady Athena must defeat the Last King. For that, she needs a stable battlefield."
"Since you people of Japan feel that small, personal grudges can be sacrificed for the greater good, then you can be the sacrifice!"
"I'm sure your sacrifice will play a crucial role in our victory. The people of the world will remember you! Amen!"
Just as Erica was expected to swallow her pride for the sake of the Japanese people, shouldn't the Japanese people give up their lives for the safety of the entire world?
The complete reversal left Mariya Yuri stunned, at a loss for a rebuttal.
According to her own saintly logic, if one should not fear sacrifice for the greater good, then Japan was clearly the most logical offering.
They needed a battlefield anyway. Why not here?
"..."
Hearing Erica's declaration, the color drained completely from Sayanomiya Kaoru's face.
The good news: she no longer had to worry about being fired by the Official History Compilation Committee when she got back.
The bad news: her home was gone.
"...Erica, you can't be serious, can you?" Liliana asked in a hushed whisper, seeing the looks of despair on the others' faces.
"Who knows!" Erica's smile remained as cunning as a fox's. "Lady Athena is still fighting. If our Lord makes it back in time, it won't be a problem. But if he doesn't... sacrificing little old Japan isn't an unacceptable outcome."
"I imagine that if you were to lift the entire Japanese tectonic plate and smash him with it, not even the Last King could survive, right?"
Liliana didn't seem too surprised by the outrageous suggestion. Instead, she gave a wry smile.
"Even so, I doubt it would be enough to kill the Last King for good, would it?"
She had witnessed similar, though not quite as absurd, attacks more than once. Athena had, in fact, managed to kill the Last King through various means—Liliana herself had seen it happen over a dozen times.
And yet, the battle still raged on.
"With the Last King's outrageously overpowered immortality, no matter how many times he dies, he'll just come back for more. He even absorbs the essence of the earth, growing stronger each time," Liliana lamented. "If we can't overcome his Undying Body of Steel, then even sacrificing Japan would be pointless."
"I know that. Which is why we can only wait," Erica said with a shrug.
"Wait?"
"Wait for Lord Su Mo to return, of course!"
"His Majesty, the Devil King of the Shattered Moon... Speaking of which, is he truly that powerful? Does he have a way to deal with the Undying Body of Steel?" Liliana, who had yet to even meet her new master since joining his faction, asked with great curiosity. She knew of Su Mo's past victories, but both the Last King and Athena now seemed capable of destruction on a similar scale.
"Of course!"
At the mention of Su Mo, Erica's tone became proud and serene.
"I swear on my name as the Master's most favored attendant: as long as he returns, nothing will be a problem."
The words had barely left her lips when she felt two familiar presences appear behind her.
"Hmph! I'm the Master's favorite little pet!" a Flügel girl immediately chirped, popping into view.