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"Hey, did you hear?"
"Hear what?"
"The new teacher!"
A short-haired girl turned excitedly to Saten Ruiko behind her.
"What, a new teacher?"
Saten Ruiko's eyes lit up.
"Is it a man or a woman? What do they look like?!"
"I don't know, I only heard it from Teacher Tamada."
"Is that so..."
Whoosh...
Just as the two of them were wondering who the new teacher could be, the classroom door slid open. Teacher Kaito walked in with a smile, dressed in a teacher's outfit, Shinobu Kocho at his side. Tap, tap, tap... Kaito made his way to the podium, picked up a piece of chalk, and, under the excited gazes of the students below, wrote his name across the board.
Clap, clap...
He set the chalk down, clapped his hands together, and turned to face the class.
"Everyone, starting today, I'll be your new homeroom teacher. This is my assistant, Shinobu Kocho. I hope we have a very pleasant time together in the days to come!"
Bang!
A chair clattered to the floor. Every head in the room turned toward Saten Ruiko, who had shot to her feet, staring at the podium in shock.
"Teacher Kaito! Miss Shinobu Kocho!"
"Heh heh, what's wrong, Ruiko? Are you surprised to see me?"
Kaito looked at her with a smile.
"Eh? Ruiko, you actually know the new homeroom teacher?!"
"The new homeroom teacher is so handsome!"
"Wow, is he Saten-san's acquaintance?!"
"The assistant's so beautiful too! Is her name Shinobu Kocho?"
The classroom erupted into chatter. Kaito raised a hand, and the noise slowly died down.
"Ruiko, please sit down first."
"Oh, oh."
Saten Ruiko nodded quickly under the curious stares of her classmates, picked her chair back up, and sat.
"As your homeroom teacher, I'll say a few words first..."
None of the students below had yet realized just how serious the situation actually was. They were still gazing up at the handsome man on the podium, thoroughly delighted.
Eastern Empire
"Your Majesty, the Armored Division is ready, and most of the Magic Beast Division has been recalled. It's just that the Mixed Army has a bit of a problem."
Kondou Tatsuya, seated in the first chair on the left, reported to Emperor Rudra in the main seat.
"What's wrong with the Mixed Army?"
Rudra propped his cheek on his right hand and asked, indifferent.
"All members currently worship that guy, Kagurazaka Yuuki. They're very resistant to the Empire's commands."
"Is that so? Then find an opportunity to throw them to the front as cannon fodder."
Rudra glanced at Kondou Tatsuya as he said it, his tone flat. The Mixed Army was one of the Eastern Empire's three major armies, though in the past half of it had consisted of non-combat personnel handling intelligence and logistics. Most within it were loners, their strength varied wildly, and the whole division was riddled with chaos.
That changed when Kagurazaka Yuuki arrived and challenged the entire army with his own strength, going undefeated match after match, until he'd risen to the top and taken it over completely. Every high-ranking officer in the Mixed Army now answered to him. In the original timeline, this army had also ended up sacrificed.
"Yes, I know how to handle it."
Kondou Tatsuya nodded seriously, then, recalling a report from the Intelligence Bureau, his expression turned grave.
"Your Majesty, the latest intelligence states that the Jura Tempest Federation's expansion speed is remarkable. They've recruited millions of troops in less than half a month, and preliminary assessments say their combat power is extraordinary."
Garcia, fifth in sequence of the Imperial Guardians, looked up in surprise.
"Millions of troops in half a month? Where did the Jura Tempest Federation get that many people?"
Kondou Tatsuya shook his head.
"I don't know. Our agents inside the Federation haven't managed to get close to the core yet. Perhaps they have someone with the ability to read minds."
He paused, remembering something. At a previous Jura Tempest Federation conference, Kagaya had announced the Federation's population.
"At that conference, the one called Kagaya claimed the Federation had 1.7 billion people. But our agents surveyed every habitable area on their side and estimated less than 20 million."
Damrada, second in sequence, cut in.
"20 million people, and they recruited millions of troops with extraordinary combat power? Are those idiots in the Intelligence Bureau joking? Your Majesty, I think the Imperial Intelligence Bureau needs a thorough reorganization, to be this negligent."
Kondou Tatsuya's expression darkened.
"Damrada, I am the head of the Intelligence Bureau. Are you implying I'm negligent in my duties?"
"Uh..."
Damrada suddenly remembered that fact, but having already spoken, he pressed on regardless.
"I'm not saying you're negligent, I'm talking about the people working under you. Besides, 20 million people recruiting millions in half a month with extraordinary combat power? How dare they submit a report like that."
Kondou Tatsuya found he couldn't refute him. When he'd first received the intelligence himself, he'd had the exact same reaction. It was only because the agents below had staked their lives on it being real that he'd sent people to investigate a second time, and the results had come back identical. It could only mean the Jura Tempest Federation's secrecy was genuinely formidable.
"Alright, it's just a few million people, nothing to fear. I just want to know how much longer until we can go wipe out that Federation!"
Rudra's patience was running thin.
"Your Majesty, we can set out in half a month at most and completely flatten the Jura Tempest Federation, then sweep through the western nations after."
"Good. Half a month it is. Granit, you'll be supreme commander of the entire army this time. Once you set out, I want to hear that the Jura Tempest Federation's been destroyed within half a month."
Granit, the God of War and leader of the Four Knights, rose solemnly and bowed.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. Your subordinate pledges to complete the mission, even at the cost of his life!"
"Mm."
Rudra hummed in response, nothing more. No one in the room noticed Velgrynd, leaning against the side of his chair, as a sharp glint flickered through her eyes while she watched him.
Meanwhile, in the Jura Tempest Federation, Veldora stood bruised and swollen, facing the mockery of Rimuru and the others...