The Lieutenant General nodded slightly, his face solemn and dignified.
“We cannot agree to this. The Black Candle Behemoth has been resurrected, and it could make landfall in any country. I have no intention of letting it land in the Jiuming Sea again just because of your last-minute plan, which would destroy the social stability of the South.”
“But have you never considered that it might land somewhere you are completely unprepared for!? When that time comes, millions of people will die!” Xing Yu shouted.
“That is a low-probability event. It is better than it being guaranteed to land in the Jiuming Sea. In that scenario, we would be the ones suffering the losses. Four years ago, we made a massive sacrifice for the sake of world peace; we will not repeat that mistake this time.”
“Low probability, low probability! What if that small chance actually happens? What will you do then!?”
The Lieutenant General remained silent for a moment, his eyes showing no hint of compromise. He asked in return, “Then I must ask you: according to your plan, can you guarantee that the Black Candle Behemoth will be suppressed in the Jiuming Sea?”
“__!”
“You can’t, can you?”
In truth, if they could suppress the Black Candle Behemoth by only sacrificing the Jiuming Sea—as they had done in the past—the Lieutenant General might have grudgingly accepted it. They would simply need to evacuate the populace and transfer important assets in advance. But the key issue was that while they had succeeded four years ago, who could guarantee the Magic Alliance could successfully suppress the behemoth this time?
Now they faced internal strife and external threats. The Black Prison Behemoth had been sealed, yet they were forced by the enemy to release it again. Could the suppression of the even more troublesome Black Candle Behemoth really proceed according to plan?
If they failed, the Black Candle Behemoth would drive straight into the interior. Not only would the Jiuming Sea suffer, but the entire South would be devastated. If the South fell, social stability would truly collapse.
“If the social stability of other nations collapses, the impact is limited to their borders, and the global situation remains stable. But as the main force resisting the Boundary Sea, if we are broken by the Black Candle Behemoth, the entire Asian resistance front will collapse along with us. The whole world will fall into chaos, and the enemy’s strategic objectives will be achieved. Do you understand what I am saying?” the Lieutenant General said.
At this point, Xing Yu realized there was no turning back. She wore a look of profound sorrow.
Magical girls were so dedicated to suppressing Dimensional Beasts; why did they always encounter situations where their allies refused to cooperate?
Being unable to control the movements of the Black Candle Behemoth meant the situation was entirely out of their hands. How many magical girls would have to sacrifice their lives to fill that gap?
“Magical girl comrades, you are responsible for the people, and we are likewise responsible for the safety of the people’s lives and property, as well as the stability of the international community. There is no need for further argument. You may raise any other requests you have. The Red Phone has been authorized for use by the Ten Seats. We will spare no effort in providing support for the suppression of the Black Candle Behemoth.”
After speaking, the Lieutenant General proactively ended the video call.
Luo You looked at Xing Yu’s indignant expression and felt helpless. There was nothing to be done; these were considerations based on reality. In any campaign, if the flames of war reach your own homeland, the battle is considered a failure. Therefore, most battles in this world were fought outside of one’s own territory whenever possible.
[No… those are just excuses.] Xing Yu thought.
Ultimately, the relevant departments no longer had enough confidence in the magical girls. It wasn’t just the authorities; people from all walks of life and all social classes had lost faith in them.
If the incident with Xing Yue hadn’t happened, the plan could have proceeded smoothly. If Xing Yue were still here, everyone would still hold out hope for the Magic Alliance.
Xing Yu gave Luo You a bitter smile. “I’m sorry you had to see that… As you can see, the situation we face is quite dire.”
“Well, wouldn’t it be better to suppress the Black Prison Behemoth first? That is the optimal solution for now,” Luo You comforted her.
“You’re right…”
While they were talking, Manjusaka’s voice came through.
“The operation begins in five hours!”
Five hours was a long time—long enough for the Black Prison Behemoth to move further into the interior—but this was an unfortunate compromise with reality. After all, the magical girls needed to recover their strength.
Particularly Manjusaka and Xing Yu, who had both previously maintained Rank Zero Magic. Their bodies had sustained damage. Although expecting a full recovery in five hours was a pipe dream, they had to strive for even a 1% increase in their success rate.
Those five hours were enough for Luo You to accomplish quite a lot. She left the area first to conduct observations in various locations.
The situation was incredibly tense.
To deal with the Black Candle Behemoth, all countries along the coast of the Asian Boundary Sea had conducted large-scale troop deployments. News related to the event was everywhere, and even nations far from the Boundary Sea were focusing intensely on the matter.
At the same time, the movements of the Black Prison Behemoth were under close scrutiny. Furthermore, the morale of the Magic Alliance was at an all-time low, and public opinion across society began to question the capabilities of the magical girls.
“What exactly is Xing Yue waiting for in this situation?” After making a round, Luo You was puzzled again.
It was precisely because of Xing Yue’s disappearance that the world was in such an uproar. Otherwise, the nation would certainly be united, fighting the invading enemy as one, morale would be soaring, and the situation would be much better.
“Unless… she is intentionally creating this atmosphere?” Luo You whispered to herself.
But what could she be plotting by doing this?
Luo You was after the “Box,” but what was Xing Yue after?
Soon, the five-hour mark approached, and Luo You returned to the frontier. Two more members of the Ten Seats had arrived one after another. They were Lark and Jin Wang, and then Luo Zining arrived as well.
In other words, with the exception of the newly appointed Ji Yue, who did not yet know how to cast Rank Zero Magic, everyone who could come had arrived.
There were seven of the Ten Seats on the scene. If an enemy invaded, they would be erased with Rank Zero Magic! Beyond the Ten Seats, over a hundred other magical girls had also arrived and were standing by in the distance. It was no exaggeration to say that even without the Ten Seats, these magical girls alone could wipe out 70% of the countries in the world.
“Hey, Golden Scale, you actually showed up after all.”
Luo Zining walked up to Luo You’s side with a boastful air, teasing, “Didn’t you say you weren’t coming?”
Looking at her like this, Luo You wanted to give her an elbow strike right then and there to jog her memory.
“Because I was invited. They specifically asked for me; what choice did I have?”
Of course, that was a lie.
“Hmph… Just stay here and watch me show off my great power!” Luo Zining huffed.
To her, the best thing in the world would be for this person, who never spared her with her words, to see her exert her true strength.
— “Lord Little Red Riding Hood! I am so sorry for being so rude to you before! You are truly the one everyone relies on! L-Later… can I invite you to have tea with me? I… I want to… have more contact with you! (blushing)”
Imagining this scene, Luo Zining returned to her position with a look of triumph.
Then, she got cold feet.
[Oh my god! I actually have to do this a second time!]
Internally, Luo Zining cursed the ancestors of those human traitors thousands of times.
In the distance, Luo You looked at Luo Zining’s positioning and understood immediately.
“Tch, talking so big, but in the end, she’s just the bait! Her purity is too low!” Luo You shook her head in disdain.