When planning to stop George III from advancing to "Black Emperor," Angel and Klein had already anticipated that their actions might cause the situation to deteriorate. The king losing control and dying could plunge Loen into turmoil, lower the morale of soldiers on the front lines or even cause them to defect, or give Intis and Feynapotter an opportunity to attack Loen.
At the same time, however, they had mentally prepared themselves to use their abilities, influence, and other means to reduce the harm these changes would inflict on ordinary people. As a Demoness whose battlefield performance surpassed Hunters of the same sequence, Angel had even resolved to go to war herself.
But the speed of the Intis Republic's response still exceeded their expectations.
George III's speech had begun at nine in the morning. Around half past nine, as the speech reached its climax and the mourning began, he had completed his preparations to advance to "Black Emperor." A few minutes later, this King of Angel had fallen for good. Ruins No.1 had been engulfed by multiple catastrophes, then utterly destroyed by an unending barrage of lightning strikes, leaving no trace.
Now, the sun had yet to set, and fewer than eight hours had passed since George III's death. Yet Intis's army had already assembled and massed along the border between the two countries?
There was only one possibility:
Intis had prepared in advance and secretly amassed its forces long ago, waiting only for a change within Loen to begin its operation immediately!
"I suspect that King of Angel whose name we can't even say played a major role in this."
Angel sighed softly and waved a hand, making the window opaque. A mirror illusion shut out the growing clamor outside and the newsboys' cries.
"There's no need to suspect.