A Costly Victory

Shuya had heard of the show, but he didn't recognize any of the hosts.

He doesn't pay much attention to this aspect.

The atmosphere of the show seemed relaxed. Shuya and Mai arrived at the recording venue around the same time, greeted the hosts, and then it was about to start.

The show didn't have much of a script; much of it was improvised.

Because of Shuya and Mai's age difference, the show won't go too far, and the hosts won't say anything inappropriate, otherwise they'd probably get scolded.

The audience entered in an orderly fashion, and after a while, the recording of the program began.

After the hosts cracked a few jokes as an opening remark, it was Shuya and Mai's turn to enter.

Because the guests weren't announced beforehand, the audience screamed with surprise when they saw the two of them.

Shuya and Mai walked to the middle and began answering the host's questions with smiles.

The initial question was quite ordinary.

"Speaking of which, I heard that Mai- chan was discovered by Shu-chan. What exactly happened?"

A host posed a question.

Shuya replied, "Well, it was about a year ago, I think? A children's clothing company approached me to be their spokesperson, gave me some information, and told me to choose a partner."

So you chose Mai- chan?

"Yes."

"What were Shu-chan's criteria for choosing her? It couldn't have been just based on looks, could it?"

Shuya replied, "No, it's all about looks."

"Hahaha! That's so direct."

The hosts couldn't help but laugh.

Mai- chan complained, "Shouldn't you be saying you value my inner qualities now, Shuya?"

She spoke with a slightly coquettish tone, which was very cute.

She really knows her stuff.

Shuya added, "Well... if I had to put it that way, would you say it's a feeling?"

Another host laughed and said, "Speaking of feelings, I heard that when Shu-chan first met Mai- chan, he predicted that she would become a famous big shot. I didn't expect it to come true so quickly."

"Yes, I didn't expect it to be so fast either, but Mai- chan is indeed a very hardworking person."

"It is Shuya who is right."

The two began exchanging compliments, and then answered a number of questions.

The recording of the program proceeded smoothly without any unexpected incidents.

Near the end, one of the hosts suddenly asked with a smile, "Speaking of which Shu-chan, I think everyone is curious about what kind of girl you like. Would you mind revealing it?"

"Hmm? No problem."

Shuya didn't care much and said frankly, "I like women older than me, preferably with long hair."

"..."

Mai- chan knew he was referring to Rena, but she still reflexively touched her hair.

Shuya said, "Then, one should have a gentle, strong, hardworking, and responsible personality."

The hosts couldn't help but look at Mai- chan meaningfully; these personality traits were the same adjectives that Shuya praise Mai- chan during their earlier mutual compliments.

Mai- chan blushed and twisted her body, eliciting a soft laugh.

Shuya concluded, "Finally, they have to be at least as good-looking as me and have a good figure. That's about it."

The hosts and the audience stared at Mai- chan's face.

As for her figure, emmmmmm.

There is still room for growth.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

The audience erupted in unrestrained laughter.

"Haha, Mai- chan, are you going to answer him now?"

Is this a live confession?

Wow, kids these days are so daring!

"I'm jealous."

"Hehe."

Mai smiled and, playing along with her shy acting, fulfilled the world's perfect fantasy of an innocent little girl.

But she felt more than just not shy; she even wanted to laugh out loud.

You bunch of idiots... Shuya wasn't talking about me, though.

His goals are incredibly high.

"Hmm?"

Shuya stared blankly at them laughing, and it took him a while to realize what was happening.

He saw Mai- chan, who was putting on a full-on acting performance, secretly winking at him.

He realized what he had done and gave an embarrassed smile.

These two are such drama queens.

The program ended in a relaxed atmosphere.

But after the promotion was over, the host suddenly stirred things up again, saying he wanted to see Shuya and Mai's acting skills and asked them to do a short skit on the spot.

Shuya and Mai exchanged a glance and decided to go all out.

The final conversation between Asagami Miin and Ikeda Ichinosuke.

Mai quickly got into character, and Shuya showed a trusting smile, "Ichinosuke, you'll protect me, right?"

Shuya 'Ikeda Ichinosuke is cold and aloof, but the tenderness in his eyes when he looks at Asagami Miin is most captivating.

Ikeda Ichinosuke slowly said:

"Until death."

"Oh---!"

"Good---!"

"Thank you to our guests today, Inoue Shuya and Sakurajima Mai! Let's give them a round of applause!"

The scene that Shuya and Mai are currently filming hasn't aired yet.

Neither the host nor the audience knew that this seemingly heartwarming scene was actually full of shards of glass.

Shuya and Mai laughed along with their silly smiles, both wondering how the other person would feel when they recalled this conversation, looking back on their own happy laughter.

Soon, the drama "The Art Academy" aired the episode about the Battle of Hokkaido.

The episode's ratings soared to 40% as soon as it aired.

Many office workers are not motivated to work, so the company's senior management reluctantly organizes them to watch TV together, since it's only for fifteen minutes anyway.

And... the higher-ups want to see it too.

With Jackie Chan and Adno, this is a stellar cast.

The opening sequence for this episode was changed, and none of the usual footage was shown.

As the opening theme music plays, Ikeda Ichinosuke stands between the Great Wall Special Operations Team and the Japan homeland forces, closing his eyes to rest, while a flashback sequence appears on the screen.

The last image shown was of last night.

In a dimly lit room, Asagami Miin and Ikeda Ichinosuke recounted the conversation that Shuya and Mai had on the show.

The opening sequence has ended.

This episode officially begins.

Li Shuhong and Ikeda Ichinosuke already knew it was a trap, but in order to make the trap seem real, the America did indeed move their fighter jets away from the area, leaving no force to stop the planes from flying to Tokyo.

A crisis, of course, presents an opportunity within danger.

After discussing the matter, Li Shuhong and Ikeda Ichinosuke decided to intercept the America army head-on.

As for why Li Shuhong needed to discuss things with Ikeda Ichinosuke, it was because during the escape, Ikeda Ichinosuke, relying on his absolute strength, became the temporary leader of the local superhumans.

These extraordinary individuals couldn't run away either, because they too had fallen into America's trap, and their loved ones were right behind them.

We have no choice but to fight a desperate battle.

162nd Quarter, 147th Score: Pyrrhic Victory

The crowd remained silent, showing no panic at the prospect of an approaching enemy, only calm.

They were already aware of this.

The combined America Europe forces arrived quickly, giving them no time to catch their breath.

Enhanced by Alchemy and imbued with Magic, the tanks lined up, their firepower surpassing mere technology, rising to a level that even superhumans could not withstand.

Only this type of tank can fight against and even wipe out groups of superhumans.

If it weren't for the extreme difficulty in manufacturing this tank, making mass production impossible, America would have conquered the world long ago.

Without any words of persuasion to surrender, terrifying shells roared in, accompanied by a barrage of ordinary artillery and bullets.

No one Ikeda Ichinosuke Li Shuhong and Ikeda Ichinosuke's side escaped.

These tanks' shells can automatically lock onto and track targets, and they are extremely fast, making cornering a common occurrence.

It's not scientific, but it's Magic.

MHK invested heavily in special effects, making this attack very impressive and creating an even stronger sense of oppression.

Even Li Shuhong and the Great Wall Special Operations Team couldn't break through the artillery fire from this Magic Alchemy tank.

The previous approach was to run away before they were launched.

Right now, all we can do is... send ourselves to our deaths!

Without Li Shuhong needing to say anything more, a dozen or so people, looking miserable and seriously injured, stepped forward.

They calmly saluted Li Shuhong, then unleashed all their strength and charged towards the artillery barrage without hesitation.

They detonated themselves between the shells, causing the shells to explode.

The sacrifice of these Dahua Special Forces heralded the final chapter of the Battle of Hokkaido.

Led by Li Shuhong and Ikeda Ichinosuke, the Great Hua -Japan Allied Forces launched their final assault.

Countless bullets, Magic, and Alchemy artifacts rained down like a storm.

The combination of technology and mystery was not uncommon during world wars.

The combined forces of Great Hua Japan also began to retaliate.

The allied forces included local Onmyoji, Monster, Shinto priests, and shrine maidens—all extraordinary individuals.

The spells they used were best suited to the local environment; their ice and snow attacks, which gave them a home-field advantage, whipped up a thousand layers of snow and blocked most of the attacks.

But at that moment, the opposing tanks fired another round of artillery fire.

Li Shuhong suddenly waved his hand.

A dozen or so wounded soldiers rushed forward and exploded, sacrificing their lives to buy the opportunity for the battle.

Finally, the Great Hua and Japanese forces stormed into the enemy lines and engaged in close combat with the America and Europe forces.

The scene was extremely chaotic.