"Order the Avalon to withdraw from the Tokyo Settlement's airspace immediately!"
Schneizel received the news at once.
He did not know what this so-called "strategic weapon" was, but the word "strategic" alone offered a glimpse of its power.
Besides, it was a weapon his younger brother considered his trump card.
At the same time, Empress Kaguya received her orders as well.
However, the excuse she gave her subordinates was, "Schneizel withdrew from the battlefield out of nowhere. Something must be up. We'll follow him and pull the Ikaruga out of here."
To the others, that excuse sounded perfectly reasonable.
Even if they were temporarily cooperating with Schneizel, that did not mean they could fully trust Britannia.
The other side had disposed of its allies once they outlived their usefulness plenty of times before.
Once all sides had withdrawn to safety, Artoria Alter stood at the very center of the Tokyo Settlement, unmoving as gunfire crisscrossed the night sky.
She drew her short gun, loaded the Freyja warhead, and aimed at the battlefield below.
When Ask's order came, she pressed the button without hesitation-
"What... is that?!"
In the midst of battle, Tōdō keenly sensed a hint of danger.
The instincts he had honed over years of fighting urged him to flee the battlefield.
At the same time, he caught sight of the retreating Avalon and Ikaruga out of the corner of his eye, and his foreboding swelled beyond measure.
Not daring to hesitate, he immediately opened communications.
"Everyone, disengage immediately!"
But he was still a step too late.
-!
A soundless "roar."
The light of Freyja's explosion illuminated the entire night. Its blinding sphere expanded like the sun, devouring everything it touched.
The Council Hall towering over the Tokyo Settlement, the Knightmares exchanging fire, and the pilots preparing to