To ensure the operation went off without a hitch, Senku had used the materials available on the island to recreate a simple, portable ignition device.
-the most primitive kind of lighter.
The small packets of oil Chrome and Homura had secretly planted earlier needed only a tiny flame to ignite.
When the battle began, the Science Kingdom split into teams.
The first team guarded every emergency exit from the Harem, lying in wait.
The second team headed straight into the living quarters to evacuate all the ordinary women.
"Everyone, stay calm. Don't be afraid."
Yuzuriha, Taiju, Gen, and Homura split up to soothe the crowd, their voices gentle.
"We're here to get you out. The fighting is about to reach this place."
"Come with us. We'll do everything we can to keep everyone safe. We won't let you get hurt. Please trust us."
Their sincere gazes failed to dispel the crowd's wariness right away.
Everyone instinctively shrank back, exchanging hesitant looks. No one dared take the first step.
For a moment, they were at an impasse.
Just as the others found themselves at a loss, Lillian stepped forward.
Her expression calm, she walked to the front of the crowd. "I trust them. I'm going with you."
With someone taking the first step, fear slowly faded, and trust began to spread.
One by one, the girls let down their guard and quietly joined the group.
Everyone was leaving.
While the evacuation inside proceeded in an orderly fashion, the battle outside had already reached a fever pitch.
Flames suddenly lit up the sky. The oil ignited and burned fiercely, sending billowing black smoke skyward and shrouding the entire Harem compound.
The smoke was choking. The Harem soldiers who had stayed behind to block their advance could not withstand the suffocating smoke and