Chapter 8: The Blitzkrieg

One year.

One year had passed since the nuclear bomb was dropped on the capital of Zomun. The once vibrant city was now a bottomless pit, a smoking crater forbidden to be approached. The air there was still filled with traces of death, and the high radiation made it a permanent forbidden zone. However, that destruction did not bring about the apocalypse. Instead, it became the catalyst for a new era.

The world had changed. The three kingdoms that had been plagued by chaos now had new leaders, fresh blood ready to face the future.

In Costra, the old King Ross Valentine had finally abdicated. His son, Arthur, with his sharp eyes and burning spirit, now sat on the throne. He had not only inherited the crown, but also the vision to modernize his kingdom.

Meanwhile, in Baron, the once-flirtatious Romel Felix had grown into a king of authority. Responsibility had changed him. He now led his country seriously, focusing on progress and innovation, far from the shadows of his mischievous youth.

However, the most striking was New Felda. Queen Vionna Angelica had successfully proven herself. In one year, she led her country to rise from the rubble, not just rebuilding, but also reforming. She appointed a loyal commander, who had guarded and trained her as a knight for a long time, to be the first Prime Minister of the kingdom. The commander's name was Narada, a calm and wise man.

Right in the midst of all these changes, a now-grown Amano Hiragi stood at his headquarters. His seemingly calm face hid a sharp intelligence. He was the center of this new era, the driving force behind all the modernization. Today, he was preparing to attend an important meeting known as the G3, an alliance that united Costra, Baron, and New Felda under one Federation banner.

Behind the closed doors of the meeting, at a luxurious round table, the fate of this new world would be decided. But outside, an old hidden power—a kingdom governed by fanaticism and ancient dogma—watched all of this with eyes full of hatred. They saw not progress, but a threat. And they were ready to launch an attack.

The Wrath of Goddess Helena and the Warning of Ragnarok

Far away in the heavenly realm, in a magnificent and radiant palace, Goddess Helena sat on her throne. However, her thick aura of anger ruined the serenity of that sacred place. She could not hide her frustration. Amano, the boy she had abandoned, had now built a civilization far more advanced than the people she had created from her own blood, the Balfesta.

"Impossible! Impossible! That brat has already surpassed the civilization of my people and my Heroes!" she screamed, her voice echoing.

The rage was so strong that she threw the silver glass her servant had just given her. The glass shattered into pieces. A loud, cynical laugh suddenly resounded, breaking the silence in the hall.

"Ahaahahaaa!"

From behind a palace pillar, a god emerged with a smirk on his face. It was Tsukuyomi, the mysterious god of the moon.

"You still haven't changed, Helena," Tsukuyomi mocked, his tone casual.

Goddess Helena glared. "What are you doing here, Tsukuyomi? What do you want? Do you want to mock me?!"

Tsukuyomi's smile vanished, replaced by a cold, serious expression. "Relax, I was just kidding. Besides, I'm here to warn you!"

He stepped closer, his aura becoming oppressive. "If you dare to touch Amano Hiragi or kill him, then be prepared, because I will unleash Ragnarok upon this heavenly world. I don't care how many gods or goddesses die, but if you dare to kill that boy, be ready, for I will not hesitate."

Upon hearing the threat, Goddess Helena's body trembled. The look in her eyes, once full of anger, turned to fear. Ragnarok... a name that made even the strongest gods shudder.

G3: The New Alliance

Back in the mortal world, Amano, in a neat formal suit, stood in the lobby of the Federation headquarters. He was not alone. Beside him, his core team was also ready. Kikuchi-sensei with his faint smile, Shimizuka Touya with his serious expression, Hiyori Kushida who looked enthusiastic, and Hayate Touma with his upright posture. They were all preparing to attend the G3 meeting.

Outside, the media was broadcasting live. Many troops from various races secured the city corners, showcasing the Federation's strength.

In the distance, a luxurious limousine arrived. The door opened, and Queen Vionna stepped out in an elegant gown, flanked by the calm Prime Minister Narada. They both walked gracefully toward the entrance.

Soon after, King Arthur of Costra arrived, escorted by cavalry holding modern rifles. Their steps sounded firm and confident.

Finally, the sky above the headquarters roared. A helicopter descended, blowing a strong gust of wind. King Romel Felix of Baron disembarked, along with other delegates, heading to the meeting.

The three leaders of the three kingdoms, now united under the banner of the New Gelmist Federation, gathered to decide the fate of this newly born world.

The Cunning Plot and Divine Command

Meanwhile, in the heavenly realm, a fearful Goddess Helena now transformed her fear into deep-seated hatred. She couldn't fight Tsukuyomi directly, but she could attack Amano from the shadows. A cunning smile formed on her lips.

"Hiragi Amano... you'll see, I'll make you suffer! Feel the wrath of the gods!" Helena muttered, her voice filled with venom.

In the mortal world, in a Balfesta temple, a priest named Astrofo was performing a ritual. Suddenly, a divine inspiration came to him. A voice, the voice of Goddess Helena, echoed in his head.

"O my priest, I command you! Perform a purification! Drive out the impure races! Attack the Federation and its allied nations, for they are heretical and full of blasphemy!"

Astrofo, with wide eyes, immediately realized that this was a sacred command from their goddess. Without hesitation, he rushed to the capital of Balfesta, Orga. There, he went straight to King Friedhelm Alaric.

"Your Majesty, I have important news for you!" Astrofo exclaimed, breathless.

"What is it, Astrofo? Don't tell me the demon army has broken through again?" King Friedhelm asked, his face full of concern.

"Not that, Your Majesty! I received a divine command from Goddess Helena! She orders us to attack the Federation because it is heretical and blasphemous!"

King Friedhelm fell silent. His expression changed from concern to seriousness. He knew very well what a divine command meant.

"But before that," Astrofo continued, "Goddess Helena wants us to expel the minority races and those who are not of the pure bloodline of the hero."

Hearing that, King Friedhelm let out a long sigh. He closed his eyes, as if contemplating the consequences of this war. However, he knew there was no choice.

"If the Goddess has spoken, then there is no other option. We will go to war. Servant!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, you called?"

"Gather all the generals and nobles! We will hold an emergency meeting! And invite the Hero, because this is a direct command from the Goddess!"

The Speech That Changed History

The scene shifts to the G3 meeting room, which had already begun. In the center of the room, a luxurious round table was surrounded by the leaders of the three nations. On large screens, intelligence data showed the suspicious movements of Balfesta. They had already gathered for a major meeting.

Amano, who was sitting at the end of the table, slowly stood up. The whole room fell silent. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He looked at the faces in front of him—King Arthur, King Romel, Queen Vionna, and Prime Minister Narada. Faces filled with worry about the threat that was now at their doorstep.

Amano took a deep breath, then his calm but firm voice broke the silence.

"I know you are afraid of the threat of an attack from Balfesta, because they have already shown their fangs. But this is not the time for us to remain silent and relax. We must unite. We must show them who we are."

He walked to the center of the room, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"We are no longer a small nation! We will show them who we are in response to the past oppression they committed, under the pretext that we are not descendants of the hero!"

Amano paused for a moment, remembering his own past in this world.

"Since I arrived in this world, I have seen how chaotic the system of these countries is. Racism and poverty have flourished. I have seen with my own eyes many children and elderly people starving. There were even parents who would let their children eat more, while they themselves would intentionally not eat, just so their children would be full."

His eyes watered, but his voice remained steady.

"Since that time, I have done my best to give them plenty of food. I did not ask for anything in return from them. But what did I get? I earned the trust of many people, kindness, and smiles that I had never seen in my life."

"Throughout my life, I was always alone. No one wanted to play with me, or even be my friend. But there was one thing that kept me from being alone and kept me going: I was happy to see the smiles of many people. That is what keeps me alive."

His gaze became sharp again, full of determination.

"Starting today, we will prove who we are. Whether it's tomorrow or the day after, we will prove that we are an advanced nation. We are a free nation, with no rules to hold us back. We will prove who we truly are."

His voice rose, trembling with strong emotion.

"We will make a new history, one that our children and our grandchildren will know what their parents' struggle was like in the past!"

Amano clenched his fist, then shouted loudly.

"GENTLEMEN AND LADIES, ARE YOU READY TO STAND BY MY SIDE?!"

"I WILL LEAD YOU TO THE FUTURE... A BRIGHT FUTURE! NO WAR! NO RACISM! NO POVERTY! NO SLAVERY!"

The entire room roared, not with fear, but with spirit. King Arthur, King Romel, and Queen Vionna looked at each other, then smiled with determination. Outside, the live broadcast of Amano's speech reached the ears of all citizens of the three nations, and they all cheered enthusiastically. Amano's words had ignited their spirits, turning fear into hope.

Vionna's Feelings and the New Threat

When the meeting ended, many civilians lined up in front of the federation building. They were even willing to become soldiers and die for Amano. Their readiness to join the army at any time made Amano even more enthusiastic.

Two days later, Amano was working at his desk as usual. He had now received intelligence information: Balfesta had conquered small nations, and was also expelling minority races and citizens from the countries they occupied. There was even a country the size of Tokyo that tried to resist, but they eventually surrendered in 16 hours after being surrounded from all sides.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the federation building, Queen Vionna, who had not yet returned, began to confide in Kikuchi-sensei.

"Um... Sensei... Do you know what food and drinks Lord Amano likes?" Vionna asked with a slightly flushed face.

Kikuchi-sensei gave a mischievous smile. "Araa... Araaa... It's unusual for you to ask that, could it be... you're in love?"

Vionna's face turned red, and her tsundere reaction came out. "W-what are you talking about?!"

"Oh, right," Kikuchi-sensei replied, pretending not to notice. "Amano once told me that he really likes Crab and Salmon. And his favorite drinks are Black Coffee and Hot and Cold Tea. That's all I know from when I taught him at school."

At that, Vionna immediately told her assistant, Sarah, to write down what Kikuchi said.

The Cunning Plot of the Balfesta King

The scene shifts to the capital of the Balfesta Kingdom, Orga. The king, Friedhelm Alaric, now had a more cunning strategy. He decided to sacrifice his son, Prince Oswald, along with his lover. They would deliberately go to New Felda and be killed. With that, Balfesta would have a strong reason to attack, under the pretext that Queen Vionna had intentionally killed Prince Oswald and his lover because he was a threat from Balfesta. A cunning idea from the king.

In addition, the king also sent a terror squad to cause chaos in Sonka, the capital of the New Gelmist Federation.

Finally, the first plan was put into action. Prince Oswald and his lover went to New Felda, where the planned murder took place. That's when the king played the victim card. He accused Queen Vionna of attacking his son out of fear.

Meanwhile, in Sonka, the terror squad deliberately bombed a mini-market and an office building. They also killed innocent civilians. Until finally, they were taken down by Hayate. Two people were secured and would be interrogated.

After that incident, Amano became extremely angry. He heard that his citizens had become victims of an act of terrorism carried out by the Balfesta Kingdom, which was also slandering New Felda. Even though Queen Vionna was still at the Federation and had not returned to New Felda.

This was the starting point for Balfesta to attack all nations, and even reach New Felda. Deliberately, they sent their propaganda warnings. Meanwhile, the two allied nations, Costra and Baron, struggled to accept many refugees and were overwhelmed by the wave of people fleeing Balfesta's terror.

In the midst of all this commotion, a woman of the fox-human race appeared.

"It seems I arrived in this world too late, Lord Tsukuyomi," she murmured, her eyes sharp. "Lord Amano has already declared war on Balfesta."

A war that had returned, but this time on a much larger scale than Operation Thunder Run.