The Girl's Ultimatum and the Queen's Gambit

A mere hundred meters of cracked, ash-gray asphalt separated Yokota’s reinforced gate from the Regent’s mobile throne.

The silence was so heavy it hurt the ears. Not a muscle twitched. The Kijin soldiers in the trenches white-knuckled the grips of their swords and spears, holding their breath.

Then, a voice shattered the silence. A feminine voice, clear and melodious, drifting through the mist like a cursed lullaby.

For Natasha, that voice was worse than any monster’s roar. She felt her blood freeze and her heart give a painful lurch. The tone, the cadence… it was far too similar to her sister’s, lost years ago.

The woman standing beside the throne took a step forward. She wore a pristine white and blue ceremonial kimono, untouched by the ash. Her long purple hair swayed gently, and a white blindfold concealed her eyes.

Natasha finally saw her up close. The woman from the reports. The nightmare.

It… it can’t be her… Natasha whispered to herself, her hands trembling on her weapons. Denial warred with her instinct.

The woman lifted her chin and spoke, projecting her voice without needing to shout.

“Listen, insignificant humans. My master, the great Lord Mononofu no Shikken, requests your peaceful surrender.”

She made a theatrical pause, turning her “blind” gaze toward the walls.

“If you comply, he promises you a swift and painless death. A merciful end for your failed species. On the other hand…”

Behind her, the creatures—Onis, Tengus, and deformed beasts—roared in unison, beating their weapons against the ground and their own chests.

“…If you resist, you will receive the worst punishment imaginable. You will be broken, body and soul.”

No answer came from Yokota’s side. Only the wind whistling through the barbed wire.

The blindfolded girl clicked her tongue, and the horde stirred. The sound of thousands of claws scraping asphalt filled the air. The black tide of Onis and beasts charged, surging to cover the 100 meters to the main gate.

Inside the Central Command Room, the doors burst open.

Kyosuke ran in, drenched in sweat and soot. He’d abandoned his jet on the rear runway seconds before the airspace became impassable.

“Kaori!” he shouted, ignoring the operators. “It’s worse than we thought!”

Kaori, coolly watching the tactical monitors, turned.

“I know we’re outnumbered, Kyosuke.”

“It’s not just that!” Kyosuke grabbed her shoulders, his urgency chilling the room. “I made a low pass over the enemy’s rear. Behind the lines of Onis… there were humans.”

The entire room fell silent.

“They weren’t prisoners,” Kyosuke continued, his voice breaking. “They carried weapons. They marched with them. People with empty eyes, controlled or… converted. We’re fighting our own.”

The words landed like lead. The morale in the room wavered.

Kyosuke lowered his voice, staring into Kaori’s eyes.

“Listen to me. The jet still has fuel for an emergency flight to the Kansai region. You have to go. You’re the brain of this operation. If they capture you…”

“They’re charging!” an operator yelled, watching the red tide close in on the walls. “Impact in 10 seconds! Ma’am, the turrets won’t be enough!”

Kaori watched the main screen with a terrifying calm. She wasn’t looking at the monsters; she was measuring the distance.

80 meters… 60 meters… 40 meters…

“Kyosuke,” Kaori said softly, not looking away, “do you really think I’d leave the front door of my house unswept?”

The vanguard of the enemy army, composed of the heaviest and fastest Onis, was halfway there. They roared, savoring the human flesh they believed was within reach.

Kaori raised her hand over the control panel and flipped open the cover of a yellow switch.

“Welcome to Yokota ground.”

She pressed the button.

Outside, the world fell apart.

It wasn’t a fireball. It was a deep, dull crunch, like the sound of the earth breaking its spine.

Along the entire 100-meter strip in front of the base, a series of underground demolition charges detonated in sequence.

Kaori hadn’t planted mines to kill; she had mined the foundations of the old highway and the drainage tunnels beneath the asphalt.

The ground simply vanished.

Hundreds of creatures running at full speed found no purchase under their feet.

The asphalt fractured into giant plates and sank five meters all at once, creating a man-made tectonic trench along the entire battlefront.

The vanguard Onis tumbled over each other, rolling and crashing against concrete and earth. The momentum of the charge made those behind unable to stop, piling in as well, creating a mountain of bodies, claws, and confusion at the bottom of the pit.

They didn’t die—their bodies were too tough for that—but the chaos was total. They were trapped, piled up, and furious, unable to climb quickly.

The charge stopped dead.

From the walls, the Kijin soldiers cheered.

“Look at that!” Shinji yelled. “They fell like rats!”

But the celebration was short-lived.

The dust from the demolition slowly settled. And on the other side of the great trench, the Mobile Throne remained untouched, right on the edge where solid ground ended.

The Regent did not move. He did not shout. He did not order an attack.

He looked at the pit full of his writhing soldiers.

And then, his shoulders began to tremble.

A deep, gravelly, distorted laugh resonated from behind his demon mask.

“Kakakakaka…”

The laughter froze the defenders’ blood. The Regent leaned forward, resting an elbow on his knee, and stared directly at the Control Tower as if he could see Kaori through the glass and the distance.

“Interesting,” said the blindfolded girl, her voice amplified by dark magic. “I thought you were just cattle waiting for the slaughter. But I see the queen of this anthill has something to offer.”

She rose from her throne, and as she did, her oppressive aura swelled, making the air vibrate.

“Very well. Let’s end the child’s play.”

The Regent drew his giant Odachi. He pointed it at the base.

“WALK OVER THEM!” the girl roared.

The flying creatures, the Karasu-Tengu, which had been waiting, dove. And the Onis that hadn’t fallen into the trap began leaping onto the bodies of their comrades in the pit, using them as a living bridge to cross.

In the tower, Kaori clenched her teeth.

“The surprise is over,” she said into the communicator. “All units, defend the base! Don’t let them scale the walls!”

Ken, Natasha, and the rest drew their weapons. The trap had bought them time and blunted the first blow, but now, the true carnage was beginning.