Esdeath spoke with fiery enthusiasm. "Going south to crush those so-called Revolutionary rebels sounds boring. Leave that to that 'old fossil' Budo. Your Majesty, I choose to head east—to hunt down the Cross-Tail Dragon!"
"Very well, then," Selene replied. "Esdeath, transfer command of your legion to Budo."
"I hereby appoint Budo as the sole Supreme Commander for this suppression campaign... It's about time he stretched his legs anyway. Otherwise, he'll truly turn into the palace's 'guardian statue.' How many years has he been rooted in the Capital without moving an inch?"
That's right—'Homebody Budo' was finally being sent on field duty! The Imperial Guard under Kinshasa's command had already taken over his role as the palace's primary defense force.
"Understood. I'll go meet Budo immediately and hand over command."
Closing Rongo Rongo and returning it to Selene, Esdeath's expression turned serious. From the accounts written by the first Teigu users, she understood perfectly well—ordinary armies were useless against a creature described as a living calamity.
The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea—the Cross-Tail Dragon—was a legendary Super-class Danger Beast. Its body was immensely powerful, and it commanded the winds and storms. Recorded sightings were extremely rare—so rare that many believed it to be a myth.
Until the First Emperor, in his quest to forge the forty-eight Teigu, used the divination powers of a prophetic Teigu to locate its lair. With the might of the Ultimate Teigu and more than ten original Teigu wielders, he waged a monumental battle against the Cross-Tail Dragon.
Only then did they 'negotiate'—securing from it a single, miraculous strand of fur that could perpetually regrow. From that, the Teigu Infinite Uses · Cross Tail was crafted.
"Then it's settled," Selene declared. "Esdeath, you and Arisa will accompany me to the Eastern Territory... As for this Cross-Tail Dragon, try to capture it alive. After all, how could I, the Empress, lack a divine beast as my mount?"
"The War of Heroes..." she murmured, almost to herself. "I wonder if Mine will participate in that Holy Grail War. What class would she be, I wonder...?"
"And when I finally answer the call of the Throne of Heroes, I suppose my legend will decide which of my powers manifest... That should be interesting."
As she spoke, Selene gathered Rongo Rongo and Cross Tail, rising gracefully from the silk-embroidered carpet. Her scarlet eyes lifted toward the blazing sun above the heavens.
"The War of Unification must continue, but I can't stay here in the palace dealing with paperwork forever... Yes, Sebas can handle it for me. I'll go greet the mightiest Danger Beast of this world myself."
"Esdeath, go and hand over your command to Budo. Prepare the troops. Our destination—The Eastern Frontier!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
...
Imperial Eastern Province.
Unlike the western and northern borders, constantly harassed by foreign tribes, or the southern frontier, plagued by uprisings, the Eastern Province had long remained peaceful amidst the Empire's chaos.
Aside from occasional incursions by uncivilized islanders from the distant eastern archipelagos, there had been no major conflicts. The people lived comfortably, and it housed one of the Empire's only two naval fleets.
Hundreds of kilometers from the coastline, the vast sea stretched endlessly beneath the sky—an expanse of pure blue merging heaven and ocean. The fresh sea breeze rolled gently across the waves.
Suddenly, the tranquil surface was pierced by a series of deep, resonant foghorns.
Woooooo—wooo—wooo!
Following the sound, the horizon erupted with motion. The cresting waves and crashing spray merged into glittering chains of white foam as massive warships cut through the sea, sailing proudly against the wind.
From their towering masts fluttered banners emblazoned with the coiling dragon crest of the Empire's Navy!
On the deck of the colossal flagship at the fleet's center, hundreds of sailors trained bare-chested under the blazing sun.
Just a wall away, however, the atmosphere within the captain's cabin was far more somber.
At the head of the table stood a middle-aged man in a formal officer's uniform, his short golden hair neatly combed, a neatly trimmed goatee framing his composed expression. Hands clasped behind his back, he faced the assembled officers.
"General Wilson, you called us here—has something important come up?" one officer asked.
Stroking his neatly trimmed goatee, General Wilson said calmly, "Yes. We've just received a message from the War Ministry and the Administrative Council by carrier pigeon. While we were conducting naval exercises... His Majesty was assassinated and has passed away."
"What?!"
"General, is that true?!"
"I thought His Majesty had no heirs... and the former Emperor's children were all..."
"Then who inherits the throne?"
...
The stillness of the captain's cabin was shattered.
Ignoring the outburst of shock from his subordinates, Wilson continued in the same steady tone. "Minister Honest has been executed along with his entire clan—nine generations wiped out. His faction and all affiliated officials have been purged. And finally—the most important matter—"
"Great General Selene has invoked the legendary Ultimate Teigu. Amidst the cheers of the people, and under the protection of Great General Budo and the Imperial Guard, she has ascended the throne."
"..." The officers, who had moments ago been panicking over the royal bloodline's extinction, fell silent in disbelief.
"Selene... ascended as Empress?" one finally muttered.
Well, it did make sense. According to legend, only those of the First Emperor's bloodline could wield the Ultimate Teigu. And if even General Budo supported her, then it stood to reason—Selene must be a princess of imperial descent!
Though Selene herself had never claimed to be of the First Emperor's line, after she had used the Ultimate Teigu, many had begun to assume it must be true.
Then—bang!—
"Wave?"
A young man with blue hair and blue eyes burst through the door, his features handsome but his bearing slightly awkward and provincial.
"Teacher!" he shouted urgently. "There's a massive storm forming to the southeast of the fleet!"
...
Elsewhere—ten thousand meters above the Eastern Sea.
"Queen—uh..."
"Hmm?"
"Your Majesty!" Arisa blurted out instinctively, only to quickly correct herself under Selene's sharp sideways glance.
Arisa still didn't quite understand why Selene disliked the title 'Queen.' Though she'd occasionally heard her muttering strange words like 'pufferfish,' 'inflated,' and 'deflated,' Arisa wisely decided not to ask.
"Ahem... Your Majesty, the Cross-Tail—"
Swallowing hard, Arisa patted her cheeks lightly and flew closer to Selene. Gathering her courage, she prepared to ask her question—but the moment she saw Selene's eyes narrowing slightly...
She froze. Uuuh... so scary! Why is the Queen so terrifying sometimes?!
Of course, Selene had no idea of the flurry of thoughts racing through Arisa's mind. Her narrowed gaze wasn't directed at her at all, nor was it out of displeasure.
It was because she had just found something.
"Esdeath," Selene said quietly. "Look east—the storm over the sea..."