"Lord Haruki... it's my fault. I failed to protect the Empire."
Climbing out of the fallen Supreme Teigu, the young emperor collapsed to his knees in front of Haruki, who hovered above the battlefield. Under the stunned eyes of all present, he sobbed uncontrollably, overwhelmed with guilt and shame.
Despite his age, he still carried the emotional immaturity of a child. The Prime Minister had long kept him isolated from the outside world, shielding him from reality. But one thing the emperor understood clearly—was who Haruki was.
...
With a sharp gust, Haruki leapt from the Ice Phoenix without hesitation. Just before hitting the ground, a golden vortex opened midair. From it, Vimana shot forth, catching Haruki mid-fall in a seamless display of control.
In a streak of yellow-green light, Haruki skimmed just above the ground on Vimana's back, moving so fast the airflow left gashes in the earth below. Before anyone could react, he was already back in the sky, standing where he had started—this time with the young emperor in hand.
"Get a grip already! Crying like that—what kind of emperor are you supposed to be? You're disgracing the royal name."
Nina, standing beside Haruki, couldn't bear the sight any longer and snapped at the young emperor.
Years at Haruki's side had made Nina far more than just strong. She had developed unwavering confidence. Around Haruki and the other women, she might be bubbly and cheerful, but facing anyone else, she showed no hesitation in asserting herself.
And no matter what, the young emperor was still her half-brother. She couldn't completely abandon him.
"But... but Nina... I lost the Empire. It ended with me. I failed Father... and Lord Haruki…"
Startled by Nina's outburst, the young emperor stopped crying, though he still sniffled softly. His imperial presence was completely gone. If anything, Nina looked more like a ruler now as she scolded him.
"Hmph. Don't be an idiot. Haven't you seen what that Prime Minister's been doing all these years? Do you not have a mind of your own?"
Her tone flared again as she pointed a finger at him, clearly fed up. She may not have been emotionally close to her brother, and she'd never interfered much in his dealings with the Prime Minister, but she'd always kept an eye on things.
"I... I knew a little. But I didn't realize it was this bad until today."
From within the Supreme Teigu, the young emperor had seen the state of the capital for himself. All this time, the Prime Minister had fed him lies—that the people lived in peace and prosperity, and that the Revolutionary Army was to blame for the unrest. Coupled with the Prime Minister's outward kindness, the emperor had believed it all. That was why, upon emerging, he'd launched a desperate attack on the allied forces.
...
"Enough. We'll deal with this later. No matter what, this Empire doesn't belong to those self-righteous, hypocritical frauds."
Nina's voice was cold, laced with disdain. She had seen, as had the others, just how the allied forces behaved the moment they breached the capital.
"Hey, Haruki, who are you really?"
From the ground, Najenda called out again. The little emperor's earlier words and his strange behavior had only deepened her suspicion about Haruki's true identity.
"Oh? I'm not just the Security Minister of the capital?"
Haruki replied with a completely straight face, but to everyone else, that expression just made them want to punch him. Even a fool could tell he wasn't who he claimed to be.
"Cut the crap! We're not idiots. Just tell us—who are you? Why did the emperor call you 'Imperial Advisor'?!"
Leone, already known for her short temper, shouted furiously at Haruki.
"Oh, that's easy. I am the Imperial Advisor."
Haruki nodded without hesitation.
"Hmph! Don't take us for fools. Do you think we don't know how the Empire works? There's no such thing as an 'Imperial Advisor'!"
One of the high-ranking Revolutionary Army officers—who had been silent until now—scoffed as he rode forward, clearly trying to call Haruki's bluff.
"You really don't know anything, do you?" Haruki gave him a disdainful glance. "The position of Imperial Advisor has existed since the founding of the Empire. But because there's only ever been one—me—most people forgot it even existed."
"No way! If that's true, wouldn't that make you... like, ancient?!"
Mine immediately sprang forward, pointing at Haruki with a disbelieving look. The others around her looked equally skeptical.
"Why not?"
Now that things had reached this point, Haruki had no reason to hide anymore.
"My name is Haruki. I am the first and only Imperial Advisor since the Empire's founding—and one of the two original founders of this nation. Every emperor in history was crowned only with my approval."
Gasps spread through the allied forces. Haruki wasn't finished.
"And those Teigu you all rely on? Every single one was crafted by me. So don't bother trying to fight me with your so-called Teigu Users—it's pointless. I even personally hunted most of the Super-Class Danger Beasts used to make the Teigu."
"Impossible... No way... There's no way anyone could live that long! Susanoo, tell me he's lying!"
Najenda suddenly cried out, her voice cracking. She couldn't bring herself to believe it.
Because if Haruki was telling the truth, then everything—the revolution, the sacrifice, the loss—it was all meaningless. A complete farce.
She had abandoned her post as a general, lost her eye and arm, become a cripple. She had lost Lubbock, who had always cared for her, maybe even loved her—and now she had nothing left.
Overwhelmed, Najenda turned to Susanoo, her eyes pleading for an answer she wanted to hear.