"Dad, open the door! Dad, open the door! What just happened?! Open the door, Dad! And how could you lock me inside the house?!"
Takagi Saya ran out of the Takagi residence, after being locked inside by Soichiro Takagi.
Everyone at the scene was silent. No one spoke a word. They didn't know what to say. Did we fail to seize Kenthelion's Humvee… but instead, Kenthelion stole your mother?
"Why isn't Dad saying anything? Where's my mom?"
Takagi Saya was sharp—she quickly realized something was wrong. She looked around… and noticed her mother was gone.
Soichiro Takagi looked at Takagi Saya and said calmly, "Your mother was invited by Kenthelion to be his guest."
After speaking, he turned and walked away.
"Rei, what happened? And… what happened to Takashi Komuro?"
Takagi Saya watched her father leave, then noticed Takashi Komuro sitting on the ground like a fool, and asked Miyamoto Rei with concern in her voice.
Miyamoto Rei saw the anxious look on Takagi Saya's face and began explaining everything that had just happened.
Takagi Saya couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could her father do something like that… and what would her mother do now?
She stood frozen in place.
On the other side, the helicopter flew straight toward the sea. The aircraft carrier that had been stolen from the United States had now arrived near Tokyo Airport. As the helicopter landed on the Wasp-class Amphibious Assault Ship, everyone disembarked quickly.
Kenthelion looked around. The ship had clearly been heavily modified by the Mechanicus. On the deck, Valkyrie and Vulture aircraft were lined up. Kenthelion nodded in satisfaction. Inside the ship, there were about 10 to 20 armored vehicles (Leman Russ, Chimera, Sentinel) and around 500 Astra Militarum soldiers ready for battle.
As they stepped out, a group of Astra Militarum troops on deck saluted him in true Imperium Caelestis fashion. Kenthelion just returned the gesture with a simple nod, like he always did.
He headed straight to the command center. It was big enough for a temporary HQ. Without wasting time, Kenthelion gave his orders: deploy the rest of the Astra Militarum from the Gloriana warship and send them to Tokyo Airport. Any rebels in the area? Eliminate them. All allied forces around Tokyo were to regroup at Haneda Airport to establish a safe zone and move all survivors there.
Suddenly, Shizuka Marikawa came up to him, looking nervous. Her cheerful attitude from the helicopter ride had completely faded.
"Mr. Kenthelion… um… that…" she stammered, clearly uneasy as she looked around at the strange soldiers surrounding her.
"What's wrong, Shizuka?" Kenthelion asked calmly.
"Can you… can you help find my friend at Haneda Airport? Her name is Rika Minami. And if you do… could you let me know once you find her?"
"Do you have a photo of her?"
"I do!" Shizuka perked up and pulled out a photo of her friend from her bag.
"Find this person," Kenthelion said, handing the photo to Jacob. "If you find her, tell her that her friend Shizuka Marikawa is looking for her."
"Understood, Your Majesty," Jacob replied and immediately left.
Little Alice was curiously looking around while tightly holding onto the edge of Kenthelion's coat. Seeing this, Kenthelion gestured to one of the Salamander Space Marines to take her for a walk around the ship. Shizuka Marikawa and Saeko Busujima, who had been standing nearby, quickly found themselves drawn to the strange machinery and vehicles around them—things they had never seen before. Their curiosity piqued, they followed along behind Alice, who was now perched cheerfully on the shoulder of the towering Salamander.
Meanwhile, Yuriko Takagi sat silently on the edge of the deck, her gaze scanning every corner of the military vessel. Her mind was sharp, and every little detail was being analyzed and categorized. As they traveled across the ship, she had seen dozens of unfamiliar aircraft—sleek, intimidating, and definitely nothing like any technology she knew.
"That Valkyrie Gunship," she thought, narrowing her eyes. "It resembles modern combat helicopters like the AH-64 Apache or UH-60 Black Hawk. Aerodynamic body, overhead rotor, forward cockpit, side-mounted weaponry... but clearly more advanced."
Her eyes then moved to the Chimera APC parked nearby. "That one's similar to M113s or Strykers. Box-shaped, multiple wheels, rear entry hatch, observation ports. Standard APC design, but this one's reinforced and more intimidating."
Then came the Leman Russ Battle Tank—sturdy, armored, and powerful. "Looks like a modern main battle tank… maybe a cross between the M1 Abrams and Leopard 2. Heavily armored, large turret, thick cannon barrel. That's definitely meant to hold the front line."
Yuriko exhaled slowly. And this—this was only the vanguard. Not even the core forces.
A cold realization crept in.
"Is Kenthelion… really human?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Or is he something else entirely? Maybe from the future—or even from another world?"
She studied the Astra Militarum equipment more closely. None of it resembled anything in Japan, nor did it match any known military forces in the world. This wasn't just advanced—it was beyond advanced. It was like looking at the next era of warfare, one not yet conceived by the modern world.
As a former intelligence agent, Yuriko was no stranger to military hardware. She had seen her fair share of experimental weapons and secret tech—but this? This was on a whole different level. Even if the shapes were vaguely familiar, the design, the materials, and the sheer scale… it was all alien.
Kenthelion stared at Yuriko Takagi. A noble and graceful woman—hard to believe she had a sixteen-year-old daughter. The charm of a mature woman radiated from her effortlessly, leaving no room for doubt.
"You invited me here as a guest, only to just keep staring at me?" Yuriko finally broke the silence. She could feel his gaze on her, and when she looked up, sure enough, Kenthelion was watching her intently.
"Oh? Then tell me—why do you think I invited you here as a guest?"
"Well obviously, you're asking me…" Yuriko started, then paused. She realized—she didn't actually know. At first, she thought she was being held hostage to threaten Soichiro Takagi. But after observing everything, after her earlier analysis, she knew: Kenthelion could easily kill Soichiro if he wanted. Using her as leverage? Completely unnecessary.
"Let's make it simple," Kenthelion said casually. "I fell in love with you at first sight and wanted to have you. So I took you. Don't think about Soichiro Takagi anymore—you'll never return to him for the rest of your life."
"You shameless… how dare you!" Yuriko's chest tightened in fury. She never imagined Kenthelion would be so openly shameless—so bold in his selfish declaration.
"Shameless? Why?" Kenthelion replied with a smirk. "I learned this from Soichiro Takagi and Takashi Komuro. You were there, weren't you? Why didn't you call them shameless?"
Yuriko fell silent. She had indeed been there. But she couldn't refuse her husband. That's just how things were—tradition for Japanese women.
Just like Saeko Busujima once said: a good woman respects a man's resolve.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Still don't know what you actually want to talk about?" Yuriko's voice carried both challenge and a flicker of curiosity.
Kenthelion stared at her, unimpressed.
"If you're still playing coy, fine," Yuriko continued, folding her arms with confidence. "If you're really trying to get revenge on Soichiro Takagi, then go ahead—take it out on me. I'll accept whatever it is you plan to do."
Kenthelion blinked. What the hell is wrong with this woman's brain?
Revenge on Soichiro Takagi? That clown? Kenthelion almost laughed aloud. He's not even worth my vengeance. I didn't kill him because of his connections—with Saeko Busujima. I still want both of them, mother and daughter, to fall for me. That's the only reason he's alive. For now.
Soichiro Takagi wasn't a man with a future. The idea of "revenge" was almost insulting.
"I see. Then let me ask you—why haven't I taken revenge on Takashi Komuro?" Kenthelion's voice dropped a notch, calm yet cold. "That punk has provoked me more than once. And he's got a beautiful college girlfriend, doesn't he? Miyamoto Rei. Why haven't I captured her instead? Analyze that for me."
Yuriko Takagi froze. She had seen how Takashi defied Kenthelion—and yet… he hadn't made a move against Rei. Why?
"Have you figured it out yet?"
Yuriko stared into Kenthelion's eyes, trying to read him, to unravel the layers of his twisted psyche. For a moment, she thought she understood him. But now… she wasn't sure of anything anymore.
"You keep talking in circles. At this point, I don't even know what you're trying to say," she admitted.
"Maybe you think I want the survivors at the Takagi estate?" Kenthelion scoffed. "I could've taken them by force anytime. What would I even want with them? A bunch of mouths to feed?"
He leaned closer.
"Besides, after that EMP blast, guess how long your precious fortress will last. No power. No working vehicles. No communication. When the zombies come knocking, do you really think those gates will hold?"
Yuriko's heart skipped a beat.
The power grid had already failed. The automated defenses? Useless. If a horde breached the perimeter, the estate would fall within hours.
And deep inside… she wasn't sure they could survive.
Suddenly, she remembered her daughter who was still out there. As a mother, worry had already begun to take root in her heart. But she didn't show it in front of Kenthelion. She didn't want him to know. Hopefully, Soichiro Takagi could protect her Takagi well.
"You don't care about the survivors. So what do you plan to do in the future? You must know your base will fall sooner or later," Yuriko Takagi said, staring at Kenthelion. Deep down, she hoped he would be tempted to save the others—because her daughter was among them.
"Maybe… if he finds a good enough reason to save them, he'll take action," thought Yuriko Takagi.
"Whether the base falls or not is none of your concern," Kenthelion replied calmly, a faint smile on his lips. "My base can last forever even without a single person. I need it to stay intact, and it will, as long as I want it. When I don't, it will collapse. Besides, survivors aren't only in Japan—there are plenty in other regions."
He knew well that when he left this universe, his army would go with him, returning to Terra Aeterna. After all, he had been insulted by the Takagi family. Why should he bother saving them? There were many others more worthy of salvation.
Kenthelion had his own goals. He wanted Soichiro Takagi dead—and once that happened, Yuriko Takagi would become a widow. She'd be much easier to claim then. And conveniently, that damn virgin Takashi Komuro was the one who started the conflict. That made it easier to just abduct Yuriko Takagi without much hassle.
As for the rest of the Takagi household? Let them die. They had insulted him—this was what they deserved.