Kenthelion and his group moved to the rest area.
"Are you tired, Alice?" Kenthelion asked gently as he sat down on the sofa beside the little girl.
"I'm not tired! I've never been on a helicopter before. I've even been on a big ship! And look, my green doll—Uncle in green armor gave it to me!" Alice proudly showed off the new plush toy she'd received from the Salamanders Space Marine Legion.
"That's beautiful, little Alice. Alright, let's play some more," Kenthelion smiled warmly.
He glanced over to see Saeko Busujima and Yuriko Takagi chatting quietly nearby.
Curious, Kenthelion walked over to the window. Outside at Haneda Airport, the usual commercial planes were nowhere to be seen—replaced entirely by Astra Militarum war machinery. Below, soldiers formed defensive lines: some carried lasguns and flamers, others positioned heavy bolters atop sandbag barricades. Autocannons were strategically placed, and missile launcher teams patrolled, resupplying one another with munitions.
Kenthelion's eyes scanned the parking lot, where civilian vehicles had been moved aside to make room for combat vehicles—Leman Russ tanks, Chimera transports, Hellhounds, Basilisks, Wyverns, and the massive Baneblade super-heavy tanks—all parked in perfect formation.
He nodded in approval.
Beyond that, the airport runway was cleared of commercial aircraft and now served as a staging ground for Valkyrie transports, Vulture and Vendetta gunships. These aircraft hovered and maneuvered with precision; some landed to offload women and children survivors, while others brought in Astra Militarum reinforcements.
Hydra Flak Tanks guarded the perimeter, their massive anti-aircraft guns ever watchful as the Valkyries soared overhead, landing and taking off in a seamless rotation.
Kenthelion summoned the attendants to prepare lunch. Soon after, a line of servants arrived, gracefully placing luxurious dishes from across the world—classic European cuisine, traditional Japanese sushi, Middle Eastern grills—onto the long dining table. The aroma filled the air, and the presentation was nothing short of a royal feast.
Everyone began to eat with enthusiasm, especially Alice and Shizuka Marikawa, who were practically glowing with excitement.
"Mr. Kenthelion, come here and eat already! Or we'll finish everything on this table!" Shizuka called out with her mouth half-full, her usual silly charm bringing lightness to the atmosphere.
"Eat as much as you like. You won't be able to finish it all," Kenthelion replied, chuckling softly as he watched her. The way she devoured food like a child on a holiday—and yet somehow, none of it seemed to go to her waist. Instead, it all seemed to mysteriously gather in her large chest, a phenomenon not even the Mechanicus could likely explain.
Nearby, a purple-haired woman stood and bowed politely.
"Hello, my name is Rika Minami. Please grant me your guidance," she said in the traditional Japanese manner.
Kenthelion gave a small smile, stood, and returned the gesture in kind.
"Greetings, I am Kenthelion. I ask for your wisdom as well," he said, his voice rich with gentle sarcasm, drawing a few soft laughs around the room.
With that, everyone sat down, chatting lightly and enjoying the meal, surrounded by warmth, laughter, and the growing sense of camaraderie.
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Meanwhile, at the Takagi family residence...
Since Kenthelion left, people here had been in a daze. The events of the day were simply too much for them to accept. A man from the Middle East had suddenly appeared with a real army and nearly wiped them out.
"Boss, we don't have much food," whispered one of Soichiro Takagi's trusted men. He knew the boss was in a bad mood, so he didn't dare say it out loud.
"How many days can we hold out?"
"Our supplies might last a week… if we only serve one meal a day."
"How many people do we have now?"
"There are over 300 people from the Takagi family, plus 500 other survivors. They're crammed into tents—about 20 people per tent—in the courtyard."
"Arm the young and strong," Soichiro said quietly. "The power's out, and the network is useless… We have to be ready for the worst." He felt a bit helpless—the EMP bomb earlier had disabled the entire power system.
"Komuro, what's wrong with you?" Miyamoto Rei asked with concern.
"I'm fine," Komuro replied, breathing heavily. But deep down, he wasn't fine at all. The more he thought about it, the more he realized: I shouldn't have kneeled. He wanted to be a hero, a leader—but who would trust someone who kneeled out of fear? He felt like he had lost himself. No one praised him anymore. Komuro Takashi had tasted the sweetness of being a hero, being admired... and that was why he had acted arrogantly toward Kenthelion earlier that day.
In reality, Kenthelion had no intention of killing him. But Komuro had frightened himself, imagining that Kenthelion would.
"Oh, what a regret... If only we had supported Kenthelion back on the school bus... things might be different now," Rei murmured softly with a sigh.
"Kenthelion is a villain. If we follow him, one day he'll kill us for no reason… or start treating you like he kidnapped Takagi's mother!" Komuro said in panic.
Hearing Rei's words, Komuro grew even more anxious. He felt like he hadn't done anything wrong—so why was Kenthelion doing this to him...? he shouted to Rei.
Miyamoto Rei was stunned, and so was Hirano Kohta. The two of them stared at Komuro. Then, the chubby Hirano Kohta turned his gaze to Saya Takagi again. His mind was now completely filled with thoughts of her—he didn't care about anything else besides Saya Takagi.
Saya Takagi sat on a chair in a daze. Why is this happening? she wondered. Her father had tried to seize Kenthelion's car. Takashi Komuro wanted to take Saeko Busujima and Professor Shizuka Marikawa from Kenthelion. But in the end, it was her mother that Kenthelion took. Why? Why did it turn out this way?
Saya suddenly looked at Komuro. He's the culprit, she thought. Was he the one who incited the Takagi family to take Kenthelion's car? And her father—did he act on his own intentions? Or… had someone whispered something to him beforehand?
What Saya Takagi didn't know was—she had almost guessed the truth. It was Takashi Komuro who first went around telling people outside that the man in the car was from the Middle East. Then, he told Saya's father that Kenthelion had strange and powerful weapons, and was very skilled in using them. Komuro warned that Kenthelion might take revenge on them one day—and so the future was set into motion.
That afternoon, zombies began to appear. At first, there were only a few. But once the sound of gunfire echoed out, more and more of them began to gather. Luckily, the gates were still strong, and the zombies were successfully exterminated outside.
Afterwards, Soichiro Takagi began contemplating a way out. It was clear that this place couldn't be their permanent shelter. Where they would go in the future would depend on the situation.
Soichiro Takagi gazed up at the dark sky and the flames burning in the distance. His mind wandered to his wife, Yuriko Takagi—who was now likely in the arms of another man. Thinking about this caused him deep, unbearable pain.
He made a decision: he would arm these people, go to the police station to find firearms… and take revenge on Kenthelion.
--------
The next morning.
Kenthelion woke up earlier than usual. He turned to the side, only to find the space beside him empty—Saeko Busujima had already gotten up.
Stepping outside toward the airport's parking area—now transformed into a military base—he spotted Rika Minami in the middle of her morning workout. She wore a tight tank top and short shorts, her toned midriff exposed. Around her, several Astra Militarum soldiers were clearly distracted, some already becoming die-hard fans.
"Women these days… waking up earlier than soldiers," Kenthelion muttered with a smirk.
He strolled leisurely toward the beach. There, under the golden morning sun, Saeko Busujima was practicing her swordsmanship. Her movements were sharp, precise—and undeniably captivating. She wore a thin, snug training outfit that hugged her form just right, every motion emphasizing her elegance and strength.
Kenthelion didn't interrupt. He simply sat on a large rock nearby, watching quietly. Saeko noticed him, of course. She glanced in his direction but said nothing. She didn't need to. There was no need to hide anything from Kenthelion anymore. He had already seen everything.
Once she finished, Saeko sheathed her sword and walked over. They exchanged a look and a faint smile—no words needed.
Then, the two of them headed back toward the airport together, side by side, in a silence that was warm and full of understanding.
When they arrived at the entrance of the departure hall, a commotion caught their attention. Kenthelion turned toward the noise and saw a heated argument unfolding between several airport personnel and the Astra Militarum soldiers.
He stepped closer and spotted Rika Minami amidst the crowd, trying to calm the increasingly agitated group. Without enough Astra Militarum soldiers to maintain order, the crowd looked ready to erupt—some on the verge of physically attacking the others.
Kenthelion's gaze shifted to the Astra Militarum troops, noticing the tension etched on their faces. Several soldiers were already raising their lasguns, fingers twitching on the triggers, prepared to shoot down any foolish troublemakers.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Kenthelion suddenly drew his bolt pistol and fired three shots into the air. The crowd fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on him.
"What's going on here? What are you all arguing about?" Kenthelion's voice cut through the tension like a knife.
"Your Majesty, these people claim to be members of the Diet, ministers, governors, conglomerates, CEOs, and real estate tycoons," a political commissioner rushed forward to report. "They're demanding we provide them with housing, food, and safe refuge."
The commissioner inwardly cursed the agitators, barely holding back his urge to execute them on the spot. If not for the Emperor's direct orders, he wouldn't have restrained himself this long.
Kenthelion walked calmly toward the crowd, his face unreadable. "If you have other demands, speak now."
"We want decent accommodations and gourmet meals," shouted one self-proclaimed Diet member. "I'm a member of parliament, and your soldiers must protect us twenty-four hours a day!"
"Yeah! And make sure the food's fancy!"
"I want a big bed, not crammed in with the other survivors."
"We demand a guarded villa, with soldiers on watch. We're willing to pay for it."
Listening to their ridiculous demands, Kenthelion fought the urge to toss them into the alien livestock pens to be fed. But then he remembered—they were Japan's elite. No, better yet, he'd send all these spoiled nobles to Soichiro Takagi to deal with.
"Rika Minami, do you have any comrades here?" Kenthelion asked softly, his gaze briefly shifting to her. He still held a favorable impression of her.
Rika shook her head slowly. "No… All of my team members are dead," she replied, her voice carrying quiet sorrow.
Kenthelion didn't respond immediately. He simply looked at her for a moment, then turned away and said, "Let's go."
At that moment, a political commissar approached, his steps firm and disciplined. He stood before Kenthelion and saluted with his right hand to his chest.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor."
Kenthelion cast a glance toward the group still being held at bay by the Astra Militarum.
"Send people like them to the Takagi estate," he ordered flatly. "Hand them over to Soichiro Takagi. We can't afford to support them. I don't care what he chooses to do with them."
"Understood, Your Majesty," the commissar said, giving a respectful nod before stepping back.
Kenthelion didn't look back. He simply walked forward, bringing Rika Minami and Saeko Busujima with him. Whatever fate awaited those so-called elites, it was now in Soichiro Takagi's hands. He was a high-ranking figure in Japan as well—let him decide whether they lived or died.
Back at the temporary residence, Kenthelion found that everyone was already awake. Without much fuss, he summoned the staff to prepare breakfast. After a shower and a change of clothes, he sat down at the table, surrounded by the beautiful women who now accompanied his daily life.