Southern Illemese Continent, Annonrial Empire
The Illemese Continent was the more level and verdant of the Annonrial Empire's two primary landmasses. Unlike the rugged mountainous terrain and arid deserts of Branchel, where mineral resources were plentiful, Illemese's heartland was the fertile breadbasket of the nation, where regions not utilized for agriculture were blanketed in dense tropical jungles, stretching across rolling hills and fed by a network of winding rivers. It was into these lush woodlands that the Heretic Fleet's operatives vanished during the diversion attack on the remote airbase, advancing Operation WHEELHOUSE by finding places to deploy their Spires and setting up drone-manufacturing outposts to deepen the deception against the Messiah's regime.
One of the infiltration teams paused beneath the towering canopy of the jungle. For two days, these three Magias had moved northward, covering over 200 kilometers without using roads or established trails. Their sensors detected no signs of detection from the local sapient entities, but the dense foliage and unpredictable terrain had required them to recalibrate their route multiple times.
After a moment, the three continued, acrobatically traversing the tree branches. Somewhere ahead, the source of the "Kyriel" transmission they were ordered to investigate awaited.
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Caleomens (Month 6) 23, 1617 Central Calendar, 11:45
MOASEC Magic Technology System Development Facility, San Redentore District, Runepolis, Holy Milishial Empire
Meteos languidly examined the glowing projection of the Annonrial Empire's map and the positions of the units participating in Operation WHEELHOUSE, spinning it absently with his fingers as he lounged in the restricted break room, counting down the minutes until his shift was over.
"Zarathostra... what are you going to do now...?"
He paused at his own muttering, then let out a dry, humorless laugh. It was still too early to feel satisfied.
Destabilization of Annonrial to prevent it from becoming a hidden major player in the future world affairs (read: undermining everyone). After silently foiling their attempts to incite Muish separatists and helping Parpaldia reform to increase its security, getting Annonrial to taste its own medicine should be a cathartic next major step in the World's Defense Line plan.
However, WHEELHOUSE had barely begun. The strike on that remote airbase was ultimately just a needle prick designed to stir the sleeping beast and build the narrative of a resurgent rebel army. The true battle would only ignite once WHEELHOUSE made headway in dismantling Annonrial's hold on Illemese and the follow-up Operation SLEEVES threw the Branchel Continent into disarray. And with Legiel's metaphorical blade looming over him, Meteos would much prefer Annonrial to fade silently into darkness, absorbed bloodlessly by the "Righteous Salvation Army" he created rather than see the land scorched in a brutal civil strife.
Now, what possible explanation could Meteos give to the Emperor for such a self-limiting goal? Ah, of course—the threat of core magic ICBMs scattered across the Annonrial Empire and the nightmare of them being flung worldwide by reckless actors if an armed conflict broke out within its borders. Whether they were already in development or not at this point, it didn't matter. Let's just assume they existed for argument's sake. And coincidentally, Zarathostra wasn't the type to shy away from setting the world ablaze if he felt his goal was unattainable... or so Meteos understood from Ace's accounts about him.
As morbid as it may sound, Meteos counted himself fortunate that Zarathostra of the Messiah inadvertently reinforced the narrative he's been building by having the sheer will to turn his own nation into one gigantic landmine, giving ample reason to urge restraint. But let's be real—keeping this delicate balance was anything but simple. Even with an overwhelming technological superiority of the Third Timeline's Holy Empire, the Annonrial question wasn't something one could face with reckless abandon.
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Just A Reincarnation Story (Summoning Japan Edition)
Fanfiction"Unacceptable. If there's one thing that a conveniently appearing overpowered entity in this world has shown us, is that we are seen as weak and hopeless. I find that previous life's terms unacceptable. I want a better world. With these hands, I dar...
