The only time that a nation-state truly is not-all powerful is during open revolt. The IBI does not need any special privileges or laws for assistance, for the Imperial state already has these mechanisms in place. It would be amateurish of me, in fact, to try and carve out a measure of the legislature for myself. Arascus wishes to keep the lawbook as short as possible, thus, it shall remain as short as possible. I will go as far as saying that the IBI needs nothing from the Empire that local, provincial police already have, save the one change that we are not limited by provincial borders in the same fashion they are.

The fact of the matter is that the surveillance state, as Malam conceptualizes, is effective only in managing slowly rising dissenters from the general populace. A charismatic troublemaker here, a violent psychopath there, a spiteful disbeliever somewhere else. Maybe a few a year, maybe even going as far as five a month. If we aim for anything larger than that, then the IBI will need to scale exponentially in size, until it is one of the largest organisations in the Empire. Malam’s dream of having the omniscient state would put us into a situation where half the population is employed to monitor the other half. Her proposal simply cannot scale forever.

Likewise, as mentioned, her idea is one that is fostered for monitoring our own people. It is not applicable to the counterattacking of thousands of succubi who have already infiltrated our lands. The Longhouse, in which the tribe sits together and self-regulates for dissidents, will be far more effective for rooting out the succubi from our lands.

Kassandora already started handing out weaponry throughout southern Epa. I would go a step further. Give citizenry the power to investigate and to detain until police arrive. Kassandora wishes to make every man a soldier of the Empire, it is high-time we made it happen.

As an added benefit, we shall silence the few White Pantheon idealists who still remain and claim that the Empire is oppressive. Let them taste the true tyranny brought on by man’s paranoia and anarchy, until they beg for the boot of Empire to once again come and take their freedom away.

– Letter from Goddess Helenna, Commander of the Imperial Bureau of Intelligence, to God Arascus, of Pride, Emperor.

“I assume they will get here today.” Kassandora listened to her father speak as she got another notification on her phone. They were close to Apoli in Southern Rilia, slightly south of the city, the militarized presence here was overwhelming. Every hill had a tent or simple signal tower on it, every hillside had a trench, although those trenches sat empty. They were just further preparations for any demons that may sneak past the rest of the troops.

“I assume they will.” Kassandora said as her and Arascus kept on their pacing. Sheer movement passed the time, and these hills would be the location where Pax and his army died. Or so Kassandora hoped. Or so she begged her mind to try and stop the endless questions. “Fortia picked them up I know. They’re in Rilia.” That was what she knew. The team was coming, but pestering troops destroyed morale. It showed nervousness in a commander and how could Kassandora hope to lead if she broke her own rules.

Kassandora turned and stared at her tent. Then felt another notification in her phone. It was a single buzz, which meant it wasn’t from a Divine. Unimportant then. “You should check that.” Arascus said as he turned around and looked at the large pavilion tent that had been set up in preparation for the plan.

“Should I?” Another buzz. Well maybe she should then! Why not!? She was only here trying to figure how to make a plan which relied on pure chance into something that was more definite! Kassandora pulled out her phone and saw the notifications, it was a series of videos forwarded by Iliyal Tremali. Of course. She tapped the first one as the elf started typing.

“SkyKing leads SkyCourt, you have permission to drop. Make sure you’re on target.” Captain Deferre got the notifications from Rancais Nest and begin to flick switches throughout his cabin. His co-pilot did much the same. Behind, in the bomb-bay of the plane, men held onto the ropes that as the floor began to shift and open up. One man slipped and dangled in the air as the massive O-Bomb, a hastily painted: “DEMON GO HOME!” smeared over its side, slid off its ramp and left the plane.

A mile behind, another bomber prepared to drop. A mile further, another one came. The chain continued with twelves different links. And below them, a moving mountain of flesh that had slowed down as it moved to cross the mountains of stone which separated Esberia from Rancais. It stood more than a mile tall, with a fortress on its back and a swarm of demons circling it. Deferre’s bomb would explode high, to clear them out. The rest would drop straight on the demon’s head.

And they would keep dropping. The Empire’s blade of nuclear hellfire would beat the Archdemon into the ground.

Kassandora watched the bombing of the Archdemon with her father. It was much as she expected. The bombs had devastated Legion, they would get rid of Archdemons. Twelve were overkill. They could get the number down to three or four. They could scale up even and drop just one. But twelve had been dropped and twelve had left nothing but charred metal slag from the demon’s armour and the remains of bones. Good. Those would be recovered and studied, maybe a Baalka could manufacture a disease that targeted purely that material.

Titan tactics had changed. It would not work on Seraphim, those were too fast. Missiles which could change course in flight would need to be manufactured. But they would be manufactured, and Tartarus would not send anymore of these creatures. Or maybe they would, but they were stupid if they were. Arda had killed off its Titans, it would kill off their Titans too. She would not send anymore, not until a way to protect them was discovered. “We killed it.” Arascus said as Kassandora replayed the video. It was recorded from a camera far away. The demon and its fortress-backpack were annihilated. The first explosion turned the swarm around it to dust. The second cracked the demon. The third and fourth dropped it down the mountain it had been climbing.

Everything after that had just been there to smash it deeper into the ground until nothing remained. “We did.” Kassandora said. “They won’t send more.”

“I wouldn’t.” Arascus said. “Not when it’s that easy.”

“Not until they get an airforce.”

“Do you think that’s realistic?” Arascus asked. Kassandora just shrugged.

“I don’t know. I expect them to have nuclear bombs by tomorrow.” That was the proper way to manage wars, and that was why she won. Because she assumed the worst case scenario in every situation, because she planned to beat that worst case scenario, and because if she could do win against that, she could win against anything. The cornered rat that was the Goddess of War could be activated on a whim. And now, the plan relied on an uncertainty based upon an uncertainty. Kassandora took another deep breath and switched the video off. The more she watched that, the more she wanted to throw in the towel and go do something else and just manage Pax.

Kavaa shouldn’t be risking her life. Fer should not be risking her life. Maisara and Fortia… Well, they did not deserve to be killed by a demon from another world. Kassandora “Let’s get back to pacing.” Kassandora said. “It clears the mind.”

“It doesn’t.” Arascus replied.

“I know it doesn’t.” Kassandora replied.

“The wait’s the worst part.”

Kassandora had that line etched into the very fabric of her being at this point. The wait was the worst part, and it never got any better. Time passed all the same, humans said that as they got older, the world seemed to fly by, Kassandora did not see it. At this point, she felt as if every second was slowing down. She walked fifty steps in one direction, turned, walked back, then started making loops around the tent. The soldiers nearby watched her, Kassandora didn’t even do as much as consider their grey coats or weaponry. She should. It would take her mind off things.

But she should be managing the Pax plan. And the Pax plan was not coming along. The Pax plan was not moving. The Pax plan was… “Oh look.” Arascus said. “They’re here.”

“Finally.” Kassandora said. This waiting had been sheer torture. If Arascus were not here, she didn’t know what she would do. Probably try to think of another plan. Fer led the group, the Goddess of Beasthood was eating nuts from a bag, her tail swinging from side to side. By her side, Kavaa had to make two or three quick steps just to keep up, she practically jogged in her silver armour. Fortia and Maisara stalked behind the two, both in silence, both straight backed, both in their own suits of place. Good. As Kassandora had ordered, they had brought the heavy tower shields that had been specially forged for this mission. They didn’t want the heavy plate armour, Kassandora didn’t force it on them. The tower shields were essential to protect Kavaa, if they didn’t want to defend themselves, then that was their own decision. “HEYO!” Fer called out from a distance. “WE’RE EARLY!”

Kassandora checked her watch and silently cursed time itself. They were indeed early, not even barely. They were early by more than an hour. “So they are.” Arascus said, he too was looking at his own watch. “How was Aris?” He called out as Kassandora silently stood there, unsure of what exactly to say. That they were going to kill Pax? Would they even believe her?

They would. That was the worst part. They had come here knowing that they were being sent off to fight an entity which could not be harmed, and they knew it was serious because it was the entire Big Three of Divinity, with Arascus in tow, with Kavaa and Kassandora there too. That sort of Divine presence was only called upon when something big was going to happen. “Oh it was lovely!” Fer exclaimed, Kassandora shared a small smile with Kavaa. Of Health returned it. “Malam has a gun! And I didn’t want to go into the catacombs in the first place. We’re not going into the Ashfront still? Right? I heard we’re not.”

“We’re not.” Kassandora said. “I’ll explain inside.” They may as well get the explanation over as quickly as possible. If not for anyone’s benefit, then for Kassandora’s. Once she explained the plan, it was in motion. Once it was in motion, she could stop questioning herself. That wouldn’t happen. It wouldn’t happen until Pax’s head was split open. Kassandora took a deep breath and stalled the greetings from everyone. “Come on, I’ll explain and answer questions, you might have a lot.”

Hopefully they would. Questions would mean that her plan would have to be explained and the more she explained it, the more issues she could smooth out. She disappeared into the green pavilion tent. Inside was a map of the region, a table, some papers, not much else. The soldiers who had set up it had been relieved at how little work needed to be done. Small but bright electric lamps hung from the ceiling to illuminate the space. Kassandora stepped out of the way so that her shadow would not cover the map.

The rest of the team followed in: Fer & Kavaa, Maisara & Fortia. And Arascus who had been holding the fabric for them. There would be magicians involved in the plan too, although those would probably get here on time exactly. Kassandora readjusted her hat as the five divines stared at her. The plan was terrible, she would never approve it if someone else created it, but it was her mind that had conjured the abomination. And so it was her abomination to try and sell to others.

Fer’s ears bounced, Kavaa made a shy smile, Maisara stood straight armed and Fortia just raised a curious eyebrow. Kassandora nodded and kicked Kassandora into action, this wasn’t a plan to ever be repeated. If it worked, then it worked. And it would be scrapped immediately. “Pax has crossed the Ashfront with his white flags.” Kassandora began. “He marches north. They have our maps, that is confirmed by now.” The fact that the Plateau D’Albion got attacked, or that Legion was marching straight for Bolfech Nuclear Power Plant was more than enough confirmation. She did not need to literally see the maps in enemy hands to be aware of it. “At the current rate, he will hit Apoli within two days.”

Kassandora turned to the map. She didn’t bother pointing the coastal city out. Everyone here knew were it was. “Apoli is partially evacuated, we cannot evacuate any more. B-A-R-C is still working to contain the Arseille crisis.” Kassandora was probably the only person on this world to use the proper name spelled out, and not just shorten it to bark as everyone else called it. “The estimated population is still roughly half a million inside the town. Pax will use them as human shields to prevent bombing.” That, she had no idea about. But it was what she would do, and so it was the worst case scenario. “Thus, Pax has to be killed tomorrow.”

Kassandora turned back to the team. They were effectively five giants, although Kavaa was a dwarf amongst them. And Arascus was so broad his silhouette could probably swallowed both Maisara and Fortia. No one asked any question, nor did anyone even look a little perturbed at what Kassandora had just said. Of War released a deep sigh, she wanted them to ask or say something. Where was the but Pax can’t be killed? But he’s unharmable? But we’ve tried everything already? She wanted them to speak so that she could repeat the reasoning out loud to herself once again. “Are you not going to say anything?” Kassandora asked.

“It will work though.” Fer said. “It will work because you thought of it.”

Kassandora stared at them. She knew what being the receiver of faith felt like. Since the very beginning, there was some noble king or queen, some knight or general, some father sending off his son, who would believe in her. But that had always been different. War plans were calculations and equations. A battle was the test which decided how well she did her homework and what she knew about the enemy. And what exactly did she know of Pax?

That he couldn’t be harmed?

That was it. Kassandora shook her head and started to explain the worst plan that she had ever come up with. “We are gambling.” Kassandora said. “The plan is a gamble, for the chance of Pax dying is not definite, and we are gambling again, because we do not even know if the gamble will work. The fact it is a gamble by nature ensures we will not even learn anything we do not know already.” Kassandora stared at them for a moment. No one so much as reacted to her words. The faith was there.

Fer smiled and spoke up. “And what are the chances, of the gamble, if it works?”

“I plan to make it certain.” Fer smiled, her ears falling down onto her head, her mouth becoming exceedingly smug in its satisfaction.

“I thought so.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep