The magical television screen glowed brightly in the center of the living room. The bright light washed across the walls. The cheerful music of a morning cartoon stopped instantly. The colorful animation vanished. The screen turned completely black for a single second. Then, a massive imperial crest appeared. The crest was bright gold. It spun slowly on the screen.
A loud, sharp alarm sound buzzed from the television speakers. It was an official broadcast override.
Ken Eliot sat on the large sofa. His navy blue suit pants looked a little wrinkled. His white dress shirt hung completely untucked over his belt. He did not wear a tie. His black hair stuck out in wild, messy spikes. He slouched his shoulders and sank deep into the soft cushions. He held a giant bag of sour cream and onion potato chips in his lap.
He reached into the bag. He pulled out a large, salty chip. He popped it into his mouth. He chewed it loudly. Crunch. Crunch.
"This is completely unacceptable," Ken complained lazily. He pointed a finger at the television. "The main character was just about to reveal his secret training technique. I waited three entire episodes for that moment. Now the government is ruining my cartoon schedule. This is a massive tragedy for my entertainment."
Naomi sat right next to him on the sofa. She wore a simple gray shirt and dark pants. Her red hair was tied back in a neat ponytail. She did not yell at him for complaining. She did not scold him for his untucked shirt. She just smiled a very warm, fond smile. She leaned closer and bumped her shoulder playfully against his arm.
"Stop whining, Ken," Naomi teased softly. Her green eyes sparkled with genuine affection. "This is an emergency imperial broadcast. It is very important. Just eat your chips and watch."
Naomi reached her hand out. She dipped her fingers into his bag of potato chips. She pulled out a chip and ate it.
Ken gave her a goofy, lazy grin. "You are stealing my brain fuel, Naomi. Those chips provide my highly advanced tactical genius. I need them to survive this boring news report."
"You have plenty of chips," Naomi chuckled. She patted his knee gently. "Share with your vanguard leader."
The rest of the 13th Unit gathered around the living room. The atmosphere was incredibly tense. They knew exactly why the broadcast was happening. The entire world was currently in an absolute panic. The Bluemoon Kingdom was totally destroyed. The global news blamed the Belmontia Empire. They said Belmontia fired a toxic weapon.
Princess Iris sat in a plush armchair. She sat perfectly straight. Her violet eyes were locked onto the screen. She looked very worried. She needed to know what her father would say.
Sayma sat at the dining table. The intelligent Vice-Captain pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. She opened a fresh notebook. She clicked her pen. She was ready to record every single word.
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Laxmi sat cross-legged on the floor. She tossed a tiny orange spark of fire between her fingers. She looked angry. "The news anchors keep calling us war criminals. I want to punch the television. We did not blow up an allied kingdom."
Zinia leaned against the wall. The strong earth mage crossed her muscular arms. "Laxmi is right. The entire continent thinks we are villains. The Emperor needs to fix this right now."
Ira stood perfectly still near the doorway. Her pale face showed zero emotion. "Statistically speaking, global outrage leads to immediate trade blockades. The economic damage to our capital will be massive."
Luna lay flat on a long wooden bench. She rubbed her sleepy eyes. She let out a huge yawn. "Can the Emperor just tell everyone to calm down? All this panic is making it very hard to take a nap."
Risa sat on the rug. The sweet pink-haired healer hugged her stuffed teddy bear tightly. She looked a little scared. "I hope the Emperor says nice things. People are very mad at us."
The golden imperial crest on the television faded away.
The screen cut to a live feed. The camera showed a vast, majestic balcony overlooking the capital city. Millions of citizens stood in the massive plaza below the balcony. The crowd was completely silent. They waited for their ruler.
The Emperor of the Belmontia Empire walked onto the balcony.
He looked absolutely imposing. He wore a pristine white uniform covered in golden medals. A majestic, dark cape flowed behind his broad shoulders. The golden crown rested on his head. His eyes were cold, sharp, and totally commanding. He stepped up to a tall marble podium. Dozens of magical microphones hovered in the air around him.
The Emperor looked down at his citizens. He looked directly into the camera lens.
"Citizens of the Belmontia Empire. People of the Luminous planet," the Emperor began. His deep, powerful voice echoed through the television speakers. It filled the living room. "I speak to you today regarding an unimaginable tragedy. The total destruction of the Bluemoon Kingdom."
Princess Iris leaned forward. She held her breath.
"Rumors are spreading across the continent," the Emperor stated firmly. He did not blink. "False reports claim that the Belmontia Empire launched a toxic weapon. They claim we attacked our closest ally. They call us murderers. They call us traitors."
The Emperor gripped the edges of the marble podium. His face hardened with absolute resolve.
"I stand before you today to declare the absolute truth," the Emperor announced loudly. His voice rang with undeniable authority. "The Belmontia Empire did not commit this horrific crime! We would never attack an allied nation! We did not fire that weapon!"
Laxmi cheered loudly from the floor. "Yes! Tell them! We are innocent!"
"The destruction of the Bluemoon Kingdom was a cowardly, calculated setup," the Emperor explained to the world. "A group of radical war criminals orchestrated this entire disaster. They infiltrated our eastern borders. They hijacked a secret facility. They launched the weapon from our soil specifically to frame us. They want to start a global war."
Sayma wrote furiously in her notebook. "He is controlling the narrative perfectly. He is shifting the blame to an unknown third party."
Ken ate another potato chip. He slouched his shoulders. He looked at the television screen.
"This is a classic anime trope," Ken mumbled casually. "The bad guys always frame the strongest kingdom to start a world war. It is a very basic plot device. The Emperor is giving a very good speech. He sounds exactly like a famous Hokage defending his ninja village. He just needs a cool headband."
Naomi laughed softly. She nudged Ken again. "Pay attention, slacker. This is important."
The Emperor paused for a moment. He looked across the massive crowd of citizens. He prepared to reveal a massive secret to the public.
"The Belmontia Empire is not the enemy of the Bluemoon Kingdom," the Emperor declared fiercely. "In fact, we were the only nation that tried to save them."
The crowd on the television gasped loudly. The citizens looked confused.
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