Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:MvM2 Depth4 (section)

===Part 6===

The Empire had long had a dual government, so they had long been mocked for their slow reaction speed.

So they would eliminate that system.

The instant the Capital Defense Force caught a whiff of a civil war brewing, they moved to take the legislature and the imperial residence. It was said they had already been prepared for this and had run countless experiments moving game pieces around on a map.

The Guard Chief who led the Capital Defense Force stormed into the imperial residence with plenty of his men accompanying him. They marched right in through the front door.

A young soldier in the lobby saluted and gave a report.

“The entire building has been secured and the prime minister has been arrested.”

“Don’t kill him yet. He has no power left, but as a hostage, he can act as a breakwater to slow the Armed Forces.”

Also shooting him in the middle of the fighting would mean he had died ''a victim''. That would be a problem. He had to be brought to court-martial and tried as ''a criminal'' for the confusion he had long brought the political world and all the ways he had harmed the Imperial people.

“You can lock him in a room if you want, but do not give him an opportunity to kill himself.”

“No chance of that. He is currently confined in the 1st floor guest suite.”

“A conference room would be sufficient!”

They didn’t really care about the imperial residence.

But the hotline between the three world powers was located in the prime minister’s office here.

And more than that…

“Where is the safe?”

“Attempting to force the lock would incinerate the contents with an incendiary round, but we will have it open before long. The launch codes will be ours soon.”

Good enough.

Launching a nuke or ballistic missile required launch codes from two nations, but having them was still better than not.

They were necessary to silence the opposing domestic faction, to encourage their people, and to negotiate with the other nations. By hinting to the other two world powers that whoever sided with them would be allowed to launch their missiles.

“Chief, we are receiving a call over the hotline.”

“Already?”

This was not going to be a slow civil war.

He suspected the Untied States and the Republic as well, but eliminating the traitors and returning their country to normal came first. He would use those other countries to kill the collaborators themselves while he kept a close watch on his own back.

By quickly establishing a coalition force and putting them to work, he could rid his country of the loathsome Imperial Armed Forces. That tiny unidentified fleet with only a carrier and landing ship could be crushed after that was done.

The Guard Chief picked up the receiver.



“Why should we accept your Capital Defense Force as our equals?” said an icy voice.



He couldn’t believe his ears. He couldn’t imagine why they would look down on him like that.

But the United States President was a step ahead of him.

“What are you-”

“You are a Capital Defense Force. No matter how much power you have amassed, you only exist to protect a city. That does not make you a state recognized by international law. Our United States of Narmeli and the Cutalularia Republic are allied with the Liheilstaut Empire.”

“I never said all that…” said another voice.

“Just go with it, Director. If a nefarious armed force has taken control of your country in a coup, we would be willing to express our love for our neighbor by crushing that armed force.”

“Y-you wouldn’t dare, Narmeli!”

“Of course, we would have to insist on charging a paltry fee for our services. The United States and the Republic would likely have to divide up your territory for ourselves.”

“We control our own country. The Capital Defense Force is the Liheilstaut Empire now! We are a world power! If you insist on starting a war, we will fight back. Did you think our army, navy, air force, and marines had fewer Girlish Weapons than yours? Attack us at your peril!!”

“Oh? Have you forgotten a rather important fact here?”

“What a pain…” said the third voice.

“It won’t be much longer now, Director. Well, Chief? Have you forgotten what it means for our two countries to have arrived at the same conclusion?”

He felt a cold sweat on his back.

Nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles could only be used with a majority vote by the three world powers. No single country could choose to launch a nuke.

It required two votes.

This farce of a pact had effectively prevented any nukes or ballistic missiles from being used. But what if that assumption was no more?

What if the United States and the Republic were working together in the name of suppressing the Empire’s civil war?

What if neither of them saw any more value in their relations with the collapsing Empire?

They had two votes.

And the Empire could not play the retaliation card.

“Don’t worry. Unlike you, we have a rational grasp of the situation.”

Much to his own chagrin, the Guard Chief felt relieved by that monster’s words. But then…

“We promise not to use any nuclear warheads. Of course, that still leaves thermobaric, cluster, and plenty more warheads capable of leveling your military strongholds.”



A scream rang out just before a great mass tore through the air raid sirens ringing across the capital and dropped straight toward the imperial residence.