National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

"Excellent. I’ll be counting on all of you for the time being."

His grateful, trusting gaze swept over the Samurai and Ninja before him.

"We are the elite of the White-Red Empire. The future of the Empire rests in our hands.

Once this plan succeeds, we will become heroes of the White-Red Empire.

Future generations of the Empire will sing of our glorious deeds.

Our names will be etched into the annals of the Empire’s history, immortalized for all time!"

Goto Taiji’s voice was rousing and impassioned.

He could already see the glorious, brilliant future of the White-Red Empire.

The vision was so clear that his eyes filled with hope and longing.

Hearing Goto Taiji’s words, the Samurai and Ninja all broke into hearty laughter.

Their laughter was frank and bold, echoing long into the air above the construction site.

The following night, moonlight flowed like water, quietly bathing the mysterious construction site and draping the earth in a thin, silver veil.

The site resumed normal construction as scheduled. The roar of machinery shattered the night’s silence.

In pairs, the Samurai and Ninja patrolled the site, their steps even and deliberate as they moved back and forth.

Yumizakura, who had gone out to investigate, was late to return.

Chu He stood quietly to one side. His eyes were deep and calm, like a bottomless lake, making it impossible to fathom his thoughts.

He gazed in the direction Yumizakura had gone, thinking to himself.

’With Yumizakura’s unique talents and abilities,

even if she did run into danger, her wits and agility

should make it easy enough for her to escape unscathed.’

"Boss Zheng! Boss Zheng!"

Suddenly, a frantic, urgent shout cut through the din of the construction site.

It was like the shriek of an owl, chilling to the bone.

The foreman on duty for the night came jogging over.

His face was as white as a sheet, and large beads of sweat rolled endlessly down his forehead,

like beads from a broken string. His eyes were wide with terror and panic, as if he had just woken from a nightmare.

"We have another problem! The machine—it just won’t dig in that spot!"

He gasped for breath, his voice trembling. "I just jumped down and dug at it with my hands.

It’s just regular soil, but the machine won’t budge.

I even sent men down there to dig with hand tools,

and the pile of dirt they’ve dug out is almost a small hill,

but the ground level in that spot hasn’t dropped at all.

This... is this another one of those... strange phenomena?"

He trembled uncontrollably, seized by an unshakable, invisible chill.

Goto Taiji was sitting beside Zheng Qifeng.

He was in charge of coordinating with Zheng Qifeng

because he was fluent in the languages of both the Great Xia Empire and the White-Red Empire,

allowing him to coordinate between the two sides with ease

and ensure the Empire’s plan was carried out smoothly.

Hearing the foreman’s shouts, he immediately shot to his feet, his movements swift and decisive.

He grabbed his walkie-talkie and spoke a few quick, brief words into it.

Upon receiving the command, the patrolling Samurai and Ninja

quickly assembled, their movements perfectly synchronized,

displaying exceptional discipline and efficiency.

Led by the foreman, the group hurried toward the problem area,

their steps quick, and every face was etched with a somber, tense expression.