The Proclamation

"Do moon rabbits actually count as being more than half-Earthling?" Miketsu nodded thoughtfully at Eirin's words, and Eirin continued.

"Indeed. Although the moon rabbits regard Chang'e as their deity, they were essentially mechanical puppets during her reign. What gave them self-awareness, life, and emotion was actually our planet. Heh... ironic, isn't it? The lunarians, who originated as people of the earth, are now closer to the beings of Chang'e's world, while the moon rabbits, who were originally Chang'e's familiars, have become closer to the life forms of our planet." Eirin spoke slowly with a mocking tone, and Miketsu gained a general understanding of the fundamental differences between the life arrays of the two worlds.

"It seems that if the lunarians are left unchecked, they will sooner or later be influenced more deeply by Chang'e, continuously deepening their 'purity' until they eventually become her puppets entirely?" Miketsu guessed, and Eirin nodded in affirmation.

"Yes. Currently, the lunarians still harbor fear toward excessive 'purity.' However, as they continue to exploit Chang'e's power, it is only a matter of time before the entire Lunar Capital falls as a new generation of her familiars. The laughable part is that those fools are completely oblivious to this; they believe they can master Chang'e's power." Eirin spoke mockingly, then changed the subject, looking at Miketsu as she continued.

"By the way, besides the truth about 'purity,' the intelligence you brought has resolved another major doubt for me."

"Another one?"

"Yes, it concerns us orthodox gods. Don't you find it strange? Why does Chang'e's power have such a strong restraining effect on the divine power of orthodox gods? Why is her power like poison to us?" Eirin continued. Chang'e's power had once eroded her and Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto's godheads, causing her to lose her divine status entirely. The Lunar Capital even intended to use a concentrated dose of Chang'e's power against Miketsu, which showed how much Chang'e countered the orthodox gods of Earth.

"Why? Is it because Chang'e's power is essentially an alien force?" Miketsu ventured, and Eirin nodded.

"Exactly. That is the key to the problem... I once carefully studied my shattered godhead, my own divine name, and my divine power, wanting to know the essence of an orthodox god. After much research, I discovered that the power of an orthodox god's godhead stems from the 'World’s' gift. The existence of an orthodox god is inextricably linked to the laws of our planet... Laws... are the foundation of an orthodox god's power..." Raising her index finger, Eirin spoke seriously. Miketsu immediately understood her meaning and said with a hint of shock.

"The laws of our planet are the foundation of an orthodox god's power... I see. The alien erosion of Chang'e's power severely damages the laws of our planet. This is equivalent to destroying the foundation of the orthodox gods. That's why Chang'e's power is like poison to them."

"Exactly. The power of orthodox gods comes from the world, while Chang'e is eroding the world. To all orthodox gods of every pantheon, Chang'e is an absolutely terrifying natural enemy. I wonder what kind of existence had the capability back then to defeat Chang'e, put her to sleep inside the moon, and destroy the civilization of her familiars..."

'A group of insanely strong, barbaric monsters...' Miketsu grumbled internally. At the same time, she gained a deeper understanding of Ancient Gods and orthodox gods. The power of orthodox gods originated from the world, so they were hard-countered by Chang'e, whereas the power of Ancient Gods originated from themselves, leaving them completely free of such worries.

"Alright, I've understood the gist of what you've said. In short, even without Kaguya's involvement, we must stand against the Lunar Capital. We cannot allow those lunarians to continue developing Chang'e's power. A battle between us is inevitable... Eirin, what advice do you have regarding the war with the Lunar Capital?" Miketsu asked Eirin. No one here understood the Lunar Capital better than its former leader. Moreover, as the former Omoikane-no-Mikoto, the God of Wisdom, she was undoubtedly a top-tier strategist.

"A war against the Lunar Capital... it is unavoidable. If you're asking for my advice... then it is to wait for the opportunity, plan before acting, and gain mastery by striking second." Looking at Miketsu, Eirin spoke with a smile, and Miketsu nodded thoughtfully.

"Striking second, I see."

...

After the celebration banquet for the successful launch, Miketsu saw off Ichimokuren, who had come to help, the following day. To ensure the fallen Heavenly Eye God had enough faith, she ordered the subordinate Inari deities in Northern Ise to bypass the area around Mount Nanakaku when expanding their influence, leaving enough believers for Ichimokuren. This was the reward she had promised him.

Following this, Miketsu began preparing for the confrontation with the Lunar Capital with Eirin's assistance. The space station in orbit monitored the lunar surface without pause. Finally, over a month later, something happened.

"Lady Uka, Master, emergency! We've received a transmission from the Lunar Capital!"

Sliding open the paper door, Yorihime spoke seriously to Miketsu and Eirin, who were in the middle of a discussion. Upon hearing this, the two stopped their conversation and glanced at each other.

"It seems they've arrived."

"Yes, what must come will come. Let's go and see what those fellows have to say." Miketsu smiled calmly, then stood up unhurriedly. Led by Yorihime, she and Eirin walked out of the room together, heading all the way to the Inari Satellite Control Center. Countless moon rabbits were whispering nervously inside, but they fell silent the moment they saw Yorihime enter with Miketsu and Eirin, returning to their respective workstations.

Approaching a large display screen, Miketsu's first sight was an old man with white hair and a white beard, dressed in simple white robes. He stood formally in front of a black backdrop.

"Lesser gods of the impure earth, fallen traitors, unforgivable sinners—I am Ao, the Great Sage of the Council of Sages. I am here to announce to you all: you have defiled purity and defied the most pure. Your crimes are beyond redemption! The day of judgment has arrived. Prepare to receive the flames of purification!"

The old man on the screen spoke in a dignified tone. Miketsu was momentarily stunned. What was this? A declaration of war? It was certainly blunt and arrogant. However, the fact that they didn't launch a preemptive sneak attack was somewhat acceptable.

"Traitors, you stole the precious technology of the Lunar Capital and attempted to use it to resist the most pure. It is truly laughable. Watch closely; this shall be your end!"

The old man continued in his majestic voice. Simultaneously, in the darkness of Earth's orbit, dozens of kilometers away from the space station, several sparks of fire were approaching at high speed. A closer look revealed them to be several deep-black missiles trailing exhaust flames.

With a range of three hundred thousand kilometers and the ability to perfectly evade the space station's detection, these stealth missiles had been launched from the Lunar Capital long ago. They arrived at the space station at the exact moment the proclamation was issued, perfectly timed to destroy the opponent's outpost the moment the declaration was made.

Watching the missiles rapidly approaching on the screen, Miketsu's mouth twitched. She thought to herself that she had just praised them internally, only for them to pull a stunt like this... Did they have no shame at all?"