Prelude

On the distant surface of the moon lay the mysterious Lunar Secret Realm. Within the boundless, vast canopy, the shimmering shadows of the starry sky were reflected. The tranquil Sea of Tranquility remained undisturbed, devoid of even the slightest trace of life. Surrounded by this immense sea was a city.

At the heart of the Secret Realm, massive, towering buildings stood in dense clusters. Elevated pipelines crisscrossed through the air, with countless flying vessels weaving between them. This was a city forged primarily of steel and white stone, filled with pavilions and terraces, adorned everywhere with translucent crystals. The myriad white towers of various designs made the metropolis resemble a colossal forest of steel and rock. Every part of the city, every single corner, was immaculate, completely free of any dirt or stains.

The steel bore no rust, the stone showed no wear, and the crystals were without a single scratch. Everything appeared brand new, as if the erosion of time had failed to leave any mark upon this city. All things were so perfect they seemed capable of enduring for eternity.

This was the Lunar Capital. The city was the physical manifestation of the lunarians' doctrine of purity—a city of absolute quintessence that tolerated no impurity. The lunarians who ruled here enjoyed eternal life.

Within a tall building in the central administrative district of the Lunar Capital, inside a spacious room, a woman with short white hair and a crisp white robe sat at her desk. She was leafing through documents, while a messenger stood nearby, awaiting her orders.

"So... the fleet has already set sail, has it?" the woman asked calmly, not looking up from her papers.

"Yes. The four Sages have already ascended to the Orbital Starport. The Purification Fleet they lead will depart immediately, Lady Sagume..." the messenger replied respectfully.

"Did the Council of Sages not read my report?" the woman named Sagume continued, her tone gaining a hint of severity.

"They did, however... the Great Sage said that the suggestions in your report were over-cautious," the messenger answered immediately, a trace of panic in his voice.

"Over-cautious? The former Lunar Defense Official defected to the enemy. Therefore, delaying the departure date to reorganize the lunar defenses before striking... is such a suggestion considered over-cautious?" Sagume asked coldly. Her tone made the messenger instinctively take two steps back.

"Um... Lady Sagume, the other Sages believe that dealing with the dwellers of the impure land does not require such extreme caution. They lack the capability to threaten the lunar homeland directly. Thus, delaying the strike would only give the impure dwellers more time to prepare, inviting unnecessary complications... Oh, and the Great Sage also said..." The messenger trailed off, falling silent.

"What else did he say?" Sagume pressed.

"Um... he also said that if you are so anxious to distinguish yourself and claim merit, you should focus on doing something practical."

Hearing the messenger's words, Sagume stopped her movements. She sat motionless for several seconds. Then, under the messenger's uneasy gaze, she straightened her documents. After setting them aside, she let out a sigh.

"Hoo... They are right. Perhaps I was over-cautious. How could the dwellers of the impure land possibly have the power to directly threaten the moon? Delaying the departure is indeed meaningless. What I am doing isn't practical at all. In that case, I can only wish the lords upon the fleet smooth sailing and a swift victory."

Sagume spoke matter-of-factly, but hearing this, the messenger jumped in fright, looking utterly terrified.

"La—Lady Sagume... you shouldn't say such things..." the messenger stammered. Sagume responded with a cold smile.

"Heh, don't worry. My ability is troublesome, but its range of influence is limited. In a war of this scale, no matter what I say, I cannot influence its outcome. Don't forget that any causality interference ability cannot take effect against existence of a higher status than the interferer. The scale and level involved in this war are beyond my influence. I am truly wishing them well this time. After all... I can't usually say such things about ordinary matters, can I?" Sagume said, spreading her hands. The messenger finally relaxed his expression and let out a long breath of relief.

That's true enough... but are you really wishing them well? the messenger couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

Kishin Sagume, a high-ranking official of the Lunar Capital, possessed an ability involving causality. Generally, the words she spoke would cause events to develop in the opposite direction—essentially a passive jinx. Because of this, she usually refrained from making judgments and was quite taciturn. However, this incident was indeed as she said; it exceeded the limits of her power, allowing her to express her views freely.

"By the way... how are the preparations for that rabbit's trial coming along?" Sagume asked, changing the subject.

"Everything is prepared. It can begin shortly. There are no obstacles in this matter," the messenger replied. Sagume nodded.

"In that case, proceed. The rabbits have been restless lately. Besides discipline, we need other methods... Also, make sure the arrangements for after the trial are ready quickly."

"Understood..."

Following Sagume's words, the messenger bowed and respectfully withdrew from the room.

Once the messenger was gone, Sagume was left alone. She rose from her seat and walked to the window. Looking up at the sky of the Lunar Capital, she could see countless points of light rapidly advancing into the distance.

Earth, in a distant outer orbit, a massive space station floated in the void. Miketsu drifted outside the station, gazing solemnly at the perfectly round moon in the distance.

She was here waiting for the enemy. According to the divinations, the attack from the Lunar Capital's fleet would arrive soon.

"Sigh... I still can't quite get used to this extraterrestrial environment. Uka-no-Mitama-no-Mikoto, are you really going to intercept the enemy in a place like this? It's very difficult to use my power in this environment," said Yasaka Kanako, who was flying not far from Miketsu. She relied on her power as a wind god to create a pocket of air around her, allowing her to speak and transmit sound in the vacuum of space.

"It cannot be helped. Facing those who can perform orbital bombardments and care nothing for mortal lives, we can only engage them here in space. Retreating to the surface would not only leave us as sitting ducks but would also involve the innocent. The flames of a war of this magnitude are not something mortals can endure," Miketsu said slowly to Kanako. She had no intention of clashing with the lunarians on the ground.

"Hehe... Your mercy is something this disciple has heard of long ago, and now I have finally witnessed it with my own eyes..." At that moment, a raspy male voice came from Miketsu's other side. Turning to look, one would see a withered, mummified corpse wearing a kasaya and a crown, holding Buddhist prayer beads.

He was none other than the high priest of the Shingon school who had achieved Sokushinbutsu—Saint Myoren. To defend against the lunar fleet, Miketsu, in her capacity as Dakini-ten, had requested the Shingon school to dispatch combat assistance. She hadn't expected them to send their greatest trump card directly.

Saint Myoren's presence here represented the stance of the Western Pure Land. In this war, the various Buddhas would, to a certain extent, lend their aid to Miketsu.