While bloody warfare and mayhem took over the Sura Plane, unsettling events prevented Arcadia’s return to peace. Once the students and professors left for the Sura Plane, the emperor ordered an NK-97 strike on the Imperial Academy, obliterating the island alongside the 3,000 enemy fighters that surrounded it with an irresistible neutron laser. Thus, following over 2,000 years of existence, the Imperial Academy was reduced to nothing.

The news left most high-ranking aristocrats livid. With no warning from the imperial family or news of their children, many assumed the worst, believing that to save itself, the empire didn’t hesitate to sacrifice their most valued descendants. Incensed, several nobles gathered to demand answers from the imperial family, but emergency missives from the Grand Duke of Rulweil stopped them all.

“The imperial family is disappointed by the lack of rebellious aristocrats and hopes that many more will throw themselves into their hands. Are you that eager to see your ancestral lands stripped and your houses erased? Your children are safe.” As the only non-von-Skoll-Exarch and de facto leader of the aristocracy, Alaric von Rulweil’s words carried tremendous weight and instantly put an end to the bellicose nobles’ fury.

In the meantime, within the imperial city’s Technomancy Department, Marcel and Niklas stood in a laboratory of long chalky walls, both staring at a circular platform warded by transparent barriers. A cold-blue light column surged from the circular platform’s center, and from it popped up a five meters tall gray tube.

Bright, misty dra filled the cylindrical shell, revolving at a pace of 600 spins per second. Faced with the tube, Niklas and Marcel both smiled, a rare occurrence in their 160 years of father-son relationship.

“Those technocrats really take us for fools. Did they think we wouldn’t take extra measures to ensure the reactor’s safety?” Niklas scoffed. Although the destruction of the Imperial Academy left a bitter taste in the imperial family’s mouths, as long as they still held on to its Dra Reactor, the rest was negligible.

Arcadia’s Dra Reactors were hierarchized by Dra Revolution Speed. The more spin per second, the more power the reactor could provide. The average Dra Reactors, those that powered county-level cities, achieved around 52 revolutions per second. The marquisate-level Dra Reactors hovered at 68, and even the average imperial duke’s Dra Reactors couldn’t surpass 90 revolutions per second.

Kars’ main Dra Reactor reached 300, and with it, Klaus could control the city’s climate, fuel his myriad of power armors and zurishells, and maintain Kars’ idyllic scenery. But the imperial family alone owned two 600 Revolutions Dra Reactors, one powering the Imperial City, and the other hiding in the Imperial Academy.

With those two reactors, the von Skolls controlled all travel beyond the Mortal Plane. Since only Exarchs could achieve Plane Walking, whoever wished to leave or return to the Mortal Plane had to rely on the Imperial Family’s good graces. And if they wished to, the von Skolls could even use their reactors to leave the gates to foreign planes permanently open.

Those two reactors were, undeniably, the most celebrated creations of the past Technocracy. Unfortunately, they couldn’t create weapons able to release the reactors’ full destructive potential. Otherwise, the von Skolls would have long-since obliterated their three ancestral enemies.

“We should remain on our guards. Clearly, the Imperial Academy’s Dra Reactor was the Technocracy’s true target. How could they not prepare some backup p--” Marcel began. But before his words ended, a disturbing sight interrupted his speech.

The tube vanished, gone without even a poof, making the current and previous emperors’ jaws drop, with their eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

“Just like that? Didn’t you claim that regardless of the tricks the technocrats used, we could bring the reactor back at will and protect it from their hands? Why is it gone?” Niklas asked while pointing his wobbling hand at the empty platform.

To ensure the Imperial Academy’s leaders couldn’t use the Dra Reactor to rebel, the past emperors only enabled them to use it for Plane Walking, keeping other options under a firm lockdown. And if unforeseen circumstances still arose, the emperors could summon the reactor back to the Imperial City.

However, to say nothing of bringing it back. Neither Marcel nor Niklas could locate the reactor’s current position.

“Don’t be rude. We still have the four tributary kingdoms. Even if the technocrats summoned deities, we can destroy them in a heartbeat. Though, once we’re forced to use that move, we won’t be able to take the Chiropteran Dynasty, Undying Horde and Wailing Sea by surprise,” regaining his composure, Marcel coolly replied. But the words brought Niklas no comfort, and his gaze hardened.

“The four tributary kingdoms are the sacrificial lambs we’ve been preparing for 3,000 years. To ensure a foolproof plan, we even got rid of the eldars. We did all this, so we could exterminate those three foreign threats once and for all. Now you’re telling me that we may have to use the Grand Circle on a trivial Technocracy? Old man, who kicked your brain?” Niklas clenched his trembling fists, resisting the urge to punch a hole in Marcel’s face.

Ignoring him, the previous emperor closed his eyes. For the chiropterans, humans were cattle. For the undead, they were recruits. As for the leviathans of the Wailing Sea, they saw humans as a threat needing swift extermination. If not for the Peace Barrier, no one could estimate what Arcadia would currently look like.

Any one of those three was a more significant problem than the Technocracy. Though Niklas’ words weren’t pleasant to the ears, he was right. They could absolutely not reveal their ace before the next World War. And considering the price Niklas’ line paid for the eldars’ slaughter, Marcel didn’t doubt that should they waste the Grand Circle, Niklas would be the first to nuke him.

“That being the case, it’s time we force the Queen of Nargoz to renew the Blood Covenant, break the Peace Barrier, and lure the Chiropteran Dynasty back to Arcadia. Once they attack, the other two will follow. The Technocrats want to rule, not destroy Arcadia. If only for the big picture, they will have to go all out, and we can erase them all in one stroke,” Marcel offered, and agreeing with the words, Niklas contacted the Cleansing Wind, the Grand Order responsible for Nargoz’s supervision, and had its Grand Master depart for the Blood Court.

…

Meanwhile, in a camp established by the Technocracy west of the Sura Plane, Esther the Chair of Technomancy, and Bjorn the Junior Senator of the Mahana Department, welcomed the 600 Revolutions Dra Reactor.

“Congratulations, Junior Leader. With this reactor, we now have all the ingredients to bind Arcadia to the Dream and Nightmare Planes. I can guarantee that in a week, the Arch Senate can snatch the two planes’ magic, and enthrall our homeworld. How does it feel to be the one that doomed billions to eternal servitude?” Esther asked in a half-serious, half-jesting tone.