Fate's Choice: Livestream at the Start Summoning Billions of Ravens

After the spotlights in the White House press briefing room went out, the world did not quiet down; instead, it was plunged into deeper turmoil.

A week.

In just one week.

The IRS servers were nearly overwhelmed.

Those once arrogant multinational giants who employed the nation's top legal teams to evade taxes are now like middle-aged women scrambling to buy discounted eggs at a supermarket, rushing to stuff checks into the national treasury.

General Dynamics, Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin...

Following them are Google, Apple, and Amazon.

Nobody dared to gamble.

Nobody can afford to gamble.

When the label of "unpatriotic" can actually cut off trillions of dollars in government orders, and even bring about the Noble Phantasm of Archer Roosevelt called the "New Deal" as a form of sanctions, there is only one direction for the flow of money.

That is absolute obedience.

Inside the Oval Office, the current president's hand trembled as he looked at the report handed to him by the Treasury Secretary.

It wasn't out of fear, but out of a near-illusory ecstasy.

"Four trillion US dollars..."

"The pressure from government bond interest rates... has disappeared."

This money is not just tax money, but also a "pledge of allegiance" paid by these giants in exchange for that "patriotic medal".

Roosevelt, sitting in a wheelchair, was wiping his glasses.

"Capital is mobile."

"When America becomes the only safe haven, the blood of the whole world will flow here."

He was right.

In order to raise this huge sum of "life-saving money," Wall Street giants had to frantically withdraw funds from global markets.

London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Singapore...

Global stock markets experienced a precipitous drop within a week.

The US dollar index soared like a rocket, while other non-US currencies plummeted.

This is blatant plunder.

A feast disguised as "patriotism" was actually a feast in which the blood and flesh of the whole world were used to feed the behemoth America.

……

Tokyo, Chiyoda Ward, Prime Minister's Official Residence.

It was pouring rain outside the window, and the raindrops were pounding against the bulletproof glass, making a crackling sound.

The atmosphere inside the meeting room was even more gloomy than the weather outside.

It was an expanded cabinet meeting, but everyone looked like they were attending a funeral.

"It's over."

The finance minister slumped in his chair, his tie askew, looking as if he had aged ten years.

He threw a document in the middle of the table.

"The Nikkei index has evaporated by 15% in three days."

"Those vampires on Wall Street have drained all the liquidity, even our own pension funds, because they hold a lot of US Treasury bonds and US stock derivatives, and now their book losses are astronomical."

"If we don't sell off US Treasury bonds to save the market, the currency will collapse."

"Don't throw it!"

The Foreign Minister stood up abruptly, his voice shrill.

"America has already spoken; selling off US Treasury bonds now is an 'act of hostility'! It's 'undermining the economic stability of our allies'! Roosevelt will put us on the sanctions list too!"

"What can we do then? Watch the country go bankrupt?!"

The sounds of arguing echoed in the conference room.

Sakamoto Masao sat in the corner, head down, without saying a word.

As the head of the "Holy Grail War Countermeasures Headquarters," he is now in a more awkward position than anyone else.

"Any news from Masashi Kishimoto's side?"

The Prime Minister finally spoke.

His voice was hoarse, and he was extremely exhausted.

Masao Sakamoto stiffened for a moment, then slowly stood up.

"no."

"Uchiha Madara... completely ignored Kishimoto's shouts."

"The online discourse has spiraled out of control. The whole world is laughing at us, calling us clowns who use cartoonists to 'fish' for attention..."

boom!

The Defense Minister slammed his fist on the table.

"That's enough!"

"The economy is collapsing, the superhumans are out of control, and we have lost all our dignity on the international stage!"

He turned his head and stared intently at the Prime Minister.

"Let's call for help."

"Ask Washington for help."

"Let their Archers protect us...at least we can survive!"

The meeting room fell into a deathly silence.

"No!"

The Foreign Minister is still making a last-ditch effort.

"This is inviting a wolf into the house! Look at Wall Street now! Roosevelt was a tyrant! If we invite him in, Toyota, Sony, Mitsubishi... will become America's national assets tomorrow!"

"Do you have a solution?!"

The Defense Minister roared back.

"Are you going to block Madara Uchiha's meteor? Or are you going to fill the hole in the stock market?!"

The two men faced off like fighting cocks, spitting as they spoke.

"Shut up, all of you."

The Prime Minister, leaning on the table, stood up unsteadily.

His face was ashen, but his bloodshot eyes gleamed with an almost insane light.

That was a desperate act when all other options were exhausted.

"Call for help..."

He muttered to himself.

"Yes, we must call for help."

"But not to America."

Everyone was stunned.

If not America, who else could they turn to for help?

China? That's absolutely impossible.

Europe? They themselves are still struggling with the collapse of Newtonian physics.

"Prime Minister, do you mean...?" Masao Sakamoto asked tentatively.

The Prime Minister looked up and gazed out the window at the dark, rainy night.

"Since the living can't save us..."

"Since we can't find a way out in the real world..."

"Then go pray to the gods and spirits."

He turned around and looked at the room full of cabinet ministers.

"Prepare for a press conference."

"I want to broadcast it live to the whole world."

"Not just me, but all of you, the entire cabinet."

"We pray to all the Heroic Spirits, and to all the 'gods' who have not yet appeared or have already appeared in this Holy Grail War."

"As long as they're willing to protect the land of cherry blossoms, as long as they can let us live..."

The Prime Minister's face showed a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"We are willing to pay any price."

"Land, resources, faith... even the future of this country."

"As long as they're willing to come."

crazy.

The thought flashed through everyone's mind.

For a government to openly surrender to an unknown, extraordinary being is an unprecedented disgrace in human history.

But no one objected.

Because they had no other way to go.

……

The next morning.

Tokyo, in front of the Prime Minister's official residence.

The rain stopped, but the sky remained overcast.

Hundreds of cameras from global media outlets formed a long wall.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire world.

The Prime Minister of Japan, leading all cabinet members, dressed in black suits, walked out of the gate in an orderly fashion.

They walked directly onto the concrete ground.

then.

They all knelt down in unison.

Earth seat.

This is the highest form of etiquette for this nation, and also its most humble posture.

"The Land of Cherry Blossoms... I pray to all the heroic spirits of the heavens."

The prime minister's forehead was pressed against the cold, wet ground, and his voice was transmitted around the world through a microphone.

"No matter where you are, no matter if you are a god or a demon."

"If only you would descend upon this land and protect its inhabitants..."

"We are willing to serve you as our Lord, the entire nation will worship you, and we will never turn away from you!"

The image freezes.

This scene, transmitted via fiber optics and satellites, instantly captivated every screen around the world.

Washington was shocked.

Kyoto fell silent.

The Vatican in Europe was utterly dumbfounded.

In the 21st century, the government of a G7 country has chosen to kneel down in reverence to mythical creatures.

Rome, inside the presidential suite.

Jiang Ming held a can of iced cola in his hand, browsing the light screen projected by Mirror 2 with great interest.

The screen displayed an image of the Japanese cabinet collectively sitting on the dogeza (a traditional Japanese kneeling gesture).

"Tsk."

He shook his head, pulled the tab, and the sound of bubbles rising was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

"Have some self-respect, will you?"

"It's a developed country after all, and to be forced into this situation is truly unbelievable."

Although he was complaining, he wasn't too surprised.

This is the tragedy of the weak.

In the face of absolute power, dignity is sometimes truly worthless.

Jiang Ming had a sudden thought.

The system panel, which only he could see, unfolded before his eyes.

[Current Emotional Value Balance: 4,120,580,000]

4.1 billion.

Roosevelt's "New Deal" brought about a harvest of benefits, Newton's revolutionary physics, and now Japan's kneeling has caused global public sentiment to fluctuate like a rollercoaster.

And all these emotions ultimately became bargaining chips in Jiang Ming's hands.

Having too much money can also be a problem.

Jiang Ming took a sip of cola, enjoying the sensation of the carbonation exploding on his tongue.

He glanced at the world map.

America got Archer Roosevelt.

China now has Saber Li Bai and Caster Funinga.

Europe has its Ruler Joan of Arc and its Rider Newton.

Sakura Kingdom has Assassin Uchiha Madara.

But that's not enough.

Jiang Ming's gaze swept across the map.

"This scene needs more conflict, more chaos."

His gaze crossed the Himalayas and landed on the South Asian subcontinent, a country with a huge population and overflowing self-confidence.

"Brother Indian".

Jiang Ming smiled.

"You've been clamoring online for so long, claiming to be an ancient civilization, so why haven't any heroic spirits descended upon us?"

"Since you want it so badly..."

"Then I'll grant your request."

Jiang Ming's fingers tapped lightly on the sofa armrest.

There aren't many ranks left.

Lancer.

Berserker.

After Shuten-dōji was "removed" by Jeanne d'Arc, the Berserker position became vacant.

"What should we pair with the Indian guy?"

"Lancer? That seems a bit too conventional."

"Berserker is more interesting."