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

The following morning at nine o'clock, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

An emergency meeting of the Security Council was held under the watchful eyes of countless cameras.

Reporters from hundreds of media outlets around the world filled the audience seats, pointing their cameras at the horseshoe-shaped conference table in the center of the room.

The public agenda for this meeting is: international standards for the "Mirror World" and a joint management plan for Tokyo's "Gates".

The UN Secretary-General struck the gavel, announcing the start of the meeting with a somber opening statement.

The Japanese ambassador to the United Nations, an elderly man with gray hair, was given the first opportunity to speak.

He stood up from his seat, straightened his suit, but his trembling hands betrayed his inner fear.

He first expressed his strongest protest against the Vatican's declaration, accusing it of plunging Japan into an abyss of no return.

"Tokyo, our nation's capital, has descended into widespread and devastating chaos! Traffic is paralyzed, order has collapsed, and the people are living in extreme fear!"

"Therefore, on behalf of the government of the Sakura Kingdom, I hereby propose that a peacekeeping force of no less than 100,000 men, led by the United Nations, be immediately established and stationed in Tokyo!"

"This unit's mission is not only to protect the opening doors that are about to open, but also to protect our innocent civilians! To ensure that all countries in the world have equal access!"

He paused, then glanced around the room.

"All the costs required for this force should be shared proportionally by all member states, especially the five permanent members of the Security Council, according to their capabilities and responsibilities!"

The voice just fell.

The representative of the White Elephant Kingdom immediately pressed the speaking button, indicating that he fully agreed.

"We support our brothers in Japan's country of cherry blossoms; this reflects humanitarianism and international responsibility!"

"However, I must add one point: the resource allocation scheme for that new world must be based solely on the total population of each country. Only in this way can absolute fairness be guaranteed!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the meeting room.

"Objection! Population cannot be the sole criterion; land area and historical contributions should also be considered!"

"I propose that a management committee composed of small and medium-sized countries be established, with veto power over the allocation plan!"

"We demand that all nations receive an initial territory of equal size in the New World!"

Representatives from more than a dozen small and medium-sized countries requested to speak, each putting forward their own resource allocation plans and management authority requests that were most beneficial to their own countries.

The solemn Security Council chamber was transformed into a noisy market in just a few minutes.

Arguments and rebukes rose and fell.

The live broadcast camera swept across the faces of the delegates who were arguing heatedly, and finally, it slowly focused on the five seats in the first row that held the final decision-making power.

America's representative, a middle-aged blonde woman, was taking a delicate velvet cloth out of her jacket pocket and slowly and carefully wiping her glasses in front of the light.

The Chinese representative, a man with a calm expression, was looking down at a thick document. He hadn't looked up once since the meeting began.

The representative of the Russian nation, a tall man, leaned back completely in his wide chair, his eyes closed, as if he were asleep.

The representatives of John Bull and Gallic Rooster pulled their chairs closer together and whispered something, completely ignoring the uproar in the hall.

The collective silence of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council was like an invisible, heavy cloud hanging over the entire venue.

Representatives from some neutral countries who had not participated in the dispute were the first to notice something amiss in the eerie silence.

They stopped whispering to each other and began exchanging uneasy messages.

The meeting remained deadlocked for a full three hours.

During this period, representatives of small and medium-sized countries submitted more than twenty draft resolutions of various kinds.

However, because none of the five permanent members of the Security Council expressed their opinions, no draft bill was able to enter the voting process.

At exactly 12:00 p.m., the exhausted UN Secretary-General finally struck the gavel to adjourn the meeting.

He addressed the camera with a hollow, official statement.

He stated that all parties engaged in a "frank and in-depth" exchange on emerging global challenges, achieved "positive progress," and agreed to continue maintaining "close communication."

As the Secretary-General adjourned the meeting, the delegates gradually left the venue.

The ambassador from the Sakura Kingdom looked at the proposal in front of him that had been ignored by everyone, and then glanced at the five empty seats in the distance.

All the strength in his body seemed to be drained instantly, and he slumped into his seat, completely exhausted.

The meeting ended less than ten minutes later.

Reuters, Xinhua News Agency, TASS, and other major global news agencies released a breaking news report almost simultaneously.

Representatives from America, China, Russia, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom will hold a closed-door meeting at 2 p.m. today to discuss the “new global security situation.”

With the release of this news, the whole world understood.

The real meeting is about to begin.

At 2 p.m., inside America's office at the United Nations Mission.

The closed-door meeting of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council began on time.

There were no reporters, no cameras, only five representatives and one assistant each.

The atmosphere around the huge round conference table was cold and heavy.

America's representative, the woman who had spent three hours wiping her glasses in the meeting room, was the first to speak.

She pushed a document to the center of the table.

The first page of the document contains a real-time dynamic map of the Seventh Fleet's blockade of Tokyo Bay, as well as the troop movement routes of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

"Our position is very clear."

"America must have physical control over all areas where the 'door' might appear. We will not allow any potential hostile forces or uncontrollable supernatural factors to approach that location."

The representative from the Russian Bear country opened his eyes.

"I agree that order should be established by might, but I oppose military operations led by a single country."

He opened his folder.

"I propose that Tokyo be the center of five military control zones, jointly managed by our five countries with troops stationed there. One landlord is a tyrant, and five landlords are a committee. I prefer the committee."

John Bull and the representative of the Gallic Rooster quickly exchanged views.

"We support the proposal of the representative of the Bear Country," the representative of the British Empire began. "Europe must have a place in the opening up of the New World. Joint action is the best and only way to ensure European interests."

All four parties have explained their positions.

All attention was focused on the last one, the Chinese representative, who hadn't uttered a single word from beginning to end.

The Chinese representative slowly opened the document in front of him that had been closed.

"It's not enough to just control Tokyo."

He pointed to a report in the documents, which was the latest assessment of the speed at which social order in the Sakura Kingdom was collapsing.

"The government of the Sakura Kingdom has become de facto incapacitated, and social order will completely collapse within 72 hours. A chaotic, anarchic Sakura Kingdom will pose a huge and unpredictable risk to the stability of the 'Gateway'."

"Who can guarantee that, during this month-long period of chaos, someone like Madara Uchiha won't take advantage of this vacuum to do something?"

A brief silence fell over the room after these words were spoken.

The mere mention of Uchiha Madara caused the assistants of the other four representatives to involuntarily tense up.

"So, what's your proposal?" America's representative pressed.

The Chinese representative gave the final answer.

"Our five nations will issue a joint statement to implement a 'temporary joint takeover' of the entire Sakura Kingdom until the 'Gateway' crisis is completely resolved."

"We will exercise full powers of defense and foreign affairs on its behalf and 'assist' its government in maintaining the most basic social order within its borders."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire conference room fell so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat.

America's gaze shifted from the Chinese representative's face to the huge world map on the table.

Her brain was working at lightning speed.

Should Japan be allowed to become a huge, uncontrollable mess, or should it be completely transformed into an absolutely safe "buffer zone" jointly controlled by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council?

A few seconds later, she made her decision.

"I agree."

She was the first to speak out.

Once there's a first one, there's bound to be a second.

The representative from the Russian bear shrugged.

"That sounds more interesting than dividing up a city."

John Bull and the Gallic Rooster nodded in agreement.

Ultimately, the five parties reached an agreement.

Jointly take over the country of cherry blossoms.

As for how the resources inside that "mirror world" are allocated, it's quite simple.

After the Holy Grail War determines the final victor, and after everything settles down, we'll let each person's strength speak for itself.

End of the meeting.

The assistants of the five delegations immediately picked up their respective communication devices and began making final confirmations with their respective home countries.

America's representative stood up and extended her hand.

"Then, it's a pleasure to cooperate with you."

The Chinese representative also stood up and shook hands with her.

"It's a pleasure working with you."

He gave instructions to the assistant behind him.

"We have begun drafting the 'Joint Statement on Temporary Controls in the Country of Sakura under Abnormal Circumstances'."