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

The border area between Ota Ward and Shinjuku Ward in Tokyo.

The captain did not respond to the Russian lieutenant's shout, which was a mix of provocation and madness.

He simply raised his left hand calmly, making a simple yet cold, universally used tactical gesture.

Click!Click!Click!

The crisp, metallic clanging sound echoed through the quiet street.

All the soldiers moved in perfect unison, drawing their gleaming QNL-191 multi-purpose bayonets from their tactical vests and precisely locking them into the latches at the front of their rifles.

The standoff between firearms escalated in an instant into preparations for the most primitive and bloody hand-to-hand combat.

Across the street, the Russian lieutenant's smile froze.

There was a brief commotion among the soldiers behind him.

But then, the madness in his eyes was completely ignited, and he drew his own bayonet and gave the same order.

Another series of rapid metallic clicks followed.

Two rows of bayonets, gleaming with a cold light, faced each other from a distance of less than thirty meters.

The hearts of all the politicians, generals, and intelligence chiefs around the world who were watching this live broadcast through hidden cameras suddenly stopped beating at that moment.

On the global Internet.

#HumanityIsEnding#

This term has surged to the top of the trending charts on all social media platforms worldwide at an unprecedented speed.

"My God... what are they doing? Are they really going to fight over a tree? This is the 21st century!"

"This isn't a drill! This isn't a movie! These are two nuclear-armed nations! Their soldiers are already on slingshots! It's over, everything is over!"

"Are they really going to fight? In Tokyo? Right now?"

"I don't want to die... I still have a mortgage to pay off..."

"If war really breaks out, where are we safest? The basement?"

"Stop talking. I've already started moving all the canned food and water in the house to the basement. Whether they're useful or not, I have to do something."

Amid this global panic, a dark kind of internet humor continues to stubbornly thrive.

"Does anyone know what's the best value for money to stock up on at the supermarket right now? Do I need bottle caps?"

"I'm in Moscow. I just oiled my AK and am getting ready to defend my country. I just don't know if the enemy will be flying Gundams."

"Don't panic, it's not a big problem. As long as the superhumans haven't made a move, there's still a chance for things to turn around."

.......

The streets of Tokyo.

The standoff has reached a critical point.

All the soldiers' muscles were taut to their limit.

Just now.

A beam of pure golden light descended from the sky without warning.

It made no sound, yet it landed precisely on the center line of the two armies' confrontation, carrying an unquestionable sacred majesty.

boom--!

A powerful energy shockwave spread out from the pillar of light, not through physical destruction, but through a conceptual "repulsion".

The soldiers of both armies felt an irresistible, gentle force, and their bodies involuntarily took several steps back, widening the distance between them that had been tense.

Within the pillar of light, a girl clad in silver armor slowly descended.

Joan of Arc.

Holding the holy flag with the iris pattern, she plunged it downwards the instant she landed!

boom!

The hard asphalt road surface seemed to turn into fragile glass the moment the flagpole touched it.

Centered on the flagpole, a spiderweb-like golden pattern instantly spread out, covering the entire confrontation area.

Joan of Arc surveyed the two armies.

"In the name of the arbitrator, this farce ends here."

.....

at the same time.

Vatican.

The Pope, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately appeared on the podium at the global press conference.

"The actions of the arbiter represent the Holy Grail's expectation of peace, and the Holy See calls on all secular authorities to respect its authority."

.....

Tokyo, the temporary command post of the Russian United States Joint Operations Force.

The burly general received orders from Moscow.

He reluctantly gave the order to retreat to the lieutenant at the front.

Under the watchful eyes of billions of people around the world, the Russian "Tiger" armored vehicle was the first to humiliatingly begin reversing.

The soldiers remained on alert and slowly retreated step by step.

Soon, the streets were completely cleared, leaving only Joan of Arc, standing alone beside the holy banner fluttering in the wind. She then faced all the cameras in the world and continued to proclaim:

"From this moment on, until the gates to the 'Mirror World' open, I will personally guard this place."

"Any armed conflict instigated by any force or participant in this area will be considered a direct provocation against the rules of the Holy Grail War."

"At that time, I will use the authority of the adjudicator to unite all followers and eliminate them as a priority."

Joan of Arc's intervention and announcement spread globally at an unprecedented speed within just 24 hours.

#TokyoSaintess#

#Holy Banner Barrier#

#Ruler's Ultimatum#

The new terms, in a more moderate yet equally unstoppable manner, have replaced the previous trending topics that were full of gunpowder.

The image of Joan of Arc alone, using a flag to separate the armies of two great nations, has been made into posters, wallpapers, and even oil paintings, spreading to every corner of the world.

The most enthusiastic reaction came from Japan, the land of cherry blossoms.

After being repeatedly ravaged by Shuten-dōji and Uchiha Madara, and then taken over by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, becoming an international laughing stock, they finally saw a glimmer of hope.

A powerful, just, and protective "god" descended upon them.

"Waaaaah... We're saved! We're finally saved!"

"It was the Holy Maiden! She stopped the war! She didn't abandon us!"

"Unlike those crude men who only know how to fight, Lady Joan of Arc is a true goddess! Gentle yet powerful!"

"She stands on Tokyo soil and declares she will guard this place! Doesn't that mean she's acknowledging this as her territory? We are the Saintess's subjects!"

Countless Japanese netizens flooded the Vatican's official Twitter account, leaving messages of gratitude in various languages.

"Thank you! Thank you for sending this great saint to us! She is the guardian angel of Tokyo!"

"Petition! We strongly petition the government to establish a national shrine for Jeanne d'Arc! Right where she planted her flag! With the highest honors!"

"From this day forward, I am the most devout follower of Saint Joan of Arc! Long live the Saint! Saint Banzai of the Reiwa era!"

This fervent sentiment has even affected reality.

Countless Tokyo citizens spontaneously went to the perimeter of the sealed-off standoff area, and knelt and prayed in the direction of Joan of Arc, separated by the police cordon.

They regarded her as the "Saintess of Reiwa," a true savior who could rescue Japan from its quagmire.

For a nation that had lost all dignity and hope, Joan of Arc's appearance was like the only light in the darkness.

Without hesitation, they placed all their faith and hopes on this foreign saint.

However, on the other side of the wall, a clear divergence emerged.

Most people breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness, they can't fight anymore. I can finally get a good night's sleep tonight."

"Thank you, kind-hearted and beautiful Holy Sister, for saving my stocks."

"Long live peace! What's so good about war? Isn't it better to live a peaceful and stable life?"

The prevailing sentiment was that war had been averted.

But at the same time, another voice began to spread in major military forums and some more radical online communities.

"What a pity."

"Yeah, what a fucking waste! What a great opportunity!"

A netizen with the ID "Dongfeng Express Mission Delivered" posted in a military enthusiast group.

"They've already fixed bayonets, so we've charged in too! Our momentum has reached its peak! We're just one final push away to completely crush the Russians' arrogance! Let them know who's in charge in Asia now!"

"And what happened? A saintess who appeared out of nowhere ruined the whole thing with just a few words? What gives her the right?!"

This post instantly ignited the entire community.

"Exactly! It's so frustrating! I've already taken my pants off, and this is what I get?"

"How is this any different from playing a game and getting your ultimate skill to 99% completion, only to have it interrupted by the opponent's silence? Disgusting! Absolutely disgusting!"

"To put it bluntly, it's because we weren't tough enough! If Raven God had just turned all those bears into trees, none of this mess would have happened. Now, a 'referee' is forcibly taking sides, making it seem like we're evenly matched with the bears!"

"Don't talk nonsense, Joan of Arc was neutral, but the problem is, this 'neutrality' itself weakens us! We were originally the ones with the advantage!"

A significant number of military enthusiasts and nationalists felt extremely regretful and dissatisfied with this result.

In their view, this was a perfect opportunity to demonstrate national power and completely suppress the arrogance of the Russian bear country.

However, it was forcibly interrupted by a superhuman, ending in a "draw".

This made them feel a sense of frustration, as if they had no way to use their power.

"Forget it, stop arguing. We can't fight city hall; they're the 'rule-makers,' what can we do?"

"We can only wait until the 'door' opens, and then we can get our revenge in that new world."