92: Uchiha Madara threatens, but the Chinese Raven God replies: We are not afraid of war!

10:00 AM, Washington time.

Inside the White House press briefing room, the cameras and microphones of hundreds of global media outlets were all aimed at the podium.

Secretary of Defense Mark Thompson walked onto the podium with steady steps, dressed in a dark suit, exuding the distinct iron-blooded aura of a soldier.

Thompson looked around the room and gestured for silence.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today we are here to introduce our new shield to America and the world."

Thompson's voice rang out clearly and powerfully through the microphone to every corner of the hall.

The giant screen behind him lit up, displaying a personal file.

The man in the photo had a resolute face and sharp eyes.

"Army Captain, Evan Cross."

Thompson turned sideways and pointed to the information on the screen.

"Honor graduate of West Point, former tactical commander of Delta Force, and recipient of the Medal of Honor."

His resume scrolled across the screen line by line, each entry representing the highest honor for a soldier.

Thompson paused and emphasized his tone as he pointed to a specific record in the file.

"On the battlefield in Afghanistan, Captain Cross faced a difficult choice. His superiors ordered him to 'eliminate potential threats,' but he chose to disobey, prioritizing the rescue of thirty-four civilians trapped in the crossfire."

Thompson's gaze swept across the faces of all the reporters below.

"This action led to disciplinary measures, but in our view, it proves he possesses a humanitarian spirit that transcends orders and absolute moral judgment. He is a true soldier who knows what he is fighting for."

The room fell silent as reporters quickly scribbled notes on this dramatic scene.

"Therefore, following the final resolution of the Joint Evaluation Team."

Thompson's voice rose an octave, filled with unquestionable authority.

"Captain Evan Cross has been officially selected as the 'Guardian of the Nation' and the Master of Archer, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt!"

As he finished speaking, the side door of the briefing room opened.

Evan Cross, dressed in a sharp Army Class A uniform with medals gleaming on his chest, stepped onto the podium and gave a standard military salute to the media.

Then, Cross raised his right hand.

On the back of his hand, three intricate red patterns composed of eagle wings and stars were clearly visible to everyone.

*Click! Click! Click!*

All the high-definition cameras on site immediately zoomed in with telephoto lenses, broadcasting the close-up of this image to every corner of the world.

These were the command spells.

The first Master's command spells in the world to be officially acknowledged and fully displayed.

A reporter from the Associated Press was allowed to ask a question, her voice trembling slightly with excitement.

"Captain Cross, how do you intend to use this power? How will you interact with President Roosevelt? Does this mean America will weaponize 'Servants'?"

Evan Cross lowered his hand and picked up the microphone, his voice steady and firm.

"I have only one duty."

"To ensure that President Roosevelt's power serves all the American people, not any individual or interest group."

"I will stand side-by-side with the President to maintain America's national security and defend peace and stability worldwide."

"This power is not a weapon; it is a shield for protection."

...The press conference ended quickly.

But the real storm was just beginning.

The propaganda machines of America's mainstream media went into full gear with unprecedented power.

"The Captain America and Guardian God of a New Era!"

"A Hero's Choice: The Legendary Duo of Captain Cross and President Roosevelt!"

Within just one hour, in-depth reports, interviews, and carefully produced promotional videos flooded television networks and social media throughout America.

The global internet reacted intensely.

Supporters believed that America had finally brought this out-of-control transcendent power into the fold of order, signaling a positive move for global stability.

Opponents were filled with anxiety, fearing that a superpower wielding the power of a god would drag the entire world into a new weaponized Cold War... Twelve hours later.

China, Kyoto, Ninth Bureau Command Center.

The massive main screen was split in two.

On the left was the solemn image of Evan Cross displaying his command spells at the White House press conference.

On the right was the surveillance footage of Uchiha Madara summoning "Heavenly Restriction: Planetary Invasion" over Hiroshima—an apocalyptic scene that exuded suffocating pressure even as a still image.

Chen Jianguo stood before the screen, unscrewed his thermos, and took a sip of hot tea steeped with goji berries.

Behind him were experts from various departments of the Ninth Bureau, along with Jiang Ming Mirror Image No. 1, who sat in the corner without saying a word.

"Let's hear your thoughts," Chen Jianguo said, putting down his thermos.

"Director, experts, while Roosevelt is powerful, his logic is within our understanding—an extension of political struggle. But Uchiha Madara is different. He is the only Servant currently manifested who has publicly declared his intent to destroy and rebuild the world order. His threat level is far above Roosevelt, who is focused on economic reform."

"According to our model simulations, once Uchiha Madara finds his Master and gains the mana support of command spells, his destructive power will increase exponentially. We cannot even rule out the possibility that he truly possesses a conceptual Noble Phantasm or ability like 'Infinite Tsukuyomi'."

The air in the conference room grew heavier.

Settings from a manga had now become the Sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's heads.

If that ultimate global illusion were truly activated, what would become of human civilization?

Everyone's eyes finally settled on Jiang Ming Mirror Image No. 1.

He was the only one there who had actually fought a "Servant."

Jiang Ming Mirror Image No. 1 leaned forward slightly, his hands crossed on the table.

"There's no need for everyone to be so tense."

"The core of the Holy Grail War is the struggle for the Holy Grail. Until the final wish-granting machine appears, no rational participant would want to become the 'tallest poppy' and the primary target for everyone else."

"Furthermore, his actions have already drawn a warning from Ruler Jeanne d'Arc. This in itself is a form of check and balance. The Holy Grail War has its own rules."

Mirror Image No. 1 Jiang Ming paused. Though his tone remained flat, the content carried undeniable weight.

"Also, while I am not warlike, I do not fear war. If the time truly comes to take action..."

"Outsiders have no place to run amok on Chinese soil."

These words made everyone present breathe a sigh of relief.

Chen Jianguo nodded, satisfied with the answer.

Just then, a young analyst responsible for monitoring Caster Furina's movements raised his hand, his expression somewhat odd.

"Reporting to Director Chen, we have some new findings regarding Caster Furina."

"Speak."

"Over the past week, her range of activities has covered almost all major shopping malls, high-end dessert shops, and... various arcade halls in Shanghai."

The analyst projected a map onto the screen, with all of Furina's movements marked with red dots.

"Her route looks entirely like a tourist's checklist: shopping, eating, playing games—nothing abnormal."

"The only anomaly is that all her purchases were paid for with these gold coins."

A high-definition photo of a mora gold coin appeared on the screen.

"According to reports from the field team, she very 'politely' leaves a gold coin every time, the value of which far exceeds the goods she consumes. So far, we have recovered twenty-seven of these coins."

The entire command center—all the top minds—fell into an indescribable silence as they looked at the map that resembled a "tourist checklist" and the glittering game-like coins.

Chen Jianguo looked at the "tourist checklist" and fell into brief thought.

After a moment, he looked up at everyone.

"The core strategy remains unchanged for now; we will continue to focus on intelligence gathering and observation. As for this Furina..."

"Maintain monitoring distance for now and do not disturb her. Send all the recovered mora to the lab for another deep compositional analysis. I need a more detailed report."