Kirino Reisei closed her eyes, her ten fingers intertwined.
This strategy was entirely feasible.
The local population had a high rate of gun ownership, with armed individuals representing 46% of the total population. Excluding the young, weak, sick, and disabled, at least half of the citizens possessed guns. As long as a little fighting spirit was roused among them, even if only one-tenth were willing to take action against Black Fire Innovation, it would deal a heavy blow to this isolated ship.
Although the assault troops of Black Fire Innovation were elite, each loss was irreplaceable. On the other hand, the city dwellers were like weeds that never die off, springing back with the wind. No matter how much blood they shed, replacing a few Black Fire soldiers meant a significant profit.
"Let them go to battle, coupled with the propaganda I’ve prepared earlier," Kirino Reisei nodded. She had already designed emergency plans for this very situation, and now was the time to put them into action.
As long as the Martinez was worn down and exhausted, any losses would be completely worth it. Kirino Reisei knew well the ways of the world: labor, as a factor of production, could move around the globe, so human lives were not expensive, completely expendable.
The new propaganda was distributed by the Hundred-eyes Demon.
Their main reliance was on the Century Pure Land System, which had its network hub in Anjiu City destroyed amidst the chaos. A burrowing missile obliterated the bunker it was located in. As a result, the Hundred-eyes Demon had to activate the backup server room to regain connection with the various subnetworks in the city, keeping the Century Pure Land System operable.
The Century Pure Land System stored the credit codes of 7.5 million residents of Anjiu City, just as holes are punched in the ears of pigs for identification. The profile of every Anjiu City resident was inscribed on it, including detailed educational backgrounds, criminal records, and financial statuses, showing the good and the bad, the loyal and the treacherous, with nothing to hide. Personal communication devices were also deeply integrated, thus messages could be broadcasted in real-time to everyone’s devices.
At this moment, over three million people were scattered across 500 square kilometers of core urban land. The terrain here was complex, with giant buildings interconnected by corridors, resembling a beehive. While residents of the suburbs and newly developed areas could potentially flee, those living in high-rise buildings found escape much more difficult. Trapped in the buildings at 50 floors high, without shuttle machines for evacuation, they were left to wait for fate’s decree.
They stood in trepidation, hoping bombs would not fall on their heads. Every time military aircraft streaked across the sky, destroying houses in the distance, they couldn’t help feeling a twinge of relief.
When Kirino Reisei’s new message arrived, the crowd was instantly stirred, sharing the images on their mobile screens with each other.
"Kyoto Infinity is under attack, our homeland is in its most perilous time—" Kirino Reisei’s audio and video were already uploaded, showing her sitting in the Anjiu City branch office, with a burning city outside the window. As always, "I am willing to fight with everyone until the last moment! So please, I implore you, contribute your power to protect our beloved homeland, protect the Archipelago Continent!"
Kirino Reisei was actually still here, not having fled? People immediately felt a trace of respect.
A leader of such distinguished stature had decided to share the fate of this burning city!
"Sakura Witch" Kirino Reisei was undoubtedly the spiritual symbol of Kyoto Infinity, and her image was relatively positive. She stayed away from the capitalist core, making people believe in her splendid image.
In outside discussions and descriptions, Kirino Reisei was not only described as lacking actual power but also being held hostage by the oligarchs and capitalists within the company. Even if she wanted to implement reforms beneficial to the public, she would be hindered by conservative forces, thus people often sympathized with her.
At this time, when the public simultaneously received her personal plea for help, their morale was inevitably boosted.
"If we respond to Lady Kirino Reisei’s call..."
"Defend the Archipelago Continent!"
"Fight Black Fire Innovation to the end!" Similar cries and emotions soon emerged.
Taking advantage of the situation, the Hundred-eyes Demon organized defenses in areas still under control, establishing defensive perimeters from one building to another, inviting citizens to register as "Guard Army" members on the spot. They gradually organized scattered defenses, and the scale kept on growing.
Even citizens who hadn’t received the message, driven by a herd instinct, hurried towards floors with a larger number of people. Traversing the buildings, they picked up arms to exchange fire with the Black Fire Revolutionary Soldiers who breached the structures. Urban and building battles erupted!
Then, they were slaughtered.
The people were annihilated by bullets and flamethrowers. Civilian-grade weaponry could hardly contend with regular forces. But this fulfilled Kirino Reisei’s expectations—it slowed down Black Fire Innovation’s conquest of Anjiu City just a bit.
As long as she could delay for 24 hours, until noon the next day, the two space motherships of Kyoto Infinity would return to control the situation. Then, all chaos would be settled.
She also received news that the New Aizuwakamatsu Security Company and Nestor Corporation in Aizu City had refused to comply with orders, remaining insubordinate. Well, they would also need to be dealt with in due course.
The underworld issues of Aizu City had always been resolved by eliminating them, then propping up a new agent.
When Xu Yang returned to the Shijin Mansion, he saw a chilling scene. Instead of running away, people were gathering in groups, charging sporadically towards the center of Anjiu City. This was undoubtedly suicidal, leaving their fates to the judgment of flames and bullets.
"It’s the mass message from the Century Pure Land System, registered to everyone in Anjiu City, I received it too," Miyazato Kazama showed Xu Yang. "Look, boss, the rewards are genuinely generous. Even though I was initially marked in red, if I’m willing to take up arms against the people of Black Fire Innovation, then I can walk out normally in the future! I no longer have to fear being captured."