21st Century Necromancer

Within the Divine domain of the Meiji Shrine, the atmosphere suddenly became extremely tense and awkward.

Seven ship-girls were present; Warspite and Missouri both possessed Deity-level combat power, and the other five ship-girls were all at the Demigod level. In other words, Chen Yu's side currently had two deities and eight demigods, while their opponents were Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, two ghoul gods.

Even within Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken's Divine domain, the disparity in combat power was still considerable.

Although fighting on their home turf could grant the Meiji couple the power of a lesser god, this would merely offset Warspite and Missouri's combat strength. The remaining eight demigods, bolstered by the domain's power, were still too much for them to handle.

Chen Yu and his group only needed to send two demigods outside to dismantle the Meiji Shrine from the outside. The remaining demigods could then destroy the Imperial Palace within the domain, thereby breaking the Divine domain established by the Meiji couple.

While ghoul gods possess power comparable to deities, powerful ghoul gods can even acquire Divine Duty and become true gods. However, before obtaining the Divine Duty, the strength of a ghoul god is only slightly superior to that of a demigod. In cases where their Power of Faith is insufficient, they may not even match a demigod.

Nevertheless, unlike demigods, ghoul gods can preemptively possess a Divine domain through the Power of Faith and their temples and shrines.

However, a ghoul god who loses their Divine domain is barely stronger than a higher-tier demigod, let alone the Meiji couple, who were never skilled at combat to begin with.

Confronted with two deities and eight demigods, Empress Shoken was naturally pale and bloodless with fear, while Emperor Meiji angrily flushed red.

Imagine if, in life, you were an emperor, deified after your passing in the country you ruled, only to be confronted in your own domain due to what you deemed reasonable actions. Your wife apologizes on your behalf, and the other side brings an overwhelming force, threatening to demolish your home—how could you not be outraged?

Yet even so, Emperor Meiji was rational enough not to let his anger lead to headstrong decisions and provoke a direct conflict with Chen Yu and his group.

Though seething, wishing he could inflict brutal punishments upon Chen Yu, Emperor Meiji could only watch helplessly as Chen Yu and his group brazenly opened a portal to the Necromantic Space within his domain and departed.

Only after Chen Yu and his group vanished did Emperor Meiji furiously tear off his gloves and fling them onto the ground.

"I have never suffered such humiliation!" Emperor Meiji roared, his wrath shaking the entire Divine domain and transforming the skies into thunderous turmoil, as though he truly were a deity whose anger could change the heavens and earth.

Empress Shoken, accustomed to Emperor Meiji's moods, simply watched him vent quietly, while the surrounding attendants remained silent like statues. In truth, however, none of them were truly afraid; this behavior had long since become a matter of habit.

Everyone within the Divine domain had grown used to Emperor Meiji's obstinacy and bravado, a disposition he'd possessed even in life.

"To dare insult me in such a manner! Even true gods wouldn't treat me so insolently! I'll exterminate their entire clans!" Emperor Meiji raged as he stormed around, his every step heavy and loud, leaving deep imprints upon the floor.

Watching his antics, Empress Shoken coldly remarked, "You're disgraceful behaving like this."

"Disgraceful, you say?" Emperor Meiji bellowed at Empress Shoken, growing increasingly hysterical. His furious visage, with flared beard and hair, made him appear formidable.

Yet the fact that he was only throwing tantrums before his wife after Chen Yu's departure highlighted his incompetence.

"If you're truly angry, you should have censured those demigods for their rudeness face-to-face! If you truly had the ability, you wouldn't have behaved so arrogantly in front of them earlier! If you truly had dignity, you wouldn't be here engaging in impotent rage!" Empress Shoken rebuked Emperor Meiji. Though her tone was devoid of anger, her words carried a weight and intensity that made her presence far more intimidating than Emperor Meiji's bluff and bluster.

Receiving Empress Shoken's admonishment, Emperor Meiji's nostrils flared as his fists clenched tightly for a moment before he forcibly suppressed his fury and calmed down to ask her, "Then what do you think I should do?"

"We do nothing," Empress Shoken replied, her answer almost provoking Emperor Meiji to another outburst.

"Do nothing? After enduring such humiliation, you expect me to do nothing?" Emperor Meiji held back his urge to explode, questioning Empress Shoken.

Looking at Emperor Meiji's expression, Empress Shoken sighed internally. Though the historical records attributed many achievements of the Meiji Restoration to Emperor Meiji himself, she understood well that he was merely a petulant child.

If not for the brilliant figures of the Meiji era exhausting their efforts and reining him in like a tight leash, Japan could never have escaped the grip of Western powers to become an independent and strong nation.

While Emperor Meiji possessed some aptitude, the imperial lineage had been removed from true power for over a thousand years, and the imperial family had long since forgotten how to cultivate a ruler capable of governing the nation.

After the Meiji Restoration, the so-called "return of political authority to the emperor" was merely nominal. In reality, Japan was governed by the Imperial Conference modeled after Western political systems, led by figures like Iwakura Tomomi and Okubo Toshimichi. Every policy and law was deliberated and approved by the conference before being presented to the emperor for endorsement.

Thus, it wasn't so much that Emperor Meiji led everything, but rather that he functioned as a ceremonial figurehead.

During that time, to bolster national faith, the brilliant minds of the era placed Emperor Meiji on a shrine pedestal, leading him to believe he was truly wise and capable.

But in truth, Emperor Meiji was nothing more than a spoiled, unrestrained child without the ability to manage affairs effectively.

Considering this, Empress Shoken could only sigh gently in her heart as she explained to Emperor Meiji, "Following this incident, any action we take will be interpreted by that demigod as interference or provocation. Do you have the courage or capability to confront them directly in conflict?

When that portal opened, on the other side, there were even more demigods present. We cannot win. Therefore, we do nothing. Wait peacefully until Inari God and that demigod execute their plan. When the time comes, they will tell us what needs to be done.

You're no longer an emperor. You're now merely an ordinary ghoul god. Face reality, Mutsuhito!"

Calling him by name, Empress Shoken hoped to make Emperor Meiji recognize that he was no longer the deified figure exalted by his nation.