Counterfeit Hero

First, Stephen, the initiator of the coup, suddenly found himself in a predicament amidst the chaos, unable to advance or retreat.

Originally, once James died, Stephen, who had controlled the situation in Tanville, should have been crowned the new Emperor with the support of the Howard family and other nobles. He would then announce a ceasefire, begin negotiations with the Leray Federation to reshuffle the role of the Gazalin Empire, firmly control Gazalin, and buy time to restore the people's livelihood and strike at political enemies.

However, the coup in Gazalin rapidly evolved into division, with opposition from the Mythical Army's Reinhardt, and the old generals Gordon and Hailig in the military commanding their troops independently, causing the entire Gazalin Empire to fracture into pieces. All local forces and the Space Fleet were in a state of emergency restraint and were observing the situation.

Currently, Stephen is unable not only to ascend the throne but also to initiate ceasefire negotiations with the Leray Federation.

The cunning politicians of the Leray Federation were exploiting the situation where James was neither seen alive nor dead and Gazalin was in turmoil. They declared they had captured James, refused to negotiate with any unauthorised forces, and intensified their offensive on Lucerne Planet to decisively annihilate the main force of the Gazalin Army, thereby fundamentally altering the power balance between the two sides.

The Gazalin Empire Army on Lucerne Planet was split into several parts by the full-scale assault of the Federation Army. The six Armored Divisions airdropped on Amayo Mountain were heavily besieged, making it almost impossible to escape the fate of being completely annihilated.

Meanwhile, the main Imperial Army force on the Lavos Plain, forced to retreat defensively after the coup, was at its lowest morale since the outbreak of war. The logistics supply had been interrupted for nearly two weeks, and some frontline units lacked enough weaponry and ammunition for three basic units, exposing vulnerabilities in the defense line that not even Liebgoet could address in time, as they were penetrated and divided by the Federation Army.

Additionally, with the Morton family being intensely hated, Russell, leading the largest resistance organization of Gazalin, stood between the Empire and the Federation. Stephen not only couldn't negotiate, but even if he wanted to surrender now, he'd have to consider the mood of the Leray Federation.

On the other hand, when Stephen received news that Reinhardt had connected with the Desic Empire and that the Hunter Mecha Group from the military cooperation base in outer space near the Little Pyrenees had appeared in Mezrich, he understood that he might have already been abandoned by the Western Alliance.

At the very least, the Naga Federation's ambiguous stance on the second phase of military aid and the moves by the Desic Empire indicated that the top leaders of the Binart Empire within the Western Alliance were selecting a new successor for Gazalin to continue their plan to clear the periphery. And this successor, of course, was not him!

The only consolation was that, since most of the Western Alliance consisted of Imperial Countries, openly supporting Reinhardt at this time would create suspicion within this military alliance, which would have a very negative impact on the organization. So, even though the Binart Empire was dissatisfied with Stephen, they wouldn't openly support a suddenly emerged illegitimate child.

The civil war in Gazalin entered a critical phase as the Lucerne Army retreated step by step. Under Stephen's orders, all troops loyal to him were concentrated to launch the most frenzied assault to seize control of Mezrich.

He knew he must completely eliminate Reinhardt before the situation worsened. Only by killing this man could he truly seize control of Gazalin's rule, possibly regain attention from the Western Alliance, possibly negotiate with the Federation, and possibly recover from the setbacks before the complete failure of the Lucerne campaign.

As both sides' camps gradually took shape, with Stephen's army abandoning the Imperial Palace and launching fierce attacks on Reinhardt, the war became increasingly intense, with Imperial Army forces from different factions slaughtering each other under the same sky.

The vast and prosperous Tanville had become a living hell. People hid in the ruins, evading the endless artillery fire. Every minute, every second, someone fell in the hail of bullets, becoming an unknown corpse. Mechas and self-propelled artillery marched along muddy streets mixed with blood and snow, crazily unleashing their firepower, turning every building in their path into rubble.

Infantry from both sides crouched behind the Mechas, exchanging fire with handheld missiles and energy rifles. Every block was contested repeatedly, and crowds swelled densely, and when one side could no longer resist and retreated, what remained was devastated streets with burning Mecha remnants and bodies strewn everywhere.

Stephen took advantage of having command over the army and the initial benefits of the coup, launching a massive offensive. Reinhardt, on the other hand, made use of the Mythical Army's superior combat strength and influence to contest Stephen's authority. Both sides formed a subtle balance, and for the moment, neither could prevail over the other.

As the civil war in Gazalin grew increasingly intense, the international situation became more unpredictable due to the persistent advances of the Leray Federation and the overt or covert involvement of both alliances in this war.

After President Hamilton delivered a national address, the Leray Federation, having consecutively passed twenty-eight proposals, was united as one. No one dared to voice dissent at this point; the Federation populace was unprecedentedly united, the Federation's morale was at an all-time high, and its stance was more uncompromising than ever!