After dousing himself in diesel and lighting himself aflame, Berengar emerged from the fires completely unharmed. Word of this event spread rapidly across Europe, with many reacting in shock and disbelief.
Berengar had eliminated the leadership of the Papacy and was now marching his armies further south into the Kingdom of Naples, to eliminate its King and unify the region under the banner of the Kingdom of Lombardy.
However, on the other side of the world, the Empire of Japan was preparing for a brutal conflict. Itami had gathered her army in Heian-kyō where she stood atop the steps to her Palace looking over them. Tens of thousands of men dressed in military uniforms stood below with their rifles resting against their shoulders.