Kryptonians: Man of Steel

Chapter 1569 The Killing Stone Shatters
In the end, Hiratsuka Shizuka and Hikigaya Hachiman went their separate ways.

Although Hachiman Hikigaya's injuries were severe, they were not serious, as he was able to recover.

The hero is an unkillable cockroach. The system provides him with a minimum amount of recovery ability; he can restore health and mana with just breathing, although the amount is not very large.

Each breath restores 0.0001% of health and mana, and this percentage can be increased to 0.001% in combat.

Hiratsuka Shizuka didn't need it either, because she wasn't injured.

……

The lazy afternoon sun slanted across the living room, and dust motes floated in the air.

Luther sank into the soft sofa, his fingertips unconsciously pressing the remote control. Images flashed across the screen—the bustling Shibuya Crossing, the tranquil snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji, a colorful dance at a local festival… Everyday scenes of Tokyo flowed by like water, carrying a mundane rhythm that was completely different from the dramatic changes he was trying to create on a global scale.

Just then, the screen abruptly changed.

The anchor's usually composed face was now taut, his voice filled with barely concealed urgency and fear, against the backdrop of the desolate foothills of Mount Nasu in Tochigi Prefecture.

The camera shakes violently, struggling to focus: a massive boulder, dark in color like congealed black blood, its surface covered with dense, spiderweb-like cracks, stands alone on a scorched earth, surrounded by withered and twisted vegetation, forming a chillingly desolate zone.

"Urgent news! The Sesshoseki in Nasu-dake...a major anomaly has occurred at the Sesshoseki!"

The anchor's voice was almost cracking, "An unprecedentedly strong energy fluctuation was detected on-site! Repeat, unprecedentedly strong..."

"boom--!"

The anchor's voice was abruptly cut off by a dull thud, like the earth's heart exploding!
The screen flickered violently, and the static dots jumped around wildly.

It wasn't a signal interruption, but rather that the massive sealing stone called "Killing Stone," under the gaze of billions of eyes, suddenly burst forth with a dazzling, blood-curdling scarlet light from the core of those deep cracks!

The red light, like living blood vessels, instantly spread across the entire surface of the boulder. Then came a tremendous, teeth-grinding tearing sound that the rock itself could not withstand!
The light carried a nauseating, sweet-smelling stench of sulfur and stale blood, as if you could smell it even through the screen.

The light, like living tentacles, expanded and throbbed wildly outward, each pulsation accompanied by the groans of the megalithic structure as it groaned under the strain.

The layers of talismans and shimenawa covering it, those ancient marks symbolizing sacred bondage, were rapidly charred and carbonized like fragile pieces of paper under the erosion of the purplish-black light, turning into ashes that scattered in the wind.

"Crack-bang!"

The loud noise caused ripples to spread across the surface of the teacup in front of Luther.

Finally, there was a complete outburst.

There was no earth-shattering roar, but a deeper, more soul-chilling "hum," as if the earth itself was groaning in pain.

The boulder instantly transformed into billions of sharp fragments burning with purplish-black demonic flames, like a reverse black rainstorm, carrying a destructive energy storm, and violently spraying out in all directions in a radial pattern!

The shockwave spread violently in a visible circular blast, instantly blowing away the nearest warning fences and signs, like a devastating hurricane.

The live stream camera was violently overturned by the violent energy flow, and the image finally froze on the huge, filthy, purplish-black column of smoke rising from the chaotic, swirling sky and ground. Then the signal was cut off, leaving only static.

Luther leaned back slightly against the sofa, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips. It was done.

A tiny thought triggered an energy ripple that precisely struck the core of the seal, which had long been eroded by time and resentment and was on the verge of collapse.

The Killing Stone? It's nothing more than a stone that carries legends and fears.

It was already extremely fragile; he only needed to give it a gentle push.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip of the slightly cool tea, but his gaze never left the pitch-black screen. It was as if he could see through the electronic screen and see what was happening in Sugatake at that moment: chaos, screams, and incomprehensible fear were spreading wildly across that scorched earth.

The legendary sacred object (or rather, the cursed object) that sealed the nine-tailed fox spirit Tamamo-no-Mae with her golden hair and jade face was completely shattered. For the entire island nation, this was tantamount to pouring a bucket of ice water into boiling oil where people were already filled with fear.

Panic, like an invisible plague, is spreading wildly at an unprecedented speed, centered on Mount Nasu, via radio waves, the internet, and word of mouth.

No follow-up reports from news channels were needed. Countless phone screens lit up, and hashtags related to "Sessho-seki shatters" and "Nine-Tailed Fox awakens" instantly topped the charts on social media, accompanied by blurry videos of the scene or horrifying text descriptions, igniting fear in every corner of the world.

"It's over... The legend is true! Lady Tamamo-no-Mae has appeared!"

"The sky in the direction of Nasu-dake... has turned red! I saw it!"

"Where are the Self-Defense Forces? Where are the Onmyoji? Someone, please save us!"

"Doomsday... Is this a sign of the end of the world?"

The wave of panic almost broke through the constraints of the internet, freezing into tangible ice in the air of reality.

Luther could even imagine how hurried the pedestrians were on the streets of Tokyo at that moment, and how countless eyes were cast in surprise and uncertainty toward the northwest sky, as if nine giant tails that blot out the sky would sweep across at any moment.

Luther focused the main stage of this "spiritual revival" drama here for the sake of convenience—most of the important characters in his "script" were still active in this land at this moment.

But this does not mean that other places are safe havens.

With a slight thought, the huge world map hanging on the living room wall silently lit up.

On the map, several distant locations are flashing with different colored spots of light, representing violent energy disturbances, like festering sores on the Earth's skin.

On the coordinates of the North American continent, a deep red, almost blackish spot of light pulsates violently.

With a sweep of his mind, Luther "saw" the hellish scene unfolding in a remote town in Kansas: the sky was completely shrouded in a thick, yellowish-green smog that reeked of sulfur, turning daytime into dusk.

The earth cracked open with jagged fissures, and scalding steam, as if from the depths of hell, hissed and gushed forth.

Faint, inhuman roars and the heavy sound of wings beating the air echoed deep within the fog.

Local news headlines were alarming: "Gates of Hell? Mysterious Fog in Town, Multiple Disappearances, Hoofprints Found!"

The accompanying image shows a huge, clear three-toed hoof print on muddy ground, which is definitely not left by any known creature.

(End of this chapter)