Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes.

Chapter 250, Section 248: Old Friends Gather

Among the first batch of players, Iwasaki Kosuke grew the fastest, leaving everyone else far behind.

He achieved the perfect ending first, unlocking basic growth from the start. In addition to meeting the growth requirements, he could also gain extra growth through sacrifice, which unlocked intermediate growth and granted him the ability to manipulate souls.

Uesugi Hitomi is the slowest. Among the requirements for growth, such as agility, fearlessness, and elegance, she can only excel in agility. She finds it difficult to achieve the other qualities in daily life.

I won't go into detail about being fearless; I've always followed my heart and avoid showing my face whenever possible.

She has absolutely no elegance about her. Whether she's livestreaming or eating, the moment she sits in her gaming chair, she's the spitting image of a typical internet addict.

Even when eating, he likes to squat on his gaming chair, showing absolutely no manners.

Even so, a few days ago, I stumbled and struggled to unlock the initial growth and gained skill.

Even Muramasa Takii and Oshima Umeta, two players from the second batch, achieved initial growth because their actions perfectly aligned with the growth requirements.

As one of the first players, Nobi Tomoyoshi's growth rate shouldn't be slower than Uesugi's.

He unlocked the basic growth early on: multi-core.

After unlocking this ability, he can designate a card to become the core card, which will always appear on the first draw of each round of battle, and will also gain some special abilities.

Without hesitation, he gave this core card to "Partner of Justice".

Having gone through so many battles, even he, as slow-witted as he was, realized that he should go for a summoner build.

Who says knights can only charge and swing greatswords?

Moreover, his own combat ability was really limited, while the companions he summoned were stronger than the last.

[Partner of Justice - Core Card (Summons a partner of justice; the partner's strength is affected by the summoner's level. After paying a satisfactory reward to the summoned party, the partner's strength can be increased by one level in this summon. You can choose to summon a partner who has been summoned before.)]

His high-speed cooling card is intended for use here.

My turn! Using the Ally of Justice, I hereby designate and summon—Unicorn!

Nobi yelled in his heart.

A neighing sound accompanied by golden light, a snow-white body and a dazzling golden horn, a magnificent unicorn rode in on the light.

"Lulu!"

The unicorn had a very good impression of Nobita and affectionately nuzzled his shoulder with its head.

But this is just the beginning! Rapid cooling card, in use!
The Righteous Partner card I just used has reappeared in my hand, so—it's still my turn. Targeted Summon: White Tiger!
"Hooo!"

With a roar, the white tiger descended from the sky, the giant tiger, its entire body pure white, crashing to the ground. It arrogantly glanced at Nobi, then fixed its gaze on the writhing Mount Fuji, letting out a low and dangerous roar.

Next, it's my turn again. Geralt, the Witcher, come out!

The portal opened, and the silver-haired witcher, carrying a half-empty bottle of cherry wine, strode out leisurely.

“Oh, I thought you came to play cards with me,” Geralt said, tilting his head back to gulp down the rest of his wine, his silver sword gleaming as it was drawn. “But it’s all the same, this is quite a big one.”

Nobita's face was a little pale, and he was having some trouble breathing. Using this card required stamina.

But it's not over yet. It's still my turn. Calling for backup, Ranger squad!

Amidst the billowing black smoke and ash, a dozen burning airdrop pods tore through the lava and ash, crashing down like meteors onto the scorched earth.

"It's you again, cosplay kid. This time you're not letting us get away with it for free." Jim Raynor had only peeked out halfway when the sight before him choked him back down. "Holy crap! What the hell is this?!"

The sight of Mount Fuji writhing like an octopus, and the boiling sea of ​​lava, even made the battle-hardened Ranger commander swear.

Although swearing is as natural to him as breathing.

"It won't be a wasted effort," Nobi nodded with a forced smile, activating another precious rapid cooling card. "This time, I've prepared a reward for you."

Finally, YoRHa No. 2B, Miss 2B, come out!

The data stream cascaded down like a waterfall, converging and taking shape. A girl in a gothic miniskirt, with long silver hair and an eye patch, silently descended.

She turned her head slightly toward Nobi, responding with only a barely perceptible nod, without saying anything more.

Nobita still has an Extreme Cooldown Card, but he feels he's almost at his limit. If he uses it now, he can declare his main body out of the battle. It's better to save this card as a trump card, perhaps he can use it on a health-locking card.

Iwasaki's eyes flickered slightly. He hadn't expected that even when pushed too hard, Nobi could still muster considerable fighting power, like a summoner.

Actually, he wasn't telling the whole truth. If he used overdraft, he was confident he could take care of most of the tentacles by himself.

However, he didn't want to do something with little benefit unless he had absolutely no other choice.

So his original intention was to get Nobita to bring out some of his best tricks to relieve the pressure, but he didn't expect that Nobita could withstand the pressure all by himself.

"So, Knight Guild Master, you're a summoner!" Hayato exclaimed in amazement, instantly feeling a surge of excitement.

With so many people fighting side by side, what is there to fear in death!
He didn't know that Nobita's summoned companions were almost always immortal.

It is these flesh and blood beings who will truly die.

"Ahem, President, what's the plan going forward?"

Ethan Reno took two steps forward, no longer shielding the group in front of him.

This looks promising. I didn't expect Nobita to be able to summon so many people when he unleashed his power. If that's the case, he can try to figure out if he can get some blood from Ashiya Doman.

Nobita just gave Geralt and his men a bottle of holy spring water each, while Jim's group of rangers naturally only received one bottle each.

“Not bad, I’m very satisfied.” Geralt weighed the crystal-clear bottle in his hand, a smile playing on his lips.

“I can tell it’s a good treasure. Alright, we’ll go all out in this operation.” Jim casually put the holy spring water away.

The unicorn and the white tiger were held directly in its mouth.

Only 2B didn't accept it; she didn't seem to need it, and the holy spring water didn't appeal to her.

"The Ranger squad is responsible for protecting Ms. Hirosue." Nobita could tell from Hirosue's expression that she was nearing her limit after commanding a Plants vs. Zombies battle. "And incidentally, to draw the attention of those lava monsters."

"Mori, you ride the white tiger and take care of the two tentacles at the nine o'clock position. Hayabusa, you take care of the bottom tentacle." Nobi let out a long sigh, his fatigue lessening slightly, and turned his gaze to Iwasaki, whose black mist was churning. "Hiroshi, we'll take care of the ten at the top. Miss 2B, could you please scout out that tunnel for us beforehand?"

2B nodded silently, his figure swift as an arrow, disappearing instantly into the billowing smoke and dust, heading straight for the tunnel.

Iwasaki neither commented on nor commented on this deployment, which showed a degree of tacit approval.

Hayato, however, harbored a strong desire to prove himself. He felt that giving him a tentacle was a bit of an underestimation, but he didn't say much and prepared to prove his strength through battle.

Renault has always kept his true strength hidden, and with this clearly extraordinary white tiger, dealing with the two tentacles was entirely within his capabilities.

The fact that Hayato was assigned to deal with one tentacle was clearly because he was a newcomer. Most importantly, Hayato's element is largely fire, so he would likely not get any advantage against Ashiya Dōman, who treats lava like a hot spring.

2B is agile, so it's perfectly fine for her to go scout. The overall plan is solid and flawless; at least Iwasaki thinks it won't do him any harm.

In theory, the best candidate to scout the way would be Iwasaki, who has physical immunity, but if Nobita arranges it this way, it would seem like he is settling a personal score.

Besides, Nobi knew perfectly well that he didn't expect to be able to truly command this person.

Even if Iwasaki were sent to scout ahead, the pressure on the main battlefield would be immense.

This can be considered an unspoken compromise between the two.

Ethan Reno carefully climbed onto the white tiger. The white tiger growled twice in annoyance, suppressing its irritation. It didn't care whether the person on its back was seated properly, and with its four paws flailing, it sped off in the direction Nobi had indicated.

"Old buddies, let's get to work!" Jim Reynolds's gruff voice rang out, and the Gauss rifle hissed as it charged.

He led a group of rangers, relying on the crumbling plant positions in Hirosue, to launch a fierce counterattack against the lava monsters that were surging in from all directions and were also driven mad.

A group of extraordinary beings rode out on unicorns, white tigers, and motorcycles, charging fiercely towards the writhing, roaring monster of Mount Fuji.

Watching their figures quickly disappear into the dust, Hirosue Eri tossed her twin tails, gritted her teeth, and continued to direct the plants to eliminate the monsters as much as possible, hoping that this would ease some of the pressure on their operation.

This is all she can do against an enemy with such a strong elemental advantage.

While she could transform into a vine giant like Kyoto, the risk was too great. A slight misstep could lead to her being completely corrupted by the power of the divine flower, resulting in the same fate as her ex.

More importantly, the monster they called Ashiya Doman could manipulate fire, which was a huge counter to her.

"Oh ho ho! Everyone, I'm taking my leave now!"

Hayato's adrenaline surged, he twisted the throttle, and his speed soared, leaving the others who had started at the same time far behind in the blink of an eye, even the White Tiger who had sprinted ahead couldn't catch up.

"Lulu!"

"Roar!"

This action clearly aroused the competitive spirit of the unicorn and the white tiger, who roared unwillingly and accelerated to catch up.

"World, feel fear! Humanity, taste suffering! Yellow Springs, I am the Lord of Yellow Springs! Heaven and earth can only tremble before me! Ha ha, the old Yellow Springs have collapsed, Heaven has fallen, I am the ruler of this world!"

The frenzied Ashiya Michiman hurled incoherent ramblings, his voice booming like thunder.

The unicorn was full of spirit, its golden horn radiating a soft yet resilient light, and its four hooves tread lightly on the scorching lava without a scratch.

Geralt's radish didn't come along, so he had to ride with Nobita.

“This horse is really good,” Geralt said, offering a sincere compliment.

The unicorn seemed to understand the praise, proudly raised its head, and quietly increased its speed by a fraction.

"I'll go left, you go right." Iwasaki's voice was indifferent. Before he finished speaking, he parted ways with Nobita. The black mist suddenly spread out, turning into a large dark cloud, rushing towards the huge group of tentacles on the left.

“Mr. Geralt, it’s a pleasure to fight alongside you again.” Nobita gripped his longsword tightly.

"I hope your swordsmanship has improved during this time."

Geralt's lips curled up slightly. He still remembered Nobita's unpredictable swordsmanship inside the giant's body, sometimes exquisite and sometimes utterly horrific.

He nimbly dismounted from the unicorn's back and slashed down fiercely at the hideous tentacle in front of him, which was so large that it would take three people to hug it and was covered with disgusting tumors and hard shells.

Tear!

The classic hot-knife sizzling scene, with flesh and blood sizzling and steam rising.

"Another fool who doesn't know his own death! Your souls will be forever condemned to the abyss, never to be reborn!" At the tip of the tentacle was a mantis monster that could barely be identified as human, about to give Geralt a loving hug.

"The underworld of demons has no jurisdiction over the living beings of the human world!"

Nobita roared and charged forward on his unicorn, kicking the monster in the waist with one hoof.

The unicorn also used its long golden horn to pierce its body.

Nobita's sword was also busy; even if his swordsmanship was terrible, it still had the attribute of evil special attack.

While its damage isn't as powerful as Oshima's Gratitude Power, Unicorn's Divinity, or even Geralt's Sword Oil, it's still far stronger than a normal attack, and even surpasses Hayato's almost nonexistent attack of the same attribute.

One man, one horse, and one demon hunter launched a fierce and relentless attack on the powerful tentacle monster.

Despite his formidable power, the demon had now descended into utter madness. Only Ashiya Doman remained, driven by destructive instincts, resembling a mindless beast. When stung, he instinctively mobilized the power of his surrounding tentacles, attempting to crush the fleas.

2B seized the opportunity and rushed into the tunnel blasted open by Oshima, disappearing from sight.

Fierce fighting has broken out on all sides of the battlefield. Ethan Reno, riding a white tiger, frantically maneuvers and bites between two giant tentacles, occasionally unleashing a few bloody blades, while the white tiger spits out a few round crescent-shaped beams of light.

Like a ghost, Iwasaki moved swiftly through the attacks of several thick tentacles, turning what was clearly the opponent's home ground into his own domain by shrouding it in black mist.

The most tragic situation was that of Hayato's side.

He was very fast, and his tentacles had a hard time hitting him. However, his physical attacks were like tickling the thick-skinned, fire-resistant demon. His fire abilities were like heating up the bathwater for the monster!
The two, one human and one monster, fought back and forth, sparks flying and the earth rumbling. The battle seemed incredibly intense, the scene grand and awe-inspiring, as if they were fighting to the point of oblivion.

Hayato was so engrossed in the battle that he roared repeatedly, almost forgetting where he was, with only this indestructible tentacle before him.

This fierce battle reminded him of the life-or-death struggle he had fought against the colony of American cockroaches in the apartment he had once moved into.

By the time he finished dealing with the tentacle monster, the battles in other directions had also ended.

"Hahaha! In vain, all in vain, I am immortal—"

click!
The last giant tentacle extending from Ashiya Doman's body, like a giant python, twisted and rolled as it crashed onto the scorching mountain, sending up a shower of lava and charred rocks.

Nobita glanced at Ashiya Dōman's health bar; it hadn't decreased much, and the decline was mostly due to his own injuries.

Simply slaying these outer limbs and tentacles won't harm its core.

It seems the only way to completely defeat them is to enter that tunnel and find their weakness.

"careful!"

After dealing with the last tentacle, everyone relaxed a little.

It was this fatal moment of lapse in concentration that caused the mountain to tremble violently with a deafening roar.

This Mount Fuji has long been demonized and is now scarred beyond recognition.

A sudden, muffled roar erupted, accompanied by a devastating tremor.

The ground churned and tore apart like a pot of boiling porridge; the people on the mountain felt as if they had been in a car crash.
The supporting structure of the mountain groaned under the strain.

This sacred mountain, revered by the Japanese for a millennium,
Immortal, Inexhaustible, and Fuji are all its names.
But these names now seem like an irony. Now, after several eruptions, it is like a colossal tower whose foundation has been ripped out, emitting a desperate wail and beginning an irreversible, earth-shattering descent.
collapse!

(End of this chapter)