Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes.

Chapter 255, Section 253: The End for All Parties

"Wow, we survived!"

Kurosaki murmured softly, his voice sounding somewhat muffled through his mask.

Wearing protective clothing, he had just emerged from an underground nuclear protection facility. Looking up, he saw the sky smeared with thick volcanic ash, a sight usually only seen in movies or games.

Like darkness, it was filled with oppression.

Even so, being able to return to the surface, instead of being crampedly hiding in an underground cement coffin, still brought him a slight sense of relief and a feeling of exhaustion from surviving a disaster.

Especially the stone Jizo statue that appeared out of nowhere in the distance, radiating a warm light, inexplicably brings a great sense of security.

This is Uenohara City, located east of Fujiyoshida City and west of Hachioji City.

Not long ago, it was constructed as a second line of defense to intercept a possible beast tide that might spread from Mount Fuji.

A large number of heavy weapons were urgently deployed here, troops assembled, and fortifications were constructed. However, the expected overwhelming horde of beasts did not appear; in the end, they only fought a few lava monsters that had fallen.

Besides him, there was a steady stream of Self-Defense Force personnel emerging from underground, fully equipped and lined up, along with numerous transport vehicles.

They have received new orders: to be responsible for maintaining stability in Tokyo.

In other words, they were informed in advance that Jizo statues had appeared in most parts of Tokyo, dispelling the radiation, and the authorities promised that they would not be assigned to work in the radiation zone, which quelled the near-outbreak of riots.

The Self-Defense Forces believe they have already done their job well by holding the line, and although the beast tide didn't come, they can't be blamed for that.

If they were allowed to enter the radiation zone again, they would immediately give up and act like idiots in front of the leaders.

Moreover, dying from resisting monsters and from radiation are two completely different concepts. The latter might be worse than death, and the authorities might even use it for experiments. They're not that stupid.

“Our vehicles are over there.” Ping Shenglong pointed to a small convoy of vehicles with different paint schemes on the other side; that belonged to the Extraordinary Measures Department.

In the sky, fine volcanic ash began to fall silently, like a gray snowfall. It landed on the car roof and on shoulders, adding a chill to the not-so-cold temperature.

chug.

A rhythmic roar of engines came from overhead. Kurosaki subconsciously looked up and saw a few flashing navigation lights flying towards Tokyo under the thick gray sky, their faint light seemingly about to be obscured by the haze.

"Don't we have a helicopter?" Kurosaki asked casually.

Ping Shenglong shook his head: "Volcanic ash is very harmful to flight equipment. There are no more than three helicopters in all of Japan that can fly under such conditions, and they need major repairs after each flight. It's not our turn."

Kurosaki didn't complain and followed Heimori Tatsumi into the countermeasures department's car.

"Don't take off your protective suits in the car, and pay attention to the fluctuations in the Geiger counter. Preliminary tests show that the Ishijizo can only protect against radiation within a certain range. There shouldn't be any Ishijizo along our way back to Tokyo," Taira no Ryu reminded us.

"Oh, it seems the real estate landscape has changed drastically." Kurosaki made a not-so-funny joke.

Boom boom.

Two road clearing vehicles, side by side, turned on their high beams and roared to life, setting off to clear the road and facilitate the passage of the convoy behind them.

Kurosaki looked at the layer of volcanic ash that had begun to spread on the ground, wondering if green grass would grow back here next year.

Many people know that volcanic ash is a type of fertilizer, but that varies depending on the location.

The ash from Mount Fuji is acidic volcanic ash. After it covers farmland, it needs to be left fallow for at least several years to neutralize its toxicity.

Moreover, the deeper it is buried, the longer it will take to recover.

This will definitely cause the already high prices of Japanese agricultural products to skyrocket.

The Prime Minister is likely to succumb to pressure and have to import large quantities of foreign agricultural products, otherwise the starving people will tear him apart, and the agricultural cooperatives will not send anyone to protect him.

This is the Japan Emergency Disaster Response Headquarters. We are now releasing important information; please listen carefully.

The state of emergency in the Mount Fuji area has ended.

There is currently no direct threat to life and no need to worry about radiation issues, but a large amount of volcanic ash is settling, which poses a risk to health.

An urgent request is now being made to all citizens.

Those currently in a confirmed safe location, please return home immediately and lock all doors and windows.

The alarm has been lifted.

Emergency broadcasts repeatedly emphasized safety measures and supply schedules, and a military curfew was imposed.

In the corners of the dilapidated buildings remaining on both sides of the road and at the entrances of underground parking garages, some figures began to emerge timidly.

Their faces were covered in dust, their eyes filled with a mixture of fear and bewilderment as they gazed at the apocalyptic scene, where black smoke still billowed and gray snow filled the sky, utterly helpless.

Some quick-thinking individuals began sprinting towards the convenience store, preparing for a free shopping spree to secure their survival.

Others, with more complex and somber gazes, scanned the crowd as if searching for prey, plotting what to do during this brief window of chaos.

This chaos is bound to continue for some time. The overwhelmed authorities can't manage much, and their most pressing task is to find a way to generate electricity, because without electricity there is no modern civilization.

However, these are not issues that the Extraordinary Countermeasures Department needs to concern itself with.

The fact that Taki Muramasa deployed his shield at Tokyo Skytree was actually seen and recorded by many people. It's just that there's no internet in Tokyo now, otherwise there would definitely be an online poll to make Taki Muramasa the prime minister, and it's easy to imagine that the number of votes would be terrifyingly high.

Therefore, in order to protect Tokyo to the greatest extent possible, Takii has exhausted his physical strength and is now in a state of recuperation, so he is definitely unable to launch an attack.

Hirosue Eri was in a similar situation, and her mood was extremely low. After returning to the underground base, she used the climbing vines on her arm to form a cocoon, wrapping herself in it and not reacting to the outside world.

The Miyamoto Hayato they brought back was almost in a state of suspended animation, and the doctors were urgently discussing and researching how to administer medication.

The Talos Squad was under the jurisdiction of the US military. The Extraordinary Countermeasures Department only received authorization from the US military. After dealing with the monster, they collected the monster's remains and returned to base to rest.

Leon didn't care about the lives of Tokyo citizens; that wasn't his concern.

His primary task has always been to identify and recruit more extraordinary individuals and analyze their abilities.

Before the nuclear bombs fell, many superhumans had already shown signs of activity. He was having the survey team members, who were temporarily unable to conduct ground investigations, analyze the data they had preserved and compiled to see how many superhumans were still hiding in the city of Tokyo.

What does the Tokyo power outage have to do with my Yokota underground base?
Not only is it unrelated, but before the power outage, this place could even monitor the entire city of Tokyo. Even if the power goes out, there is an emergency power grid that can continue to maintain operations.

Where is Minamoto no Himeko?

About half a day later, as the tension from the intense work eased slightly, Leon rubbed his temples and suddenly realized that Genji, the executive director, was not there.

The assistant adjusted his glasses and whispered, "Minister, the Executive Minister submitted an action request beforehand; she's bringing the Seventh Investigation Team to join the ground rescue force."

Leon was taken aback, then realized. He realized he had been so busy he was dizzy; there really was such a thing.

This also aligns with Genji's consistent style; she always wants to be on the front lines, always carries a strong desire to shoulder all responsibilities, and is also somewhat naive.

“Heh,” Leon said with a half-smile, “As expected of our Executive Minister, your execution is indeed quite strong.”

Whether Leon's words were sarcastic or an exclamation was unclear, his assistant, focused on the screen, wisely refrained from responding.

on the ground.

"Don't fight over it! The official supplies will be distributed tomorrow!"

"You go wait for the official supplies, I need them right now!"

"Get out of my way! I haven't eaten all day, if you push me too far I'll bite you alive!"

Within half a day, Tokyo was in chaos. In the neighborhoods where official forces had not yet truly covered the area, the unbridled evil of human nature had begun to fester. Apart from a few outposts guarded by the military and equipped with temporary supply depots that maintained a semblance of order, violent clashes involving robbery and fighting were commonplace in the shadows of countless alleyways.

From time to time, the sound of doors being broken down could be heard from some apartments, followed by pleas for mercy and screams.

The roads here were not cleared, and ordinary vehicles could not pass through at all. Gen Himeko and her group could only travel by bicycle while wearing gas masks.

Occasionally, a few men with fierce eyes tried to stop the bicycle, but they all scattered when they saw Genji pull out a gun.

"Minister." Akari pedaled hard a few times to catch up with the leader, Genji, her voice muffled and breathless behind her gas mask, "Aren't we... going to a nearby rescue base to participate in rescue work?"

The sky was already dark due to the volcanic ash, and it became even darker with the sunset, making it almost impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face. We had to rely entirely on the makeshift flashlights to see where we were going.

"No, we have other things to do."

Genji slowed down and turned her head: "Remember? The demonic mist we saw in Kodaira City before we returned to Yokota Base."

Akari immediately understood what Genji meant: "You suspect that the appearance of the demonic mist there was not accidental, but rather purposeful?"

"Mm." Genji nodded, without explaining anything further.

She also saw those ordinary people who were attacking the monsters without fear of death, and it was from there that she began to feel that something was wrong.

Add to that the subtle, almost imperceptible, ways in which extraordinary beings connect with each other.

She suspected that there was a supernatural being inside that mental hospital, and that this supernatural being was connected to the demonic mist.

She came not to be hostile, but to seek cooperation.

This was the Prime Minister's solemn request, or rather, task, when she officially took office as Executive Minister.

The current extraordinary situation is quite unfavorable for Japan.

The Extraordinary Countermeasures Department is under Ame's control. Because it is located in Japan, although the Japanese government has placed many people in it, it has failed to control any of the most crucial extraordinary individuals.

The balance of power has been completely disrupted. They must reach an agreement with an extraordinary being as soon as possible in order to have even the slightest possibility of getting more terms with Ameti.

This is also why Genjiro lied to come here.

The outline of the mental hospital appeared in the light; from the outside, it seemed devoid of any sign of life.

The sea urchin monster left a hideous scar on this place, deterring many people from visiting.

In the midst of chaos, some might turn their attention to hospitals, but few would be so audacious as to target mental hospitals.

There aren't any good pictures at all.

In addition, two monsters had previously landed here, which is quite unusual, so many people instinctively stay away from this place.

A line of bicycles stopped in the ruins of the courtyard.

The team members took out their weapons, and Genji quickly made a few tactical hand signals, leaving two people below while the others covered each other and began sweeping the building.

"."

The sole of the boot stepped on a shard of broken window glass that had fallen to the ground, and the crisp sound echoed in the corridor.

Genji suddenly stopped, not moving forward immediately. She turned her head slightly, her expression not clearly visible behind her gas mask, but Akari understood her question and subconsciously looked up at the ceiling above her.

Not only Gen Himeko, but all the other team members noticed that in the silence, a faint singing voice was drifting down from upstairs.

Hearing singing in a ruined mental hospital is like something out of a horror movie.

Gen Himeko hesitated. Could they really control a superhuman with a mental illness?
However, there's no reason to just let it go unchecked.

Whether to cooperate or to be enemies, an answer is needed.

She touched the specially made bomb at her waist; if the other party had any evil intentions, she would do her best to eliminate the threat.

She made a few gestures, leaving two people to wait for her at the stairwell, and she and Mingli went up to the sixth floor.

As they approached, the intermittent singing gradually became coherent.

"Light and shadow are intertwined; whose shadow is it, behind or in front?"

Listening to the song, Akari couldn't help but glance behind her a few times, almost bumping into Gen Himeko's back.

Genji stood by the broken window, gazing at the thin figure inside.

"You guys." Yui stopped singing, faced the beam of the other person's flashlight, and spoke with a calm smile, "Did you come to see me?"

Osaka.

When is the earliest flight back to Ami?

"Tickets are sold out, and volcanic ash is about to spread; it won't be until about a month later."

"Regardless of cost."

"Three o'clock in the morning."

"Okay, arrange one for me."

Ethan Reno hung up the phone. Osaka is 300 kilometers away from Mount Fuji, and there are many mountains and forests in between, so communication was not interrupted.

If the power goes out here, the whole of Japan will be affected.

Not only are communications working fine, but flights are also operating normally for the time being, although the situation is much more chaotic than before.

Airline and ship tickets are fully booked; people are desperately trying to escape the country.

The authorities will not allow this situation to continue, and the US will inevitably step in to help stabilize order in Japan, which is in their best interest.

As for why Renault is here, his official identity is that he has been in Osaka for almost a week.

However, after arriving here under his public identity, he transformed into a samurai, returned to Tokyo, and participated in that battle.

Fortunately, I survived and even made a fortune.

His basic ability, [Corpse Bomb], has been unlocked.

After absorbing Hayato's essence blood, the upper limit of blood energy will likely increase significantly.

However, he was sobered up by the terrifying strength of Ashiya Doman and the white-clothed masked man. The waters here are too deep, and continuing to stay in this hellish place, Japan, may not necessarily bring more benefits than harms.

He planned to return to China and use his family's connections to gather people who would meet his growth requirements, to see the difference between growing through this method and absorbing life essence.

This will allow him to make more favorable judgments.

He had already told Nobi about it, but naturally he wouldn't say he was going back to Japan. Instead, he made up an excuse, saying that his parents were going abroad and he could only go with them.

Nobita wouldn't restrict Reno's freedom; he knew Reno had ulterior motives, and that a temporary separation in reality was a good thing.

Now he's more worried about Hayato.

While handing Hayato over to the authorities might be seen as a way to protect his life, given Nobi's brief interaction with him, Hayato might be more concerned about this action than his life, feeling betrayed.

Nobita sighed, took out the blood bead, and prepared to use it to apologize to Hayato after he woke up.

(End of this chapter)