I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapters 253 and 254: A Great Change Unseen in Two Thousand Years

"A skeleton?"

Professor Nagayama, a scholar of yokai folklore, made a startling statement that drew the attention of all the bigwigs.

Being stared at by so many high-ranking and powerful figures, Professor Nagayama's face flushed, and he felt lightheaded, almost groaning out loud.

Spalashi, that's the wonderful feeling of being valued!

Thanks to the ancient superhumans and legendary monsters who take turns performing, Professor Nagayama, who had been sitting on the sidelines of the Metropolitan Police Department's expert group for many years, suddenly became the most sought-after figure on the group.

He was even allowed to attend such a high-level meeting. Could any other expert reach such a pinnacle in their career?!

"Who is this guy?"

The Metropolitan Police Department commissioner frowned and asked.

"Ahem, this is Professor Nagayama from the Metropolitan Police Department's expert group. He is an authority in the field of yokai folklore in Japan. He has provided many valuable suggestions for the work of the Metropolitan Police Department."

Among a group of powerful figures, he paled in comparison, appearing somewhat... (The sentence is incomplete and ends abruptly.)

"Professor Nagayama, you said this skeletal giant is the Wild Skeleton, and what kind of great monster is the Wild Skeleton?"

"The Wild Skeleton is the embodiment of the resentment of soldiers who were killed on the battlefield, whose bodies were left to rot in the wilderness, their bones unburied," Professor Nagayama said seriously, composing himself after calming his agitated emotions.

"The resentment of the fallen soldiers merged into one, transforming into a gigantic skeleton as tall as a building, which lurks in the dead of night, hunting humans."

To strengthen his persuasiveness, Professor Nagayama took out his tablet, quickly swiped through the table of contents, and found the page with the image of the Ara-Kumo in the Complete Book of Yokai.

"The skeletal giant summoned by the Akatsuki in Sapporo is very likely the Ara-Kumo!"

A group of important figures crowded around the tablet to take a look, and then compared it with the satellite images on the large screen.

The yokai (monster) and skeletal figures in ukiyo-e prints do indeed bear some resemblance to skeletal giants.

However, they were all skeptical, and most of their faces showed doubt.

Although both are enormous humanoid skeletons, the Ara-Kumo lacks the majesty and holiness that the Sapporo Giant possesses, which symbolizes power.

Just like kittens and lions, although they are both felines, no one would believe they are the same species.

not to mention……

"You're being far-fetched. How could a rural monster like the Ara-Kumo, which is so obscure that I've never even heard of it, possibly suppress a great demon like Yamata no Orochi, which even Susanoo could not kill?"

Prince Akishino curled his lip in disapproval and said...

The other bigwigs exchanged glances, deeply agreeing, clearly sharing a similar view.

The three most famous yokai in Japanese legends are Shuten-dōji of Mount Ōe, Tamamo-no-Mae, the white-faced, golden-haired nine-tailed fox, and Ōtengu, the incarnation of Emperor Sutoku. All of them are great yokai of the king level.

The Yamata no Orochi is even more powerful than the three great demons, a demon god feared even by the gods.

Although the basilisk that appeared in Sapporo only had seven heads, it's unclear whether it was an injured Yamata no Orochi, or a cub of Yamata no Orochi, or a descendant with impure blood, or something like that. But it's unlikely that it could be defeated by an aggregate of miscellaneous vengeful spirits like the Ara-Kumo.

Professor Nagayama was somewhat unconvinced and wanted to refute something, but when he saw that the speaker was Prince Akishino, the son of the current Emperor Emeritus, the younger brother of the Emperor, and the first in line to the throne, his knees went weak and he almost knelt down.

Ah, Prince Akishino actually condescended to speak to a commoner like himself?!

"Hi! Your Highness, you are absolutely right, truly farsighted! It was my oversight." Professor Changshan was flattered and bowed repeatedly, speaking in a fawning voice.

The bigwigs in the conference room temporarily set aside the question of what the skeletal giant's true form was and turned to more practical issues, namely how to deal with the mess in Sapporo and the subsequent domestic and international chain reactions.

"Sapporo was almost destroyed. It's gotten this big, we can't keep covering it up any longer. There's bound to be an uproar domestically and internationally. We need to consider how open we should be with the public, or rather, to what extent we should disclose the supernatural event."

"Yes, but everyone should have been mentally prepared for this day to come sooner or later."

Everyone knew that an unprecedented new era was about to begin.

The appearance of the Yamata no Orochi in Sapporo is a landmark event, marking the official start of Japan's extraordinary era.

The bigwigs present all looked solemn, their brows furrowed.

This is a change unprecedented in two thousand years!

Some people are concerned about the country and its people, worried that the public disclosure of the supernatural event will plunge Japan's political, economic and international situation into an uncontrollable abyss; others are anxious about gains and losses, considering how to deal with the situation in order to maintain their power and their family's status; still others are ambitious, believing that the times create heroes, and want to seize more benefits in the chaotic supernatural era to come, or even soar to the sky and become supernatural beings!

"Put other matters aside for now. The number of people affected by the disaster in Sapporo may exceed 100,000. We must remind the Prime Minister to prepare for disaster relief."

Japan is a disaster-prone island nation, prone to geological disasters. The disaster that Sapporo suffered is definitely the most severe one since the Reiwa era.

For the Japanese government, the post-disaster reconstruction of Sapporo is also a huge test.

"One hundred thousand? Are there really that many people in Hokkaido?"

Prince Akishino was somewhat surprised, but then put on a nonchalant expression and said something politically incorrect that might cause controversy if it got out:

"But the people living in Hokkaido are mostly Ainu, not the Yamato people, the descendants of the gods of Takamagahara. So if they die, they die. It's not a big deal."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned somewhat strange. Some people twitched their lips, unsure of what to say.

Japan is a country with a simple ethnic structure. Before 2008, the Japanese government even claimed that Japan was a single-ethnic country and did not recognize the existence of ethnic minorities.

It wasn't until after 08 that the Japanese government recognized the Ainu people as the indigenous inhabitants of Hokkaido, making them the only ethnic group to be officially recognized. According to official statistics, the Ainu population is 2.5, most of whom have some degree of Yamato ancestry.

Of Hokkaido's five million inhabitants, the Ainu people make up less than one percent. It is conceivable that the vast majority of the disaster victims in Sapporo were Yamato people.

In the Reiwa era, it's unbelievable that such a stereotypical prejudice as "all people in Ezo are Ainu" still exists!

Prince Akishino, who was already known for being detached from worldly affairs, now seems to be acting like a complete idiot.

However, the Japanese political arena is full of fools who rise to high positions based on their bloodline, and people like Prince Akishino are nothing new to them.

"Now that the Yamata no Orochi that was wreaking havoc in the town has been suppressed, shouldn't the Air Self-Defense Force units dispatched to Sapporo be recalled?"

"NO!"

Major General Woodman, who hadn't paid any attention to what the Japanese were discussing from beginning to end, stared intently at Susanoo on the big screen with his brown pupils and said coldly:

"Isn't there still one monster left? The fighter squadron can't turn back!"

Major General Woodman displayed the tough stance and aggressiveness inherent in American hawks.

"That guy is a member of the Akatsuki, a terrorist organization that commits crimes against humanity. This is a golden opportunity; let's take him out too!"

"this……"

The bigwigs inside the conference room looked at each other, all somewhat hesitant.

"General Woodman, is it not necessary to start a war with the superhumans for the time being?"

The Superintendent General of Police, steeling himself, stepped forward and said:

"According to eyewitness reports from the Fourth Investigation Division, the person who appeared in Sapporo was 'Itachi' from the Akatsuki organization. He is not a vicious superhuman. Now that the battle is over, he may leave on his own."

"You Japanese are too cowardly! The superhumans ravaged your city, are you just going to watch that freak leave like this?" General Woodman slammed his hand on the table and shouted angrily.

The Superintendent General's expression was rather grim.

If the Akatsuki members who appear in Sapporo are as ruthless as Sasori of the Red Sand, they would certainly support a fighter squadron to strike them with overwhelming force.

However, Itachi was different. He did not kill indiscriminately during his several appearances in Tokyo. This time, when he descended upon Sapporo, he played the role of a savior and suppressed the Yamata no Orochi that was destroying the city.

Even members of the Akatsuki organization tend to maintain a benevolent and neutral stance.

The Metropolitan Police Department also did not want to completely break with Itachi. The combat power of the skeletal giant he summoned was too terrifying. If the situation escalated, no one could predict how far it would develop.

"Times have changed! We must make those freaks of superhuman abilities understand that this is no longer a barbaric age of ignorance and superstition. The United States... the power of humanity is invincible!"

General Woodman held a different view.

The battle between the skeletal giants and the Yamata no Orochi destroyed several city streets. While the individual combat power was indeed terrifying, it was not a big deal for the armies of major powers. As long as the explosive power of the shells was sufficient, turning a city into ruins was not a problem.

The destructive power of the Self-Defense Forces (U.S. military) is far greater than that of superhumans!

Even after the great battle between Jiraiya and Sasori of the Red Sand, this was the opinion of many people.

However, the state apparatus is hesitant to use heavy weapons of high yield in cities due to concerns about civilians, which gives superhumans room to maneuver.

If we were to fight face-to-face, the victors would undoubtedly be humans, not those freaks of superhuman abilities.

Now that the commercial district of Sapporo, where the superhumans lived, has been razed to the ground, modern military forces can finally unleash their full power and show the superhumans the strength of humanity, instead of them hiding in corners all day, plotting something.

Before experiencing a direct confrontation and being brutally beaten by the superhumans, General Woodman firmly believed that modern high-tech weapons could blow up all these heretical freaks!

Anyway, this isn't their own territory, so if there's a problem, the Japanese will have to take responsibility.

However, the important figures in the conference room were not as carefree as the Americans and did not want to cause any unnecessary trouble.

"I have already reported the situation to Lieutenant General William, and this is also the view of our Yokota base."

Just then, a phone call came to the Minister of Defense, who answered the phone, bowing and scraping repeatedly.

"Yes, yes! I understand! Please don't worry!"

After hanging up the phone, the Defense Minister, looking somewhat troubled, announced to those around him:

"It's the Prime Minister's call. Do as General Woodman says."

"GOOD! 201st Fighter Squadron, 2nd Air Wing, launch your attack immediately upon arrival in Sapporo!"

(End of this chapter)