I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapters 288 & 289: Demons with Immortal Bodies

Except for the hottest months of July and August, the summit of Mount Fuji is covered in snow, and from a distance it looks like an upside-down white jade fan, hence it is often referred to by scholars and poets as the White Fan or Jade Fan.

"Snowflakes like silk, smoke like a handle, a white fan hanging upside down in the eastern sea sky."

There are four climbing routes for Mount Fuji. At the sixth station of the Yoshida route, which is the oldest and most popular, a middle-aged man with a frivolous yet undeniably noble air was reciting poetry while swaying his head at Mount Fuji under the night sky.

A serious-looking young man followed half a step behind the older man, conflicted by a desire to stay close and protect him, yet also daring not to get too close due to a lack of respect for hierarchy.

"Your Highness... the sun has already set, you should go back now."

"This is my first time climbing Mount Fuji this year, and having you all with me is such a downer!"

Prince Akishino glanced at the young man, his face immediately showing a look of disdain.

The young people were obsequious and dared not utter a word.

"I've heard that the head priest of Asama Shrine, despite his advanced age, is still practicing asceticism at Kusuga Shrine on the mountaintop. His faith is truly devout. I really want to meet him," Prince Akishino said, looking at the summit of Mount Fuji with great interest.

The young man immediately turned red in the face and firmly objected:

"Please don't make things difficult for us! Even if we die, we won't let you take another step up the ladder."

The Imperial Household Agency also has a headache dealing with Prince Akishino, who is capricious and willful.

Just like today, they suddenly decided to visit Mount Fuji, which caused them a lot of trouble.

Mount Fuji is divided into ten sections from its base to its summit. The section from the base to the middle of the mountain is called the fifth section, and from the fifth section upwards are the sixth section, the seventh section, and so on, until the tenth section at the summit.

With the development of the times, people no longer need to climb Mount Fuji step by step from the foot of the mountain.

The fifth station, located halfway up the mountain, can be reached directly by car.

The Yoshida Route features numerous mountain cabins with well-equipped rest areas, two first aid stations along the way, and dedicated mountain trails for going up and down the mountain, so there is no need to worry about getting lost or having an accident.

Only after the Imperial Household Agency had made all the necessary arrangements did it reluctantly grant Prince Akishino's order to visit Mount Fuji.

However, it is absolutely impossible to go any further.

Not to mention that it was already late, we could not allow His Highness to spend the night on Mount Fuji under any circumstances. As we climbed higher, the climate and air pressure could also pose potential dangers.

Even the slightest risk is unacceptable. If His Highness were to suffer any accident, these palace staff would be obliged to die a thousand deaths.

"Tsk. How boring."

Prince Akishino smirked, knowing full well that this was the Imperial Household Agency's bottom line.

Emperor Naruhito, who is currently in power, gave birth to a daughter after a difficult eight years of marriage. He did not have any children for the next twenty years. According to the Constitution and the Imperial Household Law, only male members of the Imperial Family can inherit the throne.

Thus, Prince Akishino, who had spent most of his life "accompanying the Crown Prince in his studies" and leading a carefree life, was suddenly forced to take on a new role in his fifties and begin preparing for his future ascension to the throne.

Prince Akishino had no complaints about the luxurious and extravagant life of the imperial family, only feeling that it lacked a bit of excitement.

After witnessing the earth-shattering battle between Yamata no Orochi and Susanoo, Prince Akishino, though no longer young, couldn't help but feel a sense of longing.

Even those who have reached the pinnacle of material enjoyment and power certainly desire immortality and the absolute power to change the world with a mere gesture.

In the current revival of mythology, the shadows of gods and Buddhas loom behind those who are extraordinary.

The Japanese Emperor is said to have an unbroken lineage, inherited from Amaterasu, and perhaps his bloodline also contains incredible divine power.

In fact, it wasn't just Prince Akishino who thought this way; some experts in the Metropolitan Police Department also shared the same opinion, but they didn't dare to risk offending the imperial family by drawing blood for testing.

In order to maintain the purity of bloodline, the Imperial Household Agency does not even allow the Emperor to use the blood of commoners during surgery, and can only use blood bags that he regularly draws and preserves.

Prince Akishino's visit to Mount Fuji was partly motivated by a desire to seek divine intervention.

Once he ascends the throne, he will only be able to live as a mascot in the royal palace, eating and waiting to die. It will be completely impossible for him to travel around like he does now.

If I could possess the power of the superhuman who appeared in Sapporo that day, I might be able to stage a major reversal of fortune in the 21st century.

"Immortals come to roam the peaks beyond the clouds, and divine dragons dwell in the deep caves."

Prince Akishino gazed at the summit of Mount Fuji and let out a sigh.

"I wonder if there are immortals or dragons on Mount Fuji? It's a pity we'll never see them. Let's go down the mountain."

Before he could finish speaking, the ground beneath Prince Akishino's feet trembled violently, and Prince Akishino immediately crouched down in alarm.

"An earthquake? Was there an earthquake on Mount Fuji?!"

"Waaaaah, help! Help me!"

"Oh my god, what the hell? How could I be so unlucky?"

The Rokugoku area was thrown into chaos, with all sorts of chaotic screams, cries, and shouts coming from people's mouths, buzzing incessantly.

Among the tourists, seven or eight Imperial Household Agency staff members, dressed in the same manner as ordinary hikers, immediately appeared and protected Prince Akishino in the middle, cautiously looking around.

The tremor was only temporary and quickly subsided, and the commotion among the tourists soon subsided.

Are you alright?

The young man helped Prince Akishino Fumihito up and greeted him with utmost respect and trepidation.

"It's nothing, just a small earthquake."

"Even so, we must not be careless; the journey back may not be safe. I will arrange for a helicopter to escort His Highness down the mountain immediately..."

At that moment, Prince Akishino's expression suddenly became incredibly interesting.

From the crater of Mount Fuji, as if the mountain's artery had been severed, a crimson beam of light shot into the sky, and a massive, blood-red light shield that blotted out the sun covered the entire mountain in the blink of an eye.

All the tourists were dumbfounded; their eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

But this was just the beginning. Immediately afterwards, large swathes of black mist shot out of the crater like volcanic ash erupting, and in an instant, they swept out like a hurricane, engulfing all directions.

Dark clouds loomed over the city, and turbid waves surged into the sky, as if a thousand troops were galloping in, their momentum extremely terrifying!

The dark clouds emitted continuous howls and wailing sounds, terrifying everyone.

A flying centipede, over ten meters long and with three pairs of fleshy wings on its back, charged out of the dark clouds and crashed headfirst into the large red barrier!

"Thump!"

The large red barrier remained completely still.

But the flying centipede refused to give up, letting out a sharp, piercing hiss, and launched another attack.

Just then, an arrow, trailing a comet-like streak of light, pierced the flying centipede from head to tail.

"Pfft, pfft—"

A bloody storm descended from the sky, the blood and entrails of the flying centipede splattering all over the tourists.

"Ah, ah—!!"

"A monster! It's a monster!"

The tourists, who had been frozen in terror by the imposing demonic clouds and roaring sounds, suddenly snapped out of their daze and screamed in agony before fleeing in panic, disregarding everything else.

Within the black mist, one after another, hideous and grotesque monsters spewed out of the volcano's crater.

From the northwest of Mount Fuji, several more demon-slaying arrows whistled through the air, accurately shooting down the monsters in mid-air.

"Quickly, escort His Highness to a safe place! Contact the Imperial Household Agency; His Highness is in danger on Mount Fuji!"

Several Imperial Household Agency employees, disguised as tourists, grabbed Prince Akishino without explanation and retreated. Several others on the periphery simply drew their pistols to cover their escape.

After the tourists in the stands dispersed, the pieces of flesh that had been scattered on the ground began to wriggle as if they were alive, converging towards the larger pieces of corpse.

"Gurgle gurgle—"

Immediately, the flying centipede recovered most of its shape, but it seemed to have been haphazardly pieced together with clay, making it even more deformed and ugly than before.

"Hiss hiss hiss!"

The flying centipede, missing half of its body, crawled on the ground and, by sheer coincidence, rushed in the direction in which Prince Akishino Fumihito had fled.

This monster is immortal!

No, it wasn't just this monster; the other monsters that had been shot down by arrows also stood up unsteadily, their shattered internal organs and limbs reattached, just like zombies.

It's like a scene from a horror movie.

It was a nightmare!

(End of this chapter)