I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapters 334 and 335: The Eve of a New Era (Revised)

They exist!

The spokesperson's words were like a bombshell dropped. The scene was initially silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. But in the next instant, it exploded into chaos, a cacophony of voices.

"Is this for real? Am I dreaming? Or is April Fool's Day still ongoing?"

"Ha, do you still want to bury your head in the sand? Don't tell me you were asleep after making such a commotion last night."

"Breaking news! This is truly huge news!"

Although the reporters had already heard rumors and viewed the videos and live streams of the supernatural battles circulating online, hearing the Japanese government spokesperson admit to the existence of supernatural beings, or even gods, still felt unbelievable, like a dream.

Which country doesn't have mysterious legends about monsters and ghosts? However, with the development of modern science and technology, except for a few backward and barbaric lands, most people dismiss them as feudal superstition and strange phenomena.

In the third decade of the 21st century, a national government actually held a press conference to endorse it?

These are not the short-lived, makeshift organizations in Africa, but developed countries with the world's third-largest economy and a population of over 100 million.

This is no joke; the slightest mishap could destroy the credibility and authority of the entire country.

All sorts of surprised, uncertain, eager, and expectant gazes were focused on the speaker on the stage. If it were an ordinary person, they would have been so nervous that their voice would have trembled.

However, the carefully selected official spokesperson showed no signs of stage fright. With a solemn expression, he meticulously continued speaking:

"Recently, a difficult time has passed, and many things have happened. Japan has experienced setbacks and hardships, and the whole society and the world are wondering what exactly happened."

The speaker began speaking fluently and eloquently, without notes, with clear enunciation and rich emotion.

"It all started with the first supernatural event of 1990..."

All entertainment programs, including variety shows and dramas, were suspended, and Japanese television stations naturally switched their broadcasts to press conferences.

Not only millions of Japanese citizens, but hundreds of millions of people around the world also lost their will to work or study, or simply stayed up all night to watch this press conference that was destined to go down in history.

"At first, we thought supernatural events were just anomalies that had only appeared in the new century. It wasn't until April of this year, with the appearance of the first extraordinary being, Master Di Lu, that we realized the world was not so simple."

The carefully edited video was then shown on television.

The Japanese government had been preparing to release information about the extraordinary world to the public, but was delayed by the sudden eruption of Mount Fuji and the Asakusa Incident. It is only natural that they are now releasing the pre-prepared video materials.

"Sasori of the Red Sand, who fought against the evil organization 'Akatsuki' at the Ota Ward Museum a month ago."

A monk with thick eyebrows and large eyes is bathed in Buddha's light.

With a single thought, a flower blooms, golden lotuses spring forth from the earth, and a twenty-meter-tall statue of the Immovable King is summoned. With a single palm strike, the earth collapses and mountains crumble.

"And there's the Hourai Shrine Maiden who swept away all the demons on Mount Fuji with her demon-slaying arrows, the Toad Sage who displayed great power in the Battle of Sapporo and the Asakusa Incident... and the Lord of Mount Tai!"

With the release of the decryption video, a series of dreamlike scenes were unfolded before countless viewers.

A beautiful, ethereal, and peerless black-haired witch shot an arrow that transformed into a torrent of light, effortlessly annihilating a terrifying demon as large as a mountain.

The silver-haired immortal, riding atop a giant toad, spewed forth raging flames like calamity fire, wielding golden Samadhi Fire. He rose from the earth like a small sun, causing the Sumida River to change course.

The black sun that appeared after Rashomon stretched across the sky, dominating all ages...

The official videos, in terms of both clarity and completeness, are naturally far superior to the clips circulating online.

Even Hollywood blockbusters with budgets pushed to the limit, costing millions of dollars per minute, cannot match the grand scale of the National Day holiday.

It's so captivating that it gets your blood pumping, your heart pounding, and you become completely engrossed, unable to tear yourself away.

The extraordinary world hidden behind myths and history is slowly revealing its true form. Even if only the tip of the iceberg is shown, it is enough to shock people.

Countless viewers in every household, glued to their television sets, were dumbfounded and dizzy, feeling as if their values, built up over the past few decades, had been shattered.

It evokes a strong sense of unreality, as if the world lines are converging and being cut, leading you into a world of gods and ghosts.

Even if one instinctively wants to deny it, the government's solemn release of so many classified files and videos provides irrefutable evidence, making it impossible to deceive oneself.

The media area below the stage was completely silent.

Even seasoned journalists were left bewildered and confused by the barrage of major news stories dropped by the authorities.

"The above is the truth that has been revealed to the public."

Although they spoke grandly and promised to disclose every detail without reservation, in reality, this press conference only revealed a small portion of the most insignificant information.

It also employed a great deal of subtle writing, deliberately concealing many truths.

For example, the first superhuman to be filmed in public was Itachi Uchiha, but since Itachi saved someone's life at the time, this was omitted to create the image of the Akatsuki as an evil villain.

There was also the Wujia Mountain incident, which was once widely publicized. It has been found that it was done by Master Dilu, but at the time, the authorities claimed that it was a mass suicide by members of the Zhengxin Society in order to cover up the truth.

It's not good to contradict myself now, so I'll just pretend it never happened.

With such clever editing, an uninformed viewer watching only this press conference might think that the battle between Jiraiya and Sasori of the Red Sand was the first time a superhuman had manifested themselves in public.

"You can ask questions now."

After a one-minute pause to allow the overloaded brains of the reporters below to process the information, the spokesperson finally spoke.

The reporters in the audience were taken aback, their faces filled with eager anticipation, and they raised their arms.

"The paranormal phenomenon appeared in 2007, the 19th year of the Heisei era. If that's the case, why was it only announced today? Isn't this deceiving the Japanese people?"

The first CNN reporter to be named questioned this.

"You cannot guarantee 100% safety while simultaneously demanding 100% right to know."

The spokesperson, without changing his expression or showing any humility, said:

"For the past fifteen years, the government has been working tirelessly to protect the Japanese people from inhuman harm. Next."

"Judging from the video footage just released, the superhumans in this other world are also divided into good and evil, and they fight and conflict with each other."

This time, the question was asked by a BBC reporter, who glanced down at his notes:

"Those who stand with humanity include monks, priestesses, and immortals. It was with their help that we overcame one difficulty after another. Your government's response to these crises seems rather sluggish?"

Can't you guys just watch the video properly?

The spokesperson muttered to himself.

Every frame of the released video was carefully edited, and it included many clips of the hunt and shooting of monsters earlier this year.

The monsters were no match for modern technological weapons and could only be slaughtered under the iron fist of the state.

The only organization capable of posing a threat to the Japanese government is the Akatsuki, a group of superhumans.

Even so, at the nation's most critical moment, the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers remained steadfast in their posts, strategizing and winning decisive victories.

If it weren't for the officials' earnest advice, the cabinet ministers would have even been prepared to go to the front lines of the battlefield to command the fighting.

Under the leadership of the cabinet, the invincible Self-Defense Forces and the American army joined forces to fight against the evil Akatsuki organization, moving from one victory to another.

As for the annihilation of the 201st Fighter Squadron of the Second Air Self-Defense Force in Sapporo and the Ground Self-Defense Force's mobile force being killed by Princess Kaguya's palm strike, these heart-wrenching aspects are completely absent.

Although the video was beautifully edited, it was immediately clear to anyone with a discerning eye that the superhumans played a crucial role in the crisis.

"Those who act justly gain abundant support, while those who act unjustly find themselves isolated. It is precisely through the concerted efforts of the government and the extraordinary individuals who stand by our side that we have achieved such a favorable situation. The efforts of both sides are indispensable."

The spokesperson was spouting nice words, but in reality, he was just giving bureaucratic platitudes.

Next, another American journalist was asked to ask a question.

"The orange-red giant that appeared in Sapporo, and the blue giant that appeared at Senso-ji Temple last night—does the Japanese government know what kind of monsters they are?"

"It is not known at this time."

The official spokesperson blatantly lied.

Although Jiraiya had previously pointed out to the Japanese government that the giant-shaped 'shikigami' summoned by Itachi and Tobi was called Susanoo.

This intelligence naturally shocked the Japanese government.

However, upon closer examination, it seems that those two shikigami in completely different giant forms, lacking any independent consciousness, could not possibly be the real Susanoo.

It's very likely just a substitute name or something similar.

Even so, the relationship between the mysterious clan with Sharingan and Susanoo still leaves much to the imagination.

Susanoo is one of the three noble sons in Japanese mythology and an important symbol of Japanese religion and culture. How could he be associated with a terrorist organization that ravages and destroys cities?

The Japanese government naturally blocked this intelligence.

"Yeah?"

The reporter grinned maliciously.

"But I heard that you internally refer to it as 'Susanoo'?"

It must be an inside job. They leaked the information to the reporter for a huge sum of money, and they were at a high level.

The official spokesperson cursed inwardly.

"Don't believe or spread rumors."

He quickly changed the subject, his gaze drifting towards the group of reporters.

These European and American journalists are incredibly difficult to deal with, and this time it's an Asian country.

A reporter from Al Jazeera's KBS television station raised his arm high, but the spokesperson ignored him and pointed to a middle-aged reporter from another country standing next to him.

The KBS reporter was filled with resentment.

The Japanese official spokesperson was incredibly disrespectful, only allowing journalists from the top five powers to ask questions.

"The black sun that appeared in Asakusa last night, is Taisan Fujun the deity of our country? Could you please release more information about Taisan Fujun?"

The middle-aged reporter, tasked with intelligence gathering by his superiors, asked the question.

The Japanese nobles, who couldn't even obtain the title of Lord of Mount Tai through flattery, naturally dared not use subtle language to erase the Lord of Mount Tai's achievements. Instead, they lavishly praised him, showcasing the unparalleled divine power of this underworld emperor to the fullest extent.

Lord Taishan, a great deity with an inseparable relationship with the Central Plains, suddenly became the focus of the entire event.

"The Lord of Mount Tai is a deity on the mainland, and a deity in Japan."

The spokesperson gave a cryptic smile, an expression that could only be understood implicitly.

"In order to commemorate the great achievements of the Lord of Mount Tai, we have decided to hold a ceremony for him, and we will naturally invite people from all countries to attend."

The KBS reporter was very dissatisfied.

Damn it, this powerful Lord Taishan must be a deity of our Great Universe Kingdom!

At the same time, he felt extremely anxious, and secretly wondered how much information the Japanese government actually had about the mystical side, and whether they had really received the favor of the Lord of Mount Tai.

In reality, the official spokesperson deliberately adopted this attitude of neither confirming nor denying.

In the video released so far, they deliberately portrayed each Kage-level powerhouse as their ally, while the Super Kage-level Lord Taishan was the strongest backer of the Japanese government.

It's as if by holding the Taishan Fujun Festival, one can communicate with this lord of the underworld at any time and have him perform miracles to protect Japan.

"This is the last question."

The spokesperson probably felt that these reporters were really troublesome, and in order to avoid any complications, decided to end the press conference as soon as possible.

A beautiful blonde reporter got this valuable opportunity to ask a question.

"Last night during a YouTube livestream, a man wearing a Metropolitan Police Department uniform appeared and was able to use druid-like spells. Is he an employee of the Japanese government?"

"That's right."

The spokesperson readily admitted it.

"Besides Inspector Uchiha, there are more than one other newly born superhuman within the government. They are all absolutely trustworthy and will become the backbone of the Supernatural Countermeasures Headquarters."

Many reporters couldn't help but gasp.

Judging from the spokesperson's tone, the Japanese government has not only successfully established ties with mystical forces, but has also acquired several extraordinary inheritances.

Besides, it makes one wonder if the Japanese government received any additional benefits.

"Policies and regulations concerning the Paranormal Countermeasures Headquarters and other measures to deal with paranormal threats will be released in the coming days."

This highly anticipated press conference concluded with the spokesperson's resolute assurances.

"Whether in the past or in the future, the government will always protect every Japanese citizen!"

But whether in real life or online, at home or abroad, countless people have been so excited about this that they have tossed and turned at night, engaging in heated discussions.

The eve of a new era is inevitably accompanied by the clamor of rising winds.

(End of this chapter)