I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapters 335 & 336: Tickets to the New Era

The truth could not be hidden forever. After the Japanese government had to officially confront the issue, it immediately caused a huge uproar around the world.

All the major news events that have happened in Japan in recent years, such as the change of era name, the Tokyo Olympics, and the demand for the removal of the prime minister, are ten times more sensational than this one.

Even looking back at the last century, only a handful of major events that changed human history, such as the World Wars, the establishment and disintegration of the Red Empire, and the Apollo moon landing, could compare to it.

Major media outlets around the world rushed to report on it, and in less than half a day, it spread like wildfire throughout the world.

Even those abroad who missed the press conference due to work, study, or time difference were immediately stunned by the news bombardment and word-of-mouth from their friends and family.

It's like waking up to the news that World War III has broken out—that intense sense of unreality.

After all, apart from Japan, which was truly devastated and in turmoil, other countries and regions have not suffered from the ravages of supernatural disasters.

Even if some people, based on their decades of life experience and established worldview, subconsciously want to deny such nonsense, they are still shocked to see that their country's authoritative official media not only fail to refute the rumors but also tacitly approve of them and even fuel the flames.

They couldn't help but go from scoffing at it, to being skeptical, and then to being completely skeptical.

Of course, this is also something that some countries do intentionally.

This is a subtle, gradual process, to prevent being caught off guard in the worst-case scenario.

Although supernatural events have only occurred in Japan since the 19th year of the Heisei era, and the news has been blocked by Japan and the United States, other large-scale national powers have naturally heard the news long ago.

In particular, what happened this year was not a minor skirmish as in the past; the situation is escalating and there is a growing trend that it may stir up global tensions.

The two closest countries aren't blind or deaf. If they hadn't noticed such a big commotion, they would have been wiped out by the United States long ago.

Although the Japanese government has been making grand pronouncements in its propaganda, trying to create the image of the Self-Defense Forces as invincible, their intelligence network has long since discovered that the Self-Defense Forces have suffered heavy losses.

Satellite images of Sapporo, ravaged by war, and Asakusa, reduced to white, all testify to the terrifying nature of the extraordinary.

Even a powerful nation like Japan, with its considerable size, was driven to the brink of madness by superhumans. Even the top leaders of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council do not believe they can remain unscathed when faced with such an enemy.

Nobody wants to end up like Japan, getting beaten black and blue, and then pretending nothing happened.

Any country with even a slight sense of crisis has mobilized its state apparatus to swiftly search and investigate clues about the extraordinary within its borders.

At the same time, they focused their attention on Japan.

While the intelligence released by the Japanese government this time concealed many key details and contained some red herrings, it also contained a considerable amount of useful information.

This inevitably caused some countries to feel gloating, but also to feel uneasy and suspicious.

Could the Japanese government really have formed an alliance with those godlike Kage-level powerhouses and even obtained extraordinary inheritances, extraordinary items, or even indebtedness tokens that can bring the dead back to life?

The friendly nations were taken aback.

Countries that feel they have a good relationship with Japan believe that Japan has an obligation to share intelligence, and even information about its extraordinary heritage, with its allies.

The major powers that are at odds with Japan are planning to join forces to put pressure on Japan and force it to divulge more information.

Leaving aside the open and covert struggles at the national level, this press conference was a grand celebration for people all over the world.

Countless netizens, both domestically and internationally, have lost interest in work and study, engaging in heated discussions both in real life and online. They have even abandoned their bosses and teachers, joining in the fray.

The discussion continued from day to night, remaining lively and enthusiastic.

Human beings' yearning for the mysterious and the extraordinary, that is, transcending nature, is ingrained in their very being.

In ancient times, humans created gods and worshipped them.

Even in the civilized 21st century, religion continues to thrive throughout the world.

Which man hasn't fantasized about being different from others during his teenage years?

Think of the psychic wave at the end of the last century, with books about unsolved mysteries and extraterrestrials becoming global bestsellers.

Even these baseless rumors could become popular for a time, so how can people not get excited when the almost confirmed mystery side is now surfacing?

"There are no mystical or supernatural beings at all; it's all an Anglo-Saxon conspiracy!"

"When that thousand years are over, Satan will be released from prison and will come out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth." Those monsters are omens of the end times, and the savior will soon descend.

Of course, conspiracy theories and apocalyptic theories may be late, but they will definitely not be absent.

However, most of the foreign netizens who were discussing it enthusiastically did not take it too seriously, after all, their own countries were peaceful and there were no demons or monsters running rampant in the world.

Japanese netizens, on the other hand, were devastated. They thought, "You're just watching the drama unfold, but our country is truly experiencing a night parade of a hundred demons."

However, the Japanese government's efforts to whitewash the situation were not in vain.

The spokesperson implied that Japan has its own team of superhumans and close ties with mystical forces. Even powerful deities like the Lord of Mount Tai are standing behind Japan, which had a calming effect.

However, the Japanese government's previous information censorship and feigned ignorance still drew a flood of criticism and abuse from the public.

"I witnessed the great battle between Fudo Myoo and the stone giant right here in Ota Ward, and even posted the video on Twitter, but it was completely deleted by the government."

An insider angrily denounced the government online, claiming that as a brave person who exposed the truth, he was persecuted by the government, his posts were deleted and he was banned from speaking, and he was even warned by unknown people who came to his door.

"Incompetent and corrupt! Several wealthy and powerful individuals I knew fled abroad, but the government kept it from us ordinary citizens until they couldn't hide it any longer and then hypocritically announced the truth. A leopard can't change its spots!"

This person's scathing criticism immediately garnered support from many netizens.

Some claim that Minamoto no Yorimitsu was present when the Oni Musha was resurrected, and his phone was confiscated by government personnel and has not been returned to this day.

Furthermore, the indigenous people of Obama City stated that during the Mermaid Festival, they witnessed a large number of legged terrestrial fish attacking the police station, and afterwards, the Obama City government pretended that nothing had happened.

While some people stumbled upon the truth by chance before the press conference, most of them were simply making unfounded accusations and spreading rumors.

They've seen ghosts in places like abandoned hospitals or apartments where people hanged themselves years ago; they've heard stories of snow women haunting the mountains in their hometown; or they've heard supernatural tales from their cousin's extended family.

Each of them spoke vividly and seriously, leaving the other netizens completely bewildered.

The posts, some true and some false, are constantly emerging, blurring the lines between the good and the bad, and washing away the few genuine experiences available.

The surging public opinion, the focus of attention for countless people both in Japan and abroad, is still on the extraordinary individuals who have taken the stage.

The dignified and solemn Jiraiya, the stunningly beautiful blind priestess, the unrestrained and heroic Jiraiya, and the Akatsuki members who, despite being villains, still possess an eerie charm.

That kind of earth-shattering power that can turn the world upside down with a mere gesture still satisfies most of their fantasies about the extraordinary.

Although the official release has only included a few scattered videos, some people have already started creating a power ranking system.

Netizens from various countries argued heatedly about who was the strongest.

They were having a great time fighting in the void.

However, the Lord of Mount Tai is generally considered to be outside the established order, so He is not ranked at the top.

Even in its origin, the Central Plains, the Lord of Mount Tai is less well-known than in Japan, and outside the Confucian cultural sphere, he is virtually unknown.

Netizens from Europe, America, and other cultural circles have been inquiring about the origins and powers of the Lord of Mount Tai.

East Asian netizens, with a strange sense of pride and honor, introduced this ruler of the underworld to them.

"On why the Lord of Mount Tai is a deity of the Universe Kingdom."

Just then, a post on Twitter was pushed to the top.

"Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was born into the royal family of Silla as Prince Kim Gak-gyo. He came to Tang China during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong and passed away at Mount Jiuhua."

A Korean netizen proudly stated after conducting research:

"The Lord of Mount Tai and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva are one and the same, therefore, the Lord of Mount Tai is the deity of the universe, Simida."

Japanese netizens were furious after seeing this post.

If it's a Central Plains region vying for the origin of the title of Lord of Mount Tai, they'll accept it. At worst, it's one god with two names—a Central Plains god in China and a Japanese god in Japan.

It's shameless of those mere Koreans to dream of climbing the social ladder!

"Why are you stealing again? Is it because you've been a colony for two thousand years and have no culture of your own, so you feel inferior?"

"Yes, not only the Lord of Mount Tai, but also Amitabha Buddha and Yahweh originated from the Kingdom of the Universe."

"They even steal their father's things; they're practically stealing the country!"

Japanese netizens immediately began to ridicule him.

"You wooden clog bastards, what nonsense are you spouting?!"

The poster flew into a rage, remained silent for a moment, and then immediately typed out a malicious message:

"I know why only Japan has monsters appearing in the whole world. It must be caused by nuclear radiation, just like Godzilla."

"As expected of the country that invented 'feces wine,' the moment they open their mouths, you smell like a toilet!"

Immediately, a Japanese netizen reacted as if their tail had been stepped on, angrily cursing.

Two sworn enemies are forced to come together by the same master, and their netizens often engage in verbal battles, knowing how to easily and succinctly break the other's defenses.

Back and forth they went, each move striking the vital points.

Dogs fight, chicken feathers everywhere.

"Hey, no matter how much the Japanese slaves bark and howl, it's no use. Your country is full of monsters."

The country that most rejoices in seeing Japan suffer is undoubtedly the United States. Seeing the Japanese people in distress makes them so happy that they can eat three bowls of rice without even needing kimchi at night.

"Japan is about to collapse. We welcome rich people and beautiful women to immigrate to our country."

"Don't be too happy yet. Your country is the closest to ours. Who knows what will happen between you two in the future?"

As predicted, within minutes of the reply being sent, someone dropped a bombshell.

"A monster appeared in the Han River, causing three deaths and one injury. It has been killed by troops stationed at the Gosu base!"

-

The news about the Han River monster on the Korean Peninsula was only reported at night, and it paled in comparison to the series of major news stories that the Prime Minister's Office spokesperson dropped during the day, completely overshadowing the main storyline.

But this only applies to ordinary people.

News of the Han River monster was collected by intelligence agencies from various countries, and after confirming its authenticity, it was immediately sent to the desks of the heads of state of those countries.

In the heart of the country, such as the Kremlin, Downing Street, and Victoria Palace, prominent figures wore furrowed brows.

How did the art style of this world change so quickly? It feels so unfamiliar.

Originally, we were watching from across the sea, laughing as Japan was tormented to the point of near death. But before we could even enjoy our amusement for a few days, have these supernatural phenomena already spread to other countries?

These politicians are seasoned veterans who have weathered many storms, and they keenly sensed the impending storm.

The winds of the new era have arrived far too quickly!

extraordinary.

Is the 21st century not the century of electronic information, not the century of biotechnology, but the century of the extraordinary?

Good fortune may be the harbinger of misfortune, and misfortune may be the harbinger of good fortune.

Thinking about it this way, although Japan suffered a severe blow, its understanding and progress in the extraordinary world far surpassed that of other countries, and it also obtained more than one extraordinary inheritance.

The ticket to the new era has fallen into Japan's hands.

After half a day of buffering, the information about the Lord of Mount Tai, the ancient ruler of the underworld, has been translated into countless languages ​​and placed on the desks of countless national leaders.

Reincarnation, defying fate, achieving immortality...

Just thinking about these possibilities makes one's eyes blaze with fury and one's teeth clench in anger.

The ticket to this new era belongs to all of humanity; it absolutely cannot be monopolized by Japan and the United States!

This Taishan Fujun Festival is an excellent opportunity.

"Summon the Japanese ambassador immediately!"

While leaders of major powers were summoning the Japanese ambassador and preparing to send high-level delegations to Japan, they were also secretly sending spies and mobs to gather more confidential intelligence, employing a two-pronged approach.

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.

It wasn't just the state that reacted to the news.

Meanwhile, some individuals with an extreme level of adolescent angst and boundless energy disregarded warnings issued by the Japanese tourism bureau following the Sapporo battle and the eruption of Mount Fuji, and took advantage of visa-free entry to board planes bound for Japan overnight.

I decided to rely on my own efforts to seize a ticket to the new era.

"My chance has finally arrived! The turning point of my destiny lies in the East!"

Japanese officials have confirmed that some ordinary people have received extraordinary inheritances, which have given them a mysterious sense of confidence.

He felt that as long as he set foot in Japan, all sorts of adventures and beautiful women would come his way, and he would transform into a superhero like Spider-Man or Wolverine, then save the world and reach the pinnacle of life.

While having a personal hero complex isn't a bad thing, isn't this a bit too idealistic?

For a time, Japan, which was already at the center of the vortex, was in turmoil and chaos.

(End of this chapter)