Chapter 276 - 272: An Unimaginable Powerhouse

Chapter 276: Chapter 272: An Unimaginable Powerhouse

The East Da Jing City Circle, at the ruins of the TV station.

The smoke and dust had not yet fully settled. The deafening explosions had thrown the surrounding area into chaos.

Many civilians who hadn’t evacuated in time were in a panic. The chaos extended even further out, rousing countless people from their sleep.

Hanato Doichi and his two companions had lost track of the Puppet Demon Spirit, but they weren’t about to just stand there idly.

Taking advantage of the chaos among the urban residents, they slipped away from the sight of the Japanese government.

In their current state, they’d have trouble escaping even if they weren’t facing the Puppet Demon Spirit. Master Sage’s Magic Power was nearly gone, most of it having been exhausted protecting them from the Demon Spirit’s magic. The last sliver of power he had left could, at most, catalyze a few more Demonization Seeds.

Several squads of Self-Defense Force soldiers cautiously surrounded the ruins from all sides. High above, a helicopter’s searchlight scanned the area below as flares were continuously fired into the sky.

On the thermal imaging equipment, the ruins were gradually cooling down, aside from the residual heat at the epicenter of the explosion.

Some soldiers carefully clambered over piles of reinforced concrete, reaching the wreckage of a high-standing structural platform whose original purpose was unknown. At its center was a massive explosion crater.

Despite the illumination from the helicopter’s searchlight, the soldiers still lit several glow sticks and tossed them down into the crater.

Whether through night-vision goggles or the naked eye, the crater was empty.

"Report to HQ, this is Search Team 1. No suspicious targets found. The enemy is presumed to have been destroyed by the missile."

The lieutenant in charge reported the situation over the comms.

"Maintain alert. Continue searching the surrounding area."

"Roger that!"

Meanwhile, several other squads of soldiers followed the trail of the fierce battle, searching the variously damaged buildings in the vicinity.

One of the squads came to a halt inside a concrete building with a hole torn through it.

In the beams of their flashlights, a few soldiers looked up at the wall, which had a large hole smashed through it. Then, they stared in awe at a reinforced concrete pillar that had been snapped in half, its bent rebar exposed.

"Was this really made by a human body hitting it? That person must’ve been pulverized, right?"

Although command had stated that the three were friendly units, seeing a sight like this, the soldiers couldn’t relax their grip on their rifles.

The trail of destruction continued deep into the building. Beneath a collapsed wall, they finally discovered a pool of blood and a few scraps of cloth.

A soldier squatted down and touched it, discovering that the blood hadn’t even fully congealed yet.

This batch of reinforcements hadn’t directly participated in the earlier battle and had no firsthand understanding of the situation. Compared to the rumored terrifying monster, the scene before them left even more to the imagination.

’Are those three really human?’

"Report to HQ, this is Search Team 3. We haven’t found the bodies of the three mysterious warriors. They are presumed to have survived and left the area. Small traces of blood remain at the scene..."

Inside the command center, several researchers became visibly excited upon hearing this.

"Search Team 3, collect a sample of the blood and bring it back."

"Search Team 3, roger!"

...

After returning home, Matsuda Yumi waited nervously. She hadn’t slept a wink all night, but her mind was in a state of high alert, so she didn’t feel the least bit tired.

She had already showered and changed her clothes, and had even left a note for her grandfather.

Before long, the doorbell rang.

Yumi straightened her clothes and went to open the courtyard gate. As expected, several police officers were standing outside, though their uniforms were slightly different from a regular officer’s.

A policewoman addressed her.

"Miss Matsuda?"

"That’s me!"

"You’re the one who drove into the area and provided crucial intelligence, correct? Besides you, where are the other passengers who were in the car?"

"No, they aren’t here. It was just me."

Akashima Kei looked at the girl, who was nervous yet forthright, and did not doubt her words.

"Understood, Miss Matsuda. If it’s convenient, please come with us."

"Okay!"

Matsuda Yumi had no intention of going back inside to pack anything. She hesitated for a moment, then asked a question.

"What happened over there? Are they okay?"

Akashima Kei offered a friendly smile.

"The specific details haven’t been released yet, but judging from the fact that no further fire support units were sent in, it should be over. As for the ’they’ you’re referring to, only they themselves would know if they’re okay."

Before dawn, the busiest people in Japan were at the Metropolitan Police Department’s special incidents division.

They were most desperate to understand the key information from last night: who was in Matsuda Yumi’s car, who were the three mysterious individuals with off-the-charts combat power, and what was that terrifying monster that could inexplicably control elite soldiers.

They had heard the term "Puppet Demon Spirit" from the three mysterious warriors. Did that mean the warriors knew about the monster?

However, all of that would have to wait. For now, they could get some information from Matsuda Yumi.

The most important and troublesome matter at hand was managing public opinion and the ensuing turmoil.

Bombing a TV station building in downtown East Dajing City with a missile was no small matter. The US Army in Japan had already been alerted. On top of that, there was a massive, terrified populace and rapidly spreading false rumors, such as one about nuclear contamination.

Although Japan’s experience in handling such matters couldn’t compare to certain other informed nations, they were still fairly competent.

Early in the morning, Makino Xiangnai sat at home watching the news, which was nearly identical on every channel.

"At approximately 2:30 AM last night, the Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer, the Wind and Snow, test-fired two new cruise missiles off the coast of Dajing Bay. Due to a design flaw, a problem occurred with the missile’s target identification system, causing the missiles to abruptly change course in mid-air and strike the East Dajing TV Station building..."

"This major incident resulted in numerous casualties and left the East Dajing TV Station building completely in ruins... Aside from the missile’s power, this military test was an utter failure, and the military must be held accountable..."

"According to reports, terrorists were allegedly spotted at the East Dajing TV Station that night, a claim which some local residents can corroborate. An anonymous government insider has revealed that the Wind and Snow’s defense system had a massive network vulnerability. It’s highly likely the missile launch was not an accident, but was caused by terrorists hacking the warship’s network. The military’s claim of a failed test is merely a cover-up..."

The TV footage then switched from the helicopter circling the ruins to a military spokesperson’s press conference. Since the conference was being held outdoors, a large crowd of angry citizens could be heard shouting in the background.

Makino Hikari stood behind Xiangnai with a towel in hand, his face a mask of shock.

"Is that our TV station building? Oh my god, thank goodness I haven’t had any night shifts recently. Wait! Yumi had to work overtime! Is she okay?!"

Makino Hikari quickly grabbed his phone and dialed Matsuda Yumi’s number. After a few rings, the call connected.

However, the voice on the other end was an unfamiliar woman’s. Only after understanding it was just a concerned colleague did she inform him that Yumi was fine and was just cooperating with an investigation.

"Your poor old dad..."

Makino Xiangnai sighed as she watched her father head back to the bathroom.

Just then, Xiangnai’s own phone rang. She checked the caller ID; it was Harano Shihi.

When she answered, his excited voice came through.

"Xiangnai, I know where those three ridiculously strong Demon Exorcists are! I just ’saw’ them again! They’re not dead!"

The girl’s mood immediately shot up with excitement.

"So, are we...?"

"Sato and the others want to go visit them right now, before they move. What do you think, Xiangnai?"

Makino Xiangnai was already on edge. She stood up, went to her room to grab her bag, and shouted into the phone.

"What are we waiting for?!"

She shouted to her father in the bathroom that she was heading to school, then hurried out the door.

Their meeting point was at the "Lin Ye’s House" hotel, a place that was remote and quiet but incredibly popular in online reviews.

When she got out of the taxi, her four friends were already waiting for her.

"Xiangnai, over here!"

The group gathered together, discussing how to approach the visit.

"Harano, do you know their room number?"

"Well... I’m not sure. I just have a feeling they might be on the 12th floor..."

"A feeling?"

Harano himself looked conflicted.

"How do I put this... I still haven’t figured out this Superpower of mine. About half an hour ago, I suddenly felt like my head was on fire... and then I got the feeling that they were here."

"Whatever, let’s just go up and see if we can run into them!"

Sato made the final decision. The existence of the three Superman-like figures last night had made them realize how laughable their own arrogance was. They had to establish a connection with the "Orthodox Demon Exorcism Realm."

Inside suite 1202, the three reservists sat nervously on a long sofa, describing the previous night’s events with reverence and admiration.

Meanwhile, Doudou had moved all the food from the room’s cabinets and mini-fridge onto her own sofa, where she sat listening to the story.

Qin Xiaoxia listened to them with great concentration, his chin resting on one hand as if deep in thought.

"You’ve worked hard. I’ll have Baru score your performance. Hmm, we have guests."

As he said this, the hotel room door swung open automatically, just as Xiangnai and her friends were passing by.

They immediately spotted the three "Demon Exorcists" inside the room.

Their breathing quickened as they tried to figure out what to say, when a calm voice drifted out from the room.

"Come in, children."

’There’s someone else in there?’

Though they thought this, their feet didn’t stop. They walked right into the room, and Xiangnai even remembered to close the door behind them.

’But besides the three powerhouses from last night, there’s no one else here, right?’

Their vision seemed to blur for a moment, and then two figures appeared on the other two sofas, looking as if they had been sitting there all along.

The feeling was unsettling, but it was a visceral, physical sensation.

He had long, silver-and-black streaked hair that reached his shoulders, and his calm eyes seemed to see through everything. Compared to him, the small child constantly eating and the three Supermen from last night seemed less conspicuous.

Seeing the serious, tense expressions on the three big guys’ faces, it wasn’t hard to figure out who was in charge.

"Ah! Oh? Hello! We’re..."

"You’re the ones who reported the intelligence on the Puppet Demon Spirit. No need for introductions. I know who each of you are."

This was the second time the five of them had heard the term "Puppet Demon Spirit," and they silently repeated the Demon’s name in their minds.

Qin Xiaoxia then turned his gaze to Harano Shihi.

"You should be more careful when using your Ability. Although it allows you to see certain special things, if your target’s Ability is high enough, you’ll be the one who gets seen, Harano Shihi!"

The second-year high school student was startled, seeming to realize at once that the only reason he could find this place was because the other party wanted them to come.

"Hehehe... I’ve already taken a look at that little forum of yours. Some very interesting views."

At that moment, Doudou was also browsing "Monster Story," the forum the group had created.

It had over a thousand registered users, many of whom were active, all gathered to discuss matters concerning Demons and the rumored theories about Demons breaking their seals and entering the mortal world.

When Qin Xiaoxia had landed in Japan and was approaching the hotel, Harano Shihi, unable to control his Ability, had actually attached his consciousness to a passerby in an attempt to "see" the Master Sage.

He was immediately seen through in reverse. And once they knew about Harano Shihi, with the Association’s current network capabilities, they easily found their forum and decrypted all of its data.

"Let’s go. We’ll take a look at these so-called Demons of yours."

As the man before them slowly rose to his feet, the entire building seemed to begin shaking more and more violently.

It made everyone feel unsteady on their feet. Xiangnai gripped Harano Shihi’s arm tightly, as if she would fall over if she let go. Sato and the others also swayed involuntarily, trying their best not to make a scene.

Their slightly pale faces were from the difficulty in breathing; the very air in the world seemed to have frozen for a moment.

This disorienting yet deeply profound experience lasted only as long as it took him to stand up, yet during it all, the lamps and glasses in the room remained perfectly still.

Mysterious, and powerful!

’What kind of power is this? Who is he? No matter what, this is an unimaginable level of strength!’

For no reason at all, this thought was irrepressible in the minds of the five friends.

PS: First Chapter for Sunday.