Chapter 359: Report! The Enemy Has Only One Person!
Im, seated on the Empty Throne of the Ark above the White Sea, stared at the dozens of Virtual Screens projected into the air with his golden Ripple Eyes.
Below the platform, Stussy, Tesoro, Enel, and the Kuja Guards standing on either side were also watching silently. Even the Giant God Soldiers outside had a screen in front of them.
Clearly, the matters concerning the Star Gate and the Otherworld were no longer a secret on Noah's Ark. After all, under Im's instruction, there were personnel specifically responsible for explaining and clarifying them.
As for how shocked they were when they first learned, it was already an old topic, and saying more would be pointless.
Meanwhile.
There were also the Five Elders in the Room of Authority.
The Deans of the Five Great Branches at the World Government Headquarters and a host of Ministerial and Bureau Chief-level Officials.
Kong 'The Iron Fist' from the Command Department, Tsuru from the Staff Department, Zephyr from the Military and Political Department, and the Rear Admirals and Vice Admirals from the Army Headquarters and Marine Headquarters who were not participating in the war.
Clearly, this first large-scale War of Conquest launched against an Otherworld received significant attention from all the Higher-ups and middle-level Officials of the World Government.
It was just a pity that not everyone in the World could watch together, as it was a monumental event.
Demon Slayer World.
Fujiyoshida City, the closest city to Mount Fuji, was also the first city to be hit by the Super Sandstorm.
More than a month had passed. Although a sad Aura could still be smelled in the air, Human's Attention had shifted to post-disaster reconstruction.
Large areas of devastated ruins and yellow sand everywhere were waiting for them to clean up, rebuild beautiful houses one after another, and face new lives with Smiles.
These Citizens, who had lived in this disaster-prone Island Nation for thousands of years, quickly adapted to this painful Plight.
Looking around.
Young and Strong Men wearing simple Kimonos were either moving wood, holding tools to build houses, or pushing carts to transport yellow sand, while the Women were responsible for delivering water and food or helping out on the side.
Carefree Children played in groups all over the Streets, their Faces showing Smiles as if they didn't know that a Natural Disaster had just struck here.
But their lively appearance made the busy Adults also reveal Smiles, and from time to time, the voices of the patrolling Police Officers could be heard loudly reminding the Children to be careful.
Everything seemed full of Hope, and everyone was living strongly.
However, when a dazzling Flash cut a long Golden Beam in front of Mount Fuji, the Gaze of many Human in the City was attracted with horror.
There was nothing they could do; this City could be considered the best place in all of Japan to admire Mount Fuji. Basically, no matter which Street you stood on, you could see it at a glance.
Although it was daytime, the Golden Light that swept across the Sky in a straight Line was too dazzling.
But before any Human could scream, a Large Bird burning with Greenish-Yellow Flames followed the Meteor-like Beam towards the northern Sky.
"A Pho—Phoenix!!!"
As expected, screams appeared without surprise. The entire Fujiyoshida City exploded into Chaos. The work in their hands was long forgotten, and the playing Children also stood dumbfounded with their mouths open.
"It's covered in fire, feels more like a Phoenix..."
A middle-aged Human who was more familiar with Mythological Stories muttered to himself while staring intently at the streak of green that was rapidly disappearing into the Sky.
But just as all Human began to discuss, a Blue Divine Dragon suddenly shot out, soaring up accompanied by a Flame Pterodactyl, then circling above Mount Fuji before flying south!
"Azure Dragon!!"
Completely dumbfounded, the Men, Women, Old and Young of the entire City began to doubt if they were dreaming.
Or was it that the Myth was about to revive?
Were Takamagahara and the Gods about to descend upon the Human World again?!
This wasn't the end. When the rolling Black Smoke and Magma, emitting an Aura that felt hot just by looking at it, rushed into the clouds seemingly slowly but actually quickly.
Human were already kneeling all over the Streets and Alleys.
"Asama Deity has descended!"
"Could Mount Fuji be about to erupt?"
It turned out they had mistaken Sakazuki for the Symbolic Deity after Mount Fuji's Deification, and the continuous, deafening Roar that followed was thought to be a sign that the Volcano was about to erupt.
This caused the Atmosphere to turn to Fear at an extremely fast Speed. Some Human had already started running frantically towards outside the City with their Families.
After all, if Mount Fuji really erupted, it would be no joke!
Chaos, great Chaos. The entire Fujiyoshida City completely fell into Chaos. No matter how the Police Officers, who still had professional integrity, tried to maintain Order, it was useless.
At this moment, one Black Army after another, each with a Scale of ten thousand fully armed Troops, emerged from the Edge of the Aokigahara Forest.
But at this time, no Human noticed them at all.
It wasn't until the Citizens who hadn't had time to escape discovered that the 'Asama Deity' had left and the thunderous noises had gradually disappeared that Human dared to run to a high slope to look towards Mount Fuji.
At this point, the 'Black River (Metaphor)' continuously pouring out of the Sea of Trees finally came into the eyes of many Human.
"What... what is that..."
For some reason, seeing this Screen Feed, a feeling of Fear involuntarily arose in these Human's Hearts, and their Pupils subconsciously trembled and contracted.
Tokyo side.
The Japanese Empire Army General Staff Headquarters received reports from lower levels about half a day later, stating that at least tens of thousands of unidentified Black-Clad Army had suddenly appeared near Mount Fuji, and Fujiyoshida City had been occupied!
"Tens of thousands of Troops equipped with Firearms, silently hidden in Aokigahara, how could this be..."
The current Chief of General Staff, Hasegawa, an Admiral with a Military Rank of fifty-three, stared intently at Mount Fuji on the Map with his rather aged but extremely serious Face.
"It can't be an outside Army, but which Influence/Power within the country could possibly do this?"
But he also knew that now was not the time to investigate. He immediately turned to the Adjutant beside him and Ordered, "No matter what, Kofu City will definitely be the first to bear the brunt!"
"Immediately Order the First Division and the Twelfth Division to defend Tokyo, and have the Forty-ninth Infantry Regiment stationed in Kofu City set up Defenses. They must hold out until the Tenth Division's Support arrives!"
"Yes, sir!"
However, this Chief of General Staff actually didn't know if they would make it in time, because he had never imagined a situation where the enemy would appear in the center like this.
Yamanashi Prefecture, where Mount Fuji is located, and Tokyo are basically adjacent. There are no Trucks to transport Military Strength now, and mobility mainly relies on Cavalry.
Soon.
This Matter was known to the Japanese Emperor and the Cabinet Members. Every Human's first Reaction was to exclaim that it was impossible!
But when the black and white Photos taken by some Human appeared before their eyes, they immediately fell silent.
"Not only that, according to the last News reported from Fujiyoshida City, although it wasn't photographed, it is said that all the Human in the City saw the Phoenix, Azure Dragon, and Asama Deity appear from the Aokigahara Forest!"
As soon as these words came out, three large Golden Question Marks appeared above the Heads of every Japanese Higher-up.
Yamanashi Prefecture, Capital City, Kofu City!
[Wuwuwu——————]
At this moment, this extremely prosperous large City had pulled the sharp alarm that echoed throughout the City.
In the Suburbs outside the City, the Forty-ninth Infantry Regiment, directly under the First Division, also began to set up Defensive Positions.
Trenches dug in emergency by Engineers were everywhere, along with the neighing of Horses. More than 3,500 Japanese Soldiers holding Bolt-action Rifles nervously lay in the pits observing the front.
Further back, the Artillery Regiment's twelve Type 41 Mountain Guns and thirty-six Type 38 Field Guns were Ready, and the Cavalry Regiment was waiting nearby to charge.
Actually, with the pride of their First Division, they should have taken the initiative to engage, but the Intelligence said the Enemy Force was nearly ten thousand, so it was better to be cautious.
About two hours later, a crisp Gunshot was heard from a distance, followed by a few more Gunshots.
Some Veterans knew that it was most likely the Sentries who had been taken out!
Suddenly!
The Soldiers in these Trenches saw nine tall figures wearing Black Coats and holding Katanas, charging over openly, spaced dozens of meters apart.
Their sprinting Speed was very fast, and behind these Human, a black Line gradually appeared.
"Shoot them!"
Although they didn't Understand why those nine Human were so foolish to launch a suicidal charge, they couldn't just let them come.
Some Japanese Soldiers who felt their Spearmanship was accurate even took this as an opportunity to gain Military Merit, squinting their eyes and aiming their Muzzles.
[Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!]
Immediately, each target was hit by several Bullets, but the nine Human didn't even dodge, still maintaining their Speed as they ran.
Seconds later, not a single Human was injured!
"Idiot!"
The Regiment Commander was furious when he saw this scene, thinking that all the Soldiers under him had missed. He cursed them as useless, saying that all the Bullets used for practice were wasted!
"Volley! Volley!"
With his angry Roar, the Soldiers in the pits pulled their Triggers one after another. Immediately, a dense Bullet Rain poured out. There was no space to dodge at all, because four or five hundred meters ahead was an unobstructed Plain.
But just as all the Japanese Soldiers were mockingly waiting for the nine Human who seemed to be Traditional Samurai to fall with wails, they saw an unbelievable Screen Feed.
They saw those Human swing the Katanas in their hands, creating Afterimages, bringing up Sparks with clanging sounds, but their movements on their feet did not slow down at all.
"Th-They... could they be blocking the Bullets with their Blades?"
The Regiment Commander looked at the Adjutant beside him in surprise. The Adjutant, whose eyes were already widened to their Limit, replied with a face full of shock, "It... it seems so, yes!"
Let alone them, there were continuous exclamations of surprise in the Trenches. The Soldiers simply couldn't believe their eyes.
"No way, are those Samurai Legends all true?"
"Are Samurai really that Strong?"
"Impossible!"
"If they're that Strong, what do we need Guns for? Couldn't we just learn Swordsmanship!"
But no matter what their feelings were, the nine figures wearing Black Coats and holding Katanas had already approached within a hundred meters.
This Distance was enough to clearly see their appearance.
"Wow!"
"They're so tall, Giants?"
To these Japanese Soldiers with an average Height of 1.6 meters, the two-meter Height of those nine Army Majors was simply like the Giant Tribe from Mythological Stories. Even Westerners weren't that tall!
"No, that's not right, why is their Speed so fast? Four or five hundred meters, it's only been a little over ten seconds?!"
The Regiment Commander keenly noticed these Human's Superhuman Speed. His Heart immediately panicked, and he quickly roared, "Shooting! Shooting! Shooting!"
Three loud shouts startled the entire Regiment. For a moment, Gunshots roared, and countless Bullets cut through the Void, leaving Afterimages, pushing forward like a dense wall.
The Japanese Soldiers were completely terrified. All Human were frantically firing Bullets.
However, this type of Gun not only required manual bolt action after each shot, preventing continuous firing, but also could only load five Bullets at a time. Therefore, the Firepower wasn't actually that strong.
But some Human actually pulled the Fuse of their Hand Grenades and threw them out.
[Roar! Roar! Roar!]
Although they were Stick Grenades, the Power of the Explosion was decent. Balls of Gunfire Flash and Gunsmoke exploded In the Court, but the actual Effect was unsatisfactory.
The nine figures still showed no intention of dodging. They charged forward head-on, using Sword Slashing Bullets. Even when affected by Hand Grenades at close range, it had no impact.
Not even the Black Coats on their bodies were damaged. Instead, they fluttered up and down with the Blast Wave, adding a bit more Aura.
[Puff————]
In an instant, the first Army Lieutenant Colonel rushed into the Trench. The Katana in his hand stirred up a Bloody Storm, and every time the Blade Light flashed, it would send the painful Human Heads of Japanese Soldiers flying.
Immediately followed by the second Army Major, the third Army Lieutenant Colonel... Every single Human was like a Cold-Blooded Machine (Metaphor), carrying out a bloody Slaughter in their respective Zones.
No matter how many Bullets, no matter how many Bayonets, they were meaningless in front of them. Charging straight through, their powerful and Unstoppable Combat Power swept across, truly Unstoppable!
These Human who were Army Officers (Field Grade) were even too lazy to use Six Powers. A Long Saber was swung frantically, harvesting lives wherever there were many Human.
But this also limited their killing Efficiency. More than 3,500 Human was not a small number.
However.
The Black Torrent (Metaphor) from the rear roared in.
[Da da da da da]
The unique high-frequency Gunshot sound of the Automatic Rifle, which crushed this Era, could no longer be described with words like Heavy Rain, but rather with Wind, the roar of a Hurricane!
A Storm of Metal, completely overwhelming, submerged the Forty-ninth Infantry Regiment's Defense Line.
The Soldiers of the First Division's Forty-ninth Infantry Regiment were visibly being killed and collapsing. They had no Time to operate the Bolt-action Rifles in their hands, which were like useless burning sticks.
"Fire the cannons! Fire the cannons!"
"Have the Cavalry raid their flank!"
The Regiment Commander in the rear roared hysterically. His Order was relayed quickly, and moments later, the familiar Artillery Fire Sound rang out from further back.
Immediately followed by a sharp Whistling Sound passing overhead, that was the sound of Cannonballs flying!
Noticing this scene, the nine Army Officers (Field Grade), although they had no Communication with each other, leaped into the air with great Rapport, turning into Afterimages.
The next second.
Flashes of Cannonball Explosion appeared Mid-air. The huge sound made the Regiment Commander and other Human below bend over in pain, covering their ears.
But compared to their abused ears, they were even more unable to believe what their eyes saw.
"What kind of joke is this!"
It turned out that those Lieutenant Colonels and Majors had performed a show of Sky Walk and Sword Slashing Artillery Shells for these Japanese people, and then directly charged towards the Artillery Position in the distance, giving them no chance to fire a second round of Bombardment at all.
After all, although the Soldiers of the Sea Star World were much stronger in Physique than the Human of this World, if they were hit by a Cannonball, they would still be injured, and possibly even die.
Thirty minutes later.
Tokyo side, the noisy and busy Army General Staff Headquarters.
"Report!"
"Kofu City has Fallen, the Forty-ninth Infantry Regiment has been Annihilated!"
Chief of General Staff Hasegawa's Expression turned ugly. He didn't expect an entire Elite Regiment to be wiped out so quickly. Just as he was about to open his mouth to issue an Order, another extremely panicked Report sounded.
"Report!"
"The First Division requests Support! Their Base has been Attacked!"
Chief of Staff Hasegawa was greatly alarmed. He suddenly stood up, supporting himself on the Meeting Table with both hands, and asked loudly, "How is this possible? They are in Tokyo!"
From Mount Fuji to Tokyo, although it looks close on the Map, it would take quite a few days to walk there on foot.
Could it be that the Troops were Ambushed in Tokyo in advance?
"How large is the Enemy Force?"
"Rep-Report, Division Commander Kigoshi said the Enemy Force is only one Human... but it's a Blond Giant holding a Long-Handled Greatsword who descended from the Sky!"
"Huh?"
(End of this chapter)