Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes.

Chapter 341, Section 88: The Great Chaos Begins

Although the temperature is getting colder day by day, the sunrise still brings some warmth to the citizens of Tokyo.

However, today's sunrise did not bring warmth as usual.

When the first group of early risers opened their windows or stepped onto their balconies to habitually gaze at the western horizon, they all froze in place, involuntarily rubbing their sleepy eyes, their drowsiness vanishing instantly.

"I'm crazy"

In the distance, a thick, jet-black pillar, connecting heaven and earth, rose from the direction of the original site of Mount Fuji, like a reversed column of water or rising smoke, recklessly polluting the once pure sky.

Centered on that black pillar, vast expanses of ominous, ink-stained dark clouds rapidly spread in all directions, suffocating the blue sky and gradually isolating the faint light of dawn from the earth.

"Mount Fuji... Here it comes again?!"

"No, impossible! Wasn't it already over?!"

"What is that black thing?!"

Panic once again overwhelmed people's fragile and sensitive nerves, quickly sweeping across the entire Tokyo metropolitan area.

The chaos that occurred a few months ago, triggered by Ashiya Dōman, which nearly shattered the entire order of Tokyo, is still fresh in my mind; the memory is vivid and painful.

Since then, the Doman wells and Ashiya mounds that were previously scattered throughout Japan have been targeted for destruction.

The authorities did indeed need these things to vent their anger, so they even publicized Ashiya Dōman's heinous crimes.

But now, the oppression buried by volcanic ash, the fear of invisible radiation, the pain of losing loved ones, and all the terrifying memories that were temporarily suppressed are awakening once again.

Mount Fuji, the sacred mountain that once carried the faith of countless Japanese people, has long since lost its image in the hearts of survivors.

It is not a sacred mountain symbolizing peace, but a demonic mountain that brings destruction.

Even now, though it has collapsed, it still refuses to let go of this land and the people struggling to survive on it.

"Run!"

"Leave Tokyo! We must leave Tokyo!"

The streets are filled with out-of-control crowds, and those who finally made up their minds to return home are now filled with regret.

I shouldn't have listened to the official advice and rushed back. Now, I've escaped the first disaster, but I can't escape the second.

Traffic conditions on the streets were fine, as a large number of vehicles were totaled in the last disaster, and the authorities had cleared away the abandoned vehicles.

Now, besides military vehicles, police cars, and ambulances speeding by, there are only a few public buses on the roads, and very few private cars.

Desperate crowds surged toward the buses that were traveling as scheduled, frantically pounding on the doors and windows, crying and pleading:

"Open the door! Please open the door! Take us away!"

"I'll go anywhere! As long as I leave Tokyo!"

"I'll give you the money! All my money is yours!"

However, all public buses are now escorted by fully armed soldiers.

They were somewhat nervous, gripping their rifles tightly, and ruthlessly rejected all requests.

Before receiving clear evacuation orders from their superiors, their mission was to ensure the safety of the vehicles themselves and to absolutely not allow out-of-control people to board them.

The order that Tokyo officials had painstakingly rebuilt was crumbling and on the verge of collapse within just one hour.

The headquarters of the Extraordinary Countermeasures Department, the underground command center.

"No?! I just applied to be transferred back!"

Leon couldn't hold back any longer.

He clutched his thinning hair in both hands, his face filled with disbelief.

He finally managed to persuade the president to transfer him back to the relatively safer Japan, citing the possibility that there might still be unsolved clues about Japan as the origin of the supernatural disaster.

His original idea was that the main focus of the superhumans' games had now shifted to Europe and America, while things were calm in Japan, which was the perfect time to slack off and enjoy the privileged life of the elite!
The results of it? !

Before they could even settle into their chairs, the devastating news arrived that the entire Watchers camp had been wiped out and that another strange event had occurred on Mount Fuji.

Now he's truly become the Grim Reaper; wherever he goes, disaster strikes.

"Ashiya Doman... Hasn't this guy been dealt with yet?! Or is some other supernatural being using this as an excuse to cause trouble?" Leon felt like he almost choked. "At least let me rest for a couple of days before coming out."

Now, the entire task of the countermeasures department is back on his shoulders.

Many people visibly breathed a sigh of relief. When the sky falls, there's always a tall person to hold it up, and Leon was that tall person.

"Minister, based on the clues we have so far," Genji reported quickly, "our initial assessment is that the resentful energy emanating from the restricted area of ​​Mount Fuji corrupted the spirits of the stationed soldiers, leading them to plan this destructive attack on Ishijizo."

"There were signs of this happening a few days ago, but unfortunately they were not taken seriously."

She paused, then added, "Perhaps Kurosaki's previous suggestion was correct. That area shouldn't have been stationed in the first place. Completely isolating it as an absolute no-go zone would have been the optimal solution. Having someone stationed there would only bring unpredictable risks."

Leon forced himself to calm down and rubbed his temples: "It's no use talking about this now. Given the circumstances at the time, studying that area was an imperative decision. Before the disaster, no one could have predicted the possibility of something like this happening."

His gaze fell on the satellite image on the main screen, the last clear image captured before the black rain completely enveloped the area, showing something seemingly crawling out of the abyss of Mount Fuji.

"The key now is to determine what this black rain, and what things might crawl out, will bring."

"A full retreat is too late. Do two things immediately: First, issue the highest-level disaster warning nationwide, activate a state of emergency, and require all citizens to immediately take refuge in shelters or sturdy buildings, strictly prohibiting them from going out; second, all armed forces should immediately enter a state of high alert and, according to the pre-set plan for protecting Ksitigarbha, immediately assemble around the stone Ksitigarbha statues in major cities to establish a defensive line! Under no circumstances should we fail to ensure the absolute safety of the remaining stone Ksitigarbha statues!"

"I will inform them about the superhumans, but Muramasa Taki and the others will definitely not be back so soon, and I don't know how many superhumans there are in Tokyo right now."

"Moreover, the spread of this dark cloud is too exaggerated. It seems to be heading towards the whole of Japan. Even if it is a superhuman, there is probably very little they can do."

"So in the short term, we can only rely on ourselves."

"You must protect your own country!"

Heisei Ryu is still recovering from his injuries in London with Kurosaki. Collins took him there to gather more clues, so Leon returned alone. For the time being, the only person he can use is Minamoto Himeko.

Hirosue Eri also returned, but she disappeared immediately upon her return and cannot be contacted.

With a solemn expression, Genji nodded and noted the order down, then immediately relayed it to the Prime Minister.

After a brief process, the various departments began to operate.

Putting everything else aside, Japan currently possesses the most extraordinary response plans in the entire world.

The execution speed is also quite fast; regardless of the cost, just look at how fast it is.

Orders were sent to all parts of the country through the still-functioning communication network.

On the streets of Tokyo, broadcasts blared incessantly in response to sirens.

"A state of emergency declaration for a particularly serious disaster is hereby issued for the entire Tokyo metropolitan area and surrounding potentially affected areas!"

"All citizens, please take the following actions immediately."

After the initial hour of chaos, most citizens, realizing they had no way to escape Tokyo, reluctantly returned to their homes or flooded into designated underground shelters under the strong guidance of the military and police and repeated broadcasts, trembling as they awaited their unknown fate.

However, some observant people have noticed that the movements of the military, police, and self-defense forces are very regular.

Most of them gathered around the stone Ksitigarbha statues throughout the city and began setting up roadblocks and defenses.

"Can those Ksitigarbha Bodhisattvas still protect us?"

"Quick! Go to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's place! That's definitely the safest place!"

The instinct for survival drives people.

More and more people ran out of their homes and spontaneously gathered around the nearest stone Ksitigarbha statue.

They dared not get too close to disturb the army's deployment, but they all tried to stay within a range where they could clearly see the Ksitigarbha statue, as if the silent stone statue could bring a vague sense of security.

Narita Airport.

The last commercial airliner cleared for takeoff took off from the runway amidst the desperate cries and curses of countless passengers who were unable to board.

The cabin was packed with passengers who were still shaken but secretly relieved.

Most of them are political and business celebrities, foreign nationals, or people with special connections.

"Thank God! We're finally out!"

"This is terrible! I'm never going back to Tokyo! This place is a cursed land!"

"The authorities have been lying to us! They said we were safe! Liars!!"

Amidst the clamor of relief, the plane continued to climb, and the buildings on the ground gradually became smaller.

However, passengers soon noticed that something was wrong.

The clouds outside the window are the wrong color.

That wasn't an ordinary rain cloud, but a strange black that looked like ink had been splashed on it and was spreading out continuously.

And this terrifying blackness is spreading from the direction of Mount Fuji!

Tick.

A pool of thick, black liquid, resembling crude oil or asphalt, slammed heavily onto the porthole, slowly sliding down and leaving behind disgusting stains.

"Then what is that?"

"Is it raining? It's fucking black rain?!"

Panic instantly spread through the cabin. Then, even more black rain pelted the plane, quickly covering the entire fuselage, completely obscuring the view outside the windows!

The plane suddenly began to shake violently.

"Return to base! Get the captain back to base immediately!"

"Back to the airport! Go back!"

"The US military isn't going to do anything about the oil falling from the sky?!"

Those who were just celebrating their escape weren't fools; they knew perfectly well that the current situation was definitely not a good thing.

Inside the cabin, passengers were screaming, and chaos reigned.

But the captain knew that returning to base at this point would be riskier, even though their windows were almost completely black. The best option at this point would be to climb quickly and reach the stratosphere.

However, at this moment, various instruments kept sounding alarms, the shaking became more and more violent, and the crackling sounds were like a series of firecrackers.

After the captain saw what had happened through the instruments, his eyes became vacant, he let out a soft sigh, and looked at the equally desperate co-pilot with despair.

"Do you think the Underworld exists?"

boom!
A loud explosion came from the right engine!
The flames instantly ignited the black grime plastered on the plane. This stuff couldn't possibly be crude oil, but it seemed to possess some of the properties of crude oil, such as its flammability.

Flames quickly engulfed the wings and fuselage. The plane instantly lost control, billowing smoke and flames, and plummeted desperately towards the earth shrouded in black rain.
The passenger plane, which had barely escaped Tokyo, turned into a shooting star and returned to the Earth in less than ten minutes.

Meanwhile, in Tokyo city proper.

People sheltering in their homes or in refugees anxiously looked out their windows. But all they saw was normal rain.

But if someone looks up at the sky, they will see a breathtaking scene.

Dark clouds drifted by, and black rain poured down.

But in the sky above the city, it was as if invisible, enormous umbrellas had been unfurled!
The thick, black rain poured down, but hundreds of meters above the ground, it struck a transparent barrier invisible to the naked eye, rippling out in circles of soft light.

It was these ripples that made the outline of the barrier clearly visible. They were huge, semi-circular light shields, like inverted bowls, firmly protecting different areas of the city beneath them.

The black rain, blocked by the barrier, seemed to be purified and neutralized, turning into harmless ordinary rainwater before continuing to fall.

Some people realized that the center of these protective shields was none other than the stone statues!

"It's Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva! The Bodhisattva is protecting us!"

"Waaaaah! Quick, quick, go pray to the Bodhisattva!"

Countless desperate people, upon witnessing this scene, were moved to tears and knelt down to pray in the direction of the Stone Ksitigarbha.

After experiencing a series of extraordinary disasters, the official credibility plummeted, and these stone statues that had dispelled radiation became a source of solace for many.

This can be seen from the proliferation of Ksitigarbha sects.

So some people started leaving their homes and heading towards the nearest stone Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, instinctively feeling that the closer they were to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the more protection they would receive.

Order began to be rapidly restored, centered around the stone statue. People spontaneously organized themselves to assist the military and police in maintaining order, although the military strictly prohibited anyone from getting too close to the statue itself.

However, protection is not boundless.

The distribution of Ishijizo statues is mainly concentrated in the Kanto Plain and the urban cluster around Mount Fuji, which were previously the most severely affected by volcanic ash.

Several are found as far as Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures. However, once you cross the Fuji River to the west or leave the Kanto Plain to the east, there are no more stone Jizo statues.

The people in those areas can only hope for the best now.

(End of this chapter)