As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider.

Chapter 87 The Ambitious Man's Declaration of War

The sudden news was like a red-hot branding iron, searing the hearts of every member present.

"Now, the urgent matter is whether or not to let the awakened ones in the base know about the impending mutation."

As Ozawa finished speaking, the faces of everyone present became grave under the cold, white light. Hojo Toru spoke up: "I believe we must completely control information."

He stepped forward, his tone grave: "There are nearly a thousand people in the base, the majority of whom are elderly, weak, women, and children. Once the truth about the anomaly spreads, the already tense morale will collapse instantly. Awakened individuals will be isolated and ostracized, and civilians will fall into panic. We'll be in chaos on our own, without even waiting for the monsters and the Alliance to make a move."

"We cannot block the news."

Ozawa spoke up in rebuttal.

"It can't be hidden." She looked at everyone, "but we can't tell everything either. Hojo's decision wasn't entirely wrong; panic is more deadly than any other possibility."

She quickly defined the boundaries of information disclosure: the five core members were fully informed of the truth;

The medical and defense teams were only told that the emotional overload of awakened individuals could lead to a power rampage, and that they needed to closely observe signs such as hand tremors, red pupils, and abnormal heat on the body surface. If any signs were found, they should be immediately suppressed with sedatives and sent to the isolation area.

Ordinary civilians only need to know that the base has set up a special "Awakened Ones Rest Area" to help those companions who are unwell.

The isolation zone was located in the weapons storage room at the deepest part of the base, where there was an independent ventilation system and reinforced walls. Ozawa personally recalibrated the sensitivity of the energy monitoring equipment, adjusting the threshold to the lowest level that could detect the precursors of anomalies.

After deployment, she turned to Takahiro Omuro: "Raise the radar accuracy to 5 meters, and record the mutations, awakened ones..."

Three energy waveforms are identified by the warning sound.

"Understood!" Takahiro Omuro replied, his fingers beginning to fly across the keyboard.

"Hikawa, Hojo," Ozawa turned to the two, "the search cannot stop, but it can no longer be a large-scale operation. Switch to two-person teams, traveling light and quickly. Medicines and medical supplies should be the top priority."

Hikawa Makoto stood at attention and saluted. Hojo Toru simply leaned against the control panel and nodded slightly.

Lin Chen noticed this.

Since returning from the news headquarters, Toru Hojo has been like a different person. He no longer confronts Makoto Hikawa head-on, nor does he mock Ozawa's orders. Although he can still be sharp-tongued, he has changed a lot from before.

Lin Chen didn't ask.

He leaned against the corner of the wall, his right hand in his pocket, the cold metal casing of his Didi phone. His senses quietly spread; life within a 500-meter radius flickered like fireflies. In the lower shelter, Sato Yuki's heartbeat was steady and gentle, like a small, warm stove stubbornly shining in the cold underground space—an anchor point Lin Chen had specifically placed for her.

For the next two days, the entire G3 base was on high alert.

On the surface, the lights in the shelter remained steady, and the whispers of children and the soft coughs of the elderly mingled together. But everyone knew that the shadow of the anomaly hung over their heads like a sharp blade, ready to fall at any moment.

Lin Chen took the initiative to take on the task of covert night patrols, his figure moving silently like a shadow.

Inside the base, civilians barely managed to make ends meet.

The food rations have been reduced to two biscuits and 100 milliliters of warm water per person.

Genji Sato donated the last of the noodle shop's ingredients, Yuko Nakamura used her healing glow to comfort the sick children, and Yuki Sato held crayon drawings of knights and smiling faces, telling stories to each child one by one, using their innocence to dispel their fear.

Hikawa Makoto stayed at the shelter, repeatedly confirming the emergency exits. Hojo Toru led the temporary defense team to reinforce the fortifications, while Omuro Takahiro guarded the radar station, his eyes bloodshot.

Two days later, the G3 transport vehicle was fully modified. Matte black non-metallic armor covered the body, an anti-magnetic shielding coating completely eliminated the possibility of metal manipulation, and it was equipped with run-flat tires and an emergency shield, tripling its defensive strength. However, the moment the equipment was ready, Tokyo had completely changed.

Ryuichi Kurosaki's New Human Alliance, using the most rational and ruthless methods, completed its control over Tokyo.

This former executive director of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries did not choose mindless arson, murder, and looting, but instead seized control of the Metropolitan Police Department and the city government with minimal force.

He personally eliminated the rioters who burned, killed, and looted within the Alliance, leaving only two hundred well-organized high-level Awakened. He executed only twelve armed police officers who resisted, thus dismantling all the remaining forces of the old regime.

Using the management mindset of Mitsubishi executives, he established a cruel hierarchical order in Tokyo: Awakened individuals wore gold badges, enjoyed priority in resource allocation, and lived in the Ginza Fortress; ordinary civilians wore white armbands, worked eight hours a day in exchange for barely enough food to fill their stomachs; and rebels were marked with black and driven to abandoned areas to fend for themselves.

In just two days, the core area of ​​Tokyo was completely under control. Transportation, communication, energy, and supplies were all controlled by the alliance. Kurosaki also obtained all the intelligence on the G3 secret underground base through the Metropolitan Police Department's database.

He was aware of the power of the G3-X armor and the core technology of Sumiko Ozawa. In Kurosaki's view, the G3 base was the last stumbling block to his rule over Tokyo, and it had to be completely removed.

Just as everyone at G3 Base was preparing to continue searching for supplies, all the screens at the base suddenly started displaying static, and the emergency broadcast system emitted a crackling electrical noise. Kurosaki Ryuichi's figure filled the entire screen. He was dressed in a sharp suit and stood on a ten-meter-high metal command platform.

"All personnel at G3 Base, listen up! I'm giving you one hour to respond. First, surrender unconditionally and hand over the complete technical blueprints for the G3-X armor; second, disperse all Awakened refugees within the base and hand over control of the base." Kurosaki's gaze seemed to pierce through the base's defenses, looking directly through the screen.

"If you refuse to surrender, I will permanently cut off all supplies to the base, flatten your defenses, and leave no room for retreat."

In the scene, 527 Awakened Ones are lined up and waiting for orders. The light of flames, rocks, energy and metal intertwine and flicker. The dark mass of people stretches as far as the eye can see, locking onto the direction of the base.

The control room fell into dead silence, and everyone's faces were grim.

Sumiko Ozawa quickly analyzed the situation: "Kurosaki's core objective is G3 technology, not mindless slaughter. He wants absolute control of Tokyo. We still have room to maneuver."

Hikawa Makoto, clutching the G3-X helmet, declared, "Captain Ozawa, I'll guard the main entrance to the base! G3-X will be on full alert. Even if it means being shattered to pieces, we will never let the Allied forces set foot in the shelter!"

Hojo Toru simply loaded his sidearm to show his resolve.

Takahiro Omuro stared intently at the radar screen, his glasses slipping down to his nose without him bothering to push them back up. His hands flew across the keyboard: "The Allied forces, with 200 energy signals, divided into four echelons—east, south, west, and north—are gradually closing in! The left flank vanguard has begun moving and is 100 meters from the base!"

Everyone was taking action when Lin Chen suddenly spoke up.

"I can kill them all," Lin Chen said, his words startling. In his view, over 200 Awakened Ones were nothing. The Earth Emperor's Ultimate Kill could instantly vaporize everyone, but slaughter was not the solution. He chose to say it aloud to see what choice Xiao Ze and the others would make.

Everyone was taken aback by Lin Chen's words. But remembering how easily Lin Chen had handled the Unknown, they fell silent for a moment.

"I will stop them, and you can decide their fate in the end."

After speaking, he took out the Earth Emperor's phone from his pocket. The dark gold casing gleamed with a chilling light under the cold glare. With his senses spread out, the auras of the twelve high-level ability users of the Alliance Army could be clearly discerned within 500 meters. Those violent energy fluctuations were like wild beasts that would devour their prey.

He remembered Grandpa Sato's hot soup, Xiaoxue's innocent smile, and Nakamura Yuko's gentle comfort.

Although he didn't like pointless killing, he wasn't a soft-hearted person either.

Lin Chen walked towards the main entrance of the base, becoming the first and most solid line of defense between the shelter and the enemy.

Almost simultaneously, Takahiro Omuro broke the silence in the control room: "Encirclement complete! The main entrance to the base and both emergency exits have been blocked by the Allied forces!"

A high-frequency red alarm blared throughout the base, and a pale blue hemispherical energy barrier suddenly deployed, firmly protecting the base entrance. Blue light flowed across the barrier, resisting external pressure. Automated defense weapons slowly emerged from the walls, their dark muzzles aimed at the approaching Allied forces.

Put aside your surprise at what Lin Chen said for now.

Sumiko Ozawa calmly issued the defense commands: "Activate the base's highest defense mode! Fully engage energy barriers! Automatic weapons on standby!"

The deployment of forces was completed in an instant. Lin Chen stood in the very center of the energy barrier, his Earth Emperor belt fastened, dark golden photon blood slowly flowing through his body, his back to the shelter, facing the dark mass of the Allied forces:

Hikawa Makoto donned his G3-X armor and stood guard at the eastern emergency exit, the last exit of the shelter. He cocked his GM-02 beam rifle and locked his gaze firmly to the flank.

Hojo Toru led the temporary defense team to hide behind fortifications at the western ventilation shaft, preparing for street fighting to tie down the enemy; Omuro Takahiro was in the main control room, operating defensive weapons and keeping track of the enemy's movements in real time; Ozawa Sumiko was in charge of the central command, with the medical team on standby, ready to treat the wounded at any time.

Outside the base, Kurosaki Ryuichi slowly raised his right hand, and the metal fragments around him instantly became sharp as blades. The vanguard of the Allied Forces marched with steady steps, beginning to approach the energy barrier. The acrid smell of flames scorching the air wafted into the base, and the energy beams of the Allied Forces illuminated the night sky, creating a life-or-death standoff with the base's blue barrier.

Inside the shelter, Sato Yuki clutched her crayon drawing tightly, covering her mouth to stifle a sob; Sato Genji gripped the rolling pin tightly, standing in front of the children; Nakamura Yuko held the hand of the injured civilian, using her meager healing abilities to soothe the panic.

Lin Chen stood before the barrier, the Earth Emperor's belt emitting a faint hum. He gazed at the endless Allied Army before him, and at Kurosaki Ryuichi, who was sneering in the distance, his eyes narrowing slightly.