30. Chapter 30: Playing God, Part Two

"Sigh."

"Is the subway in Arakawa Ward blocked again?"

On the train, Amame Ei looked at the notification on her phone and tilted her head.

"Who knows? Maybe it's an aftershock from yesterday's earthquake?"

Regarding this, the 'culprit' who was resting with his eyes closed shrugged, maintaining an 'it has nothing to do with me' attitude.

"It wasn't like this yesterday—"

Amame Ei, nearly letting it slip, raised a hand to cover her mouth. If it weren't for 'little Kazuha,' they would surely have assumed Arakawa Ward was just dealing with an earthquake, right?

Although, the news Nagisa Kazuha heard from her parents was also a covered-up lie.

"Nao-chan, what are you reading?"

"Study notes."

With two beautiful girls snuggled up beside him, the people in the carriage cast envious gazes toward Akihi Yu.

The three of them were on the train heading to Imperial Sakura High School after school.

As for worrying about the beautiful girls attracting train molesters?

That was a thing of the past!

There had indeed been many molesters on the trains of the Island Nation once.

Later, as such behavior was continuously reported and fermented, rising to the level of 'national shame,' the Metropolitan Police Department struck with an iron fist. Coupled with the cost of 'social death' once caught, it had long since become nearly extinct.

As long as a female student pointed someone out as a 'train molester,' it was almost equivalent to an on-the-spot conviction. Even if it went to court, the loss rate was as high as ninety-seven percent, followed immediately by being forced to resign from work, having personal information exposed, and being thoroughly abandoned by society.

Therefore, the office workers in the carriage all held their hands high, gripping the handrails, wishing they could write 'I am impotent' on their faces.

They were already tired enough from working every day; they dared not hope for any youthful encounters. All they had were fears of being framed for extortion.

It's not like that pretty boy—

Numerous gazes filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred swept over Akihi Yu.

Yet, Akihi Yu, who was resting with his eyes closed, was distracted, controlling the battle from afar.

BOOM!

An armor-piercing shell slammed into the forehead of the Earthquake Catfish.

The tungsten steel warhead instantly pierced the flat skull of the giant black fish, flew out from its 'back,' and nailed itself into the building behind it.

The massive Earthquake Catfish continued to swim forward as if it hadn't felt a thing, heading straight to chase down a Type 87 Armored Patrol Vehicle. Director Takeya and the others, observing everything through the cameras, pondered this while issuing another order.

"Use high-explosive anti-tank shells."

While the Earthquake Catfish was pursuing the Type 87 Armored Patrol Vehicle, a Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle rotated its turret, aiming at the swimming Earthquake Catfish.

BOOM!

BOOM!!!

As the muzzle spat fire, the massive body of the Earthquake Catfish suddenly shuddered, and a stream of 'flame' erupted from the other side of its body.

No, that wasn't 'flame,' but a metal jet ejected at 9,000 meters per second!

Unlike the 'armor-piercing shell' that passed straight through, the damage caused by the high-explosive anti-tank shell was even more horrifying. However, the giant Earthquake Catfish only became more frenzied, abandoning the Type 87 Armored Patrol Vehicle to lunge toward the Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle instead.

"As expected."

"This 'transcendent creature' has no vital organs or brain."

After successive probes, most of the people in the command center had an idea. Since the opponent's body wasn't particularly sturdy, then—

"Use squash head shells."

Although it was regrettable, they couldn't let this 'Earthquake Catfish' continue to run wild; even if it was Arakawa Ward, it was still Tokyo!

To deal with various situations, the armored unit sent by the First Division carried a variety of warheads, and even the 'outdated' squash head shells were prepared. Across the street, a Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle stopped and silently aimed at the 'Earthquake Catfish.'

BOOM!!

The muzzle spat out gunpowder smoke, and a massive fireball instantly engulfed the 'Earthquake Catfish.'

In modern armored vehicle combat, the scenes from movies where a shell creates a fireball shooting into the sky don't happen unless an ammunition rack is hit and detonates.

Armor-piercing shells are kinetic energy projectiles that use high-strength alloy warheads to forcibly chisel through defenses; in short, it is a 'physical attack' of brute force. High-explosive anti-tank shells use a metal jet formed by the explosion of a shaped charge to penetrate armor, which can be seen as a 'magic attack.'

Squash head shells, on the other hand, use plastic explosives to create a shockwave upon exploding against the armor plate.

By using overpressure to collapse the inner layer of the armor into fragments to kill personnel inside the vehicle and damage equipment, it can be seen as a 'concussive attack.'

At the same time, squash head shells can also be used as high-explosive shells!

After one squash head shell hit, the scene it caused was truly spectacular: smoke and dust rose a dozen meters high, as if they had instantly arrived in the war-torn Middle East.

Such attacks have little effect on modern armor plated with composite materials and covered in explosive reactive armor, often resulting in "smoke but no damage."

However, for an extraordinary creature like the Earthquake Catfish, it is a fatal blow!

Amidst the explosion, countless fragments splashed outward; the large amount of vermilion wood chips were the remnants of the Torii that once existed on its back.

Impressive.

Far away on a train, Akihi Yu, who was closing his eyes to control his clone, couldn't help but marvel.

The power of modern weaponry is not inferior to a Jonin.

If Akihi Yu were on the scene, he would have been blown to pieces long ago.

But that extraordinary existence, which the Island Nation police called the "Earthquake Catfish," was merely a creation of his Ninjutsu.

If it's destroyed, he can just create another one.

"Did we get it?"

In Nishio-gu Town, Arakawa Ward, where thick smoke was rising, observers in the armored vehicles stared at the center of the explosion; meanwhile, the big shots far away at the Metropolitan Police Department were also watching the screens nervously.

The dust and smoke gradually dissipated, revealing a small, broken section of the Torii and a ground covered in rubble.

Hoo...

"It seems we have won."

Adjusting his non-prescription glasses, Director Takeya finished his victory statement, and the image before him suddenly changed.

"ROAR!!!"

The steam-whistle sound transformed into a vigorous roar.

A massive figure suddenly soared into the sky from the center of the explosion!

"Earthquake Catfish?"

"It didn't die... No, it got stronger?!"

Almost everyone witnessing the Earthquake Catfish had this thought flash through their minds.

Because the Black Fish, which was only ten meters long before, had now become a super-giant monster of twenty meters!

Twenty meters might not sound like much. However, a standard heavy-duty truck is only six meters long, and even the heavy-duty flatbed trucks with 12 wheels known as "Hundred-Ton Kings" are only 17 meters long.

Most classic fighter jets are around twenty meters; however, unlike the "slender" fighter jets, this Earthquake Catfish was clearly a short and stout fellow.

The Earthquake Catfish, having raised its head from the center of the explosion, heavily "slammed" its body onto the street.

Rumble rumble rumble!!!

Visible ripples of shockwaves seeped into the ground, and the entire battlefield trembled and shook violently, as if it were a drumhead being struck rapidly and hard! Large swaths of the concrete street, along with trees and paving stones, were violently flipped over by the peerless force, shattering into rolling smoke mixed with tens or hundreds of tons of rubble.

Earth-Style: Earth-Splitting Palm

Under this continuous vibration, countless spiderweb-like cracks spread wildly across the surrounding buildings that were shaking violently, and finally:

The buildings erected by humans could no longer withstand it; steel bars twisted and deformed, and earth and stone poured down like a swift waterfall, collapsing with a roar and stirring up thousands of lingering shockwaves.

Very good, it leveled up!

In the neighboring Bunkyo Ward, Akihi Yu, who had just stepped out of the subway station, saw a flash in his eyes.

Unlike other "Fire-Style" or "Lightning-Style" techniques that are too flashy to be seen in public, Genjutsu is silent, defeating enemies with a mere thought; Earth-Style sneaks underground and can be cast anywhere in the earth.

In the high-intensity confrontation with the military, Earth-Style was the first to break through to the Chunin level, unlocking all C-rank Earth-Style techniques!

Good!

Having obtained a large number of new Ninjutsu, the means at his disposal had become much more abundant.

While walking toward Imperial Sakura School with the class monitor Nao and Amame Ei, Akihi Yu rapidly scanned the new Ninjutsu in his mind while simultaneously controlling the even more massive Earthquake Catfish to sweep its gaze over the staggering Self-Defense Force.

It is time for a counterattack!

Inhale—

The giant fish opened its huge mouth and took a deep breath.

Spit—

Countless tiny stones flew out from its massive sharp teeth, expanding in mid-air to become millstone-sized rocks, and then, under the influence of gravity:

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!

Earth-Style: Rock Swarm Cannon Technique

Dense rocks fell like rain, as if thrown by medieval heavy catapults.

But when the quantity reaches a certain level, even the most advanced steel tanks will fall under such dense "rock rain."

Machine guns were smashed into parts, the barrels of autocannons were bent, and even the main gun barrels were twisted under the bombardment of giant rocks. The entire First Division of the Self-Defense Force collapsed on the spot.

This was no normal battle between two armies; it was a complete ambush with "no intelligence," "no preparation," and "no plan." Facing the increasingly formidable Earthquake Catfish, they had no means of counterattack left other than cowering in their armored vehicles.

No, that is not entirely true.

"Attack helicopters, fire air-to-ground missiles!"

At this point, Director Takeya gave the order with bloodshot eyes. Although this command completely exceeded his authority, he could no longer afford to care.

Below the helicopters that had climbed to a higher altitude, missiles whistled as they streaked toward the even more massive Earthquake Catfish below. A single one of these missiles was enough to blast an ordinary building into rubble. Even high-strength reinforced concrete structures could hardly withstand such continuous bombardment. However:

"How can this be?"

"Damn it, is it truly immortal?!"

"Hey, are we fighting Antaeus?"

In the Metropolitan Police Department's operations room, Brigadier General Thomas looked at the screen where the giant catfish, repeatedly wounded by missiles, would "burrow" into the earth and emerge completely unscathed, and could not help but speak up.

Antaeus, A giant in Greek mythology, the son of the Earth Goddess Gaia and the Sea God Poseidon.

It is said that Antaeus possessed infinite strength; as long as he maintained contact with the earth, he was invincible.

Later, Heracles discovered the secret of Antaeus, lifted him into the air to prevent him from drawing power from Gaia, and finally strangled him to death.

"Then, do we have any way to make this fish leave the earth?"

Facing Brigadier General Thomas's question, the chaotic operations room fell into silence.

"I believe,"

The head priest of Yushima Tenmangu spoke again.

"The Torii carried on the back of the Earthquake Catfish is likely the barrier sealing its power and demonic nature."

"The current Earthquake Catfish is not only more formidable, but its desire to attack has also become much higher."

"Then what should we do?"

Director Takeya, his eyes blood-red, turned his head abruptly.

The Metropolitan Police Department had evacuated the surrounding residents at the very first opportunity.

But the scene had already been reduced to a mess; not to mention the casualties of the Self-Defense Force, how could they explain this current situation to the public?

Counter-terrorism?

Even terrorists would have their legs turn to jelly at the sight of this!

"Mr. Takeya, you had better consider how to intercept this supernatural creature."

Brigadier General Thomas's words brought the Director of the Metropolitan Police Department back to his senses.

On the surveillance screen, the Self-Defense Force had already abandoned the fight, and the giant Earthquake Catfish seemed to have lost interest, suddenly plunging into the earth.

The next second, its massive body emerged from a park several streets away.

Immediately after, it submerged into the soil again, as if...

"The Earthquake Catfish is moving at high speed underground!"

"The target is..."

"Bunkyo Ward?!"