Reactions from All Sides

Chiyoda Ward.

Outside the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Nagata-cho, the crowd surged, a forest of countless microphones and cameras standing tall.

This area is adjacent to Kasumigaseki, where the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters is located. Although it is called the Prime Minister's Official Residence, the Prime Minister of the Island Nation actually resides in the official residence next door; the office building serves as a place for high-ranking cabinet officials to work and release important news.

At this moment, in front of the Prime Minister's Official Residence, the government spokesperson, the Chief Cabinet Secretary, was holding a press conference with a grave expression.

"The above is the complete sequence of events regarding the major earthquake and terrorist attack in Arakawa Ward on the 17th of this month. The perpetrators have been neutralized on the spot."

"The injured have been sent to nearby hospitals and have received proper care and medical treatment."

"We have already arrested the remaining members of the terrorist organization."

The Chief Cabinet Secretary spoke with practiced precision. According to his description—and indeed, all official reports:

The major casualty incident that occurred yesterday in Nishio-gu Town, Arakawa Ward, was a tragedy born from the intersection of natural disaster and human error.

First, a shallow-focus "subsidence earthquake" occurred in Arakawa Ward, with a magnitude of 6.4 at the epicenter. Fortunately, this was merely a brief "isolated earthquake," and aside from the epicenter in Arakawa Ward, it had no impact on other regions, and so on.

Earthquakes are not only formed by the movement of continental plates; volcanic eruptions, ground subsidence, meteorite impacts, and the like can all trigger them.

There are even man-made earthquakes: underground nuclear explosions, industrial blasting, high-pressure water injection in deep wells, and the filling of large reservoirs can all potentially trigger seismic activity.

The reporters were relatively convinced by this explanation.

After all, when it comes to the study of "earthquakes," if the Island Nation claims second place, who would dare claim first?

In this earthquake, the yakuza organization "Taoka Gang" did not participate in disaster relief; instead, they looted during the chaos. Their actions were truly heinous, and the incident has been classified as a terrorist attack!

These "terrorists" possessed automatic rifles that are difficult for civilians in the Island Nation to obtain. During the suppression process, they detonated natural gas pipelines, resulting in dozens of casualties.

Although dozens of casualties sound like a lot, in reality:

It was just that.

As information becomes more accessible, one hears news every ten days or so about hundreds of casualties in some earthquake or dozens in some road collapse. Not to mention the Middle East, where death has become a daily routine, with hospitals and schools being wiped out one after another. Compared to that, these casualties are completely insignificant.

It's not even as bad as the neighboring South Korea, where a single stampede resulted in over 300 casualties!

After mourning for just half a month, isn't everywhere else back to singing and dancing?

It even became a tourist hotspot for social media influencers.

"Hello, I am a reporter from XXX Agency."

A reporter with curly hair and tanned skin raised his hand immediately after the Chief Cabinet Secretary finished his statement.

"Regarding this attack, why were reporters not allowed to enter the scene? Also, regarding the rumors circulating on the internet..."

Facing the foreign reporter with his hand raised high, the Chief Cabinet Secretary did not patiently answer as he usually would at press conferences; instead, he simply gathered his notes and turned to leave.

More interestingly, the reporters from America, Canada, England, and other countries—who usually fear nothing but peace—all kept their eyes down, showing not the slightest bit of doubt toward the words of the Island Nation's Chief Cabinet Secretary.

It was just an earthquake and a terrorist attack, nothing more!

"Hey, hey, hey,"

"I just went on a mission, and such an incredible thing happened?"

Back at the Metropolitan Police Department, Iori Ichika slumped into the sofa, propped her feet up on the glass coffee table, and couldn't help but grumble as she picked up the remote to turn on the TV.

The television screen was playing the Chief Cabinet Secretary's press conference, even interspersing footage captured by surveillance cameras of the "terrorist organization attacking the crowd with guns." Although it only lasted ten seconds, it was very realistic: suits, floral shirts, slicked-back hair, scarred faces, and various long and short firearms. And:

"Aren't these guys just the bastards from the Third Division of the Organized Crime Division?"

Although the terrorists didn't show their "full faces" and some blurring had been applied, Iori Ichika recognized these colleagues by their builds.

Even many of the "innocent passersby" fleeing the scene were familiar faces from the Public Security Bureau.

"They certainly look the part,"

As expected of the government's power; they arrange exactly what the public should know and what they shouldn't with perfect clarity.

"Chief, this destruction was caused by the 'Earthquake Catfish'!"

Teng Seishi, standing straight nearby with her hands behind her back, spoke with a serious expression.

As the first police officer to come into contact with the "Earthquake Catfish," she remembered the characteristics of this transcendent creature vividly; she also knew clearly that the "giant craters" flashing across the screen were definitely not caused by natural gas pipeline explosions!

"Yes,"

"It was that thing."

To this police officer who had just been transferred under her command, Iori Ichika, leaning on the sofa in a "boss" posture, spoke bluntly.

"I heard it had a showdown with the Self-Defense Force in Nishio-gu Town yesterday. Just the number of armored vehicles completely scrapped reached six, and the resulting losses are as high as ten billion!"

"Damn... transcendents!"

At this, the mature policewoman Teng Seishi, standing tall with her chest out like a spear, gritted her teeth in indignation.

"Ha, that's the world for you—the weak are prey to the strong."

She patted the sofa beside her.

"Don't just stand there, sit."

"Yes."

As her superior spoke, Teng Seishi sat down beside her.

Her legs were pressed together, hands resting on her knees, her spine held straight.

"You, you're just too serious."

Regarding this new subordinate of hers, Iori Ichika shook her head, though she didn't say much else.

"Write a report on the experimental status of 'Mrs. Inoue' and submit it; I need to turn it in to finish the job."

"Yes, Chief!"

"Terrorist attack?"

Holding an umbrella in one hand and scrolling through her phone with the other.

Walking down the hallway, the young man Kishida Jun couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth after reading the report.

It was all lies.

What earthquake, what terrorist attack—in reality, it was a supernatural event!

The Earthquake Catfish had battled the modern military; the police and the Self-Defense Force couldn't hold it back, and in the end, it was only by a 'Divine Child' casting a spell that it was finally subdued.

That's right, Kishida Jun knew the truth clearly.

Because he had been at the scene!

He attended the Tokyo Metropolitan Koishikawa Secondary Education School, which was also located in Bunkyo Ward. After sensing the aura of the 'Sessho-seki', he had quietly rushed over and blended into the crowd to witness it with his own eyes:

After the Torii on its back was destroyed by high-explosive shells, the Earthquake Catfish had gone 'berserk' on the spot, slaughtering everyone in its path!

The Torii on the Earthquake Catfish's back was a barrier sealing it away?

Thinking of this, Kishida Jun secretly felt lucky.

He had previously hunted that 'Earthquake Catfish', and he felt that other than being able to burrow through the earth, it didn't have any real skills.

Although it was massive, causing buildings to collapse and roads to sink as it moved, it posed little threat to Kishida Jun, who could manipulate water currents and move with agility.

What he hadn't expected was that this was merely the opponent's 'first form'.

After the Torii on its back was destroyed, the 'second form' of the Earthquake Catfish was several times more powerful, beating the Self-Defense Force until they couldn't even lift their heads.

Of course, this was also because the battlefield was in Tokyo: many heavy weapons couldn't be deployed effectively.

"What a pity."

Inside that Earthquake Catfish were a significant number of 'Sessho-seki'.

During his previous pursuit, the creature had once spat out a fragment of 'Sessho-seki' to create Flame Skeletons.

But now that it had been subdued by the shrine's 'Divine Child', combined with the respectful attitude the police and soldiers held toward the 'Divine Child'.

Facing the police and the military simultaneously, while also having to deal with a 'Divine Child' whose other methods were unknown, Kishida Jun wisely abandoned his plans to obtain the Sessho-seki from the 'Earthquake Catfish'.

There were no other auras of Sessho-seki nearby; it seemed he would have to expand the scope of his 'hunt'.

"Kishida-kun."

Just as the young man was walking and thinking, a voice called out to him.

"Teacher Kuryo?"

The person who stopped him was a young female teacher wearing a professional tight-fitting skirt.

"Kishida-kun, don't play on your phone while walking, and also..."

The female teacher's gaze swept over the umbrella in Kishida Jun's hand.

"A person shouldn't always be immersed in sorrow."

Regarding this student's circumstances, the female teacher felt great sympathy, and perhaps even a touch of envy.

After all, in this era, people who could still remember their girlfriend with such deep affection were few and far between.

"You still have a bright future, and you still have your parents—"

"Teacher, what do you think constitutes a successful life?"

Interrupted by Kishida Jun's question, the female teacher answered without a second thought:

"A life without regrets."

Damn.

That's not something I should have said.

"That's right, Teacher."

"The things I am doing now, I will never regret."

Kishida Jun wasn't provoked by these words; instead, he nodded in agreement.

"Please rest assured, Teacher."

"I won't fall behind on my studies. Well then—"

Watching the student who had once again taken leave citing 'poor health,' the young female teacher stood stunned.

"To actually be overwhelmed by the aura of a student."

"Kuryo, oh Kuryo, you really are an incompetent teacher."

"Hmm?"

After deliberately circling the area several times and finding nothing unusual near the target, Tanimura Wataru finally walked into the old housing complex before him.

The so-called 'housing complex' was a product of the last century. As large numbers of the rural population flooded into cities, the rapid population growth led to a housing shortage. Consequently, the government mimicked the former housing corporations and built countless such complexes all over the country.

'Housing complex' could be understood literally—marking out a plot of land for residence.

When these complexes were first built, it was the era of the Island Nation's economic takeoff, featuring convenient electricity, running water, and a lifestyle that leaned more toward the West.

In that era, the housing complex represented progress and civilization, which is why tags like 'complex wife' frequently appeared in many 'Island Nation art films': the gentle, highly educated husband would go out to work, and the young wife at home would encounter a domestic difficulty, coincidentally meeting a burly, powerful, but uneducated plumber at her door.

She would then seize the opportunity to invite him in to clear the pipes!

However, that was decades ago. With the development of society, the people who once lived here had aged and moved away, and young people preferred shared apartments.

Although the Island Nation's government kept renovating old complexes into apartments, given the sluggish economy, the progress was negligible.

Therefore, the housing complex before him was as quiet as a haunted house!

Even if a short, sharp scream were to ring out, no one would pay it any mind.

"So that's how it is."

Walking out of the complex, Tanimura Wataru looked at his phone and finally realized what had happened.

A terrorist attack?

No, no, no.

What kind of terrorist could cause such a shocking commotion in Tokyo?

As a 'transcendent,' Tanimura Wataru himself had once slaughtered a squad of America soldiers, only for it to be covered up as a 'traffic accident' caused by heavy fog. Judging others by himself, his first reaction to this situation was that another transcendent had made a move.

Speaking of transcendents:

"I wonder what that 'Lord' is doing?"

Ever since that mysterious Lord had embedded the Sessho-seki into his forehead, they had vanished without a trace. Tanimura Wataru had tried searching the internet, but there wasn't a single shred of information.

This was quite normal, though. The streets were still bustling with pedestrians, and everyone was living their peaceful daily lives. So-called 'transcendents' were kept tightly under wraps by the government; even casualties numbering in the dozens could be turned into a natural gas explosion.

Thinking of this, Tanimura Wataru couldn't help but sneer.

That's fine, too.

The destruction caused by the newly appeared transcendent seemed quite terrifying.

In that case, he could take it a bit easier.

Time to grab a bite to eat~~

Thinking this, Tanimura Wataru wrinkled his nose.

Following his favorite 'scent,' Tanimura Wataru wandered aimlessly through the streets until he finally stopped in front of a small restaurant.

"Welcome. Oh?"

"Hmm?"

Pushing open the door, both the waiter holding the menu and Tanimura Wataru froze.

"--It's you?!" X2

"What would you like to order?"

"Just give me whatever your signature dish is."

"Understood."

The young girl checked off an item on the menu, went to the kitchen to notify the chef, and then returned to sit opposite Tanimura Wataru. After carefully glancing left and right, she asked in a low voice.

"Is it really okay for you to be out like this?"

The first time they met, the man had jumped into her 'home'; the second time, he had 'fought fiercely' to save her. Both instances were enough to constitute a crime, so the girl's 'sneaky' behavior was understandable.

"What could be the problem? What about you?"

Tanimura Wataru countered.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm working a part-time job, obviously~~"

"I've signed up for a cram school to make a final push and get into a good university."

The young girl answered with a serious expression on her face.

"I don't want to add to my mom and dad's burden, so I'm earning the tuition fees myself."

"That's the right way to do it."

Seeing the girl working part-time to support herself while also studying diligently, a smile appeared on Tanimura Wataru's face.

If only Akemi could...

Akihi House.

"An earthquake, followed by a terrorist attack."

"Why didn't it happen in Minato Ward, Chuo Ward, or Chiyoda?"

Akiyu Sora complained unhappily while holding her laptop and surfing the web.

"Do even natural disasters avoid the rich?"

"Have you forgotten that the 'terrorists' ended up rushing toward the area near your school?"

To this, Akihi Yu, who was sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed to rest his mind, answered casually.

The reason he was resting his mind was because his energy—

Was over at Amame Ei's side!