Chapter 28

"That level of organization is terrifying!" Even Teruko Okura couldn't help admiring it. Precisely because she knew how difficult it was, she had no choice but to admire it.

"Without question," Fukuchi Ochi said, his expression unusually serious, "this can only be called great." It seemed he would have to pay particular attention to this neighboring country when making his plans.

"This is a war." Even without gunfire, it was cruel and monumental enough.

"This is the righteous cause." Even Suehiro Tecchou joined in.

"Impressive." There was a rare note of sincerity in Saigiku Jono's voice.

Yukichi Fukuzawa watched the scenes on the screen with a grave expression, then suddenly sighed.

There was nothing they could do. Their own country had been singled out for criticism. Although every country except China was competing to be the worst, and Japan wasn't even at the bottom, having the star student right next door left them utterly ashamed.

"Actually, the biggest problem is that they won't bother with Yokohama at all. It's autonomous, after all." Ranpo pointed out the cruelest fact of all.

Aside from Ayatsuji Yukito, the members of the Special Division for Unusual Powers were so embarrassed they could practically dig a three-bedroom apartment out of the floor with their toes. This was a public execution. Damn it, the Hunting Dogs were with the government too! Why weren't they embarrassed at all?

The Hunting Dogs: No, we're military, and we don't really handle Yokohama anyway.

The Yokohama branch of the Special Division for Unusual Powers: ...

"Awesome! I feel like I could lift ten cows!" Kenji Miyazawa expressed just how fired up he was in his own way.

The others also voiced how deeply moved and inspired they were.

Aside from a few small neighboring countries that practically depended on China for survival, only Russia responded to China's appeal. These men, whom everyone pictured swigging vodka and wrestling bears, also demonstrated their strength and resolve here. Combined with the lingering influence of the old communist regime and their consistently good relations with China, this made them the first major nation to respond. The other capable countries, however, remained unmoved.

Well, not exactly unmoved. They simply had several competing voices within their borders and couldn't agree on anything. Whether it was Noah's Ark or the Sky Kingdom, only certain groups were taking action. They couldn't mobilize everyone-after all, far too few people could survive through either option. Lies weren't enough to get the majority involved in those two projects.

Of course, China's next move soon came.

Just three days after China's appeal, a group led by Chinese Superhumans suddenly announced the founding of the Global Superhuman Alliance. They would fight for humanity's future and would not permit any action that jeopardized humanity's survival!

At the same time, numerous Superhumans enthusiastically answered the call and took action.

Japan-

"Let me make this clear." The White-Haired Man behaved with outrageous arrogance at Japan's highest parliamentary assembly, even propping his legs on the table. He slowly pulled down his blindfold, his beautiful Heavenly Eyes filled with cold menace. "If I catch you looking out only for yourselves and leaving everyone else to die, even if you survive this disaster, I'll crush you just like those higher-ups-every. Last. One."

"I mean every word."

Fuck! Where was the Jujutsu Society? Wasn't anyone going to rein in that lunatic Satoru Gojo?!

Though Japan's leaders were already cursing inwardly, they could do nothing. Satoru Gojo had already crushed every last one of the Jujutsu Society's higher-ups. None of Japan's Superhumans could stop him. If he truly went berserk and killed them, no one could stand in his way.

The people who could normally decide Japan's future with a single word exchanged looks, then prostrated themselves in unison. "Yes! Mr. Gojo, we'll do everything in our power."

So what if they were cowards? Surviving the disaster only to die at Satoru Gojo's hands would be far too unjust.

And so, Japan's government promptly issued a statement answering China's call.

The Time Vessel Association-

"Those damned monkeys!" Suguru Geto was far from calm himself, but he still retained a little reason. "There's no other choice."

He looked at the White-Haired Man standing behind the parliament on the screen, his gaze complicated.

You won after all, Satoru.

The entire Time Vessel Association joined the construction effort.

Kenjaku had been feeling rather depressed lately. He had waited a thousand years for Cursed Spirit Manipulation and Idle Transfiguration, and had even worked out how to get Satoru Gojo killed-only for the world to end.

Still, anyone who had lived for a thousand years was no fool. Having nearly all the ordinary people die would do him no good whatsoever.

To put it bluntly, who would he use for the Culling Game? Would he play against himself? If all the ordinary people died, he wouldn't even be able to find his next body.

With no other choice, Kenjaku could only draw on everything he had accumulated over a thousand years.

Numerous Japanese Financial Magnates joined the construction effort.

Japan was more or less united from top to bottom, except for Yokohama.

Yokohama knew where it stood. Japan wasn't going to take care of them. Its people acted decisively too, especially since the □□ boss still had his wits about him. Faced with a matter of life and death, he showed remarkable decisiveness-with □□ at its head, all of Yokohama formed the Yokohama Self-Rescue Association.

After all, aside from the military, the Mafia had the strongest organization and ability to get things done. Mafia members were human too, and no one wanted to die. At this moment, the □□ boss showed unprecedented boldness. Whether silencing all dissent or actively organizing rescue efforts, he exceeded every expectation and successfully won the support of people throughout Yokohama.

Incidentally, the next chairman had already been chosen: Rimbaud, who had single-handedly used Vita Sexualis to hold back the waves for two full hours when a sudden tsunami struck, giving everyone else time to evacuate.

With so many changes in tectonic movement, the tsunami had gone unpredicted. It wasn't especially powerful, but the sight of Rimbaud standing against a natural disaster still won everyone over.

Mori Ougai... who was that again?

The situation in Country M was more complicated. Each state had its own opinions, and they couldn't reach a consensus. Vast resources were in the hands of Financial Magnates, who could escape aboard Noah's Ark. But someone unexpected appeared.

With his enormous Oversoul, Hao Asakura broke straight into the White House and forced Congress to make a decision. He then visited the leading Financial Magnates one by one to issue warnings. He even approached the Guild's leader, Fitzgerald, one of Country M's wealthiest men, and secured the support of both Fitzgerald and the Guild by offering to resurrect his daughter.

"I never thought you would do something like this, Hao." The Patch Tribe was dumbfounded. Was this really the work of Hao Asakura, the demon king who wanted to destroy the world?!

Didn't he want to create a world for shamans? Yet at a time like this, he wasn't kicking them while they were down?!

"It doesn't matter to me if all the ordinary people die, you know." Hao Asakura smiled as he said something horrifying. Only after seeing the fear in the Patch Tribe's eyes did he slowly add, "But that country across the ocean asked me for a favor. Besides, wouldn't it be boring if all of humanity died?"

This wasn't merely a disaster for ordinary people, but for all humanity. However arrogant Hao Asakura might be, he didn't think it would be fortunate for only himself and a few others to survive. Even daily life would be a problem. With the continents submerged, he couldn't spend his whole life living on the Spirit of Fire. Even Hao Asakura couldn't stand that.

As for Noah's Ark, almost all the so-called elites who would survive aboard it were precisely the sort of people Hao Asakura despised most, just like the rotten aristocrats of Heian-kyō... Compared with those creatures, letting most ordinary people survive was a little more acceptable to him.

Hao Asakura's ideal certainly seemed hostile to humanity. But however hostile it might be, it still depended on human history continuing. If humanity died out, becoming the Shaman King would be meaningless.

As long as humanity continued, he could simply wait another five hundred years and enter the next Shaman King Competition. If humanity was finished, even having Taizan Fukun no Sai wouldn't let him reincarnate.

And so, Hao Asakura was ultimately persuaded by China.

"I hope you'll keep your word, Hao." The Patch Tribe had no choice. They needed to survive too. Noah's Ark would never let them aboard, and the Shaman King Competition could no longer be held. They could only support Hao Asakura and work with Fitzgerald to quickly bring Country M into agreement.

As for Europe, there was already the precedent of the Seven Traitors. Most Ability Users loved their countries, and loving one's country hardly meant loving only the tiny handful at the top. Even if a gulf separated them from ordinary people, which of them didn't have a few ordinary friends? Ability Users needed social lives too!

And so, this time, ability users across all of Europe rose up. Through sheer force and their own prestige within their countries, the Ability Users forcibly united their nations.

As for the Vongola, it had originally been a self-defense force, so it naturally refused to abandon the people. The Vongola's Ninth Boss still had his edge. He decisively took control of everything in Sicily and began bringing everyone together through the Mafia's iron-fisted methods.

As for places like Africa and the Middle East, well... with their infrastructure as it was, there was genuinely little that could be done.

Thus, the Global Superhuman Alliance stepped onto the world stage, and humanity's voices were temporarily united.

Everyone who had joined forces knew that once China exposed the truth, Noah's Ark and the Sky Kingdom were out of the question. No fool would build an ark they couldn't board. Other ideas, such as colonizing outer space, were obviously nonsense. That left only one option-the Sea City!

"Is... is that Gojo-sensei?" Yuta Okkotsu was a little surprised. It was so different from his usual frivolous manner, though he could understand it.

Toge Inumaki also said in surprise, "Salmon, salmon."

Panda rested his chin on his paw. "Satoru's really angry."

Masamichi Yaga opened his mouth. "Satoru, you... never mind." Humanity's survival was at stake, after all. Even methods like these couldn't be helped.

"Damn it, he actually managed to look cool..." Nobara Kugisaki pursed her lips.

"He does something useful once in a while." It was hard to tell whether Megumi Fushiguro was praising him or taking a jab.

Maki Zenin nodded at that.

"Oh my god, Gojo-sensei is so cool!" Kasumi Miwa gave a quiet cry, and Mechamaru's face turned green.

Utahime Iori rolled her eyes, while Principal Gakuganji's brows drew tightly together. Without question, Satoru Gojo had gone completely out of control. But if it was for humanity's continued existence... for the moment, Principal Gakuganji couldn't find anything to scold him about-he couldn't beat him in a fight, after all.

This time, Satoru Gojo actually refrained from pushing his luck with nonsense like "I'm the strongest!" or "I'm your super-reliable Gojo-sensei!" He watched Suguru Geto standing beside Satoru Gojo once more on the screen, his feelings painfully complicated.

Geto...

Ango Sakaguchi awkwardly adjusted his glasses. "Director Taneda, this really is..." Japan's government's performance had been downright humiliating, and the Special Division for Unusual Powers hadn't managed to help Yokohama either.

Perhaps that was what made him the director. Santoka Taneda was utterly thick-skinned. "The Special Division for Unusual Powers has significant responsibilities, after all." Still, that wasn't merely an excuse. The division wasn't solely responsible for Yokohama. At that point, they themselves would have been worked off their feet and probably wouldn't even have had time to deal with Yokohama.

"Tch-a menace to public order. If humanity's survival weren't at stake, I'd cut him down myself." Even so, Teruko Okura had to admit that Satoru Gojo's method was the most effective. She knew just how rotten the leadership was. By the time they reached a decision, most people would already be dead.

"Hahaha, that young man has a bright future! I like him!" Fukuchi Ochi genuinely admired Satoru Gojo. After all, he wanted to conquer the world precisely because he hated the politicians who manipulated wars. Watching those arrogant politicians grovel to stay alive was immensely satisfying.

Fyodor genuinely didn't know what to make of it. He had always regarded ability users as a cancer that caused wars, yet now he was witnessing humanity barely managing to unite because of them. It was undeniably ironic.

"Fedya's in a bad mood~" Nikolai Gogol leaned over, smiling.

"No, I'm just a little curious." Fyodor sighed. "That country..." Without question, those Superhumans could only have united so completely because that country was working behind the scenes.

"This..." Chūya Nakahara was deeply conflicted. Rimbaud, the Port Mafia's next boss? It felt incredibly strange. And on the screen, he apparently had a good relationship with Rimbaud. They had both joined the construction effort.

Still, he had to admit that Rimbaud single-handedly holding back a tsunami on the screen... looked incredibly cool! Was that only to be expected of an Ability User? Chūya Nakahara tugged down the brim of his hat to hide his turbulent feelings.

Verlaine stared blankly at Rimbaud on the screen. Ah, my dear friend, it's wonderful to see you like this. His expression was lonely yet relieved.

"Mr. Dazai isn't there..." One Akutagawa had lost his dream.

"Hahahaha! Well, Mr. Mori, how does it feel to get pushed out?" Only Osamu Dazai would dare mock Mori Ougai so brazenly. He was nearly laughing himself to tears. Knowing Mori Ougai as he did, the man would absolutely have wanted to hold power. Unfortunately, he'd been outplayed. Ha!

"Ah, someone who turns the tide in the face of disaster is bound to gain immense prestige." Mori Ougai showed no embarrassment whatsoever, his violet-red eyes inscrutable. "After all, I'm just an ordinary doctor."

"Of course, even if I could trade, I wouldn't want to. Elise is the very best ability, after all~" Without an Ability User-level Vita Sexualis, achieving something so outrageous would have been impossible.

"Ew, you disgusting old man." Elise refused to play along.

The old man turned to stone. Then he shattered.

No one noticed that many more figures seemed to have appeared behind the viewers. They seemed to have been there for quite some time already.