Episode 178: An Unbelievable Event
The matter of Mitaka Yuma now seems insignificant.
Compared to the Red King, the Black Armor is a trivial existence. Whether it’s here or not, it shouldn’t change the war situation.
However, some people persistently suggest that we should borrow the power of the “Black Armor.”
–How selfish. If the Black Armor goes on a rampage, the public criticism will be directed at me, the person in charge.
Iwaki felt irritated, but he couldn’t completely ignore the claims made by a certain number of scholars. Iwaki calmly admonished Kajita.
“Professor Kajita, I understand your point. However, the danger of the Black Armor has not yet been concluded. Can you give us a little more time?”
Kajita was perplexed by Iwaki’s words.
“B-But, Prime Minister! There’s no time left. This is an emergency, so I’d like you to skip the prescribed procedures and investigations…”
Iwaki felt disgusted by Kajita’s persistence.
Those who make similar claims are probably pinning their last hope on the incomprehensible existence of the “Black Armor.”
They have no grasp of reality. As Iwaki pondered what to do, another scholar raised his voice.
“Ridiculous! We’re already in a dangerous situation, why add more danger? We should think more calmly!”
It was Yasugi, the chief researcher of the Japan Dungeon Association, who was standing with his arms crossed, indignant.
Iwaki felt like praising Yasugi in his heart for speaking up, as he shared similar ideas and was someone he could trust.
“You’ve seen the horror of the Black Armor! To try to borrow power from something like that is not the opinion of a scholar. Make a more common-sense decision!”
Kajita closed his mouth and fell silent at Yasugi’s words, who was chairing the expert meeting.
In the end, the Black Armor’s fate was shelved, and a response based on the existing plan was approved.
And the next morning– There was a group swimming leisurely in the still-dim sky.
Crimson Dragons advancing east from the Yellow Sea from Beijing, China. With the Red King at the lead, more than two hundred Dragons filled the sky, spewing scorching breath.
As the Dragon King advanced, the atmosphere shimmered with heat, and the sea surface directly below evaporated.
Releasing ominous Magical Power, they were steadily approaching Japan.
◇◇◇
Prime Minister’s Office. Politicians, scholars, bureaucrats, and others gathered in the large conference room on the fourth floor, as they had the day before.
Prime Minister Iwaki sat with his back straight, arms crossed, and eyes closed. He had heard that the Dragons were advancing east from the Yellow Sea.
It was now certain that they would come to Japan.
The problem was the Dragons’ purpose. If they were just passing through Japan, there would be no damage, but if they attacked humans, they would have to fight.
“Takakura, where are they headed after this?”
Iwaki opened his eyes and looked at Takakura, the Minister of Defense, who was sitting nearby. Takakura returned his gaze with a serious expression.
“The most likely possibility is the ‘Red Dungeon’ in Ibaraki. We have received reports that they stopped at a large ‘Red Dungeon’ in China, destroyed the Dungeon, and released dozens of Ancient Dragons from within. So, it is inevitable that they will target Japan’s second largest Dungeon in the world.”
“I see.”
Iwaki nodded slightly. The number of Dragons had further increased.
He had heard that the Dragons released from the Dungeon had burned down nearby towns and villages, but it was unknown how widespread the damage was. Would the same thing happen in Japan?
By the time the satellite connected again, the Dragons would be visible to the naked eye.
Abnormal monsters that destroy everything. They could not possibly win if they fought head-on.
The only countermeasure was–
“Are you sure it’s okay to do nothing?”
Iwaki asked Takakura with a tense expression.
“Yes. Russia and China attacked the Dragons because they had some military strength, but they were counterattacked and suffered even greater damage. We will not interfere and wait for them to pass by.”
“What about the evacuation of the residents of Ibaraki?”
“The evacuation around the ‘Red Dungeon’ has already been completed. We considered evacuating the Kanto region, but we have not done so at this time because it could cause unnecessary confusion.”
“I see.”
According to the Ministry of Defense and experts, the Red King intends to destroy the Ibaraki Dungeon and release the Dragons inside.
After that, they may head to the world’s third largest ‘Red Dungeon’ in South America. If they remain calm, the damage may be minimized.
He knew it was an optimistic idea, but there were no other options available.
And two hours later–
“Strange… Haven’t we received a report yet?”
Iwaki asked the bureaucrat in irritation. But there was no report at all.
What’s going on? It was about time for the Red King to arrive on the mainland. The Self-Defense Forces were deployed along the Japanese coastline, so they should have reported as soon as they were visible to the naked eye.
What’s going on? What’s happening?
The answer to Iwaki’s question came thirty minutes later, after the communications satellite connected and information from overseas came in.
“P-Prime Minister!”
One of the bureaucrats shouted. All eyes were on the large screen in the conference room. What was shown there was a course map of the Dragon swarm sent by the Chinese government.
The Dragons had advanced from the Yellow Sea to the East China Sea, passed west of Okinawa, and headed out into the Pacific Ocean.
“I-It seems they’ve passed straight through Japan and are heading to South America!!”
Cheers erupted at the bureaucrat’s words. The ministers stood up, and the experts widened their eyes.
“Prime Minister! It’s unbelievable, but it seems Japan has been saved. We have avoided the damage!”
Iwaki was called out by Takakura, and he replied, “A-Ah.”
It was certainly an unbelievable event. They had been anticipating a full-scale confrontation with the Dragons, so the situation was anticlimactic.
However, everyone in the room, including Iwaki, shared the joy of the best possible outcome, with no damage at all.
Some shook hands with smiles. Some hugged and praised each other. Some savored the fact that they were safe.
Iwaki also felt relieved and leaned back in his chair.
Just as he thought he could finally relax, his secretary, Hatano, whispered in his ear from behind.
“Prime Minister, if this is the case, the only remaining problem is the disposal of the ‘Black Armor.’ The laboratory has reported that the poison is working well…”
“Hmm… That’s right.”
Iwaki hesitated. Now that the threat of the Red King was gone and the Black Armor was gone, the people should be relieved.
There was no doubt that the ruling party’s support base would stabilize.
Besides, if they could kill him cleanly with poison, there was no reason to hesitate.
“I understand. Dispose of him. However, announce that he died of natural causes. That way, the opposition will have nothing to complain about.”
“Understood.”
Secretary Hatano bowed his head and quietly left the room.
With this, all worries would be removed. Iwaki was convinced of this and smiled contentedly.