Chapter 352 – Japan Sinking?
It seemed like Craspio could land on the Korean Peninsula at any moment.
Bam!
Han-Yeol was shocked by Craspio's swift movements. It chased after unmanned helicopters and fighter jets before abruptly turning, slicing a battleship in half with astonishing speed. The monster's agility, considering its immense size, stunned everyone. Its movement wasn't just swift; it denied sailors aboard any chance to board lifeboats and escape.
'What in the world?!'
Even Han-Yeol hadn't anticipated Craspio's speed. The monster's movements were silent and so precise that it defied belief for a creature of its size.
But the surprises didn't end there. Craspio pivoted, targeting battleships carrying Japanese Hunters and sailors, seemingly aware of their intentions. It showed no interest in the unmanned aircraft.
Boom!
Another battleship sank, helpless against Craspio's onslaught. It plummeted to the sea's depths, unable to retaliate.
Han-Yeol had disconnected the telepathy link, so he couldn't hear the chaos enveloping both the Japan Self-Defense Force Navy and the Japanese Hunters.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
[D-Damn it!]
[H-Hurry up and turn the lever!]
[Run away!]
Sailors yelled at each other, scrambling to evacuate the warship. Some covertly activated lifeboats meant for emergencies, revealing the panic among the Japan Self-Defense Forces sailors.
Meanwhile, the Hunters remained composed, preparing to confront the situation head-on.
[What should we do?]
[Are you insane? We have to run away. How can we fight a monster like that?]
[Y-Yeah...]
[Let’s hurry and run away.]
[Okay.]
Tak!
The Hunters weren't passive, waiting for help. One among them had the ability to fly, planning to expedite their escape from the sinking warships.
[T-Take us with you! Please!]
A sailor, noticing the Hunters about to take flight, desperately clung to one of them, pleading.
Bam!
[Kuheok!]
The Hunter delivered a forceful kick to the sailor's stomach. [What is this piece of trash saying? Are you asking me to waste my precious mana on a loser like you?]
[P-Please...!]
Thud...
The sailor continued pleading for his life, but the kick had rendered him unconscious.
While it was uncommon for Japanese Hunters to use violence against civilians due to an international treaty, the dire situation brought out the worst in them.
[What are you doing? Hurry up.]
[This trash was bothering me.]
Some kinder Hunters questioned the necessity of such violence, but in such moments, saving someone else could mean risking their own lives. They, too, valued self-preservation.
[Let’s go.]
[Yeah, hurry up!]
The Hunter with flight abilities extended his arms, channeling his mana. [Fly!]
As a C Rank Hunter, all three of his skills were flight-related, granting him and others the ability to fly—an invaluable skill for escaping dangerous situations in raid parties.
This Hunter's skill had caught the attention of the Japanese Government, leading to his recruitment into their special forces with a substantial salary. Deployed for this mission by the government, he likely received orders to prioritize evacuating the Hunters over the sailors.
Japan's policies post-World War II had always factored strategic considerations. In line with current societal and political objectives, prioritizing Hunters over sailors was normal. A country's power was now measured by its Hunters.
The government probably commanded sailors to assist in evacuating the Hunters at the expense of their own lives, if any commands could reach them. Replacing sailors was relatively simple, but finding and nurturing Hunters with skill and loyalty to the nation was exceedingly rare and crucial. All the Hunters involved in this mission were fiercely loyal to Japan, making their preservation a priority.
Whoosh!
Fifty Hunters escaped the sinking battleships, courtesy of their flight-enabled comrade.
[...]
‘W-Why... How did it come to this...?’
Meanwhile, Master Rank Hunter Yuta was stunned by the unfolding events.
Masters were extraordinarily perceptive, usually quick to discern even the slightest enemy movement. Yet, Yuta failed to sense Craspio's approach until it tore the battleship asunder, a shock for someone who considered themselves among Japan's strongest.
[Yuta-sama!]
However, Yuta couldn't linger in shock; his subordinates urgently called out to him.
[W-We need to retreat!]
Yuta led the Takeda raid party, lacking members with flight skills. Still, being composed entirely of A or S Rank Hunters, they could swim faster than a speedboat.
Craspio's intermittent pauses in attacks puzzled everyone, offering the Takeda raid party a golden chance to flee.
[Is this... mission a failure...?]
Yuta had never experienced a mission failure, amplifying the sting of this defeat. But dwelling on his career blemish wasn't an option now.
[Yuta-sama! We don’t have much time!]
[Haa... Alright, tell everyone to abandon ship and head for the coast.]
[Yes, sir!]
Tak!
The raid party swiftly readied for evacuation upon receiving the order. Abandoning ship seemed to increase their survival odds since Craspio targeted only battleships.
[Hurry up!]
The Takeda raid party members worked tirelessly to buy time and aid the sailors' evacuation.
***
The following day, South Korea was thrown into chaos. Craspio's appearance triggered panic, but the Japan Self-Defense Forces' attempt to lure the monster to Busan was even more shocking. However, the most staggering news came from Japan.
[The entire Craspio raid team has been annihilated near the coast of Tsushima Island. Zero survivors.]
Not a soul survived the raid, including one of Japan's Master Rank Hunters, Yuta. Unfortunately, the bad news for Japan didn't end there. The monster, after decimating the army of Japan Self-Defense Forces and Hunters, changed course from the Korean Peninsula toward Japan's mainland.
No one understood why Craspio redirected its path, but according to Han-Yeol's observations, it seemed the monster pursued the escaping flying Hunters, thus targeting Yuta and his companions first. In a battle lasting only fifteen minutes, the entire Takeda raid party was obliterated, followed by Craspio chasing down the flying Hunters.
Han-Yeol witnessed everything, from the Hunters' final moments in the sky until the end.
The fact that Craspio, unharmed after annihilating an army comprising A and S Rank Hunters along with a Master Rank Hunter, now headed for the mainland, threw Japan into chaos. Cities nearest to Daema Island were in despair, facing their imminent destruction.
Bam! Bam!
[W-We have to run away!]
The Japanese, known for their discipline even during earthquakes, were consumed by fear, caring only for their survival. Madness gripped some, resigned to their impending demise, choosing to revel in their remaining moments.
[Hahaha!]
Bang! Bang! Bang!
[Kyaaah!]
Whether looters raided a civil defense armory or were part of the Self-Defense Forces, a group armed with antique rifles from the nineties wreaked havoc. Amidst the chaos, people, driven mad, looted while others fell victim to the madmen's bullets.
The city plunged into lawlessness; anarchy ruled as self-preservation trumped concern for others. Most police officers fled, leaving the few remaining overwhelmed by the mob. They attempted to contain the armed madmen but were outmatched with only their meager revolvers.
In the end, the officers succumbed to the madmen's gunfire.
[Hahahaha! Fukuoka now belongs to this Sesebo-sama!]
The darkest aspects of humanity tended to emerge when all hope was lost, and the city's descent into chaos was a stark testament to that truth.
Yet, amidst this despair, a glimmer of hope persisted for Japan. Craspio diverted its path to annihilate Iki Island, buying precious time for the Japanese to regroup and amass their forces at Itoshima Island.
With Craspio's trajectory in mind, there was an eighty percent likelihood that the monster would head toward Itoshima Island. Japan was resolute in intercepting Craspio there, successfully assembling all their forces within thirty-six hours.
This unified might comprised the entire Japan Self-Defense Forces, along with five thousand one hundred Hunters of various ranks and six out of the remaining eleven Master Rank Hunters. Together, this formidable army possessed the potential to obliterate a small nation in less than twenty-four hours.
Satellite monitoring of Craspio revealed the monster's stillness for a full day after obliterating Iki Island. Whether this was mere coincidence or deliberate remained unknown. However, the moment Japanese forces signaled 'all units in position' to each other via radio, the monster resumed its movement.
Despite their combined strength, every soldier and Hunter exhibited visible signs of worry and anxiety.
Gulp!
In fact, it was more accurate to say that each of them trembled in fear at that moment.
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