Located in the mountains of the Akagi River, after the 'Dragon King' was awakened, it caused earthquakes, tsunamis, heavy rain, and other natural disasters across Mount Fuji and the entire country of Japan.
But what was even more terrifying was that the Corpse Guards, which had originally slept beneath 'Takamagahara,' were drawn to the bloodline of the 'Dragon King' and suddenly revived again.
This time, their numbers far exceeded the previous one. In satellite images, countless red dots almost covered the entire screen.
The Corpse Guards were not completely eradicated. The Corpse Guards that were repelled by Yamata no Orochi last time were just a tiny part of what was in 'Takamagahara.'
Now, more and more Corpse Guards were continuously emerging from the sea floor 'Takamagahara,' responding to the call of the 'Dragon King.'
To block the wave of Corpse Guards, Gen Chisei urgently ordered the setup of defensive positions on the artificial island of Haiying. However, this alone was not enough. They needed stronger reinforcements.
Due to the urgency, a plan was decided: split into two groups!
A team led by Hilbert, along with Caesar, Chu Zihang, and Uesugi Koeru, would defend the wave of Corpse Guards at Haiying Artificial Island.
The remaining main forces of Yamata no Orochi would go to the Akagi River Mountains to slay the 'Dragon King!'
Haiying Artificial Island was a man-made floating island connecting the Tokyo Bay cross-sea expressway.
To the east was a cross-sea bridge, and to the west was a ten-kilometer-long underwater tunnel, the final stronghold of Tokyo Bay.
Searchlights illuminated the sea, casting huge circular spots of light. Beneath the dark sea, countless shadowy monsters, like a black wave, were attempting to cross the island.
"Only two minutes left until the Corpse Guards land on the island, Principal Hilbert, are you sure you want to do this?"
The voice of the Cassel AI, 'EVA,' came through the earpiece clearly.
Under the heavy rain, Hilbert, soaked through from head to toe, stood with his back straight like a sharp sword, staring at the approaching wave of Corpse Guards.
He said calmly, "Since Gen Chisei promised to personally nail the Dragon King into the red well, the dirty work will have to fall on us old folks. Right, my friend?"
"Don't talk to me!"
Uesugi Koeru, sitting cross-legged nearby, twitched his lips and said bitterly, "Hilbert, you're a bastard! After all these years, you haven't changed at all!"
He had originally been extremely unwilling to come, but Hilbert, this bastard, insisted on calling him by name in front of Gen Chisei, forcing him to join.
So, after Gen Chisei hung up the phone and silently stared for three seconds, Uesugi Koeru, unable to resist, slapped his chest and promised that he would kill every single Corpse Guard at the artificial island and prevent any from entering Tokyo.
"If that's your final word, it's pretty weak, don't you think?"
Hilbert glanced at him with a sideways look. Uesugi Koeru, who was sitting next to him in a slouched position, almost as if in despair, frowned and said, "I don't get it. You haven't even started, and you're already wearing this kind of expression, as if we're definitely going to lose. That's not the kind of attitude I expect from an 'Shadow Emperor.'"
"What attitude should a Shadow Emperor have?"
Uesugi Koeru sighed and said, "That kind of meaningless thing? It's better to just throw it away early."
"I say, you two old folks, can we wrap up the chatting now?"
At that moment, a voice came from the helicopter circling overhead: "The corpse tide is about to land in about one minute."
"Let the operation platform descend."
Hilbert said calmly, taking the lead and walking toward the operation platform. Without looking back, he added, "If you regret it, now is your chance. After this, there may be no more chances."
"No, I'm just a bit emotional," Uesugi Koeru seemed to have finally made up his mind. Slowly pushing himself up from the ground, he carried his alchemical sword on his back and followed Hilbert's lead, gazing at the pitch-black sea, a bit lost as he said, "Hilbert, do you believe in fate?"
"How about you? Do you believe in fate?"
Hilbert wasn't one to believe in curses or fate. He was the type of man who would break fate. So, when Uesugi Koeru mentioned it, he dismissed it with a scoff.
"I didn't believe it before, but now..."
Uesugi Koeru fell silent halfway through his sentence, shook his head, and sighed, "Forget it, just think of me as rambling."
Boom, boom, boom.
The shore-based operation platform slowly descended and landed at the edge of the Haoying artificial island.
The shore-based operation platform was a defense unit made up of a triple-barrel high-speed machine gun, explosive grenade cannons, single-man missiles, and armored shells. It was deployed along the coast to suppress enemy landing operations.
In addition to that, they had large bundles of light and heavy firearms—enough to arm an assault squad.
However, such modern weaponry was almost useless against the corpse guardians revived by alchemy. It was like using ancient bows and arrows—practically negligible.
"This situation is just like when King Leonidas of Sparta led his 300 warriors against the 500,000 soldiers of Persian King Xerxes at Thermopylae," Caesar murmured, but his hands didn't stop moving as he fired the heavy triple-barrel rapid-fire machine gun.
Chu Zihang, carrying a single-man missile, aimed at the most concentrated part of the corpse tide and pressed the launch trigger.
The rapid-fire machine gun and missile shot out bright flashes of light.
A waterfall of death, made of fire and metal, covered the corpse army in an instant. Countless snake-like shadows rose into the air from the blast waves.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!!!
The sky was filled with fire, swirling with violent winds. The barrels of the triple-barrel machine guns shot out streams of orange light, bringing death.
The first wave of undead soldiers that rushed onto the island were forced back by the overwhelming firepower from the shore-based platform, leaving a sea of bodies behind.
However, the undead didn't give them a moment to breathe. The second, third, and fourth waves surged toward the platform.
After using up his single-man missiles, Chu Zihang grabbed his alchemical sword and jumped from the helicopter.
"Word Soul: King's Blaze!"
A tornado of intense flames swept across the artificial island.
Any undead that touched the flames were instantly melted into charred skeletons, while the heavy rain was vaporized on contact.
Despite burning dozens of them in an instant, more undead rushed toward him, roaring and using their sharp claws to try and tear him apart.
Chu Zihang steadied his breath, his eyes shining with blinding light. In that moment, he pushed his blood fury to the second level. His boiling dragon blood surged like fire, fueling his body with endless strength. The imitation alchemical ancient sword "Murakumo" slashed in a perfect arc.
The sword's light sliced through the air, even cutting through raindrops.
In the next moment, those trying to surround him were all severed at the waist. Their scales, as tough as steel, were sliced open like soft butter under his blade.
"Wait for me!"
Caesar followed closely, jumping off the helicopter. His dark hunting knife 'Dictator' infused with the blood-sucking wind blades, was incredibly sharp.
"I don't believe in fate, I only believe in myself."
Hilbert flexed his slightly stiff fingers, which had been soaked by the rain. Gripping his folding knife, he said in a low voice, "No one can take my life, unless... it is my own will."
"Word Soul: Time Zero!"
Like a ghost walking through the realm of time, it arrived in a quiet form.
In the eyes of others, Hilbert's movements instantly accelerated, like a videotape on fast forward, flashing back and forth in the crowded tide of the corpse guards.
His speed was too fast, accelerating his own abilities to 50 times with his word soul, far surpassing the momentary abilities of others in the same realm.
To him, the corpse guards' movements seemed like slow motion.
Hilbert moved like he was walking on a tightrope of death, a butterfly gracefully dancing, and every time he flapped his wings, it splattered blood.
"Is this... the problem you've left me with?"
Uesugi Koeru gazed at the syringe in his palm, filled with thick, pale golden liquid, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "Fate... is it truly unchangeable?"
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