"A blue outfit," Mu You said.
There was silence on the other end before a response came, "...I shouldn’t have underestimated your wealth!"
"Can I get the results by the afternoon?" Mu You confirmed. If she couldn’t do it, he would have to collaborate with the Japanese Government. However, the wider the news spread, the greater the risk of alarming the enemy.
"It’s not impossible, but it will require some unorthodox methods... But since it’s their system, I don’t feel guilty causing some chaos for them..." Lu Yao mumbled to herself, spouting terms Mu You couldn’t understand before she hung up.
While Mu You and Lu Yao were plotting, there was a spate of incidents within Japan.
Tokyo seemed especially bustling today. Ever since the first Shadow Ghost appeared on the streets of Tokyo at dawn, the previously hidden Shadow Men started appearing all over Japan one after another.
The Japan Defense Society and the experts of the Exchange Group hustled back and forth like firefighters, continuously dealing with the appearing Shadow Ghosts.
Of course, their efforts weren’t in vain. By 3 p.m., both sides had followed the trail of a fleeing Shadow Ghost, leading them to the hideout of the Wind-Thunder Gate members, capturing them all.
Regrettably, all those captured were peripheral members and nothing substantial could be gleaned from them. The core members had all been transformed into corpses.
"These guys are rather ruthless, aren’t they?"
A member of the Dragon Group complained as they watched another Shadow Man scream and disappear. This was the tenth Shadow Man they had captured today, but none of them had survived.
"The willingness to sacrifice so many pawns only implies they have another objective!" Blood Emperor shook his head. "This is a deliberate diversion, keeping us occupied."
The others exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. Anyone could feel, after a long day, that they were being strung along.
"Exactly, but this is an overt plot. Even if we’ve guessed that they have other motives, we’re powerless to do anything about it." Director Wang sighed. Eliminating all Shadow Ghosts was their ultimate goal. Each hidden Shadow Ghost was like a ticking time bomb. They were currently in foreign territory, but who knew when these ghosts would retaliate within their own country. Hence, whenever a Shadow Ghost appeared, they could only prioritize defusing it.
"However, their overt plot isn’t without its costs."
Blood Emperor said, "In this war of attrition, how many Shadow Men can they afford to lose?"
"The willingness to sacrifice so many pawns just shows that they no longer need them and are probably preparing to abandon ship, allowing the mastermind to escape Earth." Director Wang pondered, "With this, a more concentrated attack is likely waiting for us tonight!"
Everyone appeared startled at this revelation. The current frequency of appearances was already challenging to manage. A larger surge – what would that involve?
"That’s fine, if the mastermind chooses to retreat actively, we’d save a lot of effort. Hopefully, we can resolve everything tonight." said Blood Emperor.
A few hours later, reality proved Director Wang’s prediction correct.
At the stroke of midnight, a piercing alarm rang through Tokyo.
A total of sixteen Shadow Ghosts appeared simultaneously in various commercial areas, nine of which were humanoid Shadow Ghosts and seven were giant Shadow Ghosts.
The humanoid Shadow Ghosts were tolerable; they were rational and mostly tried to escape when pursued, causing only minor destruction.
What posed a problem were the giant Shadow Ghosts; they were akin to prehistoric monsters appearing on city streets with no thoughts, only the instinct to create chaos. Everywhere they appeared, the streets were quickly reduced to rubble.
Despite the prior warning from Director Wang about a large-scale attack at nightfall, everyone was still taken aback by the enemy’s counterattack.
Wind-Thunder Gate had clearly used all their remaining power in one fell swoop, throwing Tokyo into utter chaos. The ground trembled, fires rose to the sky, explosions sounded continuously, an influx of residents fled in panic in the streets, their cries and wails filled the air – it was as if the apocalypse had arrived.
"Director Wang, do you think your group could spare some people to help with these giant Ghost Shadows?"
Makizawa Sota, watching the chaotic streets from his window, pleaded out of desperation over the phone.
"President Hayata, we had agreed if anything happened tonight, our people would be responsible for the Shadow Men, while you deal with the Shadow Ghosts. Isn’t that right?" Director Wang’s voice came from the other end of the line.
"Yes, that’s correct, but... who could’ve predicted there’d be so many Shadow Ghosts!"
Makizawa Sota looked pained. Each of the seven Shadow Ghosts possessed cataclysmic destructive power, and the combined forces of the Defense Society and the civilian troops they could rally were barely enough to handle three. Seven — they would be bashing their heads against a brick wall!
"President Hayata, that’s something you’ll have to deal with. Don’t forget, although the Shadow Ghosts may seem powerful, they are devoid of thought; once eliminated, they’re gone forever. On the other hand, these intelligent, elusive Shadow Men pose a real threat to both our sides. If they escape, they could potentially continue to generate new Shadow Ghosts. So, as per the importance of the tasks, I’m sure you understand."