Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 441: The Sword of Damocles (1)

Dragon Raja 3

A black car sped through the rainy night.

At this time, all the traffic was heading west, where the high ground was safe from the tsunami. Only this car was heading east, and thus encountered no congestion, speeding along alone.

This was the car of the Governor of Tokyo, Koheiji Koyatagata. In such a crisis, everyone was fleeing, but Governor Koyatagata had to head straight to the front lines of disaster relief. The worried and distressed governor sat in the back seat, while his secretary briefed him on the situation.

According to reports from the Meteorological Agency, atmospheric and geological conditions had spiraled completely out of control. A mysterious, inexplicable force was triggering stress within the Earth’s crust, causing a half-meter drop in the ground level within just 30 minutes. In the worst-case scenario, Tokyo and large surrounding areas could sink beneath sea level.

The chief scientist at the Meteorological Agency admitted that this phenomenon was beyond the scope of science and resorted to using fantastical language, claiming, “The wheels of the apocalypse have begun to turn.”

To make matters worse, unidentified armed groups had seized control of several key transportation hubs in Shinjuku and launched attacks on important strongholds of the Yamata no Orochi, including Genji Heavy Industries, the Ganryū Research Institute, the Maruyama Construction Site, and even a host club… No one could figure out why these heavily armed militants would attack a host club. All the other targets were prestigious, high-profile locations, so the only explanation was that they had mistaken their military map. In any case, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government had completely lost control of the situation and was even struggling with rescue efforts. The eastern part of the city had been submerged by the tsunami, and only the elevated western areas remained unaffected.

All the police were gathered at headquarters, the Emperor and his family were en route to a shelter, and the Air Self-Defense Force’s F-2 fighter jets had taken off from Kisarazu Air Base, ready to take full control of Tokyo’s airspace.

Koyatagata, who prided himself on maintaining good health and going to bed early, had been dragged from his bed by his secretary, pulled from a pleasant dream into the chaotic reality. He had been in a state of shock ever since. Koyatagata had been elected Governor of Tokyo two years ago, previously serving as a National Diet member—a typical career politician. His strengths lay in television debates and speeches. Bowing and apologizing to the public was something he performed like a seasoned actor, perhaps making him half a professional actor. But whether as a five-star politician or a four-star actor, he had no idea how to handle the current crisis. It felt like the city had been cursed overnight, sliding unstoppably toward destruction. These dire facts had yet to be disclosed to the public.

The secretary informed the governor that the Prime Minister’s office had lost contact, meaning from this moment, Koheiji Koyatagata was the acting authority in Tokyo. In other words, if disaster relief was successful, he had a solid shot at running for Prime Minister in the next election. If it failed, he would go down in history as a national disgrace.

Koyatagata had often fantasized about winning the Prime Minister’s election—attending diplomatic ceremonies, inspecting the Self-Defense Forces, shaking hands with the U.S. President—his life filled with grand, glamorous events that would bring glory to the Koyatagata family name. But now that he found himself wielding the Prime Minister’s authority, there was no joy in it.

“According to the Emergency Powers Act, if you’re unable to contact the Prime Minister’s office, you have the authority to mobilize the Self-Defense Forces,” the secretary reminded him. “Should we begin by negotiating with the rioting yakuza?”

“Whoa, whoa! I’m only good at TV debates and speeches! I can persuade voters, but I’m not sure I can sway terrorists!” the governor cried out in panic.

“I’m aware that you lack experience in this area, so I’ve arranged for an expert in crisis management to assist you.”

“An expert? What good are civilian experts in a situation like this?” The governor’s anger surged. “What I need right now is an armored division or an air squadron! What’s the use of an expert? They’re just a bunch of bureaucrats who talk for a living! At this point, even a movie star would be more helpful!”

The car suddenly braked hard in the rain, nearly sending the governor flying into the front seat. Under the traffic light ahead stood a figure holding an umbrella, waving at the governor’s convoy.

“Why are we stopping? Do you think this is a taxi?” the governor grumbled in frustration.

“I asked the driver to stop,” the secretary explained. “That’s the expert I mentioned. We arranged to meet here.”

The figure approached and opened the car door, extending a hand to the governor. “Allow me to introduce myself—Hilbert Ron Anjou, President of Cassell College in the U.S. and a crisis management expert. I hope my expertise will be of assistance to you.”

“It’s a great honor! I’m relieved to have you!” The governor shook Anjou’s hand enthusiastically, eyeing the dashing older man and thinking to himself, Damn, you really did find me a movie star!

“May I ask what your specialty is? Disaster relief or negotiating with yakuza? I need to figure out the best role for you,” the governor asked.

“I’m not particularly skilled in disaster relief, but I do have a knack for dealing with yakuza. More accurately, I’m proficient in all forms of violent confrontation. However, the Oni Clan isn’t exactly a yakuza group; they have a religious goal. They seek to resurrect something they call a god.”

“My God! I thought they were just a bunch of brutal thugs, but now it seems they’re more like a cult!” the governor exclaimed. “I have no experience dealing with cults either!”

“That’s precisely why I’m here. Rest assured, I’ll handle this matter,” Anjou said calmly.

“I think I’d better start drafting my resignation letter instead…”

“The party leaders have already sent emails stating that if you resign during this crisis, it will cause tremendous reputational damage to the party. Today is the day you stand or fall with Tokyo. If you insist on resigning, then please permanently withdraw yourself and your family from politics,” the secretary reminded him.

“Those old bastards are even more ruthless than the yakuza!” The governor felt as if he’d been stabbed in the heart.

“Where is our destination, Principal Anjou?” the secretary asked.

“The Tokyo Meteorological Agency. It’s the central hub for monitoring weather data across the city. The person in charge of disaster relief must be stationed at the information center,” Anjou replied confidently. “Please notify the key officials of the Tokyo government to gather there as well.”

“We can’t reach the Tokyo Meteorological Agency. That area is also heavily flooded, with water over three meters deep. No vehicle can get through.”

“Who said anything about driving?” Anjou shrugged.

A loud crash sounded from the car roof, and immediately the speeding car lifted off the ground, flying at low altitude several dozen meters above the turbulent sea. The governor was completely dumbfounded, but the secretary, being a bit more daring, stuck half of his body out of the car window to see what was going on.

A large electromagnet was attached to the car roof, with a cable connected to a heavy transport helicopter in the air. The massive helicopter was now carrying the governor’s car across the raging waves below.

“Principal, your approach is quite impressive,” the secretary remarked admiringly as he extended his hand. “Allow me to introduce myself—Sakurai Shuuichi.” He lowered his voice, adding, “Cassell College, Class of 2005. It’s an honor, Principal.”

“I should be proud to have so many successful students around the world, Sakurai,” Anjou replied in a similarly hushed tone. They spoke in English, a language the governor’s limited proficiency wouldn’t allow him to understand.

With just a few words, they had clarified their identities. In this situation, the Yamata no Orochi family had ultimately turned to the College for help. Through Sakurai Shuuichi, who had been planted as the governor’s secretary, Anjou was introduced to the flustered Koheiji Koyatagata.

In an instant, the influence of the College had descended upon Tokyo. With the firewall set up by Kaguya lifted, Eva had fully integrated into Tokyo’s network, with torrents of data flowing rapidly through the city’s internet.

At the Tokyo Meteorological Agency’s computing hall, rain poured heavily outside. Forked lightning flashed through the dark clouds. Nearly all the floor-to-ceiling windows were shattered, and the wind had scattered printed papers across the room.

Miyamoto Zawa’s fingers flew across the keyboard as he recorded this catastrophe, backing up the data to a center in Copenhagen. Soon, Tokyo would sink beneath the ocean, and all evidence would be lost to the sea. But by studying the data Miyamoto Zawa backed up, people might one day understand how Tokyo’s sinking occurred, and if a similar disaster ever struck again, humanity might find a way to prevent it.