Chapter 323: Chapter 321 Secret Emperor_1
THUD.
Ponte didn’t even have time to react before his head slammed heavily onto the ground. It was the first time in his life his head had hit the floor, causing a sudden rush of dizziness that made him want to vomit.
Before he could throw up, a loud BANG sounded, and the shattered dining table rushed towards him like a torrential downpour.
Armaniyaz instinctively swung his fists and feet to counter. He wasn’t just relying on brute strength but using Gentle Tai Chi to make the approaching fragments collide in mid-air. The pieces then perfectly avoided the two of them, all sticking into the carpeted floor like thrown knives.
Ponte yelled, "Armaniyaz, what the hell are you doing?"
Normally, his legs could exert enough force to jump more than ten meters—a common feat. Now, the two of them were less than three meters from the window.
That guy actually couldn’t jump out. Not only did he end up back where he started, but he also made Ponte fall to the ground.
Armaniyaz pursed his lips, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He could swear he had shown no signs of his legs weakening.
The feeling when his feet exerted force was that he could pounce out of the window; his body was aiming towards the window.
It was clear like that, yet somehow, he found himself back in his original position, with Ponte also fallen to the ground.
Was this Dio’s Superpower?
Or was I hallucinating due to the extreme tension?
Armaniyaz gasped for breath, his heart sinking. Not seeing the enemy or knowing what means they had at their disposal was like climbing a mountain without knowing its peak or direction, bound to get lost.
He would die here too.
"HA, HA," Armaniyaz couldn’t control the thumping of his heart or his heavy breathing. He had never felt so vividly that the goddess of death, that bitch, was flirting with him.
They definitely couldn’t wait for reinforcements.
"Armaniyaz!"
Ponte shouted. Armaniyaz snapped back to reality, gritted his teeth, and decided to try again. He twisted his waist, used his left foot as a pivot to exert force, and leaped forward agilely, picking up Ponte and trying to jump out of the window.
Suddenly, his gaze shifted from the window to the door. He found himself back in his original position, without Ponte in his hands.
Not again!
Armaniyaz’s pupils dilated. He was absolutely certain this was not an illusion.
Ponte also realized the dire situation. He remembered being picked up by Armaniyaz, but in the blink of an eye, he was back on the ground.
What was going on?
Ponte’s mind raced furiously, unable to fathom what kind of Superpower this was, yet also understanding that escaping was impossible.
"Armaniyaz, try to buy time!"
Ponte could only pin his hopes on him. He had chosen to be in Tokyo for convenience, rather than in other locations, to facilitate immediate support from the Fifth Air Force stationed at Yokota Base.
The message for reinforcements had already been sent out. They just needed to wait a little longer, and the Air Force would appear over Ome City, Tokyo. The police in Ome City were on their way here, and the Metropolitan Police Department was also urgently arranging reinforcements. All of this, he didn’t need to see to confirm; as soon as he sent the request for help, everyone would act immediately. That was his influence.
"Don’t ask the impossible," Armaniyaz shook his head. "How could I possibly last long against such a monster?"
The moment his words fell, his limbs suddenly became extremely cold. A strong sense of danger surged in his heart, making him instinctively swing his fists forward.
BANG. Colorful diamond-shaped lights filled his vision, followed by the excruciating pain of his right hand shattering, each fragment deeply embedded in his nerves and flesh.
Ponte’s eyes bulged in horror, watching as Armaniyaz’s body suddenly exploded into a cloud of blood.
Not a single drop of blood fell. Instead, the blood formed a skull in midair, its hollow eyes staring in their direction.
"Armaniyaz!"
Ponte cried out, his limbs trembling uncontrollably.
It is only in desperate moments that one realizes one’s own arrogance and weakness. Ponte was no exception.
The clever schemes he prided himself on were so fragile and powerless in the face of a Superpower User.
As the danger burned ever closer, Ponte felt panic, but he still remembered the teachings of the past.
Only by calming himself down could he find a way to survive.
"Dio, there was no lie in what I said earlier. Killing me will do you no good. You want to go to Paradise, right? I can help you. You could become the king of the world, as long as you’re willing to cooperate with us!"
No voice replied. A piece of broken glass floated up from the cluttered ground.
Seeing this, a fierce glint flashed through Ponte’s eyes as he roared, "If you want to kill me, then die with me!"
He clenched his right hand into a fist and fiercely smashed the ring he was wearing onto the ground.
「...」
Tokyo Yokota Base, Air Force Command Center.
The lights were bright, and numerous large screens displayed their bustling activity.
"The 36th Fighter Squadron has all taken off; they’re expected to arrive at the target location in forty seconds."
Once the situation was reported, a screen suddenly lit up with red light.
BEEPING. Without any manual intervention, a series of codes appeared on the screen, and then the red screen turned green.
Fifth Air Force Commander Layla was a bit baffled and asked, "What’s this all about?"
"Space-based Weapons," the officer beside him replied frankly.
Layla frowned slightly. Although he was the Air Force commander, he didn’t know much about the weapons and their numbers under the Fifth Air Force’s jurisdiction.
The officer, aware of the commander’s lack of knowledge about Space-based Weapons, explained, "Space-based Weapons are six tungsten rods, each 6 meters long and 30 centimeters in diameter, installed on satellites thousands of kilometers from Earth. When necessary, these satellites can release the tungsten rods from outer space to strike ground targets on Earth."
At this point, the officer looked at the manor on the large screen and shook his head. "The command to launch the Space-based Weapons is given either upon Ponte’s death or if Ponte actively triggers it. Either way, Ponte won’t make it until our Air Force arrives."
Layla, his face shocked, asked, "Why didn’t you tell me about this weapon in advance?"
"Respected Commander, you didn’t ask," the officer replied truthfully.
Compared to the commanders who were replaced from time to time, these officers would stay at Yokota Base until retirement, barring unexpected events.
Some things, naturally, did not need to be known by the commander. After all, he was just an Air Force commander.
「...」
"HAHA, you’re done for!"
Ponte revealed everything about the Space-based Weapon at once, a move that was not wise.
Normally, he should have waited for the arrival of the Space-based Weapon. But now, he didn’t feel like waiting. Rather than Dio dying here, he preferred to make Dio retreat under the pressure of his own power.
In this way, it would be his victory. It may sound strange, but in my mind, such a victory is more pleasing than Dio’s death. Within this range, I absolutely can’t dodge the attack of the Space-based Weapon; death is a certainty. But whether Dio will die is still unknown. If Dio retreats, then undoubtedly it will be my victory!
"If you’re scared, scram! Don’t underestimate humanity!" Ponte shouted excitedly, his face flushed.
The next second, in his line of sight, the vast rooftop was flipped open.
As glasses of strong liquor and beer cans collided, Aozawa quickly enlarged the Defense Barrier, treating the house and the clouds as threats.
The Defense Barrier didn’t need to encompass the house; it directly lifted the entire building’s roof. Under high-speed friction, stone, wood, and furniture ignited, turning into ashes that floated away with the wind.
Then, the pitch-black clouds suddenly tore open a hole.
The cloud cover that had enveloped Tokyo parted in one corner, bringing the long-missed starry sky back to Ome City, Tokyo.
"What?!"
Ponte looked up, stunned and speechless. He then noticed a meteor falling towards them from the shining starry sky.
A colorful, diamond-shaped Light Shield appeared at an altitude of 10,000 meters, blocking the falling tungsten rods.
「...」
BOOM!
Like a thunderclap on a clear day, the loud noise shook Tokyo.
Flying an F-22 fighter jet, Danny’s heart skipped a beat. FARK, wasn’t it supposed to be clear? Why is there thunder?!
He radioed the command center, then immediately realized something was wrong with the night sky ahead. It was too bright; flying at such an altitude, he shouldn’t see such a bright starry sky.
What’s going on?
A hint of confusion flashed through Danny’s mind, and he subconsciously slowed his flight speed.
"Emergency order! All units of the 36th Fighter Squadron, return—"
A very anxious voice suddenly came from the command center. Danny hadn’t heard the end of it when a colorful, diamond-shaped light suddenly flashed in front of him. An F-22 fighter jet that the light streaked past exploded into a brilliant firework display.
It wasn’t just one aircraft; from what he could see, five fighter jets exploded.
"FARK! FARK!"
Danny cursed, frantically using his superb skills to pull himself back from the brink of death and quickly head back to base.
The command center’s message, cut off earlier, finally concluded: "...to base."
"FARK! You bitch!" Danny spat back a curse, but it was drowned out by the thunderous roar coming from the sky.
「...」
"Tudor Kiel, KIA." "Tikas Reynolds, KIA." "Daken Elwin, KI..."
Listening to the overlapping reports, more than half of the 36th Fighter Squadron was lost.
Matters that would normally warrant Layla’s attention were, at this moment, completely forgotten. He was staring at the large screen.
The tungsten rod shattered the first layer of the shield, then the second, and then the third.
Come on, Space-based Weapons! Layla clenched his fists, completely ignoring Ponte’s fate. He only wanted the Space-based Weapons to defeat the Superpower User.
The screen was silent, but outside, the thunderous roar continued as the tungsten rod struck the third layer.
The diamond-shaped, colored Light Shield flashed but was not pierced.
Layla held his breath. On the military satellite feed, the tungsten rod, now moving even faster, reversed direction and shot back towards the satellite in outer space.
Silently, the satellite carrying the tungsten rods exploded into fireworks. The explosion was soundless on screen, but it left Layla’s head buzzing.
"Is it thundering outside?"
"Yes, it might rain soon."
Aozawa picked up a mushroom, smiling broadly. "Chitose, let me feed you."