The wind blew down from the mountain peak, skimming the back of Matik's neck and sending shivers across his skin. The words of his companion sounded as chilling as a horror story.
"Stop talking nonsense! If your shooting sucks, it just sucks. Stop making excuses and move over! Watch my shooting skills!"
Matik pushed his companion aside, grabbed the machine gun with both hands, and, confident in his marksmanship, quickly aimed at the blond man approaching their position. His index finger pulled the trigger. From this angle, he was one hundred percent certain he could hit the blond man.
The staccato noise of gunfire erupted as the concrete ground exploded into waves, like stones dropped into a lake. Aozawa was currently in a state of Schrödinger's Cat and completely immune to bullets. He couldn't even feel a trace of impact and continued to walk forward two more steps with a beguiling, cat-like gait.
"How is this possible?" A look of shock spread across Matik's face. He was certain that his previous volley must have hit the blond man with at least a dozen bullets, making it impossible for him to continue walking.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He immediately grabbed the radio, shouting, "Sergeant Harold!"
As he called out, Matik saw the blond man stop, crouch down, and then something happened that nearly made his eyes pop out. The blond man's body suddenly turned to stone and, in the next instant, rapidly expanded into a Rock Giant over ten meters tall, its surface glittering with the brilliance of diamonds.
"Is he dead?"
"No, he—he turned into a giant! A giant!"
"Are you fucking high again?" Harold's angry voice came through the radio. He figured his subordinate couldn't kick the habit and emphasized loudly, "Report the real situation immediately!"
"This *is* the real situation, haha." Matik let out a desperate laugh. The worldview he had always maintained shattered, and the entire world suddenly seemed utterly absurd. How else could he explain the scene unfolding before his eyes?
Aozawa plunged his right hand into the mountainside. Curling his fingers, he powerfully tore out a large chunk of rock and, using it as a projectile, hurled it toward the guard tower ahead.
BOOM!
The deafening explosion echoed over Biological Research Lab 47. The guard tower at the entrance blew up, scattering debris from the shattered building across the plaza like celestial maidens scattering blossoms. Harold rushed out of the basement just in time to see a shower of broken stones rain down and the guard tower with a large chunk missing.
Had they been shelled? He was utterly shocked. It was one thing for firearms to leak out of the armory, but for actual shells to do so? That was preposterous! How corrupt could the personnel managing the armaments be?
Harold cursed them in his mind. In the next second, his ears caught the sharp sound of something cutting through the air. Illuminated by the lights, he saw a large mass of rock streaking through the sky. With a resounding crash, a southern guard tower shattered.
WHOOSH WHOOSH. Soil drifted leisurely through the air.
A trebuchet? The image of the ancient siege engine flashed in Harold's mind, but its power seemed too great; one could call it a howitzer and no one would question it. The guard towers of Biological Research Lab 47 were built to withstand artillery, yet under the tremendous impact of those massive stones, they simply burst apart. One could only imagine the terrifying power of the trebuchet that launched them.
"Rand, call Yokosuka Base for backup immediately! Say we're under attack! Deploy fighter jets now!"
"I—" Before a full response came from the other end, a thunderous explosion sounded. After a piercing screech, the radio fell silent. Clearly, the command center used for calling reinforcements had been destroyed by the enemy.
Harold was dumbfounded. Not only was the trebuchet incredibly powerful, but it also possessed pinpoint accuracy. Furthermore, who had exposed the location of their command center? Does Biological Research Lab 47 have a mole? Without one, the enemy couldn't possibly carry out such precise strikes.
With a somber expression, Harold recalled Matik's earlier report about the blond man and his nonsensical talk, clearly the result of being high. Could all this just be drug-induced hallucinations?
With a jolt of alarm, he thought for a moment, then ordered, "Quick! Immediately gather all research personnel from Biological Research Lab 47 for evacuation! Destroy whatever data you can!"
"Sergeant Harold!"
Amidst the soldiers' screams, Harold turned around. He saw his final view in life: a rough-hewn piece of mountain rock, carrying the scent of spring earth, filled his entire field of vision.
BOOM. By the time the sound reached his ears, Harold was no longer able to complain about the noise; his flesh and blood had been crushed into pulp.
My throwing technique is quite good, Aozawa thought, using his Catalyst Induction ability to survey the situation at Biological Research Lab 47. He then proceeded to hurl rocks into it, as if pitching baseballs.
Bigger, he thought. His right hand dug into the rock again, beginning to absorb the power of the Earth Element. The area around Biological Research Lab 47 was deserted, so he didn't need to hold back. His ten-meter stature swelled further, to thirty or forty meters. Such a massive size naturally came with immense weight; the ground beneath him buckled and overturned under the pressure. His field of vision expanded dramatically. It was the first time he had grown so huge in the real world.
Aozawa waved his right hand gently, generating a thunderous roar. He slapped the mountain peak, breaking it off, and then threw it at another guard tower of Biological Research Lab 47.
BOOM!
The deafening sound erupted, spreading far through the air. The tremors seemed to reach the van on the road. Morimoto Chiyoda glanced out of the car window, her eyes nearly bulging out. She quickly shouted, "Kitanotake, stop the car now!"
"Isn't this a no-parking zone?" Kitanotake murmured, yet he still applied the brakes, parking the van on a stretch of road where parking was prohibited. Peering into the darkness outside, he pressed the switch again, letting the driver's seat window slide down, exclaiming, "What is that?"
In the distant, hazy night, mountains loomed, but they couldn't hide the massive silhouette. The head and shoulders were clearly distinct from the mountains' outline, and with its shiny exterior, it looked unmistakably like a diamond giant.
"Dio!" Morimoto Chiyoda said, her face grave. "It looks like he reached Biological Research Lab 47 before us."
Okayama Buji frowned. "If he destroys the data, won't Emily be beyond help?"
"Damn it." Morimoto Chiyoda bit her lip, hoping against hope that Dio wouldn't cause too much damage. But seeing that colossal form, taller even than the mountains... She couldn't imagine how sturdy Biological Research Lab 47 would need to be to withstand a punch from him. But they couldn't just sit idly by.
"Quick, contact Jack at the CIA right away! Tell him Dio is outside Biological Research Lab 47 in Kawagoe city, Saitama county!" Morimoto Chiyoda didn't have Jack's contact information, but Okayama Buji did. He swiftly took out his phone and dialed Jack's number.
BEEP. After a single ring, the call was immediately answered. "What's the matter?" A slightly drunken voice came through the phone.
Jack was drinking. Normally, he wouldn't drink at this time, but things were different now; he believed his career was likely over. So, living by the motto 'enjoy the wine while you have it,' he drank more than usual. His mind was also fuzzier.
"Minister Jack, Dio is outside Biological Research Lab 47!"
"What?" The fog in Jack's mind cleared instantly. He had no time to think why the special task force knew Dio was outside Biological Research Lab 47. "Okay, you keep monitoring. I'll report to the higher-ups."
Hanging up, Jack quickly used the CIA hotline to call Director John. "Director, Dio has appeared outside Biological Research Lab 47 in Kawagoe city, Saitama county!"
"What?!" Surprise flashed across Director John's face on the other end of the line, but he quickly realized the importance of the matter. It wasn't that the research findings from Biological Research Lab 47 were so important they couldn't be lost. At this point, rescuing them was of little use. The key was Dio's attacking that specific location; it could very well prove their theory was correct: Superpowers were caused by some kind of potent toxin in the world. If the human body could endure it, one could possess superhuman strength.
"Go to the site by helicopter immediately. Try to delay Dio as much as possible."
"?!?!" Jack was utterly bewildered. He wondered if he'd had too much whiskey and was experiencing auditory hallucinations, or if Director John had lost his mind, asking him to delay Dio. Is this a mission I can accomplish?
"I need to report the specifics to my superiors. Don't slack off!" John gave a vague hint and then hung up. He didn't actually expect Jack to accomplish the order; he only wanted to convey an attitude to the higher-ups—that their CIA in Japan was indeed taking action. Whether they succeeded or not was another matter; the higher-ups could hardly fly into a rage because they failed to delay Dio. Anyone with a brain knew such a task was beyond ordinary human capability.
Jack stared blankly for a few seconds before understanding John's intention. If the special task force can just stand by and watch at the site, then my presence there probably won't cause any problems either. Besides, by the time I arrive, Dio will most likely have vanished.
Realizing this, Jack stood up and headed outside, saying, "Anyone who can fly a helicopter, come with me. We're going to Kawagoe city, Saitama county. Also, notify the command of the Seventh Fleet. Tell them Dio has appeared just outside Biological Research Lab 47 in Kawagoe city, Saitama county, and see how they handle it."
"Understood." Three field agents immediately went to accompany him to the top floor, while the rest stayed behind to continue their work.
Jack rode the express elevator to the top floor.
DING. The elevator doors slid open to either side, and a gust of wind swept in. He flipped a switch nearby, and the ground lights quickly brightened, illuminating a military attack helicopter parked in the center.
"Let's move out!" A surge of heroism rose in Jack's heart. Now it seemed his career might still be salvageable. If Biological Research Lab 47 is destroyed, then Emily won't be able to find fault, and no one will know I revealed information to the special task force. I'll still be the promising Minister of Special Intelligence Investigation.