The atmosphere in the corridor instantly became tense.
The officer who spoke chose to search purely as a precaution, but the four U.S. Army soldiers standing by didn't think the same way.
Their eyes revealed stark greed.
As the old saying goes, three years in the army, and a sow would rival the beauty of Diaochan.
Not to mention someone like Morimoto Chiyoda, who was more stunning than a supermodel and more beautiful than a national idol.
The arduous task of conducting a body search had to be thorough, without missing a single detail.
Kitanotake, Okayama Buji, and Miyaji Yosuke couldn't tolerate the search.
Morimoto Chiyoda calculated how to kill these men and how to avoid accountability afterward.
While the atmosphere at the scene was as tense as drawn swords and bows, the air rippled slightly.
Then, a tall figure appeared behind the officer, placing a hand on his shoulder and saying, "This is not in keeping with a gentleman's etiquette."
A captivating voice resounded.
A hint of shock flashed in the officer's eyes, and he instinctively wanted to defend himself.
Aozawa used his Marked Detonation ability, and the black Chrysanthemum pattern clearly emerged on the officer's shoulder. The thought of detonation flashed through Aozawa's mind.
Cracks appeared on the surface of the black Chrysanthemum pattern.
"You—"
The officer had just uttered an English word when fireworks and smoke burst forth from the cracks.
Time resumed its flow, and Aozawa still stood in his original spot.
The U.S. Army soldier's gun was now pointed at his comrades, but he himself didn't have the reaction speed to match, his finger still pulling the trigger.
His right arm swung.
RAT-TAT-TAT. After the light burst from the submachine gun, his three comrades present were shot down.
"Ah!"
The man, terrified, dropped the gun and let out an even more horrified scream as cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
He couldn't understand how he ended up shooting his comrades when he was clearly aiming at the blond man. Who had touched him in the shadows just now?!
Amid his screams, the previously scattered U.S. Army soldiers also quickly assembled in the corridor.
"What happened?"
Okayama Buji shouted in fluent English, "Don't do anything rash! If you don't want to die, you'd better stay quiet right there!"
"Right, that's right!"
The man who fired the gun also shouted, his terrified expression causing a flicker of doubt on the faces of the incoming U.S. Army soldiers. They had no idea what had happened but still chose to stop in their tracks.
Aozawa glanced at those U.S. Army soldiers before turning to Okayama Buji and saying, "You're really a coward, aren't you?"
Okayama Buji gave a wry smile, not offering any defense. Perhaps because he hadn't witnessed their outrage firsthand, he couldn't bear to calmly watch a group of living people lose their lives before his eyes. Is that cowardice? He thought that it probably was. He had always been such a cowardly man.
"Dio, Griffith said that people have souls. Do you think people have souls? Is Paradise where souls go?"
Morimoto Chiyoda had not seen Dio's face with her own eyes before; she had only felt Dio's threat from behind her.
This was the first time she was facing Dio directly and couldn't help but voice the question that had been weighing on her heart, seeking an answer.
Aozawa suddenly disappeared, then reappeared behind the U.S. Army soldier who had dropped his gun, grabbing his neck and shaking his head. "The destination of the soul is not Paradise."
"No, please!"
The U.S. Army soldier whose neck was grasped remembered how his superior died and was so frightened that he wet his pants.
The other U.S. Army soldiers were confused; no one had seen how the blond man appeared behind their comrade.
The thought of detonation flashed through Aozawa's mind.
BOOM!
"What?!"
The U.S. Army soldier's body quickly fractured, and the explosion that burst from it left the U.S. Army soldiers present with faces of astonishment as they witnessed their comrade leaving not even a speck of ash behind.
"If you don't want to die, don't point your guns at him!" Okayama Buji warned. The special task force already knew that guns could not inflict any harm on Dio.
The stubborn U.S. Army soldiers quickly became obedient, moving their gun barrels away.
"Where is the destination of the soul?"
Morimoto Chiyoda didn't care about the lives of those U.S. Army soldiers; she only wanted to clear up her own confusion about the destination of the soul. She was eager to know where her parents' souls rested.
"The answer requires you to seek it. In times of great upheaval in this world, if you do not give up, you'll eventually find the answers you seek."
Morimoto Chiyoda was still pondering the meaning of his words when Aozawa had already switched to his Schrodinger's Cat non-existent state and disappeared from the corridor.
Witnessing this scene, each of the U.S. Army soldiers raised their hands to rub their eyes, questioning if they had misseen. However, even after rubbing their eyes, the tall blond man was still nowhere to be seen.
"Where is he?"
They quickly stood back to back, scanning the surroundings, fearing that the person might suddenly appear behind them and use some kind of magic to blow them up.
"He's gone," Okayama Buji replied in English to the man's question.
"Are you with him?"
"If we were with him, would he have left us behind?" Okayama Buji patiently answered, knowing that the U.S. Army soldiers present were so shocked that they were unable to think straight.
The man thought for a moment. That seemed to make sense. What kind of enemy had those assholes in command sent them here to deal with?
"I am Jack, Minister of the CIA Special Intelligence Investigation Department!"
A loud shout came from the entrance. Jack, fearful of being mistakenly injured as an enemy, announced his identity in English to the U.S. Army soldiers before entering.
Okayama Buji spread his hands and said, "If you have any questions, you can speak to our superior officers."
The U.S. Army soldiers glanced behind them.
Jack strode into the scene. Upon arriving, he saw the three people dead on the ground from gunshot wounds, his face displaying astonishment. "You didn't have a conflict with them, did you?"
Morimoto Chiyoda shook her head. "No, this is Dio's handiwork. As for what method he used, I'm not sure. I only know that he possesses abilities for detonation and to appear and disappear suddenly."
Jack breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they hadn't clashed with the U.S. Army soldiers, he had a good chance of being able to save them.
"This incident involves classified information. You don't need to ask too many questions. From now on, the scene is under CIA jurisdiction. You may leave!"
Jack wanted to clear the scene immediately to prevent U.S. Forces Japan from interfering too much with the situation.
"The orders we received aren't like that."
"They will be in a minute. I'm going to call Commander Walter now and have him order you."
Jack's domineering attitude intimidated the U.S. Army soldiers present as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the command post.
After one BEEP, he began, "Commander Walter, this is a classified incident The White House has requested be kept secret. You wouldn't want these men to know the inner workings, would you?"
"Hand it over to you."
Walter did not continue to let his men stay there. He knew very well that compared to the military, the President trusted the CIA's operatives more.
"I issue this order in the name of the Commander of the Seventh Fleet: all personnel are to withdraw to base."
Under Commander Walter's orders, the U.S. Army withdrew from the scene, taking the three bodies with them.
Jack also directed his agents to check the surroundings.
There were no outsiders in the hallway, so he stopped pretending. With a stern voice, his gaze swept over the three individuals from the special task force. "What are you doing here?"
"To cure Emily, we need all the information on the Z Drug. We intended to sneak in and copy it, but then we encountered Dio." Morimoto Chiyoda spread her hands, showing no intent to lie.
Jack was slightly stunned. He had been prepared to poke holes in their excuses to showcase his own cleverness, but to his surprise, they were so straightforward.
"You sure are being honest," Jack said.
"Minister Jack," Morimoto Chiyoda said, "we have always had a good cooperative relationship with you, and you took risks to warn us about Emily's situation. We wouldn't lie to you and make things difficult for you."
"Since you've gotten what you wanted, search the scene thoroughly and then submit a report to me. Make sure you think of a solid reason; the higher-ups aren't fools. It was Director John who told me there was an issue with the Z Drug and Noda Dentistry. He may look dark on the outside, but his heart is even darker."
Jack had initially planned to concoct an excuse himself, but then he thought his reason might not be sufficient. He decided to leave the task of devising a reason to the special task force.
Strange to say, although he was a CIA man, Jack felt that the special task force was even more trustworthy than other CIA agents. Perhaps this was the difference between private mercenaries and institutional operatives. He didn't have to worry about the special task force stealing his credit or backstabbing him for promotion. To the CIA, the special task force would always be outsiders. Director John couldn't promote anyone from the special task force, but he could promote CIA operatives who had merits.
"Don't worry, I've thought of a good reason," Morimoto Chiyoda said with a smile.
Okayama Buji spoke up, "Minister Jack, are those who were captured here going to be released?"
"If you're willing to arrange it, then it's up to you. I don't mind."
Jack had no desire to keep the people they had acquired. The Special Intelligence Investigation Department wasn't responsible for providing for these people or giving them cover. Jack had been worried about how to handle them. With a willing party ready to take them off his hands, he was eager to be rid of them.
Okayama Buji breathed a sigh of relief and quickly ran outside. He noticed that the doorway to the basement was free of debris and appeared very clean.
Looking at the piles of rocks nearby and the blood seeping out from under them, he realized the cleanliness here was undoubtedly Dio's doing.
Was his control of power so perfect?
With this thought, he ran downstairs to where a group of people were held, their faces filled with fear.
Okayama Buji said in a solemn voice, "Don't worry. I'm from the Metropolitan Police Department. You've all been rescued. I will arrange for your return to your home countries."
Most of the people present showed expressions of joy. They never wanted to leave their home countries again in this lifetime.
Only one fair-skinned man quickly rushed over, grabbing the bars and exclaiming, "Asian brothers truly are the best! The police in Japan are so dedicated! I definitely want to live in Japan from now on!"
?! Okayama Buji suspected this man was suffering from some kind of mental illness.