Chapter 11: A Scene of Chaos

On the screen, the distant earth spider seemed bored. Its ghostly face swept from side to side before it raised its two front legs and thrust them fiercely into the ground under everyone's watchful eyes.

The hard earth was like tofu before the sharp front legs, and then...

"Rumble!"

The earth’s veins surged, the soil heaved like waves, and the heavy land transformed into a vast sea. Towering ‘waves’ radiated outward from the earth spider, the tanks became ships, helicopters turned into seagulls, and the dignitaries in Tokyo bore witness to this maritime disaster.

Dust billowed, blotting out the sun and sky. The pinnacle of modern technology could not penetrate the chaos; only thermal imaging devices detected a massive heat signature within the dust, along with other fading heat sources that remained motionless.

“Helicopters, take off immediately! I want a live view of the scene!” Director Shirama bellowed.

The helicopter’s viewpoint rapidly ascended. As the last chopper rose high, the dust slowly began to clear, violently revealing the grim scene before their eyes.

Their eyes nearly burst from the strain.

Within a radius of several kilometers, the land looked as if it had been reshaped from the magma age. The once lush forest was gone, replaced by undulating mounds of earth. The remnants of tall buildings and houses were only faintly visible through broken bricks and shattered tiles. Tanks and helicopter wreckage lay buried beneath the heavy soil. As for casualties...

They could not be discerned.

Not even the bodies remained. Where they had gone was a thought no one dared entertain.

“This is... a great demon,” muttered Toshirō Otagiri.

The scene before them challenged the nerves of modern men. Tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, torrential downpours—human technology could replicate such disasters to some degree. But earthquakes? They were the most severe calamities humanity had faced. Even now, modern science could only predict seismic waves seconds before they struck. What use was such a brief warning?

And none of this destruction was the work of human technology, but a great demon just escaped from its seal.

“How much longer until the other units arrive on site?” Director Shirama’s chest heaved as he forced himself to remain calm.

“The Third Division is stationed in Nara Prefecture. The reinforcements have departed and are expected to arrive within half an hour.”

Half an hour?

The earth spider could have plowed through Nara City multiple times in that span!

He looked at the terrain screen, pleading, “Master Earth, even if you cannot intervene, is there anyone else who can? We must not allow the earth spider to continue harming the people.”

He recalled that the earth spider was still in a weakened state, just out of its seal and affected by the Spider Cutter.

If it escaped and recovered to its peak, with its earthquake sorcery, it could continuously unleash devastation underground and bring ruin to the entire nation.

After all, Japan lacked truly powerful weapons, and even if they had them, they dared not easily deploy them on their own soil.

Just as Director Shirama was consumed by anxiety, Toshirō Otagiri suddenly called out beside him.

“Director! Director, look!”

...

“Clap, clap, clap...”

Three sharp claps echoed, and a figure in a black trench coat, holding a black parasol, abruptly appeared atop a small earth mound. The earlier applause came from him, and the parasol was floating!

Another extraordinary being!

Everyone focused intently, holding their breath as they observed this unexpected visitor.

Then, a voice—neither entirely old nor young, neither wholly sorrowful nor joyful, yet clearly audible—reached their ears.

“Coming out with such vigor right away, no wonder you were a dominant great demon in the Heian era.”

“It’s you.”

The earth spider lowered its body, its ghostly face concentrating on the uninvited guest, exhaling a foul, bloody breath.

“What brings you here, Umbrella Man?”

“Of course, to visit an old friend unseen for a millennium, and to take something along the way.”

The earth spider snorted coldly.

“Oh, don’t be so heartless. A thousand years ago, I advised you not to go pick a fight with Minamoto no Raikō. You wouldn’t listen, and look where that got you—a whole millennium gone.”

“Bang! Bang, bang, bang!” Four steel legs slammed down like raindrops, mercilessly ravaging the already battered earth. The earth spider roared in fury.

“You bastard!!”

The umbrella holder seemed to sigh, his form ghostlike. No matter how hard the earth spider struck, it could not harm him.

After this playful exchange, both parties tacitly ceased hostilities. The newcomer smiled.

“All right, you’ve vented your anger. Now hand over the item.”

The earth spider snorted but didn’t attack. Instead, it opened its mouth and launched the Spider Cutter like a missile. The umbrella man caught it deftly between two fingers.

This thing indeed hindered the spider’s recovery.

Gently stroking the blade, the umbrella man nodded with satisfaction.

“No wonder it was the weapon Minamoto no Raikō used to slay you a thousand years ago. Still as sharp as ever.”

“I just wasn’t paying attention back then. You better not point it at me.”

“Heh heh, how could a great demon like you be subdued by a mere blade? It’s because the wielder was Minamoto no Raikō.”

The earth spider ignored him and began burrowing rapidly, half its body disappearing underground in the blink of an eye.

“By the way,” the umbrella man spoke again, reminding him, “Don’t forget our agreement.”

“I remember perfectly, you stinky rat.”

As the last word was spoken, the earth spider’s form vanished, leaving behind a massive, hell-like chasm.

The umbrella man seemed to shake his head. Hidden beneath his black parasol, none could see his expression, nor could the thermal imaging device pierce the darkness.

“Well then,” his voice rang out again. This time, he raised a hand and gently waved toward the equipment aboard the helicopters above.

“Everyone, it’s tea time. Remember to drink your tea.”

As his words fell, accompanied by a soft laugh, black flames erupted from below, engulfing both man and parasol until they vanished without a trace.

Only devastation remained.

———

The Metropolitan Police Department was in chaos. All units scrambled at full speed. Rarely seen high-ranking officials were frantic, shedding all their usual composure.

“Hurry! Where did the earth spider go last? We must find out where that hole leads immediately!”

“And that last person—how did he leave, and where did he go? We need answers!”

Director Shirama coordinated the overall response. At that moment, Wataru Kishibe, head of the Intelligence Division, approached with a grim expression.

“The rapid response unit has arrived. Among the Self-Defense Forces’ advance and reinforcement troops, only Asai Mikane survived. In Yamazoe Village... preliminary checks show over five hundred dead and more than a thousand missing.”

Five hundred had been recovered, the rest either buried beneath the earth or... unknown.

“According to investigations, if the Self-Defense Forces’ reconnaissance team had not alerted the earth spider upon entering Yamazoe Village, the remaining people would likely have faced a grim fate.”

Hearing this heavy toll, Director Shirama was silent for a moment before sighing.

“Prepare for the survivors’ care. Whatever must be concealed should be. Officially, explain it all as an earthquake.”

How ironic—the devastation wrought by the earth spider’s sorcery would become the excuse to hide the truth.