Volume 2 Chapter 72: Smoke, Crystals, and Battle (Part 1)
The shockwaves from the multi-billion-ton explosion shook the sky and earth, effectively resetting the world.
The fireball ascended, carrying with it a massive surge of hot air that swept burning dust upward, forming a towering mushroom cloud high in the atmosphere. The fireball itself continued to burn within the mushroom cloud, brighter than the sun on the horizon. Though it was no longer expanding, its tens-of-kilometers-wide diameter still dominated the sky over East Asia. Even Godzilla could clearly see it, and it was visible to the permanent colonies on the moon.
The fireball's heat produced a tremendous shockwave. Human satellites were blown away by its force, leaving only a few distant ones unaffected. Despite the chaos, human observation satellites remained fixated on the source of the fireball, working to determine how many of the Ghidorah's Wings had survived the blast.
Fifty billion tons—equivalent to the simultaneous detonation of 100 Tsar Bomba nuclear warheads. In the face of such devastation, how many of the 41 Ghidorah's Wings still lived?
Satellite images began to provide the answer: 10... 20... 25.
Through analysis of fragments of bodies visible in the swirling dust clouds, coupled with data from dozens of observation satellites, humans calculated the number of surviving Ghidorah's Wings.
40 in total.
This revelation, surpassing initial estimates, caused the palms of analysts to sweat as they relayed the figures to the world. Then, at that moment:
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thousands of nuclear weapons detonated beneath the blazing inferno.
In anticipation of the Ghidorah's Wings' impact, humanity had buried millions of nuclear mines at the potential crash sites, achieving a density of hundreds per square kilometer.
The plan was simple: if the Ghidorah's Wings landed in the designated areas, the mines would be detonated, ensuring substantial damage before they could spread across East Asia.
This strategy aimed to minimize damage by concentrating the attacks and avoiding shockwaves that might have far-reaching consequences. However, the plan's success relied on one key condition: the Ghidorah's Wings had to land precisely where humans had set the trap. Otherwise, the effort would be wasted.
Fortunately, the wings landed exactly where the mines had been buried. It was time to strike.
The mines, some buried underground, others airborne amidst the displaced soil, and others near the surface, were detonated on cue. Despite the primary impact having destroyed more than 80% of the mines at ground zero, the remaining 20% were sufficient. In a series of brilliant flashes, the explosive force erupted.
The scorched, crystalized ground from the previous explosion was shattered again. In some areas, the blasts occurred beneath the crystalized surface; in others, they erupted in the craters surrounding the impact site. Some mines had been scattered into the air and detonated mid-flight.
The sky, already blindingly white, grew even brighter. This brilliance surpassed anything most people would witness in a lifetime. Even from thousands of kilometers away, across the curvature of the Earth, the explosion's glow was faintly visible.
Within a radius of tens of kilometers from the impact point, thousands of nuclear devices detonated, igniting a hellish nuclear firestorm aimed at obliterating the Ghidorah's Wings hidden in the smoke and dust.
While these explosions were less powerful than the initial impact, they were more sustained. By the time the fireball from these detonations finally began to ascend and dissipate, more than ten minutes had passed.
During this time, humanity's satellites maintained their watch over the blast zone. They observed the sky gradually dim as the blinding fireball receded, allowing the sun to reclaim its place. The scene revealed an enormous white mushroom cloud piercing the heavens. Rising to heights of tens of kilometers—some clouds reaching up to 100 kilometers—this pillar of destruction dwarfed Mount Everest, standing as a colossal monument to human desperation.
Amidst these towering mushroom clouds, something began to stir.
Whoosh—
A section of the cloud was parted.
Whoosh… Whoosh…
More portions of the mushroom cloud began to shift as something emerged.
From the base of the mushroom clouds, the scene gradually became visible. Humanity's satellites captured it in vivid detail:
Golden creatures took flight within the clouds, their shapes revealed as the dust and smoke cleared.
10... 20... 30... 31... 32... 33... 34... 35... 36…
37, 38, 39, 40.
A total of 40 Ghidorah's Wings emerged.
Before the impact and subsequent nuclear strikes, there had been 41. Now, only one has been lost.
The golden creatures flew freely above the enormous 12-kilometer-wide crater created by the blast, their wings glinting in the light. Below them, molten rock and scorched land flowed like rivers of lava, forming a hellish landscape reminiscent of mythical descriptions of damnation.
Above, the towering mushroom clouds continued to rise, their bases gradually thinning.
Beneath them, the 40 surviving Ghidorah's Wings soared, reveling in their arrival in this new world.
Forty Ghidorah's Wings now flew high in the sky.
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