Chapter 243: Leviathan
"Officer, the Kanmon Straits are ahead. Beyond the Kanmon Straits is the Seto Inland Sea!"
On the Sea Surface, four white Guided Missile Destroyers were anchored ten nautical miles outside the Kanmon Straits. Federal three-star Major General Krav stood on the bridge, holding binoculars and gazing into the distance at the Kanmon Straits.
"Officer, the Department of Defense's order is for us to intercept that giant beast in the Kanmon Straits and prevent it from entering the Japan Tokyo area!"
The operations staff officer beside him reminded Kraft with some hesitation.
There was still some distance from the Kanmon Straits here. He didn't understand why his officer would have the warships stop at this position. After all, according to the Department of Defense's instructions, they were supposed to enter the Kanmon Straits to intercept it.
"Major, have you seen photos of that giant beast!" Kraft put down the military binoculars in his hand and turned to look at the staff officer beside him.
"Officer! No!" The Black Person Major answered loudly.
Kraft patted his shoulder: "Major, I have! That damned eight-headed giant snake is even bigger than our warships. It can easily flip our warships just by swinging its tail! I don't want all my soldiers to be buried at the seabed because of the Department of Defense's foolish order, understand!"
"Understood! Officer!" The Black Person Major raised his hand in a salute with a snap.
For a soldier, following an officer who cherishes life is undoubtedly fortunate, especially when Kraft circulated the clear satellite images of the Yamata no Orochi captured by the satellite to each ship.
Looking at the satellite images, the houses that were easily crushed like building blocks after the Yamata no Orochi passed, the tall buildings that were shattered...
The several captains who originally had some complaints about Kraft's decision all closed their mouths. Some captains even felt that being so close to the Kanmon Straits might be too dangerous.
After all, the missiles on their warships could be launched from dozens of nautical miles away; there was no need to be so close to the Kanmon Straits.
You know, many snakes are amphibious creatures. Who can guarantee that this giant snake isn't aquatic? What if?!
Federal three-star Major General Krav, who received the suggestion from his subordinate, readily accepted it and directly ordered the four Guided Missile Destroyers to withdraw fifty nautical miles from the Kanmon Straits.
"Officer, the target is still twenty kilometers from the Kanmon Straits!"
"Notify all ships. Lock onto the position based on the satellite coordinates. Once the target enters range, fire a four-missile salvo!"
"Yes, Officer!"
The Perry-class Guided Missile Frigate is equipped with the MK-13 missile launcher, which fires Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
In 1965, the Federal Navy Air Systems Command, stimulated by the Former Soviet Union, initiated a research project for an air-launched tactical anti-ship missile. The main purpose was to attack Soviet submarines equipped with SS-N-3 anti-ship missiles at the time. Since the SS-N-3 missile could only be launched On the Water Surface, the Federal Navy planned to launch missiles first to sink them while they were conducting launch operations On the Water Surface.
Because this type of attack was similar to a whaling ship attacking a whale floating on the water with a harpoon, the plan's codename was named "Harpoon".
At that time, the range requirement for the "Harpoon" was 25 nautical miles.
In 1967, during the Six-Day War, the Israeli destroyer Eilat was sunk by Egyptian missile speedboats using Russian-made SS-N-2 anti-ship missiles, which served as a stimulus.
The Federal Navy then took out the existing Harpoon missile research plan they had and studied it, changing the target to attacking surface ships. They changed the rocket engine of the Harpoon anti-ship missile to an air-breathing turbine engine.
The range was also increased from twenty-five nautical miles to the current forty nautical miles, which is seventy-four kilometers.
The first combat record of the Harpoon anti-ship missile occurred in November 1980 during the Iran-Iraq War battlefield. Iran used RGM-84A Harpoon anti-ship missiles previously purchased from the Federation to sink the Iraqi Navy's 1350-ton L-78 amphibious support ship.
Strictly speaking, the Perry-class Guided Missile Frigate has gradually become outdated in the Federal Navy's structure.
However, using the heavy firepower carried by the Guided Missile Destroyers to deal with a giant beast from a long distance, even if it couldn't be killed, it could be severely injured. The worst outcome would simply be a maritime evacuation.
Fifty nautical miles away, could this giant beast still catch up to their warships?
"Target has entered missile range!"
"Target Locked!"
"Target Locked!"
"Requesting Launch!"
"Launch!"
As Kraft gave the order holding the radio transceiver, the vertical launching systems of the four Perry-class Guided Missile Frigates all opened simultaneously. Two rounds, sixteen Harpoon anti-ship missiles, were fired towards the direction of the Kanmon Straits at subsonic speed.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom! Sixteen Harpoon anti-ship missiles accurately hit the crawling Yamata no Orochi—
This ancient titan, over two hundred meters long and weighing over thirty thousand tons, was instantly covered by the missiles' flames.
"Attack ineffective!" Tony Stark had been tracking the Yamata no Orochi in mid-air. He didn't even need to see the results to know that Harpoon anti-ship missiles of this level could not cause fatal damage to this giant beast at all.
"No! Its speed is slowing down! Is it because the damage from the previous Rod of God hasn't fully recovered, or is the energy in its atomic bio-reactor exhausted!"
Tony Stark acutely noticed the Yamata no Orochi's speed slowing down through the data analysis system on his Iron Armor. Clearly, although these missile attacks could not cause fatal damage to the Yamata no Orochi, they could delay its movement speed.
Tony Stark directly notified the Federal Military and the Japanese Government of this situation through J.A.R.V.I.S..
Soon, rounds of medium-range missiles whistled in from Japan's Guam, Yokosuka, Misawa, and Okinawa Naval Base.
Repeated bombing occurred near the Kanmon Straits. The mountain slopes surrounding the Yamata no Orochi were sunk several meters by this dense missile bombing.
To stop the Yamata no Orochi from entering Tokyo, the Japanese Government paid a heavy price. After an emergency call and promising a large number of unequal agreements, to show sincerity, the Japanese Prime Minister even flew directly to Washington by private jet.
Later, the Japanese Government also paid for the fee/cost of these missiles. Therefore, the several Federal Military Bases stationed in Japan were happy to empty the missiles inside the base, taking this opportunity to eliminate some bad debts.
Round after round of missiles were launched from various places in Japan, directly targeting the Kanmon Straits.
As for the victim, the Yamata no Orochi, this ancient titan, its current appearance was like an unlucky snake being blasted by a group of mischievous kids with pop-its and firecrackers.
Although these missiles could not harm it, the feeling of pain brought by the explosions made the berserk Yamata no Orochi directly destroy a Small Town near the Kanmon Straits.
Under Kraft's command, the four Perry-class Guided Missile Frigates bombing the area near the Kanmon Straits for another three rounds.
Just as Kraft was observing the distant Kanmon Straits with his binoculars.
Beneath the Sea Surface, an enormous figure was silently approaching their ships.
Leviathan.
This titan was one of the more active ones among the seventeen titans discovered by Monarch.
In ocean legends around the world, there are records about it, such as the sea beast that swallowed warships in Greek mythology, or the Kun in Eastern legends that can carry cities on its back.
The existence of these myths proves that Leviathan was restless even in ancient times. It is quite evil and often hunts and kills ships that appear in its activity area.
Fortunately, its activity has rules. Only every few decades will this fellow surface from the sea area of the underground hollow layer.
After circling the world once, it will silently return to its world.
According to the current situation observed by Monarch, the entrance to Leviathan's underground hollow world should be somewhere in the Pacific Ocean's great ocean trench.
By the time the people on the four Guided Missile Destroyers noticed this ancient titan, Leviathan's enormous figure had surfaced, its huge tail, like a black hill, slapped the Sea Surface.
The heavy seawater was kicked up into a huge sea wave over ten meters high amidst a terrifying hum.
The rolling sea wave roared as it slapped towards the four Guided Missile Destroyers. The first Guided Missile Destroyer to bear the brunt was instantly slapped sideways by the sea wave,
Then this Guided Missile Destroyer, amidst the rolling sea wave, directly collided with another Guided Missile Destroyer, as a creaking sound of steel colliding came out.
The two Guided Missile Destroyers instantly sank to the seabed.
Leviathan's huge figure dove into the seabed with the sea wave. A huge shadow instantly appeared beneath a Guided Missile Destroyer that was speeding away.
Amidst the surging sea wave, the huge ancient titan leapt up, directly crushing a Guided Missile Destroyer beneath it.
Boom!
Leviathan's enormous body, weighing tens of thousands of tons, fell heavily, instantly bringing up surging sea waves dozens of meters high that rushed towards the direction of the Kanmon Straits.
"My God!"
Kraft stood in the Guided Missile Destroyer's captain's cabin. Facing the enormous shadow falling overhead, the only thing he could do was close his eyes and prayer.
After a long time, Kraft did not feel the pain of his body being crushed into a meat patty. He subconsciously opened his eyes and reached for his entire body.
"General Krav! Long time no see!"
Kraft touched his intact body, looking around with some trembling. The sea waves in the distance were still surging continuously.
He could even see the wreckage of his two Guided Missile Destroyers not far away... "Mr. Tang! You saved me!"
Kraft looked at the familiar figure on the deck before him, who was holding the guardrail and gazing at the ocean. Being able to become the Federal Navy Commander stationed in Japan, he was not a fool.
He quickly figured it out. It was the man who suddenly appeared before him who saved him.
He forced himself to suppress his trembling legs, walked to Tang Song, and expressed his gratitude.
"General Krav! I remember saying back then at Yashida Manor that we are friends. The development of the Yashida Family over the past two years is thanks to your help. When a friend is in trouble, I naturally cannot stand idly by!"
Tang Song politely turned his head to look at Kraft.
"You said we are friends, so taking care of your business is also something I should do!"
Kraft wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Looking at the gently smiling man before him, he couldn't quite figure out how he had saved him from that giant sea beast, but it must have been some kind of supernatural powers.
He was extremely fortunate that over the past two years, due to the shares gifted by the Yashida Family, he had supported Yashida many times. Otherwise, he probably would have been buried at the seabed along with that Guided Missile Destroyer by now.
Damn it! Why did I come out? Couldn't I have just stayed in the base? Or I shouldn't have been overconfident and just brought out the USS George Washington. Even that giant sea beast couldn't contend with the nuclear bombs on an aircraft carrier, right!
Tang Song, however, had no mind to pay attention to Kraft's thoughts. Saving him was just something done conveniently.
Over the past two years, after Mariko Yashida took over the Yashida Family, the reason it had been so stable in Japan was indeed thanks to Kraft's considerable help.
Although this guy was for money, he could also be considered someone who handled things properly for money.
Tang Song's attention was currently on the Leviathan at the seabed, or more precisely, on that familiar fluctuation on Leviathan's body.
White Bone Demonic God. Tang Song's divine sense connected to that fluctuation inside Leviathan's body.
That nascent consciousness, facing Tang Song's familiar divine sense, was mixed with adoration, tyranny, fear, and many other complex emotions. Tang Song instantly understood the source of that fluctuation. At that luxury cruise ship auction a few years ago, a giant octopus attacked the cruise ship, and he got off the ship early.
And left behind a Skeleton Demon as surveillance. The Skeleton Demon attached itself to a giant octopus's tentacle, and as a result, was devoured by Leviathan.
He didn't expect that the Skeleton Demon from back then had now evolved into a White Bone Demonic God.
The so-called White Bone Demonic God is not truly a god or a demon, but rather the term used by Heshan Dao for a Skeleton Demon after it advances.
After a Skeleton Demon is refined with a certain restriction formation, it can grow bone wings and fly through the air, named Flying Skeleton.
Once the seventy-two restriction formations inside this Flying Skeleton's body are perfectly merged into one, it can be called a White Bone Demonic God.
Theoretically, a White Bone Demonic God is similar to a Magic Tool being refined into a Magic Treasure.
Tang Song could sense that the quality of this White Bone Demonic God was quite good.
Was it because it absorbed the essence blood of this ancient titan giant beast, or because of the radiation from atomic energy?
But its state wasn't right. The consciousness born within the White Bone Demonic God was like a combination of the Leviathan giant beast's and the Skeleton Demon's consciousness.
Especially when it felt his divine sense probing, Tang Song's divine sense made it extremely agitated. It roared, striking its huge tail like a warhammer against the surrounding seawater. The sea waves surged and rolled.
It was unwilling to be controlled again.
Its nascent consciousness wished it could devour Tang Song.
Leviathan indeed did just that. This deep sea giant beast directly surfaced from the seabed, opened its giant mouth full of fangs, and pounced directly towards the Guided Missile Destroyer where Tang Song was.
It is said that clouds follow the dragon and wind follows the tiger. With a giant beast weighing tens of thousands of tons, before its body even pressed down, sea waves dozens of meters high had already reached the sky above the Guided Missile Destroyer beneath Tang Song's foot.
"My God!"
Kraft once again clasped his hands on his chest, but this time he did not close his eyes. Instead, he pleadingly placed his gaze on Tang Song's body.
"Presumptuous!"
Tang Song smiled coldly, reached out, and drew from thin air. A blood-red Tang Straight Saber, thin as a cicada's wing, appeared in his hand.
As soon as this Tang Straight Saber appeared, the blood inside the bodies of living beings within dozens of miles was uncontrollably sucked out, turning into countless blood mist, which was devoured by the horned demon on the saber guard.
(end of chapter)