Chapter 245
For an Ancient Titan the size of Yamata no Orochi, this distance was nothing. If not for the annoying Little Bugs along the way, it would have already passed through Tokyo.
Along the way, the Japanese Government set up over a dozen defense lines. Aircraft, tanks, warships – they deployed almost everything the Japan Self-Defense Forces had. The Japanese Minister of Defense personally commanded from the front lines, just to buy enough evacuation time for Tokyo.
Unfortunately, compared to an Ancient Titan weighing tens of thousands of tons, the tanks, artillery, and other thermal weapons of the Japan Self-Defense Forces were more like oversized toys; they couldn't stop Yamata no Orochi at all.
To be precise, currently, the Human World truly has no method against a Giant Beast of this tonnage with maximum defense.
The Federal Government launched over two hundred missiles. These high-precision weapons, each costing millions of US Dollars,
Included the Jericho Missile, once a flagship product of Stark Industries. Unfortunately, the power of these missiles clearly did not meet the expectations of their manufacturer and launcher.
These missiles, capable of easily destroying tanks and warships, caused no effective damage to Yamata no Orochi whatsoever.
At most, they made this Ancient Giant Beast even more enraged.
Facing the missile failure, Federal Minister of Defense Ross, a hawk, almost directly resorted to a nuclear attack, if not for the White House refusing to authorize it.
Japan had already been hit by two nuclear bombs anyway, what difference would one more make! If this Giant Beast were to enter Tokyo, it would be like a wild boar entering a vegetable patch.
This was Secretary Ross's original quote from the Pentagon Command Center. The reason he didn't insist on executing his nuclear bomb plan, besides the White House not giving authorization,
Was also because Monarch urgently contacted the White House and exchanged information about several Ancient Titans, including Yamata no Orochi. Clearly, before this, Monarch had intentionally concealed some information about these Ancient Titans.
The White House then informed Ross of the data on these Ancient Titans.
"These monsters can absorb atomic energy. Nuclear bombs can't harm them; they can even enhance their strength! Damn it, how can there be such monsters!?"
Ross watched Yamata no Orochi continuously advancing towards Tokyo on the satellite image, fuming with rage.
When the Outpost 0 of Monarch in Antarctica had a lapse, Ross had represented the Department of Defense to inspect that outpost base.
That Ancient Titan with three heads, the Evil Dragon named King Ghidorah, had left a deep impression on him.
However, in Ross's concept, no matter how large these so-called Ancient Titans were, they couldn't withstand humanity's ultimate nuclear weapon.
Unexpectedly, Monarch told him that these Ancient Giant Beasts were not afraid of nuclear bombs and even fed on nuclear energy.
No wonder, since these Ancient Giant Beasts were discovered, the attitude of various countries towards them has been primarily observation.
Based on the performance of this Ancient Titan, except for the Rod of God, this superweapon, human thermal weapons seem to have no effect on it.
"Officer!"
Several Soldiers in the Command Center looked at Ross, awaiting his next order.
Just ten minutes ago, they had dropped two more "Rod of God" on Yamata no Orochi. Unfortunately, the Giant Beast seemed to sense the danger and immediately escaped the battlefield.
The two Rod of God missed completely. Well, not completely missed, a tank squadron of the Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for the defense line was directly wiped out by them.
"Since we can't use nuclear weapons, then use Fuel-Air Explosives. I refuse to believe that the pinnacle of human technology will lose to a beast!"
With a bang, Secretary Ross slammed his hand heavily on the table in front of him.
White House, the satellite video projection was clearly displayed on the wall of the Meeting Room.
On the map, a wriggling red thread extended from Mount Fuji all the way towards Tokyo.
The Japanese Prime Minister kept wiping the sweat from his temples as he watched this slow but unstoppable red thread.
In the Meeting Room at this time, the air conditioning was on, keeping the temperature at a constant 26 degrees Celsius. However, the Japanese Prime Minister's back was completely soaked with sweat, his white shirt clinging damply to his body.
The satellite projection in the White House Meeting Room was divided into several small sections, showing high-definition photos that clearly displayed Yamata no Orochi's snake body and scales, as well as the ruins left in its wake.
From the satellite image, it was clear that the area traversed by the red thread representing Yamata no Orochi was left in ruins.
The Shizuoka Hamamatsu Metropolitan Area, hailed as the fourth largest metropolitan area outside of Japan's three major ones, saw tall buildings collapse, countless residents killed and injured, a scene of utter devastation.
Along the route from Shizuoka Prefecture to Tokyo, the ground seemed to have been plowed by artillery fire. Some of this was Yamata no Orochi's doing, but more was the result of the Federation's missile bombing.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Watching the familiar mushroom cloud rise in the satellite video, the Japanese Prime Minister almost jumped up.
"Prime Minister Abe, this isn't a nuclear bomb, it's a Fuel-Air Explosive!"
A White House staff member beside him, seeing the Japanese Prime Minister's frantic reaction, a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes as he explained.
"Fuel-Air Explosive! Fuel-Air Explosive! That's good, that's good!"
Abe wiped the sweat from his forehead, muttering to himself.
If a nuclear bomb were to explode on Japanese territory again, not only would he be unable to continue as Japanese Prime Minister, but he would likely have to commit seppuku to appease the rage of his countrymen.
At the same time, Abe looked at the mushroom cloud rising in the satellite image and secretly prayed to Amaterasu, hoping that the Fuel-Air Explosive would be effective against Yamata no Orochi.
One must know that the Fuel-Air Explosive is known as one of the most powerful bombs after nuclear bombs.
Five kilometers outside the suburb of Tokyo, a voice suddenly came through the communication channel of the disheveled Tony Stark.
"Mr. Stark, this is the Department of Defense Command Center. In one minute, we will drop two Fuel-Air Explosives. Please take cover!"
"One minute! Shit, is this a warning? What about the Japanese Soldiers down there?"
Tony Stark roared in anger. The death of Captain America Steve Rogers made him feel his own insignificance for the first time.
He had used up all his suits, but he couldn't harm this Giant Beast that had killed the Captain.
It was too big! So big it brought despair.
On the ground, Hulk punched Yamata no Orochi's snake belly repeatedly. His punching power, weighing tens of tons, felt like tickling the body of this ten-thousand-ton Giant Snake.
A flick of the Giant Snake's snake tail could send Hulk flying hundreds of meters away like a bowling ball.
Perhaps because it had suffered before, this Giant Snake hadn't opened its mouth to devour anything since being attacked by the Rod of God. However, its enormous size was its best weapon.
Invisible Woman, one of the Fantastic Four who had been fighting alongside them not long ago, had already withdrawn from the battlefield. After all, compared to that Giant Snake, Invisible Woman's psychokinesis was completely useless.
As for invisibility, snakes are best at heat sensing.
If Tony Stark hadn't sacrificed two suits, Invisible Woman would probably have turned into a pool of blood water under Yamata no Orochi's venom by now.
Thing was like Hulk; his strength he was so proud of was as gentle as an Infant's fist in the eyes of the ten-thousand-ton Yamata no Orochi.
Human Torch Johnny, this guy who bore some resemblance to the Captain, flew in mid-air. The Giant Snake's attack couldn't harm him, but his flame attack also couldn't break through the Giant Snake's hard scales.
As for Doctor Reed Richards, his brain was very smart, but his stretching ability men envied was also not of much use.
Boom! Boom!
In the sky, lightning flashed continuously, and gales raged. It wasn't Thor, but Storm, hovering in mid-air, controlling the lightning and constantly striking Yamata no Orochi.
Thick bolts of lightning continuously bombarded Yamata no Orochi's scales. Tony could see the Giant Snake's scales vibrating under the lightning, but it was useless. The power of the lightning controlled by Storm was not enough to break through the Giant Snake's defense.
Not only Storm, but the X-Men from Utopia and some powerful Mutants had also rushed to the battlefield under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s coordination.
Unfortunately, neither Scott's Cyclops nor Sabretooth's claws could do anything to this Giant Snake.
Tony Stark clenched his fist. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time. Otherwise, he would definitely be able to invent targeted suits to deal with this kind of Giant Beast.
These people had clearly given their all,
But they still couldn't stop Yamata no Orochi. Seeing it about to enter Tokyo, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, and thinking of the tragic scenes that were about to unfold,
For a moment, Tony Stark felt as if he was back to the feeling of powerlessness they had when dealing with that energy-based Dark Elf. If it wasn't for Tang... No, Tang!
During the Chitauri invasion, it was also Tang who had someone find a magical beast hide to withstand the Chitauri starship attack.
Tony Stark, his eyes bloodshot, suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "Everyone keep your distance, evacuate to two hundred meters away—" After the Japanese Government discovered that conventional weapons were useless against Yamata no Orochi, the troops responsible for blocking were all replaced with those primarily using tanks and fighter jets.
Due to the dense missile bombing by the Federation, only a few individuals like Hulk, Thing, and Sabretooth dared to engage Yamata no Orochi in close combat.
Upon hearing Tony Stark's suit loudspeaker broadcasting the evacuation order, except for Hulk, the hothead who still charged at Yamata no Orochi again and again after being knocked away,
Including Thing and Sabretooth, several people quickly retreated backward.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Two medium-range missiles carrying heavy warheads whistled down from the sky, directly hitting Yamata no Orochi.
Boom! Boom!
Amidst the huge roar, two mushroom clouds instantly bloomed.
"Nuclear Bomb! This is a Nuclear Bomb!..."
Some Japan Self-Defense Forces Soldiers who had never witnessed the power of a Fuel-Air Explosive watched the mushroom clouds rise from afar, as if their DNA memory was activated, and instantly fell into chaos.
"Baka! What are you panicking for? That's a Fuel-Air Explosive, not a Nuclear Bomb!" Some Self-Defense Forces Military Officers with some military knowledge quickly shouted to stop the panicked Soldiers, thus avoiding a large-scale riot.
...
The Federation was the first country to develop Fuel-Air Explosives.
Their initial purpose for developing Fuel-Air Explosives was not for use as weapons, but to quickly clear helicopter landing fields in the jungles of Vietnam.
To this day, the Fuel-Air Explosive with the largest mass is also owned by the Federation.
These were the two bombs just dropped. The bomb model is BLU-82, with a single weight of 6 tons and a direct killing radius of nearly 200 meters.
It is one of the most powerful bombs in the Federation's conventional armory.
Each BLU-82 bomb is approximately 3.4 meters long and 1.7 meters in diameter, similar in volume to a Volkswagen Beetle car, but significantly heavier.
The BLU-82 bomb is made from a liquid mixture of ammonium nitrate and aluminum nitrate that reacts chemically with air. When this bomb explodes, it can char an area over 500 meters in radius, and the resulting shockwave can be felt several kilometers away.
As a weapon expert, Tony Stark naturally knew the power of the Fuel-Air Explosive. He originally hoped that these two Fuel-Air Explosives would succeed, at least severely injuring Yamata no Orochi, but his suit panel quickly sounded a beep beep beep energy alarm sound.
The red energy source representing Yamata no Orochi was still flashing continuously. From the energy fluctuations, its intensity had not decreased much.
Indeed, as the smoke and dust from the Fuel-Air Explosive dissipated, Yamata no Orochi's massive snake body was revealed.
At this time, a large part of Yamata no Orochi's scales were charred black, and there were countless wounds on its snake body from the recent explosion. But everyone present knew that these wounds were nothing to this Giant Creature. "J.A.R.V.I.S., call Tang!" Hovering at high altitude, Tony Stark looked at the Giant Snake slithering towards Tokyo below his feet, his gaze following the direction of the Giant Snake towards the distant Tokyo with its many tall buildings.
"You plan to return to Eternity!?"
Although Tang Song had anticipated it, facing the Ancient One who directly stated she was stepping down, he still felt a headache.
Without the Ancient One, who would protect the Reality Dimension? Leaving aside everything else, just the Dimensional Evil God Dormammu would be enough to give Earth a hard time.
"It seems you have chosen a successor!?"
For someone who can observe the timeline at will, knowing too much and living too long leads to either becoming a saint or a madman.
When everything is laid bare before you, everything in the world becomes dull and uninteresting, like a piece of chewing gum chewed countless times.
Tang Song estimated that the reason the Ancient One had not interfered with him too much all along, and even cooperated with him to eliminate Mephisto, was for this reason.
It was like a new movie suddenly appearing on a disc that had been watched many times.
A Sorcerer Supreme who used the power of the Dark Dimension to protect Earth, Tang Song didn't want to delve into her purpose, as long as she wasn't his enemy.
But now the Ancient One was planning to quit. If the Time Stone fell into the hands of the new Sorcerer Supreme, Strange, wouldn't his past unsavory actions be at risk of exposure?
As for Strange's strength, Tang Song didn't take it to heart. Aside from the infinite loop aspect of the Time Stone, Strange's displayed strength was truly weak compared to the Ancient One.
"You seem to not want Strange to take my position!" The Ancient One took off the Eye of Agamotto, which contained the Time Stone, from her chest and handed it to Tang Song.
"Strange doesn't want to be the Sorcerer Supreme. Fate chose him. What he wants more is to be a top doctor. Perhaps you can heal his wrist and replace him as the Guardian of Earth!"
Looking at the Eye of Agamotto flashing with green light in front of him, Tang Song looked at the Ancient One, wanting to know her true intention.
Unfortunately, the eyes under the bald head were full of gentle smiles, like a high monk who had seen through the mortal world.
However, judging others by himself, Tang Song always felt that the Ancient One's actions were part of some plan.
Facing the Time Stone within reach, the usually greedy Boss Tang felt hesitant inside. "Buzz buzz buzz—Boss! Mr. Stark is calling!"
A mobile phone vibration, accompanied by Red Queen's loli voice, broke the somewhat awkward atmosphere.
"Hello! Tony!" Tang Song smiled apologetically at the Ancient One, took out his mobile phone, and answered the call.
The Ancient One put the necklace back on her chest.
"Tang, you should be able to see on television that a Giant Beast is rampaging in Japan and is about to enter Tokyo. This city has nearly forty million people. I hope you can help them!"
"I'm in Tokyo! Frank has already told me the situation. This Giant Beast is too massive, and conventional attacks have no effect on it at all. But I have a way!"
Tang Song walked to the edge of the rooftop with his mobile phone, listening to Tony's plea, his tone somewhat playful.
"What way?" Tony Stark's voice was a little anxious.
The distant Yamata no Orochi had already rushed into Tokyo. Although the nearby residents had already been evacuated, if Yamata no Orochi advanced another twenty kilometers, the Ordinary Person still stuck on the road would become food for the Giant Snake.
"Remember the Convergence of the Nine Realms? Since we can't do anything about this Ancient Titan, why not throw it into another world!"
Tang Song's words made Tony Stark's eyes light up, but then his gaze dimmed. "Tang, the Convergence of the Nine Realms is an astronomical phenomenon that happens once in a thousand years. We have no way to replicate it!"
"While we can't replicate that astronomical phenomenon, don't forget, the Cosmic Cube is still in our hands.
Coincidentally, I recently took a trip to Asgard and learned some techniques for opening space gates from King Odin, which allows me to temporarily open a space gate leading to the Nine Realms!"
Tang Song, in front of the Ancient One, calmly cited King Odin to back him up, seemingly completely unconcerned about the Ancient One's gaze.
"That's great, Tang! Where are you now? How can you open a space gate?"
"A temporary space gate requires a huge energy source to power it. Several large Arc Reactors are on their way. I need to requisition Japan's electrical system and half an hour of preparation time!"
While talking to Tony Stark on the phone, Tang Song looked down at the bustling crowd below. Half an hour should be enough for Yamata no Orochi to give Japan a small lesson, right? "Is your people's hatred for Japan really that strong, even in a different world?" The Ancient One's eyes were full of compassion.
Tang Song, however, smiled: "In my hometown, there's a saying, 'An enemy of ten generations can still be avenged!' I don't have any particular likes and dislikes towards the Japan of this world. However, the so-called Heart Tribulation is just about achieving clarity of mind. I'm doing this merely to soothe my mind!"
The so-called Heart Tribulation, without the external factor of the Sky Demon, is, in Buddhist terms, the seven emotions and six desires stirred up from the bottom of one's heart.
To suppress, wear down, or release this evil fire.
To achieve harmony between the spirit and the golden core in the dantian.
Since Tang Song came to the Marvel World, things had been smooth sailing.
Apart from the Japanese people, there were no suitable candidates to stir up his rage and killing intent! As Tang Song spoke these words without reservation,
The killing intent that had solidified in his sea of consciousness and chest broke through his sea of consciousness, like rapid pipa sound. The killing intent boiled over. The Yin and Yang Great Core in Tang Song's dantian slowly rotated, wearing down the strands of killing intent that had taken shape.
As the strands of killing intent were completely worn away, a clear, gold and jade-like knocking sound echoed within his dantian. Tang Song's Great Core was completely formed.
After successfully forming his core, Tang Song felt a sense of freedom, like a bird soaring in the vast sky or a fish leaping in the wide sea.
"Oh, right, Ancient One Master, if it's convenient, please send Strange down the mountain. My biology lab has recently researched quite a few agents. I think a few types should be able to treat Strange's wrist!"
(end of chapter)