The moment after Hong Ruowang decided to strike.
Giada suddenly became aware of something and leapt to the right.
The instant she jumped, a crocodile-shaped maw burst from the ground where she had been standing, then snapped shut with a violent clang that echoed through the passageway.
"Oh my?" Giada's eyes widened in surprise at the crocodile jaw emerging from below.
In the very next second, black hairs formed a dense web from the ceiling, descending like a spider's web directly towards Giada in mid-air.
Seeing the approaching hairs, Giada remained unflustered. With a slight twist of her wrist, she spun the flame spear in her hand.
Instantly, the flame spear transformed, reverting to its original form in mid-air as a massive pillar of molten magma, rotating from her previous movement.
Boom!!
The swirling magma consumed all the attacking hairs, along with the kimono-clad figure hidden in the ceiling, whose head was entirely wrapped in black hair.
Seeing this, Giada understood something. Regripping the magma pillar, she slammed it against the floor!
With a thunderous crash.
A scream emerged from beneath the floorboards.
A gaunt, grey-skinned figure covered in mouths turned to ashes amidst the screams.
After dealing with these two, Giada turned to find Hong Ruowang's figure already fading into a hazy, phantom-like state.
Seeing this, Giada wasn't particularly surprised, but rather intrigued:
"This is somewhat surprising... You can actually control yokai?"
Though not particularly powerful, Giada still recognised what had just attacked her.
Hungry ghosts and hair-eating ghosts.
Yokai races unique to Japan. Though merely small yokai, they were quite novel to Giada.
Could Hong Ruowang's Class ability be controlling other creatures?
Meanwhile, Hong Ruowang, hidden in the shadows, was treating Giada with extreme caution.
If he remembered correctly, from the moment Giada entered the passage, he had been using a yokai tanuki to create optical illusions, preventing her from seeing the hidden yokai.
Yet she had dealt with both ambushes almost effortlessly using only the flames in her hands, and judging by her demeanour, she clearly hadn't even used her full strength.
Which meant that what he'd just witnessed might not even be her blood kin's unique ability?
Realising this, Hong Ruowang's heart sank into the abyss.
But at this point, he had no choice but to press on.
As Hong Ruowang steeled his resolve, various yokai began materialising behind him.
Among them were the red-tongued yokai with its enormous coiled tongue, the broom-like Hōkō, the iron mouse in monk's robes, and floating armour soldiers.
One by one, the yokai appeared behind Hong Ruowang, their ghostly eyes fixed on Giada.
Facing this sudden emergence of monsters, Giada scratched her head and chuckled:
"Since you're playing the summoning game too, then I won't hold back!!"
The next moment, Giada's right hand became enveloped in alternating patterns of black and red.
The Third Primogenitor here called upon the name of her familiar beast:
"Charge forth — Amashutorii!!"
The thunder familiar beast was summoned, scattering bolts of lightning across the narrow corridor space.
In the next instant, it was as if something had been triggered.
With a deafening roar.
A gigantic mushroom cloud rose from Kasumigaseki, the very heart of Japan!!
...
Rooftop of the National Diet Building.
Luo Shu stood on the terrace, gazing into the distance at the mushroom cloud rising over Kasumigaseki, and couldn't help but marvel:
"What a spectacular sight!"
From the perspective of a Demigod.
The wildly dispersing magical energy, almost forming a tornado, and the chaotic Spiritual Power fluctuations over Kasumigaseki were even more conspicuous than the mushroom cloud.
Clearly, the mushroom cloud wasn't an intentional act by either side in the conflict, but rather an accidental detonation.
The scale of the explosion and casualties, the overflowing aura of calamity, made Luo Shu feel as refreshed as eating ice cream in summer.
For an Apostle who had condensed an Authority Prototype, they already possessed the initial symbolism of a deity, equivalent to a mobile concept aggregate.
Thus, Luo Shu wasn't too surprised to encounter such a massive explosion immediately upon his arrival.
After all, his symbol was calamity, wasn't it?
Of course, since he had only condensed the prototype of calamity, this phenomenon of attracting calamity wasn't very pronounced yet and was difficult to suppress. If Luo Shu became an Angel, this phenomenon could be intensified or restrained entirely under his will.
Naturally, no matter how well restrained, with the symbol present, the Calamity Concept would still gravitate towards Luo Shu wherever he resided.
Its manifestation would likely be something like a murderer planning random attacks subconsciously choosing to operate near Luo Shu.
In a sense, Luo Shu, having condensed the Calamity Authority Prototype, was essentially an enhanced, controllable version of Conan.
Suddenly, a pitch-black shadow emerged at his feet.
Then, as if symbolising the Time Spirit in red and black, she quietly emerged from within:
"My, my, the situation seems even better than we imagined."
Kurumi Tokisaki, having completed her reconnaissance, nimbly leapt out of the shadow, adjusted her skirt, and wore an enchanting smile:
"The Prime Minister's residence is already dealt with. Miss Krul has defeated everyone and is now advancing through the underground secret passage. Oh, she just passed right beneath us."
Hearing this, Luo Shu turned to look at Kurumi Tokisaki, "And the Prime Minister?"
"The Prime Minister?" Kurumi Tokisaki's smile turned playful at the term: "For the foreseeable future, the Prime Minister will likely be referring to Miss Evangeline."
Upon hearing this, Luo Shu was shocked: "She's playing that big?"
If he remembered correctly, among the Five Great Powers, there was a Divine Rank Abyss Artefact that would automatically react to such acts of usurping a nation.
Due to the restrictions of this Divine Rank Abyss Artefact, the leaders of various nations cannot be individuals associated with the mystic side, nor can they even possess Abyss Artefacts; otherwise, they too will come under attack.
Has Evangeline gone mad? Daring to play such tricks in Japan?
Kurumi Tokisaki giggled and quipped:
"Miss Evangeline certainly wouldn't dare to act recklessly."
"But she played a little trick, controlling the Prime Minister to announce both internally and externally that he would take responsibility for this incident and prepare to resign."
"And before saying this, the Prime Minister was presumably still alive, but after resigning, well..."
Hearing this manoeuvre, Luo Shu couldn't help but narrow his eyes. This kind of play seemed worth learning from!
Just as Luo Shu was pondering, a beam of light descended and coalesced beside him into the form of Origami Tobiichi.
"Luo Shu, the American ambassador Iman wishes to see you."
Hearing this, Luo Shu immediately teased, "Shouldn't he be busy stopping the rampage of American military forces at a time like this? What does he want with me?"
In response, Origami Tobiichi said expressionlessly:
"He said he wants to discuss secretly joining the SDS with you."
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu was taken aback for a moment, then his expression instantly turned playful:
"In that case, it certainly is necessary to meet him."