Chapter 91: Even the Absolute Being Is a First-Time Dad
Absolute One Is Also New to Fatherhood - Chapter 91
The calamity-grade Gate's emergence, accompanied by a devastating typhoon, had reduced Oda City in Japan's Shimane Prefecture to ruins in an instant.
The relentless gales made it impossible to even keep one's eyes open properly, with abandoned cars and signboards flapping wildly in the storm.
At this moment.
The Japanese government had deployed nearly all of its S-rank Hunters to Oda City in Shimane Prefecture to minimize the Gate's damage...
And had entrusted field command to the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan's equivalent to South Korea's Awakened Management Bureau.
"Report the current situation."
The Japanese Minister of Internal Affairs spoke with forced solemnity, wiping the beads of sweat forming on his forehead with a handkerchief.
A ministry official immediately began reporting the Gate's progression while keeping his eyes fixed on the documents in his hands.
"Initial signs of the Gate's emergence were detected around 5 AM today, after which civilian evacuations and access control were immediately implemented."
"And then?"
"Upon the Gate's appearance, our nation's 2nd ranked Hunter 'Oni Minami' and Hunters from the Oni Slayer Guild were deployed en masse, but..."
The ministry official added.
"They appear to have been completely annihilated..."
At these words, Minister Taketa licked his parched lips, glanced around nervously, and asked again:
"What's the status of suppression forces?"
The official promptly replied:
"Our nation's S-rank Hunters have already arrived on site and entered emergency meetings at the hastily established 'Countermeasure Committee Camp.'"
"Then..."
"However, due to severe weather conditions, support forces from allied nations belonging to the Global Awakened Association are expected to be delayed."
Minister Taketa muttered "Damn it" under his breath before turning his gaze toward the massive rift hovering over the distant sea.
It looked as if someone had taken a brush and drawn a single vertical line from the water's surface up into the high heavens.
The violent typhoon accompanying the calamity-grade Gate's emergence meant support forces had no choice but to take detours in their approach.
"It'll be fine..."
Minister Taketa was recalling the case of the calamity-grade Gate that had appeared in Seoul, South Korea's capital.
In that instance, a calamity-grade Gate had appeared right in Seoul's city center, yet they'd suffered no damage whatsoever, hadn't they?
Subconsciously, he harbored vague hopes that this Gate too might simply "self-destruct" like that previous case.
"What exactly do you mean by 'fine'?"
A man in martial arts attire with a long horizontal scar across the bridge of his nose spoke while staring at the distant sea.
Nuclear Samurai.
Japan's top-ranked S-class Hunter and leader of the globally influential Shogun Guild.
Dozens of similarly dressed Hunters appeared behind him, each with a sword at their waist...
"You've come..."
Minister Taketa greeted him cautiously, aware of the Shogun Guild's typically strained relations with the ministry.
Instead of responding verbally, Nuclear Samurai simply nodded while keeping his eyes fixed on the sea.
"If we leave it like this, we can't predict when the Wave Phenomenon might trigger. We need to deploy a second suppression team immediately."
The minister immediately objected:
"Allied nation Hunters are scheduled to arrive soon. Wouldn't it be better to coordinate suppression efforts with them...?"
Nuclear Samurai remained firm, answering "No" in a roundabout manner before continuing:
"Even from this distance, the situation looks ripe for a Wave Phenomenon to trigger at any moment."
He concluded:
"We should immediately form a second suppression team from the Hunters already assembled here and deploy them right away."
Taketa furrowed his brow deeply and began arguing in an almost mocking tone:
"Our nation's 2nd ranked S-class Hunter 'Oni Minami' and her entire Oni Slayer Guild have already been wiped out!"
"I deeply regret that fact, but if you consider public welfare and citizen safety, we must act now—"
"No matter how important public welfare is, shouldn't we also consider the aftermath after suppressing the Gate?"
Successfully suppressing the calamity-grade Gate while preserving Japan's Hunter forces—the very foundation of national power.
This represented the Japanese government's ultimate goal as represented by Minister Taketa.
"Moreover, considering the case of the calamity-grade Gate that appeared in Seoul, South Korea, we might expect self-destruction—"
Nuclear Samurai muttered "Idiot" under his breath before locking eyes with the minister and asking:
"Seeing you standing there calmly with your hands behind your back makes me wonder—are you still at peace, Minister?"
"W-what...?"
"There's no guarantee the Gate will self-destruct, and even if it does, you must consider the damage until then."
While it was true that South Korea's calamity-grade Gate had self-destructed without causing damage...
There were also cases like New Delhi's where entire nations were destroyed before the Gate finally disappeared years later.
"We barely have capacity to focus on suppressing the calamity-grade Gate now—why are you already worrying about what comes after?"
Minister Taketa abruptly turned his head away, avoiding Nuclear Samurai's gaze as he spoke authoritatively:
"You haven't forgotten that all decision-making authority at the scene rests with me, the Minister, have you?"
"You—"
"I won't permit any entry to the Gate until all allied nation Hunters have arrived."
In response, Nuclear Samurai drew his sword and pressed it against the minister's neck as his answer.
"I wonder who would inherit that authority if something unfortunate were to befall our esteemed Minister here."
Taketa gasped sharply, his face turning pale as he stammered:
"P-p-pointing a sword at the Minister's neck... A-are you insane?!"
One of the Hunters under Nuclear Samurai's command tried to intervene, calling out "Shogun..." before adding:
"He's gotten the message."
Nuclear Samurai pressed the blade tighter against the minister's neck and asked softly:
"Have you found the will to follow my orders?"
When Taketa hesitated, only moving his lips without speaking, he finally nodded reluctantly and said hurriedly:
"I-I'll comply..."
Only then did Nuclear Samurai sheathe his sword properly back into its scabbard.
"We'll handle forming the suppression team ourselves. You just keep standing there with your hands behind your back watching."
As he finished speaking and turned with his Hunters toward the temporary headquarters tent...
Whoooooosh!
The relentless gale suddenly intensified further before the sea abruptly split open, forming a path.
The sight was reminiscent of the biblical "Parting of the Red Sea" miracle...
And through this path emerged a woman drenched like a soaked rat, shivering violently as she hurried forward.
"That person..."
Nuclear Samurai stared fixedly at the woman's face as she emerged onto land, muttering in disbelief:
"Oni Minami..."
Though severely injured—unable to run, only limping toward shore—
She kept looking back frantically as if pursued, stumbling repeatedly in her haste.
"S-someone is looking...!"
Once ashore, she spoke like a madwoman, her eyes darting wildly.
"Calm down and explain properly."
At Nuclear Samurai's composed words, she swallowed dryly and repeated:
"H-he... He is looking for someone..."
"Who exactly is looking for whom—?"
"If we don't find him... we're all dead..."
Suddenly her eyes rolled back completely, showing only the whites...
"■■■, where are you?"
From her slightly parted lips came not her own voice, but a deep, resonant one.
A voice so filled with '■■■' that it seemed to overflow...
As it echoed, everyone present was crushed under overwhelming terror.
Not just the Shogun Guild Hunters—even Nuclear Samurai was no exception.
'H-how...'
It felt like someone was strangling his neck—he couldn't even breathe properly.
All he could do was stand frozen like a statue and listen.
"I'll grant you time."
A smile formed on her lips.
"If you fail to bring ■■■ before me before my patience runs out, I will erase this entire dimension without a trace."
As the oppressive voice concluded, she collapsed like a puppet with cut strings...
The onlookers finally gasped for breath, having held it in all this time.
Nuclear Samurai, recovering fastest, clutched his throat and spoke with difficulty:
"C-call medical...!"
Though he couldn't begin to comprehend what was happening...
'Dangerous.'
The voice alone told him enough.
The being beyond the Gate...
Was on a completely different level from any previous enemies.
'If we fail to suppress this calamity-grade Gate early, Japan's destruction...'
Unconsciously, he fell deep into thought, entertaining negative scenarios he'd never considered before.
'Might just be the beginning...'
Susanoo.
Possessing vast narratives and myths, he was a high-ranking deity of Takamagahara, one of the Abyss's great star clusters...
A highly combative war god who could freely command waves and typhoons.
His sudden descent to Earth—a dimension isolated on the Abyss's outskirts—was to avenge his mother's humiliation.
This stemmed from events during a recent divine assembly of the Takamagahara star cluster.
His mother Izanami had appeared weeping bitterly for some reason...
When other deities cautiously asked why she cried, his hesitant mother finally explained:
"During the recent Netherworld Summit... I suffered unbearable humiliation from ■■■..."
She said ■■■ had threatened to tear her mouth open if she spoke even once more.
Thus silenced throughout the summit, she found the experience so mortifying...
That she'd wept uncontrollably for days afterward.
"That arrogant bastard...!"
Unable to contain his rage, Susanoo clenched his fists and roared into the sky:
"■■■, appear before me now!"
He'd been waiting for this since ■■■ stole the myth of "The World's Most Powerful Serpent's Master" he'd coveted.
Though many gods feared ■■■ and hesitated to act...
As Takamagahara's most renowned war god, he was confident none could match his martial prowess.
"■■■!"
As his fury grew, the waves outside the Gate surged higher and winds intensified.
"After killing you, I'll hunt down every last drop of your bloodline, make you suffer unbearable shame, then behead you all!"
His voice shook the entire dimension.
Kang-jun, who had just left home, frowned deeply.
"Ah..."
The gusting wind was scattering the beautifully bloomed flower petals everywhere.
"Not good."
Suddenly, a "Ding!" sounded in his ears as a system message appeared:
[ The high deity Susanoo of the Takamagahara Star Cluster is shouting your title with a voice full of grudge. ]
[ The high deity Susanoo of the Takamagahara Star Cluster declares he will kill you, hunt down all your bloodline, and behead them. ]
As Kang-jun read the message, his face hardened completely.
"Family...?"
He murmured softly, zipping up his training jacket fully before quickening his pace.
Family.
A word of just two syllables.
That word...
Was Kang-jun's reverse scale.