Chapter Sixty: A Successful Operation?

At the very moment when the fighter jets burst through the clouds and dove downward, the tactical squad clad in combat gear, along with rows of armored vehicles and tanks, all raised their cannons in unison—

Flames roared as they spat out searing breath, one shell after another thundering from their barrels.

In an instant, hundreds of rockets, tank shells, and howitzer rounds rained down upon the heart of the “French Estate” in a saturation barrage. And not only from the ground: low-flying fighter jets skimmed the skies above the “French Estate,” their missile racks unleashing air-to-ground ordnance—missiles designed to destroy ships and fortifications—trailing long plumes of fire as they struck the earth below.

A series of deafening explosions ripped through the air.

In barely a second, the solitary figure of a girl standing within the “French Estate” was swallowed by shockwaves and flames from the onslaught; tens of thousands of square meters of open ground erupted in a storm of dust and debris.

And that was only the beginning. The first salvo was swiftly followed by a second… a third…

Wave after wave of relentless bombardment transformed the entirety of the “French Estate” into a battlefield plowed flat by fire.

…

Operation Target: Blood Angel
Target Code: 1Z-2X423
Subject Physical Description: The target’s outward appearance is akin to that of a human girl aged between fifteen and eighteen, though it remains uncertain whether her internal organs and structure are consistent with ordinary humans.

The subject’s facial features and skin tone are characteristic of East Asian descent, but her beauty far surpasses ordinary standards. According to computational simulations, her features approach the golden ratio with uncanny precision; further analysis confirms that her visage aligns exceptionally well with the “optimal face” derived from the amalgamation of millions of data entries. It is unclear whether this is a coincidence or a result of deliberate design.

Incident Report: The subject first appeared above the Arakawa district of Tokyo, descending onto a street in Mukajimachi, Arakawa. Within five minutes and thirty-two seconds of her landing, a radius of three hundred and twenty meters centered on her witnessed the consumption and dissolution of a large number of Tokyo citizens by a red liquid emanating from her body. After the event, the subject rapidly departed Mukajimachi; neither surveillance cameras nor satellites captured her image once she left the area.

(Note: Footage of this incident has circulated online, where netizens have dubbed it the “Mukajimachi Incident.”)
(Additional Intelligence: Prior to today’s apprehension operation, the subject was responsible for another catastrophic event at the “Pilgrimage” assembly of the Gokuraku Myōō Society at the target location, with casualties expected to exceed five thousand—far surpassing the “Mukajimachi Incident.”)

Subject Abilities:
1. Flight: Demonstrated by the subject’s initial movement above Arakawa, exceeding 500 m/s. During flight, a red glow trails beneath her. Analysis suggests that the red liquid she emits forms a planar surface at her feet, generating uplift and enabling flight.
(Satellite imagery, video, and computational analysis attached.)

2. Extraordinary Physique: The subject’s body can withstand the tearing force of supersonic airflow and absorb the shock of falling from several hundred meters with no apparent injury. Calculations indicate she can sustain impacts equivalent to rifle rounds.
(Satellite imagery, video, and computational analysis attached.)

3. The emission of red liquid able to consume ordinary humans: The red liquid, upon release, forms a field several hundred meters in diameter. Humans within this area are immobilized by the liquid and fully dissolved within minutes. Initially, mobility is impaired; soon, cognitive abilities also wane until self-awareness is lost. The dissolution of consciousness proceeds almost in parallel with physical dissolution—some lose their minds halfway through, others retain awareness until the very end.
(Video, audio, and analysis attached.)

4. Suspected Abilities: (1) Power amplification by dissolving ordinary humans; (2) Mimicry of appearance and voice after consuming victims.

Recommendations: Suppressive fire with large-caliber weapons should be applied from at least twice the maximum range of the subject’s red liquid field. Reconnaissance and bombardment should use next-generation fighters vastly exceeding the subject’s flight speed.

…

—Joint report submitted by Yokota Air Base and the Special Intelligence Department, Ministry of Defense.

Colonel Kenichi Yokoyama, commander of the “Mukajimachi Incident Special Operation,” sat inside the brightly lit command vehicle. Although November was nearly upon them and the air conditioning blew cool air, the “Mukajimachi Incident Special Report” in his hands made sweat bead and run down his back.

Inside the command vehicle, the flickering screen before him displayed the distribution of every tactical point—the dense constellation of markers resembled pieces on a board, completely encircling a tiny red dot at the center.

But now, that central red dot was engulfed by the thunder of shells and gunpowder; neither radar nor UAV feeds could confirm her presence.

Each marker represented a tank or an infantry squad. At the top of the screen, six rapidly moving points stood for six advanced fighter jets weaving through the sky.

Yet all these thousand-odd tactical units had been mustered to deal with that single red dot—a solitary, seemingly frail human figure.

Why, then, was he covered in sweat?

“Mr. Kenichi, why are you so worried? The target is only one person. No matter how powerful, she can’t survive a bombardment of thousands upon thousands of shells.”

A blond, blue-eyed man lounged nearby, legs crossed, watching the tactical display with interest.

“An esper… Who would have thought real espers existed—not in our own country, but here in Japan. Still, once we have the esper’s corpse, I’m certain the Nevada lab will unravel the secrets.”

The man casually laid claim to the “Mukajimachi Blood Angel’s” remains, but Kenichi Yokoyama could only mumble in response. Though sweating profusely, he dared not utter a word of protest.

For this man, Smith, was an executive under the Yokota Air Base command, as well as the Airlift Wing leader—one of the top fifteen ranking officers within the American garrison. Even defense officials deferred to him, let alone someone of Kenichi’s standing.

Though Smith’s US military rank was only lieutenant colonel—a grade below Kenichi’s—in the face of the power disparity between the nations, such distinctions were a joke.

Although today Smith served only as a special advisor, and the US Air Force’s participation was limited to the five fighter jets, with most firepower supplied by the Self-Defense Forces, Smith’s authority vastly outweighed his own.

Thus, when Smith spoke so arrogantly, Kenichi could only feign deafness, focusing intently on the tactical display and coordinating with his subordinates:

“Numayama, what’s your status?”

“No abnormality detected at the target’s location.”

“Tanaka, your sector?”

“No abnormality detected at the target’s location.”

“Yanagishita, have you seen the target?”

“Negative. Radar shows no life signs at the target’s position.”

…

After a series of checks, Kenichi Yokoyama finally exhaled, his sweat at last abating. He activated the operations transmitter to issue an all-units message:

“Prepare to sweep the battlefield and search for target—”

“Hold on.”

Smith, calm until now, suddenly smiled and raised his hand to stop him.

“Mr. Kenichi, I believe it would be better for us, the US military, to handle the post-battle cleanup.”

Kenichi suppressed the urge to glare at him, his nostrils flaring as he forced a difficult smile.

“But… this is Japanese territory.”

“Under the latest security treaty amendments, our nation has the right to intervene in any warfare or conflict occurring on Japanese soil.”

Kenichi restrained the impulse to draw his sidearm, his expression stiff as he struggled to keep his tone civil.

“But this is an internal security operation, not an international conflict.”

“No problem—any necessary clarifications can be arranged afterward. America is a common law nation.”

At last, Kenichi could no longer contain himself and turned to glare at Smith, who only smiled coldly, returning his gaze with unyielding pressure.

Unable to withstand it, Kenichi bowed his head and exhaled deeply.

“…Regarding this, I’ll need to consult with my superiors and the Prime Minister.”

“No need to trouble your leaders; we can take care of it ourselves.”

Seeing all the fight drain from Kenichi, Smith’s aquiline nose lifted as a cruel smile crossed his lips. He unhooked his tactical radio and began confirming with the fighter pilots:

“Locke, Young, James, Oglos, Michael… Have you completed your mission?”

“Mission accomplished, sir!”

“Target’s life signs have vanished, sir!”

“Ready to return to base, sir!”

“Mission success, sir!”

“OK, good work, boys, but don’t return yet, we still have—wait.”

Smith suddenly noticed one pilot had not reported in; his hand holding the radio froze.

“Michael, is there a problem?”

“One moment, sir.”

The calm voice from the radio reassured Smith; with such a composed tone, there could hardly be an emergency.

However, the next transmission shattered his hopes.

“…Sorry, first time piloting a fighter jet—I was just getting used to the controls. But now I’m fine.”

The radio abruptly switched from a gruff American male voice to the gentle Japanese of a young woman. It was as jarring as watching a lively romantic action film, only for the heroine at the climax to pull something from under her skirt that outdid the male lead, leaving the audience dumbstruck. Smith’s eyes went wide, and the radio slipped from his numb fingers to the floor.

“Oh… fuck.”

Kenichi, not yet understanding what had happened, looked up in shock at Smith’s sudden change of expression and tone, his jaw dropping in surprise.

Almost simultaneously, the sound of something roaring came from above the command vehicle.

Both men looked out the window, seeing a fighter jet sweep overhead. In the very next instant, a missile—its tail trailing long flames—was streaking straight toward them.

“…Boom!”