Crack.
At the same time, the Hollow Technique: Purple in Satoru Gojo's hand was finally ready. The purple glow at his fingertips grew increasingly intense, containing a terrifying force capable of tearing the heavens and earth apart.
Gojo did not say anything else. He calmly ended the call with Seitenshi, slipped the phone back into his pocket, and his expression became colder and more resolute.
"Experience the despair of someone who doesn't know their place."
The moment his words fell, the Hollow Technique: Purple in his hand erupted.
A dazzling blue light instantly tore through the sky, accompanied by a thunderous roar as it ripped through the air and shot toward Scorpio below. The terrifying force seemed capable of tearing the entire world apart.
At that exact moment, the missiles that had been racing toward the battlefield finally arrived above the area and detonated.
"BOOM!"
The first deafening explosion erupted like thunder shaking the heavens and earth, causing people's eardrums to ache from the sheer force of the sound.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!"
The second and third explosions followed immediately, then more and more after them. Like a chain reaction, the detonations continued one after another, becoming impossible to stop.
"BOOOOOOM!!!"
Countless explosions merged together into a massive wave of sound that swept across the entire battlefield. Even the distant Tokyo city area could clearly feel the violent tremors.
In an instant, a gigantic mushroom cloud erupted between heaven and earth.
Black smoke mixed with dark red flames surged upward, resembling a vicious beast devouring everything around it.
The terrifying shockwave spread outward like an invisible giant hand sweeping across all directions. Wherever it passed, the ground split open with enormous cracks, while trees and rocks were flattened in an instant. Dust filled the sky, blocking out the sunlight.
The entire world trembled violently, as if it could collapse at any moment. The air was filled with the choking smell of smoke and dust, making it difficult to breathe.
Inside another monitoring room, Kikunojou Tendo stared at the scene before him.
Although he had already prepared himself mentally and had intended to use the missiles to eliminate both Satoru Gojo and Scorpio, even he could not hide his deep shock.
He suddenly stood up from his chair, his body trembling slightly as he stared at the enormous mushroom cloud displayed on the screen. His face was filled with disbelief.
The destructive power of the explosion had far exceeded his expectations.
This was not the kind of power ordinary conventional missiles could possess.
He suddenly turned his head toward Kazumitsu Tendo, who was standing nearby. His voice was filled with anger and accusation, becoming slightly hoarse from agitation.
"You had them launch a nuclear weapon?!"
"Huh?!"
Kazumitsu's usually gloomy and calculating face was now filled with confusion. His eyes widened, and his mouth opened slightly as if Kikunojou's words had completely stunned him.
He had no idea what Kikunojou was talking about.
He had only followed Kikunojou's instructions and ordered his subordinates to launch powerful conventional missiles. He had never given an order to use nuclear weapons.
He had even repeatedly warned them not to use nuclear weapons under any circumstances, fearing the uncontrollable consequences.
Yet the scene displayed on the screen forced him to question everything.
How could ordinary high-powered missiles create such a terrifying explosion?
How could they produce a mushroom cloud of this scale?
However, judging from the destruction before him, even Kazumitsu himself was beginning to doubt his own assumptions. Confusion and unease filled his heart.
Such a massive mushroom cloud and such a terrifying shockwave were not things ordinary weapons could create. Aside from a nuclear weapon, he could not think of anything else capable of producing this level of destruction.
Could those idiots really have launched a nuclear weapon?
Kazumitsu silently wondered, his brows tightly furrowed as panic and confusion appeared on his face.
Although the Self-Defense Forces' personnel were not exactly known for their exceptional military discipline and minor mistakes occurred from time to time, they should not have made such a fatal mistake.
Launching a nuclear weapon was not a trivial matter.
Once fired, the consequences would be unimaginable. It would cause massive casualties and property damage, trigger severe nuclear radiation, contaminate vast areas of land, and even provoke international condemnation.
But now, there was no point discussing it.
Whether his subordinates had truly launched a nuclear weapon or not, the explosion had already happened. The mushroom cloud had already risen, and the shockwave had already swept across the battlefield.
The most important thing now was dealing with the aftermath.
Especially the problem of nuclear radiation.
If handled incorrectly, the entire Tokyo Area could fall into crisis. By then, no matter how powerful they were, they would not be able to undo the damage.
At the same time, Scorpio could not be ignored.
That was a Stage 5 Gastrea, possessing terrifying vitality. Even a nuclear explosion might not be enough to completely eliminate it.
As powerful as Gojo was, he should not be able to withstand a nuclear-level explosion either. Even if he survived, he would certainly be heavily injured and lose his ability to fight.
But Scorpio was different.
Its body was far beyond ordinary creatures. There was a possibility that it could survive the explosion, leaving behind an even greater threat to Tokyo.
Fortunately, the Heavenly Ladder had always been prepared.
All weapons had already been aimed toward the battlefield. Once the smoke cleared, they would immediately lock onto the target and launch their final attack.
They would completely destroy this Stage 5 Gastrea and eliminate the threat forever.
As long as Scorpio was eliminated, then even if a nuclear weapon had truly been detonated and caused massive losses, it would still be an acceptable price.
At least they would have removed one of humanity's greatest threats.
Thinking of this, Kazumitsu quickly suppressed his panic. He bowed toward Kikunojou and spoke in a respectful yet urgent tone.
"Chairman Tendo, I will confirm what happened immediately. I will ask my subordinates exactly what went wrong."
"If someone truly misunderstood the order and launched a nuclear weapon without authorization, I will punish them severely and give you an explanation."
"However, the priority right now is handling the aftermath. We need to organize personnel to prevent nuclear radiation exposure and, once the smoke clears, launch the final attack against Scorpio and completely eliminate it."
"To eliminate the—"
Before Kazumitsu could finish speaking, he suddenly heard someone beside him inhale sharply.
He instinctively raised his head.
The next moment, he saw Kikunojou's face turn deathly pale. His eyes were filled with unprecedented shock and disbelief, and his body had even begun trembling slightly.
For all these years, Kazumitsu had always remained by Kikunojou's side.
He had seen him remain calm.
He had seen him become furious.
He had seen him manipulate others through countless schemes.
But he had never once seen such an intense expression appear on Kikunojou's face.
That expression was as if he had witnessed something impossible, something that completely overturned everything he believed about the world.
Kazumitsu's heart tightened.
Following Kikunojou's gaze, he looked back at the monitoring screen.
The enormous mushroom cloud had already begun fading away.
The sky that had been covered by smoke was gradually becoming clear again. Sunlight pierced through the clouds and illuminated the battlefield.
And in that clear sky, a figure floated quietly.
Silver hair fluttered gently in the wind.
His posture remained straight and composed, without the slightest trace of disarray.
"What?!"
Kazumitsu's eyes widened.
His mouth opened so wide that an egg could have fit inside. He staggered backward, almost falling to the ground.
He never could have imagined that Satoru Gojo would survive an explosion of such magnitude.
Not only was he alive, but he did not even appear injured.
His clothes remained spotless and perfectly intact, as if the world-shattering explosion that had just occurred had nothing to do with him.
Completely unharmed.
Those words exploded inside Kazumitsu's mind like thunder.
His thoughts went blank, unable to accept the reality before him.
"This... this is impossible..."
Kazumitsu muttered, his voice trembling and his eyes unfocused.
He stared desperately at the screen, trying to find some flaw, some indication that this was merely an illusion.
But no matter how many times he looked, no matter how hard he rubbed his eyes, the image never changed.
That figure continued floating in the sky, calm and composed.
Reality would not change simply because he refused to believe it.
The person they had targeted, Satoru Gojo, was completely unharmed.
He was not only alive, but seemed even more relaxed than before.
Meanwhile, Scorpio, the existence they had regarded as their greatest threat and were willing to use a nuclear weapon to destroy, had completely vanished from the screen.
This disappearance was completely different from their previous battle.
Last time, there had still been half of its body remaining. Its presence could still be felt.
But this time, nothing remained.
No fragments.
No lingering aura.
Nothing.
Only complete annihilation, as if Scorpio had never existed in this world.
There were only around a dozen Stage 5 Gastrea in the entire world.
Each one possessed the power to bring about destruction on a massive scale and represented humanity's worst nightmare.
Yet one of those terrifying creatures had been killed before everyone's eyes.
Not even a trace had been left behind.
Kikunojou's expression was no better.
His old eyes remained locked onto the screen, fixed on the figure floating in the sky.
His hand slowly clenched into a fist. His knuckles turned pale from the force, and his fingernails dug deeply into his palm, drawing thin trails of blood.
His body trembled slightly.
All color had drained from his face.
Only shock, unwillingness, and disbelief remained in his eyes.
If he had previously been furious because Kazumitsu had possibly mishandled the operation and accidentally launched a nuclear weapon, then now there was only one thought occupying Kikunojou's mind.
Why wasn't it a nuclear weapon?
Why didn't they launch the most powerful nuclear weapon available?
Why couldn't it kill that monster called Satoru Gojo?
They had prepared so much.
They had calculated everything.
Yet this man was still alive.
This had already surpassed the limits of humanity.
His strength was no longer something humans could oppose.
It was power that belonged to a god.
"No... no, that's not right. Scorpio was destroyed, but those missiles clearly couldn't have done something like that..."
Kazumitsu continued muttering to himself, his voice filled with confusion.
His words struck Kikunojou like thunder.
The old man suddenly turned his head.
A terrifying possibility rose rapidly within his mind, wrapping around his heart like a venomous snake and making him feel suffocated.
The destruction of Scorpio had nothing to do with their missiles.
Those missiles, no matter how powerful they were, could never completely erase a Stage 5 Gastrea without leaving behind even a trace.
The true reason behind Scorpio's death was Satoru Gojo.
This monster who was no longer even comparable to a human had used only his own strength to completely destroy Scorpio.
He had not used the Heavenly Ladder.
He had not used any Varanium Weapons.
He had achieved this solely through his own power.
That realization once again shattered Kikunojou's understanding of Gojo's strength.
The shock was even greater than when he witnessed the explosion.
He had already tried to estimate Gojo's power in the most exaggerated way possible.
Yet reality was still far beyond his predictions.
This man was a monster.
A monster that could not be destroyed.
But now, it was already too late.
Because on the screen, Gojo had raised his head and revealed a brilliant smile filled with provocation.
That smile contained nothing but mockery and disdain, as if he was laughing at their arrogance.
For a brief moment, it felt as if that smile had crossed the distance of the screen and appeared directly before Kikunojou and Kazumitsu.
Bright.
Arrogant.
Unbearable.
"Bang!"
Kikunojou slammed his fist onto the desk.
The documents and water cup on the table were knocked onto the floor, creating a loud crashing sound.
His expression resembled that of a gambler who had lost everything after refusing to accept defeat.
His eyes were filled with unwillingness, anger, and despair.
A trace of madness even flashed within them.
Gojo's strength had shattered all his previous assumptions.
It had destroyed every plan he had carefully constructed.
Everything he had prepared appeared meaningless and laughable before absolute power.
Even though he had already tried to estimate Gojo as strongly as possible, his prediction and reality were still worlds apart.
"Quickly, go to the school where those Cursed Children are!"
Even now, Kikunojou Tendo remained a cunning old man who had survived countless storms.
Although the current situation had completely exceeded his expectations and was difficult to accept for a moment, he quickly regained his composure.