Chapter 35: Japan

Gaoqiao’s supervisor, Saito’s director, and the others were astonished, utterly bewildered.

At that moment, an elderly man with white hair, muttering excitedly to himself, strode quickly toward the screen, examining the footage of Yunhu as if studying a masterpiece, glancing back and forth.

“Dai Nyudo, a type of giant yokai resembling a man. There are many varieties of Dai Nyudo, varying in size; the smaller are about two meters tall, while the largest can embrace an entire mountain in their arms.”

The Japanese Kojiki records it, and it was also passed down during the Edo period; Mr. Mizuki Shigeru documented it in his compilation of folk yokai legends, The Complete Book of Yokai.

Moreover, in Shiga Prefecture’s Mount Ibuki, there is a legend: a colossal yokai near Mount Ibuki is said to appear at night, especially during rainstorms. If one day Mount Ibuki is drenched in torrential rain and the earth roars, it is not an earthquake—it is the Dai Nyudo, striding heavily past.

There are many tales of the Dai Nyudo, and some claim to have witnessed it; during the mid-Edo period, a man named Zen’emon supposedly saw the Dai Nyudo with his own eyes.”

“Professor Furuta, are you saying that’s a Dai Nyudo?”

Learning from his subordinates that the sixty-year-old man describing the Dai Nyudo was Japan’s renowned folk yokai scholar, Furuta Shin’go, Director Gaoqiao pointed directly at the colossal yokai standing behind the Sakura Hana Building on the screen.

Professor Furuta nodded eagerly, eyes gleaming:

“Absolutely unmistakable—it matches the recorded description of the Dai Nyudo exactly. But I can’t determine its specific type; its size differs from the records—not the largest, yet far from small.”

“That’s not the largest??”

Everyone’s lips twitched.

This thing’s already bigger than Attack on Titan’s Armored Titan—still not big enough? How huge would the largest one be? Would it reach the heavens and crush the earth?

“Is the Dai Nyudo that powerful?” Director Saito asked curiously.

Professor Furuta looked at him and spoke bluntly:

“Do I even need to say it? Didn’t I just say? Folklore records state that when a Dai Nyudo steps, it causes earthquakes. And a large Dai Nyudo can casually cradle a whole mountain—clearly proving its immense strength. It is unquestionably a great yokai among yokai.”

At that moment,

the Sakura Hana Corporation building trembled—the colossal yokai, its hands gripping the building, moved.

It clenched its hands.

A piercing screech erupted.

The building’s glass shattered instantly into fragments, falling like crystalline petals onto the street, triggering terrified screams from the crowd.

Simultaneously, the reinforced concrete walls exploded with dull, deafening cracks.

Cracks spread across the walls; massive chunks collapsed with thunderous crashes.

This scene horrified the world.

Director Saito sucked in a sharp breath, his scalp prickling.

Countless people trembled.

This wasn’t a toy—it was an entire building. One gentle squeeze, and the whole structure was crushed, twisted out of shape.

Impossible to imagine.

How immense was the strength of this colossal yokai?

“All of you get out of my way. I want to be the first to feast on humans.”

The colossal yokai spoke.

Its voice was thunderous, deafening, like a clap of lightning echoing across all directions, shattering clouds overhead and smashing every window within ten li, making the very earth tremble.

As Minano Yuichi and the others were paralyzed by terror from the yokai’s roar,

suddenly, their pupils shrank.

Everyone screamed in horror.

“Aaaahhh!! Don’t come closer!”

A member of the Sakurada Group shrieked—the colossal yokai was reaching for him.

Gunfire erupted.

The man pulled out a pistol and fired wildly at the colossal yokai.

“Don’t come closer! Get away from me!”

He fired while screaming desperately, trying to stop the giant hand from grabbing him.

But—

No matter how he screamed, no matter how many bullets he fired—even emptying his entire magazine—

it was useless.

The yokai’s giant hand wasn’t even scratched; not a single speck of skin was damaged.

Not even for a second did it pause.

“Are you scratching my itch?”

The colossal yokai grinned, revealing bloody teeth.

Its mockery was unmistakable.

Seeing this, the man was terrified beyond words—he turned and bolted, but hadn’t taken a single step—

the yokai’s hand slammed down instantly, seizing him in its grip.

“Aaaah!! Don’t come near… Let me go, free me, please let me go!!”

The man screamed, his voice echoing across the sky.

He struggled desperately, using all his strength to pry and wrench free—but could not budge the grip even a fraction.

He pulled a dagger from his body and furiously slashed, hacked, and stabbed at the yokai’s hand.

Clang!

The dagger struck like metal, sparking with metallic scraping sounds.

And that was all.

The colossal yokai suffered not a single wound.

In contrast, the man’s own force shattered his own palms, blood oozing from split tiger mouths.

“Aaaahhh!! Save me, boss, save me!!”

The man was utterly desperate, helplessly stretching his hands toward Sakurada Wenzhi and the others, begging them to rescue him.

But hope is often despair.

No one reached out to grab his hand. All watched helplessly as the colossal yokai lifted him.

Though they didn’t save him, everyone drew their guns.

“Shoot! Fire at once!!”

Sakurada Wenzhi roared, pulling his concealed pistol and firing relentlessly at the colossal yokai.

He wasn’t trying to save the man—he felt the dread of “when the rabbit dies, the fox grieves.” If they did nothing now, their own fate would be the same.

Gunfire

rang like firecrackers without end.

Flashes erupted; bullets streaked like meteor showers.

Everyone armed fired continuously—some aimed at the yokai’s head, others at its eyes.

Without exception, none inflicted any damage.

Seeing this, Minano Yuichi and the others felt their hearts freeze, faces ashen.

“Why? Why won’t it die?”

“Please, work already!”

“Just die already!”

They screamed in terror and frenzy, emptying magazine after magazine.

In the end, some even pulled out daggers and charged at the colossal yokai.

They knew… the man had already proven that blades and bullets were useless.

Yet they still fired and slashed without hesitation.

They did this not for any reason—only for that sliver of hope.

Hoping that if they kept attacking, something might work, that a chance might appear.

But as time passed, as each bullet struck,

their hearts sank deeper with every shot.

At that moment, they heard the surrounding yokai speaking, laughing mockingly.

“Are these humans idiots? Trying to hurt Lord Dai Nyudo with those toys? I’m dying laughing.”

“I can’t hold it anymore—I’ll laugh until my belly bursts. Are humans putting on a comedy show for us?”

“Lord Dai Nyudo can punch through mountains without a scratch. Do you think those human toys can harm him? What a joke.”

…