Chapter 309: Wind Rises, Clouds Surge! A Great Commotion!

Boarding the air battleship.

A scene of utter misery stretched as far as the eye could see, nothing but wounded of every kind. Some lay, some sat, some groaned, some wailed.

Accompanied by the urgent siren and the frequently flashing red lights—

Crew members ran back and forth in the corridors and channels from time to time, pushing carts or carrying various medical equipment, shouting and yelling in a frantic manner.

This naturally created an atmosphere of extreme urgency, even critical emergency.

"Please let me through..."

"Make way! Please, make way—"

"Is anyone coming to help? I can't hold her down by myself..."

Seeing this, Shido Itsuka stepped aside without hesitation, letting several crew members quickly push a cart piled with medical supplies through the corridor.

The cart was loaded with all sorts of bottles, jars, medicine vials, syringes, and the like.

It looked extremely urgent, a picture of frantic haste.

"Th-this is... what situation?"

This boy pulled at the corner of his mouth, speaking with a face full of shock, his eyes filled with incomprehension and doubt.

Although the situation did look very urgent, the more so it was, the more he couldn't figure out what was going on, especially since he had been specially invited up here... he didn't know medical care at all, so he couldn't help anyway, right?

"No need to worry, just some minor accidents..."

Taking over from Kannazuki Kyōhei beside him was a strange woman whose expression looked as if she was exhausted to the extreme, speaking slowly with her listless voice.

This tone matched her expression perfectly, as if even speaking consumed a tremendous amount of her energy.

"Minor accidents?" Shido Itsuka looked completely unconvinced.

"That's right, believe me, it's just a minor... accident." The woman exhaled lightly, lowering her eyelids in apparent annoyance, unsure if it was boredom due to the change in status quo.

Shido Itsuka also faintly perceived this, couldn't help but open his mouth, but still didn't say anything.

So this is just a polite remark? Or is it precisely because the situation is terrible that she can't show despondency at this moment?

Because right now they need someone like her to stay calm, so the rest can have peace of mind, preventing the scene from completely spiraling out of control?

He speculated silently in his heart, while simultaneously subconsciously sizing up this charming woman before him.

Looked about twenty-something, wearing what appeared to be a military uniform...

Silver hair tied up casually, and blue pupils with distinct dark circles...

Besides that, a battered teddy bear could be seen poking its head out from her uniform pocket, which looked very strange.

"I am Reine Murasame, serving as the Analyst here..."

She noticed Shido Itsuka's scrutiny, but didn't seem to mind at all, instead introducing herself directly.

Of course, her tone was still that listless, weak manner.

"Now please come with me, the Commander is waiting for you up ahead..."

Shido Itsuka nodded silently, and just at this moment, another cart rushed over from the front corridor in a great hurry.

He could only step aside again, watching that cart speed past before his eyes, the person strapped to it screaming in emotional collapse, the restraints binding their limbs looking like they might be broken free from the excitement.

"..."

"..."

Watching this scene, Shido Itsuka couldn't help but touch his forehead, feeling a wave of dizziness rise in his head again.

It should... not just be a psychological effect, right?

After all, he had indeed only woken from unconsciousness not long ago.

Taking a deep breath, this boy followed Reine Murasame forward, still unable to resist asking:

"Is this really okay? How do I feel... this ship seems very chaotic?"

"..."

"..."

"It's fine, most people are just overly frightened, emotions temporarily out of control, unable to calm down, we've already contacted psychological doctors..."

Reine Murasame walked ahead, explaining calmly like this.

It's just that her body inevitably had a staggering feel, coupled with those tottering steps, making one suspect she might topple over at any moment.

"As for those actually injured, there's really no major issue either, many just fell, or were thrown and fell when Fraxinus shuddered from impact, no big problem..."

Indeed no big problem.

After all, if it were a major problem, this air battleship would probably have crashed already.

But until now it's fine, it still hovers properly in the high altitude, although somewhat chaotic, it proves it hasn't been damaged much.

At least...

Compared to truly severe regions, this bit of loss is really almost negligible.

Shido Itsuka hadn't truly realized this until he stepped onto the bridge, his gaze drawn in the first instant to the large screen on the bridge—

"Th-this... this is..."

He stuttered, seeing the high-altitude overview displayed on the screen.

An unfathomable heavenly pit, a terrifying spectacle as if to penetrate the entire earth's crust, sending a chill through the heart.

Some places still had rolling dust and smoke, thick smoke rising, as if earth fire burned underground, magma flowing. The whole scene was filled with tragedy and destruction, like a scene of the end of the world.

"..."

"..."

Shido Itsuka's mood instantly became exceptionally heavy, his mind involuntarily conjuring the miserable state caused by spacequakes he had seen on TV before—

Especially that "South Kanto Great Space Disaster", leaving circular scorched earth from southern Tokyo to northern Kanagawa Prefecture.

After all, that was a calamity occurring on home soil, and at such a close distance, naturally leaving a deep impression.

But more importantly, the example Kannazuki Kyōhei gave not long ago also left him with lingering fear.

With such a preconceived notion, he would naturally subconsciously use the situation of the "South Kanto Great Space Disaster" to make a direct comparison with the scene before his eyes.

However, this was ultimately different.

Right at this moment, the bird's-eye view on the screen underwent a change in angle, perhaps because the orbital satellite received a new command.

The image on the screen was no longer limited to narrow regional boundaries, but suddenly opened up, taking the entire unfathomable heavenly pit into the lens……

At this moment, the air on the bridge seemed to freeze, all gazes drawn by this sudden full view.

Clearly visible, that was no ordinary sight, but a giant palm imprint, starkly branded upon the earth.

One palm!

Five fingers distinct!

Just like that, nakedly imprinted on the earth, piercing through the strata and mantle, shaping the terrain so tragically, making one feel as if hearing nature's silent roar just by seeing this scene.

Even that intense remnant wave still had not subsided.

The howling gale between heaven and earth blew outward endlessly without cease.

"……Did you see it? Would you not feel powerlessness and fear from the heart?"

And at this time, a low sound came from the captain's seat position, then it slowly turned around from the direction facing away.

The "Commander" on that seat asked this, looking at Shido Itsuka who stood frozen on the spot.

"……"

"……"

Shido Itsuka only managed to withdraw his gaze with great difficulty, clenching his fists tight, only feeling his hair stand on end, his body turning a bit cold.

He was not unable to understand the shape of that heavenly pit, after all it was too intuitive.

However, it was precisely because he could understand it too well that he truly felt fear, even subconsciously not daring to think along that direction……

Thinking about how this heavenly pit was left behind.

He turned his neck somewhat stiffly, shifted his gaze, looking at that figure on the captain's seat, looking at that "Commander" who supposedly wanted to see him.

A petite frame, black ribbons tying hair into cute pigtails, a girl draped in a deep red military uniform over her shoulders……

"……Kotori?"

Shido Itsuka was momentarily bewildered.

But it seems this is the truth, the girl before his eyes is precisely his cute younger sister——Kotori Itsuka.

——————

——————

Today is destined to be an unusual day.

In many countries on Earth, that long-absent "Spacequake Alarm" sounded once again.

Not an alarm to prevent air raid threats, but an alarm to prevent spacequake threats, which in a certain sense had almost become a generation's gray memory.

After all, counting from the first spacequake, that was already thirty years ago.

And in the six months after that——after the South Kanto Great Space Disaster it subsided as if calmed, spacequakes no longer occurred.

Until five years ago, in a corner of the newly redeveloped Tengu City, another spacequake occurred, taking this as a beginning, the Second Spacequake Period was entered.

And most were concentrated in Japan.

Therefore, that indeed was already a past generation's gray memory.

After all, twenty-five years of peaceful days lay in between, and although they occurred again afterwards, they basically did not threaten other countries and regions.

So after realizing the situation, countries worldwide were more or less still peaceful.

Although not to the point of completely letting down vigilance, they also would not be panic-stricken, jumping at shadows, oversensitive to a certain degree.

Consequently——things like "Spacequake Alarms" really would not sound often.

But now, it was different.

Basically many countries, especially their major cities, all resounded with those sharp, long-duration, high-intensity siren sounds.

Accompanied by broadcast notifications, guiding residents to evacuate one after another, or requiring rapid disaster drills.

This unusual situation naturally aroused people's curiosity and suspicion, but the information obtained was——

That Japan once again suffered a Great Sky Calamity-level spacequake……

This is an unprecedented disaster event in five years, enough to arouse the world's vigilance……

According to a series of interpretations from authorities and experts of unknown origin, indicating this likely means a change in the "seismic belt" and periodic activity, not necessarily limited to Japan anymore……

Such things, in short, sounded very reasonable, making one think those alarms and notifications were also very necessary.

Only what ordinary people can know is forever controlled information, even in the Information Age, media news will forever only present the part they allow ordinary people to see.

So people probably won't know for now that actually no Great Sky Calamity-level spacequake occurred, the truth is actually even more shocking than that.

And countries worldwide also became more sensitive because of this, even somewhat neurotic.

Even calling the Celestial Dynasty one after another for this, sending question marks, sending inquiries.

——"Is that the legendary Sword Immortal?"

——"According to scene data analysis, there seem to be many Daoist elements in the runes of that Transmission Gate?"

——"That strange language seems to let all who hear it understand directly, but why is the true pronunciation biased toward ancient Chinese language?"

——"What does the so-called 'Lower Realm Earth' mean? Does it refer to our Earth? And relative to it, does a so-called 'Upper Realm' exist?"

………………

In short, friendly nations trembled, shock and surprise abnormal.

Especially after perceiving many many clues or spider-silk horse-tracks, pointing toward some scalp-numbing guesses……

Even more so.

(Chapter End)