Chapter 359: Chapter 359

Morimoto Chiyoda stood on the hotel balcony, watching as helicopters and fighter jets scattered across the sky in an organized chaos that suggested anything but randomness.

Could it be that the Pentagon Building isn't responding? This thought flashed through her mind just as she heard a thud from next door. Someone had jumped from the third-floor window down below.

"Bruno, where are you going?"

"Plans have changed, goodbye, Miss Morimoto."

Bruno shouted without looking back. He had a certain appreciation for this mature and intellectual woman from the East, but he had just received information from Congressman Sam that the plan was starting ahead of schedule, so he had to act immediately.

Because Bruno knew well that plans seldom go smoothly, he was prepared for all contingencies: the Flame Plan starting early, the Flame Plan being delayed, or even a backup plan in case it fell through.

He couldn't predict everything that would happen in the future. He could only make some predictions based on certain premises.

For instance, preparing for the plan to start early entailed assuming that unrest had reached Washington D.C. Under such conditions, their primary target would be the CIA Director.

When the plan was out of his control, it was essential to choose the easiest target.

The President and the Secretary of State were the medals the KGB might wish for. Capturing them would undoubtedly be redemption for past humiliations.

The CIA Director was slightly less prominent.

Bruno swiftly jumped into the waiting car and sped towards The White House. He was well aware of where his boss was and had already arranged people to intercept. Now, he just needed to move in and execute the plan to take them away.

SWOOSH! AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles streaked across the sky.

Bruno looked up and saw missiles descending towards a specific location, the resultant rumbling blast shaking Washington D.C.

In a flash, internet communications collapsed. This was followed by a citywide power outage.

As pedestrians on the street were stunned, the continuous explosions rattled windows and the ground, as if a Giant Dragon were tossing and turning beneath the earth.

Morimoto Chiyoda watched the screen go black before glancing up at the sky again. One after another, the fighter jets unleashed their missiles with trailing "tails," and by the time they were visible to the naked eye, the targets' fate was sealed.

BOOM! The flames from the explosion soared meters into the air.

With communications cut and electricity severed, listening to the successive explosions, Morimoto Chiyoda surmised that the attackers were targeting Washington D.C.'s transportation routes to the outside world.

Bands of black smoke spread from all directions. Further away, missiles darted out from the clouds, aiming to destroy the fighter jets and helicopters assaulting Washington D.C.

The situation was dire. Her hotel was extremely close to The White House.

Morimoto Chiyoda cursed those behind the scenes, quickly jumping from her balcony to the second-floor balcony, then again to the ground floor, distancing herself from the trouble spot.

「The White House.」 Orıginal content can be found at 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝓷𝓮𝓽

Secret Service agents hurriedly escorted the working elderly man and the Secretary of State to the underground bunker. There, they had the most comprehensive defensive measures and an independent network and power supply, allowing them to communicate with the outside world even if Washington D.C. was cut off from communication and power.

"This is a shameful, unacceptable rebellion!"

"Please stay down here for now, we will repel the enemy."

"What the hell is Keith doing?"

The old man was furious, cursing the CIA Director.

Was a perfectly laid plan thrown into disarray just because a pawn decided to act prematurely and initiate it? Impossible! The CIA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation—all those intelligence agencies couldn't be useless. There must be a traitor among them, and one of high rank at that.

The old man sharply realized this. He quickly reviewed past documents in his mind, pinpointing a potential target. Yes, it must be Lo— Suddenly, his thoughts jammed. The rage on the old man's face vanished, replaced by a sort of dazed expression; even his eyes revealed a childlike innocence.

This kind of behavior was nothing new to those around him. The man wasn't foolish; it was just that with his age, his physical functions could no longer maintain normal brain operations.

They carefully and promptly supported the old man towards the underground shelter.

The White House entered a state of emergency.

The Anti-aircraft system stationed there was quickly activated, intercepting and countering the attacks from above.

Scattered gunfire rang out on the ground. A battle was unfolding somewhere, and nearby FBI and U.S. Army units did not rush in to support immediately.

Without clear information, moving in large numbers towards one direction would undoubtedly leave other areas vulnerable. They could only send a few people towards the source of the gunfire to see if reinforcements were needed.

Moreover, they hoped the Anti-aircraft system could hold out until their air forces arrived. Under their hopeful gazes, the Anti-aircraft system was hit by a Sidewinder missile, turning into a massive fireball that blossomed on the ground.

Transport planes landed one after another, bringing in batches of the U.S. Army.

Both sides engaged in combat.

BOOM! An F-22 was hit by a distant missile on its left wing. It lost balance and dived diagonally towards the ground, like an unstoppable sword thrusting straight into the Washington Monument.

BOOM! The sharp top seemed as if it had been sliced off by a knife. Amidst the intense explosion, tourists at the summit were instantly smashed to pieces.

With the vibrations, a mass of stones tumbled downward. The elevator snapped, trapping tourists inside who could only let out brief shrieks before crashing to their deaths.

Those navigating the stairs weren't any luckier, as a deluge of stones cascaded from above.

The fortunate ones only had their legs or arms broken, still able to breathe. The less fortunate had their skulls crushed, their brains splattering on others.

Cries of terror rang out as tourists on the stairs quickly fled downwards.

Meanwhile, members of Congress, after dialing various numbers to no avail, uttered helpless and frightened cries, scurrying around like headless flies.

Panic peaked amid successive explosions. Even the Secret Service and the FBI couldn't alleviate their terror.

"What is the Air Force at Langley doing?"

"Why would the Anlucious Air Force attack us?"

"Has the Pentagon Building not reacted yet?!"

"What about the White House's response?"

Noisy voices erupted all around. Congressman Sam blended into the crowd, feeling excited, yet not immediately revealing himself.

He knew that until his people arrived, the best strategy was to keep silent and stay within the Capitol Building, avoiding attacks outside.

These congressmen wouldn't imagine that the architect behind this situation was one of their least regarded minority congressmen.

"Keep calm, you're all lawmakers! Yelling and making a fuss like vendors in a marketplace, what a disgrace!"

The Speaker of the House berated loudly, his expression grave as he said, "It's just a minor hiccup, the Pentagon will soon respond, and the Air Force at Langley is on its way here. Soon enough, support from all sides will eradicate the rebels. The plan hasn't changed; it's just delayed for a bit. You should evacuate to a safe place first."

The Speaker's reassurance gradually gave the congressmen a pillar to lean on, and they quickly cooperated with Secret Service and FBI personnel to evacuate the area.

Vehicles swiftly left the Capitol Building. Everyone knew that the Capitol had no defenses, and staying would be like sitting ducks.

After all, last time even ordinary people couldn't be stopped, let alone the military forces confronting them this time.

The cars didn't get far before they stopped.

"The road has been blown up; we can't drive any further. We have to leave the car and proceed on foot," a Secret Service agent responded.

"Can we escape on foot?"

"Damn it, why should I run? Might as well surrender."

Accustomed to privilege, the congressmen couldn't possibly run; they all became disheartened and dejected.

The Speaker was irate, shouting, "You useless fools, hurry up and run!"

With a rumbling sound, a helicopter rapidly approached.

The Secret Service agents immediately drew their guns and fired. Bullets pelted the transport helicopter's exterior, causing no significant damage, until a machine gun emerged from its side.

RATATAT! A deluge of bullets rained down, puncturing the vehicles, which then exploded as the congressmen scrambled out.

Spurts of blood instantly erupted from the crowd.

The merciless war machine harvested lives indiscriminately.

Witnessing this scene, the congressmen's nerves frayed. They cursed their parents for not giving them an extra pair of legs, ignored calls to find cover, and scattered in all directions.

Even if the President himself stood in their way, they would have met him with an Iron Fist.

Gunsmoke, flames, explosions, and the sonic booms of fighter jets in the sky. This was the stunning backdrop of Washington D.C.

After sending off his monitor, Aozawa immediately used Schrödinger's Cat non-existence state paired with Global Travel to locate Morimoto Chiyoda.

Although the Defense Barrier showed no fluctuations, he still needed to see for himself to be assured.

He found that Morimoto Chiyoda was unharmed. She had rightly judged that the main goal was to destroy roads along with the White House and the Capitol.

The direction in which Morimoto Chiyoda fled had nothing to do with either target, so there was no need for Aozawa to intervene and rescue her.

The premise was that the conflict wouldn't escalate, but given the situation on the ground and the rapidly approaching ground forces, that clearly wasn't possible.

The warring sides gave no thought to civilians, apparently determined to turn the city into ruins as they battled.

Soon, there would be no safe place left here. Only he could end the chaos.

Last time, he used Element Replacement to draw power from the earth and transform into a Giant tens of meters tall. This was far from the limit of his Element Replacement Ability; it was merely that Aozawa had not chosen to enlarge himself further.

Even with the significant reduction of his Element Replacement Ability, he still had the power to become a stone Giant tens of meters tall.

But should he become a stone Giant or a Fire Giant?

Gazing at the city gradually engulfed by great fires, Aozawa decided to make his entrance as a Fire Giant.

He utilized his Element Replacement Ability, turning every pore and even his hair into soaring flames.

The next second, he deactivated Schrödinger's Cat state. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to absorb the Fire Element and grow massive.

At that moment, the flames spreading around the White House rose as if heeding a call to assembly, unhesitatingly surging upwards, converging in one direction.