Ch-144 Cities destroyed!!

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...

After listening to the General's words, a collective hush fell over the assembly of ministers, each member, including the esteemed Daimyo, turning their attention towards the designated direction pointed out by the General. As their gaze fixed upon the figure suspended in mid-air, a palpable stillness gripped the atmosphere. A wave of petrification swept through the onlookers, for Jiryoku was, unequivocally, the last individual they anticipated encountering at this juncture. The assemblage of ministers, far from being naive, promptly discerned the purpose of Jiryoku's presence. It dawned on them that the impending falling meteor was not a mere act of nature but an orchestrated assault by Jiryoku, the sole master capable of invoking meteors and unleashing them upon any chosen location.

Attempting to project an air of composure, the Daimyo inquired, "Raijin no Jiryoku, what compels you to attack my mansion?" Despite his efforts, the subtle tremor in his voice betrayed an undercurrent of genuine fear.

Addressing the gathering, Jiryoku retorted, "You are all shrewd individuals, well aware of the reasons behind my attack. You have dared to target Jokan, knowing full well that she is my girlfriend. Now, the repercussions of your actions demand payment."

Seeking to engage in a dialogue, the Daimyo questioned, "But why target us? The Water Country is not the only one fixated on Jokan from the Fire Country." In an attempt to reason with Jiryoku.

"Who said that you will be the only ones to perish? It's just that you are the first ones to face this fate; subsequently, the other three countries will also follow suit," Jiryoku coldly asserted.

"But I am the Daimyo of the Water Country. Do you not fear the public outrage that will inevitably ensue after my demise?" queried the Water Country's Daimyo, his concern palpable.

In response, Jiryoku casually retorted, "Do you think elephants will care when ants speak ill of them?"

The Daimyo, upon hearing Jiryoku's dismissive analogy, realized that, in Jiryoku's eyes, individuals like him were insignificant, akin to ants, and their existence held no sway over the formidable figure.

As the impending meteor loomed dangerously close to his opulent mansion, the Daimyo, casting aside the facade of Daimyo dignity, swiftly knelt on the ground, fervently pleading with Jiryoku, "I implore you to spare my life. I pledge to promptly revoke the bounty on Jokan's head from the Fire Country."

Observing the Daimyo's desperate plea, the other ministers, sensing the gravity of the situation, collectively followed suit, their pleas for forgiveness echoing in unison.

However, despite the impassioned entreaties and supplications from the Daimyo and his ministers, Jiryoku's face remained stoic and unyielding. He was unwavering in his resolve to use these Daimyos from different countries as a deterrent, ensuring they never dared to threaten his beloved girlfriend again.

In a swift and cataclysmic event, the meteor collided with the Daimyo Mansion, acting as the epicenter of destruction that radiated outward, reducing the entire city of the Water Country to a desolate expanse of dust and rubble.

A mere few minutes prior, the city's inhabitants had been caught in a frenzied state of chaos, scurrying in all directions. Abruptly, an undetectable force enveloped them, lifting their bodies into the air and inducing a state of weightless suspension. Despite valiant attempts by some to resist, the force relentlessly elevated them until, in a startling twist of fate, they were collectively expelled from the city. This orchestrated phenomenon, masterminded by Jiryoku, sought to bring about the city's demise without plunging it into the agony of mass murder.

In the current time, as these displaced individuals gazed upon the ruins of the city they and their forefathers had inhabited for generations, a chorus of anguished cries and frustrated roars reverberated through the air. Astonished by the source of their collective distress, they grappled with a deep-seated uncertainty—was this catastrophe the result of human misdeeds or the manipulations of an extraordinarily powerful entity?

Just as these disoriented and bereft people endeavored to make sense of the unfolding calamity, a commanding voice echoed in their ears, delivering a proclamation: "My name is Jiryoku, and I am the one who wrought destruction upon this city. The reason is straightforward—they committed actions they shouldn't have."

Having made this declaration, Jiryoku, impervious to the tumultuous emotions and outrage of the crowd, took flight without a second thought. His journey was far from over, for he had three more Daimyo Mansions to visit and mete out a similar fate.

----

The same catastrophic sequence of events that unfolded at the Water Country's Daimyo Mansion echoed with eerie repetition across the remaining three major countries. In an unrelenting wave of destruction, the Wind Country, Lightning Country, and Earth Country's Daimyo Mansions met a similar fate, crumbling into ruins within a mere 24-hour span.

As the dust settled—figuratively and quite literally—over the city that bore the brunt of the meteor's impact, an ominous cloud of dust hung persistently in the air. To the astonishment of the ninjas from the respective major villages of these countries, arriving at the scene hours after the meteor's catastrophic strike, the thick shroud of dust showed no signs of settling. Despite the passage of time, it exhibited a stubborn resilience, refusing to dissipate. The unsettling realization dawned that this lingering cloud might persist for days, leaving an indelible mark on the aftermath of destruction. Compounding the tragedy, the core of the city radiated an intense heat, as if a seething core of molten lava resided at its very center.

An event of such monumental proportions could not evade global scrutiny, especially when it involved the obliteration of a city housing the Daimyo of a nation, further intensified by the grim news of the Daimyo's demise. The echoes of this calamity were sure to reverberate across borders, leaving an indelible impact on the collective consciousness of the world.

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