Chapter 179: Chapter 178: Lockdown
(The title of the last Chapter was censored again... This is so hard... I’m really done for without everyone’s subscription support...)
~
When Kojima Sei, chief of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Headquarters, received a call reporting some kind of virus infection, his first thought was that it was a prank.
Though he had no idea how the person had gotten his office number, Kojima Sei suppressed his anger and said patiently:
"If there’s an emergency, please dial 110. Also, filing a false report is a waste of public resources and is punishable by law."
But before he could finish, the computer monitor in front of him lit up, displaying a dozen different surveillance feeds in a split-screen view.
The footage all seemed to come from home security cameras or webcams, clearly taken without permission.
But the content of the videos made Kojima Sei shoot to his feet!
The feeds showed a group of elderly people chatting and laughing as they cooked. But the ingredients on the table were horrifying.
They were human limbs!
Some of the videos even showed them "slaughtering" live people. The only word to describe it was terrifying.
Just then, the office door was thrown open. Assistant Officer Tani rushed in, shouting:
"Chief, look! The TV!"
He pressed the power button, turning on the television.
A solemn-faced anchor from the NHK TV Station was breaking in with a news bulletin:
"...Just moments ago, we received a video and a warning from an anonymous source. The message claims that a highly infectious virus has appeared in the Kanagawa Region, with a large number of infected patients..."
"...We initially thought it was a prank, but the accompanying video footage is simply too shocking. We are therefore interrupting our broadcast. Later, we will be connecting with Mr. Sato, a medical professor from Waseda University..."
As the anchor spoke, the screen began to show pixelated surveillance footage—the same videos that were on Kojima Sei’s computer.
They were all scenes of appalling cruelty.
Cannibalism.
Before Kojima Sei could say anything, Tani grabbed the remote and started flipping through the channels.
Nippon Television Network Corporation, TBS TV Station, Fuji Television, and Asahi TV Station were all covering the story. Apparently, they had all received the same message and videos.
Whether the virus was real or not, the brutal footage was enough to shock people and grab their attention.
After all, the message was vivid and detailed. Combined with the recent cannibalism incident on an airplane that had shocked the world, it was enough to make everyone draw a connection.
"...The recent assault by Hatanaka Takuya was allegedly because he was infected with this virus. The whistleblower has dubbed it the ’Evil Spirit Virus.’ Once infected, a person begins to show signs of illogical thinking and develops an extremely strong craving for human flesh. At the same time, because a part of their own rationality and consciousness remains, they will hide this desire from normal people, even continuing to live and work as usual, as if possessed by an evil spirit..."
This time, the station broadcasting with a grave expression was, unbelievably, Tokyo TV Station. For the first time in history, they weren’t showing a food program or an anime!
Kojima Sei collapsed into his chair, muttering:
"It’s over... it’s all over... Even Tokyo TV Station is reporting it..."
Every Japanese person understood one thing: if TV Tokyo, the maverick of the television world, was broadcasting the same news as everyone else, it meant the situation was absolutely dire.
’But who on earth is this whistleblower?’
’How could they know so much?’
Just then, the phone on his desk rang sharply. Kojima Sei snatched it up.
"Yes, this is the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Headquarters."
The next second, Kojima Sei shot to his feet, speaking with the utmost respect.
"Hai! Yes, sir. A lockdown of the entire Kanagawa Region? How... The Self-Defense Force will be coordinating? Understood, understood! I will immediately dispatch officers to patrol the affected areas! Please rest assured! Hai!"
He then gingerly hung up the phone, his expression turning grim.
"Chief, who was that?" Tani asked curiously from the side.
"It was... His Excellency, the Commissioner-General of the National Police Agency," Kojima Sei said slowly.
Tani froze, his whole body tensing up.
The National Police Agency is the highest institution overseeing all prefectural police headquarters in the country. The Commissioner-General is the highest-ranking Commander of all police officers.
’I can’t believe this has already reached the Commissioner-General.’
"Tani, immediately send men to inspect the relevant areas! Remember to take protective measures! Get all the hazmat suits from the headquarters’ warehouse and have them put them on! Also, dispatch all available officers to block all roads out of Kanagawa Prefecture. Don’t let a single person leave!"
Tani was shocked.
"Chief, are we really locking down all of Kanagawa? If we do that, it’ll cause mass panic! I’ve already ordered the officers near Ota Street to come here and report immediately."
Kojima Sei pointed at the news report still playing on the TV and said:
"If anything’s going to cause panic, this is already enough... This is an order from the Commissioner-General. The Self-Defense Force will be here soon to assist with the lockdown. Now go! Quickly!"
Just then, the office door opened again. The secretary appeared, accompanied by five uniformed police officers.
"Chief, these five officers claim to be from Ota Street. They’ve just finished their patrol and have something to report to you in person."
Kojima Sei felt a flicker of joy, understanding this was because of Tani’s order. He quickly asked, "What’s the situation on the ground? Have Ogres really appeared? What are the casualty numbers?"
The officers wore disarmingly calm and gentle smiles. The one in the lead said with a chuckle:
"Rest assured, Chief. What Ogres? It was all just a malicious prank. Nothing is happening in the Ota Street area. It’s still perfectly quiet."
As he spoke, the other officers casually fanned out, moving toward Tani and the secretary.
"That’s good..." Kojima Sei let out a huge sigh of relief. Compared to the sudden information and videos, he trusted his own officers more.
’Those pranksters are despicable. And the videos were so realistic. No wonder even Tokyo TV Station and the Commissioner-General were fooled.’
’After this is over, I have to find the bastard responsible and make sure they’re severely punished.’
’But why is this officer getting closer and closer? Doesn’t he know his place?’
Kojima Sei frowned and was about to say something.
Suddenly, the kind-looking, middle-aged officer in front of him lunged. A sharp knife, hidden in his hand, slashed across Kojima Sei’s throat!
At the same time, the other four officers—two per target—used wires and knives to eliminate Tani and Kojima Sei’s secretary in the blink of an eye!
The officer who had slit Kojima Sei’s throat was still smiling as he said softly:
"Chief Kojima Sei, thank you for your selfless contribution. We... we just couldn’t hold back anymore... We’re so hungry... We were going to grab a bite on the street, but then we remembered we had to report to you, to be loyal to our duty, so we came here... It’s a shame you don’t have any cookware or a stove, but my family owns a sushi restaurant. I’m quite good at preparing sashimi..."
Kojima Sei’s vision quickly blackened. He could only hear the sound of gulping saliva before he lost consciousness completely...
...
The explosive news about the "Evil Spirit" Virus spread rapidly across the globe.
Some so-called experts immediately came forward to debunk the rumors, hoping to prevent public panic, but their efforts only caused more.
During a live television broadcast in New York, an invited disease expert was seen constantly wiping away saliva before he suddenly went berserk, mauling the host into a bloody mess on the spot.
Police discovered the head of her assistant, Ed, in the refrigerator of CNN field reporter Corina’s apartment.
The chief of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Headquarters, his assistant, and his secretary were found dead in their office. The perpetrators were five well-mannered police officers who, when arrested by their colleagues, were still pleading their innocence, claiming to be good, dutiful policemen and that there must be some misunderstanding.
Meanwhile, a well-known influencer livestreaming near Ota Street discovered that many of the shops and businesses had closed, and that among the trash on the roadside were gnawed human bones!
Before the eyes of her viewers, the influencer, who had been wandering the street to investigate, was surrounded by a group of kindly-faced elderly people and dragged into a room.
Her phone dropped during the livestream, and her audience could only hear her terrified screams and various sounds of cutting and crushing...
The existence of the Evil Spirit Virus was confirmed!
Countries around the world quickly activated their emergency response mechanisms. They first blocked internet access and news from the affected areas. Then, disease control personnel mobilized, preparing to conduct a rapid investigation before implementing a low-level quarantine of the regions.
Quarantining an epidemic area was no small matter, especially in places like New York and Kanagawa, which were home to tens of millions of people.
Even during the Petrification Disease outbreak, a quarantine of this magnitude had never been seen.
Moreover, governments still had no clear understanding of the virus. The recently received messages and videos alone were not enough to justify drastic measures.
After all, there had been no reports of large-scale infections, and the local doctors and epidemic prevention experts sent to investigate the situation had sent no word back.
The most infectious virus to date was the Petrification Disease. It was hard to imagine what an even more contagious disease would look like.
In Japan, in particular, a hardline faction emerged within the government, pushing against all opposition to implement the highest level of alert. At the same time, another faction argued that a single round of inspections and the establishment of quarantine stations would suffice, and that there was no need to overreact.
The two factions bickered and passed the buck, causing the implementation of the already-decided quarantine alert to proceed at a snail’s pace.
However, after the initial panic, the public stopped taking the epidemic too seriously.
After all, there were no follow-up reports, and they hadn’t seen any crazy scenes or sick people around them. Everyone seemed to be perfectly normal.
Inspection and quarantine personnel drafted from all over the country quickly entered the Kanagawa and Tokyo Regions, preparing to carry out large-scale testing. Large numbers of police and Self-Defense Force members also arrived, ready to decide on a lockdown once the results were in.
But the optimal window for control was rapidly closing.
Everything was quickly spiraling out of control.
Occasionally, a horrific story would leak out from Tokyo or the Kanagawa Region, only to be debunked as fake news.
Time passed, second by second.
Ten hours later, Shen Feng’s plane landed at Tokyo’s Narita Airport.
Looking out, all of Tokyo seemed peaceful and serene.
The cabin door slowly opened.
Just then, a group of people with warm smiles, looking polite and courteous, suddenly ran out from the airport terminal, heading straight for the newly landed plane.
Something glinted in their hands.
They were sharp knives.