Chapter 165
The news of the Black Gate outbreak in Kumamoto City was immediately relayed to Nakamoto Koji, the Prime Minister of Japan. Ministers of cabinet-level rank gathered in one place, and an emergency meeting began at once.
Unsurprisingly, the atmosphere in the conference room was far from positive.
"I apologize... We were unable to secure any positive responses."
"None at all? Not even one?"
"There are a few places still withholding their answers, but... it's unlikely we can expect any support."
Prime Minister Nakamoto's brow furrowed at the report from Foreign Minister Kishida Fumio.
"The United States... Why didn't the US give a positive response?"
It was a reasonable question.
The United States was Japan's greatest ally and a self-proclaimed global police force managing world security.
There was no reason for them to withhold aid without cause.
"They've declared a state of emergency due to Black Gate outbreaks in their eastern regions."
The situation in the US became immediately clear.
However, not all questions were answered.
"Then why did China refuse?"
"We've asked multiple times, but they're not giving us a clear reason for their refusal."
"So, they're just flatly refusing without even providing a reason?"
"Yes, I'm sorry..."
Bang!
Unable to contain his rising anger, Nakamoto slammed his fist on the desk and shouted.
"Those damn bastards-! They're going to pretend they don't know us now?!"
China and Japan had long been exchanging relations as major powers in Asia.
Just a year ago, the Chinese government had gone so far as to call Japan their greatest ally.
Yet now they were refusing support without even giving a reason, acting completely unreasonable.
It was hard to calm down in the face of China's brazen attitude.
In fact, he wanted to immediately spread the news to the international community and raise his voice in protest.
But Japan didn't have that luxury right now.
"What about Korea? No, what about Hunter Lee Seong-jun?"
He was potentially Japan's last hope.
'Lee Seong-jun is a hunter who single-handedly hunted down a Black Gate boss monster.'
To put it mildly, Lee Seong-jun was a hunter with national-level strength, if not beyond that.
If they could secure Lee Seong-jun's support, they might be able to overcome the current situation.
Unfortunately, the response from Lee Seong-jun's side wasn't particularly positive either.
"...The Korean Hunter Association says they can't reach Hunter Lee Seong-jun and are delaying an official response."
It was unbelievable.
No, it was natural not to believe it.
How could a hunter who had been actively working just days ago suddenly become unreachable?
'The Korean Hunter Association must be making excuses.'
The reason was somewhat understandable.
After all, who would want to dispatch a hunter with national-level strength overseas?
In other words, Japan would have to deal with the Black Gate using only its own strength.
"Ah..."
A sigh escaped Nakamoto's lips at the utterly desperate situation.
However, there was no time to indulge in personal emotions.
Now was the time to come up with countermeasures as quickly as possible.
"How much longer can we hold out? No... What's the extent of our damages so far?"
"All hunters in Kumamoto City have been wiped out. Current civilian casualties are estimated at 173,252 minor injuries, 71,376 severe injuries, 57,123 deaths, and property damage of around 2 trillion yen."
"The worst possible outcome."
The visible damage was horrific enough, but there would likely be an enormous amount of uncounted damages as well.
Kumamoto City was essentially finished.
But the current damage was just the tip of the iceberg.
The monsters that had burst out of the Black Gate were quickly moving north towards Fukuoka City.
'At this rate... the entire Kyushu region will be destroyed by monsters in no time.'
And it wasn't just the Kyushu region.
'Even the mainland can't be considered safe.'
This wasn't just fearful speculation.
The monsters that had emerged from this Black Gate weren't mindless beasts rampaging indiscriminately.
They maintained military formations and advanced under the orders of what appeared to be a boss monster acting as their commander, showing a level of intelligence.
'With that level of intelligence, they could easily invade the mainland after conquering Kitakyushu City.'
In other words, if they couldn't subjugate the Black Gate monsters, all of Japan would face destruction.
A dark shadow naturally fell over Nakamoto's face.
"I know it's difficult... but is there any chance the Hunter Association could come up with some clever solution?"
Despite Nakamoto's desperate question, Tendo Ryosuke, the head of the Japan Hunter Association, could only shake his head.
"To be frank, with our current strength, it would be too much for Japan to hold back the Black Gate. We desperately need outside help."
"Outside help? When even the US, China, and nearby Korea aren't offering support, what country do you think will volunteer to help?"
"..."
As heavy silence fell over the conference room in response to Nakamoto's unanswerable question, Kishida, who had been observing the situation while constantly shifting his gaze, cautiously spoke up.
"There may not be any countries, but... there is someone with strength comparable to a nation."
"What?"
In response to Nakamoto's wide-eyed question, Kishida spoke again.
"...Daniel from the Guardians would surely offer support."
"Foreign Minister! Have you lost your mind?!"
Though Tendo's words were somewhat harsh, no one stopped him.
It was an understandable reaction.
Daniel Graham, as a member of the Guardians, was undoubtedly skilled.
However, the problem was Daniel's greed.
Daniel, whose avarice exceeded what could be described as excessive, had no concept of boundaries.
In fact, Daniel was known more by the alias "Nation Hunter" than as a member of the Guardians.
In other words, he would demand compensation beyond common sense.
Even if they managed to stop the Black Gate, the aftermath could result in Japan falling into Daniel's grasp and being exploited.
Under normal circumstances, this suggestion would have been rejected without a second thought.
However, Daniel's help was arguably Japan's only means of survival now.
'...Our top priority is survival.'
The aftermath would have to be dealt with after stopping the Black Gate and surviving.
"Has there been any prior negotiation?"
"Yes, if you give permission, Prime Minister, I can bring him to the conference room immediately."
Nakamoto nodded heavily and spoke.
"Bring him in."
Kishida repeatedly tapped on the smartphone in his inner pocket.
After some time had passed...
Creak-
The tightly closed door opened, and a middle-aged Caucasian man strode confidently into the conference room.
"That took longer than I expected. I thought you'd call for me sooner."
The middle-aged Caucasian man flashed a relaxed smile at Kishida, then turned his gaze and greeted them in an arrogant tone.
"Daniel Graham, a hunter belonging to the Guardians, as you all know."
As soon as Daniel finished his brief self-introduction and sat down in a nearby chair, Nakamoto, who had been staring at Daniel the whole time, immediately got to the point.
"First, may I ask how much you're requesting in compensation, Mr. Daniel?"
Daniel grinned at Nakamoto and opened his mouth.
"I don't need money. What I want is land. Like that Sandra Block guy, I want to build my own kingdom in my territory. As you know, regulations on hunters are pretty tight these days, right?"
"Then... if you could tell us the exact size and location of the land you want, we would appreciate it."
As if he had been waiting for Nakamoto to ask, Daniel immediately spoke.
"The entire Kyushu region."
"...?!"
At Daniel's proposed condition, the eyes of Nakamoto and the nearby ministers widened in shock.
It was inevitable, as this was on a completely different level from claiming land that had fallen to monsters.
Most of the Kyushu region was originally Japanese territory, with cities where citizens lived.
If the land were handed over to Daniel, it would instantly create millions of refugees.
"P-Prime Minister!"
Daniel lightly gestured towards the ministers raising their voices and spoke.
"I understand what you're worried about, but there's no need to be so concerned. I'll let the original citizens continue living there. Of course, since they'll be living on my land, I'll have to collect taxes and usage fees."
Daniel spoke as if he were doing them a favor.
However, the reality was quite different.
He was planning to completely offload the management of buildings and facilities to Japanese citizens while exploiting Japan for his entire life.
He was trying to reap astronomical profits without lifting a finger.
The Japanese ministers, who had worked in economics and social affairs for a long time, couldn't possibly miss this.
Unable to contain themselves any longer, the Japanese ministers frowned.
But Prime Minister Nakamoto was an exception.
Seeing Nakamoto shaking his head repeatedly, the angry-faced ministers had no choice but to suppress their own anger.
"I see the Prime Minister's brain is working a bit better than the rest."
Daniel snorted after confirming the ministers' faces by looking around.
"You idiots. Think about it carefully. There's no other hunter who can deal with the monsters besides me, right? In the end, the Kyushu region is land that will be abandoned anyway. Moreover, if you leave it in this state, even the mainland could be threatened. Shouldn't you be grateful to me for exterminating the monsters?"
It wasn't wrong.
However, the war against the monsters wouldn't be fought by Daniel alone.
Japanese hunters would also be involved, and there would be tremendous loss of life.
Yet, the only one reaping the benefits would be Daniel.
The conditions Daniel had proposed were simply too unfair.
'But... there's no other way right now.'
Even if the conditions were absurd, teaming up with Daniel was the best option.
'If we don't exterminate the Black Gate monsters, the entire nation of Japan could disappear.'
Although the damage would be great, it was better than the country being destroyed.
Finally, having made his decision, Nakamoto opened his mouth.
The next day.
The building where Daniel Graham's press conference was scheduled to be held was packed with countless reporters, both inside and out.
"It's a bit annoying, but... soon the whole world will know about my abilities for sure."
Daniel's face was full of confidence as he confirmed the number of reporters who had gathered from all over the world outside the window.
But in stark contrast, the faces of the Japanese Hunter Association members, including Association President Tendo, who were providing security nearby, were deeply shadowed.
This was because this press conference wasn't just about demonstrating Daniel's prowess and abilities.
It could also be seen as a place where Japan, which had been boasting about being among the world's great powers, was publicly revealing its own incompetence.
This press conference could cause Japan's hard-earned national prestige and status to plummet in an instant.
'If only Hunter Lee Seong-jun had been Japanese...!'
This situation would never have occurred.
'Why... why was someone like Lee Seong-jun born in Korea instead of Japan?'
The resentful questions continued, but all Tendo could do was swallow his regret.