Volume II The Expedition! Chapter Sixty-Nine: Strange Bird

The designated safe zone below covered a vast area. Judging from the tall buildings and the layout of the streets and houses, it seemed that an entire county town had been transformed for this purpose. Liu Cong looked down and saw the streets and rooftops already crowded with people. He turned to Zhao Tian and said, “Captain Zhao, pass this on to everyone: we’re here as representatives of our nation. Every action we take reflects on our country’s honor. When we disembark, make sure we all conduct ourselves well. This is a golden opportunity to bring glory to our homeland.”

As soon as he finished, Zhao Tian relayed the message to the others. The fifty members of the War God Squad straightened, spirits lifted, and began adjusting their uniforms.

The five transport planes slowly descended in formation and touched down so gently that, if not for the cockpit windows showing the outside, the pilots might not have realized they’d landed. They quickly notified the personnel in the rear cabins. The soldiers aboard each plane lined up, ready and waiting for the hatches to open.

Once the planes landed, the residents of the safe zone, finally seeing the long-awaited Huaxia rescue team, surged forward with enthusiasm. The crowd grew so excited that Nakamura Masada hurriedly dispatched men to maintain order, worried the rescuers might be disturbed.

Under everyone’s expectant gaze, the hatches slowly opened. The War God Squad members, five abreast, marched out in perfect formation. Dressed in black combat uniforms, with black helmets and tactical vests bristling with weapons, they looked every inch the embodiment of power and discipline.

The Japanese onlookers stared intently at the disembarking troops, and, spotting the five-starred red flag emblazoned on their left shoulders, broke into loud cheers. The Japanese soldiers maintaining order quickly formed a human barrier, worried that some overly enthusiastic spectator might rush forward.

Once all fifty soldiers had disembarked, they assembled with crisp, measured steps. Zhao Tian performed a roll call, the soldiers’ rapid responses further igniting the crowd’s excitement. Though most understood not a word of Chinese, they mimicked the shouts with gusto. Many began commenting on the Huaxia troops:

“So these are Huaxia’s soldiers? My God, they’re incredible!”

“Their movements are so synchronized! This must be a formidable army!”

“I envy the people of Huaxia—not only is their country vast, but they’re also protected by such a powerful force.”

“Yes, I’ve heard their public security is amazing. You can wander the streets all night without danger.”

At the front of the crowd stood Nakamura Masao and his subordinates. As soldiers themselves, they could instantly recognize the exceptional discipline of this Huaxia unit. Comparing them to their own national forces, these officials couldn’t help but feel somewhat ashamed.

After the Huaxia soldiers finished assembling, Nakamura Masao led his men to meet Zhao Tian’s gaze and approached. As soon as they met, Nakamura rattled off a string of Japanese. The interpreter beside him was about to translate when one member of the Huaxia formation stepped forward.

“Captain, I speak Japanese. Allow me to translate,” Xu Wen said, moving to Zhao Tian’s side. Zhao Tian nodded in approval.

“Mr. Nakamura, could you please repeat what you just said? I will convey your message to my commander,” Xu Wen said in fluent, measured Japanese.

Nakamura had already heard the earlier exchange translated for him, so he nodded with a smile and repeated himself.

“Hello! I am Nakamura Masao, the current leader here in Japan. We are deeply grateful that you could come to our aid in such a time of crisis. Welcome to Japan!”

Zhao Tian listened to Xu Wen’s translation, then smiled and shook Nakamura’s hand. “Mr. Nakamura, I am Zhao Tian, the commander-in-chief of this rescue mission. I hope our two countries can work closely together to overcome these hardships.”

“Commander Zhao, you are absolutely right. We too hope to escape this danger soon,” Nakamura replied politely. His gaze then shifted to the ranks behind Zhao Tian, and he asked in confusion, “Commander Zhao, may I ask which of you is your nation’s Sword Immortal?”

Zhao Tian glanced around, then slapped his forehead. In his eagerness to make a good impression after disembarking, he hadn’t noticed that their most important figure was missing. Looking up at the transport planes, there was still no sign of Liu Cong. Pressing his communicator, he spoke into his earpiece, “Chief, we’ve met with the Japanese officials. Where are you?”

Liu Cong’s voice came through, windblown and a bit noisy: “I’ll be right there.”

Zhao Tian sighed inwardly, then turned to Nakamura with a broad, friendly grin. “Mr. Nakamura, the Sword Immortal has been delayed by some minor matters, but he’ll be here shortly.”

Though Nakamura was secretly displeased, he dared not show any hint of dissatisfaction toward the mysterious and powerful Sword Immortal. Instead, he beamed with a wide smile. “No trouble at all! Having such a distinguished guest come to Japan is already a tremendous honor for us. A short wait means nothing.”

Zhao Tian smiled. “Then let’s wait together. He’ll be here soon.”

Suddenly a shout went up from the crowd. “Heavens! Look up there—what is that?”

The cry immediately drew everyone’s attention; even Nakamura and Zhao Tian, in the midst of conversation, looked skyward.

Above, two shadows—one blue, one black—were locked in a struggle, plummeting rapidly toward the ground. Strange energy ripples danced around the figures, making the scene all the more extraordinary. In a flash, the two entwined forms crashed down, smashing through the wing of one of the transport planes before slamming into the earth, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The crowd gaped in astonishment at the swirling dust. As the haze cleared, the two figures were revealed at last—a human, gripping a strange sword of black and white light, pinning an enormous, grotesque black bird to the ground. The monstrous bird twitched for a moment, then fell still.

“Heavens! Isn’t that the monster bird that destroyed Tokyo?”

“Yes, that’s the one! It was unbelievably fast—could punch through buildings with ease, and bullets couldn’t so much as touch it!”

“Who is that man? How can he be so powerful, to kill the monster bird?”

“I know! That must be the Sword Immortal from Huaxia! I thought it would be the man talking to the Prime Minister, but it’s actually him!”

Nakamura Masao stared blankly at the bird. He remembered vividly how that very creature had rampaged through Tokyo, darting freely among the city’s towers, boring holes through every building until it finally relented. Its speed was otherworldly; no weapon could ever lock onto it. All people could do was watch as it destroyed their homes, leaving them exposed to further horrors. The videos of Tokyo’s downfall, all thanks to this bird, had long since spread across Japan. People could do nothing but despair, filming the destruction and uploading it online.

Liu Cong’s spectacular entrance left everyone speechless. Zhao Tian, filled with envy, thought to himself: See? The stronger you are, the more dazzling your flair. Our chief really knows how to make an entrance—he even went out of his way to catch a bird, just to make his country proud. Truly dedicated!

Snapping out of his brief daze, Zhao Tian turned to Nakamura with a beaming smile. “Mr. Nakamura, the one who descended from the sky is our Sword Immortal.”

Nakamura came to himself and exclaimed in admiration, “This man is truly extraordinary! He’s only just arrived and has already solved such a dire problem for us. We are immensely grateful. Commander Zhao, please introduce me—I must thank the Sword Immortal in person!”

Zhao Tian was baffled. Wasn’t it just a mutant bird? How had it become such a crisis? Surely the Japanese military wasn’t that helpless.

Suppressing his skepticism, Zhao Tian kept his smile bright. “Of course, Mr. Nakamura.”

As they spoke, Liu Cong withdrew the Heaven’s Omen Sword, letting it dissipate from his hand as he strode calmly toward them.

“Chief, you’re here! Allow me to introduce: this is Mr. Nakamura Masao,” Zhao Tian said, stepping forward to greet him.

Liu Cong waved dismissively, uninterested in formalities. His tone was icy as he said, “Captain Zhao, ask Mr. Nakamura: how many birds like this are there in Japan?”

Zhao Tian was exasperated. Why this bird again? It didn’t seem particularly special—nothing that a burst of bullets couldn’t handle back home.

Xu Wen, ever diligent, translated Liu Cong’s words and conveyed the question to Nakamura Masao.