'Someone has broken in!'
The same thought flashed through all five of their minds!
The Military Uniform Man, being the strongest among them, reacted the fastest.
Battle-hardened and rigorously trained, his reflexes were razor-sharp.
A powerful aura erupted from his body, his refined Nen boiling like steam.
A torrent of Aura enveloped him, flickering like White Fire in the darkened room.
The sudden surge of energy created intense pressure, stirring violent winds within the sealed chamber.
This S-rank strength was not diluted in the slightest—it was honed through his own relentless training.
The other four hadn't even reacted yet.
In a flash, Military Uniform Man moved, his fist wreathed in intense aura as he struck directly towards the corner where the voice had come from.
Though this punch was launched in haste, its power was still nothing to scoff at.
This was also the maximum amount of aura the man could muster in such a short time.
He knew exactly what kind of place this was!
The secret space where the International Permit Agencies was located!
If he had to name the safest place across the six continents, this would be the only one that came to mind.
First, the entrance was so well-hidden that only a handful of personnel could possibly find it.
Second, both outside and inside the entrance, there were high-tech devices or elite soldiers standing guard.
Not even a mosquito would have a chance to slip through.
Yet despite all these layers of absolute security, someone had managed to infiltrate the place today!
Had this person not made a sound, they might never have noticed his presence!
So this man's strength was certainly not low—he had to go all out, without any underestimation.
All these thoughts and actions were completed in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, the Military Uniform Man appeared right in front of Akira, his fist the size of a sandbag shimmering with golden aura.
Just a single glance was enough to feel its razor-sharp intensity, as if nothing could withstand this punch.
If this fist struck the ground, it would undoubtedly create a terrifyingly deep crater in an instant!
But inside the room, that might not be the case.
Because every material used here was made from rare metals sourced from the Dark Continent.
Thus, their durability was exceptionally strong.
The International Permit Agencies had conducted experiments—even high-powered rocket launchers couldn't leave a mark on them.
Beyond durability, these metals also possessed self-healing properties.
If damaged, they would slowly regenerate, restoring themselves to their original state.
"BOOM!!"
A deafening explosion-like sound erupted!
The sheer force of the noise alone made the others feel as if a bomb had gone off right beside their ears.
The thunderous impact not only shattered eardrums but also blasted the air apart, sending shockwaves rippling outward.
For a moment, the room was filled with violent tremors, yet strangely, none of the commotion leaked outside.
Aside from the soundproofing properties of the metal itself, it was also because the entire room was now enveloped in strands of dark, swirling aura.
Any sound that reached this aura was instantly absorbed, not a single whisper escaping beyond.
This, of course, was deliberately arranged by Akira.
"How is this possible?!"
The Military Uniform Man's rugged face twisted in shock, his pupils contracting sharply.
His near-full-power punch had been effortlessly caught and immobilized by Akira's palm!
Panic surged in the Military Uniform Man's heart as he desperately channeled his aura, trying to break free from Akira's grip.
Yet no matter how hard he struggled, it was futile.
At this moment, the Military Uniform Man finally understood.
The man before him was far, far stronger than he was!
With "Gyo" covering his eyes, the Military Uniform Man finally saw the true face of this "uninvited guest."
But he soon realized that seeing it might have been worse than not seeing it at all.
"A-A-Akira!!"
Staring at that face, the usually stoic Military Uniform Man stuttered like he'd seen a ghost.
Only now did he grasp the meaning behind Akira's earlier words.
While they had been discussing how to deal with Akira, he had been standing in the corner, listening to every word!
In other words, Akira had heard everything they said!
Now it all made sense—why this man's strength was so terrifying.
It was Akira himself!
"What?! Akira?!"
The Middle-aged Woman shrieked in alarm.
"How is this possible?! Why would Akira be here?!"
When faced with the unknown and the frightening thing, a person's first instinct is denial.
It's like being diagnosed with cancer—people's first reaction is always to say, "Impossible."
They refuse to believe something like this could happen to them.
But when the group frantically activated their Gyo, they finally got a clear look at Akira's face.
At that point, even the most skeptical Middle-aged Woman was left speechless.
"Bang!"
Seeing their reactions, Akira smirked slightly and casually flung the Military Uniform Man into another corner.
The strongest among them, the Military Uniform Man, couldn't even last a single exchange against Akira—he was tossed aside like a ragdoll.
The Suit Man and the others immediately paled, their bodies stiffening, their hearts skipping several beats.
As the nation's highest-ranking leaders, none of them were fools.
They knew exactly what will happen next.
Now, their only hope was that the commotion would alert guards from the outside, prompting soldiers to come to their rescue.
Even if they couldn't handle Akira, at least it might give them a slim chance of survival.
But what they didn't know was that, under Akira's deliberate influence, not a single sound escaped the room.
"Why do you all look like that?"
"Weren't you just discussing how to deal with me?"
"Well, here I am. Go ahead—tell me, how exactly do you plan to handle me?"
Akira crossed his arms, watching them with amusement.
Who would've thought these five had just convened a meeting to discuss how to deal with him?
And now, he had stumbled right into it.
This wasn't about them dealing with him—it was about him dealing with them.
As for how he'd handle them, the Pokemon nurtured within the International Permit Agencies had already provided the answer.
Faced with Akira's words, none of them responded.
They remained silent and motionless.
To an outsider, it might have looked like they were playing a game of 'Red Light, Green Light.'
"Tsk. Weren't you all chatting so confidently earlier? Why so quiet now that I'm here?"
Akira sighed softly and shook his head.
His mocking tone ignited a surge of anger in their hearts.
Every one of them was a figure of immense power and influence in the outside world.
Being treated like this by Akira only compounded their fear with fury.
"Fine. If none of you want to talk, I won't force you."
Akira waved his hand dismissively.
Just as they began to relax slightly, they suddenly realized—a figure had appeared behind Akira at some point!
It was a massive entity, its head nearly brushing the ceiling while its lower body floated in midair.
It resembled a jellyfish, though its size far exceeded that of any ordinary jellyfish.
With its tentacles serving as limbs, Nihilego looked almost like a bashful maiden at first glance.
Its crystalline body shimmered like glass, faint luminescence radiating from its form, lending it an aura of purity.
Yet, far from feeling soothed, the group's dread only intensified.
The Nen beast Akira had summoned exuded a terrifying presence—one that far surpassed even Akira's own oppressive aura!
'How can something this horrifying exist?!'
'This power already far exceeds the Guide's!!'
The Military Uniform Man, who had just managed to get back on his feet, froze once more, staring dumbstruck at the monstrous Nihilego, screaming internally.
In the face of Akira, the Military Uniform Man had completely lost his composure.
The military-uniformed man, who believed in the supremacy of strength, felt for the first time the immense gap between his own power and that of another!
He knew Akira was strong, but he never imagined Akira possessed a Nen beast even more powerful than the Guide.
He had encountered the Guide before and was well aware that the latter's strength far surpassed his own.
Yet this unknown Nen beast before him was even stronger!
In mere moments, the military-uniformed man's already tattered clothes were soaked through with sweat, his back drenched.
The other four, though lacking in strength and unable to accurately gauge Nihilego's power, all understood one thing.
Akira's strength far exceeded their expectations!!
Nihilego floated in the air, its tentacles swaying unconsciously, resembling the graceful movements of a jellyfish swimming in the sea.
Simultaneously, the tips of Nihilego's tentacles split into five small, crystalline fragments, each exquisitely beautiful.
Each fragment contained a massive dose of neurotoxin.
Combined with a portion of Nihilego's consciousness, these fragments could freely manipulate others.
This was Akira's plan!
Using Nihilego's parasitic abilities, he would control all five of them, turning them into his obedient servants.
Under Nihilego's control, the five differently sized fragments merged into their bodies, eliciting terrified stares from them.
The varying sizes were due to the fact that stronger creatures required more toxin to control.
The military-uniformed man's fragment was the largest.
As soon as the fragments split off, Nihilego's tentacle tips regenerated, replenishing what had been expended.
Nihilego, being a jellyfish, possessed a degree of regenerative ability.
Coupled with its aura, it could produce numerous fragments.
In the original lore, Nihilego's parasitic ability involved its entire body attaching to a host.
But now, it could achieve an even more terrifying effect.
Simply put, Nihilego's parasitism had three modes.
The first was full-body parasitism, requiring Nihilego's entire form to reside within the host, granting the strongest control.
The second was partial parasitism, the method currently used on the five individuals, which still offered considerable control.
With a portion of Nihilego's consciousness embedded in their minds, it could manipulate their thoughts.
The third was toxin parasitism, which barely qualified as parasitism—merely injecting neurotoxins into the host.
This allowed only limited control, with a high risk of the host losing their sanity.
For controlling these five, the second method was clearly the most suitable, requiring minimal cost to turn them into freely manipulated servants.
Nihilego truly lived up to its title as the Parasite Pokemon and as an Ultra Beast, its abilities were incredibly useful.
With Nihilego, Akira could effortlessly assemble an army!
This ability would prove even more valuable later when venturing into the Dark Continent, offering numerous opportunities for use.
As the fragments entered their bodies, all five convulsed simultaneously, their systems rapidly flooded with neurotoxins.
Even their faces faintly glowed with shifting shades of purple—clear signs of deep poisoning.
After a few breaths, the purple glow quietly faded and their conditions returned to calm.
On the surface, it seemed as if nothing had happened, but the group had already been completely subdued.
Now, they were being controlled by Nihilego!
Nihilego was like a puppeteer, its neurotoxins serving as strings to manipulate the five like marionettes.
The leaders of the five colossal powers governing the six continents!
The five highest-ranking officials of V5 had become Akira's "puppets"!
In effect, he had taken control of V5.
From now on, his orders would be V5's collective directives.
One could say that controlling these five was the most cost-effective choice across the six continents.
Despite being manipulated, there were no visible changes in their appearances.
Moreover, since Nihilego relied on undetectable neurotoxins rather than aura, no one else could perceive that the five had been compromised.
"Hmm, good."
"Now, tell me—how do you usually contact the 'Gatekeeper'?"
Akira nodded in satisfaction.
He hadn't expected this trip to yield such an unexpected boon.
Controlling these five would be incredibly useful.
Not to mention the endless wealth, power, and treasured Aura Tools now at his disposal, he could also obtain all information related to the Dark Continent.
Right now, what intrigued him most was their communication with the 'Gatekeeper'.
The five exchanged glances before Suit Man took the lead in explaining.
"Contacting the 'Gatekeeper' is difficult. We usually communicate with them only once a year, sometimes even less frequently."
"Most interactions are to request the 'Guide' to lead expeditions."
"The last time we reached out was to orchestrate the Chimera Ant incident."
"We use a special artifact, empowered by Divine Script, to establish contact."
Verbal explanations alone weren't enough, so Akira had them demonstrate on the spot.
"Our means of communication is a unique Aura Tool, divided into five fragments, each carried by one of us."
As Suit Man spoke, the five simultaneously produced gray stone fragments covered in eerie patterns.
At first glance, they appeared ordinary, but Akira could sense an unusual energy within.
Under their coordination, the five fragments seamlessly merged into a single whole, leaving almost no gaps.
The stone looked completely natural, as if it had always existed in this form.
Once combined, it became a spherical rock densely inscribed with intricate patterns.
"Are these patterns Divine Script?"
Akira narrowed his eyes, sensing a resemblance to Divine Script.
"No, these are the written language of the 'Gatekeeper' beastfolk race."
Not Divine Script?
But still a script with special properties.
"Then where did these stones come from?"
Akira shifted the topic, inquiring about their origins.
"Well..."
Suit Man, who had been speaking smoothly until now, hesitated, his expression uncertain.
"According to V5's most deeply concealed archives,"
"These items were actually obtained from the 'Gatekeeper', and they appeared as early as the founding of V5."
Obtained from the 'Gatekeeper'?
Akira raised an eyebrow but didn't press further, instead falling into thought.
V5's history was ancient, with countless changes in national leadership over the years.
If they could communicate with the 'Gatekeeper' and bore the 'Gatekeeper' patterns, it made sense that these items came from them.
So, had the 'Gatekeeper' arrived on the Six Continents long ago?
As for handing over something that allowed communication to V5, it was likely intended as a basis for mutual exchange.
WIki :
An indispensable component of a successful voyage to the dark continent is a Guide.
The Guide is a being summoned by the Gatekeeper, a race of magical beasts, which holds the only known connection to the Dark Continent.
Without them, it would be impossible for humans to get past the Known World's oceanic borders
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