Level 4 Human in a Ruined World

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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Chapter 351: Supreme Armament (2)

—Tomiko Hayama? Is she someone you know?

Jiseon, noticing a ridiculous banner in Korean, asked her son.

Yeongwoo nodded.

“Yes, I’ve met her before. If I had to categorize her, she’d be closer to our side.”

Of course, this was purely Yeongwoo’s one-sided assumption.

The only image he had of Tomiko Hayama was from the dungeon Temple of Valor.

However, back then, she seemed far more rational than other participants, even going out of her way to avoid unnecessary conflicts with those from countries with strained relations.

Thus, Yeongwoo thought:

‘Tomiko’s now Japan’s leader? Maybe this can be resolved smoothly.’

Meanwhile, Jiseon had an entirely different thought.

—‘Our side’? There are allies in Japan, and yet we went to war?

“That’s why we fought all the way to Tsushima Island.”

—Then why didn’t she join the war?

“Because she’s smart. You only have one life.”

Judging by the banner hanging there, it seemed Tomiko had been preparing to surrender even before the official notification of the war’s end was issued.

“Let’s go. Over to that tower.”

Yeongwoo pointed toward the lower part of a violet tower.

Jiseon, lowering her voice slightly, asked her son again.

—Still, should we keep acting threatening?

“Of course.”

—Got it.

The moment Jiseon heard this, her entire body began to glow a bright blue, emitting a low, resonant roar.

Then, with her wings spread to their maximum, casting a massive shadow, she descended into the middle of Tokyo, where the mysterious tower stood.

BAM!

Her landing was so forceful that it sent powerful winds surging through the area.

“W-whoa!”

“A d-dragon?!”

“A dragon has come!”

It seemed that there were some Japanese elites near the tower.

Startled, people who had been hiding among the buildings started running away frantically.

Then, above their heads—

WHOOSH!

Jiseon unleashed a burst of blue breath that froze the air as it shot forward.

—I am Song Jiseon, the guardian dragon of Metal Seoul! I have come to claim the rights granted under the war treaty!

Jiseon dramatically delivered the line, unprompted by Yeongwoo.

Yeongwoo, however, played along by holding a treaty scroll high in the air.

Hwoosh!

「Tsushima Pact」 – Epic Certificate

【|l||I-Earth】

【This certificate guarantees rights as stipulated in the pact.】

【Enforcement Level: 3】

|This document is certified by the Planetary Court and the Balance Enforcement Office.

A moment later—

Tap, tap!

Swift footsteps approached rapidly from the other side of the violet tower.

The figure that emerged was none other than Tomiko herself.

『Miyagi Sword Emperor』

A title associated with Japan’s strongest from Miyagi Prefecture, albeit with the unfortunate nickname Swordslayer.

Despite Yuto’s desperate plea at the Tokyo conference—where he even bared himself to rally participants—Tomiko had remained here to the end.

“Hey, don’t break things!”

Tomiko’s voice carried an edge of frustration as she ran toward them.

Seeing her, Jiseon slowly closed her wide-open mouth.

—That’s her? She’s got a bit of an attitude, doesn’t she?

“You’re the one who unleashed the breath first, Mom. I didn’t ask for that.”

Yeongwoo commented as he jumped off his mother’s back.

Thud!

Seeing him descend, Tomiko, who had been charging forward with determination, hesitated and took an involuntary step back.

“Y-Yeongwoo…?”

It was an unwelcome but familiar face—Jeong Yeongwoo07.

“Yes, Tomiko. I bring bad news today, but I hope you’ve been doing well.”

As Yeongwoo spoke, he stabbed the scroll-shaped spear into the ground.

Seeing this, Tomiko flinched again, her upper lip twitching slightly.

“More importantly, why are you… still naked?”

Tomiko was well aware of the infamous naked war that had occurred on Tsushima.

But why was he still undressed here?

It wasn’t until this moment that Yeongwoo realized he was still naked.

“Oh, my apologies. I was in a hurry.”

With unapologetic nonchalance, he began re-equipping his armor.

Watching this, Tomiko felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her.

‘…Ah.’

It dawned on her that this man had grown even more formidable since the last time she had seen him in the dungeon.

To top it off, a birthright brand now gleamed above Yeongwoo’s head.

It had appeared the moment he severed the head of Tokyo Sword Emperor Yuto on Tsushima Island.

In other words, Tokyo would never have another Sword Emperor as long as Yeongwoo lived.

“Yuto… is dead, isn’t he?”

Considering the slim possibility, Tomiko cautiously asked.

Yeongwoo gestured to the silver-white spear embedded in the ground.

“Yes. He’s gone to hell. But Yuto left behind his final will.”

“His will?”

“We played a card game to decide the future of our nations. I won.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It means Japan now owes the Korean Peninsula 300 million karma per day.”

“……?”

“And it’s legally binding on a cosmic level.”

Yeongwoo smiled brightly as he spoke, and Tomiko’s legs wavered beneath her.

She instinctively understood that the absurd nonsense this madman was spouting was probably all true.

“W-why should we pay 300 million?”

“You can ask Yuto yourself when you see him. If you had won the war, you wouldn’t have to pay.”

Yeongwoo casually scanned the Tokyo skyline, as if inspecting property he had just won at an auction.

His gaze landed on the violet tower, about 50 meters away.

“That thing—did Lemu build it? Is it the interstellar communicator?”

“…As far as I know.”

“As far as you know? You haven’t used it yet?”

When Yeongwoo asked, confused, Tomiko made an awkward expression.

“I’m not the representative of Japan. I didn’t join the war; I was merely waiting.”

"For the Second Tokyo Conference."

"Second?"

"The first was to select participants, and the second will address follow-up issues. For example, dealing with those who dared not risk their lives for the sake of the nation."

In simpler terms, a purge.

Of course, since Tomiko held the title of Sword Emperor, it was uncertain whether she could be so easily executed.

But one thing was clear: if Japan had won the Tsushima War, the mainland's atmosphere would now be feverishly intense.

"Oh, then if it had been Yuto visiting instead of me, you would have been in quite a predicament, wouldn't you?"

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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"Who knows? Both would be problematic, though perhaps to different degrees."

"Even rolling in a pile of manure is better than being dead. In any case, welcome."

"...What?"

"Welcome to my Tokyo. From now on, all of Tokyo's major landmarks are mine."

Ting!

Yeongwoo pulled out a certificate from the ground and pointed with it toward a violet tower. At the same time, beams of light shot down from the sky.

Zeeeeee-aaaaaat!

"Huh?"

"What?"

One of the beams pierced the top of the violet tower, etching a crest onto it.

Simultaneously, other beams descended throughout Tokyo, creating wedge-shaped sigils.

In other words...

"Even the universe has red tags?"

Red tags.

The official name was Confiscation Marker.

They were essentially a type of branding used by government institutions when seizing a debtor's property for various reasons.

And just now, several of Tokyo's key facilities had been confiscated.

"What is all this?"

Seeing the wedge-shaped symbols suddenly appear throughout the city, Tomiko widened her eyes in shock.

Yeongwoo answered nonchalantly.

"As of now, all cosmic infrastructure in Tokyo is under my ownership."

"......!"

"And from this moment on, Japan's representative is you, Tomiko."

Promoted to Japan's representative in an instant.

But Tomiko's expression was far from bright.

"What if I refuse?"

"Why?"

"It's just a fancy title for someone who has to scrape up money and hand it over, isn't it?"

A perceptive one indeed.

So Yeongwoo nodded without hesitation.

"That's correct."

"......?"

"Japan's primary role right now is to gather 300 million karma daily and send it to us. Naturally, the representative's job is to oversee collections."

"Well, I'm not doing it."

"Then who will? To my knowledge, there's no one better suited to gather money without wielding a sword than you, Tomiko."

"......"

It was only now that Tomiko tightly closed her eyes.

That scoundrel was being polite only because she was a familiar face.

Otherwise, he'd have simply smashed everything alongside his dragon and had the conversation afterward.

"Someone has to take the representative position, anyway. The question is how much blood will be spilled before someone does."

As Yeongwoo said this, he rested his hand on the hilt of his Demonic Cursed Sword.

Seeing this, Tomiko looked as if she were reliving a nightmare.

She knew full well, having seen it herself in the dungeon, that the cursed sword was no ordinary weapon.

"Isn't the lesser evil better than the worst? As long as the reparations are delivered daily, Japan won't face any trouble."

"Demanding 300 million a day is trouble enough."

"Think of it as a fine. After all, you struck first."

"..."

There was no way to argue against that.

"After Pangaea, Japan now shares a border with northern Australia, correct?"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"In northern Australia live my brothers, the Redfoot Orcs. Normally, war would have broken out there, too, but I'm currently preventing that from happening."

Bluffing.

In other words, a perfect lie, though not entirely baseless.

If Yeongwoo wanted, he could ask Lord Bang to invade Japan and seize more land.

"If you take on the role of representative, I promise you this: there will be no war with the Orcs."

Conversely, if you refuse the position, the border with Australia will become a new source of headaches...

At least, that's how Tomiko interpreted it.

Though no sword had been drawn, she was essentially being threatened.

"Make the right choice for your people, Tomiko."

As Yeongwoo delivered this nonsensical line with an unchanging expression, Tomiko pressed her hand to her forehead in frustration.

"Collecting 300 million karma daily... Is there anything else I have to do? If there is, just say it all now."

"Of course."

Yeongwoo nodded as if it were obvious.

Then he looked around Tokyo again.

"Empty this city."

"What did you say?"

"Most of the facilities here are ours anyway. My people and I will frequently visit Tokyo to use them. That'll be inconvenient and potentially dangerous for the residents, wouldn't it?"

"..."

At these words, Tomiko reflexively glanced at Jiseon, who was hovering 100 meters above with her dragon's head visible.

"But Tokyo already has so many residents..."

"Then ask them. If they want to keep living in a city visited daily by armed Koreans. And above all—"

Flash!

Yeongwoo subtly changed his title.

『Tokyo Sword Emperor』

"You...!"

"I'm the Sword Emperor of Tokyo now, aren't I? Just tell everyone to leave."

The sorrow of losing the Sword Emperor title.

Tomiko had neither the means nor the ability to stop this lunatic.

By now, it seemed the lesser evil would indeed be for her, as a familiar face, to take on the representative role.

"I'll do my best to empty the city. Is there anything else?"

As Tomiko groaned her reluctant acceptance, Yeongwoo finally tilted his head toward the sky.

"Something else? Let's discuss that later."

"You mean there's more?"

Tomiko gasped in horror, and Yeongwoo drew his Demon Sword, pointing it skyward.

"That depends on Mr. Yuto. I don't know exactly what he was supposed to deliver."

"...?"

Baffled, Tomiko followed Yeongwoo's gaze upward.

There, a massive square-shaped ship silently broke through the clouds and descended.

"Wha—what is that?"

"Lemu. They're in the cultural business."

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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