An hour later, Sean sat inside a C-17 Globemaster III strategic military transport aircraft, its cargo hold loaded with a substantial amount of stored Adamantium, a rare and valuable haul from this trip to Tokyo...
Ichirō had originally intended to use the Adamantium to forge a massive suit of samurai armor, and rely on HYDRA's life-support systems to cling to life while attempting to absorb the regenerative properties of the Adamantium bonded to Wolverine's skeleton.
Unfortunately for him, fate had other plans.
Logan, who had been under the surveillance of the Yashida family, vanished without a trace, shattering Ichirō's ambitions.
Left with no choice, he had to resort to HYDRA's contingency plan. In the end, the extravagantly crafted Adamantium armor became nothing more than spoils of war for Sean.
The transport plane that took off from the Yokosuka Naval Base circled over Tokyo Bay. Below, the isolated island had collapsed, leaving only a few jagged 'reefs' protruding above the water.
A Thresher-class submarine had exploded. As a third-generation nuclear submarine, its detonation was comparable to the force of a conventional ballistic missile.
The sheer destructive power caused the island to fracture and sink into the sea.
Much like the infamous explosion of the Russian K-480 cruise missile submarine, which had unleashed scorching temperatures of 3000 degrees Celsius, vaporizing all 25 personnel on board without leaving a trace, the submarine Viper had boarded met a similar fate.
Even though the explosion occurred underwater, its force was immense, nearly triggering a catastrophic tsunami. The devastating shockwaves stirred furious waves that swallowed the secret laboratory beneath the island whole.
The entire island was battered by the blast, its rocky foundations crumbling and breaking apart. Debris was hurled into the air like a rain of stone, and within forty minutes, the landmass had completely submerged beneath the ocean.
HYDRA's scientists, Ichirō and his ambitions, along with hordes of undead test subjects and viral agents were all buried in the cold and dark depths, forever lost to the world.
"A perfect ending." Sean leaned back in his seat, murmuring softly to himself.
With HYDRA's interference decisively dealt with, the farce in Tokyo had come to a close.
Whether it was the Yashida family or any other lurking factions, they would now have no choice but to remain as silent spectators... at least for the time being.
Down below, the Japan Self-Defense Forces had dispatched ships and patrol boats, frantically searching for survivors. The massive explosion had undoubtedly alarmed Tokyo's higher-ups.
A Thresher-class submarine mysteriously blowing up near Yokohama was bound to unsettle the Japanese government. They would spare no effort in investigating, desperate for answers.
Unfortunately for them, all traces of HYDRA's viral samples and experiments had been vaporized in the explosion.
The intense heat had been more than enough to obliterate even the most resilient viral cells. In the end, all the JSDF would recover were fragments of the submarine's wreckage and perhaps some rubble from the laboratory's ruins, nothing more.
Truthfully, Sean had half-hoped that the cornered and desperate Viper would have unleashed the Progenitor Virus in a last-ditch act of vengeance. The thought of Tokyo transforming into a sprawling hunting ground for the undead had a certain morbid appeal.
But the risks were far too unpredictable.
The technological safeguards in this world weren't infallible. If the virus had spread unchecked, it could have easily triggered a "Marvel Zombies" scenario.
"I saved the world," Sean mused to himself.
Meanwhile, Elektra had successfully persuaded Shingen...
With the old man's death, the grandiose funeral that had once been a farce was now a reality.
By securing control over Mariko, Shingen could seamlessly assume leadership of the Yashida clan. And to solidify his grip over the family's internal factions, he would need the backing of the Hand's formidable influence.
It wouldn't be long before Elektra and the Hand's vast network fully infiltrated the Yashida empire. Gaining covert control over a major Japanese conglomerate was a crucial step in Sean's plans to expand his influence across the Asia-Pacific region.
Sean glanced at the silent Izumi and asked, "Are you staying in Japan, or coming back to New York with me?"
Every single armed guard, researcher, and high-ranking officer in that laboratory had died at the hands of this seemingly fragile girl.
No matter how human she appeared, the feral instincts of a Ghoul still lurked within her. Once she surrendered to the bloodlust, there was no stopping the carnage.
Over the past few days, Sean had observed her closely, refraining from imposing too many restrictions. To her credit, the girl had struggled to suppress her violent urges, resisting the temptation to hunt for prey.
"I told you before that I could turn you back into a normal human, but that was a lie." A faint smirk played at the corner of Sean's lips.
Now, how should he handle the world's only remaining Ghoul?
The hooded girl trembled slightly but said nothing. In her now-clear human eyes, a deep sorrow surfaced. For a monster like her, being deceived was only to be expected, wasn't it?
If her true nature as a Ghoul were ever exposed, no one would ever accept her.
Izumi understood this all too well. Her reason for staying by Sean's side wasn't solely because of that empty promise, it was more about the sense of belonging she felt with him.
That feeling was precious to her. At least this way, she wouldn't be alone.
"Ahem. Just kidding. No need to be so serious." Sean said as he ruffled her hair.
Having been born from the mutated Progenitor Virus, Ghouls craved human flesh because their digestive systems had been completely altered. Normal food was now inedible, even nauseating.
The additional sac-like organ in their bodies required human meat to store RC cells, sustaining their vitality and survival.
At its core, this was a complex genetic disorder, akin to the medieval myth of vampirism stemming from porphyria.
In an era when science and medicine were far less advanced, severe cases of porphyria could deform the human body, leaving victims looking like grotesque revenants from horror tales.
Their noses and ears would appear to have been eaten away, their lips and gums eroded, exposing reddened roots. Their skin would become scarred and deathly pale, a result of chronic anemia.
During the Dark Ages, those afflicted with this disease were branded as monsters...
Beyond their terrifying appearance, many physicians believed blood transfusions could cure porphyria. Combined with symptoms like photophobia and an aversion to irritants such as garlic, these traits were exaggerated into the vampire legends that haunted villages.
Over time, those afflicted with porphyria were condemned as sinners cursed by God. They were considered real-life vampires.
"Alright, I really can cure you. Come on, smile for me." Sean's tone was light, but there was an undercurrent of sincerity beneath the jest.
The massive transport aircraft soared through the overcast skies. A steady drizzle wove a curtain of rain, veiling the glittering city below.
"Thank you."
The girl's tightly pressed lips parted, forming what could almost be called a bright smile...