Still Tokyo—but now it was nothing but ruins. The U.S. military was the first to arrive, surrounding Taowu's massive corpse. The sheer size of the body made it feel like a whole building. You could even explore inside it like some giant dungeon.
Captain America stood with Superman. They were staying behind in case Taowu wasn't truly dead.
"Those golden-armored guys again," Cap muttered. "Superman, do you know who they are?"
"No," Superman replied, "but these ones look different from the two I saw before." His vision was sharper than Cap's, and he could see clearly. "These twelve gold-armored warriors were more refined. Maybe they're not the same group. Maybe Kaito Kid can tell us what's going on."
"Kaitou Kid?" Cap recalled the elusive phantom thief. He still had no idea how the guy ended up in the Justice League. "Why would he know?"
"I'm not saying he definitely does," Superman said, "but he might. I'll go check."
Superman figured that since the thief had reached out to Batman, he must know something. So he flew straight to Liu A'dou.
Liu A'dou and Ada were just nearby. Ada was contacting S.H.I.E.L.D. to give a report, while A'dou stood around enjoying the view. All the police had mobilized during the monster attack and didn't have time to watch over them, so the two of them finally had a moment alone.
With a whoosh, Superman landed right in front of A'dou, startling him. "Superman! You know you can scare someone to death like that, right? Next time, give some warning."
"Sorry. But I really need to know—what's your connection to all this?"
"To this?" A'dou asked. "You mean Taowu attacking Tokyo? I've got nothing to do with that."
"Then why did you contact Batman and help that mysterious voice get people all over the world to raise their hands?" Superman pressed.
Ah, so it was about that. A'dou said, "Well, that was because a future version of me suddenly showed up. I just helped out."
"Future version?"
"Yeah. To be specific, the future me. He brought twelve Gold Saints here to help, and while he was at it, told me some personal stuff too."
"Twelve Gold Saints?" So that was the name of those golden-armored people. "They came from the future too?"
"Pretty sure, yeah. That's why I believed him and went along with it—because he was me."
"I see. Then do you know the Gold Saints of this timeline? I haven't had a chance to thank them for their help."
"I know them, yeah. But I doubt they'd want strangers dropping by. They're probably focused on training and wouldn't like being interrupted."
Superman didn't push. If it was A'dou's personal matter, he wouldn't pry. "The Saints really are incredible warriors—always quietly protecting Earth and stepping up when it matters most. I really respect them."
"Same here," A'dou nodded. "By the way, Superman—what's going to happen with the monster's body?"
"The U.S. government already sent scientists over. They'll probably dissect it on site. I never thought such a terrifying creature existed on Earth. I'm starting to think it predates even the dinosaurs."
"Sounds about right. In Chinese mythology, Taowu was a ferocious beast from ancient times. Every time it appeared, disaster followed. Looks like that legend was real."
Superman nodded. Something that huge, just walking around, could shake the ground like an earthquake. In ancient times, humans had no understanding of natural disasters—earthquakes, storms—they couldn't resist any of it. So those old records were probably accurate.
"Ugh…" At that moment, deep inside Taowu's body, Zhao Gao was struggling to crawl out from a chunk of flesh. He hadn't expected Taowu to be so brutal. Even after he carved his mark on it, he was still devoured. He'd nearly been digested, but in a twisted turn of fate, he ended up absorbing part of Taowu's cells. He still wasn't a real man yet, but his physical strength had improved a lot.
This place wasn't safe. Zhao Gao wasn't stupid. He didn't expect Taowu to be defeated—it all seemed to be going smoothly at the start. Still, he wasn't going to give up. He'd keep searching for other ways to destroy this fake country.
The survivors returned to the ruins, climbing over unrecognizable buildings, digging through the rubble for anything useful. Everything was destroyed. Most stayed strong, thinking about how Tokyo had been firebombed during World War II. That devastation was no less than this. If their parents could rebuild Tokyo in a few decades, so could they. But still—it was heartbreaking. Why did this have to happen to them?
Some otakus looked at the wreckage and thought they might as well have died with their figurines and hard drives. What were they supposed to do now?
Everyone silently wandered, scattered, heads down, faces covered in dust, searching among the debris.
Lin Long wandered like a refugee, dazed. Her friend had died saving her. It was the first time someone had ever saved her. She'd always been fearless, the kind of person who wanted to punch a hole in the sky. Now, she tasted regret for the first time. Her only friend had died because of her. Lin Long still couldn't accept it.
"Leopard Head, found you." Chu Yuxuan had arrived in Japan too. With something this big happening, he couldn't just stay in the U.S. He was lucky—he'd found Lin Long. Right now, she looked nothing like her usual self. No trace of that fiery, untamed spirit. She looked like a stray dog. Chu Yuxuan almost didn't recognize her at first glance.
Tears welled up again in Lin Long's eyes. Chu Yuxuan had been her rival, but he had taken care of her for a time. Seeing a familiar face broke her down again.
"Waah—"
Lin Long threw her arms around Chu Yuxuan's waist, and the tears wouldn't stop. "It's all my fault."
Chu Yuxuan froze. It was the first time he'd seen Leopard Head like this. Maybe he'd been right—maybe there was still hope for this girl. Give her the right environment, and she could still turn out okay.
For now, let her cry. Chu Yuxuan sighed.
Too many people were crying today. One more little girl wouldn't matter. She was only 12.
Wolverine stood silently, staring at everything. It still felt like he hadn't woken up—too much had happened in one day. "Mariko, Yukio… What are your plans now?"
"That's none of your business," said Shingen coldly. "We have assets elsewhere." He didn't have much to say to his father's killer. Even if he didn't like his father, that didn't mean he could forgive Wolverine. "Mariko, Yukio, we're leaving." He hadn't inherited anything, but after all, the man was still their father. As their adoptive father, he still had the right to speak.
The Yashida family's helicopter had arrived.
Wolverine wanted to say something to Mariko, but in the end, he stayed silent. He still had Jean.
Yukio, on the other hand, was reluctant to part ways. That older guy was just too cool. Still, Shingen was her adoptive father. "Logan-san… I don't know when we'll meet again."
"We will," Logan replied. "Take care of yourself."
Yukio nodded and boarded the helicopter. Both girls looked down, but all they saw was Wolverine's broad back.
Logan had said goodbye too many times. But still—he'd never gotten used to it. So this time, he just left his back behind.