Chapter 154: 44: Flowers Fading

"It can be observed that the speed of pollen coverage is accelerating. The more people the demon flower absorbs, the more pollen it will produce."

"It has been found that in addition to humans, more sophisticated instruments are more susceptible to being affected. Flying squadrons and helicopter squadrons have begun to return."

"Therefore, the best strategy is to use the extraordinary to fight the extraordinary, or to launch a multiple-attack attack with missiles, incendiary bombs, and naval guns around Tsutenkaku before the pollen spreads beyond Osaka."

"The director said that the decision is up to you, Section Chief Noguchi."

Takeshi Noguchi watched the battle situation and listened to the battle reports without changing his expression.

"What decision-making power? This is simply a big scapegoat!" Kuroki Shinizumi slammed the table and said, "I'll go find the director."

"Section Chief Kuroki." Noguchi called her.

Kuroki pursed his lips and looked at Noguchi.

"It's okay. Someone has to make the decision, either me or you. But don't worry, this is not a problem for me." Noguchi picked up the satellite intercom device that could barely maintain communication.

"Takashima, can you get close to the flowers?"

"I tried and I could only throw something up there, but it would be blocked by vines. I couldn't get up there by myself."

"Okay, how about the controlled people?"

"We are still unable to communicate, but the darkness in their eyes is weakening."

"There is no time. The pollen is spreading. We will launch a covering fire attack. You must evacuate immediately. I will only give you five minutes."

".yes."

Takashima cut off a vine that was trying to get closer, took a slight breath, glanced at the civilians kneeling on the ground as if begging for mercy, and switched the channel with a heavy heart.

"Everyone, evacuate Tsutenkaku. We only have five minutes."

Takeuchi glanced at the people who were still rushing towards him like crazy, sighed, and began to command the retreat.

Five minutes. This time allowed him to vaguely guess what was going to happen.

The threat posed by the evil flower must be greater than the lives of these people. What a hellish scene that would be.

If this really happens, I'm afraid the people of Osaka will hate Tokyo for many years.

"What will happen to these people if we leave?"

Shirai had no training and she didn't know what their fate would be.

In response to Shirai's question, Takeuchi didn't waste time and shook his head: "That's something for our superiors to consider. All we have to do is obey orders."

"Is it possible, is it possible?" Shirai couldn't believe it and looked around. There were thousands of people here!
Takeuchi did not persuade him much. He knew that Shirai was also a superhuman, and perhaps there was no need for him to worry. His team members were all ordinary people and could not withstand the bombardment.

"Don't go any further, please, wake up! Go back! That's not a good person!"

Shirai shouted at people in a somewhat collapsed manner, but no one cared about her. In their eyes, there was only that magical flower. As long as they could reach that place, they would obtain eternal happiness.

“Stop it all!!”

Intense light burst out from Shirai's body, like a continuous flash bomb.

The crowd enveloped by the light froze, the darkness in many people's eyes slowly dissipated, and then they blocked the light with their arms with a confused look on their faces, not quite understanding why they were here.

But such an outburst could not last long. Soon, she felt a wave of weakness, her body became limp, and her head felt dizzy, and she was about to fall down.

Yumi Takashima retreated and caught her.

"Look, Takashima-san, they can be saved. Don't give up on them." Shirai smiled under the mask and pointed weakly at those who had just regained consciousness under her influence.

Takashima watched calmly. After Shirai's light faded away, the bewilderment of those people was quickly replaced by madness again, and they continued to run towards the demon flower recklessly.

"How could this be?" Shirai's arms slowly dropped down, pain piercing his heart, and he let out heavy breathing sounds.

"There's no guarantee that they'll be okay." Takashima wasn't lying, but the probability was quite low.

"It's not that I don't understand everything. I just want to think positively and hope that everything will develop in a good way. I just want to save people. Why, why would Maria do such a thing?" Shirai couldn't wipe away his tears through the mask.

"Some things are incomprehensible. Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. Let's go. I know there's an underground parking lot nearby." Takashima was about to pick up Shirai.

"Didn't Takashima-san say that Maria might be relying on a sinful soul?"

Shirai refused Takashima's hug, her tears revealing her determination.

"Yes, there is a high probability. Now, she seems to be absorbing the sins of ordinary people. The longer it takes, the more people she will harm."

Takashima raised his head and looked at the demon flower which had almost completely turned black, with only the enchantress in the center remaining as a hint of red.

"Can you throw me onto the petals?" Shirai covered her heart, "I think I can find a way."

Takashima looked at the time. There were less than two minutes left, so the missile might not have been launched yet.

"You're going to be stopped."

It’s not that Takashima hasn’t thrown things up there before, but her extraordinary strength has deprived things of their attack power when thrown to that height, not to mention the vines serving as protection.

"You don't have to get too close." Shirai nodded seriously.

"New ability?"

"Ok!"

After these days of contact with Shirai, Takashima naturally knew that she was not a person who liked to joke.

She also has no confidence.

"Section Chief Noguchi, Shirai may be able to deal with the demon flower. Please give us a chance." Takashima chose to believe it and turned on the intercom to report to Noguchi.

"Okay, I believe in your judgment, but the signal won't last too long. After eight minutes, if the demon flower is still there, I will continue to implement the previous plan." Noguchi's voice was a little intermittent.

The plan was confirmed, and Takashima did not delay any longer. He picked up Shirai and, with a few jumps, leaped onto the roof of a nearby building.

"This button on the suit is an emergency buffer. With your ability, if you protect your head, you can survive."

"Ok!"

"be careful."

After giving the instructions, Takashima's eyes were solemn, he got into a posture to exert force, grabbed Shirai's legs, and started swinging.

"Drink!"

After turning around quickly a few times, he aimed at the position and swung - Shirai flew high into the sky.

The so-called Tsutenkaku is actually just an iron tower over a hundred meters high. Standing on the roof of the apartment building, with Takashima trying his best, Shirai was rapidly approaching the black demon flower.

But as Shirai got closer, the vines also stretched out.

However, the location is probably sufficient.

False Paradise

Taking in the souls of the deceased, understanding their memories during their lifetime, and consuming souls can enhance overall strength. The more souls you take in and consume, the easier it is to be contaminated by their overall soul commonalities.

This ability was born after she had just used [Light] explosively.

The vines grabbed Shirai as he approached.

There was no time to delay any longer. Looking at the charmer who was less than ten meters away from him, Shirai awkwardly mobilized this ability.

A white light hole suddenly appeared right in front of the demon flower.

Shirai seemed to be nailed behind the white light hole, and no matter how the vines pulled, she couldn't move at all.

The eyes under the mask of the enchantress stared directly at the light hole. She raised her arm slightly, and a black petal of the flower turned into a huge mouth with sharp teeth, and it bared its teeth towards the light hole like a carnivorous plant.

I saw wisps of black being continuously drawn out from the petals, and before the huge mouth could get close to the white light hole, it quickly faded from dark black to white. The carnivorous plant turned into a petal again, broke off from the demon flower, and floated to the ground.

At the same time, a complex memory hit Shirai's brain, as if a part of his soul had been forcibly cut out for these "outsiders" to live in. Moreover, the other party was not very honest.

There was no change in the charmer's expression. She just waved her hands, causing more petals to transform into carnivorous plants and rush towards the white light hole.

As the pure white petals fell one by one, soon the demon flower was almost bare.

But the price is that more and more painful memories fill Shirai's mind.

Murder, framing, humiliation, bullying. It's as if he has done all of them.

The white light hole began to tremble, as if it was about to be unable to sustain.

"What you absorb are all sinful souls. They are dirty, right? Yes, too dirty. Come, join me and create a world without any sin."

The charmer stretched out her hand and made an invitation to Shirai.

".You shouldn't be doing this."

Shirai recovered a little, gritted his teeth and burned the soul he had just absorbed, regained strength, and condensed a light hole.

Under the powerful suction of the ownerless soul, the "stamen" mummy beside the charm woman seemed to be twisting and swaying.

"It's not surprising that you have expectations for society at your age. But in the end, this society will disappoint everyone, including you."

The enchantress tore off the flower mask covering her eyes, and blood dripped down.

The "stamens" around her could no longer hold on and turned into ashes one by one, and black spirits were absorbed by the light hole.

Until even the light hole was dyed black. Without the support of the sinful soul, the charmer gradually became thinner while smiling, and turned into a skeleton.

The withered flowers and branches could no longer support the weight, and this false flower, mixed with the wreckage of Tsutenkaku, collapsed.

"Who am I, Shirai Kyoko? No, I'm Maria, Maria Imaya."

Shirai fell to the ground along with the dry vines. Her soul seemed to be split into countless pieces, and her brain was like a piece of mashed paste. All kinds of life and fragments flashed before her eyes like a kaleidoscope.

"Thank you for the loan. It really helped me a lot. I remember that you liked irises the most. This pot of blue irises is for you. Unfortunately, I am still a little short of the funds for starting a business."

In the cafe, a man handed over a potted plant of blue irises.

"Maria, I'm not angry that you secretly gave him money, but do you think he didn't know about what happened in school? Tell me, as long as you dare to say with your conscience that you truly love Maria, I will let you go and never ask about your life again."

In the dark warehouse, the man who delivered the flowers was trapped on a pillar, looking panicked.

"No, no, no, I accepted money from Mr. Yuki and cooperated with him because I needed money to go to college. I'm sorry, Maria, I lied to you."

"Maria, look, I'm the only one who's truly good to you." The man named Yuki came closer and said gently.

"Ma'am, why did you just throw away such beautiful flowers?"

In the hospital, a man in a suit with a strange face picked up the flowers she had thrown away that were sent by others to visit her husband, and gave her a strange smile.

puff!
"Oh, I caught you, Xingzi. Very good job."

Takashima's voice pulled Shirai out of her merry-go-round.

Anko Shirai, I am Anko Shirai.

(End of this chapter)