The crisp ring of the school bell marked the end of class, dismissing the teacher from the podium. Phoenix Academy Maggie reached into her drawer, pulled out her phone, and unlocked it.
During class, she had noticed incoming messages on her LINE account; she had very few friends on it.
Aozawa and the others could be ruled out, leaving only one possibility: her mother.
Phoenix Academy Maggie tapped the app to see the message from her mother.
"Something unusual happened in Washington D.C. today. I'm fine, but I may return to Japan later than planned, or perhaps earlier."
Upon reading this message, confusion flickered through Phoenix Academy Maggie's mind. What happened in Washington D.C.?
A shocked voice echoed in the classroom. Terao Kanno, always loud and outspoken, yelled again, "There's been an unprecedented riot in the United States?! Preliminary estimates suggest over thirty thousand casualties!"
His words swiftly captured the attention of his classmates.
Phoenix Academy Maggie immediately opened YouTube, where the top recommended video showed Washington D.C. amidst the flames of war.
The time, location, and specific details of the incident were displayed across various images.
Phoenix Academy Maggie murmured the name of the lead conspirator in this rebellion, "Vincent Hancock," while staring at the photo. The man had a buzz cut and a stern face that exuded unwavering determination.
The images quickly switched. The top showed an intact Washington D.C., while the bottom depicted a city ravaged by war—a stark contrast. There were also some mosaic-blurred images of bodies.
Phoenix Academy Maggie gasped. She turned around, commandeered Aozawa's desk, and casually shoved his pencil case to the corner. "Aozawa, have you seen this?"
Aozawa replied while also responding to Chitose's messages. He sent a stunned emoji, then another text: 'Glad you're okay.'
Before Phoenix Academy Maggie could speak again, someone else exclaimed in astonishment, "Much of Washington D.C. has been reduced to ruins! But the White House, Capitol Building, and Washington Monument seem to be completely unscathed. How amazing!"
"Is the Statue of Liberty protecting them?"
Hearing this discussion, Aozawa's typing fingers paused.
He hadn't paid attention to the state of the Capitol Building or the Washington Monument. However, he was very aware of the White House's condition.
Not a single tile would have remained in place; the ground would be cleaner than a plate washed seven times.
"Is the White House that sturdy?"
Phoenix Academy Maggie was curious. She scrolled through the videos until she found the one the boy had mentioned.
She saw buildings reduced to ruins, and amidst the devastation, a palace that stood completely untouched.
The contrast between the majestic palace and the surrounding rubble, enhanced by the natural filter of sunlight, lent the building a sacred kind of beauty.
The video had an astonishing three hundred million views. Comments soared past ten million and were still climbing, filled with expressions of amazement, shock, and admiration.
The prevailing sentiment was that U.S. technology was number one in the world, far ahead of the rest.
Any skepticism was quickly drowned out by a flood of praise and affirmations from onlookers.
Phoenix Academy Maggie blinked, puzzled. "It's fake, right?"
The surrounding areas were devastated, yet in the video, the grass around the White House still looked lush and green.
"Indeed, it looks like an AI-forged video," Aozawa casually answered.
He figured those in charge believed that revealing the truth would tarnish the United States' image. The very occurrence of such an incident was already proof of internal problems within the United States. But such external propaganda could likely deceive many who weren't in Washington D.C. Such is the advantage of controlling public opinion.
"How do you know so much?"
Phoenix Academy Maggie's eyes scanned the screen. She looked at the White House in the video but couldn't detect any traces of AI manipulation. She wasn't an expert, but then again, neither was Aozawa. So how could he so confidently assert the video was AI-generated?
Her large eyes shifted, and she searched again for anomalies in Washington D.C.
Not searching was one thing. But a quick search on YouTube revealed a flood of videos with titles like 'Godzilla Appears in Washington D.C.' and 'Tyrannosaurus in Washington D.C.' ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱
'American Heroes Arrive in Washington D.C.'
Phoenix Academy Maggie clicked on the Godzilla video. The production quality was excellent, like watching a Hollywood monster blockbuster with a budget in the hundreds of millions of US Dollars.
They vividly depicted Godzilla devastating the city.
Some comments praised the stunning special effects, while others cursed the creators for disrespecting the deceased, often attaching tragic photos of the victims.
Phoenix Academy Maggie browsed through the short videos; some were well-made, others were parodies with cheap special effects.
It reminded her of how those in charge likely covered up information: if they couldn't suppress the news, they'd flood the channels with disinformation, continuously promoting it. Or they would release other sensational news to cover up the truth.
"Do you think Dio might appear in Washington D.C.?"
"I don't know," Aozawa replied, his phone hidden beneath his desk.
Using his Catalyst sensing ability, he entered a state of serene detachment, his gaze fixed solely on Phoenix Academy Maggie.
Meanwhile, his hands tapped on the phone screen, replying to messages from Chitose, the class president, Iroha, and others.
The events in the United States were too significant, offering a wealth of topics for discussion. It was all very interesting.
Aozawa became quite busy.
"I bet Dio must have appeared in Washington D.C. That's why they released those monster videos," Phoenix Academy Maggie said confidently, eager to discuss it further with Aozawa.
Nomura True Wave and Yoshikawa Sayuri approached together. Nomura True Wave patted Maggie's shoulder and asked, "Maggie, want to come with us?"
Phoenix Academy Maggie quickly abandoned her questions for Aozawa and left with Nomura True Wave and Yoshikawa Sayuri.
Hojo Tetsuji, who had been napping, woke up. He turned his head and asked, "Aozawa, Little Sayuri came over just now. Why didn't you call me?"
"Come on, they were going to the restroom. Did you want me to wake you so you could accompany them there?" Aozawa replied irritably, deactivating his Catalyst sensing ability.
Without Phoenix Academy Maggie beside him, he no longer needed to pretend he only spoke with the young lady. He could now openly focus on his screen.
Hojo Tetsuji blinked. That actually makes sense, he thought. Damn it, why can't guys enter the girls' restroom? Suddenly inspired, he thought, If reality won't allow it, manga will!
"Hey, partner, don't get bogged down in romantic affairs. The major events in the United States are far more worthy of our discussion as guys!" Peter quickly chimed in, sidling up to him.
Hojo Tetsuji, annoyed, pushed his hand away and shouted, "Who's your partner? Don't bother me!"
"Don't be so cold; we've shared the same tent before," Peter said with a grin, starting to familiarly recount the events that had transpired in the United States.
Aozawa looked down, engrossed in chatting with them on the app.
Inside Air Force One, Madame Kochou was in the reception room, where she could hear the constant footsteps outside.
She didn't need to be directly involved to understand that various orders were being issued and conveyed at top speed.
External relations, internal processing, media manipulation—there were too many matters to handle.
Uncle Adel had indeed left a terrible mess before he died. No, it was more accurate to say that those above had been too arrogant, daring to push forward such a massive plan even while changing leaders mid-stream. Kochou felt a mix of joy and apprehension.
Suddenly, the door opened. The Secretary of State entered the room with a strong, confident stride and said with a smile, "Madame Kochou, I apologize for keeping you waiting."
Kochou quickly responded with a smile, "Mr. Secretary, I'm honored that you could find the time to meet with me despite your busy schedule."
"For me, being able to share a room with such a beautiful lady as yourself is undoubtedly a pleasure. Those tedious files are real headaches."
The Secretary of State picked up the teapot and personally poured her a cup of water.
This attitude didn't please Kochou at all; her heart sank. When negotiating, if the other party's reception was overly solicitous, it undoubtedly meant the talks were unlikely to progress favorably.
"Regarding the lifting of Japan's arms restrictions, we've discussed it," the Secretary of State began. "We feel this isn't the right time for an announcement. We hope you can suspend the Takamagahara project. Alternatively, perhaps you could change its name and stated purpose. For instance, you could use 'aiding disaster reconstruction' as a pretext and relocate the project to the United States."
Times had changed. If they were to announce a relaxation of controls on Japan now, it would undeniably send the wrong signal to the world—implying they were too weak to even manage Japan.
This would greatly shake the United States' image as the world's leading power.
The United States' image as world leader had been established after the Cold War ended. When its only competing superpower collapsed, America secured its position as the global hegemon.
Despite their current fame and seeming invincibility, looking back a few decades, they knew their own situation well enough.
The Secretary of State had to maintain this myth of strength, to suppress any ambitions other nations might harbor about challenging their dominance.
The prestige of being the world leader could not be weakened.
Kochou wasn't surprised. Smiling, she said, "Mr. Secretary, I believe it is better not to trouble you at this time. We will set aside the Takamagahara project for now."
"I heard your preparations are nearly complete. Wouldn't it be a pity to give up now?"
The Secretary of State wasn't willing to let her off the hook so easily. He picked up his tea, a leisurely smile playing on his face.
Skilled in diplomacy, he knew that at such critical moments, it was imperative to appear calm and composed, showing no sign of weakness.
Kochou sighed inwardly. Outwardly, however, she smiled and proposed, "How about this: we allocate a portion of the funds to the United States, under the guise of aid for reconstruction, and retain a part in Japan for some preliminary experiments?"
A flicker of satisfaction showed in the Secretary of State's eyes. She truly is a woman who understands the political climate, he thought. He put down his teacup and said, "Since you are so sincere, we naturally agree. Oh, and by the way, did you know that the CIA Director, Keith, has disappeared?"
"Has such a thing happened?" Kochou asked, her face a mask of astonishment.
The Secretary of State scrutinized her expression. He then said with a smile, "It's unclear who is responsible for now. Anyway, it's getting late, and I have other matters to attend to. If you'll excuse me."
"Of course. I also need to return and discuss this with my colleagues."
Kochou nodded, a chill creeping into her heart. "Temporarily unclear who did it" meant anyone could be responsible. That old fox, why didn't he die in the upheaval?