187: Chapter 187 Decapitation Operation! Assemble the strongest trio to raid the enemy base!

"According to infrared spectroscopy and displacement algorithm analysis..."

An intelligence analyst from John Bull broke the silence. "The movement speed of the monster swarm is increasing exponentially. They have no supply lines and don't need rest; they are advancing east at eighty kilometers per hour."

He tapped a few keys, and a glaring red dashed line extended across the map like a sharp blade, pointing straight at the heart of Tokyo.

"Estimated contact time: 15 hours."

"If we account for the terrain obstacles along the way and potential delays from skirmishes..." The analyst swallowed and gave the final conclusion tremblingly, "At the latest, by eight tomorrow morning, the first wave of the beast tide will reach the Tokyo Bay defense line."

15 hours.

The Eagle Sauce Admiral irritably tugged at his uniform collar, staring intently at the black tide: "Even if we pour out all our ammunition, we won't be able to fill this hole!"

"Even if we can't fill it, we must."

A calm voice came from the head seat.

Jiang Ming Mirror Image One, who had returned at some point, leaned back in his chair.

"The defense line must hold, unless you want this thing to crawl out through the gate and turn the real world into this mess."

His composure didn't soothe them; instead, it made the atmosphere even more oppressive.

Everyone knew he was stating a fact, but behind that fact was the despair of hundreds of thousands of soldiers destined to become cannon fodder.

Just then.

The space in the center of the command hall suddenly rippled with golden waves, like the surface of water.

A divine, majestic will with absolute pressure descended.

The light dissipated.

A girl clad in a white-gold battle skirt appeared out of thin air on the conference table.

She carried no weapons, but a slowly rotating sun-wheel halo floated behind her.

Those pure gold eyes, long devoid of human emotion, didn't look at anyone present but locked directly onto the hideous Eye of the Abyss on the large screen.

Savior, Jeanne d'Arc.

"Passive defense is meaningless."

Jeanne d'Arc turned her head, her golden gaze falling on Jiang Ming.

"The core must be destroyed before it fully hatches."

She raised her hand and lightly tapped the void with her slender fingertip.

The image on the large screen switched instantly, locking onto a coordinate beneath that sky-piercing bone pillar.

"That is the anchor point connecting the 'Abyss' to this world, as well as the core of Arjuna's saint graph. As long as this connection is severed, all the black mud legions will wither away due to the loss of their energy source."

"So this is the so-called... decapitation strike?"

"How do we cooperate? Aerial fire coverage? Or clearing the way with nukes?" the Eagle Sauce Admiral couldn't help but interject.

"No need."

Jeanne d'Arc's answer was cold and direct, "Mortal weapons cannot even penetrate its outer defensive force field. Numbers are meaningless before the laws."

She looked around, her gaze finally passing over the crowd to two figures in the corner of the headquarters.

Isaac Newton, who was calculating something, and Li Bai, who seemed to be dozing while holding a wine gourd, though his ears were twitching.

"Saber, Rider."

"In the name of the Savior," Jeanne d'Arc's voice carried a hint of killing intent, "I summon you."

Li Bai opened his eyes, a wild arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

He casually hung the wine gourd at his waist. The green lotus sword let out a clear dragon-like hum, and he instantly transformed into a streak of green light, landing beside the conference table.

"It is exactly what I desire; I wouldn't dare ask for more!"

Newton slowly closed the notebook in his hand and pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose: "Although from a thermodynamic perspective, this is an extremely unstable high-entropy system, I am curious to see how it will collapse after its energy supply is cut off."

In a flash of silver light, he too stood beside Jeanne d'Arc.

"For a strike team, three are enough."

Jeanne d'Arc looked back at Jiang Ming, her tone becoming more businesslike. "I will exercise the authority of the Saver to forcibly open a passage through the laws of space, deploying the three of us directly to the core location of the New Delhi war zone."

"We will face the 'Beast's' Main Body directly."

At this point, she paused, a rare ripple of 'humanity' flashing in those golden eyes.

"But this also means that Tokyo will lose its highest-end combat power."

Dead silence filled the headquarters.

Everyone understood the subtext of these words.

The three strongest were going to raid the enemy base.

The remaining people would have to hold off the overwhelming tide of billions of beasts.

"Commander-in-Chief."

Jeanne d'Arc looked at Jiang Ming, "I leave the Human Joint Expeditionary Force, Caster Furina, and Celestial Master Zhang Ruoxu to you."

"You have only one task."

"Before we destroy the core, or... all die in battle."

"Hold this gate."

Jiang Ming slowly stood up.

"Old Celestial Master, Ms. Furina, it seems we'll be playing the 'Door Gods' this time."

Zhang Ruoxu stepped forward with a smile, flicking the horsetail whisk in his hand with an air of casual grace: "Immeasurable Fortune. This old man will risk his life to protect this small patch of ground."

Furina, on the other hand, appeared somewhat stiff. The usually haughty Hydro Archon was now clutching her octopus plushie tightly.

She glanced at the dense swarms of monsters on the screen, then at the calm Jiang Ming, and finally took a deep breath, forcing her back straight.

"Hmph! Aren't they just a bunch of tasteless, ugly creatures?"

"As the protagonist on the stage, I, the Hydro Archon, will naturally present the most perfect curtain call performance for the audience! Just don't drag me down!"

Jiang Ming smiled.

He extended his right hand, hovering it in mid-air.

"Then it's settled."

"You go kill the god; we'll guard the gate."

Jeanne d'Arc looked at the hand, was silent for a moment, then extended her hand covered in white-gold gauntlets and shook it firmly.

"May your martial fortune be prosperous."

"May your martial fortune be prosperous."

The next second.

Golden radiance erupted suddenly.

Space was torn apart by an overbearingly powerful force, and a vortex of light large enough to accommodate three people formed in the center of the meeting room.

"Let's go!"

Li Bai laughed heartily, his voice shaking the heavens, as he led the way by transforming into a startling sword shadow and charging into the vortex.

Newton followed closely behind, his figure dissolving into countless silver data streams and dissipating into the light.

Jeanne d'Arc gave Jiang Ming one last look, said nothing more, and stepped into the radiance.

Buzz—

With a soft sound, the light faded and the vortex closed.

The meeting room returned to its previous gloom and oppression, with only the residual divine particles in the air shimmering slightly, proving that everything just now was not an illusion.

Clap, clap, clap.

The crisp sound of clapping rang out abruptly, sounding exceptionally piercing in the dead space.

"Everyone, it's up to us now."

Jiang Ming Mirror Image One announced calmly.

"Then, the final order."

"Entire army, enter the highest state of combat readiness."

"All units, execute Plan 'Bulwark'."

"Repeat, execute Plan 'Bulwark'."