Third Foreign Affairs Building, 8:49 AM, an hour after the Rimini Incident

Kaios let out a deep sigh as he typed slowly on his laptop. The technological marvel in his hands, which recently got updated with the Elysian common tongue language, didn't distract him well enough with the troubling task ahead of him.

He received news that Italy was attacked by a giant sea monster with thousands of casualties. And of course, being the ambassador to Italy, he was tasked with writing a statement about it. But the tone troubled him. Was it to be in support? Neutrality? Or in an antagonistic matter?

Kaios recalled the meeting he had with Antonio.

...

Two weeks before

Antonio entered Kaios's office with a somewhat serious look. In his hand was a quite thick file. As the older diplomat eyed the younger one, Kaios knew there must be some trouble ahead. What kind, he wasn't so sure. He stood up as he eyed Antonio with a little smile, "Ambassador Catalano, what a pleasure it is to see you."

"Likewise, Sir Kaios. Unfortunately our business today is anything but pleasure," Antonio said with a sigh as he sat down. Kaios did the same and with a little gulp, the older diplomat leaned against the table.

"Is there a problem?" He asked before Antonio nodded.

"Yes... It is regarding a very problematic institution within your nation," The ambassador said before he cleared his throat. "Sir Kaios, your nation has been nothing but a steadfast ally for Italy during our greatest challenge of the transfer and we are truly grateful for it but... now the dust has settled and we've mostly stabilized our country. And we cannot ignore a big stain on our two nations' relationship."

Kaios tensed up. He knew through readings of the so-called internet that a certain practice was very frowned upon. He sat there, speaking up, "What may it be, ambassador?"

Antonio then sets down a file before he opened it up and showed it off to Kaios. His Parpaldian counterpart took it before he scanned its contents, each piece of paper inside made him go wide eyed.

Picture after picture, testimony after testimony, map after map of Parpaldia's slave institution. There were pictures of workers forced to mine, harvest, or manufacture. Testimonies from Parpaldian demi-humans who crossed the border to Italy about their horrifying ordeal. And a map of Parpaldia and locations of various businesses, plantations, and companies that used slavery.

How Italy managed to make such a detailed man in such a short time was one thing. But the fact that their practice of slavery has been exposed was another.

Antonio then spoke, "Here I believe is a detailed report of the institution of slavery within Parpaldia, sir Kaios. And to say it's troubling is... very much understating it."

"I..." Kaios took a moment to gather his thoughts before he looked up, "In all honesty, Ambassador Catalano... We have known Italy's stance on slavery, and we have been trying our utmost to banish the practice."

"Since when?"

"Since well, um..."

Antonio sighed deeply, "Sir Kaios, Italy has been reaching out diplomatically and while we hold your country as a major ally and friend, we cannot discount the opinions of the nations from say Rodenius or northern Philades, much of them being countries of demi-humans. I'm sorry to say this but... My government has voted to impose sanctions against Parpaldia."

... Sanctions? Parpaldia has never been sanctioned before. It was always their great empire that would impose its will against weaker nations.

So for Italy to do sanctions against them like it was nothing. He didn't feel anger, or outrage. He felt tense and anxious, "I... I understand. Please trust me when I say that we have been trying to at least minimise slavery around the empire, Ambassador. But the nobility has been rather hardheaded."

"I understand it's hard to push away an established status quo, but this isn't just an economic policy, far from it in fact. I cannot think of anyone in Italy who may think slavery is still a good practice. If our people were to find out we do business with a nation practicing such a disgusting policy, we'd be met with protests. This is a moral issue, sir Kaios... So I hope you understand why we're deciding to launch economic sanctions."

Kaios frowned before he sighed, "I understand... Thank you, ambassador."

...

Kaios sighed deeply. He decided to remain on their good side, and started writing a message of support.

Approaching Rimini, 9:23 AM

Aboard the executive helicopter, Giovanni sat in his seat as across him Robert adjusted his coat. The prime minister scrolled on his tablet, with the front page being filled with headlines of the Rimini Incident.

'Thousands dead, injured, and more missing after attack on Rimini'

'Rimini mourns Christmas tragedy, "I've lost all I had"'

'San Marino reels after attack by monster, fears ruin of nation'

Giovanni sighed deeply. He rubbed his face in distress as the helicopter traveled over the Italian countryside. He then looked up as Roberto spoke to him.

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"I can't believe this really happened. It feels like an awful action movie," Roberto said as he frowned.

"I know... I keep forgetting that we're in a world of fantasy creatures. This was a very harsh reminder," Giovanni said solemnly. "All those people who died in their sleep... I can't tell if it was better or worse for them."

"Neither I'm sure," Roberto said before he looked out the window. He then went wide eyed as his heart dropped to his stomach, "Oh my god... There it is."

Giovanni then scooted to the window as he looked out at the scenery with Roberto. Both men fell in silence as he looked at the scene below them.

In the front face of Mount Titano, the beast that attacked them only a couple hours ago laid dead and smouldering as smoke resonated from its body like a grisly camp fire. Its heads laid split from the body as their necks sizzled and burned from the air strike it took. Hazmat and biohazard crews circled the monster as they established a perimeter knowing that the hydra's blood were said to be poisonous.

Meanwhile, the towns on the lower hills were ruined and still burning. But it didn't compare to the sights of Rimini that Roberto and Giovanni were about to see. As the helicopter flew over San Marino, the president and prime minister caught sight of Rimini.

"Jesus Christ..."

Ahead, the destruction of Rimini was incomparable to San Marino. The area by the beach and marina burned in a gruesome scene of heavy smoke as firefighters struggle to contain the fires. A path of destroyed homes and roads followed the trail which the hydra took toward San Marino as below, more biohazard crews started to close the neighbourhoods that were stained with the monster's blood that were spilled from the initial siege.

The helicopter started to descend into a nearby open field as below, he could see the army awaiting for their arrival. Giovanni shuddered as the toll of the crisis hit him. So many dead and injured, so much damage, it was unfathomable.

Soon enough the helicopter landed onto the grass of an open field. Giovanni and Roberto stepped out. This was gonna be a gruesome tour through the ruined city.

...

Giovanni stood in front of the podium, the backdrop being the ruined street. Guarded by soldiers and hoarded by journalists and onlookers, the prime minister cleared his throat before he looked to the camera.

"Good morning to you all,

I stand here with you all in mourning and devastation the likes of which we have not seen before. Sometime this morning, an unknown creature made landfall here in our dear nation and started attacking the city of Rimini before it continued its chaos into San Marino. It left destruction and great loss of life into the hearts of many, and it pains my own to see my countrymen suffer like this.

But after everything, Rimini and San Marino are not alone. The entire nation of Italy and our allies, from Parpaldia to Qua-Toyne: we are here for you. We will not let you traverse through this devastation alone. We will not let you lay in the rubble, instead we will do our very best to make this great city and our neighbour rise again from the ashes.

To the people of Rimini, its countryside, and San Marino; you are not alone. We are here for you. And we will prevail.

God bless you all, and thank you."

...

Containment Zone SM-1

The sounds of helicopters and sirens plagued the air as the trucks of the National Institute of Health or the ISS closed off the area. Roadblocks were set as a high wire fence were established around the ravine where the corpse of the monster laid.

Alessandro dawned his hazmat suit as he and his group climbed the corpse by its hind legs. He offered his hand to his colleague Gia as she took it, "Thank you. God I'm in a suit but I swear I can smell this thing."

"I know," Alessandro complained along. "It absolutely fuckin' stinks. And to think we're in our suits too." He said as he and his group walked on the body. Alessandro observed its wounds through its armour with both layers burnt from the air strike.

Alessandro sighed, "Man I can't believe I'm walking on something like this. Feels like an anime," he said. He grabbed his prodding stick as he walked further down the body and spotted a wound near the necks. Out of curiosity, Alessandro then opened it up to look deeper into the hydra. But then...

"... Holy shit."

Gia approached her superior, "What is it?" She asked only to see what Alessandro was looking at.

Deep within the hydra's flesh, there was a large futuristic looking device. And it blinked a light blue as it was clung onto the hydra's flesh.

The hydra that attacked Italy and San Marino, it wasn't acting alone.

"Somebody!!" Alessandro called out, "we found something!"

...

Rimini Crisis HQ / Hotel Ambasciatori Rimini, 12:43 PM

A 3 kilometre perimeter was set up around the landing area or ground zero of Rimini. Homes, apartments, and luxurious hotels by the sea were emptied out of civilians until further notice. In one particular hotel, the conference room was turned into the crisis center with other hotels being turned into impromptu hospitals and supply centres.

Desks and computers lined the conference room as up ahead, a white board was set up with local government officials being briefed on the updates of the attack. Giovanni sat in the most centre seat as ahead, General Tagliaferro showed a map of the region and San Marino.

"... Rescue operations continue through out the city and the countryside. As of now we're working with the ISS due to the biohazard materials spilled by codename Fauna." Tagliaferro said.

A middle aged woman with greying hair then stepped from the sideline. ISS Head Dr. Allegra Abate then spoke, "Blood in particular is the worse offence. If we do not clean the area fast enough, we could risk an ecological disaster as severe as a nuclear meltdown."

Giovanni's eyebrows furrowed as he had a worried look, "Meaning...?"

"If we do not clean the area quick enough, it will get contaminated and thus uninhabitable. Even plants were seen to die due to the blood. Mariotti Lake in Giovanni Paolo II Park is the worst affected in the area of Rimini. Subject Fauna was said to have laid in the water to heal itself. As such Containment Zone R-2 is the worst contaminated behind SM-1."

"Jesus... How likely is it to get cleaned then?"

"We're not sure, prime minister. The ISS is doing a hasty survey before they could do anything. Right now—" Suddenly Abate was cut off.

"Doctor Abate!" A man in a lab coat rushed in a panic accompanied by a soldier. Abante and Tagliaferro looked at each other.

"What is it, doctor?" Abate asked as she slipped on her glasses as she could see that the doctor had a bunch of printed photos.

"Take a look..." The doctor said as he handed the papers to Abate. She and Tagliaferro looked at the pictures as the doctor whispered.

After a while, Abate looked up with concern and Tagliaferro with a worried frown. Giovanni sat up, concerned, "Doctor, general, what is it?"

Abate then looked to Tagliaferro before she handed the photos to him. The general then approached Giovanni as he spoke quietly. The local officials around them whispered amongst themselves. Whatever it was, it was a matter of national security.

"Prime minister... They found this device in Subject Fauna," Tagliaferro began. He handed Giovanni the photos as he started to look through them. The first was a picture of the wound with a device, and then the next was a picture of the device being removed.

Finally the last two pictures showed the device in full. It looked too modern, futuristic even to be made by any nation they were aware of. The front showed the light and the last photo showed the back of the device. On it were unfamiliar markings.

"... It seems like Subject Fauna was not a random attack," Tagliaferro said grimly.

Giovanni looked to the table in contemplation. Whatever sent the hydra was an enemy they aren't prepared to deal with.