— Damn! I forgot the generator!

— You can use my house! It's the closest to the waterfall. — Kay nodded.

— Thanks! — Fernanda said, already grabbing her notebook.

— I'll show her the house. I need three soldiers for support. — Kay looked at Takemichi.

— Since my squad will be the last, you can take two of mine. — Yan readily offered.

— Come with me! — Kay ordered, taking Fernanda's equipment.

Three soldiers followed him as he led them to his house.

— The pilots will be on standby to provide support with the helicopters, if necessary. I want ten soldiers here, and the rest, follow us to the waterfall! — Takemichi instructed.

— Okay! — the soldiers responded in unison.

The pilots and ten soldiers remained near the helicopters, while the rest advanced along the trail towards the waterfall. Slayer, with a serious look, carried the heavy chain they would use to descend.

— Make yourself at home. — Kay said as she left the house after leaving Fernanda and the equipment there.

— Thank you. I'll let you know as soon as the equipment is ready! — Fernanda replied, adjusting her equipment.

— Okay. — Kay nodded before returning to where the others were waiting.

The soldiers watched him approach again.

— You didn't need to worry! — Kay said with a calm smile.

— It would be full of dust when you got back. — Rem replied

— Thank you. — Kay looked away, thoughtful. "She's more serious than usual... So she's taking this mission seriously."

— Fernanda gave her the go-ahead? — Takemichi exclaimed when he saw him.

— She said she'll let you know, but we can go ahead now, since these things are connected. — Kay replied, unconcerned.

— Just to make it clear, I'm leading this mission! — Takemichi emphasized, crossing his arms.

— I know. — Kay replied in a neutral but confident tone.

They walked through the forest. The sound of the waterfall grew louder with each step, a roar that filled the air. Until they emerged from the trees and reached an open area. The sight of the waterfall, majestic and imposing, left everyone silent for a moment.

— Hey, Kay! Did you seriously cross that thing? — Viviane asked, surprised.

— You crossed it?! — Rem exclaimed, her eyes widening.

— I had the same reaction as you. — Mira commented, still in disbelief.

Kay smiled slightly and explained:

— Don't worry. That's why I brought him! — He pointed to a soldier next to him.

Takemichi frowned, confused.

— I thought he would stay with Fernanda. What are you going to do with him?

— I just need him to stop the water. It's quite simple. — Kay shrugged.

— It's not simple! — The soldiers around him protested.

Mira, with an air of expectation, said:

— He's going to use the tentacles, isn't he?

— Exactly! Make four layers with the tentacles and open the way. — Kay explained excitedly.

— Tentacles, huh? Back in my day, we didn't have that. — Rem commented, with a nostalgic tone.

Kay laughed, but thought: "Your time, huh..." Before he could finish his thought, Rem looked at him with a menacing smile.

— Don't make me punch you. With this suit here, I can't guarantee you'll come out with just a few broken bones! — she warned.

“Sorry!” — Kay raised her hands in surrender.

Takemichi, still suspicious, questioned the soldier.

“Do you think you can do this?”

The soldier took a deep breath before answering:

“I can try.”

“Go ahead,” Takemichi ordered, watching the man advance towards the waterfall.

The soldier positioned himself next to the powerful waterfall, the deafening roar of the flow seeming to challenge him. He took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the current, before activating the suit. Four tentacles emerged from his back, moving with precision and strength. They rose into the air, glistening under the spray of the water.

The man concentrated, his muscles tensing. The tentacles began to stack in solid layers, advancing towards the water. When the first one touched the current, the force of the fall pushed him violently downward, but he did not give in. He took another deep breath, adjusting his posture, and firmly secured each layer of tentacles.

Gradually, the makeshift barrier stopped the water, opening a narrow and safe path. The hidden cave behind the waterfall became visible, its dark and menacing entrance revealed as if it were a long-hidden secret.

“Come in!” the soldier shouted, standing firm as the pressure of the water made his feet sink slightly into the wet ground.

“Good job!” Captain Takemichi praised, nodding in approval.

Without hesitation, the members of the sixth squad, followed by the first to enter, advanced through the newly opened passage. The sound of their footsteps echoed for a moment before disappearing into the darkness of the cave.

As soon as the last of them passed, the soldier finally gave in. The overwhelming force of the water broke through his barrier, knocking the tentacles violently away. He took a step back, taking a deep breath as he slowly retracted the tentacles back into his suit. With one last gentle movement, the equipment returned to normal, leaving the man exhausted but victorious.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"Screens installed, cameras working!" Fernanda said over the radio, her voice firm and clear.

— We've entered the cave, we'll keep in touch with you. Don't get in touch, so as not to alert the ghouls! — Kay replied over the radio, her voice full of focus and determination.

— Understood! — Fernanda replied over the radio, the communication cutting through the silence of the cave.

The darkness seemed to swallow their footsteps as the group advanced.

— This cave is very spacious! — Rem commented, her voice reverberating off the rocky walls.

— And there was something like that here and we didn't even know it! — Mira exclaimed, surprised by the vastness and mystery of the place.

— The hole is further ahead. — Kay said, pointing to the darkness in front of her, her eyes fixed on the objective.

With cautious steps, they moved forward, deeper and deeper into the cave. The silence enveloped them, and the sound of their own footsteps seemed to amplify the tension in the air, the cave being illuminated only by the glow of the flashlights. They were closer to the hole.

— It really does look deep! — said San, observing the hole carefully.

“What’s on the other side?” — Thais exclaimed, her eyes anxious.

Kay took a step forward, her gaze fixed on the abyss before them.

“I only went this far, but since we’re all here, it’s worth investigating!” — said Kay, resolutely. “Lena, can you go to the other side?”

Lena looked at the captain, assessing the situation.

“I already told you that I’m in command!” — replied Takemichi, his voice firm and authoritative.

Kay took a deep breath, raising her hands in a gesture of apology.

“Sorry,” said Kay, without taking her eyes off the mission.

Takemichi then turned to Lena.

“Lena, check the other side. If you see any ghouls, retreat immediately!” — ordered the captain, his tone serious.

“Okay!” — replied Lena, without hesitation.

She manifested the wings of her suit, and with a push, she took flight, crossing the hole with speed. When she reached the other side, she turned around, waving to the others, a simple gesture, but one that signaled that everything was fine for now.

Kay wasted no time and turned to the others.

"Get the device ready, I'm going down!" he said, with determination.

Slayer, looking at the equipment, frowned.

"How do I secure this to the ground?" he exclaimed, visibly apprehensive.

Joana, with precise calm, pointed to a button.

— There's a red button there, just press it and it will stick to the ground!

Slayer followed the instructions, pressing the button. A drill bit began to spin, digging itself into the ground. The sound of the drill bit cutting through the ground echoed through the cave.

— Press it again! — Joana said, her sharp tone of command cutting through the air.

Slayer pressed the button again, and the drill bit stopped spinning. The device was firmly fixed to the ground. Kay then grabbed the chain, pulling it a little. It was starting to stretch.

— See you down there! — Kay said, before throwing herself without hesitation into the abyss in front of her.

— That idiot! — Joana muttered, watching Kay's descent with a mixture of concern and anger.

The chain was stretching at high speed. Kay was in free fall, her body being pulled down by the force of gravity. The sound of the wind and the chain cutting through the air was the only accompaniment to her fall.

— I wonder if he’s alive? It’s been twenty seconds since he jumped! — Yan said, visibly worried.

“This hole is really deep!” — Rem exclaimed, looking at the abyss with a tense expression.

“That idiot is going to use his wings before he hits the ground!” — Mira said, with a mixture of frustration and concern.

A few seconds later, the chain stopped stretching.

“Two thousand and three hundred meters below the ground!” — Takemichi said, reading the message Fernanda had sent.

“This is too deep!” — San said, starting to hesitate, with an urge to retreat.

“Be quiet!” — Takemichi ordered, taking out his cell phone and calling Fernanda. He pressed the screen, starting a video call.

“Kay asked me to warn you! Look at the screen!” — Fernanda said, turning the camera.

On the screen, Kay appeared, with a dark environment in the background.

“It’s another cave. There are some mushrooms shining here, I think they are fungi. The glow is not strong, but it helps. There is water here. The smell of ghouls is persistent, but I can't see any at the entrance. They are further back. The air is breathable, it is safe to go down! — said Kay, speaking calmly, while the image showed a humid and mysterious environment.

“I understand. Let's go down, but what about Lena? How is she?” exclaimed Takemichi, his gaze fixed on the screen with growing anxiety.

“She is going forward, but she is getting closer to the wall!” said Fernanda, turning quickly to observe the other screen, with concern evident in her tone.

“Is it just a hallway?” exclaimed Ryuji, his eyes fixed on the screen, trying to decipher the situation.

“Yes!” replied Fernanda, her voice tense.

“There are only bones here!” — Lena said, her voice resounding in a somber tone as she looked at the floor covered in debris, her flashlight illuminating what looked like a macabre scene.

She looked to the right and saw a small passage, but as she explored it, she realized that it led to another solid wall. She turned again to the left and saw a cave ahead, where a ghoul was sleeping. She looked at the creature cautiously, but the moment the flashlight hit its eye, the ghoul woke up, its eyes shining with an insatiable hunger.

Lena, overcome by panic, let out a scream of terror. — "It's bad!" — and began to run, the sound of the ghoul's heavy footsteps echoing behind her, growing louder by the second.

"Why is she running away?!" Yan exclaimed, astonished.

— The captain told her not to fight! — Joana said, her eyes fixed on the screen, unable to look away from the chaos.

— She's running away out of fear. She probably isn't even thinking about fighting back! — Ryuji commented, with a tone of desperation in his voice, watching the scene with growing tension.

— Running into a ghoul so close, especially when she's distracted... That must have really scared her! — Rem said, her voice full of concern.

Takemichi, with firm and determined eyes, handed the cell phone to Rem.

— Wait here! — he said, his authoritative voice cutting through the air. In a quick movement, he manifested the wings of his suit, which opened as if they were about to take flight.

He shot to the other side of the cave, his wings cutting through the air with relentless precision.

Lena ran at full speed, her quick steps echoing in the cave as the ghoul chased her with relentless ferocity. The monster's tentacles extended like spears, cutting through the air with a menacing roar. Lena's face was pale with fear, her body moving with desperate precision to avoid the deadly impact. But the ghoul wouldn't let her escape.

"I won't make it..." Lena thought, feeling her heart racing in her chest. The sound of the tentacles cutting through the air made her spine shiver.

That's when she saw him. Takemichi was there, standing with his two axes in his hands, his eyes cold and calculating, waiting for the right moment to act.

"Captain!" Lena shouted, approaching at full speed, her face a mask of panic.

Takemichi was ready to act. "Fall into the hole and fly away minutes before hitting the ground!" his voice firm and clear, guiding the strategy. He had no time to waste.

"Okay!" — Lena replied, without hesitation, coming towards him, her heart beating wildly as she ran desperately.

She passed by him, without even looking at him, focused only on her only chance to escape. The hole was just ahead. Lena jumped, her feet hitting the ground hard, and then she dove into the abyss.

But the ghoul did not give up. Seeing his prey escape, he turned his wrath on Takemichi, his tentacles now focused on hitting him with lethal speed. The monster advanced with force, trying to hit him in a brutal attack, each tentacle like a sharp blade ready to cut.

Takemichi, implacable, sighed, as if he already knew what was going to happen. He did not move, did not rush.

In a single movement, he cut the creature's body into several pieces. The sound of axes cutting flesh echoed through the cave. Before the monster could even react, he was already sliced and dead, his body falling heavily into the hole due to the speed he was going.

Takemichi looked at the hole with a calculating look, the axes still stained with blood.

"You're the man, captain!" Yan shouted, cheering with enthusiasm.

"Lock the chain so it doesn't stretch any further, and then start descending! I'm going first," Takemichi said, with a firm tone, before jumping into the hole, disappearing into the darkness.

Rem quickly locked the chain and handed the cell phone to Joana.

"Fernanda will show the screen when one of us reaches the ground. That way, the others can descend. It will take a long time if we go slowly, one by one, so you can also freefall. Once you're down there, hold the chain with both hands. It will get a little hot, but the suit will protect you. Just put your arms through the chain so you don't move away from it. I'll go first!" — Rem explained, with unwavering determination.

She clasped her hands together, aligning them with the chain between her arms, and took a bold leap.

— I don't know if I should say this, but... your mother is a little crazy, isn't she? — Joana commented, with a comical tone.

— She is... — Mira replied, sighing.

— For each person's weight, until you get to the bottom, count to ten before holding on to the chain. Otherwise, you won't be able to stop! Do the rest of the descent holding on to the chain. Except for you, Kratos! With that weapon there, count to five and hold on to the chain! — Fernanda instructed, clearly, while watching everything on the screen.

— Okay! — Kratos replied