[What should we do?”] I asked while glancing at 112-Weasel who turned to the north.

[No time like the present, I guess. I just got permission from the boss to deploy everything we’ve got, so join 112 and intercept those three uglies! 7-Bane will be right behind you!]

[[Copy!]]

Both Weasel and I broke into full northward sprints.

Even in the deep of the ocean, we moved quickly and with fierce determination.

“No guns means no job for me but I recommend that, when we engage with the uglies, you send more juice into your legs than your arms. You’ll need he mobility, especially down here.” Jenette advised as we rushed past acres of coral.

[Got it! Mama Bird, please provide additional info on the incoming Hayulâ.]

[Your wish is my command. Starting with the largest, we have Kilopede. A G-Class Hayulâ at 200 whole meters long. It’s trailing behind the other two so you’ll have a small window to deal with them first with one being Flathead who’s an 80 meter long C-Class and Taurus who’s a modest 50 meter long M-Class.] Mama Bird detailed as I ran by Weasel’s side.

We eventually encountered the foremost Hayulâ.

Flathead, who approached from the left, was like a Hammerhead shark only its head was a large, dark and ovular shield. Instead of fins, it had long, thick tendrils that trailed behind its body.

Taurus, to the right, was like a bull with four large horns from its forehead and below its jaw which almost met at a point in front of its head.

[I’ll take care of the bull, you handle Flathead!] Weasel instructed before dashing to the right and unleashing her full speed.

I focused on the leftmost Hayulâ which turned to charge at Weasel but I wouldn’t give it the chance.

Taking Jenette’s advice, I sent additional Glass Energy into my legs and sprinted towards the Hayulâ.

I then intercepted it before it could reach Weasel and punched it in the neck, just behind its hardened head.

Due to the water, I wasn’t able to hits thick neck as hard as I wanted but it was enough to knock it off course.

This punch also sent a massive shockwave through the Ghoul and it forced me to bite my teeth lest I chop my own tongue off.

That said, I knew I couldn’t relent.

I had to kill this thing before it killed me and my crew.

I punched again and again but the water was dampening a large chunk of the force behind fists.

[Sir, watch for those tentacles!] Jenette warned but I hadn’t forgotten them.

I also hadn’t forgot the possibility that Flathead’s teeth and tendrils were lined with Glass.

And so, as the colossal creature swing its body to bash me with its tendrils, I dashed backwards and waited for them to harmlessly pass me.

I then grabbed its ovular head and slammed it onto the ocean floor before stomping on the back of its neck with my energized legs.

The creature let out a muted scream as I repeatedly kicked it.

The Flathead tried grabbing me with its tendrils but I grabbed two of the four limbs and, while digging my steel toes into its pressed neck, I tore the ends off.

At this point, the other two were around my waist.

“Aww, shit! Its temperature is rising! Kill the fucking thing and run!” Jenette screamed and without a second, I tore off the entangled limbs and launched myself backwards with a dash.

I then crawled away as quickly as I could before an explosion came from behind me.

A small nudge of force pushed me forward but I quickly recovered before returning to my feet.

I turned around to find that the Flathead’s body had been torn to pieces and floating within the waters of the ocean deep, within a cloud of purple blood, were shards of bone that were infused with Glass.

They ranged from one to five meters long and numbered in the thousands.

[They are turning themselves into frag grenades.] I muttered while catching my breath.

“Yeah. That’s the same trick they used to…” Bulkkoch stopped himself.

I briefly pondered his pause but quickly set my sights on Weasel who had just decapitated her Hayulâ and now stood triumphantly in front of its corpse.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

[Heads up, sir. Big one’s coming up.] She pointed her katana into the ink blackness ahead of us.

[Sir? This is my first day in the field. No need for the formalities since we share the same rank. Feel free to call me Mud.] I smiled while walking up to her.

[I bet there’s one hell of a story behind that name-]

[Gonna have to disappoint you there. It’s just a contraction of my name.] I laughed awkwardly.

[Damn… that is disappointing. You could have let me enjoy my delusional hopes for a little longer, ya know.] Weasel sighed while lowering her blade.

[Oh, well. Feel free to call me Tomino.]

[I am desperately fighting the urge to call you Tomato.] I awkwardly laughed.

[Call me that and the Ghoul will end up in a scrap yard.]

[Got it.]

“Oi, love birds, eyes ahead!” Jenette snapped prompting me to look ahead and I couldn’t help but gasp upon seeing what truly deserved the classification of Gargantuan.

The Kilopede approached from about two miles away from us and it, just like it’s name implied, was a gigantic creature which had countless legs that lined its segmented body.

It's head was a circular Amalgamation of teeth and pincers which, like it’s sharp legs, were made of Glass.

It’s exoskeleton was a dark and dreadful blue which seemingly ate any light tat approached it.

Even in the humongous frame of the Ghoul, I felt small.

This was what it was like to face a G-Class Hayulâ.

A world ending monster.

I glanced at Tomino and saw that she had raised her sword and stood poised besides me.

I replied in kind by raising my fists.

No words were said as we stared into the abyssal maw before us and no prompt was given before we dashed forward.

“112-Weasel likes to fight head on so let her draw its attention while we figure out how to kill it!” Jenette yelled as the Kilopede raised its head high into the water.

[Clear an opening for me, Mud! We Gen 3’s are no good in attrition battles!] Tomino requested.

[Got it!]

The Kilopede’s head came rushing down to devour us. It’s mouth was a dizzying twenty meters wide and one bite would surely be enough to wreck us.

I had no choice but to dodge what was coming and so, just as it’s head came crushing down onto the ocean floor, I dashed to the side and used the ensuing shockwave to propel myself away.

I tumbled for a bit and if it wasn’t for the fact that my crew members weren’t strapped into their seats, they would have been flung across the cabin.

I quickly got onto my feet and, while Tomino distracted the Kilopede by repeatedly striking the side of its mouth to little effect, I dashed towards it while trying to spot any kind of weakness.

I knew its exoskeleton would be hard to damage so I needed to find another way.

[Thing looks tough! Any ideas on how we can take it out?]

“We’re gonna have to focus all of our attacks on a single point, as tedious as that may sound. Once we manage to break through, then we’ll start doing damage.” Bulkkoch suggested and I chose to reply by changing towards the Kilopede and punching its side with all the force my fists could send forth while underwater but this was barely enough to scratch the thick, bonelike structure.

I hurriedly dodged away from one of the knife-like legs as it angled towards me.

“Try the underbelly!” Jenette shouted and I did just that.

After rushing to its front side as the creature rose its head yet again, I waited for it to slam down again but instead, it rushed to our left and sought to crush us with a swipe of its tail.

[Ah, shit! Brace for impact!] Weasel cried and she was right.

We weren’t going to be able to get out of the way fast enough so all we could do was hope to survive the attack and so I raised my arms and crossed them in fro of my chest as the tail rapidly approached.

Weasel was struck first and she was sent tumbling dozens of meters backwards.

I was next and I made sure not to get impaled by one of its legs as the Kilopede’s side bashed me.

I was then sent hurtling backwards and this was enough to force Jenette and Bulkkoch to wear their helmets as their holographic displays started flashing red.

We tumbled for a bit again and this time getting up wasn’t so easy.

“Fuck, both of our shoulders have been dislocated!” Bulkkoch reported.

[What about our legs and life support systems?] I bit my teeth as the Kilopede raised its head again.

“Surprisingly intact, sir!”

[And Chocolate?]

“Both cores are green and our radiators are chilly!”

[Alright. Tomino, status report!] I yelled while slowly pacing to the left and away from where she was.

[My katana is behind it and my left arm is broken, sir!] She said and I could hear the panic as it held her throat.

We were both unarmed and injured.

But we couldn’t retreat.

Not yet.

[Alright, let’s flank it while keeping a safe distance from its tail! We need to get that sword back if we wanna win this!]

[Ready when you are, sir!]

I took a deep breath and began running around the monster towards its left and Tomino did the inverse.

The Kilopede glanced at both of us and it seemed a little confused about which of us it should target.

It eventually decided to rush towards Tomino but I couldn’t let it keep doing whatever it wanted.

I tried lifting my arms forward at a 45° angle much to the dismay of my crew.

“Sir, you’re pushing some of the actuators far beyond their limits!”

[I know!] I yelled before purposefully falling forwards onto my hands.

The Ghoul’s frame was shaken but I used the forward momentum to roll back up.

“Right arm is back in position but you tore the fuck out of the actuators in the left as they missed the shoulder socket!”

[Yeah, I know!] I said through gnashed teeth.

I was still running after the Kilopede which pursued Tomino terrifyingly and just as it raised its head to crush down on her, I ran past it using my energized legs.

The abyssal maw then fell towards her.

[Sir!] Tomino cried but before the mouth could reach her, I tackled her, sending both of us tumbling dozens of meters away from where the mouth struck the ocean floor.

I hurriedly got up alongside Tomino and again we faced the gargantuan horror.

Our breathes were frantic and our frames were battered.

But…

Even in the face of this manifestation of the storm of malice and violence…

My right arm fell as the reality of the situation finally befell my head like a guillotine.

[Sir, what should we do now? My sword is about hundred meters behind it.] Tomino called but I genuinely didn’t know.

That said, I couldn’t just give up and die, so I raised my single operational arm and made a fist.

Tomino saw this and, after a pause, and as the Kilopede raised its head again, she raised her arm as well.

We faced the abyssal maw once more but just as it readied itself for attack, a new voice came from my helmet.

[This is 7-Bane, sorry I’m late! Had to pull this bad boy straight from the lab.]

Something then struck the side of the Kilopede’s head, sending it reeling to the side and ripping off a large chunk of its maw.

Tomino and I looked far behind us to see the ever sleep A-G2-7 only he held in his hands a massive weapon only it was so heavy, it hung from his two hands and was fed by a belt attached to a box behind his waist.

[The Storm Bane is here!]