"Faster!"
"Third Unit base is under attack by a Kaiju exceeding Level Ten!"
Inside the First Unit Defense Force convoy, every combat member received the news. Third Unit was under siege.
They'd issued early warnings. Mobilized immediately. Still too slow. The enemy had the initiative—striking from the shadows.
"Commander Shinomiya really called it." A young man with black hair—pale pink highlights underneath—sat with hands clasped. Through the transport window, he glimpsed the distant Third Unit Tachikawa Base.
First Unit Captain, Gen Narumi...
Third Unit's defensive strength couldn't possibly withstand a Kaiju of that level.
Even the sky here was choked with black clouds. Just how powerful was this thing?
"Close enough. Everyone—full speed to Tachikawa Base!" Gen Narumi, leading the First Unit, leaped from the speeding transport with his gun-blade. His foot hit the highway. He shot forward like a bullet.
Time was critical. Even one minute late could mean Tachikawa Base's complete annihilation.
"Roger!"
First Unit members burst from the transports. Sprinted toward Tachikawa Base at full speed.
They blurred across the highway. Flashed through suburban terrain. Rain couldn't keep up with them.
This was the Defense Force's strongest unit. Every member had a Combat Power Release above 40%. All elite. Their captain? 98% release. The man called the Defense Force's strongest ace on the battlefield.
"Even from this distance, I can feel the tremors."
"Definitely a super-Kaiju above Level Ten."
Gen Narumi ran at the front. His feet hit the ground. He felt the earth's vibrations clearly.
According to Third Unit's emergency intel, three massive Kaiju appeared—all Level Nine or higher. One exceeded Level Ten. A super-Kaiju they'd never faced before.
First Unit's base wasn't too far from here... so they'd arrive first. The other Defense Force units were mobilizing support after receiving the alert.
"This'll probably... escalate into another massive operation like the Kaiju No. 6 subjugation." Gen Narumi's unique vision caught sight of the distant eight-headed figure at the base.
Summoning wind and rain... calling down lightning...
Terrifying creature.
"This is First Unit. ETA to Tachikawa Base: one minute twenty seconds. What's the situation on-site?" He maintained full speed while connecting to Third Unit comms.
Third Unit's Captain Mina Ashiro... and that purple mushroom-head. Could they really hold out against something like this?
"This is Tachikawa Base."
"The situation on-site is... a bit complicated..." The technician stared at the screen. Couldn't find words to describe it.
They'd experienced too many reversals in too short a time. Still processing.
Twenty or thirty years of worldview—shattered repeatedly in a single day.
"What!?" First Unit Captain Gen Narumi's brow furrowed. The situation must be worse than expected.
Worst case scenario... Third Unit's captain and vice-captain were already dead.
Too late after all?
"Ah... uh, well... we have some injured members, but no casualties yet." The technician realized Captain Narumi misunderstood. Hurried to clarify.
Gen Narumi: "???"
What?
Third Unit faced a Kaiju this terrifying... and suffered no deaths?
Did Third Unit have some expert he didn't know about?
Impossible!
Besides Captain Mina Ashiro, only that purple mushroom-head had decent skill. The rest weren't particularly outstanding.
"SKREEEEOOOOAAAAR!"
As distance closed, he heard the super-Kaiju's roar from Tachikawa Base... But before he could see what was happening, those eight massive serpent heads twisted and collapsed.
"What happened?"
"What is... that?" The serpent fell. Only one figure remained in the sky. He finally saw it clearly—a figure somewhat resembling a human.
Slender red-and-silver body. Bright eyes. A glowing crystal on its chest.
Questions filled his mind. He accelerated further.
Gen Narumi reached the remaining wall of Third Unit's training ground. Rain pelted him. Cold wind whipped past. He surveyed the battlefield where the fires of war had died.
"What the hell happened here?"
This used to be city ruins enclosed by Third Unit's walls—used for new recruit training. Now it looked more ruined than he remembered. Half-collapsed buildings reduced to rubble. Walls shattered in large sections. The battle had spilled far beyond the training ground's boundaries. A crater gaped at the center.
Kaiju corpses and battle traces everywhere. But not a single Defense Force body. The eight serpent bodies lay across the battlefield—like a mountain range at a glance.
"A Kaiju exceeding Level Ten... eliminated?" Other First Unit members arrived. Stared at the battlefield. Couldn't deduce what had happened.
"Who is that person?" Captain Narumi quickly spotted the battlefield's only figure. His gaze filled with doubt.
The man was bare-chested. Tall and lean but with well-defined muscles. Perfectly proportioned. Wore Defense Force Suit pants on his lower half. Looked like he'd just finished a battle.
In his hand, he held an irregularly-shaped sphere radiating an otherworldly glow. About a meter in diameter.
That was probably... a Kaiju core?
He remembered Commander Shinomiya visiting Third Unit base once...
After returning, the commander warned them to stay ready for immediate deployment. Then temporarily left Japan—apparently to discuss something with foreign leadership.
"Don't tell me this guy took down that Kaiju?" Captain Narumi glanced at the unfamiliar man. Then at the mountain-sized Kaiju corpse beside him.
Taking down a Kaiju bigger than a mountain single-handedly? Was this guy some kind of superhuman?
Born with godlike strength?
As the serpent fell, the heavy rain stopped. Black clouds parted. Sunset light pierced through. Fell on the man. Created an indescribable aura.
Just as Narumi wondered who this person was—
He faintly heard the man speak.
"Fighting really drains your stamina... so hungry... this snake meat should be edible, right?"
Captain Narumi: "?"
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