Chapter 54: The Colossus
The laughter died.
One by one, the smiles vanished from their faces.
A deep vibration rolled beneath their feet.
THOOM.
The bridge trembled.
Cracks spread across the already damaged concrete.
"..."
Natsuki frowned.
"What was that?"
Nobody answered.
Another step echoed through the ruined city.
THOOM.
The sound wasn't loud...
It was heavy.
Like an entire building had decided to walk.
Tokita slowly lifted his head.
His expression, which moments ago carried a faint smile after their victory, disappeared completely.
"...Guys."
His voice was quiet.
"...Get ready."
That single sentence was enough.
Everyone instinctively became serious.
Even Nezuko, who had only just returned to normal after her transformation, felt the tension in the air.
Another step.
THOOM.
This time...
They saw it.
Far beyond the smoke created by Natsuki's lightning...
A gigantic silhouette slowly emerged.
It blocked the evening sunlight.
The city itself seemed to shrink beside it.
"..."
Nobody spoke.
It wasn't because they didn't want to.
It was because...
They couldn't.
The creature stood nearly twice the height of the bridge.
Its swollen body looked less like a person...
...and more like countless corpses melted together into one massive mountain of flesh.
Its arms dragged along the road.
Each finger was thicker than a grown man's body.
Its crimson eye slowly focused on the tiny humans standing across the bridge.
"...What..."
Kaito swallowed.
"...is that thing?"
No one had an answer.
The giant lowered one enormous arm.
Not to attack.
Simply...
To observe.
As if deciding whether they were worth crushing.
Mira instinctively raised her rifle.
"Move!"
She squeezed the trigger.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
The bullets struck the monster's chest.
Metal ricocheted.
Nothing happened.
"..."
Aoi narrowed her eyes.
She wasn't looking at the bullets.
She was studying the creature itself.
"...Wait."
Everyone looked toward her.
"There..."
She pointed toward its shoulder.
"Look closely."
Across its enormous body...
Old scars covered almost every inch.
Deep sword cuts.
Charred burn marks.
Bullet holes.
Even what looked like blast wounds.
The scars were old.
Some already healed.
Others barely visible beneath layers of regenerated flesh.
"..."
Aoi's expression darkened.
"Someone already fought this thing."
Silence.
"And..."
Her grip tightened around her sword.
"They lost."
A chill swept through the group.
This wasn't some newly evolved infected.
It had survived countless battles before finding them.
The creature suddenly raised its enormous fist.
The wind pressure alone knocked loose chunks of concrete from the bridge.
"Kaito!"
Tokita shouted.
Kaito reacted instantly.
His Core Essence surged.
An invisible force wrapped around the monster's arm.
The gigantic limb stopped.
For a second...
The Brute couldn't move.
"I..."
Kaito gritted his teeth.
"...I've got it!"
Veins bulged across his forehead.
Blood trickled from his nose.
His gravity field tightened.
The air distorted around the giant's shoulder.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
The flesh began tearing apart.
A deep crack spread from its neck toward its shoulder.
The Brute roared.
The sound shook the bridge.
Pieces of flesh ripped away.
Finally—
RRRIIIIPPPP!!
Its shoulder split open.
The gigantic body staggered.
The monster crashed to one knee.
Dust exploded into the air.
"...I..."
Kaito panted heavily.
"...Actually did it..."
Natsuki stared.
"Dude..."
Tokita couldn't hide a smile.
"Heh..."
"I didn't know you had that in you."
For a brief second...
Hope returned.
Then...
Nezuko's eyes widened.
"...Wait."
Everyone turned.
The Brute...
Was moving again.
The split shoulder twitched.
Muscle fibers pulled themselves together.
Bone cracked.
Flesh crawled.
The wound...
Was regenerating.
"..."
Nobody moved.
Tokita's smile faded once more.
"...So."
He stepped forward.
Cracking his neck.
"I guess..."
"This one's mine."
The Brute slowly stood.
Its enormous shadow swallowed the bridge once again.
Its crimson eye locked onto Tokita Then it's gaze shifted to Nezuko.
And for the first time...
It smiled.