Following the agreement from the girl,
The two adopt a strategy of attack and retreat, temporarily halting the fight, time and time again.
The monster chases after them, but their ship is faster than the overweight creature. Multiple hours pass like this. The three beings are exhausted beyond belief; no one is left unhurt. Even many parts of the ship have been damaged on more than one occasion.
Even while resting on the ship to catch their breath in small intervals, they had many close calls. If not for Jaco's skillful maneuvering of the ship during critical emergencies, they very well might have died.
Finally, after numerous tries...
While Shen holds off the squid as usual, Launch readies the finishing touch to end it once and for all. Although not completely immune, the squid has significantly adapted to the electricity. However, this time, maybe the situation is about to be slightly different... Frankly, a lot different...
[Now is the time, back off Shen, its body has weakened enough. I think I can use my technique on it...]
The man complies with the request.
Seeing him do as he is told, Launch also does her own part. [The Great Thunder Shock]
A stream of blue electricity zaps toward the squid. The creature gets a non-lethal shock, but that's not the real purpose of the attack...
It becomes trapped—trapped in a magnetic field created by the electricity that is still continually being controlled by the girl's magic. Not able to move, its body has gone into a paralytic state.
However, the same is also true the other way around. Launch's movements have become severely limited due to this. At the moment, she can't freely use her arms as they are occupied, focusing on keeping the squid in place.
Understanding the situation, Shen, wasting no time, postures his hands to form the iconic triangular shape... It takes time for him to charge up his power, during which Launch keeps the squid at bay.
[Kikoo-hooooo!!!!]
Frozen in place, the creature receives the full brunt of the Crane School's iconic technique. A massive shockwave rocks its entire being.
Shen had expended a large part of his ki for this, so the condition of the space monster could be imagined.
It is rather harrowing. With a large gash on its body, smoke radiates from its ghastly wound. The creature squirms in agony,
Yet, contrastingly, the charred skin has already started healing, owing to its exceptional vitality that has allowed it to survive even planetary destructions before.
However, it isn't without cost. The squid pays the price by depleting its own stamina and energy.
"Still not enough," Shen remarks. Not letting it recover more than it already has, the man, with his psychic power, hurls a number of nearby asteroids at great speed toward the squid...
The squid, too, isn't going down without a fight. It counterattacks—a laser beam shoots out from its head. Not able to fully dodge in time, the laser grazes Shen's shoulder.
Now, when the creature is more exhausted than ever, the perfect chance arrives for Launch to do her thing, and you can better believe she is capitalizing on the opportunity.
[This oversized seafood needs some freedom—freedom from the universe, that is,] she announces.
She again uses the... [Great Thunder Shock], paralyzing the squid.
[The time has come to finish off this fight,] Shen says, adding, [The current scenario is perfect to test the technique I learned during my training at the Otherworld.]
[Kai-O-Ken!!, x2]
[Again! Kai-O-Ken!!, x4]
Shen's long hair stands like a fiery blaze. Blood-red aura leaks from his similarly reddish muscles as bulging veins become pronounced due to the increased blood pressure.
It is his first instance of utilizing the technique in a real battle situation. He had avoided using it, worried he might overexert himself, but now, if not at this moment, then when?
[Combined with a fourfold Kaioken, take this!... Kikoo-hooo!!!]
Same as last time, The squid takes the full brunt of the amplified Tri-beam(kikoho). A large chunk of mass in the middle section of its body is incinerated.
[kichzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!]
Via telepathy, The squid's frustrated outburst of raw emotions directly transmits to their heads, translating to a begrudging anger. it is afraid.
Before it can heal, Shen uses Tri-beam twice more. At last, the squid is completely motionless.
The dead carcass of the monstrous creature, known as the Titanic Cattura, is not a pretty sight to look at. Shen and Launch feel rather mixed about it. Personally, it had never done them any harm. Perhaps it is even a waste to let such a creature disappear forever.
That being said, it is already pointless to have such thoughts. The hours-long arduous ordeal has come to a decisive end.
***
On their way back to the Galactic Patrol HQ, Inside the control room of the ship...
"I thought it was all over. Hell, you two humans better be thankful! If not for the great Jaco-sama's super flying skills, just your barbaric powers would have been of no use." Jaco says in a hushed tone, his tongue having become more slippery because of the adrenaline he felt while continuously operating the ship in tense situations.
Even after a considerable time has passed since then, he hasn't returned to his normal, bearable level of yapping... If life goes, then let it go—but antics shouldn't go—this saying fits him perfectly.
"Yeah, you did great. Thank you, Jaco," Shen strongly pats him on the back.
Smiling gleefully, Jaco is glad to be appreciated for his efforts. "Though, wish you would show appreciation a little more gently," Jaco says weakly, rubbing his back.
Yet it seems his request has reached deaf ears, as Launch also joins in the fun. "Yeah, yeah, you are very great, Jaco." A repetitious barrage of pats lands on him. Individually, they aren't all that painful, but the culmination of all of them is a little too much to handle.
"Umm!! I would like it if you would stop patting my back! It hurts, seriously, it hurts a lot!"
Hearing this, the girl gives one final palm of appreciation, and only then ceases her actions. "~Phhpewww~" she starts whistling, humming a tune.
"You did that intentionally, didn't you?" Jaco glares at her with eyes filled with suspicion.
"Whatever do you mean?" Replying innocently, she turns her attention elsewhere.
"Ahm!" She clears her throat.
"Ahm! Ahm!" Again, she makes the noise, this time twice, yet nobody reacts—not like what she intended.
Only after she clears her throat three times does she succeed in bringing attention to herself.
"Are you cold? Not feeling well?" Shen asks, confused, even worried for her health. "The cold from outer space must have caught you."
"That's not it," she mutters.
"Not it? Then what?" Shen fails to understand what she seeks.
"Hmph!!" Launch humphs, showcasing dissatisfaction. 'Where is my praise?, Didn't i also contribute?' the girl wonders to herself, jealousy emanating in the ship.
She looks at Shen with expecting eyes, but he is too focused on other intricacies to notice her inner expectations and displeasure.
However, before Launch can angrily storm out of the door...
"Thank you, Launch. We wouldn't have won this without your help," a soothing voice reaches the girl from behind, stopping her in her tracks.
"Yeah, what he said," Jaco also halfheartedly adds, not wanting to admit her contribution fully after what the girl did to his poor back.
Rosy-cheeked, Launch softly calls Shen a "Idiot!" and rushes to her private room. Her vision, flowery for some reason.