"Everyone, fire! Fire! Fire!!!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Rows of tanks unleashed shells at the monster's legs and feet while the commanders barked orders, directing a hasty retreat.
But there were still dozens of kilometers to the city limits. Beyond that, there would be nowhere left to run.
"Buzz—!"
A low, chilling hum filled the sky as fighter jets roared overhead.
Missiles dropped, exploding against the monster's armored scales.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The blasts shook the earth, smoke and fire swallowing the battlefield.
But then something terrifying pierced through the haze. A flexible, jagged hook lashed out from the smoke and slammed into the ground with a deafening crash.
The shockwave flattened soldiers and tanks in an instant.
"Ssshhhkkk!!!"
Blue lightning erupted, tearing the smoke apart. A pulse of energy rippled outward, swallowing helicopters, jets, and armored vehicles in one sweeping strike.
"Beep—!"
The electromagnetic blast fried every circuit. Engines died, weapons fell silent. In a matter of seconds, the entire defense line was paralyzed.
The commander stared in horror, voice trembling.
"Why… why does the monster still have this ability?!"
It was the Leatherback Turtle, the same one whose corpse they'd been studying. And yet, this one had unleashed a devastating EMP that erased their last line of defense.
The three colossal monsters strode forward, only to halt when shadows began to churn and gather before them.
Thick, black shapes rolled and condensed into a towering silhouette.
A new creature emerged under the horrified gaze of soldiers and civilians alike.
It was entirely black, but its outline was unmistakable...another Leatherback Turtle.
"Rooaarrr…?"
The normal-colored Leatherback Turtle tilted its head, confused. It tried to send a signal brainwaves monsters naturally used to communicate.
But nothing came back. The black one gave no response.
It had no brain.
Because this was no ordinary kaiju.
The black Leatherback Turtle was a construct, a vessel of shadows. And standing proudly atop it was the one controlling it all...
Yami Tsukishiro.
"Report to the commander! A pitch-black Leatherback Turtle has appeared on the front line...there's a man standing on top of it!"
The electromagnetic pulse interference slowly subsided, communications coming back online.
In the rear command center, the commander immediately received the transmission. He locked the satellite feed onto the battlefield, eyes narrowing.
But the moment he saw the figure standing above the Shadow Leatherback Turtle, he finally exhaled in relief.
If it hadn't been him, the only option left would have been weapons of mass destruction.
And that would have meant sacrificing troops, entire cities, and countless civilians who hadn't been able to evacuate in time.
"Everyone, record the next scene carefully!" the commander ordered, voice sharp.
They had replayed the footage of Yami Tsukishiro killing the first Leatherback Turtle countless times, analyzing every frame.
Yet never understanding how his shadows could pierce armor that even high-caliber shells couldn't scratch.
Now, with a chance to record the battle up close, they couldn't afford to miss a single detail.
Everyone...soldiers, researchers, even civilians watching in fear, focused their eyes on the battlefield.
The Shadow Turtle beneath Yami slammed its massive hands into the ground and surged forward to meet the enemy.
Leatherback Turtle: Initiating communication link…
"Rooaarrr?!"
The normal Leatherback Turtle recoiled, its attempt at communication cut off as it was slammed into the earth in utter confusion.
Beside it, a crocodile-like monster clad in jagged scales froze for a split second. Then, with a sickening crack, its jaws split wide open into a grotesque, blood-red maw.
It lunged for the Shadow Leatherback Turtle, fangs snapping like guillotines.
On the other side, a third monster opened its cavernous mouth. A strange, glowing blue liquid gathered in its throat before it spewed outward the stench alone was enough to tell it was lethally corrosive.
But Yami didn't so much as glance at them.
With a mere thought, the Shadow Turtle at his feet moved. Two colossal shadow arms burst from its sides, one clamping down on the crocodile-monster's gaping jaws, the other surging forward to intercept the acid spray.
The corrosive stream splashed uselessly against the shadows, trapped and contained.
The third monster shrieked and flared its fleshy wings, trying to take to the skies. But the free shadow hand shot upward like a spear, seizing its wings in mid-flight.
"Gyaaaaahhh!!!"
The creature thrashed violently, wings beating in desperation, but it was no use. The shadows yanked it down and slammed it into the ground with bone-crushing force.
Three monsters...subdued almost effortlessly.
[Monster]: Velociraptor
[Rank]: Fourth Level
[Title]: Elite
[Race]: Behemoth
[Abilities]:
Level E – Scale Armor (Lv.3)
Level D – Speed (Lv.4)
[Monster]: Tailed Rat
[Rank]: Fourth Level
[Title]: Elite
[Race]: Behemoth
[Abilities]:
Level D – Corrosive Venom (Lv.4)
Velociraptor and Tailed Rat both were monsters straight out of Pacific Rim.
Now, three fourth-level beasts stood together on the battlefield.
"Good grief… three elites showing up at once."
Yami Tsukishiro's eyes narrowed slightly. Then his lips curled into a cold smirk.
"Kill them. I don't have time to waste on small fry."
The Shadow Leatherback Turtle beneath him let out a thunderous roar. Its massive limbs suddenly retracted, its body collapsing inward until it transformed into a titanic sphere of shadow.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!!!"
The air rang with the piercing sound of metal on metal as countless sharp spikes erupted from the shadow sphere.
Like a colossal porcupine, the quills thrust outward in every direction, skewering the three restrained behemoths in an instant.
Their massive bodies convulsed violently, blood spraying as the spikes pierced hide, armor, and bone alike.
From capture to annihilation...it was over in less than a minute.
The difference in power was overwhelming.
If Yami had wanted, he could have flattened a Elite-class beast with a single punch.
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