The first wave of kaiju corpses still smoked on the field when the ground rumbled again.
A low tremor. Then another.
"Not good," muttered one of the aides above the gates. "Second wave incoming!"
The rookies froze, exhausted, rifles half-empty. Their breaths came ragged through comms.
The earth split. Chittering filled the air. Ant-type kaiju swarmed out in the dozens, mandibles snapping, their carapaces gleaming black under the floodlights.
"Ant variants!" someone screamed.
Gunfire erupted instantly, but the bullets sparked off their hardened hides. Smoke plumes choked the air.
Kafka raised his rifle, firing desperately. "Aim for the joints! Behind the mandibles, that's where—"
A mandible slammed down inches from him. He rolled, scrambling back.
Reno's voice cut through, teeth bared. "I've got you, Senpai!" He emptied a full clip into a variant's eye socket, shattering it in a spray of ichor.
Kafka gasped, clutching his chest. "…Thanks."
Meanwhile, Akira's eyes narrowed.
[Ravan: Target identified — Ant Variant. Potential assimilation: Exoskeleton Reinforcement, Enhanced Mandible Shear Force. Engage?]
"Not now," Akira muttered under his breath, blade slicing clean through a variant's leg.
Kikoru's voice rang out sharp. "Sixteen!" She carved through another ant, severing it in one vicious arc.
Akira shot three in the head, his sword skewering a fourth. "Seventeen."
She glared, panting. "Stop stealing mine!"
[Ravan: Permission denied. Switching to passive mode. Recommending covert assimilation for minimal suspicion.]
Akira twisted, his movements seamless. With each cut, he pressed his hand briefly to the dying kaiju. The flesh dissolved invisibly, a thin black shimmer sucked into his body before vanishing. No one noticed in the chaos.
[Ravan: Assimilation complete. Ability acquired — Hardened Carapace (Tier I). Integration stored. Host capacity stable.]
His arm tingled faintly under the uniform, strength thrumming. He smiled faintly, suppressing the rush.
Nearby, Reno and Kafka were fighting shoulder to shoulder.
"Senpai, left flank!" Reno barked.
Kafka ducked low, shouting to a group of rookies, "Shoot where the mandible meets the head—it's weaker there!"
Three recruits followed his lead, dropping one ant in a single volley.
On the observation deck, Mina's gaze sharpened. "Hibino again. He can't kill efficiently, but he's boosting the others."
Hoshina leaned lazily on the railing, grin wide. "And look at your favorite anomaly—Kurogiri's practically dancing with Shinomiya."
Below, Kikoru launched into a fury, slicing through an ant's joint and splitting its head. "Eighteen!"
Akira fired a round point-blank into another's mouth, steel flashing as his blade pinned it to the dirt. "Nineteen."
The rookies began cheering despite themselves, caught in the storm of their rivalry.
Even Aoi Kaguragi and Haruichi Izumo—once cold rivals—fought back-to-back, shouting counts of their own.
"Twelve!" Aoi roared, hacking wildly.
Haruichi parried cleanly, thrusting into a weak spot. "Thirteen."
Iharu, meanwhile, screamed as he tripped again—only to fire wildly into the air, one stray bullet puncturing an ant's exposed joint.
"I-I killed it!" he wailed.
"Total accident!" another rookie yelled.
Reno groaned. "He's going to give me an aneurysm…"
[Ravan: Host kill count—22. Rival Shinomiya kill count—19. Probability of her agitation: 89%. Projected confrontation in 3… 2…]
"STOP holding back!" Kikoru screamed mid-clash, fury crackling. She swung hard, blade sparking as Akira parried casually. "I can feel it—you're stronger than this!"
Akira smirked faintly. "Guess you'll just have to keep chasing me."
The rookies roared at the clash, their morale soaring even amidst chaos.
Above, aides called out frantic numbers. "Rookie vitals dropping fast—heart rates spiking!"
"Ammo levels are critical—half of them are below thirty percent magazines!"
Mina's gaze was unflinching. "If they collapse now, it's over."
Hoshina chuckled low. "Nah. Look at 'em. They're hungry."
The battlefield quaked again.
All at once, the swarming ants stilled.
Every rookie froze, panting, rifles raised.
Then the ground split wider—something massive forcing its way through.
The roar that followed rattled the barricades.
Dust exploded skyward as a colossal form burst free: an ant kaiju towering above the rest, its mandibles like swords, carapace glistening with crimson streaks.
The rookies went silent, terror etched in every face.
"D-Daikaiju…" someone whispered.
The monster's roar shook the air.
[Ravan: Alert—Daikaiju Ant Variant detected. Potential assimilation: Tier II Carapace Reinforcement, Acidic Secretion, Enhanced Digging Bursts. Engage?]
Akira's grip tightened on his blade, eyes flashing.
The battlefield had just changed.
To be continued…
This story is inspired from various fanfics i have read from around the world so if you find any similarities please dont mind . Thank you
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T/N :
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