Chapter Twelve: The Abyssal Demon

Excited soldiers poured into the hangar, surrounding Shakia with eager curiosity. They bombarded her with questions.

“How did you become its pilot? The training must have been tough, right?” one soldier asked cheerfully.

“Well... it wasn’t that bad... hehe...” Shakia replied, caught somewhat off guard by the sudden interview directed at her personally.

Before she could finish, another soldier stepped forward.

“What’s the horsepower of that robot?”

“That... I’m not really sure...” Shakia answered, guessing that the technical team would be better equipped to handle such questions.

One curious face after another pressed in, leaving Shakia to offer a polite yet awkward smile as she did her best to respond.

“Well... it’s great to see everyone so enthusiastic... Anyway, let’s head inside for a tour.”

It seemed that Shion had arranged for this large group of visitors. Shakia sighed and exchanged a glance with the transport pilot nearby. Now, the task of entertaining this crowd of soldiers fell to her and the crew.

While Shakia handled the visitors, Shion received the combat footage she had negotiated for—and naturally, she forwarded a copy to the director as well.

The small terminal used internally by Svarg was incredibly convenient. Though it resembled an ordinary phone, its data processing power was extraordinary.

“Have you finished watching it?” the director’s message came through after they had all viewed the footage together.

“Finished,” Shion replied.

“Stay alert, Shion. There’s something off about that thing.”

“I understand,” Shion acknowledged silently.

Under the barrage of missiles, the object appeared to have shattered into countless fragments, yet strangely, none of the pieces floated to the surface. It was truly baffling.

After seeing off the soldiers, it was already the early hours of the morning. Shakia, who had been attending classes the day before and only managed an hour or two of sleep on the plane, was exhausted to the point of barely standing. Once the soldiers departed, she collapsed onto the bed in the plane’s lounge and fell into a deep sleep.

The previously bustling naval base gradually fell silent. After sufficient rest, Shion and Shakia prepared to embark on their return journey—naturally, the best possible outcome.

But reality would not permit such respite.

***

Shakia was jolted awake by the incessant blaring of alarms, her mind still foggy. Dawn had broken, but she felt she hadn’t slept enough. Glancing at her phone, it was already 9 a.m.

Before she could rise and assess the situation, the lounge door was flung open. As expected, it was Shion, her hair disheveled, looking as if she had barely had time to tidy herself before hastily waking.

“Shakia, prepare to engage!”

“What’s going on?!” Shakia asked, still groggy.

“We’ve got to clean up the army’s mess...” Shion grabbed Shakia off the bed. Thankfully, Shakia had prudently slept in her snug, lightweight pilot suit just in case.

As they passed the transport’s window, Shion pointed toward the harbor.

“Look over there.”

Following Shion’s finger, Shakia saw thick smoke billowing from the harbor, which was in utter chaos.

The United Nations fleet had been taken completely by surprise. Without any warning, several Aegis cruisers were violently severed in half by some monstrous force and dragged beneath the waves.

Rewinding ten minutes:

The UN fleet commander was calmly having breakfast aboard the flagship when sudden explosions caused the silverware in his hands to almost fall. His instincts as a soldier immediately told him they were under attack.

He shouted urgently, “What’s happening?!”

Before his adjutant could contact other departments, an unforgettable scene unfolded before their eyes.

Massive tentacles emerged from the water where the ships were docked, wrapping around several vessels. The hulls and armor twisted under immense force, emitting terrifying screeches. Fuel leaks ignited electrical circuits, sparking raging fires that spread uncontrollably through the ships.

The crew’s screams of primal terror echoed from ship compartments. Some attempted to launch lifeboats, but before success, the vessels were cleaved in two and dragged under by the tentacles. Those who fell into the sea never resurfaced.

The tremendous commotion sent the harbor soldiers into an uproar. The commander hastily ordered full battle readiness. Alarms blared, warships sprang to life, and close-in weapons systems opened fire on the writhing tentacles above the water.

But tentacles also emerged beneath other ships. Firepower from the harbor targeted these appendages, only to be met with more tentacles reaching out from the shoreline, even extending toward warehouses storing weapons, vehicles, and ammunition.

Within minutes, the naval base was nearly overrun.

“What in the world... what kind of monster is this?!”

The enemy was underwater and evading sonar detection. The ocean was clearly its domain.

Faced with this, the commander made a grim decision: abandon ship and retreat to land.

Escaping in disarray to the command center ashore, the UN fleet commander encountered Shion—her hair still tousled but fully dressed—and other Svarg agents she led.

“You’re from Svarg!? What are you doing here?”

“Weren’t we supposed to obliterate the beast?”

Shion’s eyes, rimmed with dark circles from lack of sleep, fixed coldly on the commander, her expression impassive.

“We’re about to.”

The commander seemed about to speak, but Shion cut him off.

“How arrogant... with just these broken ships?”

She gestured toward the battered vessels being dragged underwater outside the window.

“We’ve called for reinforcements... nearby troops will arrive soon...”

“Commander! Not only the harbor, but tentacles have appeared throughout the city! The area of destruction is expanding!” a communications officer reported, linking surveillance footage from the city.

“Orders, please!”

Cold sweat dripped down the commander’s face, betraying his panic.

“How is this possible?! So many... are they all monsters? Are these new ones?!”

“Commander, order Traum to deploy,” the director’s voice suddenly came through the comm.

“It’s you...” the commander murmured.

“Shion, assist Shakia. I’ll handle things here.” The director remained reliable amid chaos.

“Yes!” Shion hurried out of the command room, brushing past the fleet commander.

Negotiations now fell solely to the director and commander.

“Commander, moving forward requires close cooperation between us. We have no intention of overshadowing or claiming credit for your fleet’s efforts. I trust you understand.”

“Hmph... understood... our forces... will cooperate,” the commander sighed deeply, dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief.

“No need for formalities. We’re the ones cooperating with you.”

The director deftly preserved the commander’s dignity.