At the perimeter of the 3rd and 4th Divisions, the tension had initially dissolved into a bored, restless lethargy. Unlike the chaos at Nanami's frontline, the riverside was unnervingly still.
A soldier sat perched on a low-hanging tree branch, lazily swinging his combat boots. He lit a cigarette, the smoke curling into the humid air. "Man... did we come here for nothing?" he muttered to his partner below. "No Soul Reapers at all."
The soldier on the ground sighed, leaning his rifle against a mossy rock. "Yeah. You're right. If we'd stayed in the shelter, we could've rested properly. This jungle is just a bunch of trees and silence."
The river flowed beside them, a silver ribbon of calm. It was too calm.
BOOM.
The impact wasn't a sound—it was a tectonic shift. The soldier on the branch was nearly bucked off. The river didn't just ripple; it churned as if a massive hand had stirred the depths. Stones rattled against each other, and the ancient trees groaned as their roots were strained.
"What's going on?!" the 3rd Division Commander roared, his voice cutting through the panic. "Why is the ground shaking?! Everyone—stay alert!"
The 4th Division Commander didn't wait for an explanation. He felt the hair on his neck stand up. "This isn't an earthquake," he said, his voice dropping to a gravelly whisper. "This is a Soul Reaper. All units, get ready! Reload your RPGs! NOW!"
The lazy atmosphere evaporated in a heartbeat. Soldiers dived behind armored vehicles and wedged themselves into rocky crevices. The metallic click-clack of weapons being armed echoed through the clearing.
A young soldier gripped his launcher, a nervous, jagged grin on his face. "Finally... some action. Now this is gonna be fun."
"The moment you see them—open fire," the 4th Division Commander commanded, his fist raised high. "No hesitation!"
"YES, SIR!"
And then... absolute silence.
The shaking stopped. The trees went still. Even the river seemed to flatten into a mirror. The wind died down until not a single leaf rustled. The soldiers scanned the horizon—the treeline, the sky, the water.
Sweat rolled down fingers trembling on triggers. Seconds stretched into an eternity.
"...Where are they?" someone whispered, the sound feeling like a shout in the oppressive quiet.
The silence grew heavier. It wasn't just quiet; it was predatory. It was the feeling of being a fly on a spider's web. They were being watched, not from the trees or the sky, but from somewhere deeper.
From beneath their very feet.
The river, once a symbol of calm, had become a firing range.
The water-laser beam wasn't just a blast; it was a high-pressure concentrated stream that vibrated with enough frequency to slice through reinforced steel. In an instant, the center of the 3rd Division's formation was decimated. Five, then six soldiers were simply... gone. The diagonal cut left nothing but scorched earth and a fine mist of crimson.
"ALL SOLDIERS—FALL BACK! NOW!" the 3rd Division Commander screamed, his lungs burning.
But the predator was no longer hiding. With a sound like a depth charge detonating, the river exploded. Tons of water were displaced as a gargantuan form breached the surface.
The 2nd Grade Soul Reaper rose, its obsidian skin glistening under the jungle sun. It was a serpent of impossible proportions, its body coiled like a spring. The thousands of small holes across its hide pulsed with a rhythmic, sickly light—each one a miniature pump for its lethal water-pressure attacks.
"No way..." the 4th Division Commander whispered, his hands trembling as he reached for his sidearm. "We're fucked. That's a 2nd Grade."
While the riverside descended into terror, Xiaolong felt the shift in the atmosphere. The "Exclusive Stone" behind him went dormant, its light fading into a dull grey.
"We're not encountering any more soul reapers here," he said, turning sharply to Dr. Ishimiya. "There's nothing left to gather. Let's move—now."
Dr. Ishimiya didn't need to be told twice. "Yes. Before the situation gets any worse."
Xiaolong's voice thundered through the clearing, amplified by his control over the humid air: "TAKASHIIII! KENTOOOO! Mission successful! We're evacuating—everyone pull out immediately!"
In a blur of motion, the two guardians appeared. Takashi took the lead without a word, hoisting Dr. Ishimiya onto his back. "I'll run at full speed. Kento, take Xiaolong and fly. Move fast."
Kento smirked, blue sparks dancing in his hair. "Yeah, let's hurry. If more soul reapers show up, I won't be able to focus on just escaping."
Takashi shot forward like a railgun slug. His superhuman strength turned the jungle floor into a series of craters as he sprinted toward the rendezvous point.
Kento wasn't about to be outdone. He grabbed Xiaolong and crouched low. BOOM! A massive discharge of electricity acted as a thruster, launching them into the sky at near-supersonic speeds.
"HEY—SLOW DOWN!" Xiaolong yelled, the wind threatening to peel his skin back. "This is not a competition!"
Takashi reached Nanami's position first, the ground smoking where his boots skidded to a halt.
"Did you succeed?" Nanami asked, his eyes darting between his device and the returning team.
Dr. Ishimiya climbed down, adjusting his glasses. "Of course. We always succeed."
Moments later, Kento landed with a bone-jarring thud. Xiaolong tumbled off, panting heavily and clutching his stomach. "Damn it... Kento, why were you flying that fast?! I almost died!"
Kento just shrugged. "Hah. You're just weak."
Takashi ignored the bickering, his eyes scanning the horizon. "Enough. Tell all divisions to pull back—now."
Nanami immediately relayed the order to the 1st Division, but as he moved to call the 3rd and 4th, his hand stopped. He looked at the empty space beside them.
"...Where's Sami?" Takashi asked, his voice low and dangerous. "I don't see her."
Nanami's face drained of color. "I sent her to assist the 3rd and 4th Divisions. I've been trying to contact them—but there's no response."
Takashi's eyes widened. He didn't need a map. He turned toward the riverside just as another water-laser beam pierced the canopy, shooting high into the stratosphere.
"No way..." Xiaolong clenched his fists. "Is Sami fighting a 2nd Grade Soul Reaper alone?!"
Kento's grin turned feral. "Hahaha—finally. A real fight against a 2nd Grade."
Takashi stopped him with a cold stare. "Xiaolong—stay here. Protect the divisions. If everyone leaves and they get attacked again, it'll be a massacre."
Without waiting for an answer, Takashi and Kento vanished into the brush, heading straight for the river. Toward the predator. Toward Sami.
The sky was still crackling from Kento's departure. He had pushed his Thunder Manipulation to the limit, turning himself into a living railgun. As they streaked across the jungle canopy, Xiaolong's hair was practically standing on end from the static discharge.
"HEY—SLOW DOWN!" Xiaolong yelled over the roar of the wind. "This is not a competition!"
But for Kento, everything was a competition—especially when Takashi was involved.
Takashi skidded to a halt at the command post, his boots carving deep furrows into the earth. Even carrying the weight of Dr. Ishimiya, he looked barely winded. Nanami rushed toward them, his face tight with anxiety.
"Did you succeed?" Nanami asked urgently.
Dr. Ishimiya climbed down from Takashi's back, adjusting his glasses with a steady hand. "Of course. We always succeed."
Moments later, a violent BOOM echoed from above as Kento slammed into the ground nearby. He landed in a crouch, sparks dancing off his shoulders. Xiaolong tumbled off his back, staggering and clutching his stomach as if he were about to be sick.
"Damn it… Kento, why were you flying that fast?!" Xiaolong panted heavily. "I almost died!"
Kento stood up and shrugged with a smirk. "Hah. You're just weak."
The two exchanged heated glares, but Takashi stepped between them, his presence radiating a cold authority. "Enough. Tell all divisions to pull back—now."
Nanami didn't hesitate. He pulled out his tactical device and began barking orders to the 1st Division, relaying the final evacuation protocols.
As the soldiers began to move, Takashi's eyes scanned the perimeter. His combat instincts were screaming. The silence of the jungle felt brittle, like thin glass about to shatter.
"…Where's Sami?" he asked, his voice low. "I don't see her."
Nanami's expression darkened instantly. "I sent her to assist the 3rd and 4th Divisions," he replied, looking down at his flickering comms screen. "I've been trying to contact them—but there's no response."
The blood seemed to drain from the clearing. They all knew what silence meant in a zone infested with Soul Reapers.
"She's in danger," Takashi said, his grip tightening on his weapon.
As if on cue, a massive water-laser beam tore through the distant treeline, shooting thousands of feet into the sky like a pillar of blue light. It was so powerful it ionized the air, leaving a scent of ozone and salt.
Xiaolong's face went pale. "No way… Is Sami fighting a 2nd Grade Soul Reaper alone?!"
The realization hit them like a physical blow. A 2nd Grade wasn't just a monster; it was a localized disaster.
Kento's eyes lit up with a wild, feral grin. His blue electricity flared, turning his silhouette into a jagged outline of light. "Hahaha—finally. A real fight against a 2nd Grade."
Takashi turned to Xiaolong. "Xiaolong—stay here," he commanded firmly. "Protect the divisions. If everyone leaves and they get attacked again, it'll be a massacre."
Xiaolong looked toward the pillar of light, his heart racing. He wanted to help his friend, but he saw the logic in Takashi's eyes. If the 1st and 2nd Divisions were left unprotected, the retreating soldiers would be sitting ducks.
"…Got it," Xiaolong said, his jaw setting. "Go. Save her."
The scene shifted suddenly to Sami.
She was flying—her body gliding through the air as though the sky itself had accepted her presence. Cold wind rushed past her face when something in the distance caught her attention.
To the side.
A colossal beam of water-like energy shot upward, tearing through the clouds and stabbing into the sky. It roared like a raging ocean forced into a single line.
Sami's eyes widened.
"Wait… what?" she whispered. "A water laser beam? Don't tell me—there's a Second Grade Soul Reaper over there?"
Her chest tightened.
"I need to get there. Now."
She burst forward, flying faster, the world blurring beneath her. When she arrived, the sight below made her breath falter.
Panic everywhere.
Civilians and soldiers alike were running in every direction, screaming as they tried to escape. The pressure of spiritual energy weighed heavily on the air, making even breathing difficult.
Sami stopped high above them, floating in the sky.
Then she saw it.
For the first time in her life, Sami faced a Second Grade Soul Reaper.
Her body tensed.
"I never imagined it would be this huge…" she murmured. "Or this terrifying."
Its presence alone felt crushing—as if the world itself was warning her not to come closer.
Sami closed her eyes for a brief moment, then opened them with resolve.
"But first… I have to save everyone."
She raised her hand. A controlled surge of spiritual power spread outward, and one by one, the soldiers were lifted gently into the air. Their bodies floated helplessly—but safely—away from the ground.
Her voice echoed clearly.
"I'll keep you as far away as I can," Sami said. "Head straight to Nanami. Don't look back."
The Fourth Division Commander looked up at her, worry evident on his face.
"Understood. But Sami… can you really handle a Second Grade Soul Reaper on your own?"
She didn't hesitate.
"Even if I can't," she replied calmly, "this is my responsibility."
Her gaze sharpened.
"So please—let me fulfill it."
The Third Division Commander called out, "We can still help! We can weaken it with RPGs!"
Sami shook her head immediately.
"No," she said firmly. "If you stay, I won't be able to fight properly."
With a swift motion of her hand, she pushed the floating soldiers farther and farther away, sending them well beyond the battlefield. Soon, their figures disappeared into the distance.
Only then did Sami stop.
The air grew heavy with silence.
She stood in the sky as if on solid ground.
Below her, the Second Grade Soul Reaper stood atop the water, its power distorting the surface beneath its feet.
Their eyes met.
Sky above. Water below.
Face to face.
And the battle was about to begin.
Without another word, Takashi and Kento launched themselves toward the river. Takashi blurred through the undergrowth with superhuman speed, while Kento took to the air, a streak of blue lightning following the path of the water-laser.
They were heading toward a monster that could erase them in a heartbeat.