Chapter 37: Stepping Toward Chaos

Shaxia was dragged toward the "Great Tree." It seemed that even in this mutated form, the entity retained its ability to "devour." However, based on previous encounters, its erosion process was significantly slower when it came to inorganic matter. Even so, she could not allow it to remain latched onto Traum's armor. After severing the tentacles that had ensnared her, Shaxia decided to unleash a full-scale barrage at point-blank range! She would finish this disgusting monster off in one go.

Traum crouched slightly, raising both hands forward as energy began to gather in its palms. The photon missile pods on its back opened, and in less than a second, Shaxia marked her targets with the missile fire-control system. Having clashed with this thing head-on before, she was acutely aware of its danger and was uncertain what other tricks it might have up its sleeve. If only she could gather that miraculous energy derived from her breathing technique once more to strike it down.

"Shion! I’m ending this quickly!"

Before the eerie, loathsome creature could make another move, all of the weapon systems on Shaxia’s back and palms were locked on and fully charged.

"Shaxia, wait..."

Although Shion wanted to say something, she had no reason to stop Shaxia. If a quick victory could be achieved, it would save much trouble. Besides, with their knowledge of the enemy being so limited, mindless defense might only worsen the situation. Shion had told her to rely on her own judgment, after all.

Traum unleashed its full firepower, bombarding the "Great Tree," which radiated an ominous aura.

"If you have such a big appetite, then eat your fill!"

Shaxia had witnessed the way this thing devoured and eroded humans; the sinister aura it exuded chilled her to the bone. After a series of violent explosions, the "Great Tree," formed from fluid, finally began to waver. She didn't know what kind of "fruit" the thing growing from its canopy would yield, but it surely wouldn't be anything good.

"Did it work...?"

In the command center, everyone held their breath. A massive hole had been blown into the main trunk, surrounded by smaller perforations, through which one could see the other side. Shaxia’s assault had dealt a crushing amount of damage to the entity. The soldiers on the ground and the remaining evacuees began to cheer.

Shaxia was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when the main trunk, now riddled with holes, could no longer support the canopy above. It began to teeter. Even if the creature could draw more of that black, fluidic substance from unknown sources, the actual effectiveness of Traum’s weapon systems—based on their previous encounters in the laboratory and residential area—was undeniable.

The canopy began to tilt backward. Logically, this should have prevented the situation from deteriorating further... shouldn't it?

Suddenly, four or five thick tentacles shot out from the canopy! They plunged deep into the ground in every direction, tearing through numerous buildings and reducing them to rubble. The tentacles propped the canopy up, shielding the "fruit" above from the impact. Meanwhile, the landmark of New Spring City’s East District—the broadcast television tower—was swept away and snapped by the tentacles.

The broken section of the tower was sent flying, crashing toward the area where the evacuees were gathered!

"!!"

By the time Shaxia realized what was happening, it was too late. She fired her cannons at the falling tower, desperate to shatter it and avert the tragedy. But because it was too close to the ground, the scattered debris and steel slammed into the evacuation site, crushing even more nearby structures.

On the ground, the crowd waiting for evacuation could only watch in horror as the dark shadow of the building bore down on them. Even those who scrambled to run into nearby buildings...

"Ah..."

Longsheng felt the world go black before he could even react. The surrounding area was swallowed by rubble and a deafening roar.

Everything seemed to fade into darkness.

"No!"

Shaxia had not anticipated that the television tower would cause such destruction. Before Shion could even issue further instructions, she had already piloted Traum sprinting toward the buried evacuation site.

"Shaxia... the civilians there..."

The command room, which had just been preparing to celebrate the enemy's destruction, was now shrouded in a terrifying silence. Only Shion reacted, quickly opening a communication channel with Shaxia.

"..."

But all she heard was the sound of Shaxia’s ragged breathing.

Seeing the scene before her, Shaxia felt a buzzing in her head, and cold sweat broke out involuntarily. She felt as though the blood in her veins had frozen; her strength left her, and a wave of helpless grief washed over her. The world began to spin, and her vision blurred.

How could this happen!? This was the result of her own actions!

Without needing Shion to say a word, Shaxia frantically surveyed the scene. She used Traum’s hands to desperately dig through the rubble, wondering how many survivors remained in that area.

After the deafening roar, Longsheng’s mind had gone blank. He didn't know how much time had passed when he realized he was still breathing. Though surrounded by darkness and choking on dust-filled air, he knew he was alive. He heard a sound—like construction work, the noise of heavy machinery digging into something. Then came the tremors.

Suddenly, with the shaking, the rubble in front of Longsheng collapsed, revealing an opening just a short distance ahead. Through the light, he realized he had been incredibly lucky: several thick steel bars had crossed over one another, creating a small pocket of space that had saved him. The people who had been standing near him were already crushed beneath the debris.

"Ugh!"

He saw a hand protruding from the rubble beside him and, realizing the horror of his situation, summoned all his remaining strength to scramble toward the light!

Outside, Shaxia was frantically clawing at the pile of debris.

"Shion... Shion..."

Through the comms, Shion had never heard Shaxia sound so panicked. It was the first time she heard her speaking with what sounded like a sob.

"Nothing... there’s nothing anywhere..." Shaxia continued, her voice growing choked.

"What...?" Shion asked, swallowing hard.

The atmosphere in the command center turned heavy. Many staff members removed their headsets and bowed their heads in unison.

"There’s nothing here... no survivors..."

Shaxia gritted her teeth, trying to keep her composure, but tears fell nonetheless. No one in the command center spoke; everyone had heard the transmission. For a moment, the room was so quiet a pin drop could be heard. Only Shaxia’s sobbing echoed in their ears. Shion’s hand, holding the microphone, slowly dropped to her side.

Even if she could save just one more person, Shaxia wanted to make up for her mistake. Thanks to Traum’s strength, the clearing of debris was swift, and soon a massive heap of television tower steel and building wreckage had been moved. Yet, all Shaxia saw beneath it were corpses. Civilians and soldiers alike. And the buses and helicopters that had been flattened.

"Wuu... wuu-woo... ughhhhhh..."

It was a scene of such utter despair. For the first time, Shaxia wailed in front of everyone. As she fought within the cockpit of Traum, she experienced for the first time the true weight of helplessness and despair.