"Eh? The subway in Arakawa Ward is closed again?" On the train, Tennoji Akari tilted her head as she stared at the alert on her phone.
"Who knows, maybe it's the aftershock from yesterday's earthquake?"
A certain someone, the real culprit with his eyes closed and resting, shrugged with an indifferent expression as if to say, "Not my problem."
"But yesterday it wasn't like that at all..." Tennoji Akari nearly let something slip, then quickly covered her mouth. If it weren't for the situation with little Ichiyo, they would have thought it was just an earthquake too, right?
Though, even the information Ichiyo Nagisa heard from her parents was part of a cover-up.
"Nao-chan, what are you looking at?"
"Study notes."
The two beautiful girls next to him leaned in affectionately, drawing envious glances from others in the train car toward Souta Kiryuu.
The three of them were on the train heading to Kousakura High School after classes.
Worried about creeps targeting pretty girls on trains? That's an outdated concern!
In the past, Japan's trains indeed had problems with molesters. But after relentless media exposure, it reached the level of national shame. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police took strong action, and with the threat of social death upon being caught, the issue has nearly vanished.
Just being pointed at by a schoolgirl and called a molester is basically a conviction. Even in court, there's a 97% conviction rate, followed by job loss, personal info exposure, and total social ruin.
As a result, office workers in the train all raised their hands high, gripping the hand straps, practically wishing they could tattoo "I'm impotent" on their foreheads.
Work is exhausting enough already; no one's fantasizing about romantic train encounters anymore. They only fear false accusations and extortion.
Unless, of course, you're that pretty boy over there—
Countless jealous glances swept over Souta Kiryuu, who, eyes still closed in feigned rest, was actually remotely controlling a battle far away.
———
BOOM!
An armor-piercing shell slammed into the forehead of the Earthquake Catfish. The tungsten alloy shell pierced through the flat skull of the massive black fish, exited from its back, and embedded itself into the building behind.
The massive Earthquake Catfish didn't even flinch and continued swimming forward, relentlessly pursuing an armored patrol vehicle.
Director Takeya and others watching through surveillance cameras frowned in thought and issued another order.
"Switch to shaped charges!"
As the Earthquake Catfish chased after the Type 87 armored patrol vehicle, a Type 16 assault vehicle rotated its turret and locked on to the moving target.
BOOM!
BOOM!!
As flames burst from the barrel, the massive Earthquake Catfish shuddered violently, and a jet of "fire" erupted from the opposite side of its body.
No, that wasn't fire. It was a jet of molten metal traveling at 9000 m/s!
Unlike the direct impact of an armor-piercing round, shaped charges caused even more terrifying damage. But the colossal creature only grew more ferocious. Abandoning the Type 87, it lunged toward the Type 16 assault vehicle instead.
"Just as expected," someone noted.
"This extraordinary creature has no vital organs—no brain, no heart."
After multiple probing attacks, most commanders understood: its body wasn't particularly tough, so...
"Use high-explosive squash head rounds."
Though it was a shame, they couldn't allow this Earthquake Catfish to rampage unchecked—not even in Arakawa Ward. This was Tokyo!
To prepare for various situations, the First Division's armored units were equipped with a wide range of munitions, including old-fashioned HESH rounds:
Across the street, another Type 16 vehicle silently locked on.
BOOM!!
A giant fireball engulfed the Earthquake Catfish.
Unlike in movies, where a single shell triggers a massive fireball, modern armored battles rarely produce such explosions unless ammunition is hit.
Armor-piercing shells rely on sheer kinetic force—think brute strength. Shaped charges use chemical energy to produce molten metal jets—more like magic attacks. HESH rounds explode on armor, generating shockwaves that shatter internal components—think concussive attacks.
They can also be used as high-explosive shells!
One HESH round created a spectacular display: a huge plume of smoke and dust erupted, reminiscent of warzones in the Middle East.
Against modern composite armor, these rounds often leave lots of smoke but little damage. But against the supernatural Earthquake Catfish, they were lethal!
The explosion sent fragments flying. Crimson splinters indicated remnants of the torii gate once on the catfish's back.
Impressive, Souta Kiryuu couldn't help but admire from the train as he controlled the battle via clone.
Modern weaponry was comparable to a high-ranking ninja.
If Souta had been on the battlefield himself, he'd be in pieces by now.
But that so-called Earthquake Catfish, as the police dubbed it, was just one of his jutsu creations.
Destroy it? He could always make another.
"Is it down?"
Smoke filled the skies above Nishiogu in Arakawa Ward. An observer in the armored vehicle stared at the blast center; the bigwigs at police headquarters watched the screen nervously.
The smoke slowly cleared, revealing a shattered torii and scattered rubble.
Whew~
"Looks like we've won," Director Takeya said, adjusting his glasses.
Suddenly, the display changed.
"ROAR!!"
A sound like a train whistle morphed into a thunderous bellow.
A massive figure burst from the explosion's center and soared skyward!
"The Earthquake Catfish?!"
"It's not dead—wait, it got stronger?!"
Everyone who saw it thought the same.
The once ten-meter-long fish had grown into a twenty-meter monstrosity!
That might not sound like much, but typical heavy trucks are only six meters. Even the legendary twelve-wheeled, 100-ton flatbed haulers are 17 meters.
Most classic fighter jets measure around 20 meters. But unlike their streamlined frames, this Earthquake Catfish was squat and bulky.
Rising from the blast zone, it slammed its massive body down onto the street.
RUMMMMBLLLE!!!
Visible shockwaves rippled through the ground. The whole battlefield trembled as if someone were pounding a drumhead violently.
Cement streets, trees, pavement—everything was flung into the air by brute force, shattering into dust-laden clouds filled with hundreds of tons of debris.
Earth Style: Fissure Palm!
Cracks raced across nearby buildings. The structures finally gave in, steel beams twisted, and the walls collapsed like waterfalls, setting off a chain of tremors.
Perfect, it leveled up!
In neighboring Bunkyo Ward, Souta Kiryuu emerged from a subway station, eyes flashing.
Unlike flashy Fire or Lightning-style jutsu, illusions and Earth-style jutsu were subtle and perfect for urban warfare.
Through high-intensity clashes, his Earth Style had leveled up to chunin rank, unlocking all C-rank techniques.
Excellent!
He now had a broader array of jutsu to use. As he walked with Nao and Akari toward Kousakura High, he rapidly reviewed his new skills.
Meanwhile, the larger Earthquake Catfish surveyed the broken Self-Defense Forces...
Time to counterattack!
Inhale—
The giant fish opened its mouth and drew a deep breath.
Exhale—
Tiny stones spewed from its fangs, expanding mid-air into millstone-sized boulders. Under gravity's pull:
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
Earth Style: Rock Barrage!
A rain of stones fell like ancient catapults in action. In such numbers, even the most advanced armored units fell to the storm.
Machine guns shattered, autocannon barrels bent, even tank cannons were warped.
The First Division of the Self-Defense Force was routed.
This wasn't a fair battle. It was an ambush: no intel, no prep, no plan.
Facing the ever-stronger Earthquake Catfish, hiding in armored vehicles was the only option left.
No, not the only option.
"Deploy attack helicopters. Fire air-to-ground missiles!"
Things had gone too far. Director Takeya, eyes bloodshot, gave the order.
Though technically beyond his authority, no one objected.
From above, attack helicopters launched missile after missile. Each was powerful enough to obliterate buildings.
Even reinforced concrete wouldn't survive long.
But...
"What the hell..."
"Damn it, is this thing immortal?!"
"Are we fighting Antaeus or something?!"
In the operations room, Brigadier General Thomas watched the screen in disbelief.
Each missile wounded the creature, only for it to burrow into the ground and emerge fully healed.
Antaeus—
In Greek mythology, the giant son of Gaia and Poseidon.
He was unbeatable as long as he remained in contact with the Earth.
Heracles eventually discovered the trick and lifted Antaeus off the ground, then choked him to death.
"So, do we have any way to get this fish off the ground?"
Silence.
"I believe..." the head priest of Yushima Tenmangu spoke up.
"The torii once on the Earthquake Catfish's back may have been a seal on its power and malice."
"Now, not only is it stronger, but far more aggressive."
"Then what do we do?!" Director Takeya, eyes burning red, shouted.
The police had evacuated civilians early on, but the battlefield was now a wasteland. Even setting aside military casualties, how could they possibly explain this to the public?
Terrorist attack?
Real terrorists would faint at the sight!
"Mr. Takeya, perhaps focus on containing the threat," General Thomas reminded.
Onscreen, the Self-Defense Forces had stopped fighting. The Earthquake Catfish seemed bored now. With a mighty thrust, it vanished into the earth.
Seconds later, it reappeared in a park several blocks away.
Then disappeared again.
"It's moving underground at high speed!"
"Target heading is..."
"Bunkyo Ward?!"
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