もののけ | monster | soshiro hoshina (Kaiju No. 8) (COMPLETE)

ごじゅうに | fifty two

もののけ | kaiju | monster

52

RAID ON TACHIKAWA BASE
(PART 3)

[A lengthy chapter ahead]

Soshiro

I NEVER FULLY UNDERSTOOD JUST HOW many times I've danced on the edge of death until now, battling this relentless fucker. Every encounter feels like a near-miss, a brush with an ending that's been lurking just a step behind me.

I've escaped death more times today than I care to count.

My blades, as familiar and comforting as they are, aren't enough to take this thing down. I know that now—know it deep in my bones, even as I push myself to keep going, to keep fighting. The thought gnaws at me, a cold truth that makes my stomach twist with frustration. "Damn it," I mutter to myself, anger lacing my words as I narrowly dodge another of its colossal punches. The air whistles past my face, the force of the blow tearing through the space I occupied just a second ago. Too close. Too damn close.

The blade bites into the monster's thick hide, but it doesn't go through. I feel the vibration of the impact jarring up my arm, and I curse under my breath. This is why I hate dealing with the giant classes—everything about them is designed to overwhelm, to crush any hope of victory. My weapon, my skills, all feel so insignificant in the face of this behemoth. The frustration is a hot, burning knot in my chest as I pull back, my hands trembling slightly from the effort.

I barely have time to steady myself before another massive fist comes crashing down toward me. I leap to the side, narrowly dodging the strike, the air whooshing past me with a force that almost knocks me off my feet. The ground where I stood just moments before is obliterated, a crater left in the wake of the attack. My heart is pounding, my breaths coming in ragged gasps as I push myself to keep moving, to stay alive.

But it's getting harder.

My body is screaming for rest, every muscle burning with fatigue. I'm at my limit, and I know it. My suit is too—sparking at the joints, its systems faltering under the strain of this prolonged fight.

But I can't stop. I can't give in, no matter how much my body begs for it. I can't let this monster win. Not when there's still so much at stake, so much left undone. I grit my teeth, forcing myself to focus, to push aside the exhaustion, the pain. I can't stop... because of her.

Kiyomi. Her name echoes in my mind, a bittersweet reminder of what I'm fighting for, of the one person who's always believed in me from the very start, even when everyone else didn't.

God, I miss her so much...

Every breath I take feels like a knife in my lungs, but I can't afford to slow down now. I duck inside a half-crumbled building, the faint scent of dust and smoke filling my nostrils as I strategize my next move. The walls around me are barely standing, shattered windows letting in the cold, sharp wind that cuts through the gaping holes in the structure. My mind is racing, thoughts swirling in a chaotic mess as I try to piece together a plan. My only chance is to catch this monster off guard, to strike at its most vulnerable point.