Chapter 14: Fighting the Abyssal Burrower

The ground split beneath the squads with a loud tremor, sending black sand flying up like an explosion. The creature's roar wasn’t just noise-it was a physical force that shook their armor and their bodies.

A huge, spinning mouth burst from the ground.

Rows of sharp, twisting teeth interlocked like a living drill, covered in bright blue slime. The creature’s neck was as thick as a train, covered in metal-like scales that screeched when they moved.

This monster was more than just an animal.

It was Neptune’s way of saying, “Leave my planet.”

Kotaro’s mouth dropped open. “That is not a D-class. That’s- WHAT ON EARTH IS THAT?!”

Itsuki scanned it frantically, his visor blinking as he yelled:

ABYSSAL BURROWER • Lvl 55 (RENEGADE SUBSPECIES) DANGER: EXTREME HEALTH: 200 DEFENSE: 210 SPEED: 45 SPECIAL POWERS: Can Phase Underground / Drill Mouth / Sound Wave Attack

Chinami stared at him. “Why are you reading the stats?! That is not helpful, KIDO!”

Marra leaned forward, looking at the monster as if it were a new pet.

“Oh. Cute.”

Dr. Shin calmly added, “Its body has extra-hard plates. We probably can't cut through it without very strong weapons.”

Kotaro pointed both swords at it.

“Great. So we have to fight Neptune’s garbage truck.”

The Burrower lunged.

Hana moved first.

Her twin Black-Light Blades flashed violet. She teleported to the side just as the massive mouth crashed into the sand where she had been standing. The impact shook the whole area.

Kaede, the Black Ops leader, moved with deadly precision into the creature’s blind spot.

“Attack the sides,” she ordered, her voice sharp. “Marra, set mines. Ivo, fire constantly.”

Marra smiled. “With pleasure.”

She tossed three tiny mines onto the sand. They rolled quickly across the ground and stuck to the Burrower’s bottom scales.

Ivo quietly pulled his plasma longbow string back.

The sky lit up blue as he fired. The energy arrow hit the Burrower’s side and exploded in a massive pillar of light, making the creature rock sideways.

Kotaro charged, his swords glowing white from energy.

“Let’s gooooo!” he yelled, because yelling helped him not feel so scared.

His two swords scraped against the Burrower’s armor, sending sparks everywhere.

“This thing is so tough! It’s like trying to cut a tank with forks!”

Chinami slammed the bottom of her scythe into the sand.

“Gravity Well!”

A small gravity field formed under the monster, pulling its middle section down hard. The creature shrieked, its body bending under the crushing force.

Blue blood squirted from its spinning teeth.

Hana teleported across the ridge, appearing at the creature’s jawline.

Her blades cut two glowing lines into its flesh.

The cut was deep-but still not deep enough.

It roared, turning quickly toward her.

Itsuki screamed into the radio, “HANA, MOVE- IT’S USING THE SONIC PULSE!”

A moment later, the Burrower let out a wave of sound so strong that the storm clouds above shook.

The shockwave blasted Kotaro ten meters away, sent Itsuki flying, and cracked the ground under Chinami.

Hana dug her blades into the sand and held tight.

Her bones shook painfully.

Kaede simply stepped behind a rock and let the blast pass as if it were a light wind.

Dr. Shin sighed. “I will be busy treating burst eardrums today.”

Marra casually wiped blood from her lip. “Mmm. Tingly.”

Kotaro stumbled up. “WE ARE NOT FIGHTING THIS THING THE SAME WAY. WE ARE NOT THE SAME!”

The Burrower lunged at Hana again, faster this time.

She teleported backward-

-but the creature twisted in the air, following her teleport path.

Its teeth snapped shut less than a meter from her throat.

Hana’s eyes grew wide.

Too close.

Before she could strike-

Kaede appeared behind the creature.

She was silent and exact.

Her Void Daggers stabbed into the Burrower’s thick hide. The daggers didn't cut-they made sections of the scales vanish as if they were never there.

The creature jerked and screamed in pain.

Hana jumped onto its back, using the magnets in her boots to stick to it.

Her screen flashed: Skill Ready: VOID CARVE (Stronger) Time to Recharge: Ready Now due to Adrenaline

She breathed out. Focused.

Then she cut a deep cross shape down the Burrower’s spine.

Void energy flowed into the wound like dark ink.

The creature shook wildly.

Itsuki, running and screaming, finally got his footing back.

“OKAY I HAVE A PLAN- IF IT WORKS I’M A GENIUS, AND IF IT FAILS I’M BLAMING ALL OF YOU!”

Chinami shouted, “WHAT IS IT?!”

“I’M HACKING ITS NERVOUS SYSTEM!”

Everyone stopped fighting for a second.

Kotaro yelled, “WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!”

“I’M A HACKER! LET ME TRY!”

“KIDO, YOU CAN’T HACK A GIANT SPACE-WORM!”

“WATCH ME!”

Itsuki slammed his gauntlet onto the ground.

Tiny robots swarmed out, crawling across the sand like metal ants and climbing onto the Burrower’s wound.

Electric pulses ran through its huge body.

Its eyes rolled back.

Marra blinked. “Wow. He’s actually doing it.”

Chinami gasped. “He’s doing it?!”

Kotaro shrieked. “HE’S DOING IT!”

Itsuki squeezed his jaw, sweat dripping from his face as his gauntlet overloaded.

“COME ON… COME ON…”

The Burrower shook violently.

Then-

It stopped.

Hana crouched on its back, breathing hard. “Is it dead?”

Itsuki, breathing heavily, whispered:

“…no.”

The Burrower fell sideways, collapsing into the sand in a huge cloud of dust.

Itsuki fell forward. “It’s… rebooting.”

Everyone looked at him.

Kotaro grabbed his collar. “REBOOTING?! LIKE A PHONE?!”

Itsuki squealed. “I DON’T KNOW, MAN, ITS NERVOUS SYSTEM IS LIKE A WI-FI ROUTER!”

Marra raised a finger. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

Kaede did not wait. She ran forward and jumped onto the creature’s head.

“Explode the mines.”

Marra clapped twice. Three mines under the Burrower flashed blue-

-and exploded upwards through its body, spraying glowing liquid.

The shockwave shook the ground again.

The Burrower’s shriek ended quickly as its body split in half, collapsing into two smoking pieces.

Blue blood covered the sand.

It was finished.

Silence returned.

Itsuki lay face-down, groaning. “Someone please tell me I did a good job.”

Kotaro slapped him on the back.

“That was the most crazy, brave thing I’ve ever seen. I’m buying you dinner if we survive.”

“I want a raise,” Itsuki mumbled into the dirt.

Chinami wiped the monster’s blood off her face.

“Neptune’s wildlife is ridiculous.”

Dr. Shin looked at the remains. “At least it died quickly. Mostly. Some parts are still twitching.”

Hana stepped off the body, her blades still humming.

Her breathing was steady.

Her eyes looked toward the dark horizon.

Toward the storms.

Toward the fortress where Rin was waiting.

Kaede walked up to her silently.

“You fight well, Hana Caelith.”

Hana didn’t answer right away.

Then-

“I need to be stronger.”

Kaede nodded once. “You will be. Soon.”

Behind them, the rest of the teams gathered.

Ahead of them…

the dark shape of Neptune’s fortress waited in the distance, lightning flashing behind it like a beating heart.

Rin knew they were here.