Chapter 518
Chapter 518
Catalina and the Spartans stood frozen in the middle of the street, staring at the two towering Titans on either side of the group.
The saurian beast balanced on two massive hind legs. Its scales were dark and armored. Long claws curved from its forelimbs like hooked blades. Rows of huge teeth filled its jaws, and its thick tail swayed behind it, smashing against the walls covered in Ravage Contamination.
On their right stood the other Titan. While the saurian beast was huge, this one seemed even larger. The creature looked like a nightmare insect brought to an impossible size. Six armored legs supported its towering body. Black plates overlapped across its shell. Two enormous scythe-like forelimbs clicked together as if eager for blood. Its head was narrow and angular, with clusters of glowing red eyes. Behind it, a pair of segmented tails undulated through the air like giant serpents.
The group’s mood shifted. They had been prepared to battle a Titan, but facing two at the same time was more than they had bargained for. Two Spartans lost their cool and raised their assault rifles, aiming at the saurian beast. Noticing that, Silvia shouted, “No, wait, we need to…”
The rest of her words were drowned out by the crackle of their weapons. Bolts of energy slammed into the chest of the saurian beast, drilling holes through its scales. While their weapons did manage to damage the enormous monster, it was obvious that bringing down such a monster would require a hell of a lot more firepower.
The saurian beast clearly didn’t like being attacked. With surprising speed, it rushed forward, seemingly aiming for the group of humans. Catalina and the Spartans all dove out of the way at once. Fortunately for them, the other Titan rushed forward at the same time, and the two enormous beasts crashed together in the middle of the street.
The Spartans reached the other side of the street and glanced at the Titans. To their surprise, the two enormous monsters paid them no attention at all. Instead, they were locked in combat.
One scythe arm of the insectoid Titan sliced across the saurian beast’s chest, tearing away scales and flesh. The saurian roared so loudly Catalina felt it in her bones. The beast answered with a swipe of its claws. The blow smashed into the insectoid’s armored head. Cracks spread across its shell.
The Titan staggered but immediately lunged again, colliding once more with its opponent, chitin scraping scale, mandible meeting tooth. The insectoid lashed out with a jointed limb, scything at the saurian’s flank. The claws tore a ribbon of flesh from its side. The saurian answered with a tail whip that slammed into the Titan’s shoulder plates. The impact crushed them, sending a shower of dark green goo over the street.
Silvia ordered the team to retreat while the two beasts were focused on each other. As Catalina and the Spartans sprinted down the street away from the fighting Titans, the insectoid reared and drove its mandibles toward its opponent. The saurian dodged with surprising ease, then instantly lunged, its foreclaws carving two deep gouges into the Titan’s carapace. Dark, almost black ooze immediately burst from the wounds.
The insectoid screeched so loudly that the team slowed and glanced back at what was happening behind them.
“Keep moving!” Silvia yelled at her people.
The saurian inflicted a few more wounds on its opponent, after which the Titan attempted to retreat. It darted around the saurian and barreled down the street, quickly gaining on the humans.
“Oh crap,” someone cursed, noticing the Titan closing in.
“Scatter!” Silvia shouted.
The team darted in different directions, eager to get out of the huge monster’s way. A moment later, the Titan sprinted past them, paying no attention to the humans hugging the sidewalks on either side of the street. A second later, the saurian sprinted past as well, unwilling to let its opponent get away. It was a miracle none of the survivors were crushed beneath those enormous feet.
“What now?” somebody shouted to Silvia.
The Spartan leader didn’t immediately reply. The nearest subway entrance was farther down the street, but to get there, they would need to get past the two fighting Titans. Trying to do that was too dangerous. The other subway entrance was behind them, but it was much farther away.
Before she could decide which entrance to use, the team was attacked by a group of ravagespawn, so they sprang into action, opening fire on the smaller monsters.
Farther down the street, the saurian caught up with the insectoid. It jumped onto its back, digging its claws into the insectoid’s carapace. Its segmented tails lashed out, slamming into the saurian’s shoulder, dislodging the creature and sending it flying across the street. The saurian beast crashed into a contaminated building, partly destroying the structure beneath its weight. Pieces of organic matter rained across the street.
As the two enormous beasts battled, Catalina and the others continued to fight off the swarm of ravagespawn. At one point, the saurian managed to climb onto the insectoid’s back with terrifying speed. Its claws dug deep into the Titan’s chitinous exterior. The monster roared in agony.
Firing off a precise burst of energy bolts, Catalina brought down another ravagespawn and cast another quick glance at the two Titans battling behind the team. The insectoid monster managed to shake off the saurian beast. It raised one scythe arm high, then drove the blade downward.
The reptile twisted at the last moment. The scythe missed its neck and buried itself in its shoulder instead. At the same moment, the powerful jaws of the saurian snapped shut around one of the Titan’s forelimbs with a loud crunch that echoed through the street.
The Titan shrieked. With a violent jerk, it yanked its scythe blade from the reptilian beast’s shoulder. Dark fluid sprayed from the stump of its arm. The insectoid monster stumbled backward. The saurian charged, clearly eager to finish off its opponent.
Every step shook the ground. The Titan tried to retreat, stabbing with its remaining scythe. The saurian dodged the attack, then slammed into the insectoid beast and knocked it onto its back. The street cracked beneath the impact. The Titan kicked and thrashed, its legs hammering against the saurian’s scaled body.
But the reptilian giant was stronger. It pinned the Titan down with one clawed forelimb. Then its jaws closed around the Titan’s throat. Catalina watched in horror as the enormous reptile bit down. The insectoid’s legs twitched as the Titan’s struggles weakened.
Then the insectoid stopped moving. The victorious beast lifted its blood-covered head and released a thunderous roar. Catalina killed another ravagespawn and exchanged a quick glance with Silvia. Neither said a word.
The group quickly finished off the remaining ravagespawn. Then one of the Spartans asked, “What do we do now, Silvia? Do we take the reptile down?”
Now that one of the two Titans was dead, they only needed to finish off the other one. It was wounded, but it was clearly still full of strength. It had defeated the other Titan with relative ease, and Catalina found herself thinking that she had no desire to battle the surviving monster. From the look on Silvia’s face, she seemed to share the sentiment.
Before the Spartan leader could utter a word, however, the reptile suddenly spun toward them. The team immediately tensed, raising their weapons. The huge monster dropped to all fours and sprinted toward them like an enormous lizard. It opened its jaws as if intent on swallowing them whole.
Several of the Spartans fired off panicked shots. The bolts of energy burned holes through the beast’s armored scales but did nothing to slow its advance. The team knew there was nothing they could do. If they tried to run, the fast-moving monster would catch them in no time. So they simply kept firing at the approaching beast, even though it was clear it would reach them before they could kill it.
Then, to their collective surprise, the saurian came to a sudden halt some thirty yards away. At the same time, a winged creature swooped from the sky and landed between the saurian and the Spartans. The creature, which looked like a wyvern, folded its wings, and then something strange happened.
A lump formed on its back. It quickly assumed a humanoid shape before completely detaching from the wyvern’s body. The individual jumped to the ground and took a step toward the team, pressing a small device to his mandible while raising his other hand.
“Quit hurting my Kaiju,” Jake said.