Another Incident

Mad Ape's massive body crashed to the ground.

The civilians sheltering nearby did not know all the details. They cheered after surviving the disaster, believing that Cherno Alpha and Mount Tai had joined forces to defeat the invading enemy.

Normally, they could only watch mecha battles on television or video platforms.

But now, they had become witnesses at the scene, watching two mechas fight side by side. After surviving the calamity, they all felt the trip had been worthwhile.

The survivors could certainly celebrate, but who should answer for the civilians who had tragically died?

And those twenty-two heroes buried far from home.

Thinking again of the innocent, pleading look in Mad Ape's eyes before its death, Xiao Shou shook his head. He did not want to dwell on it any longer, nor did he feel the slightest excitement at victory.

All of this had been caused by "them."

One day, they would settle the score with "them" once and for all!

Next came the so-called cleanup work.

Although they were in another country's territorial waters, they could not simply leave after killing the kaiju.

Mad Ape had been killed, yet blood still flowed constantly from its wounds.

If left unattended, this entire stretch of sea would become a forbidden zone.

That was because the peculiar toxic effect known as Kaiju Blue would leave the area completely barren.

No living creature could thrive here, humans included.

If that happened, Hawaii, the so-called tourist paradise known as the Rainbow State, would become deserted as well.

However, there was still room to salvage the situation as long as it was handled promptly.

As soon as the battle ended, The U.S. military once again took control of the Hawaiian Islands. After all, they had to show their faces before the public; otherwise, if they earned a reputation for fleeing whenever trouble struck, riots would surely follow.

Four heavy-lift helicopters hoisted Mad Ape up and towed it to a nearby uninhabited island.

This time, however, The U.S. could not keep the "spoils" all to itself.

Aside from the portion that had to be submitted to the PPDC headquarters research lab, Nation Z and Europe naturally had to get their share as well.

After all, they had deployed mechas and helped Hawaii solve its problem. How could they not receive an appearance fee?

After all, kaiju corpses held immense research and practical value.

For instance, even the fuel used in fighter aircraft engines now contained traces of kaiju blood.

As for the exact division of the remains, Commander Mao Shucheng would have to negotiate it.

Well, it had nothing to do with Xiao Shou and Yu Shan.

Due to the kaiju attack, transportation within Hawaii had been temporarily suspended.

All flights had been canceled as well.

As for tourists from various countries stranded there, they could either wait for local arrangements or contact their embassies and request evacuation by their national fleets.

At present, The U.S. had agreed to allow various nations to send fleets into the Hawaiian Islands to evacuate their citizens and civilians.

Although Mad Ape had not lingered there for long, it had still done considerable damage to Hawaii.

It was like filling a room with building-block toys. Even if your mother did not deliberately wreck them, simply walking through the room would leave a field of ruins behind...

Therefore, Hawaii's urban facilities urgently needed reconstruction, making it unsuitable for tourists to remain there.

And as the country with the largest number of tourists in the area, Nation Z naturally had to evacuate them.

"Hooooonk!"

The thunderous blasts of the fleet's horns rang through the sky.

Under the powerful searchlights of the helicopters overhead, the red flags flying from the bows revealed their identity.

This filled the Nation Z tourists and expatriates present with excitement.

Their country had come to take them home!

And that was indeed the case. The military had long anticipated this outcome, and of course they were coming to bring their citizens home.

Nor was Nation Z alone. Many countries whose tourists were stranded there had also sent people to evacuate their citizens and civilians.

No one would abandon their own people.

Even if they had to enter a place of danger.

Never abandon, never give up—this had always been their creed.

It was not an empty slogan, because the People's Army had always acted this way.

They had never given up.

They had not only come to evacuate citizens and civilians; several large salvage ships had arrived as well.

Because the twenty-two heroes lying on the seabed also had to be brought home.

We could not let the dead bleed their last drop of blood, only to make the living shed endless tears.

Bringing their bodies back would let them return to their roots, and it would also give their families an answer.

After all, heroes had died in foreign lands, and yet their remains had never been brought home. That was something the living could not bear.

Even if some of them might have no remains left at all, bringing back whatever they could would still offer some comfort.

In addition, the downed fighter jets had to be recovered. Though the nations were now united on the same front, they could not let others profit too easily.

"Phew, this is really great! We're saved!"

"Yeah, this is what they mean by surviving a great disaster and being blessed afterward!"

"Old Hu, what are you showing off for? I'll settle this score with you when we get back!"

The seven troublemakers were also guided aboard the ships by soldiers alongside their fellow citizens and tourists.

This time, they truly relaxed.

Because their family had come to take them home.

Mount Tai and Cherno Alpha looked at each other and raised their arms together.

"Bang!"

Two iron fists collided.

This was the salute between comrades.

The surrounding civilians raised their phones and took photos, recording this beautiful moment.

The surviving civilians embraced one another and cheered, celebrating their new lease on life.

Just as everyone was immersed in this brief warmth, an orange glow lit up the distant east, as though the sun were rising.

But dawn had not yet arrived.

That was the direction of The U.S.'s west coast.

Xiao Shou and Yu Shan exchanged a look.

Wanderer had encountered trouble!