"...!"
In the airspace, Kanata, who had been cutting through the Demon Scarab army, was the first to notice something. He shouted toward the surroundings.
"It's here! Watch out!"
Almost as soon as Kanata's sharp warning fell, the Demon Scarab army ahead suddenly parted.
Several enormous monsters appeared there.
"What...!?"
Chloe and Yuri immediately gathered together, their expressions turning solemn.
The creatures that appeared before the three members of Special Operations Squad S128 were enormous Demon Scarabs—at least far larger than Arknarok-class ones.
They looked like gigantic walnuts covered in moss, each with a gaping maw. Countless tentacles protruded from their walnut-shaped bodies, each one writhing as though alive. They looked utterly disgusting.
These were creatures that absolutely could not exist within the evolutionary system of existing life-forms. Even among the Demon Scarabs, there was no species like them.
They were...
"Mutant Strains..."
Kanata, Chloe, and Yuri's expressions became extremely grave.
Even everyone in the 'Mistgun' command center began to clamor at the sight.
"Th-Those are Mutant Strains?"
Misora swallowed.
"Wh-Why are there so many...!?"
Lekti looked terrified.
"..."
Riko finally reined in her haughty attitude as well.
Even Flonne could no longer concern herself with Luo Zhen and the others' intrusion. She stared at the images on the screen and bit her thumbnail.
"Could they be the 'Tianjin Four'?"
At those words, Misora, Lekti, and Riko immediately became puzzled.
Clearly, the three of them had no idea what Flonne meant by the 'Tianjin Four.'
Luo Zhen, who was staring directly at the screen, explained.
"The so-called 'Tianjin Four' are a type of command-class Mutant Strain. They can command groups of smaller Demon Scarabs. Each 'Tianjin Four' usually has a group of smaller specimens around it for them to command. The number varies. Sometimes there are only a few dozen;