Radiant light shimmered around the children. The once-terrifying Gastrea no longer seemed quite so frightening, and the citizens of Tokyo watched the girls dance like fairies, unable to snap out of their daze for a long time.
As though blessed by a god, their every movement brought lightning and thunder as they wielded the mighty forces of nature. No matter how many charges the once-arrogant Gastrea launched, they crumpled like paper at the slightest touch. The attackers and defenders had clearly traded places.
As the Gastrea were eliminated one after another, the culprit behind this crisis finally appeared nearby: Aldebaran. He dragged his enormous body toward the battlefield, step by step. His pace seemed slow, but with that immense frame, each stride carried him dozens of meters.
The Gastrea on the battlefield fell silent, as though welcoming their king.
"ROOOAR!"
His furious roar became a hurricane that resounded through the night sky, filled with rage at the insignificant ants on the ground.
Suddenly, the monster coiled around Aldebaran reared up. It resembled a long snake with a swollen belly, measured ten feet in both length and height, and had no limbs with which to move. It opened an eye as sharp as a swordfish's blade and looked toward the girls gathered together.
"Oh no, it's Alcyone!" Watching from a tall building, Rentaro's expression changed drastically, and he hurried downstairs. He had to find a way to stop that monster, or the girls, who knew nothing about its abilities, would suffer terrible losses. Alcyone was a member of the Gastrea army led by Aldebaran, a Stage IV Gastrea with archerfish traits. It specialized in long-range attacks, capable of sniping targets from five kilometers away by spraying high-pressure mercury in a "Light Spear." In exchange, it could not feed itself and relied