The cage hooks snapped open, and the Nephilims made their way out. They glanced at each other, making screeching sounds—they were communicating, and I could understand them perfectly. Maybe it was because I had merged with B.
The supervisor's voice came through the speaker:
"Another tip: Grade D Nephilims have a certain level of intelligence, so don't take them lightly."
As soon as he finished speaking, a Nephilim lunged forward, grabbing a girl and throwing her into its mouth. She screamed at the top of her lungs for help, but everyone just stood there, watching in devastation.
The Nephilim closed its mouth, but its teeth couldn't penetrate the girl's suit.
"Relax, Grade D Nephilims won't harm you in that suit. That being said, your points will be massively deducted, so just think of it as though you're dead," the supervisor announced through the speaker.
A spark of hope lit up in everyone's eyes, and their courage returned. We got our weapons ready, and before we knew it, the combat ground had become a battlefield of humans versus Nephilims.
"Here, take my gun," Kitetsu said.
"Eh?"
Kitetsu threw his assault rifle at me. I caught it. He removed something that looked like a torch and pressed a button, causing a bright red light to emit from it.
"I can't lose to Big Sis," he muttered. "I'm sorry, Ryuma, but I have to go forward."
I just nodded, and he dashed ahead. He was fast.
I picked up the rifle and moved forward.
"B, could you help me a bit?"
"Help you a bit? What do you mean? I can't help you; this is your battle."
"I know, I know, but if you could tell me what I could do, it would be of great help."
"But there's nothing I can help you with."
'Haa, speak of a useless partner.'
"I can hear you."
I shot three bullets at the Nephilim. Each had less impact than the one before, but it killed the Nephilim.
"Oho!"
As I proceeded to the next kill, I noticed a strange movement. All the Nephilims were shifting backward. It wasn't a retreat; they were blocking or trying to shield something, at least that was whay I thought.
***
In the control room, while everyone was focused on the screens, watching the exam, somebody noticed something unusual.
"Hmm, what's with this computer… Oi, Boss, something is wrong with my computer. Oh god, I told that brat to fix it," one of the guys at the computer complained.
The supervisor closed the distance and glanced at the screen.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I think my computer's busted. I've been getting these fluctuating heat signals. Sometimes it goes up to eighty aqueous; sometimes it's below that—see! It's now at eighty-three."
The supervisor squinted, peering at the screen.
"Above fifty means there should be a Grade C Nephilim. Are you sure all the Nephilims released are Grade D?"
"Hmm, I don't know. I asked the lady at the lab, and according to her, they cross-checked everything, and it was okay. Personally, I think my computer's busted."
"Alright, go get the tech team, and you can take a break while you're at it. You've done enough work for today," the supervisor said, moving to the big screen.
"Oh, thank you very much, Boss."
"Aww… that's not fair, Boss! We all did the same amount of work today. Why does only he get a break?" a lady whined.
"She's right, Boss, we all deserve a break," another added.
"Quite the lively bunch you've got here," Leonard, who was seated near the door, commented. Beside him were two others: a guy wearing a nose mask, likely asleep with his eyes closed, and Saiya.
"They're always like this. I can't handle them," the supervisor chuckled, turning to his team. "Alright, after these exams, we'll have a team bonding night."
"Yeah! There you go, Boss!" they all cheered in jubilation, until a voice cut through their cheers.
"Boss, I think my computer's broken too," a young girl said.
"Huh?? Even you? Are you trying to get a break as well?" the supervisor asked.
"Come see for yourself."
He approached her position and bent over, locking his gaze on her screen. His eyes widened.
"What is this? A hundred aqueous? Scan the area and pinpoint the exact location this wave is coming from, be quick!"
"Alright, Boss."
The girl began tapping her keyboard aggressively, her calm gaze fixed on the screen. Her colleagues craned their necks to see what was happening.
"Got it, Boss."
The screen showed a beeping red glow.
"It's coming from the west wing, and the exam is taking place a few kilometers to the north," he muttered. "Calculate the heat waves and grade it."
"Roger."
She tapped her keyboard, and multiple tabs popped up on the screen.
"Eighty to a hundred and two. I think it's a Grade C."
"Damn those scientist bastards… We need help immediately! Someone, call for backup!" The control room gradually erupted into chaos.
The supervisor walked toward Leonard, who remained seated, calmly watching the exam.
"Captain."
"What's happening?"
"Honestly, we don't know, but we need your help. There's a Nephilim on the ground that shouldn't be there, and we're speculating it's a Grade C."
Leonard nodded.
"Fox, get going."
The guy who had been sleeping beside him opened his dark eyes, stood up, and left the control room. Saiya also stood, about to follow, but Leonard stopped her.
"Wait, Snake!"
"Captain…"
"Go call for the extraction team."
"Roger that!"
***
I stood frozen, eyes wide, cold sweat running down my chin, a chill down my spine, my feet shaking, and my hands trembling. Even though I had eaten one myself, what I saw in front of me was utterly inhumane.