The Nephilim let out a shrill cry as it swung multiple whips all over the place, destroying the area and kicking up more dust particles into the air.
As the dust began to settle, a figure emerged. He wore the official ranger battle suit and walked at a slow pace towards the Nephilim, which was running wild.
The person was slender, his eyes half-closed as though he had just woken up from sleep, his hair messy and short. He wore a nose mask that covered half of his face, revealing only his eyes. This individual was Fox, who had been dispatched a few minutes ago by Captain Leonard.
Fox pressed a button beside his neck and spoke:
"Fox speaking, about to engage with the Nephilim, confirm."
His voice was low pitched and kind of hoax
A voice responded through the earphone he wore:
"Engagement granted. Checking Nephilim grade... possibly a Grade C or B Nephilim. Be careful."
"Roger."
He pressed the button beside his neck again, and a helmet covered his entire head.
"Hmm?"
His gaze fell on Ryuma, who was unconscious and laying on top of a pile of metal and blocks. He pressed the button and spoke again:
"Send medic."
"They're already on their way."
Fox moved his hand to his side pocket and unstrapped a pistol.
He shot two bullets, which opened two holes in its body.
The Nephilim let out a loud cry and swung its whip at Fox. With no effort, he tilted his head slightly, dodging the attack, then quickly removed a knife and cut off the whip.
Annoyed, it shot multiple whips at Fox. He quickly ran past the Nephilim, cutting all the whips aimed at him in the process. He ran over to Ryuma and picked him up.
He scanned Ryuma's body and noticed the metal impaled in him from behind.
The Nephilim noticed Fox and shot its whip at him. Fox carried Ryuma and leaped backward, dodging the whip.
Fox dropped Ryuma behind a metal plate and walked casually towards the rampaging Nephilim.
"Control, send it," he spoke over the earphone.
"Roger, it will arrive in ten seconds."
Fox reloaded his gun and shot at the Nephilim. The bullets created multiple holes in its body, and it raged. It shot its whips at Fox, but Fox used his knife to cut all the whips into small pieces.
Fox ran at the Nephilim, cutting down any whip coming at him. However, the closer he got, the more whips shot at him.
The Nephilim was defending and attacking at the same time, and the battle wasn't making any progress.
Suddenly, the Nephilim made a loud cry, much louder than before. The cry sent waves through the ground, causing it to quake.
It stood upright, revealing its body. The head was small with barely any neck. Its stomach was huge, and on its sides were small arms. The whips were all over its stomach, wiggling wildly, and its legs were thin.
It screamed in Fox's face and shot countless whips at him.
Taking note of Ryuma's position, Fox ran out of the area, avoiding the whips as they hit the ground, creating huge craters. The result of one hit from those whips was now clear.
Fox came to a stop, shooting at the Nephilim, but this time the bullets had no effect. He kept dodging and shooting until he ran out of bullets. That's when he noticed something dropping from the artificial sky.
He ran towards the location, avoiding the deadly whips as he went.
It was a box. He opened it, and inside was something resembling a torch. He removed it and tapped on a switch. The item extended and merged with his suit, and a long blade emerged from the other end. This weapon was known as Quincy.
A Quincy is a special weapon, reserved for only certain people within the ranger ranks. Like the suit, this weapon draws a percentage of power from its wielder.
Fox stared at the weapon as the percentage on his screen and on the weapon rose to seventy percent.
He swung it, creating marks on the ground.
The Nephilim's whip sped through the air, aiming at Fox. As soon as they hit the ground, they fell to pieces—Fox had diced them.
He kicked forward towards the Nephilim, his speed had increased massively. As he approached it, he leaped into the air, floating just above the Nephilim. The Nephilim shot its whip at him, but, like before, he swung his Quincy blade at blinding speed, cutting it down.
Fox pressed another button, and his Quincy retracted and extended into a long sniper.
He aimed for the head and generated enough energy before releasing a shot that blasted through the Nephilim's head, down to the ground, creating a hole. The Nephilim exploded into chunks of meat and blood, splattering all over the site. It was gruesome.
Fox landed on the ground, and his Quincy retracted back to normal.
"Nephilim eliminated," he spoke.
"Good job, Fox. The core?"
Fox scanned the area. "I didn't see any."
"What? Or did you destroy it?"
"No, I didn't... I think."
"You think?!"
While he spoke on the phone, some other people arrived in a bus, wearing large surgical suits.
Fox gave them directions to Ryuma's body.
"Good job, Lieutenant Nagato," one of them greeted him.
"Hmm."
He nodded.
"Is there anything we can do for you?"
"Mmhm."
He shook his head and was about to leave the scene, but he stopped.
He looked at the bloodstains all over his clothes, and his eyes teared up.
"A new set of deodorant, please."
***
Leonard walked up to the big screen, his eyes fixed and his eyebrows furrowed. His face displayed a glint of annoyance at what he had just witnessed a few moments before. He was certain.
"Somebody switch over to the camera at the west wing," he ordered.
"Roger!"
A voice shouted, and immediately a screen popped up, displaying the moment after Ryuma's bomb had exploded in the Nephilim's face.
"Take it five seconds back," Leonard ordered again.
It was rewound to the moment the smoke grenade went off.
"Play it and reduce the speed."
Leonard glued his eyes to the events that followed. The smoke rising into the air, and Ryuma bursting out of the smoke.
"Is there anything that catches your interest, Captain?" the supervisor asked, walking up to Leonard.
"You said his physical capability with the suit was one percent, right?"
"Right. Is there something wrong with him, Captain?"
Leonard remained silent, watching the clip loop for a while.
"No, there's nothing wrong..." He turned back to leave. "...Snake, let's go."
Together with Saiya, they left the control room