Two gunboats quickly approached. These 20-ter-long steel behemoths looked insignificant compared to Godzilla’s towering figure, standing over 100 ters tall.
Godzilla paid no attention to the tal boxes circling nearby. As the undisputed ruler of Great Dawn Planet for countless millennia, it had every reason to disdain lesser beings.
It continued moving toward the explosion site, entirely focused on its goal.
This disregard gave the two gunboats a chance to circle it at a distance of two or three kiloters, ticulously observing the colossal creature.
“Incredible,” Dr. Lute murmured in awe once again. “When do we take action?”
“Once it’s farther from the shore. With our current equipnt, we can’t do much to it in the water,” Major Camis replied.
Lute nodded in agreent. Their manpower was limited, and given the beast’s speed and the ocean’s vast depths, if it retreated into the sea after being attacked, they would have little recourse.
If the creature decided to stay subrged, the mission would end in one of two undesirable outcos: either they returned ho with re data instead of the creature itself, or they waited decades for reinforcents.
Both scenarios were unacceptable. Bringing back a living specin was exponentially more valuable than bringing back reports. And waiting for reinforcents could take so long that by the ti they returned, their loved ones on their howorld might have already passed away.
Two hours later, Godzilla had trudged 20 kiloters inland. Despite its slow gait, its imnse stride length allowed it to cover significant ground.
During this ti, the two gunboats had fild Godzilla from every angle, capturing even close-ups of the soles of its feet whenever it lifted them.
Major Camis had deployed all nine remaining squads. Seven were positioned behind Godzilla to form a defensive line, preventing it from returning to the ocean. The remaining two operated the gunboats, providing fire support.
Transport ships had delivered heavy artillery, vehicles, and other armants to reinforce the frontlines. These elite troops, proficient in various combat equipnt, quickly prepared for battle.
On the inland side, no defensive points were established. As long as Godzilla didn’t return to the sea, it was seen as a fish on the chopping block—ready for slaughter.
An additional hour passed. Godzilla was now 30 kiloters from the coast. Its relentless march toward the explosion site underscored its fascination with the nuclear blast. Otherwise, such a creature would likely have avoided such an exhausting journey.
“Begin,” Camis ordered softly into the communicator.
The escort squads, long impatient, opened fire instantly.
Over a dozen long-range cannons launched massive energy beams. These weapons resembled scaled-up rifles, with firing rates only marginally slower than handheld versions. On a cannon, such speed was astonishing.
Simultaneously, the ten gunboats joined the assault, raining down red energy beams from above. Five squads of ground troops, positioned two kiloters from Godzilla, added their firepower, their weapons blazing.
A storm of red energy beams filled the sky.
Caught off guard by the sudden barrage, Godzilla hesitated. How long had it been since anything dared to attack it? The answer would require a mont of thought—though now was hardly the ti for contemplation.
“What?!” Exclamations of disbelief echoed across the bridge, the artillery posts, the gunboats, and the forward lines.
The energy beams inflicted far less damage than anticipated. Although the Riken forces experinted with two firing modes, the results were disheartening. In penetration mode, the beams struggled to pierce Godzilla’s thick outer armor, leaving only small dents.
The explosive mode fared even worse. The minor blasts and burns were laughable to a creature that could bathe in lava and generate nuclear fusion within its body.
As for the infantry’s small arms, they were less than a nuisance, not even qualifying as an itch.
Godzilla was not a creature to endure an attack in silence.
Its dorsal fins began to glow, emitting a faint hum as the surrounding air grew noticeably hotter.
Alarms blared across the Cat’s Ear Spaceship, gunboats, and portable reconnaissance devices.
“Fusion strike detected! Beware!”
“It’s about to attack!”
A red glow traveled upward from Godzilla’s abdon, lighting up its torso and neck. When it opened its massive jaws, a beam of concentrated energy erupted forth.
The artillery positions, over 20 kiloters away, avoided being the first target due to their distance despite their ferocious firepower. The gunboats, having ascended rapidly upon the first alarms, evaded the initial strike thanks to their mobility.
Unfortunately, the infantry squad closest to Godzilla bore the brunt of the attack.
The Riken had speculated that Godzilla possessed long-range capabilities, but Major Camis had gambled on overwhelming it with concentrated firepower. This led him to risk deploying infantry ard with personal weapons.
His gamble failed spectacularly.
Although he ordered a retreat as soon as their weapons proved ineffective, he underestimated Godzilla’s rapid counterstrike.
The squads clustered near the transport ships for evacuation beca easy targets.
One squad won the “lottery.”
A single nuclear breath blast descended upon their position. Before they could react, the explosion obliterated them, creating a mushroom cloud.
Those outside the transport ship were vaporized instantly, their protective suits offering no resistance. The ship itself was flung into the air, its remains heavily damaged. Whether there were survivors inside would require post-battle rescue efforts.
One blast was not enough for Godzilla. The alarms continued as it unleashed a second nuclear breath, annihilating another squad.
Thankfully, the remaining three squads managed to board their ships and retreat before Godzilla could fire a third ti.
Losing a fifth of the escort force in re monts was a tactical disaster. Without significant justification or results, Major Camis risked facing a military tribunal rather than receiving accolades upon returning ho.
Aware of this, Camis felt his mouth go dry.
“Camis, pull yourself together and command the battle. If we capture this creature, Lute and I will ensure this setback is omitted from our reports,” Reggie assured him.
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