I started climbing, climbing, climbing, and climbing. Each step became more difficult, heavy, and tiring. But between staying here, bordering on insanity with no one but Hideaki for company, or to return to the world that hates me so much, I would much rather disappear from here!

  The sound of my heavy footsteps on the steel steps banged in my eardrums, making it feel like my skull was about to crack.

  Upon reaching the tunnel known as the 11th floor, the staircase finally ended, but the platform was no longer there; it had returned to the entrance. Well, all you have to do is press the button and wait for it to come back.

  But something was unsettling me; the tunnel’s abyss could hide many things at its end (if it even has one), and there was a slight tingling in the back of my neck—I'm not alone, something is coming from the platform, the staircase below, or the tunnel, wherever it may be, it probably doesn't want me here.

  And my suspicion was confirmed by what began as a slight tremor, like the bass of a loud speaker. The ground began to shake and pieces of the ceiling fell. The tremor intensified into a low-magnitude earthquake, the alarms sounded, and I spotted a faint red glow deep within the tunnel along with the sound of concrete breaking.

  Then my second worst fear at that moment became a reality—I was face to face with an animal Cog—and it was none other than Earth-Eater itself, its fangs and claws glowing red, just like my own spikes. Its colossal body made me look like an ant in comparison. I have no idea how I'm going to deal with this; this thing must be at least five hundred meters long, and I doubt I can do anything against that impenetrable armor!

  The creature growled, teeth clenched, preparing to pounce. Then it lunged at me, but I dodged and immediately went into combat, launching an onslaught of punches on its body; they were strong, but had no effect. It then hurled me against the wall with a swipe of its claw. But I won't give up so easily.

  I grabbed one of its claws and pulled, hoping to tear it off with my strength, but it was to no avail. It lifted me into the air, and I took the opportunity to jump onto its head, pulling the spines from the side. It roared with a harsh hiss like that of an enraged snake, thrashing from side to side, banging against the walls in an attempt to make me let go, which it did, throwing me against the wall with such force that I created another crater in it. My body was seized by a dull ache.

  I dodged each of his blows, each leap draining more of my energy. With each attempt to attack, my fists were unable to do any damage to Earth-Eater. Each roar grated my ears like sandpaper.

  I couldn't take it anymore; each step, each scratch from his claws exposing more of my skin, flesh, and circuits. My legs were weak, and my arms felt like twigs as I thrashed them relentlessly in a desperate attempt to damage him.

  After being sent back against the wall once again, I was exhausted—back hunched over, hand gripping one of my arms, and panting—I couldn't move anymore….

  The creature roared again, and amidst the drops of saliva, I noticed a single, serpentine, gleaming eye, displaying a blood-red color. That might very well be its weak point—but I was too tired to do anything.

  My body, which had been overflowing with energy not long ago, was now drained, limp, and unresponsive; there was nothing more to be done… unless…

  As I closed my eyes, I called out to him:

  “Hideaki, I've come to bargain.”

  “Ah, finally.” His voice echoed in my mind. “Tell me, what are you looking for in the wreckage?"

  “You initially volunteered for cogfication to fight the animalistic Cogs, right?”

  “Where are you going with this?”

  “Take over my body and do your job. But don't take more than five minutes!”

  “Give me a minute and this thing will be reduced to scrap metal!”

  And before I could reply, I was overcome by a pressure, a metallic cold that was rougher compared to Kassidy's ice. My arm trembled as it rose, as if it was resisting the pulling of ropes, heading towards my forehead. My hand then grabbed the limiter, ripped it right out of my head, threw it against the ground and stomped on it—thus began my biggest mistake so far:

  The pressure intensified tenfold, as if I were being suffocated at the bottom of the sea. Sharp, spider-leg-like appendages erupted from my back in excruciating pain as I screamed in agony, additional spikes sprouted along my spine, and my hands morphed into claws.

  My eyes then finally widened, filled with a crimson color—the vision of a predator, the vision of Hideaki.

  “HAHAHAHAHA!! There's no one to save you now, you vermin!” Hideaki mocked, but it was cruel rather than my usual sarcasm. Earth-Eater then roared louder than ever.

  My body moved from side to side like an insect dodging in the blink of an eye. Not a single blow landed; each miss was another opportunity to climb onto its body, and the creature moved desperately in an attempt to kill it.

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  He quickly reached its head, forcing the creature to open its mouth. Its single slit pupil stared at him with terror, as if the mere sight of Hideaki's dorsal claws already sealed its fate.

  Hideaki plunged into his mouth, seizing his eye as my lips curved into a vile, deranged grin. He then began to tear at his weak point, scratch after scratch, cackling as he went along. Less and less remained of the eye, and its blood covered the organic interior of the steel worm.

  Is that what my mind was being shared with?! Hideaki is a pure and efficient killing machine. He didn't take a single hit from the beast and eliminated it in a matter of seconds! No wonder everyone is afraid of us…

  Upon finishing the job, any sound Earth-Eater made was silenced, spitting out my body as I fell dead to the ground.

  "Done, I'll always be willing to help..." Hideaki whispered in my mind as he disappeared.

  The pressure finally eased, and Hideaki's features receded back into my body, my body covered in pain and my gloves bloodied. I noticed that one of the strands of my green hair, now loose, had turned a bluish-gray as I saw my reflection in a pool of blood.

  As I turned to leave that hell, I spotted none other than Saul frozen on the platform—Lotus must have sent him here, as I had suspected—but a look of pure terror was etched on his face.

  "I... I had no choice..." I began to explain myself, "it was either this or that thing would’ve killed me and taken many other innocent people with it!"

  "Cacto... I heard what you said during your fight with Kassidy." He whispered, taking a step back.. "’It's not about the power, it's what I do with it that matters’ right? And here you are, violating that creature in every way possible and laughing about it…"

  “T-that wasn't me! The dorsal claws, the movement, the brutal efficiency. That's not something that I would do!”

  “What are ya on about? That was clearly the same gal that I talked to yesterday at the bar! The one who fought off that Kassidy's fury!”

  “…It's a long story, Lotus knows all about it.”

  “She didn't say anything about your manic frenzy!”

  “Obviously! She keeps everything a secret, thinking that's the only way to solve the problem!”

  "You guys are a strange bunch..." he frowned.

  "Just... just shut up, please, I want to get out of here already. Go on, open that gate." I grumbled, heading towards the platform. Hesitantly, Saul opened the way, stepping aside to the corner as I entered.

  "Move, press the button, I'll explain everything on the way." I sighed, leaning against the fence.

  The way back to the surface was disconcerting; I managed to explain myself, but Saul was looking at me suspiciously the whole way. I solved one problem, but I only made another worse—I caused irreversible damage to one of the only people who still treated me like a human being. How long will it be before the same thing happens to Leona, Steel, or even Lotus?

  Upon returning to the entrance, I see a woman running with a radar in her hands, wearing a feminine version of the Order of Prevalence’s uniform, which can only be a bad sign.

  "Saul," I glanced at him over my shoulder, "get out of here now!" And he obeyed, running down the street.

  "Commander, the last Cog energy readings were detected here!" She sounded polite, like someone who did her job out of sheer discipline.

  And behind her, Kassidy appeared, running towards her, freezing when he saw me.

  "Cacto!" he shouted, already drawing his sword. "Don't tell me you're the one who awakened that beast in the depths of that tomb!"

  "Indeed," I replied, cracking my knuckles, "although I wasn't exactly the one that killed it."

  I then threw the document and the SV card in their direction:

  “I found these things down there, I think you should take a look. And maybe you're right, Kassidy.”

  "What?" Kassidy was in shock, dropping his sword. "W-where's the part where you desperately defend yourself while we're fighting a duel to the death?"

  “Just… just go back to your base and analyze the documents.”

  “No! Not while I have you in my sights!” He turned to the co-worker “Tsundora, bring this to your squad!”

  "On it!" She saluted, but stopped half a step later. "And you, Commander?"

  “I'm going to put an end to this.”

  "Remember the general's orders, 'Don't kill the rebellious Cog, bring her prisoner instead.'" Tsundora reminded him in a warning tone.

  Kassidy grumbled as she returned to HQ:

  “Nosy people, they have no idea what threatens them.”

  “Indeed.” I sighed, disinterested.

  "So? You're not going to do anything?" Kassidy said, strangely worried.

  “I'm just asking that you let me go this time, you have no idea how exhausted I am…”

  “I will never leave such an unruly beast loose!”

  "Then I'll give you an excuse to go to the infirmary!" I yelled as I knocked him out with a brutal punch to the face.

  After staring at Kassidy's body lying on the ground for a few seconds, I turned my back and headed towards the house—I have a serious conversation to have.