Kaiju No.8: Devour and Evolve

The unicorn monster was already severely injured, yet the system still found it necessary to remind Drake Myers to finish it off.

"Really?" he muttered, frustration creeping into his voice. Anyone with half a brain could see the creature was at death's door.

Thanks to Drake's relentless and efficient assault, the monster had been brought to its knees without much resistance. However, his own mental energy was nearing its limit.

Standing over the creature with his sword pressed against its neck, Drake panted heavily, each breath feeling more labored than the last. The cool night breeze under the moonlight did little to ease his exhaustion.

In the distance, Chikako Nakanoshima and her team had ceased their attacks. The monster, heavily wounded and barely breathing, would perish soon enough. For now, their focus was on Drake. The plan was to subdue him once he lost consciousness and bring him in for questioning.

"Ensure he doesn't leave," Mina Ashiro's voice came through their comms with unmistakable authority. "We need him in our ranks."

Meanwhile, Soshiro Hoshina was deep in thought. A part of him hoped Drake was human, but another part entertained the possibility that he might be a monster. A liberation rate of 99% was unheard of, even with the most advanced combat suits.

Both Mina and Hoshina, riding together toward the battlefield, were equally impatient to see the situation firsthand.

Y-District: The Ruins

The Y-District lay in ruins, the aftermath of the battle devastating countless lives and properties. The cherry blossom nation had long accepted such destruction as an unavoidable cost of their ongoing war against monsters.

Drake, struggling to stay on his feet, couldn't understand why Nakanoshima's squad had stopped attacking.

"Why aren't they finishing it off?" he thought, his frustration mounting.

All they needed to do was deliver the final blow, and he could absorb the monster's ability. Yet, they hesitated, wasting precious time.

Clenching his teeth, he stabbed his sword into the ground to steady himself and shouted, "Hey! Someone finish it off! You can take the credit, I don't care!"

But the squad remained motionless, their expressions stern and unreadable.

"What's going on?" Drake muttered, his confusion growing.

Then, a realization struck him—were they treating him as the monster?

His anger flared. He had no issue with undergoing tests to prove his humanity, but the current situation was pushing him to his limits. With every passing second, his chance to absorb the monster's power slipped further away.

"You're waiting for me to drop, aren't you?" Drake sneered bitterly. "Hoping I'll wear myself out?"

Nakanoshima stepped forward cautiously, her tone measured. "Drake, please understand. We just need to wait for Captain Ashiro. This isn't about doubting you—it's just…" She hesitated before continuing. "No human has ever displayed this level of destructive power without a combat suit. We need answers."

Drake's laughter was hollow, almost delirious. "So, what? You're going to let this thing live a little longer while I bleed out?"

Nakanoshima tried to placate him. "It's dying. A few more minutes won't change anything."

Her mission was clear: stall Drake until reinforcements arrived. If he collapsed, they'd treat him and wait for Captain Ashiro to make the final call.

"Minutes? I don't have minutes!" Drake roared, blood spilling from his mouth as he staggered.

Nakanoshima hesitated, visibly unsettled but unwilling to act rashly. Drake's feats—his individual combat strength and liberation rate—were unprecedented.

The Complexity of the Situation

Drake had no way of knowing what was going through their minds. To him, the world seemed frustratingly simple: kill the monster, absorb its ability, and move forward. Yet, to the squad, the situation was far more intricate.

Nakanoshima weighed her options. If Drake was human, an apology would suffice. But if he was a monster, his elimination was inevitable.

Drake, however, didn't share her patience. His vision blurred as his exhaustion deepened. Finally, he shouted toward Kikoru Shinomiya, the only person whose judgment he dared to trust:

"Kikoru Shinomiya! Can I trust you?"

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