Chapter 29
The air crackled. Nijika and Ryo watched, frozen, as the substation groaned and tore apart. Silvermane, already huge, kept growing. Its silver-chrome body stretched, sixty meters tall, ripping through concrete and steel like paper.
This is impossible. A monster this big…
The ground shook with a deep RUMBLE.
Nijika's heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drum against the terrifying sight. She felt Ryo grip her arm, her fingers cold. Her own terror made her dizzy.
Then, a speck of red and black shot from the wreckage. Spider-Man. He was so small. Just a tiny figure against the monster.
He tried to fight. He launched webs that dissolved on Silvermane's arm. His punches landed like tiny taps against the giant, doing nothing.
Her personal terror for herself faded, replaced by a deep worry for him.
He's going to get crushed.
No. He can't.
Nijika gasped. Silvermane's massive hand moved. It was a slow, deliberate motion, but unavoidable. The back of its palm slammed into Spider-Man.
SMACK!
He flew across the cityscape. A red-and-black ragdoll. He crashed through one skyscraper. Then another.
CRUNCH!
Each impact sent a fresh wave of dread through her. He landed in a heap of rubble, far in the distance. He did not move.
Ryo's grip tightened on Nijika's arm, her yellow eyes wide with silent fear.
He's… he's gone.
Nijika's hope shattered. A cold, empty ache settled in her chest.
Our only hope. He was so brave, but he was just one person.
Just as despair threatened to consume her, Nijika saw it. A dark, sleek spaceship shot from the distant mountains. It streaked across the night sky, heading straight for the city.
A spaceship? Now?
She blinked, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her. It was huge. Impossible.
Ryo, her mouth slightly agape, pointed a trembling finger.
"Nijika… look."
The spaceship moved with impossible speed. Nijika felt a flicker of surprise, a small spark of something she could not quite name. A weird kind of wonder.
He's alive.
A red and black shape, so small, rose from the dust cloud where Spider-Man crashed. Nijika's breath hitched. A tiny spark of hope flared in her chest. He was hurt, she could tell, but he moved.
Then, a red-and-blue sports car, the GP-7, shot into the sky from the city streets. It soared towards Spider-Man, a vibrant streak against the grey.
Spider-Man landed lightly in the driver's seat. The car peeled away from the ground, flying with surprising speed. It raced toward Silvermane, which loomed over the city like a mountain.
What is he doing?
Tiny missiles shot from the GP-7's hood.
PEW! PEW!
They sparked against Silvermane's massive armor, doing nothing. The monster just stood there, unbothered. It was like a toy car trying to fight a skyscraper.
"He's… attacking it?" Ryo said, her voice quiet.
Nijika could only nod, her eyes wide. It was insane. Spider-Man was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. Silvermane brought one of its colossal arms down, trying to swat the GP-7.
WHUMP!
The GP-7 zipped away, dodging the plasma blast that followed.
He's going to get himself killed!
But Spider-Man kept moving. He drove the GP-7, not toward Silvermane, but toward the massive spaceship. The one that appeared from nowhere. The one still hanging in the air.
The spaceship's underside opened, revealing a hangar bay. The GP-7 zipped inside.
WHOOSH!
Then, the spaceship began to change. Metal groaned, a deep, mechanical sound that made the ground tremble. Panels shifted and peeled away. The entire ship unfolded with immense power.
CLANG!
The lion-themed head of the spaceship split open. A new, more powerful head emerged from inside. Sides peeled back, becoming massive arms. Boosters on the back reconfigured themselves into colossal legs.
SCREEE!
The transformation was slow, yet powerful, like watching a mountain rise from the earth. With a final, ground-shaking CLANG, Leopardon stood upright. Sixty meters tall. Gold, black, and silver.
Nijika's jaw dropped. Her vermilion eyes were wide and unblinking. Ryo, next to her, simply stared. A faint, almost invisible tremor ran through her usually calm frame.
It was unbelievable. A giant robot. Just like in their favorite battle manga. The sheer nerve of it, the impossible scale, was too much to process.
They stood there, utterly shocked. The giant hero of Planet Spider faced the monstrous Machine BEM. It was a scene ripped straight from a manga. Now it played out in their city.
* * *
The cockpit was massive, not a cramped space like he expected. A panoramic screen filled his view, showing Silvermane still standing there, a mountain of metal. Controls blinked around him, more complex than a jet fighter.
Marveller.
Leopardon.
Awe filled him, pushing away the terror of getting swatted across Tokyo. He felt a weird hum in his bones, a connection to the giant robot. Its gold, black, and silver frame felt like an extension of his own body. He had the power now. Real power.
This is amazing.
He looked at Silvermane, his red lenses narrowing. The monster had hurt Nijika and Ryo. It had mocked him. He had to make it pay. He would protect everyone.
Silvermane roared, a deep sound that rattled the city's remaining windows. The red visor on its helmet burned with focused rage. It took a heavy step, stomping toward the nearest skyscraper.
Not on my watch.
Its energy mane flared, blue-silver tendrils whipping around its head like an angry halo. Plasma blasts streamed from the tips, cutting lines of light through the night. They screamed toward Leopardon.
Spider-Man felt the incoming attacks through Leopardon's systems, a focused Spider-Sense warning him. The cockpit glowed red.
That's not going to happen.
"Arc Turn!"
Leopardon's head ornament, a golden, lion-like crest, detached. It shot forward, spinning like a massive boomerang. A ray of light, pure white and powerful, streamed from its edges.
The Arc Turn met Silvermane's plasma blasts mid-air.
FWOOSH!
It deflected them with ease, sending the energy bolts harmlessly into the sky. They exploded in silent bursts of light far above the city.
Spider-Man guided the Arc Turn, sending it curving around Silvermane. It sliced through the giant's extended mane tendrils.
SHIIING!
Metal shrieked. Sparks flew. Silvermane recoiled, its energy mane retracting, tendrils snapping back into place. The attack stung it.
Silvermane roared, a sound like grinding metal. Its red visor glowed with rage. The giant charged, a silver blur across the industrial district. Each massive footfall shook the ground.
Spider-Man gripped the controls, feeling Leopardon's systems brace.
Here it comes.
He pushed Leopardon forward, meeting Silvermane head-on.
BOOM!
The impact rocked the cockpit. Lights flickered. Spider-Man slammed back against his seat. Leopardon groaned, the sound a deep shudder through its frame. Warning lights flashed red across his screen, showing system overloads.
Silvermane pushed, its immense strength testing Leopardon's limits. Another heavy fist struck Leopardon's shoulder.
CRUNCH!
Leopardon stumbled back a step, alarms blaring in the cockpit. Spider-Man gritted his teeth, fighting to keep control. The monster was just too strong for a brawl.
This won't work. I can't keep taking hits like this.
He saw Silvermane wind up for another punch, a slow, methodical movement that spoke of pure, raw power.
I need to finish this. Now.
His mind went to Garia's training, to the Way of the Spider. Focus. Precision. Not brute force.
The core. That's the only way.
He looked at Silvermane's chest, where the glowing orange orb pulsed with light. He needed one shot, one clean hit.
He saw Nijika and Ryo's faces in his mind, scared but safe. He had to keep them safe.
"Sword Vigor!"
Leopardon's right leg split open, revealing a compartment. A massive, energy-infused blade extended, shimmering with power. It was pure gold, reflecting the city lights.
With a mighty swing, Leopardon launched the Sword Vigor. The colossal blade spun through the air, a shining arc of pure energy. It flew straight and true.
The Sword Vigor aimed directly at Silvermane's glowing chest core.
Silvermane roared, a deep sound of pure defiance. Its red visor burned, trying to raise its metallic arms.
It was too slow.
The Sword Vigor, a radiant arc of justice, slammed into Silvermane's chest core.
CRACK!
A brilliant flash of blue-silver energy erupted. A chain reaction of explosions tore through Silvermane's massive body.
The colossal Machine BEM shrieked, a piercing sound of grinding metal and fracturing chrome.
KABOOM!
It exploded into a shower of sparks and twisted wreckage. The giant collapsed, a deafening CRASH that shook the entire city. Only a smoking crater remained where it once stood.
Spider-Man sat in Leopardon's cockpit, breathing hard. The massive robot stood over the smoking remains of Silvermane. The city was quiet now. Only the distant wail of sirens broke the silence.
He felt Leopardon's internal systems hum, damaged but victorious.
I did it. It's over.
A profound sense of exhaustion washed over him. He had protected the city. He had protected Nijika and Ryo.
A voice echoed in his head, deep and calm.
"You did well, Takuya."
It was Garia.
"Now, return Marveller to its ship form. The people below are already gathering."
Spider-Man looked down. Pinpricks of light, sirens wailing, emergency vehicles swarming the ruined industrial district. He saw a small crowd of people staring up, tiny against Leopardon's legs.
Nijika. Ryo.
He hoped they were okay. He had to get out of here. This wasn't a hero moment; it was a distraction.
He flipped a switch.
[CHANGE! MARVELLER!]
Leopardon began to shimmer. Its massive form started to fold and collapse. Panels slid back into place, limbs retracted, and the head ornament, the Arc Turn, returned to its resting place. The gold and black plating of Leopardon gave way to the sleek, dark hull of the spaceship.
FWOOSH!
The Marveller launched into the night sky, a silent, black dart. It was gone in seconds, leaving only the sound of distant sirens.
The Marveller climbed higher, a dark silhouette against the pre-dawn sky, leaving the scarred city behind. His mission wasn't over. Professor Monster was still out there. But for tonight, he had bought them time.