"What is that thing?!"
"Commander! Commander!!"
"Fall back, keep as much distance from her as possible!"
Confronted by the Greek Major God immune to conventional weapons, the UNSC soldiers were entirely at a loss.
What's more, Athena's physical strength and defense weren't just comparable to the bio-engineered warriors of their own country; she also wielded a power that mimicked "divine strength" through her psychic abilities.
Seeing the infantry and paratroopers retreat, with Scorpions and armored vehicles adjusting their turrets for a saturation strike, Athena raised her left hand's war shield, the "Aegis," unleashing the dazzling red light from the twin eyes etched at its center.
In an instant, a scarlet glow burst forth.
UNSC soldiers instinctively raised their hands to shield themselves upon seeing the light.
But as they tried to move, they found they were utterly immobilized.
When the light finally dissipated, the soldiers' skin had turned a pale gray, as if "petrified," freezing them in place.
Even the drivers, gunners, and observers in the Scorpions and armored vehicles were similarly affected.
The once-chaotic scene fell eerily silent.
Only Athena remained able to move.
She surveyed her surroundings before lifting her gaze toward the news airship hovering above, then called out with a resonant voice:
"I am Pallas Athena, the Greek Goddess from legend and a second lieutenant of Atlas. I have no desire to harm any true human soldier.
Furthermore, Mombasa is on the brink of invasion by an unknown force. We should be working together, not killing each other here."
Athena's powerful voice resonated clearly even to the reporters and cameramen within the airship.
Athena's shield, the "Aegis," was crafted by Hephaestus, the god of forging, using the fleece of the goat Amalthea.
At the center of the shield was the head of Medusa, the snake-haired gorgon, whose gaze could petrify those who looked upon it.
This was why the UNSC soldiers, upon witnessing the scarlet light, were paralyzed, unable to move.
However, Athena had controlled her strength, so they were not turned to stone entirely—only their freedom was momentarily restricted.
In the news airship:
"My God, viewers, did you hear that? That woman claims to be Athena! The Goddess of War, Athena?!"
The female reporter narrated in disbelief.
Living in the twenty-sixth century, the reporter, though she attended services at a Christian church and visited temples of other religions, fundamentally rejected the notion of "gods" or "demons" existing in the world.
Even though she sometimes exclaimed "Jesus Christ" or "My God," she dismissed the existence of supernatural beings.
Humanity had ventured out from Earth, establishing colonies across the galaxy, yet no evidence of gods or demons had ever been found.
Even after Atlas revealed "super soldiers" and homeland-enhanced humans and publicized footage showing their top leaders captured, she still didn't believe these bio-weapons were "gods."
Besides, Atlas officially stated that the super soldiers and homeland-enhanced humans were merely some of its "flagship products."
Atlas seized the opportunity to promote its new lines, such as "The Security Overlord" and "Multipurpose Bioweapon Canines," along with images and videos, all in preparation for opening sales channels.
Following network instructions, the reporter had studied the descriptions of these bio-weapons closely.
Initially, the sight of the three-meter-tall Security Overlord left her horrified and shocked.
But as Atlas uploaded more details and combat footage, the concept of bio-weapons gradually became acceptable.
Atlas even claimed to be from an Earth in a parallel universe, and she had no choice but to accept it over time.
But… Athena, standing right there?
Along with the surreal scene just now, Atlas had once again shattered her understanding of reality.
Fortunately, the reporter quickly steadied herself and resumed her calm tone:
"Viewers, the woman who claimed to be Athena mentioned Mombasa would face an unknown invasion. What did she mean by that?
Regardless of her intentions, we have alerted the network, and Mombasa's authorities are expected to respond soon.
Now, please stay tuned for further updates as the situation unfolds."
---
Meanwhile, in downtown Mombasa.
The residents, who should have been enjoying the nightlife, were sent back to their homes early due to the large-scale actions of the UNSC and the police, as well as the intense battle on the outskirts.
In an apartment building in the old town district:
"Mom!"
The little girl sitting in the living room dashed to the kitchen excitedly upon seeing Athena's image on the holographic TV.
And she hurriedly told the middle-aged woman preparing dinner:
"Mom, there really are gods in this world!"
"Sure, sure, there are gods," the woman replied absentmindedly, smiling as she placed sliced vegetables and fruit in an empty bowl and drizzled high-calorie salad dressing on top.
Ding~—!
The oven behind her chimed.
So, she put on oven mitts, turned, and took out a pre-made pizza.
Seeing her mom busy preparing dinner, the eight-year-old girl shrugged and returned to the living room to continue watching the live news.
Boom.
Just as she was about to sit on the sofa, she heard a noise outside the window.
Curious as always, the girl went out to the north-facing balcony.
She opened the door and stepped out onto the open balcony with a railing.
As she looked outside, she noticed nine pale pink beams of light rising from downtown Mombasa, piercing the night sky.
What?
Confused, she couldn't understand why there were light beams surrounding the city center. She wanted to call her mom over to look, but she quickly lost interest, imagining her mom's disinterest.
So, she decided to keep watching by herself.
Holding onto the railing with both hands for a better view of the distant scene—
Boom. Boom-boom—!!!
Suddenly, the nine beams erupted, engulfing downtown Mombasa completely.
Then, like shattering glass, the beams fractured, sending pink and blue light into the dark night sky.
Ha-ha-ha—!!
A deep, chilling laughter echoed throughout Mombasa.
The next moment, a massive "vortex" appeared in the city center…
Or rather, it was a gigantic portal to another realm, or even another dimension.
Looking through the portal, one could see a chaotic scene beyond, impossible to accurately describe, as if the faces and limbs of countless species had been fused together by an unknown force.
The sudden change, along with the sight beyond the portal, struck terror into the girl's heart.
She quickly ran back inside, sprinting to her mother, who had just set the pizza and salad on the dining table.
"Mom! Outside… it's too scary!!"
The girl clung to the woman tightly.
What?
Noticing her daughter's unusual behavior, the woman was about to ask more when she looked out the living room window and saw the dramatic scene outside.
Buzz~ooom—!!
Accompanied by a piercing air raid siren, the woman immediately reacted—Run!
Run as far as possible; get out of Mombasa immediately.
She could see countless unidentified creatures pouring out of the portal in the sky.
She wasn't an expert or a soldier, just a single mother supporting her daughter, but she understood that staying meant certain death.
She quickly picked up the girl and rushed for the door.
In the hallway, the woman joined other residents who had the same idea, hurrying down the emergency stairs.
Once they reached the underground parking lot, she unlocked their old car with a bio-scan.
Seated and belted, the woman started the hydrogen engine, glancing back to remind the girl to fasten her seatbelt.
But in the backseat, the girl was already belted in.
"All set, Mom!" she replied.
"Good."
The woman pulled out onto the street, maneuvering through the traffic.
When they finally emerged on the main road, she saw the entire city had descended into chaos.
Panicked crowds, blocked vehicles, and no police to direct traffic meant the roads were gridlocked.
Fleeing Mombasa seemed nearly impossible.
And the unknown creatures from the portal were already hovering over the old town.
They resembled devil rays, their bright blue skin marked with pink and black spots and patterns, covered in dense spines along their wings and bodies, with irregular eyes on their heads.
These grotesque creatures were somehow able to glide through the air, but logic was far from the minds of the frightened citizens.
Seeing devil rays swooping overhead, the residents, already gripped by terror, frantically tried to escape the city.
One of the creatures suddenly dived straight toward a busy intersection.
And—
"Shriek—!!!"
The devil ray opened its mouth to release a visible pink "soundwave" aimed at the crowd.
"Ahhh!!"
"No, please!"
"Save me!!"
In an instant, the people hit by the soundwave screamed in agony.
From her car, the woman watched as the bodies and "souls" of these people were brutally torn apart.
Their "souls" were consumed by the devil rays, while their bodies were shredded.
She wasn't sure if the faint human outlines were actual souls, but the deaths of those citizens were horrifyingly real.
!!
Seeing this, she unbuckled her seatbelt and scrambled into the backseat, whispering to herself:
"We can't stay here… can't die here…"
"Mom…"
The girl hadn't clearly seen the carnage at the intersection, but she could hear the anguished screams of those dying.
"Don't be afraid… we'll find a way
out…"
_________________________
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