Dress Saori's beauty is blinding!
To the main event—let's go!
"Ugh… cough, cough! Sand… in my mouth…" Kaiser groaned.
"Can't leave him here. Drag him to town," Mash said.
"Got rope," Shiroko offered.
"Why do you have that?" Serika asked.
"He's heavy! Overeating much?" Hoshino teased.
"Shut it! How dare you—" Kaiser snapped.
"Want another hit?" Mash interrupted.
"…Nothing," Kaiser muttered.
"Let's move!" Hoshino cheered.
"Wait! At least carry me—argh!" Kaiser yelped.
As Mash unearthed the half-buried Kaiser, tied him up, and began dragging him, the ground rumbled.
GROOOARRR!
The earth quaked violently, like an earthquake.
"What's that?!" Serika shouted.
"Cough! No… it can't be!" Kaiser stammered. "It never appeared, no matter what we did… Wait! That pile driver woke it!"
"Explain, now!" Hoshino demanded.
"It's over… We can't escape. Everything will be destroyed!" Kaiser wailed.
"Everyone, retreat!" Ayane's voice crackled. "Massive energy signature approaching from underground!"
"I'll take Kaiser," Mash said.
"Fall back!" Hoshino ordered.
Mash and the team fled as something burrowed closer. Then—
BOOM!
It surfaced.
"Decagrammaton, the Tenth Prophet, herald of divine descent," a black-suited figure whispered from the shadows, a large bandage on his back.
"Long ago, some tried to create a god. If God exists, could we understand, analyze, dismantle, and rebuild it? If its existence is proven, could humans birth a new deity?"
"Gematria, the name we borrowed, backed this audacious theory. Their research, costing vast wealth and time, lies submerged. In that forsaken place, an AI declared, 'Q.E.D. God exists.'"
"Non-human intellects, inspired by this proof, became prophets. The Abydos Desert's calamity is one such legacy. Decagrammaton's third prophet, Binah, a white serpent god-machine, embodies understanding."
"Teacher, it's early, but show us… your full power, your body beyond mystery."
The black-suited figure smirked, watching the desert tremble as something emerged.
ROAR!
A monstrous serpent burst from the sand, its shockwave scattering Mash and the Countermeasure Committee. Hoshino landed with Serika and Nonomi; Mash with Kaiser and Shiroko.
"A giant… snake?" Shiroko gasped.
"Was this Kaiser's 'treasure'?" Hoshino wondered.
"Our true mission," Kaiser confessed, "was to secure the Abydos Desert and unearth Binah, Decagrammaton's prophet. We even prepared anti-Decagrammaton weapons, but they're gone now!"
A colossal, pristine machine, larger than a building, emerged unscarred from the rock. The calamity of Abydos: Binah.
Its jaws unleashed a deafening roar, like a whistle or a beast's cry.
"It's coming!" Shiroko shouted.
"No…" Kaiser whimpered.
"Get up!" Hoshino yelled.
"It's over… I'm done!" Kaiser despaired.
Shiroko tried to drag Kaiser away, but Binah was too fast. Mash acted.
GRAB!
"Shiroko, take Kaiser!" Mash tossed them toward Hoshino.
"Sensei, wait!" Shiroko screamed.
"I'll be back!" Mash flashed a thumbs-up and charged Binah.
Hoshino caught Shiroko. Kaiser lay sprawled. Binah lunged at Mash, who grabbed its face with both hands.
"Heavy…" Mash grunted.
ROAR!
Overwhelmed, Mash was pushed underground with Binah's head.
"Sensei!" Serika cried.
"He sank!" Hoshino gasped. "Is he okay?!"
"Binah's moving freely underground!" Ayane reported.
"Sensei…" Shiroko whispered.
"He's fine, Shiroko," Nonomi soothed. "Mash-sensei wouldn't lose here."
"Look!" Serika pointed.
CRASH!
Binah erupted, flinging Mash into the air.
"Phew, almost died," Mash said, spinning midair. "My turn."
He kicked the air, diving at Binah's face with a punch.
WHAM!
"Hard!" Mash winced.
ROAR!
Binah thrashed, but Mash clung to its head, unleashing a barrage of punches.
CLANG! CLANG!
"Attack works… Keep hitting!" Mash declared.
Metal screamed as Binah's white armor cracked and peeled. Mash leaped off, running up its face to jump skyward.
BOOM!
Binah's VLS tubes opened, launching massive missiles. Mash parried them back with kicks, riding Binah's back to pummel the damaged holes.
CRACK! CRACK!
Binah roared in pain, its thrashing kicking up a sandstorm that blew back the committee and Kaiser.
"Sensei's dominating!" Nonomi cheered.
"But it's only cracking its face and back!" Serika said. "How tough is that thing?!"
"Look, its mouth!" Shiroko warned.
"Its main cannon!" Kaiser shouted. "A heat ray that melts boulders! No matter how strong he is, it'll burn him alive!"
Binah's throat glowed with energy. Mash sensed the attack.
"You can't fire that here," he said, leaping.
CRASH!
Mash's heel smashed Binah's jaw, forcing it to collapse with energy still charged.
GROAN…
Binah struggled to rise. Mash approached its snout, furious.
"You tried to hurt Shiroko," he said. "Targeting my students? I won't let you off as scrap."
ROAR!
Binah sensed Mash's overwhelming presence—a threat beyond Decagrammaton itself. Like a snake before an eagle, it dove underground to flee.
"Not escaping!" Mash grabbed its tail, yanking it out.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Mash slammed Binah into the ground repeatedly.
"And one more!" SLAM!
Binah's screams turned to agony as its armor shattered. The committee pitied it slightly. Kaiser, watching, felt dread beyond fear.
"Last one!" Mash hurled Binah skyward. It crashed into the desert, collapsing in a heap.
GROAN…
"Still moving?" Mash said.
ROAR!
Binah opened its mouth, charging its heat ray. Mash tensed—
BOOM!
A barrage interrupted Binah.
"Sensei, you okay?" a voice called.
"Shu-chan?" Mash replied.
"Yes, Shu-chan!" Hifumi answered. "Not Trinity's Hifumi!"
"Why are you here?" Serika asked.
"I planned to attack Kaiser Corp, but Sensei handled it," Hifumi explained. "Then that thing appeared, so I helped!"
"Thanks, Shu-chan. Cream puff couple reunion soon?" Mash teased.
"No way!" Hifumi protested.
Trinity's artillery slowed Binah. Mash seized the moment.
"Thanks, everyone. Time to end this."
CHARGE!
Full Muscles Magic: Hurricane Rush!
Mash's first punch sent Binah skyward. He darted ahead, unleashing a flurry of named strikes.
"Gluteal! Forearm! Quadriceps!" Weak 150,000!
Binah soared, but opened its mouth for a heat ray.
"Pectoral!" Weak 300,000!
The ray veered off.
"Iliopsoas!" Weak 99,999!
A kick sent Binah reeling. Mash grabbed it, locking in a backbreaker.
"Erector Spine!" Weak 100,000!
With a Hell Fall-like drop, Mash slammed Binah down. Sparks erupted as its body collapsed, sinking into the sand.
"Sensei!" Hoshino shouted.
"There he is!" Nonomi pointed.
"You worried us!" Serika scolded.
"Told you he'd win," Nonomi said to Shiroko.
Mash dusted off his clothes, sipping a protein shake. Binah, leaking black oil, sank defeated into the depths.
"Is it gone?" Shiroko asked.
"Sensei!" Nonomi tackled him with a hug.
"Nonomi, I'm suffocating!" Mash gasped.
"Sensei's gonna get crushed!" Serika laughed.
"You beat that thing alone!" Hoshino marveled.
"No big deal," Mash said.
"We were so worried…" Ayane sniffed.
"Sorry for scaring you," Mash said. "It's okay now."
Nonomi's tearful embrace enveloped Mash. The others checked him for injuries, eyes wet with relief. Mash gave a confident thumbs-up. Kaiser spoke.
"Why… save me? If you'd left me, I'd be dead. I'm your enemy. My death wouldn't hurt you. Why?"
"Didn't want a bad aftertaste," Mash said.
"What?" Kaiser blinked.
"I'll never forgive you," Mash continued, "but letting you die to atone? I hate that."
"You're… too soft," Kaiser muttered.
"Get that a lot," Mash replied.
He turned to the committee. "Let's go home—to your school."
They headed to their beloved academy.
Binah: "Outside scary, humans scary, I'm done!"
Black Suit: "…He fought a god barehanded?"
Binah was terrified, but too broken to fight. I spared it—barely alive.