On a sightseeing passenger ship on the Hudson River, tourists were enjoying the scenic river views, completely unaware that a deadly predator had locked onto them from beneath the water's surface.
The Piranha Gurongi lurked in the water, circling, tracking the boatload of tourists while calculating the number of targets needed for his game.
"The ships built by modern Rinto are truly large enough to hold plenty of Rinto. The number on this single ship is practically enough for me to complete my game in one go!"
The Piranha Gurongi felt a surge of excitement and urgency. Sensing he could finish his game in a single strike, he couldn't wait any longer and leapt directly from the water onto the deck.
"A monster!" The tourists on board screamed in panic at the sight of the creature suddenly emerging from the river, scattering in a desperate attempt to flee.
However, being on a cruise ship surrounded by the vast expanse of the river, the passengers were like trapped animals in a cage. They were the rabbits, confined on the vessel with the Piranha Gurongi, the hungry wolf.
The Piranha Gurongi showed no mercy to the fleeing targets of his game; he immediately began the slaughter.
Against the Piranha Gurongi, these ordinary people stood no chance. His razor-sharp teeth could effortlessly tear a person to shreds in just one or two breaths. Even those who hid in the ship's cabins could not escape his hunt; the doors and windows were no better than cardboard against his sharp claws, offering no protection to the terrified tourists.
Seeing that staying on the ship meant certain death, several strong swimmers attempted to jump overboard to escape. However, the Piranha Gurongi remained unhurried as he watched them leap into the river.
He acted as if he didn't care at all, waiting until the swimmers had scrambled into the water and put some distance between themselves and the boat. Only then did he dive in. With incredible speed, he rapidly overtook the tourists desperately trying to reach the shore, harvesting them one by one.
The Piranha Gurongi's movements were agile and swift, far exceeding the reaction limits of a normal human, and he was even more elusive underwater. One by one, the tourists in the water were hunted down; they vanished beneath the surface so abruptly that they didn't even leave a splash—only a bloom of crimson spreading through the river water.
Fountains of blood dyed large areas around the cruise ship red.
"How can this be happening? We're dead," a tourist cried out in despair after seeing that none of those who jumped overboard survived.
Staying on the ship was a dead end; jumping into the river offered no life.
"Isn't anyone coming to save us? Where's Iron Man?" someone sobbed, praying for a superhero to arrive in time.
"Right, call the police!" someone shouted, as if grabbing onto a lifeline.
"Will the police make it in time? Can they even handle a monster like this?" another person asked, already giving up hope.
"It's not just about the police. We need to get the word out so the superheroes know," a person said, maintaining a shred of logic and speaking calmly. "Haven't there been monster killings before? Every time, a superhero with incredible power shows up to deal with them."
"Not just the police, use social media, the internet! Spread the word that we've encountered a monster as far as possible so more people see it, and the heroes who can fight this thing will find out!" someone else realized.
The surrounding tourists immediately pulled out their phones, using every means possible to broadcast the news of the monster attack.
"If the hero who fought these monsters before gets here in time, maybe we can live?!" A blonde woman, her eyes welling with tears, spoke with a glimmer of hope.
"Until then, we have to survive as long as we can," the first speaker said heavily.
In the time it took for the group to exchange those few words, the Piranha Gurongi had already finished off the last tourist in the river. Although they couldn't see where he was hiding beneath the water, the speed and frequency with which the swimmers were slaughtered revealed his terrifying velocity.
In likely no more than five or six seconds, the Piranha Gurongi would return to the ship to continue the massacre.
"Everyone, scatter as much as possible. That's the only way more people might survive. Good luck to us all."
As the words left his mouth, the Piranha Gurongi leapt back onto the deck, and the hunt resumed...
On the shore, a young man in a well-tailored suit with a gloomy aura witnessed the entire slaughter. He watched with total indifference, as if he were merely watching a play.
That was, until he saw the Piranha Gurongi approach a little girl wailing and clutching a ragdoll amidst the blood-soaked deck and scattered bodies.
The man's eyes narrowed. He let out a soft snort and muttered to himself, "The adults in this city, lost in luxury and greed, are already rotten to the core. Even if they are killed by monsters, it's just clearing out unnecessary trash and lightening the world's burden. But children are the future and hope of the world. I won't allow a monster like this to lay a hand on a child."
As he spoke, he pulled out a Gaia Memory.
"Nasca!"
The man transformed into the Nasca Dopant. Spreading the wings of light on his back, he took to the sky and rapidly approached the cruise ship.
Just as the Piranha Gurongi was about to strike the crying girl with his claws, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air. A blade, propelled with immense force, flew through the air and struck the Piranha Gurongi, knocking him back.
"A Rinto with special powers?" the Piranha Gurongi asked, looking at the Nasca Dopant in the air with confusion.
The Nasca Dopant tilted his head slightly, beckoned his sword back to his hand, and pointed it at the girl. "I don't understand what you're saying, but you can't touch this child."
Although the Piranha Gurongi didn't understand the words either, the unmistakable tone of command was clear. He was instantly consumed by rage. A mere Rinto dared to give him orders? Unforgivable!
The Piranha Gurongi let out a hiss and suddenly turned into a blur, lunging toward the little girl.
It was obvious that the Nasca Dopant had intervened to save the child. To the Piranha Gurongi, a flying enemy was a nuisance, so he chose to attack the girl to force the Dopant to abandon his flight and face him head-on.
The Nasca Dopant snorted coldly, dropped from the sky to stand in front of the girl, and swung his blade at the lunging monster.
"Such agility!"
The Nasca Dopant's heart tightened as he sensed the Piranha Gurongi nimbly evade his blade and leave a deep gash on his shoulder with a sharp claw.
The Piranha Gurongi licked his claws, giving the Nasca Dopant a provocative look as he began to circle, searching for a weakness for his next strike.
Just as both sides were fully focused on one another, a cold arrow shot from the distance with incredible speed. Although the Piranha Gurongi's instincts screamed a warning, the arrow still pierced his right arm, and a sealing energy rune appeared.
Both combatants turned toward the source of the energy arrow. Suspended in the air, Steve—transformed into Kuuga Pegasus Form—clung to the Gouram. Seeing the deck covered in the dead, he was filled with uncontrollable rage and fired the Blast Pegasus directly at the Piranha Gurongi.
(End of Chapter)