It didn't take long for Herta's Puppet to collect the data. In about half an hour, Herta had all the preliminary data she needed.
This was considered preliminary data because Herta wasn't yet sure what specific information was required to study the Dimensional Rift. She decided to collect everything she could for now, figuring she could always revisit and gather additional data later if needed. It wouldn't be a problem.
Notably, Sakura Prefecture was known for its advanced research on Dimensional Rifts. They had mastered methods for actively opening these rifts and even targeting specific dimensions. Yet Herta chose not to review their research materials, opting instead to start from scratch.
There were several reasons for this decision. For most researchers, building upon the knowledge of predecessors is the logical path in scientific progress.
However, Sakura Prefecture's "advanced" research on Dimensional Rifts was only relative to other nations in this world. In reality, they had only been studying Dimensional Rifts for a little over a decade. Herta estimated she could grasp this "decade of accumulated knowledge" in a week, or even just a few days.
It was far more efficient for Herta to start her research from scratch than to spend days sifting through Sakura Prefecture's decade-long records. Besides, independent investigation would keep her thinking unfettered by preconceived notions.
Switching back to SAM and Mad Lion, the battle still raged after half an hour of relentless slaughter. Enemies poured forth endlessly, like an inexhaustible tide—one wave cut down only for another to rise. Firefly couldn't help but wonder: had all these fishmen truly emerged from the Dimensional Rift?
Could it be that only a small group had initially crossed over, then multiplied exponentially over the years?
Considering the reproductive capacity of fish—thousands of eggs per spawn, three or four spawns a year—and the unknown duration the rift had been open, Firefly felt a chill crawl down her spine.
She shouted to Mad Lion, "Mission complete! Retreat!"
Then, with a burst of speed, she darted toward the Herta Puppet. The moment she touched it, she teleported the puppet back to Herta through the Chat Group.
However, when Firefly returned to the battlefield, she found Mad Lion hadn't left. He was still gripping Godzilla's tail with his left hand, while his right hand continued to fend off the surrounding fishmen. His legs churned the water rhythmically, seemingly trying to swim upward, but his progress was painfully slow.
Firefly stared in bewildered silence. "???"
She approached Mad Lion, who quickly pointed at Godzilla and then gestured toward the surface of the sea.
At that moment, Firefly clearly saw that Mad Lion's right hand, now occupied with hand signals, left him defenseless. The surrounding fishmen seized the opportunity, swarming him and sinking their fangs into his flesh.
One fishman even perched on Mad Lion's shoulder, gnawing fiercely at his scalp. Yet, Mad Lion calmly continued gesturing to Firefly, his expression unchanged. The scene was utterly surreal.
Nevertheless, Firefly roughly understood his message: he wanted her to help drag Godzilla to the surface.
Though she couldn't fathom his reasoning, Firefly complied. She took over Mad Lion's position, gripped Godzilla's tail, and began slowly accelerating upward.
The water deepened to a thousand meters, then five hundred, then three hundred.
At a depth of about a hundred meters, Firefly felt Godzilla twitch, as if waking up. A pair of furiously enraged eyes glared at her.
With a low, charging hum, Godzilla's dorsal spines began to glow faintly.
It wasn't hard to understand why Godzilla was so angry. SAM had been dragging him by the tip of his tail, like an ant trying to drag a person a kilometer by their little toe. How excruciating must that be?
The fact that Godzilla's tail hadn't snapped was solely due to his thick hide. But Firefly wasn't about to cut him any slack. She released his tail momentarily and, before he could unleash his atomic breath, delivered a powerful, diving punch straight to his skull.
"Don't you dare fire that! Swallow it back!"
Mad Lion needed solid footing to generate force, but Firefly was different. She could fly, allowing her to strike from any position.
"Boom—!!!"
Already dazed, Godzilla was knocked into an even deeper slumber by the impact. Firefly resumed dragging him upward by the tail.
On the sea, the White Eagle fleet maintained its silent vigil. Suddenly, a piercing alarm blared from the aircraft carrier's radar. The soldier monitoring the screen exclaimed in alarm, "A colossal object over a hundred meters in size is rapidly approaching!"
The Captain froze momentarily, then rushed to the radar, his voice trembling with astonishment. "Everyone, take evasive maneuvers!"
The entire fleet surged forward, scattering in all directions as fighter jets swiftly launched and circled overhead. The Captain hurried to the deck, where he could clearly see a massive dark shadow slowly rising from the depths.
The scene looked straight out of a blockbuster movie, but just as everyone braced for a monster to burst from the sea and attack, nothing of the sort happened. Instead, the Captain watched in bewilderment as the creature slowly surfaced... belly-up.
"What the hell is that?!" the Captain sputtered, dumbfounded.
Then, SAM shot out of the water. Seeing the sleek, silver figure, the Captain finally exhaled in relief. It was clear that the upturned belly wasn't some kind of bizarre monster attack tactic after all.
Mad Lion surfaced from the sea a few minutes later, still grappling with a fishman that was tearing at his leg. He leaped onto the aircraft carrier deck, landing heavily.
Casually, Mad Lion crushed the fishman under his boot, splattering green fluid everywhere. The Captain standing nearby couldn't help but twitch his lips at the sight.
Gasping for air, Mad Lion gave SAM a thumbs-up in the sky and roared with laughter. "Ha! Now that was a satisfying brawl!"
Firefly, piloting SAM, landed beside Mad Lion. "So, why did you have me bring this big guy up here?" she asked, puzzled.
"To finish it off!" Mad Lion replied. "I couldn't kill it underwater, but I couldn't just leave it there to wake up and wreak havoc elsewhere. So I figured I'd drag it ashore and finish it off. And if I'm not mistaken, isn't this the same monster that ravaged the Sakura Nation years ago? Handing its corpse over to Sakura Prefecture should further solidify White Eagle's control there, right?"