Fire—everywhere.
When Officer Paul arrived at the scene, he witnessed the most horrifying sight in his two years as sheriff.
He had been patrolling the streets as usual when a sudden alert came through his radio: an abandoned office building was engulfed in flames. The cause was unknown, but the location was suspected to be a stronghold of the Crimson Fang Gang. He was ordered to investigate until backup and the fire department arrived.
Paul remembered that building. It had been deserted for years. While it wasn't impossible for the Crimson Fang Gang to be using it, he initially suspected it was just a few vagrants starting a fire to stay warm. Still, with the current crackdown on the gang after their recent major crime, he couldn't afford to ignore any potential lead.
Especially with his commanding officer giving a live media interview about their "progress" in hunting down the Crimson Fang Gang. If this turned out to be something significant and he ignored it, Paul's whole team would be in trouble.
So he drove there himself.
But when he arrived, he realized it was no ordinary fire.
The flames weren't spreading naturally—they moved as if alive, crawling in deliberate, sweeping motions across the structure. From within the inferno came waves of screams—agonized, unending, echoing into the night.
Wherever the flames passed, the ground turned to blackened ash, and the air filled with the sickening stench of burnt flesh.
"Dispatch, this is Unit 4—fire has consumed the entire structure. Multiple casualties suspected. Awaiting—huh?"
Before Paul could finish, the voice of the helicopter pilot came through the radio. The chopper was circling above, relaying visual updates.
But suddenly, the pilot's voice broke into a panic.
"Reporting! After the flames receded—I'm seeing something... a robot? No—wait! That's Sam! Sam has been sighted!"
Paul froze. His fellow officers looked up, wide-eyed. Hovering amid the smoke and burning debris, they saw it—the legendary combat mecha that everyone in New Eridu had heard of, whispered about: Sam.
"This... this can't be real..." Paul muttered, unable to believe his eyes.
Across the channel, the commanding officer, Bringer—who was still mid-interview—was audibly flustered.
"What did you say? Sam? As in that Sam?"
Before anyone could respond, another voice abruptly cut into the frequency—an on-scene reporter shouting over the chaos.
"This is the field reporter! I've had enough! Who cares if it's Sam—it must be an accomplice of the Crimson Fang Gang! Open fire! Use maximum firepower!"
"What—open fire?!" the pilot hesitated, clearly terrified, but panic overrode reason.
"Yes, sir! Firing now!"
Several missiles streaked toward Sam, detonating on impact. The explosion shook the entire block, sending up a massive cloud of dust and flame.
"D-Did we... get it?" Paul asked, shielding his eyes from the light.
For a few seconds, there was only silence. Then, a small red glow flickered within the smoke—
—and erupted outward.
Sam emerged completely unscathed. The pilot barely had time to scream before the mecha lunged forward, punched through the helicopter's cockpit, and yanked him out like a ragdoll.
The unmanned helicopter spiraled out of control, crashing into an abandoned section of the city. Thankfully, no civilians were nearby.
As the pilot braced for death, he suddenly realized—Sam wasn't killing him.
Instead, the towering machine descended gently, setting him down beside the stunned officers.
Paul and his team raised their guns out of sheer instinct—but as they stared up at the colossal silver machine, remembering how it had torn through a helicopter with a single blow, their hands trembled.
Then, slowly, one by one, they lowered their weapons.
If Sam had meant them harm, they would already be dead.
The mecha's eyes glowed faintly. Its synthesized voice echoed coldly through the smoke and fire:
"Everyone inside was part of the Crimson Fang Gang. Their leader, White Miguel, has been eliminated. Tell your superiors... Sam sent them on their way."
And with that, Sam turned, ignited its thrusters, and vanished into the night sky—leaving only burning ruins and the silence of disbelief behind.
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A/n: While I am a new translator, I have a Patreon! While it may be a bit empty right now both this and the other book on my page has advanced chapters posted on patreon.
patreon.com/deadlygoober