Char, clinging to the cliffside, widened his eyes as he watched the enormous creature, the size of a Shield Machine, slowly descend.
As the distance narrowed, Char saw more details. It was a gigantic flesh-and-blood Shield Machine made of black chitin, purple tendons, and sticky flesh.
Insect legs, as large as small houses, grew all around it, bracing against the surrounding rock walls as it inched downward.
Below the creature, insect-like compound eyes swayed like searchlights at the bottom of a deep well.
The remaining mantises arched their glowing abdomens, arranging themselves in a lotus flower pattern atop its body.
A trembling sound, similar to a whale's call, emanated from the web of flesh; Char could feel the emotion in the sound. This thing was mourning the death of the mantises.
"Gulp." Char swallowed his saliva with difficulty.
Although the thing hadn't done anything, whenever its compound eyes swept over him, it sent chills deep into Char's marrow.
