Hidden Giant

The controlled giant slowly rose, unfolding its enormous body from a fetal position. As it stood upright, its height dwarfed that of a thirty-story building. Like the others, it wore a mask that concealed its face, but beneath it lay a gleaming silver armor that covered every inch of its body. Perched atop its head was a strange hat resembling an inverted paper boat, adding an even more unsettling aura. Through the slits in the mask, its eyes glowed with a sinister gleam—like embers burning under the weight of darkness.

"Wow! That's huge," Mukio exclaimed, his eyes wide open. "It looks solid, judging by how strong it appears."

Akira, thrilled, couldn't help but imagine the possibilities. "How foolish to send something like this wearing metal armor. If it turns out to be good and strong, I can add it to my collection."

Eliot, observing the scene from afar, smirked confidently as he explained to his subordinate: "This one is special. Apart from using the stones to grant him powers, Maos added some extra enhancements. Lady designed this custom suit specifically for this occasion."

With a dramatic gesture, Eliot commanded, "Come out, my controlled giant, and finish them off." The colossus obeyed, unleashing a deafening roar that shattered the few remaining intact windows of nearby buildings. The shockwave rippled through the air, leaving behind an eerie echo that chilled the blood.

Melisa, watching from a distance, furrowed her brow. "That thing must have destroyed everything. How could they create something like this so quickly?" Her voice trembled slightly, a mix of awe and concern.

Meanwhile, Adora assessed the giant with a calculating gaze. "I wonder what kind of power that guy must have gained to grow like this," she muttered, tensing her muscles. "I think one hit should do it." Without hesitation, the gymnast launched herself at the titan's leg, striking with force. But her attack bounced off the armor without leaving even a scratch. "What? I need to hit it harder," she said, bewildered.

Before she could try again, an enormous hand descended from the sky, smashing her onto the ground. The giant continued smashing the same spot repeatedly, as if determined to ensure nothing remained. Mukio screamed in horror, "Oh no! It's going to kill her! She isn't as resilient as I am!"

Megumi, always vigilant, intervened swiftly. "What a fool. Good thing I'm here," she murmured, weaving an earth-magic shield around Adora. With a fluid motion, she made the ground swallow the girl and bring her back to where the others stood, ensuring the giant and enemies didn't notice her intervention.

When they saw Adora unconscious, Amaya pulled out a small jelly-like flask that seemed to have a life of its own. The substance uncapped itself, extending its tiny arms and legs before lifting Adora and forcing her to drink its contents.

Adora woke up coughing, gagging. "What the hell was that disgusting thing?" she asked, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"It's a recipe from my unit," Amaya replied, crossing her arms. "Boss Eduard uses it to restore strength in the wounded."

"It works, but it's vile," Adora protested, though she gradually began to feel her energy returning. "Well, that thing was horrible, but it healed my wounds and restored my strength."

"Told you," Amaya remarked, glancing at her with a half-smile.

"Alright, so how are we supposed to defeat that thing now?" Mukio asked, pointing at the giant who continued to destroy everything in its path.

"If you, the strongest one here, couldn't do it, what do you expect from us?" someone retorted, addressing Adora.

"Shut up, idiot, and cover yourself," she shot back, shielding her eyes with one hand. "You're such a pervert. I regret being in the same unit as you."

"It's not my fault. Those brats tore your outfit," Mukio defended himself, gesturing toward his torn clothes.

"Here, this is better," Megumi interjected, handing her a new garment made of volcanic rock. "I added a bit more durability to it."

"Wow, thanks, Megumi. You're an amazing tailor, and you even know my size," Mukio said, admiring the clothing.

"In my free time, I'm a tailor," Megumi explained proudly. "My dream is to become a great fashion designer."

"There's no time for your nonsense. Here comes the giant; it's already spotted us," Akira interrupted in a cold, robotic voice, pointing at the colossus advancing toward them with earth-shaking steps.

Akira clasped his hands together, forming an energy cannon between them. "At that size, I doubt this will kill it," he muttered before launching a glowing sphere resembling a bowling ball. The sphere struck the giant, exploding in a blinding flash that lit up the battlefield.

"Hey! We weren't supposed to kill it!" Amaya protested, crossing her arms.

"Don't worry, it won't die," Akira replied, though his tone sounded slightly less confident. As the smoke from the explosion began to clear, it became evident he was right: the giant remained unscathed, without a single mark on its silver armor. Akira clenched his teeth, visibly frustrated. "Damn."

"It's strong," Mukio commented, stepping forward. "Now it's my turn." Without waiting for a response, the muscular boxer charged directly at the giant, allowing it to pummel him repeatedly with fists the size of trucks. "That's all you've got, stupid giant!" Mukio shouted as he absorbed each blow with an expression of intense concentration.

After dozens of impacts, Mukio's body began to emit a bright glow, as if all the absorbed energy was building up inside him. "This should be enough," he announced, dodging the final attacks with surprising agility. With an impressive leap, he reached the giant's core and released all the accumulated energy in a devastating explosion that illuminated the night sky.

When the dust settled, Mukio reappeared—but once again, he was wearing only his tiny boxer shorts. "Oops! I think I broke it again," he said with an innocent smile, looking at the girls who watched him with a mix of embarrassment and exasperation.

"This pervert doesn't get it," Adora muttered, covering her eyes with one hand. "When we get back to base, we'll tell the members of Unit D to make you another durable suit, like the one they made that doesn't tear. But this time, make sure it's full-body," she added without looking at him.

From the smoke still lingering in the air, the giant emerged once more. But this time, his hat was gone, as was his mask. His eyes glowed with a furious red, and his face—now visible—had the appearance of a fourteen-year-old boy. Where the hat had been, there was now a kind of cage containing his hair. Inside the cage, five human figures floated submerged in a transparent liquid, connected by cables to the giant's skull.

"What the hell is that?" Akira asked, incredulous at the sight.

"Go ahead, super-controlled one, do your thing," Eliot commanded from a distance.

Adora prepared to attack again, but just before she could move, the cabin that should have contained the giant's brain lit up intensely. The colossal being dodged her attack with surprising speed and then launched a series of projectiles resembling firebombs from the tips of his fingers.

"How is that even possible?" Adora exclaimed, quickly retreating to avoid the flames. "It's impossible for a single being to have so many different powers."

"Each stone is supposed to grant only one power per person," Megumi interjected, her eyes wide open. "That's why our units are divided. How can it have multiple abilities?"

Akira was equally baffled. He instinctively retreated as he saw the incoming rays, but he didn't see the fireballs coming. One of them struck him directly, tearing apart half of his suit. "Damn," he muttered, pulling out his nanobots to quickly reconstruct his armor. For a few seconds, part of his face was exposed, revealing an expression of absolute frustration.

As the group watched in awe while the giant launched fireballs into the sky, followed by electric rays slicing through the air like lethal projectiles, a voice echoed from a nearby speaker. It was Eliot, whose shrill laughter filtered through his calculated words.

"Give up. You can't defeat my super-controlled giant," he declared triumphantly. "It's a perfect blend of advanced technology and supernatural power. The young man you see here is nothing but an empty shell. Originally, this boy had the ability to grow gigantic, but Doctor Maos found it insufficient. So, with my help, we decided to enhance him further, taking advantage of his immense size. We placed a cabin around his brain and connected all those subjects you see there, who grant him their powers. Ingenious, isn't it? That's why I told you: you can't beat my colossal boy." His manic laughter filled the air, distorted by the speakers.

"How despicable! Who does that to a human being?" Megumi exclaimed, enraged. She clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Akira's face reflected both indignation and scientific curiosity. "Though… technically, it's amazing from a scientific standpoint. They're exploring limits no one has touched before."

"Hey! Whose side are you on?" Adora interrupted, looking at Megumi in disbelief. "Don't get me wrong, but you're right about one thing: making someone suffer, controlling them, and attaching that thing without their consent is despicable," Akira added, deliberately amplifying the volume of his suit, so Eliot could hear him clearly. "This isn't science; this is cruelty."

Eliot let out a cold, merciless laugh. "Ha, ha, fools. That doesn't matter. Besides, that boy is already dead. He's only intact thanks to the subjects connected to him and the special liquids preserving him. To bring about a better future, sacrifices must sometimes be made. As I always say: 'The future doesn't wait, and neither do I.'"

"You heartless bastard!" Mukio shouted, preparing to attack. His muscles tensed as his expression reflected a mix of anger and determination. "I won't forgive you, you damn radar-crazed lunatics."

"And where's Amaya?" Megumi asked, glancing around worriedly.

At that moment, an enormous purple gummy bear emerged behind them, as tall as the giant. Perched on its shoulder, Amaya sat with a serious expression, holding an improvised microphone made of candy. "Nor will I forgive you after hearing all this," she said calmly, though her tone carried an unsettling menace. "Let's go, 'GOMI-PURPLE,' let's rescue those kids and put an end to this once and for all!"