Disclaimer: I don't own anything that doesn't belong to me.
…
"And so, Gaimists the world over can breathe a sigh of relief now that King Tokiwa – may he reign forever – has promised that the next time he gets a craving for orange juice, he'll get it from the store, just like everyone else," Samantha the Kikainoid concluded her report. "In other news, this week's challenge between the Shinobiryu Sentai Diningers and the Youkalien Star Hegemony is already in progress, and veteran Sentai correspondent Bae is at the scene. Bae, how are things looking over there?"
"Pretty good, Samantha," Fierce Beast Fly-Fist Bae whispered as the camera switched over to him. The camera zoomed out to reveal he was in a city park, where crowds of humans and Youkaliens were seated on bleachers, each species waving signs and wearing T-shirts showing their support for their respective team. Much like Bae, they were uncharacteristically quiet, and when one child started yelling loudly, his mother quickly shushed him.
"Bae, is something wrong with the sound?" A puzzled Samantha asked. "Things seem unusually quiet over there."
"That's because of the nature of this week's challenge, Samantha," Bae whispered, nodding at the space the bleachers were bracketing. Akira and Kyukogo were both standing on pedestals before a large fountain, neither of them wearing much clothing.
Akira was wearing a two-piece swimsuit colored red and black with tyrannosaurus heads patterned on it. Her rippling muscles were on display as she struck a sexy pose which managed to draw attention to every curve on her body, including and especially her chest. A warm smile on her face and her thick mane flowing behind her, her ever-present feathers absent, made her strangely look even more naked than her swimwear suggested. More than a few of the audience members suddenly discovered their sexual orientation wasn't quite what they had expected, some of the children had their eyes covered by their parents, and there were quite a lot of nosebleeds.
Kyukogo, on the other hand, was wearing a one-piece suit made of the same space fabric as the rest of the clothes her court wore, depicting a magnificent bejeweled undersea palace with alien fish and aquatic Youkalien merrily swimming about. While she had none of Akira's muscle, and wasn't showing off as much skin – or fur – she still managed to look just as, if not even more attractive thanks to her demure smile, her unbound and unadorned hair spilling onto the ground around her, and her tails lazily fanning out behind her. The way she seemed to be frozen in a stretch, thrusting her sizable chest in front of her, didn't help matters.
Placed before each of the scantily-clad women was a large block of stone, and a Dininger and a Youkalien were frenziedly going at it with their blades, chips of stone flying as they carved away at the blocks, life-sized sculptures of the two muses quickly becoming apparent. Bix and Chief Magistrate Shinza were sitting at a table on the side, observing the work of both competitors very carefully.
"As you can see," Bae said quietly. "The nature of this week's challenge is a sculpting contest, to see who can carve the most accurate statue of the leader of their respective teams within the time limit. Everyone has been asked to be very quiet so as not to disrupt the sculptor's focus on their craft."
"I see," Samantha remarked. "And is there a reason they're dressed like that, save for blatant fanservice?"
"The reason for that is twofold, Samantha," Bae explained. "Akira Tyruga and Hegemon Kyukogo are both incredibly attractive women, so it's a test of the sculptor to make sure their statue is as accurate as possible without losing focus by fixating too much on… Certain attributes."
"I see. And the second reason?" The Kikainoid asked.
"The Diningers finally agreed to go to the Youkalien waterpark after the competition is over," Bae replied.
"Ah," Samantha said. "So, who do we have in today's event?"
"Well, to absolutely nobody's surprise, Mozu Kariya is doing the sculpting for the Dininger team," Bae said softly, nodding to Mozu, whose Raptor Talons were flying through the air so fast it was practically impossible to make them out, great clouds of dust flying away from the block by the second. "As a member of the Raptor tribe, she's the best with the blade next to Akira herself, and is a skilled artist to boot, something the Raptor tribe also can take great pride in, since that kind of brushwork and fine attention to details can make them better with the blade, or so I am told."
He glanced at the camera. "Also, she's Akira's girlfriend, and rather vehemently insisted she be the one to do this, claiming that she was "the only one who can do it right" and "nobody should be leering at my girlfriend other than myself." Nobody dared to argue."
Go, Mozu! Tetsu signed, wearing a green and black thong with ankylosaurus heads printed on it, exposing every one of his many muscles.
You've got this! Sora signed as well, wearing black and yellow swim trunks with pterodactyl heads printed on them.
It's a good thing we learned sign language so quickly, so we can cheer you on without distracting you! Kenji also signed, wearing a blue and black Speedo with Triceratops heads printed on it.
She can't see us signing at her, though, Sora pointed out. Seeing as how focused she is on her sculpture.
Kenji frowned. Wait, then why are we doing this at all?
It makes me feel better, Tetsu said. Kenji shrugged, deciding that was as good a reason as any.
"And for the Youkaliens, we have a Warrior by the name of Cuttertachi," Bae said, nodding at the other competitor. The Youkalien in question was a man-sized bipedal weasel with white and silver fur, metal razor blades growing from his spine all the way down to the tip of his tail. His chest was covered in armor resembling a metal apron with holographic images of kamaitachi dancing across its surface, and he wore space boots sized for his feet over his lower extremities. A welding mask shaped for his head with cute little whiskers and a nose carved into it covered his face, his bright blue eyes visible through the visor. His forearms were covered in metal gauntlets with huge sickle-shaped plasma blades growing from the undersides, and it was these blades he used to carve up the stone block in front of him, dust and stone chips flying everywhere as he slashed his instruments through the air. "He is apparently a skilled artist and gardener, and has been commissioned to make many statues for the royal family and other elite Youkaliens in the past."
"Go, Cuttertachi!" Kyuhime cheered very, very softly, wearing an adorable swimsuit depicting a sunlit beach on an alien world.
"You've got this!" Nyahime cheered, equally softly, wearing an adorable swimsuit depicting the same beach, but at night.
Usatan, who didn't say much anyway, merely lifted a sign saying "WIN," her own swimsuit displaying an aerial view of the sea.
"Excellent work, Cuttertachi! You are capturing Her Divinity's appearance perfectly!" Whispered Onimusha, clad only in a very small Speedo, exposing just how absolutely fucking ripped he was under his power armor.
Nyajou, wearing a two-piece suit so thin she might as well have been naked, was panting and sweating hard, even though it wasn't that hot out. "Dammit, woman, do you want me to take you in front of the children?" She moaned, shuddering with pent-up lust.
"Like what you see?" Akira murmured to Kyukogo, winking at the alien kitsune.
"Just as much as you like what you see," Kyukogo said slyly. "I think that once I enslave you, that's going to be your official uniform, if not something even scantier."
"Promises, promises," Akira purred, causing Kyukogo to flush.
"You know, your Mozu is very talented," Kyukogo murmured, changing the subject. "Do you think Cuttertachi would be particularly upset if I made use of her artistic talents as well?"
"If you want her to make a copy of that statue for you, you only have to ask," Akira replied. "Pretty sure she'd say no, though, she's not exactly happy about the way you and I-"
"Will you stop flirting with each other?! We're trying to work here!" Mozu hissed.
"Yes, Your Divinity, I must insist you keep it down, we're trying to focus!" Cuttertachi agreed.
Chastened, both models shut up.
Tetsu suddenly shivered and wrapped his arms around himself.
You're cold? A surprised Sora signed.
Tetsu frowned. Yeah, felt this chill run down my spine a second ago. Like someone was walking on my grave. It felt kind of familiar-
Suddenly, a building a few blocks away exploded, startling everyone. It was a testament to the talents of both Mozu and Cuttertachi that, despite being just as surprised as everyone else, they managed to stop themselves before either of them could accidentally damage their incomplete sculptures. "Oh, what now?!" Mozu cried, furious.
"The heck was that?!" Bae yelled, flying over. "That's not part of this, is it?"
Kyukogo shook her head in alarm. "No, we weren't even planning to do a giant battle today!"
"Your Divinity!" Shinza cried in dismay, looking up from his tablet. "That building… It's one of our outreach centers!"
Kyukogo gasped in horror. "What?!"
Bae turned the camera. "For our viewers who aren't in the know, over the last few weeks the Youkaliens have started setting up outreach centers around the globe to help correct misunderstandings the public might have about them, teach them about what life under their reign would be like, and to try and convince people to sign up for enslavement peacefully, that sort of thing. It's… Been a bit more successful than one might think."
Akira abruptly ripped off her swimsuit, revealing that she was wearing her ninja uniform underneath… Even though there was no way that should be physically possible. "People might be hurt! Guys, we need to go!"
Right, Tetsu, Kenji, and Sora signed, the latter two remembering after the fact they didn't need to do that anymore, and ripped off their swimsuits, revealing that they were also somehow wearing their ninja outfits underneath.
Mozu sighed and lowered her Talons. She didn't need to change into anything, since she was already in her Sentai form. "Dammit, and I was almost done…"
"I'm coming as well!" Bae announced. "You'll want a member of the press to document this!"
Akira shrugged, not really caring. "Sure, whatever."
"Wait, the competition!" Bix protested. "If you leave now, then you'll forfeit!"
"Then I'm leaving as well," Cuttertachi announced, stepping away from his unfinished work. "I don't want to win that way! Besides, I was just at the outreach center this morning. I've got friends who work there! I have to help them!"
Kyukogo nodded in agreement, one of her tails twitching and transforming into her more regal regalia in a flurry of magic. "Indeed, we should all go! If my subjects and innocent humans are in danger, I cannot simply stand by and do nothing! We will resume the competition once we've seen to everyone's safety, and reschedule if necessary. If that is agreeable with everyone?"
It was, and Onimusha quickly materialized his power armor started barking orders to his soldiers.
"Mommy, does this mean we aren't going to the waterpark later?" A disappointed Nyahime asked her other parent.
"We damn well better, after your mother got me all hot and bothered," Nyajou growled, still very red.
…
The Diningers, Cuttertachi, Kyukogo, Onimusha, a cadre of Uchuhage trained in disaster response, and Bae and his cameraman rushed over to the outreach center. Thanks their proximity, they were able to get there before the emergency crews.
Not that it made a difference. They were already too late.
Whatever blew up the building had done it so thoroughly there was nothing left but a hollow, burnt-out shell, trails of smoke rising from the fires within, already dwindling down. While normally that might have made it easier to go inside to look for survivors, it was pretty evident there was no need for that, given that everyone inside the building was already in the plaza out front.
None of them were alive.
The Diningers recoiled in horror, seeing the hundreds of mangled, mutilated, burnt and dismembered bodies, human and Youkalien alike, lying in disorganized heaps all over the plaza. "Oh, God Generals, no," Kenji retched, turning very green. Mozu couldn't control her stomach and threw up. Tetsu stared at the grotesquerie, trembling, eyes wide, feeling the chilling sense of déjà vu.
Bae blanched. "… I know I'm going to sound horrible for saying this, but I suddenly feel rather hungry."
"That's messed up," his cameraman exclaimed in disgust.
"I'm a fly, what do you expect?!" he snapped. "I can't help my diet!"
Akira's head swam, feeling sick. She smelled…
Akira knew what death smelled like. She was a ninja, after all. Not to mention she had often had to hunt for food during wilderness survival training. But this… This didn't smell like death. Not entirely. It smelled like…
A flicker of sense memory. Her mother rolling aside a boulder and tossing the remains of the so-called "Guru" into a deep dark hole. The scent she'd picked up that day, that noxious cocktail of ancient blood and undying hatred permeating the Pit of Disgrace…
This was similar, but somehow worse. "What… What did this…?"
Kyukogo didn't look much better. "It's… It's a good thing the children didn't come…" She murmured, wavering. A confused expression crossed her face. "Something… Something doesn't feel right…"
Onimusha snarled, slamming his kanabo into the ground hard enough to crater it. "Whoever did this," he roared, jaws flavoring, eye burning red. Had he gotten taller? Had his armor always looked that imposing, his spikes that sharp, his teeth so sharp? "Will PAY!"
"Pay… Pay… Pay…" The Uchuhage chanted, looking and sounding more demonic by the incident.
"Kill them…" Cuttertachi snarled, eyes turning red, his spines bristling, his plasma blades growing longer and changing to the color of blood. "Kill… all of them…"
Kyukogo gasped and suddenly fell to her feet. "Kyukogo!" Akira cried, rushing to the Hegemon… Noticing, to her dismay, that none of the other Youkaliens seemed to have noticed their beloved monarch was in distress.
"This foul air… Do you sense it too?" The kitsune panted, looking on the verge of passing out. "So much… Hatred… So much… darkness…"
Darkness?
Tetsu's eyes widened in horror.
He knew this darkness.
The miasma grew in intensity, until the rest of the Diningers sensed it as well. Kenji's eyes widened in alarm, reminded, just like Akira, of the Pit of Disgrace. "What is this?" A dazed Sora wondered, taking off his glasses as he was struck with a splitting headache.
"Kill… Kill… KILL," roared the Youkaliens, no longer seeming so friendly and obliviously evil, and more like the homicidal monsters many of their distant kin still were.
"Kyukogo!" Akira cried again, the Hegemon's eyelids fluttering.
"So much… Evil," she rasped, her voice faint, her heartbeat slowing.
Black smoke rose from the corpses covering the ground, melding with the smoke rising from the building. Before their eyes, the resulting cloud shifted and changed, taking on the form of a massive ghostly skeleton looming over them.
The bony specter regarded them for a moment silently.
Then it opened its mouth wide and lunged.