In the streets, Monster Research Centre crews continue to clean up Ashuran's remains, protecting themselves from alien toxins and pathogens with green hazmat suits. Participating in the operation is Kaburagi Shinya: former host of the evil alien Celebro. "Please no evil space parasites… please no evil space parasites…" he chanted to himself, hoping to not repeat the incident from a few years ago.
"Quiet down, Kaburagi." A fellow researcher told him.
"Can you blame me? I have several amended criminal records, one of which being treason!" Shinya argued. "Yes, I was pardoned on the count of the darn parasite, I would rather have it not happen again."
"Whatever, just shut up." the other researcher added.
Shinya grumbles as he picks up pieces of charred Ashuran flesh from the ground. Unusually, one piece he picked up is covered in black-purple goo not associated with Ashuran. "What…?" Shinya murmured. The goo suddenly opens an alien blue eye, alarming the young researcher.
"Gah!" he drops the piece, and it immediately stretches towards him. In response, he takes a gun and shoots it, splattering it and alarming his co-workers. "That thing attacked me!" Shinya pointed.
Immediately, they hear the sound of hissing akin to gas escaping a tight container, and look to the barrels keeping the Ashuran remains inflated with black smoke spewing from the seams. "Everyone, drop everything and run!" Shinya yelled before fleeing the scene.
Everyone follows Shinya and runs from the site, just as the barrels finally burst, releasing more black smoke. The puffs float around with Ashuran chunks suspended within, then converge to the junction where Ashuran initially fell, forming a dark cloud in the shape of the recently-destroyed Ashuran. As its spiked crest is finally formed, a dark alien eye opens between its eyes, accompanied by a distorted screech.
At S.T.O.R.A.G.E.'s lab, everyone gathers to see live feed of the cloud coalescing and solidifying into Ashuran, only with stitches and a strange eye on its forehead where one shouldn't be. "Is that… Ashuran…?" Yuka locks eyes on the monitor, surprised at the creature's current state.
"It almost looks pieced together, like Frankenstein." Yoko observed.
An alert sets off on Windom and Sevengers' Soulrisers, and they pick up to see a notification reading "WARNING: SHADOW BEAST". "Shadow!" Windom exclaimed.
"Shadow?" Yoko, Yuka, and Bako repeated.
"I can explain!" Sevenger peeped. "Shadows are mysterious creatures that attack humans. GIRLS fight them to protect Earth!"
"They can take many shapes, and can even possess living beings. My senior Alien Guts was unfortunate to have been possessed by Shadow once." Windom added.
"What's this Shadow doing on our universe?" Yuka wondered.
"It likely followed us from home, and took over the Ashuran we destroyed." Windom deduced.
Sevenger takes a worried face and turns to her elders. "This is all our fault." She then bows. "Sorry!"
"Nana, sweetie…" Yuka crouches to Sevenger. "This isn't your fault. You couldn't've seen this coming."
"Regardless, S.T.O.R.A.G.E. and you two should mobilize to defeat it." Bako commanded.
"Shadow Ashuran!" Yuka exclaimed suddenly. "Let's call it Shadow Ashuran!"
"We can call it whatever we want, as long as we destroy it." Yoko said. "Windom, Sevenger, there's only space for one pilot in Sevenger. You'll have to find another way to get there." She suggested to the two.
"Why don't we ride on Sevenger-senpai's armour?" Sevenger suggested to her sister's surprise.
"Nana-chan, isn't that a little too dangerous?" she said worriedly.
"If you're as durable as the real deal, then you'll be fine." Yoko chuckled to Windom's further worry.
"Go, S.T.O.R.A.G.E.!" the S.T.O.R.A.G.E. team exclaimed to the Kaiju Girls' surprise.
As alarms blare, Yoko gets into S.A.A.-1 through a mechanical hatch in its chest. She jumps into the cockpit and flicks some switches as she prepares the S.A.A. for battle. "Nakashima here, Sevenger is ready for lift-off."
Then, Windom and Sevenger climb onto the S.A.A. and settle for a spot under its neck. "Nana, why did you have to say that?" Windom asked her sister with a whine.
"It'll be fun, sister!" Sevenger responded.
"No, it won't!" Windom whined when a light shines above them.
"[Force gate open. Force gate open.]" an automated voice announced as the ceiling splits apart above S.A.A.-1. After the ceiling fully opens, the launch pad lifts S.A.A.-1 to the roof.
"Hang on, sister!" Sevenger smiled as she hugs onto the S.A.A.'s neck tight, then her sister does the same with a fearful look and eyes sealed shut.
When S.A.A.-1 reaches the opened roof, an alarm rings, confirming its readiness. "[Cleared for takeoff.]" another voice announced.
"[Roger. Cleared for takeoff.]" Yoko responded in English. "Sevenger, go!" she thrusts a lever to her right, initiating launch.
Smoke puffs from S.A.A.-1's backpack before fire bursts out, lifting S.A.A.-1 into the sky towards Shadow Ashuran. As S.A.A.-1 jets towards the enemy, the Kaiju Girls are hanging on as hard as they can, scrunching up the metal plating like it was cloth. "Waaah! This is too much!" Windom whined.
As they disappear into the blue sky, Yuka and Bako are in the hangar waving them goodbye. "Oh, I can't wait to see them in action! They must be amazing!" Yuka squeaked giddily as she hops in place.
"They will, thanks to S.T.O.R.A.G.E.'s technology." Bako added as he holds the scaled-down Fire Shot for Windom.
Yuka sees it in his hand, and drops her smile. "Uh, is that a spare?" she asked, trembling.
"What? No, this is our only …" Bako said as he looks down, and his eyes widen in realization. "Oh no…"
"Did you at least hand Nana-chan her Drill and Taser Baton?" Yuka asked again, hoping Bako would say "Yes.".
"I left them in the meeting room…" Bako answered with gritted teeth.
"Do you know what this means?" Yuka squeaked stressfully.
They turn to the sky with stressed, scrunched-up faces. "We forgot to give them their gear!" they shouted simultaneously into the sky, but their worries are not loud enough to reach out heroes flying through the sky.
To be continued…