Haruko shoved Naota out of the way when their attacker struck the
ground with his guitar, sending a massive shockwave ripping through the
pavement. It tore its way toward them, and only Haruko's push kept Naota
from being blown off his feet.
The assailant charged at Haruko as she lay prone on the ground. He swung his guitar overhead and attempted to bring it down on her like an executioners axe. She rolled to the side, dodging the blow that tore a massive chunk of asphalt out of the pavement. He raised his weapon up again, preparing for another blow when Naota charged into him, knocking him off balance for a moment.
"Leave her alone!" he shouted as he desperately tried to launch a flurry of punches into the mysterious attacker. But this monster was larger than Naota, stronger and heavier, and his blows were more like rabbit punches on a brick wall. The spiky haired monster clapped his hand over Naota's face and lifted him clean off the ground. "Who are you?" Naota managed to say between his fingers.
"I'm her replacement, freak!" the stranger hissed as he tossed Natao aside like a bag of trash.
"Hey asshole, over here!" Haruko shouted as she charged in on her Vespa. She had her bass now, and leveled it like a medieval jouster. But before her attack could make contact, the stranger grabbed the handlebars of her Vespa, hoisted it, Haruko and all, above his head, and tossed it to the ground. He kicked her bass away from where it landed, and stood over her as she struggled to push her Vespa off her body. He raised his guitar high over his head, ready to deliver the killing blow.
Naota scrambled as fast as he could to grab Haruko's bass from where it had landed. He picked it up, leapt as hard as his legs could manage, and was just in time to block the blow that surely would have sliced Haruko clean in half. He pulled up with all his strength and knocked their attacker's guitar clean from his hands.
He had little time to enjoy his small victory though, for now the monsters attention was leveled onto him. Naota found himself thrown across the street when a punch that could have shattered buildings slammed into him.
"I would have let you get off clean, you little creep" the black creature growled as he hoisted Naota up by his neck. He tightened his grip till small droplets of blood began to appear between his fingers. His grip loosened, however, when something caught his attention. He leaned closer to Naota to get a closer look. It almost looked like the flesh across Naota's forehead was pulsing, rippling. "What's this?" he muttered as he moved in a little closer.
A massive pillar of flesh lanced off of Naota's head and slammed into the attacker full force. It catapulted him away from Naota, crashed him into the ground, and then pushed him along, leaving a small trench of torn and cracked asphalt as it continued to grow and grow. He shouts and protests were completely muffled out by the mass that was overwhelming him. It continued further and further until, finally, it paused for a moment, shuddered, and then receded back into Naota's head. Naota moaned, and then collapsed.
"Sir! A massive energy flux just occurred outside Mabase!" shouted one of the IIB personell.
"Where? Give me a reading." Amarao said as he turned from his desk. The huge monitor that dominated the room showed a satellite image that zoomed in further and further until it showed the outline of the city. A large blip blinked outside one of the buildings. A readout revealed energy levels that were off the charts.
"It looks almost like an N-O Channel" Kitsurubami said as she came up alongside Amarao. "We haven't registered anything like this since..." she gave a side glance to her boss, who was so absorbed in watching the monitor that he did not seem to notice when she said "Since Haruko left Earth."
"Hm..." Amarao muttered as his oversizd eyebrows twitched, "Perhaps its time we checked up on Naota..."
Naota moaned as he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the wrecked street outside his home. Then he saw a pair of boot-covered feet walk into his line of vision. An angry sounding grunt sounded above him, and one of the boots lashed forward, kicking him in the face. It sent him sprawling onto his back. He gazed up at the man that had attacked Haruko and he. He did not look as confident as he had moments ago. There was a trickle of blood trailing down his chin from his lips. He wiped it away and snorted.
"Humans. You're not even worth the flesh that you're printed on." His motorcycle pulled up behind him, like a horse riding to its master. He sat down upon it and pointed down at Naota. "I'll be back to drink my fill later. And then you and Haruko both will scream." He revved up the engine on his bike and roared away into the night.
Naota sat in a stunned silence. He did not react when Haruko strode up alongside him. She stood, waiting for him to say something, anything. After a moment of silence, she reached down, took his arm, and pulled him up to his feet.
"Hey, Takun, you awake?" she said as she waved a hand in front of his face. Naota turned his head to her and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Haruko...I think we need to talk."
The assailant charged at Haruko as she lay prone on the ground. He swung his guitar overhead and attempted to bring it down on her like an executioners axe. She rolled to the side, dodging the blow that tore a massive chunk of asphalt out of the pavement. He raised his weapon up again, preparing for another blow when Naota charged into him, knocking him off balance for a moment.
"Leave her alone!" he shouted as he desperately tried to launch a flurry of punches into the mysterious attacker. But this monster was larger than Naota, stronger and heavier, and his blows were more like rabbit punches on a brick wall. The spiky haired monster clapped his hand over Naota's face and lifted him clean off the ground. "Who are you?" Naota managed to say between his fingers.
"I'm her replacement, freak!" the stranger hissed as he tossed Natao aside like a bag of trash.
"Hey asshole, over here!" Haruko shouted as she charged in on her Vespa. She had her bass now, and leveled it like a medieval jouster. But before her attack could make contact, the stranger grabbed the handlebars of her Vespa, hoisted it, Haruko and all, above his head, and tossed it to the ground. He kicked her bass away from where it landed, and stood over her as she struggled to push her Vespa off her body. He raised his guitar high over his head, ready to deliver the killing blow.
Naota scrambled as fast as he could to grab Haruko's bass from where it had landed. He picked it up, leapt as hard as his legs could manage, and was just in time to block the blow that surely would have sliced Haruko clean in half. He pulled up with all his strength and knocked their attacker's guitar clean from his hands.
He had little time to enjoy his small victory though, for now the monsters attention was leveled onto him. Naota found himself thrown across the street when a punch that could have shattered buildings slammed into him.
"I would have let you get off clean, you little creep" the black creature growled as he hoisted Naota up by his neck. He tightened his grip till small droplets of blood began to appear between his fingers. His grip loosened, however, when something caught his attention. He leaned closer to Naota to get a closer look. It almost looked like the flesh across Naota's forehead was pulsing, rippling. "What's this?" he muttered as he moved in a little closer.
A massive pillar of flesh lanced off of Naota's head and slammed into the attacker full force. It catapulted him away from Naota, crashed him into the ground, and then pushed him along, leaving a small trench of torn and cracked asphalt as it continued to grow and grow. He shouts and protests were completely muffled out by the mass that was overwhelming him. It continued further and further until, finally, it paused for a moment, shuddered, and then receded back into Naota's head. Naota moaned, and then collapsed.
"Sir! A massive energy flux just occurred outside Mabase!" shouted one of the IIB personell.
"Where? Give me a reading." Amarao said as he turned from his desk. The huge monitor that dominated the room showed a satellite image that zoomed in further and further until it showed the outline of the city. A large blip blinked outside one of the buildings. A readout revealed energy levels that were off the charts.
"It looks almost like an N-O Channel" Kitsurubami said as she came up alongside Amarao. "We haven't registered anything like this since..." she gave a side glance to her boss, who was so absorbed in watching the monitor that he did not seem to notice when she said "Since Haruko left Earth."
"Hm..." Amarao muttered as his oversizd eyebrows twitched, "Perhaps its time we checked up on Naota..."
Naota moaned as he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the wrecked street outside his home. Then he saw a pair of boot-covered feet walk into his line of vision. An angry sounding grunt sounded above him, and one of the boots lashed forward, kicking him in the face. It sent him sprawling onto his back. He gazed up at the man that had attacked Haruko and he. He did not look as confident as he had moments ago. There was a trickle of blood trailing down his chin from his lips. He wiped it away and snorted.
"Humans. You're not even worth the flesh that you're printed on." His motorcycle pulled up behind him, like a horse riding to its master. He sat down upon it and pointed down at Naota. "I'll be back to drink my fill later. And then you and Haruko both will scream." He revved up the engine on his bike and roared away into the night.
Naota sat in a stunned silence. He did not react when Haruko strode up alongside him. She stood, waiting for him to say something, anything. After a moment of silence, she reached down, took his arm, and pulled him up to his feet.
"Hey, Takun, you awake?" she said as she waved a hand in front of his face. Naota turned his head to her and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Haruko...I think we need to talk."
