The single Seer drifted over the train tracks as a sleek blue and grey shinkansen drove past, its occupants peering out the windows nervously.

The black orb pivoted, zooming in on the faces of the youths as they ducked down. It was unable to feel anything itself, but it did pick up on their fear, terror, and worry.

All the more reason for it to continue tracking them, its master mused as he observed through the single Grimm.

Sammael tented his fingers as he smirked.

So far things were looking up for him. And the fake Shinkalions were doing just as they were programmed to do.

But the boy...

His smirk curled into a frown as he narrowed his eyes. He was still out there, along with his device. Now... how to go about ending that particular threat this time...?

(Shows a pair of red optics flaring as a shadowy hand reaches out, grasping at the screen before fading to show several wanted posters depicting the Shinkalions, the title appearing below)

GRIMMFALL SHINKALION: DARK DOUBLE DAZE

(The images fade to show a pinprick of light)

Awake and remembering the torn promise (The pinprick of light grows brighter as Railspike is shown looking over the city of Tokyo, his two brothers appearing as ghosts behind him)

Trapped and entrusted myself (Railspike looks up, showing the six young sparklings marching past him in their human forms)

Are you ok with this? Not being able to reach (He slowly reaches out a servo and grasps at the sun, throwing the screen into black)

Opened the door with incomplete condition (A sliver of light runs down the middle of the screen, revealing two doors as they open, showing a young boy staring in awe at the contents within)

Made mistakes, learn, in fear and hide (The boy is shown running before the camera pans to the left, revealing him outside as he holds a device in his hands)

Hesitate, deadlocked, facing myself (The camera pans in on the device, showing the city of Tokyo from above before two sets of orbs are shown facing one another down, colliding in a brilliant flash)

Break through the wall now (The light becomes a thick wall, Railspike standing before it as he drives a fist into it, causing cracks to spread out as it shatters)

Go my way, I'm going to grab the future (The wall crumbles around Railspike as his servo reaches out towards the six children)

I won't let anybody get in my way even if you hurt me (A huge mass of garbage rises up before him, two red eyes flashing in the background)

I'm chasing the continuation of my dream (The six young Shinkalions are shown turning around, brandishing their weapons in their frames)

Because it's still there and that's what I am (Railspike is shown reaching for them as they extend their own hands, reaching towards the middle of the screen before it goes dark)

The word that I used to hear came back again (Railspike stands before the remains of his two brothers, his students gathered around him as they offer support)

I didn't question it I just buried it deep (He bows his helm, optics closing as memories of them march past him in transparent form)

The noises are clouding my thoughts (Memories of their demise cause him to grit his denta and he screams as lightning flashes, rain pouring down around him during a battle)

Plastic melts and turn black when you burn it (The form of Nightstreak looms over him as he holds up a burning spark)

Tied and no freedom, there's nowhere to go (Railspike slumps to the ground as he grips at his helm with his servos, energon tears running down his cheeks)

Trust, betrayal, turning my mind dark (Sammael is shown in the background, wearing the mask of a Grimm as he holds his hands around the shaking Shinkalion)

I have to open the way (The darkness engulfs the screen before an explosion rocks it, shattering it as a winged form flies through the air)

Go anywhere when you spend your days (The form spins around, revealing a shadowy shape reminiscent of a Shinkalion, but with green optics and wings spilling green particles, holding a crossbow of sorts in one servo)

Meeting and findings you call this a fate (The camera pans down, showing the city from above as of on a map, dark purple orbs flashing on the screen)

We're alive and there are sadness and anxiety (One of the orbs flashes, panning out to reveal a pair of purple optics as six shadowy forms resembling the Shinkalions are revealed)

This won't last forever. All this for me to be strong (The forms attack, forcing Inspector Tezuka to fire on them as her men open fire as well)

All of this from the hard works (The gunfire pans over to show Railspike firing his arm-mounted guns to take down the black-clad attackers)

I kept it in me. Now I'm here (His optics flash as he summons a grey, blue, and dark blue Aura to shield himself from the return fire)

I can overcome this (He grits his denta as he hefts his shield and fires off his missiles as the other sparklings unleash their own attacks)

Go my way, I'm going to grab the future (Railspike lunges forward, his servo outstretched to catch a glowing spark)

I won't let anybody get in my way even if you hurt me (The spark is caught in his palm as it flashes, showing the boy holding a device in one hand and a visor resting on his head, a shadowy winged shape behind him)

I'm chasing the continuation of my dream (The boy looks out as four Rails of Light streak out from the screen, showing the four Shinkalions on them, heading off into the horizon)

Because it's still there and I have to move forward (The horizon flashes as the camera pans down to show Director Hayasugi in the front of the command center, waving an arm as he gives an order)

Go anywhere when you spend your days (The camera then pans to the left, showing Chief Lee standing in the main server room as he adjusts his sunglasses, light glinting off of them)

Meeting and findings you call this a fate (The chief glances out to the right, the camera following his gaze to reveal Tsuranuki in Townsville as he stands atop a hill overlooking the city)

We're alive and there are sadness and anxiety (His hair blows before the two Powerpuffs streak overhead, the camera following them before panning down to show Shinobu and Miku in the Shiga Highlands)

This won't last forever. All this for me to be strong (The camera then pans up to the sky as a winged shape flies overhead before panning down, showing the six kids and Railspike standing before the city of Tokyo, a young boy and a new shadowy Shinkalion shown in the background as transparent images, the title appearing below them)

OPENING FILES: ASTRO SELF DEFENSE FORCE

CLASSIFIED

DECRYPTING...

FILES DECRYPTED

OPENING FILES: ASTRO SELF DEFENSE FORCE

The Astro Self Defense Force is the newest branch of the Japanese Self Defense Forces, having been conceived recently with the implementation of Project Reach close to fifteen years ago. The space defense branch is noted to have been working with the head of Project Reach in an effort to allow humans to colonize other worlds in the event Sammael conquers the world and destroys all life on it.

The ASDF's main goal is to ensure that any colonies conceived under Project Reach are protected until they create sufficient defenses for themselves and enact contact with one another. Due to the secrecy of the ASDF though, not much is known about what weapons or technology they have at their disposal, although rumors state that much of it comes from the Iwo Jima Battle Site and the Iwo Jima Metal Man, as well as Life Form MX.

No other data found.

CLOSING FILES

TERMINAL ENTERING STANDBY PHASE

GRIMMFALL SHINKALION: DARK DOUBLE DAZE

CHAPTER VII - 800 TSUBAME! TSUBAME'S ASSAULT

Tsubame let out a whoop as he rocketed down the train tracks, drawing on the sheer power from the overhead catenary cables.

This was even better than he had hoped!

He felt nothing but sheer excitement and exhilaration as he pushed himself to his limits, going as fast as he could.

Despite the limitations his frame had, it was still enough to make him giggle a little. He revved his engine, feeling its incredible power as it made his chassis vibrate. His very being was now entirely mechanical, and in all honesty, he felt a lot stronger than a mere human. Hell, he was stronger than a mere human!

But at the same time, he remembered what he really was doing here. And that alone was a good anchor for him to remain focused. He shunted his excitement aside as he let his mind come back to his objective.

To find the fake Shinkalions and keep optics on them.

In the lower left-hand corner of his Heads-Up-Display, he could see a small timer counting down to when his soul would be ejected back to his human body, and actually ignoring it was pretty easy when he focused on what was in front of him.

"Tsubame? Do you read?" the director asked over his COMM.

"Hai! I read you loud and clear," Tsubame replied.

"Good. We've just spotted the fakes. They're starting to tear up Sendai. We need you over there and fast!" the director ordered. "The Rails of Light will take you there."

"Understood!" Tsubame responded.

He shut down his COMM and focused on the upcoming switch to another track. The young train could already see the glimmer of the Rails of Light and he shifted just the tiniest bit, letting himself glide onto the Rails of Light. He hesitated a moment before he retracted his pantographs and nested them against the top of his second and fifth cars. He felt a strange sensation as batteries within his chassis kicked into action, letting him run without the need for electricity to be drawn into his drive systems. Tsubame grunted as he shifted onto the Rails of Light, bouncing with the motion.

The trip to Sendai was fraught with tension as he pushed himself to his limits.

Tsubame kept his mind focused on his objectives as he headed towards the area.

'Okay. So, my mission is to keep tabs on the fakes as well as find the real ones,' he thought. 'The only question is where are the real ones? The fakes I know leave a serious trail of destruction behind, so they're easy to spot.'

Which was a good thing. And as it stood, he was determined to try and stop them this time.

As he approached Sendai, he could see the trail of destruction all around him.

Buildings were damaged and cars lay overturned on the streets. People were in shock and horror as fires raged in several sections of the area. Thick smoke curled up from the fires, and Tsubame had to keep from shuddering lest someone figure out he was a Shinkalion. Already he could see emergency services deploying, as well as a number of SDF soldiers to try and contain the 'rogue' Shinkalions.

The young train gunned it and sped past the damaged area, following it as he saw the footprints left behind. He could already see the six shapes ahead and he started to apply his brakes, coming to a stop just beyond their sensor ranges. He kept himself in idle as the fake Railspike glanced to the others. He grinned and the train shuddered against his will.

That grin was downright predatory. And the sharp canines didn't help matters either.

It only made things scarier.

Tsubame slowly inched somewhat closer on the Rails of Light.

He had to turn his audios up to their full sensitivity to hear what the fake was saying.

"...good job. So far the humans are starting to retaliate, but soon... we'll be the ones in charge," the fake Railspike said.

The gravely voice only made Tsubame shudder against his will. From what he had learned about Railspike, his voice was not that gravely. Sure it was of an older timbre, but this... this was...

He had to force himself to focus. He had other things to worry about.

He continued to listen in.

"Hai. But... there still is the matter of the one missing," the fake Efu responded.

"We'll get him when we finish up here," the fake Railspike retorted. "Right now, we have a few more things to do before we deliver our ultimatum."

'Ultimatum? What are they planning?' Tsubame thought. He prepared to inch a bit closer, only to pause as he heard the fake Matagi shift on his pedes. He wisely inched back as the fake looked up, his yellow optics flickering as he scanned the area.

Tsubame was just glad that the Rails of Light were a light color and that they pretty much hid his frame from their sight, radar, and sensors.

"Is something wrong, Matagi?" the fake Efu asked.

"No. I just thought I heard something," the fake Matagi replied.

The six turned and continued on their path.

Tsubame had to refrain from following for a good full hour until they were well out of his sight. With that done, he increased his speed, following their footprints until he saw smoke curling upwards from their next site of attack. A sense of dread filled his chassis as he recalled where the Fukushima power plant was located, and a terrible thought popped into his processor.

Not even wasting any time, he increased his speed.

He was determined to get there before they did, if they were even heading there.

"Director Hayasugi, I'm still on their tail!" he reported. "And I have a bad feeling as to where they may be headed!"

"Which direction are you heading in?" the director asked.

"It's in the direction of Fukushima," Tsubame stated.

Silence filled his COMM system and he wondered if the director had cut it. But no. He could vaguely hear chatter happening in the background. He wondered what they were talking about. He was very tempted to ask, but before he could, Hokuto came back on the line, and his voice was filled with panic.

"Tsubame, you have to get there before they do!" he exclaimed. "If they're heading there... then I have a suspicion as to what they could be up to!"

"And how will I get there first?" the young Shinkalion asked.

"Just keep following the Rails of Light! Futaba is already directing them on a straight shot there!" the director ordered.

"Hai!" Tsubame shut down his COMM and watched as the glowing rails extended out further ahead, curving off to the left a bit. He pushed his entire frame to the limit, his wheels starting to ache as he drew on all the power he could muster. His engine was now racing as he tried to figure out what the fakes would be up to.

The entire power plant had been decommissioned as a result of the earthquake in 2011. That much was a given. But the radiation was still potent, and it still had nuclear waste there, but that was being removed even as he made his way towards the facility. And if they were to target that radioactive fuel...

A snarl escaped him as he pushed himself harder. Already he could feel his wheels aching, but he ignored it. He had to find out whether or not his fear was real. The scenery below whipped past him as he sped over it, and already his sensors could detect the faint readings of radiation. He was getting closer. And now was the time to take action.

He gave a final push with all he had.

His engine was now roaring in his audios as he drew closer to the facility.

The remains were just ahead.

He slammed on his brakes hard, sparks flying and metal squealing as he slid to a halt. He was sure he'd be feeling that in his human form when he disconnected. Once he had come to a stop, Tsubame waited out of sight as clouds began to roll in. A thunderstorm was moving in.

And that was just what he had been hoping for.

The wait was agonizing. It felt like forever as time slowly ticked by. Tsubame could feel the rain starting to fall, the drops landing on his chassis and running down his windows. He turned on his windshield wipers, using them to flick the water off his front and rear engine windows as well as his sensors. He could already hear footsteps, and his sensors expanded out to pick up the fake Shinkalions.

The six were approaching the old plant, and he decided to give them a real surprise.

He gave a rev of his engine and sped down the glowing tracks towards where they ended and vaulted off them.

"CHANGE! SHINKALION!"

He felt his rear and front engines disconnect from the rest of the train and they linked up at once. The rear of his front engine split open as his arms unfolded and his servos flexed into position. His rear engine split down the middle as his legs were revealed, his pedes snapping into position. The rear shell detached and floated up to behind his back as his helm folded out, his optics flaring online. He felt the rear engine shell lock into place on his back and his wings unfolded, revealing their 'feathered' shape as greenish-white particles spilled out from them, as well as the thrusters on his back. He took a pose, legs and wings splayed.

He grinned to himself in his thoughts as he saw the six fakes all look up in shock.

From the point of view of the fakes, they were all staring at a new Shinkalion, one they hadn't even been informed of.

This one was primarily white, with red accents on its chest. The tops of its shoulder guards were red and a single red line ran along the bottom of its shoulder guards. Its upper arms were grey and its forearms were red with white armor on the top. Its upper legs were white and its lower legs were red, while its feet were grey with a red bottom and a yellow accent line running down the middle. On its back were two large wings that were made from the rear locomotive shell, with what appeared to be some kind of emitters spilling greenish-white particles for propulsion and lift. Its helm was primarily white with grey accents, and a red V-fin adorned its forehead. Its optics were a piercing green color and its faceplate was pure white, a red chin guard running along the bottom of its faceplate.

"What the hell?!" the fake Matagi blurted. "Who's that?!"

"The name's Tsubame!" the newcomer said, the voice a rich, deep tenor as he pointed his finger at them. "And I am your worst nightmare!"

There was only silence for a few minutes, broken only by the rain falling and the hum of Tsubame's thrusters.

Then the fakes moved.

Tsubame yelped as the fake Matagi aimed his guns and fired off a barrage of bullets, streaking for his chest.

He flared his wings and with a burst from the emitters on the left side, strafed right, the rounds barely missing his chest and left arm. He looked down, a sense of panic starting to fill his systems.

The purple and white train flicked his shuriken, summoning forth wind Dust from its edges and threw it, generating a vortex of wind. "Fumikiri Kaze Shuriken!"

Tsubame barely dodged the artificial tornado. "Yipe!"

The fake Matagi pivoted as he watched the young train flit to the right, and he opened fire with a barrage of explosive Dust bullets. Tsubame squeaked as he dove down.

'Crap! Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap!' he thought. 'What'll I do now?!'

He needed to be able to fight back, but as it stood, he could only fly and dodge the onslaught of bullets. And as it stood, there were six of them and he was only one train. He needed to find some way to be able to even the odds somehow. But the only question was how? He was unarmed, so he was at a disadvantage.

"Uh, Director Hayasugi? What'll I do now?!" he squeaked into his COMM. "I need to be able to even the odds somehow here, but I'm totally unarmed!"

"The 800 Tsubame is equipped with a weapon called the Pantograph Arrow," the director responded. "But you have to figure out how to summon it, since I have no idea as to how."

Tsubame gritted his teeth mentally as he looked down at the six trains as they started to circle in a predatory fashion. He felt that sense of panic start to fill him even more and he clenched his servos. He needed to be able to fight back. He needed to! The odds were not in his favor, but he was not about to let them get the upper hand!

He didn't know why, but he held out a servo and the six fakes seemed to back off, watching him warily. Tsubame dimmed his optics a shade as he clenched his servo on thin air, focusing on what he needed. He needed long range... long range to fire from the air. Just like a crossbow. He let his optics dim a bit further and it was as if he could see the weapon in his grasp. He saw it in his mind's eye, and he swore he could feel it, the heaviness of it, and the grip in his grasp.

Then his servo was clutching something solid. He could feel his digits curled around something as he brought his optics back to full brightness and he had to stifle a gasp as he saw the weapon in his servo. He slowly brought it closer and he inspected it in awe.

It did resemble a pantograph in a way, with the basic design. The two main sections were red at the top and white along the bottom half, and what appeared to be a large red point stuck out from the very front of the weapon. At the back end was a component that resembled the back of an arrow. "So this is the Pantograph Arrow..." he whispered.

"Yes. That's your signature weapon. It allows you to fire energy bolts, and a larger, more powerful version as well. But the more powerful shot has to charge. So you have to be wise about when to use it," the director stated.

"Hai!" Tsubame responded.

Now that he was armed, he aimed his new weapon and pulled the trigger.

A bright blue bolt of energy streaked out from the tip of the 'arrow' on the front, striking the ground close to the phony Shinkalions' mentor. The fake Railspike looked down at the hole in the ground before he looked up, baring those sharp teeth in anger.

Tsubame didn't even hesitate to let loose with a salvo of those energy bolts.

The six trains beneath him split up, scattering every which way and vanishing into the remains of the decommissioned power plant.

Tsubame didn't even hesitate to follow after them. He was determined to find these fakes and flush them out of hiding. He touched down, folding his wings and hefting his weapon like an infantryman as he started to inch through the ruined facility.

'This was not a good idea...' he thought. 'But no going back.'

He came to a halt close to one of the buildings further back from the reactors and crouched, his optics studying the situation critically. So far he had no clue as to the layout of the facility, but that could easily be remedied by scanning the area via satellite imagery. However, that would leave him vulnerable to an attack by the fake Shinkalions. And that was one thing he didn't want to have happen. So it was best to be on high alert as he continued to prowl around this place.

Tsubame broke into a run, holding his crossbow across his chest as he did so. His wings were plastered against his back as he ran, sweeping around him with his optics and scanners. And it proved to be a godsend when he heard his radar blaring in his head.

He leapt to the side, rolling as a barrage of gunfire peppered the ground where he had been mere seconds ago. He came to a rest in a kneeling position and he held up his crossbow, aiming it and pulling the trigger just as the fake Matagi fired on him once more. The two salvos met halfway, canceling each other out as they struck one another. The red and white train scoffed as he lowered his guns. "Well, you're not bad," he admitted. "But still no match for me."

"As if!" Tsubame spat. "I don't know what you're planning here, but whatever it is, I will stop you!"

"You and what army, brat?" the fake Railspike growled from behind him. Tsubame froze, his engine racing as he slowly looked behind him.

The larger train stood there, his Signal Spear raised, ready to impale him from behind.

Tsubame did the first thing that came to his mind: he slammed the back of his head into the fake's, causing him to stagger back, his free servo going for his faceplate. The younger train ducked away, running and skidding to a stop as he glanced back. The fake rubbed his faceplate before he lifted his face up, his golden optics flashing a sinister red color instead of their usual golden color.

That was all Tsubame needed. He stopped running and skidded to a stop in front of the damaged reactors, pivoting as he did so. He aimed his crossbow at the two trains. "No further!" he snapped.

The two trains looked at one another, then back at Tsubame as he stood before them, blocking their path. Then they broke out laughing.

"What's so funny?!" Tsubame asked.

"You really believe you can prevent us from getting to those reactors?" the fake Railspike asked. He simply glanced to Tsubame's left and the young train turned, his optics flashing as he saw the fake Haifu and Efu moving in to try and get beyond the barricades. He aimed his crossbow and pulled the trigger, sending a charged shot right for them. The two were caught by surprise, only to fall back. But that was what the fake Fumikiri and Nozoma had anticipated. The ninja and martial artist ran past the two green and white trains, and Tsubame reacted with surprising speed. He flared his wings and lunged, his servo flying out as the fake Fumikiri passed over him. He grabbed the purple and white train's foot, but barely. He shifted his stance and placed his crossbow on his side skirt armor, grabbing onto his foot with both servos and he pulled, yanking the surprised copy back. Tsubame gave a loud cry as he spun, whipping the fake Fumikiri into the white train.

The two went sprawling on their backs and Tsubame stood up, fists clenched. "I said... no further!" he growled.

The six trains looked at the white and red Shinkalion, scowls visible in their optics and body language. But Tsubame was not deterred. He only stood firm.

For his part, he was downright nervous.

Here he was, facing down six trains, each of whom was based on the defenders of Japan, and he was only one kid who had little to no combat training. Sure he had stopped the fakes from getting to the reactors, but it was only by pure dumb luck. He didn't know if he would be able to pull it a second time, least of all a third time. His optics dimmed a shade as he crouched a little and held his hands up in front of himself. He wasn't much of a fighter, but he did know a few tricks from his uncle. He kept his wings folded close to his back as he waited for the six to male their moves.

The first to strike was the phony Matagi. His guns were in his hands in a flash and they barked as he fired them. But Tsubame refused to budge. He threw his arms up in front of his chest and face as he flared his Aura, the tri-colored energy barrier taking the hits as he leaned into them. A warning appeared in the center of his vision, and a quick thought sent it to the lower left-hand corner of his HUD.

WARNING!

DAMAGE: MINOR

AURA LEVELS AT 92%

BATTERY OPERATION TIME: 70 HOURS

He hissed through his vents, trying to come up with a plan.

However, he was caught off guard when a heavy metal fist slammed into his face and sent him sprawling. His Aura deflected the worst of the blow, but he was still seeing static for a few seconds. He forced himself back to his senses as he slowly sat up, only to realize with dread that the fakes were going for the reactors!

Tsubame scrambled to his pedes and broke into a run, his pedes pounding the pavement as he lunged, his wings flaring as he kicked them on to full power. A roar escaped him as he thrust a servo forward, snatching onto the fake Railspike as he barged past. He glanced back and his red optics widened as he saw the young train pull back - hard! Tsubame screamed as he pulled as hard as he could, tripping up the bigger train and causing him to land on top of the fake Nozoma. Tsubame moved swiftly, leaping on top of the bigger mech and driving a nasty haymaker into the back of his helm. The fake Railspike's optics flickered before dimming to almost nothing, and his frame went limp.

That also proved to be just what he needed to distract the fakes from their objective, whatever it was.

The other four trains looked back, staring in shock as Tsubame got off of the downed Railspike clone. He rubbed his fist with his free hand before he looked up.

"Still gonna try and get past me?" he asked, even if he was nervous as hell.

His opponents all glared at him.

Then the fight began anew.

The fake Matagi engaged his wheels and sped in, guns barking as he tried to aim for Tsubame's chest. The winged Shinkalion yelped and ducked, just barely missing being pelted by the bullets. He was barely able to sense the incoming train, but his radar blared in his head and he reacted with surprising speed, lashing out one pede and kicking the fake Matagi's legs out from under him. He yelped as he landed on his back, and Tsubame whipped out a one-two punch, knocking the guns from the red and white train's grasp. Tsubame crouched and leapt off his downed opponent, landing further back as he grasped his Pantograph Arrow and pulled it free from his side skirt armor.

He aimed it as the fake Matagi staggered to his feet, looking up in anger at the younger train.

"You... How dare you!" he roared, lunging forward.

But Tsubame was much faster, his wings flaring open and he crouched, pushing off the ground as he kicked on his flight thrusters at the exact same time. The fake Matagi sped under him, his golden optics flashing in shock. Tsubame took the chance to flip around in the air, delivering a powerful drop kick to the back of the fake's helm, sending him sprawling, optics dark. He twisted his frame around as he sensed the white phony coming in from the side. His Pantograph Arrow was armed and ready, releasing a slew of blue energy bolts that stitched a path in front of the fake Nozoma.

That was all it took. The white train skidded to a stop and looked up, his light green optics dimming a shade. Tsubame returned the gesture with a flare of his own optics in response. The fake Nozoma lunged, a roar escaping his vocalizer as he punched, but the white and red train was able to just get above his opponent, firing his Pantograph Arrow once more. The salvo struck the white train, and he grunted from the impacts.

"Hah!"

The fake Fumikiri appeared above Tsubame in a puff of smoke, and the winged Shinkalion glanced up, gasping as he saw the purple and white train tense his frame for the throw of his shuriken. He twisted his frame and threw his weapon as hard as he could, generating a buzz saw-like effect as it sped through the air for his waist. Tsubame's wings flared as he gunned his flight thrusters, greenish-white particles spilling out from his wings' emitters and his back thrusters. He yelped as the orange shuriken clipped his leg, and he had to wiggle his wings a bit to stabilize himself, but he managed to.

Tsubame perked up as he heard the sound of the shuriken coming back and he turned, his Pantograph Arrow aiming right for it. He squeezed the trigger and sent a few shots right for it. The rounds hit the weapon and sent it off course, making it fly towards the purple and white fake. The fake Fumikiri glanced up, his optics flashing as the weapon buzzed towards him. His hand lashed out to try and catch it, but thanks to Tsubame's attack disrupting its trajectory, the shuriken instead cut off his hand, earning a gasp of shock and surprise. He staggered back, gripping at his severed hand, and Tsubame's optics flickered.

'Seems like they can't feel pain...' he mused. 'Another thing I can use to my advantage in exposing the fakes.'

Then he hissed through his vents. 'The only question is... how?'

However, his musings were interrupted when he saw the fake Haifu and Efu charging in once more. Tsubame yelped and dove down, his wings giving him added speed as he folded them close to his back. He was able to draw back one servo and lash out, catching the white and green femme by her foot. She yelped as the white and red train pulled his arm back, bringing the butt of his Pantograph Arrow down on her helm. She collapsed, but the fake Efu responded by swinging his Turnstile Sword for the winged Shinkalion. Tsubame pulled back in the nick of time, flaring his wings and jetting up over the fake's attack. He placed his weapon back on his side skirt armor and flipped, bringing down his pede in yet another drop kick. The fake Efu was caught by surprise as his blow connected solidly with his helm, making him stagger back, but not knocking him offline.

The three fakes remaining online glanced at one another, then back at Tsubame as he hovered there, wings flared, fists clenched. His optics flared brightly before he raised his fists a bit more.

Tsubame felt his hydraulics and systems tense as he waited for them to make a move. His engine was now racing in his chest as he studied the three trains critically. This was his best bet to hold them off.

The only question was... could he?

From his perspective, the fake Nozoma, or as he was properly known, Azomon, crouched, studying his opponent.

Clearly he was not someone to be taken lightly.

The way he fought was an indicator of this.

But he was also one that they had not expected to be amongst the ranks of Team Shinkalion.

Perhaps he had been recently recruited?

That did seem possible.

The fact that this one was capable of flight though? That was something none of them had expected.

Azomon's optics dimmed a shade. There was no way that the three of them could take on this one. Tsubame, as he called himself, was clearly the one who had the upper hand here, regardless of his inexperience in combat.

That was something that needed to be corrected. He glanced to Ufe and Irikimuf. "Get the others! We're out of here!" he barked.

"Aw, c'mon! Just when things were getting good!" Ufe whined.

"NOW!" the white train snarled, his optics flaring. The green and white copy yelped and recoiled.

"Y-Y-Yes, sir!" he squeaked.

Ufe turned and ran back towards the downed Spikerail and slipped one arm under him, lifting up the unconscious train and hauling him over his back. Irikimuf bolted for the offline Ufiah and picked her up in a bridal carry while Azomon himself approached the still Igatam. He picked up the red and white train, placing him on his back and looking back to the hovering train. His optics flared brightly.

"You got away with this victory because we didn't expect you, brat!" he hissed.

Tsubame's optics flickered as he slowly lowered his fists, unsure of what they were going to do, but obviously keeping his guard up.

'Hmm... Seems to me like he's not one to let his victory go to his head. This one...could be troublesome,' Azomon thought to himself. 'He's someone to not underestimate.'

The three copies turned and bolted with their companions. As they ran, Ufe looked to the leader. "What now, sir?" he asked over the COMM.

"For now, we withdraw," Azomon stated. "That flying Shinkalion is going to be a real threat to our plans, and those of our master. Especially if he finds the real ones and clears their names."

"So our objective then is to keep him from finding them. That will be difficult," Irikimuf mused.

"Not as hard as we think. Remember what we have in our arsenal," Azomon replied, looking back at a Seer as it floated out of sight. "Just be glad the master was kind enough to give us a few."

Ufe nodded. "Yes, sir."

Azomon took a glance back over his shoulder as Tsubame hovered there, keeping himself tense for if they came back.

But Azomon had other plans in store.

He turned back and ran on ahead, his two companions following behind, all three carrying their unconscious teammates.

Tsubame watched the three trains vanish into the distance, his very frame tense for an unexpected attack.

But as they disappeared beyond the horizon, he was finally able to relax. Clearly he had discouraged them. But the more he thought about it, the more it seemed less likely that he had just driven them off. Tsubame lowered his helm as he frowned to himself in his thoughts. 'So they retreated... No doubt because of a plan or something...' he thought to himself. 'At least I'm sure of that part. But why did they? They had me on the ropes. They could've easily taken me down. Even with three of them taken offline.'

"Tsubame, do you read?"

The young Shinkalion yelped in surprise as he placed a hand to his helm. "I read you," he replied.

"Did you manage to drive off the fakes?" Director Hayasugi asked.

"Well, yeah... But I don't think I drove them off so much as they retreated..." Tsubame muttered darkly.

"All the more reason to be on high alert then," the director replied.

The white and red train nodded as he flew after them. He made sure to keep the fakes in his sights.

He was just glad that no one was looking up.

The cloud cover was serving well as concealment for him. He kept his gaze fixed on the fake Shinkalions as they made their way across the forests not too far from Fukushima. A small part of him was impressed by the fact that these fakes knew how to use the terrain to their advantage. The bad news was that while it hid them from prying eyes down on the ground, it also hid them from his own vision. And Tsubame was not about to risk going into the forests after them.

At least for the moment, anyway. He hovered above them a bit longer, watching as they vanished from his sight and radar.

Scowling to himself in his thoughts, he turned and flew off, making sure to stay in the clouds for cover.

He had no clue he was being watched... through a Seer Grimm...

DARKLANDS

SAMMAEL'S CASTLE

Sammael's eyes narrowed as he frowned to himself.

'So... he's managed to drive them off from the reactors at Fukushima...' he mused as he tented his fingers as he leaned forward a bit in his throne.

The newcomer to the project was really proving to be a nuisance, especially since he was still new to the whole idea of combatting Kaiju.

And actually, now that he thought about it, he did want to see if this new Shinkalion did have what it took to match up to his compatriots...

He glanced back as the Seer shifted its gaze back towards the ocean near Fukushima.

"Ah... what Kaiju have you got cooking now?" Moloch's voice purred from within the shadows.

"I've been trying to think of one..." Sammael mused, "...but so far nothing has come to my mind." Then he smirked. "At least, until now, of course."

"What one this time?" Moloch asked, his red eyes flashing.

The Fallen King held up a hand and a new Kaiju Core appeared in a flash of light. "Oh, something that could make him a bit more... wary... of other trains..." he chuckled. "This one, I am going to call the King of the Shroud... and it will be just like him..."

Moloch's red eyes widened before he leaned out, exposing his face and his wounded antler. He chuckled. "Having that thing possess a train, I see," he cackled.

"Yes, Moloch. Or rather... try more like three trains in one," Sammael purred. "But it is not going to be the mimics. Oh, no. This one... is going to be fused with conventional trains. Not the electric trains or steam trains."

"Those bloated diesel trains, right? That's perfect!" Moloch crowed.

Sammael nodded, his eyes flashing red as he smirked at Moloch. "Yes. And I have just the ones in mind..."

His eyes flicked to the Seer as it floated past, showing his targets.