"Hmm... So... that's their new project, hm?"

Sammael tented his fingers as he observed through a Seer the new mechanoid as it finished transforming.

He had to admit, Japan was quite desperate if they were to resort to such things. And such measures.

A smirk crossed his lips. "And that is why I find humanity so... interesting... at times. They can prove to be quite creative and full of ingenuity when confronted with something like the Grimm Kaiju..."

"So what? It's a train that can turn into a mecha. Big deal," Moloch snorted from the shadows.

"Relax, Moloch. I aim to see just what they are capable of... once all have been assembled of course," Sammael purred. "And I know you're just itching to get some payback at those who bested you before..."

Moloch growled as he tensed.

Sammael merely waved a hand. "Once all six are assembled, I want to see how well they can perform in the Darklands. So... whichever one I get... you can test them and see how well they do. Think of it as a way to heal your wounded pride, Moloch."

The Beast of Darkness pondered his proposal. "But only if I get to pick which one!" he remarked. "And I expect it to be followed."

"Fair enough, Moloch." Sammael sneered as the Beast melted away into the shadows. "Fair enough indeed."

OPENING FILES:

CLASSIFIED

DECRYPTING...

FILES DECRYPTED

OPENING FILES: CAPTURE FIELDS

Developed by Japan's Space Agency in early 2001, The Grimm Containment Field, as it is officially known, has been a key part in Japan's arsenal against the Grimm. These fields are used to contain the fights so as to reduce the collateral damage to Japan's infrastructure. As an island nation, Japan has limited resources and has to rely on imports to get most of its materials for construction. So it made sense to Japan's Prime Minister and the SDF to have a method to contain the fights.

The fields work by using matter manipulation nanotechnology, a derivative of the technology used to refine crystalized Dust and make it into powders. The nanotechnology adjusts the atoms in the air to form a semi-permeable energy field that can be manipulated to however the situation demands it. The interior's nanomachines usually form a platform on which battle can take place, and there is always an entryway above the center of the platform for Hunters to drop in. Dropships can also enter the field through this entry point.

The field's energy barrier itself is semi-permeable, so it can let in air and take punishment. The barrier can also be sealed to make it a near vacuum state, with all the air sucked out so as to prevent some Grimm from using fire-based abilities. The field can be expanded and contracted as deemed necessary, however due to its limits, it can't be expanded beyond its maximum capacity, lest the field lose its cohesion and shut down.

CLOSING FILES

TERMINAL ENTERING STANDBY PHASE

"The term capture can mean many things. Like when someone captures the heart of someone else. Or when a soldier captures an enemy base or soldier or supply dump." The figure from before leaned in, their glasses flashing in the light of the monitor.

"Or it can mean capturing a hostage, or even a criminal. All in all, it's what you make of it. Does this capture your attention, yet?"

CHAPTER V - ENGAGE

Fukushima.

The place where the Earthquake happened.

As well as the location where three of the six reactors melted down.

Already Tsuranuki was dreading even going there.

The mere thought of being in the same area as where the disaster had happened was enough to make his frame shudder against his will.

"Tsuranuki! Stay focused!" Hokuto cautioned over the COMM line. "Do you want to derail yourself?!"

Tsuranuki yelped. "Sorry!" he exclaimed. He forced the thoughts of the disaster from his processor as he approached the site.

He finally applied his brakes, coming to a stop. "CHANGE! SHINKALION!"

He felt the telltale transformation from his shinkansen form into his more humanoid shape, and as soon as he was on his own two feet he rolled his shoulders, trying to adjust. He still wasn't used to this whole thing, and it frankly unnerved him.

Now that he was close to the area, he made his way to it on foot as the rail line didn't head towards the power plant in question. As he walked, he scanned around for any sign of the Grimm. "You sure there's one here?" he asked.

"The radar picked it up some time back," Hokuto replied. "It should be there. We did fire a capture field at it."

The Shinkalion snorted. 'That would explain it then,' he thought. But at the same time, it didn't make any sense as to why a Grimm would be here, of all places. Sure they tended to surface in other areas as well, but that was for the more minor Kaiju-class. The major ones always surfaced near Tokyo. Such as Mothra. So then, if there was a Kaiju-class way out here, was it minor? It didn't seem right to use a capture field on a minor one. Those could easily be taken out by Huntsmen and Huntresses. Unless there was something they were keeping hidden from him? He was tempted to ask, only to disregard that at once. He could get answers later. Right now, he had a mission to complete.

Tsuranuki slowly made his way towards the remains of the nuclear power plant, his optics scanning for any sign of the capture field. He had already figured out that it had a unique energy signature due to the nanomachines that made it up, or something like that. He wasn't entirely too sure about the physics behind it, but he got the gist of it. It was like engineering, in a sense, but with nanomachines.

His optics finally picked out the faint rippling in the air, and his sensors matched it to that of the capture field. Now that he had found it, he needed to get inside.

"Okay. I found it," he remarked. "Now, how do I get inside?"

"Leave that to us," Hokuto said. Tsuranuki was confused as to what he meant. The energy rails he knew were a way to get inside, but since he was off them, how was he supposed to get inside!?

The next thing he knew, his sensors alerted him to changes in the energy field. He looked up, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from, only to yelp as he saw what appeared to be energy stairs forming from the field itself. "The hell?!" he blurted, leaping back a bit.

"Don't worry. Those are just stairs created from the nanomachines of the energy field. They'll hold your weight," Hokuto explained as the stairs finished forming, making contact with the ground. Tsuranuki eyed them warily and slowly stepped closer to the first step.

He reached out a foot and put it on the energy platform, half expecting it to pass through. But much to his surprise, he could feel the platform as solidly as the ground beneath him. He placed his full weight on his foot, and then tapped it a few times. "Huh. Didn't expect this," he muttered as he stepped fully onto the staircase. He looked up at the field and swallowed nervously.

Slowly, he began to walk up the stairs. He could feel his frame shaking, and within his chest, he felt something racing. Tsuranuki paused, looking down at his chest, his hand drifting up and laying itself upon the armor there. It felt... weird. Like something was humming... Was it a reactor? Or was it something else? He tried to figure out what it was, listening to it. Now that he was listening, it sounded familiar... Like an engine. A powerful one, too.

That was enough to make him shudder a bit. He had an engine in his chest, keeping him alive, much like a heart would.

"Tsuranuki? You okay?" Hokuto asked, his voice holding a tinge of concern.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Tsuranuki replied as he looked back up at the capture field. He let his hand fall away from his chest as he continued walking. "Just... still trying to adjust to this whole thing."

"Well, you can worry about that later. Right now, we have to take out the Grimm that we contained. It's only a matter of time before-" Tsuranuki cut him off as he waved a hand. "Yeah, I know. Matter of time before the field collapses. I get that."

The cat Faunus sighed over the COMM. "Right. So... you ready for round two?"

Tsuranuki felt that strange sensation in his throat as he gulped. "Ready as I'll ever be..." he muttered as he increased his walking pace.

It took him only a few minutes to reach the walkway sticking out of the field. He gulped as he reached a hand out, feeling that tingling as it passed through the barrier. He pulled his hand out and flexed it a bit before he looked to the barrier. He steeled himself and stepped through.

It felt like passing through a rain shower. He had to cover his optics with his hand to keep himself from being blinded. As soon as he passed through, the tingling sensation faded from his frame and he lowered his hand. He wasn't surprised to see the interior of the capture field, as it resembled the one he had beaten Mr. Jones in. But what stood in the middle of the platform was not a bull.

The creature roaming the platform resembled an enlarged version of a Boarbatusk, but at the same time it was different. For one thing, its tusks were much larger, and its entire body seemed to be bulkier in terms of muscle mass. The armor was also thicker, and a scan of it told Tsuranuki that it stood at around twenty seven meters in height. Just a slight height difference, he mused as he headed onto the pylon supporting the platform.

The Grimm looked in his direction, and a shiver raced down Tsuranuki's spinal struts. Those red eyes were always unnerving. Especially seeing as how this Boarbatusk had six of them compared to the usual four. The Grimm also had on its back a few spines, and that made the Shinkalion tense. Something about this seemed wrong. There was no way a Boarbatusk should have had those features. He gulped nervously as he began to inch his way up to one of the rails encircling the interior of the field.

The Boarbatusk looked in his direction, watching him as he started to circle around, trying to be wary and cautious. His frame was tense, and he swore his engine was racing as he clenched his fists. "Geez... What is this thing?" he muttered.

No one answered. He was on his own.

Tsuranuki tried to contact Hokuto, but his systems informed him that communications were down for the moment. "Dammit..." he muttered.

The Shinkalion shifted his stance as he started to inch sideways towards the ramp leading up to the rails, keeping an eye on this new Boarbatusk as he did so. "..." He was silent as he watched it, only to startle as the thing rushed at him, its tusks glinting in the light from the capture field. He raised his arms and summoned his Aura, feeling encompass his frame in seconds. That was all it took to have the Boarbatusk... no, the Giga Tusk - ram into him. A cry escaped his throat as he was sent flying, landing on his back as he groaned. Tsuranuki grunted as he forced himself into a sitting position, only to roll to the side as the Grimm came back around. His leg armor was barely clipped, but it was enough to make him worry. He checked his readout, noticing that the gauge for his Aura was starting to deplete. 'Shit... I gotta be extra careful!' he thought as he scrambled to his feet.

He held out his hand and willed his drill to come.

A flash of light filled his optics briefly before it faded and he was holding his Wheelset Drill in his grasp. He brandished it and held out his free hand as he adopted a fighting stance. His optics gleamed as he thrust the drill forward, pressing the trigger as he did so.

The drill spun up as the Giga Tusk shifted, adjusting its position so its facial armor took the blow, deflecting the tip of his drill with a shower of sparks. Tsuranuki gasped as he saw that, and his optics flashed in shock. "The hell?!" he blurted.

The Grimm bellowed as it charged, its head lowering and slamming into his lower torso. Had he been human, he'd have lost his lunch. The Giga Tusk tossed its head and he screamed as he was thrown over the beast's back, landing on his chest behind it. Tsuranuki groaned as he pushed himself to his hands and knees, feeling a dull throbbing in his lower torso. He rolled over onto his back, his hand laying itself on his lower torso armor, feeling a slight dent in it. "Man... Gotta remember to use my Aura next time..." he rumbled as he pushed himself into a sitting position. He looked up at the Giga Tusk as it started to come back around, and he scrambled to his feet, bracing himself as he brandished his drill. He knew from reading up on the Grimm that thw Boarbatusk had a weak spot on its underbelly, but this thing looked like it didn't have that spot.

'Shit... There's no weak spot...' he thought as frustration built in his systems.

Tsuranuki flashed his optics as he crouched and as the thing came back around, he leapt up, allowing it to charge underneath him and he laughed a bit as he willed his drill into storage. It vanished from his hand and he flipped, landing on the Giga Tusk's back. He crouched down and grabbed onto the bone-like armor with one hand before he shifted, letting his legs fall on either side of the beast. He poked and prodded with his feet to find purchase, and he jabbed his feet into a pair of gaps on its side bone armor. His strong metal fingers groped for the neck armor of the Giga Tusk and he stuck them into the gaps he found, making sure he had a firm hold on it.

He suddenly felt the Giga Tusk buck beneath him and he cried out as he was jostled, but he kept his grip on the Grimm's back. "WHOA!"

It took all his strength to just remain on the back of this thing. He hunched over, spreading his arms to try wrap them around the Giga Tusk's thick neck. He drove his thick metal fingers into the gaps lower, keeping a firm grip there as best he could. "Okay! This was a stupid idea!" he yelped.

"Tsuranuki! What are you doing?!" the voice of Hokuto screeched in his head.

"Trying to get this thing taken care of! What does it look like?!" Tsuranuki shouted back. "And what - YIPE! - happened with the comms - GAH! - earlier?!"

"There was a small glitch, but we got it fixed. Now, explain to me what gave you the idea to try and ride that thing!" Hokuto demanded.

"I dunno! I was just acting!" the Shinkalion yelled. He clutched the Giga Tusk closer, and at once he realized it was a bad idea as those spikes on its back suddenly snapped up, driving themselves into his armor as he summoned his Aura to deflect the worst of it. His vision flashed with a warning.

WARNING!

DAMAGE: MINOR

AURA LEVELS AT 87%

BATTERY OPERATION TIME: 30 HOURS

He growled as he brushed the warnings aside and let go of the Giga Tusk, rolling off of it and checking his chest, legs, and arms for damage. All he sustained were minor scratches, but there were a few bigger ones. He looked up as the Giga Tusk reared and bellowed before slamming its hooves down on the platform. Tsuranuki summoned his drill once more and held it off to the side. "Okay... I need a plan here!" he muttered.

"Get up higher for now!" Hokuto ordered.

"I was about to when the thing charged me!" Tsuranuki growled.

He crouched and leapt up, using his powerful hydraulics to jump much higher than a human. He landed atop one of the rails and looked down at the Giga Tusk as it glared at him, those red eyes flashing. Tsuranuki flared his optics in response before he held up a hand and flipped the bird at it.

"Not a good idea..." Hokuto muttered crossly.

Tsuranuki was confused, only to realize what the director meant as the Giga Tusk lowered its head and suddenly launched those spikes right for him! He screamed as he turned and ran as fast as he could, his metallic feet pounding the rail. The spikes struck the barrier's paneling, and he heard an alarm blaring somewhere inside. "What's happening?!" he cried.

"Those spikes have reduced the capture field's structural integrity!" Hokuto responded. "That's the thing with these fields. If they run out of energy, or if their structural integrity is compromised in any way, then they go down. Once it reaches twenty-five percent structural integrity, then it has to shut down its optical camouflage to try and keep itself going. If not, it shuts down altogether." His voice was hard, and Tsuranuki swore he heard the director gritting his teeth. "Now do you get why we have to finish this quickly?"

He nodded, realization starting to fill his processor. "Yeah. I think so."

"Then that's why we need it to be finished swiftly." Hokuto paused before continuing. "So finish it as quickly as you can. And be careful. Something about this Kaiju Grimm seems off."

"I noticed that too," the Shinkalion replied.

"Be careful, Tsuranuki..." The COMMs closed and he turned his attention back to the Giga Tusk.

Tsuranuki tensed his frame as he held his drill up in front. "Okay... let's see how this pig likes to be stuck on a roaster!" he muttered.

He suddenly sweatdropped. "Okay... maybe that was a bad pun..."

The Giga Tusk reared back and bellowed before lowering its head and charging at him. Tsuranuki grunted as he leapt to the side, landing on his knees and skidding to a stop. His optics flashed as he watched the Grimm come around and skid to a stop, those spikes snapping up and firing at him again. The Shinkalion flared his Aura, using it to shield himself from the impacts of the spikes. He felt the tips bouncing off it as the barrage forced him back, closer to the edge of the platform. He shot a glance over his shoulder, remembering the last time he was in such a situation. "Oh, Glob... Now what'll I do?!" he moaned.

He had no answer. The Giga Tusk stopped its spike barrage and he slowly lowered his arms and drill, which he had been using as a makeshift shield. He slowly peeked around it, and then he swore his engine leapt into his throat and he gulped in terror.

The Grimm's eyes were flashing red as it crouched, and its body began to ripple with raw power as it charged. A loud bellow escaped its throat, this time taking on a form he knew from having seen the Goliaths in action more than once: a sonic attack. Tsuranuki tensed and ducked behind his drill again as his Aura shimmered. He had to brace his legs, and he activated his treads in a desperate attempt to keep himself from being blown off the platform. However, it didn't do much good, and he was thrown back by the sheer force of the shockwaves.

He screamed as he was thrown off the platform, his drill falling from his grasp.

As he fell, his life flashed before his optics. He could see everything... Including his family.

He... had failed...?

'No... No! I can't! I can't fail!' he thought. His optics began to burn a fiery green as he clenched his fists. 'I can't! Not... Not like this! Not when people are counting on me...! And especially since Hayato is in danger! I won't give up!'

Tsuranuki shouted out as loud as he could as he flipped his frame around, placing his feet down as he tensed for impact. His Aura began to seethe as he channeled it into his hydraulics. His metallic feet made contact with the energy barrier, and while he felt it give slightly, he didn't stay as he sprang into the air off of it, his hand clasping itself around his drill as he caught it. "RAAAAAAAH!" A battle cry tore itself free from hsi vocalizer as he thrust his drill forward, spotting the Giga Tusk in front of him on the platform.

His drill glanced off the armor, leaving a spark trail, but he spotted something else.

A gap in the armor. Not very big, but enough for him to do some damage. He directed his drill towards it and he thrust the tip into that gap.

A loud squealing came from the Giga Tusk as his drill spun deeper into that black, oozing flesh. A dark chuckle escaped him. "Now that's how to put pork on a spit!" he quipped. That one was much better, he mused as he thrust his drill deeper into the armor. Now bone shards were flying, and he had to shield his face with his free hand.

The Shinkalion pulled his drill free and thrust it towards another gap in the armor.

Only for a limb to lash out and catch the drill in its hand.

Tsuranuki screamed as the limb tossed him aside like he was just a ragdoll. He bounced off the capture field's barrier and collapsed to his knees on one of the rails, panting heavily. His Aura flickered before fading and his vision flashed with warnings.

WARNING!

DAMAGE: MINOR TO MODERATE

AURA LEVELS AT 72%

BATTERY OPERATION TIME: 29 HOURS 32 MINUTES

He grunted as he looked up at the Giga Tusk, shock flooding his frame as he watched it stretching out, limbs forming from its fore and rear legs. Its tail seemed to become much stronger, and its limbs began to ripple with bone plate armor. It morphed into a more humanoid form, and its fifth and sixth eyes vanished as its tusks vanished into its mouth, becoming more like...

"Komo...Komozilla...?!" Tsuranuki rasped, his armor beginning to rattle against his metallic hide. "Oh... Glob...!"

"This is bad..." Hokuto muttered on his COMM system. "I didn't think it would become this kind of thing...!"

"What should I do?" Tsuranuki asked as he staggered to his feet, brushing aside the aches he felt in his joints. He could handle it. But for how long would the field last...?

He got his answer when the Grimm started to stand upright. Its full height was triple the Giga Tusk's height. An audible gulp escaped his vocalizer as he backed up, shaking in his armor. He was floored by how big it was. It towered over him in height, and it was much, much bulkier than he was. The beast looked down at him and slowly raised a clawed hand, ready to drive it home.

Tsuranuki yelped and leapt to the side as the Grimm drove home those sharp claws into the platform, making it shudder and actually crack. "Shit!" he swore. The cracks began to spread, inching their way up to the ramps and then the field itself.

"Tsuranuki! The field's collapsing!" Hokuto bellowed in his head.

"Duh! I can see that!" the Shinkalion snapped. "And I got an idea! This thing is above the old plant, right?"

"Yeah. So?" Hokuto was confused. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"If it's in the process of being decommissioned, then that means people aren't there! And if the reactors are still up..." He was already formulating a plan based on information he had seen on the process. It wasn't very much, but based on what he knew from his time in the family business and read in the newspapers, he was getting an idea of what he needed to do.

"I think I see where you're going with this," the director replied. "But whatever you do, try not to cause anymore damage to the facility than is already done!"

"I won't... at least I hope not..." Tsuranuki muttered as the COMM shut down. He ran back towards the main pylon, waving his arms. "Hey! Betcha can't catch me!" he taunted.

The Grimm growled as it stalked towards him, its heavy footsteps making contact with the ground and causing the cracks to grow even more. Tsuranuki looked down at them with worry in his optics. He only could wonder how much longer it was before the field collapsed.

Thankfully, he didn't have much longer to worry. The Grimm took one more footstep...

And then the field collapsed. The cracks expanded rapidly and then a massive shattering filled the air. It sounded like millions of glass windows were breaking, and he had to shut down his audio receptors to prevent them from being overloaded by the sound alone. The platform gave way beneath him and he was falling again. But this time he knew what he needed to do. He flipped his frame around so his feet were beneath him and he spread his arms and legs to try and slow his descent. He shot a glance down at the closest reactor, noticing how the crane closest to it was like a ramp. He adjusted his descent to align himself with the crane boom. His metallic feet made contact with it not even five minutes later and he was riding down it like a skater using their wheels to grind across a railing. He flipped off the crane boom and landed on the ground as the large Grimm slammed into the ground, creating a crater upon impact. He looked up, noticing how one of the reactors was just up to its chest. Maybe not good enough, but it would have to do, he mused as he hefted his drill.

The reactors were still being disassembled, but some of them were still intact.

And the one he was looking at was the only one still intact.

"Okay... hope this works..." he muttered.

He thrust his drill forward as he engaged his treads, hoping to drive it home into one of the gaps in its bone armor plating. The Grimm - no, Grimzilla, he decided - flashed its red eyes in response and whipped that bony tail around, slamming directly into him. Tsuranuki cried out as he was thrown back, slamming into the ground from the force of the tail slap. He skidded a few meters before coming to a stop, his Aura dissipating from the impact. He groaned as he forced his shaking frame into a sitting position, trying to ignore the aching in his joints.

He grunted as he forced himself to stand, his limbs shaking. He looked up, his optics pulsing in fury. "Okay... Gotta change plans. I can't just charge in there..." he muttered.

Grimmzilla looked down at him as it stalked closer, red eyes flashing. Tsuranuki gulped. The Grimm seemed to sneer as it towered over him. He shivered in his armor as the Kaiju Grimm opened its mouth and suddenly belched out a stream of green radioactive fire at him!

Tsuranuki gasped as he threw up his arms, his Aura flaring as it covered his frame. The fire engulfed him, blinding him as he crouched. He could feel the intense heat as it licked at his armor. He didn't know how long he could stand against the flames. And it didn't help matters that his sensors were warning him of the intense radiation...

Wait. Radiation?!Hus

The Shinkalion reacted much faster than he thought possible. He leapt to the side eith a speed he didn't recall having before. Tsuranuki only remembered leaping out of the flames and then finding himself near the closest reactor shell, his chest heaving as he panted heavily. He shot a glance down at his frame as his Aura dissipated. He did a quick scan to see if he had been contaminated.

The scan came back negative.

His Aura had kept him from being hit with the radiation from Grimmzilla's fire breath.

Tsuranuki turned back to look at the Grimm, trying to think.

"Okay. So looks like it has a long range fire breath attack. So in order to do some damage I gotta get in close," he muttered. "But those claws and that bone armor make it difficult."

His optics landed on the reactor shell close by. "And I gotta get this guy close to the reactor to take him down..."

Tsuranuki rolled his shoulders. "Well... time to do something stupid..." he muttered.

The Shinkalion started to walk, his engine racing in anticipation of the coming fight. He wasn't sure if he could even win this one, considering how big Grimmzilla was. But he had to do something or else there was no way he'd be able to live with himself.

He made a noise akin to a nervous swallow as he hefted his drill in one hand. He crouched before he leapt up, and he thrust his drill forward as it spun up. Tsuranuki hoped his plan would work.

UNKNOWN LOCATION

Sammael watched with amusement as his prey thrust that toothpick towards the Grimm. How foolish he was. There was no way he could penetrate that thick bone armor with just a measly drill.

His red eyes flashed as he watched the massive Kaiju Grimm let out that atomic breath, forcing the smaller mecha to dodge, landing atop one of the reactor shells and... waving his arms before he did a silly dance. He could only guess as to what he was shouting, but it apparently got the Grimm's attention. He chuckled a little.

"Such foolish antics... But at the same time, very ingenious to use the surroundings..." he mused.

He turned his gaze to Moloch who was observing this one with a keen eye. "..."

"Like what you see, Moloch?" he asked, bringing a Seer closer to the Beast. The eyeball flashed before it displayed a closer image of the mecha.

Moloch was silent as he took in the mecha with a calculating gaze.

The mecha was definitely broad in the shoulders and chest, although he appeared to be more lean than bulky, considering what he could turn into. His blue and white armor was scuffed and scraped, but otherwise remained pristine. His helm was the same shade as the armor on his legs, and he seemed to be moving with treads on his ankles, for added agility, no doubt.

But the presence driving the mecha was not quite up to his standards.

"A clever mind. Built for power, from what I can see. Relies mostly on head-on charging. Not what I seek to put to the test," the Beast snarled. "I can't use this one."

"Very well. But rest assured... the others will come soon..." Sammael sneered as he snapped his fingers and the Seer floated away. "They always do, when it comes to projects like this."

Moloch rolled his eyes and slipped into the shadows. Only one would do. And he sought to find the right one...

FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR POWER PLANT RUINS

A loud explosion rocked the area, a blur of blue and white slamming into one of the buildings. A large chunk of the building collapsed, leaving a hole in the façade. Beneath the rubble, the blue and white form of Tsuranuki shifted and thrust his drill into the air, clearing the rubble and allowing him to sit up.

Tsuranuki groaned as he sat up, rubbing his helm with one hand. "Ugh..." Warnings flashed in his vision.

WARNING!

DAMAGE: MODERATE

SYSTEM DAMAGE: MINOR

AURA LEVELS AT 64%

BATTERY OPERATION TIME: 18 HOURS

"Dammit...! I'm getting trounced!" he muttered. He staggered to his feet, brandishing his drill as he looked up at the Kaiju Grimm. His optics flickered as he scanned it over. A small targeting reticle appeared in his line of sight and he swept his gaze over the armor plating. "C'mon... There's gotta be a weak spot!"

"Tsuranuki, you okay?" Hokuto asked over the comm.

"Yeah. But I can't seem to find a weakness, and I'm getting trounced!" the Shinkalion remarked.

"Everything has to have a weakness," Hokuto reminded him. "It's just a matter of trying to find it."

"But where is it?!" Tsuranuki moaned. The reticle in his sight danced from one opening to another, flashing red each time. "This guy doesn't have very large gaps in his armor!"

"I can't help you there," the director remarked. "I'm sorry. This is the first time such a Grimm was ever encountered by anyone."

"For the love of...!" Tsuranuki staggered to his feet, his systems aching. "I really think I need a new plan..."

He looked to the reactor he had attempted to use to trap Grimmzilla. The shell of the reactor was a mess, and the pit inside was filled with materials designed to capture the radiation and prevent it from escaping. That meant he needed a new method of stalling Grimmzilla, or at least detaining it long enough for him to find a weakness and do some major damage.

The Shinkalion shifted his weight and scanned over Grimmzilla's hide once more. 'Glob... Please... I need some help here!' he thought.

The next thing he knew, Tsuranuki's frame froze up. It was for the briefest of instances, and he thought he heard a voice inside his head. No. Not a voice. It was more like... a thought?

'Go for the eyes...'

The thought flittered through his processor, and he asked a question. 'The eyes?'

But there was no response, and just as quickly as it appeared, the thought's presence was gone and he could move again. Tsuranuki looked down at one of his hands and flexed it, confusion flooding his optics.

'What... happened back there?' he thought. He cast his gaze back up, and his engine leapt into his throat as he gulped. The eyes... there were four of them. And he wasn't sure if he could even hit all of them.

Or wait... maybe he didn't need to get all. Maybe he only needed to get a hit on one eye! An idea popped into his processor as he cast his gaze at the tail as it swished and swayed. It was stupid, but at the same time, it was his best bet. He gulped before he broke into a run, his feet pounding the pavement as he ran. His drill spun a bit as he leapt up, landing on the tail.

He staggered a bit as it moved, but he managed to maintain his balance. Tsuranuki looked up, breaking into a run up the tail. Grimmzilla looked down at him and those red eyes flared before a beam of red light lanced out from one. He yelped and leapt to the side, continuing to run. A small part of him actually found this enjoyable, and he hated to admit it, but this was just like that last video game he played, Gundrazer Recall.

He ran up the tail, dodging the eye beams. Each one was a bit closer, but he ignored them. He could feel the heat on his armor as he ran, his optics flaring. "Okay! Time to give you an eye exam!" he cried.

The Shinkalion ran up the tail as fast as he could, his drill spinning as he leapt up a few more times, this time driving the tip of his drill home full force into one of Grimmzilla's red eyes.

A loud screech of pain erupted from the beast as it staggered back, its clawed hands flying for its face. Black ooze seeped out of the wound like blood, followed by thick black smoke. Tsuranuki pulled his drill clean out of the gaping hole that had once been an eye and leapt back, landing atop one of the reactor shells and watching as Grimmzilla collapsed to its knees. He chuckled a little. "What? Got something in your eye?" he quipped.

He couldn't help it. Tsuranuki found this was quite... exciting. Sure he wouldn't be a Huntsman, but he was able to actually fight for once, and since he wore the frame of a mecha, he was much more durable. He sprang off the reactor shell, his drill spinning up for another impact. He thrust it forward, a roar escaping his vocalizer, driving it home into a second eyeball. Grimmzilla screeched and roared, throwing its head back as more black ooze and smoke streamed from its eye. He leapt off the skull and flipped his frame around, whipping his left leg out in a vicious roundhouse to connect solidly with the eye he had punctured. Grimmzilla staggered back, its foot catching on the remains of one of the main buildings. A screech of surprise came from Grimmzilla and it fell, its eyes widening. Its head slammed into the ground, and a loud crack echoed over the area. Tsuranuki winced internally. That crack had not been good sounding. It meant that Grimmzilla had broken its neck.

He landed on the ground, looking up as his optics fixed on the remains as the body started to vanish into black smoke. He was panting heavily at this point as he dismissed his drill.

Once more text flashed across his vision.

WARNING!

DAMAGE: MODERATE

SYSTEM DAMAGE: MINOR

AURA LEVELS AT 57%

BATTERY OPERATION TIME: 10 HOURS

"Shit... I gotta get moving..." he muttered. "I'm running low on power."

Tsuranuki turned and ran for it, heading back to the train tracks.

As he ran, he couldn't help but wonder about the Grimmzilla/Giga Tusk creature. Something seemed wrong. There was no way a Kaiju Grimm could have one form, and then shift to another. And for that matter, where did it come from? Why did it attack Fukushima, which was already a waste zone from the meltdown of the reactors? The radiation that seeped out had left people worried about the implications it had on the Grimm, and the studies that were done were usually inconclusive because of the fact that no one could capture a Grimm and analyze its DNA, which it didn't really have, just that black ooze.

Something just didn't seem right.

It was almost like the Grimm were... evolving... so to speak.

But how could that be? Grimm were mindless entities, with no soul, no intellect, and no Aura or hearts. It was like they weren't even sentient. Sure a few species could learn, but none of them had the ability to actively think like humans, Faunus, or Mobians could. In his mind, all he could think about was how this could even be possible. It was impossible, according to all modern thinking.

Unless there was another aspect they hadn't considered...

And that alone was enough to make him shudder as he finally reached the tracks.

Tsuranuki shifted into his shinkansen form and engaged his engine, speeding on his way back to Tokyo Station.

TOKYO STATION

Tokyo Station was silent as the sleek train pulled in several hours later.

Tsuranuki was exhausted, and that was saying something, given his current state of being. It was all he could do to stay online.

His vision was now blurring as he slowed, applying his brakes and coming to a halt. He was so tired... he just wanted to sleep...

Once he came to a complete stop, his vision went dark and his readouts shut down.

The next thing he knew, it was like he was... he couldn't explain it, but he felt like he was being tugged gently free, floating, drifting... He went with the flow, letting it guide him to an unknown destination. He flew down this unknown path, finally coming upon a small light. It steadily grew and grew in his vision, encompassing his sight until...

UNKNOWN LOCATION

His eyes snapped open.

Tsuranuki gasped and doubled over, coughing as he felt something tugging against his head. His hand flew for it, and he slammed his forehead against this unknown restraint and a cover of sorts. Pain seared across his forehead as he whipped the unknown object off and his hand flew off to the side, slamming against something and then a hiss filled his hearing. Tsuranuki found himself flopping free of the 'bed' he was in, and he landed on his hands and knees, gasping as sweat streamed down his face. His heart was pounding in his chest, beneath his ribcage. Blood was rushing in his ears, and he looked at his hands beneath his face. His own human hands, flesh and blood. His shirt, his hair as it flopped over his face... everything.

He was human again.

"So I wasn't dead..." he muttered. "I... I was just... removed..." He shook a bit. "What happened to me...?"

He had no idea.

He slowly staggered to his feet, shaking from the experience.

He needed answers.

Tsuranuki looked up, his eyes hardening. "Time to get some answers..." he muttered.

KAIJU GRIMM DATABASE:

Name: Giga Tusk

Species: Kaiju

Class: Mega

Abilities: Spikes on its back can fire, and can act as a self-defense mechanism. Is capable of firing off a sonic attack.

Name: Grimmzilla

Species: Kaiju

Class: Mega

Abilities: Can fire eye beams and release atomic breath from mouth.