(Shows a pair of eyes opening before the eyes morph into optics)
START Kaitei no Orchestra (Precious Time) (ROMI)
(The optics flash as the camera pans out to show six shadowy mecha before they leap towards the camera, brandishing their weapons)
Hiroi aoi kono basho de tokiga nagarete yuku my precious time (The image fades to show a cat Faunus boy with brown hair and magenta eyes walking down a street close to the ocean, looking down at an image of his mother in his hand. He perks up as he spots a rabbit Faunus girl with light green hair and eyes hugs him, making him yelp. A boy with brown hair and brown eyes joins the girl on the cat Faunus's other side, and gives a thumbs up. A boy with dark purple hair and eyes approaches from the left and smiles a bit before a ninja youth leaps down on the right, his dark grey hair and purple eyes standing out with the purple highlight on the right side of his bangs. The five look up at the sky as a shimmering image of a cheetah Faunus with blue hair and eyes appears behind them. The title appears below them all.)
GRIMMFALL: SHINKALION RISING
Itsu no manika kiete shimatte kakegaeno koega (The image fades to show the cat Faunus standing beside his mother's grave, his eyes fixed on her name)
Tsumaranai hibimo sorega sukide ikitetanda (Memories of her and his family march past as he bows his head)
Higa sashiteru tokomade omoikkiri hashitte (A wind blows past and he perks up as he sees something ahead of him, making him break into a run to try and reach the shadowy, winged humanoid shape as it looks back with yellow optics, holding out a hand)
Shinjirarenai koto bakari menomaeni okiru (The two embrace hands and then a flash of light engulfs the screen, fading to show a large Kaiju-class Grimm being attacked by a blue and white mecha wielding a drill before the two clash)
Taiyou no hou wo miagate tachiagaruno tsurakute (The impact throws off a light that engulfs the screen, dissipating to show the cat Faunus, but battered and wounded, looking at the sky, the sun shining down on him as he reaches up a hand, as if grasping at it)
Susumu koto dake omouto (He tries to stagger to his feet, only to collapse briefly before he lifts his gaze, a yellow optic forming in place of his eye as it glows brightly)
Setsunai tabiwo tsuzukeru kawatta me no okuniwa (The light of the optic fades as the camera moves out to show a green and white mecha armed with a sword and wings on its back attacking a porcupine Kaiju-class Grimm in close combat, only for the Kaiju to fire off a slew of spines from its legs and back, making the mecha block with a shimmering tri-colored Aura)
Natsukashii itoshisa wo motomete (On my way) (Behind the mecha appears an image of a cat Faunus woman, and the mecha lunges forward, its sword glowing as it traps the Grimm in an energy cage before slicing it in half)
Kizutsuke attanowa nikui wake janai nosa (The Grimm explodes before a Faunus Ultra gorilla lunges from behind, making the mecha spin to block with its sword, images of a peaceful world appearing behind it before punching the Faunus Ultra and sending it staggering back)
Sokoni kibouga arunonara my precious time (The images coalesce around the mecha's chest as it fires a blast of green energy from a hidden chest cannon at the screen)
Itsukaraka onaji keshikini kakomarete sugoshite (The screen comes back into view, this time showing the cat Faunus as he stands atop a building in Tokyo, his friends beside him as they eye the distant horizon, a shadowy shape behind Mt. Fuji in the distance)
Akinonai koega sukoshizutsu chiri hajimeta (The boy looks down at an image of his mother in his hands, his friends placing their hands on his shoulders to comfort him as tears streak down his cheeks)
Ameni utareta mamade omoku seouno tsurakute (The camera zooms in on his eyes before panning out to show him looking at the window, the same green and white mecha on the other side, both touching their hands to one another before it shifts to show the cat Faunus's mother as a transparent image behind the mecha)
Ushinau koto dake omouto (The camera zooms in on the mecha's face before panning out to show two Faunus, a fox woman and a bull man, standing atop a hotel in downtown Tokyo)
Togirenai omoino nakade hisshi ni tsukamunosa (The two Faunus lunge for the mecha, only to be blocked by a red and white mecha with two guns and a purple and white mecha wielding two shuriken in its hands Beside them is a white and green mecha armed with a sword and the blue and white mecha with the drill is close by)
Dokomademo dokomademo sagasunda (Find your way) (The five mecha charge towards a large shape as it looms out of the shadows of the two Faunus, and behind them is the shape of a white and blue mecha armed with twin energy blades)
Otagaini motomeatte kakera wo tsunagunosa (Shows the six mecha as they stand in a line, each of them holding their weapons at the ready before they charge forward; the green and white mecha fires off its chest cannon as the blue and white mecha spins its drill up, a blue aura engulfing it, the red and white mecha fires its twin guns in a rifle configuration as the purple and white mecha uses its shuriken as weapons, the white and green mecha swings its sword as heat radiates from the blade and the white and blue mecha swipes with its energy blades, releasing a shockwave)
Sokoni kibouga mierukara wow oh wow (The blasts combine to generate an explosion as it hits something before the smoke parts to reveal a scenic image of the city of Tokyo, the tendrils of Satyra retreating from it)
Kimiga tsukutta monogatari saikou no omoide ni nattanda (The image shifts to show the cat Faunus looking down at a photo album of his mother and his friends and family, tears pricking at his eyes before he sees his friends beside him and they hold out their hands, a smile crossing his face as he takes their hands and they pull him out of the darkness into the light)
Bokurano nakani ikitsuzukete soshite arigatou wow (They all hug before a flash of light envelops them, fading shortly after to reveal the six mecha, this time images of the six kids behind them as they charge at a shadowy shape as it looms over them)
Setsunai tabiwo owarasunda miraiwo kaete tsukuruno sa (The image pans to the right to show them all charging, this time transparent scenes of new enemies marching past them - Dr. Robotnik, Sammael, and Moloch - before fading to show the city of Tokyo at sunset, a light shining in this darkening world)
Istumademo akiramezuni oistuzukete (On my way) (The green and white mecha with the wings thrusts its hand out towards an image of the cat Faunus's mother as she reaches out, and their hands clasp before it shows the green and white mecha firing off its chest cannon, the beam this time a shining gold color)
Tashikani kanjitanda kimiga kureta yuuki wo (The blast strikes the enemy before them - Dr. Robotnik - before it shows the mecha with its companions as they join in on the attack with their own moves)
Bokuno subete wo gisei ni torimodosunda bokurano precious time (The image fades to show the six kids standing in front of Tokyo, the title of the series appearing below them)
GRIMMFALL: SHINKALION RISING
OPENING FILES:
CLASSIFIED
DECRYPTING...
FILES DECRYPTED
OPENING FILES: SEPH
Seph is a mysterious individual who has lived for untold centuries.
At least according to the rumors and legends.
Many people have called him the Boy with an Angel's Heart, as they have seen a gleaming light pulsing beneath his shirt. Some actually have claimed he is an angel, but there has been no evidence to prove that theory. No one knows what his history really is, but what is definitively known is that he has the power to fly by summoning three wings. He also has the ability to unleash explosive feathers from those wings, as well as using energy blasts and telepathic bursts unleashed from his hands. He also has the power to regenerate wounds. Of course, this is only observed, having been recorded during the battle in Beach City against the creature known as Malachite Plasmius.
Currently his whereabouts are unknown.
CLOSING FILES
TERMINAL ENTERING STANDBY PHASE
"Ghosts. What is a ghost? And for that matter, what is an angel?"
The figure seated at the desk adjusted their glasses before leaning in and tenting their fingers in front of their mouth.
"History and religion coexist in this manner, for in religion angels are God's agents and warriors. They often are depicted as beings with wings and halos above their heads that glow with light. They can sometimes be wearing clothing or robes, or sometimes not at all." An image of an angel in a historical painting appeared on a nearby monitor. "But sometimes they can be depicted as a society more advanced than ancient humans thought. In pre-modern times, Heaven was shown as a place of clouds ruled by a benevolent Creator and guarded by a little old man in front of pearly gates. But what if that's not the case?"
The figure dismissed the painting's image and up came a map, showing a variety of locations over which a large question mark was displayed. "How can we be sure that Heaven is as the Bible predicted? What if it's more than that? What if it's a place of advanced technology and magic as one? Or what if it's as the Bible describes? That's the thing. Once we die, we move on and we cannot communicate with the living. So, until we ourselves die and go there, we can never know for sure. But whatever it looks like, we can be certain that we can reach our loved ones there."
The figure dismissed the map and leaned back in their chair. "So next time you see some images of Heaven as a place of clouds, keep an open mind. You never know what the afterlife may hold."
CHAPTER IX - SPECTRAL
The next few weeks were hell for Miku and Shinobu.
Like Tsuranuki, they had to go through training.
But the only difference was that they had to train alongside him.
As with Tsuranuki before them, they had to go through the linkup process to the point it became second nature to them. And on top of that, they had to master their balance. Due to the increase in their height, the two often would up tripping more times than not. (At least they didn't slip on treads, Tsuranuki noted as he helped one of them up during a training session.) The two were put through the same process that he had been, with the obstacle course and wire walking. They wound up tripping and falling off the wire quite a few times, well, mostly Miku did. It was only after she discovered she could use her wings in Shinkalion form for balance that she didn't fall off. Shinobu learned where his new center of gravity was fairly quickly, which turned out to be due to his ninja training.
Also, like Tsuranuki, they had to be up to date on the regulations and safety measures regarding the railroads. Shinobu and Miku studied diligently, scanning over the notes and watching the videos. Both of them scored higher than he had, but not significantly. He had to admit, this was quite a turn of events. Now they had three Shinkalions on the team. And according to Hokuto, they needed six before the second stage was to be implemented.
The boy had been curious as to what he meant, but the director refused to speak of it. Instead he just said that the second stage would allow for broader operations, whatever that meant.
So now he lay back on his bed after another training session against Miku and Shinobu, his hands laced behind his head. In truth, some part of him was wondering how Hayato was doing. He hadn't seen him much after that attack with Suzaku.
And actually, he couldn't blame him. Anyone would be terrified of her. But Hayato was the most afraid because of why they were targeting him. Tsuranuki frowned as he turned over and grabbed his phone. He flipped through the contacts before he found the number he was looking for.
He tapped it and up came Hayato's name and number. He selected the text message function and typed out a quick message.
Hayato? You doing okay?
He waited for a few minutes, and then up came Hayato's image, followed by a message.
Tsuranuki? Oh, thank Glob! I was worried sick!
The boy sighed as a smile crossed his face.
I'm fine, he typed. I'm more worried about you. I haven't seen you since that attack with that woman... Suzaku, I think her name was.
Hayato's message came a few seconds later.
I'm okay. But I'm scared to even go outside now, based on what happened... His message trailed off before more came up. ...after that attack, I... I don't even want to leave my own home anymore. But... if I don't, then I'll fail classes and... I won't...
Tsuranuki frowned. Hayato, it's okay. No one is going to get you while we're here. We promise, he typed out. His fingers flew over the keyboard on the screen as he typed. If anything, we're not about to let a friend go through this alone. Hell, Miku's in the same boat, remember? She's a Faunus, and she's been scouted by them before. But she refused and after a confrontation with the police, those Satyra thugs left her alone.
But it's not the same with me! Hayato typed up in a panic. It was obvious by the way the words were misspelled a bit. They alwas try to get me becase of my knowlege of the shinkansen and associated railways!
Tsuranuki's fingers dashed over the keys. Calm down, dammit! *slap* Just calm the hell down! It's okay! We won't let them get you! And your father won't as well! Remember that!
The boy felt a bit guilty for not having been there for Hayato since the project was undertaken and ever since he had gotten involved. Some small part of him wished he had never gotten involved to begin with, but then again, how else would he have saved his friend from Mr. Jones?
Hayato's words came up on the screen. Tsuranuki, thanks. But... I still feel like it would be best if-
He was cut off by a sudden text.
*slap* Don't even go there! came Tsuranuki's reply. That's not how I remember you! You are better than this! You aren't even that kind of person! We know you better than you think, Hayato. If you're scared, then just remember we'll always be there for you. No matter what.
Hayato didn't respond for a full minute, and for a moment Tsuranuki thought Hayato was going to do himself in. But then, his message came through. T-Thank you... Tsuranuki... I don't know what I did to deserve friends like you and the others... Accompanying the message was a small crying emoji. Tsuranuki smiled as he typed another message.
Hey. What are friends for, Hayato? You got nothing to worry about as long as we're here... All of us. To show he was serious, he sent an image he had taken of them all a few months ago. The image showed Hayato in the middle of his four best friends, each of them giving a thumbs up, and Hayato smiling with tears in his eyes. Behind them was the E5 Hayabusa train. That was the only time he had ever been happy to see, or even be on, the shinkansen. Mostly because it was for a surprise for him; they had taken a trip in Gran Class to the Sendai station, where they visited Miku's grandmother for a few weeks.
A small text appeared after it. Thanks, Tsuranuki. You're a good friend. *sniffle* I'm just glad you and the others are here for me. I don't know what I'd do without you...
Tsuranuki watched as his icon went dark and then he slipped his phone back onto his nightstand as he flopped back onto the bed.
He closed his eyes and sighed. "Hayato..."
He opened his eyes and frowned. "What is Satyra really up to, here?" he wondered aloud.
Sure he knew that the terrorist group had a few cells in Tokyo, but so far none of them had made any overt moves against the city or its peoples, aside from trying to capture Hayato for his knowledge about the shinkansen and standard rail networks. It seemed like they needed that knowledge, but for what purpose, no one knew. What few members that the police did manage to capture kept quiet of they did know, or they had no clue. It was as if they were purposely keeping their members in the dark about their objectives with the rail networks.
He pursed his lips as he rolled over and sat up, gazing at the image of himself and the others in front of the train, still visible on his phone.
Tsuranuki grasped the phone and flipped it open again, this time checking the calendar.
His eyes narrowed as he remembered that there was a training session today. He had planned to visit Hayato with Akita, but it looked like he'd have to wait until training was done. Plus, Akita was supposed to be visiting his mom's mother as she had come down with pneumonia; the doctors said she didn't have long to live, so he was off spending time with her in her last moments.
And it just wasn't Shinkalion training, either. In addition to working on mastering their frames, the trio had begun working out to build up their endurance and physical capabilities as well. He wasn't sure why since their souls left their human bodies when linked up, but he had a feeling it was connected somehow to their Aura if they were going through it.
Tsuranuki rolled over and got to his feet before pocketing his phone. He didn't even say a word as he left his room.
The boy left his home after a quick goodbye to his mother, making his way down the streets of the city towards the Marunouchi Building not too far from Tokyo Station. Already he could see construction work starting to resume on the upper floors, which meant that the bottom floors were not as busy, so he was able to sneak inside and make his way down the stairs towards the hidden entrance to SDI Headquarters. He ducked inside and ran down the corridor towards the main office. As soon as he entered, he saw both Miku and Shinobu there waiting. Director Hayasugi was at his desk, waiting for him.
"Hello, sir," Tsuranuki greeted with a salute.
"Good. You're just in time," Hokuto said as he gestured for the three to sit.
The three teens took a seat in front of the desk.
Hokuto's eyes were hard as he started to speak. "It seems we've gotten word of a new impending Kaiju attack," he stated grimly. The three teenagers all gaped in shock at his words.
"Already?!" Tsuranuki blurted. "But it hasn't even been two months yet!"
"I know. This breaks the pattern that we know has been established for the last fifteen years," the director said seriously. "This is a totally new time span. And we don't know what the pattern, if there is one, will be."
"Any idea as to what Kaiju we will be facing?" Miku asked.
"Unfortunately we don't know yet," Hokuto admitted. "But we do know that it will be somewhere close to where Mothra went down last year."
Tsuranuki's eyes hardened. "Close to where your wife died..." he muttered.
"Yes." That was all the director said as he closed his eyes. "And I fear it may be the worst one to date..."
"I don't see how," Miku remarked. "It could be a small Kaiju."
"Not this one," the cat Faunus remarked as he opened his eyes. "I'm not sure how I know, but I do. It will be a bad one."
"That's why we're here though," Shinobu stated. "To prevent this from happening."
"Yes. That is why today's training is put on hold. You three are to mobilize as soon as possible to intercept this new Kaiju, whatever it may be," Director Hayasugi said.
The three teens stood up. "Yes, sir!" they said as one.
The smog from the last remaining coal fired power plants drifts over the area.
His eyes gleam as he holds out a hand and summons forth the Dark Substance. A portal opens above the smog and a small river of the inky blackness drips down, landing atop it and starting to absorb the smoky fog.
He can see it beginning to shape and form, drawing in the smog. A smirk crosses his face as he vanishes in a black portal.
The Grimm he has created continues to form...
TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS
LAUNCH BAY
Esebu finished checking over his systems as he waited for the go ahead to launch.
Beside him he could see the sleek green and white shape of Haifu and just to his left he could sense Fumikiri behind a sleek red and white shinkansen.
"Okay, you three. We have sightings of a strange cloud of black smog starting to circle near the town of Hitachinaka," Director Hayasugi explained. "The thing is that there's been no sighting of a Grimm, but we do have a feeling it may be just that the thing is waiting to strike."
"Any idea as to what kind it could possibly be?" Esebu asked.
"Unfortunately, we have no idea as to what kind it could be. For all we know it could be like Grimmzilla, or something else," the director admitted. "So keep your optics peeled and be careful."
"We will," Haifu said.
"Hai." That was all Fumikiri said.
The director nodded. "Good. I also advise you to be on extra alert. As you know there is a coal fired power plant in that region, so-"
Esebu perked up. "Wait. Did you say coal fired?" he asked.
"Yes. Why?" Hokuto's voice was filled with confusion as Esebu began to think.
'A coal fired power plant, and that smog... Something's wrong... But what, I can't tell...' he thought. 'Whatever is going on, the smog is circling... meaning...' His thoughts trailed off in shock.
"Oh, Glob no...!" he whispered. "That's... That's not good!"
"What's not good?" Haifu asked.
Esebu revved his engine. "If that smog is what I think it is, then that town is in danger!"
Director Hayasugi's voice was hard as he spoke to the trio. "You three are cleared for departure!" he said. "Now get out there and try to stop that Grimm!"
"HAI!" the three Shinkalions replied.
The signal turned green and all three put power to their wheels.
"Esebu, E7 Kagayaki..."
"Fumikiri, E3 Tsubasa..."
"Haifu, H5 Hayabusa..."
"...shuppatsu shinkÅ!" they declared.
The first one to exit was Esebu, and he entered the tunnel ahead of him. He flicked on his lights as the door closed shut behind him. He revved his engine and blasted his horn as he increased speed to full.
'Please let us get there in time!' he thought in a panic. 'Before it's too late!'
SANBAN ESTATE
"...recent strange happenings over JERA Hitachinakakaryoku Power Station earlier this morning. Local authorities are just as confused as to what has been happening, but a few local Huntsmen have admitted that this is similar to a prior attack that took place fifteen years ago, back during the First Wave. As to how this will affect the town, no one is sure. But all residents are advised to stay indoors until this attack is resolved."
The words from the news anchor were enough to make Lady Sanban worry as she pursed her lips.
Beside her stood her two daughters and the ghost girl. All three were worried as they watched the smog start to drift over the town.
"Mother, what's happening?" Kuki asked softly.
"A new attack..." she muttered. "And only a month later, too. This is a new methodology..."
"What's so different about that smog?" Dani asked.
The Demon Blade of the East closed her eyes. "That smog has been influenced by one who's darkness matches that of the Primal Darkness," she explained vaguely. "As such, it only leads me to conclude that he has seen the effectiveness of it and has prepared a new kind of Grimm for battle."
The ghost hybrid tilted her head in an inquisitive manner. "Huh?"
"In short, the one behind this attack is trying again," Lady Sanban said seriously as she opened her eyes. "This latest attack could very well be what kills a town... if we don't act soon."
Dani's dual-colored eyes widened in shock, only to harden as she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "I'm going!" she declared.
Lady Sanban looked at her, her eyes narrowing. "If you go, you could very well die," she cautioned. "Are you sure?"
The hybrid nodded. "Yes! I can't sit by while those people get killed!"
The Lady of Sanban Industries frowned as she closed her eyes, running this through her mind. If what she was hearing was right, then no doubt they had sent Esebu and the two new Shinkalions to the scene. The one advantage those frames had was the lack of needing to breathe, so they would be spared the suffocating properties of the smog. But their filters could and would get clogged by the dust and fine particles if they weren't careful; although something told her that the director had thought ahead on the issue, using what they had learned from that similar attack.
Regardless, there was also the possibility that whatever Grimm formed would need to be contained... and what she had seen from Dani's training pointed out that she could create barriers of ectoplasmic energy.
So while she didn't want the girl to go, she also wanted her to succeed in whatever she chose to do. And that included being a Huntress.
"Very well. But be careful..." she cautioned.
Dani whooped and transformed into her ghost form, flying out through the ceiling via her intangibility.
All the while, all they could do was hope... and pray for her safety.
HITACHINAKA BOUNDARIES
For Akita Oga, things were not looking so good.
It didn't help matters much that his maternal grandmother was nearing the end of her life.
But to hear of this? And right when he was supposed to be making her feel better in her last moments?
He narrowed his eyes as he observed the smog as it started to encircle the town.
"What in the name of Glob is going on?" he muttered.
The boy frowned as he watched as the thick blackness began to encroach closer to the ground, and he shivered as the sun began to fade, blotted out by the smog.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a flashlight before flicking it on. The darkness was already starting to come closer and lights were starting to be covered by the smoke. Like an inky darkness that nothing could penetrate. The boy gulped nervously as he gripped his flashlight in a death grip and reached for one of his rifles.
Akita's eyes roved around the darkening street as he inched closer to the hospital where his grandmother, Tsukiko Matsushita, was located. The whole city was now engulfed, and it made his skin crawl. It was a lot like the darkness from that horror film he had seen a few days ago. His mother, Momiji Oga, was worried as she came out of the hospital to observe the situation. "Oh, Glob no...!" she whispered. "Not again...!"
Akita looked at her in concern. "You experienced this before, Mom?" he asked.
"Yes... a year before you were born. Remember I told you about it," Mrs. Oga replied. "But to have it happen again?"
The boy wasn't too sure though. Something told him it was not about to be the same style of attack.
He looked around, only for the dark fog to suddenly engulf the area, blinding everyone outside. Akita, however, being the grandson of a Matagi hunter, knew a thing or two about how to use one's senses in differing environments. That included being deprived of their sight. He closed his eyes and listened for any sign of his mother's voice.
"Akita? Akita, where are you?" she called.
"Mom, I'm right beside you!" he called back. "Just reach out your left hand!" He used his hearing to hone in on her voice and he extended his right hand. Within a few minutes, he felt her hand slide into his. He could tell it was hers by the scar on her palm from fifteen years ago when she got a piece of glass through it.
Now all that remained was to find the hospital's entrance.
Esebu was thrown off by the sudden descent into darkness.
"What the hell?!" he blurted.
"Esebu, what happened?" Futaba asked worriedly.
"Everything's just gone dark!" he exclaimed. "I can't see anything!"
"That's not good..." Futaba said softly.
"What should we do?" Esebu asked.
"..." Futaba was silent for a moment and he heard sounds of chatter in the background. He mentally cocked an eyebrow before she came back on. "For now, stay the course. Use whatever you can to try and see where you are. If you use your lights, you may have a chance."
Esebu pondered, then made his choice. "We'll have to go on foot," he said. "It's too dangerous to go on the tracks in conditions like this."
"Do what you have to do, Esebu. But be careful," Futaba cautioned.
"Understood." Esebu applied his brakes and came to a stop. Behind him he sensed Haifu and Fumikiri doing the same thing, most likely out of confusion. "CHANGE! SHINKALION!"
The blue and white Shinkalion shifted from his shinkansen form to his humanoid battle form, landing on his feet and flicking on the lights on his chest. The beams penetrated through the inky soup that swirled around them. He looked around, his optics providing the only other source of illumination. He could vaguely make out other lights in the distance, and he wondered if this was what it was like after a volcanic eruption. Only without the thick ash landing on roofs and causing collapses.
"Esebu, what are you doing?" Haifu called from the tracks.
"What does it look like?!" he shot back. "I'm going out to try and find this thing on foot! It's too dangerous to travel the rails in darkness like this!"
Haifu was silent as she considered his words. Actually, it made sense as the trains didn't exactly have any means of diverting to other rails like Denver did. The quarantine system was still in testing in Japan and elsewhere; Denver had been the city to actually pioneer it.
The other two Shinkalions knew what they had to do next.
"CHANGE! SHINKALION!"
Within mere minutes, both Haifu and Fumikiri transformed into their humanoid forms and joined Esebu as he began to walk towards Hitachinaka.
The three made their way through the inky blackness, their lights and optics being the only sources of illumination.
As they walked, Esebu looked around, his optics barely able to penetrate the black smog. It also didn't help matters that the stuff was causing people to cough harshly. A few people were even starting to collapse, and he wondered briefly if his frame was immune to this thick smog. Now that he thought about it, what did it contain? He knew it contained coal dust, but it also seemed a lot different than typical smog.
The Shinkalion stopped walking briefly and scanned his surroundings, his optics glowing softly.
'Okay... Looks like things are the same,' he thought. 'I still can't believe grandpa took on a Grimm like this one and won...' His thoughts trailed off as he remembered his grandfather's condition in the aftermath of the attack.
His grandfather had been sick with lung cancer due to the conditions of the battlefield and how much of that coal smog he had inhaled. And the fact that the Dark Substance made it more damaging didn't help matters much. He recalled how his grandfather had died when he was five. That day had been hard on his father, Yuuma Daimonyama. And he couldn't blame him, to be honest. But that had been years ago, and now his father was three years dead. Esebu shook his helm and forced the memories back into his memory banks as he returned to the present.
"Esebu, are you okay?" Futaba asked worriedly.
"Yeah. I'm fine," Esebu replied as he looked around, his optics flickering as he scanned the composition of the smog. "It's just this reminds me of the First Wave my dad told me about."
Futaba went silent for a moment. "Oh... I... I take it your dad was one of those involved?" she asked.
"My old man wasn't, but his dad was... He died when I was five. Dad took it real hard," Esebu said softly. He clenched his fists as he growled a bit. "And from the looks of things, this may be the same style of attack."
"But why would the same attack happen fifteen years later?" Futaba wondered.
Esebu wasn't sure himself. And frankly, this was only getting stranger and weirder.
He scanned around him, his optics glowing dimly in the haze. "Haifu, Fumikiri, you still there?" he asked.
"Hai. We are," came Haifu's voice from beside him. Esebu had to keep himself from jumping out of his armor at how close her voice was to him.
Fumikiri was silent, but a slight brush of fingers on his shoulder was enough to make him glance over and he spotted those light blue optics, along with the barely visible face of the ninja Shinkalion. He let out a small sigh of relief before he turned back to the situation at hand. "Stay close. Whatever Grimm is here, we have to be wary of."
He had no idea how right he was.
Dani frowned as she held a hand to her face to try and block the thick smog from entering her lungs.
When she arrived in Hitachinaka a few hours ago, the place was as dark as the abyss.
The very idea made her shudder against her will and she had to keep from coughing. This smog was just too thick...
She wondered if going intangible would help, and then she slapped her forehead with her free hand. "Duh! Of course I can!" she muttered. Within seconds, the ghost girl had turned intangible and now she could breathe. Or at least keep herself from inhaling this toxic soup called smog.
The hybrid flew through the city, phasing through buildings and observing as some people trapped outside began to collapse from the thick smog entering their lungs and causing lung troubles. Some people, she noticed morbidly, were already dead from the toxic fumes and she couldn't help but wonder what Grimm it was. Oh sure she had fought a few before, but nothing like this.
Hell, she didn't even know if it was even really a Grimm! For all she knew it could be a yokai demon or something else of that nature! Lady Sanban had informed her of a few well-known yokai that lurked in dark areas such as the Aokigahara Forest, which was one example. But here? In this town? Why would a yokai be here?
Her green eyes drifted over the area before she spotted what appeared to be three large shapes in the distance. She narrowed her eyes before she flew closer, turning invisible as well as intangible. It was actually quite risky to combine such powers, but this time it paid off as she was able to phase closer to the shapes unseen.
Then a familiar voice came out of the smoke.
"Let's see if we can find any sign of this Grimm," the deep voice of Esebu stated.
"Hai." The second voice startled Dani, nearly causing her to turn visible and tangible. It was only due to her instincts that she didn't return to the visible spectrum. She remained where she was, surprised to see that the second speaker was facing the glowing green optics of Esebu. It was hard to make them out, but she could see that the second speaker was clearly built like Esebu, but with a different helm design. This made her question if there was more than one alien robot on Earth. The second robot was also male, it sounded like, but his voice was more cultured and slightly deeper than Esebu's. She wondered if he had been a scholar or from the upper classes of his society, if they even had such a thing.
The third shape, more feminine in build, turned to face Esebu. "Where do you want us to start the search?" a female voice, husky and sultry, asked. That threw Dani for a loop. She flitted in closer and now she could see that the third shape was a female version of Esebu, but with a pair of what looked like wings on the back and some kind of extensions on her helm that resembled rabbit ears. Her optics appeared to be a yellow color, whereas the second speaker had light blue optics.
"I'm not too sure we should even split up," Esebu said. "Especially given how thick this smog is, Haifu."
'Haifu?' Dani cocked an eyebrow as the female, Haifu apparently, looked down.
"You do have a point, Esebu," she muttered. Then she faced him directly. "But then how are we supposed to find this Grimm?"
"We have to rely on each other," came the second speaker. "Especially now."
"Fumikiri's right," Esebu said to Haifu.
'Okay. Looks like there's three of these aliens... Esebu, who seems to be the leader, Haifu, and then this Fumikiri guy,' Dani thought as she flew closer to the trio.
Now she could see them a bit closer, and she was surprised at how alike they were in terms of their appearances, but also diverse. They all had shinkansen alt modes, with the same configuration, but each one was a different type of shinkansen. She picked out Esebu right away because he was the most familiar. But the other two were new to her.
"Then I suspect you have a plan, Esebu?" Haifu asked sarcastically.
Esebu bowed his head before he looked up. "Yeah. We'll make our way to the coal plant. That seems to be where this started," he said.
The other two stared at him for a moment before Fumikiri seemed to grasp what his leader was saying. "You think the Grimm may be there, correct?" he asked.
Esebu nodded. "Yes."
Haifu looked down as she pondered this. Then she met his green gaze with her yellow gaze. "All right. We'll follow your lead."
The blue and white robot nodded before turning and walking off in the direction of the coal fired power plant.
Dani frowned as she flew after. She could only hope that nothing bad would happen to them...
Above the facility, the dark smog grows denser, becoming more lively as it begins to shift and move.
The smog inches down the smokestacks of the power plant, covering them like a skin. Within it, the smog can sense the workers trying to figure out what is blocking up the smokestacks.
A low chuckle emits from the being as it starts to cover the entire power plant... engulfing it and literally fusing with the building. The smog it's emitted over the town suffices as a cover.
And it can see its targets. They are coming.
The three Shinkalions are on their way.
A rumble comes from it as it finishes absorbing the power plant and turning it into its body. Then, it slowly starts to make it move.
Esebu stopped walking.
"Huh?" Haifu noticed this. "Is something wrong?"
The Shinkalion was silent as he held up a hand.
Both Fumikiri and Haifu looked at one another in confusion before he lowered his hand and looked around, his audios tuned to their maximum sensitivity.
But it just wasn't what he had heard. He could've sworn he felt the ground shaking ever so slightly. He finally brushed it aside as nervousness and shook his head. "Sorry. I thought I heard something for a moment."
Haifu tilted her helm to the side a bit as the rabbit ear-like extensions on her helm twitched. Her optics flickered as she pivoted the 'ears' a bit. "Wait. I hear it too," she said. "Except it... it sounds like..."
The ground suddenly shook beneath their feet. It was subtle, but it was there. Esebu turned his head in the direction that Haifu's ears were pointed. He tensed his frame as he summoned his Wheelset Drill to his hand in a flash of blue light. He gripped it as he slowly inched his way down to the location of where the power plant was.
Only to halt as he sensed something was wrong.
He couldn't quite tell what it was, but... it was almost like... something was missing. Esebu began to get a bad feeling in his gut as he ran for it, his metal feet pounding the ground as he bolted for the top of the nearby hill.
His optics flashed in shock as he came to a halt in front of where the power plant was... or rather had been located.
"Oh, Glob..." he whispered, staring in shock and disbelief. "This... is not good..."
The entire power plant was missing. And now Esebu had an idea as to what kind of Grimm they were dealing with.
A Coal Walker Kaiju Grimm.
KAIJU GRIMM DATABASE:
NAME: Coal Walker
SPECIES: Kaiju
CLASS: Mega
BASIS: Unknown
ABILITIES: Able to fire off fireballs from the smokestacks on its shoulders and back. It can breathe noxious fumes of coal smog that can kill a person in a few hours. It has the ability to regenerate itself due to the DG Cells in its frame and body. It is by far the largest Kaiju Grimm to date ever encountered.