The airport was busy as he exited the terminal.

He had to admit, it had been years since he had been in Japan.

Actually, it had been centuries since he had been here. But no one else had to know that.

Seph stretched his arms over his head before looking around for the cab that was to take him to his hotel. In actuality, he didn't even need to be here, but it felt good to get out of America for a while and head abroad.

He made sure his baseball cap was perched on his head to hide his moss green hair and that his sunglasses were covering his silvery eyes. Best to be safe than sorry, he mused as he exited the airport after collecting what little luggage he had. He tended to travel rather light, only using what money he had on his person to purchase needed items and objects.

Plus he was intrigued about this new project Japan had developed.

Robots capable of turning into shinkansen... that reminded him of an incident that took place some time after his fusion with Seraphinite on a small island off the coast of what was to become Japan. This incident he recalled vaguely, but he did remember that one of the combatants had been able to turn into a train... or was it both that had been?

He shook his head and drove the dusty memories from his mind. He wasn't too keen on trying to recall it at the moment. He had other things to worry about.

Such as finding his hotel.

(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: FIRST WAVE

The First Wave is the name given to the first generation of Kaiju Grimm that surfaced fifteen years ago.

After the 2004 Chūetsu earthquake, the first Kaiju Grimm to surface came ashore in Tokyo Bay near the Tokyo Bay bridge. It took Japanese Huntsman Sam-R-I less than an hour to slay it, but the next one came only two months later, and this one took longer because of what it was based off of: a bat. This Grimm forced an evacuation of the entire Tokyo Bay section of the city, causing many to lose homes and possessions. The Japanese Air Self Defense Force mobilized a single helicopter to take it down, which was done with little damage.

For the next year, a pattern was established, with a new Kaiju Grimm surfacing every few months to wreak havoc on Japan's populace and infrastructure. These Kaiju were dubbed the First Wave, and their legacy was one that determined the foundation of Project SKL in the future.

CLOSING FILES

TERMINAL ENTERING STANDBY PHASE

"Legacy. Many people can see that word in many ways. But what is a legacy?" The figure watched the audience before bringing up several images on the monitor.

"A legacy can mean many things. Take for example these three ships." One image displayed three separate aircraft carriers, one from World War II, one from the Cold War, and one undergoing construction. "These ships all bear the same name, so that in itself is a legacy. A name can be either historical and be carried on, or it can fade into obscurity."

A second image showed a team of soldiers as they stood in front of their machines. "A legacy could also be a record that someone has done something incredible, like these soldiers here. They have stood against the odds and overcome obstacles in their paths that most others would not have. This is the symbol of a legacy as well."

The images faded as the figure tented their fingers. "So, what kind of a legacy will you leave behind? One of good, or one of bad? Well, it's up to you to decide."

CHAPTER X - COAL

Esebu was horrified.

He had heard of such a Grimm. Mostly they were just minor, but if one could meld with an entire power plant...

That was asking for trouble.

His optics pulsed as he hefted his drill, scanning around for anything out of the ordinary.

A loud rumble caught his attention and he looked around, backing up in fright. "Oh, shit...!" he muttered.

Esebu suddenly heard a loud scream from Haifu and he whipped his helm around, only to stare in utter horror as a large figure loomed behind them. A massive metallic hand - way bigger than any one of them - reached out of the thick smog as it began to fade slightly. And it was reaching for him! Esebu broke into a run before he switched to rolling on his treads. He increased the speed to full, but even going at full it wasn't enough to avoid the hand entirely. It slammed into the ground as it barely missed his back and the shockwave sent him flying, his drill vanishing from his grasp. The Shinkalion screamed as he flew through the air, only to crash into the pavement of the roadway further off. He groaned as he sat up, rubbing his helm.

"Glob... That hurt..." he groaned.

"Esebu!"

His helm snapped up and he looked around for the source of the voice, only to stare in shock at the ghostly shape of Dani as she phased out of a nearby building.

"Are you okay?!" she asked.

"W-What are you doing here?!" Esebu blurted.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to help as well!" Dani remarked as she folded her arms. She flickered briefly, turning tangible before returning to her intangible state. "I can't just sit back and let you deal with this alone! I'm going to be a Huntress, after all!"

"You gotta get out of here," Esebu said, panic filling his voice. "You don't know what you're up against!"

Dani was about to speak when suddenly a loud explosion rocked the area, and Esebu looked up, his optics flashing in his shock. "NO!" he roared, summoning his Wheelset Drill to his hand. He thrust it forward as a large flaming ball of coal came his way, his Aura covering his frame and drill in seconds. The tip of his drill drove itself into the flaming ball and broke through it in seconds, scattering burning coal everywhere. He landed as he turned to face her, her eyes wide as she stared at the shape coming through the smog.

"Uh... is... what is that thing?!" she squeaked as he turned to face the incoming shape as well.

Esebu's gaze traveled up the large shape... up, and up and up.

He felt like an insect against this massive Grimm. And it was massive. It towered over the tallest building in this town - he guessed it to be around half the height of Tokyo Tower - and it had dark grey armor on its massive frame. Its arms looked to be made up of the main segments of the power plant, and its legs were the generator sections, while on its back was the massive smokestack that was the distinguishing feature of the facility. Its head, however, was strictly a Grimm head, but it bore a small resemblance to Esebu's helm, mostly with the commander fin.

The Shinkalion started to shake in his armor. His engine leapt into his throat and he gulped audibly as he gripped his drill in his hands. "O-Okay... This thing is not gonna be easy to bring down," he said, trying to sound calmer than he actually felt. Hell, he was actually close to fainting, honestly! But he forced himself to remain focused and calm as best he could.

Dani blinked as she looked at him. "And how do you plan to bring down that monstrosity?!" she blurted.

In truth, Esebu had no idea. The Coal Walker was just too big... and it was melded with a friggin' power plant! That was an issue in of itself, as if the building was destroyed, there would be no power to the town and surrounding areas. So how to take it down without damaging the plant was another issue.

'Glob... This is not good... if that thing goes down there will be chaos here... and we're already on a time limit as it is!' he thought in a panic. 'How are we supposed to bring that thing down?!'

His mind raced as he tried to figure out a way, but his pondering was interrupted by the Coal Walker suddenly leaning forward and the smokestack on its back belched out a second fireball, right for him and Dani!

Dani was on the move, and her hands placed themselves on his shoulder guard. She closed her eyes and focused, channeling her energy into the Shinkalion beside her.

What followed was what could only be described as the weirdest sensation ever. To Esebu, it felt like his frame was disintegrating, but maintaining a visible appearance. He looked down at one of his hands in shock as his entire frame shifted from the tangible spectrum to an intangible state. He had no time to examine any further though as his sensors registered the incoming projectile and he glanced up, a scream escaping his vocalizer. He braced for the inevitable impact.

Except it never came.

Instead, he only felt a tingling sensation running through his frame, similar to what he experienced when entering and exiting a capture field, but on a much deeper level. Like this thing was passing through him instead of the other way around.

Confused, Esebu slowly looked up and he swore had he been human, his eyes would've widened in pure shock.

The fireball had exploded on the ground behind him and Dani, leaving a large crater and burning debris everywhere, with some damage to buildings and cars. A few bodies lay not too far off, and he shivered at how still they were. He tore his gaze from the burnt bodies and looked up to the Coal Walker as it drew that smokestack back and bellowed as it threw its head back. Esebu felt the tingling fading from his frame and he returned to tangible state as Dani floated off his shoulder guard. She looked a bit worn out, but she was still flying, which was good. At least until she wobled and he cupped his hands around her as she collapsed out of the air.

"Glob... that was tiring..." she muttered. "I didn't think that it would've wiped me out so much..."

"Well, you did just turn a twenty six and a half meter tall mecha intangible," Esebu joked.

The ghost girl rolled her green eyes as she recovered her strength somewhat and lifted out of his cupped hands.

"ESEBU!"

The Shinkalion turned at the familiar voices of his companions as they came running over, worry visible in their optics.

Esebu straightened up and rolled his shoulders as Haifu and Fumikiri approached. "You okay?" Haifu asked. "When we saw that thing fire..."

"Thank Dani here," he said, gesturing to the girl. "She saved my life."

The two Shinkalions looked at her in apparent surprise, but said nothing as she floated up and bowed. "Pleasure to meet you," she said, speaking in Japanese to the two.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," Fumikiri said as he bowed politely. "I must thank you for saving Esebu. We were worried he had not survived that last attack."

"It was nothing," Dani replied, trying to act modest. In truth though she was a bit surprised that these aliens were even thanking her. But she brushed it aside. "After all, he did save me."

Haifu looked to Esebu who rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

A loud bellow caught their attention and all four glanced at the huge Grimm as it loomed over them, a massive foot raised high above them. "Aw, shit!" Esebu swore. "MOVE!"

The three Shinkalions burst into a run as Dani flew after them. The Coal Walker thrust its foot down towards the ground beneath it, intent on stomping these bugs out of existence.

TOKYO STATION HOTEL

Seph sighed as he sprawled out on the bed, his arms splayed behind him. "Glob... It's so good to have a quiet room for once..."

A flash on his chest caught his attention and he looked down at the single gem right over where his heart was. He touched a hand to it and sighed. "Yeah, I know. But you know what I mean."

He removed his hand from the gem and ran it through his moss green hair. "Still wish I had a place of my own sometimes, to be honest. Then people wouldn't question my habit of supposedly talking to myself."

A flash came from the gem and he growled. "Oh, shut up! Can't I dream a little?!"

The gem flashed a few seconds and he swore he heard laughter from it before he brushed it aside and sat up. His hand groped for the TV remote and he pulled it closer before flipping on the TV.

Only to be greeted with a strange sight on the screen. His eyes widened as he sat up in shock. "The Glob is that?!" he blurted.

The image on the screen showed a satellite image of a black splotch covering an entire town not too far from Tokyo. But what really surprised him was what he was hearing.

"...unsure of what the outcome of the situation will be. Even now people are trying frantically to contact loved ones within the dark smog covering Hitachinaka. No one is sure of what the situation within is, so there is much speculation about what has happened or is happening within. The Japanese Self -Defense Forces have started to prepare an ex[pedition into the dark smog to try and get an idea of what is... Wait. I just got an update from someone on the ground in the area. It appears that the smog is starting to dissipate."

The news anchor came up on the screen in the lower right hand corner of the video feed.

"We can now see a little bit of what is happening inside the field. And so far it... Is... What the hell is that thing?!" she blurted, the image zooming in on what appeared to be a hulking shape...

And Seph's silver eyes flashed. "Shit... Haven't seen one of those since the Industrial Revolution!" he grunted. He shut off the TV and tossed the remote onto the couch. He got off the bed and strode to the door.

His gem flashed and he looked down at it. "I know. Geez. You're worse than me ma was..." he muttered as he opened the door. He left the room as he threw his hat on over his hair.

It didn't take him long to exit the station. He cast his gaze around before he focused on his power. He could feel the slight tugging sensation of his wings forming and he spread them wide open: one large wing, and two smaller wings on the opposite side. Seph crouched and with a single flap, he was airborne. He pivoted in midair before he sped off in the direction of Hitachinaka.

HITACHINAKA SUBURBS

Akita was just glad to get his mother out of harm's way.

But now he was stuck outside as the hospital staff had closed the door before he could even get in.

He kept his Aura up around his body to keep himself from breathing in that toxic smog, but it was only a matter of time before it went down and he wasn't too keen on dying like the other people outside the hospital.

He could only watch in horror as the large Grimm - the Coal Walker - thrust its massive foot down towards the ground. He didn't know what it was trying to stomp on, but whomever or whatever it was would not be able to survive that.

He glanced down at his guns, unsure of what to do. He was a skilled sniper, but even so, that thing was way out of his league! Only the strongest Huntsmen had been able to slay those things! And so far none of them were here... least of all the real heavy hitters like Major Glory, Dracon, or that supposed man with the angel wings.

In truth, Akita wished Dracon was there. Not just because of the fact that he secretly looked up to the Gundam, but because his firepower was damn useful in many situations.

'Ah. But has he taken down a walking power plant?' a little voice asked in his thoughts.

Akita brushed it aside and glanced up at the huge facility. "What am I gonna do...?" he thought.

"LOOK OUT!"

A sudden shudder caught his attention and Akita looked up as he sensed the incoming shockwave. The boy dove to the ground as the shockwave rushed over him and anyone else outside the safety of their homes and whatnot. He gritted his teeth as his hands lashed out to grab onto a nearby streetlight, only to nearly be torn free from his lifeline. He felt the wind sucked out of his lungs and his head began to feel light. Akita struggled to hold onto that lightpost with all his might, but it didn't work and he was torn loose from his hold.

A scream was torn free from his throat as he was sent flying. Then a blur of black and white sped down and he was caught by two female hands as he coughed, trying to get fresh air into his lungs. A green energy sphere started to form around him and his savior, and then he was able to breathe. Akita coughed violently a few times before he gulped in fresh, clean air. He was finally able to regain some sense of where he was and what had happened as he looked up to his savior.

His eyes widened as he stared into the green eyes of the ghost girl. Dani Phantom.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Y-Yes... Thank you," Akita said as he pounded his chest a few times. "I was sure I was a goner."

"Well, just be glad we were in the area," Dani admitted as she set him down on the ground. Akita's Aura faded from around his body as he looked at her in confusion.

"We?"

"She means us," an unfamiliar voice said.

Akita jolted as he looked around for the speaker. His eyes narrowed as his hands flew for his guns, which somehow still remained on his person (he was sure they had been torn free from their holsters!) despite the intense shockwave.

His gaze roved around before something glinted up above him. Akita glanced up... and his heart stopped at the sight of three massive metallic figures. The first one was primarily blue and white with golden accents to its frame, and it had green optics with a silver command fin on its forehead. One hand held a drill of some kind and the other was resting on its hip. Closer inspection revealed that this machine could turn into a shinkansen, which made Akita stare. He had heard of three aliens, but to actually meet them?!

The other two also could turn into shinkansen, with the purple and white one resembling a ninja in a way, and the white and green femme had rabbit-like ears on her helm. That was enough to make Akita slowly back up, his hand flying for one of his guns. He was trying to remain calm, but it was a lot easier said than done.

"W-Who are you?" Akita asked.

"The name's Esebu," the first one said in a deep male voice. "And these are my friends, Haifu and Fumikiri." He then knelt and gazed into his eyes. "What are you even doing out here? It's too dangerous!"

"Try telling that to the hospital staff. As soon as I got my mother to safety, I was locked out due to someone panicking," Akita remarked.

"Hm." Esebu hummed thoughtfully for a moment before a sudden roar made all of them glance back.

"Dammit...! We gotta move!" Esebu said as he held out a hand. "Get on!"

Akita was stunned, but a shove from Dani prompted him to move. He staggered over to Esebu's hand and he collapsed onto it in disbelief.

The mecha stood up as Dani lightly leapt into his hand as well.

And just in time, too. The Coal Walker was once more upon them all.

And this time, Akita felt real fear for the first time in his life.

TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS

MAIN OFFICE

Director Hayasugi was downright worried.

Especially as the Coal Walker was coming closer to them.

His hands were gripping the edges of his seat so hard he swore he was going to dent the metal underneath his fingertips.

His heart was racing a million miles a minute as he eyed the main monitor.

"Can we fire the capture field yet?!" he demanded.

"No, sir," Futaba replied. "There's too much coal dust and Dark Particles in the air. The nanomachines won't be able to form a cohesive field." Her eyes flicked over the readouts. "We could try to fire it and then draw the Coal Walker into it, but that's still untested..."

"Can it be done?" Hokuto asked. "We need to get that thing out of the town before any more lives are lost!"

"I-Yes, but only in theory," Futaba pointed out.

"Then do it!" the director snapped.

"But we don't know if-" Honjo was cut off by the cat Faunus.

"JUST DO IT!" he roared.

The group wasn't too stunned by his exclamation, but more or less on his insistence that an untested property of the capture field be used. In truth, some of them couldn't blame him. A few of the technicians in the main office also had family down there, and they were just as worried as he was.

The man next to Futaba looked to her. "Do it," he said. "It'll save more lives in the long run."

Futaba bit her lower lip as she pondered her decision. What in Glob's name was she supposed to do...?

Right now she was torn. On one hand, they had no other choice, but then again, on the other hand, there was no telling what could happen. She needed an answer, but all she could do was make the choice herself.

So she swallowed nervously. "O-Okay..." she whispered. Her hands shook as they danced over the keyboard before her, programming in the next command for the capture satellite. Her eyes were wide and sweat soaked her flesh and uniform. She licked her lips as she struggled to keep focused.

Every instinct was screaming at her to not do this, but she brushed it aside and focused on the mission. She forced herself to focus on the death toll climbing, and she gritted her teeth as she ducked her head forward, tears pricking at her eyes. She stopped typing for a moment, but then resumed as she looked up, a look of fierce determination on her face, despite the tear streaks on her cheeks.

"Firing capture field..." She paused before drawing back her hand and thrusting it forward onto the fire button. "...NOW!"

EARTH ORBIT

The capture satellite beeped as its computers received the commands from SDI HQ.

Its maneuvering thrusters fired, adjusting its angle ever so slightly, pivoting the satellite dish below to aim directly at the smoggy town beneath it. The capture beam began to charge, focusing into the tip of the dish's antennae array before it formed a small orb. The orb flashed, and then a multicolored laser lanced down, streaking through the atmosphere towards the smog-encased down.

And all everyone at SDI HQ could do was pray this worked.

HITACHINAKA BATTLE SITE

Esebu's sensors blared in his head as they detected the incoming energy beam.

He glanced up, his optics pulsing in his shock and disbelief. "They're crazy!" he blurted. "They shouldn't even be firing it in these conditions!"

"Huh? Who's firing what in these conditions?" Dani asked, but Esebu ignored her and turned to the others.

"We have to get out of here! In case something goes wrong, I don't want us to be caught in the crossfire!" he shouted.

Haifu and Fumikiri nodded in agreement. The trio of Shinkalions turned and ran for it as fast as they could, their metal feet pounding the pavement as they ran. Esebu was now panicked as he cupped his hands around a surprised Akita. He had not expected the SDI to fire the satellite at this Grimm in these conditions! From what he knew, the nanomachines needed a clear space to be able to cohesively form the capture field; anything like this and it could fail, or even worse, becomg contaiminated with the Dark Substance if it was used in the air.

Such things weren't uncommon; a few prior Kaiju Grimm had used the stuff as smokescreens and forced the capture field to be aborted before it could be fired from the satellite. So unless it had some kind of upgrade or property he didn't know about, there was the risk of actually making the Grimm it was meant to contain stronger by giving it a shield.

Dani was confused as she joined up with the trio. "What's going on? Aren't your superiors firing off a capture field?" she asked, remembering the first time they had teamed up.

"Yes, but it's downright crazy given the circumstances!" Esebu shot back. He glanced at her out of the corner of his optic. "The Dark Substance in the air could contaminate the field and actually make a Grimm stronger if it hits!"

Now the ghost girl was stunned. "Th-That's...That's nuts!" she blurted.

"That's exactly what I said when I first found out!" he remarked.

"Esebu! The field's starting to form!" Haifu cried.

The lead Shinkalion turned as the laser struck the air above the Coal Walker. Esebu watched in terror and downright horror as the field began to form. He wasn't sure if it was going to form properly, let alone at all. And his worry was well founded.

All he could do was hope and pray to Glob that it formed as intended.

HITACHINAKA AIRSPACE

Seph's eyes hardened as he saw the formation of the field in the tainted coal smog. He had seen this several times before with the field formation, so he knew that this containment field was being used to try and contain the Grimm.

But the Dark Substance was starting to corrode the field's nanomachine bonds. As well as taint the nanomachines themselves.

He took in a breath and hesitated as he hovered above Hitachinaka.

Some part of him - the Gem part - was telling him to run, that it was not his business. But he ruthlessly squashed that part of himself and he shot a glance down at his chest as his gem flashed.

"Yeah. I know. It's stupid of me, and I've never even tried this before. But what other choice do I have?" he muttered.

Again a flash from his gem and he winced. "Okay! I'll be careful! Geez!"

The hybrid held out a hand and started to focus his powers.

With not a moment to spare, he dove down towards the smog, a shimmering, silvery green barrier seething around his body and into the palm of his hand. His best bet was to try and alter the nanomachines to make them immune to the Dark Substance, and therefore allow for a more effective containment of the Grimm. And maybe, at the same time, try to separate it from that coal power plant. He had done that once before, and it had nearly killed him for his trouble. But it had worked, and people still said that he had "purified" the power plant, even two centuries later.

He brushed that aside though as he kept focusing. His palm began to glow with the same energy as in his barrier, and he folded his wings close to his back.

The field started to form...

And his hand made contact.

A bright flash emitted from the spot, and then everything went white.

Akita was caught off guard by the sudden flash of light.

He covered his eyes with one hand as he felt Esebu's hand curl around him; he could barely see things through those thick metal fingers. In fact, they were what saved his eyesight.

The boy watched as the light faded from beyond his metallic cocoon and he peered through a gap in those fingers.

His eyes widened in shock as he stared at a massive barrier unlike anything else forming around them.

"Holy... Glob...!" he whispered.

The entire group was now standing atop a massive platform, which was connected to the walls of the barrier with pylons that pulsed with a strange energy. All around them were rail tracks, each going higher or lower than another. In the middle of the platform suspended in the air were screens showing the outside and there was an opening within the barrier itself right over the screens. The top was covered with some kind of metal plating, and the entire thing hummed with a strange, unknown energy. His hair was standing on end from the sheer amount of it; it was like the air had been electrified.

Esebu's hand uncurled from around him and he felt the mecha's gaze on his back. He turned to look into those green optics.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Y-Yes," Akita stammered. "Thank you."

The mech nodded as he knelt and placed Akita down on the ground.

"Where are we?" the boy asked.

"We're within a capture field," Esebu explained. "And frankly, I'm surprised the thing even formed..."

Akita was about to ask why, but that was disrupted when the familiar bellow of the Coal Walker echoed throughout the field.

The group looked around, only to find themselves staring at a large figure. But it wasn't as large as it had been.

No. It stood much, much shorter than it had been in its merged form. The Coal Walker's true form was exposed for them to see: a massive, hunched humanoid with bone-like smokestacks that jutted out from its shoulders and back. It was bulky and had ape-like arms that dragged across the ground. Its eyes pulsed red as it aimed those bonestacks at them and fired, sending a barrage of flaming fireballs in their direction. Esebu scooped up Akita in his massive metal hands before running while Haifu sprang away gracefully and Fumikiri backflipped onto one of the rails. Dani meanwhile vanished into thin air and reappeared further away, her eyes wide. "Geez!" she blurted.

"Well, didn't think that trick would work, especially given how badly it turned out last time," came a male voice from not too far off.

Esebu's helm snapped to the left and his optics flashed a bit in shock as he felt his engine stop humming within his chest briefly.

The man hovering there folded his arms as his silvery eyes gleamed as they locked onto the Coal Walker.

Esebu had only heard of him. But to see him right there?

The Boy with the Angel's Heart or the Man with the Angel's Wings, he wasn't sure which, was one individual who could possibly match the Dragon of Denver in sheer power. And to see him here was enough to make Esebu speechless.

At least until those silver eyes locked onto his green optics.

"So, you gonna do something about this thing, or what?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, right!" Esebu held out his hand and set Akita down on the platform. "Stay out of our way, kid," he said, trying to play up ignorance.

"My name is Akita Oga, and from the looks of things, you may be needing my help," Akita responded.

"How can you be of help?" the green-haired man asked.

"I'm a skilled sniper," Akita responded as he gestured to his guns.

"No offense, kid, but your pea shooters won't do much good against a Coal Walker," the man snorted. "Unless you intend to pick out its weaknesses, which, I might add, is incredibly dangerous."

"Better than just sitting by and doing nothing!" Akita shouted.

"Enough!" Dani cut in. "We can fight later! We got a Grimm to take down!"

Haifu and Fumikiri nodded in agreement.

The man huffed, but nodded. "Fine." He then turned to Esebu. "You're the leader. Your call."

Esebu was for once unsure. He had never acted as a leader before, but this time, he had no choice. He glanced around, watching as the Coal Walker lumbered along the rails. He shot a glance to the man hovering there, his wings arched a bit as they flapped every so often to keep him aloft. Then he looked to Dani who was fidgeting nervously. Haifu and Fumikiri were next as he pondered what to do.

The only issue was that the man with the wings was an unknown. He had no idea as to what he could do.

So he asked.

The man, who introduced himself as Seph, rolled his eyes. "Maybe you should've done more research on the SkyWeb," he snarked.

Esebu shot a quick look at the Coal Walker before its smokestacks aimed at them again.

"MOVE!" he bellowed.

The team bolted as more fireballs were launched their way. Seph twirled and dodged, but every so often he would aim a hand and fire off a silvery blast of energy, and Esebu began to get an idea of how to fight this thing. His optics landed on the Coal Walker as one of the blasts barely missed its chest. Something glimmered there, and he perked up. He zoomed in on it, and he was surprised to find himself staring at a pulsing reddish orb. 'That's it!' he thought.

He skidded to a stop and turned to face the others. "I think I have an idea!" he exclaimed. "That Coal Walker has some kind of an orb on its chest. I think that might be its power core or what holds it together!"

Seph smirked as he hovered down. "Good eye," he said. "All Coal Walkers have that core to hold themselves together when not fused to a power plant that burns coal."

Akita's eyes widened. "I think I see where this story is headed!" he remarked. "You want to hit its core, and therefore cause it to vanish!"

Esebu nodded. "Yep. Akita, was it?"

The boy nodded.

"All right. You will let us know when to fire on that thing. Seph and Dani can do that. Meanwhile, me and my two compatriots will distract it and lure it into position for a combined attack," Esebu explained. "Hopefully that should be enough to bring it down."

Akita smirked. "Got it."

Dani grinned widely as she summoned two ghost rays to her hands. Seph simply shrugged.

The blue and white Shinkalion set Akita down near one of the rails and the boy broke into a run up the ramp. Seph and Dani took up positions further up the rails and hovered as they waited for Akita's signal.

Esebu turned to his friends. "You ready?"

"Hai!" both Fumikiri and Haifu said as one.

Esebu summoned his Wheelset Drill to his hand and brandished it. "Let's go!"

The fight began.

Fumikiri sprang into action, summoning his shuriken to his hands and he threw them towards the Coal Walker. The blades bounced off its thick hide, but that did serve as a distraction for Haifu to come up from below and swing her sword into its chest. It cried out as the blade barely missed that orb. Esebu used the chance to sneak up behind it and drove his drill into one of those smokestacks, shattering it as he drove it into a gap. The Coal Walker screeched in agony, and then the three were on the move, relying on the rails to stay ahead of it. Esebu smirked in his thoughts as he saw the Coal Walker lumbering after Fumikiri, who was using his ninjutsu to stay on the move and one step ahead.

The Coal Walker aimed that last remaining smokestack at the ninja Shinkalion, but its fireball missed as he leapt up and latched onto the side of the capture field's barrier. Fumikiri held out a hand and within seconds a thick smokescreen was covering its field of vision. Haifu took the chance to attack that last smokestack, shattering it with a well-placed swipe of her sword. Esebu dove down from higher up where he had landed earlier and his drill bit into its thick hide, this time drawing smoke to the surface of the wound. He pulled it out as he landed back, and he spotted the two aerial fighters hovering close by. The Coal Walker turned to try and swing its massive fist towards Esebu, and he saw their chance.

"NOW!" he roared.

Akita watched for a few moments... and then he gave the signal.

"FIRE!" he screamed.

Dani and Seph both aimed their hands, glowing silver and green respectively, and let out cries as they both fired off twin beams of energy. The silver and green beams merged into one, becoming a seething silver laser with green electricity coursing over it. The Coal Walker turned and its eyes widened as the core was exposed.

The beams struck home.

An explosion rocked the battlefield, and Esebu was thrown off the track he was on by its sheer force. He flipped around as the capture field began to waver from the concussive force of the blast wave alone. He hoped it wouldn't go down.

"Esebu! Can you hear me?" Futaba asked.

"Yes, I can," Esebu responded. "Why?"

"The capture field... it actually formed?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm not sure how, but... I'm just glad it did," the Shinkalion said. "Anyway, we defeated the Coal Walker, so the town below should be returning to normal, right?"

"Yes. The smog has begun to vanish, and radar scans along with satellite imagery has shown that the power plant has returned to its original state and location," Futaba replied.

"Good. Let's just hope we don't have another one like it..." Esebu responded.

KAIJU GRIMM DATABASE UPDATE:

NAME: Coal Walker

SPECIES: Kaiju

CLASS: Mega

BASIS: Unknown

ABILITIES (UPDATED): 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 due to the DG Cells in its frame and body. It can fuse with any coal fired power plant, but it can be unfused through the use of capture field technology. It's core is its weak point; if that gets hit, it loses all cohesion and becomes nothing but smog, the Dark Substance vanishing back to its pool.