Sammael smirked. "Well, this is turning out to be interesting..." he mused.
The Fallen watched as the Misertree began to attack, driving its roots towards the clustered warriors, forcing them to scatter.
"Is that thing trying to kill them?" an unknown voice asked.
"Hardly," Sammael said as he turned to face the speaker. "What it is trying to do is something far more sinister than that." A smile played across his lips as he eyed the leader of the Shinkalions, Esebu.
The speaker looked at the blue and white mecha with a critical gaze. "What ever could be worse than death by depression?"
"The worst fate is to relive your most depressing memories over and over again before you break," Sammael said casually. "Of course, I rarely use such a trick against my opponents because they tend to have valuable information or are just plain interesting to let live. But given how this one is as stubborn as the Dragon... well, I want to see just how much he can take before he breaks."
The speaker hummed with interest. "I see. A very clever move, if not downright evil..."
"My dear, things are only going to get interesting..." Sammael sneered as he watched the speaker grin. Her eyes flashed red, and behind her several tentacles wriggled...
(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: WHEELSET DRIVER
The Wheelset Driver is the special move of Tsuranuki Daimonyama/Esebu. This move is able to penetrate through almost any physical obstacle, and is capable of delivering a fatal blow to any heavily armored Kaiju Grimm. When in use, his Aura turns a brilliant blue and is channeled directly into the drill itself, boosting its penetrating power. However, despite its power, it is weak at going through soft substances, which could jam the weapon and render it useless.
CLOSING FILES
TERMINAL ENTERING STANDBY PHASE
"When it comes to drive, many meanings come to mind. But what is a drive? What makes someone fight to give it their all in combat when everything is on the line? What makes a journalist dig for the truth in a story? What gives an investigator that edge to bring down a criminal? What encourages a team to work as one for the good of mankind?" The figure at the desk leaned in, revealing a pair of greyish brown eyes beneath the glasses. "That is the thing. There is no right answer. It's all in how we interpret it. But to have the drive to do something is just the beginning. You have to have the motivation to sustain that drive. And if that drive is not sustained, it dies out. Like any vehicle, it needs fuel to keep it moving. So unless you want to lose your drive, remember what it is that gives you that drive... and hold onto it with all you got."
The figure smiled. "Because in the end, it could change the world for the better, whether some want it to or not."
CHAPTER XV - DRIVE
"Okay. Let's do this!" Esebu shouted.
The team let out a cry as they charged at the Misertree.
Miku narrowed her eyes as she crouched atop the nearest gun emplacement. Beside her stood Akita and the Blazing Light, both of them aiming their guns at the large tree Kaiju. She hesitated before she pointed. "There! Aim at that root coming up from behind!" she exclaimed.
Akita shifted his position and aimed his rifles at the root as it lunged for the white Shinkalion's neck. He fired a few shots, each one peppering the root as it writhed and retreated from behind the white mecha. He looked back, hearing those shots and his sky blue optics locked onto the two snipers. He merely nodded once before he lashed out in a punch and delivered a brutal left cross to the Misertree's face.
The boy scowled. "He could at least tell us his name..." he muttered as he took up another sniping position.
"We can worry about that later, Akita," Miku stated as she pointed in another direction. "There! Roots at two o'clock!"
Akita shifted his stance and this time he combined his two pistols into their rifle configuration. "Tell me when!"
"Now!" the rabbit Faunus shouted.
He pulled the trigger, sending a concentrated Dust shell right for the trio of roots aiming to gore the white mecha from behind. The tips were frozen solid upon the shell's impact, courtesy of the ice Dust in its tip. He raised his rifle to peer through the scope, his left eye closing as he peered through with his right eye. He could see that the roots were struggling to get free, only for the white mecha to turn and - much to Akita's surprise - deploy twin energy blades from his wrists! The boy gaped in shock before the mecha swiped with his blades, cutting the roots' tips off. He glanced up and snorted. "Nozoma. That's my name," he said. "Just don't forget it."
Nozoma then turned back to the Misertree to deliver a roundhouse kick, only for Miku to bark out a command to the Blazing Light. "One o'clock!" she cried.
The Blazing Light fired off his beam weapon, striking the next root before it withdrew as Nozoma fired off a kick that collided with the Misertree's face. It slithered back on its roots, only to regain its sense of balance before it drove its remaining limb in for a hit on Nozoma's chest. The balled up branches socked the Shinkalion in the chest, but he didn't go down. He only staggered back before he regained his balance and looked up, those blue optics flashing as he got into a martial arts stance, one hand held up and the other flat at his waist. The Misertree seemed to sneer before it lashed out with its one limb and a few tree roots. But Miku gave out a series of commands for Akita and the Blazing Light to fire at. "One, two, eleven, twelve o'clock!" she cried.
The two snipers fired again, striking the roots with incredible precision. Nozoma seized his chance and lunged, his clenched hand colliding with the Kaiju Grimm's face in a brutal right cross. The blow was enough to send some shards of bark flying from its face, along with some of the Dark Substance coursing through it.
Miku actually winced at that one. "Ouch!"
"'Ouch' doesn't even begin to cover it," the Blazing Light remarked as he aimed his blaster again.
The Misertree growled lowly before its branched hand curled into a fist and then punched, delivering a blow to Nozoma and making him stagger back from the hit to his faceplate. Miku and the other two winced from the impact.
But Nozoma wasn't down yet. He looked up, his optics pulsing brightly as he swung with his energy blades as they sprang from his wrists, intending on cutting off that remaining limb.
The Grimm suddenly brought up a shield of roots, blocking the blades and one of the roots finally lashed out, curling around his throat.
That was all the time Fumikiri needed to spring in, his shuriken glinting as he threw it. The bladed weapon whirled through the air barely missing Nozoma, but cutting the roots holding his arm and neck. He took the chance to leap back, rubbing at his throat with one hand before turning to the ninja Shinkalion.
Esebu gripped his drill as he watched Fumikiri hold out his hand, two fingers extended, in front of his faceplate. Then there was a glimmer and there were multiple versions of him standing there before he was on the move, along with the illusionary copies of himself. The purple and white Shinkalion went on the offensive, throwing his shuriken again once he caught it. The weapon buzzed through several more roots before it came back, and then he separated it into two halves before leaping skyward, along with a few illusions. The rest remained on the offense. The Misertree looked around, its eyes trying to find the original, but it was a lot easier said than done because Fumikiri wasn't even amongst the copies anymore. Esebu had seen him vanish into the trees, holding a clear line in his grasp.
He hesitated before he gave the cable a hard tug, and then the Misertree was caught in a trap made from that same line, this time curling around its last limb.
"Go!" he shouted to the two fliers.
Dracon wasted no time in emerging from the trees, which made Esebu wonder how he had even gotten behind the thing without him noticing. His fin funnels darted out of hiding as well, and then he fired, sending the beams right for one of the Misertree's root clusters. The beams penetrated the thick bark, making the Kaiju class groan in agony as it arched its back, the rest of the roots flailing in its pain. Seph's feathers gleamed as he emerged from the tree tops, wings wide open as he fired them towards the ground, striking a few roots and then he dove down, a silver beam of energy firing from his outstretched hand towards the bottom of the Misertree.
His beam struck home and the rest of the roots were severed.
The Misertree was immobile.
Esebu let out a laugh as he stood up. "Now, time to end this!"
He sprang towards the tree-like Grimm...
Only for a nasty surprise to emerge and catch him in its grip.
A hand made up of the Dark Substance lashed out from its mouth, grabbing the lead Shinkalion by his head.
Esebu started to squirm and wriggle in its grasp, trying to pry those slimy fingers from his helm. But to no avail. He could feel something thin and wiry slithering its way into his helm under the armor and he began to thrash even more. But it was useless.
His vision started to go dark and all he could hear were the screams of his friends and allies.
Then he fell into oblivion.
MINDSCAPE
He couldn't see anything.
Hell, he couldn't even hear anything.
He couldn't feel anything.
Nor could he smell anything.
All he knew was that he was lying on something flat.
Flat and lacking sensation.
He struggled to bring his optics online, and was greeted with the sight of static vanishing from his vision. But there were no readouts.
Strange. There usually were.
Esebu slowly started to twitch his frame, moving his arms, legs, and fingers. He could feel he still had all his extremities, which was good. But where was he? And what was with the lack of readouts?
He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, surprised to see that he was in a pure white void. He looked around, trying to see if there was anyone else here. "Hello?!" he called, his voice falling on no one's ears or audios. Strangely, it didn't even echo here. Confusion flooded his processor as he finally got to his feet. He cupped both hands around his faceplate and gave another holler. "HELLOOOO?! Anybody here?!"
Again, silence.
Esebu lowered his hands, stunned. Where was he? And why was he all alone here?! Where were the others?! Had that Misertree done something to him?! What had it done to him?!
Panic began to flood his frame and his engine began to race in his chest. Esebu broke into a run, his optics flashing in his panic. "C'mon... There's gotta be a way outta here!" he muttered.
His feet pounded the unseen surface, the pistons and hydraulics in his legs pumping as he ran. His head turned left and right as he ran, not even noticing the strange scenery starting to form around him. It was blurry, but then it began to become more distinct the further he ran. The more he ran, the more concise the scenery around him became. Already he could start to see buildings, cars, people, Faunus, Mobians... Everything. But it seemed...older, too. Like it was from years ago, back when he had been just a kid.
That made him stop. He stopped running and skidded to a stop, looking around, optics flashing in shock. And the strange thing was, he was normal human height when compared to his true height of almost thirty meters tall. In fact, he was about an average human child's height. Hell... he was the exact same height he had been as a child.
Esebu looked down at himself, and he was still the same: a blue and white Shinkalion mecha. A glance at his reflection in a nearby store window though threw him for a loop.
His reflection was that of his young human self. Dressed in winter garb, with short messy brown hair and wide brown eyes, a silly scarf wrapped around his neck and a pair of blue and white earmuffs on his head. He looked at his left hand, but it was still mechanical. He looked back to his reflection, only to hear a voice that made his engine seize briefly.
His father's voice.
"Tsuranuki!"
The Shinkalion yelped and turned to face the direction of the speaker, one he hadn't heard for three years. His optics landed on the big, burly man as he approached, a warm smile on his face. "There you are," Yuuma Daimonyama said. Esebu could see him as clear as day, and he was just like he remembered: big and tall, about six foot four, broad shouldered and with a muscular frame from construction work. He had a few scars from his time in the yards or on the sites, some on his broad body, but one on his cheek from where a blowtorch burned him.
"D-Daddy?" Esebu squeaked. For the first time in almost three years, he felt a surge of emotion rush through him and he raced forward as his father knelt, and he buried his face in his chest. "D-Dad... I..." He broke down sobbing, his shoulders shaking.
"Hey, it's all right," Yuuma said gently. "C'mon. Let's go home. Your mother is worried about you."
Esebu looked up and nodded. "Right!" he chirped.
However, that was when things changed.
The next thing he knew, the scene shifted and he found himself standing in the middle of the kitchen, his father's face beet red in anger. "For the last time, no! You are not becoming a Huntsman! That is final!"
"But why?!" Esebu found himself saying. He couldn't even believe this. This was the very first time he had even said that to his dad, and then he had exploded in anger. "I thought..."
"NO!" Yuuma roared, making Esebu instinctively recoil in terror. He curled his arms around himself as he turned and ran from his enraged father. He felt a pang of hurt in his chest, and he struggled to keep in a sob. The hurt still rang now, and he wished it would just go away.
But... he wasn't a Huntsman. He wasn't! He was something else! He was a Shinkalion!
Esebu ducked into his room, following the path of the memory. He buried his helm in his pillow, feeling sobs tearing themselves free from his vocalizer. And strangely, he also felt tears running down his metal cheeks.
SANBAN ESTATE
Lola was utterly horrified.
"This... is sick..." she whispered.
And she did feel sick. She felt like she wanted to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep herself from vomiting. But at the same time, some small part of her took pride in this. And it terrified her.
That small part she knew to be her sadistic side. One that had been more prominent, but now was starting to vanish. Mostly due to the fact that this thing was not what she had been expecting.
What kind of Kaiju Grimm was this thing?
That black hand held the blue and white robot's helm tightly, black tendrils oozing into the back of his helm, wriggling every now and then, as if searching out something. She watched as the other combatants tried to interfere, but those roots lashed out, trying to keep them back. It was disturbing to Lola, how that thing could maintain control over its severed roots, unless it had something to do with the Dark Substance.
And that alone was worrisome.
She glanced at Bugs with a worried expression in her eyes.
"Bugs, what'll we do?" she asked.
The owner of the resort narrowed his eyes as he hefted his shotgun. "I know one thing!" he growled. "Get out and fight! Dis thing is going down!"
"But... you could be killed!" Lola blurted, surprising herself with the genuine concern she felt for him.
"I know what I'm doing," Bugs assured her. He smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder, his eyes glittering with love for her. "I'll be fine." He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, making her blush a bit before he pulled away and stood up. "Just stay here and keep the others safe if that thing comes this way."
"R-Right!" Lola stammered.
Bugs grinned and turned, hefting his gun over his shoulder as he walked to the main door. "Genki-san, I'm going. You know the deal."
Lady Sanban nodded and pressed a button on her desk as soon as Bugs left the room. A slight shudder came from the floor as a metallic blast door slid down in front of the wooden doorway.
"Please... be careful..." Lola whispered tearfully as tears pricked at her eyes.
And these were not fake.
They were genuine.
She turned and ran to the other side of Genki Sanban, her eyes landing on the monitor showing the outside...
And the Misertree's battle.
For his part, the Dragon of Denver was far from calm.
He was anything but calm.
In fact, he was downright horrified.
All he could see was the limp form of the shinkansen mecha in its grasp, and strangely... it seemed to be... wait...
Dracon's optics narrowed as he hovered in closer a bit, his psychoframe starting to twinge. The frame itself was pulsing slightly, and then he could...he didn't know how to describe it in words, but he could see something... dark and misty seething around the Grimm. Much like an Aura, but not an Aura in the sense he could recognize. It was more like... more like a sense of pure dread and despair he was sensing.
And it was coming from the mecha held captive in its slimy hand.
Dracon's optics hardened as they shifted from a calm amethyst to a fierce emerald green color. Around his frame, a seething greenish white light began to shimmer, anger surging through his systems. He clenched a fist as he glanced up, his wings flaring wide open to reveal his imposing wingspan.
In truth, he had no idea why he was so enraged at these feelings. Maybe it was because the mecha had encountered something in his past or went through something horrifying as a youngling? And if that was the case, then what was the meaning of this? To him, it was nothing but suffering and taking satisfaction from someone else's misery was the lowest anyone could go.
That was enough to make his optics flare brightly. "That does it!" he growled.
The Gundam faced the Misertree and his wings arched as he started to call upon more energy from his psychoframe. "This...ends... NOW!" he roared. He threw his head back and let out a battle cry before he darted in, his fin funnels coming back to hover beside him as he sped in...
Only for a series of roots to suddenly launch from the bottom of the tree trunk that served as its body, nearly impaling Dracon in the chest. The Gundam twirled to the side, his optics widening in shock. "Oh, shit!" he swore. "It's using the misery to regenerate itself!"
Fumikiri heard the exclamation and he looked back, his light blue optics seeming to widen in shock. "NO!" he cried, lunging in.
Nozoma growled as he grabbed the purple and white mecha around the chest and shoulder. "No, it's too dangerous!" he snapped.
Fumikiri looked back, his optics hardening in his anger. "Do you want Esebu to suffer?!" he shouted.
The white Shinkalion kept his grip on the squirming ninja mech, though Dracon could sense that he wasn't too thrilled about this, himself. "Look! I don't like it either! But we have to find a way to remove that thing from his head before we can do anything else!"
"That's what I was going to do!" Fumikiri protested.
"No, you weren't!" Nozoma snapped. "I could see it in your optics!"
"Enough!" Seph suddenly shouted as he hovered down. "We can't afford to fight right now! We need a way to keep that thing from regenerating fully, so here's how it's going to go down. Me and Dracon will keep firing at that thing's mouth and roots to keep it from forming new ones and prevent it from regenerating its vocal cords. The rest of you try to figure out a way to free Esebu."
The group looked in confusion before Akita looked up at the floating hybrid. "Me and the Blazing Light could try to snipe that slimy arm holding him," he suggested.
Miku nodded. "I can spot for them."
Fumikiri snorted and tore himself free from Nozoma's grasp. "All right. But I want in on the fighting to keep that thing from regenerating!"
Seph nodded. "The more help we have the better. Nozoma, right?"
The white mech gave a single grunt. "I'll do what I can to provide some support if those roots get close to the house."
"Eh, don't forget about me, doc."
The group all whirled around to face the speaker, his eyes glinting as he held up his shotgun. "I'll see if I can nail dat overgrown weed in da face."
Seph stared in silence for a moment before he smirked. "As I said, the more help the better. Even if it's from you, Bugs."
Bugs Bunny grinned as he hefted his gun over his shoulder. "Den let's do this!"
MINDSCAPE
Esebu whimpered as he huddled underneath the table, trying to hide from his pissed off father.
He just didn't understand. What was happening here?! Why was he reliving these memories? Was this his punishment for becoming the equivalent of a Huntsman? If so, then what had he done to deserve this kind of punishment? Was there any way to break it? Or was he destined to suffer this forever?!
The Shinkalion was terrified. What had he done to deserve this?
He curled tighter into a ball, burying his head in his knees as he began to weep.
SANBAN ESTATE
"TAKE THIS!" Dracon's weapons roared their fury as he let loose with a devastating barrage, each one aimed directly at a key point in the Misertree's trunk.
The roots darted about, trying to intercept the projectiles, but as most of them were beam weapons, the efforts did little good to the Grimm. It looked at the Gundam, its red eyes narrowing before it opened its mouth...
And Seph took his chance to unleash a silvery blast of energy that struck it in the back of the mouth. A gurgling screech escaped it, and it glared at the hybrid as he flared his wings and flitted away. Dracon seized his own chance to dart in, his frame seething with pure power as he dealt a brutal haymaker to the side of the Kaiju's cheek, Wood cracked under his fist before he slammed his head into its forehead, causing it to stagger back a bit, dazed from the blow. But the Gundam wasn't finished yet. His right foot whipped up in a nasty roundhouse, connecting with one of the eyes of the Grimm and it roared in pain as its limb - the regenerated one - flew to where its eyeball had once been.
The Dragon of Denver flipped back from his attack, his wings flared wide open as he came to a hover, feeling a sense of satisfaction pulsing in his chest at the damage he had done.
Although that was going to be moot unless they got Esebu - or whatever his name was - free from this thing's clutches.
"Howling Laser!"
Dracon looked back and darted to the side in time as a blast of bluish white light lanced out from the Blazing Light's arm blaster. The blast barely missed the Misertree's slimy arm, but got its cheek instead. Right where he had nailed it earlier. His optics pulsed in a smirk as he clenched his right hand, swinging his beam burst gun into position. "All right... time to turn on the heat!"
He aimed his right arm and let loose with a full power charged shot. The blast split into six smaller beam shots, each one laced with fire and plasma. The six shots hit the ground around the Misertree, and a few even struck the Kaiju Grimm itself, much to the delight of the combatants. The Grimm actually howled in pain from the burning flames, but even so, it would take more than a mere blast from his weapon to take it down.
What they needed was a real heavy hitter. Something that could take it down swiftly and keep it down.
They needed Esebu.
And now.
Fumikiri summoned his shuriken back to his hand and threw it, the blades whirring like a buzzsaw as it homed in on the gooey arm slithering through his friend's helm. The ninja Shinkalion's weapon barely missed the arm, but it did create a small nick on it, making the Misertree pause.
Akita saw that and glanced to Miku, who had seen it as well. She and the boy looked at one another, then back at the Misertree, then at the others.
Then they both glanced at one another again and nodded once.
Akita took up a sniping position as the rabbit Faunus narrowed her eyes.
Bugs meanwhile aimed his shotgun from atop one of the gun emplacements while Nozoma adjusted his stance in front of the main gate. All around them, the ground was churned and ruined by the fighting, but the gates themselves and the fence still held. It was like something out of a horror film, so to speak. Bugs forced the thought from his mind as he aimed his shotgun just to the left and fired, the shot hitting the left eye and actually punching through the thick bark, making the Misertree roar in agony.
That was all it took for the slimy arm to collapse slightly...
"NOW!" Miku screamed.
Akita's eyes narrowed and he pulled the trigger of his combined rifles. The shot exited the barrel, homing in on the gash in the arm holding Esebu's helm...
Only for a root to slap the bullet out of the air. "Shit!" Akita swore. "That was our best bet!"
"ESEBU!" Fumikiri shouted. "WAKE UP! WE NEED YOU!"
MINDSCAPE
The Shinkalion trembled as he tried to ward off the blows.
His armor was scuffed and scraped, and oil and other fluids oozed from his wounds. His father loomed over him, massive and imposing, holding a battered baseball bat in his hand as his eyes blazed with hatred.
There was nothing of the man he knew as his father left in them. Nothing but unrelenting hatred for him.
And he was terrified.
Esebu drew himself into a ball as the man he once called father began to beat him. He could feel nothing, nothing but pain.
Pain... and despair.
Some small part of him tried to tell him it wasn't real, but the sensation of his armor denting under the repeated blows was enough to convince him it was real.
All he had wanted to do was protect. He didn't want this!
He finally curled up, a scream escaping his vocalizer. A scream of pure anguish and terror that echoed in the dark room of his home.
The man approached the shaking mecha... and drew back the bat for one final blow. His eyes were now pulsing red with bloodlust. Esebu braced for that last impact upon his helm.
Then impact.
Esebu felt the blunt object strike him on the helm. His vision sputtered with static and barcode, and then he collapsed, his vision swimming. He could feel his processor aching, throbbing like a drumbeat in his head. A slick sensation on the side indicated he had a gash on his head, oozing oil and other fluids. Blackness hovered on the very edges of his vision and he swore he was getting lightheaded. The bat came down again, this time striking him on the back of the neck. A gagging sound came from his vocalizer and he finally fell limp. This was it. He was sure of it.
"E..."
He couldn't hear much, save for a faint voice...
"Es..."
He didn't even know where he was...
"Es...!"
His mind was fading...
"Ese...!"
Who was...who was the voice calling...?
"Eseb...p!"
What... did this voice want?
"Esebu...up!"
Who was this... Esebu...?
"Esebu...ke up!"
Wait... what was the voice saying?
"Esebu! Wake up! We need you!"
Esebu... they needed him? But who...?
The last thing he recalled was seeing a figure colliding with the man who was no longer a father. A fist lashed out and then he was gone, sinking into oblivion.
SANBAN ESTATE
"ESEEEBUUUU!"
That was all Fumikiri could say as the struggling Shinkalion finally fell limp. His hands went slack as they slid off the arm holding him. His shoulders sagged and what lights were present on his frame went dark.
"NO!" Miku screeched. Her Aura seethed as she leapt off the edge of the gun emplacement, her kendo sword seething as Akita joined her, his own Aura swirling around his body. He aimed his guns and fired as Miku channeled her Aura into her sword, swinging hard at the closest root and cutting it in half. She was then on the move, firing off a series of slashes at a cluster as they came at her.
Akita's guns barked their fury, sending Dust shells right for the Misertree's face, icing it over with the ice Dust in their tips. For his part, he was as furious as Miku was, his eyes hardening into purple shards of ice. He let out a cry as he slammed his guns together into their rifle mode. His hand flew into his pocket and pulled out a shell with a deep orange tip. He slapped it into the breech and slammed it closed. "EAT THIS!" he roared. A pull of the trigger and then the shell laced with explosive Dust exited the barrel, homing in on the Misertree's iced-over face. The shell struck the icy covering and exploded, sending shrapnel deeper into the Misertree's face and eyes. A screech of pure agony tore itself free from the Kaiju Grimm, and then it faltered, staggering back from the sudden counterattacks.
Seph was furiously unleashing explosive feathers from his wings as they landed around the Grimm and the combatting forces. His eyes flashed silver and he thrust out both hands, summoning a silvery blast of energy that streaked down from the heavens onto the Grimm's top. The leaves that made up its upper head burned, and Dracon lunged in, his Dracon fangs attaching onto his forearms as his beam tonfas ignited. The Gundam's very frame seethed with pure power as the blades of his funnel fangs and beam tonfas merged together, his Psycho Dracon Blades manifesting themselves. The Dragon of Denver dashed upwards, his wings snapping wide open as his fin funnels hovered around him, adding to his imposing appearance as his cloak billowed out behind him, making him seem like a creature from Hell. Then, he dove down with a battle cry, his entire arsenal firing at the Misertree. It looked up, red eyes widening as Dracon drove both his blades into its eyes.
The Blazing Light, Lobomon, didn't even waste a second as he lunged in, his beam sabers flying into his hands and igniting. "Lobo Kendo!" Then he was on the move, becoming just a blue and white blur as he slashed and cut at the Misertree's face and lips, trying to cause its mouth to collapse in on itself. Nozoma raced forward, his energy blades springing out from his wrists and he started cutting, trying to make his way to where Esebu was being held while the others kept it at bay. Bugs' shotgun barked from the top of the main gun emplacement, his shotgun shells doing little damage to the Misertree itself, but causing it to flinch nonetheless.
However, the Misertree was not down yet.
The Kaiju Grimm sneered as it finished drawing on more of Esebu's misery.
Then, it roared.
Only for something unexpected to happen...
MINDSCAPE
...
"Son?"
No.
He wasn't going to bring his optics online.
Not again.
Not since...
Since... when?
His entire memory was fuzzy. Actually, his whole processor was throbbing.
Slowly, he raised a hand to his head, only to realize that he couldn't. He felt like he was beaten...
For some reason, the thought of that sent a surge of fear through his frame and his optics snapped online, flashing brightly and he sat up in a panic with a scream.
Pain lanced through him and he collapsed back on the bed, his entire frame aching. Esebu groaned as he lay there, trying to ignore the pain of his injuries...
Wait. What...?
Confusion flooded his mind as he struggled to raise a hand, and he succeeded. He was half expecting to see the dented and battered armor, but much to his surprise and shock, his armor was pristine. No sign of any dents, damages, or gashes from which leaked his vital fluids. His armor was as clean as the day he had first donned the frame.
"W...What...?" He felt the pain fading from his frame and he could finally sit up. He looked himself over as he did so, but everything was normal. No systems damaged or anything.
"Tsuranuki?"
Esebu tensed at that voice. He slowly turned, half expecting to see his father's enraged face. But instead, he was greeted with the sight of his father, his real father, looking at him with worry in his eyes. He clearly looked concerned for the Shinkalion.
He warily swung his legs over the edge of the bed and watched as the man sat down beside him. "How are you feeling?" he asked, and his voice held no malice. It was as warm and gentle as it had been when he was a mere babe.
"Like shit..." Esebu muttered. "And for that matter, how do I know you're not going to harm me?" he growled, not even meeting his father's gaze.
Yuuma scowled. "That was not even real," he said. "That was just a trick pulled by that Kaiju Grimm. You should've known that."
"Yeah? Like I could! I couldn't even detect what was fake in that!" Esebu snarled. "How am I supposed to know what is fake and real here?! It just felt so... real..."
"That was the sick thing behind the Misertree," Yuuma explained. His words caught Esebu's attention. "The real ability of the Misertree is to make people suffer their worst fears and turn them into fake memories, breaking the victim. That thing was about to break you..." Here his eyes softened, and he glanced at one of his calloused hands. "And I couldn't let that happen... Not after everything you've done..."
Esebu felt the fury filling him suddenly vanish, replaced by confusion. "W...What... What do... do you mean?" he asked warily.
Yuuma looked at the Shinkalion. "I mean what I said, Tsuranuki. Not after everything you've done to help so many..."
"B-But you told me you didn't want me to become a Huntsman!" Esebu blurted. "You even threatened me into not choosing that career! You said-"
"Because I was worried for your safety!" Yuuma exclaimed, cutting the Shinkalion off. "You weren't ready yet! You were still too young to even consider that as a career." The construction worker looked down at his hands nested in his lap. "And I didn't want to lose part of my only remaining family. Not until you were of age, Tsuranuki."
Esebu was dumbstruck. This whole time... he had just been worried for his safety?
"But... then why didn't...?" His voice trailed off. "Why weren't you honest with me to begin with?" he asked.
"Because you're stubborn, son," Yuuma admitted. "I knew that eventually you'd want to become a Hunter, so... I had to do what I did in order to protect you." He sighed. "And I regret what I did. I just... I wanted to see you succeed in whatever career you had chosen for yourself. And that included being a Huntsman."
The Shinkalion gulped. "But now...?"
Here, his father smiled. "Son... when I said I didn't want to lose you after everything you've done to help so many... what I mean is... I'm trying to say that you've made me proud, Tsuranuki. Even if it didn't seem like it, I was supportive of your choice. I just wanted to wait until you were of age before I trained you myself."
Esebu was stunned. He hadn't expected this at all.
"So... you... you're actually proud of me?" he asked, still shocked.
Yuuma nodded. "Yes. And in more ways than one." A smile crossed his face. "You're no longer a boy, Tsuranuki. You've become a man. A man who has risked his life numerous times to save his city and country. And that... makes me proud of you. You've grown so much..." He sighed sadly. "I just wish I could be there to see you grow even more, son."
"But you're here right now!" Esebu blurted, rather stupidly.
"Maybe... But is it real, or a figment?" Yuuma questioned vaguely.
Esebu's vocalizer failed him at that as he looked down, unsure of how to answer.
"Regardless, you've grown up so much, son. And that shows that I was wrong about your chances of being a Hunter," Yuuma continued. "You, and your friends, have shown me that you have been capable all along. And for that... I'm sorry for doing what I did to discourage you from your dreams..."
He looked down and clenched his fists. "I hate what I did... And to put you through that..." Yuuma sighed. "I just wish I could've been a better father..."
Esebu was speechless. He tried to speak, but the words died in his vocalizer before he could even get them out. He finally looked down at his own hands nested in his lap. "I... I guess I should say I'm sorry as well... for not even considering what you really wanted..." he murmured. "That you were just looking out for me..."
Yuuma looked at the Shinkalion as he continued. "I...I was such an idiot for believing you were abusive..." His shoulders shook as he tried to keep in his sobs. "But..."
Both were silent as they sat there on the edge of the bed for a moment. It was awkward for the two of them.
Finally, Yuuma placed a hand on his shoulder. The gesture made Esebu tense and he braced for a blow. But no blows came. Confused, he glanced over to look at his father, and he saw only the look of a man who regretted his actions. "Tsuranuki... I'm so sorry...for everything. And when I say I'm proud of you, I mean it. You... You really have grown up. And that makes me prouder than anything." A smile crossed his face as he said this. "I hope you can forgive me... after all this time... for making such an ass out of myself..."
The Shinkalion was silent for a moment before he looked down, his hand reaching up to grasp at his dad's. "Dad... I..." His voice trailed off, but he hoped that his words would get across somehow. While he may have been mad at his dad for doing what he did, he just couldn't stay mad. His father, in spite of everything, had actually supported his dream, and had actually intended on training him himself instead when the time came. He had just done what he did out of concern for his safety, even if it hadn't been the ideal method.
Esebu looked up, his green optics meeting Yuuma's blue eyes. "I do, dad. I do forgive you," he said. "I'm just glad to hear... hear those words..." His voice cracked at that last part.
Yuuma smiled before he stood up. Esebu got off the edge of the bed, noticing that his height was just about the same as his father's. Both stared at each other for a moment and then Esebu slowly walked forward, only to feel his dad pull him close in a hug. The Shinkalion flailed for a moment before he settled down and returned it.
Then they parted. "Now go, son. Your friends need you..."
The next thing he knew, everything went white and he felt himself fading from that plane of existence...
And back to the realm of the living.
SANBAN ESTATE
The last thing any of them expected was to hear the Misertree suddenly screech in fury.
The Kaiju Grimm reached out with its branch-like arm, grasping Dracon by his waist and tearing him off its face, leaving nothing but big, blank eye holes where its red eyes had once been. The Gundam was thrown back hard, and he screamed as he landed on the ground, skidding before coming to a stop, his Psycho Dracon Blades dissipating upon impact with the ground.
He grunted as he forced himself into a kneeling position, his optics flaring as he prepared to charge back in.
Only to halt as his psychoframe pulsed faintly. "The hell...?" He glanced back, and his optics widened in shock as he stared at the supposedly lifeless frame of the blue and white train mecha coming back online. The lights on his frame began to glow, and then his hand twitched.
The Misertree noticed this and screeched, trying to draw on more misery to regenerate itself, only to let out a shriek that made the mechanical beings there mute their audios and the organics to cover their ears with their hands. The group looked up as the Kaiju Grimm began to... Wait... was it... shrinking?!
Dracon narrowed his optics in suspicion. Was it possible that the Grimm's victim had regained his senses and somehow overcome the Misertree's abilities?
A clamping sound made Dracon whip his helm back to look at the train robot in its grasp. The mecha's hands were now clamped firmly around the slimy arm that was now starting to wriggle and withdraw from his helm. Those slimy tendrils wriggled and slithered, trying to escape and dive back in for another go. But they couldn't. Not since he was actually pushing the arm away with his strength. His green optics, now visible, were pulsing... and they were livid. Dracon could see in them a fierce determination, as well as something else, but he didn't know what it was.
At least until the mecha roared, shoving that slimy arm as far away from him as he could get it. Then he took the chance to snatch up the drill lying beside his feet as he landed and then retreated back, using the treads on either side of his ankles.
He was panting by now as he looked up, his optics burning in fury. "That... does it...!" he rasped. "You... are going down!"
He hefted his drill and pointed it at the Grimm. "And this... is for my father!"
Esebu was pissed.
No, not just pissed.
He was enraged.
Furious would be more like it.
He aimed his drill at the tree and crouched. "Time to turn you into chopsticks!" he growled.
His Aura began to seethe around his frame, but rather than remain tri-colored, the glowing energy flared brightly, turning a brilliant blue color before he began to channel it into his drill. He wasn't sure what was causing this, but he was sure as hell not about to let this slip past him!
The Shinkalion leader gripped his drill and thrust it out in front of him. He revved his treads as he pressed the trigger, and the drill began to spin up. His optics flared brightly as he charged at the Misertree, a battle cry tearing itself free from his vocalizer. He didn't even care anymore about how things turned out in this fight: he just wanted to tear this thing's core out with his bare hands. He wanted to show whoever sent this Grimm that he was not broken, that his father was proud of him, and that he was going to keep fighting to protect what mattered most to him.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" His Aura began to seethe and shimmer, flowing from around his frame and into the drill itself, leaving his normal tri-colored Aura behind. Esebu finally let the torque from his drill pull him forward as he gave a final battle cry.
In his mind's eye, he could see his father, smiling that familiar warm smile from his youth. And he heard his voice as well, urging him on. He drew on that strength, and his drill shimmered a brilliant, blazing blue color.
"WHEELSET DRIVER!" the Shinkalion roared, his drill finally impacting the Misertree's thick bark and tearing a hole straight through it...
And out the other side.
Esebu watched as drops of the Dark Substance splattered here and there, vanishing as soon as it landed on the ground or trees or whatever.
He landed on his feet, panting heavily as his drill's blue Aura vanished.
Then he collapsed to his hands and knees, his drill disappearing from his grasp as he landed on the torn up forest floor. He found himself staring at his hands before he looked up, spotting his friends coming over. Fumikiri was the first one and he knelt down, scooping up one of Esebu's arms to drape over his shoulder, hauling the exhausted leader to his feet.
"Are you all right?" he asked, worry coloring his tone.
"Y-Yeah... Just... just need a bit of a breather..." Esebu joked, making the ninja Shinkalion hit him upside the head.
Dracon hovered down at that point, his cloak concealing his frame as he came to a stop in front of them. "About time," he remarked. "Your friends were worried about you."
"Yeah, well... let's just say I had some help," Esebu said vaguely. In truth, he didn't even know if it had been his father who rescued him from the Misertree. But if one thing was certain, it was that the memories the thing had transplanted into his head were vanishing, leaving only the real ones behind.
He felt nothing but relief as he let out a sigh through his vents. A sense of ease came over him and he felt his frame go limp in his relief. Akita and Miku bounded over to join him and Fumikiri as Seph flitted down. Bugs leapt off the gun emplacement, along with the Blazing Light. Nozoma also approached, folding his arms over his chest as he gazed at the blue and white leader. He glanced at him critically before he snorted. "Not bad," he said.
Esebu twitched a bit. "And you think you could do better?" he growled.
The white Shinkalion said nothing as he turned. "Next time, leave the fighting to me," he said as he walked off.
"Hey!" Fumikiri almost let go of Esebu to give chase, but Esebu held up a hand weakly.
"No. Drop it," he whispered. "We'll keep fighting even when he doesn't want us to. Because we're the only ones who can..."
The purple and white Shinkalion knew he had a point. There was no point in fighting one another right now. They had a mission to do. And they were going to do it, whether someone wanted them to or not.
PROJECT: SHINKALION (FILES UPDATED)
FILE 1-X01
UNIT: E7 KAGAYAKI
HEIGHT: 26.0 METERS
WEIGHT: 110 TONS
COLORS: BLUE AND WHITE WITH GOLDEN YELLOW LININGS
OPTIC COLOR: GREEN
WEAPON: WHEELSET DRILL
EQUIPMENT: TREADS AND SHOVEL GUARDS
DRIVER: TSURANUKI DAIMONYAMA
AURA COLORS: BLUE, WHITE, AND GOLD
SPECIAL MOVE: WHEELSET DRIVER (DATA ADDED)
FILE 1-X02
UNIT: E3 TSUBASA
HEIGHT: 26.0 METERS
WEIGHT: 95 TONS
COLORS: PURPLE AND WHITE WITH REDDISH ORANGE LINES
OPTIC COLOR: LIGHT BLUE
WEAPON: RAILWAY CROSSING SHURIKEN
EQUIPMENT: GRAPPLING LINES, SMOKE BOMBS
DRIVER: SHINOBU TSUKIYAMA
AURA COLORS: PURPLE, WHITE, AND REDDISH ORANGE
SPECIAL MOVE: -LOCKED-
FILE 1-X03
UNIT: H5 HAYABUSA
HEIGHT: 26.0 METERS
WEIGHT: 100 TONS
COLORS: GREEN, PURPLE LININGS, AND WHITE
OPTIC COLOR: YELLOW ORANGE
WEAPON: TURNSTILE SWORD
EQUIPMENT: YUBARI HEATING SYSTEM, WINGS
DRIVER: MIKU HATSUNE
AURA COLORS: GREEN, PURPLE, AND WHITE
SPECIAL MOVE: -LOCKED-
FILE 1-X04
UNIT: E6 KOMACHI
HEIGHT: 25.0 METERS
WEIGHT: 95 TONS
COLORS: RED AND WHITE WITH SILVER LININGS
OPTIC COLOR: YELLOW
WEAPON: RAILWAY CROSSING GUNS
EQUIPMENT: NAMAHAGE GOGGLES
DRIVER: AKITA OGA
AURA COLORS: RED, WHITE, AND SILVER
SPECIAL MOVE: -LOCKED-
FILE 1-X05
UNIT: N700A NOZOMI
HEIGHT: 27.5 METERS
WEIGHT: 100 TONS
COLORS: WHITE WITH BLUE LININGS AND GOLD ACCENTS
OPTIC COLOR: SKY BLUE
WEAPON: AERO BLADES
EQUIPMENT: ADVANCE MODE - LOCKED
DRIVER: RYUJI KIYOSU
AURA COLORS: LIGHT BLUE, WHITE, AND BLUE
SPECIAL MOVE: -LOCKED-
CLOSE TERMINAL? Y/N
Y-E-S_
TERMINAL CLOSING...