Tsuranuki peeked out from behind a column as the security guards ran past his hiding place.
He panted as he ducked behind it again, checking one last time before he bolted for the elevator shafts. This was his last chance before the guards came back around and either caught him or arrested him.
And he wasn't about to let that happen.
His heart pounded like a drumbeat in his chest as he arrived at the elevator shafts. He grabbed onto one of the cables and slid down it, just as he heard security guards darting past the shafts. He reached the bottom of the shaft just and ducked into the basement hallway just as he heard one of the guards call down it. "Hey! If anyone's down here, it's not safe! All civilians are to be escorted to the Kaiju bunkers for their own safety!"
'Yeah, right! I'm not a civilian, bub!' Tsuranuki thought as he ran down the corridor towards the location of the Pod Room. He ducked around some debris and leftover equipment from the renovation process just as the building shook slightly. 'Seems like the others have already engaged in combat,' he mused. 'Better hurry before they run into trouble!'
The boy spotted the concealed doorway as it slid open, and Miku poked her head out. "Tsuranuki!" she called.
He dashed for the door as she stepped aside. He entered the room and the door hissed shut, the false wall sliding into place to hide it from the security guards. Tsuranuki turned to Miku.
"Was it any trouble getting Hayato down here?" he asked.
The rabbit Faunus shook her head. "No. I told him to run and hide here just as security came looking for us. I was able to evade them by sneaking around through another hallway and slip in without them noticing. By that time, Hayato had already found a pod," she explained. She gestured with her free hand towards the last of the pods.
Like the others, the last pod bore the colors of the shinkansen unit to which their souls were bonded. This last pod resembled the front of the E5 Hayabusa, the same train Hayato was a big fan of. Its top was the same green as the H5, but the stripe separating the white from the green was pink instead. And within, lying on a seat, wearing the same helmet as Miku did, was Hayato himself. His breathing was steady and even, and he looked to be at peace. Or sleeping, really.
But the sight was enough to make Tsuranuki relax. "Okay. Good. Now, let's get Linked Up so we can join him. And explain things before he freaks out."
Miku nodded and both got into their respective pods. Tsuranuki slipped the helmet on his head as he leaned back in the seat. He pressed the button on the side of the seat and the cover hissed shut over him. He closed his eyes as the visor flashed green and he felt the distinct tugging sensation as the tendril was formed. He grasped it and within seconds, he felt a jerk as he was pulled free from his flesh and blood body. The Tunnel of Oblivion engulfed his awareness and then all went black.
(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: E5 HAYABUSA
The last of the units to be activated, the E5 Hayabusa is built to be a leader type unit, able to fight in conjunction with any of the other Shinkalion units. The unit is highly agile, much like the H5 variation, and is equipped with the same wings, thrusters, and claws for traction. However, unlike the H5, the E5 is also equipped with a long range weapon secreted within the nose of its chest. The E5 also lacks the Yubari Heating System, making it susceptible to the cold.
The E5, in default and battle forms, weighs 100 tons and in battle form stands at 26.5 meters in height. It is armed with the Turnstile Sword, the exact same weapon as the H5. This lets it create an energy cage to trap enemies in.
The driver of this unit is Hayato Hayasugi.
CLOSING FILES
TERMINAL ENTERING STANDBY PHASE
"What is leadership?" The man leaned back in his chair, frowning a bit.
"Well, that's the thing. Many can claim to be leaders, but what is a true leader really like?" He pressed a button on his keyboard and the monitor flashed, an image of a woman with her hair in a braid and wearing political attire appeared, showing her before a large crowd of people gathered outside a large white mansion. "Like this woman here. She demonstrates a willingness to connect with others, to present herself as human, to enact compassion whereas others would portray strength and ruthlessess. She also shows a keen understanding of politics, as well as a drive to protect the world from aggressive powers. But she doesn't do it through words or compassion. She knows when force is needed as well as words."
The man's eyes narrowed as he brought up another image, this time of a man in another reality, showing him standing in front of many people dressed in outlandish getups and some even surgically altered to resemble things they were not. "Unlike her, this man demonstrates no desire to connect with the commoners, to even give people the education and medical care they need. He even denies children the right to be just that: children." The man fiddled with the keyboard and the two images were displayed, side by side.
"So think about this: True leaders often have to display more strength than those who claim to be leaders. For it takes greater strength to forgive an enemy than it does to hate them. And sometimes being kind to enemies is a mark of greater strength than mere hatred is."
CHAPTER XX - SWORD
When his systems came online, the last thing he expected was to hear a scream just feet away from him.
It was so loud he almost jumped off the track he was on.
Esebu immediately took action.
"CHANGE! SHINKALION!"
Within moments he shifted from his shinkansen form to his more humanoid form and he staggered back as the scream hit his audios full force.
He muted his audios and turned to look at Haifu, who had done the same thing. She tapped her head, then looked to the sleek shinkansen just feet from where Esebu had been parked.
The train itself seemed to be shaking, and he knew what was going on in a flash. Esebu waited a few seconds before he returned his audios to their full functionality, and was rewarded when he didn't hear screaming. Instead, he knelt down beside the shaking train.
He wasn't sure how Hayato had managed to activate his vocalizer in shinkansen form, but however he had done it, most likely it had happened out of sheer terror. And now, he was scared out of his wits.
Esebu paused, unsure of how he should deal with this. He wanted to comfort his friend, but at the same time, he couldn't reveal who he really was...
Or could he?
Esebu focused for a moment on his vocalizer, and he felt a slight tingling in his throat before it faded, and when he spoke, his own human voice came out, albeit with a metallic edge to it.
"Hayato?"
The green, pink, and white colored shinkansen jolted on its tracks, and a scared voice emerged from it. The voice that came from the train was a deeper version of Hayato's voice, much like when he would be an adult. But it was still his friend's voice, regardless.
"Tsuranuki?! What's going on?! Where am I?! Why can't I see?!" Hayato cried, panicking.
"Hey! Just calm down! I'm right here!" Esebu urged, really wanting to put his hands on the shaking train. He refrained though, instead just staying close by and hoping Hayato would take strength from his presence alone. "Me and Miku are right here... Just calm down."
"How can I when I can't even move, or see?!" Hayato shouted.
Esebu finally decided to just screw it and placed a hand on his friend's side. "Hey! Panicking won't do you any good! You have to calm down! Just take it easy. Take in a breath and let it out. Let your mind take over and you will see."
Hayato wasn't too sure on his friend's words, but the fact that he was present was enough to get him to calm down somewhat, although he still shuddered. And this large hand... it felt metallic, but warm. Was it one of those aliens he had been told about? If so, then maybe they were friends! Maybe that was where his friends had been disappearing to! Maybe they were friends and were helping in some way by getting people out of harm's way or something like that!
But deep down, a small voice told him that that wasn't the case, and that he was about to see something he would never forget.
Regardless, he focused his mind and let it work with whatever he had become. He could already feel that something was off, and it just wasn't the metal hand on his new form. No. Now that he was actually focusing on his new body, he could feel... as if something were... beneath him... almost like...
Wait... The metal rods beneath him... the objects resting upon them, connected to his form... Experimentally, he focused a little more... and was rewarded when he felt the objects - his wheels - move on the rails beneath him. Rails... like those of a train... or a shinkansen!
Now he needed to know. But how was he supposed to see?!
His answer came when his vision flashed and static filled his sight briefly before fading to blackness, and then words filtered into view.
UNIT: E5 HAYABUSA
STATUS: ACTIVATED
DRIVER: HAYATO HAYASUGI
AURA: STABLE
BATTERY OPERATION TIME: 36 HOURS
ENERGY LEVELS: 100%
Hayato was greeted with the sight of the words vanishing before readouts flared to life, making him yelp before they retreated to the sides of his vision. Now he could see he was in some kind of hangar bay... and beside him was one of the aliens he had seen on the news before! He yelped and tried to back up, only to be rewarded with his rear engine bumping against a wall. The alien - Esebu, was it? - noticed this and started to speak, only it was with Tsuranuki's voice instead. "Hey! Just calm down!" he said, making the poor Faunus freak out even more.
"Wh-What's going on here?! How come you're speaking with Tsuranuki's voice?! Where is he?!" Hayato wailed, and Esebu looked startled before he placed his hand on Hayato's side.
"Hayato, it's me! Tsuranuki!" Esebu said in a panicked tone. "Please, just calm down! We can explain everything!"
"How do I know this isn't a bad dream!? Get me outta here!" Hayato screamed, now gunning his engine on sheer instinct as he released his brakes without even knowing what he was doing.
"Miku! He's trying to run for it!" Esebu cried to the femme, Haifu. "Help me hold him!"
The femme ran over and placed her hands on the other side of Hayato, both Shinkalions straining their frames as they tried to hold Hayato in place. His engine roared as he put more power to his wheels, and Esebu's treads whirled as he braced his legs. On the opposite side, Haifu braced her own legs, but kicked on her flight subsystems to try and assist Esebu.
"Director, we could really use some help here!" Haifu snapped, her optics pulsing.
"Hayato! Calm down! Just calm down, son..."
But unfortunately, Hayato was too scared to even hear his father's soothing voice. He wanted so badly to bolt, to run... to just escape this unexpected change...
That was all it took.
Esebu sensed it coming before it even happened. He looked to Haifu. "Move!" he barked. The femme didn't even need to be told twice. Both let go of their friend just as his rear and front engines disconnected from the rest of the train and linked up.
Like with the others, the rear engine opened up into a pair of legs. The lower legs were completely green, only with pink and white accents on the sides whereas the claws that unfolded were golden-yellow in color. The upper legs were white and had a simple design to them. The rear of the front engine unfolded into a pair of arms and shoulders, the upper arms being grey and the lower arms having white armor atop them. The shoulders were primarily green with a pink stripe bisecting them, separating the white and green. The chest of the unit was the same as the nose of its shinkansen mode, and it was green on the top, again the white bottom separated by that same pink stripe. The head was the last thing to emerge, a pair of yellow optics flashing online. The helm was mostly green with pink and white accents, a pair of green protrusions sweeping off to the sides and a silver commander fin on the forehead of the new mech. The faceplate was pure white, and on the back of the unit were two wings, not unlike those of Haifu, but with pink accents instead of purple.
The new Shinkalion landed on his feet, feeling wobbly. His balance gave out and Esebu rushed to his side, grabbing one of his arms and slipping it over his shoulders. "Hey! We're trying to help you, ya doofus!" he snapped, sensing the mech's intentions to pull away.
Hayato looked in his direction, panic and confusion flooding his new optics. "What is going on here...?" he whispered, close to passing out.
"Stay focused!" Esebu snapped. "We'll explain everything. Just take several deep breaths and calm down."
Hayato wasn't sure about this, but he took in several deep breaths through his intakes, a sensation that was unnerving as hell, but it did help to calm his frazzled nerves... well, figurative nerves, really, but the idea was the same.
Esebu felt his friend's frame relax slightly and he nodded. "Good. Now, let's sit down and we'll explain everything."
HANEDA AIRPORT CAPTURE FIELD
"For the love of Glob, how did we even get stuck fighting this thing?!" Matagi growled as the Mighty Crab swung its massive claws at the trio of Shinkalions.
Fumikiri flipped back as one of the claws barely clipped his armor and Matagi darted back using his wheels while Nozoma sprang back and landed a safe distance away. His energy blades were out, and he studied the Kaiju Grimm intently.
The ninja Shinkalion glanced to Matagi. "Any ideas?" he asked. "Our weapons can't really penetrate its armor, and whenever we get in close, it just swings those claws at us to prevent us from taking out its joints."
Nozoma scoffed. "Only because you two keep going at it without even thinking," he muttered.
Matagi snarled, but kept his comments to himself. He directed his attention to his COMM unit. "Shashot, got any suggestions?" he asked. While he was apprehensive about the AI, he did have to admit that the thing did have good suggestions. At least from what he could gather, anyway.
"This type of Grimm has never been documented before, so it is not in the Kaiju Grimm Database," Shashot replied. "I can offer some possible scenarios, but without firm data, I cannot say for sure if you can win."
"Dammit..." Matagi growled. "So then how are we supposed to get in close to attack that thing's joints?"
The AI had no answer. Matagi took that to mean they were on their own with this.
And that was a problem for all of them.
He tensed and hissed through his vents as he braced for the next attack.
The Mighty Crab screeched as it lashed out with its claws, launching them like grappling hooks right for the trio of Shinkalions. Matagi dashed back with his wheels again as Nozoma spun to the side, however Fumikiri summoned his shuriken and threw it right for one of the Kaiju's exposed joints. His efforts were futile though as the crab simply withdrew its claws back to its body and curled up, a barrier of seething blackish purple energy forming around it. "Shit!" he swore. "This thing can generate a barrier!"
"That's bad news!" Matagi snarled. "That means then we can't get in close!"
Nozoma looked at Matagi's guns, then at the red and white Shinkalion. "Hey. Can't you use any long range attacks on the same scale as Esebu?" he asked.
Matagi's helm snapped up as he remembered the Mistery attack and his new special move. "Yeah. I can," he replied, turning to look at the white Shinkalion. "But I don't know if it will work or not."
"There is no other option," Shashot remarked over his COMM system. "Even if there were, that barrier is giving off energy readings that are consistent with dark magic. Which makes me highly suspect that it has basic intelligence."
Those words sent shivers down Matagi's back struts. Nozoma growled lowly in the back of his chest while Fumikiri hissed through his vents. "So in short, be careful, right?" Nozoma asked.
"I would advise against assuming you know what I am going to say, Nozoma," Shashot cautioned. "As I was going to say, this Kaiju is displaying slightly higher intelligence than the normal kind that you have faced. So be on high alert, and be prepared. We do not have any data on its abilities."
"Hai!" the three Shinkalions said.
Matagi's optics dimmed a shade as he flipped his guns into cannon mode and attached them to his shoulder guards. He landed on the platform of the capture field and braced himself as he started to charge up a full power shot. "FUMIKIRI CANNON!" he roared.
The cannons bellowed and two reddish-gold beams of light lanced out from the cannon barrels, homing in on the large Kaiju huddled in its barrier. The energy blasts hit the defensive shield, causing an explosion of light and thick black smoke after impact. The three braced as the shockwave struck them, making them stagger back a bit. Matagi slowly lowered his arms from when he had thrown them up to shield his face from any potential shrapnel or debris.
His engine raced in his chest as he scanned for any sign of the Mighty Crab.
The smoke began to clear, and the group tensed for anything.
The smoke finally cleared, revealing nothing in the space where the crab had been. "Huh..." Nozoma folded his arms. "That... seemed a little too easy..."
"Above you!" Futaba screeched in their COMMs. The trio looked up just as their radar blared, and the three gasped in shock as the crab screeched, its legs extended out to either side.
"It... dodged?!" Matagi rasped.
"Move!" Nozoma barked, suddenly slamming into the red and white Shinkalion. The two went rolling as the Mighty Crab landed on the platform, making it shake ominously. Matagi glanced around, trying to spot Fumikiri, fearing he had been crushed by the thing. But a flash of purple and white made his engine surge with relief as he realized the ninja Shinkalion had dodged the impact by using his ninjutsu.
But barely.
The purple and white Shinkalion landed on the rail closest to the other two Shinkalions and he glanced down. "You all right?" he called.
"Yeah. I think so," Matagi grumbled as Nozoma slid off him. He sat up and glanced to his white savior. "Why did you do that?" he inquired.
"To make sure you still have a chance to take that thing down," was all he said as he stood up. "Besides, I'm not doing this out of kindness, but necessity. I still don't like you kids fighting. But at this stage, well, we have no choice but to work together."
Fumikiri looked down at him and his blue optics burned into Nozoma's own. "Only necessity? Maybe right now, but eventually you will learn that we are just as capable as you," he said.
Nozoma rolled his optics as best as he could before he held out a hand to pull Matagi to his feet.
TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS
LAUNCH BAY
Esebu and Haifu sat beside Hayato as he sat on the floor, legs crossed, as he gazed at his hands nested in his lap.
His optics were filled with disbelief at everything he had heard.
To first learn that his friends had actually been the ones to defend Japan and its cities instead of a group of aliens was one thing. But to hear that they had actively been lying to him to cover it up was an insult and a breach of trust in his eyes... er, optics.
And yet they had insisted it was for the best to keep him in the dark lest Satyra or even the one behind the Kaiju attacks find out about this whole project and maybe develop their own Project SKL variation. The thought of Satyra acquiring this technology was truly terrifying and it made his entire frame shudder in his terror as he drew his legs up close to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, making himself as small as possible.
"Why weren't you just honest with me to begin with?" Hayato rasped, his new, deeper voice seeming out of place with his current feelings.
Esebu shifted before he sighed, his vocalizer now back to its default setting. "Because if Satyra knew that you knew something big, they'd be after you even more than they already are," he explained. "This project is not meant to serve as a weapon, but as a deterrent and a defense against the Kaiju. It is also meant to serve as a beacon of hope for Japan as a whole."
Hayato could understand the necessity for keeping it secret. But it still didn't change the fact his friends had lied to him for so long about it. "Still doesn't change the fact that you lied about it..." he moped.
"Actually, we didn't technically lie to you outright," Haifu began. "We were indeed conducting Kaiju drills with our parents, but we also had to go out and fight a number of times. So, we told half truths."
"Half truth doesn't matter if you didn't just say it was you guys fighting..." Hayato grumped.
Esebu growled as he grabbed Hayato's helm and whipped it to face his own. "Hey! We just saved your butt from being recruited by Satyra, and all you can say is that we should've been honest with you!? Especially now that since you're part of this, you can't be recruited at all?!" he snarled. "Some thanks you gave us!"
Hayato's optics locked onto Esebu's, and he stammered in shock. "W-W-What?!"
The blue and white Shinkalion had a smirk in his voice as he let go of Hayato's helm and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest in a smug manner. "Yeah, you heard me. They can't recruit you now. Not now, not ever. Why?" He leaned over and jabbed a finger into Hayato's chest. "This is why."
He looked down at his hands, confused. "I... What?"
"What Esebu means to say, Hayato, is now that your soul is bonded to the E5 unit, you can't be brainwashed into being a Satyra member," Hokuto explained. "The third objective of Project SHINKALION was to make sure you could not be brainwashed by any kind of mental Semblances."
Those words made Hayato look up in shock. "You mean...?"
"Yes. As long as you are alive, you will be safe from Suzaku from here on out," the director clarified. "Since the E5 is a machine, and since you are bonded to it, its mechanical nature will allow you to see through the lies she tells, and through her Semblance's effect. At least, that's the theory. But according to the tests and simulations run, it's worked countless times. So don't worry. You will never be recruited by them for as long as you live."
Hayato turned to his friends, who were now smirking in their optics. "I'm... safe now?" he squeaked.
"Yep." Esebu gave a thumbs up. "No matter what."
Silence filled the room for a moment, broken only by the soft whirring of their servos and joints, and the faint humming of their ventilation systems. Hayato couldn't believe it. He was... he was safe.. safe from Satyra's recruitment efforts... He was safe from them! He was safe from their recruitment efforts!
A soft laugh broke free from his chest. It was subtle, but then he ducked his head forward, burying it in one of his hands as he finally broke down into relieved laughter. "I... I'm finally safe...!" he murmured. "I can't believe it...! I friggin' can't believe it! After a whole year...! I'm free from that worry!"
A huge sense of relief had overcome Hayato. It felt like his engine was soaring. His shoulders, despite being weighed down by the metal frame he wore, seemed to lighten and a sense of happiness filled his chest as he finally let the weight of his stress flow away and out of his systems.
He was finally free from his worry and fear.
Hayato finally broke down, his shoulders shaking as he slumped to the ground in relief. Choked sobs broke free from his chest as his friends knelt beside him, placing their hands on him and holding him close.
Finally... his terror was over.
But now there was another problem.
"Hayato."
The green and white Shinkalion looked up. "Huh? Yes, Dad?"
Director Hayasugi cleared his throat. "As you know, Project SKL was developed in an attempt to give Japan hope against the Kaiju Grimm," he said. "And right now, there is currently a battle happening down at Haneda Airport. Akita, Shinobu, and another member of the team, a cheetah Faunus named Ryuji, are engaged against a Kaiju Grimm we have code-named Mighty Crab due to its resemblance to a king crab. And they are having trouble. So, you, Miku, and Tsuranuki are to deploy there as soon as possible."
Hayato looked at his friends as they helped him to his feet. "You ready to fight, Hayato?" Esebu asked with a grin in his optics. "Give some Kaiju a little payback?"
He nodded. "Hai!" he said. Then he paused. "Uh... will I need a different name?"
"It is required that you adopt a code name so as to not let the public know who you really are, Hayato," the director explained. "Tsuranuki and Miku are known as Esebu and Haifu, respectively. Akita is known as Matagi, Shinobu took the code name Fumikiri, and Ryuji goes by Nozoma in this form."
Hayato looked down, trying to figure out a code name. But so far nothing came to his mind. All he could think of was wanting to say a big F-U to Satyra...
Wait. FU... He pondered for a moment before he looked up. "Efu."
"Efu? Why that?" Hokuto asked.
"To show Satyra that they can't get me now," Hayato clarified. "So this is like a big fuck you to them."
Esebu stared for a moment before he chuckled. "That will be a good insult," he said, "if they even knew what it was. So, whaddya think, Director?"
"I was personally expecting something else, but if that's your choice, who am I to complain?" the director remarked.
Silence filled the area for a moment before he finally spoke. "Okay. Your code name has been put into the system. You're all set, Efu."
Hayato, now known as Efu, nodded. "Right!"
"Okay. So, just do what we do, Efu," Esebu remarked as he shifted back into his shinkansen form. "Just imagine yourself as a shinkansen and then you'll transform back into it."
Efu nodded and joined his two friends on the tracks, changing back into his default form. It felt so weird, but at the same time, it was an unexpected surprise. The realization struck home at that moment.
He wasn't just riding the shinkansen anymore. This time, he was the shinkansen! It made him feel a bit giddy, and in actuality, it was enough to make his entire frame shudder. The feeling of power surging through him was immense! He couldn't believe that his friends had this capability, and now he had it as well. The very feeling was enough to make him laugh a little in surprise. "I still can't believe you guys hid this from me!" he exclaimed excitedly.
"Well, we can get into the technicalities later," Esebu remarked. "We got a mission, remember?"
Efu chuckled. "Right. I remember."
Haifu snorted, but he could tell it was in amusement.
"Okay, you three. The others are staring to have trouble. So you have to get there as quickly as you can," the director said.
"Hai!" the three said.
The doors to the last three tunnels slid open and the threesome started their engines. Efu actually gasped as he felt the sheer power flooding his frame briefly before he settled down. He took in a figurative breath before focusing on the mission at hand.
"Esebu, E7 Kagayaki..."
"Haifu, H5 Hayabusa..."
"Efu, E5 Hayabusa..."
"Shuppatsu shinkÅ!" the three declared.
Efu gunned his engine and put power to his wheels, squashing a small giggle of excitement before it escaped him. He forced himself to focus on the mission at hand. The three trains sped into the tunnels, and the doors hissed shut behind them. Efu flicked on his lights and gave a powerful blast from his horn.
'Okay! Time to give these Kaiju some serious payback!' he thought.
HANEDA AIRPORT CAPTURE FIELD
"Dammit! This thing just won't give us a break!" Matagi shouted as he whirled around to dodge the Mighty Crab's claws.
"I know!" Fumikiri said as he flipped around to avoid another claw. Nozoma didn't even say anything as he sped in to try and go for the joints with one energy blade.
But that barrier flared and deflected his blade, making him pull back with a hiss. "Shit...!"
"Everyone! Esebu and Haifu are on their way! And they've got Hayato with them!" Futaba exclaimed. "He's now linked up, and is going by the code name Efu. Just so you're aware."
"About time!" Matagi remarked.
Fumikiri hefted his shuriken and nodded. "Now we have the whole team assembled."
"Any idea as to how long they'll be out?" Matagi asked her.
"They will be in the area within fifteen minutes. Try and hold out until then!" Futaba said.
"Hai!" the three said.
With that, Matagi shifted his stance and leapt up onto one of the rails, crouching and aiming his guns at the Mighty Crab. He focused on the goggles on his helm and they snapped down over his optics. "Namahage Goggles - Scope Mode!" The green optics lit up and now he could see things in much clearer detail, right down to the wrinkles on the joints of the Mighty Crab. He shifted a bit, aiming one of his guns at a nearby joint...
And firing.
The shot barely hit.
Barely.
The barrier flew up just seconds before impact, and Matagi growled. "C'mon...! Is there any way to get past that thing?!"
In truth, he hadn't even tested his Fumikiri Barrage on it yet. Not because he couldn't, no. It was because he wanted to wait until Esebu returned to the field of battle with Haifu and Efu.
In the meantime, Fumikiri was holding his shuriken and he opened up the Dust dispensers on the blades, tensing his frame before he threw it. "Fumikiri Kaze Shuriken!"
The bladed weapon spun through the air, homing in on the Mighty Crab, a whirlwind starting to form around it. The ninja Shinkalion held up two fingers and then focused briefly. "Aura Clone Jutsu!"
The shuriken split into four clones of itself, this time with four whirlwinds starting to form. He kept his optics locked onto the crablike Kaiju, and then he gave a jerk of his fingers. The shuriken darted in, their blades coated in wind generated by the wind Dust. The weapons struck the barrier, but bounced off it.
Matagi's optics flickered as he zoomed in on the barrier, and then he saw it.
A faint crack.
It was barely visible, but it was there... and then it was gone.
"Guys... I think I got an idea..."
DARKLANDS
SAMMAEL'S LAIR
Sammael sneered as he watched the Shinkalions struggling against the Mighty Crab.
"A masterful touch with the energy field," he complemented I.O.N.E.S.C.O.U. "They'll be struggling to breach that for some time."
"Yes. But it does have a flaw," the huge Gundam rumbled. "Energy fields like this can only last for so long, after all."
The Fallen smirked. "True. But your barrier is so far keeping them from finding its core."
I.O.N.E.S.C.O.U. did know that. In all honesty though, he was a bit curious on something. "I must admit, I am curious though. Why give the Kaiju Grimm cores?" he wondered.
"Ah. That. Yes, it is a weakness, I will admit, but the cores are the only way to keep those Grimm that are made from other substances alive. Like with the Coal Walker. And the Mistery, as well," Sammael explained. He held up a hand and after a moment, a flash of black light came from his cupped palm. A reddish orb appeared in his hand and he caught it, holding it up to examine it in the dim lighting. He turned it around, inspecting it from all angles. "The core of a Kaiju Grimm is necessary in order to give it its size and power. It works much like a primitve reactor, but driven by magic instead of science. A Kaiju Grimm's Dark Substance is needed to give it its function and purpose. But magic alone can't keep it bonded to whatever substance it is fused to. So the core I created to enable that bonding to remain intact and functional."
He tossed the core to the Devil Gundam who caught it in one massive metal hand. He hummed as he looked it over. "I can sense the power within it," he mused.
And at that moment, a nasty little idea sprang to his processor. "Perhaps you could show me how to create these cores?" he inquired. "Because I have an idea for a future Grimm for you to use..."
Sammael's red eyes widened as he saw the Devil Gundam smirking in his acid green optics. "Oh? Well, tell me more, my friend." His smirk grew. "And maybe I will do more than teach you how..."
The Gundam rumbled in his chest as he began to speak, outlining his newest creation to his fellow Fallen.
HANEDA AIRPORT CAPTURE FIELD
"For Glob's sake! This thing just won't quit!" Matagi growled as he was forced to duck behind one of the columns within the capture field.
The large claws bashed their way through the metal supports, and the rail above began to groan ominously. Matagi glanced up, fear surging through his systems as he gasped in terror. "Oh, shit...!"
He turned to the other two Shinkalions and bolted. "RUN!" he bellowed. "The rail's coming down!"
Fumikiri glanced up and he swore his engine ceased to function at the sight of the rail bending in the spots where the columns had been mere seconds ago. "Crap!" he screamed. "Nozoma! MOVE!"
Nozoma didn't even need to be told twice. He glanced out of the corner of his optic and reacted swiftly, his thrusters burning as he sprang away, using the thrust generated to boost his jump. He vaulted over the Might Crab as its claws came back to reattach to its body, landing on the other side of the platform and turning back around.
The rail groaned and creaked as it finally gave way with a tearing of metal and energy, electricity crackling over its shredded ends as the piece of track fell to the platform, causing the metallic surface to crack and dent.
Alarms began to blare within the field, and Matagi gulped. The capture field's structural integrity was being compromised. And from what he remembered during the training, the field could only take up to seventy-five percent damage and remain cloaked. And they needed to remain a secret for as long as possible, but that was proving to be a lot easier said than done, given how much attention they had gotten in the aftermath of the Misertree and Mistery attacks. If the field's camouflage went down, there went the secrecy. And they couldn't afford that at this time.
"That doesn't sound good," Nozoma noted.
"It's not," Matagi explained. "The field's got a limit to how much damage it can take before it goes down. And if the optical camouflage goes down, then we're exposed. And we can't afford that."
The white Shinkalion growled. "And you didn't tell me this before because...?"
Matagi was about to answer when he suddenly heard a horn blaring. His helm snapped up and he spotted three flashes of light.
"Matagi!" came a familiar voice.
The red and white Shinkalion recognized the voice instantly. "Esebu!" he cried.
The three shinkansen sped down the tracks, blaring their horns. One was clearly Esebu, followed by Haifu, and another shinkansen that looked almost like her, save for the pink stripe bisecting the white and green halves. He guessed this last one to be Hayato, or Efu, as he was now known as.
"CHANGE! SHINKALION!"
The three transformed into their humanoid forms and landed on the platform, eyeing the damage done to the field's interior. "Glob... what's that thing been doing?" Esebu whispered.
"Long story short, it's been trying to get us and it damaged the field," Matagi explained. Then his optics flashed. "But we did learn some very important information."
"Then lay it on me!" Esebu ordered.
"Okay. First off, this thing - Mighty Crab - has the ability to launch its claws at us long range. Close range it's a nightmare to get close to. It also has the ability to generate a barrier," Matagi said seriously. "However, there is a weakness. If it gets hit by a weapon in one particular spot, the barrier gets cracked."
Esebu looked down, his mind already racing.
"It seems to me like that barrier has a weak spot," Shashot replied over his COMM.
The lead Shinkalion almost jumped out of his armor, but he managed to rein himself in and looked up. "Yeah. Only question is where. But that does mean we have an edge. So here's the deal."
He turned to his friends and Nozoma. "Matagi, you and Fumikiri will try and find that weak spot. Once it's found, I want you two to attack it until the barrier shatters. Nozoma, you're the quickest out of the three close range combatants with your thrusters. You go in and take out the major claws. Efu and Haifu will go for the legs."
"And you?" Nozoma asked, eyeing him critically.
"This thing may be based on a crab, but I have a feeling it has a core someplace. Once that's exposed, I'll take it out with my drill," Esebu stated.
"A core? You mean like a power core?" Efu asked.
"I'm not sure, but it's a weakness I noticed back during the Coal Walker battle," the blue and white Shinkalion explained. "But enough beating around the bush. We gotta take this thing out before the field goes down."
"Hai!" the others said as one.
"Esebu, I also recommend that if the barrier regenerates you rely more on Matagi's speed. He's the fastest of the group," Shashot suggested.
Esebu crossed his arms as he hummed thoughtfully. Then he looked up. "Okay. I'll keep that in mind, Shashot."
Efu tilted his helm to the side in confusion. "Who's Shashot?" he queried.
"An AI that your father had developed for assistance with our missions," Matagi explained. "He is a command class AI, with full learning capabilities, and, in theory, is able to counter anything that our enemy may be planning."
Efu was confused, but he figured that once the mission was over things would be explained.
"R-Right..." he murmured.
The six Shinkalions broke off their huddle and assembled in a line, each brandishing their weapons... save for Efu. He only clenched his fists, feeling a bit outclassed by the others of the team. They had weapons, and all he had were his fists. But Esebu had said that he was to fight too. So maybe he did have a weapon! The only question was how to summon it, and what weapon it was.
Esebu seemed to sense this and glanced at his friend. "Efu, just let your weapon come to you," he instructed. "Hold out your hand and will it to come, but don't force it, otherwise it won't work." He had tried the same thing after his first battle against Grimmzilla during a training session, and it had failed miserably. All he did was get a shower of sparks before they vanshed. The key, he had learned, was to seek your weapon without wanting it.
His friend seemed unsure of the whole thing, but he nodded anyway. "Okay. I'll try."
"No. Don't try. Do." Esebu was dead serious on that as he pointed his drill at the Mighty Crab.
Efu gulped and shakily took in a breath through his vents. He let it out and held up a hand. He tried to imagine what weapon he had, but then he remembered Esebu's words and just let it go. He didn't need to know in his mind. His frame knew automatically what weapon he had. All he could do right now was trust in his frame to summon his weapon for him. He dimmed his optics and clenched his hand, as if closing it around a hilt of some sort. Efu could almost feel the weapon in his hand. It felt like a sword of some kind... A sword... like Haifu's.
His hand gripped something as it seemed to appear out of thin air, and then he felt it. Solid, real, present. He brought his optics back to full brightness and he gaped in shock at the same style of sword as Haifu's, but the blade was pink in comparison to the pinkish-orange of Haifu's sword.
He held up the sword and examined it, looking it over in astonishment.
"Looks like you did it," Esebu remarked with a slight chuckle to his tone. "I knew you could manage it."
Efu nodded, then glanced up. He adopted a fighting stance, sword held out to the side.
Esebu flared his optics as he crouched. "Team Shinkalion... ikuze!" he cried.
"Hai!" the others exclaimed.
The six Shinkalions charged into the fray, the Mighty Crab screeching as it prepared to launch its claws at the incoming fighters.
"Matagi, Fumikiri, now!" Esebu ordered.
The two Shinkalions split off from the rest and started attacking as the barrier flickered into existence. Esebu scanned around the barrier, his optics pulsing as he shifted to telescopic mode. He zoomed in on the barrier, a cursor dancing around in his vision as he scanned the impacts that Matagi's guns were making. Fumikiri's shuriken lanced out, covered in wind Dust, striking the barrier and bouncing back before he caught them and launched them again. A low growl built up in his chest as the two kept it up for a few minutes. He was about to change tactics when a small discrepency in the barrier caught his optic. He looked at the barrier...
And saw it.
It was faint, but it was there.
A crack.
Right over the upper shell of this thing. Which meant...! Thinking fast, he shifted his vision from telescopic to thermal. He scanned around the Mighty Crab's body, and then he saw it. Faint, but buried deep in its underbelly.
A red pulsing orb.
The core.
"Got it!" he muttered.
Then he looked to Matagi and Fumikiri. "Matagi! Fumikiri! Fire at the weak spot near the end of its back!" he shouted.
Fumikiri looked at the spot, then back at Matagi who nodded. He shifted his stance and threw his guns into the air, unfolding them into their cannon mode. His Aura seethed around his frame, burning a brilliant red as he channeled it into his cannons. The barrels began to glow a reddish gold color as he powered up his new move. "RAAAAAAAAAAAH! FUMIKIRI BARRAGE!" he bellowed.
The cannons on his shoulders roared, sending two powerful shots right for the Mighty Crab's back, only for them to split into numerous smaller shots. They peppered the barrier, causing it to become weaker and more cracks to develop. Fumikiri summoned back his shuriken and tensed his frame as he threw it, wind generating around its blades. "Fumikiri Kaze Shuriken!"
The two Shinkalions' attacks caused the barrier to weaken, and then with a cry, Matagi increased the power output from his cannons. The barrier shattered under the onslaught, and Esebu looked to the three close range fighters.
"NOW!" he shouted to them.
The two sword-wielding Shinkalions ran in, their weapons held out to the sides while Nozoma sprang into action, his energy blades flashing as he boosted towards the Might Crab's huge claws. The Kaiju roared as it tried to grab him in its clutches, but he relied on his smaller size to dodge the claws and swung one of his blades at a nearby joint. Esebu watched in tense anticipation, half expecting his plan to fail.
Nozoma however, didn't miss. Or rather, he struck before the Kaiju's barrier went up again.
This time.
The Grimm screeched in agony as its limb fell off, and then Nozoma struck again, pouncing on the second claw this time. His blades swiped as he lodged them into the joint and, with a grunt, he cut it off, leaving the Kaiju defenseless.
Efu and Haifu seized their chance and leapt into action.
Both green and white Shinkalions charged in, their blades glowing with energy as they thrust them forward. Efu wasn't even used to using a sword, so this was his first time even handling one. He just swung with both hands on the hilt, hoping to get a lucky hit. Haifu, meanwhile, swung hard, one hand firmly clasped around her sword in contrast to Efu. His blow missed, but hers collided and the Mighty Crab retaliated by lashing out with its remaining legs. Efu got hit in the chest and was sent flying back from the impact. Haifu twisted her frame and dodged, but her left leg armor got clipped as a result. She rolled and landed on the ground. She glanced to Efu and shook her helm. "You cannot swing this sword with both hands," she instructed. "Do not think of the sword as a weapon. Think of it as an extension of your arm. It is a part of you, not a mere weapon!"
"And you could've told me that before I swung?!" Efu groaned as he forced himself into a sitting position.
The rabbit-eared Shinkalion shook her head as she ran over and held out a hand for Efu. He grasped it and she pulled him to his feet.
"You think you two can try again?!" Esebu called over as he thrust his drill right for one of the leg joints.
The two glanced at one another and nodded. They broke into a run, this time Efu running ahead. He held his sword off to the side like Haifu had done, relying more on his frame to guide him. He clenched his hand around the hilt of his weapon, feeling it light and loose in his grasp at the same time. It felt more like his arm instead of a mere weapon. He didn't even bother to question. He just reacted.
Efu sensed the legs coming before he saw them. He whipped his frame to the side, his sword slashing up cleanly at an angle, cutting through the joints and earning a screech of pain as a result. The legs fell to the ground, and Haifu leapt over him, her sword flying out as she cut the last legs on the other side off, followed by Nozona's energy blades cutting off the rear legs. Then, the threesome landed and held out their weapons, catching the Mighty Crab on the flat sides of the blades. The thing's leg stumps wriggled as it tried to attack them, but to no avail.
The three Shinkalions tensed their frames and Haifu glanced left and right. "On three! One!"
Efu clasped his sword in both hands.
"Two!"
Nozoma braced his arms and legs for the toss.
"Three!" Haifu shifted her grasp, and then as one, they tossed the Mighty Crab into the air with a swing of their weapons. The Kaiju Grimm wriggled as it tried to summon enough strength for a barrier, but it wasn't fast enough, let alone had the strength needed.
Esebu seized his chance. His treads whirled as he engaged them, speeding around Matagi and Fumikiri as they landed on the platform. He pressed the trigger on his drill's grip and he felt it shudder as it began to spin up. He pressed it two more times and ice Dust began to spill from the Dust dispensers as he channeled his Aura into the weapon. "HAAAAAAAAH!" The bright blue light engulfed his frame within seconds, along with that familiar icy coldness. He put more power to his treads as he gunned it, holding his drill out in front of him before he braked and crouched, springing off the platform and into the air. His optics flashed as he let out a loud bellow, his drill whirring in a blur of silver and icy glinting. "WHEELSET KORI DRIVER!"
His Wheelset Drill struck the core, its tip penetrating it as he broke through, shattering shell and Grimm flesh with ease. He felt the explosion behind him and he flipped his frame around, performing several flips in a curled up ball before he landed atop one of the rails. His legs gave out and he collapsed to his hands and knees, panting from the exertion he had put himself through. His drill vanished as soon as he landed on his hands and knees. He glanced down as he saw the others all waving and cheers reached his audios.
They had done it.
All of them had done it. And Hayato was now free from his fear and terror.
KAIJU GRIM DATABASE:
NAME: Mighty Crab
SPECIES: Kaiju
CLASS: Mega
BASIS: King Crab
ABILITIES: The Mighty Crab has the ability to launch its claws at its opponents, and it can summon a barrier to defend itself against weapons. It is durable and very hard to get close to due to this ability. Its joints are its weakest point, and its barrier, while strong, has a weakness in that it cannot handle too many attacks at one point. If that happens, then it will go down.