The exterior of Mount Fuji was a magnificent place.

Considered a sacred symbol in Japan, especially ever since the sealing of the Pools of Darkness beneath it, this mountain was the most iconic landmark and natural feature in the country. Standing at an imposing 3776 meters in height, it ranked as the thirty-fifth tallest mountain in the world. Its beautiful, snow-covered top had become the symbol of the country of Japan the world over in popular culture. It was so well-known that several adventure films, including the most well-known Gundrazer film, Gundrazer Unify, were filmed there. Thanks to this, tourism to the landmark was bolstered, and, when coupled with the fact Yamanouchi Academy was there, it proved to become well-known enough to have a small town built around the side of the mountain facing Tokyo.

Called Fuji, after the mountain itself, the small town also featured a lookout system and a monitoring station to keep tabs on the seals beneath the surface. No one considered, however, what was to come. One of the men working the station that day was keeping tabs on the battle raging in the city, only to perk up as he heard something incoming. His eyes flicked to the screens lining the observation post as well as the windows, and he caught a glimpse of something coming in fast. He frowned as he raised the binoculars in his hand to his eyes, and he swore his heart plummeted down into his stomach.

A missile was coming in from the direction of the battle...

And heading right for Mount Fuji!

The man dropped his binoculars and scrambled for the alarm button that was placed near the doorway. His hand flew out, just as the missile hit the side of the mountain. The explosion was enough to rock the town, sending people scattering for their homes or the Grimm shelters built underground. While not like the CIS of Tokyo, they were sturdy places, and could survive a number of attacks before one gave way.

The observer glanced up, having been thrown to the floor from the explosion. He lifted his gaze, and his eyes widened in shock at the huge crater in the side of the mountain.

He knew that beneath the mountain was a space that held the pools of the Dark Substance, but due to an even bigger threat, there had been a cavity hollowed out to restrain it. The systems and magicks of the old seals had always functioned perfectly, holding this threat in place.

But now that the surface had been breached...

His horror only grew as a large, bladed hand thrust itself out of that hole...

And for the first time in over one thousand years, the ancient threat of Badaxtra reared its head and roared.

(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: BADAXTRA

In the final days of the Emperor Japan was slowly becoming overrun by the Grimm. Despite the Emperor spreading the knowledge and power of Aura the Grimm were without end and continued to spawn in new and more dangerous forms. Realizing that the Pool of Darkness needed to be sealed to save Japan and the rest of the world the Emperor called on the greatest warriors in the world, begging them for aid and many came to offer their help. An army marched on the Pool of Darkness led by the Emperor to the very source of evil he had tried to destroy years ago and in the forest of deadwood they fought for future of the world.

Many perished but they all fought bravely and fiercely, pushing through the Grimm guarding the pool and victory seemed near...

But the Grimm and the evil commanding them would not be stopped.

Upon their arrival, the Emperor was greeted with the shocking sight of a man, skin as pale as snow with dark markings and eyes matching the eyes of the very creatures they had attempted to destroy. From the Pool of Darkness he summoned a Grimm like no other, one powerful enough that it threatened not only Japan but the rest of the world. From that point forward, the army was massacred by the monstrous Grimm that would be labelled the first Kaiju Class Grimm later and all seemed lost.

Until four beings of great power appeared, offering their aid to the Emperor and combined their powers to push the monster back into the pool. The man that had summoned the monster used his power to send pieces of the Pool of Darkness across the world, creating new Pools in new locations and ensuring they would continue to spawn more Grimm. The four magical beings sealed the monster and the Pool of Darkness into a mountain that would remain standing into modern times. They then turned their sights to the man with red eyes and attempted to defeat him, only to fall and the Emperor was mortally wounded by the man who banished the Sword he wielded from our world, never to be seen again.

From that point forward, the Grimm would spawn in new locations, most notably the Darklands in the land that would one day become America and with the loss of the Emperor's sword Japan's warriors would suffer a blow to their morality and confidence that would be felt even to this day. The mountain that contains the monster and the Pool of Darkness would be named Mt. Fujiyashyame and the monster would be named Badaxtra by later scientists and historians but would rarely be spoken of due to its dark history.

CLOSING FILES

TERMINAL ENTERING STANDBY PHASE

"Symbols of fear can send a jarring message to all." Izumi's eyes were hard as he looked at the images of Badaxtra in ancient times as they were displayed on his monitors. "Symbols can have both good and bad meanings and connotations. But when a symbol of fear long since lost suddenly makes its reappearance? What does that mean for people?"

Here he tented his fingers in front of his mouth. "That was the reason Project SKL was developed: to counter the Kaiju class Grimm. But this... this first conflict between Project SKL and this symbol of fear... it was one that would change the world as we knew it. Maybe not right away, but it was one that altered our hopes."

Izumi lowered one hand and tapped the keyboard, bringing up an image of the Shinkalions as they engaged Badaxtra. "Two symbols... one of hope, and one of fear. Which one will win? Well... that's for you to find out." A smirk played across his lips. "After all, what is a good movie without a cliffhanger before the final battle?"

CHAPTER XXVI - BADAXTRA

The entire battlefield was silent as Robotnik cackled, engaging his thrusters and lifting off.

"So long, my adversaries! For one day, we shall meet again!" he laughed.

Esebu roared as he made to jump, but a pair of firm hands on his shoulder guards caught him off guard. He looked back to see Efu and Matagi with their hands on him. Haifu stood not too far from Nozoma and Fumikiri, her sword held off to the side.

"No. We can't fly," Matagi said seriously. "And even if we could, there's no way we could catch him."

The blue and white Shinkalion was glad his three teammates had rejoined them, but he felt so... angered... at how easily Robotnik had played them for fools. He growled as he clenched his fists before he let out a bellow and thrust his drill into the ground, leaving an impact crater behind. His shoulders heaved as he panted. He collapsed to his knees, shaking in fury. "Dammit...! Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit!" he shouted, punching the ground with his free hand in anger. "I'm such an idiot! He played us for fools! And we fell right into his trap!"

"Esebu..." Haifu felt worried for him as she approached. "We all feel the same. So don't blame yourself for this."

The lead Shinkalion glanced to her.

"She's right," Nozoma said as he approached. "I will admit, I'm not too surprised that we fell for his tricks, seeing as how he is a genius, but don't beat yourself up for this. We all bear the blame."

The others nodded as Esebu looked down, sitting back on his knees as he dismissed his drill into storage. "Yeah. I know I shouldn't be doing that, but I just can't help it sometimes..." he muttered.

However, what else he was about to say was driven from his mind as he suddenly heard a loud roar, and the ground shook beneath them. His helm snapped up, and his gaze landed on a large pillar of smoke...

Coming from the direction of Mount Fuji.

For some reason, Esebu began to get a bad feeling in his gut. A strange sensation filled his chest and he began to shake in his armor. "Oh... shit...!" he whispered.

Matagi glanced over as he saw the smoke and his goggles snapped down over his optics. "Namahage Goggles - Scope Mode!" He studied the smoke, and his optics dimmed a shade as he used his scope to zoom in on the smoke. Only to feel his engine leap into his throat at the massive shape as it began to emerge from the side of the mountain. "Oh... fuck...!" he muttered.

"What's going on?" Haifu asked, though she too sounded worried.

"It's... that beast...!" Matagi rasped, his entire frame shaking. "That beast from the legends... But it's... It's real...!"

Haifu's head snapped in the direction Matagi was looking, and she legitimately squeaked in terror as Fumikiri turned to look as well. His hands fell limply to his sides as he staggered back, and Efu was downright frozen in terror. Nozoma was silent, but the way his hands shook indicated he too was terrified.

And for good reason.

They were about to face down the First Kaiju.

From the top of the mountain first came a giant clawed hand. The fingers were claws while shaped axes. The arm then grabbed onto the side of the mountain and pulled the rest of the body up. The very mountain top was sliced open by a giant ax that turned out to be the very face of the creature itself.

The ax of course was sharp, seemingly made from the creature's very bones and acting as its nostrils. The creature's entire face was shaped like an ax with a rear blade sticking out the back of its head. As befitting a Kaiju class Grimm its entire body was black with red glowing eyes, armed with an axed head and fingers but even its tail had an ax at the end of it and even axed feet that cut their way through the mountain that had been created to contain it. The monster itself was not as big and tall as the very mountain it had rested in, but it was still the largest Kaiju ever recorded, and its teeth were shown to be sharp as spears as it released a deafening roar that shook the entire city and perhaps all of Japan.

This was the guardian of the Pool of Darkness.

The very monster that destroyed entire armies with a flick of its fingers or tail.

This was Badaxtra.

"There it is."

For Sammael it was a trip down memory lane to see the very first of the Kaiju class Grimm rise again. It was probably his greatest creation even to this day.

"If Badaxtra is released then the seal around the Pool of Darkness has been broken." Moloch stated. "Japan will be overrun."

"Not yet. Badaxtra was made to protect the Pool of Darkness. Even though it's awakened the Pool itself remains trapped underneath the mountain by special seals placed at the very base of it." Sammael approached the Seer projecting the image of Badaxtra. "Alone Badaxtra follows its basic instincts to kill or destroy anything that moves around the Pool of Darkness. But if it can still hear me..."

He placed his hand on the Seer's crystal ball/head and closed his eyes. 'Badaxtra...'

The giant Grimm became still as it heard the voice of its master.

'Find and destroy the seals at the base of the mountain. Release your brothers back onto the world.'

Badaxtra roared as it climbed out of the mountain and jumped into the air, reaching so high into the sky until it began to fall back down. It landed back on the ground in front of the mountain, causing an earthquake that shook Tokyo and caused more than one building to collapse while the earthquake was felt across the island.

The entire city rumbled, and the Shinkalions staggered to keep themselves standing.

Esebu glanced up, and his engine ceased to function briefly as he saw just how tall this beast was.

Legends didn't even do it justice.

This Grimm was the ultimate symbol of terror. Created one thousand years ago, and kept contained only by the mountain itself, Badaxtra was the ultimate in terms of Kaiju. Strong, fast, unbeatable... or so the legends said. At least to the public. As far as he knew, only the Imperial Family archives had data on this thing, and it was exceedingly difficult to even get access to them because of the high security clearance required. Only Class V Hunters and heroes had the clearance to access it.

The leader actually felt himself shaking in his armor at the sight.

"Oh, Glob... We're so screwed..." he whispered. "There's no way the CIS can contain that thing...!"

Badaxtra let out another roar as it started to walk around the base of the mountain, and Esebu's engine sank to his feet at the thought as it started to look for something... Something...

"It's... It's going to break the seals!" he gasped.

"Oh, shit...! That's bad! That's very bad!" Hokuto cut in, his voice filled with pure terror. "You kids have to get there and fast! Stop Badaxtra from releasing those seals at all costs!"

"And how do you expect us to get there?!" Efu shot back. "We'll need to use the Rails of Light, and-"

"I'm fully aware of that!" the director said. "I've got Futaba working on it, but you have to move! And now!"

"Hai!" the six replied.

Esebu turned and ran from the square in front of Sanban Industries, heading for the tracks that ran right by the building. With a single thought, he shifted back into his shinkansen form and engaged his engine as soon as his wheels touched the rails. He extended his pantograph to the overhead catenary. As soon as it touched the wires, he felt the power surging into his frame and he pushed all that power into his wheels, feeling them move as he drew on as much power as he could muster. His mind was racing as he realized just what was at stake here. And for the first time since the project's conception, he felt pure terror.

Behind him he could sense his friends tailing him on the same lines, drawing on their power.

Fumikiri's voice echoed over his COMM system. "D-Do you really think we have a chance, guys?" he asked nervously.

"In all honesty... I don't even know..." Esebu admitted. "This is the first time it's been seen in over one thousand years... So much has changed, and yet so little has not... So... how can we expect to win if we lack the Emperor's Sword?"

"Then we just keep trying!" Efu remarked. "If there's one thing I'm not going to do, it's back down when we're faced with something like this! After all... this was developed for such a purpose, right? To hold the line against the Kaiju? And Badaxtra is a Kaiju, right? So we just take it down like any other!"

"No!" Nozoma cut in. "This is the FIRST Kaiju that Sammael ever created! And this thing is supposed to be hard to defeat! Not even the Imperial Family archives have real data on this thing, since it's been so long since it was last seen!"

Esebu began to realize that Nozoma was right.

What little data they had was outdated, making it useless in the fight.

They were going to have to learn on the fly.

"Better get ready!" Hokuto said, drawing them out of their musings. "The next track switch we'll send you onto the Rails of Light! From there it's a straight shot to the mountain!"

"Understood!" the six replied.

The track ahead began to glow as the Rails of Light kicked in, expanding out from where the track switch lay. The switch activated and the rail connected to the Rails of Light, opening a direct route to the mountain and its guardian.

Esebu shifted over onto the track first, disconnecting his pantograph and switching over to battery power. He gunned his engine to full, his very frame shaking as he drove himself to his limits.

Off to his side, he could see the others on their own Rails of Light, becoming several multicolored bullets as they streaked towards their target.

"How long will it take for us to reach Mount Fuji?!" Haifu shouted.

"It will take about one hour to get there," Futaba explained.

"I thought it would take shorter, given how we're on a direct line!" Nozoma exclaimed.

"Not really," Futaba said sheepishly. "Given your speeds, it should take less time, but given how we have to avoid buildings and whatnot on the path, it'll take longer."

Esebu knew what she was getting at. Even a direct run to the mountain would take longer given the buildings in their path. The Rails of Light did have their limits, after all. And no train station had been built near the mountain. That was an issue, he hoped, would be corrected after this incident.

If they succeeded.

If.

That was the key word.

All in all, Esebu hoped to Glob or whatever god was up there they'd get to the mountain in time to prevent Badaxtra from destroying the seals.

Though that did bring a thought to mind.

"Director, how many seals are there to keep the Grimm Pools sealed?" Esebu asked, startling him.

He sputtered for a bit before he regained his composure. "There are ten seals in total, plus the eleventh, which acted to keep Badaxtra sealed within the mountain itself. That seal was broken with Robotnik's missile. The others are scattered around the base of the mountain, including one at Yamanouchi Academy."

Now Esebu was beginning to get an idea of what had to be done. But he needed more intel first. "Can ya tell me a bit about these things?!" he asked.

"Truthfully, no one knows exactly how they work because they were created so long ago. But what few records that survive from that time period state that they were crafted using the most advanced magic, spells, technology, and alchemic runes available," Hokuto explained. "What is also known is that the seals will, if left unbroken, will last indefinitely as they use magic long since lost, and the spells can recharge what tech they have to keep the seals in place."

"So like runes engraved on metal, etc," Esebu noted.

"Yes. The ten seals are supposed to correspond with the locations of the planets on a specific day, but since the sealing, that has been forgotten," the director continued. "The seals are usually at their strongest during this time. But if even one is broken... it could mean the end for all of us."

The grim tone of his voice sent shivers racing through Esebu's frame.

"That means the seals will be weakened..." Esebu realized.

"Yes. According to the records, the seals can be maintained as long as at least half still remain intact," Hokuto stated. "If more than half are broken..."

Images of the end of days flashed through Esebu's processor. Images of destroyed homes, buildings, cars, trucks, trains... Grimm running rampant... people dying... and above it all, Sammael, sneering as he held his hands around a chaos-filled world.

Esebu was so scared he yelped and jolted on the tracks, almost derailing himself if he didn't catch himself in time. He managed to stay on the tracks, but his engine was racing big time as he gasped a few times to calm himself down. "Geez...!"

"Be careful!" Matagi called. "We can't afford a derailing here!"

"H-Hai!" Esebu responded.

"So, to put it simply, we have to keep Badaxtra from releasing all ten seals," Nozoma noted.

"Hai. That is your mission." Director Hayasugi's voice was grave as he continued. "So no more idle chatter. Just get out there!"

The COMM closed down and the six Shinkalions put their minds to the mission at hand.

TOKYO, JAPAN

Dracon was, to say the least, terrified out of his wits.

Not because he was facing down Badaxtra. No, that was the Shinkalions doing it.

He was terrified because of the Kaiju's sheer size.

It was huge.

Much bigger than anything he had seen.

Even his arsenal would do little against it.

Beside him hovered Seph, his silvery eyes narrowed. "So... been ages since I've seen that thing," he mused.

"Wait. You saw it before?!" Dracon blurted, his helm whipping to face the hybrid.

Seph nodded. "Yeah. And trust me, it was not easy to seal that thing away," he growled, clenching his fists. "Even I know better than to tangle with the First Kaiju."

"I thought you would've helped!" the Gundam growled, his optics flaring.

The Gem hybrid snorted. "And risk dying because of how deadly that Dark Substance is to me? Hardly worth the risk, wouldn't you agree?"

Dracon clenched his own fists, but ignored the jab. "Well, care to tell me what this thing is capable of?" he asked. "I need info if I'm gonna go and help those mecha...whatever they are!"

Seph was surprised, but brushed it off as he sighed. "All right. Fine. I'll tell ya what you need to know to stand a chance against that thing..."

MOUNT FUJI SEAL SITE 1

Badaxtra's red eyes flared as it eyed the first seal.

The Seal of Neptune.

The least powerful, it still was a critical part as it served as the end component of the main seal itself. The kanji depicting the word stood out on a central pillar that stuck up near the spot where Badaxtra had emerged. The pillar glowed with a brilliant violet light, shining like a beacon. The massive Grimm roared as it stomped its way over to the seal, one foot raised to smash the beacon. However, as it brought that foot down, the pillar lit up and energy barricades were thrown up over it, stopping the Kaiju's foot cold. Badaxtra roared as it drew back its head and swung down, its bone-blade crashing headlong into the barriers. They shimmered and strained against the Kaiju's immense strength, drawing on what technology still remained functional. The energy barriers flickered as Badaxtra started to smash its axe blades against them repeatedly, trying to shatter them. Its purpose burned in its mind, giving reason for its attacks. It knew not why it had to attack, just that it had to. It wished to please its master. And please him it would. Badaxtra roared before slamming its head down one more time, this time penetrating those pesky barricades. The blade drove itself home into the pillar, shearing it in two.

And then it exploded.

And alarms began to blare within the city of Tokyo itself.

TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS

COMMAND CENTER

All across the city, alarms and sirens began to wail as an ancient computerized voice began to ring out.

"ATTENTION ALL CITIZENS OF JAPAN AND SURROUNDING TERRITORIES! THE FIRST SEAL HAS BEEN BROKEN. APOCALYPSE MEASURES ARE TO NOW BE IMPLEMENTED."

To say that people were shocked was a misstatement.

They were downright horrified.

Panic set in at once as the huge beast stood over the mountain, roaring and then came a flash as the first seal was broken. The city's police were mobilized to try and quell any rioters as the looting began. Military forces were deployed as well, not just to try and curtail the rioting and panic, but also to defend against any Grimm that sensed the negative emotions.

Soldiers and civilians alike sometimes even banded together to contain and detain the crazies. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

But for those within the SDI, things were much more bleak.

They were observing this in real time data from their satellite.

Hokuto's eyes were wide as he stared in shock at the violet light that exploded. "Oh...fuck...!" he murmured. "That thing is breaking the seals!"

"The first seal has been broken!" Futaba cried. "Target is now moving onto the Seal of Uranus!"

"How far out are the kids?!" the director shouted.

"About thirty minutes!" she responded. Her eyes flicked over to the image of the mountain as it showed the last nine seals activated. The gleaming lights were starting to shine brighter as their defenses kicked in, and she could only hope that the seals would hold long enough for the team to get there in time.

"Sir... this thing... It easily broke the first seal...how long can we expect the others to hold?" Honjo asked worriedly.

Hokuto's eyes narrowed as he gulped a bit. "Honestly... I don't know," he admitted. "It's hard to say..."

Shashot, who had until now been silent, finally took the chance to interject. "If I may, Director, the reason that the first seal was broken so easily was because its defenses hadn't had a chance to fully register Badaxtra's release," he said.

Director Hayasugi glanced to the AI's virtual image. "And now that it has been?" he asked.

"According to the old legends within the Imperial Family archives, Badaxtra's seal was supposed to trigger the others to full power if he were to be released somehow. But seeing as how they hadn't, it can only be due to how much time has passed," Shashot began. "The legends also say that whenever a seal is broken, then the others will have their defenses triggered. Each seal supposedly has ten layers total, so if any of the others are broken, then those defenses will be activated. Each is supposed to be more powerful than the last, so... it could buy us some time until the team gets there."

"How about alternatives?!" a technician shouted to the AI.

Here Shashot's eyes darkened. "There are no other alternatives, unless you count that Kaiju running rampant and smashing the seals," he retorted.

The techie fell silent as he considered the implications. "Oh..."

Hokuto looked to the AI. "Get in touch with the team and inform them of the defenses around each seal!" he ordered.

"Hai!" Shashot responded.

EN ROUTE TO MOUNT FUJI

Esebu was startled when Shashot's voice echoed over his COMM. "What?!" he snarled.

"Esebu, it's Shashot. Badaxtra has currently begun breaking the seals around the mountain to try and release the Grimm from the primary Pool of Darkness!" Shashot reported.

"Oh, shit! We gotta kick it into overdrive!" he cried.

"Rest assured, there is a way to stall him long enough for you to arrive on scene!" Shashot interrupted.

"How so?!" Esebu asked as he started to push more power to his wheels.

"Each seal, when broken, triggers an extra layer of defense around the intact seals. So if one is broken, then a second layer is activated. The second seal triggers a third layer, etc. And each one is stronger than the last," Shashot explained.

"And how long do you expect them to last against that thing's strength?!" Esebu cried.

Before Shashot could answer, however, a loud roar caught their attention and his gaze snapped up towards Badaxtra as it staggered back, using one hand to shield itself from what appeared to be...

Gunfire!

"Gunfire?!" Matagi shouted. "But how?!"

"It seems the second layer of defense has been triggered," Shashot said, with a faint trace of a grim tone in his voice. The sound of it sent shivers down Esebu's frame, but he ignored it.

*BGM "The Breach" Pacific Rim Soundtrack*

"And that's bad?" he asked.

"Negative. It's a good thing," Shashot explained. "That means that each set of defenses will buy you time to get there."

Esebu didn't know whether to be pleased or terrified. He decided to ignore that and focus on the matter at hand.

Already he could see the flashes of gunfire coming closer as the six Shinkalions sped towards the site of the second seal.

The gunfire was, he could now see, coming from guns laced with glowing cyan lines. The shells struck Badaxtra's huge body, making little to no impact, but they were slowing it down somewhat. At least the sheer rate of fire was. For now, anyway. Cyan energy barriers shimmered into view as Badaxtra stormed towards the seal's gleaming central pillar, its light shining a gorgeous cyan color. The barriers flashed as they finished forming, and Badaxtra roared, swinging its bladed tail towards the closest guns. The turrets took the hit, but they were severely damaged. A few others turned to face the spot, and opened fire. Badaxtra swung again, this time severing the first two with ease. The severed turrets flew through the air and collided with two others, causing them to explode. Now there was a noticeable gap in the defensed. Badaxtra's eyes flashed red as it leaned forward, its bone-blade smashing into the barriers again and again.

The whole time, Esebu was in shock.

"NO!" he cried.

"Sir, the second seal is about to be breached!" Futaba shouted over the COMM line to Hokuto.

"Dammit! Any way we can get the kids there faster?!" the director roared.

"I'm working on it!" she exclaimed. "But it's not easy! The Rails of Light can only extend so fast!"

The Shinkalion leader could only watch in horror as the second seal was finally broken.

TOKYO, JAPAN

"So that's it," Seph finished.

"Hmm." Dracon crossed his arms as he eyed the massive beast. "I see..."

"Well, while you two were chitchatting, that thing already broke two seals," Lobomon said as he glared at them.

"And how do you know that?" Seph asked, narrowing his eyes.

"The alarm," the Warrior of Light replied, jerking a thumb to the sirens wailing.

Seph's silver eyes widened. "Oh, Glob..." he whispered. "I hadn't considered that..."

Dracon didn't even hesitate as he flared his wings wide open. "That's it! I'm going!" he shouted, kicking on his thrusters to full power. He was gone in a flash, his cloak whipping about his frame as he hefted his beam magnum in his hands. His psychoframe began to shine with power, engulfing him in its pseudo-Aura-like glow. At this stage of the game, he could've cared less if Seph and Lobomon were to follow. All that mattered to him was bringing this thing down, or at least stopping it long enough for the Shinkalions to arrive on the scene.

His optics shifted from their usual violet hue to a cool emerald green color, flaring brightly as he drew closer to Badaxtra's location.

He spotted the large Kaiju, and, thinking fast, aimed his beam magnum and fired.

Right for one of Badaxtra's massive red eyes.

DARKLANDS

SAMMAEL'S CASTLE

Sammael sneered as he watched the second seal collapse under the attack. "So much time and effort put into those barriers, and so little effort is needed to break them. How foolish the Emperor was..." he purred.

Beside him, I.O.N.E.S.C.O.U. was studying the First Kaiju intently, his processor already working to craft an even better version should the First Kaiju fall. But something told him that this Kaiju was not going to be taken down that easily. He only narrowed his optics.

"Too easy, if you ask me," he rumbled.

Moloch scoffed from the shadows. "Everything has to degrade, no matter how much effort, spells, and whatnot are put into those defenses," he mused. "It only goes to show the effect time has on everything... even the best of machines and magic and alchemy are not immune to its passing."

And he was right.

A soft dark chuckle escaped him. "And it seems we have a little insect buzzing around..." he noted. Sammael turned his gaze to fix on the small greenish-white lightning bug as it buzzed around Badaxtra's head. The large Kaiju reached up to try and swat at it as it released a small sting for one of its eyes. The sting missed, and the Fallen had to actually laugh at the effort.

"Seems like the Dragon is going for too big a snack," he purred.

I.O.N.E.S.C.O.U. merely narrowed his optics as they flashed red. He personally knew that Dracon was a stubborn mecha, and that he wouldn't give up, no matter how hard things seemed. It was in his nature.

And he had a feeling that Dracon was studying Badaxtra for any weaknesses.

Much like a certain group that was on their way right now...

MOUNT FUJI SEAL SITE 3

The third seal lay in sight.

The second seal lay smoldering, much like the first, its pillar tower smashed to bits.

Badaxtra roared as it swung its bladed tail for the seal's edges, intent on breaking through the barriers.

However, what it did not expect this time was for a pulse of energy to erupt from contact with the barriers. The pulse was enough to throw Badaxtra back, making it stagger under the attack. It flinched before it looked up, roaring as it charged at the barriers around the third seal: the Seal of Saturn.

The Seal of Saturn glowed a brilliant silver color, much like that of ancient magic used during the Forgotten Age. Badaxtra roared as it charged at the seal, its axe face lowered to take the pulses of energy as they were released from the seal. Its red eyes flared as the pulses hit its axe blade, being cleaved in two so they streaked off to the sides. Some impacted the side of the mountain, others struck the grounds closer to Tokyo's outermost suburbs, prompting more evacuation orders to be issued. But it cared not for that. All it wished to do was free its brethren.

The beast's blade began to show its strength as the energy pulses got weaker and weaker. Its right foot raised, about to stomp on the seal's barriers, only for those guns to come online and fire at it. The shells impacted Badaxrta's hide, peppering it with armor piercing rounds. The explosive tips caused burns to form on Badaxtra's body, but they started to heal shortly thereafter, even as it was forced back under the barrage of gunfire.

As the Kaiju drew nearer, however, things were about to take a surprising turn...

But as to which side... no one really knew...

Yet.

KAIJU GRIMM DATABASE - ENTRY LOGGED

NAME: Badaxtra

SPECIES: Kaiju

CLASS: UNKNOWN

BASIS: UNKNOWN

ABILITIES: Badaxtra has several abilities that make it far more deadly than any Kaiju Grimm recorded in the database to date. It has the ability to regenerate from its wounds, it is very fast, strong, and well armed with physical blades attached to its very body. Its blades are as hard as concrete, and can penetrate through most energy and physical barriers. Only barriers generated by psychoframe energy can block the blades. Badaxtra can also, through its sheer weight alone, generate earthquakes when landing after a jump. Due to its sheer size and strength, no warrior has been known to survive or even take it down. All that could be done was seal it. It's also rumored that Badaxtra has the power to breathe fire, or even use eye lasers. But according to all records in the Imperial Family archives, not one instance of those two powers has been displayed. But for all we know... they could be true... Badaxtra has shown no real weaknesses, making it the ultimate symbol of fear and terror.