Sogou caught Daichi's military fork and socked him across the face with his other fist, knocking him back.
"Cool weapon," Sogou admired the Musician Fork as he twirled it around and then he snapped it in half over his knee. "Oops, I broke it."
"Fuck you!" Daichi snapped, wiping blood off his bottom lip with his knuckles. Sogou had to be pretty strong to injure him like that.
"I thought you guys were supposed to be tough but guess Kyofu was right: you are just a piece of junk," Sogou mocked.
"A piece of junk, am I?" Daichi growled. "Can a piece of junk do this!? AAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Daichi sent Sogou flying back with the concussive force of his scream.
Once Sogou and Daichi started to fight, drawing everyone's attention to them, Kirihara withdrew from the scene. She was a non-combatant and her psychic ability was the only thing that got her a spot on Alpha Force. As soon as she was at a safe distance, she sent her message.
"Send them in. It's party time," Kirihara instructed.
Showa Chronicles: Road to Annihilation
Act IV: A Series of Unfortunate Events
In the blink of an eye, chaos erupted across the village. Houses were being destroyed left and right by bursts of energy as the villagers ran for their lives. The ones responsible were an army of identical soldiers in white armour with helmets that had face-concealing black visors and BTS stamped across them. As soon as they appeared, they started attacking with psychic energy blasts and telekinesis. While the NEO-NUMBERS were preoccupied with Alpha Force, the Psycho Soldiers could attack Hinamizawa unopposed, or so they thought.
"Sleep Powder!" Bishie yelled as she fired a burst of Sleep Powder over a group of Psycho Soldiers, causing them to fall asleep. "Razor Leaf!" She swung her arms, sending out a volley of Razor Leaves which sliced through them.
"Vine Whip!" Celine had also gained some Pokegirl-like abilities, which she copied from her adoptive mother. The vines sprouted from her back and she lashed the Psycho Soldiers with them. They tried to retaliate with psychic blasts but Bishie managed to pull her daughter out of harm's way before retaliating with a Razor Leaf attack.
"You OK, baby?" Bishie asked.
"I'm OK, Mama," Celine smiled.
"Good," Bishie grinned as she set Celine down. "Now, time to send them blasting off!"
"SOLAR BEAM!" Bishie and Celine fired the solar energy blasts from their hands. While they should not have been able to use Solar Beam since the sun was down, they had absorbed a lot of solar energy beforehand and it was just enough for one powerful blast. The Psychic Soldiers were sent flying by the mother-daughter combined Solar Beams, becoming specs in the sky.
Daiki's eyes glowed and turned dragon-like as stony scales appeared on his skin. With a roar, he stomped the ground, sending pieces of earth flying like cannonballs. The makeshift cannonballs struck the Psycho Soldiers, knocking them down. A group of them surrounded him and fired psychic energy blasts at him, blasting chunks off his makeshift stone armour but he stomped the ground again, impaling them on stone spikes.
Jade was in the air, firing her green energy blasts with her hands. The Psycho Soldiers fired back but she blocked their attacks with a green energy shield before she shifted it into a large hammer to whack them away. She was joined by Alice who was firing her feathers at the Psycho Soldiers.
Yami was on the ground, with her hands turned into sharp swords. She struck the Psycho Soldiers, taking them down with ease.
Amora was using her magic to cast a myriad of spells. She hurled fireballs, brought lightning down on them, and even froze them in ice. For a few others, she got a little bit creative, turning them into stone, turning them into mice, and even just turning them into monstrous plants that ate the mice. With her abilities, she was easily the most dangerous member of Alan's harem. Just because she turned over a new leaf, that did not mean she had grown soft.
Conda only had her super strength but that was enough for her to incapacitate them. Her punches sent them flying before they had the chance to attack her, and her kicks broke ribs too. She grabbed one in a chokehold, cutting off his air supply before she finally made him pass out.
Nozomu's wolf ears were out as well as she fought with the savagery of a wolf, drawing blood with her claws. Her punches were also as strong as Conda's as she threw the Psycho Soldiers to the ground with her fists. One of the Psycho Soldiers attempted to attack her from behind when Adam pounced and sank his teeth into his shoulder. The Psycho Soldier yelled and tried to pull the boy off him but Adam was agile as he avoided the grab before he clung to the soldier's face. Adam clawed wildly at the Psycho Soldier who tried to remove the ferocious child.
"Get off me!" the Psycho Soldier yelled as he finally pulled Adam off his face. His reprieve was short-lived, however, as his head was knocked clean off his shoulders by Nozomu's fist. The body collapsed with Adam now held protectively in his mother's arms.
"Do not touch my cub," Nozomu threatened and then she looked at her son as she set him down. "Stay close to me." Adam nodded, baring his claws and fangs so he could aid his mother. He may be small, but his instincts and claws were strong and his fangs were sharp. The Psycho Soldiers fired at her and she ducked, grabbing Adam by the scruff of his shirt in her teeth. Running on all fours, she dodged the psychic energy blasts and then lunged, slashing with her claws. Blood burst from the Psycho Soldiers' necks as she slit their throats.
"Mama! Mama, help!" Lulu screamed as a Psycho Soldier loomed over her. "Go away!" The tiny princess, in terror, threw a punch. A typical Devilukean already possessed superhuman strength. Now, imagine the strength of a Devilukean whose father was a pseudo-Kryptonian. The Psycho Soldier was hit by a punch so powerful that he was launched straight out of the village. Still terrified, Lulu fell to her knees, bawling her eyes out as she cried out for her mother as more Psycho Soldiers surrounded the little girl. Suddenly, they were encased by a pink crystal. Lala landed and scooped up her daughter, bringing a smile to her princess' face. "Mama!"
"Just hold on to me, Lulu," Lala advised and Lulu nodded. Holding her daughter protectively, Lala used her ring to blast the Psycho Soldiers and encase them in crystal prisons. She did not want to kill anyone but she would do anything to defend herself and her family. The Psycho Soldiers would not be able to break out of their crystal prisons, no matter how hard they tried. The first chance she got, she would take her daughter somewhere safe.
Megan gritted her teeth as she telekinetically pushed several Psycho Soldiers away from her. A few more lunged at her but she managed to take them down with her super strength. A Psycho Soldier tried to throw a rock at her head but she went intangible, causing the rock to fly through her. She then flung the same rock back at him, breaking his helmet and knocking him down.
The Psycho Soldiers did not seem to communicate verbally to coordinate attacks. It just came naturally to them as they divided themselves into different groups to take on a different target. They worked together well, like cogs in a machine. It was almost like they were connected.
"These guys seem to be connected by a psychic network!" Megan yelled as she sensed this. She stretched her arms like rubber and knocked down the Psycho Soldiers that came at her.
"Can you disrupt their connection?" Conda asked, backhanding another Psycho Soldier. She grabbed another by the head and smashed his face against her knee.
"There are too many minds for me to connect with."
"But all their minds are part of the same network, right?" Amora pointed out. "You don't need to touch all of their minds. You just need one to get in and hack their connection."
"Oh, duh! Hello, Megan!" Megan slapped her forehead. It was so obvious.
"But if you require assistance, then allow me to help," Amora offered, taking Megan's hand. "After all, I am also talented in enchanting minds."
"Let's do it," Megan agreed, eyes glowing red. As Amora's magic boosted her power, Megan connected with a Psycho Soldier and accessed their psychic network. "OK, we're in! Now, STOP!"
Suddenly, all the Psycho Soldiers froze and stopped moving before they collapsed like puppets who had their strings cut.
A young woman surveyed the carnage with cold red eyes as she hovered high over the village. She was in her late teens, likely pushing twenty, with long black and silky hair with a hime cut that was slightly split in the middle. She was dressed in a one-piece mini dress that was mostly red and black on the sides and cuffs, with six yellow buttons in front, and black boots that reached up her thighs. In her left arm was a small doll in a white dress with blue hair and a white straw hat that had a ribbon on top.
A small ping echoed in her head as she felt an invading force enter her mind. Frowning, her eyes began to glow and she linked back to the signal of the interloper. Searching through the town, her gaze focused on a redhead with glowing red eyes.
"I see you."
Megan gasped as she realised that someone had entered her mindscape and that she was in her green-skinned Martian form. Swivelling around, she found herself face to face with the cold-faced woman.
"Why are you doing this?!" Megan demanded.
"Because it is our mission. Do not interfere," the woman answered as her eyes flashed. As if vertigo took effect, she faded into the background and was replaced with a nightmare. The village was on fire. People were screaming as they were being burned alive and the female Martian found herself trapped with nowhere to run.
"No! NO!" Megan screamed in horror as she felt the heat burning her skin. "Help me! Someone, please help me! Alan! Alan!"
The flames soon formed tall humanoid figures that converged on her. She could do nothing. She could not move, so paralyzed by her fear that she just froze. They reached out to her and she screamed.
"No! Alan, help me! Help me! Please, get me away from the fire! Alan! Alan!"
Amora backed away in shock as Megan suddenly began screaming bloody murder. Tears poured out of her eyes as she held her head and dropped to her knees. She continued to scream in panic, yelling something about fire and begging Alan to save her.
"What's going on?! What's happening to Megan?!" Jade shouted.
"I don't know!" Amora exclaimed.
Her skin turned chalk white as her red hair receded. Her human features were soon replaced by something inhuman. She was a tall creature with a lipless mouth that exposed her teeth and red eyes. She looked almost skeletal in appearance.
"ALAAAAANNNN!" M'gann M'orzz roared out a scream.
"So, this is what you are," the Esper responsible for M'gann's condition spoke as she appeared, hovering over the group. She looked at the White Martian coldly. When she had sensed M'gann attempting to infiltrate their psychic network, she knew that M'gann was not human.
"You bitch!" Conda snapped. "What have you done to her!?"
"She tried to get inside where she was not welcomed and paid the price," the Esper said, her voice cold and emotionless. "Right now, I am making her experience her greatest fear."
"Then release her!" Amora threatened, magic enveloping her hands. She fired a blast at the esper but it splashed harmlessly against the psychic barrier surrounding her. The Esper's eyes glowed as she made a choking motion with her hand, grabbing Amora around the neck. Amora felt a tight squeeze around her throat, cutting off her air supply before she was lifted into the air.
"Let her go!" Jade went to fire an emerald blast but the Esper grabbed her in a psychic chokehold as well.
"You all should be silent," the Esper said as she snapped her fingers. Both Amora and Jade went poof. When the smoke cleared, a pair of dolls resembling the two women dropped on the ground. Conda's eyes widened as she witnessed what the Esper had done to her fellow harem sisters.
"You bitch!" Conda launched herself at the Esper to punch her in the face but she just raised her hand and caught the punch.
"Psybeam." A prismatic beam of psychic energy fired from her eyes and sent Conda crashing to the ground. Yami flew straight at the psychic who quickly raised a barrier to block the assassin's strike. Yami began hammering the barrier with her blades, trying to chip away at it until it broke. Annoyed, the psychic sent Yami flying back with a telekinetic burst but the latter stopped herself with her wings.
"Who are you?" Yami asked.
"Weapon N," the Esper introduced herself. "A member of Alpha Force and the Brain Trust Society."
"Golden Darkness," Yami introduced herself. "Assassin."
"An assassin? I see," N responded. She raised her right arm which glowed with psychic energy. "Psycho Cut."
N swung her arm, sending a blade of psychic energy flying at Yami. The winged assassin dodged the attack and flew straight at N who proceeded to attack with another Psycho Cut. Yami deflected the attack and crashed into N's barrier again. She hacked away at it with her swords but it still held until Yami turned her hair into drills. The drills made sparks fly as they bore into the barrier. Now, N was struggling to keep the barrier up as cracks began to appear on it. Once the barrier shattered, Yami's drills turned into giant fists and she performed a hammer strike, sending N crashing to the ground. N landed roughly, making a crater on impact. Such a blow would have killed a normal human, but N had grown beyond human limits.
"Recover," N said and all her injuries vanished as she stood up.
"Why have you come to the village?" Yami demanded. Instead of N, it was the doll who responded to her.
"We've come to play!" the doll in N's arms said cheerfully. Everyone stared at the doll in surprise. Was N a ventriloquist too?
"Play?" Yami's eyes narrowed.
"I wanna add new friends to my dollhouse," the doll continued, pointing at Celine who held Jade and Amora's dolls. She had scooped them up to protect them. "Will you be my friend?"
"Not interested," Yami answered bluntly and the doll seemingly frowned in response.
"Well, that's too bad. I actually thought you'd look nice dressed like me! GLITZY GLOW!"As the doll shouted out the name of the attack, N fired a sphere of sparkling violet energy at Yami. It came so fast that Yami barely managed to evade it. "GLITZY GLOW! GLITZY! GLITZY GLOW!" The Glitzy Glow spheres came flying at Yami in a relentless barrage, all the while the doll giggled. It sounded innocent yet creepy at the same time.
Meanwhile, Alice was kneeling beside M'gann, trying to snap her out of the illusion N had trapped her in. M'gann was still screaming for help.
"Please, Alan! Uncle! Anyone! Help me! There's fire everyone! Please, get me out of here!"
"Megan, listen to me! There's no fire!" Alice urged, praying that M'gann could hear her. "Please, you need to snap out of it!"
"No! The fire! Please! Keep it away! Alan! Alan, help me!"
"It's no use," Alice frowned, then she looked up at her mother who was dodging N's attacks. The Esper was flying circles around her and was not giving her mother a chance to fight back.
"I think I can help, mau," Celine said as she knelt down beside her sister. "My pollen should be able to calm her down."
"Are you sure?" Alice asked. Celine had been practising producing pollen with various effects. Copying Bishie, she had her own version of Stun Spore, Sleep Powder and Poison Powder in her arsenal.
"I'm sure," Celine nodded. "Go help your mama."
Alice nodded and stood up as she spread her wings. The metallic sheen of her feathers flashed as they made a ringing sound before she shot skyward to slash N across the back with her wings. This caused the Esper to lose concentration and her attack dissipated in her hands. She spun around, briefly showing anger on her face, glaring at Alice.
"We can't read your mind," the doll and N said in unison.
Alice smiled at that. One of the benefits of being a bioroid was that her positronic brain could not be read by psychics. That meant telepathy could not be used on her. However, that also meant that technopaths could access her brain if they could get a hold of her. N soon realised her folly and spun around right before Yami's hair fist collided with her face, knocking her to the ground. Before she could crash, her levitation took hold of her as she hovered inches from the dirt. Yami morphed her legs into drills, darting downward for the finish. N quickly propelled herself backwards before the assassin could touch down, levitating herself higher and putting herself upright as the Alter Ring with a bronze gem in the middle appeared around her waist.
"Henshin," N said as she tossed her doll into the air and slapped the side buttons. The Alter Ring flashed, enveloping her in its light. Her body became covered in a suit of dark brown fabric. Bronze bracers covered her forearms as matching boots appeared on her legs that reached up to her thighs. Black knee pads covered her knees and black coattails hung from her belt. She had thick rounded pauldrons with what looked like a spoon mounted on each. Black straps crisscrossed over her chest and on her back was a baby carrier. Finally, her Agito helmet appeared, with long horns, a pentagram on her forehead and dragon whiskers hanging from the mouthplate area. The doll she had thrown into the air floated down and sat inside the baby carrier strapped to her back. Her purple eyes flashed to mark the complete transformation. She held her hand over her belt, light shining from it as she pulled something out. It was a staff that resembled a large spoon and she twirled it around herself before holding it in a stance.
"Agito… Magic," she introduced herself.
"You're a Kamen Rider," Yami recognized, glaring.
"I'm an Agito," Agito Magic corrected. "This form is proof of my evolution, that I have reached the peak of my power." Despite speaking in monotone, N still managed to make herself sound smug.
"Then let's test that theory!" Alice fired a barrage of dark fireballs at Agito Magic, adding her wings in her attack as she fired the sharpened, metal feathers like flechettes. Agito Magic was swallowed by the resulting explosions, obscuring her from view. Alice soon ceased her attack. As powerful as Agito Magic might be, her dark fireballs could reach incredibly high temperatures that could melt even the strongest metals.
Agito Magic dispersed the smoke with a wave of her hand, revealing her armour had taken damage and was covered in soot. However, such damage did little to hinder her.
"Recover," Agito Magic invoked and all the damage was undone as a wave of psychic energy spread over her body, healing her.
"That's not fair," Alice frowned. Enemies who could heal their injuries were annoying as they could quickly recover from any injury and return to fighting form instantly.
The spoons mounted on Agito Magic's shoulders detached and hovered in the air before they multiplied. With a flick of her wrist, she sent dozens of spoons flying as lethal projectiles. Alice quickly put her wings in front of herself, using them as shields to block the attack. The spoons rocketed into her, blasting her out of the air as though they weighed tons before she smashed into a roof and the entire house collapsed on top of her.
"Alice!" Yami flew after her daughter who was now trapped under rubble.
"Hey! I'm over here, too!" Daiki shouted as he jumped from out of nowhere. He opened his mouth and released a breath of dirt and stone. Agito Magic held out her hand, causing the stone breath to halt before it hit her. Flicking her hand, she sent the stone breath attack back at Daiki, pelting him with a barrage of earth rock.
"Hey, you!" Agito Magic looked down as Conda stretched her whip in front of her as it snapped loudly. "You love to talk big but the fact remains that you are letting your powers do the fighting for you! So why don't you come down here and fight like a real warrior?"
"Why should I?" Agito Magic asked, "Your opponent is approaching right now."
Sparks of lightning buzzed and covered the ground as the sound of rushing thunder accompanied a bolt of lightning that was coming for Conda. The Amazon could barely see the lightning coming as something cut across her chest as it went past. A line of blood appeared across Conda's chest as the front of her dress was cut open, revealing her bra which was cut in half. The lightning came to a stop, revealing a sadistic blonde holding a bloody stiletto with a piece of fabric stuck to it.
The blonde had tanned skin and an hourglass figure. Her attire was quite revealing as she wore brown leather booty shorts, knee-high boots, elbow-length gloves and a chainmail bikini top. She had a pretty face with red eyes and orange hair that was styled in a short bob cut. While she was physically attractive, what turned people off was the psychotic look on her blood-splattered face.
"Hello, Weapon U," Agito Magic greeted.
"Be a sweetheart and leave us alone for a bit, Natsumi-chan," the new arrival grinned as she licked the blood off her weapon suggestively before sliding it back into its sheath. "Mama wants to play."
"If you want to use my real name, say it correctly," Agito Magic warned before she warped away.
"Ara, ara, what a buzzkill she is," Weapon U shrugged but then her gaze turned towards the group. "Hm, you all look nice, ladies. Wonder how sweet your blood is." Conda did not hesitate as she lashed out with her whip to strike Weapon U across the face. However, the psychic's reflexes were quick as she managed to catch Conda's weapon with ease. Her sadistic smile widened as she zeroed in on Conda. "And we have a volunteer!"
Weapon U released the whip and zoomed towards Conda, but this time the Amazon Queen was prepared. She withdrew her whip and sidestepped Weapon U before clotheslining her with her outstretched arm. Weapon U cried out as she was flipped onto her back, dazed. Conda picked her up by her hair and punched her repeatedly in the face. Weapon U groaned as she was struck before Conda raised her to eye level. Weapon U continued to groan and then...moan...?
"Oh, Mommy, give it to me harder~!" Weapon U moaned as she looked Conda in the eye. Disgusted, Conda wrapped her arms tightly around Weapon U, keeping the psycho's arms pinned to her sides, and squeezing their breasts together. Only, this was no mere hug, but a backbreaking bearhug as Conda squeezed the psychic tightly. Weapon U gritted her teeth as she felt her spine was about to be snapped by the Amazon's super strength.
This proved to be a mistake.
A lightning bolt came down from the sky and struck them both. Conda screamed as millions of volts of electricity surged through her body.
"Mom!" Daiki yelled as his adoptive mother was electrocuted. Conda collapsed lifelessly with Weapon U. He rushed over to her to check on her. "Mom! Wake up! Mom! Mom!" His voice went quiet as he whimpered. "Mommy…?"
Conda Ana was dead. The Esper, however, was unharmed as she stood up to stretch her arms and back.
"Thanks for the back rub," Weapon U grinned at Conda's dead body. "Really helped with the knots and kinks."
"ARRGGGHHHH!" Daiki screamed as he slammed the ground with his fists, sending spikes of stone surging towards Weapon U. She dodged the initial attack but Daiki continued, throwing wave after wave of stone at her. His grief and rage were so great, that he threatened to tear the land apart.
"Hey, hey, hey! Keep chucking those boulders, boya!" Weapon U mocked as she danced around the stone wave. "If you win, I'll show you something nice!"
"Shut up! Just shut up!" Daiki yelled as more stone scales grew out of his body and he began to become more dragon-like. "Shut up and die, you psychotic bitch!"
"Oh, you have a potty mouth. Didn't your mother teach you not to swear?" Weapon U taunted and then her eyes landed on Conda's body. "Or did she never get the chance to teach you before I fried her?"
"RRRRUUAAAHHHH!" Daiki roared in anguish and rage as he got down on all fours as rocks piled all over his body. At first, it looked like he was trying to form a suit of stone armour over his body again but then more rocks piled on, completely engulfing him. The stone armour soon changed shape, giving him four thick trunk-like legs that ended in clawed feet. A tail also formed, ending in a spiked ball at the tip. Stone spikes sprouted from his body as he formed a draconic head that was crowned with multiple spikes. His mouth filled with sharp teeth as the hollow eye sockets glowed blood red. Daiki had just turned himself into a giant stone turtle-dragon that resembled his old friend Tsuchi-Gnol.
"Wow," Weapon U whistled. "Cool trick, boya."
Daiki roared, blasting dirt straight at Weapon U like a cannon. With lightning speed, she leapt over the attack and performed a somersault to land atop the stone dragon's back. "Now, time to crack the shell to get to the meat inside!" She drew her stilettos and began striking at the dragon's stony hide, her arms blurring as she hacked away at the stone armour so she could reach Daiki. The stone dragon roared as he tried to shake her off but Weapon U hung on tightly. She licked her lips as she imagined what she would do to the little boy inside the dragon. Oh, she couldn't wait to hear his screams.
Suddenly, a vine went and grabbed Weapon U around the neck and pulled her off the stone dragon. Bishie glared with gritted teeth and tears in her eyes as she snapped her Vine Whip, swinging Weapon U left and right, up and down, bashing the psychotic Esper repeatedly against the ground until her bones broke.
Conda was her friend, her sister! Someone she loved, someone she shared everything with and now she was gone. This bitch had to pay!
Bishie spun Weapon U around and around with her vines and smashed her on the ground one last time before withdrawing them. That should kill her, or at least cripple her. While Bishie enjoyed battling and showing off her combat prowess, she abhorred the act of killing itself. To take a life just felt inherently wrong to her but even she knew there were times when she would have no choice but to kill someone in order to defend herself and the ones she loved. Sadly, she was still too late to save Conda; and how were they supposed to change Amora and Jade back to normal now?
As Bishie wept over their losses, Weapon U's body glowed as her injuries began to fade. Her broken bones became unbroken and her bruises faded. Her eyes fluttered open as she picked herself back up and got back on her feet. Bishie watched in horror as Weapon U grinned sadistically at her. Did Weapon U have an accelerated healing factor too?
"I am going to enjoy returning the favour," she said as an Alter Ring belt with a white stone flashed on her waist. "Henshin!" Weapon U's veins lit up as lightning burst all over her body to change her into her Agito form. She wore blue armour with a white lightning bolt pattern scattered all over her bodysuit. Even her crest horns were shaped like lightning bolts as her white eyes crackled with electricity.
Agito Thundra had just entered the battlefield.
Agito Thundra got into a running start, flicking her wrists to produce her signature stilettos. Lightning crackled around her as she dashed straight for Bishie, intent to put her out of her misery. She crossed the distance between them in a matter of seconds and just as the tip of her stiletto was about to pierce Bishie right between the eyes, the ground between them exploded as Daiki burst out of it in human form. Stone covered his hands to form gauntlets as he delivered a violent uppercut that struck Agito Thundra in the jaw, flipping her body backwards. He then cocked his fist back and let her have it with a straight punch right in her back, blasting her across the battlefield.
Bishie gasped, stunned by her close call with death. She looked at Daiki gratefully but noticed the tears of anguish on his face as he glared at Agito Thundra.
Agito Thundra picked herself up and straightened her back.
"OK, you're gonna get a spankin' from me, boya!" Agito Thundra threatened as she managed to pick herself back up. Daiki was ready for anything she might throw at him. He could tell that she would kill him, even though he was a child.
As Agito Thundra was about to rush at him, she was suddenly grabbed by a telekinetic hold. She couldn't move, not one bit, as she was suspended off the ground. Her arms were pinned to her sides as she struggled. Whoever was holding her must be a very powerful psychic.
Thanks to Celine's calming pollen, Megan was back in the fight and returned to human form, but her skin had become chalk white. Her eyes glowed red as she held her hands out, holding Agito Thundra with telekinesis. She was going to go into the Agito's head to get the information they needed.
Agito Thundra felt Megan poke and prod in her brain and decided to let her in. Suddenly, Megan gasped as she recoiled and then she doubled over and vomited, releasing Agito Thundra.
"What...what are you...?" Megan looked at Agito Thundra in horror. She had never seen such a depraved mind in her life.
"Guess you didn't like what you saw in my noggin, huh?" Agito Thundra shrugged as she pointed at her right temple. "Five minutes more and you would have seen the really sick shit in my head." She spread her arms and twirled her stilettos. "Now, then. Where were we?"
"That's enough," a voice spoke in Agito Thundra's head. "We're done here."
"Huh?" Agito Thundra sounded annoyed. "But I wasn't finished killing these bitches!"
"I said we're done here. Return to base, now. That is an order, Weapon U."
"Che, fine," Agito Thundra clicked her tongue and then saluted with her right stiletto. "Kill you all later. Buh bye~!" She then vanished like a bolt of lightning.
Bishie collapsed on her knees and cried. Celine ran up to her adoptive mother and offered her a comforting hug.
"It's gonna be OK, Mama," Celine tried to reassure her.
Will it, though?
Daiki stood over Conda's body, wondering what to do. They should call Alan and tell him what happened, right? That would be the reasonable thing to do right now. However, Daiki had no interest in being reasonable as he wanted to hunt Weapon U down and make that bitch pay for what she had done.
Zero and Agito Luminous sped around their battlefield, exchanging blows as explosions erupted all around them. Stinger blasts and laser beams met explosively with the two combatants moving all over the place. Zero was one of the fastest members of the NEO-NUMBERS so he could easily counter Luminous' moves. However, he had the feeling that his opponent was just playing with him.
"You're stalling," Zero concluded.
"Oh, and what makes you say that?" Luminous fired a beam and Zero rolled out of the way to counter with a stinger blast.
"Because you don't seem to be taking this seriously! What are you planning?" Zero demanded.
"Oh, and I'm supposed to answer just because you asked?" Luminous retorted as he caught Zero's fist before he punched him across the face, knocking him back.
"Whatever it is you're planning, there's only two of you," Zero pointed out. "And my comrade has gone after your partner."
"Oh, and what makes you think Elise and I are the only ones here?"
"What?"
Luminous did not elaborate further and the two zoomed around each other in the air as the world stood still around them. Zero fired rounds from his stinger machine gun as Luminous engaged with his lasers.
As the high-speed shoot-out continued, the cuffs on Luminous' wrists and ankles lit up and ejected funnels that orbited around him before targeting Zero. Luminous stretched out his arms as each funnel fired individual lasers, forcing Zero to fly and spin around as the beams flew at him.
"Hmph! You're faster than expected," Luminous scoffed as six more funnels ejected from his back. "However, I am much faster!" He arranged the ten funnels in a straight horizontal line, firing concentrated beams at Zero. Zero was forced to fly in a zigzag as the lasers chased after him.
"You talk big for a maniac!" Zero shouted as he bobbed and weaved between the lasers.
"If it is for the Brain Trust Society's noble cause, then that is fine by me!" Luminous boasted. "Failures like you will never understand!"
"You're right! I don't understand, and I don't want to!" Zero's left gauntlet slid open, exposing a keypad, and he punched in a code. Holographic honey bee constructs the size of dogs appeared around him and fired their laser stingers at Luminous. "People like you are always a threat to freedom!"
"Freedom?" Luminous' body seemed to fade and blur as the stingers flew past him. "Hah, nonsense! 'Freedom' is what an enemy nation brings to the country it defeats! It's just foolish adulation! Not that failure scum like you would understand!" Light surged around him before he suddenly bolted, moving too fast for Zero to react. One by one his holo-bees shattered and then he was blindsided with a haymaker to his helmet.
"Urk!" Zero gagged as his right eyepiece shattered.
"Machines like you are bombs that are about to explode!" Luminous continued as he pummelled Zero with lightspeed punches. "This nation- no- this world is in peril! How many dangerous things do we face now?! Professor Kyofu is in great distress over the future of our nation. I will gladly give my life once again if it's for my country!" He brought his hands over his head before slamming them down on Zero, sending him plummeting to the ground. The peacock tail behind Luminous spread out before hardening into five spinning drills above his head. "I am the light that will illuminate this nation's future! I shall be its sentinel! Trash like you are a dark shadow who blocks out the light! Drown in my radiance!"
Light swirled around the drills before they fired their devastating payload at Zero. The first two bursts shot off his pauldrons, and then the next two hit his gauntlets, damaging his primary weapon systems. The final shot hit him in the chest, driving him to the ground with enough force to leave a crater. The funnels came into play again as they rained their firepower upon Zero, causing dirt and dust to fly up and obscure his body.
Luminous ceased his attack and hovered down, keeping his funnels on standby. Suddenly, Zero burst out of the cloud of smoke and hit his opponent in the chest with his open palm.
"So, you still have some fight in you," Luminous commented.
"As long as an enemy stands before me, I shall stand against them with every last bit of energy I possess," Zero retorted.
"Then let this be your last stand!" Luminous shouted as he fired a laser from his chest stone, knocking Zero back.
"If this will be my last stand then I shall give it my all!" Zero resolved as he raised his fists in a boxing stance before throwing his arms to the side, the energy in his hands forming into sharp blades that resembled stingers.
"Ah, so a lightsaber battle. Alright, I shall humour you." Luminous created a pair of lightsaber constructs and brandished them in each hand before adopting a stance. "Come at me!"
"There, that's the last of them," Elise III smiled in satisfaction as she planted the mine-like device on the ground. With these devices planted all over the village, the Alpha Force's victory would be assured.
"Whatever you're doing, you need to stop right now!" Arachnea commanded as she finally caught up to Elise III and spotted the device lying on the ground beside her. "What is that? A mine?"
"No, but its effects will be explosive," Elise III smirked as she held the remote control and pressed the red button. LEDs around the circumference of the mine-like device lit up as a rod rose up from the centre. The tip of the rod bloomed like a flower, resembling a radar dish. It released a pulse that hit Arachnea, causing her body to lock up before she collapsed to her knees and her armour vanished instantly. The device continued to release a pulse at a steady frequency.
"Was that...an...EMP?" Hana groaned as she struggled to get back on her feet.
"Yeah, it's set up with a special frequency to shutdown your transformations and any tech inside that village," Elise III explained. "It won't kill you, but it'll make you weaker. I'm pretty sure all your friends are about to be in the same trouble you are in right now."
Meanwhile, the rest of the EMP generators simultaneously activated all around the village. Working in tandem, the generators formed an EMP field that covered the entire area.
Zero and Luminous yelled and ran at each other, swinging their arms as they met and their blades clashed violently. As the two exchanged blows, they appeared to be evenly matched, and while Luminous had years of training under his belt, Zero had that plus experience on the field.
Zero aimed for Luminous' chest but it was a feint before he hit his opponent in the stomach, causing him to double over so he could receive a roundhouse kick to the head. Luminous staggered from the blow but he recovered quickly to parry Zero's subsequent strikes. However, Zero broke through his guard and drove his head into Luminous' face, stunning him so he could deliver a 1-2 jab with his Stinger Blades.
Growling in frustration, Luminous fired his funnels at Zero but he dodged the beams. As he was about to go in for the kill, his entire body suddenly locked up.
"Argh! Why can't I move?!" Zero yelled as his body twitched violently and uncontrollably.
"Let me show you the light!" Luminous's funnels formed a circle and then charged up, firing their beams into the centre of their circular formation. Once their array was fully charged, the funnels fired an intensely concentrated laser blast at Zero, sending him tumbling as sparks erupted violently from his body. His armour was forcibly disengaged before he rolled to a stop on his back. "And send you to the sweet embrace of darkness."
Alice stepped out of the house with Yami. Thankfully, she had not suffered from any serious damage. However, the sight of Conda's dead body caused her to cling to her mother.
"What do we do?" Alice asked.
"A moment of silence," Yami said respectfully as she held her daughter. She and Conda had clashing personalities. Conda could be haughty and often her figure made Yami envious. However, they had grown to become good friends with the love they shared for Alan. She was also someone Yami trusted to watch her back.
Alice nodded when she was suddenly hit by an energy pulse. She jerked in her mother's arms, causing her alarm.
"Alice!" Yami cried as Alice violently convulsed as sparks burst from her body. It was like she was having a seizure.
"Mo-mo-mom-mommy! W-w-w-what's h-h-h-h-h-happ-p-p-p-p-pening t-t-t-to m-meeee...?" Alice's voice skipped like a broken record before her voice trailed off as her eyes went dark and she collapsed lifelessly in Yami's arms.
Daichi and Sogou resumed their fist fight. Daichi's fists vibrated as he struck Sogou, releasing shockwaves with each blow. However, despite lacking cybernetic augmentations, Sogou took the hits like a champ and retaliated with his own. The two continued to exchange blows, neither letting up. Suddenly, Daichi felt weak and let out a gasp before Sogou drove his fist into his stomach, putting him on his knees.
"Are you pooped already?" Sogou taunted with a smirk as he dusted himself off.
"What the hell?" Daichi muttered, looking at his hand as it twitched violently. "What's happened to me?"
"It looks like you're breaking down," Sogou mocked before he went and kicked Daichi in the face. "Like a piece of junk."
"You fucking bastard!" Daichi screamed as he got up, struggling against the strange sensation that he felt throughout his body. It was as if the signals that went from his brain to his limbs were severely laggy. He ignored it and threw a punch but Sogou slapped away his fist before he punched Daichi in the face. He then grabbed Daichi by the collar to pound his face in repeatedly before throwing him to the ground. As Daichi struggled to get back up again, Sougo brought his heel down on his skull, driving his face into the ground.
Meanwhile, Chiaki was fighting Kyouya who wielded a wooden bokken. However, unlike normal wooden swords, his bokken could cut and slice, evident by the cuts in his clothing. Chiaki had turned his hands into chainsaws to match his opponent, but Kyouya's bokken had to be made from some particularly durable wood if his chainsaws could not even cut through it.
"Hm, and here I thought you were supposed to be strong," Kyouya remarked as he thrust his bokken forward, aiming for Chiaki's heart. The large cyborg blocked with his chainsaw and pushed, sending the swordsman skidding back. Chiaki rushed at Kyouya but all of a sudden he froze up as his chainsaws turned back into his hands. He had not done so at will. Something else had forced him to disarm himself.
Kyouya smiled as he went into a stance and sheathed his bokken in his other hand. When he drew it, the blade became coated in psychic energy. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, he was standing right behind Chiaki, with his wooden sword stained in blood. He turned and nudged Chiaki in the back with his finger. The upper half of Chiaki's body toppled over like a tree as blood spewed from the wound. His legs gave way next and fell into the growing pool of blood.
Hanyuu was busy trying to protect the children from the Psycho Soldiers when she witnessed her beloved Chiaki lie motionless on the ground, cut in half and lying in a pool of his own blood. Suddenly, something inside her just snapped as her eyes glowed red and a dark demonic aura burst from her body. She appeared naked for a moment but the dark energy adorned her with new clothes. She looked like a miko, but clad in black and in her right hand was the Onigari no Ryuou, the multi-branched sacred sword that she wielded centuries ago.
"Hm?" Kyouya stiffened as he felt the killer intent being directed at him. Turning his head, he saw the dark-clad Hanyuu. Right now, though, she was the Vengeful God Oyashiro-sama. "This is interesting."
Hanyuu's frown deepened as she advanced on Kyouya, tendrils of dark energy waving around her body. They sadly softened as she gazed at Chiaki's bisected body but she hardened her eyes and heart. Kyouya grinned and rushed at her with incredible speed. He swung his sword, aiming for her neck when his strike was deflected. He stumbled back, stunned and confused. Hanyuu was still holding her sword beside her. Had she deflected his attack? He did not even see her move.
"This should be fun," Kyouya grinned as he tried again and unleashed a flurry of attacks. However, each strike was deftly deflected by Hanyuu. Growing frustrated, Kyouya increased the intensity of his assault but all his strikes failed to connect. All the while, it just appeared as if Hanyuu was standing still.
Deciding to end this farce, she caught Kyouya's sword in her free hand and then reversed her grip on her sword to drive the butt of the handle into his gut. Kyouya released his bokken which Hanyuu disintegrated. Now, it was her turn.
"Son of Man," Hanyuu spoke, pointing the Onigari no Ryuou threateningly at him. "You have made grave mistakes today."
"Ah~, is that so?" Kyouya retorted. "I think I remember Kyofu mentioning something about one of the NUMBERS being in a relationship with the village's god or something." He glanced at Chiaki's bisected corpse. "I don't suppose that was him, was it?"
"Yo, Tachibana! You done yet?" Sogou shouted, rolling his arm as he approached. Hanyuu glanced over and caught sight of Daichi, lying face down and motionless. Her teeth clenched as her aura flared harder.
"Just need to take care of this little goddess," Kyouya replied.
"Her?" Sogou scoffed. "You're having trouble with her?"
"She's a lot tougher than she looks," Kyouya cautioned when he finally noticed a member missing from their trio. "So where's Kirihara?"
"Probably bailed so she wouldn't ruin her makeup or break a nail. Eh, whatever. We'll just need to amp things up." Both of their waists flashed as their Alter Rings appeared, Kyouya's in gold and Sougo's in brown.
"Henshin!" Kyouya and Sogou yelled as they activated their Alter Rings.
Sogou's eyes flashed as he threw his head back and roared. His muscles bulged as his Agito armour formed over his body. The black bodysuit hugged his muscular form and the crimson brown armour covering his torso seemed semi-organic with glowing yellow veins on his chestplate and spiked shoulders. His knuckles had spikes on them and his crest horn was fanned out. The way his legs were coloured, it almost looked like he was wearing boxing trunks.
Kyouya's Agito form was slender and the armour covering his upper torso and arms was green with gold trim. His Agito crest horns were longer and sharper, resembling sword blades and his red eyepieces were angular. He spread his arms to the side and a blade sprang out of each wrist. The blades began to vibrate, increasing their cutting power.
Hanyuu tensed as she sensed their increase in power, bracing herself for their attack. Sogou did not need to wait as he threw himself at Hanyuu, cocking his fist back. She quickly leapt out of the way as his fist came down, forming a crater on impact.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Kyouya coming at her with his high-frequency vibrating blades. She raised the Onigari no Ryuou and sparks flew as their blades collided. He began hammering her with his blades as she braced herself against him. Sogou took advantage of this and landed a punch, sending Hanyuu flying. She managed to land on her feet but noticed her left horn lying on the ground. That blow had broken it off.
"You feel that, old hag?" Sogou mocked as he flexed his muscles. "That's just the taste of what Agito Smash can throw at ya. Smash is the best there is at what he does, and what he does best is to cause pain!"
"And I'm Agito Slash," the other Agito added as he ground his blades together. "No catchphrase from a comic book character required."
"You're both just a musclebound brute and a blade-wielding psychopath with delusions of grandeur," Hanyuu threw back at them. "Such a shame that you both waste your powers with pointless destruction."
"Oh, blah, blah, blah!" Agito Smash spat back as he motioned up to her. "We heard it all the time from old bags like you before! What good is having power if you can't do whatever you want with it?"
"Wait, Taguchi-kun," Agito Slash said as he held up his arm in front of Agito Smash to stop him. "She's clearly still upset about what I did to her beau. I say we give her the opportunity to vent."
"Huh? Are you serious?" Agito Smash scoffed.
"Of course," Agito Slash said, a sinister gleam flashing in his eyes. "After all, the nicest thing we can do for her is to send her right to him!" He flicked his wrists and thousands of swords suddenly appeared directly above Hanyuu. Her eyes widened in surprise as she raised a barrier to protect herself from the rain of blades. She gritted her teeth as the sword slammed into the barrier, each hit causing her body to tremble in pain. She needed to think of a way out of this and fast. Her barrier would not be able to hold for long under this onslaught.
Her barrier finally broke under the rain of swords and she collapsed to her knees as her sword fell out of her hand. She went to pick it up but Agito Smash kicked it away before he drove his knee into her face, knocking her on her back. He then grabbed her by her hair and pulled her up to eye level before he repeatedly punched her in the face. When he finally stopped, he had knocked some of her teeth out, blood was dripping from her mouth, her lips were busted and her left eye was swollen shut.
"And you ain't so pretty no more, granny," Agito Smash sneered as he dropped Hanyuu before he kicked her in the stomach. "You think you're so tough coz you're some goddess! Well, you're nothing! Nothing!" Suddenly, Agito Smash was jerked back as someone grabbed him from behind and he whirled around. Daichi stood before him, still alive. "Wait, you're still alive!?"
"That's right!" Daichi yelled as he punched Agito Smash across the face. He hurt his hand but it felt so good to do that. Holding the Onigari no Ryuou, he slashed Agito Smash across the chest, driving him away from Hanyuu.
"Dai...chi...?" Hanyuu groaned as she looked up at him. He knelt down, gently patting her head. She had been beaten to a bloody pulp and just the sight of her like this enraged him. He heard mocking applause and looked at Agito Slash.
"So, you caught your second wind so you could play hero, huh?" Agito Slash mocked.
"You're going to pay for what you did! You and all the rest of you freaks!" Daichi snapped.
"Well, why don't you make us then?" Agito Slash taunted. "You have that sword so try and cut me down right now!"
Daichi needed no further prompting as he charged at Agito Slash and swung the Onigari no Ryuou. Agito Slash moved his blade, but instead of parrying the Onigari no Ryuou, it was instead sliced into pieces.
"Shit!" Daichi cursed. The Onigari no Ryuou was a very particular mystical blade. When used by Hanyuu and its chosen wielder, it was nigh unstoppable and could bypass any defence. When in the hands of anyone else, the branched sword was as weak as a low-quality kitchen knife.
Agito Slash laughed maniacally as he drove his blade into Daichi's heart.
A steam engine that resembled a mammoth rolled away on train tracks, pulling a pair of bullet trains behind it that resembled a T-Rex and triceratops. The train tracks ran up to the sky, going straight into a swirling multicoloured portal before vanishing inside.
Two people were left by the train. One was a man with fair skin, fierce blue cat-like eyes, and long black hair that appeared spiky and unkempt. It was somewhat tamed by an elastic band tied at the base of his skull. He wore a black leather bomber jacket over a T-shirt, blue jeans, combat boots and gloves. This was Ryuji Katsura, ARMOR's Chief of Security.
Standing beside him was his wife, Dr. Kotonoha Katsura. She was a lovely young woman with fair skin, wearing glasses over her brown eyes and long dark hair. She wore a white blouse and black knee-length skirt with a slit on the side, black pantyhose and brown boots. She also had an impressive bust size.
They stood outside the village and could see buildings on fire and smoke rising into the air. Ryuji could also hear the screams coming from the village, thanks to his enhanced hearing. Besides the smoke, he could also smell freshly spilt blood.
"Ryuji-kun, let's go," Kotonoha commanded as she took off her glasses and drew her hand saw from her belt's holster. Ryuji nodded silently as his Chinese ice sabres appeared in his hands, the pair running straight into the chaos.
END OF ACT 4
Tailsmo4ever: Already the Alpha Force is playing for keeps, and playing for keeps hard. With the full intent of discrediting and humiliating the NEO-NUMBERS, they are already leaving a devastating impact on Hinamizawa. Luckily some unlikely reinforcements have arrived. Hopefully, they aren't too late.