[Tokusatsu Themes, Corruption, Brainwashing]

“Alright! Everyone, sound off!”

An uproar of cheers echoed through the field behind Mimoto Highschool, the group barely illuminated by the moon shining down on them from high above. It was so late that even those that worked late hours would’ve probably turned in by this point. And yet these young girls were, shouting their passions into the skies above.

They were delinquents. And though they broke several rules, there was one that they stuck to. And that was to care for one another. That was how they had gotten so tightly knit, regardless of their origins.

And at the core of these delinquents as their leader. Their Boss. Aimi Sasaki. A short red-haired girl with the kanji for ‘Parent’ scribbled onto her forehead, as well as the kanji for ‘worth’ crossed out right over her waist. Combine that with wearing her school’s jacket across her shoulders, and she certainly looked the part of a leader.

Many of the girls here had personally encountered her and experienced her fists. Those powerful knuckles that brought them to their knees. And yet the pain was momentary, because her warmth as a friend overwhelmed them. They were made into her subordinates, and she took care of them like they were family.

“Let’s see here… Hm, Tess and Yuriko seem to be absent…” Aimi muttered as she stood atop of a small stack of chairs, counting the near-identical delinquents gathered in front of her. “Guess they’ve got business to take care of. Can’t blame them, it’s been one hell of a month.”

Her subordinates started to nod amongst themselves, each relaying a different story about why the two weren’t here, before the redheaded leader just shook her head. “Listen. It doesn’t matter why they’re not here. They’re with us, no matter where they are. And that’s good enough for me.”

As they all nodded in agreement, the leader’s eyes fell upon a short brown-haired member of her gang, grinning a little as the girl smiled back at her. That girl, Anna? The latest member that joined their gang? The girl who had been pushing herself to her limits to try and find purpose in her life? No more of that overexertion. She was happy to have kindred spirits in everyone around her, and especially her Boss.

The Boss laughed as she looked at all of her subordinates, stretching a little as she jumped down from her stack of chairs, leaving a small hole in the ground from the force of her impact.. “Everyone! Keep up the great work! Keep being who you want to be, and we’ll support you as much as we can! Isn’t that right?!”

“Yeah!”

The cheers from the crowd erupted as they all spread out. Meeting like this, outside the school they all studied at, was a routine that had begun the moment Aimi started. And a routine that constantly got interrupted thanks to a certain girl, though that girl hadn’t shown up for quite some time.

Slowly but surely, the delinquents spread out and headed back home. Every single one of them personally thanked their Boss for everything, just like they did every other day. Because that’s how they showed their appreciation for her.

And yet, watching them all leave, there was a tinge of worry inside the short boss’ heart. The slightest inch of nervousness. What would happen to them all if she was gone? She wanted them all to stand on their feet, but by enforcing her will on them and molding them into perfect delinquents… Didn’t she make them horribly dependent instead of letting them grow?

The redheaded girl sighed as she turned towards the chairs, kicking them into a pile as smoke started to pour from her ears. She really didn’t like it when her mind was trying to talk sense into her. Seriously, she didn’t start her gang just to end up thinking about the philosophical and ethical qualms of using her will like this.

Especially not after what her dad had done. That asshole, tossing her to the wayside just because she didn’t fit his plans. She’d show him what it meant to have a family. Even if she had to make her own.

“My my. Such violent emotion. To think that Lady D’Or would find it fitting to send me here instead of dear Spider.”

Aimi’s eyes widened a little as she heard a voice caress her ears, and as soon as she turned around, she found herself staring into a pair of crimson eyes that buried deep into her soul.

“Good evening, little Mama.” The blonde woman standing behind her smiled as she slowly cupped her cheek. “Those girls of yours, they’re quite the group, are they not?” She said, a subtle tinge of seduction lingering in her words. “It would be a shame to see them leave the nest prematurely, when you could keep them at your side until the very end…”

The delinquent clenched her fist a little, her body partly paralyzed by the woman’s presence. And her succulent words. “You’re… You’re one of those weird women that’ve been causing problems all over the city…” She muttered, her eyes slowly dimming as she listened to her.

“How well-informed. As expected of a girl with such a sturdy, yet vulnerable heart.” The red-clad woman said, gently curtsying with her free hand. “Baroness Bat, here to grant you the Golden Freedom you deserve, Mama Aimi.” She chimed, as she slowly raised her hand to reveal a golden ring wrapped around her ringfinger…

Only to narrowly avoid a punch aimed squarely at her face, the woman bursting into an array of bats as she re-constructed herself at a safe distance. And even then, it was clear that she was barely able to do it in time, the slightest hint of a scratch visible on her cheek.

Aimi shook her arm as the color filled her eyes once more. Not only that, but a fire lit itself behind them. “You think you’re going to trick me into one of your crummy deals? When you’ve been turning people into Monsters? The kind of Monsters that don’t respect anybody!?” She shouted at the villainess, spitting at the ground in pure disgust. “It’s a damn shame you didn’t expect somebody to spill the beans. It’s thanks to her that I’m ready for scum like you!”

“Somebody to spill the beans, you say?” Bat smiled as she regained her composure, carefully wiping away the hint of blood that had pushed out of her scratch. “Yes, I do suppose we’ve been a bit reckless. But that doesn’t matter.” She said, her expression remaining as calm as ever as she held her hand out and revealed a ring identical to the one she wore around her finger. “You can join us, Mama Aimi. And keep them eternally in your arms.”

The delinquent dashed forward, veins bulging along her arm as she put all of her power into her fist. “I’ll do you one better, scum! You need time in my arms to put you on the right path, age be damned!” Even a villain like her, at least according to Aimi’s own experience, shouldn’t be able to withstand a punch like this one. It would reduce her to a state where she’d follow orders… And from there, she could fix her.

At least, that’s what she hoped for. But the punch didn’t meet its mark. It didn’t even get close to the woman that taunted her with that terrible offer. No, it was caught a few feet away from her, courtesy of a cloaked figure.

“The hell!?” Aimi shouted as she tried to yank her arm back, but the stranger’s grip was strong. Strong enough to dig painfully into the back of her hand and make her shout into the sky, a trembling sensation pouring through her.

Who the hell was this guy? When she had a chat with Saki about the people that had been causing problems around the city, she only got info on this bat bitch, a spider bitch and a real perverted snake! And this chump didn’t fit the other two descriptions! Besides, there was only one girl that could beat her, and she hadn’t been by in weeks! How come this nobody had more strength than her!?

“There you are. Took you quite some time, my dear.” Bat chimed towards the new arrival, smiling as she rested her head on the palm of her hand. “Remember, don’t break her. Our plans require them to be themselves, at least in spirit. They can’t just be remade in our image.”

Her words reached the cloaked individual, who responded by reaching forward with their other hand. Their golden, ornate hand. And as it wrapped around the redheaded girl’s head, she could feel that sensation pouring through her even harder. Like all of her attempts to struggle were being suppressed, and those worrying feelings from earlier were intensifying…

“D-Damnit… I don’t want to lose them..!”

As Aimi’s feelings were forcibly brought to a boiling point, a golden glow started to seep out from the mysterious individual’s hands, spreading it onto the delinquent as it slowly but surely put her into a cocoon. One made of pure Jõtai energy, not unlike if she had been forced to wear one herself.

The cloaked figure let go and stepped back, joining the blonde villainess at her side as the cocoon cracked bit by bit. All while they looked at their hands, those golden hands, clenching them as the same energy poured through.

Once the cocoon had cracked completely, out stepped Aimi. And thanks to the Jõtai energy, she had naturally been turned into yet another Jõtaijin, just like the ones she had been warned about. A Monster fueled by her own emotions, twisted into a wonderful form.

Her familial need to keep her delinquents close had matured her body. She now towered over both the mysterious individual and the villainess, though only by a head or so. Her muscles were less defined, but it was clear that she wasn’t even close to being any weaker. All of it just went towards keeping her nice and curvaceous instead.

With that curvature, and with her delinquency still in full effect, the only garments she wore were her bindings, keeping some amount of modesty on her figure, as well as her jacket and her hat. Everything else didn’t matter to her, as she wanted to shower her girls in as much of her physical affection as she could.

The Kanji that had adorned her forehead was now replaced with one for ‘Mother’, as she softly smiled and clenched her fist. She could feel the freedom to carry out her wants and needs…

And so she turned towards the city behind her, letting out a delighted sigh as she walked into the night. She had many girls to pull back into her arms… And the night was still young.

Bat smiled a little herself as she looked to her companion, satisfied with another succesful night. Their new ally had proven herself quite useful.

Now, for the second phase of their plan to begin…

---

There was a burning question in Mikai’s mind. One that had been dwelling there ever since she started getting back to normal.

What clothes should she be wearing when she doesn’t need to go to school? She had those nice striped socks that her dad gave her, and she really did like them when she was all bad in the brain, but… That was just one thing. And she didn’t really know what was good in terms of fashion, that was more the type of thing she asked Yumeko for. And even she wasn’t the best with it.

“Hmmmm…” The sandy-blonde girl muttered to herself as she rapidly rubbed her chin, narrowing her eyes as she let them scroll past the various types of shirts and skirts and pants and so on and so forth.

All while ignoring the big Predator standing in front of her trying to block her view. “Mikai. Mikaaaaai. I know you can see me. You can’t just keep ignoring me.” Chimera spoke up, refusing to get out of the way.

“Maybe a cute striped shirt… No, that’s too many stripes.” Mikai muttered as she continued staring straight into the lion-maned girl’s abs, literally unable to look past them and look at the actual clothes.

Chimera gently plonked the girl on the head and used the claws on her other hand to force her to look up at her face. “Mikai. No beating around the bush. We have to talk about that fight.”

“What’s there to talk about?” The girl said, tilting her head a bit. “Hiro didn’t fight me just to hurt me. She fought so we could see how far we could go.” She said, as her head quietly tried to right itself and look straight into those abs again. Well, the abs that were there. Was she getting a bit pudgy, or was that the bear stuff? Honestly, the Predator’s evolution was getting harder and harder for her to understand.

The bigger woman shook her head silently. She knew not to worry, since she wanted to trust the girl. But that was still a bit over the line. “I can’t believe I have to keep asking you this, because its getting a bit much at this point. But are you absolutely, positively, swear-on-your-heart sure that you trust that woman? Even after she blasted you out of a wall?”

“Mmhm! 100%!” Mikai giggled as she threw her hands behind her head. “But, uhhhh…” She paused, tilting her head a bit to the other direction. “Remember how you kinda moved my body against Nanae?”

Chimera nodded as she got out of the way, taking a seat on the girl’s bed and stretching both her arms and her wings to get the tension out of them. “I do. It hurt a lot, but it was worth it to see you safe.” She said, wincing a bit as she remembered the blows she took. Controlling the girl’s body was difficult, and getting hurt during it was basically a ticket straight to hell if she didn’t focus hard enough on keeping herself together.

“What if you did that again, but when she’s near? Then you could tell her how upset you are!” The sandy-blonde girl giggled. She thought she had just come up with the most clever idea to get the two to be friends…

The Predator laughed in turn before shaking her head. “No way. I’m not going to use you to deal with her.” She replied, knowing that her problems were minor compared to the ones that they faced every week. “But, I’m glad you thought about it, Mikai. I just hope she’ll stop trying to do terrible things to you.”

Mikai nodded and gave her passenger a thumbs up as she slowly vanished into the back of her mind once more, before turning back towards the clothes in her closet.

She couldn’t think of anything to wear, unfortunately. She’d have to give this a try another day. But for now…

“Mom? What’s for breakfast?” The sandy-blonde girl asked as she dashed downstairs, smiling like she did every day.

Her mom, Kaoru, was taking a sip from her coffee as the silence of her living room was broken by her adorable daughter. “Just a bit of toasted bread today honey. I’ve got a bit of work I need to have done by tonight, and I forgot to buy any cereal when we last shopped. Hope that’s fine.” The black-haired woman said, a little sad she couldn’t get her daughter her favorite breakfast.

“That’s fine, Mom! As long as you made it, it’s good enough for me!” Mikai chimed as she skipped over and pecked her mom on the cheek, bringing a happy blush to both their faces.

As the young girl grabbed her toast and almost ran off right then and there, her mom took the moment to stop her by snapping her fingers. “One moment, Mikai.”

“Mm? What’s up, Mom?” The young girl asked, lips currently cradling the corner of her toast, despite the fact the bread had just popped out of the toaster seconds ago.

Kaoru motioned towards a game she had put up on a shelf. One of her favorite childhood RPGs, all about a family not unlike their own. “How about we play together, when you get home? It’s been a while since we’ve both just sat down and had a bit of fun, what with all the friends you’ve been making.”

“Sure! I can’t wait, Mom!” Mikai laughed as she sprinted right out the door. Mom was right, she hadn’t been spending enough time with her. She had to make up for that, and what better way than to indulge in one of Mom’s hobbies? It was the best plan!

The black-haired woman sighed sweetly as she watched her daughter run out, silently sipping from her cup before wincing a little. She was never a fan of coffee, but… Well, she needed it for what she had to do today.

Speaking of which, she should be getting to work. Hopefully the data she needed would be dropped off sooner rather than later.

---

Fists flew through the air. Feet smashed against one another. Sparks were shed as two women put their all into a fight with their lives on the line.

On one side, Hiro Fukano, dressed in her PAWN armor. Her body already on the verge of overclocking, the green energies powering the entire thing threatening to grow volatile if she kept up this pace.

And her opponent, one of the ‘Saint Beasts’ of Atlas Corp. Genbu. The greying old woman who served as the head of all sorts of construction. If the building and its influence needed to expand, she was the one to call. Whether due to her grandmotherly disposition or her natural strength.

Both were glaring directly at one another as their bodies clashed against one another. Hiro’s mechanized fists smashing against the powerful scale-covered hands of the older woman, while her swift kicks were met with the steel-like thickness of her legs.

She was getting nowhere. She wasn’t making a dent in the older woman’s defenses. No matter how much power she pumped into her suit, there didn’t seem to be a path through. Even if she whipped out one of her finishers, she’d just end up paralyzed or disabled as her suit tried to keep itself from overheating and destroying itself completely.

“Current output lowering to 30%. Consider retreating, Hiro.”

Huanglong’s voice echoed through her ears as the relevant information displayed on her screen. Every part of her suit had been severely damaged. And Genbu stood there, still calm and collected, even grinning at her as if to taunt her.

“I can’t back down. I have to push through!” Hiro shouted as the energies in her armor started to intensify. “Huanglong! Activate the subroutine, NOW!”

The older woman raised an eyebrow as the green energies in her younger opponent’s body started to glow a gentle gold. She was growing quite quickly. But would she break past her defenses like this?

“Show me what you’ve got, Hiro!” Genbu shouted, dashing straight towards the woman. If she had what it took, she could break past this attack. If not..!

“DESPERAD-”

Just as Hiro screamed, the energies in her suit went dead, causing her transformation to be undone. Leaving her at the mercy of the older woman’s attack, her fist flying towards her face.

The heroine closed her eyes and winced, only for that arm to find its way around her instead, lifting her into the older woman’s arms as she managed to leave her completely unscathed. All while smiling so softly, like she always did.

Now, if only she could cut it out with the grandmotherly carries. It made her feel more ashamed than… Well, most things. It was comforting, and yet patronizing at the same time. Besides, these training sessions were supposed to be like everything was on the line. The fact she was prepared like this meant that she was still holding back, despite how much of a wall she had already proven to be.

“Seems like you’re outgrowing the system faster than Byakko’s been expecting.” Genbu chimed as she slowly let the black-and-white-haired woman back down onto her feet. “I remember when you tried out the system for the first time against me. You barely lasted a minute before you overclocked it and ended up needing a break for the rest of the day!”

Hiro narrowed her eyes as she dusted herself off, looking down to the gauntlet on her arm. “Huanglong, what caused it to break?” She asked, trying to ignore the cheery way the older woman talked about her past.

“Conflicts between the two moves.” The miniscule replica of her boss appeared on her wrist as it paced back and forth while explaining. “To use Desperado, you overclock your entire system. But to utilize Thunderbolt or Checkmate, you also overload those specific parts of your system to safe levels. In short, you short circuit your transformation before you even get close to firing one of them off.”

The white-clad woman frustratedly shook her head. This wasn’t good at all. How was she going to keep pace with their enemies if she kept running into problems like these? Not only that, but if she ever were to fight a Monster like Genbu, then she wouldn’t be able to push through even before she used Desperado.

“Very well. You’re dismissed, Huanglong. Do… do whatever AI like you do, when they’re not asleep.” She muttered, terminating the youthful looking boy’s digital construct as she looked towards the greying woman, who was currently busy wiping away a bit of sweat.

Genbu sighed softly as she tossed away her soaked towel. “I must say, Hiro, it was a wonderful idea to try and spar with me every week. You can mark off progress, and I can get these old bones a workout. It’s not every day that Atlas wants me to expand upon his projects, after all!”

Despite her advanced age, the ‘Black Turtle’ of the Saint Beasts was no slouch in terms of physical fitness. So much so that she always showed it off, keeping her company-mandated suit halfway off at all times, the jacket wrapped around her waist as she showed off her bulging scale-covered arms. Combine that with the fact that she personally worked alongside the people working under her, helping them carry the heavy bricks and everything else they needed to build the structures Atlas ordered? She was a model of perfect aging fitness...

“I’m glad you’re enjoying all of this, Lady Genbu.” Hiro said as she slowly winced. She could feel her muscles crying out in pure distaste for what she had been doing. Great. As if she didn’t have enough of a headache due to how badly she had performed against her.

Genbu smiled and patted the younger woman on the head, winking a little. “Don’t worry. I can tell you’ve got a lot on your mind. Just let me know ahead of time who you’ve been seeing, and I can pull a string or two to make sure you two have the best evening imaginable.”

“...That’s not it at all, Lady Genbu.” The black-and-white-haired woman remarked, only for the older woman to ignore as she had already started to leave. Casually waving goodbye to her, her mind already made up.

Hiro slowly rubbed her forehead in frustration as she started walking out the other side of the training room, her mind already racing. She had plenty that she needed to get through before she considered her day done, and some of these duties involved a certain somebody…

“Ah, Hiro. Just the woman I was looking for.”

Unfortunately, her day was about to get much worse in a matter of seconds, as she saw her direct opposite standing in the doorway. As if Genbu misunderstanding her pursuit of power wasn’t bad enough.

The woman grinning at her was dressed in a suit that was so unlike everyone else in Atlas Corp. A black suit with a red undershirt, and a complete lack of the company’s insignia anywhere on her body. Combine that with her hair being a direct opposite of the heroine’s, by having short white hair with a few black stripes woven between the main white strings, and she looked like she was just a copy of Hiro with the colors inverted. Though her crimson eyes would serve to disprove that.

“Qilin. What do you want?” Hiro did her very best to not raise her tone more than necessary. She didn’t want to escalate this to a proper fight. But there was something about this woman that always unsettled her. Ever since she joined a month or so after the Luna Descent…

The woman known as Qilin smiled from ear to ear. “Just checking up on your current progress. I can’t have the boss’ pet project going up in flames just because you’re being a little rough with it.” Just hearing her speak was enough to make shivers run down the other woman’s spine. It always felt like she knew way more than she let on.

“It’s made to be durable, Qilin. If you’re keeping such a close eye on it, you should know that.” The black-and-white-haired woman shot back, before crossing her arms. “There’s another reason you’re here. And it better not be because you saw something you shouldn’t have.”

“Oh, no, it’s got nothing to do with your little Mimoto Shrine.” Yep, she knew. Of course she did. And she didn’t even treat it like a big deal. Honestly, this woman… “But it does have something to do with that girl.”

Qilin slowly walked out of the doorway, holding up a single card as she passed by the heroine. “I arranged something with Lady Byakko. A little room for you and her. To make it easier for the two of you to contact one another.”

“A room? How’d you do that without her permission?” Hiro replied, swiping the card from the white-and-black-haired woman’s hand, furrowing her brow as it really depicted nothing. It was a blank card, just used for theatrics.

She didn’t get an answer. In fact, just as quickly as she had arrived… Qilin disappeared. Another reason why Hiro hated her. She never answered anything, preferring to just trick the people around her. And Atlas gave her full permission to do so.

...Regardless, the gesture was useful. Knowing Byakko, the room could be accessed by anybody involved in the Golden Freedom case. It would make it a lot easier to work with Mikai from that point forward.

She did owe her a deep briefing considering how she had fought her just a week prior. That, and introducing her to Byakko and Seiryu might do them some good. That, or they’d get driven mad by her just like she was.

Hopefully she wouldn’t have to deal with any Jõtajin today, her body was still aching after that misfire.

---

"You know, Tsubasa. I didn't think that you'd come along for something like this. Aren't you a little too behind on studying?"

"I-I am. But I want to try and help out too. It's not right that Mikai does all the work. It's... You know, when you have to keep a secret as big as hers, you have to take some sort of responsibility."

"You do? The heroes that you keep showing me don't really do that, Tsubasa."

"Mikai's right. You sure you don't have another reason why you want to help out?"

"C-Cut me a bit of slack for wanting to help..."

Walking down the corridors of Mimoto Highschool were the triad of friends, Mikai, Tsubasa and Yumeko. While lessons were still scheduled, class was cancelled for their elective, which meant that they had extra time on their hands. Time that Mikai wanted to use to keep an eye on the students that had once been turned into Jötaijin.

It was for that reason that they were heading into a more isolated part of the school. It made sense why it was isolated, due to the lingering effects of being transformed into a Jõtaijin, but that didn't mean the place had to seem so dreary.

"Ehehe..:" Mikai chimed as she turned towards her bespectacled friend, a bright grin on her face. "It's good that you want to help, you just don't need to make an excuse, Tsubasa! I'm sure they'll be happy to see somebody like you!" The positive beams radiating off her form reflected her mood. Always so chipper, regardless of the situation...

Tsubasa pushed his glasses up a bit as he reached towards the book he usually carried with him. "W-Well." He muttered, his eyes kept hidden by the glare of the sun shining in through the window and reflecting off the lens. "It... It'd also give me some ideas for the stories I want to write. The Jõtaijin are... really inspiring..."

"You can just say you want to know what they can do so you can twist it into something horny, Tsubasa." Yumeko said as she gently patted him on the shoulder. "Mikai's not going to get it anyway."

True to what the black-haired student said, Mikai just tilted her head, only to walk backward a bit too much as she bumped into a wall and let out a cute yelp in surprise. Adorably stupid was one way to describe the girl, even if her heart was in the right place.

"You're not wrong, Yumeko." Tsubasa said as he sighed and let his book hang down by his waist again, still holding it with one hand. "But that doesn't mean I want to say it. Y-You know what'd happen if I do."

Yumeko nodded and chuckled, pinching his cheek a little. "I know. Even if you're no better than them, you don't want to admit it. Don't worry, you're better than you think you are. Just like they're better than they think they are."

Mikai nodded along to what Yumeko was talking about, even if she didn't quite understand what had sparked this turn. "You're great, Tsubasa! Don't forget it!" She grinned, giving him an exaggerated thumbs up as she spun around and turned towards the end of the hallway, a single door visible from where they were standing.

Satisfied with their answers, Tsubasa just blushed a bit and adjusted his glasses. "S-So. The... W-What was the club called again..?" He muttered as they came closer to the door.

"Jõtaijin Recovery and Support Group. Even though it's supposed to be a Club for them to spend time together in, somebody decided to call it a group." Yumeko explained, chuckling a bit. "I mean, if things end up going so wrong that we get more Jõtaijin from outside the school, might not be a bad idea to preemptively call it something like this."

Mikai frowned but nodded. She didn't want other people to end up like the boys and girls that she had fought had. Except if they ended up like Azami and Alyssa. They had managed to power through their transformations and gotten a good life out of it. At least after the former stopped pouring her drink all over her friends, and her only line to the latter was through Agatha so she couldn't really verify if she was managing to power through life now that she had been changed...

As the three stopped right in front of the door, it comically slammed open as a marble-skinned girl went rolling out through it, parts of her body chipping off as she roughly tumbled along the finely tiled floor. All while the three friends just stood there and watched it all unfold...

Mikai and Yumeko were quick to recognize her, especially after the girl leapt back onto her feet and started to shake all over the place to make sure that she wasn't too hurt. It was Mumei-chan. The girl that had taken the forbidden deal that fateful day. And the girl that had been the first one to taste Mikai's foot in her path of heroism. Though she had lost a lot of the muscle that came with her transformation into a Jõtaijin, the marble that made up her body still remained. And it wouldn't be a surprise to them if she could pull out another roman sword or something as violent should push come to shove.

"Mikai!" Mumei-chan giggled as she tran towards the sandy-blonde girl, practically pouncing on top of her like an excited puppy. Which she kind of way, considering the wolf-like ears jutting out of her head mimicking the same kind of hair intakes that Mikai had as well as a rapidly wagging tail that just wouldn't stop once it had started. "I could hear you talking, so I just had to come see you, ehehe!"

The young heroine giggled as she managed to catch her rather heavy and incredibly hard friend, wrapping her arms around her and giving her a nice hug and a snuggle while her friends were watching. "Glad to see you again too, Mumei-chan! I hope you didn't break the door when you went rolling through it!" Her priorities were completely skewed, but that was the kind of girl that Mikai was.

Tsubasa took a look at the door to check while the two were busy, before feeling a bit of sweat running down the side of his head. The door had... Well it was barely holding on by one of its hinges. That's what happens when a human-sized rocky dog bursts on through...

"I'm glad to see that you're doing well, Mumei-chan." Yumeko added, her keen gaze staring straight at the rocky dog who refused to look back at her without twitching ever so slightly. "No hard feelings. I know you must've been going through a lot by that point."

Not a single tear was shed from Mumei-chan's face as she heard those words, but the way that her tail wagged even faster said more than she needed to.

Once she had finished pouring all of her love onto Mikai like the great friend that she was, she got off the sandy-blonde girl and cleared her throat, adjusting the badge on her uniform and bowing before her visitors. "Welcome to the Jötaijin Recovery and Support Group's main office! I, Mumei-chan, serve as the leader and representative of the former Jõtaijin as we do our best to reintegrate with society with none of the bad parts of our transformation intact!" She gave the most official spiel that she could, before nervously lifting herself back up and rubbing her fingertip against her cheek. "Is... Is what I would be saying, if we actually had more people here."

Mikai raised her eyebrow a bit before walking straight into the room belonging to the JRSG, only to completely understand as there were barely anybody inside. Just a young man hovering over somebody laying comfortably in the padded corner, keeping a nice eye on him.

"Where are they?" She asked as she turned towards Mumei-chan, a question that made Tsubasa slightly deflate as he had hoped to get some good material. Seems like he had gone all this way for nothing, if this was what ended up happening.

Before Mumei-chan could answer, Yumeko took the chance. "They probably don't want to be associated with their peers just yet. Shimo-senpai's the exception rather than the rule. And if one of them ends up going mad... While they can all help one another, they can also cause each other to spiral. Isn't that right, Mumei-chan?"

"S-Something like that." The marble-skinned girl replied, a bit of sweat running down the side of her head. "Charlotta-sensei's being doing a lot to try and help us, but she's just one woman. And some of the others don't really feel like they belong with people like us." She explained, deflating a bit. "Aaaah... I really wanted more friends, but it all just circled around and left me almost as alone as before. huh?"

Mikai patted her friend on the back. "Just keep at it! You know how I was when we met, and look!" She chimed and pulled all three of her friends into a hug. "I've made great friends because of it! You just have to keep trying, Mumei-chan!"

This made Mumei-chan light up, so much so that her eyes nearly peeked out from under her hair. "Mmmhm! You're right, Mikai!" She giggled. Seeing her smile was something that could bring a little warmth to anybody. Especially the girl that had fought against her once before.

Even Yumeko couldn't help but smile. Yes, this was why she had come along. To see that smile once again. Always such a delight. And to see Tsubasa squirming because he really wasn't a big fan of being stuck in these kinds of hugs. Teasing him was also such a fun time.

Mikai let go of her friends and headed into the actual room, taking it all in. Examining every little nook and cranny with her eyes, enjoying the sights as she walked deeper and deeper. Though none of it really stuck because it was really just a common room that had gone through a few renovations, to the point where they had a couple of beds already stocked up in every corner so they could sleep in the room if need be.

The only thing that stood out was the pile of beanbag chairs that were piled up in the corner. The very same corner containing somebody that she hadn't seen before, and a sleepy boy that she had also once fought against. Or rather, a sleepy sheep that was definitely covered in wool and not in fluff.

As she and the other two approached, Mumei-chan keeping to the back as she continued her regular duties like cleaning and sorting things away so they had homework they could accomplish, Tsubasa couldn't help but tremble a bit as he noticed the former Sleepy Sheep. He had been trying to convert him after all. Maybe this trip would give him ideas after all... The bad kind of ideas...

"Oh?" The man hovering over the sleepy boy looked to the triad with a smile. He had short black hair, and wore a matching black suit with a red tie. He looked more like the boy's parent than anything else, but he couldn't be. They only looked about seven years apart. "My my. I didn't expect Hachiro's friends to show up."

"Hachiro?" Mikai tilted her head, before Yumeko whispered into her ear and explained everything. "R-Right, yes! We're all Hachiro's friends, and we just wanted to check up on him. We've been really worried since he turned!"

The young suited man laughed a bit as he patted the sandy-blonde on the head, an understanding look in his eyes. "It's fine. I know." He said, pulling back and adjusting his tie a bit. "I am Ichiro Tachibana. Heir to the Tachibana Foundation. Hachiro is the eighth in the line, and the youngest of us. As the eldest, despite my Father wishing for me to avoid getting close to a 'vile Monster', I wanted to make sure that he was doing alright. Just like I do to my other six siblings."

Tsubasa gasped. The Tachibana Foundation was one of the few bodies that stuck around in Mimoto that could compete against Atlas Corp. And from there, they were able to carve out their own niche. One of their main exports were movies that were... Schlocky, to say the least, but they sold well enough that they were able to make more than enough capital to sit comfortably for themselves. And those very same movies were some that he had grown up on, so... Well, to come face to face with another person he idolized... He just couldn't stop himself from blushing and trembling as he tried to figure out what he was supposed to say.

Yumeko just smiled. It was nice to see Ichiro keeping up the spirit of a good brother. Given what she had seen of him, he did give off that vibe. It wasn't a surprise to her either to hear that his Father practically wanted to disown the boy. But she kept softly smiling as she looked down at the sleeping boy, the sight soothing her as it always did...

"Oh! Oh, that's a lot of siblings." Mikai said the obvious, before grinning from ear to ear. "I'm sure they love you a lot, Ichiro! If I had a big brother like you, I'm sure I would!"

"They certainly do." Ichiro replied, running his hand through his hair a bit. "I do wish I was more like them. To be freed from the shackles of my responsibility as the Heir, while they're free to do anything... It makes me a bit envious. But I shoulder that responsibility. Just so they can all smile."

'Lucky kid.' Chimera's voice echoed through Mikai's head as the predator from ages past leaned her head over her shoulder. 'Not only does he just get to sleep because of what he turned into, he has a great person to look up to. Maybe if you had been his little sister, things would've been different.'

'Yeah, but then I wouldn't have met you, Chimera.' Mikai thought back as she idly flicked her mental friend's nose, all while her body seemed to space out while she interacted with her partner. 'It might've sucked to lose myself for so long, but I got you out of it, so it's all worth it! You're the best somebody like me could ask for!'

Chimera snickered as her body started to turn translucent. 'Butter me up more, and I might just stuff you into a burrito made out of your covers so I can snuggle you until you remember that you're just as great, Mikai!' Their bond was strong. And it would only continue to grow stronger as the days passed on by...

Just as she snapped back to reality, listening to Yumeko idly chat with the older youth, she heard something vibrating, and she quickly started to paw through her clothes to try and find the source. Where did she put her phone again..?

"Right here." Yumeko said as she held the vibrating phone. "You told me to hold onto it, in case somebody ended up calling you." She explained, handing the phone over to the absent-minded girl with a smile on her face as always.

Mikai grinned and pecked her friend on the cheek before dashing out of the room so she could get a bit of privacy with her call. All while Yumeko turned back towards Ichiro and put a hand on Tsubasa's shoulder, making the quiet and frozen boy jolt.

"Ichiro, my friend is a very big fan of your movies. Might we be able to get an autograph..?"

---

The moment that Mikai picked up the call, a screen appeared in front of her face as the Atlas Corp logo flashed by her eyes. And a few seconds passed after that as she saw a familiar face and one that seemed nice if a bit grumpy? It was definitely a kitty's face, that was all that she could tell.

"Good afternoon, Mikai Fushimi. I am Byakko, technical head at Atlas Corp, and I work closely with Hiro in regards to the current Jõtaijin issues plaguing Mimoto." The white-suited grey-haired kitty spoke as she rested her elbows on the desk in front of her, glaring into the source of her feed. "I have to apologize for the sudden contact, but Hiro and I decided that it would be best if you were inducted into the proper process. That way, we can get around any problems that might arise from a lack of communication between the two of you."

Mikai tilted her head for a bit, before the familiar skunk-haired woman spoke up. "It means that you're getting info that I might've not told you about, just so we can rely on each other with more confidence. The less I have to worry about when I'm practically unable to stand thanks to the way that I've been training, the better." Hiro boiled it down to the essentials, knowing what Mikai could and could not understand.

"Oh! So the nice kitty's here to tell me what I need to do so we can work together better!" Mikai giggled, waving towards the image on screen. Only to then pause as she looked at her phone, then at the screen, and then slowly tilted her head as she genuinely didn't know how this worked.

Byakko twitched a bit as she was being called a kitty, before clearing her throat. "I can see you're still a bit bewildered about the way all of this works. Let's refer to it as a way to apply the same technology that allows Hiro to transform into PAWN, as well as the same energy that allows you to transform into Mimoto, Mikai. Going into more detail, given what Hiro has told me about you, would just result in your brain frying itself."

As Mikai nodded and mostly understood it, Hiro let her head rest on one of her palms as she peered into the feed. "Anyway. This was really just a quick call to keep you informed. If you ever need to contact one of us, you just need to think of this feed, and it should open up the interface so we can talk together. It'll also allow us to communicate indirectly during combat, should we need to wordlessly plan out something."

"Don't worry about it being hacked or hijacked in any way either." Byakko spoke up with a grin. "I made sure that no hacker, no matter how much experience they have under their belt, can't possibly break in. It's a fool proofed system that will never be busted into. No matter who's behind the attack. Whether its those reprehensible Golden Freedom freaks, or something that requires less of our attention, only a certified Atlas Corp employee with enough clearance has access. So that would be myself, Hiro, and very few others-"

Just as she started to prattle on about the security, another figure appeared on the group-call interface, a woman who seemed awfully pleased by the way she smiled at the camera. Combine that with her rather fashionable getup, and the golden tint to her eyes, and she seemed like she didn't belong there. Mostly because she didn't seem to have anything that identified her as a part of Atlas Corp. No gaudy emblems, no white suits. And the fact that both Hiro and Byakko were reacting adversely to her presence.

"My my. Did I drop in on something I shouldn't have?" The woman spoke, giggling as she peered into the eyes of her enemies. "I do apologize. But I just couldn't stop myself from seeing Mimoto with my very own eyes. Especially when she's been trying so hard to stop my plans."

"D'Or!" Hiro shouted as she slammed her fist against the table. "How did you get in here!? No, scratch that, I don't care how. WHY did you come in here?!"

"Who's she?" Mikai asked, a little blush on her cheek. She was really pretty. But she knew who she was, so there were very few options in her head. Could she be the human form of... Spider? No, too pretty. Bat was likely, but...

Byakko grit her teeth. "Lady D'Or. Leader of Golden Freedom, and the culprit behind this entire incident. Even ten years ago, when the incident was in its infancy, she was the one bringing Monsters into the city to try and accomplish her agenda. I trust it's still the same its ever been?"

"Almost." Lady D'Or said, before holding up three fingers. "For the time being, I'll be leaving dear Mimoto with three gifts. The first should arrive very soon... In fact, why don't we take a look? I'm sure you'll all enjoy the show, because we've been working very hard on making sure you'd be satisfied."

As she spoke, the screen that displayed their call started to jitter and flicker, slowly shifting it into what seemed to be a camera's viewpoint. A direct feed to... The space that were used for track and field? What was so important back there..?

And why was Agatha and Yua there?

---

"Alright, Hokori. You wanted me to come all the way out here. What for?"

"Welll.... It's about that friend of yours. Mikai..."

"If you wanted to get something done with her, you really should've just gone to her. Yes, we're friends, but that doesn't mean we're good friends."

"That's a shame. I really think you would've gotten along with her very well once we were done..."

Standing in the middle of the space meant for Gym classes were an unlikely pair. On one side was the stout and strong Agatha Anemone, who still insisted that she wasn't as close to Mikai as she really was. Mostly because she had to still work against her irrational initial dislike for the girl, and it was a continuing process even about a month later.

The other was the former Pawn and theatre kid, Yua Hokori. The green-haired girl was coping with her Pawn Syndrome in her own way, considering she wore a latex suit at all possible times. The only thing that made her any different from the common Pawn was the way that she wore her uniform over her clothes, and the fact that she didn't have those obnoxiously large domes that most of the Pawns wore.

But there was definitely something wrong with her. Which was honestly the reason why Agatha had bothered to follow her, the blonde clenching her fist a bit as she kept her cool. "We were done? What exactly are you talking about, Hokori?"

Yua just giggled as slowly but surely, several more girls like her stared to approach. But the main difference between her and them was the way that they were dressed. They had all torn their uniforms open down the middle, wearing them like a delinquent would a jacket. The cloth idly blowing in the wind as they giggled just like Yua. They were even clad in the same sort of latex suit as she was, as if they were all suffering from Pawn Syndrome... or had been outright turned into Pawns...

Agatha shot glares at every single one of the girls. It was hard to distingush them from one another. All they looked like were common delinquents. But they were different from the kind that hung around at school. Different, yet so similar. What did this mean, exactly? Had some Monster managed to take over the leader, or had she gotten turned, or...

"Mama!"

Each of the delinquents cried out as they looked to their leader, Agatha's own head pivoting as she looked in the same direction. And once she laid her eyes on the approaching woman, she couldn't help but blush a bit as she immediately recognized her. Of course she did, the girl was just as esteemed as she was, but the radical change in aesthetic was a bit much even for somebody like her.

Aimi Sasaki, the leader of the delinquents, was approaching. No longer was she a short runt who had more than enough strength pouring through her body to control anybody. She was a buxom maternal beauty who wore nothing except for her jacket and her hat. The only things that served to protect her modesty and keep her bosom from bouncing all over the place were her usual bindings, which now also wrapped around her waist to protect her down there.

"Good work, my dears." Aimi chimed as she stepped closer, approaching Agatha with a soft smile on her face. "And hello, Agatha. I'm glad to see you doing well. I wouldn't want to see you hurting, considering how much you've suffered thanks to your family. Just like I have..."

"Who are you and what did you do with Aimi?" Agatha didn't hesitate to resist what she saw in front of her. This wasn't the same girl that she had fought a couple of times when they were younger. This wasn't the girl that had been ostracized by her family because of what she looked like when she left the womb. And it wasn't just because of the changes to her body that she knew this. It was because Aimi's signature 'Parent' kanji which always adorned her forehead had been replaced with the kanji for 'Mother'. Stupid as her plan for people were, she would never be so brazen.

Aimi tilted her head as Agatha tried to back away from her. "Hold her, dear." 'Mama' told her 'child', and Yua smiled and obeyed as she tried to grab ahold of her blonde friend. An action that got her pinned against the ground as Agatha grabbed her back and slammed her down, disabling her for a moment. "You know, Agatha. All I want to do is see these girls grow up to be the best that they can be. I protect and raise them. Better than their own parents could."

"You always say that." Agatha grit her teeth, glaring straight at the taller woman that wore the skin of her 'friend' like a rag. "But look at where it's led you! You always complained about how much you hated what your family wanted for you! You wanted to be better than them! Is this really better, being just as controlling as they were!?"

Aimi's face started to twitch as she heard those words. "I just want to keep them close and protect them." She affirmed, stepping closer. "I want to protect you as well, Agatha. Your family is-"

"My family doesn't matter!" Agatha shouted as she outright punched the taller woman, sending her sliding a few feet backward. "But yours does! You're like this because of how they abused you! Be better, like you always said you wanted to be! Don't be a hypocrite!"

This was one of the first times that Aimi faced resistance to her grand plan. But she needed to keep going. Otherwise... Otherwise...

The red-headed woman's cheek started to glow gold, the visage of a Scarab slowly making itself apparent. And her eyes glowed gold as well, before her face was completely consumed by the same kind of latex that made Pawns obedient. Upon showing signs of her Jõtaijin mindset breaking, a failsafe kicked in...

"Get her. Mother demands it." The Jõtaijin known as Mother said, the command echoing into the minds of her Pawns. Her dear children. All of them were ready to serve, even in the face of something as excessive as this...

"Yes, Mama!" Each of the delinquents saluted as the kanji for Child appeared on their forehead, before their suits erupted and formed the Pawn domes around their heads, converting them fully. Even Yua was subject to this, the girl saluting on the ground as she was converted into yet another obedient mook.

Agatha grit her teeth. Damnit, she thought she could do what she had done to Alyssa would work again. At least she could toss down with a few of these mooks. All while a single thought ran through her mind.

"Mimoto better get here quick..!"

---

The feed in the group call between heroines and kitty shifted back, D'Or letting out a soft giggle after watching it all unfold. It didn't matter that two of the people in the call were fuming at what she had caused, just that her plan was progressing.

"My my. I didn't expect the present to turn out this neatly wrapped, but this will be something to consider for the future..." D'Or said, winking to Hiro and Mikai as she knew that they'd have a lot more trouble stopping her from this point onward. "But I should let you both contend with this, I'm sure you'll find a way to ruin it like you always do."

Hiro hated her face more than ever. Not only because she had figured out exactly how they worked, but how she set all of this up. She had to have some kind of mole on the inside. Otherwise...

"Why'd you show this to us?"

Mikai's response brought all eyes on her, and Byakko quietly letting her head slam against the desk because she thought the answer was obvious. D'Or just giggled again as she heard that question, before putting her finger to her lips...

"I suppose it's to see how you react to being unable to stop something? This was recorded about thirty minutes ago. I imagine that rich girl might've fallen already, all thanks to how unaware both of you have been. But don't worry. She'll be fixed up once you send her off to therapy... And wash your hands clean of your responsibilities." D'Or's voice leaked the tiniest bit of venom as she spoke. Resentment, towards the two that had ruined her plans again and again.

"Mikai. Evacuate the school. We have to make sure that she doesn't spread her influence further." Hiro spoke up, doing her very best to not erupt into shouting at the woman that had antagonized her for so long. She needed to keep it bottled up. Just so she could-

"No, we have to save her! Both her, and Aimi!" Mikai shouted as she clenched her fist. "She's going to be there. And we gotta hurry! I'll tell Tsubasa and Yumeko to evacuate, you just get here as quickly as you can, Hiro!" Even in the face of the villain taunting her, she wasn't about to give up. Not after seeing somebody she could save. Even if she'd be late!

Hiro paused but smiled. "I'll be right there. Byakko!"

"You two are going to drive me mad. I can already tell." The kitty muttered as her feed shut off, clearly going off to work on whatever Hiro needed to make it to the school as fast as possible.

Hiro gave her partner one more look of pure resolve before shutting off her feed as well. She had to get to work.

"My my. Even when faced with something like this, you still struggle?" D'Or spoke up, the only one remaining in the call, before gently tilting her hat to hide her eyes. "You might just be exactly what we've been waiting for, Mikai. It's just a shame you're on their side..."

"Maybe you should've thought about that before you started turning people into Jõtaijin!" Mikai's resolve burned through her words, before she eased up a bit. "And if you really meant that, then we'll talk. I don't know why you do all of this, but there's gotta be a reason. I want to reach past it and help you out. So you can stop causing problems and earn a clean slate!"

D'Or laughed in the face of this naive approach, before sighing. "Whatever makes you happy, Jõtaider Mimoto. Now go. Try and stop this. I still have two gifts left, after all."

With that, the feed shut off completely. And Mikai had things to do, as she rushed straight back into the Jõtaijin Recovery and Support Group room, accidently knocking loose the door with how fast she ran. The sweat was dripping down her brow as she looked to the four still inside the room, wondering how she should explain...

"Mikai? You look like you've seen a ghost." Yumeko spoke up, while Tsubasa was busy geeking out in the corner. He had clearly been talking a bit too long with Ichiro, considering the stars sparkling free from his head. "...It's time, isn't it?"

The young heroine nodded, prompting a knowing smile from her friend. "Alright." She said, before reaching over and grabbing Tsubasa. "Tsubasa. Mikai's gotta do her thing. There's a Jõtaijin loose."

Ichiro laughed a bit as the excited boy was pryed away from him, before reaching down to grab his sleeping younger brother. "Very well. I suppose you all don't mind if I take Hachiro with me, so that he doesn't get wrapped up in another incident? I'll make sure he's back by tomorrow."

"Not at all. Make sure that he gets the sleep he needs, Ichiro." Yumeko said, bowing respectfully for the older youth, Tsubasa doing the same as he struggled to figure out where he should put all his autographs...

With his brother safe, Ichiro made his exit... Though not before whispering into Mikai's ear. "That responsibility you're bearing... Don't let it weigh you down too much. Fight because you want to, not because you need to." And before she had a chance to ask him how or why he knew what he knew, he had already left the room...

Mumei-chan was slumped over on one of the tables, rolling back and forth a bit. "So... What exactly do we do..?" She muttered, not really in the mood to deal with another Jõtaijin incident. The last time she got involved, she got pawned. "Do we just..."

"Mumei, you try and find Yuuki-senpai. Yumeko, you look for Saeko-senpai. Tsubasa, get ahold of Saki-senpai. They'll know how to tell everyone else. Whatever you do, make sure you don't get turned. I don't want to hurt you more than I already have!"

The leadership that Mikai showed off was out of the ordinary. But all three of her friends nodded, with Tsubasa and Mumei running off as fast as they could.

"Stay safe, Mikai. Make sure that you save her." Yumeko said as she briskly walked out, knowing to trust her friend when she got like this.

Mikai took a deep breath as she held her hand out... And she clenched it, calling upon her flames and her armor with a powerful shout.

"HENSHIN!"

---

"Don't worry, dear Agatha. Once you're one of my children, everything will be okay."

Agatha was trembling. She was... Well, she was not in good shape. Fighting against Pawns was a bit more than she had expected. Or rather, Pawns that were actually worth a damn. Because the last Pawns she had to fight against were hastily made and practically drained by the Jõtaijin that made them.

These ones? With the pipes that they wielded like proper delinquents? They were a bit more than she could handle. Mostly because her arms, as thick as they were, still hurt a lot when she had to block. And she had to block a lot considering how many of them there were...

Mother stepped closer as the horde of her dear children moved out of the way. The closer she got to Agatha, the more her will started to pressure the exhausted girl. "Don't worry. You'll be safe. You'll be laughing with all of your siblings. Just leave it all to Mother, and-"

"KING'S FLAME!"

Once again, the Jõtaijin's attempts to convert her latest daughter into one of her Pawns had been interrupted. This time, however, the culprit that decided to be a killjoy had arrived from the air, kicking straight through a few of those Pawns as they went sliding back from the impact of her flame-covered kick.

"Mimoto..!" Agatha cried out as she started to grin from ear to ear. In the nick of time, her favorite hero had managed to save her. She... She had to ask her if she was... proud of how she had...

Just as quickly as Agatha's heart was filled with nothing but relief, her body gave way and she passed out. She couldn't handle staying awake any longer after being bullied by the delinquent Pawns, leaving her a bit of a sitting duck now that she rested softly on the grass below.

Mother turned towards the girl that had chosen to interrupt her attempt to gain another daughter. "Naughty girl. You should be put in your place. But your sisters will see to that." She said, snapping her fingers. "Dears. You know what to do when your sister is being naughty."

The Pawns all started to giggle as they started to shift ever slightly. They hadn't suffered too much damage from fighting a normal human like Agatha. But they could instinctively react to a Jõtaider like Mimoto. They didn't want them to threaten their Mama. So they would grow more powerful so they could prove themselves a match!

Each of the Pawns' arms started to thicken up until they were as big as logs. Their weaponry did not change, but they didn't need it to. It was sturdy enough to accomodate for the shift in their strength. As long as it could support their attacks, it would be good enough!

As the exaggeratedly top-heavy Pawns trembled a bit more, the top of their Pawn domes shifted into the shape of a tower's jagged walls. They had been promoted into Rook Pawns. The physically strongest kind of Pawns. One good hit from them would spell bad news for people, and heroines would be in danger just the same.

Mimoto assumed a stance as she looked at the beefy girls around her, sweating a bit under her suit. The Knight Pawns were one thing, but this was... Honestly a bit too much. How were they going to swing around without hitting one another?

'Mikai.' Chimera spoke up, her body appearing translucent behind the girl. 'If they keep evolving like this, you'll keep wasting energy. Your fight against Hiro was something that tested your limits, but if we want to save her...'

'I know, Chimera!' Mikai shouted inside her mind, the world around her darkening for but a moment. 'If I want to beat them, I have to outpace them. I have to show that I can grow and stop falling into the same routines!'

'Good. Now show them! Show them the power that you've been building!' With total faith in her host, reinforced as she made sure that the girl knew what to do, Chimera vanished and the world returned to normal. Perhaps at an inopportune time, because a pipe was headed straight for her!

Despite the way that she was being blindsided thanks to her mental conversation, Mimoto was quick to react by igniting her fist and slamming it straight into the pipe, sending the Rook Pawn flying backward from the localized explosion, her eyes darting between the rest of the combatants as they disregarded tactics for blind rushing like they needed to crush her.

Sure, she could expend a bunch of her energy to try and take them all down. But using her finishers would leave her vulnerable. And as much as the Jõtaijin didn't look as dangerous as the last few ones she had fought, she wasn't about to take any chances.

"Let's try it, then!" She shouted as the rest of her body started to catch on fire, before slamming her fist straight into the ground and letting the flames pour out around her, creating a small field of flames that would burn away at anybody that approached her.

It wouldn't be enough to slow down her enemies. They were too tough to burn into submission. But by getting into her radius, they had made a fatal mistake!

"Lion!" Mimoto shouted as she let her flames rage, parts of the field around her rising into pillars. But at the same time, her body was consumed by those very same flames, something she had anticipated as she shouted out once more.

"WOLF!" In an instant, her flames ate away at her armor only to be frozen over as they formed the basis for her Frost Wolf form, all of the flames she was connected to freezing at that very same moment. So while these pillars might not have been able to damage the Rook Pawns very well on their own..!

"TWIN RAGE!" Mimoto let loose a roar that overlapped her Lion and Wolf roars, the frozen pillars shooting further up as they froze while slamming into the Rook Pawns that were unfortunately caught in the flames, launching them up and making them fall down violently to incapacitate them in seconds...

Despite the fact that half of the crowd still seemed to be active, it had definitely thinned out the numbers. And that was just one use of her new maneuver. Sure, it didn't have the same outright destructive power as her finishers... But it did the job when she had to deal with Pawns.

Mother seemed displeased. Not that you could see her face given how it had been consumed by the blinding veil of her own Pawn-like dome. "Dears. Do your best to make Mother proud." She said. There was something inside her heart that was tugging as she felt her children being bested. But they were there to protect her. As long as they tried their best, it was okay that they were faltering. As long as they won in the long run...

Even as their Mother's heart ached, they couldn't feel it. The children that were her Pawns did everything to satisfy her commands. And that meant to keep aggressing on the Wolf in front of them. As long as they made her happy, they were happy!

Mimoto weaved out of the way of their attacks, pipes barely swinging by her head as she was playing it dangerously close. Not that it was her fault, despite the fact that the girls had all skipped leg day they could keep up with her speed. So she had to keep moving. At least until Hiro got here.

"Keep going. Keep going. You can catch her. Mother knows you can." Mother's voice repeated inside the Pawns' heads as they just kept on following behind the speedy pupper. They were going to hit her eventually. Even if they had to break all this ice that had knocked their sisters ut. They would make Mother happy. They would make her happy..!

As they kept the heroine nice and busy as she skated around them, Mother turned her attention back on the plump girl that she had been trying to convert. Since there were no more obstacles, it seemed like she'd have an easy time turning her into one of her daughters.

All that Mother had to do to make sure that she was a complete hypocrite was reach down and pour her love into her. Then she'd prove to Agatha that she... she...

The Jõtaijin froze for but a second. And it was exactly that second that would cost her, as the sound of a jet engine echoed in the distance for a single moment.

"THUNDERBOLT!"

Mother didn't get the chance to defend herself as she suddenly found a leg smashing into the side of her face, launching her into the wall of the school, temporarily putting her out of commission. All thanks to a wide-legged black-armore dwoman who had come to an abrupt stop after she slammed her leg into the Jõtaijin...

"Hiro" Mimoto cried out, only for her relief to result in her getting swatted with one of the pipes, sending her flying over to her fellow heroine. Who returned the favor by catching her and not budging an inch thanks to the power of her legs.

"Just in time." Hiro said, having equipped the necessary module to transform from PAWN to KNIGHT, hadn't even broken a sweat as she ran all the way here. She even smiled a bit when she saw her armored ally. "So, she's the Jõtaijin, that lady?" She asked after helping Mimoto stand once more, pointing towards the hole she had made.

"...Were you watching, Hiro?" Mimoto asked, a bit of sweat running down her face. "Or did running all the way here shake something loose up there? That... That was definitely the Jõtaijin."

"Listen, you try and keep yourself straight after hours of training with an old grandma with enough power to destroy a mountain." Hiro said as she stretched a bit, whipping out Knight Blaster as she looked to the rest of the Pawns that they had to deal with. "I can take care of the Pawns. You deal with her."

Mimoto shook her head as she moved over to stand by her partner, cracking her knuckles for a moment before quietly muttering 'chou henshin' and letting her armor shatter off and be replaced by the thick Earth Ursa armor that would make her more durable against these guys. "We'll deal with them, together. I don't want to risk them getting close to Agatha, so we take them out now and worry about her when she gets back out from the wall!"

"You have a plan, then?" Hiro asked, as the muscled girls were running straight towards them. All while she kept her eyes firmly locked on them to make sure that she had enough time to pull the trigger and fill them with holes.

"Just one!" Mimoto shouted as her body started to tremble like an earthquake, only for a good deal of the armor's mass to shift in size and gather down below in one of her legs like it had taken it all in. Even the muscle underneath the suit became a bit visible as it started to strain, the sheer weight on her leg being something that was almost imposisble to handle.

Hiro didn't focus on the girl beside her. All she focused on was what was in front of her, her visor lighting up as each and every Rook Pawn was getting scanned. "Huanglong. Keep control over tracking. Make sure that I don't miss."

"Roger. You two are growing as a team, you know." The little AI inside her system said, taking the perfect chance to compliment the two.

"Not the time!" Hiro shouted before she felt the ground underneath her shaking. And upon casting a single glance at Mimoto, it made sense...

Her leg had grown to twice its size. And only then was it ready to be used, as the bear-themed heroine let out one powerful roar.

"MAJOR LAUNCH!" Mimoto cried out as she stomped into the ground and made everything around her launch into the air. Whether it was the Pawns, her fellow heroine, or the stands where people watched the Gym lessons! All of it was launched thanks to the sheer magnitude of the quake she was able to force...

Once launched into the air, Hiro noticed that her arms were moving on their own. Huanglong had done what she asked. And even though she was getting dizzy thanks to how much she was spinning in the air, she could reliably pull the trigger and launch shots straight through all the Pawns' domes, shattering them and freeing them from their transformation, each 'daughter' falling to the ground once they had been disabled.

Mimoto quickly returned the favor that Hiro had done for her as she ended up catching the woman once she fell back down, flames consuming her as she returned to her Flame Lion form. "Nice form, Hiro!" She chimed, letting her partner back on her feet as they had dealt with every single minion with relative ease...

"Please. Don't do that again without saying you're about to do it." The thoroughly dizzy heroine muttered as her face turned a bit green. Keep it together, Hiro. Keep it together. You can return home in a little bit. You just have to apprehend the Jõtaijin and get ahold of Charlotta so her rehabilitation can begin...

Now that she was thinking about that Jõtaijin, where exactly was she? Surely she hadn't been knocked out by a high speed kick like that, had sh-

"HIRO, LOOK OUT!"

Just as the thought crossed her mind, Mimoto shouted. And the only thing that Hiro ended up seeing was a kick meeting her face just like the one she had inflicted upon the Jõtaijin moments prior, sending her flying back a bit. It wasn't nearly as strong as the one she launched, but it was still strong enough to shake her around and make her thoughts even more scattered than they already had been.

Mother slowly adjusted her stance as she looked towards Mimoto, shaking her head. "What a rude woman. She wouldn't make a good daughter. But you're just as rude. Bullying all my girls..." The Jõtaijin was not pleased, especially as she walked towards the lion-themed heroine. "You can redeem yourself. Be one of mine. Be like them..."

Mimoto's response was to punch straight into the woman's exposed stomach. But that just allowed her to be grabbed as she was like a tank. Sure, she couldn't dish out hits that were as strong as the two heroines' were. It didn't matter though. Not when she could take everything they threw at her without breaking a sweat.

Mikai could feel the influence of the Jõtaijin seeping in through her suit as she was practically pulled into a hug. A tight, crushing hug. She wanted to fill the girl with love, and this was definitely not the kind of love that the girl was used to. She had to do something, otherwise..!

"Hey! You were talking with Agatha earlier! Is this really what you want!?" She did what she could. And that was dig at what she had heard before. If there was somebody under there that could resist the influence of the Jõtai, then she could reach out and help her!

Mother just tigthened her hug in response. "I want this. I want you and the others to be my precious daughters. My dears. The ones I can protect and raise, to make sure that you get a proper childhood. Unlike the one that I got." She said, the words almost sounding like a mantra. She refused to let go despite this. Despite the fact that she knew what her problem ultimately was...

"But isn't that just like what he did? You'd just be doing what he did, forcing yourself upon them because you think you know what's right!" The heroine cried out as she tried to argue again. She could feel the grip weakening-

"NO! HE DID NOT DO IT BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE WAS RIGHT! HE DID IT BECAUSE HE HATED WHAT I WAS! I DO NOT HATE MY CHILDREN! I LOVE THEM FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY HEART!"

The scarab that had been shining on Mother's cheek flashed across the front of her Pawn-like dome as the influence of the Jõtai inside her grew stronger. Her grip was crushing away at that armor. This naughty girl would understand what it was like to feel her love..!

Mikai's eyes were dimming as she felt the crushing hug. D-Damnit, it had blown up in her face. What was she supposed to do now..? Maybe... Maybe listening to Mama...

"She's right."

Mother flinched as she heard the click of a barrel behind her. How had that girl managed to recover so quickly? It didn't matter. She was just as naughty as the one in her arms. And a bullet to her dome wouldn't stop her.

"She's not. My Father was a vile man. He wanted nothing but to see me disappear from his eyes because of what I was. And you call that the same as showing love to my children?!" Mother shouted as she turned towards the gun against her head, not even bothered as the bullet plinked off her thick delusions. She wasn't about to take this..!

Hiro jumped away before she was struck by another one of those kicks that had launched her so far away, gritting her teeth a bit as the KNIGHT parts collapsed off her legs. She was still suffering from the last blow she had endured. If she wanted to get through to that woman, then...

"You're blinded. You might be doing it for love, but you're still imposing your wants and needs on your children. They deserve to think for themselves too!" The visor-clad heroine shouted, the lights shining within her HUD. "Huanglong! It's time!"

He didn't bother warning her. She wouldn't listen. All he did was throw up an approximated timer. The exact moment she needed to hit.

Mother took a step towards the meddlesome woman that had dared to insult her. And then that step turned into a run. "AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT LOVING YOUR FAMILY?!" Her fury was incensed, the Scarab on her dome shining brighter and brighter. Her fury made her blind. And it was that fury that would make her see.

"DESPERADO!" Hiro shouted as her body started to glow bright green as her powers went into overdrive. She had six seconds in her current condition. And there were four seconds till the moment she needed to hit.

Four.

She jumped. And without looking back, as the number ticked down, she used the power to boost forward. Her visor rapidly glowing red as the seconds ticked by.

Three.

Mother kept running. She was close to the awful child. Once she had her in her arms, she would crush the awful naughtiness out of both of them. And they would be good delinquent daughters, following her example! THEY WOULD LEARN NOT TO SPEAK OUT OF LINE WHEN MOTHER TOLD THEM THE TRUTH!

Two.

Hiro had been practicing to overcome her own weakness. She had been practicing to make up for her own shortcomings. And now that she had the chance to demonstrate, and to save her partner and friend... It only made sense that she would emulate the same sort of kick that had brought Mikai so much success. To free her, and let her reach out to somebody that had been blinded..!

One.

"CHECKMATE!"

Zero.

In that moment, Hiro unleashed the concentrated power of Desperado into her main finisher. It was like she vanished from thin air as she shot straight past the Jõtaijin, leaving little except for an imprint of her boot on her dome. The seconds ticked by, and Desperado disengaged as her armor...

Her armor was fine. And once Desperado's timer ran out, it wasn't her that suffered the brunt. It was the imprint she had left on Mother's face, the Jõtaijin letting out a powerful scream. The blinding fog that was her dome was shattered... No, it outright exploded into pieces thanks to the green energy that had filled it, causing her to let go of the near-crushed heroine as she collapsed onto her back, utterly defeated with one powerful kick...

"Why... Why won't you two see..." Aimi muttered as the tears ran down her face. Because despite how much she cried out about them being wrong... She knew she was wrong. Because they were right. She couldn't just impose herself as violently as she already had...

Mimoto let out a pained gasp as she got up, trembling more than a little as she de-transformed. She couldn't really breathe well after all that, but Mikai couldn't help but smile at Hiro after that amazing display. "You... How'd you do that, Hiro? That was so... cool..!"

"I found a loophole." Hiro said with a grin as her own armor disappeared. "Desperado overloads the armor when I fight. So I just turned that overload back on the enemy." She said, before grimacing a bit as she staggered towards the defeated girl. "But if I miss the timing, I still taste the blowback. I was not too far off this time, but... Don't think I can fight much more today."

That wasn't good, considering this was just one of the three presents that D'Or had set aside for them. What were the other two going to be..?

"It's... It's not fair..." Aimi was muttering in the background, the Scarab disappearing from her cheek as the influence of the one that had corrupted her disappeared. "I just... I just want them to be happy..."

Mikai listened, before looking to Hiro for a moment. She didn't need to say much before the skunk-haired woman understood, the white-suited woman just sitting down to catch her breath while Mikai talked to the girl.

"It might not be fair. But that doesn't mean you were doing the right thing." Mikai said as she came over to sit by the defeated former Jõtaijin, not eyeing the breasts that had been freed by the last blow the delinquent had suffered before she was freed from her own delusions. "But... You could try to be their friend and not force them?"

"...I'm not sure that'd work. But..." Aimi muttered, still tearing up as she slowly sat up, towering a bit over the younger girl thanks to her matured body. "I want them to have a happy life. Not one where they're tied down by people wanting something from them. And I guess... I guess me wanting them to turn out the best, even if I had good intentions, wasn't much better."

Mikai nodded, reaching out. "I believe in you. And if you think you need help, I'll come running. Just call for Mikai!" She giggled, beaming despite it all.

Aimi looked down at the young girl... And she smiled. Because this was a girl who had the right idea. A girl who grew up exactly as she should. Untouched by what people wanted from her. She just did what she thought was right. It'd be a damn shame if she didn't try to live up to the potential the girl saw in her.

"Thanks, Mikai. You have my word that I'll try to do better. And you can count on Aimi to follow on through!" The delinquent shouted as she got up on her feet, wiping the tears away. She had a lot to do before she could consider herself fixed in the eyes of the people around her. She had to make sure that her girls remembered that she wasn't infallible... And that she was there for them to support them. As a parent, still, but not as one that placed expectations on their backs.

Satisfied with this, Mikai and Hiro took their leave. Heading back into the school, with the skunk-haired woman heading her own direction not long after they left to try and gather clues for the next fight. All while Mikai carried Agatha along with her, making sure that she wouldn't get a cold from sleeping outside.

They needed to prepare. For the next two gifts...

---

"Was she the Jõtaijin? Or did she just get into trouble again?"

"Judging by the fact she's covered in bruises, I'd go with 'Got into trouble.'"

"She did her very best against Aimi, and she managed to hold out until I made it there. Agatha's really strong..."

"Makes me wonder why they haven't targeted her, considering her emotions."

"Probably for that exact reason, Yumeko. You mentioned that one of the Jõtaijin seemed to work on her own agenda? Maybe her violent emotions would let her operate all on her own."

An hour or so later, after Mikai had managed to debrief her friends on the matter at hand, the three friends were sitting inside their classroom. Mumei-chan was still off trying to find the student council, because Yumeko and Tsubasa hadn't found them. It was weird how they were all gone, but at least the current threat was gone.

"I suppose." Yumeko said as she carefully brushed the larger girl's tummy, making sure to ease the pain the girl felt in her slep. "But based on what Mikai said about this one... It seems like they know how to break through emotions. Did they get a new member, or..."

Mikai shrugged her shoulders a bit. "Whoever it is, I'll manage. I'll beat them, and I'll make that D'Or lady stop her scheme. I bet she'll understand once I have a long talk with her!" Despite know what might be in store, she was sure that she could do it. Nothing had proven her wrong thus far. As long as she got the chance..!

Yumeko narrowed her eyes a bit, looking towards the doors to the classroom. "It really was weird how we couldn't find the student council. You don't think anything's happened to them, do you?"

Mikai shook her head, she knew that those three were tough. If anybody could handle themselves, it would be them.

Tsubasa pushed his glasses up against his face, laughing a bit nervously. "I-I mean, at least it didn't seem like they had turned into Pawns. Wouldn't that be crazy, if those three got turned into minions? A-Ahaha..."

"Please don't joke about that stuff right after a Jõtaijin outbreak, Tsubasa." Yumeko muttered. All while her eyes remained focused on the door leading into the hallway.

Before Mikai could say anything, she noticed something popping up in the corner of her vision, and a gentle whisper tickling her inner ear.

"Enjoy the second present, Mimoto. And try to keep going, there's still so much more left..."

A loud slam echoed from the window and the door at the same time, and the group's attention was split. But the sight outside their room was one that they couldn't have anticipated...

There was a horde... No, a river of Pawns, all of them trying to get at them. Despite the fact that the Jõtaijin had been dealt with, it was like the entire school body had been turned into Pawns and they now wanted to convert the few remaining students..!

Where did they come from!?

---

"Oh, that was fast. I was expecting you a lot later in the day."

"Well, you'd be surprised, Miss. With our web of connections, it's easy for us to get anywhere in the city at a fraction of the time. You mind if you sign here?"

"Of course, of course."

Mikai's dear Mom was leaning against the front door as she signed a simple looking clipboard that the nice lavender-haired girl in front of her wanted her to sign. And as she finished writing her name in a simple and almost blocky way, her vision started to blur the slightest.

"S-Say... You look a bit familiar. Are you one of my daughter's friends..?" Kaoru asked, the blur in her eyes making it hard to see the girl in front of her shifting until there was a brand new woman in front of her. A woman with a spider emblem adorning her cap.

The woman smiled as she closed the door behind her, and made her way inside while one hand cupped the lonely Mom's chin to make sure she was following along, even as she helped her sit down on one of the chairs surrounding the kitchen table...

It was time to wrap up the third gift. All so she could watch that heroine squirm...