[Tokusatsu Themes, Corruption, Identity Theft]

"Haaah... Guess they're still not done with all the updates, huh? Shame. Guess I'll just have to keep working on that side path..."

It was late at night in a young woman's home, as the only thing that kept the room lit was the light from her laptop. The only sound, besides her own heartbeat, was the clicks of her fingers hitting the keyboard. A sound that had repeated time and time again as she worked as hard as she possibly could on her passion project...

Her name was Sylvia. And while she had landed herself a cushy day-to-day job at Atlas Corp, she wasn't too interested in rising up the ranks. No, what she was interested in was this visual novel. But more specifically, the villainess that had landed herself in a guaranteed dead end, with every possible bad end erupting from her own choices.

And while the visual novel was far from complete at the moment, the devs had made enough story threads that she could use to rewrite the story as she wanted it. She just had to write it in such a way that it was believable that the heroine and the villainess could become friends once again, so she wouldn't end up dying in a ditch or worse...

"My my. Hard at work, even at this hour? You humans truly are something else..."

Sylvia blinked as she heard a soft masculine voice echo from behind her, prompting her to spin around in her chair as she quickly reached for anything to defend herself with. Which ultimately just ended up being one of the doujins she had on hand. Even if she didn't want to damage it, she wasn't going to be caught off guard. "Who're you-... W-what?"

Her focus was broken through a very simple image. And that was the massive black spiral that led into an endless abyss of darkness, with a magician-like young man standing in front of it. A top-hat wearing young man with light-blue highlights contrasting the rest of his otherwise black outfit.

She knew about Golden Freedom. At this point, most of the workers at Atlas Corp were aware of their existence. But this wasn't in their intel. Had they gained a new ally? Or was this somebody unaffiliated with their cause? Either way, she had to do something before-

The Magician smiled. And with a snap from his fingers, the energies from the hole behind him shot straight towards the woman's face. Latching on, as her entire mind went blank. She couldn't do a thing against this assault. Not as she grew limp, and the tendrils tugged away...

Right before her face popped off, leaving her with a completely blanked face as she slumped back in her chair. And that face that she had lost, it started to absorb all of the energies that were being released by the hole that led into god knows where...

The Magician chuckled. "For how diligent they are, Humans sure don't understand what they're dealing with, do they?" He spoke to himself, truly amused by what he had seen. She thought that she could fight back against him... Oh, what a futile effort...

Once the mask seemed to have absorbed enough of the energies from the portal, he softly clapped his hands. "Take form, o' Darkness. Manifest and make your will be known." He said, as his gloved hands started to glow with the same blue hue as the highlights on his outfit. "Be born into a new form, so that this world may be made ours..."

The blue glow resonated with the mask, as the energies that had seeped into it quickly started spilling out once more. But this time, they had a defined form. A feminine form, an elegant form. The figure didn't look like a mere office worker, but rather she looked more like a thief. A thief that could take the identities that would benefit her role, as she reached up to remove that mask... With one chilling golden eye glaring out from the darkness behind it.

"This form... This identity... Yes, this is perfect..." The masked entity muttered as she started laughing. "That Human won't have a use for it, so I'll just use it as I please. That's what it means to impersonate... That's what it means to be Impersona!" She laughed as she identified herself, all while brushing her hands against her elegant costume. If you stripped away the mask, she looked like a phantom thief. Dressed to impress, yet that dress was all an elegant and flashy distraction to give her the chance to do exactly what she wanted.

And as that dress slowly faded to give way to a copy of Sylvia's body, Impersona used her new identity's lips to grin in such a wicked manner. She was experiencing the rush that came with being born. And she knew exactly what she would use this rush for.

All for the sake of the Darkness. All for the sake of making this world theirs...

---

"He's... No, they're going to be okay, right?"

"I think so. Hiro's made of really strong stuff. She wouldn't be down for the count and out of it for long, even with an arm as weird as that."

"Yeah, but... T-They said it was serious, didn't they?"

"Mmhm. But I trust in them. That's all we can do for now. But they'll feel our trust. And they'll make it through. I know they will."

"Mikai-Senpai..."

There were two young girls standing in one of the many chambers within Atlas Corp's medical ward. Two that had met just a few days ago, but had already built a fast bond due to the friends they shared.

One was Mimoto City's self-appointed heroine, Mikai Fushimi. And like always, she put on a smile. But this time, it wasn't because she was happy. It was because she had to stay strong. Especially since two of her close friends were currently resting beyond a pane of glass. And especially since she wanted the girl beside her to be safe.

The girl at her side was Momiji Atsuhi. Formally known as the Jõtaijin, Habakiri, who had been causing trouble at her school not too long ago. But ultimately, she wasn't a threat. Which was why she was currently going through the recovery process helmed by the Jõtaijin Outreach Unit, so she could use her powers for a better cause than troublemaking.

But that wasn't why she needed her Senpai's strength. It was because her other Senpai, the object of her affection, was currently resting on the other side of that glass. Tsubasa Sato, the boy she loved, had been shocked beyond compare by what he had seen when the two worked together. And thanks to that shock, he had been exposed to something that he still needed treatment for.

Mikai looked upon her two friends... But more importantly, her partner. She knew that Tsubasa would make it out alive, because he hadn't been corrupted. But Hiro had. She had been twisted into that snowy form that left her with a completely pitch black arm after all of that. It was bad enough that it had turned red when they fought against the other Jõtaijin, but to see it turn completely black.

She took a deep breath, and then she stomped her foot into the ground. "That's it. I'm gonna stay here until they're better! I trust they'll get better, but if I don't keep an eye on them, who's going to make sure that they actually do get better?!" She shouted, almost like a lil' brat. But it was a shout born of worry and an intense desire to see them both be as healthy as they could possibly.

"Y-Yeah! And I'll be right beside you, Mikai-Senpai! For Tsubasa-Senpai's sake!" Momiji cried out in turn, stomping her foot into the ground just as she did. Even if she had to let out a yelp after, because her body wasn't meant to slam against things that hard. Because as it turns out, getting turned into a mechanical being that could transform into a sword meant that you definitely couldn't hit hard surfaces without a bit of blowback onto your own body.

Mikai snickered a bit as she patted her twin-tailed Kouhai on the head to comfort her over the pain. Heh. She actually kinda liked that. Trying to inspire people made her heart beat with a really nice tempo...

"You don't have to do that, you know. I can handle it for you."

Both Mikai and Momiji turned towards the sound of a very sweet voice, and Mikai felt a sense of relief wash over her as she saw her dear black-haired friend, Yumeko. Who just smiled at her as the happiness beamed off her. Whenever Mikai was in doubt or needed help, Yumeko was always there for her...

"Really, Yumeko? I mean, don't you have things to do? I don't have a lot of things that I need to do because of all this new work stuff, but-" Mikai started to ask, showing more concern for her friend than herself. Just one of the many ways she happened to prioritize the people she cared about.

Yumeko smiled and nodded. "I had a chat with Principal Rose, after I caught her and Doctor Charlotta right before they headed off on a date. After what happened a few days ago, there's a good chance that we're going to end up studying from home for the next little while. So I asked if I could be exempt, just so I could help you out more often." She explained, before chuckling a little. "She wasn't even surprised to hear that I would do something like that for you. I guess I've been helping you a lot, huh, Mikai?"

"Of course! You don't have to help me so much, but I'm really glad that you do!" Mikai giggled, running over and squeezing her friend tightly as she hugged her as much as she could. "Thanks, Yumeko. Thank you so much." She was incredibly sincere when she thanked her. Not that she wasn't sincere at any other time, but she could never fake her gratitude. Ever.

Momiji blushed a little as she watched the two Senpais hug each other, making her face turn all sorts of red. M-Maybe if she could do the same with Tsubasa-Senpai some day... T-That'd be... Oh, nononono. H-He's been ignoring her for so long, s-so he's gotta earn it. Y-yes, but that would have to wait until he had recovered. She had to keep an eye on him...

Yumeko let go of Mikai after giving her a soft and friendly kiss on the forehead. Before looking towards both Hiro and Tsubasa as they continued to rest behind that glass. "I still can't believe that they ended up like that... I'm sure they'll get better, but... It kinda hurts to see them like that, doesn't it?"

"Mmhm. But without our trust, they're not going to make it through. And that's why I'm just gonna keep believing. Then we'll get what we want." Mikai replied, clenching her fist and she grinned. "You'll trust them too, right? Won't you, Yumeko?"

"Of course. I know they'll make it through." Yumeko smiled softly, all while grabbing a nearby chair and taking a seat. "You should run along, Mikai. I heard that Miss Seiryu and the others wanted to speak with you. Probably to make sure that you didn't get contaminated or anything."

Mikai's eyes widened. And she dug her hand into her pocket as she realized that her phone had been ringing the entire time she had been looking at Hiro. "Oh. Oooohh no. I gotta go, I gotta go!" She shouted as she sprinted right out of the door, not wanting to see any of the Saint Beasts end up angry. Especially the ones that weren't Byakko. She was always angry, but if Seiryu ended up angry, then things were really bad. And she couldn't dare imagine what an angry Genbu would be like!

Yumeko watched her friend depart, before letting out a long and labored sigh as she turned to Momiji. Since they were both here, they had to pass the time a little. All so they could continue keeping an eye on Hiro and Tsubasa. Thus, she smiled, and offered a simple thing.

"Would you like to hear how Mikai became a hero, Momiji?"

---

"You're late."

Mikai tumbled her way into Seiryu's lab, rolling all the way over to the blue-scaled dragon before springing right back onto her feet with a grin. All while she snickered and chuckled a little. "Sorry. I was busy keeping an eye on Hiro!" She gave her a simple but inadequate excuse, knowing that it wouldn't work if she was really in trouble.

Seiryu nodded. "She's showing signs of recovery. But we can't devote our resources to keeping an eye on her all the time. Especially not when Qilin and I have finished analyzing the data that we received following your last encounter." She explained, before clicking a button on her personal remote to make the screen behind her light up with several different types of incomprehensible data.

Mikai stared at the screen, before looking around the room. "Qilin helped? Where is she then?" She asked, all while scratching the back of her head. "...She's not under Hiro's bed, is she? Waiting for me to disappear so she can strike and mess with Hiro?"

"You're catching onto the way she wants you to think. But no. She's in Byakko's department, currently in the middle of making sure that the PAWN System gets the upgrades that it deserves. Hiro's lagging behind and we can't afford her to keep taking dangerous victories like the ones she's gone through lately." Seiryu explained, letting a single smile slip past her lips, before clearing her throat and bringing a single claw up to the screen behind her. "But more importantly, I brought you to fill you in on what we've analyzed. You're familiar with the Luna Descent, correct?"

"Nope! I know it's been ten years since then, but I don't know much else!" Mikai gave her an honest answer. Which wasn't too honest. She did know that the loss of her feelings was connected to something that happened ten years ago. Even somebody like her could put two and two together and realize that the Luna Descent was the cause. Even if she still had to figure out why that was the case...

Seiryu narrowed her eyes a little. This girl was stupider than she imagined. And she had heard quite a lot of stories from Hiro that painted a rather dour picture, before the skunk-striped woman decided that the two of them were the best of partners. "Very well then. Allow me to explain then."

Another click to the screen, and the data was replaced with the image of a squid-like girl with purple skin and long black tentacles that acted like her hair. "The Luna Descent was characterized by a horrid sky and the rapid transformation of every inhabitant in Mimoto City. The end result? This girl. Luna, as she called herself. There were many hordes of them, and... They all vanished before we were truly able to change anything." Seiryu's voice lowered an octave, as she dug her claws into the palm of her hand. "And unfortunately, the signature that was registered a few days ago... It was a few degrees separated from the reading we got from Luna, but close enough to determine one thing."

Mikai blinked a little. That girl was... Familiar. Really, really familiar. But why was that? Could she have been the one to cause all of those problems that she had? No, that didn't make sense. If that was the case, then she would've probably had a more violent reaction... "Aaaaand... What's that one thing?" She asked, trying to make her mind focus on something else.

"The culprit behind the transformation of Yuuka Shimo is connected to that incident. And if that's the case... Then we may have another incident on our hands. Hiro's arm only proves my hypothesis. If she were to be corrupted over again, especially by somebody with connections to that incident... Then she might just vanish before our very eyes." Seiryu explained, before clearing her throat a little. "Thankfully, we can be sure that it is an external threat. So-"

Just as Seiryu was about to explain further, the light around them shut off. Not just the light either, the machines, the screens, everything was shut off. And emergency power didn't turn on either. Somebody had cut off the electricity to the entirety of the Atlas Corp building.

"Eh? Did somebody gnaw on a wire or something?" Mikai asked, all while looking around the place. Her eyes really weren't trained for the dark. She should get them trained, there's no knowing when she might end up fighting against an enemy in the dark.

Seiryu narrowed her eyes a little as she walked towards the terminal that connected her straight to Atlas' office. Even that had lost power. Despite the fact that it should be utterly impossible to do so. "...Mikai, stay here. Whatever you do, do not leave this room. I'm going to find out who shut off the power, and I'm going to make sure that they pay for it."

"Alright!" Mikai cried out as she watched the blue-scaled dragon leave just like that. It seemed like she wasn't bothered by the darkness. Great, that meant that they could get back into the light much faster. Which meant that she could go back and check on... Oh, oh no. Hiro was in danger like this, wasn't she?

The young lady rubbed her chin as she started to think really hard about it. All while she could feel a set of hands rubbing her shoulders for support. A set of hands that were really appreciated right about now, even if it really just amounted to her getting a massage...

"What should I do, Chimera..?" Mikai asked a very simple question to the ancient predator that lived inside her mind. The ancient predator that acted like an elder sister and a spirit guide and a really good friend and so many other roles that she filled all at once just by being there for the girl at all times.

Chimera pondered the question. Then she pondered a bit more. And then she nodded and hugged her dear host. "You should trust in them. Not just in those two... But in Seiryu as well. Sure, she's a little kooky. And I think she might have plans to try something on you when she gets the chance. But I know what you'd say if I brought that up."

"That I trust it's for the best?" Mikai replied, tilting her head in a quizzical manner as she leaned into her mental companion's hug. It was nice. Even if it wasn't real.

"That you'd trust her in general." Chimera affirmed as she gave the girl a kiss on the cheek. "For now, let's just see if the power comes back. And if she's not back in... Let's say an hour, then you head straight to Hiro's place and take her home. Then you can do whatever you want with her at home."

Yeah. That sounded reasonable. Even if it kinda sounded like Chimera was implying that she'd do something more... Eh, it's not like it mattered that much.

Mikai just had to stick to her word and trust her friend. Then, everything would end up alright.

---

"What's the meaning of this, D'Or..?"

Meanwhile, in the room belonging to the Jõtaijin Outreach Unit. A young girl had just heard news that made her entire body tremble. Not with fear. But with anger. Intense hate and sheer disgust for what she had just heard...

"I meant what I said, Kanzei." Lady D'Or, head of Golden Freedom, gently rested her head on the palms of her hands. Especially as she focused her gaze forward on the young girl that was hatefully glaring at her. "You need to stand down and wait for my word. Otherwise, we'll end up with another incident. The Darkness has made its move, and-"

"THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I CAN'T STAY AND WAIT, D'OR!" Saki shouted in response, slamming her fist against the table. "You said that I had free reign. So why are you going against your own words!? WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO STRIP AWAY MY FREEDOM, D'OR?!" Her fury had never been seen at a level like this. Even her hate for Mikai, for trying to take away her role as a hero that everyone could depend on, was nowhere near as strong. It was infuriating to hear those words from D'Or...

D'Or sighed. All while gently rubbing the ring on her ring finger. The ring that was currently radiating golden energy that kept the room soundproof. She had to exert her power like this, otherwise people that weren't allied with Golden Freedom would pick up on her ruse... Even if there were currently no active cameras that could record the two due to the outage. But even so, seeing the girl being this frustrated. It hurt her. Because she understood why she was like this. And that just made the fact she had to rein her in all the more painful.

"Please." D'Or spoke with a soft tone. All while she gently gripped the table. "Because of my haste in the past... Everything went up in smoke. My plan to free everyone was set back years, all thanks to the aggressive way we tried to take action. If you keep up this pursuit, it won't just be your friends that end up hurting, Kanzei. It'll be you as well."

Saki Himitsu. Student Council President and Golden Freedom's Jõtaider Kanzei. And currently, a girl who did not listen to reason. "Then it sounds to me like you didn't go far enough." She muttered, all while she slowly exhaled. It's not like she wanted to hate the woman that had helped her. But she couldn't allow her to get in her way like this. "No matter. I'll deal with it myself. Excuse me."

"Kan... Saki. Wait. Please." D'Or said. Trying to make her ally look towards her. And she did. With that same hate-filled eye. "If you must... Please. Keep the girls updated. Please." She didn't have any good way to stop her. Not with her words. Not with what she prided herself on the most.

Saki glared at D'Or. And she closed her eyes, nodding softly. "I'll keep Spider and Bat informed. But for now, stay out of my way. I will find a way to deal with this. Without it turning into another Luna Descent." Her words and her conviction were firm. Especially as she slammed the door shut behind her, heading out into the darkness of the corporation that served as one of her enemies. She needed to get some fresh air.. And more importantly, find out how to deal with this issue.

D'Or sighed as the glow from her ring died down, and Charlotta had to take over once more. "I did give her the opportunity to be as free as she'd like. And while she's fallen in line with our goals... I can't blame her for wanting to stop this in her own way. Even if I know that it'll just..."

She had seen it once before. The Luna Descent. The first time that this world made contact with the creatures from beyond the veil. During the time she researched the phenomenon with the other staff at Atlas Corp, they gave this world a name that encompassed the threat they posed.

The Darkness. if Saki was to continue her path and try to stop their invasion in their own way, there was just as high a chance of those girls coming back. And if they came back... She wasn't sure if they had the means to stop it a second time. Not without great sacrifice...

"...No. I mustn't lose faith. What would they think if they saw me now?" Charlotta muttered to herself, as she gently rubbed her ring. All while keeping hope in her heart. They would find a way to deal with this onslaught. And prevent another grand incident in the process. Luna would not return. She was certain of it...

As she focused on the hope in her heart, she heard the door open. And a lil' light illuminated the muddy-haired figure that decided to pay the good Doctor a visit, all with a smile on her face.

"Hello, Doctor Charlotta. You wouldn't happen to have a minute for a little chat about all this Darkness stuff that's been happening lately, would you?"

Kimiko Namishi. A friend of Mikai's. And while not formally a member of the Jõtaijin Outreach Unit, she was definitely fit for it. With how helpful she was, and how much she tried to support her fellow students. Sure, she did seem to come out of nowhere, but nobody was going to turn down an extra pair of hands.

"You have a horrible sense of timing, you know." Charlotta chimed, as she motioned around in the darkness. "But yes, I can answer your questions. Is there something that you want to know? ...And, did you see Saki on your way here?"

Kimiko shook her head as she took a seat at the other end of the table that Charlotta was seated at. All while smiling from ear to ear as she rested her head on the back of her hands. "Oh, there's a couple of things that I want to know. Mostly revolving around my good friend Mikai. Because you see, there's this thing that's been bothering me..."

"You wouldn't happen to know about a woman named Tsukiko, would you, Doctor..?"

---

Mikai was sitting in darkness. And not the fun kind of darkness that was always present inside her mind whenever she wanted to talk with Chimera. No, this was... Advanced darkness. Or at least the kind of darkness that was just really dense that really didn't allow her to see anything.

"How long's it been, Chimera?" She asked a simple question. All while rocking back and forth in such an idle manner. She was as restless as ever. She didn't like to sit still like this. Especially when the situation was tense and everything.

Chimera looked at her wrist, before grimacing as she realized she didn't have a watch. Mikai's habits were... Wait, no, she didn't have a watch either. Maybe it was just the human element getting the better of her. "I dunno." She muttered in a mildly grumpy manner. Not because she was actually upset at the girl, just at her own shortcomings.

"Soooo... If I said it's been an hour, I can go looking for Seiryu and go find Hiro, riiiight?" Mikai replied, as she looked to the only light in the entire room, which was the glowing form of Chimera. And that didn't even light up the rest of the room, she just happened to always radiate light wherever the two girls went.

The ancient predator nodded and slowly started to fade away. "Just make sure that you don't get hurt. You never know what you'll find in the darkness." She said, as the last few nuggets of light were snuffed out as she retreated into the innermost parts of her host's mind.

Mikai nodded as she got up. Well, both Chimera and Seiryu said to be careful. So she was going to be as careful as she could be. Which... Honestly wasn't that careful, but it was careful enough. Probably!

The girl walked right out of Seiryu's lab, and started walking down the many sprawling hallways that made up most of the inner parts of Atlas Corp. It was actually really confusing on a normal day, and now that it was completely dark... Well then it was even harder to tell the various parts of the place apart. How was she supposed to tell if she was back at the lab, or if she was close to a set of stairs or a useless elevator or anything?!

She was getting really frustrated really quickly. Or well, not frustrated, just kinda miffed. "Come on, aren't there anybody that can help me find a way out of all this dark?" Mikai shouted into the endless darkness, really wondering why she couldn't find anybody. "Where's everybody gone!? It's dark and there's like no electricity! There's nothing to have fun with!"

"Found you."

Mikai blinked as she heard a familiar voice, prompting her to whip around and put up her dukes. Only to breathe a quick sigh of relief as she saw Byakko's face peering back at her. Her eyes were kinda bright, but maybe it was just because they kinda reflected the light from the lamp that she used to light the way.

"You were looking for me, Byakko? Aw, you shouldn't have! I'll get you some milk as soon as we get some power..." Mikai paused as soon as she thought about what she was saying. "Oh, crud, the power being out probably making the milk go bad!" She had the best sense of priorities. Even in a crisis that left the entire building blanketed in deep darkness...

Byakko just rolled her eyes as she grabbed the girl's wrist. "Not the time, Mikai." She said as she started walking down the hall with her in tow. "We have to find an exit. That way, we'll be able to see something." For once, the girl was being a lot more reasonable than she tended to be. She wasn't angry, she was just as frustrated as the girl. And even then, not in a really obvious way.

It kinda made Mikai suspicious. Byakko always argued with Hiro whenever they had a chance. Because she was just a temperamental kitten. But even so, being close to somebody else while still stuck in this seemingly endless darkness was a relief. It was preferred to being stuck searching endlessly for somebody.

"So how'd you find me?" Mikai asked as the only thing she could truly hear was the sound of their steps echoing out. Kinda creepy, if you had to ask her. It made her think of those horror games that her mom played. And not the funny ones that were more like a really silly movie where the characters ended up eventually coming out on top through grit and outmaneuvering the monsters. No, this was more like the kind of game she didn't want to play for fear of night terrors.

Byakko shrugged her shoulders a bit more. "I can just see really well in the dark. That, and it's not hard to find somebody like you. You have a certain scent." She explained. Almost as if she was trying to downplay a lot of her own nature. And just try to satisfy the girl's curiosity while keeping her on a proverbial leash...

It was then that Mikai's bracelet started to vibrate. The bracelet that Byakko had given her in case of emergencies, whenever she or the other members of the Jõtaijin Outreach Unit or Hiro or the like needed to get ahold of one another...

"Mikai! Whatever you're doing, do not follow somebody that looks like me!" Byakko's voice started to echo out from her bracelet. "It's a fake! An impersonator!"

But by the time that her words had rung out, 'Byakko' had already grabbed ahold of Mikai's face... And the last thing she felt was everything draining from her body, as she slowly fell to the ground as her awareness faded away...

---

Hiro's head was aching. And for good reason too. The last few times she had managed to wake up, she had been briefed by Seiryu on what had happened to her. And how badly things were going. She just wished that it didn't come with this ache inside her head. That was probably what bothered her more than anything else...

The skunk-haired woman looked at her arm. And she sighed. She didn't like the pure-black look. Not just because of the look of it, but because of the implications. It reminded her of... Several things, actually. The voracious girl that turned out to be a mere pawn from the day before the Luna Descent... The result of the Prime Resonance... And the look of the girls that awoke during the Native Awakening. All three events were fresh in her mind whenever she saw that arm of hers...

"Are you alright, Miss Hiro..?"

Hiro blinked as she looked to her side, and she saw Yumeko looking at her. Yumeko Watanabe. Mikai's closest friend. And as far as she was concerned, her best friend. The so-called 'best friend' that had ended up helping her... Her actions ultimately led to her arm turning ruby, and now this shade of black. So pardon her for not being too enthusiastic about her.

"I could be better." Hiro muttered as she slowly got out of bed, wincing as her body still ached. All while she looked to her shoulder and pulled back the gown that covered her body, narrowing her eyes as she saw how far the black had spread. "Especially with this thing in play."

Yumeko nodded. She knew that the arm couldn't be good, but she didn't bother asking questions about it. This wasn't the time for that. "I'm glad. Mikai would be sad if you didn't wake up." She chuckled a little, closing her eyes as she leaned against a wall. "I must sound silly for worrying so much about her. There's so many other people that matter, and yet..."

"I don't think you do." Hiro replied, smiling a little at the sight of that kind of self-depreciation. "It just means that you care about her a lot. Even if I don't think she'll return your feelings in the way you might want her to, she's the kind of girl that's satisfied just knowing people worry about her. You should've seen her the first time she got through to me..."

"Ah, I heard about that from her. She hugged you and made you calm down that way, didn't she? I'm surprised it worked as well as it did, you don't seem like the kind of woman that'd allow something like that." The black-haired student chimed, while slowly weaving her fingers in between themselves. "...I don't want her to keep fighting like this, Miss Hiro. I just want her to be happy. And with everything that's going on, I'm not sure she'll be able to take it."

Hiro nodded in turn as the girl let her feelings out. "...While I don't disagree, and while I sympathize with your plight... Why are you telling me? Wouldn't it be more appropriate for one of your friends? It's not like we speak often. As far as I'm concerned, you're just one of Mikai's friends. So why?"

"Well..." Yumeko said, nervously fidgeting back and forth a bit. "I thought that you'd like to hear what I'm struggling with. You are her partner, after all." She said, being entirely sincere. Especially about that last bit. Even if her cheeks flushed a little red in the process.

Hiro blinked. And then she blushed as she realized what she was implying. "I know I call her my partner, Yumeko. That doesn't mean that I fuck her. I do not make love to Mikai, so she's as pure as she can possibly be for when you decide to take the plunge. We're more like coworkers, not attracted to each other in that way!" Her voice raised an octave as she tried to defend herself. How could she imply something like that?!

Yumeko just giggled at the way that Hiro tried to defend herself. "I mean, I'm glad to hear that. But I was serious too. She thinks you're the perfect partner, Miss Hiro. So I wanted you to hear what I thought about my best friend. Because she's your partner." She explained, before her smile widened a little more. "That, and I wanted to try and help lighten your mood. Miss Seiryu said that you had been really down every time she came to check up on you. So I just wanted to see you smile."

"...No wonder you like her so much." Hiro muttered as she slowly sighed. At least she wasn't as overly excited as Mikai was. She couldn't handle a girl like her in stereo. "I guess it worked. I feel a bit better after that." She smiled. Softly. Not as bright as Mikai would, but it was still a genuine smile. Which was beyond rewarding to see from somebody like her.

"Ehe. There's a lot of reasons why I like Mikai. But I don't think it's the right time to talk about all those reasons." Yumeko chimed, before reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone. "Byakko sent out a message through the network just a few minutes ago. So something bad's going on. I don't think you should get out of bed... But I also know that you'd jump into action whenever somebody you cared for was in danger."

The girl had learned much about Hiro in such a short time. Indeed, just knowing that her friends and loved ones were in danger was enough for her to reach for her gauntlet. "Huanglong. You don't have any complaints, right?"

"None. I can't stop you." The little hologram that looked like a near-perfect copy of her boss said, as he rested upon the back of her hand. "Just be careful. That arm of yours is still infected. If you go beyond your limits, I can keep it at bay for at most a minute. But if you end up in danger while that's happening, then..."

"I'll be careful." She said, and Huanglong was satisfied with her answer as he turned back into data. All while Hiro looked at Yumeko and nodded. "You stay safe too, Yumeko. I wouldn't want Mikai to cry upon finding out that you got hurt." She showed her the same kind of concern that the girl had offered her. Because she had earned it at this point. A small budding friendship, born from the way that they both looked to their loved ones.

Yumeko nodded, as she walked over to the table where Tsubasa was resting. He had managed to sleep through it all. "By the way, Miss Hiro... Could you try and apologize to my friend, Tsubasa? He must've been shocked to see you like that, and..."

"I'll get around to it. As long as he's willing to see me." Hiro said, before heading out of the medical ward with her head held high and her goal kept firmly locked inside her heart. She was going to find out why Byakko had sent out a message... And make sure that everyone was safe in the process.

"Jouchaku!"

Yumeko watched her run off and the light of her transformation fill the hallway. All while she smiled softly and rested her hand across her heart. As long as she could trust in Hiro, then she knew that Mikai would be alright. Even if she had to keep fighting.

For now, she had her own fight to carry out. And that was making sure that Tsubasa recovered swiftly...

---

Darkness. Pure Darkness. Endless, unrelenting, all-consuming Darkness.

That's where Mikai found herself. Inside the endless Darkness. This wasn't her own darkness. She knew that much. But it was still so familiar. She didn't understand why...

"Chimera..? Chimera, can you hear me..?"

Mikai's words went unanswered. They drifted into the distance. Unheard by anybody. Empty, just like the Darkness around her.

The blonde girl slowly sat down. And she closed her eyes as she held her hands close to her chest. She didn't know how she was going to get out of here. She didn't know how she ended up here. But there was one thing that she knew.

If she kept on trusting Hiro... Then she would find a way to get her out of here...

---

"No sign of life. No sign of electricity. Nothing. Strange..."

Huanglong's voice echoed through her ear as Hiro headed down the halls of Atlas Corp. It really was strange. The power that poured into the building should be insulated beyond belief. Which meant that nothing should be able to stop it. The signs of life were disturbing as well, because there definitely should be people still around. Even after a blackout like this.

She had to remain vigilant. Especially since the source of these things happened to be the same as... back then. No, focus. There was no Luna. There was no way that she'd be repeating that day. She just had to focus...

"...Hiro. Don't look straight ahead. For the sake of your sanity."

And yet that's exactly what she did. Trying to suggest that somebody look elsewhere for their own sake only resulted in deadly curiosity. And the sight that met Hiro was certainly disturbing, as it consisted of clothes strewn about. Many uniforms were just laying on the floor, as if their wearers had disappeared into thin air...

"There's so many. But no signs of life still..? Not even the one who caused all this?" Hiro muttered as she tried not to think about the ramifications of what she was looking at. She wasn't about to dwell on the concept of somebody eating her coworkers. her subordinates. There was nobody that would dare eat them like that.

Huanglong didn't give her a response. Not immediately. But as soon as he pinged a response on his sensors, he breathed a sigh of relief. The signal definitely pinged as an ally too. "Individual straight ahead. Proceed with caution, yet relief."

She followed her on-board AI's suggestions, and she felt the same kind of relief that he wanted her to feel. Because there was the sandy-blonde girl that she saw as an ally and a partner. Mikai was right there, sitting down and waiting within the darkness.

"Did you just run into the darkness to try and find me, and just sat down once you got lost, Mikai?" Hiro asked as she stepped closer, sighing a little. While it was relieving to see her, she couldn't believe that she'd do something like that. It was honestly absurd for her, and yet it was still completely in character.

Mikai looked over her shoulder and smiled as she noticed Hiro. "Hey, Hiro! Took you long enough!" She chimed, right before shifting to a mild huff. "I was trying to find Seiryu, since she told me to stay put, but then I just couldn't find her. Maybe you know where she is?"

"You should've just used the communication network, Mikai. It doesn't rely on electricity. Just our wills." Hiro sighed. That girl was a ditz too, which was another obstacle she had to deal with. But still, it was good to see that she seemed to be herself. That was-

"Life signals spiking. Hiro, what's going on!?"

Huanglong's words echoed through her head. But all she could currently pay attention to was her arm. It was aching. It was screaming. All because it wanted something. It wanted the girl in front of her. But that was weird, she hadn't felt that way towards anybody else. So why..?

Mikai giggled a little as she watched Hiro struggle with her arm. "Oh, does it hurt? Do you want me to bring you back to the medical ward, Hiro?" She seemed to be a bit amused by her friend's pain. All as she stepped closer. And closer. Each step sounded more and more drawn out. It was all such suspicious behavior. And yet she didn't feel like she was doing anything wrong. After all,

Her prey was incapacitated, so why shouldn't she stri-

Mikai's eyes widened. All while she felt something clamping down on her face. Something stronger than she was. Something more fearsome than she was. And it was more than enough to make her tremble all over. What was happening..!?

The hand that was gripping onto her face was Hiro's. Hiro's blackened arm. Even after it had been suppressed by her suit, it fought against her control. And what did it do? It dove right towards the face of her ally. Or rather...

"You're... You're not Mikai..." It dove towards the impersonator that had tried to claim Mikai's identity. In fact, the arm had allowed her to realize it. It was because it reacted to her presence that Hiro noticed the subtle ways that this 'Mikai' didn't align with her. She was a faker that tried to assume the role of her partner. "Who are you!?" She shouted, as her heart started to flare up with rage. How dare she hurt that girl?! HOW DARE SHE!?

The fake Mikai grit her teeth as her face popped off, and her identity was revealed. The thief-like Impersona showed her true self, the wispy Darkness that looked just like one of the famed thieves that had spanned the ages. All while her face slowly morphed back into Mikai's, letting her glare at the woman that served as her 'Partner' as a black domino mask wrapped around her eyes.

"Aaahh... Guess I won't be taking your identity as easily as I took hers..." Impersona giggled as she slowly brushed her hand up against her face, causing her identity to shift to that of Byakko's instead. "Not that I need to take a full identity. I just need a little memory, and I can reconstruct it easily." Her voice was a perfect match. Her mannerisms, not so much, but she just needed her voice to do what she had set out to do.

Hiro tapped her gauntlet, popping her armguard open in the process as she spun the Saint System into action. "SAINT ON - SUZAKU!" echoed through the dark halls as she dashed forward with fury in her eyes, the flames lighting her way!

The impersonating individual laughed as she jumped into the darkness before the heroine could land a proper blow. "You better watch out! All I need is to get close, and then you'll be mine! Mine and mine alone!" The wicked creature cried out, with only her golden eyes visible within the darkness.

"Huanglong! Lights! Now!" Hiro cried out as she pumped her energies through her body. Even if the flow of electricity throughout the building had been cut off, that didn't mean that she couldn't serve as a source of power. "Connect us to the grid! Whatever it takes to snuff her out from her hiding spot!"

"I'm trying, but-"

Her attempt to take out Impersona's veil just resulted in the thief popping out of the darkness and slashing her across the chest, leaving a gash across her nameplate. All while she wore such a familiar face, this time belonging to Seiryu. But before Hiro had a chance to retaliate, she just retreated into the darkness...

"Huanglong..!" Hiro shouted as her systems started sparking. "What's going on!? I thought the suit could handle my power..!" She didn't understand why it was sparking. Nor did she understand why it seemed like her power just left her. What had just happened..!?

She couldn't hear his voice. She could only hear static. That, and the faint laugh from that wicked girl. That masked freak that had stolen her friends' identities..!

"You know... These identities are really useful..." Impersona giggled as the only sound that identified her location was the sound of heels clacking against the floor. "They teach me so much about you humans. How little you're able to fight back against us... And how many times you've failed to keep your kin safe. It's amazing how little you have been able to accomplish..."

"Shut up!" Hiro shouted into the darkness, grimacing as she felt a pulse of pain rush through her. Fight through it. She had to fight through it. If she didn't, then Mikai would be lost. Then... Then..!

Her body trembled as more pain writhed through her arm. That black thing was spreading all across her body. It was trying to consume her... It was trying to deal with her, just like the impersonator was. She was caught between a rock and a hard place, and if she let either of them take an inch, then Mikai wouldn't be the only one that'd be lost. She'd be lost too!

"You're a real failure, you know..." Impersona stepped out of the darkness as she noticed that her prey was weakened once more. All while wearing Yumeko's face, no doubt pulled from Mikai's memories. "I can see it all. A young girl who was put in a position of power. And because of that, everyone she held dear slowly started to disappear. And it's all your fault..."

Hiro couldn't stop the slash again. This time, it slashed into her armguard, straight through and into the Saint System. The flames that her suit were producing to try and light the area around her up were snuffed out. Leaving her in complete and utter darkness...

"SHUT UP!" And yet she tried to fight back. Even as she weakly punched forward and her attack didn't meet its mark. All that happened was the laughter that echoed from the wicked girl's lips...

When she became visible once more, she had Tsubasa's face. And she glared at her with sadistic glee. "Even when you gain favor with others... You just end up pushing them away... All because of that reckless way you act. You try to push them away, intentionally or not... Is it any wonder you feel so alone..?"

Impersona giggled as she brushed her hand up against her face once more. And this time, Hiro's eyes widened. Because the face of one of her former subordinates appeared. The same subordinate that looked so much like Mikai. The girl that had her hope and her future snuffed out because of her...

"Because of you... She ended up a Monster, didn't she?" That voice. That look in her eyes. It was filling her heart with guilt. "You should just give it up. I'll take good care of that identity. You won't miss it, you monster..." Impersona said as she reached forward. Once again trying to grab ahold of Hiro's face as the guilt consumed he-

"DESPERADO!"

Only for a burst of energy to knock her back. All while Hiro slowly got up onto her feet, green energies violently erupting from her body. All while that very same energy started turning into sparks as they leaked out from the damaged parts of her suit. All while her eyes turned green while half of her neck had been consumed by the black color that had been crawling across her body.

"You... You dare use their faces... You dare use their words... Their lives... YOU DARE USE THEM AGAINST ME?!" Taking Mikai was one thing. But reminding her of her failures to such an extent pushed her buttons in the worst way possible...

Impersona laughed as she looked at the way the energy sparked across Hiro's body. She wouldn't last. There's no way that she would be able to last. "That energy's going to consume you, don't you know? And if it doesn't consume you, then the darkness in your arm will." She snickered, all while brushing her hand across her face once more. Shifting her identity one more time.

To the face of Hiro's former superior. That silver-haired woman that had been in her life for a short time and yet taught her so much. Tsukiko. "Remember... You lost me to the Darkness too. Why don't you join us? You're about to be consumed anyway." And she used that voice. That familiar and playful yet wise voice. All to rub it in.

Hiro's eyes shrunk. And it seemed like the black immediately consumed her body. It seemed like her body had been consumed by the darkness, as she just stood there and let all the black consume her...

"Heh. Now then, this time you sh-"

Impersona didn't get the chance to even try to grab Hiro's face. Not before she found her mask cracked, and the pain of having her face grasped and crushed echoed through her body. Not before she came face to face with the fury that she had awoken. All through the bright green eyes that peered through that darkness.

"YOU TOOK HER AWAY FROM ME! GIVE HER BACK! GIVE! HER! BACK!" Hiro didn't see reason. Not even as the black color on her body was forced back into her arm. Not even as she slammed the dark entity into the ground and immediately caused the floor to crack in response to her brutality. All that she saw was a culprit. Somebody that had taken her away..!

The pain was one thing. Impersona would be able to endure that. But it wasn't just the pain. It was also like she was being drained. She was forced to scream as the darkness was sucked out of her. The energy that sustained her body gradually vanished as her elegant thief's dress vanished bit by bit. All while she tried to claw at the arm that held her face.

"GIVE HER BACK!" Hiro shouted once more, consumed utterly by her fury as she slammed the entity into the floor. And again, with her words repeating as she repeated her violent action. Over and over. Repeating in such a maddened fashion that would make anybody believe she had snapped if they were to see her like this.

Her arm had turned more than black at this point. The green energies that sustained her Desperado had fused into it. Leaving her with a black arm covered in green veins. Not only had the arm absorbed those violent energies, but it had absorbed all the darkness that it needed. Satisfying it, while she continued to smash the creature into the ground.

"GIVE... HER... BACK..!" She still wouldn't stop. Of course she wouldn't stop. Even with the arm that tried to consume her forced to relent, her fury was still strong. After all, she was wearing a mask made from Tsukiko's face. She had to destroy it. So Tsukiko could return! So she could finally see her again!

Only as the mask shattered and Impersona's pained screech echoed out did she stop. Not because she wanted to. But because the entity took the opportunity to flee. All because of having her mask detach from her body. Leaving Hiro to stew in her fury...

"Give... her... back..." Hiro muttered, as tears started to roll down her cheeks. Why did they have to return..? Why did they have to come back and offer this false hope? Of course Tsukiko wouldn't be back. She disappeared on that day to save them all. If she came back, then... then...

She collapsed onto her knees, sobbing. All while her transformation shattered, but her arm remained. Enhanced, yet tamed for now. It was satisfied with what it had consumed. It had helped her. But it came at the cost of filling it with more darkness. Just like their efforts in the past only led to The Darkness trying to encroach upon their world.

"H-Hiro..? Hiro..!"

Not even Mikai's sweet voice was able to break her out of her current state. She remained on her knees. Crying her heart out. Even as her partner hugged her. Even as she felt that warmth that was supposed to help put her back on the right track...

Mikai didn't understand what had happened. One moment, she was stuck inside that infinite Darkness. The next, she was back in Atlas Corp. The only thing she knew was that she could see Hiro glowing in the distance, and when she finally arrived. Well, she looked like a mess.

So she hugged her. And she refused to let go. Because her trust had paid off. She managed to get back because she had put her trust in Hiro. So now it was her turn to reward her for everything that she had done for her. She hugged her. And she squeezed tight. And she made sure that her warmth was rubbing off on her.

She'd stay with her. Until Hiro could turn to talk to her once more. Until she could understand why she sobbed... And until the two could return home and be at ease...

---

"D-Damnit... I-I need a new identity... I need... S-Something..! L-Lord Lumiel, please..!"

Impersona was reduced to crawling away like a little gnat. A weak little thing, trying her very best to crawl along. If she could just make it back to one of the idiots she had knocked out, then she could steal their identity all over again. And from there, she could get the darkness that she needed to sustain herself.

"Darkness scum... I finally found you..."

But she wouldn't get that far. Not before she laid her eyes on a wicked golden individual lurking within the shadows. Not as the golden heels clacked against the ground and filled the entity with fear. She didn't have a way to escape. And that gold... It had the same shade as the golden one that had hunted down anybody that came to this world..!

Kanzei glared down at the weakened Darkness at her feet. And the hammer of her retribution echoed through her mind as her cane appeared within her hands. A cane she spun around until the circular tip was pointed down towards the weakened enemy.

"W-Wait! I-I can tell you anything! I-I can give you back those identities-"

Impersona's words fell on deaf ears as Kanzei's cane slammed through what little remained of her body. She didn't even get the chance to scream before the rest of her darkness burst apart. Leaving nothing behind. Not a single speck. Not a single little piece...

Kanzei looked upon those specks as they destroyed themselves. All while a single thought remained on her mind. A single thought that would drive her to continue hunting down this new enemy...

"Not enough... They must all pay..."

---

D'Or tapped away at the golden keyboard formed from her deepest desires. The benefit of researching Jõtai meant that she knew plenty of smaller ways to put them to practical use. Especially when there wasn't any proper power running through the building at this time.

She didn't know why the power had been cut. It was probably due to one of The Darkness' minions. Setting up a locale where they could be most effective. But it also gave her the perfect cover that she needed. Especially since she needed to examine certain data more closely, after what she had heard from that young lady...

It's not like she couldn't examine it while under her cover identity. But they would look at it with more scrutiny. And right now, she didn't need eyes on her. Not when there was a chance that the Luna Descent could happen all over again. All she needed was a bit of data, and the Jõtai would allow her to access those databanks without the power being on. All so she could download...

D'Or smiled as two bright golden orbs appeared in front of her. Manifested versions of the data that she needed. And not a moment too soon, given what she could feel throughout the building. She had to get out of there now and back to the hideout, so she could get to work on all of it.

All to find the link between the Luna Descent and the Prime Resonance...

---

"What a wonderful prologue. A little taste of what's to come..."

The Magician that had set those events into motion clapped to himself, all while standing within the infinite void that was The Darkness. All while smirking. The first nudge with the icy girl was merely a teaser. But this was truly splendid. He could enjoy one of the world's heroes breaking little by little. If he just pushed on her a little more, then...

"LUMIEL, YOU FISHY BASTARD! IS IT TIME!?"

Violent lights and loud stomps echoed around him, all while he took a simple glance towards the towering behemoth he called an ally. And he softly chuckled. Of course he stopped on by. Oh well, it's not like he wouldn't be useful.

"Indeed it is. By all means, be our herald. I'm sure that the inhabitants of that world would love to rise to your challenge."

The behemoth laughed. All while his heavy body started to whirr and click like the machine that it was. It had been a long time since he had gotten the chance to put it into action, but the opportunity finally presented itself.

He just hoped that the world would provide a challenge for him. Otherwise this invasion of theirs would come to an abrupt and boring end...