[Corruption, Tokusatsu Themes]

"M-Mama..?"

Fear filled her heart as she looked around. Dark stuff was rising from the ground in the shape of flames, with all sorts of clothes strewn about. All while a single dark source swirled in the center... One that she could just barely see, due to the woman currently standing in front of her.

The white-haired woman that had taken care of her. And yet something was different. Something was wrong. And as she turned around and her golden eyes shined upon the girl, the fear in her heart continued to spread through her body. Paralyzing her, all while that wicked smile pointed towards her...

"It's going to be okay, my dear..." The voice that left her lips was twofold. It was the voice of her mother, and a voice made up of nothing but deadly venom. She couldn't get away from her, not as those hands crept closer to her, not as they sank towards her face...

The sight of her wicked expression burned itself into her mind, all as her gaze was filled with darkness...

---

"M-Mama!"

Minami shouted as she jolted awake, sweat running down her face. Her nightmares were as vivid as ever, and the memory of her 'Mama' was fresh. It had been ten years since that day, and every night she was haunted with variations upon the same event. Nothing but destruction and despair as her Mama came down upon her. Some nights were vivid. Some nights were vague. But one thing's for certain, no matter how much she had gotten used to it, the close-up ones were always too much...

"Another nightmare, Minami..?"

A yawn echoed from her side, as her purple-haired friend woke up as well. Saeko Suikumo. A girl that had been by her side for a long time. Even though she had no real reason to be there for her, she did her best. All while making sure to handle her and help her with her daily life...

"M...Mmhm. Sorry if I woke you up..." Minami muttered, slowly pulling herself up. All while her legs continued to disobey her commands. Those things really never wanted to play along with what she wanted to do, huh. They were a real mess, but at least they weren't broken. It was just... A complete lack of proper control, instead of constant and overwhelming pain.

Saeko smiled softly as she put on her glasses. "It's fine. I didn't need to sleep much either way." She chuckled. "Besides. I don't want you to suffer, Minami. You deserve a good life, even if..." She paused, looking away for a moment. Did she have any right to wish a good life for the girl, considering what she had been doing..?

Minami raised an eyebrow slightly. "Suikumo, you're not thinking about dangerous things while you're trying to take care of me, are you?" She chimed, yawning as she stretched. "Because if I find out that you've been doing dangerous things while pushing me around, then I'm going to have to make sure you pay for it. Say, there's a new horror film coming out, perhaps we should go watch it together." Ah... If there was one thing that brought her joy and calmed her down, it was teasing Saeko...

"L-Let's not. The Principal asked me to make sure that you didn't leave your home, what with everything that's going on. I really don't want to make her disappointed." Saeko muttered as her cheeks flushed an extra bright shade of red. Good grief, she wasn't going to give her a chance at all, was she..?

A chuckle left the white-hared girl's lips. All while her heart soundly beat against her chest. All while the image of her Mama trying to grab her was fresh within her mind. No, she had to repress it. At least until she woke up again.

For now, she was just going to enjoy life with Saeko...

---

"I can't believe those two would actually do something like this! They've been part of Golden Freedom all along!? Come on, couldn't they at least have said something!? Instead of forcing us to pick a side in the heat of the moment!?"

"..."

"...You've been real quiet since we got here, Mikai. Did it hit you that hard?"

"Mm... Mmhm..."

"Guess I can't blame you. You're probably dealing with it in a different way than I am. Me? I could just... I could just... Gah!"

The sound of a fist hitting a wall and shattering echoed through the room both girls were held in, all while a few shards of ice casually dropped to the floor. Yuuki Shimo, part of Mimoto Highschool's Student Council, was expressing the frustration that had rushed through her ever since her fellow council members revealed themselves to be nothing more than villains.

And Mimoto's heroine, the young Mikai Fushimi, was not exactly having a great day either. It had been a few days since the reveal, but it still lingered in her mind. The light inside her had burned away at her when it went out of control. All because of how betrayed she had felt. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't know what to do. All she could do was just slowly stare at the wall.

How could she cope with something like that? Saki, her Senpai, had secretly been her rival for the last few weeks. And it was all because of her too. She remembered how the girl reacted the first time she realized that Mikai was a heroine. It was with pure unbridled rage. If not for her, then maybe she wouldn't have turned...

And the other one... Saeko... She was General Spider all along. She had been hidden in plain sight. Watching her greatest mistake ruin her plans. It was something that filled Mikai with a sense of dread. Knowing that at any moment, somebody else could reveal themselves to be another enemy. Yumeko... Agatha... Tsubasa... Even Yuuki could be one. And the fact that she felt this way was enough to make her wrap her arms around her knees.

She didn't want to feel like anybody could be her enemy. But this was the first time she had felt betrayed. The emotion itself was so new to her that she couldn't rein it in. "Y-Yuuki-Senpai... W-What do I do..?" She muttered, tears running down the girl's cheeks as she expressed her doubts. She didn't know anything. She barely even knew how to fight back against them, considering how handily they had trumped her last time. All she knew was that she was empty... And that was probably why she couldn't handle such a powerful emotion like this one.

Yuuki looked at her Kouhai and bit her lip. "I don't know." She muttered, all while pressing her back up against the wall. "I don't know what we do with those two. I want them to pay for what they've done... But I also don't want to hurt them enough. Because that way, I'd feel like I was hurting a pair of friends. But they've been lying to my face all this time. Lying about what they truly want." She grit her teeth as she slammed the back of her head up against the wall, her icy abilities quickly activating to prevent her from causing any real damage to her body. "I just don't know what to think. I don't know why Saeko would turn me. And I don't know why I can't bring myself to hate them for what they did. It's all just... just..." Another frustrated sigh left her lips, all because of the emotions running through her.

Mikai slowly nodded as she listened to all of that, before looking down at the floor. Even Senpai didn't know. And if she didn't know... Then Chimera probably didn't know either. Which meant that she just had to deal with this feeling inside her...

"...But I know one thing." Yuuki muttered as she slowly took a deep breath. "Mikai. If you need me. Please tell me. I don't care why you need me. I don't care if you really need me. I just want you to know that I trust you. I trust you with every fiber and every inch of my being. So please. Trust me too. Alright?" Yuuki said as she stepped closer, all while kneeling down a little so the two could see eye to eye. "I don't want to lose you either. You're my Kouhai. And you saved me once before, so I have to make sure I save you back. Not just because I owe you, but because it's what friends would do."

Mikai couldn't meet her gaze. She just solemnly nodded. She knew that Yuuki was right. And she definitely believed in her. But she didn't believe in herself. Not after what she had done. Not after realizing that she was probably the reason why Saki had ended up this way...

"...I'll take it." Yuuki muttered, reaching forward and pulling Mikai into a hug. "Even if you won't look at me, that nod tells me you agree. And even if you don't fully trust me, it's enough." She muttered, squeezing her tight. "Don't turn bad too, Mikai. I can't take it. I just can't take it." The soft sound of tears rolling down the girl's cheeks echoed out, before those tears froze and gently shattered against the ground...

As Kouhai and Senpai shared a moment of pure emotion, the door opened and a black-haired girl looked inside. All while remaining nice and quiet until Yuuki let go of the girl. It's not like she was in a rush, so she could afford to let them release all the aching emotions inside of them...

Eventually, Yuuki let go. All while Mikai continued to look away. She was okay with that. Because again, she nodded when she asked her question. It was the smallest bit of confirmation, but it was all that she truly needed. The rest would come in time.

"I hope I'm not interrupting." Yumeko spoke up, finally making her presence clear. "Yuuki-Senpai, do you mind if I borrow Mikai? Hiro asked for her to come join her, and it seems like she's planning on telling her something important."

Mikai's eyes lit up. And before either of the girls had a chance to continue their conversation, the girl leapt off her seat and ran straight out the door, right past Yumeko. All while her heart slammed against her chest. If there was one woman she still trusted, it was Hiro. She didn't want to let her down too.

Yuuki watched and softly laughed. Somehow, the girl had managed to regain her energy. Even if it was only a small bit. "Guess you don't need to borrow her from me, if she's hurrying off that quickly." The white-haired Senpai said, before taking a seat and sighing. "I really wish I could be the one that could bring that light to her eyes. Between Yuuka getting turned into that Monster, and knowing that Saeko was the one that turned me into one too... It's starting to take its toll on my heart."

"I wouldn't doubt it. Feeling that kind of pain over and over hurts more than you could've ever prepared yourself for." Yumeko said, before closing the door behind her for a moment. "Mikai's going to handle the threat that's coming, so I wanted to take this time to talk to you directly, Yuuki-Senpai. Because I need your help."

Threat? There was a threat coming? "Yeah? What do you need my help with?" Yuuki asked, before snickering. "You're gonna tell me that there's another person trying to disguise herself at school, aren't you? Saki and Saeko can't have been the only ones, I bet."

"Bingo." Yumeko chimed. "You catch on quick, Senpai. That's why I thought that you could help. Because if you can figure out how she's managed to stay under the radar, then we can stop her before she makes things worse."

Yuuki blinked. Alright, she wasn't expecting her joke to be correct. "Who is it?" She asked, all while her hand started to grow nice and chilly. "Because the moment I lay my hands on them, they're going to pay for their lil' trick. Saki and Saeko may be one thing, but I'm not letting a third one go."

"Kimiko. Kimiko's the one that has been lurking. Right in the front of our eyes." Yumeko explained, all while she slowly stepped forward, pulling forth a set of papers from her bag. "Not only that, but if what I've been able to put together is correct, then..."

Yuuki's eyes widened as the papers were laid out in front of her. All while she looked up at Yumeko, who just nodded softly as to confirm that what she was reading wasn't fake at all.

If all of this was correct, then... Damn, they didn't have much time. By the time Christmas rolled around, then...

---

"Hiro! Hiiiiiro!"

Mikai slammed open the door leading to Hiro's office, before promptly tripping as she put a bit too much force into her kick, landing her with her face right up against the floor. Whoops. Should've looked before she leapt.

"Aha. Well, I'm glad to see that you're looking better, Mikai. I'm sure that Hiro would've hated seeing you without your characteristic smile."

"Please don't imply things on my behalf, Qilin. Especially not at this hour."

Mikai slowly pulled herself up, and laid her eyes upon the dynamic duet of Qilin and Hiro. The woman that was in charge of the PAWN system's development, and her fellow heroine as well as the woman that she was currently living with. Just the sight of the two was enough to bring a wave of relief to her heart, especially after all the grief and worry that had been claiming her ever since she fought against Saki and Saeko...

"Ehehehehe." Mikai's laugh sounded a little off compared to her usual one. But at least she was able to smile at the two. That was an improvement compared to before. "So what was it that you wanted me for? Do we gotta beat somebody up? Smash through Golden Freedom? Save people? Come on, tell me, tell me!"

Hiro cleared her throat, before walking over and gently chopping Mikai on the forehead. "Calm. Down." She said with a firm tone, all while snapping her fingers and Qilin fetching her a stool for her to sit on. "We're not heading out. There's something that I wanted you to hear about, and if you're just going to be bouncing all over the place, you won't pay attention."

The chop didn't hurt at all. But it did make Mikai stop bouncing as she fell onto a beanbag chair, handily pushed underneath her bum thanks to Qilin's quick thinking. "What is it then? What do I need to know? Is it about the Jõtai? The Jõtaijin? Golden Freedom?" She paused, as her expression suddenly dimmed. "You're not... with them... are you, Hiro..?"

"No." Hiro quickly shot her down, sighing as she pressed her fingers against her temple. "But after we're done with our duties, I want you to join me for a session with Charlotta. You need help, Mikai. Whether you want to admit it or not." Seeing the girl like this was giving her horrid flashbacks to her own younger self. When she was so self-destructive that she just cared about the mission at hand and absolutely nothing else...

Mikai softly nodded as the light returned to her eyes. "Okay." She muttered. Not because she didn't like the idea of it, but because she didn't know if it would be any good. How could her bond with those two be repaired? Just by talking it out with Charlotta..?

Qilin sighed a little as she rubbed her cheek. Oh dear. This wasn't going very well. "Hiro, dear, are you absolutely sure that it's a good idea to talk to her about the Prime Resonance? Even if she understands, there's a chance that-"

"She needs to know. Keeping her in the dark about what happened in my life will just result in even more doubt. Whether it's because of the Native Awakening, the Luna Descent, or the Prime Resonance." Hiro retorted, all while she slowly squeezed her hand into her arm. "Besides... If she doesn't get the full picture, then there's no way that she'll be able to fight against those creatures from The Darkness. If we're not ready for them, then..."

Mikai was spacing out a bit. All while a layer of darkness slowly started to fill out her vision. The same kind of layer that usually formed when Chimera was trying to get ahold of her. But this time, it didn't seem to have anything within it...

The predator was busy. Just as she asked her to be. But honestly... Right now, she could use her encouragement. Between her doubt at how to deal with her former allies and friends, and the knowledge that she was about to learn, she really needed a little bit of comfort. And Chimera's comfort was always right there...

But instead, the void faded away, right as a film started to play on the whiteboard within Hiro's office. All while both of the finely-clad ladies stood there, ready to go in depth about the events that had transpired so long ago.

"Let's take you back to a time when Hiro had only been Atlas' right-hand woman for a little while, and I was just starting out within the company as well." Qilin explained, before giggling. "You know, we could consider this a little scrapbook of sorts, couldn't we, Hiro?"

"Focus, Qilin." Hiro muttered, all while turning towards the screen. "Please pay attention Mikai. Only then will you learn about how horribly things had gone wrong..."

Thus, the events of the Prime Resonance started to play out before her eyes, in the form of a simple video...

---

"A-Are we filming?"

Ten years in the past, a few months after the Luna Descent had wracked the city, the young Hiro had managed to land herself quite the enviable position of personal secretary to the boss of Atlas Corp. And yet there she was. With nary a single white hair in the bed of black, dramatically contrasting her current self...

"Mmhm. So, how about you introduce yourself, Miss Secretary? This is supposed to be used for documentation, after all. It's not home video, as much as you'd probably like that." A foreign voice, yet one very familiar to Hiro even in the present, spoke up from behind the camera.

"R-Right." Hiro muttered as she adjusted her posture to look more authoritative, clearing her throat. "This is Hiro Fukano, documenting the progress of the Prime Resonance project. Today, we conduct the final phase. Bonding the foreign substance to a fitting host. If this succeeds, we should have a functional weapon against those strange squid-like creatures should they choose to return to this world." She explained, before gasping a little. "H-How was that, Miss Kazumi?"

The mysterious woman stepped into frame. A woman with a long white braided ponytail that reached across her shoulder so it could rest against her chest. A woman with gentle crimson eyes, and a soft smile on her face.

"I told you before, 'Miss Secretary'. It's Rena." Rena said, a soft chuckle following her words. "Then again, with everything you've been through over the last few months, I can understand why you'd neglect something like that."

Hiro blushed as the older woman admonished her, before nodding. "I-Indeed. This has all been a little much. I'm still not sure if I can live up to the expectations that have been placed on me. How was my predecessor able to do so..? It seems utterly impossible..."

"It wasn't easy, that much I know." Rena said, before looking beyond the camera. "By the way, who's the tyke that's holding the camera? I didn't know the company employed kids that young." She asked, all while gently rubbing her cheek. "Gotta say, she's kinda cute."

While the girl didn't enter the frame, Hiro couldn't help but blush a bit more. "She's... Well, Atlas didn't tell me any specifics regarding her condition. He just told me about her name, Qilin, and told me to show her around and teach her what it meant to work here at Atlas Corp. S-So, uhm, let's not do anything bad while she's around. Okay?"

"Hiro-nee." A youthful voice echoed from behind the camera, no doubt belonging to the younger Qilin. "What's Prime Resonance?" She asked a simple question, all while turning the camera towards the windows that led into the test chambers...

"I'll explain that, kiddo." Rena said, remaining in frame as she walked towards the windows. "After that little 'Luna Descent' incident, we needed to figure out a way to fight back against those things. Even without the heroic gals that tried to fight back against them on that night. And as it turns out, they left behind quite a lot of stuff that we could use. Goo, infected individuals, you name it, we found it. In short..."

The camera focused on what laid beyond the glass. A large bubbling orb of complete darkness, contained within four barriers each with vivid colors that corresponded to the four Saint Beasts. They had been involved in making sure that it didn't break out, for good reason given what had just happened months prior...

"This is what we've made. With any luck, it'll be just as strong as the thing that caused the Luna Descent. And as long as it bonds with the one we've picked, then we've got everything we need." Rena explained, before scowling a little. "Granted, I didn't want to have to force her to do it, but it's not like we have a lot of options. The last test subject managed to run away, and she's..."

"Your adopted daughter." Hiro spoke up, though as she entered the camera's frame it was easy to tell that she wasn't happy about it either. "I can't claim to know what Lady Seiryu's thinking, but is this really the best way forward? Couldn't... Couldn't I have volunteered or something..?"

"Unfortunately not. Bonding with this requires prior exposure to the element, and your temporary capture during that night wasn't bad enough. Her, on the other hand... I found her in the middle of being turned back to normal, with two melted versions of that girl on top of her. Somehow, she managed to endure for just long enough. And while I would prefer to keep her out of trouble, I think she'll appreciate the chance to fight back against the ones that took everything away from her." Rena concluded, before turning towards the black-haired girl. "Hiro. If anything goes wrong, I can count on you to clean up after me, can't I?"

"I... Yes, yes you can." Hiro muttered as she bit her lip. To see another one that was close to her vanish... It would be utter hell, but she wasn't about to let her down. "Just try to make sure that it doesn't end up that way. Please be careful." She put her hopes in her friend and fellow coworker. Even if she knew that those hopes were meager and utterly worthless in the face of this unpredictable orb...

Rena smiled and patted her friend on the head, before sinking into the floor. "Qilin, dear, make sure the camera's pointed down at the test chamber. We want to record as much of this as possible, especially if it goes wrong." The white-haired Monster chimed as she disappeared, using her ability to transfer herself into a world underneath this one.

The camera shifted once more, being placed right up against the window as it pointed down towards the chamber. Several scientists surrounded the structure that kept the orb held together, all while a single white-haired girl was currently waiting near the entrance. Waiting for somebody...

Rena emerged from her shadow seconds later, wrapping her arms around her. The warm smiles shared between parent and child, as she helped her into the chamber. Right up to where she was meant to synchronize with the dark orb...

"Hiro-nee..." Qilin's voice could be heard, but neither she nor Hiro were on screen any longer. "Rena-nee's going to be okay, right..?" She was just as unsure about all of this as the older girl was. So much so that one could hear her audibly grasping onto her hand, squeezing it tight for comfort.

"I... I really hope she will be."

Just as Hiro expressed her doubts, the barriers shattered. All four barriers were rendered null and void as the orb seemed to scream, twisting and turning into a form that was more evocative of its current violent state. A serpentine monster that quickly started to thrash around and destroy everything around it.

As soon as living matter made contact with it, that matter was absorbed. Leaving several scientists to be reduced to nothing more than their coats, all while the footage glitched rapidly. Even the camera couldn't handle what was going on, especially as several alarms started to ring out.

"Rena! RENA! RENAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The last thing that the camera managed to record was the shadowed visage of that serpentine monster looming over the white-haired woman, who held her child tight as to protect her. Right before it thrust forward, maw opening to consume them both in one fell swoop...

And Hiro's despairing scream synchronized with the footage cutting out, as the girl was powerless to save her friend...

---

Mikai's eyes were wide. And tears had started to run down her cheeks, without her even realizing that they had started to roll. How else was she supposed to react..?

"I forgot how horrible that event was..." Qilin muttered, quietly wiping away at her glasses. Even they had fogged up, courtesy of the brief yet violent horror that had happened before her. "In the end, we shelved the project. There was nothing that could be gained by using that darkness. Just more loss."

Hiro nodded, gritting her teeth a bit. She was doing her best to keep herself composed. But the sight of her own failure, something that had haunted her for years upon years, was hard to truly ignore. "In the end, anything that had to do with that world was like a poison. If we were to use it, then we would just end up destroying ourselves." She mused, as she quietly squeezed her hand into her arm. It was another symbol of poison, just like that had been. "...And the girl that served as our test subject carries that poison within her to this day, serving as a mark of our failure."

Mikai wasn't really listening. If anything, she was more thinking about the implications. If that was the kind of thing that The Darkness was capable of, why didn't Saeko and Saki agree to fight with her? If that was what it could do, then they'd all be dead if they kept on fighting against one another. They'd... They'd leave everyone they cared about behind, all because of their own goals...

But as the tears streamed and her mind came to a horrifying conclusion, another gear twisted and turned inside her head. Kazumi... She had heard that name before. And that girl looked familiar. "...Hiro..? Who were the test subjects..?" She had to ask a simple question. Just so she could confirm what just popped up in her head.

"...The test subject that escaped was a girl by the name of Kumo. Truth be told, we've been suspecting that she might have grown up to become General Spider, but until your encounter with Suikumo, we weren't sure. It would also explain her presence close to the other test subject..." Hiro explained, before sighing in defeat. "The other test subject, and the one still harboring this 'Prime Darkness' that we were trying to replicate and weaponize..."

"Is Rena's adoptive daughter, Minami Kazumi. The girl that Suikumo has been taking care of."

Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no. She wasn't about to betray them too, was she? There's no way that Minami was going to betray them! She was... She wasn't helpless, but she was definitely not harmful either. She was a gentle soul that just wanted to play with her friends in the way that she could. Even if she was left without the same kind of abilities that everyone else had, she couldn't be..!

Just as Mikai's mind started to spiral, she heard a soft tone and a vibration rushing through her. Thankfully, it was just her phone. Though moments after she noticed it, another tone echoed out, prompting her to check her messages...

Two identical messages. One from Yumeko, one from Kimiko. Both about some sort of... Danger..?

Qilin's eyes widened as she suddenly started to collapse, panting and gasping as her golden eyes started to widen. "W-What's this feeling..?" She muttered, all while she quickly reached into her pocket, tapping rapidly to open up a map of the city. And after that, a mixture of relief and horror washed over her. "Oh no..."

Hiro looked to Qilin, who just nodded in turn. "...Mikai. We're moving out." She said, not even bothering to utter her transformation phrase as her PAWN armor formed over her body. All while she tapped a few buttons on the panel under her gauntlet, ensuring that she'd have the right equipment on hand.

"What..? What's going on?" Mikai asked, looking at both Qilin and the armored Hiro. Why was Qilin in pain? Why was Hiro already suited? Was this related to the threat that both of her friends wanted to warn her about?

"You have to go, Mikai." Qilin said, gasping as she worked through the pain while getting up. All so she could walk over to a console in the back of the office, connected to the main network that ran through Atlas Corp. She needed to get a hold of everyone she could. "I'll make sure that you're both going to be okay from here. But if you don't go..."

"Then the Prime Darkness will resonate once again..."

---

"Saeko? What are you doing?"

Minami had a few questions for her friend. The most important being why the girl was currently sitting inside of her room instead of joining her for lunch. It's not like she blamed Saeko for being anti-social or anything, as she had heard quite a few strange things throughout the week, but she was being really quiet compared to her usual self...

The purple-haired girl trembled a little as she looked upon Minami. All while she stuffed her hand into her pocket. Was she really going to do this? Was she going to get that girl involved? After what she had indirectly caused? ...Yes, yes she was. If nothing else, it would help her grow strong and protect her. If she was really lucky, she was going to be able to cure her legs too...

"Minami. I... I want to offer you something." Saeko said, before shaking her head and clearing her throat. "I want to offer you a wish." She said, all while she pulled her hand out of her pocket and revealed the Jõtai that she had been palming. "I want to give you the chance to be as free as you deserve to be..."

Her words rushed through the white-haired girl's ears, as Minami's gaze was completely focused on the girl. But she couldn't exactly hear her. No, the more she looked upon the girl and the ring that she offered, the more her heart kept on beating louder and louder. She didn't understand what this feeling inside her was, but it seemed to resonate with the ring...

"A wish..?" Minami muttered as she grew lax, her body leaning forward as her hair hid away her eyes ever slightly. All while she kept her eyes firmly focused on the girl in front of her, her wheelchair seemingly moving on its own. "I can wish for anything, right..?"

Saeko nodded. "Anything. The Jõtai will make it come true through you. Just trust me, Minami. I want to help you." Saeko was being as truthful as she could be. This was not something that she did for the sake of Golden Freedom or for the sake of Saki. No, this was for her friend. She wanted her to live a life that was unbound by her body's limitations...

The white-haired girl seemingly accepted the offer as she reached forward and grabbed the ring, peering at it for a few seconds. All while her lips quivered. "I... I wish..." She tried to make her wish ring out, but the longer that she held that ring, the more it felt like something was whispering through her ears. Something... something familiar...

Then, her body grew completely motionless. Her heartbeat, her breath, everything stopped. She just sat there. Holding that ring that her eyes had now focused on. All while those eyes of hers slowly started to fill up with black hues and a deeply unsettling golden shade taking the place of her irises. All as her nervous expression spread to a wicked and sharp-toothed grin...

"I wish to feed."

Saeko's eyes widened in turn as Minami chuckled the ring into her mouth, swallowing it like it was nothing more than a snack. But before she had the chance to truly react beyond mere shock, she found the girl's hands wrapped around her throat, squeezing tight...

All while the only thing she could see was the twisted expression of the girl she tried to save...

---

"Mikai! Hurry up!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying!"

Both heroines were on their way to the burst of violent energy that Qilin had picked up on. It had the signature of both Jõtaijin and Darkness influence, which meant that whatever was happening definitely wasn't good. If they were lucky, it was just Helheim causing more problems by turning a Jõtaijin into one of his robotic minions. But given the look on the woman's face, it definitely wasn't that.

But Mikai... She couldn't really focus. How was she supposed to focus after what she had seen? It just reminded her that she didn't really have a good stake in all of this. All she wanted was to just protect her friends and reach out. Saki had her twisted pursuit of protecting those close to her and making life better for them, and Hiro... Hiro wanted to protect the entire world from this Darkness. What did she have..?

"Hiro. It seems like Mikai's willpower is lowering rapidly. I recommend a chat with her." Huanglong's voice echoed out through the armored heroine's ears, all while she continued to follow the directions that were supposed to lead her to the location of the violent energy.

Hiro sighed, before shaking her head as she kept moving. "Use the connection to jump to her, Huanglong. I think you could do with a bit of human contact that doesn't involve me." The heroine said, encouraging him to do his best to assist her partner. Not because she didn't want to help her, but because the danger was a bigger priority at the moment.

MIkai continued to glide through the air compared to following the road below thanks to Blast Eagle's aerial superiority, all while neglecting to notice the hologram forming on her wrist. She was more focused on slowly flying to her destination and stewing in her own worries...

"Mikai, a word?" The holographic young man spoke up as he took a seat on her wrist. "I recognize that Hiro may have crossed a line in regards to preparing you for this next mission, but you don't seem to be harboring aggressive feelings towards her. Is it possible that you could tell me what's on your mind?"

The eagle-themed heroine let her glance tilt towards Huanglong, before she sighed a little. "I dunno if you can really help, but... What would you do if you felt like you weren't good enough, Huanglong?" She asked, as she started to descend ever slightly. They were coming up upon their destination, after all.

Huanglong pondered the question for a few moments before nodding. "I would continue trying. And if I continue to feel inadequate, I would inquire with those close to me. One thing that Lady Byakko, who programmed me, always muttered to herself whenever she was hard at work with me or another project was... 'I am my own worst critic'. Therefore, if you truly feel inadequate and don't believe you can live up to the expectations placed on you, then talk to the ones placing those expectations on you. I cannot guarantee that it would work, but it should provide some form of insight."

"The kitty says that to herself..? I thought she just kept on being grumpy all day because that was the kind of girl that she was." Mikai muttered, a soft chuckle leaving her lips. "Can you tell me more about that stuff, Huanglong? I wanna know more about the people that made you and made you Hiro's partner." It wasn't much, but the thought... It was strangely comforting. To have something as proverbially empty as a hologram empathize with her... It was nice.

Huanglong chuckled in turn. "When we finish this mission, I'll request a favor from Hiro. With any luck, she'll be able to tell you all of her experiences with the Saint Beasts as well as her coworkers throughout the last decade. I'm sure you'll find something that can help you overcome those feelings inside you. Even if it's only bothering you a small amount."

With that advice given, the hologram vanished. And Mikai came up on the building that was supposed to be radiating all of this bad energy that Qilin had picked up on. Hiro had already arrived, courtesy of Mikai being slow while discussing things with Huanglong. So descending down to her and landing right by her was easy enough, with the green-hued heroine touching down without as much a single scratch on her form.

"Feeling better, Mikai?" Hiro asked, and the armored heroine slowly nodded her head in turn. "When we're done here, we're going to go back home and relax. I... I have something that might help you. After showing you all of that grief, I'm sure that showing a few embarrassing moments from my life might be a bit comforting." Of course she had been thinking while she was all alone. Mikai was her partner, she wasn't about to let her sulk without trying to help her a bit. Just like the girl had helped her before.

Mikai stretched a bit as flames burst forth from her body, transforming her back to Flame Lion without as much as a spoken word. "Let's do this, Hiro. We'll take out whatever's causing problems, and then we'll stop whatever this Prime Darkness stuff is!"

The two partners bumped fists and broke straight through the front door, ready to take on anything. Even as a wave of dark energy poured out in an attempt to stop them, they kept on pushing forward. Aiming to find out what was releasing this much energy..!

And it was then that Mikai's eyes widened underneath her helmet. Because standing right in the middle of this home was...

Minami. The wheelchair-bound girl, standing tall like nothing was wrong. All while her fingers were currently clenched around Saeko's throat, the bespectacled girl struggling against the wicked grip as her face turned more and more blue.

"M-Minami... W-Why..?" Saeko muttered, as she tried to struggle free. But the more she tried to struggle, the weaker she felt. It wasn't just because she was losing her breath, it was more like Minami was trying to drain her power from her. All while her body grew more and more unresponsive with every moment that passed...

Minami didn't reply, merely tightening her grip. All while her eye turned to gaze towards the two heroines that had broken in. "Ah... My prey's arrived..." She said, licking her lips with an elongated and serpentine tongue. All while giggling as she casually threw the purple-haired girl to the side. "Your energy... No, your life will be mine for the taking!" She laughed, golden color filling the black hues of her eyes as more of her wicked energy started to pour out.

"Saeko.... Saeko-senpai..!" Mikai cried out, trembling as she faced this enemy. It was... It wasn't Minami. It was far from being Minami. But at the same time, the energy that she let loose was familiar. Almost like... almost like... What was it like..? It was on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't visualize it..!

"Focus, Mikai!" Hiro shouted as she stepped in front of her lion-armored friend, gritting her teeth as her body started to glow with green energy. "Huanglong! Promotion! NOW!" Her shouting intensified as she knew she wouldn't be able to face off against an opponent like this without an extra bit of power.

"If you use the Promotion system, there's no guarantee that it'll operate at its fullest potential due to your current condition." Huanglong replied, before a soft tone echoed through the woman's ears. "But I know you won't listen. Permission Granted. Give her hell, Hiro."

Hiro smirked as the energy from her body spread out, forming a forcefield that served as a repressant against the energy. All while the equipment that she needed to assume one of her powered up forms flew in through the door, snapping onto her form as each of them expertly navigated around Mikai's body. Most of the armor was focused around her arms, especially the bladed shield that attached itself to her arm.

"Promotion! PAWN TO ROOK!" Hiro cried out as she swung her arm forward, snapping the blade to the front of the shield as she prepared herself. "Prime Darkness! Release that girl from your grasp, and face me on your own merit!" If the Darkness was anything like the dragon and the squid, then there was a chance it would respond favorably to taunts like that.

Minami's eyes focused on Hiro, all while her wicked grin started to widen. "Ahhh... I remember who you are... That's right... You're the one that took Mama away..." She giggled, all while slowly crossing her arms across her chest, as a belt that looked almost identical to the one that Mikai wore formed over her waist. "You took Rena Mama away from me... You took her away, so I can eat you without remorse!"

The darkness that had been spreading from her body suddenly rushed in and formed a serpentine aura, the shape shifting until it looked like a snake's head was about to consume her and swallow her whole. All while Minami laughed with pure madness filling her eyes, seemingly driven completely mad by the Darkness that had rooted itself inside her. She could not see reason. All she could see was somebody that deserved to be eaten. Somebody that deserved to be torn limb from limb..!

Tch. That much energy was a pain. But if she was lucky, then this arm of hers could help mitigate it. And if nothing else, she could free Minami from the influence that was trying to control her. That was all that she needed to do. Even if she couldn't beat her, stripping away that influence was more than enough.

"Thunderbolt!" Which is why Hiro went on the offensive, letting her energy pour across her blade as she slashed twice in quick succession. The energy formed from her slashes flew forward, spinning rapidly until it looked like they were about to drill straight through the girl and purge her of the energy that had infiltrated her.

Until it made contact with the veil of serpentine darkness, dispelling it in one fell swoop. All while the girl continued to giggle madly, all while she reached into the air and clamped her hands together, like a jaw snapping shut.

"Shinka."

The serpentine aura snapped shut around her body, collapsing on top of her until it coalesced into the form of armor that decorated her form. Armor that looked very similar to the armor that Mikai wore, just with a clear serpentine inspiration instead of the beasts that she used as hers. Combine that with the purple and golden hues, and she looked much more intimidating from the onset. Especially when one took the tail that stretched from her rear into account, as well as the stinger-adorned ponytail that was almost as long as that tail...

"Ahahahahaha! Ahahahahahahahahaha!" The armored serpent laughed wildly as those hands of hers came back down, one resting on her face as she let her clawed gauntlets creep across her hands. All while she continued to let loose her frenzied laughter and delight. "With this, Ouroboros has returned... Now, to consume you both and make sure that you pay for making Rena Mama disappear..!"

It wasn't hard to tell that whatever the darkness inside her had done, it was currently merged with Minami to the point where its hunger and want to resurrect had merged with the grief that had been hidden inside Minami. Leading to her being filled with the kind of furious anger that was absolutely improbable to fight back against. And yet Mikai and Hiro both had to do their best to fight against her...

Not that Mikai wanted to fight against her. But she had already fought against two of her friends. And unlike Saki and Saeko, Minami didn't seem like she was in control of herself. It was easier to rationalize that she could free her. "Just wait, Minami..!" She shouted, as she let her flames pour out in an attempt to psych herself up.

"Strike with me, Mikai!" Hiro shouted as she dashed forward, using the power of her ROOK armor to hopefully overpower Ouroboros' defenses and land a hit that would separate her from her host. It was a long shot, but if she didn't try then she wouldn't get anywhere.

Ouroboros watched as the two combatants dashed straight at her, all while she continued to laugh. Her prey was coming straight to her. How utterly delightful..!

Just as the two heroines were about to strike, the serpentine eyes on top of Ouroboros' helmet shone, and her hands shot forward. And before they had the chance to react, they found their throats pierced by a set of sharp claws, almost as if the serpent had sunk her fangs in there. All while Ouroboros' laugh rang out, growing louder and more manic as she had them exactly where she wanted.

Mikai struggled against the grip, before her own eyes flashed gold underneath her helmet. "Minami... MINAMI!" She shouted as the flames coalesced in her hands, even though it felt like the power was being drained through her throat. She was going to stop it. No matter what. And the flames that were at her beck and call would help. "KING'S ERUPTION!"

The flames exploded, and managed to knock her free from that venomous grip. All while she was launched towards where Saeko's body was currently resting. Just the sight of her, as soon as she managed to get back on her feet and actually spot her, sent a shiver of doubt and fear through her body. No, she had to focus. She couldn't think about Saeko now. She had to free Minami..!

Hiro was knocked free as well, though she ended up on her knees instead thanks to the way that her body had been drained. "Huanglong... Why is it able to drain me that fast..?" She asked, hoping that the AI would have a good response ready in time. All while the dust from the last attack slowly settled...

"Scanning... Scanning... Complete." Huanglong's voice echoed out, even as it grew quieter for a few moments after he finished his task. "The enemy is a perfect combination of the willpower given form that a Jõtai provides, as well as the Darkness that had tried to invade our world. Which means... She's not the only one draining you..."

Hiro grit her teeth, especially as the dust faded and revealed that the enemy hadn't truly taken any damage. "Great, fantastic..." She muttered, all while grasping at her right arm. That damn thing was fighting against her at such a critical moment...

"Ahahahaha... What useless prey you've become. You were why Rena Mama disappeared, and yet you won't even put up a good fight." Ouroboros giggled, all while turning away from Hiro. All so she could focus on the girl that had tried to burn her. "But this girl... She's got energy. Her life will be the perfect snack..." The armored serpent said, as she took a few steps towards the downed spider and the cracked Lion.

Mikai let her flames gather once more. If she was going to fight against this enemy, then she had to put in everything she had. She just needed a good opening, then she could swift to Light Unicorn. But for now, she had to let the flames pour in and cool down, so she could outspeed the enemy. "Chou-"

Just as she was about to announce her transformation, the sound of a snake's jaw snapping shut echoed out through her head, and a mark started to form on her throat. The serpent had marked its prey, and the energy pouring through her immediately counteracted the energy that she was able to summon. Not only that, but it glowed nice and bright, with a vile purple color. Right up until it started to cover more of her armor..:!

And then it exploded to the tune of Ouroboros' laughter echoing out, knocking her back down on her knees as she tried her best to try and fight back against the pain. Her armor had been partly shattered due to this explosion, and that meant that she was exposed. It was like a chunk of her body had been blown off, what was she supposed to do now..!?

"My venom works slow, but it has explosive effects. Now sit still, prey. Your demise will be drawn out for as long as I can wring enjoyment from you..." Ouroboros giggled as she reached for Mikai's throat once more, all while laughing as much as she possibly could. She was in utter delight. Two of these stupid heroines had fallen so easily. They'd be perfect prey, perfect for topping her powers back up..!

At least, that's what she thought they'd be. But then she found a blade stabbed into her hand. All while Mikai's helmet cracked and exposed her eyes. Golden eyes filled with fury, as she let the light within her burst forth. "CHOU HENSHIN..!" She shouted, letting the light from her blade consume her armor and transform her into Light Unicorn, with the blade lengthening as it consumed her light as well.

Ouroboros merely smiled as she pulled her hand back, utterly unfazed by the way that she had been pierced. If anything, she couldn't be more delighted. The girl actually managed to hurt her, even if it was just a miniscule amount. The last time she had been hurt was when she had been torn apart. And that was so long ago... Ahhh... She couldn't wait to tear this girl apart as well...

"You won't get what you want!" Mikai shouted as she grasped both hands around the handle of her blade. "I'll free Minami... I'll free her, no matter what!" She screamed, as the light poured straight into her blade. She was ready to follow through on her word. Even if it was foolish and futile. She was going to make it come true..!"

Ouroboros laughed as she dashed forward, meeting a slash from Mikai's blade by grabbing it with her venomous fangs, her laughter only growing stronger as her stance started to weaken slightly due to the power rushing through that blade. "Free her..?"

"Who's saying I want to be freed..?"

Mikai's eyes widened in shock and fear, and that was when Ouroboros took her chance to strike. Her darkness poured straight through the girl, though it didn't do any damage initially. No, the darkness snaked around and formed a loop as it sank right back into Ouroboros' body, her serpentine helmet lighting up as her laughter grew stronger.

With that extra darkness filling Ouroboros, courtesy of what she was able to drain from Mikai's body, she slammed her free fist forward, planting another venomous print on the girl's chest as soon as she made contact. "DESTROY!" She screamed, as that mark immediately exploded, shattering Mikai's armor further and knocking her back against the wall, nearly smashing straight through it in the process.

The pain pouring through Mikai was too strong. Even if she wanted to keep fighting, she couldn't do so. The armor that covered her shattered completely, leading her to fall onto her knees. Right on top of her former friend. Right in front of Ouroboros, who was looming over her. Letting her shadow be cast upon her, all while that laughter continued to pour forth.

Her heart was pounding. Filled with fear. How was... How was she supposed to fight back against somebody like this? How could she want something like this!? Saki and Saeko wanted to make the world a better place in their own way... B-But Minami... Minami just wanted to eat them!? She couldn't believe it. She couldn't even come close to believing it. It contrasted everything she knew. As such, she remained still, shivering as she gazed upon the girl that was going to grab her and consume her... and then... move onto... Hiro...

"Let go of her..!"

Hiro shouted, as she forced herself onto her feet. All while she felt her arm trying to force her back down onto her knees. It was actively draining away at her, almost as if she could hear it laughing inside her mind. Laughter that synchronized with the laughter coming from the serpent that wished to devour her. They were in league with one another, even if they weren't aware of it. Trapped between a rock and a hard place...

"You really think you stand a chance..?" Ouroboros laughed as she slowly brought her hand up to her face, letting her claws slide forward. This time, she wasn't going to just drain the one she hit. She was going straight for the vitals. "There's no use in playing with such boring prey. I'll just finish you off, and make you pay for what you did to Rena Mama!" She shouted, dashing right towards Hiro.

It was like time slowed down. Seeing her enemy dash towards her with such intensity. There was very little she could do that could put out the right kind of damage. And if she failed, then Mikai would fall as well. Not only that, but she'd be letting down the spirit of her friend in the process. The girl genuinely thought that she was the reason why Rena had fallen. She didn't blame her, but she wasn't about to give up just because of that.

"Desperado."

Hiro muttered a single word as the energy surged through her body. All limiters were released, allowing her energy to run wild. She had exactly one chance to strike. Not just because she was about to be hit with a deadly attack, but because her arm...

That's right. Her arm would consume her energy. But if her arm was the power source, then there's no way her arm would be able to drain her. The feedback loop would make the attack stronger and leave her unscathed. There were many risks involved with such a strike, but all she could do was risk it.

For Mikai!

"DESPERADO CHECKMATE!"

Hiro screamed as the green energy that usually powered her attacks turned a deep shade of black, jolting all across her blade. And right as Ouroboros got into range, she slashed with all of her might. She didn't care about collateral. She just cared about making sure that her partner would come out of this alive!

Ouroboros tried to trap the blade between her fingers once again, snapping her hand shut around it. But this time, she didn't manage to stop it. No, it instead lifted her off the ground and forced her to spin around as Hiro kept on slashing. Both were spinning, all while Hiro's scream grew louder and louder, filled with the will needed to overpower her. Not enough to destroy her, but enough to eventually send her flying into another wall...

Hiro gasped and panted right as she stopped spinning, her armor shattering and powering down, though with none of the usual after effects of overtaxing the system. And even better, her arm seemed to be more in her own control. It seemed like turning it into a power source had truly worked, even if she didn't manage to completely defeat the enemy...

"Ahahahaha... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Ouroboros pulled herself off the wall, both hands covering her eyes as she continued to laugh like a maniac. "What a strike... What a strike!" She said, stomping her foot into the ground. "It ruined my appetite, that's the kind of strike it was!" Indeed, she didn't seem to care to look towards the girls that she had wanted to consume. Instead, her eyes were firmly locked on the woman that had aroused her pure and utter hate. "I'll be back. To get revenge for Rena Mama. And then... And then... Ahahahahahaha..." Her laugh seemed to grow sad for a scant few seconds, all while she slowly started to sink into the ground...

With a pitiful laugh, the villainous Jõtaider vanished into the darkness. It seemed like she had inherited her 'Mama's ability... That, or the ability had been stolen by the Darkness within Minami. Either way, there was very little that Hiro could do for the time being. All she could do was breathe a sigh of relief, as she'd have time to repair her suit and properly reinforce it for another bout against that snake...

For now, she had to deal with Mikai and... Suikumo, the girl that had betrayed them. She couldn't believe that she was actually Spider. No matter, getting them both back to the Atlas Corp building was priority number one. Getting Mikai home after that so the two could sleep soundly and recover... That was just as important.

A single glance revealed that Mikai had passed out while sitting up, unable to process it all. Which was better for Hiro, she'd have a much easier time carrying them both with neither of them retaining consciousness.

Now, if only they weren't so heavy...

---

Mikai sat within the darkness of her own mind. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Doubts filling her mind. How could she possibly cope with what had just transpired? She had seen another friend transform in front of her, and this one... This one was just vile and venomous, a true monster in every sense of the word...

She hadn't even been able to protect anybody. Hiro had to save her again. And Saeko... Even if she tried to save Saeko, what would she say when she found out? She hated her, didn't she? It all just fed into the empty feeling inside her. The feeling of not living up to expectations. The feeling of worthlessness, especially when faced with better motives... And the feeling of just... Not being able to support the woman that had been there for her so long...

"It's okay, Mikai. It's okay..."

A warm presence wrapped around Mikai. A familiar presence. A soothing presence that reminded her... Yes, her feelings were valid... That's right...

"Kimiko... What should I do..?"

Mikai's best friend smiled as the sandy-haired girl looked at her. All while hugging her tightly and pulling her close, making sure that she couldn't get away.

All as she continued to make the girl depend on her. All so she could grow, and be ready for the fateful day...

---

"We've spotted her, Colonel Fushimi. Are you ready to move out?"

Colonel Michael Fushimi looked to the latex-clad Commissar that had come to be his ally over the last few months, before nodding softly. This was the day they had been waiting for. With any luck, they'd be able to strike down the predator that had taken out the other squads that roamed these wild lands.

"I am. And AEGIS, Commissar Eclipse?" The Colonel asked as he holstered his personal firearm, while at the same time pocketing his most precious photo. All so he could keep himself protected by the love from his faraway family.

Commissar Eclipse saluted and nodded. "We are in your hands. I only request that you do not lead us to a swift defeat." She was firm and serious, though she could not help but let that facade slip to allow a warm smile to pour through. "We both want to return to our daughters, after all."

He nodded in turn, before clearing his throat. It was time to move out.

"Call the troops. Today, we begin Operation Manticore!"