Kaitansha HQ—-
Hayate watched the battle at the Shinkaidan Mansion on his feed, his face sweating profusely. "Marin! What's the status on the other Kaidanchō? Are they there yet?"
"Sunahara and Tsukishima are on the way," Marin replied. "Don't fret, sir. This is Omariro we're talking about. He can hold out."
"But you can't."
Marin and Hayate turned around, where they found Zan and Zeku behind them, the former pointing his gun at them. Behind the two were an angry crowd, each holding up Anti-Kaitansha signs.
"Death to the Kaitansha!"
"You assholes don't know what you're doing!"
"Let Omariro join Dokkōdan! They're the real heroes!"
"What kind of crap is this?" Hayate questioned. "Who let you in? This is trespassing!"
"On the contrary," Zeku replied. "We're taking this building."
"YEAH!" the crowd roared.
"You can try," Marin replied.
A figure pushed past the crowd, and Hayate immediately recognized her. "Mirei?"
Marin nudged Hayate. "Who is she, sir?"
Mirei sized up Marin. "So this is your new Vice-Director. Your standards are low, *sir.*"
"What are you doing here? Where have you been? And why do your eyes look like that?" Hayate demanded.
Mirei glared at him. "Your golden boy sent me to a very, very harsh place, where I was trapped for a very long time. Me and all the others. Ichika. Daigo. Rin. Shion. Naoya. Kaito. Renka. And of course, Itsuki."
"So that's what happened. You kids always were unstable, obsessed, and hard to control. Now you're leading a rebellion on the very organization and people that took you in. Are you happy? You wanted chaos, Mirei, you've got it!"
Mirei slammed the wall. "No! I'll never be happy! You people discarded me, used me, lied to me! But it's okay. Hand over the building, Director. I won't ask again."
Hayate cleared his throat, his eyes staring right at her. "Sorry. But you're not welcome here."
Mirei pointed her finger at the two. "Get them!"
Zan and Zeku stepped aside and watched as the crowd attacked the two, slashing, punching, kicking, and clawing. A few in the back threw weapons at them, but Hayate pulled Marin back.
"We have to fight, sir!"
"We can't! If the news gets wind of this, we'll lose all our credibility! Hurting innocent people isn't what we do!"
Zan watched as Mirei prepared to leave. "Where are you going, my Herald?"
"To handle more important matters," she answered. "I want this building prepared for me when I get back."
A portal formed, and she walked through it.
And down below, Kohaku was calmly sitting in her cell, listening to the sounds of fighting above.
"…I hope you're okay, my husband."
Meanwhile—-
Omariro stood atop the mansion while the Seventh flew around him, charging in and unleashing a barrage of rapid attacks. He slashed his claws together, unleashing a powerful slash that cleaved the mansion in two.
"Ahh," he recognized. "I remember when we used to train here all those years back. Was fun, wasn't it?"
"House damaged. Boy produce funds, now."
"I've got your funds right here! Jugen-Daraku: Shin'en no Yaiba!"
White energy danced in the air, forming twisted blades that spiraled toward Omariro. Omariro clapped his hands together. "Jugen-Tōshi: Cursed Hex Armor!"
Black and gold armor formed around Omariro, and so did his blade. In one fell swoop, he knocked the blades out of the air before sending one back at Shion.
Shion ducked, raising his hand, and an array of flickering spears formed above Omariro's head, causing him to jump back as they impaled the ground beneath his feet.
The Seventh rushed forth, his claws clashing against Omariro's blade. With ferocious speed, both fighters continued striking at the other, with the sound of steel rippling through the air. Omariro sidestepped the Seventh's charge, before shifting his blade.
"Jugen-Tōshi…"
As his blade shifted into a circular variant, Shion began to chuckle, getting into position. "There it is: Mugengan no Ōgonjin!"
Omariro sent the blade flying at Shion, but he deflected it with his claws. "I know all your moves, Master! There is no stopping me!"
"Boy naïve."
The Seventh used three of his arms to slash at Omariro, but Omariro extended one hand. "Jugen-Sōunsha: Zennō Hanten."
The slash redirected at the Herald's armor, and he watched as three of his back arms fell to the ground. Without missing a beat, more blades came for Omariro's head but he reversed them as well.
The Seventh got up close, attempting to strike Omariro with a combo: a right hook, a left jab, and a kick to the face. Omariro blocked the first two, before grabbing Shion's leg and flinging him into a tree hard enough to uproot it.
"ENOUGH!"
Reforming his extra arms, the Seventh flipped the entire mansion over and chucked it at Omariro, but Omariro held it in place with one hand. "Home wrecked. Boy pay repentance."
Emeru crawled out of the home, frantic. "Mr. Omariro, what's going on?"
"Back, slime! Boy crazy!"
Emeru evaded an attack from Shion as he and Omariro continued clashing. Sōshin quickly raced over and picked her up. "Pet Emeru!"
"Stop that! And what the hell is this?"
"Evil people are trying to kidnap Friend Omariro and kill us all! We're going to stop them!"
"Ahh! Look out!"
An ice eagle soared over Sōshin's head, and Gakuto broke it apart with his helmet. "Nice reflexes, kid!"
Sōshin raced into the center of the battlefield as Emeru formed arms and clung to his shoulders. "W—what are you doing?"
"Going to back up friends!"
"Wait!"
Sōshin raced in, knocking various bikers off their bikes while Mizuki, Yuka, and Kōichi all jumped Gakuto, who headbutted a tree hard enough for it to fall in their direction.
Kōichi used his portal to stop it as Mizuki rapidly attacked Gakuto, pummeling his chest, but Gakuto withstood the blows. "You've got a good arm on ya there, Mizuki!"
Mizuki kicked him in the jaw as Yuka struck him in the face with her spider-legs, sending him to the ground. Before Kōichi could restrain him, Sōshin sped in and bumped him off the spot. "Now, Pet Emeru!"
Emeru's arms extended and she wrapped them around the Kaidanchō, launching them away. "Get away from my home! I was trying to sleep!"
Gakuto got up, rubbing his face. "Awesome! I'd love a pet like that!"
He poked at Emeru, but she slapped his hand away. "Well, too bad! I'm already taken!"
They noticed Yuka's ice eagle flying through the sky, and Gakuto sighed. "Damn. One thing about Yuka, she never gives up!"
"Tell me about it…" Emeru groaned.
More bikes and vans rolled up on the scene, with various Dokkōdan thugs hopping out, swarming the scene. The trio analyzed the situation, with Yuka and the other Kaidanchō flying above on her eagle.
"What now, friends?" Sōshin asked.
"We keep the pressure," Gakuto told him. "Omariro's handling their leader, we've gotta handle the stragglers!"
Kōichi aimed his tripwire at Gakuto, but Sōshin quickly pulled Gakuto out of the way before the wire could trap him. Gakuto wasted no time throwing his helmet at them, but Mizuki's body began to crackle with energy, and the helmet slowed down in mid-air. "Return to sender."
She delivered a powerful back kick to the helmet, and the three had to jump out of the way.
BOOM.
Nearby, Omariro and Shion were busy moving at extreme speed to the point that wind was forming around them, blowing rubble every which way. Shion formed a large greatsword and sent it flying toward Omariro, but the latter clasped it between his hands and broke it without any effort.
"Argh!"
Shion punched Omariro at the same time the latter did, which shattered his entire claw and his right arm's armor. Shion looked at his arm before turning his attention back to Omariro, the armor and claw reforming.
The Seventh leapt into the air and slammed the ground, a white shockwave erupting as more blades spawned to attack Omariro, who held his sword and deflected them all.
The two lunged at each other again, their force shaking the battlefield.
On the other side, Sōshin spun Emeru like a top as she used her stretchy limbs to pummel the surrounding Dokkōdan. Gakuto stood in front of them, headbutting the ground hard enough to propel himself up. He slammed the ice eagle, shattering it and forcing the Kaidanchō down.
Yuka landed gracefully, attempting to deliver a downward stomp to Gakuto, but he grabbed her leg and flung her over his body.
"Phew," Gakuto said. "Sorry, Yuka!"
He regrouped with Sōshin and Emeru as the Dokkōdan army grew even larger.
"Are they sending more?" Emeru questioned.
"It seems like it!" Gakuto confirmed. "This is Omariro, after all. They're pulling all the stops!"
As the three got prepared to fight, Sōshin's ear perked up and he noticed movement nearby. Sure enough, Zaria, Rika, Rei, Nonoka, and Shino burst from the bushes, wearing their Kaitansha outfits.
"Friends!"
Sōshin hugged them all as Zaria took in the damage and the destroyed mansion.
"Sōshin…" Zaria gasped. "What…what's going on?"
"Dokkōdan's come for Friend Omariro!" Sōshin explained. "Friends and I have been holding them off!"
"Han," Zaria realized. "This is all his fault."
Rika wiped her tears. "We can't focus on that right now. We've got to protect our home and our people! Sōshin, where's our Master?"
Sōshin pointed past the mansion, where Omariro and Shion were slamming into nearby buildings.
Zaria formed her spear. "You guys back up the others. I'm going in."
"I'll come with!" Shino volunteered.
They sprinted toward Omariro as Yuka sized the girls up. "Pathetic. You couldn't just stay put for a few hours, could you? No matter. You've come only to die."
Nonoka snapped her fingers. "Not really. Jugen-Sōunsha: Noroi no Sukiru Kyōka!"
〈200% Buff to *All* Party Members.〉
Gakuto flexed his muscles. "Your ability is hella cool, little Sunahara! Thanks for the boost!"
As Dokkōdan thugs swarmed him, attempting to pile on his back, he knocked them all off with a powerful headbutt.
"You're welcome," Nonoka scoffed.
Emeru began to pout. "Finally! Now you all want to come when my home's destroyed!"
Rei wiped her eyes. "It's our home too…"
Her eyes began to blaze. "And I'll make sure everyone that ruined it will pay!"
Rika, Sōshin, and Nonoka watched, shocked, as Rei's moon beams grew larger in size, striking dozens of Dokkōdan members.
"Did you guys know she had that kinda firepower?" Gakuto questioned.
They all shook their heads.
Mizuki quickly appeared next to Rei, grabbing her arm. "Poor Rei. Stop this. The fight's over."
Sōshin shoulder-checked her, freeing Rei from her grasp. "Friend Rei, are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm okay…"
Kōichi opened a diamond portal beneath the rookies, but Rei slashed at him with a moon crest, interrupting the seal.
"That girl's an issue," he noted.
"Then she will be dealt with," Mizuki assured. "Jugen-Sōunsha: Gyakuten Idō."
Mizuki began to flash, and sure enough, she was behind Rei once more, delivering a powerful kick to her side.
"Rei!" Rika cried out.
Back on the streets, Omariro spun his blade in a circle, deflecting Shion's blades as the Herald's attacks grew more frenzied and uncontrollable. The Seventh emitted a potent white energy as he kicked the base of a nearby building, cracking it hard enough for it to fall atop Omariro.
"Hmph."
Omariro supported it with one hand, allowing the trapped civilians to escape. The Seventh tried to attack once more, but Omariro set the building aside before blocking with his forearm.
"You discarded me," the Seventh told him. "After I bore the weight of your curse for you. After we all took on the burden!"
"No burden for boy," Omariro replied. "Only madness."
"Be that as it may, there is no escape for you. You will come back to the same Division you abandoned, and you will become the Master of a reborn Jukaidan!"
"Jukaidan dead. Burned by students."
Shion pushed him back with a wave of his arm, claws extending. "Not for long."
As he prepared to advance, he stopped, turning ever so slightly to catch a spear heading his way. "Ha. Zaria."
Behind him, Zaria was standing, a furious look on her face.
"Get away from my Master, Herald."
——