Other than Shinjuku, the other wards experienced the same situation. The pirate ships—save for the one commanded by Fang herself—descended toward the city. Unlike Viper's flashy arrival, these vessels flew low across the streets before their occupants leapt down to engage the JSDF and other authorities in direct combat.
Beyond the initial shock of the Devotees appearing out of nowhere, the defenders quickly found themselves overwhelmed by the sheer quality of their enemies. Though the soldiers held the advantage in numbers, each Devotee possessed enough strength to confront multiple troops at once, enduring volleys of attacks without showing even the slightest trace of pain or emotion.
"What the hell are these shitheads made of?!"
A JSDF ground soldier shouted after a curved talwar slashed across her thigh. Before the attacker could deepen the wound, one of her allies froze the Devotee's feet in solid ice, pinning her in place.
Thunder Gods.
That single title had become the greatest clue pointing toward the masterminds behind the assault on the capital.
The Supreme Commander had already shared everything she knew about the humanoid Shuuki that had recently appeared in Mato with the ministers, cabinet members, and other high-ranking officials. A hidden group of potentially dangerous monsters with capabilities yet to be revealed.
A god, by nature, would naturally possess followers. Yet the Defense Force had assumed those so-called deities were merely self-proclaimed figures hiding behind grand titles. Never once had they imagined an entire network of human followers existed behind them.
If they could even still be called human.
Their behavior resembled fanatics stripped of all individuality—mindless dolls that ignored pain and obeyed every command without question, absorbing the words of the beings they worshipped like parched earth drinking rain.
"...My gun!!"
"My mace is flying away!"
Cries of alarm spread through the battlefield as firearms and melee weapons suddenly slipped from their owners' hands.
Nor did it stop there. Street signs, abandoned cars, and every metallic object surrounding Shibuya Crossing tore free from the ground and spiraled toward the center of the conflict.
Within the storm of spinning debris, Juggernaut grinned madly. Metal slammed against her body piece by piece, forming enormous armored arms around her frame. As the makeshift armor completed itself, her laughter boomed across the ruined intersection.
"Bring it on, you wimps!!"
The firearms embedded within Juggernaut's metallic armor suddenly opened fire in every direction, spraying bullets across the battlefield without discrimination. Allies and enemies alike were torn apart beneath the merciless barrage.
At the same time, she seized a soldier by the leg and slammed her against a concrete wall hard enough to crack it apart. A moment later, she grabbed one of the Devotees and hurled the fanatic straight into a cluster of JSDF troops before unleashing another storm of gunfire. Laughing wildly, Juggernaut rampaged through the intersection, tossing cars and other massive debris as though they weighed nothing.
One JSDF soldier coughed up blood after a bullet narrowly missed a vital organ.
Refusing to let Juggernaut continue unchecked, the soldier forced herself forward. A bluish aura ignited around her hand as she sprinted ahead, leaping into the air before driving a palm strike directly into Juggernaut's chest.
Juggernaut did not even bother turning toward her attacker.
She took the blow head-on before lowering her gaze toward the soldier with a mocking grin.
"Mosquito bites hurt more than that, wimp."
A cruel cackle escaped her lips as the giant metallic fist surrounding her arm tightened.
The soldier could only stare upward as death descended upon her.
—SPLAT
********
Using her wings, Hawk rose higher above the battlefield, remaining still in the air while the others plunged into the slaughter below.
Unlike her fellow Devotees, she did not rush forward immediately. She simply watched, arms crossed, a mocking smile lingering on her face as she took in every scream and collapsing gunshot.
She closed her eyes.
"This is freedom."
Her breathing grew uneven as she lingered in the sensation of it all—the heat rising from burning structures, the distant cries of panic, the relentless melody of destruction unfolding beneath her like a vast, living spectacle.
A tremor ran through her posture as her composure faltered, the sheer intensity of the moment overtaking her restraint.
Her lips parted slightly, her expression tightening as she savored the overwhelming thrill surging through her like an orgasm and the urge to touch herself worsened every second.
Down below, Devotees and soldiers fell without distinction, swallowed by the violence spreading. The sight drew her in deeper, pulling her attention downward like gravity itself.
Hawk tilted forward, wings shifting as she began her descent.
"Please… let me end all of you."
Her voice came out strained, fervent, as she dropped back into the fight, fully surrendering herself to the slaughter below.
********
"Fire up the cannons!!"
Fang burst into laughter, reveling in the destruction as her ship unleashed relentless artillery fire across the city below. Explosions consumed the streets in waves of burning light, flames resembling hellfire spreading across her field of vision while the Devotees accompanying her leapt onto nearby buildings to carry out their orders.
Now alone aboard the ship, Fang steered the vessel higher into the sky. The moment she ascended above the skyline, several fighter jets locked onto her tail and began pursuit.
"That's right! Make this even more fun than it already is!"
Still laughing, Fang uncorked a bottle of rum and took a long drink as warning sirens blared around her.
Inside the cockpits of the pursuing aircraft, the pilots maintained tight formation while tracking the pirate ship's erratic movements. Despite the incoming cannon fire, they maneuvered with disciplined precision, narrowly avoiding each barrage.
[All units, with me. Weapons free.]
Missiles launched in unison, streaking through the sky toward the airborne vessel.
The pirate ship twisted at impossible speeds, narrowly evading the barrage as the battle escalated into a full aerial dogfight above the burning city.
********
The roar of a revving engine scattered through Tokyo Station as bodies dropped one after another. Soldiers and unevacuated civilians alike fled in terror, scrambling for their lives as though pursued by a ghost beyond human understanding. Phantom moved at speeds the naked eye could barely follow, vanishing and reappearing between flashes of gunfire and bloodshed.
"...Help me—"
The police officer's plea ended abruptly when her head burst apart like a shattered balloon.
Without sparing even a glance toward the corpse she had left behind, Phantom faced the hail of bullets coming her way. The instant the shots neared her position, she disappeared once more, the scream of her engine trailing behind as she darted through the battlefield with inhuman precision.
"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!"
One of the fallen officer's comrades stood frozen in horror, tears streaming down her face as her mind struggled to process the carnage unfolding around her.
A hand suddenly pierced straight through her chest from behind.
"Cur...se...you..."
The dying curse barely escaped her lips before Phantom ripped the woman's heart free and hurled the body aside. She crushed the organ in her hand without hesitation, blood soaking her clothes while leaving her completely unbothered.
Beneath the mask, her once-neutral expression slowly twisted into an innocent, almost childlike smile. The sea of corpses surrounding her seemed to bring comfort as the other Devotees continued slaughtering everyone in sight nearby.
"Am I a good girl, Mama? Neh, Mama... am I a good girl?"
Phantom giggled softly before vanishing once again in search of her next victim.
********
Unknown POV
Exhaustion.
Other than that, countless complaints from my body continued to surge through me. Right now, I could not care less if my body broke down.
"RIKO!!! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, PLEASE SHOUT!!!"
I ran, and I ran.
Take everything from me, but not my only daughter. Shuuki roamed the area, yet my fear of them was nothing compared to the terror of never seeing my baby girl again. We had gotten separated because of the crowd, and the police had been unable to track her down.
Because of that, I made the dumbest decision possible: leaving the evacuation zone to search for her myself.
A decision I would never regret.
I may be a doctor, but I was a failure as a professional and an even greater failure as a father. I could not save my wife, and now I was about to lose the only remaining piece of her still left in my arms.
We only wanted to celebrate her birthday, just the two of us. Who could have imagined that such an ordinary day would suddenly turn into a living purgatory?
"Please…"
Like a shattered record endlessly repeating the same note, I continued to whisper my desperate plea.
"Arf!!"
The sound of a barking dog.
I saw a dog calling out to me.
From its gestures alone, I could tell it was pointing toward a pile of debris.
Then I heard it.
A faint cry.
Rushing toward it, I shoved the broken sign aside with every ounce of strength I had left, and the crying only grew louder.
When I saw the source of the noise, a smile spread across my face as tears began streaming uncontrollably from my eyes.
The little girl saw me and immediately burst into sobs before throwing herself into my arms. Despite the dirt covering her face, there was no mistaking her.
"PAPA!!"
Riko clung tightly to me, burying her face against my chest. I gently patted her head and kissed her forehead.
"I'm sorry Papa couldn't come sooner."
She was trembling.
Even I knew this nightmare would leave an unforgettable scar on someone as young as her. It was horrible.
Checking her for any serious injuries, I found only a few minor bruises, making me release a shaky sigh of relief.
She soon began patting the head of the dog that had helped me find her. Apparently, the dog had never left her side during the chaos and stayed close to protect her, guiding her along the way until she unfortunately became trapped beneath the debris.
"Let's get out of here, Riko. It isn't safe."
"Mhm…"
She quietly nodded as her crying slowly subsided. I immediately carried her in my arms while the dog followed closely behind us as we made our way back toward the route I had evacuated from.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
I wanted to laugh.
Seriously, everything had been quiet just moments ago.
So why were a group of Shuuki suddenly staring directly at us?
Not wanting to let myself get cornered, I gritted my teeth and immediately turned around to run.
The dog barked furiously as those bastards began moving toward us.
"Papa, I'm scared…"
Riko tightened her grip around me.
She had definitely seen the Shuuki chasing us.
"Everything will be fine, dear."
I forced out a reassuring tone as adrenaline surged through my body, pushing me far beyond my limits.
Move my feet…!!
"RAAAAAAHHH!!"
I screamed at the top of my lungs unconsciously as my knees began to give out from the relentless running I had done while searching for Riko.
Nevertheless, my body had finally reached its limit.
I collapsed to my knees, breathing heavily as despair filled my eyes while the Shuuki drew closer and closer.
"Ha… ha…"
It would have been fine if I were the only one to die.
If only my daughter could escape safely.
"Riko… please run."
I desperately tried to convince her.
But she only trembled harder.
"I WON'T LEAVE PAPA ALONE!!!"
She stubbornly refused.
"Please, Riko…"
I held onto her tightly.
Her face was covered in tears, yet her expression remained strangely resolute while the dog continued barking at the Shuuki that were now dangerously close.
Then, stepping in front of me, Riko spread her arms wide. Her face was dirty and soaked with tears, yet determination burned brightly within her eyes.
"Those bad guys will disappear!! The mysterious warriors said evil will never win!!"
Trying to act brave would not save us now.
"So believe, Papa!!"
She smiled through her tears.
"As the Red Ranger said! Perseverance, trusting in the future, and standing firm against the darkness!!"
Time began to slow before my eyes as the Shuuki leapt toward us.
Riko's voice became the only thing I could hear.
I wanted to laugh.
I wanted to tell her that hoping for someone to save us was pointless.
So why…
Amid Riko's hopeful shout…
A man in a suit appeared out of nowhere.
Red.
Yellow.
Green.
He descended into view like a page torn straight out of a child's dream.