"Got it, Pyra-san!" Hoshiko declared, her body tensing. Now that almost all of the smaller Warped had been taken out, she could focus on the bigger ones. They were already moving to surround her, but that wasn't going to change a thing. She was fighting to keep the Japanese forces safe and ensure that they took back Saitama. She wasn't going to hesitate for even a moment.

Planting one foot forward firmly, she met the first oni Warped was it raised its fists, letting out a shout as she unleashed a flurry of rapid blows into its chest. As it stumbled back from the impacts, a burst of flames erupted from the back of Hoshiko's right gauntlet as the final punch blew a hole through the monster's torso, sending it hurtling backwards and skidding along the ground.

The next Warped came charging form her right, and was greeted with a spinning kick to its side. With a resounding crack its entire ribcage caved in sideways, its spine snapping from the impact and sending it slamming into the side of a nearby building, concrete cratering from the impact.

The next charging oni swung its fists down, forcing Hoshiko to jump back to avoid a direct impact, armored feet scraping along the asphalt. But no sooner then her had evaded the strike then she stepped forward again, crouching low and launching her fist upwards for a devastating uppercut that tore the Warped's head clear from its shoulders and sent it hurtling into the air!

This was fine. She could do this! What was the point of it all of she wasn't, anyway? With each impact that struck her arms and legs, each Warped that perished under her fists and feet, she was clearing more space. She was opening a path for humanity. She was making people's lives better.

That was the point of it all. That was why she was still alive.

A Warped wielding a chunk of concrete swung it down towards her. This time, she triggered the booster on her back, the wind whipping past her as it carried her into the air just above the creature.

Just as swiftly, she switched to the boosters on her hands and feet, hearing them roar to life in a blast of flame as it sent her hurtling back down at top speed, feet-first.

There was a crunching, cracking sound alongside the sensation of impact as she slammed into the oni's back and head, grinding it face-first into the ground.

For the sake of everyone else, Hoshiko take out as many Warped as she had to! Unfortunately, she could only work through them so quickly, and the warped who were now hurling debris at her teammate were a little too far away...

But that just meant she had to fight even harder to get there!

[@Izurich][@PKMNB0Y]

[hr]

Undeterred by the dead of one of their number, the oni-like Warped proceeded to wrench more debris from the earth. If anything, it seemed as if the death had spurred them to press their assault even more aggressively.

Thankfully, they were not the most suited to a long-range attacks, and their aim wasn't the most on point. Still, a direct hit from one of those hurtling boulders would easily knock a pilot out of the sky.

But that was no-where close to the biggest threat.

Suddenly, from one of the upper windows of the ruins, a long, pale shape exploded towards the nearest pilot. Its length was sufficient to give it considerable reach, meaning it was able to nearly touch its target.

Its body was composed of segments, each vaguely shaped like a human torso. Between each segment was a set of human-like arms, grasping and clutching at the ear, like the numerous legs of a centipede.

Its face was that of a human male's, smooth and entirely hairless with an expression of tranquil peace, though both of its empty eyes seemed to follow the motions of the pilot.

This human-like face proceeded to split open down the middle, pried apart from the inside by another set of pale arms, splitting the head open vertically as grasping hands erupted from within the creature, stretching out on spindly limbs.

[@JDubs][@PKMNB0Y]