Rika was momentarily distracted by the voice inside her head, but she quickly recognized that monotone as belonging to Shiro. [color=orchid]"Technology is incredible,"[/color] she said to no one in particular, shortly before some unearthly dog-like noises echoed from deeper within the construction site. Even with the echo, Rika would recognize that reverb anywhere—before she even laid eyes on the massive creatures, she knew the sounds belonged to beast-class demons. She stopped suddenly, motioning with her hand for her allies to do the same. It would later seem a bit strange to her, leading the group of more experienced demon hunters, but her current state of mind left no space for her usual doubts or regularly scheduled episodes of impostor syndrome. She watched calmly as the beasts approached, waiting for an opportunity where they might line up so she could smash several of them in one punch. It was then that Andrea reemerged, dismantling two of them like it was nothing. Truthfully, Rika told herself—it was.

	One of the four remaining beasts charged Rika, taking her for easy prey—but suddenly a massive, pitch-black forearm bound in chains appeared to grab the demon by its head, thrashing it around like a rag doll as the beast had clearly intended to do to her. It smashed the beast into its kin as they tried to pass by it in the hallway, Rika remaining completely still except for her eyes tracking the creature as it flew through the air. Eventually, one of the other beasts made it through, charging at Akira, but Rika leapt in the way and held her arm out confidently, as if she were a professional dog trainer wearing a bite suit. Though it took her arm with its mouth and thrashed its head around, attempting to tear her to pieces, Rika remained rooted to the spot as if she weighed several tons. As it gnawed on her repeatedly, a second beast that the disembodied arm had managed to grab yiped and yowled in pain as its body was slowly crushed like an aluminum can, seemingly by some invisible force that was striking it repeatedly. Perhaps it wasn't apparent at first, but it was happening at roughly the same rhythm that Rika herself was being bitten.

	[color=orchid]"I wonder why it is they can't resist me,"[/color] Rika remarked absentmindedly, as the beast continued its seemingly futile assault. Rika was clearly not in any hurry to kill it, as long as it was attacking her rather than anyone else. [color=orchid]"Exotic meat, perhaps? Maybe a teething instinct..? Say, does the DDF charge their employees for replacement uniforms, by any chance?"[/color] she asked sincerely, turning her head to face the others. There was a bit of blood splattered on her face, but seemingly no injury that it could have come from.