Disaster

Cato checks on everyone inside the camp after the tremors end. Some have minor cuts and bruises, but nothing to worry about at the moment.

Ahead of them, smoke bellows across the city. Car horns and sirens fill the air, Tenki can only imagine the level of panic overtaking the streets of Tokyo after a record-breaking earthquake. Of course, there have been stronger, but never one to engulf the entire planet.

“Cato, this can’t be.”

Cato removes his overcoat and drops his gourd of liquor. The ripple in the sky visible only to them now acts like a bridge. Monsters of their world look their way, intrigued by the noise and lights just across the strange opening.

“Stella should be able to seal it soon; we’ll have to take care of everything we can here.” Cato said.

“Thank you.”

“This ripple could be spread across this planet; do you have the energy for it?”

“I do, I can only hope we will be fast enough to save lives.”

Aimi walks as fast as she can through the halls of Amdo. Her break cut short by the earthquake, she limps to the meeting hall to begin planning their answer to the new threat.

Years of hard work have been shattered in a minute. The world will now ask questions of the strange creatures roaming the skies, and the monsters walking in the streets. Still, their purpose remains the same, it is what gives her the strength to return to the base only hours after leaving.

“What information do we have?” Aimi said as she walked inside the meeting hall.

“The earthquake has caused great damage, but first responders have done well to react quickly. Unfortunately, the strange events occurring after the earthquake have created mass panic.” The soldier speaking shows recordings gathered, “Cars floating, the strange lights in the sky, word that the earthquake was worldwide only builds the hysteria.”

“That’s not the worst of it, is it?” Ino said.

The soldier shakes their head, bringing new videos that reveal what they feared most. “Creatures from another world have crossed over to ours. They are not human like those we have worked with so far, these are animals. Some have attacked civilians and we believe it will only get worse.”

“Gather every soldier available. We will focus on the areas with the highest concentration of threats first then move to the others. Ino, Ichigo, allow our soldiers to focus on those on the ground, we’ll need your strength in the sky. Those will be far more difficult to deal with.”

“As you wish.” Ichigo said.

“Good. This will be a long mission, but I doubt the wave will be endless. There is someone I will try to ask help from. After that I will join you.”

“Can you?” Ino said, “You’re in bad shape.”

“I’ll be ok. Thank you.”

“Commander Aimi!” Another soldier rushes inside. He forgets to bow and remove his helmet as he enters, “You have to see this, we’ve already secured it.”

The solder presents a picture of a small opening in space. It’s low enough for them to see through, and the other side is a plain not belonging to Japan.

“A door to another world.”

“What?”

Ino and Ichigo rush over to confirm the picture. It is as Aimi said, the first door ever revealed to them.

“Is it still there?”

“Yes. What should we do?”

“Secure the door. Cover it and keep a guard of four at all times there, no one other than us is allowed near it.”

“Yes ma’am!”

“Just what is happening? Ino, Ichigo, go ahead, I will join as soon as I can.”

“Very well, be careful everyone.” Ino said.

Aimi rushes home once more, though her speed is hindered by the vehicles left on the street, and the rubble from damage to buildings. She finds no creature of another world on her way home, a small consolation for her as she prepares for a fight that keeps her heart rate high.

Arriving at home, Aimi runs inside, “Tenki!” But finds an empty home.

The television is still on after she left. News reports do their best to give the most up to date information, but they have little way to explain the creatures that have appeared near their homes.

I beg you, remain inside your homes.

“I have to hurry.” Aimi said.

She limps through the house, searching every room and calling his name as she does. If he is not inside, she would hope he would be able to hear her with his newfound abilities. Her hopes fade as she searches the last room,

“He’s not here.”

Aimi rests her head against the wall. The inability to rest has only made her leg worse, and her head light. Painkillers weaken over time, years of taking them only give her a momentary relief until she can hide away in her sleep.

There is no such luxury for her today. There is no time for her to dream. Aimi presses the center button of the suit under her clothes. The blue glow of her armor brightens; her body is now ready.

“Raider 3, do you copy?”

“Raider 3, loud and clear.”

“Request immediate lift at my home, I’m joining the defense.”

“Wilco.”

For two hours, Aimi and Raider 3 zip through the skies eliminating the flying monsters in the sky. They’re joined by Ichigo and Ino who continue past their limits.

“Do we have reports of more sightings?” Aimi said through her radio.

“We had reports that there were sightings but they have been eliminated. The army has joined our efforts as well; their weapons are strong enough to kill these things.” Ichigo said.

“Perhaps, but eliminating them all seems unlikely even for the army. Tenki may be helping us.”

“Commander, hold on!”

Aimi grabs onto the door as Raider 3 takes a sharp evasive maneuver. A car flies past them, the force of the toss strong enough to knock the helicopter back.

“What was that?!”

“Dear god.”

Below them, a creature the size of a four-story tall building swings its arms through the nearest complex. It resembles a quadruped dinosaur, but its body glows just like the suits of AMDO.

“Get us as close as you can to that thing!” Raider 3 doesn’t move, “Hey!” Aimi rushes to the copilot seat, grabbing the pilot’s shoulder before speaking, “Hey! It’s ok. It’s ok. I’m scared too; I want to run away. But even more than that, I want to save as many as I can.”

“I’m sorry.” The pilot takes a deep breath, then leads the charge towards the monster.

Aimi, Ino, and Ichigo jump from their helicopters to aid the soldiers below. Both soldiers of AMDO and the army battle against the monster that ignores many of their attacks. Even blasts from missiles and tanks do little damage.

“What should we do?” Ino said as she grouped with Aimi and Ichigo on the back of the monster.

The monster’s movements continue, a swing from its tail eliminating another building. Although the area has been evacuated to the best of AMDO’s abilities, they fear casualties of those who could not leave in time.

“There must be a weakness.” Aimi looks to the glowing veins of the monster, “There, aim there!”

Aimi leads the charge, presses the muzzle of her rifle against the vein and firing. Shots from around the monster aim at the glowing target, but at best they leave a scratch and anger their opponent.

“It’s not enough. We need more strength.”

“Aimi!”

Ichigo and Ino can only watch as Aimi tosses her rifle aside and presses a button near the heart of her suit. One only meant to be used as a last resort; it will remove all limitations of magic used by the suit and ignore the limits of the wearer, for most it would mean immediate death.

“Gahhh!” Aimi digs her hands into the veins of the monster, piercing it and forcing a howl of pain from her target.

“What the.” Ichigo watches as Aimi displays strength strange even for their suits.

“Ichigo! Let’s go!” Ino said.

Ichigo and Ino take fire at the exposed vein with electrical bullets. A strong current surges through the monster, causing it to slam into a nearby building but the damage is clear.

Aimi continues, ripping one vein after another and allowing the others to swarm the monster.

It works; the last vein forces the monster and Aimi to collapse. Now immobile, the soldiers surrounding approach it with great care. All of its veins have been pulled out, yet they grow brighter.

“Oh no! Everyone get away from it!” Ino grabs Aimi and jumps, the glow engulfs the area as the monster explodes.

Aimi comes to, Ino’s motionless body lying next to her.

“Ino? Ino?!”

Aimi stands and looks around. She was in Okubo not long ago, she still is. The city is gone. Every building, plant, and sign of life wiped away.

“Aimi!” Tenki lands next to Aimi, “Are you ok?”

Aimi looks to Tenki. Blood and dirt cover his body; his efforts protected many lives but even he cannot be everywhere. They both share wounds, but their eyes have never been more different.

“Tenki, our worlds could never coexist. One must go.”