Melissa and Devan drive across the city. They hear loud thumping from behind them. As they look back, the massive skeleton rapidly approaches.

  The thumping intensifies as the car becomes harder to keep steady.

  “Devan… he’s uhh right on top of us!” says Melissa.

  The Gashadokuro begins a charge.

  “Swerve!” Devan yells.

  Both Devan and Melissa swerve off the road onto the sidewalk, causing the Gashadokuro to rush forward and smash through a building.

  They continue driving. They both exhale, continuously sweating bullets.

  “Neveil is our fighting force. Since you’re more or less just a football player, and until MI2 is finished, I’m mostly a non-combatant other than with my sword,” Melissa says.

  “Yeah, because you’re weak,” Devan says.

  “Yap yap,” Melissa replies.

  “Shut up before I tell Miley or your brother Julian on you,” Devan teases.

  “No, no, I’m sorry,” says Melissa.

  Devan laughs.

  After around ten more minutes, they arrive at Neveil’s house. It looks rather old-fashioned. It’s a little outside the city.

  Melissa walks up and knocks on the door.

  “Man, who is it?” asks Neveil.

  “Your bestie for resties, Melissa!!” Melissa says.

  “Uhh…” Neveil sighs.

  “Devan’s here too,” Melissa adds.

  The door opens.

  “Aye Devan, what’s up?” says Neveil.

  “Yo,” says Devan.

  “Jerk, anyway t—” Melissa is cut off.

  “Yeah, yeah. There is a giant skeleton on the way here. Yes, I know. I can hear it on my radio. The military has been deployed and is on it,” says Neveil.

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  “Oh…” Melissa sighs.

  “But I think we should still arm ourselves. Luckily, due to my service time, they let me have some leeway, and I’m allowed to own these guns,” says Neveil.

  Neveil walks in. Melissa and Devan follow close behind.

  As they walk through, they see Neveil’s Purple Heart hung up.

  “Oh Neveil, I didn’t know you got shot,” Melissa says.

  Neveil rubs his shoulder as he turns it in a clockwise direction.

  “Yeah,” he replies.

  Neveil walks over to his safe. He twists the vault, and it comes open.

  Inside are a bunch of guns.

  Melissa steps to the side.

  Devan grabs an assault rifle.

  “Gonna grab something, Melissa?” asks Neveil.

  “No, I’ll pass,” says Melissa.

  “Well, your loss. But anyway, since you’re a nerd on this thing, you know how to handle this guy, right?” asks Neveil.

  “Of course. We need a bunch of light to deadlock him,” Melissa says.

  “We can use my football stadium lights,” Devan says.

  “Good idea!” Melissa says.

  After around ten more minutes, they all load up into Neveil’s van. Neveil drives, Devan is in the passenger seat, and Melissa is in the back. She has her arms crossed because Devan stuffed her in the back.

  “Uhh… okay, so any updates from the military?” asks Melissa.

  Melissa rolls her eyes.

  “They went radio silent. Either they’re dead or they lost,” Neveil responds.

  The group’s faces grow grim. Melissa taps her jeans and begins to bounce her leg.

  “Well, it is invincible. I’m building MI1 for it and others like it, but that’ll take forever. Even MI2 will take a few months,” Melissa says.

  “What the hell are those?” Neveil asks.

  “Robots I’m building. I am a mechatronic engineer,” Melissa says.

  “Alright,” replies Neveil.

  They pull off.

  ***

  They slowly drive deeper into the city. Flames are everywhere.

  “…It shouldn’t be this strong,” says Melissa.

  “Really?” asks Devan.

  “Yeah, something else has to be present,” says Melissa.

  “Any idea of what?” asks Neveil.

  “Not yet,” Melissa says.

  She bounces her leg and clasps her hands.

  Suddenly, Melissa’s phone rings.

  She picks up, nearly dropping her phone.

  “Hey Mac, coming home soon?” asks Melissa.

  “Yes. Why is our hometown on fire? Are you okay? Are you hurt?!” asks Mac.

  His voice seems strained.

  “Yes, but it’s because of uhh… Yokai,” Melissa responds.

  “Not the time to joke, Melissa,” Mac says sternly.

  “I’m not joking. You gotta believe me, please,” says Melissa.

  “Fine, I’ll hypothetically believe you, but where are you?” asks Mac.

  “Well uhh… I’m with Devan and Neveil,” says Melissa.

  “Pass him the phone,” says Mac.

  Melissa hands Devan the phone.

  “Yo,” says Devan.

  “What’s going on, man?” asks Mac.

  “Well, man, she wasn’t lying,” says Devan.

  He rubs the back of his neck.

  “I see…” says Mac.

  “Well, I’m coming back. Me and my team have to contain the fire,” says Mac.

  “Alright,” says Devan.

  “We have a plan to contain it,” Neveil chimes in.

  “That sounds…” Mac trails off.

  “Dangerous, yes, I know,” says Melissa.

  “…Just be safe. I’m getting on the plane. I’ll see you later. I love you,” says Mac.

  “Love you too,” says Melissa.

  Melissa thought to herself.

  As they arrive deeper into the city, they see the shadow of a figure. It is…

  “Melissa, what the fuck is that?” asks Devan.

  “I uhh don’t know…”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be the expert!?” asks Neveil.

  “I can’t see it…” Melissa responds.

  Devan sighs.

  “Blind bitch got a monocle for no reason.”

  Neveil nods his head.

  “Yeah, ain’t it supposed to be a magnifier?”

  Melissa slams her hands on the armrest.

  “Bro, shut the fuck up. It’s literally a damn shadow!”

  Devan throws his hand up in mock surrender.

  “Chill, chill, we were just playing.”

  “Yeah, lil bro,” Neveil says.

  Melissa rolls her eyes.

  As they rapidly approach, the figure becomes clearer. A weird Yokai, as big as the Gashadokuro. However, this one resembles a standing lizard.

  Melissa backs into her seat, clasping her hands tighter.

  “Yo Melissa… do you know now?!” asks Devan.

  “Yeah, it’s a Hōnengyo… but they aren’t supposed to get this big. At best, they’re two meters. They also live in deep rivers, but I guess this one’s too big…” Melissa says.

  She begins rapidly shaking.

  “Hey, hey Melissa, chill,” Devan says.

  “Yeah, how do we beat it?” asks Neveil.

  “We can’t. Combat simply isn’t an option. It’s unbeatable. No way we ca—” Melissa says.

  “Hey, chill bro, chill,” says Devan.

  Suddenly, the ground shakes rapidly. The Gashadokuro has arrived on scene.

  “Holy shit…” says Neveil.

  The Gashadokuro rushes at the Hōnengyo.

  The Hōnengyo swallows the pollution in the air. As water runs from its skin, it cocks its head back and releases a beam of red energy.

  The Gashadokuro puts his hand up to block it.

  Just as it happens, the Hōnengyo swings its fist. The Gashadokuro cocks back his fist, colliding them together, resulting in an insane amount of kinetic and potential energy shooting in all directions. The sky over the city rips and disperses.

  “Fuckkkk!!!” Neveil screams.

  Neveil’s van is military reinforced; however, no amount of mortal prepping can prepare them for this.

  The van goes flying, flipping and turning again and again.

  The airbags activate as the van lands upright again.

  “Shit… shit… we gotta beat these things?” Neveil says.

  Melissa has a very strong frown.

  Devan rubs the back of his neck.