Leaving the Emergency Shelter after noticing the increasing signs of movement from the pirate ships, Hideo ventured deeper into the city's more dangerous areas.
Groups of Shuuki had gathered throughout the area. Fortunately, JSDF soldiers had already been deployed on-site. As a result, the vermin posed little threat for the moment, with both the JSDF Ground Units and Special Forces conducting swift and efficient cleanup operations.
Watching them in action, Hideo couldn't help but compare them to a certain group.
"The Mato Defense Force is still stronger."
The thought crossed his mind as he observed the soldiers fighting.
Their abilities were unique and varied, with many possessing utility-oriented powers useful for navigation, reconnaissance, and support. That said, despite the JSDF's own diversity in combat roles and specializations, they were noticeably weaker than people like Mira, Kyouka, and even Himari.
"Well, their job is literally living in Mato and fighting these bastards for breakfast. So color me unsurprised."
He commented before abruptly whipping around toward several Shuuki rushing forward to greet him. Returning their enthusiasm in kind, he answered with a burst of electricity that sent them ragdolling across the street.
Being Gung ho about what he was doing, Hideo was fully immersed in the fight.
After landing near the front lines, he came face-to-face with a pair of JSDF and Special Force personnel. Rather than saying anything, they simply nodded and gave him friendly pats on the shoulder.
Prompted by their casual acceptance, he offered a wry smile beneath his mask and returned the gesture with a nod of his own.
He had noticed it earlier but The police and other authorities were WAY too relaxed about his involvement in their operations. More than that, they treated him as though he were already part of the team, often calling him over to aid them eliminate the Unique Shuuki's that had appeared.
Speaking of Uniques, there were quite a few mixed among the hordes.
Even so, Hideo found them easier to deal with than he had initially expected.
"Compared to the Rootshaker and that three-headed weirdo I fought, these guys are laughably weak."
The thought lingered in his mind as another headless Shuuki collapsed.
Hearing the drums once again, Hideo looked up alongside everyone else and witnessed a vessel descending directly toward their position at an alarming speed.
"Oh, son of a shitty chihuahua."
A JSDF soldier named Chisa cursed in broken English.
Immediately, everyone scattered, diving out of the way as they prepared for the incoming pirate ship to crash into the ground.
Unexpectedly, it never did.
Contrary to everyone's predictions, the vessel halted several meters above the surface at the very last second.
The sudden stop acted like an enormous air piston. The trapped column of air beneath the ship compressed violently before erupting outward in an explosive blast. A shockwave of wind screamed through the streets, kicking up dust, debris, and loose rubble in every direction.
People shielded their faces and coughed as the dust cloud engulfed the area.
Because they were focused on weathering the debris storm, almost nobody noticed the figures emerging from the vessel.
Almost nobody.
Only a handful of individuals—including Hideo and several JSDF personnel with heightened senses—caught sight of the masked strangers disembarking.
A glint flashed through the haze.
Countless spikes shot toward Chisa.
Her eyes widened.
"Crap—!"
She was too late.
Instinctively, she raised her arms in a desperate attempt to protect herself.
Green light erupted from Hideo's legs.
In the next instant, he launched himself forward.
Grabbing Chisa by the waist, he yanked her out of harm's way just as the barrage of spikes tore through the space she had occupied moments earlier.
Landing smoothly, he set her down.
Chisa blinked several times, still trying to process what had happened.
"Thanks."
The words of gratitude came as she slowly stepped away from him, one hand pressed against her chest in relief.
"No problem."
Hideo's reply was calm and neutral as he shifted his attention toward the masked hostiles.
Another volley of spikes immediately flew toward him.
[𝕋𝕒𝕜𝕒]
[𝕋𝕠𝕣𝕒]
[𝔹𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕒]
[𝕋𝕒-𝕋𝕠-𝔹𝕒! 𝕋𝕒𝕥𝕠𝕓𝕒 𝕋𝕒-𝕋𝕠-𝔹𝕒!]
Fortunately, his transformation served as a barrier and was protected by the medal emblems surrounding him. So the projectiles failed in penetrating him.
"There!"
Spotting the attacker, Hideo propelled himself forward with a tremendous leap.
The culprit was a masked woman whose hands were covered in jagged spikes.
He seized both of her wrists before she could react.
The spikes fired harmlessly into the sky as he forced her arms upward.
"Who are you people?"
Hideo demanded.
"And what connection do you have to Shikkoku and the other Thunder Gods?"
Since his partner told him that the ominous energy coming out of their necks was identical to the one she sensed from Jaku'un, it sufficed to say that they were connected to them; in what sense, however, was a mystery that still needed answers.
His question immediately elicited a reaction from her.
"We are the Devotees of the Divine, servants of the all-powerful Thunder Gods."
The woman spat the words with unmistakable venom.
"DO NOT SPEAK OUR GODS' NAMES WITH YOUR FILTHY MOUTH!"
The sheer fanaticism radiating from her was an unsettling level. He instantly knew there was little point in trying to extract anything further through conversation.
Still, her outburst had already revealed something useful.
"Hurting and fighting humans isn't really my thing."
Even as he thought of it, Hideo tightened his grip on her wrists, his gaze remaining fixed on the masked fanatic.
Hesitation in a dire situation like what is happening currently would only make matters worse, even if the one fighting back was human—or at least partly human, in this case. The bad feeling rolling off her was a sign enough.
His foremost objective was simple:
Ensure that nobody on their side suffers huge casualties.
"Go to sleep."
With that, he drove his forehead into hers in a sharp headbutt.
Even after the impact, she still showed resistance. Her mask even gave the faintest crack but all she did in response was scowl.
Clicking his tongue, he released her wrist, moved behind her in a single fluid motion, and locked her body in place. Then he lifted her up, arched his body, and slammed her hard into the ground with a suplex.
Being unresponsive after receiving that, Hideo dropped her unconscious body to the side.
Looking around, Hideo found that chaos had already engulfed the battlefield.
Multiple battles were raging simultaneously throughout the area. JSDF soldiers and Special Forces operatives fought desperately against the invading Devotees.
Most of the soldiers were struggling just to keep up with a single opponent.
Some women, however, were a completely different story.
Like this one for example.
"HADOUKEN!!"
A JSDF soldier wearing a white gi emblazoned with the organization's insignia on her back thrust her palms forward. A surge of bluish energy erupted from her hands and blasted a Devotee point-blank.
The others barely had time to recover before she closed the distance in an instant.
"SHORYUKEN!!"
Her fist rocketed upward.
The devastating uppercut lifted the unfortunate Devotee off the ground and sent her hurtling through the air.
And she wasn't finished.
"TATSUMAKI SENPU-KYAKU!"
Spinning like a cyclone, she unleashed a barrage of airborne kicks that slammed into her opponent from every angle before launching them away.
The Devotee crashed into a nearby wall and went still.
Before she could celebrate her victory, another enemy lunged from behind, a rapier aimed directly at her back.
Yet she had already sensed the attack.
Taking a deep breath, she shifted her footing and lowered her center of gravity.
"SEOI NAGE!!!"
The moment the attacker entered her range, she seized their arm and pivoted.
The Devotee's feet left the ground and a second later, she was violently thrown over her shoulder and slammed face-first into the pavement.
Without missing a beat, she stepped forward and stomped on her face once.
Twice.
Three times.
Meanwhile, Hideo could only stare.
"...Is she trying out for a fighting game tournament?"
The possibilities offered by the Peaches never ceased to amaze Hideo.
The powers granted by them ranged from mundane abilities suited for gardening and cooking to absurd combat-oriented talents like the ones being displayed on the battlefield right now.
"Despite being able to use the Core Medals, I'm still jealous that women are the only ones allowed to receive powers from those fruits."
He let out a sigh.
His envy didn't last long.
A loud drilling noise suddenly erupted from beneath the ground.
Hideo immediately backstepped.
The pavement exploded upward as a Devotee burst from underground.
The woman had a massive drill for a head. Both of her arms were replaced by spinning drills, while dozens of smaller drills protruded from her back like metallic spines.
"I don't have the patience to deal with you ladies."
The drill-headed woman lunged at him without hesitation.
As one of her drill-arms thrust toward his chest, Hideo calmly sidestepped the attack.
Then he clenched his fist to hit her.
Though, he carefully restrained his strength. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally punch a hole through her body.
The moment her attack missed, he drove a heavy punch into her stomach.
The impact thundered through the air, making the Devotee's body folded around his fist.
Surprisingly, she didn't make a sound.
No scream.
No groan.
No cry of pain.
Yet her body language told the story well enough.
Her eyes rolled back behind her mask and the spinning drills attached to her body gradually slowed before stopping entirely. A second later, she dropped to her knees, collapsing face-first onto the ground, unconscious.
Jumping on him, numerous Devotees now had their sights set on him, knowing that he was one of the strongest and most dangerous among them.
"Being popular with ladies is quite hard."
He snickered, grabbing two of them by the head and smashing them into each other. Extending the claws from his forearms, he met the blades of two katana wielders who initiated a clash against him, sparks flying as steel collided. Retracting his claws again, he managed to catch them off guard.
Swiftly taking advantage of the momentum he had created, he swept one of them off her feet. As her balance gave way, he punched her square in the face before her back could even touch the ground, breaking her mask in the process and slamming her body into the floor.
Sidestepping the downward slash of the other katana user, he avoided the blade before shoving the woman away from him.
Using his foot, he spun and kicked her in the chest first, then followed up with a kick to the head, sending her flying away from him.
"They sure are mediocre."
He inwardly commented with a wry smile.
Getting used to Kyouka's swordsmanship might have skewed his perception of such things.
********
Taking a deep breath, Chisa spat on the ground before stepping on the spot and sliding her foot across it.
The Kamen Rider and the JSDF martial artist named Azusa were effortlessly handling the enemies coming their way. On the other hand, the same couldn't be said for the rest, who were legitimately having a hard time even when they ganged up on a single Devotee they had set their sights on.
"It's not gonna last, but it's gonna make them able to handle them."
Throughout the cleanup operation earlier, she hadn't used her ability because of its time limit.
Slapping both cheeks, she nodded.
"Now, time to shine."
A portal formed on the ground, and from it emerged a vintage-looking microphone mounted on a stand. Two massive sound systems appeared on her back, while rainbows and sunshine materialized as a backdrop.
"Fuck this shit."
She cursed despite the innocent smile plastered on her face.
Her dream of becoming an idol and singer back in middle school had come back to bite her in the ass because the ability she had manifested was related to it. She would have been happy about it since it aligned with her interest; however, it was discovered that her singing had not only improved, but her ability also allowed her to buff people.
Meaning one thing: Congratulations, you're drafted. Refusal is not allowed because your mother said so.
"Okay, everyone, moe moe kyun~~ Chisa-chan will sing you a lovely song written from the bottom of her heart! So stay tuned and listen as I kyun kyun your heartstrings! Remember that I'm never gonna give you up—"
"Kill me. Why do I have to do this to reach my maximum potential?"
"Music heart tune! And my hearty beam will light your life up!"
"If I could choke my past self, I would gladly do it for free."
Smiling while spouting the cringiest words and using the most saccharine tone she could muster, all while wanting to die on the inside, she took a deep breath, winked, and started singing.
♫Welcome to my world♫
♫Renew your definition♫
♫Woah, so high!♫
♫Let me show♫
♫And hear my declaration♫
********
When a JSDF soldier was about to get cornered, she suddenly felt a surge of power coursing through her entire body, sparks bursting from her eyes. Grinning, she caught the Devotee's leg with her bare hands just as it was about to kick her.
"Nice one, Princess!"
Calling Chisa by her nickname, she snapped the Devotee's leg before repeatedly slamming her into a broken wall, repaying the pain she had been dealt tenfold.
Just like her, the others now had sparks dancing in their eyes, their speed and proficiency with their abilities significantly enhanced. Instead of being the ones getting beaten back, the tide had now reversed, and the Devotees were the ones being pushed on the defensive.
The voice entering their ears continued to bolster their combat capabilities. Not only were their physical abilities improving, but they were also becoming far more fearless in their approach.
Seeing Chisa singing from the rear, a Devotee wielding a crossbow fired an arrow at her.
It flew straight toward its target, looking as though it was about to strike their support, but—
"HADOUKEN!!"
The JSDF soldier wearing a gi, Azusa, unleashed a blast at the incoming projectile, successfully intercepting the arrow before immediately firing another Hadouken at the culprit.
A larger and much stronger one at that.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
Hideo was utterly flabbergasted.
He was getting stronger as well.
Noticing that multiple Devotees had boarded the pirate ship and were preparing the artillery that was now ready to fire, he decided to handle that himself and leave the remaining enemies to the JSDF and special forces.
"I wonder how strong my final attack will be."
He was genuinely looking forward to finding out.
Running forward before leaping high into the sky, he grabbed his scanner.
[𝕊ℂ𝔸ℕℕ𝕀ℕ𝔾 ℂℍ𝔸ℝ𝔾𝔼]
Three circles formed in midair in a diagonal line, while flaming wings of aura enveloped his body.
Descending diagonally as he passed through the circles, power began gathering into his foot, building toward its maximum output the closer he got.
The Devotees aboard the ship could only look upward, their masked faces tilted toward the sky before they even had a chance to load the cannons. In a desperate final attempt, ice, rocks, and even random fruits were launched toward Hideo like projectiles.
But it was useless. He continued descending until he reached them.
"SEIYAHHHH!!"
Kicking the ship as the finishing blow, he unleashed a massive explosion in an absurdly dramatic fashion.
********
Afterword:
Author-san:[...]
Serious-Senpai:[What? Are you falling in love with me?]
Author-san: [I AM SCAMMED!!!! THAT SHITTY ALICE!!!]
Serious-Senpai:[Huh??!! You should be thankful that I, the embodiment of seriousness, have come to save your shitty ass Fanfic-geeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhh]
Author-san choking Senpai
Author-san: [Where is the Golden Ratio body with perfect tits, black-haired bangs, and beauty that will topple a whole kingdom I ordered?!! Give me a refund!!! I asked for a white-skinned jade beauty as my assistant!!!]
Serious-Senpai:[..Ba..by…Cas..tella..is Floating…on..my..head]