Elsewhere, Axe continues his assault on Maxus. Maxus stumbles back before swiping his claws at Axe but he sidesteps it and uppercuts him before grabbing his head and slamming it into his knee. Blood flies from Maxus' face as Axe goes to drive a heavy punch into his chest but Maxus grabs his fist before swinging Axe around and slamming him into a nearby car.
Axe tries to get up but he's met by a heavy kick to the face, throwing him up a bit. Maxus then grabs onto his face and charges into the buildings behind him with a wicked smile. He slams Axe into the stone walls over and over before throwing him back hard.
Axe tumbles across the ground before sliding onto his feet and looking up only to be met by Maxus charging a light blast from his mouth like before.
"Lūkarn." Maxus says before blasting at Axe. Axe puts his hands out in front of himself as the blast collides with him. Some of the deflecting energy destroys buildings around until it suddenly starts getting seemingly absorbed into Axe's arms. His arms glow purple as the veins shine brightly.
Maxus looks shocked as Axe blitzes straight to him, driving his fist into Maxus' chest. The force of the attack crunches multiple bones as a purple energy wave bursts out from his back, slashing into the buildings behind them. Maxus keels over as blood pours from his mouth.
Suddenly, Maxus grabs into Axe's wrist as wings burst from his back and wrap around them. At point blank, Maxus builds fire within his chest and blasts it out onto Axe directly, not letting him go. This position turns Maxus into a living inferno, trapping Axe inside.
Axe guards his face as he turns away and the fire burns all around him. After a moment, Axe starts to glow purple again as he absorbs the thermal energy around him before leaping back, forcing his way out of Maxus' grasp.
As Axe slides across the ground, Maxus speeds up to him and slams his clawed hand into Axe's block, sending him smashing through multiple buildings. Axe eventually comes to a stop as he hits the ground on the street. He tries to lift himself off the ground as Maxus comes walking through the dust and debris.
"Without your weapon partner, I doubt you can deliver a potent enough blow to stop me." Maxus says with that grin on his face.
"Axe!" Komori calls out. Axe now noticing they're back where they started. The Rascilian looks sharply as he notices something. Maxus charges forward as Axe blocks the strike. Axe pulls his arm back, ready to strike when suddenly, the sound of stabbing is heard.
Through Axe's chest, a long and ragged claw lies. From behind, the Grand Fracture still in pieces but trying to regenerate itself, extends a malformed arm with razor claws impaled into Axe's chest.
"AXE!" Komori screams. Noticing this moment of hesitation, the Rascilian tries with all his might and rips Komori out of his chest. She hits the floor as the Rascilian quickly dashes over and runs his claw through Axe's chest as well from the front. Axe stands there with a pained look as blood spills from his mouth.
Maxus grins as he pulls back and takes a step back to look at the wonderful scene before him.
"Well done. This is quite the turn of events. I don't believe you need me anymore. You deal with this as I go handle the rest." Maxus says as he starts lifting into the air with his wings out wide, watching them as he leaves.
In that moment, Komori comes flipping through the air, glowing her bright pink glow as she transforms. She slashes through the Fracture, splattering it around before Axe grabs onto her handle and slams the back of her giant knife blade into the Rascilian, sending him across the ground.
In a flash, Axe pulls back Komori and swings hard, releasing an energy slash through the air aimed right at Maxus. He looks shocked as the energy slash hits him right in the face. Maxus' head falls back as blood runs down his face. Axe pants on the ground as Maxus lowers his head, revealing a brutal slash running up his face over his eye.
"Goodbye, Director."
Maxus says as he flies away. Axe looks angry but before he can take chase, the Rascilian tackles him over and starts slamming him through buildings with a smile before charging a fire blast in his mouth and firing it off, exploding the building as Maxus escapes.
Somewhere else in the city, as destruction and chaos rings throughout, Phoenix and Moshiro hold against the Torn as civilians run and scream from the disaster.
"Run! Get away from here!" Phoenix shouts to the people as she blocks an attack from a Torn. Phoenix struggles to hold it back as Moshiro slams a heavy palm strike into its side, sending it tumbling across the ground. They pant as they sweat, quickly getting worn out.
"There's still so many people.." Phoenix says, leaning on her knees.
"I know. I'm not sure what to do-" Moshiro says as a large Torn slams down next to them. They look with wide eyes as it swings down, slamming its extra large arm into Phoenix. She blocks the attack but is sent through the building behind them as people scream and run from the destruction caused by her.
"Phoenix!" Moshiro shouts as the Torn lifts its arms up to strike Moshiro. She watches with intense eyes as she freezes for a moment. As the Torn swings down, only moments away from hitting her, suddenly Yoko comes flying through and slams into it, tackling it over.
The two go falling across the ground as Yoko quickly gets to their feet and runs their beastly claws through the Torn's chest. The monster collapses as it turns into black energy and dissipates. Yoko bleeds a bit from their head as they pant and look at Moshiro. They make eye contact as a sense of relief rushes over Moshiro.
"Yoko." Moshiro says softly as they approach each other. Yoko then quickly hugs Moshiro tightly as she's surprised. Moshiro gently pushes Yoko off of her as she looks at them. "I'm glad to see you too." Moshiro says softly. "Come on, let's check on Phoenix." Moshiro says when Yoko quickly yanks her back.
"Look out!" Yoko shouts as a Torn slashes through the asphalt of the street right where Moshiro was standing. Yoko quickly dashes forward and kicks the Torn as it blocks with its hard blade arms but they crumble under the strength of Yoko's kick. The Torn goes flying back as Yoko huffs.
Moshiro watches when a Torn charges and attacks from behind but Moshiro swiftly dodges and strikes it across the face. She then shouts with a serious look at Yoko.
"Yoko! We're gonna have to handle the Torn ourselves! Focus on taking them out!" Moshiro shouts as Yoko blocks an attack.
"Right!" Yoko shouts back before shoving the Torn back and slashing its side open with their claws as they dash by. They quickly slide to a stop as they wrap their tail around another Torn and slam it into a third. They then dash into the air with their wings out before flipping and slamming their fist into the head of another.
Moshiro watches as Yoko looks up sharply and quickly ducks under the attack of another Torn before rabbit kicking it into the air. They then flip sharply in the air and kicks it into a nearby building.
'Their movements are so much sharper than before. I've never seen them fight like this.' Moshiro thinks before quickly dipping to the side and avoiding an incoming attack. She then uppercuts the Torn and grabs it by the head, swinging it around.
In that same moment, Yoko swings their leg up into a Torn's head before flipping around and slamming their leg into the side of its head, blowing its head off. As soon as they hit the ground crouched, they lift their head and fire a smaller fire ball right at Moshiro as she swings her Torn around, colliding it against the fire ball as it blows up.
Moshiro looks at Yoko and nods as Yoko smirks back. Moshiro then focuses up as a Torn charges her so she blocks and jumps back. Yoko focuses too as they hear something with their big bat ears behind them. They turn around with a snap, ready to strike only to be face to face with Maxus.
Instantly, Yoko freezes up as they stare at Maxus standing over them, bleeding from his eye.
"Well done. Infecting that girl with the curse. Now the rest can play out just fine." Maxus says as Yoko shakes, avoiding eye contact with him. Moshiro shoves back the Torn and looks over to see Yoko standing there with this stranger standing next to them. Moshiro looks confused as she watches but doesn't hear.
"Yoko?.." she says before getting an intense look and stepping towards them. "Yoko!" Moshiro shouts, charging their way to save them but then two more Torn appear, one tackling her onto the ground as it bites at her. Maxus sees this and grins a little as he speaks again.
"I'll be in touch for your next assignment. In the meantime, enjoy what comes next." He says ominously as Yoko clenches their fists and their eyes widen. Moshiro struggles underneath the Torn before shouting and driving their white energy scaled arm into its chest, dispersing the Torn. She quickly gets up to protect Yoko but stops when Maxus is nowhere to be found. Moshiro stares for a moment as Yoko starts breathing rapidly before extending their wings and taking off into the sky, running away.
"Yoko! Wait!" Moshiro calls out but gets no response. She watches with a look of tired confusion and disbelief. She pants a little before looking around, getting a single moment of freedom from the attacking Torn. "Whatever. I've got people to save." She says before rushing off.
Outside of the majority of the city, evacuation shelters have been set up by city officials. Peace officers and staff have been deployed to rescue citizens where they can and help the injured. Scared families and wounded people gather around as sounds of destruction and devastation ring out in the distance.
"Another Torn attack?" A staff member asks another.
"This one's real bad. It seems they even deployed a Director to deal with it." He responds.
"Oh shit, really? Think I could get an autograph from them afterwards?" The staff member asks with an excited look as the other glares at him knowing now's not the time to think such things. Suddenly, a voice calling out catches their attention.
"We need medical over here. Got two more." Moshiro's voice says as she approaches the shelter holding a woman in her right arm and a man over her shoulders. The staff members get up quickly and take the people off her hands. "The man has a broken arm, passed out from shock." She says as the staff nod and rush him off.
Moshiro pants as she catches her breath, bleeding a bit herself with bruises all around. She looks up as she hears the news on a playing television in the shelter as someone turns it up.
"… it appears a Torn attack has broken out in Yupond City of District 15. There are reports of multiple Torn attacking at once but Director Axe and Komori have since been deployed to handle the situation, supported by 4 students of the Academy."
The reporter says. Moshiro's eyes sharpen as she watches the news when a teenager tugs on her shirt a bit from behind. She turns and looks at the worried kid.
"Are we gonna be alright?.." he asks softly. Moshiro looks at him before smiling a bit.
"Yes. We'll handle it. You'll get to go home before you know it." Moshiro says back as the teen feels comforted a bit. Moshiro pats his shoulder before rushing back off into the city to keep fighting.
Somewhere in the city, as booms and crashes echo through the streets, distant screams heard from victims, a mother holds two children in her arms as the family hides in the darkness of their apartment home. One child holds a stuffed animal in her arms as the other child, even younger than the first, holds onto his mother tightly.
A boom is heard as the building shakes a bit, some objects fall around as they hide in the corner of their small dining room. The shaking startles the kids a bit as the younger one starts to cry but the mother rubs his head gently, calming him.
"Shhh… we'll be okay.. just stay quiet, baby.." the mother whispers as another crash is heard. Outside they hear a grunt as suddenly, through the wall and window, Wolf comes crashing through, slamming into the living room wall with a Torn attacking her. The family screams in fear as Wolf struggles to hold back this Torn with tendrils latching onto her.
"Guh..! Get.. off of me you piece of..!" Wolf grunts before purple lightning wraps around her legs and she, with a wince, kicks the Torn back out of the building with a thunderous boom. The kids and mother cover their ears as Wolf pants and gets up.
Wolf looks over at them casually before looking away then quickly doing a double take with wide eyes. She stares at them as they look at her fearfully.
"Oh, uh… hi." Wolf says awkwardly for a moment before quickly approaching them. Instinctually, the mother holds her kicks back, pulling away from Wolf. She stops and speaks softly. "It's okay, I'm with the ASA. I'm a Hunter." Wolf says with a smile. The mother stares at her hesitantly for a moment before speaking.
"Your eyes…" she says. Wolf's look drops a little but she ignores it and smiles at them gently.
"I know. Look, it's not safe here. Torn are attacking and we've gotta get you outta here. There's evacuation centers for you. It's safe." Wolf says, offering her hand. The mother looks at her kids before taking Wolf's hand, getting to her feet. "Okay. Now there's a lot going on out there so I'm gonna need you to stay right on my ass. If not, I'm gonna have to carry you, got it?" Wolf says as the mother looks worried.
"I can carry my babies but I don't think I'd be able to keep up with you." She says before a blast goes off in the neighborhood loudly, shaking the building again. The kids scream as Wolf looks stressed.
"That's okay. Don't worry, I'll carry you. Just keep a close hand on the little ones and we'll get you out of here in no time." Wolf says as the mother nods.