Location: Tokyo
Current Time: Right before the Intersquad Tournament
Hidden from the naked eyes of the masses, multiple pirate ships drifted across the wards high above Tokyo, each encased within enormous transparent spherical barriers made of glass that concealed it.
At the helm of the main vessel hovering above Chuo Ward, Fang stood motionless on the main deck, her gaze fixed on the sprawling city below. Buildings stretched endlessly beneath her and countless unaware civilians moved through the streets like ants cluelessly crawling.
A faint scoff escaped her lips.
"Captain, the preparations are almost complete."
One of the devotees walked toward her, stopping a respectful distance behind.
Fang did not turn around. Her feet remained planted against the wooden planks of the deck as she asked calmly.
"The others?"
"They've already reached their respective positions."
"And the cards?"
"No issues on that side either."
The devotee lowered her head before retreating as she continued and left after she was done sharing the current status, leaving Fang alone once more. The other ships, which were led by Viper, Phantom, Hawk, and Juggernaut, were already in place across the far wards, waiting only for the right time.
Fang slowly inhaled as the sun dipped toward the horizon, bathing the clouds in crimson light.
This would be the first time she launched a full-scale assault against humans.
The irony almost amused her.
Not long ago, she had stood beside humanity, fighting against the Shuuki alongside countless others. Yet now, through a twist of fate and a single unpredictable turn of destiny, she found herself standing on the opposite side of the battlefield.
And to her… she wanted to embrace it.
"No pain, no gain, and we know no fear."
Fang's laughter rang across the deck, blending with the noise around her. Devotees rushed across the wooden planks with hurried footsteps, their voices overlapping as they prepared for the attack.
—Crack.
A fracture suddenly spread across the transparent sphere surrounding the ship. Thin lines splintered through the glass-like barrier, crawling outward like veins beneath frozen ice.
The damage continued to spread.
Slowly.
Relentlessly.
The widening fractures became the countdown to the beginning of the assault, stretching farther and farther until the entire sphere was webbed in shimmering cracks.
Fang smiled.
"Stand ready for our arrival."
With a sharp snap of her fingers, the weakened barrier finally gave way.
The sphere shattered instantly.
Countless fragments exploded outward into the open sky, revealing the massive pirate ship that had remained hidden above the city the entire time. Wind roared against the sails as the vessel emerged from concealment like a beast breaking free from its cage.
"Hoist the flags!"
Fang shouted, her voice dominating the entire ship.
The devotees answered immediately.
High above the mast, a massive black flag unfurled violently in the wind—its emblem a grinning skull biting into a Peach while a sword pierced through it diagonally.
Across Tokyo, the same scene unfolded.
Above Shinjuku, Shibuya, and other wards, hidden spheres cracked apart one after another as more pirate ships revealed themselves. Black sails spread against the sky, and identical flags rose high above every vessel, showing up like omens of disaster descending upon the city.
********
A little girl stood beside an ice cream cart, happily holding her father's hand while struggling to keep her melting cone from dripping onto her shoes.
Not far away, a young couple sat together on a park bench, quietly enjoying each other's presence beneath the glow of the evening lights.
Further down the street, a singer performed beside the station entrance, his voice soothing through the ears of the crowd gathered around him.
Different people.
Different lives.
Different moments.
Yet every single one of them slowly lifted their eyes toward the sky.
Confusion spread across countless faces as wooden ships floated above the city like ghosts.
"Papa… what is that?" the little girl asked quietly.
"I… don't know."
Her father instinctively tightened his grip around her small hand, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight above them.
"Is this some kind of new show?" someone in the crowd muttered.
"It looks creepy…" another whispered.
Murmurs spread through the streets as pedestrians gradually came to a stop, heads tilted upward toward the vessels flying over Tokyo. Meanwhile, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department across multiple wards received no prior notice, no emergency memo, and absolutely no explanation regarding the appearance of the airborne ships.
Which made them alert.
Static crackled endlessly through police communications as reports flooded in from Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chuo, and countless surrounding districts. Every officer was witnessing the same phenomenon.
Unknown flying vessels with no identification.
An overwhelming amount of negativity enters their veins.
"Move with caution."
"Do not engage unless necessary."
"Stay alert."
The officers began mobilizing, silently agreeing not to ignore the growing uneasiness.
Then came the second phenomenon.
Cards.
Countless identical cards began falling from the sky.
They drifted through the air like scattered leaves, descending slowly onto roads, rooftops, and sidewalks.
The cards scattered across the streets suddenly began to glow.
Thin strands of blinding light erupted from their surfaces, twisting together into pillars that made people instinctively shield their eyes. Gasps and frightened cries everywhere when the light vanished.
And fear immediately seized everyone present.
Towering figures now stood where the cards had fallen.
Dark-skinned and heavily muscular, the creatures possessed grotesque bodies that looked only vaguely human. Bone protrusions jutted from their shoulders, arms, and spines while mask-like as their faces. Some were massive and deformed with each one more terrifying than the last.
"It's…"
One man trembled violently as he pointed toward the monsters, his breathing turning ragged while his heart pounded against his chest.
"SHUUKI!!"
Panic exploded across the streets.
The summoned Shuuki immediately lunged into the crowd, attacking the civilians who had failed to escape in time. Bones shattered. Blood sprayed across the pavement. Several victims were struck down instantly before they could even react.
Screams consumed everything.
The orderly streets of Tokyo descended into chaos as crowds stampeded in desperate attempts to flee. People crashed into one another, tripping over bags, signs, and fallen bodies while terror drowned out all reason.
But before the massacre could spiral even further out of control, armed units from the Metropolitan Police and the Special Forces arrived on the scene.
Gunfire erupted almost immediately.
"Keep the civilians moving!"
"Watch your line of fire!"
Officers carefully aimed their blessed weapons while trying to avoid hitting the fleeing crowds. Bullets tore into charging Shuuki.
"Are you okay?!"
"Help me! Please!"
One member of the special force fired a precise shot straight through a Shuuki's forehead moments before it could strike an elderly woman collapsed on the ground. The creature staggered backward before crashing lifelessly into a parked car.
The officer clicked her tongue when the elderly woman failed to respond coherently, trembling too hard from shock to even stand. Without hesitation, she lifted the woman onto her back and carried her toward the evacuation line.
Around them, the situation worsened.
Officials possessing specialized abilities thanks to Peaches immediately began coordinating support efforts. Those gifted with voice-based powers projected calming waves across the panicking civilians, stabilizing their nerves enough to prevent complete hysteria. Defensive specialists helped around the wounded and certain zones, shielding them from debris and stray attacks.
Meanwhile, the offensive units took on the brunt of the fighting.
Explosions thundered through intersections. Shockwaves rattled windows. Personnel clashed directly against the growing swarm of Shuuki flooding the streets, desperately trying to contain the enemies from spreading.
********
Maia sat listlessly inside her Mustang, waiting for the traffic light to change, when her eyes suddenly widened at the sight reflected in her side mirror.
A Shuuki.
"What in the actual—"
Her usual neutral expression vanished instantly, replaced by sheer disbelief. Caught completely off guard, she stared in stunned silence. A scene like this should have been impossible without a Gate.
Throwing the car door open, she stepped out and slammed it shut with a loud bang. Her gaze snapped toward a nearby cyclist who was moments away from being attacked.
Raising a hand, Maia activated her ability and used the road. The asphalt trembled violently before erupting upward, forming a massive stone hand that shielded the cyclist like a protective wall.
"Begone."
She muttered the word coldly before conjuring another gigantic hand from the ground. It lunged forward and crushed the Shuuki instantly, reducing the creature into an unrecognizable mass of flesh and blood.
Once the threat was gone, Maia turned toward the cyclist to make sure he was unharmed.
"Go to them, they're guiding civilians away from the area."
"T-Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Though still trembling in fear, the cyclist thanked Maia with all the emotion he could muster before hurriedly sprinting to where the police were at.
Adjusting her glasses, Maia continued summoning massive stone hands across the streets, using them to shield defenseless civilians from the rampaging Shuuki.
The special forces moved swiftly beside her. One woman fired precise shots that pierced through the creatures, while another unleashed a stream of corrosive acid that melted several Shuuki where they stood. Nearby, a woman with a crocodile tail slammed the appendage into a hostile with enough force to crush it against a wall.
Then someone recognized Maia.
The woman immediately straightened her posture and saluted. The others quickly followed suit upon realizing the identity of the person standing before them.
One of the Vice Chief of the Anti-Demon Corps, Azuma Maia.
"Enough with the formalities," Maia said sharply. "Care to explain what the actual hell is happening?"
The personnel stiffened before answering.
"We don't have much information yet, ma'am. All we know is that a pirate ship appeared out of nowhere and started raining down those cards that summoned those Shuukis."
The venom in her voice was unmistakable. Her patience had clearly reached its limit after witnessing civilians nearly lose their lives.
"What about the JSDF?" Maia asked.
"We're currently in contact with them, but their estimated arrival time is still unknown. Nevertheless, they are on their way."
"At least that counts as decent news."
With that, Maia separated from the special forces. They saluted one final time before scattering across the area to assist with the evacuation efforts.
Maia lifted her gaze toward the sky, her attention locking onto the ship far from where she is currently standing at.
Her phone was not in her pocket, and her car was too far away to bother retrieving. After a swift moment of thought, she decided to investigate the matter herself for the time being. She was confident her mother and the others in Mato would already be alerted about the situation.
Summoning another enormous hand from the earth, Maia leapt onto its palm.
The construct rose into the air, carrying her forward as she flew.
********
Author's Note:
It has been 4 months since I made this fanfic and I was curious why I still don't have ratings here on Webnovel.
Lmao, I only recently learned that I need to reach a certain number of reviews before I get them, just like how I needed 15k words for my story to become more visible.