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[Now Playing: ~The cyborg fights~]
"Why?! Um....maybe, if you have the limbs with you! I don't exactly make it my business to reattach limbs!"

In the chaos of battle, Hideyuki Ito was most at home. This wasn't his first fight, not by a long shot, but most of these people didn't have the same experience he did, the same training. There was a monster for Ito to kill, and kill it he would, focusing all his intent on destroying his foe, before leaping up aside the wall, slashing at the Zoanthrope, his blade slashing outwards to catch one of the Zoanthrope's limbs.

This would work if he were fighting a Horror. Horrors weren't pack hunters. They were ambush predators, good at sneaking about within the darkness, luring in their prey one by one by one to prey upon them.

But he was fighting Zoanthropes. Zoanthropes weren't predators, they were weapons in living form, poised to create as much destruction as possible, inflict as much damage as possible, even at the cost of themselves.

Ito's blade is caught by one of the beast's eight arms, another arm lashing out and swiping across Ito's arm, ripping his coat open like rice paper, acidic liquid beginning to tear through the magical charms holding his suit together. Ito's momentum is only enough to cut off the top part of the limb, but at least he got something.

And this Zoanthrope wasn't alone, not by a long shot.

Two energy bursts riddle Ito's back, staggering him in mid-jump and forcing him to the ground, as the troopers from behind begin opening up a barrage of energy blasts, aiming directly for them. To add insult to injury, Ito is suddenly pinned to the ground by a burst of sticky fluid, webbing pinning him down. He will need to struggle out, and quick.

But Ito wasn't alone either.

Taking advantage of Ito's assault, Sato's blade slashes upwards into the palm-strike December made, carving through its chest. He must've cut something important, because the top two arms of the Zoanthrope fall limp. Sato, however, gets in too close, and the beast is far quicker than he is, allowing it to slash a talon into his side, throwing him back. Sato can feel the venom burn his skin as the talon lashes out towards him.  Energy blasts sail through the air aiming directly for Sato....

....only for a translucent pink barrier to wrap around him, catching him on the ground and protecting him from the barrage. Spica smiles at him, her hand extended with pink energy.
"Got your back."

December dives for cover, managing to protect himself by diving in front of Sato, the lasers blasting off harmlessly on the barrier. Spikes ripple out of the road ahead as Agatha sprints after the Zoanthrope, severing three of its arms and causing it to screech out in pain, waving its arms in pain as they begin to regenerate almost immediately. Agatha takes several shots in the back however, staggering her and throwing her to the ground, though her armor manages to soften the blow.

The troopers advance, meanwhile, laying as much fire onto the group as possible, some even aiming at Ai's head, leaving the smallest scorch mark on her forehead. Bad move.

In the blink of an eye, half the group is blasted aside, coins rippling through the group at the speed of bullets. Several collapse, parts of their body torn off, as Ai notices wiring torn apart and metal parts thrown aside to the asphalt, electricity sparking from their smoking, ruined bodies.

Robots, it seemed, were being deployed against you. The coins, however, don't seem to have much of an effect on their firing rate as a result, and don't seem to scare them off.

The Zoanthrope, despite taking some serious damage, is still running, turning a corner around towards the city center.

Maki sprints just after Amelie, running after the monster. She just attempts to defend herself from any ranged attacks for the moment, looking for the opportune moment.

"Just fresh out of university. Ah, listen, do you mind if I duck out a minute? Parents want to talk and I'd rather not talk in front of you. Private things."

The two groups of heroes run across Touto, one across the streets and one across the rooftops, chasing down the Zoanthropes through the city.

The sun has set and the moon rises, as the street lights turn on, lending an austere white glow to their chase.

---

Kamijou Ai
Today was a normal night. As always.

You're sitting outside, enjoying the night air. Not that there's anything specifically enriching about the air tonight, but it's a lot better than inside. These books aren't anything special, just university reading (not that that was particularly hard, after all, not after you've thought about it). You seem a little bored; it wasn't like this was a challenge, really. University, really, wasn't about the challenge, but the knowledge and the opportunities given.

The broken remains of the robotic Tyrannosaurus rex fall from the sky behind you, exploding into shrapnel and so much debris. You don't even blink an eye, turning a page, even as a single piece of metal flickers through your hair.

Today was a normal night. As always.

Ah, yes, the robots. The latest attempt by Destron to enforce their rule over the neighbourhood.

Destron, the terrorist organization that had been plaguing Japan, was here in Touto. Not that they weren't anywhere else, really. You'd grown up hearing stories about Kamen Rider Astra, the urban legend, the real life Kamen Rider, the superhero who'd curbstomped his way through legions of Destron's men, whose final mission was stopping a missile from hitting Tokyo, who'd disappeared thirty years ago back in the Nineties. Interesting for a moment, but not your problem. You'd heard about Destron's attempt to do things in Touto; that convention, two years ago, where Kamen Rider Volt first showed up, throwing them aside and saving the whole convention centre. You didn't pay much heed to it at the time. Then they moved in, hoping to find the Rider that had given them so much trouble.

Destron's base was in your neighbourhood and you, Kamijou Ai, did not care all that much for them.

You've grown up with no challenge at all. School was never that hard, not after you tried. Sports, you'd beaten everyone in. Neighbourhood bullies, you made them give up after beating them to a pulp. Destron? Their combatmen were nothing, and you'd taught them many times that their robotic beasts didn't scare you. They tended to stay out of your way after the fifth time you blew their minion up, but once or twice, they tried their latest toy on you, and it ended the same way; their minion in pieces and you once more having expended no effort. Destron knew who was in charge here. It was to the point that their robot creatures were never set into this neighbourhood; it was more efficient to focus their forces on finding Volt than it was to deal with Ai.

They wished it was Kamen Rider Volt they had to deal with and not Kamijou Ai.

Today was a normal night. As always.

Then you see a group of people running past; two swordsmen, two girls, a spider-like creature clambering between buildings, running along walls, before slashing a delivery bike (one of those dumpling houses, known for good food). It was one of those Zoanthropes, from the news, you instantly remember. One had made the mistake of straying into your neighbourhood; it didn't last too long. And now another one had made that same mistake.

Today wasn't such a normal night. Hopefully.

---

Nam-Bong Cheol
Thirty minutes or less or it's free.
You were trying to make a quick delivery. After all, you have a reputation; one of the fastest and best deliverymen in all of Touto, for one of the best small eateries in all of Touto. The dumplings were legendary, on the level of the Kisaragi Grill steak, or the Yukihira House tamago gohan. Thirty minutes or the delivery was free, the manager said. And you never failed to deliver on time before.

You were making the first delivery of three, coming back out from the apartment building, wiping the sweat from your brow. Twenty-five minutes to go. Good. You're still on time.

Then a giant spider creature swipes the box off your bike, spilling dumplings all over the pavement, before pouncing off into the night. Just behind, you can see four people chasing it, two guys wielding swords, two girls chasing it behind.

More importantly, they just spilled all your dumplings on the ground.

Dumplings. Your works of art. Your favourite food, your pride and joy.

This.

Can.

Not.

Stand.

---

Akaiheiya Kiyo
The latest Zoanthrope attacks had convinced your 'father' of sorts (he was your creator, but you look up at him like a father, of course you did) to push for your early release into Touto. Indeed, the people at the Program had agreed; it was time that they stopped leaving the matter of the Zoanthropes to urban legends like magical girls, like Kamen Rider Volt, like Beat Fighter Sonata. You were pretty enthusiastic about the whole thing.

After all, it was a chance to prove yourself, to do what you were built to do.

So here you are, patrolling near the town, where disturbances have been reported, possibly of Zoanthrope origin. You don't see anything yet. It's a quiet night, after all, and there hasn't been a Zoanthrope attack since what are now classified as the Cetus and Capricorn Zoanthropes attacked on the same day. Mayor Hongo, after all, had been the one to contact your father. You even checked the rooftops, seeing if there was a Zoanthrope hiding up here,

Nothing yet. Nothing. You begin to wonder if there's any real disturbance here-

Then a giant, dragon-bat hybrid soars past you. Kamen Rider Volt, the Sun Crow and Graviton are chasing it (you know them from the news, after all). It's probably a Zoanthrope- no, definitely a Zoanthrope.

Here it is, your chance to shine. Will you take it?

---

Ragnar Lothbrok
This wasn't like in anime, performing stakeout.

You're on the rooftops, listening in for anything. Your bugs don't see nor hear a thing; not that you expected anything to appear. After all, the city's been quiet for a few days.

But it was a lot better in shows, a lot more glamourous.

It was your job, after all, to be the hero your powers could make you be. After all, why couldn't you become like the heroes on the news? One day, you feel, you could be the newest hero of Touto. Queen Bee might be your hero name. Or King Bee. You don't know. Hero names were hard. How did they come up with Kamen Rider Volt, of all things? Wasn't that unoriginal?

You're shaken out of your thoughts by the the very fast, bat-like Zoanthrope soaring past you and, of all people, Kamen Rider Volt and her buddies chasing it.

Now's the time for Ragnar Lothbrok to do his best.

---

Yui Akiyama
The rooftops of Touto are a pretty place to be at night, with all the lights and all.

The events of two days ago were pretty crazy; you and the others got separated in the chaos, but you wondered what came of the others you haven't seen since. Everyone got out fine, as far as you remember; even that girl who got knocked out was carried out by a few of the others.

But it was crazy. You wonder when something else is going to happen. Maybe that Maki girl will show up and invite you to go hunting Zoanthropes with her. Or maybe Agatha will recruit you to go find the undead.

And speak of the devil, if it isn't Maki, Amelie and Haruko, chasing a Zoanthrope across the rooftops behind you.

This is the perfect time for you, it seems. Luck was on your side tonight.

Time to get back in the mix.

---

Kamijou Ai, Ragnar Lothbrok, Nam-Bong Cheol, Akaiheiya Kiyo and Yui Akiyama may post.

Maki leaps up, propelling herself up through sheer force of her uppercut, yelling as she wrenches her fist upwards to catch the Zoanthrope, only for it to swoop aside, forcing Maki to catch herself by wrenching her fist into the side of the building, almost four stories up. She manages to catch herself on the ledge, standing up and watching as the bat screeches, now fully airborne.

Amelie levitates herself towards it, preparing to land a powerful flying kick at it, only for the bat to open its mouth, rearing up for a powerful burst, and unleashing a blast of searing hot air, forcing Amelie to evade and her kick to land on the window next to Maki. You can feel the heat almost scorch you, hotter than the hottest desert winds.

The bat swerves upwards, and flees over the rooftops of the shopping district. Looks like you'll need to be chasing it over Touto's skyline then, like one of those superhero movies.
You will need to pursue it to keep it away from more civilians. Hurry, I will be right behind you!

Indeed, you can just about see Lapis climbing up the building, scampering upwards like a kitten.

---

The spider Zoanthrope does not approve of being suddenly surrounded. Hissing, it shoves the barriers holding its arms back towards Spica, forcing her back and allowing it to use one of its arms to parry aside Sato's sword; despite its biological appearance, the talons are as tough as metal. With wiry strength, it shoves Sato back, clearing a space between it and the other combatants.

Agatha arrives with her stone spike, just in time for the spider Zoanthrope to decide it's about time to go, shoving the sword aside and leaping with unnatural strength onto a nearby wall, skipping along it with haste, heading in the same direction as the bat Zoanthrope. Spica pulls herself up, shaking her head, looking towards Ito, scanning him for a brief moment.

"I'll follow your lead. Go!"

"Right. Anyone who can fly, shoot or jump quick, follow me and we'll deal with that bat; that means you, Amelie and Haruko. Everyone else, follow Ito, help Spica with the spider!"
Maki storms towards the bat, electricity sparking in her footsteps.

Great going there, Kisaragi, say the first thing that comes to mind and get judged by the underwear model who apparently owns a magic house and is probably one of those rich crimefighting heroes who doesn't have a day job.

Forget it. People in danger. Fastest way to Touto. Where is it?

Maki thinks to herself as looks around for the shortcut she usually used to get to where Lapis was indicating the Zoanthropes were; she knew that around the area, there was a shopping district she liked to hop off to when there wasn't school, violin practise, or a Zoanthrope threatening the city. Her eyes lie on an alleyway as she manifests the Electrider on her waist.

"Follow me. This'll get us there as quick as we can on foot, unless you've got a better idea."

I detected two Zoanthropes approaching the shopping district in central Touto, not far from here. Spica is already there, trying to direct them away from civilians, but these Zoanthropes are closer to the enhanced type you fought in the park than the one she fought two days ago, so she will not be able to handle it on her own. I warned her to wait but she insisted that she needed to steer them away.

Maki nods, standing up quickly and looking towards the door.
"I hear you, Lapis. Haruko, eat up as fast as you can, we're going to need to get there as fast as possible!"