"Burning Fist!!"
A fist of fire pulverized the robot.
It was a straightforward fire-manipulation Ability, but its sheer output was immense precisely because of its simplicity.
"Uoooohhhhh!"
The man thrust his fist forward, launching the wreath of flames clinging to it. The unleashed fire engulfed the mechanical swarm, liquefying their iron frames and tearing them apart.
He showed no restraint. He left nothing in reserve. He simply exposed everything within himself with total conviction, obliterating every enemy in his path.
"Planning on running out of gas halfway through?" I asked.
"Lucky for you, I don't know any other way to fight!"
"Good grief, you're honest to a fault!"
I continuously launched shells made of fire. Every single shot was a killing blow. They detonated on impact, catching the surrounding machines in a radius of destruction.
"Ngh! You, show some restraint! You're wrecking the city!"
"Sadly, this is the only style I know!"
Overwhelming specs were the essence of a Kaijin. Spreading destruction without regard for the surroundings was the most effective way to utilize me—the Kaijin.
"Besides, I am holding back."
I was being as considerate as possible, even if it didn't look like it. If I weren't, the Hero standing behind me wouldn't be breathing right now, and this entire area would have been reduced to a vacant lot without so much as a scrap of rubble remaining.
"Thanks... for that...!"
It seemed he had reached his limit for witty banter. His breath came in ragged gasps; I had no idea how he was even staying on his feet.
A long-term battle was out of the question. Fortunately, the robot reinforcements were finally thinning out. I needed to finish this quickly.
"Hey, Hero!"
"What...!?"
"Buy me ten seconds."
"Huh!?"
I snuffed out the flames I’d been emitting and raised my fist high over the earth.
"Dammit...! Fine!"
The man didn't know what I was planning, but he chose to trust me. He tightened his grip on the fists that had started to falter.
The robot army closed in from all sides. The man intercepted them, cladding his hands in flames even more intense than before. He didn't just enhance his punches; he converted the force of the flames into thrust, dancing across the battlefield with frantic agility.
"Factor Release: Music Kaijin Mike Jackhorn."
Facing that dance of destruction and fire, I slammed my fist into the ground with the strength of my switched Ability.
A massive vibration rippled through the earth. Using the Kaijin's power, I treated that vibration like sonar, pinpointing every single robot in the vicinity. It had been exactly ten seconds since I’d turned my back to the man. I had a complete lock on the enemy's numbers and positions.
"Factor Release: Rock Kaijin Gunrock!"
I channeled a different Ability into my other hand and struck the ground again. The moment my fist made contact, the earth beneath the robots surged upward, launching them several meters into the sky.
"Factor Release: Gale Kaijin Tatsumaki!"
From here, it was all brute force. I swapped Abilities once more, whipping up a violent storm at maximum output. The vortex snared the airborne robots and pulled them into a single point.
Forcing my output this high was pushing the absolute limit. Using a scale of power like this while in human form probably wouldn't last five seconds.
"Finish them, Hero!"
They were all bunched together. The rest was his job.
"Haaaaahhhhh!"
The man flared his flames to their breaking point and clasped his hands together, aiming at the sky.
"Burning!! Blast!!"
The fires gathered in his hands merged into a single beam and shot toward the suspended robots. The blast absorbed my winds, expanding into a colossal explosion that swallowed every last machine in a cleansing hellfire.
"Ugh... damn..."
My hands were numb with pain. I’d pushed too far. Wielding output close to my Kaijin form put a massive strain on my human body. Honestly, I never wanted to do that again.
"...Phew. Managed it, somehow."
Regardless, the enemies and their reinforcements were gone. There shouldn't be anything left in the area. I’d done what I came to do. I was about to turn around and share the victory with him when I heard a heavy thud.
I spun around. The man had given everything he had; he was facedown on the pavement, unconscious.
"Good grief. You overdid it."
Fighting off that many alone was sheer madness. Still, because he’d drawn the brunt of their attention, the damage to the area was minimal. It was a reckless feat, but one worth doing.
"...Nothing for it, I guess."
Fainting while a presumed Villain was standing right there... as a Hero, he still had a ways to go. But he had the core of a hero inside him. It would bloom soon enough.
"I'll carry you."
Leaving him here like this was too heartless. I’d take him to a nearby shelter. He’d worked hard; this much trouble was a small price for me to pay.
I reached out for his fallen form. Suddenly, a flash of light sparked at the edge of my vision. Then, a visceral chill.
"Ngh!?"
Instinct moved my body faster than thought. I lunged backward just as a streak of white light tore through the space I’d occupied a second ago. As the flash faded, a leg came flying toward my face.
"Guh!"
I reflexively crossed my arms in a guard. I managed to block the blow to my head, but the hasty defense couldn't absorb the full impact. Pain shot through my arms as I was blown backward.
"—Heh. You actually blocked that."
The voice belonged to a girl. I brushed away the dust and looked ahead. Standing where I’d been a moment ago was a girl I didn't recognize.
She had a golden pixie cut and blue eyes. Her outfit was athletic, like sports gear that showed her midriff, stripped of even the most basic armor. It was a style built purely for speed.
"Guess you're not just some poser in a suit."
An outfit that revealing would normally turn heads, but what caught my eye was the golden aura she wore. The sparks crackling around her were unmistakable.
"Lightning...!"
Since I’d been able to react, she wasn't moving at the speed of light. But that last strike had been incredibly fast. My defense had only barely made it in time.
She was no civilian. She was likely the reinforcement the man had called for. In other words—another Hero.
"What were you planning to do to Glen, you Dark Matter remnant?"
The girl clad in lightning glared at me with eyes full of turbulent darkness. A Dark Matter remnant reaching for a fallen Hero—to any observer, it looked like I was about to finish him off.
"...If I told you the truth, would you even believe me?"
"Of course not. Like I'd ever believe you."
I knew that would be her answer. The hatred in her eyes swirled like a tempest. The scars Dark Matter had left on the world were far too deep. She was definitely one of the many who harbored a grudge against the Syndicate.
"I'll get the full story out of you once you're in cuffs."
"Capturing me? You're surprisingly merciful."
"Don't worry. I'll break plenty of bones before the arrest. People tend to be more talkative when they're in pain, don't they?"
The loathing she radiated was the real deal. Those words came from the heart. Wearing this Battle Suit was starting to work against me. But I couldn't afford to get caught here. Not today. I had plans I couldn't miss.
"Sorry, but I can't let you catch me."
"Good. I was hoping you'd say that...!"
We both took our stances, manifesting our Abilities. The air was thick with tension, a single breath away from a blowout.
"Stand down, Raika."
A dignified voice cut through the silence just before we clashed. Both of us froze.
"You're being impulsive. Remember your mission."
"Senpai...! But...!"
"No 'buts.' Remember the role assigned to you."
A black-haired girl stepped between us. I couldn't move.
"...Fine. I'll get Glen to the hospital."
"Thank you."
The blonde girl, Raika, was cowed by the newcomer. She exhaled her pent-up rage in a long sigh, forcing herself to calm down. Once she’d composed herself, Raika hoisted the man—Glen—onto her back and took off.
"Sorry. Did I keep you waiting?"
"...Not really. You could have just gone with her, you know."
"I couldn't exactly leave you alone, could I?"
I was incredibly grateful for the Battle Suit right then. Because my face was hidden, I didn't have to worry about her seeing my shock.
"Do you intend to come quietly?"
"...No."
I knew the girl standing before me. I knew that silky hair and those delicate features because I’d seen them from much closer than this. More importantly, I knew her name.
(What the hell is Kohinata doing here!?)
Sora Kohinata. My neighbor was standing right in front of me as an enemy.
"I see. Then I suppose I have no choice."
Sora opened her right hand, and a black frilled umbrella appeared in its closed state. She gripped the handle and uttered a single word.
"Setup."
A brilliant white magic circle expanded beneath her feet, rising slowly. As it passed through her, her clothes were rewritten. Her white-based outfit transformed into a midnight-black gothic lolita dress.
Her beautiful black hair lengthened, and one of her dark eyes bled into a piercing azure. She still looked like Sora, yet she was transformed so thoroughly she was like a different person. But I knew this form. I knew this name...!
"Magical Girl Rain...!"
The name Masao had prattled on about until I was sick of hearing it. The name that had graced the news countless times.
Magical Girl Rain. Japan’s strongest magical girl.