Kapitel 20: Powerful Aliens

As Kurono's condition stabilized, Shirona lifted her head.

"What are you all about?"

He could now clearly speak words. But walking properly was still difficult for him. The light shining from above gradually initiated his regeneration process, albeit taking time for him to function normally again.

"We don't really understand either. We just found ourselves transported here out of nowhere," she replied.

"Where did you come from?"

"Osaka. You know about it?"

"I do. But the reason is..."

Kurono closed his eyes and lay completely on his side. His breathing was being maintained. His brain had likely decided his body needed rest at this stage. If he had reached this point, losing consciousness would not lead to death.

Shirona closely observed him. A man caught up in the same situation as them. He appeared to be a student, perhaps slightly older than Kyō. Realizing Gantz showed no mercy, forcing even such individuals into battle, further cemented her view of it as utterly vile.

He seemed to belong to a different team, which meant he was from Tokyo. According to Oka's account, the Tokyo team had been annihilated repeatedly. They had narrowly avoided such a fate themselves.

The perplexing possibility emerged of two teams existing in Tokyo. They had encountered beings fighting the aliens in Ikebukuro as well. Was the capital's responsibility divided among multiple groups, befitting its status?

Or, perhaps... Considering what George had said. And the power of Dialga.

Another hypothesis began to form, though Shirona could not grasp it fully. Why had the Legendary Pokémon transported them here without killing them? What was their intent? She could not even speculate for now.

Shifting her attention to the ongoing battle, she noticed some still remained outside the gate.

"Hey?"

Anzu, who had followed her, stepped back. Shirona too adopted a defensive stance, giving the approaching figure a dubious look.

The highly suspicious Kuwabara casually remarked, "I have a suggestion."

"What is it?"

"You'd better quit. Listening to a pervert's words will only corrupt you."

"What did I ever do? Getting insulted like that hurts, you know."

Kuwabara's smile only made Anzu cower further behind Shirona. Truthfully, Shirona herself did not desire conversing much with this man either. Ideally, she wished he would vanish from her sight altogether.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Can you heal me? I scraped the ground. My shoulders and arms hurt."

She immediately realized it was his own fault. Certainly, Kuwabara had sustained minor injuries, likely when the horned alien blasted him away. However, those could have been avoided had he properly worn the full bodysuit. His casual attitude had made him careless.

Yet, rejecting his request outright might only lead to further complications, so Shirona nodded.

"Aqua Ring."

A moderate amount of water was expelled from Milotic's mouth. It hovered in the air, forming a beautiful ring that slowly drifted towards Kuwabara, engulfing his body. The pervert vigorously stood up.

"Oh? Is this a courtship ritual?"

He nimbly dodged the subsequent Ice Beam, seeming to realize his wounds were healing. He sincerely thanked Shirona, who was pleased with the successful experiment. The original purpose of Aqua Ring was for Milotic's self-healing, but with some ingenuity, it could also restore others.

Just as she felt satisfied, Kuwabara showed no intention of leaving for the gate.

"I have another suggestion, though."

"No amount of money will..."

"No, no, I'm not that stupid. I've learned my lesson. You see, I'm about to clear this soon."

He continued with a confident expression. "Well, with this attempt, I can easily score a hundred points, so I've been thinking about what bonus to ask for."

"I see."

"It occurred to me. What was it... Oh right, Lucario and Garchomp - I could revive one of them."

She did not feel particularly delighted, though it was unexpected. His intentions were as transparent as glass to her.

"In exchange, you know? Sounds good, right?"

"Hmm..."

"One life for a single shot. It's a bargain, really."

"You understand? First, you're mistaken in asking me. You should properly confirm her will directly. That's the decent thing to do."

"I see. With the parent's approval, it'll be easy. What a pushover."

Kuwabara boldly approached Milotic, ogling her elongated body before placing his hands on his hips.

"It's a promise. After this is over, we start with oral. Ah! Cold! Going straight for the nipples, aren't we? Hey! Where are you going? Feeling shy?"

After exchanging glances with Togekiss, Shirona headed towards the battlefield. Her previous experiences had somewhat desensitized her to the grisly scenes. Nevertheless, the sight inside the gate was horrific.

Several corpses lay scattered, with body parts torn off or heads completely crushed - a brutal spectacle beyond words. What truly chilled Shirona was the realization that some of the dead wore suits. They appeared quite muscular, and among them were a tall woman with her black hair tied back and an adorable young woman with brown hair, both suited yet lifeless. What they had in common were the liquids seeping out from the crevices of their suits.

In other words... She averted her gaze, striving to remain calm. The suits too had their limits, as seen in her dream. The moment their power failed, those fluids would spill out.

Seeing the near-annihilation of those equipped similarly did not heighten her tension much. For the battle unfolding around them clearly favored Muroya's group.

"Get out of the way, I said!"

Ignoring Muroya's complaints, Gastrodon froze the stone statues one by one. Moments ago, he had targeted that very figure, only for Muroya to bifurcate another approaching it from the side with his tongue clicked in irritation.

That blade seemed highly capable, effortlessly slicing through the stone masses. Combined with the suit's enhancements, its effectiveness was amplified. Shirona considered trying it out but then recalled only having brought different weapons.

The X-shaped and Y-shaped ones gripped in each hand. The X-Gun and Y-Gun, as they were apparently called. The "gun" portion likely derived from the name of the world's metallic projectile-firing tubes, which Anzu had taught her were called "guns" in Japanese.

She fired several X-Gun rounds at a mobile statue, but none hit their mark. As before, she seemed to lack any aptitude for this weapon.

"Oi."

A young voice called out, and she turned to find Kyō halting his bike. After delivering the coup de grâce to a fallen elongated statue, he challengingly eyed Shirona.

"You suck at this. Great with your pets, but useless yourself."

Shirona forced a wry smile. "Yeah, it seems a bit too difficult for me. You're amazing, hitting the targets so well."

His expression suggested she had struck a nerve, and for some reason, he gritted his teeth. After briefly glancing at her, he pointed to her X-Gun.

"Pull the triggers simultaneously."

"Huh?"

"Squeeze them together to improve your aim. Lock on first, then fire from below. You're really hopeless."

Following his advice, she targeted an approaching figure. After a slight delay, it burst from within. No one else seemed to have aimed at it, making it evident her attack had caused the destruction.

"You're right. Thank you."

By the time she turned to express her gratitude, Kyō had already moved to the edge, revving the engine of his black circular bike. She watched him for a bit, confirming he was not using any medication, which might explain his restless demeanor. As someone who had helped him overcome that, she might need to lend an ear to his concerns.

However, there was another cause for caution.

Mikaruge, keeping half an eye open, seemed to have found amusement in startling Kyō, clinging to his bike despite his shouted protests. After witnessing that final exchange, Shirona focused her attention elsewhere.

In a flash, the approaching statues dwindled in number. Some were quite massive, adorned with loincloth-like stone wrappings and wielding long staves. Another similar yet slightly different figure thrashed about, only to have its head severed by an extended blade from behind.

George was the last one fighting, struggling to keep up with an exceptionally swift figure.

As he ran past, Roserade unleashed Magical Leaf. The sharp leaves flew towards the statue but fell harmlessly instead of piercing its body.

"Get back. Your attacks are too weak."

Roserade angrily cried out at George's remark. Observing their exchange, Shirona felt a touch of surprise. Within her team, Roserade tended to be rather prickly, maintaining a certain distance from others despite showing Shirona her obedient side. Yet, she seemed to interact directly with this dark-skinned man. Should she be pleased or concerned? Complex emotions swirled within her.

George's strike and Roserade's Energy Ball simultaneously struck, obliterating the final statue. Its insides resembled ordinary flesh, the spilled blood lending an unsettling aura.

"Wipe that look off your face, will ya?"

Roserade flashed a triumphant expression, only for George to dismissively wave his hand at her.

This marked a temporary respite. Shirona pondered whether to return to the fallen man's side. If Kurono awakened and moved on his own, it could prove worrisome. However, that thought quickly dissipated.