The night air was thick with the smell of ozone and smoke. The city lights flickered against the jagged skyline, and somewhere in the distance, a low growl—like metal scraping across stone—echoed through the streets. Okarun and Momo had just wrapped up a routine exorcism of a minor yokai when the ground beneath them trembled violently.
"Uh… did the subway just move itself again?" Okarun muttered, gripping his phone like it could save him.
Momo's eyes narrowed, glowing faintly with psychic energy. "No… this is bigger. Something new."
From the shadows, a figure shot forward with a streak of golden-orange energy, crashing into the alley in a shower of sparks. He landed in a low crouch, fists crackling with raw chi.
"Who the heck—" Okarun started, but Momo held up a hand.
"Kial Nimbus," the newcomer growled, his aura flaring like a wildfire. "I've been tracking this… thing. It's not like any yokai or alien I've fought before."
Before either of them could respond, a massive shape materialized from the darkness: a hybrid, grotesque fusion of alien armor and spectral yokai flesh, its eyes glowing violet. It let out a deafening roar, and the air itself seemed to warp around it.
Kial slammed his fists together, sending a shockwave through the alley. "Stay back!" The chi energy flared like a second sun, pushing the creature into a defensive stumble.
Okarun blinked, impressed despite himself. "And… you're just jumping right in?"
Momo smirked. "Finally, someone who actually fights first and asks questions later."
The three of them readied themselves as the creature advanced, and the city seemed to hold its breath. This was no ordinary night in the world of Dandadan—it was about to get explosive.