*Astrean Research Vessel, Hokkaido Coast*
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Emerging from the water, Emma hopped onto the nearby boat where the rest of her diving team were, the waters were clear and the sun was shining. In her hands she held a bag of the barnacle she was sent to retrieve for experiments by the research commission. After handing the bag to her colleague and taking off her oxygen gear she unzipped her upper suit and wrapped the arms around her waist, wearing only her sports bra as a top.
Greeting her was Anna, her Astrean diving mate and another member of the commission.
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The two walked into the boats cabin where a couch, a kitchen, a small work table and an HD TV were set up, the TV displaying Japanese news. Within the cabin were Mai, Kanna, and Kat, all of them Astrean girls and members of the commission. Emma sat at the table and pulled out her phone to text Jin.
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Emma sighed to herself as she sat down and texted Jin. No response came through after a few moments. Trying again she still received nothing. She then tried to call him but her phone continued to go to voicemail. She assumed maybe he was busy and would try again later.
"What the...Hey, look at this!" Mai said.
Everyone's attention turned to the TV with a news report out of Kasane, the city being attack by a series of Xenos. The camera showing Norio fighter jets speeding through the air with civilians watching the ordeal from a safe distance. Emma slowly cupped her mouth with her hands as her expression went from normal to scared.
The jets on the screen were shown firing missiles and guns at the creature, all the while the Xeno let out its terrifying noise. She knew her boyfriend was most likely in one of those jets.
"Jin..." she said to herself. Her phone vibrated and she looked to see a message from him.
Those words stabber her deeper than any sword could. Looking back and the TV Emma couldn't help but ponder about what was happening to Jin. Kanna instantly noticed Emma's distress and gently took her hands.
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Emma could only nod and fake a smile. The rest of the girls then comforted Emma with a group hug.
***
Sea of Japan
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The transmission ended as Jin continued to fly alongside the rest of the squadron in formation, below them was nothing but the vast open water of the Sea of Japan. The squadron continued to fly just below the spread out clouds with their radars actively scanning the area, the entire time Jin could help but feel something was off. The Xenos they led away were all but gone and they couldn't find them anywhere.
There were fifteen of them currently, all belonging to Demon Squadron with several of them arriving as reinforcements from Kasane. All of them flying in formation.
Jin's radar kept going off every few seconds. Something was in the area and close...most likely watching them. He used his HUD's camera feed to look outside his EX-35 but found nothing.
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A heart stopping screech suddenly came through their comms channel throwing the squadron off guard. An otherworldly voice that obviously wasn't human and was ultimately terrifying in nature, its sound resembling a disoriented animal grow. Looking down at his radar Jin could see that wherever the sound originated...it was above them.
He looked up to see a large black mass the size of a skyscraper, with an oval-shaped head that featured two sets of eyes and tentacles protruding from its back. Its body surrounded in a dark red aura of energy and it was followed by the smaller Xenos they had lost earlier. The squadron then found themselves splitting apart as a tentacle brought itself down on them.
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Jin straightened his flight path and flew higher into the air until there was nothing but a sea of clouds beneath him, as the rest of Demon Squadron followed him so did the monstrosity. It was a Class A Xeno, the largest and most powerful out of the three types. Creatures capable of laying waste to entire populations and possessing the most defenses out of all other Xenos.
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Jin activated his jets defenses and sped towards the Xeno, its smaller counterparts flying towards the squadron in a unified formation. Captain Takeo ordered several aircraft to focus on the smaller ones while Jin, Niko, and himself take down the Class A type. Assuming a triangle-like formation the three of them fired a flurry of missiles at the Xeno, each of them holding explosive-based tips. The missiles reached their target causing the Xeno to shriek.
It's next move involved a directed stream of energy towards the group causing Jin to dodge the attack and climb higher into the air, once stabilized he pressed a button on his jets computer activating an aura of light around his plane to attract the Xeno. His goal being to draw the creature away from the squadron.
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"!!" Jin replied.
The plan worked as a series of projectiles erupted from the creatures back and headed for Jin. Using his jets flares he was able to avoid being him.
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The pilot's jet was hit by a Xeno's energy pulse forcing him to eject and fall into the ocean.
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The two of them circled around the creature after shooting two smaller ones out of the sky.
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Jin and Niko fired their jets guns at the Class A Xeno's head. Bullets flying from their jets leaving behind trails of smoke and light, the Xeno using a tentacle to block the incoming projectiles and attack Jin with it. As the two pilots formed up on Takeo the three of them circled around the Xeno again and simultaneously fired a set of missiles at the creature from all sides. The next moment was one of pure confusion as their projectiles were destroyed by an invisible wall before the creature.
Before he knew it Jin could see a spherical hexagonal barrier around the Xeno.
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Jin looked around his jets exterior with his helmet camera system to scan the area, by now most of the Class B Xenos had all ben killed leaving only the Class A left. It's disfigured self still hovering just above the clouds and the endless blue sky above them, tentacles flying about everywhere around its back and spine and screeches of terror escaping its mouth.
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The next moment all communications ceased as a flurry of projectiles suddenly emerged from all around the Xeno, flying in every direction and heading straight towards the squadron. One of them prepared to smash through the canopy of Jin's jet. All hope seemed lost for a moment as time around him slowed, he had no time to react or dodge.
Jin shut his eyes for a few second preparing for impact. Accept...nothing came. Nothing but the sound of missiles exploding. Slowly opening his eyes Jin prepared to see his squadron gone, but they weren't. In fact everyone was still alive as the Xeno shouted in pain and rose higher into the air. His jets radar then detected seven aircraft heading towards their position.
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"Здесь товарищ (Over here comrade!)" a voice said through his comms. Jin replied with a simple "Thank you" in Russian.
Looking at his HUD's camera system he could see a pilot dressed in a similar uniform as him and the others, the man introduced himself as Captain Sergei Romanov from Vladivostok of Norio's European branch. Following him were several other Russian Norio pilots all forming up on Demon Squadron. Their work was far from done as the Xeno had begun to climb higher and higher into the atmosphere.
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"Then that's where we're going. End this here and now!" Jin finished.
Before they could give chase after the creature several Norio drones from Vladivostok carrying thrusters appeared in the A.O, thrusters that would help Jin and the others achieve orbit as their jets engines weren't strong enough to break out of the atmosphere. Once the thrusters were attached to his EX-35 Jin pointed his jet upwards and pushed the throttle forward, the thruster technology charging up and before he knew it, he was flying higher and higher in a straight vertical climb. The jet leaving behind of trail of flames as the Japanese, Russian, and Astrean pilots followed the creature.
Jin could feel the vibrations of the aircraft in his hands as he gripped the controls and the sky grew darker and darker until eventually it was complete blackness, the thrusters had then run out of fuel and detached from the plane falling back to Earth.
Jin now floated alongside his squadron. Around them was nothing but the vacuum of space, below them the Earth...and ahead of them the Xeno.
Jin took in a deep breath. Then sped towards the creature alongside his team.
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To be continued...