The air in the multi-level parking garage hangs cold and still, thick with the smell of concrete dust and exhaust fumes. Under the stark fluorescent lights, the scene is anything but ordinary. Smack in the middle of the otherwise empty level sits a large, ornate mirror, incongruous against the drab surroundings. Its reflective surface gleams unnaturally, a silent portal waiting to be breached.
Around the mirror, a perimeter has been established. NYPD officers and heavily armed SWAT team members hug the concrete pillars and crouch behind parked vehicles. Their usual sidearms and shotguns are supplemented with new, heavier hardware – rifles firing specialized high-velocity rounds. The theory is simple: if it can punch through Grongi chitin, it should work on whatever this Mirror Monster is made of. Every officer is tense, fingers hovering near triggers, eyes scanning the shadows and the unnerving surface of the mirror.
Captain George Stacy stands near the command post, a makeshift collection of monitors set up near the garage entrance. He surveys the scene, his face grim but resolute. He gives curt nods to officers confirming their readiness over the radio. This is uncharted territory, fighting creatures from another dimension, but his duty is clear: protect the city, protect his officers, protect the bait.
That bait, Detective Yuri Watanabe, stands alone near the large mirror. She looks remarkably calm, though a slight tension lines her shoulders. Dressed in civilian clothes, she makes a show of checking her reflection, adjusting her jacket, playing the part of an unsuspecting target. Her hand rests casually near the concealed firearm at her hip. Every instinct screams at the danger, but she trusts Ace, trusts the plan.
Hidden in the upper level shadows, perched on a concrete beam, Ace watches the scene unfold. Transformed into Kuuga's Mighty Form, the red armor gleams faintly even in the low light. He remains perfectly still, a silent guardian ready to spring into action the moment Dispider appears. He can feel the nervous energy radiating from the officers below, the focused determination of Yuri, the steady command of Captain Stacy. The wait is agonizing, the silence broken only by the distant city hum and the occasional crackle of police radios. All eyes are on the mirror.
Ace's voice crackles through Yuri's earpiece, a low and reassuring murmur. "Detective Watanabe, you doing okay down there?" He's using the police-band radio Captain Stacy had grudgingly supplied, a necessary evil to coordinate this whole operation.
Yuri adjusts the earpiece, her gaze never leaving the mirror. "I'm fine, Rider," she replies, her voice calm and professional. "A little stiff, maybe. Ready as I'll ever be."
A gruff voice, Captain Stacy, cuts in. "All units, standby. Eyes on the mirror. Do not engage without my order. I repeat, do not engage until I give the command. Detective Watanabe's safety is paramount."
Minutes stretch, thick with anticipation. The silence is almost unbearable, a heavy blanket smothering the sounds of the city. Each tick of the second feels like an eternity.
Then, the air shifts. A palpable tension descends, a prickling sensation on the skin. The mirror shimmers, the smooth reflective surface distorting as if heat is rising from it. The distortion intensifies, the reflection of the parking garage wavering and blurring.
From the depths of the mirror, something is emerging.
First, thin, spindly legs – far too many legs. Eight of them, each jointed and tipped with wickedly sharp points that scrape against the smooth glass with a faint scratching sound. They are black as night, chitinous and segmented, and move with a disturbing, unnervingly fluid grace.
More emerges. A grotesque abdomen, bulbous and glistening, patterned with sickly white markings that pulse with a faint, internal light. The abdomen is connected to a humanoid torso – skeletal and armored, clad in chitinous plates that mimic the structure of a ribcage. Two arms extend from the torso, ending in clawed hands that twitch and flex with anticipation. A head, barely visible in the dim light filtering from the Mirror World, is vaguely skull-like, with glowing red eyes that pierce the darkness and focus intently on Yuri.
This is Dispider Reborn.
Yuri's calm facade shatters. In one fluid motion, she draws her Glock 19 and levels it at Dispider Reborn. The click of the safety disengaging is sharp and clear in the tense silence.
Dispider pauses, its eight eyes narrowing. It assesses the new threat, its head tilting slightly as if considering the odds. Then, with a horrifyingly casual flick of its wrist-like appendage, it unleashes its attack.
Thin, shimmering strands of webbing erupt from its spinnerets, arcing through the air towards Yuri with unnatural speed. The webs aren't the sticky, ensnaring kind found in nature, but a reinforced, almost metallic substance that glints under the fluorescent lights. If they hit, they'll bind, cut, crush.
Before Yuri can react, a red blur streaks from the shadows. Ace, in Kuuga Mighty Form, drops from the upper level with a thunderous crash, landing between Yuri and Dispider. He raises his arms, intercepting the webs before they can reach her.
The impact of the webs against Kuuga's armored gauntlets is audible, a sharp, metallic thwack. The strands cling to the red metal, attempting to bind him. But Kuuga is too strong. With a roar of effort, he digs his heels into the concrete and pulls.
The force is immense, a sudden, irresistible tug that yanks Dispider off balance. The Mirror Monster, caught completely off guard, loses its footing on the shimmering surface of the mirror. It lets out a screech of protest, scrabbling with its legs in a desperate attempt to regain purchase.
But it's too late. Kuuga's pull is relentless. Dispider is ripped away from the mirror, its connection to the Mirror World severed.
The web strands snap taut, singing a high-pitched whine. Then, with a final, deafening crack, they break. Kuuga maintains his grip, using the momentum to hurl Dispider across the parking garage.
The Mirror Monster sails through the air, a grotesque projectile against the backdrop of concrete and steel. It crashes into a thick concrete pillar with a sickening thud, the force of the impact cracking the pillar and sending chunks of debris raining down. Dispider slumps to the ground, a tangled mess of limbs and chitin, momentarily stunned.
Captain Stacy's voice explodes over the radio. "Open fire! All units, engage! Now!"
The parking garage erupts in a cacophony of gunfire. The NYPD officers and SWAT team members unleash a hail of bullets at the downed Mirror Monster. The specialized rounds tear into Dispider's chitinous armor, sending sparks flying and ripping away chunks of its grotesque flesh.
Dispider screeches, a high-pitched whine that grates on Ace's ears. The Mirror Monster thrashes, trying to break free, but he won't let it get to the officers. Not on his watch. He has to protect the city.
"Chou Henshin!"
The Arcle on his waist hums, and blue energy erupts around him, solidifying into Kuuga's sleek Dragon Form. The familiar weight of the Dragon Rod settles in his hands. Perfect. He extends the rod, keeping Dispider at a distance. The police fire relentlessly, bullets pinging off Dispider's chitinous armor. The Mirror Monster is definitely weakening; he can see it in its movements.
This is going well, he thinks. Keep the pressure on.
Then, chaos.
A guttural roar tears through the air, followed by a sickening thud. Ace whips around, Dragon Rod raised, and his blood runs cold. A hulking figure slams into Officer Miller, sending him sprawling. It's Gadra, the tiger-like Grongi.
What? Why now?
Before Ace can react, another figure barrels into the SWAT team. It's Ladya, her ladybug-like eyes glinting with malicious intent. The Grongi move with terrifying speed and strength, tearing through the police barricade like it's nothing.
"No!" Ace yells.
The officers, caught completely off guard, are easy targets. Screams fill the parking garage as the Grongi unleash their brutal attacks. This is going south fast.
He whips the Dragon Rod, extending it and lashing out at Ladya, forcing her to back off from Officer Peterson. He then spins around and strikes Gadra who roars in pain.
The parking garage is a war zone now. Bodies litter the concrete floor, the air thick with the smell of blood and burning rubber. More Grongi surge forward, their monstrous forms illuminated by the flickering fluorescent lights. Balva, the skeletal referee, strides into view, her eyes burning with cold fury.
"Kuuga," she snarls, her voice like grinding stone. "You will die here."
He tightens his grip on the Dragon Rod, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He whips the rod horizontally, forcing Balva to leap back. One of the other Grongi, some rhino-looking brute, charges, swinging a makeshift club fashioned from a broken pipe. Ace sidesteps the clumsy attack, delivering a swift kick to the Grongi's knee. It crumples with a sickening crack.
Are they all here to kill me? he wonders grimly.
"Are you working with Dispider?" he shouts, trying to keep his voice steady over the din of battle.
Balva's lip curls into a cruel smile. "Yes. Now, die for Dai-Shocker!"
A flash of movement catches his eye. Yuri is fighting valiantly, pistol blazing, but she's quickly surrounded. She takes down one Grongi, then another, but they're overwhelming her. Just as he prepares to help, it happens.
Dispider Reborn, its spider legs skittering across the ceiling, drops down behind Yuri. Before she can react, it shoots a thick web, ensnaring her. Yuri struggles, but the webbing is too strong. The Mirror Monster drags her towards a shattered mirror propped against a nearby wall.
"No! Detective!" Ace yells, a surge of desperation flooding through him.
He tries to reach her, but Gadra and Ladya move to intercept, blocking his path. They fight with a renewed ferocity, their eyes locked on him.
He has to save her.
He tries to maneuver around the Grongi to save Yuri, but she is already pulled through to the Mirror World before Ace could get to her.
Damn it! He slams a fist against the nearest concrete pillar. The Mirror World. He can't follow her there. Not without a way in.
He whirls around. The Grongi are closing in, a circle of snarling, monstrous faces. He needs to focus. Yuri's life depends on it. But right now, he has to survive.
He clenches his fists. "Chou Henshin!"
Purple energy surges through him, bulking up his frame. The Arcle screams with power as he transforms into Titan Form. The raw strength of this form is what he needs. He scans the parking garage for a weapon, something to channel this brute force. His eyes land on a thick steel pipe lying amidst the wreckage. Perfect.
He grabs the pipe, feeling its weight in his hands. As he focuses, the metal shimmers, transforming into the familiar form of the Titan Sword. The broad blade gleams in the dim light, ready to cleave through bone and chitin.
The Grongi attack. Gadra lunges first, claws extended, but Ace is ready. He swings the Titan Sword in a wide arc, forcing the tiger Grongi to backpedal. Ladya swoops in from the side, her movements agile and unpredictable, but Ace anticipates her. He brings the Titan Sword up in a block, the blade meeting her armored arm with a resounding clang.
The police are losing ground. He hears their screams, the sickening sounds of flesh tearing. He has to protect them, too. But they are just humans and the Grongi are too powerful.
He can't save everyone, can he?
He batters the Grongi. It is now a game of attrition. He swings the Titan Sword, cleaving and smashing.
Gadra roars, his eyes burning with a fierce intensity. He lunges again, feinting to the left before unleashing a brutal right hook. Ace barely manages to block, the force of the blow sending a jolt up his arm.
Ladya is relentless, harassing him with rapid strikes. The pair of them have to be working together.
He is weakening.
A heavy blow to his helmet, courtesy of a pipe from one of the other Grongi. Ace staggers, his vision blurring. The constant onslaught is taking its toll. He has to end this, and fast.
He forces himself to focus, channeling every ounce of his willpower into the Titan Sword. He lunges forward, aiming for Gadra's exposed flank.
Balva appears in front of him. The Grongi referee knocks the Titan Sword right out of his grasp. It clatters against the concrete floor.
Balva raises a hand, energy crackling around her fingers. "Now it is time for you to die!"
The Grongi move in, ready to deliver the final blow, but a deafening roar cuts through the air. The light from the building beside them shimmers and shatters.
Through the opening comes something. It is a red dragon, flying through the air. Crimson scales shimmer under the dim lights, catching the light. A long, serpentine body coils in the air, the very image of power and rage. It is Dragreder.
***
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Advance chapters are in my P@|r3on - Najicablitz