text: \***All dialogue translated from Japanese, as the main character is Japanese and is speaking Japanese, but English to us...I think you get the point. Enjoy!**\* \*\*\* Jin stopped at the red light beside another car and waited for it to turn green, driving through the business district of Kasane towards the highway that would take him off coast and towards the base. All around him were citizens going about their day as they filled the sidewalks, chatting and walking. Dazzling advertisements and news broadcasts playing over electric boards that stood atop of buildings big and small. Small drones flying about through the air monitoring the streets for trouble, every other block featured armed Norio security forces patrolling the area. There was also a park beside him filled with cherry blossom trees, the pedals gently floating through the air. One of many amazing sights that everyone in this city enjoyed. At night the city was even more beautiful with its dazzling lights and street life. Kasane City, located near the northernmost coast of Hokkaido was a bustling and beautiful metropolis that just so happened to be the most advanced city on Earth. Established in 2080 and built upon the remnants of the previously destroyed Wakkanai, Kasane was the seat of Norio's military arsenal. With a population of 2.5 million people and a size of 700 square miles, it was the second largest city in Japan and the largest on Hokkaido, as well as an economic and political powerhouse. As the light turned green and Jin continued to drive a loud siren began to ring throughout the area, and very much the entire upper part of Kasane causing everyone to stop in their tracks as female A.I began to speak from the electronic boards above. *Warning! Warning! Multiple Xeno lifeforms detected moments ago over Kasane airspace, all citizens proceed to evacuation points and cooperate with Norio security! Warning!* As the message continued to repeat and the siren grew more louder Jin sped down the street and towards the base. Eventually he arrived and, after initial greetings, rushed towards the armory to suit up. "Great." he muttered to himself. This year was it. 2136 marked the hundredth anniversary since that night...the night the world ended. In July of 2036 A.D. a rogue celestial body the size of the moon appeared over the Earth, seemingly out of nowhere. It wasn't foreseen, it wasn't foretold. It was just...there. After just a few days of it lingering within the planets orbit, it suddenly lit up as if it were exploding. Launching towards the Earth a red cloud-like substance. This was followed with a horde of fatal bacterial spores across parts of the world leading to the birth of the Asuka virus, but at the same time, a series of deadly parasitic creatures began to appear over capital cities across the planet. Monsters that humans called Xenos. Creatures that came in sizes big and small with the largest being able to fly and hover as they saw fit, possessing electrical and energy-based abilities beyond human reckoning. Tentacles protruding from their spinal areas and they structures were almost insect-like. And two years was all it took for the world to collapse. For life to be altered forever after the event humanity began calling The Spreading. It was only during the aftermath of their initial invasion that Japan stepped out onto the world stage to combat the Xenos, having maintained its structure and political landscape. A Japanese aerospace engineer was well renowned and known within his circles as a top level scientist, and it was his intelligence and skills that, in 2038, birthed the EX-35. A single seat twin engine fighter jet capable of operating both on and off Earth. It's sleek but powerful design based on the F-22 and F-35 of the past and with fully capable VTOL features. A true knight of the sky. After Japan premiered their creation to the world by defending the space center on Tanegashima Island, the United Nations granted the island nation the autonomy and funds it required. In the form of the Shizuoka Treaty in 2038. By UN law the treaty absorbed the worlds air forces into a multinational peacekeeping organization split across Europe, North America, Asia, and Oceania, and made the EX-35 exportable to all of the United Nations most prominent member states. Countries were required to relinquish their authority and independence to the UN but still maintain diplomatic relations with one another and govern their states respectively. In 2040, Norio was established as the principal paramilitary agency of the UN, named after its founder and first director Norio Sakurai. Turning Japan into one of the foremost military and political powers the world had ever seen. As a peacekeeping force, the organizations goal was to defend Earth from the Xenos and maintain the order for the human race, and it was for this reason that the United Nations reigned supreme as the worlds ultimate governing body. With Norio as its attack dog. \*\*\* "Command, we've reached the A.O. in downtown Abe. Class B Xenos in sight!" Jin said over radio. "*Copy that. Demon Squadron, no change in current game plan. Secure air superiority over the current airspace. Destroy the Xenos and drive the out of the city! Out*." The transmission cut. Jin applied more throttle to his jet and sped through the air at 500 miles per hour, flying beside him was the rest of Demon Squadron. He was dressed in his combat gear, a full body white and grey pressure suit with a full face helmet equipped with a HUD system. His suit also doubling as a space suit. The flag and symbol of Japan and Norio on his shoulders and the side of his jet read his callsign "*Echo*". They had arrived at the airspace above Kasane's educational district as the final sets of civilians were evacuated from the area, Norio security forces scrambling below to get people to safety as reports were coming it that smaller Xenos on the ground were appearing once again. "*Are we cleared to engage*?" another pilot asked. "*Affirmative. Any non-combatants below of are safely away*." replied another. Ahead of them through the use of his jets high lens cameras Jin could see the targets they were sent to destroy, Class B Xenos. Medium sized creatures with insect-like wings and durable body structures that resembled a mix between cockroaches and wasps. Jin's squadron leader, Captain Takeo spoke. "*Alright team. Engage!!*" Takeo said. The group of 5 jets split apart as a straight beam of energy from a Xeno was fired towards them. A dogfight initiated as the medium-sized Xenos began to fly in various patterns around Demon Squadron. Jin applied a bit more throttle and sped around one of the skyscrapers to catch up with a Xeno flying away from him, its tentacles swinging about through the air and insect-like wings flapping continuously. Using his helmets HUD Jin was able to lock onto the flying creature. He opened fire on the Xeno as bullets flew from the front of his EX-35 jet. Despite having a lock on with his HUD the creature continued to dodged the bullets left and right. Eventually Jin lost the lock on the creature and circled around another nearby building to catch it off guard again, his plan work as he climbed higher into the air and locked onto the Xeno. "Got you." he said to himself as he fired his guns. The Xeno exploded instantly in a ball of electric fire. "*Echo, check your six!*" said. Jin began to descend and looked at his HUD's cameras to see a Xeno tailing him from behind, a stream of electricity shot through the air and just barley scrapped Jin's jet as he was able to dodged it at the last minute. The creature was destroyed by a missile from an Astrean jet. "*You're welcome*." "Thanks, Niko." Jin replied forming up beside his teammate. Niko Sylvain, Jin's Astrean counterpart and friend. Both of them belonging to a joint strike force between Norio and the Astrean military. "*I'm getting lit up here*." a pilot radioed. Jin sped towards the Xeno tailing his squad mate and began to give chase to the creature in turn, firing his jets machine gun and turning his jet in all different directions. His lock on system not loosing sight of the Xeno for a second as the Norio pilot ahead of him twisted and turned to avoid the oncoming energy blast at his EX-35. After several moments of twisting and turning Jin was able to lock onto the creature again and fired another missile. By this point most of the civilians below were away from the combat zone and safe, the air around Jin having been lit up by both their missiles and electricity streaks coming from the Xenos. "*Focus your fire on their backs, those red flashing marks!*" Takeo said. "*Shit, Echo!!*" "I'm on it!" Jin replied. Applying more throttle Jin sped towards his squadron captain and fired a flurry of missiles towards the Xeno attacking him, before they could even reach their mark a spherical barrier appeared around the monster. Stopping the missiles in theor place and destroying them. Jin's eyes widened as his gasped for a moment loosing his breath, realizing that these Xenos weren't the normal type they were used to fighting. "Don't tell me...these things are..." Jin said. "No way!" Niko replied. "That ability is only restricted to Class A's! How's that possible?!" Takeo broke up the talk stating that the squadron had to lead the creatures away from the city to prevent further damage to the infrastructure, using a device onboard his jet Jin caused the aircraft to emit a high frequency sound for the Xenos to hear. "Catch me if you can freaks." he muttered. Jin sped off towards the sea to try and lead the creatures away from Kasane, his plan began to work as they begun following his EX-35. The rest of Demon Squadron sped towards him and the five jets flew in synch with one another. "You know I'm the captain here." Takeo said. "Don't go rushing head first unless you wanna get killed." "Yeah yeah, lecture me later." Jin replied smiling. \*\*\* Somewhere in the skies over the Sea of Japan...an even deadlier threat awaited them. *To be continued...