Like a thunderclap, a deafening sound of metal clashing with metal reverberates across the park when the ensuing shockwave sends two combatants — Kohaku Hayama and the enigmatic young woman calling herself “Punisher” flying in opposite directions. As if out of thin air, the latter produces a Chinese guandao halberd into her hands and plants it into the ground, using the wooden pole’s elasticity to propel herself forwards again, brandishing twin hooked blades as she charges back towards her target.

Kohaku hesitated to use her guns or her other weapons. In the past, younger Puellae like these had tried to battle her for turf or take her on in a desperate bid for Grief Seeds, and she couldn’t strike girls like these. She’d murdered her troop, but everyone was under the Dreamscape’s spell in this town. Kohaku growled and fired the boosters on her suit, charging forward to meet her attacker, fists at the ready. 

Rather than clashing headfirst, however, the woman feints, jumping over the incoming Kohaku instead while her blades turn into chains that wrap themselves around Kohaku’s body.

Kohaku clenches her fists and the metal of her suit glows green, electricity flowing into the chains and arcing through the gaps in the links. The energy flows through the chains, shocking the assailant and causing her to drop her weapon, releasing Kohaku from its grip. She grunts before flashing Kohaku an icy stare.. Then, without hesitation, she swivels and attacks her opponent with a handaxe that appears in a muted flash.

Kohaku: Stop! Don’t you know what you’re doing!? 

Kohaku continues the fight, mostly evading and parrying with her metal-covered arms, unwilling to strike her opponent without knowing why she’s here. Unfortunately, her opponent doesn’t seem the type to give up easily. Talking isn’t working, and Kohaku gets the sense the fight won’t end without one of them going down. 

Suddenly, the assailant stops moving, cocking her head to the side as she studies Kohaku meticulously, like a bird of prey. Before Kohaku can seize the opportunity, however, the girl is on the move again — though as she approaches, a dimly glowing liquid bleeds from her entire body, through her clothes, which by the time Punisher is back within striking distance, has turned into an exact replica of Kohaku’s armor, now cladding her opponent as well.

While the engines on the back of Punisher’s armor roar to life, the girl propels herself at her opponent once more, knocking her down an artificial riverbank to the edge of the water. As if on cue, a flash of lightning lights up the sky and an unexpected torrent of rain begins to pour down.

Gritting her teeth, Kohaku realizes this is a lost cause. She leaps backward into the river, letting the weight of her suit drag her under. Peering at the shadows underneath the surface, Punisher manifests a large caliber firearm in her hand and fires a good dozen bullets into the water, but to little avail. Kohaku’s boosters fire under the water in a flash of light, speeding her away down the river. At first, the assailant still runs along the riverbed, aiming at her underwater prey in anticipation of the right moments to strike, but when she is interrupted by a buzzing sound from her phone, she halts, checks her phone, and after a few seconds of consideration, turns around and leaves.