Unwasted Effort
Revised Jun 02 08
He was aware of it, really: in some distant, far-off corner of his mind, he knew the Cho Mugen Reppa wouldn't work. Not to the effect he wanted.
But it was the last chance he had.
Cho Mugen Reppa would only slow Long at best. He knew that.
But Mele had given her life to protect the Gekiranger. He couldn't just let that go to waste.
"You three…unite Jyuken."
He was wrong. The Zenrin Denju was his last chance and hope. Grasping at straws, because there was nothing else left.
"If Ringi can be used with hearts of justice...it would give us Akugata some meaning to our existences."
Meaning to his existence. So fragile. So easily broken. If his life wasn't a complete waste, he—
But he couldn't think about that right now.
Zenrin Denju…a Ringi he hadn't even known he'd known; pressed into his mind by the SoZyuTo and then made to forget.
"It's a promise."
For all it confused him, it made him happy, too, this promise, an emotion he'd only recalled from his childhood, before he'd become obsessed and twisted.
Gou and GekiChopper were thrown back, nearly at his feet, and he felt he should say something. A goodbye or an apology to Gou, at least. But he'd never been good at good-byes.
He walked on.
As he approached the giant figure of the Mugen Ryu, he summoned all of his Rinki, all of his hatred and rage and pain and despair and jealousy.
Hatred for Long, rage and pain at Mele's death, the silent scream that was still echoing in his head somewhere, unabated since Long had reappeared, intensified when Mele just dissolved in his arms. Jealousy that he never did find out what it would be like, to live with Mele like she'd fantasized; jealousy for those who'd lived their own lives, unfettered by the damnable being who stood before him.
It was so easy. The Kenma had taught him well.
But a tiny part of him that he'd thought he'd erased was still hopelessly smiling at Jan's words, at Mele's happy giddiness when she'd finally had the time to comprehend what his hug meant. It had spread a warmth through him that not even the Rinki he was collecting now could eradicate.
He knew it would make his attack weaker. But he couldn't help feeling it, all the same.
And maybe the feeling even made the pain bearable.
In the end, it would seem he hadn't managed to completely get rid of the Geki in him, after all.
"Was this in your plans, too? That I would obtain true strength."
The power you obtain from companions—
He knew Long didn't understand. Neither did he, really.
He leapt.
"Dai Kai Hoh!"