劇場版フリー：ラストレース, Free! The Last Race
Standing outside of his room, Haruka closes his eyes and remembers when he set the foundation of the Iwatobi High School Swim Club. He remembers the first days of the group between him, his two friends and a new member…their goal…defeat Rin.
Since then, they have competed against several teams, making them on the rise. However, Rin also has his own teammates that pitted against them during several of the races.
But finally, after many months of training, he and his teammates have finally defeated Rin's team in microseconds during one of the finale races in the local level. This expanded their goal to reach the nationals against many other teams, perhaps around the world.
He opened his eyes and walked back to his room, turning on his lamp and looking over a book of photos of his childhood. He was once great friends with Rin until the day he left and traveled abroad. Gone for many years, their separation has caused them to be enemies.
Perhaps…but it is better this way, he thought, I have my three other friends…and they sure want to see me smile more. But how can I be happy if I do not feel satisfied enough?
He closed the book and set it off to the side; there were many other important things to fulfill such as exams. Thanks to their accomplishments, they were arranged to be at the Nationals for the Annual Swimming Race Challenge. But first, they had to stay qualified on their academics.
Nagisa finished his dinner and walked upstairs, heading to his room. His family was busy preparing for a funeral of his paternal grandmother who was suffering a brain tumor. Despite these depressing times, he kept a smile in his swimming and his friendships, especially with Rei.
Picking up the phone, he decides to make a phone call.
Rei Ryugaski stood outside on his aunt's apartment, watching the scenery when he saw a call from Nagisa. He opened the phone and answered.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Hey, is it just me or does Haruka seem more quiet than ever?" replied Nagisa.
"He's been quite ever since day one if you ask me," answered Rei, "Though I wish I wasn't manipulated in the beginning."
"No," said Nagisa, "He's not even talking to Makoto a lot. He seems deeply concerned."
"That's odd," replied Rei, "Are you sure he's just not being a tsun?"
"No clue. But we should be careful though," answered Nagisa, "Anyway, I'll see you in class tomorrow."
Rin Matsuoka sat alone in the kitchen, sending messages on his phone to his friends. The team was already defeated by Haruka's on their last visit. However, Rin did not like what he was seeing.
"You should have been aware of his moves," he read, "You were always good at that. What made you slip out now?"
He growled to himself and slurped on his noodles and Sukiyaki. Ever since they were defeated, his friends were angry at him since they assumed that he has restored his friendship or something with those other guys.
He was about to call them when his father walked in and said, "Hey, we got to fix up the leak in the basement."
"Fine," he answered as he turned off his phone and went downstairs to repair one of the pipes.
Makoto Tachibana sat alone in his bed, trying to fall asleep but his eyes were just shaking awake. He finally closes them and falls asleep.
He opens his eyes and finds himself in a dark void; he was frightened but forgot that he was by himself and there was no one to hide behind with.
A small flare of light appeared in the air and it was drawing closer to him. The light expanded into a humanoid shape and it spoke something about…a name.
"Suiei…Suiei…" it said.
Then, four more spheres of light appeared and transformed into more humanoid shapes. This time, they seemed familiar to him.
But before he could make it out, he woke up as the alarm went off as the sun began to rise. Did time in reality moved that fast?
A dream, he thought, just a dream.
During the common hours at school, the four boys finally met up. It was the first time since last week that they spoke to one another.
"So then," said Makoto, "Are you guys up for some café later today?"
"It would be nice," replied Rei, "We were all awfully busy these last several days."
"Well I can't stay for too long," said Nagisa, "I have to be at the funeral home this evening and it's not close by."
Haruka said nothing much during the conversation. Finally, Makoto got him to say something.
"What are you so concerned about?" asked Makoto, "What are you thinking?"
"It's not a big deal," said Haruka, "It's just hard to believe how long it's been already."
"For what?" asked Nagisa.
"Since the beginning…" answered Haruka.
Haruka walked up to the fence and looked out at the surroundings of their town. The others joined up as they watched the scenery too.
Rei turned his eyes to the right and saw something suspicious about that white van down below. His eyes blinked as he vaguely remembered about a white van with a group of people from a mysterious organization. He rushed off before the others could protest about his whereabouts.
"What's he up to now?" asked Makoto.
"I don't like the look on his face," said Nagisa.
Haruka once again, didn't say anything.
Rei carefully scaled at the gates between the entrance to the school and the outside. He carefully took out a pair of binoculars and peaked through, gasped on what he saw.
What are they doing here, he thought, this is very dangerous.
He sent out a text message to his friends, saying;
"Be aware of the white van outside, it has something suspicious to its name."
However, before he sent the message, the van moved away. Deciding that it was a false alarm, he deleted the message.
Maybe it's just my paranoia, thought Rei.
After school, the four boys grouped up back at the front gate and headed out to the Café Grande to discuss about what they were going to do this summer besides the National competition.
"Well, I'm going to the states for college," said Makoto, "I got a full ride scholarship."
"Aw that's so cool!" smiled Nagisa, "But it'll be sad to see you go."
"I know," replied Makoto, "We'll keep in touch."
"It's just hard to believe that we'll be seniors while you and Haruka will be done," said Rei.
"Have you decided where to go yet Haruka?" asked Nagisa.
"I don't know…there are a few places here that I like…but they're just…well…rather on the pricy side for the room and board," said Haruka.
"Every college is going to be difficult to afford," replied Makoto, "And I wonder if our frenemy has decided where he'll be."
They walked into the café and ordered their drinks and sat by the window, watching the sun going down slowly.
"You know," said Nagisa, "It feels like I want to start calling you brothers. We are after all, a team…and look; we got more people to join with us."
"Yeah, if it wasn't for all of our efforts," replied Rei, "I give cheers to you Haruka."
"We shall cheer for our wonderful lives and for many more adventures that will await for us," said Makoto as they tipped the glasses together and drank. Haruka smiled a bit finally and the others were stunned.
"What?" he asked, "I'm happy too you know."
"Yeah," said Makoto, "You are not alone and don't be depressed any more, okay. You have accomplished a lot too as our leader."
They laughed and cracked a few jokes while they sipped on their coffee.
In a different café in Sametsuka, Rin sat alone as he watched the sunset. On a normal basis, he would be with his crew, but after that loss; he was abandoned and left alone. The people of his school called him a "Disgraced One".
He was not completely mad about his loss but rather sad on how things have turned out. During his times abroad, he was already alone to begin with and he didn't want to blend something new in his life.
He thought about his early times with Haruka, Nagisa, and Makoto as he silently spilled a tear to himself. As he wiped his face, he saw a strange white van with an unusual marking on it. However, it drove out just before he got outside to see it.
Strange, he thought, I've never seen such unusual markings.
He walked home, knowing that he has to prepare for his final exams before he can graduate and leave this town.
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" asked Makoto.
"I thank you for the offer, but you know we got our finals soon. I need to prepare for them," said Haruka, "But you guys go on ahead to the park without me. I'll call you later."
The others thanked him and they headed out one direction while he walked in the opposite. He had to get home quickly so he can get some rest and prepare since the finals were drawing near.
However, he felt a sudden chill on his back; he turned but saw nothing suspicious.
It's probably the wind, he thought as he continued to walk home.
In the depths of the unknown place, a tall figure walked through the shadows as he watched the screens. His circle of friends were preparing for the beginning of their unleashed darkness.
"So he is the leader of this circle, yes?" asked Daichi Kaede.
"He is," answered Kaito Hotaka, "Haruka Nanase; Alpha Leader of Iwatobi High School Swim."
"And does he not remember who he is? His origin?" asked Daichi.
"I have seen some unusual abilities about him in these videos when he competes in the swim races, but I don't think he realizes that yet," replied Kaito.
"The Legend of the Suiei Gods lives," said Daichi, "This is our opportunity to act. Our ancient ancestors placed a spell on them long ago…and they were supposed to be dead. Instead, those gods…I just don't know how they managed to save a piece of themselves. But we must get those powers, they must not proceed to win the Nationals…and save this world."
"Yes my lord," said Kaito, "The Task Force is out to get him."
"Good," answered Daichi, "Together, we can lure the others to a trap."
Haruka was just a block or two away from home when the winds began to pick up. He lost his footing and his phone slipped out from his pocket, falling down in front of him. As he bent down to pick it up, he heard footsteps from behind.
He turned quickly and kicked his enemy down. This stranger was dressed like a ninja with an unusual mask on its face.
"Who are you?" asked Haruka sharply, "What do you want from me?"
Before his eyes, more of them appeared and surrounded him. Haruka's heart was beating fast and he had to make action. One of them snuck around and took out a Taser gun, shocking him down unconscious.
The last thing he saw was the face of the mask looking at him sharply. His cell phone rang several times from his family and friends.
One of the masked guards opened up its face and answered his own phone, telling the boss that one of them has been captured.
"Excellent," came the voice, "bring him to us and we'll begin the experiment."
By late at night, the Nanase Family called the police and they called Rei, Nagisa and Makoto to the house. They were all stunned by the lack of Haruka's return. Thankfully Nagisa has just returned from the funeral home as he joined up with the others.
"He vanished?" asked Makoto, shocked.
"He hasn't been answering his phone," answered Haruka's mother; Tsukiko, "I hope he's okay."
"He's such a strong boy," said Nagisa, "I'm sure he'll be alright."
"Sorry for the interruption," answered one of the policemen, "but you three boys are his friends, right? Can you tell us anything about today?"
"We were out together at Café Grande," answered Makoto, "And we were just having a great time..."
Rei moved to the side, wondering if that white van had a possibility of his capture. Thankfully, he took a snapshot earlier but the phone-quality camera wasn't the greatest. He scanned through the contacts list, looking for a certain number.
Ah-ha, he thought, this is what I need. They'll know what to do. I hope they remember me.
Rei walked to the restroom and closed the door. The phone ranged a few times but a voice finally answered, "Please stand by as we set up your call to Sayuri."
After another minute, the voice answered, "Hello this is Sayuri; may I ask who is calling?"
"It's been a long time," said Rei, "You remember me?"
"Bloody heavens…Rei?" asked Sayuri, "But…how did you managed to get this number…oh wait…you didn't hand over that phone…didn't you?"
"I turned it into a normal cell phone but I kept the apps; however, I haven't touched them for a while. Please, I know this is a dangerous situation to your secrecy but I need your help…one of my friends has been captured," explained Rei, "Can you guys hack to our enemy and see if Haruka Nanase is on that list?"
"We still haven't been able to find the code to enter that system," answered Sayuri, "But…I can get you back to our headquarters by this weekend…as our honorable guest."
"Perfect…however, we got our finals coming up but this is an emergency," said Rei, "And I have two other friends that will want to go with me."
"Bring as many as you need to bring," she answered, "Just don't draw the crowd and you remember the passcode to get in, right?"
"Yes," he replied, "I'll see you soon."
"Be careful," said Sayuri.
He saw the others about to leave when he left the restroom.
"Oh we were worried you'd vanish too," said Makoto.
"It's nothing," he answered, "We should get going. At least our mini-vacation is tomorrow."
"Let's meet out by the park tomorrow morning," said Nagisa, "I don't like what is happening."
In a different unknown place…Sayuri walked from her office and watched as three of her members were busy at the computer, typing rapidly as they hacked through various programs.
"We got a commission," announced Sayuri, "We got company on their way."
"Who is it?" asked Yui.
"An alumnus…Rei," answered Sayuri.
"Oh my god, get out," said Yui, shocked, "It's him? You're kidding!"
"No…he has a request for us…a friend of his just mysteriously vanished overnight and Rei thinks that it has to do with our enemy organization because he saw that white van of doom earlier today," explained Sayuri.
"You know that we haven't managed to get into their system," said Ren, "Their passcode is nearly impossible to decipher with even the latest OS around."
"I know that…but we owe him…ever since that day," replied Sayuri.
Flashback 10 years ago:
The young Rei Ryugasaki stood in the same chamber where Sayuri stood, looking at the rows of several computers around. His parents were murdered mere days ago and one of his friends who was a hacker led him to this place.
"We welcome you, Rei Ryugasaki," said Sayuri, "to the Deception MIA. We will do our best to find what the plans about your parents' murder were and hopefully we can find you a new place to live."
However, they did not get far on this investigation. The original house was burned down and later the land was just an empty lot. Despite this, they managed to find a new home for him in the outskirts of Iwatobi where his aunt lives. However, since she was unaware of her relationship to him due to some "family drama", the apartment was yet to be fixed and adapted in order to make room for him.
During his stay, he learned some of the hacking tools on the computer and later on the devices when the technology evolved to mobile. At one point, he almost found evidence about his parents' murder but it turned out to be a false code that leads to an abandoned factory that was destroyed long ago.
At this time, he was given a false address while he was at the Uakashi Middle School in order to hide the existence of the organization.
However, one day, there was a break in by the police and the only people that were arrested were the regular members of the group; Sayuri and Yui were absent and were not even on the suspect's list. Despite this, they managed to move to a new city in a different place where a new headquarters was built. At this time, Rei was about to enter the Iwatobi high School and he was supposed to hand back his "special phone".
"You know what, keep it," said Sayuri, "Just in case. Your aunt's apartment is ready and she's waiting for you. Use it only when you must."
Present Day:
The boys group up around 10:30 in the morning at the nearby park. They sat and discussed and backtracked about what has happened last night.
"You guys, I think I can get help from someone…" said Rei, "I um…I called them last night and they said they can get into the system to find out more about our friend."
The other two looked at him as if he was crazy.
"But…weren't you…didn't you go on the school track team?" asked Nagisa.
"I did. However, I spent a large portion of my childhood in a place that is now a bit far from here. They can help us find Haruka," answered Rei, "However…I'm worried that their actions may not get us too far because they didn't find anything about my parents' murder long ago."
"What are these people?" asked Makoto, gaining more of a serious look, "What secrets have you been hiding from us?"
"I'm a hacker…" said Rei silently, "I have learned how to get information behind the scenes. I used it when I tried to find my parents but the project failed. However, if we are to save Haruka, you have to trust me."
"Just how can we do that if you are so calm?" asked Nagisa, "I don't even like what I'm hearing…I've heard bad stories about hackers."
"This organization isn't even been discovered on the internet yet. We have to get going though. I have enough money for us to take the bus and meet them. We are on a few days of break so we can get him back. We'll just tell our families that we are all going out," said Rei.
"Well, well, well," said a sneering voice, "Our winners from the race…did you lose something now?"
They turned to see Rin standing by the park entrance.
"What do you want?" asked Makoto.
"Oh nothing much…" smiled Rin, "Sounds like you trio are going out on a group date?"
"That's nothing like that," snapped Makoto.
"Since when did you get some guts to stand up like that?" asked Rin.
"Sounds like your ears haven't been cleaned out yet since you left us long ago," replied Makoto.
"Stop it!" shouted Nagisa, "You two should just squash the beef and forget that. We don't have any time to waste."
"Where is your Alpha Leader?" asked Rin.
The others were silent about it much to his annoyance.
"What? You keep secrets too now?" asked the rival.
"No…" said Rei Ryugasaki as he walked up to him, "he's disappeared."
"REI!" snapped Makoto and Nagisa.
"Disappeared?" asked Rin, his eyes narrow, "Like what do you mean?"
"We're going to get him back," said Rei, "If you want a rematch that is."
"What?" said Rin, "That's not what I meant to say!"
In his heart, Rin was actually shocked to hear this news. In fact, had he realized the papers going around and the tweets on the web, he would have learned that Haruka has vanished earlier and perhaps he would have gone out himself to find him.
"So then, you three are going out to find him?" asked Rin.
"We're leaving now," said Rei, "Come on, let's go."
The trio left as Rin slumped down to the ground, still shocked on what he has heard.
The three boys got on the bus, heading out the Shinjuku Ward of Tokyo. It was at least 4 hours to get down to the city and another hour on train to get to a specific area.
Thankfully, they had enough money to buy a dual bus-train pass that will last for a week despite the cost of money that was needed to pay. However, they were out of their last change since they didn't properly finished their plans to make this daring rescue.
"Neither of us has a card," said Makoto, "Nagisa and I…so how will we…"
Rei took out his card and said, "I'll pay along the way. You just make sure we are not being followed."
They got on the Tokyo Metro System and got on the Orange Line 3, heading to Shibuya. Rei mentioned that the headquarters was somewhere within Shibuya and that he will get the exact coordination on the place once they arrive at the city.
No one saw an older woman, acting like drunk getting on the train. Had Rei have seen that woman, he would have taken the others on a different train.
This woman was bleeding from her eyes but she was not screaming but rather was hardly breathing. Rei heard the unusual noise and saw her; triggering a flashback in his mind when he was back in the Deception MIA.
"Brace yourselves," said Rei, "We got company."
The woman choked and coughed as she was mutating into a vicious beast. The people screamed in horror as the beast unleashed a horrifying roar and sliced opened a few people, drinking their blood.
Rei stood out as the crowd scurried over to the other cabs. He clutched his fist to his shirt as he could feel the necklace glowing inside of him.
"So you wish…to be put to death?" he asked.
The beast charged up at him but Rei turned a kick flip and unleashed pins of water energy from his hands, strangling the beast.
The others were shocked on this as they saw such powers being unleashed from Rei. However, Nagisa was having a headache and fell to the ground. Makoto tried to get him back to his seat as he tried to get to Rei but the other boy was locked in a conversation between the beast.
"Where is our friend?" asked Rei, "Did your master capture him?"
"I have no clue," growled the beast, "Don't you understand…I wasn't like this…they did it! Those bastards took me into an experiment."
"Them?" asked Rei, "You certain?"
"Yes it's them," growled the beast as it sliced off and tried to escape. But Rei was too swift and unleashed spikes of water to stab the monster to death.
Rei turned to the others and saw Nagisa in a coma and Makoto far shocked.
"Who are you?" asked Makoto.
"I am a Suiei," came the voice from Rei's mouth, "Brothers…you have yet to return to your origins but thankfully I have arrived safely to help you. However, I cannot always be in this world…I am yet from…"
But the voice vanished as Rei coughed and fell to his knees.
"What happened to you?" asked Makoto as he saw the necklace glowing, "And what is that?"
"We are here," said Rei, "We have to move now before we are caught."
The train arrived at the station as they got Nagisa out and they carefully walked their way through until Rei recognized the car that belonged to Sayuri.
"It's been a long time now," said Sayuri.
"Just drive," replied Rei, typing in the passcode to get into the car, "We'll be caught if we wait."
They arrived at the headquarters in a half hour where they rested. Nagisa finally woke up and realized that they were no longer on the train.
Rei was busy talking to Sayuri, explaining the incident and how the beast spoke of that organization.
"I see," said Sayuri, "so the SCX is making a move now. We will try to attack their system again and see if we can hack in this time."
Makoto was fascinated on the technology in the room. Nagisa walked up to Rei and said, "I saw it…that light. I remember now."
"Remember what?" asked Sayuri.
"It's nothing…he's just going through amnesia," said Rei, "Please excuse us."
They walked into a separate room with Makoto, making sure they cannot be heard or seen.
"I saw a light and a figure with four others," said Nagisa, "They were saying something about…a Suiei."
"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Makoto.
"We were…alive…long ago," answered Rei, "We were not always like this…as simple humans. But you don't remember yet since you didn't meet with your other self."
"But there is a story behind all of this," said Nagisa, "Our life as gods and ancient beings. I cannot even imagine how complicated it was."
"We were once rulers," explained Rei, "Given to title of Suiei…which stands for swimming if it was "suiei" but a "Suiei" was a title…we were lords from long ago but we still have yet to discover our early life."
"None of this makes any sense," said Makoto, "I don't remember anything living in the ancient times."
Rei took out his necklace and showed it to Makoto, "Our power lies in these necklaces…once you get the dream, you'll be given this for safekeeping."
"Assuming if we are gods, then why are we even trapped in these human like bodies?" asked Nagisa.
"I don't know," said Rei, "But I figured it is for an important reason."
They walked out of the room and saw a group of people trying to hack around while they saw Sayuri standing by her office, prompting them to enter.
"Welcome Nagisa Hazuki and Makoto Tachibana. My name is Sayuri, leader of the Deception MIA," said the lady.
"How do you know us?" asked Makoto.
"Your friend Rei," she answered, "He was a member of our organization long ago. He may have said some bits about this but it is our duty to help people to get the justice they deserve through our hacking abilities."
"We get a ton of people around the world that supports us," said Rei, "That way we can unlock mysteries across the globe in case of an international conspiracy."
"Your friend Haruka Nanase is the leader of your swimming club and he was captured by an organization that we know of as the SCX or known as the Swim-Cadet X. These people from what we have been told are up to a deadly project by taking people and using them as weapons and experiments. The members themselves were once swimmers like you boys but they became illegal scientists," explained Sayuri, "We do not know what they are currently up to since they managed to hide their data really well in the internet but we will do our best to locate them."
One of the members knocked on the door and Yui opened it. It was a young boy named Ren Nobuyuki who was rather shocked on something interesting.
"The Legend of the Suiei Gods?" asked Sayuri, "and are you sure this is a credible source?"
"I am sure…and the names of the Gods are striking familiar…in fact one of them just like the name of that boy who was recently captured," said Ren.
Ren led the boys downstairs and he showed them the screen. He printed out the information and handed them the story for them to read.
"The Legend of the Suiei Gods was a lost group of beings who were supposedly were worshipped by a civilization just around the Ancient Greeks. They were makers of the composition of the elements of the world of water both living and non-living entities. They entered the Ancient Greek Society as they were curious by the human races for many years when they entered in five foreign bodies that were located on a different country," read Rei.
"They were worshipped by many as they created miracles for the people. Until one day, evil forces put them under a spell in order to hijack their powers and use it for global destruction. However, they instead mysteriously vanished under unknown circumstances and no one has spoken about them except in legends," read Nagisa.
Makoto was just as confused but he smiled, "Well then…quite a legend. We all know that water wasn't made by entities or gods really…except for well…the bible for example."
Rei read the rest of the information by himself and he was even more stunned on what he has read. However, he didn't want to share it with the others since there was no time for story-telling. They had a friend to rescue.
Haruka, thought Makoto, we're on our way…just hang in there.
Haruka Nanase opened his eyes and found himself hanging on chains; half of his body was exposed but he wasn't completely naked. He saw a tall figure standing on the other side of the glass along with a group of people behind. The figure walked into the room and smiled on his prize.
"You finally woke up," said the dark entity, "We have waited…and now we can begin."
"Who are you?" he growled, "What is this place?"
"My…such a rude awakening aren't we?" replied Daichi, "But I guess your memories haven't got to you yet. It's like no matter what you do…every time you try to see yourself with that tsundere personality…just as you are about to question yourself…you just get thrown out by another question."
"I…what?" he snapped.
"You can reveal yourself…Suiei," said Daichi.
"Suiei?" asked Haruka, "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Master, his memories haven't returned yet," said Kaito, "We can't proceed till he remembers."
"Prepare the lab," answered Daichi, "He'll get them back soon. And then we'll take it all away from him."
Daichi walked up to Haruka and said, "You are very special…your body is human yet you are far beyond our kind."
"I demand that you release me," growled Haruka, "I am not whatever you call this Suiei…just why you all so interested?"
"There is something I wish to obtain…to control…and to discover…" replied Daichi, "Something I wish to manipulate…"
"And what is that?" asked Haruka.
"Just enlighten me, people change overtime…but only parts of it do and other doesn't…one's memories may be forgotten by the heart…but the body remembers," said Daichi.
His phone began to rang, annoying Daichi. He answered it, "Yeah?"
"It's me…I got them all safely here," said the voice on the phone.
"Excellent. Just make it all seem legitimate so they can do our work for us," replied Daichi.
"Just who are you people?" growled Haruka before his body was being electrocuted and fell unconscious.
"Prepare the bed and get him to the lab," ordered Daichi, "We have no time to waste."
Yui, the secretary of Sayuri led the boys to their rooms for the night; she slid the door open to them and said, "The bathroom is further down; we only got this one room available for you guys.
"It's fine," said Rei, "We'll just split the room into thirds from here."
"I will get a set of clothes provided for you boys as well," answered Yui, "We will begin to further investigate the SCX and hopefully find any clues for your friend."
She walked back while Rei and Nagisa prepared the sheets. Makoto sat alone in the corner, holding a small photo of him and the others when they were kids (excluding Rei at the time).
"What's the matter?" asked Nagisa.
But Makoto didn't answer; he was really tired and depressed. He finally closed his eyes as he fell into sleep. The other two boys gave him a blanket and they rest as well.
Makoto opened his eyes and saw that he was in the same void but something odd was going on; he saw various faces of people in his life including the others.
A figure who looked almost like him (as if a it was a perfect copy) walked up to him and said, "I am so happy to finally reunite with your brother…I am Suiei Tachibana…we are the angels, the gods, legendary heroes to our people back in the ancient times."
Makoto was a bit speechless but his other self spoke out, "You are probably confused since your memory was clogged up the most…although Haruka's Suiei is also having difficulty since your friend is being a tsundere."
"I…I cannot…why? Why us? Why were we chosen?" asked Makoto.
"Your world is filled with competition…not just sports between teams but the forces of nature as well. Everyone is always competing no matter what the subject is or what they are fighting for," answered Suiei Tachibana, "We were betrayed by our own people when a group of them wanted to seize our power and use it for their own selfish desires. Thankfully, we have escaped that fate but we have lost our body and soul; our bodies were taken to the civilization that you and the others live at currently."
Suiei touched Makoto's hand and said, "Remember who you are…remember your destiny…you and your friends must…"
Makoto woke up with a gasp as he felt Rei and Nagisa shaking him up.
"Wha…what happened to me?" he asked, holding the necklace in his hands.
"You got it too," said Rei, "Do you understand now?"
"Sort of," he answered, "But I just don't get it why us? We're friends and swimmers…"
"You're right we are," replied Nagisa, "But that was only a couple of years ago…now we are far beyond of who we are. Perhaps we were chosen because of this…that someone is going to hurt many others. I mean, haven't you remembered some of the most horrifying events around the globe?"
"Olympics…baseball, swimming, basketball…some of these sporting games had terrorists behind the scenes and look at where they ended up," said Rei.
"Well then, I guess we use what we have," answered Makoto.
"We got this organization and our powers to help us," agreed Nagisa.
They left the room and were given breakfast from Sayuri and Yui.
"We got a pool at the other end of the hallway," said Yui.
They ate quickly and rushed into the waters, feeling great that they were back in the coolness.
"It's a good thing we brought our stuff with us," said Nagisa, "Although I managed to get Haruka's set as a symbol of hope."
"Thankfully the bags we got are light; we'll definitely need our swim gear in case if we are in a situation that requires us," replied Rei.
They relaxed for about 2 hours in the pool but as time went on, they were rather depressed since it was not as fun without Haruka. Towards the end, they changed and sat in one of the meeting rooms, taking out their phones as Rei instructed them.
"Here, I'm sending you two an app that I was given; it will help you hack and unlock doors and stuff," said Rei, "In case if we get separated, you'll need this to escape. What you do is that you press the app and the program will run various numbers; just keep pressing random numbers and when the light turns green, you'll be able to proceed."
The app was successfully sent as the others' phones were given an installation. Once it was set, they heard a cry from one of the hackers.
"WE GOT IN! THE SCX'S PLANS! WE KNOW ONE OF THEM!" shouted Ren.
Back at the Sametsuka City, Rin walked alone as he was bored on his first day off of this extended vacation. He was rather confused from what he learned this morning about the others; was it all true? Or was it just an excuse that they were going to do something stupid?
His phone suddenly vibrated. He picked it up and saw a message from an unknown number. He was about to delete it when the same number appeared. He decided to open it and saw a strange looking app and what shocked him…
It's Rei, he thought, but how did he get my phone number? Did he ask someone? Or…
He read the message and gasped; they discovered that Haruka Nanase was captured by the CSX.
So it's those guys, he thought as his mind suddenly went back in time…
Flashback: 8 Years Ago
After his completion of elementary school, Rin and his family went to the United States in California where his father, Daiki was given an opportunity to work abroad. The family disappeared after he finished his last day.
But the last conversation between him and Haruka went like this:
"So you'll be leaving us?" asked Haruka.
"I am…I don't know when I'll be back," replied Rin, "But don't worry. When I do, we'll meet again."
"You were awesome though on the last round," smiled Nagisa.
"We'll treasure our memories as we separate our ways," said Makoto, "With our hands."
The four placed their hands together in a circle and saluted each other a goodbye.
When Rin and his family reached the states, he attended a middle school and continued to practice his swimming. He made a few friends along the way as they enjoyed their lives together. Rin would once in a while think about his former friends but they were only in the past…were they?
Then one night, Rin had a strange dream and saw a group of beings who told them that he will one day reunite with them at the "Darkest Hour"; it made no sense when he woke up but in his hands with a strange looking necklace. (However, unlike the others, he did not get his "memories" back.) He learned about a strange organization called the SCX where they are rumored to preform human experiments. However, he did not tell anyone else about that terminology for he feared that it would haunt him down.
He once actually tried to call them but he got no response from any of them. This made him a bit depressed and perhaps upset since he wanted to show them his new swimming style that he learned.
This would be how he would brag to Haruka when he finally returned many years later; however, what made Rin return to Japan was when the business abroad of his father were suffering from the effects of recession. They successfully returned to Japan and Rin vowed to find the others and try to see and compete with them.
Present Day
By sundown, Rin went up to his room, placed his bag down and unpacked his school materials. However, his heart was bothering him badly as he had no one to talk to; his teammates sent him to exile and his "frenemies" were on some crazy journey that he would ordinarily laugh at.
I…I can't let them go like this, he thought, I am just their rival…am I?
"No…" said a voice, "You are far beyond special."
"Wh…who is that?" asked Rin and he turned in circles but saw no one.
His closet suddenly exploded as the pile of clothes fell on the floor but the necklace was glowing in a blood color.
"Th…that necklace," he muttered, "Why is it glowing?"
A thin beam of red light struck him through, knocking him down to the floor. In his mind, he would remember the vague visions of a group of legendary beings; one of which is supposedly his "alternate self" like in the same dream long ago.
"It's that dream…but why? I don't get it…I can't be…" he said quietly.
But his instincts kicked in as he grabbed the necklace and rushed downstairs, heading out the door. His father called out, "Don't be gone too long!"
However, Rin was already on the run, ignoring the warning…his heart in fear that he might not survive this mission.
I will get them back, he thought, rivals we may be on the outside…but in our hearts…we…we are brothers!
"At a high school? Another one?" asked Rei.
"Yes," said Ren, "Apparently there has been a list of high schools that they have successfully raided where they took a sample of each swim team back to their headquarters. This gives us an opportunity to see what they do and hopefully we can find their location."
"But does anyone even knows what this organization is up to?" asked Makoto.
"We know that they are after the students who are supposedly reincarnated Suiei Gods. But why would they take to such measures is still a mystery to us," answered Ren.
"We have managed to locate the next school that they are going to," said Kichiro Haruto, "They'll be at the Ahuia High School with the Ahuia Alien Swim Club…tomorrow."
"We have no means of what uniform that they wear," argued Ren, "Just how will we get a hold of them from afar or nearby without getting caught?"
"About that," replied Isamu Hideki, "I can get to the school today."
The others turned to her and were shocked as she revealed, "I'm enrolled at that school but I take the online courses. However, I do wear my uniform when I go to special lectures or meetings."
The girl got up and told Yui to let Sayuri know that she'll be back in a few hours. The others sat down and wondered what the future would be in order to find their friend.
The Next Day:
The weather was getting dark as the thundering clouds were appearing in the skies. However, the hackers and the three boys were all prepared to raid the school and find the organization.
Isamu led the boys and told them that they'll be treated as visitors who plan to enroll the school.
"Hey Isamu," said one of the girls.
She turned to see her friends hanging out by the lockers.
"Are you in for a special lecture or something?" asked one of them, "And oh-la-la look at those boys."
"Oh um…" said Rei, dropping a sweat with a nervous smile.
"Hey ladies," smiled Makoto, "We are only visitors here and we plan to enroll here soon."
"Oh really?" asked one of the girls, "Well then, it looks like we'll have new members for our Alien Swim Team finally!"
"How did you know we were swimmers?" asked Nagisa.
"Oh just by the looks and all of that," laughed the girls while Isamu was getting annoyed.
Finally she said, "Well then, we're getting late. We'll see you later."
Each of the boys and Isamu were given a plug-in GPS on their phones that connected to a tower outside of the school that led signals back to the car where Ren and Kichiro waited inside the Decep-Mobile.
"This is not looking too good," said Ren, "I see our enemy's car not far from our position."
"We can't let them get away, perhaps we can get a good screen shot or two," replied Kichiro.
Back inside the school, the alarms suddenly went off as the students freaked out while Isamu and the boys ran across the halls, heading towards the locker rooms; they split off to the separate chambers but they saw nothing inside. When they emerged out towards the pool deck, they saw a group of people holding a giant heavy bag that was shifting around.
"They got them, shit!" growled Isamu as she sent a warning to the others in the car.
"Roger that," said Ren, "We'll keep watch on their actions."
Isamu ran towards the scene but by the time she got there, they have mysteriously vanished. The boys rush up and saw that they were too late.
"That van…" said Isamu, "Quick, take pictures of it."
Rei jumped to the side as he made a few quick shots of the van and sent it to the others.
"We got the pictures and the van did rush past us…but it had a scary message…it said…beware thy eyes of curiosity," answered Ren.
Haruka opened his eyes and found himself in a room of bright light; there were giant pieces of tiles that were shaped to form a massive screen. He was pinned down to the floor, completely naked except for a cloth around his "area".
There were a ton of tubes that connected his body to a giant vat of some liquid; perhaps blood. His head felt light and wanted to fall asleep.
Suddenly, the screens changed and he saw his friends standing outside in a court yard of some school where they were surrounded by the police.
"It appears that your friends are after you," said Daichi, walking into the room, "However, they will meet their ends now."
"Don't you dare!" growled Haruka as he tried to break free but the pain on his arms and legs from the pipes hurt him.
"Every movement you make allows a poison I have from another tube draw closer. Keep breaking free and that poison will leak into your body and you will die," answered Daichi.
Daichi turned off the screen and walked up to Haruka, "The time is getting closer…soon…you will remember…and I will take it away."
A race against time, thought Haruka, this race…not a sport, but a death match. I must break free. I…I…
He once again made a move but was stuck and the poison tube was drawing closer to him. He growled to himself while Daichi smiled and laughed his way out of the room.
Just who is this bastard, thought Haruka, and why is he after us…but most of all…does Rin even know…hell why should I even care…he betrayed us already and ditched us dammit.
In a place far beyond this world, the five legendary beings floated around in space and time; waiting for their call to take action.
They were the Suiei Gods…once great rulers and helpers of the ancient world until mankind betrayed them who wanted to steal their powers for their own selfish reasons. However, with careful planning, they disappeared from the world and were converted to mythology.
"Brother Tachibana," said Nanase, "My other self is in great pain. He is stuck in our enemy hands."
"I am aware," replied Tachibana, "I will lend my other self thy strength to dodge the danger…but I will need the others' help to protect our bodies…and our vow. However, isn't your powers immunity?"
"Indeed you are correct," answered Nanase, "But it's only to natural toxins…not artificial ones…I cannot determine what type of poison this is. If this is a natural poison, he will not die…but if those scientists made it, then I cannot imagine the suffering that he will endure…and if his life ends…so will mine….and the world will begin to shake and tremor."
"But we mustn't give up!" said Hazuki, "We five are all here together now."
"Yes…our souls are together…but we need their bodies to reunite…thankfully I sent my instincts to my other self," said Matsuoka, "I don't think he would normally go after you four on his own accord."
"Do you think he'll be welcomed back?" asked Ryugasaki, "Despite what your other self has done?"
"I think so…their fates…are sealed and bonded…the longer when someone stays with, the more they care about each other," replied Matsuoka.
"I'm going to reach out to my other self," said Tachibana as he sat on a mysterious circled pattern and closed his eyes.
Thankfully for Rin, he had some cash prepared for the trip before he left; he arrived in the Tokyo Metro Station and used what he has read from Rei's text message about the Orange Line. However, he was told that there has been an incident a few days ago and there was going to be an inspection that may cause delays.
He was not ready to give up…his promise…was it for the sake of his reputation…or was it for the sake of his lost friendship?
He finally saw the Orange Line coming into the station but before he got on, he saw a number of people trying to crowd inside.
Shit, he thought, how I will get in?
Suddenly, his necklace was glowing and his senses were sharpened and his body was adapting to his increasing speeding and jumping. The train finally departed but he ran after it and jumped onto the roof, clinging for dear life through the tunnels and out of the station.
Those guys cannot survive those dangers…I must help them, he thought, they are crazy to begin with but…if I don't do something…I won't have anyone left…
Makoto was standing behind Rei and Nagisa and Isamu, shaking in fear of the police as they were surrounded.
"You four failed to follow the directions of evacuation," said one of the cops, "We will escort you out and bring you to the station."
Makoto closed his eyes and thought, I…this…this cannot go on!
His necklace suddenly glowed, sending a chilling ripple inside his body. His eyes turned neon as a cool breeze struck them. He stood out from the group and waited a few seconds before charging up at one of them.
The police fired their guns but Makoto dodged them and knocked several of them down. The remaining cops tried to arrest the group but he kicked them down till they were out.
"Wha…what was that?" gasped Nagisa.
"We don't have time…we need to get out of here," said Makoto as he grabbed the other boys and using his newfound powers, he held them tightly as they jumped down and raced back to the car. Isamu shouted and used one of her tools to break through the fence, finally catching up to them.
Ren and Kichiro finally located them and got them back on the mobile as they raced back to the headquarters. The weather was finally clearing up from the violent storm.
In a different lab from where Haruka Nanase was located, Chika Hiroko stood in a chamber with a different experiment in front of her. She was tasked by Daichi to check up on it as well as providing some "nutrition" to Haruka.
Why did I even go capture that boy, she thought, he's too handsome to be a part of this horror.
The beast in front of her growled.
"That's enough," she snapped as she took out her Taser, "Or do you want to go take another nap?"
Once the monster settled down, she went to the room where Haruka was held and handed him a bowl of some clear liquid.
"My master ordered me to give this to you," she said, "Drink up."
"I refuse," he replied, "What's even inside I can't even try."
"Tell me something," she answered, "Do you really remember who you are…like where you came from?"
"I lived in Iwatobi…I am a captain…I swim…I try to live out my life…why are you asking such questions as if I am not a human being?" he asked.
"Do you even know if you friends are even dead?" she argued, "Perhaps maybe they are gifted just like you."
"If you want to do me a favor and cut that tube with the poison, that'd be great," he said.
"There are cameras everywhere…I cannot do that…or else I'd lose and be punished," she answered.
"Punishment?" he asked, "Death?"
But she ignored him and left the room, knowing that even that question could not be answered.