Episode 3: 失ったスポーツの市 - The City of Lost Sports!
Ikusen no eien wo kurikaesu
Hateshinai kodoku no yami no naka de
Anata wo sagashiteta
Zutto sagashite ita
Inryoku ni michibikareru mama
Nightfall Continues: After rescuing Nagisa
"EIJUNNNN! EIJUUUUNNNNN!" shouted Miyuki and Furuya as the two and Chris were exploring the city life. In many aspects, it reminded them of El Dorado but the fact that Sportsbrooke was situated in the middle of the desert still questioned on how life worked here. Chris had brought a lantern just in case they were going through darker areas of the neighborhood.
"Maybe the desert heat killed him…" muttered Miyuki, "We'll never again hear his…"
"Oh just shut it!" Furuya answered, "He might be an idiot at times but he'll never surrender."
Chris on the other hand was silent about this as he tried to think about what happened but all he could remember was going out with him and the others around the plaza.
"Someone has cast a curse to wipe our memories away," he muttered.
"That's what I've been hearing," Miyuki shrugged, "The king said that one of the residents in this town did it and everyone is all in confusion and scrambling for answers."
"I got a feeling we're gonna be here for a while," Furuya answered.
Eijun, what the hell happened to you, Chris thought, I can normally feel your presence but…
"My, oh my," a voice said, "Did someone lose their little lost lamb?"
The trio turned to see Umemiya Seiichi. Furuya recognized him as his previous rival back in the baseball days of Elementary and Middle Schools.
"What do you want?" Furuya asked, annoyed.
"Oh nothing from you…in fact, I came to deliver a message from an anonymous source," Umemiya replied, "Your savior…is doing fine."
"The savior…you mean Eijun?" asked Miyuki, preparing to get defensive about this.
"Who sent you?" Chris added.
"That I am swore not to," the man answered before vanishing into the shadows. The trio tried to find him but he was definitely gone from view.
"The savior…just like from the legends," Miyuki muttered, "Could it be…?"
Back at the El Dorado Campsite, Sportsbrooke Eco-Park
Iwashimizu Suimaki sat silently by the campfire, meditating to his own thoughts and breaths. After he and his friends found themselves in the sands of this world, they began their journey to this town after finding hundreds of other people immigrating.
However, he kept his mouth the entire time from everyone, including his childhood friend, Atsushi Miyuki.
Takuya Sekizan sat down next to him and asked, "What's with the silence?"
Iwashimizu opened his eyes and answered quietly, "I'm just really upset."
"We all are but we can't let our anger take the best of us," Takuya said, "I know King Tak hasn't been the best ruler back home but it is clear now that this new home will be a new beginning for all of us."
"Tak is definitely going to try to rule this city…" Iwashimizu answered, "And that's not gonna be good for the rest of this town."
"I'd punch him down honestly but he's even to psycho to notice his bruises," the former coach shrugged.
Gion Kenji returned with some drinks and water, "Here you go. I even managed to smuggle a beer for you coach."
"Thanks," Takuya smirked as he popped the can open.
Gion smiled and sat down next to Iwashimizu, "Hey Iwa…I know it's been tough for all of us but at least share what you've been thinking."
"I really don't have much to say," he said, "But…I am curious to know how true is Sportsbrooke really lives up to its name…will anyone be accepting rugby here or will it be like El Dorado with regulations?"
"Well maybe it's a new beginning for them as well," Gion shrugged.
Elsewhere:
Eijun opened his eyes as he found himself chained up in some dungeon like place. The last thing he recalled…
I was running and, he thought.
"Finally awake sleeping beauty," a dark voice filled the room.
He turned to see a man dressed in dark garments with his hair tied up and pitch black with some green streaks on his face. However, that presence…the face….
"No…" he breathed.
"Indeed," Alexa said.
"I should've trusted my gut when I first met you!" growled Eijun, "You REALLY ARE A DEMON!"
"I should've trusted my gut and kept you under my charms," Alexa said as he waved his hand to break the cell bars while keeping Eijun locked to the chains.
"You're going to kill me…you coward!" the baseball player answered.
"I have no desire to," Alexa answered, "There's too much to do in so little time."
"What the hell do you want?" Eijun asked.
"I'm glad you are curious," the Dark One smiled.
"I'm NOT CURIOUS!" Eijun shouted.
"Hmmm so it seems," Alexa replied, "But being curious can be several definitions. You at least want to know what happened…where your friends and family are…as well as what world you're all on now."
"This is definitely not a social greeting call," the baseball pitcher muttered.
"You're right. I have brought you here not for a simple chat. There is a deal that must be enacted," the Dark One said, "To get what I want you must do what I ask. In return, you will be able to walk away alive."
"Why are you even like this?" Eijun asked, "I thought you'd could escape the darkness!"
"That is none of your business," Alexa replied, "Now do the first task by training your powers with these nerbils. You're going to need them when you confront the final boss."
Alexa snapped his fingers and the chains broke just as a small group of black-colored nerbils assembled. Before Eijun could protest, Alexa vanished into the dark clouds.
Flashback A: El Dorado, 2.5 Weeks Ago…
Cosmos Tower, Tak's Fortress
The eight senshi researched through several books, objects, and potions in the chamber with a few of their basketball allies. Rei and Nagisa looked at a book detailing about magic in this land while Rin and Haruka looked into the history about El Dorado and some of the mythologies.
Sousuke and Makoto were boiling up a cauldron of hot water to prepare a possible potion reaction as Momo and Nitori gathered up some ingredients to practice. Alexa on the other hand was sitting down to the side, ignoring the dark temptations.
"Are you sure I can't just wiggle my nose and try to get him out?" Alexa asked, slightly annoyed by this long process.
"No. Your magic is dark now," Rei answered, "Let me just keep going at this…I know we'll find some answers soon."
"Easier said than done," Alexa grumbled as Tak walked in.
"Morning everyone. I wanted to check in on the Savior's progress. How we doing?"
"Progress, slow but certain," Kagami smiled as he stirred the cauldron with Momo and Nitori.
"I must say all of his works here are amazing," Nitori nodded, "It's like as if we are talking to him."
An idea sparked Rei's mind as he looked at the others and said, "That's it…the Princess Goddess could perhaps connect to him through visions!"
"Jibolba has had the ability to communicate through dreams but trying to reach out to Cosmos will be certainly difficult," Tak answered.
"Not if we have the goddess join him," Makoto suggested, "Maybe he just needs some assistance. Like where is the third savior at?"
"I'll ask him," Tak smiled.
El Dorado Western Greater Area: Baja Peoria
Takao!Bird flew high over the city while Kise, Aomine, Akashi, Murasakibara and Midorima traveled their way through the streets. There were a bunch of vehicles mostly made of wheels like in Sportsbrooke but a handful of them had some unusual flying capabilities.
"The only ones that can fly were the T3, T6 and T9," Midorima muttered, "How did they get such technology here?"
"Most likely they flourished whatever they had here," Murasakibara shrugged as he took a bite of some chips but spat out immediately as he realized that they were not made by the same ingredients like home.
"I wonder how many sports are out here," Akashi said.
"More than back home," Kise shrugged.
Aomine stopped and looked at a poster of Yuri x 2 Road Show and read their names, "Yuri Plisetsky, Yuuri Katsuki, Viktor Nikiforov…the World's Ice Team."
"It appears El Dorado isn't the only city in this world," Midorima read as he saw what looked like a map of entire jungle realm.
"Wow, not a sight of an ocean?" asked Kise.
"There are several lakes," Akashi pointed at a group of the Northern Lakes: Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior.
"And there's a couple closer to this city," Midorima added, "Lake Guatavita and Parime."
"I wonder how the others are doing with Alexa," muttered Aomine.
They turned to see a group of guys walking past them as two of them were laughing loudly about something.
"That was…loud," Kise shrugged.
Akashi called upon his emperor eye to see what kinds of people they were but recoiled when he saw them carrying what looked like a football but yet they had no equipment on their elbows, face, or even their shoes.
"What's with their short pants?" asked Murasakibara, noticing how there was a contour of their buttocks.
"That's strange indeed. Come on you guys!" Akashi replied, "This looks like an unusual sport we might encounter!"
"Since when did you become so interested with their booty Akashicchi?" Kise teased.
Akashi threw his scissors that narrowly passed the blond's head before it stabbed onto the tree, "As Prime Minister of Sportsbrooke, I do need to learn other cultures if I am to become a better role model."
El Dorado Southern Greater Area: Sonoran
As for the small group that composed the White Doves, the volleyball teammates visited the southern area of the great golden city. It was from here that there were a lot of shopping sites as well as plenty of plazas and open spaces of construction.
"So remind me why we are going this way?" Aone asked.
"Natsu wanted to go shopping there," Shouyou sighed, "I mean there's plenty of outlets in the central area!"
"Yeah but remember how the other day it was a bit…putrid?" Kenma replied as he was already on his portable game device.
"Ugh, don't remind me," he answered, "I got a feeling the sewage system is a bit unsanitary."
Nishinoya's ears perked up a little, "Hey did you guys…?"
Before anyone could answer, Natsu screamed as a group of warriors jumped down and grabbed her. The guys turned and found themselves surrounded.
"Dammit!" growled Tobio.
"W-who are they!?" asked Sou, terrified wile Aone's face was slightly narrowed in suspicion.
"This is where I wished we had Testurou with us!" Shouyou growled, taking out his weapon, "He would've exorcised them out!"
One of the warriors knocked his staff off to the ground before investigating it.
"HEY!" Shouyou cried out but the warriors pointed their weapons at his neck.
"Who are you?" one of them asked.
A…woman, thought Tobio.
"I know what you're thinking, and yes we are all girls!" the first warrior said.
"Just who the hell are you people?!" asked Sou, "What do you want from us!?"
One of them revealed her face as her hair was dark-indigo-violet, with shiny purple irises. Her appearance was like almost of a child but the brute strength she used to knock down Shouyou's staff.
"My name is Tamaki Kawazoe; I lead the Bamboo Sisters of El Dorado as security as well as trainer to kendo," she introduced herself.
"Kendo…I feel like I've heard of this before," Natsu said.
The others took off their helmets as the girl who held Natsu in her hands was named Sayako Kuwahara. She was already admiring Natsu's appearance and said, "Oh my god! You know Kendo?! Looks like we have a new member!"
"Hush," Tamaki said, "She's not from this land."
"Father once told me and Sho-chan," the red-haired replied, "He said it was a sport where people learn and use its basis for sword combat and other weapons."
"Well your father is correct on that part but kendo does have its own perks," Miyako Miyazaki answered.
"What do you want from us?" asked Tobio.
"You were all trespassing this area on the way to Sonoran," Tamaki answered, "Surprisingly there were no nerbils around but it is quite dangerous."
"Ew those beasts live here too?" asked Sou.
"I get the feeling you're hiding something," Kenma replied, putting away his portable game, "Why are you stopping us?"
Tamaki sighed and said, "Yes. You're right. We watched your arrival to this land. This mansion or house, whatever you want to call it fell in our territory where we have hunting classes. I also know you have brought someone of darkness to this land."
The other girls released their weapons from Shouyou's neck.
"We are here to find out how to get rid of the darkness once and for out," Shouyou said, "He saved our lives and we are in debt to him. Now please let my sister go."
Sayako released Natsu as she scurried by his side with a bit of fear.
"We came to this town in peace," Aone answered, "No harm shall bestow you."
"I only wanted to go shopping and…" Natsu said.
"SHOPPING!? GIRL, YOU GOTTA CHECK THIS OUTLET MALL!" Sayako gasped as she grabbed her hands with a smile while Tamaki facepalmed herself. The others had a nervous chuckle but they eventually grouped up and made their way to the shopping center.
Shrine of the Moon Juju
Tak walked into shrine as Jibolba prayed and meditated in peace. Upon hearing his arrival, the elder turned to him.
"The outsiders request in collaboration of finding the final savior," Tak said.
"Aren't you going to help?" Jibolba asked.
"…of course," he smiled, "It is my responsibility as king, right?"
"You're not acting like yourself," the elder answered.
"It's because this quest has failed me," Tak answered, "Cosmos' messages were always half-empty and I could never get it. He said my journey was to rule the people in this land."
"Tak, do you remember what happened to Tlaloc and how he ended up dead?" asked Jibolba.
"I know…I know…he grew to temptation when he found out that I would become ruler of El Dorado. But why can't I also be the savior?" Tak replied.
"Isn't being a king enough in responsibility?" the elder man questioned.
Tak growled and took out the half of the staff of dreams, "This half has been kept a secret of the people! Those outsiders must have the other half we've been looking for. I must use this power to get rid of the darkness!"
"Tak, you mustn't interfere with that prophecy," Jibolba answered, "I understand you want to prove yourself valuable but you have to trust in those outsiders. Give them some time to adapt and they will find a way to free Cosmos."
He got up and continued, "Let us get them…and work together."
Present Day:
Pandora sat at the counter of the Mystic Shop, looking through her diary that she wrote throughout her entire journey. There had to have been some clues about what happened in El Dorado.
Skimming page after page, she finally found something that looked like a star-shaped symbol connecting to a triangle. Another diagram showed the same star-shaped symbol along with a symbol of darkness (evil eye) and a third symbolizing a chicken.
"Sun Temple…Chicken Temple…Dark Temple," she read, "What were these places?"
The next page showed what looked like the full and complete staff of dreams but there some smudges on the drawing, making it messy.
Again, she flipped the page and it had a list of names of people:
Moon Juju, Flora, Fauna, Twin-Juju, Party Dead Juju…
Along with an image of what appeared to be a shrine and a small wooden object labeled as "tiki".
She was about to call the Senshi when a low wind whispered across the room. Pandora got up and walked to the front of the store and saw Alexa standing there.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Oh I'm not here to steal anything," he said, "On the contrary, I am here to visit."
"You get out of here now or else…" Pandora began but Alexa froze her in mid-motion. He walked to the back of the shop as Theagenes was still on the cot from before.
"Three weeks and your body has decayed back to its original," Alexa muttered.
"He was never a true champion to begin with," the darkness spoke in Theagenes's stronger form.
"I know," Alexa said, "I feel his memories. I still can't believe you want him to do this."
"Indeed," Theagenes smiled, "This man lying down before you is his true self before he took power in his heart. As I said, he is neither dark or light…a blank slate. If you want that staff, you have to get him up and going on his two feet."
"Quiet," Alexa growled, waving his hand over the man as his mind flashed back to that day when Theagenes and his family met him as Julius. He recalled that night when he disappeared into the unknown but realized that his memory of him was wiped away. But now as the Dark One, he finally could see why.
"What a fool," Alexa chuckled, watching as Theagenes stabbed Ptolemy before the scene turned back to present.
He looked at the empty body and said, "It's long overdue…for you to wake up. But first…"
Alexa snapped his fingers to unfreeze Pandora before teleporting to the shadows where he arrived at the ruins of Atlantis.
Sportsbrooke Psychiatric Ward
Shougo Haizaki was reading a magazine of some sexy models when he heard a knock on the door. He put it away and watched as the nurse walked in with a tray of food.
"Oh thank goodness. I'm absolutely famished," he said, "I'm due for some fast food and…"
The nurse revealed it a plate of vegetables, "I'm under strict orders from Akashi that your food will be served from local organic produce."
"Well isn't he such a sweet man, GO!" barked Haizaki while the Nurse closed the lid and departed.
Just east of Downtown
After searching through town, the Iwasame Senshi, Takeru, Riku, Heath, and Nana arrived at the "Marotta House" located on 445 East 5th Street where Makoto pointed out that this was the place Alexa showed him.
"He picked a nice size home," Rin commented as he looked at the porch and the furniture while Haru looked at the fountain just at the mini grassy space.
"This house…there's something about it that is off," Makoto said.
"I do feel something strange too," Rei agreed, "Despite its beauty."
"Well we just have to break in and see, right?" Nagisa asked.
Momo walked up to the door and touched the knob but it backfired as he yelped in pain. Click freaked out a little and landed on Sousuke's shoulder.
"Figures…" he growled softly, "Alexa really means business now!"
"You ok?" Nitori asked.
"I'm fine," Momo shrugged, "Just a scratch."
"Perhaps we try our daggers?" asked Nagisa.
Haruka took out his Dolphin Creature Wand Dagger and tried to stab the door but he too was repelled by magical force, prompting Rin and Sousuke to catch him as they crashed on the ground.
"Bad idea, should we transform and smash in?" asked Rin.
"That's my line," Sousuke sighed.
"Wait a sec," Makoto muttered, "Pandora used his baby blanket to find him…perhaps she has it still?"
"Perhaps it might," Pandora replied as she appeared with her diary, "I found a few clues of what happened in El Dorado but we do need to get inside and verify if my suspicions are true."
She conjured Alexa's baby blanket, handing it over to Makoto. He turned to the door and…success! He opened through and let the others join inside.
"At least it looks like a typical home here in Sportsbrooke," muttered Takeru.
"I gotta say he did made it kinda nice," agreed Riku.
"But that door way…you think it leads somewhere?" asked Nana.
"That's what I wanted to find out," Makoto replied.
"It definitely looks suspicious," said Heath.
"Let's hurry then before he returns," Haruka answered.
The gang opened the door by the staircase and found a series of dwindling long steps to the underground chambers.
"Did he made it with his dark magic?" Nagisa asked, "These don't look like natural tunnels."
"You guys look!" Sousuke called out, pointing to what looked like a magical object embedded in the rocks.
Pandora's eyes widened and said, "Th-that's the staff of dreams! The other half; the Dream Shaker!"
"EHHHH!?" Nagisa and Momo gasped.
"He's been hiding this weapon but for what purpose?" asked Rin.
"No idea but from what I have here in this diary," Pandora answered, showing him and Sousuke the two halves of the staff of dreams in the drawings coming together.
"Let's get the staff out and…" Momo began as he was about to reach out to the staff.
"STOP!" Pandora barked, "I got a bad feeling that it could be a dangerous trap. Leave it alone."
Momo's hand withdrew it as Nitori turned to see a small shelf containing a small box.
"What is this?" asked Nitori, grabbing the box to look at it.
"From what this diary says, it…well I can't really say because its smudged a little but it looks like it has magic inside of it. Maybe an ingredient," Pandora explained.
"We should take it," said Nagisa, "We have to stop Alexa's plans!"
"If we take this he'll definitely hunt us down and I'm no mood to go to war with him," Makoto replied.
"I have an idea," Pandora replied as she took out her phone and took snap shots at the details of the box design.
Takeru's phone vibrated as he looked at the message before answering, "We better get going. Kuroko and Akashi has managed to track Alexa down and it appears he's gonna be back here soon."
The gang rushed their way up the stairs and proceeded to the door when Sousuke saw a small glass with fluid inside.
"Y-You guys…there's a memory vial," he said as he walked up and grabbed it, "If there's something to take from this place it's definitely these."
"Wow! This might actually help us!" Nagisa gasped, "Great catch there Sou-chan!"
"Let's hurry up before he knows we were here!" Makoto answered, getting a bit nervous as his hands fidgeted a little. They departed the house and headed back to the diner.
"GrgrGRGRGRgrgrgGRgr!" the nerbils attacked as Eijun unleashed several fireballs, turning them to charcoal.
After Alexa just vanished, the beasts were jumping at him and a few even managed to bite his arms and legs. As soon as the last one was defeated, he looked at his wounds and got a few bite marks and scratches.
Seconds later, they suddenly healed and the pain was gone. His eyes widened as he wondered how this happened.
He got up and made his way through the tunnels, looking for some sort of an exit. There was no time to waste as he wanted to reunite with the others and figure out how to save Alexa from this eternal darkness.
I know he wasn't like this, Eijun thought, I remember he was helped by the others…I don't remember their names but I'll find them. Do they even know what happened to him?
He turned to a corner just when he felt something fall from his side. He picked it up and saw that it was a dagger-like object with symbols of the eagle on it.
"This object…" he muttered, feeling a tingling sensation flowing through his veins.
"GRgrgRGrgGRgrgrgrg!" the nerbils cried out again.
"Say it! Eagle Primal Power Make Up!" a voice echoed in Eijun's mind.
By his instincts, Eijun unleashed the dagger and cried out, "EAGLE PRIMAL POWERRRRR, MAAAKKKKEEEE UP!"
The Dark One hissed as the ruins of Atlantis flared to life, using its remaining magic to disarm him. He recalled when he was Julius when someone of darkness walked into his fortress but yet it didn't banished them.
"Since when did my own castle turned against me!?" he growled.
"Just shatter it," Theagenes said.
"Oi, I'm NOT destroying my own castle!" Alexa answered, snapping his fingers as Umemiya Seiichi appeared before him.
"What is it, Dark One?" Umemiya asked.
"Go inside the ruins and find a particular utensil that looks like a trident," Alexa ordered.
"I know what a fork is thank you," Umemiya answered with a hint of sarcasm before he made his way over.
Ugh, how much longer can he hold me for this, Umemiya thought.
"As long as it takes for me to get what I want," Alexa's voice echoed in his mind. The rouge baseball player walked through the main rubble that was once the great hall before finding himself at an abandoned looking dead garden where the marble table once stood.
Sure enough, a particular dish set was there with a fork and spoon. Umemiya grabbed it before walking back to Alexa.
"Excellent," Alexa said, "You're done now as I will send you back to your friends."
Before Umemiya could answer, he casted him through dark magic while wiping the recent events of his mind to prevent any suspicion. From there, he teleported himself back to the house and placed the fork on the table.
He sensed Eijun down below unleashing his savior powers. The plan continued to go in motion but there was still some time.
Flashback: El Dorado, 2.5 Weeks Ago
Shrine of the Moon Juju
With the gathering of Moonstones along with the Princess Goddess from Sportsbrooke, Jibolba and Kuroko worked side by side to summon the Moon Juju with ease. Rei and Kagami also stood present along with Tak.
"I see you have joined forces with allies from afar," the Moon Juju spoke.
"Mama Quilla," Jibolba chanted, "The two saviors assemble before you and they are set forth to find the savior of this land."
Quilla looked at the two gentlemen and chanted, "I am glad you both arrived here safely. This world has long waited for the prophecy to be fulfilled; the reunion of what was once whole."
"Who are we looking for?" asked Rei, bowing down.
"I know the person who you must seek," the Moon Juju replied, "He is a man of great speed with his pitching aim…through his cross fire kai. His eyes match of the eagle of the blue skies thanks to his Palmball Eagle Grip of his hand. Together, the three saviors will be able to reach out to Cosmos."
"This is a riddle," muttered Kagami, "Who is this person?"
"Normally you tell us who we are after," Jibolba said, "Why aren't you telling us now?"
"Darkness has arrived in the kingdom. I cannot give the name at this time," the juju answered before vanishing.
Rei and Kagami sweat a little as they realized that Alexa was going to be in danger soon. Tak narrowed his eyes at this and wondered if the Dark One was here…more so…in this fortress.
"Well then," Jibolba chuckled a little, "Let's prepare the search. I'm sure we'll find this savior in no time."
"I'll be back," Tak replied as the king made his way through the corridors of the palace. Making sure no one was around (including Jeera), he went towards the courtyard where a man dressed in a black cloak stood.
"Did you find anything?" Tak asked.
"I snuff out the Dark One," the man answered, "The other day while you had them set on the tour. He's among them."
"Who?" the king asked.
"The boyfriend of the tall, green-ish hair man…the one whose small in stature," he replied.
"I knew it," Tak answered, "He's too quiet for his own good."
"What do you plan to do?" the man asked.
"We must wait before we seize opportunity. The other half of the staff and the evil eye must be found. I am sure they have it with them to control his place. For now, just open up a little to them," Tak ordered, "We need to make them comfortable enough to get them off guard. If they try to free Cosmos though, do stop them."
Kenma and Noya arrived at the site just north of the palace where they agreed to meet up with Takao to check in. After transforming from their respective animals as Jaguar and Crow, the Raven flew in and transformed to Takao.
"What do you guys think so far, Kenma-chan? Noya-chan?" Takao asked.
"Natsu went crazy shopping with a group of girls. Most of the guys went with them just to find some clues or whatever," Kenma shrugged as he took out his portable game.
"I got a weird feeling about this realm. This is NOT like home at all," Nishinoya said, "All we know from the king is that this realm has several hidden temples far from here that only Cosmos himself knows."
"Sun Temple…Chicken Temple…Dark Temple…" muttered Takao, "That's what the king told me when I was revived. Each of them were unique for their abilities."
"The staff of dreams is more than just controlling nightmares and dreams," Noya added, "After realizing what power it truly holds, I'd be scared if I had it in my hands."
"I find it hilarious they have a Chicken Temple," Kenma replied, trying hard not to laugh.
"They do have a lot of chickens running around, haven't you seen their Chicken Zoo?" Takao asked.
"I'm sure it has to do with the culture of the Pupununu people of the old city," Noya shrugged.
"That and sheep," said Kenma.
"Okay, let's just get down to business here," Takao replied, "Neo King Julius told us to monitor his past self now that he has become the dark one. We could not intervene with it because it would potentially fulfill the prophecy of the Iwasame Senshi and the Three Saviors as long as we keep things on track."
"And what do we even get in return?" Noya asked.
"He promised a new home…a new life for all of us. I have faith that he will do just fine," Takao smiled a little, "Anyway, do you guys want to see rugby?
"Rugby?" the two asked.
Back at Tak's Palace:
Momotarou, Nitori, and Makoto continued to study over the text while Rin, Haruka, and Sousuke went out for some unexplained reasons. Nagisa also departed to go check on Rei. As for Alexa, the newly Dark One was getting bored so he took out some old glass bottles he found and began to tinker them a little bit, turning them into unique shapes of glass.
"What are you doing Alexa?" Makoto asked, getting a bit suspicious.
"Just wanting to make something…" he replied as he modified the glass into a heart shape object, "For you."
Makoto slightly blushed for a moment but answered, "Don't be using your magic on this."
"I wasn't…" Alexa muttered.
"Yes you were. And now that your magic is dark, I can't say what the darkness is doing to you now," he said.
A loud knock struck on the door. Momotarou opened it as the man with blonde-spiked hair stood. Alexa gasped as he stood back by the wall.
"What do you want?" Makoto asked, "Why did you attack Alexa?"
"My unique abilities as a football player includes sniffing every individual to understand their attributes," Youichi smirked.
"Football?" Momo and Nitori asked.
"Kekeke! Don't you know? Devils don't ask gods for favours!" Youichi laughed.
"Enough with your nonsense," Momo growled as he readied his Enhydra Creature Dagger Wand and Click screeched a little.
"Look, I'm not here for a one on one match," Youichi sighed, "In fact…the reason why I attacked your beloved prince is because that darkness that is inside of him did destroy the one thing I valued the most."
"What is it you were after?" Alexa asked, "What did Theagenes do to you?"
"...In exchange for accelerating my abilities and bringing victory to our team in the final high school match a few years back, one of my closest teammates, Agon Kongo, vanished," he revealed.
"Did you had feelings for him?" Nitori asked.
"I wouldn't necessary say feelings but of course…like your realm, there are plenty of homosexuals, bisexuals, and others," shrugged Youichi, "But after Kongo vanished, I've searched for him even as far as to the Northern Ice with some people who were masters in skiing and ice skating. Sadly, I've wasted so much of the family wealth to find him and he hasn't been found."
Alexa seemed a bit skeptical about this as he was worried that if he was going to track this man with his dark magic…
"We'll do what we can to find him," Makoto replied, "But you have to promise us that you will leave Alexa alone. He is doing his best to fight the darkness in him. And you must also never repeat this to anyone except us. Do you understand?"
"Of course," Youichi smiled a little, almost showing his devil teeth.
As the baseball match was going on, Eijun sat down in the dugout as he waited to be called up next. Despite his abilities in hitting baseballs, he was definitely able to bunt but doing so required serious coordinating, timing as well as estimating the speed of the pitch.
"You okay Eijun?" asked Miyuki, "Why is your hand shaking?"
"E-Eh?" he replied before looking at his right hand and hiding it, "Y-yeah. It's nothing."
"You've been acting too quiet lately," Miyuki answered, "Even Chris is wondering what happened to you."
"It's nothing, okay!?" he answered back in a slight tone.
"I'll go next," Kominato Haruichi said, "Eijun…you really need to tell us what's going on."
Normally Eijun would go on fire and get in rage but after of the recent events, he nodded and was exchanged of the line-up.
Chris, Eijun and Miyuki stood together inside the hallway as back-up players filled in their roles. This as normally not legal in the past but various rules have altered based on the health of each players.
"I wanted to get some answers from the Juju…about our team as well as my abilities," Eijun revealed, "But then those groups of people that just arrived in town…one of them nearly killed me."
"EHHH!?" the two gasped.
"He's cursed with dark magic and my abilities were no matched for him. Luckily others showed up to stop him from killing me but…I feel like his face…I've seen it before," Eijun explained, "In my dreams. I was able to get some minor answers from a Juju."
"Really?" Chris asked, "I'm surprised the mythology here favored you."
"Well you see, my grandma when she was still alive…she used to be an assistant working with Queen Tae," Eijun commented, "That was what the Juju told me."
"The Legendary Queen of the Pupununu's cousin tribe Tukuna?" asked Miyuki, "My mother once said something about them."
"But what I don't understand is…how could a citizen like you be able to talk to these spirits? The myths don't match up exactly," Chris said.
"True but then my grandpa told me the old legend of the past…when this world was once part of the larger realm…Olympia Magna. Everything he said seemed to made some sense. When this world was shattered away, the indigenous tribes secluded themselves from the rest of the inhabitants until our ancestors unknowing established villages here," Eijun answered.
"I feel you're still hiding something," Miyuki answered, "What else did your grandpa say?"
"…Eijun, your powers are growing stronger, the entire team sees it," Chris added, "Plus your abilities to throw the ball aren't like what they usually are."
"…my grandpa thinks I'm The Savior…but really? Someone like me with these abilities? Anyone could be the savior. I'm just a baseball player like the rest of you guys," Eijun smiled.
Present Day:
Alexa returned to the Shop of the Mystics with the fork in his hand. He walked to the room where Theagenes rested and with a wave, the two teleported to the basement of the house where the Dream Shaker was embedded in the rock.
"Of course he'll try to escape," Alexa muttered, snapping his fingers to call the Nerbils to bring Eijun back here alive. The darkness appeared next to him.
"With your luck, you've done quite well," the darkness in Theagene's shape spoke to him.
"This wasn't luck, I worked hard for this!" Alexa hissed.
"Well that's true…and weren't you supposed to be going to visit your boyfriend sometime soon?" the darkness asked.
"That's none of your concern so shut up," Alexa growled as he turned the fork into ashes before letting it dust into the man's body.
The original Theagenes slowly opened his eyes and upon seeing Alexa, he stumbled back in his seat in fear.
"W-what do you want? You're the Dark One now…not me!" Theagenes replied.
"That's right," Alexa said, creeping up on him, "You are not dark…but you are also not light. And that right there, little man…makes you useful."
"W-what do you want?" he asked.
"I can make you the last thing you never thought you'd become…a hero," Alexa smiled, "And not just any hero…the purest who's ever lived…and afterwards, I got a job for you."
Before Theagenes could reply, Alexa got him on his feet to point out the Dream Shaker resting in the rock. The ex-Dark One gasped as he recognized its power there.
"W-what…why do you need its other half?" Theagenes asked.
"Tell me when you were the Dark One, did you ever told anyone your agenda?" Alexa replied.
"Of course not…well maybe except a few reasons…my dream was to build a new place for my folks as well as outcompete everyone in sports…I was a weak link so I figured if I made a town and put all of the sports together, I could then disguise myself and take on the role of the hero," he explained.
"Then what was with your plans for the nightmare staff?" Alexa asked.
"It was to allow myself to go back in time to the point before I became the Dark One…while my family was still alive. I learned that they all died due to the massacre of your kingdom," Theagenes revealed, "Time traveling back and forth to export people was making me darker and darker. The nightmare staff could absorb the darkness in like a temporally vessel."
"Eijun!" Alexa summoned the baseball player.
Eijun, who was now dressed in his Eagle Senshi form, was brought over by the two giant nerbils before he broke off and growled, "Yes…Dark One?!"
"Despite discovering your powers as a senshi and savior, you obviously failed to escape and now for your final boss…is to take care of this man here," Alexa ordered.
"How much longer are you going to keep me trap in the wretched place?!" Eijun shouted.
"As long as it takes for me to get what I want," he replied.
"Maybe…but perhaps I'll the one to break YOUR SPELL!" the other man cried out but Alexa waved his hand out to him, choking his throat a little.
"Take him now…train him to be a hero like you. I already gave you what was most precious to him," Alexa said.
"You…did WHAT!?" Theagenes gasped.
"You have a weakness that you must fight for," the Dark One answered, "For the sake of your memory…now be gone and perform this mission well!"
Alexa released Eijun who grabbed Theagenes while the Dark One teleported them to a pocket dimension.
Sportsbrooke Eco-Park
The Iwasame Senshi and Kagami met up with Tak, Jeera and Jibolba and reported about their findings at Alexa's house. Pandora returned to the shop but told the group that she will return shortly.
"So the other half of the staff is in his basement," Tak replied, "For what purpose does he want with it?"
"No idea," Nagisa shrugged, "But I got a feeling it's not good."
"We can't contact the juju spirits here in this world, Jibolba added, "Despite what was brought here…these tikis are useless."
"Well there is a temple at the Miracle Palace," Rei replied, "Perhaps check in with Akashi and the Princess Goddess?"
"Princess Goddess?" asked Jeera.
"She represents the icon of Sportsbrooke…well originally before the expansion," Makoto said, "With her power, she might be able to reach out to them."
"That would be great," Jibolba smiled.
"Your majesty!" Gion called out as he, Iwashimizu and Takuya approached to the gang.
"What's the matter?" Tak asked.
"Several people from the baseball team have dispatched search parties to find…I think his name was Eijun S-Sawamura?" Gion answered.
That name, thought Rei, why is it familiar?
"We got a bigger problem you guys," Pandora said after appearing to the group, "Theagenes is gone."
"H-How?!" gasped Momo and Nagisa.
"I think Alexa is several steps ahead of us in this game," she speculated, "Whatever he's trying to do…it's only the beginning of a bigger scheme."
"Where's Neo King Julius when you need him," sighed Rin, "At this rate our future will disappear!"
"We'll find a way," Haruka answered, "We always have."
"Yes but if we win…Alexa will lose…" Makoto answered, "I'm sure whatever is burdening him…it's gonna pay a huge toll."
In one of the tents:
Tamaki, Sayako and Miyako placed bets before resuming their card game. Since there was not much of a great environment of hunting, this was what they would do sometimes in their downtime.
"Uggggh, I'm getting bored of this!" Sayako moaned, "Maybe there's some equipment we can find at some local store or something!"
"Talk about a desert punk, eh?" chuckled Miyako.
"Hey!" Sayako cried out as Miyako won the deck of cards.
Tamaki was going to add her commentary when they heard a voice, "Hello? Is anyone in here?"
"Yeah! Who is it!?" asked Sayako.
Natsu walked in as she brought a box of warm drinks with a warm smile on her face.
"Who are you?" asked Tamaki.
"My name is Natsu Hinata, I'm the younger sister of Shouyou, master of volleyball of the White Doves," she introduced herself, "I was offering some drinks around but no one wanted them."
"I'll take some," Sayako smiled, "And is it just me or does it look like I know you?"
"Maybe we might have met during the last three weeks?" she shrugged.
"Well it was quite a demon whoever set this stage up," Tamaki sighed as Sayako passed around the cold water.
"Our friend is in trouble…" Natsu said, "I know who you want to put vengeance too but he didn't mean all of this."
"This man…you know him?" asked Miyako.
"Yes…he was a great hero who helped us and the basketball gang to stop fighting each other and brought our cultures united," Natsu smiled, "And Parkour is here as well…and now all of you guys."
"Maybe but this demon is sure to have something up his sleeve," Tamaki grumbled, "We had our lives fine back in El Dorado and now here we are out of the environment. Maybe I'm a bit too introverted but I never wanted to leave our home."
"Sounds like you loved it back there," Natsu said, "But even so, I was happy to have visited the town…I just wish I could remember what happened. But look, the city of Sportsbrooke welcomes your Kendo. We got great facilities for all of you to use. Think of what we can do together with all of the sports united. Not to mention several of us have magic!"
"You talk too much," Tamaki replied with a small smirk.
Sayako was watching this moment carefully and felt her heart beat a little as if…
Did we do something together, she thought, I gotta say I love her hair…she's pretty.
"Hey you guys," Haruko Bandou walked in, "There's gonna be an opening tomorrow at one of the facilities. If we register quick enough, we'll have our own spot to practice Judo and Kendo!"
"Where's your brother?" asked Tamaki.
"Oh he went out to the diner with his cheer gang," Haruko said, "But I'm not too worried as I know he's in good hands with his crew."
"Wow, you got a brother also!?" Natsu asked.
"He's younger though…what about yours?" Haruko replied.
"Older," she shrugged.
Downtown Sportsbrooke
Haruki, Kazuma, Shou, and Wataru walked through the downtown portion and were amazed by the lighting, the statues, and the atmosphere life. It was a bit like El Dorado but of course there was nothing of gold or riches.
"At least for a town they are trying to keep the people well from the heat," said Kazuma as he wiped some of the sweat off.
"I just don't know how long it'll be before we'll go home," replied Wataru.
"That's if…" answered Haruki as they arrived at the Sportsbrooke Diner, "Here, it's already getting late for dinner."
"But wait…we don't know if we can even buy here!" said Shou but of course Haruki was already fascinated with the interior of the place. The trio followed as they saw a group of people that were also from their realm.
"Don't worry about paying tonight," one of the workers said, "We've made adjustments through King Tak and he's made sure you all are well fed for this week."
"Hahaaa, I knew our king wasn't gonna let us down!" Haruki smiled, "Come on you guys!"
I got a bad feeling about this, Wataru thought.
The Iwasame Senshi were heading back to Kagami's loft when they heard an explosion nearby followed by familiar growling sounds.
"N-Nerbils!?" gasped Nagisa.
"I thought they were extinct!" Rei replied.
"Not the case," Pandora answered as she revealed her notes, "Apparently there was a population of them in Bota Duniya. Alexa must have brought them here."
"We better make sure no one is hurt!" Momo replied.
"Let's transform!" Rin agreed.
"DOLPHIN PRIMAL POWERRRRRR…MAAAAKKKEEEEE UP!" shouted Haruka, raising his Dolphin Creature Wand Dagger. His nails glowed in ocean blue as the symbol of dolphin spun out of the wand. The background turned blue, sky blue, and navy blue with small stars of light exploding in with ripples of water.
Haruka kept a grip on his wand as he skated around the scene with dolphins swimming around him and his body before spinning fast circles in one place. Upon standing still, he flipped his hair to the left and right as the white and blue turban with his scarf appeared on his head and neck. He raised up his arms and hands as a pair of golden cuffs appeared on his biceps and triceps.
He extended his left foot out as a pair of his black shoes formed as swirls of water formed his black pants, his golden belt, and his black top with a white cloak. The neon dolphin symbol appeared on his forehead just as his Dolphin Razor Sword flared to his side, waiting to be unsheathed. Finally, he donned his Suiei Dolphin Necklace just tucked safely inside his clothing.
Haru opened his eyes, pulled out his sword and twirled it before making his solid pose to the viewer's left, extending out his weapon to his enemies before him.
"SHARK PRIMAL POWERRRRRR…MAAAAKKKEEEEE UP!" chanted Rin, raising the Shark Creature Wand Dagger. His nails glowed fire red with the shark symbol spinning out from the wand. The background was crimson with hints of maroon, and vermillion as the wind and Sakura petals gently blew past his hair.
Rin kept his grip on the dagger and made several air slashes with it as if he was in combat. The slashes transformed into streaks of water swirling around his body as a pair of shark fins appeared on his shoulders before it dissolved into his white tunic and black and gold cloak.
His hair flowed slowly as his red turban hat with the red-gold-blue scarf appeared with his Suiei Shark Necklace and his Malia Bee Pendant and blue-green beads. Rin spun around as his white pants and skirt appeared along with his red velvet belt as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Rin raised up his hands to don his cuffs while his Full-Sized Shark-Toothed Cutlass on his side. His forehead glowed a neon symbol of the shark before he opened his eyes and showed off his badass smirk.
The dual sensation of the warrior and competitive swimmer radiated around his aura as he grabbed his sword out and pointed it out to his prey in battle pose.
"BUTTERFLY PRIMAL POWERRRRRR…MAAAAKKKEEEEE UP!" shouted Rei, raising his Butterfly Creature Wand Dagger. The nails glowed purple as the butterfly symbol spun out from the wand. The scenery turned violet with indigo vibrant, and lavender swirling around.
A swarm of butterflies flew side by side as he skated around in circles while his hands and arms circled the butterfly stroke. He kept tight on the dagger as he unleashed an explosion of light and butterflies from it that donned his clothing piece by piece.
His red glasses turned to silver while Rei stretched out his shoulder, biceps, and triceps to don a pair of black sleeves and golden cuffs each side. The lower half exposed his white pair of loose pants and black shoes after lifting each leg up by the stretch as his purple, black and golden vest grew out from the sleeves.
The butterflies fused together to form his red turban with a white feather while Rei spun around in place to unleash his sash on his waist that was multicolored. The Butterfly Long Riffle landed in his hands after more butterflies joined together to shape out the weapon. A few smaller butterflies fused together to form his Suiei Butterfly Necklace.
A single butterfly landed on his nose, prompting him to open his eyes and ready himself for battle. It turned transparent as the symbol glowed neon on his forehead. He took out his riffle and narrowed his eyes with his badass expression and beauty by his side while the butterfly landed on his left shoulder for good luck.
"PENGUIN PRIMAL POWERRRRRR…MAAAAKKKEEEEE UP!" Nagisa cried out, raising the Penguin Creature Wand Dagger. His nails glowed pink while the neon symbol of the penguin spun off of the wand. The background turned to magenta, fuchsia, and hints of red while his hair flowed through the breeze.
The blond kept his grip on the wand while skating around with the water with a bunch of penguins swimming side by side as if they were flying. Nagisa jumped and made a somersault into the air as his body donned the red and white vest, golden cuffs, and a two-shaded colored pants with red sashes.
Nagisa's spell book floated by him as his hands reached out to it. The pages flipped rapidly as his left hand welded his Two-handed Broadsword while his Suiei Penguin Necklace appeared beneath his vest with the rest of his jewelry.
A pair of ruby slippers glowed on Nagisa's feet that matched his vest while he lifted his head up to don his light green and yellow head veil with a stripped color crown and head jewelry. His right hand waved in the air from his chest to mimic the breaststroke for a few moments as he finally opened his eyes.
His right hand clutched the book tightly while the penguin neon symbol glowed on his forehead before taking his battle stance.
"RHINCODON PRIMAL POWERRRRRR…MAAAAKKKEEEEE UP!" Sousuke chanted, raising his Rhincodon Creature Wand Dagger with the whale shark symbol appearing. His nails glowed into teal as the symbol flew out of the wand, spinning rapidly and enlarging the scene of transformation.
He flung his wand outwards and it transformed into a whale shark swimming around slowly but it unleashed waves of power around the aquamarine, green, and dark teal background with hints of purple hexagons. Sousuke extend his hands out as they donned a pair of golden cuffs with green and aqua jewels. His dark denim shirt appeared with gold streaks as his Suiei Whale Shark Necklace blended in with his golden-chain necklace.
Sousuke spun around as his cloak of dark forest green covered around him but left his abdomen and part of his chest exposed. The whale shark soared above his head, donning his turban with the teal-yellow scarf. The turban had white and electric blue hues and his pants appeared in white color with ropes of gold and silver as a pair of aquamarine slippers were displayed on his feet.
He opened his eyes, flexed his arms a little as he could feel the muscles across his body coming to life with greater definition. His forehead glowed a neon symbol of the whale shark. At that moment, the Rhincodon Glaive appeared as well as his Deep Sea Sword. He grabbed them both and briefly crossed them together to generate a little wave of power before taking his proper battle stance.
"ENHYDRA PRIMAL POWERRRRRR…MAAAAKKKEEEEE UP!" Momo shouted, raising the Enhydra Creature Wand Dagger with the sea otter symbol. His nails glowed bright orange as the symbol spun its way out, transforming the scene into sunset orange, yellow, and Persian orange with star lights shimmering.
Momo flung his wand outwards and it transformed into three sea otters swimming around in circles as he spun around. A black headband appeared with gold, yellow, and red jewels with two feathers handing from the opposite sides. He raised out his hands with a pair of wrist bands of black and gold while his stag beetle crawled and jumped off from his shoulder and transformed into the Scarab Shield with horn-like designs protruding out from the center.
One of the sea otters dissolved into ribbons of energy that donned into his open-vested jacket with orange, yellow and black designs while his scarf appeared in shades of brown. Momo grabbed the shield with his left hand just as the other two sea otters dissolved away and transformed into the rest of his clothing.
Momotarou donned his pair of shoes in brown hues and his Suiei Sea Otter Necklace appeared on his neck with other jewelry on his wrists and ankles. He flipped his hair a little with his hand before opening his eyes. His long pole appeared with double-bladed knives attached were held in his right hand. The symbol of the sea otter glowed in neon color across his forehead as he finally took on his pose for battle.
"CAIRINA PRIMAL POWERRRRRR…MAAAAKKKEEEEE UP!" Nitori cried out with his Cairina Creature Wand Dagger with a duck as the symbol. His nails shimmered light blue as the symbol flew and spun out from the magical item.
Nitori slashed the wand in the air to make a symbol of infinity as it transformed into a storm of domesticated ducks flying in the background of celeste, azure, and hints of lavender and highlights of sky blue. Several stars glittered around as soon as Nitori threw his wand outwards and transformed into a bright swan flying around.
He skated his way across the scene with the birds as he slowly shimmered his Arabian clothing piece by piece, starting with the blue head band. Swirls of water spun around his legs and arms, granting him a black pair of pants and long-sleeved uniform of black, white, and vivid blue.
A gray inner shirt tucked his Suiei Duckling Necklace inside but his new pants showed a bit of his lower abdomen while a pair of white slippers appeared. The birds shimmered away into magical energy that radiated in bright lights of the stars.
He stopped in place as a cluster of feathers fused together and transformed into his long pole-arm and his winged-shield. Nitori opened his eyes finally, flipped his hair a little as the neon symbol of the duck glowed on his forehead. His innocent smile mixed his fierce courage of his heart as he took his battle pose at the ready.
"ORCA PRIMAL POWERRRRRR…MAAAAKKKEEEEE UP!" shouted Makoto, raising the Orca Creature Wand Dagger. The wand glowed to life at first but then an explosion of energy knocked him off his feet, throwing him across the scene and crashing on the ground.
"MAKO-CHAN!?" Nagisa cried out as he and the other recently transformed senshi rushed over.
"W-what the hell!?" Makoto growled as he raised the wand up again, "ORCA PRIMAL POWERRRRR…MAAAKKKKKEEE UP!"
The wand glowed again but it flickered before shutting down. Makoto gasped as he could feel his hands tremble at this.
"Makoto…you can't transform!?" asked Rin.
He grunted before getting up on his feet as he had no idea how this injury even felt pain.
What the hell is this, thought Makoto.
"You guys go and hurry!" he said, "I'm going back to the loft with Kagami."
"We'll be back soon Makoto, we promise!" Nagisa answered as the seven soared off.
Makoto tightly gripped his hand and growled for a moment before heading back.
"What the fuck happened these last three weeks Alexa," he muttered, looking at his wand. If he had looked more closely, there was something else on it that would've given him a clue…something that would lead to the truth of what happened in the last few weeks.
~Episode 3 END~
~Episode 4 PV~
Pandora: EEEHHH!? You can't transform Makoto!?
Makoto: Something's totally fishy about this. I have a feeling it has to go back into those three weeks.
Rin: We have to find the other savior!
Kagami: Just where this person be?
Sousuke: I have a feeling we're getting started on what happened...
Theagenes: How the hell can I even fight if I have no muscle!?
Eijun: You have to fight! There's something that you have to live for!
Tak: Next Time, Free! Power of the Juju! We're gonna build a New El Dorado here!
Mini Break Announcement:
Story will resume either October 26 or November 2!
Future Fish Vol. 5 with RinHaru will be out as normal but Vol. 6 will be delayed for a bit!
Diary Entries will be WIP and announced when ready!