Chapter 21: Taroko Gorge, An Extreme Battle
As they made it in Taroko National Park where Legna is seen driving her SUV as everyone is looking at the surroundings of the green mountains.
"Wow... this place has a lot of mountains here..." Yuni smiled excitedly as Retsu replies.
"It's also has small river and plateaus in this place. But lots of sceneries in here."
"Luckily, it's not a small SUV to take us here." Rage said calmly as he smiles. "I guess Legna has her own SUV to take us here."
Legna concentrates on driving which Akira observes her as she was serious to take down the mafia group as she also remembers where she spends with Akira at his room together that night.
Flashback:
At Akira's room we can see a bottle of rice wine was now in half liters away and Legna is seen hugging at Akira from his back while sitting on his bed after what they did tonight.
"So you actually want to stop the mafia group in your place, right?"
"Of course I do... It's my obligation to take them down and put them to justice." Legna said calmly to him while hugging at him continuously as Akira takes her hand.
"Don't worry, as long as my friends are here. We're gonna work it out to stop them. I'm just like you who wanted to stop the mafia group in one way or another."
"Akira..."
"Legna, you need to move on and do this for your sake of your late boyfriend." Akira said as he closes his eyes and Legna realizes on his words.
Flashback over:
Arriving at the Eternal Spring Shrine. Rage and the group are ready to trek the mountain shrine.
"I'll meet you at the northern Temple after you trek the shrine." Legna said telling them as the group trek the place.
It takes more than hours for them to climb uphill. However, Yuni gets tired but becomes afraid of heights as Akira carry her to his back in a piggy back ride. Rage and Emi are also hiking as well as both Retsu and Kari.
"Huff... huff... are we there at the temple now?" Rage said in exhaustion as Retsu tells him.
"We're almost there..."
As they arrive at the temple shrine, it turns out to be a bell temple which they reacted to where Rico has been taken.
"Dang that old man... he tells us he's in Taroko and now Rico isn't here too...?" Rage said angrily blames one of the mafia group that they capture as Akira found something a baton stick outside of the bell temple.
"Rage I think I found something..."
"What is it, Akira?" Emi asked as he answers in a calm tone of his voice.
"It's a baton stick..."
Rage realizes that the baton stick belongs to Rico as he gets it from Akira and notices the baton stick that turns into a long staff.
"It's from Rico's... why did he left it here?"
"I guess Rico made it in this place... but I believe that he was recapture after he is trying to escape and being unable to take refuge." Retsu said telling him and Rage accidentally clicks Rico's baton stick as it turns into a long staff much to their surprise.
"Cousin, you touch something?" Kari said shockingly.
"No way... Rage, you activated Rico's baton stick." Akira said pointing out on Rage as he smirks seeing this weapon.
"Well like Legna says, we're gonna meet her at the northern temple after this place. I'll use that just in case of making drastic measures."
As they make way on the downhill side of the mountain they found the temple which they will meet Legna along the way as the group saw the hanging bridge which scares both Emi and Yuni.
"Waah... we we're afraid heights!"
"It's just a bridge... just don't look down." Retsu said snobbishly to the girls which he ends up in a beating.
"Don't put your snobbishness over us, Retsu... You're a very meanie man!" Yuni said angrily as Emi continues beating him down.
"How dare you saying this to us like that?"
"Girls... I think carrying you in a piggy back ride will be a good idea." Rage said in disappointment while being face palm as Akira closes his eyes.
"I agree with Rage..."
Later on, Legna finally saw Rage and the group finally make it after the trek and she was impressed to see them.
"Thank goodness... you made it."
"That was really a long trek, Legna. Kinda tiring ya see...?" Rage said smiling.
"We actually found Rico's baton stick and I think we might able to find him there." Emi smiled cheerfully and Legna notices the stick.
While riding her SUV to them, Rico's baton stick has a sensor which is connected to Legna's GPS on her car much to their surprise.
"So his baton stick can sense the wielder's presence too." Rage reacted as Legna tells him.
"It seems that his stick enables to sense the current wielder's presence. If it wasn't for my GPS, we might able to locate him."
"I've never seen this Taroko mountains has a small rivers and plateaus. So that's why it becomes a gorge." Akira remarked and Kari stated.
"I guess most tourists are also loves to trek this place even in dangerous places."
As Legna stops the car, the group saw two from the mafia group are under the marble boulders which they are watching somebody.
"Why there's a dam in this side of the small river?" Emi asked and Legna replies.
"This is where other Taiwanese people can gather water from the park."
"Um... guys I think someone is hanging up within the dam?" Retsu said while pointing at someone as the group noticed an unconscious Rico was bound in ropes while hanging at the dam.
"No way... it's Rico. He was bound by these guys..." Rage said raising his brow as Akira gets off as he readied his handgun.
"We better ready, Rage... We're gonna save him from the mafia."
"I'll help you guys... Going down to the gorge would be extremely dangerous for all of you." Legna said telling him.
"I guess I'll pass this stunt..." Emi said scarily and Yuni remarked.
"I can't wait to see them doing it..."
With Legna's help, Rage, Retsu and Akira are getting down the gorge in order to save Rico from being bound as the trio manage to get down. Two from the mafia group are been informed by the mafia's Taiwan branch who are ready to execute Rico. As other mafia operatives are also here to prepare for the execution.
"What do we do now? They're here to kill him?" Retsu said becomes desperate by this as Rage finally gives Kari the signal.
"Kari, do it..."
Kari finally throws her kunai on the bound Rico as Rage jumps and finally catches him in time before the latter begin to execute.
"What the... not those youngsters...?" One of the mafia group said as Rage angrily remarks at them.
"You guys are going down... trying to execute him in a extreme place. I guess beating you down would easy."
Rage wields Rico's baton stick as Akira and Retsu aid him to beat the mafia operative with the song "Fire" has been played. Rage avoids their gunshots as he jumps as he clicks the center of his baton stick turns into a long staff as he hits the ground while going for a spinning kick to knock the two mafia operatives down as other mafia operatives are wielding swords which he tried to dodge it with his staff knocking them down by hitting them. Retsu knocks single handedly with his traditional karate moves as Akira does the same as he head shots each of them with his handgun. By the time Rage hits them with the staff as well as his Resshuken fighting style, He was also aided by Legna who aimed at their heads with her sniper rifle killing them in a process and both girls are cheering for Rage and Akira to stop them as well as Kari.
After the incident as they climb back up, Akira found a walkie talkie which they were rendezvous with the mafia's Taiwan branch which they noticed the other operatives are taking advantage throughout the national park.
"It looks like their reinforcements appear to wields dao swords and sabers. I guess these guys must be doing some illegal work."
"It looks that way...?" Legna said knowing of their activities.
"So the mafia group are also doing activities in this isolated place, what a joke?" Rage said raising his brow.
"Once Rico wakes up... I think he knows where these guys are trying to do in this mountain park." Retsu said seriously.
By the time at the gorge, Rage and the group are now seen wearing safety helmets which they walk straight as they see the view. Therefore, at Legna's SUV, Rico finally wakes up and to see Legna was there which is a surprise to him until the group arrive.
"Rage, so it was you who saved me from these guys?" Rico asked as he answers.
"Yes with my friends right here... I think you know about those mafia flunkies that we beat?"
"Dang, I tried to escape with these guys. But they manage to caught me." Rico said in disappointment. "All I can recall is that abandoned hotel was near on the noodle stalls in this park. The mafia freaks are trying to use miners as slaves to get marbles as well as others are trained as warriors."
Arriving at the golden bridge, they saw another temple which has been guarded by other mafia operatives from the Taiwan's branch. Rage and the group are ready to prepare to stop them and saving the miners from their slavery.
"Time to take these mafia down right here and now!" Rage said ready to fight them.
"I'm going to fight them too." Emi said while wielding her baseball bat.
"I'm gonna make them pay for beating me down!" Rico said while wielding his baton stick as it turns into his long staff.
"Okay, everyone... Let's do this!" Rage said as the group run straight through the bridge as both Akira and Yuni watch them with the song "Until Forever" has been played.
"Hey, don't forget about us around here?" Yuni said in a bratty manner as she looked at Akira who wields Legna's sniper rifle which she lends him for a good use. "You're gonna follow them too."
"Of course, I'll follow them, Yuni. I'm gonna take down these with one shot. Now let's go..." Akira smirked nicely as both follows the group.
The group takes a stealth and sneak attack on one of the mafia operatives and Rage and Retsu goes for their fighting moves. Emi and Legna tries to rescue the miners as Kari manages to hit them with her ninja blades rendering them immobilize. Rico manages to deal most of them with his staff and goes for a spinning kick and stabs to their gut from his staff. Retsu manages to take down most of them. However, one of the mafia operatives are attempting to gunpoint him with a sniper rifle as Retsu avoids and seeing another mafia operative behind him got shot in the head and he looked to see both Akira and Yuni.
"Thanks, Akira..." Retsu said thankfully.
"Don't mention it, Retsu... now you get down and I'll shoot them in one shot." Akira said telling him as Yuni cheers for him.
"Go Retsu...! You can beat these guys down!"
Akira continues to snipe most of the operatives with a sniper rifle by shooting them to the head while aiding his group as well as Legna. Legna now shows her fighting techniques and her assassination arts defeating them in a process. Afterwards, they finally save the miners from their slavery.
"That should take care of those guys." Rage said as he found their location which happens to be in Sun Moon Lake. "Guys, looks like the mafia flunkies are indeed from Sun Moon Lake."
"We can go there soon, Rage. We need to inform Professor Garuda about their territory." Legna said telling them.
"At least, we save those guys."
The group finally take a break at the noodle houses near in the abandoned hotel, and they like the food so much.
"Wow... the noodles is much better than the last time." Rage said excitedly.
"I guess travelling to Taiwan is nothing more but to taste their food." Emi smiled cheerfully.
"I've never seen you have a USB broadband to use in your laptop, Retsu. I guess the internet across this country is pretty big." Akira said as Retsu replies.
"Sir Garuda might be using this one too because my mini-computer and Rage's communicator is wrecked after dealing with Natsuhiko."
"I guess the old professor would be online yet again." Yuni wondered as both noticed someone is calling at Retsu's laptop as he receives it.
"Sir Garuda, thank goodness... how are you doing in Taipei?"
"Hey grandfather, I have to tell you something." Rage said finally butt in on the trio.
"Well Taipei 101 is the largest building, eh. The observatory is so unique ya see." Garuda said happily and also replies to Rage. "What was it, Reiji?"
"Now we know where the mafia's territory is. They say that their base is in Sun Moon Lake." Rage answered and Garuda sensing this happening.
"Sun Moon Lake, that was in the eastern province. They have lots of tribes in their ancient times. Drum had already located the place, I know it's hard to contact the two of ya here."
"Is in Nantou province...? But the most important thing is to regroup in Taipei. Then you're gonna travel that place." Drum said telling them.
"Wow... this travel is going to be a rough one." Rage said knowing of their destination.
"Their bullet train can also take ya within 30 minutes. But it can cost a lot to get there instead of taking a local train. Now be careful..." Garuda said as he finally hung up the chat.
"Retsu, what now...?" Rage said worried to his best friend.
"I guess we'll go back to the hotel that we stayed to take relax then taking the train back to Taipei. That way, we can regroup with Sir Garuda, Drum and Bass." Retsu said telling him.
"It would be a long trip since we're still in Taroko, we might able to get back to the city." Akira said telling them.
"This place is the end of the road, so we might as well get back to the same route we took. Then we can get back to Hualien City." Legna suggested as Rage agrees with her.
"What do you think, guys? Now that we save Rico... Let's get back to Hualien City before night time."
"We agreed..." Eveyone agreed and soon they finally get out of the national park before night time as they take a break before their travel to Taipei.
Trivia:
*Legna's fighting style is Chinese Kempo and Assassination Arts.
*Retsu's contact with Garuda is based on Skype.
*Rico uses Albert's Gust of Wind Dance from the game Legend of Dragoon.
*Akira also mentions about the internet reaches in the country of Taiwan a reference to the strong Wi-Fi within the country.
*Garuda also mentions about the bullet trains in Taiwan which also has this in the real life..
*Rage uses Senor Starchy's spinning kick from the cartoon series Totally Spies while wielding Rico's staff and some of the staff attacks used by a heavily wounded Tifa Lockhart from the late Monty Oum's Dead Fantasy V.
*Emi wields her baseball bat out of nowhere during the infiltration as her baseball bat hids at the trunk of Legna's SUV.
*Legna's SUV is the Toyota's Super Grandia Hi-Ace instead of Toyota Wish is due to Rage and his group are six including Rico.