Chapter 8: Attack on the Surface
"Ryuu Ryu Ryugaro!" The Dragon Keeper slammed his staff on the ground and had a green Madou circle pass over his body. He grew to four times his height and looked at the small magicians below him. "Ryugaro!" Another dragon-shaped beam launched from his staff. The eight Rangers rolled out of the way and into the mouth of the dragon's-head that was the Rootcore entrance.
"We don't have a moment to lose!" Makito said, "Now!"
"I'm with him," Xander added, "If he's going giant, then so are we!"
"Galwit Mysto Prifior!"
"Maaji Jiruma Golu Gogoolu!"
Xander, Vida, Madison and Chip grew in size and transformed to the Mystic Titans. Xander was the Minotaur, a powerful beast, larger than the others, with an axe in his hand. Vida was the smallest as the Mystic Sprite. She rested calmly on Xander's shoulder. Madison became the Mermaid and picked up her trident for battle. Chip, the full breadth of his wings extending outward, became the Mystic Garuda. They looked down and saw that their Legend counterparts were undergoing a transformation they had never seen before.
Makito, Houka, Urara and Tsubasa struck a different pose on four ends of a Legend circle. Light in their respective colors shone beneath them as their bodies became one and they grew in size. Where they once stood was now a white lion with a golden mane. Lines in green, yellow, blue and pink were on each of his arms, and two discs were on his front legs. They had become the Legendary Majuu MagiLion.
"We need to combine, too!" Xander said.
"Ancient Power, Mystic Titans!" spoke the four Mystic Rangers together, "Dragon Formation! Galwit Nermax Mysto Du!" With their arms extended outward and their bodies glowing in their respective colors they raised into the air. The four who made up MagiLion knew this well…for many months ago, it had happened to them….before they had Legend Power.
Xander formed the body, Chip the wings, Madison the tail, and Vida the head of the massive Titan Dragon. In both the Dragon and the Lion four minds had become one. They were more animals than people, but were intelligent enough to attack wisely. The battle began with MagiLion charging ahead with a thunderous roar.
The King of Beasts jumped into the air and extended his right claw. A multicolored aura surrounded the leg as he scratched across the Dragon Keeper's hard armor. Marks were left, but the Keeper remained undamaged. MagiLion kept close to the Titan Dragon. As the Titan Dragon extended its wings the Keeper had a grim smile cross his face.
Under his breath he muttered "Fools".
"Black…MagiKing?" Kai stuttered, "It's…impossible."
"Far from it," FuryRed laughed, "Just imagine what could've been if Dark Magic drove the King of Majin instead of your Magitopia-borne, weak Light Magic. It now stands before you. It will crush you into the dust. Black MagiKing – GO!"
Kai and Nick rolled out of the way of the foot just as they drew their golden phones. Nick, knowing only one spell for mecha-sized combat, typed in "1-2-5" and pressed enter. "Galwit Mysto Prifior!" He stood where he was and waited for any attack to come his way. For now, he was invincible.
A red Mystic circle descended over Nick's body and transformed him into the Red Mystic Ranger. Seconds later, another one fell. Nick took the shape of a humanoid warrior with a silver sword in hand. Like all the Titans an "M" was across his chest. A gold gem was embedded in Nick's forehead, and a pair of shield-like wings guarded his back. "MYSTIC PHOENIX!"
"I'll need just a bit more of a kick than that," Kai thought, "Goolu Golu Majika!" A Saintly voice echoed the three syllables as Kai first transformed into MagiRed, then MagiPhoenix. MagiPhoenix was exactly like Nick's Mystic Phoenix Titan form in every respect, but Kai's Majin state was to quickly change. Black MagiKing stopped its attack and gazed downward.
A golden Mahou circle descended from the heavens and slid down Kai's metallic armored form. When Nick next glanced at where Kai stood he saw a brilliant golden light radiating across the Dragon's Lair. Kai's forehead gem had become red as the armor around his face shone gold. The "M" design on his chest, his belt and the inner parts of his legs, as well as his sword, all had a golden sheen to them. Kai backflipped into the air and landed on a cliff as he struck his finishing pose.
"Saint…MagiPhoenix!" A golden Phoenix symbol appeared behind him as Kai leapt down to Nick's side. "We can take them this way for now. If they're using MagiKing…"
"Don't you mean the Titan Megazord?" Nick questioned.
"MagiKing, Titan Megazord, same difference," Kai remarked, "The thing is that we know their techniques. If we combine our strengths we should be able to win. Nick, let's go!"
"Right!"
Nick jumped into the air as his Phoenix Sword charged with red energy. Just as the aura of flame reached the tip of the blade Nick clashed the sword with Black MagiKing's King Calibur. He seemed to freeze in midair. In the dim light of the lair Black MagiKing's face looked demonic, and Nick could feel its full power when the King Calibur was swung and sent him flying onto the back of a black dragon resting in one of the caves.
Nick scrambled away from the beast as fast as he could. He looked to the bleak skies and saw Kai crossing his legs and arms. He dropped his Saint Phoenix Sword and leapt for Black MagiKing. Golden flames engulfed his body as he slammed his right leg into the side of the Majin King with great force.
"SAINT….PHOENIX….TORNADO….KICK!" Kai yelled. Golden energy burst outward from the point Kai had struck. Saint MagiPhoenix landed on the ground and grabbed his golden blade to prepare for the next exchange of attacks. Black MagiKing held its King Calibur to the sky as the voices of the MaRyuu Sentai Furyranger rang out in demonic unison.
"Dragon Climax! King Calibur…MADOU SLASH!" The sword of darkness rotated in a circle as the Garuda's wings extended outward. The symbol of evil, the Madou circle, shone with a blackish-purple glow before Black MagiKing. The dark King Calibur slashed across the middle of the seal and attacked Kai and Nick. Kai held up his palm and yelled "JINGA GOLU MAJUNA!" but found it hardly enough to withstand the blow.
Black MagiKing placed the tip of the King Calibur's blade on the ground and traced a Madou circle beneath it. Ghostly images of the sword rose up. Every one of them was aimed at the Phoenixes struggling to get up. "PHANTOM ILLUSION!" Kai and Nick braced for impact.
The terrifying black Titan Dragon swooped up into the sky, made a hard right, and flew at a quickened speed down towards the ground where the Keeper waited. It opened its mouth and released three streams of fire at once. The streams split off in different directions before reuniting into a large fireball aimed at the Dragon Keeper. The Keeper barely flinched.
"Zazare," he whispered, "Ryaara." The flame fizzled out before it reached his chest. A beam of green light shot from the onyx orb atop his staff and struck the Titan Dragon on its forehead. Slowly the reptilian beast descended to the ground and stood at a standstill. MagiLion raced over with his mouth roaring growls of encouragement. The united mind of the four Ozu siblings knew something was wrong with their other selves.
MagiLion's eyes cast a glance at the Titan Dragon. The white lion's mouth opened and let out a worried roar. The Titan Dragon turned its head, roared and swung its blue tail towards MagiLion. The Lion was sent flying and landed against a cliff at the edge of the forest. It roared something to the Dragon Keeper that sounded like it was asking "Why? What have you done to them?"
The Keeper raised his staff and pointed it at the Titan Dragon. "Fools," he repeated once again, "did you REALLY think you could defeat the Dragon Keeper with a DRAGON? Such simple minds for what are supposed to be the finest magicians in this or any dimension accessible from the Marudeyouna World. I was hoping for two, but your Legend Power and MagiLion stopped that from happening.
"So, family Ozu…do you think you can save them? With every passing second Xander, Vida, Madison and Chip slowly lose their humanity and join my army of beasts. In time they won't be able to assume their Titan form again, much less become the humans they once were. Time is ticking…"
MagiLion could feel the courage of its united soul rising. The cliff beneath it began to rise; two lines of fire shot out to create a path. "We won't let you get away with this!" the King of Beasts thought, "LION CLAW SLASH!" The white feline started its charge down the cliff.
Kai and Nick were lying on the ground, hopeless and helpless, with the Phantom Illusion swords aimed at them. Black MagiKing let loose the weapons on the two. Nick knew that this may be the end, and if it was, his only regret was that he never got the chance to say…
"Is that a horse?" Kai and Nick saw a Mystic circle and a Saint circle appear before them. Two four-legged figures appeared in a flash of light and took the hit. When the smoke from the blast had cleared they stood there without a scratch. Kai was certain they were who they were. Both were horses, rather like their Titan and Majin forms, in white and black. The white horse had a golden horn on his head shaped like Kai's Saint Phoenix Sword.
"Unicoron!" Kai cheered, "You came!"
"Catastros! Thanks!" Nick exclaimed, "Never thought I'd see him again."
"Catastros?" Kai asked, "That's Valkyrion."
"No, he's Catastros," Nick explained, "Koragg's horse. Why do you think they came?"
"They came to help," Kai said, "You know what that means."
"Yes," Nick nodded, "It's that time once more."
Kai swung his arms in a familiar motion as he called out "Maaji Maji Jiruma Jinga!" A voice from the heavens echoed the words he had spoken. Unicoron rearranged his very form to that of an armored suit as Saint MagiPhoenix leapt into the air and fit himself into the unicorn's chest in a burst of golden flame. Unicoron's tail fit itself into place as Kai announced the name of his new form.
"When fire and light become one, the holy Majin appears! Tenkuu Gattai…SAINTKAISER!"
"Galwit Equestras Mysto Unios!" Catastros rearranged his equine form much the same way as Unicoron had done with Kai. Nick attached to Catastros' chest and the black steed's tail formed his chestplate and new head. A blazing-hot Mystic circle shone behind Nick as he called to the sky. "CENTAURUS PHOENIX MEGAZORD!" He and Nick struck a final pose with their weapons out.
"The Phantom Titan! The Holy Majin! Fire, Light and Darkness as one! Going forth into battle, the Steed Warriors!" The atmosphere in the Dragon's Lair had changed considerably. Where once there was fear, there was hope. Where once there was hopelessness, there was courage. Where once there was a shadow Majin, there were now two equine knights.
"I refuse to lose to the likes of you!" FuryRed growled, "We need stronger spells!" The Furyrangers nodded their heads in agreement. They had no other choice. FuryRed was fighting blindly and begrudgingly. There was no stopping him.
"Ryuu Douza Ryu Ryugaro! DRAGON MADOU SLASH!" Black MagiKing went through the same motions it had for the Madou Giri, except this time, it stabbed the tip of the blade through the center of the circle at the end. It was as if a portal to the afterlife had been opened up. Avatars of the five Fury Dragons flew through towards the two knights. Nick didn't know how to react. Could fire stop the ghostly dragons?
"HORN LANCER! Unicorn Thrust!" Using Unicoron's horn as a spear, Kai had thrust the Horn Lancer through all five dragons at once. Nick, his own weapon in hand, stood in amazement. The dragon avatars shone gold before disappearing in a flurry of sparks. Kai snapped his fingers and looked to Black MagiKing. "The highest Majin. The bravest steed from Magitopia. The son of Bragel. Together, these things are unbeatable. Do you think you're so strong NOW, FuryRed?"
"GET…THEM!" FuryRed screamed and commanded Black MagiKing forward with an almost berserker-like motion. SaintKaiser and the Centaurus Phoenix Megazord readied for battle. Nick, seizing control of his bladed weapon, held the lance to the sky and called out a spell he had used once before alongside his teammates.
"Ancient Power, Mystic Spell Seal!" The weapon made of Catastros ignited with a bright flame and traced a red-orange Mystic circle in the sky. SaintKaiser leapt onto the seal, using it as a platform, and jumped into the air. When he reached the apex of his bound, he pointed the head of the Horn Lancer forward. Golden energy began to form around his body.
"Saint Horn Finish!" The body of Unicoron appeared beneath the lance in a spiritual form as SaintKaiser flew towards Black MagiKing at an ever quickening pace. The whinny of the unicorn was heard in the darkness. As SaintKaiser descended, Nick slashed his own lance through the spell seal and sent a stream of flame in Black MagiKing's direction.
The Horn Lancer and the stream of fire collided on Black MagiKing's chest at the same moment. Kai flipped away and landed beside Nick. They turned around, held their weapons together, and announced "Checkmate!" Black MagiKing was surrounded by smoke and fire in dark hues, all happening in rapid succession, until he finally combusted back into the forms of the Furyranger.
Already worn from their battles, all the Furyranger could do was to grasp for the Centaurus Phoenix Megazord and SaintKaiser's legs in desperation. "The Keeper will know of this," FuryRed growled, "he will avenge us! DAMN YOU, RED MAGICIANS!" In bursts of their respective elements, the MaRyuu Sentai Furyranger was finished once and for all. Kai and Nick left the armored suits of Unicoron and Catastros and returned to the ground. The steeds, their purpose having been served, return to Koragg and Magitopia, respetively.
"So, where do we go from here?" Nick asked, "Has to be some way to escape this world."
"I know the teleport spell," Kai said sheepishly, "but I never did master it."
"Maybe the Mystic Speeder's what we need," Nick suggested, "Galwit Mysto Motro." The red bike appeared before him. Kai held his head and shrugged.
"That will never do."
"Why not?"
"This part of the Marudeyouna World is tightly locked. Very little can pierce through the magical barrier to the surface world."
"Do you know anything that can."
"I
do," Kai said as an idea jumped into his mind, "The Sword of
Flagel!"
"That's great!"
"But first we have to find a weak point in the barrier. Nick, become MagiPhoenix again and leave the rest to me."
"You mean the Phoenix Titan?"
"Yes, now get to it!"
"Galwit Mysto Prifior!"
"Maaji Golu Majuulu!"
Kai's body changed shape to become a crimson-plumed bird with a golden protective covering about his head. Fire literally flew from the end of his wings, and his solemn cry pacified the dragons captured by the Keeper across the cave. Nick, once again the Mystic Phoenix, leapt onto MagiFireBird's back and held the now-miniscule Sword of Flagel in his palm.
"MAJIKA LULUDO!" Nick yelled, having heard the words to say in Kai's song-like screech. The Sword of Flagel was surrounded by crimson-red flame and increased in size until it was the size of his Phoenix Sword. MagiFireBird flew through the skies towards a point on the horizon glittering like starlight. Nick held out the Sword of Flagel; his eyes narrowed in anticipation.
When MagiFireBird streaked past the point in the sky, Nick held the Sword out to his side. The translucent, fiery-red blade scraped against the dark sky and opened a swirling dimensional pathway in the form of three interlocked Saint Circles arranged in a triangular fashion. MagiFireBird sounded its birdcall yet again. The Sword of Flagel shone with a red aura.
The seal placed by Sungel, Lunagel and Magiel accepted the FireBird's song and the Sword's strength as signs of passage. The circles separated and opened a glowing circular portal. MagiFireBird flew through with the Mystic Phoenix still atop his back. They were going back to the surface world at last.
The Dragon Keeper was pushed aside by the Lion Claw Slash. He hadn't seen it coming. The Keeper fired barrage after barrage of energy at MagiLion, but the power and courage of the Ozu siblings kept the lion safe from any attacks. A portal in the sky opened up and MagiFireBird flew through with Nick on its back. The Keeper sent more blasts upward, but MagiFireBird repelled them with its wings.
Some of the now-aflame projectiles the phoenix had bounced back landed around the Titan Dragon. The black dragon was engulfed in the flames, but Nick noticed the flames didn't hurt his teammates. Rather, the fire had a cleansing effect. Coupled with the phoenix song, it brought the collective mind of Madison, Vida, Xander and Chip back to its state of a tamed beast. MagiFireBird swept past the giant Dragon Keeper as Nick jumped off his back.
"PHOENIX SPIN KICK!" The Dragon Keeper flew into a cliff with a crash. An explosion rose around him. Kai and Nick left their respective Majuu and Titan states, and the other eight returned to normal alongside them. Nick checked once again to make sure the other Mystic Rangers were no longer under the slowly-gripping hand of death that was the Dragon Keeper's spell. A snide remark from Vida and an "AWESOME!" from Chip confirmed they were as normal as they had ever been.
"I think the Keeper's done for," Nick said, "Good work."
"Not exactly," Kai pointed to the cliff side, "He's stronger than that."
The Keeper, now at normal size, walked forward and pointed his staff first at the Rangers, then the ground. "So, you ten survived my little game?"
"We did," Vida said, "and it has only made us stronger."
"What are you going to do about it?" Houka snapped.
"Why, what I do best;" the Keeper replied, "come back stronger than before. KORAGG! NECROLAI! MORTICON! ARISE FROM THE UNDERWORLD! Ury Ryu Zazare!"
Four Madou circles traced themselves on the ground around his feet. From the purple one, farthest to the right, appeared Koragg, armed with his sword. His new body granted him increased strength and endurance that he couldn't wait to unleash. From the dark blue circle, to the right of Koragg, came Morticon. Steam hissed from his engine parts. Finally, a gray circle produced Necrolai, crossbow at the ready. The Dragon Keeper had a grim smile cross his lips.
"The armies of the underworld are on my side. What are you to do now?"
"Nii-chan, nee-chan!" Kai yelled, "Let's go!"
"You guys ready?" Nick shouted.
"READY!" came the chorus of voices.
Ten golden cell phones appeared in the hands of the magicians.
