Chapter 9: Turning Overflowing Courage into Magic

"Heavenly Saints, grant us the power of magic!" sounded the ten magicians at once. Their motions were the same, although their words different. Images of Flagel, Volgel, Splagel, Wingel and Groungel descended from a large Mahou circle in the sky and stood behind their respective magicians. Koragg stood with quiet calmness before the Saints, but the rest were trembling in before the holy light emanating from the sky gods.

"Chou Mahou Henshin! Maaji Maji Maji…MAJIIRO!"
"Magical Source, Mystic Force! Galwit Mysto…RANGER!"

Ten bodies backflipped onto the cliff and became clad in the suits of the mystical knights Koragg, the Dragon Keeper, Necrolai and Morticon had come to know. The Mahou circle hovering in the sky exploded into a Legend circle and descended over the ten. The Mystic Rangers' helmets materialized and the Ozu siblings went to Legend Mode and had their DialRods drop into their hands. The Heavenly Saint Weapons were tossed into the air and landed behind their respective duos; they continued to produce spiritual images of the five elemental Saints.

The Keeper looked up only to see that the ten had vanished. The earth began to shake at his feet as up rose a stone pillar with Makito and Xander perched atop. With Groungel posing along with them, they announced their names to the armies of the underworld.

"The roaring earth elements!" they yelled together.

"Warriors of Groungel!" said Makito.

"Green Magicians!" proclaimed Xander.

"Legend…MagiGreen!"

"Green Mystic Ranger!"

Necrolai saw a pink tornado blow by her side. When the wind had faded it revealed Houka and Vida, Wingel alongside them, readying for battle. A faint scent of sakura blossoms hung in the air as the two female warriors made their names known on this battlefield.

"The blowing wind elements!"

"Warriors of Wingel!"

"Pink Magicians!"

"Legend…MagiPink!"
"Pink Mystic Ranger!"

The lake exploded in a spray of water to reveal a stone platform hovering on its surface. Sunlight shone through the waves and created a rainbow behind Madison and Urara. Had Necrolai not been scared, it would've soothed the soul with its simple splendor and amazing strength of heart.

"The shaking water elements!"
"Warriors of Splagel!"

"Blue Magicians!"

"Legend…MagiBlue!"

"Blue Mystic Ranger!"

Morticon was nearly killed the sudden lightning strike in front of him. Sparks hovered around the two it had brought. Energy flowed through the bodies of the two magicians and charged them with emotion to the point where Chip was ready to enter battle at that very moment. But the formalities had to be done with first.

"The galloping thunder elements!"

"Warriors of Volgel!"

"Yellow Magicians!"

"Legend…MagiYellow!"

"Yellow Mystic Ranger!"

Koragg saw the earth split and a wall of fire appear before him. To his non-surprise, it contained Kai and Nick. Kai's fiery passion shone through brighter than ever before. Even Nick, usually stoic, appeared charged with courage he had taken on from his other self.

"The burning flame elements!"

"Warriors of Flagel!"

"Red Magicians!"

"Legend…MagiRed!"

"Red Mystic Ranger!"

A quick flash of multicolored light later and the ten stood atop the cliff in a line. Down the line they were arranged – Chip, Madison, Vida, Xander, Nick, Kai, Makito, Houka, Urara and Tsubasa. All fell silent. Kai and Nick stepped forward and spoke the final words before the battle began. Their voices were impassioned, confident and livelier than ever before.

"Overflowing courage and belief come together…" Kai began.

"The power of magic opens new horizons!" Nick finished.

"Power Rangers…Mystic Force!"

"Mahou Sentai…Magiranger!"

"We are…" spoke Kai and Nick with their hands in a fist.

"The Legendary Magicians!" A final, united stance was struck as a large Legend circle with a Mahou circle in its center shone behind the ten. Each duo snapped their fingers and charged into battle.

The Dragon Keeper pointed his staff forward. He yelled "ATTACK!"

Deep within the woods, the strongmen were engaging in heated combat. Makito had his DialRod ready; Xander had already transformed his Magi Staff to Axe Mode. Morticon slammed his sword, made of The Master's tooth, into the ground and sent a shockwave of energy forth. Makito jumped, dodged the attack, and called "Jiruma Majika!"

A vine from a nearby tree snapped Morticon's sword from his hand. Xander, the power of his Saint flowing through him, was at such a level of magical power he shocked Makito by using one of HIS spells. "Goo Majika!" Xander commanded, "For the safety of all – PLAN XANDER EARTH CRASH!" The Magi Staff Axe shone green with energy. Makito could swear he saw the Axe of Groungel imposed over it for a brief second.

Xander leapt into the air and slammed the axe against the ground. Rocks in all shapes and sizes rose from the ground, pointed their sharp ends at Morticon and flew at him full-force. The zombie cyborg's tough skin absorbed most of the attacks, but several of the points pierced his skin and sent dark liquid oozing across his body. Morticon cried out in pain.

"You will hear from me again, Green Magicians!"

"Not likely," Xander quipped, "Galwit Mysto Tryn!" A Saint circle, Mahou circle and Legend circle, all outlined in green, collided and trapped Morticon underground yet again. Xander and Makito turned back, snapped their fingers and declared together...

"Checkmate!"

Necrolai was surrounded by four magicians – the two Blues and the two Pinks. Vida waved her Magi Staff above her head. "Fairy Wings – go!" Her cape billowed outward into the gossamer wings and sent a tornado of wind in Necrolai's direction. Houka, as an electric fan, blew her in the other direction, right into a double-spray of water by Madison and Urara.

"Houka…" spoke Legend MagiPink.

"…and Urara Ozu!" finished Legend MagiBlue.

"Vida…" said the Pink Mystic Ranger.

"…and Madison Rocca!" added the Blue Mystic Ranger.

"Magical Sisters…" the four spoke as one, "Super Beautiful Attack Formation! Mysto Jii Luludo!"

Houka and Madison spun their DialRod and Magi Staff clockwise while Urara and Vida rotated theirs counterclockwise. They placed their weapons, tips aglow, together and thrust their arms outward. At the point where the staves met shot out a waterspout with a ribbon of pinkish-blue energy in the center.

The ribbon bound Necrolai tight as the waterspout pounded against her body. Her fingernails extended into claws just in time for her to cut herself free. The battle, however, had been exhausting. Necrolai, panting, turned to the four Rangers and shook her fist angrily. "You win this battle! But someday, I swear, I WILL get you for this!" Necrolai, in a flash of cold wind and dark energy, vanished to the underworld. The girls to hit the "Checkmate!" pose and celebrated joyously.

"Magi Staff, Crossbow Mode!"

"Goo Majiiro! DialRod Bow Gun!"

The Dragon Keeper was confronted with the Yellow Magicians. He held out his staff and chanted his own spell. "Mee Uzaara!" His staff was engulfed in an eerie green-black smoke and assumed the shape of a crossbow made from dark, gnarled wood. A black crystal topped the weapon. "Dragon Crossbow! Everything you can do, magicians, I can equal."

"MAGIBOLT!" Tsubasa held his DialRod Bow Gun to the sky and watched lightning gather at the firebird-head tip. The electrical energy was released in a powerful burst that the Keeper easily blocked with a shot from his own weapon. Chip fired a barrage of electrical bolts from his own crossbow, but they were to no effect.

"Dragon Arrow," spoke the Keeper coldly, "Fire." A black-green projection of the deadly beast fired from the bow and wrapped itself around Chip and Tsubasa. The grip was cold, compressing and draining. Had this been before the quest, it would've been enough to possibly finish off the two. But that wasn't the case. Chip's exuberant energy, like lightning, began to spark and broke him and his counterpart from the bind.

"YEEEEAH!" Chip screamed, "Take that!"

"How…how did you…do that?"

"COURAGE, BABY? Replied the Yellow Mystic Ranger, "Tsubasa, come on! Mysto!" he freed Tsubasa from the spell with a spark of lightning. The two Yellows moved into position. Chip held his Magi Staff Crossbow above his head and, like Xander before him, performed a spell well beyond his level. Tsubasa smiled happily under his visor.

"GOO MAJIKA! Lightning Storm!" Lightning spread across the Magi Staff Crossbow and Chips' body. For a brief second an image of the Bow of Volgel appeared over the Magi Staff, and Chip let loose with his attack. Lightning bolts extended from the tip of his weapon like the tendrils of a monster and crawled over the Dragon Keeper's body. The Keeper screamed in pain and muttered "Ryuu Ryujira!" just before he would've been terminated.

"Checkmate!" proclaimed the Yellow Magicians. They may not have defeated the Dragon Keeper yet, but they had won this round; that was good enough for them.

Nick and Kai were facing the powered-up Koragg on a distant rocky shore by the beach. Nick was going at the dark magician full-force, but Kai oddly held back. Nick jumped away from a "Wolf Attack!" launched from Koragg's shoulders and asked Kai why he wasn't as active as he had been in previous fights. The beach fell silent except for the crashing of the waves.

"If we are as alike as I suspect," Kai mused, "this 'Koragg' may be your father. We don't want to kill him."

"Are you talkin' craziness, Ozu?" Nick spat back, "There is no way Koragg is my old man!"

"Very well," Kai said, "If that is what you wish. MAAJI GOLU MAJIKA! BLAZING STORM!"

A fireball appeared at the tip of Kai's DialRod. He immediately threw the sphere outward at Koragg and watched the knight be blown away by the combustion that followed. Nick turned to Kai once more. "I think I did that once…" he said in shock, "it has a name? Blazing Storm?"
"Yes," Kai said, "My father's technique."

"But Koragg seems…different," Nick spoke, "I don't think it damaged him like it did before."

"And you'd be right," laughed Koragg as he stood up and pointed the tip of his blade at the two Red Magicians, "The Dragon Keeper himself has imbued me with a greater power than ever before. I can feel it within me. DRAGON ATTACK!" From his golden shoulder pads launched two purplish-blue dragon projections. Kai blocked one with his DialRod, but Nick, unable to dodge, took the second one to his chest.

"NICK!" Kai exclaimed, "Are you okay?"

"Koragg did this to me…" Nick breathed heavily, "I won't stand for that. As long as this magic is alive within me. As long as I believe. As long as I have courage. I CAN NOT LOSE!" Nick held his Magi Staff Sword outward and had his entire body engulf in flame. He leapt into the air and added to his war cry. "I SUMMON THE FIRE OF THE PHOENIX!"

Kai, sensing Nick's true acceptance of courage, followed. "Golu Golu Golu Majika!" he chanted. Kai and Nick's bodies merged together into a phoenix-shaped mass of scarlet flame that flew past Koragg to the words of "Red Fire Phoenix Storm!" Koragg's armor was charred. Some of his purple had worn off or changed to black beneath. He was down, but not beaten. Nonetheless, the Reds spoke the word of "Checkmate!"

All ten Rangers, Koragg, and the Dragon Keeper reunited at the cliff side where the battle had begun. Nick pointed a finger at the remaining soliders of the underworld. "You think you're so tough?" Nick laughed, "Well, who's the tough ones now, Koragg? Ozu, finish them. May as well let you guys get in one last hurrah before we have Udonna and Clare return you home."

"Arigatou, Nick," Kai nodded, "Nii-chan, nee-chan!" All dialed "2" on their DialRods and placed them in formation. The Ozu siblings chanted a spell they had done many times before.

"Jii Golu MagiBolt! LEGEND FINISH!" From the point where the five DialRods met came a beam of light tremendous in size. Koragg and the Keeper stood oddly calm. The beam struck and created an explosion around the two that no man could survive unscathed. Kai and his siblings turned around, snapped their fingers, and spoke their traditional "Checkmate!" They had done so too soon.

Koragg had absorbed the explosion into his fist and compressed it down to nothing. Xander, Vida, Madison, Chip and Nick gasped.

"HOW!" Chip asked.

"We're stronger than that," the Keeper explained, "It will take more than one team of magicians to defeat us."

"But how can we help?" Nick wondered, "We don't have half the experience the Magiranger do…"

Kai felt something rise in his heart. It was a familiar feeling. He looked down to see his DialRod sparkling with magical energy. The same was happening to the Mystic Rangers' Magi Staffs. Kai and Nick faced each other and spoke the same thing, albeit in different languages.

"Atarashii no jumon…"

"A new spell…"

"It's from Magitopia," Kai said, "for your courage to want to help us, even thought you didn't know how. Such courage must be rewarded."

"Then let's put it to use," Nick slammed his fist into his palm, "Everyone, one more time!"

The Magiranger dialed "2" while the Mystic Rangers swung their Magi Staffs in a circular motion. Kai and the others took their usual positions while Nick and his fellow Rangers took a spot in the formation opposite their counterparts. The bottom tips of five Dial Rods and five Magi Staffs were held close together. The new spell, borne of courage and heroism, sounded louder than any spell before it, and likely any spell that would follow.

"JII GOLU NERMAX MAGIBOLT!" The voice of the heavens echoed the spell in a slower, calmer tone. "Jii Golu Nermax MagiBolt…"

"SUPER…" Kai and Nick started.

"LEGEND FINISH!"

Another Mahou-circle-within-a-Legend-circle appeared behind the Rangers. Energy gathered in the center and burst outward. It had the shape of an "M", and when it struck Koragg and the Keeper both were sent flying backwards a great distance. They lay motionless on the bottom of the cliff. Silence covered the quarry, and then was broken by an explosion. The ten magicians struck a finishing stance.

"Finishing things earnestly! Magiranger!"

"Mystic Force!"

The Keeper and Koragg were still alive, though. The blast had left them greatly damaged, but not defeated. As they lay on the bottom of the cliff, the Keeper remembered what he had told Koragg earlier. Now was the time to use that secret.

The Keeper leaned towards Koragg's helmet and whispered something in his ear. Koragg dropped his sword to the ground and held his hand forward. Purple energy gathered in his fist. What he was doing was anyone's guess.

"UTHE RYU ULTIMAS!"

Koragg was immediately enveloped in a shroud of black energy. He lifted into the air and grew in size. The orb of black energy exploded into purple mist. When the mist faded away something terrifying stood in its place. It was a dragon, covered in golden plates of armor with wings made of purple flame. Its black-scaled head, a golden gem on its forehead and emotionless green eyes, along with Koragg's sword for a tail, made it a sight to behold.

"Ryuu Ryu Ryugaro!" the Keeper said as he leapt through a green Madou circle and ascended to giant size. He stood beside Koragg, laughed sinisterly, and explained what the dark knight had just undergone. "Magiranger…Mystic Force…what you see before you is the Dark Fury Dragon. Koragg, with the strength of one of these creatures, and me, are all that stand in your way. Prepare to be crushed into dust beneath our feet."

The Dark Fury Dragon opened its mouth and let loose a stream of purple flame. The Rangers rolled out of the way. Kai yelled "Jinga Golu Majuna!" to create a temporary shield. When the Rangers had found short-lived safety beneath the cliff side, their respective leaders told them the next move. Even without hearing it, everyone had an idea of where the fight was about to go.

"Titan time," Nick commented.

"We'll fight as MagiLegend," Kai commanded, "Now, let's go."

"Anyone not ready?" Xander questioned. Nobody responded. "Good."

Ten Rangers charged outward. Five Mystic Morphers and five DialRods aimed to the heavens to call upon the power of the Mystic Titans and the Majuu. The code "1-2-5" was entered on the Mystic Morphers. Kai dialed "3" on his DialRod while the rest dialed "4". Their next words rang out across the valley.

"Galwit Mysto Prifior!"

"Maaji Golu Majuulu!"

"Maaji Jiruma Golu Gogoolu!"