Ch. 41 A Festival of Epic Proportions
Ring~! Ring~!
The cellphone rang in the dark alley as the echoes bounced off the walls of the buildings. A tall man hid himself in the shadows from the people passing through. He checked his pocket and pulled out the device.
Ring~! Ring~!
*Beep!*
He listened resourcefully to his client.
"…Yes, I just arrived on Earth a while ago…" The stranger answered his superior. "…Thank you, sir…" Red, glittering eyes peeked out of the dark corners of the backstreets. They gathered near the stranger and crept up his legs. "…Don't worry, leave everything to me…" He grinned. "The target Golden Darkness couldn't kill…this sort of job isn't even worthy of a hit man."
Tonight was not like any other. It was the 45th Annual Sainan Fireworks Festival being held at Sainan Park. Small stands lined up across the pathways with vendors serving snacks and delicacies for people to enjoy. Some of the booths had games prepared and prizes lined up across the tents. Men were dressed in their casual wear with T-shirts and jeans. The girls, however, had on long yukatas with sashes wrapped around their waists. The park was lively and people were having a good time. There were two girls, in particular, who were playing at one of the booths. One had her yellow hair in two pig-tails wearing a black yukata with orange leaf patterns going around her dress. Her friend had one with light-pink petals on a blue yukata. The sash around her waist had yellow strings keeping the ensemble in place. She ate her corn dog while watching her friend fail at the game for the third time.
"Ahh—" Mikan sighed. "It ripped." Yami looked through the small hoop in her hand. The thin paper tore in the center.
"…This is difficult," Yami realized.
"Yami-san's just too powerful." Yami tried again to scoop the goldfish.
"WAAAAAAA~~!" A girl nearby jumped with joy. Yami looked over to Haruna and Oshizu cheering on Rito at the goldfish scooping game. Like her, the girls were also wearing their yukatas. Haruna being purple with a flower where her clip goes and Oshizu with her white yukata keeping her style as a spirit.
"That's great, Rito-kun!" Haruna clapped.
"Rito-san!" Oshizu counted. "That makes your 8th one!"
"It's no big deal," Rito laughed. The girls flattered him with his skill. Yami watched in distaste.
The next booth consisted of small figurines standing on shelves of different rows. Yami readied her rings and tossed each one.
Clack! Clack!
The rings bumped against the prizes and fell to the floor.
"GAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The vendor laughed. "Well~~ Too bad, little lady! Here's a consolation prize!" He gave it to Yami. "A tissue box!" Yami eyed it…unamused.
I don't need this…Yami thought.
"KYAAAAA—!" Oshizu cheered again. "You're a master of the hoops!" Kurumu winked.
"Ya-hoo-hoo!" She smiled. Her white yukata fluttered after her jump for joy. Rito tried not to stare in her direction. "It's all in the wrist~!" Her tail playfully spun a ring around the tip. Her small fortune consisted of stuffed animals including a Magical Girl Kyouko figurine.
"You have so many!" Haruna pointed out. Yami stared blankly.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
The toy rifles fired off. And the winner being...
"Waaaaah~!" Oshizu cheered. "You did it!" Rito rubbed the back of his head.
"If you grab the concept, then even a kid..."
SNAP!
Yami broke her rifle in half.
"I see..." Yami spoke. "So, you're saying I'm worse than a child, huh...?" Rito froze in fear. "As expected of my target." The winner jumped off the counter and approached the vendor.
"Pika!" Jolt raised his arms and took the stuffed kitten as his prize. He noticed Yami staring at him. "...Pi?" She turned around and walked away.
"What's wrong with Yami-chan?" Haruna asked.
"She's just being a sore loser," Kurumu assumed. Mikan shoved at Rito's side.
"Rito..." She whispered. "You need to read the atmosphere."
"Right..." Rito realized. Oshizu turned around.
"Ah!" She smiled. "It's Lala-san!"
"Rito~~~!" Lala cried. Rito turned around. She came running in her white yukata and pink hair tied into a pony-tail. Her dress had pink roses scattered in patterns and her green sash enveloped her waist with a small brooch on her right hip. "Thanks for waiting!" Rito witnessed her beauty as his heart skipped a beat.
"Hey, Lala!" Kurumu walked up to her. She eyed her friend up and down. "Looking good, girl~."
"Lala-san!" Haruna admired Lala's apparel as well. Jolt looked around.
"Pikachu?"
"Oh yeah, I thought Raimundo was supposed to be here with Nana and Momo?"
"Well," Lala giggled earnestly. "Those three said they were impressed by Earth's Festival…so they said they'd look around themselves. They'll meet up with us when the fireworks start."
"I see," Mikan rationalized the situation. Rito stood idly by as the girls talked.
Wh…When she wears a yukata, even Lala seems more ladies-like…Rito blushed. My heart started racing…
"Where are Yui, Risa, and Mio?" Lala asked. "You did invite them, didn't you?"
"Risa and Mio had other plans…" Haruna explained. "Kotegawa-san called me and said she'd be a little late."
"Hmm…" Rai eyed each delicious snack available in front of his eyes. "I'll take this…" Rai bought a banana from one vendor. He jumped to the next booth. "One of those…" He took a cone with blue, fluffy cotton candy. Rai noticed a dodongo vendor with red, white, and green balls stacked on one another. "Oh yeah, definitely need that."
"Uh…" Momo tried to interrupt Rai's shopping spree. "Raimundo-san…"
"Huh?" Rai quickly turned around with food in his arms. "What's up?"
"YOU'RE BLOWING YOUR MONEY ON NOTHING BUT FOOD!" Nana yelled. The three had just arrived at the festival entrance. Rai had on his usual apparel, except for the tool belt and scythe with him. The twins were in their yukatas. Nana had her dark, blue kimono with pink flowers just rising above her knees and an orange sash. Her hair was tied into a small pony-tail thanks to a black bow atop her head. Momo had her pink kimono with rosy flowers and a purple sash stretching just above her ankles. Her hair fitted to the side like a small bun rounded by yellow roses. Standing beside Momo was the young Celine in a small yellow kimono with a red sash around her little body. She held Momo's hands to avoid getting lost.
"Mauuu~!" Celine's mouth drooled at Rai's haul.
"…Oh…" Rai finally realized. "Haha, my bad." The girls sweat dropped. "What can I say, I felt like a kid in a candy store. I mean look at this!" Rai held up his snacks. "You got caramel apples, bananas with chocolate, cotton candy, I don't know what this is; a shish kabob? But you can't let stuff like this pass you by!" He handed Nana the cotton candy and Momo the chocolate banana. Rai bent down and gave Celine the shish kabob.
"Mauu!" Celine hastily ate the meal.
"Oh, thank you~!" Momo smiled.
"Consider it thanks for earlier." Rai winked. Nana huffed while chewing on her cotton candy.
Hmph, Nana shook her head. Look at him, flaunting over Momo because she acts so innocent. Rai noticed Nana pouting behind Momo. He quickly went to grab a souvenir at the nearby booth. Momo looked to her sister.
"Is everything alright, Nana?" she asked.
"It's nothing," Nana responded harshly.
"Yo!" Rai walked back over to the girls. They immediately stared at Rai in his new façade. His face was a grumpy, green ogre with large tusks, a round nose, and lazy eyes. "Have any of you ladies seen my donkey?"
"…" The girls paused.
"MAUUUU~~~!" Celine laughed at Rai and his antic. Nana couldn't help but start giggling.
"Pfft—HAHAHAHAHA!" Nana burst out laughing. "That face looks ridiculous!"
"It really does suit you~!" Momo chuckled. Rai rubbed his plastic nose.
"Dane Cook, eat your heart out," he boasted.
"The fireworks will start soon!" Mikan announced. The group arrived at the roof of a building near the festival. Yami leaned over next to the exit. There was a perfect view of the night sky and the entire park.
"Heh~~!" Lala gazed at the ground below. "You seem to know this place well~~~Mikan!"
"Rito and I found this place together a long time ago. Since nobody really knows about it, we can see the fireworks pretty well from up here."
"Pika~~!" Jolt smiled as he stood on the handrail. Rito headed for the stairway.
"Hmm?" Kurumu turned to him. "Where are you going? They're about to start."
"I'm just going to get drinks for everybody," Rito answered.
"…" Yami turned her head.
"Want me to give you a hand?" Oshizu offered.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Rito exited the rooftop.
Bing~!
Rito exited the small shop. He carried the drinks and snacks in a plastic shopping bag.
"That's right!" Rito realized. "I wonder…if I buy Yami some taiyaki that would lighten her up." Rito continued strolling back to the festival. The lanterns hung over his head.
*Whish*
A silent breeze stirred the small strings.
*Whish*
Thin threads slowly tangled around his neck. "Eh?"
*Squeeze!*
"UGAA!" The strings coiled until Rito's head tried to separate from his body. He dropped the shopping bags on the sidewalk. Wh…What's this…thread…!?
"Finally, you're separated from the girls…" A man's shallow voice echoed in the darkness. "I detest the sound of a woman's shriek."
A man's voice…Rito tried pulling the string away.
"If I don't hold back, your head will come off…"
*Tighten!*
"AAAGUUUU!" The strings gripped around his flesh.
Slash! Slice! Slice! Slash!
A steel blade hacked away the threads.
"FUUUAAAA!" Rito gasped for air after being freed from constriction. The blade sheathed into a hand as the golden-haired kimono girl descended. "Ya…Yami!?"
"I've had this uneasy feeling of being watched from the shadows for a while now…" Yami spoke as she scanned the area. "Is Yuuki Rito who you're after…?" She held the torn thread in her palm. "I don't know where you are, but you have some guts…getting your hands on my target."
"Hoo…" The shadow man grinned. Golden Darkness…His sinister eyes gazed at his rival. "Well, well…what kind of wind blew you here?"
"I'm only going to say this once." Yami lowered her eyes. "Yuuki Rito is my target."
"Ohh…That's funny. So, the Golden Darkness had fallen in the end. After you failed to assassinate him, I was hired to take over." Rito and Yami searched for the man hiding in the darkness. "Oh well. If you get in my way, I'll just have to eliminate you, too~."
"Show yourself first, and then we'll see about that."
"Fufu…Unfortunately, this is how I fight…"
"So, you're a coward."
"I'm not that easily provoked, Golden Darkness…" Rito felt a chill as the fight was about to begin.
KA-BOOM!
The fireworks went off in the night sky. The barrage of colors scattered across the festival. From the flashing scenery came an entanglement of threads pursuing Yami.
Slash! Slice! Slice! Slash!
"OWAAA!" Rito managed to avoid the onslaught while keeping a safe distance with his ally.
Swish!
One thread ripped Yami's left shoulder.
…These threads aren't normal, she discovered.
"Whoa!" A man shouted. A couple came approaching from up the street. "What's that!?"
"What's going on?" His date asked.
*Grab!*
Yami grabbed Rito's shirt.
*DASH!*
"OWAAAAA!" With Rito held tight, she quickly went running toward the festival.
"What's this?" The shadow man questioned. "Running away? My threads will follow you no matter where you go!"
"Ya…Yami!" Rito shouted past the rushing wind. "What are you doing!?"
"If we stay here, others will get involved and be killed…" Yami explained. "If that were to happen, then the trouble the people went through for the fireworks would be ruined." Rito was surprised how much Yami was concerned.
Yami…you…
Whish! Slash! Slice!
Yami hacked away the trailing strings. As Yami continued down the path, little dark creatures scuttled behind.
Clack, Clack, Clack…
Yui walked around the festival in her light-purple kimono with purple flowers. Her hair was tied in a tangled bun with a pink sash around her waist. In her hand, she carried a small bag.
"The fireworks have already started…" She scolded herself. "Why did it take me three hours to get ready…?"
"Oh!" She heard Rito's voice in her head. "You look great in that, Kotegawa!" She blushed.
Ah! Yui knocked on her head. What am I thinking!
"Waa~!" Nana looked into the sky. "The fireworks are so beautiful. Just like big sis said!" Yui turned to the four. Nana, Momo, Celine, and Rai were together watching the fireworks going off. They immediately recognized Yui. "Oh?"
"Hey!" Rai twirled his water ball. "Look who showed up!" Nana tried remembering her name.
"Cokegawa!" Nana remembered.
"It's Kotegawa!" Yui corrected.
"Mauuu~!" Celine waved at her.
"That's right, Kotegawa-san," Momo reasoned with her. "Do you want to join us?"
"We were just heading out to see the fireworks." Rai added. "I think the others are waiting."
"Uh, sure," Yui agreed. After getting a second look, she realized Rai had on some souvenirs. He wore a green ogre mask over the right side of his head and a white headband with a red dot on his forehead. In one hand, he held a bouncing water balloon with a strap around his index finger. The other hand held a caramel apple on a stick. "You seem to be having a good time."
"Don't be hatin'." Rai bit off a large chunk from the apple.
"I'm sorry," Momo apologized. "We got caught up in the games, and Rai wanted to try the food."
"Ah…I don't mind," Yui assured. Nana chewed on a large piece of cotton candy.
Geez, she moaned. Damn that Momo…Always acting like she's the good kid.
"HEEEEEEEEEEY!" A voice cried. Everyone turned around. "Kotegawa, Momo, Rai, Nana~~~~~!" From out of the blue came two of their friends.
"Rito-san…?" Momo realized the boy.
"Yami?" Rai noticed the girl.
"IT'S DANGEROUS!" Rito yelled. "MOVE IT~~~~~!"
Whish! Whish! Whish!
The flying thread aimed right at the two.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Yami sliced away the invisible projectiles.
"WAA!" Nana screamed. The others stepped away from the scenario. The two ran off into the park.
"Wha…What was that!?" Yui asked.
"They were being attacked by someone…" Momo presumed. Rai looked at the ground.
"What the…?" He stared. Small creatures scattered between their feet.
*Shine!*
Rai's right pocket glowed bright red. …Shit! He shoved his things to Yui. "Here, hold these!"
"Huh!?" Yui panicked. "What are you doing!?"
"I gotta get to work!" Rai turned to Nana and Momo. "I'm gonna need some backup." Nana and Momo nodded.
"Right!" Momo agreed. They followed Rai. "Sorry, Kotegawa-san!" Yui stood by herself with Rai's gifts.
"Hey, wait!" Yui cried out. She looked down at the small child.
"Mauuu~!" Celine smiled. Yui sweat dropped.
KA-BOOM! KA-BOOM! KA-BOOM!
The fireworks blasted in the night sky. Yami and Rito made their way into the woods away from the festival.
"Shit!" Rito caught his breath. "Why is this happening…?"
"…I remember now," Yami spoke. "A rumor about an assassin who uses threads from his body to manipulate the arms and legs of his target. His code name…is Ranjula."
"…Ranjula?"
"I'm honored that you know of me…" The shadow man answered.
"Why are you after me!?"
"Fuu…It'S My JoB…" A herd of spiders scuttled out of the trees. They immediately surrounded Yami and Rito into a tree behind them.
"…!" Yami noticed their glowing red eyes.
*Push!*
Yami shoved Rito aside.
She…protected me…Rito watched Yami take the hit.
Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew!
The webbing latched to Yami's legs and wrapped them around the old tree.
"Yami…!" Rito completely eyed the position Yami was in. Her arms and legs were stretched apart while exposing the underside of her kimono. "UWAAAA!" Thankfully for Rito, Yami had her underwear on.
"Hide!" Yami ordered.
"Eh?"
Splat! Splat! Splat!
"UGAAA!" The spiders launched their webbing from the tree onto Rito's neck. They shoved him forward on Yami. His head was now stuck to Yami's sash and his arms were holding up Yami's legs. She glared away from Rito's incompetence.
"Yu…Yuuki Rito…You're…very stupid…"
"So…Sorry…" Rito sweat dropped.
"Ahaha!" The shadow man laughed maniacally. "Such a shameful form…" Yami watched as the spiders started crawling on the sticky threads. "You really are horrible at fighting when trying to protect someone, Golden Darkness…!" Yami felt their small legs creeping onto her arms. Rito felt the creatures crawling up his pants.
This is bad~~! Rito and Yami were defenseless.
The fireworks finally died down. Mikan continued redialing on her cellphone.
"He's late…" Haruna informed the others. "I wonder if something happened to Yuuki-kun."
"He's not answering his cellphone either…" Mikan noted. "Seriously, Rito, what are you doing?"
"I'll go look for him!" Lala offered.
"I better go too," Kurumu suggested.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" A sinister laugh came from above. "That's not necessary, my lovely Lala!"
"W-What was that voice?" Oshizu looked around frantically for the source.
"I think I've heard that voice before somewhere..." Lala suggested.
"By now, the assassin I've hired should have killed Yuuki Rito!" A large body came falling from the sky.
"Assassin!?"
BOOM!
A massive beast dropped down on top of the doorway. The creature looked like a giant-green frog with huge lips and two round antennas on its head. It bore a large helmet with matching shoulder guards of steel. The chest plate, arm gauntlets, and leg guards clasped over its bulging body. Standing atop the amphibian was a proud ruler with a mischievous purple grin. His pointed ears stuck out from underneath his round, green hat in the shape of a pumpkin. Around his neck was an embroider flannel with a long blue coat and a red cape. Unfortunatley, all that pride couldn't make up for his "diminutive" stature.
"AHAHAHAHA~~~~" The green ruler laughed. "It's been a while, my precious Lala!" Lala gasped for the returning evil king.
"LACOSPO!?" She yelled.
"…Who?" Mikan asked. The other girls didn't know him either.
"What are you doing here?"
"Ahaha~~!" Lacospo laughed with glee. "As usual, my precious Lala is so cute~~!"
"What's with the talking broccoli?" Kurumu questioned.
"He is one of Lala-sama's suitors from before!" Peke explained. "He's also the perpetrator who hired Golden Darkness to kill Rito-dono!" The girls grew worried.
"Pika!" Jolt yelled at the frog.
"Lacospo!" Lala ordered. "Don't tell me you hired another assassin to kill Rito…!"
"That's right!" Lacospo answered. "This assassin is very strong~~! Thanks to a little help, it's going to be the end for Yuuki Rito now!"
"And what exactly?" Kurumu pointed to the invader. "You think we're gonna lose to some frog prince?"
"I don't think it's me you should be worrying about. You see, Golden Darkness is trying to save that brat even as we speak."
"Pika?" Jolt wondered.
"But…" Lacospo grinned with sharp teeth. "It doesn't look like she's a match for this assassin!"
Yami-chan is…! Lala realized the situation.
The spiders continued spinning their webs around Yami. Her arms were already cocooned in a thick casket while her legs were being twiddled along with Rito's torso.
"Fufufu…" The assassin chuckled in the shadows. "How does it feel to be a captured prey, Golden Darkness…?" The trees were staring at the two with their beady red eyes. "Those threads can't be easily removed. You're naïve if you think you can rip apart my little webs." Rito struggled to free himself from Yami.
"Da…Damn!" Rito pulled with all his strength. Our…Our bodies are stuck together and won't come apart! Rito tugged his face away from Yami's dress. Her kimono began to unfurl.
"Yu…Yuuki Rito…" Yami warned him. "Please stay close and don't move so much."
"Eh?" Rito blinked with his one good eye. "Bu…But if we stay like this…"
"It's okay…there isn't a hint of any danger in this situation."
"Hoo…" The shadow man mocked her. "You shouldn't talk so big when you're in that state. As long as you don't know my location, what can you do to me? What you can do is wait for me to cut you up; piece by piece!" The spinning threads came whirling onto Yami and Rito. "ThIs Is ThE eNd FoR aN AsSaSsIn WhO iSn'T aBlE tO sHeD eMoTiOnS!" The two braced for the lashing. "FUHA-HAHAHAHAHA!"
SLICE!
The tree branch below the man fell apart. The man stumbled over, but landed quickly on the ground. A…An attack!? He stared over to Yami and Rito's position. They were still bound by the webbing. Impossible…! How did she know where I was…!?
"Playing hide-and-seek, huh?" A man called out. From the trees stood a tall figure with a cutter over his right shoulder. In his other hand was his black smartphone with a Devilukian symbol projected on the screen. The man recognized him as one of his customers from earlier.
"You!?" The apple vendor recalled. His identity revealed a white shirt, headband, blue pants, and open-toed sandals.
"Yeah," Rai scratched his head. "It's not really hiding if you're gonna give yourself away." He jumped down toward the man. He looked over at Yami and Rito. "You two alright?"
"Y-Yeah," Rito answered. Yami looked at Rai knowing he would come.
"Good to know." He looked back at the vendor. "Listen, we can settle this the easy way…" He pointed the scythe at him. "…or the hard way. It's your call." The vendor smiled.
"Do you really think I wouldn't be prepared for a surprise attack?" He told his enemy. "Just because you stopped me doesn't mean you will be able to defeat my army of web designers." The spiders rejoined around the vendor in a circle. One by one, they coated his body until his skin and clothes no longer appeared visible. He was now a walking, dark figure with thousands of red eyes and shifting insects.
"…That's just gross." In a split second, the figure disappeared as well as the spiders. Rai readied for combat. "Where did he—?" Rai felt a sudden chill.
["Behind you!"]
Rai turned around.
Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew!
Hundreds of fluids went spewing out from the leaves to their prey below. He quickly tumbled behind a tree for cover. Rai tapped his phone's screen and listened into the earpiece on his left ear.
"Thanks for the save."
["No problem~!" Momo replied.]
"Hey Momo," Rai spoke. Momo finished her message and closed her device.
"Hmm?" Momo replied. "What's wrong?"
"You're kinda good with technology like Lala is, right?"
"Well, I may not be able to build complicated machinery, but I can maybe make some smaller inventions. Is there something you need me to build?" Rai checked his pockets from his pants. He held out his burnt smartphone with a missing battery.
"You think you can give this phone an upgrade?" Momo took the phone and examined the contents.
"...It looks pretty advance to be a cellphone." Momo noticed the screen without having any buttons to push except for the lower-middle button and the sides for power and volume control. "But, it may take some time to repair. It should be ready within a week."
"Awesome!" Rai lifted himself from the bed. "I really appreciate it!"
"No problem~!" Momo smiled. Rai was about to leave the room.
"Oh yeah!" He looked to Momo. "Can you put one more thing in it?"
"Like what?" Momo tilted her head.
Rai looked around. In an open area of the forest, he saw the yellow daisy growing out of the ground. Instead of a brown center for the seeds, there was a large eyeball watching him from afar.
"Did you get a glimpse where he went?"
"I'm not sure," Momo responded. Momo had settled just behind the goldfish scooping station with her D-dial. She stared into a sunflower with the center projecting a round screen of Rai ambushed behind a tree. "He must be using the trees to hide himself like he did before." A group of spiders lowered over Rai. "Get out of there!"
"Whoa!" Rai rolled and ran toward the left. The creatures swung from tree to tree with their webbing. "Man, I hate bugs..." At the same time, long threads came whipping out at Rai in front. "Crap!" He jumped and narrowly missed being sliced apart.
SLICE! SLICE! SLICE!
A portion of trees cut to pieces in seconds. They tumbled to the ground.
"Raimundo!" Rito yelled. The open area revealed a straight path to Yami and Rito.
"I'm taking it!" Rai dashed for the two.
"Rai!" Momo warned him. "Don't do it!"
"I know, but maybe…!"
Splat! Splat! Splat!
The spiders locked Rai's legs to the ground. Rai sliced away a handful of creatures into dark smog. He stood trapped nearly a few feet away from the others. He checked his tool belt and pulled out his steel cutters. "Guys!" He tossed it. Rito reached out to grab them.
*Poke!*
"OWW!" Rito felt the pincers bounce on his end.
Ka-chunk!
The handle landed on his head. Rito sighed as his safety was assured. "Phew!"
Ka-chunk!
The cutters slid from his head and into Yami's kimono. "…Uh…"
"…Don't you say a word," Yami ordered. "Just grab them." Rai swatted away the remaining spiders that drew in close.
"If he's hiding in the trees, we can lure him out with a fire," Rai suggested.
"You can't!" Momo advised. "A wildfire might spread and endanger everyone else in the festival!"
"Well, if you have any ideas, I'm all ears!"
"AHAHAHAHA!" The vendor echoed in the forest. "You can't simply brush away my army that easy!"
Whappah! Whappah!
The threads immediately latched Rai's arms and stretched them apart. They locked him in place unable to move his appendages. The spiders appeared from the trees and began webbing him from the legs up.
"Soon, you will be joining Golden Darkness and his little target as a life-size carcass!"
["There has to be another way!" Momo rationalized.]
"I either need some bug spray or a boot, because brushing these things away isn't working!" Rai told her. Spiders continued piling up on Yami and Rito.
Swat! Swat!
Yami swatted away some of the bugs with her golden hair. Her remaining strands formed to blades to cut the webbing. It was already too thick to slice through.
"They won't stop coming!" Rito warned him. He kept using his teeth to dig into Yami's shirt and grab the cutter. Rai moved his fingers until the rod of his scythe hit the ground.
Burning the park is too dangerous…Rai thought. …But doing this is probably worse…
"It's the end for all of you!" The vendor declared.
"Nope…" Rai disagreed. He tapped the scythe on the ground. "Just you." A green light began enveloping Rai. "SOUL BREAKER!"
WHO-OO-OOOOOOSH!
Yami and Rito were blinded by the pillar that shot into the sky. The crowd of people glanced at the immense light believed to be part of the festival. The bugs gazed in awe as the vendor stared from a tree nearby.
"W-W-What is this!?" He demanded. Rito and Yami watched Rai appear from the transformation. However, he was not the same person they were familiar with. His eyes were cold and angry. His face had a scar over his eye and unkempt, facial hair. His clothes were rugged and leather completing his style of aggresive. He looked over at the tons of bugs swarming around them. His arms and legs were still bound by the thread and webbing.
"…You fucking kidding me?" Rai asked. He strung the thread in his hands and tightened his grip. "I was expecting more of a challenge." He pulled with all his might until the thread pulled in.
SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! SLICE!
A complete path of trees sliced apart into stumps. The spiders stopped and slowly backed away. He turned to Yami and Rito still bound by the webbing. Rito had the cutters finally in his mouth, but they fell as his mouth dropped. Rai pulled out his rapier and removed the netting from his feet. Yami kept her guard up; glaring at the stranger's intentions. "…You want out or not?" He spun the rapier at the chain.
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
With a spinning propeller, he chipped away every piece of webbing from the captured kids. Yami landed on her feet while Rito fell face first into a small group of critters.
"Thanks…" Rito moaned.
"…" Yami looked at Rai in his new form. He noticed her stare.
"…You done looking?" He answered annoyed. "We're not done yet." The bugs quickly crawled into the darkness and eyed the enemy from afar.
"The man can be anywhere in the forest," Yami examined the area. Rai grinned.
"Then let's clear him out." Rai sheathed his rapier into the side of his belt. He stood at attention and waited for the chance to strike. The bugs all readied to fire their webs at once.
"They're gonna attack!" Rito panicked. Rai didn't flinch.
Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew! Spew!
The spiders aimed at the three. Rai opened his eyes. He raised his fist high and plunged it straight into the ground.
"STORM RELEASE!"
WHO-OO-OOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHHHHHH!
An explosive wave radiated out from Rai in an outward direction. The raging winds expanded out, blowing away anything that wasn't bound to the ground. Yami quickly wrapped Rito with her hair before he went flying. The trees in the park lost their leaves along with the spiders. Once the wind subsided, the entire park was now a desolate land of trees with branches. In the corner of Rai's eye, he saw the man standing on a bare branch. He grinned. "…Gotcha."
"Shit!" The vendor gritted his teeth. He turned around and tried to make a quick getaway. Rai pulled out his rapier and threw it at the man.
Ka-Chow!
"WHAAAA!?"
Thump!
The man fell to the grass below. The rapier bound itself about his ankles. He struggled to break free. "Damn it!" He stared back at Rai who slowly walk over. How did he manage to clear out the entire forest!? He didn't say anything about fighting against an opponent this powerful! It's like…I'm the prey! Rai smiled as he approached.
"The itsy-bitsy spider crawled up the water spout~…" Rai sang in low key. The man pulled out his threads and attacked.
"Don't you look down on me!"
*Grasp!*
Rai grabbed his arm. He twisted his wrist and located the device attached on his triceps. The thread seeded out from the device to a lazy pile on the ground. He pulled it off.
"Down came the rain and…"
Crush!
"…the spider out~." Rai crumpled the device with his bare fist. The pieces seeped through his hands. He cracked his knuckles. "Out came the sun and dried up all the rain~." Rai's shadow loomed over the assassin. In the moonlight, his expression turned to fear as Rai's green eyes looked down on him. "And the itsy-bitsy spider…" He held the cutters and moved them closer to his fingers. "Never…climbed…again~~…"
"NO! NO! NO-OO-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
CHOMP!
"GHAAAAAAAAA!" The assassin froze in fear while his lower half became devoured by a large Venus flytrap. The plant chewed and savored the man's taste.
"A man-eating plant!?" Rito blinked.
"He's my friend~!" Momo intervened. "My plan was to help you bring the assassin into custody, but…" She looked at Rai. His arms were folded and looking away. "It doesn't look like I was that much help was I?"
"…" Rai turned to her. "…You did okay." He moved on and stuck his arm into the plants mouth. He pulled the man out along with his rapier.
"…No," Yami disagreed. She looked to Rai. "Thanks to her, this ended without having to stain my hands with pointless bloodshed." Rai smiled.
"Pfft, whatever. I got more important things to do." Rai grabbed the assassin by the collar and held him straight to his face. "You." The man grimaced with fright. "Tell us where your boss is…or we're going to find out how much apples I can shove down your throat before you stop breathing…"
"NOW!" Lacospo shouted. "ATTACK, MY PRECIOUS GAMA!"
"CROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAK!" The frog moaned.
SPLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSHHHHHH!
The large creature vomited a green liquid at Oshizu.
"GYAAAAAAAAA!" She shrieked. "Uhn?" Oshizu realized the upper portion of her dress was being dissolved. Her torso was revealed.
"Oshizu-chan!?" Lala cried. Oshizu quickly covered herself.
"HIE-EE-EEEEEEEEEEE!" She jumped out of her body. "What is this!?"
"Erogama's mucus conveniently only melts away clothing!" Peke informed her.
"What kind of monster does that!?" Kurumu asked.
SPLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSHHHHHH!
Erogama spurted out more of his green slime. Mikan was in range.
"Mikan, look out!" Haruna cried.
SPLASH!
Haruna's lower half was drenched in the gunk. The skirt from her kimono was now melted and exposing her upper thigh. "HYAAAAAAAA!"
"Haruna-san!" Mikan cried.
"Hey!" Lala pointed to the selfish king. "Make it stop, Lacospo!"
"HAHAHAHA!" Lacospo laughed as he jumped off his minion. "Until I stay 'Stop', he just won't quit~~!" His grin grew dark and sinister. "If you want me to stop him, then you'll have to marry me!"
"Let's cut him down to size," Kurumu suggested. Kurumu shot her wings from her kimono and took to the air.
"OHOHO~~!" Lacospo eyed Kurumu with desiring eyes. "I can't wait to see how you look~~!" Erogama aimed his slime at Kurumu.
SPLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSHHHHHH!
Kurumu rolled from the incoming slime. As the slimy projectile streamed across the sky, a rain of toxic fell over the kids. The kimonos were beginning to sizzle.
"KYAAA!" Oshizu cried.
"Damn it!" Kurumu winced. "It's getting everywhere!" She hurried in and drilled straight into the frog's chest plate.
VVVVVVRRRRRRRRRRRRRMMMM!
Her claws just barely grazed the surface of his steel armor.
"CROOOOAAAK!" The frog moaned. He brought his arm up and swatted the girl away.
WHAM!
Kurumu tumbled in the air until she regained her balance. She looked at the sleeves of her yukata. They evaporated to her shoulders.
"HEY! I JUST BOUGHT THIS!"
"HAHA!" Lacospo laughed. "You're left wide open~~!" The frog fired another stream of slime.
"Kurumu-san!" Oshizu cried.
"CHUUUUUUU!"
BZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTT!
The lightning bolt intersected the slime. It trailed its way back to Erogama.
BZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTT!
"CROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAK!" The giant croaked in pain.
"M-My precious Gama!" Lacospo looked at the small rat standing before his mighty creature. "How can a rat pierce its defense!?"
"Pika!" Jolt yelled.
"J-Jolt!?" Mikan was surprised by Jolt's strength.
"We won't lose that easily!" Lacospo ordered. "Crush that insignificant pest!"
"CROOOAK!" The frog jumped into the air and leapt at the small target.
"Jolt!" Kurumu ordered. "Dodge it!"
"Pika!"
Zip!
BOOM!
The frog landed on the rooftop surface. The structure formed a crater where the frog stood. The frog looked around to find the defeated enemy. "CROOAK!?
"Pikachu!" Jolt rushed in from behind and leapt onto Erogama's back.
"Now!" Kurumu called out. "Give him a taste of your Thunderbolt!"
"Pika…" Sparks left his cheeks. "CHUUUUUUUUU!"
BBBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZTTTT!
The electricity surged through the frog's gooey and plated body. Erogama quickly tried to shake away Jolt from his back. The force threw Jolt straight into the air over the handrail.
*Latch!*
Jolt held on with his one paw to the ledge.
"Now, finish him!" Lacospo ordered.
"CROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAK!" The frog lashed out its tongue as a whip. It went straight for Jolt.
"Look out!" Lala cried.
STOMP!
Kurumu mashed her way on top of the tongue and dug it into the roof.
"I've had it with this pervert and his pet!" Kurumu demanded. Jolt scurried back onto the building.
"Pika!" Kurumu grabbed the end of the tongue and flew straight at Erogama. She circled around him stretching the tongue as she went. Once his tongue expanded to the max, she slipped through the back and tightened the hold on the frog. Her kimono was almost dissolved; She kept her right arm over her chest.
"What did Rai call it?" Kurumu thought for a moment. She smiled. "Oh yeah…Wild Charge!"
"Pika!" Jolt went running for Erogama. "Pikapikapikapikapikapikapikapika…" The electricity engulfed its body. "PIKA!"
BAM!
"CROOOOOOOAAAAAAK!" The frog took a direct hit. With one strike, t blasted itself into the rooftop exit.
"NOOOO!" Lacospo cried. "MY PRECIOUS GAMA!" His rage only grew more. "Fine! If I can't have you, then I'll take one of these girls as my lovely wives~~!" Kurumu and Jolt huffed as their strength started diminishing. The others had almost lost their dresses entirely.
"What a coward!" Peke stated.
"As I thought, that's what your goal is…" Lala scowled at Lacospo.
"DON'T LISTEN TO WHAT HE'S SAYING, SIS!" Nana shouted. Everyone turned to the edge of the building. Over the handrail stood Nana in mid-air.
"Nana!"
"The rare animal, Erogama, am I right?" Nana held the D-dial in her hand.
"Huh?" Lacospo looked frightened for a minute. "You are indeed my precious Lala's little sister…"
"That's quite a rare species you've raised." Nana grinned. Nana's height suddenly grew. Rising from underneath came a massive cobra with razor fangs, red scales, white eyes, and a white underbelly. "This is my pet!" Its fork-tongue sizzled out from its mouth. "He's great, isn't he, Mr. Gama!" Lacospo's jaw dropped.
"Th-That's the Erogama's natural enemy! The Jairo Snake!" Nana jumped off her creature and approached the massive frog.
"Here, give me your hand~!" Gama did what he was told. He squeezed his hand around his tongue and shook.
"AAAAAHHHH!" Lacospo cried. "My Erogama! Why have you betrayed me~~!?"
"Lacospo!" Lala cried out. Lacospo turned to Lala now holding a small, yellow orb with a lit fuse. "Don't ever come back!" With an underhand swing, she tossed the bomb in his direction.
WHACK!
"OUUUUU!" The bomb latched three prongs on Lacospo's back. A small set of rockets popped out from below the bomb. It pulled Lacospo into the sky. "NOT AGAIN~~!"
KA-BOOM!
The bomb blasted into large bright lights. The second round of fireworks started up again. From the stairs came Rito, Yami, Rai, and Momo.
"Rito!" Lala cried. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, we're fine." Rito assured. "Rai and Yami saved me back there."
"I see, that's a relief~~." Lala sighed. Rito turned to them.
"Thanks guys."
"Hey," Rai, back to normal, patted Rito on the shoulder. "That's what friends are for."
"No need…" Yami disagreed.
I thought you'd say that…Rai and Rito thought.
"That's right…" Yami turned to Rai. "Now…please treat me to some Taiyaki." Rai smiled.
"Sure, no problem."
"...Fifty pieces." Rai sweated.
"Yeah...I'm kind of on a budget…"
The Sainan Firework Festival ended with everyone having a good time without anymore worry. Peke repaired the girls' clothing without asking for a refund. Yui managed to meet up with the others, but immediatley scolded Rai for leaving his belongings with her. That's where Yami realized what he meant by "budget". As the night drew to a close, the group began going their separate ways. It was only Rito and the rest of the household who was returning home. Jolt rested on Rito's shoulder while Celine slept in Momo's arms. Just as they approached the front gate, a blue haired girl was waiting patiently in her light-green kimono with a red sash around her waist.
"Eh?" Nana noticed her first. "Who is that?"
"A girl?" Rito saw her as well. Rai immediately recognized the familiar face.
"...Yume?" He spoke. Kurumu, Momo, Jolt, and finally Nana remembered the girl from before. They went to introduce themselves.
"Good evening!" Yume bowed. "I'm Kasamari Yume."
"Hello~!" Lala greeted her. "I'm Lala!" Yume smiled back.
"I'm sorry to be so forceful, Ms. Deviluke, but I was wondering if I can borrow Raimundo for a minute?" They stared at Rai.
"Rai?" Kurumu questioned.
"Are you two in a relationship~?" Momo asked curiously.
"It's actually not like that," Yume blushed.
"Oh," Rai was surprised about this. "Uh, sure." He stepped forward. "I'll meet you guys inside."
"Okay!" Lala agreed. Everyone else entered the house. Rai and Yume went to stroll around the block. Kurumu was the last to enter the house. She gave one last glance over her shoulder.
"I'm sorry to drag you out this late," Yume apologized. The two were walking down the alleyway. Streetlamps were guiding their path.
"Nah, it's all good," Rai assured. "Though, you caught me off guard. I wasn't sure you were going to show up. You mentioned it last time we talked."
"I did say that, didn't I?" Yume giggled. They came to a stop under a streetlamp. "…Rai…" She turned to him. "There's…something I need to tell you…"
"Really?" Rai's heart started beating. "...Is it important?"
"To me, it is…" She stared up at the full moon. "…Do you like this world?"
"Hmm?" Rai didn't follow. "Well, sure. It has nice people, a great culture, and some of the best food I might add." From behind, Rai could sense her smile fading. "Yume…?"
"…What if I told you…that you had to leave this place?"
"What do you—!?"
WHOOSH!
A black figure showed up between Rai and Yume. She raised her arm as her golden hair shimmered in the moonlight.
"You have no right in taking him anywhere," Yami ordered.
"Yami?"
"That's right!" Kurumu swooped in behind Rai. "He's not going anywhere!"
"Kurumu?" The two girls stared Yume down putting up their guard.
"If there's something you need to address, then let us hear it," Yami demanded.
"Wait!" Rai tried to break it up. "Don't just start attacking her like that! She's not the kind of person to—"
"Don't misunderstand the situation, Raimundo Ortega," Yami addressed. "I'm not here for your sake. It's the fact that this woman has hidden knowledge collected. Be it the location of your homestay, or that she addressed the princess by her last name."
WHISH!
Her hand turned into a blade. "The only ones that know of Princess Lala's existence are originally from across the galaxy."
"So, she's a spy then," Kurumu assumed. Her claws shot out.
"No, please!" Yume begged. "It's not like that!" Rai stepped in front of Yami and Kurumu.
"Alright, that's enough!" He ordered.
"Raimundo Ortega, you clearly don't see her as an eminent threat," said Yami. "Why?"
"Look, if she was trying to kill me, she would have done it already, right?"
"Yeah, but…" Kurumu speculated.
"Can we just hear her out?" The two girls thought it over. Kurumu wasn't pleased, but she was curious.
"Alright then. Spill it out." She pointed at Yume. "What do you want?"
"Thank you, Ms. Kurono." Yume bowed. "I've come here to warn you of a great disaster to befall this planet…" The three were blown away by her sudden outburst.
"A disaster?" Rai said confused. "What do you mean by that?"
"I'm not sure if you are prepared to stop it, but I must let you know before it's too late!"
"What is the source of this great disaster?" Yami asked.
"The great demon king…" She looked to them. "…Gid Lucione Deviluke."
Deep Space
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" Lacospo shouted in anger. His uniform was tattered and his frog was bruised and burnt to a crisp. He stomped around on the steel flooring demanding an answer from his comrade. "I ASSUMED YOU WERE GOING TO GIVE ME AN ASSASSIN TO KILL YUUKI RITO!" The tall figure turned around and looked down on the short king's temper tantrum. "WE HAD A DEAL!"
"I have yet to falsely provide inadequate information, Lacospo," The masked man answered. "Our agreement was that you aided me in locating the whereabouts of Lucione, whilst I retrieved a capable executer for your meaningless objective."
"And I still don't have my precious Lala!" The masked man returned to the computer monitor.
"The arrangement has been fulfilled. Our alliance is now concluded." Lacospo grew furious. He summoned his Erogama to attack the masked man.
"I'm not through with you yet!"
"CROOOOOOOAAAK!" The frog leapt at the enemy.
"..." The masked man turned around. He raised his left hand. In a shining red aura, the frog froze in mid-air. It flailed about trying to regain its footing. One flick sent Erogama hurdling toward Lacospo.
"WAAAAA!?"
CRASH!
Lacospo was unconscious with a giant frog wheezing on top of him. The bulky tyrant stepped forward and grabbed the two by the neck.
"What shall I do with these two?" Cyrus asked.
"Eject them with the rest of the disposable waste." The masked man commanded. He looked out the window to see the wide UFO approaching ahead. "The second phase will now commence."
Yuuki Household
The front door opened as Rai, Kurumu, and Yami entered the house. Lala and Momo greeted them.
"Welcome back~!" Lala cheered. Momo noticed the extra house guest.
"Yami-san?" she blinked. "What brings you here?"
"Nothing, really," Yami replied.
"We just passed by on the way home," Rai improvised.
"I don't know about you, but I'm turning in for the night," Kurumu stretched.
"Yeah, me too." The two readied to head upstairs.
"Hold on!" Nana cried. Everyone looked to her and Mikan. "I just got a message from Zastin!"
"Eh?" Lala looked surprised. "Really?" Rai, Kurumu, and Yami looked at one another. They weren't too thrilled about it. Everyone walked over to the living room. Jolt jumped over on the table in front of Rito.
"Huh?" Rito saw everyone enter the room. "What's going on?"
"We're gonna found out," Rai answered. Nana placed a metallic sphere next to Jolt. She then pulled out her D-dial and pressed the center key. In the air, a blue, digital screen appeared over the sphere. The light projected from the sphere broadcasted an image of Zastin from the head down to his shoulders. He sternly stared at everyone.
"Princess Lala…" Zastin reported. "I trust you are well with your housing accommodations."
"Zastin?" Momo questioned. "Is something wrong?"
"You seem more straightforward," Mikan realized. Zastin's expression didn't waver.
"I'm just performing a brief report for your father," Zastin complied. "For the time being, we will not be making contact with Earth."
"Why?" Nana asked. "What happened?"
"It appears there has been a strike initiated on Deviluke." Everyone jumped back. "Our defenses are to be on high alert until we find out who ordered the attack." Zastin's eyes glanced at the ground for a moment. "…Your highness, you and your sisters are to remain on Earth until further notice. That is all."
Bzzzt!
The screen logged out.
Zastin cricked his neck to the sides. When he glanced back down, he noticed the struggling commander tied up and a white towel wrapped around his mouth.
"Mgghhfffmmgg!" Zastin ordered. The imposter grinned. The face morphed into his true identity.
"The message was delivered," Cyrus announced. The masked man walked over to Cyrus. He tossed the heavy load over his shoulder to his feet. Gid Deviluke struggled to break free from the red chains that bound his arms and legs.
"WHAT ARE YOU ASSHOLES DOING ON MY SHIP!?" Gid demanded. Cyrus kneeled down to his level.
"Fulfilling my purpose of existence. To create my perfect world." He rose back up and strolled over to the captain's chair. "Seeing as you have an entire army at your disposal, it only seems fitting that I use this as a beneficiary."
"MY ARMY FOLLOWS ORDERS FROM NO ONE BUT ME! DO YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THEY'LL FOLLOW A WORTHLESS EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN LIKE YOU!?"
"A minor obstacle," the masked man spoke. "But, the results of my research should provide an exceptional solution." Cyrus's body began changing. His body became engulfed in smog and dark clouds radiating from his red veins. Zastin and Gid couldn't believe that Cyrus was shrinking in stature and how his hair changed color. His body and limbs shrank down to almost toddler size. His clothes shortened down to a cape with bulged pants and a top tunic. Once the smog cleared out, Cyrus revealed his new form.
"Does that answer your question?" Cyrus asked amusingly. Zastin was left speechless. "This power will let me use your commanding army to liberate any planet and conquer any world I choose." He looked over at one of the computer screens on the ceiling. "Perhaps I should start with Deviluke, and then work my way until I reach Earth."
"YOU BASTARD!" Zastin shouted after removing the towel from his mouth. "How dare you sully our king's name by posing as an imposter!" The masked man ignored his outburst. He walked over and looked down at the fallen king.
"...Where is it," he requested.
"What?" Gid responded. "The bathroom is down the hall." He smirked.
"You know well what my interest is..."
"..." Gid kept silent. The masked man walked over to Zastin and pulled out his remote control with four red, square buttons. He pressed the third button on the right. A holographic projection of a girl appeared in the middle of the room.
"Hello, Zastin?" She said. "It's me, Momo." Zastin gritted his teeth. "I tried calling you earlier, but you wouldn't pick up. So, I'm leaving a message in case you get this. I wanted to know if Papa might still have the Soul of Cosmos with him. Rai, the guy you met a while back, needs to know if he still has it." Gid stared at Zastin with angry eyes. He responded by sweating. "Anyway, give me a call when..."
Click!
The masked man cut off the message.
"I believe now you've come to understand what I'm searching for, Gid Lucione Deviluke." The shadows appeared behind the masked man. One having a muscle tone body with glasses and a suit. The other with a robust body and dark angel wings out its back. "Deliver him to this ship's prison cell until further notice." They grabbed Gid and towed him away. He turned to Cyrus. "Now, our alliance is now concluded."
Yuuki Household
"What was that all about?" Nana asked.
"Did something really happen on Deviluke?" Momo pondered.
"Why didn't Papa tell us about this before?" Lala added. The three princesses were in deep concern of their home planet. Rai stood from his seat.
"Then it's settled," he announced.
"What do you mean?" Rito asked.
"It's time for us to move on." Everyone was surprised by Rai's decision.
"You're going to leave?" Mikan asked. Kurumu put her hands behind her head.
"Hey, he's the team leader," She emphasized. "It's his call."
"Pikachu..." Jolt was upset they had to go.
"We better make plans for Deviluke," Momo added. The girls were about to head to their rooms.
"Hold it..." Rai interrupted.
"Huh?" Nana stopped. "What is it?"
"You three aren't going." Rai pulled out his phone. He pressed the rectangular button on the bottom. In a flash of light, his scythe materialized. He grabbed it while his team stood next to him. "We are."
-To Be Continued-
Well guys, it looks like it's time to start heading out! Make sure to pack only the essentials like a towel, toothbrush, and a fresh pair of boxers...or whatever you prefer.
Ms. Mikado: Oh dear, what a shame. After all you've done to help us out.
Yeah, but a hero's work is never done. At least, that's what I've heard anyway. All right's reserve and material used all belong to their respective owner's. Be sure to leave a comment and a review on how we're doing!
Next time on To Love-Ru: When Can I See You Again?
Ms. Mikado: It might be a long journey ahead. Do you know how you're going to get to another planet?
I...uh...let me get back to you on that.