Ch. 49 Galactic Showdown
Ichika checked the terrace around the small pond.
"Raimundo?!" He called out.
"…" No response.
Cecilia drew open the sliding doors. She rushed inside the guestroom.
"Miss Kurumu!?" She yelled.
"…" No response. The bedsheets were stacked evenly by the closet.
Charlotte and Houki flew by the cliffs and across the beach in their IS units. They scanned the shoreline.
"Yami!?" Houki shouted.
"Jolt?!" Charlotte called.
"…" No response. The water crashed along the soft sand.
Ms. Yamada returned to Chifuyu waiting at the front gate.
"Ms. Orimura!" She waved to her. "The students are nowhere in the area!"
"Status report on the beach perimeter," Chifuyu asked.
"Ms. Shinonono and Ms. Dunois are now searching the coastline." Chifuyu glared out past the open sky.
"Those kids are going to be up to their necks in homework when I'm through with them…" Ms. Yamada shivered from Chifuyu's frightening punishment. The other students soon arrived.
"They're not at the inn anymore," Ichika reported.
"They don't seem to be within the building either!" Cecilia mentioned. Charlotte and Houki flew in on their IS. The machines immediately vanished.
"There's no sign of them at the beach!" Charlotte confirmed.
"They must have snuck out last night," Houki presumed.
"They must be making a run for the exit," Chifuyu considered.
"He couldn't have…?" Charlotte theorized.
"But, you know, I'm gonna have to leave soon, right?"
"It's no use!" Rin shouted. She flew in on her Shen Long. "It looks like they're long gone!"
"What do you mean?" Chifuyu asked.
"The girls said Rai and the others drove off early this morning."
"Drove off?" Houki asked. "In what?"
"…!" Ichika and Charlotte both froze.
The taxi zipped around the passing clouds. Rai pressed the gas pedal until they were speeding at an alarming rate. Kurumu clenched to her seat.
"Can't we just ditch this thing and use our suits?" she asked.
"It's a rental!" Rai answered. He handed Kurumu his cellphone. "Just watch the countdown and keep me updated…!" She checked the screen and stared at the flickering numbers.
"…We got 9 minutes and 30 seconds."
"We might be cutting it close…" Yami presumed.
"Pikachu!" Jolt panicked. He held Peke tightly as Rai raced against the clock.
"Yeah," Rai explained. "I kinda figured when we got here."
"Alright…" Rai wrote his final notes on the map.
"Have you informed the others about the plan?" Ms. Mikado asked.
"Yeah, I'm gonna have Kurumu pack today so we can take off after school tomorrow. Thanks again for everything, Doc."
"It's no trouble~." Rai flipped through his notes.
"Oh yeah, I have a question about the warp drive. Is it gonna be enough to make the jump?"
"I'm very certain, but there is one drawback to the one Lala devised."
"…Which is…?"
"Based on the specs, it appears the wormhole will only remain active for a certain period of time."
"…So, how much time do we have?"
"Hmm…" Lala pondered. "I'd say about three weeks!"
"That's it?" Rai asked. "Doesn't sound like a lot, don't you think?"
"No worries! The place you're going to runs a little slower than our world. One week here is about one month on the other side. You should have plenty of time while you're over there~!" Lala smiled. She pondered for a moment. "I think summer is about to start, so try to pack light~!" Rai blinked. He looked out the window as the autumn leaves were nearing the end. He nodded.
"…I'm okay with that."
Rai took the cellphone from his pocket. When he touched the screen, the Devilukian symbol appeared and vanished behind the main display.
[2 Months: 30 Days: 9 Hrs. 48 Min: 15 sec.]
Rai scrolled to the right until he showed a silhouette of a weapon.
"Your scythe?" Kurumu recognized the picture.
Chifuyu checked her pocket and pulled out a small, black device.
"Here." She handed it to Kurumu. "You're in charge of keeping this." Rai noticed the object.
"Hey!" He shook his fist. "That's my phone!"
"Well, now it's a flag."
[2 Months: 23 Days: 11 Hrs. 54 Min: 29 sec.]
"YO!" Rai shouted. The creature turned its head. "You still in there, Laura?" Rai ripped the hidden cellphone from his leg. The bandages flew in the wind. "Last I checked, we didn't decide on the winner." With one push on the screen, Rai's scythe materialized right in front of him. He grabbed a hold on the staff. It now extended to proper IS usage. He tossed the phone over to Charles. She caught it with an open hand.
[1 Month: 17 Days: 12 Hrs: 32 Min: 58 sec.]
*Yaa-aa-aaaaaawn~*
The roommate lazily awoke. He stretched his hand by the cupboard and grabbed his cellphone. He checked the time.
[7:23 a.m.]
[4 Days: 15 Hrs: 11 Min: 6 sec.]
Rai steered the vehicle over the mainland. It wasn't long until they were flying over the vast ocean. The water below remained calm with little waves. It stretched out for miles as it past underneath.
"Once we pass the Sea of Japan, it's a straight-shot!" Rai explained.
"Um," Peke interrupted. "Raimundo-dono..." She trembled pointing out the back window. Rai adjusted his rear-view mirror. When he checked, five objects were inbound from behind.
"…They must have followed us..." Yami deduced.
"Sorry guys," Rai apologized. "We're a little short on time." Rai remained on course. The IS pilots continued chasing after the runaways.
"Why aren't they slowing down?" Houki asked.
"They must be going in the direction of the portal," Cecilia concurred.
"If they make it through to the end, they're gone for good!" Ichika theorized.
"We have to slow them down!" Rin decided.
"Agreed!" Charlotte nodded. She aimed her rifle at the back bumper. "I'm sorry, Raimundo!"
Poomb!
The shot quickly raced at the taxi.
Whoosh!
It grazed the left thruster.
"Pika?" Jolt turned around. A yellow gunshot came zooming in. "PIKA!?"
WHOOSH!
The beam missed the car. It zipped underneath the vehicle into the sky ahead.
"D-Did they just fire at us?!" Peke asked.
"I didn't think they'd be this pissed!" Kurumu answered. Cecilia brought out her flying disks.
Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!
Lasers went flying out. With each shot, Rai rolled out of the way. Inside the vehicle, Peke and Jolt were colliding with one another. One blade appeared in front of the car.
"CRAP!" Rai turned the wheel and swerved right.
PEW!
The laser zoomed straight past Rin's head.
"Hey!?" She yelled. "Watch where you're aiming!"
"Don't be so theatrical!" Cecilia replied. "It was merely a misfire!" Rai steered back on course.
"How much longer?" He asked.
"Only three minutes left!" Kurumu replied. Looking up ahead, she noticed a raging whirlpool in the water. A flurry of rainbow lights flashed from the center revealing the sky's reflection. "There it is!" The outer edges of the reflection were slowly dissolving as the hole shrank towards the middle.
"It's disappearing," Yami noted.
"We're not gonna make it!" Peke cried.
"Oh yes, we are...!" Rai declared. He pulled back on the lever. The vehicle immediately soared upward into the sky. The others chased after him.
"What is he doing?!" Houki asked. "He's just going to slow down!" She drew her twin swords and hacked at the taxi while giving chase.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
KA-CHUNK!
The back tail fin came off. The taxi jerked to the right as its balance was thrown off. Back at the inn, Chifuyu, Ms. Yamada, and Tabane kept watch over the monitors.
"Oooooo~!" Tabane cheered. "This is so exciting! Who do you think is gonna win?"
"...I don't like this…" Chifuyu mentioned.
"What do you mean?" Ms. Yamada asked.
"He may be on to something. He's not very strategic, but he's clever." Rai kept his focus as his vehicle ascended, but his acceleration was decreasing. He gripped the lever.
"This is it!" He announced. "Hang on!"
"T-To what...?" Peke asked. Rai turned the wheel until his vehicle flipped and faced the oncoming pilots.
"What the!?" Houki cried caught off guard. He clenched the lever and shoved it forward.
VRRRRRMMMMMMM!
The taxi zoomed downward into a corkscrew. Their descent increased as the car fell from the sky. They quickly shot past the pilots toward the ocean's surface.
"No way!" Ichika gasped.
"He's making a break for it!" Rin cried. Right below them was the whirlpool.
"CANNONBAA-AA-AAALL!" Rai shouted. Everyone held on as they entered.
PLOP!
The taxi passed through the portal.
"Raimundo!" Charlotte yelled. She quickly rushed after them.
*WARP!*
The portal closed in on itself. The light vanished with nothing but the calm water glistening from the sun.
"...We lost their signal..." Ms. Yamada declared.
BAM!
Chifuyu slammed her fist on the desk.
"DAMNIT!" She yelled. "They're gone!"
"They couldn't have gone too far," Cecilia mentioned, "…Could they?"
"They just jumped into a worm hole!" Rin specified. "For all we know, they could be on another planet!"
"Ooooooooh!" Tabane awed. "They really disappeared, Chii-chan!"
"Cannit, Tabane!" Chifuyu ordered. She was in no mood to play games.
"Geez, Chii-chan. You look like you're ready to explode!" She folded her arms. "If you really want to go after them, you could have just asked them…" Chifuyu shot a glance at Tabane.
"…What!?"
-Deviluke Spacecraft-
The masked man stared intently at the mechanism. The cylinder pod kept the blue orb in suspension with a glass casing and iron bars surrounding the outside.
"…" His arms remained behind his back. He stepped around the mechanism until he viewed it from every angle. Once he finished, he stepped away to marvel in the immense aura it was releasing from within.
Swoosh!
The metal doors opened. The guards allowed Gid to enter the room.
Swoosh!
The doors closed behind him. Once out of sight, the king morphed his body into a taller form while keeping his attire on. Cyrus cracked his neck.
"Such imbeciles," he scoffed. "Easily manipulated by a duplicate." He looked back to the masked man. "…Hey…" The man didn't move. "…Seikatsu…" The masked man turned to him. "You've assisted me long enough and agreed our alliance has ended. Is there something else you wish to discuss…?" The masked man stared back at the soul in the container.
"…I have altered the tactics…" Seikatsu spoke. "…You may retain a hold on the Soul of Cosmos…for now." Cyrus casted a dark glance.
"…What intentions possessed you to change your mind?"
"…A simple theory…" Seikatsu stepped away and proceeded to the door. He stopped just by Cyrus to give him his final words. "…I await the outcome of your succession."
Swoosh!
The doors swung open. Seikatsu stepped out leaving Cyrus alone in the room. His gaze shifted back to the pod.
…What is he planning…His blood was boiling and his eyes reddened even darker. He immediately shape-shifted back into Gid Deviluke.
"Sir!" A guard poked inside the chamber. "Is everything alright?"
"…" Cyrus turned back to the soldier with a menacing stare. His eyes pierced the guard trying to strangle him with only his gaze.
"S-S-Sir?"
"SILENCE!" The guard fell on his back. He inched himself closer to the door. "Get those children into my audience chamber.
"Y-Yes, right away sir!" The guard picked up his cyber sword and hurried out of the room.
-Sainan City-
Tic-Tic-Tic-Tic…
The clock ticked endlessly in the room. The house seemed quiet with only the brother, sister, and child residing inside their home. The boy tapped his foot while sitting in his seat. His body was leaned over as his mouth rested in his hands. The sister prepared dinner for the small child in her seat.
"Are you hungry, Celine?" Mikan asked.
"Mauuu~!" Celine smiled. Mikan placed the bowl of rice in front of her. Celine grabbed her spoon and dug in. Mikan placed another bowl for her brother.
"Rito!" She called. "It's time for dinner."
"…" Rito didn't respond.
"…Rito." Mikan walked into the room. "…It's about Lala, isn't it…?"
"…" He gave a slow nod. She sat beside him.
"…I know Lala and the others haven't called back for weeks, but there shouldn't be anything to worry about." She stood up in front of him. "Come on, your dinner's getting cold!" Mikan smiled. Rito looked up to her. "Worrying all the time won't bring her back faster!" She winked and stepped back into the kitchen with her smile fading away. …I'm just as worried myself. Rito rose from the couch and approached the table.
Ding~! Dong~!
The doorbell rang.
"Hmm?" Rito turned to the door. "Who is that?" He walked to the front door and unhinged the lock.
Squeak~!
"…Hello?"
"Heyo!" Rai cheered at the entrance. Standing behind him was the rest of the crew.
"Ya-hoo-hoo!" Kurumu applauded. "We're back~!"
"Pikapika!" Jolt popped out behind her shoulder.
"Raimundo?" Rito blinked with surprise. "Kurumu?" He peeked over at the last guest. His face turned blue. "Y-Y-Yami-san!?"
"Hello, Yuuki Rito," Yami greeted him. The scent of cooked rice and hamburger-steak filled the room.
*Sniff* *Sniff*
"Pika!" Jolt jumped off and dashed for the kitchen.
"…How about we talk over dinner?" Rai suggested.
"Just in time, too!" Kurumu agreed. Everyone strolled into the house. Yami looked to Rito.
"…Pardon the intrusion," she said as she walked in. Mikan left the kitchen to greet her guests.
"Yami-san!" Mikan greeted. Kurumu jumped and gave a big squeeze.
"There you are, you little cutie!" She pressed her chest against the child's face.
"H-Hello, Kurumu…" She muffled. Jolt jumped on the table. Celine saw her favorite mouse.
"Mauu~!" She cried with joy.
"P-Pika…" Jolt sweat dropped. The group settled at the table. Mikan and Kurumu prepared dinner plates for each guest.
"Thank you for the food!" Everyone announced. With chopsticks in hand, they dug right in.
"I didn't expect to see you guys come back so soon!" Mikan announced.
"We had some issues here and there," Rai specified, "but nothing we couldn't handle."
"What were the people like over there?" Rito asked.
"…" Rai and the others paused for a moment.
"…They were okay," Kurumu answered.
"…" Yami ate her food silently.
"Um, Rai," Mikan asked.
"Yeah?" He answered.
"I was wondering…have you seen Lala…or sisters around there?"
"…" The room dropped dead silent.
"Mau?" Celine tilted her head.
"It's just…they left not too long ago, and it looks like no one has heard from them since."
"…Listen, Mikan…" Rai started.
BzZzZzZzZzZtTtT!
The T.V. flickered in the living room. As the screen fizzed into view, a dark figure appeared with his spiky hair and child-like face. He stared out to anyone who was watching.
"Attention; citizens of Earth," he declared. "I am here to announce…that your planet…now belongs…to me!" The others heard his voice and ran into the living room. His message was being broadcasted to everyone all over the world.
"Who's the kid?" Kurumu asked. Peke panicked.
"I-It's…" She cried. "King Deviluke!"
"Lala's father!?" Rito blurted out. Gid lowered his gaze as he made his announcement.
"Within twenty-four hours, I will launch my army to overtake Japan and its remaining inhabitants." The people of Shibuya watched the Jumbo-Tron.
"From then on, I shall release my soldiers abroad to the rest of the continents." The people of Brazil watched on their televisions with the family.
"Anyone who dares to stand against me shall immediately be detained and extracted….permanently." Tourists in New York watched near Town Square.
"The reign of a new age has come!" The citizens of Sainan viewed in distress. "The Age...of Purity."
Bzzzt!
The television displayed a snowy screen. Everyone froze.
"…Ehhh!?" Mikan gasped.
"…" Yami stared intently at the screen.
"That's not good!" Kurumu cried.
"D-Did he just say he was going to attack Earth….?!" Rito asked in his shocked state. Rai glanced out the window.
"… Sounds like he just declared war…" he deduced.
"But, Lala said she…"
"…She's not coming…" Yami answered.
"Why not?" Mikan asked. "She said she'd be back after everything was settled on Deviluke!"
"Mikan-sama!" Peke sulked. "Lala-sama is being retained by this 'so-called' king!"
"But why!?" Rito asked.
"Now what?" Kurumu asked. Everyone turned to Rai in hopes of finding an answer.
"…*Sigh*…" He gave a large sigh of grief. Rai felt a headache coming on. "I'm gonna need some time..." Rai walked out the front door. Rito and Mikan looked at one another with grimace.
Rai stepped outside and paused at the gate. We have the tech, but now…I don't know. Small bursts of embers escaped from his fingers. If Lala would have just stayed instead of taking off…
BASH!
Rai struck the wall with his fist. His right arm released a partial deployment from his IS unit.
"FUCK!" Rai said to himself. "…I didn't think we'd be taking on an invasion." He sat on the trunk of the taxi and buried his head in his hands. "…Can we pull this off anymore…?"
"...It seems that way," Yami intervened. She and Kurumu walked over to join him.
"Looks like we're up our cheeks without a paddle…" Kurumu presumed.
"Ah..." Rai was ready to correct her, but he quickly lost interest. "…We're literally outnumbered a thousand to one."
"Can't Mikado do anything…?" Kurumu asked.
"She's a doctor, not a soldier…" Rai explained.
Step...Step...Step...
Footsteps came from the doorway.
"...I..." He uttered. "...I'm going too!" Everyone turned to Rito while Rai stepped forward.
"Listen, Mighty Mouse," he explained. "I know how you feel. But, even if you came with us, you don't stand much of a chance."
"I'm not going to abandon Lala!" He gripped his fist. "I'm still going; with or without you." Rai approached him; looking Rito straight in the eyes.
"...Are you ready to stake your life for her? Are you willing to risk everything, especially if it puts Earth in jeopardy? "
"..." Rito nodded with a stern face.
"..." Rai smiled. "…Then you better start packing. We have 'till tomorrow to overthrow the king of the universe."
"What happened to not pulling this off…?" Kurumu asked sarcastically. Rai looked back to the two.
"We probably can't, but that's not stopping him." He pointed to the boy. "If Rito's standing against an alien attack, then why not us, right?" Kurumu smiled back.
"That's what I like to hear…" she declared. Yami watched as their spirits were raised after having a cheerful exchange of determination. "Let's overthrow that copy-king!" She turned to Yami. "You ready, Shrimp?" Yami stood up.
"…" She looked over to the others. "…This planet has much to offer." She nodded. "…Losing it over such trivial matters would be a waste."
"Pika!" Jolt cried. Celine rode the mouse like a bucking bronco through the front door. Mikan rushed out of the house.
"Celine!" She yelled. "Come back!"
"Mau!" Celine enjoyed the ride. She and Jolt plowed into the side of the taxi.
Thud!
"Kyaa!" A voice cried. Everyone looked at the back hood.
"…Eh?" Rito blinked. Rai leaned in and unhinged the door. He saw a young girl lying in the bed of the trunk.
"Ugh…" The girl moaned as her face grew pale. Everyone else jumped to see a silver-haired girl with an eye-patch hiding in the car. "Have we arrived…?" She answered with the tool belt hanging from her shoulder.
"Laura!?" Rai exclaimed. "When did you—!?"
"Simple." She boasted herself with pride as she explained her predicament. "I went to join you in bed the next morning. To my surprise, I saw you already storing your belongings und sneaking out through the back of the inn. By the time you had loaded your vehicle, I already climbed aboard before everyone else found out you have left."
"..." The group stared at Laura.
"…You've been in there all morning?" Rito asked.
"Of course…" Everyone sweat dropped. "I simply cannot understand why you would leave us behind in such a time of great distress."
"I don't know," Rai answered. He pointed to the sky. "Maybe because of that…" Floating over the city was a massive spacecraft with hundreds of visual cameras surrounding the area. It cast a huge shadow above Sainan City.
"W-W-W-WAS IS THAT!?" Laura panicked.
"…The king of Deviluke," Yami answered. Out in the distance, a team of fighter pilots flew in on their military jets.
"Team Raven Leader to all planes," the commander ordered. "Remove all safety locks. We are about to enter into battle."
"Roger!" The other pilots responded.
Ka-thunk!
After the leading plane dropped its ammo, it would fall back into triangle formation. Each plane released rockets hidden underneath their wings. The missiles were aiming straight for the spaceship. A bright light shimmered at the ship's equator.
PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWW!
A large laser fired out; incinerating every missile and obstacle in its path. The planes nearly dodged the strike.
ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The light continued through the clouds, exiting Earth's atmosphere, and crossing Saturn's meteor field. The citizens watched in fear at the destruction brought about by the invading ruler. Kurumu, Laura, Rito, Mikan, and Jolt had their jaws open at the sudden power it unveiled.
"Drop this futile resistance," Gid ordered. His voice echoed through the city. "As you can see, the Devilukians can overturn your planet into a demolished wasteland in mere seconds. Your weapons have no power over my armaments. If you wish to see your planet remain in one piece, I suggest you follow my guidelines." His eyes flashed red. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND…!?" The jets immediately turned in the opposite direction. They vanished over the mountains.
"…Mau?" Celine tilted her head. Following the event were bulletins aired across the world.
["We bring you now to an emergency news broadcast!"]
Click!
["As onlookers have just witnessed, the fate of the Earth has been put into chaos!"]
Click!
["There appears to be planet-wide anxieties as civilians await the full-scale invasion!"]
Click!
["Resources have informed us that the person behind the assault is Gid Lucione Deviluke, self-proclaimed ruler of the universe!"]
Click!
["The Japanese and American governments are not the only ones to be disclosed. Everyone on Earth is completely aware of the situation."]
Click!
["What exactly will be Japan's…no, what will be the fate of the world!?"]
Click!
Mikan turned off the television.
"He has a serious issue with his ego," Kurumu commented.
"This is very perplexing," said Laura. "I did not think the enemy would have this much power." Rito looked back out to the ship.
"…Lala…" He murmured. Rai turned to Laura.
"…Laura," he requested. "Think you can help come up with a strategy?" She turned away.
"Hmph!" She huffed. "Then it's obvious you should have allowed us to be your support. Undoubtedly, your biggest flaw was not accepting our aid."
"…Hah…" He huffed. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? We were short on time, and I wasn't sure if you guys were ready after the Gospel Incident. I would have told you sooner, but things kept happening. I wasn't going to put all of you in danger like that…" Laura looked to him with her good eye.
"…We really need your skills, Laura..." Rito begged. "...Please...?"
"…" She smiled. "…Klar." She nodded. "Then let us begin operations. I cannot idle by when my wife is in distress."
"Wife…?" Mikan asked.
"Long story…" Kurumu shortened.
"Alright," Rai announced. "Time for a plan of attack!"
"Ya-hoo-hoo! Let's do this!" Kurumu went to set the table.
"Mau!" Celine clapped.
"I'll make some snacks!" Mikan offered. She settled Celine in her high-chair and went to the refrigerator for cola drinks and potato chips.
"…I'll assist," said Yami.
"Pikachu!" Jolt jumped on the table.
"For Deviluke!" Peke cheered. Rito stood surprised by how many people willing to help in his time of need.
"Yo," Rai called him. "We got some princesses to save. You in?" Rito smiled with a look of determination.
"…Yeah." He joined the group at the table. Jolt finished wiping the table with a cloth. He backed away to see his work.
"Pikachu!"
Bump!
His tail knocked Celine's bowl of rice. "Pika?"
Sploosh!
The rice scattered over the kitchen floor. Rito took his next step and slipped.
"Waaaaaaaah!?" He stumbled forward.
"Hey!" Rai yelled out. He grabbed Rito's collar and pulled him up. "Watch where you're—!"
Sploosh!
Rai accidentally slipped onto the white mess from behind.
"Wait—WHAT!?" He stuttered. As he pulled Rito from the front, he stumbled over on his back. Mikan and Yami turned to see Rai falling on them.
"…!" Yami used her hair to reach the table leg.
*Slip!*
Rai's hand pulled on Yami's arm and forced her to the left.
"!?"
*Snatch!*
Her hair latched around Kurumu's leg.
"Huh?" She looked down.
*Tug!*
"Kyaaa!" Kurumu's tail wrapped around Laura's waist for support.
"Was zum…?" Laura turned.
*Pull!*
BAM!
Everyone fell to the floor. Jolt peeked over the table.
"…Pi?"
"Oh my…" Peke hovered at the scene. Rito was grabbing on to Kurumu from his right and Yami on the left.
Squeeze~!
He rustled to break free, but squeezed down on Kurumu's and Yami's chest.
"Do you mind?" Kurumu answered annoyed. Mikan landed on Rai's stomach while Laura's rear-end was shoved into his face.
"Mmphmmhhmm!?" Rai muffled.
"Rai!?" Mikan scolded.
"Interesting," Laura blinked. "Ist this what the Japanese call 'fan service'?"
"Kh—!" Yami flinched. "I hate…" Her hair-strands formed into fists. "…ecchi people!"
…
Ding~! Dong~!
The doorbell rang.
Creek!
"Hello?" A woman was standing outside.
"Hello, Yuuki-kun~," Ms. Mikado greeted. She looked to Rito whose face was wrapped in gauze. "Is everything alright?"
"Everything's fine, hehe." Rito chuckled. "What are you doing here?"
"I believed Lala's father would have come to discuss some matters with her, but…" She looked outside to where the ship hovered. "…it seems Raimundo was right." Rai entered the room.
"Doc?" He spoke.
"Raimundo!" Ms. Mikado greeted him. She then noticed the bandages across his face. "...I'm glad to see you've made it back safely."
"Yeah, hehe…" He rubbed his head.
"Would you like to come in?" Rito suggested. She stepped inside and followed them to the kitchen.
"Oh my…" Ms. Mikado witnessed everyone around the table discussing strategies. "It looks like everyone's here to help you."
"Not sure if you noticed," Rai interrupted, "But we're planning a search and rescue."
"I see…" She stepped aside and sat in an open seat. Kurumu noticed her enter the room.
"The nurse?" She pointed out.
"…Mikado-sensei," Yami greeted her.
"Mau!" Celine jumped on Ms. Mikado as Mikan poured some tea.
"Rito," Mikan added. She pulled out a paper and cellphone.
"What's the matter?" He replied.
"There's a fax from father, and a message from mother." She handed them to him.
[Take Responsibility!]
[-Dad]
[Do your best!]
[-Ringo]
"…Are they really going to leave me like this…?" Rito grew frustrated.
"It's not that." Mikan shook her head. "They have their own way of seeing it too."
"This may be speculation," Laura analyzed. "But, perhaps your parents aren't as concerned simply because they trust in your ability."
"Pikapika," Jolt agreed.
"And Lala is waiting for you to bring her home~!" Ms. Mikado added.
"Mau~!" Celine cheered.
"…Thank you," Rito nodded. "…Everyone…" They smiled back.
"Well," Kurumu clapped her hands. "What's the hold up? We don't have all night!"
"That's right!" Peke concurred. Rai stood from his chair while the others took a seat.
"Peke," he stated, "can you give us some info on the spaceship?"
"Of course!" she replied. With a pen and paper, Peke sketched out a small drawing of the ship. She marked out the rooms where the girls were being held.
"Okay, let's start with Lala's and move from there." The plan of operations had begun.
-Deviluke Spacecraft-
The princesses lined-up before the man. All three stared straight forward with stern faces and opposing glares. Cyrus removed himself from his throne and approached the girls.
"…The royal daughters of Deviluke…" the 'king' declared.
"…" Neither of them spoke a word.
"There is no point in presenting your fronts to me." Cyrus walked back and forth before the girls. "My plan is prepared to be carried out. The only thing standing before me and universal domination is to execute my attack on this dimension's planet Earth."
"…Why Earth?" Momo asked. Cyrus grinned.
"It's clear that all of you are extraterrestrials, but…" He walked by the pedestal next to the throne. Lying across from one another were their D-dials. "I find it fascinating that the three of you arrived not from Deviluke's sector, but from an unknown portion of the galaxy." He picked up Lala's phone. "Where else are a group of children likely to reside if not on their home planet." He dialed in on the phone and scanned the data. "Perhaps with friends…" A picture of Haruna, Risa, and Mio appeared on the screen. "…Family…" A picture of Rito, Celine, and Mikan appeared. The next photo only fueled his anger. A red aura emanated from his body. He gripped the phone until the screen started cracking. "…or A BOY WHO WANTS TO DESTROY MY PERFECT WORLD!"
Smack!
Cyrus tossed the phone on the floor. A picture of Rai, Kurumu, and Jolt appeared.
"RAAAAAAAARGHH!"
THUMP!
Cyrus's arm transformed into a massive foot protruding like a tree trunk, but with fat, white toes of a ground-grass type pokémon. He raised his arm to reveal the phone completely flattened and demolished.
"I will see that once I conquer your Earth and eradicate that pest, I shall have that planet become my base of operations. From there, we shall continue on to the rest of this universe!"
"You can't do that!" Nana shouted.
Whip!
A green vine extended outward from Cyrus's back. It wrapped itself around Nana's arms and torso.
"NANA!" Lala shouted.
"LET HER GO!" Momo ordered.
Whip! Whip!
Two more vines lashed out. They tightly encased Lala and Momo around their dresses.
"The next time someone speaks out of line…" Cyrus demanded. The vines bound themselves around their necks. "…I will be sure to have each and everyone one of you…be next."
*Release!*
The girls fell to the floor. Their strength left them as they tried to rise.
"Guards!" Cyrus immediately transformed back into King Deviluke. The first soldier entered the room.
"Yes, sir!" He addressed.
"Send them to their rooms and secure their doors!" The guard looked to the princesses as they seemed weak.
"Sir, what happened to—?"
"NOW!"
-Sainan City-
For the next few hours, everyone shared their thoughts for infiltrating the spaceship. Rai and Yami examined the sketch.
"If I can make it to the control room, I can cut off communication between the troops," Rai suggested. "No troops means no back-up."
"…It might work," Yami agreed.
"But there will be too many inside!" Peke informed. "An assault is assured as soon as you enter!"
"…Then I gotta be in and out fast," explained Rai. As the team continued with strategies, Ms. Mikado left the house to take care of business. Rito strolled back and forth in the living room. Laura, Kurumu, and Mikan examined their ideas on a separate sheet. Rai and Yami stood by the window looking out at the spacecraft as the sun fell behind it. Jolt managed to take Celine to bed and tuck her in. Soda cans piled around the table as potato chip bags filled the trash compactor.
"What if we skipped the space cruisers and went straight for the ship?" Kurumu asked.
"We want to make sure that the enemies are defeated before they arrive on Earth," Laura countered. "Not only are we going after the king, we must also ensure the army doesn't harm the people while we're absent."
"…Crap, that's right." Kurumu lowered her head on the table.
"How can we stop the attack on Sainan…?" Rito asked. Everyone was puzzled.
"…One of us will have to stay behind while the others attack the ship," Laura considered.
"It sounds like too much for one person," Mikan insisted.
"If we had our own army…" Rai bit his thumb-nail.
Ding~! Dong~!
The doorbell rang (again). Mikan walked over to the door.
Creek!
"Hello?" she asked.
"Hey! Hey!" A voice called out. "Nobody told us you were having a party!" Risa walked in with Mio and a young boy with spiky hair. He had on the same uniform as Rito with his white shirt and green school pants.
"Yo, Rito!" He waved to him.
"Saruyama?" Rito replied. "What are you all doing here?"
"Mikado-sensei told us what was going on!" Oshizu stepped forward. "We wanted to help out, as well!"
"Hey, girl!" Kurumu jumped from her seat. "Long time, no see!" The two met and clapped their hands together.
"Geez," another girl approached. "All this trouble because of Lala."
"Yui?" Rai blinked surprised. Another girl appeared with little courage.
"Um," she spoke. "We can't lose Lala or the earth. This is our home."
"H-Haruna-chan…!" Rito gulped.
"It's not the end of the world yet!" Saruyama cheered. "Risking your life isn't being limited to you!" Laura counted the six new recruits.
"Reinforcements are good," she approved. "However, it won't be enough without a means of self-defense."
"Like weapons?" Mio asked.
"You can't expect us to go out and not have anything to fight with," Yui pointed out. Rito paused. He gazed at the stairway.
"…Hold on!" He announced. He ran out of the room and turned around. "Rai! Can you help me out?"
"Sure," Rai nodded. He followed Rito upstairs. After a few minutes, they came back down with a large package full of gizmos and do-dads brightly colored and bizarre. "Alright guys, take your pick."
"Eh?" Haruna stared into the box. "Aren't these Lala's?"
"Ooo~!" Risa watched in amazement at the many devices. "This is just what we need!"
"I call this one!" Mio grabbed a small, blue water gun. Yui picked up a long, metallic rope with heart-shaped ends.
"Do these things even work?" she asked. Haruna leaned over and noticed the tennis racket sticking out from the side.
"Hmm?" She observed the racket with the net engraved with the Deviluke symbol. Laura examined a small toilet she pulled out.
"…This seems unnecessary," she inspected. Saruyama picked up a small, robotic T-Rex.
"Alright!" He cheered. "With these things, there's no way we can lose!"
Beep!
The mini-Rex turned on.
Chomp!
It bit his left hand.
"YEOW!" He flailed about in a panic. Everyone else sweat dropped. Rai pulled out a pair of shoes and blue glasses with orange lenses.
"Let's hope this is enough…" Rai anticipated.
"Wait!" Oshizu spoke out. "There's…um…one more thing that might help us out."
[King Bowser-Main-Super Mario Galaxy Music Extended]
The sun had risen behind the clouded mountains. A feeling of dread and despair fell over the city. The Earth's final hours were at hand. The spaceship opened its bottom sphere below the hull and began dropping clouds of black shadows to plague the surface. Carrying pentagon armor and large lances were the soldiers that represented Deviluke. They formed in large numbers and marched in unison across the streets. More of these factions covered the city while turning over cars, trees, and any debris blocking their path. They tore apart street signs and dismantled the shrines in the area. The people cried and screamed trying to escape from the invasion. Mothers grabbed their children from the chaos as adults fled their vehicles and buildings. Sitting on the throne was Cyrus witnessing his revolution.
"The day of reckoning…" he spoke, "…has commenced." The princesses watched from their windows as the turmoil overwhelmed the city.
"Oh no!" Lala cried.
"Stop it!" Nana ordered. "Don't do this!"
Boom!
Momo pounded her fist against the glass. She slowly fell to her knees. The pouring of enemies continued. Zastin struggled to tear apart the chains.
"STOP THIS MADNESS!" He declared.
"Save your energy, Zastin," Gid advised.
"But, your highness…!" Gid slowly started to smile.
"…Now is the perfect time to see how Lala's fiancé will act."
"Release the remaining soldiers and retreat," Cyrus declared. "Once this land is consumed, we shall deploy troops to the rest of the continents."
"Sir!" A soldier answered. The spaceship began elevating out into orbit. A unit had already reached Sainan High School. The students hurried to seek shelter within the building. Mr. Honekawa stood alone against the army at the front gate. His legs shook standing their ground.
"I-I-I…" He stuttered. "I w-w-won't let you harm my students!" He raised his arms out trying to block the gate. "If you want them, y-y-you have to g-g-go through me!" The soldiers looked at one another. They looked back to the shaking teacher.
"…" They marched forward. The teacher lowered his head; ready to be trampled and speared.
"Well done, Honekawa-sensei!" Ms. Mikado smiled. She walked past the teacher. "Protecting your students is the most important part in being a teacher."
"M-M-Mikado-sensei?" She turned back to him.
"Have the faculty lock all the doors to the building. Make sure everyone is safely inside." The teacher nodded and hurried into the building. Ms. Mikado stared down the enemies before her. "…It's time I began my treatment…" She grinned. She removed her lab coat and revealed her white blouse and black gloves. She pulled out a silver gun from her leg holster.
PEW!
Her gun fired a green laser.
SKEW!
The laser pierced the first soldier in front. It dissipated into a black cloud.
"So, you are imposters of the Devilukian army." Another row of soldiers took its place. "Oh my, It does look like there's a lot of you~." She raised her hand in the air.
Stomp!
The ground below shook.
Stomp!
A large wave of blue robots appeared from behind Ms. Mikado. They were built bulky from the torso with a right arm for a drill and a left arm with a claw. There were two antennae on each side of their rectangle heads with red eyes appearing behind a black screen. As their numbers increased, the soldiers were more aware of the trap they entered. The soldiers looked to the top of the school building. A young girl sported a beret and general outfit.
"Second Battalion!" Haruna ordered. "Defend the school!" The machines nodded in unison. They charged at the soldiers with drills out and claws clamping. I think that's how Laura told me to say it...
Last Night
"EH!?" Haruna cried. "I have to wear this?"
"But, of course," Laura instructed. "Being a general of a high-ranking profession, you must also dress for said-profession." Laura held out outfits for the others. "Now then, I took the liberty of designing it myself und fitting them to your specifications." The others looked at the outfits, then back to Laura's school uniform. "…Is there a problem?" She stared back. The underlings shook their heads and followed her orders.
Haruna pulled out her cellphone and called the next general.
["This is Sairenji! The school is now on guard!"]
"Copy!" The next general answered. Risa looked across the shopping district to see the troops approaching. "Hey, hey, don't you know this is where I get my favorite clothes?" She pointed her finger at the oncoming army. "Third Battalion!" The wave of red machines stepped out from hiding within the nearby shops. They stood beside their leader. "Attack!" The machines charged in at the shadow soldiers and clashed head on. Risa dialed on her phone.
["This is Risa! The shopping district is a go!"]
"Okay!" Mio answered. Her orange machines were already battling it out near the shrine. Shadow soldiers were shoving lances at the robots. Some machines drilled holes in the ground to drop a handful in pitfalls. "Saruyama, what's your status?"
"…" No answer.
"…Saruyama?" On the other side of town, Saruyama already had his hands tied. He rolled, ducked, and dodged the enemies trying to slaughter him. His purple machines were clearing them out of the entertainment district. As he finally made his way out of the mayhem, he answered the phone.
"Yeah, we got it covered!" He breathed heavily. Saruyama dialed his phone to call the final squadron. "You guys are clear! Go for it!" Suddenly, he noticed a division tearing apart the movie theater with pedestrians running out in fear. He dropped his phone and fell to his knees. "That's…where I took her…our first date…" He gripped his fist and clenched his teeth.
"Saruyama-kun!"
"…You bastards!" He pulled out his mini-Rex and tossed it at the soldiers. It went to town chomping and eating their armor. Saruyama ran in with a broken pipe. "THIS IS FOR RIKO-OO-OOO!"
"…" Rito sweated from his declaration. He put the phone away and turned to Yami. "We're ready to go!" He stood beside her in front of the interface.
"…Very well," Yami answered. She lifted her spaceship off the ground behind Rito's house.
"It's good to see you've returned, Master!" The A.I. welcomed her. "Where have you been all this time?"
"…School."
"…Eh…?"
"Confirm our coordinates to Gid Deviluke's spaceship."
"Uh, y-yes, Master!" The ship set its course for outer space.
Whoosh!
Mikan held on to Celine.
"Mau?" Celine looked out the window as they exited Earth's atmosphere.
"There, there, Celine," Mikan assured. She and Celine sat near the doorway being there were no seats available in the room. Rito looked ahead. It didn't take long until the king's spaceship was in full view.
"Okay…" He walked towards the doorway.
"Rito!" Mikan warned. "…Be careful…and come back safely!"
"Mau!" Celine cheered.
"…Right!" He walked out of the room. There were pilots surrounding the exterior of the vessel with more than forty ships circling the equator. They noticed the oncoming vessel from a distance. One pilot used his scope lens to detect the object.
"We have an unknown spacecraft approaching from the south end," he radioed to the others. Momo raised her head.
"…Huh?" She inspected the approaching ship. Another pilot recognized the unique structure.
"Sir!" A pilot called him. "It appears to be the assassin, Golden Darkness!"
"Yami-san!" Lala cheered.
"She may be planning to board the vessel. We're waiting on further instructions." Cyrus examined the spacecraft on-route.
"...Destroy it," Cyrus ordered.
"All units," the first pilot instructed. "Destroy the spacecraft. I repeat; take out the enemy." The fleet left the surrounding ship. They readied their cannons and took aim.
"Yami-san!" Nana shouted. "Look out!" Cyrus raised his glaring eyes.
I've already warned them. Now, they shall be the first to adhere to my rule.
"Ready…" The pilots charged their blasters. "Aim…"
"…Now!" Rai shouted. Yami opened the lower hatch underneath her ship. A flood of green robots floated out into the open vacuum of space.
"First Battalion!" Rito ordered. "Hold back the enemy fire!" The robots activated the thrusters below their feet and charged into action.
PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW!
The soldiers fired their lasers.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The first machines exploded from the shots. Wave two readied their drills and bashed against the front row of ships. As the remaining machines left the ship, the taxi dropped down and entered into aerial mode. The rockets fired from behind and flew head on toward the spaceship. Following behind were two IS units. A yellow aura surrounded the Lucha Libre, while a blue aura surrounded the P-X-E.
"Alright," Rai called in. "Everyone get into formation!"
"Rocky!" Kurumu copied.
"…" Rai checked ahead. He glanced at the passenger-side window of the vehicle. He called in on his bluetooth while the passenger answered her phone. "You guys ready?"
"Mm…" Yui nodded. Her face was a little anxious flying beside the pilot. Rito looked over the back seat as he stared ahead for the ship. "But…" She pointed next to her. "Do you mind telling me…WHY IS HE DRIVING THE CAR!?"
Honk! Honk!
"Pika pika!" Jolt tooted the horn. He used two umbrellas to push the pedals.
"Like I'm gonna let kids drive without a license." The two children sweat dropped.
"Rito~!" Lala cried with joy.
"They made it!" Nana applauded.
"Rai and the others are back!" Momo said cheerfully. Rai unhinged the scythe on the back of his suit. He grabbed it and swung outward.
"Remember, knock out the enemy fleet and clear a path toward the docking bay. Do not kill; I repeat, do NOT attck the enemies unless they fire first!"
"After that, we break out the real king and throw the old one out!" Kurumu recalled. She tuned into her intercom.
["You there, Laura?"]
"Ja," she responded. She typed into her laptop providing calculations and coordinates. "Your IS units have a substantial amount of power to provide you both with oxygen long enough to carry out the operation." Laura plugged in a small USB along the side of the computer. The flash drive had a symbol of a bunny with an eye-patch. She clicked on the shortcut of Deviluke's logo and opened an image of the ship's blueprints. "According to the little robot, the fleet is nearly an outside defense force. Most likely, there will be more troops within the ship guarding the princesses as well as any excessive artillery."
"Heads up!" Rai yelled. A swarm of enemies advanced from the front. The fighters aimed their cannons.
PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW!
Rai zoomed over and avoided the hits. Kurumu spun around their range of fire until she flew in from below. The taxi swerved past the enemies fleets.
"Pika!" Jolt shoved the wheel left and right. Rito and Yui both shifted back and forth in their seats from the sudden jerks. The Lunatique drew out the fighters as they gave chase.
"Master," the A.I. spoke. "Shall I mercilessly bring down these weaklings?"
"…No," Yami replied.
"...R-Really!?"
"Avoid the enemy and remain on standby…" Yami looked back to Celine and Mikan. "...Make sure we are out of enemy range."
"...Understood." The Lunatique veered about the enemy. A swarm charged at the three flyers. Rai diverged and brought out his scythe. As the next vessel approached, he swung his scythe near the left wing.
Slice!
The wing flew off with the pilot losing control.
Ka-chunk!
He ejected from his seat.
KA-BOOM!
His ship exploded. The thrusters from his boots aided him back to the ship. Kurumu circled between shots of fire as she tried going around the enemy. Once they past her, she let out a beam attack straight at their rear engines.
BOOM!
Both their engines burned behind them.
"We've lost our engines!" One of the pilots reported.
"Send in the next fleet…" Cyrus ordered. Most of the already-damaged ships retreated back to base. The new line of troops was much darker with red lasers firing from their arsenal. Rai evaded the oncoming fleet by going overhead.
BANG!
A ship plowed into him from behind.
"Hey!" Rai turned over and looked to the driver. "Watch where you're driving…!?" Suddenly, Rai saw the pilot being a black shadow with bloodthirsty eyes.
Their bodies began shifting and transforming into dark, cloudy figures until they no longer appeared human. One now had a bulky body with a square head and metallic lower jaw…The other creature shifted into a chrome enemy with blue and yellow armor. Its hands, feet, and head were all replaced with steel drills…The two shared a glance with their red-glowing eyes.
"Them again!?" Rai raised his fist.
CRASH!
His fist pierced the glass dome and dragged the driver out. The ship spun out of control leaving Rai with the creature. He chucked the pilot right into an oncoming ship.
Crash!
The shadow's body splattered across the other's ship. The black smog immediately vanished.
"Rai!?" Kurumu yelled. "What'd you…?" He flew in close.
"Watch out," he advised. "We got soldiers mixed with monsters here!" The taxi swerved around the enemy fire.
"Pika!" Jolt shouted. He made a sharp U-turn as three ships chased after them.
"They're getting closer!" Rito shouted. Yui looked out her window.
"Waaaaaaah!?" She cried.
"Pi?"
CRASH!
A black, sleek ship slammed itself next to the vehicle. The taxi pushed against it to keep on course.
"We can't hold on much longer!" Yui cried. Jolt turned as hard as he could against the forceful opponent. Rai released his thrusters and chased after the taxi. Once close enough, he hovered underneath the vehicle. The enemy ship pulled out to ram against them.
"Here it comes!" Rito yelled. Rai quickly pushed upward from below the taxi.
Whoosh!
He flipped the vehicle until he was standing on the underside and Jolt was driving upside-down. The enemy ship came in for a strike.
"Surprise!" Rai greeted him. He drew his scythe.
SLICE!
The blade scoured right through the vessel. It fell apart as its parts tumbled into the ships behind them.
"Pikapi!" Jolt thanked him. Kurumu soared back and around. When she paused, four ships were surrounding her.
"Damnit!" She gritted her teeth. "There's too many!" She flew off with them following.
The machines started falling to the numerous soldiers. Ms. Mikado jumped over a staggering foe and socked the shadow behind her with her elbow. The fighting took its toll on her body.
"Just…*pant*…a few more…*pant*…" The next squads of soldiers were reinforced. They marched toward the school gates in rows of three. Ms. Mikado and the remaining blue androids were on their last legs ready to defend the students.
"Mikado-sensei!" Haruna cried. She readied her tennis racket. The soldiers climbed the school building.
Risa and Mio's army was shortly depleted to their remaining few.
"This doesn't look good!" Risa commented.
Bash! Bash! Bash!
She swung against the soldiers with her baseball bat.
"We need help!" Mio cried.
SPLOOSH!
Her small water gun was now a giant pistol with a container filled with water. She washed away the enemies down the stairs to the shrine. However, more continued to climb back up as others simply leaped on the temple grounds.
Saruyama breathed heavily. He held his broken pipe against the soldiers surrounding him. His mini-Rex growled at the enemies.
"Riko…" He closed his eyes as he sniveled. "…I'm sorry…"
Laura typed on her computer as fast as she could. She hastily scanned the monitor.
"Come on…" she pleaded. "Come on…"
Rai swerved around another ship.
SLICE!
He sliced apart the wing.
"At this rate, we can't even get close enough..." He huffed trying to catch his breath. He turned around only to be welcomed by another fleet exiting the ship. "…!" A bright light began to glow near the center of the ship. As he looked at the line of fire, he noticed Earth being in full-range.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Laura's computer displayed seven unknown markers approaching the city.
"That's—!"
The laser aimed directly at Rai. He held his scythe tightly and summoned his shoulder guards.
"Target confirmed," a soldier announced.
"Rai!" Lala yelled. The reticle slowly pinpointed its target.
"Enemy: locked on!" another soldier informed.
"Raimundo!" Mikan yelled. Yami turned and rushed for the exit.
"Ready…" Cyrus ordered. His eyes slowly widened as he noticed the enemy hero with his scythe. …YOU!
"Rai-san!" Yui yelled.
"What are you doing!?" Kurumu yelled.
"Pika!?"
"Raimundo!" Rito yelled.
"…This…" Rai spoke. "…is gonna hurt…a lot."
"...FIRE!" Cyrus yelled.
PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWW!
The blue stream fired. Rai braced for impact.
-To Be Continued-
Woo! After all this time, I managed to put together a climactic space battle for the season finale! I gotta apologize for how long this took for me to write. What can I say; a lot has been happening and I am still kicking! So, I applaud you for keeping up this far. And now, to go to the garage and start taking down boxes.
Yui: What!? But, you just got to the big climactic battle scene!
Relax, I'll try to finish up before the holidays hits. If you'll excuse me, I need my scarecrow, Christmas lights, and the turkey drawing I made in second grade. You know the one that's shaped like a hand.
Yui: Honestly, it's because you're too easy-going that you can hardly complete your story.
Woman! Don't question how I work! All right's reserved and material used in this story all belong to their respective owner's. Be sure to comment and review on the progress thus far.
Next time on Anime Unleashed: Fight for the Cosmos!
Yui: I expect you to finish this without the need for anything shameless.
For the big boss battle? ...Eh. No promises.