Chapter Seven: Crimson Rider
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His flesh burned like a fire had been set upon him, sweat making it both slick and sticky to the touch. Plagued by nightmarish hallucinations, the boy writhed in his sleep, making it hard for Naomi to keep the wet cloth on his forehead. Nearby, Urataros suffered the same way, though he had calmed moments ago. Standing in the middle of the aisle was Asuka, still seething. "Will someone explain to me just what is going on?!"
"Bah! Like we have to tell ya anything!" Momotaros snapped, causing Asuka to stomp forth, "LIKE YOU SHOULD TALK! If it weren't for you, those two wouldn't be in any pain!" Momotaros flinched but his pride made him shoot back, "Like some loud-mouth brat like you could do anything!"
That was the last straw. Clenching her hand into a fist, she reared back and punched Momotaros in the face. Momotaros closed his eyes, bracing for the inevitable wave of pain, yet as the blow connected, found that the agonizing pain he was used to wasn't there. "Hehe! Is that all!"
"Momo!" A pain familiar yet unknown to any other pain filled his body as a tiny fist buried itself into his side. A dry gurgle escaped his mouth as he fell aside to Hana. Glancing to Asuka, she said, "In a way, he does have a point. The Imagin would have probably gone back to the past hadn't we shown up." " Imagin? The past? "
"Indeed…" Stepping into the dining car, the Owner looked upon the two poisoned. "The beings you see around you and the one you encountered are beings from another time and this…" He gestured to the train they were on, "…is a train of time."
--
The scorpion Imagin didn't know what to do with itself. Not only had he lost his contract holder, but she had made a fool out of him! Fortunately, a chaotic rampage was always a cure for this ailment. Pincer-like claws sliced through brick and concrete, causing the occupants of the little grocery to flee for their lives.
Tipping over another display shelf of produce, it found himself to not be alone. Turning, it found itself before a group of armed police officers, though it seemed they were close to soiling themselves rather than protect others.
"H-h-hold it right there!"
The Imagin cackled as it raised a claw.
--
Silence crept in as the Owner finally finished his explanation, allowing Asuka to soak it all in. Meanwhile, Rei could be found placing a cool rag on Shinji's head, who had finally come to a rest amidst his tossing and turning. Behind her, she could hear Momotaros' pacing come to a stop before he sniffed the air. "I smell an Imagin."
"It's probably that bastard that did this to them!" Asuka replied, standing up. "Looks like its up to me!"
"What?! "
"You heard me! Since Shinji can't transform to fight, I'll fight for him!"
Momotaros flinched, "No! Nononononono!! I rather fight that Imagin alone than with you!"
"Who says I was going to fight with you?! I'll just pick somebody else like…you!" Asuka pointed to Ryutaros, who looked up from his drawings before looking back down. "No."
"What do you mean no?"
"Scary Asuka-chan called my dance stupid." He replied. Asuka looked confused for a moment before his eyes widened and her brows narrowed, "SO YOU WERE THE ONE WHO MESSED UP THE DANCE!! Hmph! Fine, how about….you….?" Looking to Kintaros, the bear Imagin was in a deep sleep. Gritting her teeth, he walked up before smacking the Imagin hard, yet it proved to be futile.
Clenching her hands, she turned back to Hana, "Isn't there somebody else who is at least dependable?!" The little girl paused for a moment before replying, "…Well…there is one more…"
--
Tires squealed as Misato stomped down on the gas, a trail of smoke and dust and a pair of tire marks left as her car shot off like a blur. News reports had spoken of a strange creature emerging from the school where the children attended, and neither of them answered their phones, prompting her to see if they were all right or not. She could only wonder if this was an Angel attack or if this creature were something different altogether.
--
Soft music filled the air of the car Hana led Asuka into, playing from an antique record player. Looking around, Asuka found the setup was a bit elaborate despite that looked like to be once a storage car. Seeing Hana approach a bed with thin white veils, Asuka found the one the little girl must have been talking about.
"A bird?"
The Imagin stirred only before taking to his feet in a flash, possessing a certain grace about him that the others lacked. "I am no bird. I am a prince, and you would best not show such disrepec—Ow!!" He tensed, wincing as Hana dug her heel into the top of his left foot. "Hana-hime! I –ah, ow-- did not see you." The little girl backed away, crossing her arms before she spoke, "Sieg, we need you to become Den-O…"
"Transform with you? Surely people will start rumors—"
"With her." Hana corrected, annoyance crossing her features. Sieg approached Asuka, examining her closely. Walking back near that elaborate bed, Sieg finally answered. "No." "WHY NOT?!" Asuka cried out as he reclined once more on his bed. Before the Imagin could give off his excuse, a soft voice broke through.
"He's gone."
Hana and Asuka turned to see Rei standing there. "Who's gone?" Hana asked.
"The blue one…Urataros."
Erupting into the dining cart, Hana looked around to see that Urataros was indeed gone. "Momo!" Seeing the red Imagin sit up in a booth, she stormed over, "Why didn't you stop him?!" "Stop who?" A smack to the back of his head caused Momotaros' head to snap down and bounce off the table. "Urataros, you moron!" Writhing in pain, the red Imagin grabbed the back of his head.
"What the hell is wrong with you?! Turtle is…right…." Looking to where Urataros was lying a few moments ago, Momotaros found that the blue Imagin was gone. Frowning, Hana looked back to Asuka, "Let's go."
--
Throwing the last frightened officer like a mere twig, the Scorpion Imagin didn't even bother to watch the poor man slam against the nearby brick wall. The Imagin found that this was a great way to work off its earlier frustration. A nearby shriek was enough to tell it who its next victim was. Cackling, it turned its attention on a high-school girl. The Imagin's tail reared back, only before it shot forth toward the girl.
Only to be deflected.
Turning to the source, the Imagin found itself facing the Imagin from before, just now without his contract owner.
I'm surprised you can still stand…
Urataros' legs felt like jelly as he approached, trying his best to look as cool as usual, but he knew that he was stumbling far too much for normalcy. "I may be sick, but that won't stop me from getting my catch." Leaning on the Urarod, the turtle Imagin quickly added, "Won't you let me string you along?"
The scorpion Imagin charged forth, one claw reared back. Bringing the Urarod up, Urataros quickly understood just how weak he was as the blow threw him off his feet. Quickly rolling to avoid getting stomped on, he scrambled to his feet. He studied the Imagin, looking for that certain part. Bracing himself, he blocked another claw swiped, though he managed to keep on his feet this time. The scorpion's tail began to twitch –no doubt preparing another sting—though with a quick punch to the face, its attention was now to grab its face in pain. Swinging his rod forth, Urataros winced as he found the attack extremely clumsy with his condition; a fact understated as the scorpion Imagin had enough time to recover from the punch and avoid the slash. Throw onto his back as a claw raked across his chest, Urataros gasped for breath as he could only watch the scorpion's tail rise over its shoulder. As it prepared to inject another dose of venom into the turtle, he noticed that a small part near the stinger was dimly glowing; there it was!
This time you won't be getting up…
The tail shot forth, only to miss its target as a motorcycle seemingly dropped from the heavens; its back wheel slamming onto the Imagin's head. Landing, the bike skidded before turning a 180, revealing a very strange sight. Taking the helmet off, it was Asuka, yet her eyes burned with a familiar crimson hue, and a dark shade of red streaked across her hair, which was now pulled into a ponytail.
Taking that familiar pose, Asuka spoke out in that oh-so familiar voice,
"Ore…Sanjou!!"
The scorpion Imagin paused, tilting its head in confusion as Asuka began to crack her knuckles, standing between the scorpion and Urataros, "I'm in a rush, so today I'm starting at a Climax!"
What are you doing?! That's my contact holder!
"If it were up to me, I'd let you have her, but your luck's ran out today!" Momotaros announced through Asuka before he withdrew that belt. Slapping it across her hip, it swung around her waist before connecting near the buckle. Pulling out the pass, he swept it across the buckle, "Henshin!"
SWORD FORM
Crimson armor connected onto black spandex, locking into place before that peach-shaped visor descended over Asuka's face. Coming to a stop with a squeal of metal, the peach parted, creating the eyes. Stretching once everything settled, Momotaros began to chuckle as he took hold of the DenGasher components. "I've been thinking of a new hissatsu." He announced as he began approaching the scorpion, combining the parts of the DenGasher. The Scorpion Imagin charged forth, one of its claws reared back, seeking to take advantage, only to have Momotaros leap back away from the slash. With only the blade left to assemble, he flung the part at the scorpion's face, charging forth.
"GO, GO, GO!!"
As the part bounced off the Imagin's face, it spun back towards the rider, attaching to the DenGasher and contorting into the crimson blade of Momotaros' weapon right before it bit into the scorpion's right side. Laughing like a madman, he gave out a howl. "How I've missed this!!" Several more slashes were giving, propelling the enemy Imagin backwards. Resting his weapon onto Asuka's shoulder, the rider replied, "Like I told ya, from start to finish, I'm at a Climax!"
Shut up! Shut up and die!!
The Scorpion Imagin's tail flicked up before it lashed out. Having completely forgotten about it, Momotaros found himself unprepared to dodge. Bringing up his sword like a shield, he braced for impact; One that never came. The scorpion screamed out in pain, prompting Momotaros to look past his sword. On the ground was the scorpion's stinger, and nearby on one knee was Urataros. "Turtle! What do you think you're doing?! This punk is mine!" "Sorry sempai, but Shinji-kun and I need something from him…" Urataros said weakly, picking up the severed stinger. "Moron! You can't even stand straight anymore!" Approaching Urataros, Momotaros flung Urataros' arm over his shoulders and jerked the turtle up onto his feet. Before he could help his fellow Imagin to the DenLiner, he heard shuffling behind him, followed by a hoarse shout.
THIS IS FAR FROM OVER!!
Turning Asuka's head, Momotaros saw the scorpion charging forth, preparing for a claw slash. Yet before the scorpion could even reach the two, a pale hand was brought forth, slamming into its face and throwing it backwards.
The usually emotionless Rei was cooler and calmer than normal, possessing a grace unseen before from her. The source was recognizable once he saw that her hair was cornrowed before ending a large ponytail with white streaks and feathers adorning it. It became even more apparent with the white feather boa around her neck, and, of course, that fact that her irises were now white.
"You! Why are you here?!"
Speaking through Rei, Sieg's voice held its usual arrogant tone as ever. "Hana-hime requested that I make sure Friend Number Two was all right. Obviously, it would be up to me to save you." "The only one who will need saving is you!" Unfazed by his threat, Sieg walked pass the two before gently taking Urataros. "I will let your slander go this time, since I am in no mood to fight, so I will leave this up to you." With that, he began to help Urataros away, though rather awkwardly for one who wanted to remain looking graceful.
"Heh, looks like it's my lucky day!" Momotaros declared as he approached the rising scorpion. Pointing his sword at the other Imagin, he added, "…and your unlucky day." Pulling out the pass, he swiped it over the buckle.
FULL CHARGE
Crimson sparks began to form around Momotaros' sword. "My hissatsu attack…Part Six!" The blade of his sword shot forth, still bonded to the rest by the sparks of energy. Slashing out, the disconnected blade swung out in a wide arc, slicing through the scorpion. Another horizontal slash would bring the blade back through before the rider raised his sword overhead. Bringing the weapon down, the blade sliced through the Imagin vertically, causing it to erupt in an explosion. The blade shot forth from the flames, connecting back with the rest of the sword. Resting it on the girl's shoulder, he chuckled, "Done."
Emerging from her body, Momotaros' image went from transparent to solid as he landed beside her. His absence caused the armor and weapon to vanish, leaving only Asuka, who proceeded to throw a snap kick at his stomach. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT?!" Asuka shouted, "There's no way in hell I would let you give me to something like that!" Though her kicks had no effect, her shouting was enough to make the Imagin wince. After a few more rounds, the two of them made their way back to the train. Hopefully by now Shinji and Urataros would be all right. However, both were unaware of the purple-haired woman who had been watching for quite a while.
Flipping open her cell phone, Misato wasn't sure how Ritsuko would take this discovery.