Note: Boy, oh boy, it feels good to come back to this story again. I mean, I don't forget about this story, but it just feels good to work on it again, especially since my other stories are crazy and long. They're also pretty hard to write sometimes, which is why I can consider this one of my easier stories to write. Before we move on, I have something to say to a reviewer.
Ron: I figured that Schaefer would have to fight Araki at some point, but I didn't know how to end said fight. Killing Araki might be a bit much, but it makes sense when you consider Schaefer's outcomes in the fight: If he won, his teammates would be safe, and they would continue on with their mission. But, if the sheepdog lost, not only would he be killed, but his teammates would follow. The same goes for anyone else who got in Araki's way. With that in mind, killing off the murderous wolf was a good idea on Schaefer's part.
Now that I've said that, it's time for chapter twenty.
Chapter 20: Mastering the Scrolls
As they were waiting for Schaefer to come to the gym, the remaining members of the Seven Heroes exercised. The scrolls were bound to arrive at any moment, and they hoped that they could gain a mastery over the magic they contained. Considering how the Serpent Gang now had Magicians on their side, the team knew that they would have to fight fire with fire when they went on the next mission. If they couldn't learn magic, then they would be at a serious disadvantage when they encountered a Magician. It would be especially hard if the Magician in-question had access to some of the most destructive spells in the world. Even if the magic wouldn't kill the Seven Heroes, then they would be unable to counter it.
Doing some push-ups, Bairei thought about how he had narrowly escaped death during his escape from the hospital. While he was able to fight off the Ninjas with relative ease, the Magician was another story. In fact, the raccoon felt as though he had won through dumb luck. The Magician had a considerable advantage over the procyonid, due to the magic she used. However, one spell the vixen cast proved to be her undoing, as it inadvertently healed Bairei. From there, he turned the tables and took down his foe.
Ryuta and Mayumi were exercising together. Ryuta was doing sit-ups while Mayumi was counting down. The two raccoons knew that they had to keep up their strength and flexibility in order to be prepared for the next mission. Knowing that Magicians were now with the Serpent Gang, they felt more determined to exercise. The couple even promised each other that they would learn the magic inside each scroll Chu-Ya had on hand for the sake of not only each other, but for the entire planet. Mayumi always desired to make the world a better place, and Ryuta loved that about her. Even if he felt a bit more pessimistic about certain things, he wasn't willing to rain on anyone's parade, including his wife's.
While climbing up a rope, Chikaga couldn't help but think of the scrolls that his father had on hand. Chu-Ya seldom mentioned them as the younger aardvark grew up, but that was because a Magician had caused significant damage to his father. Understanding his father's pain, Chikaga was a little put off by the idea of learning magic. The aardvark also worried about what would happen if his teammates were unable to gain a mastery over the magic hidden inside the Scrolls If they couldn't use it on the next mission, then they would be unable to defeat their enemies in combat. That was an outcome that Chikaga hoped wouldn't happen.
Practicing with her spear, Shizuka swung it from side-to-side, occasionally thrusting forward. The aardvark wasn't prone to pondering the outcome of a mission, but now she had a little bit of dread. She knew that the scrolls would be arriving from Japan, and she hoped that her teammates would be able to learn magic. If they couldn't, then none of them would be able to fight Magicians, let alone a single one. Their deaths were the last thing that the tubulidentatid wanted to see, as she couldn't bear to see them die around her. By the time the Scrolls arrived, Shizuka hoped to be the first member of the team to study them.
Sitting near the entrance, Bentley was more excited than his teammates. The idea of learning magic was something intriguing to him, and he was intent on using it against the Serpent Gang. Even if he wouldn't become as experienced as the rest of the team, the raccoon just wanted to learn the spells that were inside the Scrolls Chu-Ya had on hand. They would be at the gym at any moment, and the Seven Heroes would be able to study them. However, Bentley also hoped that Schaefer would arrive. After all, the team couldn't be the Seven Heroes without a seventh member.
The door to the gym came open, causing everyone to stop what they were doing. Schaefer came into the building, pulling the door shut behind him. Once they saw the sheepdog, the Seven Heroes went to greet their teammate. When they approached him, they could tell that he was injured. Initially, they thought that he had fallen on his way to the gym, but they noticed that he had some bruising on his face. Schaefer hadn't fallen, he had been in a fight with someone.
"Schaefer-san, what happened to you?" Ryuta asked.
"Oh," Schaefer spoke, "I had a fight out in the woods. It took me half-an-hour, but I managed to get away from my attacker."
"Who was your attacker?" Chikaga asked.
"Kazuma Araki." The sheepdog stated.
"That psycho wolf attacked you?!" Bairei gasped.
"How did he attack you?" Mayumi asked.
"He punched me hard enough to knock me down." Schaefer said. "We wound up fighting each other, to the point where I was on the defensive. Then he went mad, got out his knife and tried to stab me to death! At that point, I had no other option: I had to kill him. I swiped his knife, stabbed him in the chest, and sliced his throat open."
"Well, good riddance to that creep!" Shizuka said.
"Then why do I feel so bad about doing it?" The sheepdog asked.
"Maybe it's because you knew him before, and you wanted to talk it out with him?" Bentley suggested.
"If only that was the case, Bentley." The canine said. "All throughout my life, I've seen the good in everyone, so it shocks me to see someone who is evil to the core. Araki seemed to be the only person I couldn't reason with, which made him dangerous to those all around him. I had hoped that there was some level of good in him, but it seems that my hopes had been dashed."
"Was he ever bullied as a child?" Mayumi asked. "Did he come from an abusive home?"
"He was an orphan, and he was an infamously cruel student. Classmates feared him, and teachers wanted to send him to jail and keep him locked up. No psychologist who had him as a patient wanted to speak about the stuff he had said during each therapy session."
"What a guy." Ryuta said sarcastically.
"At least we don't have to worry about him again." Bairei stated.
"Hey, what are you kids talking about?!" Chu-Ya's voice rang out.
Turning around, the Seven Heroes saw Chu-Ya standing in the entrance of the gym. He was in front of two panthers who were carrying a bin, presumably what the scrolls were being held in.
"Nothing, father!" Chikaga said, bowing.
Chu-Ya then gestured for the panther workers to follow him. As they approached the Seven Heroes, the two felines placed the bin near them. Bairei was about to open it up, but the others held him back. The team watched as Chu-Ya's workers opened up the bin, placing the lid to the side. Once it was open, the Seven Heroes saw several Scrolls that were placed on top of decorative red cloth. Knowing what they were, they wanted to test out the magic bound to each, hoping to see if it would work.
The Pigs came and took the Scrolls out of the bin, deciding to take a look at them. After doing that, they handed the magic artifacts to Chu-Ya, who carefully put them back in the bin. He then had everyone follow him outside, having the Panthers hold the door open. The Seven Heroes entered a limousine, which would take them to their next location. The Pigs entered it as well, facing the opposite side of the warriors. What none of them expected was for Officer Perry to join them. He was still in his uniform, complete with a bulletproof vest.
"Hello, Officer." Bairei greeted.
"I'm only coming with you so that I can film footage for the boys at the station." Perry spoke. "They want proof that the Seven Heroes are on the side of the law."
"Well," the raccoon said, "if you get enough footage of us in action, then your fellow officers will be in for a treat!"
"Let's hope so." The Doberman said.
Once they had gotten out of the limousine, the Seven Heroes found themselves overlooking a river. Chu-Ya walked out in front of them, signaling for his employees to bring the Scrolls. The moment the Scrolls were out, the Seven Heroes were intent on practicing with the magic bound to each. Izumi, Nozomi, and Daisuke told them to wait, as the artifacts would be extremely dangerous if their magic was in the wrong hands. Before anything could happen, Chu-Ya had Officer Perry step out with a video camera, agreeing to let him film each of the Seven Heroes as they trained in magic. Once everything was together, the Pigs made an announcement.
"Now," Izumi spoke, "we are well aware that each of you are waiting to learn magic from each of the Ancient Scrolls of Hokkaido. However, before the training can begin, keep in mind that magic is rather difficult to learn."
"Without proper training, the magic from the Scrolls could prove dangerous to not only your enemies, but to you as well." Nozomi said.
"But, it is possible to gain a mastery over the magic that corresponds to you the most." Daisuke said. "It might take a while, but if you train hard enough, you'll be able to use magic in no time!"
"Then what are we waiting for?" Bairei spoke. "We need to get a move on, in case the Serpent Gang sends someone out to kill us!"
"Very well." Chu-Ya said. "Step forward and you'll see which Scroll corresponds to you!"
One by one, the Seven Heroes approached the bin containing the Ancient Scrolls of Hokkaido. As soon as they were near it, each of them felt something surging through their bodies. It was a burning sensation, one that felt both painful and overpowering. However, the feeling was also empowering, as if their minds were drunk on the magic that was coming off the Scrolls. They looked at the Scrolls, watching as they began to glow and levitate. With that in mind, the Seven Heroes stood their ground, primarily because they weren't willing to be annihilated by the magic.
Floating down to the Seven Heroes, the Ancient Scrolls of Hokkaido kept on glowing, letting their magic show. A Scroll with red writing on it flew in front of Bairei, choosing him. After that, a Scroll with blue writing went to Chikaga, enveloping him with its magic. Another Scroll with blue writing went to Ryuta, albeit not going as fast as the previous two. Mayumi was faced with a Scroll that had pink writing, allowing it to give its magic to her. Shizuka watched as a Scroll with yellow writing came to her, its magic surging and crackling. As for Schaefer, he was faced with a Scroll that had green writing. Bentley was last, as the final Scroll came to him, having light green writing.
Once the Ancient Scrolls of Hokkaido had come to them, the Seven Heroes waited for the magic to accept them as its masters. Their eyes glowed, signaling that the Scrolls were empowering the team with the magic inside them. A strange aura surrounded their bodies, with ethereal noises traveling through the air. Chu-Ya and the Pigs watched, secretly hoping that their warriors would be able to control the magic of the Scrolls. Officer Perry filmed what was going on, but he looked concerned. To him, it looked like the Seven Heroes were about to be disintegrated.
After a minute, the Seven Heroes' eyes stopped glowing. The Scrolls flew away from them, signaling that they had absorbed the magic from the artifacts. Once that was out of the way, Chu-Ya came up to the team, deciding to inspect them himself. From what the aardvark could tell, there were a few electric crackles coming off of the warriors, but they looked alright. Knowing that they now had magic inside of them, he decided to have them begin their training. The Pigs agreed that it was time for the Seven Heroes to master the magic inside the Ancient Scrolls of Hokkaido, as they were already linked to it.
For the next day, the Seven Heroes practiced using the magic that was now coursing through their veins. They had to train outside, primarily because Chu-Ya found it too dangerous for them to train indoors. As the team trained, Officer Perry filmed their progress, agreeing to have them look over the footage in order to see what they would need to improve. However, it would be a one-time thing, as the Doberman was tasked with sending the footage to his fellow officers once the Seven Heroes finished their training. They were reluctant, but decided to do so for the sake of progress. After all, it just wasn't right to waste an officer's time.
Bairei's training started out smoothly, with him learning what kind of magic the Scroll that flew to him had. Upon finding out that it contained fire magic, the raccoon tried to make a fireball with his hands. When he made one, he fired it near the river, not wanting to destroy the trees in the Evergreen Forest. The procyonid then made several flames with his magic, keeping them on the gravel. He was careful enough to extinguish the magical flames before they spread, snapping his fingers to do so. With knowledge of the magic he had on hand, Bairei hoped to use it against the Serpent Gang.
Ryuta and Mayumi were practicing their magics together, using training dummies to avoid causing too much damage to their surroundings. By using his magic, Ryuta discovered that he had control over ice. He froze a training dummy in a block of ice, with it shattering almost immediately. Mayumi was up next, and she used her magic to cut a training dummy into pieces. Her magic turned out to be air and wind magic, which allowed her to either use them for offense and defense. After learning what they could do, Ryuta and Mayumi agreed to tag team against the Serpent Gang's army.
Chikaga's magic training was a bit of a doozy, largely because he didn't think that he would be able to use it. The power surged through him, so he focused in order to get it under control. By doing that, the aardvark formed a ball of light in his right hand. Wanting to know what it would do, he threw the ball at a training dummy. This destroyed the dummy, leaving smoke coming off of its remains. By destroying a training dummy with a ball of light, Chikaga came to the conclusion that he had made the attack by focusing. It meant that the Scroll that had floated to him gave him the ability to manipulate his own Ki.
Facing a training dummy, Shizuka didn't know what to do to it. She had magic coursing through her veins, but she didn't know what it was for. By looking at her hands, the aardvark saw a few electric crackles around them. Curious as to what would happen next, she threw her arms forward, aiming at the training dummy. After that, electricity shot out of the tubulidentaid's hands, hitting the dummy and leaving burn marks on it. With that in front of her, Shizuka couldn't tell whether if her magic gave her control over thunder or lightning.
Punching a training dummy, Schaefer felt the magic crackle all throughout his body. The sheepdog didn't know what kind of magic he wielded, but he had a feeling he would find out. After throwing another punch, he saw his fist become surrounded by a green light. Unwrapping his hand, the canine felt the light get heavier. Thrusting his hand forward, he saw the training dummy get crushed into a ball. Schaefer couldn't tell what kind of magic he had, but, for now, he assumed that he had gained psychokinesis from the Scroll.
The last one to train was Bentley, who was standing near the river. He saw a light green light all around him, but he wasn't sure what was going to happen next. Focusing, the raccoon felt like something was going to burst out of him. Waving his arms in the air, the boy fired a glowing fireball towards the river. Instead of damaging anything, the magic transformed into an exact copy of Bentley. Upon causing it to dissipate, the ringtail could tell that his magic gave him the ability to multiply.
At the end of the day, the Seven Heroes approached Chu-Ya, deciding to speak to him about the magic they had learned. Officer Perry had gotten done recording their progress, so he was free to give the footage to the Evergreen Police Department. With him gone, the team demonstrated their magic, focusing their efforts on it. The moment he saw it for himself, Chu-Ya was impressed. He expected that his warriors would be unable to control the power of the Ancient Scrolls of Hokkaido, but he was wrong. With them proving him wrong, the aardvark called in the Pigs.
Once the Pigs had seen the Seven Heroes demonstrate the magic they had learned, they decided to read the Ancient Scrolls of Hokkaido. They approached each of the warriors, following by the order of the Scrolls.
"Bairei Tanuki," Izumi spoke, "you are now the Guardian of the Flame. The Flame Scroll gives you the ability to control fire, from a spark to a dying flame!"
"Ryuta Tanuki," Nozomi said, "from this point onward, you will be the Guardian of the Cold. The Cold Scroll gives you the ability to control ice and snow, even when your surroundings are warm!"
"Mayumi Tanuki," Daisuke said, "you have become the Guardian of the Air. The Air Scroll gives you the ability to control the air and the blowing wind for both offensive and defensive purposes!"
"Chikaga, my son," Chu-Ya spoke, deciding to do the next one, "you are now the Guardian of Power. The Power Scroll gives you the ability to manipulate your own energy, but no one else's!"
"Shizuka Tsutsu," Izumi said, "you are now the Guardian of the Raging Storm. The Raging Storm Scroll gives you the ability to create thunder and lightning, which can fry evil to a crisp!"
"Arthur Schaefer," Nozomi said, "you have become the Guardian of the Psionic Wave. The Psionic Wave Scroll gives you telekinetic abilities, from moving objects without touch to crushing objects by thought!"
"And finally, Bentley Tanuki," Daisuke said, "from this point onward, you are the Guardian of the Double. The Double Scroll gives you the ability to duplicate yourself, with your clone being perfect enough to fool your enemies!"
With their magics known, the Seven Heroes felt confident. They knew that they had to keep the magic in control, even if it was almost intoxicating to use. As the Serpent Gang now had magic users on their side, the team hoped that what they had gained from the Ancient Scrolls of Hokkaido would be enough to keep them at bay. If it wasn't, then the world would be in grave danger. All the Serpent Gang needed to do is to get the Ruby of Saturn, then they would use it for whatever insidious plan they had. The Seven Heroes hoped that their magic would help them defeat the evil organization, as it was now crucial to their mission.
Meanwhile, at the Serpent Gang HQ, Hirose was sitting behind his desk. The black panther was outraged by all that had happened in the last week. Not only were the bombs the Serpent Gang intended to spread throughout the Evergreen Forest destroyed, but Shiobana and Araki had been killed. Knowing that the Seven Heroes were the ones behind these events, Hirose felt his hatred for them grow. At this point, the feline wanted to make them suffer for as long as he wanted. Even if his loyal soldiers had to kill the team for him, he only wanted to see them tortured and slain in a way only he saw fit.
Calming down for a bit, Hirose remembered that the Ruby of Saturn was still at the museum. All that he needed was to gather the artifact for his plan. But, knowing that the Seven Heroes would most likely be there, the black panther figured that it would be harder than he thought. A plan crept into his head, making him wonder as to how the Serpent Gang would pull off the heist. It didn't take long, but the feline got it. He pressed a button on his intercom, deciding to speak to his coworkers.
"Yamashiro," Hirose spoke, "I want you to go to the house of Bentley Tanuki with me. We need to make a private appearance. As for you, Ogata, I want you to go after the Ruby of Saturn. Take a few ninjas and magicians with you, because you'll need the extra help. If you see the Seven Heroes, kill them or capture them!"
Upon ending his message, Hirose let out a dry chuckle. This time, he wasn't going to let the Seven Heroes stand in his way. By going to Bentley Tanuki's house, the black panther intended on killing the boy's family, with Yamashiro lending him a hand. As for Ogata, she would be able to finally get the Ruby of Saturn. The Serpent Gang was no longer hesitating to complete their goals, being hell-bent for leather. No matter what happened, they were going to be the ones who stood victorious.
Note: Looks like the Serpent Gang is done playing around. Can the Seven Heroes stop them? Will they use their new magic? How strong is the Serpent Gang really? What is their plan for Bentley's home? Will the Ruby of Saturn be stolen?
Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!