The story so far…
Sir Bo-bobo and his party, now with new companions Suzu and Hatenkou, have rescued the third High Spirit, Fuguralis. Having returned home, they receive a letter from the kingdom Chancellor with a request to fetch something from the infamous, haunting Zircon Region of the Don Kingdom. Meanwhile, Heppokomaru and Namero's rivalry intensifies when they discover that they both like Beauty-and now they've declared a love triangle battle against each other.
"The old way of recapping is boring!" Bo-bobo's purple nose hair friend whined.
"Die!" Chagecha madly drove his airship onto the nose hair's body, making him explode upon impact.
-X-
Third Prelude
(Part 3: Enter the Diabolos of love, hate, and square-dancing)
"Wow…"
Bo-bobo's team was taken with awe as the city scope of Sapphire City overcame them. It was large, crowded, bustling, and bright. Buildings of all kinds were clustered together; banks, clothing boutiques, bookstores, candy stores, business buildings, even churches. Technology spilled about, from cars to lighting effects. The team didn't even know where to begin. The Chancellor was on 5th Avenue according to the letter, but there was nothing but confusion stirring up in their minds.
"Where do we even begin?" Heppokomaru asked, still dazed by the scenery. His head was smacked by a box that tumbled down from a pile of milk bottle boxes.
"Let's look at the street signs. I read in this here guide that the avenues of the city run from north to south, while streets run east to west. So, we pinpoint two certain numbers, and that's the route we follow!" Beauty analyzed her little pink book of facts.
"Wow Beauty, you're so intelligent." Namero smiled as best he could. Beauty's cheeks turned pink, which irked Heppokomaru.
"But your intelligence not only is amazing, it really makes you look…pretty!" Heppokomaru nervously rubbed the back of his head. Namero was also irked. They caught on to each other and slammed into each other's shoulders.
"Pretty? Is that all you can come up with? Do you get the thrill of rebounding?" Namero hissed.
"Does that even compare with your crappy smile? Do you get the thrill of scaring others?" Heppokomaru hissed back.
"Boys, boys! Please stop…" Beauty pleaded. At that moment, the two of them separated and frowned, turning away from one another.
Don Patch still had the nailed board in his head, thus he still had the air of Weegee lingering around him. Serviceman grew frightened and inched away from him slowly as the others deliberated over a map of the city. He found a hot dog stand and smiled.
"Can I have one, please!? With mustard, ketchup, relish, and sauerkraut!?" Serviceman yipped like a Chihuahua. The man gave him a massive kosher hot dog and Serviceman gazed at it in awe.
"Ah, so this is what a legendary Sabrett (1) dog looks like…I wonder…am I worthy enough to taste it?" he asked curiously. He slowly took a bite of it and smiled a creepy smile.
"Mmmmm…it's…it's…"
Suddenly, when Serviceman opened his mouth again, a massive blue laser shot out of it! Several people were fried and a small pothole formed in the pavement.
"WHAT TH-!?" Everyone, even Bo-bobo, freaked out.
Serviceman squeaked. He opened his mouth again, and another laser shot out, this time accidentally putting a massive hole in the side of a cathedral that was conveniently planted between a drugstore and a run-down apartment building.
"What the hell has happened to Serviceman!?" Heppokomaru gawked.
"'Tis the power of a Sabrett hot dog, dude. Infamous kosher dogs made on this side of the region for nearly a century now; they seem to possess laser powers due to an old family secret recipe." The hot dog vendor, fat, bearded and smirking, responded to Heppokomaru's question.
"What's the secret?"
The hot dog vendor laughed hysterically. Heppokomaru slapped his face in shame.
"Well, I guess Serviceman's firing his laser, huh?" Beauty asked moronically.
"I wish I had one of those dogs right now…" Hatenkou whined as Serviceman shot out a laser that phased right through him.
"Never mind him. We need to find 5th Avenue…" Namero observed the map. Their current location was 6th Avenue and 50th Street (2), thus their desired location shouldn't be too far.
"I think if we head west, then we'll reach 5th Avenue. Let's get going, Sir Bo-bobo." Namero began walking west. Beauty and Heppokomaru joined him. Bo-bobo had holstered Serviceman and used him as a cannon to terrorize the citizens for no reason, and Hatenkou was caterwauling over Don Patch, who was still brain dead.
"Hey, Don Patch…do you mind if I call you Oyabin?" Hatenkou asked the non-responsive robot. "If you insist, of course…"
"Oy! Hatenkou! What's with you calling Don Patch "Oyabin," huh!?" Bo-bobo shouted as he pointed Serviceman's laser toward an oncoming Babuu who was selling child pornography on the street.
Hatenkou's cheeks turned pink. He placed a hand on one as he reminisced about his favorite days. "Don Patch looks just like him…my boss, my Oyabin, Ikarin Patch…he meant everything to me…everything…" Hatenkou embraced Don Patch as if he were a stuffed animal an infant longed for.
Bo-bobo's face went to its neutral state. "Your…boss?"
"He was the leader of a gang that ruled the streets, in a rather unorthodox fashion anyway. He was a master of all things Hajike…Hajike mixed with the perfect pinch of seriousness and raw power."
Bo-bobo listened intently as a plethora of flowers blossomed around Hatenkou's head. He sweatdropped.
"Oh, how I wish I could see him again! I would give up my gallbladder to serve my Oyabin!" Hatenkou became melodramatic.
"Okay then…who wants to play some Tetris!?" Bo-bobo screamed, shooting more lasers and making blocks fall Tetris-style as he dashed toward 5th Avenue. A long metallic streak remained from his burning path. Hatenkou spun around several times and fainted from dizziness. Don Patch shot lasers out of his eyes again without reason. Seconds later, 6th Avenue was on fire.
-X-
5th Avenue
The three teenagers glanced around the avenue they were on. There were several shops, and in the middle was a beautiful park adorned with square-cut hedge gardens and a fountain.
"Oh, this is nice." Beauty gazed at the park. She went over to a nearby stand and got snacks for everyone; sausages, pretzels, ice cream, chips, and churros. "What would you boys like?"
"I WANT THE SAUSAGE! NO I WANT IT! NO, ME!" Namero and Heppokomaru yelled in unison, fighting again. Beauty sighed and put everything in a bag. She read the address label; the address was 1073 5th Avenue (3). A typical-looking bookstore stood in front of her with the same address on the door.
"This is it…MuraMura Bookstore. He wants us to meet there?" Beauty questioned. She carefully crossed the street onto the other side. She quietly opened the door and walked inside.
Meanwhile, the two boys had created a commotion. Policemen were on the scene, but were trampled. People began to place bets on who would win.
"I bet 500 gold yen on the black-haired dude!" shouted one.
"1000 gold yen on the dumb punk!" shouted another.
As the chaos continued, Serviceman and Don Patch stepped onto the scene. Serviceman was about to mumble, but a laser shot out, crisping the two boys. Don Patch shot lasers from his eyes, nearly making them blow up. The crowd then dropped their fight and began dawdling around the laser-shooting wierdos.
"Oww…Heppokomaru whined, rubbing his head. He glanced at Namero, who was gobbling down several hundred churros at once. He began laughing hysterically.
"You're a pig!" he shouted rather heartedly. Namero grunted and kept on eating. He looked out onto the street ahead and could see Bo-bobo and Hatenkou at a distance.
"Whtt re dey ep tuh?" Namero mumbled through mouthfuls of sausage. He glanced over and saw a fashion store on 5th Avenue with frilly display windows. He choked on one of his sausages when he saw Bo-bobo and Hatenkou posing in one of the windows!
"WHT DEH FERK!?" he muffled.
There they were on that window display posing a bit too intimately for Namero's tastes (namely after what had happened with him and Heppokomaru). He passed out from the choking and the display. Heppokomaru glimpsed at it himself and fainted smack dab on Namero's chest. Several people had noticed that they appeared almost like a romantic couple…
"Ugh, they ought to get a room…"
-X-
MuraMura Bookstore
The bookstore was roomy and inviting, full of various shelves of guidebooks, history books, and such. The front counter offered markers, pencils, snacks, and mints. A glass shelf near the desk held art products on display. Signs pointed out that the second floor sold manga products and had a café, whereas the lower floor had more souvenir-style items. Beauty swept her hand across the golden tan wooden shelves and looked back and forth. There were customers and cashiers, but no one appearing suspicious enough to have sent the letter.
"Hmm…"
"Looking for something?"
Beauty turned around upon hearing a masculine voice, but saw nothing.
"Ahem. Down here."
Beauty glanced down to see a creature that appeared almost identical to Don Patch and Poppa Rocks, only older-looking and depressed. He wore a tattered janitor's uniform and toted a mop around with him.
"Ah…do you work here?" she asked, feeling odd.
"Recently I came here. The name's Bob. I work as the janitor of Princess Patches' Castle, or I did anyhoo. I work here now. So, what are ya here for anyhoo?"
"Uh…I was looking for someone…er…"
Bob smiled. "Who? You can trust me, Boopie."
"Boopie?" Beauty thought; the name was weird. "A man sent me a letter, and he wants me to meet him here."
"What's his name?"
"Um…"
"Is there sumthin' you can't tell me?"
"It's just that…the man I'm looking for is…an 'official.' Let's leave it at that." Beauty twiddled her fingers, hoping for Bo-bobo to somehow shoot inside.
"Funny thing is, I heard some man today say that…he was a…chancellor? Could he be the one you're looking for?" Bob poked through a picture book containing pictures of cats.
Beauty's eyes widened from shock. "That's him…where is he?"
"Top floor. Café. The Chancellor of the kingdom awaits ya and your friends." Bob smirked.
"Wow, I guess I should've known a castle employee would've known. I thought you were going to hit my head off with the mop if you knew what I was doing."
"Uhh…no."
"Okay then…"
Beauty began to walk off when Bob called her back.
"Hey!"
"Yeah?"
"Uhh…can I look at you for a second, darlin'?"
Beauty raised an eyebrow. Bob eyed her carefully as if he were analyzing a math formula. He gazed at her eyes, her face, her hair. He made a face as if he had seen her before.
"Umm…are you trying to hit on me, Bob?" Beauty nearly spat.
"Ah!? No way, darlin'! I jest thought I saw ya somewhere before, that's all."
"Wow, really?"
"Ah, I don't remember…I just had a feeling that I met a girl just like ya before. Sorry to trouble you."
"Erm…no problem." Beauty bowed before running upstairs to the café. Bob continued mopping, still pondering over Beauty's familiarity to him.
-X-
Yaks 5th Avenue (4)
"BANZAIIII!"
Bo-bobo and Hatenkou launched themselves out of the various display windows of the fashion store and landed inside a subway rail where Bo-bobo's sunglasses were picked off by rats. He screamed like a small girl and placed a takeout bag over his head.
"My glasses! No! They're an icon! I can't live without them!" Bo-bobo wailed.
"Oh, you're such a baby. How long have you had those glasses anyway?" Hatenkou whined.
Bo-bobo's eyes widened (the creases in the bag began to bunch). "I've had them for as long as I can remember…"
Bo-bobo Flashback Mode
We can now see Bo-bobo in ova form. His sunglasses appear to be stuck to the egg as it crawls through a female bodily canal.
End Flashback
"Okay…uh…that was f—king weird…" Hatenkou's eyes bugged out from the flashback.
"I know! It's so damn sucky now that I lost them! Wahahaha!" Bo-bobo sobbed hysterically as he walked into the sunlight, bag still on head. Hatenkou comforted him as they walked into the bookstore. They didn't notice Serviceman and Don Patch having a massive laser show-style fight to please the crowd around them. Heppokomaru was sitting on a nearby bench and pouted.
"Oh, Heppokomaru." Bo-bobo sighed, turning opposite the boy. "What is it?"
"Nothing, Bo-bobo-san. Namero's just off to the toilet somewhere. He ate too much junk food. By the way, have you seen Beauty? I thought I saw her go into that bookshop…"
"So why didn't you follow her?" Bo-bobo whined.
"Because Namero bitched at me to wait for him when he finished his business! It's been fifteen minutes! You think he finished puking by now!" A vein popped in Heppokomaru's head.
"Well, he can go and find us later. I believe this is the address. MuraMura Bookstore, no? Let's go inside." Bo-bobo began walking headfirst into the stone fountain nearby and was out like a light in seconds. Heppokomaru and Hatenkou fainted.
"Oh, great…"
-X-
MuraMura Bookstore
Beauty was silently eating some freshly made tempura when she could see a man glance at her several times. He was regal and donned in a fine coat akin to that the Minister wore. His oddest feature though was that his entire head was constructed out of tofu…(5).
"I wonder if he's the Chancellor…he probably is; the princess' castle is inhabited by all sorts of wierdos…"
"Hmm…" Beauty could hear the man mumbling over his tofu placed in a helping of yakisoba. She glanced at him, he glanced at her, and somehow, he got the message.
"May I…help you, young lady?"
"Erm…did you send me this letter?" Beauty asked bluntly. The man looked it over and hopped (he had no face, hence no facial expressions).
"Indeed! Are you assisting Sir Bo-bobo on his quest to save our darling princess?"
Beauty's mind briefly flew into space when the Chancellor called Princess Patches 'darling.' "Yeah…I don't know where he went though…"
Suddenly, right on cue, Bo-bobo broke a glass window and shot into the bar of the café, crashing into the display of food items. Hatenkou followed him quickly, shaking his head in disapproval and stress. Bo-bobo still had the bag on his head, and he began caterwauling when he came to.
"Music appreciation! Music appreciation! Music appreciation!" Bo-bobo screamed, going haywire through the bookstore. Remaining calm through the freaking out, the Chancellor pulled out a dart full of sedatives and launched it at Bo-bobo. It stuck into his rear, making him temporarily pass out.
"So he's the infamous knight. I never thought the heir to the Diamond Hair Kingdom's throne was so…eccentric."
"Heir?" Beauty questioned.
"Let's…save that for another day." Hatenkou gave Beauty a "get off my back" look and sat down beside her. Bo-bobo, unfortunately, was up seconds later and nearly took the table out below them. Heppokomaru appeared soon after with knocked out fighters Don Patch and Serviceman in a sack.
"Ugh, so what will I have for lunch today…" he sighed wearily. Bo-bobo popped into his face, making the boy shout.
"SLUMP SLUMP SLUMP SLUMP SLUMP SLUMP SLUMP SLUMP SLUMP SLUMP SLUMP SLUMP MILDRED MILDRED MILDRED MILDRED DEBBIE-"
Heppokomaru shut Bo-bobo up by slamming a glass on his head. Bo-bobo was out for a second, then came back, apparently normal.
"Unh…ow. What's goin' on?" he asked nonchalantly. Everyone else sweatdropped.
-X-
"It's a dangerous risk, but after hearing the news of your exploits, I think you're prepared to venture into the Zircon Region. If you can save three High Spirits, I think you can find this package. A delivery man from the post office was intercepted by some shady men while coming through Leisure Path. The package landed there, and we're sure of it."
"And we have to do this, why?" Bo-bobo asked rather rudely.
"There's not much going on in the reward department right now, Sir Bo-bobo…please forgive us…" one of the Chancellor's bodyguards squinted in fear.
"I'M NOT DOING THIS S—T WITHOUT A REWARD!" Bo-bobo screamed; the bag on his head became stained with tears.
"Oh, Bo-bobo, are you ever considerate?" Beauty sighed.
"Don't think he ever will be…" Suzu teleported into the room out of nowhere toting bags filled with food. She began stuffing macaroni and cheese down her mouth.
"AND WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?"
"Food shopping. Gotta prepare for the uncharted region from hell, Beauty." Suzu wolfed down a deli sandwich.
"My butt…"
"I want a reward! I want a reward! Losing my sunglasses was depressing enough, so now I have to do a job where I don't get a reward!?" Bo-bobo whined.
"Ah, ah, ugh…" the bodyguard fussed over a reward. The Chancellor came up with an idea.
"If you shut up and do the job, I'll give you an army tank to drive at your leisure." He was blunt, which made the others freak out.
"Deal!" Bo-bobo cheered up. The others collapsed.
-X-
The very borderline between the Sapphire Region and the Zircon Region
The harsh, icy winds blew from the entrance of the region from hell, the Zircon Region. When Sir Bo-bobo had previously been to the area, he remembered that a fringe of the region was actually right behind Namero's house in Sapphire Village. The winds that blew tore at the skin of the party (minus Namero, who Heppokomaru insisted on ditching via a bribe) and seemed to be echoing songs, like the voices of the dead.
"Ok-kay, why the holy h-h-hell did B-Bo-bobo-sa-san a-a-a-agree t-to accept a s-stupid t-t-tank of all things in order to make us go to this God-forsaken place!?" Heppokomaru chattered, his nose running.
"Ah, He-kun, I think a t-tank is a p-p-p-pret-ty decent rew-ward f-for coming here…" Beauty sighed, also freezing.
"If-f he was-s given the d-d-damn thing right away, then why the hell did he n-not bring it!?" Suzu grumbled bitterly, her food frozen over. "And why did you insist on ditching Namero?"
"I GOT MY ASS DITCHED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE! NOW IT'S HIS TURN!" Heppokomaru screamed, his head increasing several dozen sizes. Beauty and Suzu fell back afraid.
Don Patch was still brain dead. Serviceman poked him several times with a stick, yet there was still no response.
"Don Patch hasn't been this quiet…well, ever. That nail must've really done him in…" Serviceman was now cured of his laser-firing episode. "Does anybody have any pliers to yank this thing out?"
"Nah, screw it. I like Don Patch quiet," Heppokomaru spat.
Bo-bobo and Hatenkou made several last-minute preparations. With their winter clothes equipped and their gear handy, they were ready to attempt penetrating the uncharted area.
"Is everybody all set? Anybody need to use the bathroom before we go? It's your last chance; I mean…I'm sure you don't want to take a dump when it's this cold…" Hatenkou asked en point.
"We're all set…" Beauty shivered. Heppokomaru took immediate notice.
"This is my chance…" he thought.
"Then let's gooo!" Bo-bobo (still having the bag on his head) shouted immediately before freezing over due to his lack of warm clothing. Serviceman took the liberty of packaging him inside a bag, and the party went into the blue-leafed forest.
-X-
Emerald Region, Emerald Village
"Gasp!"
Byakkyô glanced over at Be-bebe, who suddenly froze upon completing hanging the laundry on the veranda. He walked over to his partner and hugged him out of concern.
"What's wrong, Bebe?"
Be-bebe snapped out of his trance. "Nothing. Sorry about that…"
Byakkyô went back inside and continued cooking the evening meal. Be-bebe went back to hanging up laundry. As he did, he wondered why he felt a strange sensation. That sensation was one of awareness, fright, and nostalgia…
"What was up with that? It feels like something terrible is about to happen…"
-X-
Sapphire Region, Azure Train Station
Binding Namero's hands, body, and feet, as well as gagging him, his captor slung him over his shoulder. The man had black hair and a small beard (6), and appeared as an intimidating soldier of high authority. Dressed in a long bluish cloak due to the cold weather, he silently waited for the next train to arrive. He glanced at his watch and at the old-fashioned château-style clock. Both read 5:43 P.M.
"Hurry up, Porusutoroi…what's taking you?" he grumbled to himself. Namero lightly kicked his chest, trying to wriggle down.
"Oh, settle down!" The man pulled Namero's hair to shut him up. The boy hissed in anger.
"The emperor wants you for a reason, you know. So shut up and maybe he won't change his mind. Maybe when he sees you again…you'll remember."
"Huh?" Namero thought in confusion.
The train arrived in less than two minutes' time. The doors opened, and inside was another man, with short blonde hair that reached the back of his neck, dressed like Namero's captor. The captor tossed Namero on the hard floor, making him retaliate in pain.
"Mmhff!"
"Ugh! Why are we doing this anyway?" The man named Porusutoroi sighed.
"Don't you recall, Porusutoroi?" The man whispered into the other's ear. The blonde smirked evilly.
"Ah. A reunion, then…"
Namero looked onto the scene in suspicion. "A…reunion?"
-X-
Zircon Region
Deep in the forests, the party was attempting to balance on the permafrost that covered the ground. The trees were icy, covered with blue, turquoise, and evergreen leaves that cast a chilling image on the scenery. The sky was an icy shade of silver blue, almost invisible due to the thickness of the trees. The winds stung everyone's skin, and they bellowed like a crying siren. Hatenkou, obviously, was able to avoid all these effects, but he still lagged from the wind.
Virtually nothing was in sight, other than more trees and patches of ice. The Garnet Region of the kingdom seemed like this, yet it was often left unsaid that the Zircon Region may be a part of the Garnet Region. Sir Bo-bobo and his team were now hoping to find why it was dubbed the way it was…
"Brrr…" Beauty shivered hard, struggling to stay awake. Heppokomaru noticed and shuffled over to her.
"You alright?" he asked, teeth chattering.
"Uh-huh…" Beauty sighed, clutching her sapphire pendant. It radiated, giving her warmth. Heppokomaru glanced at it in curiosity.
"Your necklace?"
"I don't know why it's doing that either…"
"It's pretty…it matches your eyes…" he spoke as softly as he could.
"Um, thank you." Beauty's cheeks turned pink at the compliment.
"Are you alright, anyway?" Heppokomaru asked quietly.
"Well, I'm cold, and I bet everyone else is…" Beauty glanced around to see Serviceman sweating as if he were locked in a sauna.
"Well, maybe if we…erm, huddle together, we can stay warm…" Heppokomaru nudged closer to Beauty until they were in contact. She smiled and thanked him with a blush.
"Heh heh…this is going to take a while, so we may as well chat…" With that, the two began to chat like good friends, all during when Suzu was loafing down a bag of spiced chips.
"Can I taste?" Serviceman sighed. Suzu nodded her head and handed him some chips. He popped them in his mouth, and seconds later, he began to breathe fire!
"EYAAA!" Serviceman tried to scream, but more fire came out, making everyone freak out. They ran away from him as fast as they could (including the still brain dead Don Patch) as he began to burn down everything around him.
"Not again! First the laser, now this…" Bo-bobo whined, running into a tree due to his lack of sight. He then yelped due to something biting his foot. The creature had the appearance of a lizard, complete with reddish scales, slit eyes, and demonic horns. Several more in increasing size joined it.
"Alright, a fight! I can't wait!" Hatenkou drew out his pair of fighting claws, dubbed the Cat Claws. He began the battle by swiping them down, making one of the lizards bleed.
"How can he hurt them when he's dead!?" Beauty screamed.
"It's a miracle. How the f—k would I know?" Hatenkou put a flat look on his face. Beauty collapsed, quickly landing in Heppokomaru's right arm. His left shot multiple rounds on the lizards, making them die out quickly.
"Wow He-kun! You're so heroic…I think…" Beauty giggled nervously. Another pile of lizards came onto the scene. Although not as good at it, Beauty tried fire magic.
"Omne Flammas Flamma Purgatus,
Domine Extinctionis et Signum Regenerationis,
En Mea Manu Ens Inimicum Edat…
Flagrantia Rubicans!"
"A spiral of flames caused the lizards to melt rapidly. Sadly, a piece of Heppokomaru's hair caught on fire, as well as one of Don Patch's spikes (he didn't notice).
"MY HAIR'S ON FIRE!" Heppokomaru screamed, dipping his head in the snow. It was out in seconds.
"Waah, sorry He-kun…" Beauty squeaked.
Serviceman made progress with his fire breath. He tried to "service" the lizards, but would up burning his parts off instead.
"End this…High Spirits, end this torture, please…" Serviceman whined in his head as more lizards were burned.
Don Patch used his brain dead state eye lasers to kill the lizards. He made no emotional change as they burned.
"Hyaa!" Suzu squinted her eyes shut as she lashed away some lizards. Her new whip had thorns, which made the job messy. Blood landed on her clothing and face, and when Serviceman faced her, he freaked out and burned her.
"KYAAA!" Suzu screamed, coughing smoke. Serviceman grabbed one of Heppokomaru's guns and shot himself in the foot as punishment. Another lizard bit his rear, making him wail in despair.
Bo-bobo was holding his own as he and Hatenkou wiped out another onslaught of lizards. He had greatly advanced his swordplay, having been able to swipe down eight at once with ease.
"Wow Bo-bobo. I'm impressed." Hatenkou stopped fighting for a moment. Due to his status as a ghost, he wasn't affected by the lizard's toxic bite.
"Oh, piss off ghost man." Bo-bobo's face went flat. Hatenkou sweatdropped.
"Sowwy…"
"Aggh!"
"Oh!"
"Serviceman…"
Bo-bobo glanced over to see that Serviceman was poisoned. Beauty was already skimming through a spell book to find a cure, but found none that could cure poison. Heppokomaru tried to calm the mailman down as best he could without freaking out.
"Ggh…"
"Ohh, ohh, I don't know what to use! All that I know are spells that can heal minor injuries, like cuts…and I'm not really good at them either…" Beauty panicked.
"Serviceman, please hang in there…" Heppokomaru pleaded as softly as he could. Serviceman grabbed the boy's hand and squeezed it as if he were a woman in labor. Several bones snapped, and Heppokomaru retaliated by punching the mailman in the face.
"Another onslaught of lizards…ah!" Suzu yelped, chomping down some trail mix out of anxiety.
A plethora of at least twenty lizards came together. Seconds after, they began to pile together and mold into one being. A large lizard roughly the size of a komodo dragon resulted from the fusion.
"Hee hee! My noxious flames are toxic…the poison of my flames is stronger than the average, you see…" the lizard hissed, saliva sliding from its mouth. The drool burnt the ground when it hit it.
"Rrgh…I'll take care of this!" Bo-bobo shouted.
"No, I wanna kill this thing!" Hatenkou bellowed, phasing ahead of Bo-bobo. Part of the knight's bag was ripped, revealing his lips.
"Waah! You're gonna pay for that!"
Hatenkou stood firm in front of the lizard. He tucked his hand within his scarf and pulled out his other favored weapon: a small golden key.
"A key? What the f—k is he smoking?" Heppokomaru asked himself.
Charging up a yellow aura that radiated justice, Hatenkou levitated at the lizard, which spat out a large heaping of saliva that barely missed Don Patch. He lunged at the reptile and placed the key deep into its chest cavity, turned the key clockwise, and shouted,
"Kagi Shinken…Ougi! LOCK!"
The lizard transformed into stone and stopped moving. With a smile, Hatenkou withdrew the key and flipped his hair in victory.
"Wow…" Beauty was amazed.
"Why, thanks for that compliment. This key can sink into an opponent's body and "lock" their hearts…forever setting their soul into stone…"
"…that's pretty impressive…" Heppokomaru took notes in his journal.
Bo-bobo's mouth opened in amazement. "Oh yeah! I remember…"
Hatenkou smiled, for he believed that Bo-bobo had remembered his amazing powers, used even when he was young.
"…that you always used to wet the bed until you were seven!" Bo-bobo snorted and laughed hysterically. Everyone else, even the poisoned Serviceman and brain-dead Don Patch joined in, and Hatenkou collapsed.
"Will you shut up about that!?" Hatenkou screamed, blushing furiously in embarrassment.
"Ha ha hah! Loser!" Heppokomaru shouted.
"Ugh…somebody call my therapist…"
-X-
Serviceman was strapped and bundled into an emergency bed and sedated with medications that masked the poison for an extended period of time. With Heppokomaru and Suzu carrying it, Beauty, Bo-bobo and the others worked their way into an open field that was fringed with snow and permafrost. The ivy on the ground glittered with ice, and the trees boasted icicles that rained color.
"Wow…it's so pretty…" Beauty's eyes sparkled like a chibi character.
"It's been quiet lately. Everyone, be on your guard," Bo-bobo advised. He and the others stepped into the open field. A light mist filled the area, but it was still visible enough to see. While walking, Heppokomaru's foot bumped into something.
"Oh?" He bent down to touch it. It felt like cardboard. He placed his hands on it and tried to lift it, which he did with difficulty. He noticed a white label on it-which read an address to the castle.
"Bo-bobo-san! Everyone! I think I found the package!"
"Really?" Everyone came over and saw a large, everyday-looking brown package complete with tape, several labels, and some dents from damage.
"I…guess that our mission is accomplished!" Suzu sighed in relief.
"Indeed. Let's get back to the tank the Chancellor gave me and go home!" Bo-bobo squeaked, starting to walk back with the package in tow. Everyone else followed until they heard Beauty squeak.
"Beauty?"
Everyone turned around to see that the pendant worn around the girl's neck was glowing. Its sapphire light radiated and cast a mysterious hue around the area. She shivered, feeling the strong, powerful glow it possessed.
"What is…"
"I-I don't know. It's like it's sending us a…a warning…"
"A warning?"
/Slash!/
"Kya!"
Beauty yelped when a long, black shadow quickly shot through the ground. It hopped along the bushes and into the trees. Everyone looked about to remain alert.
"What is this!?" Bo-bobo shouted, drawing his blade.
Suddenly, the sky turned from alice blue to a bloody crimson red. The shadow slowly stopped mid-field and began to form into a bodily demonic shape…
End of Part 3.
-What lies in store for Sir Bo-bobo's Party? Find out in the epic conclusion of this sidequest…coming soon to a theater near you.
-OKAY, NOW WHO WANTS SOME CHICKEN!?
FOOTNOTES
-1. A brand of hot dogs that have been famous throughout Manhattan New York, these hot dogs are grilled and have been sold on street carts for years.
-2. If you assume correctly, Sapphire City is based off Manhattan, New York. The city itself is a box, where avenues, usually single in number or named with proper nouns, run north to south, while streets with double-digit numbers run east to west. Conjoin an avenue with a street, and you have an address of any building in the Manhattan area.
-3. This is the same exact address for Books Kinokuniya, a Japanese bookstore chain that sells all forms of manga, souvenirs, and other books of all kinds, in Manhattan.
-4. A corruption of Saks 5th Avenue, a famous fashion boutique in…you guessed it, Manhattan.
-5. General Tofu, a character from the Hair Kingdom arc of the original Bo7 manga.
-6. Jobus and Porusutoroi, two villains from Shinsetsu Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo.