Chapter 39

Back at the Shiba household, Takashi and Ji had safely returned only to have the rangers question what happened to them once seeing the state they're in. The two thus informed the rangers that Jayden is fighting Deker with Nariko staying behind to watch them. "We have to stop them." Said Mike

Ji shook his head at this, "You can't stop them…We've already tried…" Antonio who had received injuries from their battle with a nighlok named Gigertox, slowly stood up from his seat while gripping his side "Well I'm going to."

Unfortunately the pain was too much for the gold ranger and he slowly sat back down. "No! You need to stay and rest." Told Emily, Mia nodded in agreement "We'll take care of it. Come on guys!"

Though as Mia and Emily rushed out of the household, Mike was about to follow them when he noticed the blue ranger just standing there "Kevin! Come on let's go!" Emily and Mia soon returned once they noticed the boys were not following them.

"I'm gonna stay with Lauren…" told Kevin, "We need to divide and conquer in case there's another nighlok attack…I hate to split up the team but this way Lauren can continue mastering the sealing power while you help Jayden."

Mia nodded at this, "We understand…"

"Don't worry…We'll get him and Nariko back here safely." Told Mike, with that being said the three rangers rushed out of the household and began their search for Jayden and Nariko.

Meanwhile with Jayden and Deker, the two were still fighting with each other but had transformed. They continued their duel deeper into the forest, Nariko quickly summoned a horse with her symbol power and immediately followed after them. The Yamada princess soon found the two swordsmen in an open field and immediately stopped her horse a few feet away, "Jayden…"

The two swordsmen had their horses stood on opposite ends of the field, preparing themselves for their next move. "I won't rest until we finish this duel." Told Deker, Jayden tightly gripped his sword "Then let's finish this!"

Both Jayden and Deker urged their horses to burst into a full gallop towards each other, though as they got close to colliding with one another, the two swordsmen jumped off their horse and at each other. Their swords clashed with one another and the two swordsmen landed safely on the ground only to continue on with their duel.

Deker darkly chuckled as he continued to clash swords with Jayden, "You feel it too…The way of the sword is the only way to live." "No that's where you're wrong! The only good that comes from fighting is defeating evil!"

Meanwhile in the forest Mike, Emily and Mia were quickly running through desperately trying to find Jayden and Nariko. "Come on, run faster! We have to get to Jayden and Nariko before it's too late!" told Mike, throughout their search the day quickly faded into night with still no luck finding the engaged couple.

Back with Nariko, she still remained on her horse as the princess continued to watch her loved one fighting Deker. The Yamada heir tightly gripped her horse's reigns and thought to herself, "Neither Jayden or Deker have ceased in their attacks…They've been going at it for hours…They don't even look tired at all…And yet…I can't help but continue to worry for Jayden…I know he's strong but…I…I don't want to lose him here…Not to Deker…"

As the two swordsmen landed a hit on each other, Deker said to Jayden "The last time we dueled, you broke Uramasa into two…But this time the only thing that will break is my curse dueling you!"

Deker managed to make Jayden fall to his knee and was about to strike him until the red ranger stopped his sword with his own. Though that didn't stop the cursed swordsman from pushing his sword down and hurting the red ranger on the shoulder.

Jayden loudly cried out in pain from the attack causing Nariko to exclaim "Jayden!"

"You will fall to my sword! Uramasa and I will be free at last!" told Deker, he struck Jayden twice in the chest. The red ranger quickly tumbled away from his opponent, "No I must stop you!"

Jayden quickly stood and remained there as Deker came charging at him. The red ranger blocked the nighlok's attack and used this to get close to his opponent and attack him. Deker quickly turned around to try and attack Jayden from behind. Though the red ranger was quicker and blocked Deker's attack once more before knocking the cursed nighlok's sword out of his hand.

"This ends now!" declared Jayden, he raised his spin sword over his head and brought it down upon Deker, successfully striking him. An explosion went off in result of Deker finally being defeated. Nariko watched in horror as she witnessed this, "NO JAYDEN!"

She snapped her horse's reigns and made the mammal quickly gallop towards the location of the explosion. With the red ranger, he had returned to his normal attire after being caught off guard by the explosion. Jayden slowly sat up with the help of his spin sword, he looked at the fallen form of the cursed swordsman and smiled a bit, "It's…It's finally over…"

Though his smile soon faded as Jayden heard a faint chuckle coming from Deker. Jayden watched in disbelief as the cursed swordsman struggle to sit up, "That's impossible!" "This cursed body won't stop."

"Jayden!"

The red ranger looked and to his surprise found Mia, Emily and Mike standing by Nariko outside the ring of fire that had surrounded the two warriros, "Guys! What are you doing here?!"

"Please stop!" pleaded Nariko, "You two have fought enough!"

"Jayden stop!" exclaimed Mike

"Let's finish this!" told Deker

"No! Neither of you have to do this!" yelled Emily

"They don't know what they're talking about." Said Deker to Jayden, "This is all I ever needed to do…Raise your sword…" Deker slowly stood back up with the help of his sword, "It's time I found peace in your defeat."

Though as Deker went to lift up his sword, he found out he couldn't since his arm wouldn't move at his will. Jayden who had been carefully watching his opponent said, "Face it Deker…It's over! You're too tired to even lift your sword."

Before the cursed swordsman could say another word, he felt a pressure on his arm. Deker looked down and to his surprise found Dayu by his side on her knees, gripping his arm "Dayu…" right before Deker's eyes, he watched as Dayu transformed into her human self and pleaded to him, "Please…Don't do this…" "It's you…"

"I don't want to lose you again…"

"Release me…Let me be free of this curse…Please…"

Jayden stared at Deker in wonder as he watched the cursed swordsman talking to someone who isn't there and thought to himself, "Who is he talking to?"

Deker continued to stare at his hallucination, "Dayu…Please…" a single tear ran down Dayu's face as she reluctantly lets go of her swordsman's arm.

Jayden finally stood back up on his feet, "This fight is over." Though as he turned and began to walk away, Deker snapped his attention back on the red ranger, "If only it were that simple…" he then transformed into his nighlok form and readied his sword for an attack.

"JAYDEN!" exclaimed the three rangers and Nariko

The red ranger turned back around and let out a cry of surprise at that moment Deker was struck from behind just as Jayden took a step back and fell upon his butt. Deker froze in his place for a mere second, he then dropped his sword and collapsed where he stood. The person who had struck Deker from behind turned out to be Kevin, much to everyone's relief.

"We've got to get Jayden out of there!" said Nariko

Mia pointed to one spot in the ring of fire, "Come on! There's an opening that Kevin made with his water power!"

The Yamada princess rushed over to her fiance with Mia, Mike and Emily following. Once they helped him stand on his feet again, the group quickly rushed out of the ring of fire just as the opening closed off.

"Guys look!" cried Kevin

Everyone looked back and watched as Deker disappeared while weakly saying, "At last…I'm free…" Jayden casted his gaze to the ground and wrapped his arm around Nariko as she buried her face in his chest, "His curse has been finally lifted."

The darkness of night soon faded away to the sun's morning rays as the rangers remained with Jayden and Nariko at the battle site, with no one uttering a single word. The silence was finally broken by Jayden standing up from his spot, he faced his team "Thank you for helping me out last night…I'm sorry I couldn't share my secret…Lauren and the plan had to be protected…It's time for us to go…"

Jayden then helped Nariko up from the ground and before the couple could leave, Kevin who had his back to his leader abruptly turned around "Jayden stop! You know you're still our leader!"

"We don't care that you kept your secret from us." Told Mia, "When we followed you it was real."

"But I'm not who you thought I was." Admitted the red ranger

Mike stood up from the log he sat on, "What about all those battles? You're telling me, we didn't know the man we trusted to lead the team? If you think everything our team has done isn't real just because you kept a secret…Then tell it to our faces…"

Jayden slowly turned to the green ranger with a serious look on his face but also had a single tear running down his cheek. Mike studied his friend for a bit and shook his head, "I didn't think so…"

Nariko couldn't help but smile a bit at her fiance, she reached up and gently brushed away his tear with her finger. Jayden looked at his loved one and smiled a bit before embracing her, the rangers joined the couple's side giving the red ranger comforting pats on the back.

Not even a minute later Kevin's samuraizer went off and he immediately answered it, "Yes Ji?...Got it…We'll be there…" the blue ranger ended the call and turned to the others, "Moogers…Down by the marina…Lauren and Antonio are already on their way…Jayden…Please join us…"

The rangers anxiously looked at their leader for any answer, Jayden studied the others for a bit then looked at Nariko who smiled and nodded. Jayden nodded back and looked at the rangers, "Go on…I'll need a minute…But I promise I'll meet you there."

"Seriously?" asked Mike

Jayden nodded once again causing Mike to smile and bump fists with the red ranger, "Sweet!"

As Kevin, Mike, Mia and Emily ran off to join Antonio and Lauren in battle, Jayden turned to his princess, "Nariko…" the Yamada heir caressed her fiancé's cheek, "There's no need…I know what you're going to say…I'll make my way back to the Shiba household right now and wait for your return…"

Jayden's placed his hand over Nariko's, "Be careful…" "You too…" he took her hand off his cheek and kissed it before quickly running off.

10 minutes have quickly come and gone, currently Nariko is running along the seashore trying to make her way back to the Shiba household. She immediately stopped in her tracks once spotting a dark whirlwind appear a few feet away from her and shooting up into the sky, "What in the world? What's this feeling? That whirlwind is emitting some sort of energy…It feels like…Sadness and misery…Oh no…"

The Yamada princess quickly ran towards the location of the whirlwind with a sense of dread filling her body. Nariko arrived at the same time Kevin, Mike and Emily did who came to join Mia. Nariko immediately stopped in her tracks as she spotted a familiar evil dark creature standing right next to Dayu, "O-Oh no…It's him…It's Xandred…"

The powerful nighlok evilly laughed and took a step forward, "Samurai rangers! Give up you have no hope!" Xandred glanced at his minion, "Dayu…Thanks to you I'm back!"

Dayu tiredly turned towards her master, "I…I've repaid my debts…"

Master Xandred turned his attention back on his enemies before him, "Now the human's world shall fall to me!" Nariko tightly gripped her necklace and thought, "This…Does not look good right now…" she tighten her grip more as the Yamada princess heard Master Xandred loudly roar as he prepared to finish what he didn't accomplish many years ago.