Chapter 2: Sakura, the new teacher and old friends.
'Late! Late! I'm going to be late!' Sakura thought frantically as she dashed through the hallways, attempting to not knock over other students and teachers as she tried to reach her class before the bell.
"Sakura-chan! Over here!" Sakura finally noticed her friend Chiharu waving her over toward the classroom.
"Am I too late?" Sakura huffed as she finally slipped into the classroom.
"Nope. You're just in time." Rika, another of Sakura's friends, assured her.
"What a relief. My alarm clock just doesn't seem to work anymore. I always sleep through it." She sighed in relief as she slumped into her chair in exhaustion.
"You know about alarm clocks!?"
"HOE!" Sakura literally leaped from her seat as Yamazaki, yet another friend and Chiharu's boy friend, popped up behind her, not wanting to miss a chance to tell another of his famous tall tales.
"Here we go?" Chiharu sighed.
"You know how some people used to wake up with a rooster's crow right?" Yamazaki asked, getting up in the stunned Sakura's face to demand an answer.
"H-hai." She answered nervously.
"Well, when people made the first electronic alarm clocks they knew that was the sound people were most used to waking up to so they planned to make the first alarm buzzers sound just like rooster crows."
"But wouldn't it be just easier to use the beeping buzzer we have now?" Sakura inquired, prompting Yamazaki to hold up a finger in answer and lean in closer.
"Indeed. However, other roosters began hearing these false crows as well, so they assumed that whatever time the other rooster began crowing they should do it too. But!" Yamazaki leaned in closer still. "Not everyone gets up at the same time so when one rooster could be crowing at 5:00 am another could start crowing at 6:35 am. Before anyone knew it, roosters all over the world would start crowing at random times and no one was able to get any sleep."
"Is-is that true?" Sakura worried fearfully, not wanting to imagine getting woken up at random times of the night by a group of roosters.
"Of course it's a lie." Rika reassured her all the while Chiharu was man-handling Yamazaki for making such a "feather-brained" (I'm not funny) lie.
Ding dong! Bang bong!
"There's the bell." Tomoyo stated. "And still no teacher." She wasn't the only one to notice. Ever since Kurikara-sensei was forced to retire their English class has had to utilize several fill in teachers until a proper replacement could be found.
"I wonder if that rumor I heard was true or not?" Rika pondered. "I heard from Terada-sensei that a new student teacher was coming from overseas to be our instructor this year."
"From overseas?" Sakura pondered to herself. 'We certainly get a lot of people coming and going from overseas in this city. And each one was as mysterious as the next when we first met them.' She smiled to herself remembering all those encounters with new friends and how after rocky beginnings they became irreplaceable to her. 'Maybe I can become friends with this teacher too.'
Just as Sakura finished her thoughts the door to their classroom opened once again. Sakura only glimpsed shaggy brown hair and the image of a red ring before hers, and Tomoyo's, eyes widened.
"Sorry I'm late class. I had some difficulty finding the class room. Just getting used to this school after all." Now sporting a burgundy jacket over a black dress shirt and black slacks, the magician walked over toward the black board and began writing with a piece of chalk in large letters. "Now then my name is: Mister Carter Hughes." He finished writing his signature with an exaggerated underline scratched beneath it. "Since I'll be teaching you all English this year I will make it a policy that you must all refer to me as such." He smacked the black board behind him just beneath his name for dramatic effect.
"Whoa. Seems like a pretty strict teacher."
"He's got blue eyes. He must be that foreigner teacher people were talking about.
"He seems harsh but he dresses really cool and he's handsome too. Kind of like a character from a manga."
Whispers went up around the class, each student giving their own first impression on this mysterious new teacher. Sakura however was still stunned. That the same man she saw just yesterday doing magic tricks for children and then had turned out to be a true sorcerer who fought monsters and was now her teacher was just too much for her to comprehend. However, this did make one of the things he had said to her yesterday make more sense.
Yesterday, after the battle.
"Look! Those weird marks are disappearing!" Tomoyo exclaimed as the group huddled over the still unconscious woman. Just as the last of the fissures had faded from existence the red magic circle suddenly appeared above the woman's body once again.
"Haa!" Suddenly, the circle's owner burst from its surface, landing in a crouch a few feet from the shocked the group. He rose back to his feet and dusted himself off as he walked over to the sleeping mother.
"What did you do?" Sakura asked as the armored wizard seemed to finish his inspection of his charge and nod with satisfaction.
He turned to the trio, his face hidden by his helmet. "I protected her hope." He stated surely. "As well as made it so that no more Phantoms could come looking for her." With what he deemed a sound response he turned from Sakura and her friends as he placed his hand back to his belt.
Connect, please!
His silver trimmed motorcycle wheeled its way out of the new portal he had created and the rider once again kicked back onto his bike.
"Wait!" Sakura proclaimed grabbing his arm to stop him from leaving. "That still doesn't answer much. I still want to know what happened to Kurikara-sensei. Why did he come after this woman and try to kill her daughter? And, who are you?" She demanded apparently in one breath as she huffed with desperation. The magician stared at her and sighed as he linked his fingers, apparently in thought. "Knowing may pull you into a predicament you might not yet be prepared for. Would you still like to know?" He asked.
Sakura didn't even wait to think it over. "Of course! I don't know what's going on but I know that I definitely don't want this to happen to any more people, not while I can do something about it."
The rider looked her over thoughtfully, seeing the clear determination in her green eyes. And he chuckled, placing a hand on her head and ruffling her hair playfully. "You're everything they said you were."
"Hoe?" Sakura blinked at his statement, even more confused.
"Naruhodou. (I understand)" The magician revved his bike preparing to leave.
"Hey you still haven't answered Sakura's questions!" Kero proclaimed in anger by how this stranger was attempting to snub his mistress.
"Not here." He stated. "After class tomorrow. Head to the amusement park. Your other guardian may want to hear this as well so bring him too. My familiars will show you in." And with that he drove away, leaving the fading roar of an engine still pounding in their ears.
End flashback.
"So that's why he said 'after class'." Tomoyo whispered to Sakura, having thought the same thing. "He must have known somehow that we were in his class."
"Please save all your idle chatter for after class! Kinimoto-san. Daidoji-san!" Carter Hughes called to them.
"H-hai!" The two girls said as one, caught off guard by the sudden shout. 'So strict.' Sakura thought to herself. Nothing like the fun loving, fairly jolly magician she saw yesterday.
"Now then…" He addressed the entire class again. "For those of you who can't abide by this policy then I ask that you…" The class hushed up, expecting some kind of punishment for those who couldn't follow the rule. "Please refer to me as Yu-sensei." He said the last part with a wide welcoming smile that caught the entire class off guard. "I'm sure we'll all have a lot of fun this year and I look forward to getting to know each of you. Nee~? The class still remained silent, not aware of what to do with the sudden mood swing. "Nee~?" He asked again.
"Hai, Yu-sensei!" The class called as one
"NICE!" He threw two thumbs up and smiled as he settled back into his chair, ready to begin the school day.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
4:00 pm, Tomoeda Amusement Park
"So what now?" Kero asked as he scanned the area, searching for anyone who could have been the armored magician's familiars. He did this from Sakura's hand bag, as his mistress, along with Yukito; Toya's best friend and the human persona of Sakura's second guardian, and Tomoyo who demanded she come as well.
"He said his familiars would show us in, but I don't see anyone out of the ordinary around. And I don't feel any particularly powerful magical presence either." Sakura stated, perplexed.
"Perhaps, his familiars aren't very powerful." Yukito guessed. Sakura and the others blinked at his hypothesis.
"Maybe." Kero crossed his arms in thought. "He was a mage with a particularly offensive array of magic, so he might not rely on powerful familiars to protect him."
"So what kind of familiars would he have?" Tomoyo asked just as perplexed as the others.
"Maybe ones like those." Yukito pointed, drawing the three's attention toward a nearby bench wear they spotted three, strange little creatures.
"Kawaii!" Sakura cooed when they got a close look at the three mechanical animals. The first was a red bird that fluttered around the two girls, chirping happily and taking nips at their hair which made them giggle. The second was a blue mechanical unicorn with a wide blade on its crown that resembled a horn. The last floated up to Kero in Sakura's bag and hovered around him as if to get a good look.
"What is this, an octopus?" Kero asked while swiping at the toy that wouldn't stop buzzing around him. His question was answered for him as the yellow octopus familiar sprayed a jet of ink into his face. Kero retreated back into Sakura's bag to try and avoid another bath and clean his face. "Ick! This one wants to pick a fight." He growled popping back out of the bag and preparing to make roast squid of the toy.
"Hold on Kero, look!" Sakura pointed toward each of the round cores that the three had. Each had the base of what looked like another of the magician's rings either in their chest, head or back. "They must be his familiars."
Almost in response, the toy bird flapped off toward a deeper section of the park, its companions in hot pursuit.
"I think we need to follow them." Tomoyo guessed and the group immediately gave chase.
The three animals took the group for a merry march around the amusement park before finally they came to stop in front of the Hall of Mirrors. "But this rides closed down." Yukito noticed. Undetered, the familiars ran inside. "I guess we don't have a choice." Yukito checked to make sure no one was watching and then hussled the two girls inside before they were spotted trespassing.
"It's pretty dark in here." Sakura stated, having to feel the wall so she wouldn't trip.
"Here I have a flash light." Tomoyo said as she rummaged through her bag, finally pulling out the portable light. She flipped the bulb on, finally letting some light in.
"Over there!" Sakura pointed toward the back of the hall where the three familiars waited for them, each trying to draw their attention toward a single mirror they stood beside.
"Here?" Sakura asked placing a hand on the mirror. Almost immediately, the glass plane began to hum as a golden magic circle appeared across its surface. "That's-!" Sakura started, immediately recognizing the sigils with a crescent moon over lapping the sun.
"Clow's magic circle!" Upon recognition of his former master's seal, Yue's wing's sprouted from Yukito's back, enveloping him like a cocoon and unfurling revealing the long silver haired angel in his place. The seal faded away, as did the mirror, revealing a hidden door way further in.
"This isn't possible." Sakura said looking in. "This should be the back of the building but there's an entire room in here." Sakura gazed in wonder at the interior of the hidden room. It was furnished to seem like something of a lounge with a circle of couches surrounding a wood coffee table dominating the center of the room.
"It seems you've started to underestimate my abilities, Sakura-san." A coy chuckle answered her from the other end of the room.
"I know that voice!" Kero flew ahead of the rest as the group ran to join up with him. "Clow!" He called in disbelief as the group found the source of the retort having come from a wide a mirror at the back of the lounge, and reflected from its surface was none other than the resurrection of Clow Reed himself.
"Eriol-kun!" Sakura called in joy.
"It's been a while, everyone." Eriol smiled back at her.
"We're here too!" A girl with medium length, auburn hair suddenly popped into view. In her arms was a small cat with fairy wings, and had a very annoyed look on his face.
"Nakuru! Spinel!" Sakura waved to the two guardian's happily. "Is Mizuki-sensei there as well?"
"Indeed." A gentle voice replied back as a beautiful red haired woman slipped into view beside Eriol. "How have you been, Sakura-chan? Tomoyo-chan?"
"Hectic, is how we've been!" Kero replied in an agrivated tone.
"Calm down Keroberus." Spinel attempted to cool his hot headed counterpart down.
"It's true though. Sakura and Keroberus have informed me of what they've had to deal with lately. And our search for answers has brought us to you, Clow." Yue stated, not without a bit of venom.
"Easy you two." Sakura waved her two guardian's down. "Eriol-kun's always had a lot of secrets but I have a feeling this might not be his doing this time. Right?" She asked the former card master.
"Indeed, you have good intuition, as always." Eriol nodded. "Please sit and I will try to explain to the best of my ability." He waved them over to the couches, which they complied.
"Now then, as for our meeting spot…" Eriol started. "I suppose you could say, this a safe house I created and hid with magic after the events with the Sealed Card, I felt that if some new predicament may ever occur we would need to keep in contact through another way than over the phone." Sakura and the others remained silent, not refuting the logic.
"Now then, on to the more pressing issue. To begin, Sakura-san, you are aware of the two variations of magic correct?" Eriol asked.
"Different variations of magic?" Sakura blinked confused.
"I guess not." He chuckled, not surprised by his friends lack of knowledge on the subject having come from a non-magical household. "At first, magic was a shared knowledge across the world, however, centuries ago, magic was split between two separate sects; East and West."
"East and west?" Tomoyo asked, just as confused as Sakura by the concept. "Oh, is it like how Li-kun's magic is different from both yours and Sakura-chan's?"
"Very observant, Daidoji-chan." Kaho answered her former student. "Li-kun uses fudas to utilize his different types of elemental magic. And his mother used a ceremonial fan as well. Both of them utilize eastern magic."
"However, Sakura-chan…" Eriol started. "Your magic and mine are a mixture of both magics. East and West combined."
Sakura looked over her cards with new wonder, never fully comprehending such knowledge about her cards and wand.
"So then, those monsters. What magic made them?" Kero asked, though he expected the answer.
Eriol straightened his glasses and stared out as if he were seeing something far away. "Those monsters were created by an ancient kind of western magic. They are known as Phantoms."
"Phantoms?" Sakura asked.
"Yes, they are monster's born of the undeveloped magical energy within people with potential for magic. These people are known as Gates."
"The monster that looked liked Kurikara-sensei said something along those lines too." Tomoyo stated.
"It didn't just look like him, Daidoji-san. In life he truly was your teacher Kurikara."
"But how?!" Sakura cried. "I couldn't feel any magical power from him as long as I'd known him. Also, Kurikara-sensei was a truly nice and kind person and teacher. He loved being a…" And then she stopped remembering the Phantom Hellhound's words.
"He devoted his entire life to teaching. And when he was forced to retire it destroyed him, literally. And from his remains I was born, the Phantom HELL HOUND!"
"Eriol-kun how does someone become a Phantom?" Though she feared she already knew the answer. Eriol sighed, having feared this part.
"The way a gate becomes a Phantom is by falling into bottomless despair. After that, the magic that sleeps within them will become corrupted and dark and will break free of its vessel, killing the gate in the process."
Tomoyo gasped, but Sakura gripped then ends of her skirt in sorrow. "So Kurikara-sensei is really gone for good."
"Yes, I'm sorry Sakura." Eriol apologized the grieving girl.
"Wait a minute!" Kero called out getting everyone's attention. "That woman from yesterday didn't become a monster."
"That's right. The magician did something and saved her." Tomoyo concurred with Kero's statement.
"Indeed." A smile returned to Hiragizawa's face. "What was born from western magic can also destroy it. And we just so happen to have a modern user of that magic who wields it on both his hands. A man who has the ability to change despair into hope." While Eriol dragged on, catching his audience's attention completely, they didn't notice the red magic portal appear behind them and someone step out.
"Hello~!"
"Hoe!" Sakura jumped from her seat as the coy call was spoken directly into her ear. The group turned, finally noticing the mysterious magician had snuck up behind them.
"Thanks for the sweet intro boss." Carter flashed a thumbs up at the grinning sorcerer and took a seat beside the still perplexed gathering.
"You two know each other?" Kero asked shocked.
"Indeed. I was the one asked for his aid when I had gotten wind of the Phantom incursion for Tomoeda. Allow me to introduce…"
"Carter Hughes. 22 years old. Yoroshiku!" He bowed to each of the four in turn.
"So, Yu-sensei is really a sorcerer?" Sakura asked.
"Yes, and he may be our best chance as to keeping this in check." Eriol explained.
"Ah, excuse me for a moment, before we get to deep into this…" Carter held his hands up for pause as he lowered the driver-ring to his buckle.
Driver on!
"I finally got off work and I'd like to get out of these stiff clothes as soon as possible." He slipped a new ring onto his finger and held it up to the scanner as well.
Dress up, please!
The red magic circle fell over top him once again. However instead of summoning his armor, his smartly dressed work attire was replaced by a more casual black jacket over a red t-shirt and jeans. "Ahh, that's better." He sighed padding down his jacket as he slumped back onto the sofa. "Ahh while we're on the subject of comfort. Would anyone like any tea? How about some cake?" He offered.
"Yes! Cake!" Kero's once suspicious attitude faded away at the thought of sweets. Sakura and Tomoyo chuckled slightly embarrassed that their friend could be manipulated so but nodded as well.
"Coming right up." He slipped another ring down to his buckle.
Connect, please!
Another portal appeared beside him and he reached inside, pulling out a square package along with a kitchen knife, a kettle and several dishes and forks.
"I got it this morning so help yourselves." Carter said as he shared the pastry among those gathered. Yue only took the tea.
"Yay cake!" Kero cheered as he dug in.
"How unsightly." Spinel rolled his eyes.
"Ah, I'm sorry. Would you like me to send some over too, Eriol-kun?" Carter offered, put Eriol waved his offer away, to Nakuru's disappointment. "Suit yourself then." Carter quipped before he too cut off a fairly large portion and began digging in himself. "Umai~!" He cooed as he wolfed down another bite. "Japanese sweets are the best!"
"Umm." Sakura tried to get the magician's attention between bites. "I wanted to ask you something since yesterday." Carter met her eyes signaling she had his complete attention. "What was it that happened to that woman yesterday and what was it you did that saved her?"
"Ah that." Carter set his plate down and washed his food down with a quick sip of tea. "That woman from yesterday was a gate, as I'm sure you all guessed." They nodded. "When that woman witnessed what appeared to be her daughter's demise she instantly fell into the depths of despair. As Eriol-kun told you, when a gate falls into despair the magical potential within them manifests as a phantom. What I did was enter that woman's under world, a deep part of a human's spirit, and I destroyed the phantom before it could break out into reality and destroy that woman in the process."
"So… in a sense. You also destroyed her magical potential as well." Tomoyo asked scared of the concept.
"An unfortunate side effect but at least she won't have to fear anything from the phantoms anymore." Carter shrugged. "It's slightly better than the alternative."
"And what's that?" Sakura asked curious about what else could happen besides becoming a phantom. Carter looked at her from the corner of his eyes as his face set in slight grimace.
"She'll become a wizard, like me." The room instantly fell silent, it was very clear he disliked this possibility as much as he did the possibility of that woman becoming a phantom.
"Ehh hmm!" Eriol coughed wishing to change the subject. However, Carter waved him off.
"It's best they hear this now." He said sternly. He then turned too Sakura his stern gaze meeting her confused one. "Had that woman become a wizard, then they would have stopped at nothing to make sure she could not be trained in order to fight them or at the very least, they would double their efforts to make certain they got her Phantom."
"Carter." Mizuki begged him to wait but he continued none the less.
"The Phantom's fear no human weapon in this world. None, except the very power that created them."
"Magic." Sakura finished for him which he nodded.
"So you know what that means don't you? If the Phantoms find out about you, they will come for you too. Gate or not, they will fear your power and take measures against you. No one will blame you for wanting to leave this city. I'll help you in explaining to your family. Leave this to me and get yourself and those you love some place safe." He practically begged the last part.
Sakura remained silent for some time as all eyes were on her. She gripped the key around her neck for strength as she lifted her eyes to meet his.
"Yu-sensei, you're very kind aren't you." This immediately deflated the magician as his eyes widened. "You said earlier that that woman may have become a wizard 'like you'. I think this means that you must have faced something horrible yourself but survived and became a wizard. You must have suffered a lot so you wanted to make sure the same doesn't happen to anyone else, am I right?" The fact that he didn't meet her eyes showed he didn't deny her claim. "But, Yu-sensei, even if it would be safer to run away, I could never do it. Knowing that I was safe while the city I've lived in all my life was in serious danger, that would really put me in despair." Her kind smile and willful gaze practically shown like a bright light to the magician who starred in awe at the young girl. "I won't run away. I'll stay and fight too."
Carter looked at the ground for several seconds, before he couldn't hold it in anymore. He started laughing uncontrollably. "Mataku! When you said she would impress me you guys weren't kidding!" Carter got to his feet and extended his hand out to his student with a wide grin. "Let's fight together, Sakura Kinimoto-chan! And please call me Yu-kun if you'd like." Sakura stood up as well and happily took her new friends hand.
"Hai! Arigato, Yu-kun!" She smiled as well.
"This is perfect!" Sakura and Carter broke the hand shake as Tomoyo suddenly appeared beside them, video camera in hand. "I got to film the beginning of beautiful new friendship! With this new battle I'll be able to film even more of Sakura's wonderful moments!" Tomoyo cooed in a near faint. The whole room sweat dropped at her display.
"Is she serious?" Carter asked, those gathered only laughed nervously not sure how to give an exact answer.
"Oh, and the clothes! I need to get to work on some new designs. Oh I feel so motivated!"
"Hey you know I'm always up for giving you some great shots!" Kero popped in, striking various poses for Tomoyo who practically ate it up. Carter's familiars also seemed to want to get in on the screen time as they began hovering around and posing with Kero.
"Oh I should introduce you guys." Carter stated as he called his familiars back over to him. "These are my familiars. Garuda…" The red bird chirped happily. "Unicorn…" The blue unicorn familiar neighed and stamped in excitement. "Kraken…" The toy octopus was busy fighting Kero over the camera's spotlight. "And…" Carter paused when he noticed that someone was missing from this gathering. "Now where did he get to?" Carter scanned the room, his guest not sure what he was looking for. "Ah, there you are. Everyone, meet our master craftsman: Golem."
Sakura and those gathered looked to where the magician was gesturing toward, a dresser in the corner of the room, and seeing nothing. "He's a bit shy." Carter explained. "Come on now. Meet some new friends Golem." Still no movement. "Garuda, if you'd please." The red bird nodded and flew over toward the dresser, swiftly ducking behind it. The sounds of struggle could be heard as Garuda seemed to be fighting with something behind the dresser before a small purple shape suddenly came tumbling out only for it to try and hide back behind its wood sanctuary.
"Oh no you don't." Carter quickly scooped up the tiny figure as he held it up for everyone to see. "Once again, meet Golem."
"Aroo roo!" The gorilla like purple toy seemed to squeal when all eyes in the room seemed to fall on it and it quickly attempted to hide behind its master's head as it climbed up to his shoulder.
"Kawaii!" Sakura cooed as she tried to hold a hand out to the shy little familiar. Golem squealed once more before he jumped from Carter's shoulder back onto the floor and plodded away to hide away in some other corner of the lounge.
"Hahhh, the eldest of my familiars is also the most bothersome. Still doesn't know how to deal with new people."
"His skills are incredible though." Eriol added in. "Golem is responsible for making a number of the magic rings that Carter uses, including those of the other familiars."
"So that little guy is the one that made your rings?" Kero inquired, hovering over Carter and marveling over the craftsmanship of the ring on his finger.
"Most of them." Carter answered. "Though I'm well past my years of training I'm still short on spells, or rather rings, to properly manifest my magic. That is until our spectacled friend there hired me on and agreed to supply me with the magic stones Golem needed to make new rings.
"It was no bother." Eriol waved away the compliment. "My memories of being Clow Reed also came with his fancy for the stones. To me they were just trinkets good for collecting only. Speaking of which, Golem has just recently completed a new ring for you."
"Seriously?!" Carter looked excitedly around the lounge until he spied a small stone chest on a nearby stand. He quickly popped it open and marveled at his new ring. "Nice, Golem!" He threw his familiar his usual thumbs up as it suddenly came running around the corner toward him. But it paid no heed to the compliment and instead grabbed at Carter's jeans, frantically pulling. "What's up?"
Golem led the group back toward the door way where Sakura and company had entered. The mirror had returned but as had the magic circle as it flashed rapidly.
"What's wrong?" Sakura asked as Carter suddenly got serious look.
"We got trouble." He quickly dashed back over to the stone chest and pulled out a large glass orb and set it down on the coffee table. The crystal ball's surface started to fog over before an image of the hall of mirrors appeared as it revealed who was waiting behind the secret door."
"Ghouls." Carter growled. Sakura instantly spotted the horned monsters she saw swarming the park yesterday.
"They must have followed us." Yue inquired as he unfolded his wings getting ready for a fight. Carter however placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Hang on. Let me take care of this." He suggested as he held up his new ring. "I also feel pretty motivated right now. Besides, we might need you to lay low. They've all ready seen me, Keroberos and Sakura in action. Sakura having another guardian they don't know about could become useful to us." Yue could not refute his logic, though he still looked annoyed, but he pulled his wings in anyway.
"Alright, time to get to work." Carter grinned as he slipped a ring onto his finger. This ring looked similar to the ring he used to summon his armor before but this time it was blue with a more diamond like shape. He pushed the switch on his driver down as it lit up.
Driver on!
Shabadoobie touch to henshin! Shabadoobie touch to henshin! Shabadoobie touch to henshin!
"Henshin!"
Water, please! Sui, sui, sui, sui!
A blue magic circle now appeared over head and fell over top of him like droplets of water. The armor was summoned once again, this time however the armor on the helmet and chest was replaced by blue diamonds. Carter sweeped his coat tails back and held up the hand with his water ring. "Saa, showtime daa."
"Good luck." Eriol smiled and waved, confident in the wizards ability.
"Please be careful Yu-kun." Sakura wished him whole heartedly.
Connect, please!
"Naturally." He replied and patted her on the head one last time before stepping through the portal he created.
"We can watch from the crystal ball." Spinel explained and the group gathered around the glass orb just as Carter's portal dropped him just behind the ghouls outside the door.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Yo!" He called out, catching the attention of the spear wielding rock monsters. "Come at me!" He challenged gesturing with his hands. The creatures replied in kind as they leveled their spears and charged at the cocky magician in a stampede of sharp spear points.
Liquid, please!
Carter scanned a new ring on his buckle as his body instantly liquefied. The ghouls charged through and began stumbling on each other as their useless spears hit nothing but water. The sentient water then began to swirl to the back of the hall, stopping and retaking shape just at the foot of the secret door.
"Surf's up!" He quipped and scanned yet another ring over his driver.
Defend, please!
A wall of water suddenly rose from the ground at the wizards command and with a wave of his hand, came crashing down as a mighty tidal wave, washing the helpless ghouls out of the hall and back into the amusement park.
"First we wash, now we dry." Carter scanned the ruby red ring over his buckle this time as the red magic circle appeared over him.
Fire, please. Hi! Hi! Hi hi hi!
Now donning his red armor once again, the magician dashed out of the hall of mirrors to find the amusement park empty save for the group of ghouls sprawled out on the concrete after their sudden rinse cycle. They quickly picked themselves back up and surrounded the wizard with their pikes poised.
"That's the spirit!" A jolly chuckle in his voice, Carter then took a low, spread leg stance as the red magic circle appeared on the ground beneath his boots. The monsters stabbed as one but Carter, his boots instantly ablaze, jumped at the nearest one, smashing the toe of his blazing foot into its chin with a somersault kick. He then twisted in midair, catching the two ghouls behind him with a double heel kick to their skulls that floored them as well. He then rolled back to his feet and caught another ghoul with a reverse round house and then struck the last with the follow up.
"Fui." Carter sighed, extinguishing his boots as the downed ghouls exploded from the fiery assault, their bodies shattering into stone fragments.
"Not bad, for a human." Carter quickly turned at the voice just as an explosion struck at his feet, busting through the concrete and sending him flying back.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Is that a Phantom?" Yue asked as the monster appeared in the globes face.
"Looks like it but it's different from the one from yesterday." Kero answered.
"It's stronger than that Hellhound too." Eriol stated. 'What will you do Carter?' Eriol thought to himself expectantly.
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Carter was immediately lifted to his feet from his collar by the hulking Phantom. Its body was light blue with the curved horns of a bull and a tufted tail that matched. "The name's Minotaur." The Phantom proclaimed as he violently tossed Carter to the side and summoned a steel halberd to his hands. "I was sent out to eliminate some pesky magicians that took out Hellhound and cost us a gate. You know anything about that?" He asked nonchalantly as he raised his halberd to strike.
"Can't say I do." Carter immediately rolled to the side as the axe-head split the ground where his head had been seconds ago. 'This guy's a real bruiser.' Carter thought to himself as he freed his own blade from a portal he summoned to his side. He cartwheeled over the halberds low swipe and countered with a slash of his own across Minotaur's chest. The beast reeled but did not falter as it summoned another massive fire ball to its free hand.
Defend!
The phantom loosed the massive ball of energy just as Carter scanned his defense ring over the scanner once again. A dome of pure heat surrounded him just as the projectile impacted causing both fire spells to cancel each other out.
"Fighting fire with fire isn't getting me anywhere." Carter speculated as he pulled out another ring to replace the red one on his finger. This one was bright yellow and its jewel was crafted into a square shape. "I need a power type to fight a power type."
Land, Please! Dododo, dododon. Don dododon!
(Hit the music! Bgm: Strength of the Earth.)
The ground began to rumble as the yellow circle rose up from Carter's feet and changed the red parts of his armor bright yellow. His helmet now had a square amber like face and heavy yellow armor across his chest.
"It doesn't matter what color you change your outfit. I'm still going to pulverize that shiny head of yours!" Minotaur charged with the spear tip of his halberd leading. Carter set his feet and pulled back with his blade, lining up for a lunge. Just as Minotaur was inches from skewering him he stabbed forward, his sword-gun splintering the medal halberd and rushing forward to strike the Phantom, square in the chest, and sending him flying back. Carter pulled back, twirling his blade end over end through his fingers.
"Urgh! Dammit!" Minotaur cursed as Carter pulled two last rings from his chain.
"Time to break in that new ring." He quipped as he scanned the first ring.
Cho ine! Kick Strike! SAIKOU!
Carter set his foot out as the yellow magic circle appeared beneath his boot and filled it with bright yellow energy as a miniature dust devil wrapped around his heel. In response, Minotaur quickly got back to his feet and howled at the top of his lungs, prompting his horns to grow to twice their size. He got on all fours and started pawing the ground like a bull, angry huffs filtering from his nostrils.
Carter broke into a cartwheel and from a handstand, leaped into the air as Minotaur broke into a full run and leaped after him, horns leading. Carter dived in a flying side kick as the dust and rumble began to build around his feet. Just as the two were inches from colliding Carter scanned his last ring.
Drill, please!
"Finale!" Carter called as he began to rotate rapidly, his dust devil covered boot changing into a spinning drill bit. The drill kick instantly shattered Minotaur's horns and blasted straight through the mortified Phantom. Carter skidded to halt as he landed just as Minotaur followed his ghouls and exploded, leaving no trace of the monster.
"Fui." Carter sighed once more as he canceled his transformation. He looked over the damaged amusement park, slightly disappointed that such a fun looking place had been thrashed by their battle. "Guess we need to hide that door somewhere else."
Done! God this was a long one. But I just had so much to explain, so many characters to introduce and a battle scene so as not you bore you guys. But, considering how I'm not fond of how Kamen Rider battles can last two episodes lately, this might not be last time I do this. So anyway…say hello to our hero of this fic: Carter Hughes, soon to be Kamen Rider Wizard (in name finally, since constantly calling him "the magician" was getting on my nerves). Also you'll all notice that bgm note earlier, in my previous work I would type out the lyrics of a song but after reading the new guidelines I'm not gonna risk doing that anymore so I hope you'll still click over to U-tube and listen while reading. I'll try to update same time next week, till then!
