Birth of the Lion! Shishido's reason for living.
"So, you want to hear my story?"
Flashback 1 Year Ago: Antayla Providence, Turkey. Shishido's POV
"Cushi~! Bring the climbing gear over here!"
"At once! La mia musa!"
Before all this, I'd have to call my life fairly mundane, for my part. I was born to loving parents, an honorable Italian father and a devoted and loving Japanese mother, and I was instilled with the virtues and teachings of both. I was born with my father's blazing red hair so because I looked like a lion to her, my mother lovingly granted me her culture's name for the king of all beasts. My father, by both name and discipline, gifted me his teachings in the culinary arts. By name, I became the "Lion, stalking the Little Kitchen", a name I proudly wore into adulthood.
With my father's guidance, I dove straight into the world of professional cooking. And shocking no one, I made a big splash. My keen senses and instincts allowed me to surmise the perfect meals for any customer, and though many found my odd…some would even say pushy, ways eccentric and unbefitting of a professional, none could deny the satisfaction I brought to my clientele. By the time I was 20 years old, I had attained a restaurant of my own as well as prestige befitting only the top chef's of the world.
But my pride stemmed from so much more than that. For, subsequent to my establishing of my business, I found love and was married to a beautiful and sharp minded woman, my muse and dearest love, Serena. And our love bore fruit in the guise of a devoted son and two adorable daughters.
With a livelihood to be proud of and my family always at my side, I truly felt I had found perfection in my life.
How cruel fate was to tear me away from it.
Where destiny led me to kitchens and the culinary arts, my wife was drawn to ancient ruins and discoveries from the past. She was the equal of few in her trade, and even fewer in comparison to her in drive to seek knowledge. Which was why on our anniversary, after 15 years into our marriage, we entrusted the children to my parents and traveled to the southern coasts' of Turkey, visiting the Myra Ruins of Ancient Lycia.
"Everything secure?" Serena asked while checking our climbing gear over. I gently set her helmet upon her cherry blond hair and nodded in affirmative. We were preparing to scale down the face of a cliff to reach newly discovered epigraphs that were inaccessible by conventional means, so we harnessed our lines to the top of the mountain set ruins and stepped forward to begin our descent.
"For luck?" Serena offered cutely, the same childlike blush like that of a teenage woman appearing on her cheeks as she leaned toward me.
"You don't even need to ask." I replied and returned the offered kiss tenfold. After all these years, our love had not waned, it grew by all means. Serena once joked to me that the only reason she married me was my cooking. I retorted by saying I married her for "That big beautiful brain of hers". She blushed and smacked me on the arm in defeat afterword.
We scaled the cliff-face slowly, descending one jump at a time until we came upon the spot.
"Shishido, look at these." Serena waved me over as she studied the odd inscription, trying to identify it with any known writings. I looked over the source of her puzzlement and chuckled to myself.
"It's a lion." I pointed out. It was in fact a glyph inscribed octagon with an almost cartoonish depiction of a lion's face set as the octagon's center.
"Yes, I figured that would tickle your fancy." Serena snorted as she brought out a small brush from one of her pockets. "There seems to be other smaller inscriptions but I can't make them out under this dust. I'm going to try to clear some of it away." As she leaned in to brush the layer of dust from the epigraph, she placed her hand on the inscription.
Suddenly! The mountain began to shake and the octagonal inscription began to glow gold as the part of the mountain we were situated on began to fall inward. We hung onto our ropes as tightly as we could but we were beginning to feel some slack from up top and we knew our tethers were starting to come loose.
"What do we do?!" I asked, unfamiliar with such situations I looked to my more worldly other for advice. Her eyes were set on the mountain face before us as it finally collapsed into a square opening, large enough for us both to fit through.
"We go in." She stated calmly as she wrapped her arm about my waist and kicked off from the mountain, bringing me along for the ride.
"Are you sure about this?!" I called out just as our arc brought us hurtling back down and our lines finally snapped, sending us flying unhooked through the air and into the ruin opening.
We fell for only a moment as we landed, painfully might I add, on hard ground in a near pitch black chamber carved deep from the mountain rock.
"Where are we?"
"Looks like undiscovered ruins built into the mountain in contrary to the ones built on the outside. Very fascinating." My muse never missed a beat as she began scribbling notes on our new surroundings. "Perhaps there's a way further in." She pondered, looking over the near empty chamber and seeing no exits other than the way we fell in through, which was currently out of reach.
"Or a way out." I added, making sure we kept our priorities straight. As exciting as this anniversary was turning out, I didn't wish to run the risk of being trapped in here forever and orphaning our beloved children.
"Right, of course." She agreed, putting her notebook away. "And I think this may be our ticket out." She gestured to the odd rock formation centering the chamber. It seemed to grow from the floor but it seemed chiseled into a fairly familiar shape in a way that could only have been man-made.
"That inscription again." I recognized the lion face centered octagon immediately.
"When I touched the glyph on the mountain face it led us in here. Perhaps this one will lead us out?" Serena deduced but she did not seem positive.
"Worth a try." I agreed and immediately placed my hand on the center of the epigraph.
"Wait!" I caught Serena's warning too late as the lion symbol began to glow once more. It glowed to an apex its smaller copy did not until the entire stone face lit up with unnatural light. We shielded our eyes from the glow as something began to materialize from within the stone. It rose from the rock until it appeared as a glistening sliver, rectangular object that sat mysteriously and seemed to hum with ancient power. Beside it, a tiny ring with the lion's face set in gold waited for someone to place it upon their finger.
"What are these?" Serena marveled at the artifacts before us, completely clueless as to how they suddenly appeared from nothing.
"It looks like a ring and a…belt buckle?" I guessed confused as I gently lifted the strange device up. This prompted the entire cave to start shaking again.
"Oh, not again!" I cried, dismayed.
"It's worse." Serena pointed out as a sudden hissing began to fill the cave. Gas! Purple gas began filtering into the cave from openings all around us. "It must be some kind of trap meant to keep out tomb robbers." She immediately clamped her mouth shut to stave off death but I held my hand up and began sniffing the air, my keen senses trying to identify this unnatural mist.
"It's not a poison." I assured her. But that didn't stop us from blanching as shapes began to form within the clouds of purple smoke. Growling, shuffling stone monsters armed with spears stepped out of the foreboding mist and began to march upon us, deadly weapons and claws reaching for prey.
"What are they?!" Serena cried, for once in her life she was struck dumb by the unheard of events unfolding around her and was utterly consumed by terror as the stone beasts rushed us, encircling and taking hold of our arms. "Shishido!" She cried out to me for help; my headstrong and ever forward thinking wife beseeched me for aid, and all I could do is reach out to her fruitlessly as I was held back by the beasts. The fiend's seemed to tire of our struggles and crying as one of them cruelly smashed his fist into Serena's stomach, knocking the wind out of her in one pained gasp as her head fell limp against her chest and she struggled no more.
"Serena!" I roared in pain and fury as I struggled harder against my captors, breaking free with strength I did not know I had. Against their spears and stone bodies, I had no conventional weapons, only the silver buckle-like artifact I still held in one hand. I doubted it would last more than a single strike though before it broke. In the end a weapon was still a weapon. Steeling myself I held my one-shot bludgeoning tool aloft in preparation to strike.
Roar!
A sound suddenly filled my ears…no, my mind. The object in my hand began to pulse slowly, almost longingly. Before I knew what I was doing, I held the silver buckle to my waist.
In a flash of gold light, a band of white material suddenly shot from the side of the buckle, wrapped about my waist and connected to its opposite side.
"It is a belt buckle." I said astonished.
Take the Ring in your hand!
Another call suddenly filled my mind. An ancient, inhuman snarl. I still had the gold faced ring on hand. I could have sworn I saw a glint in the green eyes of the lion face depicted on it.
Use it to open the Door! Hurry, if you want to save her!
My eyes locked on my wife, she still hung unmoving in the grasps of two of the stone beasts and the others were slowly advancing on me. I looked down at the strange device around my waist and I noticed a slot on its side, a perfect indention for the ring to fit into. I caught on instantly. I slipped the ring onto my finger and clinched my raised hand into a tight fist in defiance of the monster's before me.
"You will not have her!" I proclaimed, slotting the ring into the indentation and twisting it.
Set! Open!
Time suddenly came to a halt. The growling, charging monsters and I were fixed in place, our expected clash halted. I starred awed as the scenery around me began to change before my eyes. I found myself in an dark void where glittering, gold rain seemed to fall perpetually from the sky. And from the shadows of this dark realm, it appeared.
I would have screamed in fright, had I been able to move my mouth let alone make a sound. It resembled a massive metallic lion with a golden mane and face and black armor on its legs. It also had a mix of other animal parts built into its body. On its chest was the red face of an ox with a gold ring through its nose. On its right shoulder was the face of an orange falcon with one of its wings spread at its side. It's left shoulder was the purple face of a dolphin with one of its fins held out, also like a wing. And its tail was the loping green tongue and face of a yellow eyed chameleon. Though I knew not how it came to be here before me, I knew enough legends to know exactly who this beast was.
Greetings, Shishido Cucinotta. I am Chimera.
Great. It knew my name. Not disturbing at all.
By opening the door of that belt we have become as one.
"Door? What are you talking about?" I demanded, though somehow inaudibly.
You will receive great magical power, and in exchange, will provide me with mana. If you do not, your life will be forfeit.
I said nothing. I only starred blankly up at the thing that now seemed to control whether I lived or died.
Knowing this, will you still fight to save your woman?
"You don't even need to ask." I retorted confidently. "Give me your worst. I'll be sure to give you all this mana, or whatever, that you need." The Chimera seemed to snort, bemused by my answer.
Then go! Defeat the Phantoms in my name, and feast upon their mana! As the magician, Beast!
The Chimera leaped upon me suddenly, diving into the open face of my buckle as my body suddenly filled with power I did not recognize. My world was suddenly alit with golden light as my body too began to glow.
L-I-O-N! LION!
(pov stops)
Time resumed naturally once again as two of the pike wielding fiends charged their prey, only to collide their heads with his outstretched hands. Giving a mighty roar, the now golden armored man smashed his attacker's heads into the cave floor, causing them to explode in defeat, leaving glowing gold glyph's of mana in their place that was instantly and greedily absorbed into Beast's belt.
"Come at me!" Beast challenged with his arms held out to his sides and his hands poised as claws. "I'll devour you all!" He promised, a feral glint appearing in the green lenses of his mask. Either the stone fiends knew no fear or had no brains to process that they were outmatched, either way they stupidly charged in, straight for Beast's waiting claws. "Ittadakimasu!"
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Gulp!
Beast wiped his hands together in victory as he marveled over what he had accomplished. The ghouls had been utterly laid waste to by Beast's herculean power and feral fighting style. Confident that he had wiped the place clean of monsters, he slowly bent over the still form of his wife who had been released during the fray. He sighed in relief as he found that she had only fallen unconscious. Gently, he pulled her into his arms and held her bridal style as he surveyed the cave for a way out. In the end, the only exit remained as Shishido's and Serena's way in, hanging over thirty feet above their heads.
For a moment, he pondered the possibility of having to climb, when he felt a familiar ringing in his ear and looked down at the chain of rings hanging from his belt. Each of the rings had the depiction of one of the four animals Chimera was composed of. He instinctively took the orange ring from his chain and smirked beneath his mask for he was confident he knew what it did.
Falco! F-f-f-Falco
They had found their way out.
Flashback ends
"And so, that's my story." Shishido finished, smirking at the awed faces of his audience before him. After the battle with Redcap; and making sure that the two Sakajo's got home safely, the apparent friends of the mahousukai, Wizard, insisted that Shishido come with them back to their "secret haven" to receive treatment for his wounds. Sporting some major damage himself, Wizard agreed that he should come along, stating that it be best the two of them sit and talk things out before trying to kill each other again. As he explained his situation to them, the gathered teens were hooked on his every word, shocked by the circumstances that started his journey. His fellow, Kamen Rider, on the other hand, seemed deep in thought and had clammed up through the entire story. Until now…
"I'll admit. That's a new one for me." He admitted as he locked suspicious eyes on the older man sitting across from him. "I've never heard of someone 'gaining' a Phantom before."
"Well I have heard tell about other magicians from Phantoms I've taken down in the past. Though I assumed they all had similar circumstances to me. Kinda the reason I attacked you like that. Sorry, kid." Shishido apologized while guffawing at his own ridiculousness.
'Kid?' Carter felt somewhat irked by that statement, being 22 after all. 'Well, guess it's better than old man.'
"Why would Yu-kun having similar circumstances be a reason for you to attack him?" Sakura asked confused. "Also…Yu-kun." Her slightly harsh tone caused the older man to turn to her at attention. "You should apologize too. You were clearly the one who attacked first."
"Ay?" He stuttered in confusion. "What I do?"
"We all saw you attack first." Syaoran pressed, eyes steely.
"You went straight for the head too." Meilin's tone was accusing.
"Shouldn't you apologize for giving him a concussion?" Even the ever gentle Tomoyo was in on it, casting him a disappointed look that shot daggers into his heart.
"I…apologize." Carter's head was hanging low and his hands were balled up at his lap. He looked like a child who had been berated by his parents. A sight that made the older man chuckle.
"Well, it's clear who leads who in your little arrangement." Shishido pointed out amused. He patted Carter on the shoulder and nodded to him in understanding. "I feel you, man. My kids and wife turn on me like this all the time." Carter wasn't sure if he should be appreciative or pitying of this man. "Now then as to why I attacked you're friend here…"
"Suffice to say, it's because I felt threatened."
"If it's about my mutterings to throw you back into traffic I swear, that was before I tried your cooking." The looks Carter got from his gathered friends told him to shut it. "I'll just be quiet."
"Hmhmhmhm. No it wasn't that. The truth is I still feel a little threatened. Now that I know there is more of you I'm worried I may be in danger of starving."
"What do you mean by starving?" Kero asked, between stuffing himself with mouthfuls of sweets Carter handed out when they arrived. "You're supposed to be a chef right? Can't eat your own cooking?"
"He means starved of mana." Carter explained locking eyes with the chef once more. "If your story is true and you provide mana to your Chimera by hunting down and devouring the mana of Phantoms, that must mean that Chimera feeds off of your own life force when it has to go without. Am I right?" The deduction caused the teens to gape in horror and looked to Shishido who smirked to Carter, impressed.
"You nailed it, kid." Shishido confirmed. "I left home to hunt Phantoms wherever they may gather and that's what brought me here. Only this time, it seems I stumbled upon occupied hunting grounds. Overly crowded grounds at that."
"And as long as there's more of us, the less there is to go around." Carter followed his line of reasoning and looked to the man almost sympathetically. "I suppose I can understand why you attacked me then. To be honest, I attacked out of fear as well." He admitted, knowing he had all eyes on him now. "I'm sure I've explained it to you all before, but, in all my years fighting as a magician, the only others with magic I've ever met were my two teachers." Carter explained and the smiled to Sakura and Syaoran."When I first came to this city to fight the Phantoms, I was relieved that the only other magic users I'd meet in a long time were a couple of brave kids like you two. It made me feel less anxious because I honestly don't know much about other magicians. So, the moment I heard about five more showing up in this city, it kind of put me on edge."
"Right, those other four." Shishido spoke up. "Should I assume they're not with you?"
"Fraid not." Carter shrugged. "First encounter I had with one of them, they tried to impersonate Syaoran-kun here and started asking me a bunch of weird, vague questions. Before attacking me that is."
"So, looks like I have two groups to be wary of." Shishido muttered to himself, causing the teens to blink in confusion at his statement.
"What do you mean two groups?" Meilin inquired. "Do you mean us?"
Shishido sighed. "Afraid so. Like Wizard said, the more people fighting the Phantoms the less Phantoms I'll have to eat. That means I have to work twice as hard in tracking them down first so I don't end up going without." He locked cold eyes on Carter who returned the look while lowering a hand to his buckle. "I don't like the idea of fighting you. So instead I'm going to ask you to stay out of my way." With that, Shishido stood up and bowed to the group in thanks. "I'm indebted to you all for bringing me here to recuperate, but I'm afraid I must ask the same of you all. For now, take care."
He made his way toward the exit when Carter suddenly stood up, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "I don't want to fight you either. I hate the fact that my efforts are putting the life of a respectable man like you at risk. But, I won't let that stop me in fulfilling my duty. If a Phantom attacks someone in this town, I will hastily come and defeat them."
Shishido did not turn to retort, he simply stood silently for what felt like minutes before snorting out a small laugh and continuing on his way.
"Wait!" This time it was Meilin who spoke up, stopping the man just at the door to exit the haven. "I never got to thank you. For saving my life before." This time, the older man did turn and his eyes were soft, almost fatherly as he placed a hand Meilin's head and smiled.
"You don't even need to say it. I'm glad I did."
"Is there no way we can change your mind?" Sakura and the remaining two teens joined them at the door. They each had almost beseeching, yet pained looks. They knew his circumstances but more than anything they didn't want it to be this way.
"I'm sorry. Unlike you kids, I don't have the luxury to act as a complete hero, fight monsters and save the day. I have my own priorities. I have a family. A life I left behind." His expression suddenly became cold again. "My main goal on this journey is to find some way to free myself of this curse. So that I can take my life back. Until then, I'll put up with living like a starving Beast and survive even if I have to eat dirt." Finally, the Kamen Rider known as Beast turned his back on the solemn children and left the haven behind.
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The Cat's Eye
"There we go, that should do it." Shishido gave the note he had just finished and a once over and smiled once he was sure he left nothing out. As a parting gift to every shop, restaurant or café that put up with him and allowed him to cook for them so as to keep his skills sharp, he always left a few choice recipes and cooking instructions behind that he knew would benefit the store even after he departed. Just a few of the recipes he had served during his stay along with a special cake recipe he was certain would make big waves for the tiny café. He even left them a fair amount of his own collection of ingredients so the elder and junior Sakajo's would know just what they'd need.
"Yosh." His business concluded, Shishido slipped on his fur lined jacket, made sure that his traveling bag and ingredient containers were secure and he exited the Cat's Eye with a contented smile on his face.
He was slightly guilty for leaving while Sasami and her grandmother were out getting groceries, but considering the Phantoms seemed to be aware of him now, it wouldn't be safe for the two Sakajo's to be around him anymore. He owed the kindly girl and woman much after they gave him not just a kitchen but also a roof over his head, as they had allowed him to use the employee break room while he worked in their kitchen. His arrival to Japan had been a welcome one thanks to the two of them, but now it was time for him to move on.
And it seemed like it was not a moment too soon. Shishido's hunter instincts flared to life instantly as he scanned the street for the presence Chimera had sensed. His eyes instantly locked to on the single individual sneering at him from across the street. Though it appeared as a young man, probably no older than the children he met with Wizard, Chimera's growling stomach and the evil glint he saw in its eyes left no doubt in his mind.
"Looks like I've found lunch for the day." Shishido grinned confidently as he dashed across the street, chasing after the Phantom that had just retreated down a side alley, perhaps to allude…or to ambush him. Shishido dropped his bags and slipped on his ring as he marched further down the alley, his instincts on high alert. He was instantly dismayed and confused to find the alley to lead to a dead end and his prey nowhere in sight.
"You're either quite brave or quite foolish." Shishido instantly turned at the voice as a particularly ghoulish looking Phantom wielding a thin blade stepped from the shadows, grinning at him evilly. Shishido pondered how it could have gotten behind him like that, but didn't dwell long when he felt his own grumbling stomach.
"Nope, just hungry." Shishido remarked as he slotted and twisted the ring into his belt.
Set! Open! L-I-O-N! LION!
"Saate, ittadakimasu!" Beast clapped his hands together in anticipation before retrieving his Dice Saber from his belt and charging in while growling in hunger and excitement. "Gao!"
"Hmph!" The goblinoid Phantom instantly flourished his own sword, parrying the initial thrust by the Kamen Rider and countering with one of his own which Beast had to deflect as well before the thin sword stabbed through his visor. The Phantom continued, stabbing and flourishing his blade expertly, keeping the gilded magician on the defensive and unable to find a way past the wave of vicious strikes in such tight confines.
'Time to disappear.' Beast decided as he retrieved the green ring from his chain and slotted into his belt.
Chameleo! C-c-c-CHAMELEO!
Beast's green mantle was instantly summoned to his right shoulder as he chuckled mischievously to himself. He reversed handed his sword and stepped backwards away from the Phantoms coming stroke, disappearing into the shadows in moments. The Phantom viewed the area around him, catching no sight or sound that gave away his foe.
Beast decided to use the enclosed area to his advantage as he used Chameleo's tongue to rappel himself up the side of the wall so that he was now hanging above the unaware Phantom as he readied his blade. Shishido released his hold and plummeted, blade poised to strike as he angled himself to fall upon his prey with his back turned. Just before the stroke fell, the grinning Phantom gave a low chuckle.
A blue portal instantly appeared in Beast's path just as he thrusted downward toward his prey. The length of his blade shot into the portal and disappeared, only to reappear from a second portal summoned directly in front of Beast, striking him in the chest with his own attack and sending him crashing backwards.
"Gah!" Beast held his damaged torso as he tried to right himself and figure out how his surprise attack had failed. The Phantom continued to snicker to himself and held out both his arms in invitation.
"Care to try again?" He challenged.
Beast knew he was being mocked, so he decided to change his tactic. He readied his Dice Saber just as he slotted in a new mantle ring.
Falco! F-f-f-f-FALCO!
"Let's see you take this, Main Dish!" Beast roared as he plugged the Falco ring into his saber, sending the die spinning till it stopped on a favorable number.
Five, Falco! Saber Strike!
"Yosh….GAO!" Beast slashed his blade forward, sending a flock of five golden falcon shaped projectiles soaring toward the waiting Phantom who did not move to defend himself nor avoid the coming attack. He just kept sneering, victoriously.
Once, again. Blue magic portals appeared in the path of Beast's attack and once more his attack was lost within the depths of the portals only to come soaring back out, straight for a dumbstruck Beast.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
The five projectile birds exploded into Beast sending him flying backwards and crashing into the side of the wall before falling in a heap onto the ground.
"Dammit. I can't hit him." Beast cursed as he tried to rise back onto his feet, very aware of his foe marching toward him. The Phantom regarded the downed magician briefly before holding out a set of black stones in his open hands. The stones fell to the ground and exploded out as purple mist, summoning a small pack of Ghouls into the alley.
"Don't want to get your own hands dirty, so you leave it to your peons?" Beast deduced while his foe said nothing in retort. "Peh!" Beast wiped a hand under the mouth of his helmet as he rose back up to his feet. "I guess I could use a snack before digging my claws into you." Beast instantly flung himself into the Ghouls, smashing his knee into the face of one of the stone familiars. He then swiped to the side with both his hands clawed, knocking two Ghouls aside before pouncing on another, driving his fist into its chest.
The Rider ravenously clawed and beat the lesser kaijin until all of them were but broken bodies around him. They all finally shattered as one in defeat, releasing their mana into the air to be greedily gulped up by his belt. Beast patted his stomach in content before having to duck a green needle-like bolt of energy whizzing by his head.
"Oh so you want some more?" Beast readied himself as the Phantom stepped forth, blade glowing with the energy it had just tried to attack him with earlier.
"No. I think that should do for now. Those ghouls were enough to revitalize you for now, am I right?" The Phantom said, lowering his blade and retaking his human appearance.
"What?" Beast asked, confused by the change of heart.
"Aw forgive me, Introductions are in order." The Phantom bowed respectfully to the confused magician. "My name is Beelzebub, aide to the Phantom Mistress who rules this city. And we have a proposition for you."
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The Next Day; Haven
"Garu-chan-tachi have got something!" Carter called, getting his gathered companions' attention as they gathered around the crystal ball. The glass orb glossed over before showing the Tomoeda's shopping district, completely calm as whatever civilians walked into view were cheerful and not panicked at all.
"I don't see anything." Meilin pointed out. None of them saw any traces of a rampaging Phantom and looked to the elder magician for an explanation.
"Did Garu-chan make a mistake?" Sakura asked though Carter did not respond as he leaned in closer to the glass orb and seemed to focus hard on the image shown to them.
It was silent for several moments as the group puzzled over the odd report from the usually reliable Pla-monsters, until…
"Wait! I saw something!" Tomoyo spoke up, causing her friends to jump in shock and confusion. They didn't see anything suspicious.
"I see it too." Carter agreed with her as he pointed toward one of the buildings on the far side of the street. The image zoomed in on the seemingly normal glass pane window surface, still Sakura, Syaoran and Meilin could see nothing. "Look closely." Carter advised, prompting the four to lean in close as well.
Shimmer! Shimmer!
"Hooooooooeeeeeeee!" Sakura was the first to react as she seemed to jump back from the crystal ball in fright, like it was about to explode. "G-g-g-ghost!" The clearly shocked and disturbed girl sputtered as she backed herself against the wall and began to shiver in fright. The moment the four took a close, hard look at what Carter and Tomoyo were focusing on, they instantly saw the nearly translucent, humanoid form shimmer in the light as it clung and crawled across the glass surface like a lizard. The shock of seeing something there but also not seemingly there brought on some old trauma for the young Card Mistress.
"Oh boy, I guess she's not over her ghost phobia." Meilin sighed in exasperation as Syaoran pulled Sakura close to him in order to calm her down, which worked, sort of, as Sakura still trembled slightly.
"It's most likely not a ghost." Carter attempted help talk down his frightened friend as well. "If I had to guess, it's likely some type of camouflage or invisibility magic. Abilities this Phantom must be using in order to track down its Gate target without being detected."
Sakura wiped a small tear forming at the corner of her eye and blinked uncertainly. "Are you sure it's not a ghost?"
"If it was, I'd be right there with you. Ghost terrify me too." Carter confided, getting surprised looks of shock from his younger associates. "Yep. Ever since I was a little kid."
"Haven't you been training to fight monsters since you were our age?" Meilin inquired skeptically.
"Right, and even before then, ghost stories, horror movies and haunted houses; all that stuff just sends me into a trembling fright."
Almost immediately, the haven was filled with an uproarious cascade of laughter as the teens; Sakura included, broke down into fits of laughter and giggles.
"A grown man scared of ghost! Now I've heard it all." Meilin could barely breath with all her laughter.
"You fight monsters and you're still scared of fake things like that?" Though he was the more stoically straight faced of the teens, Syaoran couldn't help but snicker despite himself.
"Oi! It's the fake stuff that's the scariest!" Carter pressed, feeling insulted. This just sent the teens into a louder fit of giggles. "So this is what I get for trying to comfort a friend. Not cool guys." Carter slumped to ground and began tracing his finger across the floor as a heavy depression fell over him.
"Arigato, Yu-kun!" Sakura finally broke from her own fit of laughter and wrapped her arms around one of Carters as she smiled up at him. "You lied to try to make me feel better by saying you understand my fear. I appreciate what you did and feel much better now."
"Uhhh…Yes! That was my plan all along!" Carter instantly rose back to his feet and held his head high in feigned pride. "As expected of Sakura-chan to see through my bluff."
"Yeah, sure it was." Syaoran placed an appreciative hand on Carter's shoulder and led the way as the still giggling members of the group followed him toward the Haven's exit. Sakura followed right after, leaving Carter standing there sweat dropping nervously.
"Uh, guys? You know I was kidding right? Right? A grown man being scared of ghost is just silly, after all." The teens did not reply as they left him standing nervously at the exit with his face turning pale. He dashed after them instantly, shouting:
"PLEASE DON'T TELL THE OTHER KIDS! BLOODY HELL, IT'S HIGH SCHOOL ALL OVER AGAIN!"
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Tomoeda Shopping District; Twin Bells
"Could you please ring this up for me?" A middle aged, clean cut man asked Matsumoto Maki; the Twin Bells store manager, as he set his purchase; a fancy model of RC car designed after a formula-1 race car, on the counter.
"A gift?" The pretty store manager asked as she processed and began boxing up the toy.
"For my son?" The older man said with a smile. "I haven't seen him in a while." He explained as he paid for the fairly expensive toy.
"I'm sure he'll love it." Maki returned the smile. "Thank you for your purchase!" The man waved in thanks and exited the shop, toy present in one hand, and a bouquet in the other.
"I really hope so." The man sighed sadly as he looked at his watch. He still had another hour before his wife would be getting off work and pick up their son from her parent's place.
The man's name was Ishii Osamu, and he was currently on his way to a home he had not been able to settle down in for almost half a year in order to reconcile with his family he feared he was on the verge of losing forever. As the management consultant of a major firm, his job had him flying off on business trips constantly. His work kept him so busy that he rarely was able to come home for little more than a day before he had to leave for some other distant city or even country. The trouble first started when he was not able to return home in time to see the birth of his son and only continued to get worst in the coming years. These path months had been especially bad as he had been constantly sent off to one job after another with barely any time to return home.
Though his family never audibly told him how much his lack of presence was affecting them, he could tell from the sadness in their eyes when he left and in their tones when they spoke over the phone. His wife hated how often he was away from home, and his son barely got to spend any time with him, he worried if he even recognized his own father some times.
So, after so much time spent out of town and so much time spent in limbo, he filed for time off from his firm and they gave him the ok. He would reconnect with his family no matter what. And though these gifts may have seemed like paltry means of repairing the damage, he would find some way to make it work.
"Chiyoko, Toshie. I'll be home soon." He promised aloud to himself as he set his purchases into the passenger seat of his car and pulled away. He had just pulled onto the road when he noticed "something" on the road directly in his path. He wasn't certain of what he was seeing, just vaguely he could make out a tall figure ahead of him, but it was completely intangible and blended with the surroundings. He could only actually see the shimmer of the things form as the sun shone upon it.
He wasn't left perplexed for long as the thing dropped its camouflage and either by instinct or fear, Osamu slammed on the brakes.
"Hi!" The tall, terrifying monster called femininely while it waved a hooked claw at him in greeting as it pressed its other hand down on the hood of his car. Other people suddenly noticed the creature standing in the road as well and instantly scattered, screaming in terror at the sight of the thing. "What's wrong with them?" The hulking, humanoid spider creature tutted in feigned confusion. The Phantom slowly slid a gray claw across the surface of the vehicle as he circled around the car and stepped over to the driver's seat where his victim sat wide eyed and too scared to react. "Mind getting out of the car for me?" The arachnid kaijin asked sweetly.
Screech!
Osamu finally regained enough sense to recall his self preservation instincts and instantly set the car in reverse and slammed his foot on the gas. He would have gone speeding back at high speeds, had the Phantom not been pressing down on the front of his car with enough strength to cause the back wheels to hang uselessly in the air and unable to catch on the asphalt.
"Now that's just rude." The Phantom scoffed as it smashed its claws into the car door and ripped the metal door from the rest of the frame, tossing it away. It then grabbed the suit wearing man by the collar and wrenched him free, kicking and screaming, from his car. "Looks like I have to teach you a lesson in manners jerk. Just because a girl looks a little gruesome doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings."
"I've never heard of "girls" ripping car doors off!" The Phantom was suddenly forced to drop its intended victim as it was knocked back and off its feet by a flying kick to the face. Osamu fell to the ground with a groan but he was thankfully out of danger as he starred in shock of his savior. "Phantom! In the name of love and hope, I have come to punish you!" The butterfly masked girl declared, pointing accusingly at the Phantom with one hand on her hip and a cocky grin on her face. A boy wearing a plain black face mask and armed with a silver long sword stepped up behind her suddenly, gently pressing down on her head while he groaned in embarrassment for her.
"Take it down a notch, Butterfly." The boy sighed in exasperation. Another girl suddenly joined them, she was wearing a pink wing design mask and beret.
"I thought she looked good." The girl wielding a star tipped staff said while blushing bashfully. "It's kinda like we're real super heroes."
"Right!" Madame Butterfly agreed whole heartedly. "We should rehearse a big introduction for when we arrive on the scene to save the day. One to strike fear and awe into the hearts of Phantoms!"
"As much as I appreciate a flair for the theatric I feel we should focus on the task at hand." Osamu was then thrown for a loop all over again as a real urban legend appeared before him, clad in his red, dragon themed armor. "Sir, I must ask that you stay out of sight for now and evacuate." Kamen Rider Wizard (Flame Dragon style) instructed as he helped the older man up.
"You are…" Osamu started, dumbfounded for words.
"Just your friendly neighborhood magicians. Now if you'd please." Wizard waved the man to move behind him as he noticed the Phantom Butterfly had kicked was up again and based on her heavy breathing, furious.
"You brat! How dare you attack a woman's face!" The spider Phantom roared in outrage as it equipped itself with a silver halberd and tossed out a flurry of black stones, releasing a large pack of Ghouls onto the street. "Get them!" She ordered furiously, sending the Ghouls charging in a mad rush.
"Minna!" Wizard and the three senshiis readied themselves to face the coming horde as Wizard threw back his coattails. "Saa..."
"Showtime daa/desu!" They all declared and charged into the pack of stone monsters, blades slicing and fist swinging as the battle instantly ensued into full on pandemonium.
"You little brat!" The spider Phantom literally knocked her Ghoul troops aside as she made her way into the skirmish, charging straight for Butterfly with her pole-arm raised. "I'll cleave you in two!" The Phantom's axe fell like a guillotine, slamming down toward Butterfly's exposed back. Suddenly, two blades slid into place against the axe's shaft, stopping it in its tracks.
"You want to get to any of them you've got to go through me." Wizard declared as he smacked the axe away with his dual blades. The Phantom growled hatefully and backed away from the mahousukai, allowing a throng of her Ghouls to press forth toward Wizard. The Rider met the charge head on as he stepped in with blades slicing through the air and blades cutting through stone like butter.
As the mahousukai busied himself with her ghouls, the Phantom had taken the opportunity to press against the ground, instantly turning invisible as she slinked undetected behind Wizard. The Rider had just cut down two of the Ghouls with a cross slash before deflecting the blade of another Ghoul and countering with a thrust that knocked the vile beast back into its comrades. Wizard spun his blades around his finger pleased while he was left totally unaware of the invisible axe aiming straight for his neck.
"Wizard! Behind you!" The Rider heard the call loud and clear as he slipped one of his swords behind his back, catching the axe before it struck his neck. His rescuer, Syaoran, followed up by slashing into the off guard Phantom's side, sending it stumbling away in pain.
"Thankyou, Chibi-Inu~." Wizard said appreciative of the save, though that wouldn't stop him from taking a chance to tease.
"That is not my name!" Syaoran cried in blushed outrage as he and Wizard returned to cutting down Ghouls in droves. His frustration and anger seemed to empower him as he suddenly flip-kicked a Ghoul, knocking it into the air where fell atop more of its kin.
"Well you said no to all the other names." Wizard reminded as he sidestepped a spear charging Ghoul and kicked it in the back to fall forward on its face.
"I didn't agree to that one either! Especially not that one!"
"Clear a path you two!" Wizard and "Chibi-Inu" ("DAMN YOU!") looked up as Meilin sprang over them and the Ghouls with a flip, stepping up to the growling Phantom while cracking her knuckles. "This is a woman's fight!"
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"Hmm? They have pretty good team work." Shishido couldn't help but be impressed as he watched the fight from afar. Normally he would have charged in, "fangs bared" and stomach growling as he would beat down Ghoul after Ghoul, all preparation for wetting his appetite and sinking his teeth in a magical main-dish.
But for now, he was compelled to stay back and watch the fight unfold. Just as he was asked.
Flashback
"And just what could you have to propose to me?" Shishido demanded as he readied his sword to recommence combat with Beelzebub. "You should know, all I want to do is devour all of you Phantoms."
"And once you have devoured us all, what will you do?" Beelzebub inquired, his stance showing neither aggression nor fear. He simply stood tall and spoke as if he was utterly in control. "What will you do once you've devoured every last Phantom?"
"I'll be free of this hunger before then. I just need to worry about the here and now." Shishido growled, though his tone dropped slightly.
"Will you really be able to?" Beelzebub countered, skeptically. "You must realize there are only a finite number of Phantoms currently in the world. We're barely a percentile of the world's population. Unlikely though for me to admit it, if you continue with your path and fail to free yourself, you'll have exhausted your food supply before you realize it."
As much as Shishido loathed to admit it, the Phantom made good sense. Ever since he realized his situation he had been moving from one place to the next where Chimera believed they could find Phantoms. There was always that fear he might starve before he could find a new hunting ground. He could wind up not having anywhere to go to hunt one day, and then he'd suffer Chimera's ravenous drain on his life until he was naught but a lifeless husk. Leaving his hopes, and his life behind.
"What is your proposal?"
Though his face was hid in shadows, Beelzebub seemed to be grinning triumphantly. "Simply that you turn a blind eye to our efforts in this city and move on to 'greener pastures' as it were. We would even be happy to point you in the right direction toward less hospitable Phantom parties who have refused to work with us. So long as you leave we here in Tomoeda in piece."
"Exactly what are you doing here in this city? Most Phantoms I've encountered just attack people for reason's I've yet to completely comprehend. Your comrades do not seem any different." Shishido demanded, suspiciously.
"My lady simply wishes to…take root in this city. Carve out a piece of the world for herself and those who have been drawn to her. Though there are more than a few bad eggs in our group we are in the process of weeding them out. Rest assured, my lady has no wish to harm this fine city's citizens at all."
"Back to my proposal. If you wish to prove you are willing to accept our agreement. Please turn a blind eye from a battle that will occur tomorrow. That Mahousukai, Wizard, has been a thorn in my lady's side for quite some time and we wish to draw him out so as to "instruct" him as to who is in charge in this city."
End Flashback
He just had to sit this fight out. Simple enough. Though he loathed to think he was abandoning Wizard and those kids he had to remind himself that he turned down their proposal to join forces. They probably thought the worst of him, believed him to be a selfish, petty man who only cared about his own goals and nothing else. And they'd be right, of course. In his situation, there was no sharing. Chimera only accepted mana from Phantoms Beast himself killed, he can't leech off of others kills. And by the looks of things here, the Phantom and her Ghouls weren't going to last too long. Shishido couldn't help but smirk a little, Beelzebub had asked him to only sit back and let the battle play out for their deal to work, he didn't saying anything about whether his Phantoms won or not. "Guess I've seen enough. Time to head out."
"And where are you going, Cuccinota-san?" Shishido jumped in shock at the soft voice coming from behind him, he didn't think anyone would spot him here. He turned and immediately recognized one of the children he met the other day, at the Cat's Eye as well as was properly introduced to with Wizard and his friends. Her name was Daidoji Tomoyo if he recalled. She was currently starring up at him thoughtfully, while holding a camcorder in her hands which he found odd.
"I…was…preparing to dash out and strike down the Phantom at the last minute." He lied quickly. She placed a hand to her chin as she starred intently at his expression, as if she were literally reading through his lies through his face.
"I see. I suppose in your situation you can't be picky on how you obtain your mana. I'll leave you to it then." She stated with a smile and then crept to the wall beside him while holding her camcorder to her eyes, watching the battle unfold. "Oohohoo! This is the perfect angle!" She laughed slightly creepily as she focused her sights on her friend Sakura who was in the middle of a pack of Ghouls, standing alone but strong and unafraid. "Gambatte, Sakura-chan."
Almost in response to her friend's whispered cheers, Sakura threw upward three cards, waving her wand over them as her star centered magic circle appeared beneath her feet. "Fight! Twin! Power!"
Two of the cards she empowered suddenly stacked atop each other, releasing twin wisp that suddenly formed into a pair of blue skin, battle attired girls with cropped, pale hair. The two girls stood at either side of Sakura as the third card she used streamed power back into her staff and body, filling her with strength that flared outward as a red aura coming off of Sakura's body. "Ikeeee!" Sakura called out, charging with her staff raised like a weapon as her two guards broke off and literally smashed their way into the throng of Ghouls, mirroring each others' movements as they demolished the Ghouls with devastating punches and wickedly sharp kicks. Sakura utilized her new power quite well as she smashed aside Ghoul after Ghoul with backhanded blows with her Star Wand. But strength wasn't Sakura's only advantage, which the Ghouls learned as they vainly attempted to charge her with their weapons raised.
Sakura decided to take a page from Meilin's book and suddenly leaped up, landing on the head of a Ghoul and using it as the starting point to commence dashing atop the shoulders and heads of the Ghouls. She went above and beyond as she neared the end of her track. She leaped once more but instead of landing on a Ghoul, she shot both legs out, catching it in the face and utilized her added power to send it flying backwards into Ghouls Wizard and Syaoran were fighting. Though Wizard had to dodge to the side before he ended up getting caught along in the blow, he saw the devastation caused by the stone beast turned projectile and gave an impressed whistle. Sakura wasn't finished yet. Her Fight Twins had succeeded in thinning out the Ghouls and were now in the process of bunching the remaining Ghouls together by pincering them between them. Now packed into a neat little pack, they were the perfect targets.
"Earthy!" Sakura raised one last card into the air as powerful magic shot forth from the card, forming into the spiritual figure of a tall woman with her hair rolled up into horn like swirls and wearing green a crystalline dress. The Earth Elemental showed no expression as she slowly raised both her hands, causing the ground to rumble as twin slabs of stone rise from the ground, flanking the trapped Ghouls. The Earthy promptly brought both her palms together, forcing the stones to slam together with a crash! Grinding whatever was between them into dust.
The Earthy and the twin Fights took relaxed stances as they knew their work was complete. The stone slabs slowly sank back into the Earth as the Card spirits returned to being Cards which flew happily into Sakura's waiting hands. "Good job everyone!" Sakura said appreciatively, holding the Cards close to her chest.
"Subarashi!" Tomoyo giggled almost madly as she recorded every moment of her beloved friend in action. "Sakura-chan, your cuteness ever belies your incredible power. It makes me tremble!"
"No kidding." Shishido agreed. 'That girl is in a class all her own.' Shishido thought to himself. 'And the other two are no slouches either.' "No wonder Wizard got them to fight with him."
"Yu-kun didn't ask anyone to fight with him, not originally." Tomoyo corrected him, though she didn't take her eyes off the battle she was recording. "Yu-kun was asked to come here by a friend of ours who understood the threat and knew we would need his expertise. When Yu-kun first met Sakura-chan, he asked her to leave all the fighting to him, for her own safety and those she loved." Shishido starred perplexed to the young girl, taking in her story. "Sakura-chan refused of course. Sakura-chan told him that she wasn't afraid to put her life on the line to protect the home she loved so much. That's why the two of them make such a great team." Tomoyo finally addressed him face to face. "Because neither of them are willing to sit back when people are danger."
"I think…I understand." Shishido stated as he locked his gaze on the young mahou shoujo and Kamen Rider fighting side by side against a slowly crumbling force of Ghouls. "At least for the girl I do. But what about Wizard? What's his stake in all this? This isn't his home. And from what you've said he did not have any relationship to any of you before coming here. Where does his commitment in risking his life for strangers come from?"
"I think it's because, Yu-kun sees his younger self in all the people he saves." Tomoyo explained, following the older man's gaze and watching as Wizard shifted his blades to gun mode while twirling on the ends of his feet and releasing a barrage of shots that knocked back the encircling Ghouls. "Sakura-chan and I met a friend of Yu-kuns and they told us what happened in his past that may have likely caused his falling to despair and becoming a mahousukai. Yu-kun lost his father and mother in a Phantom attack when he was very young. I believe, he is weighed down from the guilt of his own powerlessness back then and never wanted to let what happened to him happen to anyone else. So he fights and puts his life on the line to save the hopes of all people suffering from fear and despair. That's what makes him…"
Flame! Slash Strike! Hi-hi-hi!
Wizard empowered both of his sword-guns as shafts of crimson flame flared up across his blades. The last of the Ghouls were lined up before him, arms transformed into blasters as they set their sights on the approaching Wizard. The Ghouls let loose with a volley of hell fire but Wizard remained undaunted as he brought his burning blades around, catching and deflecting the blast aside one by one as his swords sliced through the air in an intricate dance of fire and steel.
"…Our invincible Kamen Rider Wizard."
Just as soon as the last of the blast were deflected did he clasp both his swords together, stacking them atop each other in both hands and pointing his clasped swords back and to his right. The flames blazing across his swords twisted and converged together from the close contact, extending outward as a blazing long sword twice as long as before.
"Finale!" He cried as he dashed toward the readjusting Ghouls. Wizard swung out with his blazing blade as he dashed through the pack of stone beasts, separating and extinguishing his swords as the Ghouls were severed in two pieces by a line red fire spreading across their waists.
Shishido could say nothing. He could only clench his chest tightly as shame and remorse crossed his face. "What am I doing?" He immediately reached into his jacket, fishing out his rings with a determined look across his face.
"Are you going now?" Tomoyo asked, an almost knowing grin across her face.
"You don't even need to ask." Shishido replied.
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"All my Ghouls?! You brats!" The Phantom roared in outrage and shock as she realized that her entire squad of familiars had been reduced to rubble in almost no time at all while she had been squaring off with the brat in the butterfly mask. Now her friends were focused on her and had their weapons ready though they did not draw close for some reason.
"You shouldn't get so distracted!" Meilin warned as she drove her foot into the Phantom's solar plexus with a piercing sobat kick, knocking the wind out of her and sending her skidding back while she clenched her wounded abdomen. Meilin let out a breath as she slowly lowered her outward pointing leg and readjusted herself back into her stance. "Looks like without your petty tactics you can't handle a straight up fight." Meilin pointed out with a grin. "Guess I better finish up." Meilin clenched her right fist as her earth magic infused bracelet caused it to glow a golden yellow. "Owari da!" Meilin leaped upward and shot back down toward her foe with her empowered fist poised to hammer down the stunned Phantom with one devastating blow.
"Tasukete!" Meilin's fist stopped just short of the Phantom's face once she heard the cry for help. She and her friends followed the call and starred up shocked to see the man they had previously saved from the clutches of this Phantom to be hanging several stories up off the side of a towering building by black, crude looking ropes that were wrapped about his torso. The ropes seemed to be coming from some unseen source as they hung from seemingly the open air beside the tall buildings surface.
"I thought you told him to run!" Meilin stated nervously, uncertain as to how to address this sudden situation.
"Don't get distracted!" This time it was Meilin who found herself on the other side of a surprise blow as her earlier stunned opponent found her second wind and took the opportunity to strike the young fighter across the face, knocking her to the ground. "Now we're even you little twerp."
"Teme!" Syaoran, enraged by the sight of his cousin being attacked so cruelly and unfairly, leveled his blade with the intention of blasting the Phantom to bits, but the cruel Phantom had other ideas as she held up her hand in warning.
"Attack me, and my partner might just loose his grip. You're slow, Hangman-san!" The Phantom called toward the trapped man and his invisible captor.
"If you weren't so sloppy he wouldn't have gotten away, Arachne-chan." The second Phantom finally became visible as the older man starred up at the terrifying visage of his captor and cried out in terror at the nightmarish sight. "Shut it, or I'll drop you for the fun of it!" The skull faced Phantom spat, its red eyes glowing cruelly and its perpetual grin implying how much it relished the thought. The Phantom was humanoid with a skull like face and its body was covered in a raggedy outfit composed of a long sleeved shirt and pants, appearing warn from age and dirty. Around the Phantom's neck was a coiled noose that hung limply in front of his neck like a ghastly tie. The ropes the Phantom was using to ensnare and hold aloft the terrified Osamu came from deep within the Phantoms sleeves and were held tight in skeletal fist. The Phantom seemed to standing on the surface of the building with its bony, shoeless feet touching the glass panes and appearing completely unabated by gravity.
"G-g-ghost!" Sakura shivered at the sight of the phantasmal Phantom (redundant much) but kept her grip tight on her staff as she stood her ground.
"Gotta agree with you on that." Carter couldn't help but shudder as well but he still reached for his green ring in anticipation of flying up to combat the kaijin. Hangman noticed the magicians willful looks and knew they would not be placated by a threat alone.
"I suppose it's time we teach these humans of despair by death, eh Arachne-chan?" The female Phantom snickered as she suddenly faded from sight before the magicians very eyes while Hangman let several inches of rope slip through his fingers, painfully jerking the captured Osamu downward toward a fatal fall.
"No please!" The apparent Gate cried out for mercy. "I want to see my family! I don't want to die! I want to see them!" His cries did nothing but irritate the skull faced Phantom.
"Fine…" The Phantom sighed, dragging the rope up so that he could speak to Osamu face to face. "After this, I'll send your family to meet you in hell." With a final snicker in the face of the horrified man, Hangman completely released his grip on Osamu's rope, sending the man plummeting down toward his death.
"Shimatta!" Wizard cursed as he tried to slip on his Hurricane ring.
"I don't think so."
Wizard's ring was sent sailing from his fingers as he was suddenly struck across the chest seemingly from nowhere, same as the voice he'd just heard. It felt like he had been hit by an axe and he didn't need to think hard on who the culprit was. But that would have to take less priority.
"Piffle-chan! Chibi-Inu! You're up!" Wizard ordered to which his younger friends nodded in understanding. Sakura readied Windy as Syaoran readied his own wind spell. But Hangman had other ideas.
"I'll be taking these." Black ropes suddenly shot from the phantom's sleeves, ensnaring Sakura's staff and Syaoran's Jian and wrenching them from their hands.
"Oh no!" Sakura cried in horror. Though it could be possible for them to cast their spells without their implements, it would take much more concentration and time, and as the man was plummeting closer to the ground, it was clear they were out of the latter.
Arachne and Hangman cackled together in triumph. "This is why we are the invincible Phantom Combination." Hangman declared proudly. "We always get our man!" The two Phantoms were so wrapped up in their coming victory that they failed to notice the gold figure rushing onto the scene.
Falco! F-f-f-Falco!
"Gotcha!" The scarlet mantled Beast called out in relief as he caught the falling man, alighting to address his fellow magicians and the stunned Phantoms.
"Bastard!" Hangman roared in fury.
"We had a deal!" Arachne declared, finally coming into view and just as outraged as her partner.
"I was given a deal. I never once agreed to it." Beast shot back as he set the Gate down only to realize something was not right about him. "What's happening to this man?" Beast inquired as Wizard and the others joined him and they gasped as they saw the purple fissures spreading over the man's face.
"Chiyoko…Toshie." The suited Gate moaned sorrowfully as his skin began to crack and shatter as the despair within him tore his human body apart.
"Looks like that little fall and a few threats were all we needed to push him over the edge." Hangman resumed cackling. "All that's left is finishing you lot off. Ikou, Arachne-chan." The skeletal Phantom said as his form began to shift and fade, taking the staff and sword with him.
"Right, Hangman-san!" Arachne agreed and then turned to Meilin with a menacing growl as she too turned invisible.
"Dammit, this again!" Wizard cursed as the group arranged themselves in a tight knit circle around the Gate.
"We have to help him." Sakura reminded. "If we take too long fighting them it may be too late for this man."
"Easier said than done." Meilin mentioned as she scanned the area for any clue of the enemies attack. Wizard suddenly shot his arm out in front of the young fighter, his sword deflecting some unseen strike that was followed by a barely audible curse of frustration.
"I can sense when they draw near, if I concentrate. But she's right, the Gate takes priority." Carter fished out an Engage ring and prepared to slip it on the Gate's finger, when a gold gauntleted hand snatched the ring from his fingers.
"I'll do it." Beast volunteered as he slipped the borrowed ring on Osamu's finger and held his hand up to the Lion face on his buckle.
Engage, please!
"Ciao!" Not waiting for any to deny his actions, the golden armored magician hopped straight into the magic portal formed over Osamu, diving down into the man's Under World.
"Bah! Meddlesome mahousukai!" The remaining senshiis heard Hangman state in disgust.
"We'll just deal with him after we deal with them." Arachne declared confidently. "These fools have no chance against us, since half of them are unarmed." Sakura and Syaoran both grimaced in shame at having been caught off guard so, but a pat on the head for both by Wizard prompted them to look up to their chuckling comrade.
"I wouldn't be so sure."
Extend! Please!
Wizard's hands suddenly extended outward, snaking after some unseen target. Finally, his snatching fingers finally gripped onto something as they pulled away, both holding a prize that became visible once they had been freed from their captors hands.
"Catch." Wizard tossed Sakura and Syaoran their staff and jian respectively, both teens starring in shock at how easily he had regained them.
"How!?" Hangman cried in shock and outrage. "How were you able to track my movements so clearly?!" Wizard noticed his friends were just as confused as the Phantoms were and chuckled as he pointed down, toward their feet.
"My friends, if you would check the ground around us…" The teens, and consequently the Phantoms, followed his gesture and looked to the ground, seeing nothing by asphalt, dirt and…rubble!
"Dammit he's following where are feet kick at the remains of the Ghouls!" Arachne realized.
"Exactly! And besides that…" Wizard suddenly sweep kicked at dirt and rubble in front of him, kicking a fine mist of dust into the air that slowly shifted down, falling onto the invisible figures and outlining their forms as it caught onto their head and shoulders. "Hi there." Wizard waved before blasting both figures back on their rears by a quick double tap from his sword-gun.
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"Not that I think you a fool for not taking the deal; I must admit, I found your course of action quite surprising." Chimera's voice resounded within Beast's mind as he slowly descended into the Gate's Underworld.
"What can I say? Leaving without finishing cleaning my plate would be a breach in principal for me." Beast joked as he exited the mesmerizing tunnel of color and descended into open space above what appeared to be Tomoeda, more specifically, the Tomoeda Airport. The golden Rider scanned the area and quickly spotted a familiar face several yards away. "Besides, I think this man and I want the same thing." Beast sighed in understanding as he drew near the memory of the Osamu, speaking with a woman who must have been his wife and patting the head of a small boy who clung to his side almost beseechingly. This scene looked almost too familiar to bear for the traveling chef.
Crack!
Suddenly, the scene before him literally shattered as purple fissions appeared in space, disrupting the harmony of the moment as something tried to break through.
"Guess that's the dinner bell." Beast quipped as he drew his Dice-saber and took a ready stance to face down what ever came to attack him. He wasn't waiting long as the glass like space shattered outward completely, allowing the massive creature through. "Looks like Yakitori's on the menu today." Beast wiped a hand across his chops as he charged the massive vulture like beast. It stood over 15 feet tall, on spindly legs that ended in trios of razor like black talons. Its feathers were an ashen gray while its uncovered skin and legs were a dull pink. True to form it had the ugly hook beaked face of a vulture that eyed the lion motif mage with a hungry glare to rival his own. It suddenly spread its massive wings wide; practically filling the width of the entire airport, and gave one mighty flap.
"Whoa!" Beast was suddenly knocked off his feet by the hurricane force created by that one wing beat and had to jam his sword into the ground to keep from being blown away. "Guess I'll need to call for a little help." He decided as the winds finally died down and he could right himself at last. The bird Phantom seemed like it was preparing for another beat of its wings, giving Beast enough time to slip on his trump card. "Chow time, Chimera!"
Chimarise! Go: Come on out, come on out, eat em all in the way!
Roar!
A golden octagram appeared between Beast and the Phantom, and from its depths a overpoweringly ravenous roar cried out, stopping the Phantom in its tracks. First a massive paw stepped out, scraping against the world and drawing purple scars into the ground. The bird like Phantom had suddenly began shaking on its tall, thin legs as the snarling lion head escaped the portal and locked eyes with its prey.
"Ittadakimasu." Chimera drooled expectantly.
Squawk!
The inner Phantom quickly turned on its heels and dashed away from the predatory Phantom, its two legs carrying it as fast it could. But not fast enough. Chimera instantly dashed from its escape into the new Underworld, loping after its foe and bringing its massive, amalgamated body crashing through unimpeded by the scenery around it. The two were off on an almost picturesque hunt and chase that led them out of the Airport and into the open air outside as both took to the skies, the Phantom flapping its powerful wings to escape as Chimera soared after it.
"Hey wait for me!" Beast called out to his partner, not wishing to miss the fun.
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"Damn these little brats, how can they keep tracking us so well?!" Arachne cried out in denial as she had to side step a flying kick from Meilin despite being utterly invisible to the eye.
"Shutting that big mouth of yours might help." The female fighter suggested as she kicked up the dirt and rubble near her toward where she suspected her foe to be. Sure enough, the dusty mist outlined the invisible figure without fail, giving Meilin the target she needed so she could fire off a quick roundhouse kick that sent the Phantom tumbling end over end backwards.
"Damn you and your tricks!" Hangman snarled as he squared off with Wizard who had adapted a sort of keep away fighting strategy by sensing whenever the Phantom drew near and firing off one of his still extendable arms, cracking it like a whip against the Phantasmal Phantom. "Treeku janai!" Wizard quipped as he pulled his arms back in guard that had his left arm across his torso, ready to flick forward, and his right pulled tight to his chest and pointed upward.
"Tch! Whatever, not like you can keep it up forever. You'll all run out of magic sooner or later, and run out of dirt to kick up even before then." Hangman chuckled knowingly. Wizard hated to admit it but he was right. Their ability to fight was limited, especially after fighting the Ghouls. Not to mention the collection of rubble and dust around them was wearing thin and so far they'd only been able to make non fatal blows for the sake of actually hitting their targets. They needed a way to keep track of their enemies long enough for them to cause real damage. Luckily, he wasn't the only one thinking that.
"Rain, bring us a down pour!" Sakura called out suddenly as the spirit within her card, taking the form of a small girl, blue colored girl in a jesters outfit and riding on a small puff of cloud, brought down a mighty rain storm that pelted the area with heavy rain drops.
"Hey you're washing the dirt away!" Meilin exclaimed, shocked that her friend would be so careless.
"That's not all she did." Syaoran pointed out with a grin. Though the dirt and dust had been washed away, they were after all temporary solutions. The heavy rain that was coming down did the job and then some as it pelted down on the invisible duo, outlining them completely and giving them nowhere to hide.
"Sakura-chan, NAISU! Wizard congratulated his young comrade profusely as he tossed her a thumbs up. "Alright then…" With his targets in perfect sight Wizard had just the spell to make sure they wouldn't get away.
Bind!
"Crap! They got us!"
Metallic chains suddenly shot from portals surrounding the finally visible Phantoms, ensnaring them and rendering them immobile. "I got them! Minna, the Finale's all yours!"
"Perfect." Meilin grinned as she cracked her knuckles in anticipation. "I'd recently thought of a personal finishing move I'd been dying to try out."
"Don't over do it." Syaoran sighed in exasperation as he readied his sword and a fuda.
"Hehehe. Let's do this." Meilin set her feet and poised herself in a runners crouch as the gems of her bracelets and anklets began to glow. Syaoran held his sword out before him as his hexagonal magic circle appeared at his feet. Meilin suddenly shot forward, the increased power from her bracelets allowing her to spring ahead just with the strength of her hands. Syaoran aimed his blade at the chains holding the Phantoms as sparks of electricity ran up his blade.
"Butterfly…Kick!"
"Raitei Shourai!"
Syaoran's lightning zapped toward the chains, racing across the metallic links and electrocuting the entire web of bindings.
"Gyaaaaah!" The two Phantoms cried in indignantly as their bodies were wracked by the electrical surge. Properly weakened, they were now ripe for Meilin to finish them both as she flipped through the air, pointing herself like an arrow and rotating at high speeds thanks to the power of her wind magic anklets. She crashed dead on into the chained Phantoms before finally piercing directly through both of them.
"Hangman-san!"
"Archne-chan!"
The two Phantoms cried out in mortification and exploded together. Its purpose served Sakura ceased the rains, just as the still flying Meilin crashed into her head first.
"Ittei!" Sakura groaned with the weight of Meilin pressing down on her, the overzealous fighter completely dazed with her eyes spinning from the affects of her own technique.
"Make the world stop spinning." She begged as her dizzy state made it impossible to stand without pitching forward.
"I give you an A for imagination and technique, but you kinda need to work on your execution." Wizard instructed as he and Syaoran untangled the two girls. "Now we just need to trust Beast to pull through on his end."
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"C'mon Chimera stop playing with your food!" Beast scolded from ground level as he watched the areal battle going on over head between the two Phantoms. Despite the inner Phantom's clear speed advantage given to it by its powerful wings, the vicious Chimera kept always on its tail, setting the sky alight as multi colored beams of magical energy shot from its many maws, just singeing the vulture's wings tips and tail feathers as it barely avoided the blast.
The Phantom had finally summed up the nerve it needed to go on the offensive as it U-turned suddenly and turned to face the charging Chimera. It gave a defiant cry and start hovering in mid-air, beating its great wings, faster and harder than it had before. Soon, a mighty gust had begun blowing, but to Chimera it was only an annoyance. No it was what the gust were forming into behind Chimera that suddenly began to impede its progress.
A mighty tornado had been formed from the Bird creatures mighty wing beats, noticeably slowing Chimera's flight speed as it struggled to escape the pull of the winds. But it was to no avail as the Phantom was suddenly swept into the massive funnel, disappearing into the towering column of wind. The Phantom seemed to grin unnaturally as it watched it's would be predator being utterly entrapped by its gale. It had completely forgotten that it had two foes besides one.
Shing!
"Keep your claws off my favorite customer!" Beast roared as he zoomed upward with the power of Falco's mantle, dashing behind the monstrous bird and slashing at one of its wings with his saber as he flew by. The bird gave another terrified screech of shock and pain, batting aside the slow gliding Beast with its good wing and trying desperately to remain airborne. Beast was sent tumbling end over end through the air and would have likely met a sticky end before he would be able to right himself, had his distraction not successfully distracted the Bird long enough for the winds to die down.
Chimera immediately broke through its cage of crashing gales and shot directly for Beast, catching him on one its wings where he held on tight. "Ooh, I'm dizzy." Beast shook the stars away as his climbed onto Chimera's back and popped his knuckles in readiness. "Let's go!" Chimera gave an affirmative roar as the two charged for the struggling vulture that had just noticed them and was pulling back its wing to attempt a retaliatory gust. It was fortunately to slow.
Shing!
As Chimera passed by the limping Phantom, Beast slashed out with his Dice Saber, severing its remaining wing. The Phantom gave out a final cry of terror as it plummeted to the ground, crashing with a mighty thud. Chimera locked eyes on its now helpless prey and growled hungrily.
"Saate, Main Dish!" Beast proclaimed as he placed a hand to Chimera's back. A giant golden Octagram appeared before Chimera as it dived downward, its head finally crashing through the octagram. Chimera's lionid maw doubled in size as the magic empowered its jaws. The ravenous Chimera finally touched down, crashing atop the stunned Phantom and clamping its jaws down like a guillotine over the head of the Bird.
Roar!
The Phantom exploded in defeat and Chimera and Beast escaped the ensuing explosion and landing back toward the airport. The defeated Phantom's mana soared into the air and was quickly snapped up by Chimera who growled pleasantly at the adequate meal as the world began to heal from the affects of the titanic battle.
"Delicious." Chimera sighed and turned to see that its host was looking back toward the airport, most likely thinking of the Gate and his family. "Still far from being enough to sate me though."
"Ah, I know." Shishido stated in understanding as it turned to face Chimera eye to eye. "Don't worry, I won't forget our deal. I'll be sure to serve you up a meal that will leave satisfied in both belly and heart."
The feral Phantom chuckled at the sentiment. "Then I will await that time with mouth watering in anticipation." Chimera proclaimed as it began hovering into the air in preparation to leave the foreign Underworld. "Perhaps that time is not for off." With that said, Chimera gave a parting snarl and ascended into the sky, escaping the Underworld and returning home.
"Right then, time to head back." Beast decided as he reopened his portal to exit as well. He glanced back to where he knew the familial scene was taking place and gave a casual wave as he exited the Underworld. "Ciao, amico."
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Unknown location
"It seems that feral mahousukai didn't take the deal." Land observed as the four Mages watched the day's events unfold. "That is a relief. His strength seems on par with Wizard's. It would be catastrophic to have him as a potential adversary."
"He's another anomaly. It's impossible to determine what role he'll play." Hurricane reminded her. "We cannot assess this as we would based on our prior knowledge."
"True. We must adapt if we wish to succeed in the end." Flame agreed with his comrade while keeping his eyes trained on Wizard.
"What do we do for now?" Water inquired, slightly disturbed by the all consuming fascination she read in his expression.
"We continue to observe. We act only should the need arise. Should Beast prove to be a hindrance, remove him."
"And Wizard?" Hurricane inquired, mimicking Water's feelings on their leader's odd behavior.
"Obviously, remove him as well. If he shows any signs of becoming a threat to the Card Mistress and her friends, we must destroy him at all cost. As is Her wish."
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Haven
"Huh? Why is he back?" Kereberus inquired as he entered the secret sanctuary, called down by Sakura after being filled in on the details. He was certainly not expecting to find the Ancient magician inside the Haven again after he made it clear he preferred working alone. And he especially didn't expect to find the man working in the Haven's since unused kitchen and by the smell preparing something mouth watering. "Have a change of heart?"
"Nope." The chef answered without skipping a beat or taking his eyes off the vegetables he was in the process of sautéing. "This is just a friendly celebration to mark my new tenancy." He replied with a grin as he dabbed a quick dash of herbs into the mix.
"Where's he living and why is he celebrating it here?" The clow guardian asked as he floated over to Carter and company who were all situated around the Haven's lounge.
"Well, after I found out he was living out of pocket and was in the process of finding a suitable living arrangement. I decided to give him a "spare key" to let him crash here." Carter explained, shrugging off handedly.
"And I appreciate it ten-fold!" Shishido proclaimed, holding up a small gold key with Wizards magic circle as its bow.
"So…he's not our comrade, but we're still helping him. Have I got that right?" The winged lion sweat dropped from either the poor sense of this plan or the overwhelming amount of charity his friends were giving to a man who snubbed their offer before.
"I believe the phrase is "Do onto others" Kero." Tomoyo explained with a content smile.
"Besides, Cuccinota-san came to help us save the Gate. I'm sure even if he can't work alongside us he'll at least still do what's right for the city." Sakura added assuredly.
"Well, I'll certainly do my best." Shishido replied slightly uncertain as he mulled over his current circumstance. "I suppose as long as you guys keep the Gates out of harm's way and leave the Phantoms to me, I don't think we'll have any issues."
"Hang on!" Meilin popped up with an outraged look in her face. "What do you mean 'leave the Phantoms to you'? Are you implying we can't handle ourselves?"
"Now, now that's not what I meant." Shishido insisted as he finally looked away from his work and help up his hands in defense. "I simply meant that you children should leave the heavy lifting to the adult."
"Oi! You better change that to plural, I am an adult!"
"You're reaction says otherwise Hughes."
"You wanna go twerp!?"
"Hey who you calling twerp!?"
Tomoyo stepped away from the lounge as Sakura and Meilin were in the process of calming down the two easily offended men who had begun starring each other down with their rings and or sword drawn. "Cuccinota-san. About you seeing me at the battle today." Tomoyo whispered so the others couldn't hear. "As the only one who can't fight, Sakura-chan and the others want to make sure I'm safe by staying here and out of danger, but sometimes I just can't keep away knowing the others are fighting and I'm not. Please keep it a secret between us, okay?"
Shishido met the clear, fearless eyes of the powerless girl and sighed. 'She's probably the most fearless one among them. Even more so than me.' "Though I don't condone your actions, I will keep your secret. Should things get dangerous I expect you to get to safety. Beyond that, I will protect you should the need arise."
"Arigato, Cuccinota-san!" She bowed in appreciation and returned to join her friends who had finally calmed the stand-offish Carter and Syaoran.
"Kids no older than my son taking part in a battle like this. Guess I'll have to stick around a bit longer if only so they don't get themselves hurt." Shishido whispered to himself in a solemn vow. With the veggies finally looking properly cooked and seasoned, the pro. Chef lifted the pan from the burner and began filling plates full of the hardy smelling meal. "Satte, Main Dish."
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Hooooooo boy! You know, switching between two different types of stories feels almost like whip lash. How easily I can get into writing one story may ultimately decide which one I'll update more often. That or reviewer opinion and which sides want theirs more.
Any who, back from summer and Fate of the Undead, trying to find the good points of my week to work on this stuff. I certainly hope we'll be getting back into the more regular types of updates cause these complex narratives are murder on my writers block.
Tune in next time for the other type of fan service that may cause you all to love me or see me as the hack I really am.
Laters! Please leave a review and have a wonderful day.
I do not own Kamen Rider or Cardcaptor Sakura.
