Note: I'm approaching the end of this story, so I hope that all of you are ready for the end. To me, it feels like a load off my mind to get stories like this done. Considering how I often neglected this story while writing my other ones, I know that I would have to end it eventually. It's not because I don't like writing it, but because I feel like it's better to end a story before it gets stale. A number of other writers on here probably feel the same way. At least, I think they do. Before we move on, I have something to say to a reviewer.
Ron: Bentley definitely would fight to protect his family. However, it's important to keep something in mind here: His father, Junichi (the story's version of George), is his predecessor in the Seven Heroes. With that being said, Junichi probably still has his skills from his days as a warrior. Let's not forget that Nicole and Lisa haven't shown what they can do as of writing. They might have the skills that their relatives have shown. After all, if Bentley has them, why can't they?
Now that I've said that, it's time for chapter twenty-one.
Chapter 21: Protecting the Ruby of Saturn Again
A day had passed since the Seven Heroes had absorbed magic from the Ancient Scrolls of Hokkaido, and they were feeling different. They were feeling pumped for the next mission, ready to use their new skills on whoever the Serpent Gang would throw at them. Chu-Ya could tell that his warriors were ready for battle, but he wouldn't send them out unless a new mission came up. The Pigs were currently on the lookout for any suspicious activity, promising to inform their boss once they saw that something was up. Officer Perry was back at the police station, so he was unable to help them at the moment. With nothing going on at the moment, the Seven Heroes were stuck until further notice.
Feeling bored, the Seven Heroes decided to take a look at their weapons. Much to their surprise, their weapons were glowing. It seemed as though the magic that was coursing through their veins was affecting any object they would have on hand. As the team searched through their inventory, they saw that the projectiles which they would throw had a glow to them as well. Closing their eyes, they remembered what magic the Scrolls had given them. One by one, they quietly said each magic that they had learned.
"Fire." Bairei whispered.
"Ice." Ryuta said to himself.
"Air and wind." Mayumi said softly.
"Ki." Chikaga whispered.
"Thunder and lightning." Shizuka quietly said.
"Psychic waves." Schaefer whispered.
"Multiplication." Bentley said to himself.
Once they had done that, the Seven Heroes felt empowered. However, as they had yet to go on a mission, they kept this feeling under control. Chu-Ya watched as the team was surrounded by different auras. While the aardvark was hoping that his warriors would help obliterate the Serpent Gang, he felt pessimistic about them using the magic they had learned altogether. Given how they were using it just by thinking about it, it wasn't a stretch that it would grow beyond their control. Chu-Ya would have to fight his own warriors to help them regain control, and he wanted to avoid that.
"Sir!" Izumi ran in. "Sir, we have intel from the Serpent Gang!"
"They've sent a squadron to the Evergreen Museum!" Daisuke spoke, following his brother.
"They're trying to steal the Ruby of Saturn again!" Nozomi cried.
Knowing that the Serpent Gang would stop at nothing to get the Ruby of Saturn, Chu-Ya had the Seven Heroes head to the Evergreen Museum. As for the Pigs, he had them travel through the Evergreen Forest, wanting them to get footage of anything else that the Serpent Gang could've been up to. While the aardvark wanted to wait until he could get reinforcements, there wasn't enough time for that. The Seven Heroes were the only thing standing between the Serpent Gang and the Ruby of Saturn. If they couldn't stop the evil organization, then they would advance forward in their plans. For now, it was a situation where failure was not an option.
Inside the Tanuki residence, Junichi, Nicole, and Lisa were sitting around the table, having a conversation. The family began to talk about their day, before discussing what Bentley was doing. While they were glad to hear that he was in safe hands, they also worried that he wouldn't make it out alive. Junichi felt that it was inevitable on how his son would replace him in the Seven Heroes, he wished that he would've done so when he was older. Nicole was more frightened about Bentley joining the team, as she didn't want her son to die in a fight. Lisa was scared like her mother, but she felt somewhat envious of her younger brother. At the end of the day, she knew that he would replace their father, but she hoped that he knew the consequences if he was unable to stop someone from killing him.
"So, what are we going to do?" Lisa asked.
"I don't know for sure, Lisa." Junichi said. "Until we hear back from Bentley, the only thing we CAN do is be careful and pay attention to our surroundings."
"If only he didn't join ze Zeven Heroez until he waz older." Nicole sighed.
"I'm afraid of what will happen to him, too, Nicole, but I'm also proud of him." The boar said. "The Seven Heroes need all the help they can get, even if our little boy has to be a member."
"Let's just hope that he doesn't die in battle." Lisa said.
A knock came on the door, which stopped their conversation. Lisa got up from the table and went to answer it. Once she opened the door, she saw a black panther standing in the doorway. He was dressed in a business suit, meaning that he either worked in an office, or was a professional. The feline gave Lisa a friendly smile, but it gave her the chills. Something was wrong with this man, and it was going to lead to trouble for the sow's family.
"Excuse me, young lady, but can I come in?" The panther asked.
"Sorry, sir, but we're not accepting visitors at the moment." Lisa said.
"Come now, sweetheart," he said, caressing her face, "there's no need to be rude. If you let me in, I promise that I won't do anything bad."
Lisa found herself unable to say anything, feeling uncomfortable around the panther. He carefully pushed her out of the way, entering the Tanuki household. As soon as the feline was in the house, Lisa watched as her parents gasped. Clearly, they knew who he was, or they were shocked that an intruder had entered their house. She felt afraid, unsure of what to do at the moment. Something bad was about to happen, and it would probably end in tragedy.
Meanwhile, at the Evergreen Museum, the Seven Heroes had entered through the back. Luckily, no one from the Serpent Gang had shown up yet, so they were on time. However, the team decided to protect the Ruby of Saturn from where it was on display. Splitting up was a sure fire way for the Serpent Gang to pull a fast one on them. At the moment, strength was in numbers, and everyone in the team needed to be in the same room. If not, then they would be killed, and the Ruby of Saturn would be stolen.
Unsheathing their weapons, the Seven Heroes prepared for battle. With magic flowing through their bodies, they were intent on using it to empower their weapons. For all they knew, the Serpent Gang could've sent magicians out to assist in the heist. If that was true, then the team would have had to use the opposite of the magic the magicians had on hand. The ninjas would be no problem for the Seven Heroes, but there would no doubt be reinforcements on the way. Either way, they needed to remain vigilant, and take down the Serpent Gang's warriors before they got their hands on the artifact they needed.
Touching their weapons with magic, the Seven Heroes focused. After a few seconds, the weaponry was enchanted, giving them an extra boost of power. Once that was out of the way, the team heard footsteps approaching them. Knowing that it was the Serpent Gang, they didn't move a muscle. They stood in front of the Ruby of Saturn, holding their weapons out. Even if it ended in their death, they were not going to let an evil organization steal the artifact for whatever plans they had.
"Ready, everyone?" Schaefer asked.
"Ready!" The rest of the team said.
A few ninjas ran into the room, intent on grabbing the Ruby of Saturn. That was until they saw the Seven Heroes standing in front of its display case. Before they could attack, a few others told them not to. More ninjas surrounded the team shortly after, and they were joined by foxes, weasels, minks, and squirrels, who were all wearing robes. Someone pushed through them, allowing the Seven Heroes to see who else was with these ninjas and wizards. This person was a tabby cat dressed in a silver choker, a black jacket, a red shirt, a leather belt, jeans, and army boots, with a kanabō on her back.
"Step aside, do-gooders, and let us take the Ruby of Saturn." She spoke.
"Never!" Bairei spoke. "You and your flunkies are just going to use it for world domination!"
"Listen, Seven Heroes, we can do this the easy way or the hard way." The feline said. "If we do this the easy way, then we will kill you in a manner that inflicts the least amount of pain possible. However, if you resist, then you will have humiliating deaths, courtesy of the warriors I have brought here."
"That's not going to happen!" Mayumi said.
"We've had it with the Serpent Gang's evil schemes!" Ryuta shouted. "Not only did you associate with Kazuma Araki, but you even sent him after us more than once!"
"Let's not forget that your organization was planning to blow up the Evergreen Forest!" Chikaga added.
"And you attacked a hospital that Bairei was staying at in an attempt to kill him while he was injured!" Shizuka noted.
"This has been going on for long enough, ma'am!" Schaefer said.
"For my home, the world, and the countless people who have been hurt or killed by your organization's criminal actions, you will not be leaving here alive!" Bentley said, holding his knife out.
The tabby only laughed, thinking that the Seven Heroes were only a mere obstacle to her. She hadn't encountered the team before, so she was confident that her men would be able to take them all. The feeling was mutual for the the Seven Heroes, as they knew they had to take down the ninjas and the wizards in order to get to the feline. With magic in their veins, they figured that fighting the ninjas and the wizards would be a breeze. However, they didn't know what the tabby could do. Aside from her kanabō, she didn't seem to have any special abilities.
"You may think that I haven't dealt with people like you before, but, trust me, you're wrong!" The cat spoke. "Mark my words, you will die a slow, painful death, courtesy of me: Masako Ogata!"
"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Mayumi said.
Letting out a snort, Masako snapped her fingers, signaling for her ninjas and wizards to attack. Knowing that it was time to fight, the Seven Heroes stood their guard around the Ruby of Saturn. They had their weapons out, so they had no trouble deflecting the projectiles of their enemies. However, the team knew that it wouldn't work for much longer, given how wizards were attacking as well. Using their own magic was inevitable, and they had no option other than to use it. No matter how many warriors attacked them, the Seven Heroes were not letting Masako and her grunts get the Ruby and escaping.
With a few ninjas running towards him, Bairei swung his katana forward, slashing one open. The others then tried to jump over him, so he knew he had to stop them in their tracks. Focusing his magic, the raccoon formed a fireball in his hand. He threw it at one ninja, with the embers spreading to two others. When a mink wizard went to the aid of them, the procyonid threw a fireball at him as well. This killed the wizard instantly, leaving him a charred corpse on the ground.
Magic flowing through him, Ryuta was intent on keeping the Ruby of Saturn safe. With his tantō enchanted, he swiped it towards a ninja, dodging a shuriken in the process. The ninja was then frozen in a block of ice, which stopped him from moving forward. Soon after, the ice exploded, leaving the ninja in pieces. More ninjas ran at Ryuta, intent on killing him. In response, the raccoon blew a huge gust of cold air from his mouth, causing his attackers to freeze and shatter.
A fox wizard floated near Mayumi, charging up a magic bolt. In response, Mayumi threw her fans at him, using her wind magic in order to manipulate the direction they were going. The fans sliced into the wizard, nearly slicing him in half. While he was still in a single piece, he fell to the floor, dead. A ninja attempted to throw a kunai, only for it to get knocked down mid-flight. Focusing her magic, Mayumi then fired a powerful wind current, which knocked her enemy out of the room, along with several of his allies.
Ninjas and wizards were running at Chikaga, their weapons and magic ready to make contact with him. However, little did any of them know, they were running right into the aardvark's trap. Charging up his magic, he got ready to fire a massive energy blast at his enemies. The moment a ninja came up to him, the tubulidentaid launched his gathered energy at his attackers. The power in the blast was so great, all of the warriors who were rushing towards him were vaporized. However, it took a lot out of him, nearly causing him to collapse.
Shizuka was blocking enemy projectiles with her spear, making sure that none of them broke the display case for the Ruby of Saturn. The enemies kept on coming, intent on getting the artifact as fast as possible. As such, Shizuka decided to give them a shock with her magic. She fired a lightning bolt at a group of ninjas, which electrocuted them all at once. The aardvark then focused her magic on a fox wizard, focusing her magic into a larger bolt of lightning. Once it was fired, the fox wizard let out a gargled scream as he was fried to a crisp by the electric current.
A few wizards ran towards Schaefer, followed by a dozen ninjas. With his magic charged up, the sheepdog used it to levitate two ninjas in the air, throwing them at a wizard. He did the same for the other wizards, wanting to make sure that they were taken down. Knowing that they weren't dead, the canine told his teammates to use their magic to kill the wizards. They obliged, using whatever attacks they could. With that out of the way, the Seven Heroes continued focusing on whoever was coming towards them.
With enemy forces coming towards him, Bentley knew that he had to use his magic. He made a doppelgänger of himself, having it take down any enemy that got in its way. As that happened, the young raccoon threw enemy projectiles back at them, largely using the ones that his teammates knocked out of the air. The kit saw his double kill several ninjas, being too fast for them to react. One tried to impale it, only for it to jump over him and stab a wizard in the neck. With his copy preoccupied, Bentley continued fighting anyone who ran at him, not showing any mercy.
Masako was shocked by how the Seven Heroes were effortlessly taking down her ninjas and wizards. She thought that they would be unable to handle the warriors she had on hand, but she was wrong. Not only were the team taking down the grunts with quick strikes from their weapons, but they were using magic as a boost to their advantage. It was almost as if nothing could take them down. Masako had known about the Seven Heroes from her colleagues, but she didn't know that they could use magic. From what she heard, they were barred from using it ever since the 1940s.
Once all the ninjas and wizards were dead, the Seven Heroes saw Masako standing there, looking shocked by what she had seen. However, she snapped out of it, getting a confident look on her face. It didn't take a genius to see that the tabby was trying to look cool in the face of danger. Bairei was no stranger to doing so, as was Schaefer. The Seven Heroes decided not to let it get to them, as they needed to take down the feline before she could steal the Ruby of Saturn. With their guard up, the team agreed to keep an eye out for any abilities she would have.
"Well, you have certainly proven me wrong!" Masako spoke.
"And now, we want you to leave here at once!" Ryuta said.
Masako didn't walk out of the museum. Rather, she took her kanabō off her back and swung it at the Seven Heroes. In response, the team began to fight with her, using both their weapons and their magic. The tabby cat was unfazed by them, being able to hold even ground with whoever attacked her. She dodged Bairei's and Bentley's attacks with ease, knocking them both down with a single kick. Before the older raccoon could recover, the feline struck the back of his head with her hand, knocking him out.
With two of their teammates down, Ryuta, Mayumi, Chikaga, Shizuka, and Schaefer rushed towards Masako. She traded blows with Chikaga and Shizuka, trying her hardest to knock their weapons out of their hands. Once the two aardvarks began to focus their magic and aim it towards the tabby, she hit them both in their abdomen. After that, the feline kicked them to the side. This left only Ryuta, Mayumi, and Schaefer to face her. Luckily, they had an idea on how to incapacitate their enemy.
Using her magic, Mayumi blew a huge gust of wind, with it being powerful enough to knock Masako down. After that, Schaefer used his magic to lift the tabby in the air. Ryuta began to create a powerful attack in his hands, hoping to freeze her in ice. However, he needed to be quick. Given how much Masako was struggling, it was a given that she was going to break free at any moment. The raccoon thrusted his arms forward, throwing his magic at the feline.
Before Ryuta's magic could freeze her, Masako felt her eyes glow. After that, a blinding light flashed through the room. This not only canceled out the ice magic, but it caused Ryuta, Mayumi, and Schaefer to cover their eyes. With them distracted, Masako was free to steal the Ruby of Saturn. Smashing the display case with her kanabō, the tabby grabbed the artifact without hesitation. After that, she began to walk out of the room, only turning back to the Seven Heroes.
"I'll have to thank you for providing me with some quality entertainment." Masako said. "As much I would love to stay and chat, Mr. Hirose's waiting for me, and I would hate to disappoint him."
Getting up from the floor, Bentley saw Masako making her way out of the Evergreen Museum. Seeing as she had the Ruby of Saturn in her hands, the raccoon was intent on going after her.
"You're not getting away!" He shouted.
"Don't go after her by yourself!"
Upon hearing that voice, Bentley turned around and saw Chu-Ya standing in the entrance. The Pigs were with him, so he didn't come alone. They went over and checked on the rest of the team, knowing that they would have to regroup before they fought again. While the swine did that, Chu-Ya spoke with Bentley.
"The boys put a tracking device on Ogata before she even entered the museum." He said. "We'll be able to find out where she's going, son."
"Is that why you're here, Mr. Sunea?" Bentley asked.
"Actually, it's your family!" Chu-Ya said. "Head home, quick! Something happened!"
Running out of the Evergreen Museum, Bentley ran to his house. Given what Chu-Ya had said, the young raccoon hoped that his parents and his sister were still alive. He ran as fast as he could, knowing that he couldn't stop until he got back home. Once he saw where he lived, the kit ran to the door. The procyonid vigorously knocked on it, waiting for someone to answer. He was hoping that Junichi, Nicole, and Lisa were still in there, but something told him that it wasn't the case.
The door came open, and Bentley saw Lisa standing in the doorway. The sow was covered in blood, with a majority of the liquid on her clothes. It wasn't hers, as Bentley didn't see a wound on her body. Despite that, she looked absolutely distressed, as if something truly traumatic had happened. This wasn't good, and everything Bentley had on hand told him that something had attacked his house. He could even hear his mother wailing, sounding like she was crying.
"Bentley," Lisa whimpered, "Dad is -!"
"What happened?!" Bentley shouted. "Where's Dad?! What happened to him?!"
"A man came over and knocked him out!" Nicole cried. "He took your father, Bentley!"
His eyes widening, Bentley didn't know whether to faint or scream. The raccoon was in shock, to the point where he couldn't move. Seeing his sister covered in blood and hearing his mother crying was bad enough, but the news was even worse. The Serpent Gang had kidnapped Junichi, possibly for use in their evil plans.
Note: Uh oh, a double whammy of bad news! Not only did the Serpent Gang manage to get the Ruby of Saturn, but now they've got George/Junichi as their captive. Can the Seven Heroes recover the Ruby before the Serpent Gang can use it? Will Bentley be able to save his father? Why is Lisa covered in blood? How will the Seven Heroes save the day?
Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!