~02 Fr: A Tidbit of Time…
Olympius Duniya – Main Arena
The Opening Ceremony
At the larger arena site, all the athletes along with a general audience of friends, family and the public all gathered in various seating arrangements. While the capacity wasn't at 100%, it certainly felt like a full house.
On the big 3-D box screen, a movie was shown with various artworks made by several artists (including one made by Anastasia during her cursed persona as Alice). Alex teared up a little upon seeing the clip showing a mural in dedication to him and Kyle in their Ultra forms and their swim gear forms.
"She's truly talented," Kyle smiled.
The other swimmers were shocked by the surprise video clips that consisted of their allies of Volleyball, Skaters, and even the Archery folks and a recent team of soccer players were also on the rise. These sport folks were basically in a room where Kenma shot videos to create this project alive.
"When I realized they were superheroes, I couldn't bear to miss out on all the action!" Shouyou said.
"These swimmers really are impressive, but I do hope they can make their championships safely," Tobio commented.
"Oh, come on, don't jinx anything worse!" Bokuto commented.
"You guys do realize this is the final cut for the video in submission for the Opening night," Kemna replied in the peanut gallery.
"To all you wonderful swimmers, thank you for helping me find myself back," Oikawa said, "I can't wait to see your performance. Don't forget us, alright!?"
"Go get 'em everyone!" Atsumu winks.
"Make some history out there!" Osamu grins.
"They really did all that?" Haruka asked.
"Heh, they really put a lot of effort into this," Rin smirked.
"I'm glad we were such an influence," Makoto agreed.
"Yo! Sailor Swimmers! I think that's what I'd call ya," Shadow said, "Don't break anything else while you guys compete, alright?"
"I guess someone had to fanboy all that out now huh?" Cherry Blossom answered, "All of you, congratulations on making it this far. May you all find victories during these trials."
"Eat plenty and rest well," Joe winked.
"Swimming Slimes, I'm glad you have brought inspiration to all of us!" Miya added, "Good luck to all of you! Be sure to check us out too for our competitions!"
"Hee-hee, thank you for saving all of us when we were in trouble!" Reki replied.
"It has been an honor to meet all of you too," Langa said.
The clips then were brought over to some of the archery folks as they were busy practicing shots.
"Oh, my goodness, I'm not sure if a video here is good for the shrine but I'll make it quick," Masaki makes a slight nervous chuckle, "Magic Six…and all you wonderful swimmers, I hope to meet you all in person soon. Your influence has brought to our attention likewise."
"Be the superstars as you always were!" Minato said.
"Good luck on your competition trials!" Seiya added.
"Yeah, you guys are definitely badass!" Shuu replied.
"If you guys have time, check us out too for our competition events," Eisuke replied.
"I never seen those folks," Alex looks at the video.
"They sound like a cheerful bunch," Kyle nodded.
"I hope we meet them sometime," Nagisa looks at Rei.
"I'm sure we will," Rei answered.
Heh, I didn't think Masaki would go modern, Kotetsu thought, I wonder if he's really here.
Kaede kept his usual silent expression as Albert was in awe of the movie overall and was squealing a bit when he saw Oikawa on the clips.
The Takgami Senshi were enjoying this as the rest of the swimmers were pleasantly surprised and thankful that so many others supported them this entire time. From there, the video showed WIPs of the stadiums being built within the last year or so and the construction around town as part of the restoration era.
Afterwards, the screen turned black, but it showed special effects of the swimmers in combat and using their magical abilities. Of course, one of the scenes showed the infamous final battle against Verrado and the witches as Alex and Artemis/Apollo blew them to bits as Suiei Cosmos as well as the Three Fates.
"Thank you for bringing light back to this world…"
The last part of the video featured Miho, King Oliver, Queen Nanako, Sultan Cyrus, and his wife Sultana Castell along with King Goliath and Queen Janella with special greetings and gratitude. Once the "film" was over, the stage lights beamed at the ground as a bunch of people were dressed in various costumes inspired by the swimming guardians as they did a choreography dance of some sort followed by one of the swimmers.
"Ahhhh, NEEEE-CHAAANNNN!" Momo cheered out as Sei grinned.
Isuzu carried the Olympic Torch as she and a few other select athletes made their way to the podium at the Olympic Cauldron to light up the flame. Once it was done, five rings of light flashed to life as a voice-over lectured the history of the rings that were once part of the Old Worlds' continents, but it has then transformed into values consisting of Faster (Citius), Higher (Altius), Stronger (Fortius), Community (Communiter), and Eternal (Aternus).
With this, the rest of the arena lights up in calming blue, green, and pink lights as more choreography dancers appeared and brought the audience's attention to a calming show with the 3-D video screen showing various aerial shots around the world.
Lodging Suites, Global Aquatics Arena
After watching the Opening Ceremony and the Fireworks display, all the athletes returned to their dorms in preparation for the big day. Each of them reflected on their hard work, their dreams, and their curiosity about what will happen after everything is said and done.
In one of the Lodging suites, the Magic Six and Kyle were getting themselves ready for bed. However, Haruka was looking over all the swim jackets they had bestowed with. The first day was going to be the one they designed for this planet, the other three…
"I can't believe Ama-chan managed to get these from the old world," Nagisa looked at the red, white, and black ones.
"They are nostalgic in a way…" Makoto looked at the black and blue one.
"Maybe it's a motivation?" Rin shrugged as he looked at the white and blue one with thin lines of colors in specific areas.
"They all look beautiful," Rei said, "Our hard work will finally be paid off once we show our passion in this sport."
"I hope the others feel the same with theirs," Haruka noted.
"I'm only confused though…are we going to wear all of these?" Nagisa asked.
"From what I heard…if we proceed to the championships, we wear the next design further…" Haruka pointed at the order.
"Interesting…" Rei muttered.
"I don't recall something like that, a jacket is a jacket," Rin crossed his arms.
"I'm sure we can ask Natsu-chan and Nao-chan," Nagisa shrugged.
"Where's…?" Makoto muttered.
Alex and Kyle were outside of the suite as they looked up to the clear, night skies. It was peaceful for a moment as they saw city life going about their way.
"You ready?" Kyle asked.
"I think so," Alex said.
"Heh, I know you will do great. Just don't get too cocky," Kyle teased.
"Oh you…" he sighed, lightly wrapping his arm around him before they accidently fell into each other's arms. Without a second thought, they shared a romantic brief kiss before realizing the others were watching them.
"Okay you guys, take it easy on the romance," Makoto said with a blush as Nagisa tried hard to not snicker.
Alex turned his head to the side to hide his blush before looking up to see what looked like a crazy, bizarre massive meteor shower.
"K-Kyle…?" he asked.
"Yeah, what's going…?" Kyle replied when he looked up to see the meteor storm.
"Oh, my goodness, what's this?" Rei noticed the skies likewise.
"Another meteor showers?" Rin asked.
"Is it just me or has there been a lot of them lately?" Haruka questioned in suspicion.
"Well considering this is a different universe than back home…well…" Rei shrugged.
"Maybe it's just the way this outer space is," Makoto muttered.
"I just hope to god they don't come crashing here," Alex said, "We've come too far to face anymore threats."
"We should probably start resting up now," Rin commented, "The big day is here."
With that, the five go to their beds while Kyle looked at Alex with a slightly confused look, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah…it's just…well…I made a wish in my head. I hope it comes true," Alex prayed.
"Heh, I see. Well hope it'll come true," Kyle smiled.
"Huh, another meteor shower?" Sousuke looked outside from the other suite facing the north end.
"It seems as though we must be in some meteor storm season or something," Ai noted, using the mirror to show a hologram display from the night skies.
"Crazy," Momo looked at it with curiosity.
I just hope that it's not an omen of some kind, Ikuya thought.
"You okay there, Ikuya?" Asahi asked.
"Yeah, just, thinking," he shrugged.
"Of what?" the pink-salmon haired replied.
"…how less of a monkey you've become," Ikuya answered with a slight smug.
Asahi was about to play silly on him when Natsuya and Nao arrived in the room likewise.
"Quite a show we have tonight before the big day tomorrow," Nao said.
"We'll be cutting off the lights soon," Natsuya added.
"To think that we're finally here," Momo muttered, "The Olympics…"
"No matter what happens, the progress of making here has been worth it," Sousuke added.
"Hehe! I can't wait to see how this all plays out!" Momo grinned.
The Takagami Senshi were also in their own area while Aoba, Kaede, Kotetsu and Albert also had their space in a different side of the suites. They all were curious about the strange meteor storm but knew that there was no time to take into that. The big day was approaching, and these next few days were going to bring a new era to planet Duniya and all its inhabitants.
Outside
A few of the volleyball guys gathered up to watch the stars while the rest of their teams were getting ready for bed after a long day. Despite a few objections, the sightseeing was totally worth it.
"Did you make a wish?" Shouyou asked Atsumu.
"I may have," the blond winked, "But it's a secret for now."
"Awww dang," he answered with a chuckle.
"It is quite a sight that is normally rare," Ushijima muttered as Sakusa rested his head on his shoulder.
"Kinda odd there's been more of them lately," Tobio noted.
"I just hope that we can get through these next couple of weeks. No drama, no saving-the-day kind of mess, just a peaceful couple of weeks of being who we really are," Oikawa agreed.
"No matter what, we will prevail," Iwazumi nodded, "All of us…our allies…our families…"
Earlier in the Day: Kyan Household
"Aren't you boys going to head to the stadium?" Masae asked Reki and Langa.
"We will, just make sure we have everything ready to take with us," Reki answered.
"Big brother gonna win?" Nanaka asked.
"Win! Win!" Chihiro agreed.
"Nothing is guaranteed but I will certainly give it my all," Reki smiled to his twin sisters.
"Just don't…overdo yourself," Koyomi said, "Especially when I'll be qualified on the next term."
"Heh, it will be an interesting time to look forward to," he agreed.
With that, he hugged his family as Langa thanked them for everything so far likewise. From there, they took off on their skateboards.
The two skated out towards their way to the downtown 'Crystal Sportsbrooke'. They approached a familiar alley area that used to be their first dating areas back then. It was surreal that it's still the marketplace but with a touch of modern and futuristic appeal.
A couple of times, a few fans of the S would recognize them and especially went wild on seeing 'Prince Langa'. They both gave autographs here and there while continuing their journey.
"I heard tonight there's going to be another meteor shower," Langa said.
"Huh? Quite a bit of them lately," Reki replied, "I wonder if there's some storm up in space."
They continued down through the alley as they heard a beautiful song in the background at one of the booths…
Tsuki no hana yo kaze ni nori
Kono omoi todokete hoshii
Muunraito furawaazu sumire iro
Yoru no terasu de chikai no KISS!
The two met up with Miya at the very downtown area where a crystal fountain with a hologram-screen of a television was on display, counting down the Olympics by the hours.
"Yo! Slimes!" Miya greeted them, "Ready for the big day?"
"At last," Langa smiled.
"I'm surprised it's only the three of us for now," Reki shrugged, "The other guys could have joined too."
"Probably because they want to see how it goes with us first," Miya shrugged, "I mean…we are the ones with the prodigy after all."
"Right," Reki noted.
"I wonder how…he's doing," Langa said, "Last I heard, he grew up quickly and is already a teenager."
"Hmmm, maybe he'll join us too?" Reki asked.
"I didn't see his name on the roster, unless there's a last-minute change," Miya said.
"I guess the only way to find out," Langa turned his head to see the stadium in the near distance.
Amai kotoba wa
Takusan aru kedo
"kodomo da ne" to ka
Anata wa iu deshou
Machigaetari wakatta furi
Kizutsuite wa namida nagasu
Tachidomattemo ima wa ii yo
Let's Ring the Bells Of Peace Again
"How's the rest of your family, Langa?" Miya asked.
"They're doing well. The kingdom of Frostella is definitely back in its Golden Age. Some of the people there want to consider making a Winter Olympics in the near future," Langa revealed.
"Ohhhh, that'll be fun!" Reki smiled.
"A bigger opportunity for world peace indeed," Miya agreed before adding, "You think you might revisit snowboarding?"
"We'll see," Langa shrugged, "It hasn't been on my mind in a while to be honest."
They took off from there, heading towards the stadium where they were led to their suites as they were reunited with Joe, Cherry, and Shadow. The trio have agreed to be their 'sponsors/supporters' for the week with approval from their families prior to.
Tsuki no hana yo kaze ni mai
Kono negai kanaete hoshii
Moonlight Flower sumire iro
Yami wo terashite sakihokoru
Watashi to anata
Umarekawaru basho
Oshiete My Fuuutttuurreeeeee
The S-Olympic Arena, Smaller Olympius Venue
Kojiro, Kaoru, and Hiromi went over to the obstacle course that was finally completed as they inspected look to ensure that it was full quality and safety.
"This is gonna be quite a test for them," Kojiro said.
"Indeed, but I'm sure Carla and Selene will ensure their safety," Kaoru nodded.
"Bah, this looks easy," Hiromi remarked.
"You wanna test the waters first?" the pink-haired man looks at him, forcing the orange-haired guy to step back.
Kojiro was about to comment when his phone vibrated. With a shrug, he sees that it was a text but pauses.
"What's the matter?" Hiromi asked.
"It's him…he's coming," Kojiro turned to them.
"Wait…how old is he now?" Kaoru looks at him.
"I'll ask…" the green-haired man sent a reply.
Moments later, his eyes widened as he answered, "He's back…"
"The hell!? It's been like a year, and he evolved that quickly!?" Hiromi gasped.
"Must be the way of the Mullerians or something," Kaoru guessed.
"Actually, they take a bit longer to grow to adulthood," Joe revealed the message to them which explained the unusual things happening around the village.
"The meteor showers?" Hiromi tilted his head.
"There has been quite a storm with them lately at night," Kaoru said.
Present Time: A Nightmare?
In the middle of the night, Alex was struggling to sleep a little while everyone else seemed to be at ease. With a sigh, he went to take a small dose of Melatonin to get back to resting. After 10 minutes, he finally closed his eyes and proceed to sleep…
Suddenly, he opened his eyes and found himself on the swimming stage's diving block but there was no one there. The lights were normal, the sound of water was pristine but…
W-what the hell is happening, Alex thought, this can't be real!
His body was forcing him to take a dive before realizing it. Once he did, the water transformed into outer space as he was now floating somewhere in space-time.
"You are the greatest fool in every existence…thinking that your dreams will save you. Will that future really happen, Alexander?"
"W-who are you!?" Alex shouted, "Reveal yourself at once!"
"A shame that you don't remember me…but then again, you have moved on so many times, again and again…your memories are a long distant to the point they nearly don't exist. However, we will meet again soon…and I will remove everything that you cherish. And then…you will come to me…and beg for mercy eternally…until you die!"
A shadowed figure appeared in front of him, dressed in some armor like a warrior but he couldn't make out who it was. The face/head was darkened.
"The skies are on fire…soon this world will become trash," the stranger continued, "This dream of yours…and the others…will never, ever come true! All that remains is the return to singularity and non-existence of every…and all the realms!"
Alex was about to attack the stranger when he was poked on the forehead by this entity before suddenly falling backwards in a "rush" like feeling with images of destruction of his family, friends, the guardians, and the varying planets before him before waking up with a cry of panic and anxiety rushing his existence.
"S-Sandro?!" Kyle woke up to see his husband in such distress.
After a few deep breaths and a wipe of tear or two from his face, Alex answers, "I hope it's just a nightmare. This is our future…this is our dream…right?"
"What's wrong?" Kyle looks at him sharply and concerned.
"…I don't think we are in the clear of fighting," Alex revealed, "But the show must go on. Everything we've worked hard to become our best selves…"
Kyle hugs him, "It's going to be okay. Our fighting days are over. We will have the best time here with the Olympics. Afterwards, we'll make new and more memories to live for."
"I hope so," he sighed.
"I know so," Kyle hugged him tighter.
Alex breathed in and out again with a sigh of some relief. However, he could feel his chest on fire as if indeed a new danger was about to approach them. When will they strike? How will they appear? What was the nightmare he had? Who was that person before him?
"We need to keep sleeping," Alex said, "We got a big day finally coming."
Chirottori, Next Day
By the early rise of the brightest star, Ainosuke sat out from the stone balcony of the fortress with his skateboard on hand. He finally has matured physically to his adult form once again. However, his hair was still kinda messy from the recent growth, so he waited for Tadashi to arrive with some scissors and clippers to trim down the hair a little while using some organic herbs from the flora around here to create a gel.
"Well, that man is grown as a flower huh," Natsuhisa remarked.
"Why calling him that?" Haruto looks at him.
"He's certainly blooming with something," Reiji crossed his arms.
"It's also the big day today…" Mariko recalled something.
"Oh, that fun-filled fiesta or whatever that's called," Rikuto shrugged.
"The Olympics," Tadashi said, "They are starting today. Last night they had an opening ceremony."
"I want to go see them," Ainosuke answered.
"Once I get you cleaned up, we'll go," Tadashi reassured him, shaping up the professional look "I'm sure they wouldn't mind us. However, we are not eligible to compete at this time."
"Yeah, yeah," Ainosuke makes a slight fish-face, "But I'm sure Snow will be there."
"He will," Tadashi replied, "But are you sure you want to go there now master?"
"…I didn't sleep well last night," he answered, "I guess I could say that I'm not an angel meant for them."
Tadashi paused on his work and looks at him, "You…remember?"
"I guess I can't live free if I have," he shrugged.
"Aino, just because…" Tadashi begins but pauses for a moment, "Listen. You may have done one wrong move or…30…but that doesn't mean it's too late to start a right one now."
They heard footsteps approaching and sure enough, Kiriko and Janella were checking in with them.
"Stellaluna has already left," Janella said.
"I'm still going," Ainosuke shrugged.
"And I assume once you made up your mind, there's nothing I can do to stop, huh?" Kiriko sighs, "Just…don't get in trouble, alright?"
"Heh, where's the fun in that?" he winks.
"I'll keep watch on him," Tadashi replies.
"Oi!" Ainosuke looks at him with a slight tsundere tone while the Chivashi makes a nervous sweat drop.
All the Iwamara Swimmers gathered up for their first big day around 7:00 AM as they were in a conference hall with the director explaining the regulations and the schedule. With the names of the participants from Iwamara, Neo Sportsbrooke, and Lha'li on the rosters, it was surely going to be such a competition for a debut.
The odd days were scheduled for 'Individual Racing' while the even days were set for "Group/Teams Racing'.
We gotta keep low about that final day, Makoto thought.
I just hope that things will play out well, Rin noted to self.
Upon being dismissed, the selective swimmers were making their way to the lockers and readying themselves for the 100m freestyle prelims as well as the 100m breast prelims for the morning run. Since there were a bunch of applicants for the 100m free, it would require a few rounds before evaluating the times and selecting the ones to advance forward to semi-finals.
The evening schedule was set for back and butterfly swimmers with their respective events.
At the first round of the 100-meter prelims, Haruka was fully dressed in his jacket, pants, and proper swim gear alone in the darken hallway with lower lighting. The other freestyle swimmers were set in the other sequential rounds afterwards. His memory flashed back towards the time when Alex made his first appearance in Japan and his brief swimming.
And here we all are, he thought as he made his way to the light of the pool deck. Each footstep left an echo of his existence.
In a separate room, all the other swimmers watched on TV with anticipation. Some had exciting looks on their faces while others kept a more neutral, stoic look.
Haruka was going to face off with a major portion of Lha'li and Neo Sportsbrooke swimmers in this first round. The stoic tsundere finally makes his appearance on stage as his name was being announced before heading to the diving block. A lot of the media and journalists were present as well as a decent size audience attended.
"Lane 4, representing a freestyle swimmer from Iwamara, Haruka Nanase!"
Stretching briefly in between the moments, Haruka could only hope that nothing was going to go wrong here, internally, and externally. It was a very long time to get to this moment…the future…it has to happen! That was the promise from their prince…their king…
Once he was undressed to his swimsuit form, cap, and goggles, Haruka along with the competitors made their way to the blocks as the time for the show was about to begin. Keeping things steady, everyone stepped up and readied themselves as the countdown led…
"Haruka…" Makoto prayed silently in the room with the others.
"He's got this," Nagisa nodded quietly.
Rin and Ikuya narrowed their eyes a little in determination for their fellow swimmer to make results. Alex rested his hand on Kyle's for a moment as the latter nodded with a brief smile.
This, Haruka thought, is my…
"Take your marks…"
"BEEP!"
Free, his mind echoes as he dives right in perfectly.
"H-Haruka…" Sousuke gasped on the fast pace.
"He's evolving there," Rin smiled.
"Haru-chan!" Nagisa quietly makes a little peep scream but realizes he can't make too much of a ruckus, "S-sorry."
"He's definitely beautiful in the water," Rei nodded.
Kaede kept quiet but he gestured Kyle's attention to get ready for the second round of the prelims as they were set to compete. Alex looked at him with a nod before his husband departed.
Back in the deck, Haruka was at ease with the waves, slicing everything through with his newfound strength. All the training was definitely worth the time. The flip turn went smooth as he pushed off the wall even faster, making a decent lead against the Lha'li and Neo Sportsbrooke competitors. Alex smiled to himself, knowing that as long as someone from this group makes it to the end, it would at least be at peace.
Haruka, Kaede, Rin, and Albert, he thought, they are definitely up there…as for me…I…
"You alright there?" Asahi looks at the prince.
"I-I'm alright," he shrugs it off, "I just need to stop overthinking, that's all."
Haruka could feel the intensity of his own power as he swam in a dark blue background with energized lights of his breathing. Finally, at the right moment, his hand smacks to the wall on bullseye. The Iwamara group chuckled and cheered a little as Haruka struck first in this prelim.
Kaede and Kyle made it out towards the deck as the former checked up on Haruka and commented, "Not bad. However, the prelim isn't the only thing."
"I'm not done," Haruka said before he walks to grab his towel.
He's definitely fired up, Kade thought.
I guess a lot has happened between us since the return from Spherus Magna, Kyle noted to himself, almost everyone is getting along well even though some of us are competitive…
At the next round, Kaede was in lane 5 and Kyle in lane 4. Haruka returned to the base room where the others were at as they congratulated him. At the beep, the two dove in along with the competitors from the other cities. Alex gasped as he noticed Kyle was struggling between third and fourth while Kaede was merely in first.
"K-Kyle…" he breathed.
"He's definitely fast," Sousuke narrowed his eyes towards Kaede.
Kotetsu kept a silent grin to himself as definitely his closest friend was making progress without any issues. At the wall, Kyle made sure to push harder enough and to move faster which led him to now second. Alex smiled and breathed in relief.
"Ky-chan is definitely good," Nagisa reassured him, "Don't worry too hard."
"Yeah, it'll be almost my turn too," he got up and took a deep breath.
"Just don't overthink yourself," Haruka reminded him.
Marotta Household
Sergi watched the book chronicling the recent events taking place at the Olympius Duniya. Now that it was his brother's turn, he got both the parents' attention.
"He's going in?" the mother asked.
"Yeah, he's finally up in round three of the prelims," Sergi said.
The father switched on the TV to get a better screen look as they sat down together. They watched as Alex makes his appearance on the stage with a calm look on his face before approaching Lane 5. He was the only Iwamara swimmer in this round.
"You can do this," Sergi prayed.
"Pootsie," the mother whispered.
"If he makes it to the semi-finals, then for sure we'll go to the city," the father narrowed his eyes.
"Take your marks!"
Alex kept a firm grip on the block as he properly bends to position with the competitors.
"BEEP!"
The third round begins as Alex dives in like a straight arrow, unleashing a great fury of energy rippling across the pool as he was making a strong head start. The other Iwamara swimmers gasped in joy as their fellow dragon swimmer was leading.
"Sandro-chan!" Nagisa smiled.
"He's definitely making the dream come true," Rin grins.
Makoto smiled as a lone tear nearly fell off his eye, remembering the day they were at the beach other when Alex made his promise to them.
"It's the same as you, Haruka-senpai," Rei noted.
"He's really leading them!" Ai gasped as Momo chuckled.
Kyle watched his husband from the hallway with a hopeful look on his face while Kaede was already looming somewhere else in the facility. The neon-orange haired man met up with Kotetsu and Albert as the trio were talking among themselves.
"Those meteors from last night…" Kotetsu said.
"Yeah, they remind me from before…back then," Kaede recalled.
"I won't be able to join you guys for a bit," Albert said, "I'm in round 5."
"We know," Kaede answered, "That's why we'll just…kinda check around."
"Be careful you two," Albert said.
"Is something the matter?" a familiar voice was heard.
The trio turned to Natsuya and Nao as they were silent about this. Not having much of a choice, Kaede breaks the ice, "The meteor shower…we can feel something bad from it."
"How so?" Nao asked.
"Our past lives as the Greek warriors for the prince," Kotetsu answered, "The meteor shower back then was a bad omen…it led to our downfall."
"We haven't sensed many anomalies around," Natsuya explained.
"Well, I'm sure someone is either bypassing it or something," Kaede crossed his arms.
"Don't we have enough security measures here?" Albert asked.
"We have the general security team for the facility," Nao explained.
Back at the Marotta household, Sergi gasped as the book flared to life before its pages magically flipped, heading towards an unknown section with images of the meteor showers, the Elder Bairns, but also…something else.
"W-what in the name of…?" he muttered.
"Schmoo?" the mother turns to him.
"I'll…be back," he gets up, holding the book to his side.
Alex finally makes his flip turn but gasped upon realizing the waters shifted and he sensed himself in second. The Iwamara swimmers gasped at the sudden struggle.
"Don't give in!" Nagisa cried out.
"Not so loud," Rei reminded him.
The air, Sousuke thought, it also changed…
He got up as Asahi and Ikuya looked at his changed expression. Haruka looks at Ikuya with a nod.
"I can't go with you guys," Rin said, "It'll be my turn shortly."
"Is everything alright?" Asahi asked.
In the colors of golden-yellow, sky blue and pink, Alex could feel the energy in his body becoming erratic with uncertainty as the darkness was now in front of him…dispelling that happiness.
"Will that future really happen?"
I-I have to make it happen, he thought.
"You will come to me…and beg for mercy eternally…until you die!"
Get out of my head, his mind screamed.
His heart flashed to life with determination to fulfill his dream as the colors returned to him. The voices from all his friends and family pushed back the doubts. With a roaring cry, he reaches his hand out to get to the goal as his legs finally went into a high mode.
His arms scooped the water with a stronger force as he promised himself, his family, and his team. At the right time, he strikes the wall as he too ended up first for this round. The team sighed in relief but Sousuke, Haruka, and Ikuya went towards the deck to check up on him.
"A-are you alright!?" Ikuya asked.
"Y-Yeah…" he breathed, trying to ignore the voices, "I scored well here, I'll make it to the prelims."
Sousuke kept silent while Haruka replies, "Make sure you sleep cycle is flawless."
With a nod, Alex grabs his towel before heading to the darkened hallways.
Natsuya and Nao analyzed the data so far as the semi-finals were set to 16 swimmers. Based on what they were seeing, Haruka, Alex, Kyle, and Kaede were definitely on, but anything can change with the next couple of rounds left. Rin's successful completion of the fourth round also gave him a spot for the semi-finals.
Kaede returned to the suite to cool down while Kotetsu prepared some hot tea for the former.
"Shouldn't you be back at the site?" Kaede asked.
"I'll be leaving in a bit," he said, "I know they're on the final round of the free."
"Good luck," Kaede replied, "But…if anything goes up, let me know."
Albert completed his round with a very strong time as it was no surprise for the Iwamara swimmers, but the other competitors were in shock. Some began to wonder if this person was even human to begin with.
Oikawa sent him a congratulation text upon seeing the results. Albert smiled with thanks on the reply. However, that same aura that was happening during Alex's race was felt.
Someone has got to be watching us, Albert thought, but the question is…if and when they will strike?
After changing up and being done for now, Alex excused himself out for a bit of fresh air alone. He went to the garden area. It had a mix of different plants from around the world as a unified, cultural space. There were several cacti flowers, palms, roses, and more.
However, what stood out to him were the Jersey lilies and the Hydrangeas along with a small field of tulips and daises.
These truly are pretty, he thought.
"Um…excuse me?" a small voice was heard.
Alex turned sharply but stopped to see two individuals dressed in kimono-like fashions. He blinked his eyes for a moment before recalling the video from last night.
"Y-you…" he muttered.
"We hope we didn't disturb you," Masaki said, "But it's quite interesting….the flowers attracted you here."
"You were in the videos from last night," Alex noted, "We thank you for the encouragement. But we never have met until now."
"I know of you through words of the wind…as well as a few connections," Masaki smiled.
W-who is this man, Alex makes a nervous sweat drop to the side.
"Have no fear, we are not your enemies," Masaki reassured him, "I have worked alongside with Natsuya and Nao. The name is Masaki Takigawa."
Minato takes a small breath before answering, "And I am Minato Narumiya, one of the upcoming archer Olympic members! Pleased to meet you."
"Does this mean…you know who we truly are?" Alex looks at them.
"Your legend and reputation have proceeded you and the others," Masaki said, "Never had I thought we'd meet you in person in real time."
"I guess so," Alex replied, "However, it has been nothing but a long journey for us. All the endless fights and pain have brought so many trials and our feelings questioned."
"Is it true that you are the one…?" Minato asked.
"Minato," Masaki looks at him.
"The one…?" Alex tilts his head.
"Are you the Greatest Light?" Minato finishes his question.
His eyes widened a little before lowering them down, "I don't consider myself as that powerful alone. None of this could be done that way. It's being with our friends and beloved ones that help me get through the toughest times."
"Oi! Sandro!?" Sousuke's voice was heard.
Alex turned to see Sousuke, Haruka and Ikuya approaching him as the dark-haired man added, "It's almost time for the breaststroke relays."
"Ikuya…aren't you…?" Alex looks at him.
"I'm in the third round with Sudou-kun. There's some time left for me. But Nagisa and Ai are going to go first," the teal-haired man said.
The dragon swimmer nodded and turned his head back, but the two archers were gone. His mind was confused by this strange encounter.
"What's wrong?" Haruka asked.
"…I met them, two of the archery folks," he revealed, "But how did they disappear so quickly?"
"Let's hurry back," Sousuke said.
"Yeah," Alex nodded, "I apologize for the long break."
Back at the main event, Nagisa and Ai were now taking the ranks in the breaststroke 100m prelims. They briefly gave each other a fist-bump for good fortune before taking themselves to the stage. Nagisa was stationed on Lane 6 and Ai on Lane 4.
"This might be a little challenging for them," Makoto muttered.
"I'm sure they'll pull it through," Hiyori said.
The four returns to the said room just as the beep took off with the two of them diving in.
"Nagisa…" Haruka muttered.
Nagisa and Ai were certainly neck to neck between second and third as the swimmer in lane 5 was taking a harsh lead. Rei's heart fluttered a little as he cheered them on quietly in his mind.
"Nitori-senpaiii!" Momo groaned.
"Nagisa-kunn!" Rei added.
Alex looked at the clock and it was already 10:30. The other freestyle races were completed from the 200m. The results showed that Isana, Kotarou, Seijuurou, and Tsubasa made it to the semi-finals for that level.
"Will they be fine for the relays tomorrow?" Alex asked.
"I'm sure," Kyle said.
Alex nodded as he reviewed the event booklet so a split second before returning his attention to the TV.
Nagisa and Ai were still at the same pace with their bodies going up and down from the water with their arms making a wide-spread length and such. They struck the wall and pushed themselves to get closer to the leader.
"This is gonna be a close one," Rin narrowed his eyes.
At the strike of their hands, both Nagisa and Ai were at 2nd and 3rd respectively.
"The times aren't bad but their placements…" Makoto muttered.
I guess this depends on how well Sudou-kun and I perform, Ikuya thought.
"It's time for you?" Hiyori asked.
"I'm on the third round," he reminded the brunette megane.
"Oh right, sorry," Hiyori blushed a little.
Within the audience seats, Kisumi and Ryouta sat together as the former was in awe at first but then the loneliness was getting to him. His dream of making a basketball team was growing stronger at the minute. He had sent an application to the Olympics committee in terms of creating such a possibility of the sport and they would give him more information afterwards.
"Is something troubling you?" Ryouta asked.
"I just…ugh," Kisumi sighed, slowly making a sing-song tune, "It sucks to be alone…I feel like I'm….ALLLL…BYYYY…MYYYYYY…SELLLFFFFFF…"
Ryouta makes a nervous sweat drop and replies, "Y-You're not alone there. I was never a swimmer myself despite living in Atlantis…"
"R-Really!?" he looks at him.
"Well, I was forced to, and I hated it," Ryouta replies, "I enjoy the land a lot more."
"I suppose that…" Kisumi begins but he pauses when he saw a strange, pink-haired man that almost resembled…
No, I must be mistaken, he thought.
"You…alright?" Ryouta tilts his head.
"I'm…gonna go check," Kisumi moves across the aisle of the seats and approaches to the pink-haired man but stops when he saw the eyes in a different color.
"Oh, pardon me," Kisumi said, "I must have mistaken you for a friend."
"It's fine," the guy shrugs it off as Kisumi backs away and returns to his seat. Once that was done, the other pink-haired guy got up and left the seating areas before walking alone in the dark hallway.
En Roue to Neo Sportsbrooke
Las Jangwa Meadows
Ainosuke, Tadashi, and the five Chivashi traveled their way towards the society of humans. Thanks to the powers of the Zone and the gifts that Ainosuke gave a while ago, the power within them brought magic to the skateboards as they were now using it like hoverboards to fly across the area.
"We should make it there by nightfall," Tadashi calculated based on the GPS.
"Good," Ainosuke answered, "I'm guessing we'll have to find a place to get some rest…"
"I doubt our hideout even exists still," Haruto shrugged.
"Oh…" Ainosuke recalled the fire that his 'evil doppelganger' caused.
"Not that it matters, I'm sure we could just go to Iwamara there with Dodecadron," Mariko said.
"I don't think he's gonna have that much room for all of us," Reiji answered.
Ainosuke tried to think of another suggestion when something to his right suddenly grew incredibly bright…almost as if…
"MASTER!" Tadashi cried out as the Chivashi turned their heads barely in time to see…
Neo Sportsbrooke
Olympius Duniya Venue areas.
In a break between the morning and evening sessions, the swimmers were dismissed back to their rooms. Some have gone down for lunch while a few others contacted their family and friends back in Iwamara.
Nagisa, Ai, and Ikuya discussed the results of their respective races while Kotetsu was still nowhere to be seen. He did participate in his round but sort of 'vanished' again. The same was with Kaede and Albert.
Makoto, Rin, and Haruka sat down at the cafeteria with Sousuke, Hiyori, and Asahi while Alex was with Kyle, Isana, and Kotarou at a different table. Alex felt like his appetite was gone as he was feeling a bit uneasy.
"Sandro, this isn't like you…" Kyle said.
"I know," he replied, "I should eat but…"
"The hype of the race getting ya?" Isana asked.
"Something like that," Alex shrugged.
Moments later, the TV went into an emergency broadcast mode as one of the drones revealed some recent explosion happening around the Las Jangwa Meadows as a few seldom settlements happened to be near ground zero.
"W-what the…!?" Rin looks at the news.
"It's not here, is it?" Kyle asked.
"No…out in the meadows south," Isana narrowed his eyes.
Alex felt his heart racing a little…almost as if…
No, I have to stay focused, I cannot go out of my way. I'm sure Miho will send out the forces to investigate, he thought, maybe the Mullerians might be able to assist?
He looks at the bracelet his family gave him and sighs softly to himself, calming back to his normal composure. Finally, he starts eating a bit more of his lunch.
"Feeling better now?" Kyle looks at him.
"Yeah," he said.
"We'll get our results by tomorrow on who will be moving onto the semi-finals," Kyle answered.
"Right. I'm sure we all did great. But I know for certain, that race will certainly split us all apart," he shrugged.
Back at the site of the attack, a group of several shadowy figures were still hidden in the dust and darkness as one member held two crystals from their prey.
"These are not the ones our master told us…however, they do possess the same light energy," the first one spoke.
"Are we going to take it or give it back?" the second entity asked.
After a close analysis on the crystals, the first one replied, "They're going to the same destination as we are…we can torture them again."
With a shove of the crystals, the powers returned to their owners and the entities disappeared into the nearby forest. The five Chivashi finally woke up as well from something as they gasped to see Ainosuke and Tadashi barely alright.
"W-what the hell just happened?!" Rikuto growled.
"Someone tried to attack us and left like that…" Natsuhisa snarled.
"Are you alright there, master?" Mariko asked.
"I felt like as if someone just ripped my heart and shoved it back," Ainosuke breathed in and out before turning to Tadashi, "What was that?"
"I wish I knew…" Tadashi said, "But I have a bad feeling that whatever it was…we may be facing another crisis."
"We have to hurry then," Ainosuke said, "But our skateboards, where are they?!"
"They must have been lost in the explosion," Tadashi speculated.
Ainosuke rolled his eyes in frustration.
"There might be another way for you to get there," Haruto said, "After all…your blood is the same as ours."
"What are you asking him to do?" Reiji looks at him.
"Well…what do you think?" he replies.
Ainosuke realized it but paused for a second, "But…won't that…break my beautiful back apart?"
"It'll be fine, just focus on your blood and you'll have a strong pair of wings," Rikuto replied.
The S-Olympic Arena
Finally, after a night of settling into their own place at the suites, the three were given a sneak peek tour of their obstacle course for the skating event in the following week from swimming.
"I-Incredible…" Reki breathed in awe.
"The design is totally out of this world," Miya said.
"Hey, look at some of the murals they painted here!" Langa pointed to one of the designs on one of the blocks.
"Awww, that's kinda nostalgic, huh," Reki laughed a little.
"That better not distract me on my flips," Miya crossed his arms.
Langa was about to say something when he felt his heart shaken by something. He clutched his fist to it.
"L-Langa?" Reki looks at him sharply.
"It's my magic…I think something happened," Langa replied, "Miya, do you have the news?"
"Uhhh, sure let me look," he replied as he opened the app on his phone.
Olympius Duniya, Evening Segment
Global Aquatics Arena
Similar to the morning's format, there were plenty of journalists and the media were present with a slightly lower audience volume being that for the evening hours. However, there was still plenty of excitement and anticipation about what was happening.
Makoto was scheduled to go on the first round of the prelims in solo. Momotarou was set to complete also alone in the second round. Sousuke and Hiyori were assigned in the third round. Some of the swimmers decided to go to bed a bit early for proper rest while those that weren't scheduled for the relays decided to stay at the site to support their teammates.
The olive-oil haired man readied himself on the block and made his mark as everyone on the Iwamara team anticipated for him. However, the waves were strong on him as Makoto realized two swimmers from Lha'li were both ahead of him. He knew that panicking would only make things worse, he made sure to at least keep close of them before making his preparation for the flip turn.
"Makoto…" Hiyori narrowed his eyes.
"Come on Mako-senpai!" Momotarou cried out to the TV.
Finally, at the wall, Makoto pushed with all his strength, darting forward to complete his 100m backstroke at second. It was somewhat a relief since the timing was definitely strong candidate for qualifying for the semi-finals.
Momotarou made his way out to the deck with Sousuke as the latter checked up on Makoto as the man was breathing in and out of exhaustion.
"Are you alright?" Sousuke asked.
"Yeah, just a bit of an awakening," he said, "Thanks."
"If anything happens to you in the next round, I'll avenge for ya!" Momo winked.
"Thank you," Makoto makes a small smile as he grabbed his towel to dry off.
"I won't let anyone of us fall short that easily," the orange-haired man makes a vow fist.
Upon completing his round, Momotarou made it in second likewise with Hiyori and Sousuke completing in 1st and 3rd respectively. However, as Sousuke and Hiyori were getting out of the pool upon their completion, the person who won 2nd for the round fainted, bringing attention to the medics.
"I can't believe this," Hiyori watched as the swimmer from Lha'li was put on a bed stretcher.
"Hopefully the medics here will get him back," Sousuke narrowed his eyes.
Back in the meeting room, Momotarou realized that Aoba was doing the 200m backstroke instead, making the former a little sad but still encouraging.
"I just wanna take it easy for myself and my endurance," Aoba shrugged.
"I know you'll do great. I only wish I knew you'd be doing that," Momo sighed.
"We'll compete at some point otter," Aoba remarks.
Back at the lodging suites, Albert, Kaede and Kotetsu were discussing a few things from the day when they sensed something in the hallways. With a nod, the trio rushed out into the darkness and realized the hallway lights weren't working.
"Damn, I knew something was up," Kotetsu said.
"Well, whoever it is, they better be ready," Kaede replied.
"Let's not rush into this without planning," Albert added, "This might be an ambush."
"Then let them come, the hell I care," Kaede remarked.
They followed a small pinpoint of light from another hallway where they saw a singular figure in the short distance.
"Who are you?" Kotetsu called out.
The stranger ignored them at first as it still remained in the shadows.
"Oi! We're talking to you baka!" Kaede shouted.
"If I were you, you need to stop the matches," the stranger said, "There's a war coming…"
"A-a war…?" Albert narrowed his eyes.
"A war against who?!" Kotetsu asked.
"I'm only here to find my master," the stranger answered, "But there are others who have already lurked here without ever being suspected a thing."
"W-what are you talking about?!" Kaede asked, "If you don't tell us who you are…"
"I wouldn't start if I were you," the stranger cut him off, "It's no use to being a Swimming Guardian if this world is already infected by the darkness."
"The fuck do you know about that?!" Kotetsu snapped.
"Shut it!" Kaede said, "This stranger is trying to lure us out!"
"Okay, let's not make any further ruckus here," Albert said, "Why don't you just…"
But the stranger was suddenly gone, leaving an empty hallway but the lights were back on.
"Ugh, that was a little spooky," Kotetsu said.
Back at the Marotta household, Sergi was writing down notes based on the book's revealing chapters from today's events. He had never suspected such a thing from this encounter. More than likely, he could have imagined alternative realities and different universes, but something still doesn't add up.
The meteor shower, he thought, is where our new enemy is approaching from?
Looking back at the news from today with the strange explosion, it was clearly not something from natural causes. With this, he turned to the older pages from Ancient Greece and sighed.
He turned to his iPad Mini and opened the tab to see the results from today's preliminary swimming. The butterfly swimmers were completing their racing as he smiled to see Sousuke, Rei, Rin, Natsuya, and Asahi making good times.
I guess we'll find out tomorrow on the official roster for the semi-finals, he thought.
The stranger that encountered Kotetsu, Kaede and Albert finally made his way back towards the silent beach area of the northern face of the city. It was temporarily closed off from the public till further notice, making this location a perfect place to hide with.
However, he wasn't alone…as there were four others who traveled with him to this planet.
"No sign of our master?" the first asked.
"No," the comrade answered, "But I nearly ran into some faces…"
"Our enemies…are they here?" the second person looks worried.
"Not at the arena so far. But I sense the great powers from the Greatest Light," the comrade continued, "They're all swimming together in some Olympic-like fashion. What a worse time to do it."
"I'm afraid that if the enemy is here, a great disaster will befall them," the third person added.
"We already faced such a catastrophic event a while ago before returning home," the fourth entity narrated, "At least we had somewhat of a golden era till that bastard of Chaos remerged again."
"That, but also…I have found that the author of this world is here," the comrade answered, "We'll need to contact him and regain our past memories."
"So it's been decided," the first person concluded, "We'll monitor here until the author shows up. And then, we must find our prince…"
"I just hope Coach Sasabe is doing okay back on our planet," the second person chimed in, "I don't want to leave that place defenseless for long."
Alex finished washing up his shower while reflecting on the strange things happening earlier…from the encounter with Masaki and Minato to the bizarre news. His own heart wanted him to keep fighting and defending this planet. However, his conscious spoke otherwise. Then, Kaede, Kotetsu, and Albert were nearly MIA today except during their respective presence for the swimming.
I hope the girls are okay, he thought, and mama, papa, and Sergi…
He finished drying up in the bathroom suite before heading back to his bed when he saw something on the table centerpiece.
What's this, he tilted his head.
At first it almost looked like a genie lamp, but it didn't have a long spout. If anything, it looked almost like an incense jar with a bit of steam coming up. The container itself looked like red ceramic with metallic brass on the top with designs of flowers. It had a delicate smell; something like from back in Italy…
It's almost like olives, he thought, and a mix of rosemary. Definitely brings back the memories of Italy…
With a shrug, he put on his night outfit before hitting the sheets for bed. Once his eyes were closed and his body entered a sleeping state, a small glow on the jar emitted a low light before a ghostly figure emerged from it.
We'll finally get to meet soon, the stranger smiled to himself as he was dressed in outfits of red, orange, and yellow fiery hues. His bright crimson hair and the low sun-like eyes with a grin brighter than the stars emitted waves of hope into this powerful guardian.
Sleep well, I won't let Memnon or anything put you into a bad nightmare again. However…
Outside at a different suite, Natsuya drank a singular can of beer while Nao was analyzing the entire data collected from all the swimmers that participated today. It was definitely quite a start with nearly all of their team members in the Iwamara group proceeding to Semi-Finals in the individual races. However, that race will certainly cut things.
Based on their own timings from the swimmers in medley teams, Nao was able to make a few changes by enabling Tsubasa, Seijuurou, Isana, and Kotarou to swim in the medley freestyle. Each night, a finalized roster was to be submitted before midnight of the next day or else a risk of disqualification may occur. With Nao, the timing wasn't an issue.
"Does everyone except…?" Natsuya asked.
"Yeah, all is going to plan," Nao replied, "We must continue to stay delicate about this…for his sake."
"What about that news from earlier?" the brunette added.
"We just have to believe that it'll stay out there," he answered, "But if The Final Reckoning is meant to happen, then…we'll do what we do best."
Beta!Earth/Our World
September 2021
After living just over 2 years in Arizona, the 28-year-old Alex readied himself on the PC and phone for this "virtual interview" at the private lab he applied to. True, his current lab was great, but his confidence in screening slides all day long was fully mastered and doing the COVID-19 testing work last May 2020 changed his perspective.
As fun as it was, he thought, I need to get back to working at a hospital. I miss doing the smears and working with real life specimens.
Finally, the interview goes live as he starts talking with the managers and supervisors of this 'new lab' he applied to.
"So, tell us, why do you want to join SQL?" the supervisor asked.
"As a Cytotech who has done plenty of screening, I wish to expand my horizons and return to working at the hospitals," he replied.
"So, if you are working with people who may disagree with you at times, how will you react?" one of the higher ups added.
"I mind to my own business and do whatever it takes to make the smears, find the diagnosis, and collaborate appropriately without any conflict as much as possible," he explained.
In the days that followed, he finally got accepted as he smiled with excitement and anticipation. Sure enough, this would be more money than he was currently making. Even though his heart was still crestfallen for not making it to Mayo, he knew that at least this was Plan B.
Not to mention, working at a hospital that was 15 minutes away from where he's living with the grandparents? What a treat it will be!
Thankfully one of his closest colleagues warned him about how to handle this 'exit interview' and how the current managers at this lab would try to match it out and such. However, it wasn't the money (well okay, maybe so but…) that didn't fully have the interest. The drive time would be greatly reduced…the money part will always come later.
Upon coming home from his current employer, he looks at the calendar as his heart could feel the first movie of 'the Final Stroke' was about to be out in Japan.
I hope they do well with this Olympics, he thought, pandemic or not.
With a shrug, he checked in with the grandparents as they of course were watching their usual WWE on TV. He sighed before picking up his earbuds to avoid ears bleeding. His grandfather apparently insulted his hobbies, believing that he was a "witch" or something who talked to his imaginations (which was partially true to an extent) and developed some conspiracies against him (definitely NOT true).
I hope I can save enough money to move out, he thought, grandma keeps bugging me about saving money and shit. I don't wanna blow up like my cousin did. As for grandfather, why the hell would I ever betray him? He was never like that.
This grandfather here in Arizona was different than the one from Ohio, with the latter passing away back in 2011. Before being a cytotech, he only knew that cancer was a killing machine but now with this profession, he finally had an understanding. He knew how exactly that grandfather died from the cancer and what type it was too and how it spread out.
I wonder how people will come to know my journey, his mind wandered, the Miracle of this Resurrection…and the promise I'm going to make to myself and for all of them…that future will happen…I swear it will.