~05Fr: Senshi vs. Senshi I
Back in Neo Sportsbrooke, the Samezuka Trio, Kyle, Asahi, Ikuya, Aoba, and Hiyori were finding more clues about the tragedy that struck earlier in the day as nightfall had arrived. Natsuya and Nao returned to the area with some new plan formations on hand.
However, despite not being with the other guardians, they felt a disturbing shift in the air.
Kyle gasped as he felt something in his heart twitching. Normally whenever something bad happens, the powers would go off, but this was different…
"S-Sandro…" he breathed.
"What's wrong!?" Asahi asked.
"It's like…something just burned out…" Kyle replied.
"Burned out?" Natsuya asked.
"Like dying stars," he answered.
Shin, Kotarou, and Tsubasa tried to repel that odd attack at the last second. At first it seemed to be working but this bizarre attack suddenly cut through their defense and all three of them cried out as a loud echoing of energy radiated out of their bodies.
FLAAASSSSHHHAAAHHAAAA, KUAWAAWAAWAAAWWAAAWWAAAWAAAA
"EVERYONE!" Nagisa shouted.
"W-WHAT IN THE HELL!?" Rin gasped.
"T-THIS LIGHT…" Haruka cried out.
"Oh my god you guys look!" Makoto pointed to the Three Suiei Heart Crystals now coming out of their bodies. The very essence of their existence, their powers, now being stripped away from their possession.
Everyone gasped to see this disaster happening before their eyes.
"TSUBASAAAAAA!" Seijuurou roared in horror.
"SHIN! KOTAROU!" Isana and Hikaru gasped.
"FATHER!?" Kaede gasped as he could feel the horror of losing Kiyo-nii-chan back in Camelot Magna.
Alex's eyes widened in terror to see this happening. He couldn't lift himself back up to fight again as his headache was throbbing painfully about the past. Ever since hearing Memnon's name again…it was eating him alive.
Kyle arrived to see what was happening, but he was also having a brief headache. However, was determined to reach to his husband regardless of what was happening.
Vacuum Insecta laughed as he magically raised up the crystals to the looming shadow above his head, submitting them in. From there, the Shimogami Senshi slumped down to the ground before starting to dissolve away into a golden-colored dust.
"NO! NOOOO!" Makoto shouted.
"DAMMIT!" Rei growled.
"SUIZEIIIIII…BLISTERINNNNNGGGGGG…HYDROLYSIS!"
Despite obtaining the crystals and sending them to his master, the sudden attack struck the dark senshi as he roared out by the elements in his body breaking apart from the inside out. Moments later, he crumbled to energy and disappeared with the same weird necklace falling out from him, landing on the ground before it turned to ash.
Everyone else that was blasted away by the attack was able to get back on their feet one by one.
The crystals were gone and the Shimogami trio were dissolving away. Seijuurou rushed over to Tsubasa with tears on his face, holding onto his beloved by the back and shoulders. Shin and Kotarou smiled to their comrades as they were disappearing.
"Father!?" Kaede rushed over to Kotarou, holding him upright.
Isana and Hikaru held onto Shin to keep him at ease.
"Kaede…" he smiled, brushing his weakened hand to his son's cheek, "Please protect this world and your mother for me…as well as your prince."
"S-Sei…r-red shark…" Tsubasa breathed, "I…I love you…"
"W-Wingman…" Seijuurou answered quietly, "T-Tsubasa…I love you too…please don't leave…"
"The Greatest Light…h-he will save us…I know i-it…" he answered before closing his eyes to rest. The red-haired man's eyes teared up to see his beloved partner leaving him.
The atmosphere was stunned in shock, anger, sadness all at once. Kyle finally got Alex up onto his feet as he saw Seijuurou crying silently after Tsubasa disappeared from sight. Kaede barely spilled a tear as Kotetsu and Albert kneeled by his side. Isana cried into Hikaru's arms.
"W-what the hell just happened?!" Rin shouted.
"As you have witnessed, Suiei Hoshikawa…Suiei Sagae…and Suiei Terashima…died," a voice said.
Everyone turned to see the five same beings back from the arena as they were dressed in their own senshi outfits likewise. However, their faces were still not fully seen.
"Who are you?" Seijuurou asked as he could feel the rage going through him.
"I-it's them again…?!" Nagisa gasped.
"T-Them?" Hikaru looked at the blonde.
"We…like all of you, are Swimming Guardians…warriors from our planet Suizei," the pink-haired man revealed as the other four stepped into the light.
"Goodness, you almost look like our…" the other blond senshi begins.
"Don't mistaken him for another version," the brunette haired senshi looks at him.
"WHAT HAPPENED TO TSUBASA, SHIN, AND KOTAROU!?" Hikaru shouted.
"As for what happened, their bodies are gone…" the brown-gray haired man explained, "But the power of those crystals…are the true-life essence."
These crystals, Alex thought as he remembered the Solar Crystal of Destiny back in Atlantis and Olympia Magna, it was like a life source for the Atlanteans…with these bodies destroyed…a-are they…?
"You tell us where we will get those crystals back!" Seijuurou shouted, looking at the quintet with fury.
"Captain, this is not the time to get reckless!" Isana said.
"You can't by ordinary means," the pink-haired man replied, "Only the Greatest Light can retrieve them…but he must hold his will against Chaos and King Memnon."
"That's enough talk!" Seijuurou answered, readying his weapon, "YOU GET ANY CLOSER TO ANYONE OF US, I'LL END YOU MYSELF!"
"We understand how unstable you are all feeling. But if you continue to do this, the enemy will eliminate all of you thanks to those emotions emitting such energy," the dirty-blonde haired man said.
"You won't be able to defeat Suiei Rhodes and the Shadow Achaemenian that he rules over," the brown-gray haired man said.
"S-Suiei Rhodes…" Alex muttered, "I-Is Memnon…a Swimming Guardian?"
"They will attack you without mercy," the dirty blonde senshi said, "You don't have time to concern yourselves about us. You must fight them…those false Swimmers…"
With this, they disappeared into the night as the realization was hitting them…that Tsubasa, Shin, and Kotarou were gone from this world. Taken right before their very eyes. Seijuurou silently wept as Isana and Hikaru kept him supported to their very best. Kotetsu and Albert hugged Kaede as it was a long period of silence among them.
"We need to find a place to hide," Makoto said, wiping his own tears off, "We can't let those fake swimmers find us?"
"You're going to believe what they said?" Kotetsu asked.
"I didn't sense anything dark about them," Alex replied, "But they are rather mysterious."
"Let's get back to the city and let the others know," Haruka said.
"This is certainly far from over, whatever this threat is becoming," Kyle added.
Rhodinean Cathedral Palace
Memnon watched through the spherical bubble and watched the first three Swimming Guardians being killed off as Alex's agony was beginning to sprout. However, he tried to figure out who were these other entities that killed off a second of his members.
"Not that it matters, we're beginning to torment the guardians and taking their crystals," he muttered.
"Master Memnon, we present you the three crystals of the Shimogami Swimming Guardians," one of the members announced as he drifted the trio heart shaped jewels.
Memnon held the three in his hands as indeed, they were still softly glowing, handing on for their lives.
"We must continue to demolish each and every one of them…" Memnon turned to the servant, "I knew that these Guardians would try to push back our frontline warriors. That's why…I have a secret weapon in place."
"A secret weapon?" the servant asked.
"Yes…" Memnon grinned, "But do not need to worry yourself about that. Continue the campaign with the remaining members."
"Master Memon, I, Suiei Sonic Centaurus will be the next member of the Shadow Guardians to take down the remaining Swimming Guardians and bring back their crystals," the next senshi appeared and kneeled.
"Go, and do not fail," Memnon blessed the proposal.
Once he was alone, Memnon left his main area, heading over a few sets of stairs before walking over to a massive space-time scenery where one side was black and galactic while the other side was inverse with white and opposite.
"Chaos, do you feel the powers now?" Memnon asked.
"It's weak…but you have them?" the rumbling voice replied.
"We are in the final phase of the Final Reckoning," Memnon revealed, "As promised, I will help you get all the powers you longed for and in exchange…I will get my revenge to the bastard who took what was mine."
"Hurry and find all the remaining powers and descendants of my other half…" Chaos answered, "I will not tolerate any anomalies. Cosmos must be brought back to where it all began! Any further waste of time will only cease my existence!"
Planet Duniya, Next Day…
For the first time in a while, Kaede was in tears in his sleep as he couldn't bear to hold back the feelings from last night. He was so afraid to tell his mother about this. Was this really happening?
Finally, he woke up with Kotetsu and Albert along with the Magic Six and Kyle at Sia La Luce e La Vita restaurant. Joe provided them with sleeping bags as they were all resting on the floor. Cherry and Shadow brought some food and drinks over likewise to help the senshi back on their feet.
"This is ridiculous," Joe said after learning about the tragedy that struck, "Is it possible that someone or something could do that?"
"I don't doubt it," Cherry replied, "For someone that powerful to take their lives like that."
"This is totally uncalled for," Shadow grumbled.
"Wait, if these enemies are after the Swimming Guardians for which they have crystals…you don't suppose…" Cherry began to sweat up a little.
Joe brings him in for a hug to calm down the anxiety, "They won't. I will not allow them to hurt anyone of us."
"I'll bring hell to them if they tried," Shadow grips his fist, "I'll gladly fight till my last breath!"
"How are you holding up?" Kyle turned to Alex.
"I…I don't know…I feel like…numb, confused, somewhat upset…" he said, "It's like…my heart is trying to tell me something that I keep denying myself with. Every enemy that we've fought, I had so much confidence in myself. Now it's like…everything has stripped bare. I'm worried that things will only get worse from here."
Rei kept silent about this as he knew deep down that Alex was indeed right. However, telling him that would only add more stress. The truth about the Final Reckoning is indeed grim, but like his conversation with Haruka, they must hold onto that belief for the future.
Alex got up on his feet, "I need to call my brother. The book has to have some answers about the past…even if…Memnon's involved. However, the city is in great danger, and I do not wish to jeopardize any more lives here."
"There might be something we can try to do," Rin suggested, "But it's risky."
"And what would that be?" Haruka asked.
"Our talismans…they are the strongest magical objects that are now tied to our crystals," Rin continued, summoning Mimic.
"Good morrow to thee master," Mimic spoke in his "Rin" form.
"I have a little job for you," Original!Rin spoke to Mimic!Rin.
"Oh…do tell," Mimic!Rin replied.
"Nagisa, I'm gonna need your help with your magical book of spells," Original!Rin added.
"Ah, right ahead of ya Rin-chan!" Nagisa winked as he brought out the book.
"Sandro," Original!Rin turned to the prince, "I know how we can get to your brother without having to be there exactly."
Alex tilts his head in confusion as Rin continued, "You'll need to be guarded in the meantime by us as we'll make this little side mission go through."
Marotta Home, Iwamara
Terrified by the news, the Marotta family tried to reach out to their oldest son but no response from a voice call. However, a few recent text messages did show up regarding the recent happenings. Sergi also monitored the book as it showed indeed, the death of the three Shimogami Senshi.
"The Final Reckoning has begun," he muttered sadly, "Sandro…"
A loud knock was heard from the front door. Sergi went over to answer as if it was sure enough his older brother but something about it was off.
"Areeee you alright?" Sergi asked.
"I don't have time to explain," Mimic!Alex said as the facial features of the shark-chest markings were visible.
"M-Mimic!?" he gasped.
"Your brother is stable, he's using his crystal to project into me so we could reach out to you more discreetly," Mimic!Alex spoke.
"Brother, I don't like what is happening," he replied, "If these Shadow Guardians become a major threat…"
"Sergi," Mimic!Alex rested his hands on his brother's shoulders, "If things start to get worse, there is a safe haven at Dodecadron's. Artemis is there too to hide his Cosmic powers and for sure he'll protect all of you if push comes to shove."
"You guys will be alright?" he asked.
"We will be," the older brother answered, "But in order to ensure that…I do need a favor from you."
"Anything," Sergi nodded.
"I need to find out what happened between us and…the Rhodinean brothers from long, long ago," he said.
"Of course! That would make sense," Sergi flipped the pages towards the beginning of the storyline, hoping to find some clues about Memnon and the Empire…
They both gasped upon seeing a couple of torn pages missing from the book, indicating that indeed, these enemies are hiding the truth.
"Damn, should've known this was more than just a guerrilla warfare," Mimic!Alex sighed.
"Sandro, I'm sure the truth will come to light," Sergi replied, "The only thing I remembered back then was that they were both interested in the Macedonian armies, and they tried to learn from them…almost as if they…"
"They were trying to stop us," Mimic!Alex's brain recalled a bit more, "I know I…"
He paused silently as he didn't want to recount that horrible scene of a nightmare, but he sighed, "Something happened to Mentor and I had to stop him, but it triggered Memnon to go nuts…I don't know what dark arts promised him what, but whatever it is…this conflict needs to stop."
The connection was beginning to break as Mimic could feel the instability of magic trying to revert him back to its original form.
"Go," Sergi said, "I'll make sure we are all stay safe!"
"T-Thank you…" Mimic!Alex smiled sadly.
New Dope Sketch
Oka opens the door to see Tadashi and Ainosuke standing at the entrance. At first, he was about to shut it in their faces.
"Hey, it's alright now!" Ainosuke said, "I'm not…that person."
"Hm," Oka seemed a bit unconvinced but then he recalled a conversation he had with Hiiromi the other night about Ainosuke's potential return to this city.
"We do apologize for coming here without making prior call," Tadashi added.
"Very well," Oka leads them in before offering them something to drink.
They settled in as the news of the Olympius Duniya was being shut down and postponed indefinitely. Ainosuke felt heartbroken by this but deep down, being one with a crystal of his own…the war against the unknown was not finished.
"Is something wrong, master?" Tadashi asked.
"A lot of things," he replied, "But we need to get in contact with them first before we make our own attempt."
"An attempt?" Tadashi looks at him.
"If there's another crisis, I want to combat it this time," Ainosuke said, "Not as an ex-governor…but as a warrior."
"So…how will you do that?" Oka asked.
"We need new skateboards," the blue-haired man replied, "Something strong…one that we can link to the powers of the Zone."
Another knock was heard on the door. Seconds later, it busted down as the weird spherical, ovaloid bursts of energy erupted from the outside, heading right in towards them. The stranger that fired it was a Centaur of sorts with massive antlers and had a set of four legs in addition to humanoid arms.
He was dressed like a warrior with metallic armor at its back, chest, lower back, legs, and arms. However, it also carried some weird flat-chained necklace.
"A-AGAIN!?" Tadashi gasped as he and Ainosuke dove down to the ground, avoiding the attack.
"You may not be Swimming Guardians…but the Sports Crystals are just as powerful," Suiei Sonic Centaurus hissed, "These deaths will alert those foolish heroes' attention."
"Dammit," Tadashi growled.
Before the dark senshi makes another attack, a blast of ice froze the villain in place. The trio gasped as Langa, Reki and Miya appeared with the former's hands still wisping with magic.
"S-Snow!?" Ainosuke gasped.
"Save the reunion tears for later," Miya said, "We gotta go! The others are waiting for us at the restaurant."
Ainosuke wanted to play the emotional card, but he knew the young adult was right. They had to get out of here before this villain thawed out.
Elsewhere in Neo Sportsbrooke, Seijuurou sat by himself at one of the parks near the abandoned stadium. He was still very numb and devastated at the loss of his lover, unsure of what he was going to do from there.
He heard soft winds in the background, alerting his senses but…
"M-Momo…I-Isuzu…" he saw the two younger Mikoshiba siblings.
"Onii-chan," Isuzu greeted him.
"We're here now," Momo agreed, "Just the three of us."
"T-thank you," he said, "I haven't been this down…in a while."
"Yeah," the younger brother replied, "But that past is nothing like it is now. At least none of us is betraying the team."
"True," Isuzu answered, "The women's teams are doing fine. They're safe."
"But these…dark guardians…" Seijuurou replied, "They truly are after our powers."
"And we won't let them take our lives," Momotarou answered, "They'll know better than to not mess with anyone of us."
Since the day of the attack, Kisumi was staying at the government office with Miho as he was provided some shelter and safety protections. However, his mind couldn't go away with the thought of that man who almost seemed like his brother Hayato. But the eyes didn't match.
However, he heard the reports from the others that this "Swimming Guardian" almost fits the description of Hayato as well as the four Samezuka friends.
He got up from his sleeping bag and looked at his phone to see some recent texts being sent as well as some images hacked by Hiyori in regarding those mysterious five people who saved the Magic Six and others from before.
It has to be him, I'm sure of it, he thought.
Kisumi got up from the cot he was sleeping in and went to the main office room where Miho was undergoing a video conference with other political leaders. Upon seeing him, she pardoned herself on the conference to talk with him.
"Something on your mind?" she asked.
"I received some photos from Toono-san," he said, "Showing a picture of the five guys last seen at the café. I am certain this man is my brother."
"Do you wish to go find him?" Miho looks at him.
"I have a lot of questions no doubt," he replied, "And I'm sure the others would want to know too."
"I'll see what I can plan with. But I can't promise it'll happen fast enough," she answered.
Masaki's Shrine
Since the catastrophe that happened, the archery folks hidden here as a 'safehouse'. Masaki kept on tabs with Natsuya and Nao through messaging and learned that the three Shimogami Senshi were indeed killed off.
Minato, Seiya, and a few others stayed in silence, meditating through this anxiety and stress that befell them. However, a couple of them like Eisuke and Shuu were ready to take on the 'Operation' plan with Masaki.
"We have to wait until we get the okay," he reminded them.
Sia La Luce e La Vita Restaurant
Alex woke back up from the consciousness transfer via Mimic and looked at his comrades.
"Did you find anything?" Nagisa asked.
"The book…there are pages missing from the past," he revealed.
"No surprise there," Kotetsu grumbled.
"Sandro-chan, what happened between the two of you?" Makoto questioned, "Did you do something to this guy?"
"It's…complicated…but I am starting to remember somewhat," he sighed, "It was during my conquest of the world back then…as a campaign to destroy the Elder Bairns.
"Memnon and I…we were sort of acquaintances. We visited their kingdom long, long ago…my father was doing something diplomatic with their rulings. At one point, Memnon did attend the classes with us under Aristotle's teachings and learned combating as well."
"I am starting to remember that now too," Kotetsu replied.
"He was kinda bit of a rebel," Kaede recalled.
"I think all of us were back then," Albert tried hard to not chuckle.
"No shit," Kotetsu crossed his arms.
Moments later, the ground began to shake a little as some of the utensils, glasses, and the furniture shifted around.
"S-Shit…is this an earthquake!?" Rin growled.
However, they started to hear loud moans coming from the outside. Rei and Rin called upon their x-ray vision as they picked up an increase of heat on the radar stampeding across the streets and roadways.
"This can't be an earthquake…" Rei muttered, "It's a stampede!?"
"A stampede?! Of what?!" Nagisa asked.
The doors slammed open as Atsumu, Shouyou, Bokuto, Sakusa, Ushijima, Tobio, and Kourai gasped for relief and closed it shut.
"W-what the hell!?" Kyle gasped.
"What's going on out there?!" Makoto asked.
"T-they're running all over town!" Atsumu breathed in and out.
"E-Everywhere!" Bokuto echoed.
"Calm yourself down and speak in proper sentences, alright?" Tobio glared at the duo.
"We heard what happened to you guys, and we're truly in sympathy for your loss," Shouyou said.
"Thank you," Alex replied.
"But now there's more trouble," Ushijima said, "These weird half-horse, half-human like beings, they are galloping everywhere, scarring the public."
"What are they trying to accomplish besides leveling down the city?" Rei asked.
"We keep hearing voices…about you guys surrendering your powers…." Sakusa added.
"Are the others, okay?" Nagisa questioned.
"Our teammates are okay, yes…but whatever these enemies are…my magic kept translating the one thing they are after…" Atsumu said before looking at Alex.
"Please hurry to me, Suiei Marotta…your death and destruction only await at the grave! MUAHAHAHAH!"
Alex clasped his hands over his ears as the voice of Memnon was rumbling in his head. Kyle hugged him from behind to calm his anxiety down.
"It's Memnon…he's trying to message me in my head," he breathed.
"What is he saying?" Haruka asked.
"He wants me to meet up with him so he can kill me…" he said, "To end the conflict that began long ago…"
"Is that what the Final Reckoning is about…?" Makoto asked, "A war between Sandro-chan and Memnon?"
Outside, Reki, Langa, Miya, Ainosuke, and Tadashi skated their way through the town while Oka was hanging on in between the latter two. They were making their way to the restaurant when the ground started to rumble, nearly off balancing them.
"Now what's happening!? Ainosuke growled.
Langa turned his head to see a cloud of dust rumbling from the distance. With a nod from Reki, he blasted up a wall of ice to see if it would shatter.
"Impressive…" Tadashi observed the magic in Langa.
"We have to hurry!" Reki shouted.
"What was that earlier?" Miya asked.
"You mean that idiot who attacked us?" Ainosuke replied.
"It was the same attack we faced on our way to this city," Tadashi answered.
"Wait…the one that was on the news the other day!" Langa gasped.
"Get the Swimming Guardians…kill their allies…seize all the Sport Crystals…and find the Greatest Light!"
That rumbling voice disturbed their minds as the ice wall behind exploded. An army of Centaurs roared and stampeded through the streets. The skater folks continued to make their way towards their community but realized another wall of darkness was approaching.
"We're trapped!" Miya gasped.
"I am not going down like this without a fight," Ainosuke's eyes flickered.
"And you're not doing this alone," Tadashi replied.
Oikawa, Kei, Gabriel, and Gino were at a different facility when the earthquake rumbling was happening likewise. The team looked at each other with a nod as they hoped to contact their comrades for help. Moments later, one of the walls crumbled as an army of the Centaurs laced with darkness appeared as Suiei Sonic Centaurus appeared after being thawed from the ice attack earlier.
"The power of the Sport Crystals…their essences of life," the Dark Suiei muttered as he raised up his fists to ready his devastating attack on them. He fired a few blasts, but they dove beneath the attacks as the floors behind them erupted and shattered.
"The hell are these things?!" Gino cried out.
"Dammit!" Gabriel growled.
These monsters, Oikawa clutched his fist close to his heart, are they targeting more than the Swimming Guardians? What did he mean by Sport Crystals?
"CRUSH THEM!" the Dark Suiei commanded the army of the centaurs.
The beasts were about to stampede towards them as the dust began to kick up.
At the nick of time, Seijuurou, Isana, and Hikaru appeared as each of their forehead glows in their respective colors and spirit animals in a split-third screen section. Each of them raised up their fists one by one as spheres of light glowed upon their hands.
"HIDAKA GLADIUS CRYSTAL POWERRRRRRR…"
"HIDAKA THUNDARIS CRYSTAL POWERRRRRR…"
"HIDAKA ECHINOZOA CRYSTAL POWERRRR…"
"MAAAKKKKKKEEEEEE UP!"
Seijuurou's forehead briefly glowed the swordfish symbol as the background was filled with fiery red with hints of black, deep blue, and orange accents. He was flying in a skate pattern across the scene, while circulating his arms in the butterfly.
The captain unleashes ripples of energy, transforming the sword fish into smaller crystals of energy. However, a few of them remained and turned to his attention.
They swam alongside the red head as his eyes flickered neon golden-yellow with a hint of electrical sparks. A roaring call of the hawk swooped down, as he donned a tri-ribbon design of red, deep crimson, and navy-blue streamers connected to a metallic center that etched out his spirit animal on it.
From there, the sword fish swam around his legs, donning him long white jammers that contoured his legs and buttocks while a two-layered skirt appeared with the colors of ruby as the base pattern and golden-yellow above.
His nails then flashed a fiery yellow color glimmering with a shine as he obtained a spiked-armor shoulder pad with a pair of golden cuffs around his biceps.
A pair of chain earrings appeared as well as his newly upgraded Hidaka Crystal Sword Fish with fin-barbs/teeth containing a golden-hilt and white handles. After grabbing it, he opened his eyes as they glowed in neon for a moment as he twirled to unleash two beams of energy before taking on his battle pose with an echo of his captain's laughter with a secondary call of the hawk in the distance.
Isana's forehead glowed in a neon symbol of the lightning bolt, keeping his eyes shut as the power blinked and flashed out. He skated his way through a background of violet, purple, and other similar shades of magic as the clouds rumbled with sound all around. He clapped his hands together, sending wavelengths of energy and the sound of thunder rumbling all around.
The camera briefly zooms to his nails turning violet to match his eyes before the clouds wrapped around Isana's body and donning his battle clothes at the ready.
He donned the tri-ribbon pattern of purple, navy blue, and brick red connected by a metallic ornament at the center with an etched symbol of the bolt. Streams of light marked on his deltoids and arms, giving his own sleeve-skintight armor in colors similar to the streamers with white as its base.
One of the hawks appeared and swooped down, donning his two-layered skirt of dark violet as the base and plum color as the top layer. Beneath were a set of long, white jammers as well as his set of boots. From there, his newly upgraded Superstorm Cell Cutlass appeared that glowed and flashed like the lightning it struck from.
A small pair of loop earrings appeared on both of his ears as they were made of silver with tiny crystals embedded. Finally, Isana opened his eyes and readied his sword in his own battle position with a soft smile yet subtle enough to keep his guard balance.
Hikaru's back donned a pair of hawk-like wings in the background of red and purple hues. A blast of wind, rain and dust swept in the scene as several urchins and salmon swam their way past him. His forehead flashed in neon, the sea urchin symbol.
In a swarm of Sea Urchins, Hikaru waved his arms around in the symbol of the backstroke, slicing through the barrier of these organisms. Each slide turned into crystals and droplets of water before magically swirling around him. At one point, a group of salmon appeared and also transformed into light energy, assisting him dressing to his senshi form.
The urchins and salmon dissolved and merged together, becoming the tri-ribbon pattern of maroon, blue, and orange, connected by a metallic ornament at the center with the urchin symbol embedded. A few sea urchins approached his shoulders before solidifying themselves into armor.
Downwards towards his legs, he gained his dual-layer skirt in dark maroon color as the base and a lighter coffee color on top. From there, he donned his white pants beneath the skirt that led down to his own pair of boots.
Hikaru spun as his hands each held his new Spiked Crystal Urchin Mace with a chain of a few yards. Finally, he opened his eyes and smiled with a low grin before taking his battle stance with a whip of his weapon flailing outwards to the side.
The background behind him flashed a nightfall sky with scattered stars and mixture of clouds with a few hawks flying. The base of his feet revealed more decorations of both salmon and sea urchin like symbols.
"I am the Swimming Guardian who fights for prudence and serenity, I am Ultra Seiya Mikoshiba!" Seijuurou chanted as he flexed up his pose and readying his sword outwards in a background of fire and water abstracted pattern and the symbol of his animal beneath his feet, "For my family, friends, and my duty, I will not lose this battle!"
"I am the Swimming Guardian who fights for Happiness and Inspiration! I am Ultra Suiei Kiryuu!" he chanted as he stepped briefly into a background of a thunderstorm with colors of black, purple, and navy blue with subtle accents of the sky, "Let the thunder roar with my might!"
"I am the Swimming Guardian who fights for the wind and strength, I am Ultra Suiei Unita!" he chanted, swinging his weapon before taking a secondary pose as the clouds began to roll in symbolically behind, "The weather won't always favor you during my battles!"
"So, you three are more Swimming Guardians, huh? Allow me to introduce myself…I am Suiei Sonic Centaurus!" he hissed, "Two of my colleagues were blasted down by your pathetic weaklings but no matter. I'll obtain the rest of the crystals my master demands for!"
"We're done with your murderous campaign spree!" Seijuurou shouted as he readied his attack through his Hidaka Crystal Sword Fish. He spun through his signature background before shouting, "RED TIDEEEEEEE, SLASHINNNGGGGG CRESTTTTTTT!"
The Dark Suiei laughed as he fired his own attack, "SHADOW STAMPEDEEEEEEE CRUNCHHHHHHH!"
Both the powers crashed collided as the red-haired senshi growled in fierce determination. He couldn't bear to have any more lives be lost in this mess.
Back outside, the skaters were surrounded by the demonic Centaurs from every corner of the road. Langa readied his ice powers once again, but he could feel the exhaustion of using them as his hands were numb.
"Dammit, there's too many!" Miya growled.
"What the hell are we going to do now?!" Reki cried out, hiding behind Langa.
Tadashi softly gasped as he felt a slight chill in the air that was different than these monsters in front of them.
Could it be, he thought.
Sousuke cried out his transformation spell, raising his right hand as the symbol of the Rhincodon spirit animal appeared with the head piece of the Glaive as his nails flashed aquamarine.
"OLYMPUS RHINCODON CRYSTAL POWERRRRRR…"
Ai followed suit with the duck symbol and the mirror talisman as his right-hand nails flashed in sky-bright blue.
"SHIMOGAMI CAIRINA CRYSTAL POWERRRRRRRR…"
Momo raised his right hand into the symbols of the Otter and the Sea Sword with his nails glowing orange.
"SAMEZUKA ENHYDRA CRYSTAL POWERRRRRRRR…."
Asahi shouted out his transformation spell with his right-hand glowing salmon pink nails among the Ribbon Stripped Seal and a metallic key symbol:
"OLYMPUS PHOCIADE CRYSTAL POWERRRRRRRR…"
Ikuya followed likewise with a headset and the Beluga in the background as his nails flashed a clear red-violet color.
"OLYMPUS BELUGA CRYSTAL POWERRRRRRRRR…"
Together, the five of them shouted, "MAAAAAKKKKKEEEE UP!
Sousuke's forehead shimmered and flashed with the whale shark symbol before it flickered out rings of light. He drifted to the left as a massive whale shark swam past him. He briefly rolled himself into a ball to concentrate on his energy before his aura released two more whale sharks.
After releasing himself, he continued to swim across the background of aqua, sea green, and hints of dark blue and silver as a stream of water covered his body before it tore to shreds to reveal his outfit:
Sousuke donned the tri-ribbon shaped material with colors of Aquamarine, Sea Green, and Metallic Silver around his open corpse. The tri-ribbon connected at a metallic center as it etched out the whale shark symbol similar to his forehead.
From there, the golden cuffs with bits of jade and turquoise crystals on them appeared as he donned his long pair of white pants before the skirt added itself. It had two layers with the base colored in peacock and the second layer in a teal. A set of shoulder armor was also added onto him that had some brush-like designs, almost fur-like. Afterwards, he gained a set of boots likewise also in white but in his signature colors and jewels.
He opened his eyes while spinning around with his Rhincodon Glaive as he balanced his pose on the glaive before creating an aura of power looming across the view. Finally, he makes his battle pose on default while the background behind him changes into a calmer watery scene. It had several colors including navy and aquamarine with a symbol of the whale shark behind him. Beneath his feet was the symbol of his talisman, the blades of the glaive.
Ai's forehead shimmered with the duck symbol before he spun around, embracing his arms tight with a wall of water bathing in his transformation scene. The water then exploded as a flock of ducks flew outwards from him, undergoing a synchronized pattern of flight.
The background of shadows glowed in celeste, azure, and hints of lavender and highlights of sky blue. He skated his way across the scene with the birds as he slowly shimmered his Ultra form piece by piece.
His torso gained the long-length bright pale blue, white, and light gray ribbon material ringed around his open corpse. A metallic piece held at the center of these ribbons, and it etched out a duck symbol in design.
Ai donned his pants right after. They were white likewise, but the skirt was a dual layer with a blue gray as the base, and a sky-blue as the secondary layer. His boots appeared in a base of white, with similar accents from the skirt.
He stopped in place as a cluster of feathers fused together and transformed into his Shimogami Spiked Polearm and his Winged Crystal Shield. The silver-gray haired man opened his eyes finally and flipped his hair a little.
His innocent smile mixed with the fierce courage of his heart flashed attention as he took his battle pose at the ready. The background behind him was like the sky with several feathers floating symbolically. Beneath his feet was a symbolic icon of the mirror talisman.
Momotarou's forehead glowed softly with the Sea otter symbol activating the transformation. The colors behind him shifted to a sunset orange, yellow, and Persian orange with star lights shimmering around.
He spun in a circle as three sea otters swam around in circles with him. One of them carried a clam and started to rattle it on its belly, unleashing some sound waves in the process. The other two transformed into streams of magical energy, dressing Momo to his Ultra form.
A long-length orange, yellow, and cream-colored ribbon-shaped material ringed around his open corpse that was connected at a metallic centerpiece. It etched out his animal symbol like on the forehead. He then donned a pair of white pants with respective color accents of the same orange and cream color. The skirt appeared after in a bilayer of pumpkin as the base layer and lemon yellow as the top layer.
He raised out his hands with a pair of wrist bands of black and gold appeared while a random stag beetle crawled and jumped off from his shoulder and transformed into the Scarab Shield with horn-like designs protruding out from the center.
The remaining sea otter with the clam then dissolved into ribbons of energy that transformed into his upgraded talisman weapon, the Trench Sea Sword. Momo flipped his hair a little with his hand before opening his eyes. He grabbed the sword and took on his pose for battle.
Behind him, the background changed into a bright orange with accented yellow of varying polygonal shapes. Beneath his feet, the symbol of the talisman appeared.
Asahi bathed in streams of glowing orange, melon, and purple ombre after releasing his forehead flickered his spirit animal. The streams then exploded with energy, releasing several ribbon seals flying in the background.
He soared his way through the water with the animals swimming around in circles as the background transitioned into blue, white, and orange with sparkles of melon and red.
From there, he stopped in place before gently stomping his left foot that exploded an art of crystals covering his body from the bottom up. The boots appeared first followed by the white pants decorated in varying accents of peach, salmon-pink, and tangerine. Afterwards, the skirt appeared in a two-layer with the base color in a fiery rose color and a medium purple color as the top layer.
Raising his fists up, he donned a set of golden cuffs and shoulder pads with ribbon seals on them etched on the metals. Several of the crystals left then merged together, forming an upgraded weapon called the Olympic Laser Harpoon.
The tri-streamer ribbon set appeared in the colors of salmon, purple, and a light gray, connected by the metallic centerpiece that etched out his spirit animal. He opened his eyes, grabbing his weapon and taking his new battle stance with a smirk on his face.
Two of the spirit animals posed likewise as the background behind him was a blend of orange, magenta, and purple accents of geometric patterns. Beneath his feet, a key-like symbol was seen.
Ikuya's forehead glowed in the neon spirit animal symbol, flickering some light energy radiating out. The background turned lavender, white, and sky blue with a horde of beluga whales swimming and making a cry call. His arms then circulated in the pattern of the breaststroke as a small breeze swept through his hair.
He silently skated his way around as the beluga whales followed him with streams of musical notes before donning his outfit. Two mini-sized beluga whales swirled up around his chest and abdomen area before forming into a teal, red, and purple orchid tri ribbon connected to a circular, metallic piece with the latter etched out.
From there, the mini whales swirled around his legs, donning a two-layered skirt in the colors of raisin and sangria. A pair of white jammers appeared beneath the skirt as he then donned a pair of boots with his respective colors of peridot and purple amethyst.
He spun around and clapped his hands together, releasing more soundwaves and musical notes as his shoulders were now marked with shoulder pads that were smoother and sleek but had several crystals embedded in them.
Ikuya finally opened his eyes in a more serious tone facial expression, grabbing the Crystal Penta-Trident and taking his battle pose. The background behind him was dark purple and orchid with hints of white and brick red with a symbol of his spirit animal. Beneath his feet was the symbol of a headset with musical notes flying loosely from the ear pads.
"Protected by the Master of Mediation, I am the Swimming Guardian who fights for Memories and Promises! I am Ultra Suiei Yamazaki! Don't you dare get in the way of my friends because you WILL regret it!" he chanted, gently twirling on the glaive as it briefly electrified in negative energy.
"Protected by the Master of Valor, I am the Swimming Guardian who fights for Persistence and Prolonging! I am Ultra Suiei Nitori! I may look simple and sweet, but I will pack in a punch!" Ai introduced with an elegant yet poised look on his face with a vision that could look for endless miles.
"Protected by the Master of Initiative, I am the Swimming Guardian who fights for Companions and Victories! I am Ultra Suiei Mikoshiba! Don't let my wild side think I am easy to fight!" chanted Momotarou as he grinned wildly with a passion of energy ready to fight.
"Protected by the Master of Radiance, I am the Swimming Guardian who fights for Energy and Spontaneous! I am Ultra Suiei Shiina! Don't let my genius blind your ignorance!" Asahi points out to his enemies.
"Protected by the Master of Redolence, I am the Swimming Guardian who fights for Inspiration and Vision! I am Ultra Suiei Kirishima! You better be ready to face your fears!" he chanted as his eyes narrowed a bit with his weapon at the ready outwards.
The five landed on the ground as they were ready to combat these monsters out of the way.
"Oh this is good!" Reki sighed in relief.
"We'll make an opening for you guys to escape," Ai said.
"Let's get 'em!" Asahi grinned.
Ikuya readied his Crystal Penta-Trident, twirling it over his head while chanting in his colorful background, "OLYMPUS…CHILLING…BLIZZARDDDDDDDD!"
He points it outward as a trail of snow and ice is unleashed all around in a spiral-like attack, freezing up the centaurs from their knees up.
Sousuke then scraped his Glaive on the ground to create a loud noise of a screech before raising it upwards with black and white lightning emitting out, "RHICONDON…POLARIZINGGGGG…GLAIVEEEE!"
The dual lightning bursts of positive and negative energies struck the monsters, obliterating them with a thundering effect.
"This is our chance to move!" Miya said.
"We have to get to the others asap!" Tadashi nodded.
Asahi, Momotarou, and Ai linked hands together to break open an escape route for the skaters to get out of. They knew that there was not much time till another encounter would happen.
Back at the restaurant, the Magic Six, Kyle and the Macedonia Trio were going to try to get back outside and assist their teammates when the other skaters arrived.
"W-we made it!" Reki panted in exhaustion.
"That was definitely close," Langa agreed as Miya sighed heavily.
"W-what on earth…?!" Shadow gasped.
Tadashi and Ainosuke brushed off the dust before seeing the trio in front of them. It was indeed a slightly awkward reunion but there was no time to dig about the past.
"It's a good thing you're still standing," Cherry said.
"Not when these monsters are trying to kill us….again…." Tadashi answered.
"Again?!" Shadow narrows his eyes.
"It's worse than we expected," Ainosuke turned his eyes to Alex, "Suiei Marotta…or rather…the eventual Neo King Alexander. Your power has grown so much, blessing so many sports and athletes with magic."
"Is that why those beings…who killed are friends…are targeting us?" Haruka asked.
"Before I died as myself long ago…I read something in my father's library," he revealed, "It was an ancient set of runes, but my desire of knowledge led the translation into an entity known as the Greatest Light."
"But I haven't been on this planet for that long to bring enough magic here," he said.
"That may be but…your other self…from long before…the six of you…" Ainosuke turns his attention to the Magic Six.
"So, you really knew about us…or that version of us?" Rin narrows his eyes.
"I knew much from my evil doppelganger and…the Three fates. The Magic Six from before had brought a change of history to this planet," he continued, "But now that history is being tested by the will of Chaos and Cosmos."
"And this Final Reckoning…?" Joe asked.
"Is the test that will decide either happy endings…or…the return of singularity…" he revealed, "Because all magic comes with a price…the balance of both sides have been unstable."
"What he's saying is that…up till now, you Swimming Guardians have been making a lot of progress and victories to helping this world…as well as other realities," Tadashi said, "But now, with the increase of your powers…it draws the darkness more and more."
"We have to go help our friends and loved ones," Alex replied, "This is our battle."
He turns to the others with a nod as they all flashed themselves into their Ultra forms before taking off from the restaurant. The skaters could only watch with silence on their faces, hoping that the future will indeed…be true.
The Hidaka Trio blasted the corrupted senshi to the best of their abilities, but the enemy was still not taking any hits nor damage.
"Exhausted, huh?" Suiei Sonic Centaurus laughed, "I guess it's time I just take your crystals and get it over with…"
"NO! YOU WON'T!" a familiar voice shouted in the background. The Dark Senshi turned to attack back but…
"MACEDONIAAAAA DRAGOONNNNN, LIBERATINNNGGGGG, BLISSSSS!"
Alex twirled on his Astro Solar Destiny Tiare while spinning briefly in a darken blue-ocean blue ombre with sparkles of the stars and the heavens as one. After raising his weapon upwards, great beams of light swirled out before blasting out the attack into feathers. Sonic Centaurus screamed before being obliterated into ash as the strange necklace also landed down on the gymnasium. Following this, the centaurs across the city also vanished into dust.
The Magic Six and Kyle landed together as the Hidaka trio gasped with relief and joy.
"Go! Hurry yourselves out!" Rin ordered the Volleyball guys.
"Let's go!" Oikawa turned to the trio, and they quickly evacuated out. Once it was just them, the two teams looked at each other briefly.
W-what was that necklace, Makoto thought as he saw it from the fall.
The two teams were about to embrace a reunion when….
FLAAASSSSHHHAAAHHAAAA, KUAWAAWAAWAAAWWAAAWWAAAWAAAA
An explosion of golden, red, and black light erupted on the Hidaka trio as they gasped in pain and briefly screamed out before their crystals were forcibly out.
"NOOO!" Rin shouted.
"SEI-CHAN! HIKA-CHAN! ISA-CHAN!" Nagisa screamed.
Behind them, a ghostly figure who was dressed in some armor sneered as he grasped their crystals before vanishing into the darkness. Haruka rushed over to Seijuurou while Makoto and Rin checked on Hikaru and Isana respectively.
"Y-You guys…thank you…" Seijuurou smiled.
Alex's face began to tear up a little as now he was starting to process the fact that six senshi were taken before his eyes. Rei, Kyle, and Nagisa held him by the arms for support while their faces were tearing up also.
"Keep that light going…" Hikaru whispered, turning to Isana as they both tried to reach out their hands, linking them as one to keep their love.
Their bodies began to fade away into the golden dust as they closed their eyes and crumbled away. The Magic Six trembled in sadness while Alex was on his knees, starting to cry silently in some agony. Kyle hugged him from behind to keep him from losing sanity.
"This is bad…" Rin breathed in and out heavily as his heart was racing, "First the Shimogami…now the Hidaka. DAMMIT! WHY IS IT NOW THAT THIS IS HAPPENING!?"
He fell to his knees and slammed his fists on the floor in anger.
"Rin!" Makoto shouted, "Hold yourself together!"
"Momo…Isuzu…they're…" he answered quietly.
The doors slammed open as the Samezuka Trio, Asahi and Ikuya barged in to see what was happening since the fight outside was relieved of the centaurs. However, the dust on the floor as Momo's eyes widened, sensing something….
"N-Nii-chan…" he breathed, his eyes begin to flood up, "NII-CHAAAAANNNNNNAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
Ai and Sousuke tried to hold him, but he shoved them off and ran towards the dust pile. He sobbed heavily as if this was no nightmare. Rin turned to Momo and held him in a hug as the latter was devastated beyond words.
"We have to get out of here," Sousuke said, "This is not a safe place. We may have to evacuate all of this city."
"But where are we going to head them to?!" Makoto asked.
"We need to talk with Amakata-sensei," Nagisa agreed, "We can't let these enemies take any more lives…Swimming Guardians…and Civilians…and whoever else lives!"
"I'm sure we'll come up with some campsites and temporary locations," Ikuya said.
"Sandro, hang on, alright?" Kyle looks at him.
Alex breathed in and out carefully as he finally got up on his feet, "Why is Memnon doing this…? Have I really…been that bad in his eyes? Is all…this…my fault?"
"Look, whatever happened back that, is in the past," Sousuke answered.
"Um…where are…?" Ai asked.
"Kotetsu, Kaede, and Albert are going around town to find those weird senshi…" Nagisa said, "We need to get to them and pry off some answers."
Elsewhere, the Macedonia Trio contacted Natsuya, Nao, Aoba, and Hiyori as they were able to get information from them on the last seen footage of those "five".
"If Hiyori's theory is true, you might be able to use your crystals to locate them," Nao instructed over the phone.
"But there's a good chance these enemies might be coming after for us too!" Albert argued.
"Just give us the raw data and we'll try to go from there!" Kotetsu agreed.
"I'll go," Hiyori said, "I'll meet you guys in about five minutes."
"I could use some action as well," Aoba shrugged.
"Fine," Kaede rolled his eyes.
As Hiyori and Aoba departed from the office, Natsuya and Nao closed up the phone when a text message from Kyle appeared. They widened their eyes as they saw the same ash pile from the Shimogami's death…
"Now it's the Hidaka," Natsuya breathed.
"Not good," Nao narrowed his eyes, "We have to start evacuating the citizens here too."
"That may be considered," Miho announced, "We may have to break up the city for now and add protection barriers if possible."
"I'm afraid the enemy is already here," Natsuya replied, "Even if we do add barriers…"
"At least it won't allow new ones to come in," Nao nodded, "Assuming they have been coming here through the meteors."
Hiyori and Aoba caught up with the Macedonia Trio as the former revealed a gadget he received from Rei. It was specifically designed to locate others based on their auras of power.
"I guess you'll be the one to lead us to them," Kaede said.
"Carry on," Kotetsu nodded.
The quintet senshi from Suizei arrived at the abandoned dorm area of the Global Aquatics as the scent of olives was finally being detected. They traced it to one of the rooms where they saw the incense burner sitting in the middle of a coffee table.
"Make sure this isn't a trap," Hayato said.
The four surveyed the area, using their hands as detectors. To their surprise, it was all intact and nothing in the darkness.
"This must be where they were resting….for their swim performances," Takuya muttered.
"Well, so much for having a show," Toru sighed.
"Shall we?" Kazuki asked.
"It might not be safe here still," Shouta replied, "Let's just take the incense burner and…"
"You're not going anywhere," a calm voice filled the room.
They turned to see Hiyori, Aoba, Albert, Kaede, and Kotetsu standing at the doorway of the dorm.
"What exactly are you five doing here?" Albert crossed his arms.
"We warned you to not let your concerns on us," Hayato said.
"Just to clarify…" Hiyori answered, "This is OUR planet. If you guys are certainly from another world and are indeed like us…then you should transform."
Dammit, Takuya thought.
"Well, come on…or do you need a demonstration?" Kotetsu grunted.
"You five are wasting your time. The Final Reckoning has already arrived on this world," Kazuki answered.
"This isn't getting us anywhere…" Aoba sighed.
"We'll pressure them," Kaede narrowed his eyes.
Rhodinean Cathedral Palace
"Trash is trash," Memnon growled, "Piling together is just trash."
He waved his hand over the crystal spheroid, turning off the scenes he was watching. After receiving the next three crystals that were the Hidaka trio, his craving for power increased.
"Indeed," he muttered, "These crystals are strong…but they are only bits compared to the one…"
Memnon walked over in the big, empty halls to where all the other crystals were stored including the Chaomos Crystal. Despite all these powers gathered force, the Chaomos Crystal still did not reboot. At first, he thought maybe Suiei Chaos/Apollo stole it for himself, but it wasn't the case.
Upon checking what was happening with his fellow servant at the crystal, he saw a new threat standing in the way…
"Impossible…" he hissed, "A Third Primordia Senshi!?"
He watched as Suiei Kronos froze the entire space-time in Camelot Magna and its universe. Indeed, time has indeed stopped. Could it be the very reason why the Chaomos Crystal wasn't working? No. The Prophecy of the Greatest Light was already in motion…
"And such a title given to that bastard…how hypocritical," he spoke to himself, "He's no different than me! He lied to the world! His heart filled with revenge! How is it possible that he gets anything from Cosmos?! I must know the truth…I must know…and then I will show him my truth…our truth…and that will destroy him."
"King Memnon," one of the servants approached him, "Suiei Sonic Centaurus, Suiei Vacuum Insecta, and Suiei Plasma Anasi have…"
"No need to explain," Memnon cut the servant off, feeling unfazed by their deaths, "It's indeed that the guardians like those are trash and not authentic enough to stand a chance…but that's where my secret comes in."
"Yeah, about that…" the servant replies, "Are you going to use it?"
"I think it's appropriate now to use it, yes," Memnon answered, "Suiei Gliese Scorpius…you and Suiei Kepler Cygnus go awaken them."
Suiei Gliese bowed, "Yes, your lordship."
Glise Scorpius and Kepler Cygnus headed down to a lower level of the Cathedral where a laboratory-like area was constructed here. Inside several of the tubes had various humanoid beings resting in the stasis of some kind of fluid. Finally, they approached the three special ones that Memnon had preserved after a little bit of an adventure long ago…
"Is this it?" Suiei Kepler looks at Gliese.
"Indeed," Gliese grins, "To think that these three were authentic Swimming Guardians…"
"That will give us an edge to push the Greatest Light to come here?" Kepler asked.
"For sure we'll obtain almost all the crystals in no time," Gliese answered.
Gliese pushed on a few buttons to disable the captivity before the fluids inside finally drained of the trio.
Memnon stared at the three senshi before him as they were still somewhat loopy from being asleep for a long while.
"No need to be afraid my dears," Memnon said, "You're safe in this castle. As for your mission, well…judging by your muscle memory, you'll need some practice in fighting. But hopefully that won't take too much time as soon, you'll remember what happened to yourselves."
He snaps his fingers to add the Shadow Tag necklaces around them and continues, "This will be your power source. Guard it with your lives."
Memnon turns to the duo, "Train them both very well and very strong. They'll need to be sharp for what happens next."
The Southern Lands, Planet Duniya
At last, Suiei Kronos and the Articorans arrived at the far southern reaches of the planet. It was mostly forestry and abandoned but it would be a temporary 'safe haven' for the chaos happening up north.
"What is going on?" Romio asked.
"The Final Reckoning has indeed begun," Kronos explained, "It has affected Terabithia and this world. Until the Greatest Light fulfills his destiny, the future will be uncertain."
"What will happen to us?" Ayumu asked.
"We must hold faith to our friends, our allies, and the Swimming Guardians," Kronos reminded them.
"But why are we here if the danger is…" Mikhail begins.
"Because this world is still somewhat viable and I can buy us time," Kronos answered.
"Easy for you to say," Ryuuji rolled his eyes.
"Neither of you guys hold enough power to possess crystals like them," Kronos explained, "The Shadow Achaemenian Empire are only after one thing…"
"The Chaomos Crystal," Romio muttered.
"Or the Greatest Light," Shizuru added.
Kronos turned to the four spirits and instructed them to take care of the population and to make a place of their own here temporary.
"Where are you heading?" Ayumu asked.
"…I have a different mission," Kronos said, "That cannot be said."
R-Rei, Articora!Alex thought to himself, h-have you really evolved? A-Are we never going to see you again?
"For now, protect him," Kronos ordered before disappearing.
Back in Neo Sportsbrooke, an evacuation order was in place as several inhabitants that were close to the arena were asked to move to safe houses and temporary areas in the further regions of the megacity. The remaining Swimming Guardians (aside from Aoba, Hiyori, and the Macedonia Trio) were able to assist with this as much as possible, easing some tension and stress.
However, a lot of people were starting to have doubts and such, bringing despair among the population. With the Takagami Senshi all dead, it was certainly a countdown to destruction. The Nine Mizu Gods also came in to assist while assuming on human forms, providing some "temporary miracles" to help those who were truest believers.
Momotarou and Isuzu walked side by side in sadness after the latter found out about Seijuurou being killed off and his crystal being taken.
For a long time, this northern region of the planet was the majority of where the humans have lived once the race respawned from Frostella. In history, a few other scattered villages across the planet were established but most of them were hardly seen in textbooks or in the media as the previous government hid a lot of the truth.
Now with the truth being shown, a lot of people began to have dreams of starting over and the like. However, with this ongoing crisis, it almost seems impossible.
A bunch of people that were set in the Olympics refused to evacuate yet, deciding to help with the war effort with the Swimming Guardians. At first, it was almost a bit excessive and risky to have more lives be lost but those with the bravest hearts refused to give into that darkness.
At the shrine, the archers gasped upon this revelation about their sensei.
"I'm going to fight," Masaki said, "Along with our allies."
"W-what?!" Minato gasped.
"I never wanted to use this sport for such a darker use…but we are in a war time now," Masaki
"Anything we can do?" Seiya asked.
"For now, it's best you go to the evacuation," Masaki answered.
"No. I want to stay," Minato said, "I…I can't give in to this darkness anymore!"
"M-Minato..?" Ryouhei's eyes widened a little.
"Sounds like you found the fire in your heart," Shuu steps in with Eisuke.
"B-both of you!?" Minato, Seiya, and Ryouhei gasped.
"If you guys truly wish to stay and fight, we'll teach you," Eisuke said, "But be warned…this isn't the same skills as you would show for the love of the art."
Minato turns to the statues that represented this world's lore and mythology with ancient scriptures on them. He grabs a small stick and lights it on fire from the burner and sets it onto the plate before gently tugging on the rope to ring the low bells.
This panic attack, he thought, it's like…it bothers me, but it also energizes me…I need to redirect that energy into hope.
"I wish to fight, along with all of you," Minato answered.
"Minato…this fight is a very dangerous one," Masaki replied, "Are you sure your heart wishes to do this?"
Minato turns to his fellow teammates before speaking, "A short while ago…I was terrified on the visions I saw of the Final Reckoning. This is our home, our planet…filled with so many mysteries still unknown. When I met the Greatest Light, I felt a sense of hope restored in me. It wasn't much but it certainly feels different.
"Being able to hold the bow and arrow, and my love for that sport has impacted many people. Thus, I wish to stand by that Greatest Light…and bring our sport and our people together."
He closes his eyes and his fist before releasing it as sure enough, something glowed in its place as everyone was surprised to see the power now finally awakening in him.
"I, Minato Narumiya, wish to fight with the Swimming Guardians!"
A similar effect was happening with the soccer gang as they were already heading for the evacuation area of the city. Yoichi's hand also started to glow as sure enough, his own power was awakening within. The others gasped to see this happening before their eyes.
"I, Yoichi Isagi, wish to fight with the Swimming Guardians!"
A gust of wind swept through the entire city of Neo Sportsbrooke, as a change in the air could be sensed among the Swimming Guardians…