~15 Fr: Cursed Garden
"M-my dream…TO REBUILD WHAT WAS DESTROYED BETWEEN MY FRIENDS AND I!" - Rei Ryugazaki, Free! CWC Book 3: Ever Blue Company
Storyline A: The Final Reckoning
Rhodinean Cathedral Palace
The two Bodyguard senshi along with the three Rogue senshi gathered forth at the main hall of the palace as Memnon was dressed in his toga attire. He had been watching the events closely with Alex and the other Swimming Guardians making progress across the Seas of Infinity.
He coined the term in a sense that it wasn't the seas themselves, but how infinite it has been to travel from one point in space time to another. True, physics can be broken but doing so runs the risks of imbalance. Only certain beings can bestow such 'above law'.
"So, you finally made it to the domain, Alexander," Memnon chuckled darkly, looking at the giant crystal bubble.
"Lord Memnon, forgive us on the failures of the River Guardians," Suiei Gliese Scorpius announced, "We have taken their crystals as punishment for not compliance."
The two crystals flew off from Scorpius' hands, hovering towards the gigantic spheroid crystal that looked like a disco ball. However, it gave an aura like a star with some sort of 'energy' radiating out.
"Looking at these crystals…they really do shine," Suiei Kelper Cygnus commented.
"And the radiance it gives," Scorpius agreed, "Soon…all the powers of every sport, every physics…will belong to you, Suiei Rhodes."
"We also have the five Suizei crystals," Cygnus added, gesturing the five floating nearby. They were then floating upwards to the rest of the pack above Memnon's area.
"Excellent. For now, keep monitoring their progress until they get past the maze," Memnon ordered, "Then, Suiei Shadow Maurer, Iwahara, Dalton…attack the remaining attending senshi."
Once they were dismissed, Memnon raised up his hand to summon forth the Persian Bang Crystal in his hand. It used to be a much simpler design but the undocumented amount of time passing by has increased its power.
"This is the only power closest to Chaos," Memnon said, "The power of absolute destruction, gravitation, and singularity. Together…with this power…my Persian Bang Crystal."
He closed his eyes to reflect the combination of the Macedonia Dragon Crystal with the Chaosmos Crystal restoring planet Duniya physically.
"With that power from him," he continued, gripping the crystal brooch tighter, "That power from the Greatest Light, the Macedonia Dragon Crystal. Once both are in my hands, I will…finally achieve invincibility and immortality."
He tore off his toga, appearing in the nude flesh with his body even stronger physically. One could say he had regained his old form back in the ancient days. With that he closes his eyes…
"My heart is beating…I'll see you soon…Suiei Marotta," he whispered.
Memnon spun briefly in a black, red, violet, and blue gradient background of darkness and shadowy energy. Several rhododendron flower petals rained in a windy pattern, flashing across his body.
He raised out his arms to don his cuffs made of titanium and gold. A warrior, skin-tight vest with a leather and gold-trim chest guard flashed onto his body. The lower half of the vest consisted of golden scales. It was then followed by a crimson rose skirt with a bow sash behind. His helmet/crown appeared then after, protecting his facial cheeks.
A semi-coat made of sheer golden, black, and night colored fabric wrapped around his shoulders and arms and part of his back. His boots then appeared right after, consisting of the same gold and brown leather design as the chest. The leggings then shimmered in with similar fabric to the coat but enough to protect his genitals hidden by a metallic guard.
Finally, he opened his eyes and struck his own pose with the background of the massive blackhole behind him with the accretion disk flowing energy out.
"And then the truth will come," he concluded, "The truth about all these powers and conflict…"
With that, he proceeds to the mysterious chamber where he had summoned the Shadow Guardians. Each walking step brough some lighting effect to turn on, indicating his presence of arrival. Finally, he makes it to the edge chamber where Chaos was residing in.
"Chaos," Memnon called out, "Soon your wish will be granted."
Moments later, the ground shook followed by an eruption of a looming mass above with a pair of dead lights gleaming over.
"Ooooohhhh, so it is," Chaos said, "Hurry it up! I anticipate this finale to be the end of it all!"
Memnon smirked softly.
Alex, Yamato, and the three Macedonian senshi followed the river onwards to what looked like a wall of bushes. For certain, this had to be the next test to reaching Memnon.
"It's incredibly massive…" Albert breathed a whistle.
"There has to be either somewhere around it or to get through," Kaede muttered.
Memnon, how much more obstacles are you going to toy with us, Alex thought, please…just give us a sign to where we can find you? Where is this Rhodinean Cathedral Palace?
Kotetsu closed his eyes before finally getting right with his x-ray vision to see what was inside. Sure enough, it was indeed a maze-like path entangled with traps and other bizarre things.
Kaede and Albert decided to test run by attacking the wall but it wouldn't budge or shed anything.
"Why the hell is this not breaking?" Kaede grumbled.
Alex's head throbbed a flashback when he used to read the Bionicle comics, recalling a scene when the Toa Mata were trapped behind some massive stone wall with magma flowing towards them. As it turned out, the wall wasn't real.
"There is no entrance," Kotetsu said, "It's right in front of us."
With a shrug, Alex goes up to the wall and touches it. Sure enough, his hand went through without any damage. He pulls it out and turns to the others. Nodding, they flew through, finding themselves in a now stone-walled maze with multiple directions scattered.
"Are we gonna split…?" Kaede asked.
"Bad idea," Yamato answered, "If anyone of us gets lost, we might not be able to find the way back out."
Kotetsu was still focusing on his x-ray vision, believing that the possible way…
"Take the central path," he suggested.
The five took off, running and soaring through as the path seemed somewhat easy. However, the temperature was also increasing, making them sweat. Albert started to breathe a bit heavily.
"A-Albert!?" Yamato and Kaede gasped.
"M-My lungs…" he started to feel the suffocation.
"D-don't tell me!" Kotetsu gasped as he recalled the earlier battle against Toi Cancri.
"What happened!?" Alex cried out.
"There was a Shadow Senshi we fought while the chaos happened on Duniya…our lungs got poisoned," Kaede revealed.
"That was when you guys got sick," Alex recalled.
"Yeah, but whatever is happening in Albert…" Kotetsu narrowed his eyes.
"No, I'm not allow anyone else to die!" Alex panicked, resting his hand on Albert's shoulders as he concentrates on the Macedonia Dragon Crystal. Warm waves get into his body, clearing the infection.
"Um…guys, I think we better…" Yamato points to what looked like a miniature size version of a star charging towards them.
Kaede and Kotetsu assisted Albert getting on his feet with Alex and Yamato setting up a barrier field. They soared through the continuous maze as the star ball struck one of the walls, setting everything around them ablaze.
"DAMMIT!" Kotetsu growled.
"We have to find the exit!" Kaede shouted.
The flames were getting worse and worse, nearly engulfing them. Kotetsu tried to see through another nearby area unaffected but struggled.
Planet Duniya, Mizu Temple
Romio, Shizuru, Misaki, and Kaoru stood side by side together in the shadows, listening to Mizu Marotta's conversation with his Gen 1 self in the afterlife realm.
"I think we can make this work," the Gen 3.0 Mizu God turned his head to the quartet, "But will it be enough?"
"Pandora and my Alex are going to try something…risky," the response came in his head, "We noticed a trace of energy left in each of the five planets. Pandora is going to reach out to those 'energy bits'. If that doesn't go through, send out your battalion. "
"This better work," Gen 3.0!Mizu Marotta muttered.
Storyline B: Our Free!
Day 4: Afternoon Races – Individual Medley Prelims
Haruka, Ikuya, and Kotetsu made their way in the dark hall, heading towards the pool deck. They each wore red, white, and black attire with their respective swim trunks.
"Let's make this our best yet," Kotetsu said.
Ikuya nodded as Haruka replied, "A special race for sure."
"Trying to sound a bit cool there," Ikuya winked.
"A lot has happened," he said, "But I am definitely happy to partake this."
"Heh, for someone who only insists on the freestyle only, that's kinda a twist," Kotetsu answered.
They finally reached the deck and readied themselves at their respective blocks with the first segment of the preliminary IMs. Unlike the other races, the IMs were scheduled later in the Olympic swimming segment as it only had a preliminary and a final.
"The Men's 400m Individual Prelim will begin shortly."
Near Iwamara
And somewhere near the vicinity of the port city, six beams of light shined in the forests as Takuya, Kazuki, Hayato, Toru, and Shouta finally landed with their prince and the Mizu God.
"Geeze, remind me not to carry a big pack," Mizu Yamato grumbled.
"We could've assisted you know but you insisted," the prince answered.
"Whatever…I'm gonna get some R&R at the temple. You kiddos have fun," the Mizu God shrugged before vanishing.
The six made their way from the dirt trail hike onto the roadway where they saw the sign for Iwamara.
"Oh my goodness, this really does feel like Iwatobi," Kazuki said.
"So much has happened since then…" Takuya added.
Toru took out his page of paper and replies, "Well…not all of it was good."
"But we still found a way to start over," Shouta answered.
"The author will help us rebuild the memories for all of you, in a more organized fashion I hope," Yamato replied.
"And whoooo are we looking for this author?" Shouta tilts his head.
"He told me who it was a while ago…his brother…" Yamato narrowed his eyes a little.
Marotta Family Home
The folks returned back to Iwamara while Anastasia and the girls decided to stay in town as well. After getting messages from the Olympics, they too, realized that something was going on.
However, Sergi also got a weird message from someone. Concerned of a threat, he was about to call his brother's twin when the knock on the door was heard.
"If it's someone, I'll kick the bitch," Niki readied her sandal for a chancla attack.
Sergi opened the door and gasped, "Oh my god…i-it's you."
"Been a short while since we made a little debut here," Yamato greeted.
"Well that wasn't the safest time for all of us but…h-how are you guys even here? I thought Sandro said you flew back to your home planets," he said.
"A little connection with the Mizu gods have brought us closer," Toru replied.
"Plus, these five gentlemen who are my senshi have something to give to you…" Yamato gestured to them.
Sergi gasped upon each of them carrying a missing page from the Gen 3.0 storyline which would fill in the missing pages from Dark Mirror.
"We had our brains scattered for a while…" Kazuki said, "But I knew we were meant to come back here someday."
"I assume then that the…Shadow Mafia took your lives?" he asked.
"How about we discuss this in a more discreet area," Yamato suggested.
Flashback: Pre-The Last World (of Gen 2.0)
Planet Suizei, Reign of Kenjiro
As the Argrye Capital Acropolis was undergoing a long-term construction, the main palace was completely built after hundreds of years. The Mizu God Yamato crafted the ocean as well as protecting the wildlife that would form beneath the seas.
In early history, the planet had one swimming guardian who lasted about a thousand years until a global disaster struck, transforming the planet into a frozen realm for nearly 100,000 years. A warming period finally happened which triggered the landmass to become nearly as dry as the desert due to the Mizu God not having a Swimming Guardian.
After nearly 24,000 years after, a humanoid species began to develop rapidly and uncontrollably until Yamato was able to find a chosen one…
Kenjiro Sokuro would become the second person to have become a Swimming Guardian as well as being the King of Argrye Captial. Dozens of years have passed since as the yin-yang crystal was crafted by Mizu Yamato in order to establish some sort of peace between the non-human animals and the humans themselves. As it aged, the power would grow.
Finally, after more time has passed, Kenjiro has found a wife who gave birth to their son Yamato Sokuro as an honor to Mizu Yamato. The family couldn't be any happier…
A young, pre-teen Yamato made his way through the streets of the city with a couple of his royal guards when they saw a group of four young guys playing ball or something. He watched them for a good moment or two before being brought back to attention.
"Was that the…prince?" Toru asked.
"Bah, like he'd even care," Shouta grumbled.
"If he ever notices the poverty here in this part of town," Kazuki agreed.
Takuya watched them taking off and asked, "Should we go for a swim?"
"In that disgusting hell of contamination? No thanks," Toru answered back.
"It's all we have to swim with though," Shouta sighed.
"I want to swim in clear, crisp water," the blond kid continued, "I used to have dreams of swimming in such clean water. And I think I was a bit more grown up looking too…"
"Heh, talk about adulthood, I don't think I wanna be responsible," Shouta replied.
"Something tells me you'd be the dumbass," Kazuki said.
"OI!" Shouta glares at him.
"Yo, it's gonna get dark out soon. That matron is gonna be angry if she finds out how far we've left the premises."
At the orphanage, the four made it back to their dorms before being caught by the matron. They were living in some old building with contaminated water, scrappy food, and depressed orphans around. When everyone else was asleep, Kazuki got out from bed as he realized Takuya was not in his bed. He silently snuck through the halls where he found him listening to the matron talking in some conference.
"What are you…?" Kazuki asked but Takuya hushed him.
"It's bad…they're gonna resume the fire phase," Takuya replied.
"Fire phase?" Kazuki looked confused.
"We need to find the prince. Only he could stop this from happening," he said.
"But what about the rest of us? How are we going to escape?" Kazuki looks at him.
"Regardless, this entire orphanage is just a façade of something far worse," Takuya answered.
"What makes you believe that?" the brunette-gray haired man questioned.
"Let's go, we have to get Toru and Shouta out with us," Takuya grabs his hand.
The four young pre-teens barely escaped out of the site and headed deeper into the cities, but they were getting more exhausted by the minute. Finding some abandoned alleyway, they decided to take turns sleeping while one of them would keep an eye out for trouble. By the time the next day arrived, they were forced to keep moving in order to avoid recapture.
At this point, they made their way closer to the Acropolis where they followed a canal that had much cleaner water, leading them to the central mountain castle. There were walls that protected the sacred grounds but for sure they felt better to be somewhere away from the harsh conditions.
"I wish we'd get through those gates," Takuya sighed.
"What makes you think they will?" Shouta questioned.
"I heard a rumor once that if the prince finds a swimmer who is well evenly matched, they get to become special trainers and have magic!" he said.
"What kind of a nonsense is that?" Toru looks at him.
"I used to have nightmares where shadowed beings tried to kill us but then some magical warriors came in and blasted them down," Takuya revealed.
"The canal…what if we tried to go through to the other side?" Shouta asked.
"It may be a possibility," Toru agreed.
"Sire! There are four young civilians being spotted in one of the canals," one of the servants cried out.
"Bring them in," Kenjiro said.
About a half hour of time passed before the four citizens were dragged in. They were not happy on being caught but the king caught an interest in their expressions.
"Resistant ones, aren't we?" Kenjiro gets up, "Fear not young ones, the water has drawn your attention."
"K-king, this was my idea…" Takuya said, "If anyone is to be punished, I am."
"Perhaps a fitting one would be…a swim race against my son," he offered.
"E-EH?!" the four gasped.
"You four possess a hidden trait that was taken from you," the king continued, "The only way it can be reactivated is by a simple race or two. For now, you need proper rest."
Next Day: Acropolis Pool
To the western wing of the mountainous castle was the pool area with its earthly built architecture of obsidian and crystal with red rock blended in. About 8 lanes were constructed here with the cleanest water from the Mizu God.
The four met up with the King and his son as they each introduced themselves. Yamato greeted each of them and the father set up arrangements for a one-on-one match of Takuya vs. Yamato.
"You got this Takuya!" Kazuki called out.
"Do your best!" Toru cheered on.
"This is gonna be an interesting race," Shouta muttered.
One of the servants readied the timer as Yamato and Takuya were on the diving block ready for this event to start.
By the end of the race, Yamato won but Takuya was able to keep up with the said speed, impressing the king.
"It seems that you all possess a fire that is ready to come back," he stated, "Neither of you have families, is that correct?"
"We…were all stuck in some orphanage where the scraps are all that is…and water beyond filth," Kazuki revealed.
"I say that area could use a renovation and help the poor and needy," Yamato shrugged.
"That…will have to be discussed with the right local citizens," the king answered, "For now…the best thing for this encounter…
"How about you guys stay and become Swimming Guardians yourselves?"
"S-Swimming G-Guardian?" Shouta tilted his head.
"If all of you are true swimmers, then you would know how much the water needs you," Kenjiro said, "A sacred duty is asked to keep this world in existence. However, a theory is said that if there are more guardians, the water itself will improved."
The four looked at each other with brief confusion and hesitation.
"You seem hesitant," Kenjiro looks at them.
"It is an honor for you to offer, and we wish to use this opportunity to also help the people of this kingdom," Takuya answered.
"If we are going to be a team, we need to do our best together," Kazuki agreed.
"Then let us make it happen," Yamato replied, "Come…I will show you, our Mizu Temple."
Years Later
As various areas around the Argrye Capital began to undergo restoration with the help of this new team, the members were also trained by Yamato's private coach, Goro Sasabe. The formation of this team also ignited some memories to return to but granted it was all in bits and pieces.
Takuya wrote some of his dreams out in a diary in hopes of finding one day the truth behind it. Kazuki also wrote some stuff down but also drew some of the notable symbols that he could recall.
Kazuki kept focus on the freestyle while Takuya worked on the backstroke. Toru decided to specialize in breaststroke and Shouta worked with both butterfly and freestyle. Yamato practiced on all four styles and even went on further to make them as an IM.
Finally, the five became a team known as the Suizei Senshi. Since their inauguration of becoming the Guardians, the water has indeed improved as the four of them made a widespread miracle.
One day, Kazuki was busy finishing up a purification rite at some abandoned lake when he heard angry voices nearby. He turned to see a young salmon colored-haired man with purple eyes running for his life while dressed very bare minimum. The escapee tripped over and hit the ground as several men were on the chase.
How dare they hurt this innocent soul, he growled to himself.
Kazuki approached the young adult, "Hey, it's okay. You're safe now."
"P-pleae-ease..w-wa-att-ter…" the person answered with heavy gasps.
Kazuki quickly brought him over to the clean water area and tried to heal up the wounds as well as hydrating him. Finally, the young adult could breathe a little. As for the hunters, Kazuki was able to fog their vision with a misting spell, getting them confused.
"T-thank you…I-I am forever in debt of your kindness," he breathed.
"What happened? Were those folks…?" Kazuki asked.
"Enslaved," he replied, "I've been running away again and again, only to be beaten. I serve no one."
"You don't have to serve anyone. Let me bring you to a safer place than here," Kazuki replied.
As time passed, the young man was given the name Hayato which sparked his memory to slowly return likewise. However, the surname Shigino didn't come to his mind until the first conflict of Chaos and Dodecadron invading the planet.
With his bravery and his strong desire to swim, Yamato granted Hayato to become the leader of the team. At first, he wasn't sure whether to accept it or not but the other four encouraged him. With this, a vow has been made…Hayato would be the leader of this team until they could find his brother Kisumi…
However, a dark twist endured…a tragic accident put Hayato's life on the line, resulting in a cloning procedure that would allow his body to be copied but his soul was not fully guaranteed. It wasn't until the powers of Suiei Cosmos for the first time appeared during the final battle on Olympia/Olympia Magna that would successfully complete this 'project'.
With this Hayato passing away, the other one woke up with the full memories of his past life from the DM!Earth. His vow remained the same, to find Kisumi…but the one who was also from that old planet. He was aware of the other Kisumi from Olympia Magna. But where would his actual brother be located?
It wasn't until the rise of Neo King Alexander and Neo King Odysseus after the defeat of the Witches of the Adversary that would spark a new hope of finding him.
Present Day (continuing Storyline B)
Day 4 Evening:
Kotetsu went out for his own jog around the complex, reflecting back on a few things including the IM relay against Ikuya and Haruka. As it turned out, they all made it to the finals for Day 6. But for sure, they were still going to be up against other foreign swimmers.
The brunette-mahogany haired man continued to make progress when he saw Apollo staring at one of the Cherry Blossom trees. Kotetsu stopped as he knew that he was being too kind earlier with the others around him.
"Yo," he greeted.
Apollo turned to see him as his long hair waved in the soft breeze.
"Have I disappointed you?" Apollo asked.
"As much as I am relieved to see you alive and well, I am certainly hurt by your treachery," he said, "Why did you turn your backs from us like that?"
"The kindness that you saw in me before came from Artemis," Apollo explained, "It was half of theirs. Chaos…Verrado…drained as much light out of me in our youth. Artemis was sealed away until they grew old enough to regain strength. That was when my time was up…light calls to darkness and darkness calls to light."
Kotetsu frowned a little before adding, "We still could've been a team. You along with Romio, Shizuru, Misaki and Kaoru even. For once in my life, I was enjoying the company back in Aeruopa Capital Academy and the swimming days."
"Kotet, I get it…you don't have to talk to me ever again. I know I have done these horrible things," Apollo said, "I won't make it hard for you…it's not what you signed up for."
"Apollo, wait…" he finally stops him, "When we reunited back at the ACA…and when we teased each other back in the locker…for a moment I sensed something. Then when you raced with Asahi and the whole scare took place…I felt like…
"I felt like I needed to protect you but then you disappeared with Asahi and Ikuya for a while."
"When I regained my memories as Hephaistion, my focus changed…but a small part of conscious kept reminding me to find you."
"Kotet," Apollo sighed, "I…I don't know what to do. I'm just not worth it for you…"
"Huh?" Kotetsu looks at him.
Apollo suddenly blushed upon realizing what was said, prompting Kotetsu to chuckle sadly.
"Apollo, Artemis, whatever you wanna be called by," he said, "You are worth living for. If there's anything I have learned from my unrequited love…I'm willing to take that second chance with you."
"W-what!?" Apollo gasped.
"I'm going to secure you a spot to watch me…as well as the others at the Olympics…" Kotetsu answered, leaning in close to him, "And…if you still want to, maybe you can restart swimming with me."
Finally feeling touched by this, Apollo finally teared up a little, "You'd do that?"
"That's my offer," he said.
"If that's your way of giving me a second chance…then, how about I also offer you something in return," Apollo replied.
'And that would be?" Kotetsu asked.
Without realizing it, Apollo pulled into Kotetsu more closely, bringing themselves under the tree. Finally, they shared a taste on their lips as they were both somewhat blushing.
"Is that your way of saying yes?" Kotetsu winked.
"Perhaps…" Apollo answered, "I guess I'd be the first individual as a known intersex."
"You are you," Kotetsu said, "Doesn't matter what your body is made of…just as long as you're healthy and happy enough with yourself."
"Hehe, I didn't think you'd be this cute," Apollo winked.
"Ah shut it," he turned his head to the side, "Let's just get something to eat, alright?"
Storyline A: The Final Reckoning
The Maze
The flames grew more intense, sweating the senshi to dehydration slowly. Was this how it was going to end? Alex's barrier was starting to weaken as the heat was getting more intense. However, Kotetsu wasn't ready to give up as he could only pray for some help to arrive…
And somewhere above, a cross-like star appeared before a loud set of voices could be heard…
"MIZU, CASCADEEEEE, MEDLEEEEEYYY, KISS!"
Kotetsu's eyes widened in shock as the flames all around suddenly were extinguished into smoke. With this, the Macedonia Dragon Crystal within Alex helped the remaining senshi back on their feet. However, the smoke in front of them seemed to be blocking their path.
"Who are you?!" Kaede shouted.
Moments later, the fog disappeared, revealing five young adults also in their senshi forms. They each took on an action pose on introducing themselves:
"Suiei Marchand Khenmu!"
"Suiei Ceccon Ebisu!"
"Suiei Sota Atlaua!"
"Suiei Kentaurus Ghaac!"
"Suiei Gaia-Ya Ataben!"
"I…I don't believe this," Yamato breathed in shock, "This actually worked out!"
The Extraterrestrial senshi quickly gave hugs and fist bumps and hugs with Yamato before turning their attention to Alex and the Macedonia trio.
"I'm glad you're alright!" Gaia-Ya said, "But where…?"
Yamato lowered his head down which made the five realize what happened to the Suizei senshi.
"We'll get them back," Atlaua replied, "Every one of them."
"How was it possible for you guys to survive from the attacks?" Albert looks at the five, "Didn't Memnon…"
"Let's say we have some borrowed time with an ally…and also thanks to our little clever friend who helped us created a back-up plan," Marchand revealed, "However, our forms here are weak and we might break apart easily back to our crystal form."
"Thank you for the save," Alex coughed up from the ash.
"We have longed to meet you, Ultra Suiei Marotta," Sota revealed, "Since you and your husband revealed your powers to the universe, it was all a matter of time."
Alex lowered his head briefly before answering, "This power I carry is cursed beyond any means. All we ever wanted was to swim for the team and be happy. This war…this…"
Kotetsu rested his hand on Alex's shoulder to calm his stress down.
"How exactly did you survive all this time?" Albert repeats the question.
"When you blasted us apart, Suiei Marotta," Ebisu revealed, "Our essence was tied back into the planet which drew our souls to return to. However, Memnon attempted each of our worlds to find the crystals. Thankfully it was an oversight and took the fake ones."
"But it's no doubt Chaos knows our façade," Marchand added, "Probably waiting for the right time to get us."
"If you guys are here now, there's a chance that your crystals will be taken," Kotetsu replied.
"Regardless, that is a risk, we are willing to take," Gaia-Ya answered, "We've been hiding far too long. It's time we take down that bastard who brainwashed us."
"You won't be fighting alone," Sota agreed.
"Then let's resume," Alex said, "We have to get to the Rhodinean Cathedral Palace and save the others."
After a few more turns, they finally escaped the charred-burnt garden maze and found themselves in an open space of fog. At first it looked like they were out in some artificial ocean but…
"Is this quicksand?" Ebisu asked.
"Let's just fly over this," Gaia-Ya suggested.
"Keep close, if the fog gets too thick we'll need something to keep us together…" Yamato said.
"Let's make a chain just in case," Albert added.
With this, the nine used their powers to link themselves around their waists like a chain loop. For added protection, they kept Yamato and Alex in the middle of the line.
"We'll start to fly in a wide line but if we get thick I the fog, we'll realign ourselves," Yamato instructed.
Once they were ready, they took off together, flying above the Sea of Infinity. While the palace was nowhere to be seen still, Alex could feel the intensity of the darkness getting stronger. It was no doubt they were still on the course to find this location.
Below, the sea of infinity began to rumble and shake as waves were starting to form. Ahead of them, something appeared to be like a massive tsunami approaching their direction.
"Dammit!" Kotetsu growled.
"Accelerate upwards!" Marchand shouted.
They winged themselves upwards, hoping to bypass the massive oncoming wave. It was mere seconds away before impact, but the waves were getting stronger and fiercer.
Suddenly, the water exploded, forcing them all to fall down towards a semi-grassy field with highly dense fog. Moments later, the air felt frigid and unmoving, almost feeling a sense of time itself stopping.
"W-where…?" Kaede muttered.
"W-wait a sec, there's something ahead," Kotetsu noticed through his x-ray vision.
"What do you see?" Alex looks at him.
"Something massive…it's breathing but…" he muttered.
"A monster?" Ebisu questioned.
Moments later, the fog finally cleared up as they finally saw the real Rhodinean Cathedral Palace about a half mile away or so. It loomed over like the darkness it was.
"We're finally here…?" Kaede narrowed his eyes.
"This can't be…" Yamato muttered.
We're almost here, Memnon, Alex thought.
Before they could proceed to advance, they disconnected the chains. Moments later, something was flying towards them. A massive spiked crystalize structure flew rapidly.
"WATCH OUT!" Atlaua shouted.
They all dodged the attack in several directions as the spiked crystal stopped for seconds before dispelling several crystals towards them individually, using a small portion of the power to throw them in the air briefly before crashing on the ground.
"How sad…" a voice was heard.
They turned to see Suiei Shadow Maurer, Iwahara, and Dalton along with several other smaller-spiked crystals.
"A-are these…!?" Yamato gasped.
"Indeed, they are just some of the mere populations of all the Swimming Guardians as well as any other Sports heroes with magic," Ken revealed, holding the crystals that attacked moments earlier, "Under our grasp, we can control their energies through here."
Alex grunted, "How many lives have to be tortured like this for the war to end?! Don't you realize that these powers are meant to hold peace?!"
"Peace?!" Nicolas snarled.
"Such a fictitious life you've gone through," Kosuke added, "For one, you've made your own story all in your corrupted heart and desire!"
"That's not true!" Alex shouted back.
"Are you sure?" Ken asked before continuing, "Tell us, will the war ever come to an end if you just keep existing? Your power draws conflict out because of how feeble mankind is to war and destruction!"
"I never asked to have this much power!" he replied, "But yet, here we are."
"And that is why…you must surrender your powers to us!" Nicolas shouted back as he and the others readied their attacks, glowing in dark, corrupted energy.
Annoyed and fed up, the five Extraterrestrial senshi got up on their feet, ready to challenge the trio.
"My…what's this? More crystals for our master?!" Ken laughed.
"Guardian of the Black Eye Galaxy under the protection of Mizu Khnemu, I am the Third Descendant of planet Toulouse! I am Suiei Khenmu! Don't underestimate the power of slowness!" Marchand chanted in a background of sea turtles with the symbol of the black eye galaxy behind him, pointing at the trio.
"Guardian of the Mayall's Object under the protection of Mizu Ebisu, I am the Original Descendant of planet Thiene! I am Suiei Ebisu! My music will guide you to salvation or doom, no exceptions!" Ceccon introduced himself as the background flashed the middle of the ocean with siren silhouettes. He took on his own battle pose from the back.
"Guardian of the Sombrero Galaxy under the protection of Mizu Atlaua, I am the Second Descendant of planet Saitama! I am Suiei Atlaua! Don't let my vulnerable appearance fool you for my strength!" Sota grips his fist ready as he flashed in a background underwater with sea horses and rays of the sunlight.
"Guardian of the Hoag's Object, under the protection of Mizu Ghaac, I am the Third Descendant of planet Terraus! I am Suiei Ghaac! Don't let the silence put your guard down!" Kentaurus winked as he crossed his arms in a background of deep space blue with the Jörmungandr symbol.
"Guardian of the Circinus Galaxy, under the protection of Mizu Ataben, I am the Second Descendant of planet Zo! I am Suiei Gaia-Ya! My hunger for combat and enemies are always available!" Gaia-Ya chanted as he struck his own pose based on the butterfly stroke. The background was strikingly orange and yellow ombre with the symbol of the Circinus galaxy behind him.
"Your little circus tried to kill us before," Gaia-Ya said, "Without a proper fight you fucking cowards!"
"Then it'll be easy to kill you fools again for daring to challenge the Shadow Achaemenian Empire!" Ken answered.
"MESSIEEERRRR, SNAAAAPPIINNNNG TURTLE!" Marchand shouted, unleashing a water-based attack with several snapping turtles ready to bite their prey.
"SIRENNNN, TUNINNNNGGGG BREEZZEEEE!" Ebisu chanted, using a sing-song ish voice as this unique water attack consisted of musical notes with the harp-like noise in background.
"ACHAEMENIAN, ATOMMMICCCCCC BLINDNESSS!" Suiei Shadow Dalton cried out as he unleashed several miniature explosions of nuclear blasts.
Suiei Shadow Iwahara spun briefly in a geometrical background as he readied his attack, chanting, "ACHAEMENIAN, ELECTROMAGNETICCCC, CUBIISSSS!"
Their attacks set off more explosions as the heroes narrowly dodged the blasts. However, the five senshi were starting to feel weakened already.
"W-what's happening?!" Yamato gasped.
"T-this…was only…a t-temporary…" Sota breathed, feeling like his body falling apart.
"The price for doing this was a half-life given scenario," Kentaurus revealed.
"W-what?!" Alex gasped, "A half-life?!"
The five held hands together, unitizing their powers before launching their counterattack to the trio. With sadden smiles, the five shouted, "SUIEIIIII, SOLARIISSSSS, SPIRITUSSSS!"
An eruption of bright light exploded from their bodies, revealing their heart crystals with crack-line fractures on them. However, the trio were blinded by this attack.
"Sandro, now's your chance!" Yamato said.
"I-I…" he breathed.
"Don't let their sacrifices be in vain!" the red-haired prince shouted.
With a nod, Alex tearfully readies his attack.
"MACEDONIAAAAA DRAGOONNNNN, LIBERATINNNGGGGG, BLISSSSS!"
He 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.
Forgive me…Kyle, Alex closed his eyes with tears pour down from his cheeks, I'm going to save them too when we stop this terror!
Finally, the trio cried out in agony and pain as their bodies dissolved into dust. Moments later, their crystals appeared likewise.
After opening his eyes, he saw the crystals of Ken, Kosuke, and Nicolas as well as the five senshi that sacrificed themselves.
"Get the crystals," Alex said, "Before…"
Suddenly, two beams of dark energy erupted from both sides, narrowly missing them. The crystals themselves floated over to their next opponents in the shadows nearby.
Standing before them were the final two members of the Shadow Achaemenian Empire, Suiei Gliese Scorpius and Suiei Kepler Cygnus.
"Such a waste of materials," Gliese Scorpius sighed, holding the eight crystals in his hands before throwing them into a larger spiked crystal.
"You guys really are asking for it," Kepler Cygnus added, "True, you've traveled far and then some to this forsaken, forbidden land."
"But the road to Chaos ends here," Scorpius sneered, "You are not worthy of holding the title of a Guardian, let alone being swimmers."
"Excuse me?" Kotetsu narrowed his eyes, "Your title of being Suiei is a mockery! It's you that don't deserve of that!"
"Memnon promised us for a better world where we will, make our own rules for swimming!" Cygnus replied, "Our own world, our own rules…all that will become ours!"
This is bad, Alex thought, they must be Memnon's closest guardians.
"Either you surrender your crystals on your own volition, or we'll forcibly do it ourselves," Gliese, readying his staff, "Which will it be?"
"Like hell we surrender!" Kaede shouted, "You bastards need to stop with this stupid ass campaign!"
Kepler taps his rod on the ground gently, setting the area around them ablaze again. This time, the group realized that the fire was just like…
"You doused the flames once…but after seeing what your friends have done, you'll never get out of here with this one!" Kepler laughed, "Such a sad funeral waiting to happen with your ashes scattered in space that will just end up further burnt or wasted on some meteor."
With a wave of his hand, Gliese redirected all the crystals pointing to the remaining senshi. One swoop would finally end the miserable lives of these guardians.
"Seize them!" Kepler shouted.
The crystals exploded in varying directions, attacking them at high speeds. Alex threw a force field up to repel them despite not wanting to hurt the crystals. He could sense them all living beings within. The crystals were then transforming into fireballs and dark energy ready to break down the protection spell.
"Dammit!" Kotetsu growled.
"We have to stop them!" Yamato shouted.
"But the crystals will attack us again!" Alex argued.
"Sandro, we'll do our best to defend you," Albert answered.
With a nod, Alex lowered the shield as they readied themselves for another attack. The twins grinned and pointed at the crystals to attack on the ground, setting the area ablaze again.
"Such a sad, sad, day for you five…" Cygnus answered, "Be roasted to charcoal!"
Storyline B: Our Free!
Day 5 of Olympics
Iwamara
Articora!Rei woke up in bed with Articora!Alex as the sunlight peaked into the room. Despite all what has happened with Original!Alex, the twin decided to go to the venue together with his Rei and the Articorans to support their friends.
"It's the day of the finals…" he smiled.
"Indeed it is," the megane answered.
They quickly got out of bed, cleansed themselves and got properly dressed before meeting up with Romio, Shizuru, Ayumu, Kaoru, and Misaki. They had promised the other swimmers to see the last set of races in person.
"You okay there Alex?" Romio noticed his expression.
"Despite what happened to my original self, I'm okay," he said sadly, "I still don't get what really happened back there."
"Neither have I," his husband added, "Maybe I can look into this further with my twin when he's not in the competition."
"You gonna hack into something?" Shizuru asked.
"Bad idea," the megane said, "I don't want to stir up that kind of trouble."
"You seem a little nervous," Ayumu replied.
"Well, in a way I am. Today and tomorrow are both going to be historical days this world has faced," Articora!Rei nodded.
"Wait, where are Ryuuji and Mikhail?" Articora!Alex realized some people were missing.
"They went yesterday," Kaoru said, "They were going to meet up with someone before securing their spots for us."
"Oh that's right, I nearly forgot," he makes a nervous sweat drop.
"Is your family gong to be going as well?" Misaki looks at Articora!Alex.
"Um…not sure," he shrugged, "Since my twin didn't make it even the semi-finals, I'm not sure what they'll do. Maybe just have a little private dinner together and just celebrate life in a simpler, humble way."
A dinner is nice but…don't give up, Articora!Rei thought, I'm sure they're…ready for what is yet to come.
They departed the area, heading towards the train station.
Aquatics Global Arena
Haruka looked out at the window of the new sunrise as he reflected on so much that happened the last few days. He remembered doing this once long ago before being taken away by the first darkness of Chaos, wondering how the future was going to be.
Since then, a lot happened as he turned to see the others all prepared and ready to go. He wore his Black and Blue jacket with the "NATIONAL SWIM TEAM" on the right anatomic side of his outfit. He along with Kyle, Rin, Makoto, Nagisa, and Rei all wore the said jackets.
"All of you look amazing in them," Alex smiled with a sad thought, it's too bad I'll never wear them. Then again, I'm not the only one disqualified. Only the best of the best swimmers will wear these. And those who do win the finals…
"I only wish you could wear one too, Sandro-chan," Nagisa said.
"It's alright," Alex shrugged, "I'm here to support all of you. Don't take pity on me. As long as someone from our team wins, that to me…is more than enough."
Kyle stayed a bit silent on that as he was conflicted on what to respond. However, after learning a few developments, he had no choice but to comply.
Finally, he said, "Maybe I'll have someone to make a replica of this for you."
They all chuckled a little as Alex shook his head, "No need. The rainbow spirited animal jacket is fine."
"I feel bad for Asahi-san," Rei added, "He didn't make it to finals."
"Yeah, along with Ao-chan and Ko-chan," Nagisa added, "We'll have to make a celebration for you four for being just awesome swimmers."
"I just wish to remain humble for the time being," Alex replied, "This is your happy ending. You all deserved this…that was my promise to all of you back at the beach. Focus on living your dream, and I'll cheer you all with my greatest emotion."
"We better get going then," Makoto said, "Especially for us, right Haru-chan?"
"Stop it with the -chan," he sighed.
Rin chuckled as Nagisa makes a nervous sweat drop smile. Together, the seven made their way from the lodging suites to the main venue. Today, was also going to be a brief display of the medals for the public to see as the designs were now officially posted online. Several media reporters and journalists were also here as the seats in this arena were even more crowded.
This time, a portion of the seating areas were left reserved for several of the swimmers to watch their teammates in real time instead of the multi-purpose room as the latter was now used for the currently qualified individuals.
Alex sat down along with Kotetsu, Ai, Aoba, and Asahi and greeted them, "Good morning."
"Heya there," Asahi replied.
"Good to see you still well-spirited," Kotetsu added.
"Well…I try," he said, sitting down next to him.
"Actually…you might need to sit next to Asahi," the brunette-mahogany haired man suggested.
"Eh?" Alex tilted his head, "Are you…upset?"
"Me? Nah!" Kotetsu started to laugh.
"He's dating Apollo," Aoba revealed.
"EHHHH!?" Alex, Ai, and Asahi gasped.
"Way to ruin the surprise," Kotetsu rolled his eyes.
"A-are you serious?! You and A-Apollo…?" Alex tearfully smiled.
"Yeah, he's sitting here," he said, "Apollo and I talked things out…we're gonna try to start something from here."
"At least you can make sure they won't turn dark again," Asahi replied.
"I doubt that'll happen," Ai answered.
"I'm happy for you," Alex said, "You deserve a second chance also."
"At least that explains why you requested me to save a seat," Asahi shrugged, beckoning Alex to sit next to him.
Apollo arrives after a couple of minutes and rests their head on Kotetsu's shoulder. The others smiled upon seeing the two holding hands. Moments later, the Articorans arrived as Original!Alex greeted his twin.
"I'm glad you're doing well," Articora!Alex said.
"It hasn't been easy but I'm getting over it now," Original!Alex wiped his tears off.
"Still though, it must have been upsetting," Articora!Rei replied.
"This is amazing…in person," Romio was eye-struck by the sight of the massive pool.
"It really is," Shizuru agreed, "We both need to get here someday."
"You're not the only ones," Kaoru reminded them.
"We should make our own freestyle medley in the future," Misaki suggested.
Haruka, Kaede, Albert, and Kyle were the four swimmers representing Iwamara against four other swimmers from Neo Sportsbrooke and Lha'li. The odds seemed to be in their favor but no doubt these four swimmers will be tested to their limits.
Albert was offered the NATIONAL SWIM TEAM jacket, but he decided to keep his signature one for his style purposes. Haruka, Kaede, and Kyle reflected on their own journeys of swimming.
"All of you just focus on yourself," Kaede said, "I've already made my own peace."
"I'll certainly swim with what I have," Kyle replied.
"Today, I will swim my free," Haruka concluded.
Finally, they headed out towards the deck.
"HARUKA!" Asahi cried out.
"HARUKA-SENPAAIIII!" Ai and Momo shouted.
"Get them, Kyle!" Original!Alex cheered silently before adding a silent prayer, everyone…be yourselves….just win!
"Win this, Kaede," Kotetsu narrowed his eyes.
Haruka stood at Lane 5, Albert in Lane 6, Kaede in 4, and Kyle in 3. Alex realized that this may be a challenge for the latter, but he remembered Kyle's performance in a similar situation from a different race. The four finally got all on the blocks with the other remaining swimmers in their respective lanes.
In the multi-purpose room, the other swimmers cheered to the screen, anticipating what history will be made of here.
"Take your Marks…"
BEEP!
The eight dives make their splash, entering the 100-meter finale of the freestyle with an intensive battle between Haruka and Albert. Kaede and Kyle were not far behind, but the other remaining swimmers were keeping it all up.
For a moment, time felt like it had stopped as each and everyone's hearts were beating rapidly. Only three of the swimmers will make the gold, silver, and bronze. As for the rest, it would be until another tournament…
Alex closed his eyes and reflected on Kyle's past experience of the Olympics back on Terabithia. Once they started a family, they had to retire as well as transition to a lesser level of life. From celebs to ordinary people…was it possible to restart this cycle?
Kyle, even if you don't wind a medal…I'm still happy for you to make it this far, he thought, I know that I can't…ever be back in the competition like this…because that was the price, I paid long ago…isn't it?
"Yes…that was the price you paid back then."
T-that voice, Alex's mind flashed into the brief void again as he was standing by the Sakura tree. To his shock, he saw the dog standing next to the black-haired man with the heterochromatic eyes, smoking from the pipe.
"I-It's you…" Alex said.
"Back when you made that lie about being a swimmer, your health deteriorated from the drugs," Watanuki replied, "However, your destiny has evolved many more times since the moment you crossed paths with that great power from Alexa, then-Neo King Julius."
"But it was still my fault that I've brought destruction and war to these swimmers," he added, "I never should have made this all a big mess to them. Yet, I still came into their lives…"
"Are you regretting your decision?" Watanuki asked.
"No," he answered, "Because if I did…none of us would've been here…this new world. Memnon and Chaos set the bar impossibly high. I know I'm not suited for competitive swimming…but yet my heart is telling me to not give up. It's like…something else is about to happen."
He looks at witch boy, "I honestly don't know what else I can do. So much has changed since The Final Reckoning. A lot of things…"
"Why do you swim? Why did you go to them?"
"C-Cosmos…" Alex muttered.
The Koi Carp appeared again in front of him as it seemingly started to growth its size and lengthen a bit, but it stopped for a second and de-transformed back.
W-what the hell was that, he thought, resting his hand over his heart…
The vision cracked as Alex was back in reality as the swimmers were making their flip turn. Haruka and Albert were still neck to neck, but Kaede was gaining on them. However, Kyle was now stuck in fifth as Alex gasped to himself. The realization struck again as he was afraid to see where his husband was struggling.
He got up and headed out of the exit.
"W-what the…!?" Articora!Alex sees his twin leaving in a hastily manner.
"O-Oi!?" Asahi gasped.
"Dammit there he goes again," Kotetsu said.
"Is he alright?" Apollo asked.
"Should we go after him?" Romio muttered.
"I have a feeling we have to let him be," Articora!Rei answered.
Alex ran down the hallways, getting past the multi-purpose room as Natsuya and Nao noticed from nearby.
"S-Sandro?!" Nao called out.
"Don't go there!" Natsuya shouted, "That area is off limits to the public!"
"We better check up on him," Nao said to the brunette.
"Yeah, this isn't right," he agreed.
Alex made it through the hallways that led to the pool deck where he stopped right at the border of light and darkness. He looked at the timing boards and gasped.
"N-No…e-everyone!?" he trembled a little.
3rd – Albert
4th – Haruka
5th – Kaede
6th – Kyle
The first-place winner was someone from Neo Sportsbrooke and the second place was from Lha'li. Something was not right based on the placements from the swimmers and the physics of water. Did someone know how to break through the edge?
Kotetsu gasped upon seeing Kaede's placement as Asahi's eyes were like a deer in headlights. Ai and Momo almost cried in sadness to see this happening.
In the multi-purpose room, the other swimmers were indeed shocked and disturbed by this.
"Haruka-senpai…" Rei muttered.
"Haru…" Makoto lowered his head.
"Dammit…" Rin grunted, "How did this backfire? Everything was fine!"
"I'm gonna check the footage," Sousuke said.
"Wait, but isn't the backstroke coming up?" Makoto reminded him.
"I can get there quickly enough," he reassured him.
"I'll go with you," Ikuya replied, "In case you need to find your way."
Kaede growled to himself at the wall, looking at his hands. Was he exhausted from yesterday's swim?
"Haru-chan…" Nagisa almost wanted to cry.
"We must keep composure for ourselves," Seijuurou reminded them, "We'll figure out what happened."
"This is horrific…" Aoba replied, "Did we exhaust our energy too soon?'
Back in the hallway between the main deck, Alex stood there in a numb-like sensation. Albert barely got the bronze medal. He wanted to step into the scene but didn't want to cause the media going crazy. Alex closed his eyes in hopes of seeing Kyle appear here, but he felt a hand on his shoulder.
He turned to see Natsuya and Nao with a sad nod from their faces.
"They have swum far and well," Natsuya replied, "For them to make it this far is alone, just incredible."
"The competitions are only going to be more challenging as time moves forward," Nao added.
"I just…I wish…no…I need," Alex muttered before turning to them, "I need to continue that special training. You said I had two more rounds to face."
"That is true but with the developments that are happening…" Natsuya said.
"I don't care," Alex looks at them, "Please allow me to continue this. I don't know what's going on, but I need to keep improving myself."
"You know where to find us then," Nao said, "Until then, keep yourself in check."
Once Alex was out of their range of hearing, Natsuya looks at the silver-lavender haired man, "Does…he…know…?"
"I said nothing," Nao narrows his eyes, "I doubt the others would dare to leak anything. Then again, if he did, he would've reacted differently."
"We have to keep it cool about this," Natsuya replied, "I just hope he doesn't get mad about it."
"Operation Last Race…" Nao muttered, "Will this really be the answer for all of us? Are we really gambling all we have?"
"I know I'll fight the authorities if it boils down to it," Natsuya answered.
"Knowing you," he chuckled, before getting serious, "But you're right…we must keep moving forward. Which reminds me…did you get that…done?"
"It's safe in the locked drawer with Governor Amakata," Natsuya revealed, "All of them, custom made…"
"Something tells me this will be the ending they deserve," Nao smiled.
Storyline A: The Final Reckoning
Proximity to the Rhodinean Cathedral Palace
The fires around them were not red like before but now in blue and white, increasing the heat and energy to burn them to ashes. Kotetsu, Albert, and Kaede closed their eyes, keeping Alex safe in their arms, almost as if defeat was finally upon them. Yamato looked up to see a strange bizarre of light flashing into the night space like a portal opening…
"ARTI-CORAN…SUB-FREEZE, FROSSSSSTTTT!"
All the flames suddenly were extinguished out, distracting the twins as they looked up to see their next opponents finally appearing.
"W-what the?!" Kotetsu gasped.
"This can't be!" Kaede's eyes widened.
The four landed on the ground, each dressed based on the four spirits of Iwatobi, Samezuka, Mayfield, and Arizona, chanting, "We are the Articoran Swimming Guardians!"
"Suiei Natsume!"
"Suizi Kuramoto!"
"Suiei Isurugi!"
"Suiei Hayahune!"
Angered, the twins disappeared along with the cathedral palace.
"W-what the?!" Albert shouted.
"I thought we'd be there by now!" Kotetsu growled.
"Must have been a complete illusion," Yamato narrowed his eyes.
Alex turned to the four Articoran senshi as he smiled in relief, "Thank you guys! Oh my goodness, I can't believe my Mizu God made you guys Swimming Guardians!"
"You can thank Pandora and your ancestral self later," Misaki revealed.
"More numbers are always welcomed," Albert nodded.
"But how the hell did you guys manage to get this far? Did Suiei Kronos managed to do something?" Kaede asked.
"After we awaken to our senshi powers, Kronos was no where nearby to send us out," Romio revealed, "But then we saw an odd-looking star into the night sky before Mizu Marotta urged us to follow that path."
"We heard cries of battle as we flew in, so it had to be you," Shizuru added.
"But…how did even such power get to you guys?" Alex tilted his head.
"It certainly wasn't from me," Yamato said.
"Not us," Kotetsu grunted.
"The power of the Chaomos Crystal…" Alex rested his fist over his own heart, "Did it really go that far beyond to reach out to you guys?"
"A power far beyond control," Yamato nodded.
"And the rest of the spirits?" Alex asked, changing the subjects a little.
"They're with the Mizu God as they'll collaborate some extra protection to the planet," Kaoru said.
"Well, we're gonna have to keep moving forward to finding the palace," Albert turned to the empty space that it once sat in.
With this, they all took off in another round of flying through the empty space as they saw more occasional crystals spotting around. This whole game of hide and seek was really exhausting. In the horizon they could see the castle flashing back and forth a few times. Kaede was ready to have a fit when Shizuru and Kotetsu worked together on their x-ray vision components to see around.
"I think, at about 0.15 degrees from this spot to the slight right, might be leading us…" Kotetsu muttered.
They angled their flights and followed in the said direction. More crystalline structures were present as they journeyed closer.
Is this the real location, Alex thought, are we getting closer now Memnon?
Suddenly, a burst of light attacked them from behind. Albert, Kaede, and Kotetsu gasped as they quickly got to work with their powers.
"MAKARIA…CROSSSSIINNNGGGGG, BLAADDEEEEE!" Kaede shouted as he raised his Upgraded Crystal Marlin Thin-Sword in a yellow-orange-colored cherry blossom petals and a few maple leaves. He pointed his sword outwards to unleash an energy-based attack.
"RORQUAL, ECHOOOOO, SLAYINNNNGGGG!" Albert chanted, spinning his Valhalla Forked Blade among the background of silvery petals and vine leaves. The shooting component also unleashed spheroid-blasts along with the main attack.
"MOBULAAAA, ROTATIONNNNN STING!" Kotetsu scraped the Crystal Stinger Claymore on the ground at first to create a scratch-effect before pointing it outwards. He chanted with a breeze of metallic bronze scaled atoms and slash effects, aiming all its energy at his opponent.
The trio roared out towards the evil twin senshi with all their might. Alex, Yamato, and the Articoran Quartet gasped to see this fight breaking out. At first the trio seemed to be getting the upper hand at first. The twins grew angrier by the minute as their powers were now coming in from Memnon, pushing back from the heroes.
Above, the crystals that were under the control of Chaos now aimed towards them. Alex cried out but it was too late…the crystals transformed into flames and stabbed through each of them, releasing their own heart crystals before collapsing to the ground. The twins laughed and snatched them before disappearing again.
Alex rushed over to Kotetsu while Yamato went to check on Albert. The quartet guys went to Kaede.
"A-Alexander…my prince…" Kotetsu breathed, "R-remember us…"
"H-Hehpai…" he answered, trying hard to not cry, "Your will always have a place in my heart."
Kotetsu smiled sadly before finally closing his eyes as his body along with the other two dissolved into ash and dust, scattering into the soft wind. Alex teared up again briefly as Yamato rested his hand on his shoulder.
"I'll be the one to help you," Yamato answered, "Let's get to Memnon."
Alex nodded as he turned to the quartet, "Let's go. We have to save everyone now. This is OUR war."
A bit more fog drifted in around them for several long moments. Finally, when it cleared, they were standing about 1/8th of a mile away from the real Rhodinean Cathedral Palace. The darkness and the gloomy texture loomed high and horrific before their very eyes.
"We're finally here…Memnon," Alex looked at the darkness ahead, "Our Final Battle begins now…"