"How many moons have passed since I first awoke in this decrepit spiral?" The Cursed Presence whispered in a low, rustic voice. Their timbre was dry, rhythmic and held traces of a once melodic, sweet sound. Now, all that remained was the sorrowness of their blight. Ashes of bitter torment instilled by a primal, ancient fear of which remains in even the smallest crevices between their fingernails. "A hundred? A thousand?" It laughed. Despite the old walls providing shelter from one another, the other accursed beings crawled back in fear. What they hated more than its laughter, however, was its silence. What it thought, they feared. "No longer do I count the days that have passed, but with this revelation I open my heart to those that will come to pass. The solstice is dawning among us. What shall the new morrow bring?"
9 A.M. - WAJIMA ANTIQUES
That is what the clock read.
BRRRRNNNNNNG! BRRRNNNNNG!
Haruto sprung from his bed, terrified. Well over a few feet in the air, his heart nearly stopped at the blaring sounds of an alarm. "Oof!" The young man hit the floor quite painfully, falling face first onto the pristine wooden floorboards. Eugh, he could taste the dust in his mouth. When was the last time he cleaned? Hurricane magic sure would make this a lot easier. Or, maybe it would make a total mess of his room, as Koyomi might say. Sometimes, he figured that despite him being the magician she knew more about the consequences of magic than he did.
The incessant ringing continued to drill his ears. A hand slaps onto his small end table. He desperately searches for the clock, but to no avail! Blind and deaf, how is he ever going to get out of this mess?! "Good grief…" He muttered, tossing his palm around like it was no biggie; without a care in the world for what he knocked over. "Found you!" He laughed, knocking over the clock. It shattered into several pieces; various springs and gears piling up next to his bed. It was strange, because he didn't remember setting an alarm.
"You're up." Koyomi was at his door. "I was beginning to worry."
"Did you set this up?" He raised a brow her way, looking a tad bit annoyed.
Much unlike herself, Koyomi returned a teasing smile. Dipping her head over, and crossing one arm over to the other, she tapped her boots against the floor and laughed. "If I didn't then you would've slept in." It wasn't like her at all to be so joyous and speak in such a cheeky manner. Not to say she was a cloud of rain, but she wasn't always a bright sunshine either. The best way to describe Koyomi was… Well, she was complex. To try to summarize Koyomi would be doing her a disservice, she like him had a lot going on, but what he did know is she wasn't one for practical jokes. It appeared as though this trip had inspired a different side of her to surface. One a little more immature and instigating. It made him happy to see her in this way. For all the changes though, she still maintained her nurturing and compassionate personality. Even in her most devious actions, Koyomi was a being of pure kindness.
It was what he admired most about her.
"Alright, but at least let me know next time." Haruto yawned, standing up. "We're not late, are we?"
"No. No one has arrived. Are you certain they know where to look?"
"Well, they were certain on where to send the letter." He started stretching. First his arms, high into the air over his head with his fingers intertwined. Shimmying left, then right, then left again. Behind his back, and out in front of the girl's face. Next were his hips, moving in a circular motion, and then his legs. Hey, it may look goofy, but everyone needs to stretch: even badass heroes.
"So," he yawned. "What did you end up packing?" Nothing like a little tea to wake a tired soul. Fortunately, Koyomi was already on it. She poured them both a cup.
"Only what I felt I needed." She sipped on her tea, directing her eyes away from Haruto; aimed to the floor. She drank as if it wasn't hers to drink. In a weird way, it was pretty adorable. "You haven't even begun, have you?"
"I don't exactly have a lot to pack." One thing to note about Haruto was that he was a very minimalist kind of person. Perhaps, it was just another effect of being a hero. His hyperfixation on being the one who saves everyone didn't leave much room for him to shop all the time, outside of the instances in which he took Koyomi out. He always enjoyed those moments, just them. It reminded him of where it all began, and although the Sabbath was one of the worst days of his life it was also one of the greatest. After all, he met Koyomi. There was a faint sense of nostalgia to that time in spite of the horrific events that lead up to it.
The door swung open. It was Shunpei and Rinko once again. Both of them were lugging around their keepsakes. Shunpei, with a gigantic camping bag that certainly was not needed for its size given how it knocked him straight to the floor after smacking against the door frame, and Rinko carrying a mature looking suitcase. Although, it didn't exactly present the image that she expected, because it was an old hand-me down. There was definitely a thing as too mature where it bordered on being old.
"Oh, you didn't miss the ride!" Haruto jokes, knowing full-well that he is on the other end of the punchline. "Another minute later Koyomi and I would be gone."
"Really?!" Shunpei asked, grabbing him by the collar. Haruto nearly choked on his biscuit going down the wrong hatch because of that.
"Y-yeah!" He hacked up a storm. Out of genuine concern, and genuine idiocy, Shunpei wrapped his arms around Haruto's back and proceeded to pull off a heimlich maneuver.
"Someone, grab water!" Shunpei shouted, urging either of the women to fulfill his dire request. His motion for support only made it worse, as Haruto struggled to maintain his composure in the midst of losing his breath thanks to his hero coming to his rescue. Shunpei was… Well, persistent if anything. Not exactly reliable. No, sometimes he caused more trouble than what was worth, but he had a knack for reaching out his hand to help people. If only the hand fit the glove, as they say…
KNOCK-KNOCK!
Someone was at the door.
KNOCK-KNOCK!
Koyomi grasped the handle nervously and opened it. A small, wide imp was standing in the frame. It had violet coloured skin, and was bald with dark hollow eyes. Its head was more square than it was round, with angular seams. There was a noticeable rhombus-shaped rough blotch of white on its right cheek; this wasn't an indication as normal for any being this creature belonged to. Hands with five fingers, the tips claw-like, and shaped like drills with beautiful, smooth gyrating etches that showed a clear display of natural craftsmanship. Its most prominent feature, aside from the shortness (standing at half the size of Koyomi herself) and unconventionally coloured skin, was its jaw. Angular and thick, its jaw appeared slightly off hinged. It didn't particularly sag or droop like a large mutt, but he had quite the underbite to say the very least. Oh, and it had the teeth of a sabertooth!
"WONDERFUL, I FIGURED I'D BE HERE ALL DAY!" It strolled in as if it owned the place. The creature was carrying a small notepad, much like the one Rinko carried on duty. "HM. SURE SEEMS TO BE THE PLACE." It spoke with a voice that could move mountains. "SAY, Y'GOT A SMIDGE OF TORDEL I CAN PINCH OFF OF YOU?" It asked Shunpei, climbing up on the couch and sitting next to him.
"W-what?" Shunpei replied in a soft whisper.
"BAH, THAT'S OK. WE'LL PICK ONE UP ON THE WAY." The small, yet greatly wide creature scanned the room. "SO, YOU'RE SOMA HARUTO THEN, HUH?"
"Um, well no…" Rinko tried to correct them, but to no avail. They skipped to the beat of their own heart.
"GOTTA SAY, YER A LOT LANKIER THAN I EXPECTED." It chortled, storming up a riot of laughter.
"Actually, sir, that's Haruto!" Shunpei tossed him in front of the creature.
"HM. I STAND CORRECTED, GUESS YOU'RE ALL LIKE THAT."
"What are you?" Rinko asked.
"ME? WELL, CALL ME YOUR ONE WAY TICKET TO CELESTICE ISLAND, BUT I 'SPOSE YOU COULD SAY I'M A DWARF."
"A dwarf?" Koyomi and the others gathered around, mystified at his appearance.
"WHAT, Y'ALL GOT A STARIN' PROBLEM? AIN'T GOT SOMETHIN IN MY TEETH, DO I?" He opened his mouth, and a putrid cloud of revolting trash singed through the air. Even a whiff of it was more than enough to make everyone want to throw up. Their teeth weren't in good shape either; edged out like a shark's and spread out generously - this wasn't a mouth you ever wanted to get a hand caught in.
"This island must be much more magical than I thought." Haruto muttered, still caught in his own disbelief. For all that he has seen in his adventures, he was unable to process that there was a real life dwarf sitting impatiently on their couch.
"WHY, O'COURSE!" The dwarf spread its legs out. They could not reach the table. "CENTRAL DESTINATION FOR ALL MAGIC AND NON-MAGIC EXPENSES, PLEASURE TO YOUR HIGHEST DEGREE OF DELIGHT AND SIGHTS YOU LOT BE BEGGING TO BE CHAINED TO!" One thing was for certain, he sure knew how to sell the place. Who could say how many times this dwarf must've rehearsed those lines? It rolled off his tongue as naturally as any other phrase like Hello! Or Good morning! "NOW, WHAT'RE WE STANDIN' ROUND FOR?" He leaped off the couch. "AIN'T EXACTLY LIKE THE SOLSTICE GON' WAIT."
"Hold on." Rinko halted him with the raising of her palm. The dwarf stood confused. "Who are you?"
"WELL, IF WE'RE SKIPPING THE FORMALITIES…" He posed with his fists against his hips, grinning proudly. "NAME'S HORTAR. I'LL BE THE ONE BRINGING YOU LOT CROSS THE SEA, SO BEST NOT GET ON MY BAD SIDE IF YOU DON'T WANNA GO OVERBOARD." No one said anything. Haruto had to slap himself a few times; was he still in an odd dream? "... THAT WAS A JOKE. MOSTLY."
Our cast eventually made it down to the harbor. Multiple times on the bus did others ask if their companion was wearing a costume, or an advanced puppet of some sort. A few children, who clearly had no sense of decency or a filter, asked if he was deformed. Hortar only replied begrudgingly, and he was quite rude to all the passersby who so much as glanced at him. "YOU PEOPLE SURE GOT A PROBLEM STARIN', DON'T YOU?" He 'whispered' to Shunpei. "YOU KNOW, NOT A FAN OF THIS… GROUND LEVEL TRANSPORTATION. KEEP TRYIN' TO SUGGEST TO THE BOSS MAN WE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CARRY A CAPSULE-CLOUD, BUT ONE TOO MANY ACCIDENTS AND WE'RE STUCK TO GROUND LEVEL. HEY, IT AIN'T LIKE ITS OUR FAULT. NOT AS IF WE'RE PILOTS."
"I'm starting to regret this." Koyomi muttered, huffing in a displeased manner.
"Come on, save your judgment until we get there." Haruto smirked, nudging her lightly with his elbow. "You sure packed a lot, huh?"
"I wasn't sure what to bring." She shrugged. There were two lavender dyed bags sitting in front of them. They took up a quarter of the bus alone. This was her first outing past the district they resided in. The longest trip she could remember was from that beach on that fateful day. Although she was terrified and had no memory, it was Haruto's warmth that guided her down a dark path. Some things change, and some things remain the same, but this wasn't something that Koyomi wanted to change. When she was around Haruto, she felt safe. Not just because of his magic, but because of what resided in his heart; the determination to keep going in spite of whatever adversary he may come to encounter. It was this will that inspired the hope that was reciprocated between the two.
Koyomi wondered what the outside world was truly like. For some reason, she had faint images that the woman was unable to recall. They were scarce in nature, and never consciously appeared on the forefront of her mind, but these pictures existed. At first, she chalked it up to her imagination, but the scenery was far too familiar to deduce that it was a landscape Koyomi's mind had conjured up. Not only that, but no story book or show she was able to find gave her release with an answer either.
What planes plagued her mind?
Narrow hallways of a home she never knew, leading into a white painted bedroom. Despite its emptiness, save for the occasional treasure chest that remained opened with tons of little doohickeys she swore she has never played with, the gentle spring breeze blowing in from the cracked open regally shaped window is what stood out most to her. Even now, as she closed her eyes, Koyomi was able to process what it felt like. It was slightly moist, much reminiscent to the kind of wind one encounters on a white cloudy day before a light shower of rain, and there was a hint of frost from the embers of winters whose bitterness still lingered in the deepest crevices of her heart.
When she tried to see where the sky led, however, Koyomi was cast out of this memory. By some benevolent force, she found herself walking along footbridges pounded into the stone beneath a cast of soft, white sand. Koyomi could kneel down and scoop it up if she concentrated hard enough, but the feeling of it never lasts for more than a mere second. Where did these locations exist? For now, they resided in between reality, in a space only she could visit.
This was Koyomi's underworld, and no one - not even Koyomi herself was allowed in. It hurt to keep this a secret from Haruto, especially since he was always honest to the greatest extent for their sake. It wasn't out of negligence or mistrust that she remained the only person to know about this, no. It was due to a personal responsibility, to which she felt inclined in owing to herself. Haruto was always taking the lead for others, being their hope and exploring their innermost treasured memories when they could no longer continue. A valiant and noble pursuit, but was it taxing on him more than he spoke of?
She was no fool. Koyomi watched countless times after a phantom encounter just how exhausted he appeared. Not just from the overexertion of magic, to which Koyomi unfortunately had to leech from every day, but how straining watching innocent people slip away from their will to live truly was. No one but Haruto and Koyomi were able to comprehend the immense deal of responsibility he was cursed with; only her ideas scraping the very surface.
She understood that whether he liked to admit it or not, being a hero could be a burden, and she didn't want to cause the young man any more trouble than he already had on his plate.
Still, the flashes were getting more frequent. At first, her previously non-existent underworld lingered as ashes only in her dreams, but now when she closed her eyes it remained visible and more vivid than ever. It caused no sort of trouble physically, but this was a point of concern that she righteously opted to explore on her own. Koyomi and the mystery belonged to her, as will the answers.
"You have no underworld." The past echoing voice of the ringed magician spinning in her ear. Once, they had tried to find her memories through traveling in her heart, but much to both their disappointment, nothing was inside her. Nothing other than a hollow, empty void. Perhaps, that might be all her existence truly was. An imitation of something you can never recount for. Phantom, human… It didn't matter, because neither title amounted to invoke any sort of response to the burning questions on her mind.
She felt real, but what did her perception have to say about her identity? Can you even call yourself a person if you are disbarred from expressing all facets of who you are?
Even so, Koyomi tried to embody a positive attitude for this trip in spite of her inner doubts. It was a good chance to take in the world she found herself placed in, regardless of her role in it. What excited her more than that was the prospect of being able to make use of an island home to magic. As she suggested to Haruto prior to departing for the bus, there exists a whole new world out there that neither she nor he were aware of, and maybe this world could prove more useful to them than anything before. If fortune was on her side, then there may be an undiscovered region of magic that might finally put to rest the mystery of who Koyomi was.
'We can't tell.' A phrase so dismissive, and the more she heard it the more hope it inspired.
"HOIST UP AND SETTLE DOWN!" Hortar encouraged, holding out his arms towards his passengers. The boat itself was a cabin cruiser; it had two floors, the surface with a back end deck and the cabin itself. It was a quaint little room to relax in if you needed to take the edge off of the perilous sea. Shunpei was checking out every inch, curling his fingers on the corners along the leather chairs.
"Am I in heaven…?" If he died in some freak accident, he wouldn't care because a man could die happy if he rested his rump on the bottom of this chair. "Woaaaaaah…!" It had a recliner!
"Have you never sat in something like this?" Rinko asked, letting out a whiff of light, exasperated air. Any witty comment she would've made at his overreaction dissipated the moment she followed through in mirroring his actions. It was a tranquil, serene feeling. There was nothing more relaxing than sitting in comfortable chairs that belonged to you, and only you! No one else.
"ALRIGHT, NOW THERE ARE A FEW RULES." Their Captain had them lined up on the deck, standing like soldiers. Haruto swore he could hear a little military jingle, but no one else seemed to say anything. "ON THIS VESSEL, YOU SHALL ADHERE TO THE UTMOST RESPECT. THIS FINE BEAUT MAY LOOK LIKE A DIME A DOZEN, BUT SHE IS AN INDIVIDUAL! INDIVIDUAL," He threw his finger in the detective's face, probably meaning to stand face-to-face with her although there was no stool to be found. "YOU GOT THAT, LITTLE MISSY?"
"O-of course, sir!" Rinko sternly saluted. This was no different from the police academy.
"THAAAAT IS LAND TALK! IT IS AYE, AYE TO YOU!"
"Aye, aye, sir!" She corrected herself.
"THAT'S MORE LIKE IT." Hortar crossed his arms behind his back and started pacing around his passengers, which were starting to come off more like a crew - or maybe a more fitting term were soldiers. "I HAVE THREE RULES FOR BOARDING HER, AS I DO ALL THESE BEAUTIES. NUMBER ONE: STAY ON SHIP. IF YOU FALL INTO THAT OCEAN, I WILL NOT BE TURNING AROUND TO SAVE YOU."
This time, he chastised Haruto. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
"A-aye, aye sir!"
"SECOND RULE: DO NOT MAKE A MESS. YOU ARE ENTITLED TO KEEPING THIS BEAUTY A BEAUTY." He made his way back to the front of the ship, standing in front of the wheel. "LAST, AND CERTAINLY NOT LEAST: Have fun, won't you? Ain't every day you stumble upon the chance to have yours truly as Captain. NOW MAKE THE MOST OF THIS TRIP, PASSENGERS!"
Thereafter our heroes set sail for the mystical Celestice Island. The compass whirred in every direction, a supposed protection spell to mask the exact location of where this magical land lay, because according to their Captain the integrity of the island itself was maintained by well-planned secrecy. This was precisely the reason why very few sailors held the knowledge that bestowed the route onto curious ears. It wasn't that the Monarch held a grudge against those without "the gift" as it was colloquially referred to, but more or less that when a good thing is in your grasp you must do whatever you can to protect the sacred nature of it. Otherwise, you may spoil what you didn't appreciate or worse - lose it all. Their secrecy was not built upon hatred, but love.
"Are you sure we shouldn't wait until we dock?" Koyomi asked, slinging one of her humongous bags over her shoulder.
"The vacation doesn't start with our destination, it starts as soon as you depart!" Shunpei reassured, he was as chipper as ever. "That's what my mother used to say, because you shouldn't wait until you get there to start having fun!"
"Still, what if I spill something?" Koyomi swayed her hips, frowning with her eyes directed to the floor.
"That's nonsense! The only thing around us is the ocean." The girl had never truthfully never been on a boat, and she began to realize she had a developing case of motion sickness. The less anxious she was, the better for her stomach.
"Hey, you'll look great." Haruto said, gazing out at the ocean. It was endless. There was bliss in the ease of having control over yourself in the water. It wasn't really his style to let someone else control their direction. "You're not alone in this."
"OK."
A few minutes later, all of them were waiting on the deck, staring down into the cabin below and anxiously anticipating Koyomi's return. Together, in a rhythmic choral they cheered her on. "Koyomi, Koyomi, Koyomi, Koyomi, Koyomi!"
"Alright, alright!" Her voice could be heard from below. "Just… don't laugh, OK?" Plink, plank. Plink, plank. The sounds that all of them had been waiting the last ten minutes for finally approached. Rinko bit her tongue in anticipation, Shunpei held Haruto, and Haruto covered his mouth with the palm of his hand. From the depths of the cabin that held all the world's greatest secrets, Koyomi Fueki emerged.
Where to begin?! Koyomi was sporting an adorable wide-brimmed, floppy straw summer hat with a long black-laced tie that extended down past her collarbone. Resting upon her eyes was a pair of large, round white sunglasses with dark lenses. She was wearing a white top-knot shirt that had the graphic of a blossoming rose coming down from her left shoulder, and beneath that was a black/white zig-zagging summer skirt. Lastly, a pair of polka-dotted sandals.
"It's not too bland, is it?" Koyomi seemed unsure of herself.
The entire deck cheered. "It fits you in the best way." Haruto said. Koyomi couldn't help but to burrow her face deep within her hat after that.
Next was Shunpei! He didn't take as long as Koyomi did to get ready. No, he was up and out in almost an instant, as if he'd been wearing this pair of clothing underneath his usual curtaining attire. Much unlike his usual, brightly coloured and mismatching outfits he was wearing much more simple yet still effective patterns. A blue collared button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up, fitted nicely with an off-brand cargo shorts and to top it all off? Wooden platform sandals! "Tada!" Shunpei struck a heroic pose. "How's this?"
"You look like you're about to go fishing." Haruto laughed. "Rinko-chan, you're up next."
Rinko bedazzled them with their beauty. She wore a mature, violet sundress with navy blue and taffy spots. On the top of her head, Rinko wore a matching headband. The three of them held their breath, their faces as bright as cherries. It was a refined sleek look, an appeal that kept all of them speechless. "Isn't anyone going to say something?!
"Beautiful…" Koyomi whispered. She was a bit envious despite her own allure.
"Yeah…" Haruto nodded. "How come you don't dress like that all the time?"
"Hmph." Rinko crossed her arms. She smirked at his back-sided compliment. "You wouldn't be able to focus on saving anyone otherwise."
Finally, the last one was Haruto.
"Aren't you going to change, Haruto?" Shunpei asked. He had been anticipating the Grand Wizard's summer transformation the most out of all. If there was anyone who knew style, it was Haruto.
"He didn't pack anything." Koyomi said frustratedly.
"That's not true." Haruto dismissed with the wave of a hand. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. "Found this one yesterday. I'm sure Wajima-san won't mind." The ring slipped onto his finger, and all that was needed to be done now was the flip of a switch.
DRIVER ON.
CHANGE OUTFITS, PLEASE!
A red sigil was conjured out of the air and engulfed Haruto. In a matter of seconds, his outfit changed completely! Now, he was in the right fit for a summer vacation! Our ringed magician was sporting an open buttoned summer shirt that was a cantaloupe shade of orange with thickly outlined orange patterns of wheat plastered all over. It was the type of shirt you would probably wear as a tourist of Okinawa, and beneath that he wore a pair of studded, multi-belted plaid shorts. To top it all off he wore zebra-striped open toed sandals.
"Yo." Haruto raised his hand, his index and middle finger pointing to the sky with his thumb aimed back at himself. Judging by their faces, he knew one thing was for certain: Haruto Soma was an expert in style.
LATE AFTERNOON:
ABOARD THE HIGHLANDER
The sun was shining, the wind was blowing and all was right for once in the world. At the very least for Rinko Daimon. She was sprawled out under the sun on a beach chair that was stuffed in the back of the cabin, and laying in serenity with the sounds of gentle waves brushing against the sides of the ship. The young detective wasn't doing much of anything at the moment, but that was the genius of it all: she was doing nothing. Very rarely did you get a break on the force. Often, a job so demanding with ideals of duty force you into working well past you should to obtain results that the back of your mind begged for.
Never did the topic of satisfaction dawn upon her. Don't be mistaken, she loved her job; following in her father's footsteps and serving the public was highly rewarding. Still, she couldn't shake the inclination to pursue as many cases as possible without ever a time to rest. She was unable to remember the last time she ever went out for herself. As hard as she tried, no images of restaurants or unboxing a package she'd been awaiting in the mail for weeks popped into her head regarding this year. Before signing onto the force, she used to happily toss her money she made out the window on trivial things Rinko did not need. In retrospect, her consumerism was to fill the void that the force attempted to mend. Nonetheless, if it wasn't buying as much as possible to fill her now barren room (she had rid of her previous commodities upon joining several years ago) then it was solving crime.
Several nights, Rinko had spent either staying late at the precinct or by her desk working tirelessly. It wasn't just a need for duty, it was a compulsion that had overtaken her life. Maybe it was in response to her father, or her mother which remained largely absent in her life since his passing. Either way, she didn't want to be alone with her thoughts, so burying yourself in work seemed to be a great way to cope. At least, until you realize that work was all you ever did, and there was nothing outside that. No family, no boyfriend, no friends… She was alone, until recently. Meeting them on that chance day was the greatest thing that had happened, because a piece of her once thought lost was now being filled.
This vacation was the second best thing in her life, and she'd only been on this boat for a few hours!
"This spot taken?" Rinko removed her headphones. It was Haruto!
"Take a seat." She ushered. He did so. "Come on, pull up the chair." He obliged.
"Oi," Haruto poked at the tall glass by her side. "What's that?"
"This?" She picked it up like it was one of those very commodities Rinko was dreamily encapsulated by on late night TV. "Well, let me tell you what it isn't." She joked, twirling around the umbrella straw. "A waste of your time. Try it." She urged.
"You sure?"
"Since when were you so afraid of germs?" Haruto raised his brows, as if to say 'true.' Then, he took a sip. He was in love from the very moment it touched his tongue! The oversensation sweetness of fruit beautifully combined with the yogurt and was that… cinnamon?! The amount of flavor alone had him leap out of his seat.
"It's delicious…!" His mana was replenishing as he spoke, and before he knew it he was gulping down the drink, much to Rinko's dismay.
"H-hey!" They fought over it like children. "I didn't say you could take it all! Don't you know what a free trial is, Haruto?!"
"Let go, let go, let go!" Haruto pleaded, Rinko had him in an arm-lock. He held tightly onto her drink, but begged to be released. It seems police training did pay off, after all. Rinko snagged back the drink and took her seat.
"Have you always been that strong?" He asked, rubbing his wrist.
"You aren't the only one who has a few tricks up their sleeve, Mr. Magician." She sighed. "Two whole days, can't we live like this forever?"
"I wouldn't complain." Haruto stretched out. It was now that she noticed he had lathered tanning oil over his skin.
"Haruto…" She started, gazing at him as he lazed about. "What are you going to do after this?"
"Me?" Haruto chuckled. "Fight Phantoms, of course."
"After that." Rinko didn't sound too enthused by his sarcasm. Haruto went silent following that. He didn't speak for a long while. "After all the Phantoms are gone."
"I'm not so sure the Phantoms will ever really disappear." He shrugged. "As long as hope remains, so does despair."
"OK, let me rephrase it then." Rinko clicked her tongue. "What would you like to do?"
"Do I even have that luxury?" He asked, not to Rinko, but towards himself. Dreams weren't exactly his slice of pie to have. One dream was already tossed down the drain. The only passion he ever had outside of his work as a Rider was soccer, and that died ages ago. Before the Sabbath, Haruto was on the track to becoming a star athlete, but he gave that up. He doesn't think about it often, he hasn't since he first transformed. It was as though Sabbath erased what life existed before, and the only name Haruto held that was ever going to stick was the title of the magician. Sure, he might not be a Phantom, but was he still the man he once was? A man of his own volition?
Sometimes it bothered him, sometimes it didn't. It depended on the day. All that he knew is that whenever he was out there saving people, that is what kept him going. He didn't have time to sit and ponder about it. Haruto didn't have a term for what "it" was. Was "it" something he lost, or was "it" what Haruto gained? Maybe it was a bit of both.
"I'm not sure." Haruto answered. "I haven't thought that far ahead. It's a little too early for that still, isn't it?"
"Are you seriously considering being a Wizard your whole life?" Rinko sat up. "Don't you want more out of life?" He didn't answer that question. What could Haruto have said that would change the situation? Anything he did say would be wishful thinking or speculation for a future that didn't exist. As far as Haruto was concerned, it was his fate to live and die as a rider. He watched the sea from the balcony of the cabin cruiser. It was much darker, and a little bit rocky to say the least; not just from buoyancy either, there were small peaks of twisted rocks poking out onto the surface.
He wasn't an expert on the sea, but no ocean he was aware of off the coast of the southern Kanto region looked this rocky. Just where was this boat heading?
"You know, Haruto," Rinko leaned up with her back against the balcony. "Have to say, I can't help being a little envious at times."
"Why's that?" Haruto replied. His focus was directed at the ocean. It didn't feel right.
"As much as I try, I don't have the power you do to really fight back against the Phantoms." She sighed, finishing her drink. "I'm a Gate myself and here I am escorting people instead of being a protector."
"There's value in that." Haruto shook his head, speaking in a quicker voice. "Without you and Shunpei a lot of people would have fallen into despair, or worse."
"I wish I could do more." Rinko fiddled with the ring on her finger. "If I had the power you did…"
"Captain!" Haruto shouted. "Are we heading the right way?"
"ARE YOU DOUBTING MY NAVIGATION SKILLS, MAGICIAN?" Captain Hortar said. "DON'T WORRY, THERE'S A REASON THESE SEAS NEED SOMEONE LIKE ME ON YOUR SIDE. WARDS OFF THE UNWANTED." Their Captain laughed. "ALL YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IS GOING TOPSIDE."
"Are you sure that's all we need to worry about?!" Rinko stared out into the sea. It was then she noticed what Haruto was up in arms about! There was a humongous swirling circle in the sea.
"What's going on?!" Shunpei came up from the cabin after all that commotion.
"LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT A STRAGGLER!" The threat made itself known. Leaping twenty feet out into the surface, a humongous monster of a fish sprung out into the open. It was about fifteen feet long, and eight feet wide. Its scales were a crimson red, with black 'hairs' on its side that were so thick you could cover the size of double beds with a long, suffocating sheet that would choke the life out of anyone so unfortunate as to get caught under, and that's not to mention getting swiped with the thing! It had around 50 set of teeth on each end of its mouth, sharp enough to tear through metal.
It was showtime.
DRIVER ON - PLEASE!
"TRANSFORM!"
WATER, PLEASE! SUI-SUI, SUI-SUI!
Haruto successfully transformed into his water form. Without another thought, he leaped onto the balcony. Although he promised himself he wouldn't play hero on vacation, this was the exception. After all, who was he to ignore a good show?
"HEY, WHAT DID I SAY?! I AIN'T PICKING YOU UP IF YOU JUMP!"
"No need!" A blue sigil appeared, and so did his blade. Haruto leaped into the water, but he didn't sink beneath the surface. Instead, he landed on an ice platform of his own creation. The Shredder, as Haruto dubbed it later, swam between the fence posts; its humongous body strong enough to beat apart the edges of the sharp rocks to fit through where it needed to be. Initially, it came off as swimming sporadically, but it was a coordinated attack to circle around Haruto, and by the time he had run across into the battlefield he realized he'd walked right into the creature's trap.
"Woah!" One of its blankets swiped at him, and barely just in the knick of time did he shift into a pool of water to dodge. "... Too close." He switched the blade to gun-mode and began firing, but to no avail. It wasn't nearly as powerful as it needed to be in order to penetrate its skin. It came for him once again, this time charging straight his way. Not good. Not good! Haruto started running back across his frail bridge of ice, struggling to keep himself steady as the ice began to break beneath his feet. He couldn't go left, he couldn't go right - what was he going to do?!
Haruto leaped onto one of the rocky posts and clung on tight, buying him a few seconds to climb. The Shredder slowly turned its body, the left blanket riding its way over to where he was. Just in the knick of time he managed to avoid it, but not without the rock collapsing and sending him flying into the air! Switching back to the sword, he collected himself and controlled his motion. Falling in a spin, Haruto's blade began to generate a cyclone of water. The faster he fell, the stronger it became.
The beam of water sprouting from his weapon swept up various pieces of the debris, and with a swift motion he whipped it with such might that it shot out alongside the beams themselves and cut open the skin of the Shredder. It didn't do much, but that would have to do. Haruto plummeted deep beneath the surface.
"Haruto!" Koyomi cried out. Beneath the water, Haruto watched as several more pieces of rocky debris sunk into his vicinity. The Shredder was becoming agitated, and he needed a way to keep its attention without diverting to the ship. He reached for his driver.
WATER BODY GO, PLEASE!
Limbs of concentrated, high-pressure water generated around Haruto, deeply increasing his movement speed and general strength. He swam beneath the Shredder, following its movements. It was fast, in this form he wasn't able to keep up, and he wasn't about to waste all of his magic down here in an attempted blitz either! So, he started going crazy and using his fists against the stomach of the Shredder.
"Come on, take the bait!" The Shredder let out a shrill, echoing scream of pain that ruptured the motions of the ocean around them. The rapids swept up Haruto, driving him in circles. "Woah, woah!" He smashed into several rocky pillars, the pressure of his generated limbs shielding most of the damage and keeping him from totally breaking every bone in his body.
Now, he was face to face with the Shredder underwater. A much more freeing environment, Haruto could better telegraph its moves and act accordingly. It charged for him once more, but this time Haruto was ready, pulling up his limbs and ready to grab ahold of this beast by the front, like a daring matador holding out against a charging bull. Well, it's a good thing Haruto had never met a bull. The sheer strength of the Shredder was overwhelming, and it broke through his magic in an instant.
"Damn!" Haruto readied his weapon, but the Shredder swallowed him whole…
"He's been down there a long while." Shunpei nervously spoke up. "I-is he alright?"
It was dark, and damp inside of the Shredders mouth. He hadn't made it to the stomach, thanks to his quick thinking by latching onto its tongue, but what was he going to do from here? Come to think of it, this fleshy inside was a lot weaker than its outside. "You might want to see a doctor for this stomach ache." He started firing wildly inside the Shredder's mouth. It roared and shimmied, and Haruto held onto that tongue as if it were dear life! His hands were starting to slip, and he couldn't hold on for much longer.
Haruto continued firing. The Shredder could take no more, as it spat Haruto out. He went flying across the sea, all of his friends were able to view the splitting ends of his body being flung out far past the boat. "You must be hungry, huh?" Haruto thought to himself. This beast didn't give up, and he was starting to run empty on magic. Attacking it head-on would be worthless. Maybe defeating it wasn't the solution.
Haruto switched out his ring.
COPY, PLEASE!
Several copies of Haruto appeared in the water. He only had a few to spare, around four, but two on each end would have to do at this point. The rings switched once more.
HURRICANE, PLEASE! FU-FU, FU-FU-FU-FU!
The Wizard's suit was an emerald green, and light as a feather, even in the depths of the ocean.
COPY, PLEASE!
The last copy was one of his hurricane form. Two in water, two in hurricane, including him. He had one shot at this, or he'd be sleeping with the fishes. Charging for the Shredder, each team split off into a pincer attack. It was meant to confuse the opponent, he'd seen it in soccer before. A frontal charge that splits off, totally disorientating your adversary. Those rapids before did quite a number on him, and its time Haruto returned the favour.
Spinning in circles around the Shredder at rapid speeds, Haruto and his clones formed a massive cyclone around its body. Using the advantageous speed that water form provided, his trap sprung to life in a matter of 30 seconds. This wasn't going to be enough, though! He needed to show that their crew wasn't one to mess with, and that's why he needed the added air-pressure utilizing the last of his magic to pull the creature back onto the surface and into the air!
"There he is!" Shunpei shouted. Slowly rising from the sea, the Shredder flailed around within the cyclone. It was only a few feet off the ground but for a monster of that size it was impressive!
"Now, the finale!" Haruto shouted, and with one fell swoop, the four of them directed all of their energy towards the remains of the surrounding pillars. The cyclone turned into a mix of waves and huge gusts of wind which slowly and sluggishly, but successfully, rammed the creature right into them. All of the copies became one once more, and Haruto remained hovering in the air, exhausted and hoping that was enough to drive it away.
Fortune was on his side, because when the Shredder resurfaced, it swam away. It wasn't going to risk more of a beating. "Almost… had me there…" His driver switched off, deforming the Wizard back into his normal form, and Haruto collapsed into the ocean.
What happened next was him awaking in the cabin.
"You're alive!" Shunpei once again invaded his personal space in dire moments, wrapping around him with glee.
"I am?" Haruto weakly asked. "How did I…"
"THANK THE STARS THAT FISH TOOK A TOLL ON THOSE ROCKS. Y'ENDED UP LANDIN' ON ONE OF THEM FLOATING ISLES IT MADE."
"I thought you said you weren't coming back for me."
"ONLY IF YOU HIT THE OCEAN." Captain Hortar bonked his head, much to Haruto's dismay. "HEH, YOU AS DEAF AS YOU ARE STUPID? GOTTA SAY, NEVER SEEN A MAN FACE OFF A FISH THE SIZE O' THAT." He walked off. "BY THE WAY… YOU AIN'T MENTIONING THIS IN YOUR SATISFACTION REPORT, RIGHT?"
"..."
So began the journey to Celstice Island. The sailing itself took no longer than a few hours before their ship came across the coastline, and by evening they were a hair's bit further from the docks. Our heroes may have survived the perilous sea for today, but the grave danger that awaited them was still in slumber, lying restlessly until the day of the solstice. What lies ahead on the mystical land of paradise? Find out soon!
BACK IN TOKYO,
THAT SAME DAY…
Meanwhile, on some lone rooftop, the petrifying Phantom known only as Medusa awaited the arrival of her subordinate. "I expected you to be quicker than that, Phoenix."
"What's the rush?" He asked, revealing a sinister grin. "Is it time we finally slay that Wizard?"
"Insolence remains your strongest suit." She laughed. "We have a greater task at hand then pursuing your petty rivalry."
"What's more important than turning him into ashes?!" Phoenix burst into flames at the ludicrous suggestion.
"The Wizard and his allies have left town for a few days." Medusa turned back to him. "We shouldn't let this opportunity to create an army of Phantoms go to waste."
"Sorry, but you won't get the chance." Without a moment to waste, the Phantoms turned around. Standing there was a familiar adversary. It was another Rider, different from the ones they usually went up against. His suit was white with a black inner mask, and the helmet was shaped like a rocket. Behind the man stood two other Riders who appeared to be his posse. "I made a promise to my friend, and we're not about to go breaking that on the count of you spreading despair."
"You believe you can stop us?" Medusa laughed. "Just you?"
"That's the plan!" The Rider yelled in a joyous voice. He held his fist out and struck a valiant pose. "It's space time! Kamen Rider Fourze! Let's settle this one-on-one!"
AN: Yeah, I really like Kamen Rider: Wizard. Anyways, if you guessed the mysterious rider who Haruto called in the previous chapter was Kamen Rider Fourze, also known as Gentaro Kisaragi then congrats! I haven't seen much of Fourze myself, so I hope my characterization is on point. If you like the story PLEASE REVIEW :) because what I love most is seeing engagement, and criticism of my works. When school starts I'm going to have to upload less, but do not worry: you will not wait more than a month for a new chapter.
This chapter was posted on December 31st, 2022. I hope all of you get closer to achieving your dreams, and if you share that hope, then what are your dreams?