"The day has arrived." The Presence lay with his back against the cold, jagged ground. He had become so accustomed to this grating surface that the airing grooves in his body were no longer a concern. This was how it spent these lonely, eternal nights. It never ends, does it? All he knew were these daunting, dark walls that were conniving towards his end. These confines yearned for his resignation, but no… He had come too far to give in. How pitiful an actor he would be if he chose to remain in the shadows before his opportunity to take center stage came to pass. If he ran, then he deserved to die.
"I had a dream last night." The Presence whispered into the thin, cold air. "Of you, and of I under a field of a thousand stars. We shared nothing more than a fleeting glare, and suddenly my heart was blazing in a great rage. You were so silent, but even the tiniest critter could brush against the creases of your swelling soul." The Presence got to its feet, dragging itself to the edge of its cell. "It was marvelous. A beauty to behold for eons." Genichiro smiled.
"Tell me, do you dream?"
Once again, Haruto Soma was found crashed out in a strange, sprawled position that for most people would be rather uncomfortable, snoozing well past sunrise in these regal, vanilla sheets. "Zzz…" He snored, and how terribly loud it was! This room could be caught on fire, and Haruto would not awake from his slumber. Though, that was to be expected. Last night was quite the eventful one, and their group hadn't departed until after midnight.
It was more a surprise that Shunpei was awake, hunched over at the inscribing table and humbly working to the melody of his own peaceful hymns. His fingers were falling apart, but he refused to let go of his piece of art. On a technical level, it was more like a child's drawing than anything, though Shunpei was determined to perfect this tiny portrait. A ring, of cerulean colour with shimmering silver lining etched into a great pattern. It wasn't much, despite how cracked the boroughs of his callices were, oh, did they yearn for sweet, deserved release.
"Finally…" Shunpei wiped the sweat off of his brow. He set aside his equipment - which included a welding mask, a fairly fit apron (although Wajima insisted that he needn't wear such archaic clothing, his apprentice obliged out of courtesy for the history within their practice), and a few tools including a clamp, a hammer, pliers, ring mandrel for all your measuring needs, and last but definitely not least as this list is quite extensive – a trusty ruler.
He marveled in the sheer beauty of what he had created. A great, gentle grin found its way up the corners of his lips. It's only been a few weeks, and with many failures behind him, Shunpei could grasp the sensation of walking the right path. It was back that day on the beach, the day Haruto had gained a grand new form that Shunpei had become inspired to take up a new hobby.
A being of pure diamond who would cast an eternal ray of hope across the darkest of shadows. That is what it meant to be infinite. Shunpei gazed upon that diamond stature, and decided in a heat of passion that he had a greater purpose now known to him, once in the recessions of his blindspots. Haruto could turn tears into diamonds, and Shunpei was going to shape them!
Sure, he wasn't a magician – not by any means. Hell, he barely had any talent to begin with, but what he felt that day in learning this knowledge, and seeing a full display for himself, it called to him. His destiny. So, what if he wasn't much of a warrior? Every great warrior has won greater wars with an even greater weapon. It was the ultimate honor to sign his name on the tools that grafted themselves to the hands that could save the world. If it could save Haruto, it could save anyone. Save one person, save the world.
You could only save someone if you had the means, however. Shunpei caressed the ring in his hand, smoothing out the flaky edges of magi-gem dust. There was a zesty tingling between his fingers. It made him laugh, as joy in its purest form riddled through his skin. This needed to be tested immediately. "He wouldn't mind, would he?" Yes, yes he would.
Still, ambition was often suffocating. As one needs air while caught underwater, to be released from this desire to satisfy a taste of accomplishment, you have to push the limits a little. Nothing wrong with doing a little test drive here and there, right? Shunpei stopped and considered his options. He sat cross legged, pondering deeply about the pros and cons of his unlawful acts.
Shunpei weighed his options here…
PROS:
haruto-kun is readily available!
These rings are being suited for haruto, so haruto should be the one testing the ring to begin with.
Either way, haruto will have to test the ring!
If anyone can handle it, Haruto can! : )
If it goes well, haruto might entrust you in being his personal ringsmith
CONS:
Koyomi cannot test the ring, so haruto is your only option
Rinko-chan cannot test the ring, so haruto is your only option!
Haruto might be upset if it goes bad
Haruto looks so lovely sleeping
Not sure what it does.
An equal number of pros and cons… Who was to guess this outcome?!
"What do I do?" Shunpei sighed, resting his back against the chair, spinning in circles as he spiraled through his dilemma. The more thought he gave it, the less certain he became – and that was going to solve nothing. So, instead of thinking, as usual, Shunpei decided to act first and be forgiven later. "A quick test will not hurt, right?" He chuckled. "It's not like it's going to erase this room…"
Making a move no louder than a feather gracing against a silk pillow, Shunpei creeped across the room. He held the balls of his feet, which were decked out in multi-striped socks, and cautiously shifted across the wooden paneled floor. "C-careful…" Shunpei muttered to himself. One wrong move, one loud noise and it was all over…
"HHHHNNNNNK…!" Shunpei leaped at the sound of thunderous, disembodied roars. He nearly let out a high-pitched squeal, but his fear had completely overcome him in the moment at the thought of his plan going awry, and so he forced himself to become silent. As still as water in a decently sized cup, he didn't dare move.
"Shhoo…" What a loud snorer. Was Haruto this troublesome under the roof of Wajima? Shunpei couldn't imagine how little sleep the others got. Maybe, this was the real reason the girls were so adamant about sharing a room together… It was a surprise there hadn't been a noise complaint filed against them. The magician hadn't sounded that loud when he was working, but Shunpei assumed the noise of his craftsmanship concealed it. That must've been it. A meteor shower could pass right by Haruto and he would sleep through it.
He was half a meter in distance from the young man at this point. The gap between them was slowly, but steadily closing. This was good, his hand was right out there in the open. All he had to do was reach for it and…
Thwap!
Missing by a mere inch, Shunpei avoided the sudden movement of his hand. An instinctive slap! Did Haruto fight in his dreams too?! What sort of legendary battles could be preceding them… That was unknown. Maybe it was a great kraken, or a dragon – actually wait, he was a dragon. Dragons don't often seek hostility in each other, at least with what all those old storybooks told him. It would be a cool thing to see in action, however. Rarely did Shunpei see Haruto's dragon in person, but it was always a grand spectacle. Now imagine two! Still, he could never imagine Haruto having such a rough time, especially not after gaining access to that shiny new form of his. That power made Shunpei a little jealous, but it came with consequences. His best friend's battle was never-ending, and if lifting the burden off of his shoulders took the form of becoming a ringsmith then Shunpei would work day and night to be of great use. He'll elevate Haruto to the best he can.
On the topic of battles, he wondered… What would be able to kill a dragon? Very few creatures that he could think of. A kraken, a phoenix – maybe, but not the one they knew. Perhaps a chimera? The score never seems to be settled between Haruto and Kosuke, and not that Haruto would want to settle that score. That proves only to be a headache for everyone involved, and once you get the ball rolling with that guy it never stops. Maybe a whole other beast is needed to be a satisfactory foe for the mighty Haruto, but it is a blessing every day that Haruto makes it out on top. Let's hope that we don't come face to face with anyone that strong anytime soon.
"OK…" Shunpei muttered. "I'm going to show you what I've got…" He said, neither to Haruto nor himself. It was somewhere in between. With the precision of a surgeon, Shunpei slipped that ring between his fingers. Now, it was all in the driver. He wasted no time and shifted the magician's hand over his belt.
GRAVY, PLEASE!
A sigil hovered over their heads. Before Shunpei could stop to consider what he had heard, because he most definitely did not swim through the air like he was leising on the moon. Instead, a dark, steaming river of gravy came down as a rushing waterfall; it completely covered them both. Needless to say, it did prove one thing: Haruto Soma was not an endless sleeper.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry," Shunpei fruitlessly begged on his knees, but to no avail. Haruto grimaced, brushing a towel violently over his scalp.
"Oh, I was only trying to help!" Shunpei cried, clinging onto his knees.
"By taking me for a test drive?!" He shouted back, boiling in disbelief. Great, his clothes for the time being were ruined. So much for showing off his style, he would be lucky if he walked out of here without someone sticking a french fry in his ear. "What's gotten into you?"
"I swear on…" Shunpei desperately searched for the right words. "I swear on Koyomi's life I was trying to help!"
"Koyomi?!" Haruto screamed, becoming even angrier.
"Koyomi?" The door opened. It was Rinko, standing in the frame.
"Rinko?" They both jumped back.
"Me?" She raised a finger her way.
"Haruto?" Koyomi said. She was right next to Rinko.
"Shunpei!" The three of them finally figured out who to pin the blame on.
"What're you all doing up so early?" Haruto yawned, stretching his stained arms out into the air.
"Early?" Koyomi crossed her arms. "It's past noon, already."
"That can't be true." He shook his head. It seems he was more focused on the soaked strands of hair that were drinking way too quickly for the man's liking. Great, he'd be dunking his head in water for at least half an hour at this point just to wash it all out. That wasn't even taking into account the aftermath of what mess he would desperately try to salvage. Sometimes, he cannot help to wonder – why him, of all people? Call it the draw of luck.
"Isn't today the day of the festival?" Rinko asked.
"Ooh, that's right!" Shunpei replied, now freaking out far more than before. "Today's the day we've all been waiting for… I can't believe that we'll be leaving tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Haruto scoffed. "I'd be lucky if I could step outside today." He sighed. "Ugh, this is never going to come out."
Suddenly, Shunpei remembered. "Fear not!" He stammered to his engineering desk and handed our hero a package. "This was dropped off earlier today."
"What's this?" Haruto asked. It appeared that this had already been opened. Well, we all could say without a doubt who was meddling in the mail. The box was quite large, and inside there was a neatly folded new outfit! Inside was a suit consisting of a crimson coloured, gothic style jacket with dark undersleeves, and a regal, circular patterned outline. A black, puffy dress-shirt lined with a similar pattern, and with a fluffy collar that would wrap nicely around his neck. There was an ebony cravat, with wrists that bore the same shade. Thin slacks accompanied the outfit, with pointy shoes that fit seamlessly. Has he woken up in an angsty Victorian England?
There was a note attached to the package. It read, "A guest of great honor requires attire of great quality. Please, accept our gift. We hope to see you at the colosseum on the NorthEast side of Cestalia at 8PM. We are humbled by your presence.
The Emperor." Next to his signature was the official stamp of Celestice Island.
"Yeah, this works." Haruto grinned. "It's showtime."
CESTALIA CENTRAL - 6PM
As busy as ever, the streets were jam packed with travellers. "Does this place ever let up?" Haruto asked, strolling on by with his arms resting behind his head. He caught several glances aimed his way. Some more greeting than others, he figured it must just be his outfit. That, and he wasn't exactly a nobody in these parts. He wondered, was the visitation experience like this for all the others he had encountered the previous night?
Haruto could barely remember their names. Last night had been such a blur, he hadn't the faintest idea of how he crawled back to his bed. Speaking of, he hadn't had the chance to talk to Rinko about the ball. Yesterday, all he could remember is that she appeared to be in a bad mood, but that has since diminished - although she was acting a little more careful with her steps this evening. "Oi, watch out!" A rogue wheelbarrow came bustling down the street, just their way! It was full of melons!
Koyomi let out a scream and covered her eyes, but before she could be demolished, Haruto swept her off her feet and out of the way! The wheelbarrow swerved off to the side and into a lone, empty stand. Whoever owned that better have good business insurance. Thankfully, Rinko and Shunpei were not in harm's way either.
"Hi." Haruto said, staring back at Koyomi, who was quite shaken up. He was as red as a cherry.
"Hi." She replied, releasing a cheeky smile.
"What's up with them?" Rinko asked, leaning into Shunpei.
"Who's to say?" He shrugged, acting oblivious to mask the obvious.
From the opposite end of the street, a plump man came running his way.
"Aah, I'm so sorry!" He fell straight to his knees, groveling in deep contempt. "Please, do not sue! I'll do anything, I'll hand you my entire stock for free! Free of charge! Free of charge!" He kept repeating that last part. Haruto knelt down and poked his head.
"Hey, are you alright in there?" The man raised his head. Tears were streaming down his face.
"Please…" He cried. Haruto sighed. Maybe he should have tried to stop it. He helped the man to his feet.
"There's no need. It was an accident, nothing more." Haruto walked over towards the mess. Now everyone really was looking at him. Not all in amazement, however. "Guess your stock isn't in the best shape."
"That's all I have." The man regurgitated.
"I'm not here for compensation." Haruto shook his head, wiping his brows with his index and middle finger. With the help of his friends, they placed the melons aside. What could have caused the wheelbarrow to roll so awry? Judging by his desperation, it seems this man wasn't exactly well off. Perhaps, neither was his wheelbarrow. Wouldn't you know it, Haruto was right. The anchoring on the front wheel seems to have sustained damage. The steel was weak, and one side had snapped. That would explain the sudden lack of control. "It's in pretty bad shape."
"I haven't been able to repair it. Business… it never seems to sleep."
"Yeah, I get what you mean." Haruto shot him a sympathetic smirk. Different fields, same schedule. He got to his feet and fiddled around in his pockets, searching for the right one. "Ah, here it is."
"What're you going to do?" The man asked.
"Saving you some time." Our hero slipped the ring onto his finger. "Free of charge."
CONNECT, PLEASE!
FLAME, PLEASE. Hi-Hi, Hi-Hi-Hi!
Kamen Rider Wizard has taken complete form to the crowd's amazement. Several cheers were raised. He did a welcoming gesture and spun his cape, letting out a small chuckle. Bending back down to the task at hand, he inspected the anchor once more.
"Keep your distance!" Wizard instructed.
OVEN HANDS, PLEASE!
Flames enveloped his hands. The flames were a great, blue colour. He inched over the anchor, casting the bursting heat along the point in need. He grasped the anchor and the wheel, forcing them together whilst the fire continued to blaze. The heat slowly, but surely, started to weld the pieces back together. A great overcast of loose sparks went flying above Haruto. That warning sure did the crowd a favour, as no one could get near him. He was overdoing it a little, but it was a fast job – not necessarily one made for a first time engineer.
"There we go." Haruto exited his flame form. "Good as new."
"Oh, you've saved me!" The weeping farmer cried an ocean. "How can I ever repay you?"
"Well…" His stomach grumbled. "At least one melon couldn't hurt, right?" Haruto reached for a large, plump melon. It was still mostly in-tact.
"Of course!" Joyously, the four of them sat by the stands on stools and dug into the slices of melon. It didn't taste like any melon any of them had tried before. It was far more reminiscent of citrus, with a tangy flavour. Shunpei, who had stretched his neck out and asked for a drink, was amazed by the wonders of a smoothie.
It was golden, and swirled like a cloud. No piece of the drink was touching the glass! All it did was spin around, and latched onto the sensation of his tongue. He slurped it up, and there was a fluffy texture to it. A soft, banana-esque marshmallow drink. In spite of the ceremony starting soon, none of them were urgent to move. This was the life, basking under the sun with a nice treat to all their labours. Sweet, innocent peace.
That didn't last long. An old, smelly boot belonging to a brute smashed against their table, destroying it completely. Haruto glanced up, there were at least 3 men. None of them looked very friendly. In fact, they looked more like mercenaries fit for the sea.
"Are you Haruto Soma?" Their leader, a man with one eye asked.
"Nice shoes." Haruto said, glaring with patience wearing thin. "It's rude to leave your feet on the table."
"Hm, they didn't say this brat had a mouth on him." The men laughed among each other. "There's no way it could be this punk." Haruto got to his feet, urging the others to stay seated. This will be handled.
"You better be on the market for a good carpenter." Haruto examined the men. They had sheathes belted to their hips. As clear as day, those were weapons – curved blades. This could get real ugly real fast. "Because you're going to pay for that table."
Without another word, Haruto had a blade to his neck!
"Haruto!" Koyomi screamed.
"You talk a lot of shit for a dead man." Their leader spoke, their noses inches away from the other. The cold, silver steel brushed against the edges of his skin. Another move, Haruto would be nothing more than a pile of flesh swimming in a pool of blood. He tried to keep his composure here, but the truth is Haruto was terrified! He could feel his legs quivering in fear. Why, why now? This has never happened before, and he's been much closer to losing his life…
"Any last words?" He asked with a sly, hyenic voice.
"Don't get ahead of yourself so soon." Haruto raised his leg, as quickly as he could, straight into the groin of the mercenary! He stumbled in pain, and Haruto took this as his chance for opportunity, leaping with a spinning round-house to knock his foe flat on his ass.
"I'm here!" Rinko shouted, ready to leap into battle.
"Stay back!" Haruto replied.
"What?! Are you crazy?" Rinko was brimming with anger. "Let me tag in!"
"Not a chance!" A swipe from the second man, nearly cutting him into two had it not been for Haruto's quick thinking. He didn't want to get messy here, so his arsenal was a no-go.
"You don't get to decide that!" Out of the air, her fist collided with the second man's face.
"Where is this coming from?!" Haruto asked, narrowly saving Rinko by throwing his leg into one of the unattended man's guts - then following up with a strike to the side of his calf before releasing a crane kick flowing up into his jaw. The first one came back at him, moving for a piercing strike. Once again, he stepped out of the way just in time. The blade was jabbed into the wooden wall. Before Haruto could retaliate, their leader tore it out and rushed him with it.
Haruto raised his arms together, pressing them against the handle in an attempt to regain control.
"Graaaah!" Their leader pushed our hero back at a steady pace. It was difficult to keep his balance! If he lost it for even a second his head was coming clean off! No more room, the wall was just about to end! Might be a good idea to let loose! In the knick of time, Haruto kicked off the ground in a slipping motion, narrowly dodging the blade – which cleanly cut a sign that read SALE - HALF OFF!
Taking no breather to let him get the upper hand, Haruto issued a sweeping blow which knocked the mercenary off their feet. The third man, the bumbler of the bunch, showered his own sword at him! He quickly rolled out of the way, throwing his leg into the mercenary's back and knocking him into some tables. Kipping up to the ground again, he bashed his leg into their face, sending the fool straight into the dirt. They were strong, but uncoordinated. He figured, among all the chaos, that their presence was their greatest strength.
All the while, Rinko had managed to disarm one of them using a hold she had been trained for within the police academy. Manage the wrist, stop the attack and let the rest of the body fall. After he dropped the blade, she had him in an arm-bar. Fortunately, she sustained no injuries but a fragment of her fluttering hair has been wiped clean.
"We won't let you bring destruction to our island, Dragon!" Their leader shouted, standing toe-to-toe with Haruto in a struggle against the hilt of the blade. The shimmering steel was aimed downwards, gazing up at him with unrelenting fury.
"Destruction?!" Haruto yelled. "You're mistaken!"
"Can't… fool… us." Their leader gritted his teeth, barely clinging on. "You… won't… take our homes… We won't allow it!" Betting on a fatal gamble, Haruto brushed his leg through the ground, casting a great wave of dust between the eyes. "Augh!" This was it! With the opportunity of surprise, Haruto clawed the sword out of the man's loose hands and struck him in the face with the handle of the blade. That was that, the show's over.
Haruto tossed the blade aside and collapsed to the ground, struggling to catch his breath. What the hell was that?
"R-Rinko…" He muttered in a shaky voice. "Y-you could have been… hurt."
"Save it." Was all that she could muster. The crowd was still reeling in awe. Before the party could comprehend what had just occurred, a group of great knights started to surround them, breaking past the perplexed people. Standing at the front was the one person Haruto didn't want to see.
General Gorou Shima. He said very little, but his eyes spoke a thousand words. None of them were in Haruto's favour. All it took was one glance around the square for the General to make up his mind. Before Haruto could attempt to get a word out, he was picked up by the neck and lifted high into the air with the force of several mountains!
"What have you wrought upon us?!" He screamed, flailing him around as though he were nothing in the air, degrading him to less than nothing in front of all those who once cheered for him. "Look at what your presence has caused for these people!" Haruto couldn't move at all. None of the motor mechanisms in his apparent, fragile constitution responded to his desperate pleas! Without his stability cut off, Haruto suffocated. As the lights were dimming in his eyes, Haruto couldn't draw past the blazing lights in the General's. They were as powerful as the sun itself; their stare clawing at his skin and ripping him apart inch by inch as he grew nearer to losing himself. Beyond those restless eyes was a hatred never experienced, and past that in the glimmering depths of his retina was the one fiber of being in his last moments he would have never expected: fear.
A faint, bone-chilling vibration reached the last reaches of his mind. "You have no place in this world." Then, the next thing he felt was the cold, hard ground beneath him. Before he could comprehend what had just occurred, his friends were by his side while the knights rounded up the mercenaries. "You will leave before sunrise tomorrow." Gorou continued. Even at his cruelest, he refused to break eye contact with his victim. "If you do not adhere, I will split the sea and drag you all by the legs to protect the people of this island from your presence. Come next year, along with the remaining time you have left in your life – you will never step foot here once more. For your sake, you will bury our name."
Then, just as easy as he arrived, he left.
"No!" Haruto refused for the story to take this turn. Pivoting, Gorou saw the young man standing before him. His body moved as if it were jelly, but he stood among the wind of fate and fought back. "My patience is running thin, here."
"As is mine."
"All you've done is act tough, pushing my friends and I around. I've held my breath this entire time, and you keep throwing that back at me. If you have something to say, then say it!"
"Responsibility is not your strong suit." Gorou snickered. "Harassing our locals, causing destruction and trouble wherever you go. You threaten our peace."
"Harassment? Now you're just lying…"
"You lack control too, clearly. Unable to handle your companions – can you control yourself?"
"Companions…" Haruto trailed off. He caught Rinko trying to hide behind the others. "You?"
"Haruto, I…" Rinko started.
"We'll talk about that later!" Haruto gritted his teeth, turning back to General Shima.
"Leave them out of it." Gorou was silent. "For whatever reason, I'm your problem." Haruto dusted himself off. His blood was boiling like never before - so much that one could practically watch steam fly by the young man's figure. All his friends were able to do was sit by and watch. "If you threaten my friends once more I'll make sure you never speak again."
"Are you challenging me, boy?" General Shima called off his knights on standby, handing them his weapon.
"Yeah, I'm becoming tired of being a scapegoat."
"Haruto, please!" Koyomi begged. "You don't have to do this–"
"Like hell I do!" Haruto snapped back. He was so blinded by his rage that he hadn't noticed how he terrorized her at that moment. "Who can say how many other people he's backed into submission?!"
"You're not much of a guardian." Haruto spoke loudly and clearly so that no person could hide from his courage. "How can your protection be worth anything when all you seek is control?!"
"You speak with ignorance." Gorou's voice carried throughout the square, sending a great shiver down the spine of even those who hid in the shadows, awaiting the inevitable bloodbath. The mature warrior entered a frightening stance from his youth. He bent down with his rear arched back, his left leg stretched out, the ball of his foot planted into the ground; his right leg in a similar position, though his knee was arched downwards towards the dirt. There was a wide gap between either of his legs, creating great balance that could be broken on the fly. His wide, dense arms were interconnected with clawed, open palms. His left arm bent underneath the right, wrists crafting the shape of an X, facing opposite directions - one to the clouds, and the other to the forgotten roots beneath solid rock.
"Enlighten me." Haruto returned the gesture, standing tall with his legs apart and ready to charge.
"What are you doing?!" Shunpei shouted. "Haruto, transform!" Sorry, Shunpei, but that wasn't going to happen. He could tell due to the scorn on the man's face, that is exactly what he wanted him to do. Transform, use magic - get a little out of hand and make him appear dangerous, whatever justification he needed. Well, he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.
The battle began. Taking no time to toss aside, both of them charged straight for each other without hesitation. Haruto was fast, but he couldn't cover the same ground the man before him could! In a matter of a few seconds, the 30 feet gap between them closed! The mere sounds of his feet shattering against the ground shook the ground that everyone stood upon.
"Hyaa!" Haruto readied a roundhouse kick! However, that gap hadn't closed enough. Stretching out like the length of a giraffe, he swerved his right arm in a huge, circular motion and swiped Haruto with a crooked hook across the face! He hit like a truck, and before Haruto could think to recover, Gorou used his lower arm and bashed it straight against his gut, throwing Haruto straight to the ground.
He tumbled against the dirt, rolling at least twice before regaining his composure. He raised his head, and all that he saw was the descending boot of the General. An axe kick of great power! Haruto rolled to the side, rose to his knees and fired a kick straight into his opponent's gut. To his surprise, that did nothing. Gorou swiped again, but Haruto was quicker this time. Standing again, Haruto mentally took note of the distance he needed to keep his head on. A few more strikes, to which he narrowly avoided and threw a few of his own. Snapping from knee to calf, he directed all of his power into hitting Gorou at multiple points. Just how much could this guy take?!
Haruto landed from the last strike, spreading his feet apart and leaped in a turning motion, moving like the wind with his hips, but striking with the force of a blazing tornado aimed towards the man's jaw as he temporarily let his guard down. Someone that big couldn't keep up with his speed, but he was damn well trying! All he needed was one good hit –
Gorou blocked with his arms locked together. Haruto wasn't the only one who could see the opportunity. The young man's hindsight cost him. A brutal, crushing jab, followed up by a wall-breaking cross, and a bone-shattering uppercut! The worst part, is that wasn't the end of this unrelenting torture. Grabbing him by the shoulders with the strength of a bear, Gorou stepped on his opposite foot, landed on one knee and turned our hero right upside his head, dropping him on his back into the ground. It was over.
Haruto had lost. When his opponent was defeated, it simply wasn't enough for Gorou Shima. A man who loved more than victory, he wanted to be certain of his survival. One more injury to insult, the heel of his boot smashed against Haruto's chest. Now it was over.
"..." Gorou said nothing. Instead, he turned to take his leave. He's wasted too much time already. There was more on the line than tearing a growing thorn out of his back. The Emperor requested his presence, so it was time to make his exit.
Dn-dn-dn-dn! Footsteps: what now?! Gorou pivoted, and rushing before him - like a fool born under the bright sun, was Haruto Soma. This was becoming a nuisance. He'll ensure this magician with no more tricks up his sleeve stays back-stage. This pathetic act of a show has come to reach its credits. Gorou pressed his palm to the ground and swept his leg across the floor, throwing his free arm up to defend an attack aimed low.
"Predictable." He whispered.
Well, he shouldn't speak so soon. After all, a good magician never reveals his secrets! In fact, Haruto had misdirected the General and kicked off his foot, cartwheeling with a robust strike, piercing right into his cheeks, drilling straight into his nose! That was the only effective attack that Haruto could land. Now, it was a mere matter of fate for what happened next.
"Rrng!" Gorou toppled back, wiping his face. He was leaking profusely, blood streaming down into his mouth and staining his beard a crimson shade.
The band of greatknights surrounded Haruto with their weapons drawn, ready to execute him if he made another move – !
"Enough!" Gorou shouted. Rising up, he held out his hand, and his halberd – which must've been at the very least 100 pounds from the very sight of it, was returned. "Stand down. We have no further business here."
"But sir!" One of the knights called out.
"Speak no more." Gorou glared at his hand, but only for a moment. "Our orders are to stand with the Emperor. I have embarrassed us already by lending an ear to this child's insolence."
"A-are you sure?" His subordinate replied.
"We are the guardians of the Emperor, we are the guardians of Celestice." As though it were some secret code shared among the regime, a synchronous formation in the shape of a shield formed, and so the army left without another word.
"Speak to me, Haruto!" Koyomi, the first to be by his side, searched for any signs of life in the wizard. "Haruto, Haruto?!" She cried. He was in terrible, terrible shape. Blood had spilled over his face, and he wasn't moving at all. Koyomi patted him down, searching for a sensation - a sign that he was still with us!
"... Geez, do you have to be so forceful?" Haruto laughed, but then winced in pain. Yeah, he lost that fight. He was surprised to have even made a lick of a dent on that tank.
"You made me so worried…!" Koyomi started to cry. Hm, in an odd way, he found joy in the fact that she cared so deeply for him.
"Heh, I've… been through… worse." With the help of Shunpei and Rinko, he got to his feet. Great, his new digs were dusty. The crowd said nothing. As hard as he tried, all good fortune on his name was sullied by raising his hand to injustice. Well, he hoped this localized setting didn't account for the entire island, nor the Emperor.
"Where are we going now?" Shunpei asked. "We can't possibly go to the festival now."
"Of course we can." Haruto reassured.
"Are you crazy?" Rinko chimed in. "After what just happened?"
"If we don't show, we're letting him walk all over us."
"You can't!" Koyomi argued. "If you get into another fight again, he might not–"
"Hey, I'm not flipping a switch, here. I didn't say I was going to just chase after him, but I'm not going to let this one go."
"What's your plan then?" Rinko asked.
"After tonight, I'm meeting with the Emperor personally to settle this. It can't just be me who's being pushed around. If this island truly is about peace, then I won't stand by and be quiet."
"So, you're still heading to the ceremony?" Shunpei said to confirm his friend's insanity.
"Miss a show for the ages? One bad excuse for a guardian isn't going to ruin my chances of seeing a once in a lifetime opportunity."
CESTALIA COLOSSEUM (KNOWN FORMALLY AS "COSELLO MADA IP FAUTANA - Arena of the Forever"
Nearing 8'O clock.
Not a single one of them had ever seen a colosseum before in their life, if you didn't count the Saitama arena. It stood about fifty feet tall, and 156 x 189m in diameter. The pillars were beautiful, and well kept despite their antiquity. If they thought that the marketplace was jam packed, this place made it look like a ghost town. "Try not to get lost." Haruto said, being able to walk straight again after a bit of stretching. It bruised, but he could manage.
"Where are our seats?" Shunpei asked, growing anxious as everyone started filing in as if their places were a practiced routine.
"Says here…" Haruto checked their invitation. "F-5. Right next to the Emperor, since we're V-I-P." Sure didn't give that impression today. They made their way through the vomitorium and carefully shifted past the other patrons and guests. A lot of these people in this area were high society, but that's to be expected. Guess every place had their class distinctions.
"Here we are." The four of them took their seats. Many of these people sitting around them must be pretty important. He thought he caught a wave from one of the sorcerers he'd met the night prior, the woman who was made of rubber. Although, he couldn't recall their name - or any of their names for that matter.
His mind was occupied with greater things that night. Rinko glanced around, growing anxious with their presence here. The trailing sun cast an uneasy, lingering ray of light reflecting off her face. It was more haunting than beautiful. She wished to hold onto that light for as long as possible, because the thought that the stars may not shine down on any of them tonight left Rinko with a venomous, sickening sensation deep in her gut. Thousands of people cheered on cue.
"What's going on?" Shunpei looked around.
Rinko caught it in an instant. To their left, raised high up on the platform was the royal family. Emperor Kalium emerged, greeting his beloved citizens with a grateful bow. Behind him, was a young woman. His daughter. She had a scornful expression on his face. It was as though the cheers disgusted her to no avail. Each inch of her body was composed of hate to those below her, and… those standing at the same level.
By his side was General Shima. He stepped in front of the Emperor, blocking their gaze. His eyes were as piercing as ever, staring straight into Rinko's soul. If looks could kill she would be on the route to the crematorium. It was as though General Shima wanted to say:
"Look ahead, or you won't look at all."
The Emperor reached the front of the podium. There was a microphone.
"Hello?" He tapped it. A loud, familiar echo. "Ah, hello. Hello! Fortunately the first try is a success! Much unlike last year, as some as you may remember…" Isolating laughter waved through the rows. "Regardless, what a turnout… We are excited to have you all, and I mean all of you. Every year, for the past fifty years I have arranged this ceremony, as my fathers and forefathers - and foreforefathers have. I owe them more than one could ever comprehend – I am who I am because of them, as is the rest of Celestice. Although our celebration means much more than honoring the sacrifices of my family, it is honoring the essence of magic itself. The Circallia Festival is but a celebration of not just our life, but life itself. Magic is the root of nature, and nature is the root of magic. It is the essence of nothing, and everything.
Everything can be traced back to magic, and though in large part the rest of the world has buried its history to time, we do not forget. We will never forget, for magic is our way, and through great strife - through many triumphs, highs and lows we have preserved this way. It is not easy, and it never has been, but nothing worth fighting for ever comes easy. We are, at this moment, more connected to the Earth than any being ever will be. Please, I ask of you: Take the hands of those beside you." Reluctantly, our party agreed. "If the hands that lay next to you cast a sense of unworthiness, I also ask you to reconsider yourself. We come from antique lands, some older than others – some the same, and some different, but together we are joined as one in our shared love of magic. You are worthy of this seat. You are worthy of these hearts. You are worthy of these hands."
The lone hands joined together. "Close your eyes, open your ears and listen to the hymns of the eternal. Do you hear them? Their joy, their doubt, their pain and suffering so that we may all be here. Let it encompass you, and then release it in a deep breath. Wonderful, all of you are wonderful." The Emperor opened his eyes. "Do you see the stars?" The sun was gone. "Billions. Go ahead, pick one. Tell no one of it. That is magic: unique to one, shared by all." The colosseum fell silent. Any prior grievance had completely faded from their hearts. His gentle voice had washed it into the sea, and let it soar into the sky. By feeling the pain of the old, and as one, it no longer felt consequential.
This was prime unity, all achievable by the grace of magic. "Now, let us begin the 200th Circallia Festival." In smooth motions, the Emperor cast several sparkling beads into the sky at a high speed. They exploded, beginning a mystical light show of all shades and colours. Loud, blaring orchestral music filled the stands from below in an undercover pit. It was gleeful, happy music that screeched a melody composed by angels.
"Hey, look!" Koyomi shouted, pointing at the arena. A gate opened, and a ringleader appeared. Dressed in a magician's attire much reminiscent of Haruto's, he carried a bright rope.
"What is that?!" Haruto asked, narrowing his eyes to figure out what that humongous, dark figure could be. A scaly, violet creature emerged. It was several meters in height and length. It resembled a lizard, but with the length of a snake! The most notable feature was that it had three heads!
"A hydra?!"
"A hydra!" Said the Emperor. "Worry not, she does not bite." In spite of that, the hydra breathed a huge, lime wave of fire. The Hydra did several tricks, ones that you would give to a dog, but this was a hydra! A hydra, of all things! After the audience was satisfied, the next act of the show made its appearance. This time, it was only one woman.
"Wonder what she can do." Haruto asked, leaning into Koyomi.
"Want to make some bets?" Koyomi replied, feeling a sporty mood.
"Well, can you keep count?" Haruto said in reply.
"I won't cheat. I promise." Koyomi's hand brushed over Haruto's. He noticed, and became as red as a cherry. The young man, out of instinct, would have moved, but it was trapped beneath hers. She didn't seem to notice, but it isn't as if he took issue with that.
"OK, she's going to transform."
"Really?" Koyomi tilted her head, a smirk growing on her face. "Because I… believe that she's going to show us a cool ability." The woman in the arena split into two! No, four! No, eight… Twelve?! Twenty?! Fifty?! A hundred?!
"I was right!" They both said instinctively.
"Hey, I was more right than you." Haruto joked.
"Oh, really? Because I don't see scales or fur – or two legs."
"Because there's 200 of them!" They laughed and watched it unload. In perfect synchronization, the hundred dancers began an intricate dance number. Flipping, spinning, twisting and turning – any descriptive word, you name it! What was most impressive, aside from how complex this routine became, was the finisher! A human house of cards! One by one, they all stacked onto each other and held their stance with no sign of wavering.
"We hope you love what you see, because we have a LOT more to get through!" The crowd cheered, holding their hopes high into the stars, oblivious to what was going to come. While all of Celestice rejoiced in their celebration, somewhere, in a deep - dark pit a door opened.
A door that should have never been opened. A door that should have never been built in the first place. A door that will never be closed again, for as long as he lived.
The Presence, Genichiro has awoken.
TOKYO, AROUND THE SAME TIME
"Man, this is no light work!" Gentaro, better known as Fourze, laughed to himself. "Still, I could do this all day – beating up phantoms!" A giant gust of wind brushed against his back. Gentaro tilted his head, pivoting. There, before him was an oddly dressed man. He had long, auburn hair and wore patterned scarfs tied over a white shirt covered by a dark vest. That hat sure was round.
"Hi!" The mysterious man waved.
"Wow, you sure can make an entrance!" Gentaro laughed. "Say, you're not one of those phantoms, are you?" Although he gave the man a fighting chance, he was already certain about the answer.
"Quite perceptive, aren't you?" The man said, pressing his index finger to his lip. "Say, you haven't seen that wizard recently, have you?"
"Nope, not at all!" Gentaro bumped his chest. "Besides, if I knew… I don't think I'd tell you."
"Why is that?"
"That wizard is a great friend of mine. You look like trouble, and I've been tasked to take care of any sign of it. So, let's do this!" Gentaro smiled.
"Sorry, but you're not really my type." Before Gentaro could blink the man was gone in a blur.
"H-hold on!" Gentaro shouted, stretching his hand out. "You're not getting away that easy!"
AUTHOR'S NOTE: 02/23/23
OK, hi! It's been a little bit. So sorry for the delay, you wouldn't believe how swamped I have been in school. A lot has happened, and I mean a LOT. Anyways, that hasn't much gotten in the way from my writing aside from time. So, it's actually pretty late here when I'm writing this. In fact, I just finished this chapter and taken a last look at it. If there are any grammar errors, please, do excuse me!
Um, so General Shima. Quite an ass, huh? You may have noticed he has a particular way of fighting. Well, I did a little research since Wizard has such great choreography and I wanted to expand the emphasis on martial arts. So, I created a particular style for the General combining 3 different ones.
- Chinese kung fu with styles based on animals, particularly tiger.
- American style boxing.
- Japanese Judo.
I want the Shima family to feel very distinct in their capabilities, and I hope you can appreciate some of the effort I put in to make him feel unique. After all, uniqueness is the essence of magic.
Anyways, we got Gentaro again! Woohoo! I still have to watch Fourze, so his appearances are limited: woohoo! It looks very, very fun and I am excited to watch it. I started playing Kamen Rider Battride War 2 since I fixed my PS3 (way better than KR: Battride War Genesis - it sucks). Gotta say, such a large improvement. So much so I have to ask: what were they thinking for Genesis?!
I hope more Kamen Rider games come out in the future, and I hope they get localized. They're simple, but fun! You bet your butt I love hopping into infinity style and hearing Missing Piece on a 20 second loop.
So, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Once again, sorry for the delay. Chapter 8 is gonna be the BIG one. If you have any comments or critiques (critiques help writers) leave it down below! I love engaging with my readers! Don't be shy, I don't bite (or spew fire, much like a hydra)
Anyways, til next time - see ya!