CHAPTER 14
Where is Takeru Kamishiro?
Disclaimer: Pokémon belongs to Nintendo, Satoshi Tajiri, and the Pokémon Company International, while Super Sentai belongs to Toei Company Ltd. Both Morgan Alter and I own nothing but the idea, story, and our OCs.
Written by MagicWings001 and Morgan Alter
It has been three weeks after the events of Chapter 13, and oddly enough M.Y.T.H.O.S isn't planning anyone of their evil schemes ever since Keito defeated Gecko and Rhino Inhumanoid by himself using ShinkaiKnight. Thus, the Shinkaigers were pretty much off-duty for those three weeks, though they still stayed at the Guardia Base as per government orders in order to remain alert. As a result, aside from a few training sessions, the team did nothing but effectively goof off and relax, even Takeru.
Speaking of Takeru though, he was currently in a conversation with Erina, Satoshi, and Serena in the Guardia Base's lounge room, with the two parents having visited their children in order to just generally check up on them. Ran was off making new equipment for the Shinkaigers in the base's workshop, as Lillie had began implementing large-scale upgrades to the team's tech as a whole. Ryouma, though, was currently video-calling his family who stayed behind in Kanto while he fought M.Y.T.H.O.S in Kalos. Keito was currently trying his best to figure out what Zeus was planning based on the team's current intel, while Hikaru was, on an unusual occurence, playing peek-a-boo with Ibuki and Kaoru, despite the Blue warrior usually being annoyed at the antics of his youngest twin siblings. Everyone was content at the fact that there were no attacks that day.
"Ryouma-nii, when is the next Kalos League going to begin?" said the voice of a young boy on the other side of the Black warrior's U-Phone. He was Ryouma's 13-year old younger brother, Daiki.
Hearing his younger brother's question, the 16-year old boy then could only snicker and chuckle for a bit before answering said question. "It's still a long time from now, Daiki. I'm currently still on my third badge. As a matter of fact, the PLA will inform me if the opening ceremony is supposed to start. Right now, though, I'm still currently focusing on fighting those bad guys, you know?"
In response, Daiki then sighed, saying something. "I still can't believe my brother is a superhero and Mom and Dad decided to not tell me about it until you were on the news!" This caught Ryouma's surprise, of course.
"Huh? Mom and Dad never told you that I was a Shinkaiger?"
"Of course they didn't! I only knew about it when you and big bro Takeru became trending topics in CURVE!"
Hearing this, Ryouma then eyed both of his parents in disbelief as a result of his brother's statement. Daiki was his immediate family; he was supposed to have known of his identity long before N's bombshell. "Mom... Dad... Seriously?"
Goh and Koharu then nervously sweatdropped on the other side of the screen. But however, the call was then immediately interrupted by the Guardia Base's alert systems blaring at full volume. 'Way to ruin the moment.' Ryouma thought. "Mom, Dad, Daiki, sorry I have to cut this short, there's a monster attack in town! Gotta go fast! Bye!"
Ryouma then quickly cut off the call, before rushing away into the briefing room instantly. Hikaru quickly put two earmuffs on Ibuki and Kaoru to prevent them from hearing the siren sounds, while Takeru and Erina then ended their talk, with the three following Ryouma to the briefing room. Lillie was already waiting there, with Ran and Keito arriving last.
"New Inhumanoid, huh, Mom?" Hikaru asked.
"Right on the money. He was just spotted attacking Coumarine City this morning. I fear that he's one of the much more stronger ones though, so I want all six of you deployed to the area. Is that clear?" Lillie explained, with the team nodding in understanding, prompting her to issue the order. "Well then, Shinkaigers, deploy immediately!"
"Yes, ma'am!
And with that, the Shinkaigers would then drive off in their motorbikes all the way to Coumarine City.
However unbeknowst to the Shinkaigers, an unknown person would then land atop the roof of the Guardia Base. That was Artemis, who had used her cyborg powers to depart from the Olympus Castle in Eastern Kalos and arrive at said Shinkaiger headquarters in the blink of an eye. Realizing that this was indeed her target destination, Artemis then proceeded to punch the roof of the base using her full power, and the punch would end up creating a large, gaping hole big enough for the female general to enter.
The Guardia Base's alert systems actually triggered when Artemis broke in, but Apollo was able to tamper with the base's systems remotely using his powers to stop the sirens from blaring, allowing Artemis to then make her way through the base's hallways at breakneck speed to look for her targets. Satoshi, Serena, Lillie, and Kyouhei quickly ran out in different paths due to them having heard the sound of falling rubble from Artemis' punch, but somehow, the four of them then ended up meeting together at one of the base's four-way intersections, and, face to face, with no other than Artemis herself.
'Impossible...' Kyouhei thought, freezing after seeing Artemis right in front of him.
'It can't be... How did she get in here!?' Lillie thought at the same time in shock after abruptly stopping. Artemis wasn't supposed to be able to enter the building, yet she just did.
Meanwhile, Satoshi and Serena unfortunately relaxed themselves at the sight of Artemis, with the couple thinking that she was actually Mei, Kyouhei's missing wife. As a result, the two Kamishiros then approached Artemis slowly... Only for the female M.Y.T.H.O.S general to grab the couple, putting them in an arm lock and tightening her grip on them to prevent them from breaking free. Seeing this, Lillie and Kyouhei then tried their best to prevent Artemis from departing with Satoshi and Serena in tow, but the female general was just too strong for them to fight back against, and, much to their dismay and concern, Artemis was able to get away, with her trying to bring over the Kamishiros over to Apollo as hostages.
"Wait, Mei! Why are you doing all of this!?" Kyouhei called as he ran after Artemis, who was indeed Mei, his wife. Mei had went missing due to her being kidnapped by Zeus prior to the story's events and resulting in the M.Y.T.H.O.S leader's absence during the first four chapters of the story.
"I pity you, but I'm afraid that I am not the person you call 'Mei'. I am Princess Artemis of M.Y.T.H.O.S and aide to Empress Hera. Anyone who is an enemy of Emperor Zeus is my enemy as well!" Artemis responded. Mei unfortunately fell victim to Zeus' forced conversion and brainwashing, thus resulting in her past memories prior to her kidnapping being wiped out entirely. The female general then proceeded to try and attack her own husband while she was at it, with her still firmly locking Satoshi and Serena at the same time, but Artemis was met by Lillie holding her at gunpoint with a rifle-like device.
"Stand down, Artemis. Release Satoshi and Serena at this instant." The Aether Foundation Chairwoman said sternly, threatening to shoot the female general if she didn't want to cooperate. This indirectly caused Kyouhei to be concerned for his brainwashed wife for a moment. Unfortunately for Lillie however, Apollo then rushed over to Artemis' aid, having broke into the base minutes after she did.
"Do not interfere, Lillie Ohkido!" The young man said, threatening to shoot the Shinkaiger mentor using his recurve bow. He then continued speaking. "Tell Takeru Kamishiro that we have both of his parents held hostage, and if he wants to rescue them, he'll have to meet Zeus at the summit of Pomace Mountain by 2 in the afternoon!"
"And what if he doesn't fullfill those demands, Apollo?" Lillie asked, causing the young general to respond. "Then these two will die!"
"If that's how you want to handle things, then very well." Lillie affirmed. With that, Apollo then shot one of his arrows into the base's ceiling, creating a small explosion which served as a smokescreen. In seconds, Apollo, Artemis, Satoshi, and Serena were now gone.
With that, the Shinkaiger team mentor then departed back to the briefing room in a hurry, leaving a conflicted Kyouhei. The Unovan man then left the halls with a stressed sigh as a result.
Meanwhile, the six Shinkaigers had just entered Geosenge Town when the kidnapping had happened, and the whole team were quickly informed about the incident at the Guardia Base by Lillie through their comms almost immediately. Her voice tone sounded concerned after the event.
"Team, Artemis and Apollo orchestrated a break-in at the base just a few minutes ago, and they've got Satoshi and Serena kidnapped as hostages."
"WHAT!?" was the collective response.
"Yes, it did happen. Apollo sent over an ultimatum asking that Takeru go to Pomace Mountain and meet Zeus at the summit before 2PM. Satoshi and Serena's lives are at stake now." Lillie explained, thus making Takeru, Erina and Keito very, very worried. The Red warrior however was upset, a vein popping on his head as a result.
"Okay, those assholes are going to get what they deserve for trying to kill my own fucking parents. Damn you, Zeus and your delusions of grandeur...!"
"Do we have to accompany big brother, Ohkido-san?" Erina asked, with Lillie responding back. "Apollo requested for Takeru to come to the mountain alone. Zeus' orders, he said. The five of you, continue to Coumarine City. I'll be sure to constantly update you on the situation until both threats are done for."
"Yes, ma'am." And with that, Ran then automatically assumed the position of acting leader on that place and time, with Takeru breaking off of the formation to go to Pomace Mountain just as they sped through the Reflection Cave and entered Shalour City. The remaining Shinkaigers then formed a chevron with their motorbikes, continuing on to Coumarine.
At Shalour, Takeru then began overclocking the speed of his EvolStriker, so much so that the friction caused by the motorbike caused the road behind him and the vehicle's wheels to be engulfed in flames, attracting the attention of onlookers who then instantly recognized the Red Ranger. The flames would then spread, engulfing Takeru to form his Shinkaiger undersuit. His suit's armor pieces then materialize out of data in front of him, attaching piece-by piece to form the chestplate, back armor, and shoulder pads. His Shinkai Red helmet pieces then lastly materialize around his head, attaching and locking into place to complete the transformation. Takeru then stands up on the motorbike, stretching his arms out to form the T-pose, letting his wings unfurl for a moment as the flames on the EvolStriker's wheels would dissipate on their own, before the helmet's eyes would then glow brightly. He had somehow managed to transform into Shinkai Red using only his willpower, determined to save his parents.
Now transformed, Takeru then continued speeding up towards his destination, with him finally reaching Pomace Mountain a few minutes later. Returning the EvolStriker back into phone mode, he then takes off into the skies using his wings, flying directly to the summit of the mountain. Sure enough, Satoshi and Serena was already there, being put on crosses with steel restraints and guarded by Hoplite Soldiers, and Takeru would land near them in a hurry. He then proceeds to beat the soldiers guarding his parents to death, before using the EvolBlade to slice off the restraints, letting his parents break free.
"Mom, Dad, are you alright?" Takeru asked, clearly being worried for his parents' safety.
"We're fine, champ. Wait, did you come all the way from Coumarine to rescue us?" Satoshi asked.
"I was on my way there from the Guardia Base when Ohkido-san informed me that you were held hostage. I decided to part ways with them at Shalour City to come here."
Serena then sighed in relief. "Oh, Takeru... Sorry if we ended up making you very worried..." Takeru then adamantly responded back. "Don't push it, Mom. It's only natural. Now, let's get you both back to safety, shall- Watch out!"
A thunderbolt-shaped spear was then thrown at the Kamishiros, but fortunately, the weapon ended up missing its mark.
"Well I'll be... how about you stop cowering in the shadows and come face me directly? You've got guts trying to harm my parents like this." Takeru quipped, before continuing.
"Hey, hey... Still playing hide and seek, are we?"
In response though, he was then met by two more thunderbolt spears, however Takeru was quick to protect his parents from getting hit by deflecting them out of the way.
"Stop messing about!" Takeru ordered. "Maybe you think I don't know who you really are, eh? Zeus?"
As if on cue, the M.Y.T.H.O.S leader would then come meet Takeru face-to-face while cackling like a maniac, eventually letting out remarks of his own. "Well, well, if it isn't Takeru Kamishiro, also known as Shinkai Red! And you already know who I am! As expected of you, young man!"
"I've been well informed," The 17-year old replied straightforwardly. "You're none other than Emperor Zeus, the man in charge of a terrorist organization known to commit crimes against humanity and employ inhumane practices to many of its victims. I suppose only a 'demon' could stomach the sight of your one-eyed face and your delusions of grandeur, then."
"Hmph. Flattery will get you nowhere."
"Zeus, you cur... I never thought that you'd go out of your way to target my parents like this. I never even knew that you liked taking hostages in the first place..."
In response, the deranged M.Y.T.H.O.S emperor then maniacally laughed. "That's none of your business to know of my plans, Kamishiro!" The 17-year old then replied back with a challenge as a result. "Zeus... I challenge you to a one-versus-one duel, with honor, of course. If I win, then let my parents go, and NEVER disturb them again."
"Very well." He accepted. Zeus however, did not tell what the result of the duel would be if Takeru had lost.
The deal was struck.
The Red warrior then pressed a button on his gauntlet, causing the EvolBlade to materialize out of data. This caused Zeus to also respond by revealing his weapon, an Ancient Greek-style xiphos. The two then began their duel, charging towards each other while letting out resounding battlecries.
Coumarine City, Kalos
Meanwhile, the five remaining Shinkaigers would then finally arrive at Coumarine City, dismounting their motorcycles to stay on high alert in case there were any enemies nearby. However, the team then found themselves surrounded by Hoplite Soldiers soon enough.
Ran then sidestepped backwards, and he was able to spot Hyena Inhumanoid standing behind them right atop a hill. The new monster was cackling in glee.
"An Inhumanoid... So it's a Mightyena this time..."
"G̴͚̋è̴̝̈t̴̮̀̕ ̶̲̈́͗t̴̥̐h̵̨̛̰e̶̹͗̇m̵̆ͅ,̶͕̊ ̸̲͗́H̶͇̎̀o̵̦̍̈́p̸̡̣̈́̕ĺ̷̖͖i̸̗̒t̵̯̝̿e̶̯͂̃ ̷͉̋S̵̛͎͘ō̵͔̣̄ĺ̵͓̚d̸̙̼̄̃ï̸̟ě̴̬̙̄r̸̤̉s̸̗̑̆!̷̙͗"
With that order, the soldiers under the hyena-based monster then began to quickly encroach the Shinkaigers. Seeing this, Keito then proceeded to take on the initiative, summoning his SolvBracelet, and as a result prompting the others to summon their EvolBracelets as well. "Team, let's go!"
JOLTEON!
UMBREON!
SHARPEDO!
SYLVEON!
SKARMORY!
"Spark Change!"
CHANGE, SHINKAIGER!
SHIN~ KAI SILVER!
The Shinkaigers then transformed into their suits in a few moments, and would then begin going on the offensive, with Ryouma chopping one of the soldiers in the neck before blocking a strike from another one and retaliating by punching the mook in the solar plexus using his krav maga technique. Right beside him was Keito, who made use of his EvolHalberd to singlehandedly one-hit kill some of the soldiers. Ran surprisingly decided to use the melee route during the fight, and he had managed to beat the hapless soldiers to death by using his bare hands despite his poor physical condition, continuing to relentlessly attack the M.Y.T.H.O.S henchmen until they collapsed on the ground, dead. Erina meanwhile kicked more soldiers to the ground, while Hikaru flipped one over before striking two of them with his kickboxing techniques. Hyena Inhumanoid then began aiming a deadlier version of Assurance to the 17-year old, but fortunately, Hikaru managed to dodge swiftly.
"D̵̠̈i̴͍͊e̸̢̦̓,̶̰̹͘͠ ̵̻̕S̸̖̟͗h̷̝̆̕i̸͔͌ṋ̴̤̒k̶̳̋ą̵̭́i̵̧̹̍̌g̴̝͗e̵̜̼̾̈r̷̼̆͜ŝ̶̪̠͘!̴͔̚" He called out, hitting Ran and Hikaru in the chest with a potentially lethal version of Dark Pulse.
Erina then managed to see Hyena Inhumanoid firing another upscaled Dark Pulse, causing her to turn into pink whirlwind and sneak up behind the hyena monster, eventually holding him in place by arm-locking him in the neck when she returned corporeal. She then called out. "Cousin, please attack him!"
"Got it!" was the response from Keito. The Silver warrior then began slashing the monster with his halberd as Erina would leap out of the way, with the slashes causing large explosions next to Hyena Inhumanoid. However, he then laughed it off, disappearing back to the Olympus Castle using his powers. As a result, the team then went off to check on Ran and Hikaru.
"You okay, Yellow, Blue?" Ryouma asked.
"You bet we are. That Dark Pulse did a dent on us, but not to the point that it'd be lethal to our cyborg bodies." Ran clarified.
"Well then... Shall we check on Takeru's progress, everyone? I'd prefer it if we were there to assist him if he gets into trouble." Keito said, with the team nodding in return. They then simply drove off, backtracking to Pomace Mountain.
A resounding clang was the only sound filling the summit of Pomace Mountain at the time. Takeru was parrying one of Zeus' attacks, with the former retaliating by trying to deliver a slash to his arch-enemy, who blocked it proficiently using his xiphos. The Red warrior then did an uppercut, but Zeus managed to dodge out of the way before the EvolBlade would be able to hit him. The M.Y.T.H.O.S leader then decided to go ahead and attack Takeru again in the waist, and he managed to hit his target; however, he was unfazed by the injury despite being knocked backwards, narrowly missing the edge of the cliff. Deciding to not waste time, Takeru then ended up going for an attack, charging quickly to finally slash Zeus to death...
Only for the one-eyed man to stop the blade from hitting him using his index finger.
"Ah...!?"
"Do you really think I was going to make this duel honorable for you, Takeru Kamishiro? Well, I'm afraid you're completely mistaken." Zeus said darkly, before throwing the EvolBlade onto the snowy grounds. He then grabbed the Red warrior in a chokehold using his left arm, before supercharging his right one to form a deadly energy ball thanks to him also being a cyborg.
"Now, I'll make sure you and that 'legendary' parents of yours be tortured in hell! NOW SUFFER!" Zeus said, as he released that energy ball to hit Takeru's helmet point blank, causing him to fall to the ground, having been immobilized completely.
'Damn you...! Zeus...!' Takeru thought, gritting his teeth under his helmet.
"Heheheheh! Now then, Apollo!" Zeus said as he snapped his fingers twice, causing Apollo to appear out of thin air surrounded in black smoke. "What is it, Your Majesty?"
"Bring Shinkai Red and his parents to the Olympus Castle, and THROW HIM INTO THE SUB-ZERO ROOM! As for these two right here though..." He says, pointing to Satoshi and Serena. "You can do whatever you want with them."
"We'll see about that, Zeus- Gah...!" Takeru interrupted, trying to get up, only for the M.Y.T.H.O.S leader to kick him in the gut as a result.
"Don't get in our way, Kamishiro! You'll suffer in hell soon enough..."
This resulted in Takeru only being able to grit his teeth. Within minutes, he and his parents would then get taken away to the Olympus Castle, and his communicators would then be jammed by Apollo, leaving him unable to contact Lillie nor send an SOS signal to his teammates.
Meanwhile...
Over in Alola, Glazio Aether, member of the Alolan Elite Four and also Lillie's brother (and Hikaru's uncle, by extension) was now contacting someone outside of the artificial island of Aether Paradise, the Aether Foundation's main headquarters and former base of operations in Alola prior to relocating to the Guardia Base there. He was currently in a phone call with none other than Momoka, with Glazio having housed N there after his assassination attempt in Chapter 11.
"Hello? Momoka?"
"Hello, Glazio. What's the matter?" The young woman answered from the other side of the phone call. Ever since she recovered from her coma as a result of the assassination attempt on her and N in Chapter 11, she was then sheltered by Shigeru and Lillie in secret, taking refuge in one of the Guardia Base's unused rooms which was then converted into her private quarters by the Ohkido couple for her to temporarily live in. Since Momoka herself was rarely seen in public, and the Shinkaigers not accessing the area, the former M.Y.T.H.O.S member was able to evade detection and dodge a massive bullet.
"Momoka. What I'm about to tell you is a serious matter. Will you promise me that you'll not react violently when I tell you everything?" Glazio said. He was speaking the truth, as evidenced by his serious tone of voice.
"It's about N, isn't it?" She responded, inquiring about her fiancé.
"Yes." Glazio affirms, pausing for a bit before sighing solemnly. "Momoka, N was pronounced dead in Hau'oli City just this afternoon. I'm very, very sorry for your loss."
Over in Kalos, Momoka dropped her phone on the floor of her room in shock. She was then immediately overcome with realization, causing tears to fall out of her eyes. She then covered her face in her hands, and she wept silently at the death of who was supposed to be her future husband.
Glazio then continued speaking, revealing N's purported cause of death to the still-heartbroken woman. It was fortunate that Momoka had put the phone on loudspeaker. "N suffered an injury to his shoulder due to the gunshot wound that he took to protect you. The bullet was designed by the government to specifically disrupt a cyborg like you, but as a result of that, it also became a very lethal weapon for normal humans like him. Lillie told me that he got shot on the train three weeks ago, and even though Keito had treated that gunshot wound and removed that bullet whilst the two of you were unconscious, the damage had been done and N wasn't able to keep going. I'm sorry to tell you this, Momoka. As much as I hate breaking the news, you deserve to know." He said solemnly.
Hearing all of this, Momoka then picked up her phone, however she could'nt formulate a response. She was sobbing outright, and this didn't go unnoticed by Glazio, who sighed in sadness.
"Are you alright?"
She then responded back in between sobs. "Yes, y-yes... I'm... I'm fine, I'm alright..."
"Do you have any other questions, Momoka?" The Alolan Elite Four member asked, to which the young woman then replies back. "No, no... I've had enough to know everything... It's... it's just..."
She sighed. Glazio paused, not wanting to make her cry even more on the other end. "I'll... I'll go inform Shigeru and Lillie about this... Will-will he be given a proper funeral?"
"I'm sure that can be arranged, then."
"Al-Alright... Th-th-th-thank you, Glazio." Momoka said, before ending the call. She then walked up to her nightstand, taking a framed picture of herself and N that was taken after her engagement, and prior to her kidnapping, conversion and brainwashing by Zeus. She then cried all of the tears out, with some of them dropping on the engagement photo. She then gently put it back down, before stepping outside of the room and wiping her tears to tell Shigeru and Lillie the heartbreaking news.
Takeru, Satoshi, and Serena would then be brought by Apollo and Zeus into the courtroom of the Olympus Castle, with the two M.Y.T.H.O.S members handing over the Kamishiros to the Hoplite Soldiers, who quickly restrained the three of them from escaping. Even though Takeru was normally able to wallop the aforementioned mooks with little effort, Zeus' dirty energy ball trick had him paralyzed, causing him to be unable to free himself.
Seeing this, the insane M.Y.T.H.O.S emperor then laughed maniacally. "Welcome to our base of operations, Takeru Kamishiro! I assure you, this place will be your grave soon enough!"
"Heh." Takeru scoffed. "Well, this is certainly a blessing in disguise, Zeus... I've already met Apollo, Artemis, and now you, so that leaves... Empress Hera, eh?"
"Ohohoho, so you know my name after all, as expected of you, then! Shinkai Red!"
"Yes, yes, I have been well informed." He responded back, just as his mysterious red crack would begin appearing on his cheek. This didn't go unnoticed by Satoshi and Serena, who were confused and perplexed as soon as they saw what was going on with their eldest son, thanks to their parental instincts telling the couple that something was not right.
"You are none other than Empress Hera, the most powerful female member currently active in this organization, with nobody outranking you other than Zeus himself. However when you look at it... You're all... are nothing but just a bunch of fucking assholes." He continued as the red cracks would disappear from his cheek at the same time, deriding Zeus and his lackeys. While he wasn't exactly the type of person to use profanity when his parents are around, he knew that Satoshi and Serena would get used to it sooner or later.
"What?" Hera responded back calmly, but in a threatening manner. "But, well, then, after some careful thought, I declare you to be an idiot. Apollo, what should we do to him?" This provoked a statement from Zeus.
"Heheheheheheheh... Don't worry. I have the perfect plan to get rid of this irritating thorn... Hyena Inhumanoid!"
"Y̴̮̒͠ò̶̩͔ủ̴̦͗ ̷̖̯̆ř̷̳a̷̗͌̅n̸̙͔̚g̴̨̣̐,̵̡̀̿ ̴͉͈̈͐ş̸̗̏î̶͔r̶̦͛?̴̺̼̈́͑"
The red cracks on Takeru's cheek suddenly reappeared behind his helmet, causing his body language to become more erratic and confusing the heck out of Satoshi and Serena again. "You...! Are you M.Y.T.H.O.S' new Inhumanoid!?"
"I̷͙͒̊n̸̦̹̓d̶̗̝̔e̶̛̬͊e̷̟̕ď̵̞ ̵̠́͑Í̶̳ ̷̢̳̑͛a̵͇̚m̴̭̩͗̂!̶̨̉ ̷̩̿Ň̷͉̠̀o̷͑͘͜w̶̬͒,̸̦̈̎ ̷̹̚S̷̬̠̈h̴̦̘̾i̸̼͂̚͜n̸̜̯̍ḵ̵̦̽a̸͕̦̓i̴̛̖ ̸̧̒R̵̰͂͝ë̴̜͙ḏ̵̀̍.̴̧̫́͘.̷̟̝̃.̶̬͖͊ ̸͓͗P̷͙̊͊r̷̯͌e̸̥͕͘p̴̨̦͆̋a̸̟̟͂r̸̥̯͐e̴̬̫̓͠ ̴̨͛t̶́̀ͅo̸̱̠̾ ̸̭͌͌g̸̻̈́ỏ̶͎ ̵̯̊̂ͅt̵̻̐o̵̫̿ ̷̝̆̈́Ḧ̸̦́̒e̸̲̟̿͗ḽ̸̇̕l̷̝̰͌!̵̞̈̃"
And with that declaration, the Mightyena monster then began attacking Takeru, who wasn't able to fight as he had to protect his parents from getting caught in the crossfire. As a result, the cyborg abomination then was able to back the Kamishiros into a faraway corner of the room, prompting Zeus to order something.
"Release the barrier!" And as soon as he said that, two nearly unbreakable glass panels then dropped down from the ceiling as a Hoplite Soldier triggered a switch on the wall, causing Takeru, Satoshi and Serena to be surrounded with no way out. Zeus had kidnapped the couple to intentionally lure Takeru into his trap, and, as devious as it seems, the plan worked. The Red warrior then tried breaking the glass using his punches, to the point that he had to overclock his cybernetic systems, to no avail.
"Zeus, you cur...!" He muttered out in anger. Seeing this, the M.Y.T.H.O.S emperor then ordered again. "Now, set the temperature!"
This time, Hyena Inhumanoid would be the one doing so, pulling another lever on the wall to lower the temperatures of the area inside of the glass cage to subzero temperatures. Within minutes, Takeru then felt his body becoming gradually immobile, as cold temperatures were his biggest weakness. He was starting to have difficulty walking. Satoshi and Serena also felt the drop in temperature, and began to shiver.
"M-Mom... Dad... Are you a-alright?" Takeru asked, now feeling himself unable to even lift a leg nor bend his elbows.
"H-Hang in there, champ...! We're freezing too right now, but I'm trying my best not to get frostbitten!" Satoshi said. Serena was also visibly distressed. Meanwhile, Zeus and the other generals then basically ignored them, leaving the family to freeze to death.
A few minutes then passed, and the temperature inside the cage had dropped to 10 degrees Celsius, and Takeru was barely able to move, standing still like a statue even though he was able to speak. Snowflakes were starting to form on his Shinkai Red suit. Satoshi and Serena held up a lot better however, trying their best to not succumb to the cold while still being worried for their son.
More minutes passed on. The temperature then dropped again to 5 degrees. Takeru's suit had been fully covered in snow at that point in time, and Satoshi and Serena looked as if they couldn't hold on much longer, as they were beginning to have signs of frostbite. Moving weakly over to Takeru's frozen body, Satoshi then began inquiring Takeru about what he and his wife had noticed.
"Champ... W-What happened?" The Kamishiro patriarch said, shivering. This confused Takeru due to him not paying attention to the events earlier.
"What are you talking about, Dad?"
Y-Your father and I noticed something off when you confronted Zeus and Hera earlier before we got trapped... A-are you hiding something from us?" Serena explained, also shivering.
"Oh... That..." Takeru said, trailing off. He never told both of his parents about his hidden powers at all, and as a result, he never expected that Satoshi and Serena would notice that there was something going on with him. Apparently, he had forgotten about their parental instincts, causing him to bite his lip behind his helmet. "That's... Just an unforeseen side effect of my cybernetic modifications, Mom, Dad. Y-you don't have to worry about it anymore..."
"W-why didn't you tell us about this earlier, Takeru?" Satoshi once again inquired.
"Well... uhh, well..." Takeru stammered, continuing before Satoshi and Serena, speaking in unison, promptly cut off his sentences. "I thought you'd be worried with-"
"Yeah, well, of course we would!"
"I knew that the two of you would worry about simple things like this, Mom, Dad! This is a side effect that I can't even comprehend either..." Takeru rebutted.
"W-we know a lie when we see it. Champ. why don't you just tell us the truth?" Satoshi politely requested, with Serena following suit. "Y-Your father's right, son. We're your parents, so why don't you tell us everything? We know that you can't comprehend this, but you can't make us worry about your wellbeing all the time, Takeru."
As a result of this, the Red warrior then ultimately relented. "I suppose I can, but... Not now. We can discuss this at a later date, Mom, Dad. This is a dangerous situation. I can't even contact Erina and the others right now, nor even move a muscle... Let's just hope for the best, we don't want to freeze to death right now." With that, Satoshi and Serena then gave one simple nod of affirmation.
Later on, the thermometer gauge would soon hit zero, and Takeru then instantly reverted back into his human form. "Dammit... I can't fight in subzero conditions like this... I'll make sure you pay for putting me through this zamhareer-like hellhole, Zeus!" He thought. Satoshi and Serena had both passed out due to the temperature becoming unbearable for them, and, seeing this, Takeru grit his teeth in frustration before sighing, his breath visible due to the cold. He just hoped that his team would be able to free him and his parents from the chilly situation.
At the same time, the Shinkaigers then arrived at Pomace Mountain. "Do we have any idea where Takeru could be, guys?" Ryouma asked. This was met with a response from Erina. "If I remember correctly, Ohkido-san told us that Zeus wanted to meet big brother at the summit."
"The summit!? Oh no... I don't want to hiiiiiiike..." Ran lamented. He hated hiking due to his weak physical condition. In response, Erina then handed Ran the Swellow Medal.
"Use this, Ran-san. That way, you'll be able to just fly up to the top without having to hike."
Ran basically sighed in relief at that, thanking his teammate, and changing forms into Swellow. The team then made their way up to the summit of the mountain, with Ran, Erina, and Keito using their wings while Ryouma and Hikaru hiked up the mountain.
Once arriving at the top, Keito then spotted the crucifixes that Zeus had used to hold Satoshi and Serena hostage. Takeru had already broken the restraints, meaning that the couple had already been freed. "Everyone, look." He said, pointing to the crucifixes.
"Zeus must've used these to hold Satoshi-san and Serena-san..." Ryouma noted upon noticing. Ran then added. "The restraints have been broken, though."
"Meaning that big brother must've already freed Mom and Dad while we were fighting that Inhumanoid. But where could he have gone off to?"
"Should we try to contact him?" Keito suggested, earning a positive response from Ran. "Good idea, Keito. Let's hope that he hasn't gotten himself in trouble."
Hikaru and Erina then turned on both of their helmets' communicators, tuning it specifically to Takeru's frequency before trying to contact him.
"Hikaru here. Take-chan, do you hear me?"
"Big brother, this is Erina. Can you hear us?"
No response.
"Take-chan!" / "Big brother!"
Again, no response. Due to this, Hikaru and Erina then changed the comms' frequency from Takeru's to Lillie's whilst they were also speaking with the rest of the team.
"Mom, Hikaru here. We've completely lost contact with Take-chan." he informed.
"Wait, what!? Completely lost contact!? Wait, wait, hold on, he couldn't possibly die, right?" Ryouma said, panicked. Ran then smacked him in the head as a result, giving a reasonable explanation. "If Takeru's dead, anyway, the microchip in his brain would send a signal to us and the Guardia Base telling us that his vitals stopped. Since there are none, then it means he's alive and well."
"Which means there must be another logical reason for him to have lost contact on us." Lillie added from the other side of the communicator. This provoked a response from Hikaru again. "No fucking way... He must've gotten himself captured by Zeus and his lackeys!"
"If this is the case, then it would be disastrous for us. Team, please return to the Guardia Base immediately. We'll have to figure out a strategy. Again, please retreat for now." Lillie ordered.
"Yes, ma'am!"
And with that, the Shinkaigers then went back down the mountain, before speeding back to Lumiose City with their motorbikes.
Later, Shigeru and Lillie were now meeting up with the rest of the Shinkaigers in the briefing room, with them frantically thinking up a strategy.
"So? Do we have any idea on where exactly Zeus would have taken Takeru, Satoshi-san and Serena-san?" Ryouma asked.
"I'm afraid not." Lillie spoke up. "Ever since the Aether Foundation was raided by them in order for them to steal the cyborg technology they needed to create their Inhumanoids one and a half years ago, M.Y.T.H.O.S decided to become more elusive by making their base hard to track, so much so that we don't know where the Olympus Castle is located. Retrieving Takeru, Satoshi and Serena isn't an impossible feat, it's just too risky and rather difficult for us."
"So pulling off a direct rescue effort is basically like we're finding a castle-sized needle in a region-sized haystack... What do we do, then?" Ran remarked.
"Well, speaking about that... I think tracking it down first may be the best course of option. And Lillie and I know one person who can exactly help us with that." Shigeru surmised.
Lillie then made her way into the area near Momoka's room so that she could ask her help in tracking down the Olympus Castle, only for her to bump into the latter. Seeing that it was Momoka who bumped into her, Lillie then began asking for help, only for her to notice the pink-haired woman's tears.
"Momoka? Wait, why are you... crying?"
"Lillie... It's... It's about N..." She responded back, stammering out of sadness. This of course confused Lillie, who quickly asked back in return. "What happened to him?"
"He... He was just pronounced dead in Hau'oli City in the afternoon... Glazio told me that a few minutes ago..."
Hearing this, Lillie's pupils dilated in shock, before she too, ended up shedding a tear, but, in comparison to Momoka, the Alolan woman took the heartbreaking information much, much better, remaining calm and collected. She then simply wiped her tears off. "I'm sorry for your loss, Momoka..."
"Thanks, Lils... It's just... He d-died trying to protect me on the train... It's just so sudden..."
She then cried again, as bringing up N's memories just made her even more devastated. Lillie then wrapped her in an embrace at seeing her grief-stricken friend. "Just cry it all out, Momoka. It's okay for you to cry in times like this..."
"I-I don't want to be such a bother, L-Lillie..."
"A bother? No, you're not a bother, you're my friend, you know? In fact, I really need your help right now, Momo-chan. Don't worry too much right now." Lillie reassured.
"Hmm?" She asked.
"Satoshi and Serena was held hostage by Zeus earlier today. Takeru then went after them to rescue his parents, but he likely wound up getting himself captured too, as we've lost contact with him. We don't know the location of their base, however. Do you have any idea where the Olympus Castle would be?"
"I-It's in the snowy mountains of northeastern Kalos... But be careful, as the Olympus Castle is a flying fortress... Zeus can launch it and move its location elsewhere at any point..."
"Alright then, I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Thanks, Momoka. Thinking of you during this difficult time."
"I appreciate it, Lils." She responded positively, now having calmed down from N's death. Although she was grieving for her fianceé's death, Lillie was able to put her at ease. The Alolan woman then excused herself, returning back to the briefing room.
"The Olympus Castle's location has been identified in northeastern Kalos." Lillie spoke, having called back the other Shinkaigers and Shigeru for the info.
"It's in the snowy mountains!? Oh, come on! I don't like hiking, and besides, it's cold anyways! That'll be hell for us!" Ran lamented once again.
"Man up, Ran. Takeru, Uncle Satoshi, and Aunt Serena's lives are at stake right now." Keito admonished.
"Yeah yeah, sorry Silver..."
Shigeru then spat out his coffee in surprise. "Cold? Oh no, this can't be happening..."
"What is it, Professor?" Ryouma asked.
"I have a feeling that Zeus might've known about Takeru's number-one weakness via Apollo gathering up intel right under our noses. He's weak to cold temperatures. In room temperature, he's normal as usual, but drop it to 10 degrees Celsius and he has difficulty moving to the point that he'd freeze like a statue. Drop that even further to 0, and his transformation will be disengaged instantly. Transforming again isn't going to be possible, as the cold will just disengage it again." He summed up.
"So, you think Zeus might've trapped Take-chan in a freezer that was set to subzero temperatures in order to weaken him, and he also prevented him from contacting us?" Hikaru asked.
"If that's the case, then we should fully mobilize and attempt a rescue effort. Here's hoping that Takeru, Satoshi and Serena are safe."
"Well said, Shigeru. Now that that's out of the way... Shinkaigers, deploy immediately!" Lillie ordered.
"Yes, ma'am!
The team, still untransformed, then made their way into the EvolFighter before flying off to the northeastern Kalosian mountains; the exact location which Momoka had previously pinpointed. Within 10 minutes, the Shinkaigers would then reach the vicinity of the area, prompting Ran, Ryouma and Hikaru to look through the fighter jet's cockpit window to find the Olympus Castle with Lillie and Shigeru passively monitoring them.
"Where exactly could that castle be? I don't even see anything, for Arceus' sake!" Hikaru complained.
"Focus properly, Blue! You're not going to find it if you keep getting distracted like that!" Ran admonished. Hikaru then rolled his eyes as a result.
Just then, however, Ryouma then spotted a mysterious, black structure on ground level, prompting him to report his findings while pointing his fingers to the object. It indeed was the Olympus Castle. "Wait, what the hell is that thing on the ground?"
"It looks out of place with the surroundings, if I'm being honest here..." Erina remarked.
"Stupid scatterbrains. They can't even hide their own base of operations from any enemies... Makes me wonder what's going on in their minds." Ran said, badmouthing his enemies at first.
"If that is indeed the Olympus Castle, then I suggest we immediately take action and rescue Takeru, Uncle Satoshi, and Aunt Serena right now. Team, let's do this!" Keito said. He then handed over control of the EvolFighter to Lillie, before ejecting out of the vehicle and landing on the snowy grounds, with the team following shortly after.
The team then proceeded to storm the Olympus Castle in an all-out attack, dispatching some of the Hoplite Soldiers guarding the entrance to the fortress to death. Their presence also triggered the castle's alarm systems, catching Zeus, Hera and the other generals completely off guard.
"What!? Impossible, has the Shinkaigers managed to track our location down!?" Apollo exclaimed in shock. He, along with his fellow generals, had hurried into the courtroom upon hearing the alarm sounds.
"That accursed Shinkaigers! They must have gotten a tip to where Olympus was located... Hoplite Soldiers, eliminate any possible intruders AT ALL COSTS!" Zeus ordered. As a result, his companies of henchmen would then begin defending the area, only for the Shinkaigers to kill them with relative ease thanks to Keito's EvolHalberd.
"Not so fast, Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Artemis! Have the four of you forgotten that the Shinkaigers are now a team of six!?" Keito taunted. This was met with a very dissatisfied response from Zeus. "Damn you, Shinkai Silver! Apollo, Artemis, prevent them from going any further!"
And with that, Apollo and Artemis then started to play defense on Zeus' orders, as a result forcing the Shinkaigers to retaliate by fighting back against them. Seeing this, Ran then relayed an order to Erina and Keito.
"Erina, Keito-san! Go ahead and rescue Takeru and the others! We'll go ahead and stall them while we still can!" He said, pointing to the sub-zero cage at a faraway corner of the area.
"Got it!" Keito and Erina both affirmed. They then made their way towards the aforementioned glass cage, seeing a shivering Takeru, as well as an unconscious, and frostbitten, Satoshi and Serena.
Noticing the levers and switches on the wall adjacent to the cage, the Silver warrior was able to instantly figure out that they were used to lower the glass panels forming the cage as well as fixing the temperature inside of the area to a set number of degrees Celsius. Keito then decided to take the initiative, and then flicked the switch used to lower the panels, retracting them back up to the ceiling and freeing Takeru. Erina then followed, overclocking her cybernetic arms and delivering a strong punch that broke the temperature lever.
"Keito! Erina!" Takeru exclaimed in relief and shock. "How did you get here!? And is the others with you?"
"Yes, and it's a long story. But are you okay, Takeru?" Keito asked. In response, the Red warrior then just put up a cocky smirk before remarking, "You bet. But I have a score to settle with Zeus now that he tried to turn me and my parents into frozen ice pops. Mom and Dad couldn't handle the cold and ended up passing out."
"Don't worry. I'll transport them using Fighter. But I suggest that you be careful if you're planning to take the fight against Hyena Inhumanoid outside." Keito warned. "This castle is surrounded entirely by snowy mountains. You can't fight in the cold, big brother." Erina added.
"Oh, fuck me senseless..."
"...Yeah, you'll have to go back to regular hand-to-hand combat for this one. No weapons; just karate, or wushu, or any of your various fighting styles. Sorry, Takeru." Keito apologized, the Silver warrior rubbing the nape of his neck at the same time.
"No, no, you don't have to do this, Keito. As long as I'm still able to kick ass at the same time, then I'm going to fight regardless if I'm transformed or not. Please take care of Mom and Dad, alright?" Takeru replied, with Keito nodding in affirmation before the half-Kantonian half-Kalosian trainer then began cracking his (cyborg) knuckles. He then smirked, his eyes filled with burning determination. "Now then, Erina... LET'S WRECK'EM TO PIECES!"
Takeru, in defiance and determination, then pressed a button on his cybernetic arm, causing his weapon, the EvolBlade, to materialize out of data in mid-air. He then grabs the weapon, brandishing the aforementioned sword before walking calmly to where his other teammates were, with Erina following him. He then grinned viciously; He was pissed at Zeus for trying to lay a hand on his parents, and as a result, Takeru was ready to kill.
As Takeru and Erina were returning back to the battlefield, the remaining Shinkaigers were trying their best to fight against the Mightyena-based cyborg monster, but however, Ran, Ryouma and Hikaru's attacks just weren't enough to deal damage to Hyena Inhumanoid, and, without Takeru, Erina and Keito, they were easily vulnerable to the monster's stronger attacks, and unfortunately, the team was on the brink of defeat.
"Damn it... This fucking hyena is stronger than we expected..." Hikaru lamented, causing said monster to taunt him further. "I̸̪̤̐͗s̷̨͆͠ ̷̨̾̈́t̶̡͓̊h̷̫̅͐i̷̙͉͑ṡ̵̼͕ ̷̟̏̽ṱ̶̏h̸͉̫͛ẽ̷͉̯ ̴̪̄b̷̘̉ẻ̸̺̓s̶̫̟̑͘t̷̺̋ ̵͈̘̃ý̴̨͚͠o̵̞̭͝û̵̱͙͝'̶͔͊v̴̹͆͒e̸̦̾ ̵̬͘g̴͚̏o̵̖̎͝t̷̻̋͌ͅt̶̢͚͑͠e̷̗͆͝n̷͎̻̆,̵̨̼͗͘ ̶̉͜͝S̷̜͊̍ḩ̵͐́i̴̺͛n̵̥̣̒ḱ̴͓å̵͗ͅi̶̺̠͝g̶̜͖̀e̶̪̓r̵͔͐s̶̠̎?̷̨̞̽"
Ran scoffed in response. "If only you know that despite the fact that we may be weaker than you, we still have determination and resolve driving us!" This would not be taken well by Hyena Inhumanoid, though, and as a result, the monster would then launch a deadly version of the move Dark Pulse from his hands at point blank towards the team.
"D̵̳̽ͅá̶̗m̵̤͉̃̈́n̷̞͉̏̀ ̶͓̀̉y̴͖̌ǒ̶̙̳͠u̶̯͛,̶̲̥̊ ̴̪̀͠S̷͍̉̍h̸̞͑į̵̏́n̴̛̯͇̂k̶̨̩̀ǎ̴̙͖̄ḯ̸̞͐g̷̙͊ẽ̴̜͈r̷͚͉̋̄s̸̞̅̆!̶̣̫̓͛ ̸̡̭͋͠T̷͕̄̎ả̶̻k̷̻̓͒ͅe̴̪̍ ̵͖̠͊͝t̷̜̻́̄h̶̛͙͝i̷̯̜̒s̶͇̠̈́ ̸̘̺̇å̸͓̦̏n̶͕͑ḏ̸̠̑ ̶͔͖̎ḍ̸̆͠ì̵̯͠ê̷͖͎!̷͓̠̅"
Seconds later, the move would hit its intended target, causing a large explosion, which disengaged the team's transformations, and resulting in large amounts of smoke to cover the battlefield. The smoke then dissipated to reveal Takeru, sword in hand, taking up a battle stance, with Erina protecting the rest of the team from aftershocks.
"I̸̙̔̐-̴̩̈́Ĩ̶͔-̶̳͒I̷̝͗͜m̸̹̐p̷͈͌ö̸̺̥̆ŝ̴͙̹s̷̪͌i̸̗̾̐b̸̲͚͆͒l̷͖͊ẻ̸̖̠!̵̢͎͒̽ ̵̛͎͔͒H̵͈͛̚o̷̼̣̓̚w̷̤̘̄ ̸̛͖d̵̼͛̀i̶͙̊̕d̸̜̐͗ ̵̪̳͆͠y̵̖̘͛o̷̭̗͐̈́u̵̖͆̆ͅ ̶̧͚̑m̸͎̽͑a̷͇͛n̴̤̄̕a̸͔̞͠g̷̪̀͘e̶̠̬͛̚ ̷̤̫͂t̷̘̘̏o̶͕̖̓̏ ̷̛̩̙g̵͓͒̔ė̴̗͓̕t̷͚̐ ̴̘̏ǫ̴̟̍u̸͓̓̉t̷̫̉ ̷͖͒ô̶͎̭͐f̴̪̆̓ ̴̬͙̄͠t̵̨̙͊h̵͖͊̾ḙ̸̯͌ ̶͔͎̉̉c̴̼̟̾͌ạ̸̬̋g̴̹̙̐͛e̸̢̍̓!̶͖̫̇̂?̵̟͈͋͋ ̶͎̂͝T̴͖̅ḥ̶̝͂̕ă̴̜̌t̶̞̆ ̶̰͚̑̈́b̵̯̠̈ả̶̛̯͍ŕ̷̝r̸̥̊͂ị̴̤̃e̶̫̙͠ŕ̷̭͗ ̵͖̂w̵͔̜̿̚a̸̡̦͛̄s̷͖̱̎̋ ̵͍͗̀s̷͎̾ü̸̖̥̍p̶̳̄p̴̻͎̿͐o̴̼̬̊s̸͙͐e̴̥͆̀d̸͎̈̒ ̴̛̛̙͙ṯ̸̾͌ò̸̙ͅ ̵͇̏ḅ̵͐ͅe̶͆́ͅ ̸̻͇̂̆i̸̯̫̎̑m̶̗͑p̶̮͋e̶̞͂̀ń̶̨̰̏ē̷̳͈͌t̷̼̀͝r̶̩͆̈́a̷̛̖͋b̵̼͕̈͘l̸͎͌̄e̵͓̎!̸͇̦͗͐" The monster said, flabbergasted. Takeru however, didn't say a word, delivering an intimidating stare towards his enemy. His vicious grin was plastered all over his face.
Then, without warning, Takeru then charged towards Hyena Inhumanoid, still not saying a word, right in front of Erina and his other teammates. He then began violently clashing with the Mightyena cyborg, dealing damage to him with the EvolBlade despite not transforming at all. However, he was driven by untamed rage and vengeance, making his every slashes more deadly than ever. He even made deep gashes into the monster's skin, continuing to hack and slash violently at his enemy whenever necessary. Takeru then proceeds to dismember the hyena monster's left hand, shocking his teammates at how violent he was, executing every move without even saying a word at all.
The 17-year old then stabbed the EvolBlade onto the floor, ditching it before grabbing his opponent by the shoulder. Hyena Inhumanoid then pushed him away, standing up before proceeding to deliver a few kicks to Takeru's gut, taunting. "T̶̺͊r̴͍̘̆͐y̸̭͉͛̄ ̵̨̿y̵͓̐́ȯ̵̲̕u̴̞̦͒ř̷̫ ̴̜̦͌b̸͙͑e̶̢͊́ş̵̾ẗ̶͓́,̴̗̳͛ ̸̺̒̕S̵̹̖̋h̶̰̃í̸͙̑n̵̰̓̅k̸̻̏à̶̤̋î̷̦̪ ̸̹̻͗͗Ř̸̦̈́ë̸͔̩́̐d̷̞̞̃̕.̴̤͊.̴̢̝̏.̷̡̂͋ ̵͍̓N̸͚̭̑o̵̤̽w̶̹̹͌̈́ ̸̠͐t̴̬̐h̵͚̜̾a̶͙̗͘t̷̰͆͛ ̷͖̉y̶̜͇̍ŏ̷̡̫̂u̴͖̼̓ ̷̲̽̌ͅc̴̝̅a̸̳͉̎̒n̴̨̙̉'̸̡̹͆͂ṯ̸̨́ ̷̢̖̾ṱ̸̦̓ŗ̸̭̕͘ḁ̷̀ń̵̳̮s̴̪̉̈́f̸̦̅ò̷̹̿ř̶̹̫m̸̢̛͗ ̵͔̜͐̎a̴̡̹͒g̷̣̈́a̶̢̽̓i̸̞̦̒͝n̵̥͂͝,̵̤͛ ̴̖̇͌ṭ̸̰̄h̸̳̅̆e̴͖͗n̵̗͆ ̸̬͐̽I̵͈̋͜'̸̜͆l̶͇̓͜l̸̠͂ ̷̖́͘͜n̵͔̞̈́è̷̬v̷̜̾͐e̶͚̦͠ṛ̶͈͠ ̸͈͋b̸̩̔́e̵̪̳̍ ̷͕̙͗ḍ̸̇e̴̬̟̓f̵̜͛̏è̵̮̚a̵̯̯͆t̸͉̤̅e̶̛͉͂ḑ̷̀́ ̵̃͜b̵͚̏y̵̧̛̓ ̸̡̑̾ͅw̵͓̄e̷͍͑̂a̷̟̚k̵͕͖͛͐l̸͎̆͜͝i̶̗̋ͅn̴̫̳̿̑g̸̨̲̽s̴̡̛͎ ̷̞̠́̕l̷͎͘͜i̵̭͌k̷̛̬ẽ̴̠ ̸̛̫̯̕y̷͍̆õ̴̦̟̚u̴̲̰̽̎!̸̖̯̀"
Again, no response was given. The Red warrior then maneuvered himself, retaliating by violently attacking his opponent before overclocking his cybernetic systems to well over 1000%. He then punched Hyena Inhumanoid right in the face, with the punch's tremendous power disfiguring the monster's face and ripping Takeru's synthetic skin completely, exposing the prosthetic arm's machinery and circuits from the fingers and up to the forearms. Blood was also dripping from his arms. His clothes had also ripped due to the sheer amount of power that he had put through, leaving part of his red jacket becoming tattered.
The violent fight would then go on for a few minutes, with Takeru and Hyena Inhumanoid completely battling it out with each other. Both of their faces were punched, and they were kicked in the legs and shoulder respectively, with the monster suffering a shoulder dislocation due to how powerful Takeru's kick was. The Red warrior's sneakers were also ripped, and his pants were also becoming tattered and bloodied as a result.
Takeru then punched Hyena Inhumanoid right in the stomach as red cracks would appear on his cheeks, creating a large, gaping hole that pierced through his body and guts, before ripping out Hyena Inhumanoid's fail-safe program circuit from the inside of his body and crushing it with his hands, rendering the aforementioned cyborg to be unable to be revived and grown into giant size upon death. With unchecked, uncontrollable fury, the 17-year old then grabbed his opponent's head, and then began gouging out the Mightyena monster's eye lens and corneae, causing him to suffer a hemorrhage, rapidly losing a large amount of blood, and for chilling, shrieks of pain to fill the room.
Deciding to take the opportunity, Takeru then removed the Talonflame Medal from his EvolBracelet, before pulling the EvolBlade out of the ground. He then inserts the medal into the sword's middle slot, simply pressing the trigger.
FINISHING BLOW!
The EvolBlade would then burn brightly in flames, prompting Takeru to swing his sword, tracing the Kantonian kanji for fire (火), which would then appear in mid-air following the strokes he had traced. Takeru would then press the trigger again, using his hands to send the kanji towards his opponent's abdomen.
TALONFLAME! ONE STRIKE SLASH! FIRE!
The aforementioned attack would then hit Hyena Inhumanoid, causing him to deal damage, but the attack was not enough to kill him whatsoever. Seeing his opponent's survival, the Red warrior then pressed the trigger again.
FINISHING BLOW!
Takeru then quickly sheathed the EvolBlade in his belt's scabbard, before pressing the trigger for a second time.
FLAME, IAI!
He then momentarily takes up the karate front stance, before Takeru then quickly pulls his sword out of its sheath, performing a quick-draw sword technique commonly known as iai. The half-Kalosian trainer then delivers a horizontal slash to Hyena Inhumanoid, mortally wounding him as it slashed the gaping hole on his stomach.
INFERNAL FLASH!
In seconds, the attack would then hit home, killing Hyena Inhumanoid, with him screaming in pure agony as he exploded like a grenade, incinerating the room on fire. As Takeru had removed the fail-safe circuits, there were no giant monsters this time, allowing him and the rest of the team an early break session.
Takeru had gotten his sweet, sweet revenge.
Hours later, after what had seemed like an eternity for the Shinkaigers, Satoshi and Serena would then wake up at evening, only to get confused when they found themselves sleeping on the Guardia Base's housing space, on the same bed, stealing glances at each other. 'Wait, what?'
A wave of realization would then hit the Kamishiros, with them remember the events that had occurred earlier that afternoon.
Takeru and Erina, who had been waiting painstakingly by their bedside, saw their parents awaken, causing Erina to leave in order to get Keito while Takeru stood up and rushed over to his parents' side. "Mom! Dad!"
"Takeru? Wait, what just happened? And why are we both here all of a sudden?" Serena asked.
"Mom, Dad, you're currently being treated in the Guardia Base's housing section right now. You passed out, and you had a few signs of minor frostbite due to being trapped in that cold cage." He explained.
Just then, the base's automatic doors then opened up, revealing Erina and Keito. The Silver warrior had heard of the conversation, and then decided to interject it. "Don't worry, Uncle Satoshi, Aunt Serena. Like what Takeru said, thankfully, what you've experienced are just minor symptoms. If we'd left you in that cage for a longer amount of time, then who knows. You may suffer worse symptoms.
"We've seen worse, Keito." Satoshi deadpanned.
"You had us worried, Father. Mother. But why the both of you, exactly? Did you know why you were kidnapped?" Erina asked, politely, to which Satoshi and Serena couldn't answer in response. However, Takeru knew what the true purpose was.
"Zeus kidnapped Mom and Dad to bait me out so that I can be captured and put into that sub-zero cage. Apollo apparently gathered up some intel without us knowing, and he managed to discover my weakness to sub-zero temperatures." He then glanced at his parents, his eyes full of remorse. "I'm sorry, Mom, Dad. If only I hadn't gotten you into so much trouble..."
"Takeru, don't blame yourself. It should've been our fault for falling into Artemis' trap. If anything, you're the one who got into so much trouble in order to rescue us. I can say the same with Erina and Keito." Serena said, causing Takeru to impulsively defend himself, also covering on his sister and cousin's behalf.
"Mom, don't push it, alright? Right now, the only thing that matters is that you're alive. Just get some rest. Being bedridden like this isn't going to help with your situation."
"We will. Thanks for saving us. All six of you." Satoshi thanked, grateful that he'd managed to survive the ordeal despite having to get himself and his wife treated because of the frostbite.
"Anytime, Dad."
And with that, Takeru, Erina and Keito then went back to the briefing room to rejoin Ran and the others.
Meanwhile at the Olympus Castle, things were not going well for Zeus and his underlings due to the location of their base being compromised. Zeus had already moved the fortress to deep under the ocean in international waters, but to rub salt into the wound, Apollo was furious at the fact that Zeus didn't decide to kill the Shinkaigers outright, especially Takeru, when they had the chance to do so.
"Why did you NOT kill the Shuugo Sentai when we had the chance to do it earlier, Your Imperial Majesty!?" The general questioned in a fit of rage. "If you did, then we would have a guaranteed win! WE CAN TAKE OVER THE WORLD IF THEY'RE OUT OF OUR WAY!"
Zeus then proceeds to point his xiphos at Apollo as a result. "You dare attempt to lecture your leader, Apollo?"
"Not that, Your Imperial Majesty. I am merely puzzled at the fact that you decided to spare the Shinkaigers when we had the chance to fight all six of them earlier on. We could've gotten an instant guaranteed win if we do that." Apollo retorted.
"Those accursed Shuugo Sentai are doing nothing but plotting plans and schemes that would lead to their downfall, Apollo." Zeus adamantly responded. He then continued, raising his voice to make him sound more imposing. "And so do I. So leave them alone and bear with them. Give them respite for a short while, and do not seek to hasten their defeat."
To be continued
Author's Note: And that's it for Chapter 14! This chapter in particular reveals a lot of plot points that we've kept hidden, such as Takeru's weakness to cold temperatures, and the fact that Artemis is actually Rosa / Mei, the female player character of the Generation V game Pokémon Black2 and White2. Rosa herself was depicted to have gone missing prior to this reveal, and Nate already mentioned her once in Chapter 8. This plot twist was actually a last-minute change suggested by Morgan Alter, and as a result, I reworked the plot to have Zeus be absent for the first four chapters of this story due to him kidnapping and converting Rosa into a cyborg without her consent, which just goes to show how far Zeus is willing to go through with his atrocities. The Shinkaigers themselves are also getting a large-scale upgrade to their equipment for this arc of the story, as evidenced by Lillie using a rifle-like device to hold Artemis / Rosa at gunpoint.
In addition, Ash and Serena being kidnapped by Apollo under Zeus' orders just to bait Takeru into his trap also shows just how cunning and dirty he really is, and the Shinkaigers finally discover the Olympus Castle's location and meet Hera in person for the first time, but with Olympus being moved to the ocean bed however, it makes things a lot harder for the Shinkaigers to rediscover it again. We'll see how the team is going to handle that. Takeru's brutal, unmorphed fight with Hyena Inhumanoid, triggered by Ash and Serena being threatened by Zeus, is actually a reference to Haruka Misuzawa and Jin Takayama's fight from the 2016 Amazon Prime Video series Kamen Rider Amazons, and I must say that this is one of the, if not the most, brutal and violent fight scenes that would appear in the fanfic itself. I also incorporated a reference to Hideaki Anno's Shin Kamen Rider for you eagle-eyed readers, and Ash and Serena finally notice Takeru's hidden powers as well, though they wouldn't fully know what they truly would be until near the end of the fic.
And last but not least, N's death. It might seem that we really did him dirty by killing him off (especially to you Gen V lovers out there), but his death actually plays a major role for one of the main conflicts that would happen in the second arc. Gladion's announcement of N's death in particular is also inspired by the 2009 war film The Messenger, albeit the scene is not a direct and explicit reference to the movie itself. Also, as seen in the end of the chapter, Zeus already has a scheme in store for the Shinkaigers that would make him decide to spare the team when they would attack the Olympus Castle to rescue Ash, Serena and Takeru, much to Apollo's dissatisfaction. Just what does Zeus already have in store for the Shinkaigers? Well, you'll have to find out by yourself, so please stay tuned for the later chapters. As always, read, review, and point out any of our mistakes and errors if possible. We greatly appreciate your feedback and support, as it helps to improve this story's reading experience and ourselves as writers.
Last but not least, medal recap time:
Medals in Takeru's possession: Talonflame, Golem, Charizard, Swellow, Bike, Barrier, Clone (7)
Medals in Ran's possession: Jolteon, Galvantula, Manectric, Bike (4)
Medals in Ryouma's possession: Umbreon, Bike (2)
Medals in Hikaru's possession: Sharpedo, Blastoise, Bike (3)
Medals in Erina's possession: Sylveon, Bike (2)
Medals in Keito's possession: Skarmory, Excadrill (2)
Medals in Gladion's possession: Reshiram, Zeraora (2)
Medals in Momoka's possession: Silvally (1)
Total count: 23
With that said, MagicWings001 here, signing out. Jaa ne!