It was dark, very dark. Nothing to be seen for miles upon miles but pure blackness, like a night that had come far too early. It was perfect. The dark sky hadn't even a moon to shine light on the village. Nothing could light it, as the darkness was too vast. That was, until a ball of fire fell from the darkened heavens, and struck one of the huts of straw, setting it ablaze. Then another, and another. Some struck the ground, some the trees in the once lush forest. All hit their targets. And from the darkness of the void surrounding the blazing Island, stepped multiple figures, enshrouded in the same darkness from whence they came.
The people of the village all scrambled from their homes, and out into the streets. But that only allowed the shadows to take their lives much easier. The fire continued to smoke out the people for the darkness to consume. More and more victims fell to them as the fire grew and grew.
Then, a bright light shone in the middle of the burning village. The shadows shielded their faces, and three figures stepped from the light. One shrouded in red light, one yellow, and one black, the three of them were quite familiar to the villagers, who began to cheer at their arrival. The figures began to fight agiainst the shadows, easily banishing them to where they came from. But more arrived, and more, and more. And eventually, the figures were overwhelmed. Until a ball of white light fell, bursting into energy upon impact with the ground, throwing the shadows away from the heroes.
After that, a blue light fell as well, splitting into 3, then 6, then 9. The lights shot after the darkness, and banished them before converging back into one light, and joining the heroes. A figure shrouded in white joined the heroes as well, and the blue light transformed into a figure as well. And finally, behind them shone a golden light, much bigger than all of them. It became brighter, and brighter, until it obscured everything.
Sir Ethan awoke with a start. Though, unlike his last vision, he was not breathing so heavily. The newest vision had brought with it not feelings of worry, and fear, but joy, and triumph. The Eagle knight could tell that the future was looking bright. Though, there was one thing on his mind. If the vision was true, would the Demons would be returning? And how? He shook the thought away as he rose from where he lay in the cavern, lit with the shine of a new day.
He grabs his sword from the cavern floor, places it in its scabbard, and walks into the morning sun. He takes in the bright rays before jumping from the cave, carried by the wind in his flight to the village.
He lands in front of the entrance to the forest, and looks upon the village with pride. It has been 10 days since the Svinund Empire invaded the village, and the tribe started to rebuild immediately after. The progress has been quite nice, he notices the excellent condition of many of the buildings as he walks by. The people wave as he walks by, and he waves back. They seem to be finally, truly happy. And so is he.
Until what seems to be three weights slam into his legs. Of course, a man of his incredible stature doesn't simply fall over, or even stumble at the appearance of such a shift. He simply looks down, confused. Three boys, each looking about 10 years of age stand up, and dust themselves off. "I told you to look where you're going." One says.
"Yeah, well I didn't see you doing that you ran into me!" Another complains.
"Guys, cool it. Lets all look ahead when we walk, like normal people." The last resolves, a bit snarkily with his final remark. Ethan focuses a bit closer on the boys. They all look almost exactly the same. Triplets, maybe? Each had short, blue hair, and the same exact outfit. The boys look up to see what they slammed into, but their eyes widen.
"Sir Ethan! We are so sorry!" The first boy apologizes. "Well, they are."
"I'm not." The second boy proclaims, shamelessly. "Plus, weren't we trying to find him?"
"Yeah, but we weren't trying slam into the guy!!"
"Please, It's nothing." Ethan says. "Now, what is it you wanted to talk about?"
"Oh… um… this." The last boy answers, nervously. He pulls the bag off his back, and from it pulls something that shocks Ethan. A Torystal. Blank, but still.
"Wh…Where did you find that?" He asks the boy.
"In the forest. It was causing us intense vertigo for a few days until Jay here found it." He replies, pointing to the third boy. "I-I'm Jim, by the way." He adds, still a bit nervous. "We noticed it was the same thing Red and the others used to fight those bad guys, and we thought you'd wanna know about it."
"…Jay, Jim, and uh…"
"Jake."
"Jake. Right. Here's what I want you to do. I want you to guard that with your lives. Can you do that?"
"Heh, what are we, 5? Of course we can watch over a little… whatever it is." Jake confidently assures. Ethan smiles.
"Good. Because this is more important than you could imagine."
The structure was large, of that, there was no doubt. In height, at least, it even beat out the palace. It seemed to be some sort of fortress of some kind, having multiple entrances and exits, ramps for vehicles, and other things. "Dr. Waristot, What exactly is this… thing, that stands before us?" Tyranus XX asks the short statured scientist next to him.
"My king, what you look upon now is a marvel of modern technology, made alongside our army's finest minds. I call it the Svinund Structure, a metallic mobile fortress made to adapt to its surroundings immediately." The scientist says before pulling what seems to be a remote controller. He presses the singular button on the controller, and from the upper-center of the structure, a panel opens, and a ramp falls, revealing itself as a conveyor belt. "These structures are the perfect vehicles for shipping our invasion forces out to combat." Waristot explains as the Boarolders begin to march down the conveyor belt.
The Boarolders continue their march until there are none left inside of the structure. "It, of course, also works as a fortress for our men, its walls made of the most durable metals on the planet, and being armed to the teeth with turrets and cannons. With just one of these, the Birdon who dared defy you either swear undying loyalty, or be decimated within the day!" Tyranus let out a chuckle.
"Perfect. Have my invasion forces sent out within the next 2 hours."
"Of course my leige. Oh, but there is one more thing I need to show you."
"Oh? Make it quick then."
"Of course. If you'll follow me." The doctor lead the king up the ramp into the interior of the massive structure. It was certainly impressive, fortified supremely, and with multiple Boarolder manufacturing machines already hard at work.
"This is quite the mechanical achievement Doctor. But I doubt that this is all you have to show off?"
"No, no, my lord. This is simply a prelude. We're coming up to the main event now." Dr. Waristot leads Tyranus XX to a large metallic door. The doctor presses a button on his remote, and the door opens, revealing what seems to be a command station. The doctor and king walk up to a large chamber with a circular window. "Take a look inside, my king."
Tyranus obliges, and look inside of the window. Inside of the chamber, is a chair, like that of a warship's commander. And sitting in the chair is a humanoid figure, green in coloration, like the rest of the empire's people. But it had black and silver gauntlets and armored boots, like a robotic soldier. "Doctor, what is this?"
"One of your new generals, my lord. Wait one moment, while I make him more… presentable." The scientist presses his controller once more, and a thick steam covers the view from the window. When it fades, it reveals the same figure, only now, he has armor around his body. His forearms and hands have been replaced with cameras, and so has his head. Even the armor around his chest resembles a giant camera. The chamber opens, and the humanoid stands up, and bows before Tyranus.
"Cameras, doctor? I don't see the appeal."
"Cameras are made for capturing footage, my liege. Cameran Baroki's purpose is to take this quite literally. He is able to use his lenses to identify the interlopers who killed your father, and "capture" anyone who might get in his way."
"I see… rise, Cameran Baroki. Lead my forces with ruthless vigor. Do whatever it takes to destroy the interlopers, and anyone else who would defy the Svinund Empire."
"Yes, my lord." The new general responds.
The punch landed against Red's forearm, impacting the area with massive amounts of force. He was lucky to block the fist, thrown by Chuck, his ever increasing momentum allowing such force and strength in the first place. Anothe punch, this time going for Red's stomach, blocked, almost too late, by a quick lift of the shin. Another, going for the chest again, this time, the fist nearly slips through, but Red manages to hold the punch between his fists just in time.
Red was barely keeping his balance, his leg still lifted, blocking the prior attack. But then, he gets an idea. He throws out his leg, kneeing Chuck in his own, knocking him off balance, a speedster's greatest weakness. Chuck collapses, and Red grabs his opponent's arm. "Well, you're getting faster." The blonde comments.
"I think training with you helped with that." Red chuckles in response. He pulls Chuck upright, and backs away. "Now, let's do this for real." Chuck smirks. The pair get into fighting stances, and the atmosphere becomes tense as they circle around each other.
After a while of silence, Chuck makes the first move, dashing at Red in a yellow blur. Red barely throws his arms up on time to block the high-speed barrage of punches thrown his way. He can tell that Chuck is holding back. Not that it was having no effect. Red could feel his defenses beginning to falter. He had to think of something. Chuck as beginning to push him back. The circle drawn in the dirt came closer, and closer. That's when Red decided enough was enough.
He threw a punch of his own, a high stakes gamble. And, just like he thought, as soon as he moved, a punch landed on his face, drawing a bit of blood. Perfect. He spits it at the ground before snapping his fingers. The ground lit ablaze for a moment, causing his oppenent to jump back. Now was the time. Red jumps forward, and throws a punch at Chuck's face, landing on his cheek, sending him tumbling back.
Chuck gets up in a huff. "No fair!"
"What, you can't take the heat?" Red taunts.
"That was a cheap shot!"
"And you really expected me to not do something like that when you're throwing punches nearing the speed of sound at me?"
Chuck's face went blank. "That… that checks out." He gets back on his feet, and dusts himself off. "Well, rules are rules. I went down first. You win."
"Which means… Bomb! You ready?" The man standing outside the circle walks in as Chuck exits.
"You know it. Matilda!" He calls. The white haired woman nods, and jogs in between the pair, who ready themselves.
"Now, don't you boys get too rough with each other. I don't wanna have to patch you up, like last time." She scowls, shooting a glare at Red, who rubs the back of his neck, chuckling sheepishly. "Ok. Ready." Red and Bomb back away, and Matilda puts her hand out. "Set up." The boys get into fighting stances. "Go!" She lifts her hand, and Bomb rushes at Red, the crimson haired man doing the same as Matilda backs out of the circle.
Bomb throws a punch, only for it to be knocked away by Red, and countered with a punch to the stomach. Bomb staggers back, giving Red the opportunity to throw a punch to the face, but Bomb recovers just in time to throw up his forearm, blocking the attack. Red pushes his fist harder and harder, giving Bomb enough time to fully recover, and catch Red with a punch to the face, which sends him flying back.
Red recovers midair, and lands in handstand before launching backwards. Landing in a skid, he pushes himself forward, and unleashes a quick combination of attacks, all block by a struggling Bomb. He ends with an axe kick, which Bomb barely manages to catch. But this was what Red wanted. He uses his free leg to kick his opponent in the chest, releasing himself, and sending Bomb stumbling.
"Alright, Red. That's how you wanna play it? Let's go." Bomb rubs his fists together, produces a spark, before pucnhing the ground, sending a trail of explosion toward Red, knocking him over. He manages to shakily catch himself in another handstand, but as soon as he sets himself down, he's met with a punch to the face. He barely manages to keep himself standing from it, and blocks the next fist. He throws a hook, getting Bomb in the face a few times before beginning to punch his side. Finally he lands a kick to the same side, throwing Bomb out of the circle.
Bomb lifts his head, but sees that he's made it out of bounds. He chuckles a bit.
"Red wins again!" Matilda announces. "Thankfully, he's not the one I have to be patching up today." She says, turning to Bomb with a pleasant, warm smile. Bomb felt his cheeks heat just a little.
"Um… th-that's alright, Matilda. I-I can walk it off!"
"Nonsense! I doesn't bother me." Matilda insists.
Red lets out a light snicker before walking over to Bomb, helping him up. Bomb dusts himself off. "Well, I can say this, you're getting a lot stronger, Red. I remember a few days ago I had you on the ground."
"Yeah, I know. It's so weird. I've been training with you guys for, what, 7 days now? Quite the turn around if I do say so myself."
"Don't forget, you were a pretty good fighter before this whole thing."
"Yeah, but not as good as you guys."
Matilda watches the boys talk as Chuck walks over to join the conversation. It was just like before Red left. The only ones who were missing were…
"Come on, Red! It isn't that bad!" The younger girl says, smirking as she pulls Red along by the arm. The girl had pink hair with spiked bangs cascading from the back to the front, fading into magenta at the tips. "You just gotta learn to live a little!"
"I'm sweating all over! How can you stand this?!" The aformentioned boy shouts at the top of his lungs.
Chuck lets out a laugh. "Just give it up, Stella. Red's never been the outdoorsy type."
"That's only because outside filled to the brim with punchable faces, like yours!" Red says, continuing to struggle against Stella's grip. For a 14 year old, she was quite strong. "Terrence! Help me out here!"
The bigger man said not a single word. He had red hair as well, though in a much darker shade. His facial expression was constant, and unchanging. None knew what went through the man's mind, and, frankly, they were a bit scared.
Matilda chuckled at Red's antics. It'd been a few days since Judge Peckinpah ordered him to join this little "group" of hers, consisting of Terrence, Bomb, Stella, and Chuck. Speaking of Bomb, he walked beside her, a scowl on his face. He didn't quite like the way Red was acting on this trip. But he kept quiet, if only for Matilda's sake.
The nature walk, besides Red's outbursts, was going fine overall. It was relatively peaceful. Matilda wished it could stay this way forever.
But, sadly, it didn't. Terrence and Stella left the Island soon after Red's self-imposed exile to the outskirts. It was a shame too, they'd have probably loved to see the old group back together, having fun, just like old times. But, times change, and people do too. Red was a prime example of that. Though his firey temper would never go away, he had learned to control it much better these past few days than he ever would have if he stayed in the village.
'Maybe it wasn't all bad.' Matilda presumes. But still, she wishes she could have done something, instead of just letting it all go by. It was something she wrestled with for a few years. Maybe she could have. Maybe she could have caught Stella before she left, or maybe talked Terrence into staying. Or… or maybe she could have stood up for Red.
"I can't be here anymore!" Red yells.
"But, why? We care about you, Red! We all do!"
"They don't! You see them, Matilda. The hate in their eyes. They try to hide it under those stupid smiles, but they hate me! They think I'm a monster!"
"Chuck doesn't, Bomb doesn't! Terrence and Stella-"
"Are gone! They screwed off to who knows where, and now I have to watch you guys suffer because those bastards want me dead! I'm… I'm not gonna do that… not to you. Not to the only family I've got."
Red slings his bag over his shoulder, and gives a solemn salute before walking into the forest.
The massive fortress flew over the Island. It was too large to not be noticed as soon it hit the ground. On top of it stood Cameran Baroki, and General Silver. "You remember the plan, don't you?" The cyborg beast inquires.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Don't engage, let you do all the work, report back once you blow the Birdon to bits. Pfft. Boring! I just wanna go down there and catch some kills! It's not fair that you get to have the fun. I mean, you were literally born yesterday!" Silver complains.
"And yet, I have more experience and maturity in my head than you will ever have." Cameran Baroki retorts.
"Whatever, just don't forget who's the general here!" The girl warns.
"Oh, trust me. With how much you feel the need to remind me, I wouldn't dare forget." The Baroki muses before jumping from the structure, and landing with a massive thud. Silver floats down soon after, setting onto the ground easily. Like most Birdon, she has special powers of her own, specifically, and quite ironically, unrestrained flight. "Stay here. I will find, and capture the required Birdon. Do. Not. Move." Silver huffs, crossing her arms. She was a rank higher than him! Who did he think he was talking to her like a spoiled child?!
Cameran Baroki moves through the forest, and finally happens upon the village. "Perfect. LENS SEARCH." The telescopic lens that made up his singular eye unfolds, and flashes. He looks around, it seems that the Birdon he searches for aren't here. Not yet. He'll have to wait. Perfectly fine. He collapses his lens, and crouches behind the bushes.
Silver's feet lift from the ground, the bored general floating in the air, continuously rising until she was at the same elevation as the leaves in the trees. Her mind told her that her powers were a curse, the thing that attached her to this Island, her heritage that she hated so much. And yet, even so, her heart felt lighter when she was in the air, even stationary, though she'd much rather be weaving through the clouds at high speeds.
It made no difference, her powers were wrong. They made her different from the others. She sighs as she levitates toward a tree, and rests on a branch, swinging her legs, no less bored than she was in the past… 5 or 10 minutes. "…Stupid thing's broken." She muses. "Yeah. It can't talk to me like that, it's a machine! It can't order me around. I'm supposed to be giving the orders. I'm a whole General! I earned my place! What has he done? Nothing." She shifts her positon, reclining against the tree itself. She scoffs. "We'll see. We'll see if he's really all that."
"3 Birdon, all male, plus the Eagle Knight, each wielding a Torystal." Cameran Baroki recites to himself. This was all the information he was given, concerning the Birdon who killed the previous king. Granted, it was all the returning Boarolders gave the good doctor. There weren't much left after the fateful battle.
Cameran Baroki glares into the crowd from his hiding spot in the bushes. But, finally, something catches his eye. A trio of young boys. They all conversed with each other, but what really got the Baroki's attention, was the object in the grasp of the middle boy. A crystalline ring. A Torystal. Perfect. "LENS CAPTURE!" His lens eye unfolds as he jumps from the bushes, aiming toward the boys. "FLASH!" He commands, and the lens flashes, blinding the terrified people.
When the light dies down, the trio of boys are gone, left in their place are three translucent plates, and the Torystal they once held. Cameran Baroki grabs the plates, and the Torystal, and laughs.
That's when a rock hits his face. He turns to see a man holding a small stone. The man glares toward him, anger in his eyes. He throws the stone before picking up another, and throwing it with all his might. With a scoff, Cameran Baroki simply walks toward the man, shrugging off each stone. He finally makes it to the man, and grabs his arm, tightening his grip more each second. "Who do you think you are?" He inquires, condescendingly.
"I'm the father of those boys you just killed, you bastard!"
"Hm. You'll be glad to know that you're sons aren't dead. They've been captured within my special screens." Cameran Baroki holds up the plates, which fizzle to life, showing the three boys knocking on the glass, trying to escape.
"My sons! Let them go, Dammit!"
"They dared to defy the previous king. They helped your Eagle Knight kill him! They will face judgement."
"They're only 10! They can't have killed anyone! Let them go!"
"Hey! Ugly!"
The Baroki turns his head, and sees three men, each holding a Torystal. "Whoever sent you won't be happy when he figures out you got the wrong guys." The crimson haired man says. "Now let those kids go before things get as ugly as you."
"Heh. I doubt it. This guy's got a face only a mother could love. If you even consider that a face." The Yellow haired man jests.
"You dare?!" Cameran Baroki drops the plates, and the man. The man scrambles to grab the plates containing his sons. "Fine. I may have failed once. But I won't fail again."
"Your choice buddy. Ready?" The dark-skinned man says.
"Ready."
"Let's kick some ass, boys." The men hold out their Torystals, and colored energy begins to flow from their arms into them. The Torystals glow with their respective colors, and the men set them onto the devices on their arms.
"CARDINAL! CANARY! CROW!" The changers call out.
"Dammit! I won't let you! LENS SHOOT!" Laser beams shoot from the Baroki's camera hands.
"RAZOR CHANGE!"
"IKARIKUZE!"
From the Torystals, giant Images of flaming birds emerge, and envelop the trio in a cyclone of yellow, red, and black.
From his cavern, Sir Ethan smirks in his meditation.
A burst of energy is sent out, and it reveals the trio of Airazors, standing tall, and furious. The red one crosses his arms.
"Raging Wing, AkaRazor!"
"SHIN NO GEKIDO!"
The yellow one gets into a heroic pose. "Accel Wing, KiRazor!"
"KASOKU NO GEKIDO!"
The black one puts a hand on his hips, and does a two-finger salute. "Exploding Wing, KuroRazor."
"BAKUDAN NO GEKIDO!"
"Our rage'll burn you alive!" AkaRazor tightens his hand into a fist. "Ikari Sentai!"
"AIRAZORS!"
"Light him up." With that final command, the team rushes into battle, Cameran Baroki blocks as many attacks as he can, but he can only do so much against the nonstop onslaught. An attack gets him in the stomach, and he stumbles back. "Ikari Saber!" AkaRazor slashes at the beast with his sword, a golden blade with a guard of red wings, and manages to damage the lens on the Baroki's chest.
The remaining Airazors follow suit with their own blades, taking them to his shoulders. Cameran Baroki pushes them away, only to be met with another slash at his chest.
KiRazor sheathes his blade, and holds his hands out. Yellow flame travels down his arms onto his hands, and forms into his signature weapon, the IkariChaku. KuroRazor does the same, forming his IkariPunch from his own aura. The two heroes go on the attack, not letting up on their foe as AkaRazor summons his own IkariMace to join them. "ENOUGH!" Cameran Baroki shouts, pushing the heroes away. "SVINUND STRUCTURE! DESCEND!"
From the sky, the massive fortress obeys, and finally descends upon the island, kicking up dust as it slams onto the ground. The center opens, and Boarolders exit down the ramp, marching in formation. "Those things again? Great." KuroRazor complains.
"Keep your guard up, guys." AkaRazor commands.
"I'll handle this in a few seconds. Try and keep up." KiRazor runs into battle, rushing his own horde of Boarolders. He swings his weapon ferociously, and dispatches multiple soliders in what seems to be a single hit. But then he stumbles as he feels bullets hit his back. "Oh, so that's how you wanna play?" He says, turning to see the Boarolders who shot him, lined up like a firing squad. "Fine. Let's go." KiRazor spins the Torystal on his wrist furiously, causing sparks to fly from the friction.
"IKARI FINISH!"
"I'll make this quick." KiRazor proclaims before disappearing, much to the confusion of the Boarolders.
"IKARI SHINGEKI: ACCEL COMBINATION!" The Boarolders are tossed around by a yellow blur, bouncing off each other as the blur returns and strikes them again and again. It finally ends when KiRazor skids across the ground, allowing the Boarolders to fall and explode.
"Don't say I'm not a merciful guy."
Matilda watches the battle from behind the trees. She watches Chuck destroy those Boarolders like they were nothing, Bomb releases explosions through the ground, and Red focuses on the monster. They were definitely doing fine on their own, but… something inside her told her to do something, to help. She looks at the village behind the battle. People are running away from the Boarolders who manage to slip through the cracks.
She shouldn't… the guys can do it. Right…?
…
She runs from the trees, not unnoticed by Bomb.
"What, Matilda?! What're doing?!" He says, grabbing her arm.
"Don't you see that those people are in danger?!"
"And you're gonna put yourself in danger too?!"
"You already are." The white haired woman retorts.
"I told you already!" Bomb says, grasping her hands. "These hands… they shouldn't be dirtied when they don't need to be."
"…Well… right now is the prefect time to dirty my hands…" Matilda gazes into Bomb's visor. She knows his eyes are staring into hers underneath it. He sighs.
"I'll cover you. Go, you've got this." She could tell he was smiling under the metallic plate over his mouth. She smiles back, and nods. He lets go off her hands, and the duo run into the village.
Unfortunately the pair are spotted by Boarolders. Though they're quickly dispatched by Bomb, unleashing explosions upon them with his weapon. They continue to run, and finally make it to the heart of the village.
They begin to help the people, Bomb dispatches the Boarolders, and Matilda helps the people evacuate. It starts out fine. Perfectly, in fact. Bomb and Matilda evacuate the people into the forest, just like last time.
"We're doing it! We're actually doing it!" Matilda cheers. Bomb smiles, his helmet disappearing with his anger. Seeing her happy was one of his favorite things in the world, he couldn't resist. But his smile disappears when he sees something behind her.
…
It was a split second, but Matilda saw enough.
Bomb pushes her away, taking the claws through his stomach. He coughs up blood, and grits his teeth before punching the grunt in the chest, and releasing an explosion. All that was left were the claws inside of him. The warriors falls to one knee, and breathes heavily.
Matilda is frozen. Her eyes opened as wide as they could. Bomb looks at her before falling over.
…
A white glow shines behind Matilda. Her fear breaks for a single moment, and she looks back.
Greg puts the plates, and the Torystal down on the table in his home before sitting down, grasping his head. "How?! How the hell did this happen!?"
"He must've seen the Torystal!" Jake shouts from inside the screen.
"The what?!"
"The ring, dad!" Jay shouts, as if it were quite obvious. Greg looks at the ring.
"Where did you get this?"
"The forest." Jim answers. "But Sir Ethan told us to guard it with our lives!"
"He what!?" Greg turns to see a woman enter the home,her hair in a darker shade of blue than his and his sons'.
"Olive!"
"Mom!"
"What is this I'm hearing about Ethan telling you to guard something?! And what are you doing inside those… things?!"
"It's a long story. Basic gist, crazy monster out there made a mistake, he thought our kids were Red, Chuck, and Bomb." Greg explains
"…How?!"
"I don't know! But he put them inside these things, and I could really use some help figuring out a way to get them out of it."
Olive groans. "This is why I told you 3 to stay inside after 10!"
"It was 3 in the afternoon, Mom!"
"Well maybe I should ban you from going out in the afternoon! Maybe that-"
"Enough! Olive, this isn't helping! We don't have much time before those soldiers find us."
"Right. Sorry." Olive catches her breath. "So… any ideas."
"I may have one." Sir Ethan says, entering the home.
"What?! No, no! Get out!"
"Olive, let him speak."
"He gave that thing to our sons, and got them trapped in those things!"
"They're called screens, Olive. A technology from off the Island." Ethan corrects.
"I don't care! You got my children into this!"
"Mom! We already said we found it in the forest!"
"And he told you to keep it!" She shouts before turning back to the knight. "You told 3 children to safeguard an object of immense power! That's terrible!"
"I admit, it would have been a bad idea."
"Yes it… wait, would have?"
"What do you mean would have?"
"Your sons are destined for something great. And I have a feeling that it is coming, very soon."
"Well, what does that have to do with freeing them?!" Greg inquires.
"Look at the Torystal." Ethan answers, pointing at the object in question, which pulses bright blue. "Do you notice where it is?" The Torystal lies in the middle of the table, the screens containing the boys each touch its edges.
"What the… what's it doing?"
"Reacting. Your sons are a bit angry." Ethan looks at the screens. "Care to explain why, boys?"
…
Jake looks away. Jim crosses his arms, looking down. Jay rubs his arm. "…we… we really let you down." He finally says.
"…"
"…you gave us this job. We… we thought we could do it. We really did." Jake adds.
"And… we thought that you'd finally be proud of us." Jim finishes, looking toward his parents.
"…" Olive is silent.
"…Listen. We're always proud of you guys... I know we fight with you guys a lot. But we care. And we just want what's best for you."
"…It's true. I… I shouldn't yell at you like that. I just… I just get so worried about you. You're our only sons. Irreplaceable. If something happened to you boys, we wouldn't be able to forgive ourselves." Olive expresses, wiping a tear from her eye.
"Having you kids was like taking an oath. An oath that you'd never have to fight our battles. That you'd never go through what we went through. That you'd turn out better than us… Looks like we failed that."
"…"
"…"
"…Hey guys. That guy tried to break dad's wrist." The Torystal glew brighter when Jay said that.
"Yeah… and he put us in these things!" Jake adds, and the Torystal glows more.
"Yeah! And made Mom cry!" Jim finishes, and the Torystal glows brightly.
"He needs to be taught a lesson! No one messes with us, or our parents! Or our home!" Jay rouses his brothers, and the Torystal glows so bright, the two parents are blinded by the blue light.
Bomb's black eyes flutter open as he stirs awake. Above him is the clear, blue afternoon sky. But… that isn't right. He looks down to his stomach. His shirt is torn, the claws went through. But no blood?
"Bomb…" He turns his head at the mention of his name. Matilda sits over him, holding his head in her lap.
"Matilda? What…"
"I know how it feels." She admits, sheepishly.
"Know how what feels?"
"Rage." She states, calmly. Bomb smiles.
"Then you know what I fight for."
"Yeah… and… I think… I think I wanna fight for it too." Bomb's arm begins to glow. He lifts it, and the device upon his forearm radiates with black energy. He holds it as it begins to sting. He winces a bit. The energy floats from his arm, and travels toward Matilda's. It wraps around her sleeve, and solidifies into. A device of her own, a white, glowing Torystal already set in.
Red and Chuck stumble back, holding their weapons out, ready for whatever comes next. The Cameran Baroki was much more of a threat than first thought. "Damn, what do we do?" Chuck asks, his suit disappearing. Red, exapserated, breathes heavily as his suit fades as well.
"I don't know, but I'm out of energy. We both are."
"Well what do we do?"
"Ethan said that our suits are fueled by our anger. But I'm not even mad. Just a little ticked. And annoyed."
"I get that. These things just keep coming. So, what does that mean for us?"
"Our suits can't repair. We might have to retreat."
"No!"
Bomb runs beside the two, and Matilda catches up soon after. "Bomb? Matilda?!"
"We're not giving up. Not now." Bomb says.
"Well what can we do? We're fresh out of anger, if you haven't noticed!" Chuck complains
"Look around you. I think there's reason enough to be a bit angry." Matilda says.
"She's right!" 3 young boys run up to the group.
"Woah, woah, woah. What're you kids doing here? Where are your parents?!" Red inquires.
"They're the reason we're here!"
"Yeah! And so is this village!"
"And so are you! We wanna help! We can help!"
"And we're not taking no for an answer!"
"Yes, you are! You're parents are probably worried sick about you!"
"Leave it, Red." Sir Ethan orders, joining the group. "We have a job to do, and not much time to do it. Follow Matilda's advice. There are people counting on you. All of you. You are this Island's defenders. You are their fury. Their righteous rage. So rage together. And let's push them back."
Red and Chuck nod, their anger reinvigorated. Suddenly, Red's arm begins to glow. It begins to sting, and energy travels from his Torystal to the boys. It solidifies into a device, and Jay catches it when it falls from the air. "Guys. This is it!"
Jake looks at the Torystal in his hand, and sets it into the device. "You've got this, Jay."
"Wait, what? I-I can't! I'm the youngest! J-Jake, you should do it." The young triplet sheepishly declines.
"Jay. You may be the youngest, but you've got the most heart out of all of us. If anyone deserves to be a hero, it's you."
"…" Jay looks at his brothers, who nod their affirmation. He sighs, and nods back, strapping the device to his forearm.
"We're all set then. Alright. Here we go!" The Torystals of each hero glow brightly in their colors.
"CARDINAL! CANARY! CROW! HEN! JAYS!" The glowing images of these birds emerged from the Torystals, flying around the heroes.
"HURRICANE TENSHIN! EAGLE!" The image of an Eagle joins the other birds in their protective flight around the warriors.
"What in- you really think that more of you will tip the odds?!" Cameran Baroki taunts.
"We're enough to take you down! Come on!"
"RAZOR CHANGE!"
"TENKI! RAZOR TENSOU!" The heroes spin their Torystals, and Ethan pulls the trigger on his sword. The spiritual birds circling the heroes faster, and faster until they form a blinding light.
"IKARIKUZE! AKA, KI, KURO, SHIRO, AO, RAZOR!"
"RISE UP! WINDS OF THE HEAVEN! OH~! KNIGHT OF WING! EAGLE KNIGHT!"
The light dies down, revealing 6 warriors. The Eagle Knight, and the first 3 Airazors. But now, there were two more, just as the prophecy had shown. Matilda was dressed in the same suit as the rest of the heroes, only in white, and with a skirt with a golden trim.
On the newest warrior was the same, but in a bright blue, and wearing a small, feathered cape. The other heroes look upon him, obvious wondering one thing. "Wait, weren't there 3 of you?" KiRazor asks.
"Yeah! And there still are! We're all in here! It's actually kinda comfortable." AoRazor answers. The trio of boys had merged into one.
"That... was not what I expected." AkaRazor says. "But It's good, nonetheless. We still outnumber you!"
"Is that so?! BOAROLDERS! CRUSH THEM!" The structure behind the Baroki opened once more, allowing more Boarolders to rush into battle.
"Light him up!!" AkaRazor shouts, and the team runs into battle after him.
ShiroRazor arms herself with her IkariSaber, dispatching enemies with ease. And AoRazor does the same, joining the battle.
Eagle Knight spins his Torystal Thrice, and a cyclone surrounds his blade. He pulls the trigger, and slashes downward, destroying an entire horde of Boarolders.
But they just kept coming. The overwhelming forces began to surround the heroes, but AoRazor suddenly pulls a pair of feathers from his cape. He throws them to the ground, and Two more AoRazors appear from them! They do the same, and more and more AoRazors appear, creating an entire dozen of the smaller hero.
The army of AoRazors gos into battle, led by the other Airazors, and they manage to hold off the Boarolders. Though the AoRazor clones didn't even the odds completely, the sheer might of their allies, plus their added numbers manages to win them the battle.
Now, all that was left was Cameran Baroki. AkaRazor walks toward the Baroki, saber at the ready.
Suddenly, a downward slash shoots down from the sky, causing the hero to stumble backward. He looks up, and sees what seems to be a woman, who stands up, readying her serrated blade. "You see what happens when you go it alone?" She asks the Baroki, a hint of condescendsion in her voice. "You've obviously gotten in over you head. I'll be taking over from here." She gives a wicked grin, showing off her fang-like teeth. "Finally. I get to have some fun!" In a flash, she's gone.
"I'll find her!" KiRazor announces before disappearing himself.
"BOAROLDERS! Defend me!"
The team readies for another battle, only for KiRazor to suddenly reappear! "Ok, I have good news, and bad news. Good news is, I'm faster than her!" He disappears for a moment before returning. "Bad News is, that's not by a very big margin. I can tell where she's going, and beat her there, but she's on me like 10 seconds later! It's annoying!" He disappears again. "But I think I have a plan! I've noticed she can only catch up when flying!"
"So you need us to take her down?"
"Kinda. I need Matilda to take her down!"
"What?!"
"You're the only one with enough focus to time it right!"
"Ok. Matilda, help Chuck. The rest of us have… that thing." KiRazor disappears again, and ShiroRazor gives a nervous nod. She puts her hands together, a white light slowly becoming brighter between her palms. She pulls her hands apart slowly, the light grows bigger and bigger, and when it dies down, a object appears in her hands.
"Woah! What is that!?" KuroRazor asks, staggered by the appearance of such a weapon. The entire weapon, save was composed of the white visage of a large bird. At the back, there was an entrance for the woman's lower arm, making it a gauntlet like weapon.
"What do I do with this?" ShiroRazor asks, donning the armament, feeling what seems to be a grip and a trigger inside. That's when the beak at the front of the weapon opens, revealing a barrel akin to a cannon, glowing white.
"Matilda, y-your powers!" AkaRazor shouts in realization. Matilda's power was to create explosive spheres of energy, akin to Bomb's but in a more projectile way. "Of course! This thing shoots your… whatever they are, as like, cannonballs!"
"…I suppose that makes sense."
"Right! Let's put this plan into action!" AkaRazor turns and runs into the horde of Boarolders. "Let's see what I've got!" He summons a red Mace into his hands, the beak of a bird at the very top. "Alright! This'll do some damage!" He shouts, jumping and smashing the ground with his weapon, throwing multiple Boarolders to the ground. He swings the weapon around, taking out more and more, finally making it to Cameran Baroki, who aims his Camera arms at the hero.
"LENS SHOOT!"
AkaRazor dodges the incoming beam of light, and the next, and the next, getting in close, and spinning his Torystal Furiously.
"IKARI SHINGEKI: AURA BURN!"
Inside the suit, Red's veins glowed bright orange, as well as his eyes, which emitted a flaming energy.
AkaRazor lets out a ferocious scream, sending out a wave of fire, which destroys any Boarolder that tried to stop him, and severely damages Cameran Baroki. But he wasn't done. With every lumbering step the warrior makes, the ground sets ablaze. The fury that burned in his body and soul crossed into the outside, covering his suit in fire. An inhuman growl emits from his mouth, hidden by the protective plate, though the hot air still seeped through. He finally made it to the Baroki, who was frozen with fear, and reared back his hand. Claws made of blood red fire materialized onto it.
"IKARI SAIGEKI: KAENSASU."
He thrusts his hand into the beast's chest, ripping through the camera lens, and shattering the glass. When he pulls his hand out, flames erupt from the Baroki's chest before it falls into an explosion.
KiRazor jumps from the ground just as Silver is about to slam into him again. "Stop running! Face me!" She demands, throwing her daggers at him.
"No thank you! I'd rather die than get a whiff of that hot breath of yours! Seriously lady, brush your damn teeth!" He taunts, dodging each of the thrown weapons, and enraging the General more, and the chase begins again. KiRazor dashes across the Island, leaving bursts of wind behind him as he runs, Silver, of course, far behind him. But it wouldn't be for long. The speeding hero knows that as soon as he stops, it won't be long before he narrowly dodges a slash to the face. He's got to time it right.
He runs across the Island 10 times before, finally, he happens upon ShiroRazor, perfectly positioned, aiming what seems to be her weapon. He stops, kicking up a bit of dust before running in circles, worsening the effect. Perfect. He can't leave the spot, but he can make sure he still has the advantage.
As predicted, Silver slams into the cloud of dust covering her eyes. "Where are you?!" She shouts. And right then, the dust clears as a wave of wind slams into her, revealing Eagle Knight standing beside ShiroRazor.
Matilda's eyes narrow, and she pulls the launcher's trigger, sending a sphere of white energy into Silver's chest, which then exploded, sending her flying back.
She adjusts herself midair, and manages to land in a skid, but is caught with a punch to the face. She slides across the ground, and lifts her head, a disdainful glare in her eyes before rolling away from KiRazor's downward kick. She flips upright, and tries to retaliate, but falls to one knee, her body weakened from the attacks. She grits her teeth before shooting into the air.
KiRazor returns to the team, and watch as the fire and heat that emits from AkaRazor slowly dies down. The aforementioned red-clad warrior looks down to his hand, in slight disbelief over his actions. It had been a while since he had invented the technique, but it seems like he finally perfected it. He finally had something that was his alone. Everyone could burn their blood. But only he had the courage, the will, to do it.
He rejoins the group, and shares a fist bump with KiRazor and KuroRazor. That's when a slight hiss is heard. They team turns, and a dark smoke rises from Cameran Baroki's body. "Uh… what is that?"
"Svinund essence. Contrary to what it may seem, these things have souls. Or… something of the like." Sir Ethan explains. "But I've never seen this happen before. Be careful. We can't touch it in its gaseous form, so whatever it's about to do, we'll have to stay on guard." The team nods, and readies their weapons.
The smokey essence clusters and clumps together. It radiates a dreadful black aura, and simply sits in its place midair, as if waiting. But for what?
…
Suddenly, yellow eyes appear inside of the smoke. "What the hell?!" AkaRazor shouts.
"It's still alive!?" KiRazor asks. Though he gets no answer, as the essence flies away, shooting toward the massive fortress standing in front of the village.
"Everyone! Chase it down!" The team runs toward the structure, chaisng after the smoke as it continues its trail. ShiroRazor takes aim, charging a shot, but KuroRazor suddenly pushes her weapon away.
"No! That won't do anything! It's gas, remember?!"
"I know, but maybe I can slow it down, or distract it!"
"It's too late." Eagle Knight proclaims. The smoke floats into the structure, and disappears.
Inside the structure, the smoke flies through the massive corridors and halls, searching far and wide until it finally finds what it was looking for. It floats into the room, and spots the great, tube-like chamber, glowing a bright green, as if expecting it. It narrows its yellow eyes, and quickly enters through the top.
The room flickers to life, the many devices and gadgets switching on in an instant. The system was functional. All was going as planned. Now, to simply say the magic words.
"BAROKING HENGEN"
The mechanical fortress rose into the air, carried by the rocket boosters, which glew the same green as the systems running the machine.
The massive treads that sat at the front of the moving fortress unfolded into legs, with the feet flipping up as well, before falling, and allowing the machine to stand upright. The back section detaches, and splits in half, which unfold into arms, and attach to the sides of the structure. The hands push out, and the arms are complete.
The head pushes out, and the eyes glow, finishing the initial mech. It falls to the ground, kicking up dust and sand.
"CONFIGURATION, CAMERA." The internal systems announce. From out of nowhere, a quadrio of massive cameras, one much bigger than the others, appear. The arms rise, and two of the smaller Cameras get into position, attaching to the forearms like gauntlets. The biggest camera then does the same, attaching to the chest. And finally, the smallest camera falls onto the head, attaching like a helmet.
"What is that?! That wasn't here last time! What's going on!?" AoRazor asks.
"It must be some sort of new weapon." ShiroRazor figures.
"Well, whatever it is, it's massive!" KiRazor exclaims.
"It doesn't look friendly! I think we should run!" KuroRazor shouts.
"No! We fight it like the rest of them!" AkaRazor announces, readying his mace.
"How?! It's huge!"
"I don't know, but I'm not standing here and letting this thing rampage!"
"Everyone! Look out!" Eagle Knight warns. The group looks up, and sees the massive machine raise it's arm, aiming a camera at them. White energy begins to build up in the lens. The team scrambles to dodge as the incredible beam fires in their direction, leaving a trail of flame in its wake. It aims its other camera, and multiple, smaller shots of light fire from it rapidly. The heroes run away, avoiding the shots, but they can't run for long, and AoRazor is tagged in the leg with a shot. They fall to the ground, and hold their ankle, not even noticing the incoming shot until KuroRazor shields them, taking the shot in their stead.
KiRazor runs in a circle, building his momentum before throwing a full force punch into the machine's leg. Though it makes a slight dent, the machine does not fall, but instead simply looks toward him, aiming its camera at him. He runs off, dodging the incoming beam, and rejoining the group. "It's too sturdy! I only made a small dent! What now?!"
"I-I don't know!" AkaRazor answers, clenching his fists. "Dammit! What do we do?!" Was there really nothing? Had they really lost? His eyes widen, and he looks up to see a bright light shining down on him.
…
The blast fires, and the explosion sends the group are sent flying in all directions. Eagle Knight manages to correct his position midair, but the others fall across the Island like shooting stars.
Red lands, only stopping after sliding across the ground. He slowly lifts his head, blood leaking from his mouth and nose, to see the colossal machine tower over the Island, only barely surpassed by the mountain that Sir Ethan calls home. He lays on the ground, his breath slow, yet heavy. He grits his teeth, and pounds the ground with his only working hand. This was the second time. The second time the team has fought, and even with new members, they still lost.
There was nothing they could do.
Nothing.
…
Nothing…
…
It pissed him off…
Red lets out a low growl, his hand grasping at the dirt, and his teeth clenched together, trying to keep the growing anger locked inside, but it doesn't work for long. His growl grows louder, and louder as he begins to punch the ground.
Finally, he lets out a scream of pure rage.
A scream heard across the Island.
…
Bomb clenches his fist, and slowly rises from the ground.
…
Matilda grasps her arm managing to rise to her knees.
…
Chuck grits his teeth, rising to all fours, and then to a single knee.
…
Jay and Jake help Jim off the ground, supporting their brother's weight as he regains consciousness. That's when they notice the Torystal glow from its place in the changer on Jay's wrist. Jake places a finger on it, causing it to glow brighter. Jim follows suit, granting the same effect.
Chuck's Torystal glows brightly, as well as Bomb's, and Matilda's.
That's when the Torystals begin to spin on their own. The spinning gets faster, and faster, and more ferocious, generating sparks, more, and more, and more!
"SUMMON!"
A massive blast of red light descends from the sky, followed by one in yellow, then black, then white, and then a trio of beams in blue. Eagle Knight gazes upon the scene, and a smile appears underneath his helm. The beams curve up before hitting the ground, and become the images of birds. Images that strike through the massive machine, causing it to topple over and fall.
They curve up again before continuing their prior descent.
The birds land, and the light dissipates.
In front of Red was a giant mechanical Cardinal. It had golden talons, a golden beak, and each feather of its wings was made of bright red flame. It lets out a screech, and opens its mouth blasting a beam of energy at Red.
A mechanical Canary lands in front of Chuck, it's beak and talons a bright silver, and does the same.
A massive automaton in the shape of a Hen lands in front of Matilda, and follows suit.
A aerial craft with a trio of heads resembling Blue Jays fires as well.
And finally, a ginourmous robotic Crow that nearly dwarfed the rest of its kin lands in front of Bomb, doing the same to him as the others did to the rest of the group.
When the blasts fade, the warriors are in their armored forms once more. The birds open their mouths, and the heroes enter. The birds fly into the sky, and shoot toward the Mechanical Beast.
"FURY! RAZOR GATTAI!"
The Cardinal machine's head folds down into its chest, before folding its legs and feet upward, and into the thighs. The entire upper section of the machine turns around, and stops when the chest faces backwards. The flaming wings fade, and the metallic frames fold into the back.
The Blue Jays separate into a trio of aircraft, with two of them attaching to the sides of the Cardinal, becoming akin to shoulders, their wings folding in.
The Crow's wings, legs, and head fold in, while a pair of feet fold out from the back. Then, it splits down the middle, becoming a pair of legs, and attaching to the Cardinal's thighs.
The Canary and Hen fold in their wings and legs, and attach to the duo of Blue Jays. The heads of the birds fly off, and attach to the side of the shoulders, facing foward. Hands push out from where the heads were.
Finally, the remaining Blue Jay flies into the opening atop the Cardinal, leaving its head exposed, and facing upward. The top of the head swivels to face foward, the top of the beak lifting just a bit to reveal a pair of eyes. The rest of the head opens up, revealing the mouth.
"RAGING! RAZORKING!"
Razorking lands in front of the Baroking beast, and clenches its metal fists, causing them to glow bright orange. The war machine stands, stationary in front of its enemy. Razorking rushes in, running at its opponent, and throwing a punch. Unfortunately the punch is caught by the Baroking's Camera arms, and Razorking kicks it to escape the hold. It readies another punch,and manages to catch it in the chest, causing sparks to fly from the broken lens. Razorking goes for a kick, and is caught once more. However, this time, he doesn't escape, and is slammed to the ground.
The raging mecha uses its free leg to kick its opponent away, allowing it to grab it by the neck, and knee it in its already damaged chest multiple times before releasing it with a final attack, sending it stumbling backward. The opposing machine aims its camera hands at Razorking, and shoots multiple beams of energy, each dodged by the gestalt of a warrior.
Razorking closes the distance, and lands an uppercut on the Baroking's head. But the Baroking takes the opportunity, and fires a beam from its helm, staggering Razorking. It proceeds to pummel Razorking with its camera arms, while the opposing robot attempts to block. That's when Razorking kicks the Baroking in the leg, and, taking advantage of its opponent's attempt to recover, gets up, and delivers a second kick to its chest, causing it to fall onto its back.
Razorking stomps its adversary's chest multiple times before it manages to push it back, and get back up. The Baroking takes aim again, and fires rapid-fire shots of light at Razorking. Razorking dodges the shots while closing the distance once more, ending with a tackle. Razorking proceeds to punch the Baroking in its head, multiple times, breaking the lens in the camera atop its head.
Razorking stands, and the Baroking manages to get to its feet as well, though badly damaged. Razorking crosses its arms before thrusting them outward, signalling the wing frames to unfold, and light ablaze with multicolored flame. The robot clenches its fists once more, setting them ablaze as well.
"BLAZING FURY! WINGS RAGE!"
With that final command, Razorking, propelled by its wings, shoots toward the Baroking, and strikes it with its flaming fists again, and again, and again! Finally, the attack ends when the warrior's leg sets itself alight, allowing it to finish with an empowered kick, which sends the Baroking stumbling into an explosion. One that left nothing left of the colossal war machine.
The heroes walk back into the village, their armor fading away with their rage. The Reichou returned to their dimension, and the threat was destroyed. The people make their way out of the forest, and into their ruined village. They cheer and celebrate, ready to rebuild their village, knowing that their heroes would continue to defend them. A duo of proud parents reunite with their triplet sons, and Sir Ethan returns home to his Cavern. Matilda smiles as a three-way fist bump is shared between Red, Chuck, and Bomb, celebrating their second victory.
In his cave, Ethan returned to his meditation. His vision was fufilled. He expected that this would not be the last that would be seen of the Svinund Empire, but it was he was sure that the heroes, old and new, could handle whatever came their way.
The man sat against the tree, strumming his banjo, simply taking in the serenity of his natural surroundings. He was a tall man, with dark green hair tied in a tight ponytail, green eyes, and a pointed, hooked nose. He also wore a dark green and yellow jacket, a pair of trousers in a darker shade, a pair of black shoes, and a pair of gloves in the same color. He smirked as he continued to strum his instrument. That's when a beeping sound interrupted his song. He pulls up his sleeve, revealing many mechanical workings and devices. He surveys it, looking for the source of the beeping, pressing a few buttons, but nothing.
He pulls off the black glove, revealing a metal hand, with a circular opening in the palm vlowing bright green. He stretches like his pinky finger, and a holographic screen with the image of a radar appears. "Wait, what?! The Bloody things are active?!" He says in his thick Bushman's accent. "I've gotta get down there! It's started!" He announces, scrambling to grab his banjo, his brown hat, and the green and yellow boomerang that sat beside him.
A man walked through the harshness of the desert, a large, torm cape covering his body. This is the way it's been for the longest time. Ever since he left. It's been, what, 6 years? Not too long. But still quite a while. He wonders how everyone is doing. He feels something. He holds his arm out, examining the crystalline ring inside the device as it pulses a bright red.
…
It has begun. And he may just be too late.
The man takes off into a run, a red aura covering his body. His shillouette changes as he gets further and futher away.