Chapter 12: "His" Assassins
12-1
In the Other Dimension of the Dark Space
'He' thought to himself, "The day of my complete resurrection is not far off. Those three little girls are no threat at all. The troublesome ones are those three boys with the Three Sacred Treasures...!"
He issued an order to the three figures in front of him, "It's time for you to set off! Evil Generals! Do whatever you please with those six, whether you kill or torture them!"
The three figures responded in unison, "Yes, sir!"
Before we left, Professor Utonium returned the sacred Treasures to the three of us. "Did you discover anything?" I asked.
Professor Utonium deliberately kept us in suspense, speaking very slowly, "After our research... we found..."
"What?" The six of us asked, both nervous and expectant.
Ken scratched his head and said, "All we know is that these three items are made of materials not found on Earth. The rest is still a complete mystery!"
We instantly felt deflated. What the heck?! They kept us in suspense, and in the end, we still have to figure out how to use the sacred treasures on our own!
"See you tomorrow~!" The three of us each escorted a girl home, and since our routes differed, we parted ways.
After watching the other four walk away, I pulled out a bicycle from a small alley. "Get on," I said, pointing to the back seat for Momoko. Unexpectedly, Momoko looked a bit disappointed.
I rolled my eyes at her, "Why do you look so disappointed? Did you expect me to drive a tank?"
"Idiot, I just wanted to spend more time with you." Momoko made a face at me after saying this, then got on the back seat, hugging me with her arms and pressing her chest against my back. To be honest, I felt a bit pleased, "Let's go!"
I carried Momoko on my bike, heading to her home.
Kagami and Miyako walked side by side, with some people on the street speculating whether they were siblings, a brother and sister, or a couple.
"I'm so hungry..." Miyako suddenly said. Kagami saw a pastry shop ahead and said, "I'll go buy some sweets. Can you wait here for a moment?"
"Okay!" Miyako nodded in agreement.
So Miyako waited at the entrance of a small alley. Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind her...
Kaoru and Shigeru were walking down the road. Shigeru pointed to a middle-aged man with a katana about ten meters ahead and said, "Do you think that crazy guy with the katana is him?"
Kaoru nodded, "Yes, that's him!"
In less than a second, both of their faces turned pale. "Found you!" The middle-aged man saw Shigeru and Kaoru and started running towards them!
Shigeru reminded Kaoru, "Fighting here will affect innocent civilians!" Kaoru nodded, "Let's lure that guy to a place with no people!" The two hurriedly ran in the opposite direction.
I was carrying Momoko , and after turning a corner, we would soon be at the Akatsutsumi residence. Suddenly, my vision was filled with a calligraphy stall. There was something off about this stall, especially the owner, who gave off an extremely unsettling vibe.
"Ugh..." Momoko hugged me tighter. I decided to speed up and turn the corner, but the next second, both Momoko and I were stunned—we were back at the same place!
"Are you two lost? Hehe~" The owner's voice suddenly echoed in my ears.
"Get ready to transform!" I said to Momoko beside me. Momoko looked bewildered, "Huh?"
"Don't doubt it, this guy isn't human!" I said loudly unsure why I felt a bit guilty when I said it.
"Got it!" Momoko responded, then took out the compact from her belt. I also pressed the button on my digital watch.
" Rolling Bubbles ~" Miyako transformed just before the shadow behind her could attack.
"Aren't you the man from last week...?" It turned out the figure in front of her was the same middle-aged man who had tried to grope her previously.
"You're beautiful even when transformed... hehe~," he said.
"You love me, right? I know you crave my love." The man suddenly said, causing Bubbles to shiver with disgust.
"I'd rather eat raw green peppers than deal with him," Bubbles thought to herself. "Explosive Bubble Attack!" Seeing the man's delusions getting worse, Bubbles decided to launch an attack.
Bubbles exploded on the man's body. "Ouch!" His exaggerated reaction made Bubbles's forehead vein pop with frustration.
"Bubbles, let me ask you again, do you love me?" The man shamelessly asked again.
"Are you kidding me, you pervert!" Even the usually gentle Bubbles finally lost her temper.
"No choice then..." The man took down the ceramic jar from his back and opened the lid. A powerful suction immediately pulled Bubbles inside. After closing the lid, the man spoke to the jar, "In this Soul-Sucking Jar, one hour outside is equivalent to ten days inside. Bubbles, just tell me you love me... and I'll let you out."
After saying this, the man vanished into the alley...
"Powered Buttercup!" Kaoru transformed with the compact from her belt while fleeing, andShigeru pressed the button on his digital watch.
"Gravity Accelerated Hammer Strike!" Buttercup swung a heavy hammer, sending the middle-aged man flying.
"Air Hammer!" Taking advantage of the airborne enemy, Butch launched several air bullets. The man skillfully deflected the air bullets with his sword and seized an opening to charge at Buttercup.
"Watch out!" Butch shouted a warning to Buttercup, but it was a moment too late...
"Who are you?" I asked the stall owner in front of me.
"Me? I am a servant of Master Jagu. My name is Painting Bogeyman. As for your friends, they are probably being visited by my comrades—the Jar Demon and the Sword Ghost," he replied.
"What do you want ?" Blossom asked.
"What else could it be besides the three sacred treasures you possess?" Painting Bogeyman answered matter-of-factly. "Hand over the Yasakani no Magatama you have!"
I angrily gave him the middle finger. "Even if it were just a pebble from the roadside, I wouldn't give it to you!"
Painting Bogeyman responded, "Then I'll just take it by force!" He pulled out a scroll and a brush. The next second, a bunch of black ink monsters emerged from the blank paper.
Seeing the monsters, Blossom scolded me, "Brick, why did you provoke him?!"
"Just take them out, right?" I said, holding my kendama, while Blossom revealed her yo-yo.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Huh? Where's Miyako?" Kagami asked after buying the sweets. Half an hour had passed, and he couldn't find Miyako anywhere. "This is a bit troublesome, but there's no other way..." Kagami ran into the narrow alley and pressed his digital watch.
Boomer sniffed the air, picking up Miyako's unique fragrance, and followed it to the outskirts of the city. There, he saw a mysterious man in a black cloak carrying a ceramic jar. "Excuse me, have you seen a blonde girl?" Boomer politely asked the man, but his eyes held a hidden menace.
"Are you Boomer ?!" The man asked in surprise and fear.
"That's right. I'll ask you again, have you seen a blonde, blue-eyed girl?" Despite Boomer's playful demeanor, his tone became more forceful, causing the Jar Demon to feel uneasy.
He thought, "Even though he's smiling, he makes me nervous, and he won't let me escape!"
The Jar Demon opened the ceramic jar again, releasing a powerful suction from the mouth of the jar.
"Wow!" Boomer plunged his katana into the ground, gripping the hilt tightly to prevent himself from being sucked in. Seeing his advantage, the Jar Demon laughed, "Haha~ No matter how much you resist, it's useless. Bubbles was just sucked in the same way!"
"So, Bubbles is in there, huh?! Here I come!" Boomer then pulled out his katana and jumped into the jar willingly.
"...Master Jagu repeatedly warned that he is an enemy to be watched closely. Is this guy really that strong? He actually jumped in himself—what an idiot!" the Jar Demon scoffed mockingly. "Whatever... I'll release Bubbles later. As for that boy, I'll keep him locked up forever!"
"Ugh..."Buttercup kneeled down, clutching her ankle where the knife had cut her. "Are you okay?!" Butch asked nervously.
"I'm fine, it's just a scratch..."Buttercup had just finished speaking when an inexplicable rage welled up inside her, filling her with an intense desire to kill.
"I'll kill you!" In an instant,Buttercup's eyes turned red as she swung her iron hammer at Butch's head.
"!" Butch quickly dodged, narrowly avoiding Buttercup's attack.
"What's wrong with you, Buttercup?!" Butch asked in shock atButtercup's sudden aggression. "Could it be...?!"
Butch glared at the Sword Ghost, who raised his blade triumphantly. "That's right! How do you like my specially made Frenzy Virus? Those infected with this virus are filled with murderous intent, slaughtering all enemies in sight. Only the antidote on me can save her!"
"You bastard... ugh...!" Before Butch could finish his sentence,Buttercup's hammer struck him in the back, sending him flying into a concrete wall.
12-2
"Flame Strike!" "Ujikintoki Shoot!"
The ink monsters swarmed relentlessly despite kendama's and yoyo' attacks, closing in on us like a tidal wave.
"Damn it, this is never-ending!" I exclaimed, flicking ink off my face in frustration.
"It looks like we'll have to destroy the scroll in his hand, or else our stamina will be drained by these creatures sooner or later!" Blossom panted, her eyes sharp as she focused on the scroll in the Painting Bogeyman's hand.
"Simple, watch me burn it all down!" I sneered, flames gathering in my hands. Suddenly, an ink monster appeared behind me, swiftly immobilizing my limbs. Kendama clattered to the ground with a sharp clang. Blossom found herself in a similar predicament; her yoyo were tangled up by ink monsters and dropped to the ground.
"No...!" She gritted her teeth, trying to break free to no avail.
"Get back, you slimes!" I struggled, but the ink monsters' strength far surpassed my expectations, binding my limbs like steel.
"Blossom... we need to come up with a plan!"
"I know, but I'm trapped too right now." Blossom bit her lip, sweat beading on her forehead.
The Painting Bogeyman drew a knife and advanced toward us with a sinister smile on his face. "It's over for you meddling pests," he said, his voice cold and menacing, eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
Inside the Soul-Sucking Jar's Dark Space
Boomer, having been sucked into the jar, walked for a while and found Bubble sitting on the ground, her eyes vacant as if she were a lifeless puppet.
Bubbles, with a vacant look in her eyes, asked Boomer, "Who... are you?"
Boomer smiled and gave a gentlemanly bow, "Dear Princess, I am the hero here to rescue you~"
Bubbles sat still, saying nothing.
Boomer waved his hand in front of Bubbles' face, "Bubbles, can you still hear my voice?" But Bubbles gave no response.
"This won't work. She's reached her mental limit... Fortunately, she unconsciously stopped thinking, preventing her condition from worsening. An ordinary person would have already had a mental breakdown."
"The only way to save Bubbles now is to inject 'emotion'..." Boomer said as he placed his hand on Bubbles's chest, feeling her soft bosom.
Boomer blushed, feeling guilty. "I really don't want to use such a sleazy method, but the situation is urgent...!"
With the injection of a weak electric current, Bubbles' scattered pupils began to gather, forming into a beautiful and pure sapphire.
When Bubbles regained consciousness, she realized the person in front of her was teasing her. "What are you doing?! You pervert!" Before poor Boomer could explain himself, he received a heavy punch from Bubbles and was knocked out.
"Oh no, Boomer!" Bubbles realized her mistake and hurried over to check on him. "Boomer, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"I... I'm dying..." Boomer weakly muttered, his nose bleeding as he collapsed.
"Boomer, wake up!" Bubbles shook him anxiously, tears welling up in her eyes.
After a moment, Boomer finally regained consciousness, weakly smiling. "I see..."
Bubbles sighed helplessly. "When I first got here, I cried and made a fuss, but it didn't help at all..."
"Don't worry, there must be a way out. Let's find it together!" Boomer reassured her with a confident smile.
"Yeah!" Bubbles felt relieved seeing Boomer's confidence and all her earlier anxieties vanished. "Thank you, Boomer. Let's work together."
Boomer nodded and reached out to help Bubbles up. "Let's go. We'll definitely find a way out and get back to everyone."
Bubbles gripped Boomer's hand tightly, smiling softly. "Yes, we can do it."
Butch climbed out from the rubble of cement and debris. "Hey, Buttercup, listen to me..." He barely finished his sentence when—
"Sonic Swing Hammer!" Buttercup swung her iron hammer, sending a green light sphere towards Butch. He jumped up, narrowly avoiding the attack.
"It's useless... she can't hear you!" Sword Ghost still had a smug look on his face.
"Since you won't listen, I'll make you remember!" Butch said as he flew towards Buttercup, "skillfully" lifting her skirt.
Sword Ghost had no idea what Butch was doing: "Huh?"
Buttercup instantly snapped back to her senses, her face turning bright red as she yelled at Butch: "Go to hell! What are you doing?! You big idiot!"
Butch was also surprised: "I didn't expect that to actually work."
Buttercup, blushing and angry, glared at Butch, "If you dare do that again, I'll make you regret it!"
Butch scratched his head, embarrassed, "Sorry, sorry, I just wanted to calm you down."
Buttercup huffed and turned her head away, pouting.
"I'm going to make you pay back double! Sonic Hammer Strike!" Buttercup raised a large iron hammer and swung it at Sword Ghost, who quickly blocked her attack with his katana.
Sword Ghost suddenly sneered: "You don't think my special virus is that weak, do you? Didn't I say only the antidote can cure it?"
As soon as he finished speaking, his body began to emit an eerie black aura. "!" Buttercup instantly felt weak, almost dropping the hammer from her hands.
Butch's eyes widened: "Damn, does this virus have other symptoms?!"
Buttercup, panting, barely stayed conscious: "I can still…fight!"
"Forgive me!" Butch quickly flew in front of Buttercup and delivered a karate chop to the back of her neck.
"Butch…you…" Instantly, Buttercup collapsed into his arms.
"Injured girls should rest." Butch carefully laid Buttercup against the wall.
Sword Ghost was surprised that Butch would attack his own companion without hesitation, "Prepare yourself! You bastard!"
Butch swiftly flew towards Sword Ghost, "Don't get too cocky!" Sword Ghost gripped his katana with both hands and slashed down.
Instead of dodging, Butch boldly caught the blade with his bare hands, disarmed Sword Ghost, and kicked him away. In the process, Butch's arm was severely cut.
"Ugh…" Butch clutched his injured arm, struggling to stand, and laughed, "Heh~"
"What's so funny?! Are you crazy?!" Sword Ghost taunted,
"This, idiot!" Butch held a test tube containing a pale blue liquid.
"When did you…?! Was it just now…?!" Sword Ghost's tone shifted from arrogance to humiliation.
"Die!" Sword Ghost swung his sword again, unleashing a fierce, dark red slash,
"Vacuum Air Slash!" The blade of wind clashed with the sword slash, gradually dissipating the latter until it was completely neutralized,
Sword Ghost roared: "Next strike, I'll smash you to pieces!"
Butch sneered: "Haven't you realized yet? There won't be a next time!"
As he finished speaking, Sword Ghost's katana suddenly broke in two, his face filled with disbelief: "How is that possible?!"
Butch gathered air in his hands: "Thanks to Buttercup's attack earlier, your sword already had cracks!"
"Damn brat!" Sword Ghost, seeing the tide turn against him, grabbed the broken katana for one last struggle.
"Checkmate!" Butch said coldly.
With that, an invisible air blade sliced through Sword Ghost. "Aah!" he screamed, his body splitting into pieces, turning into black powder and disappearing within seconds.
Butch snorted, "Compared to Boomer, your kenjutsu is just a joke."
Butch pried Buttercup's mouth open and poured the antidote in. "Huh? What happened to me?" Buttercup asked, looking like she had just woken up. "Where's that guy?" She asked Butch anxiously.
" I've already defeated that guy by myself.," Butch replied calmly.
The two reverted to their normal forms. As Kaoru tried to walk, she felt a sharp pain in her ankle.
"Damn, it's hard to walk like this!"
Shigeru glanced at her, then squatted down with his back to her. "Get on, I'll carry you."
"Oh... thanks..." Kaoru's face briefly turned red.
Kaoru lay on Shigeru's back, gently stroking the wounds on Shigeru's body, her face filled with self-blame: "I'm sorry, it's all because of me... that you..."
Shigeru smiled warmly: "To me, your safety is more important than anything."
Kaoru insisted in an irrefusable tone: "Wait until we get back to my house, I must bandage your wounds!"
"No need, really! I'm fine," Shigeru felt like Kaoru was making a big deal out of it.
Blushing, Kaoru lightly tapped Shigeru's back with her hand: "If you don't let me, I'll never talk to you again!"
Shigeru quickly responded, "Please don't! If you ignore me, that's scarier than being injured!"
The sight of a tomboyish girl being carried by a feminine-looking boy disappeared into the street.
"Go to hell!" The blade in the Painting Bogeyman 's hand thrust toward my throat!
"No chance! Ribbon boomerang!" Blossom swung her long hair, and the ribbon on her head flew towards me and the Painting Bogeyman. The Painting Bogeyman leaped aside to dodge, and I quickly lowered my head. Just a split second late, and my body and head would have been separated!
I yelled at Blossom in anger, "What the heck! Do you try to kill me too?"
But thanks to Blossom, the ink monsters behind me were also taken down. I picked up the kendama and swung it, sweeping away all the ink monsters in front of me. Blossom broke free from her restraints and retrieved her yo-yo.
"It's over!" Seeing the situation turning against him, the Painting Bogeyman was about to summon more ink monsters with his brush on the scroll paper.
But my flames were faster, "Taste this! Rengoku Flame!" The flames in my hand ignited the scroll on him, engulfing both him and his scroll in flames!
"My artwork!" The Painting Bogeyman plunged into the fire, attempting to save his paintings, but not only did he fail, he ended up burning himself too.
"Ah!" A miserable scream pierced our ears as the Painting Bogeyman became a fireball, rolling on the ground in an attempt to extinguish the flames. When the flames disappeared, the Painting Bogeyman lay motionless on the ground, resembling a charcoal figure.
However, a few seconds later, the "charcoal" turned into black particles like dust and disappeared in front of me and Blossom.
Blossom clenched her fists, "Him did it again!"
"No, it was Jagu," I corrected her.
"Alright, let's get on the bike. I also want to get back early," I called out to Momoko.
"Coming!" Momoko responded excitedly, hugging me tightly again, and I felt her warm body against mine. Stepping on the pedal, we started moving forward.
On the way, Momoko whispered softly in my ear, "I just saved you. How are you going to repay me?"
I chuckled, knowing she was teasing, but I didn't want to disappoint her either. "Alright, alright! Whatever you want to eat, it's on me!"
Momoko was quick to take advantage, but I didn't mind; I found her mischievousness endearing.
"That's awesome!" Momoko cheered behind me, her voice filled with joy.
Bubbles curiously asked, 'There's nothing here?'
'No, the space from here onwards is infinite,' Boomer pointed to the darkness in front of them. With that said, he slashed at the darkness, gradually dispersing it, revealing a small, cramped room.
'Ah!' Seeing the scene in front of them, Bubbles screamed, and Boomer widened his eyes. There were more than ten dry mummies lying quietly on the floor! And they were all young women!
'For his own selfish desires, he imprisoned these women who originally had infinite futures. What a scumbag!' Boomer was disgusted by Jar Demon's actions.
'Boomer, I don't want to stay here anymore...' Bubbles's face was filled with fear as she pulled on the sleeve of Boomer's tracksuit. 'Okay, let's get out of here!' Boomer slashed at a talisman paper on the wall of the chamber, and instantly, the two of them returned to their original world.
'How could this be?!' Jar Demon saw that his pottery had been split in half by Boomer, and Boomer was glaring at him with killing intent. He was so scared that he immediately knelt down and begged for mercy: 'Please, spare me!'
Boomer suddenly said to Bubbles behind him, 'Sorry, Bubbles, could you close your eyes for a moment? I don't want your innocent eyes to see this.'
'Okay.' Bubbles listened to Boomer's words and closed her eyes.
Jar Demon pleaded again, 'I only beg for mercy from you!'
'How do you answer those pleading women?' Boomer's eyes were cold, without a trace of forgiveness in them, and silver-blue lightning gathered in his hand.
Jar Demon realized that Boomer would never let him go and hastily ran for his life.
But Boomer was faster. In an instant, he appeared in front of the jar demon. His katana flashed out of its sheath, and with a single glint of the blade, the Jar Demon found his vision and body sliced into several pieces. Lightning erupted from Boomer's hand, and the Jar Demon didn't even have a chance to scream before he turned into charcoal. Within seconds, the charcoal disintegrated into black dust and vanished into the air.
In his final moments, the jar demon thought, "Isn't this kid supposed to be an idiot?! Don't joke around! That look in his eyes, he's definitely...!"
Hearing the commotion gradually die down, Bubbles cautiously opened her eyes. "Boomer, is it over?"
Boomer nodded and patted Bubbles on the shoulder. "Let's go."
"Alright!" Bubbles opened her eyes, and the two of them reverted to their normal forms, continuing their walk towards the Gotokuji residence.
Holding Kagami's hand tightly, Miyako shyly said, "Thank you, Kagami. If it weren't for you, I really wouldn't have known what to do."
Kagami smiled gently. "We're partners. No matter what happens, I'll always protect you."
Walking home together, the setting sun dyed the sky red, casting a golden glow over their silhouettes.
"'I'm exhausted.'
'I just want to sleep for a long time!'
'Me too...'
We finally safely returned the girls home. After experiencing so much in a day, even us Rowdyruff Boys were tired. We didn't even bother to take a bath. We found our pillows, closed our eyes, and in no time, went to play chess with the Dream Lord."
