Spirit within 2
The Sixth Night,
The World of Gleaming Light.
Galus watched as the woman was carried away, she had paid a heavy
sacrifice for their revenge, soon the Eye of God would be in their hands
and at long last this world would suffer for its crimes.
"Nahata, I think it's time we paid Roshtaria a visit, prepare Ifurita. I
want her to destroy the pathetic forces of the Alliance for good, just
make sure she doesn't kill Rune Venus, we may still need her."
"A cover for our real operation?" asked the boy with a smile.
"Of course, with the Eye of God in our hands at last we will destroy El
Hazard and finally find peace," replied Galus with a smirk.
Nahata frowned, Galus was usually quite secretive about his plans, and
it was very unusual for him to speak of them out loud or even tell those
involved exactly what it was they were doing. He glanced over and saw the
demon god resting against a wall watching the ceiling impassively.
Without a word he walked over to her and gave her the orders. She looked
down at him and said nothing as he spoke. "Destroy the Alliance, keep our
operation covered, and make sure Rune Venus is not killed, we may need
her later. We must secure the Eye of God at any cost, El Hazard must
suffer for what they did to our kind."
Without confirmation of any kind Ifurita started towards the exit to the
cave.
"So, that's your plan is it?" said a new voice from the shadows. The
shadow tribe boy gasped in shock as a hand blasted from the darkness. It
didn't touch him, but he felt a solid blow to his midsection and fell to
his knees gasping for breath. He clutched the spot with his hands and
felt himself fading as the warm sensation of blood covered his fingers.
"What?"
Ifurita whirled around and blasted the offending shadow emotionlessly as
she took up a defensive stance. There was nothing there. "What is this?
Identify yourself to me," she said mechanically. A faint sound attracted
her attention and she cut loose with another energy bolt blasting away at
the fragile walls of the cave.
Galus came storming into the room with a shocked expression on his face.
"What is the meaning of this? Stop this now!" he snarled at her.
"There is an intruder," replied the girl simply.
"What do you..." the man froze as he saw Nahata lying dead on the floor
with a gaping hole in his chest. "Who did this?! The will suffer!"
screamed the man in a rage.
"Unknown," replied Ifurita. "She glanced down at the boy and frowned,
she had been given orders and the need to fulfill them was starting to
pull at her subconscious. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement.
Galus froze in place and did not move, as someone grabbed him from
behind.
"I should have known, she escaped too easily," he said with a small
chuckle.
"You're about to find out what happens when somebody orders a hit on me
Galus," snarled Ryo.
"It is impressive that you managed to evade Karai's detection," snorted
the man without a hint of worry in his voice. "You don't really think you
can escape here do you? If my guards don't kill you, Ifurita will, you
killed her master, after all."
"Escape is not my plan," replied the boy as he tightened his grip on the
man's neck. Galus stared in shock as Ifurita powered up her staff and
pointed it at the pair.
"What are you doing? Stop this at once!" screamed the man in shock as he
stared into the coldness of her eyes. "Fool, we'll be killed!"
"You do not hold the Power Key Staff, orders denied," replied the woman
just before she discharged the energy.
Ryo found himself slumped against the wall with a cold dead weight on
top of him. Slowly opening his eyes he looked around and noticed Ifurita
standing over him. "Hello."
The woman narrowed her eyes and pointed the staff at him coolly. Ryo
tried to think desperately for some escape, some way out of the situation
he found himself in. Ifurita's blast had hurt him more than he had
thought it would, he couldn't have blacked out for very long, a few
seconds at most, but obviously that would cost him dearly. He reached up
and grabbed the end of the staff.
Instantly the pair was enveloped in a dark red energy. Ifurita froze for
a moment before joining Ryo in the agonized scream. She felt parts of her
being pulled away, torn from her subconscious. A deep terror filled her
heart as she felt the pieces rip from her soul. Finally she jumped away
pulling the staff from his grip forcefully.
As she looked on Ryo stood very slowly from his place on the ground and
smiled, his eyes had started to glow a strange red color. "Heh, I
understand now."
The demon god found herself backing away from him involuntarily. "What
have you done?"
"Take Fatora and go, do it now. You must go to Roshtaria and find
Makoto, I'm afraid it's our only hope. Tell him to touch the staff and he
will understand." He looked up at her and seemed to be struggling with
something. Whatever it was, he was losing the battle. "Go, hurry!"
Ifurita turned away and found herself running from the room, she felt
violated and alone. Things she could not be feeling. Terror gripped her
heart again as she rushed away going through anyone she encountered along
the way. After a moment she stopped and glanced around, she was uncertain
where she had ended up. Two men slowly turned to face her and frowned.
"What are you doing in here?"
A dark smile crossed the woman's face when she realized that she was
standing in front of Fatora. The two Shadow Tribe scientist stepped
forward with angry looks on their faces; the looks quickly faded away
into fear as she raised her staff and pointed it at them. "I am a demon
god, I do not know fear," she said to herself.
Moments later a small portion of a mountain exploded as Ifurita escaped
the confines of the caverns. She moved at top speed through the air
cradling a small and frail looking figure in her arms. "Why am I doing
this? Is he the new controller of the Power Key Staff?" Her thoughts
quickly faded as she flew onward.
Makoto Mizuhara stood watching the fountain as he mulled over his
thoughts. His face was expressionless as he stared at the water and
simply watched it fall. He was still dressed in Fatora's robes and had
not moved for several hours. Over and over the question played in his
mind as he tried to make sense of his one time rival's actions. "Why?
What are you planning Ryo?" He knew the boy had something up his sleeve.
What it was exactly he couldn't quite figure out. His plan was obvious,
to follow the shadow tribe woman back to her base, but he also knew that
Ifurita waited there, as well as Galus and all of his minions. The boy
had no hope of succeeding. A suicide attack also did not fit the man's
personality; perhaps he had grown desperate enough to try? "No." It was
his final answer, the only one he could think of. Ryo had gone to rescue
Fatora and destroy Ifurita; there was no other explanation.
He felt his heart grow heavy as he thought about Ifurita yet again, they
had made some sort of connection. What it was he could not be sure, but
his feelings confused him. He had seen war, destruction at her hands, and
yet the feeling that accompanied them told him that she was not the pure
and destructive evil that the Roshtarians believed her to be. Something
deep within his heart wanted to save her, bring her back into the light,
and... He glanced upwards. "And what?"
A general alarm sounded as soldiers rushed by through the halls. Makoto
turned slowly, still unable to move from his injuries, the bandages
hidden beneath his robes scraped against the burns on his chest and he
ignored the sensation as he looked towards the bench beside the fountain.
Shayla sat there in her depressed state mulling over a similar problem.
She looked up and watched the men go by with frustration and confusion on
her face. "What is it now?"
Makoto knew the look; he had betrayed her the most in the end. Somehow
she had fallen in love while he was sleeping.
"Damn, I'd better see what's going on," muttered the boy as he walked by
her.
He was surprised when he met the other two priestesses and Fujisawa in
the hallway.
"How's she doing?" asked Afura as she glanced over his shoulder to see
her sulking and ignoring the events around her.
"Not well, she hasn't said much about it, but I wasn't exactly
listening," replied the boy with a sigh.
"I can understand that, it's never easy to have a friend betray you,"
said the teacher with an equally sullen look.
"He, was not my friend," said the boy simply as he turned towards the
commotion. "What's going on?"
"Not sure, the guards started to get all excited for some reason," said
Afura as she followed close behind him.
An energy blast slammed into one of the walls nearby sending soldiers
running away. A familiar voice screamed angrily. "Where is Makoto
Mizuhara?"
"Get behind us!" said Miz as she and Afura stood in front of him,
Fujisawa pulled at his shoulder forcing him to back away a little. Makoto
shrugged him off.
"I might be weak, but I'm anything but defenseless," snapped the boy as
his aura burned around him. He pushed the two women aside and walked
around the corner to face the demon god Ifurita.
She stood staring him down. "I was told to find you."
"To finish what you started?" asked Makoto firmly. He froze when he saw
a figure draped over her shoulder. "Ryo?"
"I have brought Fatora back to you, for this you will listen to me,"
said the woman calmly as she lowered her staff. "My orders are to deliver
her only to you." She dropped the girl on the ground and stepped towards
him. "Tell me why the one called Ryo told me to seek you out. What is
this salvation he spoke of for us? Tell me."
The boy stepped back in confusion and gaped at her. "What?"
An hour later Lanz stood watching as Ifurita stood before Rune Venus.
Against his judgement she had been granted and audience with her. The
princess spoke to her directly without seeming to notice anyone else in
the room. Makoto could see the fear in her eyes as easily as anyone else
could.
"We thank you for returning my sister to me. Tell me, what had happened
to the traitor Ryo?" she shrank back under the woman's gaze for a moment
before regaining her dignity.
"The one you called a traitor destroyed my programming, I have no
purpose now. My last orders were from him, he told me to bring her back
to you and seek out Makoto Mizuhara. He is our salvation," she turned
towards the boy and he reacted with surprise.
"What do you mean?" asked Fatora, she sat beside her sister, her face
was weak and tired looking. Despite her condition she had insisted on
being present at the meeting.
"Unknown," replied the woman with a small shrug.
Shayla stood up with a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes; she had been
sulking off to the side with the other two priestesses beside her. The
three women sat on small pillows next to Makoto and Fujisawa. "He rescued
Fatora, he didn't betray us."
"He did betray us, he led Jinnai to the sacred island," retorted Afura
calmly. "However, this can be overlooked now I think. The Shadow Tribe
has lost its edge, and we now command the power of the Eye if need be."
"The time is now," said Lanz firmly. The bugrom forces are advancing on
Roshtaria as we speak. Despite the loss of their warlord, a new class of
bugrom infinitely more dangerous than any know before now has appeared to
lead them."
"Those are mere rumors," said Rune carefully.
"Rumors backed by soldiers returning from the front lines my liege. This
is not to be taken lightly, even if they are not; it does not change our
position. The bugrom must be stopped," replied the man firmly.
"I agree! I need to work of some of my frustration anyway! Those shadow
tribe bastards won't get away with what they did to me!" screamed Fatora
angrily as she glared at her sister and the newcomers.
"Very well," said Rune as she finally gave in. "We will activate the Eye
of God tomorrow. There is no need to be hasty in our decision, the bugrom
are not yet on our doorstep."
Lanz didn't seem entirely satisfied with her answer and bowed his head
in submission.
Fatora stood up and walked over to Makoto, "So, you're the one who's
been playing me...hmm."
He stepped back uncomfortable with her gaze. "Not really, the guy who
rescued you did it mostly. I was just the last minute replacement."
She snorted distastefully at this. "No kidding, you're nowhere near as
good looking as I am."
The boy blinked and let the matter pass as she diverted her attention to
Alielle. The young girl had been sitting with the priestesses for most of
the meeting rather quietly. "And you, have you been behaving yourself?"
"Of course my darling Fatora!" squealed the girl happily as she jumped
into her lover's arms.
"Oh ho, you haven't been cheating on me then?" said the girl wryly.
Alielle looked uncomfortable for a moment. "No, of course not!"
The princess looked at her distrustingly. "What about the red head?" She
jerked her thumb over to Shayla.
For the first time in days the fire priestess smiled, but it fell away in
an instant as she was accused. "Hey!"
Miz sat with Fujisawa on her arm, her face was troubled. "Masumiji, what
happened to that boy I wonder? I hope he's all right."
Fujisawa smiled at her. "Don't worry about him, he's tougher than Makoto
over there. He can take care of himself; we'll probably see him in a few
days or so. I just hope he gets back before the fighting starts, we could
use another man like him around."
This seemed to comfort her some as she tightened her grip on his arm.
"Yes, I suppose you're right. Then we can get around to planning for the
wedding!"
He looked at her and laughed nervously. "W-wedding?"
"Yes, we can even make it a double wedding, I'm sure Shayla won't mind,"
said the woman as she glanced over at her slightly more cheerful fellow
priestess.
"Sounds go...Hey!" snapped the woman as she realized what had been said.
"I was only joking Shayla, you can have your own wedding," said the
woman with an incredibly girlish giggle that made Fujisawa wince.
"Whatever," snorted the woman roughly.
Smoke filled the air around Ryo as he walked through the burning caverns
of the Shadow tribe's lair. A dark grin was planted on his face as he
wandered around destroying everything he came into contact with. He
stopped and saw a strange device lying on a table. "I've found it," he
muttered as he pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. The
scientist had resisted his torture quite admirably, in the end he
realized his intentions for the device and actually smiled as he died.
He picked the device up and placed it into his pocket smiling madly. A
voice from behind him got his attention as he slowly turned to see the
shadow tribe woman who had brought him here glaring angrily at him.
"You, what have you done?" she snapped. Her body was covered in dirt and
injuries and she was barely able to stand; an angry snarl was etched onto
her features as she simply stared him down with a pure hatred that would
terrify any being lesser than him.
"I destroyed those who would threaten me," he replied simply. "It is why
I came here, I guess I just got carried away."
"I'll kill you!" she charged with a knife in her hand slashing wildly at
the air. Her eyes grew wide as he simply snatched her hand from the air
and broke her wrist by squeezing her hand. She cried out in pain before
he silenced her by placing his hand over her mouth.
"I was going to let you live you know. You served me so well," a dark
smile crossed his lips as his eyes started to glow red once again.
"What are you?" she gasped with only fear on her face now.
"Heh, I've been given orders, and I intend to carry them out my dear.
You are simply a liability," he reared back his hand and smiled as fear
was replaced by a final moment of terror.
It was evening in Roshtaria. Ifurita stood on one of the palaces many
balconies and looked out over the stars. She turned as someone approached
her from behind. "Mizuhara."
The boy nodded to her silently as he leaned next to her against the
rail. "What happened to Ryo?"
"I am not certain, but he is not the same as he was," replied the woman
simply. He got directly to the point, and she found she like that.
Everything else was just too confusing for her right now.
"You couldn't get to sleep?" he asked her with a wistful look as he
gazed out over the city.
"I do not need sleep, once I am awakened I only need to recharge," she
held out the staff and looked at him calmly.
"When do you think you'll need another?"
"I am not certain, I have never had freedom before, I fear if someone
recharges me again I will be forced into service once again. I...do not
want that."
Makoto nodded seeming to understand her plight, he hung his head between
his arms staring at the ground.
"What happened between us? That day on the island I mean," he looked up
at her and frowned when he only got a confused glance in response. "So,
you don't know either?"
She stared at him for a moment and smiled, something she had never done
since the day of her creation. "It was not an unpleasant feeling, but I
do not understand what it was."
Makoto nodded and stood up straight. "I've got a busy day tomorrow, I
hope you will stay with us for a while. I won't ask you to fight for us,
but there's a lot we need to understand yet."
Ifurita's face grew hard suddenly. "I will stand with you on the field
of battle if need be."
He nodded and turned away, walking back into the palace once again.
Spirit Within 2
El-Hazard the Final Night.
The World of endless adventure.
Ryo floated above the ground just outside the burning remains of the
mountain. The moon stood high in the sky above him and he blasted forward
at full speed leaving a trail of red light behind him. It did not take
him long to reach Roshtaria. He stopped and landed in a wooded clearing
near to the palace. Slowly he turned to see a doorway with two guards
standing next to it armed only with staffs. He chucked to himself as he
strode forward lazily.
"Hello gentlemen," he chimed as he appeared between them from nowhere.
They reacted in shock and he simply grabbed their heads and slammed them
together with a sickening crunch as their skulls collapsed from the force
of the blow. Whistling to himself he stepped forward onto the platform
that would take him up to the top of the tower. He pulled a small
electronic device from his pocket and smiled. "Let's see now, what were
the instructions again?" He scratched his head and pulled out a small
folded piece of paper from his pocket.
The bugrom army marched forward, sitting on a raised platform that was
carried on the shoulders of the soldiers below it was a dangerous looking
red and black bugrom. Its call was unusual and chillingly familiar as it
cackled maniacally as the city burned around it.
Nanami Jinnai jumped up from her bed and screamed. Her body was covered
in sweat causing her to shiver under the slight breeze that wafted
through the room. Images of her brother falling to the ground played over
and over in her mind as she looked at her hands and sobbed. Somehow she
could still feel the blood there. She had never liked Ryo, much. He was
always picking on Makoto, but now...for the first time in her life she
actually hated someone with all her heart and soul. The boy had nearly
gotten them all killed over that demon god; she might have remained
hidden if not for him. Makoto and Fujisawa insisted that he was right
about it having to happen. Somehow deep in the back of her mind she knew
it was true. Still, she wondered what would have happened if they had let
someone stumble on to her, he might not have died then. She flopped back
onto the bed gritting her teeth in frustration and trying to find some
peace for the night at least. "Damn you."
Ryo stood atop the palace smiling to himself as he watched the Horizon,
soon the bugrom would attack and their hive would be destroyed. He had no
particular problem with that, but it would herald the end of El-Hazard.
The night blew on as he watched the winds of change blow across the land
sending a chill through the air. "Soon, I will sleep again, perhaps this
will finally put and end to my wandering." Somewhere deep within the back
of his mind he knew that to be a lie. A memory of the basement in the
school played in his mind causing his chest to grow tight; Shayla's face
appeared momentarily smiling at him, while blushing as he had seen in the
dungeon. He shook his head and growled in frustration. "Damn you Makoto,
you'd better come through for me."
Dawn came quickly; the palace woke surprisingly quickly as the
preparations were made for the final attack on the bugrom.
Rune Venus and Fatora stopped cold and stared at the fallen guards that
lay on the ground. Rune looked away rushing into Lanz's arms. "Oh no!"
Fatora was a bit braver as she walked up and inspected the bodies. "What
the hell happened?" She turned and saw a path of destruction that went on
as far as the eye could see for miles. "What the hell?"
"How could this have happened without our knowing?" said Lanz in horror.
"We must take caution, it seems the tower has been compromised."
Makoto stepped forward and inspected the trail silently. Ifurita stood
at his side and frowned. "My sensors did not pick any of this up last
night."
"Princess, we're going up there with you," he announced as he turned
away.
"You know what happened?" asked Lanz carefully as he noticed the
expression on his face.
The boy's face grew dark suddenly as a trace of anger crept into his
voice. "Ryo, he's the only one who could have. A chi signature can be
hidden easily if you know how."
"So it seems that our one time companion is a traitor after all," said
Lanz with a heavy sigh as he placed his hand on his forehead.
The three priestesses walked up just in time to hear his words. Miz
started to speak. "I don't understa-"
Shayla simply walked forward with a firm look on her face. "I'm going to
kill that bastard myself."
Makoto turned towards the princesses again. "If it is him, you're going
to need our protection up there. He's more dangerous than you realize."
Rune nodded and turned towards the tower again. Fatora was a different
matter. "I don't need no protection from you!"
Rune stopped and gave her a serious stare that silenced her instantly.
"They will accompany us."
The younger princess growled under her breath and bowed her head in
resignation.
Fujisawa rushed towards them from the destroyed path, "This isn't good,"
he cried.
"What is it?" said Miz with a worried look on her face.
"We've got company, whoever did this made a clear path all the way from
the bugrom front lines all the way to here. That's why no one reported it
last night, the bugrom have been advancing all night and took out all the
remaining soldiers and guards."
Rune turned towards her sister as a dark mass of creatures approached
slowly from the beaten path. "Come, we must hurry now, the situation is
worse than I imagined."
The priestesses stood ready with Fujisawa. Nanami walked up to the group
with a haunted look on her face as she approached Makoto. He turned to
face her with a look of shock on his face. "I told you to wait at the
palace! It's too dangerous here!"
The girl looked at him and scowled. "No, you might need me if more
shadow tribe come. I won't be left behind."
The boy stopped and looked between the princesses and the girl. Ifurita
took the initiative and grabbed her by her shoulders. "Come, we don't
have much time. She'll be safer with us."
He nodded and rushed after the two women catching up easily with Fatora
and her sister.
Nanami froze as a familiar laughter filled her ears, she glanced back
and gasped as a black and red bugrom led the troops forward and closed in
on her friends. "What?"
Ifurita noticed her gaze and followed it, her expression never changed.
"So, this is the new class of bugrom I've heard so much about..."
Shayla blasted forward into the crowd of insects throwing energy in
every direction with a rage that none of the others had ever seen before.
Her enemies fell in smoking piles around her as the other priestesses
fought hard to hold their position managing to barely push the invading
army back.
Fujisawa jumped towards the lead bugrom and punched at it, only to have
it jump aside. Several larger bugrom moved in to replace it as the
strange creature stood near the back of the battle.
The princesses stood on the top of the tower with Nanami sitting nearby
on the ground. Makoto and Ifurita stood flanking them near the edge
gazing into the battle below. Occasionally Makoto would send a blast into
the bugrom forces smashing a good size hole into their forces. "How long
is this going to take?"
"Not long, it begins now," answered Rune as she faced her sister and
took her hands. They raised their arms to the sky and pointed in unison
towards the forces below. The Eye of God snapped to life in an instant as
the cold blue aura that surrounded it seemed to shudder for a moment
before sending a bolt of energy into the crowd. A black hole of sorts
formed at the point of impact and anything in its path vanished without a
trace leaving a crater behind in its wake. The two women performed what
seemed like a dance of sorts sending energy flying into the enemy forces
decimating them utterly. Finally a large blast was sent over the horizon,
towards the bugrom fortress on the other side of the Holy River of God.
Makoto watched below as the Roshtarian forces performed clean up on the
remaining bugrom. "So, it's over now."
A cold cruel laughter cut through the air suddenly, red energy seemed to
rain down onto the platform shattering the control arms and shattering
the ground around them easily. Somehow everyone standing on the tower
came out unscathed. "What the hell?" screamed Fatora in shock as she
looked up to see a chillingly familiar figure floating overhead.
"My dear friend Makoto, it is only beginning!" said Ryo as he reared his
head back in laughter again. He shot up like a bolt towards the eye of
god, vanishing onto the surface after a moment.
"What the hell is he doing?" screamed Makoto.
Rune Venus and Fatora both had looks of terror on their faces as they
watched the Eye. "No! We can't stop it!"
Ifurita looked at them and then turned her unreadable gaze back towards
the weapon as it continued to throw blasts into the ground around it. "It
is out of control."
On the ground below Shayla gasped as a group of Roshtarian soldiers
vanished in a black sphere of energy directly in front of her. "What the
hell are they doing? Why don't they stop?"
Afura jumped away from a nearby blast with an angry look on her face as
she looked upwards with everyone else. "Something has gone wrong!"
"No kidding!" commented Fujisawa.
"We're going up there," said Makoto as he looked towards Ifurita.
"Why?" she asked mechanically.
"Because I think I can stop the Eye of God," replied the boy simply.
"How are you going to do that?" screamed Nanami with a sudden look of
fear on her face.
The boy turned to face the shocked looks that surrounded him. "Dr.
Stalumbau and I discovered the power that I got when I came here. I can
control ancient devices from this world. I'm not sure how, but it's our
best chance."
"What about Ryo? You're in no condition to fight him," said Lanz as he
pointed out the bandages around the boy's chest.
"That is where I come in, Makoto cannot fly, so I will have to transport
him anyway," said Ifurita calmly as she lifted the boy up by his
shoulders.
Nanami grabbed the woman around her neck. "I'm going with you!"
"No, you will become a liability," replied the Demon God as she shrugged
her off easily.
"She's right Nanami, I don't need the distraction. I'm sorry," replied
Makoto as they flew up towards the false moon.
They landed on the metal surface and looked around for Ryo cautiously.
"My sensors are not detecting anything," commented Ifurita.
The boy nodded and let her set him down. "We have to find a control
panel or something, there has to be one somewhere inside this thing."
"It's in the core, but to get there, you have to pass by me," said a new
voice causing both of them to turn around and see Ryo staring them down
with a mask of hatred etched into his face.
The wind blew across the surface as they stood opposing one another for
a long moment in silence. Makoto spoke up, "Why are you doing this?"
Ryo merely smiled. "Because I was ordered to."
"You're working for Jinnai now? Is that it?" snapped Makoto. "Or have
you been with him since the start?"
"I work for no one but myself. I will see the alliance destroyed to
complete my orders so that I might be free once again," replied Ryo
simply. He raised his fists and took up a combat stance Makoto was
unfamiliar with.
Ifurita froze, "Orders? Oh, oh no!" Emotion and realization once again
appeared on her face.
"You are correct woman, I absorbed your orders into myself, freeing you
from your obligation. Now, I must destroy the alliance at any cost." He
charged forward slamming into her and punched out creating a vacuum of
air that slammed into her gut and sent her flying into a wall. Ryo fell
on her chest with his knees creating another spark of red energy between
them. He jumped back with a look of surprise on his face and slid his
feet into an open stance. "No! You didn't do it! Damn you Makoto!"
The boy rushed forward and slammed his fist into Ryo's head sending him
to the ground. Ryo reacted instantly slamming his knee into his gut as he
rose from the blow faster than even Makoto could react. He fell and
curled into a ball as pain ran through his body from his injuries
rendering him paralyzed.
Ifurita stood with a cold smile on her face. "Air vacuum created by hi
velocity movement, adapted." She charged forward using Ryo's own move
against him. What he did, she wasn't expecting, he forced a Ki blast into
the vacuum that exploded sending her flying back away from him and back
into the metal wall once again this time denting it. She emerged slowly
and pointed the staff at him releasing energy bolts towards him that
bounced harmlessly off a strange energy shield of some sort. He
retaliated with a massive blast larger than any he had thrown at her
before, she was unable to counter and was tossed back again, this time
she sprawled across the ground and struggled back to her feet. Her eyes
went wide as she saw Ryo standing before her with a staff remarkably
similar to hers, but her sensors told her it was made out of pure energy.
You are too weak to face me now Demon God. He kicked her in the face
sending her into the air again; she landed next to Makoto and struggled
to push herself up with her arms. Ryo ignored them now and turned away
watching the panic below him on El Hazard.
Nanami Jinnai watched as the world around her was slowly torn apart by
the Eye of God. The priestesses did everything they could to save those
around them and the blasts came closer and closer to claiming them.
She gazed up at the horrible thing that would destroy everything and
waited, she had already lost everything that was dear to her heart. Now
she simply awaited oblivion. "Maybe it won't be so bad?" She smiled as
one of the blasts hit the ground near her and slowly spread towards her.
"Nanami!" cried Fujisawa as he rushed to her. Rune Venus and Fatora
stood behind him with Lanz and Miz flanking them on either side as they
tried to escape the carnage of battle around them.
The girl closed her eyes and waited as oblivion grew ever closer to her
in seemingly slow motion. She felt herself lifted off the ground and
slowly opened her eyes to see a horrible face staring at her. It grunted
something unintelligible and turned to look towards the sky shaking its
claws at the false moon. Her eyes went wide suddenly as the face split
down the middle opening slowly and revealing a familiar face. "Damn you
Mizuhara, I didn't work this hard to conquer El Hazard just to see you
destroy it!"
She turned to see Makoto was slowly recovering from the blow he had been
given. "I need you to recharge me Mizuhara, I'm not strong enough to
fight anymore."
He looked at her in shock and coughed as his breath slowly returned to
him. "But, you'll be enslaved again if I do that!"
"We don't have a choice, if we do not El Hazard will be destroyed," she
grabbed him by his arm and smiled at him softly. "I trust you."
He nodded and reached over to take her staff.
The instant he placed it in her back the strange sensation returned to
him, memories and images flooded his mind as he turned the key. He
welcomed them and felt the power slowly surge into her body as if it was
his own. The feeling of everything she was entered his consciousness. He
knew everything about her, how she worked, what each and every part of
her did. A slow realization came over him as his mind found the slave
circuit that held her. "What? I can..."
Neither one of them noticed Ryo standing beside them with his had pointed
at their heads with a large Ki blast waiting. "Wake up my sleeping
beauties."
Makoto slumped to the ground and slowly opened his eyes as he felt an
impact near to his head. Ryo screamed as he was thrown back onto the
ground and released the ki blast taking out the rooftop of the palace
below. "Who would dare!?" He stared wide-eyed as Nanami Jinnai punched
him dead in the face.
"You creep!"
Makoto looked up in shock and stared at the face that sat on top of the
bugrom body. "Katsuhiko?"
"Mizuhara! How dare you try to destroy my hard won conquest!" screamed
the boy in rage as he punched the ground.
Makoto barely scrambled away in time as his jaw dropped. "It wasn't me!
This is all his fault!" He pointed at Ryo who simply stood with his arms
crossed in front of his chest.
"What are you going to do about it?" he sneered.
Ifurita sat up and shook her head. "What did you do to me?" She looked at
Makoto and smiled as a realization came over her. "I'm free."
The boy nodded as he stood up again and raised his fists to Ryo. "Not
even you can take all three of us Ryo!"
"You think not?" said the boy as he stepped forward calmly. Makoto
gasped in shock as he blasted by him kicking him in the face before he
could react sending him into Jinnai and Nanami. They fell to the ground
in a heap.
A familiar scream snapped him out of his daze as he jumped up and saw
Ryo locked in a struggle with Ifurita. He was reaching for her as she
held his wrists back and screamed under the pain of the red energy that
surrounded them.
"What are you doing?" cried Makoto as he rushed forward to stop him.
Ifurita glared at him. "Don't come any closer!"
"What? No way!" he jumped forward just as Ryo released her and fell to
the ground, Ifurita slumped down to her knees holding her head and
looking at the fallen boy in shock. "Our salvation? I see."
She grabbed Makoto before he could turn on the fallen Ryo and shook her
head gently. Makoto looked at her in confusion and stepped away from him.
"Man, what a headache," mumbled Ryo as he sat up and slowly rose to his
feet.
"Ryo? What just happened?" asked Nanami as she took a tentative step
forward.
"He absorbed the broken slave circuit," replied Ifurita calmly.
"Now Makoto, you must leave," said Ryo as he punched the boy in his gut
before anyone could react.
"W-why?" said the boy in shock as Ryo handed him to a shocked Nanami.
"Think back to the day in the basement Makoto, where was I standing when
Ifurita was awakened to send us here?" said the boy with a smirk
appearing on his face.
"Next to that thing she came out of. Why?" said the boy with a cough.
"I followed you into the room, how could I be standing next to her, when
I was right behind you?" replied the boy calmly as he walked over to the
stunned Demon God. "I'm relying on you to get us back here, don't fail me
kid."
"Ryo?" said Nanami in shock. "You knew...all along?"
The boy stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Tell Shayla I'll see her
when I get back, I'm sorry." The power key staff appeared in his hand
again as he took to the air with Ifurita.
Jinnai frowned as he turned to see a pickaxe slam into the metal surface
of the moon attached to a long rope. "Let's get out of here," said Nanami
as she struggled with Makoto.
"Nooo! Ifurita! Ryo! Don't, I can..." he slowly realized that he could
never catch up to them.
Fujisawa appeared after climbing the rope and grinned. "Are you kids all
right? Have no fear! Super Fujisawa is here!"
"It's over," said Jinnai as his face was enclosed in the bugrom head
once again. He jumped over the side and vanished into the treetops below.
"Don't just stand there! Help me!" cried Nanami as she shoved Makoto
back into Fujisawa's arms. "We have to get out of here the whole place is
gonna go!"
Moments later they stood on the ground and watched as the Eye of God's
terrible came to a halt in a bright flash of white light that blinded all
that looked on for a few moments.
Rune Venus breathed a sigh of relief as the carnage finally ended. The
bugrom had been driven back and were now almost extinct. All that
remained was to rebuild.
Makoto looked towards the now dead false moon and sighed. He wondered
how Ryo would be remembered, as a monster, or a hero? In the end it
didn't matter, he would find a way to find them again, no matter what it
took. Slowly he turned back towards the cheering remains of the
Roshtarian army. "Someday..."
El-Hazard: Epilogue.
Ryo stood with Ifurita and smiled. After ten thousand years the journey
had ended. They walked along together for a long time; she was reliving
the memories that had been implanted in her head while he remembered his
own life on this world. In the end he found that this was no longer home.
It never had been really; he wondered how long he would have to wander.
How long would he live in the body of a Demon God? Such things were
irrelevant now. As the sun set over Tokyo they leaned against a fence and
waited patiently.
A light formed between them and Ryo smiled as Makoto walked through, he
was older now, but not by more than a few years. A wry smile crossed his
lips as he saw Ifurita rush towards him and fall into his arms.
"Well it certainly took you long enough," he said Casually as he pat the
boy on his back.
Makoto looked up and smiled. "Yea, I know. I'm just glad I didn't have
to wait as long as you did."
Ryo nodded and looked at the porthole in surprise as another figure
walked through. He blinked for a moment as a fist slammed into his face.
"How dare you leave me hanging like that you bastard!" He looked up to
see Shayla standing over him with her arms crossed and an angry look in
her eyes. "Leaving that way, I had no choice but to wait for you after
what you said you bastard!" He blinked again as she dragged him back into
the porthole leaving a confused Makoto and Ifurita behind.
He could only think of one thing to say. "Oro?"
The end.
Well, it's finally over. Whew, it took me long enough to write it. Hope
you enjoyed my little story. There isn't really much else to say, except
for expect Spirit within 3 real soon.
Ja ne!
C&C to: Carrotglace@juno.com
URL: Http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/fountain/3203