"These kids... I can't believe it!" It was the only reaction that Genma could say as he, Hideoki, and his daughter Kanako were watching the ongoing battle from the rooftop of one of the buildings near the Four Clubs on the right.
The Seitengers didn't know that the three of them were there and it was a good thing. They didn't want to cause worries to the young warriors as they fought the Triske Monster causing trouble for the second time. Of course, that doesn't mean that they were not going to see the way the Seitengers fight the Tareans.
In this case, however, there was a different agenda.
"That same bright light... But to see it again so soon..." Even Kanako couldn't form a coherent sentence based on what they had observed from their position.
"So it's Eichirou's turn this time, huh?" Hideoki commented, mainly to himself. "But if we had to base it on the progress that they're making with regards to their training, then this kind of miracle is just a matter of time before it finally appears to them."
"An Elemental Guide awakening this soon just after the first one that Shuichi now possesses... Such a feat has never happened before in the history of the Vessels," Kanako said as she continued watching the area currently surrounded in bright blue light that could only come from the current Vessel of the Heavenly Water Spirit Guardian's Powers."
"I'm not sure if you can still call this a miracle or something else is in the works here for this to happen."
Genma was right to voice out that possible assumption, though. And yet Hideoki, with his proud smile on his face meant for what his son had achieved together with the other Vessels, had thought of something else. A conversation that took place a few days back between him and Helen.
"That kid could be right in more ways than one," Hideoki started as he stared once again at the area that has now become a battlefield for the Seitengers and the Triske Monster. "Helen knew... that the current Seitengers could surpass their predecessors in terms of the achievements and even the level of these kids' growth with regards to their Hasureiki."
"But... how could Atsuko's daughter tell that?"
Hideoki faced Genma with a somber look, one that only made the scientist frown. "It's not only because Helen is Atsuko's daughter and that guy's grandniece. He trained her in a certain field for some reason to be a support to the chosen Vessels. And I'm certain that there was more to her illusory ability that she didn't want to mention to anyone just yet."
No one spoke a word after that. All three of them continued looking at the battlefield. Then Genma sighed.
"If what Helen told you was true, then we'll just have to do all that we can to make them stronger. If they can surpass their predecessors, then they can achieve a feat that even the originals hadn't done back then."
xxxxxx
"Argh! What is this?! I can't see!" Macera screamed and continued growling while trying to make out what was going on.
But that was not the case for Eichirou. Despite the bright blue light that emanated in the area, he could still clearly see what was happening around him. It was a strange thing. But he knew he had to take advantage of it. Especially at the moment when that bright light appeared to be the one he once saw when Shuichi had awakened his Elemental Guide.
"Could it be? This is about an Elemental Guide?" Eichirou still asked himself as he waited for that bright light to fade even a little bit.
But it didn't happen. Instead, he saw a floating orb in the middle of that bright light. He frowned at the sight, but didn't feel scared or even intimidated. In fact, he started taking steps after steps after a few moments of hesitating. There was something about that orb that made him realize that it was sentient. Okay. Maybe it was just an assumption.
Even so, Eichirou was certain that it was motioning him to follow it. He had no idea where it would head to, but he knew it was right to go with that plan. Not that he had anything else to do --- probably other than to think of a way to defeat Macera for good.
At the moment, it seemed that the opportunity to do just that had presented itself.
The orb stopped floating sometime soon, Eichirou followed suit. Moments later, his eyes widened at the sight of the glowing orb starting to morph in front of him. It soon took the shape of a Spirit Power Medallion. He couldn't help grinning at the thought that the item floating in front of him was indeed the Guardian Medallion of an Elemental Guide. The glow on the orb soon dissipated, allowing him to see the carvings on it.
"Walrus?" he uttered with a frown. A thought struck him afterwards. "Wait... walrus is a water creature. Does that mean... this is MY Elemental Guide?"
"That's right, blue Seitenger," a voice resonated around. Eichirou realized that the voice came from the floating Guardian Medallion in front of him. "I never thought I'd be showing myself to you this soon."
He wanted to jump and shout with joy at the revelation that he had awakened his own Elemental Guide --- and soon after Shuichi's, at that. But he chose not to. There were other things that he must prioritize first, especially since he and his friends were in the middle of a combat with a Triske Monster.
"Who are you?" was the first question that he uttered. "I know it's a silly, common question to ask. But ---"
"No worries, my comrade. I understand. I am the Elemental Guide of the Vessel of the Heavenly Water Spirit Guardian's Powers called the Whirling Walrus of the Sea. They gave me the name Waliver. Nice to meet you," the spirit of the Elemental Guide responded.
The answer soon put Eichirou at ease with the entity's presence. He wasn't usually keen on meeting strange creatures for the first time or even on a regular basis, unless there was a big reason. But he knew he had to make an exception on this one.
At that point, the photographer's expression turned from delight to somber. "Forgive me for suddenly asking this to you. But... why did you decide to show yourself to me now? I thought Elemental Guides don't usually appear to their chosen warriors this soon. And to think that Shuichi had just awakened his own Elemental Guide not too long ago after this."
It was indeed frank of Eichirou to ask that question to an Elemental Guide's spirit. But he wanted to know. At least, he knew he had to. He still had a fight to finish, after all.
To his confusion, he heard a chuckle coming from Waliver. But he didn't say anything. Instead, he waited for the entity to say something as either a response or a retort. He couldn't help thinking that his inquiry might have offended it in some way.
"Your mother was right about you. You sure are one curious kid."
That statement had only put a deeper frown on Eichirou's face. What does his mother have anything to do with this? Yet again, he didn't voice out his concern. Instead, the Guardian Medallion glowed a bright blue glow once again.
"Just take a look at this for now. Maybe this will give you the answer about the reason I have for finally deciding to show up to you," Waliver said before the glow started getting brighter than usual.
Despite the frown that formed on his face and even when the glow started to become too much for his eyes to look at, Eichirou knew he had to trust the entity. Not to mention that its earlier statement about his mother being right about him was still confusing to him. The bright light continued to engulf the already bright area that he was standing at.
It didn't take long before the bright light dissipated. But much to his confusion, he found himself standing in a room that was all too familiar to him. It was his mother's creativity room, as it was once called before his father turned it into his office. Or rather, Hideoki transferred his office there when Mariko died.
"Why am I here?" Eichirou couldn't help asking to himself as he continued to look around.
It was then that he saw someone sitting in front of the piano. His eyes widened upon realizing who it was.
"Mom..." he whispered, shock still visible on his face. Before he knew it, tears started falling from his eyes one by one.
This was the first time in a long while that he saw Mariko not in a picture that he would constantly look at and greet since her death when he was a young boy. He couldn't help crying at the sight of her moving in front of him. Though it was a touching sight, he knew that this was just an illusion. And for him, that was the painful thought that crossed his mind at the moment.
Mariko continued playing the piano with a song that seemed familiar to Eichirou, but also wasn't at the same time. Come to think of it, had he heard this melody before? He could recall that when he was young, his mother would play the piano from time to time. All he would ever do was to watch her do so by the door and try to hum the melody to the best of his abilities.
And it would only be a matter of time that Mariko would---
"Oh? Ei-chan..."
That call snapped him out of his reverie. Though ironically, this was one memory that he could clearly see and now standing at, for some reason.
He raised his head to look at Mariko. But he soon frowned upon noticing that he wasn't looking at him, even when she called him by his nickname.
"Can she see me?"
Upon looking further, he soon noticed that she was, in fact, looking and smiling at something past him. It was then that he turned around and his eyes widened again at the sight of a familiar young boy by the door.
"That's... me..." Eichirou could only utter as he eyed the shy boy holding a camera in his hands.
The young Eichirou soon smiled and ran towards Mariko who was waiting with open arms. The photographer couldn't help gazing at the boy that ran past him in disbelief. Why was he seeing a vision of his younger self and his mother in the past? Until the words that Waliver said when he followed it echoed in his mind.
"Could this be the one that Waliver wanted me to see? A memory from my past?"
But even if it was the case, then why this particular memory? What was with this scenario that made it all so important for the Elemental Guide to finally appear to him?
"You really look amazing while playing the piano, Mom. I wish I'm as skilled as you in doing that," young Eichirou said as he distanced himself a little from his mother.
Mariko chuckled and carried the boy to her lap before placing a hand on his head. "You will be skilled at something one day, my dear son. And I will be the first person who will be so proud of you that you managed to be that skilled. But I want you to do it for your own, with your own ability and power. People will obviously associate whatever talent or skill that you possess and will choose to show the world to me and your father. Do your best so that you can prove to them that you achieve them all by yourself."
The young boy cocked his head to one side, indicating his confusion to his mother's words. But Mariko only smiled and kissed his son's forehead.
"You'll understand these words I'm telling you now one day. Don't worry about them for now. Okay?"
Little Eichirou nodded with a smile and hugged his mother tight. They stayed like that for a while, relishing the warmth and the love that they give to each other.
"You look good in front of the piano, Mom. It's like I want to preserve that moment of you forever in so many pictures," young Eichirou said later on, without releasing himself from his mother's embrace.
A warm smile formed on Mariko's beautiful features and eyed her son. "Then do your best to learn the skills you need to make that happen. Do it with no apprehension and do it with conviction. Preserve smiles and dreams in those pictures and I know the moments you capture using cameras will freeze such important emotions and aspirations made that day. I'm here to support you, okay?"
The older Eichirou couldn't help but gasp upon hearing those words. He knew he was shaking because of overwhelming emotions in him at the moment. But he didn't do anything to stop them from surging.
'Those words... Now I remember!' He laughed even as his tears fell that blurred his vision, blurring the scene in front of him as a result. But in all honesty, he didn't mind looking like a fool at the moment.
He couldn't believe that he had forgotten such an important memory of his childhood that featured his deceased mother. Then again, the pain of losing her must have contributed to the fact that he unconsciously suppressed some of those important memories. And now...
"Now... Waliver wanted me to confront them. The very reason why I decided to pursue photography... even when people would keep associating me to my mother. What she made me promise that day became my source of strength through it all. And now..."
Now that he knew Mariko died to cut open a path for Eichirou and the other Vessels to fulfill their destiny as Seitengers. That same source of strength blazed hotter than ever. Everything he had pursued until now was for the reason that he wanted the first woman he loved to continue living through his work as a photographer.
His determination to preserve and protect people's dreams and smiles through those pictures, and now his works as a chosen Vessel and a Seitenger...
"It looks like you finally realized the reason why I decided to show myself to you."
Eichirou looked up to see a blue almost holographic figure of a walrus that he could now assume to be Waliver. The photographer smiled before nodding. "Thank you... for showing me this. I guess I do need a reminder of some of the most important things to me once in a while."
"You showed your determination even when you initially hesitated to become a Seitenger. But you still fight and continue to protect so many dreams through your battles against the Tareans. Now let me help you continue to do so as I lend you my powers."
He couldn't help grinning as he finally deciphered Waliver's words. "Then let's do this together, Waliver."
The walrus entity nodded.
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