All that could be seen and heard in the Tareus Dimension surrounding the Fortress of Screams were roars of thunder and more flashes of lightning. At times, the lightning would even strike at the tower of the castle.
But given all that had happened, the source of such mystical --- and yet almost everyday --- occurrence could do nothing more than to expend their overflowing energy and vent their anger and frustration somewhere else. This time, they've been doing it on the crack that they've been trying to fully break before.
"What kind of plan was that, Orcus? For a strategist, I can't believe that even you would fail brilliantly like this," Karkino started and once again struck the crack with his own powers.
But as Nemia expected that made her smirk, Orcus didn't pay them any attention and just continued striking the crack with his own powers. It also looked like he doesn't even want to pay attention to any of his comrades' rants with regard to his failure to prevent the awakening of the third Elemental Guide.
"And what's with that pink Hasureiki that always appeared to help the Seitengers, anyway? Not once have I remembered anything like that even before we started the war against the Seitengers and their priestess." This time, Siriso blurted it out before he, too, had thrown an energy ball to the crack. He smiled at the sight of it widening, even just a little.
It was working --- that was what mattered. The seal was so powerful for a long time that even when they did this before, nothing was working. They were more than grateful to the innocent individual who had undone the seal. Their sacrifice to the forces of the Tareans released at the moment the seal broke was a satisfying thing to watch.
"Nothing like that had ever happened before. It looked like they hadn't found the priestess yet, as well. We still have the advantage here," Alvre stated with a sigh.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that, if I were you."
But only a scoff coming from Karkino became a response for Nemia's statement. Of course, the shinobi didn't care. When she faced Orcus, he was still concentrating on widening the cracks. But she was sure that the scholar was listening.
Not long after, she approached the man and joined him in making more cracks that they could widen.
"It looked like your hypothesis was proven true after what you did," Nemia started. It earned her a chuckle from Orcus, possibly out of amusement.
"I guess I could never hide my plans from you, huh?"
"It takes a critical mind to know what you're really up to. Something that those three don't have whenever frustration would take them over."
This time, it was Orcus who scoffed. "Who cares about them? I didn't do that plan to satisfy their wish for the Seitengers to be defeated. Our abilities at the moment couldn't even compare to the powers of those brats now, whether we admit it or not."
Nemia became silent for a few moments and continued blasting the cracks with her own powers.
"Without a doubt, those kids were entirely different from their predecessors. This is the first time in 5,000 years that I've seen the Seitengers achieve the feat of awakening their Elemental Guides this fast. Our comrades' frustration at this point is very much understandable. Even so ---"
"Something else is still bound to happen. The Seitengers now are entirely different from anyone we've ever encountered before. That other warrior is still out there and that person could turn the tides even more if we don't put a stop to it now."
Nemia frowned. "What do you mean 'other warrior'?"
"The one casting that pink Hasureiki. Without a doubt, that person's Hasureki level is comparable to that of the Vessels. And yet... something else was going on whenever that person would help them. Whoever it was, that person could have the key or the knowledge why our adversary right now is possibly the strongest out of all the Seitengers chosen before them."
xxxxxx
"Are you sure you hadn't gone insane with all the crazy racing you've done in your life for declaring that?" It was Eichirou who ended up breaking the silence that hovered in the area.
The rest seemed to be just as surprised to hear when Amuro said that he wanted to become part of the Seitengers. If they were being honest, they had every right to call him crazy or delusional. Then again, they were still sane enough not to do that in front of Shuichi's childhood friend.
"What? No! I'm serious. I want to join them in fighting all these weird monsters that appeared right after that earthquake in Mt. Kumamoto."
So it wasn't just the Vessels who noticed the start of the change. But they could only sigh at that declaration as they knew that it would be impossible for Amuro to achieve that particular goal for one reason.
His lack of Hasureiki.
That one energy source was the one crucial factor for anyone to become a Seitenger. And in its ultimate amount, at that. At least, they knew that much.
Then again, it wasn't like they could say anything to Amuro about that or the man would suspect something.
The Vessels then looked at each other to find a way to dissuade the man from doing something foolish. A sigh soon escaped Itsuki's lips and faced the other racer.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Amuro-san. But I don't think any of us could provide you any help with what you want. Not to mention, I don't even think you have what it takes to join them."
Of course, with that cold and blunt statement, Amuro huffed. "That's mean. I do have what it takes. And besides, I'm willing to train with them if I have to."
"But would they even want that? Besides, with all the monsters appearing, I don't even think they have time to deal with your nonsense," Itsuki continued, not minding the tension slowly growing thicker by the second.
The others could only look at the two, as if just waiting for a bomb to explode between them. They could not even interfere with the conversation going on. They feared that it could escalate.
Itsuki remained stoic while Amuro was obviously fuming with fury that Shuichi feared his biker rival would be charging at his friend.
"I'll show you how wrong you are. I'll join them and fight with them. You'll see!" With a huff, Amuro stomped out of the mansion before any of them could say anything as a response to yet another declaration of the biker.
It was then that Itsuki took a deep breath and sat on the sofa.
"Man, that was intense. Shuichi-san, was it always like that whenever Amuro-san would race against you on the race track?"
Even with such tension hovering, Shuichi couldn't stop himself from laughing at Itsuki's question before nodding. "Basically all the time. But that was rather blunt of you to say that."
"I had to do that before something else would do that to him. I can see that his intentions were just as true as the rest of us. I won't lie about that. But... unless something else happens that would allow him to ---"
Several beeps coming from their Celestial Shifters had cut off Itsuki's words. All five of them opened their respective Shifters to assess the situation. To their confusion, however, a Triske Monster that looked like a grandfather clock appeared on their holographic screens. Several citizens were trying to escape from it, while there were others who were already lying on the ground, unconscious.
"What the heck is going on right now?" Eichirou couldn't help voicing out that question as he closed his Shifter.
"And why is it that only the Triske Monster was there and no Gargonema helping it?" Erika asked this time.
"I guess we'll only know the answer when we get there."
The rest of the Vessels nodded at Misae's words. After that, Shuichi faced Akira.
"Sorry, Akira. But we need to head out for now. I'll leave Helen to you, okay?"
The young man nodded firmly. "Just be careful. We don't know what this Triske Monster is capable of."
xxxxxx
With the help of Nanami's teleportation who arrived just as when the Vessels were about to head out, Shuichi and the others reached their destination in no time at all --- literally. As soon as the Vessels disappeared, it was then that Akira heaved a heavy sigh and looked upstairs.
"Mom, I'll just check on Helen-san for now."
With a nod from Nanami, Akira ran up the stairs and soon after, he reached Helen's room. He entered it as carefully as he could in order for him not to create too much noise. He knew that the girl was still resting and was probably still asleep. Even so, he just wanted to be careful.
But his eyes widened at the sight that greeted him as he was about to reach Helen's bed.
The said girl was already trying to sit up even when it was clear that it was a struggle to do so.
"Helen-san, why are you trying to get up? You're still supposed to be resting."
The novelist smiled even while wincing, possibly because of the body aches she had to deal with.
"I don't think I can continue resting, though. I sensed a really powerful Tarean energy just now. So I have to be where Shuichi-san and the others are now." She soon faced Akira. "They headed out already, didn't they?"
The young man nodded, but with a worried expression this time. "Helen-san, what do you mean by powerful Tarean energy?"
Helen could only look at Akira, contemplating on whether she should tell him the truth about what she sensed or not.
With a sigh, she answered. "It's similar... to that of a Great Shadow Defender."
xxxxxx
Then again, it would be too late for the Vessels to realize that fact when they headed out to the location of the attack. Just like what they had noticed from the holographic screen of their Shifters, only the Triske Monster was there attacking all the people it could see.
"What in the world...?"
"That jerk had already hurt so many people here."
It was the only reaction they could utter in both worry and surprise as they continued to look around and observe the situation.
Even the authorities couldn't even pass through to retrieve them because of fear for the said monster. At least, that one was obvious.
"We don't have time to waste here. We better do something or else, more victims will fall because of that monster," Eichirou said as he prepared himself to transform.
"But we can't let the police see us transform or we will be dealing with more questions that we shouldn't answer in the meantime."
The rest agreed to Itsuki's words as they continued to look around.
"Erika-chan, I think we can do something about that."
The pianist nodded to Misae's suggestion as she already knew what the archer meant. Both took a deep breath before starting to cast their own powers.
With the combination of Misae's wind Hasureiki and Erika's light Hasureiki, the two powers created a distraction that they needed which looked like a mist-like light that looked similar to that of Brocken Spectre.
"Maybe this will do. Let's go!"
With that, the Vessels activated their respective Celestial Shifters.
"Spirit Shift, Start!"
Within seconds, all five of them donned their suits that made them Seitengers without getting noticed by the authorities nearby. In any case, the mist-like light provided a good distraction and cover for them to do that.
But even with the distraction, it looked like the grandfather clock-like Triske Monster had already noticed their presence.
"Ah, looks like they're here."
Of course, because the mist-like light was still up, it became a conduit for Seiten Light to hear what the monster said.
"What did he mean by that?"
By context, there shouldn't be any other meaning to that other than the usual "we were expecting you" kind of thinking. But Seiten Light felt something entirely different and she didn't know why. Then again, the appearance of just this Triske Monster and no presence of any Gargonema around had already given them the sense that something else was transpiring behind the scenes that they were not aware of just yet.
"My guests... You're finally here."
That greeting came as a surprise to all of the Seitengers that almost made them halt to a stop. But they didn't. Instead, all five of them started firing laser beams and even summoning their individual weapons to deal with the attacks coming from the Triske Monster.
"Is it me or our attacks don't seem to strike that monster somehow?" Seiten Earth couldn't help blurting out his observation as he and Seiten Water kept striking at the monster using the Tiger Earth Claw and the Shark Water Spear, respectively.
"Sheesh! I thought I'm the only one seeing it. It's like our attack would avoid him somehow."
Even with that observation, the Seitengers managed to create a distraction for the authorities and other civilians to take care of those who were hurt by the monster.
"Go! Don't stop and don't look back!" Seiten Fire bellowed to the police waiting for the opportunity to rescue more injured civilians.
Though it was obvious that they didn't really have no idea what was going on and what they were dealing with, their duty came first. With everything they had, they carried and helped injured civilians get out of the way of the Triske Monster and take them to a safe place.
It worked and for a moment, the Seitengers could take a deep breath now that no one else was in the way of their fight with the Triske Monster. But to their confusion, the Triske Monster just stood there watching them.
"What in the world is that Triske Monster thinking now?" It was all that SeitenEarth could mutter as he eyed their enemy just looking at them.
Something was about to about, and yet they had no idea what.
Before any of them could comprehend anything, all five of them screamed in both pain and surprise as they all took attack after attack from the Triske Monster who wasn't even moving from its spot. The surprise attack was strong, but it still wasn't enough to disintegrate their suits. Even so, it didn't shield them from any injuries that they could sustain — thus, the stinging pain.
"Just how...?" SeitenWind struggled to come up with proper words as she tried to stand up.
"What the heck... happened?" SeitenEarth even coughed as he, too, tried to stand up and approach his sister.
They could only ask as they didn't know where to get answers from. As they looked up, however, all of them gasped at the sight.
"What in the world...?" SeitenWater tried standing up as he kept looking at the red sky.
"The sky... just turned red..." SeitenLight said in almost a whisper.
"Honestly, I'm not liking this at all," SeitenRed declared before lowering his gaze and facing the Triske Monster.
Even with the fear slowly creeping up, the rest of the team managed to regroup and charged towards the monster. They tried to attack Gurakei one by one and even together as a team but none of their attacks seemed to hit the monster, to their surprise.
The next thing they knew, all five of them were thrown away with force stronger than they've ever felt since beginning their journey as Seitengers.
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