At Checkpoint B…
"Congratulations! Team Level 11!"
Luca looked up at the holographic level bar that popped up. "Looks like we're making progress. Awesome."
He, Marachii, and the others followed Jirou and Kikai, who swiped their key through the door, allowing them entry into the next room.
"This is one of the Dome's Rest Areas," Kikai explained. "You can sleep here long term."
The room had several cabins scattered throughout it, with a river running between them.
"Looks like a camping site," Luca commented.
"That's where it gets its inspiration."
She stopped. "Anyway, where are you even trying to go?"
"Yeah," Jirou agreed. "You idiots just came and tore up our cars without even giving us a reason why!"
Luca scratched his head, while Marachii admired the cabins, which were shifting across the room.
"We're here to investigate the disappearance of a General!" Naoki explained. "Do you have any idea about that?"
"General…?" Kikai questioned. "Nope. Doesn't ring a bell. The most I can do is bring you to the Dome's Master, Lady Sirena."
"Sirena?" Naoki repeated.
Kikai nodded. "She oversees all its operations. If he's in here, she'll know."
"Then take us to her," Naito ordered. "We are ready."
Kikai shrugged. "Sure. Won't be easy."
"Yep," Jirou said. "Brace yourselves."
Naoki paused. "Wait, we should meet up with Dachii and those girls, before we leave, shouldn't we?"
"I'll call him and see where they're at," Luca replied. "One sec."
Luca pulled out his watch and began to call Dachii. After the phone rang a few times, Dachii picked up, which showed him hanging from the ceiling.
"Dachii, where are you guys?"
"Down below," Dachii answered. "This isn't a good time."
"Like, drama-wise, or danger-wise?"
"Both."
A loud bang could be heard, and the feed abruptly ended. Luca sighed. "Seems we'll have to meet up with them ahead. Sounds like they're fighting."
"Okay. Then we go," Naito affirmed, turning toward the two racers. "Lead."
Meanwhile…
BOOM.
Sumie, Saori, and Hikari went flying, crashing painfully into the ground. Sumie rubbed her head, trying to focus on the mysterious intruder. "Girls, who is that?"
"We don't know!" Hikari replied. "Some crazy bounty hunter that wants Dachii's head!"
Akamon stared at Dachii, who remained in chains alongside Akari and Aoki. "Found you, kid. All that noise you brats made led me right to you."
"Figures," Dachii remarked.
"You again?" Aoki hissed. "You must have a death wish!"
"Save the speech, buttercup. It's clear you good-for-nothings won't let me take the boy in peace, so I'll just have to readjust."
He tugged the chains forward, causing them both to fall to the ground. "Now you both get to die! How's that sound?"
"Terrible!" Akari exclaimed. "Let me go, or I'll destroy you!"
"That ain't in my plan."
Akari struggled against her chains, but she couldn't use her powers. Aoki tried to break free, but she couldn't get to her sword.
"Why are you just squirming like a fish, Princess?" Aoki demanded. "Blast out, or something!"
"I can't use my magic, Katana Girl!" Akari shouted back. "And my Element is as good as dead! Cut yourself free, idiot!"
"I can't…reach…my sword!"
Akamon watched them struggle, laughing. "Ain't this some funny shit?"
Dachii remained still, being pulled forward along with Akari and Aoki. "Now, kid. Which of them do you want to watch die first?"
"How about neither?" Saori interrupted.
She hit Akamon with a powerful blast of magic, nearly knocking him over. "Not this again!"
Hikari hit him with a wave of pink energy, making him cough.
"You two got some moves," he admitted. "Not bad."
He revealed his wrist-mounted mini-gun, firing at Saori, who used her magic to deflect the attacks. As Hikari moved in to attack him again, Akamon threw a stun grenade at them, causing both of them to collapse in pain.
"Hey!" Sumie called out. "I don't know who you are, but I don't tolerate this level of violence in my domain! Leave them alone!"
He tripped her with a chain. "Be quiet, old lady."
Akari managed to push herself up off the ground. "I said…LET…ME…GO!"
"Oh ho! We gotta fighter here, don't we?"
Saori used her Resonance to vibrate the chain, giving Akari enough time to slip out and punch Akamon in the chest, staggering him.
"Ugh, got my rib," he groaned.
"Good," she replied.
As she attacked again and again, Aoki motioned to Saori. "Saori! Hurry and get me out of these chains, she's moving recklessly!"
Saori quickly vibrated the chains, freeing Aoki, who picked up her blade and quickly rejoined the battle.
"Two's a bit much, ain't it?" Akamon mocked.
He pressed a button, and his suit sprouted a brand new jetpack, lifting him into the air.
"Come down here and fight!" Akari shouted.
"Nah," he refused. "I like the skies more."
He aimed his mini-gun at them, firing and forcing them to dodge, but Akari backed into Aoki, knocking them both over.
"Watch it, dumbass!" Aoki exclaimed.
"You're the one in the way!" Akari shot back. "Move and let me handle this!"
"You quit this team, so don't try and fight our battles!"
"Who are you to tell me what to do?"
Aoki turned toward her, hand on her blade. "I'm not going to say it again. Back off."
"Make me," Akari challenged.
Aoki took a deep breath. "Fine. I'll cut you down myself."
Before they could attack each other, Akamon dropped a stun grenade, causing their bodies to shake and convulse.
"Man," he commented. "I never had this bad of an argument with my peoples! Do I even need to do anything?"
Dachii jumped into the air and punched at him, but he flew backwards. "Too slow!"
As Dachii landed, Hikari shook him. "Dachii, look!"
On the ground, Akari and Aoki began to turn a sick shade of green, coughing and vomiting blood.
"Oh. Not good," he stated.
"Yep!" Akamon taunted. "That was no stun grenade! I call that the Zapper! It zaps away all of a Voltian's strength. My client provided me with 'em."
Aoki grabbed her sword and weakly threw it at Akamon, but it didn't even come close. "Damn…it…"
Hikari quickly put her hands on both girls, healing them, but as she did so, Akamon fired a disk at the ground, enveloping all of them in a laser cube barrier, except for Sumie.
"Hey, hold on, now!"
"Sorry, you old bat," he announced. "I've got a huge catch, and I wouldn't want to waste the opportunity to capitalize!"
He snatched the key, and with a press of a button, a laser rope attached from his back onto the barrier, and he used the key to exit the domain, taking the others with him.
"Such a barbaric fellow!" Sumie chastised. "I do hope those kids will be alright…not much I can do for them now."
Meanwhile…
Akamon dragged the cube from corridor to corridor, while Saori banged on the walls. "Hey! Stop! Get us out of here!"
He ignored her.
"This is just perfect," Aoki said, sitting up as she coughed. "Now we're rats in a cage."
She glared at Akari. "This is all your fault."
"How is it my fault?" Akari questioned. "I was doing just fine until you jumped in!"
As they both started arguing again, Hikari stamped her foot. "Enough!"
Both Akari and Aoki stopped, surprised, and even Saori looked at her.
"You two have been at odds ever since you first met!" Hikari pointed out. "It has to stop! How can we exist as a team if our strongest members fight each other before the enemy? BOTH of you are the reason we got trapped in here, there's no need to point fingers!"
They both moved to speak, but Hikari continued. "None of us are perfect! I'm the one that caused that whole Raijin situation because I was being selfish about my sister! But Dachii and Marachii forgave me and we're closer because of it! Don't you get it? This team only goes as far as you guys take it!"
Both of the girls remained silent, refusing to look at each other. Hikari gently grabbed Dachii's arms. "Dachii, please make them understand!"
As they continued being dragged along, Dachii paused for a moment before standing up.
"She's right…"
Aoki and Akari both watched as he knelt in front of them. "You're both part of the same team…Military Squad S-1."
For a brief moment, they could catch a glimpse of his eyes. "That means you should be friends. Because you don't know what you might lose."
Dachii sat back down, his hair falling into place. Hikari gave him a hug. "That was great, Dachii!"
"I guess…"
Akari briefly looked at Aoki, a wave of thoughts racing in her mind. "I…"
Months ago…
"Ha! Take this! Kinetic Blast!"
Akari was busy practicing her powers, using training drones to show off her skills. Without even breaking a sweat, she knocked them all off course using a combination of her magic and her Element, which caused the walls to crack.
"Phew," Akari remarked. "Another easy job."
Fujii entered the room, noticing the damage. "Akari! You ruined the training room again?"
"It's fine, sir," Akari assured. "I can just have it replaced."
Fujii sighed. "Why have you been training so much anyway? You're young, you need to take time off to relax sometimes!"
Akari wiped the sweat off her face. "I can't relax. I have to be stronger. I have to be the best! My brother is a General now, but not me! I have to at least be the Vice-General! I have to!"
Fujii put an arm around Akari's shoulder. "Come with me, Akari."
Akari dropped what she was doing and followed Fujii, who led her outside. "Sir? Where are we going?"
"I've got something to show you."
He formed his Ice Dragon, inviting Akari to come on. "Hop aboard!"
She climbed on, and Fujii took off, flying high into the sky and landing near Shonora Gate. He and Akari got off, and she looked around.
"Why are we here?"
"I'll show you."
Once Fujii had finally stopped walking, Akari noticed they were in front of a graveyard, with tons of graves placed inside. In the center of it was Aoki, who was sitting in front of a line of graves. As Akari narrowed her eyes, she saw the names read:
"Aiko Amasani"
"Akito Amasani"
"Aoto Amasani"
"What's she doing?" Akari asked.
"Remembering her family," Fujii answered. "Her mother, father, and younger brother. They were casualties of past wars, long before your mother or father were even born."
Aoki had a bouquet of flowers in her hand, setting it down gently. Akari almost thought she could see a few tears drop from her eyes, but she quickly wiped her face.
"I don't understand," Akari admitted. "Why…why are you showing me this?"
He patted her on the shoulder. "To show you the cost of what you're asking for. It isn't all peaches and cream. You're strong, Akari, but you're still young. Aoki's been the same age for a millennium, facing hardships and challenges along the way."
Aoki stood up, turning around to find Fujii and Akari standing behind her. "General? What are you doing here? And why is SHE with you?"
"Just passing by!" Fujii laughed. "As you were!"
She gave a curt bow to Fujii before leaving. Akari watched her head down the road and then disappear.
"But still, I'm stronger!" Akari protested. "Shouldn't I be second?"
Fujii patted her on the head. "Pride isn't a bad thing to have, Akari. The only time it becomes a problem is when it gives way to arrogance. Once you understand that, you'll become as strong as you desire."
Akari stood in silence for a moment, deep in thought. "Arrogance…?"
Present Day…
Saori continued to bang on the barrier, while Hikari and Dachii sat together, as Akamon dragged them into a garage. "Must be where they store the vehicles. Let's hitch a ride, shall we?"
He pressed a button on the wall, and a large hatch opened, revealing the ocean outside. "Ready to make the trip?"
"No! Stop!" Saori demanded.
As Akamon placed them onto one of the mechanical boats, Akari stood up, turning to Aoki.
"Aoki…I'm sorry…"
Aoki looked at her. "Hmm?"
"I should never have tried to compete with you. It was stupid of me. You're the Vice-General, after all."
Aoki got to her feet, sizing her up. "No more insubordination?"
Akari nodded. "No more insubordination. You're in charge."
Aoki smiled, holding out her hand. "Then welcome back to the team."
Akari took it, a smile briefly crossing her face as well. "Thanks."
"Now," Aoki ordered. "Let's get out of here."
As Akamon drove the boat through the water, far away from the dome, he suddenly stopped when he saw the barrier crack.
"The hell's going in back there?"
And before he knew it, a bright flash of black and white energy burst through the barrier, completely destroying it and shooting high into the sky.
BOOM.
—-