The next day, the skies above Harwood City darkened with Armada warships. The streets echoed with fear as citizens fled for cover. The Rangers were already in uniform, weapons drawn, when Yuriko joined them at the plaza.
"Another invasion," Gia muttered, gripping her saber. "They just don't quit."
Tensou's voice crackled through the communicator. "Rangers! This isn't an ordinary attack. The Armada has deployed one of their generals. His power level is… extremely dangerous. Be careful!"
The ground shook as the General appeared in a blaze of crimson light. Towering, armored in jagged metal, his horned helm gleamed as his booming voice echoed:
"I am General Veylak of the Armada! Your world will crumble today—and the one who dares wield unnatural energy shall fall first!"
His glowing eyes locked directly onto Yuriko.
Emma whispered, alarmed. "He's after you."
Yuriko tightened her fists. So, they've sensed me…
---
The Rangers charged forward, swords flashing. Blades clashed, explosions roared. But Veylak's strength dwarfed theirs. With every swing of his colossal axe, the Rangers were sent flying backward.
Troy struggled to rise. "He's… stronger than anything we've faced…"
Gia wiped blood from her lip. "We can't give up—if we fall here, the city's done."
Yuriko transformed into her Tackle suit, electricity crackling across her body. She darted in, unleashing a flurry of strikes. Her fists sparked against the General's armor, stunning him for only a second before his massive hand swatted her aside like an insect.
She crashed hard into the pavement, pain spreading through her ribs. The snowman keychain at her belt jingled softly, glinting faintly in the sunlight.
---
"Pathetic," Veylak snarled, raising his axe for the final strike. "You carry power not of this world… and I will erase it!"
Yuriko forced herself to her knees, hand instinctively clutching the keychain.
And then—
It glowed.
A soft, white-blue radiance spilled from the tiny snowman charm, wrapping around her hand. The glow grew brighter, colder, until frost spread across the ground at her feet. The air turned sharp, misty clouds curling around her breath.
Yuriko's eyes widened. This… power…?
The Rangers watched in awe as shards of ice spiraled around her, forming crystalline patterns. Her armor shifted, sleek plates of silver and white layering over her Tackle suit. A frost-lined visor glimmered like frozen glass, and her gloves radiated with shimmering cold.
She had become something new—
Snow Tackle.
---
Veylak roared, swinging his axe down at her, but Yuriko raised a glowing hand. Ice erupted from the ground, a jagged wall of frozen spikes blocking the blow.
The Rangers gasped.
"She just—froze that attack?!" Jake exclaimed.
"Her power's evolving," Troy said, gripping his sword. "This changes everything."
Yuriko leapt forward, her movements now fluid and light as drifting snow. She struck Veylak's chest with a glowing fist, frost exploding outward. Ice crept rapidly across the General's armor, slowing his movements.
"Impossible!" Veylak bellowed, swinging wildly as his body froze over. "What… is this power?!"
Yuriko's voice rang clear, calm yet filled with steel:
"This power… is hope. A reminder of peace I once knew. I won't let you destroy this world!"
With a final cry, she gathered the icy energy into her hands, unleashing a massive Blizzard Shockwave that engulfed Veylak in freezing light. The General staggered, his armor cracking under the cold until he finally exploded in a burst of shattered frost.
Silence followed. Only the soft drift of snowflakes—summoned from Yuriko's aura—fell gently onto the city plaza.
---
The Rangers regrouped, breathing hard, staring at her in awe.
Gia smirked. "Okay… I officially take back what I said. Shopping wasn't the highlight of the week."
Emma laughed softly, eyes shining. "Yuriko… that was amazing. You've awakened something completely new."
Yuriko held the glowing snowman keychain close to her chest. Its light had dimmed, but the warmth it carried remained. She smiled faintly.
"Maybe… this world gave me a second chance," she whispered.
And though she didn't say it aloud, she felt it deep within: this power wasn't just for battle. It was a bond—between her, her memories of Stronger, and the friends she was beginning to make here.
For the first time since her death, Yuriko felt alive again.