6 Forevermore: Yuka’s heart awakens

Chapter 6

Forevermore:

Yuka's heart awakens

Maigashi stood motionless at the sight of Yuka's body lying across the pavement as Murasuma laughed.

"Dreams come to a bitter end. It was only a matter of time Yuka was disposed of."

"YOU BASTARD!"

He goes in to make a blind swing but gets knocked back hard. Tumbling back to the floor by Yuka's side. His headband rips right off.

"Heh! Just as planned. You've exhausted all your strength from that battle. You are of no threat any longer."

Murasuma pulls out his gun barrel to fire, forcing him to roll across the pavement. Alistor and Nephena quickly intervened with their attacks.

"Such pests!"

Alistor's attack had no effect as the whip of Mura's hair brushed him off. Nephena's barrier shatters from one of Mura's heavy blasts. The light quickly fades from the sky; the city gets shadowed by a fleet.

"What the heck are those?"

Domino-shaped ships are positioned at various points across Korola. Lights showered above from each opening. Captain Steffbird got into position above as rice pots are seen lined in an assembly.

"Time to deploy!"

The rice pots drop from above, unleashing an army of Doovers in a matter of moments. They quickly overrun the city, with the captain leading the way.

"They're everywhere!" Nephena shouted.

"This is bad…." Alistor nodded.

The two are intimidated by Mura's opening hand.

"We need to fall back and rally our forces with Enra." Nephena insisted.

"There's no place to fall back! We have no time." Alistor argued. "We need to take him down fast and then catch Steffbird."

The two continue to pointlessly argue as Maigashi finds the strength to get back up. He grips tight onto his blade.

"Enough with the whining! You nerds go on ahead. I got a personal score to settle with this guy."

"What? Are you sure?" Alistor stuttered.

Determination sparked within his eyes. They looked back at Yuka's body on the other side. Axe and his crew stumbled out of their hiding place.

"You guys still hanging around?

"Yeah…We should probably be evacuating." Lance said.

He briefly halts them.

"Take Yuka's body to a safe place."

"On the double!" Axe saluted.

The band carries Yuka off as Alistor and Nephena lead the way out of danger. Murasuma continues to laugh off.

"Hmm…how pathetic. You've already lost but still wish to continue? Even against all the odds with our numbers?"

"I don't care! As long I take you down with me. Nothing else matters…."

Maigashi picks up his ripped headband from the floor. He wraps it back tightly across his forehead. Murasuma had a keen look in his eyes.

"You care so deeply for that pitiful girl. It was only natural she befalls to some affections. To question her own existence and defect as predicted. She was a pawn that served her purpose."

"She's more than that!" He bantered back. "More human than you'll ever be!"

Mura continues to laugh on.

"HUMAN? Allow me to shed some light! Yuka is not from your world."

Maigashi stumbled for a brief moment.

"What? So she's from another planet?"

Murasuma fired a surprise shot, Maigashi dodges the blast. He was now on the defense, avoiding the gunfire. Finally, Murasuma starts to reveal some truth. Fire burns behind as the scene fade to a flashback.

"How I remember that day…It was no more than 18 years ago. Yuka's home planet. A once thriving place for resources."

Yuka is seen as a small child running across a flower field. Heavy winds quickly pick up when the sky turns dark. Domino ships clouds over her home as she stood clueless.

"The Yamata clan was once a force to reckon with but are no more. Mr. Rare commissioned me at the time to overtake the planet for their precious resources."

Lasers rains down from the ships destroying countless cities.

"I arrived that very day to wipe her clan out. One by one, I shot all that opposed me. The job was, of course, no simple task. Yuka was eventually helpless and all alone. Clinging on for dear life."

Murasuma points his gun towards her.

"I could have killed her long ago, but Rare insisted on keeping her alive. For whatever purpose, it was not of my concern."

His flashback ends from there; the scene shifts back to the battle. Maigashi takes cover behind the walls; glass shattered from the buildings. Murasuma's gun stopped for a moment to reload as he didn't hesitate to go for a shot.

"Now's my chance!"

Mura quickly knocks him back before he had the chance to strike back. Maigashi gets kicked around.

"Fool! Why bother delaying the inevitable. You cannot win!"

Meanwhile, the rest of the team arrived at safe grounds. Axe hears some sudden breathing coming from Yuka's body.

"Unless I hear things. I think Yuka is still alive, dude!"

Nephena check for a pulse.

"Hey, I think I hear a heartbeat! We can heal her up back at the castle."

They quickly rushed back to the castle to give Yuka medical attention. Arriving in a split second as her body was taken in for intensive care.

"Cross our fingers."

The light from the operating room remained on as moments passed. Finally, Yuka slowly regained consciousness on the bed.

"Maigashi…"

"Oh, hey! You're awake…."

Maigashi was only on her mind at the very moment. She cradled a small pillow in her arms as a soldier arrives with an updated report.

"We have a situation! The bomb has been detected on the fountain by Central Square."

Nephena stumbled for a moment.

"What? We need to evacuate everyone fast."

"There's not much time. We need someone to diffuse the explosive. You know someone that can do this?"

The party took a moment to ponder for a volunteer. Then, a person quickly comes to Alistor's mind.

"I got it! Follow me!"

The team followed Alistor through the halls. Finally, they barged into another room, surprising Professor Ding.

"We need your help!"

"Hmm? What are you doing?" Nephena asked.

The professor is seen packing his bags.

"Are you crazy? It's getting dangerous by the minute. I'm not sticking around to watch the city blow up."

"But you're the only one who can defuse this bomb."

"Find someone else to do it." He snarked back. "I got better things to do."

They remain determined to press him on. Finally, Nephena begins to have watery eyes.

"Can't fool me with those puppy eyes."

Just as Ding was about to leave, Axe and his crew grabs hold of him.

"Unhand me!"

"You're not going anywhere." Lance threatened.

Lance pulls him up by the collar as he showed a fist.

"Ok! Ok! I'll do it!"

The scene quickly cuts to downtown. Alistor and Nephena clear a path for Lance and the rest. Doovers are sent flying away with the professor stumbling behind.

"The bomb is just right around that corner." The soldier pointed.

The party approached the significant explosive planted on the central fountain. First, Mr. Ding nervously steps close to the giant bomb. Then, he opens up a small compartment with a wire cutter in one hand.

"The timer only has ten minutes left! Hurry!"

Returning to Maigashi's battle. Unfortunately, the situation takes a terrible turn as Mura unleashed his razor cutters across the city.

"Gyah!!!"

A cutter barely glazes right past his shoulders, bringing him to the ground. Blood slowly pours from his side as he attempts to fight on.

"Fool! You have no chance of winning! Your lightning is worthless against my impenetrable armor."

"Yuka….."

He holds on tight to his shoulder to stop the bleeding. Mura slowly approaches his side, kicking him across the pavement. Yuka's stuffed toy slips out from his pockets.

"And now we are near the end to this fateful chapter."

He spots Maigashi reaching out for the toy.

"Hmm, the symbol for your loving bond. Allow me to break it!"

Murasuma didn't hesitate to step over the toy. Yuka's crystal immediately shatters inside. He lifts his feet over as Maigashi stared in shock.

"You monster…"

Nothing but dust from Yuka's shard remained from the destroyed toy. The wind breezes by, carrying what's left of the bit. Mura points his weapon at his face.

"I'll shoot you!"

The scene goes white as Maigashi's life flashed before his very eyes. Yuka's voice echoed back as he spots her.

"Is it finally over?"

She silently nods as they both stood off. Saying nothing more as some moments passed by.

"Ok, this is getting awkward? Can we just go along now?"

Just before he could speak another word, Yuka placed her finger over his lip, hushing him.

"You showed me what it's like to be loved. I love you…."

Eight large serpent heads appeared right behind them as he hesitated.

"My power now rests with you. Use it for all that's good and end Mura's tyranny."

Yuka's image begins to fade quickly. He attempts to chase after her.

"Wait up! Yuka!"

"I'll be waiting for you when it's over." She assured. "Now, wake up!"

Maigashi immediately returns to his senses, back at the battle as Mura was about to pull the final trigger. A new surge of power rushed through his body, pushing Mura far back.

"What's this? Where's this power coming from?"

Murasuma hesitated as the light breaks through the dark sky. Eight giant serpents appeared right over above Maigashi.

"Impossible! The Rainaga? How can it be pure?"

The serpent heads quickly dispersed the Domino fleets blockading over the city. A new light shined hope for them.

"This is for Yuka!"

Without a second thought, he unleashed the Rainaga on Murasuma. All eight heads locked onto him. He makes a big jump back, avoiding the first head as he was now on the defense. Murasuma begins firing his gun at the attack.

"This can't be possible!"

Back with the rest down the central square, Professor Ding stares intensely at the explosive as the timer ticks on.

"Five minutes! Come on! Make a choice already!" Nephena blabbered.

"I can't work under this pressure!"

Ding continues to fumble around with the wires. Unable to decide which one to cut as the rest stood back at a safe distance.

"I should have taken that teaching job Hysteria offered."

As time was running short, Ding cuts. Cutting off the wire from the far right as everyone waited.

"Hmm?"

The timer quickly sped up as Ding fell right back.

"What's going on?"

The professor attempts to bail from the scene, but Nephena quickly kicks him in the face. The professor stumbled back to the bomb.

"Dammit! Pick the right one already!"

"Ok! Ok!"

Without second thoughts, Ding cuts the wire on the far left. The timer immediately comes to a stop as the bomb diffuses.

"Sigh…at least that part is over." Lance shrugged.

"Let's hope Maigashi is faring well," Alistor said.

Back at the final battle, Murasuma continues to fire his gun, blasting each head of the Rainaga. The lightning continues to grow stronger as he desperately shoots his razors. The razors sliced off a few more snakeheads, but two more grew in its place.

"With each head, I destroy! Two more replaces it…."

The Rainaga crushes Murasuma in place as millions of volts overload his body. Then, delivering a tremendous blinding light from a distance, Steffbird can be seen covering his eyes.

"Shiver me timbers! What an attack!"

The battle comes to an end with Murasuma intact in place. However, his entire body was heavily damaged and unable to move. Maigashi eventually collapsed to the ground.

"Impossible! To lose to such an opponent of your caliber. How can a lowly human control the Rainaga?"

"Yuka was with me till the end. The power of love! That's how it happened."

Mura's single eye stared fixed at him.

"Love…how despicable."

Maigashi pulled himself up for a brief second.

"It's over! You got nothing left…." He pointed.

"I wouldn't be so sure…." Murasuma snickered. "My bomb is still ticking!"

Queen Enra stepped into the scene.

"Sorry to rain on your plan. But we already disarmed your explosive." She pointed.

Professor Ding gives off a smug look from behind with the wire cutter in his hand. Enra's army soon surrounded him within minutes.

"Fool! That was only a dud to throw you all off. I always follow through with the plan no matter the costs!"

"What are you saying?"

Murasuma makes a final statement.

"I AM THE BOMB!"

He initiates the self-destruct sequence in his body. The timer is revealed on his cracking shoulder as the rest panics. The timer counting down from thirty seconds.

Nephena and Alistor arrive on the scene.

"Maigashi! What are you doing! Get up already." Alistor said.

"We need to evacuate!" Nephena shouted.

He lies on the floor feeling hopeless. Then, he proceeds to hold what was left of the stuffed toy he gave Yuka in his hands.

"What's the point… Yuka's no longer around. I'll be joining her any moment."

"Uh, wake up call? She's still alive!" She said.

His spirit quickly lifted.

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah…Axe and the rest confirmed it." She nodded.

"Then let's get the heck out of here."

The timer was now down to less than ten seconds. The party quickly evacuates from the block as everything went blank. A white light blinds the scene as Murasuma self-destructs.

"FOOL!"

The explosion goes off as Nephena pulls out her psychic barrier to protect them from the debris. The central block was decimated within seconds, leaving nothing behind. Buildings fell into place as some debris impact the fleet in the air. Steffbird witnessed the Domino ships falling in place.

"Argh…this plan be a bust."

The Doovers begin falling back from the scene. Alistor and Nephena quickly catch up to Steffbird's position.

"You won't be getting away that easily." She pointed. "Where evil runs! Justice will triumph in the end."

The captain couldn't take her words seriously.

"Arghhh! Do you want a quack at it? Bring it scallywags!"

Nephena makes the first charge as Alistor followed in place. However, the captain quickly appears behind Alistor before she landed a strike.

"He's fast!"

Nephena turned her attention behind Alistor.

"No! It's a doppelganger!" Alistor pointed.

Steffbird delivers a skewing blow knocking her down. Alistor remained vigilant as the captain approached.

"En garde!"

The two briefly clashed blades in the heat of the moment. Alistor barely held his own against the captain's quick fencing techniques.

"Star Breaker!"

"Enough!"

The captain cancels his move with a wall of water in a split second.

"Just why? Why are you doing this? You were a close ally on our last cause. Don't you remember?"

The captain took a moment to reflect on his last journey with Alistor. The two continue to standoff.

"It's rather easy, ya quack! I'm a pirate!"

Nephena emerged behind to make a swing, but the captain casually took one step to the left as she fell on her face.

"Argh! Just as I thought. You kids are too easy. This is not worth my time."

"I'm not done yet!" She pestered.

Nephena continued to remain determined. Finally, Steffbird makes his leave to the last Domino ship in the sky.

"Hey, get back here!"

"Have a whale at it!!!"

The captain throws out a whale to level down the rest of the city as Nephena panics comically. Alistor took cover along with the rest of the party. Steffbird vanished from the scene in a matter of seconds as the ship was nowhere to be seen.

"Sigh…that was close." Alistor pouted.

"It's over, for now, I guess…."

Sometime later…

Maigashi rushed downtown to catch up with Yuka by the shore. He comes across a small gift shop. A cute diary catches his attention.

"I'll buy it!"

The sun was nearly set as he confronts Yuka one last time. She was seated at the corner with her hands shackled. He casually approached her side as her eyes shy away.

"Guess you'll be serving some time…."

"Yeah…" She muttered.

The waves drifted peacefully, with the sound of seagulls echoing from behind. He slowly reached to hold her hand.

"Let's start over again!"

"You really mean it!" She blushed.

"With good behavior, heck, you'll be out in less than a year. Trust me!"

Her eyes rolled to the side.

"If only we could keep in touch somehow. I wish I could come along."

He hands a diary to her.

"What's this?"

"It's an exchange diary. I just got it from the gift shop. No matter how far or distant we may be, we can always write to one another."

Yuka holds it between her arms.

"I'll write to you every day! Till the day I get out."

Nephena arrives on the scene with her subjects.

"It's time for you to go." She muttered.

As Yuka begins to leave off, Maigashi halts her for one last second. Their silhouettes are shown embracing one another for a final time.

"Yuka…when you get out. I want to get to know the real you. Don't hide or change who you really are. Promise me…"

With one final kiss, Yuka leaves away. He strolls down the beachside, bummed out for a few moments.

"Looks like your mission here is done. Here's the payment as promised."

Nephena hands the money over to Alistor. Maigashi quickly takes a look back in an annoying mood. His bags were all packed and ready.

"Wait a second? Where's my pay?"

"Well, since you won so much off Steffbird's sweepstake. We figured an adjustment was appropriate enough." She snarked back.

She hands him a small bag of chump coins.

"WHAT! Are you kidding? I'm nearly flat broke with all the expenses I made with Yuka."

Alistor begins to laugh back. But, first, he gets socked over the head, then Maigashi starts chasing after them.

"Dude!"

Axe quickly waves to them. The three slowly come to a halt as they spot his crew boarding the next ship.

"Where are you guys heading?"

"Ah, man! We got a gig coming up on Crescent Moon Island."

Alistor pondered for a brief moment.

"Crescent Moon Island?"

"Yeah, dude! It's a charming place, from what I heard. You guys should come along."

Lance hands a brochure over to Nephena.

"It will be fun, sis!"

"I dunno…vacations aren't my thing."

She begins to hesitate as Alistor was fixed on his next mission.

"I think we should be getting back to find the Neon Prism." He reminded.

Maigashi quickly knocks him over the head.

"Now, hold a minute! We can't just pass a nice opportunity like this. So yeah, I think another vacation is well deserved in hand."

He boards with Axe and his gang without second thoughts. Nephena boarded on next as Alistor was pressured to join along for the ride.

"Sigh…I hope I don't regret this." Alistor muttered.

"Nah, dude! You'll have a great time."

And so the ship leaves off towards their next destination. Continuing the next adventure to Crescent Moon Island.