Kindred Hearts x Zenkai Heroes Chapter 2: Divine! Adventurous! Courageous! It's just ZENKAI!

After a long flight, Daiki and his crew has finally arrived in the temperate rainforests of Canada. According to the book that he got from Gabbie's paternal grandfather, there were supposed to be tribe of Lumians living in the Canadian rainforests. Lumians are what the Transcendents call themselves in their native language, and their civilization and culture are called the Lumi Civilization. They named themselves after the leader of the Angeluses, Lumino Angelus. Remains of Lumi civilization are mostly discovered in Japan, such as in the depths of Sagami Bay, the icy forests of Aomori and the sunken Lumian ruins in Yonaguni, Okinawa.

The discovery of the Lumi artifacts in Canada were big news to Lazuline, as they rarely found any remnants of the Lumi civilization outside of Japan. They do found some such as the stone tablets depicting the creation of the Angeluses in the depths of Zahhab Region in Egypt, angel-shaped stone figures in England and what appeared to be a Lumian temple ruins in Brazil, located in the upstream area of the Cortica River.

As they arrived there, Daiki and Yuito started to travel through the rainforests alongside the three Youkai siblings. They encountered local flora and fauna as they made their way into the lush greenery. A few moments later, they stumbled upon a circular stone structure resembling the Stonehenge in England. Daiki opened the book, and it showed that the structure was a place where Lumian elders gather.

"I think we're getting close. Just a few steps away" said Daiki as he continued marching through the forest.

As he was walking with the others, Daiki began to feel weird. His back hunched to the front, his front arms folded like a theropod's arms and he snarled audibly. He almost acted like a Fukuiraptor, but he got ahold of himself and went back to normal again. Yuito felt worried as the adverse effects of using the spirit of said dinosaur began to kick in after he fought against Zaphiel relentlessly using it.

Just before they reached the village, Daiki and his crew were ambushed not by Cockroach Deviants, but rather androids resembling female fighters. They were led by a very familiar figure, a German woman with a long chocolate brown hair and a pair of sapphire blue eyes, clad in a rather sultry red outfit. Daiki recognized the figure and became very infuriated upon seeing her.

"LUKIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITCH!!" screamed Daiki at the woman.

"How did you know?! Oh, you remembered me, ze one who took your precious fräulein! Vell, Herr Iwakura has granted me a second chance. Once I dealt with you five dummkopfs especially you, ze one who killed me back in Polaris Sanctuary. I vill not forget that moment you ruined me and my plans by burning me into the ground. I vill not lose this time, I vill realize my plans to take Gabbie and all of zose fräuleins vit potentials and turn them into my loyal subjects! Hahahahahah!" said Lukretia as she cackled maniacally upon seeing Daiki.

"I don't know who you are or what you want, but I will fight alongside my childhood friend here to get back what your stupid boss took away from him! Do not underestimate me, as I am a Zenkai Hero!" said Yuito.

"Oh, look who ve have here.. The schweinhund's childhood friend. Vell vell vell.. looks like I'm going to deal vith both of you myself. As for my Valkyries, take care of zose three vermins!" said Lukretia as she prepared to duel both Daiki and Yuito, while comandeering her mechanical henchwomen to attack the Ijuuin siblings.

The siblings were overwhelmed by the Valkyries, as they were stronger and faster compared to the Cockroach Deviants, and they had different fighting styles based on the girls that Lukretia once kidnapped, which she recorded using her AI technology and embedded them into her mechanical henchwomen. Meanwhile, Daiki was surprised that Lukretia has not only returned from the dead, but also became stronger than before ever since Hideo brought her back from her death.

"You're too slow, dummkopfs!" taunted Lukretia before she swung her whip at the Afilian and Aselian.

Daiki and Yuito screamed in pain as Lukretia's whip lashed at them. Yuito was unscathed, but the pain that Lukretia dealt made Daiki even more angrier. Suddenly, he acted like a Fukuiraptor again. He entered his theropod-like stance and growled even more audibly than before. He then aimlessly attacked Lukretia and attempted to claw and bite her out of rage. Lukretia quickly evaded all of Daiki's attacks and whipped him again.

"Back off, you uncouth beast!" said Lukretia as she whipped at the dinosaur-like Daiki. Daiki growled even louder and pounced at Lukretia. Before he could do so, Lukretia managed to pull back with the help of two of her maids, Felicia Florea and Morgan Corvidae. Daiki snarled angrily at the fleeting Lukretia, and Yuito had no choice but to restraint him until he and the Ijuuin siblings could find a cure to free Daiki off of his saurian instincts.

"Rawr! Blarg! Graagh! Kill Lukretia!" said Daiki as Yuito restrainted him.

"Looks like me and the Youkais will have to find a way to cure him out of this. I already told him not to use the Fukuiraptor's spirit for too much, but his rage and hatred for that woman already turned him into one. Maybe the Lumian village ahead might provide us with clues" said Yuito. He and the Ijuuin siblings then took Daiki to the village where the remaining Lumians of Canada live.

After they arrived in the Lumian village, Yuito built a makeshift cage for Daiki using wood to keep him from escaping into the forests. They were then welcomed by the village's elder. His name was Finnius, an old Lumian man who shared the same bloodline as Gabbie and her younger sister Rei. He happened to be a descendant of Aurora Angelus, much like his fellow tribesmen and tribeswomen. He then took Yuito and the Ijuuin siblings to his hut.

"So, what brings all of you here, and how did you find our village?" asked Finnius.

"Daiki gave us this book and it helped us in finding this place. Unfortunately he became a dinosaur because he refused to listen to me and atttacked that woman he hated so much ferociously. I had to keep him in a cage so he won't escape" answered Yuito.

"That's very sad to hear. Anyways, our village's whereabouts weren't meant to be known by ordinary people. How did those researchers get away with revealing our village's location? Grrrr!" said Finnius. He then took the book from Yuito's hands and burnt it down in his fireplace.

"Whoa there, that book is pretty expensive!" said Yuito.

"Expensive schmexpensive! We don't want the last of our kind to be hunted down, massacred and even driven out of our sacred homes!" said Finnius angrily. He then calmed down after burning the book that revealed his village's place and sat with Yuito again.

"So… he was looking for this girl named Gabbie, who was his crush. She was taken away by this Hideo guy and we've been trying to look for her, as far as we had to use that book as a guide" said Tsubasa.

"Gabbie? You mean Gabrielle, right? Ahhh… she was a relative of mine and my villagepeople. She came from our ancestor's bloodline. We call ourselves Those Who Come from the Gardens in our language, but we swore to never speak of this name to ordinary people to keep our identities concealed" said Finnius.

"I see, so how are we going to find her?" asked Yuito.

"To find her, you must break free her lover from his beastly instincts first. To do so, you must go to the Elder Ruins, the remains of an ancient Lumian temple that our ancestors used to pay respects to Lumino and the Angeluses. You must find a certain artifact to separate that beastly soul from within his heart so it may be tamed. Come back here again once you find it, and I will tell you the rest of your hourney" said Finnius.

"Alright, we shall depart to the Elder Ruins and obtain that artifact" said Yuito before he and the Ijuuin siblings marched to the Elder Ruins. It is located in a basalt hill north of the village. The temple itself is built within the hill's cavern, with series of labyrinthine chambers inside. The four went into the ruins in search of the artifact.

"You bring a light?" asked Mitsuki.

"No, I mean yes" said Tsubasa before he used his Youjutsu to create a small floating fireball that acts as a torch for the four.

The four navigated their way through the temple's chambers, avoiding traps and solving puzzles using their Youjutsu skills and Yuito's alchemy skills. As they walked through the ruins, Yuito discovered a relief depicting Juno and the seven Angeluses, led by Lumino. Below them were mankind fighting a war against demonic beings known as Deviants. The Angeluses descended from the Heavens to assist them in cleansing the lands off of the Deviants' threat.

Moments later, the four finally arrived in the final chamber, where the artifact lies. It's a buckler-like artifact with a dragon's claw emblem in it. Just as Yuito was about to grab it, they were beset by another enemy. A hulking Deviant with the head of a jaguar attacked them from behind.

"ROAAAAARR!! None shall pass me! Lord Hideo… gave me second chance!" said Killer King.

"We're not getting out of here without the artifact! Now die, you foul beast!" said Yuito before he and the Ijuuin siblings teamed up to fight Killer King. The Jaguar Deviant leaped towards Yuito, attempting to claw the Aselian with is claw. Yuito parried him and blasted Killer King in the face with his Zenkai Zapper. Killer King stumbled to the back, only to be burned in the butt by Tsubasa's fire-elemental Youjutsu.

Meanwhile back in Polaris, Serina felt pretty hungry and went to a food stall to grab a bite to eat. Ever since Polaris was freed from Brittany's grasps and became a part of Lazuline's authority after Marika acquired and absorbed Turquoise Foundation, Serina retired from fighting and decided to live a life to taste good food across the former fortified city. She was confused on what to have for lunch between rice or noodles, so she decided to go for something different.

She sat on the stall's chair and ordered potato salad and iced tea. She wondered what happened to Gabbie and Rei after the two left Polaris with Daiki, but she was confident that the two were in good hands as long as they're under the Afilian's company. As soon as her food arrives, Serina gobbled on her food and washed it down with iced tea.

"Ahhh… that really hits the spot" said Serina. She then took a deep breath and let it out, feeling satisfied and full at the same time.

Whilst Killer King was weakened, Yuito quickly finished him off with his Zenkai Gosei Hurricane. With the Kiryoku gathered from the Ijuuin siblings, Yuito created a ball of energy and shot it towards the exhausted Deviant whilst mid-air. Killer King then growled in pain before he fell on his back and exploded, leaving nothing but black ash just like Zaphiel before. He was defeated for the second time after his revival thanks to Hideo.

Yuito grabbed the artifact and went out of the ruins with the Ijuuin siblings. They returned to the village with the artifact, but they did not know how to operate it. Finnius grabbed the artifact and used it to pull out the spirit of the Fukuiraptor and the Magatama containing it out of Daiki's body. Suddenly, Daiki regained his consciousness and returned back to normal.

"I can fight again… but at the cost of the thing that gave me my elemental powers" said Daiki in a rather somber tone.

"It's OK, pal. There must be a way to get you a better power, just you wait" comforted Yuito.

"I almost forgot to explain about this artifact. This is a Talon Buckler, an artifact used by the ancient Lumians to channel the spirits of the ancient beasts to help them fight against the Deviant threat. Once, there was a Lumian warrior who channeled the spirit of a beast with two legs and sharp teeth. It had horns on its eyes and a speed comparable to a howling wind" explained Finnius.

"It can't be.. a Gorgosaurus?" said Yuito.

"Let me continue first. As I was saying, the warrior fought relentlessly against the Deviants and won. However, because he could not control the spirit, he became into what Daiki turned into, a half-beast. Body of a Lumian, and the consciousness of an ancient beast. The Buckler was then used to exorcise the warrior, and the spirit returned back to the depths of Earth. However, one might be worthy of using it so they could use the spirit of the ancient beast without losing their consciousness.." said Finnius.

"How can we decide it?" asked Yuito.

"What was Daiki's previous powers might hold the key to it" said Finnius.

Daiki then explained that he was once had the powers of Draco Piscis and Aevis Aerios, before the two dragon gods' spirits left him to rebuild Afilia. Yuito took his time to analyze it, until he remembered that Draco Piscis was similar to the Spinosaurus. However, the Spinosaurus was a dinosaur native to Egypt and Morocco, so they had to fly again on the Suzaku Shuttlezord to the deserts of Egypt. The spirit of the Spinosaurus lies within an ancient temple dubbed the Zenith Temple. As soon as they arrived there, they entered the temple, which was located near the Bahariya Oasis, where the fossils of Spinosaurus were discovered.

Inside the temple, a statue of the Spinosaurus was seen inside the temple's only room. Using the Talon Buckler, Daiki channeled the spirit of the Spinosaurus. The statue's eyes glowed and a loud roaring noise was heard across the air. Gusts of strong wind blew into the temple, and water began to flood the temple's floor. The elements of Wind and Water resonated with the spirit and the spirit was sucked into the Buckler's medal.

"With this Talon Buckler, I summon thee… the spirit of the ancient beast Spinosaurus! Master of the Ancient Wetlands and Deserts!" proclaimed Daiki as he used the Buckler to transform into his newest form.

His jacket turned navy again, and the Fukuiraptor insignia was replaced by his usual Spinosaurus insignia. Adorning his neck was a white scarf, and it felt cold and soft to the touch. His Kyoryutou turned into a new weapon: Spino Saber. He also gained a new weapon: Spino Slashtalon, a gauntlet with a metallic claw on it that could be used to shred enemies into bits.

"I hereby name your new form.. Zenkai Spino, the Talon Ranger!" said Yuito.

Daiki loved the name. With his Spino Saber and Spino Slashtalon in his hands, he shall fight to save Gabbie and defeat both Hideo and Lukretia for good. As they finished their mission, Daiki and the gang flew back to the village. However, the village was under attack by Lukretia's two maids, Morgan and Felicia. Finnius and the villagers were held hostage by the Valkyries, who were going to be used by Lukretia to massacre the remaining Lumians.

"You're too late, Zenkai Jerks! Our master ordered us to kill every single people who had blood ties with Gabbie and Rei so she could go ahead with her plan. And as for you all, your lives shall end here" said Morgan.

"That's right, and not even your new form and weapons are going to stop us!" said Felicia.

"With my new powers, I shall end both of your worlds and your lives for my beloved one! Prepare to perish!" said Daiki with his Spino Saber in his right hand and his Spino Slashtalon in his left hand. He then roared like a Spinosaurus towards the two maids. Daiki slashed at Morgan, causing the redhead maid to be flung aback. Yuito used his Zenkai Zapper to fire at the Valkyries, blowing them up. Finnius and the villagers were then evacuated by the Ijuuin siblings.

Meanwhile, Daiki is still fighting two of Lukretia's maids. The two fought relentlessly against Daiki, though they were no match for his newfound powers. A combo of water and wind as one, as the Spinosaurus once lived in sprawling wetlands and windy deserts. Because of the dinosaur's affinity to bask within the sunlight and catching up heat with its huge sail, Daiki awakened a fiery element within him.

"Fire, Wind and Water as one.. just like the nature of the legendary ancient beast Spinosaurus. Alright, let's do it!" said Daiki. He prepared a special three-elemental finishing attack: Raging Spinoslash. He finished off the two maids with a windy slash from his Spino Saber, a watery slash from his Spino Slashtalon and lastly, a burst of fire coming out from his mouth.

"Lord Lukretia… We're sorry…" said Morgan.

"How… REGRETFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL!!" screamed Felicia.

The redhead and green-haired maid then fell on their knees, cuddled themselves as they cry from their failure and exploded into a huge fiery blast. Unlike the Deviants, the two maids turned into sparks of fire, which intrigued Daiki. Morgan and Felicia were not from the world he's in, but from the world he was from. They were not Deviants, but rather Meijuujin, or Hades Beastmen. A race of Majuu who attained sentience and conscience, as well as advanced powers and usage of dark magic known as Madou, powered by a form of evil mana known as Maryoku.

"It can't be… Meijuujin in this world? How did they came here?" said Daiki.

"Wait?! Meijuujin?!" said Yuito.

"Yes, Meijuujin. You seemed to be surprised to find out about this, Daiki" said a mysterious Zenkai hero wearing a golden attire. He was none other than Altair Al-Raziel, the renowned explorer and alchemist from the region of Urfa, one of Elemagica's many regions. "Unfortunately, dimensional rips that connected this world to our world has been occuring as of lately, breaking the boundaries of the two worlds" continued Altair.

"Wait, you're Altair! We used to be in the same school as Yuito back then, studying alchemy under Maho Sotto Voce! Ahh… long time no see!" said Daiki.

"Mhm, you've changed a lot since the time we graduated. I came here from a dimensional rip to help you and Yuito, and my companion Jimmy is with me. Mhm, my pet Djinn Beast Carbuncle" said Altair.

While other regions on Elemagica practices magic, Urfa and its people practice alchemy, as they were the founders of alchemy in their own world. Their arts would spread to other continents such as Azun and Gosei, where scholars from those regions teach alchemy to the soon-to-be Zenkai heroes. The Djinn Beasts were mythical animals that possessed mana, which allowed them to use alchemy to defend themselves or even to serve their masters if properly tamed.

"Hey Master… I'm hungry, can you spare me some baklava?" said Jimmy.

"Later you can eat all of the baklava and other kind of Urfan sweets that you want. But first, we must help my childhood friends in saving their homeworld. So, where you're going next?" said Altair.

"Hmm… I still need to find Gabbie and her younger sister Rei. Lukretia fled away from me and we lost track of her" said Daiki.

"By the power of alchemy! Shine a light to our path!" chanted Altair as he used a spell to reveal where Gabbie and Rei were held captive. They were placed within a pedestal inside the Ephemeral Sky Tower. Lukretia is conducting a some sort of a spell to unleash chaos and darkness into the Espers' Homeworld once again, by reviving the fallen Deviants that were slain and defeated by the Angeluses. Not only that, Hideo was there, supervising Lukretia's plan and he had Gabbie's entire family with him.

"O Our Ancestor Aurora Angelus… save us.." prayed Gabbie's mother, Régine as she, her husband and Gabbie's paternal grandfather, Toshiharu were chained into the altar room's wall.

"Egads, they even got Gabbie's gramps?! This is terrible!" said Daiki.

"She's not only going to wipe out this world, but she's going to wipe out the entire bloodline of the Desjardin clan, the descendants of Aurora Angelus! Even worst, Hideo is going after the Takahitsuji clan, the descendants of Lumino Angelus and the Higurashi clan, the descendants of Augustus Angelus! Both of them are not only going to bring forth the decades-long darkness that the Angeluses once fought to stop, but also to commit genocide to the last remaining Lumians, including the Kurihara clan! Hideo's company, Valhalla and their warmongering and war profiteering plots were just a coverup!" said Altair.

"How did you know all of them?" asked Daiki.

"My alchemy skills allowed me to absorb knowledge from this world. He got no time to spare, we must depart for the tower!" said Altair.

And so, Daiki, Altair, Yuito and the Ijuuin siblings traveled into the depths of Hudson Bay using Altair's train, Renkin Ressha Aldebaran. The train was able to travel underwater thanks to Urfan alchemy-based technology, and Daiki was amazed by it. He could see the fishes and whales from the train's windows. The train stopped descending upon reaching the seafloor, where it became darker and colder than before. Altair turned on the lights and drove the train into the tower's basement. Upon arriving in the tower, the six heroes spared no time to reach the altar room.

"Hang in there, Gabbie… I'll save you!" said Daiki.