Guiltless Sin

Mobius; a warring sea

The thunder and lightning was drowned by the raging chorus of cannons and explosions. The Kremlings of the Aquatic Division were not bothered by the rising waves as they fired straight into the sky. The Sky Gods' ships sailed on the White Sea above the storm, stirring the clouds so lightning struck the ships.

Miles beneath the waves, the team of Melody Jackson, Emily Garley, Eric Horvitz, and Yuta Asahina surveyed the area on their submarine's radar. They were the Firsthand Pirates, due to the Spying Eye being a KND News submarine. "I'm feeling Anthony's presence nearby." Emily said, eyes closed as she focused her Haki. "Looks like the intel wasn't wrong. While they're distracted, we can swim in there and rescue him. And by 'we,' I mean the actual pro swimmers." She jabbed both index fingers at Melody and Yuta.

"I'm ready to go any time!" Yuta smiled vigorously, flexing his arms. "I won't disappoint you, Princess—I mean, Melody!"

The 'princess' rolled her eyes. "When you find Anthony, use these to transport him back here." Emily handed them each a T.E.L.A.-N.E.T.. "Teleportation nets. You remember the monkey fiasco, right Mel?"

"Yeah, that was fun." she said sarcastically. "Remember what I told you before, Yuta? If you end up falling behind, you're on your own."

"Then I guess I should ditch you if you end up falling behind."

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL!"

"Relax, I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Yuta grinned humorously. "I promise to help you save Anthony, Tsu, and all your other friends! The KND's gonna win this war, just wait!"

Melody wanted to admire his enthusiasm… though she couldn't help but feel he only acted this way because of his blind admiration of her. Frankly speaking, Melody shouldn't trust a kid who was previously working for the enemy, his only motivation being to work for "Kyogre's granddaughter." If worse came to worst, he would make a decent sacrifice. "Whatever. Let's go." The waterbenders opened the floor hatch and dove into the sea. (Play "Lockjaw's Saga" from DK: Tropical Freeze!)

Stage 5: Lockjaw's Locker

Mission: Rescue Anthony McKenzie.

The divers used waterbending to make an everlasting air bubble. Emily spoke to them via communicator, indicating which direction to swim, and so they delved ever deeper into the abyss. They anticipated all the creatures of the deep to be servants of the Kremling Krew, and not too late did a swarm of Bitesize fish lunge at the duo from all directions to nibble their skin. Mel and Yuta frantically punched and kicked the fish, KOing them with Bubble Bullets. The duo reached a seabed that sloped downward, swimming along it. Yuta flinched when a pearl hit him in the pelvis, and they realized that Clambos covered the seafloor, spitting pearls up at their foes.

Their sturdy shells protected them from bubble attacks, so the swimmers could only keep going and avoid the pearls. After passing the clams, the two had to cross a field of Pufftups, the puffer-fish swelling up and threatening to poison them. The swimmers carefully maneuvered around the fish as if they were mines—case and point, some of the fish began to POP, sending spikes out. The benders used bubble shields to hold the spikes back, but other spikes popped other fish and sent more at them.

"Hey Melody, you must have an interest in aquatic life, right?"

"Uh, not particularly. I like swimming, but I think I wanna be a reporter someday."

"Hehe, okay. I was thinkin' of working in an aquarium myself. That's why it hurts to see all these nice animals under K. Rool's spell."

"If you survive long enough, you might get a chance to sock him in the eye."

"WATCH OUT!" Melody looked up at Yuta's scream, flying back just before a Kremling ship could crush them. The vessel had suffered too much damage and drowned in the depths. A group of red piranhas, the titular Lockjaws swam out of the ship. With a clack of their teeth, they lunged at the swimmers. Yuta flipped back and KO'ed the first two with a Torpedo Spin, followed by a kick to the 3rd one's jaws. Melody grabbed a Lockjaw in Water Fists and threw it into another, then smashed a Lockjaw between both fists.

As they kept swimming, more ships began falling like meteors. The duo combined their bending and SLICED a ship in perfect halves as it was coming at them. They sliced more as ships continued to crash around the seabed. Yuta saw a treasure chest bounce out of a ship and into a hole. The hole was deep and filled with jellyfish, but the boy turned perfectly vertical as he swam down the very center and caught the chest in his T.E.L.A.-N.E.T.. He returned to Melody as they swum to a hill.

A large mass CRASHED atop the hill. It was revealed to be Ineptune, the large green and purple mermaid who Kommanded the Aquatic Animals. She was in battle with a Fishwoman with an eyepatch. "Melody, that's Undyne! She's with the Sky Gods."

Ineptune shot at Undyne with Torpedo Spin, the latter blocking her with her spear, but was forced back as Ineptune prevailed. Undyne swam back and imbued Haki into her spear, spinning and throwing it with vigor, piercing Ineptune's arm. She yanked it out and soaked it with poison before throwing it at Undyne. She was forced to dodge the spear, using arms and legs to fight when Ineptune attacked. The mermaid scratched Undyne's chest and poisoned her, but she swam away and injected herself with a syringe to heal herself.

"I recognize that mermaid from Mermaid Swamp. We shouldn't let them see us. Let's go through this cave." Melody suggested, swimming into a dark cavern within the hill. Three electric eels (Frazzles) were guarding a cage holding a lantern fish. Melody blew a Bubble Beam at one, prompting the eels to retaliate. The humans kept their distance and threw icicles while the eels countered with electric balls. After beating the Frazzles, Yuta freed the fish from its cage. The lantern fish, Glimmer, smiled in gratitude and decided to offer them his light.

The intense combat above was quaking the cave, causing boulders to fall down. With Glimmer's light, they could see and dodge the stones. Yuta saw another tunnel with a chest, the light glinting off the gold. Boulders threatened to block the tunnel, so Yuta quickly swam in, netted the treasure, and escaped before being trapped. "Oh, and don't worry about sharing the treasure with me, you can have it all, Mel!"

"I'll pay you to ditch that overly humble personality."

The boulders stopped falling for a time as they swam through a tunnel. As Glimmer's light filled more of the path, there was nothing obstructing them. "Ow!" Yuta yelped when a purple shuriken cut him. "Whuh… a starfish? OW!" The starfish smacked him.

"Shuries! Run!" Melody swam quickly when many more of the starfish came spinning out of gaps in the cave. They tried using bending to hit the Shuries back, but they dodged swiftly in order to strike the intruders.

"Melody, it's Emily. I'm feeling another presence down where you are, and it feels human."

"A prisoner? 'kay, I'll look for them." Melody had Glimmer shine into the various gaps the Shuries came from. She noticed one of the ceiling gaps led to a tight air bubble cave. She climbed on the dry spot and discovered a short, purple-clothed boy with weird hair in the form of balls. "Huh? Wait a minute, aren't you one of Tsu's friends?!"

"Wow, Miss, you're pwetty!" Minoru Mineta said in a kiddish voice. "I lost my mommy! Will you hug me?!"

Melody sliced open his cage and said, "Maybe Emily will," before teleporting him with the net. She and Yuta quickly swam through the Shuri cave and finally exited the underground. An expansive field lay before them, on which a seashell fortress was built. A young blue shark spotted them and gasped, quickly swimming to the fortress. It swum to a poison mermaid and said something in a scratchy shark tone. The mermaid gasped and sent a call through the fortress in Mermish, and before long, the humans could hear alarms blaring.

"Ah, crap." Melody said when swarms of fish were headed their direction. The two swam forth bravely as dozens of Lockjaws rose from the depths, clack-clack-clacking their teeth and gnashing from all directions. Melody entered Water Fury and sucked the piranhas into a cyclone. She vacuumed a huge cluster of Lockjaw and brushed them miles away. She surfed toward the fortress like a dolphin, bringing a devastating current with her as she tore through the assaulting merman pirates.

Melody amassed several mermen into a bubble and froze it solid, then used it like a wrecking ball to KO other agro fish. Shell-like torpedoes were fired, but Yuta intercepted them with icicles. With most of the pirates defeated, Melody saw a powerful current coming out of an opening in the fortress. "Yuta, grab on!" The boy held tight onto her shoulders as Melody fought through the current with her Fury. She could only move with half the speed she used previously, dodging the Pufftups that were blown up. They reached the end of the current and swam into a passage, just as Melody's Fury wore off.

The narrow pipeline had lights to grant them vision. As they calmly tried to find their way, a blue Croctopus began to chase them, spinning like a wheel. "Melody, run for it!" Yuta yelled. "Those kind are extremely poisonous!" Not taking the chance to attack the octopus, the two maneuvered through the pipes until Yuta kicked a switch that closed a hatch behind them, blocking the creature. Further up the pipe, a fan tried to blow them back, but the duo blew ice and froze it to get past. Another Croctopus chased them, and while outrunning it, they had to quickly freeze more fans. Melody netted a chest they swam by, and they soon hit a switch that cut off the octo with a hatch.

The duo exited the pipe to a wide open area. It was uncomfortably dark and vacant, save for a platform with a bubble in the very center. There was someone trapped in the bubble. "Yuta, it's him! Anthony!"

"Sweet! Let's save him before somebody comes!" Yuta swam down excitedly.

"Yuta, wait!"

The Sector W leader sat bored in his bubble prison. He glanced left and, to his surprise, a dark-skinned boy was swimming his direction with Melody close behind. He must've been a new operative—Anthony remembered something and jumped up in panic. "Guys, wait, there's a-!"

"WOOOO." A gigantic anglerfish burst out of the soil, almost catching the swimmers in his massive mouth. "Who dares disturb Lord Woo Fak Fak's slumber in his otherwise peaceful aquatic fortress with loud and senseless racket?"

"Oh, that wasn't us, Sir." Yuta said politely. "You must be referring to the fighting on the surface. We're just humble visitors."

"Liar! You were planning to free the prisoner Lady Ineptune has tasked me to guard, mercilessly beat me senseless, and watch my unconscious body float up to the surface in shame, weren't you?"

"Something like that." Melody replied.

"Then I will turn you into Lord Woo Scat Scat!" (Play Fak Fak's Theme from Banjo-Tooie!)

Boss fight: Kremling Aquatic Division General, LORD WOO FAK FAK

Lord Woo lunged at the duo in attempt to eat, but the humans split up. The fish swam quickly toward the ceiling, launching electro spheres from his antenna that homed on the humans. They swiftly dodged the spheres and tossed icicles at the angler's boils, thinking them to be a sensitive spot. They did nothing. "Fool! Did you think I would have the same weakness as in Banjo-Tooie? I've been taking pills to enhance my skin to be immune to your meager attacks."

Lord Woo charged Melody, but missed the mergirl. Yuta then looked down and noticed some Pufftups swim into the room. "Let's see if he likes poisonous popper fish!" He used bending to move one of the inflated fish up. He made it float behind him before shouting, "HEY, FAT FAK! OVER HERE!" Offended by his remark, the bigmouthed fish lunged to have a bite out of Yuta, only for the boy to shoot up and let him feast on the Pufftup.

Lord Woo's throat briefly puffed as the puffer popped. "That was most unappetizing. The pills do nothing to enhance my insides. Perhaps I will fair better in a darker environment." He waved his antenna and signaled for the lights to turn off, making the arena pitch-black.

His antenna switched off for a moment, the two searching carefully until Yuta saw a gold light moving around. "Haha! Get ready for another serving!" Yuta caught a Pufftup and swam to shove it into Fak's mouth… only to realize the light was simply a glowing fish. "Whuh-?" In his moment of confusion, Yuta was gulped in the angler's mouth.

"Yuta!" Melody swam up and grabbed Lord Woo's antenna in Water Fists, tugging forcefully as the angler tried to back up. The tension grew tighter on the antenna before Melody released it, snapping back to the fish and forcing him to spit Yuta out. She saw him drowning and quickly expanded an air bubble around him. "You okay? Hurry and catch your breath."

There were at least 10 glowfish posing as Fak's angler, all moving at quick speed. "Oh, look!" Yuta beamed when Glimmer shined his light on them, providing a bit of sight. Regardless, it couldn't shine far enough to pinpoint the real Fak. The glowfish all shot at them, only to pull back—they dodged just in time when the real one came!

"Leave this one to me." Melody said, finding a Pufftup with Glimmer and catching it. "I'll find him with the movement of the waves." She closed her eyes and felt the fish coming. The glowfish produced light currents, but when the current grew stronger, Melody tossed the Pufftup perfectly down Lord Woo's throat. The poor fish was sickened, and Melody took advantage by grabbing his antenna and dragging him to the ground. She scraped him across the floor, the fish keeping his mouth shut as Pufftups bumped his face, then Melody whirled him overhead before slamming Fak into the wall.

The fish sparked his angler to escape Melody's grasp. "I grow tired of disrespectful urchins attacking me without remorse. If I am fated to lose this battle, then I will take your precious comrade with me!" Lord Woo faced down at Anthony's bubble, the boy screaming as the gaping mouth would envelop him in seconds.

Yuta thrusted a giant ice spear into the inner bottom of his mouth, pinning Fak to the ground. "I'll get ya out of here!" Yuta began to punch the glass bubble as it cracked. Lord Fak broke the ice and shot electricity at Yuta, the boy dodging. The angler targeted Anthony and charged another bolt, but Melody yanked the antenna back. She hauled Fak overhead and slammed him into the ground.

Afterward, she realized an arched blood trail was left by the hole through his mouth. Melody bent the blood into a hardened spear. "If your skin is hardened, I wonder if your blood is any stronger!" She whirled the spear around before throwing it into one of Fak's boils.

"AIEEEEE! Me precious boils!" The angler hurriedly swam away, flinging electro spheres at his back. Melody dodged the attacks and caught up with her superior speed, stabbing the next boil and the next. More blood leaked, so Melody amassed it into the spear, morphing it into a giant Blood Fist. She threw a punch to Lord Woo's tail and knocked him vertical, followed by a punch to the stomach, forcing Pufftup remains out of him. She grabbed the antenna and slammed him to the ground, then dealt a flurry of Blood Punches to his closed eyes. Melody swam to the ceiling and whirled her arms, building up momentum and chi. The force was carried to the fist, which fell like a bloody meteor.

"BBBBBLLLLRRRRRBBBBBB!" It impacted with the top of Fak's head, nearly smooshing the big fish. Losing consciousness, Lord Woo floated upside-down and floated to the ceiling. "Bloo… things seem to have gone belly-up. Lady Ineptune will never forgive my folly. Well, at least this was better than guarding Davy Jones' gym clothes. I thank King K. Rool for this higher position… and I thank the Creator, for never forgetting humble bosses like myself." (End song.)

The cracks Yuta left in the glass began to flood Anthony's prison. "Uh, new guy? A little help here?!"

"Oh, sorry!" Yuta blushed. "I'll fix this!" With a flip, Yuta shattered the glass with a Torpedo Spin.

"BLLLLRRRRRRB!" Anthony began flailing his arms. THIS IS A WAY WORSE SITUATION! he wanted to say.

Yuta whipped his T.E.L.A.-N.E.T. and caught Anthony, teleporting him to safety. "This is Emily. Anthony has successfully returned to the ship. Mission accomplished!"

"This was a job well done!" Yuta thumbs-upped. "Say, Melody, I gotta ask… Why did you save me from being eaten? That totally contrasts with your earlier vow."

"Huh? Oh, yeah…" Melody blushed a tad. "Well, it wasn't too big a hassle saving you, and fighting that guy with two people was easier instead of one."

"Hehe, that's true. But I'm super grateful for your help!"

"Yeah… me too." Mel smiled.

"THAT BETTER NOT BE a warmhearted moment!" They flinched at Eric's shout through the communicator. "Why don't ya save the romance for later and get out of that Kremling-infested fortress?!"

"Okay, Eric, geez! Let's go, Yuta." The boy nodded as they began to swim out of the base. Once outside, they noticed a Kremling flagpole, which Yuta thought needed to be changed. Melody smirked in agreement as they swam up to swap it with a gold flag of Melody's Jolly Roger. The base was marked officially conquered.

"Hey, couldn't we just warp back with the nets?"

"We'd be forced to leave them behind." Melody answered. "Then the enemies could use them to warp to our sub."

"Ah, that's true. Well, I never liked quick-travel, anyway!"

The two were able to make their way through the enemies and traps again, the Spying Eye in sight. "Yuta, what's that?!"

To their surprise, a scuba diver seemed to be swimming their way with a TV in hand. "Hey, that's a Scubakuma! They used to help me salvage things."

"From your old crew?!"

The Monokuma reached them and held the TV out. "For… me?" Yuta took it with confusion. The Kuma saluted and swam to the surface.

The two brought the TV into the submarine as they turned it on. "So, are you a new operative?" Anthony asked.

"The name's Yuta! I'm not an operative, but I-"

"Shh, it's on." Emily said as the TV's static cleared. A green-haired girl's image was made known. (Play "It's a Kids World" from Danganronpa!)

"Ufufufufufu!" Monaca's adorable smile greeted them. "Why, if it isn't our dear 'friend,' Yuta. I hope you haven't forgotten about us."

"Monaca!" Yuta gasped.

"That was so cruel of you, Yuta. I thought you were the bestest friend in the whole world, but you betrayed us. You helped Monaca up and down stairs. You saved Monaca when she fell into the ocean. Monaca gave her life to you. Can you imagine what super-duper despair I felt when Yuta abandoned us?"

"I'm sorry, Monaca. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but I couldn't stay with those pirates any longer. The truth is… I never wanted to rebel against society, or my parents. In fact, I really loved my family. I lied about my home life just so you all would be friends with me. And I only thought the 'pirate' thing was gonna be for a short while. I was planning to tell you the truth, but then we met Skaios and one thing led to another. I thought if I told you how I really felt, I would be imprisoned, or worse! That's why I had to escape when I had the chance. Please understand, Monaca, it was nothing against you personally."

"Oh, it's okay, Yuta-kun. Actually, Monaca knew the truth all along. She overheard Yuta calling his family, warning them about Skaios. Thanks to Yuta, his family escaped Towa City before it was taken."

"You…You knew all along?"

"I'm disappointed in you, Yuta. My friends and I all share heavy hearts. We killed our parents with our own hands, but you did not. For two years, Yuta's hands have been clean. So, Monaca believes he needs to make up for his sin. Yuta needs to murder his parents with his own hands. And he will have to, for the sake of the one he idolizes."

"What…" Yuta glanced at Melody for a moment. "You mean… her?"

"Monaca has a surprise for you~" With a wave of her hands, the camera flew behind her, and a curtain opened. Lights flashed on, revealing a bloody and battered body of an African-American man, hanging from a chain.

It took less than a second for Melody to gasp in horror. "Dad!!"

"Nnnn…uuuu…" Kade Jackson cracked open his eyes. "Melo…dy… Is that… yo-"

"Boop." Monaca snapped her fingers.

"NO MONACA NO-!" Yuta screamed.

The chain above Kade exploded, and his head became a firework. His body dropped to the floor as it burned. "Oopsie. My hand slipped."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Melody's lungs nearly ruptured from her outburst of emotions. Flashbacks of her younger brother's last moments flickered in her mind.

"MONACA, HOW COULD YOU?!" Yuta shouted.

"It's no big deal, right? That man wasn't related to Kyogre by blood. He shouldn't matter to you. But Yuta still has a chance to save his wife."

"NO WAY you have my mom!!" Melody cried. "When she finds out about this, she'll make you BEG for Davy Jones to-" More lights flashed on, exposing Eva Jackson as she was chained in a cage via chi-blocks. "…What the fuck…"

"Monaca has a VERY special Punishment lined up for Eva Jackson, the Princess of the Sea. And only you can save her, Yuta. You must kill your parents and soak your soul with their blood. But Monaca knows you're busy, so if you just tell us where your family is hiding, we will happily retrieve them. Then you just need to come up here and kill them. Easy!"

"K-Kill my… I couldn't…"

"Yuta has until March 1 to decide. If he does not kill his parents, Princess Eva's execution will be carried out. I sincerely hope we can all be friends again. See you later!" The screen blacked out. (End song.)

The five kids were left mortified. Melody's soul had practically left her eyes… and Yuta, heart drowning in guilt, knew it was all his fault. Anthony broke the silence. "Is that girl… seriously your friend?"

"I never thought… Monaca would go this far. And the others… do they even know? Would they… agree to this?"

That question was the least relevant on their minds at the moment. Melody had just watched her father die, and she was barely coping from the loss of her brother. If her mother dies, she would be a lone orphan. "…I'll do it."

They all faced Yuta, whose eyes sparked with resolve. "What?"

"I already promised I would help you, Melody. But this isn't because of Kyogre… it's because this is my fault. I'll save your mom, and then I…I'll leave."

"W-Wait a sec." Emily said. "If Sector V is really on their side, there's no way they would accept this. We gotta get in contact with them somehow!"

"Hold on, why would they be working for that psycho?!" Anthony asked.

"Even if they try to stop her, she'll probably kill her anyway. Please, just… let me do this." Yuta pled.

"How can you be that quick to decide?" Melody asked.

"Huh?" Yuta was confused by her meaning.

"Sigh… I need some time to myself." She walked away. "Emily, get us somewhere safe. Eric, fill Anthony in on the mission."

Yuta hung his head in guilt, and a silent Emily approached the helm. "Hokay, so, where to start…" Eric began.

"A lot of operatives are on various side-quests and fighting different enemies." Anthony deduced.

"Yeah, same old formula."

"But what about the rest of my sector, where are they at?"

"They're at different bases, but other sectors are working to find them. Hopefully, we'll all reunite soon…"

Planet Hyrule; Fireworks Factory

Fireworks blazed from the ground and heavens, crossing one-another's paths and blasting their respective targets. This battle between Boogey and Sky God Pirates created a colorful display under a clear night sky. The Fireworks Factory, owned by the Flame Division, was built upon a volcano, lava rivers flowing through, with Chinese lanterns hanging around the buildings of a similar aesthetic.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE MANDY HAS A FIREWORK FACTORY!" Kodama screamed, her eyes exploding like said explosives. "Of all the places for Ururu to wind up in, this is pure luck!"

"Get ahold of yourself!" Karin told her. "We need to rescue her before the Sky Gods destroy this whole fortress."

"I'm pretty sure Kodama will do that before they do." Yuzu replied.

"Ohoho, darn right I will." Kodama was mesmerized by the flashing colors around her. "I will destroy EVERYTHIIIIIING!" (Play "Fireworks Factory" from Spyro 3!)

Stage 6: Fireworks Factory

Mission: BLOW IT ALL UP!!! (and save Ururu I guess)

The three operatives had to climb a few tall ledges to actually reach the factory, but this wasn't a problem for Kodama, who launched herself up with Jetworks. Once she made it to the gates, Pyro Yiga poofed out of smoke and launched crackers at her. Kodama dodged them and whipped out her own small fireworks to shoot down the weak guards. In order to take down the tall wooden gate, Kodama tossed a large shell into her cannon and blew the gate to smithereens! "Dang, I love Infi-Cubes." she said, tossing her heavy artillery back into the little cube.

The first field of the fortress was divided by a lava river. Miniblin launched missiles at her from behind short walls, which they could rotate to block them from Kodama's view. The pyromaniac launched U-turn missiles around the shields and exploded the demons. Kodama destroyed a picnic area near the right corner before jet-boosting over the lava river. The fortress walls launched missiles down at her, but she launched Flashworks into the air to hide herself under their bright light. With the guards unable to track her, Kodama ran to one side of the field, launched a firework at a large switch, and opened the steel entrance to the fortress.

Once inside the corridor, Kodama set her sights on the plants and antique decorations. She lit the hall aflame, reducing its furniture into soot. Yiga were flipping back-and-forth and clinging to walls as they launched fireworks down at her. Kodama shot them down as she stormed through the passage, coming up to a large, tall room with a massive chandelier. The candles of the chandelier were unlit, so Kodama took the liberty of doing do, watching her fireworks zoom circles around the layers. Kodama went up some winding stairs to reach the second floor, jumping powder kegs that a Miniblin was rolling down. Once up top, she destroyed the demon and lit up the remaining candles.

To conclude, she lit up a firework on the side of the top layer, a small bridge leading her to it. The firework began to spin the chandelier like a merry-go-round. Sparks flew everywhere; if Kodama's eyes weren't so used to this, she'd have to squint. The chandelier turned like a key and opened a sealed door on the walkway. However, one of the sparks burned an Azula banner, revealing a secret treasure chest. Kodama boosted over to take it. The new door led to a walkway above the fortress wall.

A single firework was launched to the sky, exploding into the form of a sun with an angry face. The sun's rays shook vehemently as it lunged down at Kodama. She tried to shoot it with Iceworks, but it dodged each shot, so she could only make sure to jump it when it swung down. She had to avoid Firebars that spun in vertical fashion, then climb a pole to a higher walkway before the sun could catch her. The last path had three Firebars spinning along the floor, but Kodama noticed a barred hatch in the floor with a Gerudo kid. She assumed there was a mechanism to open the hatch, and noticed the Firebars spun faster whenever she jumped them. She kept jumping them, and eventually they disappeared, triggering the cage to open as Kodama helped the Gerudo out. "Jump inside this." She held out the Infi-Cube. "But don't touch the ammo."

Kodama made it to a round field when the Angry Sun finally dispersed. She heard weird sounds as five Wizzrobes appeared around the air, wearing yukatas. When they cast their wands, fireworks flew out, and those exploded into smaller fireworks that flew at Kodama, some hitting and singing the pyrotechnician. She worked quick to dodge and shoot back, eventually taking all five Wizzrobes down. Kodama had to bring down a drawbridge launching fireworks up to the ones attached to the bridge's corners. Those rockets would pull the bridge off the hinges and open the way for her.

An open road lay before her, a lava moat on either side. Missiles from the sky ships were crashing all over this path, Kodama keeping eyes upward and watching for them. She had to blow down stacks of crates that blocked her way, but could otherwise go around them, until she realized a very tall stack had a chest on top. She quickly brought the chest down before a missile could destroy it. Kodama kept running until she arrived at a large door, blowing it down with a large shell and taking shelter inside the fort.

This room was filled with boxed explosives, along with a large capsule in the center labeled 'Super Safe Sphere.' Insanity filled the technician's mind: she lit a single fuse and jumped inside the capsule. The building vanished in a beautiful explosion, Kodama's capsule flying to the sky. She jumped out, limbs spread as she felt like she was flying, a sea of colors at her back. She then pulled out a large firework and rode it across the fortress, swerving left or right to dodge missiles from the fortress. If she got hit, she would simply fall to the path below and have to walk it normally, but this was way more fun!

It was then she flew over an area with a large explosion switch. Kodama quickly pulled the missile up and looped down to make it CRASH and smash the switch. She made land and watched a cell open. Inside was a Chinese girl in prisoner gear. "Hey, Meiling!" Kodama recognized the Sector TD girl.

"Kodama!" Meiling ran out. "I'm so glad you're here! My friends and I were all separated a few days ago."

"Yeah, that's everyone's story. I'll go on ahead, you regroup with my team and cover more of the base."

"But you'll be by yourself."

"I got mah 'splodies, don't I?"

Kodama entered the door to a new field with several steel barriers. Lizalfos were running around between them, cannons on their backs as they launched shells rapidly. Kodama could barely hit the lizards behind their shields, so she decided to run for it. She noticed a watchtower where a Lizalfos was sending powerful shells to the enemy ships. She climbed the ladder, throwing fireworks at any headed her way, and quickly destroyed the demon at the top. She kicked the ladder down so no one could reach her, and with the tower's mortar cannon, she obliterated all the pirates in the field. Nothing was left but colored soot.

She then destroyed another gate, leading to a spiral stairway up a wide tower. It seemed like a clear way up, until another firework was launched her way. It exploded into blue lights, which condensed to make a blue sun with sunglasses: more livid than before, it was the Raging Sun. The sun blew flames all along the stairs, preventing Kodama from simply boosting up. The sun stopped just shy of her, but swooped down for an attack, Kodama jumping over. She shot Iceworks to douse the flames, having to jump whenever the sun swooped down every few seconds. There was a wooden bridge leading to a platform with a chest, but as soon as she crossed it, the sun set it on fire. She took the chest and ran back before it completely burned.

This venture up the tower gave her legs a workout, but she succeeded in reaching the top. The Raging Sun dispersed, and Kodama had a clear view of the Boogey flagpole. "Ururu!" she gasped, seeing her friend trapped in a cell. There was someone else in front of it. "And… is that…?!" (End song.)

A few moments beforehand, some piano and horn music played as Ururu was treated to a song by her captor: a clown-nosed man with fiery hair and a yellow jacket. "I'M Mister GREEN Christmas, I'm Mister Sun. I'm Mister HEAT Blister, I'm Mister Hundred-and-One! They call me Heat Miser… whatever I touch: starts to MELT in my clutch!" He picked up a dolly and melted it. With a shrug, he sang, "I'm too much."

Alas, his song was cut when a sapphire comet flew in and SOCKED him in the nose, the Heat Miser falling in defeat. "More like NOT much."

Ururu gasped: the attacker in question looked like an energetic boy with red hair. "J…Jinta-kun…" She put hands to her chest and smiled, "You came."

"Hey there!" Masaru grinned at her.

"Oh." Ururu frowned. "I thought you were someone else."

"Jinta-kun?!" Kodama yelled, running onto the tower. "Wait… Who are you?"

"Oh, me?" Masaru about-faced. "I'm Masaru Daimon! The Hero of the Sky God Pirates! I'm here to rescue this damsel in distress and take her to live in peace at the Free Kingdom."

"Hey, if you're with the Sky Gods, do you know Sector V?"

"You mean the Raccoon Pirates? Hah! I so happen to be Chris's firebending teacher! I made him so much stronger, you won't even recognize him. He always says, 'I'm trying Masaru-senpai, I'm trying real hard! I just can't do it.' But then I say, 'You can do it, Chris-kun! Believe in yourself, and you can be a hero!'"

"I don't know Chris that well, but you don't look like the type he would call 'senpai.'"

"It's true! Look, I took a picture of us." He showed her his phone: it was a picture of Masaru making a goofy face, and Chris Uno looking annoyed.

"Just step aside and let me save Ururu. Afterwards, you can destroy this base or whatever."

"I don't think so!" Masaru blocked her. "I defeated the base's master, so I get the damsel. It's been in like every hero story ever!"

"You know, the last red-haired boy I know who tried to be a hero ended up getting his nuts cracked."

The boy jumped back, bending his legs in fright. "H-He what?"

Kodama smirked devilishly. "And the very person that did it is on her way. When she finds you, she'll squash you like a bug." Kodama stomped her foot, Masaru flinching. "She'll beat you to a pulp," she fist-palmed, "knock your skull out," punched her face, "and make you CRY and BEG for mercy!"

"No, please!" Masaru shook, eyes flooding with despair. "Please, I'm sorry! I-I'll do it to myself!"

"Yeah, you'll be sorry when Karin starts… huh?" To Kodama's confusion, Masaru began slapping his arms. He did so ceaselessly as they darkened.

"Shut the fuck up, you little shit! You do what I TELL YOU!" Fury burned on his face. "S-See, I'm doing it! It hurts, it really hurts. Damn useless BRAT!"

"H-Hey, calm down. I didn't mean to…"

"Stop it, stop it, stop it! GAAAAH, I'M SICK OF THIS!" He lashed sapphire flames at Kodama, who jumped back. "I'M A HERO! HEROES DON'T TAKE CRAP FROM PARENTS! No, heroes KILL their parents. Parents or uncles are ALWAYS the bad guy. Because in real life, parents always hold kids back. They're our worst enemy. That's why they always DIE!" (Play "Warriors of Hope" from Danganronpa!)

Boss fight: Hope Pirates Captain, MASARU DAIMON

Masaru chucked a flaming baseball that Kodama dodged, only for the ball to poof and bash the side of her head. "YOW!" She ran when Masaru chased and spread flames along the ground. The boy tired of this after a while and leapt away, throwing an array of baseballs. Kodama dodged them while trying to douse the fires with Iceworks—the balls poofed and hit her from all directions. "Ow! You're a little twerp!" When Masaru ran out of balls, he began spinning toward Kodama with a Fire Spiral. She ran backward and shot Iceworks, turning his blue flames to green, then to orange, until he finally stopped and shivered for warmth. Kodama bombarded him with fireworks, rewarming Masaru, but damaging nonetheless.

"You think that hurts?!" Masaru ran and recollected his baseballs. "My dad used to hit me with a sack of beer!" He furiously threw his baseballs, Kodama reacting quick and alertly to dodge them. As expected, the balls poofed to attack again, Kodama blocking some with her arms, only to take a few hits. Masaru shot flames at her, Kodama running and launching fireworks. Masaru grabbed the crackers and spun before tossing them back. His Poof-Poof power naturally warped them as well—"YOW!" but the projectiles impacted him anyway. "Wait, I didn't throw those at myself!"

"No, but I did." Kodama raised a brow. "So, if you catch objects that I throw at you, your power affects them and it backfires on you. So, throwing my junk back at me's a bad idea!" With that in mind, Kodama launched more crackers, Masaru punching flames to destroy them. The boy gasped for breath after she ceased, sweating, but upon hearing the whistling sounds, he looked up. Kodama had not fired any more, but he realized fireworks were coming behind him, too late as they exploded against his back. Kodama ran to kick him off his feet, then stomp him in the head.

Masaru leapt to his feet, running to retrieve his balls and throw them at his opponent. After suffering some hits, Kodama ran a safe distance to launch more crackers, Masaru destroying them and going to retrieve the balls. Expecting this, Kodama shot Flashworks, the boy shielding his eyes. She ran to grab the balls herself, throwing them at Masaru's head. The frustrated boy flailed his arms to knock them away, but his power affected them and his head was struck.

"That's IT! I'm gonna fight with my own fire and destroy your entire ARSENAL!" Masaru formed a long flame sword and slashed at Kodama, who ran in a panicky fashion. She threw a small yellow shell at Masaru's feet, gluing them to the floor with sticky cheese. Kodama launched fireworks, but he destroyed them and stabbed the floor with his sword. The flames melted through the floor and melted the cheese. He channeled fire to his feet for an extra boost, catching up to Kodama and slashing rampantly. Kodama glanced at the floor, noticing all the holes his sword had burned. She intentionally ran over a wider hole and—"AAAH!" tricked Masaru into falling in. He got stuck on his belly, but his sword simply melted the floor, so he could fall in completely.

"Trapped ya!" Kodama threw a Cheesework down to bind him to the unstable ground. When Masaru studied his prickly, uncomfortable surroundings, he realized he was on a pile of blue fireworks. "I thought I smelled gunpowder down there. This is just yet another nest of lovely explosives!" Her eyes sparkled as she lit her match.

"N-NO! PLEASE!" Masaru cried. "You'll blow this whole tower, it'll destroy you, too!"

"Yee hee hee hee! I've always WANTED to die this way! My mortal flesh MELTING as I ascend to the starry heavens!"

"PLEASE DON'T! HAVE MERCY!"

"I'M COMING, MOM AND DAD!" Kodama dropped the match down.

"NOOOOOO!"

Popopopopopopopopopopopop. The windows flashed lightly and not much smoke leaked out.

Masaru was slightly covered in soot, but he lay completely shock-ridden. "Teehee, those were just English Patients. Weakest fireworks there are. The fuse takes DAYS to burn only for an unsatisfying payoff."

"Ahhhhhhh…" Masaru's emotions were all but broken. (End song.)

Since the boy made no attempt at recovery, Kodama thought this the best chance to go and unlock Ururu's cage. "Thank you, Kodama-chan. Um… where is Jinta-kun?"

"He was captured and we haven't found him. I'm just thankful we found you; weren't you shrunk when you were knocked out?"

"My Tiny Devil has a failsafe that grows me back automatically. I guess that's how they found me."

"Kodama! Ururu!" The two turned to see Karin, Yuzu, and Meiling running up. "Gee, thanks for letting us catch up. But I guess you took care of the boss okay." Karin noticed Heat Miser's unconscious body.

"Actually, the one who did that was-"

"Uuuuuuggghhh!" Ururu was interrupted when Masaru climbed out of the hole. Rage boiled on his form. "I… am… A HERO! I'm never gonna be afraid of… the pain and… the alcohol smells ever again. I will murder each and every disgusting adult… and show the universe freedom! No matter who I have to kill… we WILL be FREE!" He stomped toward them with fists ready.

"Fine, you want more?!" Kodama readied her weapons.

"No!" Yuzu stopped her, looking serious. "It's my turn." The chef loaded her own gun, resembling a clean thermos, and locked on. She was unafraid as Masaru approached with murderous intent. The boy took a breath—Yuzu fired a lush plum with pink syrup directly into his mouth. Masaru compulsively chewed and swallowed, eyes watering slightly. He kept coming, and Yuzu had to back away as he neared. She shot again when he breathed, and Masaru savored the taste again. A third shot: Masaru swished the juicy taste around his mouth. A fourth shot: his flames died down and he weakly chased. Then a fifth shot. A smile spread, his eyes pouring heavily as the plums traveled down his throat.

"It's soooooooo goooooood…" He licked his mouth for any stray taste. "I never thought… I could… feel this… good." His emotions overwhelmed him and Masaru fainted.

Yuzu gently caught him in her arms as he fell forward. "This poor boy never had a decent meal in his life. His parents never cooked him anything. His stomach was as empty as his heart. He felt no love for his terrible parents, only hatred. Those are my Happy Plums you just ate." She patted his back. "Mom used to make those. They'll help you forget your hatred… if only for a bit."

The others could only stare at her, amazed. "Hmhm! Just a chef's intuition!" She tapped a finger to her head.

"You put Kinomoto-san to shame." Meiling remarked.

"Well, should we take him prisoner?" Karin asked.

"He's not one of Mandy's crewmen, so they would probably kill him." Kodama figured. "Let's tie him up in chi-blocks. Then we'll get looking for Jinta." She held the Infi-Cube out for Yuzu to drop him in. "Ah, almost forgot." Kodama rocketed up to the flagpole and swapped the Mandy flag with one resembling Karin, a spirit flame around her skull.

As they left the fortress, a groggy Heat Miser reached for his phone. "Hello? Sarah? It's Heat Miser again. Yep, it was the nose this time. I feel my snot blocking up. And there's a mild fracture in my skull. God, I hope I don't need plastic surgery…" The phone melted in his clutch. "D'oh. Too much."