Chapter 114: Chapter 24
The year is 4211. Cherry blossoms dance on the gentle breeze, swirling around a young Hiroki as he plays in the garden of his ancestral home. Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on his face. He laughs, chasing a butterfly through the meticulously manicured landscape. The world is full of wonder, full of endless possibilities.
[WHOOSH]
Unseen, unheard, a malevolent force hurtles through time, drawn to the nexus of Hiroki's deepest desires. A shimmering orb of light materializes above him, a harbinger of chaos and destruction. The orb streaks downward, piercing the idyllic scene.
[FWUM]
It slams into Hiroki. His eyes widen. He stumbles, a strange sensation coursing through his small body. The laughter dies in his throat. He clutches his head, a searing pain exploding behind his eyes.
"What…is…happening?" The Hippo Imagin's voice echoes in his mind, a cold, alien presence usurping his thoughts.
His vision blurs. The vibrant colors of the garden fade into a dull gray. He tries to scream, but no sound escapes his lips. He's a puppet, his strings controlled by an unseen puppeteer. His body moves on its own.
Hiroki lurches forward, stumbling out of the garden and onto the bustling streets of the city. His limbs feel heavy, disconnected. People stare as he walks past, their faces a blur of confusion and alarm.
Then, the inevitable occurs.
Sand pours from his pores. A torrent of coarse, gritty sand erupts from his skin, obscuring his features, consuming him whole. He collapses to the ground, a lifeless husk amidst the swirling storm. His body twitches once, twice, and then is still.
The sand coalesces, shifting and reforming. It rises, defying gravity, taking shape, and solidifying. A muscular torso emerges, followed by thick, powerful legs. A hulking figure towers over the fallen child.
The Hippo Imagin stands tall, the remnants of Hiroki's life clinging to its surface like dust. The glowing, empty face surveys the cityscape. "Destroy…" it rumbles, the word a guttural pronouncement of impending doom.
Chaos erupts.
Civilians scream, scattering like ants before a storm. Buildings crumble under the force of the Hippo Imagin's massive warhammer. [CRASH] [BOOM]. The streets become rivers of debris and panic. The Hippo Imagin is an unstoppable force, each swing of its weapon leaving a trail of destruction.
"Get away! Everyone, run!"
Pro Heroes arrive, answering the call for help. Bright costumes and determined faces flash against the backdrop of chaos. They launch themselves at the Imagin, Quirks blazing, ready to defend the innocent.
A hero with ice powers attempts to freeze the Imagin, encasing it in a prison of ice. The Hippo Imagin flexes its muscles, shattering the ice with ease. [CRACK]
Another hero tries to restrain it with tendrils of hardened earth. The Imagin simply swings its warhammer, smashing the earth and sending the hero sprawling.
"Worthless…" it rumbles, dismissing them like insects.
The Pro Heroes are outmatched, their attacks ineffective against the Hippo Imagin's raw power and resilience. They are but obstacles to be crushed, nuisances to be swatted away. The city trembles, its fate hanging in the balance. The destruction continues. The devastation is widespread. The clock is ticking.
Suddenly, a blinding light erupts in the sky. [FWOOSH].
A sleek, silver train materializes high above, its presence defying logic and physics. The DenLiner has arrived, its mission clear: to restore the timeline.
A hatch opens, and a figure plummets towards the ground, landing with a resounding [THUD]. It's Ace, but his eyes burn with the familiar fiery intensity of Momotaros.
"I have arrived!" Momotaros shouts, striking a pose amidst the destruction. His gaze locks onto the Hippo Imagin, a predatory grin spreading across his face. "Hey, you! Hippo-face! Looks like you're causing quite the mess. Well, guess what? I'm here to clean it up!"
The Hippo Imagin turns its empty gaze towards Momotaros, its massive frame radiating raw power. "Intruder…" it rumbles, the voice sending shivers down the spines of the nearby heroes. "I…will…destroy…or…defeat…you. And…your…friends…will…smothered(Chissoku sa seru)…"
[PLING]
Seru? Naku(Cry)… Kintaros suddenly stands at attention. "Nakeru De!"
"No! Kuma! He didn't say Nakeru!" Momotaros yells, his grip tightening on Ace's body.
You go take a rest! It's my turn! Kintaros retorts, his voice a deep, rumbling growl.
With a surge of raw strength, Kintaros forcibly wrests control of Ace's body from Momotaros. The oni Imagin is caught off guard, his essence ejected with surprising force.
[BWAM]
Momotaros is flung backward, a red streak against the sky, hurtling back towards the open hatch of the DenLiner.
"I'll remember this, Kuma!" Momotaros's voice echoes from the depths of the train, a mixture of fury and comedic outrage. "You hear me? I'll get you for this! Just you wait!"
The DenLiner's hatch slams shut, sealing Momotaros's fate for the moment.
Back on the ground, Ace's body straightened, shifting his posture from Momotaros's cocky swagger to Kintaros's stoic resolve. Ace's eyes turned yellow, his hair turned into a ponytail, and he had a yellow streak of hair highlight. A surge of yellow energy crackled around him as the Rider Pass appeared in his hand. He presses the yellow button on the Den-O Belt.
"Henshin!"
Kintaros swipes the Rider Pass over the Den-O Belt.
[Axe Form]
White particles swirl around Ace, quickly conforming to create the foundation of Plat Form. Then, from thin air, four distinct pieces of armor materialize. They are chunky, exuding raw power and resilience. The armor pieces attach to Plat Form. The shoulders are broad and rounded, and the chest is thick and durable. A gleaming, sharp blade rolls down Ace's head, clicking into place to create a slit-like visor.
Suddenly, tissues flutter from the heavens, raining down amidst the chaos.
Kintaros's voice, deep and resonant, booms, "My strength has made you cry." He plucks a tissue from the air, flicks it at the Hippo Imagin, and declares, "Wipe your tears with that!"
The Hippo Imagin barely registers the transformation. It remains focused on its singular objective: destruction. Its glowing face is devoid of emotion, a blank slate reflecting its single-minded purpose.
The Hippo Imagin lumbers forward, each step shaking the ground. Kintaros stands firm, his stance wide and grounded, a bulwark against the storm. He doesn't flinch, doesn't waver. His focus is absolute.
He raises a hand. From the Den-O Belt, the components of the DenGasher detach. They spin through the air, guided by an unseen force, and assemble in Kintaros's waiting grip, forming a colossal axe. The weapon hums with raw energy, its blade gleaming with a razor-sharp edge.
"Come on!" Kintaros roars, his voice challenging the Imagin. "Show me what you got!"
The Hippo Imagin answers with a deafening charge. [RUMBLE]. It lowers its head, using its bulk as a battering ram. Kintaros meets the charge head-on.
The clash is cataclysmic. [CRACK]. Metal screams against flesh and bone. Shockwaves ripple outward, shattering windows and sending debris flying. The ground trembles beneath their feet.
Kintaros and the Hippo Imagin grapple, locked in a contest of pure strength. Muscles bulge, veins throb. Each grunt, each strain, is a testament to the immense forces at play.
The Hippo Imagin swings its warhammer, aiming to crush Kintaros. With a swift, sumo-inspired maneuver, Kintaros sidesteps the blow, using the Imagin's momentum against it. The hammer slams into the ground, creating a crater.
Kintaros seizes the opportunity. He slams his shoulder into the Imagin's chest, forcing it backward. The Hippo Imagin stumbles, momentarily disoriented.
Kintaros presses his advantage. He swings the DenGasher Axe, a wide, sweeping arc aimed at the Imagin's legs. [WHOOSH].
The axe connects. [CLANG]. Sparks fly as the blade bites into the Imagin's thick hide. The Hippo Imagin roars in pain, a sound that echoes across the battlefield.
It retaliates with a furious flurry of blows. The warhammer becomes a blur, each strike aimed with deadly precision. Kintaros blocks with the DenGasher Axe, deflecting the attacks with surprising agility.
He parries, thrusts, and dodges, each movement calculated, each block absorbing the monstrous power of the Hippo Imagin. The Pro Heroes watch in awe, witnessing a display of strength and skill they had never thought possible.
Kintaros ducks under a wild swing, spins, and delivers a devastating uppercut with the DenGasher Axe. [WHAM]. The blade connects with the Imagin's jaw, sending it reeling backward.
"My strength has made you cry!" Kintaros proclaims, his voice filled with righteous fury. "Now, it's time to end this!"
Kintaros swipes the Rider Pass.
[FULL CHARGE]
Yellow electric arcs connect the Den-O belt and the DenGasher.
He leaps into the air, rising above the destruction, and holds the DenGasher Axe high above his head. The blade crackles with energy, gathers power, and intensifies in brilliance.
Kintaros descends, a force of nature unleashed. The DenGasher Axe slams into the Hippo Imagin with earth-shattering force. [KRA-KOOM].
A blinding flash of light engulfs the area. The ground erupts in a geyser of sand and debris. The Hippo Imagin is obliterated, its body dissolving into particles of light and dust. The contract is fulfilled. The timeline is restored.
"Dynamic Chop."
The world falls silent.
…
Back in the present, Hiroki sat on the floor of his home, surrounded by flashing [Police Siren 🚨] lights. Officers swarmed, confiscating the stolen money, gems, and gold that had once represented a glimmer of hope. Now, they were chains, binding him to his ruin. The stolen funds, used to try and pay back the loan, had been easily traced, leading the police directly to his doorstep.
Hiroki's shoulders slump, his gaze fixed on the floor. Gone was the fervor to save his family's legacy, replaced by a heavy resignation. He knew what was coming. Jail time.
Another one bites the dust, Ace thinks, watching the arrest. The guy just wanted to save his home. It's a damn shame. All that trouble, only to lose everything in the end. Ace feels a pang of pity, watching them lead Hiroki away. Noble intentions don't matter much when the path is paved with chaos and destruction. He turns away, the weight of Hiroki's downfall settling in his gut. The cost of desperation.
***
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