Inside Morino's home…
Kia was cleaning up the living room when she noticed an old picture of her and Morino sitting on the table.
"Father…"
A tear rolled down her eye. "I'm so sorry…I should have been more helpful, more supportive… if I had, maybe you wouldn't have to stay here, and risk your life for us…"
She put it down. "There was still so much for you to teach them, so much for you to do…"
Her TV immediately cut on, showing a broadcast of the Castle of Voltiana.
"Now then, get ready for the HUNT!"
She immediately dropped the broom she was holding, shocked when she saw Dachii and his team suited up, preparing to leave the castle.
"No, no, no, not again! My son!"
A loud horn sounded, which Kia could hear both on the TV and in the distance. "LET THE HUNT BEGIN!"
Meanwhile…outside the castle…
"Alright, team! Listen up! We've got only one job! Capture Dachii in this cage! Anything else isn't a priority!"
Fujii was pacing back and forth in front of his team, who all kept their eyes on him. "Toru will be a pain in the ass, but the other ones shouldn't be much trouble. Let's win this, shall we? And become TV famous!"
His group all cheered.
"I don't agree with the famous thing, but this is more my style," Aoki remarked.
"As long as I get to crush some skulls!" Arata yelled.
"He's got my brother guarding him," Tsugumi pointed out. "Even if they've gotten better, this will be a piece of cake."
Yoritomo put a hand on Akari's shoulder. "How do you feel about this, Princess?"
Akari looked around at the other teams waiting for the ten-minute timer to be up, which was now at one minute.
"I think we have a good chance. But we'll have to focus. Everyone here is gunning to make an impression at this event, and this will be their chance to do it."
Yoritomo rubbed his chin. "Yes. I imagine some might try to show off, act recklessly, go all out."
"And if they do, I'll destroy them," Akari affirmed.
And then, the timer went off. Xar stood before all five Hunter teams. "You may now chase the target. Each of you will need to use your watches to locate where he is."
Almost as if on command, everyone's watch pulled up a GPS, with a blinking red dot moving across the center.
"Well, that helps," Fujii remarked.
"Now, you all may go!" Xar ordered.
And with that, the teams all took off, with an excited audience watching behind them.
On the other side of the capital, in Asuka, Toru led the four into his mansion, locking the doors. While Tetsuya and Nishiyama plopped down on the couch, Noriko remained standing, her hands twitching.
"Why did we come back here?" Noriko asked. "Everyone will check here first, and our soldiers! They'll be in danger!"
"Nonsense," Toru interrupted. "This is the best course of action. And why hide anywhere other than our own domain? Where we have the advantage."
He then turned invisible. "If anything happens, everyone to the Pit."
His voice rang out in the ears of his squad members as well, all of whom were grouped up in the living room. "That goes for you as well! If you see anyone try to enter, lead them outside and take them down."
And then silence.
"Did he…just ditch us?" Nishiyama asked.
"Yes," Noriko replied. "Yes, he did."
"He wants us to fight the Generals and all those other warriors by OURSELVES? We'll get crushed!" Tetsuya cried.
"That's how he operates," Noriko moaned. "By throwing his men into the fray."
"Well," Nishiyama said. "All we have to do is keep Dachii safe for four hours."
She got up and approached Dachii, who was standing off to the side, doing absolutely nothing but staring up at the ceiling. "How are you feeling, by the way? I know it's been a lot to process in these past few months."
"Fine," Dachii blandly replied. "Perfectly fine."
"Are you sure?" Nishiyama insisted. "You've been more cold and serious, almost like Atomu! I miss the fun-loving Dachii!"
Tetsuya got up as well. "Yeah, man! We've already got way too many of the dark and brooding types, my sister, the Princess, that swordswoman you call a vice-general, even General Toru fits the bill!"
"I've noticed," Dachii said.
"So?" Nishiyama nudged. "Can we hear a joke? Some witty sarcasm? Random flirting?"
His teammates looked at him, but his expression failed to change. "There's nothing funny to say. Fun is just an illusion."
They groaned.
"Guys, I don't think he's in a talking mood," Noriko suggested. "Maybe we'd be better off coming up with strategies for when the Hunters attack—-!"
Immediately, Dachii's head whirled to the side. "They're coming!"
BOOM.
Soldiers screamed as a large explosion blew up the front wall of the house, and a sharp-looking boy with white hair and eyes and a devilish grin was standing there.
"Well, seems I've caught a fish!"
"Who the hell is that?" Nishiyama asked.
The boy leaned into the mansion, clearly enjoying the fleeing soldiers. "Haven't heard of me? I'm shocked. Genji Ishikawa."
His eyes glowed with a malevolent energy. "Don't you forget it."
"Genji or whatever your name is," Tetsuya stated. "You're not capturing Dachii!"
He stood in front of Dachii, while Genji laughed. "Ha, that might be true, if I was alone. Good thing I'm not."
Three other dudes approached, standing on the rubble that used to be the front wall.
"Aww, crap," Tetsuya groaned.
"Grab him!" Genji pointed.
Before his teammates could react, all four of the boys rushed at Dachii. One started to glow with white sparks, and he started moving faster than the wind.
"Use your speed, Soutaro!" Genji called out. "Snatch him up!"
But to Soutaro's surprise, Dachii's body glowed grey and he leaped up onto the ceiling before Soutaro could grab him, using his powers to stay attached to it.
"So fast!" Soutaro exclaimed.
"He can't outspeed all four of us! Use your magic!" Genji ordered. "Get him, Akihiro!"
The boy to the left of him began clapping his hands together, and all of a sudden, it felt as if time was beginning to stand still, and Nishiyama felt her movements slowing.
"Is he…slowing us down?" she shouted out.
"Heh, he slows the entire air around him down by using his Lull Magic," Genji explained. "Now if you'll excuse us, we'll be taking the boy for our captain now."
All four boys lunged and grabbed onto Dachii, trapping his arms with their arms and pulling him to the ground.
"Crap! Get off him!" Tetsuya demanded.
"Who's got the cage?" Soutaro asked.
"General Naito had it!" Akihiro answered. "Where the hell is she? We've got the prey locked down!"
"No need to panic, it's four of us, he's a human, he shouldn't be able to break out—-!" Genji insisted.
Dachii's eyes lifted and began to glow gray. "Nishiyama, Noriko, Tetsuya."
They all paused and looked right at him.
"Step back," he ordered.
Without warning, he summoned a gauntlet and smashed the floor beneath him, shaking the entire mansion.
BOOM.
All four boys and Dachii went flying out of the mansion and into the backyard, where Dachii landed on his feet while they crashed into the water fountain, drenching themselves.
"Aww, man, my clothes!" Soutaro moaned.
"Focus!" Genji stated. "Yuuto. Work your magic."
The boy to the right of him snapped his fingers, and the four suddenly began floating out of the water fountain and above Dachii. Yuuto snapped his fingers and each of them landed around Dachii.
"How are you gonna escape now?" Genji taunted. "Four Voltians against one human? I almost feel bad…for you!"
Each of them began glowing with white sparks. Dachii simply got into a fighting stance, his face still impassive.
"Congratulations," Dachii stated.
"Now get him!"
Soutaro's body jerked forward and he charged at Dachii, who side-stepped him and grabbed his arm, sending him flying across the yard.
Akihiro clapped his hands again, slowing the air around Dachii as Yuuto used his magic to float to Dachii, various weapons on the battlefield floating behind him. With a wave of his arm, he shot them at Dachii, who casually deflected them all.
"Impossible!" Yuuto gasped.
Dachii caught one and threw it at Yuuto, knocking him clear out of the air and making him painfully crash into Akihiro.
Genji growled.
"You might have beat them, but you won't beat me and my Ignition Magic! TAKE THIS!"
He lifted a glowing white hand to Dachii's face, but Dachii countered it by ducking and sweeping Genji's legs from under him, right before slamming a gauntlet into his chest and sending him flying.
"AHHHH!"
From the side, Noriko, Tetsuya, and Nishiyama watched.
"Woah, he's…a fighter now…" Nishiyama stammered. "What's he been DOING all these months alone?"
"Does…he even need our help?" Noriko wondered.
"Of course he does!" Tetsuya interjected. "Let's go help our teammate!"
They both shared a look. "Right!"
The four boys got back up, murder in their faces, but Tetsuya, Noriko, and Nishiyama surrounded Dachii.
"Well, well," Genji scoffed. "New plan. Akihiro, Yuuto, you two handle the lightweight. Me and Soutaro will capture the prey."
They nodded, and Akihiro began slowing down the air while Yuuto launched wooden weapons from around the yard at Tetsuya and the others.
Soutaro zipped around Dachii, who slowly followed him with his eyes.
"Can't catch me! Too slow! My Speed Magic makes me impossible to keep up with!"
He tried punching Dachii, but Dachii avoided it. Genji jumped up from behind Soutaro, a hand ready to blast Dachii's face.
"Ignite!"
BOOM.
He fired a powerful blast at Dachii's face, but Dachii simply blocked it with his gauntlets, unfazed.
"The hell? How did you—?"
Soutaro zipped back around for another hit, and Dachii yet again evaded it, which caused Soutaro to rapidly attack Dachii again and again, who continued to parry his attacks.
"Dude. What. Are. You. Made. Of?"
On the other side, Tetsuya was knocking the weapons that Yuuto fired out of the air, but his movements continued to get slower and slower.
"That damn lullaby guy!" Tetsuya exclaimed. "Nishiyama, can you and Noriko do something about him?"
"Um, I won't be much help!" Noriko announced.
"I can try!" Nishiyama responded. "Paralyze!"
She threw her hands out, and sparks flew and hit Akihiro, who immediately stiffened up. "Hey…can't…move…what did you do?"
Tetsuya grinned. "Yes! Now it's a fair fight!"
"Fair?" Yuuto mocked. "Our group is much stronger than you. Fair isn't even in the realm of possibility for brutes and untalented rejects like you—-!"
Tetsuya threw a wooden sword at his head, knocking him down. "Easy."
And then he took it and knocked out Akihiro as well, before the three focused their attention back on Dachii.
"Oh," Tetsuya said.
"My." Nishiyama continued.
"God." Noriko finished.
Genji and Soutaro were both rapidly firing powerful attacks at Dachii, causing the yard to shake, while Dachii blocked and avoided every single one.
"They're going overboard!" Nishiyama cried.
"Come on, we've gotta stop them!" Tetsuya insisted.
As they ran to help, a cold glint in Dachii's eyes appeared, and he summoned both his gauntlets. In one move, his body began to sink into the ground.
"Tank Mode."
And with a bat of his arms, both boys got hit in the stomachs and collapsed to the ground, moaning in pain.
His teammates stopped suddenly, and then Nishiyama began to cheer.
"Wow, Dachii! Awesome job! You totally carried this battle!" she cheered.
Tetsuya approached him, putting a hand on his forearm. "Dude, your arm is like rock-solid! That move is so cool! You've got to do it again!"
"Sure," Dachii stated. "Whatever."
Noriko just watched from afar. "Wow, he's much different than when he trained here. Wait, does that mean he's gotten better than me? Wait, that's so embarrassing!"
Her face turned red, and she tried to cover it up. Behind her, a clapping noise was heard.
"Congratulations. You handled the lowest of the low."
Toru appeared, expression as stern as ever. "I didn't even need to step in. Wonderful."
"Hey, you!" Noriko pointed. "You left us all alone with those crazy kids! How could you?"
"You handled it fine. Besides…"
He pointed into the air, where General Shinjii's team was descending, riding on the back of Malkrith himself.
"…we have bigger issues."
—-