El Hazard is owned by AIC and Pioneer LDC. The author owns only the writing and any characters he himself creates. El Hazard: The Magnificent Sequel Chapter 9 Night. Tokyo Tower soared into the dark sky, its iron lacework glowing like a ghost of its Paris counterpart. Below, the lively streets of Roppongi-Azau quavered with the moaning music of the all-night karaoke bars and the laughter of drunken English teachers. But from high atop the second observation deck, the city seemed beautiful and serene. Shoals of gold, red and blue glimmered for miles in the darkness, bounded only by the lack, velvet cloak of Tokyo Bay. It was a view very rarely seen at this hour, for Tokyo Tower was closed to visitors shortly after sunset. Perhaps this was the reason that no one looked up, and saw the man and the child. A cold wind blew across the observation deck, billowing Lagus' long white hair as he strode from column to column, measuring, calculating, gauging. Inari sat behind him, strangely unaffected by the cold. She watched as an ant crept out of the folds of her sweater and began to scurry towards the platform's edge. Instinctively, she began to crawl after it. She moved quickly, chubby hands padding over the chill tiles, and as the ant vanished over the edge, she lunged after it. And saw the asphalt and the streetlights, hundreds of feet below. With a lurch, she felt the lack of floor, the sudden horrible tumbling forward - her little wings stiffened in terror and she shrieked. Then a hand seized her sweater and dragged her back. Lagus lifted the trembling child and held her against his breast. "You move so fast," he murmured. "Like the roach that I saw in my room when I was ten. I was so terrified that I had to thrust my fist into my mouth to keep from screaming. Because I knew, you see, that where there was one there must be others. He was only the first. But I slew him, and I set traps for the ones that came after him." He walked slowly towards the parapet, stroking Inari's fine black hair. "And as for you...even with you and your mother gone, your father could still lead the last generation of the Bugrom against my people." He stopped at the railing, and set the child down on it, his hands resting firmly on her shoulders. Cars with bright headlights streamed through the dark streets below, like an army of creeping beetles. Lagus' eyes narrowed, and he released his hold on Inari. At once she began to topple forward, and shrieked again. Again he clutched her shoulders, and smiled. "So I need you, little roach...as bait." ****************** "Okay. I got it." Inspector Arizumi paced his room after receiving his orders from the Mayor of Tokyo. *Trouble? Me and my men can take care of that. After all, the mayor has been generally providing me with kickbacks....* He paced up and down. The phone call from the Mayor bothered him. What bothered him more was that his subordinate, Detective Tetsuya Kumamoto was prying his nose into business that didn't concern him. "Men! As you know, terrorism is getting to be a serious problem in Tokyo. Several years ago, we had a religious cult release nerve gas in a subway station. What is coming up is probably worse than that. I have just received some information that these terrorists are probably planning to blow up Tokyo Tower tonight. These terrorists are probably armed and very dangerous. I repeat: they are probably armed and very dangerous. If they resist you, do not hesitate to shoot and kill!" ************** "I still think this is a bad idea." Palnus turned around in his seat to look at Alielle. "Alielle, you've only told me that 100 times already." "Well, it's true," Alielle replied. "This is a stupid, stupid idea. And I am not going to stop saying it until you admit it." Palnus looked out of his window on his side of the bus. "Okay, it's a stupid idea," he replied absently. "You didn't mean that!" "Hey, kid, shut up back there! Some people are trying to rest here, y'know!" a voice bellowed out from one of the seats near the front of the bus. Alielle lowered her voice a notch. "Look I think we're just rushing into this too quickly. What can the two of us do? Shouldn't we call the police? Shouldn't we..." Palnus looked thoughtful for a moment. "I..." Alielle leaned closer hopefully to hear what he had to say. "...don't know." Alielle did a face-fault on her seat. Palnus just shrugged. "Hey, I'm making this up as I go along. But why should we worry? Between your healing powers and my super strength, defeating the Phantom Tribe should be a cinch, right?" He grinned and started to flex his muscles and pose dramatically. "Don't worry, Miss. You don't have anything to fear while I'M by your side!" he said in the deepset voice he could manage. Alielle just rolled her eyes. "You're full of it, you know that?" Palnus ignored her and continued to pose while he stood on his seat. "Kid, if you don't sit down and shut yer yap, I'm gonna come back there and throw you out of this bus by your ears!" Palnus sat down timidly. Alielle laughed at him. *********************** Palnus and Alielle stepped off the bus and surveyed their surroundings. A short distance away, they could clearly see the image of Tokyo Tower cutting through the night sky. Alielle marvelled at it. "Wow, it's huge!! The photographs I saw sure don't do it any justice." She paused and looked at her brother. "Well, now that we're here, what do we do?" "Hmmm...well, I suppose we just hang around and keep our eyes open. You know, keep an eye out for suspicious characters and anything out of the ordinary...." "Well, aren't you the little detective?" Alielle muttered under her breathe. Palnus just looked at her blankly. "A detective? What's that?" "Never mind....let's just get going here....." ********************* Several men were standing at the basement of Tokyo Tower. One of them came up to greet Makoto. Makoto might have been nervous at that time but if he was feeling so, he hid his feelings very well. "My, my. You sure are early." "I presume you are Lagus." "Lagus? No, my boss is waiting for you up there. As for me, I go by several names. Here in Japan, I go by the name 'Tanaka'." *************************** Meanwhile at the same time, a very tense situation was taking place at the bottom of Tokyo Tower. "DON'T MOVE!" Shayla Shayla, Fujisawa and the rest had been slowly approaching Tokyo Tower when they had been startled by a loud voice obviously spoken through a loudspeaker. They had turned to see several policemen pointing their guns at them. Shayla Shayla noticed the name tag of one of them that said "ARIZUMI". She guessed that he must be a senior Police Inspector. He looked at her sternly and it looked like he meant serious business. "Men! These are the terrorists that we have been warned about! Be careful! They are probably armed and dangerous! Shoot to kill if they try anything funny!" "Stop right there!" Inspector Arizumi was surprised when he turned around to see Detective Tetsuya Kumamoto pointing a gun at him. He may have been nervous but he obviously was trying his best not to show it. Obviously, he was aware that he was heavily outnumbered as sweat glistened on his forehead. "What do you think you are doing; pointing a gun at a fellow police officer? Is this some kind of practical joke? Are you blind or something? The terrorists are over there?" "Inspector Arizumi. I have been carefully investigating you. I know you have been receiving bribes and have been actually working in league with all kinds of bad people like those in the Yakuza." The police officers who were with Inspector Arizumi looked uncertain and began lowering their guns. Perhaps they believed him. Perhaps they were just uncertain. Whatever it was, the odds were certainly changing. Inspector Arizumi turned to them and yelled,"Men! He is the real bad guy. He is working in league with the criminals. Arrest him!" In the darkness, Kaori Morisaki had slipped away. She had earlier heard from her sources that something big would be happening tonight. She had stood around patiently waiting for the scoop of her lifetime. When it seemed that nothing was going to happen, she had gotten restless. She was trying to find her way up the Tokyo Tower when she heard some voices. She looked around. Flashlights. Police officers. Guns. Strange-looking people. Tetsuya Kumamoto. Tetsuya Kumamoto? This was big. He was obviously in some kind of trouble. Another policeman was pointing a gun at Tetsuya Kumamoto(who coincidentally was pointing his gun back at him). "Men! I am going to call for more reinforcements and then we'll arrest all these scum!" She identified the voice as belonging to Inspector Arizumi whom Tetsuya had in past months been feeding information and evidence about his misdeeds with the Mayor of Tokyo. Something big alright. Visions of tomorrow's headlines started to stream into her mind and she would play a major part in it. She came out of her hiding place and spoke to Inspector Arizumi's subordinates, "No. The one person all of you should arrest is Inspector Arizumi.(she opened her bag and started to brandish documents and photos at them). He is guilty of corruption, working with the underworld and lots of other crimes you can think of!" The other police officers looked perplexed but started to lower their weapons and it appeared that they were going to face Inspector Arizumi when....Inspector Arizumi noticed the momentarily lapse of concentration in Tetsuya's face and started to aim his pistol towards him. Tetsuya was quick-thinking. He knocked his hand but in the commotion, there was a sound of a gunshot...... Everyone turned. Kaori was lying in a pool of blood. Her right shoulder blade had been hit by the stray bullet. Tetsuya dropped his gun and kneeled beside her. He was crying. "Kaori, that was a very brave thing you did. I am so proud of you. I...I... Aishiteru(I love you)."Alielle and Palnus had been watching from their hiding place. Alielle came out and started to kneel beside Kaori. Alielle turned to Tetsuya and said,"I think I can help......." ***************** Makoto Mizuhara was at the top of Tokyo Tower. The cool wind of the night gently caressed his cheek as he sternly faced his opponent. A tall man with wavy blue hair was there to greet me. He seemed cordial in the same way a butcher would, before slaughtering his livestock. "Ah, young Makoto. A very punctual man, I see." "Release Ifurita at once!" "Sure. After you have activated that thing over there." He gestured over at some strange-looking device attached to the Tokyo Tower. It looked ancient and Makoto guessed that it must have come from El Hazard. From where Ifurita was tied, she cried, "No Makoto. You have brought enough happiness to me. You gave me a heart. Before I met you I had nothing. You don't have to do what he says. You can leave me here..." Makoto ignored her and walked over. He placed both his palms on the object. Nothing. Nothing? Nothing. Nothing happened for a split second. Then a dull glow emitted from it."Excellent!" Lagus started to laugh maniacally. Makoto's thoughts were suddenly distracted. Lagus apparently had received some message and he swung a floodlight down. Makoto looked down and could vaguely make out the figures of Diva and Jinnai. Lagus seemed calm and he was speaking over the loudspeaker. Makoto couldn't make out all the words but he knew that Lagus was taunting Jinnai. He suddenly snatched Inari and held her like a kitten. The glow from the strange device was getting brighter. Lagus then ordered his men to switch it on. "At last, power will be mine and revenge will be accomplished!" Slowly, a low, terrible hum filled the air and the great tower began to pulse like a beacon. There was a great crash in the air as Tokyo Tower flared and crackled. Suddenly Tokyo was plunged into darkness. Lagus laughed at the darkness and held Inari while continuing to taunt Jinnai.All too suddenly, Lagus put Inari in a corner and began to walk towards the device. Makoto had earlier noticed that there were some very-strange looking palm prints on the device. Lagus put his hands there and energy seemed to suddenly flow through his body....... ******************************* The omen. The vision. It was something which mystical Shinto Priestesses seemed to have the uncanny ability to do: to see visions. Sakura Hino, was locked in her shrine looking at a fire. "Sun, stone, stars...." she was chanting. The fire started to waver strangely as she glanced into the prophetic vision. "Oh no! Young Makoto! To die such a horrible death at such a young age!" She reached out for the phone and started dialling..... ***************** At the bottom of the Tokyo Tower, another unit of Inspector Arizumi's men had been stationed at the other side of the Tower. Inspector Arizumi had been wise to station men at both ends of the Tokyo Tower. This unit had been alerted to the presence of Diva and Jinnai. They radioed Lagus above. It appeared that Diva, Jinnai and some Bugrom had been gathering earlier at the bottom of Tokyo Tower earlier, no doubt being well-informed about what was going to happen tonight. However, they were not expecting what was going to happen next. Lagus was well-prepared. He swung the floodlight onto the company below. "Well!" They heard his voice over a loudspeaker, horribly calm. "All this activity, for one little roach! Jinnai, you amaze me. For a master strategist, you have made a terrible mistake - you have allowed yourself to become an emotional hostage to this little roach, and the thing that bore her. Or are you simply here because your continued power depends on what you bred in that nest of horrors? Look upon her, then! Here is your greatest creation - a Bugrom princess! Shall I give her to you now?" As he spoke, Lagus held the child like a kitten, suspended out over empty air. The Bugrom rose to their feet, whinning and chattering in a frenzy. Queen Diva clutched Jinnai's arms with fingers of ice. She looked a little frightened and confused at the same time. "No? Will you come and get her, then?" With a nod at his men, Lagus ordered the El Hazardian device switched on. Slowly a low, terrible hum filled the air, and the great tower began to pulse like a beacon. The humming noise rose and rose in intensity, until a great crash split the air, and the girders of Tokyo Tower flared and crackled like a giant Roman Candle, while the lights of the great city....vanished. Darkness blanketed the mighty city in an instant. And as if to take place of the lights, the sirens suddenly howled, car horns blared, brakes shrieked and voices screamed as the largest city on earth was plunged to chaos. From the other corner while facing the policemen, Kauru and Nanami looked 'round, horrified. "It's a blackout! He's sapping the energy of the whole city!" Up on the platform, Lagus laughed at the roaring darkness below. He held Inari aloft again, and she wailed in fear. "Come and get your little treasure, then....if you dare!" ************************** There seemed to be a strange reaction on the metal structure of Tokyo Tower. Things were rattling and shaking. Makoto looked around and saw Ifurita rattling her chains. It was getting loose! Without wasting a moment, he threw her power staff to her Ifurita who deftly caught it. Breaking out of her chains she started to move only to be intercepted by Kalia. There was clash of metal as the power staffs of the two demon goddesses made contact but no one was injured. The battle was not going on well. Makoto had shifted his attention from Lagus, who was apparently absolving large amounts of energy. Instead, Makoto was looking in the other direction and was looking at the battle between Kalia and Ifurita. He wanted to help but he decided against it when she beckoned him to stay away. Ifurita was not in any shape to fight any battle. Whatever Lagus had done earlier, it looked like Ifurita's energy was just not there. She clearly looked tired and her efforts at firing blasts at Kalia were too weak to cause any damage and lacked precision.Kalia on the other hand, looked like she was enjoying herself. It even seemed like she was taking the battle easily. Rather than merely firing ki blasts at Ifurita, she was also using physical violence on Ifurita. She had delivered a sizable number of punches and kicks at Ifurita who clumsily tried to dodge them with no success. Kalia suddenly flew behind Ifurita and locked her arm around Ifurita's neck. Ifurita stuggled to no avail. With full force, she threw Ifurita who slammed full force into part of the metal structure of the Tower. Ifurita was down. It looked like Kalia was getting ready to finish her. "No, Kalia! Don't do it!" Makoto was standing in front of Ifurita with his arms outstretched, directly facing the firing range of Kalia.Kalia grinned and prepared to fire. Without blinking, Makoto did the only thing he could think of in a split second...he jumped towards Kalia.Kalia was stunned as he touched her. Within seconds, there was a blur as their minds linked and their memories interwined. Kalia could feel the memories of an earlier conversation that Makoto had had with Ifurita:#You know Kalia is a different kind of demon god. Her type is probably capable of independent thought. After all, the Kalia prototypes were built for revenge. It didn't matter what they did as long as it served their purpose. That's why Katsuhiko Jinnai couldn't control the Kalia he found in El Hazard.##Really, Ifurita? Then who is this Kalia working for and why...?# Everything was spinning as Makoto unlocked a distant memory of Kalia:(There were several men with strange features digging and uncovering some ancient El Hazardian ruins. A tall man with wavy blue hair uncovered a tomb that contained Kalia. He was obviously a master of the dark arts and his men addressed him as "Lagus". He was telling his men about how this demon god was difficult to control but with his sorcery, he could easily tame it. It was hard to see what he was doing but it seemed like he was implementing something into Kalia's keyhole and muttering some chants. He then started to wind her and she awoke.....) Ifurita watched the motionless Makoto and Kalia and suddenly realized that Makoto was doing the same thing that he had done to her a long time ago when she tried to kill him.His memories and Kalia's thoughts and memories continued to swirl and merge. They were mind-linking:#Kalia, you don't have to follow this madman's orders. I can set you free.##No. I have no heart and soul. Makoto, I only live to inflict pain and suffering.# Makoto dived into a swirling cloud of loops and patterns. Makoto reached the epicentre of it and saw a strange contraption embeddled within.#Is this it, Kalia? Is this the thing that's been trapping you? I will set you free.# Carefully, Makoto disabled it. ****************** Kaori Morisaki opened her eyes. She looked at Alielle who was kneeling down and smiled. *Is this real? Why am I not feeling any pain?* Realization hit her as she finally realized what had just happened. She whispered to Alielle,"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. I wouldn't want the media to hound you about your healing abilities." During this time, Inspector Arizumi had been detained by some of his fellow police officers. At the moment Kaori opened her eyes, everyone's attention had turned towards her. He took this opportunity to break free from the other officers' grip and he managed to snatch a pistol from one of them. He got ready to aim at Detective Tetsuya Kumamoto who was within his firing range..... At the same above on the Tokyo Tower, Kalia and Ifurita had been fighting. At that precise moment, Kalia had caught Ifurita and had flung her. Ifurita's body had slammed against part of the Tower's structure causing glass shrapnels and some metal bits to fall down below. Detective Tetsuya had turned at the moment to see Inspector Arizumi unrepentantly pointing a gun at him and getting ready to fire at him. Detective Tetsuya's attention however was focused on a huge piece of metal falling from above:"Inspector Arizumi, look out!" The last thought that had passed in Inspector Arizumi's head was 'You think that trick will work on me? Now, get ready to die, you son of a....' Fujisawa had instintively shielded Miz's eyes. Kauru and Shayla turned away to avoid looking at the bloodied mess in the road under some metal debris. ************************* On the ground in front of Tokyo Tower, the bees were blundering around as though drunk. "It's no use, Mother!" one of them cried. "We are blind without the sun! You must summon our sisters of the night!" Diva nodded. "You have done what you could. Get back to your hives. I must concentrate." She threw back her head and hummed a strange melody. The trees began to rustle as she was answered by a high-pitched whine that spoke of sultry summer days. At last they came winging out to meet her: the great cicadas, some as big as hummingbirds, beating their gossamer wings. "We are here!" they sang. "It is early, and it is cold, but we are here to serve you!" Diva looked at them. They were brave and beautiful, but could they fight? She needed something stronger: something that could not be killed so easily. She closed her eyes and sang on. And another voice answered, cold and brittle and immeasurably ancient. "We are here. We have been here since the dawn of time, before the great reptiles rose and fell. We survived the world of ice, and the sun Man dropped from the sky. We cannot die. We are forever." There was movement on the ground, like the rippling of a great black shadow. Nanami felt a tickle on her bare foot and looked down. A second later she shrieked and leapt backwards, so terrified that she clutched her brother in pure instinct. "Oh, my God! Katsuhiko, get it off of me! It's on my foot! It's bigger than my finger! My God, they're everywhere!" Diva ignored her. She raised her arms. "Bless you, my brave little warriors! Go now and defeat my enemy, and save my daughter!"And with a great uplifting rush, the winged, black cockroaches of Japan took flight and soared towards the tower. **************** The dense cloud of hissing, twitching insects undulated up the tower. One of Lagus' phantom henchmen saw them coming, and smiled. He watched the ravenous swarm grow closer, then just as they neared the parapet of the deck, he pulled a lever on Lagus' device. The energy flowing around the girders blazed, and the swarm plunged into a burning curtain of air. Not one of them reached the platform, or Inari. Below, a fine black dust fell upon the watchers. Diva caught the one remaining roach, that lay quivering in her hand. "We failed. Forgive us," it whispered. A tear rolled down Queen Diva's cheek. ********************************* Everything felt different. It felt like a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders.*Am I really free now?* Kalia opened her eyes to see Makoto smiling at her.She turned to see Ifurita."Ifurita, I'm sorryyyyy...." Kalia didn't finish her sentence as she suddenly felt her knees give way and she collapsed, feeling weak.Ifurita had moved forward to catch Kalia. In the meantime, three of 'Tanaka's' thugs had moved towards Kalia and Ifurita.With her right hand still cradling Kalia's body and her left hand holding her staff, Ifurita made a move that would have made any martial artist proud. Without firing a single shot, she used her staff with her free left hand to whack the ankles of the 3 thugs who promptly went sailing and crashing on top of each other into another corner of the room.