Three months later—-
Omariro was in the kitchen, cracking his aging back. Nonoka slid over, supporting him. "Let me help you, Master. What was it you were trying to get?"
"Cup in fridge. Too high to reach."
She quickly grabbed his cup of coffee and gave it to him. "Here you go, Master. Need anything else, you just let me know."
She hugged him before leaving, hanging with Zaria on the steps. "How is he?"
"How do I put this nicely?" Nonoka remarked. "Ever since that battle with the Sixth and Seventh, he's been showing his age more. I find it cute, because we all know he's still so strong. But his body really seems to be taking a toll."
"Well, that's why we're here," Zaria replied. "Hey, have you seen Sōshin?"
"He's with Rika and Rei," Nonoka answered. "They're relaxing by the lake. Do you think we should take Master?"
"Meh. Not like we got much better to do."
Omariro used his staff as a cane to get himself back to the couch, while Zaria and Nonoka watched. "On second thought...we should stay here and watch him."
They both sat next to Omariro, giving him warm smiles. Omariro put the cup of coffee to his lips as he watched golf on TV. He dropped his staff, and Zaria quickly picked it up. "Here you go, sir."
She noticed his dreadlocks were longer. "These are cute, sir. When did they grow so long?"
"Age. With age, hair grows."
"Don't tell me you're going to age to dust!" Zaria worried, clinging to him. "You already look tired!"
"Age forever. Death irrelevant."
"Phew. Thank goodness."
Rika and Rei came back into the house, covered in water. Rika squeezed some out of her hair before turning to the girls. "Ugh! I love having a little brother, but he can be such a pain sometimes! Seriously, I told him not to splash my hair, and what does he do? Splash my hair!"
Rei giggled. "I love Sōshin!"
They both noticed Omariro, and they sat next to him alongside the other girls.
"Hi, Master!" Rika greeted.
"How are you feeling, Master?" Rei wondered.
"Back hurt. Fingers numb."
"He's getting older," Zaria whispered. "Even though he's almost 98, he's like 120 now."
"It's a miracle he can still walk," Nonoka pointed out. "He's such a legend."
Sōshin burst into the room. "I'm back, Friends! I brought a jellyfish!"
He held up the jellyfish, and Rika quickly got up. "Sōshin, put that back!"
"Nope! Hehe!"
Zaria took Omariro's cup, emptying it. "Well. It seems everything is starting to go back to normal."
As soon as she said that, Han walked down the stairs, blandly walking to the kitchen to wash his hands and grab a bottle of water.
"Not everything," Nonoka hissed.
Han gave Omariro a curt wave. "Hello, Master."
"Boy been in room all day. Boy must come out."
"Sorry. I didn't realize."
The girls all glared at him, their faces full of anger. Sōshin walked over to him, giving him a playful slap on the arm. "Hi, Friend Han!"
"Hi, Sōshin."
Omariro slowly stood up.
"Master!" Rei worried. "Your back! Please, sit back down! I'll grab some ice!"
Omariro landed on his feet, cracking his back. "Tension high. Group not whole. Come. Training."
The girls shared a look as Han prepared to go upstairs, but Omariro stopped him. "Training includes boy."
"Oh. Of course, sir."
Omariro slowly made his way into the dojo as the others followed him. He tapped his staff on the ground, and they sat. Zaria noticed she was close to Han, and she immediately swapped places with Sōshin.
"What are we doing today, Master?"
Omariro weakly raised his arm. "Old drill. One team protect object. One team destroy."
With a hint of golden light, he opened a nearby chest, and purple crystal shards flew out, piecing themselves back together into one giant crystal.
"Asahikawa Dungeon Crystal. Old students did drill often. Time for new students."
"So, you want us to destroy the crystal?" Nonoka asked.
He nodded. "Three teams. Rotate. Protect and destroy. Time for pairs."
"I call Rika!" Zaria quickly stated.
"I want Rei!" Nonoka added.
Han remained quiet as Sōshin grabbed his arm. "I'll go with Friend Han!"
"No," Omariro shot down. "I pick."
"Yes, sir..." they replied.
He pointed to Rei and Sōshin. "Pair."
Then Nonoka and Rika. "Pair."
Zaria immediately noticed what was going on, and she scooted away. "Sir, wait. Can I please have Emeru? Or even you? Please? I'll go solo if I have to!"
Omariro tapped his staff on the ground, and she quickly fell into shape. "Each team that loses takes boy. Boy is part of group. Only fair boy gets fair chance."
"With all due respect sir," Nonoka said, glaring at Han. "We voted him out. But we love you, so we'll allow it."
She immediately shut up when she noticed his stare. "Shutting up. Sorry, sir."
Omariro pointed to Zaria's group. "Defense."
Then, he pointed to Sōshin's. "Offense."
Zaria and Han took their places. Han held out a hand, offering it to Zaria. "Do our best?"
She slapped it away. "Don't touch me!"
"Alright, alright."
Omariro tapped his staff. "Begin!"
Without hesitation, Rei fired her moon blast at Han, who dodged and rolled out of the way, forming his cube. "Cube, scan for solutions!"
[*8* Solutions Found.]
"Use the best one!"
Zaria flipped over a moon blast and swung her spear at Rei, but Rei formed a shield, blocking the attack. Sōshin charged at Han, but the cube fired tripwires at the wall that bounced off, restraining him in place.
"Sorry, Sōshin."
"Don't apologize, Friend Han! Cool move!"
Sōshin touched the wires, vibrating them fast enough to slip out. He slipped past Han, attempting to break the crystal.
"Shit," Han realized. "He's fast."
His cube fired a net, trapping both Sōshin and the crystal. Zaria, still dueling with Rei, jumped back.
"Idiot!" she muttered.
She pushed him out of the way and ripped off the net as Sōshin punched the crystal, cracking it. Zaria tossed Sōshin away.
Before Rei could shatter it, Zaria chucked her spear at her, causing Rei's moon beam to nearly hit Rika and Nonoka.
"Rei!" Rika shouted. "Watch the hair!"
"I'm sorry!" she apologized.
Sōshin paced around Han, a smile on his face. "Get ready, Friend Han! I'm coming!"
Han summoned his watches, forming an electric gate that blocked off Rei and Sōshin.
"Team has 2 more minutes," Omariro said. "Protect and team wins."
"We can stay here and hold out," Han told Zaria. "I can make gates and cages to protect the crystal—-!"
Zaria ignored him, kicking the electric gate out of the way. "Wait!"
She charged forward, exposing the crystal to Rei's attack, but she quickly managed to tackle her, firing her moon beam in the wrong direction.
"Damnit, why won't she listen?" Han questioned.
"Got it!"
Behind him, he noticed Sōshin was standing near the crystal, touching it with vibrating force. It quickly moved faster than the eye could see, before shattering.
"Offense team wins," Omariro said.
"How?" Han wondered. "I never saw you move!"
"Hehe!" Sōshin giggled. "Friend Rei used blast to distract you, so I could swoop in and touch the crystal!"
"Teamwork," Han realized. "Something we don't have."
He turned to Zaria, who was looking down at the ground. "I told you, even if you're mad, Master Nyugawa wants us to work together! That means—-"
She backhanded him, causing him to fall to the ground.
"Don't you dare talk to me, traitor!"
Sōshin quickly stepped in front of Han. "Friend Zaria! That's not nice!"
Rika put her hands on Sōshin's shoulders. "Sōshin, I know you're trying to give him grace, but he doesn't deserve it. Master, could we get this over with? You're barely managing to stand, and this evil worm is only going to ruin you further."
"All girls feel this way?" Omariro asked.
They nodded.
"We want him out," Rika insisted. "I never want to see him again."
"Agreed," Nonoka stated. "Not only can't he be trusted, but he's also wallowing in self-pity as if he deserves it."
"I love all my friends!" Rei remarked. "But he's not one of them! He's an enemy!"
"Master, please," Zaria begged. "He's the reason you're like this. Seal him away, exile him! Anything! But please don't indulge him just because he wants you to think he's sorry!"
"Girls' opinions noted."
Omariro tossed the staff away. "Jugen-Tōshi: Cursed Hex Armor."
"Master, what are you doing?" Han exclaimed.
Armor formed around his body. "If girls want boy gone, girls must shatter crystal."
He turned to Han and Sōshin. "Come. Defense."
"S—sir!" Rika begged. "Please don't push yourself! We don't want to go against you!"
"This is silly, Master!" Nonoka worried. "Look at you!"
"Come!" he ordered. "Shatter crystal, boy gone for good."
The girls shared a look.
"Okay," Zaria obliged. "We'll try to be gentle!"
The crystal reformed. Zaria threw her spear at it, but Omariro blocked with his sword, turning to Han. "Use head. Keep crystal safe."
Sōshin eagerly jumped up and down. "What should I do, Master?"
"Apply pressure."
"Okay!"
Sōshin zoomed through the girls, nearly tripping them. Rei formed two moon crests, using one to clash with Omariro's blade and the other to strike at the crystal, but Han fired a wire that knocked it off course.
Nonoka's body shifted.
〈Humanity Discarded.〉
"Time to put this sigil armor to use again," she noted. "Eagle's Reckoning!"
〈Ability: Active.〉
A wind gust erupted, sending the crystal into the wall, but Han caught it with a net before it could shatter. Zaria attempted to kick Han, but he ducked, firing a smoke bomb that blinded her and the entire room.
"Crap! I can't see!" Rika gasped.
"Stay sharp!" Zaria ordered. "We've gotta break that crystal!"
Rei fired moon beams repeatedly. "Did I get it? I think I got it!"
The smoke cleared, revealing that the crystal was still intact. Rika formed a sigil between her hands.
〈Sigil Created: Life Steal.〉
Rika crushed it, draining the crystal's energy bit by bit. Sōshin pushed her into the wall. "Not today, Big Sis Rika!"
Rika got up, recovering. "Hey! You're not supposed to hit your older sister!"
"Hehe!"
Zaria and Han continued dueling, with Han attempting to avoid all her attacks. Rei and Nonoka tried to get close to the crystal, but a wave of arrows from Omariro's bow kept them at bay. As his bow disappeared, he held out a glowing hand.
"Jugen-Kōbisha: Kamigami no Kōsoku."
The girls were all bound, and the crystal disappeared. "Time up. Girls lost. Boy stays."
The girls all collapsed, defeated.
"Okay..." Zaria relented.
Omariro shifted back to normal, and Han quickly caught him. "Sir! Are you okay?"
Rika pushed him off. "Get away from him!"
She and Rei helped him to his feet. "Body exhausted. Time for rest."
Zaria picked up his cane as they escorted him upstairs, with Nonoka following. Han watched them leave. "Sōshin, what do you think it'll take for them to stop hating me?"
"Show them who you really are, Friend Han!" Sōshin suggested. "Friends can't stay mad if they see you as I do!"
"But I don't know how..."
"You will! Just wait!"
Sōshin left the room, leaving Han alone in the dojo.
???——
Emerald stalked his way through trees and buildings, navigating the city of Aomori. "The Aomori Dungeon...where are you?"
Emerald stomped past terrified humans and crushed cars underfoot as he finally found his way into a park, which had pink trees.
He noticed a strange golden light coming from one of its benches, and sure enough, it exploded when he touched it.
A golden dungeon gate was hidden behind it, which opened immediately.
"Without Nyugawa's seal, this beast will be mine to use against him," Emerald chuckled. "Sister, hold on a little while longer..."
He entered the dungeon. "I'm coming."
As soon as he entered the dungeon gate, the Earth shook violently beneath him, and the gate closed, crumbling into dust.
——