Shingo and his friends were in the middle of an intense battle against Sempati and Jatayu again, with Fuujin and Raijin together. They had been fighting for what seemed like hours, but they knew that they couldn’t give up now.

Finally, Fuujin shouted, “That’s it! Here comes our ultimate esper fusion!” The ground began to shake as a bright light enveloped Fuujin and Raijin. When it faded, a gigantic, magnificent creature with wings of fire and lightning stood before them: the True Garuda.

As Shingo’s team faced off against the colossal True Garuda at the end of the runway in Inazuma Airport, the air crackled with anticipation. The sky above churned with dark clouds, swirling ominously as if reflecting the impending battle.

Shingo tightened his grip on his katana, a symbol of his unwavering resolve. All the other members of his team also stroke into battle stances. As some of them have faced Feng Huang before, the shocking True Garuda might pose a similar or greater threat than the fiery phoenix.

True Garuda unleashed its fury upon the team, summoning lightning bolts that streaked across the sky, striking the ground with explosive force.

Shockwaves rippled through the air, threatening to knock the fighters off balance. Soundwaves reverberated through the area, assaulting their senses with an overpowering resonance.

Chiyo summoned the power of lightning magic, channeling her energy into a powerful Lightning Blast that crackled and surged. True Garuda evaded the full force of it, but part of the blast grazed its azure feathers.

Ryonoken, the stealthy ninja, weaved through the chaos, his twin kodachis glinting as they deftly parried and struck. Keiji’s naginata spun with controlled precision, his movements blending grace and power. But, all of those still couldn’t overcome the gigantic bird’s air superiority.

The battle reached its climax as Mariko gained momentum. She finally found an opening and cast her most powerful spell so far, the Solar Shower. Crackles of holy energy filled the air and showered the gigantic bird. True Garuda faltered, its colossal form weakened by the relentless assault.

With a final surge of combined effort, Shingo’s team struck the decisive blow.

“It’s time to test out the combined attack we’ve practiced in the dojo when we were together, Shin!” Shiori shouted.

“Good idea, Shio! Let’s see how far we have gone apart now we’re together again!” said Shingo. “The Miura Style combination ogi, Cycle of Sun and Moon!”

The new move Shingo and Shiori talked about was an application of the Miura Style original ogi, Falling Sakura Petals by two people complementing each other in a rotating motion as the name stated. When Shingo attacked from the left and moved to the right, Shiori also attacked at the same time from the right and then the left, and so on and vice versa.

The well-thought move proved to be devastating for the target. True Garuda flew haphazardly to evade the combo as it prepared to counter with lightning, soundwave, and shockwave at once.

The twins’ blades struck its ethereal body from all directions, chipping it away mercilessly like plucking all feathers from a chicken’s body. Its shrill shriek sealed True Garuda’s fate.

As True Garuda’s spirit vanished, leaving only a lingering energy in its wake, the team stood amidst the remnants of the fierce battle. Raijin and Fuujin lay unconscious on the runway asphalt, their power spent. Hayato, wounded but still standing, breathed heavily, his determination unyielding.

Shingo’s team emerged victorious, their combined strength and unwavering resolve prevailing against all odds. The runway was a testament to their struggle, marked by the scars of battle.

As they regrouped, Shingo’s gaze swept over his teammates, a mixture of relief and pride in his eyes. Their victory had come at a cost, but their unity had proven to be their greatest weapon.

As they caught their breath and prepared for their next move, a pillar of black smoke suddenly shot out, stopping them in their tracks. They saw Hannya, one of their enemies, standing before them with a menacing grin on his face.

“H-Hannya!” Shiori exclaimed, her voice filled with fear.

“Huh, useless disciples. If you can’t function as fighters, I’ll just use you as batteries!” Hannya sneered at the duo of lovers.

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Before anyone could react, Hannya bound Fuujin with an invisible force, causing her to cry out in pain. The fiendish ninja then moved to snatch Raijin away, but before he could, Ryonoken appeared and swept Raijin to safety.

“You can’t have him, Hannya,” Ryonoken declared, his eyes blazing with determination.

“Now you’ve done it, Shadow Dragon,” Hannya replied, his voice cold and calculating. “You interfered with my business, violating our deal. Now suffer what’s coming for you!”

“Just bring it on,” Ryonoken said fiercely. “I should’ve done this long ago when Miura is still breathing. But now, as we are finally gathering together, I know the right time is now, not before.”

Shingo and his friends moved to help Ryonoken and Raijin, but Hannya outstretched his hands, holding the two katanas of fire and ice, Masamune and Muramasa, and gestured menacingly.

“Figures,” Hannya said. “Well, shall we go on with it? The Amiga twins may join in if they like.”

“I hate to admit it, but Hannya is still too strong for us,” Ryonoken admitted. “Are we going to fight him anyway?”

Shingo saw the situation and choices before them and knew that they had to choose wisdom over valor this time. “Elder Ryo is right. Whatever the outcome will be, it would be unwise and a waste of our experiences to rush into vengeance without knowing for sure that we have the power and all in a good balance.”

“Good, you know your place. Let’s hope we’ll meet again as more balanced combatants. I’ll be truly satisfied then.GoodGoodbye now!” said Hannya before disappearing in black smoke.

Shingo and the others watched in dismay as the pillar of black smoke receded into the distance, taking Fuujin with it.

But there was no time for despair. They had to regroup and come up with a new plan. However, Raijin, their captive, was distraught. “Fuujin! No… Master has taken her away!” he cried, his voice thick with grief.

Shiori tried to console him. “Hannya is still too quick and too strong,” she said. “We can’t retrieve Fuujin from his hands.”

Shingo spoke up. “Just stay with us,” he said. “We’ll try our best to save Fuujin and all the abductees.”

Raijin nodded, grateful for their support.

Hayato, the group’s leader, suggested they leave before they were caught by the authorities. “Let’s get out of here before the authorities swarm this complex,” he said, his voice urgent.

Keiji frowned. “What do you mean by ‘the authorities’?” he asked. “We, the GI, the law enforcers are already here.”

But Gale, who had done some investigating of his own, knew better. “I’ve done a bit of digging back then, and I know Godbrother Hayato doesn’t refer to them as the GI,” he said cryptically.

Nishi was intrigued. “Who are they, then?” she asked.

“The one who run this facility and others, opening and closing it at will like a tyrant. It’s JinCorp.”

But Chiyo intervened. “Ah, yes, that’s the one. Gale’s right. Let’s get out of here first, and we’ll talk in a neutral place, free from other GI agents, JinCorp, Yakuzas, and their spies,” she said.

Shiori had an idea. “How about Uncle Kotatsu’s Diner in East Daitoshi Light Commercial District?” she suggested.

Mariko agreed. “I agree. We can sit back and relax and talk with cool heads over the savory cheesecakes,” she said.

Keiji set the time for the meeting. “Let’s meet at nine tonight,” he said. “I must take care of things in the GI first.”

Nishi offered to help him. “I’ll help you, Senior Agent.”

Shingo, Shiori, and Mariko offered to book the diner to ensure privacy. “No one will disturb us,” Shingo promised.

Hayato had other business to attend to. “I and the rest of the gang need to regroup in the hideout. Plus, I have an urgent matter to attend to,” he said. “So, Shingo and Gale will represent the Yakuza in the meeting.”

Chiyo found this odd. “That’s odd, considering that Hayato is the most determined of us all,” she whispered to Mariko. “He needs to rescue his girlfriend, Reika Diose, right?”

Ryonoken, the silent member of the group, had a plan. “I’ll spy on Hayato,” he whispered. “For now, take a rest and protect Raijin at all costs. Maybe he holds the key to the whole mystery.”

Shingo had one last thing to say. “I shall protect Raijin,” he said. “See you all tomorrow morning at Uncle Kotatsu’s Diner.”

End of Act Five