From Teenagers to Magical Saviors!

“Hi everyone! I’m Tokugawa Ririka, and I’m super excited to join this class! I’m a total Tokusatsu Otaku or “Tokuota” if you prefer haha! My favorite series in the genre are Cursed Dragon Rider and Legendary Armored Power Warrior! Oh, and I practice Judo and Okinawa Karate! Before I forget, I’m also trying to do a grassroots campaign to save that sacred pagoda that’s out in the meadow at the edge of town! Thank you!”

Ririka announced as cheerfully and as confidently as ever as she bowed reverently, and then looked at her classmates. She was eighteen, a high school senior, and stunningly beautiful, having her shaking black hair in a lively ponytail, with her porcelain skin, healthily and naturally thin, just above five foot tall figure with a small chest, fitting nicely into her short, navy blue skirt, and just above the waist short, short sleeved, sailor school uniform with a white neckerchief, white thigh thigh stockings, as well as her simple, elegant, and small black school dress shoes. She smiled at her classmates who just nodded politely. 

“Very good, Tokugawa-san! Now if you’d please, take your seat at the last desk in the corner next to the window.”

The teacher of class 3-A said as she smiled. She was an elegantly dressed woman named Nakamura, with long black hair, a beautifully thin figure, as well as a black and white skirt suit and heels, all of which were nicely form fitted. 

“Hai!”

Ririka replied as she bowed to her teacher, before dutifully taking her seat as the lesson commenced. Seated her were four of her classmates in the same uniform, with mostly tue said hairstyles as each other, they being shoulder length black hair, save for one with a ponytail sneakily chewing pink gum! What told them apart where that the girl sneakily chewing gum had a pink notebook, another of the girls had a blue notebook, a further one of the girls had a yellow notebook, and the final girl that was seated closest to Ririka had a red notebook, as well as a box of wash-out red hair dye in her school-provided compact uniform  backpack. 

“I’m Miyamura Mako, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Tokugawa-san!”

The girl with the red notebook said quietly as she turned in her desk and bowed nicely to Ririka, who retried the gesture with a smile.

“I’m like - sorry, I’m Kobayashi Jade, gosh it like, totally feels weird to say my surname first! I’m from San Bernardino, California originally. So I’m like totally a ‘Valley Girl’, back in the ‘homeland’ as my parents say.”

The girl with the pink notebook said in Japanese but with an extremely prominent “Valley Girl” accent and mannerisms, before bowing only slightly after almost offering her hand instead.

“You seem like you’re a great student! Maybe we can study together? Oh, and I’m Kamakura Aiko!”

The girl with the blue notebook added as she then too bowed to Ririka, with Ririka smiling and returning the bow. 

“You seem like you’d be also great at other sports if you’re good at Judo and Karate! Have you considered Kendo!? Oh, and I’m Tomazawa Mei!”

The girl with the yellow notebook finally asked, before smiling and bowing with enthusiasm! Before they knew it, the class was over and the school day had concluded! Ririka made sure not to forget her white notebook as she walked with Mako, Jade, Aiko, and Mei. As the modern area of Kyoto gave way to the “Old Town” section, the four girls laughed as off in the distance, in the illusory, old style Japanese castle, Hazaki watched them keenly.

“So yeah, I’m a total tokuota! I hope that that’s not too lame for you guys!”

Ririka said with some self-deprecating humor as she looked at her new friends, who merely smiled supportively.

“Of course not, Tokugawa-san! It’s not like yore a baka gaijin - being a tokuota is nothing to be embarrassed about!”

Mako replied as she supportively nodded at Ririka, before seeing two obnoxious foreigners posing in front of a shrine for photos, nodding to Ririka as if to say “like them”. 

“So like - why do you like the costumed, henshin-transformation hero shows anyway? Like there’s totally nothing wrong with those or anything! Just like, back in the US - only kids watch those.”

Jade says before she got a light slap to the back of the head by Mei.

“Baka!”

Mei scolded Jade, as Jade then rolled her eyes and listened, all the while Ririka blushed and giggled, knowing that Jade didn’t mean any harm in her words.

“I just think it’s so cool! Like, I could use my martial arts skills for good - and become more than just a soon to be student at the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, or the University of Osaka. I mean - my dream is to be a Tokusatsu idol! But my parents, they don’t understand.”

Ririka said before she sighed, and looked at her new friends, who nodded with her in sympathy, all except for Aiko, who seemed to he deep in thought.

“Why not both? You can always purpose that dream with a prestigious degree in hand!”

Aiko said supportively, before they all had ru suddenly move out of the way as a crowd of cheering people clad in orange with Sanseito Party signs and small flags cheered and marched by in a huge formation! Ririka then stopped a young woman in their ranks.

“Hey! What’s going on!? There isn’t an election happening anytime soon.”

Tortola asked as she bowed politely, with the other woman stopping to return the gesture.

“They’re tearing down that old pagoda in the meadow just outside the city limits to put up a massive new shopping and apartment complex! It was a last minute deal made by Sanseito and the Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo earlier today, but it just got announced! The demolition starts tomorrow.”

The woman said as she then rejoined the cheering crowd. Ririka was speechless - wanting to cry, though she couldn’t even muster tears at the expense of her disbelief! Mako held her nicely, but a moment later - they all became distracted! 

“WHAT!?”

Ririka, Mako, Aiko, Mei, and Jade said in unison as they instantly became different colors of flashes of light: Ririka white, Mako red, Aiko blue, Mei yellow, and Jade pink - befuddled they just as quickly were standing in the throne room of a highly traditional and ornate Japanese castle, with the colors and accents of the materials being ivory and cherry stained wood, while outside, sakura blossoms gracefully fell from the trees in the white sand courtyard. The girls then looked at each other, looked around, and then at the large, white, two-mouthed, red-eyed, red-jewel forehead, wingless dragon stared at them. There were ukiyo-e murals on the walls of battles fought long before, with the last battle in 1313, showing Sayako’s sacrifice, being prominently displayed behind Hazaki. 

“I am Hazaki, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Ririka, Mako, Aiko, Mei, and Jade.”

Hazaki greeted them calmly as the girls stood there almost petrified and aghast!

“You’re like - a dragon!? Like what is totally going on!? Like, where are we even!?”

Jade blurted out as she then put her hand over her mouth.

“She’s right, who are you!? And what is this place!?”

Mei followed on with.

“Seriously - what are we doing here? How do you know our names!?”

Mako asked more bravely than Jade or Mei.

“You’re actually a real dragon? Science hasn’t proven that such beings exist.”

Aiko said inquisitively, oddly un-phased now that the initial shock had passed.

“I’m really with Mako on this one. Why us?”

Ririka finally said as she then looked at her friends, before they all listened. 

“All good questions - and I have answers for all of them. Just over nine-hundred years have passed since late-teenaged girls like yourselves, all of you being eighteen like they before yourselves - have had to take up the magical mantle of being the Dragon Fury. However, in these present times where knowledge of and faith in magic has all but faded, humanity can no longer be defended by a singular Dragon Fury and a supporting army of the magically faithful, but instead by a team of five Dragon Furies with an appointed leader. You five, you extraordinary teenagers - Ririka, your purity, Mako, your bravery, Aiko, your intelligence, Jade, your vibrance, and Mei, your agility - all have been selected by me to become the first team of Dragon Furies in history!”

Hazaki explain with gusto before he paused, observing that the girls were listening in highly interested silence. He then counted after gauging this reaction.

“Humanity’s loss of faith can be seen in their destruction of the pagoda in the meadow outside of Kyoto proper tomorrow. The figures that you know as the key political figures who encouraged this to happen and then made it happen - are none other than humanoid villains in disguise. They are lesser than myself, but they seek the power of my darker half, a wingless dragon called Sazaki, who in the jewel in his forehead, holds the entombed essence of his evil champion, Yumeko. Once the pagoda is destroyed, though he will be too weak to take a physical form outside of his medical amethyst-imprisoned form - he can and will impart the essence of Yumeko onto one whom he sees suitably evil.”

Hazaki continued, before pausing and then concluding solemnly.

“Seeing is believing - so you will see what I mean, I’m afraid. What I can say to prepare you all is this: kaiju-like forces of evil will be unleashed as Sazaki regains his strength, and it will be up to you all to defeat them and protect humanity. Frat not though, the power that will nos bestow upon you will protect you.”

Hazaki concluded as he then closed his eyes and sent out a flash of white light at the girls, and when their vision reeled a moment later, they could all see that they were each now identical armor, save for their respective skin tight, thin, lightweight armor and visored full-head triangle visored helmets being different colors! Ririka was the one who stood out, having on the armor that Sayako wore centuries earlier - as a sword swiftly descended through the heavens without causing any damage, and hovering downwards in a white glow berths her! It was the Dragon Sword, as also used by Sayako centuries earlier. 

“Wow! So our armors are the colors of our notebooks - though you said that these colors were tied to us.”

Mako said as she looked over her red armor. 

“Like, I love that I’m pink - but why is like, Ri - I mean, Tokugawa-san’s armor different, and why does she get an epic sword!?”

Jade blurted out excitedly and curiously, while Ririka gently took the Dragon Sword with surprising effortlessness. Ririka then pointed the sword gently at Hazaki, before quickly pointing it down again and blushing, as she’d only meant to get Jade to pay attention to Hazaki. 

“Ririka has been chosen to be your leader. Now, if you tap in the middle of your armored chests, you’ll feel a small jewel that’s the color of your armor. If you tap it three times, you’ll revert to your normal state. Try it.”

Hazaki commanded as the girls tapped the jewels centered in their respective armors, as they each stood there once more in their school uniforms, with the sword now disappeared too! 

“When you have to activate your armor, simply stop in place and yell, ‘IT’S FURY TIME!’ - and this will activate your armor and bestow your respective powers: Ririka, the power of the dragon, Mako, the power of the phoenix, Jade, the power of the unicorn, Aiko, the power of the shark, and Mei, the power of the cheetah.”

Hazaki explained as the girls nodded, at this point, all of them were convinced to accept their new reality, having seen and felt it firsthand. They then looked back at Hazaki.

“Go home now - go home and remember what I’ve told you. For tomorrow, when that pagoda is set to be demolished - you five will be humanity’s last hope.”

Hazaki concluded, as Ririka, Mei, Jade, Mako, and Aiko bowed to him. It wasn’t that they were scared as they left the castle and ended up miraciisky back in “Old Town” Kyoto, it was that they knew that this was their new reality - whatever they liked it or not.