A Deadly Need for Speed

“So like - what was that totally epic plot twist all about? You know - how all those villains fled when Tokugawa-san summoned the Dragon Sword from the sky?”

Jade asked as they all sat around a table at their new hangout spot next to their high school, a bubble tea shop called Kawaii Tea! Ririka, Mako, Aiko, and Mei looked at each other, considering how good a question it was. 

“I don’t know, Kobayashi-san, but since we got a sudden early dismissal from school today because of it, I’m not complaining.”

Mei replied euthanasia a smile as she sipped some of her Thai Iced Tea as she giggled cheekily, all the while Aiko rolled her eyes and nudged Mei.

“Don’t be a baka! You know that the better you do in school now - will determine if you get into the top three schools: the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, and the University of Osaka. You can’t get by on stealing looks from gaijin as you walk by, and Kendo for the rest of your life.”

Aiko responded in her ever so mature, and thus always responsible tone. Mei nudged her back in return playfully, before pulling one of her lower eyelids down and sticking her tongue out at Mei, which elicited giggles from Jade, Mako, and Ririka.

“Well we won - and apparently everyone was safe, besides from minor property damage to the school. Still though, the more we learn about our powers, and about those villains, the better prepared we’ll be to become Dragon Furies.”

Mako added, before they all looked at Ririka.

“I didn’t say anything - but when the sword comes down from the storming sky, and blasts light out when it hits the ground - I feel like there’s another presence there with us. I can’t explain it, it’s like a sixth Shōjo is there to lend support.”

Just as Ririka spoke, they all began to turn into flashes of light that corresponded to their respective colors when they were in their Dragon Fury henshin forms! Before any of them knew it, they were standing before Hazaki, who was customarily floating, coiled in the air as wingless dragons had been carved and drawn in such poses for in ukiyo-e and nishiki-e prints and wood carvings, respectively, for centuries.

“Hazaki, why did you summon us here - is everything ok? And what is your familial name, so that we may use the sama honorific?”

Ririka asked as she bowed, while her friends followed suit. They then looked around and looked at each other. It was after all, only the second time they’d been in Hazaki’s hidden castle compound, a castle shrouded in a magical mist.

“Arigato - but I came into existence far before the creation of the Japanese language Ave culture as you know it, so I must admit that I’m partial to using individual first names, Ririka. You said you felt a presence when you summon the Dragon Sword, correct?”

Hazaki declared, before asking more softly as Ririka nodded, while Jade, Mei, Aiko, and Mako were transfixed on what Hazaki was going to say!

“Hai! But it was only when I summoned the Dragon Sword for our last battle. I felt like there was a sixth presence with us.”

Ririka replied as Hazaki seemed to think to himself, before his eyes glowed red and the tiled roof of the castle’s throne room dissipated into mist - revealing a storming sky above them.

“Call forth the Dragon Sword - and fear not, the answer to your question will be revealed once you do.”

Ririka nodded at her friends as they then returned the gesture in support, as Ririka then held her smoothly carved white crystal out in front of her.

“IT’S FURY TIME! WHITE DRAGON!”

Ririka announced as the henshin transformation took place, with her tight, lightweight, white with gold accents, tokusatsu armor and her red-visored, gold accented, fell headed tokusatsu helmet appearing on her! The Dragon Sword as if on cue - descended through the open space where the castle’s roof had been, before it stabbed smoothly into the tatami mat floor before Ririka and her friends. 

Before they could say anything, Hazaki nodded to watch the Dragon Sword as it glowed white, with a stunningly gorgeous shōjo who seemed to be both Ririka’s age and height, and who wore a radiant white death kimono, with flowing black hair and pure white eyes, as she smiled and bowed, floating as she fully emerged from the Dragon Sword. 

“I’m Suzuki Sayako, or - I was centuries ago, before I became a yokai. It’s lovely to meet you, Tokugawa-san! You’ve taken on the honor and the burden that I once had. I should say to you, and your friends - that the presence that you’ve been feeling is me.”

Jade, Mei, Aiko, and Mako looked at Ririka, as Ririka then returned their gaze, as they were all thinking the same thing: as wild as it was to be in the presence of an immortal dragon and now a yokai - at this point nothing surprised them, especially since they’d just fought otherworldly villains.

“You’ve met the main servants of the ultimate villain, Hazaki’s dark counterpart, Sazaki. I assume that you all know of my dark counterpart and his chief servant, Yumeko?”

Sayako stated and then asked as Jade, Mei, Aiko, and Mako all nodded in conformation, while Ririka verbalized her response.

“Yes. He - Hazaki mentioned Yumeko, and so did those villains, those female warriors that ambushed us at school. They said something about Yumeko coming after us and - “

Ririka said before pausing as Sayako floated and motioned for Ririka and her friends to follow her as Hazaki remained coiled and floated as well. Sayako paused before the nishiki-e print that depicted the final battle centuries before just outside of Osaka, where she tied her essence to the Dragon Sword in order to imprison Sazaki and defeat Yumeko simultaneously. As Ririka, Mako, Jade, Aiko, and Mei looked over the print - they could characters depicted moving - and a visual recreation of how Yumeko used an enchanted song to deliver the ultimate attack and win the - for a few centuries at least. 

“Wait - so you like, went into idol mode and enchanted the Dragon Sword with your essence!?”

Jade blurted out with a massive smile as Aiko rolled her eyes, but before she could call Jade a baka once more - Sayako smiled and held her hand up politely at Aiko. All the while, Ririka blushed, while Mako and Mei paid close attention to Sayako.

“I guess in modern terms you could say that!”

Sayako responded with gracious humor, as Aiko’s grimace at Jade slowly faded. 

“You see, traditionally - as Hazaki has surely told you - there was only a single Dragon Fury. For such a warrior and champion to unleash the ultimate attack with the Dragon Sword, they had to come up with a song that came from their heart, or which was bestowed upon them as an honor. My song was the latter - and now you’ll have find a song of your own, or have one made in your honor. Also - now that there four more of you, you can also lend your powers to create your version of the ultimate attack - and make it even stronger!”

Sayako explained with a good amount of gusto as Ririka, Jade, Mako, Mei, and Aiko took in the information that was presented to them. Though, they didn’t have long to process it, as their phones started going off with local news updates that all had the same headline:

“KYOTO HAS A NEED FOR SPEED: AN Anonymous Hashiriya has appeared in downtown Kyoto with several other similar street racing vehicles - performing revving and underside light shows for a crowd that seems to be unusually captivated.”

“Hey! Why don’t we go check this out? I mean looked at these cars: they’re all Subaru WRX’s with large spoilers, extended side skirts, and underside glowing lights! Plus, look at those patterned paint jobs on them - or are they custom wraps? Anyways, these look so cool!”

Mako chimed in - showing that she had a bit of a hashiriya streak in her, as far as an interest went! As Aiko scrolled through the photos on the developing news article on her phone, she couldn’t help but notice something that seemed off.

“Have you guys noticed that aside from the black one that’s got pink and white accents - there are five other Subaru WRX’s like Mako said, but their base colors are white, blue, red, yellow, and pink. This can’t be coincidental.”

Aiko replied, while Ririka who was still in her Dragon Fury form - and thus still had the Dragon Sword summoned, looked worried under her helmet, though the armored covering didn’t betray this feeling. 

“Aiko isn’t wrong - I sense that the presence of evil is here with us. Hazaki, I think we should get to downtown Kyoto, and fast!”

Sayako added as she manifested in her yokai form and looked at Ririka and her friends after speaking to Hazaki.

“I’m of the same feeling, Sayako. Dragon Furies - go and confront whoever this flashy villain is. I sense that the level to which those around these cars have been captivated isn’t normal interest - but insidious mind control.”

Hazaki announced as Ririka, Jade, Mei, Mako, and Aiko nodded to each other and teleported in their respective color-coated flashes of light to the area, landing in the wide-street area of the “new town” part of Kyoto, more specifically, in the middle of the extra wide four-way intersection. All around them, there were civilians staring and frozen in place, seemingly unable to look away or even move while they were entranced by the looks of the loud and vibrant hashiriya style Subaru WRX’s.

“Hey - like, can you hear me? Hellllooooooooo? DUDE! HEY!”

Jade says and then yelled as she tried to get the attention of a girl her age who was frozen in place, but to no avail. 

“Hazaki and Sayako were right! Guys - go into Dragon Fury mode.”

Ririka ordered as the others nodded!

“HAI!”

They said in unison as they began their respective henshin transformations!

“UNICORN!”

Jade announced as she held out her carved pink crystal. 

“PHOENIX!”

Mako announced as she held out her carved red crystal. 

“SHARK!”

Aiko announced as she held out her carved red crystal.

“CHEETAH!”

Mei announced as she held out her carved yellow crystal.

“WELL - I WASN’T MISINFORMED: THERE REALLY ARE FIVE OF YOU! PERFECT, SINCE WE HAVE A LITERALLY CAPTIVE CROWD TO WITNESS A HASHIRIYA STYLE NEED FOR SPEED - WHILE YOU RACE STRAIGHT TO YOUR DOOM!”

A female voice boomed out that had the kind of spice and sweetness of an edgier-style J-Pop Idol! As the Dragon Furies looked around, they saw where it was coming from: the black customized Subaru WRX with an extended side skirt, large spoiler, white and pink accents, and a black-light color underside light. As they stared, they could see a female outline as a flash of black-light passed over the tinted black windshield. 

“I have a bad feeling about those underside lights, don’t let them touch you!”

Ririka ordered desperately as she raised the Dragon Sword towards the black car, as Sayako spoke to her from inside the sword.

“Don’t doubt your instincts, Tokugawa-san, for I sense the same thing.”

“Hai! Everyone - don’t let the underside lights get into your presence or otherwise touch you! Sayako just confirmed that they’re dangerous!”

Ririka yelled as she steeled herself with the Dragon Sword - as the five cars with their corresponding colors raced towards them!

“Like - I wanted to get a Japanese drivers license - but totally not like this!”

Jade said as she jumped into the air and into a full splits, but as she was coming down, the pink Subaru WRX instantly shifted into reverse as it went backwards, making Jade’s feet touch the glowing underside pink light as she landed! With a moment, the vertical doors opened and Jade was sucked into the car!

“NO!”

Mako blurted out as she was doing handsprings backwards as fast as she could in an effort to get away from the red Subaru WRX that was chasing her down, until she found hers of cornered against a wall - and sucked into her vehicle in the same manner as Jade! 

“We can’t give up! Just try to avoid those underside lights!”

Mei yelled as she ran up a wall that would’ve otherwise cornered her before flipping over the car, but landing just within the edge of the glow of the underside light of the yellow car, getting her sucked into the car as well, as the vertical doors closed once more.

“My mental calculations put my chances of getting out of this engagement without suffering the same fate as the others at just above zero, Tokugawa-san!”

Aiko declared to Ririka as she jumped up and grabbed the bar of an overhanging sign - doing a gymnastics flip to avoid the first pass of the blue car, before jumping between two buildings in order to propel herself into a flip over the blue car, landing just short of being safely away from the underside blue light, and thus suffering the same fate as the other Dragon Furies!

"Looks like they felt the wrath of my turbo-charged terror! Now it's your turn to see what the horrifying hashiriya horsepower of the one and only - Horror-riya can really do when I shift into my full power!"

Horror-riya declared menacingly as that same flash of light revealing her silhouette in the black Subaru WRX shined over her windshield! Before Ririka could respond - she raced forward as the tires of her vehicle squealed against the smooth pavement of one of the main intersections in downtown Kyoto. All the while - the white car meant for Ririka held back as if to wait for her a prey, while Horror-riya ensured that that would occur sooner rather than later! As the seconds clicked by, Ririka considered all of her options, and then Sayako spoke up just in time!

"I sense that the Dragon Sword alone wont be enough to keep this villain at bay - as Azaka must've sent this one specifically for the purpose of getting past our greatest weapon - well, one of our greatest weapons! Anyways, destroy the cars and avoid the their underside lights! If you can do that, we should be able to free the others, get these frozen civilians out of their collective trance, and win the day!"

Sayako suggested as Horror-riya raced towards them in her supernatural, black Subaru WRX! In that moment, Ririka got an idea!

"How's this for a traffic light!?"

Ririka yelled as she performed a fast and powerful three-hundred-sixty-degree spinning slash with the Dragon Sword that let out a massive burst of white light that temporarily disabled the underside lights of the supernatural cars, which Ririka correctly read as an opening!

"Now it's my turn to go!"

Ririka let out as she flung the Dragon Sword up into the air, before jumping up higher than it with the speed of a jet - before she kicked the Dragon Sword straight down through the top of Horror-riya's car! Ririka had managed to hit the sound system too - who caused the white light of the sword to the amplified by the blast of the stereo system in the supernatural car, blasting out the windows and windshields on it and the other cars that her friends were trapped in! As Ririka landed back on the ground with a stylish ground punch that created a small crater, Mako, Jade, Mei, and Aiko joined Ririka.

"Arigato, Tokugawa-san!"

Mako said as she gave a quick bow to Ririka, as the Mei and Aiko each thanked Ririka too, before Jade also spoke up in gratitude.

"Like, talk about getting a noise complaint! But hey, I guess blasting a stereo was good for the community after all!"

Jade added as all of the previously entranced people began to wisely flee the scene! While they did, Horror-riya calmly stepped out of her damaged vehicle to reveal herself. 

Horror-riya was slightly taller than Ririka, with neck length black hair with pink and white highlights that was shaved to the skin on the right side of her head, with black eyes, snakebite piercings, an above the waist length short, black and white racing jacket with a chest length black partial-t shirt, along with black skin tight leggings with white one masks patterned all over them, and what looked like very lightweight, European-style, black and white Puma shoes. As she looked at the Dragon Furies, she laughed! Ririka held up the Dragon Sword in Response, pointing it at Horror-riya with a with a burning readiness for vengeance. 

"You really think I'm some amateur that would burn out that quickly!? Foolish teenagers - you should know that I never drive stock - I only drive custom!"

Horror-riya let out with a boastful tone as the previously damaged supernatural cars began to merge together mechanically, with the black car being the last one. In under one minute, the cars had become a slender, effeminate, one hundred foot tall,  black mech with glowing white eyes, along with chest and shoulder armor that consisted of a upper white middle, a red lower middle, a yellow left shoulder, a blue right shoulder, and a pink neck!

"Let's see how you like it when I take out my project car for a spin!"

Horror-riya boomed from inside her mech! Meanwhile, Sayako partially appeared from the Dragon Sword as she looked at Ririka and the others.

"Before you say anything, we can fight back! Just trust me and call out for the Ulti-Mech!"

Sayako pleaded with Ririka as the others nodded. 

"Unleash Ulti-Mech Power now!"

Ririka let out as Sayako shifted back into the Dragon Sword! Before their eyes, a White wingless dragon mech, a red phoenix mech, a blue shark mech, a yellow cheetah mech, and a pink unicorn mech all made their way towards Ririka and her friends, before they started a transformation on the move!

The dragon folded into itself and produced an almost female samurai-esque mech head and slender torso with red wyes and a fierce metal covering over the mouth area, as it flew forward. The phoenix transformed into a slender, effeminate red right arm with half a chest and shoulder armor piece attached, while the shark transformed into the identical left arm, but in blue! The cheetah and unicorn mechs turned into the effeminate and slender right and left mech legs, respectively! Once the transformation and combing were complete - Ririka and the others found themselves transported as beams of light into the control center in the upper chest of the Ulti-Mech, with each of their spots being color-coded and Ririka being seated front and center above the rest!

"Wait - what happened to the Dragon Sword!?"

Ririka blurted out, worried!

"Don't worry - there's a storm coming!"

Sayako said as she appeared on each of their control panel screens, before the sky suddenly became stormy, and the Dragon Sword, now the proper size for the one-hundred foot tall Ulti-Mech to carry, descended with great speed and power from the sky, crashing down as it's last f light blew away the skyscrapers around it, as well as blowing back Horror-riya and her mech!

"Epic! Alright - I think I get this - we each control the area that our individual mechs become in order to form the Ulti-Mech!"

Ririka announced as Horror-riya picked up one car in each hand from the street with her mech and hurled them towards the Utli-Mech!

"Look out, Dragon Brats - there's heavy traffic today!"

Horror-riya let out with glee as the cars were hurled at them! Thinking on her feet, Aiko turned to Mako as the former quickly studied her control panel!

"The fingers and thumbs of the Ulti-Mech are plasma blasters! If we can use the nimble, low hit-box feminine design of the Ulti-Mech to the evasive and offensive action at the same time, we might be able to follow up with even more consequential attacks!"

Aiko announced excitedly!

"Ok, but in simple Japanese!"

Mako quickly replied with desperation!

"SHOOT THE CARS WITH THE FINGERS AND THUMBS AND ADVANCE!"

Aiko yelled as she and Mako operated the arms and fired a rapid fire flurry of red plasma beams at the cars that were thrown at them, blowing them up and rendering them harmless to the Ulti-Mech! 

"Alright - we have to close in and get the Dragon Sword!"

Ririka commanded as Horror-Riya continued to throw more cars at the Ulti-Mech, while the Ulti-Mech thanks to its gendered design, easily flipped over wrecked skyscrapers and and evaded the projectile dangers! 

"You think you're all so hot!? Let's see how you handle a real Hashiriya shifting into a new mode!"

Horror-riya yelled defiantly as the arms and legs of her mech glowed black and white, before running forward with lightning speed and going into a jump side-kick straight over the Dragon Sword that Ririka and the others in the Ulti-Mech were trying to reach!

"DUCK AND SLIDE! I HAVE AN IDEA!"

Ririka commanded desperately as Mako, Aiko, Jade, and Mei all carried out the order in their cooperative ways!

"HAI!"

They let out in unison as the Ulti-Mech slid under Horror-riya's mech's supernaturally-charged jump side-kick, while they retrieved the majorly enlarged Dragon Sword as the Ulti-Mech!

"I'LL TURN THAT STOCK TRASH INTO SCRAP!"

Horror-riya let out angrily as she then started to form a black and white ball of energy in her hands that soon became half the size oher mech - as she pushed it out from her mech's chest right towards the Ulti-Mech at great speed!

"Not today, Horror-riya! But what you could say is that your vehicle is going to get impounded!"

Ririka announced as she saw the Dragon Sword glowing white light, a sign that Sayako was assisting them! Just then, Ririka got an idea!

"Fire the hand blasters - and we'll dropkick the energized Dragon Sword at Horror-riya as it follows a volley of our plasma fire! That way, our plasma blasts will hopefully destroy her ball of dark energy, and the Dragon Sword will destroy her!"

Ririka ordered as they got to work! about five seconds worth of plasma blasts surged forward towards the ball of dark energy that was racing towards them! As the plasma blasts destroyed the ball of energy, they worked together to throw the Dragon Sword lightly towards Horror-riya's mech, as Sayako guided it on a straight path and Rirka and the others used their controls to cause the Ulti-Mech to deliver a powerful dropkick to the bottom of the grip of the Dragon Sword - sending it surging forward! 

"Talk about crashing out!"

Horror-riya said right before her mech exploded as the Dragon Sword made  forceful, direct contact with it! As that happened, Ririka and the others turned away from the explosion in the Ulti-Mech, feeling rather cool as they did so in stylish victory!