SGS Japan Headquarters and Beyond (Monday, June 25, Fandom Time)
Boukenger Command Room, SGS Japan Headquarters
The team was gathered around the viewing screens in the lounge, reviewing video footage of their most recent operation; it had been a fairly routine job, and the atmosphere was a relaxed one.
"The Precious from Hermit Ravine has been completely blocked off," Sakura said, her tone as close as it ever came to congratulatory.
"The security is perfect now," added Souta with an emphatic gesture at the screens.
Makino-sensei took a sip from his teacup and beamed proudly at the assembled group. "All that's left is to take our time analyzing it," he said, "and then consider collecting it."
The image on the middle viewscreen faded out and gave way to the cartoonish inverted cone avatar of their mystery commander; it would be absurd if they weren't so used to it by now. Actually, Sakura still thought it was a bit absurd. What need SGS had for so much secrecy, she had no idea; if the Boukengers didn't have so much trust in each other and in SGS, these behind-the-curtain machinations could have been incredibly detrimental to morale and their team dynamics. "Dark Shadow didn't interfere?" Mister Voice inquired.
"No sign of them." Eiji wasn't looking at Mister Voice; Sakura suspected he shared her misgivings. Akashi, of course, had full confidence in SGS Command, but that was typical of him, and if Natsuki, Masumi, and Souta had less than that they didn't let on.
"They're in bad shape since Yaiba betrayed them," remarked Natsuki, and Sakura didn't like the note of hopeful confidence in her rookie teammate's voice.
"Negative Syndicate is still Negative Syndicate," she cut in. "We can't let our guard down."
Masumi grunted thoughtfully. "Yaiba is our bigger problem. He abandoned them, and attacked us in desperation." The former thief had a history with Yami no Yaiba, one that seemed personal enough to make Sakura slightly uncomfortable.
"He was so scary," Natsuki agreed.
This conversation was rapidly devolving into pointlessness, and Sakura was glad when Makino-sensei interrupted. "Speaking of scary -- Masumi-kun, did you take care of the annual dorm cleaning?"
Masumi's indignant yelp was a clear enough response, and really, it was his own fault that the rest of them reacted with various degrees of reproachfulness . . . none as severe as Sakura's, of course. "You should learn from the Chief," she chided. "He finished his share months ago."
Akashi grinned -- at least, to Sakura it was a grin, but she was biased that way although as much as she prided herself on cool-headed objectivity she'd never admit it. In truth, it might have been more of a smirk. "An adventurer should always be a step ahead," he intoned.
Souta cleared his throat and sidled up to Masumi, leaning an arm on the shorter man's shoulder. "My room's starting to smell," he said cheekily, holding his nose in an exaggerated gesture.
Masumi took the hint, and with a sigh trudged off to get cleaning duty out of the way. None of them thought there was anything amiss.
"Are you going back to that school to teach, Sakura-neesan?" asked Natsuki, setting out cups of tea for everyone. "Shouldn't you be thinking about going back now?"
Sakura nodded. "Now that we have Eiji back with us, I don't see any risk in my going away for a while." Needless to say, it had been a rather tension-fraught time at SGS when their half-demon comrade had been entrapped in stone, his soul sent to an Ashu dimension. What had happened during that time he wouldn't say. "Besides, time seems to pass differently there. But yes . . . after this mission is complete I'll be going back to teach. The students there . . . some of them have great potential. I'm actually quite proud of them."
***
Creator-King Ryuuon's Lair
The ground outside was littered with the dismembered and smoking bodies of countless dragon footsoldiers, and were one to follow the trail to the inside of the cave, they would find the last one standing, face to face with his creator.
"There's no going back," Ryuuon said as he hooked cables and pulsing organic-looking components together from the banks of machinery lining the cave walls. "You are the sole survivor of three thousand Jaryuu. All my knowledge and science, I will pour into you -- endure even greater pain, and become the most powerful JaakuRyuu!"
He raised the wicked-edged sword, wired into the array of wires and machines, and ran his creation through. The cave echoed with shrieks of agony as it filled with smoke, sparks, and the stench of cauterizing flesh.
***
Dorms - SGS Japan Headquarters
Masumi hadn't expected to find his old diary while he went through the drudgery of cleaning, but there it was, an old art and design journal wedged between his desk leg and the wall. He'd forgotten he'd even kept it, back in those first rebellious days after he'd joined SGS, so naturally he had to read it now. It was a distraction from doing this demeaning work, after all.
He'd forgotten his resentment too, for the most part, but reading through the old entries now it all came flooding back. How much he'd hated Akashi for his superior attitude, the arrogant way the Chief carried on as if his career as an adventurer was honorable and unmarred by disgrace. How much it chafed him that he, the "former thief," was scorned by the man whose reputation had once been that he'd obtain any treasure at any cost, no matter what he had to do. How determined he'd been that he'd one day surpass the Immortal Fang. He'd made himself that vow, and he was going to keep it.
And now, with Yami no Yaiba a loose cannon out there somewhere, no longer checked by the goals of Dark Shadow, maybe he had a chance to do just that.
The silence of the dorm room was suddenly shattered by the sound of his Accellular, and with the habitual reflex of months, Masumi grabbed it to answer the call.
"We've just detected a massive Precious reaction. Uncertain what it is, but the Hazard Level is extremely high."
Masumi grabbed his jacket and sprinted out of the dorms to join his team. Introspection could wait. He had work to do . . . and maybe in the process he'd find an opportunity to best Akashi somehow.
[OOC: Spoilers for Boukenger Task 45, "The Most Evil JaakuRyuu," behind the cuts. Large chunks of dialogue borrowed and paraphrased from the subtitular translations. NFB due to distance, of course; IC no, but OOC welcome. Part One of several as I appropriate the final Boukenger story arc to wrap up Sakura's storyline . . .]