Chapter 53 - Path To Liberation, Nightmare Ensues (Chap 51)

Synopsis: Hou just encountered a horrible nightmare. Thus it frightened him even more as one of it's parts become real...In the previous story, the 8 fighters moving on have been decided. With Rouga, Ranma, J Genesis, Lost Ren, Sophia, Shiloh, Bigmachine and Hou moving on. Meanwhile, Ice & Poet trains Judah & Micah. Despite using new gifts, Poet & Ice emerged victorious.Anime Opening: Jo No KaIt's the middle of the night and Hou is sleeping on his bed. However, his forehead sweats as he's encountering a horrible nightmare. In his dream, Azi Dahaka emerges in his new form, Hou's Genesis Armor becomes shattered, many monsters are off rampaging and the worst part is that Shiloh is being in danger and kidnapped by a dangerous group. Cries are being heard. Devastation is everywhere. Kyoya even become some sort of deity and fires a blast at him. This made Hou wakes up in fear.Hou: NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! (Wakes Up) Hou wakes up in fear while placing his hand on his chest harshly. He exhausts and breathes in and out in exhaustion and fear. His expression is so afraid and his forehead sweats alot. Having heard his yell, Garga came out of his card.Garga: Hou !!! Are you alright?Hou: I'm....I'm fine....I had a horrible nightmare. Shiloh's there...and and she's in danger and and...Garga: (Comforts him) Calm Down, My Buddy. Calm down. It's just a dream.Hou: No Garga. I think it was a vision. A horrible one. (Looks down in desperation) What am I going to do?Suddenly, Hou's deck beside him glows gold. Catching their attention in shock. The next day, at the Buddy Card Office, Tasuku discusses something with Hou and Garga. Tasuku: Hou, I did mention your identity to your friends but bringing your friends in for this mission is too dangerous.Hou: I'm sorry, Commissioner. Frankly it's my fault for not responding to them but then again, if Kyoya is plotting something bad with the tournament, we're gonna need some help.Tasuku: I suppose you have a point. Who's on the team?Hou: So far it's my classmates, Eden, Ranma & Prince Alec after I also told them about it.Tasuku: I see. I also need something from you. Tell me, after you awakened your god form, did you gain any new abilities?Hou: (scratches his head) Well, now that you mentioned it, I never thought about it...Suddenly, Tasuku's cup of water accidentally drops from the table. This caught their reaction in surprise and Hou reaches out with his right hand. However, what shocks them is that the cup now is in some sort of bubble. And when it hits the ground, the cup didn't shatter.All: Huh?Hou: I swear...I didn't know.Garga: Incredible...I suspect this is one of your new gifts after you awakened your god form.Tasuku: Impressive...I suppose being the God of Resilience and Protection comes with it's perks. After all, (Flashback) your god form shields you and your allies from being targeted. Thus, protecting them. (Flashback end)Garga: And now when the cup drops, you shielded it.Hou Ren: I see...What were saying about needing something from me?After awhile, Hou & Garga came out of the building. Daryl & the rest are waiting there.Hou: Why are you guys here?Masato: Commissioner wants to meet us too. I didn't know you were here.Hou: Well, I do work here, No? Anyways, I got to go.Gwen: Already?Hou: Yeah. I heard Shiloh is sick. So I'm going to buy some things for her to recover. Aside from that, Alec, Eden, are you still...well?Alec: Of course. Eden has done an amazing job. Even I couldn't do so.Eden: Well, I do like to do this kind of thing as a hobby. And when Hou requested me for it, I agreed.Hou: Thanks for your help. I'll send you both the payment later. Got to go.Eden: (Calling) No need. It's free of charge.Alec: (Calling) What she said. We're friends after all.Daryl: Uh...explain what you're talking about?Alec: Top Secret.Masato: Bruh.Daryl: You know, even though they broke up, Hou still looks after her. Gwen: He's so sweet. But I wonder if they can recover though.Masato: Let's wait and see.Later, at a hotel, Hou & Garga carries some supplies while walking.Hou: Okay, Shiloh's got a fever and we got some flu capsules and some medicine right here.Garga: And we also have this hot bowl of soup. Oh, here we are.Hou knocks on a door and Mary comes out.Mary: Oh, Hou Ren, Garga, what are you doing here?Hou: Hey Mary, I came to see Shiloh. I heard she's sick.Mary: Huh? What are you talking about? She's not sick. And She's not here.Hou & Garga: (Surprised) What?Mary: And speaking of which, I need your help. Shiloh's hasn't come back in three days. Me and my brothers kept texting her, but she didn't respond.Hou: Huh? That's strange.Garga: So strange.Mary: I think someone may have stole her phone or she's in danger. Please. Find her.Garga: Don't worry Mary. We'll get her back. Hou: Safe and sound. We promise. Come On Garga. (Runs away)Garga: Right behind you.On the streets...Hou: How did Shiloh text me yet she's not at the hotel?Garga: I don't know. But I have an Idea. Try track her phone using her IP address.Hou: Okay, let's try. (Phone calls) Agent Ren, I need your help.Later, outside an abandoned warehouse, Agent, Blaze, Hou & Garga just made it there.Agent: I tracked her IP address, and it came from this warehouse. Hou Ren: It looks abandoned. But we got no choice. Garga: This could lead to a trap but it's our only chance.Blaze: But Shouldn't we wait for reinforcements? And why am I here?Hou Ren: You are the reinforcement. Let's go in.When they entered inside, Agent holds an assault rifle while Blaze lits fire through his right arm. It's incredibly dark inside, no boxes or shelves at all as they walk slowly.Blaze: No kidding, it is abandoned.Agent: Stick together, it's creepy but we got no choice.Garga: Still, why would the IP address lead us here?Hou: No Idea. Wait. Stop.They stop halfway. And Hou pours some baby powder onto his left palm and blows through it. What they see are laser beams right in front of them.Blaze: (Annoyed) Great, Laser Beams.Agent: I got this. (Summons an EMP bomb and throws it) Click. (Presses a button on his left arm)The bomb activates and all of the laser beams are disabled.Hou Ren: Nice. Blaze: Man, I was hoping for like action.They move forward and they reached a room. Once they opened the door, they were shocked to see what's in there. There are pinpoints and pictures of the knights. Xs are being displayed across the images, as if the knights needs to be murdered.Garga: What fowl things are these?Hou Ren: It's us...but...Xs are displayed, it's as if we're about to be murdered.As they walk forward two steps, they are shocked to see what's in front of them. It's Shiloh, being tied up to an electric chair. She looks frightened and her mouth is blocked with Tape.Hou Ren: SHILOH !!! All four rush forward and suddenly, A cage came from above and trap them. Blaze: What THE!!! This again?Agent: Shutstone...NO!!!???: Oh Yes!!!Suddenly a group a familiar faces arrives, laughing in evil. It's CCP.Chris: Long time no see, Basement.Hou: YOU AGAIN?Garga: HOW? You're In Prison.Chris: We were imprisoned. But now we escaped. Did you actually think that any prison can hold us down??? Man, Hou, you're stupid as ever.Alex: And what's even more stupider is that you thought your precious Shiloh is sick.Jordan: You're so dumb, you motherfreaking basement.CCP laughs.Agent: So you guys are the ones who had done all of this.Sai: Ey bro, no one asked you. But I'll tell you what happened. (Flashback) After we escaped, we hijacked a plane and threatened the pilot to fly us back to Malaysia. Alex: The cops are like catching us way fast, but we managed to fly away. And, we heard the Gaen Cup is held and we had a brilliant plan.Jordan: (Flashback end) Yeah. We kidnapped your precious Shiloh, stole her phone and tricked you into coming here. Just as we planned.Hou: Just Let Her Go. What exactly do you want from me?Chris: Oh Nothing Much. We just want you eliminated from the tournament and we can see you suffer with the looks of despair in your face.Sai: Ye Hou, you're nothing but a stupid basement that kidnaps kids and even locks us in. We're getting revenge, and there's nothing you can do about it.Blaze: You know for someone who does have a braincell, you sure don't have a brain to think about you actions.Jordan: Oh? So you want to roast me huh, Dude? Well too bad. You can't do anything because you're trapped in Shutstone. Your powers are useless.Agent: Grr....(Notices something) Wait, where's Scott?Alex: You mean that idiot you brainwashed? That dumb bastard choose to stay in prison to serve his sentence. So we kicked him out. What a weirdo.Hou Ren was quite surprised.Hou: You don't say...Just Let Her Go, NOW.Chris: And what are you going to do about it? You're trapped and we a press of this button, we're going to activate this button and this electric chair is going boom, execute her.Blaze & Hou: WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?Chris: Oh? I like that reaction. Garga: Just let her go, you loudmouths.Chris: We. Don't. Care. You both may have broken up but looky here, you still care for her like you're still her lover.Hou: What do you know? If you knew this then why would you kidnap her?Chris: You stupid? We want you to suffer. As we see you cry to watch helplessly as Shiloh goes kaboom. And you know what? Enough of this. Time To Click.Hou: NO!!!Chris is about to press the button on the remote. It's in slow motion but...Hou: (Enraged) Dark Core, Activate Disaster Force. The earth rumbles very hard and everyone starts shaking. Hou however, he is so enraged as Dark Power surrounds him once again and his hair grows long. His eyes become blazing and his aura draws power from the core.Hou: (Summons a card) GARBLADE ZENITH. (Equips his sword)Chris: What?Hou uses his sword and slice the cage multiple times. The shutstone cage shatters in pieces eventually and everyone is shocked.Chris: GET THEM. (Clicks the button)The chair is about to electrify Shiloh but Hou once again use his protection powers to shield Shiloh from the electrification. This made everyone surprise and Hou rushes forward and knocks Chris Out with an elbow punch and destroy the wires connected to the Chair.Chris: NO!Agent: How did you do that?Hou: Coincidence. Agent and Blaze fires their pistols at the remaining members. Thus knocking them down as they went arrgh. Hou disables his dark core and he & Garga went to Shiloh's side and set her free.Hou: (Checks on her) Are you okay? Are you hurt?Shiloh: I'm fine. I'm just....tired....(Faints on his arm)Garga: (Softly Taps her back) Oh you poor thing. She won't be alive for long. We need to go.Hou: (Nods and hugs her) I'll save you...(To his brothers) We got her. Go.Agent activates his emp bomb again and disables the electricity again. The entire environment went dark. Nobody can see a thing. Meanwhile, the knights escape with Hou carrying Shiloh on his arms due to her lack of strength. Eventually, they made it out but to their surprise, the enemy has caught onto them.Chris: Where do you think you're going?Blaze: Rats...They got no powers but they got speed.Hou Ren: (Hands Shiloh to Garga) Go. Get her healed up.Garga: What about you?Hou Ren: It's me they're after. I'll be fine.Agent opens a portal via portal card and He, Blaze, Garga and an asleep Shiloh escape. The portal closes. Now Hou is on his own, with odds against him.Alex: You should have escaped with them Hou.Jordan: GET HIM.All 5 attacks. But Hou, used his arms and control them in a manipulative manner. All of the sudden, CCP is feeling something wrong with their body. It's painful, bones are cracking, parts are moving on their own.Chris: Wha....what's going....on?Hou: Something...I should have done long ago. (Controls them even more)CCP suffers as their body is being manipulated in a painful way.Hou: You escaped prison. Made it back here. Kidnapped Shiloh. ALL FOR THIS? (Force Push them away)CCP: Aargh!!!!Hou: I can't believe you all. And you didn't even feed her? Do you seriously...HAVE A LIFE? (Electrifies them)CCP: (In Pain) AAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!Hou: (Stops electrifies them) Enough Is Enough. I HAD IT WITH STUPID, SCUMBAGS, SITUATIONS RUINING MY HAPPY LIFE. (Electrifies them even more)CCP: (In Pain) AAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!Hou: Why Must Those I know, destroy my happiness? Why must those I know TURN A BLIND EYE TO MY EFFORTS? DID THEY THINK I'M GOING....TO LET THEM GET AWAY WITH THIS??? (Electrifies them even more)CCP: AHHHHHH.....HOU....STOP.....PLEASE....STOP!!!!Hou: NEVER. YOU GUYS HAVE CROSSED THE LINE. NOW DIE. (Electifies them heavily)CCP is electrified and scream even more in pain. Eventually, Hou feels exhausted and stops. Luckily, CCP survives because they are wearing armor. Somehow, Hou awakens from his exhaustion with his eyes still glowing electrified. He walks forward slowly while summoning a lightning sword. As he walks, lightning bolts surrounds him. While so, CCP are frightened.Chris: F....Fire. CCP shoots at him using their weapons frighteningly, but Hou uses his lightning speed to block the shots using his sword. Leaving them shock as he walks forward.Hou: That's It? (Rushes forward)Hou finally reaches Chris and is about to slay him with his sword. Chris feels frightened as he blocks himself, but surprisingly, Hou didn't kill him. Why?Hou: You're lucky my morals come first. I'm sending you back to prison and if you escape again I will...Before Hou can continue, Alex shoots his taser gun at him. Luckily, Hou shields himself using his Genesis Powers. Alex is shocked.Hou: Oh wow. Okay. Deals off. (About to end him)Chris: No No No Don't.???: Hou STOP.Hou heards this and stops. He turns to see Sensei & Trickstar are three feet away from him. Sensei: Stop Hou. You never kill.Hou: The guy shot me, Sensei. I spared him and this is how they repay.Sensei: I know. I saw it. But still, you shouldn't.Hou still enrages but he soon calms down with his Lightning level diving down.Hou: Fine. (Exhausts) Bring them to Tasuku. Don't let them escape or try anything. Trickstar: Got it.Sensei: What are you going to do?Hou: I need some time to myself. Also, how's Shiloh?As Sensei takes them away.Trickstar: She's fine. She's been healed. Now's she taking a rest.Hou: Okay. Go help Sensei.Trickstar: Right.As Sensei & Trickstar take the injured yet angry CCP away, Hou exits the warehouse. As he walks, he thinks back about what he has done angrily.Hou: I can't believe I had to do that...I shouldn't have done that. Luckily, I didn't kill them but ...I'm a monster. (Sighs) (Thought) Why is this happening? At a park, in front of a giant pond, Hou holds his deck and his Buddy Police Badge in one hand. His expression is sad and angry. Feeling so distraught as he looks at it. He's about to throw them. As he does however, someone stops him by grabbing his hand. He was surprised to see that Tasuku is the one holding him.Hou: What?Tasuku: Don't, Hou. Don't. Hou: Let me go, Commissioner.Tasuku: I said no. Please Hou Ren. Don't. You Don't have to do that.Hou's despair turn to sadness as his tears are showing.Tasuku: It's okay. (Hugs him) Everything is okay.As Hou hugs back, His tears are showing as it drops from his face. After awhile, Hou & Tasuku walk together in a park.Hou: I've done unforgivable. I shouldn't continue to do what's what. I'm a monster.Tasuku: I know you feel that way. And yes, you're right. But it doesn't change the fact that you're a still a good man. After all, Saving Shiloh is what really matters. And thanks to you, We were able to hold them behind bars once again.Hou: Yeah But...Tasuku: No Buts...I've decided to promote you.Hou: Huh?Tasuku: You were able to take initiative and even though you're reckless, you placed Shiloh's safety above yourself. And this shows how selfless you are. Thus, I'm promoting you to lieutenant.Hou: I...Tasuku: If it makes you feel better, I'm not going to drop your buddyfighter rights. And even though you did something unforgivable, you're not going to get a suspension or some sort. I will decide as soon as the current case of ours is over.Hou: I...I understand.Tasuku: Hou. I know you have good intentions. And I also know you made a lot of flaws. Deep down inside, I know you're still suffering. But don't let the entire world or even fate itself affect you.Hou nods in agreement sadly.Tasuku: Come. Let's go see someone.Hou: Okay.They made it to the Hotel Room Shiloh's in. They knock the door and Elijah answers it.Elijah: Hou. There you are. Are you alright?Hou: Yeah. Is she okay?Elijah: See for yourself. Come In.They walk in and they're surprised to see that Shiloh's all healed up on her bed. Mary is also there.Hou: Shiloh.Shiloh: Hou.Hou: Are you alright?Shiloh: Yep. What happened to you earlier?Hou: Long story. But don't worry, it's all good.Tasuku: Have you fully recovered?Shiloh: Of course. I'm good as new. Hou: But how are you alive for like 3 days without food?Shiloh: Well...I kinda use my feather powers to keep myself sustained. It has healing boost after all.Tasuku: I see...Hou: But then again, it was too dangerous, after all, your powers, like mine, it drains your life force bit by bit. Shiloh: Well what was I supposed to do? I was tied up without food. I certainly don't want to let myself die. Hou feels surprised but then feels abit glad.Hou: I know...(In tears)I'm just...(Hugs her) Welcome Home.Shiloh feels surprised but she hugs back with tears. Everyone smiles in respond. Shiloh: You're an idiot you know that? You saved me again.Hou: I know. I don't want to see you cry or suffer. I'll always look out for you.Shiloh: Yeah... (Hugs him more)The two hug each other more warmly with smiles. Later after a few minutes, Hou went to the LA's Prison. He went to visit Scott's cell with a guard.Scott: Hou? What are you doing here?The guard opens the door, much to his surprise.Hou: I paid the fine. So it's true. You didn't escape.Scott: Yeah...Hou, look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I had done.Hou: It's fine. Let's go.Scott and Hou Ren then walk out of the prison while discussing about the remaining CCP members and the incident.Scott: You're kidding. You did that?Hou Ren: I had no choice. They crossed the line, deadly. They should count themselves lucky for not dying.Scott: I suppose they deserve it.Hou Ren: Hmmm. What do you want to do now.Scott: I think for now I'll just lay low and hopefully find a job or something.Hou Ren: I see....Okay. Good Luck...Actually, there is something you can do for me.Scott: As In?BCIHou: It's time for...Garga: Hou & Garga'sBoth: Card of the Day.Hou: Today we're going to look at "Might of Lances, Gargantua Lmanberg".Garga: It's my Poet form. It not just summons allies for extra attack. What else does it do?Hou: When Lmanberg attacks, you can stand up to two of your other monsters on the field. Then choose the same amount of the opponent's monsters and send them to the dropzone regardless of abilities.Garga: And any monsters that were replaced by my effect returns to the hand and dropzone. The best part is that this ability and the extra attack applies on the opponent's turn too.Hou: So what do you think guys?Garga: Think you can open up one of these?Both: You'll never know until you try.Anime Ending: B.O.F by Poppin Party.Preview....Hou Ren: At last, it has begun. The final round of the Gaen Cup. Next time, "Champion vs Champion". Join us for a Buddyfight.Story End.