Reiyouki Sentai Seitenger

1.5 Getting Stranger

Well, if one could describe the word "disaster", the death of almost 400 people and counting in one day would have been one of the best pictures for it. Too many bodies were scattered everywhere around the mountain area. Rescuers, police, and even nearby villagers were doing their best to find at least a few survivors in that area.

But there was no such luck.

The police did state to the reporters that the earthquake killed the students, along with their teachers. But they purposely left out one important piece of information and decided not to mention it to the media at all.

Many of the victims died not because of the earthquake. Their perpetrator wasn't nature's wrath but a ruthless murderer wielding bladed weapons sharp enough to slice their bodies open, killing them instantly. What was even weirder was the scorched boulder near the scene where they found two more bodies-one belonged to a boy (Kouta) and a teacher.

Even normal humans could feel that something ominous was lurking around the area.

If only they knew, that ominous feeling would soon spread out to continue an ancient agenda-one that threatens to destroy everything...

xxxxxx

Mizuhashi Mansion...

Things couldn't get any weirder.

Before finding out one by one that Hideoki wasn't in his working station of the Taiyou Sweets and Pastry Shop or the kitchen of the mansion, Shuichi, Eichirou, Itsuki, Misae, and Erika had found themselves arriving at the house's gate almost at the same time.

"This has never happened before... AT ALL!" Eichirou stated with a laugh.

Shuichi nodded. "I agree."

"Well, maybe because we're all hungry," Misae said.

"...or we're just afraid of getting scolded by Hideoki-san if we come home late for dinner," Itsuki added placidly.

Erika sighed. "And we'll be scolded even more if we stay here any longer. We have to find Hideoki-san first since he wasn't at the restaurant."

"That rarely ever happens," Misae commented.

But Eichirou immediately stopped in his tracks and the others noticed.

"What's wrong, Eichirou-san? Did you forget something?" Erika asked.

Eichirou shook his head. "Nothing. I just remembered that today is important to us. Especially for Dad..."

The other four exchanged glances at each other. At that point, it all hit them.

"Mariko-san's death anniversary..." Shuichi muttered.

"...which makes tomorrow a specially sad day for the four of us, as well," Itsuki stated. "After all..."

"...it will be our parents' death anniversary," Misae finished.

"Well, before we all become gloomy around here, let's do something about dinner. I guess Dad left without even cooking dinner for the five of us," Eichirou said, breaking the gloomy atmosphere surrounding them.

Agreeing to that, the rest entered the house to follow Eichirou.

For the past 10 years since the hotel fire that took their parents' lives, the Mizuhashi mansion had been the house where Shuichi, Misae, Itsuki, and Erika resided and where they had grown up. They grew up together like siblings, and Eichirou treated them as such. Among the group, only Eichirou wasn't the person whom one would call a total orphan. He still had his father who, in turn, had become the other four's guardian. Hideoki saved them from the fire and raised them all these years. But Eichirou's mother Mizuhashi Mariko died of a terminal illness 2 years before the hotel fire.