Reiyouki Sentai Seitenger

4.14 Requirements For Awakening

The only thing the other Vessels could do as they walked was to look at the Fire Condor Medallion that Shuichi was also looking at in awe. The damage done to the civilians was already resolved, thanks to them fully defeating Motross. Kanako, Akira, and Natsume also confirmed to the Vessels the state of the other victims who were at the hospital.

"So this is a Guardian Medallion, huh? I can't believe Shuichi-san was able to gain new power. What made you do that, anyway?" Itsuki couldn't contain his excitement (still reserved, though) when he asked that question to the biker.

Shuichi smiled as he looked at the composer and made the Guardian Medallion disappear from his hand. "If I were to base it on what happened today, gaining the trust and approval of an Elemental Guide is something that needs a greater reason for you to fight. Whether it's passion or dreams that we have."

"But from what I know, none of us still have any idea about the Elemental Guides at all. Only the Guardian Medallions were mentioned to us, and briefly at that. How did you know that it was an Elemental Guide?" This time, it was Eichirou who asked that.

Shuichi stopped walking which made the others do the same. When the other Vessels looked at Shuichi, they saw him looking at the sky now stained with purple color because of the shadow cast by the clouds surrounding the setting sun. They couldn't help frowning at the sight of his serious face.

Though they've known him to be a serious person, this was something rare to see. It was like... he remembered something melancholic.

"It was Helen who mentioned this to me," Shuichi replied soon after. "This was the real reason why she was replaying the earlier footage of my race with Motross."

"That girl knew a lot about our business now, huh?" Itsuki couldn't help commenting.

"So you're saying that she had an idea that it was an Elemental Guide who gave off that light from the previous fight?" Misae asked the question.

But Shuichi continued talking without looking at the others. "She said that each of us owns a Guardian Medallion, and as we know, it was the second classification of the Spirit Power Medallions. Each of the Guardian Medallions can only be summoned and allow us to awaken its powers when the spirit residing it ㅡ which, of course, you now know that it was the Elemental Guide ㅡ would react to a certain strong emotion that we possess. Like I told you a while back, it's supposed to be an emotion strong enough that gives us a reason to fight."

"If you ask me, that's a complicated thing to think about," Eichirou said after a few moments. "But it's still amazing! Each of us owns a Guardian Medallion? Now I can't wait to see mine and meet the Elemental Guide it represents."

The others could only smile at that. Eichirou wasn't the only one who felt that way. The others, as well.

"I guess that's one proof that our Hasureiki is starting to evolve. Awakening the powers of the Elemental Guide spirit residing in the Guardian Medallions is not an easy task," Itsuki said before getting serious, as well. "But that Helen..."

"Onii-chan! Not again," Erika complained, speaking for the first time.

Itsuki sighed and faced his sister. "I can't help it, okay? Things had gotten a little rockier than usual for us ever since she arrived here. She knew more than what she was telling us and I need to know what they are. If she truly knew a lot of things about the Vessels and the Heavenly Spirit Guardians, then I need to know the extent of her knowledge with regards to that. Maybe after that... I'd change my mind about my impression of her."

The pianist just sighed resignedly. Her brother could be hard-headed sometimes and she was thinking how on earth did she bear with it all this time. But Itsuki had a point and she couldn't help it if he was suspicious about Helen. As for her, she was aware that Helen had some reasons why she wasn't saying anything about what she knew to them. For now, she'd let it be so things won't get messier than usual for all of them.

Minutes later, they finally reached the Mizuhashi mansion and all of them were tired from the battle. Hideoki welcomed them with a smile and told them that he had prepared snacks. Of course, Eichirou already went walking ahead and the other Vessels had to run just to reach the dining room where the snacks were. But before Shuichi could proceed, he looked out to the garden, and there, he saw someone familiar.

"Helen?" he muttered and decided to approach the young novelist.

When he finally reached the place, he was surprised to see her sleeping on the table using her arms as pillows and her laptop was still open.

"It's almost night time and yet, she's still here. She could end up getting sick because of this."

But even so, he still smiled. Until now, he couldn't believe that Helen was the famous Hanasaki Kikue. For a girl like her, she had truly achieved a lot at her age. Just like Erika and Misae. But perhaps that achievement came to her with a price. He still couldn't process the fact that Helen was an orphan just like him. And to think she became an orphan at an early age.

Shuichi decided to approach the sleeping Helen. When he finally reached her and checked what was on the laptop's screen, he smiled when he saw that it was the draft of the novel that she was writing. Does this girl ever rest from writing? But then, he couldn't help anticipating a possible new novel from Hanasaki Kikue. For sure, it would be a hit once again.

He soon ended up deciding to save the file and shut the laptop down. He looked at the sleeping girl who was wearing the jacket he bought for her. Before leaving, he removed the racer jacket he was wearing and placed it on Helen's back since it was bigger and could protect her somehow from the cold.

"Thank you, Hanasaki-sensei, for saving me," Shuichi whispered to the sleeping Helen and slightly caressed her hair.

He was supposed to take a step away from there so that he could head to the dining room. But before he left her there, he eyed the six-winged cylindrical item intently that was placed on the table. Helen called it the "Astral Shifter". But the functions were barely his concern at the moment. Was it a coincidence that the same six-winged figure was also embroidered on the jacket that he brought for Helen which she was now wearing?

At the same time, he couldn't help wondering why he felt something strange about that device. He couldn't explain the exact description for him to describe the sensation as strange, though. But even so, he could truly feel something powerful about that device, without a doubt. Could this be the feeling that Itsuki had possibly sensed for the composer to question Helen's true reasons for her going to the mansion just like that?

He surely had a lot of questions about all this. But perhaps the answers would be revealed in time to them. For now, he'd just let things flow as they were supposed to.

"Hey, Shuichi! Hurry up or Eichirou-san will eat your share!" he heard Misae call out that soon brought him out of his reverie.

"You're mean, Mi-chan!" Eichirou whined and the others' laughter soon followed.

Shuichi sighed and shook his head to shrug off those thoughts for now. He would probably deal with the issue later on.

END OF RECORD #4