On Fire (Power Rangers Samurai)

50 - Konservativ / Skull Faced

Lauren and Mia had been sparring into the sunset and were reaching about time to rest up.

Though Mia had more in battle experience, Lauren kept winning. She had sparred countless times with her mentors, allowing her reflexes to reign supreme.

All this time, Mike, Antonio, and Jayden had been trying to teach each other their symbols. But on top of their mistakes, there seemed to be a barrier that prevented them from morphing in their ranger forms.

Meanwhile, Mike and Emily had already set off for the light zord, which could turn the tables in battle.

"Your stance is firm." Lauren whacked Mia's back with a wooden sword as they sparred. "But stay alert."

"I am, you just swing at a million miles per hour." Mia rubbed her back.

"If you need me, I'll be watching from the sidelines. But you won't." Lauren assured her.

Mia knew Lauren wasn't the type who flattered others to boost their confidence, and always meant her words literally.

Mia's heart was warmed by Lauren's certainty.

Mia couldn't help but give Lauren a tight and sweaty hug.

Lauren smiled before awkwardly hugging her back.

Lauren enjoyed living with other people her age. Mia made her feel like she was beginning to belong.

~~~

"Ah it's the rangers! Or should I say ranger." Konservativ chuckled, as he noticed only four rangers showed up and only pink was morphed. "Lemon and lime didn't bother show up!"

Mia drew her spinsword and approached the nighlok readily.

Konservativ fired his left laser gun immediately. Mia dodged the blasts until she was in front of the nighlok.

The nighlok tried to swat her away but Mia slashed him twice.

Enraged from all of his missed shots, Konservativ growled.

"You're asking for this!" Konservativ's right gun began to glow. Rather than shooting a blast, his right arm began to transform into a blade that shot like a gun. "I bet you thought I was a one trick pony."

As the nighlok swung his bladed arm at her, she was forced to clash with him.

Lauren watched from a building top, though she felt something was off.

Lauren closely watched Mia fight off Konservativ, wondering if the strange vibe she was getting was from the nighlok. But it didn't seem to come from Mia's fight.

She looked around again, only to find the dreaded figure she had seen once before. Buildings away from her stood the red skull faced nighlok, armed with his sword.

Lauren's heart dropped as she knew this foe had great power. If he were to attack the rangers now, Lauren would have no choice but to reveal her existence to protect the rangers.

On Mia's side of things, Konservativ's new combination of close combat and long ranged weaponry made it difficult and tiring to keep dodging.

Mia knew that if she carried on by dealing quick attacks and dodging, she would lose all her energy.

And so, she evaded lasers until the nighlok had left himself open for attack.

Mia pulled out her sky fan. With one whipping slash, she destroyed the nighlok's right arm, shattering the blade and cracking his gun.

"Noooo!" Konservativ grunted, knowing that with his right arm destroyed, the rangers would return to their rightful bodies.

Upon the building top, Lauren kept an eye on the skull faced nighlok. Suddenly, the figure shot it's head towards her, eyeing into her soul as if he was trying to rip it apart.

Lauren felt such unsettling fear as an evil aura consumed the atmosphere. But the skull faced nighlok probably didn't think too much of her since he didn't attack.

The second that Jayden, Antonio, and Kevin returned to their rightful bodies and morphed, the skull faced nighlok diverted his attention towards the red ranger.

The nighlok dived from the building top, denting the pavement as he landed uninjured.

The three rangers were about to help Mia, but ended up stunned by the skull faced nighlok's destructive entrance.

As the nighlok glared at the red ranger intensely, the three rangers got into their fighting stances.

Lauren's heart begged her to jump in and face the nighlok so none of them would get hurt. But her brain cemented her feet to the building top, understanding that she had to prioritize keeping her identity.

She had to trust that the rangers would come out on top.

"My name is Deker." The skull faced nighlok civilly introduced himself, taking dramatic pauses between his words.

"Far beyond our time, Uramasa craved the warmth of blood, the delicacy of flesh." Deker slipped his sword out its sheath without taking his eyes off of Jayden. "Only the ultimate battle can quench this thirst."

"Uramasa and I shall face the red ranger in the greatest duel, alone." Deker demanded.

"Uramasa?" Lauren whispered to herself.

"You know they're evil when they speak in poetry." Antonio remarked.

"You're not actually thinking of taking him on alone, are you?" Kevin's voice was low enough so that only Jayden and Antonio could hear.

"I won't fight you!" Jayden told the nighlok.

"If you won't, I'll give you no other choice." Deker charged after Jayden.