Chapter 24: Legend War - A Song of Legacy and Death
As much as it hurts Ain’t it wonderful to feel? So go on and bring your wings Follow your heart ’til it bleeds As we run towards the end of the dream The End of the Dream, Evanescence
Beyond all space and time
Tyler reached out with his power. The power of the Dragon, to break the strings of fate and rewrite reality. The power of the Phoenix, the fire of creation itself.
He reached out to his teammates. They combined their strength, descended from the Five Stars of Heaven. And they pushed outward. They used the Time Shards as the foundation. They grabbed the torn strings of the Pattern of Ages. And they ignited the tattered remains with the phoenix fire of life.
Memories branched to memories and formed moments, reconstituting time itself, and all the mirrored versions throughout the multiverse.
But to truly repair the timeline, to use the fire of creation to weld the Pattern back together, they needed to go back…
Before the Shattering
Akuma shifted form.
A dark silver mask covered his face, with red slits for eyes. His hair became long strands of shadow that ebbed and flowed as if blown by the wind, although the air was still. A suit of armor, textured like black sinewy muscle, with accents of dark silver, covered his body. And he wore a ragged black cloak, like living shadow. A black scythe formed in his right hand.
Tommy narrowed his eyes. "So is this your true form?"
"One of many," Akuma answered. "Are you ready to face Death, Tommy?"
Tommy summoned his sword, the Ryuuseiken, with a flash of golden light. "What do you think?"
The opponents shot at one another, weapons clanging with bursts of spark and shock waves that shook the earth. Tommy twirled his sword and slashed. Akuma spun his staff and parried.
The villain thrust his hand; a shadow pulse blasted Tommy and knocked him backward. The ranger back-flipped and landed on his feet. He swung his sword through a streak of red energy, firing a fiery pulse of power. Akuma slashed through the pulse and stabbed his staff against the ground.
Explosions erupted beneath Tommy, throwing him into the air.
The ranger slapped his right fist against his left palm, forming a Ki barrier that allowed him to hover.
Akuma lifted his hand. Invisible energy wrapped around Tommy and slammed him to the ground. Tommy crashed hard and rolled to his feet. He lifted his sword. Invisible energy blasted the weapon from his hand. Another blast knocked him onto his back. Pressure forced onto his ribs, holding him down.
Tommy closed his eyes, triggering a Ki blast that knocked him free. He rolled to his knees just in time to see Akuma’s scythe spear towards his face.
Tommy, exhausted after countless hours — or days?- of fighting, didn’t manage to dodge or block the attack, his reflexes worn and dulled.
He braced for a deathblow that never came.
A figure dashed to the scene as if from nowhere and kicked the scythe away.
Tommy looked up to see Jason Scott, extending his hand. "You look like hell."
Tommy smiled. "Appreciate that." He took Jason’s hand and pulled himself up. "Good to see you Jase."
"You too," Jason said.
"Hey, you two love birds…don’t forget about us." Rocky DeSantos walked onto the scene, along with Zack Taylor.
"Aw, let them have their moment," Zack said.
The four young men regrouped and turned to face Akuma. Tommy rolled his hands into fists. "All your plots…all your plans…they end now."
The villain’s scythe returned to his hand with a flash of black light. "You and your fellow Rangers have battled constantly against death. Tell me…have you ever truly won? Rocky, your father died when you were a child. Jason, you lost your sister to a violent murder. Zack, in your youth, you surrounded yourself with those who consumed death. And Tommy…you’ve lost your birth father and mother. Shannon. Kimberly. So many others. After all your battles, after all your wars, defeats, and even the so-called victories…you have never escaped Death. It is the one thing that is inevitable."
Tommy narrowed his eyes. "I’m done listening to you." He looked to his teammates. "Guys…it’s morphin’ time!"
They armed their morphers.
"Chakra Ignite! Aura! Power!" Energy flashed around Tommy and Rocky as they morphed into the Red and Blue Rangers.
"Shogun Transform! Ninja! Power!" Energy fanned around Jason and Zack as they morphed into the Red and Black Rangers.
The four heroes snapped into fighting stances.
"Dragon Ranger! Heaven Fire Star! Red!"
"Tenma Ranger! Heaven Gravity Star! Blue!"
"Ninja Red!"
"Ninja Black!"
Together they shouted: "Power Rangers!"
Dragon Ranger led the attack.
"Star Fire!" He hurled a comet of flame that shot towards Akuma.
Akuma swatted the flame away; the blast dispersed with a shock wave that shook the streets. Before the shock wave cleared, Ninja Red and Ninja Black shot forward with their swords.
"Hidden Style Full Moon Cut!" Ninja Red shouted, swinging his sword through a circular arc.
"Hidden Style Shooting Star!" Ninja Black shouted, swinging his sword through a quintuple slash in the form of a pentagram.
Their energized blades slashed at Akuma; the villain leapt back.
Tenma Ranger lunged.
"Tenma Flash Kick!"
The Blue Ranger launched a flurry of energized tornado kicks. Each strike forced the villain backward.
Akuma pivoted, grabbed the final kick, and threw the Blue Ranger through the air. Ninja Black leapt upward and caught the Blue Ranger.
Ninja Red and Dragon Ranger side-dashed. Ninja Red snapped a volley of throwing stars, and Dragon Ranger snapped his circular Star Blade. The attacks slashed Akuma with bursts of spark. But the villain barely seemed to notice the blows.
The two Red Rangers shot at Akuma with flurries of punches and kicks; the villain spun, dodged, and turned, all while twirling his scythe, evading and blocking the blows. The villain hopped backward with a wide swing, slashing the Red Rangers backward with massive bursts of spark. They crashed and tumbled.
Akuma shot towards them.
But Ninja Black moved in from behind.
"Ninpo Earth Assault!" Rocks and boulders rose from the ground and shot like cannonballs.
Tenma Ranger thrust his hand at the projectiles.
"Gravity Well!" He fired a twirling wave of blue energy that swept against the Black Ranger’s attack like a tidal wave, increasing its power.
The combined blast smashed Akuma with a shock wave that hurled the villain into the air.
Ninja Red rolled to his feet and pressed the attack.
"Ninpo Fire Assault!" He fired twirling comets of flame that shot towards Akuma.
But the villain swatted the blasts aside; the comets streaked towards the Black and Blue Rangers, blasting them backward with massive bursts of spark.
Akuma lifted his left hand. A flurry of black energy darts rained from the skies, blasting the Rangers with bursts of spark, forcing them to their knees.
Ninja Red armed his Master Morpher and called for Ninja Black to do the same. "Zack!"
"Right!" Ninja Black shouted back as he armed his Master Morpher.
"Dino! Buckler!" they shouted. The Red Ranger morphed into the Tyranno Ranger, and the Black Ranger morphed into the Mammoth Ranger.
The Red Ranger armed his Tyranno Sword and channeled his power into its blade.
"Power Wave!" He chopped downward, firing a wave of red energy that tore through the ground and shot towards Akuma.
Akuma slashed through the wave, triggering a shock wave that scattered discharges of power across the battle scene.
Mammoth Ranger armed his axe and leapt to attack. "Mammoth Breaker!"
Akuma slashed the Black Ranger from the air with a burst of spark, swatting the Ranger aside like an insect.
The Dragon Ranger armed his Twin Dragon Swords and charged to attack, twirling his blades. Weapons clashed, steel against steel. Tyranno Ranger joined, his broadsword flaring with red energy with each strike.
Akuma chopped Tyranno Ranger to the ground and slashed the Dragon Ranger aside.
Dragon Ranger armed his Master Morpher. "Dino! Buckler!"
He shifted into his Green Dragon Ranger form.
"Jase, take my shield!" His golden shield flashed and flew from his body. Tyranno Ranger leapt off the Green Ranger’s shoulders. The shield splashed across the Red Ranger, and the Dragon Dagger formed in his left hand, the Tyranno Sword still in his right.
The sword ignited with red energy, and the dagger ignited with green power. Tyranno Ranger landed with dual slashes, striking the villain with bursts of spark, knocking him backward several steps.
The Green Ranger moved forward.
"Dragon’s Fang!" He fired a bolt of green energy that smashed Akuma with bursts of spark, knocking the scythe from his hands.
Dragon Ranger armed his Master Morpher. "Dino Thunder! Power-up!"
He morphed into the Brachio Ranger and armed his staff.
"Flame Strike!"
The Dino Thunder Black Ranger stabbed the earth. Flames ignited beneath Akuma, hurling him off his feet. Tyranno Ranger leapt upward and slashed the villain in midair. Brachio Ranger leapt upward and swung his weapon through a streak of dark-purple energy, striking Akuma with bursts of spark.
Akuma crashed and tumbled, but quickly rolled to his feet, his hair and cloak whipping violently around his body. He lifted his hand; his scythe returned to his grip with a flash of black light.
The villain tightened his grip.
Dozens of energy scythes appeared and spun across the battlefield. The four Rangers leapt aside to dodge, but more blades appeared, slashing the Rangers with bursts of spark, whipping them off their feet.
Akuma lifted his other hand; a flaming skull appeared in his palm. He threw the skull, it duplicated into dozens of fiery heads that exploded around the Rangers like bombs, fire and smoke whipping them through the air like rag dolls.
Smoke sizzled from the Rangers’ armor as they tried to climb to their feet. Flames and flickers of fire danced across the landscape, burnt to a crisp by the attack.
Tenma Ranger groaned. "Hey, can we take a time-out? Just a quick one."
Akuma stalked towards his fallen opponents. "Yes, joke. Joke to hide the fear of my approach."
The villain tightened his hand into a fist. Invisible energy wrapped around the four Rangers and lifted them into the air. Light flashed around them as their armor powered down.
The Dark Man smiled beneath his mask. "Your own bodies weaken, day by day, failing you. Your souls grow weary. Your hearts, worn with grief. To fight against me is pointless. In the end, Death will-"
Bullets blasted Akuma with bursts of spark, sending him staggering. The villain looked over his shoulder to face the attacker. The Ultimate Red Ranger walked to the scene. He aimed his blaster with one hand, and with the other hand, carried his sword slung casually over his shoulder.
"Leave my dad alone," he said.
Tommy, Rocky, Jason, and Zack crashed, knocked from Akuma’s grip. Tommy climbed to his feet and looked up, knitting his brow at the sight of the Ranger.
"…Tyler?"
The Red Ranger twirled his gun. "It’s me. You don’t know it, but you already lost this fight. I’m here to change that."
The Dark Man smiled. "And how do you propose to do that?"
"Watch and learn." The Ranger charged to attack. He inserted his Green Dragon Ranger Key into his morpher.
"BAAAAATLE TASK FORCE!"
He morphed into the Green Dragon Ranger, chopped Akuma with a burst of spark, and jump-kicked the villain.
Akuma staggered and swung his staff.
The Green Ranger ducked. "You want to know how we’ll win?"
"HEEEEEEEAVEN STAR TASK FORCE!"
He morphed into the Red Dragon Ranger and spin-kicked Akuma’s head. "You want to know how we’ll beat death?"
"ZEEEEEO RANGERS!"
He morphed into Zeo Red, armed his Zeo Power Sword, and swung wide, slashing Akuma with bursts of spark that knocked him off balance.
"Legacy," the Red Ranger said.
"AAAAAASTRO RANGERS!"
He flash-stepped, morphed into Astro Red and swung his Drill Saber upward diagonally and downward diagonally, striking Akuma with bursts of spark.
"We beat death with our Legacy. Every day."
"DIIIIIINO THUNDER!"
He morphed into the Black Dino Thunder Ranger and twirled his Brachio Staff through a butterfly pattern, lashing Akuma with bursts of spark.
"It doesn’t matter how many times you win." He jump-kicked Akuma. "It doesn’t matter how many times we lose." Back-hand slash. "Our Legacy lives."
He jump-kicked Akuma upside the head, whipping him off his feet.
The Dino Thunder Black Ranger leapt backward to gain distance. He shifted back into his Ultimate Red Ranger form and armed his blaster and sword. He slid a Ranger Key into each weapon; blade and sword pulsed with power.
"FIIIIIIINAL WAAAAAAAVE!"
He triggered a blast of energy and chopped his sword, firing a wave of power. The wave splashed against the bullet and formed a blade of energy that shot through Akuma with massive bursts of spark. Secondary explosions tore through his armor, driving him to his knees.
The Ultimate Red Ranger leaned his sword over his shoulder. "So…yeah," he spoke as casually as he would in the comfort of his ship. "Legacy and stuff."
Akuma used his scythe for support and climbed to his feet. "You…" he muttered. "I have planned for every eventuality. Every possible scenario. And yet, I did not expect to meet this version of you at this point in time."
Tyler powered down his armor and shrugged. "I like to keep people on their toes."
Nearby, Tommy and Jason helped Rocky and Zack to their feet. The four rangers regrouped around Tyler.
Ahead of them, fissures continued to split through the streets, and hundreds of X-Borgs rose from the cracks.
Tyler looked over his shoulder. "This is it. We win here, or all reality dies." He looked back towards the Dark Man. "Now…Let me show you the power of legacy."
He flipped open his morpher. Ranger Keys shot into the air and spread across the landscape, flaring with colors of power. The flares combined into dozens of shards of white light- time shards- that spit open through the fabric of space and time, calling on heroes from the past.
From the time shards leapt the champions of Earth, in their civilian guises, from the time periods that saw them in their prime. Jason Scott and the Battle Task Force Power Rangers from 2001, Tommy Oliver and the Heaven Star Task Force Power Rangers from 2002. The list went on, heroes from year after year, at the height of their power, including SPD teams from planets such as Eltar, Edenoi and KO-35. From the original Power Rangers in 2001, to the Gao Rangers of 2007. From the Hurricane Power Rangers and Jet Force Rangers in 2008, to Dino Thunder and Dino Charge in 2014.
More time shards opened into the past, pulling heroes into the present. Every Kamen Rider. Every Virtual Hero. Every Beetle Borg. The ninja of the Hayate Way and Ikazuchi Way. The Battle Mages of Eltar. The Night Troops. Knights of the True Cross. Silver Guardians. Winged simian warriors from the planet Titan. The militia of KO-35.
More than 230 Rangers, Riders and Metal Heroes, joined by hundreds of fighters from various factions.
They stood behind Tyler. The teen looked at Akuma and smirked. "That’s legacy."
"You are as insufferable as your father."
"I get that a lot." He looked over his shoulder. "Guys…it’s morphin’ time!"
More than 230 champions transformed with a combined wave of light and power that shook the heavens and trembled the pits of hell, stretching into infinity and through the core of creation itself.
The defenders of reality charged to attack.
Waves of red, blue, and yellow. Pink, green and black. Silver, gold and white. A surge of color slammed against the Armada. Steel clanged. Sparks ignited. The Seraph Rangers and Samurai Rangers took the lead. Their swords twirled and whirled, slashing through the front lines of the grunts.
Dozens of Rangers joined the fray.
Red Falcon swung his Falcon Saber and chopped down a trio of X-Borgs.
Samurai Red parried, blocked, and slashed a duo of X-Borgs to the ground.
Digi Blue launched a punch combo that pommeled an X-Borg.
The Black Defender Ranger stood nearby. He snapped a front-kick and reverse punch, bashing the nearest X-Borg.
The Red Dragon Ranger side-kicked a Zerg and launched a flurry of palm-heel strikes and punches, bashing the grunt backward.
Astro Yellow launched a flurry of kicks, bashing through lines of X-Borgs and Zergs.
The Pink Prism Ranger flipped backward, kicking an X-Borg upside the head.
The Aquition Rangers pressed through X-Borgs with punches and kicks that scattered the grunts.
Rescue Red swung his Rescue Baton, parried a Zerg’s blow, and slashed the grunt to the ground.
Yellow Lion flipped across the battlefield near Blue Mask. The Blue Masked Ranger kicked and punched through a group of X-Borgs.
Gao Red tackled an X-Borg to the ground and clawed the fallen grunt. The Red Gao Ranger pounced alongside his five teammates. They clawed and kicked with savage strength, scattering X-Borgs.
The Zeo Rangers and Galaxy Rangers fought nearby. The Zeo Rangers slashed with their Zeo Sabers. The Galaxy Rangers wielded their Seijuken.
The Red Galaxy Ranger poured red energy through his blade.
"Flame Flash!" He slashed through a streak of red energy, tearing through X-Borgs and Zergs.
He turned towards another wave of grunts. The Red Galaxy Ranger thrust his hands.
"Mane of Flame!" He fired a wave of flame that smashed through X-Borgs with massive bursts of spark and fire.
The flames cleared, leaving husks of scorched armor.
The Mystic Rangers twirled their staffs. Their blows struck with bursts of spark, scattering X-Borgs.
The Jet Force Rangers flew through the air, swooped downward, and plowed through X-Borgs while gliding. The Rangers flipped through the air and landed, unsheathing their Aero Swords and striking.
The Red Dino Thunder Ranger twirled his Tyranno Staff and whacked a grunt’s head.
The Green Dragon Ranger chopped and slashed with his Dragon Dagger, striking X-Borgs with bursts of spark that whipped them backward.
Tyranno Ranger swung his broad Tyranno Sword, hacking and chopping through a Zerg. A trio of X-Borgs charged at the Ranger. He reached back and punched with enough force to hurl the three grunts backward.
Kiba Ranger slashed upward and downward, hacking through an X-Borg.
Astro Red spun with a wide swing of his Drill Saber, slashing through an X-Borg with bursts of spark.
The Red Overdrive Ranger speared his Drive Lance through an X-Borg’s chestplate and hurled the grunt aside.
Mystic Gold aimed his blaster and triggered bursts of golden energy, tearing through X-Borgs with bursts of spark.
Bio Red jump-kicked an X-Borg upside the head.
RPM Gold and RPM Silver swung their daggers, carving through grunts, as DECA Red fired his D-Magnums. Rapid-fire bullets tore through X-Borgs with bursts of spark.
The Red Dragon Ranger and Red Jungle Fury Ranger stood side-by-side. They launched flurries of punches and kicks, with the fluid and graceful movements of their honed fighting styles: the Dragon-Fist and Tiger-Fist. Their fists and feet dented enemy armor and crippled enemy grunts with the force of the deadliest weapons.
The Red Turbo Ranger and Red Nitro Ranger stood back-to-back. The Red Turbo Ranger swung and slashed his Turbo Lightning Sword, blade sparking on impact. Nitro Red twirled and chopped his GT Sword, strikes sparking through enemy armor.
Hurricane Red and Ninja Red, side-by-side, unsheathed their swords. They slashed through streaks of energy, tearing through X-Borgs with bursts of spark.
The two Red Rangers leapt through streaks of motion and joined alongside the blurs of their teammates. The Hurricane and Ninja teams streaked back and forth, faster than the eye could see, slashing X-Borgs and Zergs to the ground. The teams landed, blades in hand, as the grunts collapsed, secondary explosions sparking through armor.
Dino Charge Red side-kicked an X-Borg; the blow dented the grunt’s armor with the force of a wrecking ball.
RPM Yellow switched her blaster to saber mode and slashed through a trio of X-Borgs.
Samurai Gold and Samurai Green charged through X-Borgs. Their blades whirled, tearing through armor with bursts of spark.
For every X-Borg the champions defeated, dozens more poured through the streets.
Tommy and Tyler stood alone as the battle spread across the war-torn city.
Tommy placed his hands on his son’s shoulders. "How are you here…?" His gaze drifted across the battle scene, where hundreds of Rangers and Riders pushed back against the forces of the Dark One and the Armada. "How did you do all this?"
"We’ll have time for that later," Tyler said. "Right now, we have work to do."
Tommy stepped back. He watched his son die less than an hour ago. And now, to see him standing here, alive and taking charge…Tommy’s chest swelled with pride and sorrow. Hope and loss.
He had to win this fight for his family.
"The Armada…"
Tyler shook his head. "They’re a distraction."
"You sound like you have a plan."
"Part of one."
Tommy smirked. His son. Alive. "Sounds good enough for me."
"Good," Tyler said. "Simon’s about to shatter the spoke of the Wheel of Time. My team and I will hold Akuma back, while you go up against the Dark One. Even if we get Simon out of the way, the Dark One will still be a threat- his darkness is reaching towards the spoke. You’re the only one who can stop him."
"What about Simon?"
"That’s…being taken care of."
Simon- now Abaddon- gripped onto his sword. He shred the last of his humanity and walked towards the crystal. Although the air stayed still, his cape flowed behind him as if blown by the wind. Unnatural.
From here, he felt the pain of all reality. But the pain no longer overwhelmed him. It gave him purpose.
He had become a force of nature, a cosmic inevitability.
The Wheel of Time was the shackle of humanity.
He would break that shackle.
And bring peace.
To everyone.
Abaddon ignited his sword with the black flame of his soul.
But before he could strike, an energy blast struck his chest. Barely fazed, he looked down to face his attacker.
Sixteen-year-old Simon Kaden stood with his Falcon Summoner Bow in hand. The teen, leader of the Gao Rangers, narrowed his eyes at his future self.
The battle raged. X-Borgs cluttered the streets of Demon City and started to spill into neighboring cities. Rangers, Riders, and virtual heroes did their best to contain the army.
A Zerg pummeled Seraph Red with bursts of spark, knocking him off his feet.
Seraph Blue and Seraph Black faced a second Zerg. The Black Ranger chopped his Snake Axe. The Zerg parried, punched Seraph Black, and smashed Seraph Blue with a burst of spark, sending them staggering.
Seraph Pink and Seraph Yellow stood back-to-back. But before they could attack, Zergs and X-Borgs overwhelmed them, bashing them off their feet.
Seraph Knight swung and chopped his Seraph Blade, striking down a group of X-Borgs. But Zergs moved in from behind, pommeled the Knight, and bashed him off his feet.
A Zerg lifted Seraph Red by the neck and threw him aside like a ragdoll. The Red Ranger crashed and tumbled next to his fallen teammates. Slowly, they climbed to their feet.
X-Borgs charged at them from all sides.
A voice shouted before the grunts could attack.
"Power Wave!"
Tyranno Ranger chopped his sword through a streak of energy, firing a wave of power that slashed through X-Borgs with massive bursts of spark, scattering them into the air.
The Red Ranger looked over his shoulder towards the Seraph team. "You guys must be the rookies."
A Zerg leapt at Tyranno Ranger from behind. The grunt swung its club arm towards the Ranger’s helmet. But a blade blocked the blow, and a boot kicked the grunt backward.
Blade and boot belonged to the Dino Thunder Black Ranger. The Black Ranger slashed and chopped the Zerg with bursts of spark. Tyranno Ranger slashed upward, striking the Zerg with a burst of spark that whipped the grunt off its feet.
Fresh waves of Zergs and X-Borgs scrambled around the Seraph Rangers, Tyranno Ranger and Dino Thunder Black. The grunts closed in to attack.
Suddenly, a voice shouted. "Vega Slash!"
DECA Shadow dashed through streaks of motion, slashing through grunts with massive bursts of spark, scattering them to the ground. He ran to the scene alongside DECA Swan.
Nearby, KuroKishi and Samurai Red-Lauren Shiba- smashed through X-Borgs with swords swinging. The Black Knight wielded his heavy sword Bull Riot, and the Red Samurai Ranger slashed her Spin Sword.
The Black Knight chopped through an X-Borg and swung wide, tearing through a second grunt. The Red Samurai Ranger slashed upward and downward; she spun, swung wide, and tore through an X-Borg with bursts of spark.
Meanwhile, the White Mystic Ranger ran to the scene along with Wolf Knight Fire. The Wolf Knight shield-bashed an X-Borg and chopped another grunt in two. Mystic White twirled her staff, slashing through X-Borgs.
More reinforcements pushed against the X-Borgs. Blue Centurion swung his Signal Blade, slashing through armor and steel. The Phantom Ranger blurred into focus with a flurry of punches and kicks, bashing X-Borgs to the ground. And the Sentinel Knight, Zuban, launched spin-kicks that smashed X-Borgs and Zergs with stinging force.
Nearby, DECA Shadow blocked an X-Borg’s staff. He countered with an upward diagonal slash, sparking on impact, and a round-kick to the gut. At his side, DECA Swan pressed forward with a front-kick and round-kick combo, bashing through grunts.
Another wave of X-Borgs charged to attack.
Two champions stepped in front of the enemies. Black Lion and Green Chameleon. They slapped their right fists against their left palms.
"Ringi! Fist of the Beast King!" Black Lion thrust his fist with a burst of black-and-gold energy shaped like the head of a lion.
"Ringi! Snaring Fist Strike!" Green Chameleon thrust her fist with a pulse of jade energy.
The two energy blasts combined into a pulse of power that exploded through X-Borgs with massive bursts of spark, tearing through their armor and bodies.
DECA Shadow moved with the precision of a master swordsman, parrying and blocking, striking X-Borgs with bursts of spark. DECA Swan stayed near his side with round-kicks and front-kicks, battering X-Borgs.
Wolf Knight Fire blocked a blow with his shield. He countered with a wide swing that struck an X-Borg to the ground.
Black Lion joined the fight with round-kicks and punches, fighting with the ferocity and power of the Lion-Fist style. And Green Chameleon moved with the grace and flexibility of the Chameleon-Fist, launching spin-kicks and twirling her sai, blows sparking on impact and whipping X-Borgs backward.
Black Knight swung his broadsword. He didn’t waste a single movement while hacking and chopping; grunts fell left and right to his blade. Samurai Red-Lauren Shiba- stood near his side. She swung her sword through quick precision strikes that hacked X-Borgs backward.
The Battle Task Force Power Rangers regrouped in the middle of the massive battlefield.
Mammoth Ranger chopped his axe. "Mammoth Breaker!"
He struck the ground with a wave of power that tore through X-Borgs with massive bursts of spark, scattering them into the air.
Tiger Ranger leapt over him and snapped her daggers; they shot like arrows and stabbed through X-Borgs with bursts of spark.
Tricera Ranger twirled his Tricera Lance. His weapon whacked X-Borgs’ heads and knocked the legs out from under them.
The Green Dragon Ranger stood near the Blue Ranger’s side. The Green Ranger slashed his Dragon Dagger through a streak of power.
"Dragon’s Claw!" He fired a power blade that tore through a group of X-Borgs.
Ptera Ranger leapt into the air near the Green Ranger. She armed her Ptera Bow.
"Arrow Shockwave!" She triggered an arrow that pulsed with energy and exploded like a missile, scattering grunts through the air as sparks tore through their armor.
Reality continued to shred all around them.
White Jokers dropped from tears in the sky.
Minions of the Dark One, they attacked with ferocity and bloodlust.
Tommy dashed through the ruined streets as he made his way towards the heart of Demon City, where a rip in reality extended to the Dark One’s prison.
Dozens of White Jokers dropped in front of him.
The ranger cursed beneath his breath and plowed through the villains with super-charged punches and kicks, blows that ebbed with fiery energy. His every cell throbbed with the pain of fatigue. He felt nauseated by his exhaustion. But he pressed forward.
The Green Dragon Ranger, Red Dragon Ranger, Red Zeo Ranger, Red Astro Ranger, and Dino Thunder Black Ranger regrouped in the midst of the battle.
The Red Astro Ranger looked from Ranger to Ranger, each a version of himself- Tommy Oliver- from a different time. "Well…this isn’t weird at all."
The Green Ranger tilted his head. "You think this is funny?"
"It is a little funny, yeah," Astro Red said.
Zeo Red lifted his hands. "Guys, stop arguing. We need a plan, now. This battle’s getting out of control."
"OK, two missions," the Black Ranger said, taking charge. He aimed his Brachio Staff down the street. "Our main goal is to get to that main fissure and stop the Armada from pouring through."
The Red Dragon Ranger shook his head. "That won’t make much difference if all of reality shatters."
"Right," Dino Black said. "That brings us to mission two. Some of us will fall back and form a perimeter around…Tommy. The Prime Tommy."
"So weird," Astro Red muttered.
"What about the Dark Man?" the Red Dragon Ranger asked.
"Let the Ultimate Rangers do their thing," Dino Black said.
Tyler stood in a clearing surrounded by broken buildings, black vines, dead trees and detritus. He faced Akuma, who remained in his armored form.
Akuma shifted his grip on his scythe. "Come, Child of the Dragon and Phoenix. Face Death."
"Just a second," Tyler said casually as he looked over his shoulder.
Akuma tilted his head, taken aback by the dismissiveness of Tommy’s son. "What-"
Suddenly, Orion, Mat, Seth, Kym and Kira ran into the clearing.
"Hey! Tyler!" Orion shouted. "We made it! We totally made it!"
Tyler sighed. "Getting here was the easy part."
Mat arced an eyebrow. "We have very different definitions of easy."
Seth looked to his leader. "What’s the plan?"
Tyler turned his attention to Akuma. "We hold off Akuma so the others can do their job."
"Fight Death?" Mat asked. "Yeah, that sounds…simple? Maybe?"
Tyler smirked. "Not at all. Come on, guys…it’s morphin’ time!"
"Ultimate transform!" They slid their keys into their morphers. "Ha!" Energy flashed around them as they morphed into their armor.
The Red Ranger twirled his sword. "Let’s make this showy."
The Rangers charged to attack.
Kamen Rider Black RX defended and attacked with a series of combos: Block. Back-fist. Side-kick. Kamen Rider Black stood at his side, attacking with a flurry of blows: Jump-kick. Spin-kick. Round-kick.
White Jokers spat bolts of energy at the two Riders. But Time Red dashed in front of them and slashed the blasts away.
Nearby, a White Joker grabbed Jungle Fury Yellow from behind. The creature tightened its grip and nearly crushed her ribs.
Kamen Rider Leangle dashed to her aide. The Rider twirled his staff, slashing the monster with bursts of spark, knocking him away from the Yellow Ranger.
A group of White Jokers transformed into monsters from the Grongi Tribe, including: Leopard Grongi, Rhino Grongi, Turtle Grongi, Boar Grongi, Porcupine Grongi, Grasshopper Grongi, Bee Grongi, and Crab Grongi
https://www.ryuranger.com/RangerBoard/Finale/Grongi1.jpg
Kamen Rider SaSword swung his blade, slashing through monsters with bursts of spark. But the creatures overwhelmed him; they slashed and chopped the Rider, blades and claws sparking on impact, driving him to his knees.
Rhino Grongi tackled SaSword and grabbed his throat.
Suddenly, bursts of mystical energy smashed the monster off the Rider.
SaSword used his sword for balance and climbed to his feet. When he looked up, he saw the five Mystic Rangers dash across the battlefield and leap into the air, their capes snapping in the wind.
The Mystic Rangers aimed their staffs downward and shouted: "Mystic Bind!"
They fired rings of energy that splashed across the ground, drew a dozen monsters together, and bound them in a circle of power.
SaSword armed his sword’s zector. "Rider Slash." He flipped the zector, which spoke the command: "RIDER SLASH"
He swung his sword through a streak of energy, slashing through the trapped monsters with massive bursts of spark and flame.
The SPD Rangers of Eltar, Blue Mask, Black Mask, Yellow Mask and Pink Mask, fought through a wave of Zergs and X-Borgs. A prototype Ranger, the Green X1 Mask, joined them.
They armed their weapons and struck.
"Mask Rod!" Black Mask thwacked a pair of X-Borgs to the ground.
"Mask Tonfa!" Blue Mask armed his tonfa, blocked the blow of a Zerg, and kicked the grunt backward.
Yellow Mask and Pink Mask stood back-to-back.
"Mask Rotor!"
"Mask Ribbon!"
The Yellow Masked Ranger snapped her rotor projectile, and the Pink Masked Ranger whipped her ribbon. The attacks struck several X-Borgs with bursts of spark.
Geen X1 Mask didn’t have a weapon of his own. But he didn’t need one. He charged his gauntlets with power.
"Electric Attack!" He fired strands of electricity that thrashed through X-Borgs and Zergs.
Nearby, Kamen Rider Black and the Red Masked Ranger charged at a White Joker that took the form of Shadow Moon. Shadow Moon swung his Satan Saber in an x-shaped pattern, slashing Ranger and Rider with bursts of spark.
Masked Red armed his sword and chopped. Shadow Moon blocked and slashed the Ranger to the ground.
Shadow Moon chopped at the fallen Ranger. But Kamen Rider Black hopped in front of the blow; the sword slashed the Rider’s back with bursts of spark.
Shadow Moon twisted his grip and slashed at Kamen Rider Black. The Rider snapped around, blocked the blow, and side-kicked Shadow Moon with enough force to hurl him backward.
The evil Rider crashed, climbed to his feet, and staggered. He thrust his hand with bursts of jagged, jade energy that stabbed towards Masked Red and Kamen Rider Black.
The other four Masked Rangers dashed to the scene and stood in front of the blast. They spread their arms wide and used their power to deflect the attack, which sparked around them.
Black Mask, Blue Mask, Yellow Mask, and Pink Mask shifted into fighting stances. They placed their right fists against their left palms.
"Levitation!" they shouted, thrusting their hands with strands of energy that wrapped around Shadow Moon and lifted him into the air.
Red Mask and Kamen Rider Black leapt at Shadow Moon with flying side-kicks.
"Rider Kick!" Black Sun shouted.
"Masked Kick!" Red Mask shouted.
Their kicks smashed through Shadow Moon with massive bursts of spark that tore the monster to pieces.
Kamen Rider Garren and Kamen Rider Delta stood back-to-back. They armed their blasters and opened fire on a group of monsters that surrounded them. Blasts tore through the creatures, but they continued their advance.
An attack came from nearby; blasts tore through the monsters, taking them off guard as bullets sparked through their bodies.
The RPM Rangers stood nearby with their blasters aimed; they fired again. Several monsters broke away from the two Riders and attacked.
The RPM Rangers armed their power weapons.
"Let’s do this at Mach Speed!" RPM Red shouted.
They throttled through the monsters while attacking. RPM Red slashed his Street Saber through a streak of energy, RPM Black fired his cannon, RPM Green swung his axe, RPM Yellow triggered her zipper weapon, and RPM Blue fired his bazooka.
From above, Kamen Rider Kiva leapt to their aide. His energized Rider Kick speared through monsters with massive bursts of spark, ripping their bodies apart.
A rift extended from the center of Demon City to the Dark One’s prison. A portal hovered over the rift, like an invitation from the Dark One himself.
Tommy stepped up to the portal. He breathed deep, having fought his way through several city blocks. Just looking at the portal, he felt loss rip at his insides. Pain. The Dark One almost tore my mind and soul into pieces. Can I…can I really face him again?
Yes. He knew he had to. He had to save reality. He had to protect Ashley, Nick, Teddy…and Tyler…everyone he cared about.
He pushed through the pain and stepped towards the portal. His Ki ignited with wisps of flame that followed him.
For the final time, Tommy stepped into the darkness.
To be continued…