99/09/26

Pierre is apparently explaining to Diinasu and Koboruta about the destruction of the asteroid, the new robot and somehow it's all Salamandesu's fault. Diinasu starts to mock her youngest brother. Angry, he goes to their mother and demands the right to run the next attack. Koboruta tries to cut him off, Diinasu agreeing. However, the queen floats in and says it's an amusing idea. Go for it. Salamandesu pulls out what apparently is his trump card.

Mint is counting. "4,700. 4,900" as the robot stands in flames. Mondo watches as the temperature gets up to 5,500. His kids are in the cockpit. They are testing Victory Mars. Mondo is quite satisfied with the heat it withstands. Next they drop in under water, pressure of 8,000. The kids report everything's fine, but then there is a shudder. And water starts leaking into the cockpit! The glass shatters! The kids, rather damp, come out into the house complaining about their father's testing. Matoi suggests they go out. Meanwhile, Mondo and Mint are working on the Water Pressure Management. Matsumi is on her way home with the groceries when Salamandesu spots her. She steps down into a tunnel, and senses something. She looks about, but there is nothing. Puzzled, she shrugs it off and steps forward saying it's nothing. But someone tells her she's wrong. Salamandesu's form outlined against the sunlight at the end of the tunnel, but Matsuri doesn't recognize him. She says, "Who?" and then a fist comes out of nowhere, and she falls. There is Salamandesu. She starts to activate her power, but then the demon is there and it blasts her. She shrinks to a few inches and is sucked into the creature's stomach. It is freezing in there. She calls for her brothers, but there is only silence. And the wind is cold. Salamandesu says, "Four to go." A few moments later, her other brothers come walking down the stairs and see her groceries all over the ground. They find her wallet, and know it was her. But before they can do anything, the monster comes out and catches them in its beam. "Now there's only Go Red left. Just one."

Matoi is at home, waiting impatiently for his siblings, when Mint signals him frantically. "It's terrible, it's horrible!" "What's happened?" "Go look outside!"

Matoi does, and sees in a rip in the sky, his family shivering, dusted with ice. And then the scene switches to Salamandesu, who tells Matoi to come and meet him in a particular place, if he wants to save his siblings from freezing to death. Matoi arrives at the scene, only to fight. He is half frozen, his bike totally laced in ice. Salamandesu gets him down and makes a speech about family being a weakness, which gets Diinasu and Koboruta furious. Matoi at one juncture gets Salamandesu in his gunsights and could blast him, but demands to know where his family is. Salamandesu thinks this is a great weakness. He knocks Matoi aside, and the demon tries to catch our young hero. However, it misses and only takes a sign. Seeing the sign shrink and go into the creature's mouth, Matoi uses his heat sensors and sees the red of his family outlined against the frozen blue of the monster. They are huddled together, blue and freezing to death. He can see their red fading. Salamandesu hits him then. The Saima Queen gloats. Diinasu curses, not happy for some reason with the prospect of Salamandesu winning. Matoi calls in his cycle, and the demon freezes it. Then Matoi is caught in the icey blast and knocked out of his armor. Salamandesu starts to mock his need to help his family as a weakness.I have no such weakness, he says. Koboruta is annoyed to hear that. Diinasu sneers. But Matoi stands back up and expresses his opinion on the subject, of his siblings being his strength and courage. He fights the monster, stabs it in the stomach. His brothers and sister see him, hear him. The stab drains the power from the monster, and saves their lives. They know he's fallen, frozen still. Their love for him causes a feedback and sends a blur of energy out that defrosts him. He scrambles to his feet and rips his spear from the demon's stomach. The others come out with it. And then together they turn to face Salamandesu, who is somewhat amazed at their lack of being dead. They all tell him off. In the ensuing battle, they manage to seriously pin the demon down. Together they fire on it and it falls.

Pierre, equally furious, moves quickly to make the demon big. They call in the GoLiner, form the Max Liner and then Max Victory Robo. Liner Boy and the Victory Robo together join up. Salamandesu uses his own power and uses the weather to darken the skies. Thunder and lightning, and the robots are seperated, sent to another plane where they have to fight the demon and some imps, all appearing as large as the robots themselves. And it's dark there, no solar power for the robots. So, Matoi asks Mondo to send in Victory Mars. This is something he only does with great reluctance, as he is uncertain that the programming will work. He's still testing it under water. Liner Boy takes off to get the other robot, while the Victory Robo faces the demon alone.

Meanwhile, Liner Boy prepares to tow the other robot into space. In space, they form up and come down. Our heroes teleport aboard their individual units to form Victory Mars. Salamandesu takes personal action to fight the robot, and he's doing rather well at it. He pulls them underwater, facing the demon. They use their shuttle-spear and hit it, severly damaging it. The illusion of ocean spashes away, and they are able to kill the demon at last. Mondo, Mint and everyone are all considerably relieved.

On the Saima base, Salamandesu stands in front of the demon gate, thinking of the things Matoi had said. How different this family is than his own. When Koboruta and Diinasu come to mock him, Pierre tries to stop him from attacking them. But then he says I'm not the Dragon Prince, Salamandesu. "What?" echo both Koboruta and Diinasu. The Queen gets into it. "It was good that you said that, my son." It seems he is somewhat different from his siblings. He is meant for more. He isn't really Salamandesu? I'm so confused.

The boys are playing dominos while Matsuri is vacuuming the floor. She's also peeved at them as she's doing all the cleaning while they're playing. These boys take her too much for granted. Matoi says something stupid and Matsuri knocks the table so all the dominos tumble. And then the doorbell rings. An enthusiastic young man comes running in and calls out to Matsuri. "Takai san!" she says and runs to him. He is a doctor. He tells her he got the job and all the things he had been working so hard for. She jumps into his arms and he spins her around to celebrate, her brothers watching in astonished confusion. Matoi is stuttering, "Who the heck is this guy!!!"

Koboruta is alone and cussing. Salamandesu has been doing all the attacking lately. Their mother favors him most, but Koboruta is angry because he is the oldest now and should be in charge. Diinasu steps out from behind a column. "Is this what you're doing with your free time?" she mocks him. He is about to get angry, when she steps to him and tells him she, too, is pissed about the situation. Salamandesu is really starting to get on her nerves.

Matsuri and Takai go to talk in private. She hands him a cup of coffee. He apologizes for his excitement, but he's just so happy. She points out that it has been a year since the day the two of them presented his proposal to their superior. She supported him against the doubtful expression on the man's face. Matoi is listening at the door. Then Takai pulls out a small box. "What?" Matsuri asks doubtfully. He holds it up to her and she sits frozen. He sees the shock on her face and is puzzled, but she shakes herself out of it and says, "Oh, that's wonderful," wiping a tear from her eye. Matoi nearly chokes. He runs downstairs to tell their brothers.

Nagare folds his fingers together thoughtfully and imagines the wedding. Their father escorting Matsuri to the alter, everyone applauding. Takai watching her worshipfully. The foreign priest speaking Japanese and Takai slipping a ring on Matsuri's finger, then bending to kiss her.

Matoi breaks the imagining with a cry, "Stop it! Stop it, stop it! No! It's too early!" He surges to his feet intent on racing up the stairs, but Shou catches his arms and tells him to think about Matsuri's feelings. Matoi is practically in tears, protesting that he can't see how this is real. Nagare asks him how this could be false, but it is Daimon who makes the difference. He tells them of coming down the stairs late one evening and seeing Matsuri weeping over a photo of that young man with herself. Nagare is willing to let it go, but Matoi is very suspicious.

In the room with Takai, Matsuri picks up a picture of herself and him and another young woman, Haruka. She says she's sure Haruka will be very happy about the marriage. He asks with eager hopefullness, "Really?" She nods.

Pierre brings forth a new demon from the gate. Godai of many eyes, with cards all over its body. Koboruta introduces him to Diinasu, who looks somewhat pleased. And then Salamandesu arrives. Something about, "You're trying to get big brother back? You should stop." Koboruta bristles. Diinasu supports Koboruta, and Salamandesu mocks her. She bites her tongue on the urge to lash out at him.

Takai leaves the house, walking on air. Matsuri encourages him. The boys decide they are highly suspicious of Takai, and they follow him when he leaves. To their astonishment, he meets another woman and presents her with the ring. Matoi reacts in fury. He starts out of the car, his brothers swift behind him. The girl, Haruka (of course) is astounded and agrees to marry him after considerable shyness. Overjoyed, he puts the box in her hands and then our boys approach, looking like gangsters in black sunglasses. Haruka gasps in frightened surprise. They inform him that he is a cad, and hit him hard enough to knock him out. Then they drag him off. Matoi tells Haruka she should forget about marrying the creep. They toss him in the van, intending to put a big scare into him for playing with their sister's heart like this. Haruka, follows these weird young men who have just kidnapped her fiance. She does not see the monster observing her.

Matsuri is washing dishes at home, when Mint calls about the new demon on the loose right where the boys are. Imps gather a crowd of people, and the demon tosses mirrored cards. People vanish when the cards touch them, and the mirror becomes an image of a wailing spirit. Haruka was missed by the imps and watches in horror. The imps are gathering up the cards, when the demon announces it has one left. It sees Haruka, who cries out in fear and runs. The imps catch her and block her, but our heroes arrive just in time to keep the demon from tossing the card at her. Meanwhile, in the van, Takai regains consciousness hearing the sounds of battle. Matsuri grabs Haruka to protect her. Koboruta and Diinasu arrive, snickering. They fight our heroes, and Matsuri runs with Haruka. Diinasu blasts them, nocking them down. The demon catches up and drops a card on Haruka, who disappears. Matsuri calls out in horror, and Takai is right behind her with the same cry. The Saima take off with the last card, laughing. Matoi signals Mondo, who is already tracking to find out where the Saima have gone.

Matsuri whispers Haruka's name, picking up the box with the ring in it. Takai catches her shoulders and asks frantically, "Is Haruka all right?!" Matoi grabs him and throws him to the ground, "Get your hands off my sister, you slime!" "What are you saying?" Matsuri asks him. Then Nagare catches up to explain. "You should know the truth about this guy." "Huh?" she asks. Takai is equally confused. "What are you weirdos talking about?" Shou lunges forward angrily, Daimon supporting him. Between them they snap about his playing with their sister's emotions. Matsuri stuttters, "Hold on, what are you guys on about?" Matoi starts angrily, "What were you doing looking at this guy's photograph -- " he breaks off, about to attack Takai. Matsuri starts to protest weakly as realization crosses Takai's face. But Matoi is going on, "She loves you and -- " Matsuri smacks him as hard as she can, shouting, "Stop!" Too late, the secret is out. Her other brothers stare in shock. Matsuri turns to Takai, trying to salvage the situation, but she is in tears even as she stands bravely. "Look, my brothers misunderstood. It's nothing like that. They don't know about our work, or about Haruka and how much I loves you guys...." But he's not blind and she knows it. She breaks into tears and flees, her brothers calling out after her. Matoi hangs his head. Takai says in sympathetic shock, "Matsuri's in love with me?"

There is a door in a wall, and the demon has placed all the cards on it. And now it works a powerful spell designed to open the gate to the afterworld. Diinasu and Koboruta intend to retrieve Jirufiiza. In the meantime...

We learn a little more about how Matsuri, Takai and Haruka know each other. Of course Matsuri was a regular ambulance driver, and she often brought patients in and admired Takai's brisk professionalism. She and Haruka got to listen to him all the time, supported him when he weakened under the pressures, applauded him. Matsuri remembers the day when the two of them were working on some programming, and Haruka walked in the room with tea and stumbled. Later, Haruka and Matsuri talked alone. When Matsuri realized Haruka was deeply in love with Takai, she made the choice to step aside for the sake of her shy friend's heart.

Takai comes to Matsuri. He wants to talk to her, but really is not certain what he should say. But the call comes for the Gogofive to fight the Saima, and Matsuri shoves the ring box into Takai's hands, telling him she wishes both him and Haruka the best. She runs as fast as she can, changing into battle costume as she goes.

The gate is open, and the process begun. However, the Gogofive arrive. The demon and Koboruta go out to fight them, leaving Diinasu alone to drag on the rope they've flung into the afterworld. A power charge builds up and knocks her away. She leaps to catch the rope before it falls through the gate, and manages to get it, but she is being dragged into the gate! Koboruta sees what's happening and breaks from the battle to go help his little sister. Together they haul on the rope. They can see Jirufiiza's silhouette beyond the gate. His hands clasp the rope and he is trying to haul himself through with them. And then the heroes manage to kill the demon. Dead, its power is negated. The gate begins to disintegrate. Diinasu and Koboruta cry out in anguish as they are dragged towards the closing doors. Diinasu hangs on until the last moment and is caught between the doors, reaching for Jirufiiza. Koboruta yanks her out of there and the doors vanish, the cards release the humans they had swallowed. Pierre uses a golemn card on the remains of the demon and makes it large. Our heroes fight, and eventually win.

Diinasu and Koboruta return to the Saima base, injured and supporting each other. Salamandesu greets them with, "Oh, too bad. But I knew you'd fail." (or something like that) Diinasu glares.

And our heroes go to Haruka and Takai's wedding, Matsuri wishing her dear friends congratulations. Matoi clasps her shoulder affectionately, and the brothers tease and joke warmly. Matsuri laughs at their antics.

Shou is reading a magazine and arguing with Matsuri, when an extraordinarily long-legged beauty walks into the house. She asks if he is by chance Shou Tatsumi. Stuttering, he gets to his feet and tells her yes. Asked who she is, she says "Miyuki Saito." And she has something to ask of him. She's all leaning on his shoulder and speaking softly in his ear. "Just for one day," she begins, and he is going "Miyuki and I, one day..." "Can you babysit?" (probably not exactly what she says, but....) it turns out she is a teacher and has brought a collection of eight five-year old children. Matsuri laughs under her hands as Shou collapses in agony.

Salamandesu has fallen out of favor. Diinasu, with Koboruta and Pierre behind her, is petitioning the queen to run the next attack. She holds up a card of Tanatosu. Koboruta is startled and questions the choice, for Tanatos fought them in the past and is, shall we say, less than obedient. Diinasu says the Queen can make it so they can control him. The queen gives them the go ahead and disappears. Diinasu hands the card to Pierre. Salamandesu sneaks in and adds a dagger to the mix, piercing the heart of the card before the spell takes effect. He has no intention of allowing the others to beat him out.

One child squirts Matoi in the face with two waterguns, while others scatter throughout the room. One boy settles at the computer terminal. Everyone is mad at Shou for getting them into this mess. When Mondo calls them to fight the demon that has arrived, the boys abandon Matsuri with the children. "It can't be any worse than fighting the Saima!" The boys arrive just after Tanatosu (Thanatos, probably) blows up a building and sets a whole city block in flames. They pull out the V-Lancer. "Oh, you're Gogofive, eh?" Tanatosu starts to trash them and Mondo calls his daughter to join them, only to see her practically wearing the kids. She says she can't leave them alone, he'll have to watch the kids. He looks down at Mint, who immediately wishes to run away. Our heroes fire on Tanatosu, but he simply blocks the shots. And Matsuri comes to join the others. He hears her calling and doesn't do anything while she jumps over him and joins her brothers. "Y -- You're a woman?" She identifies herself as Go Pink, and then Tanatosu begins to go to pieces. It seems his weakness is women! He tries to blast her, but the blast simply falls to the ground. She heads the attack, one strike to his head sends him tumbling. In confusion she stops and says to her brothers, "Why is this one giving you so much trouble?" Matoi stutters that this is no weakling critter! Nagare points out that this is their chance, and they prepare to fire. Their blast seems to blow up the demon, but leaves no remains so they know it is probably still alive. They go off searching for it.

Diinasu has watched all this in astonishment. "He can't fight women?!" "Too bad, he doesn't have the kind of energy he needs," Salamandesu says mockingly. She glares at him, gasping with fury. "His weakness is women, you know." And Tanatosu wanders down an empty city street, playing the pipes forlornly.

Nagare, Daimon and Matoi arrive at the front of their house. They haven't seen anything. Where could it be? They hear Mint screaming for help and run into the house. They double over with a mix of relief and fury when they find poor Mint covered in children.

Meanwhile, Matsuri and Shou follow the sound of the piping to the demon. He is thinking about the shock when it proved that he was fighting a woman, and has no idea why he should be unable to fight one. Then a crowd of jogging high school girls crosses his path and he becomes a total basket case. Matsuri and Shou watch him flee with giggles. Shou has an idea and whispers it in her ear. She starts grinning.

Tanatosu eventually hides out in an abandoned train car that someone is repainting. He jumps when there is a nock on the window behind him and turns to see Shou who says, "Hey Saima, I get it! Your weakness is women!" Tanatosu is too confused to attack and retorts indignantly that the idea is idiotic, but Shou pushes the car doors open and comes inside. "Why don't we test it out, eh? Matsuri!" She walks in wearing a long sweater and a short skirt, talking on the phone. Tanatosu's vision narrows down to the girl limmed in glowing light. She laughs into the phone and then holds out her arms to him. He stutters back. She changes, then, into a red Chinese gown and greets him with "Ni hau (hello)" and a warm smile. He falls back against a pole, trying to cover his eyes. Next she is in a yellow sweater and pleated white skirt with green pompoms, cheering him on. He falls to his knees and hides his face in the seat cushions. Then she says softly, "Tanatosu?" He looks up cautiously to see her in a one piece white dress that BARELY covers her upper thighs, long blue gloves and silver hoop earrings with a blue and white umbrella. Whew, sex appeal. These guys really fight dirty! She winks at him, and he loses it completely. Why, there is even a minor explosion from his head! They bend down and stare at him, Matsuri in normal clothing now, as he twitches like having a seizure. They can't help but take pity on him.

Refuge on Holy Ground. Shou and Matsuri trail behind Tanatosu as he pours out his confusion without looking at them. He finally goes to his knees and turns, apologizing for being such a poor excuse for a warrior. Shou offers to help, and smiles when the demon looks hopefully up at him. Shou now leads the way through a group of pigeons, explaining that he knows what it's like to be unable to meet a woman's eyes. Total shyness, he feels it too. So, we'll help you build up a resistence. Tanatosu feels hope, but also is bewildered. He finally accepts their offer. He can at last look at Matsuri again and thank her when she says she will help, too.

They first have him dress as a high school student take him to an all-girls school. He takes one look at the crowd slowly approaching the school's gate and turns to run. Shou catches him and encourages him. "Fight!" After a moment's hesitation, Tanatosu screws his courage and goes in to walk through the crowd of young women. His vision is slightly fuzzy with proximity, his hearing is distorted. He is holding on as best he can until, since he has covered his eyes he runs head on into a girl and knocks her down. He is apologizing when he looks straight at her and she smilingly accepts his apology. He flees the area with our heroes after him. So they take him to an amusement park where they all dress up as fuzzy critters to hand out balloons. He's doing all right giving balloons to little girls, when one little girl takes his hand and shakes it, then he falls to pieces and flees. They find him hiding behind a small merry go round hysterically pulling at the ears of the costume, whimpering "Of course I can't!" As a last effort they take him to a dumpling seller, a little old lady. This time they dress him up as a rather tall child. He is chewing on his nails, afraid to go through with it. Shou says, "It's your last chance! Don't give up!" Tanatosu forces himself to walk in front of the shop. He goes back and forth before he finally makes himself order a dumpling. He is able to handle the brief brush of the old woman's hand when she gives him the dumplings, but then she comes out and offers him a tinkling bell as a souvenier. She presses it into his hands, and he totally loses it again. He flees, his head steaming. Shou picks up the bell and he and Matsuri chase after Tanatosu.

He's about given up, he just can't stand it. He's going to cut his own head off, but Shou and Matsuri manage to stop him. "Let me, I'm no soldier!" he says as he struggles with Shou for control of the weapon. "Fighting isn't the only thing that makes you a soldier!" protests Shou. This idea is a new one for Tanatosu, who hesitates. Shou is trying to explain about courage having nothing to do with that kind of weakness. Shaken, Tanatosu leans against a stand. And then at Matsuri's encouragement, Shou brings forward the protective charm bell and ties it to Tanatosu's belt. He jingles it and looks thankfully at Shou. Matsuri encourages him and he's all set to go when a blast hits and knocks the two humans down. Tanatosu turns in shock to see if they are all right, but Diinasu calls him. "What are you doing hanging out with our human enemies?!" He replies that he's changed, and she snarls that he is hers and damned if he's going to humiliate her like this (I'm really guessing, here). And she blasts him and he cries out in agony. Matsuri and Shou call him, but he turns and snarls, then attacks them. Matsuri calls her brothers.

They had been helping with the children, but now they drop everything and run, leaving poor Mint with the job again. Shou is injured and Matsuri helps him as Tanatosu approaches. They change to fight, but he is once again strong, and now controlled so Matsuri being female can't faze him. The others arrive and are knocked badly. Shou cries out to Tanatosu to stop, and Matsuri points out that this isn't really Tanatosu fighting them. Shou jumps up and runs towards the demon, ignoring the blasts. He manages to get up close and tells Tanatosu to fight to be himself. The demon knocks our boy flat on his back. Diinasu laughs and walks away saying a Saima is a killer. Shou protests that even a Saima has a heart. He tries to reach Tanatosu. "You're not like other Saima. You have a heart. Please remember!" But he is pinned under Tanatosu's foot. Diinasu orders the demon to kill Shou and he raises his weapon to comply. Shou's siblings scream for him as the weapon whistles down.

The bells come loose from Tanatosu's belt and fall to the ground. Their jingle fills the air and he stops, his blade almost resting on Shou's mask. And he remembers their small adventures together as the two humans tried to help him. And then he steps off. He turns to a stunned Diinasu and fires on her. Furious, she blasts him back. The injury is devastating and he falls into Matsuri and Shou's arms. He is dying, and Shou helps him clasp the bells in his palm. He staggers away from them and then collapses, exploding to pieces. A dagger with a red hilt goes flying away and Diinasu picks it up where it stabs into the ground. Now she knows who screwed with her demon. "This! So, it was Salamandesu!" she hisses. She leaves, furious.

Pierre makes the monster big. Anquished, Matsuri turns to Shou and he calls in the Max Liner. They remember when Tanatosu told them about his weaknesses. He had tried to help them with his dying breath. They fire and destroy his weapon. He comes back to himself enough to say, "Thank you," before he is utterly destroyed. They hear the sound of the bells beyond the roar of the flames.

"Awe, too bad about your monster," Salamandesu is telling Diinasu. The fury she feels is indescribable. "Guess you aren't so good for mother after all." He turns to walk away, snickering to himself, when Diinasu throws his dagger to stab into the pillar beside him. He turns slowly, for now it is out in the open. She knows he sabotauged her, and he knows that she knows it. And if looks could kill... well, we'll see.

Miyuki arrives to pick up the kids, who all look very cheerful and well-behaved (snix). Our heroes salute them and vice versa. Miyuki thanks Shou and asks him if it's all right if she brings other children to spend a day sometime. All blushing and smiling, he says "Oh, sure. I'd love to." She takes the kids off, all waving. Our heroes wave back but the moment the kids are out the door, the smiles all vanish and Matsuri moves forward to have at Shou for getting them into this again. She stamps on his foot and he shouts in pain, the others chuckling as he falls onto the couch. But then he looks around. "Where is Mint?" Immediately, protesting noises come from behind a screen. "I'm here, HELP PLEASE!" Stunned, they find the little robot buried under newspapers, tied up with rope, and the children have drawn things all over him. Somehow I don't think poor Mint will ever willingly babysit.

10/17/1999

Green creature walking under a burning hot sun. Baira is his name. The Queen has approved Salamandesu's latest attack, but Diinasu mocks the red prince. Not bloody much else she can do while he has so much power.

Mint calls our heroes to follow a signal from the Saima. They see a strange, green hand sticking out of the ground. Matoi reaches down to touch it, Nagare warns him back. But then flowered coils burst out and one covers the bracelets on each hero's hand. The demon comes out and tells them that when the flowers bloom, the pollen will rain down and kill everyone it touches. The images it paints of people dying slowly as their skin yellows are horrifying. But Baira says there is an option. They can kill themselves, it would solve the whole problem. "You have two roads to choose from." Oh, boy. Mint tells Mondo that there is something like two hours before the flowers bloom. Our heroes are in the living room trying desperately to cut the vines off of their wrists. Mondo comes in and attaches electrodes to the one on Matoi's wrist. Our poor boy is getting rather electrocuted, and it doesn't... but when he falls, stunned, it appears to have worked until the flower regenerates.

Salamandesu is very pleased with the results of his attack. Pierre is happy too, but Diinasu is annoyed and Koboruta is angry with Salamandesu. Pierre is the only one who likes the red prince, these days.

Mint and Mondo work desperately to find a solution. Nagare is running computer simulations. They could stand in a sealed room, but still some of the pollen might escape, and the bearer would probably still die. Frustrated, Matoi punches a pillow. He remembers what the demon had said. "You have two roads to choose." Despair is setting in. Daimon says that he is a Gogofive. Our kids are shivering with the fear that they will have to die rather than cause the deaths of innocent people. Mint has contacted someone and they are bringing what may be a cure. Mondo sends the kids to meet them, for time is running out quickly. But Matoi is hesitant. He has something clenched in his fist that he hides in his pocket before riding in the van with his siblings.

The two ambulances meet, the young doctor rushes out with the case full of syringes carrying the cure, and then the Saima demon blasts them. The cure is destroyed, and it laughs and vanishes to everyone's horror. It is now 2:30. The scientist and his driver give a cry of horror, then flee. The flowers are starting to open. Matoi calls out to the others, jumping into the van. Mint tells Mondo that a deadly weapon is missing, but when he signals his children to beg them, Matoi clicks off the sound. His siblings stare at him in confusion. Matoi drives them to a peaceful lake. He brings out the weapon (large bullet?) and tells them what the only solution is. They sit frozen for a longe moment. Matsuri flees the car, kneeling beside the lake weeping, she doesn't want to die. None of them do. Nagare, Shou and Daimon come out after her, weeping. Matoi sits in the van staring at the weapon. He can see no other way. It is 2:47. Matoi stuffs the weapon back in his pocket and comes out to talk to his family. He puts his arms reassuringly around the shoulders of Nagare and Shou. Daimon is encouraged and even Matsuri. Today would be a good day to die. Then Nagare looks up at a jet passing and he says in sudden excitement, "SPACE!"

Matoi signals their father, telling him to call out Liner Boy who comes to our heroes. Matoi says, "Take us to space!" "Space? Okay." Our heroes board and strap themselves in. The demon watches Liner Boy launch and laughs. Our heroes see the flowers opening. They tell Liner Boy to open the hatches. "What? But you need air or you'll die!" "Just do it!" And he obeys. The flowers open and their deadly poison begins streaming out into space. Matsuri's belt breaks and the boys hold on to her hand to keep her from being pulled out into space. The screen goes into static and Mondo has no way of knowing what happened.

The demon is gloating that the Gogofive are dead, and starting his attack on the city when our heroes arrive. They survived, and the cactus flowers gone to dust! Enraged, the demon wants to fight, and Liner Boy is also there. Our heroes transform. They trash the imps for a while before directly confronting the demon. Matoi leads the attack. This critter is not much of a fighter and they take it down easily and destroy it with the V-Lancer. Pierre moves quickly to make it big.

Salamandesu sends out a blast of power to darken the skies, and our heroes call in the Victory Mars, which has quite a cool transformation sequence, even if I am less than impressed with the robot. The city is in flames around the demon and our heroes as they fight, and yet they are still able, with comparative ease, to destroy the demon. And the sun sets.

Our heroes return home to their grave father. He takes with considerable relief the deadly weapon from Matoi's pocket. He is so proud of them, and his youngest two, Daimon and Matsuri, fall into his arms, weeping. He just holds them in relief, nodding his head because it's the only thing that keeps his own tears inside.

October 24, 1999

Nagare in a handsome suit sits busily programming a security system for a room holding something of immense value, a Silicon X crystal. A young man is his aide, brings him coffee that evening. Two women rappel down from the roof and look inside that room at the green crystal encased within a box. One has greenish hair, the other red-purple. They cut a round block out of the window and slip inside, crossing the ceiling above the laser security beams. The green haired one reaches a camera and places something on it. The image blacks out for an instant, then restores looking as though no one is in the room. The other girl comes in, and there is a third. They make their way, the two holding the one's ankles while she sneakily opens the box. The alarm goes off and Nagare jumps to see what is happening. The girl takes out the crystal, only to remark that it's the wrong one. Then alarms start going off, strobe lights flashing, and someone announces, "Yeah, it's over here." It is Nagare, standing in the middle of the room. Startled, the women jump off the ceiling (and now there are four of them) and one fires on him, but it is only a hologram. The next moment they are all trapped in a cage. Nagare cheers and runs into the room to mock them. There is a repeated statement of "Black Snake" (Kuro Hebi), perhaps what he calls the trap, or the name of whatever group was expected to come steal the crystal? And then the women blast open the cage. It is Diinasu, and three female imps. They wear breastplates and red sashes to differentiate them from the rest. They fight Nagare, then the other Gogofive arrive. Diinasu takes off with her imps, mocking the Gogofive. Nagare is furious they got away from him.

In truth, Diinasu is also furious. She stalks into the main room. Her trio of female imps joins her, and she sends them off to search again. Then Salamandesu welcomes her home mockingly. She hates to look at him. Yes, they are after the "Silicon X". He seems to find her failure to get it amusing. She pulls a sword on him, but is not yet angry enough to attack him. She stalks off, ignoring Koboruta, who has no idea whatsoever what is going on.

Nagare is pouting in front of the computer while his family talks with their father about what happened. Nagare jumps to his feet saying he wants another chance. He and Diinasu really have a thing going, don't they? But it doesn't look like this will ever be a love affair. More of a Hate affair.

A plane lands, American Airlines. Foreign dignitaries from America, China, Africa (he came United), disembark carrying briefcases and surrounded by protective bodyguards. Our heroes are in another area, Matsuri holding a lovely, yellow crystal and admiring it. Shou takes it from her hands, reminding her it isn't a toy and Matoi puts it in the case with the others. He hands it to Nagare, who packs it in a huge box. They seal the box and begin checking security. Nagare goes to the computer and orders the others away from the box. He activates the security device. On the computer it looks like a hood. Shou tosses a bolt towards the box, and the shield becomes visible as it activates, then vanishes. Nagare is looking forward to this next confrontation with Diinasu. They trot off, never noticing the black snake curled nearby, watching them.

Diinasu has arrived with her imps. Her headband glows and beams out the image of the heroes clearing the area around the box. Smug, she grins. Like they can really stop her. Sooner or later, their luck will run out.

Our heroes are stationed throughout the building. The snake crosses towards the box. When it hits the shield, the alarms activates and our heroes run out. However, there is nothing! They look about in confusion and question Nagare. He's sure there's nothing wrong with his system and tells them back to stations. They all agree and wait, rather less than patiently. A pair of snakes hang out above Matoi. Diinasu laughs and sends another snake to trigger the alarm. Then she sends in her imps. Our heroes are frustrated when they see nothing there, and glare at Nagare. He begs them to please try one more time. While they go back to station, the imps take out the two guards outside the gate. They plant a bomb on the door. Matoi looks up and sees snakes, who drop on him and become chains, binding and gagging him. Everyone except Nagare is caught, and Diinasu laughs over Matoi. The alarm goes off again and Nagare is the only one who can answer. Of course there is nothing, and his siblings don't come. He hears Matoi shouting from hiding that this barrier is a waste of time and he better shut it down so they can move the crystals to a safer place. It is, of course, Diinasu speaking. Matoi struggles at her feet, unable to make enough noise.

Nagare is deeply disappointed and goes back to the room to deactivate the shield. The moment it goes down, Diinasu signals the imps. They set off the bomb and a huge hole is torn in the walls. Stunned, Nagare still moves, racing out of the room. An imp comes in on a hang-glider. Meanwhile, Matoi manages to reach his bracelet and free himself by changing into armor. He runs to see the box is gone and calls the others, but everyone else is still tied, and Nagare is nowhere to be found. Matoi shouts in frustration.

Diinasu is smug over their victory. She is all set to attack Tokyo, when she hears Nagare disputing her. She and the imps look frantically around but cannot see him anywhere. Then.... she realizes he's in the box and blasts it. He jumps out and turns to them with the case for the Silicon X in his hands. Diinasu demands it, but then Nagare activates the shield around them. He drops the controller on the ground and smashes it. They are trapped together. Diinasu tries to have an imp cut their way out, but there is no way. She blows up the imp in fury. The other two imps are nervous, but obey when Diinasu sends them at Nagare. They knock him against the sheild, and it is agony. The other Gogofive arrive in time to see him fall, but he tells them he can't let Diinasu get the Silicon X. No one is happy with the current situation, as it allows Diinasu to freely blast Nagare, since none of them can get out. But Nagare throws one of the Silicon X crystals up against the shield and his family blasts it. The shield is destroyed, and everyone within it is badly smashed. But our heroes collect together and call in their weapons. They net the two attacking imps, then blast them. Furious, Diinasu calls in Pierre. He makes the dead imps into one big one. Our heroes call in the Max Victory Robo. The giant imp gives a reasonable accounting of herself, but is knocked down by the robot. On signal from Diinasu, she splits and becomes three giant, female imps. Diinasu snickers, watching them trash the giant robot. But our heroes are not down yet. They manage a severe attack and the three are destroyed. Diinasu is all set to stomp off in fury, when she sees Nagare sitting on a stone mocking her. She attacks him and he beats her down. She glares up at him furiously and says, "I'll get you, you just wait!" She vanishes. He says, "Yes, I'll wait."

Diinasu returns to the Saima home, rubbing the bruises on her face. Koboruta and Salamandesu are waiting for her, to her shock and shame. "Too bad, big sister, you can't handle Go Blue" Salamandesu says sarcastically. Diinasu turns away, grumbling, "It's like I'm always fighting him." Koboruta feels sympathy, but has no real idea what is going on. He sees something on her back, though, and picks it off in confusion. She spins and snatches it from his hand. It is a business card. Rather cruelly, it says something to the effect of "Looking forward to next time! Miss Diinasu. Go Blue." Diinasu about throws a fit. Koboruta covers his eyes in sympathy and Salamandesu chuckles. Grinding her teeth, Diinasu says, "I'll remember this, Go Blue!" and tears the card in two.

October 31, 1990

Roasting a pig, perhaps, over a fire. The Saima are eating together at a table, looking less than enthusiastic about the activity. Koboruta is about to swallow a live mouse, when Salamandesu says something and a tiff ensues. Koboruta pulls out a card and creates a demon, who seems to consider the imps fair game to abuse. The creature takes off, with Koboruta's proud approval.

A little old man arrives to watch a judo contest. Daimon is in it, and he fights with enthusiasm until he is taken down, and his brother, Matoi, shouts at him indignantly. The demon, meanwhile, is wandering happily through town with his imps, challenging several schools. He collects the school banners (a carved wooden board) and crows happily after having killed at least one teacher. Judo, Boxing, he hits them all. He and the imps settle down in front of a temple to rest, when our heroes arrive to fight them. The demon challenges the heroes and proceeds to trash Daimon, when the little old man arrives.

The demon runs at him, and he throws the critter over his shoulder, making it look as easy as a walk in the park. The imps and demon take off and Daimon recognizes Shishou (title, not name), and brings him home.

His siblings gape in astonishment at the Shishou, who pats himself off in clouds of dust as Daimon tries to make him comfortable. You see, the old man is ill, he's having heart palpatations, and Daimon is worried about him. However, Shishou tumbles the boy and leaves in a bit of a huff. He goes to a shrine to pray, and the Saima demon arrives with some imps. He is ready to fight, but the demon and imps have come for a different purpose. The demon begs Shishou to teach him. Koboruta arrives angrily to tell his demon to fight the Gogofive, but the demon refuses and knocks him away. Then the demon chases off the imps. Shishou sees the demon is dead serious, and accepts him.

Daimon is worrying about Shishou, while his siblings are glad to be so easily rid of the old man. Mondo is working on figuring out the demon's weaknesses. Daimon leaves the house to search for Shishou, and finds him training the demon. When Daimon protests and tries to challenge the demon, he is knocked away. Shishou continues the training.

Daimon independantly trains, improving himself as best he can. Meanwhile, the demon completes his training with Shishou, thanks his teacher and, per instruction it is possible, attacks him and commits serious damage. The demon goes to attack the city, and Shishou staggers away and finds Daimon.

Our heroes arrive as the demon is tossing things all over the city, he just shrugs off their attacks, catches their weapons when they fire on him. Shishou forces Daimon to turn his strength and skill on the old man and defeat him. He blesses the boy, gives him a carton of milk and sends him off to fight the demon. Daimon arrives in time to protect his siblings and challenge the demon. They go one on one, our youngster never changing into his armor. Even when the demon succeeds in grinding Daimon into the dirt, our young hero simply forces himself back up. He chugalugs the milk, announces "POWER UP!" and returns to the attack! In no time at all, he trashes the demon. Shishou proudly sips his own milk with a "My job here is done" kind of attitude. Our heroes gather around to congratulate their brother, and the demon staggers back up. Daimon changes into his armor, then his siblings put their strength together and send him flying at the demon, who is shattered.

Furious, Koboruta has Pierre make the demon large. Daimon calls in the Max Machines, They form up, and the battle starts. They are knocked at first, but Daimon takes over the commands to Matoi's embarrassment, and soon they destroy the demon.

Shishou is in the hospital, with a worried doctor and nurse hovering over him. Daimon and his siblings arrive, Daimon in tears at the sight of his dying teacher. Shishou touches his shoulder one more time, and then falls unconscioius. With a bizarre sense of humor, the words "TO BE CONTINUED" are at the bottom of the screen, then begin erasing themselves. The doctor informs our heroes that Shishou is just fine, needs a lot of rest, and he leaves the room. It takes a moment, but Daimon is furious that he was allowed to feel such anguish and tries to strangle (not seriously) the snoring Shishou (who was faking it). His brothers and sister restrain him.

November 7, 1999

Tea at the kitchen table, when all look up in astonishment at Matoi's protesting "FATHER!" He is refusing to go to an arranged marriage introduction. But his father says the girl is Inui's daughter, and Matoi really ought to at least go see. While he follows his father, protesting, his siblings rush over to look inside the Omiai packet. Matsuri announces, "She's really pretty!" and the brothers are agreeing. Matoi heistantly looks around. Curiosity gets the better of him, seeing the packet open in Shou's hands and he comes to see, but Nagare takes it. They won't let Matoi see, and he pursues the packet as his siblings keep handing it off. Delighted by this turn of events, Mondo goes to call his friend and tell him the meeting is on. Matoi, seeing this, starts to shout protests, but Nagare and Shou pin him, and Matsuri covers his mouth with her hand.

It is Salamandesu's turn to be surprised. Pierre is apparently up to something, he has a lovely card of an eternity sign, snakes eating each other's tales. Salamandesu agrees, go ahead. They toss the eternity card in with another, which has an image of a pig demon, and it comes out with the eternity symbol on its chest to greet Pierre. It's name is Garubaria. Pierre sends him out after the Gogofive.

A wedding palace. With his family hovering around him, Matoi is waiting impatiently for the woman he is to meet. He ducks his siblings to get outside and hears a child crying. He looks over, and there is a group standing. Some young woman in traditional kimono garb is halfway up a tree, trying to retrieve the little girl's balloon. She gets it but slips and falls. Matoi jumps forward to catch her and they land in a heap. But she's got the balloon. She sits up and looks at him, and is indeed a lovely woman, then thanks him with a sweet, knowing smile. He stares at her for a moment, then realization hits him. "Inoue Sugumi san?" She nods. Oh, wow. She's the girl he's supposed to meet.

They are seated at a table, the whole group of siblings, across from Sugumi and her parents. Matoi is half-paralyzed, while Sugumi is trying to keep her mother from teasing her. Matoi starts to protest that he really can't do this sort of thing right now. His siblings groan in quiet frustration, but Sugumi laughs gently. "Ah, what's so funny?" Matoi asks her, faintly indignant. She says that her father apparantly said the same thing, and her father looks appropriately embarrassed. "Well, we're always so busy," Matoi protests. Mother and daughter are mutually teasing, about how her father was just like that. Matoi is starting to get indignant, when Sugumi puts her hand hard on the table and stares at him firmly. "I am the daughter of Inoue." And proceeds with a thing probably about know all about responsibility. Matoi is taken aback and nods agreement. The father speaks about the need and Matoi, to his family's surprise, agrees.

A wedding party settles down for a picture. The photographer ducks under his camera's cover, and the people start screaming and run. "What?" he says, and then a pig face moves into view. "Cheeze!" it says. Startled, the photographer comes out, then screams and runs.

A waiter hurries in and announces a Saima attack. Our heroes run out, and the Inoues get to watch as the Gogofive change. Sugumi is impressed, but when they fire on the creature, the card begins to turn red. It is absorbing their power! They don't know it, of course. Sugumi, excited by the fighting, runs forward to shout encouragement. She gets too close, and when Garubaria is flung aside, they collide and go tumbling together down a nearby flight of stairs leading to a pond. Garubaria hits its head on a table of flowers. They fall on it, and there is a weird effect, as though Sugumi's soul enters Garubaria's body. The girl's parents run downstairs to pick up her limp form, while our heroes rush to the top of the stairs. Matoi hurries down, and he shakes the girl. She is unmoving. However, Garubaria is getting to its feet and answers, touching its face in confusion. "I'm not talking to you!" shouts Matoi, and turns to fire on it. Poor Sugumi is in that body, trying to protest. She flees and our hero is set to pursue, but Matsuri tells Matoi to stay with the girl. They pass where it/she is hiding. "Whew, okay," she says, coming out. Then a shout startles her/it. "What's the matter, Garubaria?" Pierre snaps. He jumps down and pulls her to her feet. She pushes him away in surprise. "No, I'm Sugumi, not Garubaria!" and flees. Pierre is quite confused, but getting the picture.

Sugumi's mother is taking care of her unconscious daughter. Grimly, she lays a cool, damp cloth on the girl's forehead and leaves the room. Pierre pops up outside the window and taps on it, calling " Garubaria! Garubaria!" The girl stirs and opens her eyes, then looks in horror at her hands and cloths. "What is this?!" she growls, then spins and looks in a mirror. Pierre makes his way into the room. She sees him in the mirror and turns in considerable relief. "Pierre-sama!" He hushes her quickly and asks, "You are Garubaria, aren't you?" "Yes, of course, but what's happened?" He explains with some embarrassment. When at last she understands, "I'M THAT GIRL????" She is horribly dismayed. She sits despairingly on the floor, but Pierre tries to reassure her that in this body, she could really help the cause against GoRed. This strikes fire into her heart.

Matoi arrives with a doctor, and Inoue ushers the man into the room anxiously. The doctor is ready to examine her, when she gets up. "Hey, that hurts, stop it!" pushing the man away to the ground. Startled, Matoi and Inoue catch him. She stares around at them and realizes perhaps that was suspicious behavior. "Um, uh, don't worry about me, I don't need anything, I'm fine." She scrunches up, trying to remember how to look cute. Matoi falls for it, smiling in relief. So, we're back to the first potential wedding meeting, and to their surprise Sugumi is eating like... well, like a pig. Her parents have no idea what to make of it. Pierre is snickering out the window. He really enjoys this, as Matoi watches "Sugumi's" behavior in confusion.

The other heroes are still looking for their enemy, when it steps out from the bushes behind them and trips on its big feet. They are about to attack, when it says, "Wait, please help me!" is a high-pitched voice. To their accusation, she says "But I'm really Sugumi Inoue." The boys are set to attack, but Matsuri stops them, coming closer. She asks Sugumi a question about the girl's father, and when it is answered spins and says, "It's true!" Sugumi asks in relief, "You believe me?"

Meanwhile, back at the Omiai, Garubaria is less than sober. Sugumi's parents are not sure what to make of things, but recommend a walk. Matoi, before he can protest, is grabbed by Garubaria and dragged out. She takes him to a greenhouse. Gruff voiced, the creature is starting to protest the wedding. With an effort, it manages to sound like a cute girl. "I couldn't marry a guy who wasn't very strong." Then when Matoi is bewildered, she punches him and knocks him down. When he protests, she says, "Awe, you're all right." When he bravely stands back up, she uses his confusion to attack again. At last she is strangling him and calling him GoRed. She says she isn't Sugumi, she's the Saima warrior Garubaria. The family arrives with the real one in tow. When Sugumi sees what's happening, she lunges forward and knocks the demon in her body away. They fall together again, and before the heroes can do anything, Sugumi sits up. "I'm back in my own body!" Garubaria is getting weakly to its feet behind her and she turns, then screams. That is the signal our heroes were waiting for. Matsuri, Daimon, Nagare and Shou switch into battle mode and Matsuri sends Sugumi away. They fire on the creature, but then Garubaira starts protesting that it is Matoi. In confusion, Matsuri and the others step forward. It tells them the darned card has switched their souls. Sugumi, behind a pillar, hears all this. Yup, sure enough. Behind them Matoi is snickering evilly and thums his nose at them. "It's my body, now!" He tells them. But just then Pierre arrives, telling Garubaria to switch into battle armor. However, the demon doesn't know how and Pierre has to show him. During the change, his aura glow shows the true shape of the demon, but he is still in Matoi's body. Startled, the other heroes jump back, then rush forward to fight. Garubaria gets through them and hits Matoi (in its body) between his legs. They end up rolling onto the street. Our heroes want to fire, but are afraid to harm their brother. Matoi in Garubaria's body insists they do it anyway while he has the demon pinned. Pierre is snickering about the success of his strategm,holding a bunch of red roses (which seems may be key to the transmigration of souls). Sugumi hears him and nods her understanding. Garubaria is protesting they'll never get Matoi back if they do this. The situation is grave, but Sugumi rushes to a walkway over the battle, her arms filled with flowers. Just as our heroes fire, she throws the flowers down into the firing area. Pierre shouts a protest, but the trick is done. Matoi's back in his own body. Although at this point his siblings are not entirely sure. But he quickly convinces them. Sugumi laughs in delight at their antics.

Furious, Garubaria gets to its feet and then the fight is engaged. Our heroes use Hyper mode at last, the Hyper Five. Another red block to the demon's power. Garubaria calls out, "I did it!" and is blasted to pieces. Pierre drops the card to make it big. To fight the giant, our heroes call in Victory Mars, but each time they fire they are only adding to the demon's power. They have no idea what they're getting into. It is halfway filled, when their attack destroys it. Then the card falls into Pierre's hands. He is very pleased.

Mondo is at the table, looking at the picture in the Omiai folder and talking about the girl. Matsuri says how Sugumi is really a good person. Matoi says she really has a rescuer's heart. Then the doorbell rings and Shou answers it, to let the girl in. Dressed in normal clothes she is just as lovely as in a kimono, and Matoi swallows. Nagare presses his shoulders and pushes him towards the girl.

Our heroes scrunch together at the kitchen table, trying to pretend they aren't listening to every word the two young people are saying. Matoi and Sugumi sit across from each other. Sugumi says, "Thank you for today," and he says, "Oh, no." It was a rather strange meeting. She says she knew GoRed was strong, but she hadn't really thought about Matoi, the person inside the suit. "Will you show me how strong you are?" He is nodding indulgently when what she asked catches up with him and fear flicks across his face. She grabs his wrist in a judo hold. He winces in anticipation of pain, and she flips him. His family watches in shock. In the end, his head goes through the thin ceiling into the room above. His family and Sugumi (who is embarrassed at her own strength) stare up at his kicking feet. He whimpers, "Why, Sugumi-san?" his head spinning.

The queen opens her eyes in surprise as Pierre explains about the card and how it is filling with power from the heroes. She says, "Salamandesu, let's see." Salamandesu brings out a card with a sort of mantis-demon, they put the cards together, and the demon is out. First attack and our heroes have no reason to suspect anything unusual. They fight the demon. It is Shou who is knocked down first, but then the heroes pull out the V-lancer. The monster absorbs their attack and returns it. This pattern continues, and the Queen laughs. Diinasu watches with a curious blend of horror and relief. Our heroes manage to hit the demon at last, and it suffers damage, but flees with greater power than before.

An emergency signal from Mondo sends them to a house on fire, and Shou and Matsuri drag a little old lady out of the rubble. Delierious, she calls Shou "Kiyoshi," and clings to him. He doesn't really know what to do, afraid telling her no will kill her.

He goes to the hospital and finds the depressed little old lady. She is furious with him until he identifies himself as Tatsumi Shou, of the Gogofive. She calms down a bit, then demands hyakuman yen. Bewildered, he finds out she's joking. Then she tells him about Kiyoshi. He would climb trees and bring her persimmons, and she was so proud of him when she found out he was going to be a pilot, just like his grandfather. But then it turned out he washed out, or something. She was so angry when he told her, she hung up the phone and hasn't heard from him, since. Shou offers to look for him, but she refuses angrily.

So, Shou is at the academy, and guess who is there? It's Kyoko.

In a darkened building, there is an arrogant man dressed in a nice suit. Shou identifies himself shyly. One sees an expression of total surprise on the young man's face, but then he looks out a window and sees a car pull up. He drops his hat on Shou's head, tells him to wait and rushes out the door. Laughing, he drops onto a car and takes off. Two sinister men walk in the room and when Shou says he's not who they think, they start shooting. Shou runs and hides, ending up with Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi asks what sort of idiot Shou is, why is he looking for Shou. Then Shou tells him how the grandmother was injured in a Saima attack. Dismayed he asks, "Grandmother's not dead, no!" But Shou says no and in relief the boy takes off, no intention of cooperating.

Shou is helping the little old lady repair her house. She can't afford real help. Kiyoshi is coming to visit her after so long, stopping at a store to pick up a bag full of persimmons. He arrives to see Shou helping and hides. Shou rubs the little old lady's sore shoulders and she asks about Shou. He kind of dodges the question. She is talking about Kiyoshi, perhaps how she would like it if the boy was more like Shou. Hearing this, Kiyoshi drops the bag of persimmons and slowly turns away. Shou catches the movement and will pursue.

Heading up a walkway, he finally finds Kiyoshi walking heavily. "You did come to see her!" Kiyoshi angrily tells him she has Shou, and so she doesn't need Kiyoshi. Then fury gets the better of him and he tells Shou off, but our boy punches him one. From the cement, Kiyoshi decends into helpless anguish and grabs the fencing to shake against it. Shou receives a signal to come fight and says okay, but before leaving tells Kiyoshi how much his grandmother needs him. Having no choice, Shou runs to join his family. Kiyoshi is too badly shaken to stand.

The demon laughs as it blasts workers and Shou leads the group in the counterattack. Kiyoshi has followed, and watches the battle. When our heroes fire, it steals their power again. Pierre laughs happily watching, then reports to Salamandesu about the card. Above him, Kiyoshi hears everything. He moves away to watch the Gogofive fight, gasps as he sees Shou fall, then get up and attack the demon again. He remembers what Shou said. Finally, he calls out warning, explaining about the card. Pierre fires on him and he falls, but Kiyoshi isn't downed that easily, he throws a brick at Pierre and shouts encouragement to our heroes.

They bring in the Lifebird and use it to considerable effect on the demon, alternately using fire retardent. The totally different power mode enables them to destroy it. Kiyoshi shouts for joy, and Shou gives him the thumbs up. However, Pierre makes the monster big. Our heroes summon the Mars Machines and form Victory Mars. They are badly shaken by its counter attack, and summon in the GoLiner. In the meantime, while the alarm runs, the old Grandmother finds the persimmons outside her gate and realizes Kiyoshi was there. She hears the warnings about the Saima battle, and knows where he must be.

Our heroes fight the big fight. The eternity card fills with red and the demon dies, uttering one warning. The next one won't be so easy. Pierre is jumping for joy over the card, when Kiyoshi dives in and takes it from him. But Pierre catches the boy and gets the card back, knocking Kiyoshi down. Our heroes arrive and Pierre vanishes. Shou grabs Kiyoshi, "Are you all right?" "No. I didn't get the card." Our heroes are hastening to reassure him, when we hear someone scream, "Kiyoshi!!" Of course it's Grandma. She's arriving on a motorcycle to get her grandson. "You idiot!" she says when she arrives. He falls to his knees in relief and wistful grief to see her. Grandmother and grandson reunited, she starts telling him how much she believes in him. Our heroes smile in relief and leave the two their privacy.

11/21

At the Saima base, Salamandesu smugly tells his mother he has the Eternity Card, holding it up with the dragons biting their tails in the Eternity symbol, all surrounded in red. She is very pleased. He has chosen Lizardesu to be the carrier of the card, to Diinasu and Koboruta's frustration. And Pierre makes the demon.

Meanwhile, Nagare is programming, remembering the words of the young man from last week's episode. Matsumi brings him coffee, which he moves aside without really noticing. But Matoi comes to join them, not really placing any importance on the words of the young man. The other two brothers arrive in time to hear the end of the argument, and tell Matoi Nagare is right. And then Mint calls them. Yes, Lizardesu has begun his attack. Our heroes come at him with enthusiasm, only to find their own power reflected back at them. They call in the VLancer and try to fight him with those, but he's really wiping them out. Matoi tries a one-on attack, and the demon simply laughs. Our heroes try a blast of power from the VLancer, but again their power is only reflected back at them from his shield. Above the fight, Salamandesu laughs and asks them what they think they can do. Matoi jumps up and tries a lunge. He startles the demon. When a furious Salamandesu tries to blast Matoi from behind, our hero ducks and Salamandesu's blast hits and seriously damanges the demon. Furious, our villain takes off.

Nagare wakes from nightmares of the impossibility of fighting this demon. He cannot sleep, so heads downstairs to attempt to design a new weapon. He is fretting over his failure when Kyoko arrives with a snack for him. When he growls at her and tells her off as he turns back to the computer, she says, "You're mad at me, too?" She glances over the paper Nagare has scrunched up. "It isn't about that, you're just angry." "Don't fuss over me!" he growls and stomps to sit on the couch. "You're not acting like a man," she asks when he pouts. "You could just throw them into space." He reacts in shock as he thinks she's found the way.

In the morning, he's collected his siblings into the car. They are confused and aren't really certain what he's explaining authoritatively to them, but his father knows, and they take off in the car.

Pierre comes frantically to Salamandesu. Just after him, comes Lizardesu, who is still injured from earlier. But Salamandesu bites a finger and gives Lizardesu a drink of his own green blood. The effect is immediate, the wound heals. He is ready to fight again.

A truck leaves a place with our heroes in the lead. Matoi still is not sure about all this. He complains angrily, "Even if we do succeed, they're only going to make a deadlier monster." They arrive at a quarry outside the city, and Lizardesu immediately attacks, sending the red vehicle out of control. Lizardesu knows about the bomb, and says they can't beat him. Nagare begs to differ, and our heroes change into battle suits. Lizardesu mocks them, but they are less than willing to give up. Matoi challenges him and when he blasts them, comes at him on the motorcycle. The impact knocks him down. Since it doesn't use energy, he has to blast them back. Matoi is knocked and the others come to him. Lizardesu spills that Salamandesu has powered him up. Pierre calls him and they knock the lock off the back of the truck to try and pull out the bomb. But there's nothing in there! And then bars cross the door, with energy to prevent the Saima from getting out. Nagare has set this all up to capture the Saima, and it worked. Matoi is in shock, it had never occurred to him. Did their father know? Nagare winks in response to the question.

In the truck, Lizardesu turns to Pierre and says that the only thing to do is kill him so he can become big and fight. That's the only way out of this trap. Pierre obeys, and the truck bursts apart. Pierre scrambles to his feet and makes our monster big. Nagare calls in the Go Liner and sends the command to call in Liner Boy. Together, the Victory Robo and Liner Boy face Lizardesu. But our demon catches Liner Boy and sends him flying, then laughs. Liner Boy strikes back, but cannot get through the demon's shielding. The Braver Sword is pulled out, so quickly Salamandesu does "Saima Zone", preventing the Victory Robo from renewing its power. They cannot use the Victory Prominence. Things are looking bad when the demon stabs through the Robot and kicks it away. Victory Robo falls. Laughing, the demon approaches. But what about Victory Mars? They don't know how it can do in the Saima Zone, but it's their only chance.

They send the jet, but the shield is proof against it. They try the Mars Flare, no good, and it hits them back pretty bad. They fall. Pierre is cheering Lizardesu on. Matoi won't give up yet. And Nagare catches sight of the Braver Sword and has an idea. With a diving flip, the Victory Mars snatches up the blade and slices and dices the demon. SUCCESS! The Saima Zone is gone, and Pierre despairs. They pick up the demon and blast off for space. Pierre jumps up and down anxiously. When Mondo and Kyoko ask what's goin gon, Nagare tells them he's taking it up into space. They are all more than a little worried, but as they get up there and the ship is getting dangerously hot as they approach the sun. Liner Boy launches after them, panicking. They drop Lizardesu into the sun, and the card is destroyed. The Max Shuttle arrives, Liner Boy telling them to grab hold, and bringing them back to Earth. Kyoko, Mint and Mondo cheer.

Salamandesu is stunned as he is blasted. Yes, Mother is pissed and punishes him for destroying a vital, deadly weapon. When she vanishes, Diinasu and Koboruta step out of the shadows to mock him. Pierre arrives to apologize profusely, only to be kicked in the face. Salamandesu is furious and vows revenge on the GogoFive.

November 28th, 1999

Nagare, Matoi and Shou come back from their morning jog to find Matsuri and Daimon on their way out. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" Nagare asks. Unrepentant, the two reply they have something terribly important to do today. "What might that be, you're taking vacation?" Nagare grumbles. But Shou grins and teases them. "This has something to do with last year, doesn't it?" They glare and snap indignantly at him, and Matoi pulls between them to remind them of the time. With a yelp of shock, they run off to their oldest brother's shouted well wishes. "Ittekimasu!" (direct is go and come back, but it's kind of a I'll see you later) Matoi turns to remind them that Nobuhiko is getting out of the hospital at 4 today and Shou remembers, the boy who really loves trains and was always going out of his way to take photos of them. Nagare remembers, too. The boy was leaving a train station with his book, paying no attention, ran into the street and got hit by a car. It was Daimon who saw the fallen child, blood everywhere, and Matsuri who rode in the ambulance with the boy. The two came to see him all the time as he was recovering, encouraging him in rehabilitative therapy as he forced his legs to walk again. The boy is free today, completely recovered, has a new camera and is waiting for his friends. Shou, Nagare and Matoi go inside, still arguing as they try to settle who does what in preparation for the boy's visit.

The Queen is staring through a portal in impotent fury at Bay Area 55. She lets the portal close, complaining that she wants those facilities destroyed. Koboruta says he has a monster that can do it and gets up from where he was kneeling. Pierre is behind him, scrambles up and points out that the place is sheilded and there's no way for them to get in. Koboruta sneers at him and advances threateningly, "Shut up, you. You're Salamandesu's toady. You're only miserable because he's out of favor!" Pierre in despair runs off to Koboruta's laughter. Koboruta calls in his demon, Hirugemuujya, a bizarre critter covered in yellow fuzz, an insect demon with reminds me a little bit of a caterpillar. Koboruta turns to the mother and tells her that he and Diinasu are working together, and the Queen should enjoy the wait. She approves and vanishes. Meanwhile, Salamandesu watches from the shadows and snorts contemptously.

A beautiful bouquet of yellow and white roses and daisies is handed by a gentle nurse to Nobuhiko. He says, "But I've never seen you before," and she replies this is just because the staff member changes every day. They bow friendly polite to each other and she walks away. Matsuri and Daimon arrive, passing the nurse. They pause in confusion and puzzle over the faint familiarity of her. But then they go on to Nobuhiko and tell him it's time to go see Bay Area 55! Delighted, he takes a picture of them. The "nurse" watches from behind a tree. The boy gathers his flowers and runs off with them. The nurse smiles wickedly and walks away up the stairs.

In the house, there are congratulatory notices all over the wall, delicious cakes all over the table. Matoi salutes Nobuhiko and they all eat together. Meanwhile, glowing blue lights transfer from the flowers into the camera laying beside them. Matsuri and Daimon are about to take Nobuhiko into the facility when Matoi catches his little brother and reminds him he has dish duty. Nobuhiko snatches up his camera and goes off with Matsuri.

They enter the main office, and are first introduced to Mint. "Where's Dad?" "He's out fishing." Yes, with an excellent view of the Bay Area 55 and sneezing as he has a cold. The child is absolutely delighted when they enter the hanger and he can see the great machines. Then he meets Liner Boy, who greets him affectionately. He pulls out his camera and Liner Boy says, "Take a handsome one!" "You got it!" When Nobuhiko presses the trigger, glowing lights fly out of the lens and the boy drops back onto his butt in surprise even as Matsuri watches the lights attach themselves to our dear robot and clear into huge bugs, like trilobites. She bends to hold Nobuhiko, even as the bugs begin causing explosions and damaging Liner Boy. They are everywhere.

In the house, Mint signals the others telling them something is attacking. They cannot open the door to get in, and Nagare checks to see the explosions everywhere, and then the picture blanks. They call Mondo, who witnesses as the Bay Area sinks beneath the water. Nobuhiko and Matsuri run through a gauntlet of exploding bugs, she changes into battle armor and shields him as the walls start falling in. She is pinned under the debris, but her efforts protected Nobuhiko.

Mondo rushes into the house and hauls out a map to show a back entrance into the base. Mondo signals Matsuri who says they're all right, but then she remembers the nurse and realizes the woman was Diinasu! Our heroes rush out to get to the back entrance. But they run into the demon and his imps. He tells them they've come here to die. This is their graveyard. They fight and transfer into costume, then the demon flings his bugs all over them, and of course the things start exploding.

Mint rushes into the area to try to help, sees Nobuhiko pulling stones off of the beams trapping Matsuri. Mint gets hit by bugs, but warns them before his systems fail, that the energy tanks beyond the nearer blast doors are still vulnerable to attack. The secondary doors must be shut or the tanks will explode and kill everyone! Meanwhile, our other heroes are gettting pretty badly beaten. Diinasu and Koboruta have arrived and fight our heroes themselves, and are doing a fine job of it. Koboruta is using huge beams to smash Matoi. Diinasu laughs as she trashes Nagare and Shou, but they manage to hit her back. Just when Koboruta is about to slice Matoi, the other two come to his rescue. Meanwhile, Daimon gets to the back entrance, but the demon catches up with him and nearly kills him. And the explosion is getting closer. Nobuhiko falls when some bugs explode near him, but hearing Matsuri's worry, the boy scrambles to his feet and takes a bar, begins to thump the blast doors rythmically with it, in the vain hope of somehow getting them open. The demon has pinned Daimon. Somehow, our hero gets free, damages the demon, immobilizes it, and manages to get into the bay. He finds Mint, Matsuri and the boy. He tries to get Matsuri out from under the rubble, but she tells him there is no time, he must get through the doors to shut the OTHER blast doors that will protect the energy tanks. They are trying to get the doors open to shut off the power source, when the bugs come and severely blast everyone. Matsuri's gun is sent skimmming along the floor. Nobuhiko sees the buys flying at him and snatches the gun. He starts blasting the bugs, giving Daimon time to get the doors open with the wing splitter and get past. There is a wall of flame coming at him and if it passes and hits the energy banks, they are all dead. Whirling, he blasts the door controls and, just in time, the doors shut. Daimon lays low and the flames pass over him and burn out. Yay! Daimon sighs in relief and signals the others. Diinasu and Koboruta realize their failure with fury and vanish, waking the demon as they go.

The demon tears free of his restraints and looks straight at Matsuri, Daimon and Nobuhiko. Daimon dives between them and tells his companions to run, Matsuri to protect the boy, while he fights past the monster to join their other brothers. With him at the center, they try the V-attack, the monster is destroyed and Pierre makes it big! Daimon calls in the robots, but there is no response. Mondo is trying to channel power to the Go Liner, sends Matsuri in to direct charge them. Nobuhiko shouts encouragement. Liner Boy is recovered completely, and the Bay Area 55 slowly rises from the ocean. The Go Liner and Liner Boy leave their bays. Matsuri brings them to her brothers, and they all board their vehicles to launch. Quickly they assemble the Victory Robo to fight the demon. It blasts at them, but is unable to disrupt the tranformation. They form Max Victory Robo, Daimon and Matsuri run the battle, attacking the demon and dodging behind buildings as they blast it. It tries to sheild its face from the explosions, then sends out its bugs, but they are unable to do real damage. Using solar power, our machines recover from the energy drain and launch a counter attack that destroys the demon. Matoi, Nagare and Shou cheer their two siblings'work. Mondo and Nobuhiko grin in delight.