Kirameki Sentai Kisekiranger (Sparkling Sentai Miracleranger)

Chapter 11: Tested Bonds

The mood was very low for the rest of the day. The Kisekirangers were losing motivation in this fight. No matter what they had tried, they had failed to defeat Mix. Who knew if the next battle might be the last if they weren't able to find a way to stop her? Mix wouldn't keep toying with them forever. Eventually she would come to kill them during a fight.

It also was not reassuring to have Crevice now join in the fight. It was hard enough to fight one enemy and now they had to deal with two at the same time. It might not have been such a big deal if they had a better time fighting Mix, but with them struggling they really did not like splitting themselves in half.

The other issue was that Crevice very much seemed to want the others to know whatever Spirit's past was. Spirit still refused to answer why Crevice had called them a murderer. It made everyone else a little uneasy. Why would Spirit be called that? They were all assuming it had something to do with Spirit killing humans and not Ghoulish. That made them even more concerned with how secretive Spirit was about the past.

"What's Crevice's special power?" Asami asked. "Do you know, Spirit?"

Spirit nodded. "I do. She can tear open the ground."

"So she can make crevices." Yuuki replied. "Well, that name suits her then."

"I feel like the names of Ghoulish do sometimes indicate their ability." Shouji commented. "Like I can see Mix working because she is mixing things up with the wind."

"Those names were given to them by your ancestors." Spirit stated. "Some of us Ghoulish did not have names that they liked and renamed us. Those names were taken and reclaimed for ourselves to get back at them for trying to control us."

"Oh... is your name one you chose or...?" Masako asked.

"It is not. I was named Spirit by..." Spirit paused for a second. "The first black Kisekiranger."

"Eh? They named you that?"

"Yes. I accepted the name."

"You won't tell us your special ability though, will you?" Yuuki questioned, already knowing the likely answer.

"I no longer will use it so I do not see a reason to talk about it." Spirit replied.

"Huh? You don't plan to use it again?" Kiyoshi stated in confusion. "Why not?"

"I... do not like what it can do. It is not me anymore."

The others exchanged glances at the news. No one knew what to make of it. Spirit's ability was something they feared using now because of its ability? Just what could it be?

"You're strange, Spirit." Asami commented. "You seem so different from when we first met you when you with still with the other Ghoulish."

"It was an act. If I acted this way around them, they would have stopped at nothing to kill me a long time ago."

"They really won't let anyone just not hate us?" Masako asked.

Spirit sighed. "They see it as being a traitor. How could we be kind to those who wanted us dead?"

"I hate that even if you guys came back and were nice, war still probably would have broken out..." Yuuki said.

"Humans never change, do they? Those with power oppress those that threaten it."

"You aren't wrong."

"Oh! What is your actual name?" Kiyoshi derailed the conversation back to the original topic.

Spirit hesitated answering. "It is not something your tongue will pronounce. And... perhaps I do not like that name anymore."

"Oh... okay."