I looked down into Rui’s eyes, noh-frowning. Her suggestion confused me, but then I realized she was far too short to see much over the taller people around her. She was indeed shorter than most, hence why I called her a loli oni. I never was very strong. Had I been my normal self, I doubt I would have agreed. I still felt put upon, but an extra set of eyes made sense

“Step up, Rui.” I leaned forward and clasped my hands to make a stirrup for her.

She smiled slightly and nodded. “Give me a good boost. You don’t need to manhandle me.”

I noh-blinked, but the moment she placed her full weight on my hands, I lifted her quickly. I held her up so that she would be able to see more, Particularly since I was a bit distracted by balancing and holding her. The other passengers stared and a few drew back. Rui flashed a grin and leapt into the air. I stared at her. She looked like she might crash into the ceiling of the traincar. At that moment, we went around a bend in the tunnel passageway. I compensated and lined up so she wouldn’t crash.

She half turned midair to spin and land securely on my shoulders. Both of her legs straddled my shoulders while she gripped my neck with her thighs. She threw her arms up to touch the ceiling. Her eyes were a little wide, but she smiled broadly. Her hands trembled slightly as she pushed up against the ceiling to balance herself. Wow, that’s some sentai stuff, right there. Maybe she should have a suit of her own!

The spectators gaped. Many cheered. I never heard a train car so filled with noise. The stunt was accented by my Magiranger Red costume and Rui’s borrowed grunge goth outfit. It was an odd combination. She was truly like a loli riding on a sentai hero.

“Hehehehe! Great boost, Susumu!” Rui whispered and winked again. “Do a little showboating while I look around. Turn a bit. It’ll make it easier. Easy slow circles. Don’t drop me!”

I stared up at her. Loli slave driver!

When I hesitated, she started slapping my helmet repeatedly, drumming on it. “C’mon! Sentai ride! Let’s go!”

I stiffened, hearing her rhythm echoing loudly in my noh-ears. She was incredibly irritating. I started spinning just to quiet her. She laughed and cheered. We spun slowly, my cape twirling. The onlookers clapped and encouraged us enthusiastically.

“Amazing advertising campaign move! That billboard is truly genius!” a woman cried aloud.

“N-no! Don’t sully the reputation of Magiranger Red!” A man with thinning hair locked horns with her.

“Oh, come on! Sentai is only good for comedy relief! What better way to..." the woman shot back. I started to tune them out when another flicker of motion outside the train caught my attention. My noh-breath halted, noh-eyes scanning furiously every dark window. As before it was dark pitch outside, but the lights in the car continued to illuminate the setting.

“Susumu..." Rui gasped. “Keep up the act... don’t scare people... if it has the nerve to attack us in a crowd, there isn’t anything we can do about it.”

I continued to twirl, starting to do intricate dance steps. My energy levels seemed to be off the charts as though I truly was a sentai ranger. Rui broke into another laugh. “Everyone! If you’re happy, remember Natalia’s Fashion Mansion!” She reached back to wrap my cloak around her own shoulders, tightly gripping my neck with her legs. At that moment, I realized that I had a cute girl riding on me. I’m not exactly sure at what point in time I recognized that the loli oni could actually be cute. With that realization came some more inappropriate thoughts. My neck felt as warm as though I was wearing a scarf Reiko-chan had never knitted for me. I fantasized about what might have been if things had gone differently.

Don’t lewd the loli oni! Don’t lewd the loli oni!

I was shocked out of my silly reminiscence when I saw it again. That creepy face appeared across the way in the window; its mouth was open as wide as it could go. The train rocked more excitedly. I froze and I heard Rui gasping loudly. We stared into each other’s noh-eyes. A ghostly hand raised up to the glass of the window.

“What’s it going to do... has it lost all its senses?” Rui swallowed, her thighs clenching even more tightly, showing her tension clearly.

Everyone’s eyes were still locked on us, but ours were locked on Noh-face’s. It drew back its hand. And when its balled-up fist struck the window, the whole train rocked even more.

*CRASH* *RATTLE* *CLICKETY CLICK*

Everyone turned and they saw it. Everyone in the car rioted. There’d been a great deal of rumors regarding noh-face sightings, in part due to my actions today.

“Save us, Magiranger-san!” that man with thinning hair cried out. “You can do it!”

“N-no! You demented old fool!” the woman from before shrieked, seemingly more grounded than the elder man. “He’s just wearing a costume! There’s no way he has superpowers!”

“Ahahahaha!” Rui cried grandly. “Behold this city’s true sentai warrior, everyone! He looks like a comedy relief character, but he really is a sentai ranger! The justice duo will protect you!” She answered with the kind of laughter you’d normally associate with a villain. “Ohohohohoho!”

Th-that’s not how you’re supposed to laugh! Be cuter! You’ll break character!

My knees knocked at the idea of another confrontation with Noh-face again. I knew it would have to come, but I wasn’t sure I could face the creature again.

“He looks like he’ll pee himself,” a kid exclaimed, laughing. “Some sentai hero you are!”

Noh-face drew its fist back and smashed it against the window again. Cracks started to spread across the window. Everyone in the car froze.

*CRASH* *CRACK* *RATTLE* *CLACK*

“Noh-nuts!” Rui chided me harshly, in her classic loli oni fashion. “Do it! You have the strength to act. If you let anyone get hurt, then you’ll regret it for your entire life! Remember Reiko-chan! Don’t let it hurt anyone else!”

She took her weight off my shoulder, swinging off using a pole. She held herself aloft using it like a set of playground jungle bars. My shoulders felt cold. My whole body did. My noh-teeth chattered, but oni swung and kicked me fiercely. I stumbled through the gap that had opened up. Their eyes were locked on us. I pressed against the window, afraid it would shatter. Our noh-eyes locked again. Its fist clenched and its noh-mouth gaped enormously. I heard its cry outside the car, causing me to raise up my fists as I took a calming noh-breath. Something seemed strange to me when its orifice closed.

COME... FOOL! The voice sounded in the silences of my mind. It flipped off the train into the shadows of an alcove.