H08 Bastion of the Sky Warriors

**Bastion of the Sky Warriors**, Book 8 of The Golden Age of Adventures series, was published in May 2016. It is the English language edition of the original Chinese comic, **天狗妖怪城**, which was published in June 2015.

## Synopsis

AIMING FOR THE TOP! LEAPING INTO THE UNKNOWN!

While on his first solo adventure after Lulu’s departure, Alex encounters the mercenary Jackal in Japan. After the two boys team up to fight off an attack by the savage Kamaitachi, they agree to join forces for the time being. But even with the capable Jackal’s support, will Alex succeed in his adventure without Lulu by his side?

## Plot

***Spoiler warning!** Plot and/or ending details follow.*

### Chapter 1: Attack in Aokigahara

In the Odette, Jackal is given money by Rita and Rica to give to Alex for Lulu's travel expenses. Marie Wright refuses to do it herself because she will surely destroy him if she sees him again.

Three days later in the Aokigahara Forest, Alex is on his solo adventure. The forest is easy to get lost in, so he ties ropes to trees so that he can easily find an exit. He sits down to eat daifuku, and he remembers Lulu. He sees his rope is cut by two Kamaitachis. Jackal kills one.

He gives the money to Alex, but he does not accept it. Another youkai, an Enenra, covers them in fog. Jackal throws his spinning blades. They cut the branches, releasing acid.

### Chapter 2: Tangle with Tsuchigumo

The Kamaitachis are hiding in the Enenra, so Alex uses one of Jackal's spinning blades to tie rocks with ropes on each blade. It is released in the air, fanning the Enenra and revealing the Kamaitachis. Jackal kills them. They run to an entrance at the foot of Mt. Fuji. The Enenra won't follow for some reason. Alex and Jackal enter it.

There are many cobwebs. They speculate something that terrifies the Enenra lives here. The cave is narrow. Jackal says Lulu's close range combat would be handy, reminding Alex of her again. Alex told his reason for leaving her. Jackal refutes, stating Lulu saved them from the Ganesha Colossus and detected the snow monkeys first. Alex feels bad.

They both enter a circular room with a puzzle on the center of the floor. An arachnid-like creature, the Tsuchigumo, takes Jackal by shooting web. It reminds Alex of Jones' death and Lulu's injury from Ming. Alex angrily damages its eye and saves Jackal.

### Chapter 3: City of Tengu

Jackal cuts off the Tsuchigumo's left legs. Alex releases his bug repellent, killing it. The chinese character "8" is on its back, giving a hint for the puzzle. The puzzle, three diamonds with "1" in the right and left one and "2" in the middle one, must be solved by putting pebbles with "2" between them. Therefore, you add them on each side and you get 8.

Upon solving, light shines. The people see the light shining from Mt. Fuji. The light sends Alex and Jackal to a city in the sky. The humanoid bird inhabitants fly towards them. Alex knows these people are the Tengu, and he saw them in the Mermaid's memory. They hide in the trees. A little human girl throws rocks at Alex, but he catches them. Jackal catches her and she alerts the Tengus with her shell trumpet. Alex is caught in a net. Jackal threatens the Tengus to stay away, or else he'll harm the girl. The chief arrives.

### Chapter 4: Demons of the Past

Alex unleashes a flashbang. Jackal has escaped, leaving the girl. Alex is imprisoned in the Tengu stockade. The chief demands an explanation for his entry if he doesn't want to be tortured. Alex asks the Tengus if they know the Mermaids and are also guarding a sphere.

The chief explains the spheres, the Forbidden Orbs, belong to the Sky Demon. He descended to Earth, claimed it was his second time here and declared war on Earthlings. Everyone joined forces to stop him. It was agreed that humans, Mermaids and Tengus will guard each Orb. This battle came to be known as Ragnarok.

Alex meets the girl from earlier, and her name is Sakura. He also meets her father, Yujiro. For preventing Jackal from hurting Sakura, he helps Alex escape on one condition: take Sakura with him to live among humans. Another Tengu, Honda, is angered by Yujiro freeing Alex. He goes to sound the alarm, but Jackal makes him faint.

On a yokai cart, Alex asks Yujiro why he wants to send her away if he cared about her. Six years ago, a plane exploded near the Tengu city. Yujiro managed to save a baby girl from falling. His kin told him to abandon her, but he refused. He raised Sakura as his own. The Tengu who are hostile to her make her unhappy, which is why he made the condition earlier, to keep her away from danger. It is the same reason for Alex leaving Lulu. Meanwhile, after hearing about Yujiro, he orders his men to unleash the Thunder Demon.

### Chapter 5: Warrior of Stone

Alex is surprised that the city is in the sky. Yujiro explains the city is hidden in huge balls of clouds. The surface of the clouds have a magnetic field that prevents humans from finding the city because it produces lightning, so no one can go through the clouds directly. This is the reason why the Tengus hid one of the Forbidden Orbs. The group arrives at the Forbidden Ground. This is where the magnetic field is at its strongest. There three exits: Fuji Tower, where Alex and Jackal used, the underground passage underneath the castle and the Forbidden Ground, which has a stone samurai.

Sakura exclaims upon learning that Yujiro plans to send her away, alerting the stone samurai. Jackal throws his spinning blade, but it gets deflected, making the samurai harder than the Ganesha Colossus. The samurai makes a slice of flames, cutting the big stone in half. As one half was falling, Yujiro slices it with his katana. Alex gives Jackal his rope. Jackal flies around the samurai, tying it up.

Now that the samurai is defeated, the group can solve the puzzle to enter the Forbidden Ground. Sakura is heartbroken that Yujiro really wants to leave with Alex and Jackal. Upon solving the puzzle, the stone it was on breaks and a beacon shines. The Tengu chief witnesses this. Sakura angrily enters the entrance.

### Chapter 6: Resolute Hearts

The Thunder Demon has been released, tied up in chains. The Tengus head for the Forbidden Ground. Sakura sees the Forbidden Orb, and hair appears behind her. Alex is angry that Yujiro didn't tell Sakura she is going to leave with him and he didn't ask her opinion for something important. Jackal reminds him he did the same thing to Lulu. They hear Sakura screaming.

She is tangled by hair demons. Yujiro readies his katana to save her, but she does not want him to. Jackal throws a spinning blade to cut the demons' hair, but it grew back. He is caught in the hair. Alex throws little balls to Jackal. Jackal kicks his spinning blade and it cuts the balls, releasing glue. Alex sticks the demons together and ties them up.

Yujiro tells Sakura he has decided: he is going to live with her. Sakura smiles. Alex is happy Yujiro has the courage to tell Sakura his feelings, unlike him, abandoning people in fear of them getting hurt. But Jones and Lulu are not weak, they are strong. They have saved Alex numerous times, and adventures were more fun with Lulu. Alex's decision is to give Lulu an apology when he sees her. Now, obtaining the Forbidden Orb must be settled.

### Chapter 7: Thunderous Battle

The Orb is encased in a cylinder with four stone spheres. There is a hole under it. To unlock the passage, the Orb must be put into the hole, but if any of the stone spheres are removed, it will explode. The cylinder is actually flexible. Alex's solution is to bend it into a circle. When the Orb is at the center, he uses Jackal's spinning blade to cut it. Therefore, the Orb is inserted into the hole.

The floor breaks. The place where the Orb is floats due to the magnetic repulsion. The chief and the Tengus have arrived with the Thunder Demon. It releases a barrage of lightning, striking the Orb. Huge amounts of energy is produced, and Akhator senses it. The Thunder Demon charges towards Alex and the group, but halts from Akhator's presence. Akhator goes towards the Orb. The chief is appalled that the Sky Demon has returned.

### Chapter 8: No. 100 Vs No. 1

The Thunder Demon charges towards Akhator, but it gets shredded by him. Alex is angered that Akhator broke the adventurer's code. He charges towards him, while Akhator readies Whirl of the Mad King. Alex imitiates the move to disperse the force. Akhator goes stronger, throwing Alex back. Akhator leaves, off to finding the other two Star Seeds.

The chief is furious for the Tengus being the first to lose an Orb. He orders his men to seize Alex and the group. Jackal throws his explosive spinning blades. The group fly down to the surface. Alex plans to defeat Akhator. He recites what Jones told him: "If an adventurer does something wrong, it's the responsibility of adventurers to put it right."

## Trivia

* Even though it is called the Thunder Demon, it produces lightning.