Task. 18: The Man that Lived

The Man that Lived is the eighteenth episode of GoGo Sentai Boukenger.

Plot
Eiji is set to get Gai and finds the Boukenger defeating Hyouga a fluke. At SGS, Mr. Voice reminds Akashi and Sakura, even though they have a threat of the Ashu, finding Precious is of their highest priority. In Morio's office, Natsuki finds a note from him saying he is on a business trip. Shouta checks the Mirror on the computer. Masumi is not sure of leaving the Ashu to Eiji. Shouta tells him he sounds like a hero. Shouta and Natsuki point at Masumi, calling himahero and he bats them off. Natsuki knocks down some of Morio's folders accidently. Plans for a new Accell Suit fall out. Mr. Voice asks Akashi about what they spoke about before, if he wants to quit being BoukenRed. Sakura thinks he means quiting the Boukenger. Akashi tells Voice that he refused already. Voice and Akashi leave but Sakura is still with questions. In a warehouse Gaja inhabits, he has made a Gordom Engine. He places them in two Karths. They make new armor for them. Gaja is happy unti they dissolve into dirt. Gai and Rei reach a temple and decimate it. Gai enearths the Crossbow of Fighters, which was forged by humans to hunt them. Gai wants to seek revenge against the Boukenger. Gai wants them to suffer. They shoot out an arrow and it attacks a building in Eiji's sight. He recognizes what it came from.Mr. Voice tells the others at SGS that before these repeat explosions, a mountain shrine was destroyed. Crossbow of Fighters is a Precious. Akashi tells them to move out, Sakura frets but follows. Outside, Shouta detects the Hazard Level of the Precious at 187. Akashi telsl them to split up to find the source. High above, Rei releases a mist. Amongst the mist, Akashi finds the source in a warehouse. He sees a man in the dark and thinks he is from the Negative Syndicate. As the man approaches Akashi, he recognizes him as the old comrade he thought he lost in a cave... Masaki. Akashi is both shocked and elated. The man aims the bow at him. Masaki tells him that he figure if he has a Precious, he would come to him. He blames him for Kyouko's death. Akashi tells him tha twasn't the case but asks for the Precious.Masaki points out all he cares about is the Precious. He says what right he has for seeking adventure after loosing his comrades. He tells him he can't forgive him and shoots the bow at him. Akashi transforms as the explosion occurs.The others hear this and run to it and find Akashi collapsed ouside, he un-transforms. Gai meets Rei above and they both leave. The Boukenger try waking up their leader. Eiji arrives and hides from them. He comments that they are so friendly. In SGS medical room, Akashi wakes up. Sakura tells him to sleep more. He asks for the Precious, she tells him Shouta is gathering info. She tells him even though his suit absorbed most of the impact, some of his ribs are cracked. He needs an internal check up. He gets up and grabs his Accellular and hands it to her. He transfers leadership to Sakura and puts his jacket on. She thinks this has to do with what Voice said. He simply quotes what Masaki said as he exits. Everyone is shocked when Sakura tells them that Voice asked Akashi to retire. Akashi returns to the warehouse calling Masaki out. Masaki points the bow at him.He tells him he quit Boukenger because he told him so and he won't fight him. Eiji listens in.Akashi tells Masaki he didn't want their lives to be in vain, so he made it is his mission to collect Precious for them. Akashi tells him to hand over the Precious. He laughs at him and mocks him. He shoots the arrow again and Eiji comes in and bats the fire away toward Masaki. Eiji grabs Akashi and run away. Shouta detects the explosion from the Precious and says to go. Sakura hesitates. Everyone waits for her command. The gang encourages her, saying wherever the Precious are, Akashi will be there. Sakura looks at Akashi's Acellular and looks up at them. She says 'Boukengers move out,' then Akashi's catchphrase 'Attack!' In another part of the warehouse, Eiji and Akashi recoup. Akashi asks Eiji what he would do. Eiji tells him what Akashi talks about what is 'right' is nothing but an excuse that weak people use. Eiji notices this embarrasses Akashi. He explains that in his Takaoka family their mission to destroy the Ashu have been passed down from generation to generation. His father could never get Gai. Eiji tells him he has no room for friends. Akashi tells him he thinks his mission is important. Eiji grabs him by the collar and tells him not to compare them to eahc other. He bashes him to the wall. Eiji tells him what they do is nothing more than a game. He tells him he can't escape his fate and he is just doing what he is doing because he likes it. He tells him if he doesn't like it, then why not quit? "Doing it... cause I like it," Akahsi says as he makes a fist. Akashi gets up and says he finally understands. Rei makes the mist again. Akashi walks out and Eiji walks from he sidelines. Masaki asks him if he is prepared to die. Akashi tells him he realized he likes adventures for the safety of the world. He says he and Kyouko liked adventures as well. Because it is not a mission he was given and because he likes it, he can't just tun away. Eiji repeats this. Masaki becomes his true form... Gai. He is shocked he can see him Rei comes down and says he beat the illusion with his own heart. Eiji come sout fo the building and Akashi asks what is going on. Eiji explains that it was an illusion created by the doubt in his heart. Akashi tells him it wasn't an illusion. The others arrive and shoot the Ashu. Eiji tells them that the Ashu seem to be targeting them so he used them as bait this time. Masumi goes up to Eiji but Akashi clarifies he lets himself be bait. Sakura gives Akashi his Acellular back, returning command. Everyone nods. Akashi grabs it and they all transform and present themselves. Rei fights them first. Rei is about to shoot them with the Precious until Eiji stops them. He tells him he is his opponent, they fight. Rei lays waste of the Boukenger. They stagger to get up. Rei doesn't understand why they continue. Red tells him the power of human's adventure. Red calls Acelltector and the Dual Crasher. They cement Rei but he busts out of it with fire. He sends a devastating attack towards the Boukenger. Eiji backs off his fight from Gai and leaps toward the Boukengers and hands Red the Precious. They do a double attack toward the two Ashu. There are like lightning poles punched into them. Gai and Rei explode in front of Eiji and the Boukenger. They rise from it, discard their bodies and become huge. The Boukenger form Ultimate DaiBouken and fight. Rei engulfs them with a fire and they boost up into the air and drop him down. They avoid Rei's cannon blasts and they finish them off. Again purple smoke rises. Eiji conducts the Ashu Soul Destruction quickly and Ultimate DaiBouken lands among the golden dust. Afterwards, Akashi picks up the Precious box. The others throw an unwilling Sakura towards him. She eventually asks if he isn't quitting. He taps her on the shoulder tells her he is BoukenRed. They all smile and gather. Eiji scoffs at them. He utters, "Because you like it, huh?" He leaves. Meanwhile elsewhere, Gaja chants and the Ashu soul dust gathers. The Ashu's body are gathered but are still intangiable. Gaja is surprised that they had survived for so long. Gaja puts his Gordom Engines inside them, reviving them.

Trivia

 * What Mr. Voice meant about Akashi quitting being BoukenRed is clarified in the next episode, so is Morio's absence.
 * Gaja's new Gordom engines are also explained in the next episode.
 * Masaki first appeared in a flashback in Episode 4.