Disclaimer: I do not own Ronin Warriors a.k.a Yoroiden Samurai Troopers. It belongs to whoever currently owns the rights.
Series Overview: One year after the events of Message, Suzunagi appears to the Ronins again with new messages involving their futures. All of them include mysterious girls that appear in their dreams, whom Suzunagi explains will play big parts in helping them bring down perhaps the worst evil they've ever faced. There are five episodes each revolving around a different Ronin and the girl they meet, and all of them are happening simultaneously. For now, here's the one about Ryo. Enjoy!
Ronin Warriors: Blood Reign
Episode 1 – Ryo
Chapter 1 – The Lady and the Tiger
Four years. That was how long it had been. Four years since that fateful day when all five of them managed to defeat Talpa, emperor of the Netherrealm. Ryo Sanada did his best to shut his ears out from all the sounds that filled the city as he walked through it. From the car horns angrily honking at one another in the classic road-rage style to the shouts and laughter of normal, everyday citizens going about their normal, everyday lives. And yet, for all the effort that he used to try and avoid it, once he heard those people, he frowned as he once again began to envy them.
Ninety-nine percent of the people in this world had no idea what he and his friends had to go through to keep the earth safe, what they had to sacrifice and endure. And no matter how much he tried since, Ryo just couldn't get to have the life of a normal teenage boy. And the time he had for that chance was quickly slipping away. He was nineteen now, practically a legal adult. Sometimes he feared that what he had experienced made him more hardened than the average nineteen-year-old. Well, the more he thought about it, maybe it was better the majority of the world's population didn't know what he knew. If they did, they'd probably be guilt-ridden for the rest of their lives, and he didn't know anyone who'd want to live like that.
Trying to redirect his efforts, Ryo put his hands in his pockets and continued his stroll, looking only straight ahead as he began to once again lose himself to his thoughts. He still couldn't believe that already four years had passed since the day he, Sage, Cye, Kento, and Rowen scored victory over that dark kingdom and practically saved the world, using five powerful armors given to them for such a purpose, armors that they eventually had to give up due to their sinister origins. And he almost didn't want to believe that they had decided to gather here in order to commemorate it. They hadn't seen each other in a long while, and at the time it seemed like a good idea. Ryo arrived here only yesterday, but it was only now that he truly began to feel the weight of what was going on. And yet, that wasn't the only thing on his mind that was troubling him.
Ryo's frown deepened as he remembered his dream from the night before, one that had been different from any other he'd had in the past year. From what he remembered, it seemed to start out normal enough, at least, as normal as a dream could be. He was sitting on what looked to him like a mountainside. The sky above was a darkening blue with a blazing sunset painting most of the clouds a light red. Mt. Fuji soared up intimidatingly into the clouds on the left, and a red and green valley swept down below on his right. Red, much like the leaves of the Japanese maple he was sitting under, with his most trusted companion besides any of his friends, his white tiger, White Blaze.
That was when things started to get ominous. Ryo heard a sound that made his heart stop, a sound he hadn't heard in the past twelve months. It was the clinking of a necklace, belonging to someone he seemed to have gotten so well in such a short amount of time. He'd turned his head toward the sound, and saw that he was right. There she was, standing just a few yards away from him, adorned in her ornate white robe and her signature cross necklace, and her pale eyes that pierced straight through to him whenever she looked his way. Suzunagi. But what was she doing here? And why now? She'd only appeared to him and the others a year ago, to give them new armors the replace the others they originally had. And only when she did was her restless spirit finally put to rest. So what could she have to say to him now? Well, there was only one way to find out.
Against his better judgment, yet wanting nonetheless to have his questions answered, Ryo slowly got to his feet. With White Blaze at his side, he strode over to the ghostly woman, who, despite his deep frown and apprehensions she obviously sensed, gave him a soft smile at his approach.
"Ryo Sanada," she said in that deep yet gentle voice of hers.
"Suzunagi," Ryo said back, feeling some of his anxiety disappear, "It's been a while."
Her smile grew slightly. "Time travels rather differently when you live as I do."
"I can imagine," Ryo nodded. Then, knowing it had to come out, he finally asked her, "But, what are you doing here? Is something wrong? What's up?"
Any smile Suzunagi had quickly faded, and was replaced by a face of disappointment. "I am sorry this meeting cannot take place under better circumstances, as I know you are about to gather with your fellow Ronins to reminisce about all the things you experienced together in just four years."
Ryo nodded, and despite the sadness in her voice, he couldn't help but smirk. "Yeah, you're right about that."
Suzunagi didn't return the smirk. "Even so, I am afraid such a time of remembrance must be put on hold. I do not come here without purpose."
Ryo's eyebrows raised in alarm. "Huh? What do you mean?" he asked in a matching tone.
"I came to you in this way so I could cause you the least amount of alarm," the woman explained. Slowly, she then held out her hand and said, "Come with me, and I will tell you what must be told."
Ryo immediately wondered at what she could possibly be talking about. A year of nothing from her, and all of a sudden she's here in his dreams again? It didn't seem to make sense. Fortunately, Ryo realized he wasn't alone in his thoughts as he felt White Blaze rub up against him.
"I feel you, buddy," he said as he put his arm around the tiger's head. Still, he knew he had to make a decision. He knew that with the way Suzunagi was acting, what she had to say probably wasn't good. Even so, he'd heard this kind of news before. He was no stranger to it. And all he knew was that he wanted his questions answered. Without asking anymore, he soon took Suzunagi's hand, and then let her lead him down the dirt path to the valley below the mountainside.
"Where are you taking me?" Ryo asked after a while, wanting to at least know that.
"To a place in your mind that you need assistance reaching," Suzunagi replied, still looking straight ahead as she walked, "Fortunately I am here to provide it. The assistance is needed because it will be the only place in your mind that you will be able to bear what I have to say to you."
Ryo slowly took in what she said so far, and slowly, he began to think that he might already know what she was about to say before she even said it. "I can take it," he said in a way he hoped was confident.
"Are you certain?" Suzunagi asked.
"All I want are answers," Ryo replied, "If it means hearing something heavy like I think this is, I'll take the chance."
"Very well," Suzunagi nodded. And just after that, they finally came to a stop at the entrance to the valley, which opened up to a large clearing with an opening to the red and green forest beyond. Only then did the woman turn to Ryo, the frown from before still on her face.
"I did not want this to have to happen so soon," she began as she closed her eyes, "but, I fear that now is the time for you and your fellow Ronins to use the armors I gave you. The time has come for you all to take up your mantles and become warriors once again."
Ryo's mouth came open at her words. He knew this was most likely the news Suzunagi had for him, but hearing her actually say it made it harder for him to bear than he thought. Still, he'd born burdens that had far more weight than this, and words like these were nothing new to him. He bowed his head slightly, closed his eyes, and sighed in response.
"If it's come to this," he then said, "then I'll gladly put on the armor and become a warrior again, especially if it means protecting those I love."
When he opened his eyes again and looked back up, the woman's pale eyes looked understanding, and a hint of a smile returned to her lips. Ryo didn't even flinch when she put her hand on his shoulder.
"I know your heart is heavy, Ryo," she said, "but you must know that in the four years that you and your friends have been warriors, you have done well in leading them. You think not of yourself, but of others, and you willingly bear the heaviest of burdens. Those are the marks of a true leader, so do not think that all that you have endured has been in vain."
Ryo felt his own mouth turn up at Suzunagi's words, but the moment hers turned down again, his smile sank again.
"But I am afraid that is not all I have to say," the woman said further, "Despite all of your valiant leadership, Ryo, even you must need help in facing what lies ahead."
Ryo's eyebrows shot up again in surprise. What was she saying? That someone new would be added to their team. Granted, he and the others had considerable outside help, even if it sometimes reaped undesirable and even shocking results, but, what could this mean? That a possible new warrior would soon join them? That was the only answer he could think of. Fortunately, Suzunagi didn't seem unaware of his confusion.
"Indeed," she continued, "this may be the greatest threat you have faced yet. Whether or not you have faced it before though, I cannot say."
"But what about this extra help you're talking about?" Ryo asked, "Where will it come from? What should I look for?"
Suzunagi lifted her hand off his shoulder, and then gestured to his left and said, "Look." Ryo immediately did as she said, and his eyes widened as soon as they were greeted by a sight that one would only see in a dream such as this. Though, at the time he wasn't sure if it was a dream or not.
"What do you see?" Suzunagi asked him. At first, Ryo was so mystified by what he was seeing that it took him a while for him to find his voice.
"It…it's a wall of fire along that stream," he first said, wondering how it could exist in such close proximity to the water. But there it was, the bright red, orange, and yellow flames dancing before him as though they were living, breathing things.
"And what do you see within the wall?" Suzunagi asked him further.
Ryo looked at her while she was speaking, but as soon as he looked back at the fiery wall, his eyes widened even more than before when he saw a black shape emerge in the middle. He narrowed his eyes to try and make out the silhouette.
"It looks like a shadow of…a girl?" he replied with a question of his own. He couldn't see the person's face, or any of their other features, nothing but a black shadow. But when he finally could make out the shape, it looked like the slim figure of a girl in a kimono, and that was what confused him.
He looked back at Suzunagi and asked, "Who is she?"
"This is the one who will share your burdens," she replied, "But of course, that decision will have to be her own."
Ryo gave her a confused look. "But then, how is she supposed to help us if she chooses not to?"
"That is where you come in," Suzunagi replied patiently, "You will be the one to help her make that choice." Suddenly, her face became dark with warning, making Ryo once again feel uneasy. "However, you must act fast. For right now, at this very moment, she is being watched by the very evil you must combat. If you do not help her, she could eventually be consumed by the spirit of fear that surrounds her."
"Huh?" Ryo asked, his eyes once again wide, this time with concern, "What are you talking about?"
Without waiting for a response, he looked back at the silhouette of the girl. Right then, he heard a distressed scream that he knew could only come from her, like she was being devoured by the flames that encircled her. Instantly, Ryo's need to help kicked in, and before he could think to do anything else, he leaped into action. His heartbeat now in overdrive, he took off toward the girl, wanting to do everything he could to get her out of where she was before it was too late. But then, when he finally reached the wall of fire, he immediately found that he was no longer where he thought he was. All he saw was black, with another larger fiery wall encircling him as far as the eye could see. Instantly he was afraid. Not because the flames might devour him, but because he could no longer see that girl. Where was she? And for that matter, where was Suzunagi?
As if in answer to his latest question, Ryo froze when he heard the sound of the woman's voice, now distant, yet with so much more weight. "Do not fear, Ryo." He quickly turned, and saw her standing not too far away from him, her back to the flames, almost as if she wanted to fall into them. "The tiger will roar when virtue and righteousness shine through," she then said. And before she or Ryo could say anything else, Ryo watched in disbelief as the fire quickly enveloped her. He tried to shout, wanting for her to come back, to explain things further to him, but no sound escaped him. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe.
And that was when he shot up in his bed, his face practically doused in sweat. He then quickly looked around, and realized he was back in his hotel room, and that he had woken up from the most appalling dream he'd had in months. For the longest time, all he could do was sit there. Fortunately, it was eight in the morning, so he didn't have to go back to sleep. He didn't think he could after that.
Later on, while he rinsed his face, all he could do was think about what this dream meant. What he knew for sure was that Suzunagi was telling him about his future, not surprising since she could see into it with ninety-percent accuracy. And that future, whatever it was, involved a new enemy, and a girl who would help him and the others fight it. It was the last part of the dream, and the last thing Suzunagi said to him that caused him the most trouble. The tiger will roar when virtue and righteousness shine through? Was she talking about White Blaze? Possibly. White Blaze almost always accompanied him in his past battles, but why would Suzunagi say that as her farewell line? Even now, as he walked through the city, trying to clear his head of his troubling thoughts, those questions still returned to him again and again. Would he ever make sense of them? And if, and when, he did, what would it mean for him and his fellow Ronins? And for that girl he saw?
Ryo shook his head. All of these questions with no answers were just piling one on top of the other, and he was getting tired of it. He put his hand to the back of his neck to rub it, and realized he was getting pretty sweaty, judging by his long, black hair which stuck to the back of his neck. He made it up in his mind to have a shower when he got back. And then maybe something to eat. In fact, he was just about ready to turn back. As good as being outside was, it was summer, and since it was mid-morning, it was just going to get hotter.
Suddenly, however, that was the furthest thing from Ryo mind. The next thing he knew, he was trying to regain his balance as the ground shook slightly, and he heard a large boom go off in the distance. And it looked like he wasn't just imagining it. All of the citizens, whether in cars or on foot, seemed to wonder just as wildly as he what just happened. Screams and frightened voices could be heard all around him, along with a shout of "Woah, what is that?!"
Ryo looked in the direction of the voice, and his eyes widened and his mouth fell open as he saw not only a cloud like an atom-bomb would leave rise up in the distance, but also a flying piece of metal that seemed to grow in size the closer it got to the ground. And he wasn't the only one who tried to get out of the way. All around him people scrambled along with him to evade the falling death trap, until finally a good medium-sized car landed with a loud honk onto the concrete, causing shrapnel, glass, and even blood to shoot everywhere. Ryo fell onto the sidewalk.
At that moment, he could see nothing but pairs of rapidly running feet and hear only screams and shouts of the panic of people wishing to avoid another accident. Immediately Ryo tried to regain his feet, but he fell to his knees again as another boom went off behind him, one that sounded even closer than before. He spun his head around and saw to his horror that another explosion had erupted, sending another mushroom cloud up into the air and bright, deadly flames that seemed to incinerate everything even remotely close to them.
And with that second eruption, the panic went into the stratosphere as far as everyone was concerned. People ran wildly in all directions, screaming at the top of their lungs, trying desperately to get to another place before another possible explosion could go off. Ryo immediately felt the heat and weight of it all as he got back up on his feet and took off as fast as everyone else. Sweat trickled down his forehead like rain on a cloudless day and his heart beat hard and fast as he rushed through the crowds. Now there was only one thing on his mind. To find his friends and fellow warriors. If there was one thing he now knew for certain, it was that this wasn't a random terrorist attack. The enemy had appeared, and they were attacking swiftly and severely.
As she sipped her drink, tucked her hair behind her ears, and tried to pretend to be even remotely interested in the conversation, Seika resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. She loved her cousins, but all she wanted was to go out with them for a day of fun. Enjoy the mid-morning sun. Grab a bite to eat. Yet here she was, sitting at a table in an outside courtyard listening to her cousins talk about the one thing they brought up in almost every conversation they had: boys.
"I'm telling you I saw him look at me!" wide-eyed Hitomi exclaimed with excitement.
"And I'm telling you, you were imagining it," her more reserved twin sister, Akemi, retorted.
Seika slowly turned her head away, hoping neither one of them would ask for her opinion, because she had none. Not that she didn't care for boys, but she was in no way interested in hearing about them right now when she was trying to have a fun summer girl day, especially considering what happened last night. She didn't know what it was. Well, that wasn't true. She did know it was a dream. But it was unlike any dream she'd ever had in her life, or, at least the ones she remembered having. Even now, almost against her will, her mind and thought engines were flowing back to it, bringing it to the forefront as though demanding it be addressed.
Almost like a hidden projector had suddenly appeared in her imagination, she began to relive that dream as though it was happening again right in front of her. The first thing Seika remembered was laying down in a small green field, much like the ones back at home, with trees full of cherry blossoms in bloom surrounding her. Sure it wasn't currently April, but in dreams, anything could happen. And this was the part she liked the most, just staring up at the radiant blue sky and watching the clouds drift by, just as she so often did whenever she took Snowbell out for a ride. Who knew? Maybe she might take her out this afternoon.
But suddenly, in her dream, that was when Seika heard laughter that could only come from an innocent, carefree child. Curious and intrigued by the sound, she'd sat up and caught sight of the strangest looking child she'd ever seen, dream or reality. She appeared at least eight years old, and wore a black and white robe, dressed like she was out of what she believed to be the Edo period. She wore a golden necklace with a cross, her scarlet red hair pulled back in a ponytail flowed in the breeze, but the most striking thing about her were the pale eyes that stared right at her, as if she could see right into the deepest parts of her.
The little girl smiled at her and waved. Before Seika could ask what she was doing here, the girl waved again, this time as if inviting her to come over.
"Come on," she said in a soft yet high-pitched voice which seemed to sound almost like a distant echo, "Follow me."
Seika's eyes widened, and just when she was about to ask what she was talking about, the girl turned around and began walking forward. Seika pressed her lips together. It seemed now that the only way to get answers was to do what this strange little girl wanted and follow her. She stood up, spotted the girl now half way down a path that looked like it led to another field, and began to shadow her footsteps, wondering all the while where this journey would lead.
The walk eventually led to a small hill covered in rocks, and the girl had already gotten to the top. With her silent encouragement, Seika climbed up the hill, the cherry blossom petals from the nearby trees floating swiftly by her. Before she knew it, she'd reached the top of the hill, but now the girl was at the bottom on the other side and was now lightly running down the road. Wanting to catch up to her, Seika hurried after until she was just a few feet behind.
"This way!" the girl called. She laughed again, and this time it was so delightful that Seika couldn't help but release a chuckle if nothing else. Despite the strangeness of it all, she was beginning to enjoy this.
But that was when the landscape of Seika's dream changed rapidly. The sky changed from a bright, sunlit blue to a dark, gray blue of impending night. All around her, each and every one of the cherry blossom trees began to change from the pale pink that matched her hair to the bright, hot colors of one of the things she feared most: fire. The flames continued to spread, leaving not one tree untouched, and making Seika immediately begin to feel the adrenaline her newly awakened fear brought out course through her. She then looked quickly around in all directions, but there was no sight of the girl she'd been following. And with the flames that seemed only to inch closer toward her, it looked like there was only one option left for her. Without looking back, she took off in a sprint.
The ground she gained, the more she could feel the flames practically licking at her heels. That only made Seika run even faster. She wondered if there was any other way she could go to escape the fiery blaze that threatened to devour her, but there seemed no way to go except forward. Knowing that might be the only remote chance she could evade this catastrophe, Seika took it, running as fast as she possibly could. Just then, she leaped over a log, but the ground on the other side was steeper than she perceived, causing her to fall face-first into the dirt path and hit it repeatedly as she fell all the way down to the bottom.
Once she stopped, she could only look through her now haphazard hair at the fire that only came closer and closer, until she finally closed her eyes to await her inevitable doom. Yet, it never came. Just after Seika closed her eyes, she heard what sounded like the clash of two swords, causing her to open her eyes again. They widened instantly when they saw the last thing she expected. There were two swordsmen who looked like old-fashioned samurai and it looked like they were fighting right in front of her.
One seemed to be made out of the fire itself, with vibrant flames dancing all around his armor and cloak, yet she couldn't see his face as it was hidden by a helmet and mouthguard. The other didn't seem to be quite as menacing, yet just as fierce. He was dressed in black, white, and red armor, with traces of gold that shone like the sun. He wielded two katana swords, which he used to defend himself against the other samurai, but she couldn't see his face either. But it didn't matter to her. Compared to the other, as far as she was concerned, this one was an angel.
Just as she was beginning to wonder how she'd gotten herself in the middle of a battle like this, Seika just as quickly knew that she had to escape it. Looking behind her, and seeing that the path was clear, and empty of fire, she leaped to her feet and took off in the same way she had before, never looking behind her for fear that things would change for the worse. For a long time, all that seemed to be in front of her was the path and the darkness of the night. Seika feared it would never leave her, never let her out of its grasp for even a moment. Still, she continued to run until she lost track of time, until she realized she had to stop.
As soon as she did, Seika realized only just then how fast and hard her heart was beating, how exhausted she felt, even if this was only a dream. But was there never going to be an end to it? As if in answer to her question, a bright light suddenly appeared in front of Seika, becoming so radiant she had to guard her eyes from it. When it finally dimmed though and it was safe for her eyes to see, she found herself gazing upon a new face, yet one that was also familiar. Just as she was wondering who this new person was, it suddenly became clear to her that this face belonged to the little girl she'd been following earlier. She had the same black and white robe, the same cross necklace, the same scarlet red hair, and the same piercing eyes, yet this time, she looked like a grown woman.
Seika immediately began to wonder further what this all meant, or even if she should be trying to make sense of it at all, when the woman reached out a hand toward her. And with a gentle yet powerful voice, she called out, "Fear not, young woman. For the troubles of your heart will soon begin to fade. The tiger will roar when virtue and righteousness shine through." And with that, she herself, almost as though she were a ghost, then began to fade from Seika's view.
"Hey, wait!" she called out, "Where are you going? What do you mean?" But it was no use. The woman continued to fade, becoming more and more transparent, until she finally disappeared altogether. That was the last thing Seika remembered before she woke up. And as soon as she found herself back in her bed again, she still found herself trying to make sense of that intangible dream, all the sights she'd seen, all the sounds she heard, all the things she felt. Even now, as she sat out in the summer sun attempting to enjoy the day with her cousins, her thoughts continued to wander back to that elusive part of her mind that contained the memory of her dream. The questions she had just hours before continued to haunt her.
What was that woman talking about? Was she posing a riddle to Seika? Seika didn't even know who the woman was, and that was the part that confused and troubled her the most. Dreams usually consisted of experiences and people one knew well, even if they didn't always make sense. But this dream completely baffled her, making her lose some of her sense of peace and safety. Still, then again, none of it really happened, seeming to stay only in her imagination. She knew that much. Who knew? She could pretty much be worrying over nothing, and she would have a completely normal kind of dream the next time she slept.
Just then, Seika's train of thought was broken as she heard her cousin Akemi's voice. "Seika? Hey, Seika?" The moment she saw a hand in front of her face, Seika immediately remembered where she was, and refocused her attention on the purpose of this outing: to enjoy the summer, free of school, with her two best friends in the world. And she was now certain she was going to do that.
"Yes?" she asked, hoping she hadn't looked like a complete doofus in the last few minutes.
"I was asking you if you wanted me to refill your drink?" Akemi said, pointing to the cup in Seika's hand. Seika looked and realized that she was now sucking on melting ice, and she still felt somewhat thirsty. She nodded her head.
"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks," she replied. She then handed Akemi her drink, and again tucked back her hair as her cousin left the table, leaving her with Hitomi, who stared curiously at her. Seika pressed her lips together.
"Seika, what's up?" Hitomi asked, "You had a weird look on your face when Akemi was trying to talk to you."
Seika sighed and then shrugged. "I guess I was just lost in thought, that's all," she replied.
Hitomi crossed her arms in skepticism, yet her curious look stayed. "What were you thinking about?"
That was where Seika had to draw the line. Looking away for a moment to rub the back of her head, like she usually did when she was nervous, she replied, "I don't really want to talk about it. Besides, it's nothing. Sorry."
Hitomi then touched her arm, causing Seika to look back at her. "Hey, come on," Hitomi said in an encouraging voice, "I may be crazy but I'm not stupid. Besides, we're family. Aren't we supposed to be there for each other?"
She had a point about that, and Seika hated to admit it. Still, some things were better to deal with when talked about, especially to someone you knew and trusted. What harm could there be in telling Hitomi, who at the worst would only be confused? Gathering her strength and making the decision to tell her, Seika opened her mouth to speak, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it felt like the ground beneath her shifted. It felt as though she'd experienced a small earthquake. And apparently she wasn't the only one. All around her, everyone seemed to be as confused as she was, their voices joined in a unison of concern and even fear.
"Woah, wha-, the heck was that?" Hitomi asked, her eyes now wide.
"I don't know, but I don't like it," Akemi replied as she rejoined them. Suddenly, her own eyes went wide as her sight was set upon something else. "Look!" she cried out, pointing toward what was probably the source of that sensation. Hitomi and Seika immediately looked that way, and saw that not only was there a mushroom cloud emerging not too far away from them, but there was also a car that seemed to be ejected from the explosion. Fortunately, it was headed away from them, but that did nothing to calm any of them, especially Seika.
They heard even, from where they were, the sound of the car crashing onto what was probably concrete ground, along with the honk that emanated from it and the screams of terrified citizens. But Seika had the feeling that the worst was far from over, and it soon turned out she was right. Another explosion detonated in the same area the car crash-landed in, causing another mushroom cloud to appear. And as soon as it went off, even though they were a safe distance away from it, people everywhere around Seika, Akemi, and Hitomi began screaming and running wildly in all directions. Knowing they were right to panic, and feeling the need to flee herself, Seika grabbed her purse and shot out of her seat, causing the chair to topple over.
"Let's get out of here!" she exclaimed, and the next thing she knew, she was heading away from the table, her cousins just behind her.
"Where will we go?" Akemi yelled. But Seika didn't answer her. All she knew was that she no longer wanted to be out in the city. She wanted to be back home. And she wanted to get there before another bomb, or whatever that was, exploded again. Her heart started beating like a drum and she could feel her pulse pound in her ears. And before long, she began to realize that it wasn't just from the danger she was now immersed in, but also the possibility that this could somehow be connected to her dream. Despite anything she could have said to herself, Seika didn't think this was a mere coincidence, and she also didn't think she'd be safe much longer if she stayed within the city. Just like in her dream, she ran, never looking back as she rushed down the street like she ran down that fateful pathway.
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