"Ryo!" Riska cried out. She watched as small demons poked and prodded at Ryo. Cuts and scrapes appeared in places their long claws had been. She watched desperately fighting at the Tengu that held her down. She could hear it clicking and chuckling in her ear, its breath smelled like rotten eggs.
Ryo cried out as he tried to break away from the demons holding him back. The chains that had been holding him to the tree were tangled around his legs trapping him.
Riska elbowed the Tengu feeling it lose its grip for only a fraction of a second. It was enough. Riska swung her legs around kicking the trickster demon away from her. Then rolling back over she picked herself up and began to run towards Ryo. A gasp escaped her lips as the Tengu grabbed her again making her lose balance and fall to the ground. Her head hit the ground and bounced. Stars danced across her vision and she felt the warmth of blood on her forehead.
"Stop." Came a familiar voice, the sound of it chilled Riska to the core. She felt the Tengu release her suddenly. Looking up she saw the little demons holding Ryo at bay had frozen in place as well. Their eyes sparkled mischievously, they saw torturing Ryo as a game.
"Riska." The voice said making her shiver. Ryo looked from Riska to the person who was now standing only a few feet between them. Riska looked to Ryo not wanting to look up at the source of the one who spoke. "Riska?"
Ryo visibly swallowed as recognition reached his eyes, the confusion that filled it after made Riska close her eyes and count to ten. She heard the person standing near them step forward gravel under his feet crunch.
Slowly Riska looked up to meet their eyes.
Hariel paused mid-step as he met the woman's eyes that lay on the ground in front of him. He smiled and held out a hand offering it to her.
Riska swallowed her mouth was suddenly very dry. She stared at Hariel, he looked very much the same from the last time she saw him before the Inferno armor had possessed him. His long black hair was tied back by a simple string and he was dressed in ancient samurai armor that was made of iron scales and layers of silk dirtied by battles and years of use. What were different were the rings of raw red skin surrounding his brown eyes. The skin looked burned and irritated by the sulfuric air of Perdition.
"Hariel." Riska breathed, she didn't reach for his outstretched hand. "Call off the demons from Ryo."
Hariel flexed his hand and looked over at the boy covered in small demons then back at Riska, "I can't. It's part of the deal." The demons holding Ryo began to click with laughter. One pulled at Ryo's hair making him wince.
"What deal?" Riska asked quickly.
"The deal to bring you both here." Hariel looked to the Tengu.
"Why are we here, Hariel?"
Hariel glanced at over his shoulder at Ryo. "Not in front of the boy."
"No, now, Hariel." Riska demanded. Ryo heard Riska use a tone of someone used to giving orders.
Hariel sighed, "As you wish Shōkōjo."
Ryo drew in a breath.
"I wanted a second chance, Riska. A chance to be with you and free you from those who hold your life at their whims. I wanted to free you from the Ronins and give us a second chance. I had to get you away from them first so that's why you're here. He-" Hariel glanced at Ryo, "is here because in order for me to leave here someone must stay in my place." Something dark hovered under the surface of Hariel's carefully guarded expression.
"Ri-." Ryo began but was interrupted by Riska.
"How do you expect that to work?" Riska demanded, her heart was pounding. "You don't have a body to go back to; you're tied here by blood magic. You can't leave without the Tengu ripping you apart. Not unless you find a de-." Riska stopped talking she could feel the color leave her face as she looked over to Ryo.
Hariel looked at Ryo as well, a halfhearted smile slowly stretched across his face. "Isn't it a wonderful coincidence that the Inferno armor found its way back to my bloodline?"
"Descendant?" Ryo sputtered out.
Hariel nodded looking pleased, "distantly yes, but none the less we have the same blood running through our veins. And because of that I can leave here and the demons won't care because they'll still have my blood here."
Ryo tried to move wanting to get as far from Hariel as he could, "you'll never get away with it. I won't let you take my body."
"It won't work even if you manage to take Ryo's body, which I won't allow, you can't just leave here."
Hariel nodded, "you're right. I also need all the Ronins before I can come rejoin the living realm; I need the power from the armors. And knowing them, they will follow their brother here to try to get him back."
"You'll kill them." Riska burst out, "their souls will not be able to handle being here. And you have separated his soul from his living body, whatever happens to him here…"
"Happens to his body in the mortal realm." A smirk came to Hariel's lips. It was dark and menacing, his expression changed from soft and caring to something entirely different. It was the same expression he wore when he was possessed. "It will motivate the Ronins to get here quickly, and with the help of your spell they have a few extra days to do so too."
Riska looked at Ryo then back at Hariel, "you have to stop this Hariel. Send him back home. I'll stay here with you."
"Riska, no." Ryo called out trying to get up the demons nipped at him making him wince and stop moving again.
Hariel shook his head, "that is not a part of the plan. I cannot break my contract with the demons. And I don't want to either. The Ronins will suffer for keeping you as a slave." He raised his hand and the demons holding Ryo began to scratch, bite, nip, and claw at Ryo making him cry out in pain.
"I am no one's slave, Hariel!" Riska watched Ryo with wide eyes.
"But you are." Hariel placed a hand on Riska's cheek; it was gentle as was his eyes. "You are a slave to them because of the Ancients and you don't even see it. Just like when you were under Talpa's command."
"I swore the Ancients to keep the Ronins safe, because they saved my life. You know that."
"No!" Hariel yelled, "You swore that oath because you were forced to. They brought you back to the life and told you to swear to serve them or to be banished to the darkness. Just like you were forced to send me here."
Riska shook her head and looked at Ryo; she watched his blood drip to the dirt below him. Ryo was gritting his teeth trying to take the pain but she saw that he wouldn't hold out long. He didn't have his armor, his soul was vulnerable here. Unlike, hers.
"I won't allow this Hariel." She told the warrior above her.
Ryo screamed at one of the demons began to give Ryo a long deep gash across his back.
"I'll take the punishment, let them torture me!" Riska screamed out. She looked up at the Tengu holding her, "take me instead!"
"No!" Hariel turned Riska's face to look at him, "I won't let them touch you."
"I'm the reason you're here Hariel." Riska told him, "I'm the reason you have been tortured. I'm the one who killed you! And the demons can take a replacement and you can still get your deal."
"Riska, no." Ryo grunted then let out a yell as another demon stabbed his hand.
"Hariel! I killed you and I will do it again!" Riska screamed.
Hariel's face contorted and his eyes grew red as darkness overcame him. A twisted grin grew, "As you wish Shōkōjo."
"Hello, Hariel." Riska breathed, "Does your other half know you still exist?"
Ryo watched shocked it was like a whole other person was standing there now. This time though it was as if it were one of Talpa's warlords.
"Oh, he is aware." He turned to the demons torturing Ryo and nodded.
Suddenly the demons released Ryo and went chasing after Riska. She didn't fight or yell as they attacked her. Her teeth ground together as they bit at her.
"Riska!" Ryo yelled he managed to free his feet from the chains. He got up to try to get to Riska.
"Ryo, no!" Riska cried out then grunted as a demon bit into her neck drawing blood.
Ryo looked around and found a large stick to try to knock the demons off. Hariel, eyes still red, watched as if he were entertained.
"Ryo, no!" Riska yelled again and raised a hand. Suddenly Ryo got pushed back by an unseen force. Riska fell to a knee as the Tengu knocked the back of her knee squealing happily at her pain.
Hariel laughed at Ryo's surprised expression, "surprised Wildfire? Shouldn't be; remember Riska's power is over the souls. She has a good handle on any world where the dead are."
Ryo ignored Hariel and got up to get to Riska again. Riska raised her hand and pushed him back, he felt as if she had placed her hand on his chest and pushed him. However, this time instead of just getting pushed out of the way hands rose from the ground and held Ryo by the wrists and ankles.
Riska grunted and fell with only her hands holding her up. Blood dripped down her forehead where the demons picked at the gash that she had gotten from falling before.
Hariel clicked his tongue, "now, now, Riska don't use up all your energy. You'll kill yourself off and you know my other half does not want that."
Riska looked up at Hariel her green eyes seemed to glow along with her virtue of 'hope' on her forehead.
"Riska!" Ryo said fighting the hands that held him.
Riska looked at Ryo and raised her hand again, "you have to let it happen Ryo. I won't let Hariel kill you or anyone else." She told him then made a fist.
Ryo gasped as he quickly lost consciousness.
