I know it's been a while bu there's chapter 10.

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The sound of fiends echoed through the city as if some dark army of the dead was rising up, the screeeches piercing the still air. Gunfire erupted from scattered parts of the city as the Tairon Army tried to fight of the Fiend. Ryu held Luna's hand and started to run, dragging her after him down the stairs. She was quivering with fear at the mention of fiends. The memories of the night her village was destroyed were still quite fresh in her mind. she pictured her family, the screams, the terrified faces of children as they lay in the street unable to do anything. Luna lost her grip on Ryu's hand and clattered to the floor, smashing her elbow into the wooden boarding. Ryu stopped, checking back on Luna and helping her up.

'Are you alright?'

Luna nodded, gritting her teeth as she felt a sharp pain move through her arm. Ryu noticed, his gaze shifting to her arm.

'Are you sure you're alright?'

'Yes, yes, I'm fine. Don't worry, it's just a bump or something.'

Ryu reluctantly believed her, not wanting to get into an argument with her now. He turned to start off again and stopped dead in his tracks. Streams of light shot from the floor and shimmered in the air, illuminating the room. The ringing sound wich emanated from the light hurt the ears for a moment as it rang out and seemed to reflect poff of each wall. A foot suddenly emerged from the light, followed closely by the rest of the Fiend. The clawed monstrosity gave off a sound as if it was laughing as it stood there and watched Ryu and Luna. It reared up, brandishing its blade-like arms, scraping them together then sprung forwards, its right arm sweeping around at Ryu. Ryu's hands moved like a flash, his sword's tip scraping the floor before he lifted off the ground, the blade slicing through the Fiend. The two halves flew either side of Ryu, green blood spattering onto him as they passed. The crashed to the floor with a thud, the sound of the blood soaked parts splashing onto the floor as the halves rolled into the wall, and Ryu landed softly, as if he had never left the ground. He slid a hand across the blade, wiping away the remnants of blood left on the shining steel then slid it into it's sheath before outstretching a hand back towards Luna.

'Come on.' Ryu barked.

Luna jumped slightly. She was already quivering enough from a mixture of flashbacks and the fear of their current situation. Now she had Ryu shouting at her. She started to cry where she stood, her hands covering her eyes. Ryu lowered his hand and looked around cautiously. He saw no reason to remain on guard so he went back to himself, going over to Luna and reaching to stroke her hair. As soon as his hand rested lightly on her soft, blonde hair she backed off. Ryu was slightly shocked by this and hesitantly lowered his hand. Luna snapped her hands down.

'Don't scream at me! I can't take any more upset!' Luna blurted out.

Ryu looked down and bit his lip slightly before looking up at her. He was about to apologise when Luna continued.

'My whole village was wiped out. I'm in the middle of another fiend filled city and you're shouting at me? It's not fair!'

Luna burst into a run, sliding out of the building and into the street. She nearly fell over on the smooth cobbles as she attempted to turn the corner. Ryu rushed after Luna, leaping through the window just ahead of her and cutting her off. She flew into him, knocking him over and falling on top of him. She pounded a fist into his chest almost as soon as they landed, repeatedly hitting him, tears sprinkling Ryu as they fell from her already sodden cheeks. Ryu grunted slightly with each weak punch. He didn't do anything, he simply lay there and took it. She eventually ran out of steam, her punches getting weaker as she wore herself out with crying. Ryu sat up, gentle moving her off of him and carried her back inside of the building, resting her against the wall. He lay his sword to his side in case it was needed and knelt infront of Luna. She looked at him tiredly and he sighed.

'That sort of thing won't do you any good. How long do you think you'd last with fiends all over the place?'

The tears started again, but this time they were more controlled as if she was upset with herself for being so stupid. Her hand moved fluidly up to her fce and wiped away the tears. Luna sniffed and stiffled the tears, putting on a brave face to try and fight past the upset. She found it could sometimes help the way she felt. A small intake of breath slid across her lips before she spoke.

'I'm sorry Ryu.'

Ryu nodded and looked at her arm. He gently gripped her wrist and lifted it up, using the other arm to check along the muscle. Luna was surprised by how gentle he was being, checking for even the slightest bit of tension or bruising. He was almost gentle enough for Luna to not believe he was capable of such strength in battle. Ryu concentrated on her arm until there was a loud splintering sound. His hands shot from her arm and he span on his heel, standing between the sound and Luna. Another thud followed, this time sending shreds of wood into the room and causing the wall to bow inwards. Silence fell upon the room and all around as tension hung in the air like strong hands, gripping the throats of Ryu and Luna and squeezing. Luna whimpered slightly as a bead of sweat ran down her forehead. There was a sudden popping of air like opening the window on a car at ninty miles per hour. The pop turned to a roar as the wall erupted inwards, speckling Ryu, Luna and the rest of the room in splinters of what was no longer a wooden wall. A heaving beast enshrouded in dust stood silhouetted through the opening, its huge frame casting a shadow on the cloud which swirled around it. The silhouette crouched down and sprung forwards from the smoke like a panther. Ryu shoved Luna away as a massive hand gripped around his head, dragging him backwards. The creature swung Ryu into the wall, the already worn brick cracking and puffs of dust shooting out around his form. The fiend loosened its grip and Ryu fell to the ground, holding his upper body off the floor with his arms. It raised its arm, balling its fist with intent to bring it smashing down into Ryu's head when suddenly there was a loud scream. The fiend turned on it's heel to see Luna, who immediately moved her hands over her mouth as she realised that shouting may not have been the best of ideas. Ryu pushed himself up to his feet while the fiend was distracted and brought his hands up to his head, spinning his arms around before bringing them together, aimed straight for the back of the fiend.

'Jutsu inferuno!' Ryu cried furiously.

The air around Ryu's hands started to spark with flickering flames. They danced around like ballerinas hovering above his skin. The suddenly there was a sucking sound as the entire area around his hands ignited into a ball of fire which shot forwards and hurtled into the spine of the fiend. The blast lifted the fiend off of the ground, flipping it forwards over Luna, who cowered down with her arms protecting her face. The fiend smashed into the wall behind her, breaking it down and landing heavily in the street. Trails of smoke drifted upwards from the beast's skin and its breathing became stuttery and laboured. Luna raised her head and looked out through the gaping hole in the wall, sighing with relief. She turned back to Ryu, who was walking over to her.

'Is it dead?' Luna asked with an almost child-like curiosity, coupled with nervousness.

Ryu was about to reply when the fiend decided to answer that question for him. IT reached in through the breach in the wall and grabbed Luna. Luna's face twisted into a wide-eyed scream of fear, the sound seeming to not come out even though she wanted it to. Ryu rushed forwards, grabbing his sword and roaring as he dashed to save her.

'Luna!'

She reached out with her hand and he reached out with his, their fingertips nearly touching but the fiend pulled her away. Their hands slipped past each other without touching at all. As Luna was dragged back, the fiend's other arm arched around, slamming into Ryu's gut and sending him sprawling backwards. The scream Luna had been trying to let out finally came and it was deafening, echoing out into the night and almost drowning the sound of the battles which raged across the city. Ryu clattered across the floor and scrmbled to get to his feet in time. The fiend knelt down and leapt into the air, Ryu leaping out of the window and looking up. It landed on a roof nearby and turned to look down at Ryu. Ryu raised his sword, pointing it at the foul creature which had whisked Luna away. A second later it turned and disappeared from view, most likely heading back to wherever it came from. Ryu started to run down the street. He ran as fast as he had ever run, he ran as fast as he could, he ran so hard it felt like his heart and lungs were bursting, screaming to be given a break but he didn't stop. Every now and then he would catch a glimpse of the beast and Luna as the creature leapt across a street. Luna was still trying to fight her way free, beating her hands into the creature's arm and trying anything she could to free herself. None of it was working, she was too weak. She gave up, slumping down and crying, her eyes open and her mouth agape in the acceptance of hopelessness.

Ryu wasn't going to give up so easily. He sprang up onto a wall, using it as footing to leap up onto a lowered piece of roof. He leapt up, grabbing onto the ledge of the rooftop above and pulling himself up. Now he could see clearly where the beast was going. He wasn't too far behind and he immediately set off into a run. The sound of the rooftop tiles creaking and clinking beneath his feet echoed through his mind and congealed with worries about Luna's safety. This girl had been more trouble than good but he didn't seem to care, he had fallen for her. Her blonde hair, her figure, her beauty, it had all captivated him. He still wasn't sure whether it was her resemblance to Rachel or simple coincidence. He didn't intend to look into that question, he just knew he would die for her.

He leapt across a street, clearing the jump easily. He wanted to keep his speed up to catch up with the fiend and he was managing to. Slowly but surely he was drawing closer and closer to the beast, and closer and closer to saving Luna. The rain beat down hard on Ryu's face, blurring his vision slightly but he didn't let it stop him. The heavy footprints indented into the roofing showed the creature's path. Ryu was so close now. Luna had noticed, she looked up at him, her face brightening into a smile.

'Ryu!'

The creature didn't stop or turn to look, it just kept running. IT grunted a deep shut up at Luna but that was all it seemed to do to show its realisation that Ryu was following him. Ryu heard Luna's call and it filled him with fire, his pain seemed to fade away and he ran faster.

Suddenly, the sound of beating wings echoed through the air. Ryu turned just as two taloned claws gripped for him out of nowhere. He fell, hitting the roof hard and rolling toh is knees. The eagle like creature swooped up before turning around, diving straight for Ryu. Ryu drew his sword, slowly placing it directly centre of his body. He slid one hand up the back of the blade and held it steady, gripping the hilt tightly with his other hand. The creature crashed into him, the roof beneath his feet buckling. His blade bit into the shoulder of the creature, slicing straight through and sending one of its wings flopping to the floor, a gush of blood following it and splattering across the tiles. The blood ran away, the rain water diluting it. The creature held its stump of a shoulder and looked at Ryu. Anger was all Ryu felt as he span and cleaved straight through the head of the creature. The corpse of the fiend slumped to the floor with a thud, more blood gushing out of the new wound and the slice of head rolling off before coming to rest ear the edge of the roof. Ryu heaved and panted, his face twisted into a sneer of rage. He turned and looked for the beast which had Luna. It had disappeared. Ryu frantically kept searching but nothing, it had vanished into thin air it seemed. Ryu fell to his knees. He felt the painful feeling of failure sweep over him. It was a cold, sickening feeling which reached down to Ryu's stomach and squeezed it.

'I've failed her.' he whispered to himself, staring blankly and unblinkingly at the tiles of the roof.

He listened to the sound of the rain, listened to sound of the city at war. He listened good and hard and suddenly he heard something. Almost inaudible amongst the rest of the sounds which filled the air. Someone was calling his name. It was fading fast and he didn't know which direction it was coming from. Suddenly the shout turned to a scream, louder and it managed to pierce the surrounding sounds more easily. Ryu turned in the direction of the scream and broke into a run. He wouldn't let Luna down, not as long as he had breath in his lungs.