Chapter 21

"Isogu soshite watashi o hozon Kashi." (Hurry up and save me Kashi)

Risara's deep blue eyes gazed far out the open window sadly.

"Good luck Rio."

Yuma followed the townspeople curious of all the commotion. He heard that there was going to be a special event.

"Wait a minute is that Bravery?!"

The golden retriever barked growled angrily tugging on the metal leash holding him back. Yuma raised his head and saw his friends all unconscious and strung onto a pillar as decoration.

The townspeople were all shouting cruel words at poor Bravery as Torzane watched filled with amusement.

"Punish the bad dog!"

A muscular man approached Bravery raising a beating stick. Bravery growled as the man tugged something from his mouth but Bravery refused to let it go.

"Bad dog!"

Bravery whimpered in pain as the man struck him with the whiplash stick.

"Release the dogs!"

Yuma watched in horror as the vicious dogs were released leaping at Bravery. Bravery was met with teeth and claws and struggled to fight against the dogs. The brutes claws and clamped their slobbering mouths on Bravery's legs and fur. Blood and fur flew everywhere as Yuma looked down shaking with rage.

"Stop this madness. Stop it. Stop it."

(Flashback)

"Help! Okaa-san! Otou-san!" Little Yuma was terrified of the strangers taking him away from his parents.

"Give back our son!"shouted Kazuma as the strangers looked at him.

"You Kazuma couldn't pay your debt in price of it we shall take your son!"

Yuma shouted and struggled against the men holding him as his father ran toward him.

Yuma cried in horror when one of the men stabbed his father through the back. Kazuma sank onto the ground dead. His mother was helpless as she ran to her dead husband.

That was last time he saw his parents.

(Flashback Ended)

"STOP IT YOU FOOLS!" Yuma shouted so loudly that the townspeople jumped in fear.

Pushing the crowd aside he ran toward Bravery. Yuma glared so sharply at the brutal dogs that they sat down frightened.

"Bravery." Yuma kneeled down stroking the retriever's muzzle.

"He interfered! Get him!"

The townspeople headed toward Yuma and a dying Bravery with weapons and pitchforks.

"Yutopiaora."

Instantly the mad townspeople halted and left as if nothing ever happened.

"Inshó-teki (impressive)." Torzane took small steps toward Yuma who stood up immediately.

"Kill him! Kill him! Torzane-sama!" Yuma hid his brimming disgust of the yapping doll as Torzane smiled his eyes igniting with malice.

"Very well Ning." Yuma glanced back at Bravery who looked at him before the retriever closed his eyes.

Yuma extended his palm revealing a ripped fabric matching Torzane's fine tailored suit.

"This...is the reason why Bravery held onto this fabric so dearly. It was proof that you...killed his master...Alito." Torzane started laughing.

"And what good is that going to do?" Yuma gritted his teeth in anger.

"Yutopia no fukushu."

A large golden ring appeared on the ground as a golden warrior angel appeared. It's eyes flashed red and its wings turned black. The shining angel was a dark massacre angel with the taste only for revenge.

The angel slashed its long crimson blade missing Torzane's body by a few inches.

"Ningyo no tipati."

Thousands of creepy dolls and scary ones bursted out of the portal attaching themselves to the massacre angel. Torzane looked at them as if they were enchantingly beautiful as Yuma glared hatefully at the grotesque figures.

"Kibō no tengoku hoīru."

The doll's screams we're terrifying as they were vacuumed into the heaven's gate portal.

"Josho Kagees."

Yuma flinched as a black shadow hand grasped his leg. Another grasped his arm soon followed by others. Their haunting laughter irritated him as he tried to free himself. But now matter how much he tugged and pull the shadow figures refused to let him go.

"Kagees are known to be very persistent. These puppets are not easily destroyed and prefer to drag their victims to the doll's vision if hell." said Torzane as Ning cackled.

"Then I just need to burn them all away!"shouted Yuma.

"Tengoku no hikari!"

The shadow puppets disintegrated as Yuma dusted himself.

Torzane's lips thinned. He placed Ning down and looked at Yuma his eyes now brilliant scarlet bloodshot.

"So that's how you want to play." The scene around them changed.

Yuma looked around trying to bite down his fear which was threatening to consume him slowly. Torzane was nowhere but his voice was sharp as crystal glass.

"Welcome Yuma Tsukamo to the Doll's World." announced Torzane.

Yuma swung his sword as a large puppet clung onto him. The puppet collapsed but soon Yuma knew its friends would find him.

Yuma continued running on a checkerboard floor of red and black. The scene was so confusing that he couldn't tell which way was up or which way was down. Pain shot through his right cheek as he touched it gingerly. Blood spilled onto his finger tips as he turned his head to the right discovering a thorn shooting rose.

Yuma raced down the hall every direction looking the same thing until he halted by a golden door.

"Rio wake up!"Rio felt light-headed and tired.

"Rio wake up now."

"Kaito?"

Rio opened her eyes instantly and saw Yuma shaking Durbe awake.

"Yuma! Where were you?!" Rio asked as Yuma glanced nervously around.

"Nice of you to join us Yuma."said Thomas as Rio stood up angrily.

"Back off Thomas."snarled Rio as Thomas smirked.

"So the sleeping beauty has finally risen."

"Shut your trap." Rio hissed as Thomas looked at her with mock hurt.

Before Rio could react an army of dolls and puppets surrounded her and her friends. Thomas snapped his fingers and sentenced their deaths at the hands of the dolls. Durbe slashed at the first puppet descending upon Layla while Yuma and Yuki took care of the crawlers. Rio spotted Thomas leaving through a pathway and she squeezed herself past the dolls and puppets.

Rio spotted a puddle of blood and used it to her advantage.

"Ketseki kōri no shōheki."

Thomas jumped back only inches from being impaled by the blood ice crystal barrier as he faced Rio.

"Watashi wa,anata ga daikiraidesu! (I hate you)"shouted Rio.

Thomas was slammed against the wall with sharp icicles pinning him there.

That was the end for him when Rio was about to slit his throat.

"Rio,don't do this."

Rio froze when she heard his voice.

"This isn't you. You never killed anyone. This isn't the Rio I know."

Tears dripped down her magenta eyes as Rio sobbed. Kaito's words came through and she freed Thomas reluctantly.

"Ningyo no hari."

Rio was horrified as blood spurted out of Thomas's throat and he staggered a few steps toward her before collapsing dead.

"Now that he's out-of-the-way." Torzane smiled coldly at Rio.

Yuma looked around for any sign of Rio and sadly she wasn't there. The puppets and dolls were a raging wave that refused to stay down. Whenever they killed one,five took its place. Suddenly the door burst end open revealing a scared Rio followed by Torzane.

"Rio! What's going on?!" Torzane looked at them his lips thinned.

"It seems it's time for me to close the puppet show."announced Torzane.

"Shinigami jōshō."

Yuma watched aghast as the dark swirling black tornado came to a stop revealing the Grim Reaper hiding behind the wisps of dark aura. His hands were sweating and fear bloomed inside his chest suffocating him.

"Yuma watch out!" Rio shouted as the Grim Reaper brought it's scythe down on a caught off guard Yuma.

Yuma parried with his thin sword but the scythe was still much more powerful knocking him to the wall. Dazed Yuma watched Durbe and Yuki defend and attack against the Grim Reaper barely able to match the creäture of death's power.

"Your scared."

Yuma shamefully nodded agreeing to the voice inside his head.

"Your scared of death. Just like what happened to Alito and soon Bravery."

"Your right I am scared."

"But your friends never the less are ready to fight even if they fall down in battle."

"True."

"Then get up and reap that Grim Reaper."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Yoriko. I shall assists you in any way possible."

"Alright then."

"Kogane no Yutopia."

Torzane frowned deeply as the Grim Reaper howled in pain the blinding golden light searing its ragged body.

"This town has been your puppet theatre and the townspeople have been your puppets for to long!" Yuma directed his sword at Torzane's chest.

"The town and its people shall serve me until the end of time!" Torzane withdrew three needles between his fingers.

Yuma parried the flying needles only to realize that Torzane wasn't attacking him but his friends.

"Yutopia! Move now!"shouted Yuma.

A sharp sting shot through Yuma's leg as he collapsed. A thin needle had embedded itself within his left leg.

"You should always pay attention to your opponents."

Torzane dodged a blow and parried Yuma's sword easily. Yuma was getting frustrated while Torzane was enjoying himself until one slash caught him off guard.

Torzame jumped back in alarm his left arm sliced from his body.

"Yuma end this quickly!"

"You mean kill him?! I can't do that!"

"He's a monster who should not be spared!"

"But-."

Torzane charged toward Yuma who regretfully sliced him in half.

Rio watched the scene horrified at what Yuma has done. The Doll's World disappeared as if it was nothing more than just an illusion.

"Yuma?"

Yuma sagged on to his knees as Rio ran toward him.

"I killed him Rio. I killed him."

"Come on Yuma let's get the townspeople and explain everything that has happened to them."said Rio before Yuma stopped her.

"I want to say goodbye to my departing friend."said Yuma.

For a minute Rio thought he meant Torzane but Yuma headed towards...Bravery?!

"You were a good dog...who...who...respected his master. Thank you ...Bravery you truly were brave..." Yuma bursted into tears.

Layla was crying while Durbe comforted her and Yuki complained there was something in his eye.

"Come on Yuma lets bury him along with Alito."said Rio.