The Ronin Warriors had their own training regiment, which the Sailor Scouts didn't completely understand. Could they really move around that quickly in their armor? Thus far, they'd only seen Ryo in his Wildfire armor but it looked heavy. Then again as Mina pointed out to the others, Ryo was able to move around pretty easily in that heavily-looking plate armor. Still, the girls were enjoying watching the boys practice. Not that the boys noticed, they were working hard on getting back into form. They had let the last four or five months rest diminish their skills and they were rustier at this than they had anticipated.
"Take five, guys...!" Ryo called to the others.
"We need to get back into form, Ryo, that's never gonna' happen if we sit on our lapels!" Sage argued.
"I know! But we can't afford to be exhausted if something happens... Luna and Artemis said that the negaverse could attack at any moment... Exhausting ourselves in training won't do us or anyone else any good..." Ryo replied.
That was a calmer more calculated response than Sage was expecting. He was expecting this to be a shouting match, instead, Ryo seemed calm and focused. Was he over Mia already? A glance in Rowen's direction told Sage that Rowen was as surprised by Ryo's response as he was.
"Towels are folded up on the bench, guys..." Raye told them, "And I took the trouble of labeling your water bottles..."
The Ronins each gave their own thanks as they headed for that bench. Color-coded towels and sports water-bottles with their names on them. Some of them misspelled but it was pretty clear who each bottle was meant for.
"Did you label the bottles or did Serena?" Rowen asked.
"I labeled them!" Raye insisted.
"Really? I couldn't tell... I guess Serena's not the only one around here with an empty head," he laughed.
"Dick..." she grumbled.
"Ding..." he laughed, making a tally motion in the air.
She tried to look grumpy for a few minutes before laughing with him. Even though they'd only known each other for a few days, this was how Rowen and Raye got along. Sage had flat-out refused to talk to any of the Sailor Scouts unless it was absolutely necessary.
"Did... Did we do something wrong...?" Amy asked.
"Hmm? Why would ya' think that?" Cye replied.
To which she motioned to Sage.
"Oh, 'im? Nah, Sage jus' don't like talkin' to girls... Dunno' why..." Cye explained.
Sage must've heard that exchange but he made no reaction to it.
"I'm gonna' head home..." he said to no one in particular.
"Before you do... I won tickets to an onsen resort in a contest, I think we should all go..." Raye insisted.
Sage wanted to decline but Ryo had already accepted. He already felt uneasy enough around these silly Sailor Scouts, he didn't want to spend any more time with them.
"Fine, but only if Mia can come..." he relented.
"I had planned on inviting this girl Meatball-head is friends with but if you guys wanna' bring your friend Mia along, I'm fine with that..." she replied.
"Y'think Mia'll drive us all there?" Kento asked.
The other Ronins all facepalmed.
"Kento, the five of us barely fit into Mia's car..." Rowen began.
"Yeah but we're not bringin' Yuli, are we?" Kento asked.
"No, but even without him, that doesn't free up much space... How do you expect five Ronin Warriors to clown-car into one tiny jeep along with five Sailor Scouts?" Rowen asked.
At that Kento went silent, apparently trying to think.
"Oh lovely work there Rowen, ya' broke 'is brain... Y'know thinkin' isn' Kento's strong-suit..." Cye remarked.
"Well, your friend Mia won't have to drive, the resort is sending us a bus..." Raye replied, "Just be here Friday afternoon at around 3 pm and try not to be late. That goes for you too meatball-head!"
"Stop calling me meatball-head!" Serena snapped back.
"Stop acting like one...!" the former returned.
Sage let out a heavy sigh and he and Rowen both rolled their eyes.
The bus ride to the resort was an uneventful one and the girls were staying in separate rooms from the boys as was the resort rules. The Scouts were nervous meeting the older woman they'd only heard the Ronins mention in passing before. An older woman, in her early 20s, meant she was older than Darian. Definitely older than the Ronin Warriors, who were the same ages as the Scouts.
"So uh... You're dating Sage, huh? What's he like, y'know when he's not being a brooding jerk..." Lita asked. This earned her a sharp look from Raye.
"It's ok, Raye... I know better than anyone how standoffish Sage can be but the truth is, he really just doesn't know how to talk to girls... And being around so many girls makes him uncomfortable..." Mia explained.
"But you're dating him..." Amy pointed out.
"I am... But even that took a lot of prodding on my part... Even still, a lot of my relationship with him is just quiet understanding... Sage is not the talkative kind... Among those boys, the one you can't get to shut up is Kento..." she laughed.
"Soo... Is Ryo single?" Mina asked.
"Subtle, Mina... Very subtle..." Raye sighed.
"He is... I don't know if you know this but there was some drama around Ryo a while back..." Mia started.
At that the Sailor Scouts all took up listening positions around her, eager to hear the gossip.
"Wow... That got a lot of attention..." Mia remarked, "I'm not sure I should talk about it..."
"Please!" Serena begged.
"Fine..." Mia sighed. "As you know, not long ago, the boys were fighting an evil negaverse ruler named Talpa. It took a lot... And I do mean a lot...! We lost two good friends in that struggle... One started out as our enemy... Anyway... When it was all over, Ryo offered to take me out to a nice dinner to celebrate, just him and me... I'm sure you girls can tell where that was going..."
"But you were already dating Sage by that point...?" Raye asked.
"You're a sharp girl, Raye... Yes... Sage and I had been dating for three months already by that point... I knew Ryo would take it hard but I had to tell him the truth... He hasn't talked to me or Sage much since then..." Mia explained, "But I think he likes one of you girls, he's nearly back to his old self again... He talks to Sage again, though now it's more out of necessity... Still won't talk to me but at least he's being energetic again..."
As the girls chattered, the boys got ready to hit the hot springs, eager to relax from their renewed training efforts. They headed to the men's section of the hot springs and relaxed. However, most of them did notice that Ryo was indeed more active than he had been.
They didn't know how long they'd been soaking, letting the hot water soothe their aching muscles, but they were aware of some commotion from the resort's front. Taking a look, they realized that something had gone wrong. Their new friends were fighting some kind of monsters that looked vaguely humanoid.
"The negaverse!" Ryo surmised, "Luna said that minions of the negaverse could disguise themselves as human... Alright, com'n...! Ronin Warriors, to arms!"
As he said that he donned his under armor, briefly lamenting the fact that his swim-trunks were now just as shredded as his school uniform from last week.
"Aw man, there goes my only pair of swimmin' trunks..." Kento whined.
Nonetheless, the Ronins donned their under armor and one by one donned their Ronin armor as well. Outside the resort, the man that Ryo had seen that day laughed at the Sailor Scouts' attempts to fight off the monsters.
"End of the line, Sailor brats... Hand over the Silver Emperion Crystal and I'll make your demises quick and painless!" he laughed.
"Save your threats until after you've defeated us... If you can...!" Rowen challenged, "Arrow of Shockwave!"
He tried to bring up a barrier to block the attack but the arrow went right through it like the barrier wasn't even there. Getting struck by the arrow caused him to cry in pain and stumble backwards.
"Not enough for ya'...? Super Wave Smasher!" Cye tried.
"Another time...!" he replied, dodging the attack and leaving.
The Ronin Warriors didn't have time to contemplate their victory as they were forced on the defensive by these monsters.
"Don't hurt them!" Amy shouted, "They're the resort staff! They don't know what they're doing, they're possessed by the negaverse!"
"What do we do then?" Sage asked.
"I can purify them but with this many, it'll take time...!" Serena answered.
"Then get started...! We can't hold them off forever..." he replied.
"R-right... Moon Healing-...!" she began before something struck her wrist.
A black rose, knocking the wand out of her hand. As the newcomer tried to pick up the wand he nearly lost the hand going for it but retreated before the blade could connect.
"I don't think so..." Ryo growled, knocking the wand back to Serena with the same blade.
"Mask... Monkey-suit... Batman-wanna-be cape... If I had to guess, I'd say yer Tuxedo Mask..." Kento replied.
"Very astute of you... Ronin of Hardrock... This is not your business, Ronin Warriors, it's between me and the Sailor Scouts... If you give me that crystal and leave now, none of you will be hurt..." he replied.
"Big talk from a traitor..." Sage growled. Giving the other Ronins a look that said to stay out of his way.
"Sage..." Ryo began.
"I know... We have to save him somehow..." Sage muttered back. Turning his attention back to the newcomer his voice became harsh, "What if we don't feel like leaving...? And what if we decide that this is our business...? What is a negaverse mongrel like you gonna' do about it?"
"You don't even know what you're getting yourselves into, Halo..." he replied.
"You're one to talk... You don't even have a mind of your own anymore..." Sage replied, easily parrying an attack from Tuxedo Mask's cane.
Another clashing sound as Tuxedo Mask's cane struck against Sage's nodashi, but it was clear that the Ronin of Halo wasn't taking his opponent seriously. In the meantime, Serena realized after healing one person that it would take a lot for her to heal the entire resort staff. More energy than she had, she'd either have to draw energy from the other Scouts and Ronins or she'd have to come up with another solution. But another solution required more brain-power than she was capable of, both Amy and Rowen were currently preoccupied.
She was about to just give up when a monk's staff landed in the middle of the conflict. It gave off a clear and calming ringing sound. Tuxedo Mask didn't find it calming though, he held his head as if in pain.
"Sailor Moon, aim your healing magic for the staff and it will do the rest..." a new female voice rang out.
The Ronin Warriors turned their attention to the newcomer, she hid her face beneath the straw hat but it was clear this woman was not Kayura. Still, there was something familiar about her, especially to the Ronin Warriors.
"There is not time to dwell on my presence! Do it now...!" she commanded.
Sensing her hesitation Sage got behind her.
"It's alright, whoever she is, she's a friend..." he told her. She briefly noted that Sage's voice was softer towards her than it usually was and he was channeling his energy into her.
"Moon Healing Activation!" she called.
Directing her magic into the staff, its ringing became louder and more frequent. Following a flash of blinding flash of light and the resort staff were laid unconscious on the ground. Along with Darian who, for the moment, was not Tuxedo Mask. Before he could be recalled though, someone new had shown up.
"Black Lightning Slash!" the newcomer calls. After which he's holding an unconscious Darian.
"Kale!" the Ronins exclaim.
"Greetings, Ronin Warriors... The Warlords take orders from Lady Kayura these days and she commanded me to retrieve this one so the spell on him may be broken..." he explained, "I see you've made some new friends..."
"So was it Kayura that helped us earlier?" Ryo asked.
"No, Lady Kayura has embraced the armor given to her by Anubis and passed the role of Ancient One's successor to another..." he answered.
"I thought you all said you weren't gettin' involved anymore..." Cye pointed out.
"We had hoped we would not have to but the situation is changing... The battle you are now getting involved in is expanding into the Dynasty Realm... I can stay no longer, be ever vigilant, the enemy may be watching at any moment!" he answered.
With that, he took Darian and left. Although the Scouts were discouraged by that, he didn't seem like an enemy the way the Ronin Warriors spoke to him.
"That was Kale, the Warlord of..." Ryo began but stopped.
"I think it's still Darkness but he isn't evil anymore at least..." Rowen replied.
"He used to be our enemy and work for Talpa but he actually ended up helping us..." Kento told the girls, "Along with Kayura and the other Warlords..."
Nonetheless, the group was able to enjoy the rest of their stay at the resort but now Sage was a bit tense towards Mia and asked to talk to her in private. So she agreed to a walk with him when he knocked on the girls' dorm the following night.
"It's not like you to wanna' talk Sage, are you ok?" she asked.
"Are you...?" he replied.
"Wh-what do you mean?" she answered.
"Don't play dumb with me Mia, you and I both know that doesn't work... You're the Ancient One's successor..." he scolded.
"Hoe did you figure it out...?" she sighed. Dropping the pretense.
"I know your voice well enough... On top of that, you were forcing yourself to speak like Kayura..." he stated.
"I'm sorry, I know I should've told you but-..." she started.
He interrupted her by kissing her.
"That doesn't matter to me... All I care about now is that you're safe... Just... Please, don't go getting yourself hurt..." he replied softly.
"I'll try..." she replied, "Just don't tell the others, ok? I want to tell them myself..." she sighs.
"Alright..." he relents.