Disclaimer: See chapter 1

Chap. 13

Tenchi appeared right in front of his house. He blinked for a moment before he realized that no one was there. He into the house to find it completely deserted. Still looking, he ventured on until he came to the Masaki Tree. That's when he saw it.

"Oh, no."

Aieka, Mihoshi, Sasami and the others were all frozen in stone. Tenchi looked at there lifeless faces before his attention was diverted to the tree itself, and the figure on it.

"Ryoko!"

The still living Ryoko was tied up and looked beaten. However, she managed to lift her head up to look at him

"Ten...chi..."

"So you finally arrived."

The harsh voice came from behind Tenchi. Wheeling around, he was faced with the white visage of Kagato.

"Kagato!" He whipped out his Tenchiken blade. "Release Ryoko now!"

A savage grin came up his face, "Now why should I do that? After all, she was useful in bringing you here."

"Bringing me?"

"That's right. And this time, you don't have a prayer against me."

Kagato suddenly vanished and reappeared beside Ryoko. Placing his hand on her, Ryoko began to slowly turn to stone.

X "Tenchi, don't believe him."

Goku "You have all the power you need to beat him."

"Remember what Tsunami and Crysta told you"

'Have faith in your own power.'

Tenchi stammered, "But...I don't..."

"You do. You can. You are a warrior. Now release your might!"

Ryoko was halfway to stone and only her head was left. Kagato laughed, "Now it ends...what?!"

Tenchi began to shine in radiant light, stopping Kagato from torturing Ryoko. Three points began to form around him. But before they could solidify...

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"Welcome back, Tenchi."

Tenchi looked at his hands, still surprised that he was able to summon the power on his own now.

"I...did it. I really did it."

"We knew you could." Goku replied. "You just had to fight with your feelings."

Tenchi nodded as the mist then swirled to its next target. Next two targets actually. Ryo and Whiteblaze was engulfed in it and disappeared.

Ryo and Whiteblaze were in some dark place only Ryo recognized. 'From my dreams? No, my nightmares.' And the scene he beheld was nothing sort of nightmarish. All of the Ronin Warrior lay strew on the ground, dead. As Ryo moved over, he could see the lines of bodies all around him. Even the former warlords and Lady Kayura was included among them. Then he recognized two other bodies.

"Mia! Yulie!"

He rushed over to the two, but they were dead silent. Ryo held Mia as Whiteblaze nudged Yulie. But they were both gone. All of them. Whiteblaze roared mourningly in the air while Ryo shook with sadness. But they both noticed an object coming toward them. A big object. Ryo put Mia down and Whiteblaze stood next to him. A sinister voice echoed out to them

"How do you like my handiwork, Wildfire?"

Ryo knew who it was without a doubt, "Talpa!"

The demon warlord materialized before them, crackling nastily. Wasting no time...

"Armor of Wildfire. Tao Chi!!!!"

Talpa continued to laugh, "Without your friends, you can not defeat me alone. There's no hope for you, Wildfire."

"Roooaarrrrrrrr!!!!!!"

Whiteblaze roared and stepped up to Talpa and a blaze of fire engulfed him. When the fire cleared Whiteblaze had now transformed into his alternate persona; the white armored Blackblaze.

"Stupid beast. I killed both your former masters. And I will make sure to end you pitiful existence along with you, Wildfire."

Ryo immediately pulled out his swords, connected them and rose to the sky.

"Flare Up NOW!!!!!!!!!!!"

The blade of fire smashed into Talpa, but he wasn't fazed in the least.

"You know it's futile. Give your armor over to me."

Cloud "Ryo. Don't listen to him. He's deceiving you."

Liu "Alive or not, your friends will always aid and help you."

"Friendship is your bond, Ronin warrior."

'Friendship.'

"Yes. In it contains many virtues, and with it the power. Do not be afraid of the Inferno."

'Afraid?'

"Use it wisely."

Ryo thought for a moment. 'Afraid of the Inferno? What did he mean by that?' Ryo then looked down as his friends armors began to glow. Ryo raised his blades in the air.

"To arms!"

However, before the energies could converge...

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"Ryo, you're back."

Ryo had returned to the mist along with Whiteblaze. As the others looked at him, Ryo's eyes searched around at them.

"Friendship. I guess that was all I needed."

"Yeah. Friendship." Sho repeated.

D-Boy then said, "That leaves only one person left."

They all turned to Ryu, who had been quiet for a long while now. As the mist began to swirl, Cloud whispered...

"What do you think is wrong with him?"

Jin replied, "He's getting ready."

Like the others, Ryu saw the bodies of his dead friends. He had expected this. Even though it still saddened and angered him to see Ken, Sakura and Chun-Li on the ground as well, he waited for his own enemy. And as he thought, a form began to materialize.

"Come out, demon."

"As you wish."

The form materialized, but it wasn't who he thought, "Huh?"

"What? Are you surprised? Were you expecting perhaps Akuma?"

The figure was Ryu, only darker and with a black aura emanating from him. His blood red eyes held a savage grin as Ryu looked at him, confused.

"I...I don't..."

E. Ryu scoffed, "Such foolishness. That is why I am the superior one. So why don't you just submit to the Satsui No Hado?"

Ryu clenched his fist, "Never!"

The dark grin grew, "Come now. You know it and I know it. You will turn to the dark side eventually. The power of it. It is what you want, isn't it? That is the purpose of your journey, isn't it? I am the end result."

"........." Ryu didn't know how to answer that. 'Is that...true? Is this the path I'm on? Is that what I will become?'

Sho "No. That's not what you want"

D-Boy "Every man chooses his own fate."

Jin "You are not evil."

"Darkness or light. Which side will you choose dragon?"

Ryu looked up, determinedly, "Light."

E. Ryu snarled, "Then you will die." He smashed his foot on the ground. "Soushi!"

Ryu mimicked the move, only with more power, "I will never submit to you!"

Ryu began to glow in an ethereal light. The light grew and E. Ryu was blown away from it. But instead of reappearing in the mist like the others, the light grew out into the mist, blinding the warriors there as well. Soon there was nothing but light and then....

"What the...?"Cloud started. "Hey, we're back."

The ten fighters awoke on the floor before the Crystal Tower where they where they had been knocked out in the beginning. At the entrance, Crysta sat waiting. Her armor was no longer on and she was adorned in a sky-blue gown.

"You all passed."

The group heard her words and slowly arose to their feet. Crysta up stood as well.

"You have all performed really well. You faced your demons and saw what was in your respective hearts."

Cloud blinked his eyes to wake himself fully, "So now what?"

She smiled, "Now you meet Xardion."

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Within the tower, the gray-hooded figure arose and stretched his arms.

"At last. The time has come."

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Now these ten warriors are about to pit their skills and power against what will be their most powerful adversary yet. The mysterious Xardion himself. I await your arrival! Next chapter...