Chapter Thirteen: The Battle Begins

(Cye)

Robyn and I started to run at full force towards the sound of the bang. In the middle of a huge clearing stood Talpa, the Warlords standing around him. The others were on the outskirts of the battle arena, my father once again in the strange green armor. Suddenly, Sheila, Dais, Cale, and Osiris began to glow. The glows were sent to Talpa, and they disappeared. My eyes widened. "He's going to try and reclaim his armor!"

"What!?" asked Robyn. "He can do that?"
"That's what he did the first time around," said Cye. "ARMOR OF THE TORRENT, DAO-"
"STOP!" yelled Robyn, grabbing my hands. "If you do that, then he can take your powers!"

"He can do it anyways," I said. "It's the only way we'll have a fighting chance. Besides, he can't reclaim Kojiro or you or even my father."

Robyn sighed heavily. "Fine, but I'll figure out a way to bust you guys out if he does."

"Usually Ryo takes care of that. But stay up here unless it looks like we really need it," I said. "ARMOR OF THE TORRENT, DAO SHIN!" I felt the familiar sensation of my armor up until I was back in armor. I jumped down to where Ryo and the others stood waiting for the battle to begin.

"Glad you could join us, Cye," said Ryo. I smiled as I took a fighting stance.

"Guys, I'll do what I can to keep you from getting absorbed, too," said Kojiro.

Rowen nodded. "Good, because we'll need that help," said Rowen. "HERE IT COMES!" We all darted in several directions as Talpa's first attack headed our way. It struck Sage. I watched in horror as he turned into a green energy and was absorbed by Talpa. He started to laugh as he got bigger.

"This is bad," I said. He sent an attack my way. I artfully dodged it. Kojiro got ready to swing his battle ax.

"SNOW STORM BLAST!!!"

A sudden, strong gust of snow bombarded Talpa. He screamed as he tried to avoid the attack. While he was still busy, I released my own sure kill. "SUPAH WAVE SMASHA!"
"SNOW STORM BLAST!!!" Kojiro let loose his sure kill again when Talpa was his wettest. He'd be even worse off. He crystallized into a solid white structure. We all stood, watching the evil Dynasty emperor. The ice shattered, and he was MAD. He sent an energy attack at Kojiro, knocking him down and out and of the battle.

"Kojiro!" I cried. I just barely saw an attack coming before I felt someone leap up and grab me, taking me out of the line of fire. I looked up to see Dad. "Thank you."

"Pay attention, he'll be fine," he said. He took the sword he carried, held it up high, and charged Talpa. He got a good slice on his helmet, shattering it. I could see the rotting corpse part of him once again.

"Oh sick," said Kento, looking a little green. Talpa took this opportunity to take Kento. That left myself, my father, Ryo, Rowen, and Robyn as back-up, possibly Yuli if it got bad enough. And if Kojiro got up, we'd have him back as well.

I'd forgotten about Kioko. She laughed evilly as she let loose her attack, entangling Rowen and White Blaze in her vines. Ryo cut them loose, then prepared his sure kill. "FLARE UP NOW!!!!!!"

Kioko was no longer a problem as her blackened form ran away screaming. Talpa growled, and began to roar, letting out more attacks. One hit White Blaze and sent the great tiger off to the side. He was okay, but too hurt to fight. I jumped down and whacked Talpa with my yari. He screamed and tried to grab me. I kept eluding him.

"DIE!!! ALL OF YOU!!!!" he screamed. More and more attacks were let loose. We all kept eluding them, until an attack reached Rowen, absorbing him. Ryo and I let our sure-kills loose at once.

"FLARE UP NOW!!!!!!!!"

"SUPAH WAVE SMASHA!"

I watched as the water and fire worked together to attack Talpa. But he still came out. A little more bruised, but able to fight. Ryo collapsed.

"Ryo!" I cried and Talpa took him, too. Robyn decided to join the fight and took a shot at Talpa. Dad let loose another attack with his sword. But it wouldn't be enough.

I leapt down and ran to Kojiro's side. Slowly, he was coming to. I panicked and showered him with water. His eyes opened and he looked at me in confusion. "We need you, badly!" I said.

"Right, dude- where did everyone- oh now, he got the others?"
"Yes, now go!" I said. Kojiro stood up. "You up to it?"
"Course I am!" said Kojiro. "I could drag a trained Ronin kicking and screaming to a shrinks office, I can take this."

I frowned at the memory. Dr. Mujara had been nice, but I was not happy as Kojiro had me over his shoulder. I used some words I didn't think I'd ever use. Certainly not in public. I still owed him for that one. "Just get up and fight."

"Right," said Kojiro. "Let me freeze him, then you wet him, and we'll make the ice really thick."

"Good idea," I said.

"Then we can bury him in dead hamsters. No, I'm just kidding," said Kojiro with a laugh. "SNOW STORM BLAST!"
"SUPAH WAVE SMASHA!"

"SNOW STORM BLAST!"

We alternated the attacks until Talpa looked something like an evil snowman. The ice then cracked. Talpa's armor was almost gone, and eight shivering armored figures lay in the crystal shards.

"Uh oh," said Kojiro. "The guys! They're popsicles!"

"We have to keep fighting- Robyn!" I said. Robyn stood over the ice and let out a warm red ray. The ice completely melted, and the guys (and the Warlords) were slowly coming around. My father surrounded the Ronins in golden orbes, then sent them off to the sidelines. He stepped infront of Talpa. Robyn, Kojiro, and I joined him.

"You don't stand a chance!" I said. Talpa roared, his head suddenly catching fire. "The heck?!"

"He's at his most powerful stage," said my father, suddenly in fear. Kojiro and I exchanged looked. Robyn stared him down. Then, she brought her staff before her, and closed her eyes. What was she doing?

That was when the crystal began to glow. The ball on top turned into a clear crystal that began to reflect the colors of the rainbow. It began to glow in a brilliant light. Robyn opened her eyes.

"I CALL APON THE POWER OF THE CRYSTAL STAFF! DESTROY THIS DEMON OF THE EVIL DYNASTY! AGHHHHHH!!!"

"AHHHHHH!" screamed Talpa as his form began to disintegrate. He screamed in agony as his corpse, armor, and weapons became the pile of ash that marked his grave. I watched as his head slowly crumbled into a hideous black ash, as his eyes began an oozing white goo. His armor seemed to burn in an unseen inferno as it joined the dust. Once he was just dust, the dust blew away.

Talpa was dead.

I stared at where he had been, then smiled. "He, he's gone!" I said. "We beat him!"

"But you haven't beaten us yet, Ronin rodents." I looked up to see Osiris, Dais, Cale, Sheila, Kioko (now, oddly enough, back to her old self), and Kayura standing before us. Osiris was the one who had spoken. "We will return with Talpa's son, Omega. Be weary in the coming years, Ronins." With that, they disappeared.