In a world of darkness sanctioned by evil,
where the only light of hope is a group of unlikely heroes,
the legend's final chapter is about to end...

- TOH SHIN DEN III: Walking Into Ruin -

a Battle Arena Toshinden 3 fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh


CHAPTER TEN: Awakening



Translations:
yurusan - unforgivable
mochiron - of course
wakatteru yo - understood
e?! - what?!
minna - everyone
sayonara - good-bye
chikusho - dammit
ara - oh
byakko - white tiger
chigau yo! - you're wrong!
iie - no
arigatou - thank you
iya - no [used more like "NO!!!", especially in this situation ^_~]


****************


"That's it then?" Kayin murmured in disbelief. "They've won?"
Nagisa shook his head sadly. "We can't find the place now that Shizuku's gone..."
"She wrote down instructions for me earlier," Sofia interjected. "I have them right here, although..."
"There's no reason to go? What's the point? We're dead already?" Tracy finished desperately, still crouched on the ground and obviously hurting from her sister's death.
"No."
The remander of the group (Kayin, Sofia, Ellis, Nagisa, and Tracy) turned to Eiji Shinjo with surprised looks. He was clenching one hand into a fist, so hard it was shaking. "Yurusan...yurusan, I won't let them." He looked up, red eyes blazing with meaning. "We're going on with the plan. We can't leave it like this. Not when David, Shizuku-san...our families, friends, and everyone in this world is threatened."
"But do you honestly believe we CAN??" Tracy yelled, getting to her feet. "They've got the kid. They can perform that ceremony anytime now!"
"All the more reason to leave right now." Eiji looked over at his team. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I think no matter what, we have to go on and at least try."
They all exchanged glances, not knowing what to say or do. There was a lengthy period of silence before Ellis stepped forward bravely, gripping her Dirks.
"David got captured for my sake. I'm going to stop them, no matter what it takes."
Sofia nodded. "She has the right idea. I will go too."
"Same here." Kayin joined his friends with Eiji. "No sense letting a perfectly good world go to waste, eh?"
"Right," Nagisa agreed. "We have to save David and Shizuku." He looked at Tracy. "What about you?"
Tracy said nothing, then turned her head and whispered, "I don't want to fight anymore..."
"But you know how much is at stake here. Millions could die if we don't stop them now." Nagisa put a hand on her shoulder. "Your sister would have wanted you to do this. Come with us."
Tracy just stared at her partner for a second, then pushed away from the group. Everyone was startled, but Tracy simply looked back at them, wiped the remaining tears from her eyes, and said, "All right then, I'm going. But only `cause none of you'd survive without me there to save your asses."
"That's the spirit, Tracy-san," Eiji laughed. "Alright everybody, let's go kick some Soshiki ass." As the team charged off to get their vehicles, a constant thought lingered at the back of Eiji's mind.
This could be our last battle...

****************

"Ne..." the young woman whispered, "this means we will go too, I suppose?"
Her companion nodded. "Mochiron. They've found the heart of their destiny. Now it's our turn to help them achieve it."
"Wakatteru yo." She sighed. "This will spell the end for one side, or the other." She looked outwards towards the sun.
"For the legend has almost come to its conclusion..."

****************

"Which road do we take?" Eiji yelled back behinds him at Sofia, who was sitting next to Tracy in her Jeep as they all sped towards the Soshiki headquarters in their respective vehicles (Eiji and Ellis on Eiji's motorcycle, Kayin on his, and Tracy, Sofia and Nagisa in Tracy's Jeep). Sofia consulted the directions that Shizuku had written out for her the previous night and called back, "The left one, Eiji! We're going to have to hurry, they know we're coming!"
"How do you know that, Sofi?" shouted Ellis in return, holding onto Eiji around the waist to keep from falling off.
Tracy, at the wheel, glanced in the rearview mirror and decided to reply for Sofia. "Because they're RIGHT BEHIND US!!"
"E?!" Eiji swerved around a narrow corner before he turned around and caught sight of several dark-clothed figures on motorcycles coming up behind them. They were growing in numbers rapidly and it looked like they were armed.
"Oh, shit!!" Kayin yelled. "They outnumber us!"
Nagisa shifted forwards and called to them one command. "FASTER!!"
"You got it!" Tracy grit her teeth and put on the gas, causing the Jeep to abruptly gain speed and the inhabitants of the car to pitch forwards in their seats. Ahead of them, both Kayin and Eiji revved their motorcycles' engines and sped up, with Ellis behind Eiji yelling, "Eiji-kun, slow down!!"
It didn't help. It had turned into a race to get to the headquarters.
The henchmen got the jump on them, speeding up and driving along beside the car, slashing out at its passengers with razor-sharp daggers. Nagisa growled, pulled out his switchblade and slashed one across the face, then hit another that was trying to nail Tracy, causing her to nearly swerve off the narrow road. Sofia grabbed her whip and gave two more henchmen-on-wheels a few good cracks to the side of the head, causing them to fall off their bikes and make a nice splatter on the road. Falling off while going at around 180+ miles per hour was not a pretty sight in any event.
"Damn!" Eiji yelped, yanking his sword out of its sheath with one hand while trying to steer with the other, with Ellis behind him whacking off pursuer after pursuer with her double-edged Dirks. Kayin was having similar problems attempting to fight and drive at the same time, but they all knew what would happen if they lost this dangerous road battle.
"Eiji, there it is!" Sofia cried out between whippings.
"Huh?" Eiji turned his attention forwards while Ellis battled off confronting enemies. Directly ahead of them, looming on the horizon, was a tall, tower-like complex, shining almost a strange golden colour. It looked nearly identical to the Himitsu Kessha headquarters, but there was no doubt that this was the place they were looking for.
"Yeah..." He nodded in satisfaction. "That's it! Everyone, MOVE IT!!"
"Right!" Tracy jammed her foot down hard on the gas petal, and the Jeep moved even faster than before. Eiji, Ellis and Kayin finished beating off their attackers and shot ahead of the rest of them; even so, it was a bit of a while before they managed to lose the Soshiki henchmen and actually reach the headquarters' front gate. Sure enough, carved on a brass-coloured plate next to the opening double doors was written "Soshiki", in Japanese kanji characters. Nothing else was written.
"So this's it, eh?" Kayin proclaimed, tilting his head upwards to look at the massive building as the rest dismounted their vehicles and checked for serious wounds. "They sure made this thing pretty damn tall."
Sofia shook her head. "There is no time for sightseeing. We have to get inside and find David and Shizuku now, before it is too late."
"Right," Nagisa added, loading more bullets into his massive gun. "The reckoning should be starting soon, and we have to stop them."
Eiji nodded, agreeing with them. "Minna...no, never mind. We should get inside."
"Like the damn thing's gonna be wide open," muttered Tracy. To her and everyone else's surprise, it was. Almost too suspiciously.
Weapons out and ready, the fighters took on defensive positions as they guarded each other's backs, trying to creep down the seemingly empty hallway as quietly as they could. It was not well lit, only a few dimmed lights every now and then, and the corridor walls seemed to be made of some kind of metal, giving an oddly futuristic look. There was a low humming noise, almost like a machine or power generator, and that was the only sound that could be heard, other than the group's quiet footsteps and hushed breathing. Since the lighting was bad, they all had a hard enough time navigating down the snaking hall without trying to keep from tripping each other in the process.
"Where is everyone?" Ellis whispered. "At the ceremony? Don't say it's begun already!"
"We can pray it hasn't, lass," Kayin answered back, "because if that's right, then there'll be no hope in getting David back safely."
"Oh...I hope he's okay. Shizuku too."
Suddenly, then came to a split in the darkened corridor, the path breaking off into many different directions. Eiji took a few tense steps forward, trying to judge what would be best to find the ceremony room.
"Don't ya all think it's a bit weird that they haven't attacked us again?" Tracy hissed at the group. "I mean, come on, this is way strange. We should've been confronted by now."
"I know...it's odd," Nagisa commented in agreement. "There should be more resistance, since we're the invading enemies and all. Not even any surveillance cameras."
Ellis shook her head. "They may all be at the ceremony. More reason to keep going. Eiji-kun, which hallway do we take?" Noticing Eiji's lack of response, and seeing that he hadn't even turned around to acknowledge her question, she confusedly asked, "Eiji-kun, what's wrong?"
Eiji was silent for another moment, before addressing the whole group in general with his response.
"We'll split up."
"What?!?" The majority of them were not pleased with their team leader's answer, but remembered to keep their voices down at the last minute. Tracy angrily snapped back, "That'll be our death, Shinjo! They'll pick us off one by one if we split up!"
"She's right," Kayin agreed with a nod. "Eiji, what are you thinking? It'd makes it easier for them to get us."
"No." Eiji's answer was abrupt. "I know what I'm doing. Tracy, Iwashiro-san, Sofia, take the hall to the far right. Kayin-chan, take Ellis-chan and go to the one next to it. We're sure to find the right room if we do that."
"But, Eiji..." Sofia started. She stopped herself there. "All right. I trust your judgment. Come on then, everyone, let us go."
Reluctantly, they all parted in the aforementioned directions down the hallways. Ellis paused for a moment, before saying, "Go ahead of me, Kayin, I'll be with you in a second." Kayin stared at her for a second, then nodded and headed off down the dim corridor. Ellis stayed behind and regarded Eiji. "Eiji-kun, you know this isn't going to work. What's the matter? Why are you going by yourself?" When there was no answer, Ellis stepped up to him and yelled, "Answer me, Eiji! What's going on??"
Eiji could only turn away. "I can stop this..."
"No, you can't!! Don't you see? It will NEVER stop, Eiji-kun!! We can't beat them! God...why did we have to get caught up in this...this awful..." Ellis stopped, her voice only able to reach a whisper.
"None of us...none of us asked to be caught up in this...this hell...I just--I just want to go home."
She was then unable to say anything else as Eiji embraced her tightly, and whispered to her.
"I can feel his ki. It's way too strong. He won't find you if you go down the other hallways, and will attack me because I'm by myself. He's in the direction I'm going." Eiji's eyes met Ellis'. "I know what I'm doing, Ellis-chan. I don't want any more people to die, especially not my own friends and allies. We can beat them...we just have to keep faith in ourselves."
"Eiji-kun..." Ellis was stunned, but only momentarily before she threw her arms around Eiji, a tear rolling down her face. "Eiji-kun, I--I..."
"I know, Ellis-chan," Eiji whispered, "It's alright. I know."
Letting go of Eiji, she wiped the tear away with the back of her hand. "When I ran into you at the airport three years ago, I had no idea that you were going to be...well, you." Even though she smiled, another tear ran down her cheek. "Thanks for running into me."
Eiji looked downwards and smiled. "No problem."
She nodded hopefully. "So don't worry, Eiji-kun. We can do this, I know we can. Because you made me that promise three years ago that you would always protect me, so I'm not losing you now. I'll come back to you...as long as you come back to me. Promise?" She held out her hand.
Eiji smiled back in return and took it, just as they had the first time they made peace with each other. "Promise."
Ellis nodded, happy with the exchange, and started off down the hallway after Kayin, but then suddenly came to a halt and turned around.
"Eiji-kun..." she began quietly. "I'm really sorry...for beating you up like that at the first tournament."
She continued her pace down the corridor, the pink ribbon on her costume dancing as if saying good-bye. Eiji watched after her sadly. He knew what was coming. He had the feeling, "fighter's instinct", as he himself had called it so many years ago, that he wasn't going to survive this battle.
"Sayonara, Ellis-chan."
Eiji picked up his pace to a slow jog, as he started off towards the ceremony room.
Niisan, I know you're here. Where are you?

****************

"They're here."
The announcement, issued by Abel in his usual meeting room, came as no surprise to Vermilion and Leon, who were bowed before him. Abel paced out of his chair and looked pleased. "They've split up too. How convenient for us. Eiji Shinjo and his band of rebels think they can outsmart us, but the Soshiki is always one step ahead of them. He'll learn that soon enough." With a satisfied smile, he turned to his second and third-in-command.
"You may destroy them. But leave Eiji Shinjo for me."
Leon raised his head, a shocked and angry look crossing his young face. "But...no! I wish to kill him! Let me!" He stood up angrily, challenging his boss's decision.
"Leon!" hissed Vermilion. "Just be silent before-"
Abel sighed. "Leon, I've had about enough of your fool pride and desire for revenge. It ends now." With that, Abel made a single motion with his hand, and a ring around Leon formed, then started to glow bright blue. Leon's face took on a frightened look, and he only had time to scream, before the circle of ki-power rose up around him and engulfed him in a column of fiery blue energy. The screaming stopped.
"Hm." Abel dropped his hand. The circle disappeared, and Leon was gone. "Useless. At least they're disposable."
Vermilion turned his head to one side, refusing to meet Abel's cold green gaze, and asked, "And the others?"
"Dead."
"I thought as much."
Abel snickered. "It's all part of the plan, Vermilion. They're no longer needed." His focus rested on Vermilion. "But then again, neither are you."
Vermilion stood up, but instead of looking surprised or shocked like Rachael and Leon had, he looked unconcerned. "So we were a part of your plan all along. To use us -- use me for your own gain."
Abel smiled. "Brilliant. You always were one of my smartest henchmen. But then, I suppose you were planning to betray me, eventually."
A smirk creased Vermilion's marked face. "Of course."
"How amusing. But now that I have the boy and the ceremony can begin anytime, it looks like I'm the one who will have won this battle. There can only be room for one warrior at the side of our Overlord. And you, Vermilion, were only needed until you stopped being useful. And now that the sacrificial ceremony can commence, I have no need of anyone else in my Soshiki. But it would be a shame to kill you. I can suffer your treachery."
Vermilion narrowed his eyes at this and almost smiled, but saw Abel's hand outstretched, palm facing him.
"But there's one thing you forgot, Vermilion..."
As quick as Vermilion was with raising both his shotgun and pistol, Abel was faster. An invisible force slammed into him, sending his body flying backwards across the room and smashing into the wall at the other side. Abel then squeezed his hand almost shut, like a choking motion, telekinetically throttling his commander. Still holding his grip, Abel walked to Vermilion's gasping body and stood over him, smiling calmly.
"Treachery does not allow mistakes."
Vermilion choked and tried to speak again. He succeeded. "damn you..." Using the last of his strength, Vermilion raised his shotgun and fired at Abel. Though the bullet tried to penetrate the force field Abel brought up around him, it dropped uselessly to the ground, having not made its mark. Vermilion's body went limp, and the shotgun fell to the floor with a clatter. Abel let go of his telekinetic grasp and watched this without any emotion.
"After all," he murmured, "Absolute power corrupts. Betrayal is...sometimes necessary."
Suddenly, another voice broke through the silence, resonating throughout the dark room.
"Was that really a good idea, Abel?"
Abel was not surprised in the least, closing his eyes and smiling. "Veil. You know it was."
"You could have left him to destroy the Toshin warriors."
"I think I'll leave that up to you."
"Fine. But remember our agreement. Only then will we have enough power to awaken our Overlord."
"Of course. I'll keep my word as long as you do."
But then, when Abel turned back around, he got quite a shock.
Vermilion's body was gone.

****************

Eiji Shinjo was frustrated.
He had been heading down the hallway for quite a while now, taking whatever turn he felt was the right one, but was starting to think he had made a mistake. A really BIG mistake.
"Chikusho," he growled out loud. "How am I supposed to find this place?"
And where is my niisan?
Eiji halted for a moment to catch his breath, and leaned against one wall, sighing and fiddling with his sword-hilt, something he did when he was nervous or anxious.
Dammit, I feel trapped...knowing you can only go forward, and if you try to go back, you'll get caught in between and then there's no hope of saving you.
"You're still struggling against your fate, Eiji Shinjo."
Eiji whirled on his heel to see that a tall, lithe figure was now blocking his way. A now-familiar woman, dressed in maroon and black with purple hair and red eyes. Wielding her halberd blade with confidence, Cupido stepped towards him, red heels tapping on the hard metal floor.
"You've found the heart of your destiny. But what are you going to do now?"
"Cupido..." Eiji was surprised for a minute, then took a breath and exhaled sharply, giving her one of his best serious (and slightly annoyed) looks. "Don't play games with me, Cupido. I'm not in the mood."
She smiled tauntingly. "So it would seem. The world is about to end." She got right in his face, keeping her voice and emotion at the same level. "But what makes you think that you have to do this alone?"
Eiji's gaze went to the floor quickly like a child being scolded, almost ashamed. "Because...I don't want the others to die. If I try my hardest, I can do it alone, and no one else will get hurt."
"Except you."
"I don't care what happens to me. If I lose my life but save everyone, I'll be glad."
Cupido regarded him for a moment, and was seemingly pleased at what she saw. "My, you have learned something over the years."
"Never mind that right now. Where's my niisan? I know he's here."
Cupido looked away hesitantly. Eiji took a step closer to her, almost threateningly. "Don't lie to me, Cupido. So tell me the truth -- where's my niisan?"
"He's here."
"I figured as much. Where? I have to see him." Eiji's face took on a slightly suspicious look. "Are -- you and him..."
She practically spat the words, even though a bit of colour rose to her cheeks. "We have no time for THAT. And you'd best not ask, Byakko."
"Why did you just call me that?"
"Ara, Byakko?" She seemed amused that he didn't know. "That's the name that you're written as in the legend, because of your beloved sword, no doubt, and the god that guards you. You're all referred to differently by my master, Fate...the Byakko, the Storm, the Slashing Whip, the Wind Dancer and all."
"I'm in a legend? All of us?"
"Of course. It's the Toshinden, the Legend of the Fighting God. Written by fate and controlled by destiny." Her red lips turned upwards in a small smile. "Your destiny, of course."
Eiji stared for a minute, then shook his head as if to clear it. "Never mind this. I need to speak to my brother. If you don't want to see things get ugly, Cupido, tell me where he is."
"I can't tell you that." Cupido turned her back to him and took a few steps. "He's watching, of course. In the end, that's all we can do -- watch."
Eiji cocked an eyebrow, curious. "What do you mean by that?"
"Watching as you're created and destroyed, while your world crumbles into ashes and all your faith and beliefs fade into nothing..." She sighed sadly. "Even my brother and I...we couldn't change anything. Not even anything between us."
"You...have a brother?"
"I did. Once. My twin brother." She pursed her lips for a moment before continuing. "But you'll find that when the time comes, you can only watch."
Eiji's eyes widened, but he shook his head again defiantly. "Chigau yo! It's not like that! And it won't be like that, ever!" His voice dropped. "I won't let it."
"Then are you willing to make the difference that decides between life or death?" Her glowing red eyes focused on him once again, burning into his soul. "It's up to you, Byakko."
For a moment, looking at Cupido like that in pure silence, Eiji could see how much she resembled his brother. And again, he was reminded of the time two years ago, that had started all this: the first Toshindaibukai tournament he had attended. That was the first time he had met Cupido, the woman who stood in front of him now. Eiji sighed and closed his eyes.
"So then, Byakko, what is your choice?" Her voice broke through his thoughts. "Even I couldn't fortell what path you would take."
Eiji turned away from her. "Cupido, I have to do this." He opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder at her. "If I can make the difference between the saving or destruction of this world, then what kind of man would I be to refuse that responsibility?"
Cupido nodded, satisfied with his answer. "Byakko, iie -- Eiji Shinjo, you have grown since I first met you. It has taken you some time, but I think you now finally understand your duty and your destiny." She smiled, and it wasn't a cold fake one like all the other times, but a warm human one. "Your brother will be pleased."
The adventurer grinned. "Tell me where to go."
"Down that corridor. Turn to the left, and then left again, and you'll go around a corner and come to a pair of stone doors. Inside you'll find your fate."
Eiji turned in the pointed direction and looked over his shoulder at Cupido. "Arigato, Cupido-san. For everything you've done for us." He smiled sadly. "Thank my niisan for me too...in case, well, you know...I don't see him again."
She bowed her head in final respect. "I understand. Fare thee well, and may Luck be with you, Eiji Shinjo."
With one last glance at Cupido, Eiji headed off to crash the ceremony. However, he didn't see Cupido continue to watch him, and whisper something to the air, a sad note in her voice.
"I know what you'll do for him...you'll take care of him when we couldn't, treat him like your own, give him the love he would never have had. For what you will do, I thank you, Eiji Shinjo." Cupido smiled, red eyes glistening with something that had never been there before -- tears.
"Thank you."

****************

Eiji was getting more annoyed by the minute. He had turned left, but then took a wrong turn in his haste and had to backtrack, only to not see a single set of doors.
Where is that damn ceremony room? Guess I can only hope that the others have found it before I did. Otherwise...
He turned the corner to the left as Cupido had said, and saw that straight down the hall in front of him loomed a large set of stone doors, ominously.
There's the doors. That's the ceremony room alright. Eiji walked up to the door and put a gloved hand on it, then held his ear to it and listened hard. The result was that he could hear some strange, loud noises coming from inside.
Damn, it's a fight. They did make it. And there's no way this door's gonna be unlocked. I can't cut it down either.
Trying to figure out how he was going to get in, Eiji pushed on the door experimentally. It easily swung open.
Well, what'd ya know.
Feeling quite proud of himself, he approached the large, dark room with caution, shifting his view from one direction to another, holding his katana out in defense. The room was completely circular, with high walls, and the only light in the darkness was from some flaming torches lit around a large, ceremonial-type platform. The roof was wide open above it, but the opening yawned as dark as a pitch-black night.
Chained to the middle of the platform, unconcious and beaten, was David.
"David!" Eiji yelled out in concern, but all of a sudden he noticed something.
Something that he hadn't seen before.
On the stone walls of the large ceremony room, all around him, there were figures chained to them.
Blood sacrifices. His friends.
All of them, Kayin, Sofia, Ellis, Tracy, Nagisa, and Shizuku, all bruised and scratched with their costumes tattered and blood-stained, heads limply hanging and eyes closed, none of them making a single sound to breach the heavy silence, to let Eiji know they were alive.
Dead?
Eiji's breath caught in his throat. "Minna..."
His eyes widened with fear and grief.
"IYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
And watching all of this was Abel. Laughing.
He had won.

**********