Toh Shin Den IV: Legends Never Die

by Athena Asamiya

When the legend is reborn ten years later, sacrifices must be made in the pursuit of truth and destiny...a story of good meets evil, light meets darkness, and boy meets girl. Based off of Toshinden Subaru/4.

6. Chapter Five: Faith

- TOH SHIN DEN IV: Legends Never Die - The Pleiades Chapter -

a Toshinden Subaru fanfiction by Athena Asamiya

i believe in something
i don't want to remember falling

CHAPTER FIVE: Faith

Translations:

n-mou! - geez!

ganbare yo! - don't give up!

hen na no shoujo - a weird girl

baka - idiot

oi - hey

aa - yeah

ohayou - good morning

yosh - all right

mina-san - everyone (polite)

koi! - come on!

kunoichi - lady ninja

doushita? - what's wrong?

Amerikajin - American

mata ne - see you later

Dou? Atashi tsuyoi deshou. - one of Naru's win quotes; means "What do you think? I'm pretty strong."

jijii - old geezer

misete kureru wa! - show me what you can do!

orokana - foolish

ikuzou! - let's go!

mukatsuku! - get out of my way!

oyasumi - good night

* * * ============================== * * *
*

Japan was truly beautiful in the morning, Puella noticed. Since it was just the beginning of spring, an early-dawn mist had covered most of the grassy land around the hotel, and the reflecting sunlight caused the droplets to sparkle like miniature jewels. Puella, due to a habit of hers of waking up early in the morning (usually so she could start helping with breakfast preparation at the orphanage), had been up nearly at the crack of dawn on the day following the opening of the Toshindaibukai. The young girl had decided to go for a short walk around the hotel's premises, and was currently wandering down on the small sandy beach by the waterfront. Puella had taken off her boots and walked through the soft waves, letting the chilly water wash over her bare feet. She smiled at the feel of it, gazing out over the shimmering expanse of water. Puella began to skip through the small waves, spinning around with eyes closed and arms flung out, singing a Swiss song in a high, sweet voice. It was times like this that reminded her of her happier childhood days.

It's so wonderful here! It's hard to remember that such bad things like the Gerard Foundation exist on days like today...

As abruptly as if a cloud had passed over her bright thoughts, Puella slowly came to a stop in the water. The Gerard Foundation. How could she have possibly forgotten what they had done to her, to her family at the orphanage? "There you go again," she whispered out loud to herself, her eyes studying the rocks under her feet. "Taking your mind off your goal. You can't be a kid here -- you HAVE to win, to make them stop. To save everyone..."

Suddenly, Puella heard a deep rumbling of thunder in the distance, and she looked up. Stormy clouds were slowly approaching, covering the previously clear blue sky. She shook her head sadly. No matter how sunny it is, there's always dark clouds in the sky. Just like it is now.

Smartly deciding to head inside before the rain came down, Puella pulled her boots back on and headed for the hotel, casting one last look at the water. A slight breeze rippled its surface, accompanying the swollen thunderheads as a warning of the oncoming storm. Again, she almost felt as if this was a strange sort of metaphor for her life, the light being threatened by the darkness.

'Seek out your own destiny, angelic girl...my little angel, Puella...Puella Marionette...'

Puella couldn't remember, or simply couldn't recall, who had said those words to her. They had been spoken by a foreign, yet familiar voice, a woman...

She shook her head in an attempt to clear it. She really didn't have time to be wandering around out here, waiting to get soaked by the rain. She should get back to the hotel, and soon, as she really had no desire to be standing out in the open during a thunderstorm.

"But...I wish I knew..." the young girl whispered, willing her feet to move, to return her to the hotel, and her soft voice whispering words to the wind.

"...I wish I knew...who I really am..."

It didn't take Puella more than a few minutes to re-enter the opulent foyer of the Golden Prince hotel, but as it was still quite early in the morning, there weren't too many people around just yet, save for the desk managers and the occasional clerk or bellboy. Neither was there any sign of the fighters she had seen at the Toshindaibukai's opening ceremony the previous night, much less her own two teammates. It was obviously either too early in the day, or if any of the other participating fighters WERE up, they would probably be in the training arena, hard at work building their fighting skills. Not out playing by the beach, like you just were, she chided herself. You're still not taking this seriously! Geez, Puella...what's it gonna take to get through to you?

Puella plopped her small body back against the couch, sighing. As much as she tried to convince herself, she didn't really feel in the mood to do any training. There was not much to do now but wait and see if Lancelot and Fen were going to be up any time soon; until then, she was on her own. But wait-

It's him!

Puella jolted to attention as she saw the spiky-haired boy - Subaru? - waiting for the elevator with his back turned to her. Just seeing his familiar form caused her to remember that odd feeling, the rush of power that she had felt emanating from him earlier -- the one that had been so similar to the power her Suzaku no Yumi had once released. Puella's natural curiosity overtook her; she had wanted to know who this boy Subaru was and what power he wielded, and now seemed like the perfect opportunity to find out both. Nodding to herself in determination, she launched herself off the couch and in his direction. I'll ask him about his strange power now!

She marched right up to him, and, after a moment of hesitation, started, "Uh...e-excuse me...?"

He turned around, raising an eyebrow in curiosity, and their eyes met for the second time, blood-red to deep violet. "Yeah?"

"Um..." Suddenly, Puella realized that she had no idea what to say. How am I supposed to ask where that power is coming from? That'd sound way too weird. Scuffing one boot against the floor and dropping her gaze, she murmured, "Um, nothing. Nothing really. Sorry to bother you."

He looked at her oddly, and Puella felt her face redden with embarrassment. Finally, he tore his stare away when the metallic TING of the elevator sounded, and its doors slid open. Getting in and pressing a button to the side, he gave Puella a final strange look as the doors slid shut. When he was gone, Puella whirled around, crossing her arms in frustration. "N-mou! Puella is SUCH an idiot!"

But the tournament hasn't even started yet. He's a contestant like me, so I'll probably get another chance to ask him about his power, and why it's so similar to the Suzaku no Yumi...

Feeling a little more cheery, Puella skipped back through the lobby, intent on finding her teammates.

Puella -- ganbare yo~!

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

"Hen na no shoujo..." Subaru muttered to himself, watching the elevator's digital numbers shifting as he passed the separate hotel floors. It had been that little blue-haired girl again, but this time she had talked to him -- or at least attempted to. "Like she was gonna ask me something..." he murmured thoughtfully, "but decided not to. Why didn't she...? What was she going to ask?"

It probably didn't help that you looked at her like she was some sort of alien, baka, he admonished himself. Rook was right. She IS just a kid. Wonder what she's doing here, of all places? Even if she IS a fighter, that's pretty damn young, especially to be at a Toshindaibukai. She must be really good.

"But what is it about her...?" he questioned out loud, without realizing it. "The first time, it felt like there was some kind of weird connection between her and me...what was it?"

And who the hell is she?

The elevator sounded again with a TING and the doors slid open, bringing Subaru out of his thoughts. He shrugged to himself as he stepped off and headed down the empty corridor to his room. Doesn't matter right now; I'll find out some other time. I'm fighting soon today. I just have to concentrate on that, the fight -- and remember everything niisan taught me...

Because I'm fighting today.

I'm fighting.

A huge grin split Subaru's face, and he was barely able to contain his excitement, even after he made it into his hotel room and slammed the door behind him. He leaned against the door, battling the urge to let out a joyful cry of enthusiasm. Subaru smiled to himself. It had been so long since he had last experienced the excitement that came with the fight. Especially since he was a Shinjo; it seemed to be a family trait. The joy of battle, huh... Subaru grinned, staring out the window. I wouldn't doubt it. Not with my family, not with what niisan told me. We don't lose. Not anyone of the Shinjo family. We don't lose, we know it, and we're damn proud of it...right?

Subaru narrowed his red eyes, smiling still. "And today, I'm going to keep on proving that."

He headed to his bedroom, taking out his suitcase and removing a number of articles of clothing -- his battle costume in the colours of the Shinjo clan, red and white and black. First, he pulled on a full-length bodysuit, black with small veins of crimson red running through it, tracing up his legs, spiralling around his arms and outlining his well-developed abdominal and chest muscles. Overtop of the bodysuit went a thigh-length white robe, sleeveless and lined with red material, and left open down the front. Subaru smiled as he slipped his arms through the robe -- it had previously been a part of Eiji's own battle outfit. To hold the robe on, he clasped a metallic purple-and-silver belt around his waist, keeping it in place. Lastly, he pulled on a pair of red-and-black sneakers, and draped a pair of baggy white legwarmers with red diamond cutouts overtop of the shoes -- they had been his brother's as well. He adjusted the red-lined black-and-white headband that was attached around his head, in order to keep his spiky hair out of his face, and tightened the bodysuit extensions around his hands that served as fingerless gloves. Subaru gripped one hand into a fist, grinning. He was ready for the fight -- both dressed for it and feeling it deep in his soul.

As Subaru laced up his sneakers, he smiled at hearing a sudden clap of thunder, followed by the soft sound of falling drops outside. It had been raining on that day too...

As soon as he opened his eyes, he knew it was the day. He grinned like the kid that he was, for in all of his eight years of life, he had never been so excited. Not once. This meant so much to him, and niisan knew it. Today would definitely be the day -- the day when he would begin his training.

It was the underlying excitement that had initially woke him, but he had first been shook out of sleep by the low rumbling of thunder outside his bedroom window. It was still early in the morning, but the sky was darkened by the storm's heavy gray clouds instead of the usual dawn duskiness. A few bright flashes of lightning illuminated his small bedroom. He smiled, thinking of how funny it was that it was storming on THIS day. A bad omen? It couldn't be. He had waited too long for this, and he was going to give it everything he had -- because for Subaru Shinjo, this would be his first step towards becoming a true Shinjo, a swordsman.

Granted, he was still quite young, only eight years old and turning nine that year -- but in his family, it was actually late to start training at that age. He should have started at around five or six, but it couldn't have been helped. Niisan wasn't around then. If he had been, then there was no doubt in Subaru's mind that he would be well on his way to being a master swordsman by now.

A master swordsman. The one thing he had always aspired towards. Ever since he first saw his niisan with the family sword, the Byakko no Tachi, practicing the Shinjo clan's swordplay style that had been handed down throughout the ages, Subaru had had a deep longing to be a master of the sword. Perhaps it had just stemmed from his avid admiring of his niisan, Eiji; he had always idolized his elder brother and everything he did. But Subaru didn't like to think that it was just THAT -- he liked to think that it was also because of his bloodline. After all, his natural interest in swordplay and martial arts would truly show his form as a Shinjo.

And he wanted that. More than anything in the world, Subaru wanted to make his brother proud of him.

Sliding out of bed, Subaru picked up the bamboo sword that was leaning against his dresser. He turned the shinai over and over in his hands, admiring it as another child would a new toy. Niisan had given it to him, his first practice sword, thus showing his belief in Subaru's future grasp of the art. 'Someday, when you're older, you'll have a real sword all your own,' he had promised a starry-eyed Subaru. Subaru's eyes had then focused on the sheathed sword hanging at his brother's waist. 'Like yours, niisan?'

'Well, not quite like mine -- mine's different, special. But I promise you, Subaru -- one day, you'll own the Byakko no Tachi too, and no one will be able to beat you.'

'Wow! Really? That's so cool, niisan!'

Niisan... Just thinking about his brother caused Subaru to smile. His brother, his niisan Eiji, meant everything to him. He was both a brother and father figure to the boy, as he had no one else. They were the only two Shinjos left. And while Subaru knew bits and pieces about the responsibilities that came with being one of the Shinjo clan, he never cared to look more into it. All he cared about was pleasing his brother, and making him proud of him. And Subaru hoped, someday, that he would be. The day when Subaru could prove to Eiji that he was a master swordsman, and every bit as good as he was with the sword. He didn't know when that day would come, but he hoped that it would be as soon as possible.

"Nothing else matters," Subaru murmured out loud; it was a habit of his. "Nothing else. This is my destiny."

Destiny...the Shinjos and destiny... Something twinged inside him with that thought; something important. Was it the fact that his niisan had often told him of the destiny of the members of the Shinjo clan, that they were all fated to be swordfighters? That it was his destiny as well? No...it wasn't that...it was something else...something...

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to understand the feeling inside him. Subaru shuddered impulsively. Even if he couldn't place it, it didn't feel right.

...ominous?

"C'mon, don't bother with it," he told himself. "You get weird feelings all the time, and they hardly ever mean anything."

-but sometimes they do-

The boy scowled at himself, gripping the shinai. Today, he was just going to have to forget all that. Forget it all and focus on his first training session, so he could fulfill his dream. Niisan had always called him determined to the point of being stubborn..."but that's just the way we Shinjos are," he'd said, laughing and ruffling Subaru's spiky red hair. Subaru had been pleased by the comment. Nothing meant more to him than his family -- his brother Eiji. And the fact that he thought of Subaru as family-

Wait. Why shouldn't he...? We ARE family, aren't we-

Yes. Yes, we are. Always. We always have been and always will be. Forever.

Unable to take his thoughts any longer, Subaru ran out of his room, out of the house he shared with his niisan, and headed out in the rain for the nearby training dojo. He couldn't stand being alone. He thought too much, and what he thought about scared him sometimes. He wondered if that was normal. Somehow, he doubted it.

Although it was barely dawn, niisan was already in the dojo, waiting for him. He looked the same as ever, tall and well-built for a man of twenty-four, with his spiky auburn hair constantly falling into his crimson red eyes, despite the white headband that he wore to hold it back. At seeing his little brother appear at the dojo's door, he smiled broadly, tapping the end of his bokken against the tatami and said jokingly, "Oi, Subaru! I was starting to think you weren't going to wake up, and I wasn't gonna have a student today."

Subaru shook his head, clutching his shinai to his chest happily. "No way! I wouldn't miss this for the world, niisan! You know how long I've wanted to train like you!"

Eiji grinned. "Quite a while, na? Well, it all begins for you today. Just remember, Subaru..." here he turned to a large punching bag beside him, and stepped into a loose fighting stance. And in the blink of an eye, he had slashed with the bokken too many times for the eyes to see, and the beaten bag dropped to the floor. Eiji turned to his little brother, meeting his eyes. "We don't use this unless we have to. Unless something depends on it, unless we have something to fight for, we don't use our swordplay art. It's a waste of the skill and a shame to our ancestors. We aren't killing machines, and we aren't brought up to be that way." Subaru thought he caught a flicker of something across Eiji's face, but he couldn't be sure. "You promise me you won't use the skill uselessly?"

Subaru quickly wiped the childish grin off his face, and nodded seriously. He understood. "I promise, niisan."

"Good. That's all I needed to hear from you." His glance averted for a moment, out the window of the dojo, staring into space. "After all, we can't let it happen again..." he murmured, not really to anyone in particular.

"Niisan?"

"E-" Eiji looked back at him again, and closed his eyes, smiling. "Sorry. So, shall we begin?"

The grin split Subaru's face again. "Aa!"

In the present, Subaru opened his eyes. He wasn't a child anymore, clumsily training with a shinai under his niisan's instructions. He was eighteen years old, a master of the sword, alone in the world, and at the Toshindaibukai, the greatest weaponry tournament of them all.

Sometimes I wonder if this is all just some kind of joke...

Subaru held up the Byakko no Tachi, admiring it as he had his first shinai. It was indeed a beautiful sword, crafted by one of the finest swordsmiths in Japan ages ago. Although it had to be quite an old weapon, there was no sign of rust on the blade or wearing on the wrapped grip. Subaru wondered briefly why that was, then decided that it wasn't important how the sword looked -- because it WAS as powerful as he had always believed it to be. He remembered the time when Eiji had told him that he would receive this sword someday, and how thrilled he had been to know that he would be the owner of such a legendary and mystical sword. Of course, being the child that he was, he hadn't fully comprehended the circumstances under which he would inherit the Byakko no Tachi...and that it would mean losing his beloved older brother.

"God, I was such a fool..." he whispered out loud. "Such a goddamn FOOL..."

As abruptly as that, his thoughts turned back to his niisan's leaving. It had all made no sense...why would he just up and leave one day, without telling him? Without saying where he was going? Without saying WHY? Subaru was aware that he had been an adventurer in his early days, coming and going whenever he pleased, but he hadn't left to travel the world in years, not since he had started to train Subaru. The two were so close, it seemed impossible that Eiji would do such a thing as a training journey without telling him, at least. But that didn't change the fact of the matter: that Eiji was gone, and had probably left off his own accord. And Naru had been right: of all places, the Toshindaibukai WOULD be the most likely place where Eiji would have gone. But, if so, just why would he be here? It WAS the Toshindaibukai, but niisan had always expressed a great loathing of the tournaments that had caused so much pain to him and others. If he truly was here, the only reason that could be was that he was invited too, and hadn't turned it down. That would come as no surprise to Subaru; he always knew that his niisan Eiji was one of the best fighters in the world, and, although he hated the organizations that ran the tournaments, he enjoyed pitting his fighting skills against other strong opponents. But then, the only likely explanation was that Eiji had ran off on another training journey around the world, and received the Toshindaibukai invitation then, like before. So if that was the case, did that mean that niisan was here, now, getting ready to fight like the rest of them? Did he know that his little brother was here as well, with HIS sword?

And did he know just what the hell was going on here?

Subaru spent a long time just staring at the sword, with the strange idea that it would give him the answer, but nothing came. No mysterious voice out of nowhere, no higher power telling him what he needed to know. Subaru narrowed his red eyes, and reached for the last article of his costume, the purple scarf. He tied it around his neck without hesitation, watching the rain pound against the windows.

"It's up to me, then."

And I'm not going to let niisan down.

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

"Fe~n~kun~!"

*SLAP*

"Gaaaccckkk!!" Fen coughed suddenly, nearly choking on the enormous stack of pancakes he was busy inhaling. Puella, who had just happily slapped him on the back, bent over him with a worried look. "Oh no! Are you alright, Fen? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hit you that hard! I was just happy to find you-"

Fen, still coughing, attempted a weak smile. "It's...ack...o-okay, Puella...I'll be fine...gah, I hope..." He accepted the glass of water Puella hurriedly gave him, and after taking a long swig, sat up straight and grinned at Puella. "What's up? Nice morning, isn't it? And LOOK at this food! All free for the tourney participants, and it's real American stuff -- no seaweed or eel! I mean, I love seafood, but not for breakfast, thanks!" He motioned to the widespread buffet of breakfast in front of him. Puella eyed the mound of food in curiousity. "You're really going to eat all THAT, Fen?"

"Well, yeah! But Wolfy helps me out too, of course..." Fen scratched his pet pig, who was sitting obediently at his feet, behind the ears. Confidentially, Fen whispered to Puella, "He doesn't like the bacon though, if you know what I mean."

Puella giggled. "I wonder why not!" She scanned the hotel's restaurant briefly, looking for any more familiar faces. The place was packed, with contestants and fans alike, but there was no sign of Lancelot -- OR that boy, Subaru. "Ne ne, Fen, have you seen Lan-chan around this morning?"

Fen, who had moved on to attack a plate of hash browns, shook his head. "Haven't seen Lance yet, but he's sure missing a great meal..."

"Hmmmm..." Puella took a seat at the table, pondering the whereabouts of her friend. "I wonder where he could be...? It's almost 9:30, and the first fight's at 10...and I know Lan-chan, he wouldn't be late for anything, especially something this important..."

Especially since that girl Naru's going to be fighting...I wonder if...

Wolfy grunted suddenly, and Fen looked up. "Hey, wait! Speak of the devil!" Fen waved at Lancelot, who was cautiously approaching the dining room from the main foyer. However, the English boy didn't seem to notice, as he was looking lost in his own thoughts -- or perhaps he was looking for someone...? Puella jumped out of her chair, waving happily. "Lan-chan~! Oha-you~!"

Lancelot caught sight of them, then smiled and waved back. Like Puella and Fen, he was dressed in casual clothes, unlike some of the other people in the restaurant, who were wearing obvious battle outfits. Lancelot slid into an empty seat at Fen's table, nodding to his teammates. "Good morning, Pue-chan, Fen. How are both of you doing?"

Fen held up a fork with a sausage stabbed on it. "I'm a lot better now that I've got some food on my stomach! Want some, Lance?"

Lancelot glanced briefly at the various food on the table, his pale face turning positively green. "Um...no, thank you, Fen."

Fen shrugged, devouring a string of sausages. "Suit yourself. You look like you should try gaining some weight though, man. You're a twig!"

The fencer shifted in his chair, staring at the floor. "You really think so?"

Puella quickly clapped her hand over Fen's open mouth, giggling. "Mou, Fen, leave Lan-chan alone! Although he IS a lot thinner than I expected..."

His cheeks burning red, Lancelot quickly pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, and placed it on the table between Fen and Puella. "I received a copy of this at my room this morning. It appears to be the current fighting schedule."

"Really?" squealed Puella, leaning over the notice. "When are we fighting?"

"Later on this afternoon, I believe."

"So soon?" groaned Fen, leaning back in his chair. "Aw, I just wanted to relax this afternoon...you know, catch some fights, take in some of Japan's sights, order extensive meals from room service -- hey, that's mine!" Fen grabbed for the plate of waffles that Puella had snatched away from him. She stuck out her tongue. "Fen, you're going to be so fat you'll barely be able to move, let alone fight. I say we all start some training right after we see the first match this morning. After all, I WOULD like to see some of the people we're up against."

"As would I," Lancelot agreed. "The two teams fighting this morning both appear to be very strong opponents-"

"-Especially your blonde girlfriend, right, Lance?" Fen teased with a grin, right before Puella shoved a stack of waffles in his mouth. "Mmmmmphhhh!!"

Lancelot, however, was turning red again, and avoiding their eyes. "Well...yes, I would like to see Naru fight again...she was a highly skilled swordswoman, and I have no doubt that she and her team will go far in this tournament."

Puella paused, then asked quietly, "What if we end up having to fight them?"

Her friend didn't answer right away, then solemnly said, "Then I'll do what I have to." He smiled at Puella. "We're going to win this tournament, right?"

"That's right!" the blue-haired girl answered cheerfully. "We're going to go all the way to the top! Nothing's going to stop us!"

"Uh, guys..." Fen, who had finished swallowing the waffles, was checking his watch. "We got about fifteen minutes before the fight starts. Let's go get some good seats!"

The three young fighters rose from the table and headed for the main battle arena, all obviously excited and nervous about the fights to come. As Fen chatted nonstop at Lancelot, Puella's mind was elsewhere.

He looks like a strong opponent...that boy...

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

Subaru stood alone in the elevator, idly watching the numbers shift as he ascended past the floors. It felt a little strange, but not uncomfortable, to be out in public in his battle costume again -- after all, it had been over a year since he had been fighting competitively. "I just hope my skills haven't dulled, without any competition for so long..."

He checked the sword at his side. It also felt strange, having the Byakko no Tachi itself in his possession. And he would be FIGHTING with it -- fighting with the ancient relic of his family, a weapon obviously more powerful than anything he'd handled before. Geez...this thing has so much power, I wonder if it'll be okay to use...? What if it overloads again or something, and I lose control of it? Can I REALLY control the Byakko no Tachi? He pulled the blade out of the sheath a bit, reflecting his face in the perfect silver sheen. "What IS this sword, anyway...?"

The TING of the elevator pulled Subaru out of his thoughts, and as soon as he stepped out, he locked eyes with Naru. She was leaning against the wall by the elevator, and whistled when she saw Subaru in his fighting outfit. "Lookin' good, Spikes. Love the ninja look."

Subaru laughed, unsure of whether to take that as a compliment or a joke. "Thanks. You're looking pretty good yourself."

"Think so?" Naru winked, spinning around and causing her ponytails to whirl about. She was wearing the same outfit that Subaru had first seen her in, except now she had a crimson red jacket on, unzipped, small silver shoulder-pads attached with thick ribbons of matching silver that ran down the full-length sleeves. Blazed on the back of the jacket was the golden-yellow outline of a heart. She adjusted the large orange goggles that were back around her head, and held up the sheathed Excalibur happily. "The new Shinjo and Amoh take to the battle stage!"

Subaru grinned in gleeful agreement. "Yeah, this is exciting! I can't wait to get out there and put my hard training to good use!"

"What, you mean all that time you could have spent studying?" Naru commented in a teasing tone, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Subaru grimaced. "Don't even remind me of that hell they call 'school'. I'm just happy to be away from it, even for a little while." His female companion laughed along with him, and they proceeded to follow a sign with 'BATTLE ARENA' printed under a large arrow. However, as they were on their way to the battle stage, Naru noticed a strange part of Subaru's outfit - specifically, tied around his neck - that didn't really fit with the rest of his getup.

A purple scarf? Huh...how odd...

They could both tell they were heading in the right direction, due to the huge line of people that snaked down the hallway. The arena's main entrance was just ahead, but it was practically blocked off by a large wall of spectators, all eager to get inside for the Toshindaibukai's opening fight. Subaru and Naru attempted to move through the crowd as best they could, but they only ended up nearly pinned against the rightside wall. "Damn!" Naru groaned in frustration. "There's no way we can possibly get through this crowd, and the fight starts in five minutes!"

"Hey, Subaru, Naru! Over here!"

Subaru heard Rook's loud voice over the noise of the throng, and looked through the line of people to see his friend waving at him on the other side of the hallway. Naru noticed him too, and the pair pushed their way through the moving crowd to the other side. Rook grinned at the two of them, regarding their outfits and weapons. "You two look about ready to kick some ass!"

"Just like old times, na, Rook?" Subaru recognized the familiar costume the American was wearing, a black-and-yellow kung fu jumpsuit, with large pants, Chinese shoes, and a bright puffy shirt with a yin-yang painted on the back. Rook winked at Naru. "Old times with a new addition. I must say that you're looking most lovely today, Miss Amoh."

"Don't push your luck, American," Naru scoffed, leaning against the wall. She frowned, trying to see a way into the arena through the crowd. "So where do we go from here? We can't even try to get in..."

"Oh, no problem with that," said Rook. "See that door over there? That's our dressing room. Leads right out onto the arena, where we shall be kicking some ass in a short period of time." He held up his weapon, a pair of polished nunchaku that matched the colours of his outfit, and raised an eyebrow. "So then, kids, shall we go get ready for our victory?"

As the three waded through the crowd to get to their dressing room, Subaru thought he saw a quick flash of short blue hair and pink headband among the spectators, but just shrugged and turned his back to the snarl of people. She's probably here to watch the fight. No harm in that. I won't be distracted.

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

"Master-sama." Eos slipped into the room, barely making a sound in the darkness, and bowed at her Master's feet. "We are ready to begin."

"So..." the Master murmured out loud, though it was more to himself than anyone else. "The time has come, has it?"

"Time for us to finally get our hands on those weapons!" came Zero's deep voice, tinged with malicious excitement. The big man lurking in the shadows of the monitoring room clenched his huge fists in anticipation. "When can we begin to collect them from those inexperienced children?"

"Not quite yet," Master answered, turning around and watching one of the many television screens that were placed in the wall before him, the multiple flickering lights illuminating his half-shadowed face. "I would like to see how some of them fare in the tournament. I have my eye on a few particular fighters, and I'd prefer to see how they do first."

Eos raised her head slightly, her voice musing with curiousity. "Such as that Shinjo boy?"

"Yes, Master-sama -- why HAVE you taken such an interest in that one?" Zero asked, though his words had more of a sardonic ring to them than Eos's. He shrugged, sounding disgusted. "He looks just like another weakling to me."

The Master was silent for a moment, then delivered his answer without even facing his henchman. "That 'weakling', Zero, is the possessor of the Byakko no Tachi."

"One of the Four Sacred Weapons!" Eos exclaimed. "So that boy will be one of the warriors we focus on as well?"

"Of course. I've already made the necessary arrangements."

Zero didn't seem affected by this announcement. "So we'll be taking the sword from him. When? I'm getting bored with all this waiting -- I want the sacred power now."

"We'll have it all eventually. Including that sword. But as for my interest in the Shinjo..." He sounded like he snickered quietly, then spoke again. "It's something...personal, you could say."

Without another word to his subordinates, the Master turned back to the monitor screens, all of which were showing various views of the main battle arena. The arena where the first fight was to take place in a matter of minutes, and where fighting destinies would begin.

They have to understand...that there can be no end to a legend that never dies. His lips twisted into a cold smile behind his dark mask.

Don't disappoint me, now...

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

"So, do we even know anything about our opponents?"

Rook sighed and shook his head at Naru's question. "Sorry, but nope. I even asked around this morning, trying to find out anything about these guys. They're all unknowns. Nobody's even heard of them." He absent-mindedly flipped his nunchaku from one hand to the other. "It makes me a little uneasy."

"But of course, just because they don't have a reputation doesn't mean that they're going to be easy opponents..." Subaru muttered thoughtfully. The three fighters were all standing about in the large, empty dressing room, waiting for their call onto the arena floor. The doors to both the hallway and the arena were closed, and there were no outside noises to disrupt their conversation. Rook began to pace around the room uncomfortably, repeatedly tossing his nunchaku from one hand to the other. "I never said that I thought they'd be easy -- just that it's a pain in the ass when we have nothing to go by. I mean, think about it..." The American stopped in front of the standing Subaru and Naru, looking fairly serious. "If we knew anything about them, we might be able to judge their weaknesses by their weapons and fighting styles. I mean, I don't know about you two, but I'm less than comfortable fighting a group of enigmas."

"What were their names again?" asked Naru, sitting down on one of the benches. "I know I didn't recognize any of them myself..."

Subaru thought for a moment, then said, "Miyabi, Genma, and Bang-Boo. I got a notice at my room this morning about our fight schedule." He shrugged. "But there weren't any other matches scheduled on there, just a note saying that we'll be informed of our matches each day. Looks to me like they're just making it up as they go along, based on who wins and who loses."

"'They' being...the Gerard Foundation?" Rook asked. Naru answered him with a nod and a dark glare at the wall. "The Gerards. They're probably watching us right now. And they're going to be viewing our fight too." She stood up, her hand brushing Excalibur's hilt at her side. "I've said this before and I'll say it again: I don't like this. I don't like this tournament, I don't like the thought that THAT organization is back, and I REALLY don't like that none of us know the purpose of this Toshindaibukai."

"It IS pretty suspicious," agreed Rook. "Real cloak-and-dagger like. I'm with you there, Nar -- this all makes me feel weird too. This sure as hell ain't a normal fighting tournament." He turned to his friend, who appeared to be deep in thought. "What do you think, Subaru?"

"Huh?" Subaru looked up blankly, but then just nodded. "I agree with you two, but you know, I don't think we should be worrying about it so much right now. We've got a fight to concentrate on, and niisan taught me that when the times comes, you should always just focus on the battle, nothing else."

Naru nodded. "Good advice. Let's focus on our fight, then."

But even after she said that, Subaru was still lost in his own world of thought. There IS something wrong here...but I feel it, and it's more than we think... He shuddered a little, the same image he'd been getting since he arrived flashing before his eyes briefly. Someone with a shadowed face, and eyes glowing a pure white. And a voice he thought he should know, from somewhere, sometime.

'Don't disappoint me, Subaru...'

Subaru jolted, the clarity of the dark voice sending a wave of nausea through the pit of his stomach. WHO-

"Subaru? You okay?"

The malicious face faded, and all he could see was Naru, looking concerned. Subaru opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. She tilted her head to one side in query. "You looked really out there. More so than before."

Subaru tried to speak again, and thankfully, managed to. "I, uh...nothing. Really, it was just nothing."

Naru still appeared to be a little worried, but Rook just sauntered up to the pair and grinned, messing up Subaru's spiky hair. "Don't worry, Naru. He does that a lot. Because of all the little voices in his head."

If only you knew that that was the truth... But for his own sake, Subaru forced a grin and swatted Rook's hand away. "Bastard. If that was the truth, I'd probably be out of mind by now."

Aren't I...?

Without warning, a mechanical-sounding female voice echoed through the dressing room, no doubt from another unseen intercom. "Subaru Shinjo, Naru Amoh, and Rook Castle, please enter the battle arena now. Again, Subaru Shinjo, Naru Amoh, and Rook Castle, please enter the battle arena. Thank you."

"YES!" Rook exclaimed, clenching his fists around his nunchaku eagerly. "Finally, no more dumbass waiting -- time for our fight!" He made a dash for the door leading to the arena, obviously excited. Naru turned towards the door, then looked over her shoulder at Subaru. "You sure you're okay?"

He just smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Like I said, it was nothing. Let's just get on with this."

She paused, then smiled warmly at him. "Yosh. Let's do it."

With that, the Shinjo and the Amoh walked out the door together, out onto the battle arena amidst a wave of cheers.

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

"There! There they are!" Puella fairly jumped out of her seat at the sight of the team, Subaru, Naru and Rook, entering the battle arena. The entire crowd of spectators roared, excited at the first sight of Toshindaibukai competitors. Fen grinned, straining to see the fighters through the audience. "Hey, it's those guys we saw yesterday! They're the ones you two wanted to see today?"

"I believe it was Pue-chan who wanted to see the Japanese boy, Subaru," answered Lancelot, his eyes never leaving Naru's lithe figure. Though I have to admit, there IS something about that last name, Shinjo, that rings a bell... he thought to himself.

Puella stuck her tongue out at Lancelot playfully. "Well, it was YOU, Lan-chan, who wanted to see Naru again! You think she'll do well?"

Lancelot nodded, just once, a small smile spreading across his face. "I know it."

The three approached the center of the arena, a multitude of lights and cheers exploding around them. They lined up and stood just beside the tuxedoed announcer, who nodded at them and spread his arms out to address the audience. "Mina-san, introducing the first team for this battle! First, from New York in America, ROOK CASTLE!"

The blue-haired man in a black-and-yellow kung fu suit stepped forward, and flipped his nunchaku from one side to the other, so fast that the deadly weapon was just a blur of colour and flashing silver chain. Rook stepped back with his teammates, winking at the crowd. Fen whistled at the sight of his skill with the nunchaku. "Whoa, that guy's pretty good with that thing! Not as good as me n' my harpoon, but you know..."

Puella giggled at her friend's brazen comment. "You have such a confident attitude, Fen!" She turned to see if her other friend was going to add anything, but Lancelot's full attention was focused on the battle arena, where the announcer was continuing the fighter introductions. "...From Edinburgh, Scotland, NARU AMOH!!!"

The blonde girl in red and black, Naru, unsheathed her sword and slashed it through the air multiple times, looking fully poised and confident in her skills. She turned to face the audience, raising her blade in the air. The crowd roared its approval.

Wow, she really IS a swordswoman...how cool! Puella thought. She must be good if she was able to beat Lan-chan...I wonder how well he knows her, anyway...?

"...And finally, from Aizu, Japan, SUBARU SHINJO!!!"

Puella snapped back to reality at the sound of the boy's name being announced. She watched as he stepped forward, eyes closed and looking quite calm. But in an instant, his blood-red eyes opened, and he unsheathed his katana, swiping it through the air in a lightning-quick, intricate pattern. He re-sheathed the sword and cast a brash smirk to the audience. Fen snorted at that. "He looks almost as full of himself as his friend with the blue hair."

"But maybe he has a right to be..." Puella murmured, keeping her eyes on the boy, Subaru. She didn't FEEL that power coming from him anymore -- and now that she thought about it, she hadn't sensed it from him earlier that morning either. Even if it WAS only once, what could it have been...? Why did I feel it only then, and what connection does Subaru have to the Suzaku no Yumi...? Disregarding the memory of his power for a moment, Puella bit her bottom lip nervously. He sure does look like a good fighter...

"...And now, their opponents for this battle!" The announcer faced the other way, and extended a hand to the opposite side of the arena. "Introducing, from Kyoto, Japan, MIYABI!!!"

It almost looked like no one appeared for a moment, but suddenly, a tall woman appeared out of the shadows. She was clad in a rather strange, dark maroon and black outfit, obviously that of a ninja. Her pink hair was pulled back into a short ponytail, and she wore a black mask that concealed the lower part of her face. An iron headband was wrapped around her head, a short kodachi dagger attached to the back behind her head. Strapped to her back was a oversized, silver four-pointed shuriken. Many catcalls from the male portion of the audience accompanied her entrance, no doubt due to the rather revealing nature of her choice in battle clothing. She simply stood, arms crossed, silently staring down Subaru's team -- or more pointedly, the blue-haired man, Rook. He looked rather shocked at her appearance himself...

"Yuck!" Puella exclaimed, seeing Miyabi's low-cut outfit. "I'd NEVER wear an outfit like that! It's so...so..."

"Provocative?" Lancelot offered. Puella nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's it, provocative! But it looks like that Rook guy sure likes that kind of stuff, judging by the way he's looking at her..." But then again, he looks a little more...surprised?

"...From Cuba, BANG-BOO!!!"

There was a loud whirring noise from the other side of the arena, following by the noisy, continuous CLANK-CLANK sound of what had to be...footsteps?

"Whoa..." gasped Fen, once the newest fighter came into view. "A ROBOT?!?"

Indeed, the second member of the team was what appeared to be a very large humanoid robot. It was constructed entirely out of a silver metal alloy that gleamed in the light of the arena, though oddly enough, it wore a pair of olive green cargo pants. Its head was round and shiny, a pair of green-and-red human-like eyes set into its mechanical face, along with a jutting square chin and what could be considered a nose. And as a finishing touch to the warlike machine, the robot Bang-Boo had two massive silver cannons instead of arms. There was also a series of writing printed on both its shoulders in red, but the symbols were too small to make out from where the young group was sitting. The robot simply clunked out onto the arena floor and stood beside Miyabi, its focus turned entirely on the team of fighters in front of it. From the looks of it, it appeared that none of them knew what to think of this odd opponent.

"...And finally, from China, GENMA!!!"

There was silence for a brief moment, before a figure appeared out of nowhere onto the floor. The last fighter of the match was a small man who almost looked as inhuman as Bang-Boo, in an eccentric outfit that appeared to be like a kimono-type robe overtop of a purple shirt and dark baggy pants. Large golden armour plating covered both his shoulders, matching the gold trim on the large, curved red hat he wore. The front of the hat was imprinted with the golden head of a ram, and a simple purple cloth extended from the hat, covering his face entirely. However, Genma wore what appeared to be a pair of thick glasses over the cloth, their solid aqua-coloured lenses glimmering in the light. But the two biggest oddities of the Chinese fighter were his right arm - which was wrapped in a long, ripped bandage that trailed on the floor - and the fact that he had no legs, with what looked like wooden stilts instead. And in his left hand he held a large, elaborately-decorated shield, covered in strange patterns and colours. Genma stepped in front of Miyabi and Bang-Boo, obviously showing that he led this team of enigmas. The crowd murmured in curiousity. Although there was one young boy in the audience who already knew who this 'Genma' was...

"Him...!!" All traces of mirth were wiped off of Fen's face as he glared daggers at the strange man, hands balled into shaking fists. "It was him!! He's the bastard who murdered Grandfather!!!" The boy stood up, looking about ready to storm onto the arena himself. "I have to go avenge Grandfather!"

"No, Fen, you can't!" Puella exclaimed, getting up and putting her hands on his shoulders. Fen growled and tried to brush off Puella's grip, but the small girl stood firm. "This isn't our fight, Fen!"

"Pue-chan's right, Fen," Lancelot said calmly. "On the fight schedule I received this morning, there was also a brief rule list, and one of the rules was not to interfere in any of the scheduled battles. Doing so would cause our entire team to be disqualified from the tournament."

"You see?" said Puella, meeting her friend's blue eyes seriously. "You can't just run into this rashly! Just calm down and take some time to think about this...I know you're mad and I know you want your revenge, but you can't do it right here and now! Okay?"

Fen said nothing in return, but just dropped his head and exhaled sharply. "All right. I'll wait. But that...that bastard..." He once again shot a dark glare out onto the arena floor, towards the man whom he witnessed murder his grandfather. "I'll get him for what he did..."

"Fen..." Puella said sadly, worry crossing her face as she sensed the anger in his voice. It isn't right...for him to be so young and so filled with rage... She too glared at the strange murderer, Genma. I hope Subaru defeats him!

At last, both teams of three were present on the arena, and from the looks it, all six of them were deathly serious about this match. The announcer, who was standing between the teams, lifted a hand to the audience and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, your fighters for this battle!" The arena filled with cheers. The announcer grinned for a moment, then continued with, "The first fight shall be between...ROOK and MIYABI!!"

Rook exchanged a few quick words with his teammates first, and Miyabi simply turned to Genma, who just nodded. Both warriors then stepped forward, ready to fight. Miyabi hardly looked concerned, but Rook didn't look as shocked as he had been earlier; in fact, he looked rather smug.

"Will the remaining members of each team clear the floor, please!"

With a couple more words to Rook, Subaru and Naru both moved to their side of the arena to watch the fight. Genma and Bang-Boo did the same.

"So, it looks the fight's about to begin..." murmured Lancelot. Fen didn't say anything, but continued to glare stonily at Genma's figure in the shadows of the arena. However, Puella nodded at Lancelot's words, her hopeful purple eyes on Subaru, Naru, and Rook.

...Good luck, you guys!

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

"I was right all along," said Rook, grinning widely at Miyabi. "You DID show up for this tourney, just like I thought, and you were my reason for coming. I've been looking for you ever since that street fight last year, babe."

Miyabi was silent, her deep pink eyes meeting Rook's electric blue ones evenly. She only said one word. "Why?"

"Why? Why the hell not?" Rook shrugged. "You're the only fighter who's managed to defeat me in a street fight. AND you're quite the hottie. Shouldn't that be reason enough for me to try and find you again?"

Again, the ninja woman didn't respond immediately, but finally just said, "So, it's a rematch you want."

Rook winked. "In more ways than one, baby."

Miyabi didn't even flinch, but just sighed and stepped into her fighting stance. "Say what you will. I've defeated you once before, and I shall defeat you again. Make no mistake of that."

"Awww, no kiss for good luck?" Rook said teasingly, but Miyabi remained composed. Totally serious, she simply said, "I may have defeated you already, but you know...I've been looking for you too, Rook Castle. Ever since that time."

"Oh yeah?" Rook smiled brashly, pleased with this comment. "Why's that, beautiful?"

Miyabi stepped back, one hand on the edge of her shuriken. "I don't think I could say even if I knew. KOI!"

"Ready.....FIGHT!!" called the announcer

In a flash, Miyabi moved forward and -- disappeared into thin air. Rook didn't even have time to blink in surprise before she appeared again right in front of him, her kodachi flashing in a ripping uppercut. "HANGETSU NO MAI!"

"Whoa!" The kung fu fighter barely had time to hold up his nunchaku, effectively blocking the hit. Miyabi landed right behind him, sheathing her dagger and gripping one of the corners of her giant shuriken. The entire shuriken began to glow with white energy. Still crouching on the floor, Miyabi whipped the shuriken's energy replication right at Rook. "MANJI MARU!!"

Rook was able to see the projectile coming, and although he spun to the side in a dodge, the white ki-shuriken was still so big it clipped his arm, a thin streak of blood welling from the cut. Rook hissed in sudden pain, clutching a hand to his arm. Not wasting any time or sympathy for her past opponent, the kunoichi rolled forward, slashing at Rook repeatedly with her dagger. However, Rook fended off the blows with his nunchaku, causing the audience to cheer in excitement. Without missing a beat, Miyabi flipped forward, her front foot rising off the ground, circled by flame. "HIEN KYAKU!"

Rook paused only a heartbeat, but that was enough time for Miyabi to land the attack. The fiery kick raked up the front of his chest, causing him to stumble back, dazed. Miyabi twisted her body in the air, landing on her feet in front of the crouched Rook. The outline of a smile was visible through her black mask. "Doushita, Amerikajin? Don't tell me you're afraid to hit a girl."

Rook only snickered for a moment, then looked up at his opponent, wiping a bit of blood from his mouth. "Hm...you sure do play rough. Guess I'd better get serious, huh?" Rook smiled at Miyabi again, except this time, it wasn't silly and flirtatous -- it was almost like a smirk. "After all, I'm not going to lose again...!!"

With that, he lunged at her, springing into a quick flying kick. Miyabi, surprised by her opponent's sudden retaliation, had no time to block and took Rook's foot in her face. She attempted to put some space between her and Rook by flipping backwards, but Rook was upon her instantly, swinging his nunchaku in a repeated, flaming arc. "CONSECUTIVE GEAR!!"

The fiery tips of his nunchaku struck Miyabi in the face and midsection four times, before Rook broke the attack off and held his free hand back, gathering as much ki as he could in his closed fist. The kung fu fighter then slid forward towards the stunned Miyabi, slamming his open palm into her torso and releasing the collected energy in a burst of power. "SLANT SHOOT!"

The crowd both cheered and booed as Miyabi spun to the floor with a gasp, then just lay unmoving. Rook approached his fallen opponent, flipping his nunchaku from hand to hand in a bragging display. "There! How'd you like that, babe?"

Miyabi didn't even look up, but he could hear her mutter two words.

"Muso Batto..."

Rook took a wary step back, feeling the rush of ki that Miyabi had suddenly pooled. "What the hell-"

But in that very same instant, Miyabi was off the floor, eyes glowing dangerously, her kodachi unsheathed and flashing a silver streak in the air. Her attack was so fast that Rook couldn't get out of the way in time, and he was subjected to a number of painful, ripping slashes from her blade. Miyabi released all her ki in one final slice, almost charging right through Rook and nearly cutting him in half. Crouching, Miyabi stood up and sheathed her dagger, leaving Rook lying face-down on the floor in her wake. The ninja didn't even bother to see if her opposition was still breathing, and she took a step to leave --

"We're...not finished...yet..."

Startled, Miyabi whirled around to see Rook lifting his body from the floor, his costume lacerated in many places. However, he was still able to manage a grin, especially at the woman's shocked look at the fact that he was still able to stand.

"Heh...not bad...not bad at all..." Rook slowly staggered to his feet, clutching his nunchaku in one hand. His eyes met Miyabi's. "Just like I remember it, our first fight...but..." Even as he spoke, small sparks of light blue ki began to form and swirl around him. His deep blue eyes seemed to gleam the same colour. "...I'm the winner this time!!!"

And with a cry of "BOISTEROUS DANCING!!!", Rook balled up and rolled right into Miyabi's unprotected lower section, then began a series of powerful kung fu kicks to her face, torso and legs. Having been left open, Miyabi had no choice but to take the hits, gasping in pain. Rook finished the attack, and as Miyabi reeled back, he moved towards her again, this time uppercutting her into the air using his nunchaku --

"ULTIMATE MAGNUM!!"

Rook swung his empty fist right into the helpless Miyabi, a huge explosion of fire energy bursting from his hand. The kunoichi shrieked as she was flung backwards, and tumbled head over heels to land nearly on the other side of the arena. Rook dropped both his hands, breathing hard from the exertion of ki. The crowd was entirely silent, but then the battle arena was rocked with applause and cheers.

"Mina-san, your winner of the first round: ROOK CASTLE!!!!"

Despite being in a fair bit of pain, Rook couldn't help but raise his hands to the audience with a wink. He turned and cast a glance at his teammates; Subaru was hollering something that was being drowned out by the calls of the crowd, and Naru was jumping up and down and waving at him in excitement. He simply gave his team a lopsided grin and a weak thumbs-up. However, Rook also caught a glimpse of Miyabi's teammates, and neither Genma nor Bang-Boo looked very pleased. Rook simply smirked at the two, then looked back at Miyabi's black-clothed form on the arena floor. He smiled and closed his eyes, knowing what he needed to do. He walked towards the downed Miyabi, who was coughing and trying to catch her breath. Rook's shadow crossed the floor in front of her, and she looked up to see the American holding out his hand to her. Offering to help her up.

"I may have won against you, Miyabi..." he said with a smile, "but my heart will forever be lost to you."

Miyabi stared at the man for a moment, then closed her eyes and made a snickering sound from behind her mask. "How corny. But I like a man who knows how to talk to a woman." With that, she took Rook's hand, and he helped her up from the floor to a chorus of cheers. Once she was back on her feet, Rook whipped paper and a pen out of his pants pocket, and eagerly said, "So, can I get your number or what? Even an address would be nice...maybe we could go out on a date sometime soon, there's a nice little cafe nearby...how's tomorrow night for you?"

Miyabi only snorted, then turned her back and walked away from him, calling, "Mata ne, da-r-ling~..." She raised one hand in a casual wave, and disappeared from sight, leaving a bewildered and frustrated Rook behind.

"Dammit, not AGAIN!!"

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

"Wow, he won!" Puella exclaimed, clapping along with the rest of the audience at Rook's win. Lancelot nodded and smiled. "That man may not have appeared serious, but he was focused all along. Quite impressive, I must say, and chivalrous as well."

"I know! Wasn't he great? Subaru sure has good teammates!" said the young girl excitedly, watching as the other two members of the team, Subaru and Naru, came out onto the arena floor to congratulate their teammate. Puella turned to her other friend and teammate, expecting him to also comment on the fight they had just witnessed, but he was too busy concentrating on other matters -- in other words, Fen was still glaring darkly at Genma, who was skulking in the shadows of the arena. Puella reached out and touched his arm gently, saying, "Fen...?"

But Fen didn't even look at her when he responded. "Every time I see him, I just keep seeing his face, laughing at me, TAUNTING me...standing over Grandfather's body...DAMMIT..." Fen grit his teeth, his wild purple hair and angry blue eyes making a feral-looking combination. "I can't stand it..."

"Don't worry, Fen," reassured Puella, "Subaru will beat him. I know it!"

"Huh. You mean that spiky-haired guy? I doubt it." Fen at last turned his eyes away from Genma to regard the teenage swordsman on the arena floor, exchanging happy words with his teammate. "I don't think he has any clue how powerful that bastard is...I swear, he uses magic...or something..."

"Magic? Oh, no..." Puella's face took on a worried look, as she too watched an excited - or rather UNKNOWING - Subaru converse with Naru and Rook. I hope he can still win...but if he really DOES have the same power as the Suzaku no Yumi, he might be able to overcome it...

The crowd quieted as the announcer once more stepped out onto the arena, microphone in hand. "Mina-san, your next match is between...NARU and BANG-BOO!!!"

Lancelot seemed to jolt to attention at the sound of this announcement, and that didn't go unnoticed by Puella. Turning her thoughts away from Subaru and Genma for a moment, Puella poked her friend and giggled. "This is what you've been waiting for, isn't it, Lan-chan?"

The English boy only stared at Puella with huge, round green eyes before looking at his feet, cheeks flushing red. "Oh...well...yes, I suppose...it's been so long since I've seen Naru fight, and she's one of the best I've seen...I'm...anxious to see how her skills have progressed..." He looked up to see Puella grinning at him, and he quickly stuttered, "Uh...that is...what?"

Puella lay back in her seat, winking at her friend. "Make all the excuses you want, Lan-chan, but your real reason's just SO obvious!"

His pale face now redder than ever, he simply murmured, "Oh..." then continued to watch the arena, where Naru was getting ready for the fight. Her two male teammates had already left the floor, and Bang-Boo was steadily moving towards her. She already had her sword unsheathed, the long blade flashing a brilliant silver in the arena spotlights, and she didn't look one bit nervous as her opponent approached. Lancelot felt a small smile tugging on his lips, and nodded, to both himself and her. Naru...I know you won't lose. I just know it.

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

Naru could only feel a deep sense of loneliness as she stood on the arena floor, despite being surrounded by thousands of spectators and backed by a pair of teammates. Still, being there only served to bring back memories of her search for her father, and all the battles she had gotten into in order to find even the slightest bit of information on his whereabouts.

...And it all led to here.

The teenage girl didn't take her eyes away from the advancing Bang-Boo, her focus unwavering but her thoughts elsewhere. Is this where you once stood, Otousan...Father...? Was this the same sight you saw years ago, your opponent approaching while you held this sword and waited for the fight? Did you feel the same way I do now...? Naru closed her eyes slowly, letting out her breath. Whatever the case, it's my turn now. I swear I will honour your reputation, Otousan, and make you proud. She allowed her solid composure to slip for just a second, and she narrowed her green eyes, smirking. I am an Amoh. And this is my destiny. My destiny is to fight, and to win. I won't fail you, Father.

I won't fail.

Bang-Boo had stopped in front of her, nearly dwarfing the girl with its size alone. The robot looked down on her, its lifeless, glowing eyes seeming to almost...EXAMINE her. Naru shifted uncomfortably, turning her thoughts to the fight instead. She sized up the robot Bang-Boo, noting that although it had a humanoid form, it obviously didn't have the emotions or feelings of one. That in itself could work for or against me, Naru thought, rapidly calculating her opponent's weaknesses in her mind -- something her father had taught her, naturally. This thing's large, so unless it's got some high-tech way of moving itself around, it's probably slow...slower than I am, likely, so if I keep up the speed and put on the pressure-

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted. The robot spoke.

"TARGET: IDENTIFIED. NARU AMOH."

"Huh??" Naru paused for a split second in surprise. "How do you know my name...??"

That second was all Bang-Boo needed.

Naru almost didn't hear the announcer call, "Ready.....FIGHT!!", as Bang-Boo swifted lifted one of its giant arm-cannons, then brought it down right on top of her. Naru darted to the side as quickly as she could, but the large cannon bashed into her left shoulder, bruising it. She dropped to a crouch, growling at herself for letting her guard down. Clutching Excalibur, Naru let out a furious cry as she leapt off the ground, slashing in at Bang-Boo. However, Bang-Boo simply guarded its face with its arms, and the cuts from the sword did little to no good. She deftly switched tactics, and tried attacking the large metallic man with as many different kicks as she knew. None of those did any good either, save for one sweep kick which caused Bang-Boo to stumble wordlessly, but otherwise not budge. Naru withdrew for a few seconds to reconsider her options. Normal attacks hardly touch it, so ki-charged ones would be my best bet. She smiled suddenly, realizing the nature of power and what it could do to a robotic creature. Let's see how you like the storm of the Amoh clan, you Tin Man freak.

Naru reared back, flipping her sword around and willing the ki-power of the kinetic airwaves to flow into it. The blade began to abruptly crackle with raw electrical energy. And Bang-Boo only stood there, but its eyes seemed to glow a little more brighter when it saw the ki being gathered...

In one instant, Naru snapped forward, slashing Excalibur down and releasing the pent-up energy in a blast of electric power. "SONIC SLASH!!"

But she didn't see the rocket boosters open up from Bang-Boo's back. The robot easily glided to the side, avoiding the attack completely. The swordswoman didn't even have time to move when-

"SYBARITE CANNON." The words were spoken in the same unemotional, monotonous voice she had heard earlier. The audience began to yell loudly, and Naru turned -- just in time to see a small rocket launching out of one of Bang-Boo's cannons, directly at her midsection. The missile exploded on contact, sending Naru flipping backwards with a scream of pain, the ends of her jacket scorched. Struggling to get up from the floor, Naru could faintly hear the sounds of her teammates calling her name, cheering her on above the cacophony of the crowd. But she didn't take her eyes away from the sight of Bang-Boo, standing over her menacingly. Naru grit her teeth, summoning as much electric ki as she could muster into her sword. Unexpectedly, she sprung off the floor, her body twisting and blade spinning around her in a slicing pattern. "DEADLY RAISE!!"

Surprisingly, the attack connected. Her whirling sword moved so fast that Bang-Boo was carried into the air along with her, the uppercut attack charging it with electric power. The robot landed on the floor with a loud crash, and Naru landed expertly on her feet. Bang-Boo had barely lifted itself off the floor when Naru dodged to the side and dashed forward, leaping up and locking her legs around the robot's huge neck. She then flipped backwards, using the strength in her legs to toss the giant robot to the floor in an incredible show of strength, a perfect hurricanrana. But Bang-Boo got up just as quickly, rearing itself to full height right in front of her. Before Naru had the chance to get out of the way, the robot's arm cannons WIDENED, and it began to pound them against the floor in a strange, noisy display. "BEAST SHOOT."

The slamming attacks into the arena floor rendered Naru temporily unable to move, the heavy shockwaves causing her to cry out in pain. As soon as Bang-Boo broke the attack off and slowly started to recharge its power, Naru paced back, breathing hard and trying to regain some of her energy. What the HELL is this, I've never fought against a robot before, and for Christ's SAKE doesn't anything hurt it-

She could only watch as Bang-Boo lifted one of its cannons to the ceiling, and with a call of, "ATOMIC CANNON.", proceeded to fire a large missile straight up into the air. Naru's eyes followed the ascesion of the rocket, wondering what good THAT did --

-- when the missile opened up, and showered a number of smaller rockets in a large radius around Bang-Boo.

Bloody hell get out of the way move NOW-

Using the natural speed that she had learned from her father, Naru nimbly avoided the rain of explosions as best she could, bits of flame and debris hitting her bare legs and blistering them with their heat. However, through her dance to avoid the missiles, she saw one fatal mistake that Bang-Boo had made -- it left itself open. Narrowing her eyes, Naru knew that only one attack would work now, and she had to try it -- otherwise, that'd be it, and she'd lose.

...And I'm not going to lose...

She began to move towards Bang-Boo, her stride quickly breaking into a run. A falling missile grazed her injured shoulder, and she hissed in pain, but she kept moving towards the robot, dodging left and right.

I'm not...going...to...

A missile exploded right in front of her, but Naru just spun to the side and kept moving, feeling the air crackle around her with the flux of energy. She couldn't hear the yells of the crowd, the calls of her friends, her own voice screaming, "KORE DE OWARI YO!!!", couldn't hear anything except the pounding of her own heartbeat in her ears and her father's voice telling her...

"Be strong. Be strong, Naru, and don't ever give up. No matter what, don't give up..."

Her voice echoed throughout the arena. "I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE UP!!!!"

She reached Bang-Boo, and began the attack.

"HELL'S GATE!!!"

In a blur of lightning, colour and movement, Naru spun upwards, her legs twisting and creating an electrical vortex in the very air around her. The cyclone of energy carried Bang-Boo up into the air, where he was struck by her whirling kicks over and over again. And as quickly as her attack had began, it had ended, with Naru landing on her feet and Bang-Boo crashing face-down on the floor. It didn't move. The crowd was completely silent.

Then the announcer broke the stillness. "Uh...mina-san, your winner of the second round: NARU AMOH!!!!"

All at once, the audience went wild with cheers and catcalls for this young blonde girl who had overcome the giant. Naru's green eyes, cold and unfeeling, quickly flashed with the brashness that was her father's trademark. She tossed her head and smirked at the robot's still body on the floor.

"Dou? Atashi tsuyoi deshou." ***************

"Those three seem to have this round won, Master-sama," commented Eos, her eyes closed. It was only herself and Master in the viewing room, Zero having left in exasperation from Master's orders to not attack any of the fighters before 'the time was right'. "They do appear to be as skilled as you said."

The Master, seated and leaning his face on his hands, simply opened his eyes and smiled darkly. "Naru Amoh performed just as well as I expected."

"You expected...?"

"Of course. I knew he wouldn't pass up the opportunity either...to train another one of us for this generation. In the end, it appears that we both took the same path, but under different circumstances indeed..." He paused, then just half-nodded to himself in satisfaction. "Though I suppose I should have known that it would turn out that way all along."

Eos, used to her Master's cryptic words by now, lifted her head and almost smiled. "Ah. It's time for your Shinjo boy to prove his worth. What a proud soul he has."

Master only smirked at his underling's words. "That, too, was expected. Well, he'll learn soon enough not to tempt destiny so much, especially with HIS bloodline..."

Now, show me what you can do, Subaru Shinjo...

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

"Looks like I'm up next," Subaru said to his teammates, one hand gripping the sheathed Byakko no Tachi. The three were standing on the arena, watching Bang-Boo's massive body be dragged away by staff -- the robot had apparently overloaded and temporarily shut down. Naru looked somewhat proud.

Rook clapped a hand on Subaru's shoulder with a grin. "Don't worry about it, kid. You'll do fine."

"Yeah, that's right," agreed Naru, rubbing her sore shoulder. "If we could win, so can you."

Subaru grinned. "Hey, I never said I was NERVOUS. Or that I think I'm gonna lose. After all..." He began to walk towards the center of the arena, where his opponent, a slightly miffed-looking Genma, was waiting. Subaru tossed a cocky look over his shoulder back at his team. "I'm a Shinjo, aren't I?"

The announcer nodded at the sight of Subaru and Genma staring each other down, and called to the crowd, "Mina-san, your final match for this battle! SUBARU vs. GENMA!!!"

The audience roared in excitement, and Subaru felt a tiny thrill at the realization that he was HERE, standing in the battle arena of the Toshindaibukai, the legendary weaponry tournament. However, those thoughts slid away when he noticed that the strange little man was examining his sword with an almost hungry gleam in his glasses.

Subaru glared. "What? Never seen a real katana before, old man?"

Genma's response was in a low, scratchy voice that made Subaru's throat hurt. "Impudent child. That's no ordinary sword you're carrying."

"Tell me something I don't know." Subaru began to say something else, but was cut off by a hoarse noise from behind the cloth that covered Genma's face -- cruel laughter.

"There's a lot I could tell you about that sword that you don't know," was his answer. Subaru could almost feel the eagerness coming from the small man. "Give me that sword, boy. I've been looking for it for a very long time indeed."

"What?? My...sword?" Subaru hazarded a glance at the still-sheathed Byakko no Tachi, then looked back at Genma. "What's it have to do with anything?"

"More than you could ever imagine." Genma made a motion that could almost be seen as a shrug. "After all, we're just puppets in their little game."

"Game?" Subaru paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow in curiousity. "What do you mean by that?"

Genma just shook his head. "You're a foolish child if you don't even know the reason why we're here. But the game can be ended now..." His aqua lenses glimmered lustfully as he eyed Subaru's katana. "...if you'll just hand over that sword to me."

Subaru glared defiantly at the strange warrior, stepping back into his fighting position. "Not a chance, jijii! I don't know what the hell you want with my sword, but I won't give it up to you!"

"That's fine. I'll just remove it from your dead body once I'm through with you." Genma slowly stepped back into a fighting stance, barely moving. "So then, come..." He paused, then continued in a mocking tone. "...chosen child."

"Ready.....FIGHT!!"

Subaru, his mind swimming with confusion and questions, yelled in frustration, and swung his katana right at his opponent. But in one motion, Genma had his ornate shield raised, and the Byakko no Tachi struck the shield violently. However, when it did so, both sword and shield glowed brightly with a strange, powerful ki - the katana's white, the shield's a blackish-purple - and there was a noise that sounded akin to a small explosion. Genma, obviously prepared for the reaction, was pushed backwards across the floor, whereas Subaru was thrown off his feet and landed stomach-down a few feet away. Subaru grimaced, little spots of colour dancing in front of his eyes. "What the...what the hell was THAT...???"

"You see, boy?" Genma said triumphantly, standing up and pointing a bandaged arm at the sword Subaru still held in both hands. "It IS one of the four. They're both of the four. Now, give that sword to me!"

The...four?? Subaru barely had time to consider Genma's words before the Chinese fighter was upon him, swiping the shield at Subaru's face. Gritting his teeth, Subaru held up the sword to block the attack, and prepared himself for another release of power. However, the shield struck the sword, and nothing happened. But Subaru instinctively flinched for a split second, and that was all the time Genma needed. The little man flung his bandaged arm out in front of him and, as if they were alive, the lengths of cloth whirled out around him, lashing out at Subaru violently. The swordsman was so surprised by this feat that he didn't have time to block, but even when he tried to dodge to the side, the whipping bandages still managed to strike him several times. Subaru stumbled back, breathing hard and glaring daggers at his opponent, who was cackling as the bandages rewrapped themselves around his arm. Subaru turned his head to the side and spat out some blood, then stood up, gripping the Byakko no Tachi as hard as he could. "So just what are you, some sort of magician?"

"I prefer to be referred to as a sorceror or assassin, whichever you choose," Genma replied simply, adding an almost hysterical-sounding giggle. "But soon, after I get that sword, I will be known as the master of this world!!"

With those words, Genma held his wrapped arm back, swirls of fiery ki gathering around it. In one swift motion, the magician tossed the ki forward in a mass of flame. "KAEN KI!!"

But Subaru, who was able to recognize ki pratically as a second nature, saw this attack coming, and rolled to the side just in time. Genma turned around just in time to see Subaru gathering waves of ki-flame into his sword, before raking it upwards from the ground and sending a trail of fire towards the Chinese man. "REKKUZAN!!"

Genma had just enough time to spin around to face the attack, and held his shield out. Unexpectedly, the shield expanded, guarding his entire body. The ball of flame dissapated against the shield' surface. But when Genma's shield shrunk back to its regular size, the assassin was mildly bewildered to find that his opponent was no longer there. Suddenly, there was a rustle of cloth in the air above him-

"RYUSEIKYAKU!!"

His foot trailing flame, Subaru dove in on Genma, driving the blazing kick down from above like a dropping meteor. The attack worked, and Genma flew backwards from the power of the Shinjo family technique. Subaru stood a few metres away from his opponent, who was slowly getting off the floor, and loudly said, "Since you didn't answer me the first time, I'll ask again: just what do you want with my sword? What do you know about it, and why do you want it so badly?" He narrowed his crimson eyes. "Does it have anything to do with its power?"

Genma only snickered. "Poor child. You truly don't know anything about it, do you? Such a pity to waste the god's favour on you..."

"If you're not going to answer me, then just shut up!" Subaru dashed towards Genma, sword out, and attacked him with a series of quick swipes. Genma defended against them expertedly, fending the blows off with his shield or the bandages on his arm. Subaru's opponent managed to break away from the string of assaults, and stepped back, throwing his shield at Subaru -- it was connected to his arm by a string. Subaru ducked under the blow, and charged back in, sliding low at Genma's wooden legs with a sweep. It worked, and Genma stumbled long enough for Subaru to quickly pool his ki and explode upwards in a spinning, flaming uppercut. "HISHOUZAN!!"

Genma was pulled into the air by the force of the attack, and his body was assaulted with a number of whirling slashes. Again, Genma landed on the floor, and Subaru on his feet in front of him. But Genma just got back up, albeit a little more slowly than before. His voice still stayed in the same raspy tone. "Truly, even if you know nothing about the sword you hold, you still receive help from the god bound to your soul..."

"The god...what??" Subaru's voice nearly reached a whisper, his opponent's words sounding a little more than disturbing to him. He shook his head and scowled at himself. Dammit, get it together!! Stop worrying about your sword and just FIGHT!! He's playing mind games with you and winning, so get over it and beat him!!

"I don't know what you're talking about, old man, but I'm not in the mood to listen!" Subaru leapt into the air, ready to drive the Byakko no Tachi right through Genma. However, Genma lifted his head, and simply murmured, "Ah, but you should..."

All of a sudden, Genma was on his feet, arms raised in the air. "MISETE KURERU WA!!!"

"Huh??" Subaru's eyes widened at the flux of ki that suddenly rushed to Genma. And out of nowhere, a large dome of purple ki-energy expanded from around the sorceror's body, swelling and covering a huge radius of the arena. Subaru was hanging unguarded in midair, and yelled in pain as he was caught in the ripping forcefield of energy. After seconds of hellish torture, Genma finally lowered his arms, and a battered Subaru fell to the floor with a thud. But Genma didn't look like he was finished.

"Orokana. You haven't even begun to truly fight yet." Savagely, Genma kicked Subaru in the side. "So come! Show me your full power!"

Subaru's body shifted impulsively, and his voice, low and dangerous, sounded almost like a threat itself.

"..if....you...say so....."

And Subaru got up off the floor, holding the Byakko no Tachi limply in one hand. And suddenly, the air began to flash and burn with energy. Genma took a cautious step back into his fighting stance, nodding in satisfaction. "Good, very good..."

Small flickers of flame began to form in the air, their licking tongues surrounding a beaten, barely-standing Subaru. And in one dramatic instant, the flames erupted around the young swordsman, swirling around him in a blazing vortex of power. Eyes closed, Subaru slowly lifted one hand to the heavens, and all the flames swarmed around it, gathering in his closed fist. He opened his red eyes in a flash of flame, and thrust the mass of ki-fire at Genma.

"JIGOKUMON!!!!"

Genma only smirked as the flames bore down upon him, muttering, "How simple, that attack can be avoided easily...what??" Before he could move or guard against the super-powered technique, the fire had blown into him, and he felt his body being levitated off the floor. Genma felt his arms be restrained, and turned his head to see that the ki-flames had taken shape. His body was pinned to a giant firewheel.

Genma struggled, but with no avail -- he was caught. He saw Subaru on the floor below him grip his sword, then begin to run towards him, yelling, "IKUZOU!!"

The swordsman took to the air and, with sword in hand, curled up and began to twist his body in a series of midair spins, slashing the helpless Genma repeatedly. Leaning back, Subaru lifted his sword over his head, and paused for a brief second, his eyes flashing angrily as Genma's mocking whisper entered his mind.

"Their game has already begun."

"MUKATSUKU!!" Unable to take any more, Subaru finished off the attack by bringing his sword down, severing the firewheel and nearly taking Genma with it. There was a bright flash and an explosion of light and sound, and the whole crowd covered their eyes. When the chaos died down, one sight slowly came into view: a injured but triumphant Subaru standing over the fallen body of Genma. Subaru gasped for breath, his blood pounding in his ears and sweat trickling down his face. Slowly, he turned to see his two teammates watching him, with both hopeful and worried looks on their faces. The entire audience was silent.

Weakly, Subaru grinned and made a thumbs-up. The audience went nuts.

Naru ran out onto the floor and threw her arms around Subaru, laughing happily. Rook followed with a grin, slapping Subaru on the back then wincing apologetically when Subaru bent over in pain. The announcer appeared on the floor once again, standing in front of the jubilant team. "Mina-san, I present to you your winning team for this battle! ROOK CASTLE, NARU AMOH, and SUBARU SHINJO!!!"

The crowd roared with applause and cheers for the extraordinary team of young fighters. The three all couldn't resist waving to the audience and holding up their weapons, proud of their triple victory.

However, under the glare of the arena spotlights, Subaru didn't see the raised Byakko no Tachi's blade gleam and flicker a bright white for a brief second. And, as if in response, so did Genma's shield.

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

"Guys, I think we should be proud of how much ass we kicked today."

It was late evening on the same day of Subaru, Naru and Rook's first match, and the team, now dressed in their casual clothes, were all lounging about in Subaru's spacious hotel room. Subaru grinned at his friend's flippant comment. "You've been saying that all day, Rook. It's just our first fight. Who knows how many more we have to go?"

"I agree with Subaru," Naru said, nodding seriously. "We don't know what our next challenge is going to be, so we should get ready for it as soon as possible."

"Aw, man!" Rook moaned in exasperation. "You two are no fun at all. C'mon, we've still got some time for a victory party. Let's go find a bar and have a good time!"

Naru shook her head, flipping the sheathed Excalibur over and over in her hands. "Not for me, sorry. I'm going to try and get some more training in tonight, and then I'm going to SLEEP. I'm still totally wiped out."

"Same here," said Subaru, stifling a yawn. "It's been a long day. I'm beat."

"Damn! That's what I get for having a couple of kids as teammates," Rook said with a grin, defeated. "Well, fine, but I'm going to go out and party a bit anyway, maybe get in a few brawls for practice. See if I can find that hottie Miyabi hanging out somewhere...wouldn't THAT be a nice surprise..." Eager to make his fantasy come true, Rook left the room. Subaru shook his head and laughed. "Rook still has the same one-track mind: Beer, women and fighting. He hasn't changed one bit."

Naru shrugged. "I'm more interested in you than Rook."

"H-huh?!?" Subaru scrambled up into a sitting position on the couch, eyes wide. Seeing his response, Naru snorted. "Not like THAT, dimwit. Didn't you notice when I was fighting that our styles practically ARE the same? Because I could obviously see it when I watched you fight." She smiled in amusement, leaning back in the armchair. "I still find it all funny: We've never met before in our lives, and yet our pasts are twinned together so much that we even have the same fighting style."

Subaru closed his eyes with a smile. "Strange what destiny can do to you, huh? I mean, I can barely believe this is all happening myself..."

A few moments of silence passed between the two teenagers, before Naru got up and headed for the door. "It's late. I should be going."

"Oh...yeah, sure, of course." But Subaru saw Naru pause at the door, and she turned back and looked at him. "We really did well today, didn't we?"

Subaru winked and nodded. "We did great."

Naru stood there for a moment, and the two locked eyes for what seemed like the longest time. Finally, Naru smiled, and murmured, "Oyasumi."

The door shut with a small CLICK.

"Oyasumi," Subaru said quietly to the closed door. He couldn't help but smile. However, other thoughts were lingering in the back of his head.

Yeah, we did do well today...but I still can't figure out what that crazy old man was talking about. My sword being 'of the four', a god that protects me...I wonder...could he mean Byakko? Subaru glanced at his sheathed katana, lying on the floor in front of him. He picked the sword up and examined it. It IS called the Byakko no Tachi, the Sword of Byakko, but...what does that have to do with anything? Was he trying to tell me that the gods are real, and THAT's the source of the sword's power? He chuckled, shaking his head. Crazy indeed. It's just a legend, nothing more...

Something flashed before his eyes. Subaru gasped, clutching his head in sudden, jolting pain. Following the first, images began to appear before his eyes, fleeting, jumbled-up pictures as if ones from a dream. He screwed his eyes shut, trying to block out the barrage of images, but they were relentless -- a frightening collage of pictures, sounds, voices all began to assault his mind.

-being alone-

...no...

-a man he knew, a voice he remembered, eyes as red as his own-

No, stop it...stop...don't...

-another man, one who looked similar, he didn't know him-

...Get out...stop it, go away!!

-alone in the rain, a purple scarf-

Leave me alone!! Just leave me alone!!

-a search, a sword, responsibility, destiny, blood and tears and sadness and loss-

STOP, GOD DAMMIT, MAKE IT STOP!!!

And the voice.

Realize the truth.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" With a loud scream, Subaru's eyes flew open, and both he was breathing hard and shaking at the same time. The room was completely silent, the only sound being his ragged breathing. He sat, perfectly still, trying to catch his breath and bracing himself for a second wave. Nothing came. Nothing else happened. The voices and pictures had all gone away, vanishing from his mind as if they had never been. Subaru, the thundering pound of his heartbeat in his ears, was only able to stare at the floor in numbed shock. He could barely find words. "What...what the...what the hell WAS that...?!?"

He wasn't even sure he knew.

Subaru lay back on the couch, one hand on his head. He sighed and half-closed his eyes, his fingers lightly brushing the Byakko no Tachi, still on the floor. ...I don't know what's wrong with me...

He fell asleep almost immediately.

Outside, it began to rain again.

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