The Armor of the Soul

By Dixxy

Chapter Seven: The Battle With Kaze

(Ria)

Okay, so maybe having Sara controlling the crane wasn't a good idea. After all the Starbucks coffee she'd had. . . I didn't want to think about what she was capable off.

Kaze just looked at her and laughed. "Pathetic contraption," he said. He lifted the sword he now carried- a very large saber with a sort of chain-saw look from the pointed teeth along the edge- and pointed it at the crane. It began to collect energy.

The smallest of our numbers saw this and panicked. Sara was just barely able to jump out before it exploded. Sam caught her, all of us staring at the now smoking hunk of twisted metal. Kaze laughed evilly, raising his sword again. "Prepare to die, Senshi brats!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Anubis and Rona on the way. They weren't coming fast enough, though! Kaze was readying another attack. This time, instead of a disaster, lightening, or an earthquake, a tidal wave hit us.

"Where the heck did he get those powers!?" asked Sam. Almost expected, the tidal wave had no effect on Sara. This should have been some sort of a clue, but I didn't understand it. Why were some of his attacks not affecting some of us?

"TAKE THIS!" said Sara. She prepared an elemental attack, hurtling it towards our enemy. Kaze laughed as it splashed harmlessly against his armor. "Uh oh, I'm in trouble."

"Pathetic attempt to hurt us, little girl," he said. He lifted his hand and let out a massive thunderbolt over Sara. She cried out as her subarmor did little to protect her from the harsh lightening attack.

"SARA!" cried Sam once Sara fell to her knees. Halo of the Senshi rushed to her side to try and heal her. Kaze was ready to attack again, but Keisha diverted him with a sharp blow from her nunchaku. Yeah, it didn't hurt, but he turned his attention from our injured Senshi long enough for Sam to heal her. Sara was back on her feet and ready to battle once again.

Me? After realizing I'd been standing and watching the fight for a few minutes without doing anything, I lifted my left arm, which carried my throwing stars, concentrated, and sent them hurtling towards Kaze. To my surprise, they did something different. The light blue, orange, and green stars glowed fiercely as they imbedded themselves into the armor while the red and dark blue ones actually hurt him. All five returned to my arm.

"Whoa," I said. "Weird."

"Ria! Take my power!" I turned my head to see Rona surrendering her powers to me. Anubis threw the Staff down, and suddenly the Inferna was once again being formed. My armor melted from my body as the red body suit and white chain mail replaced it.

Keisha took charge of the other three. "Sara, Sam, armor up! Hardrock of the Senshi, Dao GI!"

"Torrent of the Senshi, Dao SHIN!"

"Halo of the Senshi, Dao CHI!"

I barely heard their armor ups from inside the fire ball. My blades came to me as the armor was finally complete.

"Hey, nice armor, Ria," said Sara. Then, her helmet fell foreword, covering her eyes. "Hey!" she cried, pushing it back up. She grumbled, cursing her size.

"Lookin' sharp!" said Keisha, giving me a thumbs up.

Sam laughed, reading her no-datchi. "Now let's get down to business and kick this guy's hide."

Kaze laughed. "Hardly. We are wearing the Armor of the Soul. It is a super armor, much like the Armor of the Inferna," he said. "So why not surrender to our mistress now and save yourselves the trouble of being killed?"

"Um, how about not?" I said. I crossed my katanas. "Guys, get ready!" The three visible Senshi nodded. I looked up to see a now helpless Anubis watching the battle, the rice bowl hat covering his eyes.

Kaze laughed and began to shoot several random attacks at my friends. They yelped and began to dodge the attacks as they came their respective ways. There was no way we were going to land the attack against Kaze if we couldn't get organized. He was laughing maniacally.

I had one last try for hope. I had to try and contact the souls that Keisha thought were imprisoned inside of Kaze. If they could just take control for just long enough, then maybe, just maybe we could deal the blow that would free them. I closed my eyes and concentrated.

Please, prisoners of Kaze, try to work together and hold him down. We want to free you. Please, try and take control of him. Work together, do anything you can, just give us the chance to free you!

I didn't get a response in the form of words, but I felt a sense of acknowledgment. I opened my eyes and suddenly, Kaze was frozen in place. Keisha, Sara, and Sam began to compose themselves.

Keisha was first. "I call apon the powers of the Earth in the name of Hardrock of the Senshi! Heal these wounded souls!" A bright orange beam of energy was sent my way. A calm, warm feeling washed over me.

Sara was next. "I call apon the powers of Water in the name of Torrent of the Senshi! Free these souls from the spirit controlling them!" A beam of light blue energy went my way. I felt a strong power embed itself in me.

"I call apon the powers of Light in the name of Halo of the Senshi! Heal this disfigured being!" said Sam. A beam of green energy came my way. The sweet, refreshing feel of Sam's healing magic enveloped me.

My swords began to glow. They absorbed the three magic powers I'd been sent. Kaze took control again, eyeing the swords in what I almost consider fear. I grinned. "You're not going to control these poor souls any longer, Kaze! I call apon the powers of Fire in the name of Wildfire of the Senshi and the Armor of the Inferna! SENSHI HEALING!"

A beam of stripped light was sent Kaze's way. It impacted the beast, causing him to scream. His eyes went wide and white and the energy began to fry him. Keisha's kanji of GI lit up over his body, a bright orange hue enveloping the creature. Sam's kanji of CHI and a green halo followed. A light blue tone and the symbol of SHIN were Sara's mark, finishing the attack.

Or, so it seemed.

The mark that surprised me the most was the yellow kanji, one I didn't recognize, and the yellow hue. That ended the spectacle. Kaze and his evil Armor of the Soul disappeared, leaving three glowing orbes of light.

Kaze was gone.

The lights flew up into the air, twinkling and sparkling. I watched the spectacle in awe as they twirled around each other, climbing higher and higher into the air. We'd freed the spirits in time. They hadn't combusted.

I released Rona from the Inferna, and pointed into the sky. Strata of the Senshi laughed, smiling. "Wow. . . we did it!"

"Incredible," said Sara. She smiled as she watched them, her eyes seeming to reflect them. "Are those the-" she stopped. "Oh no!"

All of our eyes turned to the sudden black vortex that appeared high above the Boston skyline. It made a noisy gale as it began to attempt to suck up the orbes of light. All three fought it, quavering as they fought the force. Two were swallowed in, but the last one still struggled to stay free. Eventually, the vortex closed up. The last orbe, like an elastic effect, was sent flying away through the night sky.

Keisha looked up forlornly at the light that glinted away. "The voice. . ."

Sara, Sam, and I turned slowly to Keisha. "What?" we all asked.

Tears began to come to Keisha's eyes. "I know that last orbe of light, it, it had to be the spirit I felt in the Dynasty! I could feel it!" she said. Rivulets of tears began to drip down her cheeks. "I, I finally helped it. It's free now."

"Could it be?" asked Sam, crossing her arms as she looked off in the direction the light had been sent. "Did we. . . was that. . ."

I smiled. "It is. I just hope whatever it is finds its way home."

"And I hope those other two can be saved, too," said Sara, looking almost forlornly at the spot where the vortex had been. "If it isn't too late for them."

"Let's get home," said Rona. "Our families are probably worried by now." The rest of us agreed with this statement as we walked away, our weapons over our respective shoulders.