Chapter 13

Rowen shook his head, as he became lost in the thick cloud of fog again. He then looked around him once more and sighed. "This is like trying to find a needle in a hey stack..." "Ain't it tho, Strata...." An evil voice sounded that was as cold as ice. "Dais! What do you want with me this time you low life illusion scum?!" Rowen got into a defensive battle stance, his eyes darting everywhere about him in the fog. He could tell that the fog was getting thinner and thinner the more he looked for the Warlord. "What do you mean, Rowen? Don't you trust me?" "Not after you went back to your old day job... and you are a traitor... plus I can't trust your 'card tricks', as Kento would care to call them." Rowen gritted his teeth and then thought he saw the warlord. "I got you now!" Rowen raised his hands and cupped them together. Slowly a ball of light formed I his hands and then began to glow. "Strata, awaken my strength!" Rowen could feel the evil in the air thicken as he prepared the attack. Turning to his side where he saw Dais's face appear, he thrusted the ball of energy at the Warlord. "Kazuma Starlight!" He gasped and then looked at his hands. He hadn't even realized what it was that he was doing till it was done. * Was that a new power? Then maybe what Jenna and Mina said was true.... Maybe we will get new powers.... * Then the let the memories sink into his mind. It was when they were in the gym before Jenna and Ryo went scouting. He remembered what Jenna had said to them all. "Beware of sudden power bursts... for I fear that you all we have a new power level met soon...." * She was right.... * Rowen thought to himself as he looked about him "So pathetic..." Dais laughed as the fog cleared completely and Rowen saw multiple forms of the warlord about him. The blue clad Ronin gasped at the sight. "You little devil..." Rowen glared the Warlord down as each of the forms came closer to him. "I know all of your tricks." "Or you think you do!" Then Dais charged at him, each of his forms going through Rowen as if they were ghosts. He fell to the ground in shock, looking about him. "What's wrong Strata? Can't take the heat?!" Another one came at Rowen as he stood, but this time it hit him. When he landed on the ground, he rubbed his sore cheek with his blue and white armored hand. When he touched his lip then looked at his hand, he saw blood falling over the side of them. Rowen stood slowly, but Dais took another hit from behind, flooring the warrior of Strata once again. Dais's forms all laughed as Rowen quivered in pain in an attempt to get up again. "You are so weak. Even worse then before!" "You.... You little..." Rowen tried to get up off of the ground one last time, but as he did, all of the forms hit him to the ground. And this time he did not get up. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sage looked up from where he sat in a tree in the slowly clearing, fog- covered woods. He thought he had heard the sounds of armor clashing against armor, but wasn't sure. Listening closely, he thought that he had heard Rowen's voice. "Rowen? Here? I wonder..." He then jumped out of the tree and slowly walked closer and closer towards the sound that had seemingly stopped. Glad that he had his sub-armor on for protection, he looked about him to be wary of any other evils. Then he suddenly saw deep green, almost black, colored warriors walk to a clearing up ahead. He whispered to himself, "Dynasty soldiers...." Sage looked about and took to the trees once again, looking down on the soldiers as he leapt silently from tree branch to tree branch. Glancing up ahead some, he saw the multiple warlords of illusion crowed around someone on the ground. * What? Blue armor? ROWEN! * Sage thought as he looked closer at the person. "Now we have to take him back to Zoisite..." Dais said to the warriors around him as he became one person again. Sage gasped as the words met his ears. "Now you won't!" He then jumped out of hiding, landing in front of his friend. "Halo?! Where did you come from?!" Dais was taken aback, not excepting Sage to appear. "None of your business." Sage's anger began to grow worse and worse as he looked at Dais defiantly. Little did he know that he was building energy in his hands. As the energy got worse, small bolts of lightening began to spark. "Miroshi Thunder Sphere!" Sage then threw the two spheres at Dais, but the warlord reflected. Sage growled and then mumbled, "Time for a last resort..." He held his hands above his head and then closed his eyes before calling out, "Armor of Halo! TAO CHI!" As the light of Sage's transformation calmed, Dais exclaimed, "So you are ready to die are you!?" "A Ronin never dies or gives up. You should know that by now." Sage's one visible eye was filled with hate. "And no one hurts my friends." Sage then pointed his no datchi at Dais as his glare worsened. "Bring it on Halo. You can't take me." Dais was about to attack when he heard a voice.