"That's where Kiyone went," Nasuti answered, her concern increasing by the minute. "That's where her father's grave is… that's where she went."
"…The cost of property damage is now in the millions and rescue teams are still unable to locate any survivors…"
"Kiyone…" The sound of Touma's glass hitting the floor could be heard as he made a mad dash for the door, only to be held back by Ryo and Shuu. "Let go of me!" he exclaimed.
"Take it easy, Touma," Ryo exclaimed. "You don't know if she's still there or not!"
Touma continued to struggle against their hold. "That's where Nasuti said she was!" he cried out. "She's still there! I know she is!"
"Calm down," Nasuti pleaded. "I'm sure Kiyone got away! She had to have escaped!"
"Hey, take a look at this." Seiji replied.
Again everyone's focus turned to the television screen. Amidst the wreckage and all-out destruction, the figure of a lone woman could be seen.
"Who, or what is that?" Shuu asked, slowly loosening his grip on Touma.
"Folks at home," the anchorman replied. "We are receiving this footage live from the wreckage via our news crew helicopter currently hovering over the scene. There's no word as to who this woman is or where she came from; however, rumor is that she alone is responsible for this… this desolation!"
Noting the black and gold armor complete with a long, flowing cape that the woman wore, the troopers figured that guess wasn't too far off.
From the folds of her cape, the warrior drew a long sword. It was no-datchi like in design, but longer and wider. Intricate designs ran along its side and its hilt was made of silver with hints of gold flecks. At the center of the hilt, where it met the blade, a large green stone rested, resembling the seas churned up after a storm.
Pointing the weapon at the screen, the figure spoke, "Yoroiden Samurai Troopers," Her voice was loud and clear, if not unnatural - it sounded as though two people were speaking. "I know that you can hear me, so listen well. If you care at all about your pathetic world, you will come to me. Deliver Kikkotei and the Soul Swords into my possession, or I shall continue to lay waste to what you see before you." Energy began to form around her blade. "I await your arrival." Without another word or warning, the connection was severed.
However, by that point, the troopers, Nasuti, and Byauken were already out the door.
~*~*~*~
"So, any clues to just who the heck that chick is?" Shuu asked, as he and the other troopers piled into Nasuti's jeep - which was a bit difficult noting that there were six people.
"Not really," Nasuti answered, as she positioned herself on Ryo's lap, starting up her laptop. "But, I do have a guess."
"Who?" Touma asked, starting the ignition and tearing out of the mansion's driveway like a bat out of you-know-where.
The other troopers hastily buckled their seatbelts.
"Judging by her attire and the demands that she makes," Nasuti replied, hastily typing away. "She is or somehow was affiliated with the Youja-kai."
"Go on," Seiji replied.
"Looking at her sword," she went on. "It reminded me of the one Kiyone told us about - the one that her father made."
"You don't mean to say…"
Nasuti nodded grimly. "I do." she answered. "That sword belonged to Kenbukyo. It may very well be what Kiyone's pursuer was after all along."
Touma fought to keep his attention on the road ahead of him. "You don't suppose she--"
"I really can't say, Touma." Nasuti cut him off. "We just have to get to Kyoto as fast as possible and pray that Kiyone's still all right."
It appeared the others agreed, for they made no objections when Touma's foot pressed the accelerator down to the floor.
~*~*~*~
Almost as if she had sensed their presence, the mysterious woman looked up to see the Samurai Troopers running towards her, donned in their sub-armor, with Byauken at their side.
"How quaint." she snickered. "The gang's all here."
"Yeah, we came like you asked." Ryo replied gruffly. "We weren't just going to stand by and let you kill innocent people."
"Of course not." the woman replied mockingly. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."
"Enough talk!" Seiji exclaimed, pointing a finger accusingly at her. "What've you done with Kiyone?"
"Kiyone? Kiyone…" the woman rubbed the lower half of her mask in thought. "Hmm… I don't believe I know anyone by that name."
"Liar!" Touma growled. "We know you're the one following Kiyone - you stole her father's sword!"
"Ooh… you guys are clever," the woman purred. "I guess poor Jade wasn't as secretive about her past as I thought she was." With that, she shrugged nonchalantly, putting herself in a fighting stance. "But in any case, you're quite correct. This sword was in fact forged at the hand of Kenbukyo, and is rumored to contain some his own power - his very life force." She leapt into the air with the sword raised high. "Let's test that theory, shall we?"
Shin and Seiji narrowly managed to escape the force of the sword's stroke as it ripped a huge chunk out of the ground on which they had once stood.
"Well, that explains how she was able to level this whole area." Shin exclaimed, landing several yards away.
"Oh no, boys," the woman laughed. "You're not even close." She leapt into the air once again. "But don't worry, I'll give you a little clue." Bright energy pulsed around her, taking on the shape of wings.
Ryo's eyes went wide in shock. "I know that attack…"
(Insert Kenbukyo's attack here.)
"Clear the way!" the warrior of virtue cried out. "To arms!"
"Korin!"
"Suiko!"
"Kongo!"
"Tenku!"
"Rekka!"
Unfortunately, even with the protection of their complete armors, the troopers still felt the brunt of woman's attack, hitting the ground skidding several meters away.
Shuu cursed under his breath. "No way! How the heck did she manage an attack like that?"
"Oh, you didn't know?" The troopers looked up to see the woman making her way towards them. "I am Sadia, loyal servant of the Youja-kai. I knew Kenbukyo; I trained under him for centuries. That is, of course, before the fool lost what little sanity he had, sneaking away to the mortal world like the coward he was. It was a shame of course, after all that he accomplished, he died by the hands of pathetic little weaklings like you." She stopped, chuckling to herself. "If you ask me, the weakling traitor got what he deser-"
Sadia had no chance to finish her sentence, for the rest of her words were drowned out by the sound of growling as Byauken charged towards her.
"Byauken!" Ryo called out.
Sadia looked down at the snarling animal before, unfazed. "Oh yes," she deadpanned. "How could I have forgotten about the faithful 500 pound beast - how are you doing nowadays, Byauken… or should I say Kokuen-oh?" Byauken's ears flicked backwards in surprise as he stopped snarling. Slowly he began backing away, much to the woman's displeasure. "Hmm, naughty, naughty kitty," she scoffed disdainfully, raising her sword. "I have no time for the likes of you."
"Well, you're just gonna have to deal with us instead!" A barrage of golden arrows flew out of nowhere, catching Sadia completely off guard. One arrow caught in her shoulder, while another embedded itself in the faceplate of her helmet. The helmet cracked, splitting in two and falling to the ground to reveal the face underneath.
Byauken let out a woeful growl.
"Well, you did want to know what happened to Kiyone." came her snide reply. "Didn't anyone ever tell you to be careful what you wished for?"
The troopers were horrified; they couldn't believe their eyes. Before them, sneering and fighting them like they were her enemy was Jade Kiyone - the one they had come all that way to protect. It was unbelievable!
"What's the matter?" she smiled in an innocent-like manner. "Byauken got your tongue?"
The white tiger could only whimper.
"Kiyone…" Shin began. "I don't understand… why would you… how could…"
"What happened?" Shuu exclaimed. "I thought we were all on the same side!"
Kiyone laughed out loud. "On the same side?" she cried out. "Are you joking? Why would I side with anyone who is responsible for the death of my father?!"
Ryo staggered backwards slightly.
"Kiyone--" Seiji began, only to stop when he noticed the flicker of amber in her eyes. He rose his sword ever so slightly; something just wasn't right.
"You fools!" Kiyone laughed cruelly. "How could you possibly think I would ever feel anything but hatred towards you! It was because of you that my life took a drastic turn! You ruined everything!"
"Kiyone--" Touma cried out.
Kiyone rose her sword high into the air, preparing for another attack. "I'll fight you to the end!" she shrieked. "And I'll never stop until we have our revenge!" Repeating Kenbukyo's attack, the energy she unleashed upon them was so great, there was nowhere to go but into unconscious oblivion.
~*~*~*~
A sense of despair hung in the air. Everyone in the room was silent, nervous, agitated, and avoiding eye contact with each other. Their minds all focused on the previous events, what was there to say?
The first to break the silence, Shin shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe it," was all he could manage.
"I don't think any of us can," Nasuti replied, her voice thick with emotion. "I never dreamt that Kiyone would ever…" She trailed off, feeling Ryo's hand rest itself lightly on hers.
Everyone fell silent again, only to be startled out of their thoughts by Shuu slamming his fists down on the table. They all stared at him, giving him a 'what was that for?' look.
"There's no way I'm gonna take this," he replied in a low, controlled voice. "It just can't be." He looked up at the others in disbelief. "How could this have happened! It was a trick, right?"
"It was no trick," Seiji frowned, clenching his fists at his sides. "That was Kiyone all right."
"I just don't understand," Ryo replied, trying his best to stay calm. "How could she just turn against us like that? Why the game?"
"Maybe it was brainwashing." Nasuti replied quietly.
"What?"
Nasuti closed her eyes. "Maybe she wasn't in control." she replied. "Why else would she introduce herself as Sadia? Before she came to us, she knew nothing about her father. It has to be brainwashing - the Kiyone I know would never do something like this!"
"Suppose it is brainwashing," Shin replied quietly. "What's the deal with this Sadia person?"
"She probably has control over Kiyone so that she can tap into Kenbukyo's power through her." Ryo suggested. "She plans on taking revenge on us and then taking over the world."
Shuu looked only somewhat relieved. "So, if Kiyone's just a puppet, how can we stop her?"
Nasuti let out a sigh of despair, directing everyone's attention towards her. "My only guess," she replied quietly. "Is that Kiyone has been possessed."
"Possessed?"
Nasuti nodded, opening her eyes - which were brimmed with tears. "Yes," she whispered. "Possessed by the youja spirit of this Sadia woman - just like Grandfather was."
"Nasuti…" Ryo whispered.
Shin's eyes widened. "You don't mean to say that…" he began.
"I do," Nasuti replied. "If Kiyone is indeed possessed by Sadia, that means that Sadia is just a spirit - she can't be harmed. However, once Sadia leaves Kiyone's body, Kiyone will die."
Touma jumped up from his seat. "What?" he exclaimed.
Ryo nodded in agreement. "Once a spirit leaves the possessed human's body, that person's soul has been poisoned," He lowered his head. "They can't survive."
"But, if that's the case," Shin replied. "Who's to say Sadia will leave Kiyone's body."
"We don't know for sure," Ryo replied. "Still, we can't risk her staying there, feeding off of Kiyone. If she harnesses her full power…" He clenched his fists tightly. "It's too risky."
Touma stood still, waiting to hear Ryo's next words with bated breath.
"…Kiyone has to be killed before Sadia can harness her full strength."
Hashiba Touma, warrior of intellect, wielder of the armor of Tenku, usually always calm and level-headed, snapped. He rose out of his seat, fists clenched and eyes blazing in fury. "You CAN'T!!" he exclaimed. "You can't kill Kiyone!"
"Touma…"
"No! There has to be some other way!" he cried out. "What happened? Wasn't our plan to protect her? You're giving up just like that?"
"Touma," Seiji replied, stepping between him and the trooper's leader. "I know what you're saying, but you've got to understand--,"
Touma's temper was skyrocketing. "I don't have to understand anything!" he yelled. "I'm not gonna let you do this!"
Seiji grabbed by the shoulders, shaking him roughly. "Touma, wake up!" he yelled back. "It's the only way!"
Touma's hand came flying out of nowhere, aimed directly at Seiji's jaw. Before it could connect, Ryo stepped between the two, taking the hit instead. The force of it sent him stumbling backwards towards the coffee table.
Nasuti screamed.
"Ryo!" Shin cried out.
Seiji growled at Touma, his temper quickly rising to match his. "What the hell are you doing?" he exclaimed.
"You listen to me," Touma replied, glowering at everyone in the room. "I'm not going to let you just give up on Kiyone. She's strong; she can fight this." He slowly unclenched his fists. "She's not going to die - not by my hand, not by anyone else's." Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. "Anyone who tries to hurt her will have to go through me." Opening his eyes again, he focused them on Seiji. "And if you want to kill her, you're going to have to make sure you kill me first."
"…The cost of property damage is now in the millions and rescue teams are still unable to locate any survivors…"
"Kiyone…" The sound of Touma's glass hitting the floor could be heard as he made a mad dash for the door, only to be held back by Ryo and Shuu. "Let go of me!" he exclaimed.
"Take it easy, Touma," Ryo exclaimed. "You don't know if she's still there or not!"
Touma continued to struggle against their hold. "That's where Nasuti said she was!" he cried out. "She's still there! I know she is!"
"Calm down," Nasuti pleaded. "I'm sure Kiyone got away! She had to have escaped!"
"Hey, take a look at this." Seiji replied.
Again everyone's focus turned to the television screen. Amidst the wreckage and all-out destruction, the figure of a lone woman could be seen.
"Who, or what is that?" Shuu asked, slowly loosening his grip on Touma.
"Folks at home," the anchorman replied. "We are receiving this footage live from the wreckage via our news crew helicopter currently hovering over the scene. There's no word as to who this woman is or where she came from; however, rumor is that she alone is responsible for this… this desolation!"
Noting the black and gold armor complete with a long, flowing cape that the woman wore, the troopers figured that guess wasn't too far off.
From the folds of her cape, the warrior drew a long sword. It was no-datchi like in design, but longer and wider. Intricate designs ran along its side and its hilt was made of silver with hints of gold flecks. At the center of the hilt, where it met the blade, a large green stone rested, resembling the seas churned up after a storm.
Pointing the weapon at the screen, the figure spoke, "Yoroiden Samurai Troopers," Her voice was loud and clear, if not unnatural - it sounded as though two people were speaking. "I know that you can hear me, so listen well. If you care at all about your pathetic world, you will come to me. Deliver Kikkotei and the Soul Swords into my possession, or I shall continue to lay waste to what you see before you." Energy began to form around her blade. "I await your arrival." Without another word or warning, the connection was severed.
However, by that point, the troopers, Nasuti, and Byauken were already out the door.
~*~*~*~
"So, any clues to just who the heck that chick is?" Shuu asked, as he and the other troopers piled into Nasuti's jeep - which was a bit difficult noting that there were six people.
"Not really," Nasuti answered, as she positioned herself on Ryo's lap, starting up her laptop. "But, I do have a guess."
"Who?" Touma asked, starting the ignition and tearing out of the mansion's driveway like a bat out of you-know-where.
The other troopers hastily buckled their seatbelts.
"Judging by her attire and the demands that she makes," Nasuti replied, hastily typing away. "She is or somehow was affiliated with the Youja-kai."
"Go on," Seiji replied.
"Looking at her sword," she went on. "It reminded me of the one Kiyone told us about - the one that her father made."
"You don't mean to say…"
Nasuti nodded grimly. "I do." she answered. "That sword belonged to Kenbukyo. It may very well be what Kiyone's pursuer was after all along."
Touma fought to keep his attention on the road ahead of him. "You don't suppose she--"
"I really can't say, Touma." Nasuti cut him off. "We just have to get to Kyoto as fast as possible and pray that Kiyone's still all right."
It appeared the others agreed, for they made no objections when Touma's foot pressed the accelerator down to the floor.
~*~*~*~
Almost as if she had sensed their presence, the mysterious woman looked up to see the Samurai Troopers running towards her, donned in their sub-armor, with Byauken at their side.
"How quaint." she snickered. "The gang's all here."
"Yeah, we came like you asked." Ryo replied gruffly. "We weren't just going to stand by and let you kill innocent people."
"Of course not." the woman replied mockingly. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."
"Enough talk!" Seiji exclaimed, pointing a finger accusingly at her. "What've you done with Kiyone?"
"Kiyone? Kiyone…" the woman rubbed the lower half of her mask in thought. "Hmm… I don't believe I know anyone by that name."
"Liar!" Touma growled. "We know you're the one following Kiyone - you stole her father's sword!"
"Ooh… you guys are clever," the woman purred. "I guess poor Jade wasn't as secretive about her past as I thought she was." With that, she shrugged nonchalantly, putting herself in a fighting stance. "But in any case, you're quite correct. This sword was in fact forged at the hand of Kenbukyo, and is rumored to contain some his own power - his very life force." She leapt into the air with the sword raised high. "Let's test that theory, shall we?"
Shin and Seiji narrowly managed to escape the force of the sword's stroke as it ripped a huge chunk out of the ground on which they had once stood.
"Well, that explains how she was able to level this whole area." Shin exclaimed, landing several yards away.
"Oh no, boys," the woman laughed. "You're not even close." She leapt into the air once again. "But don't worry, I'll give you a little clue." Bright energy pulsed around her, taking on the shape of wings.
Ryo's eyes went wide in shock. "I know that attack…"
(Insert Kenbukyo's attack here.)
"Clear the way!" the warrior of virtue cried out. "To arms!"
"Korin!"
"Suiko!"
"Kongo!"
"Tenku!"
"Rekka!"
Unfortunately, even with the protection of their complete armors, the troopers still felt the brunt of woman's attack, hitting the ground skidding several meters away.
Shuu cursed under his breath. "No way! How the heck did she manage an attack like that?"
"Oh, you didn't know?" The troopers looked up to see the woman making her way towards them. "I am Sadia, loyal servant of the Youja-kai. I knew Kenbukyo; I trained under him for centuries. That is, of course, before the fool lost what little sanity he had, sneaking away to the mortal world like the coward he was. It was a shame of course, after all that he accomplished, he died by the hands of pathetic little weaklings like you." She stopped, chuckling to herself. "If you ask me, the weakling traitor got what he deser-"
Sadia had no chance to finish her sentence, for the rest of her words were drowned out by the sound of growling as Byauken charged towards her.
"Byauken!" Ryo called out.
Sadia looked down at the snarling animal before, unfazed. "Oh yes," she deadpanned. "How could I have forgotten about the faithful 500 pound beast - how are you doing nowadays, Byauken… or should I say Kokuen-oh?" Byauken's ears flicked backwards in surprise as he stopped snarling. Slowly he began backing away, much to the woman's displeasure. "Hmm, naughty, naughty kitty," she scoffed disdainfully, raising her sword. "I have no time for the likes of you."
"Well, you're just gonna have to deal with us instead!" A barrage of golden arrows flew out of nowhere, catching Sadia completely off guard. One arrow caught in her shoulder, while another embedded itself in the faceplate of her helmet. The helmet cracked, splitting in two and falling to the ground to reveal the face underneath.
Byauken let out a woeful growl.
"Well, you did want to know what happened to Kiyone." came her snide reply. "Didn't anyone ever tell you to be careful what you wished for?"
The troopers were horrified; they couldn't believe their eyes. Before them, sneering and fighting them like they were her enemy was Jade Kiyone - the one they had come all that way to protect. It was unbelievable!
"What's the matter?" she smiled in an innocent-like manner. "Byauken got your tongue?"
The white tiger could only whimper.
"Kiyone…" Shin began. "I don't understand… why would you… how could…"
"What happened?" Shuu exclaimed. "I thought we were all on the same side!"
Kiyone laughed out loud. "On the same side?" she cried out. "Are you joking? Why would I side with anyone who is responsible for the death of my father?!"
Ryo staggered backwards slightly.
"Kiyone--" Seiji began, only to stop when he noticed the flicker of amber in her eyes. He rose his sword ever so slightly; something just wasn't right.
"You fools!" Kiyone laughed cruelly. "How could you possibly think I would ever feel anything but hatred towards you! It was because of you that my life took a drastic turn! You ruined everything!"
"Kiyone--" Touma cried out.
Kiyone rose her sword high into the air, preparing for another attack. "I'll fight you to the end!" she shrieked. "And I'll never stop until we have our revenge!" Repeating Kenbukyo's attack, the energy she unleashed upon them was so great, there was nowhere to go but into unconscious oblivion.
~*~*~*~
A sense of despair hung in the air. Everyone in the room was silent, nervous, agitated, and avoiding eye contact with each other. Their minds all focused on the previous events, what was there to say?
The first to break the silence, Shin shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe it," was all he could manage.
"I don't think any of us can," Nasuti replied, her voice thick with emotion. "I never dreamt that Kiyone would ever…" She trailed off, feeling Ryo's hand rest itself lightly on hers.
Everyone fell silent again, only to be startled out of their thoughts by Shuu slamming his fists down on the table. They all stared at him, giving him a 'what was that for?' look.
"There's no way I'm gonna take this," he replied in a low, controlled voice. "It just can't be." He looked up at the others in disbelief. "How could this have happened! It was a trick, right?"
"It was no trick," Seiji frowned, clenching his fists at his sides. "That was Kiyone all right."
"I just don't understand," Ryo replied, trying his best to stay calm. "How could she just turn against us like that? Why the game?"
"Maybe it was brainwashing." Nasuti replied quietly.
"What?"
Nasuti closed her eyes. "Maybe she wasn't in control." she replied. "Why else would she introduce herself as Sadia? Before she came to us, she knew nothing about her father. It has to be brainwashing - the Kiyone I know would never do something like this!"
"Suppose it is brainwashing," Shin replied quietly. "What's the deal with this Sadia person?"
"She probably has control over Kiyone so that she can tap into Kenbukyo's power through her." Ryo suggested. "She plans on taking revenge on us and then taking over the world."
Shuu looked only somewhat relieved. "So, if Kiyone's just a puppet, how can we stop her?"
Nasuti let out a sigh of despair, directing everyone's attention towards her. "My only guess," she replied quietly. "Is that Kiyone has been possessed."
"Possessed?"
Nasuti nodded, opening her eyes - which were brimmed with tears. "Yes," she whispered. "Possessed by the youja spirit of this Sadia woman - just like Grandfather was."
"Nasuti…" Ryo whispered.
Shin's eyes widened. "You don't mean to say that…" he began.
"I do," Nasuti replied. "If Kiyone is indeed possessed by Sadia, that means that Sadia is just a spirit - she can't be harmed. However, once Sadia leaves Kiyone's body, Kiyone will die."
Touma jumped up from his seat. "What?" he exclaimed.
Ryo nodded in agreement. "Once a spirit leaves the possessed human's body, that person's soul has been poisoned," He lowered his head. "They can't survive."
"But, if that's the case," Shin replied. "Who's to say Sadia will leave Kiyone's body."
"We don't know for sure," Ryo replied. "Still, we can't risk her staying there, feeding off of Kiyone. If she harnesses her full power…" He clenched his fists tightly. "It's too risky."
Touma stood still, waiting to hear Ryo's next words with bated breath.
"…Kiyone has to be killed before Sadia can harness her full strength."
Hashiba Touma, warrior of intellect, wielder of the armor of Tenku, usually always calm and level-headed, snapped. He rose out of his seat, fists clenched and eyes blazing in fury. "You CAN'T!!" he exclaimed. "You can't kill Kiyone!"
"Touma…"
"No! There has to be some other way!" he cried out. "What happened? Wasn't our plan to protect her? You're giving up just like that?"
"Touma," Seiji replied, stepping between him and the trooper's leader. "I know what you're saying, but you've got to understand--,"
Touma's temper was skyrocketing. "I don't have to understand anything!" he yelled. "I'm not gonna let you do this!"
Seiji grabbed by the shoulders, shaking him roughly. "Touma, wake up!" he yelled back. "It's the only way!"
Touma's hand came flying out of nowhere, aimed directly at Seiji's jaw. Before it could connect, Ryo stepped between the two, taking the hit instead. The force of it sent him stumbling backwards towards the coffee table.
Nasuti screamed.
"Ryo!" Shin cried out.
Seiji growled at Touma, his temper quickly rising to match his. "What the hell are you doing?" he exclaimed.
"You listen to me," Touma replied, glowering at everyone in the room. "I'm not going to let you just give up on Kiyone. She's strong; she can fight this." He slowly unclenched his fists. "She's not going to die - not by my hand, not by anyone else's." Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. "Anyone who tries to hurt her will have to go through me." Opening his eyes again, he focused them on Seiji. "And if you want to kill her, you're going to have to make sure you kill me first."