The Blade Breakers weren't EXACTLY prepared for what they were about to witness.

Lei's eyes became glassy. Takao's eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth.

"This is awful…"

The entire village was a smoldering ruin. Everything, even down to the trees that surrounded their secluded little village from the outsiders' view.

The village was situated in a tiny valley sandwiched in between the many jagged outcroppings of rock on each side, which roughly translate to mountains. All of Lei's fond, happy childhood memories in this village were totally, permanently burnt out by the people who had hatefully resented their existence.

But…who could they be…?

"Dear God, Mao wasn't KIDDING." Max's blue eyes were wide. "Who could possibly hate you this much…?"

"…" Tsukiyo looked around. The wind howled eerily through the smoked out skeletons of the houses that once stood there, and once in a while dead leaves rolled past, adding their rustling to the stillness of the entire place. It was something straight out of a horror movie. Only…this time, the horror was REAL.

Professor gulped. "These aren't sane people we're talking about here. They're CRAZY!"

"Crazy's too gentle a word," Max told him. "They're DERANGED."

Lei went towards the houses, his eyes still glassy. Kai blinked, then looked over at Takao and Max. "Let's keep close to him. There's no telling what might pop out unannounced here."

The 2 young men nodded. Tsukiyo and Professor followed suit, while Asaya hung behind. She saw a burnt stuffed tiger on the ground, a child's toy. She picked it up, her curious clearest amethyst eyes strangely distant.

She could hear screams. Then a bunch of people running through the inferno. One of them happened to be a little girl who owned this doll. She also happened to be in the line of fire when the deranged people drove in.

It was then when she heard a violent explosion. Asaya looked up, her expression wary and alert.

"They're HERE."

"You…the NERVE! Are you the people responsible for this…MASSACRE?!" Takao yells.

There was a cold laugh, that of a young man's. "So what would you do if you knew it was US? You could do nothing about it, can you?"

Takao looked over his shoulder. It was a good thing they were scattered when the driving projectile shot in. It was so powerful as to make the very mountains tremble in the ensuing explosion.

But some were not as lucky. Professor happened to be just a few meters away from the center of the blast, and now his head was bleeding profusely. Max was attending to him by means of a first aid kit he usually carries around, with a little help from Tsukiyo.

Takao then turned to glare right back at the still unseen speaker. "Coward, show your FACE! Don't hide behind the SHADOWS!"

"Oh, but I would do that, don't you worry." The young man's soft laugh could still be heard in the stillness. "How's your little friend?"

"Why YOU~~~!!!"

"Takao! That's ENOUGH!" Kai calls to him.

"…" Lei stood up, his amber yellow eyes narrowed and very dangerous. "You're the one who killed everybody…my friends…these kind villagers…what did they ever do to you…? Why did you kill them…"

"It's because they were all HERE." The wind blew. "Isn't that enough?"

"That's a STUPID reason." Lei was very, VERY angry. "You don't kill people just because they were THERE~~~!!!"

"Ha ha, so there. We had to get rid of them. They were becoming pretty annoying." The young man sighed. "Oh well. It's time we talk, Lei Kon. I've been expecting you."

"Oh no," Tsukiyo said, panic creeping up in her voice. "Is he…going to kill Lei too?"

The winds blew again, and revealed a group of black cloaked figures with ninja-like face gear. "Well met in this lifetime, leader of the White Tiger Clan. I am very HONORED to meet you." The tallest of them removed his face gear and sort of cloth-bound helmet, revealing a young man with red brown eyes and deep blue hair with a lone white streak down the middle of his back, where his hair was bound in a semi-braid.

He smiles.

"I am called Shao Fei. I am the lord of this entire domain. Kneel before me as you all ought to do! The Black Tiger Clan has risen from beyond the darkness of the night and has come to lay waste every single White Tiger! You shall die as the traitor as you were destined TO! Death to you TRAITOR! Death will seek you ALL~~~!!!"