Emotions vs. Power
Chapter 20
Reann turned wide eyes on Katie who was frowning at the pit before them. No one seemed to be in the room with them except for the large pit and whatever was making the noises. Kento smirked, "So what are they, too scared to face us or something?"
"I don't know Kento," Sage replied a little uneasily. Something about the noises and the seemingly deserted room wasn't setting well with him.
"Should we check out what's in the pit?" Cye spoke up, but even he didn't sound so sure of it.
Katie narrowed her eyes into almost a glare at the pit before them. It seemed familiar, almost like she had seen it before ---or had seen what Maguyser used it for. "Come on out, Maguyser!" she shouted suddenly and made everyone jump in surprise.
"Katie!" Ryo hollered at his sister from behind gritted teeth. She only gave him a shrug in return.
Laughter filled the room to add to the already weird chanting coming from the pit. The Ronins, Katie and Reann tensed and all got into fighting positions ---ready to fight if needed to. Maguyser's cloaked form came into view from the dim darkness that surrounded them. He smiled at them all, "Well, I see you've made it here. Not that it'll do any of you any good."
"Where's Kaye!" Kento demanded angrily from him.
Maguyser merely gave him a light smirk and then gestured behind him with a wave of his hand. "She's keeping my demons busy right now," he told him with a twinkle in his black eyes.
Kento looked behind him to where the pit was and his eyes widened when realization hit him. "No," he whispered out, "Kaye!" Kento shouted and ran towards the pit.
"Kento no!" Rowen yelled after the orange Ronin, but it was no use ---he wasn't listening to any of them anymore.
"Damn it," Katie cursed, but kept her blue eyes focused on her adversary.
Cye growled and charged after Kento before he could reach the pit, "Kento!" he shouted to gain his attention while grabbing the concerned Ronin's arm. Cye struggled to keep his hold on him as Kento fought to get loose. Trying to keep his hold on his arms, Cye turned his head around and yelled to his friends, "A little help please?!"
Rowen and Sage looked at each other before running to the aid of the light blue Ronin. Maguyser's smile widened as he watched the three Ronins struggle to keep the bearer of Hardrock subdued. He threw his head back and laughed heartily at them. "You fools," he chortled out, "now I have you right where I want you!"
"Uh-oh," Ryo said as a bad feeling rushed over him.
"No!" Reann hollered at the four Ronins in front of them as she dashed to move them, "get away from there!"
Maguyser smiled and laughed more as he watched Reann try to run to them. His eyes glowed red and a black hole appeared below the four unsuspecting Ronins. Reann stumbled to a stop at the edge of the hole and watched in horror as they disappeared into the darkness below her. Maguyser laughed more as the pit and chanting noises disappeared as well ---leaving only Ryo, Katie and Reann now in the room with him.
Katie stared at where the hole had been and where her friends had once been standing as well. "No, Sage," she whispered out and turned cold eyes on the laughing Maguyser. "I'll get you for this!" she yelled in anger and took her sais from her sides while jumping in the air, aiming them at Maguyser in a deadly arch.
Maguyser simply smirked at her futile attempt and raised his right arm in a bored fashion ---flicking his hand at Katie he sent her flying backward to hit the wall. "Foolish girl, do you really think you can defeat me?"
"Katie!" Reann and Ryo chorused, running to her aide as she climbed shakily back to her feet again.
Ryo fell to his knees next to his fallen sister, "Kate, you ok?" he asked as he tried to help her to her feet.
Katie growled and pushed him away so that she could climb back to her feet on her own. "I'm fine," she grumbled out while glaring at Maguyser.
Reann turned around and glared at him as well, "Maguyser..."
Ryo frowned at his sister's actions towards him, but shrugged it off to turn with a glare on Maguyser. "What did you do with my friends and where is Kaye?!" he questioned the disfigured enemy in front of them.
Maguyser smiled in amusement, "Your friends have gone to visit someone and where the Dream Walker is between her and me. Don't spend the last few minutes of your lives worrying about them. Be more concerned about what I'm about to do to all of you."
"Go to hell, Maguyser!" Reann told him smugly with a glare.
"I'm going to bring you down once and for all," Katie proclaimed with a point in his direction. "You will pay for all the lives you made me take, for ruining my life and for killing and harming the people closest to me!" she told him with hatred in her voice. She glared at him coldly and with a look of loathing for everything he was. Ryo and Reann stared at her ---they'd never heard her speak to him in that manner before or with such passion.
Maguyser's smile faltered as he caught the look in her deep blue eyes. A chill ran down his spine at her words ---almost afraid that she had really meant what she had proclaimed she would do. "You're bluffing," he stammered out, "there's no way you can beat me! You and your friends will perish here!"
"We'll see who's bluffing when we all get through with you Maguyser," Ryo threatened and began his call to arms. "Armor of the Wildfire, Dao Jin!" Ryo called forth his armor and when the transformation was over stood in-between Reann and Katie with swords drawn.
Maguyser smirked, seemingly less than amused by the transformation of the red Ronin. Throwing his head back, Maguyser laughed loudly ---the sound bouncing off the walls to make an echoing sound in the small room. "As I said before, you all will die here," he chortled out, "first your friends and then you three will die as well!"
Katie growled and balled her hands into fists at her sides. Her anger was growing and about to snap at any minute ---Maguyser was grating her last nerve now. "Shut up!" she screamed and the room went eerily silent as she clenched her hands tighter into fists at her sides ---trying to keep her anger at bay.
"Did I hit a nerve, Guardian," Maguyser sneered, "is the truth starting to set in now? Are you finally starting to see where you all will fall?"
Reann watched her best friend growing steadily angrier and knew that it was only a matter of time before she would snap. She had seen her do it enough times to know the signs of her temper starting to boil under the surface. Everything that had happened was starting to wear on her and knowing that she might not have enough energy to defeat Maguyser was going to be the icing on the cake. Reann looked back over at the grinning face of Maguyser and realized what he was up to ---he was toying with them. He was purposely trying to get to them all, but why?
Maguyser cruelly smiled at the three remaining people in the room, his black eyes glinting in the dim glow from the few torches lining the room. "I think Tento is probably having a nice time ripping your friends apart one by one by now," he drawled out ever so slowly to gain there attention.
Ryo growled and narrowed his eyes at him, "If so much as harm one hair on their head I swear I'll-"
"You'll what? Burn me to death?" Maguyser cut him off, "Come now Wildfire. We both know you can't harm me."
Ryo gritted his teeth and clutched his katanas tighter in his hands. Reann looked over at Katie and both girls nodded in the same understanding. "He might not be able to take you down but I can!" Reann shouted as she lunged at Maguyser.
"Can you now," Maguyser asked with mirth, "we'll see about tha-" he was cut off by the searing pain of metal puncturing his skin and spun around to find Katie behind him with a sai in her hand dripping with his blood. Another pain racked his body and he let out a cry of anguished pain. Twisting his head around he found Reann standing in front of him with her sword protruding through his stomach.
"How do you like that, master?" Reann sneered in his face as she twisted the sword that still ran through him.
Maguyser's face contorted into a mask of rage and anguish. Regaining his strength he summoned a wave of power around him, sending it to surge out around himself ---knocking the two girls away from him and sending them flying through the air. "Fools!" he shouted in outrage, "Do you think you can hurt me with such useless tools as those?"
Katie wiped the blood from her lip and climbed back to her feet with her head held high in defiance towards her once master. Reann stood off to her left holding her side and glaring at Maguyser. "We can try can't we? I said I was going to bring you down and that's what I meant," Katie replied to him with determination burning in her eyes.
"Nothing will save you this time," Reann added as she fought to catch her breath.
Maguyser frowned heavily at their words. He had lost two of his best warriors and was now left with only Tento to help him ---even with Tento on his side he was still significantly out numbered. He knew full well what Reann and Katie were capable of doing though and that might be his best advantage. He knew their moves, how they fought and their weaknesses ---they had been both, at one time, under his command after all. He smiled and let out a low and evil cackle, "You two do more talking than you do killing. Of course, that's all you both ever did anyway."
Reann growled and started to lunge for him, but Katie held her back. "That's exactly what he wants you to do. He wants to get us mad so that we'll just start attacking him without thinking," she told her harshly.
"Well, I see you've still got the brains out of the two of you, Guardian. Although your emotions have clouded your thinking a bit," Maguyser sneered with a cold smile in her direction.
Katie growled at Maguyser's comment but refrained herself from lunging at him. She looked over at her brother who was standing opposite her and then back at Reann as a thought struck her. 'Look, Reann, we need to do a double team on him, just like we used to do back in the old days. Ryo can help us out too.' She said to her telepathically.
Reann stared at her as if she had lost her mind. 'Are you crazy?! You're not strong enough to do that and Ryo could get hurt fighting him.'
Katie smirked at Reann's remark to her sanity. 'Trust me on this one. My brother can handle himself just fine. '
'Kate, I don't know about this!' Reann shouted back at Katie as she followed her friend into battle.
Katie lunged at Maguyser head on while Reann quickly sprang around to get him from behind. Maguyser smirked at their attempt, but her knew what they were going to do. Quickly he slid to the side as Katie and Reann hit each other head on and fell to the ground holding their heads in pain. He laughed at them, "This is great! I know everything that you two are going to do before you do it. There's no use in trying, just give up!"
Ryo growled and stepped forward, "I've had it with you Maguyser. How about we stop playing around and you take me on?"
Maguyser smiled coldly at his challenge. If the fool wanted to take him on and die that much faster than he had no objections to it. "You want to fight me then come on," he taunted Ryo. The red warrior growled and with his katanas outstretched in front of him lunged at Maguyser.
Reann and Katie could only watch with wide eyes as Maguyser and Ryo fought. It became obvious to both of them after a while of watching the fight that Maguyser was toying with Ryo ---not really fighting him, but more like savoring his futile attempts. Katie began to clutch her hands into fists at her sides as she watched her once master toy with her big brother who was trying his best to do what she should have been doing. Reann frowned as she watched, glancing over at Katie to see if she should jump into the fight or not once in a while ---each time Katie would shake her head as a no, but Reann knew that deep down she wanted to jump in as badly as she.
Ryo blocked the attack from Maguyser while he twisted around to slash at him. Maguyser dodged and while the unsuspecting Ryo turned around he went in to run the Ronin leader through the stomach. Reann shouted to him to get out of the way as she ran to him. Ryo turned around to see Maguyser's sword coming down towards him and thought quickly for answer as to what he should do ---the sword never got to him and he didn't have to think of anything. Katie's eyes went wide as she watched her best friend run to the aide of her brother, jumping in front of him as the sword came down on her ---running straight through her. Reann looked surprised as she slowly fell backwards away from the sword and to the ground.
"Reann!" Ryo shouted and he dispersed of his swords to grab Reann's falling form.
Reann coughed and blood streamed down in a line from her mouth ---the gash in her stomach was bleeding heavily. Ryo looked over her wound and tried to think quickly of a way to stop the bleeding. Katie came rushing to her friend's side. "Reann!" she yelled shakily and fell to her knees next to her.
"Hey Kate," she replied weakly with a strained smile.
"Reann, you idiot don't you go dying on me! You hear me!" Katie threatened her, but knew her words meant nothing to her now.
Reann tried to laugh but only ended up coughing, "I'm sorry, Kate. I tried to get him, but I couldn't I guess. Its up to you and the Ronin Warriors now to make sure he goes down once and for all."
"Reann...." Katie whispered out as tears started roll down her cheeks. "You can't die on me, you can't!"
"Sorry for what I did to you and the others, Ryo," Reann whispered as she started to slip away from them.
Ryo stared at her with a mix of confusion and sadness, "Don't worry about it."
Katie took Reann firmly by the shoulders and started to shake her. "You can't die on me, Reann! You can't! I need you, don't go!" she hollered at her, but Reann was already gone.
Ryo closed his eyes for a brief moment in a silence for their fallen comrade. He reached over and laid an armor-covered hand on his sister's shoulders who was still shaking Reann as if she could make her come back some how. "Kate-"
"Don't say it!" Katie shouted with a sharp, teary-eyed glare at her brother. "Don't you dare say it."
Ryo looked at his sister with grief filled eyes bit say nothing to her. He really didn't want to say it or hear it either. Maguyser's cackling laughter could be heard echoing through the small room now. It bounced off the walls and surrounded them in an eerie way. "Good riddance I say. She was useless anyway," Maguyser chortled out in a pleased manner.
Katie clutched her hands into fists as a red haze descended over her mind. Maguyser had gotten on her last nerve and he was going to die. Loosing Reann had been the last straw and Katie's temper was about to snap. "How dare you," she replied low and angrily as she slowly stood from her fallen friend, keeping her back to Maguyser.
Maguyser stopped his cackling and stared with fascination at Katie. "How dare I what?" he asked innocently.
"How dare you kill my friend and then laugh about it," she said in the same threatening, low tone and slowly turned around to face him.
Maguyser narrowed his eyes at her, there was something different about her. He smiled inwardly when realization hit him ---she had finally snapped. Katie glared coldly at him as she felt a power start to surge within her, "You will pay for that."
Ryo stood and walked over to his sister ---not really sure why, but knew he was supposed to. He felt a foreign power starting to stir deep within him and it was telling him to get up and go to her side. Katie and Ryo's eyes flared with an inner fire as a huge inferno sprung up from no where around them ---completely engulfing the siblings in its flames.
Maguyser stepped back as the blaring heat of the flames bore down on him. He stood with wide eyes, staring at the wall of fire that had engulfed the two warriors. He had no idea what was happening but something told him that it wasn't a good thing. Just when Maguyser thought that he had seen the last of the Sanada's, two figures emerged from the wall of flames.
Ryo and Katie both stepped calmly and almost with arrogance from the towering inferno. Now instead of Ryo being in his Wildfire armor and Katie still being in her ninja outfit, they were both clad in what looked like new armor. Ryo stepped forth from the fire in armor that looked similar to the Inferno, but had red under gear and black armor with a gold belt around his waist and no helmet. Katie stepped out beside him in a black spandex under suit that had a red, metal skirt and shoulder pads ---black knee high boots adorned her feet as well as a gold belt around her waist and a gold band around her left arm. Both siblings held one katana blade in their hand.
Maguyser's jaw dropped and he stumbled back in surprise. He had thought they were dead ---he didn't think they would walk out of the crackling fire with new armor on. This was starting to get out of hand now for him. How was he supposed to fight them when he didn't even know what they were wearing or even what kind of powers the possessed now.
Both, Katie and Ryo smirked at the cowering form of Maguyser. They felt the burning power of the new armor they wore cursing through them and felt no fear what so ever for him. They both knew, without a doubt, that they were going to beat him once and for all this time. "You're going down, Maguyser...." Katie told him smugly and Maguyser trembled at her words as if she had struck him physically. "I promise you that." Ryo and Katie held their heads high in a proud fashion at Maguyser ---now they possessed the power of the armor of the Phoenix and nothing could stand in their way.
Chapter 20
Reann turned wide eyes on Katie who was frowning at the pit before them. No one seemed to be in the room with them except for the large pit and whatever was making the noises. Kento smirked, "So what are they, too scared to face us or something?"
"I don't know Kento," Sage replied a little uneasily. Something about the noises and the seemingly deserted room wasn't setting well with him.
"Should we check out what's in the pit?" Cye spoke up, but even he didn't sound so sure of it.
Katie narrowed her eyes into almost a glare at the pit before them. It seemed familiar, almost like she had seen it before ---or had seen what Maguyser used it for. "Come on out, Maguyser!" she shouted suddenly and made everyone jump in surprise.
"Katie!" Ryo hollered at his sister from behind gritted teeth. She only gave him a shrug in return.
Laughter filled the room to add to the already weird chanting coming from the pit. The Ronins, Katie and Reann tensed and all got into fighting positions ---ready to fight if needed to. Maguyser's cloaked form came into view from the dim darkness that surrounded them. He smiled at them all, "Well, I see you've made it here. Not that it'll do any of you any good."
"Where's Kaye!" Kento demanded angrily from him.
Maguyser merely gave him a light smirk and then gestured behind him with a wave of his hand. "She's keeping my demons busy right now," he told him with a twinkle in his black eyes.
Kento looked behind him to where the pit was and his eyes widened when realization hit him. "No," he whispered out, "Kaye!" Kento shouted and ran towards the pit.
"Kento no!" Rowen yelled after the orange Ronin, but it was no use ---he wasn't listening to any of them anymore.
"Damn it," Katie cursed, but kept her blue eyes focused on her adversary.
Cye growled and charged after Kento before he could reach the pit, "Kento!" he shouted to gain his attention while grabbing the concerned Ronin's arm. Cye struggled to keep his hold on him as Kento fought to get loose. Trying to keep his hold on his arms, Cye turned his head around and yelled to his friends, "A little help please?!"
Rowen and Sage looked at each other before running to the aid of the light blue Ronin. Maguyser's smile widened as he watched the three Ronins struggle to keep the bearer of Hardrock subdued. He threw his head back and laughed heartily at them. "You fools," he chortled out, "now I have you right where I want you!"
"Uh-oh," Ryo said as a bad feeling rushed over him.
"No!" Reann hollered at the four Ronins in front of them as she dashed to move them, "get away from there!"
Maguyser smiled and laughed more as he watched Reann try to run to them. His eyes glowed red and a black hole appeared below the four unsuspecting Ronins. Reann stumbled to a stop at the edge of the hole and watched in horror as they disappeared into the darkness below her. Maguyser laughed more as the pit and chanting noises disappeared as well ---leaving only Ryo, Katie and Reann now in the room with him.
Katie stared at where the hole had been and where her friends had once been standing as well. "No, Sage," she whispered out and turned cold eyes on the laughing Maguyser. "I'll get you for this!" she yelled in anger and took her sais from her sides while jumping in the air, aiming them at Maguyser in a deadly arch.
Maguyser simply smirked at her futile attempt and raised his right arm in a bored fashion ---flicking his hand at Katie he sent her flying backward to hit the wall. "Foolish girl, do you really think you can defeat me?"
"Katie!" Reann and Ryo chorused, running to her aide as she climbed shakily back to her feet again.
Ryo fell to his knees next to his fallen sister, "Kate, you ok?" he asked as he tried to help her to her feet.
Katie growled and pushed him away so that she could climb back to her feet on her own. "I'm fine," she grumbled out while glaring at Maguyser.
Reann turned around and glared at him as well, "Maguyser..."
Ryo frowned at his sister's actions towards him, but shrugged it off to turn with a glare on Maguyser. "What did you do with my friends and where is Kaye?!" he questioned the disfigured enemy in front of them.
Maguyser smiled in amusement, "Your friends have gone to visit someone and where the Dream Walker is between her and me. Don't spend the last few minutes of your lives worrying about them. Be more concerned about what I'm about to do to all of you."
"Go to hell, Maguyser!" Reann told him smugly with a glare.
"I'm going to bring you down once and for all," Katie proclaimed with a point in his direction. "You will pay for all the lives you made me take, for ruining my life and for killing and harming the people closest to me!" she told him with hatred in her voice. She glared at him coldly and with a look of loathing for everything he was. Ryo and Reann stared at her ---they'd never heard her speak to him in that manner before or with such passion.
Maguyser's smile faltered as he caught the look in her deep blue eyes. A chill ran down his spine at her words ---almost afraid that she had really meant what she had proclaimed she would do. "You're bluffing," he stammered out, "there's no way you can beat me! You and your friends will perish here!"
"We'll see who's bluffing when we all get through with you Maguyser," Ryo threatened and began his call to arms. "Armor of the Wildfire, Dao Jin!" Ryo called forth his armor and when the transformation was over stood in-between Reann and Katie with swords drawn.
Maguyser smirked, seemingly less than amused by the transformation of the red Ronin. Throwing his head back, Maguyser laughed loudly ---the sound bouncing off the walls to make an echoing sound in the small room. "As I said before, you all will die here," he chortled out, "first your friends and then you three will die as well!"
Katie growled and balled her hands into fists at her sides. Her anger was growing and about to snap at any minute ---Maguyser was grating her last nerve now. "Shut up!" she screamed and the room went eerily silent as she clenched her hands tighter into fists at her sides ---trying to keep her anger at bay.
"Did I hit a nerve, Guardian," Maguyser sneered, "is the truth starting to set in now? Are you finally starting to see where you all will fall?"
Reann watched her best friend growing steadily angrier and knew that it was only a matter of time before she would snap. She had seen her do it enough times to know the signs of her temper starting to boil under the surface. Everything that had happened was starting to wear on her and knowing that she might not have enough energy to defeat Maguyser was going to be the icing on the cake. Reann looked back over at the grinning face of Maguyser and realized what he was up to ---he was toying with them. He was purposely trying to get to them all, but why?
Maguyser cruelly smiled at the three remaining people in the room, his black eyes glinting in the dim glow from the few torches lining the room. "I think Tento is probably having a nice time ripping your friends apart one by one by now," he drawled out ever so slowly to gain there attention.
Ryo growled and narrowed his eyes at him, "If so much as harm one hair on their head I swear I'll-"
"You'll what? Burn me to death?" Maguyser cut him off, "Come now Wildfire. We both know you can't harm me."
Ryo gritted his teeth and clutched his katanas tighter in his hands. Reann looked over at Katie and both girls nodded in the same understanding. "He might not be able to take you down but I can!" Reann shouted as she lunged at Maguyser.
"Can you now," Maguyser asked with mirth, "we'll see about tha-" he was cut off by the searing pain of metal puncturing his skin and spun around to find Katie behind him with a sai in her hand dripping with his blood. Another pain racked his body and he let out a cry of anguished pain. Twisting his head around he found Reann standing in front of him with her sword protruding through his stomach.
"How do you like that, master?" Reann sneered in his face as she twisted the sword that still ran through him.
Maguyser's face contorted into a mask of rage and anguish. Regaining his strength he summoned a wave of power around him, sending it to surge out around himself ---knocking the two girls away from him and sending them flying through the air. "Fools!" he shouted in outrage, "Do you think you can hurt me with such useless tools as those?"
Katie wiped the blood from her lip and climbed back to her feet with her head held high in defiance towards her once master. Reann stood off to her left holding her side and glaring at Maguyser. "We can try can't we? I said I was going to bring you down and that's what I meant," Katie replied to him with determination burning in her eyes.
"Nothing will save you this time," Reann added as she fought to catch her breath.
Maguyser frowned heavily at their words. He had lost two of his best warriors and was now left with only Tento to help him ---even with Tento on his side he was still significantly out numbered. He knew full well what Reann and Katie were capable of doing though and that might be his best advantage. He knew their moves, how they fought and their weaknesses ---they had been both, at one time, under his command after all. He smiled and let out a low and evil cackle, "You two do more talking than you do killing. Of course, that's all you both ever did anyway."
Reann growled and started to lunge for him, but Katie held her back. "That's exactly what he wants you to do. He wants to get us mad so that we'll just start attacking him without thinking," she told her harshly.
"Well, I see you've still got the brains out of the two of you, Guardian. Although your emotions have clouded your thinking a bit," Maguyser sneered with a cold smile in her direction.
Katie growled at Maguyser's comment but refrained herself from lunging at him. She looked over at her brother who was standing opposite her and then back at Reann as a thought struck her. 'Look, Reann, we need to do a double team on him, just like we used to do back in the old days. Ryo can help us out too.' She said to her telepathically.
Reann stared at her as if she had lost her mind. 'Are you crazy?! You're not strong enough to do that and Ryo could get hurt fighting him.'
Katie smirked at Reann's remark to her sanity. 'Trust me on this one. My brother can handle himself just fine. '
'Kate, I don't know about this!' Reann shouted back at Katie as she followed her friend into battle.
Katie lunged at Maguyser head on while Reann quickly sprang around to get him from behind. Maguyser smirked at their attempt, but her knew what they were going to do. Quickly he slid to the side as Katie and Reann hit each other head on and fell to the ground holding their heads in pain. He laughed at them, "This is great! I know everything that you two are going to do before you do it. There's no use in trying, just give up!"
Ryo growled and stepped forward, "I've had it with you Maguyser. How about we stop playing around and you take me on?"
Maguyser smiled coldly at his challenge. If the fool wanted to take him on and die that much faster than he had no objections to it. "You want to fight me then come on," he taunted Ryo. The red warrior growled and with his katanas outstretched in front of him lunged at Maguyser.
Reann and Katie could only watch with wide eyes as Maguyser and Ryo fought. It became obvious to both of them after a while of watching the fight that Maguyser was toying with Ryo ---not really fighting him, but more like savoring his futile attempts. Katie began to clutch her hands into fists at her sides as she watched her once master toy with her big brother who was trying his best to do what she should have been doing. Reann frowned as she watched, glancing over at Katie to see if she should jump into the fight or not once in a while ---each time Katie would shake her head as a no, but Reann knew that deep down she wanted to jump in as badly as she.
Ryo blocked the attack from Maguyser while he twisted around to slash at him. Maguyser dodged and while the unsuspecting Ryo turned around he went in to run the Ronin leader through the stomach. Reann shouted to him to get out of the way as she ran to him. Ryo turned around to see Maguyser's sword coming down towards him and thought quickly for answer as to what he should do ---the sword never got to him and he didn't have to think of anything. Katie's eyes went wide as she watched her best friend run to the aide of her brother, jumping in front of him as the sword came down on her ---running straight through her. Reann looked surprised as she slowly fell backwards away from the sword and to the ground.
"Reann!" Ryo shouted and he dispersed of his swords to grab Reann's falling form.
Reann coughed and blood streamed down in a line from her mouth ---the gash in her stomach was bleeding heavily. Ryo looked over her wound and tried to think quickly of a way to stop the bleeding. Katie came rushing to her friend's side. "Reann!" she yelled shakily and fell to her knees next to her.
"Hey Kate," she replied weakly with a strained smile.
"Reann, you idiot don't you go dying on me! You hear me!" Katie threatened her, but knew her words meant nothing to her now.
Reann tried to laugh but only ended up coughing, "I'm sorry, Kate. I tried to get him, but I couldn't I guess. Its up to you and the Ronin Warriors now to make sure he goes down once and for all."
"Reann...." Katie whispered out as tears started roll down her cheeks. "You can't die on me, you can't!"
"Sorry for what I did to you and the others, Ryo," Reann whispered as she started to slip away from them.
Ryo stared at her with a mix of confusion and sadness, "Don't worry about it."
Katie took Reann firmly by the shoulders and started to shake her. "You can't die on me, Reann! You can't! I need you, don't go!" she hollered at her, but Reann was already gone.
Ryo closed his eyes for a brief moment in a silence for their fallen comrade. He reached over and laid an armor-covered hand on his sister's shoulders who was still shaking Reann as if she could make her come back some how. "Kate-"
"Don't say it!" Katie shouted with a sharp, teary-eyed glare at her brother. "Don't you dare say it."
Ryo looked at his sister with grief filled eyes bit say nothing to her. He really didn't want to say it or hear it either. Maguyser's cackling laughter could be heard echoing through the small room now. It bounced off the walls and surrounded them in an eerie way. "Good riddance I say. She was useless anyway," Maguyser chortled out in a pleased manner.
Katie clutched her hands into fists as a red haze descended over her mind. Maguyser had gotten on her last nerve and he was going to die. Loosing Reann had been the last straw and Katie's temper was about to snap. "How dare you," she replied low and angrily as she slowly stood from her fallen friend, keeping her back to Maguyser.
Maguyser stopped his cackling and stared with fascination at Katie. "How dare I what?" he asked innocently.
"How dare you kill my friend and then laugh about it," she said in the same threatening, low tone and slowly turned around to face him.
Maguyser narrowed his eyes at her, there was something different about her. He smiled inwardly when realization hit him ---she had finally snapped. Katie glared coldly at him as she felt a power start to surge within her, "You will pay for that."
Ryo stood and walked over to his sister ---not really sure why, but knew he was supposed to. He felt a foreign power starting to stir deep within him and it was telling him to get up and go to her side. Katie and Ryo's eyes flared with an inner fire as a huge inferno sprung up from no where around them ---completely engulfing the siblings in its flames.
Maguyser stepped back as the blaring heat of the flames bore down on him. He stood with wide eyes, staring at the wall of fire that had engulfed the two warriors. He had no idea what was happening but something told him that it wasn't a good thing. Just when Maguyser thought that he had seen the last of the Sanada's, two figures emerged from the wall of flames.
Ryo and Katie both stepped calmly and almost with arrogance from the towering inferno. Now instead of Ryo being in his Wildfire armor and Katie still being in her ninja outfit, they were both clad in what looked like new armor. Ryo stepped forth from the fire in armor that looked similar to the Inferno, but had red under gear and black armor with a gold belt around his waist and no helmet. Katie stepped out beside him in a black spandex under suit that had a red, metal skirt and shoulder pads ---black knee high boots adorned her feet as well as a gold belt around her waist and a gold band around her left arm. Both siblings held one katana blade in their hand.
Maguyser's jaw dropped and he stumbled back in surprise. He had thought they were dead ---he didn't think they would walk out of the crackling fire with new armor on. This was starting to get out of hand now for him. How was he supposed to fight them when he didn't even know what they were wearing or even what kind of powers the possessed now.
Both, Katie and Ryo smirked at the cowering form of Maguyser. They felt the burning power of the new armor they wore cursing through them and felt no fear what so ever for him. They both knew, without a doubt, that they were going to beat him once and for all this time. "You're going down, Maguyser...." Katie told him smugly and Maguyser trembled at her words as if she had struck him physically. "I promise you that." Ryo and Katie held their heads high in a proud fashion at Maguyser ---now they possessed the power of the armor of the Phoenix and nothing could stand in their way.