Chapter 17
::July 24::
China blue eyes narrowed into a glare at the silver haired demon before her while hot, hatred filled tears fell silently down her cheeks. Her anger and hatred for the man before her was over whelming her every sense and making a secret part of her deep down start to awaken. Already she could feel that other side of her beginning to pace and crawl just below the surface, wanting to be let out. An icy cold shiver ran throughout her body, making her shudder slightly at it. "How could you," she growled out at Sirous finally once she thought she could speak again. A seething rage burned in her vivid blue eyes.
"I gave her a chance and she didn't except it," the purebred shot back in his own defense, making it seem as if that made it all right.
His reply only made the girl narrow her eyes more at him. Her legs now started to move without her knowing, having her now taking slow, calm, almost confidence driven steps towards him. "You killed my mother!" Rylea shouted back angrily at him while her hands balled into fists at her sides to keep her temper at bay ---the tightly clenched fists shook at her sides.
Sirous seemed less than threatened by her. A smirk curled around his lips as he stood where he was, not bothering to step back from the approaching girl. Continuing on he said, "She was in the way. I did what I had to do and would do it again."
That did it. At that moment something snapped in Rylea. A red haze descended over her as a foreign power surged throughout her body ---an evil power that gripped her every sense and cloaked her in its energy. Her blood ran icy cold as one thought ran through her now fogged mind ---revenge. No longer did Rylea have control over her body and thoughts, now another force did. A force that only acted on cravings and instincts and left all rational thinking out of the picture. Two, no longer vivid blue eyes glared at Sirous. Her eyes had now taken on a hard and cold look void of feelings or emotions.
Sirous smiled as he sensed that demonic power come alive in her finally after all those years of waiting. He'd been waiting for this moment for so long and now it was finally at hand. Gazing up at the Roman numeral clock on the wall above the hearth, he smiled a cold, mocking smile as he found the hand now pointed down at quarter to midnight. Soon, the prophecy of the Goddess would be full filled and once again she would reign over the mortal and demon worlds. He had the one thing that had been missing all these years ---his girl who held the blood of both worlds. Now he had her and couldn't believe how much power she held alone, without the Goddess. A sly smile slid across his face as he could see the dark power radiating from her small form.
"Welcome home, my Rylea," he welcomed her with wide arms and the flames danced high on the walls and in the hearth behind him.
"My Rylea?" the now demonic girl repeated with a cold voice. At the wider smile she got from him the girl continued on with, "I'm not 'your Rylea'. I am owned by no one but myself. You think you got that or do I need to go into more detail for ya buddy?"
A chilling laugh escaped the silver haired man as he laughed at what the newly awakened hybrid had proclaimed. Nervous chuckles came here or there from the fox demons situated around the room ---they weren't sure what their master found to be so funny, but figured laughing along with him was the safe thing to do. Calming his laughter down to slight chuckling, Sirous replied to her with, "You own yourself? That's a laugh child. I own you. I created you and I own you."
"Oh do you now?" Rylea asked back as a dangerous smile played over her face. Running her tongue over her top teeth, she chuckled some and flicked her bangs out of her eyes before saying, "Do I have to repeat myself? Didn't I just say that I own myself, not you?"
"And didn't I just say that I created you, I made you the hybrid you are now so then that gives me rights over you?"
Rylea was quiet for a moment as she stared at the man before her with an unwavering blue eyed gaze. Clicking her tongue she folded her arms over her chest and cocked her head to the side as a frown fell over her features. "You know..... I don't think I like you very much," she stated to him plainly before then cracking her knuckles and starting in his direction while adding, "How bout I show you what I do to people I don't like."
"Guards," Sirous called out to the fox demons around him and they immediately swarmed Rylea, stopping her in her tracks with swords held out in front of them. The silver haired man now chuckled in amusement as he said, "Just try to get past my guards."
"Is that a challenge?" a cold smirk wrapped itself around Rylea's lips as she added in a low voice, "Because I just might take it."
"Well by all means, take it. Show me what you can do," he goaded her on with a grin on his face.
"With pleasure," she said back dangerously before grabbing a hold of the sword pointed in front of her, surprising the demon that held onto it. Yanking on it she sent the fox demon holding on to it flying over her shoulder and slamming into the ones behind her ---knocking three of them to the ground in a pile of fur and limbs. Twirling the sword she now held in her right hand, Rylea then plunged the silver blade deep into the stomach of the guard in front of her before twisting it around and jabbing it under her arm and into the one behind her, stopping the advancing demon dead in his tracks with sword still held over his head ---the demon sunk to his knees, dropping the sword from his hands, and fell forward onto the marble floor when she retracted the sword from his chest. Twisting the sword high above her head in a practiced, fluid way she then brought it back down in a slicing arch on the approaching demon in front of her, slicing off his outstretched arm and then plunged it deep into his chest to finish him off. Smirking now as her eyes darted to the last one behind her, the dark haired girl twirled around in a flash and drove the sword deep into the last fox demon with one hand ---making the blade run all the way through and out the other side.
The demonic girl watched with a pleased grin as blood ran from the mouth of the demon before her before he then sunk to his knees and slid off the blade, leaving a trail of blood in his leave. Taking her index finger she then slowly ran it along the bloody end of the sword she held in her hand before bringing the now bloody finger up to her lips and licked the coppery substance from the finger. Grinning, she then advanced on Sirous while saying, "Hm, the blood of a fox demon tastes just nice. I wonder what the blood of a purebred tastes like."
The silver haired demon straightened, bringing himself up to his full height as a smile of amusement spread over his face. So far she'd passed his every expectation with flying colors. "Well why don't you come over here and find out?" he challenged the girl, knowing full well that she'd take it and attack him.
With a sly grin spread over her face Rylea replied, "I will," and then lunged at the silver haired demon with her sword held in front of her, ready to run him through. Much to her dismay, the purebred was much faster then she had first thought. Moving too quickly for her to keep track of him, Sirous was behind her in an instant. Taking the girl off guard he then wrapped one of his arms around her neck and began to choke her from behind.
The demonic Rylea kicked and twisted in his grasp, trying her best to get away from him. The demon that held her merely laughed at her attempts as he said, "Foolish child, you can't beat me. Give up."
"Never!" she growled back as her foot came up and connected with his face over her shoulder in a swift kick. Hissing in outrage, the dark skinned man let go of his prey as his hand came up to feel his face ---making sure he wasn't bleeding anywhere.
Taking her opportunity, Rylea got away from the silver haired demon as fast as she could. Turning around when she was sure there was enough space put between them, she smirked back at him gleefully. "Aw, I'm sorry did that hurt you?" she mocked him before laughing a cold, chilling laugh. "I guess next time I'll try not to make it hurt as much."
Growling, Sirous glared back at the mocking girl who stood before him with hands on her hips. She was supposed to be his, supposed to be obeying his commands and instead she was making sport of him. "There won't be a next time," he stated to her before he lashed out at her. Taking her by surprise, he quickly wrapped his hand around her throat until he was sure she either couldn't breath very well or couldn't talk. His eyes turned black as night while he lifted her small form off the ground until her feet dangled a good two feet in the air. He chuckled, a bone chilling laugh, as he watched the dark haired girl pound on his hand; scratching, clawing and digging at his skin as her legs flailed futilely in an attempt to kick him. Her efforts only made him laugh more.
"Take your hands off her now," the voice icily demanded of him from somewhere behind Sirous and almost seemed to echo in the large room with a deafly ring. The new voice made all eyes turn on whomever it belonged to.
The silver haired man whirled around, still dangling his prey in the air, to see who had spoken to him. His now unearthly black eyes went wide for a split second before becoming normal again as a slight chuckle escaped him at who stood before him. In the large doorway now stood the Ronins, Lady Ronins, Leinto and White Blaze all banded together with not so pleased looks on their faces. Tadin stood off to the side, his eyes focused on not only the demon standing before them but also who he was holding up in the air, still desperately trying to free herself from his grasp.
"I said," Ryo growled out threateningly as he clenched the hilt on his twin katana, Wildfire swords tighter when it became clear to him that the man wasn't going to listen to him and repeated, "take your hands off her."
Sirous smiled mockingly as he replied, "Now where's the fun in that?"
"Let her go pal," Keish now added threateningly as she cracked her knuckles at her side as if getting ready to fight and the other girls standing beside her followed her move, "or you're gonna have big problems."
The purebred seemed to chuckle under his breath at her less than intimidating threat. Shrugging his shoulders in an almost less than amused, disinterested way, he replied in an annoyed voice, "Fine, if I must," as he released Rylea from his grip. The girl fell to the hard ground below her, clutching her throat, coughing and gasping for air to fill her lungs with.
Ryo's blue eyes narrowed more as a growl escaped him at the way his daughter was being treated by this mad man. Trying to keep his temper at bay, he just silently clenched the hilts of his katanas tighter, himself and the Ronins staying put instead of running to the aid of the poor girl. The girls, however, did the complete opposite and before they could be stopped they were running to her aid. Before they were even within reach of her guards encircled them, cutting them off from getting to her.
Sirous' chilling laugh cut through the air now as he chortled out, "I may have let her go.... But that doesn't mean that I'm going to let you get to her." With a sly grin slipping across his face he now added, "Besides, I don't think she wants your help anymore anyway."
"What are you talking about?" Rona asked him, not bothering to hide the fact that not only was she angry with him but that she also hated him as well, as a glare formed on her gentle features.
Taking two tentative steps towards the blue and white sub armor clad Rona, Kami now piped up as well, "Why wouldn't she want our help?"
"You'll find out soon enough," was all Sirous said before he signaled for his guards to attack them.
The guards now approaching them, the Lady Ronins backed away, not sure as to what they were supposed to do now. The guards didn't look like they were too friendly or wanted to talk anything out as they brought their swords up and closed in on them. Now nervously glancing around at the demons who were approaching them, Heather piped up, "Now what?"
"I don't know," Rona replied helplessly from the blond's left as they were pushed back to back into a circle.
Keish smirked as she flicked her blue eyed gaze around at the demons, "Looks like we're gonna have to fight."
"Fight?" Kami asked nervously from the bearer of Hardrock's right.
"Yep," she replied with a firm nod of her head.
Leinto sighed, dragging one hand down his wrinkled face as he stood back with the Ronins and watched as the enemy trapped his warriors. Shaking his head he now slammed the end of his staff on the floor to gain their attention and shouted to them, "Put on your armor now!" Four heads darted over in his direction with confused, asking glances and Leinto held back the urge to scream at them as he instead calmly shouted to them, "Call forth your armors like I told you to! Do it now while you still have a chance!"
The girls looked around at each other and got shrugs or unsure glances from each other. They'd watched earlier as their fathers had put on their armors and had a pretty good idea as to how they were supposed to ---but still the thought of actually putting on battle armor was a little unnerving to them all. Even if they knew their lives and the life of a teammate depended on it. Rona's purple-blue gaze fell over onto her cousin's form still kneeling on the ground and an understanding of what they had to do showed on her face as she looked back at her friends gathered around her. "Come on, Lea needs our help and we all knew that we would have to don the armor sooner or later. I think now's a better time then never," her determined voice stated to the others around her.
"She's right. What are we waitin for? We got demons to destroy," came Keish's confidant and more than happy statement.
"Yes, we have to," Kami added reluctantly, the thought of having to fight in a battle like this was frightening to the usually peaceful girl but she knew deep down that it was what she had to and was going to do it.
Rona nodded her head firmly and started them off, mimicking what she had seen her father do when he himself had called forth his armor while saying, "Armor of the Strata, Dao Inochi!" The other's quickly followed her lead and threw the demons approaching them completely for a loop.
"Armor of the Hardrock, Dao Gi!" came Keish's shout as she did as her father had done.
"Armor of the Torrent, Dao Shin!" Kami's sweet voice commanded as she nervously called forth her armor.
"Armor of the Halo, Dao Chi!" lastly, Heather, shouted out her call to arms and followed in the footsteps of her three friends.
Once the call to arms had been said, the girls were then wrapped in an array of cherry blossoms and lights as the armor they had never worn before was called forth out of its resting to fight. Finally everything stopped and cleared away to reveal four girls now clad in the armor their fathers had first been given by the ancient so many years ago. The same armor that they thought Suzanagi had destroyed when they had been given new armor. But there it was, fitted on their daughters just like it had been for them. Everything right down to the weapon was the same and for a second the Ronins could almost see themselves at that age wearing the very same armor.
Sage, Cye, Rowen and Kento just stared at the girls now donned in armor and kicking the demon's butts. Never had they seen their daughters in armor before, let alone the armor the ancient had given them. Emotions ran high as they recounted memories of the wars they themselves had encountered while bearing that armor. Memories that they never wanted to remember. Things that they had worked so hard to forget and put behind them. Ryo, on the other hand, wasn't even looking at the girls now. His eyes were focused on the demon hovered over his daughter like a guard dog and the guard demons who stood around him. His mind worked fast to try and find the fastest route to the girl behind them. She was his main concern at the moment.
More guards came from every corner of the room and attacked the now armor clad girls. Soon there seemed to be too many, they almost outnumbered them five to one but still they fought on, refusing to give up now. Kento growled from the sidelines, watching the whole thing as if he were a bystander. Not being able to take it any longer he said, "Forget this, I gotta help them," as he charged into the battle.
Leinto's staff came out in front of the orange clad Ronin, acting like a barricade between him and the battle the Lady Ronins were in. "You can't become involved in their battle," the charge stated to him simply as his eyes still wearily watched the fight.
His answer didn't set well with Kento as he replied with a growl of aggravation, "I don't care what the rules are, I'm not going to lose my daughter or just sit back and do nothing when I know I can do something to help them."
"I cannot permit it," he once again simply said to the man as his staff stayed where he had put it, not allowing him passage through.
"Leinto they need our help," Rowen's voice now entered the conversation as he came up behind Kento. "They're not experienced enough to be fighting alone. They need our help."
"I am sorry," was all he replied in return.
Kento growled more now, "Man if you don't move that damn stick outta my way-"
"Come on guys," Ryo's voice cut through Kento's threat as he ran right past Leinto, not even so much as giving the man a second glance as he charged into the fight in front of him. The charge's rules weren't going to stop him from getting to his daughter.
Acting on the command of their leader, the rest of the Ronins followed after the red clad warrior and right into the fight. Kento smirked gleefully at the charge as he ran after the others, leaving him to stand alone now. Jumping right into the battle, the Hardrock bearer gave a holler of joy as he began to attack the fox demons as they came at him. Enjoying the fact that he was back in action. Leinto, however, watched from a far, a small smile crossing its way across his face as he watched. "It's your turn to protect them now, Ronins," he said to himself as he watched the battle unfold before him.
Soon the last demon fell and the fight was over, leaving four Lady Ronins almost breathless and Kento quite happy. Kento now stood twirling his nagenta, "Ha, still got it!" he stated proudly and the other Ronins just laughed or waved him off.
Confused faces looked up at the Ronins who were now standing around talking to each other about what they were going to do now. Speaking up, Rona asked, "I thought you guys weren't allowed to help us."
"Well you see, we Ronins don't really care what anyone tells us. We're gonna do what we wanna do," Kento replied jokingly with a wink over at the girls. Four relieved faces smiled back at him.
The sound of clapping reverberating off the walls of the room brought their attention over to the person who had caused the sound. Stunned faces now stared at who they found. "Bravo, that was some fight. You sure showed them Ronins and Lady Ronins," Rylea's voice icily mocked them in her subtle way. A sly grin swept over her face as she just stared them down with her emotionless blue eyes.
The Ronins and Lady Ronins just gawked at the girl. Unable to speak as what they were seeing sunk in and registered with them. A frown crossed over Ryo's features as he spoke up and said, "Rylea?"
The demonic Rylea turned her cold blue eyes on her father, "Hai, well.... in a way, I guess," she replied with a mocking smile.
Leinto sighed and his head dropped slightly in defeat as he watched the scene from afar, realizing what was going on and what had happened to the girl. Picking his head back up he said out to the others, "Listen to me. That's not the Rylea you all know. She's turned and now belongs to the demons."
Rylea placed a hand on her hip with a smirk on her face as her eyes now turned out onto the aging old man by the doors. "Well aren't you a smart one," she said out to him cockily.
Ryo's vivid blue eyes stared at the girl standing before them. The girl, who looked and talked like his daughter but in someway he knew, just knew that she wasn't his daughter. She was different, had changed in some way. No, I couldn't have lost her. I couldn't have. He thought helplessly.
Rylea now looked over in his direction as his thoughts ran through her mind, making a smirk form on her lips at the agony she felt within him. "Face it Wildfire, your daughter's gone," with a grin she added, "At least the one you used to know anyway. I'm the new and improved Rylea. Get used to it."
Sirous' smiling face appeared behind the girl, his tall form almost looming over her. He held a mocking smile on his face as he laid his hands on her shoulders and said down to her, "I believe she's made her point. Why don't you take them out to show them that you mean what you said?"
Rylea grinned wickedly at the Ronins and Lady Ronins as she replied, "That's a great idea."
The Ronins and Lady Ronins now exchanged worried glances between each other. Could they bring themselves to fight a friend? Someone who they thought of as family? Ryo's shoulders sagged with defeat as his eyes dropped to gaze at the floor. He felt as if he had failed to protect his daughter ---he felt as if what had happened to her was his entire fault. The Ronins glanced over at Ryo, almost silently asking their leader what they were supposed to do and his defeated posture said it all.
Rona's purple-blue eyes stared at her cousin in disbelief as to what was going on and what had happened to her. She couldn't believe that this was really happening to them. "Lea you don't want to do this," she stated desperately to her cousin, "we're family."
"Yeah, that Sirous dude is the one you want to take down. Not us," Keish added from beside Rona, hoping that maybe something would get through to her friend.
Rylea just laughed at their attempts to persuade her otherwise, thoroughly enjoying herself and how badly she was hurting them all. "Do you think that means anything to me?" she asked them with a pleased smile spreading over her face and a chuckle escaped her, "You're all goodie-goodies, which means you're my enemies ---all of you."
The girls gaped at Rylea with dropped jaws and wide eyes in total disbelief at what the girl had just proclaimed to them all. They couldn't believe that someone they thought of to be a friend could say something like that. She had changed and they all could clearly see it now. Rylea wasn't the friend they had all grown up with ---she was someone cold and otherworldly now. Someone who didn't care or had no feelings or conscience anymore. An evil person who meant what she said. She was their enemy now.
The now changed, demonic Rylea smiled more at the looks on their faces. The confused, betrayed and hopelessness she could feel consuming the girls now was fueling her inner demon to fight. "You're hurting, why don't I put you out of your misery now?" she stated to them before leaping into the air, two katanas materializing in her hands and she aimed them down on the unsuspecting bearer of Strata.
Coming out of her stupor, Rona quickly brought her bow up to block Rylea's attack. Rylea brought her katanas down on the blue warrior with all her strength put behind it ---smiling as she saw the other girl straining to hold her back. "Rona!" Keish shouted while coming to the aid of her friend. Ignoring the fact that Rylea was a friend she lunged at her with her nagenta, growling as she watched the girl dodge her with a speed that seemed almost in human.
Breathing hard from the attack that had just been aimed at her, Rona turned pleading eyes on her cousin. "Lea please! Don't do this, I don't want to fight you," she pleaded with her.
Rylea ran her tongue along the bottom of her top teeth and half chuckled while she grinned back at the blue armored warrior. "Well, that's really too bad. Guess that means you'll just die that much faster," the girl proclaimed coldly as she attacked her again.
Keish growled as she brought her nagenta up once again to block Rylea's attack, standing protectively in front of Rona like a shield. "What is your problem? What happened to you?" she asked Rylea from behind gritted teeth as she held her ground and both girls stood at a stand off, neither being able to push the other one into submission.
Rylea smirked and jumped back from the stand off she'd found herself in with the warrior of Hardrock, twirling her katanas restlessly as her body ached to be in a fight. "I'll tell you what happened to me. I quit kidding myself that I could ever be on the side of good and gave in to who I really was," she stated smugly back at the orange clad warrior.
Silence came as a response to her statement as the four girls standing in front of her just gawked at this foreign person in front of them. Reality of the situation finally began to set in as they all came to the same understanding ---they were going to have to fight her. It was the only way they were going to have a chance of saving themselves and her. As much as it hurt to have to fight a friend, a family member, they were going to have to do it. Nodding to one another, they each brought their own weapon up in ready positions and readied themselves for the fight that was about to begin.
The demonic girl in front of them smirked broadly at their actions as she twirled her katanas, readying herself to attack them. Grinning she said, "So, you guys finally woke up and figured it out huh. Good, now maybe you'll at least give me a good fight before you all die by my blade."
"No," Rona's stern voice said as her eyes came up to look at her cousin. Her purple-blue eyes held an unshakable determination within them now. "We're going to fight to get the Lea I know and love back. We're not fighting to save our lives."
"Hai, the Lea we know is still in there somewhere and we're going to get her back," Kami added with just as much determination as Rona.
"Touching," Rylea replied dryly and in a rather bored fashion, not seeming to be amused by their declarations in the least bit, "You all done yet?"
"Yeah," Keish retorted and tightened her grip on the nagenta she held in her hands, "I've had enough of you." Without another word said to her, the warrior of Hardrock lunged at Rylea with her weapon outstretched, intent on bringing her down.
The demonic girl merely brought up one of her katana blades and blocked the attack easily with little or no effort. "Was that it?" she mocked with a smirk and with one shove sent Keish flying back and sprawling on the floor. A chilling laugh escaped Rylea as she sneered, "Is this the best the mighty Lady Ronins can do?"
Rona ran to help her fallen friend up and with a glance over her shoulder shouted to the other girls, "Come on, we all have to attack her at once. It's the only way we can maybe over power her!"
The bearer of Torrent stole a glance over at the Halo bearer and both gave each other a silent nod before running up to stand along side their other teammates, ready to battle when the time came. The warrior of Strata looked back over at the smirking face of the dark haired girl who seemed to be less than amused by them and said, "You're going down, Rylea."
With a chuckling smile on her face she challenged, "Come and get me if you got the guts, Lady Ronin."
"I will," she retorted and then came at her with an attack, growling when the girl merely danced out of her way ---avoiding her every move to land at least on hit on her. The demoness was merely toying with her, enjoying the fun and thrill of the battle. The other four girls followed Rona's suit though and soon she was forced to stop playing and at least become somewhat serious as she fought them all off.
Leinto watched the battle between the girls rage on as he ambled up to the now gawking Ronins. They were focused on the battle going on, unsure if they should intervene or wait and see what happens. His gray eyes glanced wearily up at the large stone clock on the wall ahead of them and his blood ran cold. "This is bad," he spoke and five heads turned to look at him now.
"No shit, Leinto. What was your first hint?" Kento sarcastically retorted to the aging charge.
Ignoring Kento's remark Leinto continued on, "We need to get through to her before midnight."
"And if we don't?" Sage asked now as he too glanced up to the clock to see how much time they had left.
Leinto's steel gray eyes came to rest upon Sage's violet ones and simply said, "God help us all." Weary glances were exchanged as the Ronins looked at one another before looking back out at the battle before them and it wasn't looking good. Rylea was not only toying with them but was beating them badly. The girls couldn't even get a hit in on her while she danced around them, swiftly executing precise hits where she knew it'd hurt the most. Time was running out for the Lady Ronins, there was only so much more they could take.
"Damn, she's like a super Rylea or something," Kento started in disbelief as his eyes took in the fight, "The girl's not even wearin armor and she's still whoopin them."
"How exactly are we supposed to bring her back?" the Ronin of Strata asked the aging charge and then sharply glanced over to the fight when a scream from one of the girls rang through the air.
"Not we, there's only one person here who can bring Rylea back to her senses," Leinto stated and everyone's eyes shifted from the charge onto the red armored warrior standing just in front of him.
Ryo didn't even notice their stares, he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts as he mutely watched the fight. Still in denial that all of this was happening to him, thinking that he'd wake up soon from this nightmare he'd found himself in ---but knew deep down that he wasn't going to. Leinto laid a soft, weathered hand on his shoulder and Ryo glanced over at him. "You're the only one who can reach her now, Ryo," he told him and his gray eyes regarded him calmly, almost silently telling him of what he had to do.
"How?" Ryo asked helplessly, not understanding what the elder man was trying to say to him. "How am I supposed to do that?"
Leinto's kind smiling face looked back at him as he simply stated, "You know how."
Anguished screams filled the air, bringing the Ronins attention over onto where the fight had taken place only to now find the Lady Ronins all on the ground unconscious, with a more than happy looking demoness standing in the middle of their fallen bodies. Rylea laughed mildly as she cracked her neck as if the fight had just been nothing more than a warm up to her and proclaimed, "Well that was fun."
Kento growled, tightening the grip on his weapon as he gazed at the fallen forms of the girls, "I think this little girl needs an ass whoopin."
"Sounds like a challenge to me uncle Kento," Rylea's voice mockingly retorted as she twirled her katanas and turned to glance over at him. Her cold eyes twinkled contemptuously at him.
"Just bring your cocky, demonic, ninja ass over here and I'll give you a spanking your father never would," Kento goaded her on threateningly as he motioned with his outstretched arm for her to come over to him.
The demonic Rylea smiled at his proposition and stepped nonchantly over the bodies of her fallen adversaries as she walked over in the direction the five Ronins and Leinto now stood. "Well now, the Lady Ronins have fallen," she said with a mocking grin as she walked with confident, easy steps towards them, "can the old Ronins do any better?"
The Ronins and Leinto took one faltering step back form the approaching girl as one, almost afraid of what she was going to do to them. Rowen's sharp glare accusingly looked over in Kento's direction as he said, "Just had to go and tick her off, didn't you Kento?"
"Hey now, don't you pin this on me," the warrior of Hardrock shot back at the blue armored warrior.
Rylea now stopped and smirked at the Ronins as she twirled her katanas in a bored fashion, a mocking grin slowly spreading its way over her lips as she surveyed the faces standing before her. "Aw now come on. Don't tell me your all afraid of me," she taunted them gleefully.
"Ryo, do something! She's your daughter," Sage barked his order over at their leader as he eyed the girl uneasily.
The Ronin leader just gritted his teeth and stared at the girl before them. What was he going to do? Talk her out of it? Yeah right, like that would really work. "Rylea," he started and took a deep breath as he tried to reason with her, "You're not well sweetie, ok, so I need you to put down the katanas and let us help you."
The girl merely grinned at him, her eyes glinting with surprised mirth, silently mocking his attempt. Chuckling she replied, "Come on, is that the best you can muster up?"
"Ah, I don't think she's listening to you, Ryo," Cye grimly proclaimed as he regarded the young girl uneasily.
"Not a big surprise. When does she ever listen to me?" Ryo shot back at the water Ronin hotly.
"Never," Sage added glumly.
"Ah, dudes, I think we're in trouble then," Kento summed up nicely for them all.
"Yeah and you're the one who just had to call her over here," Rowen threw at him irritably.
"Well yeah but I figured you guys would have some kind of a plan if I did," the warrior of justice reasoned back.
"Next time ask before you start goading the enemy, Kento," Ryo now put into the argument and motioned out to the girl in front of them, "Especially if it happens to be my daughter who isn't exactly herself at the moment!"
The sound of yawning brought the arguing Ronins attention back over to the demonic girl who held her hand up to her mouth in a fake yawn. "Boring. You guys done yet?" she asked them with a frown forming on her features.
"We're just getting started," Kento informed her as he spun his nagenta at his side, signaling he was ready to fight any time she was.
"Oh, I'm shaking," she mocked with a sarcastic smirk.
Kento only smirked back at her as he said, "You will be." Before the guys could even stop him, the warrior of justice had shouted out his battle cry and charged at the girl in front of him.
Rylea simply dodged his attacks with a speed that didn't seem real. This only annoyed Kento as he fought to at least land one hit, one punch, one something on this girl. He wasn't going to be taken down without even so much as landing a few hits on her. The demon child slid out of the way as Kento brought his nagenta down on her and with a blink of an eye was behind him. "Sweet dreams uncle," she said to him before slamming the hilt of her katana into his head ---making his helmet fly from his head and skitter across the floor as he crumpled like a rag doll, rendered unconscious.
"Kento!" Cye shouted to his friend who now was lying face down on the floor, motionless with his weapon lying beside him where it had fallen. Blood began to seep from the wound on the back of his head and puddle on the cold floor beneath him.
"Opps," was all Rylea could say as she tapped her index finger against her lips as if pondering on something, "maybe I hit him a little too hard."
Rowen's wide, unbelieving eyes stared at Kento's now motionless form before they then glanced up at the girl still standing over him, seemingly looking over her handy work with a pleased smile. Gulping slightly as reality set in he exclaimed to the others around him, "Ah, guys, ......We're in big trouble."
"You can say that again," came Rylea's chilling voice before she charged her remaining uncles, taking them completely off guard. With the katana in her right hand, she slashed at Cye who blocked it with his trident but the force of her blow sent him off balance and staggering back. Whirling around, she blocked Sage's attack with one katana and then shoved him back, planting her elbow firmly in his face ---which knocked him off kilter. Taking her chance she brought her katana down on him, intent on slicing him open like a sardine can, but was stopped by Cye who blocked her attack with his trident.
Smirking she brought her foot up and connected it with his face, whipping off his helmet and sending him sprawling to the floor. Two armored arms wrapped tightly around her torso, entrapping her arms at her sides. Rylea merely chuckled at his less than amusing attempt at stopping her before she slammed her head back into his own, knocking his hold on her of and then spun around, giving him one nice kick to the head ---watching with a smile as he went down.
Picking her katanas back up from the floor she smiled wickedly while setting a foot on Sage's back, grounding him into the hard floor. Chuckling to herself she raised one katana high into the air and pointed it down at Sage's back. "You've just been officially retired, Ronin," she spat down at him while bringing the katana down at him, going to drive him all the way through.
"Stop!"
The command from beside her stopped Rylea, the blade she held hovering just above Sage's armor where it had stopped. Frowning she glanced over her shoulder and found herself face to face with one very pointy arrow aimed right at her head. Closing her eyes briefly, she let a chuckle escape her as she said, "You won't do it so why not just get that damn thing out of my face, uncle Rowen?"
"No," he replied sternly and cocked it back more as he kept it pointed at her head. His fingers trembled slightly as he held the arrow. "Get away from him Rylea or I swear I will let this go."
The girl only chuckled more at his threat, but obediently removed her foot and blade from Sage. Holding her katanas now at resting position at her sides she cocked her head to the side and stared into her uncle's eyes. A cold shiver ran down Rowen's spine at how unnerving and other worldly she now looked. Rylea only chuckled at his face. "Come on, let it go. Shoot me with your Strata arrow. Do it uncle," she taunted him on, daring him to let it go and hit her with it. Brazenly she moved closer to it to where her nose was almost touching the tip of the arrow and looked directly into his eyes, "Do it!"
Rowen faltered back, not prepared for what she had done. He couldn't shoot her, wouldn't shoot her and she knew that. Rylea's tsking face looked back at him as a grin spread over her face and said, "You should've done it when you had the chance," before her blade came up so fast that Rowen didn't have time to even register the attack. Knocking his bow from his hands and sending it flying through the air, Rylea then charged forward and slammed the hilt of her katana into his neck ---rendering him unconscious immediately.
Ryo watched as his daughter rendered the other Ronins one by one unconscious. They didn't even really put up a good fight and he knew why ---they didn't really want to fight her. Rylea turned from where she had just rendered Rowen unconscious to glance over at her father, the last one standing. "Four down," she started and stepped towards him now, "one to go."
Ryo stood his ground, as he watched her draw closer to him, refusing to back down from his own daughter. His actions only made Rylea narrow her eyes at him, not really sure why he wasn't preparing to defend himself against her. She smiled now while twirling her katanas at her side and said, "What's the matter old man? Not going to fight me?"
Ryo held his chin up defiantly, refusing to look afraid of his own daughter. A child, who he had raised, cared for and loved more than anything in this world. Meeting her eyes with his own in a challenge he stated, "No," and held his ground.
Leinto looked sharply up at the bearer of Wildfire once his words had reached his ears. Confusion melted across the old man's wrinkled face, unsure as to where Ryo was going with this. If he didn't fight her or at least defend himself against her then he was going to end up like the others. He was the last hope. The only one left who could stand up to her and win. He was the one who could reach her, bring her back from the cold, dead world she was now trapped in. It had now come down to father against daughter and everything was riding on the outcome of this fight.
White Blaze looked up into the face of the young hybrid boy he stood by. Tadin hadn't said anything since the fighting had all begun. just stood there, silently watching it as a frown creased at his forehead. The tiger rubbed his head against the young man's leg and Tadin looked down at him, startled by the tiger that he had forgotten was there. Laying his hand on his the tiger's head, he patted him softly as his eyes went to once again fall on the last two people standing. Please, Ryo, be able to help her. You're the only one who can now. He thought helplessly while he watched silently for what would happen next.
A/N: Wow, this one took me a very LONG time to get done. I apologize for this. Computer was giving me a lot of trouble, once again, so that slowed things down. Well, I hope the next chap will be up a lil faster then this one. Small thanks this time, thanks go out to MorganRay and one of my very good friends, Sifirela. Thanks both of you for your encouragement and kind words. Its what keeps me writing.