Kitty-chan: Finally, chapter eight is up! Sorry this one took so long, but as you can see, it's freakin' huge! It's 19 pages typed! I think this chapter, in length, is second only to the last chapter. It's crazy! It took me a while, but here it is! I hope ya like it! Oh! I don't own the Samurai Troopers. They are property of Sunrise Inc. I only own Kuri, Takai, and Lai. That's all. Oh yeah! And I own the Rejects.You'll meet them soon. Alright, quick name translations, the on with the chapter!
Character Names
Sanada Ryo: Ryo Sanada (Duh)
Hashiba Toma: Rowen Hashiba
Date Seiji: Sage Date
Mouri Shin: Cye Mouri
Rei Faun Shu: Kento Lei Faun
Yagyu Naste: Mia Koji
Byakuen: White Blaze
Yamano Jun: Yuli Yamano
Armor Names
Rekka: Wildfire
Tenku: Heavens/ Strata
Korin: Nimbus/ Halo
Suiko: Torrent
Kongo: Stone/ Hardrock
Kikoutei: Inferno
Go Retsu Ken: Soul Swords of Fervor
Enjoy! The stuff with ( ) next to it is translated at the end of the chapter.
"Date Seiji. He is twenty years old, and he was last seen in Shinjuku yesterday. He is currently residing at the Yagyu estate."
"Sanada Ryo. He is also twenty years old, and was also seen yesterday. Along with Date Seiji, he is currently living at the Yagyu estate."
The same male anchor as the one who had reported on the Samurai Troopers before now appeared on the screen. "The remaining two killers were identified yesterday morning as reporters went to Yagyu Naste's home to hopefully get more information on the crisis involving the armored men and the ninjas that conflicted in the middle of downtown a few days ago. The other three already identified Troopers were found to also have been living there. Rei Faun Shu was not seen at the house, but the sparse explination given by Yagyu Naste implies that all five currently live with her."
The screen flipped to a picture of Naste, who was standing protectively in front of the door to her house. "The five Samuari Troopers are, indeed, here with me. They are not to be bothered, and I can't say I'd like to give an explination of the recent happenings, simply because it would sound rediculous to all of you. The only thing I have to say about them is that these boys should be under no more pressure to reveal themselves than the ninjas also spotted in downtown Shinjuku. If you will recall, and I'm sure witnesses can testify to this, the Samurai Troopers were not attacking the general public as the ninjas were. Rather, they were protecting the surrounding crowds from the attackers. Regardless of what they have done in the past, they acted as heros then, and shouldn't be persecuted for doing so. If you want to blame someone for the attcks, blame a man named Takai who ordered the ninjas to attack the downtown area in the first place."
"Yagyu's claims are questioned, and while some people agree with her, the majority of the city is pushing for her arrest as well. The public has no real reason to believe her claims since the so-called Samurai Troopers were the one who murdered the ninjas, and the ninjas did little more than push aside those who got in their way. The ninjas also face persecution, but there are, as of yet, no leads to their whereabouts or identities.
"The police are currently filing for a warrant for the Samurai Trooper's arrest, but as of yet, the lack of blood or any evidence at all at the crime scene is keeping the police from convicting them for murder. When asked to answer to an interview, Sanada Ryo, who appears to be the leader of the five young men, had this to say."
Ryo's enraged, red-eyed image appeared on the screen, shot from the angle of the reporter whom had pressed himself against the wall in an effort to escape Ryo's anger. "We are not things for you to examine under a microscope! Now get out!"
"Other than Yagyu-san's speech yesterday, there have been nopublic responses from the Troopers themselves concerning the accusations that currently face them-!"
Ryo flipped the TV off and sighed. "Sorry, everyone."
"For what?" Naste looked up at him.
"I'm pretty sure that whole glowy-eye thing didn't help our innocence case at all." Ryo grumbled, tossing the remote to the floor.
"Aww, quit bashing yourself, Ryo." Toma waved him off. "None of this is your fault."
"I know… but I can't help but feel… responsible."
"You don't have to take the weight of the world on your own shoulders, you know, Ryo." Naste pointed out.
Ryo sighed again. "Actually, Naste, sometimes I do."
Naste waved her hand at him. "Ryo, if this mess is in any way your fault, then it's also partly my fault. I gave that stupid speech, and now the whole city thinks I'm crazy. I don't think I helped any."
"Believe me, Naste. You helped." Seiji assured her, smiling.
"Minna!" Shin cried, running down the stairs.
"Shin! What's wrong?" Toma wondered, standing.
"Turn on the news! I saw something on the internet that looks Takai-related!" Shin answered hurriedly.
Naste obeyed and scooped the remote to turn the TV back on. The male anchor was sitting at his desk, as usual, with a small box in the top right corner of the screen. In the box was the picture of a young man, probably in his early to mid thirties. He had long light brown hair, held in a low ponytail, and his nearly black eyes stared arrogantly into the face of the camera. "-the announcement made by Aousuko Lai, who claims to be a representative of the man whom Yagyu-san told of yesterday."
"Rather, they were protecting the surrounding crowds from the attackers. Regardless of what they have done in the past, they acted as heros then, and shouldn't be persecuted for doing so. If you want to blame someone for the attcks, blame a man named Takai who ordered the ninjas to attack the downtown area in the first place."
"Aousuko Lai claims to be a representative, sent by Takai, here to speak in his defense."
The screen switched to the light brown-haired man from the small box. He was now standing at a podium somewhere in downtown Shinjuku. "These Samurai Troopers that you are currently having trouble with are originally from my home country, China. They are men who have all been proven clinically insane by doctors in Beijing, and they have come to Shinjuku to make a mockery of a part of Japanese history. Takai is no villain, rather, he is an honorable government official with a high station in the National guard. He is currently responsible for their well-being, and cannot sit by and wait for these men to continue their ruse and hurt innocents.We have, indeed, trained ninjas to deal with them. We do not have an explination for their actions a few days ago, and we deeply apologize, and more restraint will be exercised when choosing the units to come into town. We have come to Japan to help the government in the capture of these men, and Yagyu Naste, if that is the government's wish. Any and all cooperation is welcomed and encouraged."
Naste switched the TV off again and tossed the remote aside. "This is rediculous. How can they buy his story? You guys were protecting the people, while the ninjas were the ones attacking!"
"That Lai person has to be a demon, or at least posessed by one." Seiji concluded. "Takai's using the city's fear of us to his own advantage. If he can turn the entire city against us, he won't even need to go through the steps to posess someone. Because, I guaruntee you that we will be absolutely powerless if he raises an army of humans."
"And now that they know where we live…" Shin continued.
"We have to leave here." Ryo interrupted, standing. "And we need to let the people know that we're leaving. Otherwise, I guaruntee that they will try something against the house."
"No, guys! Please stay! I want to help!" Naste objected, standing as well.
"Naste, do you realize what's happening here?" Toma demanded.
"I do understand, Toma. But I also understand that it is my calling to help you guys. Why else would you be here a second time?"
Ryo put his hands on her shoulders. "Naste, right now, the most you can do to help us is to stay safe. You should probably leave here as well. At least until this whole thing is over."
"But… I want to help." Naste insisted, hanging her head.
"You've already done more than enough." Toma added. "Like Ryo said, the best thing for you now is to stay safe and leave here."
"We'll take her with us." Seiji stated firmly, standing.
"What?" Toma, Ryo, and Shin cried at once.
"Think about it for s few seconds. Leave her here, alone, with no protection? Naste is strong, but if Takai wants to posess her, he will. She's like one of us, and while that doesn't make her a fighter, it does make her a target." Seiji explained wisely. "But it's your call, Ryo. What do you think?"
Ryo looked down at Naste, who had fixed him with a pleading blue stare. He sighed heavily. "Alright. Naste will come with us."
All heads snapped to the side as a crash was heard like that of shattering glass. The front window of the living room had been broken, and just inside the room, lay the thing that had flown through it. On the carpet, amongst the glass was a small aluminum soda can. Stuck inside the mouth of the can was a large piece of paper, completely engulfed in flames. Shin's hand shot out, and from an unknown source, water covered the flames, dousing them. "What on earth?" Shin whispered. Toma ran over to the window, and then immediately backed away again.
"What's wrong, Toma?" Ryo inquired, approaching to look over his friend's shoulder. When he got a good look, his face turned fearful. There was a mid-size group of people standing on the front lawn. They weren't making much noise, but they held such weapons as baseball bats, and sticks. Some were waving their weapons around, while others simply stood there, sending foul looks in through the window. "Ok, now we really need to leave." Ryo pointed out.
"Where do we go?" Shin inquired. "Everyone's looking for us."
"Follow me!" Naste cried, grabbing Seiji's sleeve and running for the back door. The mob obviously saw them, and they could hear their run for the back door being announced in angry tones, followed by the pounding of footsteps in the side yards. Naste yelped as she saw the mob round the side of the house and run for them, where they were just exiting the house and making their way onto the porch. She yelped again as a pair of strong arms scooped her up from behind and jumped into the air, sailing for a bit before landing firmly in a tall tree.
She looked up at her savior and smiled. "Thanks, Shin."
Shin ignored her statement and sent her a firm look. "Where to now?"
Naste looked around for a few seconds before poiting in the opposite direction of the house. "The far end of the woods." She gripped Shin's arms tight as he took off again, flying over the trees at high speeds, the other three flying alongside him. At their speed, it took them only fifteen minutes to reach the opposite end of the woods. They landed in a small clearing, about ten feet away from a small dirt road. Off to the side of the clearing, amongst a sparse population of other trees, was an oddly tall Wysteria tree. Its branches did not stretch outward, as most did, but rather, it spread upward, making it taller than most of the other surrounding trees. Shin set her down and she immediately ran over to run her hands along the tree's trunk, as if searching for something.
"What's going on, Naste?" Shin inquired quietly.
"The Wysteria Tree is a symbol for peace and happiness now, right?" The four nodded. "That hasn't changed since the Edo period. During times of civil war, there was a village that existed somewhere around the area where my house is now. A fire hollowed out this Wysteria tree, and a tunnel was built underground that wound all under present day Shinjuku. The entrance is in this tree. It was made for the children of the village to escape when the village was attacked."
"Wow. This thing has been around for a long time." Toma whistled.
"No kidding. It's sometimes referred to as the Guardian Wysteria, because it guarded the children from danger." Naste continued, her hands still running along the bark. Finally, she let out a "aha!" as she apparently found what she was looking for. She stuck her fingers into a large crevice in the bark that other than the fact that it was bigger, was no different from any of the other crevices. She pulled on it, and the tree opened up into a pitch-black hallway that a long way down under the earth. The four men peered down into the hall until Naste roughly shoved them in. They all tumbled down the small staircase until they hit the bottom in a pile, yelling at one another.
"Hey! Whose elbow is in my back?"
"I really don't want to see your feet!"
"That's my head!"
"Someone's sitting on me!"
It took a full five minutes for the Troopers to untangle themselves, and Naste's unrelenting laughter was a bit unhelpful. As soon as they had all stood, and attention was drawn from them to the pitch blackness that surrounded them, Naste clung to the nearest Trooper, who happened to be Toma. "Agh!"
"Where are we, Naste? I can't see a thing." Shin pointed out, placing his hand at the tip of his nose. He still couldn't see it.
"You're asking me? I've never been down here, before." Naste answered shakily.
Ryo's eyebrow twitched a bit. "Oh great. Never been down here before? How'd you know about it, then?"
"I'm a history teacher, Ryo. It's my job to know these things. I mean, alright, I have been down here before, but no farther than the staircase. I have no idea where it goes." She held tighter to Toma's arm as she felt something brush her foot.
"Absence of blood circulation, Naste!" Toma yelped as feeling retreated from his fingers.
"Oh. Whoops." Naste's grip loosened. "Seiji, how about a little light?"
The colored parts of Seiji's under gear shone brightly, offering them some vision, but more area was lit as he drew out his no-datchi and charged it with white hot light. He sighed and began walking down the long hallway, his sword extended outward, but facing the ground.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Where are we?" Shin inquired as they emerged from a hole in the ground, normally concealed by a patch of dirt and grass.
Naste crawled out of the hole and looked around. Her eyes lit up as Shin replaced the block of grass, hiding the entrance to the tunnel. "I know where we are! My Grandfather and I used to live around here before we moved into the house I have now."
"So, how far away is Shinjuku?" Seiji inquired suspiciously, his under armor dissolving into his civilian clothes.
"It's about a twenty minute drive from here. But, Reikishi University is only about five minutes away. My computer and my files are there. Maybe we can find out more about Takai." Naste suggested.
"Well, point the way." Toma ordered, kneeling so she could climb on his back. A soon as she had latched her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his arms under her knees, he took off. Within minutes, Naste had let them into Reikishi University, where they were running along the rafters, and sneaking behind corners to get to her classroom without being seen. As she worked her classroom door open, Toma grunted. "Naste, about the next time I carry you?"
"Yes?" Naste inquired as the door popped open.
"Hold on… don't throttle."
"Heh…sorry about that, Toma." Naste giggled as they filtered in, she closed her door, and took a seat at her desk. The guys took seats at the students desks, absently taking the room's look in. She began to sift through her Grandfather's files, and through her own after his had rendered nothing. After about twenty minutes of solid searching, she pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. "Nothing. There's nothing anywhere in here about Takai. Arago's presence was the only one felt when these files were made, so there isn't any information on Takai, or any other Yami no Sekai Emperor." She looked up and sniffed. "Ryo! Are you listening to me?"
Ryo turned his head from where it rested on the desktop. "Mm-hmm."
"Could you look like it then?"
"Classrooms make me sleepy." Ryo moaned, his words slurring a bit.
"That's an interesting problem to have." Shin whispered to Toma and Seiji. The two laughed quietly.
"Oi. This is my classroom. Nothing should make you sleepy in here!" Naste stood, feigning offense.
"It's not your class, it's just classrooms in general that make me sleepy." Ryo sighed.
"Oh, whatever."
"Naste." Seiji began. "Is it just me, or is this school practically empty? I mean, we barely saw anyone when we were coming in."
"It's not completely empty. I've just cancelled all of my classes until the Takai situation blows over. Most of the teachers in this wing are at lunch now. Even if they weren't, we took a roundabout route here, so most people wouldn't have seen us anyway." She explained, shutting the computer down.
"Yagyu-san?" a voice called from outside the door.
Naste jumped in her seat. "Hide!" She yelped, recognizing the voice of one of her fellow teachers. The four Troopers immediately disappeared into the rafters of the ceiling. As soon as they were completely concealed, Naste opened the door to greet a young woman about her age. "Konnichiwa, Samiya-san."
"Yagyu-san? What are you doing here? I thought you'd cancelled all of your classes until further notice." She inquired gently, genuine curiosity in her voice.
"I was just… finishing up some things." Naste answered, smiling nervously. "Checking over some things so I won't be too overwhelmed when I come back."
"Naste… are you alright?" The woman inquired gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. He pushed the door shut behind her and gave her a concerned look.
"Of course I am. Why?"
"It's just… you know… the reports." She cast her eyes around the room, trying to look anywhere except Naste.
Naste paused. "Nami, you don't really believe those dramatized lies, do you? You should know as well as everyone else in this school that I'm not crazy."
"I know… but harboring those Samurai look-alikes…" Nami looked down.
"I'm not harboring them, Nami. I'm simply giving them a place to stay. They're not criminals! You should know that. Any sensible person should be able to see that. You saw the reports. The ninjas were the ones who were actually hurting people. Samuari Troopers did nothing but protect the people. They're heros. They've been saving people from the shadows for years. No one knew who they were or even that they existed, but they risked their lives for the people of this city never the less. And when people find out what they are, they lash out? It's completely cruel. It's totally unfair." Naste clenched her teeth in her fists, not out of anger, but to keep the tears that were threatening her eyes from traveling down her cheeks.
"That's enough, Naste." A voice interrupted. Ryo dropped from the ceiling to stand behind her and place a hand on her shoulder.
Nami jumped back and nearly screamed. "It's Sanada Ryo! You're a Samurai!"
"It's alright, Nami. Ryo's a really nice guy once you look past the fact that he wears Samurai armor." Naste sniffed, placing her hand on top of his.
"You're even calling him by his first name?" Nami cried.
"Nami, Ryo is not a monster. He is a normal young man with an extraordinary gift. I think the whole problem with this city is exactly the problem you seem to have." Naste sighed. Nami kind of cocked her head. "You're so caught up in the reports and the dramatizations of the news that you've forgotten that we are talking about real human beings here. Ryo is, indeed, a human man. He has a birthday, and a favorite color, and even a favorite board game. He's no different from us. The only thing that makes him different is your perspective."
"It's alright, Naste. We can't help what others think of us. Excuse our interruption, Samiya-san." Ryo bowed and smiled. Nami paused and regarded him fora few minutes. Ryo gave her a confused look before bobbing his head toward the door, his eyes never leaving her face. It was almost as if he were trying to reinforce Naste's point with his eyes, since talking surely wasn't working. "Come on, guys. We don't want anyone to attack us here. It wouldn't be good for the school."
Sanda jumped again as Seiji, Toma, and Shin appeared in front of her. They all bowed respectively and headed out. "I'll meet you out there, minna." Naste called to them. They ran down the hall to conceal themselves behind a staircase as Naste paused to talk to Nami. "Nami… please don't tell anyone they were here."
"But… Naste, aren't they fugitives?" Nami inquired weakly.
"Nami, I'm asking you as a friend. Please, don't tell anyone they were here. They're so important to me."
"Naste!" Ryo cried, running back to stop in the doorway. "The press is here! There are a few reporters coming up the stairs, we don't know where to go from here. We gotta get out of here before they spot us."
Nami followed them into the hallway and watched as Ryo wrapped his arms around Naste's waist and jumped up to hang from the rafters of the ceiling, one arm holding them up, the other arm holding Naste. Naste sent Nami a meaningful look. "Please, Nami. I'm begging you. Don't tell them."
Nami stood in the hallway, staring at the three reporters that were appearing from the staircases. She seemed indescisive for a few seconds before waving her hands. "Hey!" The reporters looked over at her. "The Troopers were here! The Samurai Troopers were here!" she continued.
Naste held tighter to Ryo, burying her face in his neck. No, Nami… please don't.
"They were here!" Nami repeated. The reporters rushed over to where she was standing and she opened her classroom door. "They're here!" She looked up at Ryo as the reporters disappeared into the classroom. Ryo smiled at her.
"Domo arigatou, Samiya-san." Ryo bowed and the five of them took off down the hall and disappeared down the stairs.
Nami stared after her friend as the reporters enthusiastically searched her classroom. I'm not too sure I trust those boys, Naste, but I trust you. I know you have a good reason for what you are doing.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Now where to?" Shin inquired as he lowered himself iinto the guardian tunnel to join the others.
"I dunno. Back to the house?" Naste suggested, shrugging as Seiji's armor and sword lit the tunnel's entrance.
"Nah. No good." Seiji shook his head.
"Why?" Ryo inquired. The group was not moving ahead, simply standing in one plce while they formulated a strategy.
"It wouldn't do us any good. That mob is probably still there. We haven't been gone for that long. We saw off-routes on our way here, right? Let's see where they go." Toma suggested. "Besides, Lai is probably downtown. We sould go see him."
"Good idea." Seiji agreed.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"How about this one?" Ryo suggested, pointing down a tunnel that led off to the right.
"This one must lead to Shinjuku." Toma answered. "From how far we walked, and the direction of this tunnel, we're about a mile from the house. If we go that way, we should end up somewhere in downtown."
"Toma, the human atlas." Seiji whispered to Ryo. Ryo chuckled. They headed down the pathway, bouncing ideas and problems off one another.
"What do we do if they take hostages?" Ryo inquired first.
"We can't let people be sacrificed. Not only would it give us no basis for innocence, but it would also tarnish the name of Samurai Trooper. If they were to take hostanges, saving them would be our number one priority." Shin explained wisely.
"What if Lai refuses to reveal himself, though." Seiji inquired. "The public has no reason to believe he's anything more or less than a human diplomat."
"In that case, we wouldn't have any choice but to destroy him when he looks human. If we get the chance to destroy Lai, we need to take it, no matter what he looks like. He seems key to Takai's plan to turn the city against us." Toma answered.
"What if Shu shows up?" Shin asked.
"We'll just have to talk him out of Takai's control. I won't risk all those lives by taking on Kikoutei. I couldn't control myself when it was my best friends it was telling me to attack, I don't even want to think about what I could do to those whom I don't know at all." Ryo stated firmly, shivering a bit.
"Shu will do his best to kill you if you don't wear Kikoutei. Combined with Takai's power, he has the power to do it, too." Naste added quietly.
"Better us than them, Naste." Said Seiji.
Naste made a face and stopped walking, causing the others to stop in turn. "Why do you guys keep saying such things? You act as if you lives mean nothing!"
"Our lives are not worhtless, Naste, but we are charged with protecting the mortal world. If we valued our lives over others', how could we protect them. It's simply a mindset we need to have in order to do this whole saving the mortal realm thing." Shin explained solemnly.
"Because our job is to protect them, we must understand that our lives have no more value than theirs and must be ready to give our lives for them at any time. It's just the nature of our mission." Ryo continued.
"But don't worry, Naste." Toma smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. The group resumed their brisk walk down the tunnel as Toma spoke again. "We don't plan on dying any time soon."
"Yeah." Seiji smiled. "We still have things to do in our lives."
"Like play soccer!" Ryo smiled as well.
"And go swimming." Shin added.
"And sit under waterfalls." Seiji commented, getting an odd stare out of his four friends. "What?"
"And go stargazing." Toma leaned his head back and closed his eyes briefly. "Or star mingling. Depends on if I feel like shooting myself into space or not."
"Whatever. You see? You don't have anything to worry about." Ryo winked a bit before stopping in his tracks to keep from ramming into Shin, qwho had stopped first.
"What's wrong, Shin?" Seiji inquired.
"There are people up ahead." Shin answered, his sensitive ears picking up the sound of voices up ahead.
"No big deal. The city'll know we're here eventually anyway." Ryo shrugged.
"I suppose, but I can't help but feel wary." Toma said hesitantly.
"I don't blame you. After what the people have said about you…" Naste trailed off.
"Hey! Who's down there?" Yelled a young male voice from up ahead.
Ryo looked back at Seiji and Toma, who motioned for him to continue. "Uh… my name is Sanada Ryo. Me and my friends are trying to get to Shinjuku."
"Sanada Ryo!" He cried.
"Isn't that…?" a female voice inquired of nobody.
The male voice returned. "Aren't you one of the crazy guys?"
"I'm telling you, my friends and I are perfectly sane. We just need to get to Shinjuku. Does this lead into the city?" Ryo persisted.
"Yeah. But.. you guys are supposed to be killers. You aren't gonna kill us before you go, are you?" the female voice stuttered.
"We're not killers. We have no reason to harm any of you." Shin called. As the group continued foreward, they began to see a dim light, and the hum of traffic overhead was becoming louder.
"You certainly harmed all those ninja guys, didn't you?" the young man demanded.
Toma sighed. "There wasn't any blood on the scene of the battle. Those things we fought weren't even human."
"Riiiight." He female voice sighed. "So… are you guys human?"
"Of course we are. I think we've spelled that out quite clearly, quite a few times." Ryo informed them stiffly.
"Don't we look human to you?" Toma inquired as they got close enough to see whom they were talking to. It was a rather small grouping of about thirty kids, most of them very young. There were about five young men mixed in with three or four girls. There was a boy and a girl standing toward the head of the group. They guessed they were the leaders. Their clothes were all ratty, and their hair, unkempt. Dirt-encrusted skin seemed trendy for none of them looked clean.
"I suppose you do." The girl in front conceded. She was a tall, thin girl, who looked like she could move fast. Each of her ears sported at least four hoop earrings. She held out her hand to Seiji. "I'm Hoops."
Seiji took her hand gently, hoping to keep his under gear from scratching her. "I'm Date Seiji. What is this?"
"We're the Rejects. Kinda like you. Welcome aboard." A young man, looking to be about fifteen, draped an arm over Ryo's shoulders. "I'm the leader, Onset."
Ryo slipped away and held up his hands. "We didn't come here to join anything."
"I don't expect you did, buddy. But you should join while the offer's fresh. Because I'll tell you one thing that you'll find out the hard way later if you don't learn it now. Once people paint you a certain color, they never change their minds. It doesn't matter what you do or what they say. That color will never change. You guys have been painted pitch black." Onset said seriously, stepping back.
"Maybe they have, but we don't do what we do to gain popularity. We do it because it's our job. It's our mission in life." Seiji explained hesitantly.
"Perhaps it is. But this whole conflict won't last forever. What'll happen when this blows over? You guys won't be able to get good jobs, or live normally, simply because people are afraid of you. They don't trust you. Not after what they've depicted you as. You do realize that those Samurai Troopers reports are leaving the country to go all over the world tomorrow, don't you? The entire world will know what you are." The girl smiled confidently.
"We know that. But that stuff doesn't matter to us. And why do you care in the first place? We're the freaks, remember? Why should it matter to you what we do?" Toma inquired, stepping foreward.
"Crazy or not, you guys are strong. You have plenty of power to protect our group. Some of us are young and without any protection at all." Another boy, calling himself Code, motioned behind them to a grouping of small children, fiddling around with some small stones.
The group paused, seeing the children. None of them had too much clothing on their backs, but they did seem content. Content, but not happy. "Where did these kids come from?" Shin inquired, somewhat irked by the fact that the children were basically living in the ground.
"Same place a lot of us came from. Orphanages. Almost all of us are runaways. All of us, in some way, have been rejected by society, hence the name. A lot of us were abandoned, or kicked out of the house. Some are orphans, most are kids run away from orphanages." Hoops informed them.
"Run away from orphanages? Why? Wouldn't an orphanage be better than this? Living underground?" Naste cried, joining the conversation.
"Not necissarily." Said a weak voice. The groups turned their eyes on Ryo, who stood still as a stone, his eys cast to the ground.
"What would you know about it?" Onset demanded.
"Because I spent eight years in an orphanage, and I know." Ryo answered, closing his eyes. "Housing in Shinjuku is not so generous as to give an orphan a decent place to live. I know all about them. About how all the donations and earnings given to the orphanage usually go to the owner personally. How cruel the punishments are for those who disobey. How bad the living conditions sometimes are. I know… and I can understand why you prefer this life to that of an orphanage."
"If you know, then how can you not help us?" Code asked.
"Simply by remembering that my duty is to something greater than to just one city or group." Ryo finally looked up. "But I will promise you one thing. As long as I remain in this world, I will do my best to protect you."
The Rejects paused at his promise. "You mean… you will help us?" Hoops breathed. Ryo smiled and nodded.
"After going through what I did, how can I do anything less than give you my word?"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Running from the news? Chatting with a sensei? Hanging out with orphan waifs? This is trying my patience." Takai leaned his head on his hand and sighed a bit. "Command Lai to move. You two go with him."
"Ho!" Kuri nodded and bowed.
Beside her, Shu scowled at Takai. "Baka yarou(1)." He huffed.
Kuri raised her hand to strike. "How dare you speak that way to Master Takai!"
"Yamero(2), Kuri!" Takai barked. Obediantely, Kuri's hand halted its decend toward Shu's face. "You have to understand that Shu's mind is his own here, while only his body is mine."
Shu spat at both Kuri and Takai. "I'll die before I kill any of my friends!"
"Actually, you'll die immediately after you've killed Seiji, Shin, and Toma, and brought Ryo to me. Once I'm finished with Ryo, you'll all be together in the next world." Takai smirked. "Now, let's go!"
Shu wailed as Takai took control again, but there was nothing Shu could do about it. Takai was allowing Shu to control his own mind when he was in the netherrealm. Shu had no real control at all. He looked up again, a dead look in his blue eyes. "Ho!" He cried, bowing.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"So, this is solid metal?" Hoops inquired. She knocked on Shin's shoulder.
"Ah." Shin smiled as a young five-year-old, given the nickname Kodo, approached and began to examine him. Shin refrained from using his kanji to force the child to trust him, and simply observed him as he made his little way around him, touching the metal of his under gear from time to time. Shin's face suddenly hardened. These children and teenagers are who we are battling to protect. This innocence is what we are fighting for. The child finally smiled and proudly patted Shin's knee, giving him his own innocent approval. Shin smiled as Hoops picked Kodo up and looked at Shin.
"I'm sorry. Kodo likes to inspect everything." She laughed. "He's already inspected all the others."
Shin bowed, smiling. "I am glad to have passed your test, Kodo." He smiled at the boy, who hid his face over Hoop's shoulder.
Hoops paused. "So… you fight these ninjas that are… not human?"
Shin shrugged. "Yeah."
"Why?"
"Someone has to do it." Shin smiled, as if dismissing it as a simple chore.
"But… well, no offense, but you look way too gentle to be a fighter." Hoops cocked her head a bit. "No matter how I look at you, I don't see a warrior."
Shin smiled. "I am glad you say that."
Hoops blinked. "Why? Wouldn't you want to look like a warrior?"
Shin shook his head. "Not really, no. You see, though I accept my fate as a Samurai Trooper, I want nothing more to live a normal life. But, I know I can't. Being told that anything about me seems normal is like a breath of fresh air and a compliment." He looked at the others timidly. "I think the others feel the same way."
"Really? Well, I'm here to tell you that you seem like a very normal man." Hoops nodded.
"Arigitou." Shin smiled and was silent for a bit before changing the subject. "So… does everyone here have a nickname, rather than a real name?"
"Yes."
"Why? Why not just stick with your real name?"
"Well, most of us don't remember our birth names. Some of us were orphaned or abandoned shortly after birth and so were never named at all. Either way, the nicknames are somewhat of an equalizer, so that no one person is above the other. It keeps us together, you know? And second, it sets us apart from everyone else. If you think about it, it gives us even more of an identity than a real name would."
"Makes sense, I suppose." Shin shrugged.
"Guys! Youja! Let's go!" Ryo suddenly shouted, jumping up and climbing through a small trap door set in the roof of the tunnel, leading to the street above. Seiji and Toma soon followed, and Naste was close behind.
Shin lingered for a moment as Hoops rounded on him. "What's going on, Shin?"
Shin's eyes narrowed. "There's about to be a battle. Stay down here. It's no longer safe up top." Shin ran past Hoops and Kodo before jumping out of the tunel. He found himself in a small alleyway, obviously in downtown Shinjuku, judging by the hustle and bustle he was hearing from the streets before him. Speaking of the hustle and bustle of the streets, there certainly was a lot of commotion going on around the street that lay in front of him. He quickly closed up the opening that led into the guardian tunnel, and self-consciously pushed his way into the crowd, until he reached the center. A circle clear of all padestrians, wide as the street itself was surrounded by a large crowd, staring at the three people in the center of the clearing. The three were Lai, some unknown ninja woman, and Shu. "Shu!" Shin lurched foreward, coming fully into the clearing. Shu simply smirked at him.
Lai smirked as well. "Welcome, Suiko no Shin." He motioned around himself. "You've found your fan club." He chuckled sarcastically.
Shin's eyes darted back and forth, taking note of his comrades' positions among the crowd. "Come on, Lai!" He said, turning his focus back on the man. "Give it up! Show everyone what you really are!" He held up his hand and his Suiko yari obediantly stretched into it. He swung it behind his back and tensed. "Come on!"
"Calm down, Suiko no Shin. We don't want to hurt you. We only want to… help you." Lai said calmly, but his eyes protraying his words' true meaning.
Shin suddenly charged at Lai, his spear pointing straight ahead. In a split second, Shu had reached out to the side and grabbed a young woman from the crowd. He wrapped his hands around her neck and smiled once again at Shin. "Hold it right there, Samurai Trooper!" Shin had no choice but to obey. "Make another move, and I'll sqeeze. You know Shu's strength. Even with the slightest bit of pressure, Shu can snap her neck."
The woman began to scream frantically, clawing at the hands, which bound her neck. "Someone help! Police!"
Shu shook her a bit. "Do you honestly think they can do anything about this? The police are powerless. They can do nothing for you right now."
Suddenly the girl was gone, being carried in Toma's strong arms. "But the guy in blue can still lend a hand!" Toma landed on a building and set the girl down. Wait here." He commanded. "I'll come back for you."
The girl edged away. "Just go." She sqeaked, her body shivering with fear.
Toma took a step foreward. "I promise you, Miss, I'm not going to hurt you." She still made no movement to accept him.
"Why are you doing this?" She demanded harshly.
"Doing what?"
"Protecting us? We don't need your help. We are fine without you five!" she spat.
"Even if you don't need our help, we are still here. We are here, not to make a name for ourselves, but just to keep everything spinning. That is all, and nothing more." Toma then disappeared over the edge of the building to rejoin the battle.
The boys had surrounded Lai, Shu, and the new female ninja, decked out in sub-armor, and weapons held in each hand. "Leave Shu now, Takai!" Seiji yelled, taking a few steps foreward. Shu simply smirked before rushing at Seiji and slamming his shoulder into Seiji's front. Seiji dropped his sword as he flew through the window of a clothing store and landed in a large pile of shirts. The few people shopping inside immediately rushed to see what projectile had ruined the window.
"Seiji!" Toma ran toward the store, but was met by Shu's bo halfway. Toma doubled over before Shu kicked him again in the stomach, sending him flying into a large crowd of people. There was a lound murmur of displeasure from the crowd at the beating of Seiji and Toma.
"I thought you said you wanted to help them!"
"Why are you doing this?"
"You'll kill them if you're not careful!"
"I'm beginning to think you're the bad ones around here!"
Ryo smiled, but held his hand out to the side as Shin prepared to run at Shu. "Matte, Shin!"
"What?"
"Don't attack Shu, right now. Attack Lai and that girl. They have closer connections to Takai and probably know how to get Takai away from him. You get the girl! I'll get Lai!" Ryo answered, running at the enemy. Shin charged at the woman, who had drawn two long daggers from her belt.
"Chodando!" Shu raised his bo above his head and it began to spin around. Ryo and Shin stopped in their tracks and dashed over to stand in front of Shu, the only thing between him and the large crowd. "Gan Tessai(3)!" He slammed his bo into the earth and it began to roar. The ground shook and the energy began racing at Ryo and Shin, uprooting cement as it went, sending concrete flying everywhere. Red and blue auras appeared to absorb the atack. The energy slammed into the auras, and to the relief of Ryo and Shin, was stopped. There was a small amount of power that slipped past the auras to slam into the two men, but not one drop of power had touched those they were trying to protect. Ryo and Shin remained on their feet, using their weapons to steady themselves.
"What now, Ryo? Shu's protecting them." Shin pointed out, standing and aiming the point of his spear at the ememies.
"I don't know. Takai has increased Shu's power too much for us to put up a fight against." Ryo admitted, standing as well, and crossing his swords in front of himself.
Shin stared at Shu for a long moment before racing foreword. Get Lai, Ryo!
Ryo looked at Shin for a moment before obeying and running at Lai. The female ninja appeared between them, the two ready daggers in her hands. "Sorry, Rekka. You'll have to get through me first. No show me what you've got!" Ryo raised his swords above his head and threw them down at the girl. She held her daggers up and caught the blades. She gave Ryo a wink through the square created by the four blades. "Hey… I'm Kuri. You're a cute one, aren't you?"
"Huh?" Ryo gritted his teeth.
"Too bad we have to kill you." She purred, smiling.
"Shut up! You sound a lot like Arago. Why are you and your master so intent on getting revenge on us!" he demanded.
"Well, you see, when you took out Arago, you took out a valuable ally of ours. Though our power is in no way diminished, it was rather rude and annoying. Besides, you do realize what kind of power you hold. It would be very valuable to have in a tough situtation. We saw that you weren't busy at the moment, so we decided that perhaps you'd be free to fight us."
"You want to kill us because you're annoyed?" Ryo asked monotonely, raising an eyebrow.
"To put it simply, yes. But you know, you wouldn't have to die if you would accept Master Takai as your Lord. You'd live and gain unimaginable power. It's good offer, really." Kuri suddenly twisted her daggers to rest right under the hilts of his swords. With a powerful flick of her wrists, his swords were sent flying out of his grasp. She rushed foreward and grabbed Ryo's shoulder. She quickly spun him around and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, crossing her daggers in front of his throat and pressing the edges to his skin. "And I think I can get a good word in for you."
"In your dreams, lady." Ryo grunted, gritting his teeth.
Kuri put more pressure on the knives. "You sure about that, Rekka no Ryo? Say no, and I'll be forced to end your life right here." Ryo growled and narrowed his eyes.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Busso… Suiko!"
The blue light dimmed and Shin stood, decked out in his Suiko armor. The faceplates slid apart, and he fixed Shu with a stern glare. "You're going down, Takai."
"Bring it on, young one." Shu goaded, motioning toward himself. A flash of orange armor signaled Kongo's arroival. The orange armor clamped itself over his subarmor and he swung his Bo around to place it behind him. Shin charged head on as Lai watched patiently by the side. He smiled at the looks of growing panick on the people surrounding them. This would be sure to tarnish the names of the Samurai Troopers. As soon as the other four Samurai were knocked down hard enough, Takai would probably have Shu destroy everyone and everything in sight. Then he'd capture Ryo and destroy the other four. Then, Takai could torture Ryo to death and conquer the mortal world, all in one fell swoop.
Shu side-stepped the younger man's attack, and slammed his fist into the side of Shin's helmet. Shin stumbled back ward, a low tone sounding in his ears as his helmet resonated with the force fo the blow. Shu laughed and grabbed Shin's wrist to lift him above his head. He then threw the Trooper into the cement, making a rather large dent in the street. He then stepped away and twirled his bo absently. "What's the matter, Suiko? Lost your spirit?"
Shin growled and managed to get to his feet, tightly gripping his yari. Shu surely was a lot stronger when Takai controlled him. He raised his yari up and threw it down at Shu's head, but was stopped by Shu's bo as it caught the weapon, holding it away. Shin grunted and put more pressure on his weapon. He didn't think it would do him any good. Shu was much strong than he was anyway. Shu pushed Shin into the air slightly before slamming his bo into the man's stomach and sending him flying. Shin landed on his stomach, fighting to stay awake. He coughed and stared at the blood, which hit the ground before him. He saw the orange of Shu's armor stop in front of him and he reached for his dropped Yari. Shu's foot slammed down on his hand, and Shin yelped. "Playtime's over." Shu growled, retrieving Shin's yari and aiming the point at Shin's back. Shin cringed and awaited the blow, but none came. He looked up to see a golden shaft sitting before him. He smiled at Toma, who stood about ten feet away, fully in armor, and his bow in his hands. He fitted another arrow and aimed for Shu.
"Drop the weapon!" Toma cried.
Shu grolwed and let the yari fall to rest beside Shin once more. But in an instant, he lashed out his bo, the chain releasing and swinging the end of the bo outward to strike Toma in the face and send him reeling backward. Shin took the chance to grab Shu's ankle and trip him while standing and grabbing his Yari. He jumped up and over Shu to stand next to Toma. Shu was already on his feet as Shin landed. The two boys glared at Shu as he rushed at them, his nun chaku out and swinging around on either side.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Well, Ryo? How about it?" Kuri whispered, smiling and moving foreward to press her checck against his. "You wanna join the club?"
"No." Ryo growled, bracing himself for what he knew was coming.
"Aww…" She cooed, gripping the daggers tighter, ready to draw them apart to slice open the vunerable throat of her victim. "Too bad."
"Get off of him, Lady!" Seiji screamed, darting from the doorway of the clothing store and charging at her. Kuri's eyes widened, and she grunted. Seiji dropped his weapon suddenly and fell to the ground, sliding to rest right beneath Kuri's daggers. He grabbed Ryo's ankles and yanked him toward the ground, pulling him from Kuri's grasp. Seiji then jumped away, followed by Ryo. The two held out their hands, and their weapons floated to rest in their fingers.
"Yoroi, Seiji!" Ryo commanded, throwing his hands into the air, his swords vanishing.
"Ah!" Seiji agreed. There were two bright flashes of green and red as the armors responded. Theier weapons once again came to their hands, and they prepared for a fight. Kuri narrowed her eyes at them and sniffed.
"I'm sorry, Samurai, but I think I'll have to cut our playtime short today." She smirked and sheathed her daggers, throwing a kiss to Ryo. "I'll be back later, kiddo."
Ryo rolled his eyes and looked to Seiji. Seiji was giving him an odd stare. Ryo shrugged. "What?"
"What's with the affectionate looks?" He laughed lightly. "I think she likes you."
Ryo growled and placed his sword-laden fists on his hips. "Oh, stop it. Stay focused, will you?" He heard a light chuckle come from the crowd. "Besides, it's embarrassing enough when I don't have an entire city staring at me."
"Whatever." Seiji waved him off and turned his attention on Lai, who didn't quite look the same as before. He pulled his suit jacket off and smirked at them as his clothes began to morph and change to that black suit of a ninja.
He smirked and pulled two whips from the harnesses on his sides. "Having fun, Samurai Troopers?" he laughed.
Seiji smirked. "Good job, Lai. You've just shown the whole city what you are."
Lai relaxed his stance and shrugged. "No matter. This is your final battle. Shu will kill all of you, and Master Takai will take hold of the Kikoutei and use it to conquer the mortal and the nether realms. You have nothing to fear, and neither to we."
Ryo clicked his swords together and growled. "We'll se about that."
Seiji waved his hand at him. "Iie, Ryo. If you use an attack now, you'll kill a bunch of people."
Lai laughed. "You're pretty smart, Korin. Perhaps we could use your talents in the netherworld." He raised his whips and they began to slither around behind him, as if they had minds of their own. "I assure you, the pay is a lot better than it is if you're a Samurai Trooper. What do you say?"
Ryo raised an eyebrow. "What's with you people? You claim you want to kill us, but you then turn and ask us to join you?"
Seiji sighed. "Get it through your skulls. We're not interested in joining your club!" Seiji yelled, rushing at Lai. Lai's whips shot out, coiling about Seiji's blade before sending a powerful jolt of dark energy into it. Seiji yelped, but quickly gathered his wits and surged his own power into the blade, battling with the crackling power.
"Seiji!" Ryo rused in and slashed his sword down at the whip, but rather than allow the blade to cut through the cord, the weapon was repelled, sending Ryo reeling backward. Ryo charged again, but Seiji growled.
"No, Ryo. It's no good. I'll deal with him."
"Seiji!"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Shu, you have got to snap out of this! You know we can't kill you!" Toma yelled at his friend, holding Shu's bo away from his head with his own bow. "You've got to wake up!"
"Of course I know you can't kill Shu, Toma. Why do you think I posessed him?" Shu laughed, pressing down harder. "You Samurai are too weak to do anything about it. You're too afraid to make sacrifices. I assure you that if you killed Shu, this plan would be absolutely twarted."
"I'd never do something like that to him! He has no control over what he's doing! He shouldn't be punished for this!" Toma yelled angrily, his strength flaring and allowing him to shove Shu back a few steps.
"It's that sort of sappy thinking that will be your downfall, Samurai!" Shu chuckled and spun around to slam his foot into Shin's side. Shin grunted, but remained on his feet. He wrapped his arms around Shu's foot and held him in place. Shu smirked and brought his bo across Shin's temple, sending him staggering back. "If there's one thing you five are not, it's unpredictable."
"Shu!" Shin growled, holding his side with one arm, his head with the other. "Shu! You've got to wake up! If you don't wake up, who knows how Takai will exploit your power!"
Shu shrugged and did a few fancy twirls with his bo. "You don't seem to get it, do you? Shu can no longer hear you. He's gone, and there's nothing you can do about it."
Shin growled a bit louder before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. Maybe I can… I sure hope this works. He sighed and allowed his hands to drop to his sides, his head tipped up, and his kanji glowing softly. Please hear me… SHU!
Shu felt Shin's energy knock him. He growled. "Get out of there, you little parasite!" He cried, charging at him. Toma had no idea what was going on, but he could see that Shin had something going. He just needed to keep Shu away from him long enough for Shin's method to take effect. He quickly fitted an arrow to his bow and let it fly, impaling the ground mere feet away from where Shu was. Shu stopped and turned to look back at Toma, giving the latter time enough to leap over Shu, standing between the posessed Trooper, and the concentrating one. I hope you know what you're doing, Shin.
Shu… do you know my voice? Shin thought desperately, grabbing hold of Shu's energy and holding on with all his might. He could feel Shu lash against his own, attampting to pry his energy away, but Shin had a death grip on it. Shin had his attention, and he wasn't letting go. Answer me, Shu! Do you know my voice?
I… I can't… Shin?
Yes, Shu! It's me! Do you realize what's happened?
I don't know… I'm so tired… so tired…
No, Shu! Don't go! You've gotta break Takai's hold on you!
Takai?
Yes! Can you feel him inside you?
Something's… talking… someone's here… in my head. He's guiding me…
No! He's not guiding you! He's manipulating you! You've gotta get him out!
Shu grunted and backed away from where he was trying to run Toma through with the blade at the end of his bo. He gripped his head, and dropped his bo, growling loudly. "No… you can't have him back… he's mine!"
"Shu! Can you hear me? Please, Shu!" Toma cried, running up to stand in front of him, throwing his weapon down. He gripped Shu's shoulders and began to shake him.
Takai… he's… he's using me…
Yes! Exactly! Fight him, Shu! Gain control of your body again!
"Shu! Wake up! Please!" Toma yelled again and again, forcing his own energy into Shu, powering his spirit up, in hopes that it would aide Shin in whatever he was doing. "Shu!"
Fight him Shu! Fight him!
I… I can't… he's too strong…
What? Shu! You are one of the strongest men I've ever met! You're plenty strong enough to get rid of him! Just do it! Shin could almost visualize the two of them standing there. The world around them was dark. Shin stood in a beam of light, and in front of him sat Shu, his arms and legs bound with chains, holding him to the ground. He could feel an invisiable wall erect itself between them. Shu could hear him encourage him to stand, but Shin could not physically pull him to his feet. The most he could do was send his support to him.
I'm not strong enough to do this, alright? Takai's too strong for me!
Shut up, Shu! You once told me that I was strong. You told me that I am Suiko… that I complete the circle of five. I now repeat that to you! You are stronger than me, Shu. You can break out of this! You are Kongo! You complete the circle of five. You can do this! And even if you truly can't, it couldn't hurt to try. Shu felt Shin's mind begin to withdraw, his energy mostly spent.
No, Shin! Don't leave me! Please! Please help me!
You don't need my help anymore, Shu. You're the only one who can stop Takai right now. With that, Shin sighed and allowed his mind to retreat back into his own body, giving it a jolt. Shin opened his eyes and gave a heavy sigh. His energy was drained, but by no means gone. He gripped his yari firmly and ran foreward to join Toma, who still had a firm grip on Shu's shoulders. "Toma!"
Get out of my head…
"Shut up!"
Get out of my head.
"Stop this! This is madness!" Shu yelled as Toma released him, allowing him to grip his head.
Get out of my head!
"Stop it! Your resistance is nothing more than a jest!" Shu laughed, though the other two could tell Takai was losing it.
Get out of my head!
"I've had enough of you!" Shu yelled angrily. His body flashed a bright red light for a few minutes beofre dying down, and a low laugh was heard. Toma and Shin tensed when they saw Shu. His headband had been ripped away, and his eyes now glowed a deep red. "I keep telling you, no one can resist my posessions for very long."
Toma and Shin called their weapons to them once again and prepared themselves for an attack. Shu's bo once again flew into his hand and he ran at the two, allowing a loud battle cry to issue from his throat. Shin whimpered slightly and sent out a pulse of energy. Shu!
Shu froze in his tracks. The bo hit the ground once more, this time bursting into Sakura blossoms. He dropped to his knees and growled, his entire body shaking. "Fight it, Shu!" Toma encouraged him, lowering his weapon.
If you won't get out of my head, I'll make you powerless… and I'll take you down with me. Shu's body glowed bright orange before allowing a bright beam of light to disappear into Ryo's body about ten feet away. Ryo gasped loudly and dropped to his knees in surprise. He had been watching the struggle between Seiji and Lai until the power had unexpectedly exploded into his body. He groaned and looked back at Shu. Shu was completely still. Ryo felt relief mixed in with the pain of the overwhelming power. Shu was successfully fighting back. He yelled as the power continued to churn inside him, his body not fit to handle the immense overload.
"Help me!" He yelped. He felt more power flood him as Shin and Toma send their power as well. It almost seemed that the more power he received, the more the pain was driven away. He didn't want to put Kikoutei on, but he was willing to risk it, if only to get rid of the pain. He looked up at Seiji. Seiji had been relieved of his duties as Lai backed away from both Ryo and Shu. Takai's plans were suddenly falling apart. Seiji knew what Ryo was thinking. Ryo certainly didn't want to don Kikoutei again, but it couldn't be helped. Ripping that much power from him could kill him, and if he didn't receive the power he needed to release and form the white armor, the power churning inside him would eventually explode, taking him with it. Seiji nodded and focused his energy before shooting it right at Ryo. Ryo shot to his feet, his eyes glowing an eerie white color. "Busso… Kikoutei!" Ryo screamed.
Seiji turned his attention back to the demon behind him. But when he looked, the enemy was nowhere to be seen. The coward had retreated when Ryo had called his white armor. Seiji smirked and turned his attention on the last point of interest, Shu. Shu was still on his knees, shaking. Seiji narrowed his eyes and tossed his sword away, the weapon dissolving into sakura blossoms in thin air before it struck anyone in the crowd. He raced over to where the others were standing around Shu. "Shu!" Shu looked up at him, along with Shin and Toma. "You've gotta wake up now! If Ryo comes over here, and Kikoutei takes over again, he'll kill you! Don't give him that chance! Wake up Shu!"
You're going down, Takai! Shu shouted at the unseeable force, which now controlled his mind and body.
You wish, boy. The gruff voice protested.
I won't be killed by one of my best friends because some freak decided to borrow my body. You understand me!
You're not nearly as strong as you think you are. You can't get rid of me. Your body and mind belong to me, now, Kongo!
You underestimate me. I'll get you out of my head if it kills me, Takai! Shu cried angrily. He thought of Shin's earlier words and felt confidence flood his veins.
Shu sunk to the ground, supporting himself by both his hands and his knees. His growl soon turned to a yell of effort and pain. Seiji and Toma continued to shout encouragement to him as a bright red glow surrounded his body. Seiji looked back to see that Ryo had successfully donned the Kikoutei, but was simply standing in the same spot, not moving a bit. Ryo was keeping himself still for as long as he could. At least until they had Shu out of Takai's grasp. Seiji was tempted to run over and pull the Kikoutei helmet from his friend's head, but his attention was on Shu now. And even if he were to try and take the armor off, Ryo would most likely turn on him, and then go after Shu as the armor acted up.
Stop this, boy! You have no power to get rid of me! It is madness for you to even consider that you might throw me away.
I'm going to tell you one more time… GET OUT OF MY HEAD!
With one more yelled, the bright red light that had surrounded his body burst outward as if a skin had been shed then thrown away. He was still after that, simply panting and staring at the ground. Shin stepped foreward and placed a hand on his shoulder, followed closely by Toma and Seiji. "Shu?" Shin whispered, smiling. Shu looked up, his dark blue eyes sparkling with the life that had been so badly missed during his mind's absence.
"Shin… I'm… gomen." Shu stuttered, his voice weak and cracked by panting.
Shin smiled wider. "Don't worry about anything. You're back. And that's all that matters."
"Thank you, Shin." Shu breathed.
"I didn't do much of anything. You forced Takai from your own mind. That wasn't my doing." Shin shook his head.
"But you still… helped me…" Shu sighed and his arms gave out, dropping his upper body fully to the ground. Shin caught him and smiled up at Toma and Seiji.
"He's back." Shin laughed.
Seiji sighed heavily, relief evident on his face. "Thank God."
Toma smiled, but his smile soon vanished as he caught sight of the white figure looming behind Seiji. "Seiji! Move!"
Seiji whipped his head around and moved out of the way just in time to avoid a slam in the head, courtesy of Ryo's fists. Seiji narrowed his eyes. Ryo had had the armor on too long for him to keep his will to himself. Kikoutei had once again seduced him. "Ryo please!" He yelled as loud as he dared. Ryo's cold pale blue eyes, which seemed to signify that Kikoutei had taken over, glared maliciously at him, and a wicked smile not belonging to Ryo was curving his lips. "Stop this! Take the armor off! It's manipulating you again!"
How dare he order me to do such a thing! He's no friend of mine if he orders you to disarm myself with all these enemies around! The traitor. Ryo found himself thinking. But it was almost as if an inhuman mind voice was echoing behind his own. He did not question it, though. It seemed to know what it was talking about, and after all, it was right. I can't have such a slanderous teammate with me. I'll have to get rid of him.
"Slanderous traitor!" Ryo yelled angrily, rushing at Seiji, his fist extended.
"Seiji!" Toma yelled.
I'll cut him down with his own weapon. Wait… cut Seiji down…?
No! Ryo stopped in his tracks and his fist dropped to his side. Seiji's trying to help me… isn't he?
Of course he isn't. Look at all these people around me. All the people of the city. They all want me and the others banished and killed simply because I am what I am. They hate me, and I have to destroy them! And Seiji obviously wants them to kill me, because he's trying to get me to disarm myself. I need to kill him before I go on with my mission.
"Ryo?" Shin whispered from behind him.
And Shin and Toma are with Seiji. They all have to die. Not only do they want me dead, they're disrupting my perfect void! Ryo's eyes narrowed. It's completely logical and reasonable. "Yes." Ryo mumbled aloud, as if talking to someone.
"Eh? Ryo, is that you?" Toma inquired, taking a few steps toward him.
"It's me. And I'm about to carry out my mission." He answered, his voice low. His hand flashed out and wrapped around Toma's neck. He pulled him close and gave a smirk. "You're first. This is what happens when people try and defy me."
"Toma!" Seiji took a few cautious steps foreward.
Ryo suddenly released the blue-haired warrior and lurched foreward as Shin slammed his shoulder into his back. Ryo spun around to attack, but Seiji and Toma lept into action, grabbing his arms and pulling them straight back, forcing Ryo to his knees. "Let me go!" Ryo screamed angrily, squirming. "They're trying to kill us!"
"Who, Ryo?" Shin inquired sharply, running up to stand behind Ryo. Ryo moved his legs so he got his right foot on the ground. But before he could launch himself onto his feet, Shin pushed his palms to Ryo's shoulders, forcing him to remain still. Ryo's foot was forced back to its former position, and he was once again completely on his knees. But now they were stuck. Ryo wasn't going to be able to take the armor off in his position, and it was all Seiji, Toma, and Shin could do to keep him from regaining his footing. Shin narrowed his eyes. "Who's trying to kill us?"
"This city! Shinjuku has gone crazy! They're trying to kill me, and they're trying to kill you, so I'm going to destroy it!" Ryo yelled back as Shin pushed harder, forcing the trapped man's face to stare at the road.
"That's the armor talking, Ryo! You've gotta separate your will from the armor's before you do something you'll regret!" Seiji reasoned.
"There is nothing wrong with me!" Ryo attempted to jerk back and forth, but the boys held fast. "I'm telling you the truth! This city doesn't deserve to exist, so I'm going to purge it!"
"Ryo, don't your ealize that you sound like a Netherworld Lord! Purge the city? Destroy those who want us dead? You sound like Arago, or Takai even!" Toma cried gruffly. "Have you forgotten that you're supposed to protect this world with that armor? You'd be doing the exact opposite if you went through with this! You're obliged to use that armor a certain way!"
"What about my life? Am I obliged to allow it to be taken away!" Ryo demanded.
"They're not trying to kill you, Ryo!" Shin cried. He sighed suddenly. The armor's will had completely taken over. Ryo wouldn't listen to logic anymore. "Naste!" He looked up, spotting her brown head amongst the crowd. She pushed her way to the center, giving them a panicked look once she saw Ryo's predicament.
"Pull his helmet off!" Seiji commanded, tightening his hold on Ryo's arm. "We've got him!"
Naste nodded and gripped the two horns on the helmet. Ryo shook his head back and forth. "No, Naste! Don't!" A burst of energy sent Naste flying back into the crowd, but the three men held on tight. Naste hit the ground and sat up, severely dazed.
"Naste!" Shin cried.
"Kodo! No!" cried a female voice as a small figure burst from the crowd and ran up to stand in front of Ryo. Shin looked up as a girl followed.
"Hoops!" Shin cried, as Kodo reached a small hand toward Ryo. "Kodo, no! Get away from here!"
Kodo raised a tiny eyebrow, but his hand continued to travel toward Ryo's face. He finally slipped both hands under the side of Ryo's helmet to touch his face. He gave him a long, innocent look. "You no scary man, 'fore…"
Ryo froze. The Rejects. Oh yeah. I remember them now. I promised… I promised I would protect them. No… I won't kill them, just the rest of the city. But what about them? They are rejected like us. But they aren't… What am I doing? His eyes squeezed shut, and he grunted.
What am I thinking? I have to destroy this whole place!
"No… they're not my enemies!"
They are my enemies!
"Stop! Someone help me!" Ryo screamed.
Shin looked up, desperate in Ryo's attempt to fight the armor. "Some one, please! Get the helmet off of him!"
Hoops had just reached the group, and after a millisecond of pause, she gripped Ryo's helmet and began to pull. As soon as she retained her equillibrium, Naste dashed in to help. The two of them pulled with all their might, and after a few tense seconds, the helmet gave way, dropping solidly to the ground. The white armor brust in a flurry of white sakura blossoms, leaving Ryo in his Rekka armor. He looked up as his three friends released him. He gave Naste and Hoops a grateful smile before giving Kodo a long grateful look. "Gomen… nasai." With that, his body pitched foreward, his Rekka armor dissolving into petals, and hitting the pavement with a dull thud.
"Ryo!" Naste raced over and knelt by his head. Seiji met her there and scooped Ryo into his arms. Toma and Shin were there immediately, Toma carrying Shu.
A man dressed in a blue uniform suddenly pushed his way into the center of the crowd, a pistol held in his hands. "Freeze! Hands up! All of you!" He cried shakily. He was visibly terrified, but he was trying to be brave. Sirens of police cars could be heard in the distance as the rest of the police squad attempted to get through the crowd.
The Samuari and Naste turned to look at him. Naste stepped foreward. "What's wrong, officer?"
"We're taking these boys into custody for now." He answered weakly. "Hands up!" He shouted again as Seiji shifted Ryo's weight in his arms. He seemed extremely jumpy, as every little move they made seemed to jump his heart.
"You don't have a warrant for their arrest, though." Naste stated matter-of-factly.
"But we do have permission from the chief of police to bring you all in for interrogation."
"Please, sir. We need to get home. Ryo and Shu are hurt and need their rest." Shin commented, stepping foreward. The policeman tensed violently and his grip on his gun tightened.
"Shin…" Naste looked up at him. She was plesantly surprised that his kanji was not glowing. Shin gave her a meaningful look before turning back to look at the officer. "Shin… will you…?"
"Only if I have to. We can't afford to get caught at this point. But I also don't want to force anything on him if I don't have to." He whispered back.
"Just leave them alone!" A girl holding a small boy suddenly appeared between the police and the Samurai. "They just saved us after all we've put them through!"
"Hoops!" Shin cried quietly.
Another boy ran to stand next to her. "They haven't done anything worht being arrested over."
"Onset!" Naste breathed, recognizing the new boy.
"We all painted them as murderers and some people even attacked their house!" Hoops yelled. The policeman lowered his weapon, not out of submission, but rather for the safety of the children defenting the Troopers.
"And yet, they risked their lives to save us! They're heros!" Onset continued.
"Hoops… Onset… We're not-!" Shin began, but was cut off by Hoops.
"You are, Shin. The world needs you. Go." She smiled, as did Kodo in her arms.
"Arigitou." Shin smiled as Naste approached and wrapped her arms around his neck. Toma and Seiji were gone in a flash, heading at top speed for the house. The policeman yelled at them to stop, but dared not shoot. Just before Shin locked his arms around Naste's waist and jumped off after his friends, Naste saw Shin's kanji flare to life on his forehead. The policeman's cries were immediately silenced. Naste gave him a remorseful look. "Shin."
"I know. I shouldn't use my armor to force people to trust us, but we don't have time for interrogations. Time is too precious, and watching for Takai's next move is crucial." Shin answered quietly. "I'm sorry."
Kitty-chan: Thank God I got that one over with. Things are moving along pretty fast now. Alright! First order of business, Translations! We actually have some this time.
1 Baka yarou: Stupid bastard (Bad Shu... again)
2 Yamero: Stop
3 Gan Tessai: Iron Rock Crusher
Alright... now the preview!
"That thing will eat his will alive if we don't figure out how to control it soon."
"Now, Ryo, tell me why you have the armor!" Seiji cried, force in his voice.
"D-D-Dad! What are you doing here!"
Yay! I love the next chapter, so I hope to get it up soon. Love ya all! Review!