So, any comments on the story so far? Here's the next bit.

Reviews:

Isabel Night: Thanks for the advice, but I've had this story going for ages, and I can't picture calling her anything but Karala. The Lord and Lady are done on purpose, I'd only get the Japanese ones mixed up.

Queen Diamond:Thanks ever so much. Nice to know that someone apart from me thinks it's good.

Chapter 3

Karala stiffened as she regarded the man in front of her.

"Go to hell, Charaka" she snarled, hate distorting her voice as she spoke. "Don't you think you've ruined my life enough already, without showing up here?"

"Well, now that I think about it...No, I don't think so!" Charaka answered with an evil grin.

Rowen recovered the use of his wits enough to ask who the intruders were.

"What you don't know can't hurt you, Strata." another one said. "However, if you insist..."

"I am Charaka, leader of the Warlords. I am the Warlord of Death."

"I am Rokayu. I am the Warlord of Pain." The man in black and white armour said.

"I am Faran. I am the Warlord of Revenge." said the man in black and yellow armour.

"I am Jasta. I am the Warlady of Time." This time the speaker was a woman in pink and black armour.

"I am Syren. I am the Warlady of Song." This time a woman in blue and white armour spoke.

"I am Darya. I am the Warlady of Nature." The last woman said, wearing green and black armour.

Karala watched this display, not letting any of her emotions show. When they'd finished, she snorted derisively, saying:

"Well if you lot are the best Ayato has, he'd better give up now and avoid all the pain and embarrassment."

Charaka spun around to face her.

"Well you couldn't beat us last time, could you? In fact, if I remember rightly, you lost quite badly."

Karala flinched. She looked up at him for a moment, then, slowly, deliberately, she traced a circle in the air over her head. It glowed white, while her kanji did the same. She then made a sweeping motion downwards with her arm. The circle came down around her, enveloping her in a white light as it touched the ground.

"I call upon the powers of the Ancient to help me win this battle!" she cried.

When the light was gone, she was standing in full armour, which was still completely white.

"I am Karala, Warrior of Hope." she said grimly. "Let's see if I can do better this time."

Her transformation shook the Ronins into action. They transformed into their armours, still looking distinctly shaken.

"Armour of Wildfire, Tao Jin!"

"Armour of Halo, Tao Chi!"

"Armour of Strata, Tao Inochi!"

"Armour of Torrent, Tao Shin!"

"Armour of Hardrock, Tao Gi!"

A flash, then all the Ronins were standing there in subarmour.

"Oh, how cute! The little boys are trying to help!" Jasta laughed.

"Like I believe Karala has already told you, go to hell." Ryo answered.

The Warlords and Kayura chose that moment to show up, all in full armour. They looked stunned to see Karala standing there, wearing an armour.

"You're outnumbered. Go home." Anubis told them, recovering from the shock of finding a new armour.

"I don't think so, traitor. If you come back now, Master Ayato may yet show you mercy. If not..." Faran threatened.

This remark incensed Karala.

"Yeah, like he knows the meaning of the word! I'm giving you ten seconds to get out of my sight. After that, I can't be accountable for my actions!" she countered. To the Ronins, she ordered: "Stay out of this. This is my fight."

She pulled a pair of katanas out of their sheaths, and took a defensive position. Charaka grinned. They had expected this to happen. He gave a signal to his fellow Warlords. Seconds later, they all attacked at once, using their sure-kills.

(Note: It should be obvious whose attack is whose.)

"Death of Armies!"

"Pain of Adversaries!"

"Revenge of the Beast!"

"Time Warp!"

"Song of the Sea Nymph!"

"Animosity of Nature!"

Woohoo, yet another cliff-hanger! Read the next bit if you want to find out what happens.

Carline