Shu swore viciously at the man's disappearance, and Seiji was amazed, and confused, at how the warrior had so casually deflected his attack. Toma was puzzling over how the warrior had just disappeared, and what he could have possibly been doing. What did he want with Ryo?

Shin shook Ryo gently.

"Are you okay?" Shin asked, blatant concern in his voice. For a moment it seemed that Ryo hadn't heard him, but he eventually turned towards Shu's voice, as if waking up from a dream.

"Shin? Am I...? Yes, yes. I'm fine."

Shin wasn't convinced.

"What was happening? Who was that guy?"

"I asked him his name. He didn't give me an answer." Ryo's voice was weak, flat, and barely audible.

"Alright, so we don't know who he is still. What was happening between you and him, Ryo?"

Ryo declined to answer. He wasn't certain what had been happening.

Shu stopped snarling enough to remember why they were here in the first place and stalked over to Ryo.

"Ryo! What the hell was that about? Who was that guy?"

Ryo was irked by Shu's undirected anger.

"Would you guys stop asking questions? I don't know his name, I don't know what he wants. And really, I don't care. STOP," Ryo snapped. Shin relaxed, even though he could see that a minor squabble was brewing between Ryo and Shu. If Ryo was well enough to have a go with Shu, he was obviously okay.

'Trust Shu to find out if he's okay, even if his methods aren't the most tactful,' Shin thought, a wry smile touching his lips.

The confrontation with the unknown warrior had unnerved them. The ease with which he had blocked Seiji's attack and the look on Ryo's face when they pulled him away from the warrior was still very much on the Ronin's minds.

"How do we fight him? He didn't even bother to attack us, he jut disappeared! We don't know anything about his fighting style, weapons, armor, even his name!" Shu fumed and tore a roll to shreds as the Ronins sat around the kitchen table.

Toma shook his head. "He wasn't there to challenge us in a fight. I think he was there...because he somehow knew Ryo would be there as well."

Ryo shivered, remembering how he had felt then, and how he ached now, as if he had lost a part of himself. "What does he want from me, though?"

"The Inferno armor? No, he would have made you change into it before trying to seduce you" Seiji murmured.

Ryo blinked and blushed faintly at Seiji's word choice. Ryo shifted nervously, then frowned.

"We've faced a lot of other warriors. We have experience. I know we'll find a way to defeat him," Ryo said.

'We have to,' Ryo thought to himself.

Shin sighed and stretched. "I hope you're right."