Shu laughed at Seiji's obvious annoyance at his rather obnoxious friend.

"C'mon! Relax. This is supposed to be a party."

Seiji sighed, getting a headache. He didn't like it when Shu got this loud, because he was always sitting next to him when he got this way. He smiled faintly. Everyone was enjoying themselves. Even Ryo, who had seemed a little withdrawn during the morning, was acting comfortable, relaxed and happy to be spending time with his friends. Very well, then. He wasn't going to be the one to ruin a party. He shook of the nasty feeling he had had since they entered the restaurant and made a determined effort to shut Shu up. Kage smiled. Ohhh, this was going to be so much fun. Of course, it would blow his cover entirely. They wouldn't trust him after today.

'That's okay, though. Ryo doesn't want to be around them anymore and I can kick their asses in peace without him bugging me. In fact, he might enjoy it…' Kage chuckled softly to himself, then quieted as he felt Him enter. He feigned attention to the conversation at the table, and he felt his hand lightly brush his neck before He was led to a nearby table, and flirted with the waitress, sending her off blushing. Kage gave him a mild glare, but He ignored it. Kage sighed, then shook his head. He was ready to do this. Why was he waiting? As he squirmed inwardly to be free of his leash, quiet slowly descended in the restaurant. He looked to the table next to them, and saw them talking, laughing, but everything seemed muffled. Seiji and Shin noticed first, and tensed. Shin looked around. They seemed the only real things. But…he turned and looked behind him. There was another person here, who seemed real. When the man looked at him he gasped and felt cold. It was him.

Seiji heard Shin and looked where he was. He snarled softly.

"When will you ever go back from the hole you came from? Haven't you killed enough?"

The warrior smiled amiably. "Nope."

The simple answer and his voice woke Toma to the danger, and he turned in his chair, and swallowed hard.

Shu was confused. What was everyone looking at. When the face finally registered, he grinned.

"Where have you been? I've been practicing." His voice was wobbly, his courage brought on by the sake fading beneath the ageless, depthless, cold eyes.

"Then you want to fight me?"

"Not in this restaurant!" Shin managed to say, breathless. The cold was stifling.

"Where else? This is as good a place as any."

Seiji and Toma stood, transforming into their armor, Shu only a second behind. Shin started to gather himself, but Kage clamped his hand over Shin's mouth, having transformed into his subarmor when everyone else did.

"Oh, no you don't Mouri Shin," he whispered in Shin's ear, making Shin start.

He turned, swinging at his unknown assailant. When he saw who he was fighting he stared.

"Ryo?"

"Not really."

"Then…?"

"I've already told you my name."

Shin stared. Everything was the same as Ryo…no, not exactly. His eyes were violently blue, not Ryo's milder ice color. His hair was longer, and somehow darker with a deep blue sheen to it. He seemed lither than Ryo, and his voice was deeper, rougher. The subarmor was the deep crimson and black. Then, this was…?

"Kage."

"No! Are you Ryo?"

"Yes and no."

"That's vague."

"Well, Ryo is me and I am Ryo. Just a different facet of him, that's all." He smiled faintly, and Shin's eyes went wide.

"You mean…wait…kage…"

"So glad you figured it out."

Kage lunged and tackled Shin, who had barely managed to transform into his sub-armor. Seiji, Shu, and Toma turned to see why there had been a loud crack, but the warrior got to them first, distracting them. He sent Seiji flying into another table and Seiji gasped when he saw the people flare brilliant silver before collapsing.

The warrior smiled. "They still die, even though they aren't 'real' to you."

Seiji looked at the unmoving bodies, saw the silent screams of terror.

"How…is this possible?"

Toma stared at the warrior, unbelieving. "You're lying."

The warrior reached out beside him and struck the back of a person's neck. They saw it loll on his shoulder and saw the fright in his family's eyes.

He smirked and with a swipe of his scythe killed the entire family.

Toma was paralyzed with horror. Why…how could this be happening?

"Just how powerful are you?"

The warrior didn't answer. He looked Toma in the eyes and Toma felt like he was falling. There was nothing in there. An empty abyss of cold that seared him to the soul and bared all his secrets to him. His mouth worked, but he found he couldn't scream. Shu gathered himself and charged at the warrior, even though Seiji began to yell at him not to. The warrior smiled and sidestepped his stroke, and so let Toma go. He collapsed onto the floor, holding his head. He could still feel him in there, still felt his soul shaken to its foundations.

Shi n struggled against Kage's hold, and kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying. Kage landed on a table, and stood, looking at Shin in amusement. Seiji, Shu, and Toma saw the movement and looked. Shu snarled.

"You again."

"Me again."

The voice was hauntingly familiar. Seiji was wary, and slid into a fighting stance, trying to judge who was more of a threat. Shin staggered up next to them, face grim.

Kage looked at the warrior. They had a conversation with their eyes, and Kage grinned.

"Here we go!"

He transformed into his armor, and Seiji stared.

"No way…"

Kage lunged at them, Shin barely managing to deflect him from killing a vulnerable Toma. Kage and Shin began to fight, each absorbed in the defeat of the other. Shu watched, amazed. He had never known Shin was so good. Seiji was about to help when he was sent flying into a wall.

"Now, now, Halo. Can't have you helping."

Seiji turned and transformed, Shu not far behind. Between the two fights, the restaurant was slowly being torn apart, people dying at each stroke. The warrior caught both Seiji's sword and Shu's staff and sent them flying out the door into the blinding sunlight. Toma, in only subarmor, landed on them only a moment afterwards.

Kage and Shin parted, circling each other.

"It's finished."

Both Shin and Kage turned to look at the warrior, who smiled faintly at them.

"Look around you."

Shin and Kage turned to look and as a malign grin spread on Kage's face, Shin paled.

"They're all dead."

"You've failed, Shin of the Torrent."

Shin looked sharply at Kage.

"It's your job to protect them, right? And now they're all here, dead."

"Ryo! Why are you fighting for him? What made you change?"

"Kage. My name is Kage. It's my, and Ryo's, choice to fight this way. He felt that being a goody-two-shoes wasn't enough incentive to save the world that gave him no salve for the wounds he received. So, now this body, this power, and this consciousness is mine." Kage sprang at Shin, caught him in the stomach with a punch and threw him over his shoulder to knock down Shu and Seiji who were trying to get their feet back under them. As they struggled to push Shin off, Kage and the Warrior stepped out into the sunlight.

"We'll see you again, Ronins."

"We got what we wanted."

Kage smiled. "We killed everyone in there and gave you a wonderful birthday present, Toma. I hope you had as much fun as I did!"

Kage and the Warrior faded into the shadows, leaving the bewildered warriors in the street, stunned.

As the Ronins rested at home, recovering from the day, Seiji asked the question that had been on his, Toma's, and Shu's minds.

"Was that Ryo?"

Shin looked into his cup of tea, and nodded. "It was."

"No way! It…can't be…"

Shin sighed. "I'm afraid it is true…"

"Shit."

Shin agreed with Shu. But as he thought, he slowly descended into darker thoughts, blaming himself for his ignorance and inability to help the people he cared for. His eyes clouded, and he fell silent, as the others tried to adapt to the fact that their friend, their leader, was now their enemy.