Shadow within the Darkness

(Day 6 – Part 2)

By: Little Ucchan

"Damn! Not again!" Ryo cried in frustration.

"The Dynasty just doesn't know when to quit!" Kento yelled.

"Looks like we're being called back to the battlefield," Cye said. Vaulting from one rooftop to the next, the three Ronins, already garbed in their sub armors, followed the source of their anxiety.

Stopping on top of one of the buildings, Ryo scanned the city. He searched for any sign of a disturbance, but found none. Whatever they had felt just a moment ago was gone. Or rather, it was hiding somewhere in the midst of the city, waiting.

"Damn it! Where is it?" Ryo needed to find it. Each moment they wasted looking for it was critical. For all they knew, it could be out killing innocent people while they stood there like idiots.

"Stay calm Ryo." Ryo looked towards the bearer of the Torrent armor. Cye was just as concerned as he was, but he tried to keep a level head. "We don't even know if what we felt was real." Looking over the city he added, "Besides, if something was going on we'd know, right?"

Ryo nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm just a bit paranoid."

"Well, I wish the Dynasty would attack. Then we'll finally see some action around here!"

"Kento!" Cye yelled at him.

"Just kidding," he quickly apologized and busied himself with searching for the energy they had felt. Jumping across to another building, Kento probed the area with his senses. Nothing so far but…wait a minute! Stopping suddenly, he could only gawk with his mouth wide open.

"Hey you guys!" Kento called to the others while still staring ahead.

"What's up Kento?" Ryo asked, joining him at his right. Cye followed up to his left.

"Do you see what I see?" Not knowing what Kento really meant by that, both Ronins looked towards what had caught his interest. It was the buildings ahead of them. They seemed to be radiating with some kind of energy. It was very faint, but it was there. All three of them could see the waves clearly bouncing off of the rooftops.

"What is that?" But before anyone could answer Ryo's question, that warning signal in the back of their minds came on full blast. The dark presence had revealed itself to be in the direction of the swirls of energy. No one was able to comprehend what was going on until…*BOOM*

All three Ronins immediately turned to the left to watch one of the buildings crumble to the ground, taking out several smaller structures in the process. A second later two more buildings went down, setting the area ablaze. This provoked Ryo to take action. Breaking into a run, he shouted out orders to the other Ronins.

"Cye, go to the blast site and put out that fire! Make sure that no one there was hurt!"

"Hai!" Cye cried, breaking off from the rest of the group.

"Kento. You and I will head for the energy source since the blast came from there. We'll find out just what had caused that explosion."

"Right! And if it's some Dynasty creep then we'll pummel it to the ground!"

***

Screams echoed through the streets as the people tried their best to escape from falling debris. Running in all directions, they evacuated the place as best as they could. Some never made it out. Others weren't even able to scream when the blast came. And several of them didn't even know that they were in danger until it was too late. Many people died that day.

Hidden beneath the shadows of the buildings, one figure stood watching on the fire escape of an apartment complex. Cloaked in a long dark robe and hood, it waited, pondering on what it should do.

I was careless, it mused. I didn't think that they would attack at such a distance. Screams continued to ring out, but the figure ignored them. My opponent must either be reckless…or desperate. Desperate being the worse kind.

Breaking away from its thoughts, the character turned to witness the building across the street collapse by the monster's energy blast. Unfazed by its adversary's actions, the figure continued its thoughts. This won't work. I can't fight it with all these people running around. Jumping off of its resting place, the figure landed gracefully in an alleyway. I'll come back when things clear out. Then we'll see who lives though this. At once the mysterious character disappeared into the shadows.

***

Preparing itself to release yet another explosion, the beast stopped, sensing that its initial target has left the area. It couldn't pick up its target's energy waves. If monsters could frown, that's what this monster was doing right now. Seeing that its fun was over, it teleported out of the area, waiting for another opportunity to attack its prey.

A moment later, Ryo and Kento arrived at the scene. Searching for an enemy that wasn't there, the two teenagers didn't let their guard down. Having had many battles with the Dynasty, they knew better than that. But alas, there was no one there.

"What's up with this?! Where the hell is it!!" Kento yelled, obviously disappointed that there wasn't going to be a fight.

"I don't know," Ryo replied. "But it was here all right. I can still feel a trace of its aura."

"Well, do you know where it went?" Kento asked eagerly. Ryo shook his head.

"I can't tell which direction it went. It's like it just vanished."

"You think it knew we were coming?" He shrugged.

"But we don't have any more leads. Let's get back to Cye. Maybe we'll find something there."

***

Changing back into his sub armor, Cye surveyed his surrounding area. He had successfully put out the fire with the power of his Torrent armor, but had failed to save anyone else. Every human being he came across was either dead or on the brink of death. There was nothing he could do.

Cye hung his head low in remorse. One second. That's all it took for these people's lives to come to an end. How many more will have to die before we finally have peace? He had thought that the war with Talpa was over. But then why? Why was this happening to them?

"Cye!!" His mind broken away temporarily from his thoughts, Cye turned around to greet his friends.

"Rowen! Sage!" Both Ronins were dressed in their sub armors, running steadily towards him.

"What happened here? And where's Ryo and Kento?" Rowen questioned when he and Sage caught up with Cye.

"I don't really know exactly what happened here, but this area blew up just a while ago by some kind of energy blast."

"Yeah. We saw the fireworks earlier," he commented. Sage didn't say anything.

"Ryo and Kento went to check out where the blast came from. They'll be back soon," Cye informed them, but then added, "As long as there isn't any trouble."

"Don't worry. Those two can handle it," Rowen assured him right before he caught sight of Sage walking towards one of the destroyed buildings. Standing over the pile of rubble, he examined it closely.

"Is he okay?" Cye asked in concern.

"Yeah, he's fine," he lied through his teeth. Looking at his friend, Rowen couldn't figure out just what Sage was thinking.

"Hey Sage! Did ya find anything?" Not replying to Rowen's question, Sage continued to look around. Some of the buildings, he observed, were definitely taken down by a strong energy blast while others fell due to the vibration of the impact and the crumbling of falling structures. But one building caught his eye. It was an apartment complex that had received some damage. But yet, it was still standing. Sage studied the structure even more, stopping towards the back of the building where an alley laid.

"It seems like our enemy missed this area on purpose," Rowen pointed out. He and Cye came up to where Sage stood.

"But why?" Cye asked.

"Obviously this building must have some significance if our adversary intended on missing it. What do you say we look around?" Sage only nodded in agreement. He wasn't really focused at the moment. All of his attention was directed towards the building's fire escape near the entrance of the alleyway. He had sensed something there. A presence of energy. It was faint and barely recognizable, but it was obvious that someone or something was there. Most likely during the attack.

All was still and quiet as the three Ronins searched the apartment's surroundings. There was nothing odd about the building, which confused them even more. Rowen most of all. Stepping back to get a good view of the building, he crossed his arms and frowned. And here I thought that we were on to something.

"Hmm…" Rowen stayed still as he heard something approaching in the distance. From where he stood, he could make out the faint sound of cars and…a siren? His whole body tensed as his mind realized what was approaching them.

"You guys let's go!" Rowen cried out as he ran towards them. Both Ronins were perplexed until they too heard the sound of the sirens coming from the advancing police cars. Following Rowen down the same alleyway they were standing by earlier, they watched in secret as several police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks entered the vicinity.

"Now what?"

"Well, we can't hang around here. Not with all the cops snooping around. One look at our sub armors and they'll book us on the spot," Rowen stated.

"It doesn't really matter since we didn't find anything here," Sage reminded him.

"We should wait for Ryo and Kento to come back. Then we'll see what we should do from there," Cye suggested.

"Someone call for us?" Emerging from the shadows that the dark alley had created, Ryo and Kento approached their friends.

"So what happened on your end?" Rowen questioned.

"By the time we got there, that Dynasty creep left!" Kento cried out before Ryo could speak. Cye immediately placed his hand over Kento's mouth to silence him.

"Quiet!" Rowen whispered harshly. Sage glanced over at the scene out on the streets and tensed at once when one of the officers seemed to be looking their way. He motioned with his hands for the others to stay quiet as he watched the officer intently. The others didn't stir till Sage gave them the okay signal. All of them relaxed, knowing that the danger was over.

Breaking out of Cye's grip, Kento made his way over to the corner of the building, slightly peeking out to see what was going on. "Man, where did all these officers come from?"

"Kento no baka," Sage muttered under his breath, but made it just loud enough for Kento to hear.

"What was that?!"

"SHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" the remaining three Ronins silenced him in unison. Kento quickly covered his mouth with both of his hands, a small 'oops' escaping his lips. Once everyone was calm again, the conversation continued with Sage playing lookout.

"Do you know where it went?" Cye asked.

"Nope. But something was definitely there," Ryo replied.

"So you're saying that…you don't know if it was the Dynasty or not?" Sage inquired.

"What are you talking about Sage? Of course it's the Dynasty!" Kento cried with resolution.

"If it's not them, then who else could it be?" Cye posed the question to no one in particular. The group remained silent, not knowing where to continue from here.

"So we don't know who our enemy is, nor what it's capable of other than destroying buildings. And we don't know where it went either," Rowen recapped what they knew so far, which wasn't a whole lot. "You didn't find anything suspicious Ryo?"

He shook his head. "What about you?"

"The only thing that was odd was that our mysterious enemy left the area around this apartment building unharmed." Rowen pointed to the structure that he was leaning against.

"But we searched the area, and we didn't find anything," Cye informed them.

"So we're back to square one." The others agreed to Ryo's statement. They weren't sure of what they should do right now. A deafening silence passed over them. Each tried to come up with some kind of decision on the matter facing them. Should they continue to look or just go home?

"Well, I think that we should still look for it," Sage finally spoke up.

"But we don't know where to look," Kento protested.

"It doesn't matter. We can't very well have that thing wandering around in the city."

"Sage is right," Rowen agreed. "We have to find it, before it can do any more damage."

"Alright then. We'll split up and look for it. Agreed?" Ryo asked. All four Ronins nodded. After that, they were no longer in the hidden alley, but searching for their new enemy.

***

Turning a corner, Sage looked for any sign of something suspicious. He extended his senses to probe the area while he was running through the deserted streets. The police had already sealed off the area and the districts immediately surrounding the blast site. At least now no one could get hurt. It also made searching for his enemy easier. Sage was able to pick up the slightest amount of energy now that there wasn't anyone around.

Stopping suddenly, he searched the streets and sidewalks with his eyes. He thought that he had felt someone's presence. Not seeing anyone around, he looked for its aura. He couldn't find it anymore. Sage concentrated harder, soon finding the source. Ahead, to his left, was a small restaurant. Could it be there?

The door to the restaurant was slightly open. The aura was a bit stronger now, but it was still weak. He didn't want to take any chances though. Sage eyed the area through the opening, but didn't find anything. He listened, and waited. He wanted to make sure if there was any danger or not.

*Sniff* He heard the quiet whimper coming from inside. Sage opened the door and stepped in. At the sound of his entrance, the crying stopped, replaced with a sharp gasp. The restaurant remained quiet, but Sage could feel the aura intensify as the seconds passed.

Walking into the middle of the restaurant, he tried to get a visual of whatever was making that noise. He spotted one of the dining tables and saw the white cloth ripple for a split second. Looking down, he smiled when he caught sight of the front of a small sneaker.

It's just a kid. Sage calmed down, and willed away his sub armor as not to scare the poor child. The tiny foot was drawn in quickly when he walked a bit closer to the table.

"Don't be scared. I won't hurt you," he called out the child. The table didn't move, but the aura had quieted down. It stayed that way for a few minutes. Then the white cloth was slowly lifted up to reveal a small little girl with shocking red hair tied up in pigtails. She didn't leave the shelter of the table though, and just stared at Sage with the fabric being held up by her small hand.

"You all right?" he asked sincerely. She nodded her reply.

"You here by yourself?" Again she nodded. Sage tried to think of a way to coax her away from her hiding place. It wasn't safe for such a small girl to be in this area, especially when their enemy was still around.

"Did the shaking stop?" Sage was taken aback by her question. She quietly got up from under the table, looking at him curiously.

"Yeah. It did."

Accepting that answer as the truth, she smiled. "That's good. Now Oneesan can come and get me."

"Oneesan?"

"Yup."

"How do you know that?"

"Well, she said if something bad happens that I should go and hide. And then she'll come and find me when everything's over. So now that everything's okay then she'll find me."

Sage smiled at the faith she had in her sister, but was frowning in the inside. If this girl really did come from the blast site, then most likely her sister didn't survive. Of course, he wouldn't tell her that. And who knows, maybe her sister did get out okay. But the girl couldn't stay and wait here.

"Are you sure that your sister will be able to find you? I mean this area is closed so no one can get in here."

"Then why are you here?" Sage's face faulted at the quick remark. Now what was he going to tell her?

"Well…" he frantically searched for words, something for him to say to her. "I'm here helping the police."

"You are?!" the girl beamed.

"Uh…yeah!" Sage confirmed his statement, realizing that this would work in his favor after all. "I have to find people like you who are still in the area and get them to a safer place."

"But I thought that everything was okay."

"It is! We're just making sure. So come on, I have to get you out of here." The little girl stayed quiet, obviously wondering what to do. This man was trying to help her. And he WAS with the police (or so it seemed). Besides, he looked like a nice guy.

"Mister. What's your name?" The question seemed out of place at the time, but he answered anyway.

"My name? It's Sage."

"Sage." She repeated to herself and then smiled. Pointing to herself with her index finger, she cried, "I'm Sammy!"

"Well, it's nice to meet you Sammy," Sage said, bowing politely to her as if she were an older woman.

"You're funny!" she giggled and then stopped. "Sage?"

"Hmm?"

Casting her head downward to look at the floor, she fiddled uneasily. "You think my sister's okay?"

Kneeling down in front of her, Sage placed a reassuring hand on Sammy's shoulder. "I'm sure that your sister is fine. She's probably waiting for you with the other police officers."

"You mean it?"

"Yeah…C'mon." Getting up from the floor, Sage offered the girl his hand. "I'll take you there…okay?" Sammy looked up at the tall blonde and gave him a small smile. She nodded meekly and took Sage's hand, walking out with him into the lonely streets.

***

The blast site was crawling with people by the time that the monster resurfaced. It watched as the officers worked diligently to clear away the debris, searching for survivors. So far, there was none. The creature was quite pleased with itself.

Making sure that its presence wasn't known to anyone, the monster teleported to another section of the city. This area was also closed off to the general public. It probed the area for the familiar aura that it had spent nearly all of its life hunting for. The brat isn't here. What a coward!

Broadening its search to include auras other than its target, the monster soon located five very distinct battle chis. Each one was different, but at the same time identical. Smiling to itself, it singled out the closest one. The aura was a clear mint green, very bright and strong in nature.

The beast teleported out of the area, making its way towards the new aura. This one will serve as a suitable playmate till Sierra shows up.

***

Sage felt a sickening chill run down his spine while walking down a crosswalk. He stopped at once, knowing exactly what was coming their way. Sammy stared up at him in concern. She had felt his body tremble, and his hand that she had been holding was cold, almost like ice.

"Sage-chan? What's wrong?" Sage didn't reply. He just looked straight ahead down the street, waiting. The air shifted slightly as the beast began to materialize itself. Sage got into a fighting stance while Sammy clung to his leg. He was ready for anything, but apparently not this.

Sage was paralyzed where he stood, unable to move out of shock and fear. It's the same one. They're exactly the same! Indeed the beast that threatened their very lives at that moment was the same one that Sage had fought last night, and had lost. Everything was the same. The clawed hands and feet. The stealthy body. The rippling muscles. The whip like tentacles. Even the ax was identical. I can't do this. I can't go through this again! He couldn't face this monster, not even if he had his armor on. It was because he was afraid.

"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!" The high-pitched scream drowned out all of his thoughts as Sammy's warning finally reached his mind. Allowing instinct to take over, Sage grabbed Sammy off the ground. He barely had time to move his body out of the way as the ax flew right pass his shoulder. But the tentacles failed to miss its target.

*BAM* They struck his back like a hot, iron rod. About to hit the pavement, Sage turned quickly. He landed hard on his shoulder but successfully prevented Sammy from getting hurt. He tried to get up, but was leaning on his bad arm. His other arm was wrapped protectively over the child.

"Sammy run," he ordered her in a whisper. She didn't seem to understand and only stared at him with big frightened eyes.

"But…"

"I said GO!!" he yelled at her. She backed away at his outburst, but still didn't leave. He was about to shout at her again when his eyes widened in shock. Wrapping itself around Sage's heels, the tentacles proceeded on dragging him swiftly across the concrete floor. He gritted his teeth in agony as the rough ground cut through his clothes, making his entire back feel like it was on fire.

He could make out the sound of Sammy's screams as he came to a stop at the monster's feet. The tentacles unraveled itself from around Sage as he lied there in pain. The beast raised its other claw and drove it down upon the helpless Ronin. The sound of metal digging into concrete could be heard as the monster had missed its prey. Sage's body was no longer lying before it. Instead, Sage was standing a few meters in front of it, already reaching into his pocket for his armor orb.

Holding up the orb in front of him, he called on his sub armor. But he did it a little too late as one of the tentacles came out of nowhere, knocking the orb out of his hand. He ran to get it, dodging the tentacles that threatened to kill him. He was almost to the orb when one of the tentacles slipped in front of him, blocking his way. It changed direction suddenly, knocking him right under the chin. Sage went flying, slamming into the ground without mercy.

The creature ceased its assault, seeing that Sage wasn't moving. The tentacles returned back to their proper place as the beast slowly made its way towards the warrior, a wide grin plastered on its face.

Sage struggled to get up, but his body just wouldn't cooperate with him. It was begging him to just give up, but he refused. He couldn't die right now. Not like last night. That time, it didn't matter because it was a dream. But now, this was his life that he was dealing with. You either win or lose. And if you lose…then that's it.

Pushing himself off of the ground, Sage tried to stand. Propping one leg up, and then the other, he slowly rose to his feet. Looking for the monster, his fear struck him dead on when he couldn't locate it. His eyes widened even more when he noticed the shadow looming over him. Just like in his dream.

Sage turned around, but just as he did the monster made a grab for his throat. Clearly lifting him off of his feet, the beast smiled while tightening its hold on the boy's tender neck. Sage tried frantically to loosen the monster's death grip, but he just couldn't. His body was already exhausted. It couldn't give anymore.

Guys! Where are you?! Sage cried out mentally. He could feel all of the oxygen leave his body as with the remains of his strength. He felt dizzy and weak. His battle now was to try and remain conscious. But he was losing…and fast.

Somebody help me! Sage used the last of his strength to make another mental plea. And then that was it. He couldn't breathe anymore.