Shadow within the Darkness
(Day 10 – Part 2)
By: Little Ucchan
"Where do you want these Sensei?"
"Just set them down over there Sage."
Walking over to the corner of the room, the youth gratefully set the two boxes he was carrying on the floor. Ryo followed suit upon entering the classroom with two more boxes stacked on top of one another in his arms. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he sighed in exhaustion. He had every right to be tired. Having to have carried his load all the way from the faculty parking lot to the second floor of the B building.
Man this school really needs a set of elevators. And that was a pretty long distance for him and Sage to be hauling boxes filled with hard covered textbooks, regardless if they were Ronin Warriors. It's not as if they were wearing their sub armors at the moment either.
Mr. Kiran smiled at the two students, knowing that what he had to say next was going to please them. "Once you unpack the boxes and stack the books in the closet, you're free to go."
As expected, both faces lit up with this latest bit of news. "Really?!" Ryo cried out, unable to hide his merriment.
"Yes, really," he replied. "Now I have a conference to go to. When you're done, just close the door to the classroom, okay?"
"Yes Sensei," they replied simultaneously.
After Mr. Kiran had left the two of them alone, Ryo pulled out his house keys and cut the tape binding the lid of one of the boxes. Pulling out a stack of textbooks he walked past Sage to the wall closet.
Sage smiled in amusement. "My, aren't you in a hurry."
"Why wouldn't I be?" Ryo said, setting the books on one of the shelves. "I've been here way too long." After a few more seconds of thought, he added, "And unlike you, I'm not used to having detention."
"Hey…" Sage started, but then decided to let it drop. Anyway, there was some truth to Ryo's statement, much to his dismay.
Kneeling down beside the boxes, Ryo looked up towards him. "Let's just finish this and get out of here. I'd rather not walk home in the dark. It's getting late."
Sage agreed with Ryo. He still had to attend practice with Ojiisama today. If he'd rush home right after this, he'd probably have enough time to rest up before practice.
A burning city.
Sage blinked twice. He looked at Ryo who returned his gaze with an equal look of confusion
A castle under attack.
What was going on? A child with chestnut colored hair. What was he seeing? An explosion. Soldiers being consumed in flames. The commander's last breath. His dream? The demon's claw striking him down.
"Sage?" Ryo called out to him.
Sage blinked a couple of times before replying to Ryo. "What?"
Looking at his friend, he could have sworn that he felt something wrong. He couldn't deny what he saw. Something had scared Sage. He seemed surprised when answering Ryo. And just a moment ago, his eyes were glazed over, as if in a trance, seeing visions of a place far away.
"Something on your mind Ryo?" Sage asked when Ryo didn't respond.
Well, if there was something bothering Sage, he was sure good at hiding it. He seems fine now. Giving Sage a cheerful smile, he replied, "It's nothing. Never mind."
***
Before Sammy could even blink, she found herself soaring through the air with Kento, his arms wrapped tightly around her stomach. She grasped his arm, afraid that she was going to fall. But with the second that she realized she was airborne, her feet already touched the floor.
Turning around slightly to survey what happened, Kento's eyes widened in shock. The part of the wall that they were standing behind was…gone, lying in a heap on the sidewalk. They didn't have much of a warning when the demon attacked. Kento was just glad that his reflexes were still as sharp as before.
"Uncle Ken!!" The demon was approaching them rapidly. There was no time for Kento to move. He instinctively brought Sammy closer to him as a last ditch effort to protect the child.
Fortunately, Rowen's reaction time was much faster than Kento's. Already in his sub armor, he flew through the air and delivered a well-placed kick right across the demon's face. But the demon didn't fall like Rowen had expected. It just stumbled back a half step and shook its head.
Damn! That kicked should have snapped its neck! Rowen backed into a fighting stance when the demon gave him a menacing look. Its eyes narrowing into slits, the monster crouched down a bit on its hind legs. Rowen wasn't too thrilled that the demon had chosen him for its sparring partner, but at least he had diverted its attention from Sammy and Kento.
Kento sighed in relief at Rowen's intervention. But this was no time to relax, as he saw from the intense look in his friend's eyes. I've gotta help him! As if reading his very thoughts, Cye came up besides him, garbed in his light blue sub armor. Kento quickly handed Sammy over to him, knowing that Cye would take her to a safe spot, and pulled out his armor orb.
Looking at the bright orange marble, Kento hesitated for a split second as the memories of the war against the Dynasty flooded back to him. He had almost thought that he would never have to use the armor again.
Clutching the object tightly, he threw the orb in the air and then followed after it. There was no time to be thinking about the past. No time to be thinking about his reasons for fighting, or why he and his friends had been chosen to fight. There was only the present to worry about. And right now, Kento had a battle to win.
***
Rowen had only seen his opponent in action for less than five seconds, but he was able the size up the demon accurately. It was fast for one thing. But it was also strong, which confused Rowen on how it could have such speed without it being hindered by its physical strength. He also observed that it could easily move from one assault to another. That's why it was so quick to attack Kento right after it had made its first move against them. That kind of ability could prove as a problem to them. Rowen doubted that he'd be given any kind of break between bouts.
The beast charged with a quick backhand. But Rowen ducked right under it. He then dove to his right when the demon immediately went for another attack, its claw scraping the asphalt.
His hand reaching the floor first, Rowen quickly pushed himself up to maintain his balance, spinning into a rotating flip and landing in a low crouching position. He eyed the demon warily as it slowly turned to face him.
What's up with this guy? There was something about the demon that Rowen couldn't quite get. It would show a great display of speed and power, but right after, it would slow down, just like what it was doing right now. Does it need to recuperate every so often?
Getting up from the ground, Rowen blinked twice in astonishment. He wasn't really expecting to be right. His theory was, involuntarily, proven correct when Kento charged the demon from the side and rammed it into a wall. Geez. Anyone could have seen that one coming. Kento's too predictable when it comes to fighting tactics. And yet the demon didn't have time to react at all. This weakness may just prove to be useful.
***
"Sammy, stay here okay."
"But Uncle Cye. What about you?"
Cye sighed heavily, knowing that the reason why she was here in the first place was because she was worried about the three of them. Kneeling down, he looked at the girl sternly. He had to be firm, or else she would wander back into the battle again.
"Sammy listen. It's important that you stay right here, away from the fight."
"But what if you…"
"No 'buts' Sammy. No matter what happens, you stay right here," Cye commended, pointing to the spot she was standing at for emphasis. "Do you understand?"
She nodded.
"Good." Cye began to stroke the side of her head gently when he caught a glimpse of the worried look in her eyes. "Don't worry. We'll be fine. When this is over, we'll come right back for you. So wait for us, okay?"
"…Kay."
Getting up, Cye left her at the street corner overlooking the battlefield. It wasn't the best place to leave her, he had to admit, but it was at a healthy distance. Besides, there was nowhere else. Or rather, there was no time to look for a safe place. Remembering the last two battles that took place, Cye couldn't help but feel worried about leaving Rowen and Kento alone with that monster.
He skidded to a halt when the demon kneed Kento in the stomach and slammed him into the wall on the other side of the street. It loomed over Kento's slumped form on the floor, ready to attack. Not if I can help it!
Immediately on the move, both Cye and Rowen landed between Kento and the demon. As one, they kicked the beast squarely in the chest. This time, they had enough force to cause the demon to fall back onto the ground.
Cye quickly helped Kento his feet while Rowen kept an eye on their adversary. It was easy to attack it when it was recharging, but at the rate they were going, there was no way that they could kill it in just their sub armors. And Rowen was sure that if they didn't finish this now, one of them was bound to get hurt.
Apparently, Kento was thinking the same thing. "That's it!! This guy's toast!"
Sweeping his arms in front of him, he began to call on Hardrock's power. "Armor…"
Rowen's eyes widened in alarm at the change of the energy pressure around them. And before he could fully grasp what was happening, he, Kento, and Cye were thrown against the wall.
Rowen cried out from the shock of his body hitting the wall. He wasn't expecting it. No one was. Looking back at the demon, Rowen saw that its eyes were glowing a bright ruby red that soon died down in intensity.
"What was that?" Cye groaned.
"It must have extended its energy and used it as some kind of pressure blast against us," Rowen replied.
"Armor of Hardrock!!"
Rowen tensed up when he saw the demon's eyes glow red again. "No! Kento stop!!" His warning came too late. The next blast hurled all three of them right through the wall.
"I'm guessing…it won't let us transform," Kento said quite unnecessarily.
"Gee Kento, where'd you come up with that idea?" Rowen retorted sarcastically as he pushed himself off of the floor.
"But why?" Cye's question confused the others. They stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate a little more.
Getting up and kneeling on one knee, he said, "It's never seen us transform before. In fact, it's never seen us fight in our sub armors before. So how would it know about the armor?"
"You're right. And it's not like it can sense it coming," Rowen added. "The energy build up comes immediately after you call the armor. Not during."
"Well that's all fine and dandy, but how is knowing that going to help us right now?!" Kento cried.
All three of them turned their attention to the demon, who was still standing there, waiting. Or charging. Rowen didn't like this. It has been standing there for too long. How much energy has it stored already?
"Stop it!!"
Sammy stood in the middle of the street, her little body trembling in fear. But she was determined. "You're hurting them!! Just leave them alone!!"
"Sammy get out of here!!" Cye yelled at her. "Run away!!"
Rowen felt the energy waves swerve again. But this time, it was much stronger and oppressive. Like the dry desert heat of the Sahara. But why? Immediately turning his attention back to the demon, his face grew pale. And for a split second no word would come out of his mouth.
The demon had now taken an interest in Sammy. But instead of charging at her, the beast did what Rowen had feared. It began to tap into the energy it had stored, gathering it in the palms of its hands. Focusing it into one energy ball just waiting to be released.
"Cye! Kento!" Rowen cried out when his speech returned to him. Both boys turned at the sound of his call and caught sight of the events that were taking place. At once, all three of them were on the move, working together to help preserve an innocent life.
Cye headed towards Sammy, hoping to be able to get her away in time while Rowen and Kento went straight for the demon. It was stupid to charge it head on. It could have turned around at killed them both with that energy blast. But what option did they have?
Rowen and Kento rammed right into it, all three of them falling in a heap on the floor. But they were too late. The demon had already sent the blast straight for Sammy. Everything else that happened next seemed to unfold in slow motion.
As Kento fell through the air, he watched the blast travel towards the girl, frozen still at the spot she stood out of fear. She screamed. Or Kento thought she did. Somehow he couldn't hear. Only the rapid beating of his heart was ringing in his ears, pounding through his skull.
Kento saw her begin to fall. Thrown back to the side. But wait a minute. The blast hasn't reached her yet…and she's already falling? Something wasn't right. There was another person there. Taller. And in a light blue sub armor. Cye.
He shoved Sammy out of the way. But he was right in front of the blast. Kento's saliva got caught in his throat. His eyes widened. His mouth stood open, twisted in pure horror. Even as Kento's body hit the pavement, his eyes stayed fixated on Cye. How his body reeled back from the force of the blast, crashing onto the asphalt without mercy. His cry of pain. That was the one thing that Kento heard clearly. He wanted to block it out. But he couldn't. It stayed with him, even as he screamed Cye's name in sheer panic.
***
Ryo leaned heavily against the classroom wall, feeling a sharp numbing sensation in his chest. He grabbed his shirt in an attempt to pacify this feeling somehow, but it wouldn't go away.
Glancing over at Sage, Ryo noticed that he wasn't in the best of shape either. Sage had dropped the books he was carrying onto one of the desks and was resting both palms of his hands on the surface of the desktop. He looked as if something had startled him really badly.
Closing his eyes, Ryo forced himself to take in slow, deep breaths in order to calm his racing heart. What's going on?
CYE!!!
Both teenagers jumped at the familiar voice. It was Kento. Sage stared at Ryo, who could only give him a shocked expression mixed in with utter confusion. He had a slight idea as to what was going on, but he didn't want to admit it. It would mean that they had to go into battle again. They were being called to fight.
They waited a minute more in silence until they could feel that sensation they felt before die down. Once they knew they were in control again, the two boys quickly stuffed the remaining books into the closet. They grabbed their book bags and raced out of the room with Sage slamming the door shut.
They traveled down the hallway at the quickest pace possible, since they would probably earn themselves another detention for running. Both of them couldn't help but worry about what was happening to their friends, or what had already happened. I hope they're all right. Sage silently prayed for his friends' safety.
Trying to keep up with Ryo's ever increasing pace, he somehow had difficulty keeping up. It was like he had no energy left. The effect of the things that has been happening recently was really starting to pile up on him.
Blinking a couple of times to try and clear his vision, he slowed down to a complete stop. Feeling the ground sway uneasily, Sage moved to the nearest wall and leaned against it. His head hung low, buried in the wall, and his arms pressed hard against it, he tried so desperately to grab hold of what little grip he had left on reality. Then…the images came back to him.
Fire burning. The flames licking the sides of the buildings. Taunting him. Proving how helpless he really is. The city is deserted. The citizens have been driven out. And the bodies of those that died had already been engulfed in flames. Leaving no trace.
The castle too has been deserted. It stands out of place in the midst of the sea of chaos. Lying in ruins, frozen in a distant future that was always meant to be.
Battling it out in the courtyards are brave young men, defending their homeland to the death. Clinging desperately to that one spark of hope that would someday reward their gallant efforts. But it shall never happen. Fate was very cruel to them that day.
One by one, each warrior fell. Killed by an ancient evil that had only existed in fairy tales. An evil that was still alive, searching…for that one girl that they were sent to kill.
"Sage?"
The images vanished from his line of sight as his eyes snapped open. Sage inhaled deeply as his body began to recover from that mental onslaught. Closing his eyes again, he allowed himself to finally relax.
That's when he realized that there was someone standing close beside him. Thinking it was Ryo, Sage didn't pay that person any mind. Not until a slender hand was placed gently on his forehead. Startled by the smooth touch he automatically backed away from it, catching sight of the person in the process.
"Ms. Canna?"
The twenty-three year old high school teacher gave the young boy a worried look. "Sage, are you feeling okay?"
"Yes I'm…"
"Don't lie to me," she said, raising her hand to the side of his face. She frowned. "You're sweating…but your skin's so cold."
Sage pulled away from her before she could say anything else. "I'm just a little tired today Ms. Canna."
"Are you sure?" she asked, doubtful about Sage's excuse.
"Yes. I'm sure," Sage replied, spotting Ryo about a foot away from Ms. Canna. He then remembered the battle. They couldn't stand around here any longer. Not while their friends were in danger.
"If you'll excuse us Ms. Canna," he bowed politely to her. "We're in a hurry."
Before she could protest, Sage was already moving away. But he didn't get very far. He felt the hallway sway for a second time. No! Not again! Not now! Sage quickly shut his eyes to the spinning world around him.
"Sage!" Both Ryo and Ms. Canna grabbed hold of him to prevent him from falling over. Ms. Canna slightly withdrew from the boy, feeling how his body quivered under his clothing. My God! He's trembling! What's happening to him?
***
"Cye!!!" Kento screamed out in panic. Scrambling to his feet, he rushed to where Cye's body laid. Please be okay! Please be okay!! That was the only thing that occupied Kento's mind. So of course he wasn't able to sense the demon rapidly approaching him from behind.
"Kento!!! Look out!!!!!!!!" Rowen yelled.
Kento quickly ducked under the demon's claw. Unfortunately, he got up too quickly, unaware of the demon's upcoming back kick. The demon's foot connected with the back of Kento's skull, flipping him over onto the ground. He landed hard on his back and laid there, unable to move as the pain surged through his brain, numbing his senses.
"Kento!!!"
Rowen charged the demon once he saw Kento hit the ground. Striking the demon first in the abdomen, then right under the chin, Rowen was able to get some good hits in. After delivering a midair roundhouse kick to the demon's face, Rowen immediately jumped away.
Sweeping his arms in front of him and shooting one of his hands into the air, he cried out, "Armor of Stra—!!"
The pressure blast struck him before he could even finish. The sudden rush of energy shocked him, and it took nearly all of his strength to keep him from falling to the ground. No way!! It couldn't have reacted that fast!!
Before he knew it, Rowen doubled over, the wind knocked clearly out of him when the demon rammed its fist right below his ribcage. He couldn't breathe at all.
The pressure loosened as the demon slowly backed away, but the pain did not diminish. As Rowen slumped down onto his hands and knees, the pain only seemed to intensify. Taking in needed oxygen, he clutched his chest with his right hand. His whole body seemed weak, like rubber. It even hurt to breathe.
He didn't need to look up to know that the demon was hovering over him. He could see the shadow outline on the floor. But Rowen still looked up slightly from the ground, eyeing Kento a few yards away. He saw him stir and slowly roll to his side, not to attract the demon's attention. Rowen kept his eyes on Kento, but acted as if he wasn't focused on anything. The last thing they needed was for the demon to spot him.
Kento slowly lifted his head up, staring at Rowen first, and then the demon. His eyes hardened as he nodded slowly to his friend. Rowen understood. Carefully, he got to his feet, minimizing his movement so it seemed to the demon that he was still kneeling on the floor. He kept his head down, only moving his eyes to see if Kento was ready. He was. Crouched on the floor as low as possible, he seemed to mimic a tiger on the prowl.
Rowen waited, just for the right moment. He flinched when he felt the demon's energy rise as it raised its claws to strike. That's just what he needed. In a split second, Rowen back flipped in the air, knocking the demon in the chin with his feet, forcing it to stumble backwards.
On cue, Kento lunged forward and swung his legs right under the demon, sweeping its feet off of the ground. Planting his feet firmly on the floor, Kento quickly jumped back to join Rowen.
The force of Rowen's back flip and the sudden move by Kento had sent the demon crashing towards the asphalt. But they had underestimated how much energy the demon had stored before the Ronins' assault. They watched as, instead of falling, the demon flipped by springing off of the floor with the use of its hands. Landing on its feet, it replied to the guys' attack with a deafening screech of a battle cry. Baring its fangs at the boys, it crouched low in a ready position. Rowen and Kento got into fighting stances of their own.
"Sage would probably laugh if he heard me say this but…" Kento started as they waited for the demon to move. "…We need a plan. Big time."
Rowen half smiled at that remark. For Kento to actually admit that they needed a plan revealed the seriousness of the situation that they were in.
"I'm working on it," was his reply. The only way that they could win was to use some kind of weapon against it. But their weapons were with their armors. And neither of them could transform unless…
"I'll distract it. Just get ready to armor up."
Turning in disbelief and doubt, Kento began to question Rowen's plan. "Rowen, are you sure…" He wasn't able to finish. The demon had charged to attack, and Rowen had met the challenge.
Rowen found himself having to push his body to the max, using every inch of energy that his sub armor could offer him. The demon kept moving just as fast, and hitting twice as hard. Rowen had to dodge most of the attacks. But he soon found an opening. With an upper block, he diverted a slash aimed for his head, leaving the demon's chest wide open for a punch of his own.
The demon stopped its advancement, stunned by the force of the blow. But before Rowen could continue with another strike, the demon reached out and grabbed the Ronin by his wrists. It lifted its arms and Rowen right off the floor, smiling at his shocked expression.
Rowen gritted his teeth in frustration as he tried to free himself from the demon's grasp. But he couldn't gather enough strength to break free with his arms raised over his head, held captive by his opponent's claws. There was nothing that Rowen could do. He was trapped.
Think of a way out, he did the one option he had left. And that was to cry for help.
***
Once he saw that the battle between Rowen and the demon had begun (and that Rowen was holding his own), Kento concentrated on his armor. He was sure that this time, they were going to beat it.
Sweeping his hands in front of him, like he did a number of times that day, he stopped abruptly. Kento felt another presence on the battlefield. A familiar one too. Looking to the side he caught sight of Cye, and his face grew visibly pale.
He automatically recognized the cloaked man that was helping Cye to his feet. Dressed the same as before, he placed Cye's arm around his neck so as to support his weight better.
Noticing Kento's gaze, the man looked up, or at least Kento thought he did. His eyes were shielded from his view by his hood. After a brief moment, he began to walk away with Cye.
A wave of uncertainty passed over Kento. Followed by doubt. Could this guy be trusted? No. He couldn't. Not just yet. And there was no way that he was going to leave his best friend with him. Over my dead body!! Forgetting the battle, Kento ran forward.
"KENTO HELP!!!!!!!!!"
He came to a dead halt when he heard Rowen scream out his name. Turning suddenly, he caught sight of his friend dangling from his arms right in front of the demon.
"Oh shit!" He had totally forgotten about Rowen. And now he was in serious trouble. But what about Cye?
Kento found himself faced with two options. Torn between friends, he didn't know who to go to first. Rowen was in major trouble. He could see that. And his first instinct was to crush that demon. But by that time, that mysterious man could have taken Cye anywhere.
Closing his eyes in frustration, Kento couldn't decide. What am I going to do?!
He heard the clash of metal when one of the points of the shuriken struck the ground in front of him. Stunned, he looked at the weapon and then at who had thrown in. On the sidewalk, the cloaked man lowered his upraised hand from when he tossed the weapon in the air. Cye was conscious, but still leaning on the man for support. And Sammy was standing besides Cye, clutching onto his free hand.
The man stared directly at him through the dark veil that his hood provided. Then, he nodded to Kento.
The Ronin looked back at the shuriken. Taking it in his hand, he ran straight for Rowen.
***
"KENTO!!!!!!" Rowen cried out again. What's taking him?! He should have armored up by now!!
Turning his attention back to the demon, he tried to hide his fear when he saw it smiling at him. Its lips pulling back slightly as it displayed its long row of teeth. Its mouth hanging open in a hideous smile, Rowen didn't want to know what this thing was up to. He tried to break free again, but it just wouldn't work.
He then froze when he saw something move within the void inside the demon's mouth. Slithering out of that open hole was an abnormally elongated tongue that mimicked the movements of a worm. Rowen's heart raced even faster, his eyes widening as a sickening sensation of dread washed over him. The tongue split apart, right down the middle, into five smaller pieces. And at the tip of each one, a needlepoint claw revealed itself from beneath its flesh, each one aimed directly for his head.
Rowen opened his mouth to scream, but no sound would come out. As if all of a sudden he had forgotten how to speak. Feeling the beating of his heart pounding like a drum in his ear, he found he couldn't move at all. He was paralyzed with fear.
At the corner of his eye he spotted an orange blur, and then…
*SLASH*
The demon dropped Rowen immediately. Looking up from the ground, he couldn't help but notice the blade sticking out of its chest. He spotted Kento behind the demon, having had rammed one of the blades of the shuriken right through. He pulled out the weapon, taking a step back as he did. The demon screamed before its body began to fade until there was nothing left.
***
Feeling himself being gently lowered onto the floor, Cye leaned back against a wall. He was still a bit dazed, and his body felt sore. Nothing specific hurt, but he felt tired all over. The actual attack wasn't what had knocked him unconscious. It was the force of him being thrown on the floor and the angle of his fall.
Smiling a bit that the others were able to destroy the demon, Cye looked up to see his rescuer. Again, it was that same mysterious figure from a few days ago. He kneeled down in front of Cye. It amazed him that he could be staring straight at this guy and yet, Cye couldn't make out his face. His eyes were shrouded in darkness, with a few long bangs hanging over where his left eye should be. The rest of his face was visible. But that was still no use to Cye. The metallic facemask that he wore covered all aspects of his identity.
"Thank you," Cye managed to let out.
It took him a while to respond back. "Save your thanks. I don't deserve it."
"Wha?" Cye couldn't find anything to say. It wasn't only the weight of the words that shocked him, but the voice as well.
"Because…" he continued as he moved into position his left arm in front of his chest. "I'm about to do something, that you'll hate me for." He raised his other hand to the boy's face.
Cye watched as he stuck out his index and middle finger up in the air, and with his right hand held his palm open. "But this is the only way I know to lighten the burden you carry, young warrior."
***
Rowen let out a sigh of relief, thankful that it was finally over. He definitely did not want to go through that again. But the image of the demon's tongue and the sharp extensions that were ready to slice right through him made him shudder. He never had to deal with a monster like that before. Their new adversaries were really starting to worry him. Just what are we getting ourselves into?
"You okay?"
Rowen looked up to greet Kento. He kneeled down in front of him, digging the point of the shuriken into the ground absently. Looking up, he waited for his answer.
Rowen nodded, feeling that his voice was going to crack if he tried to speak. He was still a bit shaky.
This answer seemed to satisfy Kento. Soon enough he cracked a smile. "Hey, thanks for distracting the demon for me," he joked, a wide grin on his face.
"Oh shut up," Rowen murmured, trying to repress his growing smile. Leave it to Kento to lighten the mood.
"You sure you're okay?" Kento pressed on.
"Yeah I'm fine. Just need to catch my breath," Rowen replied, then motioned to the side with his head. "Go check on Cye."
Kento nodded as he got up from the floor. He headed off in Cye's direction, leaving the large shuriken next to Rowen. Looking down at the weapon, Rowen remembered the new warrior. I wonder who he is.
Rowen never expected to get his answer soon. Turning to the side, he watched as Kento kneeled down besides Cye, who was resting his back against a wall. The cloaked man was standing next to Kento. But he was doing something else. Squinting against the blinding light of the afternoon sun, he tried to get a better look. He seemed to have his left arm crossed in front of his chest, index and middle finger up. His other palm was facing an unexpected Kento.
"What is he…" Rowen tried hard to figure out the events that were unfolding in front of him, but nothing would comprehend. Then he felt a weird sensation at the back of his mind. Something he was too familiar with. It was a warning signal that he would often get when something was about to happen. He didn't like it.
Letting his instincts take over he screamed out, "Kento get away from him!!!!!!"
Kento jerked up, turning to Rowen in confusion, but then saw the hand a foot away from his face. It was the warrior. But what was he doing? He had heard Rowen's warning, but it didn't make any sense. Not until he saw a shadow outline of the warrior's aura did he feel like pulling away. The energy emanating from his body was making Kento a bit lightheaded. But his eyes stayed fixated on the cloaked man's palm where the energy concentration was strongest, pulling Kento into a trance that he was unable to break away from.
***
"What the hell are you doing?!" Grabbing the shuriken from the ground, Rowen sprung up and ran up to them to attack. He swung at the man, but missed. He jumped back into the middle of the street as Rowen took up a defensive stance between him and his friends.
Whirling his head back to check on Kento, he saw that he wasn't moving. Just standing there in a daze. Walking back to him in concern, Rowen shook him hard. "Hey, snap out of it Kento!"
"Wha?" he blinked, then looked down at himself, back in his school uniform. I changed back? Worried, he fished around in his pockets for his armor orb. It wasn't there.
"My armor orb's gone!" Looking up, he caught sight of a shiny orange object a few feet away. Sitting in the cloaked man's hand was Kento's armor orb, accompanied with Cye's as well.
"Hey! Give those back!!" Kento demanded, taking a step forward. But the warrior didn't respond. This only angered him even more.
"Those don't belong to you!! GIVE THEM BACK!!" He screamed, dangerously advancing towards the man. But Rowen held him back with his arm, afraid that Kento's aggression would make the situation worse. His eyes were set ablaze with fury, but Rowen forced him to back down. Giving his friend a calm look, he assured Kento that he would deal with this.
After glaring sternly at the man, Rowen spoke up. "Alright. Who are you?"
His eyes twitched at the unexpected reply. The mask had given a slightly muffled, metallic flavor to his words. But the type of voice and the clarity of the words being spoken could not hide or deny the warrior's gender.
Rowen replayed the woman's words back in his mind as she spoke. Her name was Lady Sierra.