Unforeseen Circumstance
Revolution
(Day 15)
By: Little Ucchan
A soft giggle echoed down the hallway, the young girl not being able to contain her delight. Although she had to admit that she was feeling a bit antsy, this being her first assignment, Yume couldn't help the smile forming on her lips, utterly excited. Finally… I get to help Tajhinn-sama.
Her thoughts wandered back to the Demon Lord, a fond, yet somewhat sad gleam shining in her eyes. He's done so much for me.
She stopped walking, bringing her hands up to her heart as a sharp pang of sorrow clung to her soul, the bitter memory coming back to her. Ridicule. Banishment. Emptiness… Oh, how he had delivered her from the torments that plagued her every waking hour.
I'll show you my thanks… By serving at your side.
Then looking from left to right, Yume sagged her shoulders, running her fingers through her bubblegum colored hair. Now if only I could find a way out of here…
Unbelievable. Her chance had finally arrived and she couldn't find her way out of the castle. Not that she was totally incompetent. The truth was that this was the first time Yume had ever set foot inside the large fortress. Someone had directed her to Kayeda when she had arrived, but as to finding her way back… that was a task within itself.
All these hallways look the same, she grumbled, turning down another random corridor, becoming more and more lost. And to make matters worse, the castle had an energy field empowered into the very walls, blocking all connections outside of the castle grounds and making it virtually impossible to open portals or telepathic links. Damn Dead Zone. She understood the need for such security measures, but this was starting to become a nuisance.
Entering yet another unbelievably long hallway and finding it almost identical to the one she was just in, Yume let out a frustrated sigh, looking up towards the ceiling. I don't believe this. When I actually need to find someone, there's no one around! God knows this place wasn't lacking guards when she first arrived. And even though she'd rather not run into any of the demons from earlier, most not being 'asking material,' she needed to find someone to guide her outside.
This is getting ridiculous. "Is anybody here?!" she cried out in exasperation.
"I am."
Yume yelped, whirling on her heels at the unexpected sound of a voice spoken behind her. The speaker, a thin, pale-skinned man, was floating a few feet above the hard floor, his long robe-like garments flowing ethereally around him.
"Sae!!" [1] Yume exclaimed, startled by the boy's appearance. "Don't scare me like that!!!"
"Are you lost?" the youth had asked, not bothered by the girl's jumpy behavior.
She didn't want to answer at first, feeling embarrassed about her situation. "Um… well you know…" she folded her hands behind her, fidgeting where she stood. "This is my first time being in the castle so…" God, will he stop looking at me like that! she silently wished, catching him scrutinizing her with his pale, glass blue eyes.
After another long pause, she sighed. "Yes… I'm lost." Yume confessed, looking at him tiredly. "Do you know the way out?"
Sae nodded, descending to the floor. "This way."
His feet hardly made a sound as he walked, weaving through the many passageways with Yume following close behind him. A meek smile came to her lips, grateful that Sae was the one guiding her. The young man, about 17 in appearance, was a good friend of hers. One of the few she had. And although she didn't know much about him, Sae not being the type to willingly volunteer information, the demon-girl felt she had a connection with the boy, understanding his silent manner as not being rude, but calm. Besides, the white-haired youth had always been kind to Yume, in his own odd, inexpressive way.
"We're here," he announced quietly, stopping at, not the main entrance, but one of the side doors exits.
Wow… He really knows his way around, she thought, amazed at how fast and with such ease they had arrived at their destination. "You come by here a lot?" she asked curiously.
"Sometimes." And that was as far as he would delve into the matter.
She shook her head lightly, grinning at the short reply. "Thanks for showing me out," she chirped, bowing quickly before running out the door in a hurry.
He only nodded, acknowledging her show of gratitude.
***
Where is she?
Maki yawned, stretching out his arms and legs from the tree branch he was sitting on, this being the perfect location for spying. Now if only the person he was to spy on would get here. Figure's she'd be late. But he supposed he could amuse himself by watching the battle raging on beneath him.
His eyes went over the two newcomers, frowning a bit. Looks like the demon hunter has some new allies. He crossed his ankles, leaning against the sturdy tree trunk on the far side of the gated courtyard, his hands resting behind his head. I kinda feel sorry for him, though, he thought, referring to the unfortunate demon that was fighting the human in red. How unlucky to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Maki grinned, knowing that Yume was going to throw a fit when she found out. Another demon beating her to the punch line… He'd have to check the roster and see what idiot was out wandering in the Mortal realm.
He gave the demon a once over, checking out his arsenal to try and judge what level he was at when his eyes came across the mark on his left bicep. Maki blinked, sitting up in alarm. That tattoo…
The boy's eyebrows furrowed in concern, looking over the demon again. He knew that demons had a tendency to get carried away in battle. Maki himself would lose control, if the fight were challenging enough. But with this one…
Something's wrong. He felt… destruction and defiance in this warrior's attitude. A strong desire for total and utter chaos. Maki frowned, this feeling making him anxious inside. He hoped he was wrong. God he hoped he was wrong in his judgment. For if what he sensed in the demon was genuine then…
We might actually have a real war on our hands.
***
BAM! One horn pierced through the apartment wall. BAM! The second one followed, trying to hit the fast moving red blur that remained one step ahead of the demon, dodging each shot fired at him as the battle kicked up dirt into the air. Closing his fist after the fourth spike missed, the demon fired several energy darts after Ryo's speeding form. But the human boy proved to be a worthy adversary.
Ryo suddenly reversed his motion, sprinting in the opposite direction, his move temporarily throwing off the demon's aim and allowing him time to close the distance between the two fighters. One of the snakelike limbs coming at him from the left, the Ronin jumped over the attack, quickly positioning himself to deliver an incoming kick straight into the demon's face, only having to thrust his body upwards in order to avoid another horn from almost impaling him through the chest. Ryo landed a few yards away, stopping for a moment to reconsider his offensive strategy while the demon called back the fang-shaped spikes, each retracting into the open sockets on his shoulders. His defense system's good. He watched as the horns folded downwards, resting inactively over the demon's chest, waiting. He's not an amateur, that's for sure. But how to get around his defenses… He'd need more than just sheer skill to take this one down.
Ryo lowered his stance, relaxing his body in order to be ready for the next attack. The demon narrowed his eyes, the horns rising from their brief period of inactivity, one spike from each shoulder aimed at Ryo, the other set pointing up towards the sky. This new formation had worried him. Is he going to try to nail me from above?
Just as the thought entered his mind, the demon thrust his arm forward, shooting several darts at Ryo. The boy tensed, about to move when his senses alerted him to stop. The darts completely missed him, instead striking the ground to his left and right to create a giant dust cloud that obscured his vision. He coughed, covering his mouth and nose to keep himself from choking when he sensed something fast approaching him from both sides. Not being able to see, Ryo trusted his instincts and jumped up out of the attack's range, the two horns digging into the ground, causing more dirt to fly into the air.
Getting ready to move again once he landed, the Ronin was a bit startled that a second attack didn't greet him. Quickly finding the demon through the dust that surrounded the battlefield, Ryo's eyes automatically went wide, his mouth dropping open in gaping horror.
***
Why did I say that? She couldn't believe that she had just… Baka!! Now if only she had phrased that question a little differently then maybe, just maybe, Laura wouldn't be feeling so embarrassed. I just had to turn this into a personal matter. But she couldn't help the words from coming out of her mouth. She needed to know. Needed to know that he wouldn't… that they all wouldn't…
Commit themselves to throwing their lives away.
Promise me you'll live Sage. She looked at him firmly. Just promise me that.
His response to her question was taking much longer for him to say than she would have thought. You'd think a guy as quick-witted as him would have come up with something by now.
"Laura…" Sage began.
She waited.
"Laura… I won't---"
"SAGE!! EYES FRONT!!"
Ryo's outcry had startled them both, abruptly cutting off his response as the remaining pair of horns set on the demon's shoulders came careening towards the duo. Laura gasped, knowing that at this point there was no way to avoid the attack when Sage suddenly pulled her towards him. She felt the whoosh of air fly past her face as the first horn missed. But the second…
"Look out!!"
The Ronin moved, being able to avoid the attempted stab to his back, but the bulk of the horn still caught him from behind. Sage cried out, the force of the blow sending both of them flying straight for the apartment building. He gritted his teeth, eyes darting back and forth between Laura and the incoming wall as precious time ticked rapidly away. At the last second he made a decision, swinging around so he slammed into the wall instead of Laura. Sage bit back his tongue in an attempt to swallow the pain as he crumbled down onto the floor, his charge still safe and secure in his arms.
He was panting for breath, willing his eyes to stay focus as the effects of that last attack almost forced him unconscious. He felt Laura move, the ninja slowly pulling herself up from where she laid on his chest. He thought the lost weight would have eased some of the pressure he felt in his lungs. But his breathing was still the same, shallow and painful. What's going on? He knew that his strength wasn't up to par. But still, his sub armor should have given him more protection than that.
"You self-righteous idiot."
The harshly delivered insult was not what he needed right now, especially from her, his temper flaring despite their current situation. "Hey listen, you!!" Sage snapped, sitting up straight to glare at her. "I---!"
He automatically stopped, seeing her hunched-up form shaking as a few tears fell to the ground from her downcast face. Her expression was hidden beneath her bangs, but the anguish in her voice was enough to make Sage retract his argument entirely.
"What the hell is wrong with you??" she demanded, the force of her words overcoming the hoarseness of her voice. "You're already at your limit and yet you pull a stunt like that! Do you want to die?!?!"
Laura lifted her head to look at him, her face showing pain as well as anger. "Well fine!! If you want to then go ahead!! But do it by your own choosing!! Don't you dare do it protecting me, Sage! I'm tired of everyone doing that for me!!" She then had stopped, her eyes moving to stare at the floor again as a new feeling of sadness came over her.
He wanted to say something. But he couldn't find words, watching as she bit back on her lip, trying to hold in her tears.
"I'm tired of people dying," she whispered softly, almost in defeat. "I'm tired of it."
So, you're tired of your friends sacrificing themselves for you… The malicious voice had Sage up and alert within seconds, already spotting the demon with his fist aimed towards them.
Well then, let me help solve that problem!! The new barrage was immediately on its way, Laura barely having time to rise to her feet when Sage already picked her up, jumping out of the way.
Damn it, the demon cursed, raising the spikes from his shoulders for a second round. Let's see him dodge this.
He was shocked when Ryo suddenly appeared in front of him.
What?!
"Surprise!!"
The straight punch struck his abdomen hard, causing the demon to double over as the wind was knocked out of him. Taking advantage of his confusion, Ryo turned on his heel, catching his opponent right under the chin with the back of his foot, sending him crashing into the ground. Backing up a pace, the Ronin raised his arms into a fighting stance, trying to anticipate his next move as the demon rose to his feet.
Not bad. He rubbed the side of his face with the back of his hand, chuckling softly. For a human.
Ryo took a step back when the demon charged at him, the horns firing simultaneously. He dodged each one, hurdling over the last as a new wave of energy darts struck the ground around him. Not again, he coughed, shielding his eyes as he tried to sense out the demon.
"Where is he?!"
Right here.
His voice got caught in his throat, an ominous shadow towering behind him. Before he could fully turn around, Ryo was slammed into a nearby tree, the demon's punch knocking him clean off his feet. He slowly got up, wiping away the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Not bad, for a demon."
He chuckled again. I was going to save you for later, he confessed, looking over the Ronin. But I guess… The demon took a step forward, smiling at how quick Ryo was to take up another stance. I'll kill you now.
***
Laura staggered a bit when she was unexpectedly released from Sage's hold as they landed, the boy's face cringing in what was unmistakably pain. She felt his aura waver, the warmth of his energy dwindling as he gasped for air.
This was what she was talking about. She knew he wasn't at full strength. Was aware of it since the start of their duel on Saturday. And after being hit by three consecutive Vampire's Touch…
"Baka," she growled, clenching her fists, realizing that even the easiest of tasks were putting a strain on his body. "What did I just tell you?"
"Don't die," came the almost flippant remark.
She stared at him, surprised, as he straightened up.
"You said you don't want anyone giving up their life to protect you. Well, you don't have to worry. I don't plan on dying anytime soon," he explained, a playful smile creeping up to his face. "So, as long as I stay alive it's okay if I save you, right?"
Only he would find a loophole in what I said. Laura tightened her lips, scowling at him. "Sage!! That's not what I---"
"Laura, I know that you don't want us to get involved. You've made that perfectly clear already."
"Well then?" she demanded crossly, seeing as how his actions didn't show that it was made 'perfectly clear.'
"…Can you win on your own?"
Silence. Laura had looked at him with uncertainty before turning away, both knowing the answer to his question. "It doesn't matter if I can or can't," she answered. "I have to do this by myself."
"Why? Because of pride? Or duty?" he asked. "If it is then that's fine. It's your decision. But don't do it because you're scared for those who choose to help you, Laura. You said it yourself that if I want to throw my life away then that was fine, so long as it was my choice. …Well the same applies if I want to save your life. My choice. My decision. And I'll suffer the consequences. You're not responsible for any of it because you can't control my actions. Just like you're not to blame for the fate of all those people who died protecting you."
Her eyes widened, his words striking a chord within her heart. The people who died… My family…
"Laura, listen to me!" he begged, feeling her attention slip as she began to lapse back into a pensive state of mind. "No one can force another person to sacrifice their life. It's either given up willingly or stolen by another. And unless you had an active hand in their deaths, you didn't cause it. Stop beating yourself up for this! You're not responsible!!"
She looked at Sage, half vacant, half attentive, her thoughts running circles within the track fields of her mind.
"I'm not… responsible?" she said, almost as an inquiry.
He shook his head. "No, you're not. And because you aren't, you don't have to force yourself to take up this fight on your own. All of us… the Ronin warriors… want to help you fight. I guess it's in our blood." Some more than others. He chuckled a bit, thinking about Kento and Ryo. And then himself. I suppose I'd fit in that category as well.
"But Sage…"
He stopped her, smiling lightly. "Hey, didn't I promise you that when this is over, we'll still be here?"
The corner of her lips pulled up slightly, some of the burden being carried away from her heavy heart. "All of us, right?"
"That's right. All of us," he nodded, suddenly rubbing his shoulder precariously.
Laura allowed herself to laugh, an irrepressible expression of happiness spreading across her face. "I'm going to hold you accountable to that," she teased, but then stopped. "Sage, what's wrong?"
He frowned, feeling his shoulder again when the small prickling underneath his skin started to bother him. "I don't know."
A thought suddenly came to mind and he quickly searched for Ryo, spotting him and the demon on the other side of the courtyard at the corner of the apartment building. He was leaning against the wall, strangely enough, his hand on his left shoulder. Ryo had clenched his teeth, pushing himself up more so that he didn't have so much weight against the wall, but when he did, his face scrunched up and he clutched onto his shoulder with more strength. Sage in turned squeezed his own, feeling that numbing sensation all over again.
What…? His gaze then turned sharply towards the demon. Sage's eyes widened at the sight of blood… Ryo's blood, smeared over the sharp end of one of the horns. He was in shock. It went through. The demon's attack had pierced straight through Ryo's sub armor. Shit. That arm's useless to him now! And the demon was beginning his slow, taunting approach towards Ryo, confident that he had this fight wrapped around his fingers.
He stretched his arm out to the side just as Laura stepped forward, feeling the girl's aura steadily rising in anger. "Hang on. You're not up for it."
"Look who's talking," she shot back, nevertheless standing down slightly. "You're in worse shape than I am. I'll handle this."
"There you go, taking things on by yourself again."
"Then what do you suppose we do?" she placed a hand on her hip, annoyed.
As a response, he extended his other arm, breathing in slowly in order to gather his strength. Laura's eyes widened, recognizing the pose. "Oh no…" She suddenly grabbed one of his arms and pulled it down to his side. "No. Sage! You don't have the strength to---!"
"To fight him?" he finished for her with a rueful smile. "I know. But it's the only way for us to draw the demon's attention away from Ryo."
"And then?" she demanded. "What after?"
"…I'm open to suggestions."
"You don't know?!" she cried incredulously.
"Nope. But I was hoping that maybe you could pull something off with the energy you've been building up in your rune since we arrived."
Laura blinked in surprise. He sensed that? He couldn't possibly… She then grinned. "Only if you're able to deliver the finishing blow."
He gave her a thumps up. "Will do."
She then released his arm, taking a step back in order to give him room. Alright Sage. Let's do this.
***
His vision was starting to blur. Ryo grimaced, the wound in his shoulder making him feel weak at the loss of blood. This isn't good. He didn't think the shot to the shoulder would be this bad. But then again, the opponent he faced was much different from the Dynasty Soldiers of old.
He pulled himself away from the wall, the weight of his arm dangling by his side pulling at his open wound. Damn. It'll be difficult to transform now. But he didn't know if he'd even get that chance, the demon standing only a few yards away.
He stopped, laughing at the Ronin as he raised up his spikes, automatically positioning themselves to fire. Ready to die?! On cue, the four horns shot out at him, followed by several more energy darts.
Ryo dashed to the left, evading the first half of the attack as best he could. The second wave was much more difficult to avoid. He had to fling himself to the ground and roll to the side, marginally avoiding each dart with every turn. He came to a stop near the edge of the courtyard, his body trembling unsteadily. That last attack had his shoulder hurting more than ever as he struggled to push himself up. That's when he felt it, that familiar battle aura rising as the kanji on his forehead flared for just a moment. No. He wouldn't!
"Armor of Halo!! DAO CHI!!!"
He did.
Ryo couldn't believe this, seeing Sage's newly armored form standing not too far away. Has he lost it?! Rising up from the ground, he had never thought that Sage would be so rash. Can he even fight?
Well apparently, he was going to find out.
Ryo swallowed hard, surprised to already feel the energy surge within the demon even before he had laid eyes on him. What…? He stared at the dark foe glaring at Sage, recognizing the new energy that outlined his aura to be pure rage. How… how could have transforming provoked him so much? It didn't make sense. And Ryo wasn't sure how the Armor of Halo would hold up against the increase in power.
"Damn it, Sage," he cursed. "You can't---"
There was movement behind him.
Ryo blinked, recognizing Laura's silhouette hiding directly behind the samurai warrior. What's she up to? Looking back at Sage, pulling his nodachi in front of him in a battle-ready stance, and then at the demon, ready to charge, he felt a small change in the surrounding energy, most likely coming from Laura.
Maybe. Just maybe… they had a chance.
***
"How you holding up?" Laura whispered, placing her rune between her fingertips and aligning it with her chest. "You doing okay?" She was referring to how he felt after the transformation.
"I'll live."
"…You sure you can do this?" she asked after a moment, crossing her free arm in front of her in a flat L formation.
"Just give me one clear shot, Laura."
She nodded, holding out her thumb, index, and middle fingers. Taking in a deep breath, she traced out an arc over her head with her free hand, stretching out her arm and moving it in front of her. She waited, holding out her hand, palm forward, before speaking again. "Listen. You can't move from this spot. Understand?"
He blinked. What?!
"It sounds crazy, I know," Laura quickly told him, feeling his anxiety level suddenly rise. "But the best I can do right now is set up a trap spell. It'll activate once he steps within three feet from where you are, and then you'll have your shot. I'm guessing from that battle aura that he'll definitely rush you but if you move…" She let the sentence hang, both knowing what the consequences were if they failed to pull this off.
So he nodded. "Alright."
She smirked. He trusts me. God help him. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on her rune.
Feeling her energy grow steadily without much problem, Sage diverted his attention back to the demon, feeling his aura pulsing in ripples around his body. He narrowed his eyes, gripping the hilt of his sword tighter. I better be ready for anything.
A second later, the demon raised his hand, pointing a finger at Sage with an evil grin. Then he slowly brought his hand towards him, sticking out his thumb to one side of his neck and moved it across to the other end in one slicing motion.
"Cool it," he heard Laura whisper when he had shifted his weight, almost in an attack position. Sage had caught himself by that time, falling back into a defensive mode. But that unconscious switch had worried him, having had felt the anger building within himself for just that one moment. Why did he become so aggravated? It wasn't like him at all.
That's when the demon charged.
With a deafening roar, he speeded towards the Ronin, the sudden move making him tense. Wait for it.
Beads of sweat were coming down his face.
Wait for it.
He was closing in.
C'mon Sage, Laura silently encouraged him. Almost there.
Then six feet away from the Ronin, the demon unfolded the four spiked points over his chest and fired.
He inhaled sharply, seeing the demon's fast approach and the horns even faster descent. But he planted his feet firmly on the ground, holding out his nodachi defiantly.
And at three feet, the incoming spikes stopped, the barrier that had been secretly surrounding them coming to life the moment the demon's attack came in contact with it.
What the?! The demon's eyes went wide, digging his heels into the ground to try and stop himself from slamming into the energy field. But it was too late.
Laura's eyes instantly opened, and with a snap of the fingers all the energy that was used to power the barrier was redirected towards the demon, the new shield trapping the monster within its confinements.
He screamed in anger, feeling the oppressive energy around him, making it hard for him to move at all. Damn you!!! the demon screeched, struggling within the barrier. DAMN YOU ALL!!!
That was his cue.
Nodachi raised above his head, Sage lunged at the demon, bringing down the long sword in one giant slash.
Let this kill him. Laura was holding her breath in suspense. Please, let this finish it!
CLANG!!
The terror struck her heart so abruptly that it had knocked the wind out of her. How could he have…
Sage's sword had come to an immediate halt, the blade coming into contact with, not the demon's chest, but the two horned tentacles that had suddenly moved, despite all odds, to block his shot. Now the Ronin was struggling, locked in a test of strength, against the two iron guards, trying to break through the demon's defenses, while his opponent concentrated all his efforts into stopping the sword from moving any further.
Foolish boy, the demon snarled, his arms flexing slightly as he tried to overcome the force of the barrier. You can't win against the demon race!!
Laura clenched her fists, seeing, little by little, the demon's continued advancement over her spell. He'll break out of it before Sage can finish him off. Holding out her hands again in the same three-pointed position as before, she concentrated. The ninja wasn't exactly sure how long she could reinforce the barrier. But God, she was going to try.
"Souls of the night. Shadows that move. Give me strength, give me strength… Souls of the night. Shadows that move. Give me strength, give me strength…"
The demon cringed, the added power of the spell making him waver. That stupid girl!!
Part of the demon's horns cracked underneath the sword's pressure.
He growled, barring his teeth at the Ronin. I will not lose… to the likes of him!! With a forced cry, he pushed himself harder, striving to break the spell. To overcome his adversary.
His pride and his hatred would not let him stop.
Shit!! Sage's arms were burning, muscles growing tired at the effort. He didn't know how this had happened. The barrier was holding the demon down when he had attacked. He couldn't move and still couldn't, the spell locked into place and continuously being supported by Laura's rune. But when it came down to it…
He wants to win. He could see it in his eyes and feel it in his battle aura. The demon wouldn't allow himself to surrender.
But Sage wasn't sure just how long he could keep this up. It was hurting him. Keeping up this struggle was taking its toll on his body. He felt like he was going to break any minute.
"Damn it!!" Sage yelled, shutting his eyes tight to try and block out the pain. "Just give up already!!"
Never!! the demon shouted back, sounding more determined than ever. I will never give in to you, WARLORD!!!!
Sage's eyes snapped open just as the demon screamed, his aura heaving violently and with one great rush, smashing through the confinements of the spell and throwing both he and Laura back with incredible force. The Ronin dug the end of his sword into the ground, the blade dragging itself through the earth before he came to a complete stop. Not being able to take it anymore, Sage dropped to his knees, both hands using his nodachi for support as he struggled for breath.
The look of surprise was apparent on his face, like he had just received a really bad shock from the name the demon had called him by.
"Warlord?" he wheezed, peering through his bangs to look at his enemy, also out of breath from smashing through the barrier. "What… What are you talking---" He wasn't able to finish, a hand quickly moving to cover his mouth as he suddenly threw up a dark, metal tasting liquid.
Blood.
Oh no…
It was becoming difficult to breathe, the sense of panic rising in his chest not helping his situation any as he felt his conscious began to slip…
I don't have to explain myself to you, Warlord, the demon spat, raising the remaining two spikes from his shoulders. Just know this. Our revenge will be complete… And you'll die TODAY!!
He blinked in surprise, taking an unconscious step back when Laura had stepped in front of the boy, blocking his shot. What are you doing protecting him?
Upon feeling her shadow being cast over him, Sage looked up. "L-Laura?"
She didn't say anything, remaining where she stood. Unyielding.
The demon frowned. You of all people would be the last I'd expect this from. In a fit of anger, he lashed out, Demon hunter!! Do you know who you're protecting?!
"Yes," she answered calmly, taking him by surprise. "Sage Date. My friend… And the one person strong enough to tell me I that was wrong, in letting fear run my life."
His chest was hurting, feeling tight, unable to breathe as he coughed again, more blood dripping down his fingers. But he didn't know if it was his current condition that made his brain feel numb, or what Laura had said about him, and what she was doing for him right now.
His vision was doubling over. He couldn't maintain the power of his armor anymore, Halo returning to his orb and transforming him back into his school uniform. Sage wasn't exactly sure how much longer he could stay conscious now without the armor supporting him. But he heard her final words, before his exhaustion was too much, and he blacked out completely.
"I won't let you hurt him, demon. So you'd better just kill me now."
***
Kill you now? The demon echoed before laughing. That's very bold. Well fine then. I'll do just that. With a smile, he added, And then I'll kill him.
But his words didn't get the reaction he wanted.
The demon growled, not liking her hard, silent demeanor at all. Why isn't she afraid? She must be aware that no one can help her now, yet she stands there with so much force… Why? This change in her attitude was making him nervous.
"Well?" Laura asked evenly, eyes locked onto the demon's with amazing resolve. "What are you waiting for? C'mon."
This succeeded in angering him. You fool!! Don't you fear death?!?!
"Do you?"
That was the last straw.
He roared, completely angered as he raised his head up to the heavens, shooting the remaining two spikes at the girl. Die!! Demon hunter!!!!!
WHOOSH!! SLASH!!
The severed ends of the tentacles went tumbling on the ground, coming to a stop at Laura's feet. Ryo was standing in front of her, fully armored with one katana grasped in his good hand. Before the demon could fully understand that he had been deceived, he charged forward, driving his blade through the demon's unprotected abdomen and slicing upwards for the finishing blow.
The demon's body crumpled down to the floor, the tattoo on his arm flaring on and off before it abruptly disappeared, his lifeline being severed completely. And then that was it, his vanishing from the battlefield, leaving nothing more than a faint impression of where he once had been.
The fight was over.
Ryo breathed out a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. "Phew. That was close."
"You're telling me!"
Turning around, he couldn't help himself and started to laugh, seeing Laura sink to the ground completely shaken up and taking in long deep breaths in order to calm her racing heart. "What were you doing? Waiting for the most perfectly opportunistic chance possible??"
"I don't know," he shrugged with a smile. "It didn't feel right just yet."
"Feel right my ass," she muttered, loud enough for Ryo to hear.
"Hey, that was quite a performance you put out there," he complemented, deciding it'd be best to change the subject matter. "You were very good at keeping up a false front."
"Yeah, well…" Laura got up from the floor and went over to Sage. "I only do it when I have to."
Kneeling down beside him, she gently turned him onto his back, feeling his forehead. She frowned. He has a fever. And she could feel how dim his aura was compared to before. He's exhausted. And his energy is spent so we can't depend on him recovering on his own. Far worse than her condition earlier that morning.
"Well?" Ryo was bending over her, looking at his friend worriedly.
"He's in bad shape," Laura answered, sitting back on her heels. "We need to get him to a hospital."
"A hospital?" he asked questionably. "Are you sure they'll be able to do something?"
She nodded. "More than I can right now. He's physically exhausted and needs to recover. I'm sure putting him in intensive care would do the trick. And as for his aura's energy…" Laura sighed, a bit of a vacant look in her eyes. "We'll just have to trust that he can pull through. I don't know what else to do. I could possibly help him out in a day or so when my own powers return, but he'll have to ride out the first few days on his own."
Ryo didn't like the sound of that either, casting a glance downwards towards Sage. I'm sure Halo could guide him through but… He wasn't certain of the armor's strength right now. The only sure way that he'd recover quickly was if he had the support of all of the armors, not just his own. The rest of the guys needed to be here with him. But even that was uncertain, Ryo remembering the feeling he got from Rowen, Kento, and Cye… of a connection somewhat lost to him. But it was worth a try.
He was about to ask Laura when she suddenly pulled one of Sage's arms around her neck. "Ugh. I forgot how heavy people are when they're knocked out."
"I'll take him, okay?" Ryo tried to help her out as best he could with only one arm.
She looked at him skeptically, possibly also judging his capabilities with his shoulder being as bad as it was.
He smiled, taking up Sage in his arms despite the deep wound in his shoulder. "I'll be fine. I'll get him there faster this way."
Laura nodded. "I'll have to meet you there, though. I need to get Sammy out of the apartment."
Ryo nodded back. "Don't take too long. I'll be at the hospital closest to our school."
"Right. See you there."
***
High above the conversation that had just took place, a silhouette of a dark figure stood at the edge of the rooftop, a mysterious smile on his face. As the sun was setting for the evening, a few rays of light caught the man's face, revealing for a moment his young appearance and short blonde hair.
Handsome fellow, if it weren't for the blackness of his heart.
Smiling again, he held out his hand, within it hovering a pale ball of energy, an odd curved shaped symbol glowing within its depths. The energy farthest away from the center was flowing in little calm waves, accumulating itself to the top like a ball of pale purple fire.
"You want your revenge?" he asked softly, a malicious smile coming to his lips when the ball immediately flared in a mix of anger and eagerness.
"You want to pay those humans back… for what they did to you."
Again, the energy surged violently, acting alive within the man's palm, the symbol in its center growing brighter and more defined.
This time he chuckled, looking out over the horizon as the light of the day was slowly dying. "Then you'll have your chance. For your revenge, and the glory of our fallen race, you'll bring about the fires of change… And they will pay."
***
"Hmm…"
Maki watched the two teens go their separate ways, Laura heading into the apartment for her sister while Ryo took Sage to the hospital.
Laura, Ryo, and Sage…
He smirked, amused. He never thought the battle would have turned out the way it did. The winner was predictable. He knew it from the start. But as to how they won… They'll be interesting to battle someday. And he looked forward to it.
Now onto more pressing matters. Maki kicked up his feet, leaning against the tree trunk, gazing up through the foliage to the dimly growing sky. It was already evening, and he had a lot to report back to the Boss when he got back. Once I find Yume.
That's right. The demon-girl hadn't shown up yet. Maki smiled again, knowing how ticked off she was going to be. But the smile was done half-heartedly, this new demon's appearance worrying him. That tattoo…
He knew he's seen it before.
Something about the curves… and the way it rippled at the tip, like flames, stirred up something inside him. Like he was supposed to remember something about it that was important. 'The fires of change were coming.'
Maki blink, sitting up abruptly. Where had that come from? He remembered vaguely, someone telling him that phrase, describing a time in his ancestral history long, long ago.
"The Flame of Revolution…" he whispered softly, staring up at the sky again.
That's when he saw him. Someone's profile on top of the apartment roof. It was only for a second though, before it had vanished, fading into the air.
Maki rose to his feet, trying to catch a fleeting impression of that man's aura. But it was out of his reach, his aura having had been faint to begin with. But by all means, he wasn't weak. He knew that for certain. That guy wasn't weak.
He scratched the back of his head, not liking all the mysteries that had suddenly sprung up around him. There was no way to move forward with their mission now, what with all the loose ends surrounding their target. And with how well he knew the Demon Lord, Maki was almost certain of one fact. Tajh won't charge half-blind into something he doesn't know. So he supposed that they were at a standstill for now.
Feeling a rift in dimensions not too far away, Maki lingered in the area a few minutes longer before jumping off the tree and hurdling over the gate, searching for Yume.
Now, what should I say to her? He knew she was going to be upset, having had psyched herself up for the whole thing. But he couldn't very well let her go on with her mission now. Things have changed, and they needed to regroup. But how to tell her…
He smirked, seeing the young girl stepping out of the portal onto the empty sidewalk. I guess a lie would be the best approach.
"Hey there Yume!"
She gave a start, quickly turning around. Then she immediately did a double take. "Maki?!"
"Nice day, huh?" he asked conversationally, hoping he wouldn't sound so conspicuous.
No such luck.
"What are you doing here?" Yume demanded, placing her hands on her hips. "Don't tell me your spying on me again!!"
"I… uh…"
"Maki!!!"
He laughed, waving both of his hands in front of him. "Just kidding. Actually, I came with a message from the Boss."
"From Tajhinn-sama?" she asked, all the anger gone from her face.
"Yeah," Maki nodded, praying that Lord Tajhinn wouldn't be angry for him lying in his name. "He wanted me to tell you to abort your mission, and head straight back home. Reason why to be given later."
Yume blinked. "Eh?" Tajhinn-sama wanted her to come back? "But I haven't even---"
"I know. But he wants you to return. And I was sent to pick you up."
She seemed to be thinking about this for a moment, her arms crossed over her chest with a scrutinizing look on her face. After a few minutes she sighed, lowering her head and dropping her arms to her side. Maki had his own expression of relief, glad that all was going well until she clenched her fists and lifted her head, determination flashing in her bright ruby-red eyes. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this."
With a whirl of her heels she already stepped through the portal, mumbling to herself. "I'm going to go straight to the castle and give my report and find out just what happened to make Tajhinn-sama---"
Oh SHIT!! Maki was close to a near panic. "No don't!!!"
The portal already closed in front of him, the demon-girl most likely already at the castle gates, sealing his fate.
If the Boss finds out I said that… "Oh, I'm dead!!"
Quickly he pulled open another portal and jumped through it. "Wait!! Yume!!"
***
"Nee-san? Nee-san?"
"What is it Kei?"
"Why are we going to the hospital?" the little girl asked, fiddling with the strap of her school backpack while looking up at the older girl.
Laura smiled as they stepped out of the apartment building. "My friend had to be sent there, and I need to go see him. But I can't leave you two here by yourselves."
"So will Mommy pick me up at the hospital then?"
"Yup. I'll call her and tell her where you are. So don't worry."
"Oneesan?" This time it was Sammy calling.
"Hmm?"
"If we're only going to the hospital then why'd you bring your bag with you?" she asked, referring to the huge duffle bag she was carrying over her shoulder. "And you brought your school bag too. And told me to bring the backpack you had me pack for emergencies with the stuff I really really wanna keep. And you had me to put the photo album in there. And---"
Laura laughed, rubbing the top of Sammy's head affectionately. "We might be at the hospital for a few days. And so I wanted you to have your stuff with you if you needed it."
"Oh," was her reply. Then she asked a moment later, "Is that all?"
She stopped for a moment, kneeling down to kiss her on the forehead. "Tell you later, kay?"
Sammy brightened at the feeling of top secret-ness in her sister's whispered tone. "Kay!"
She smiled as well, picking up Kei in her arms and holding out her free hand for Sammy to grab. "Let's go."
Laura led them along a few blocks up before flagging down a taxi, not wanting to stay near the apartment for so long. She didn't want to tell Sammy, for she wasn't even sure what she felt back there. But a feeling of foreboding hovered over the place she had temporarily called home, making her take with her the duffle bag she always had packed incase the need for a quick escape ever came around. Normally, she wasn't that jittery. But this wasn't the time to be misjudging her feelings.
We won't go back, she thought as she shuffled the kids into the cab. Looking at the building, only being able to see the top few floors from where she was, she promised herself not to go back. They knew she lived there. It was too dangerous now.
"Oneesan!" Sammy popped her head out the car window, tilting her head to the side and looking at her sister questionably. "Oneesan, let's go!"
She nodded, pulling open the passenger door and taking her seat.
[1] Pronounced Sa - eh
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
^^;; ::prepares herself for all the shouts and screams for not updating for a month and a half:: Please… don't kill me. I won't be able to write anymore if you do.
Um… Hi!! Yes, it's been a while. I've been beating myself over the head for taking so long. But you guys won't believe how many rewrites of this chapter I did. You think it's because I've suddenly started writing longer chapters?? I don't know, things seem to stand out more and scream 'WRONG' to me more times now than when my chapters were shorter. ::shrugs:: Oh well. So so SO sorry. Especially to you Panthera. ^^;; You're about ready to smack me upside the head, aren't you?
Feedback is a plus!! And is my main driving force to all that I do, to know how my writing is affecting my readers and finding ways to improve for you all. ^_^ You guys are great. Until the next update!! This time, the whole GANG should be there. Rowen. Kento. Cye. Yume. Maki. Everyone. (If what I'm thinking now stays current with how the next chapter will end up.) ^^;; I hate being fickle sometimes.