Actors Wanted
Behemoth
(Day 22)
By: Little Ucchan

If demons had an age of retirement, Dario had reached it. A warrior that had lived through both the War of Two Races and Demon Emperor Talpa's battle with the Ancient One, Dario was, by far, one of the oldest demons alive. Not only that, he was the patriarch of the bethshima race, a breed that claimed the fine blood of such soldiers like Kayeda, Sanjo, and Baldestar. A figurehead honored by all demons, regardless of breed or allegiance, Dario was a name known throughout demon history.

The BlackGuard's concern over having him act in this mission was legitimate. To send him into battle was a declaration of war. To kill him in battle…

It cannot be done. Kayeda shook his head. He cannot be killed. No… if our adversary really is from the revolution, he would not so much as dare touch him.

It's what he believed, waiting outside of the audience chamber while Tajhinn briefed Dario on the mission objective. Normally he would be the one to handle such details. But it was a rule among bethshimas not to give orders to another bethshima older than themselves, especially their patriarch.

The double doors of the massive chamber swung open, and a behemoth of a demon, with reddish brown skin and a large scar running down his forehead to his chin, stepped out of the audience hall. He walked without a shirt, a common practice among bethshimas, revealing for all to see the uncountable amount of scars from over a thousand years of war. Like Baldestar, he wore no armor to protect his vital organs, the one thing distinguishing him from the younger bethshima being the long set of prayer beads, golden yellow in hue, around his neck. His weapon, a spiked chain weight, hung from the side of his belt, and swung and clinked together as he walked.

Kayeda bowed. "Reverend Grandfather."

Dario stopped, surprised by Kayeda's greeting. He paused for a moment, then gave the general a smile. "Kayeda, I had not imagine you would make contact with me within this century!"

"Reverend Grandfather," Kayeda began again. "Forgive my forwardness, but may I ask you something?"

Dario chuckled, as if he had expected nothing less. "What's on your mind, my boy?"

"What is the true reason Our Lord has selected you for this mission?"

"My boy, you are The Lord's general. You should know, more than I, why it was me he had chosen."

"And why you had accepted?" Kayeda countered. "It is a suicide mission."

"I feel I should be insulted!" Dario joked, his hearty laughter echoing down the stairs. "Do you think just because I am old, I am not as willing to sacrifice my life for my duty as readily as you are?"

Kayeda frowned, his voice tight. "Revered Grandfather, you are as important to our people as I am. Our Lord had said he did not want to risk loosing an officer in this mission. As to why he would place you at risk then, is beyond my understanding."

"Yes, you have a point." He smiled ruefully. "I suppose the political connotations of my involvement was something our Lord Tajhinn wished to avoid. But that boy likes to keep his promises, and I did make him promise to send me on this mission."

Kayeda stiffened. "You had made him promise? But the mission was just decided upon today. You could not have known—"

Dario shook his head. "My boy, I did not make him promise to sign me onto this specific mission. I only wished to be assigned if Maki ever got in over his head." He laughed suddenly, a sharp bark of a sound that was both intimidating and comforting in its verboseness. "And executing a BlackGuard officer would be considered 'over his head.' I swear that boy acts just like the rest of us!"

"I do not understand, Reverend Grandfather." Kayeda began, trying to get him back on topic. "Mihokita?"

Dario smiled and began to walk, briefly placing a hand on Kayeda's shoulder. "As bethshimas, we are always in a position where our involvement will cause a stir. But I am in a better position than that boy's father to take action if something were to go wrong."

"Reverend Grandfather…"

"Your job is to protect Our Lord and our people," Dario reminded him as he left. "I will protect our bloodline."

The floor was cool with the rise of the early morning. The sun had yet to truly reveal itself over the horizon; the world cast in an odd light of twilight. Yume stirred where she laid on her stomach, the wood planks a cool comfort to her body. She blinked a few times, her eyesight adjusting to the light, when she realized she did not know where she was and got up.

Her head promptly slammed into the underside of Ryo's bed, and she quickly recoiled with a curse, clutching the wound with her hands. White Blaze poked his head underneath the bed, startled by the noise.

Yume gave the tiger a weak smile as she slowly turned onto her back, staring up at the wooden beams that made up the boy's bed frame and the mattress right above it. That's right. I'm still at Ryo's. She wondered if the boy had returned at all after suddenly disappearing the other day, and was about to scoot herself out from under the bed when she noticed a folded piece of paper next to her.

'I went out for school. I'll be back in the afternoon,' it read, signed by Ryo. Yume smirked at the thoughtfulness, then frowned. School?She recalled that was the place mortal teenagers went during the day for education, a notion not unfamiliar to her. But the time of day was odd. Why must he have left so early?

They had met at a secluded part of Shinjuku Central Park, pushed back from the park's clearly designated jogging paths and recreational areas. But though secluded, it did not mean inaccessible. Twice already, an early morning jogger had passed by their area, twice the Ronins had gone tense, and twice Krysta had to reassure them that passersby would not be an issue. The incense she had prepared and were now burning around their designated work area would see to that. But still, seeing someone in plain sight was unnerving, especially with what they were about to do.

A pentagram had been drawn out on the grass, each Ronin standing on one of the star's five points with each point connected to the other four by a straight line. In front of them, set on the inside of each of the star's arms, were five small incense burners, the holes on the side of their lids venting smoke into the air. In their hands were tangible representations of their elements.

"I feel stupid."

"You feel stupid?" Rowen turned on the mini electronic fan in his hand and pointed it at Kento.

"At least you got something you can fiddle with," Kento pouted, holding up the pouch of sand in his hand. He then turned to Ryo, who was flicking his lighter on and off. "Hey Ryo, can I have your lighter?"

"If you take the Inferno armor."

Kento balked, laughing sarcastically. "Very funny, man."

"Stop it you guys," Cye scolded, waving his water bottle at the three of them. "We still have to make it to school by the bell."

"I think we'll make it to the bell," Rowen drawled, checking his watch. "With plenty of time to spare."

Ryo flicked the lighter on again. "I'm surprised you're even standing, Ro."

"I didn't sleep."

"Ah." The lighter flicked closed.

Sage watched, without a word, the light conversation that filtered back and forth. In truth, he wasn't that interested. His gaze was trained behind Cye, where Laura was lighting more incense burners while Krysta prepared herself for the binding ritual. He had not seen her since the protection spell last night, and when he did, she was busily packing for today, or talking with her aunt on the details of the spell. She had yet to speak a word to him.

Sage frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, tapping the end of his flashlight against his side. He had an idea as to why she was acting that way. For a moment his thoughts flashed back to last night, and the cold presence he sensed with Laura as she approached. The image of it sent a shiver down his spine.

"Well, is everyone ready?" Krysta approached the pentagram and looked to each boy for confirmation. She stopped at Sage for a moment, noting his pensive mood, before the blonde gave a nod, along with the rest of them, signaling that they were ready.

"Good. Now have your element come in contact with the incense burners in front of you, and we shall begin."

Krysta reached into the sleeve of her kimono and pulled out a long scroll, the parchment unrolling itself to spill on the floor by her feet. She held up only one certain portion of the scroll between the rolled end and her open palm and began chanting. That was their cue.

Cye uncapped his water bottle and poured some of the liquid on top of his burner. Rowen kneeled down and turned on the electric fan, the incense swaying around the artificially powered wind. Kento undid the knot on top of the pouch and poured the sand on top of his burner, the grains spilling into the holes and around its feet. Sage turned on his flashlight, and Ryo snapped on his lighter. He knelt down like Rowen had, opened the lid of his burner, and lowered the flame inside.

He almost fell out of the circle when a pillar of fire suddenly erupted from the incense burner, the boy backing away quickly as the same thing was being repeated throughout the entire ring. Five pillars of fire, water, earth, light, and wind, stood in front of each respective Ronin. The pentagram had snapped to life.

"Are you sure no one can see this?" Kento yelled above the constant rise and fall of sand.

"Or hear it?" Rowen demanded, the howl of the wind, mixed in with the other elements making it difficult to hear.

"Rest assured, my magic is strong. No one outside of this wall of incense will see or hear what is going on inside." Krysta rolled up the scroll in her hands, tapping it against her open palm when she was done. "I've done my part. Now it's up to you. Imagine yourself and your element extending beyond your respective points on the pentagram. Close your eyes and image it traveling outward from where you stand, all the way to the other four points, to where your comrades stand. Visualize its movement, its power. Imagine it connecting with the other four, and the rest shall be done on its own."

Krysta smiled at the collected group, watching as each looked to the other for a brief conference before they closed their eyes and the connection began. A four red lines extended out from Ryo's feet, traveling the course of the star and the pentagon as the others did the same, each with their own respective colors, all of them merging to form a rainbow sea of light along the lines of the magic circle. Light and wind rose from the ground, the beat of the elements louder as the kanji of all five Ronins flashed into being, and for a moment, the woman saw each of them wearing their armors, a translucent apparition covering their forms, before it disappeared. The five elemental pillars were gone. The energy from the circle slowly dissipated. And the wind had died to a still silence.

The connection was complete.

Krysta gave a round of applause. "Very well done."

"Was that it?"

"Were you expecting something more, Ro-kun?"

Rowen scratched the side of his chin, his face a bit flushed. "Well, no. I just thought it would take longer."

Krysta chuckled. "Well, to lay your doubt to rest, your armors have been instinctively trying to reconnect with one another since they've been returned to you. They only needed but a bit of guidance and the rest, like I said, would have taken care of itself. And if you still have doubt, look around you. All of you. Do you feel any different?"

At Krysta's suggestion, Rowen looked to each of his comrades as they did the same, and almost immediately, he got four impressions in his mind, the brightness making him cringe.

Kento shielded his eyes. Ryo was having similar trouble. "How do you turn it off?"

"Imagine erecting a barrier around yourself," Sage said, he and Cye the only ones not being blinded by their friends' auras. "Just pretend you're surrounded by a wall that walks with you wherever you go."

Rowen was the first to get the hang of it. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to remove the spots for his eyes, then looked again. "I can still see it, Sage. Though it's not so strong anymore."

Sage frowned at that and looked for himself. Normally, he was able to shield out even his friends' intense auras. But now there was a faint silhouette of color surrounding each of them, even when he had his second sight fully blocked. He turned to Krysta for answers.

"This is your armors' connection. You will always be able to locate the other; more easily that you would have before. And I'm sure telepathic communication can now be learned between the five of you," Krysta explained. "But it also means that any injury sustained will be felt by the other four. As well as anxiety or any other extreme emotion. You must learn how to filter out those reactions that are a part of life and those that are because one of you is in danger, otherwise the constant connection will drive you insane."

"How will we be able to train for something like that?" Cye asked.

Krysta turned to Laura with a nod. "Kino-chan will be organizing that for you. In the mean time, just practice keeping that mental barrier around yourself. It's second nature to shield yourself from others, so it should not be too difficult to master."

She smiled at all of them, clasping her hands together. "Well, my work here is done. You boys run along now. I still have a plane to catch."

Ryo chuckled, and gave the woman a slight bow along with the others. "Thank you, Krysta."

Krysta's smile broadened. "You are a fine lot of young men. Take care of my Kino-chan."

"We will."

Krysta then turned to Laura, who was already blowing out the incense burners and packing the extra incense cones away in a bag. "Come, Kino-chan, you don't have to do that."

Laura rolled her eyes. "You'll be late for your flight."

"You say that, but I know you don't want to be under my wing for much longer." She gestured towards the Ronins. "Go with them. I will finish up here."

Laura didn't make a move to get up, but she had stopped working. Krysta knelt down next to her niece and placed her hands on Laura's shoulders. "Be with them," she spoke softly in Chinese. "Be with Sage And do not worry." She kissed her on top of her head. "He is strong."

Laura lowered her eyes. "But Krysta…"

"Come on now!" the woman cried and pulled her niece to her feet. "Or you'll be left behind!" She shoved her in the direction of Ryo and the other guys, laughing giddily as Laura stumbled forward. "Ken-kun!"

Kento turned around and recoiled back to catch the item that Krysta had thrown at him. His eyes widened at the tightly woven roll of bills in his hand. "What the?"

"Think of it as a practical gift, for the five of you."

Kento blinked. Then blinked again. Cye took a quick look at the money in Kento's hand, gauging how thick the roll was. His eyes bulged. "Krysta-san! This is too much!"

"I have to get rid of my Japanese currency somehow." She laughed, then smiled. "Use it for breakfast. Just make sure Kino-chan eats something!"

"You got it!" Kento grabbed Laura's hand and started dragging her out of the park. "C'mon you guys! I know just the place to spend the rest of our morning!"

"Wait! Kento!" Laura protested, but couldn't get him to release his grip on her wrist. She turned to her aunt. "Krysta!" She only waved her usual kitsune good-bye.

Cye gave an exasperated sigh and ran after the two of them, not forgetting to bow to Krysta before departing. Ryo did the same, waving a warm goodbye. Rowen was the next to follow suit, but was hesitant when Sage did not make a move to leave. He gave the blonde a questioning look.

Sage nudged his head in the direction of the other guys. Rowen lingered for a moment, debating whether or not to comply when he finally headed off with the rest of the group. Only Krysta and Sage remained.

"You wish to talk to me about something, Sage-kun?" Krysta asked as she snuffed out each burner, emptying the incense before packing it in her bag.

"Yeah," Sage nodded. "It's about Laura."

"She's been avoiding you."

"I know that."

"Do you know why?"

"That's what I want to ask you."

Krysta stopped her packing and got up to directly face the boy. "You mean to tell me that you have no idea as to why she may be staying away from you."

"No legitimate reason, yes," Sage corrected.

"Whether legitimate or not, fear is still fear," Krysta said with a sigh. "She thinks she could have killed you last night, Sage-kun."

"She could think to kill me any night of the week, Krysta-san. That doesn't meant that she'll do it."

"Sage-kun. It's not as simple as that."

"It is that simple," Sage snapped. "She did not do it on purpose."

"Then you should tell her that, not me." She smiled softly as his surprised expression, realizing then what he had done. "Sage-kun, you are hurt by my niece's actions, are you not?"

Sage didn't answer.

"Tell her it's not her fault. I'm sure it would mean more to her if it was spoken by you instead of me." She chuckled ruefully. "You know how we are. We say everything in the world but never what we truly mean."

"Krysta-san?"

The woman raised her eyebrows. "Something else, Sage-kun?"

He paused for a moment, then shook his head. "No, just… thinking."

Krysta shook her head, with a soft smile. "Take it from me who she will neither believe whether I speak the truth or a lie. Tell her only the truth. She may be angry about it, but she will appreciate your honesty."

"Thank you, Krysta-san."

She laughed softly, then went up to him and kissed him lightly on the top of his head, like she often did with Laura. "Call me Krysta," she offered. "We are family now. And I will protect you as such."

Sage shook his head "Krysta-san…"

Krysta placed a finger over his lips. "Krysta," she insisted. "Please, promise me, Sage-kun. If there is anything I can do for you, you will ask? I'll feel as if I have neglected my responsibilities as an adult if I let you boys take this on all on your own."

"Krysta-sa—" Sage paused, then dropped the suffix. "Krysta, your position in Xiang-Quon doesn't allow you free movement," he said, but nodded nonetheless. "I will tell you if I need help. But I feel that in our case, we are meant to do this alone. There are some things only kids can do because they are not adults."

"Yes," Krysta agreed and smiled, but it was sad this time; weighted with worry. "You are right, Sage-kun."

She watched him leave; watched such a young boy walk like a grown man. She closed her eyes and looked towards the sky. "And there are some things children should not be forced to do because they are still children."

Gammon materialized within the dark chamber, his form rising from beneath the floor through the shadows that were cast by the only light source in the room: a glowing purple ball of loose energy, swirling and shifting in shape and intensity. The demon phantom lowered himself down to one knee and bowed his head. "Master, I have failed you."

The energy from the center of the room flared and expanded, casting light further into the chamber, revealing the lone throne that sat across from Gammon, just barely within reach of the energy's circle of light.

The man smiled and crossed his legs, the light accentuating the folds of his finely pressed slacks and his polished loafers. "It's alright," he said, the whiteness of his teeth reflecting the light and making it seem like there was a floating smile belonging not to a face but the darkness of the room. He flexed his raised foot. "With you exiled, they believe their walls safe once again." He chuckled. "All is going well."

"Yes, Master." Gammon bowed even lower. "I am happy to be of service to you."

The man laughed with a hint of amusement and carefully cultivated insanity. "You will always be of service to me. Now… Call your beast. I wish to see it."

"As you wish, Master." Gammon sank through the ground and disappeared.

His smile lingered even after his minion departed. The energy ball floated ethereally towards him, like a miniature sun, at his command, bringing with it the light of the chamber and further illuminating the mysterious figure's form. The silhouette of his tanned 19th century attire were highlighted in the sphere's glow, and his blonde hair glinted like gold against the blood red cravat atop his breast.

The energy solidified into a globe, revealing to him the two demons that were assigned to Gammon's execution. His eyes lowered as he recognized the large demon next to the boy. "Well, well, well." The image in the globe grew bigger, closing in on the white haired bethshima with the many scars.

His smile widened. "This is unexpected, indeed."

Three o'clock in the afternoon and the trap was set, the instigators ready. Maki glanced over the empty street, eyes sweeping from his vantage point atop a tall tree planted by a residential home. His posture was casual, as usual, with his back against the sturdy trunk and one leg dangling lazily over the side of the branch he sat on. But his eyes were alert, checking the area one last time before feeling, for the moment, that the entire plan was secure.

Next to him, a yellow globe the size of his fist glowed. "You are on edge, my boy."

Maki snorted, forcing himself to slouch down even further against the tree. "You're imagining things."

"You have not broken a smile or made a jibe every since we arrived," Dario pointed out, the globe's light flickering in time with the fluctuations in the demon's voice. "And that was early morn."

"I hate waiting," Maki grounded out, not bothering to look at the yellow orb that served as his communication between himself and the bethshima who stood waiting in another dimension. He twitched his foot. "Is that so bad?"

"Only when it interferes with your performance," he replied. "Why did you agree to take on this job if you are so nervous?"

Maki frowned, his foot twitching even more. "I wanted the challenge."

"You mean you wanted to showboat."

"No! It's just—!" Maki sighed and bit on his lower lip. "I wanted to do something, alright? Even if it's a little over the top."

Dario paused for a moment. "You don't need to do that, my boy."

Maki huffed.

"So how is your father?"

The teenager wasn't sure if he favored this topic over their previous one. "As non existent as ever." He scoffed. "You'd think he'd even bother to look at me differently to show that I'm his son."

"Bethshimas do not show acknowledgement of their offspring, and vise versa. It is our way."

"Is that why Kayeda and the others don't talk to you, Jiisan?" Maki asked, turning toward the globe by his side.

Dario chuckled, both at the question and Maki's informal way of calling him by his title. "They don't talk to me for many reasons. One is that I talk too much, and they don't know how to respond to that. We are a solitary breed and not one for idle talk." Maki felt that the bethshima was smiling then. "I suppose my loose tongue comes with old age."

"I like it. You're easier to deal with," the boy confessed. "Kayeda talks but only of business and how undisciplined I am. Sanjo does the same, if he ever speaks to me, and I can't talk to Baldestar without getting into an argument with him." The boy placed his hands behind his head and stared up at the sky through the gaps in the foliage. "I can understand being strong and living up to the bethshima name but…" Maki sighed. "Jiisan, Kayeda didn't bring up the issue of your status at the meeting earlier today. Neither did Baldestar. I thought for sure he would have said something."

"So, my boy… Do you agree with them?"

Maki looked puzzled. "Agree with what?"

"That I should not be on this mission?"

The brunette was taken aback by Dario's tone. For a moment he seemed almost hurt. "Well," Maki shifted in his seat. "Yeah, in a way. You're a legend. And…"

"Just say it, my boy."

"You're my jiisan," Maki blurted out. "Even as demons, and knowing that you'd still do great in battle, of course I feel a bit strange about it."

"I've been kept out of many battles that way." The yellow globe dropped a bit. "With that thinking. I'm either too powerful or too historical. Ironically, Baldestar would want nothing more than to have me join him in battle, but he feels many of the recent missions are beneath my status."

"But you don't feel that way?"

"A mission, regardless of the size of the operation, is equally important in the grand scheme of things. Baldestar is still young, even with his 300 years under his belt. He does not understand strategies as well as Kayeda, Sanjo and I." Dario laughed softly. "Besides, I like feeling useful. Our particular breed is so self-contained that, in the end, we need to constantly test ourselves against the world to reaffirm our existence."

Maki stared at the globe beside him for a moment. He raised an eyebrow. "You would never say that to them."

The bellow of a laugh came loud and clear from the other end, the globe bobbing up and down with its master's mirth. "That would be cruel of me to point out our faults to their faces," Dario admitted with a lasting chuckle. "Another reason they avoid me, those three. I tend to make them uncomfortable." Dario's voice took on a wistful tone. "It's been a long time since we've had a bethshima as old as I. They do not know how to treat me, whether to watch out for me in my old age or trust in my strength, like they trust in their own to pull them through." The demon laughed. "It's frustrating."

"So is that why you're on this mission?" Maki asked curiously, his edge long gone with the elder demon's talk, like he always managed to whenever they were together.

Dario didn't answer right away. Sometimes he took his time in answering Maki's questions, but this time, it didn't bode right with the teenager. It was as if…

"Yes. I want to show them how strong I still am."

…he was thinking of a lie.

"Jiisan…"

The globe shrunk to the size of a marble and hovered in front of Maki's heart before finding its way into the boy's breast pocket. "Keep this with you during the fight," Dario ordered, his voice firm. "Do not lose it."

"But Jiisan—"

"Shhh, my boy." The marble vibrate against his heart, agitated for a second before it went still. "They're here."

For a moment, Maki saw in the far distance a pair of teenagers approaching. "I will go ahead, as planned," Dario instructed. "Gammon will appear shortly after his marionette. Catch him off guard, and if you cannot kill him, I will join you shortly after I dispose of his puppet. Understood?"

"Yes, Jiisan."

"Good." Dario paused for a moment, and again that unease Maki felt with his silence came back into his chest.

"May the god of war instill your heart," the bethshima finally said, his words, before the line cut out, a common blessing for battle. Maki swallowed, and even though Dario couldn't see it, the only thing he could do was nod.

Krysta had told him to tell to truth. And frankly, telling the truth to someone like Laura was not something Sage had a problem with. The girl always, since he'd met her, made him speak his mind, even when he knew it to be wiser not to.

Indignation was a main reason for his actions. Pride being a strong second. But a lot of it had to do with her forwardness, and her desire to stay on equal footing with him.

So it was much harder for him when, walking home from school that day, she trailed one step behind him and did not even raise her head as she walked.

Sage watched her out of the corner of his eyes. The silence between them and the obvious guilt that was emanating from his companion got a stronger rile out of him than anything else Laura had ever done to him. He scowled. "Are you going to be like that every time you almost kill someone or someone almost kills you?"

Laura did not rise to the bait. In fact, she looked more guilty than before. His scowl deepened.

Sage stopped in his walk, watching as Laura walked right past him, before he reached out and grabbed her ponytail and tugged back on it. "Hey. Don't ignore me."

Laura turned and slapped his hand away. "Stop it, alright!" she yelled. "Getting me pissed off isn't how to cheer me up!"

"Then how am I supposed to cheer you up?" Sage demanded, crossing his arms. "You're not exactly giving me any leeway here!"

"Just stop," she snapped, sweeping her hand to the side for emphasis. "I almost killed you, for God's sake! And you're trying to help me? Am I the only one that sees something wrong with this?"

"Apparently! Since I'm the one that almost died and you're the one having the problem with it!"

Laura closed her eyes for a moment, forcing herself to pause. She shook her head. "You're giving me a headache. Let's just stop this."

"No way. We're not done yet!"

"Sage!" Laura sighed, then turned away from him and started walking. "Stop, please. Just leave me alone."

Sage watched her walk away from him; walk away from their fight. Something she had never done with him before. His grip on the handle of his schoolbag tightened, and for a moment, he thought he had enough restraint to let her go.

Not a chance.

Laura ducked, shocked to feel the rush of air slap her face as Sage's foot flew right above her head. She turned around and blocked the back of his heel, another shot that was aimed for her face.

"The hell?" She blocked his next two punches and dove underneath his arm, backing out enough to catch her breath and scream at him. "What is your problem!"

Sage charged, threw a punch, then feigned his next one. "We're supposed to be training partners!" he cried as he spun his body back and pulled a roundhouse kick. "So fight!"

Her anger rose, but then fell back as Laura dove underneath the kick instead of blocking. She backed up again.

Sage growled and threw his backpack at her. The sudden move threw her off guard, and she stopped to catch the bag. Sage dropped to the floor and swept her legs out from underneath her. Laura made a surprised sound as she fell back onto the floor. She groaned, rubbed her back, and looked up at Sage. The boy towered over her, thoroughly pissed off.

"So that's what this is," Sage breathe, narrowing his eyes in disgust. "You're scared of hurting me."

He shook his head, first in disbelief, then out of madness. "I don't believe this. You're the one who always told me to never let up on you in a fight and then you do the same to me? What makes you think that I would be alright with having a handicap?"

"Sage," Laura tried to explain. "I was just—"

"No. Let me tell you something," Sage cut her off, his eyes boring right into hers with a intensity she had never seen. "I'm not weak either," he stated firmly. "So get that stupid notion out of your head! I won't be killed by you!"

He turn around swiftly and stormed away from her, leaving his bag and Laura still on the sidewalk floor, dazed and feeling even more horrible than that morning. She remembered her aunt's words, almost as if they were meant to have been spoken to her that day just so that they can haunt her that afternoon.

"Do not worry. He is strong."

"Sorry," she said to the wind, Sage now gone, and her the only one left on the street. "I had forgotten."

Sage took in a deep breath and huffed it out through clenched teeth as he walked through Tokyo's residential streets, not knowing where he was going, not caring if his feet guided him home or to the ends of the universe. All he wanted was to get away. All he could feel was the rush of blood that was pumping through his body, roaring in his ears and flushing his face. I can't believe her!

Never before had he felt so offended. So hurt because someone wanted to protect him. It was a slap to his face at his ability to take care of himself. And even if he's been saved before, guarded in battle as he has done for his friends during the Dynasty War, even had to be rescued from Talpa by Ryo and Rowen, he still never felt such indignation and disgrace.

Only with her.

Why only with her? Sage stopped at a three way intersection, right on the side of the walkway that formed the top of the two street's T crossway, and let out a sigh, allowing himself a few moments to calm down before decisively turning back the way he came.

It was when he made that about-face, that he caught sight of the impossibly large man down the street, with the fire brown skin and aging hair. With the bare chest and innumerable amount of scars. With the large hands and chain weight hanging around his belt. With the scar that split the left half of his face, and the aura that screamed 'demon' over and over in his mind.

The globe pulsed with its purple light, shifting in hue to green, then a dark blue, and back to purple again as the orb displayed the encounter before him. "Interesting." The man smirked, almost laughed, at the sight. "So that is your move? Ay, Tajhinn?"

Gammon appeared back in the dark room with the last of the seven shadow puppets draped in the same ninja guard as his brethren. But this one was taller than its predecessors, with an abnormal lean frame, an elongated, thin face, and arms that seemed a bit too long to pass for human. Its way of standing at attention was in a hunched over stance, its back permanently bent forward, arms limp and legs bent slightly apart.

The man with the European clothing and deceptively good boy looks glanced at the phantom demon's creation with an appraiser's eye. He made a small harrumph, but the smile never left his face.

"Good," he said. "Good. It's developed well. Good enough to kill a warlord, even." He gave a quiet snort, the corner of his lips rising higher with the laugh. "But maybe not enough for the 'Godfather of War.'"

He stretched out his hand, and the image within the sphere disappeared, the globe slowly drifting out to Gammon's puppet demon. It stopped a mere foot away from it, the energy emitting from the globe teasingly reaching for the puppet. It growled in hunger.

"Drink," the man commanded, his words a soft breath against a smug grin that never left his face. It even grew wider; crazed in delight as the puppet started to change as it fed off of his energy, its clothes stretching and tearing. It grew taller, its limbs longer, and the back of the puppet's destroyed ninja gi burned till the revolution's insignia, the fires of change, was seared into its back.

The man chuckled again as the newly transformed monster stood before him in all its hideous glory. "Go. And give our old friend the proper burial he deserves."

For a second, Sage didn't move, staring at this monstrous demon standing in his way. Then he reached into his slack pocket for his armor orb. The power of Halo surged through his hand and engulfed his body. But the instant he felt the transformation complete and his sub armor in place, the air surrounding him shifted. His mind, for a moment, felt it was floating in zero gravity as the area around the demon and himself phased out in a quick spurt of energy before phasing back in. The scenery had not changed, yet something felt off. He felt he had gone through dimensions.

He didn't have time to dwell on it further. The demon had rushed him, impossibly fast. Sage dove to the side to avoid his fist as it slammed into the ground. The concrete caved in with the force of his punch, little rivulets of cracks splintering from the epicenter. Sage's hand reached the ground first, supporting his weight for the second he needed to spring himself back into the air.

He landed on his feet and backed up further away from the demon. And with the next step he took, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, the weight of an odd pressure pressed against his backside.

The hum of electricity filled his ears, the shock of his body being slammed with the energy of a thousand needles making him bite his tongue to stifle his surprise and pain. He staggered forward with a grunt, but then had to duck under another power swing from the giant demon, half stumbling out of his reach, only to feel the hum of electricity at his backside once again.

The shock was only brief, having had quickly pulled himself away from the edge of the invisible arena he found himself battling in. What the hell is this?

It was all happening too fast. The battle. The energy. The pain that blinked in and out as spots in his vision. And the demon. The demon was too fast.

His shin had connected with Sage's stomach, and the force had sent the Ronin flying through the air. This time he hit the wall of the barrier full on, and the shock of electricity through his body forced him to scream aloud. His eyes shuddered close as he began to fall, the impact of the ground beneath him secondary to the numbing pain and the invading darkness that overtook his conscious.

In the span of a second, Sage saw the rich green fields of the kingdom of Aethos flash before his vision, a man standing at the peek of the hill; the wind rustling his coat and long, silver hair. He saw Takeru turn to him, surprised, saying something he could not make out before it all blurred away.

Sage blinked. He felt the grainy texture of the street beneath him, his vision parallel with the ground. For a moment, he didn't remember what had happened.

The last thirty seconds came back to him in a rush. The demon.He forced himself to get up, but his muscles burned in protest, his stomach being the worst. Where's the demon? Every move he made was painful and sluggish, his mind racing. Where's Laura? He was finally on his hands and knees when a large shadow fell over him.

Looking up, Sage saw the demon towering above him, within touching distance. The demon's gaze was fixated on his own, a pale yellow that pierced like a cat's. And for a deceptive moment, Sage could have sworn those same monstrous eyes widened in horror.

His voice rumbled in his throat, and the shock Sage saw in his eyes were in fact genuine, confirmed with his next words. "You're just a child."

Sage lowered his head, breaking his gaze, breathing hard, as if he were to pass out. The demon hadn't made a move against him. Good.

The Ronin dove underneath the demon, right between his large legs and swung his own out, tripping him with the sudden move. His opponent gave a sudden growl of surprise, losing his balance but regaining it quickly before he could fall. Sage was already halfway down the street, close to the opposite wall of the invisible barrier, leaning forward and resting his hands on top of his knees, despite his better judgment. The demon did not take that opportunity to attack him.

Sage's breath got caught in his throat and he coughed while still gagging for air. His chest and throat hurt with each breath, his muscles were sore, and his back burned as if constantly on fire. Shit.

"Do not breathe in so heavily," the demon said, still keeping his position on the opposite side of the arena. "You will aggravate your injuries."

"And this matters to you how?" he snapped, then regretted it, his lungs tightening when he spoke.

"I will be needing you to escape soon," the demon answered, truthfully; a shock to Sage. "You would not be able to do it if you could not breathe."

"So you're using me as your escape route?" he said, but calmer, his breath slower. He was surprised when the pain on his chest started to lessen. "Sorry, but no thanks." His lungs stopped hurting, and he stood upright, getting into a fighting stance. "I don't feel like helping you."

With his muscles still wobbly and the burning, prickling sensation where he had come in direct contact with the barrier still there, he stretched his arms out and called on his armor. "Armor of Halo! Dao Chi!"

The demon looked on as the boy transformed, donning a fearsome battle armor that resembled the samurais of ancient Japan. His expression turned from shock to anger, opening an old wound within his heart when he gazed at the warrior before him. He could smell it; traces of the Demon Emperor Talpa.

Sage tensed, holding his nodachi in front of him. The atmosphere had changed, just like how it had done when he transformed in front of the demon at Kanaji. And the demon in front of him glared at him in the same way.

"So, you are one of his soldiers." His aura, which Sage had now realized had been suppressed till now, rose around him in heated waves. "Well then…"

Sage took a step back, raising his sword up, parallel to his face. The invisible walls that surrounded them shimmered, and three metal golden orbs the side of handballs emerged from within them. They gathered around the demon as he crouched low, one large palm held open to the side of his face, mirroring the Ronin's stance.

"…This changes everything."

"Geez! You'd think he wouldn't have been that eager to get the hell away from me," Laura grumbled under her breath, carrying Sage's school bag on her back and her own clutched to her breast. She tightened her grip around her bag and lowered her head against the leather fabric, mumbling again something indiscernible about the blonde, before she sagged her shoulders in a sigh, stopping at the corner right before his house.

When she had gathered their things and ran after him to apologize, she was surprised to find Sage nowhere in sight, the boy practically making a beeline for home without waiting for her.

I guess I deserved it, she thought, remembering the lonely walk home, and how awkward it felt, especially the first quarter of her solitary trek. The air was chilling, and she again, wore no jacket. Not that Sage would have lent her his after what had happened or without the safety net of her being sick. But the whole atmosphere unnerved her, and she would have definitely appreciated the company.

Since when was I so dependent on him to make me happy? Laura huffed and turned the corner onto the Date estate, resentful at the thought.

When she arrived, Cye was at the gate, pacing back and forth. "Laura, where's Sage?"

Laura blinked, taken aback first by Cye's appearance, then by the question he asked. "You mean he's not home?"

"He walked home with you," he said, as if he needed to remind her which Ronin she had left school with. He shook his head, clearly distraught. "He's not with you?"

"We had a fight," she replied gruffly. "And he went ahead without me. I thought he went home." Laura narrowed her eyes at the way Cye ran his fingers through his hair. "Why? Is something wrong?"

Cye shook his head, not in denial, but because he didn't know what to make of what he was about to say. "I have a stronger connection with the rest of the guys, so I don't know if they've picked up on it or not, but I felt something through the armor link coming from Sage, and when I tried to locate him through his aura, I couldn't find him. I even put on the armor, and I was able to sense the other guys but not him."

Laura's eyebrows furrowed, what Cye said not making sense. "But you're supposed to be able to pick up on the others anywhere. Krysta made sure of it. And besides, he can't be in a battle right now. I walked the area and didn't feel a—" She stopped. "Shit!"

"Laura!"

She had dropped her bag, forgotten Sage's was on her shoulders, and ran back the way she came, to the place she felt the chill of an invisible wind, cursing herself for having had dismissed it so easily before. "Cye! Contact the others!"

"But I've never done telepathy before!"

"I don't care! Just get them over here!" she screamed. "NOW!"

Sage slammed into the floor, rolling to a stop on his stomach. He coughed and gasped for breath, clutching the hilt of his nodachi in his hand as he pushed himself off the floor, the fifth time he's had to do so since the fight started in earnest. The demon was standing five yards away from him, with his three globes hovering at his shoulder's length. There was not one scratch on him, while two of his globes had several dents in them, one particular one the shape of Sage's armored foot. The last had a large crack in it that splintered around its curved surface.

His anger seems to have subsided, Sage thought as he brought up his sword once again. Strange. I was almost sure he would have killed me by now. But he didn't. And not just on one occasion.

Sage was more than surprised that, after feeling that surge of anger radiating from the demon, he had not seen that intensity anywhere else throughout their fight. In fact, it seemed to have subsided as the battle progressed, but his level of skill did not.

"You'd better stay down," the demon said. "You'll get worse injuries if this continues."

"Thanks for the warning," Sage replied, spitting out blood from his mouth. "But I'll take my chances."

"Very well then."

The globes rushed him before the demon did, swerving towards him like dragonflies. Sage backed up to bait one of them closer to him, all the while watching how close he got to any of the four walls of the barrier. Globe One kept up with his pace, always forcing him back but just out of his sword's range. Globe Two followed a fraction behind, then shot forward with a burst of speed, darting to the left and around to Sage's backside.

He ignored the urge to stop and move forward, instead forcing himself further back and almost right into it. Globe Two backed out of the way and came right in contact with Sage's right elbow. Sage smacked it into the distance while swinging his nodachi in a wide arc, Globe One halting its movement to dive over the attack. Globe Three took that moment to shoot itself at Sage's head.

He barely dodged the attack, the orb grazing his helmet's horn when he felt the demon looming over to his left. Sage jumped to get out of the way, but the demon grabbed hold of his ankle and brought him crashing to the ground.

His whole front stung with the force of which he had hit the ground. But it wasn't over yet. Feeling his ankle being lifted for a second time, Sage suddenly found himself airborne, the demon swinging him by his ankle and slamming him right into the side of the barrier. The impact alone was enough to rob him of his breath, and he couldn't even scream when the energy from the barrier hit him dead on.

Sage crumpled to the floor, the electric hum of the barrier still in his ears as the energy continued to course through his body, stabbing at him till he forced himself away from leaning against the wall. He fell flat onto the asphalt and blacked out.

Grass was around him, tickling his face. Sage blinked, slowly lifting his head. A gentle hand was placed on the back of his head, soothingly urging him not to strain himself and lie back down. Sage turned his head, saw a pair of suede boots and looked up, despite his caretaker's warnings not to.

Takeru looked at him, his grey eyes worried and scrunched together in pain and anger. "Hang in there," he thought he heard him say. Then his vision went black.

Sage screamed when he regained consciousness, struggling against the demon's grip on his armor's front collar as he pressed the Ronin harder against the barrier wall. He arched his back and clenched his teeth as he was assaulted once again by the stabbing pain that both jabbed at his back and ran through his body.

He felt numb, starting to slip out of consciousness again when he balled his fists to keep himself awake and realized that he still had a tight grip around his sword. Even when the demon had lifted him off his feet while he was unconscious, he had not let it go.

Yelling again, but this time to help him focus, Sage flipped the hilt around and swung his arm up. He connected with something he hoped was the demon's temple, but when what he had hit shattered into fragmented golden pieces did he realize that one of the globes had blocked the shot for its master.

The demon glared at him for a moment before flinging him to the side, the boy landing in a heap in the middle of the street.

Sage rolled onto his back, his head feeling like lead, along with the rest of his body, as he panted and coughed, both making his lungs hurt, his chest, and all the muscles in his abdomen as well.

His head was buzzing, and his skin prickled. So when the demon placed the sole of his boot over Sage's right wrist, then stepped over him to place his other foot over his left, he half felt it, half didn't.

Sage stared up at the demon, the only thing he could do as he stood on top of him, his facial features dark in the late afternoon sun. Dazed, he didn't understand it when the two remaining globes hovered above him, one near his shins, the other above his torso, right behind the demon's thighs. The barrier shimmered and several more globes emerged, shining and unbeaten, all congregating towards them, taking up several different positions above him. One hovered right above his head.

"Don't move," the demon commanded. And before Sage could say anything in reply, seven blades, each an inch wide, popped out from beneath all of the globes and shot down towards him.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
So… Million dollar question here. Did Sage die? :Smile: I love what I do.

Next chapter of RWU will be out sooner than the norm, but that also means it will be shorter because :sweatdrop: it was actually supposed to be part of this chapter, but I kinda went overboard and overshot the length of the chapter. SO! I wasn't supposed to end it on that cliffhanger. I actually had a different one planned. But I decided I felt like tormenting you guys. :innocent smile:

BTW, Panthera, thanks for the idea of killing Maki. I hadn't planned on doing anything drastic to him till you mentioned it. :EVIL grin: MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!

Ucchan